Mostly Apolitical Thread for Discussing/Venting our Rational/Irrational COVID-19 Fears and Experiences in 2020

feel like that excerpt is ignoring the not-insignificant culture of denial, defeatism, and defiance that drives the anti-mask protest crowd and the type of people that continue to hold indoor weddings with no masks and full guestlists.

but it’s counterproductive to what really matters: reducing infections.

It’s totally not though

I am slightly deaf to the politeness of that excerpt. Are you guys not seeing people outside everyday not wearing masks and generally not giving a shit? Like this "traveling for the holidays" stuff is the tip of the iceberg compared to the shitty everyday behavior that CAD just mentioned.

xxxxxp The fact that ILX doesn't reward you with likes or rely on you to follow others is another key, I think. Generally, people here are posting what they're thinking in the spirit of adding to the conversation instead of trying to add to their fanbase or get instant conformation rewards (excepting excelsior zings). And of course, ILX not monetizing user info or manipulating content with advertising/algorithms is a definite plus. It's closer to the good old internet of yore. I feel bad for kids growing up on social media, it must be exhausting to find a place to fit in online and as Katherine pointed out, the "rules" of fitting in are constantly changing.

man if likes were a thing here, there'd be polls "is it bullshit that my thread about Englebert Humperdinck only got 2 likes and a fart face emoji?"

all of my energy is harvested from ilx "otm"s

otm

otm

― Patriotic Goiter (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, December 22, 2020 5:26 PM (forty-eight seconds ago) bookmarkflaglink

nabisco otm

how many Humor experience points do u get for being Excelsiored

absolutely fuckin zero

Counts against you, if anything

Tracer Hand, I can't believe you're lumping romance novels in there with all the evils of the world, you're now dead to me, man.

My Twitter is a pretty nice bubble. I almost exclusively follow people I know, with a few actual "experts" on a few subjects thrown in there. This idea of "the discourse" isn't something I've come across, and don't really have any interest in exploring. There are a lot of fucking stupid people on the internet. Proof to me is when I accidentally skim too low and see comments on my hometown's newspaper site. I don't want to hear their side of the argument, it only makes me angry and I don't see any value in their opinions. So I do a little research, and follow a small number of people with opinions I do want to hear, and sometimes learn some stuff. While there is some conflicting advice on my feed re COVID, it's pretty consistent, just with some shifts as info becomes available.

And that's an important thing to remember-- we are learning more about this virus all the time, at incredible speeds. Advice should be expected to change as we learn more. Getting more specific and nuanced will hopefully mean that interventions can be more useful. (and yes, I am aware that the US and UK have supremely inept governments and so don't trust the "rules" by either to be representative of up-to-date science, which doesn't help. so I do my research and try to be as careful as I can)

It’s totally not though

It's satisfying to light people up for being stupid, but do you think it changes their actual behavior? Seems as likely to reinforce their martyr complex and push them into double down territory.

Depends on the person, I suspect, and their capacity for shame.

My capacity, for instance, is nigh bottomless. I feel ashamed just for writing the word 'bottomless'.

It's not quite Hemmingway "baby shoes" brief, but this WaPo headline comes as close to encapsulating the American experience in 2020 as anything:

2 men shot up a California strip club with an AK-47 after refusing to wear masks, authorities say. Now they face life in prison.

too bad someone snitched on them

Do strippers wear masks?

Several

It's satisfying to light people up for being stupid, but do you think it changes their actual behavior? Seems as likely to reinforce their martyr complex and push them into double down territory.

― Joe Biden Stan Account (milo z), Tuesday, December 22, 2020 12:24 PM bookmarkflaglink

Depends on the person, I suspect, and their capacity for shame.

― Wet Pretzels and Other Soggy Snacks (Old Lunch), Tuesday, December 22, 2020 12:26 PM bookmarkflaglink

There's some truth to that but I found this to be a very compelling article: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/words-matter/201810/why-people-ignore-facts

I also thought this was interesting and informative: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-convince-someone-when-facts-fail/

2 men shot up a California strip club with an AK-47 after refusing to wear masks, authorities say. Now they face life in prison.

That's one reaction to The Discourse.

@DJP this too

https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/12/facts-are-an-insufficient-response-to-falsehoods/

good article. i've noticed if you actually reply with facts to a lot of these people, they usually just reply with shitty all caps memes.

even in person, which is weird

I've read a number of articles lately along the lines of "people have fewer friends and don't seem as interested in social connections" and my reaction is only ever "...have you met people? why are you surprised? everyone fucking hates everyone else"

man if likes were a thing here, there'd be polls "is it bullshit that my thread about Englebert Humperdinck only got 2 likes and a fart face emoji?"

katherine would be able to clown on Don Jr's threads about "why are all my algorithms getting crushed?"

Speak for yourself. I love my friends and feel pretty good toward most of the people I see on the street, in the grocer's etc.

And if anything, my friend circle has *expanded* during the pandemic, because the worlds that I'm involved in have been flattened— as awful as it can be, Zoom and facilitating workshops online have been a boon for my mental health, and I've become much closer with a number of people who are further away geographically. I also talk to my closest friends more than I did before the pandemic, because I have more time to do so.

Obviously it's not all roses, a lot of it sucks and we're making the best of an absolute shit sandwich.

So this isn't entirely apolitical, but in line with the discussion about epistemological divides: Two things happened in my city yesterday. One, it was named the #1 worst COVID spot in America among metro areas 250k-1m people. Yay. And two, our County Commission (which is dominated by Republicans 9-2) voted to dissolve our Board of Health because people are mad about mask mandates. Various metaphors for this were offered: Fighting about who should hold the hose in the middle of a wildfire; throwing lifeboats off the Titanic; trying to design a new sprinkler system for a burning house. None mattered.

There's still a second reading, even if they pass it, it might not change much for various reasons. But the symbolism of it was sort of amazing.

katherine would be able to clown on Don Jr's threads about "why are all my algorithms getting crushed?"

― huge rant (sic), Tuesday, December 22, 2020 3:34 PM (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I don't know who that is unless you mean donald trump jr.

"...have you met people? why are you surprised? everyone fucking hates everyone else"

This is a bummer. It's objectively not true, and if this is the lens you are seeing things through....

I would like to introduce you to a rhetorical device called "hyperbole"

it's more effective when not quite so on the nose

It's also just continuing a feedback cycle of negativity

When you're in a dark place that kind of hyperbole is just bole.

when you're 7'7" it's just manutbole

Lol

there's an exec at our company that is tone deaf and out of touch. he just posted the following on our internal blog. i've google-proofed it in case he wants to "google for 2020 and find Neanderthal", in addition to it being on 77:

Every g3neration has one event or experience in their lifetime that leaves an indel1ble mark on the lives of all. I believe the pandemic is that one event for us.

2020 h@s been challenging, overwhelming and stressful. This year has made me introspect on my relationships, connecti0ns, how I work, how I live, what I eat, what I watch/listen to/read and so much more. I missed traveling t0 new countries, trying 0ut local cuisines, learning swe@r words in the local language, making new friends and tasting the local whiskey.

And yet, this is also the year that has taught me so many new things. I learned to c0ok and did not burn the house down. I learned the new w@y of working from home and working virtually. I was never fond of the term work-life balance as that always felt like a bit of a give and take. Instead, this year taught me how to integrate my work life and life outside work in a seamless and yet distinct way.

So, when I hear anyone say, “let’s just forget 2020”, I turn around and say, “let’s NOT”! Let’s never forget 2020 as the year when, despite all odds, we found a way to live, work and connect with one another in new and different ways. WE FOUND A WAY! I feel like I learned a lifetime of lessons in nine months. As I look ahead into 2021, I don’t know what it will bring but I do know that 2020 has prepared me for all that lays ahead.

As each of you think about the coming year, think first about the year that was and be proud and confident of all that you have achieved in 2020. 2021 should be a cakewalk.

Rest up and enjoy th3 h0lidays.

Happy 2021!

Nice that he learned to cook I guess, could come in useful when society collapses and we're griddling each other

like, ok, I'm with you that many of us have found ways to endure and get closer to those around us, and obviously I know he's going to focus on the 'work' element of it, but this is an exec who often decides 3-star hotels are too boring for him and uses company funds to put himself in lodging much swankier than other employees are allowed to, because of his status.

so of course he'll lament all of the amazing white collar perks he's missing out on while a lot of his employees, even despite still being able to work, are dealing with deaths of family members and trying to work from home while watching their kid and dealing with shitty internet connections.

xpost lol exactly dude

McGriddles are made of PPL

i know this guy's wife, and I have to imagine she's facepalming rn. she's much more grounded and self-aware

in addition to it being on 77:

?? – this thread's on ILE, not 77.

pack up your belongings Neanderthal

I got confused temporarily. It's aight tho, p sure he's not a lurker.

.....or is he?

katherine would be able to clown on Don Jr's threads about "why are all my algorithms getting crushed?"

― huge rant (sic), Tuesday, December 22, 2020 3:34 PM (nineteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

I don't know who that is unless you mean donald trump jr.

― like, I’m eating an elephant head (katherine), Wednesday, December 23, 2020 7:54 AM (one week ago)

yep. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-jr-instagram-video-joe-biden-hunter-biden-b1159313.html

Did that exec really use 'introspect' like that

you know he did. it is too hard to achieve such a perfect parody that sounds so utterly sincere.