Just a couple of quick corrections/clarifications, then on to my prepping holes.

Winsordawson- I can see your "orange man" remarks may have been in jest. I suppose after 3 years of non-stop (what I see as) insults some of us may have had enough. No worries. Just wasn't expecting Democraticunderground behavior at digitalFAQ.

This narrative that Trump supporters/repubs are more uneducated than dems has been debunked. And that mirrors my experience of over 60 years. A majority of successful businesses are run by conservatives. Granted, there are many uneducated whites that are conservative, but there are vast numbers of poor, uneducated blacks that vote dem. (can I say that?) Also, not sure the 40% is an accurate number. Conservatives don't often admit their political preferences, to prevent having their car keyed or the like. Remember how badly the polling was last election?

A short bit on some of the holes in my prepping plans.

Hadn't kept up with some supplies as diligently as possible. Would have liked to have had more:

-Soups and canned goods.
-Medicines, had rubbing alcohol and peroxide. Need lots more medical preps. Iodine for nuclear fallout.
-Masks! Had a couple N95s. OK on gloves. Better respirator or gas mask.
-Frozen items. Had a false sense of security from a 3/4 full small freezer. A number of the meats
were well past their OK to eat date. Supposedly meat is good indefinitely if kept at 0°, but the taste may not be good. Had some old fish, smelled OK, taste not very good. Will leave it at that.
-Propane. I like to keep 3 full 20 lb. (BBQ grill sized), only had 1. Also like to have several of the fat
propane torch sized ones for cooking, should the power go out. Only had a couple.
-Gasoline. Should keep vehicles topped up. Long term storage of large volumes not practical.

I have lots of firewood, so can keep warm and cook with wood if needed here in the midwest.

At some point you run out of room to store things, and it gets to be quite a chore to keep
everything up to date and rotated. Doesn't help that I can be lazy/complacent at times.

My town of 750k seems to have plenty of food on the shelves, based on my limited 'every-2-week' trips to the grocery store. I go early in the morning, when they open, other times I'm sure are different.

The wife said Aldis had a line outside when she went by at noon, but by 6:30pm only perhaps 20 in the store, with reasonably stocked shelves. 2/3 of people wearing masks, and they now have plastic barriers and masks for the cashiers, which they didn't have 2 weeks ago. God bless these food workers,
truck drivers, and all who are risking their health, and maybe their lives, to bring us food.

All in all, this will certainly be a learning experience for most of us. In the event of a really deadly
outbreak, we should be better prepared, if we don't get complacent, as we wont to do.

I give the governors and those in charge some slack. Our country hasn't had this in 100 years.
By and large they have been doing a decent job. Some will complain of lost civil rights, others
that they are not doing enough, while we in the peanut gallery can sit back and Monday
morning quarterback their efforts. Hindsight is 20/20. But we can and should hold them accountable
for their decisions, as long as it is not POLITICAL. (like that will ever happen)

I have no patience for those that use this for political purposes, or those that are whining that the fedgov can't magically produce hundreds of thousands of ventilators, tests, or whatever. At some point states have to shoulder some of the responsibility. I'm happy to be seeing signs that some are calming down with the finger pointing and blaming. I'm not blaming my mayor for any shortages in my prepping, it's not his job.

Happy to keep contributing to this thread, if it stays on track. If it turns back into political bashing I will be reverting to lurker mode.

Hope all and their loved ones stay healthy and safe.

This was our weakness as well. I have an Israeli gas mask, and we have pair of dust masks, but that was it. We were unable to procure masks, even in mid Feb. We didn't even have shop towels or rubber bands to make any no-sew homemade masks. However, a kind surgeon friend (from this very site!) has generously supplied me with a handful of surgical masks, if/when venturing out is required.

The main problem is that some things were 20/20 with foresight.

Take yourself as an example. You had a respectable supply, obviously some plans and forethought into "what if" scenarios that would necessitate stockpiles. You had some preparation in place.

Many officials in many places, from federal to state to local, had none. No supplies, no plans, nothing. Even after learning supplies were needed, many still sat on their hands, and did nothing for weeks/months. Some still have none!! :screwy:

20/20 with forethought-Sure, I suppose. But whose job is it, ultimately? I suppose the CDC, but not sure where the responsibility lies, legally. I'm of the belief we are each responsible for ourselves. But I am the self-sufficient type, not expecting government to come swooping in to rescue me.

We all have info that we can tap into to foresee potential calamities. We can look it up and see that there are 96 nuclear reactors in 29 states in the U.S. We know that there were horrible accidents at Chernobyl and Fukushima. We should know that we are vulnerable to nuclear fallout in the event of an accident. How many of us have prepared, and how many want someone else to take responsibility?

Are we not obligated as citizens to inquire of those at the CDC and other orgs as to their preparedness? Or should we just assume they have everything under control, then scream when we find they do not?

I guess it depends on if you view things as being from the top down, or the bottom up. Seems to me it would behoove everyone to try their utmost to be prepared, and not rely on others, as it is apparent they are woefully ill-prepared.

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to foresee and be 100% prepared for every calamity, be it terrorist, virus/plague/disease, nuclear accident, civil unrest, wars, economic downturn/loss of job, food shortage, meteor strike, poison gas from train derailment, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts, crime, etc. When considering these, global warming seems to be a lower priority, but it seems to get the most attention from certain groups.

Best to all, stay safe. Prepare for the unexpected.

Glad to hear most are doing well.

Right before our "Stay At Home" order started in Minnesota I acquired a beat up Ampex VPR-2B which barely functions... so I have plenty of work to keep me occupied until things go back to normal (four binders of manuals! FUN). It is a beast of a machine (compared to home VCRs) and I am definitely out of my depth working on it, but it is fun. I guess I became too cocky after fixing a few AG-1980's.

Other than that, nothing has changed much for me besides going to the grocery store less.

Nice! Good luck, should be fun. Had a couple of old Panasonic 3/4" Umatics from the 80s I used to use and work on. Service manuals were fantastic. Lots to tweak if you have a dual trace scope, which I do. Would like a waveform monitor, but the one in DaVinci Resolve works in a pinch. Big difference from some of the manuals for consumer gear. And it isn't microsurgery working on the big decks, as were the Hi-8 camcorders.

Enjoy. I've been using the extra Covid time to transfer some old Hi-8 tapes. Fairly pleased with my 950Q cap setup, but not 100% perfect, (not sure any are) still might want to buy one of smurf's USB600 cap units, if he has any right now? Plan on capturing to Lag.

Customers have started calling me for projects again. Been putting them off for a few more weeks, would like for things to calm down a bit, and maybe get the tests and drugs in better shape. I'm of the age (60+) where it could be quite dangerous to contract the virus, even though no health issues.

That 950Q is an ugly card.
I actually do a card you may want, an extra, not listed in the marketplace. PM me. :congrats:

Baked a cake from scratch with my son for the first time and it wasn't bad. Carrot Cake. Made a few minor mistakes that I will correct the next time out.

Covid-19 - East Tennessee
 

I've been coming to DigitalFAQ for well more than a year now and have enjoyed the wealth of information contained on the forum as well as the absence of political nonsense. I could spend time tearing apart some of the supposed facts and arguments presented throughout this thread but this is not a political forum and it has since calmed down so I'm not going to pick that scab. It would be my suggestion to keep politics out of it, especially when the thread is aimed at checking to see if everyone is doing okay during this unusual time in our country. As others have stated, you are immediately offending/irritating half of the visitors to the website if bring politics into it.

I live in East Tennesse and have worked in the grocery business my entire life. In this part of the country people panic buy if there is even 5% chance of inclement weather so when the Covid chaos started it was absolutely insane in the grocery stores. I could not believe how many people would openly sneeze and cough in the midst of this without even attempting to cover their mouths.

About 5% of the customers would actually thank me for working through it all which was quite nice to hear but the obnoxious, rude customers outweighed the kind ones. There were many customers who got belligerent because the stores were out of toilet paper, meat, milk, eggs, etc... I could not get my head around why people had a hard time understanding why the supply chain couldn't keep up with an unpredictable spike in consumption. Most companies operate at 95+% of capacity which is why they invest heavily in forecasting. You cannot forecast a 150%+ spike in consumption, nor can you promptly increase your capacity to account for that spike. I work for a solid company that has taken the right actions to ensure our main products get to the stores and they have also increased pay, provided hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves. While I appreciate the masks provided (Cheaply handmade), I was able to secure a cycling style mask with exhaust vents and n95 filtration so I have been wearing that for the last several weeks. I certainly feel for the nurses and doctors who wear the even more restrictive gear while working through this. It is not easy to breathe through the n95 style masks when you're on the go for 8+ hours a day.

I am not concerned about myself (I'm healthy, 38 y/o), my mother is older and has immune issues. She also watches our kids for us while we work so my reason for wearing the mask is to prevent bringing it back to the house and in turn, preventing my mother from getting it. My wife and I have a pretty good regiment in place, we remove and sterilize shoes before entering the house, then immediately change in the laundry room to prevent bringing anything further into the house. Oddly enough, the "Mold Assasin" VHS cleaner I built has come in very handy as we use the UVC light I added to the cleaner to sterilize our masks every day when we get home.

My aunt and uncle who live in Dallas, TX have both contracted covid and have fully recovered. Oddly, my Aunt who is an international Flight Attendant contracted the flu in late December while overseas and had a HORRENDOUS time with it. (Tested positive for one of the flu types) However, when she contracted covid the symptoms were very mild compared to the flu she had a few weeks prior. My other aunt who lives in California also contracted COVID and fully recovered with minimal symptoms as well.

We do feel fortunate to be in "Essential (or Expendable)" roles so we have not been out of work but we have also been around the general public the whole time. Regardless of your political persuasion, I hope you all stay healthy and avoid getting COVID. If I can get along with my in-laws, I can get along with you all. However, be warned, if you bring up politics at Thanksgiving dinner, you best have real facts to support your arguments or we may not be speaking for a couple weeks.

:D

It's good to hear that they're among the recovered (66%), and not those that have perished (33%) -- nothing that recovered/deceased is 20% of overall confirmed/tested infected, remaining 80% still TBD. Untesteds are unknown. We have family still inside DFW, working essential services, and worry about them. Neither they, nor their immediate coworkers, have been tested, but their worksites have had multiple confirmed infections.

Just to clarify, it's not half, or even half of half. Between (1) non-USA users, (2) people that simply do not follow or care about politics, and (3) even voters/citizens unhappy with "their" politicians (local, state, national), it's far smaller. As mentioned, it's almost impossible to separate COVID-19 from politics. This thread saw some very mild banter early on, but has subsided.

:mad4: This is why wearing masks should be enforced, and should have been from day 1.

Just BTW, I was healthy too ... then one day I wasn't. Not related to COVID-19, but several years ago. I literally degraded within 24 hours, then further and further for several more weeks (due to multiple misdiagnosis). And I've never fully recovered because of it ... and likely never will. I've adapted the best I could. The invincibility of youth eventually meets its Kryptonite. It may be fast or slow, sooner or later, but it does find you.

Yes very scary times....

I hope everyone is doing ok!!!

Peace and love to you all :)

@all, just FYI:

A number of site members have reached out to me privately. Some folks here just like to lurk/read. Others post, but are strictly on-topic (never share anything personal).

I've also reached out to some members that I've noticed are unusually absent in recent months.

What I've been reading in the past week is heartbreaking stuff. :(

A story that I read this morning keeps causing me to tear up when I think about it. I'm fight back the water from my eyes to even post this post. He's been a member here since the very beginning. Before the beginning, in fact, somebody from my hobby-only days of video (cartoons).

We've almost lost members to this virus.
They've lost friends, coworkers, and family members.
They've almost lost friends, coworkers, and family members.

Infants.
Parents.
Spouses.

Some struggled to catch their next breath.
Some lost that struggle.

I'm out of words...

Be safe. :praying:

I hope your not mad at me Lordsmurf..... I have PMed ya 2 times but ya dont reply :(

One time you said to PM you and then the other I just wanted to say hello.... Im sorry if I did something to make you upset.......

I hope everyone is doing ok!!!!!!!!

Not upset, just busy. I rarely get upset. I regularly get tired and busy.

As per my last reply, I've been getting dozens of PMs and emails per day lately. Even if I spent a mere 2 minutes reading, and 2 minutes replying, to each PM/mail, I'd be sitting here for hours. No eating, no other work, not even bathroom breaks. :omg:

So it can take me some time to reply. And I will reply.:mail:

But this thread isn't about me. It's about how everyone is doing. :salute:

I work in local TV and still going into the station five days a week. I'm deemed an essential employee since I press the buttons to make the TV work. Everyone must wear a mask in common areas like the control room. Stuff gets wiped down frequently although we (along with everyone else) are having trouble finding cleaning supplies. COVID will forever change broadcasting for sure.

I live alone and am 28-years-old and healthy. Before COVID I would grocery shop late at night. Since stores have adjusted their hours I have to shop with the masses, unfortunately, although slowly stores are going back to regular (i.e. expanded) hours. Once a week I try to get take-out from a locally-owned restaurant to support them since I have the means. On my time off I understandably have not watched much news (not that I did before). I watch alot of PBS documentaries and some of the digital networks like Quest and Cozi (I don't have cable and never have while living on my own). I binged a few seasons of 24 on DVD and have started again playing video games here and there as well as never ending video projects.

I can't stay cooped up in the house all the time so I would go for walks or just for a drive on nice days to get some fresh air. I know it's important to stay home, but I just can't all the time. I have masks/wipes/sanitizer with me and stay away from other people.

Reverting back to my first paragraph. Yes, I work in TV news on the technical side of things. I interpret alot of the what can be construed as fear-mongering, sensationalism and biases as more lazy journalism than anything. Yes I occasionally see it where I work. It's a combination of the way some journalism schools teach now, people just wanting to be on TV (hairspray and makeup types) hired by parent companies of local stations that want to spend $0 talent, then (and this is especially true with the cable networks) them chasing ratings rather than journalistic integrity. It's vital to stay informed but not go overboard and to consume multiple sources of news and not just watch/listen/read from one source. I know if I read an article from somewhere I hadn't heard of before I spend just as much time researching the source as I do reading the article itself.

Our ratings are through the roof with double/triple the viewership over last year at this time. Younger people are watching. More people are watching on a traditional TV at 4, 5, 6, 11, etc. than streaming on a phone. Surveys are showing more trust in local news than ever before while trust in national news is slipping. It really pains me to see everything BREAKING NEWS on the nightly network news now. They've slowly picked up cable's bad habits.

(And I agree with whoever said on the first page that Walter Cronkite was the gold standard.)

We are doing OK. Hunkered down. Make a trip to stores every 10 days or so to stock-up on food and essentials. The rush to stock-up is funny. Have been using the time to prune my inventory of VHS tapes, converting some to DVD and tossing those I will not likely ever want to view or that are readily available on BD, DVD, or streaming services.

The amount of TP used will not change significantly - just that less will be used at work and more at home.

Freezers are the latest shortage as people buy to stock up on frozen foods. That means future sales will drop. And the used freezer market will be glutted on a year or so.

Political beliefs have been replacing traditional religion; thus the zeal, closed minds and refusal to consider the other sides' opinions, and to revise history. As to the media; years ago it was my job to monitor the proceedings of various governmental bodies in public meetings. What I quickly discovered is the media, both press and broadcast, got things right about 50% of the time, and wrong 50% of the time. Quotes and partial sound clips were taken out of context as often as not to suite the agenda of the outlet. And quickly erased when they proven wrong.

No point in discussion the roles of the WHO or CHINA in fostering delayed responses to the situation in other countries. Interesting that China is a major source of essential medical gear (masks, etc). FWIW: I noted a couple years ago that the frozen fish being sold in an Army Commissary store was from, you guessed it, China. In general people are generally good, but governments can be very bad. (Doesn't make sense out contribution to WHO funding would be 10x China's. I've heard the WHO head's resume shows he was something like the health minister for a defunct African communist government. Can anyone confirm that?)

In open western societies governments need a crisis to "control" their citizens and bend them to the will of the politicians. War is the classic crisis; Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are two examples. COVID-19 is being worked that way as well.

What we do not hear is the true demographics of this thing. To a certain extent that may be because the demographics are not "politically correct." What is worth noting that something like 15% of the population (i.e., over age 65) accounts for 80% of the deaths. (I admit to being among that 15%.) What makes sense is for the over 60 and specific at risk communities to hunker down and those under 50 to get on with life with appropriate sanitation and exchange of bodily fluids practices.

What is clear is that keeping the economy closed until November favors one side, opening it soon favors the other side. As Bush #1 learned, "its the economy stupid." The other interesting thing is the variations in what is defined as essential services.

This also shows the problem that has come from exporting so much of our productive capacity, largely to Asia, for the benefit of cheap consumer electronics and shirts. Sneakers are still expensive thanks to the logos. The good news is we still can produce most of our food in this country, subject to seasonal availability.

Supply shortages arise in part from the "just-in-time" philosophy. Inventory costs, so minimize it and rely of fast shipping from suppliers. But then you have no surge capacity. Does Joe Sixpack, the wedding videographer keep 1000 blank DVD on hand in case a high roller client wants a rush order to send copies to all his 1000 closest friends. No he orders them and expects to receive it in 1-2 days from Amazon prime - except when Amazon prime no longer does overnight delivery and their supply comes from China (or Taiwan).

Enough soap box. Stay save everyone, and act smart.

No, Ethiopia was only a communist government for a few years before the fall of the USSR. Tedros was health minister in and belonged to the new coalition of leftist political groups that took control afterwards. That being said, Ethiopia has an authoritarian regime (as do most countries in Africa), and has borrowed billions from China in recent years.

I had more to say, but it was deleted due to my soap box filter. :D

:soapbox:

I just had to use the smiley. :laugh:

Interesting conversations. And @Winsordawson, I learned something new, didn't know that. :)

Speaking of soap, last i looked liquid hand soap refills were still in short supply.

Yep. :depressed:

Back in Feb, I remember both of us were standing in the Walmart soaps aisle. I said "we need to get some soap" (the Great Value Clear Soft Soap is our favorite). The response was "How many?" My response was "All of them." I got a shocked look, but then we started to put jugs in the cart. It was only about 10 (Walmart stocking always sucks), and more than half is now gone. Cannot find any. I managed to get another Gain dish soap from Walmart.com, a "better than nothing" choice, but dish soap really dries out my hands.

Kleenex (facial tissue) is another elusive item. Same as the soap. Dollar Tree has the best deals, and I said we needed to get some. When asked how many, my response was "50 boxes". Again, shocked looked, but then we proceeded to fill up the cart. Same story, about half gone now.

At least TP and paper towels have come back, routinely available in small quantities most days. For a while there, I thought we'd have to re-subscribe to a newspaper. :laugh:

Curse Sears for going out of the mail order catalogue business. Their ink did not smear. (We did have an outhouse back home on the farm when I was a kid.)

Recall The Four Lads song;
"I'd like to get a girl
from Sears and Roebuck,
like the one that I saw,
wearing short shorts on page 44."

When a new catalog came I always checked that page...