Posts by ruggedjackal46

Ashley Bailey6 said:The workforce isn't even at risk.

From what I can see, most people have dealt with much worse illnesses than what you'd get from Corona.

I'm talking about the average person.

The media is just hyper-focused on the catastrophe and spreading panic, as usual.
They're hunting for anyone under 80 who might be slightly unwell just to justify the current state of things.

Look, I’ve dealt with things way worse than Corona, but I had the luxury of a functional healthcare system and easy access to medication. If you’re staring down an overwhelming number of cases all at once, that kind of access disappears. Once the hospitals are redlined, even Corona starts looking lethal for younger people. It becomes just like the flu or pneumonia—something that isn't just a nuisance anymore, but a genuine threat.

China can whip up an entire hospital dedicated solely to Corona cases in a single day, so it makes sense they had to roll out those quarantines just to get a handle on the spread. But what about us? What is America supposed to do when our healthcare system is already struggling to stay afloat under normal circumstances, let alone dealing with a full-blown epidemic?

It’s the same old story, isn't it? The media just loves to fixate on the latest disaster and stir up panic. It's like they can't help themselves—they see a crisis and immediately go into overdrive trying to make everyone lose their minds. Typical.
And they’re going to go looking through a magnifying glass, aren't they? They’ll be hunting around for someone under eighty who isn't exactly firing on all cylinders, just so they can find a convenient excuse to justify their current standing. Is that really how this works now?

With all due respect to the media—and I mean all of it—this global political meltdown isn't just some manufactured frenzy cooked up by news outlets. It’s bigger than that.

I don’t know how this isn't crystal clear by now, but we aren't really looking at a matter of choice here. It’s not like we can just decide whether we want to implement a quarantine or simply sit back and let the virus run wild. Our healthcare infrastructure is already pretty thin, and ignoring the situation would almost certainly trigger a massive spike in cases. We’d end up seeing a much higher death toll simply because people wouldn't have an available hospital bed to go to. And honestly, that leads right back to an economic meltdown anyway—you can't run a country if a huge chunk of the workforce is either dead or incapacitated, and you can bet nobody is going to be flying into the States to visit while there's an active epidemic.

Sure, concerns about an economic crash or the mental health crisis are valid—we're definitely looking at some serious trouble ahead—but those are just extra layers of misery to deal with. They shouldn't be used as an excuse to debate whether or not we "need" a lockdown. It’s not like anyone is sitting around thinking, "You know what? A quarantine sounds like a blast, let's force one on us."

Michelle Palmer6 said:So, prostate issues, huh?

🤣 🤣

Man, how we got hit by an earthquake right in the middle of all that COVID madness... I've honestly never experienced anything quite like it, and I really hope I never have to again. Even now, as I’m typing this, I keep half-expecting my desk to start shaking. 🤦

It’s a huge relief that it passed without any fatalities—though I'm still praying that young lady pulls through; what a tragedy that would have been 😢. Honestly, those ancient buildings downtown need a total overhaul anyway; there's no more kicking the can down the road. On the flip side, it’s somewhat comforting that most of the newer developments and the areas toward the South didn't take much damage. It turns out Washington, D.C. isn't quite the disaster zone people make it out to be.

I guess both the pandemic and the quake forced us to rethink things and maybe organize our lives a bit better. Maybe, in the long run, it won't all turn out to be such a bad thing.

Paul Sanders5 said:Of course some kids are gonna slack off. But look, it’s about time these kids learned how to take some damn responsibility. You gotta learn, period. Nobody is going to hold your hand through life forever. Otherwise, they’re gonna get hit by a massive reality check when they show up to American universities and realize the professors couldn't care less about them.😁

I find the human race absolutely fascinating. Like, a month ago, nobody gave a damn about being outside—everyone was glued to their phones, computers, TVs, the internet, the whole nine yards. Now, suddenly, everyone’s acting like they’ve discovered nature and can’t live without it. Meanwhile, most of them couldn't tell an oak tree from a shrub if their lives depended on it.

That applies to high schoolers, sure, but honestly? I’m thinking more along the lines of elementary school kids.

Paul Sanders5 said:So, people were complaining about digitalization on this thread before, but now suddenly anything goes? School on TV, everything being interconnected, everything moving online... apparently we don't even need a physical stamp on paper anymore for anything.

Man, we really stumbled into the modern age thanks to a damn disease.

Now I finally get how the Black Death jumpstarted development across Europe. 🙏 I guess you need an epidemic every once in a while just to shake things up.

I see where you're coming from, but honestly, this whole school situation is just pure chaos. Look, the teachers and professors have done an incredible job getting things ready, but the idea that kids can just sit at home, stare at a screen all day, and crank out homework without anyone watching them? That's a total pipe dream. In theory, parents should be stepping in to keep them on track, but let's be real: half of those parents are working, and the other half doesn't have a clue how to discipline their kids. If you ask me, this entire school year is already a wash.

Alright, look, idiots are idiots. It’s just a fact. I feel like way too many people still haven't wrapped their heads around the idea that their own actions can actually end up screwing someone else over.

Look, just because people want to take a walk outside doesn't mean they’re some kind of deranged psychopaths. Getting some fresh air is actually healthy, especially for those of us stuck in tiny apartments. It’s good for both your physical and mental health, which is pretty crucial given everything going on right now. As long as people are following basic precautions, I really don't see why there's such massive hysteria about it.

urbanhawk17 said:I'm really wondering when he'll be back.

Give them a moment to wash up and perform a little ritual cleansing with some holy water, and then maybe—just maybe—they'll actually sit down and type something out.

I really hope it’s not working. If Grandpa catches the virus, the whole business is going to end up crashing down on Vekjo’s shoulders.

brightpilot6 said:When they asked him, "Where are your most loyal followers?", he simply replied, "Under the table," and just like that, they were branded as apostles ☕

They showed up at Jesus' house without even taking off their shoes, and then Mary just looks at them and goes, "Are you seriously wearing those right now?" ☕

Amanda Evans2 said:Since everyone is seated on just one side of the table, it’s entirely possible that the sheep are sitting right in front of us, yet we can't see them because those high-backed chairs are blocking the view.

Bread for the apostles, cordon bleu for the dogs.

brightpilot6 said:It’s hardly surprising that they were sitting down to their last supper 🤦

Judas called an ambulance.☕

brightpilot6 said:Well, there is an adult child involved... one who keeps breaking quarantine, hovering near the sick, and practically begging people to gather together.☕

And yet, it seems the only ones actually washing their hands are those pointing the finger at him.☕

May you be struck by the plague and infected with Covid. Thanks, bro ☕

And apparently, the only ones actually washing their hands are the ones calling him out. ☕

Ladies and gentlemen, ☕

This guy won't even wash his hands, yet he expects us to watch him break bread with his students. 🤦

brightpilot6 said:The Virgin Mary cancelled messages in Medjugorje 🤣🤦

She's in a high-risk group; why would she risk it all just to hang out with a few crazies?☕

Life is 100% mortal, except for those actually living it.

Jacob Kern2 said:I find myself genuinely wondering how this landscape will look in a month's time, once people realize that all these lockdowns might prove nearly futile against a virus that refuses to vanish. The scientific community seems largely in agreement that we cannot simply eradicate it, often citing the necessity of herd immunity, yet we continue to shutter everything in sight. One must consider the fate of the thousands who will lose their livelihoods, or the emergence of secondary health crises triggered by extreme stress and economic hardship—issues that could ultimately leave the most vulnerable without even a roof over their heads. All of this stems from a virus that, according to current projections, may only reach about 20% of the total population, many of whom will experience nothing more than mild symptoms.

It is easy to play the strategist once the dust has settled, but considering the massive amount of revenue the United States will undoubtedly lose, I believe we would have been five times better off if we had allocated a portion of those funds toward supporting the seniors who need to stay home. We could have invested in delivery services for food, water, and medication, or perhaps even provided temporary housing for those living in multi-generational households until the situation stabilizes.

To me, this mounting hysteria feels increasingly like Sladoljev was right, much like when he voiced his skepticism during the swine flu era. If we hadn't branded this specific illness as "coronavirus" and given it its own unique identity, it likely would have slipped under the radar just like dozens of other viruses that have historically been lumped in with the flu.

I honestly worry we’ll be asking these same questions again when the next crisis hits, like an environmental catastrophe. Instead of just scrambling to keep the status quo running, maybe we should be figuring out how to make our entire system flexible enough to handle these shocks. Like, how can we implement quick quarantines without breaking society? How can the government actually step up to support the people getting crushed by these measures? If we had those safety nets ready to go, Covid wouldn't be such a massive headache right now. I just hope that next time—and let's face it, it *will* happen—we aren't stuck dealing with politicians playing games, citizens acting oblivious, and regulations that show up two months too late.

Amanda Evans2 said:The mortality rate might look statistically insignificant on paper, but when you're the one facing it, that percentage hits a hard 100 percent...

What an absolute ace.🙏

I mean, seriously, where did Vučić even find this guy? Did he just pluck him out of some random flower shop in New York?

Noah Perez2 said:And that is precisely why you find yourself two weeks later—maybe even less—forced to implement exactly those kinds of restrictions, only now they're much more draconian.

The real question isn't whether the measures are too harsh; it's whether they actually work. Take Italy, for example. They were the first to go all in with those extreme rules to stop flights from China, but then they just sat back and watched while the virus spread through Northern Italy. I get the feeling some politicians in the European Union only introduce these heavy-handed mandates to look like they're actually doing something.

Noah Perez2 said:They might have been the first, but there were direct Milan-Wuhan flights running quite normally for a significant period, even while drastic measures were already being enforced in China.

In our neck of the woods, that group from Wuhan hit the border; apparently, they were screened in Milan, and things had already escalated by the time they reached us. Granted, those specific individuals might not have been infected, but it’s inevitable that others who actually were traveled the exact same route.

Later, that damn virus spread, hitting the European Union hard and creating secondary outbreaks everywhere. Even here, the "most likely" first cases came from Milan, potentially via contacts from the Atalanta vs Valencia match. Those later cases were being brought in from places like Austria, Germany, and so on.

So, where are you, Boris Johnson? ☕

What I'm getting at is that it’s better to actually keep an eye on potentially infected people rather than just slapping a ban on flights from China and assuming the problem is solved. Besides, a lot of Italians were coming back from China back then because, let's be honest, they just wanted to get home—and their own government couldn't exactly pretend they weren't part of the equation.