«12. . .1,7121,7131,7141,7151,7161,7171,718. . .2,6472,648»
I know I can't make you feel better just by saying "it's going to be ok," but I want you to know that it's going to be ok, regardless. You're going to get through this.
I couldn't say it any better than this.
Verdant Haven, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Lord Dominator, and 4 othersUan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and Kinectia
It's difficult to know who to believe at the moment. This isn't a situation with many modern precedents and this virus isn't very well understood. To some extent the agenda is being driven by a sensationalist media that loves to deal in worse case scenarios and some decisions are being made primarily in order to be seen to be doing something.
I've ploughed through a lot of government advice for work related reasons and I can certainly tell you that this isn't a case of Johnson opening his mouth Trump style and letting his belly rumble. It's consistent with a thought out policy that draws on scientific advice from people who aren't political appointments. The point made by the Chief Medical Officer was that in practice people will only adhere to strict measures for a certain period of time, particularly when media hype starts to run out of steam. If the government plays all its cards now it will have nothing in reserve for later in a situation that could run on into June, and isolation measures could be breaking down before the infection rate peaks. The scientists are also talking in terms of immunity in the population, though they have to couch this carefully because the public response to a candid assessment that it could be desirable for 60% of the population to contract the virus could be pretty explosive. Nonetheless, even if it were possible to seal off the UK completely we might well find the infection broke out again as soon as we emerged from quarantine. The point being made is essentially the one made by 
Mount Seymour above.
It isn't easy to explain the science through a media whose preferred tone is either a tabloid "OMG THE END IS NIGH!!!1!!1!" or a BBC blend of concern and voyeurism. While government obviously has to be subject to scrutiny, coverage along the lines of "caller on line three, what do you think?" has limited value unless caller on line three is an epidemiologist. This is the same BBC desire for balance and putting both sides that led to it unwittingly platforming anti-vaxers and climate deniers - it doesn't work with science like it does with politics.
Is it possible that the government is prioritising the economy over minimising the death toll? Yes, that might be the case. And there seem to be genuinely conflicting assessments of basic questions such as the risk of contracting the virus from someone who is not yet showing symptoms - the official position is that it's low.
I was struck by you mentioning yesterday that Trump was talking in complete sentences. So's Johnson - he made his announcement without stumbling at all. There was none of the usual "pah, grunt, pause, wiffle-waffle" and this time he hadn't messed up his hair and skewed his tie just before taking the podium. It seems that the rest of the time he really is playing this "Boris being Boris" character. Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.
Verdant Haven, Alpenburg, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, and 8 othersRuinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Cat-herders united, Northern Wood, Kinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
About this herd immunity issue...
Do we actually know if you gain immunity after you recover from this disease? I have heard reports of people who contracted it again after recuperating.
No, I don't think there's a definitive answer on that. Is also isn't clear why the virus doesn't seem statistically to harm children more than (or maybe even as much as) adults. It seems to be unlike previous flu-type outbreaks in that it can live on surfaces for up to 3 hours, but it's less able to spread in aerosol droplets from coughs and sneezes. That's why advice is talking about close personal contact with a person who has symptoms in terms of being within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes rather than passing them in the street. If you have to go home from work because you develop symptoms the advice says it's preferable not to use public transport but it's not unthinkable. And again, evidence is mixed with speculation amplified to feed the appetite of rolling news.
Actually, 2 days at least. Or even 2 weeks. I have heard different information, but it's definitely longer than 3 hours.
Within 6 metres for any time or anywhere in the same room for 15 minutes.
At least some of them were possibly reported to not have the virus because their noses were checked but their lungs weren't.
Verdant Haven, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 3 othersTurbeaux, Kinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
as far as anything i've heard, the actual incubation period for NcoV-19 is not accurately known with any certainty. 14 days is basically just a good rule of thumb. one risk is that it may be longer then that. at any rate, the basic good advice has no real confusion; maintain physical social distance and wash hands thoroughly. face masks, micro-fiber or n-95s, optional, but a good idea if you're going anywhere that you're likely to inhale what someone else exhales. the testing thing is of course up to the various health agencies wherever you live, to get or keep their acts together. also as far as i know, and i'm not an authority, i've just been listening to, as much as i can, those who are, but the immunity thing, and aquiring it, is another of the still unknowns.
most viruses, if the don't kill you, kick start your immune system's response, its natural development of antibodies and other defenses, but i've heard nothing as to the percentages of odds of how well this works or how long it takes with this current new one. i only know there are people working on it and that they have a model of its dna to work with.
if a thing is unknown, it makes no sense to make assumptions about it.
a lot of people will get sick, a lot of people will die, a larger percentage of those who get sick with it then with older and better known coV's.
but this is not, if you look at the numbers, the end of human life on the planet,
or even a big chunk percentage wise of our existing excessive population. that just doesn't make any less real or serious because by itself its not.
but it is a taste of the piper's price for how we've low prioritised how we treat the environment generally for more then a hundred years.
that what we've gotten away with for that long, isn't a fair test of how much longer we will continue to be able to.
the other factors of climate change i expect, will increase the frequence, decrease the interval, between the appearance of new forms of disease.
the infamaous inadiquicy of testing in the u.s. is of course all to well known, and the insufficiency of data as a result.
Verdant Haven, Frieden-und Freudenland, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersAuphelia, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Kinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
Hello, my darlings! Once more I have ascended to the office of Local Councillor of the South Pacific; thus, once more, I am to be flooding the world with my most wonderfully inane and mildly vexing polls of middling quality. I have always made it a point to keep the polls of our fair feeder open to any in the international community, so do feel free to express your endless gratitude and grovelling affections.
Behold!
Mount Seymour, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 2 othersWernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun, and Lousykitty
I'm listening to an NPR news update where they're talking about how the airline industry is "fighting to hang on." Now I'm imagining them queuing up at the front of the line with their hands out for handouts. Wait... do we really want to pour billions into bailing out the airlines? Maybe now would be a good time to start putting things like that through a "Climate Change Filter."
Is anyone else thinking about the airlines and climate change? Yep. The airlines are thinking about it. They're already lobbying for an exemption on the carbon emissions taxes. They say they can't worry about the climate when they are desperately rebuilding their businesses. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/climate/covid-19-climate-change.html
It's not that I want to do away with the airlines altogether. It infuriates me that thanks to our national hero, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish language now has a new word that means "flying shame." Swedes are all about conformity and there's a lot of social pressure and accusations of hypocrisy against anyone who says they care about the environment but wants to fly somewhere for vacation. If we all stay home that's a sure way to increase nationalism and xenophobia. However, I do think we should stop flying all over for environmental conferences, as well as all the other routine flying that could be replaced by teleconferences. This would be a great opportunity to introduce mindful traveling.
I'm pretty sure the cruise industry is going to demand bailout money too, and I'm absolutely unsympathetic about that. I already have a lot of reservations about these enormous carbon-spewing floating hotels and the business practices associated with them, but more to the point - how can we justify the increase in polar cruises - people rushing to see the glaciers before they're all gone?
Suddenly countries are coming up with billions and billions of dollars to inject into what is a hopelessly broken economic system that thrives on ever-increasing consumption, wealth gaps and oppressive debt, and nobody's talking about climate change. This worries me more than anything else about this pandemic.
Cameroi, Alpenburg, Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, and 7 othersRuinenlust, Lord Dominator, Auphelia, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and Cat-herders united
Hear, hear! I have wondered in recent days and weeks what the economic fallout from the coronavirus will do to affect carbon emissions and everything? We should endeavor to use this virus as an opportunity to jettison different parts of the economy that are environmentally disastrous. The airline industry is one of the worst components of our modern society, and I wonder how levels of pollution and overall emissions will be affected by people choosing (or being forced) to no longer travel.
Frieden-und Freudenland, Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, and 2 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, and Kinectia
Post self-deleted by Lousykitty.
Dunno about you but I'd rather not lose the ability to see my family members who live in other parts of the world that aren't accessible by land. Banning planes would also basically kill any sort of diplomatic negotiations between countries that happens overseas for fairly obvious reasons.
And no, don't even get started on big boats; not only are they slower, but they consume the same amount of fossil fuels (maybe even more) as planes. We aren't in the 1800s anymore. The nuclear solution does not have to be the end-all-be-all solution.
Frieden-und Freudenland, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 2 othersCat-herders united, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
I don't want to ban planes. I want to reduce the amount of routine travel that people do *for no good reason*. Examples I know of personally: Apple has had blocks of 50 seats booked every day for employees going from Silicon Valley to China - back and forth. Volvo employees I know here have had nothing to do since they stopped their weekly flights to China. There are executives and employees all over the US who fly at least once a week, just because that's what they've always done. I had a boss in San Francisco who flew back and forth to LA several times a week and joked about it - "I didn't know there was any other way to get to LA." He works for an environmental protection organization. I know several game designers who had planned to fly to from Sweden to California for the GDC just so they could speak about making games on climate change. That's crazy. No one has to stop visiting their relatives, or even stop having vacations, but come on - climate change. The point is I think we should think about it before we just bail out the airline and cruise industries.
Flying to environmental conferences is certainly absurd, but what percentage of flights does it account for? Business travel provides the majority of airline revenue but only accounts for 12% of flights. Tourism and leisure account for more than 50%. If we want change which is going to deliver more? In the absence of radical and unlikely government action flight-shame is a positive and necessary thing.
The fact is that in so many areas we as individuals are powerless in the face of the environmental impact of corporations and governments, but one thing we can do is to choose to stop flying. In the developed world we're stuck inside an environmentally destructive system we have no practical way of opting out of. Flying is one of the few major contributions to our personal carbon footprint that we can eliminate at a stroke.
I'm 100% with George Monbiot here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir-XjQhOyNQ.
And I absolutely agree with your point about applying a "climate filter" to government choices. How they respond to the economic fallout from this virus will show who they really feel they represent and act on behalf of. Will they bail out the airlines or the gig economy and low wage workers who don't get paid if they can't work?
Edit - I completely agree with the absurdity of all the examples you cite in the post immediately above this one.
Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, and 5 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Kinectia, Spengland et south toiwan, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
Post self-deleted by Areulder.
Greetings from 10000 Islands. Our diplomatic staff is pleased to present the latest regional report, highlighting XKI news and events from February.
10000 Islands Emissary Update
Date: February 2020
Population: 1472
Delegate Endorsements: 379
Forum: 
http://10000islands.proboards.com/
Discord: https://discord.gg/mw27pug
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the10000islands
Has your region been invaded, or do you want to get in touch with TITO? If so, contact one of the following nations:
~Chief Executive: Markanite.
~Field Commander: Kanta Hame.
~Tactical Officers: Shy Guyia, Smugglers and Mercs (EF), Mingulay isle, THX1138.
~Executive Officers: The United Royal Islands of Euramathania, Hakketomat.
~Technical Liaisons: Kortexia, Aschente.
As of this report’s publication, the Government of 10000 Islands consists of:
~Chief Executive: Markanite
~WA Delegate: Kuriko
~Senator for Blue Canaria North (Emissary Report): THX1138
~Senator for Lyonnesse East (Houses): The United Royal Islands of Euramathania
~Senator for New Republica South (Debates and Discussions): Vacant
~Senator for Himes West (RP): Marxist germany
~Minister of Labor: HumanSanity
~Minister of Immigration: The knights apprentice of sargon reman
~Minister of Education: The tasmanian islands
Information about other government officials of 10000 Islands can be found here.
It was a sobering moment in February when regional super-administrator Paffnia announced that they would be taking a step back from some of their long-held Island posts, and most notably from their role as Minister of Labor (meaning a departure from the regional Council of Nine), and Registrar-General.
Fortunately, Paffnia will continue as Cartographer-General, Regional Genealogist, Ambassador, and Chairman of Taco Island Charities
10000 Islands thanks Paffnia for their extraordinary service to the region in these critical roles, and our gratitude that they will continue in those positions that they will maintain.
As a result, Senior Senator for New Republica South HumanSanity has been appointed new 10000 Islands Minister of Labor by Regional Chief Executive Markanite. The transition will take place in early March, leaving a brief vacancy in the Senate seat for NRS. The seat will therefore be up for election for a partial term, in March.
Taking over Registrar-General duties is current World Assembly Delegate Kuriko, also appointed by CE Markanite. This is a non-Council position.
Other notable appointments include Dorab, Haivon, Grea Kriopia, and Warris who have all become Cultural Office Assistants for NS Trading Cards.
Congratulations to all on their new appointments, and best of luck!
~ The first weekend of February saw a Regional Visit and Games Night between 10000 Islands and embassy region The Union of Democratic States.
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38418/weekend-visit-uds
Our thanks to UDS for hosting, and to WA Delegate Kuriko for their ongoing work in coordinating these events with our embassy partners and friends.
~ Special thanks are due to all XKI Regional Welcome Buddies for their exemplary work in guiding and assisting nearly 200 new Islanders in February. Fantastic work, and, welcome to all new nations.
~ February 17th marked the one-year anniversary of Markanite becoming XKI Chief Executive. Congrats to Mark.
~ Regional Minister of Education The tasmanian islands announced Krystalveil as February’s featured nation:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38535/10000-islands-featured-nation-krystalveil
Krystalviel is an extremely active RMB participant, Cultural Office Assistant, member of TITO, active in RP, and has made a great addition to the region over the last year. Congratulations Krystalveil.
~ Regional Cultural Officer HumanSanity, and office assistants have been actively building their collection of NS Trading Cards in the new 10KI Card Farm.
~ February saw the first NS trading card Card-Pull Event hosted by the Culture Office.
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38487/free-guns-card-give-away
Participants had a chance to pull the hard-to-come-by Season 1 Ultra Rare card of prominent former XKI resident Free guns for all (‘Gunny’}. The event was well attended and hundreds of packs were opened during the hour of probability. No luck this time around, but there will be future events of this nature, with equally desirable cards.
~ Culture Office Assistant Krystalveil, also announced The Gulliver's Travels Contest, where entrants are challenged to compose a travel log, written from the perspective of Gulliver if he was travelling through their NS nation. This contest is ongoing.
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38537/gullivers-travels
~ Himes West Senator (Gaming User) Marxist germany has named Libraziland winner of the January National History Competition with Jabberwocky receiving the runner up prize.
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38197/january-national-history-competition
~ The Grand Debate Hall hosts a thread dedicated to Islanders’ thoughts on who should win the U.S. Democratic Nomination
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38463/who-win-democratic-nomination
~ Outgoing Minister of Labor Paffnia announced and hosted February's Poet Laureate Contest, with the chosen format being an Acrostic poem, where the first letter of each line of the poem forms a word or phrase related to the content.
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38455/voting-poet-laureate-contest-20
The runner-up, submitted anonymously, was a brief acrostic ode to the Islands:
Joyous over the welcome nations of the Isles we receive,
Overwhelmed by the influence used to protect natives,
Yielding to no oppressor, instigator or darkspawn, we ...
Shine forever in this world.
The winning poem, submitted by 18-time winner and XKI Poet Laureate Aersoldorf, spelled out their love of the game:
Will I live to see sunrise?
Ev'ry night I ponder deep,
Rising daily, friends to find,
Eaten, mangled, in their sleep.
Who among us could it be?
Once dear neighbor, causing pain,
Let's strike back before we die,
Vengeful justice for the slain.
Ev'ry time the mob is wrong,
Sends an innocent to die,
Are we monsters worse than they?
Needing death more time to buy?
Yes, it's time, I think, my friends,
One more jump into the fray,
Need a host to start things off,
Ev'ryone, I hope, will play.
?
February’s curated collection of RMB highlights begins with yet another burning question…
Apparently, it won’t
Dad jokes never get old
Situational awareness at its best
A colt on shaky legs
Keep your eyes on the skies
There’s always chopsticks
Q: What force could possibly pique this much community interest?
A: It was this Regional Poll of the month.
Three resolutions were submitted by Islanders in February, but alas, none won the favour of voters. In the case of Kuriko, the liberation submitted proved unnecessary after raiders departed the target region, so the vote went against by design. Resolutions by THX1138 and Sargon reman both reached quorum, but didn’t receive the support of the majority.
Feb 2, 2020 SC Condemn Gatesville Inc.: Seeking to condemn the target region as the last remnant of the Gatesville raider empire, for the historic record.
Author: Bormiar
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38423/sc-proposal-condemn-gatesville
Regional vote: For 5 | Against 1 | Delegate’s Prerogative 4
Delegate vote: For (weight 362)
Final WA vote: For 11702 (79%) | Against 3029 (24%)
Result: Passed Feb 5, becoming SCR#296
Feb, 2020 GA Repeal “Preventing the Execution of Innocents”: An effort repeal and reverse WA authority to review all criminal cases where the death penalty has been applied
Author: Tinhampton
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution: https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38429/resolution-repeal-preventing-execution-innocent
Regional vote: For 2 | Against 6 | Delegate’s Prerogative 2
Delegate vote: Against (weight 364)
Final WA vote: For 2799 (18%) | Against 12701 (82%)
Result: Failed to pass
Feb 6, 2020 SC Condemn Tinfect: Seeking condemnation of the target nation (IC) for crimes against humanity and breaches of international law.
Author: Morover
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38437/sc-proposal-condemn-tinfect
Regional vote: For 6 | Against 1 | Delegate’s Prerogative 4
Delegate vote: For (weight 366)
Final WA vote: For 11741 (86%) | Against 1842 (14%)
Result: Passed Feb 9, becoming SCR#297
Feb 10, 2020 SC Liberate Pars: Seeking SC approval to remove regional password protection after raid and occupation of the target region. Raiders retreated during voting, rendering the resolution unnecessary.
Author: Kuriko
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38449/sc-proposal-liberate-pars
Regional vote: For 6 | Against 4 | Delegate’s Prerogative 2
Delegate vote: Against (weight 370)
Final WA vote: For 2797 (19%) | Against 11756 (81%)
Result: Failed to pass
Feb 15, 2020 SC Liberate The Union of Axis Powers: Requesting SC removal of password protection on the target region, citing fascist affiliation and alignment with a region responsible for espionage. This resolution was rendered moot during voting.
Author: Praeceps
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38474/proposal-liberate-union-axis-powers
Regional vote: For 2 | Against 7 | Delegate’s Prerogative 5
Delegate vote: Against (weight 375)
Final WA vote: For 6908 (46%) | Against 8192 (54%)
Result: Failed to pass
Feb 19, 2020 SC Commend Arconian Empire: Seeking to commend the target nation for their lengthy stewardship of several regions, and work as an independent defender.
Author: THX1138
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38492/sc-proposal-commend-arconian-empire
Regional vote: For 6 | Against 0 | Delegate’s Prerogative 1
Delegate vote: For (weight 372)
Final WA vote: For 5925 (40%) | Against 9023 (60%)
Result: Failed to pass
Feb 20, 2020 GA Limitation of Inhumane Weaponry: Designed to curtail the use of weapons with significant or specific maiming ability.
Author: The Cot Corporation
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38498/ga-proposal-limitation-inhumane-weaponry
Regional vote: For 4 | Against 6 | Delegate’s Prerogative 0
Delegate vote: Against (weight 374)
Final WA vote: For 4646 (31%) | Against 10529 (69%)
Result: Failed to pass
Feb 24, 2020 GA Promotion of Recycling: Seeking to make the promotion, collection, and processing of recyclable materials mandatory in all WA nations.
Author: Greifenburg
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38514/ga-proposal-promotion-recycling
Regional vote: For 10 | Against 1 | Delegate’s Prerogative 1
Delegate vote: For (weight 377)
Final WA vote: For 12338 (79%) | Against 3334 (21%)
Result: Passed Feb 8, becoming GAR#483
Feb 25, 2020 SC Commend 00000 A World Power: Citing the region’s year’s-long defence of founderless regions, abilities in intelligence gathering, and contributions to global security.
Author: Sargon Reman
10000 Islands discussion on this resolution:
https://10000islands.proboards.com/thread/38517/proposal-commend-00000-world-power
Regional vote: For 9 | Against 0 | Delegate’s Prerogative 0
Delegate vote: For (weight 375)
Final WA vote: For 2396 (17%) | Against 12049 (83%)
Result: Failed to pass
This month we take the opportunity to interview an Islander who has been with us only 2-and-a-half years, but who has been a significant contributor to regional government and is a central figure in regional culture. Jabberwocky is an Order of the Islands recipient, Knight of TITO, XKI Emissary to both European Union and Capitalist Paradise, XKI recruiter, Regional Pollster, former Senior Senator for New Republica South and Council member, and is Editor-in-Chief of regional newspaper The Mad Surfer.
THX: Thanks for taking the time to do this. Any involvement in Nation States prior to creating Jabberwocky? Any other regions before joining XKI?
Jabber: This is my first foray into NS. I drifted from region to region for several months before landing in XKI. None of the earlier regions made a big enough impression to remember them.
THX: What place does being in TITO have in your NS experience?
Jabber: It is the reason I'm here, my sine qua non. I wanted to be a defender, so I found the right place.
THX: In addition to joining TITO, you jumped into regional government with both feet. How long were you Senator for New Republica South?
Jabber: I was Senator of New Republica South for one gratifying year. During my tenure, I resurrected the Monthly Council Report, which had not been published for six months or more. I also streamlined the political party system by weeding out inactive parties and by promoting political activity.
THX: You are Editor-in-Chief of the regional newspaper The Mad Surfer. What do you seek to bring to the region by way of this publication?
Jabber: I think TMS is my contribution to the arts here in the 10000 Islands. It is my meager attempt to promote both literacy and levity.
THX: Was there a predecessor paper in the region, or did you start from scratch?
Jabber: Sir Aersoldorf had published The Mad Islander, a considerably different publication, which had become defunct. Wanting to make some sort of contribution to the Islands that gave me a home, I took a chance with a pilot issue. It met with favorable acclaim, so I just kept doing it.
THX: You usually interview others as part of the monthly edition of TMS, how is it to have the tables turned?
Jabber: It's time I got a taste of my own medicine, wouldn't you say?
THX: One of your go-to interview questions for others relates to their favourite conspiracy theory, so, what is your favourite conspiracy theory?
Jabber: I don't believe in conspiracy theories because they are a tool of the Overlords to make us paranoid.
THX: Agreed, and they’re probably reading this, so let’s move on. Tell us a bit about your nation’s founder, Sherlock Quixote?
Jabber It is widely believed that he is a direct descendant of the famous Don Quixote whose adventures were extolled by the equally heralded Miguel Cervantes de Saavedra. Skeptics maintain that the Don was a fictional creation. Traditionalists categorize those skeptics with those who would suggest that Shakespeare's works were actually scribed by Sir Francis Bacon or Christopher Morley. Ultimately, who cares? The important thing is that they were written. By that same logic, does it matter if Lord Sherlock is the actual descendant of the genuine Ingenioso Hidalgo de la Mancha or of a fictional one? It is much more elegant and aesthetically pleasing than truth.
THX: And finally, would you like to live in the nation you've created here in Nation States?
Jabber: I certainly would; it is an Island paradise.
Current and select past issues of The Mad Surfer can be viewed in dispatch form here
If fairness tourism is something that actually requires going someplace. If we're gonna cut flights business and conferences should be the first to go. We have FaceTime now. There's really no point flying across the world to talk to people.
Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, and 3 othersOuter Bele Levy Epies, Kinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
Flying is bad for the environment but as long as big corporations are doing everything in their power to ensure it stays that way I'm not going to take responsibility for them when it doesn't make a difference. Recycling doesn't make a difference for example while big corporations produce all the plastic and they try to tell US to recycle it. Don't fall for the rhetoric. Flying corporations only produces 2% of their pie of the global carbon footprint, which is 29% of the entire footprint. 74% of that 29% is road transport.
Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, and 2 othersKinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
well you can recycle plastic yourself, into filliment for your 3d printer. with a unit that sits on your workbench, no bigger then your regular printer.
and plastics, when recycled, reused and repurposed, are much friendlier for the environment then burning oil and flooding the air and water with half burned carbon compounds. as i've mentioned before, its "single use" (what my parent's generation more simply refered to as "throw away, that started with putting milk in cartons and then with 'disposable' diapers) that's the culpret, so called 'disposable' anything and everything, no matter what its made out of.
air travel is another fuel and energy waster, which would be a worse one then the automobile if is many people flew as often as they drive.
energy saving transportation is powered by clean sources of electrical energy which it utilizes more efficiently the more it runs on rails.
although to achieve that efficiency, it also needs to be of minimum sufficient form factor.
i think the road transport carbon footprint as much higher then 29% of the total. more like up around or even exceeding that of energy production itself. that's why, besides aesthetics, alternatives to cars and planes appeal and interest me as much as the do.
of course my hunches are no better then anyone else's. i have read books analyzing the subject, i'm just not real good at maintaining any sort of bibliography of links. and road based transportation consumes more then energy. it also consumes more real estate then any other mode.
and that pavement reflects back heat. not sure how much heat reflected by pavement contributes to global climate over all, but it sure raises local micro-climate conditions in its vicinity. not to mention, also, the transpiration and other positive values of the vegetation that would be there if it wasn't paved over.
So today was our first day with NO face to face appointments unless you are asked to come in, and everyone being triaged by phone. I was hesitant on this, as while it helps control infection, it also compromises good medical care.
However, my first patient convinced me this was a good idea.
She wanted to chat about something entirely trivial and non-urgent, just an information request basically, not rleating to any symptoms. She just wanted to know about various screening programs and how they worked. All in all, it was a consultation that was almost as good on the phone as it was face to face.
However, she was also coughing while talking to me, and I said "I notice you're coughing." A little more probing, and it is revealed she got back from Rome a week ago, and the cough started in Rome.
And yet somehow, she hadn't made a mental connection that this might be an issue. She would have been sat in the waiting room, then sat in front of me, and the cough wasn't even something she was thinking about at all.
So yeah, telephone consults only. That sounds good to me.
Cameroi, Verdant Haven, Kawastyselir, Sacara, and 12 othersFrieden-und Freudenland, Valentine Z, Chan island, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Cat-herders united, Kinectia, Spengland et south toiwan, and Lura
About useless air travel...
A friend of mine knows a post-doc (or an early-career academic?) whose French husband is a lecturer at Harvard. This guy flies from Paris to Boston and back on a weekly basis. Imagine that! That timeframe would be barely enough for me to recover from jetlag. Why not completely move to Boston instead of splitting your week between France and the US? I imagine renting an apartment would cost less than the flight tickets. (or maybe not, with the low-cost airlines. Who knows?)
Mount Seymour, Ruinenlust, Lord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, and 6 othersTurbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Elundris, Cat-herders united, Kinectia, and Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun
Oh dear, "pop" goes the stock market.
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I quite agree, FuF! That's the kind of thing that shouldn't exist in the first place, if I'm being honest. There is ultimately a conflict of interest between self-actualization and the environment.
That's one of the best case scenarios I can think of - when the health care provider can see past the initial conversation and get to the point that's not so obvious to the patient. I'm guessing you will be getting more calls like that - people are anxious and most of their usual support is not available, so they call the doctor. It may start to feel like you're doing more counseling than your profession usually entails. At least this way you're not getting exposed as much.
Sapnu puas here. Gonna boogie this nation on over to somewhere else.
That's all for now. Stay healthy!
People here are even panic buying Nutella apparently >:(
Hello to you, from your long time friend and lurker! I hope you guys are doing well and great amidst all of this virus! I know it's a very horrible thing, and it's sad to see an increasing number of cases as time goes on. But I'm sure that we will be able to pull through this.
Please take care of yourselves, and your family. Remember that you are all worth it and don't let the virus get their way. You are important to your family, to your friends, and to everyone else around you.
In both literal and metaphorical sense, because it's important not to catch it and walk around, but more importantly... Your family and friends love ya! :)
I still have to go to school now and then, so... I'll be sure to take care of myself as well! Some classes are online, but not all, and you still have project meetings.
Frieden-und Freudenland, Mount Seymour, Ownzone, Ruinenlust, and 8 othersLord Dominator, Uan aa Boa, Turbeaux, Outer Bele Levy Epies, Northern Wood, Kinectia, Wernher Magnus Maximilian Von Braun, and Luvas
«12. . .1,7121,7131,7141,7151,7161,7171,718. . .2,6472,648»
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