What’s on your mind?

[compwiz1202]

What's on my mind? Irrational human behaviour…

This morning I went for my usual Saturday shop — planning the usual essentials. Nothing much… cat food, a bag of cat litter, peanut butter some eggs etc… and yet… and yet… as I walked into Waitrose and saw the empty shelves — loo rolls — gone; Soap and cleaner — gone; flour — gone; Eggs — gone; milk and dairy — if not all gone, definitely running low… I caught myself in a rising panic.
As the saying goes, I "talked myself down off the ledge" and went about my business as usual. But I was struck by that flash of irrational fear that, OMG! we're running out… gotta do something.

Imagine the response if this was something akin to an airborne Ebola? A true Black Death.

Anyway. Strange times we live in.

I'm not understanding why people are hoarding perishables. And even the other stuff you wont need like a year's worth! Like you said, people just trying to do regular orders can't get stuff. And all that does is panic them into hoarding once the stuff shows up.

 

[arkitect]

I will buy people condoms if necessary.

I had to google what a "crotch goblin" is. I had never heard the term.

 

[JagdTiger]

I'm not understanding why people are hoarding perishables. And even the other stuff you wont need like a year's worth! Like you said, people just trying to do regular orders can't get stuff. And all that does is panic them into hoarding once the stuff shows up.

Same in my area, toilet and papper towels, to be honest if there was no toilet or paper towels what would people use then or if they could not purchase these items?...use the New York times or Washington post?

The news media did help to create this mess by the constant reporting, it was a unfortunate result of ratings

 

[compwiz1202]

Somewhere is a tractor trailer refill but he's at a truck stop because has driven too many hours to be permitted to make the last 18 miles without a nap. I hope the Trump admin is not waiving these safety regs though.

Just waiting for the meme now where a TP truck crashes and people swoop in like hungry piranhas.
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Am I the only one who finds it ironic that while I am an introvert I am pretty bummed about the coming semi-lockdown. Getting my papers and a few scans for accounting to do in, picking up a colleague's laptop and a few other things. Geneva closing all non-essential services this evening from 6PM. The Swiss Federal government will likely follow.

I don't mind isolation but two things do worry me:

1. Job closing with no compensation for lost time
2. People insanely hoarding everything, so we won't be able to just get our normal orders.

Maybe ridiculous crowds too, but I haven't seen that any more than normal anywhere we've gone. Just the lack of groceries caused by their ridiculousness.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I had to google what a "crotch goblin" is. I had never heard the term.

Neither had I.

I, too, had to google and consult dictionaries as to the meaning of this term; well you learn something new every day, or, at least, I try to.

 

[compwiz1202]

I will buy people condoms if necessary.

I keep seeing this and think this is the last thing we need with a pandemic. Overpop is one of the reasons. Don't want the cure to be a disease. People just need to lower the freaking birth rate.

 

[LizKat]

I'm not understanding why people are hoarding perishables. And even the other stuff you wont need like a year's worth! Like you said, people just trying to do regular orders can't get stuff. And all that does is panic them into hoarding once the stuff shows up.

I think it's the mixed messaging in the USA. There has been quite a contrast between near-dismissiveness of some pols and the ones trying to get people to understand the logic of severely minimizing chances of the virus to keep the person-to-person leaps going.

Americans at least are pretty skeptical of federal government pronouncements anyway, so when the messages don't even sync up with each other, it's every man for himself interpreting what that means.

We may look then to what other people make of it all, and media coverage of empty shelves signals uh okay I need to stock up before this gets bad. That progression is more contagious than the damn virus really. And it does affect even the rational unless we can step back and laugh at it, and resist!

I was preparing a regular fresh produce re-up and found myself amused (sort of ) when I got to the bell peppers. Usually I order either mixed peppers or green ones, and specify the other as an alternative. For a moment there I thought oh I know, why not get both. Wow, what an idiotic notion. I'd have had to cook and freeze dishes not to waste half a double order, and meanwhile someone else might not have been able to get a regular order filled.

 

[chown33]

Tax deadline: April 15.

I wonder if the IRS will accept packages of toilet paper in lieu of cash.

 

[Septembersrain]

i broke my iPad screen.

Damn. Terrible timing for that.

 

[D.T.]

Tax deadline: April 15.

I wonder if the IRS will accept packages of toilet paper in lieu of cash.

In lieu ... or in loo ... ?

*snicker*

Ugh, our taxes are gnarly this year, I mean, the underlying reason is awesome (revenue), but it still ... SOCIALISM!! BERNIE!! Sorry, is that PRSI content ?

 

[Gutwrench]

Damn. Terrible timing for that.

Thank you. I ordered another one today. It’ll be here Wednesday. Sigh.

 

[Gutwrench]

Tax deadline: April 15.

I wonder if the IRS will accept packages of toilet paper in lieu of cash.

 

[chown33]

View attachment 899495

That's the kind of reply I'd expect from @AngerDanger, only he'd make the TP unroll, revealing a cat, or a panda, or a grim rider on a pale horse.

 

[0388631]

There's a few hundred pounds of meat in the freezers. Preserved fruits. Cleaned and frozen veggies that can freeze well. Maybe 300 lb of dried goods. Should be good for the next 8 months assuming this doesn't blow over with a weather change.

Plenty of booze in the house along with beer and wine. I've bought 8 gallons of hand sanitizer, 15 gallons of rubbing alcohol, 10 gallons of hydrogen peroxide. I've got 3 sets of new RO filter material, 120ish bottles of water just in case, toilet paper to last 6 months, generator fuel mix, general disinfectant sprays, disinfectant concentrate, etc.

I'd been slowly stocking up since December because I just knew this was going to happen.

 

[arkitect]

What's on my mind?

Savouring the moment. Actually being aware of this extraordinary global situation. Whether we live or die, lose or gain, these are astonishing times, and aside from all the fear mongering, fraudulent news, the ridiculous hoarding and clambering over others, to take stock and look about us and say, "wow!"

I have always tried to keep in mind the line from Virgil's Aeneid, "Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit."
For me Robert Fagles captured the essence of the quote well — "A joy it will be one day, perhaps, to remember even this."

I do love the, "perhaps".

 

[Falhófnir]

Tax deadline: April 15.

I wonder if the IRS will accept packages of toilet paper in lieu of cash.

Ah but wouldn't paying in TP be like spending gold sovereigns at their face value of £1? 😆

 

[Scepticalscribe]

What's on my mind?

Savouring the moment. Actually being aware of this extraordinary global situation. Whether we live or die, lose or gain, these are astonishing times, and aside from all the fear mongering, fraudulent news, the ridiculous hoarding and clambering over others, to take stock and look about us and say, "wow!"

I have always tried to keep in mind the line from Virgil's Aeneid, "Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit."
For me Robert Fagles captured the essence of the quote well — "A joy it will be one day, perhaps, to remember even this."

I do love the, "perhaps".

Excellent and thoughtful post, and agree about loving that qualifying "perhaps".

Actually, in a somewhat similar vein, I am reminded of the remark (or reply) attributed to Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès, who, when asked what he had done during the Reign of Terror, replied "J'ai vécu." (I survived, or, I lived).

 

[AVBeatMan]

I work for the UK Government. Just been sent home for work and told to self isolate for 14 days. I have type 2 diabetes. Feel absolutely fine so it seems strange being at home but if this is what we have to do, so be it.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I work for the UK Government. Just been sent home for work and told to self isolate for 14 days. I have type 2 diabetes. Feel absolutely fine so it seems strange being at home but if this is what we have to do, so be it.

Just you? Or also others?

While I do not know your age (for older people are at greater risk, and that is one risk factor), you already have two risk factors which would suggest that your risk of becoming infected (and perhaps seriously ill) are somewhat greater than might apply for others.

One is your underlying condition: Existing, or pre-existing respiratory conditions, cardiac conditions, hyper-tension and diabetes are all considered conditions which would render someone more likely to suffer considerably should one become infected with this virus.

The second is gender; men are more susceptible to this.

Other risk factors, perhaps predictably - but entirely separate from the above - seem to be if you are a front line health worker, you may also run an increased risk of exposure and infection to this condition.

 

[AVBeatMan]

I’m a man, 55 years old. Type 2 diabetes. They’re telling anyone with underlying health conditions to go home and self isolate.

These are uncharted waters and people don’t really know what to do. As I say, I am relatively healthy and feel fine but have to follow the advice given.

Strangely enough, back in January I had all the symptoms of Coronavirus. High temperature, headache, aching muscles, cough. I was so cold at times I had to go to bed fully clothed. At other times so hot I had to stand outside! Lasted a week or so.

 

[Lucas284]

Who else wants to travel back to the time when this “covid-19” was never heard of?

 

[Falhófnir]

Who else wants to travel back to the time when this “covid-19” was never heard of?

I would say forward to when the worst of it is over, but I have a feeling the fallout from this is going to be worse than the reality of the disease for most :/

 

[Scepticalscribe]

My mother and COVID-19.

If my mother were still with us, I know that I would be worried sick and stressed out ensuring that she was kept free of infection, which she would have been a prime candidate for, given her advanced age, susceptibility to respiratory stuff, her underlying severe cardiac condition, the thrice daily visits from health workers, and twice weekly visits from community nurses (and - sometimes - weekly visits from doctors) - all who would have been continuously exposed to infection from the wider community.............

For the first time ever, I am glad she is not here to experience this.

Receiving emails from Italian colleagues (and friends) with whom I have worked; very, very tough on them, especially those who have elderly parents or spouses/partners who are unwell.

I’m a man, 55 years old. Type 2 diabetes. They’re telling anyone with underlying health conditions to go home and self isolate.

These are uncharted waters and people don’t really know what to do. As I say, I am relatively healthy and feel fine but have to follow the advice given.

Strangely enough, back in January I had all the symptoms of Coronavirus. High temperature, headache, aching muscles, cough. I was so cold at times I had to go to bed fully clothed. At other times so hot I had to stand outside! Lasted a week or so.

Have you been tested for the virus?

Sounds rough, but also sounds familiar and accords wth what those who have suffered from it have gone through.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to be tested for it, for, if you have recovered from it, you most likely will still have the antibodies in your system.

 

[compwiz1202]

View attachment 899495

I wonder what the exchange rate is now? $50USD to 1 roll? Or is it by the number of sheets?

 

[decafjava]

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