Octopus Overlords

Isgrimnur wrote:Hard pass.

The smells are something to behold.

And then there’s the old school idolatry.

malchior wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:48 pm I think the movie theaters have a point in NJ. What I don't get is why they are spending money on this.

Maybe they need to demonstrate they tried every avenue before declaring bankruptcy?

Florida still not releasing hospitalization data.

Also - new record of 60K cases in a day for the US.

There's absolutely someone that knows the numbers. They just need the courage and support to get it published.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:21 pm Yeah, the map is awful but they have every right to be concerned. We're in free fall and they shouldn't be letting Americans in (like the EU) anytime soon.

The article linked even said the picture is misleading and it is. However, the raw numbers are not misleading. We have vastly fewer infections and there is no way we can open the border. It's a non-starter. Sorry.

Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:36 pmHard pass.

Aw, it's kind of cheesy, but Rocky Horror Picture Show can be a lot of fun!

ImLawBoy wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:56 am

Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:36 pmHard pass.

Aw, it's kind of cheesy, but Rocky Horror Picture Show can be a lot of fun!

You can meet fun and interesting people there! That's where I met my wife, after taking a Hard Pass on watching yet another night of Star Trek: Next Generation in college.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 10:19 pmThere's absolutely someone that knows the numbers. They just need the courage and support to get it published.

Or a news agency with enough lawyers and money.

Looking at the JHU map and checking countries, the progression for India is really frightening - and I'd wager it's worse than reported given the poverty so many people experience there. Folks here were discussing how they were quarantining whole floors of apartment buildings if someone got sick - but what about places where people can't even afford apartments?

I can barely keep up with what's happening regionally; I wish I knew more about international health stuff to be able to follow and understand what's happening elsewhere.

In what seems like it should be another country:

https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status ... 8345221123

The Texas GOP is moving forward with its in-person convention in Houston next week with one adjustment: Texas Republican leaders, including Gov. Greg Abbott, will give their speeches virtually.

Confirming they know it's a bad idea, but if commoners want to attend they should still be able to do so. How do these people get elected? Are voting GOP members in TX not able to connect the dots here?

The Onion articles are self-aware now and making decisions. This is pinging the dystopia meter at a solid 10.

It's just frustrating as hell that Trump is butting his stupid f'ing face into the school reopening debates. Going to make a tough issue that could be argued either way and just make it super political in a way that's going to inhibit finding effective solutions. Which will go both ways, in that I imagine it will make a lot of liberal people more suspicious of school reopening plans (even if a state / locality finds a sound evidence-based approach).

Universities are pushing back hard on Trump's plan to deport international students if campuses remain remote.

Harvard and MIT are suing to block the move, and other schools are likely to do the same. I've just been reading about universities designing one-credit on-campus single courses into which all international students will be enrolled in order to satisfy the Trump/ICE mandate. (Attendance policies there are likely to be extremely lax.)

My wife is a university dean who has just taken on responsibility for international programs, so she hasn't had a lot of sleep in the past few days.

I figured this was going to be the case. It seemed likely it'd be tied up in the courts until we knew whether we are a dictatorship or sanity resumes.

Regarding K-12 schools:

https://twitter.com/brianklaas/status/1 ... 2207167490

New cases, yesterday:

Germany: 298
Denmark: 10
Norway: 11
Sweden: 57

United States: 55,442

Deeper in, he does the population adjustment:

And in case you want the data adjusted for population size, here’s what that data would look like scaled up for each country as if they had 330 million people like the US:

Germany: 1183
Denmark: 570
Norway: 676
Sweden: 1,835

United States: 55,442

As mentioned earlier, I'm legitimately supportive of the idea of having kids back in school. However, while case numbers are growing at an insane rate, I'm not sure it's a workable plan. We're in free-fall right now and not doing anything (collectively, nationally) that would support minimizing risk. Can it be done in a way that makes sense? I think so. In the US? I am tending to doubt it.

The idea that ALL Democrats would be in on this vast conspiracy to keep schools locked down just for political gain is fucking batshit lunacy.

I swear to God reading Trump's "decree" that schools re-open willy nilly this morning made me so mad I wanted to punch something.

Argue with the Democrats and your insane ideas all you want, but if you start trying to enact policies to put my kids in danger you're poking the bear you orange fat fuck.

I cannot WAIT for November to get this shithead out of office.

And into the comforting arms of the SDNY.

YellowKing wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:45 pmI cannot WAIT for November to get this shithead out of office.

If I had even a shred of faith that Republicans in the Senate would do the right thing to protect our nation I'd want Congress to Impeach him again right now as a danger to our nation (as he most obviously is). I pray we are able to get him out but I shudder to think of the ruin he will be leaving behind him when he goes given that even after the election he has months to destroy everything.

Remus West wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:08 pmI pray we are able to get him out but I shudder to think of the ruin he will be leaving behind him when he goes given that even after the election he has months to destroy everything.

If you think he's destructive while he's sitting in office, just wait until he feels the end coming. I expect him to order up 5-gallon containers of gasoline daily and just run through the administration dumping it in every area. He won't care what catches fire, what explodes, or who dies.

I honestly half expect him to move to Russia before the end of his term "To prevent the Deep State from capturing him for things he never did"... and then we have 6 years of continually uncovered scandal and corruption we can't pin on him. It makes sense that he'd want to stroke Putin's ego hard before then, and do it often.

Paingod wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:15 pm

Remus West wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:08 pmI pray we are able to get him out but I shudder to think of the ruin he will be leaving behind him when he goes given that even after the election he has months to destroy everything.

If you think he's destructive while he's sitting in office, just wait until he feels the end coming. I expect him to order up 5-gallon containers of gasoline daily and just run through the administration dumping it in every area. He won't care what catches fire, what explodes, or who dies.

I honestly half expect him to move to Russia before the end of his term "To prevent the Deep State from capturing him for things he never did"... and then we have 6 years of continually uncovered scandal and corruption we can't pin on him. It makes sense that he'd want to stroke Putin's ego hard before then, and do it often.

Thats why I mentioned the months after the election. When he loses he will immediately starts contesting and conducting a burnt earth policy on our nation.

Pence just announced there will be changes to the CDC school opening guidance out next week after Trump's attacks against them this morning. This country is a moral abyss shit hole.

Edit: He also said FL, TX, and AZ are under control. What a piece of shit. I'm so through with these guys. They are murderers in my eyes. And they don't care if they murder children.

NJ trying to regain ground by requiring mask use outdoors in public (when social distancing isn't possible). People in my corner of NJ are raging on social media against it (as I expected). Our rate of transmission continues to increase and I don't imagine that will change given all the stuff that's been opened *and* the holiday/weekend/vacation visitors to the Jersey shore area.

This is crazy:

Wednesday’s numbers bring the statewide total to 15,423 known deaths related to COVID-19 — 13,476 lab-confirmed and 1,947 probable — with 174,039 known cases in the little more than four months since the New Jersey’s first case was announced March 4.

This comes as the U.S. has surpassed 3 million cases, with about 1 million coming in the last 28 days as numerous states have seen a surge in new positive tests.

malchior wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:47 pm Pence just announced there will be changes to the CDC school opening guidance out next week after Trump's attacks against them this morning. This country is a moral abyss shit hole.

Edit: He also said FL, TX, and AZ are under control. What a piece of shit. I'm so through with these guys. They are murderers in my eyes. And they don't care if they murder children.

It was this time last month he said cases were in decline (and they were, but he was disingenuous on its meaning, hence where we are a month later) and just last week that there is no shortage medical care in Arizona... and more medical staff will be sent to Arizona.... and the next day he told Florida is a great place because treatment is better than it was in New York. And now he has the nerve to use "fllattening" when describing Florida who in 15 days has quadrupled their weekly rolling average of new cases and champions hospital bed availability when the state won't publish.

I truly did not understand the AIDS hubbub when he was governor of Indiana. I guess I'm dense enough that I have to live it to really get what he put the state through. He has no conscience. I guess that's how he was chosen. To be the guy who drums up the Christian vote... That motherfucker and his declarations is killing people. For what?

It doesn't help those in red governor states, but I'm at least a little hopeful that Democratic governors (and the handful of reasonable GOP governors) will defy Trump on any unsafe school opening demands. Cooper has a history of defying Trump (GOP convention) and the Republican state legislature (opening stuff in general), so hopefully he will stand his ground if he feels we're not in a position in the fall to re-open safely.

And ultimately Trump doesn't have jack shit power over most school systems, so it's all bluster at this point.

But I agree this administration is in complete "burn it all down" mode now. I feel like we're in an MMO where we're all just dancing around trying to avoid a party wipe until a DoT spell takes out the boss.

malchior wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 1:47 pm Edit: He also said FL, TX, and AZ are under control. What a piece of shit. I'm so through with these guys. They are murderers in my eyes. And they don't care if they murder children.

Because 145 ICU beds left in the entire state of Arizona is plenty, amirite?

YellowKing wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:09 pm It doesn't help those in red governor states, but I'm at least a little hopeful that Democratic governors (and the handful of reasonable GOP governors) will defy Trump on any unsafe school opening demands. Cooper has a history of defying Trump (GOP convention) and the Republican state legislature (opening stuff in general), so hopefully he will stand his ground if he feels we're not in a position in the fall to re-open safely.

Our Governor basically said F-you to Trump on the Governor's COVID call and our Mayor said it quite literally during a press conference. While I'm not a fan of either, it's good to know where we stand and I agree with the stance on this one.

YellowKing wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:09 pm But I agree this administration is in complete "burn it all down" mode now. I feel like we're in an MMO where we're all just dancing around trying to avoid a party wipe until a DoT spell takes out the boss.

Very well put.


Need heals pls!!!!

LawBeefaroni wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 2:19 pm
Need heals pls!!!!

Sorry, out of mana.

That makes Tucker Carlson LEEEROOOOY JENNNKINNNNSSSS!

Zarathud wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 3:36 pm That makes Tucker Carlson LEEEROOOOY JENNNKINNNNSSSS!

My thought was to wonder who LEEROY JENKINS was. I hadn't come up with anything but every time I come back to COVID news, I think it may be Pence.

Smoove_B wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:23 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 8:20 pmI've never been asked to rise and sing in a movie theater or greet those seated around me.

No Rocky Horror Picture Show for you?

You should attend a Russian Orthodox mass. You just stand for an hour straight, get coated with incense, and have no idea what anyone is saying. It's a great time!

To be fair, speaking Russian doesn't really help understand what's going on there, either.

I'm supposed to go to Wisconsin with the wife for an auto race (her birthday present, she's a racing fan) at the end of the month. Private box seating, tower access, all that. Also, garage passes, ride with team Ferrari, dinner, drinks with the teams.

When we planned this last year, her parents were going to fly out and watch the kids. That is not happening, obviously. But the race is still on as of today so not sure what to do. It's a lot to just eat the cost but everything that made it awesome is probably not happening (garage and rides) or is now scary (hanging out with drivers and crews, dinner). And finding a solution for the kids (or bringing them) seems like a monumental undertaking right now.

I'll need an economist to confirm, but it looks like the news media has finally picked up on what epidemiologists have been modeling for a few days now:

https://twitter.com/ryanstruyk/status/1 ... 5148023814

The United States just reached 3 million reported coronavirus cases.

Here's how fast each million has come:

0 to 1 million cases: 98 days
1 to 2 million cases: 43 days
2 to 3 million cases: 28 days

The Houston mayor just kiboshed the GOP in-person convention. Let the howling begin.

Sit down before reading.

Health official: Trump rally 'likely' source of virus surge:

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa in late June that drew thousands of participants and large protests “likely contributed” to a dramatic surge in new coronavirus cases, Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Dr. Bruce Dart said Wednesday.

Tulsa County reported 261 confirmed new cases on Monday, a one-day record high, and another 206 cases on Tuesday. By comparison, during the week before the June 20 Trump rally, there were 76 cases on Monday and 96 on Tuesday.

Although the health department’s policy is to not publicly identify individual settings where people may have contracted the virus, Dart said those large gatherings “more than likely” contributed to the spike.

“In the past few days, we’ve seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots,” Dart said.

Although the health department’s policy is to not publicly identify individual settings where people may have contracted the virus, Dart said those large gatherings “more than likely” contributed to the spike.

What kind of health department is that? "We've had a rash Hep A break out in the area and it's spreading uncontrollably. We can't figure out why. Take a guess if you might have to worry."

malchior wrote:The Houston mayor just kiboshed the GOP in-person convention. Let the howling begin.

That's great for the city of Houston but I'll have to admit that I wouldn't mind if they gathered in some remote location and go maskless to their hearts content with the chips falling where they may...

What kind of health department is that?

It's a fine line. If it were me I'd be issuing a press release as the health director indicating that if you attended [X] or were at [Location] on a specific day between [Time], it's recommended that you get a test.

I don't really think there's any danger in naming the event or location for this outbreak - as opposed to naming a restaurant where people ate and might continue to eat. I'm guessing there's absurd pressure on this individual right now to not potentially enrage or taunt anyone.

But in terms of being able to definitively link attendance to a exposure and disease status? There's value in shouting that from the mountaintops.

malchior wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:02 pm The Houston mayor just kiboshed the GOP in-person convention. Let the howling begin.

https://twitter.com/JeremySWallace/stat ... 9602934784

BREAKING: Texas is reporting it's worst day from COVID-19 since the pandemic began with 98 people dying from the virus just since yesterday and a new record of 9,610 people so sick that they are hospitalized.

The state now has reported 332 deaths just in the last 7 days. That is an average of 47 deaths per day - the highest 7-day death average since the pandemic started in Texas.

It's like they're trying to sabotage this at every possible junction:

Syringes are key to coronavirus vaccine delivery. Trump is relying on two untested suppliers

...

After the nationwide scramble for ventilators and personal protective equipment earlier this year, healthcare professionals, supply chain experts and government officials warned that the next critical shortage could be syringes, needles and other equipment needed to administer a COVID-19 vaccine to about 320 million Americans.

Vaccinating that many people could mean the U.S. would need up to 850 million syringes in 2021 to cover an expected COVID-19 vaccine — which could require two doses — plus the usual annual demand for syringes used for flu shots, insulin and other treatments. Under pre-pandemic capacity, that could take two years to produce.