Corona Virus Crisis Discussion Thread

[Zacha341]

Now we're really talking ANARCHY in terms of shopping and hoarding! Next mounted bull-horns at the street intersections providing minute-to-minute directives. I'd heard/ read there'd be days like this 'coming'...

Are they doing this in New York and Cali yet? What about the homeless collections? Are they to be moved off to 'containment' areas yet?

Probably about the time she closes movie theaters, malls and big box stores

[Johnnny5]

I just left my local Walmart after a 1am trip to avoid the crowds. The shelves were devoid of any bread, bananas, eggs, peanut butter, hardly any flour, no butter and the meat department looked like a T-Rex had gone through just before I got there. EMPTY!

I was kind of bummed because the only thing I really wanted was some bananas and a loaf of wheat bread. After seeing the bread isle empty I remembered that my bread machine yeast is probably too damn old, but they were out of that as well. Oh well, maybe next time.

[Zacha341]

Dangy. I've been having some insomnia [[obviously seeing the time here) and wanted to make store run to get an edge. I wonder how most of the Meijer 24 stores are fairing in the wee hours?

[Meddle]

Why are people being so ridiculously psychotic?

[Meddle]

"We now return control of your television set to you, ... "


Resume normal. Everyone. Everywhere.

[wazootyman]

I just left my local Walmart after a 1am trip to avoid the crowds. The shelves were devoid of any bread, bananas, eggs, peanut butter, hardly any flour, no butter and the meat department looked like a T-Rex had gone through just before I got there. EMPTY!

Likewise for my neighborhood grocer [[a Foodland store). I've never seen the shelves so bare or the crowds so thick [[I'm there 1-2 times a week). Not even the week before Thanksgiving. On the upside, it's gotta be good for their bottom line!

My wife and I stopped in to buy some hydrogen peroxide [[for laundry) as everyone is out right now. They are too, it seems. I guess we'll be lucky if we can stain fight kids' clothes over the next few weeks...

My hope is that I can go back early next week and do my normal grocery trip. Maybe they'll be able to re-stock by then.

I sure do hope my survival in this mess doesn't require a hearty stash of english muffins. Apparently, that's required for some people...

[jcole]

Uncertainty; it's the worst thing. This happens on a smaller scale every time there's a snow storm predicted.

Why are people being so ridiculously psychotic?

[401don]

I heard a guy on tv last week saying it's a good idea to stock up on essentials for a couple of weeks. Nothing wrong with that except he then listed bottled water. Are they turning off the taps? I thought we were trying to stop people from using it?

[jcole]

Who remembers the Great Power Outage of 2003? The NE grid went down and power was off in most areas for 2 days. For some odd reason, Almont got power back the same day it went out. The town was innundated with people from all over SE Michigan because we had gas and bottled water available. Almont is a tiny town with 2 gas stations, a grocery store and a couple party stores. The locust descended and bought everything they could lay hands on and ran our gas pumps dry. I swear the townsfolk were ready to run them all out of town with pitchforks. Similar mentality. Everyone wants what they want first and to hell with others.

[Zacha341]

Yes. And say what one wants about religion and culture [[mocking or otherwise), but for example, during the depression more people [[I didn't say all) had some self-control based on Christianity [[Protestant or Cath.) or other religions which then still influenced social culture. I am NOT a fool to paint the past with rose-colored glasses. However, today people are even less civil, increasingly.

Per our current highly secular, post-modern environment thriving on expedience towards the SELF as the default position, here we are. We had a culture and values break down daily pre-cononavirus. At the far end of that culture and community breakdown, I find arguments to the contrary usually come from those engaged in the revelry - or tuned-out to what is going on. The tune-out option will be less available as time goes forth.

Times like this exhibit what was not too far under the surface in re. to how people will comport themselves.

We see even moderate restraint modes of self-control considered at minimal weak, reserved only for those who cannot assert themselves or their policy to grab as fast or are otherwise disabled. Couple that with the recent generations grown upon the soil of ME oriented thinking - pushed forward with the have it 'NOW' mentality and culture. It's no wonder in a way we don't trust each other or our so-called governing bodies as we think we are all the same. And in some cases that is proving to be true!

This in part is why we are already seeing episode such as this:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...tensifies.html

[Meddle]

'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'

[Richard]

'The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.'

Its the media and pundits they feed off of blood in the streets.

They are bored,no impeachment hearings,they all ready have Biden as won,so that part is boring they have to create something.

I keep seeing videos of empty store shelves but have been unable to find any and I can still buy 10 dust masks for $1.99 at my local 7-11.

They posted Costco empty shelves locally but yet I went into the Dollar General by my house which had fully stocked shelves,maybe some are just doing it for the excitement of the experience.

What is amazing is that 1/2 the country has just discovered hand washing and toilet paper for the first time.

There are lots that all of the sudden are concerned about the older generation,we are talking about a generation that has survived a depression,world wars,living under the threat of nuclear aniliation on a daily basis and more crashed economies then we can count on both hands.

You do not see them freaking out.

[Meddle]

I blame it on the ZuckerTurds and the Twits.

[Zacha341]

Part of it is due to the hype, part of it is fear. Then there's our culture and how that shapes response. Our current highly secular, post-modern environment thrives on expedience towards the SELF as the default position. We've had this culture and values break down daily pre-cononavirus. At the far end of that culture and community breakdown, I find arguments to the contrary usually come from those engaged in the revelry - or tuned out to what is going on. The tune-out option will be less available as time goes forth.

Why are people being so ridiculously psychotic?

[Richard]

I blame it on the ZuckerTurds and the Twits.

What is interesting is they say online home delivery of groceries is up 40%,which makes sense,why fight the crowds when you can just have it delivered.

Saturday morning empty shelves at Wal-Mart along with only 1 cashier being open,is just normal,people that work during the week pick that morning to do thier shopping.

I go during the week with no problems.

That is an old sales trick though,make people believe that they will be the last one to purchase an item,then all of the sudden everybody wants to be that last person.

The amount of fake news being posted on FB is insane,what is worse is the amount of times it is being shared,the more outlandish it is the more popular it is.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Indeed some of what is going on is reactionary, yet many are being carried along by the tide of it! I'm trying to look beyond to say six months from now.

In the mean time it's day by day, and minute to minute regarding what is occurring and more to the point what we are being told to do and adapt to.

[Richard]

^ people need a distraction to get their mind off of things.

In Italy were everybody is on lock down they went out in their balconies and started singing their National anthem and other songs,if people would just take things in stride it would all be much easier.

[jcole]

Here is the Meijer produce dept at 5am today.

[Meddle]

At 5AM, they may not have put out the day's stock yet.

[Richard]

I guess if one is going to be confined to the house a strawberry daiquiri party is in order?

They may be diverting supply trucks to essentials,there are no food or dry goods shortages in the supply chain and we just had our yearly two week Strawberry festival so there should be a glut of them being it is peak season.

I wonder if because of all of the extra time being spent at home if 9 months from now there will be an increase in population across the world.

The birds are not even up at 5 am.

[JBMcB]

Here is the Meijer produce dept at 5am

I don't know if that's normal for 5AM, but I've seen it look like that at 11:30PM. They just stop restocking after a certain time. My wife went to Kroger this morning and, while busy, they had plenty of stuff.

[jcole]

My husband is the one who stocks it; he took the pics. This is highly unusual. He is in by 4am most mornings and it's never this empty.

At 5AM, they may not have put out the day's stock yet.

[DeLemur]

People need to cool out, while also be extremely careful. Those two things don't always align. Self-restraint does indeed seem to be a declining quality and perhaps from a loss of faith, as is greed an increasing quality since Ronald Reagan emphasized that its good and Donald Trump flaunts his presumed wealth like a child. The media pushes worry too, as if a snow storm is something to demand extreme concern. Our culture has become one that relies on self-centered immediate emotions and not scientific, thoughtful analysis. I can't help but see the differences between Barack Obama and Donald Trump on these emotions and how they play out in a pandemic.

The human distancing happening now will ideally retard this covid-19 and allow the food and retail producers to keep pace with the hoarders and opportunists. I'm happy the Governor closed schools and put a sense of urgency into isolation.

[Atticus]

People need to cool out, while also be extremely careful. Those two things don't always align. Self-restraint does indeed seem to be a declining quality and perhaps from a loss of faith, as is greed an increasing quality since Ronald Reagan emphasized that its good and Donald Trump flaunts his presumed wealth like a child. The media pushes worry too, as if a snow storm is something to demand extreme concern. Our culture has become one that relies on self-centered immediate emotions and not scientific, thoughtful analysis. I can't help but see the differences between Barack Obama and Donald Trump on these emotions and how they play out in a pandemic.

The human distancing happening now will ideally retard this covid-19 and allow the food and retail producers to keep pace with the hoarders and opportunists. I'm happy the Governor closed schools and put a sense of urgency into isolation.

Unusual take, but I actually don’t have a problem with hoarders if:
1. They only stock-up in enough “needs” to allow them to be isolated hermits for 2-3 weeks, and
2. They actually then do isolate themselves for 2-3 weeks, symptoms or not.

The fact that confirmed cases or even people with symptoms are mostly following the 14-day isolation is great. The problem is, most don’t realize they have symptoms and are out spreading it for days 1-4. And remember, this thing can survive on unclean surfaces for up to 3 days.

So people who are isolating themselves, even without symptoms, are doing a societal good by not spreading the virus. And if someone is going to stock-up now to achieve that good, I don’t have a problem with it.... just they need to make sure that they do in fact stay isolated for the 14 days.

[Meddle]

Unusual take, but I actually don’t have a problem with hoarders if:
1. They only stock-up in enough “needs” to allow them to be isolated hermits for 2-3 weeks,

I always have at least 30-60 days on hand, all year, every year for the last 20 years. I'm not close to town and I don't like people, so I keep enough on hand to not to have to go for a few weeks at at time if I don't want to.