How COVID-19 is affecting society

[Ellen Cordeaux]

Took my hekkin chonker Uncle Charlie the cat to the vet yesterday. New normal:

- Check in at the drive-in window normally used to picking up meds. Go park in the lot.
- Tech comes out (suited up) and grabs chonker.
- Doctor rings to chat about treatment options.
- Tech brings chonker back out and backs away when I get out to get him strapped in.
- Drive back around to window to check out/pay. Tech gives me back my debit card wrapped in a clorox wipe. (Aww, nice touch).

Not gonna lie; I really REALLY liked this. I hate waiting in those tiny, usually very cold treatment rooms listening to various animals cry. I'd like them to keep this way forever.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I was wondering about this too last night with Mrs. E's work. Not so much for her as I'm the only one here, but in busy households with a lot of other people around.

Isn't there, though, a reasonable expectation that staff working from home will understand the importance of logging out of their work accounts when they're not using them, and sleeping the screen when the machine is unattended, just as there's a reasonable expectation that, when they get home from work under more normal circumstances, they know not to discuss confidential work matters with their friends and family?

Or am I missing something somewhere?

 

[Anya Ristow]

I've been to the home center to pick up my internet order of...light bulbs. My kitchen light was glowing pink and was so warm it made the fixture stink.

TIL the home center is an "essential business", and flooring and potting soil can still be purchased.

They were directing in-store shoppers through one door, order pickup through another. Everyone was exiting through another door, which they opened with a switch only for people going out.

They had red lines taped around registers and you were supposed to stay outside the line. They had black X's marking social distance in line. Staff was wearing masks and gloves. But checkout was not contactless.

 

[Anya Ristow]

Isn't there, though, a reasonable expectation that staff working from home will understand the importance of logging out of their work accounts when they're not using them, and sleeping the screen when the machine is unattended, just as there's a reasonable expectation that, when they get home from work under more normal circumstances, they know not to discuss confidential work matters with their friends and family?

Or am I missing something somewhere?

Some unsophisticated users who don't think of their positions as having access to particularly sensitive data have now been asked to do their jobs from home. They may have access to more than they need, or their access is only sensitive because it's now from outside the corporate network. The systems they are using may not be particularly secure, and weren't made secure in the rush to take them home.

I'm laid off, but I had to do some emergency exploit mitigation in the third and fourth days of unemployment. Essentially, unpaid work.

ETA I told the boss I was also concerned about physical security at the empty office. He's not concerned, but I took my machine home, anyway. Fortunately, the sensitive stuff is on encrypted drives, and the machine I most worry about (the bookkeeper's) is not in the office.

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

Isn't there, though, a reasonable expectation that staff working from home will understand the importance of logging out of their work accounts when they're not using them, and sleeping the screen when the machine is unattended, just as there's a reasonable expectation that, when they get home from work under more normal circumstances, they know not to discuss confidential work matters with their friends and family?

Or am I missing something somewhere?

I always work from home, and yes, that is the expectation. They'd also like it if I was in a room isolated from the rest of the household, but since I have to be hardwired to the modem (no wireless card) it's not feasible. But, since under normal circumstances I'm the only human here during the day it hasn't been an issue - until now.... Hubman is home and not working. Hubman is home and endlessly watching Criminal Minds. Hubman is home and playing with the dogs getting them wound up. Hubman is home and sometimes just walks in the room and starts talking without considering that I might be on a customer service call....

 

[Zaida Gearbox]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I was looking forward to going up there this summer and writing "Zaida Was Here" on graffiti highway. *sobs*

Centralia's beloved Graffiti Highway to be closed, covered by dirt amid coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania

Ghost town destination meets demise as health crisis expands across state

www.phillyvoice.com

 

[Sovereignty]

Took my hekkin chonker Uncle Charlie the cat to the vet yesterday. New normal:

- Check in at the drive-in window normally used to picking up meds. Go park in the lot.
- Tech comes out (suited up) and grabs chonker.
- Doctor rings to chat about treatment options.
- Tech brings chonker back out and backs away when I get out to get him strapped in.
- Drive back around to window to check out/pay. Tech gives me back my debit card wrapped in a clorox wipe. (Aww, nice touch).

Not gonna lie; I really REALLY liked this. I hate waiting in those tiny, usually very cold treatment rooms listening to various animals cry. I'd like them to keep this way forever.

Until I saw your post, I just assumed vets would be closed. Called 'em up and they work the same way here near Houston. I can even board a pet which is nice to know. Thanks for the info!

 

[Sredni Eel]

California is a Nation-state now.

Gavin Newsom Declares California a ‘Nation-State’

If Gavin Newsom is my President, I'm okay with this.

 

[Eunoli]

Ultimate Home Care:

CDC Releases Instructions For All Americans To Make Their Own Hospitals

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

 

[Isabeau]

California is a Nation-state now.

Gavin Newsom Declares California a ‘Nation-State’

If Gavin Newsom is my President, I'm okay with this.

What’s the use of a federal gvt that isn’t there for you when you need it?

 

[Pamela]

I don’t know, will the Trump base really be okay with dying for the cult?

 

[Pamela]

duplicate

 

[Innula Zenovka]

A tale of two New Yorks: pandemic lays bare a city's shocking inequities

The coronavirus has laid bare two societies divided on lines of class and race – a divide reflected in skewed death figures

www.theguardian.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

French police turn back private jet of holidaymakers from UK

Party of 10 flew into Marseille-Provence airport to be taken by helicopter to luxury Cannes villa

www.theguardian.com

Seven men and three women arrived on the chartered aircraft to Marseille-Provence airport, where helicopters were waiting to fly them on to Cannes, where they had rented a luxury villa.

The men, aged 40-50, and women, aged 23-25, were refused permission to enter France and ordered by police to fly back to the UK.

“They were coming for a holiday in Cannes and three helicopters were waiting on the tarmac,” a border police spokesperson told Agence France-Presse. “We notified them they were not allowed to enter the national territory and they left four hours later.”

A police source told BFMTV the pilot had been advised not to land the Embraer Legacy jet at Marseille-Provence, but did so anyway. On landing, the group, made up of several nationalities including Croatian, German, French, Romanian and Ukrainian, reportedly tried to get help from contacts to continue their journey.

“They tried to make use of their connections and made a few phone calls,” the source said.

The helicopter pilots were told to return to their base and were fined for breaking the French lockdown rules.

The jet, chartered by a Croatian businessman reportedly in “finance and property”, arrived last Saturday, but details were only released on Thursday. French police said they would be carrying out strict checks on private aircraft arriving in France over the Easter period.

They should have headed for Mar-a-lago -- they sound like just the sort of people The Trump Organisation would welcome as guests and potential business partners, and I'm sure his children have some lovely condos to sell them.

 

[Rose Karuna]

I always work from home, and yes, that is the expectation. They'd also like it if I was in a room isolated from the rest of the household, but since I have to be hardwired to the modem (no wireless card) it's not feasible. But, since under normal circumstances I'm the only human here during the day it hasn't been an issue - until now.... Hubman is home and not working. Hubman is home and endlessly watching Criminal Minds. Hubman is home and playing with the dogs getting them wound up. Hubman is home and sometimes just walks in the room and starts talking without considering that I might be on a customer service call....

I can relate. I have been working from home off and on for years. My husband retired about 18 months ago and yes, it's almost exactly how you describe it. Except he watches Gold Rush instead of Criminal Minds. Also, it's Florida and he doesn't always wear clothes. Needless to say, I had to put black tape over the camera in my laptop. At Christmas, he bought me a sign that lights up and it says "in the zone", so we've come to an agreement, if the sign is on, then I'm busy and whatever it is, needs to wait.

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I was looking forward to going up there this summer and writing "Zaida Was Here" on graffiti highway. *sobs*

Centralia's beloved Graffiti Highway to be closed, covered by dirt amid coronavirus pandemic in Pennsylvania

Ghost town destination meets demise as health crisis expands across state

www.phillyvoice.com

It was on my bucket list. One of my favorite photos of my daughter is of her sitting on Graffiti Highway holding a balloon. Really cute 'artsy' photo her friend took of her.

 

[bubblesort]

It was on my bucket list. One of my favorite photos of my daughter is of her sitting on Graffiti Highway holding a balloon. Really cute 'artsy' photo her friend took of her.

Yeah, I can't believe they are finally doing it, after threatening to do it for decades. On the bright side, the mudders are gonna love new improvements when they are done.

I suspect the graffiti artists will just move down the hill to the empty street grid around the old masonic cornerstone. Lots of blank canvass down there.

 

[bubblesort]

I hit the grocery store today. Everybody was wearing masks, which is awesome. The checkouts were moving slow, and they were actually washing the conveyor belts at the checkout between every customer.

My GF said that when she went to Giant yesterday, in Shippensburg, that they had the place set up as a one way maze. You entered normally, but then everything was cordoned off so you had to go down every aisle to get to the cashiers, and you weren't allowed to back track at all. They claim this is to improve social distancing. I think it's the perfect formula to spread Corona more. If I want to just get some eggs and bread, I can be in and out in 5 minutes. If I have to use this crazy maze, that increases my time spent in a grocery store to 30 minutes or more. Plus, if somebody with corona coughs in, say, the diaper aisle, I have to walk through that cloud, even though I don't buy diapers, so normally I might have avoided that risk.

If they start doing that at a store up where I am, I will get my groceries elsewhere. It's too dangerous.

 

[bubblesort]

Zaida Gearbox Shiloh Lyric Just one more thing about Centralia... I know the area very well. If you still want to go, and get the most out of it, now that graffiti road is gone, here's what you do:

Next to Centralia is a town called Ashland. It's a typical run down old coal town, less than 5 minutes from Centralia. There's a few bars, and a mom and pop pizzaria down town called Fabrizios. Stop in at that pizzaria for a late lunch when it's quiet (I highly recommend their brushetta). Sit at the bar, tip the barkeep well, and ask them about Centralia. They will tell you all the legends and history of the place, and what's still there. You can still see two old grave yards, and the old masonic cornerstone is there. If you go to the big pile of rubble, you can put your hand in a vent that puts out hot, wet steam all year round, but be careful if you do. That steam can burn if you leave your hand there too long, or put your hand in the hole too deep.

Edited to add: Talk to the people in Ashland, but for gods sake, stay away from Centralia residents! There are still a handful up there, and they aren't friendly. Just leave them be. Try to respect anything you think may be a property line.