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There's only a handful of you, and you're acting like obsessed lunatics.

I honestly wouldn't want to ever be washed up on the shore unconscious on an island run by you lot.

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Plague Diary

Started by Doktor Howl, March 23, 2020, 07:17:36 PM

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chaotic neutral observer

2020 Mar. 27

I went grocery shopping on Saturday.

Although I once had anxiety issues regarding grocery stores, the trip was surprisingly stress-free.  For me, I mean.  People mostly kept their distance, one even avoiding entering an aisle when I was already present.  There was a omnipresent air of awkwardness, which I found rather comforting.  Everybody is now acting weird, so I fit right in!  They're acting out the human-contact avoidance behaviour which I have to work to surpress.

One woman who I met in mid-aisle smiled and said something I didn't quite catch about her shopping cart, which she was pulling, rather than pushing; I smiled back, but made no reply.  I guess some people react to stress by reaching out.

The only notable shortages were brown sugar (completely sold out), and orange juice (very low); also, the vitamin shelves in the pharmacy seemed a bit empty.  I was slightly amused that people think those things would have any effect.  This is a virus, not scurvy.  The produce section was quite well stocked, although they were no longer selling pomelos, and the ataulfo mangoes were quite wrinkly.

They had installed plexiglass shields to protect the cashiers, and just after I unloaded my cart, they marked that checkout lane as closed.  The cashier wasn't going on break, but was being moved over to the next lane, so hers could be cleaned.  During checkout, I overheard an older woman asking an employee if there was somewhere she could sit down; the chairs in the area adjacent the checkout had been removed, presumably to prevent people from socializing there.

The cashier seemed quite upbeat, even cheerful; I couldn't tell if this was innate, put-on, or a reaction because I was inadvertently wearing my friendly face.  I hope it was the latter, she's one of the cute ones.

If it wasn't for all the store closures, volatile stock market, and y'know, the risk of death, I think I could get used to this.
Desine fata deum flecti sperare precando.

Al Qədic


3/29/2020


I broke up with my stagnant LDR last night, so that was an interesting few hours of being confusedly not-sad and then hungry and then sleepy. Woke up in the early afternoon to notifications from my best pals, a small handful of internet friends, all in the same large Discord server; horny fuckwads were apparently busy being horny and fuckwad-y, as is typical. It's like the virus is cranking everyone's stupid-dials to 11 though, as if their literal and silicone dicks don't do a fine enough job of that already. I scrolled through the shit (it was the usual shit, just increased in volume), friends and I contemplated why we even still bother with the server, memes were shared at the fuckwads' expense, etc.


That bullhonkey only served to stress out everyone, especially my already-stressed-out friend; poor thing's been without her fiancee for a couple weeks, it'll be a week or two more (because of the fiancee getting quarantined at her folks' place), and all the asshattery pinched a nerve in her that me and the others have been trying to soothe. Needless to say, I was pissed. I grumbled as much to a mutual friend, and I had half a mind to say it to the fuckers' collective smarmy faces, but then, starting dwama would have been looked down upon even by the mod who would have been far less kind than I in delivering the same message. So, I shut my trap. C'est la guerre.


Anyway. I remembered that I had some Holy Nonsense saved to this new phone, so I shared some of the more pertinent pieces with the best pals (You Are Enough, the KippleKipple piece about how "It won't always be like this", and, more importantly, the one about living to piss off your enemies). It put smiles on their faces, which put a smile on mine.


Sometimes, it's the little things that get you through the shit.
There is no reason to,
Be ashamed of poetry. It,
Is natural. But you should,
Still do it in private,
And wash your hands afterward.

tyrannosaurus vex

apparently my employer failed to predict the impact of laying me off so they rehired me
Evil and Unfeeling Arse-Flenser From The City of the Damned.

Cain

Welcome to your essential status upgrade.

altered

Quote from: tyrannosaurus vex on April 04, 2020, 06:29:41 PM
apparently my employer failed to predict the impact of laying me off so they rehired me

Oh I LOVE this one.
"I am that worst of all type of criminal...I cannot bring myself to do what you tell me, because you told me."

There's over 100 of us in this meat-suit. You'd think it runs like a ship, but it's more like a hundred and ten angry ghosts having an old-school QuakeWorld tournament, three people desperately trying to make sure the gamers don't go hungry or soil themselves, and the Facilities manager weeping in the corner as the garbage piles high.

Cramulus

make sure you get permission to work from your boss' pool

Doktor Howl

We had a guest over today.  It was kind of a big deal. We've all been more or less isolated, and we felt pretty safe about the whole thing.

By which I mean Patience came over and we all sat around in masks trying to have a conversation without being able to see facial expressions.
Molon Lube

Bruno

This week we were told that all non-religious holidays this year will be unpaid. Also, we are required to use half of our PTO by June 30. The reason given was that they apparently expect everything to be getting back to normal by the third or fourth quarter, and we will need to make up lost time.

They wanted us to start sanitizing our work spaces with 75% alcohol 5 times per shift. Predictably, we blew through the entire supply in two days.

Today I made what I expect to be my last run for groceries for at least a few weeks, though I may still get my weekly gallon of milk from the dollar store down the road. I've been hoarding food for a couple of years now, and at this point I've just about run out of room for it. I just realized this week that, if by some miracle of science this thing does blow over in the next couple of months, I have almost all the ingredients to make about 40lbs of no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies. So I guess that's what I'll be bringing to the end-of-quarantine party.

I found an HVAC filter at Kroger that says it filters viruses. I'm going to try to make some kind of mask out of it since it should theoretically be better than a t-shirt, bandanna, etc...
Formerly something else...

The Wizard Joseph

4/5/2020


Last night I took part in a virtual conference arranged by a person I met online some time ago following up on some business for Holy Nonsense. THere were experts there speaking on condition of strict confidentiality as to their identities. The virus absolutely does aerosolize readily. A microbiologist corrected me when I mentioned the three day lifespan on a hard nonpourous surface. Apparently in certain cases it's more like 17 days. I can't even concieve of a virus that durable and posited my water contamination theory. everyone just kind of went quiet and nobody had any contradicting input. The whole affair was pretty grim. The hospitals in NewYork are running out of oxygen and without that and the necessary drugs and expertise the ventilators are just a waste of space. If you go on one you're on it for an average of two weeks and have a 15% chance of survival. This means that it's a profound waste of resources from a triage perspective. many people currently on the ventilators are brain dead and their families reluctant to pull the plug for the next person to get one. THere's a lot of fuckery going on with the testing too. there's just not enough of it and some of the tests can have up to a 30% false negative rate.

I have had trouble motivating myself to write for here. I want to write to altered in PM. I have things to write for Vex's organizational idea. I have stories to tell. I can barely keep myself going right now, but will get to these things.

My father just don't get it. My brother grows more paranoid by the day. His wife has anxiety so bad she's got an ulcer or something keepig her up at night with stomach pain. I am isolating in my room for the moment and only emerging to eat, shit, do necessary chores around the house, and smoke the occasional cigarette. I absolutely must quit smoking soon. I was practically begged to stop by some folks at the conference. I'm not buying another pack. when I run out of the two packs I have I'm done.

In the meantime I'm going to find ways to capitalize on my new computer set up. I will probably open a thread eventually to ask technical questions and get recommendations for software and how to access the so called darkweb securely. I understand the concept of a VPN and tor browsers. I also am interested in getting into IRC and FTP, but do not know what software would be best.

yesterday there were a million+ cases. in a week that will double, then double again, and again.
You can't get out backward.  You have to go forward to go back.. better press on! - Willie Wonka, PBUH

Life can be seen as a game with no reset button, no extra lives, and if the power goes out there is no restarting.  If that's all you see life as you are not long for this world, and never will get it.

"Ayn Rand never swung a hammer in her life and had serious dominance issues" - The Fountainhead

"World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation."
- Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality :lulz:

"You program the controller to do the thing, only it doesn't do the thing.  It does something else entirely, or nothing at all.  It's like voting."
- Billy, Aug 21st, 2019

"It's not even chaos anymore. It's BANAL."
- Doktor Hamish Howl

Doktor Howl

Just about every common virus is aerosol.  That's the whole point.  Every cold, every flu, whatever.

Airborne is a different and altogether more dangerous category, doesn't require spit.
Molon Lube

The Wizard Joseph

Quote from: Doktor Howl on April 06, 2020, 04:55:15 AM
Just about every common virus is aerosol.  That's the whole point.  Every cold, every flu, whatever.

Airborne is a different and altogether more dangerous category, doesn't require spit.

I must have those mixed up in my head. I'm concerned about the potential for the latter, but not too bad. still hoping to be wrong there.
You can't get out backward.  You have to go forward to go back.. better press on! - Willie Wonka, PBUH

Life can be seen as a game with no reset button, no extra lives, and if the power goes out there is no restarting.  If that's all you see life as you are not long for this world, and never will get it.

"Ayn Rand never swung a hammer in her life and had serious dominance issues" - The Fountainhead

"World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation."
- Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality :lulz:

"You program the controller to do the thing, only it doesn't do the thing.  It does something else entirely, or nothing at all.  It's like voting."
- Billy, Aug 21st, 2019

"It's not even chaos anymore. It's BANAL."
- Doktor Hamish Howl

Faust

Quote from: The Wizard Joseph on April 06, 2020, 05:03:26 AM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on April 06, 2020, 04:55:15 AM
Just about every common virus is aerosol.  That's the whole point.  Every cold, every flu, whatever.

Airborne is a different and altogether more dangerous category, doesn't require spit.

I must have those mixed up in my head. I'm concerned about the potential for the latter, but not too bad. still hoping to be wrong there.

You are wrong, so be reassured by that. If it was airborn, the hospitals would all be closed now. We have healthcare staff on the ward with the patients for 12+ hours at a time. There is significant infection, but looking around its in the low 10-20% of staff, as opposed to the overwhelming majority which is what it would be.
If they are coughed on, or touch a surface the person coughed on and then touch their face it transmits. That is virile enough to be the massive problem we are seeing, but don't exaggerate it because it is important to be accurate about what is happening
Sleepless nights at the chateau

The Wizard Joseph

Quote from: Faust on April 06, 2020, 10:23:46 AM
Quote from: The Wizard Joseph on April 06, 2020, 05:03:26 AM
Quote from: Doktor Howl on April 06, 2020, 04:55:15 AM
Just about every common virus is aerosol.  That's the whole point.  Every cold, every flu, whatever.

Airborne is a different and altogether more dangerous category, doesn't require spit.

I must have those mixed up in my head. I'm concerned about the potential for the latter, but not too bad. still hoping to be wrong there.

You are wrong, so be reassured by that. If it was airborn, the hospitals would all be closed now. We have healthcare staff on the ward with the patients for 12+ hours at a time. There is significant infection, but looking around its in the low 10-20% of staff, as opposed to the overwhelming majority which is what it would be.
If they are coughed on, or touch a surface the person coughed on and then touch their face it transmits. That is virile enough to be the massive problem we are seeing, but don't exaggerate it because it is important to be accurate about what is happening

Yeah I'm trying to rein in my paranoia and speculation and stick to the facts as I get them. Even if something turns out to be correct, like perhaps my current guess of persistent water contamination, it's doing me and everyone else no good in terms of anxiety and conflict. I'm still going to voice some of that here in the diary to vent it, but on the data thread I'm going to try very hard to stick to factual observation.
You can't get out backward.  You have to go forward to go back.. better press on! - Willie Wonka, PBUH

Life can be seen as a game with no reset button, no extra lives, and if the power goes out there is no restarting.  If that's all you see life as you are not long for this world, and never will get it.

"Ayn Rand never swung a hammer in her life and had serious dominance issues" - The Fountainhead

"World domination is such an ugly phrase. I prefer to call it world optimisation."
- Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality :lulz:

"You program the controller to do the thing, only it doesn't do the thing.  It does something else entirely, or nothing at all.  It's like voting."
- Billy, Aug 21st, 2019

"It's not even chaos anymore. It's BANAL."
- Doktor Hamish Howl

Doktor Howl

I am leaving this thread, since the Covid19 thread in the tech section is supposed to be for technical discussions and this is supposed to be for personal experiences and not whether the fucking thing is airborne.  I will do something offline and post it later, I guess.  Or just do it offline.  Goddammit.

I DON'T GIVE A FUCK IF IT IS AIRBORNE FOR THIS CONVERSATION.  SON OF A BITCH.

Hamish,
Not handling isolation well.
Molon Lube

Doktor Howl

Pardon my frustration, TWJ.  Please keep the airborne/technical stuff in the technical thread.
Molon Lube