One thing I've learned in life

[quercus alba]

is that very seldom will you change someones opinion even in the presence of irrefutable facts. People hate to admit they're wrong and will go to grave arguing an opinion that totally lacks any factual substance, politics and religion probably being the foremost.

Now having said that, I'm simply stating my opinion here. I think the Cronavirus scare is being blown way out of proportion. Not saying that it doesn't have lethal capability, it does but so does the flu, pneumonia and mad cow disease. Especially to the elderly and people with a compromised immune system. But then, nearly everything is a danger to them including the common cold.

I see where schools, colleges, sporting venues and other public facilities are being closed. Where does it stop? People are already hoarding bottled water and toilet paper. What's next the post office? Electric company? Walmart? Grocery stores? You haven't seen anything like what will happen if businesses and food suppliers start shutting down.

I understand the need for caution but the media is feeding this thing like it's an airborne strain of ebola. Personally, I think you're more likely to die from being stabbed at Walmart over the last bottle of Germ X than from the Corona virus.

I just don't think it's bad enough to cripple the economy over something that is just not that dangerous to the average citizen.

Just my two cents

[BarryBobPosthole]

I hope you’re right.

But I don’t think you are.

BKB

[Thumper]

Yep, this is pretty much the way Johnboy’s thread started. I pretty much have to agree with you, but we just have no way of knowing I suppose. As for the news agencies, it’s like a feeding frenzy and I can see how they could be the root cause of the hysteria. Lynn and I were at Sam’s Club on Saturday and people were rolling out of there with truckloads of bottled water. I looked at her and asked if the latest news was that the Corona Virus has worked it’s way into the water supply! It looked like word had just come out that we have a hurricane heading for a direct hit!

I have to wonder about news coverage these days. We have no Russia collusion stories to report. The Democratic hopefuls have dropped like flies and there’s nobody left to report on but Sleepy Joe and a Socialist taking his last breath. There is no Republican challenging Trump, so politics is pretty boring right now even though the election is just around the corner. I’m not sure there are any Confederate statues left to tear down now. We NEED some news stories!

I’m waiting for the networks to develop one of those “clock” type thingies, like the National Debt counter you’ll see sometimes, and place it in the corner of our tv screens showing a real time death rate counter. Ummm, the frigging flu kills 650,000 people per year but we’re used to that, so it’s old and boring news.

[quercus alba]

I guess my biggest issue is that I have ZERO faith in anything the media puts out. ZERO. You get more accurate news from the National Enquirer

[Thumper]

“Most” of the “news” we’re exposed to these days, is actually commentary.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Sigh.

BKB

[Hombre]

We may be blowing it out of proportion and I think there is a lot that people just have to decide for themselves. How much you want to be prepared, how much self quarantining is necessary, etc. Some of this is being decided for us as well, as you mention in the above. The question is which side would we rather be on

I told you so because very few people die

I told you so because a lot of people die

[BarryBobPosthole]

I think that if a person truly doesn’t believe anything they see in the media then they shouldn’t worry about coronavirus. That sounds glib, but I’m not sure what other source of information to refer them to.

BKB

[quercus alba]

I truly don't fear the Corona virus. I treat it about like I would the flu. If it kills me then ya'll can say "I told you so". As for the news, most of it I take with a grain of salt until I can verify it thru more dependable sources. As far as the Corona virus goes, All my medical sources, which include my son and several friends who are nurses/doctors are all kinda pooh pooh about it. I trust them a lot more than some Henny Penny hack that has a printed opinion based on little if any research.

I know my opinion and three bucks will get you a cup of coffee but I think we're a long way from hoarding toilet paper. In two months time, we'll either have a full blown Captain Trips on our hands or we'll be saying, Did I shave my back for this? I think the NBA should be cancelled for a lot of reasons but not this. Yet.

A little common sense will go a long way. Nature has always preyed on the old and the weak and will continue to do so

This is one time I'd love to be right

[BarryBobPosthole]

Then I’d say you’re all set! No sweat!

BKB

[BarryBobPosthole]

Then I’d say you’re all set! No sweat!

BKB

[quercus alba]

Twice, if I can find any toilet paper I don't have to fight over :black_eyed:

[Thumper]

I remember the world being in a panic over Y2K. :hair

Wall Street's financial systems would all crash. Power failures would black out most of the world. Airplanes would fall out of sky. Cars would stop running. Of course natural disasters, world war, pandemics and economic collapse was sure to besiege us also.

I seriously hope it really is as "Chicken Little" as it's all starting to sound. (to me anyway)

Maybe it's just a Russian hoax.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Explain to me exactly which part of this seems Chicken Little.

Seriously, I want to know. Who are the dumbasses? The NBA? MLB? schools and universities that have closed? NASCAR? The concert promoters who’ve cancelled? The stock market? Who? Me?

BKB

[BarryBobPosthole]

If you say ‘the media’ I’m gonna punch you in the lip.
After we’re done with our social spacing that is.
BKB

[Thumper]

The media!

(just testin' ya') ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

You ain’t right in the head.


bKB

[BarryBobPosthole]

The media!

(just testin' ya') ;)

Sorry, the test isn’t available.

BKB

[Trav]

Explain to me exactly which part of this seems Chicken Little.

Seriously, I want to know. Who are the dumbasses? The NBA? MLB? schools and universities that have closed? NASCAR? The concert promoters who’ve cancelled? The stock market? Who? Me?

BKB
I am going to say you for no other reason other than the we haven’t agreed on much in our 20 year friendship so why start now. Anybody who doesn’t realize the musical genius of Rush just ain’t right in the head.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Laaaaady.....!

BKB

[Thumper]

Ha! I may have stumbled on our differences P-hole. I just ran across a couple of recent polls. THIS explains it! Maybe it's "politics". :moon

According to SurveyMonkey, 62% of Republicans think the seriousness of coronavirus is "generally exaggerated", versus only 31% of Democrats.

A Quinnipiac poll found 63% of Republicans were either "not so concerned" or "not concerned at all" about the virus, while for Democrats that number drops to 31%. As for the president's handling of the response to the virus, 87% of Republicans approve, while 83% of Democrats disapprove.

[Arty]

Here is why people are worried.

49,000,000 people got the flu in the last year. 52,000 died from it. (CDC’s numbers, not the media)

That is a .00106122% chance of dying if you get the flu. That’s from 1-101 and healthy as an ox, to being on your deathbed when you got it.

To date, 134,679 people world wide have reported having coronavirus. 4,973 have died.

That is a .036927% chance of dying if you get the coronavirus. Again, that’s everyone, That’s from 1-101 and healthy as an ox, to being on your deathbed when you got it.


Apply coronavirus death rate %, to the cases of the flu....I’ll do the math since my phone has a calculator that my math teacher told me I’d never have on me 24/7....

It’s 1.8 MILLION dead people. That’s a lot.


And if that ain’t enough....

Coronavirus is many many times more contagious than the flu virus. And it lives longer on most surfaces.

AND we have a flu vaccine, but 49 million people still got it. We do not have a coronavirus vaccine.

The numbers are scary. I worry for my mom, and really worry for my FIL, who has stage iv mesothelioma and is on chemo right now, and lives in an area with 10 confirmed cases.


All that said, if it’s my time to go it’s my time to go. I’m dead level serious on that. I know my maker and I know where I’m going. 10,000%. I wash my hands, don’t touch what ain’t mine when I’m in public, and have sanitizer on my desk in my car and in the house.


But I totally get the fear that people have. I do NOT think to be truly concerned is overreacting.


What I don’t get is this. How much frickin toilet paper do you plan to use in the weeks leading up to your death?
That one is a head scratcher. If I knew I had it and was gonna die, my first declaration would be “no more wiping! I’m just gonna shit in my pants!” I’ll go out of this world like I came in. Pissin and shittin all over the place, with someone there to clean me up, and tickle my tummy while they did it!


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[Thumper]

As for the TP, I agree. It's like I stated somewhere else in one of these discussions, people were fighting over bottled water while we were at Sam's this weekend. WTF? Do they think the Corona Virus is going to wipe out our water supply? People are panicking over ridiculous shit because of this virus thing. I don't get it. I'm more concerned about our IRA and 401K. I'm waiting for people to start hoarding gasoline ... in case they have to outrun this boogeyman virus. :slaphead

[BarryBobPosthole]

I’m gonna hold you to that!

When I sniff that casket I expect to smell poo!
BKB

[Arty]

I’m gonna hold you to that!

When I sniff that casket I expect to smell poo!
BKB

I’ll stink so bad they’ll have to close it!


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[DeputyDog]

Like I just posted in the other thread, I think the economic impact will be bigger than the death toll.

Michigan just closed all schools for at least the next three weeks. There are many kids who depend on the schools for a couple of their meals each day, many families won’t be able to pay for the additional child care costs and may not get any paid time off from work.

As Thump pointed out, the travel and hospitality industries are already getting hit hard, the cancellations of major events will have a toll on the cities where they were planned and many promotion companies have already spent a lot of money towards those events that they will not got get back. Look at the hit the peon workers at the sports arenas have already taken. They are already out of work. Will the fat cat team owners help them out since they aren’t employees of the teams?


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[BarryBobPosthole]

I don’t know about the fat cats, but I just read this morning that the XFL has cancelled its season and they are going to pay all of their players. Given the strength of player unions in the Bigs I’d assume its dealt with in their contracts. Think of all of the lost player incentives though! Think of the effect on senior college player’s prospective salary negotiations without getting to show ase their stuff in post season tourneys.
Like you said, it reaches far when you think about it.

BKB

[Thumper]

Well, these Corona posts are scattered all over the site now, so it's hard to remember what was said and where.

I think the major impact this mess will create is the economic impact. I keep close tabs on Thailand and they depend on tourism ... the country is on the verge of bankruptcy according to some reports. The reason I bring that up is Florida also relies heavily on tourism ... in fact, Lynn's job relies on tourism. This place is literally drying up. Princess Cruises has shut down and just yesterday, we got word Disney World and Universal (as well as Disneyland in California) has shut down ... that includes Disney's Cruise Line. This thing is snowballing out of control and I can't even imagine what the final economic impact will be.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Try to keep up, Darrell.

BKB

[DeputyDog]

The players were the least of my concern. I was thinking more about the guys working at the venues. Say you work as a hot dog vendor at an arena even if it’s a second job to make ends meet, you are screwed. I doubt their contract covers this.

My wife is an elementary principal in Michigan. Today is her last day of school for at least the next three weeks. She will still have to go to work, and I’m not worried about her not getting paid, but will they have to make up the missed days? If they do, the economic impact will stretch well into the summer even if we get a handle on this virus.

Stock up on ammo boys, the zombie apocalypse is coming.

Oh, did you see that China is now blaming the US military for the virus?


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[Thumper]

Lynn was talking to her family last night. Her bro and sis-in-law are scrambling to figure out their child care situation as they're shutting down the schools there. Lynn's mom (in her 80's) fainted a couple weeks ago and luckily was talking to a neighbor at the time. The neighbor caught her before she hit the ground and possibly cracked her head open. She was taken by ambulance to the ER and has a follow up for further testing this week to try figuring out what's going on. The doc's office called her yesterday and told her not to come in because it's too dangerous for her. WTF?? This thing is getting crazy.

[HideHunter]

I guess my biggest issue is that I have ZERO faith in anything the media puts out. ZERO. You get more accurate news from the National Enquirer

Hear Hear!

Okay (Barry ;) ) this may overstate it a bit (for me) but: For years I have listened to people say how biased Fox News is (and they are).. but recently there is zero difference in the bias of the blue news.. they don't even *try* to be subtle (or sneaky) any more..and I wish you *could* refer me to where I could get information I could trust..

And Jim - your comment on "commentary".. very much agree.. Almost every "large market" news person wants to *be* the news - not report the news..

Whew.. that's a lot of effort - I think I'll take the rest of the day off and go fishing..

[BarryBobPosthole]

HH, its more the ‘all or nothing’ mindset I was talking about. Sure, there is bias in practically everything. Its up to our brilliant selves to sift the pepper from the fly shit. Otherwise, we might be willfully ignorant.

To each their own!

BKB

[quercus alba]

Well, got my nucks, got my pepper spray and my knife, guess I'm ready to go battle the crowds at Walmart. Hope I don't get knifed over a roll of toilet paper

[BarryBobPosthole]

Its the milk and egg aisle where the hard cores hang out.

BKB

[Thumper]

I like looking for high beams in the frozen foods section. ;)

[BarryBobPosthole]

Its one of the main reasons I do all of our grocery shopping! I love it around 3:30. And the talent is definitely better at the local Sproutsthan any of them.

BKB

[DeputyDog]

When I was in high school I worked at the local grocery store. The town I lived in was on a lake and the store was just across the street from it and people would regularly come into the store from their boats. It was impressive to see what air conditioning on a hot summer day would do to the women who came in wearing their swim suits. [emoji16]


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[BarryBobPosthole]

One of the best jobs I ever had was working at a gas staionin a college town. I was known for my windshield cleaning.

BKB

[Hombre]

Coronavirus really brought this place to life.

[DeputyDog]

Coronavirus really brought this place to life.

It’s the last gasp before it kills all of us. [emoji12]


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[Arty]

Coronavirus really brought this place to life.

I figure this is a safe space. If it weren’t, we’d all have caught some kind of disease from Kribbs by now.


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[BarryBobPosthole]

:friday

[Thumper]

HEY!!!! :angry1

[Thumper]

One of the best jobs I ever had was working at a gas staionin a college town. I was known for my windshield cleaning. BKB


Ditto P-hole. I worked a gas station back in the mini-skirt days. I'd set the pump handle on the slowest auto-fill setting available and I think the windshield would be about .0001" thinner once certain cars pulled out of there! It's odd how that pesky spot took so long to get off the glass ... you know, like where that gnat splattered. (always on the driver's side) ;)

[quercus alba]

Well, I survived my foray into the deepest darkest regions of Walmart. I got my cart and headed straight to the toilet paper aisle and as luck would have it, there was one package left. I sprinted toward it but there was an 80 something granny ( who must have been a sprinter in her younger years) beat me to it. Fortunately there was no one else in sight so I was able to run her over with my cart and wrestle it from her grip. Later I found a good supply at another store so I went back to give her a package. Sadly the ambulance had already come and carried her away

that's the way life goes sometime

[Arty]

Well, I survived my foray into the deepest darkest regions of Walmart. I got my cart and headed straight to the toilet paper aisle and as luck would have it, there was one package left. I sprinted toward it but there was an 80 something granny ( who must have been a sprinter in her younger years) beat me to it. Fortunately there was no one else in sight so I was able to run her over with my cart and wrestle it from her grip. Later I found a good supply at another store so I went back to give her a package. Sadly the ambulance had already come and carried her away

that's the way life goes sometime

Survival of the fittest, baby!!!


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[BarryBobPosthole]

Beating up an old lady violates the new social distancing guidelines!

You oaf!

BKB

[quercus alba]

I didn't touch her, I used my cart. Afterwards I sanitized my hands and the package with some Germ X I got out of her buggy

[Thumper]

You're just lucky you live in Murica.


11347

[HideHunter]

Got a buddy I've fished with since we were about nine.. He always could -and still can - spot a nipple at a hundred yards. He can tell you if a gal walking down the other side of the street is wearing a bra.. We're getting to the age now - I guess he's a classic dirty old man. ;) Now, I most certainly appreciate a nice rack but 1) I'm simply not that observant and 2) as my wife has said.."If she's not leading a dog or carrying a fish.. he won't pay any attention." This whole "getting old" thing.. :(


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[Thumper]

Well, I just tried it a dozen times, to no avail. I guess I'm not capable. ;)