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

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.

what is 77?

secret board for the cool kids. (not web searchable/indexed in google)

Request Access to 77 Borad

My wife, who works in health care, felt dizzy and short of breath at work on Thursday and tested positive. I became congested later that day and got tested on New Years morning. I'm still waiting for my test results; my symptoms were light enough that they didn't want to give me a rapid test. Right now just feel like I've got a moderate cold, although last night I had a weird tinnitus flare-up as well. Wish us luck!

oh no, good luck

good luck peace, man (and woman).

re: rapid test - beware, my wife has a client whose son tested positive. the client took a rapid test and tested negative, quarantined for a week, then started going back into work. After a few days the client started feeling bad and took a pcr test, testing positive this time, resulting in shutdown of her entire office. afaik, rapid test has higher rate of false (negative) results than the pcr.

Good luck peace man & fam

Yes, thinking of you an yours, p,m.

Yes, best of luck to you and yours, pm

I've talked about this on FB already, but I had a Covid scare this week. I was really sick for the last few days, but I did get the pcr test and it was negative. So, I'm going back to work tomorrow.

mom told me her brother, his wife, and three college-age kids all got diagnosed with covid last week. i asked her if shes seen them recently, she says she dropped off some food on the porch the day after they got their positive results. later she slips and reveals that "dropping off" the food involved her going into their house and commiserating with everyone about their diagnosis for 3 hours, but its ok because she was wearing three masks. she got a rapid test yesterday (neg), I bullied her into making an appt for a PCR today, which she thinks is ridiculous overkill since, again, she was wearing three masks the entire time, but she agreed to humor me.

my damn head, i am shaking it at this woman.

Ugh. Do you know how they caught it?

and peace, man, good luck.

going into their house and commiserating with everyone about their diagnosis for 3 hours

Noooooo

Sorry, hope she is OK. And CGLDI - how are you feeling?

thx. afaict its been 6 days since exposure and she feels fine so far, so fingers crossed. frustrating thing is my mom generally doesnt have The Brainworms, but for some reason despite my best efforts she is just completely steadfast in her belief that wearing multiple masks confers immunity.

no clue how any of my uncle's fam caught it but theyre all pretty trumpy so i can imagine theyve been fairly lax. our area is at that point where community spread is so hot that contact tracing is pretty pointless anyway.

My children and I are still doing well so far - just the sniffles and anosmia. My wife is extremely fatigued and has headaches and bodyaches and says she feels like she has a fever, although I've been taking her temp and she hasn't shown a fever yet. We've been monitoring her pulse ox as well, but she's ok so far.

Outwardly, I'm holding it all together and staying cheerful and taking care of everyone else and all the chores around the house, as well as continuing to wfh. Inside, I'm on the verge of losing my fucking mind with a whole stew of negative emotions. I've got a feeling that this is going to be the longest week of my life.

anosmia

*shout-out to former ilxor Abbbottt by the way.

abbbottt will always be an ilxor imo

thinking of you peace man, hang in there

hang in there, peace man! i think it's ok to let that negative stuff out sometimes, too (maybe in the shower, or the classic scream into a pillow) but everyone's got their own way of doing it. hoping the best for you and your fam

abbbottt will always be an ilxor imo

― Karl Malone, Monday, January 4, 2021 12:13 PM (two minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Oh, for sure.

Just got over a nightmare 15 day period dealing with a parent in the hospital with COVID.

I had to beg her, send her every article explaining the potential dire complications, and basically threaten to disown her for her to finally check into the hospital (She had already tested positive for covid about 4 days before). Given her age (71), symptoms (severe), her doctor told me, on her 2nd day there, that she had a 1/3 chance to live over the next five days, based on everything that they know.

She was released today from the hospital. Her doctor told me that he wished every elderly person who has tested positive for covid with a fever, and an oximeter reading at or below 90 to check into the hospital asap, as that would cut the death rate so much. So many seniors wait until their symptoms progress to the state of almost no return.

wau. glad she made it!

Not that there's some miracle cure, by any means, but there are many combinations of therapies that they can try before you spiral out of control with that covid-related Pneumonia.

Thanks mookie!!

Please let me share a few of the articles that inspired my mom to go to the hospital:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/20/opinion/sunday/coronavirus-testing-pneumonia.html

https://blog.bcbsnc.com/2020/07/a-timeline-of-covid-19-symptoms/

If you have elderly people in your life testing positive, get them to the hospital early so they can unleash every therapy known to science. Most won't even be admitted (like my mom). But they'll know.

Last thing: you want to avoid acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) at all costs.