COVID-19 status?
 

How are you doing? :confused:

I hope everybody here is well.
And I hope your friends and family are well. :praying:

I am fine.
We're all doing fine here. :thumb:

At my urging, we began to self-isolate back around Feb 25th (back when our orange leader was calling this a "hoax"). As many here know, I have health issues. MS can cause a wide array of problems, including chronic fatigue and muscle weakness, but also lesser-known issues such as problems breathing. So I must be extra vigilant. We have enough supplies to get through May before a restock is required.

Interesting times we're living in. :unsure:
Many years ago, pre-internet (yeah, that long ago!), a professor told me that "May your life be interesting" was the worst you could wish upon somebody. Google claims it's an old Chinese curse/proverb. Seems accurate to me.

The irony of this lockdown is that I'm more busy offline than usual... :hot:

For example, since every meal must now be made at home, and we have a finite supply (ie, can't just run to the store to get more of something), I've been nominated the meal planner, head chef (sometimes cooking, sometimes not), and pantry manager (ie, rationing the food, so somebody doesn't gobble up something needed for later meals, especially the junk food like chips and cookies). It gets tiring. :hypno:

And I've had to learn new skills.
For example, I gave myself my 1st-ever haircut this past weekend. Not bad, and thankfully I have a barber's trimmer (that I never thought I'd use, and had been stored new/unused a bathroom drawer for years).
But you know the ol' saying "let's say I won't quit my day job"? Yeah. No further comment needed. :laugh:

Even shipping is also time-consuming and stressful. :pullhair:
UPS, Fedex and USPS all suck.

• USPS left a package at the street, where anybody could steal it. Lazy, but not entirely incompetent compared to UPS and Fedex.
• UPS is horrible. The worst situation was when, from the street, from the back of his truck, after it had rained, the a-hole worker threw a package in the yard (into the most wet and muddy part of the yard, of course!), while I was watching from the front door. I stepped outside, we had words. :rage: We called his local supervisor's number. We had more words when the supervisor tried to make an excuse and rationalize what the driver did. :rant: I've called in no less than 4 times now to file complaints. :box:
• Fedex doesn't understand social distancing. :screwy: The package was sent "signed for". So the Fedex guy stands outside the glass storm door, holding a pen. He wanted me to step outside, share oxygen with him, take his germ-laden/everybody-touches-it/who-know-where-it's-been community pen, and scribble a useless scrawl on his tablet. Nope. :rolleyes: "Sign it yourself." He signed it himself, and muttered as he walked away. More official complaints ("feedback"). :buttkick:

When mail does arrive, it's quarantined in the garage, in labeled boxed.
For example, the Monday mail box reads "MON, check Wed", to give 24+ hours self-decontamination time. Anything plastic is further wiped down with alcohol or a wipe.
Even the smallest of tasks now require extra steps! :huh1:

This is also proving to be the perfect time to stash some savings into retirement (stock market). :yes: So a lot of time M-F is spent following the markets, look for opportunities to buy dips. Trying to take wise long-term positions for maximum gains. Also some re-balancing of funds with disappointing past-years returns.

I've even developed some new habits. I drink coffee now! :read: At night, after supper, we sit around the table, sipping coffee and playing board games.

But I do try to get to video tasks daily! I am here! :old:

I've gotten concerned PMs and emails in the past couple weeks (THANK YOU!), so wanted to leave this message for others. :o

Anyway, again ... how are YOU doing? What's your story? :tiphat:

It was amusing for the first few years, but now this is the worse time to have an incompetent leader. His inaction has and will result in more dying needlessly. It is great that you have enough food until May, but the wave may not fully peak in Texas by then. Have you thought about ordering online in advance?

If you create an account with UPS, you can sign for packages online so you do not have to expose yourself to someone. Hopefully FedEx also has this option. Regarding the incident with the UPS guy, perhaps installing a camera would help. We have all seen the videos of the USPS/UPS/FedEx people kicking packages like they're footballs. If they don't respond to your complaints, you can publicly shame them on sites such as Twitter with your video. Often the people who handle the Twitter account are better able to direct your complaint to the right people, and I have had good success with this method.

Well other than work (some of you know I work in the medical field), and trust me if I could not sleep right now we have SO much going on... I SLEEP! :rolleyes: And that is limited as my family responsibilities require undivided attention with my granddaughter as the world is ending in her eyes. I assure her that it is not. I had her think about the 150,000 yearly that die just in the States from lung cancer. And that we go about life not even considering that or panicking about how can we stop it.

Hopefully, this will run it's course and we will move forward with our lives in a positive direction. Don't get me going on the Government.. None of them do their job to the peoples liking, and I don't know a person qualified who wants to drag their life thru a ringer to be criticized for their every move.

That aside, I've been setting up my VHS SVHS DVHS BETA LASERDISC DVD HD DVD BLU RAY rack (did I leave something out? ) and prepping for the transfer of some 8mm family footage from the 40's and 50's.

Don't complain. Here in Italy we wasted a month, during which our leaders told us not to worry, to continue with the usual life, that in Italy the virus will not create big problems.
Result: for more than a month full Lock-Down, with prohibition to go out home except for "real and proven reasons of necessity" (Going to work, Pharmacy, food, etc...)
Empty cities, few people around, shops and businesses that do not offer basic necessities or services are closed, long row out the supermarket and "social distance" not less of one meter. At least the air pollution has dropped...

I think the sooner the quarantine starts and the sooner it gets out.

I use "house arrest" time to maintenance VCRs and testing some capture board (I saved from the trash dump a complete and full working PC with a Matrox RT.X100:)).

My family lives in a small-town gated community in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's a heavily populated neighborhood, mostly elderly but also plenty of young marrieds and kids. In the nearby area are several assisted living and rest homes. Two of them, sadly, had litle or no protective security in place. The result is dozens of virus infections. Luckily no one in our neighborhood is infected, and folks here are pretty strict about distancing and infrequent trips into town for goods. The wife and I and several neighbors regularly walk the rounds and knock on some doors to make sure everyone inside is OK.

Our dog was showing signs of sickness and needed his rabies shots, and we found the local county vet was open for business. But there were precautions. We had to wear gloves and masks and waited in the parking lot to call inside and tell them we had arrived. A vet came outside and walked/carried doggie in to the clinic. We went through the reverse when the treatment was completed. They took no cash; credit cards only, all handled outside in the parking lot.

Watching TV under these circumstances is a hassle because the news programs are so upsetting. We stick to the movie and animal channels. Local and network news always breaks in with Donald Rump's image, in which case whoever has the remote will quickly switch channels because Rump has no real-world information to depart anyway. One startling moment was a few days ago when Rump unexpectedly appeared on the Weather Channel and no one was ready with the remote so I hit the power button on the TV. Sad, the Weather Channel is no longer a refuge from the current stream of neo-fascists. So it's NatGeo Wild, Animal Planet, Turner classic Movies, etc. from here on out. We get news and weather on our Androids or the internet where we can bypass unwanted references to the current SNAFU crowd.

Outside of our family, we have a brother and sister in law in New York and relatives in New Rochelle's containment zone. So far, all are well. The brother has just built a $400,000 house in a new development near here but can't do anything about it -- no travel allowed for the time being, and he still lives 740 miles away. I have a brother living near Chattanooga but they're 25 miles from the nearest public activity, so they're OK for now until they have to go out and somehow forge for food. My aging mother is bedridden in a rest home in Memphis which has been totally closed off to all visitors. Unfortunately she's so slow and weak that she can't even use a cell phone.

And I'm going though thousands of hours of old and unrestored captures, and finally replaced the Win7 laptop with a home built Win7 PC. I hate Win10 but just a few weeks ago I found a Win10 laptop on clearance, just in time for the virus to keep me from shopping. I have a touch of COPD myself and often have some tough chemotherapy for a skin condition. So I'm not taking any chances.

Stay well, everyone.
:salute:

Sorry, it drives me nuts when people say Trump claimed the virus was a hoax. In the clear context of his statement he said the Democrats' CRITICISM of him regarding the steps being taken was the next hoax. I watched it, and that is what he said and that is how I took it. Throw me out if you want. I should listen to my signature but sometimes I break.

1. I made some Walmart/Amazon orders, and those are slowly arriving.
2. We have somebody nearby, in an essential field (not sheltered-in-place, must work), acting as a personal shopper. When he needs supplies, he'll get the perishable staples we need on the same trip (bread, milk, eggs, prewrapped lettuce). We have no contact. He enters the garage, leaves. After a short while, then we wipe everything down and bring it inside.

The peak is picking up here. However, almost no testing is being done, so numbers are artificially low. The hospitals and morgues are seeing higher traffic. And hospital admins and coroners/MEs are reporting high numbers of "presumptive" cases (especially Harris County, aka Houston). This is what happens in "red" states. No transparency, no accuracy. "If I close my eyes, you can't see me!"

TX had an ArcGIS map, like JHU is doing, and showed both tests and confirmations in the state. Then one day last week, updates just stopped. At the time, it was less than 35k tests for 29M people. So it was about 0.1% testing. Of the 35K tests, "only 2%" were confirmed. And the governor was bragging about these numbers.

That won't work. Then they can just toss the box wherever. Requiring signature means he must park, walk to the front door, and ensure it is actually delivered to a person. However, in these special times, it should mean the driver signs once I wave at him through the glass storm door, acknowledging receipt. And that's really what signature is for: the guaranteed receipt.

Hmm... :hmm: :devil:

:salute:

Nice find! Jealous! :cool:

Context matters. Timelines matter.

On Feb 28, Trump used the word "hoax" in one of his standard incoherent rambling tirades, to one of his usual "rally" crowds. That incoherence is what has allowed different interpretations, though some are more far-fetched interpretations than others. The term "hoax" wasn't aimed at Democratic politician criticism. In the original monologue, he called the impeachment a "hoax", then directly referred to "this" (COVID-19) as "their new hoax". In that context, impeachment was not Democrat partisan criticism.

Trump then gave self-fellating statement about the spread of the virus in China, and how it would not happen in the USA. Only then, in full context, will you realize that "hoax" refers to the idea that COVID-19 will not spread in the USA. And any information about it spreading in the USA was therefore deemed a "hoax". Which, of course, is ridiculous, head-in-sand -- aka Trump's usual modus operandi.

It wasn't until later that he began backpeddling on what he "actually meant". Which, again, is the typical Trumpian modus operandi. Say something overly ridiculous one day, then try to make it less ridiculous the next.

Detailed breakdown here: https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/tr...-the-new-hoax/
And here: https://www.politifact.com/article/2...gh-trumps-use-
Good reads, very historical and informative.

So, no ... he called it a hoax.

And no, you're not getting thrown out. :noworry:

Not meant to be insulting. If it is, delete.

Glad everyone is doing well. Stay safe and healthy.

And deleted.

It's almost impossible to discuss this virus without delving into politics. However it must be done with some degree of decorum and informative discussion. Not by parroting talking points (especially debunked ones), and not by using childish slang terms. If that can't be done, then refrain from posting anything that delves political. :2cents:

Anyway, the main thrust of this discussion is as per the first post: How are you doing? What is YOUR story? :)

We're already getting politics ad nauseam on TV as it is. I read/watch for an hour max per day (mostly CNBC), then tune it out. As per my story, I'm struggling to complete tasks, as even the most basic of tasks is now complex. I don't have the time to pontificates politics endlessly, nor watch/read those that do.

Remember, with the exceptions of a few bad apples (or bad oranges?), we're all in this together:

Attachment 11590

Understood. It seems one-sided, but your forum. I just wish you would delete all political stuff and insults. Remember, 1/2 the people like the "orange man," as you call him. Isn't that a childish slang term? Again, one-sided.

We come to a forum for video info, and are treated to a barrage of insults to our president. As you mentioned, there are other places to get that stuff. Many forums have a "no politics" rule.

Seems the man is trying to do what is best for the country, reduce trade imbalances, bring jobs home, etc. Not sure what is bad about that?

As for me and mine, we are well. I have been a prepper for years, and have a good supply. But like any plan, there were holes that have become apparent.

We have been getting some groceries every 2 weeks. Mostly perishables. We also shop for wife's parents, who are in their late 80's.

Seems the virus kills mainly the elderly or those with other issues, but there have been younger ones that have died.

Not sure the country will get back to any type of normalcy until there is an adequate supply of a treatment drug, be it HCQ or whatever. Hopefully a vaccine is coming, but I understand not a given.

Clever...

Most of the discussion on this thread regarding Trump has been facts, not insults. Facts that you do not agree with are not insults. Calling him orange is an apt description based on his face. Or, do you think his face is paler than the general population? Perhaps he looks like he has albinism? On the other hand, calling him stupid is an insult.

The problem is that many of his supporters (I know many) nary can find one point of criticism with their leader. While I detest him, I give him credit for working to reduce our trade deficit and pumping up the stock market (despite the long term consequences on the deficit). Likewise, many on the other side will never praise anything he does, even if that is helping an old woman cross the street. Those who are truly interested in arriving at the truth will be forced to overcome their confirmation biases.

Depends on which side of the fence you are on. I consider derogatory remarks to be insults. Comments on a person's physical appearance are considered PERSONAL ATTACKS. Comments on a person's policies are fair game, IN THE APPROPRIATE VENUE. Had I called Obama "Black Man," I would have been rightfully been accused of being racist. But I guess it is OK to make fun of the pigment of someone's skin as long as it isn't brown, no? Can you see the double standard here yet?

Lots to criticize the prez on. Often rude and crude. Bad hair. Hasn't done enough to reduce the deficit. I could go on, but this is a VIDEO forum. Or so I thought.

At least 2 of us have spoken out about the political BS in the forum. No doubt there are many more who have chosen to remain silent.

I just can't see why it would be beneficial to alienate potentially 1/2 of the population. I don't think the way to win someone over to one's side of an argument is to insult their views. If I were selling a product or service, alienating 1/2 of my market would not be good business.

When asked why he didn't offer an opinion on politics, Michael Jordan (supposedly) stated "Republicans buy Nike shoes too."

Stay well and healthy.

Is the color of Trump's face because of a disorder or disability he has, i.e. was he born that way, like in the case of Obama? If so, I sincerely apologize. If not, it, in certain circumstances, can be an appropriate area of discussion as far as how it reflects his personal judgment. Would we not do the same if our president dyed his hair green, painted polka dots on his face, and wore a tutu?

This is the only thread I have seen on this forum that delved into the political, but I could be wrong. One thread out of 10,000 is not a catastrophe. This is the first time I have even mentioned it myself on here.

Thank you. I hope we all get through this.

Politics are boring/boorish. I'm far more interested in this. What were your holes? :hmm:

Just for clarification, about 40% of the general population like him at any given time. However, most of that 40% tends to heavily skew white uneducated. And a technical task like DIY converting videos (or digital photo or web design/hosting) is generally not pursued by that same demographic. Furthermore, tech sites (including this one) have a large international user base. There's a reason you don't see right-wing tech sites: there's no sustainable audience for it. The modern conservative aversion to facts and science is diametrically opposed to the technical world. And this site is a microcosm compared to large tech sites like Ars Technica, where this has been discussed in depth many times.

But also remember that the opposite of right isn't left, in terms of political views. It's just "not right". Many conservatives have a difficult time understanding this, as most have a binary thought process ("us vs. them"). It's the ultimate straw man logic (logical fallacy), arguing with somebody that neither agrees nor disagrees with you. Most people disagree with both political parties on many issues. I know I do.

The knee-jerk plan-less method used is the problem. With COVID-19, it has directly led to countless (literally unknown accurate counts) of lost lives. It was also further hampered by narcissistic tendencies, such as not helping governors that "weren't appreciative enough" (ironically including "red" states like Montana).

:congrats:

I remember when Bill Maher referred to Obama as "chocolate Jesus". I was amused. :laugh:
Maher liked him. I liked him. But funny is funny.
I have George Carlin's point of view: anything can be funny.
BTW, the Obama joke had reference in him been seen as some sort of savior, who would join the aisle-parted seas of Congress. It was a naive (and therefore ridiculous) idea, and obviously did not happen.

Trump clearly uses too much "fake tan" (bronzer cream), which is well known to turn skin a shade of translucent burnt orange. He looks like he fell face-first into a vat of dye for Easter eggs.

If I covered myself in Smurfy blue paint, or dyed my hair blue, or even overdosed on colloidal silver (which resulted in permanent blue pigmentation in the skin), I would fully expect to be referred to as "that blue dude" or called "a Smurf".

It is the only one. Again, because the COVID-19 has been intrinsically linked to politics, delving political is inevitable. It has happened on every single site I have come across. Some have been locked, many are being heavily moderated. Most course-correct after the initial political discussion is out in the open.

So with that out of the way, perhaps we can return to more of this...

How are you?
What's YOUR story?

In looking for ways to stay busy during this lockdown crap, the virus has affected the range of entertainment available at home. In my case, the first entertainment and info source to suffer was network and local news. The virus numbers are depressing enough, but the constant flood of politicians from both sides of the isle who spout endless garbage to cover their butts instead of actually getting anything accomplished has taken me away from all news broadcasts, even on PBS (who fool you by inserting between regular shows some quickie spots about their virus coverage that shows images and sound bites from the usual suspects).

That leaves the animal channels and a very few other sources, most of which is just bad TV (how many times can you suffer thru the Brady Bunch? It was bad enough the first time. Sorry, late boomers). For news I grew up with Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow; the youngsters haven't seen anything like those pros, they've been watching amateurs and hacks for 30+ years. That leaves us with an occasional PBS show or TMC movie, then quickly hop out of PBS to avoid the promo spots and into the 2500 or so classic and HD movies I've recorded over the past few decades, not to mention a couple hundred retail DVDs. And then I've rediscovered dozens of old VHS captures that I restored years ago and can now watch from beginning to end.

We also have books. Two rooms full. For those who don't know what they are, look it up. I just spent an hour laughing my way thru the New Yorker's tome on doggie cartoons. I also spent 90 minutes restoring three scenes from a current VHS capture. I'll get back to it again after dinner (a crockpot pork roast au jus, with little green peas and home made mashed potatoes. When that's eaten up in a day or two by the family it will be take-out time from the local Cracker Barrel down on the interstate).

So there must be something else to discuss besides the usual political b.s. from both sides, which is of no use to anyone, changes nothing, illuminates even less, and goes nowhere. It's too late for covering the botched past and the clown-infested circus that both sides in Washington have made of the present. The subject of the thread is how this virus crap currently affects you and yours. I'd be most interested in reading about that. If I see yet another whining post about the politics I'm going to have to eliminate this thread from my options list.

Surely you have a DLNA? :o

With
- no baseball on TV
- no new episodes of my favorite shows, since most current shows on hiatus, productions halted
- and literally zero non-COVID news (aside from CNBC, which is financial but still heavy COVID)

I have no use for broadcasted TV. For me, it's all WDTV, all the time.
My current binged show? Animaniacs.
Next up: George Reeves Superman!

John Charles Daly deserves to be on that list. :)

:book:

Yum. Tonight's menu here = barbecued sausage, corn, fresh mashed potatoes.
The best part? I'm not the chef tonight. Just the planner. :cool:

Please be careful. :unsure:

I'm currently doing OK. Camping out with family on the opposite end of the state since I can "work from home". Left home before things went completely bonkers in Northern NJ. On the plus side, there is ZERO traffic around here now. Its eerie seeing huge 5-6 lane wide highways completely empty during weekday rush hours.

:smack: at states who clearly see whats happening in the NYC Metro area and taking forever to issue lock down orders.

Plus Charles Kuralt and one or two others. All gone now.

We're allowed to go out once every 10 days, essential trips only including groceries and medical, and local only. Most local restaurants here are closed, a few have outdoor or at-door service. We expect to take advantage only once a month, if necessary (a home fridge stores only so much food, and we've been in voluntary lockdown for almost 2 months). Our county has set up some pretty tight rules for restaurants. CrackerBarrel serves only to your car in their parking lot. Credit card pay only. Must wear a mask and gloves. Only one person allowed in the car. When you place an order by phone you're informed of rules and procedures. When your order is ready they call by phone and inform you of rules and procedures again before bringing the order to your car. So far, we've done it once. A CrackerBarrel dinner is good for 2 meals each. There are extra biscuits, good for breakfast next day. It's the wife who goes out, I'm disadvantaged because of COPD and chemo.

Which reminds me: my chemo sessions are 6 hours. The wife always went with me, we'd bring our electronics and browse or just mostly talk to each other. There are usually outside volunteers in the infusion ward who serve tea, water, soda, crackers, etc., and a roving chaplain. There is always chatting with them and merry goings-on. Now, with the virus....Absolutely No visitors allowed, including my spouse. She drops me off at the front door, where I'm tested for any symptoms. Later, I call her when I'm being "unwired" for discharge. I'm tested again when I leave. There are no volunteers, no chaplain, no roaming around by others in the ward. For 6 to 7 hours. Sucks.

No matter how hard I try, I simply cannot make biscuits as good as Cracker Barrel. But we can top their meat loaf! And I can top their corn bread and carrots! So when I go, I always get the chicken-and-dumplings or the cod, maybe some fried okra (Dickey's is better), load up on the biscuits.

Now I'm hungry ... and I just finished eating. :laugh:

This thread certainly took a fork in the road. Most amusing reading. Laughed out loud a few times. :laugh2: Even in such somber times, laughter remains essential. So thank you for that!

I cut the cord about 15 years ago. Wow, can that be right?! I think it is, anyway. I figured a lot of us on these forums are physical media types, and probably have more media than we can consume in a lifetime. Collector/hoarder types. It is certainly the one thing I collect. I am fortunate to have local newscasts (antenna, no cord :wink2:) that stick to presenting information and a bit of highlights on the national/global situation. If I stick around for the national network news, it's amazing how much different the coverage is. They just can't seem to turn it off. Mentioning how news used to be presented decades ago by Cronkite/Murrow, it really is amazing how much drama and inflection of voice is used nowadays by the national network anchors. They seem incapable of just presenting things with a normal voice as if they were just talking to you human to human. Anyways, not a TV watcher. Well, not what is currently broadcast anyway. I've got too much of my own content. My one source of online video is youtube from time to time. For the content, not for the quality of the video. :wink2:

I work in the tech world and have been working from home for past 3 weeks. I live alone. I have no health concerns, and am middle aged (I'm middle-aged man! Ahhhh! For those of you who remember Mike Myers on SNL from early 90s. The show which makes up the majority of the video I'm in the process of digitizing). Although I am lower risk, I am quite aware of the role each of us play in the grand scheme, and so I limit myself to a grocery trip every couple weeks. Otherwise, completely self-quarantined. My parents are healthy for their age, but are of course in the high risk group. They live nearby. I see them only when I've been free of possible exposure and symptoms for about 2 weeks.

I have been able to find positivity for myself. The lack of obligations other than food and work has allowed me to spend as much of my time as possible on digitizing tapes. I usually feel there's not enough time for this stuff, as there's other things that need tending to. But for now, I've found myself as productive as I've ever been with nothing else to distract me. The importance of my mental and physical health is something I'm normally focused on. These times have only reinforced that for me, so I continue to focus on healthy diet, plenty of sleep, and mental health.

Going back to earlier, I find it difficult to understand how anyone can have good mental health if they are exposed to much of the "news". I should clarify. I say that from my experience living in the U.S. I cannot speak for other parts of the world. I don't live in a bubble. I do pay attention and try to find the few remaining places that present information as neutral as possible these days. I've come to realize that most of the sources of information are interested in your attention, and the sure way of doing that is through fear. And these are obviously very fearful times. But when the mind is in a state of fear, your "fight or flight" system is activated, and this causes stress to mind and body. So much of our physical health is tied to our mental health. Stress causes so much illness, more than many would consider. So the more the mind is at rest and not in a "fight or flight" state, the more healthy one is overall. So I've lived this way long before the current situation, realizing that an essential part of health and well being begins in the mind. I only mention this for others consideration that one should be connected to "news" to the extent necessary to be well informed, but should disconnect from what is primarily something that fuels fear, and therefore an elevated state of stress in the mind and body, which is harmful to one's health and well being. Focus on what one can control, and try to let go of the rest. Live in the present moment. Fear is a function of past or future orientations of the mind. If you are truly present in the moment, the mind is free of fear. Meditation is the best way I've found to observe this. Of course, the mind goes back to fear. But the mind can be trained through things like meditation. I was amazed at how much calmer I was in only a couple months after doing something as simple as meditating for a few minutes a day. Anyway, just sharing a bit of what's helped my mental/physical health profoundly.

Glad to hear others' status. Best of health to all of you. May you all remain safe and healthy!

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...