OT: Corona virus

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

The virus crisis unfolded at about the least disruptive time for my business. We're a quarterly publication, and the spring issue came out just before things got crazy here in the US. Since then, operations have continued pretty much as usual. Now, with the summer issue in design and due to be printed in a couple of weeks and distributed in about three weeks, things will get interesting. Yesterday, I learned that the company that generates the bar code for each issue is shuttered (I found one in New Zealand that can handle it). The printer is operating, as of the last report. I received confirmation today that the largest distributor is still operating. There's always the question of just how many subscribers may receive their next renewal notice and conclude, "Heck, in this time of uncertainty and economic turmoil, we really don't need a magazine." That's the one question that would keep me awake at night, if I let it. There are many questions, but so far business volume has been about normal. May will tell me a lot more.

The local newspaper here is printing and they also print a magazine. I am sure that you should be able to find a printer.

As far as your magazine goes, I am not sure. But more people might want to get out while practicing social distancing so they may be more likely to use any suggestions and/or articles to find places to get out and away from people. A little preparation beforehand goes a long way to success, especially when going off the beaten trail.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Chickenboy, how is your aunt doing?

Thanks for asking. After her initial fever and positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test results, she was taken to the hospital, along with others from the same floor of her nursing home. Her fever broke after one day and she was transported to a temporary holding facility used to hold others that are virus positive. She can't return to her nursing facility until she is virus negative for obvious infectious disease control reasons.

Two days ago, I heard word through family that her fever had returned-much worse this time. She was taken back to the hospital again. She was delirious and not accepting food or water. She was unresponsive to external stimuli. We have standing medical orders-based upon her wishes-for no heroic measures (no PEG tubes, intubation / forced ventilation) and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate).

There may be two silver linings:

One-that her illness currently is limited to effects of viremia. I've had genuine bona-fide influenza a couple times in my life (and accompanying high fever, lethargy, inappetance) and was knocked out flat for a couple days too. If she gets through this without respiratory complications (she has none as far as I understand), perhaps that augers for her recovery.

Two-that if she does succumb to the infection in the next couple days, it will likely be quick and she won't know what hit her. She may even pass in her delirium-filled 'sleep'. A much better outcome than being on a ventilator for two weeks and dying anyways.

So the next 48 hours for her will be critical. We're hoping for the 'best' outcome, come what may.

[fcooke]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: fcooke

All that said...I did recently imply her cat might make a nice stew....

evil, evil, evil....EVIL [:@] [X(] [:@] [X(]

Sort of the point! I actually like her cat. But I find it my duty to wind up the younger sibling. Though I have backed off recently as her biz does care for elderly folks and the families are freaking and driving her phone off the hook for updates. She is tired. I think all the folks on the front line are.

[Canoerebel]

This is just lovely.

The contention here, two weeks ago, was that college professors don't have a liberal bias. So which is it?

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

[Canoerebel]

That's a thoughtful "quality of life" analysis. Let us know how things go, if possible.

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Chickenboy, how is your aunt doing?

Thanks for asking. After her initial fever and positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test results, she was taken to the hospital, along with others from the same floor of her nursing home. Her fever broke after one day and she was transported to a temporary holding facility used to hold others that are virus positive. She can't return to her nursing facility until she is virus negative for obvious infectious disease control reasons.

Two days ago, I heard word through family that her fever had returned-much worse this time. She was taken back to the hospital again. She was delirious and not accepting food or water. She was unresponsive to external stimuli. We have standing medical orders-based upon her wishes-for no heroic measures (no PEG tubes, intubation / forced ventilation) and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate).

There may be two silver linings:

One-that her illness currently is limited to effects of viremia. I've had genuine bona-fide influenza a couple times in my life (and accompanying high fever, lethargy, inappetance) and was knocked out flat for a couple days too. If she gets through this without respiratory complications (she has none as far as I understand), perhaps that augers for her recovery.

Two-that if she does succumb to the infection in the next couple days, it will likely be quick and she won't know what hit her. She may even pass in her delirium-filled 'sleep'. A much better outcome than being on a ventilator for two weeks and dying anyways.

So the next 48 hours for her will be critical. We're hoping for the 'best' outcome, come what may.

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: fcooke

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake



[;)] I am pretty sure dogs don't care what they look like. The question is...did YOU love them?[:)]

It also depends upon how they taste and that depends upon what, if anything, that you put on them . . .

mine are not chunky enough to make it worth the effort....that said, the reactions I get from my sister regarding eating Bambi (deer to be clear) is priceless. I almost fed her chili based on deer once, and relented at the last moment. Next time we are near cattle I will introduce her to Bessie.

All that said...I did recently imply her cat might make a nice stew....

Ever skin a cat? It's not easy. I've done many.
The saying "More than one way to skin a cat", it takes everyone of them ways to skin it.

[MakeeLearn]

COVID-19 turning out to be huge hoax perpetrated by media
Media hyped the virus and alarmed Americans to the point of shutting down the economy

April 28, 2020



https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/20 ... etrated-b/

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

"In New York City, the U.S. epicenter of the pandemic, the death rate for people 18 to 45 years old is 0.01%, or 10 per 100,000 in the population. People aged 75 and older, though, have a death rate 80 times that. For children under 18, the rate of death is zero per 100,000. That’s zero."

"More than half of the COVID-19 deaths in Europe occurred in long-term care or nursing-home facilities. At least one-fifth of the deaths recorded in the U.S. so far have occurred there.

Nearly all the patients hospitalized for the coronavirus in New York City had underlying health conditions, according to a recent study."


"A study, this one by Dr. Justin Silverman, estimates that there were 8.7 million coronavirus infections in the U.S. between March 8 and March 28. And as of April 17, 10% of Americans have been infected — which is roughly 33 million Americans."

[MakeeLearn]

New Research Reveals Between 12 Million and 33 Million Americans Were Infected by Coronavirus

https://rightedition.com/2020/04/23/new ... ronavirus/


"A study by Dr. Justin Silverman estimates that there were 8.7 million coronavirus infections between March 8 and March 28.

And as of April 17, 2020, 10% of the US population has been infected or around 33 million Americans."


"Dr. Silverman says 10% of the US population is already infected with the virus."

[HansBolter]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This is just lovely.

Mind_messing contending that higher education is liberal, two weeks after contending (right here, in this thread) that college professors don't have a liberal bias.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

I take every effort on the parts of others to 'throw their education levels in my face' with the huge grain of salt they deserve.

It's time for me to come clean and admit that I have been lying to you all about being an Architect. I have neither a degree, nor a professional license to practice. I am self taught, having worked my way up through the ranks from Junior Draftsman to Project Manager. I am not legally allowed to use the title Architect professionally, but for the past twenty years of my forty five year tenure in the profession I have worked in the same capacity as any other staff architect who doesn't use his seal.

I walked away from the University experience with a very sour taste in my mouth. It was NOT the institution of higher learning that I had been led to believe. Instead I found a processing house for societal legatmization, providing meal tickets to anyone who had the financial resources and instestinal fortitude to stay the course and recieve their meal ticket. I was disgusted by it.

Over the course of my 45 year tenure in the profession of architecture, I have had the distinct displeasure of having to work along side of one degreed and professionally licensed incompetent buffoon after another and would never make the naive mistake of assuming possession of a degree and a license to practice are in any way adequate indicators of intelligence and competence. I am highly respected by other architects, engineers, contractors and municipal administrators as one of the best 'architects' in the Bay Area and I have only a high school education.

My best friend from high school decided to become a pharmacist. he did his pre-pharmacy at FSU. FSU didn't have a pharmacy school so he applied to UF. UF was giving preference to those who did pre-pharmacy at UF so he didn't get accepted. He decided to go to FAMU, a historically black school that was in a position of having to provide 'racial incentive bonuses' to non-person-of-color in order to balance their racial quotas. He got a portion of his education paid for because he is white. Just prior to graduation, his class was provided with what was portrayed as a 'sample' licensing exam to use for study and practice for the real exam. They were told it was not the actual exam, but similar. When he took his licensing board exam, he told me that he burst out laughing as soon as he opened it. It was the exact same exam that had been provided to his class.

Some politician decided that the poor, socially challenged black students needed a helping hand to be able to pass their licensing exam. What a racist! Those people were denied their opportunity to prove their worth. This is an example of what one finds going on in so called 'institutions of higher learning'.

Higher education does NOT equate to intelligence, competence or wisdom.

It's the greatest irony of the age that the so called highly educated liberal intelligencia have become the modern day equivalent of the village idiot.

Go ahead flout your education level....see where it gets you with me.

[MakeeLearn]

Silverman_Hupert_and_Washburn.pdf


Using influenza surveillance network to estimate Covid19 spread in the United States

https://github.com/jsilve24/ili_surge/b ... shburn.pdf

[MakeeLearn]

I see climate change talk has broke out again.

And go-cart Mozart
Was checkin' out the weather chart
See if it was safe outside

And little early-pearly
Came by in his curly-wurly
And asked me if I needed a ride

The calliope crashed to the ground.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

Yes, the sociology department and ethnic studies departments are cesspools of Lefties. [:D] Hardly a surprise as the course materials were often devised by Marxists. These are the people that were sent away on the "B-ark" by Douglas Adams.

[MakeeLearn]

Kansas City Butchers Debunk Meat Shortage Hype Amid Coronavirus Shut Downs
April 29, 2020
https://www.kshb.com/news/coronavirus/b ... eat-plants

""There's meat out there through almost any local small processing plant the USDA is not shutting down," Shannon Murdock, owner of North Oak Quality Meat Market, told 41 Action News."

"And as Trump invokes the Defense Production Act on meat-processing facilities, grocers warn prices will jump especially if shoppers rush in and empty stores."

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

Chickenboy, how is your aunt doing?

Thanks for asking. After her initial fever and positive COVID-19 RT-PCR test results, she was taken to the hospital, along with others from the same floor of her nursing home. Her fever broke after one day and she was transported to a temporary holding facility used to hold others that are virus positive. She can't return to her nursing facility until she is virus negative for obvious infectious disease control reasons.

Two days ago, I heard word through family that her fever had returned-much worse this time. She was taken back to the hospital again. She was delirious and not accepting food or water. She was unresponsive to external stimuli. We have standing medical orders-based upon her wishes-for no heroic measures (no PEG tubes, intubation / forced ventilation) and DNR (Do Not Resuscitate).

There may be two silver linings:

One-that her illness currently is limited to effects of viremia. I've had genuine bona-fide influenza a couple times in my life (and accompanying high fever, lethargy, inappetance) and was knocked out flat for a couple days too. If she gets through this without respiratory complications (she has none as far as I understand), perhaps that augers for her recovery.

Two-that if she does succumb to the infection in the next couple days, it will likely be quick and she won't know what hit her. She may even pass in her delirium-filled 'sleep'. A much better outcome than being on a ventilator for two weeks and dying anyways.

So the next 48 hours for her will be critical. We're hoping for the 'best' outcome, come what may.

Best wishes to you Chickenboy.

My Mother in-law was on a ventilator for 2 weeks before passing and it was a horrible experience for someone in their 80s to go thru. My wife and I established living wills shortly after.

[obvert]

This stat article goes into the methodology of predictive models and especially the IHME model that is being used so much to guide policy recently. It was published nearly two weeks ago but the explanations seem very valid considering continued fluctuations in the predictions.

https://www.statnews.com/2020/04/17/inf ... itics-say/

---

IHME starts with data from cities where Covid-19 struck before it hit the U.S., first Wuhan and now 19 cities in Italy and Spain. It then produces a graph showing the number of deaths rising and falling as the epidemic exploded and then dissipated in those cities, resulting in a bell curve. Then (to oversimplify somewhat) it finds where U.S. data fits on that curve. The death curves in cities outside the U.S. are assumed to describe the U.S., too, with no attempt to judge whether countermeasures —lockdowns and other social-distancing strategies — in the U.S. are and will be as effective as elsewhere, especially Wuhan.

“We are becoming more confident that the shape of the curve [is accurately] informed by locations outside the U.S.,” said Theo Vos, professor of health metrics science at IHME.

According to a critique by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London, published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine, the IHME projections are based “on a statistical model with no epidemiologic basis.”

“Statistical model” refers to putting U.S. data onto the graph of other countries’ Covid-19 deaths over time under the assumption that the U.S. epidemic will mimic that in those countries. But countries’ countermeasures differ significantly. As the epidemic curve in the U.S. changes due to countermeasures that were weaker or later than, say, China’s, the IHME modelers adjust the curve to match the new reality.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This is just lovely.

Mind_messing contending that higher education is liberal, two weeks after contending (right here, in this thread) that college professors don't have a liberal bias.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

I take every effort on the parts of others to 'throw their education levels in my face' with the huge grain of salt they deserve.

It's time for me to come clean and admit that I have been lying to you all about being an Architect. I have neither a degree, nor a professional license to practice. I am self taught, having worked my way up through the ranks from Junior Draftsman to Project Manager. I am not legally allowed to use the title Architect professionally, but for the past twenty years of my forty five year tenure in the profession I have worked in the same capacity as any other staff architect who doesn't use his seal.

I walked away from the University experience with a very sour taste in my mouth. It was NOT the institution of higher learning that I had been led to believe. Instead I found a processing house for societal legatmization, providing meal tickets to anyone who had the financial resources and instestinal fortitude to stay the course and recieve their meal ticket. I was disgusted by it.

Over the course of my 45 year tenure in the profession of architecture, I have had the distinct displeasure of having to work along side of one degreed and professionally licensed incompetent buffoon after another and would never make the naive mistake of assuming possession of a degree and a license to practice are in any way adequate indicators of intelligence and competence. I am highly respected by other architects, engineers, contractors and municipal administrators as one of the best 'architects' in the Bay Area and I have only a high school education.

My best friend from high school decided to become a pharmacist. he did his pre-pharmacy at FSU. FSU didn't have a pharmacy school so he applied to UF. UF was giving preference to those who did pre-pharmacy at UF so he didn't get accepted. He decided to go to FAMU, a historically black school that was in a position of having to provide 'racial incentive bonuses' to non-person-of-color in order to balance their racial quotas. He got a portion of his education paid for because he is white. Just prior to graduation, his class was provided with what was portrayed as a 'sample' licensing exam to use for study and practice for the real exam. They were told it was not the actual exam, but similar. When he took his licensing board exam, he told me that he burst out laughing as soon as he opened it. It was the exact same exam that had been provided to his class.

Some politician decided that the poor, socially challenged black students needed a helping hand to be able to pass their licensing exam. What a racist! Those people were denied their opportunity to prove their worth. This is an example of what one finds going on in so called 'institutions of higher learning'.

Higher education does NOT equate to intelligence, competence or wisdom.

It's the greatest irony of the age that the so called highly educated liberal intelligencia have become the modern day equivalent of the village idiot.

Go ahead flout your education level....see where it gets you with me.

My step-brother who was a trucker driver and an excellent cook would say something like "The more education they have, the dumber they are!" He was referring to common sense.

I had a college instructor who did not like the real world work, so he went into teaching it. He was teaching stuff in accounting that was three years out of date and he said that the book's publisher was supposed to keep him up to date. So much for his Masters degree and I think his CPA . . .

In the military, officers usually have a college degree. So if you want to know how things work and the best way to get something done, you don't ask them. You ask an enlisted man, usually a Sergeant of some type although privates may also know a lot as well.

[Cap Mandrake]

I hope IHME is not using Chinese data. [:)]

[MakeeLearn]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I hope IHME is not using Chinese data. [:)]

They played, SimCity: Pandemic.

[mind_messing]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This is just lovely.

The contention here, two weeks ago, was that college professors don't have a liberal bias. So which is it?

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

Flawed logic on your part: not all of those who are educated are in academia.

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

This is just lovely.

Mind_messing contending that higher education is liberal, two weeks after contending (right here, in this thread) that college professors don't have a liberal bias.

ORIGINAL: mind_messing

There is a well-documented association between education levels and liberal views, even if there are a lot of factors at play.

Higher education does NOT equate to intelligence, competence or wisdom.

There is published evidence that there is in fact a link between intelligence and educational achievement.

https://www.ssc.wisc.edu/wlsresearch/pu ... .A.H.E.pdf

And if you fancy something a bit more modern (and larger scale), then here you are:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/St ... vement.pdf

Is there an established scientific definition for competence or wisdom separate from Spearman's g?

[AW1Steve]

I don't think the problem is education , it's educators. I went to college from 1979 to 1985 (no , I wasn't trying to do a "Bluto", nor was I particularly stupid , just a series of recall from the US Navy Reserve). After a disastrous 1st year trying to major in political science, I switched my major to history. I'd heard that the purpose of higher education wasn't to teach you information , but to teach you to think, to in effect , learn to use that knowledge. Traditionally that meant studying the classics. (Sorry , I do badly with languages , so no Latin or Greek for me). Once I had my BA , then I would go on to get a technical degree MA.

The other thing I did was to pick the oldest , stodgiest professors I could find. I referred to them behind their backs as the "bow tie brigade". What I found was that they generally taught in the "Classic way". I would learn "historiography", the "scientific method" and the most damning and hated (but most effective) of all, "The Socratic method". When these old geezers taught me , I really felt that I learned to THINK. (My high school chemistry teacher used to say every morning "I don't mean to swear at you so early in the morning people , BUT THINK!!!!").

Some of my younger professors didn't get this technique. Or approve of it. I secretly think they were more interested in indoctrination than teaching you to think for yourself , then effectively debate your point of view.

Current graduates are as one of my favorite columnist likes to say (Professor Glenn Reynolds of "instapundit" fame) "Today's graduates are CREDENTIALED , not educated". [:D]