Scarlet Pimpernel

Maybe we can open it up if comments remain 6 minutes apart. Temporal distancing, to better clean up useless posts. And to enter that thread, all users must come in with waders. Because it could get very deep in there, ya know!!

As I sip (chug?) my wine this evening, I'm reminded of that wise saying, "I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy!" Truer words were never spoken!

Oh, and please please please do not serve that in the Panic Room next winter!

Yeah that was bad I know! After copying that image @H2O posted the other week to my phone, I then bleached it with @Mrs.J's recipes to make things safe again!

Since the COVID thread is locked (ironically on lockdown?), I'll re-visit some controversy here. Never forget, never repeat!

Fios finally came to where I'm living (suburban DC), at least finally in my apartment complex, about 2 years ago. What a huge difference that has made! I was using DSL right before that...seriously (yeah, I know!). Thank goodness we've got Fios now, with 3 people using the wireless with laptops (plus phones). It would have been really slooow if we still had to deal with DSL.

Wow...I don't know how they plan to do something for those who don't have internet, or really slow internet. MoCo did a similar thing with chromebooks, if you didn't have access to a computer they'd loan one of those to you. For awhile, they supplied pickup for paper assignments or lessons as needed, not sure if they're still doing that. I know a few schools here also have the meal pickup.

Well, glad to hear he can at least stay in touch with the one friend!!

My daughter is a junior in HS this year, and she's pretty well motivated too. Agree that it's definitely less than 100% of what they'd normally get in regular classes. She's even said that herself. I might go more with your 75%, from what I can tell in what she's doing, but that's just a guesstimate on my part. While there's a decent amount they can do "virtually", you certainly cannot get everything. Including a lot of 1-on-1 if needed, or collaborative type projects. I imagine tests and grading are more lax too, just due to the nature of being remote. I'm still waiting on if or how the AP exams will be given this year (that's a nationwide thing though).

Any way your son might possibly be able to see any of them perhaps sometime during the summer, if things are OK to do that by then? Or if he'll see any of them next year?

Thanks for the update @mappy. I am not surprised that the rest of this school year will remain virtual. At this point, the previous date of May 15 would only be ~4 weeks before the end of the year anyhow and I guess they've been doing OK with the distance stuff for the most part. Not perfect, but it seems to work at least for older students (just going by my own experience). Also, I'm sure trying to pack every school in the state with a ton of students would be a bridge too far in terms of "gradually" opening things back up. Hopefully by fall, maybe students will be able to return. I know my daughter in a lot of ways just misses having others around, socializing, etc. with them.

Ever stop by the main discussion threads during the winter? Snow becomes a proxy for politics! Just kidding! Seriously though, you're right...some of the stuff in the COVID thread has gotten even worse than the ugly commentary when winter events fail!

Good to hear! I'm doing fine, on mandatory telework which has worked out OK. I can imagine it's very odd seeing DC so quiet right downtown. Where I'm at, it's rather quiet as well. Kinda nice, actually. At least I've had a chance to get out with the camera and take many photos through all this...a sort of passion of mine. I still kind of owe you (and I'd like to do it anyhow) a photo either morning or evening when the sun is lower, of the marble bust of MLK at that memorial. I've walked by that in the past when the light was hitting it just right. I'm not actually sure if memorials and parks are open at this point...and I don't much care right now to Metro downtown. But, depending on how things go this summer, it's a goal of mine! I don't think the statue is going anywhere!

No idea how it all became political/partisan, really...oh well! But there is some good information in here to be sure, in spite of some of the sniping. Good to see you Randy...I hope you are doing well these days, despite all this going on!

Man, I should camp out on your steps, so the next time someone drops booze off to you, I can grab-and-go!! Curb side service!! Joking, of course...well, maybe! But that looks quite tasty, now I want a margarita! And it is cool that someone dropped those other beers off to you before, too!

At your place, isn't that kind of like bringing coals to Newcastle??

Well...just make sure that you're not passed out ON the curb awaiting curbside pickup, wondering where the hell you're at or what you're doing there!

I've gone out just for some walks or occasional bike rides. Or to go take photos (I'm not far from the Audubon nature center). But I'm pretty well by myself, not really around anyone unless I pass by them. And for the most part, people tend to "cut a swath" around others. But I'm not going to play sports or be in a large group. I play in an alumni softball league, have for the past many summers (until I broke a finger during a game last July, dammit!). I don't think we'll be playing this year at all, or if so, it will only be a handful of games. They have a big tournament every August which is a lot of fun and quite the event...I suspect that won't be happening either. It sucks, but that's how it is and I cannot blame them if they decide to essentially cancel this year. (Side note: it doubly sucks for me, because I was unable to play in last year's tournament due to said broken finger, LOL!! I still went to enjoy the festivities and take pictures...and partake of the food and beer...however!).

Exactly. There's the somewhat "famous" plot of data from 1918, showing cases in Philadelphia vs. St. Louis. It's clear what happened doing nothing vs. some measure of lock-down. This is not something new, nor is it some conspiracy. Quarantines have been around since...forever?

The most fun project of all!

Fixed your post for ya! Now get to work (on all that beer)!!

Agree, I know exactly where you're coming from. Likewise, I don't (nor does anyone that I know of!) like being home day in and day out either, various things canceled, etc. Like you, I consider myself fortunate to be in a place such that I can work from home and all that. I don't appreciate some in here implying that either myself, or anyone else, just doesn't care or doesn't "get it" that many others are not in such good situations regarding work and paying bills and the like. Really, there needs to be some kind of huge stimulus and debt forgiveness (or extension) for those that really need it, livable wage, sick leave, etc...but that's getting kind of political perhaps, and above my pay grade (LOL!). I think PSU and a couple of others have hinted the same kinds of ideas for dealing with this.

Yup, that's the meaning I got out of what he said. In addition, not just higher chance of kids getting sick...but even if they get it and are relatively symptom free or very minor ones, it can be spread to who knows how many others (e.g., adults, who are more susceptible, that kind of thing).