Happy St Patrick's Day!

[pallen]

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@Ben wrote:

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If you had to bet, when do YOU think the world will be getting back to "normal" ?

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I'm guessing this event is going to be resetting the bar somewhat, and changing what normal is.  

When I think about it, I know a lot of immunocompromised folks.   I'm not really worried for myself on this one.  But I'm worried for them.  

A bunch of critical medications are now on back order where I live. (Canada)

I think the silver lining in all this may be that we bring or spread some of these critical technologies closer to our respective homes.   

[wiebe@CARYA]

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@Ben wrote:

If you had to bet, when do YOU think the world will be getting back to "normal" ?

Ben

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H1N1 (2009) still circulates as a seasonal flu.

H3N2 (1968) still circulates as a seasonal influenza A virus

See this for additional depressing facts, like nr. of deaths.

Dutch government is backing companies financially with a number of arrangements (at least they say so, we'll see). Part-time unemployment (gov. pays 90% salary for 50% of a FTE), delayed payments, etc. But for 17Mln people, this is costly (est. 10-20 Bln per 3 month). Not sure how long this is sustainable. They're not gold plating either. This will hurt. We have work for a few months, and have reserves for a few more. After that, who knows what will happen.

USA seems to have a vaccine that works. It will take 1-2 years to fully develop and test it. So there is light at the end of the tunnel.

[jcarmody]

I just sent this to a group of people I assemble to teach computer-solutions to common problems:

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I’m not scheduling a CFD University session this week because I’m afraid that one of y’all has the covid.  We’ll resume a regular schedule when it’s deemed prudent.

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😛

[psuedonym]

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@pallen wrote:

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@Ben wrote:

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If you had to bet, when do YOU think the world will be getting back to "normal" ?

---

I'm guessing this event is going to be resetting the bar somewhat, and changing what normal is.  

When I think about it, I know a lot of immunocompromised folks.   I'm not really worried for myself on this one.  But I'm worried for them.  

A bunch of critical medications are now on back order where I live. (Canada)

I think the silver lining in all this may be that we bring or spread some of these critical technologies closer to our respective homes.   

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I am not overweight and have great cholesterol numbers, but my hypertension is considered an underlying medical condition for this virus. 

And it is time to classify that critical medication be considered "national security" and should not be made overseas.

It is sobering to know that much of generics is made overseas as in not in USA. And that is not even about the safety of them. I take such a generic myself.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/generics-are-cheap-and-popular-but-some-might-not-be-as-safe-a...

.

[wiebe@CARYA]

BTW. Over here hospitals are running out of face mask. There are teams working full time to purchase them. They are offered for up to 25 EU (probably more if you want to), but a MD said they will pay 5 EU but won't (can't) pay more then that (which is already a stretch, IMHO). A significant time is spend separating the fraudulent offers from the legit.

They experimented with ionization of the masks. That seems to kill the bug, and they could be reused. Of course, this needs to be fully tested.

[RobertoBozzolo]

Face mask are a problem here too.

Authorities are trying to improve local production: as an example they are planning to convert some of the laboratories found in the jails, where prisoners can work as an education measure (they learn and practice an activity that can help them when they are freed).

[Ben]

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wiebe@CARYA wrote:

BTW...

They are offered for up to 25 EU (probably more if you want to), ...

They experimented with ionization of the masks. That seems to kill the bug, and they could be reused. Of course, this needs to be fully tested.

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Wow!

That means a box of 20 masks would run about $500.

That means they are approaching the current value of gold. Now how can I twist that old phrase?

"All that is gold does not glitter."

My financial guy told me we should start selling them but as a prepper, I would loose bonus points for acting out of character. (Smiley-wink).

Quick update from my neck of the woods;

Neighbor told me they are limiting bread to one loaf per customer as of today. Monday I picked-up four loaves.

My landscape supply place is going semi-virtual. I can still get what I need but rather than going into the office to pay for it, they want me to phone ahead and pre-pay via credit card. The guys loading the truck will still be there to scoop out what I need.

Ben

[Ben]

I have been trying to live as normal where "normal" means staying ahead of the game and guessing what is coming next.

You know you are getting old when...

Spoiler

you want to site an old comic strip but Google has no memory of it!

Spoiler

There used to be a comic strip called "Shoe" that often featured a cigar smoking Buzzard with a bad attitude. I have quoted from that comic many times but the strip that come to mind goes...

Shoe is sitting at a bar, sipping whiskey and a young barmaid is not happy with the cigar.

Barmaid : You know those things will kill you don't you?

Shoe : Yeah but I would rather go that way than the way you are going to go.

Barmaind : Yeah, How is that?

Shoe : The way I have it figured you all are going to be trampled to death in the nicotine riots of the 1990s.

Trying to stay ahead of the game, I stopped to stock up on beer and whiskey. Both stores had signs up "Closed until further notice" and "closed for 2 weeks".

Let's see;

I can purchase dirt, and 2X6's but on the other hand alcohol is "non-essential" ?

Didn't that question get asked and answered in the 18th and 21st amendments?

(smiley-wink)

Ben

[wiebe@CARYA]

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@Ben wrote:

There used to be a comic strip called "Shoe" that often featured a cigar smoking Buzzard with a bad attitude. I have quoted from that comic many times but the strip that come to mind goes...

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wiki Shoe_(comic_strip)? It's apparently still running.

Can't find the old strip though, the archives (on the official site) don't go back that far. The MacNelly editorials are great though.

I suspect it's online somewhere, but those comics are not indexed by google, as it can't read the text (yet).

[Kevin_Price]

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@crossrulz wrote:

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In the town I grew up in, a WWI vet decided to build a castle next to the Little Miami River. 

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Can't even remember what led me to the thread, but whuddaya know, that's the town I'm living in right now!   Also known for it's Valentine's Day postmarks.   Not at all known for either crossrulz or myself.

-Kevin P