COVID-19 Thoughts III: Phases
We're going through phases. Every time I hear someone with a fancy job title who is "important" enough to be on national television speak of Phase 1, or what's going to happen in Phase 2, I almost laugh. Not quite, but almost. If there were ever an example of bullshit artists being employed to calm the masses, this is it. If we lived in a less autonomous society, like Germany or Japan, I probably wouldn't be skeptical. If Obama were president, I probably wouldn't be so skeptical. There are many situations in many parallel universes where I'm not skeptical. But in this one, I am.
We love titles here in America. We love official things. The official truck of NASCAR. The official beer of the NFL. The official nail clipper of the Hoboken All-City Under-45 Pickle ball Team. We yearn for gimmicks on television to retain viewers that create an illusion that they are watching something special and novel, something that they shouldn't miss. Part of this is a separate issue; having many official things leads to more sponsorship opportunities, leading to more money, which is the only reason anybody puts anything on television now. Despite this having nothing to do with sponsorship (yet...), I believe that this has created an cultural atmosphere where we are more willing to buy into things if they are glammed up and have fancy names.
And so, we have phases. Phase I, where many things are still closed. Phase II, where presumably more things are open. Phase III, where, you know what, I'm just going to go look it up.
It's become apparent to me after doing some research that some states are referring to these as "stages". This makes it slightly more palpable from a pure linguistic standpoint; it almost makes it feel as though we're flying on a rocket.
As a precursor to what you're about to read; If you live in Maine, check with the resources provided by the state before doing anything. If you don't live in Maine, check with the resources provided by your state before doing anything. This blog SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY NOT be used as a substitute for information provided by professionals and subject matter experts.
Stage I - Basically, if it's outside it can open. But, you still must follow social distancing guidelines. If the activity you're wishing to do doesn't bring you within 6 feet of other people, or is outside and involves fewer than 10 people, you're probably good. That said, everything on the list to re-open during Stage I must meet the COVID-19 prevention checklist.
Stage II - Gatherings of 50 or less people are generally ok. This stage also will see state campgrounds open, as well as gyms and other fitness centers.
Stage III - This stage is very similar to stage II in that gatherings of more than 50 people will not be allowed. The big difference is that more businesses, specifically travel related businesses, will be able to open, as well as overnight summer camps, and personal services such as tattoo parlors and spas.
It should be stated that during any phase, if you are an out of state resident and you come into the state, you will be required to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. Wilderness campsites, as referenced in the "Backyard Backcountry" post, opened on 18 May.
With that out of the way, here are some remarks on the general idea of re-opening the economy in phases.
I think the human condition is one of fear of the unknown. The best horror films don't actually show you the monster or villain. Your brain is much better at scaring the crap out of you than any cinematographer. The hidden depths of the unknown are terrifying. And so, many people are pretending to know more than they do about how this will end. It makes us feel safer, and slightly warmer and fuzzier on the inside.
One nice thing about stages or phases is that it conveniently allows us to follow some orders. In Phase I, I do this, in Phase II, I do this, and so on, and so on. There's a cartoon where many people are sitting on a train, and above each one is a thought bubble that says, "Look at all these sheep. I bet nobody else here really sees anything." That reminds me of what's happening now, with a slightly morbid twist. In my mind, the people would be joined by a new character in a mask sitting six feet away, and the un-masked passengers would all be thinking, "Look at that freak." It appears as though we're all heading back to "normal", despite the fact that epidemiologists are sure a second wave of the virus is coming. Despite the fact that the death toll keeps rising, the number of cases keeps rising, restaurants are starting to re-open, and people seem to be neglecting social distancing all together. Because that's the phase we're in.
There is another item that's been banging off the walls of my brain cavity like an empty Hydroflask. Cognitive dissonance is a term that's become relatively widespread in conjunction with climate change. The basic premise is something like this; you're reasonably well informed and are on board that humans are causing the climate to change by burning fossil fuels and generally treating the environment like a pile of shit. You know this, and your friends know this, and you get in your car every morning and burn more fossil fuels when you commute to work. The mismatch between the knowledge of climate change and your daily actions that contribute to climate change lead to a cognitive dissonance, when you're brain basically finds ways to ignore so you can get on with your day instead of cowering in pile of guilt.
This is now something that I experience when I look out the window of my apartment, or go shopping for groceries, or outside for any reason. I have to constantly remind myself that there IS a global pandemic that we are very much still in the middle of. I see people around me seemingly not giving a fuck about social distancing, or wearing masks, or any of it, and then instead of getting into my fossil fuel burning car and community to work every day, I open up my laptop and fire up Zoom to teach another video lesson on graphing lines. My day to day life is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet I can not see any obvious evidence of the pandemic by looking out my window. Now, there are pockets of people that are responding responsibly, and there are grocery stores I can go to that are limiting the number of customers in the store, mandating customers sanitize their hands and wear face covers, and enforcing one way isles, but it feels like little eddies in a giant river.
I don't feel a solidarity; a people uniting to defeat a foe, albeit a really tiny one that we can't shoot or bomb. The analogy to war is superficial at best. The current feeling would be more akin to a World War II where only half the population acknowledged the existence of Hitler. So while the state government might say we're in Phase I, I think it might be more accurate to say that the portion of the population that actually believes the scientists and professionals that work in epidemiology is in Phase I. The rest aren't in any Phase of anything.
Reopening society after a global pandemic is a big task, and one that nobody currently running anything has had to personally deal with before, at least, not on this scale. Of course it's going to happen in phases, with caution, and careful evaluation at each step to ensure that further reopening does more public good than it does harm. It's also not to say that reopening things won't cause any harm at all. There will always be some background white noise of bad things randomly happening to living people. Wearing a seatbelt is safER than not wearing a seatbelt, yet it won't necessarily prevent you from dying in a car crash.
I suppose if I had to sum all of this up into a short, concise bit, it would be this: The reliance of the people who are in charge of things on "phases" gives me a sense that we, collectively, have an mere illusion of control. Nobody really knows what's going to happen in the fall, when the second wave will hit, or, for that matter, how permanent the changes we are living through will be. We can't handle not knowing, especially when not knowing affects the livelihoods of so many people. So, we willfully accept the illusion. Perhaps knowingly, just to make us sleep a little easier. Perhaps unconsciously, just accepting that other people are in charge. Either way, I believe what we need more than anything right now is the perfect mix of following directions and healthy skepticism. Not everything we are told about the coronavirus is true, demonstrably so, especially from the one person who is supposed to lead our country through rough seas. However, wearing a face cover, staying home, and increasing the distance between you and anyone you don't live with, are the best tools we each have as individuals to employ RIGHT NOW to ensure that this doesn't get much worse than it already is.
What we need is what I will call skeptical obedience. A willingness to go along with experts who do, in fact, know much more about how viruses work than we do, while scrutinizing information beyond a reasonable doubt. Believing everything you see and hear about this virus is just as dangerous as not believing everything you see and hear. It is the duty of medical experts to provide information and care to the best of their abilities, and that is more crucial than ever during a pandemic. It is the duty of you and I, those of us who haven't spend years of our lives studying medicine and epidemiology, to do what the experts say, but also to make sure that we're reasonably skeptical of things that blatantly fly in the face of common sense. Inform yourself from reputable sources, and check your facts.
I know two paragraphs ago I said this would be the short and concise part, and I've summed up what I wanted to say, so I'll end this here. Stay healthy, friends.
We love titles here in America. We love official things. The official truck of NASCAR. The official beer of the NFL. The official nail clipper of the Hoboken All-City Under-45 Pickle ball Team. We yearn for gimmicks on television to retain viewers that create an illusion that they are watching something special and novel, something that they shouldn't miss. Part of this is a separate issue; having many official things leads to more sponsorship opportunities, leading to more money, which is the only reason anybody puts anything on television now. Despite this having nothing to do with sponsorship (yet...), I believe that this has created an cultural atmosphere where we are more willing to buy into things if they are glammed up and have fancy names.
And so, we have phases. Phase I, where many things are still closed. Phase II, where presumably more things are open. Phase III, where, you know what, I'm just going to go look it up.
It's become apparent to me after doing some research that some states are referring to these as "stages". This makes it slightly more palpable from a pure linguistic standpoint; it almost makes it feel as though we're flying on a rocket.
As a precursor to what you're about to read; If you live in Maine, check with the resources provided by the state before doing anything. If you don't live in Maine, check with the resources provided by your state before doing anything. This blog SHOULD MOST DEFINITELY NOT be used as a substitute for information provided by professionals and subject matter experts.
Stage I - Basically, if it's outside it can open. But, you still must follow social distancing guidelines. If the activity you're wishing to do doesn't bring you within 6 feet of other people, or is outside and involves fewer than 10 people, you're probably good. That said, everything on the list to re-open during Stage I must meet the COVID-19 prevention checklist.
Stage II - Gatherings of 50 or less people are generally ok. This stage also will see state campgrounds open, as well as gyms and other fitness centers.
Stage III - This stage is very similar to stage II in that gatherings of more than 50 people will not be allowed. The big difference is that more businesses, specifically travel related businesses, will be able to open, as well as overnight summer camps, and personal services such as tattoo parlors and spas.
It should be stated that during any phase, if you are an out of state resident and you come into the state, you will be required to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days. Wilderness campsites, as referenced in the "Backyard Backcountry" post, opened on 18 May.
With that out of the way, here are some remarks on the general idea of re-opening the economy in phases.
I think the human condition is one of fear of the unknown. The best horror films don't actually show you the monster or villain. Your brain is much better at scaring the crap out of you than any cinematographer. The hidden depths of the unknown are terrifying. And so, many people are pretending to know more than they do about how this will end. It makes us feel safer, and slightly warmer and fuzzier on the inside.
One nice thing about stages or phases is that it conveniently allows us to follow some orders. In Phase I, I do this, in Phase II, I do this, and so on, and so on. There's a cartoon where many people are sitting on a train, and above each one is a thought bubble that says, "Look at all these sheep. I bet nobody else here really sees anything." That reminds me of what's happening now, with a slightly morbid twist. In my mind, the people would be joined by a new character in a mask sitting six feet away, and the un-masked passengers would all be thinking, "Look at that freak." It appears as though we're all heading back to "normal", despite the fact that epidemiologists are sure a second wave of the virus is coming. Despite the fact that the death toll keeps rising, the number of cases keeps rising, restaurants are starting to re-open, and people seem to be neglecting social distancing all together. Because that's the phase we're in.
There is another item that's been banging off the walls of my brain cavity like an empty Hydroflask. Cognitive dissonance is a term that's become relatively widespread in conjunction with climate change. The basic premise is something like this; you're reasonably well informed and are on board that humans are causing the climate to change by burning fossil fuels and generally treating the environment like a pile of shit. You know this, and your friends know this, and you get in your car every morning and burn more fossil fuels when you commute to work. The mismatch between the knowledge of climate change and your daily actions that contribute to climate change lead to a cognitive dissonance, when you're brain basically finds ways to ignore so you can get on with your day instead of cowering in pile of guilt.
This is now something that I experience when I look out the window of my apartment, or go shopping for groceries, or outside for any reason. I have to constantly remind myself that there IS a global pandemic that we are very much still in the middle of. I see people around me seemingly not giving a fuck about social distancing, or wearing masks, or any of it, and then instead of getting into my fossil fuel burning car and community to work every day, I open up my laptop and fire up Zoom to teach another video lesson on graphing lines. My day to day life is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet I can not see any obvious evidence of the pandemic by looking out my window. Now, there are pockets of people that are responding responsibly, and there are grocery stores I can go to that are limiting the number of customers in the store, mandating customers sanitize their hands and wear face covers, and enforcing one way isles, but it feels like little eddies in a giant river.
I don't feel a solidarity; a people uniting to defeat a foe, albeit a really tiny one that we can't shoot or bomb. The analogy to war is superficial at best. The current feeling would be more akin to a World War II where only half the population acknowledged the existence of Hitler. So while the state government might say we're in Phase I, I think it might be more accurate to say that the portion of the population that actually believes the scientists and professionals that work in epidemiology is in Phase I. The rest aren't in any Phase of anything.
Reopening society after a global pandemic is a big task, and one that nobody currently running anything has had to personally deal with before, at least, not on this scale. Of course it's going to happen in phases, with caution, and careful evaluation at each step to ensure that further reopening does more public good than it does harm. It's also not to say that reopening things won't cause any harm at all. There will always be some background white noise of bad things randomly happening to living people. Wearing a seatbelt is safER than not wearing a seatbelt, yet it won't necessarily prevent you from dying in a car crash.
I suppose if I had to sum all of this up into a short, concise bit, it would be this: The reliance of the people who are in charge of things on "phases" gives me a sense that we, collectively, have an mere illusion of control. Nobody really knows what's going to happen in the fall, when the second wave will hit, or, for that matter, how permanent the changes we are living through will be. We can't handle not knowing, especially when not knowing affects the livelihoods of so many people. So, we willfully accept the illusion. Perhaps knowingly, just to make us sleep a little easier. Perhaps unconsciously, just accepting that other people are in charge. Either way, I believe what we need more than anything right now is the perfect mix of following directions and healthy skepticism. Not everything we are told about the coronavirus is true, demonstrably so, especially from the one person who is supposed to lead our country through rough seas. However, wearing a face cover, staying home, and increasing the distance between you and anyone you don't live with, are the best tools we each have as individuals to employ RIGHT NOW to ensure that this doesn't get much worse than it already is.
What we need is what I will call skeptical obedience. A willingness to go along with experts who do, in fact, know much more about how viruses work than we do, while scrutinizing information beyond a reasonable doubt. Believing everything you see and hear about this virus is just as dangerous as not believing everything you see and hear. It is the duty of medical experts to provide information and care to the best of their abilities, and that is more crucial than ever during a pandemic. It is the duty of you and I, those of us who haven't spend years of our lives studying medicine and epidemiology, to do what the experts say, but also to make sure that we're reasonably skeptical of things that blatantly fly in the face of common sense. Inform yourself from reputable sources, and check your facts.
I know two paragraphs ago I said this would be the short and concise part, and I've summed up what I wanted to say, so I'll end this here. Stay healthy, friends.
Speaking of wagering necessities, you need to|you should|you have to} be absolutely clear that you could meet these before you claim any on line casino bonuses. If you can’t meet them by the set date, any bonus money you win will never be yours as a result of|as a outcome of} the bonus will be void. There is usually a minimal deposit and most deposit for every supply. To get the total quantity offered in variety of the} latest on line casino bonuses, you may need to deposit a number of} instances. This is usually okay, as long as|so long as} playing 점보카지노 websites don't cost high charges for every transaction. There are 35x wagering necessities for this online playing bonus.
ReplyDelete