Subj : Covid-19 was: Miss.RvrDam To : Nancy Backus From : Barry Martin Date : Sun May 17 2020 09:15:00 Hi Nancy! NB>>> Update... a couple days ago, the governor announced that he was NB>>> keeping all the schools and colleges closed for the rest of this NB>>> academic year... BM>> I'm thinking we're keeping schools in Iowa closed until next academic BM>> year also; to me makes more sense to have consistency. NB>> Yes, it does make sense... BM> And they are trying to have some sort of graduation ceremonies for the BM> Seniors. Videoconferencing just isn't the same. An audience of robots BM> with cellphone faces doesn't quite give the same feeling. NB> Not much comfort at this point, but when they get to be our age, NB> they'll look back and see that they had a unique place in NB> history... like others that missed out on certain things because NB> of world wars or other pandemics..... Hindsight does tend to make most things less nasty. A big graduation ceremony and party is probably high on the importance list at the time but the importance level decreases as time goes on. I do think it should be honoured in some way and am glad for the 'pop-up' celebrations. The other advantage is there has been time to prepare: not like "sorry Charlie, no graduation/birthday/etc. event next week". I'm thinking maybe the ability to plan for/create an alternative festivity helps: "I can do something". NB>>>> Although we do seem to be coming on the downward side of the curve NB>>>> now, there's no way to know whether it will be a quick drop or a NB>>>> flatter/longer one... and the last thing we want is for things to NB>>>> suddenly spike upwards again... BM>>> The experts are mixed, though I think some are trying not to be BM>>> Doomsday Prophets. I'm thinking the curve will be long in tapering off BM>>> with multiple rises and falls as people 'are released' and forget the BM>>> social distancing, cleanliness, etc., and so contract COVID-19. This BM>>> reminds people and so they go back to protective measures (social BM>>> distancing and cleanliness), and so back and forth. More people will BM>>> have developed an immunity (probably to varying degrees) and so that BM>>> will also help reduce the curve. NB>>> I guess we'll just have to see how things actually play out.... BM>> True. Us non-scientists are doing a lot of guessing, and IMO sometimes BM>> acting illogically. News reporting pop-up areas of resistance to the BM>> stay at home orders; Illinois has two lawsuits pending against the BM>> Governor for overstepping his legal authority. OK, so people are BM>> getting antsy and seeing nothing happening to them and immediate circles BM>> of family and friends; doesn't mean the problem isn't still present. NB>> And they'd probably be the first to blame the governor for not keeping NB>> them safe, if they or their immediate circle got the virus... BM> Of course! Put the blame on someone else for their ignorance / BM> zealousness. Maybe Gov. Pritzger (IL) did overstep his authority; I BM> don't think any place in the U.S. has laws on the books for this BM> situation. Something had to be done, and sometimes overstepping is BM> required. NB> Yup. And even when it's necessary, there's still lots of NB> second-guessing after the fact... Right: no one _knows_, it's pretty much all scientific guessing and computer models. It acts similar to which has a history. While I'm sort of of the New Hampshire 'Live Free or Die' attitude there are times to back down and follow. BM>>> ...Not that I'm scooping out these details, just are there and I'll BM>>> sometimes do a quick alternative analysis. NB>>> I'm not searching out stuff, but I do listen to the news blurbs on NB>>> my classical radio station... sometimes not really because I want to NB>>> but because it's there... so I do get somewhat of an overview on NB>>> things... Richard has been going on the state website to hear our NB>>> governor's daily updates, to get directly what the various executive NB>>> orders are.... BM>> Locally one of our TV stations has been carrying the Iowa Governor's BM>> daily news conferences on one of its subchannels (Ch. 6.3). BM>> Personally I would find it boring and the highlights on the news is BM>> sufficent. OTOH I don't have a need to go out in the world and so know BM>> where not to go to keep safe, etc. NB>> Sometimes it's useful to know what really was said, versus what the NB>> various interpretations of it end up being... BM> True: in general too many edited sound-bites have given the wrong BM> impression. For me it's more not open yet so can't do it, whatever BM> the 'it' is. I agree with the closures so no reason to fight it. I'm BM> probably not going to rush out as the various "its" re-open: give time BM> for them to settle into the new routine, plus others will be rushing BM> out and I wasn't a crowd person before. NB> Neither am I... crowds are mostly something to avoid for me, NB> too.. I'm also generally not a crowd-person: too noisy, sometimes too uncontrolled. OTOH some things just aren't right without an audience or gathering. BM>> My learning was pretty much old style: in person, in class, though a BM>> lot of the electronics is self-taught. Mixed results on that: done as BM>> a hobby and not as a career. Working on 'stuff' it is sometimes easier BM>> to follow along with a printout and/or I'll make notes of problems BM>> noted. And sometimes those notes go in work copy and all done BM>> on-screen. NB>> And since you are just doing it for yourself, there's no pressure to NB>> have to learn anything other than what you need, though you might pick NB>> up all sorts of other info along the way... :) BM> Yes, I'm quite sure quite a few of the electronics repairs and BM> creations would have been a lot quicker and less frustrating if I had BM> known more stuff. OTOH I'm not doing too bad; just wouldn't want to be BM> hired with that tiny knowledgebase! NB> And no need now to be looking for that sort of employment, NB> anyway... :) There are advanatges to being old enough and retired! And throw up there the "don't stop learning" thing. Everything is evolving, so changing, and one needs to change with it. Not necessarily 100% go with the flow, but embrace, though maybe at a bit of a distance. (That sounds like the set-up to a COVID-19 six-foot joke!) BM>>> The one-way aisles might be more of a psychological thing: it is a BM>>> lot easier to stay six feet from the other customer wandering down BM>>> the aisle but when they stop to get or contemplate an item one BM>>> still has to pass them. NB>>> There's less chance of spreading contagion if one isn't meeting face NB>>> on, I suppose... We still don't have one-way aisles at Wegmans, but NB>>> BJ's did put them in for the narrower cross aisles... BM>> Again a lot of variables: Wegmans might have ten foot aisles, which BM>> would give the 6' spacing. BJ's narrower aisles might be eight feet BM>> and so the perception by the customer is too close. Guesses, of BM>> course. NB>> Dunno... BJ's carts are much bigger, so they tend to crowd aisles NB>> anyway... BM> Bigger carts tend to get people to buy more, though might also be more BM> practical as a 24-pack of toilet paper would fill if even fit in the BM> mini-cart I use at Hy-Vee. NB> I think the bigger carts at BJ's are mostly because things are NB> generally in bulk there anyway... I'm perfectly capable of only NB> filling up the child-seat area of the cart, if there's not much I NB> need there for that shopping trip... ;) Right. I like the smaller carts are Hy-Vee because easier to maneuver plus get items in an out: don't have to drop them in the void or dig out the pit when checking out. There have been times when I should have used a large/standard-sized cart. BM> And nothing all that new to report at Hy-Vee: still doing the BM> remodelling, still moving around some items though many seem to have BM> found their home in the remodelled sections. Still noticeable holes BM> in the stock, though less seems to be due to hoarding and more to no BM> supply available probably due to the manufacturing plant being closed. NB> Yeah, I think the days of the hoarding runs are past us now... NB> :) But the supply train has been disrupted now in various NB> instances... With meat packing plants shutting down for COVID NB> issues, that's disrupted some of the meat supplies... Yes - my guess is the hoarders have decided they have plenty squirreled away, the supply may be low but not critical. As I've mentioned, the toilet paper and paper towels section at Hy-Vee is reasonably well- stocked. Yes. some holes and almost-empties; quite sure the limit of one has helped but also thinking lessening of the hoarding. Spotty holes in tuna fish, pizza and frozen foods -- might be due to a supply issue or could also be people are eating at home: tuna casserole, pizza, frozen meals. BM>> Hy-Vee still has the long aisles with no mid-aisle cut-through so for BM>> now I just walk quickly up the aisle I would normally skip -- less BM>> confusing than skipping the aisle I don't want, go past an aisle I do BM>> want but is the wrong direction, up the next one (correct direction), BM>> then take a left to go down the aisle I had to skip, now skip the BM>> aisle I was in previously...... NB>> We all make our accomodations to make the complications less NB>> confusing in our own minds... ;) BM> At this point just easier to zip down (or up - depending on the BM> one-way) the 'unnecessary' aisle. NB> Indeed. :) Some things just aren't worth a fight. I haven't observed anyone getting in trouble (by whatever degree from The Look to physical) by going the wrong way. Most are following the directional signage, some have simply overlooked it. ¯ ® ¯ Barry_Martin_3@ ® ¯ @Q.COM ® ¯ ® .... 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