@Tim-Buktu said:

I believe it was** P.T. Barnum **who said: "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people."

Or more to the point:

Even as President Donald Trump urges getting people back to work and reopening the economy, an Associated Press analysis shows thousands of people are getting sick from COVID-19 on the job. Recent figures show a surge of infections in meatpacking and poultry-processing plants. There's been a spike of new cases among construction workers in Austin, Texas, where that sector recently returned to work. Even the White House has proven vulnerable, with positive coronavirus tests for one of Trump’s valets and for Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary. The developments underscore the high stakes for communities nationwide as they gradually loosen restrictions on business. The people who are getting sick right now are generally people who are working,” Dr. Mark Escott, a regional health official, told Austin’s city council. “That risk is going to increase the more people are working.”

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

Not Barnum; Mencken.

As for everything else...

What do you do…”starve” while hiding in your cave; or do you take the best precautions you can, based on the best information you have available, and venture out for “food”.

The best we can do is that as each new group moves forward it heeds the warnings, and builds on the lessons learned, from the previous groups...and makes adjustments accordingly.

This is just Phase I of the reopening plan. It isn’t unlock-the-floodgates and let everything rush free. There are restrictions in place that must be followed. Plus, the most vulnerable—the elderly, sick, and/or others with immune deficiencies—must (have been advised to) still self-isolate until otherwise notified.

Standing still is not an option.

There is no good answer really.

Well there is, except it requires common sense. If the government says it's OK to go out*_ if you use precautions,_* it's a safe bet that a large percentage of people will get up close and personal. And since those people are young and healthy (or they believe they are) they will show no signs of sickness. They will then go home and give their Mommas a great big kiss. When Momma dies they won't see the connection.

I'm not worried for myself. I keep my distance. What I see happening is that in about a month there will be a major surge in new cases and more deaths. This is called bad luck.

Would you rather be broke or dead? I choose broke. That can eventually be reversed. The other can't.

@Tim-Buktu said:

There is no good answer really.

Well there is, except it requires common sense. If the government says it's OK to go out*_ if you use precautions,_* it's a safe bet that a large percentage of people will get up close and personal. And since those people are young and healthy (or they believe they are) they will show no signs of sickness. They will then go home and give their Mommas a great big kiss. When Momma dies they won't see the connection.

I'm not worried for myself. I keep my distance. What I see happening is that in about a month there will be a major surge in new cases and more deaths. This is called bad luck.

News flash. The knuckleheads are already out there…have always been out there…have never followed stay-at-home-social-distancing guidelines. However, I expect that saner minds, those who have made it a point to follow best practices concerning this outbreak, will continue to do so into the next phase of the fight against COVID-19.

Somehow I doubt that anyone who has spent the last two months trying not-to-die from something is going to run out and "get up close and personal" with it the first chance they get.

@Treebark said:

Would you rather be broke or dead? I choose broke. That can eventually be reversed. The other can't.

Barring some miraculous breakthrough, the "Faucians" are predicting 12-18 months...if we are lucky. If we "wage slaves" had to wait that long for things to reopen you could probably add homeless and hungry to that "broke" list. Still better than dead. Although, suicide rates have ticked up...even in the short time this has been going on.

Just to be clear; I have no problem _at all _with sane and sensible reopening of the economy.
I just worry about the crazies who think it's all a conspiracy plot. They are going to be the ones who will drag us all down to a two year quarantine.

P. T. Barnum said there's a sucker born every minute. I think its down to one born every second now.

@znexyish said:

Using "self isolating" as a euphemism for quarantine is bothersome to me. Is anyone from the authorities is going to make sure these elderly people are visited to check in on their health and safety ? An added potential disaster. That age is the most vulnerable.

Saw this and couldn't help but think about your post.

(I apologize in advance...but, at least it's very short. )

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@znexyish said:

Using "self isolating" as a euphemism for quarantine is bothersome to me. Is anyone from the authorities is going to make sure these elderly people are visited to check in on their health and safety ? An added potential disaster. That age is the most vulnerable.

Saw this and couldn't help but think about your post.

(I apologize in advance...but, at least it's very short. )

I wasn't expecting that! So funny, thank you for the laugh!

@bratface said:

@FormerlyKnownAs said:

@znexyish said:

Using "self isolating" as a euphemism for quarantine is bothersome to me. Is anyone from the authorities is going to make sure these elderly people are visited to check in on their health and safety ? An added potential disaster. That age is the most vulnerable.

Saw this and couldn't help but think about your post.

(I apologize in advance...but, at least it's very short. )

I wasn't expecting that! So funny, thank you for the laugh!

Glad you enjoyed it.

If you thought Howard and Raj paying $5K for a used 3D printer to make action figures was over-the-top…

Well; get a load of this.

When I first heard this story a couple of days ago I expected it to turn out to be some kind of a hoax. Surely, someone was going to come forward with a and a"Gotcha!". But looks like it’s a case of “Truth Is Stranger….”

Anyway...

I’m not judging. If I had that kind of spare "change” laying around, who knows what I’d buy.

Well, I certainly wouldn't buy a diamond-encrusted face mask. The ones I get at the dollar store (10 for a dollar) are perfectly serviceable.

@bratface said:

Well, I certainly wouldn't buy a diamond-encrusted face mask. The ones I get at the dollar store (10 for a dollar) are perfectly serviceable.

Had to when I read that for costing all those mega dollars…and for all that glitz-and-glitter...it offers about the same protection as a $2.50ish, N95 mask.

Pretty sure he didn’t buy it for protection; but, still…considering what he spent, you’d expect it to have some features rivaling Star-Lord’s.

Well you can add this to the list of things felled by Covid-19.

Replaced by this..

Saw this on a "Fox News" site:

"Moderna COVID vaccine has caused side effect for those with cosmetic facial fillers."

Well...

If you've ever about someone in your circle; if their face starts to "melt"...now you know.

ON ANOTHER NOTE:

Good thing we are only talking 'facial' here...can only imagine what some folks would look like if this stuff attached everything in the body that didn't come in the original package.