Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

...always knew DSL was a pussy...

Just left you a 2-star Yelp review. So your average just went up.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Thanks buddy. That should double the average and put us slightly ahead of Big Al's Roadkill Cafe in beautiful downtown Ogallala...

[iam416]

I've got two parents with chronic lung issues. My dad has had a heart attack in the past couple years. I've got a 91-year-old grandma.

The solution proposed by the smug experts here is that I should cut myself off completely from my relatives, advise them that they should never leave their home for a couple years, and that I should personally be out frequenting local businesses as much as possible. I owe nothing to my relatives. I owe nothing to strangers or co-workers that might get sick from me. But I owe the local dive bar lots of business. Even moreso now.

Thanks but no thanks. I still go out but I've changed my patterns. If that's cowering in my basement, so be it.

Actually, the solution proposed here is that you're free to manage your life as you see fit free from governmental intrusion imposing "expert" rules on you.

Small point of clarification, but a rather important one. So, you know, proceed in a way that's best for your situation.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Actually, the solution proposed here is that you're free to manage your life as you see fit free from governmental intrusion imposing "expert" rules on you.

Small point of clarification, but a rather important one. So, you know, proceed in a way that's best for your situation.

And I think being at the point of 2000 deaths a day merits placing public safety above your personal freedom. Restrictions, not complete abolishment.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Biden picks Yellen as Treasury. This is a very smart move. I'd like to think it's telling Pocahontas that she and her tribe that includes The Squad are going to take a back seat when it comes to Biden's fiscal policy. Of course, we'll see because Biden is still who he is and BO is lurking in the shadows.

But Yellen is very smart and is on the leading edge of modern economic theory. It's reported she's not a fan of MMT ..... something that at present I could get behind. OTH, there are good reasons not to. I think she probably knows a lot more about this than I do. I'll defer fiscal policy to her.

[iam416]

And I think being at the point of 2000 deaths a day merits placing public safety above your personal freedom. Restrictions, not complete abolishment.

Right. As long as we're clear on who's advocating that people do as they say. It ain't fucking us, asshat. I want that crystal motherfucking clear.

[Jeff Buchanan]

And I think being at the point of 2000 deaths a day merits placing public safety above your personal freedom. Restrictions, not complete abolishment.

2,000 is 0.00060975609756098% of 328,000,000 ........ it's about 1/5th of the total number of people that die every day and is about the same number of people that die everyday of heart disease. This isn't good but having officials tell you that you have to close your business, even for a few hours a day, not travel for the holidays or not gather to interact socially is a far greater burden and has gotten to the point, for me at least, that it represents a real threat to personal choice, of course, after you've done your due diligence in assessing your own risks. Governments do not know how to do this better than I do.

[AlabamAlum]

DSL,

I think most are for mitigation rules. Masks, okay. Social distancing with businesses at limited capacity, okay. I don't get the reduced hours (Covid only comes out at night theory), but whatever.

If that's what you're wanting, we're on the same page. My fear is that we are going to grind things to a complete halt (well except for Wal-Mart and fast food drive-thrus, and a hundred other "essential" things).

[Dr. Strangelove]

2,000 is 0.00060975609756098% of 328,000,000 ........ it's about 1/5th of the total number of people that die every day and is about the same number of people that die everyday of heart disease. This isn't good but having officials tell you that you have to close your business, even for a few hours a day, not travel for the holidays or not gather to interact socially is a far greater burden and has gotten to the point, for me at least, that it represents a real threat to personal choice, of course, after you've done your due diligence in assessing your own risks. Governments do not know how to do this better than I do.

250,000+ dead is the second worst pandemic in American history. If you're unwilling to restrict hours to a bar during this, then you wouldn't do it for anything less than Talent's beloved bubonic plague. Fair enough.

[Dr. Strangelove]

DSL,

I think most are for mitigation rules. Masks, okay. Social distancing with businesses at limited capacity, okay. I don't get the reduced hours (Covid only comes out at night theory), but whatever.

If that's what you're wanting, we're on the same page. My fear is that we are going to grind things to a complete halt (well except for Wal-Mart and fast food drive-thrus, and a hundred other "essential" things).

We are mostly on the same page. Jeff just gets ridiculous when he worries over having invested all his retirement on cruise ship stocks.

[AlabamAlum]

....If you're unwilling to restrict hours to a bar during this, then you wouldn't do it for anything less than Talent's beloved bubonic plague. Fair enough.

Again with the restricting hours. Why is my risk at a bar or restaurant with (eg.) 25 patrons less at 7pm than 10 pm. .

[iam416]

I think the overall percentage can't be dismissed, nor can the comparison to heart disease. Both provide valuable perspective.

I don't know how many deaths we end up with. Let's say 500,000 by March 31 (basically a full year of covid). That's 0.15% of the population. And the vast majority of that 0.15% is over 70.

We lose 600,000 to heart disease and the vast majority are over 70. There are plenty of mitigation measures we can take to lower heart disease (#TrustScience). We don't do it. We essentially allow people to live their lives -- eat all the goddamn red meat they want and sit on the couch for 20 hours at a time.

Subjugating individual liberty for the greater good is the stuff nightmares are made of. It's the backbone of draconian policies and governments including, of course, real deal Communism and Maoism. So, a lot of people get a little nervous when they are, in effect, punished to benefit others. That's a precarious place to be and you better be able to articulate a very good reason for the position AND a very clear limiting principle (lest some DSL's beloved "experts" try to apply the same approach to, say, laws designed to limit heart disease).

[THE_WIZARD_]

Dying of Covid and dying with Covid are two very different things. Lots of very questionable "Covid" deaths out there...many I know of first hand...politics have made a serious situation what it is for many...an overblown ring of terror...

[Dr. Strangelove]

Again with the restricting hours. Why is my risk at a bar or restaurant with (eg.) 25 patrons less at 7pm than 10 pm. .

Look. I get what you're saying. There isn't hard science behind it. I doubt the fire code capacity limits have tons of hard science behind them either. But if I think we're at the point of needing to reduce social interaction, that's where I'd start. Minimize bar and restaurant late night service. Or let them cut the hours during the day, I don't really care. Just so that they're open shorter hours. If not even that is acceptable, then I don't know how any mitigation is acceptable. The masks and social distancing have questionable science behind them too. Is there hard science backing the 6-feet standard? Nope. it's more of an every little bit helps train of thought. I'd say again I support giving the bars financial support to help them make it.

[THE_WIZARD_]

What the fuck does limiting late hours do? What covid hides in the day and comes out at nite? As stupid as requiring a mask until you sit at your table...then magically covid steers away. So may of these fucking "rules" are so arbitrary and ridiculous yet I see morons doing it believing it makes a fucking difference. They cower away from people on the street then walk into a crowded Walmart...fucking priceless. Arrogance that we can keep people away from being exposed to a fucking global virus...lmfgdao.

Carry on DSL...glad yer safe buddy...