Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[AlabamAlum]

And....IiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIiiiiiii will alwaysssssssss lovvvvveeee youuuuuuuuu

[THE_WIZARD_]

...ok...that was a little too gay for a Sunday morn...

[*JD*]

Good information here about Covid-19 and how it may and may not be spread:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/well/live/coronavirus-contagion-spead-clothes-shoes-hair-newspaper-packages-mail-infectious.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR10bxN-HGYcuHhPUXPGGZEk5SbA8B5SAAbeXEwI3dz60LBc2zqrUEz_bfk

[Jeff Buchanan]

It's not the flu, but it's not the black death, either. We're getting closer to a sensible approach that considers reality. Currently, of course, we're in black death mode, but those days are numbered.

I sure hope so but, I'm not real confident of that.

The news remains loaded with the narrative that the US needs to greatly expand testing or everyone anticipating going back to the work place needs to be tested on some sort of ridiculous, unattainable schedule of every 5d. Yep, you heard it and I just read an article stating this shit.

Has any country facing COVID and now beginning to emerge from its shadow done that? A big fuck no. Economies by country and region in Asia and Europe are reopening or never closed to the extent the closings occurred in the US. Guess what? The curves continue to flatten. The disease appears to continue to be contained or ebb by valid data sources.

Here's another MD in Indiana who authored a decent piece on why this call for universal testing that's making it's rounds is just stupid.

Hoosiers must not remain in lockdown until the false magic bullet of universal testing occurs. It never will be done because it cannot provide meaningful results among the general population. We can resume activity most safely by being vigilant to identify each new case of Covid-19 when one of us becomes ill, and then isolating all known recent contacts. Targeted testing of these individuals, along with healthcare workers and others in higher risk jobs, is necessary. Whenever Covid-19 activity has fallen for 14 days (as may be the situation in Indiana now) we must cautiously get back to work and monitor for every new case. Masks and social distancing will be with us for some time as we get back to work.

https://www.greensburgdailynews.com/news/lifestyles/the-myth-of-universal-covid-19-testing/article_bb4ecbb8-8582-11ea-a778-87024ba4d715.html

[iam416]

Yeah. I saw some articles about how antibody testing is unreliable (so you can't trust the lowered fatality rate) as well as your standard article (from the WaPo) about how younger people *can* die from strokes. Can (and Could) are the single worst, meaningless words in reporting. Yes, they *can* die from covid, but their CFR is so low as to be essentially inconsequential. In Ohio, 3% of the deaths are under 50 (16 total -- zero under 30). So, I mean...c'mon.

And, hey, the WaPo is just reporting the "facts" -- I mean, young people CAN die. But you could just as easily write an article titled "Young People Face Almost No Risk From Corona" -- and that would be factual, too. Those are the types of choices in subject matter that show where the narrative is.

And re the antibody-testing -- look, it's fine to be skeptical and it's fine to report on skepticism. BUT, the entire coronavirus models have proven they should be viewed with skepticism but there is no way on earth you're going to see the WaPo, NYT or CNN suggesting that these models are wrong (unless they're death projections are way too low). However, if there's data out there that suggests this may not be bad as we think -- still bad, but not as bad -- well, then, cue up teh unreliable narrative.

Watch these things. I mean especially when you see "young people can die, too" shit -- that's a total narrative position, IMO.

[Whitley]

I wonder if the Ohio rates there are a stats quirk

in Michigan 7% of the deaths are under 50 (and 41% of the cases).

[iam416]

[Ghengis Jon]

Tomorrow New Zealand rolls back some of its lock down requirements, beginning it's re-opening.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52436658

[Dr. Strangelove]

Tyson Foods took out a full-page ad in several major newspapers yesterday to warn that the food supply chain was breaking. Take it FWIW

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/business/tyson-foods-nyt-ad/index.html

[Jeff Buchanan]

Reopening? In the US it's a mirage.

I spent most of the weekend, reviewing articles and writing about the mountains of evidence that indicate SARS-COV-2 is abating, globally and in the US, has a death rate and R0 (Rt) considerably lower than initial estimates and that the "dire warnings" from officials making decisions about reopening, besides spreading fear and paranoia, can not possibly be considering the favorable data that is out there. Much of this is a result of the confusing, contradictory and dangerously incorrect messaging coming from Washington. Leadership in the US? There is none.

Instead, reopenings are delayed or hamstrung with silly rules, because leaders are paralyzed by fear and paranoia of media and political backlash should ANYONE die and that death be associated with COVID-19. What we have on Monday, April 27th, just about 90d into this thing in the US, leadership hiding behind podiums slow-walking decisions that are crying out to be made and announcing ill-advised directions on continuing lock-downs and stay at home orders.

TBC, I'm not for jumping back in with both feet. I am for allowing recreational facilities, retail, most manufacturing sectors, restaurants and leisure sector businesses to reopen, all with appropriate monitoring of employees and both distancing and respiratory mitigation measures in place. There are some activities that can't fully open and some people, those in high risk categories for disease complications, that can't yet risk going out. As well, the infrastructure and resources have to be in-place regionally to do targeted testing, tracking, contact tracing and isolating those with symptoms and COVID + tests to the extent possible ..... this does not mean to 100%. It means to a level that resources allow. I know that in FL, we are there. I suspect many places are.

Messaging from key leaders nationwide, including at the federal, state and county level has to be unambiguous and direct. Right now it isn't. I consider that to be a huge problem for both businesses and the public who, as we all know, is going to drive the success or failure of any reopening activities in good ways by behaving responsibly and bad by behaving irresponsibly.

While Kemp has been mostly derided for his late decisions on lock-downs and early decisions on reopening in GA, this is going to be a learning moment for other states and locals with similar population densities. I'll be watching ....... and I'm going to viciously pile on the doubters and nay-sayers who, by their official decisions, continue to keep us prisoners in our homes and kill the economy.

[iam416]

Tyson Foods took out a full-page ad in several major newspapers yesterday to warn that the food supply chain was breaking. Take it FWIW

Just gotta starve to death. It's crazy to even think about re-opening!

[iam416]

Instead, reopenings are delayed or hamstrung with silly rules, because leaders are paralyzed by fear and paranoia of media and political backlash should ANYONE die and that death be associated with COVID-19.

Welcome to Team Talent.

Messaging from key leaders nationwide, including at the federal, state and county level has to be unambiguous and direct

It has to be bi-partisan. Do you really think that's going to happen? I mean -- DSL's girl Pelosi actually said that PDJT's travel ban re China didn't go far enough. You can't actually make that shit up. So, this thing is going to continue to get politic'd to death and your first statement is going to continue to remain true.

But, man, fingers crossed in Georgia and Florida. Right now we're all living as if we're NYC. Well most of us are. And it's fucking clear that's crazy.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Tyson Foods took out a full-page ad in several major newspapers yesterday to warn that the food supply chain was breaking. Take it FWIW

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/26/busin...-ad/index.html

The problem with this story is that there is no balance to it.

There's no question there are two problems: (1) Meat processing is hyper-aggregated in a small number of processing plants. (2) Some, not all of these plants, have been TEMPORARILY closed. The Ag industry is well aware of the bottle necks the plant closings present. Are they just going to sit back and go, well, we're closed, fuck the farmers who raise the meat, fuck all of you who eat it. Of course not. Companies will re-open these plants with increased monitoring and sanitation measures - which were pretty high to begin with. Employees will return, despite the human interest horror stories we're being fed by the media about meat processing employer cruelty, because they have to earn a pay-check.

Three weeks ago, farmers in S. FL were "plowing under" produce because demand at the businesses they service dried up. OMG, there won't be any produce! Did that happen? Nope. Farmers and produce packing companies adapted, found ways to redirect supplies and voi-la, plenty of produce ..... everywhere!

Can you imagine the folks who deal with meat production in the US just sitting on their hands? That's dumb. It's a problem, it will get solved. Meat will return and for fuck sakes, don't panic and go to the store and grab a pallet full of chicken ...... never mind. It's going to happen. Eat fruit and veggies for a week or two. You'll lose weight and be a lot healthier!

[iam416]

This blog entry from Geraghty hits on both the politicization of the coronavirus + media coverage AND the food supply: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-m...atoes-america/

It's almost inconvceivable that we're not drifting into huge food oversupply territory along with potential meat undersupply.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Yeah I saw that Geraghty piece last week. We're heading for more farm bailouts. Not just because of livestock oversupply but a corn oversupply too (less need for gasoline = less need for ethanol)

Jeff - Not to dive too deep into it but outbreaks in meat-packing plants are bound to happen because so many of the employees are illegal immigrants living in close quarters with others. Even in rural America. No matter how safe or hygienic you dress it up, by and large it's a gruesome, nasty, & dangerous profession, and most people given an alternative will take it.

I forget the name of the company down in Mississippi that got raided by ICE last summer but they found what? 700 illegals in just one plant? That's commonplace in the industry.