Wes21

The phased approach is the best way about it. But at some point...soon...we need to start rolling into the first phase. I'd be perfectly content to stay in the house for the next 2 years if this thing were different, but its not. Its time to "evolve" and start the process. As far as bars/restaurants, I just had the same conversation with my wife over the weekend. First, I wonder which ones will go under. But second, we wondered who (if anyone) would take over...and if it would be the same/worse/better than the previous establishment.

I would add politics to the egos, contributing to some people being unwilling to evolve on this thing. They are dug in. What I've noticed is that some people are willing to acknowledge the revised data, but they simply move the goalposts until the data meshes with their narrative. The sentence starts with "we must stay inside and shut down businesses until..." And what comes next is evolving. So once one benchmark is on the horizon, they simply move the benchmark. Going back to the beginning of your post, I went home under the same understanding that you had. We'd flatten the curve, then go back to work. Obviously that goalpost has moved. I even heard some "experts" have now come out and said that we shouldn't go back to normal until we start testing 20 million people per day.

Who the hell is Bill Tobin? LOL

I got my groceries from there for years, but I've given up buying meat and fruits there.

With gifs of course

The governor of PA said he's thinking about opening the state up in sections, with the most rural areas opening up first.

I grew up in the south, and spent 14 of the first 17 years of my life in the south, then 10 years in the Midwest, then the last 10+ years back in the south.

Being "Educated" has nothing to do with it. Different parts of the country have different value systems. Southerners tend to place a higher value on personal freedom than other parts of the country. There are plenty of "uneducated" people in other parts of the country who are fully willing to stay inside for however long the government tells them to. Its not because of their education level, its because of their value system.

I don't see it as an "educational" issue. There are plenty of dumb fudges with no clue that are perfectly happy to be locked up to infinity.

Bingo. Its one of the reasons why I choose to live in the "south." About a month ago I remember getting into a discussion with a family member (who lives in Cleveland, not that its relevant). He was commenting that if they can get a full lockdown in LA and NY, that means they can lock down anywhere. Those were the ultimate tests. I kindly informed him that those were NOT the ultimate tests. If you want a real fight on your hands, its not coming in LA or NY. Its coming in the south. I think I said something like "try it in LA and then try it in Knoxville, Tennessee and you come back and tell me which one was harder to lock down."

I replaced the sunroof in my truck, using youtube as my guide. It was crazy. There were lots of videos to choose from, but the one I watched was an hour long. He cut some of the fat out, but for the most part showed every single step screw by screw and even gave insight into "what to do" if you have or don't have a helper/certain tool in your bag.

Absolutely. Restaurants, hotels, housing, car dealerships, airports and many others also benefit whenever there is a large construction project going on. I think there will always be a place for retailers because people want instant gratification instead of having to wait for stuff to arrive by mail. In that light I think the "click & pull" stuff is going to explode in this country. We just got an IKEA here in town a few years ago, and they were already expanding their curbside pickup section because the demand for it was so high. And that was before the virus, where I think people are getting used to doing it and liking it. I can definitely see a scenario where the number of retailers goes way down, and those that survive have a smaller footprint. I can also see retailers consolidating and working together. Wal-Marts will survive and become a dominant player in the brick and mortar section. I'm trying to figure out what happens to the others. Unfortunately there is some truth to this. What will most likely happen is they will agree to the terms of the plan, but then sink it with poison pills. Then they will run to the nearest microphone and say "the other party just voted against infrastructure, but we were totally for it!"

Awesome! That sucks bro, I'm sorry to hear that. Keep your head up, and try to make your next move your best move.

People without an axe to grind were saying to put it thru trials and see what it does. People with an axe to grind were either proclaiming it a miracle drug or the most toxic substance known to man.

There is a balance that needs to be struck between the two. Its sad that its become "sides," but that's to be expected the minute this became political.

Stay away from Richard Sherman

Good job! I went ahead an got an exercise bike 2 weeks ago (Marcy XJ3220), and was contemplating getting some kettle bells. My main gym is actually renting out equipment, but the pricing was a little steep compared to just buying stuff. I'm a gym addict at my core, but anything I buy now will go to good use in the future because my wife prefers to work out at home.

They are running with that on purpose. It sets an impossible standard with maximum potential to prolong this thing and keep people fighting about it months from now.

Paying dues for a gym and not going is how gyms make their money! I have 2 memberships, and both of them suspended dues while they are closed. I'm pretty sure once they open back up, they will start charging me again whether I want to go or not. There probably are some exceptions. Most gyms have you locked into a contract, so you either pay the dues or you pay the termination fee. I recommend that anyone that doesn't want to go to the gym...not go to the gym. There is zero wrong with that. But I will be there as soon as it opens up, and so will other people I know. For us its the biggest "issue" we've faced during the lockdown. I could do this for 6 more months without complaining if you would just give me the gym back open. LOL

I am going to be in the gym the first day its back open. LOL That being said, its better for the gym if you are paying dues and not showing up. The people that I feel the worst for are seasonal businesses who might miss their window. For some its just a bad year, for others it means they have to close shop.

I agree. People need to step back, take a deep breath, read the data for themselves and make sure to always remember that the media makes more money the more they can scare people. They are loving this right now. They are also heading the charge on moving the goalposts, and some people are playing right along with it. I'm happy to see people getting back to work, however I do think that areas that rely heavily on public transportation (like NY) need to stay shut down longer than most of the rest of the country.

Correct. And that's exactly what some people are attempting to do, create an absolute impossible standard for going back to life. In the end its about assessing, mitigating and accepting risk. We've done it our entire lives, and will continue to do it for the rest of our lives. 1. So why does it have to be one extreme or the other? Can someone who's not a greedy capitalist only concerned about money still make a rational decision about getting back to their life? I guarantee you they can. 2. I didn't make an assumption about how contagious YOU think the virus is. You have made a decision based on your own judgement. I'm pointing out that there are those out there, some with very loud microphones, who have painted this thing as something that its not.

I'm going to assume you are joking and don't really think that's "safe."

So no real answer for 2 starting questions. You are going back to the office, despite the risks. It is what it is. You've got 2 things going for you: 1. You will take some precautions, even though its impossible to be completely safe from eachother. 2. This thing isn't as contagious and deadly as some want to advertise it as. I will be going back to work once they allow me to as well, and I will also be enjoying parts of the city when they open up. Just like you, I will assess the amount of risk and pick and choose which ones I feel are worth it. I'm just using a few posts to point out that you aren't going back to the office because its suddenly a magical place free from risk, its just a risk you are willing to take and try to mitigate the best you can. Its called getting on with your life.

Let's start with 2 basic questions, just as an example. 1. How are each of the 15 of you going to get into the building? Do you have 15 separate entrances? Did you hire someone to wipe down the entrance after every person? 2. Should we talk about what happens when you have to go to the bathroom? Obviously there's more, but those should tide your brain over for a little bit. We have 5,000 sq ft for 11 of us, and that reality hit us. Its a good thing that this isn't quite as contagious and deadly as the movies.