Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: MakeeLearn

Coronavirus basic income: 13 countries around the world experimenting with direct payments to offset COVID financial fallout
21 hours ago


https://www.businessinsider.com/countri ... sis-2020-4


"In response to the economic fallout, some governments have stepped in to cushion the blow felt by sudden closures and the shrinking of entire industries. In many countries, workers in specific sectors and self-employed citizens have found themselves particularly impacted.

From checks to basic income, here's how different countries are providing direct assistance."

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

You probably are well aware, but redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a member of the legume/pea family. You're right, the flowers taste just like peanuts.

Pokeweed will be available soon.

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Hans is one angry man!

Anyway, those of you worrying about fresh stuff, don't

Once the initial shock of the stockpiling dies down, then it will return to normal pretty quickly.

Only thing you can't get over here now is flour and sultanas as it seems the entire UK is attempting to bake bread and cakes!

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

You probably are well aware, but redbud (Cercis canadensis) is a member of the legume/pea family. You're right, the flowers taste just like peanuts.

Pokeweed will be available soon.

I despise the pokeweed plant. I'm trying to eradicate it on my property but without much success.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

ORIGINAL: Encircled

Hans is one angry man!

Anyway, those of you worrying about fresh stuff, don't

Once the initial shock of the stockpiling dies down, then it will return to normal pretty quickly.

Only thing you can't get over here now is flour and sultanas as it seems the entire UK is attempting to bake bread and cakes!

Flour here has likewise been completely sold out for 3 weeks.

All of it. Sugar too. Is everyone suddenly baking cookies? My partner amusingly suggested that, because flour, shortening, and sugar all sold out just before Pi Day (her work does a thing, but they're "quants" as someone put it earlier in the thread) that everyone was making pies. I, uh... don't think that's why the stores were out of the supplies that happen to make pie dough.

I guess if I want corn flour/meal, I can get that, but that doesn't help me make pizza dough.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

There have been many media stories the past ten days that the American South is taking it on the chin, including the one excerpted below. To an extent this has been reflected in here with numerous comments, contentions and viewpoints.

Turns out the contention is mostly wrong.

Georgia, our 8th most populous state, is currently 10th in mortality per million. Florida, 3rd most populous, is 21st. North Carolina, 9th most populous, is 42nd.

Louisiana is problematic: 25th most populous but 3rd highest mortality per million. And Mississippi is taking a hit: 35th but 17th highest mortality.

The other southern states are doing comparatively well, very well or about even (population rank/morality per M):

Alabama, at 24 is 26th.
Kentucky, at 26 is 24th
South Carolina, at 23 is 28th.
Tennessee, at 16 is 31st.
Arkansas, at 34 is 43rd.
Virginia, at 12 is 35th.

These numbers will fluctuate but, as they currently stand, the narrative presented has been wrong. Very wrong.

As we progress through this thing here in the US, I'm more thankful than ever that we have a federal system that somewhat pushes down power and responsibility. I'm glad my county called shots for me for a long time; then my state; and that the situation hasn't reached the point where a nationwide one-size-fits-all mandate had to be imposed.

The South is doing doggone well.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
It's still early yet. I would be hesitant to draw any conclusions about how well or not well a state is doing (unless qualified by a "maybe" and why) for at least another week. More than that, in the case of states that got a later start on it or states that don't have good stay-at-home orders.

I'll have some graphs later today which should help illustrate where states are in their curves. For Georgia, there is some weirdness in the data (1000 new cases reported on 3/31, but 158 the day before and 709 the day after? Etc.) Just glancing at the raw numbers, Georgia does not appear to have peaked yet.

The narrative presented is that there is a threat of disparate impact, not that there has already been a disparate impact.

A nationwide one-size-fits-all mandate absolutely would have been better, were it legal and possible to do so. The mandates at the state and local levels are almost all identical (one size) and almost all were implemented at similar times relative to infection rates. That's really not all that different from "one size fits all" at all. Hypothetically: mandatory stay-at-home with exceptions for essentials only once community spread from unknown sources began.

Also, a quibble: Virginia is no longer really in the "South" [:D].

ORIGINAL: witpqs


No, things are even more extreme now. It's so obvious just reading and listening to them.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Another quote from The Atlantic: "The slow response from those [Southern] governors will be even more ruinous in a region with so many challenges." That was with reference to many of the states we now now are doing comparatively well. Those kinds of reports helped foster the discussion in here last week about how the states were responding, with various strong expressions of opinion about Georgia and others.

Ruinous?

Based on the current data, they got it wrong.

ORIGINAL: durnedwolf

A few maps to ponder for the US of A:

ORIGINAL: witpqs

The WHO head.
World Health Organisation's 'China centric' leader launches bizarre attack on Taiwan

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This map adds a lot of context when paired with the preceding one. Elderly population in NYC metro doesn't appear that high from a percentage standpoint but the gross numbers are high.

ORIGINAL: durnedwolf

Here's the link to the maps: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/time-series/demo/older-population/Figure%201%20Population%20Aged%2065%20and%20Over.pdf

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

It was qualified by "maybe" (words to that effect).

While we take steps to appropriately quote that things are "projected" and "subject to change," why wasn't that done last week? Last week many assertions were made without comment or requests for qualification, by you or anybody else. A week later, assertions are made with qualifications and with a week more data, but now we need to wait another week? Too funny. [:'(]

I disagree with any need for a national mandate. I much prefer the way my state handled it, and thus far it's turning out comparatively well. I'm sure most people in North Carolina feel the same way.

I know what you mean about Virginia, but its still South. You can get sweet tea in Roanoke. I excluded Texas though it could've been included. And I included Kentucky but that's not necessarily a universal view.

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna
It's still early yet. I would be hesitant to draw any conclusions about how well or not well a state is doing (unless qualified by a "maybe" and why) for at least another week. More than that, in the case of states that got a later start on it or states that don't have good stay-at-home orders.

I'll have some graphs later today which should help illustrate where states are in their curves. For Georgia, there is some weirdness in the data (1000 new cases reported on 3/31, but 158 the day before and 709 the day after? Etc.) Just glancing at the raw numbers, Georgia does not appear to have peaked yet.

The narrative presented is that there is a threat of disparate impact, not that there has already been a disparate impact.

A nationwide one-size-fits-all mandate absolutely would have been better, were it legal and possible to do so. The mandates at the state and local levels are almost all identical (one size) and almost all were implemented at similar times relative to infection rates. That's really not all that different from "one size fits all" at all. Hypothetically: mandatory stay-at-home with exceptions for essentials only once community spread from unknown sources began.

Also, a quibble: Virginia is no longer really in the "South" [:D].

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

No one is.

Where were the folks asking for restraint in here last week? Where were the folks asking not to call it in the 4th inning when The Atlantic called it in the 1st?

[:'(]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The map is useful in conjunction with the other one DW posted. It's not granular but there is utility.

By the same token, the city population rank was all kinds of wonky but still useful to an extent. Jacksonville is there but Atlanta isn't, etc. etc. That's due mostly to the extent of city limits, the extent of suburbs and satellites, etc. But still of some use.

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The map is useful in conjunction with the other one DW posted. It's not granular but there is utility.

By the same token, the city population rank was all kinds of wonky but still useful to an extent. Jacksonville is there but Atlanta isn't, etc. etc. That's due mostly to the extent of city limits, the extent of suburbs and satellites, etc. But still of some use.