buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 6:08:48 AM

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lucius septimius 4/8/2020 6:17:29 AM

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vxbush 4/8/2020 6:21:09 AM

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In #2 lucius septimius said: She is doing very well, btw -- just talked to her this morning.

Good to hear. 

Morning, campers. I've been approved by work to run in and get some technology to disperse to folks all over town. I need the best protection suggestions against the zombies. 

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 6:56:38 AM

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Listened to NPR this morning, just for shits and giggles.  

Lots and lots of Big Numbers bandied about regarding the coronavirus;  a million billion skillion "exposed," or "diagnosed," or whatever---and, of course, death numbers are up. NO context for any of this whatsoever; no discussion of the basis for diagnosis, how we should view the diagnosis or hospitalization numbers in context---indeed, not even any hard figure of how many people have been/are being hospitalized once diagnosed---what the actual death rate is, i.e., proportion of fatalities to those hospitalized, or diagnosed.  They're just Big Numbers being bandied about in the void.

At this point, I believe that if someone is hit by a bus and killed, the death will be attributed to coronavirus; if the victim is tested postmortem and tests positive, then obviously it was a coronavirus fatality, and if he tested negative, but was out on the street because he was looking for the one store open within a five-mile radius and hoping to score an extra roll of toilet paper, the death was clearly the fault of the virus.

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 7:39:02 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 4:

US DEATH TOLL PASSES 10,000, MORE THAN BATTLEFIELD FATALITIES OF SIX US WARS COMBINED! ... screams this USA today piece.

Of course, they kind of have to pick and choose those six wars very carefully.

And of course, every single regular flu season reaches the same "grim milestone" and passes it, yet we don't report it that way, do we.

There's taking this thing seriously; and then there's spreading hysteria.  It's interesting to see who is doing which. 

JCM 4/8/2020 7:45:56 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 5:

The hysteria and fear mongering are a huge disservice, boy who cried wolf and all.

Like Buzz said above, raw numbers are virtually meaningless. Rates and trends are meaningful.

Add in things like in WA private construction is shut down, State construction continues because Gov. Stupid and Lazy is in an election year and needs the public union money.

Take the hysteria, and the uneven rules and many people concluded it's all bullshit. Which then causes them to conduct themselves in a riskier manner.

JCM 4/8/2020 9:01:36 AM

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lucius septimius 4/8/2020 9:14:52 AM

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Reply to JCM in 7:

So it's decided.  The best the Democrats can come up with is a plagiarist predator with dementia.

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 9:17:33 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 8:

Orrrrr, Cuomo rides in on a white horse. One of the two.

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 9:26:54 AM

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In #9 Occasional Reader said: Orrrrr, Cuomo rides in on a white horse. One of the two.

The Democrats' Hispanic Caucus will declare for him, saying, "Cuomo, ¡está Usted!"

JCM 4/8/2020 9:28:47 AM

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Feds classifying all coronavirus patient deaths as ‘COVID-19’ deaths, regardless of cause

“The intent is … if someone dies with COVID-19, we are counting that,” she added.

And that folks is epidemiological bullshit.

If some dies test positive for covid and dies of anything that is a covid death.

Fuck me.... the the hell I'm I supposed to trust anything about Covid these dipshits tell me?

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 9:57:00 AM

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Reply to JCM in 11:

See my second paragraph in #4.

JCM 4/8/2020 10:00:56 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 12:

It's beyond infuriating.

Talk about "hiding the decline"!

THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEY ARE DOING!

How can they if they don't have a damn clue about the extent of the problem.

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 10:13:14 AM

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Reply to JCM in 11:

I skimmed rather quickly but I do hope they're applying some rule of reason to this... e.g., if a patient is brought in with a broken neck from a motorcycle accident, and also tests positive for coronavirus, they're not recording that as a COVID-19 death.

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 10:18:57 AM

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In #14 Occasional Reader said: I do hope they're applying some rule of reason to this... e.g., if a patient is brought in with a broken neck from a motorcycle accident, and also tests positive for coronavirus, they're not recording that as a COVID-19 death.

At least some things I've read suggest that they are doing precisely that.   Of course, as with most things regarding this circus, I have no idea whether or not it is true.

JCM 4/8/2020 10:19:01 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 14:

I desperately hope they aren't that friggin' stupid.

But from the article I linked if they die of heart disease, but test positive for covid.

That's a covid death not heart disease. Same with other medical causes of death... if they are counting trauma, that's criminal.. or should be.  

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 10:31:11 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 15: Reply to JCM in 16:

Kind of reminds me of the recurring "The Ex-Police" skit on the original case Saturday Night Live.

Vigilante ex-cops burst into an apartment where two people are smoking a joint, start berating them, the pot-smokers shout back at them, ex-police shoot them down in a hail of bullets.  They then survey the scene, shake their heads, and agree, "another marijuana-related death". 

JCM 4/8/2020 10:39:06 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 17:

One night a drunk picks a fight with a K-9 officer, in the scuffle he gets nom-nommed on the family jewels.

I put on the report for the cause of injury.... adverse reaction to alcohol.

Doc thought that was pretty funny. If we put down dog bite we had to fill out another form to send to animal control.

JCM 4/8/2020 10:46:48 AM

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Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 10:53:34 AM

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Reply to JCM in 19:

Heh.

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 10:54:32 AM

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In #17 Occasional Reader said: the original case

= cast

/second time I've done that today

vxbush 4/8/2020 11:14:06 AM

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In #13 JCM said: Talk about "hiding the decline"! THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEY ARE DOING!

Oh, I think they do. Because the numbers weren't looking as bad as China and Italy, they had to puff up the data to support their conclusions to shut down the government. So everything is getting labelled as COVID-related if it can in any way be connected. 

This is shit data. And that's my professional opinion. 

In #6 JCM said: Take the hysteria, and the uneven rules and many people concluded it's all bullshit. Which then causes them to conduct themselves in a riskier manner.

Despite recommendations to wear a face mask (which I do for the son's sake, plus gloves and then carefully decontaminate when I get home with isopropyl alcohol everywhere, for OR's sake), I saw a lot of people not wearing masks and not keeping 6 feet apart. They just have decided this is a holiday. 

vxbush 4/8/2020 11:15:09 AM

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In #19 JCM said: Things to do in quarantine!

Well, I kind of like this suggestion. 

vxbush 4/8/2020 11:15:11 AM

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In #19 JCM said: Things to do in quarantine!

Well, I kind of like this suggestion. 

JCM 4/8/2020 11:21:08 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 20:

Little OR would love to fly around the house!

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 11:24:13 AM

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"Hey, everybody---don't move.  I've got you covid."

---the government

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 12:24:06 PM

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Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 12:26:45 PM

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In #27 Occasional Reader said: NPR doing a teary-eyed puff piece on Sanders right now.   "He's been a champion for health care justice".  

Not a single word of criticism so far.   Literally.  Nor do they mention once the s-word, socialism.  

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 12:29:56 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 28:

OMG and now the latest hot take.

Peopleses of Colorses are "at risk" for wearing masks (as the CDC now recommends), because racist AmeriKKKa will assume blahblahblah.

NPR is the best comedy show around. 

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 12:34:09 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 29:

And the "expert" they're citing on this is... "an educator for disadvantaged students". 

Who opined that black Americans are "too afraid to speak out" about all the chronic mistreatment they receive in racist AmeriKKKa.  

Yes, whenever I've driven through, say, southeast parts of DC, I'm struck by all those terrified black people running away from me.

Hey NPR?  The statistics, year after, are consistent.  Young, black men in American do, indeed, face a heightened risk of violence.... overwhelmingly, at the hands of other young, black men. 

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 12:50:05 PM

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In #29 Occasional Reader said: NPR is the best comedy show around. 

I'd agree with you, save for the fact that I know a-plenty white libruls who listen to it enraptured, and believe every word.

doppelganglander 4/8/2020 12:57:33 PM

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Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 12:59:35 PM

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doppelganglander 4/8/2020 1:15:12 PM

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doppelganglander 4/8/2020 1:17:02 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 34:

And they've banned vacation rentals.

JCM 4/8/2020 1:17:17 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 33:

Today is my first day trying AirPuds... (stealing that).

Boys had them, younger one lost his and took mom's. And lost one of hers.

I replaced mom's and replace the one lost. Since I wasn't about to give them back to him. I tried them.

So far I like them. I have some nice noise cancelling but when I want to hear more of what's going on around they work too well, and not have the wires in the way is nice.

Steal use the company provided headset for meeting....

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 1:23:50 PM

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Reply to JCM in 36:

I've got the original AirPods (birthday present from my ex a couple years back, which was nice of her, considering she was already very much my ex at the time); and the AirPod Pros (Christmas present from my family this year).  I find the original ones - according to people with whom I'm speaking - do a better job in terms of my own voice being clear to the person on the other end.  The Pros, really I wanted more as a socially-acceptable way to wear noise-cancellation in loud environments like bars/restaurants, than anything else (which, needless to say, has not been an issue these last few weeks).  But I'm disappointed that the seem to function rather poorly in terms of call clarity for the person on the other end. 

lucius septimius 4/8/2020 2:00:12 PM

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lucius septimius 4/8/2020 2:14:44 PM

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buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 2:37:21 PM

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In #39 lucius septimius said: Babba Zee is being her delightful insane self on Twitter.

Care to share?

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 2:38:11 PM

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Lots o' matzo, man

I've got to eat lots o' matzo, man

---the Shtetl People

doppelganglander 4/8/2020 2:42:01 PM

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lucius septimius 4/8/2020 2:57:30 PM

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Interesting and disturbing piece at WUWT that says all the "flattening the curve" talk is nonsense.  The same number of people will die whatever we do.  "Flattening the curve" just means those deaths are spread out over time.

That’s it? That’s all? Eighteen hundred dead? That’s less than California murders. It’s less than California gun deaths. It’s a third of our drug overdose deaths, for heaven’s sake, and guess what?

The trillion dollars we lost from the government shutting down the California economy?

It won’t save one of those 1,783 people. Not one.

It will just delay their deaths by a week or two.

A trillion in losses are on the cost side of the cost/benefit analysis. And on the benefits side, all we have is a two-week delay in eighteen hundred unavoidable deaths? That’s it? That’s all that a trillion dollars buys you these days?

lucius septimius 4/8/2020 3:00:03 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 40:

Oh, nothing in particular.  Posting cryptic comments with psychedelic music to go along.

lucius septimius 4/8/2020 3:00:35 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 41:

And deal with the stoppage.

vxbush 4/8/2020 3:02:30 PM

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In #43 lucius septimius said: Interesting and disturbing piece at WUWT that says all the "flattening the curve" talk is nonsense.  The same number of people will die whatever we do.  "Flattening the curve" just means those deaths are spread out over time.

Not quite. The author (based on the part you quoted above) is not recognizing that if all those illnesses happened at the same time, we actually would have more people die because there wouldn't be enough ventilators and other equipment to go around. So flattening the curve means a few more people are saved from death as opposed to dying because the equipment wasn't available. 

buzzsawmonkey 4/8/2020 3:12:05 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 43:

I notice that the article starts out with a line about "the very incompetent Dr. Fauci."

There's been a lot of "slam Fauci" stuff floating around, and I can't figure out what the casual slaggers are basing it on, other than that he admittedly supported Clinton in 2016 and has gently corrected Trump in a couple of pressers.

Can anybody tell me why a certain element of the "right" has decided that Fauci is the devil incarnate?  I've seen an InfoWars lunatic vid babbling about Fauci's connections to Bill Gates, who has connections to Wuhan, and the claims that they've already patented an anti-coronavirus vax which they're holding back---but this seems to me to be lunacy.

I understand that Fauci is not popular merely because he's pushing the restrictions, but he was a good man during the AIDS epidemic and I don't see why he's being slagged now, other than that paranoids of whatever supposed sympathy need a focus for their paranoia.

doppelganglander 4/8/2020 3:35:52 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 38:

This might explain it. 

Colleges and Universities Already Panicking About Finances Over Shutdowns

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 4:10:18 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 43:

Um, sorry, but that’s just plain stupid. For the reasons that vx explained.

Occasional Reader 4/8/2020 4:10:50 PM

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Kosh's Shadow 4/8/2020 4:14:45 PM

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Good news about COVID-19

Except for BDS supporters

Israeli COVID-19 treatment shows 100% survival rate - preliminary data

Six critically ill coronavirus patients in Israel who are considered high-risk for mortality have been treated with Pluristem’s placenta-based cell-therapy product and survived, according to preliminary data provided by the Haifa-based company.

Not only have all the patients survived, according to Pluristem, but four of them showed improvement in respiratory parameters and three of them are in the advanced stages of weaning from ventilators. Moreover, two of the patients with preexisting medical conditions are showing clinical recovery in addition to the respiratory improvement.