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TonyWills

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Everything posted by TonyWills

  1. Being married for 30 years and having all my kits and stuff delivered to a local secure locker is not a coincidence...
  2. I used to have one of those!! We adopted an eight year old child, and he unfortunately had issues around being left alone, or left out - his parents were addicts who pretty much ignored him. The Fiat Multipla was perfect, as it has three seats in the front, so he could sit right between us whenever we went out. Take the rear seats out and it's basically a small van. Looks awful, yes, but was the most practical family car I ever owned.
  3. People doubting figures, questioning the truth, wondering what is "really" going on? It's getting to be like conspiracy theory central here. I'm with Hubert on this. 221,000 dead Americans should be enough of a statistic to at least get Americans to understand this thing is very real and very deadly. By the spring, we may well lose approaching half a million Americans, as the weather sends people indoors. That'll be more than the US lost in WWII, and only the civil war will have been more deadly, yet both took a lot longer than 12 months. It's just so unnecessary, we are the richest country on the planet, with some of the best hospitals & pharmaceutical companies. It really is sickening.
  4. Any sport that has the shortened, speedy version lasting 3-4 hours sounds as exciting as continental drift. The thought of playing for five days just blows my simple little mind. I tried to watch a game, but nothing seemed to happen for long periods, interspersed with a few seconds of action as everybody screams at the ref, I think the louder and longer the screaming, the greater the chance that the ref gets on your side. Also, when stuff actually happens, the commentators seem a bit put out, because it stops them talking about how it was when they played. Also, the balls are different colors, depending upon the time of day?! I may not quite understand this sport.
  5. Do you mean a photo umbrella? It either diffuses light to soften it, if in between the flash & subject, or reflects light to enhance lighting, if placed behind the flash.
  6. We have those in Texas. We keep rabbits in them. Only the small rabbits, though.
  7. Seriously?! You know better than the entire media? Are the media in on something, will you share that with us? The "huge funerals for deceased politicians" - John Lewis's funeral had everybody masked up, with social distancing and massively reduced numbers attending, together with many of the attendees having regular covid tests. Looting cities "en masse" (what does that even mean?) is never right, covid or no covid. And you are seriously suggesting the pandemic cannot be "so deadly" because cities are being looted!? It looks like you ignore evidence you don't like, such as the 165,000 dead Americans, the 1,000+ extra deaths every day, the worldwide effect of the virus, virus hotspots traced back to churches and bars, and you ignore "the media's" consistent, science backed reporting, simply because it doesn't tie in with your opinions, as if "the media" have all agreed to hide the truth from the American people. Shame they didn't account for the person who knows better, who "understands medicine" because he has "several family members in that field" (medical knowledge by osmosis?!), who can "read stats and read graphs" and "taught high school statistics". All those epidemiologists, scientists, biologists, doctors, data modellers, surgeons and medical professionals have done this all wrong! They should have not bothered with years of study, backed up by decades of work experience, they should have just let some "family members" work "in the field", and their degrees, masters degrees and PhDs are no substitute for "I taught high schools statistics and use graphs all the time". Please excuse my rudeness in deciding to follow the qualified, experienced medical professionals, the science backed media reports, the daily number of deaths reported, the innumerable doctors requesting people wear masks, etc. I know it pales into insignificance compared to your "I understand medicine as I have several family members in the field" (LOL!) and your "I taught high school statistics and use graphs all the time", but I'm a bit odd in following science, facts and expert over some unqualified person on a message board who knows better than them all.
  8. It's not an appeal to authority or consensus, it's an appeal to science. The reason they all end up in consensus is that is where the science takes them, not because it's comfortable or because it is consensus, but because that's where the facts lead. When many people independently reach the same conclusions, that is powerful scientific evidence in itself. That is one hell of a sweeping statement! I've not read anywhere that masks 'contribute to infecting people'? Some of the early science was equivocal as to whether masks protected the wearer, whilst some experts advised against mask wearing because they didn't want millions of civilians draining the very limited mask supply from the people who needed them most, the medical practitioners. When the science proved that mask wearing reduces the spread of the virus from the mask-wearer to others, and masks supplies increased massively to allow both medical professionals and everybody else to access them, then the advice changed accordingly. That's how science works, decisions are made based upon the latest research results, and as those results change, so does the advice. Not changing advice with changing research is not science, it's dogma. And, for what seems like the Nth time, masks work by protecting other people. Asymptomatic carriers are estimated to be responsible for up to 40% of covid-19 transmissions, and wearing masks ensures that they don't unwittingly infect other people. Look at that idiot Congressman from Texas today who tested positive for Covid-19. Up until this point he's refused to wear a mask because 'I don't have covid, but as soon as I test positive, you'll never see me without a mask'. Great strategy, except he's asymptomatic. He's been in Congress, meeting with other politicians and professionals, for a good few days, not always maintaining social distancing. Many are elderly. They are now getting tested as a matter of urgency, as are their contacts. Many have elderly relatives that they live with. They are scared. And all because one guy was too selfish to wear a simple face covering for a few hours a day. To make matters even worse, he only tested at all because he was due to travel with Trump in Air Force One, so had to be pre-tested. So he could have been transmitting the infection for days before then, and if he hadn't happened to be tested, he'd carry on spreading the virus amongst Congress for God knows how long. Here in Texas, the virus seems to be being spread around by youngsters who consider themselves immune, plus older people who just don't seem convinced of the seriousness of the situation, at least right up until they fall ill, or cause a relative to fall ill and die. I find the whole thing so, so depressing, as it's so avoidable.
  9. You can have the disease without being sick. Studies indicate somewhere between 15%-40% of cases are asymptomatic. How are you supposed to stay home if you don't know you are ill with the virus? Again, you don't need to cough or sneeze to pass the virus - just talking, shouting or singing, or leaving the virus on something you touch, like a door handle, will do the job. Logically, most people have caught the disease from somebody who is asymptomatic, because they'd not hang around somebody who was coughing or sneezing. Therefore it's not "difficult" to transmit the disease, otherwise we'd not have so many people infected. The runner person leaves a 30ft trail, not 30m, and it's laboratory research that has proven it, I'm not making it up. Again, the mask is to protect others, not you. Masks DO protect others. It's a fact. In my example, a runner wearing a mask leaves very little virus behind them. The mask does little to protect the wearer. Hence wearing a mask is not "virtually useless", it is the primary reason China, Japan, et al have managed to keep cases so low. It also explains why EVERYBODY has to wear a mask in order to have the necessary effect, as proven in China, South Korea & Japan, amongst other. Masks ensure that the disease remains in the person infected. THAT'S the key to controlling the spread. It works. I'm not sure why you list daily deaths from various diseases? Does that somehow make the deaths from Coronavirus more acceptable, because more people are dying from other diseases? The key differences between those communicable diseases and the Coronavirus is that the latter is far, far more communicable, with an R of at least 2.5. There is no recognised treatment, the death rate is orders of magnitude higher than the other diseases. It's only been in existence less than a year, whilst the other diseases have had decades - let the Coronavirus run for decades and the numbers dying will be far, far higher. Cardiovascular issues are largely avoidable and controllable with diet & treatment, cancer deaths, as a percentage of 8 billion people, are tiny prorated to the Coronavirus. Almost the entire medical establishment advocates widespread mask wearing in order to stop the disease. Experiments prove it works. China, S Korea, etc, proves it works. Are you saying that they are all wrong, and that you, with very limited experience, know better?
  10. The mask doesn't primarily protect you, it protects others from you. Other people wear one to protect you from them. That way, everybody stays well. That's why Asian countries that wear masks have far, far lower deaths and infections. That's a verifiable fact. Not maybe, or could, or might, or possibly. Just look at the figures. But you are not ill, so don't need a mask? Well, you could conceivably have the virus. It's estimated up to 40% of cases are asymptomatic. Are you not interested in protecting other people? Making sure the economy doesn't have to shut down again, which is in everyone's interest? Helping people keep their jobs? Stop people from dying? As for being "alarmist", there are in excess of 140,000 dead Americans. In five months. With total deaths expected to push 240,000 by November, and over 300,000 sometime next year. These are actual, scientific forecasts, from the same people that, back in March, forecast death of around 150,000 by the end of July. Each death, on average, robbed the victim of 11 years of remaining life. I do actually find it "alarming".
  11. Unfortunately, whilst asymptomatic carriers are not coughing or sneezing, they are breathing, talking, shouting, running, etc. The viral cloud from simply speaking projects beyond six feet and remains airborne for around 30 minutes. This is smaller droplets, with the larger droplets that are assumed to carry the virus not getting beyond six feet. Work is ongoing as to whether those smaller droplets also carry the virus. Shouting increases this, as does breathing heavily following exercise or manual labor. The asymptomatic carrier also opens doors, pushes shopping carts, touches goods, all of which are known to transfer the virus. An asymptomatic jogger can leave a trail 30 feet long, leaving the 6 feet rule of little help, but if they wore a mask, that trail would be very significantly less. To me, logically, most people catch coronavirus from presymptomatic and asymptomatic carriers, because most people are careful to wash hands, and quickly avoid people with coughs or sneezes, but the disease still manages to transfer from 1 carrier to between 2-3 others on average. The majority of people who have caught the disease have no idea how they caught it, which suggests asymptomatic transfer must be fairly high, as they avoid obviously ill people but still catch it. Whilst the science behind this is still developing, I'm assuming the worst. I wear a mask whenever I go out, despite most people looking at me like I'm an alien. I find mask wearing a little inconvenient, but that's all. Of course, mask wearing is known to protect those around you. Look at Asia, were mask wearing is second nature, and the figures are far, far lower than most everywhere else. Mask wearing works, but it works far, far better when everybody wears a mask. Consider the two mask-wearing hairstylists in Missouri, both of whom tested positive. But as they both wore masks, as did their clients, none of their 120 odd clients caught the virus. Not a single one. You may catch the virus from a non-mask wearing asymptomatic carrier, because they chose not to wear a mask. You can then infect other people because you don't wear a mask, and that carries on until an elderly or compromised person catches the virus and dies, to say nothing of other people who survive but are hospitalized and gravely ill. That's why 140,000+ people are dead in the US and the economy is in tatters, whilst the likes of China, Japan, Vietnam & South Korea lost relatively few people and have economies far more open than ours. The aversion to masks has killed thousands of Americans, and continues to do so. I just don't get it.
  12. It's not a "show". Ask the families & friends of one of the 140 000 who have died. As for "suicides leading the victim statistics" I'm sure suicides will increase, but there is absolutely no evidence that they'll get anywhere near the average 1 000+ per day deaths attributable to coronavirus. The forecast for November is for total US Coronavirus deaths to be between 201 000 to 256 000 Americans. Almost a quarter of a million Americans. More than half the number of the total US military killed in almost 4 years of world war two. In eight months. With more deaths all the way into 2021. How people can have such a flippant attitude to so many of their countrymen dying, or falling seriously ill with life-changing injuries, is just wrong. And that's before we know what the long-term ramifications are for those who survive serious bouts of the virus. Some companies will go bankrupt. But companies will be reformed, it's the basis of capitalism and the American dream. The lives lost are lost forever, and had the country shut down longer, until the figures had declined sufficiently, just as Europe did, the US would also be opening back up and infection rates and death rates would be far, far lower. I can understand the anger some people have because of the effect upon the economy, but to then belittle the virus, as if there was a choice to just ignore it and carry on, leading to even more deaths, is something I just don't understand. I'm sorry, I've already lost both family and friends to the coronavirus, including an old boss of mine who died at 49 with no pre-existing conditions whatsoever, so when I read stuff like this, it kinda makes me angry. I'll now fade into the background again, reading armour WIP's.
  13. I've browsed these forums for years, never felt I had to comment. But I just cannot, in all good faith, let this pass. 130,000 dead Americans and counting, forecast to end up at around the 200,000 mark, certainly an undercount, and that's overblown?! Seriously?! Of those who have the disease and survive, many are left with damaged lungs for life, and that's before we know for certain the long term effects. WIthout lockdown, the number of dead Americans would number in the millions, is that not harmful in your eyes? As for having a low opinion of news media, you need to understand that if the news isn't to your liking, it doesn't make it any less valid. Or are you seriously suggesting that ALL of the mainstream media are "in on it"? Except Fox, of course. The death numbers ARE in the news. Every day. But they've been pushed aside because of climbing infection numbers. The death numbers WILL increase again, as sure as night follows day. Even now, well in excess of 500 Americans are dying every single day. Needlessly. But the infection numbers take precedent at the moment because they give an expectation of what future death rates are likely to be. Already, the 14 day average of the fall in deaths was at -33%. It's now at -19% and falling. It will soon be positive again. The 57,000 per day cited is NOT spread evenly across the states. That's part of the problem. If you had even a basic grasp of statistics, you'd know that. Spread out, the number are more manageable. Have 10,000 a day in a single state, day after day, and before long the growth will become almost vertical. Each person, on average, infects 2-3 other people. Do the math! Also, the rate doesn't stay constant. If left unchecked, Florida would end up more or less fully infected with a year or two. Exponential growth does that. Look at New York & New Jersey, that's what happened to them. Of those diseases you list, how many are as contagious as Covid-19? None. Nowhere near. Some as more deadly if caught, but catching them is not easy at all. That's why, for example, Ebola blows itself out after a couple of months. That's the big problem. The answer ISN'T "Try to boost immunity". The answer is to avoid catching the virus. You cannot "boost your immunity" to Covid-19. It's not even possible. Just stay away from it. You are right that a cure may never appear, but never before has the entire world been working on a cure to a single virus, with money no object. Universities and corporations all over the world, working night & day. They make end up fruitless, but it's not a comparable situation to those diseases you list. As for your last paragraph, I'm stunned. Let's assume you are 70 years old. Every single year of life is important. Every single day is. But you are suggesting that they are more or less doomed anyway? Really? Anyway, you are wrong. The average number of years life expectancy lost by each American victim is 11 years. Around a fifth of deaths are aged below 70. Prior to the virus, roughly 80% of all US deaths (outside of murder, accidents, suicide, etc) where to 65 years old and older people. This is roughly the same percentage that applies to the Coronavirus. In you eyes, does that mean ALL Americans aged over 70 are deemed "on borrowed time anyway" and not worth saving?! I am seriously stunned by the attitude some people show, their reluctance to get educated and to believe what they want to believe, rather than following the science. Conspiracy theories are rampant. Absolute nonsense is held as fact. Facts are disparaged as "fake news". As an American, I'm embarassed by some of my fellow countrymen.
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