Checking In

[twistedchick]

This is your check-in post for today. The poll will be open from midnight Universal or Zulu Time (8pm Eastern Time on Saturday) to midnight (8pm Sunday Eastern Time).

Poll #23717 Daily poll

This poll is closed.
Open to: Access List, detailed results viewable to: Access List, participants: 80

How are you doing?

I am OK
69 (86.2%)

I am not OK but I don't need help right now
11 (13.8%)

I could use some help
0 (0.0%)

How many other humans live with you?

I am living single
32 (40.5%)

One other person
26 (32.9%)

More than one other person
21 (26.6%)

Please, talk about how things are going for you in the comments, ask for advice or help if you need it, or just discuss whatever you feel like.

Comments

[feklar42]

I'm getting terribly frustrated with all the assholes who refuse to actually socially distance. Philly is two hours from New York and probably only a week behind on the epidemic surge hitting and people are just hanging around like it's no big deal.

My cousin was talking about how her family go out together in a group of six to walk the dog. In her mind, they live in such close proximity, social distancing between them isn't really an option. That part is true, but I'm like, "What's the difference between you and the college kids having a party the other day you were complaining about?" To an outsider in both of your groups look the same – a bunch of people who are ignoring social distancing. So, basically, you are normalizing and letting other people feel okay about not social distancing.

I finally just had to stop responding, because she's not going to accept that her logic (that they are different because they are all already exposed to each other– even if nobody who sees them knows that) is flawed and she is consciously choosing to do something she wants other people not to do because she views her circumstances as special.

[feklar42]

I've also been pissed about the entire narrative around masks in the West. Masks aren't just to protect you, they are to protect other people. And they don't have to be n95 masks to offer some protection to you and a lot of protection to other people. I noticed this morning, a couple of news articles about how WHO is rethinking their advice about masks and maybe we should be emulating Asians with universal mask wearing.

I also think there is an institutionalized racism about universal mask wearing. It is very closely tied to Asian culture. Some of countries (Taiwan, Singapore, HK, even South Korea though it briefly had a large outbreak) which could have easily been as bad as Wuhan or New York, all instituted universal mask wearing and never came close to the numbers we are seeing in the US. And, as we all know, China and South Korea are already seeing declines. But for the last two months, the media, WHO, CDC, have all been nearly silent on that aspect. if anything, some of the messaging is weirdly dubious of the actions they have been taking. It wasn't until Italy started shutting down, that the media started to seriously talk about social distancing here.