AUSTIN | Misc. Discussions - No Politics

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by zrx299

"Slowing the spread" means we're going to have to deal with this crap for the next 3-4 years instead of the next 3-4 months. You can't blame the younger generation for not wanting to partake in a complete upheaval of modern society for something that has a 99.6% survival rate.

The more you test people, the more cases will go up. Focus on the death rate, and the number *currently* hospitalized. That's what really matters. You'll also notice the recovered numbers barely get mentioned, because good news doesn't get mouse clicks or tv eyeballs.

Isolation only works for introverts. The rest of us have lives to live and things to do. If anyone feels scared or vulnerable, or otherwise has a different risk-profile, go get yourself a *proper* hospital-grade mask that actually guards against microscopic virus particles and wear that thing as much as your heart desires. Forcing this stuff on everyone else is just lunacy, especially generic fabric face coverings that do nothing but annoy people.

The media and politicians at all levels have got people scared to death acting as if this is Stage 5 cancer just out there floating on the breeze like tree pollen. I'm sick of it. But this being Travis County I'm sure we'll be subjected to many more rounds of arbitrary policies and illogical "guidelines" in the next coming weeks and months... if not years.

Exactly.

[lonewolf]

I have seen A LOT more masks since about Sunday. I think the state will start allowing munis to crack down on this. It has actually already started so idk where the "that will never happen" is coming from.

Here is some good lit on why masks have a shot to kill the virus, (and our cheapest one too)
https://medium.com/incerto/the-masks...e-7de897b517b7

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

I have seen A LOT more masks since about Sunday. I think the state will start allowing munis to crack down on this. It has actually already started so idk where the "that will never happen" is coming from.

Here is some good lit on why masks have a shot to kill the virus, (and our cheapest one too)
https://medium.com/incerto/the-masks...e-7de897b517b7

Most municipalities are seriously considering defunding police to one extent or another. I’ve not seen a police car in Zilker in months. How in the world could the city “crack down”? What does that look like?

I agree masks are worthwhile. I disagree that all will wear them, no matter the laws or the consequences. And I don’t believe any city has the resources to stop them, now or in the future.

Americans love breaking rules, and doing our own thing. For better and worse.

[lonewolf]

Originally Posted by urbancore

Most municipalities are seriously considering defunding police to one extent or another. I’ve not seen a police car in Zilker in months. How in the world could the city “crack down”? What does that look like?

I agree masks are worthwhile. I disagree that all will wear them, no matter the laws or the consequences. And I don’t believe any city has the resources to stop them, now or in the future.

Americans love breaking rules, and doing our own thing. For better and worse.

Ordering businesses to enforce mask wearing.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

Ordering businesses to enforce mask wearing.

go on.....

[lonewolf]

Originally Posted by urbancore

go on.....

that's it. I don't see another way.

[lzppjb]

I think I've worn a mask 3 times since this all began. Back in April during quarantine, I left Austin and drove to Weslaco to visit friends for a week. Nobody in that group wore a mask. We had family dinners and spent a lot of time together. Nobody got sick. I had to wear a mask down there twice. Walmart and a convenient store were enforcing it.

Again here in Austin on Wednesday I wore a mask when going to get blood drawn for my doctor.

I've visited my parents multiple times, saw my sister and her kids, went to Weatherford for a domino tournament where 60+ people showed up and we ate potluck bbq.

I just don't feel the need to completely shut down my life for something that a vast majority of people survive. I never get the flu and I've never once had a flu shot. I wash my hands and practice normal avoidance every day. I'm doing the same thing now with the addition of keeping hand sanitizer in my truck.

We were never going to eradicate this. In the beginning, they were saying to quarantine in order to slow it down. They never said it would be eradicated. We're probably all going to get this eventually. They just didn't want everyone getting it at once and flooding the hospitals. When did this all morph into "stay home till there's a vaccine?"

By the way, I don't mock anyone who wears a mask. Go for it. If you get sick a lot or have underlying issues, wear them.

[We vs us]

Agreed. Local business is the only way to enforce a mask requirement. There's no way cops or city employees of any stripe can be in enough places to make it happen. But if each business polices itself, you've suddenly increased your enforcement exponentially.

And to be honest, many/most businesses understand that the only way to truly reopen the economy is to make sure the maximum amount of people feel comfortable enough to venture out in a sustained way. There's just no way that will happen while cases are on the rise -- regardless of the number of ICU beds still available, or number of recoveries, or whatever mitigating "good news" stat you might want to quote. It's a pandemic, people are dying, and everyone -- mask wearers and non mask wearers alike -- have to feel safe for the economy to recover. And if a mask requirement can help stave off worse measures down the road -- including living through years of economic twilight -- then maybe it's worth it for all of us in the short term.

[paul78701]

I hate to say it, but the virus is now endemic. If it would have been taken seriously by the powers that be (at all levels) back in December (or whenever they actually knew about it), we likely wouldn't be at this point right now. It is what it is though.

It will be here until there is a vaccine. That won't be happening anytime soon. So we have to learn how to live with it. We have to hope that antivirals or some other type of treatment becomes widely available soon. That is really the only way we can get back to normal sooner rather than later.

[zrx299]

99.6% survivable. The hysteria needs to stop. Now.
My God, you have way higher odds of being taken out by a crazy driver on the highway, or some other freak accident that *you have no control over*.

Those who have a different risk-profile, mask up (a *real* mask, like I said earlier not just some piece of tshirt cloth or $0.50 Chinese garbage flap), and take basic necessary precautions like you would normally do for anything else.

The rest of us *want* to get back to work, and back to LIFE! Let us!

Stop wrecking the economy (and more importantly, the DOLLAR. We lose world reserve currency status, we are all f****d. Game over at that point) for politically opportunistic reasons masquerading as "abundance of caution".

[freerover]

Originally Posted by zrx299

99.6% survivable. The hysteria needs to stop. Now.
My God, you have way higher odds of being taken out by a crazy driver on the highway, or some other freak accident that *you have no control over*.

Those who have a different risk-profile, mask up (a *real* mask, like I said earlier not just some piece of tshirt cloth or $0.50 Chinese garbage flap), and take basic necessary precautions like you would normally do for anything else.

The rest of us *want* to get back to work, and back to LIFE! Let us!

Stop wrecking the economy (and more importantly, the DOLLAR. We lose world reserve currency status, we are all f****d. Game over at that point) for politically opportunistic reasons masquerading as "abundance of caution".

If you want the economy to return to normal then everyone needs to wear a mask. It's not rocket science.

[zrx299]

Originally Posted by freerover

If you want the economy to return to normal then everyone needs to wear a mask. It's not rocket science.

If you want everyone to wear a mask, then the arbitrary capacity and illogical restrictions need to be lifted on all businesses.
Having both is just going to cripple those that actually survived the forced shutdown. That is also not rocket science.

Small businesses already have enough challenges generating profit without artificial restrictions and unnecessary burdens thrust upon them.

If they choose to enact such things on their own, so be it. It should be their choice, not the government's.

[shoreditch]

I don't know who you think is oppressing y'all but it's literally nobody. Get a grip. Be a decent human.

[We vs us]

Aaaaand scene. Completely off into politics land. For all of our sakes, let's dump this convo and get back to bashing the surburbs, eh?

[the Genral]

They just stopped making the drive through bank employees at my wife's bank wear masks because they are not in direct contact with customers like in the lobby. My wife just got off the phone with her boss. The person who usually works next to my wife was diagnosed with the Covid19 virus today. Good timing with the don't need a mask decision. Now my wife and eventually myself are in danger of getting this damn thing. Just became a little more real for me. I wear a mask all day at work and when in public areas. Watch me get sick from exposure from my home, and right before I retire. Just wear the damn masks and take this fuckin thing seriously everyone....please.

[Echostatic]

I've been posting pretty much every project update on the Austin subforum to the main forum's individual threads this week. For the amount of construction going on around here, the amount of posts in the main forum was tiny. Even Erie, PA was getting more focus. I've made sure to credit the original posters as well.

I've also been resizing a lot of images posted here recently, because it seems like every website uses huge pictures nowadays. School's out, I have nothing better to do.

If anyone here has images of Austin Proper, UT System Headquarters, Skyhouse, The Castilian, or Shoal Creek Walk that they wouldn't mind adding to Wikimedia Commons, we could finally finish the images on the List of Tallest Buildings in Austin Wikipedia article.

[JoninATX]

I'm curious to see if more people are willing to be in the medical field with what's going on now.

[Austinite101]

All I know is when something even only slightly closer to what the Plague did to Europe centuries ago hits us, the U.S. is completely f'ed.

Now we know that people will care more about the optics and tout the 90% survival rate (or 85%, or 70%, etc.) if it might affect the election outcome they want.

I've already had 4 family members die from the disease. It doesn't matter if you're healthy. Wear a damn mask, it's not for you.

[the Genral]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

All I know is when something even only slightly closer to what the Plague did to Europe centuries ago hits us, the U.S. is completely f'ed.

Now we know that people will care more about the optics and tout the 90% survival rate (or 85%, or 70%, etc.) if it might affect the election outcome they want.

I've already had 4 family members die from the disease. It doesn't matter if you're healthy. Wear a damn mask, it's not for you.

Sorry for your losses. That's really sad, and you just echoed my thought exactly.

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by Austinite101

All I know is when something even only slightly closer to what the Plague did to Europe centuries ago hits us, the U.S. is completely f'ed.

Now we know that people will care more about the optics and tout the 90% survival rate (or 85%, or 70%, etc.) if it might affect the election outcome they want.

I've already had 4 family members die from the disease. It doesn't matter if you're healthy. Wear a damn mask, it's not for you.

Seconded.

One in my extended family, and he lived in a rural area.