Day of Chaos 2: a.Covid-19 thread.

[shaolin_monkey]

No probs.  I don't know about you, but occasionally I've fallen foul of knee-jerk reactions to stuff posted on FB or Twitter without applying critical thought.

This checklist from the pamphlet is particularly useful for me:

Do I recognize the news organization that posted the story?
Does the information in the post seem believable?
Is the post written in a style that I expect from a professional news organization?
Is the post politically motivated?

[IAMTHESYSTEM]

There are expansive queues of people, all armed with trollies outside the local Supermarket every morning for the past three days. The time is at Six O'clock in the morning; I'm usually there buying stuff before I go home, have brekky then walk to work. It calms down a little, but the food stalls remain packed, and one of the staff complained to a customer that she couldn't understand why people are panicking so much. I'm afraid people are scared and perhaps with good reason. My Bosses E-Mailed me to say at least two of my current cleaning jobs will be on hold soon, and that means no pay if I'm not working. Oh well, I 'll just have to take a bit of a hit money-wise, though it's unsettling to think how quickly life has changed.

[paddykafka]

So there I was on the bus yesterday, on my way to do my weekly food shop.

(It was the best of several bad options, as the nearest supermarket to me is about half-an-hours walk; I don't drive, live alone and am socially isolated, so I don't have the option of having someone to call upon - whom I could be certain was not infected - to ferry me back. Plus there's the whole social distancing thing to consider, which makes me averse to using taxis for the same reason.

Online shopping is out as well, given that there is now such a backlog in getting stuff delivered.

I also have COPD, so while I could walk the distance to the market okay, by the time I got back home with several, heavy, awkward bags of shopping, I would not need to wait for Corona to finish me off, lol.)

I had gone up to the top deck of the bus as it was relatively empty; also the noise from kids screeching on the lower deck was too much to deal with. (I am extremely noise sensitive and that kind of thing is like physical pain to me.)

At the far end of the bus, a woman - with a young boy beside her - was close to coughing up her lungs onto the window facing her. I mean, what part of 'Self-Isolate if you think that you're infected' did this moron not understand? While she was far enough away from me, that I can reasonably hope I was out of the firing line as it were, I nevertheless had to go within a couple of feet from her in order to make my way back downstairs and to the exit. I was practically crossing my fingers that she would not start hacking up again as I drew nearer. Luckily I made it down and out of the bus, just as I could hear her once again barking away like billy-oh upstairs.

The return journey was made almost as unpleasant by two late-teen skangers, who were loudly blaring out some shite modern pop music on their phone. My polite and very courteous request for them to turn it down a bit was met with a firm "No! We want to listen to our music!" by the surly, baseball-hatted, male teen of the species. I ended up just getting off the bus as I could not bare this racket anymore. (If there were a virus that exclusively affected ignorant, selfish, obnoxious bastards like them, I would most certainly not be shedding any tears on their behalf).

I'm done with using public transport now for the near-future, as it is just not worth the hassle or distress anymore - especially at a time like this. It looks like I have no other choice than to risk getting a taxi back from now on. And considering that I have a free public-transport travel pass- on account of being on Invalidity Benefit - that pisses me off even more so.

[Professor Bear]

Our local buses operate a "no speakers" policy on phones after a bunch of people signed a petition to whoever it is that runs the local routes.  I'm not sure if the drivers and station managers are overreaching their authority, but people don't seem to be in any hurry to overturn the rule, as most routes seem to be choked with obnoxious neds on a sightseeing trip.

My brother works for the DWP and only found out yesterday that somebody who came in to work on St Pat's refused to leave the building when co-workers noticed he was feverish and sweating buckets, as management wouldn't give him a sick day after he was on the premises.  Apparently all of the building managers have decreed themselves as essential staff so they can work from home.
I am beginning to suspect that the DWP is not a good institution.

[The Legendary Shark]

Mindscape Bonus Episode | Tara Smith on Coronavirus, Pandemics, and What We Can Do.

[paddykafka]

Our local buses operate a "no speakers" policy on phones after a bunch of people signed a petition to whoever it is that runs the local routes.  I'm not sure if the drivers and station managers are overreaching their authority, but people don't seem to be in any hurry to overturn the rule, as most routes seem to be choked with obnoxious neds on a sightseeing trip.

My brother works for the DWP and only found out yesterday that somebody who came in to work on St Pat's refused to leave the building when co-workers noticed he was feverish and sweating buckets, as management wouldn't give him a sick day after he was on the premises.  Apparently all of the building managers have decreed themselves as essential staff so they can work from home.
I am beginning to suspect that the DWP is not a good institution.

[paddykafka]

Apols for double post, Professor, but I inadvertently pressed the send button before responding to your post.

Interestingly enough, the Parliament here in the Emerald Isle has just finished debating Emergency  Legislation around a number of measures dealing with, and relating to this current virus. Amongst those, are powers that would allow those suspected of being infected with the illness to be forcibly detained.* At the time of writing, this legislation has now been agreed upon and has been passed on to the President for signing into law.

Given some of the clueless and selfish behaviour by people that I have witnessed recently, I can understand the necessity of bringing in such draconian - albeit short term - measures. But while I don't think that this State is in any immediate danger of being turned into a Dictatorship - despite how much we may rightly deride many of our politicians - the thought of such laws being enacted do, at the same time, fill me with a certain amount of unease.

And I would certainly worry about other countries', where certain unscrupulous individuals and regimes might use this current pandemic for their own nefarious ends.

Just out of curiousity, Professor Bear, what does DWP stand for?

*The link to this article is below.

https://www.thejournal.ie/covid-19-emergency-legislation-5052749-Mar2020/

[sheridan]

Interestingly enough, the Parliament here in the Emerald Isle has just finished debating Emergency  Legislation around a number of measures dealing with, and relating to this current virus. Amongst those, are powers that would allow those suspected of being infected with the illness to be forcibly detained.* At the time of writing, this legislation has now been agreed upon and has been passed on to the President for signing into law.

Funny you should mention that.  On Tuesday (at 23:59 I think, so in effect from Wednesday) the Isle of Man passed powers that people could be fined or confined  if they failed to self-isolate while showing symptoms.  The first person in the UK to be arrested is currently kicking their heels in a specially-prepared police cell right now...

Just out of curiousity, Professor Bear, what does DWP stand for?

The Department of Work and Pensions.

[TordelBack]

Bingeing Fargo at an alarming rate. Charming performances start to finish, offsetting moments of almost suffocating tension. Top stuff.

[Hawkmumbler]

Well, that's buggered the self employed.

[TordelBack]

Bingeing Fargo at an alarming rate. Charming performances start to finish, offsetting moments of almost suffocating tension. Top stuff.

I may have posted this in the wrong thread. But I suppose it's tangentially relevant.

[paddykafka]

Funny you should mention that.  On Tuesday (at 23:59 I think, so in effect from Wednesday) the Isle of Man passed powers that people could be fined or confined  if they failed to self-isolate while showing symptoms.  The first person in the UK to be arrested is currently kicking their heels in a specially-prepared police cell right now...

Just out of curiousity, Professor Bear, what does DWP stand for?

The Department of Work and Pensions.

Thanks, Professor.

I just finished watching 'V for Vendetta'.

At this point in our shared history, it seems scarily appropriate. Let's stay strong, people, and do what we can to see that we get through the days ahead - and triumph.

[IndigoPrime]

Well, that's buggered the self employed.

My MP has cheerfully stated we "won't be disadvantaged" because we can pay our tax six months late (once, when another six months is due), and because we may be eligible for UC.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

Bingeing Fargo at an alarming rate. Charming performances start to finish, offsetting moments of almost suffocating tension. Top stuff.

I may have posted this in the wrong thread. But I suppose it's tangentially relevant.

Totally relevant. I need stuff to watch in quarantine and I remember enjoying the 1st 2 series. Although it is a bit of a digression as it lacks your defeated resignation

[shaolin_monkey]

'Serve serve serve. In the end it is the servants who will save us all.'

https://twitter.com/schwarzenegger/status/1240786709022793728?s=21

Did Arnie just turn into a socialist?!

'The workers control the means of production' etc.

After decades of worth being defined by how much cash you have it is so horrible it takes a crisis like this to expose that lie!