Coronavirus, Covid 19 Discussion and How It Has Affected Your Daily Life Chat Thread

[IamRainey]

Not to worry, Molpet. Here's the short version with its reassurance (you have to expand the quoted material to see the phenomenon is visible from 12/19 to 12/25 but, of course, it's most spectacular on the 21st):

Because Jupiter and Saturn will hang low in the southwestern sky, find a location with a wide open view in that direction. They'll be about 14° high when they first become easily visible about 45 minutes after sunset. The pair sets around 7 p.m. local time, so best not be late. Forty-five minutes to 90 minutes after sunset is the prime viewing window. Click here to find your local sunset time and plan accordingly.…
I encourage you to make your own connection with this rare celestial alignment. And if it's cloudy on December 21st don't take it too hard. Jupiter and Saturn will be wonderfully close from the 19th all the way to Christmas. Have a merry and inspirational holiday!

 

[electrycmonk]

They think it's going to be cloudy here

to add some more sugar on top of that cookie from @IamRainey if you download the FREE myradar app for your phone and in settings set the clouds and a few other details to "on." You can stay totally on top of the water vapor stat's within a 15 minute window from now on for ALL night time observation readiness. i have posted screenshots from this app all year via storms and hurricanes in different threads.

as for astronomical jewels such as this current one.... the "peak" brightness IS for several nights, but, the proximity is still going to be there for at least a week afterwards. Just like they have been scootching closer and closer over the last few weeks.

heres a few free updaters too:

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/sights-to-see.html

http://www.seasky.org/astronomy/astronomy-calendar-current.html

https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SKYCAL/SKYCAL.html

https://astronomy.com/observing/sky-this-week

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Omg, went out to our local famous food indoor/outdoor market for some exotic meats for our game pie and it was the worst shopping trips I've been on in months. Fully one out of every five VENDORS were unmasked let alone customers, it was packed, people would not stay 6' away, I just wanted to cry. I got in and out as fast as I physically could. I've never felt so claustrophobic in my life, and the building is huge.

Compare it to the Italian restaurant supply and gourmet food store we went to 5 minutes away, where the store was tiny but everyone was trying to spread out as much as physically possible, everyone was masked, and everyone was being polite about keeping their distance and moving out of the way of others. It was so much happier - the only person there not wearing their mask correctly was the cop in the corner. Ironic.

The asian mart was similar and everyone these was masked and they took temps at the door and I felt SO much safer there. I love shopping there. They've had strict masking and temperature taking from the beginning and it's felt so much safer there than almost every other grocery store.

I got everything I was after but I'm so upset by how bad that was at the market. I watched a guy with his mask half on wipe under his mask and then scream about brusselsprouts and put his hand right on them. That's not sanitary when there's NOT a pandemic, dude! Come on!

 

[IamRainey]

That's the thing, isn't it? When people practice responsible health protocols people feel safer and commerce can continue.

What do the macho "freedom fighters" not get?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Yeah, I got in and out of the terrible place as fast as I physically could, I practically ran out with only the things I set out to get. The idea of browsing crossed my mind and I did not do so.

I admit I lingered in the asian market and bought extra from both there and the Italian store. I got cheeses I wasn't gonna from the Italian store for our next pizza and squid ink pasta, and snacks, kimchi and curry ramen and some remarkably inexpensive tweezers from the Asian market.

There's no way the economic damage from all this waffling and failure to act is worth the economic savings of "not shutting down" or "making it harder to shop because masks".

 

[h2oratt]

California is tough took me awhile!
First you take your city and go to the county data. Your percentage of active covid is less than 1% of your population. ( actual is 0.7% which is less than 1 % ) math does not lie.
Take the number of active cases and divide into the population of that county.
less than 1 percent active cases-

I was looking for total deaths by year. Like you showed for your state.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Guuurl, y'all'd be terrified to shop anywhere close to my area. I'm lucky to see 20% mask use. Period. Which is crazy because we are topping the charts of cases per capita... (shocker I'm sure)

Some of the employees at places are trying, ie: mask half on, and a few actually wear them correctly, but hardly any customers wear them and some places like Rural King, they act like you are an alien if you have one on. The sneering disdain is palpable.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

That's very stressful to hear, Snap. Our TSC is kinda like that too. Hoping I don't have to go out that way again anytime soon.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

That's very stressful to hear, Snap. Our TSC is kinda like that too. Hoping I don't have to go out that way again anytime soon.

Thanks. It's been stressful to shop, but thankfully theTSC has been getting better and whomever brings the feed out from TSC to my car has been masked and keeps their distance.
I won't be going back into Rural King until this is long past! And even then probably only on rare occasions. They do have online ordering, but you have to go in to the store to check in, then get your feed. Other places have pick up here, but RK does not. Almost like they are resisting on purpose.

Some of the grocery stores are offering pick up now too so thankfully I don't have to go in anymore. Only bigger chains though and only some locations. Still, better than none like it was in spring/early summer.
(I swear, I don't live that far out in the sticks! Honest!)

I think the changes at TSC may be due to the fact our state has an online complaint site for stores not following mandates. Initially no one at our TSC even wore a mask at all...not even down under their chin! Given some of the rude political t-shirts I saw for sale at Rural King the few times I've been there (it's a new store in my area) they may prefer to pay any fines instead of encouraging masking.

Meant to tell you, I thought the bone earrings were pretty cool!

 

[h2oratt]

Omg, went out to our local famous food indoor/outdoor market for some exotic meats for our game pie and it was the worst shopping trips I've been on in months. Fully one out of every five VENDORS were unmasked let alone customers, it was packed, people would not stay 6' away, I just wanted to cry. I got in and out as fast as I physically could. I've never felt so claustrophobic in my life, and the building is huge.

Compare it to the Italian restaurant supply and gourmet food store we went to 5 minutes away, where the store was tiny but everyone was trying to spread out as much as physically possible, everyone was masked, and everyone was being polite about keeping their distance and moving out of the way of others. It was so much happier - the only person there not wearing their mask correctly was the cop in the corner. Ironic.

The asian mart was similar and everyone these was masked and they took temps at the door and I felt SO much safer there. I love shopping there. They've had strict masking and temperature taking from the beginning and it's felt so much safer there than almost every other grocery store.

I got everything I was after but I'm so upset by how bad that was at the market. I watched a guy with his mask half on wipe under his mask and then scream about brusselsprouts and put his hand right on them. That's not sanitary when there's NOT a pandemic, dude! Come on!

Cop or security guard.