The COVID-19 Crisis

[Z-Man]

So... how is everyone holding up? Apart from playing more tournaments

Don't worry about me or my family. Job is secure, we were strongly urged to work from home Friday before the schools closed, I've got a borderline luxurious home office anyway, but the company also supplied shiny new laptops for everyone. Everyone here has a space to withdraw to, keeping tension low. And because of Z-Girls condition, we're already used to stricter hygiene standards, occasional wearing of face masks and knowing there's a germ out there that might seriously harm or kill a loved one (and while hard data is unavailable at the moment, this one doesn't seem to be as bad for her as the bacteria that are constantly lurking). The country is not in complete lockdown, we still can go outside just fine. We had to put our travel plans for the summer on ice, but hadn't spent any money yet.

Relax and stay safe!

[sinewav]

That's good to hear, Z-Man. Thanks for letting us know!

I'm doing OK in Southern California. I'm one of the luckier ones. My job is secure for at least the next few weeks and I can do most of my work from home. My bank account looks good for the next couple months. My lifestyle hasn't changed much, I've always been a "stay home and work on personal projects" type of person. In fact, I'm still so busy I don't have time for video games, which sucks because I really, really want to play! Also, my neighborhood is quiet for once and that's nice.

However, I will say that the pandemic is wearing on me psychologically. I live in a cool part of town and seeing empty streets is a bit unsettling. Also, the empty shelves in the grocery store worry me. And on top of all that, I developed a slight respiratory issue a couple weeks ago that I can't seem to shake. Probably not COVID (no way to know for sure), but it's super rare for me to get a chest cold, so it looks like bad timing that I would catch a respiratory illness right as a pandemic erupts. I'm basically fine, but I've been taking my temperature frequently just in case.

But yeah, psychologically it's been rough. As an older person I worry a lot about my at-risk friends and especially their parents, many of whom have fragile health as it is. I am also feeling a lot of anger toward my government and the absolute failure of leadership. There was a couple nights where I couldn't cope with the stress and wound up getting drunk, which is something I never do. I also have a reoccurring feeling of helplessness and the desire to take some sort of action, and I have to keep reminding myself that staying away from people IS a helpful action.

I can't wait to hang out with my friends. I had plans to fly to Chicago in May, but that's on hold like everything else. Also, this girl I used to flirt with called me out the blue last week to tell me she's now living in the US and not Mexico and i REALLY want to see her, haha.

[kyle]

Glad to hear both of you are doing pretty well. I'm also doing pretty well, and I've moved all the hardware I work on from work to my home, luckily I have the space for it and recently upgraded my home network. I am still hopeful in 6-8 month I'll have some free time to finally start playing again.

And on top of all that, I developed a slight respiratory issue a couple weeks ago that I can't seem to shake. Probably not COVID (no way to know for sure), but it's super rare for me to get a chest cold, so it looks like bad timing that I would catch a respiratory illness right as a pandemic erupts. I'm basically fine, but I've been taking my temperature frequently just in case.

I've actually had similar for the last month, still not over it yet

(RANT)
I too am very frustrated with the media and government around COVID-19. The reporting of cases and whatnot is really inaccurate and bad. For one the case count should be much higher, but they cannot test everyone, for instance my boss had some symptoms, but was unable to get tested, this had already worked through the rest of his family before getting to him, and we started working remote ahead of this. Another thing I find odd is recovered cases seem to be very slim, maybe because they have to wait some time after symptoms before they can be reported as recovered. This leads me to the case count.

We see Numbers growing, and hear of ventilator shortages, but are they in shortage for repair and cleaning between patients? I really think with this we need more information on severity of the cases reported, Are the mild symptoms, critical, in recovery. A climbing number of cumulative cases does not show that at all. Today I did see a breakdown of cases by age, but again, that should be compared to the population in that age range.

Then we have a shortage on essential items and some other strange things. Strange things being flour, eggs, yeast, TP, paper towel to name a few items that our stores were completely out of. The face mask issues is via misinformation, We all probably should have had some face masks before this, because it should be recommended to ware a mask in public when you are sick. Many places already do this, I did not know this until the more recent weeks after you could not buy them. I don't buy this whole cloth mask recommendation, I actually think that might be worse, now you have something exposed, that this virus can land on and stay with you further and then eventually work its way through the cloth into you. Also this consumer mask hoarding should not have put a burden on the medical mask system, its more obvious that the health system was not prepared for this, and the government was not ready to step in and help and everything they are trying to do is going to be too late IMO, It takes time to setup to build the devices needed.

With all this said, I am understanding, we have not faced anything like this, since the Spanish flu, over 100 years ago. However I believe that the TV show Mars from National Geographic, covered something like this and was really good at pointing out all the sides of it that people and corporations would see.
(END RANT)

I have to admire what Musk's Tesla and SpaceX are doing, They are not putting any restrictions in place to move stuff along. They are buying equipment and giving it into the hands of those who need it, at no cost. I'm sure there are several companies looking to get top dollar out of equipment they have packed in a warehouse, looking to monetize on this. Full disclosure, I've been a supporter of Tesla for several years. I reserved my model 3 day one. To those who wind up reading all kinds of negative articles about them, Go test one, you'll see why this care is so great, why they continue to sell, and realize how incorrect a lot of the "news" on them is. (I'll leave it there for now, could have a much longer discussion / post on Tesla if people want it)

[Agility]

Glad to hear the tron community is good for the most part.

I have a job at a bank, sadly I have to work through all of this. However, we have spray and sanitizer to help disinfect multiple surfaces. We have suggested that all our members go through drive thru and not the lobby.

I'm Glad to see the tron community get more active though, this will always be one of my favorite games. May we keep on growing!

Also if you got to bing.com/covid, there is a helpful tracker. Although I don't believe all countries report accurate.

[Word]

Hey everyone, glad you're doing relatively ok as well.
I guess I'm pretty well off right now, but I currently don't have a job and spend Easter with my parents which, psychologically, wears me out way more than the restrictions themselves because my parents never forget to remind me that I'm jobless right now. I was supposed to start working as an archaeologist 3 weeks ago but that project seems to be off the table thanks to the crisis. Then I worked for some plastic production factory in Cologne for two days. On the second day I missed the train/they changed the train's schedule over night, I was an hour late and got fired after my shift was over. So now I'm writing all kinds of applications again and hope I find *something*. I'm part of the risk group due to my chronic illness so it's a little worrying when people already demand to go back and reopen things so the economic consequences aren't as bleak for the country as a whole, even though I find the precautions just as awful as everyone else. Frankly, I tend to think if I get infected, I'd survive this (and like some of you perhaps I already did...I had a really tough, long-lasting flu during February, including fever and headaches, but I didn't feel like I drowned and could still taste food, plus, i get this almost every year at least once), but by now I've read so many reports of young people who died in spite of having no preconditions that I don't trust my own judgement when it comes to this. My immune system is usually overreacting and needs to be surpressed so I'm taking a little less medication now. And I now eat lots of stuff I shouldn't because I'm usually too lazy to cook, but that said I also cook a lot more. The University's dining hall is 5 minutes from my home so I used to be privileged in this respect, but now it's closed and I'm exploring all kinds of canned meals.

Heh, I already wrote a few goodbye letters and made a video just in case. Hopefully I'll laugh about this in a few decades. The German government is handling this relatively well but I'm pretty sure it's far worse around here than the media/politicians pretend it is. I'm not a conspiracy nut, or an epidemologist for that matter, but if there's only few thousand test kits available per day for a population of 80 million and they only test you once a doctor recommends that it should be done (it is my understanding that, even if you work in a home for the elderly, you have to show symptoms before they allow you to get tested), then the true number of deaths/infected people must be quite unsettling. Add to that that we still had carnival, soccer matches and concerts in late February and early March and the official statistics look completely untrustworthy.

Fun fact (ok, the use of the word "fun" is rather inappropriate), one of the first "take away-huts" that opened in Cologne after World War II, in the midst of the debris, served only Hungarian meat soup, and a few years later became a cozy restaurant that only served Hungarian meat soup. I went there a few times a year. Now they're basically back in crisis mode and one of the last places that are still open. I'm sure the workers there find this less poetic than I do, however. I go there a lot.

I'm also horrified by the news reports, pictures and videos from New York, Italy, Spain (and to some extent Iran but I'll admit that just feels less close to home).Those mass graves seem to belong to another era. I really hope Trump is removed soon, I don't even care if Pence is in office for a few months. Call me dumb but I'm actually surprised the Republicans don't even have the decency to let their constituents vote from home.

It seems that, for the most part, people do follow the official rules, which makes the few instances where you observe anyone who doesn't all the more glaring and unsettling like in a zombie dystopia. A week ago, I stood at the end of the line in front of the supermarket, then some drunkard/homeless guy came and kept provoking me. Like, he came really close to me (closer than would be normal without social distancing), and I tried to make a move forward to keep my distance as best as I could, especially whenever someone in front of us was allowed entry, but the guy kept walking super close to me, so much so that I could feel his breath on my neck, and the security guards just stood there, gave me that pitiful look, but didn't really seem to know what to do. So after a while I tried my best to calmly ask "Excuse me, are you reeeaaally unable to keep that distance like everybody else here does?" and he took a small bow and was like "oh OF COURSE MIGHTY SIR, I shall comply!" (condescending like I was a spoiled brat and he'd happily punch my teeth out next time we meet, or just mocking me like my concern was irrational), but at least he left me alone after this.
In general, from what I saw, it's especially a few old people who really don't behave like you'd think their age/self-interest would dictate them to. Old people in the supermarket who just squeak themselves through you and the other people in line at the supermarket counter instead of waiting and then smile at you like you're a fool for waiting, old people who hit the yellow button of the traffic light 30 times without gloves on and then touch their face and scratch their heads, old people who stand in groups of four or five on the street to talk about how their families are doing and how all of this is hysteria.

What really makes me angry is that climate change is/will be so much worse, and Covid-19 seems to distract a little from that, even though there's one article in every newspaper whose headline reads COVID-19 MUSTN'T DISTRACT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE or something to that effect, but usually just one. Why can't those same politicians who now show that they can get shit done treat the climate with the same urgency?

The isolation hasn't been that bad yet. I actually happened to see a friend/acquaintance by accident every other week (and went on a date with a girl, but with 2m distance the whole time, which kind of sucked), we talked for a minute or two, and that was my only conversation for the rest of the week but it was enough for me to keep me somewhat sane given the circumstances. I worry a lot about my grandmothers and friends that I know have physical preconditions or depression and hope they get through this, but I don't really know what to tell them. I did play Armagetron a little more when I was in Cologne.

Wrote this on my phone, I hope it's not a big pain in the ass to read; I'm gonna edit it later. Stay healthy!

[sinewav]

Thanks for checking in with us, Word. One thing that gives me hope for the future is this event might make people reevaluate their priorities and realize a different way of living is possible.

For example, now that it has been proven I can do most of my job remotely, is there a legitimate reason for me to drive to the office every day? Even if I went to work half the days of a week that would reduce my carbon footprint, reduce insurance risks to my employer, and probably their space and energy requirements. If one third of my company's employees worked on a rotating schedule they could move into a smaller building and have shared desks/workstations which could translate into millions of dollars in savings. This could even be a competitive edge for some businesses.

For those people who are considered "essential" during a pandemic, they have a strong case for demanding better wages and higher quality of life. For those people (like me) who have bullshit jobs that don't really mean anything there is a good case for the argument "why should everyone work?" Society can function perfectly if only a small percentage of people engage in labor. Perhaps there is a future where people only work for a couple months out of the year, sharing essential jobs with others.

Of course, these are utopian ideas. But if you can't imagine a better future in a time of global crisis, then you don't have a good imagination, and imagination is responsible for all the best things about humanity.

[kyle]

Word, that sucks about your jobs.

I'm actually slightly optimistic about climate change. For once the amount of cars on the roads is down by a lot. pollution levels seam to be declining. People are learning a new way of life to limit exposure to other people. People are learning how to plan meals out, so that they can limit the number of trips to the store or to get takeout. If people adapt a part of that going forward, it should be beneficial.

I also think in a way it's good that gas prices are super low right now. let the price wars rage on when demand is extremely low.

The one thing that has happened recently that I don't like is dropping the regulations further on the auto industry, because they wants safer cars more affordable. This is completely backwards logic in my opinion. Allowing more pollutants is bad for the heath of people. I've found that having a Model 3, I am more susceptible to those toxic fumes than I once was.

Time will tell, hopefully it will be for the better.

[Tsugaru]

I'm holding up well, glad to see everyone else is okay too!

[Word]

I got a job again! as an archaeologist. things are getting better. I'm quite tired now though, so no more details for now. I'm doing fine, i hope the same applies to you guys!

[Tank Program]

Good to hear people are doing OK. I'm also working from home, but I miss my nice work desk, chair, and monitors. My home setup was not meant for 10 hours a day on it.

[sinewav]

I hope I can go back to work by the time summer get here. My apartment regularly gets to 30°C and higher for several hours a day. There is air conditioning at work!

[Z-Man]

Office air conditioning! I admit, even as a filthy communist treehugger, that's one thing I'll be missing this summer. Then again, air conditioning = closed windows = worse air circulation = not a good idea right now. I'll cope

Message to all the US Americans, possibly silly: I realize tomorrow is an important day for you. But there is nothing Unamerican about keeping yourselves and others healthy. If you go out, wear a mask. Avoid packed crows. If it has to be among other people, being outside is better than inside. Clapping is better than shouting and screaming. If it turns out you can't keep your distance, go home.
We now know this pandemic is in large part fueled by superspreading events that happen whenever people are close together, possibly screaming, mostly inside. The Wuhan food market. That South Corean church. Ishgl (love how the first google result for that is an official site with the slogan "Ischgl. Relax. If you can"). Damned Tönnies. So, avoid that?
The version of 4th of July celebrations I know from TV, which is barbecues in lush gardens and family picnics in wide open parks, would be fine (+masks when not eating stars and stripes cake); I have no idea what reality looks like.

[kyle]

Avoid packed crows.

What do you have against Packed Crows?

Small (under 15 people) family gathering for Model rocket launches and fireworks is I how play it. I may try to get a recording of the rocket, if all works out well it'll be a pretty cool launch.

[sinewav]

Office air conditioning!

This was a huge concern of mine. Normally I work in an air conditioned office but now I work at home where my apartment regularly gets above 30°C in the summer months. Several weeks ago we had a few hot days and I couldn't take it. I bought a portable air conditioner and I discovered that I only need it about 20 minutes a day if I time the use correctly (my apartment is small). I hate using one, but if it's too hot to concentrate I can't get any work done.

I will be staying home this weekend, along with most of my friends. My country's response to the pandemic is abysmal and it's extremely stressful to see this disease out of control. The United States is going to drag down the global economy for years because of this.

Model rocket launches

I used to love making those! It's another hobby I want to pick up again after retirement (if I live that long).

[SoulOfSet]

I hope I can go back to work by the time summer get here. My apartment regularly gets to 30°C and higher for several hours a day. There is air conditioning at work!

I've upgraded my home office setup because of all of this. I ended up buying 2 72" desks to replace my single 60" desk. The effect of having the extra space for the 2 PCs I had to bring home + my personal PC was astounding. V_V

Now I can also have my MIDI keyboard on my desk as well for the extra bonus