Coronavirus


"It sounded like a great deal: The White House coronavirus task force would buy a defense company’s new cleaning machines to allow critical protective masks to be reused up to 20 times. And at $60 million for 60 machines on April 3, the price was right.

But over just a few days, the potential cost to taxpayers exploded to $413 million, according to notes of a coronavirus task force meeting obtained by NBC News. By May 1, the Pentagon pegged the ceiling at $600 million in a justification for awarding the deal without an open bidding process or an actual contract. Even worse, scientists and nurses say the recycled masks treated by these machines begin to degrade after two or three treatments, not 20, and the company says its own recent field testing has only confirmed the integrity of the masks for four cycles of use and decontamination."

I am clearly in the wrong line of business.

Start a mask making and PPE business in Canada. I am sure you can get Justin to chip in. Make Canadian manufacturing great again. You can employ international students here they want to work more than study anyway.
 
Military might, yes you may have a point. Soft power, I don't quite agree. A lot of the world is bound by debt and dependency on China hence its effect.

However, that is not really the point. The fact is an alliance is needed from nations/ institutions to curtail China's pervasive influence.

There are a disturbing number of people in influential positions in the West who refuse to understand or acknowledge what China is. Whether this is due to an ideological blind-spot, stupidity or plain mendacity, its deeply worrying.

The West, led by the US need to step up to the plate.
 
Or they have deep pockets in China. There is not a single rich Chinese businessman who is not deeply connected to the Communist party, whether through family or was formerly a government official; the West wants to conduct business in China, this is sort of the price to pay. Though I do believe we can force their hand if we weren't so consumed with greed.
 
Or they have deep pockets in China. There is not a single rich Chinese businessman who is not deeply connected to the Communist party, whether through family or was formerly a government official; the West wants to conduct business in China, this is sort of the price to pay. Though I do believe we can force their hand if we weren't so consumed with greed.

I think it would be very easy for the West to deal with China if they were to put up a united-front. China is unstable, and the acquiescence of its populace to its leadership is dependant on economic growth.
 
Or they have deep pockets in China. There is not a single rich Chinese businessman who is not deeply connected to the Communist party, whether through family or was formerly a government official; the West wants to conduct business in China, this is sort of the price to pay. Though I do believe we can force their hand if we weren't so consumed with greed.

Indeed, everyone is a cog, not a gear in the party structure.
 
According to one of the missus's friends based in Qatar, the virus is raging pretty bad there, a 1000 new cases a day.

Never been a fan of that Dubai/UAE/Qatar L-shaped expat lifestyle. Drive in a straight line to work and back. Get showered and turn right, drive in a straight line down to the bowling arcade and then enjoy the frozen Italian pizza ingredients whilst pretending you're more sussed than the Brits back at home because you got a Rolex tax free on your first leave. Being no more than one bad credit payment debt, or bounced company cheque, from life imprisonment.
 

"It has been found those with the most severe form of the disease have extremely low numbers of an immune cell called a T-cell.

T-cells clear infection from the body.

The clinical trial will evaluate if a drug called interleukin 7, known to boost T-cell numbers, can aid patients' recovery."

We should use what they used in the Resident Evil movies.
 

If only the British would have banned and quarantined people based on their country, race, creed or plain xenophobia like the rest of the world maybe they wouldn’t be in the top 4.
 

"It has been found those with the most severe form of the disease have extremely low numbers of an immune cell called a T-cell.

T-cells clear infection from the body.

The clinical trial will evaluate if a drug called interleukin 7, known to boost T-cell numbers, can aid patients' recovery."

We should use what they used in the Resident Evil movies.

This is much better in The Spectator:

 
This is much better in The Spectator:


We don't have a vaccine for SARS. Neither for MERS. And if a vaccine isn't possible, then why in God's green earth are we quarantining ourselves? I thought it was until a vaccine is developed, administered and this thing is gone 100%.
 
We don't have a vaccine for SARS. Neither for MERS. And if a vaccine isn't possible, then why in God's green earth are we quarantining ourselves? I thought it was until a vaccine is developed, administered and this thing is gone 100%.

Quarantine and lockdowns is to ensure we don't overwhelm the medical support as happened in Italy and Spain. All those people dying in hospital hallways and basements with no treatment whatsoever is very bad for morale.
 
I think its hilarious that "the economy" tanked just because people stopped buying shit they don't need for a couple of weeks. When did making and selling shit nobody needs become a business in the first place?
 
When did making and selling shit nobody needs become a business in the first place?

Exactly.

Unfortunately, though, for the past half century or so, our modern economies have largely been built on unnecessary consumption, and on continually increasing that unnecessary consumption.

At the risk of sounding like a hippie, I had hoped that the enforced break from needless consumption would lead to a rethink, to get people or society at large to realise that we don't actually need to buy all of this shit and that it doesn't actually make us happier or improve our lives.

Unfortunately, though, now that restrictions are being relaxed where I am, it seems that people are rushing out to buy all the things they weren't able to do so over the past month. I went food shopping yesterday morning and there were people walking out of the shopping centre with bags of shoes, sporting gear, brand-name clothes, jewellery stores and lots of other things, none of it particularly crucial. Late this afternoon, my neighbour came home and pulled an enormous Sony box out of his car, so it looks as though he just went out and bought a big-screen TV.

So it looks like not much has changed.
 
I think its hilarious that "the economy" tanked just because people stopped buying shit they don't need for a couple of weeks. When did making and selling shit nobody needs become a business in the first place?

Couple of weeks? It's almost 3 months. And it affected the service economy too - no not just the cleaning lady. Dentists are moaning too.

I'm sure 50 years from now babies growing up today or aliens abroad will find it equally bizarre that mankind's only pursuit pivoted to sanitation: hand sanitizer, gowns, masks, face shields, machines to clean the mask, gloves, goggles, contact tracing, thermometers, plexiglass, disinfectant, video conference software, food delivery, etc.

Because the thought of that kind of world is just as inspiring.
 
Late this afternoon, my neighbour came home and pulled an enormous Sony box out of his car, so it looks as though he just went out and bought a big-screen TV.

So it looks like not much has changed.

Maybe he needs to upgrade because he spent so much and will be spending more time hunkered in front of the tele.

Strangely electronics stores were deemed essential here even in the height of restrictions. I picked up a video conference thing for my brother and people were walking out by foot with televisions.
 
It’s like she’s fused Fwiffs and Pimps’s talking points:



Good on her she is able to still look like that without gym, tanning salons and beauty parlour.

Meanwhile I had to dodge this queue by going on the street...realised afterwards it was for bubble tea. This is at the base of the 297 sq ft micro condo building. No one in the queue had a mask.

IMG_20200523_1643226.jpg
 
Exactly.

Unfortunately, though, for the past half century or so, our modern economies have largely been built on unnecessary consumption, and on continually increasing that unnecessary consumption.

At the risk of sounding like a hippie, I had hoped that the enforced break from needless consumption would lead to a rethink, to get people or society at large to realise that we don't actually need to buy all of this shit and that it doesn't actually make us happier or improve our lives.

Unfortunately, though, now that restrictions are being relaxed where I am, it seems that people are rushing out to buy all the things they weren't able to do so over the past month. I went food shopping yesterday morning and there were people walking out of the shopping centre with bags of shoes, sporting gear, brand-name clothes, jewellery stores and lots of other things, none of it particularly crucial. Late this afternoon, my neighbour came home and pulled an enormous Sony box out of his car, so it looks as though he just went out and bought a big-screen TV.

So it looks like not much has changed.

What do you expect, people to live reduced lives eating cold turnips?

Your post sounds very puritanical.

Couple of weeks? It's almost 3 months. And it affected the service economy too - no not just the cleaning lady. Dentists are moaning too.

Most industries have crashed. I was with the Auditors the other day and they were saying not one of their clients has done well out of this. All suffering across a great many different business sectors. For some sectors they've taken guarantees out on assets to continue working for them.
 
I think its hilarious that "the economy" tanked just because people stopped buying shit they don't need for a couple of weeks. When did making and selling shit nobody needs become a business in the first place?
that's literally the point of the economic system we run on.
 
What do you expect, people to live reduced lives eating cold turnips?

Your post sounds very puritanical.

Nice strawman!

Needless to say, I wasn't suggesting that we should all reduce ourselves to "eating cold turnips" while dressed in sackcloth and ashes.

I was simply observing that our economic system is largely built on the impossible myth of ever-increasing consumption of stuff that we largely don't need. So as to help achieve that, businesses compete to convince us to consume their wares in the hope that, in some way, we will be better, happier, trendier or more desirable.

I was hoping that, during the period of enforced downtime, there might be an awakening realisation that, in fact, such consumption doesn't really make people better or happier. It might provide a quick hit of dopamine but it quickly wears off, as quickly as Instagram followers go in search of the next post to like.
 
^
It’s a tough drug to kick. Especially in the Internet Age.

I think a lot of people spent their first few months of self-isolation online shopping. I’m a world gone upside down with uncertainty, the familiar comfort of consumption and the ensuing dopamine high for them through. and to reinforce it, the state gave us all a cheque and told us to ‘stimulate the economy’ by spending it straight
 
Nice strawman!

Needless to say, I wasn't suggesting that we should all reduce ourselves to "eating cold turnips" while dressed in sackcloth and ashes.

I was simply observing that our economic system is largely built on the impossible myth of ever-increasing consumption of stuff that we largely don't need. So as to help achieve that, businesses compete to convince us to consume their wares in the hope that, in some way, we will be better, happier, trendier or more desirable.

I was hoping that, during the period of enforced downtime, there might be an awakening realisation that, in fact, such consumption doesn't really make people better or happier. It might provide a quick hit of dopamine but it quickly wears off, as quickly as Instagram followers go in search of the next post to like.

It's not an impossible myth. You look at somewhere like the UK after the war up until the mid-50s it was very dour because of rationing and lack of the consumer culture.

People like to trade, buy stuff, it's part of the human condition. Enjoy it so long as you can afford it!

^
It’s a tough drug to kick. Especially in the Internet Age.

I think a lot of people spent their first few months of self-isolation online shopping. I’m a world gone upside down with uncertainty, the familiar comfort of consumption and the ensuing dopamine high for them through. and to reinforce it, the state gave us all a cheque and told us to ‘stimulate the economy’ by spending it straight

Is there anything wrong with that? Should they sit around all miserable at the human condition. There's nothing inherently wrong with shopping on line.
 
My credit card expense has dropped to back when I was in uni. Other than rent I am spending very little. I thought I would get a new suit or trousers or some other garment and then I realised no one is able to alter it for me with our restrictions in place.

I thought I would try restaurants through Uber Eats but I gave that up because I'm getting fat sitting around.

All of my entertainment, restaurant and bar costs have gone to zero except for a weekend trip to the farmer's market and the weekly liquor run.

It's similar to my vacation allotment at work. I have 6 weeks. Where would I go even if I take a day off?
 
It's similar to my vacation allotment at work. I have 6 weeks. Where would I go even if I take a day off?

Well, working from home is the same shit isn't it? Best to trade them in for some cash at end of the year.

One of my cousins has tested positive for the virus in Newcastle. She's one I think I missed off the list the other day. She's the go to light person placement expert for the footballers wives. She's okay now, but had flu like symptoms. Brother is getting tested for it now.
 

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