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(My apologies for doing this post in first-person plural)
With so many of us home and with time on our hands, we are finally getting to do those things we had always wanted to do. Tasted some new ones, as well.
How, then, do we return to normal when we started to fulfill some of those "someday" 's ?
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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I don't think anyone will return to "normal", ever. I think we will be living with this for the rest of our lives.
I am sure other "viruses" will show up too, in due time.
Get me off this rock...now.
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Slacker007 wrote: Get me off this rock...now.
Now that it has become apparent that we are surrounded by obsessive toilet paper hoarders, I fully understand you yearning.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Slacker007 wrote: Get me off this rock...now.
Elon's doing his best.
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I guess people will just work from home more often. Both programmers and companies have seen that it's nothing wrong with working from home from time to time.
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(touching wood)
Until we have a vaccine, things will continue to be weird.
Once we have a workable vaccine, things will get back to normal.
The thing is that now, the virus is overwhelming the health system; people are still entering the system, and not getting out quickly enough.
But we cannot continue lock down until then, it is not workable in the short and medium term.
We will start opening some businesses, and see how it goes.
I'd rather be phishing!
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Maximilien wrote: But we cannot continue lock down until then, it is not workable in the short and medium term.
We will start opening some businesses, and see how it goes.
agreed
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Maximilien wrote: and see how it goes.
Which I will do from the comfort of keeping the hell away from other people as much as possible.
Sure, a vaccine will (probably) build the vast herd immunity that is needed. Shorter term, an effective treatment.
But when you say opening "some business" - that's so nebulous - what businesses? Bowling allies? Nail salons? Would you care to sit in a restaurant full of people . . . and what will you do if one of them starts coughing? Grab your coat and run?
The words are easier to say (write) than to implement in any practical sense. Once you have to be specific - well that will put a perspective on it that helps you realize how deep a sh*t-hole we're in - and - climbing out - the thing you least want to do is fall bank in on the deep end.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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All the physical distancing we are doing now, is to be able to limit the number of new cases of the virus, to be able to have the health system handle new cases without being overwhelmed.
That is also one of the reason we need testing at large, the quicker we know someone has the virus, the quicker we can quarantine them and eventually plan treating them.
At one point it will be normal for a number of people to get infected and will be normal for the health system to take care of them. (like it is for normal virus people get every year)
There are many business that can open while keeping employees safe.
Most business that allow working from home will will keep it like it is right now (I don't think I will see the inside of my office until late summer).
Many small stores can open, especially if there is no real contact between the customer and the store staff (book stores, electronic stores...)
For example,
In Québec, most food businesses are open, either limiting the number of customers; or only allow for pickup an/or delivery.
Hardware stores are open, and a few other essential business (like plumbers, electrician for emergencies).
Today, they are allowing residential construction to get back to work for homes that need to be delivered in July; they are also allowing plant nursery to open as well as car mechanics and mining industries.
There are some categories of businesses that will take a long time to re-open (like you say, restaurants, bars, personal care ... ).
All spectator sports and cultural event (music shows, theater, movies, museums ... ) and shopping malls will not reopen until we have a vaccine.
I'd rather be phishing!
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For all practical purposes, you're saying keep things just as they are.
Food stores, for example, with regulated entry, have been the normal state of affairs for weeks. People have to eat. Mail is delivered; garbage picked up; stores that sell things that are "essentially essential" to being able to stay home are open.
Testing-at-large: I don't give it as much credit as many others. After all, many are walking around with this virus with essentially no symptoms - but spreading it none-the-less. So long as there's no reasonable herd-immunity to prevent most mechanisms of transmission then we all really have to consider the following:
"We are waiting around until we, ourselves, get the virus".
The longer you wait the better, not only to reduce stress on resources and thereby receive better care, but hopefully make it to the point where the lethal outcomes are treatable before they are lethal. If vaccine(s) are are released, are you willing to roll up your sleeve and be an earlier accept trial? If so, which one?
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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Maximilien wrote: But we cannot continue lock down until then, it is not workable in the short and medium term.
We will start opening some businesses, and see how it goes.
Yup, there is no other practical way forward. Waiting for a vaccine (that might yet never appear) is delusional. Some (variably effective) treatments probably will appear.
But, before either a vaccine or treatments, there is, MUST BE, testing. In the shorter to medium term is is only testing that can allow us to stop destroying the economy. Both current-infection testing and antibody testing.
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I don't know about any existential issues, as I'm worried about a far more concrete problem.
How am I going to resume wearing shoes?
Software Zen: delete this;
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Sigh. The problem is concrete, rather than existential. The shoes OTOH are a pair of Brooks Beast[^] running shoes, retired after a running season.
Software Zen: delete this;
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Gary R. Wheeler wrote: The shoes OTOH
And that's where you got it wrong! Shoes don't go 'on the other hand' try the other limb appendages
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So that's it. This explains much. Thanks! 
Software Zen: delete this;
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Gary R. Wheeler wrote: How am I going to resume wearing shoes?
Start out gradually.
Use them for earrings - it'll progress just fine from that point.
| Ravings en masse^ |
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| "The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein | | "If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010 |
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We had clear skies last night so I decided to drag the telescope and laptop out into the garden and setup for the evening.
Spent some time properly polar aligning and trying to get better focus and coma correction.
Well, I would say it was success, and managed to grab M1 Crab Nebula, although it was a bit disappointing on the colour front. Also managed to grab M81 Bode's Galaxy and M82 Cigar Galaxy as a pair. Also did a standalone focus on M82.
I would say the M82 Cigar galaxy came out the best. Colours stood out quite well on it. Definitely revisit these targets in the future and refine the settings etc.
For those interested, I have posted the photos on my blog here: My first galaxies!
P.S. how's everyone doing? I am desperate to go back to work, was meant to have been in Qatar mid March, but stuck in Cyprus, although, I agree, there is probably a lot worse places to be stuck. We are in strict lock down though, so can't get out and about on my quad. Need approval to leave the house here.
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Tried to conquer the galaxy in FreeOrion, but sadly the computer NPC's won again 
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Does that mean the poor sods on the rig are stuck there for the duration?
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Ouch. That's gotta hurt - they could be there for months!
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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Occasionally, I get the urge to pick up a telescope again, and taking a look at your photos really drives that desire today. 
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DaveAuld wrote: Need approval to leave the house here.
if you need to get groceries, etc. how does that work where you are at in Cyprus?
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