Covid-19, Part XI - Rounding Third?

[Boston Red]

All C19 restrictions are being lifted in Texas. I think that means the Astros and the Rangers can have full attendance and no masks

I love it

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2021...nt-in-lubbock/

I'm as eager as anyone for all of this to be over, and my county shows 42 positive cases and 1589 negatives yesterday...but I would really like for places to hold off on THAT step for just one more month. Just one more month and just about everyone in the truly vulnerable classes will have had a shot at the vaccine.

[JaxRed]

Exactly. We've got a test tube of sorts in Texas now. I think your state may be next

I was just telling my wife that. DeSantis has to be champing at the bit.

[JaxRed]

The Texas restrictions are being lifted March 10th.

[Sea Ray]

I'm as eager as anyone for all of this to be over, and my county shows 42 positive cases and 1589 negatives yesterday...but I would really like for places to hold off on THAT step for just one more month. Just one more month and just about everyone in the truly vulnerable classes will have had a shot at the vaccine.

This is big and bold, no question about it but that's Texas for you. They think differently there. I don't think everyone should go to the Astros opening game sans mask etc but the ones who are not high risk, fine. Let's see how this goes. I admire Abbott's boldness here. I figured Texas would be one of the first to do this but I didn't see it happening now. I think this is the biggest news story of the day. How many countries are completely open right now? Probably not many

[Boston Red]

I think there are going to be some places that are SUPER slow to roll back restrictions, and I'm not in favor of that either, but I'm afraid Texas might be irresponsible here, and I hope it doesn't cause a spike there that goes regional. As you should know by now, it's not the people WEARING the masks that are helped by mask wearers, it's everyone around them. So vulnerable folks in Texas would be wise to avoid all such crowds until a couple weeks post-vaccine.

[kaldaniels]

I could be wrong but didn’t Florida have no restrictions around Superbowl time? I recall it being said IF the NFL wanted the stadium could be full.

[Sea Ray]

Mississippi is lifting most restrictions as well, but compared to Texas they're wimps...50% at sporting events

https://www.wjtv.com/news/mississipp...19-in-state-2/

[757690]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-c...ay-2021-03-02/

President Biden on Tuesday announced the U.S. will have enough vaccine supply to cover all adults by the end of May, significantly sooner his previous timeline of the end of July. That's made possible because of the third vaccine by Johnson & Johnson, which is now available for emergency use and being shipped across the country.

[BuckeyeRed27]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-c...ay-2021-03-02/

President Biden on Tuesday announced the U.S. will have enough vaccine supply to cover all adults by the end of May, significantly sooner his previous timeline of the end of July. That's made possible because of the third vaccine by Johnson & Johnson, which is now available for emergency use and being shipped across the country.

The WH is also getting JNJ and Merck to play nice with each other and Merck is helping to manufacture more doses.

[Sea Ray]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-c...ay-2021-03-02/

President Biden on Tuesday announced the U.S. will have enough vaccine supply to cover all adults by the end of May, significantly sooner his previous timeline of the end of July. That's made possible because of the third vaccine by Johnson & Johnson, which is now available for emergency use and being shipped across the country.

That's definitely good news but it should not have been "news" to Biden. I've been saying for months that we'd have vaccines out sooner than what officials were telling us because more manufacturers would get FDA approval such as J&J.

[SteelSD]

Oh hey I’ve really missed your long winded, clown ass nonsense.

By the way, “I can’t empathize with a person I’ve never met” is a profoundly stupid, borderline sociopathic take.

Yes, but it was also a legendary attempt at Standup Philosophizin'.

I was rolling at the "I have no empathy...because STALIN!" part.

[Larry Schuler]

Yes, but it was also a legendary attempt at Standup Philosophizin'.

I was rolling at the "I have no empathy...because STALIN!" part.

I dunno. It blew my mind to learn that we are hardwired to be incapable of conceptualizing empathy outside of one specific manner that is purely theoretical and fake virtue signaling...that lacking empathy is actually correct and good. Honestly, I can't wait to make my girlfriend read that post, get upset that she didn't have her core rocked/re-affirmed, and sub-post about my frustration with her disrespect on an anonymous Reddit thread.

[M2]

Finally, we are discussing the real victim of COVID-19.

I'm not sure, but I think if we high five about it then there are no victims.

[LeDoux]

I dunno. It blew my mind to learn that we are hardwired to be incapable of conceptualizing empathy outside of one specific manner that is purely theoretical and fake virtue signaling...that lacking empathy is actually correct and good. Honestly, I can't wait to make my girlfriend read that post, get upset that she didn't have her core rocked/re-affirmed, and sub-post about my frustration with her disrespect on an anonymous Reddit thread.

Are you just taking key words from my post and stringing them together to mischaracterize my argument and mock me?

Empathy is a cornerstone to all important relationships and to society as a whole. Lacking empathy is good? Heavens no! That's Nietzsche, not me. My point is that I find the shaming and calls for empathy absurd when they come from people who cannot muster simple decency when they communicate with others. Or, more simply, if you are a complete jerk on this message board, why on earth would I believe you have any empathy for people you will never know? Do you have empathy for the 37,423rd person who died of Covid19? Really? They could have been a gentle saint, a scared and lonely person, a cold-blooded murderer, or a "Covid-denier." If you possess the willingness and ability to try and feel and know things from another's point of view (empathy,) what not try it here? I mean right now? Do you think mean-spirited attacks grow empathy?

You, and others, may not like how I write. How I think. Too academic, or esoteric, or whatever. Fair enough. But this justifies the name calling and intentionally misrepresenting my view? Surely there are some basic "rules of play" we must follow before the entire argument devolves into mindless hostility. I read this string semi-regularly. I avoid the news like my mood depends on it- because it often does. I am learning what is happening from people I agree and disagree with. These are trying times for many and there is a tendency to be thin-skinned under stress. I get it. I admit to reading some my own posts with some remorse. I could have taken a sharp edge off here; used a less volatile word there; or just decided to let this one go. I am really trying to be reasonable. Can you meet me halfway?

And just in case someone has an interest in looking into the more academic side of empathy I would suggest:

Preston, S. D., & de Waal, F. B. M. (2002). Empathy: Its ultimate and proximate bases. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 25(1), 1–20.

It is more wordy and academic than anything I write on this board, but coming from the world of peer-reviewed, it is very accessible.

Godspeed. And if we can agree on nothing else, may the Reds roll in 2021!

[M2]

Seems to me, and I'm no expert here, that those noting the moral imperative of not knowingly passing around the easily transmissible virus that's off-the-charts in our lifetimes for body count have modeled empathy.