Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[Front-Ranger]

Well, bars in most states continue to be open and serving drinks until 10 pm. I haven't been into any bars but I drive past them and there are usually several cars parked outside. It seems like a lot of young people I talk to are just going about their lives as normal. My son invited me to have lunch with him and seemed surprised that I declined.

[brianr]

Unbelievable. The city of Adelaide in South Australia (over 1 million) has had about 25 cases, no deaths, last week. A cleaner at one of the managed isolation centres caught and spread it.  The result is for 6 days everything is closed except essential services, just one member of each household can leave the house once each day for provisions, no leaving otherwise even for exercise. Borders with other states closed. We take Covid much more seriously in Australia and New Zealand.

[CellarDweller]

N.J.’s largest city to order 10-day coronavirus lockdown starting day before Thanksgiving

By Jeff Goldman


Newark residents will be asked to stay at home for 10 days beginning the day before Thanksgiving in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state’s largest city, Mayor Ras Baraka said Thursday.

“We are, from Wednesday before Thanksgiving to Dec. 4, going to lock the city down,” Baraka said in a radio appearance on WBGO 88.3 FM’s Newark Today. “We want people to shelter in place. We only want folks to come out for essential purposes. Do not go outside if you don’t have to. Don’t mingle with other people if you don’t have to. Stay (with) your family in your immediate household.”

The number people with COVID-19 in Newark has risen sharply in recent days with 164 additional cases announced Thursday. There have been 14,226 cases in Newark since the pandemic began in March with 694 deaths, according to Essex County officials.

Irvington’s mayor said earlier this week he was considering a week-long lock down as well.

It is unclear if Gov. Phil Murphy would overrule the Newark lockdown order. While Murphy recently signed an executive order allowing towns to close nonessential businesses starting at 8 p.m. - a step Newark took - Murphy has pushed back against additional town-by-town restrictions.

https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/11/njs-largest-city-to-order-10-day-coronavirus-lockdown-starting-day-before-thanksgiving.html

[CellarDweller]

Unbelievable. The city of Adelaide in South Australia (over 1 million) has had about 25 cases, no deaths, last week. A cleaner at one of the managed isolation centres caught and spread it.  The result is for 6 days everything is closed except essential services, just one member of each household can leave the house once each day for provisions, no leaving otherwise even for exercise. Borders with other states closed. We take Covid much more seriously in Australia and New Zealand.

Yes you do, and that's why Australia has only had 907 deaths, and New Zealand has had only 25 deaths.

[Front-Ranger]

So, the scenario in New Jersey may play out like this: people will rush to the stores to stock up and buy Thanksgiving provisions and then they'll go home, lock themselves inside with their family members, have a big feast and spread germs to each other. It's curious how he says not to even go outside. (I'm thankful for my large backyard garden.)

So, I was actually supposed to travel again three days ago, but I realized several weeks ago that it was not going to happen. I contacted traveling buddies and told them of my decision and sent money to pay for my share of the lodgings which he said were uncancelable. So I haven't heard from them since that time, and I'm afraid they're mad at me, but I was simply dying of stress even thinking about making the journey. 

[serious crayons]

I went into some people's house yesterday, and i made me nervous. I was in town for a story, and I saw a guy I know slightly, and I asked him if their house used to belong to a family I know. He said yes, then offered to show me around (he's done some really nice remodeling) in a way that seemed rude to decline. If only I lived in NZ and could just say I didn't want to break the law!

So I went in and stood and chatted for a while. I was masked, the guy was masked, but the wife, who I also know slightly, was not masked. Their house was beautiful, but I was nervous the whole time.

At least I got to finally confirm gossip I'd heard all these years: that a classmate of mine used to hang out with Nick Nolte back when he was just starting out and acting at a little local theater called the Old Log Theater. She said not only did Sally hang out with him but he slept with half the women in the town.

Well, he was pretty hot at the time, I said.

[brianr]

I found this article on the Australian new site interesting although it is not very optimistic for USA
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-23/united-states-is-just-too-big/12907642

[Front-Ranger]

That is an interesting article. Thank you, brian. I'm always interested in how other peoples see the U.S. I feel like I'm an outsider myself, although I have no grounds for thinking so.

I knew, starting in 2017, that the U.S.'s wrong turn would have consequences that would reach me. Ans I also was convinced that people would suffer, people would die. I was thinking of the people of Nepal that I met in 2012. They were so concerned and anxious about what was happening in the U.S. At first I was a little annoyed. Why don't people live their own lives and focus on their own countries, I thought. But after reflection, I realized that the U.S. has an impact on every other nation.

It all came home to roost yesterday. I got a call from one of my renters. He was half of a wonderful couple that moved in in August. But, two months later he texted me that all was not well. He didn't give details. So, yesterday I learned that the woman, who had lost her phone, her car. and her job, had spent the day obtaining and drinking alcohol, had taken a hammer to the door to the spare bedroom. The guy works for Coors and had some beer in the closet of the spare bedroom. Both the closet and the bedroom door were locked. She took a hammer to the closet door also. She is in jail tonight.

[brianr]

I am glad I do not have rental property. Interest rates are so low at the moment but there are no hassles. I am involved in shares through my superannuation fund but I have chosen the conservative option. I got a shock with the loss in March/April but they have recovered since.
I receive a payment from my Australian Super Fund every quarter and one came on Thursday when I was away with friends. In past years I left it in my Australian bank account and used it for travel but this year I have been transferring to NZ. Interest rates are slightly better here. I can get 1.25% for 6 months but only half that in Australia.
I transferred from my Australian account at 8.30am and they were in my NZ account just after 10am.

[serious crayons]

I was thinking of the people of Nepal that I met in 2012. They were so concerned and anxious about what was happening in the U.S. At first I was a little annoyed. Why don't people live their own lives and focus on their own countries, I thought.

Sounds like they have some things they could focus on, from what I was told by a woman, a hospice social worker, who lived there for six months and was so traumatized by what she witnessed she never wanted to return.

But after reflection, I realized that the U.S. has an impact on every other nation.

True. At least more than any other nation has an affect on us or even, in many cases, each other.

So, yesterday I learned that the woman, who had lost her phone, her car. and her job, had spent the day obtaining and drinking alcohol, had taken a hammer to the door to the spare bedroom. The guy works for Coors and had some beer in the closet of the spare bedroom. Both the closet and the bedroom door were locked. She took a hammer to the closet door also. She is in jail tonight.

Wow, that's sad.