bigjoey

Reports of spousal abuse and child sexual abuse are on the up trend during the quarantine. Mental health problems need abating. Loss of education for young children will be hard to make up. There is starting to be a big toll beyond just the economic one. This requires a difficult balancing of different interests. A multivariate analysis is needed rather than the single-variable analysis of some posters. Society can not be put on hold until a vaccine is developed, if ever.

The link to the video: https://nypost.com/2020/04/30/workers-brawl-with-alleged-shoplifters-in-yonkers-supermarket/

You are not alone: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2020/04/28/furloughed-workers-dont-want-to-return-to-their-jobs-as-theyre-earning-more-money-with-unemployment/

There is a joke that McDonald’s is really a real estate company that sells hamburgers. They own much of the sites where their franchise locations are located. If the government mandated that McDonald’s reduce its fees to franchises, why not demand that other companies reduce the prices of merchandise or services they sell? To real estate companies that get PPP, why not demand they reduce rents? If this was to happen, you would have the government setting prices throughout the whole economy. SIDE NOTE: McDonald's is giving first responders and healthcare workers free 'Thank You meals' McDonald's is doing its part to ensure that the frontline workers across America are not going to go hungry amid this pandemic. Participating McDonald's locations are giving first responders and healthcare workers a free "Thank You meal." Read in CNN Business: https://apple.news/AUGVd9W-CR7CFpoQRXEAS4Q

Absolutely true. The NPR piece faulted him and DeBlasio for fighting and having a power struggle on who controls what (Seattle presented a united uniform communication’s message by contrast). As for the directive that sent people with Covid-19 into skilled nursing facilities, that is separate from issues of crowded public transport and dense housing. NPR had another piece today with the psychological problems the lock down has created for many young people. The gist was the psychological damage will last for a lifetime. If someone knows how to link to the report, that would be great.

You are correct. This morning NPR had a segment on how Seattle and New York differ so much in the severity of the pandemic. The writer of a story in New York Magazine attributes much of the difference to how the city government communicated to the population about the virus. Seattle got high marks for having scientists lead the way communications were handled. New York got low marks because it had the politicians leading the communication strategy. In NYC, you had the mayor and the governor fighting over who had the power to control what; you had Mayor DeBlasio telling people in February to go out to restaurants and celebrate Chinese New Year. Until I heard the NPR piece, I had never thought of just the communication element having as big an effect as the writer claimed. If someone here knows how to post an NPR story (or the New York story on which the broadcast was based) it would be enlightening in showing how the local response in just communications can make a big difference. In addition, state responses can make a big difference. As we now know, Cuomo and his administration made a huge mistake in telling skilled nursing facilities that not only could they not turn away actual or suspected Covid-19 patients but they could not even test for the virus. This was like throwing matches into dry kindling and the result was a very large number of fatalities in skilled nursing facilities: https://nypost.com/2020/04/25/new-york-lacked-common-sense-in-nursing-homes-coronavirus-approach/ Bottom line: there will be big differences among the states not only because of physical characteristics like density, cultural characteristics like obesity, behavioral characteristics like subway use but also governmental behaviors like communications and just stupidity like Cuomo’s skilled nursing facility directive. Then layer onto all this the time factor of when the virus hits a state and creates hot spots. It will most likely be a few years from now when historians look back that an accurate description of our time could be written.

Many of the service providers that I have known be they housekeepers, repairmen, gardeners or escorts have only taken cash for their services and taken advantage of programs designed for the poor (in addition to not paying taxes). I once put a pencil to paper and figured out my housekeeper was making the equivalent of about $50-60,000/year (in today’s dollars) while taking advantage of poverty programs. Yes, the “rich” have programs that benefit them but those programs are normally not designed to benefit someone else. Those programs are usually designed by the legislature to specifically benefit them and surprisingly enough, the members of the legislature get campaign contributions, “gifts,” and often lucrative jobs after retirement and book deals. In law school I learned that every “loophole” was put into place by someone and were not random events just waiting to be discovered. (I can be cynical) Yes, our system is corrupt. But the corruption goes beyond the above. Many people I know get Netflix by using another family member’s code. In NYC, about 20% of public transport riders do not pay from what I have read. All up and down our society, people are cheating. None of this is new to our society and caused by recent “income inequality.” It is part of human nature. Over thousands of years, income inequality has been the general rule with a small wealthy elite and a large poor population. Looking over the long sweep of history, we may be better or worse but the differences may be how religion enforced social values or severe state actions kept down bad actions (public hangings or cutting of the hands of a thief come to mind). Yes, a society is better when people cooperate and collaborate. That is the ideal. We agree. Where we differ I think is in whether our society is collapsing due to “income inequality” or just the nature of humankind coming to the surface. In actuality, crime rates have been falling since reaching a peak in the 1990’s while income inequality has grown over that time period; the last two decades do not tend to show a correlation between a rise in income inequality (which is real) and crime. So this thread does not get hijacked by this discussion, I suggest you start a new thread in this forum. I have stopped posting in the Political Forum so it would need to be in this forum and kept to a general, non-political nature but more of a discussion of human nature and how people behave.

For the youngsters here: My grandmother’s house which was built in the early’30’s had a “milk door.” She had a milkman who delivered milk and dairy products and placed the products in the compartment which had a second door that opened into the house. AND the milkman picked up the empty glass bottles and took them back!! Recycling long before it became fashionable.? In addition to the milkman, here in Kansas City, I remember the Manor Bakery delivering bread and other baked goods. My grandmother had a man who delivered eggs, too. I think they all used that “milk door” compartment which (as I recall) was about 15” wide, 15” high and 20” deep. The inside door had a lock so a burglar could not get into the house using that as an entry.

If this testing results hold true to the general population, this means both the infection rate and the death rate figures we have so far are almost meaningless. The death rate of those infected drops dramatically. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-prisons-testing-in/in-four-u-s-state-prisons-nearly-3300-inmates-test-positive-for-coronavirus-96-without-symptoms-idUSKCN2270RX?feedType=mktg&feedName=topNews&WT.mc_id=Partner-Google What puzzles me is what factors does a person who tests positive have that the virus causes no symptoms (and I assume no health problems, at least in the short run)? What factors are in play for the people whose symptoms are just mild like a cold or even the flu? What factors are in play for those who end up requiring hospitalization? I am starting to wonder if there is a genetic component to the Covid Virus.

Unfortunately, people can mentally justify almost any action they want. Mental gymnastics are a human trait. As for people taking advantage of programs meant for someone else, it happens all the time.

Found the best time to shop. My local store (Hen House) has hours 6:00-7:00AM for seniors over 65. While only about a dozen people in the store, they manage to go down the middle of the isles or stop just where you want something and take about five minutes to decide while you wait. Regular hours are 7:00AM-8:00PM. So I decided to give the evening hours a try??. After 7:30 the store is empty except for the staff starting to restock. Except for fresh fish having been put away, everything else was available. Except for wipes, everything on my list was there. They even have masks and gloves! Since the store was empty (maybe six customers), getting through in record time was easy and no checkout line. I do not buy their in house bakery goods which looked pretty low. From now on, I’ll be shopping at about 7:30PM before closing. (They start putting the fresh fish away at about 7:00 so on days I want fish, I’ll come early).

Chinese games exposed. Changing definitions change the numerical results: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-china-latest-cases-february-four-times-official-figure-new-study-1499745

Well said. Until there are effective medical therapies and a vaccine, the virus will continue to work its way through populations. Shelter-in-place and social distancing can flatten the curve but at some point, these things must end for entire populations. While shelter-in-place and social distancing can buy us time for effective medical therapies to be discovered and temporarily save lives, economic necessity says that for entire populations, it must end. Denmark is opening up for people under 65 and the people over 65 are still sheltered in place. Danish elementary schools are opening but only for the lower grades. It is going to be a slow process. You mention factors like age and multi-generational families which are clear factors. Other lifestyle factors I have heard about are things like obesity and history of smoking. Unfortunately, the US is one of the most obese countries. Japan which is now being hit hard has a high rate of smoking. There seem to be genetic factors. The virus affects different blood types with different rates of virus illness. Skin color seems to be a co-factor due to ability to produce vitamin D. A country’s practice of universal vaccination with BCG seems to be a factor. Yes, poverty and the general availability of health care matters. Sadly, history only becomes clear looking backwards but we must live in the present. Until there is effective and universal testing, all the statistics just are not meaningful. Unless there are uniform definitions for what to count as a Covid death or even what percentage of the population is infected is comparing apples to oranges. There is still much we do not know about the behavior of this virus such as how long immunity lasts if you have had the virus. Some viruses have lifelong immunity and others only for a few months. The answer to that question will determine the speed of reopening. The things to hope for are: effective treatment for those with the virus to lessen its mortality rate and a vaccine. Mostly we are seeing speculation based on various assumptions. This virus illustrates humanity’s hubris that we can control nature. In the meantime, nature is thinning the herd; we can slow the virus down but not stop Mother Nature from her work. Bottom line, more testing will give us better data to understand the virus. It will give us information to help people avoid from getting sick like lose weight and stop smoking (a shocker). Other things like ending multi-general living are too difficult to change for a culture. Some genetic factors like lack of vitamin D due to dark skin can be offset with vitamin D supplements. You compare mortality rates between Germany, Japan and South Korea. Until the pandemic is over, the time factor of rate comparison needs to be considered. South Korea seems to have come out of the pandemic but Japan is still in the middle of it. South Korea’s mortality rate can now be know but not Japan’s. Again, history can only be told looking backwards but not in the middle of battle.

In the general community, there was a feeling of panic about anything to do with AIDS. At the senior facility where I volunteer, the son of a well know community person applied for admission for skilled nursing. He had been living in NYC, became sick and basically came home to die. The only skilled nursing facility that took AIDS residents kept them in a locked, basement ward. The board was remarkable and voted unanimously to accept the young man. Then something happened we did not foresee: most of the staff was going to walk out; we were unionized and the Union was going to call a strike over endangering the lives of the workers. The staff was about 80% Black. We ran our own in-house laundry, had a kitchen staff and all the aides were low skilled and the black community was our labor source (we had black residents as well). Then a wonderful thing happened, the Reverend Emanuel Cleaver came at the board’s invitation and he spoke to a meeting of the workers. He eloquently talked to the black men and women of their Christian duty. He talked how Jesus ministered to the sick and as Christians, they need to serve all. His words changed the attitude of the workers and they stayed on the job. Our skilled nursing facility became the first to accept AIDS residents who were treated with dignity and loving care. Follow up: today, Reverend Cleaver is Congressperson Cleaver and the head of the Black Caucus. I think what set the stage for his visit was our facility’s reputation. Back in 1955 or 1956, we were Kansas City’s first non-governmental skilled nursing facility to welcome black residents. In a city with segregated housing, schools and businesses, our facility stood out a place where all were welcome with respect and dignity. It was interesting to explain to non-Jewish residents no pork or shellfish would be in the menu and no cheeseburgers? as the facility was kosher.

Paper plates and plastic utensils solve the problem.

Something a little different: https://www.google.com/search?q=allan%20sherman%20my%20zelda

Great story of people making masks to give away: https://www.kmbc.com/amp/article/free-masks-to-be-given-thousands-in-kcs-3rd-district/32193357 These are the stories that will help define our response. I have often suggested people read “The Home We Build Together” by Jonathan Sacks. It is about rebuilding our civic associations by people coming together. It is a rebuilding of the America described by Alexis de Tocqueville.

I have a few friends who are having Zoom lunches together and enjoy the digital companionship. I agree that for older single people the isolation can be very hard. This is such a simple thing and it can be very meaningful.

The news has been filled with stories about people being brought together to fight the pandemic. Neighbors who did not know each other are getting acquainted. People are asking others: “Do you need anything?” There was a story about an animal shelter that was completely empty as people became “foster parents” to the animals there (I wonder after the pandemic how many will be kept and find a permanent home). Restaurants are providing free meals and food to hospital workers. I am involved with a meals-on-wheels program whose requests for help have doubled and the volunteers have stepped up to shoulder that burden. On the international front, at least temporarily, differences are being set aside to fight the common Covid enemy: https://momentmag.com/israelis-and-palestinians-work-together-to-fight-covid-19/ If there is a silver lining to this pandemic, it is seeing strangers helping each other. This is an opportunity for this to become “shining hour.” Each of us can help. If you do not know your neighbor, introduce yourself (from a safe distance) and ask if they need help. If you have room in your budget, food pantries are in dire need of funds. If you know a doctor or nurse, call them and ask what you can do? Deliver cooked meals for them or baked goods to take to the hospital break room. Perhaps run an errand for them. People who are isolated often appreciate just a simple call and someone with whom to talk. Reach out to those people you have been meaning to call but somehow never found the time.

Imagine the admission that China’s numbers are now admittedly off by 50%??? https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-wuhan-death-toll-increase-50-deny-cover-up-20200417-tfhbtmavwrcqdallmebpkemlse-story.html At best, all of these numbers are estimates as the criteria as to how things are counted differs and at best show the direction of the spread of the virus and resulting deaths. As I have warned all along, do not trust numbers from China. There has always been political pressure for people to produce favorable numbers in every area. (This is a feature of Communist dictatorships; the Wall Street Journal just had a story about Cuban doctors who defected; they were told to make up patient names and then patient recoveries in their reports?.)

I did as well. Never knew of the son. The love between them shows. Thank you for the post.

In its day, Marshall Field’s was a great store. Those wonderful Frango mints were made in the State Street store so they were always fresh. My grandfather’s office was in the Marshall Field Annex Building and a trip to his office always included a stop to buy a box of mints.

In the Spring, my grandmother always had Russell Stover pastel colored chocolates. A local Kansas City company that owned the Whitman’s Sampler brand, too. Now owned by Europeans: Lindt. Kansas City has excellent artisan candy companies, too. Some of the best anywhere.

Two go to “musical pieces” rather than songs: Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo” Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFX8S9aAgvw

When I went to the University of Pennsylvania back in the ‘60’s, those state stores had higher prices than surrounding states (and a higher age for purchase). Students use to go home on weekends with mostly empty suitcases and return with as much liquor as they could reasonably lift in the suitcase. So much for government protection from monopolies charging higher prices?.