Coronavirus/Covid-19

[Shutterbug]

Aside from the health implications, it's affecting my wallet. I'm a professional photographer and have already had five shoots cancelled...

Not to downplay your plight; but think of how much places like bars and restaurants are losing on St. Patrick's Day...

The bartenders, waitresses and musicians I know would gladly forego their March 17th tickets if it meant going back to work tomorrow.

I'm not in horrible shape. I've got invoices which are coming due (just got $1000 last night) and I have a pension. I also have an inheritance I'm desperately trying not to touch (so far, so good). In short, I'm not gonna' end up on the street anytime soon.

Interestingly, a friend asked me about a family shoot the other day, so that'll be a few hundred bucks. Then a guy I used to shoot real estate for called me and wants me to start photographing livestock.

Yeah.

But I'm going to do it, simply because it's a big money industry. He's got bulls which will sell for over $250K a piece and he needs professional photos for his website. He's a member of the Board of Cows (or whatever the name of association is) and he assures me that he can get me in to photograph all of the cattle shows around the state. I know what kind of money parents spend on their kid's pictures at a baseball camp. I have to believe it'll be similar for when little Cletus shows of his blur-ribbon winning Heiffer.

I threw an offer out to the local musician community, offering a free photo shoot for updated promo pics. It's not much, but I figure who wouldn't want an updated photo to put on a flyer or calendar page for when the cronapocalypse ends??

Yeah, I hear ya...  Good luck with the livestock centerfolds...

Having been unemployed for the past two years, I myself had already throttled back almost to idle when the 'coronapocalypse' hit...  Had been living off of savings and the odd eBay sale, so little has really changed for me except that I'm now cooped up in my house 99% of the time instead of 75% of my time (San Antonio went under a "shelter-in-place" order three days ago)...

Was chatting with a friend of mine today who said that the main supermarket chain here in Texas (HEB) was looking to hire, probably under the onslaught of demand for food.  I don't know how many positions were available, but apparently 50,000 out-of-work folks applied...

I know that, locally, Publix grocery stores was looking to hire 1,000 people...

[Shutterbug]

Aside from the health implications, it's affecting my wallet. I'm a professional photographer and have already had five shoots cancelled...

Not to downplay your plight; but think of how much places like bars and restaurants are losing on St. Patrick's Day...

The bartenders, waitresses and musicians I know would gladly forego their March 17th tickets if it meant going back to work tomorrow.

I'm not in horrible shape. I've got invoices which are coming due (just got $1000 last night) and I have a pension. I also have an inheritance I'm desperately trying not to touch (so far, so good). In short, I'm not gonna' end up on the street anytime soon.

Interestingly, a friend asked me about a family shoot the other day, so that'll be a few hundred bucks. Then a guy I used to shoot real estate for called me and wants me to start photographing livestock.

Yeah.

But I'm going to do it, simply because it's a big money industry. He's got bulls which will sell for over $250K a piece and he needs professional photos for his website. He's a member of the Board of Cows (or whatever the name of association is) and he assures me that he can get me in to photograph all of the cattle shows around the state. I know what kind of money parents spend on their kid's pictures at a baseball camp. I have to believe it'll be similar for when little Cletus shows of his blur-ribbon winning Heiffer.

I threw an offer out to the local musician community, offering a free photo shoot for updated promo pics. It's not much, but I figure who wouldn't want an updated photo to put on a flyer or calendar page for when the cronapocalypse ends??

Yeah, I hear ya...  Good luck with the livestock centerfolds...

Having been unemployed for the past two years, I myself had already throttled back almost to idle when the 'coronapocalypse' hit...  Had been living off of savings and the odd eBay sale, so little has really changed for me except that I'm now cooped up in my house 99% of the time instead of 75% of my time (San Antonio went under a "shelter-in-place" order three days ago)...

Was chatting with a friend of mine today who said that the main supermarket chain here in Texas (HEB) was looking to hire, probably under the onslaught of demand for food.  I don't know how many positions were available, but apparently 50,000 out-of-work folks applied...

I know that, locally, Publix grocery stores was looking to hire 1,000 people...

And on this note, two of my bartender friends got hired to work the deli department at Publix. They're newbies at $15 an hour and, after a probationary period, will get full benefits, 401K, etc. Publix is well known for being a great employer...

[timfitz63]

Perhaps a ray of hope about the fight against this virus:

Immunologist says he has a possible cure for the coronavirus

Don't expect to see anything immediate though; they're looking at maybe having it available by August...  So don't give away those stockpiles of toilet paper just yet...

As a rhetorical aside on the subject of toilet paper:  why are the shelves still devoid of the stuff...?  In chatting with the stock boy at the local HEB supermarket chain here in San Antonio, he told me people are still lining up in the morning to buy all they can stock -- which apparently isn't much.  My comment to him was:  "People can't be using toilet paper that quickly...  And if they are, they probably need to see a doctor...!"   He admitted that they're likely just hoarding the stuff...  Honestly:  pretty soon toilet paper will be trading on the Black Market at the exchange rate of 1 roll to a dozen Hershey bars...!

So to those who already have a year's supply of toilet paper:  be kind to your fellow man during these trying times; you may only need enough to get you to August (i.e., 4 months)...  And either way, they haven't stopped making the stuff...

[TaylorGirl]

Perhaps a ray of hope about the fight against this virus:

Immunologist says he has a possible cure for the coronavirus

Don't expect to see anything immediate though; they're looking at maybe having it available by August...  So don't give away those stockpiles of toilet paper just yet...

As a rhetorical aside on the subject of toilet paper:  why are the shelves still devoid of the stuff...?  In chatting with the stock boy at the local HEB supermarket chain here in San Antonio, he told me people are still lining up in the morning to buy all they can stock -- which apparently isn't much.  My comment to him was:  "People can't be using toilet paper that quickly...  And if they are, they probably need to see a doctor...!"   He admitted that they're likely just hoarding the stuff...  Honestly:  pretty soon toilet paper will be trading on the Black Market at the exchange rate of 1 roll to a dozen Hershey bars...!

So to those who already have a year's supply of toilet paper:  be kind to your fellow man during these trying times; you may only need enough to get you to August (i.e., 4 months)...  And either way, they haven't stopped making the stuff...

Tim, after reading your post, I have to tell you this, which is kinda in line with what you said.
My husband and I are producers of real maple syrup. One of our closest friends is a customer who usually gets a couple quarts at a time. A couple weeks ago, we told him that we would drop by with his 2 quarts and we told him how much it would be (if you know anything about pure maple syrup, it isn't cheap like the fake stuff you get at the store). When we got there, he had 2 rolls of toilet paper on the counter. "How about a trade for the maple syrup?" he said. We all got a kick out of it. Of course, we told him to keep the TP and give us the cash instead. It was funny that he did that, just kidding around with us.
I agree with you, though, I have NEVER understand this thing about TP.

[Taylor224]

People get weird at times like these.  Hoarding creates hoarding.   Take what you need, need what you take.  I myself, was mostly prepared.  Usual stuff, few extra cans of this, few extra boxes of that.  Back up box of 25 year shelf life stuff, just in case.  Nothing crazy.  Then we see TP, sanitizer wipes etc., always is out by us.  So now when we walk by and they have a 6 pack, we buy it.  We have a few weeks worth, nothing major.  I’m grateful I can work mostly from home, a courtesy extended to me by work due to being immune suppressed.

Be safe all...

[timfitz63]

Perhaps a ray of hope about the fight against this virus:

Immunologist says he has a possible cure for the coronavirus

Don't expect to see anything immediate though; they're looking at maybe having it available by August...  So don't give away those stockpiles of toilet paper just yet...

As a rhetorical aside on the subject of toilet paper:  why are the shelves still devoid of the stuff...?  In chatting with the stock boy at the local HEB supermarket chain here in San Antonio, he told me people are still lining up in the morning to buy all they can stock -- which apparently isn't much.  My comment to him was:  "People can't be using toilet paper that quickly...  And if they are, they probably need to see a doctor...!"   He admitted that they're likely just hoarding the stuff...  Honestly:  pretty soon toilet paper will be trading on the Black Market at the exchange rate of 1 roll to a dozen Hershey bars...!

So to those who already have a year's supply of toilet paper:  be kind to your fellow man during these trying times; you may only need enough to get you to August (i.e., 4 months)...  And either way, they haven't stopped making the stuff...

Tim, after reading your post, I have to tell you this, which is kinda in line with what you said.
My husband and I are producers of real maple syrup. One of our closest friends is a customer who usually gets a couple quarts at a time. A couple weeks ago, we told him that we would drop by with his 2 quarts and we told him how much it would be (if you know anything about pure maple syrup, it isn't cheap like the fake stuff you get at the store). When we got there, he had 2 rolls of toilet paper on the counter. "How about a trade for the maple syrup?" he said. We all got a kick out of it. Of course, we told him to keep the TP and give us the cash instead. It was funny that he did that, just kidding around with us.
I agree with you, though, I have NEVER understand this thing about TP.

Yes, I do know that pure maple syrup can be pricey!  That is funny!

People get weird at times like these.  Hoarding creates hoarding.   Take what you need, need what you take.  I myself, was mostly prepared.  Usual stuff, few extra cans of this, few extra boxes of that.  Back up box of 25 year shelf life stuff, just in case.  Nothing crazy.  Then we see TP, sanitizer wipes etc., always is out by us.  So now when we walk by and they have a 6 pack, we buy it.  We have a few weeks worth, nothing major.  I’m grateful I can work mostly from home, a courtesy extended to me by work due to being immune suppressed.

Be safe all...

That's exactly the comment my neighbor made, although not in those exact words:  the stupid people hoarding all the supplies now force you to play their game (i.e., hoarding things yourself)...  They're carrying armfuls of the stuff out the doors, blissfully ignorant to the arrival of the 18-wheeler carrying the next load...

I've tried to approach it with the same attitude as you:  take what I need, perhaps an extra one if it's available and come back another time to re-supply.  I've left the last can of soup on the shelf thinking some elderly person might need it more than me; I've left the last gallon of milk on the shelf thinking someone with children might need it more than me...  But I'll be jiggered if I can find someone who's left a roll of toilet paper or a bottle of antiseptic hand soap for me...!  Now even plain ol' bars of soap are disappearing from shelves...

[timfitz63]

Don't be a stooge -- listen to Moe:

Corona Virus PSA by Moe Howard

[BigSkyTaylorPlayer]

Aside from the health implications, it's affecting my wallet. I'm a professional photographer and have already had five shoots cancelled...

Not to downplay your plight; but think of how much places like bars and restaurants are losing on St. Patrick's Day...

Oh, absolutely!

Here in Florida, Governor DeSantis closed all bars and nightclubs for 30 days. I have a lot of friends who are bartenders, servers, musicians, etc, and they're all in panic mode right now...

30 days...?!  That's definitely an overreaction...!  I just read that San Francisco is now under a "shelter in place" order -- which sounds like a PC term for martial law to me...

People losing income, schools closed, sports leagues suspended, grocery store shelves empty...  Geez, if this is the kind of reaction the country has over a glorified flu virus, imagine what it would be like if something truly deadly got loose...?!

Whaaat!  What do you mean if something truly deadly got loose, you living under a rock or just...well, I'm not gonna say it here.  People like you are part of the problem.  This is much more than just the flu and no its not martial law to try and protect people from others who don't think its a big deal....such as yourself apparently.

Welcome to America.  Where everyone is entitled their own opinion -- even an ungracious one like yours...  Really?  Part of the problem?  You make it sound like I created this virus...  Or was "patient zero..."  Or worse yet, am knowingly walking around while infected or as a carrier... Get a grip on yourself...

In case you didn't read my initial post on this topic -- and judging from your response you didn't -- I have not endorsed carelessness about this virus at any point.  But neither have I decided to live my life sheltered under a rock, as you seem to believe...  Or suffering a cranial-rectal inversion, as you seem to hint...  Quite the opposite, in fact...

So in case you haven't run the numbers -- and judging from your response, you haven't -- the latest reports are of 200,000 cases worldwide.  In round numbers, there are 4 billion people still kicking on this planet.  That means that 0.005% of the population is infected -- that's one FIVE HUNDREDTH of a percent.  The number of deaths is smaller yet.

And in case you haven't read up on the symptoms -- which judging from your response, you haven't -- for the vast majority of people infected, the expected symptoms are:  low-grade fever, runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, and shortness of breath.  Hmm, death does not seem to be listed among those symptoms -- except for at-risk groups who have compromised immune systems, and who are at risk of death from just about any infection.  So, yeah:  coronavirus sounds like a glorified flu bug to me...  And by the way:  the flu infected -- and killed -- more people last year than coronavirus has...

People who have gone overboard with their reactions to this 'pandemic' (apparently you needn't look any farther than a mirror for one of them) have caused more pain and suffering to their fellow man than this bug ever will.  How many people have been put out of work for an indefinite period of time...?  When will the stock market/economy recover from this...?  When's the last time you saw fully-stocked shelves in the supermarket...?  I could go on, but what's the point...?

So if you want to live your life huddled inside your house in fear of what might be, then be my guest; in the end, only one of us will be right...  And if it's you, then I guess I won't have to listen to "I told you so...!"

My wife is a retired registered nurse and is appalled with this kind of attitude when thousands worldwide are dying...

Then she, of all people, knows that people do die from diseases.  Not a pleasant thought, I grant you; just reality.  And if anything, she should understand my point:  thousands of deaths worldwide.  Not hundreds of thousands, not millions --  thousands...  You guys make it sound like I want to see people suffer and die when I'm just trying to be a voice of reason in this matter...!  But no one likes the guy who says out loud what most of us are already thinking...

As such, I won't be shouted down on this or any topic when the numbers just don't support it.  The present reaction to coronavirus is way out of proportion to the known risks to human life.  I will repeat that once again because it's apparently not sinking in to some:  the documented symptoms are, for the vast majority of those infected, non-life-threatening.  Just because it's never been encountered before doesn't justify this level of reaction.  If we all want to agree to disagree, that's fine.  But I'm not going to change my opinion on this unless and until the numbers show otherwise.  And so far, the flu has proven itself to be far more deadly to mankind than coronavirus.  But I don't recall the country shutting down last year when the seasonal flu was at it's peak...  Why not...?

I waited to respond to see if 10s of thousands of deaths woke you up that this is not “just the flu.”  Has your opinion on this changed since the “numbers have shown otherwise.”

You insisted it to be nothing with it’s silly little flu like symptoms, well you were wrong...25,000 dead, many more sick, many, many more to get sick, and 20 million out of work just in the US.

Go ahead, post another comment about how offended you are by me I’ll wait....

[timfitz63]

Aside from the health implications, it's affecting my wallet. I'm a professional photographer and have already had five shoots cancelled...

Not to downplay your plight; but think of how much places like bars and restaurants are losing on St. Patrick's Day...

Oh, absolutely!

Here in Florida, Governor DeSantis closed all bars and nightclubs for 30 days. I have a lot of friends who are bartenders, servers, musicians, etc, and they're all in panic mode right now...

30 days...?!  That's definitely an overreaction...!  I just read that San Francisco is now under a "shelter in place" order -- which sounds like a PC term for martial law to me...

People losing income, schools closed, sports leagues suspended, grocery store shelves empty...  Geez, if this is the kind of reaction the country has over a glorified flu virus, imagine what it would be like if something truly deadly got loose...?!

Whaaat!  What do you mean if something truly deadly got loose, you living under a rock or just...well, I'm not gonna say it here.  People like you are part of the problem.  This is much more than just the flu and no its not martial law to try and protect people from others who don't think its a big deal....such as yourself apparently.

Welcome to America.  Where everyone is entitled their own opinion -- even an ungracious one like yours...  Really?  Part of the problem?  You make it sound like I created this virus...  Or was "patient zero..."  Or worse yet, am knowingly walking around while infected or as a carrier... Get a grip on yourself...

In case you didn't read my initial post on this topic -- and judging from your response you didn't -- I have not endorsed carelessness about this virus at any point.  But neither have I decided to live my life sheltered under a rock, as you seem to believe...  Or suffering a cranial-rectal inversion, as you seem to hint...  Quite the opposite, in fact...

So in case you haven't run the numbers -- and judging from your response, you haven't -- the latest reports are of 200,000 cases worldwide.  In round numbers, there are 4 billion people still kicking on this planet.  That means that 0.005% of the population is infected -- that's one FIVE HUNDREDTH of a percent.  The number of deaths is smaller yet.

And in case you haven't read up on the symptoms -- which judging from your response, you haven't -- for the vast majority of people infected, the expected symptoms are:  low-grade fever, runny nose, sore throat, dry cough, and shortness of breath.  Hmm, death does not seem to be listed among those symptoms -- except for at-risk groups who have compromised immune systems, and who are at risk of death from just about any infection.  So, yeah:  coronavirus sounds like a glorified flu bug to me...  And by the way:  the flu infected -- and killed -- more people last year than coronavirus has...

People who have gone overboard with their reactions to this 'pandemic' (apparently you needn't look any farther than a mirror for one of them) have caused more pain and suffering to their fellow man than this bug ever will.  How many people have been put out of work for an indefinite period of time...?  When will the stock market/economy recover from this...?  When's the last time you saw fully-stocked shelves in the supermarket...?  I could go on, but what's the point...?

So if you want to live your life huddled inside your house in fear of what might be, then be my guest; in the end, only one of us will be right...  And if it's you, then I guess I won't have to listen to "I told you so...!"

My wife is a retired registered nurse and is appalled with this kind of attitude when thousands worldwide are dying...

Then she, of all people, knows that people do die from diseases.  Not a pleasant thought, I grant you; just reality.  And if anything, she should understand my point:  thousands of deaths worldwide.  Not hundreds of thousands, not millions --  thousands...  You guys make it sound like I want to see people suffer and die when I'm just trying to be a voice of reason in this matter...!  But no one likes the guy who says out loud what most of us are already thinking...

As such, I won't be shouted down on this or any topic when the numbers just don't support it.  The present reaction to coronavirus is way out of proportion to the known risks to human life.  I will repeat that once again because it's apparently not sinking in to some:  the documented symptoms are, for the vast majority of those infected, non-life-threatening.  Just because it's never been encountered before doesn't justify this level of reaction.  If we all want to agree to disagree, that's fine.  But I'm not going to change my opinion on this unless and until the numbers show otherwise.  And so far, the flu has proven itself to be far more deadly to mankind than coronavirus.  But I don't recall the country shutting down last year when the seasonal flu was at it's peak...  Why not...?

I waited to respond to see if 10s of thousands of deaths woke you up that this is not “just the flu.”  Has your opinion on this changed since the “numbers have shown otherwise.”

You insisted it to be nothing with it’s silly little flu like symptoms, well you were wrong...25,000 dead, many more sick, many, many more to get sick, and 20 million out of work just in the US.

Go ahead, post another comment about how offended you are by me I’ll wait....

Boy, the solitude must be getting to you; you just don't know when to let something lie, do you...?  Your sanctimony is really something to behold...  It's like you want the death toll to mount just so you can be right...

While you're morbidly watching the death count, I've been watching the survival rate:  still better than 80% world-wide; too early to tell here in the U.S. because so many open cases yet, but I would expect it to be as good or better.  Never said this wasn't a nasty bug or that I wanted to catch it -- or that I even wanted you to catch it.  All I've contended is it isn't as deadly as they've scared everyone into thinking it is.  And a lot of the deaths in the areas hit the hardest (e.g., New York City), from what I've read, are due to a lack of the proper equipment (ventilators) in proportion to the number of people who have needed them at any given moment.  Who's fault is that?  The hospital directors for not stocking millions of ventilators just in case...?  The doctors for making triage decisions...?  The patients for getting sick in the first place...?  In case you haven't noticed (and judging from your response, you haven't):  even with shelter-in-place orders, people are still getting this bug...  Hardly my fault...

So just keep waiting for me to be offended; so far in my life, better people than you have tried...  The numbers still support my position; this bug hasn't killed nearly as many people as the flu does in a year...  Go back and check the number of deaths from the 1918 flu:  depending on the estimates, between 17-100 million dead from that strain; and the world went on.  So when the COVID-19 numbers start approaching those figures we can talk again...

And if our best plan is to hole up for the duration every time a new bug comes down the pike, don't talk to me about the unemployment numbers...

[zeebow]

the thread has lost its usefulness. no need to single each other out for differing opinions.