What's with all the firearms here?

[AGBF]

I used up my quota of articles and do not have a subscription to "The Washington Post" but I think this article on the Dorr brothers helped to inform people about them. I wish I could read it more easily. I'll have to try a work around.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/04/19/pro-gun-activists-using-facebook-groups-push-anti-quarantine-protests/

 

[AGBF]

This was a good substitute for the actual article in "The Washington Post". The indented and bolded blue is excerpted from the article and is quoted from "The Washington Post".

A trio of far-right, pro-gun provocateurs is behind some of the largest Facebook groups calling for anti-quarantine protests around the country, offering the latest illustration that some seemingly organic demonstrations are being engineered by a network of conservative activists.

The Facebook groups target Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, and they appear to be the work of Ben Dorr, the political director of a group called “Minnesota Gun Rights,” and his siblings, Christopher and Aaron. By Sunday, the groups had roughly 200,000 members combined, and they continued to expand quickly, days after President Trump endorsed such protests by suggesting citizens should “liberate” their states. […]
Facebook said Sunday it did not remove the groups or events partly because states have not outlawed them. Organizers also have called for “drive-in” protests, in keeping with recommendations that people keep a short distance between each other. In other cases, involving protests planned for states like New Jersey and California, the company has removed that content, Facebook said.

“Unless government prohibits the event during this time, we allow it to be organized on Facebook. For this same reason, events that defy government’s guidance on social distancing aren’t allowed on Facebook,” said Andy Stone, a spokesman for the company.

WaPo: 'Pro-gun Activists Using Facebook To Push Anti-Quarantine Protests'

If you doubt for a moment that the twin pillars of agitprop in our culture right now are Fox News and Facebook, this should convince you. Despite the fact that 70% of Republicans polled recently by Quinnipiac said they supported a stay-at-home order, a couple of Facebook groups, run by three...

politizoom.com

 

[House Cat]

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It's just that in the northeast when we elect them (like Governor LePage in Maine) we feel deep shame. (No, I am not from Maine!) We tend to like Massachusetts and the Boston model. I like Mike Barnicle of "The Boston Globe".

Well I am, and I didn't vote for him either time, but Maine felt so shamed by that man that we changed our voting process to ranked choice so it never happens again.

 

[missy]

Hi Missy. Speaking of looking to other countries, What do you think about Sweden’s approach? Check this out:https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-sweden-stockholm-herd-immunity-144733606.html

@nala fyi. Still waiting and watching. But with regard to their most vulnerable people more protective measures should have been taken. The virus is contagious before symptoms show.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Overview

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that causes mild to severe cases. Here’s a quick guide on how to spot symptoms, risk factors, prevent spread of the disease, and find out what to do if you think you have it.

www.webmd.com

 

[nala]

Modoc becomes first California county to reopen despite governor's stay-at-home order

Businesses, schools, restaurants, public transit operations and other entities were permitted to reopen in northern California's Modoc County on May 1. Two additional counties will follow on Monday.

www.newsweek.com

 

[AGBF]

" Whitmer: Protestors’ swastikas, Confederate flags, nooses, automatic rifles don’t represent Michigan"

By Madeline Ciak
-
May 1, 2020



"Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wasted no time Friday condemning right-wing protestors who swarmed Michigan’s Capitol Thursday.


She called the scene laden with misogynistic and violent signs and protestors shouting at law enforcement, 'disturbing.' Protestors called for her to end what they called 'tyrannical rule' with her stay-home order during the COVID-19 pandemic that’s sickened more than 42,000 and killed more than 3,800 people in Michigan as of Friday.


'Swastikas, Confederate flags, nooses and automatic rifles do not represent who we are as Michiganders,' said Whitmer, adding that the state has a rich history of people coming together in times of crisis.


This was the second protest held there in a month. Republican leaders were slow to comment on Thursday’s protestors, many of whom were armed and yelled at sergeants-in-arms to let them on the.House floor, while others stood in the Senate gallery above lawmakers. There also were signs calling for Whitmer’s assassination, like 'Tyrants Get The Rope.'"

Whitmer: Protestors’ swastikas, Confederate flags, nooses, automatic rifles don’t represent Michigan • Michigan Advance

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wasted no time Friday condemning right-wing protestors who swarmed Michigan’s Capitol Thursday. She called the scene laden with misogynistic and violent signs and protestors shouting at law enforcement, “disturbing.” Protestors called for her to end what they called...

www.michiganadvance.com

 

[AGBF]

Trump's call to "liberate" states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia is actually a call to the extreme right wing. I learned about "boogaloo" from a reporter (mainstream) who reports on the far right. It has been invoked in Michigan and probably elsewhere, too. It is a dogwhistle and a call to anti-semites and racists.

In Trump's 'LIBERATE' tweets, extremists see a call to arms

Trump's tweets pushed many online extremist communities to speculate whether the president was advocating for armed conflict, an event they’ve termed “the boogaloo."

www.nbcnews.com

 

[missy]

Hi Missy. Speaking of looking to other countries, What do you think about Sweden’s approach? Check this out:https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-sweden-stockholm-herd-immunity-144733606.html

Here is a follow up to date.

Sweden Has Become the World’s Cautionary Tale (Published 2020)

Its decision to carry on in the face of the pandemic has yielded a surge of deaths without sparing its economy from damage — a red flag as the United States and Britain move to lift lockdowns.

www.nytimes.com

“ Sweden Has Become the World’s Cautionary Tale

Its decision to carry on in the face of the pandemic has yielded a surge of deaths without sparing its economy from damage — a red flag as the United States and Britain move to lift lockdowns.

Sweden largely avoided imposing prohibitions. The government allowed restaurants, gyms, shops, playgrounds and most schools to remain open.
Sweden largely avoided imposing prohibitions. The government allowed restaurants, gyms, shops, playgrounds and most schools to remain open.Credit...Johan Nilsson/EPA, via Shutterstock
Peter S. Goodman
By Peter S. Goodman
Published July 7, 2020
Updated July 8, 2020, 8:56 a.m. ET

2137
LONDON — Ever since the coronavirus emerged in Europe, Sweden has captured international attention by conducting an unorthodox, open-air experiment. It has allowed the world to examine what happens in a pandemic when a government allows life to carry on largely unhindered.

This is what has happened: Not only have thousands more people died than in neighboring countries that imposed lockdowns, but Sweden’s economy has fared little better.

“They literally gained nothing,” said Jacob F. Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington. “It’s a self-inflicted wound, and they have no economic gains.”

The results of Sweden’s experience are relevant well beyond Scandinavian shores. In the United States, where the virus is spreading with alarming speed, many states have — at President Trump’s urging — avoided lockdowns or lifted them prematurely on the assumption that this would foster economic revival, allowing people to return to workplaces, shops and restaurants.

In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson — previously hospitalized with Covid-19 — reopened pubs and restaurants last weekend in a bid to restore normal economic life.

Implicit in these approaches is the assumption that governments must balance saving lives against the imperative to spare jobs, with the extra health risks of rolling back social distancing potentially justified by a resulting boost to prosperity. But Sweden’s grim result — more death, and nearly equal economic damage — suggests that the supposed choice between lives and paychecks is a false one: A failure to impose social distancing can cost lives and jobs at the same time.


Sweden put stock in the sensibility of its people as it largely avoided imposing government prohibitions. The government allowed restaurants, gyms, shops, playgrounds and most schools to remain open. By contrast, Denmark and Norway opted for strict quarantines, banning large groups and locking down shops and restaurants.


More than three months later, the coronavirus is blamed for 5,420 deaths in Sweden, according to the World Health Organization. That might not sound especially horrendous compared with the more than 129,000 Americans who have died. But Sweden is a country of only 10 million people. Per million people, Sweden has suffered 40 percent more deaths than the United States, 12 times more than Norway, seven times more than Finland and six times more than Denmark.
ImagePer million people, Sweden has suffered 40 percent more coronavirus-related deaths than the United States.
Per million people, Sweden has suffered 40 percent more coronavirus-related deaths than the United States.Credit...Jonathan Nackstrand/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
The elevated death toll resulting from Sweden’s approach has been clear for many weeks. What is only now emerging is how Sweden, despite letting its economy run unimpeded, has still suffered business-destroying, prosperity-diminishing damage, and at nearly the same magnitude of its neighbors.
Sweden’s central bank expects its economy to contract by 4.5 percent this year, a revision from a previously expected gain of 1.3 percent. The unemployment rate jumped to 9 percent in May from 7.1 percent in March. “The overall damage to the economy means the recovery will be protracted, with unemployment remaining elevated,” Oxford Economics concluded in a recent research note.

This is more or less how damage caused by the pandemic has played out in Denmark, where the central bank expects that the economy will shrink 4.1 percent this year, and where joblessness has edged up to 5.6 percent in May from 4.1 percent in March.
In short, Sweden suffered a vastly higher death rate while failing to collect on the expected economic gains.

The coronavirus does not stop at national borders. Despite the government’s decision to allow the domestic economy to roll on, Swedish businesses are stuck with the same conditions that produced recession everywhere else. And Swedish people responded to the fear of the virus by limiting their shopping — not enough to prevent elevated deaths, but enough to produce a decline in business activity.

Here is one takeaway with potentially universal import: It is simplistic to portray government actions such as quarantines as the cause of economic damage. The real culprit is the virus itself. From Asia to Europe to the Americas, the risks of the pandemic have disrupted businesses while prompting people to avoid shopping malls and restaurants, regardless of official policy.
Image
Sweden’s central bank expects its economy to contract by 4.5 percent this year, a revision from a previously expected gain of 1.3 percent.
Sweden’s central bank expects its economy to contract by 4.5 percent this year, a revision from a previously expected gain of 1.3 percent.

Sweden is exposed to the vagaries of global trade. Once the pandemic was unleashed, it was certain to suffer the economic consequences, said Mr. Kirkegaard, the economist.

The Coronavirus Outbreak
Frequently Asked Questions
Updated July 7, 2020

Is the coronavirus airborne?
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
What’s the best material for a mask?
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
Is it harder to exercise while wearing a mask?
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
I’ve heard about a treatment called dexamethasone. Does it work?
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
What is pandemic paid leave?
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
How does blood type influence coronavirus?
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.

“The Swedish manufacturing sector shut down when everyone else shut down because of the supply chain situation,” he said. “This was entirely predictable.”

What remained in the government’s sphere of influence was how many people would die.

“There is just no questioning and no willingness from the Swedish government to really change tack, until it’s too late,” Mr. Kirkegaard said. “Which is astonishing, given that it’s been clear for quite some time that the economic gains that they claim to have gotten from this are just nonexistent.”

Norway, on the other hand, was not only quick to impose an aggressive lockdown, but early to relax it as the virus slowed, and as the government ramped up testing. It is now expected to see a more rapid economic turnaround. Norway’s central bank predicts that its mainland economy — excluding the turbulent oil and gas sector — will contract by 3.9 percent this year. That amounts to a marked improvement over the 5.5 percent decline expected in the midst of the lockdown.

Sweden’s laissez faire approach does appear to have minimized the economic damage compared with its neighbors in the first three months of the year, according to an assessment by the International Monetary Fund. But that effect has worn off as the force of the pandemic has swept through the global economy, and as Swedish consumers have voluntarily curbed their shopping anyway.

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen gained access to credit data from Danske Bank, one of the largest in Scandinavia. They studied spending patterns from mid-March, when Denmark put the clamps on the economy, to early April. The pandemic prompted Danes to reduce their spending 29 percent in that period, the study concluded. During the same weeks, consumers in Sweden — where freedom reigned — reduced their spending 25 percent.

Strikingly, older people — those over 70 — reduced their spending more in Sweden than in Denmark, perhaps concerned that the business-as-usual circumstances made going out especially risky.
Collectively, Scandinavian consumers are expected to continue spending far more robustly than in the United States, said Thomas Harr, global head of research at Danske Bank, emphasizing those nations’ generous social safety nets, including national health care systems. Americans, by contrast, tend to rely on their jobs for health care, making them more cautious about their health and their spending during the pandemic, knowing that hospitalization can be a gateway to financial calamity.

“It’s very much about the welfare state,” Mr. Harr said of Scandinavian countries. “You’re not as concerned about catching the virus, because you know that, if you do, the state is paying for health care.”

 

[autumngems]

Read the order...customers must be prevented from purchasing nonessential items and those sections of the stores closed off...including garden centers among others.
No travel outside your home to another unless it involves direct care for another....so I couldn’t legally drop off cookies at the neighbor.
If one owns a vacation home they may not go there.
It’s all in the order.

That's how it was here in NC in the beginning, gardening and anything non-essential was blocked off, it lasted a couple weeks.

 

[autumngems]

We do own several gun of various types as my spouse is a retired military member. He has a concealed carry permit but only carries if we feel we are going to a questionable area. Neither of us would be at a protest and not with a gun.

 

[arkieb1]

@missy they declared Sweden's "herd" immunity theory to be a failure in Australia a few weeks ago.....

 

[1ofakind]

That's how it was here in NC in the beginning, gardening and anything non-essential was blocked off, it lasted a couple weeks.

But no mask mandate until recently. Yeah that makes sense, lol. I'm not picking on NC...a lot of the states have taken some pretty ass backwards approaches. Here before we could dine indoors they allowed outdoor dining. So restaurants put up tents with 4 closed walls and AC. How is that different than eating indoors? IDK but we only went to open tents at off times when there were not many people.

 

[Musia]

I see two boys that desperately need a haircut. One is submissively kneeling and the other is actively protesting, fighting for his rights. No firearms, which is good.

 

[Musia]

But no mask mandate until recently

I hope we won't be ordered to eat having our masks on

 

[1ofakind]

I hope we won't be ordered to eat having our masks on

Just in case...

 

[Musia]

Just in case...

 

[missy]

@missy they declared Sweden's "herd" immunity theory to be a failure in Australia a few weeks ago.....

I thought it would be a failure a few months ago...not surprised though let's look at this in another few years and see what the final conclusion is.

 

[missy]

But no mask mandate until recently. Yeah that makes sense, lol. I'm not picking on NC...a lot of the states have taken some pretty ass backwards approaches. Here before we could dine indoors they allowed outdoor dining. So restaurants put up tents with 4 closed walls and AC. How is that different than eating indoors? IDK but we only went to open tents at off times when there were not many people.

Here in NJ the Governor said only outdoor dining and that means at least 2 walls must be open so not enclosed. NJ finally has an outdoor mask mandate "when one cannot socially distance". And indoor dining is still closed and let's hope it stays that way. NJ numbers are raising and measures need to be taken to reduce the spread of Covid 19. If it isn't too late.

 

[autumngems]

Here in NJ the Governor said only outdoor dining and that means at least 2 walls must be open so not enclosed. NJ finally has an outdoor mask mandate "when one cannot socially distance". And indoor dining is still closed and let's hope it stays that way. NJ numbers are raising and measures need to be taken to reduce the spread of Covid 19. If it isn't too late.

We still have some indoor dining just at 50% capacity. Some of the downtown places have taken to shutting down the street in the evening and making it outdoor dining areas for those restaurants.

 

[autumngems]

But no mask mandate until recently. Yeah that makes sense, lol. I'm not picking on NC...a lot of the states have taken some pretty ass backwards approaches. Here before we could dine indoors they allowed outdoor dining. So restaurants put up tents with 4 closed walls and AC. How is that different than eating indoors? IDK but we only went to open tents at off times when there were not many people.

Yeah, lots of people up in arms here with our Governor, they don't want to wear the masks and want to open more things bars/gyms even though our numbers are going up.

 

[House Cat]

I see two boys that desperately need a haircut. One is submissively kneeling and the other is actively protesting, fighting for his rights. No firearms, which is good.

There is nothing ”submissive” about Colin Kapernick. He fought for his right to protest and for the lives of young black people who are being murdered until he lost his multi-million dollar job.

The haircut lady is a spoiled brat who believes her inconvenience is more important than people’s lives.

 

[Musia]

There is nothing ”submissive” about Colin Kapernick. He fought for his right to protest and for the lives of young black people who are being murdered until he lost his multi-million dollar job.

The haircut lady is a spoiled brat who believes her inconvenience is more important than people’s lives.

I didn't have a haircut for a long time, started wearing a pony tail and not very happy with my looks. If I was younger or dating someone, I would want to look my best. My husband is as old as I am, but he insists on getting haircuts every 3 weeks. It is easy to do, we have a semi-professional machine and I have been his hair stylist for many years. I think it is something specific that makes him extremely unhappy with the little longer hair. He points out that something is wrong with the area above his ears. Really, he is becoming extremely upset and demands haircut NOW. Just like many of us are unhappy with windows, inclusions or scratches on our gems even if no one else notices them.

My hair stylist is a single mom who has a 3y.o. daughter. She just recently started her business nearby. She is Philippine-American, a very hardworking person. Her salon is still closed, I just checked. I don't know how she is doing now, hope she has a family to help her. But I can say her community is not among the richest in our area.