I also heard that a bird flu is looming as well,someone was going on about it on a news show other day, saying it has potential to be far worse than COVID.
Official Off Topic Discussion Thread #1
- Thread starter Chrisplosion
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Hello; Diseases will break out from time to time. Some will be more serious than others. Bird flu as an infectious agent likely will be some different than Covid. Maybe worse or maybe not as bad or maybe much the same. I guess two points include how the outbreak is handled and will the powers that be try to use such an outbreak for things that have nothing to do with controlling the disease. Hope we do not fall for the agendas as so many did during Covid.
I recorded a PBS program during the 12 days my internet was down. A series titled THE INVISIBLE SHIELD. It is about public health. The first episode started with some history of public health and eventually go around to patting themselves on the back for what a good job they did during Covid. I happen to disagree with the last bit.
There's always something that is "looming" or "impending" or "set to strike". Bird flu? That's fertile ground for scaring people; the Powers That Be are gonna milk that one thoroughly. The recent rash of notable earthquakes represent another rich vein of fear in the government mines, one which needs to be dug up and refined and used to best advantage.
Of course these things "could" be truly dangerous, in fact they definitely are to varying extents...but that magic word "could" can be used to turn anything into anything. A new bird flu "could" turn into a zombie apocalypse causing the death of millions...but would likely be a minor blip in disease stats. The next chunk of rock that hits the earth "could" be a planet-killer the size of Texas...but it will almost certainly be a grain of sand that burns up before it hits the ground. A mysterious creature that raids your yard and destroys your birdfeeders late at night "could" be a Sasquatch...but it's probably just a hungry juvenile bear.
But, wow, today...right now, as I type this...we are hours away from an eclipse! These are rare enough in any given location that very, very few people have a lot of experience with them, so...yeah, that can be made scary. And that's what they are doing! An incredible astronomical event, easily visible to the man on the street without expensive equipment, producing a spectacular visual display and providing a chance to create a teaching moment for children, as well as providing a huge boost to local businesses and economies from incoming tourists and eclipse-viewers...and we have local governments declaring a State of Emergency to prepare for it. Hospitals will be flooded, apparently, with idiots who have managed to burn two holes into their heads where their eyes once were. Run away!!!
My granddaughters aren't lucky to enough to be able to see the totality of it, we're way out to the side but there will still be a partial eclipse visible here. I was all set to be with them to see it, school be damned that day, mylar glasses on hand...but my stepdaughter, who will believe anything as long as she sees it on the internet and it doesn't require actual reading...is sending them to school...and the school has made it clear that during the time of the partial eclipse, all windows will be covered and no students will be allowed outside or even close to the windows. That's a "teaching moment" all right, but they're teaching them to be...literally...afraid of their own shadows.
My neighbour, in a theatrical hushed whisper, said the other day "But what if we look at it? It's dangerous!"
I replied "The sun is up there every single day, and it's always dangerous to look at it. Do you normally go outside and stare at the sun?"
She donned that blank expression which I have come to recognize as an indication that she is...briefly...thinking. "Well...no..."
"Good! Do that during the eclipse too!"
WTF is wrong with people?????!!!!!
Of course these things "could" be truly dangerous, in fact they definitely are to varying extents...but that magic word "could" can be used to turn anything into anything. A new bird flu "could" turn into a zombie apocalypse causing the death of millions...but would likely be a minor blip in disease stats. The next chunk of rock that hits the earth "could" be a planet-killer the size of Texas...but it will almost certainly be a grain of sand that burns up before it hits the ground. A mysterious creature that raids your yard and destroys your birdfeeders late at night "could" be a Sasquatch...but it's probably just a hungry juvenile bear.
But, wow, today...right now, as I type this...we are hours away from an eclipse! These are rare enough in any given location that very, very few people have a lot of experience with them, so...yeah, that can be made scary. And that's what they are doing! An incredible astronomical event, easily visible to the man on the street without expensive equipment, producing a spectacular visual display and providing a chance to create a teaching moment for children, as well as providing a huge boost to local businesses and economies from incoming tourists and eclipse-viewers...and we have local governments declaring a State of Emergency to prepare for it. Hospitals will be flooded, apparently, with idiots who have managed to burn two holes into their heads where their eyes once were. Run away!!!
My granddaughters aren't lucky to enough to be able to see the totality of it, we're way out to the side but there will still be a partial eclipse visible here. I was all set to be with them to see it, school be damned that day, mylar glasses on hand...but my stepdaughter, who will believe anything as long as she sees it on the internet and it doesn't require actual reading...is sending them to school...and the school has made it clear that during the time of the partial eclipse, all windows will be covered and no students will be allowed outside or even close to the windows. That's a "teaching moment" all right, but they're teaching them to be...literally...afraid of their own shadows.
My neighbour, in a theatrical hushed whisper, said the other day "But what if we look at it? It's dangerous!"
I replied "The sun is up there every single day, and it's always dangerous to look at it. Do you normally go outside and stare at the sun?"
She donned that blank expression which I have come to recognize as an indication that she is...briefly...thinking. "Well...no..."
"Good! Do that during the eclipse too!"
WTF is wrong with people?????!!!!!
I'm at the time of my life now where any impending potentially cataclysmic event, such as disease, war, or recession, make me very uneasy indeed. These events play absolute havoc with pensions, decimating them literally overnight.
Not so bad if you're young and they've got time to recover, but when you're older it is definitely squeaky bum time!
I'm not a conspiracy freak but sometimes I just wonder, lol.
Not so bad if you're young and they've got time to recover, but when you're older it is definitely squeaky bum time!
I'm not a conspiracy freak but sometimes I just wonder, lol.
I'm not sure I was ever in that stage, but if so I am definitely out of it now. I'm more at the point of "Aaaah, who gives a crap?" I've done my share of contributing to society; none of this stuff is even remotely within my ability to control or have an effect, so why stress about it? What happens....happens...
Don't worry...be happy! If the world is destroyed on 26 June 2026...do you want to spend the remaining time nurturing and developing a stress ulcer...or do you want to enjoy life?
Some pithy deep-thinking motivational guru has opined that there are three types of people: those who make things happen...those who watch things happen...and those who wonder what happened.
I propose the existence of a four type: those who have relaxed into just sitting on the deck and deciding what to do today...(raises hand)...
Holy crap! WTF!! Are you privy to some doomsday event that has passed old Esox by? What's going to happen? When was this decided? ****! Well, at least I've got a little over two years to stock up on baked beans and toilet roll if I've got to live in my underground bunker, lol......****! I don't have an underground bunker, he says, dashing to the shed for his shovel, lol.
Don't worry! That is a random date I just plucked out of the air.
It might be sooner.
Dig faster; maybe get the Shadow to help out...
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Hello; No excuses needed. I figure most all of the dates of impending doom are plucked from the air. Back when i was in my early twenties after biology courses including population biology, I imagined doom by the time i was 50. Soon after several books came out with similar population bomb predictions. I am now 76 and things are fairly bad in terms of population, but not yet the doom I imagined. I do suspect the masses of illegals coming into slightly better off countries are part of a population problem in their home country. Might be much of this current wave are due to economic problems. My concern back many decades was extensive worldwide famine more than economics.
Like you I am old enough to be beyond some of the worry. Not beyond getting pissed off most days. When i hit my late 60's I crossed my fingers and hoped conditions would be stable for my remaining years. That did not happen. If any can find it watch the PBS series.
The second episode airs Tuesday April 9. I have it set to record. I will report if it continues to tout what a good job they did during Covid. Not clear if the first episode will re-air any time soon.
I don’t worry about becoming poor. It’s inevitable. At some point, my healthcare cost will reach the point of insolvency.
If my wife passes before me, it will be even worse. She’s practically insisting on that, in any event.
If she outlives me she will surely regret it. Her first instinct in dealing with problems is always to throw my money at them.
If my wife passes before me, it will be even worse. She’s practically insisting on that, in any event.
If she outlives me she will surely regret it. Her first instinct in dealing with problems is always to throw my money at them.
