Posts by Joshua Gray75

What does he mean, a new child?
Did he sell an "old" one? Or does he actually have two now...
🤔

John Doe, I just had to... :trol:

Casey Bennett said:True enough, I'm partial to that version as well. lilarose001 might still have second thoughts about it 🙂

Sure, it's possible 🙂
Joshua Gray75
🙂

It works, just reach out to Nice 🙂

Casey Bennett said:Joshua Gray75 is wide open, you interested?
That first option with the double O is honestly pretty pathetic. 🙂

I'm down. 🙂

So, Joshua Gray75 😉

It's a deal, just reach out to Nice. 🙂

Casey Bennett said:We’re making an effort to strip out all those digits when updating usernames, but honestly, it seems like every single combination I can think of is already taken.
Come on, try to come up with something similar to your current handle—just without the numbers—that isn't already snagged by someone else. If you can't pull it off, we'll just stick with this 🙂

Joshua Gray75... ?🤔
Joshua Gray75?

I hadn't actually checked if those were available...😁

Is there any way I could swap out this 'a' in my username for a 'y'?
Meaning, changing it from lilyrose001 to... well, you get the idea.

Thanks. 🙂

driftingranger2 said:I mean, technically you're supposed to be stuck indoors.
But honestly, nobody's out there knocking on doors anymore. The only way you'll actually get caught is if you run into someone at a CVS or if a cop pulls you over.

I know they aren't checking—but then again, I've heard rumors that you're technically allowed to pop into a grocery store if you're wearing an FFP2 mask (because, really, what are people supposed to do when they need bread...?) So, people were definitely going out—whether it's officially permitted now or just a gray area... well, that's the other half of the story.

Lawrence Reed3 said:If you're actually sick, your doctor will sign you off even without a test. A little sore throat or some sniffles aren't really "sick" enough to require medical leave, so some people don't even bother.
Doctors haven't been sending everyone for testing for quite a while now—at least not all of them—they just issue sick leave based on your symptoms. A friend of mine has a primary care physician who generally doesn't send people to get tested. They just grant the leave just like they used to for the flu. He mentioned that in most cases, the people asking for tests are the ones with mild symptoms who shouldn't even be seeing a doctor, let alone requesting leave (like a tiny sore throat or a cold)—it's pretty obvious they're just looking for a reason to stay home.
Even my own doctor didn't send me for a test when I caught it back in January—he actually just handled my sick leave over the phone and then hung up once I told him I was feeling okay.

Listen to that... a little sore throat or a cold—supposedly not worth seeing a doctor or getting tested, let alone taking sick leave...

Exactly. I was actually seeking a test specifically so I could stay home. I'm not sure if you're trolling or what—but once I told my doctor that my at-home kit came back positive, they called me in for testing immediately; there wasn't even a discussion about whether I wanted to or not.

But yes—it's quite obvious that because of this sort of cynical attitude (assuming it's true), we've reached a point where nobody tests anymore, and people just walk around coughing and sneezing—which is precisely how I caught this after avoiding it for two and a half years...
And some of us have elderly parents living under our roof...

I mean... when I think back to the absolute madness surrounding this virus a year or two ago—I didn't care for that either—but I certainly don't care for this blatant ignoring of it now...
☕

As an aside: seven years ago, I ignored what I thought was a "common cold," tried to power through it, and ended up risking a life-threatening complication (everything is fine now, for the moment....)
But still—thank you, though I won't be experimenting with my health again.☕

Furthermore—I still haven't received an answer to my question: am I allowed to go to, say, a local CVS while in self-isolation if I wear a mask (N95)—or am I strictly forbidden from leaving the house (aside from the backyard)?
I mean—if it's all just a common cold.... why am I stuck in self-isolation until Monday?🤔

☕

Lawrence Reed3 said:Self-isolation lost its purpose a long time ago—I honestly don't get why people are still doing it. I mean, you look at one officially confirmed case, but who knows how many others are actually positive? Maybe they don't even realize it, or maybe they just take a home test and then skip the official clinic visit just to dodge the hassle. It makes me wonder... why do people even bother getting tested anymore? Personally, it just stresses me out. If my symptoms feel like a basic cold, I’m just going to treat it like any other little bug and move on. I really don't care which specific virus is causing it.

Well... there's sick leave, for instance ☕

How else am I supposed to get time off work? I tested positive on an at-home kit—but I still had to go through the motions and see a doctor—just so they could officially sign off on my medical leave.

The whole concept of isolation became obsolete a long time ago—mostly because they don't even enforce it for close contacts anymore. You're contagious two days before you even feel a sniffle, and with Omicron being as infectious as it is... well, you know. It's probably best to just give up on the whole thing and treat it like any other bug you have to ride out for a few days—wear a mask if you absolutely have to step out... and that's that.

What I'm curious about, though—are there actually still penalties? Like, for someone in self-isolation wearing a mask who just pops down to the local grocery store for a loaf of bread? Or is everything just a suggestion at this point? Or perhaps something else entirely?

A little while back, I came across some reading suggesting that if you test positive for COVID but are asymptomatic—or at least just dealing with mild symptoms—you could technically head out, provided you’re wearing an N95 mask. But since then, there hasn't been any follow-up on that... silence. As it stands, I've tested positive myself—stuck in isolation until Sunday—but I find myself wondering what that actually entails in practice. Does it mean I am strictly forbidden from stepping foot outside under any circumstances? Even if I wear an N95, maintain social distancing, and follow all the other protocols? And honestly, what are the actual consequences if I do go out? Is there some sort of registry tracking this, or is it all just theoretical...
🤔

mistyjackal842 said:The waiting isn't even the real issue—it's that blatant lack of desire to actually help our elderly. It feels as though they’ve just written them off entirely. Some departments handle bedridden patients with dignity, sure, but others... they just don't care....

That's exactly it. 😢
It's like they've already crossed them off the list...
I mean, eighty-three is an age, certainly... but it's not one hundred and three...

What really gets to me is this crushing sense of helplessness I can't seem to shake...

ruggedgardener74 said:It’s pneumonia—the intensive care kind. They have him on three different antibiotics plus a transfusion and all sorts of things. But nobody is telling us if there's actually a chance he pulls through... the situation is grim.

My father (83) ended up in the hospital
They suspected pneumonia
But apparently, it wasn't that
They performed a bronchoscopy
And once again, I don't even know what the results showed
The doctor isn't being optimistic
But honestly, the biggest issue for me is this hospital where he's staying. They just aren't good... I have no idea what his current treatment plan is, but mostly they don't even react anymore; he just sleeps—likely under sedation—and we couldn't even wake him today
Tomorrow, I'm going to try and track down some information through his LOM records and some acquaintances
I would much rather have him transferred somewhere else, or placed under hospice care (if they truly have no more solutions), rather than just having him lie there
I don't have any experience with this sort of thing, so any advice, ideas... or even just a bit of comfort 😢 would be welcome...

Bryan Taylor6 said:Today the papers are all over this, claiming everything is basically unconstitutional. Apparently, the state legislature needs to vote on it, but they finally realized—after twenty-some days—that we might actually want to follow the law since it’s already on the books... 🙂 They say it'll move forward through some emergency procedure, though I have no clue when. We've got Easter coming up, then Memorial Day... we'll probably see something by June 🙂

🤣
Well, I suppose... surely they won't try to bundle Easter and Memorial Day together now...
🤣
Not that I’d be particularly shocked if they did—though I wouldn't be...

Though I highly doubt they'll start singing their own praises just yet... but as for easing up on this movement ban by the end of the month—it clearly isn't just my own wishful thinking anymore (an assumption, perhaps?🤔) but something that is becoming a very real possibility🤣

Jerry Robinson56 said:🙂 Precisely. That is the correct approach. These temporary permits are merely a transitional tool intended for cultivation purposes.

So, let me get this straight—a teacher walks into a classroom where two students haven't even bothered to finish their homework, and instead of addressing the issue, they hand out gold stars to everyone just to "cultivate" the atmosphere? 🤔Quite a concept...

Melissa Collins3 said:Maybe heading to nearby towns, sure, but expecting to roam the entire county freely? I wouldn't hold my breath on that one.

Even the neighboring towns are starting to merge back together 😉
And honestly, aiming to have these state-wide measures settled by the end of the month doesn't seem entirely out of reach...
Especially since several states are seeing such negligible infection numbers anyway 🤷
So, one could argue that traveling within those states doesn't present much of a significant public health risk, does it...?
🤷

Ohio 4
California 3
Montana 3

https://covid19us.cdc.gov/d/zL99n...state?orgId=3

darkotter35 said:So, they finally launched this absolute joke out in the rural parts of the Midwest... they basically merged all the small towns and counties together so people don't need those ridiculous permits just to drive from one little village to the next... Thank God we're finally done with those heroic "recommendations" from the local authorities...

Well, they're rolling this out in other states too... 🤷—local municipalities are signing these "inter-agency agreements" so you can move between them without needing a permit ☕
(though in my county, the official decree hasn't hit the books yet—it’s just a proposal sitting on someone's desk...☕)

Can we realistically hope that by the end of the month, moving around within the same state will also be permitted without all these permits? 🤔🙄☕

Megan Kelly8 said:Does anyone actually know what the penalties are for abandoning your primary residence? Like, if you get caught, do they actually hand out fines, or is it just a warning most of the time? I've been digging through stuff online, and the info is all over the place—some sources say it's just a slap on the wrist, while others claim you could be looking at a $0.00 fine.

What exactly do you mean by a "penalty for leaving your residence"? 🤔
Are you suggesting—if you head out without a permit and get intercepted—that there's a legal repercussion?
Well—as a general rule—they usually just send you back home.
These supposed penalties seem to be nothing more than an "urban legend"—and it appears they’ve found some very fertile ground to grow in... someone must have "whispered" something about a $30 $0.00 fine somewhere... and people just swallowed it whole... I mean... they believed that bit about the June 1st deadline mentioned by the CDC too... just wait and see if that doesn't somehow coincidentally fail to materialize by June 1st... especially if these restrictions drag on even longer...🤣🤣🤣

Susan Barrett2 said:Since you nailed the town situation, maybe you've got some insight on the counties too.

Ha... well, I certainly hope so...
🙂

It would seem quite logical—if we're being practical—that the next step should focus on the states—particularly those where infection rates remain relatively low...
https://covid19hr.velebit.ai/d/zL99n...vatska?orgId=3

Take these examples, for instance... areas with fewer than 10 cases... 🤷 —it isn't quite the same picture as the regions reporting over 100... (though even those with over 100 are essentially just two outliers plus New York City)...

Vermont 6
Kansas 4
Arkansas 3
Wyoming 2

Hmm... yes... it seems they are indeed merging the municipalities.
As of now, nothing in my local area is "official"—it remains merely a proposal at this stage.
But even that constitutes progress, I suppose...

I believe I was correct in my earlier assertion that these municipal mergers would be imminent...

Given this, might one reasonably hope that by the end of the month, the movement to lift those county-level permits will also expand? 🤔😁

Lawrence Reed3 said:I think I mentioned somewhere above:
He pointed out how the local county administration basically "utilized" Section 18 of the Homeland Security Act—which, if I recall correctly, allows multiple jurisdictions to coordinate their efforts together.

He also highlighted that the decision regarding free movement was actually made possible by activating those mutual aid agreements for coordinating Civil Defense activities—agreements that were signed by the mayors and local officials in those former municipal areas, and then given the green light by the National Emergency Management Agency.

It’s quite clear to me... my questions are, in truth, merely rhetorical...

I mean... do the other counties simply lack the capacity to "digest" Article 18...?🤔

And yes... I am well aware that such a question is better suited for my department head... which is precisely why I am framing it as a rhetorical one...

Well, here is another example from the Midwest—just one of those absurd situations that nobody actually wants to touch, nobody has the energy for, and frankly, nobody feels like dealing with...

It seems they’ll only start making these moves right before the election... which is exactly what you'd expect from them...

By the way... I suppose... could someone perhaps explain to me—and I truly mean this in the spirit of inquiry—why there is such a pressing need to restrict movement? I can certainly wrap my head around certain aspects of it, of course... but the reasoning remains somewhat elusive...
To impose restrictions that essentially insult both logic and common sense—well, that is something I simply cannot fathom, nor can I bring myself to comprehend...

I am still somewhat in the dark regarding the specific metrics used to determine which municipalities are deemed "eligible for consolidation" (as we see happening in parts of California, for instance)...
Aside from those official criteria—it really just comes down to whoever happens to be holding the reins of power at the time. ☕