Formerly DT: COVID-19 - Featuring Lots of Politics, now CR because political talk not going away

[Foosters 17,734]

I'm smoking a lot of weed, but that's just bc I'm bored af

[Guest Lobo]

That does remind me though, can we finally put the fucking electric hand blower debate to rest now with Covid-19?  They're not environmentally friendly, they're infested germ transfer stations, they're fucking loud and disgusting, they just breed fecal bacteria, contribute to Covid-19, and they don't even dry your fucking hands.  40 years later, we still have to pretend they serve a purpose.  Part of the reason paper towels work is because of the friction they create if you dry properly.  /politicalrant

[Hate 20,103]

Those things are 40 years old. People old enough to be driving 40 years ago are the ones dying now from covid. Maybe not the most accurate meme, and also not funny or clever. 

[Hpara759 1,777]

56 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

 

But if there's one thing I know, based on Facebook, 

And therein lies your problem...............🙂

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

37 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Approximately one of every three deaths a day in the US is C19.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1109281/covid-19-daily-deaths-compared-to-all-causes/

If you are a data skeptic, looking at total 2020 deaths and comparing to previous years total deaths can give you a reasonable indicator of the impact of C19.

 

 That's like saying "if you look at the number of Mexican beers purchased on May 5th, you have a reasonable indicator of how many beers will be sold in a year".

[Guest Lobo]

Mayor Adler apparently made another social distancing order this morning at 10:30a, but of course it's buried behind paywalls, and the City of Austin links aren't updated yet.  

I know we're not allowed to talk about official municipal policy on here, and my love and adoration of Adler is so well documented on this site.  

But anybody know the details?  It's insane to me we can't discuss shit like this on here anymore.  

[bolverk 29,405]

15 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Mayor Adler apparently made another social distancing order this morning at 10:30a, but of course it's buried behind paywalls, and the City of Austin links aren't updated yet.  

I know we're not allowed to talk about official municipal policy on here, and my love and adoration of Adler is so well documented on this site.  

But anybody know the details?  It's insane to me we can't discuss shit like this on here anymore.  

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt have extended city and county “Stay Home, Work Safe” orders that were set to expire Friday, they announced in a virtual press conference Friday.

“I think what’s remarkable about these new orders is that there’s not much remarkable about them,” Adler said. “These orders are continuations in substance of our past orders. It still maintains the same structure.”

The lone tweak in the orders, Adler said, was that businesses included in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s phased reopening of Texas are exceptions to the local order. The city’s orders are extended until May 30, while the county’s are extended until June 15.

Edited May 8, 2020 by bolverk
Deleted dickish snark

[Guest Lobo]

Thanks.  To be fair to me, whenever I google “Adler”, my phone auto fills in several expletives before and after his name.  So this new search likely evaded us

[B00M 6,280]

10 minutes ago, bolverk said:

“I think what’s remarkable about these new orders is that there’s not much remarkable about them,” Adler said.

 

[utee94 15,746]

26 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Mayor Adler apparently made another social distancing order this morning at 10:30a, but of course it's buried behind paywalls, and the City of Austin links aren't updated yet.  

I know we're not allowed to talk about official municipal policy on here, and my love and adoration of Adler is so well documented on this site.  

But anybody know the details?  It's insane to me we can't discuss shit like this on here anymore.  

Why wouldn't we be able to discuss local orders here?  Understanding the current orders, stance, and response of the municipal, county, state, and federal governments is relevant news and is appropriate for this thread.

Interjecting your own opinion on a particular politician's or party's motivations behind those orders, is not relevant news and is not appropriate for this thread.  There is another thread-- an entire other forum-- for that discussion.  Which is what this site's owners and moderators keep on pointing out.

Your question is fine, and the response was fine, and neither entailed the type of discussion of political motivations that is not appropriate here, but is completely appropriate on the CR thread.

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23,359]

36 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

 That's like saying "if you look at the number of Mexican beers purchased on May 5th, you have a reasonable indicator of how many beers will be sold in a year".

Yeah exactly, I have no idea what I’m talking about. The numbers are meaningless.  All those dead bodies are just an unexplainable anomaly. No one could have predicted this.

[BabaYaga 15,213]

12 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Yeah exactly, I have no idea what I’m talking about. The numbers are meaningless.  All those dead bodies are just an unexplainable anomaly. No one could have predicted this.

There it is....not hard to pull Mr Hugo off sides these days...

[Continental Op 3,934]

17 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Why wouldn't we be able to discuss local orders here?  Understanding the current orders, stance, and response of the municipal, county, state, and federal governments is relevant news and is appropriate for this thread.

Interjecting your own opinion on a particular politician's or party's motivations behind those orders, is not relevant news and is not appropriate for this thread.  There is another thread-- an entire other forum-- for that discussion.  Which is what this site's owners and moderators keep on pointing out.

Your question is fine, and the response was fine, and neither entailed the type of discussion of political motivations that is not appropriate here, but is completely appropriate on the CR thread.

 

This thread is for nonpolitical stuff like New York City tax policy! 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Continental Op

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

17 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

Yeah exactly, I have no idea what I’m talking about. The numbers are meaningless.  All those dead bodies are just an unexplainable anomaly. No one could have predicted this.

Whoever is paying you to post is not getting their money's worth.

[utee94 15,746]

3 minutes ago, Continental Op said:

This thread is for nonpolitical stuff like New York City tax policy! 

Yeah I don't care about that either.  Maybe someone should start a thread in CR titled "New York City Tax Policy."  Maybe someone already has?

[DDD Dad 14,252]

2 hours ago, Newdoc said:

On the flip side, we see substance abuse climb in stressful situations. Now we have a crazy virus coupled with horrible changes to our economy. I fully expect (from previous data) that drug and alcohol abuse and addiction will climb. People are trying to cope. Y’all be careful.

I'm not an alcoholic!

I'm just an social-distancing drinker.

[bullzak 412]

2 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

As this goes on, it feels like surface transmission is less and less likely, with respiratory droplets being the largest transmission path. 

I have always thought that getting this from a doorknob would be extremely rare. If that were a normal route anyone who rode mass transit would have gotten this damn thing by now. The EL is a regular petri dish. 

[McFly 606]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

Mayor Adler apparently made another social distancing order this morning at 10:30a, but of course it's buried behind paywalls, and the City of Austin links aren't updated yet.  

I know we're not allowed to talk about official municipal policy on here, and my love and adoration of Adler is so well documented on this site.  

But anybody know the details?  It's insane to me we can't discuss shit like this on here anymore.  

Latest local news from Travis County

https://www.traviscountytx.gov/news/2020/1945-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-information

[BabaYaga 15,213]

We've upgraded from Karen to Brad

https://twitter.com/tvbrad/status/1258558771363799040

"Forbidden in Hoffman Estates" huh....

Edited May 8, 2020 by BabaYaga

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,799]

That does remind me though, can we finally put the fucking electric hand blower debate to rest now with Covid-19?  They're not environmentally friendly, they're infested germ transfer stations, they're fucking loud and disgusting, they just breed fecal bacteria, contribute to Covid-19, and they don't even dry your fucking hands.  40 years later, we still have to pretend they serve a purpose.  Part of the reason paper towels work is because of the friction they create if you dry properly.  /politicalrant

Don’t forget to put trash cans next to the door so we can throw the towel away as we open the door with It

[CHIEF 5,072]

26 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

I'm not an alcoholic!

I'm just an social-distancing drinker.

Like drinking beer....alone....in your garage?

CHIEF

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

Brad sounds like a cunt.

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

Just now, CHIEF said:

Like drinking beer....alone....in your garage?

CHIEF

We call that "Saturday" and "Sunday". 

And Monday...And Friday.

[Hate 20,103]

Brad sounds like a cunt.

This thread has proven that.

[babysdaddy 2,718]

2 hours ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

I focused on Russia stuff for so long they logically assume I'm Russian, which is funny b/c I'm vocal about my contempt for the Russian government.  (Cue "That's exactly what a Russian bot would say!")

Focused on Russia stuff is one way to put it.  I don't think anyone assumes you are a Russian.  What people assume is you are here to astroturf this board. Which is fine, as long as people read your posts with that critical eye and understanding.

[BradInATX 9,208]

7 minutes ago, Hate said:

This thread has proven that.

Man, I am in your head. 

[Royalfan5 2,348]

For your afternoon livestock update, cattle runs held steady at 85K, with a slightly smaller Saturday run expected but we made good progress there this week. Unless there is a late surprise today or Monday it looks like the boxed beef high is pretty close to being in. Packers paid up this week, so I think it is a combination of progress in slowing cattle on feed down, and packers wanting to keep good will with feedlots and the DOJ for setting formula prices. (I talked to Bloomberg News about that today, you can look under their ag news later today for more discussion there if you want. Mostly I just want to name drop that Bloomberg uses me as a source)

Hogs improved more, and had yesterday's run revised higher, pork prices should stay sideways, but the belly run should be easing back soon. Two big plants are supposed to be back next week, which could help a lot. The big question will be how much of a hole this will leave on the backend, which could make things squirrely late in the year. 

[Newdoc 3,433]

4 minutes ago, babysdaddy said:

as long as people read your posts with that critical eye and understanding.

This is me using that critical eye I use to read those posts.

[BabaYaga 15,213]

Brad has friends in San Antonio.  Great use of their time, no doubt....

Quote

Resolution being voted on by San Antonio City Council this morning labels terms "Chinese Virus" and "Kung Fu Virus" as hate speech and "all persons are encouraged to report any such antisemitic, discriminatory or racist incidents to the proper authorities for investigation".

 

[DDD Dad 14,252]

27 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

We call that "Saturday" and "Sunday". 

And Monday...And Friday.

Only on days that end in y.

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

1 minute ago, BabaYaga said:

such antisemitic

Do they know what that word means?

[DDD Dad 14,252]

Just now, Cheeseweasel said:

Do they know what that word means?

My old law partner's wife is Chinese and Jewish, so....

[Deej 76,568]

3 minutes ago, Cheeseweasel said:

Do they know what that word means?

You've never met Donna Changstein?

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

1 minute ago, Deej said:

You've never met Donna Changstein?

Perfection! 

[Cheeseweasel 26,437]

6 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

My old law partner's wife is Chinese and Jewish, so....

So calling a virus the Wuhan flu would offend her Jewishness? Or does she just make kickass Mushu Matzah?

[Hate 20,103]

Man, I am in your head. 

Not at all. I’m just busting balls. Based on the history of this thread, I did think it was funny that dude’s name was Brad though.

[shakahorn 1,627]

3 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

I have a renewed faith in the world.  This is fantastic.  Three officers sent to ARREST a guy for fishing by himself (cough, three no-mask-wearing-officers who are not 6ft apart)

*insert as many "fishing", "on the hook" jokes as are applicable.  

The point:  this is the heavy-handed nonsense people are pushing back against.  Not the simple act of wearing or not wearing a mask.  

Dollars to donuts says Karen called the cops on this one.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8,799]

Focused on Russia stuff is one way to put it.  I don't think anyone assumes you are a Russian.  What people assume is you are here to astroturf this board. Which is fine, as long as people read your posts with that critical eye and understanding.

Hugo doesn’t bother me. We know he’s here because tigerdroppings couldn’t handle his bit.


I’d like to see Hugo post the case spikes and mass death graphs for Texas after mocking the state for opening up. It’s been a week now so data should begin rolling in.

[InkaUtexas 25,524]

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

Mayor Adler apparently made another social distancing order this morning at 10:30a, but of course it's buried behind paywalls, and the City of Austin links aren't updated yet.  

I know we're not allowed to talk about official municipal policy on here, and my love and adoration of Adler is so well documented on this site.  

But anybody know the details?  It's insane to me we can't discuss shit like this on here anymore.  

Local and county is allowed. 

[bigup2dahorns 3,343]

SIAP:


The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the
Thunderbirds, will honor frontline COVID-19 responders and essential workers with formation flights over San Antonio and Austin May 12.

“We are honored to extend our gratitude to Texans in San Antonio and Austin who have been working hard to keep their communities safe,” said Lt. Col. John Caldwell, Thunderbirds commander and leader. “We want Texans to look up to see the display of American resolve and know that the American spirit will prevail beyond this difficult time in our nation.”

A formation of 6 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons will conduct these flyovers as salute to healthcare workers, first responders, military, and other essential personnel while standing in solidarity with all Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents along the flight path can expect a few moments of jet noise as the aircraft pass overhead, along with the sight of 6 high-performance aircraft flying in precise formation.

Flyovers in San Antonio will start at 1:20 P.M. (CDT) and last approximately 30 minutes.

Flyovers in Austin will start at 2:30 P.M. (CDT) and last approximately 25 minutes.

Residents in these areas will be able to see the flyover from the safety of their home-
quarantine and should maintain all social distancing guidelines during this event. They should also refrain from traveling to landmarks, hospitals and gathering in large groups to view the flyover. A detailed flight route will be released on the day prior to the flyover.

The flyover date and times are subject to change due to weather and operational
requirements.

[Hate 20,103]

SIAP:
Residents in these areas will be able to see the flyover from the safety of their home-
quarantine and should maintain all social distancing guidelines during this event. They should also refrain from traveling to landmarks, hospitals and gathering in large groups to view the flyover. A detailed flight route will be released on the day prior to the flyover.

The flyover date and times are subject to change due to weather and operational
requirements.

This is a little misleading. If you want to see the flyover, I recommend you get pretty close to the flight path. I’m 4 miles off of I45 and we couldn’t see them when they flew over The Woodlands and I have an unobstructed view to the North and East from my house.

[Guest Lobo]

I, for one, am relieved to learn that the virus is finally respecting municipal boundaries.

I feel like driving across county lines to get a haircut the way my mom used to drive into DuPage county to get cheaper cigarettes back in the day.  

In all seriousness, I think about how many people are going to lose their mothers this Mother's Day weekend without ever having the chance to say goodbye in person.  It's been 4 months of this virus, 2 months of serious lockdown and yet there are these little moments that seem so surreal that pop up once or twice a week.  I am in a library parking lot using the wi-fi on the way home from the office.  I'm looking at a Mark Twain statute they have out front and wondering if his pithy wit could carry us through these dark days?  And then in an otherwise abandoned parking lot, I saw a woman, old enough to be a grandma multiple times over, just wandering around as if thirsty for human contact and she was gone as she soon as she appeared.  I'd like to get out and talk to her, see is she's okay. 

Loneliness doesn't suit everybody, no trip to the salon today is going to fill the pit in the national heart.  I wish she has a nice Mother's Day, I hope all of you mother's on here do.  I wish I could take my mom to brunch on Sunday.  I wish Twain would say something funny.  I wish I knew how this story will end.  I wish the author would listen to his editor.  

[CHIEF 5,072]

5 minutes ago, Lobo said:

I, for one, am relieved to learn that the virus is finally respecting municipal boundaries.

I feel like driving across county lines to get a haircut the way my mom used to drive into DuPage county to get cheaper cigarettes back in the day.  

In all seriousness, I think about how many people are going to lose their mothers this Mother's Day weekend without ever having the chance to say goodbye in person.  It's been 4 months of this virus, 2 months of serious lockdown and yet there are these little moments that seem so surreal that pop up once or twice a week.  I am in a library parking lot using the wi-fi on the way home from the office.  I'm looking at a Mark Twain statute they have out front and wondering if his pithy wit could carry us through these dark days?  And then in an otherwise abandoned parking lot, I saw a woman, old enough to be a grandma multiple times over, just wandering around as if thirsty for human contact and she was gone as she soon as she appeared.  I'd like to get out and talk to her, see is she's okay. 

Loneliness doesn't suit everybody, no trip to the salon today is going to fill the pit in the national heart.  I wish she has a nice Mother's Day, I hope all of you mother's on here do.  I wish I could take my mom to brunch on Sunday.  I wish Twain would say something funny.  I wish I knew how this story will end.  I wish the author would listen to his editor.  

Sounds awesome in Morgan Freeman's voice.

CHIEF

[StruggleBus 3,922]

1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Brad has friends in San Antonio.  Great use of their time, no doubt....

 

This is some Austin shit right here. What the fuck San Antonio?

[Guest Lobo]

Keyvan Oriental Rugs on Broadway in San Antonio could not be reached for comment.  But they continue to advertise that their rugs are disinfected every night after shoppers walk on/touch the merchandise.  You know, because of the pandemic...from the Greek "Pandemos"...and we all know those greasy Greeks are to blame for this.  

Nevermind famed virologist, Wang Papadopolous.  He's the real enemy here, let's get him! 

Sadly, I could start a facebook page under that name today and have death threats by this time tomorrow.  

Yeah, does seem like a curious thing for San Antonio to be wasting time on considering elderly, obese Hispanics are at serious risk with this virus and that's about half the city. /noCR/justmaths

[CHIEF 5,072]

5 minutes ago, StruggleBus said:

This is some Austin shit right here. What the fuck San Antonio?

What are the legal consequences for calling it "Chinese Virus", or "Kung Flu"? What can they charge you with?

CHIEF

[Captainant 27,467]

6 minutes ago, StruggleBus said:

This is some Austin shit right here. What the fuck San Antonio?

Definitely has nothing to do with the documented increase in anti-asian hate crimes and harassment, right?

[SA-KC_Horn 1,295]

NSIAP

Rona in your skeet

 

Traces of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been found in the semen of some severely infected men, raising the possibility that the virus might be sexually transmitted, a new study from China claims.

Researchers found evidence of the virus in six men out of a group of 38 COVID-19 patients at Shangqiu Municipal Hospital in China who provided samples.

The six men included four who were still infected and two who were recovering, the researchers said.

It's not surprising that the virus was found in semen samples, since it's also been found in stool and other body fluids, said Dr. Ryan Berglund, a urologist with the Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute.

Infectious viruses commonly are found in semen, with Zika being one recent notable example. The Chinese researchers noted that 27 different viruses have been detected in human semen.

However, Berglund and infectious disease experts warn that this does not constitute concrete evidence that COVID-19 can be sexually transmitted.

"I think that's premature," Berglund said. "You have to look at this as a sign that semen, as along with a number of other body fluids, can contain the virus."

The new paper comes on the heels of another study from China that found no traces of coronavirus in 34 men with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. That study was published in late April in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, said "the fact that the novel coronavirus' genetic material is found in the semen of male patients is an important finding that will need follow-up study."

Agreeing with the need for further research is Dr. Greg Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"To me, it raises a warning, and now we have to attend to that warning and do the research," Poland said.

But both Adalja and Poland have doubts about the potential for COVID-19 to be sexually transmitted.

"We know the virus is transmitted efficiently through the respiratory route and we have not seen any documented cases of sexual transmission, therefore this may not necessarily represent proof of sexual transmissibility via the male genital tract," Adalja said.

Poland noted that the new study relies on testing that only detects traces of genetic material from the coronavirus.

"It doesn't tell you that it's whole, viable, infectious virus," Poland said. "If I ground up the virus and performed this test, it would be positive even though that virus has no infectious potential."

 

[Guest Lobo]

So when South Austin's mom said, "Whoah, went down the wrong pipe!"  She had a valid concern? 

[DDD Dad 14,252]

1 minute ago, SA-KC_Horn said:

NSIAP

Rona in your skeet

 

  Hide contents

 

Traces of the COVID-19 coronavirus have been found in the semen of some severely infected men, raising the possibility that the virus might be sexually transmitted, a new study from China claims.

Researchers found evidence of the virus in six men out of a group of 38 COVID-19 patients at Shangqiu Municipal Hospital in China who provided samples.

The six men included four who were still infected and two who were recovering, the researchers said.

It's not surprising that the virus was found in semen samples, since it's also been found in stool and other body fluids, said Dr. Ryan Berglund, a urologist with the Cleveland Clinic's Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute.

Infectious viruses commonly are found in semen, with Zika being one recent notable example. The Chinese researchers noted that 27 different viruses have been detected in human semen.

However, Berglund and infectious disease experts warn that this does not constitute concrete evidence that COVID-19 can be sexually transmitted.

"I think that's premature," Berglund said. "You have to look at this as a sign that semen, as along with a number of other body fluids, can contain the virus."

The new paper comes on the heels of another study from China that found no traces of coronavirus in 34 men with mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. That study was published in late April in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar with the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore, said "the fact that the novel coronavirus' genetic material is found in the semen of male patients is an important finding that will need follow-up study."

Agreeing with the need for further research is Dr. Greg Poland, director of the Vaccine Research Group at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

"To me, it raises a warning, and now we have to attend to that warning and do the research," Poland said.

But both Adalja and Poland have doubts about the potential for COVID-19 to be sexually transmitted.

"We know the virus is transmitted efficiently through the respiratory route and we have not seen any documented cases of sexual transmission, therefore this may not necessarily represent proof of sexual transmissibility via the male genital tract," Adalja said.

Poland noted that the new study relies on testing that only detects traces of genetic material from the coronavirus.

"It doesn't tell you that it's whole, viable, infectious virus," Poland said. "If I ground up the virus and performed this test, it would be positive even though that virus has no infectious potential."