Pandemic Mental Health - How YOU doin'?

[KITROBASKIN]

"…had such a cough"

The boy was not used to getting up that early and the coughing was a result of a morning hack. When we picked him up, his mom saw I had a mask hanging from an ear and got him one which he wore in the car. He did not cough in the theater at all, the theater was less than 10 percent occupied. No one was in front of us all the way to the screen. He ate popcorn a lot, not from my wallet.

Post 278 is a reminder of some of the behavior exhibited way back, when different folks felt the need to tell others how to behave during the lockdown. Not a fond memory, but grateful CPF allowed some discussion. Other forums visited, shut down COVID talk altogether because of its divisive, self-righteous triggering.

However, I spoke with a neighbor friend who could not join me this weekend because his daughter was at a conference in Colorado Springs that was cut short because of the COVID; had to go get her. Last evening, got a text from the parent who drives our son and 2 others to day camp; that one of the campers tested positive. This morning, one of my son's carpool boys tested positive… Last day of camp not to be for our boy. No overt symptoms observed with that kid by son or my wife.

I'm going to try to not let stress/fear of disease hamper health.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

We are getting many people with COVID these days, kids much so. It is heartening that deaths and hospitalizations are relatively low. I took my son and two of his friends to a movie couple weeks ago, one friend was coughing badly on the phone as we neared his house. I put a mask on before he got in the vehicle. Considering a fall booster, hopefully will lessen downtime.

Associated press reporting a couple of studies looking at COVID origins in different ways, strengthening the belief of close proximity and eating wild animals in Wuhan China starting the mess, but plenty people can't say that is for sure for sure. Hoping all of you are doing ok and not getting all Willy Nilly about the Monkey Pox pustule yuckiness.

New studies bolster theory coronavirus emerged from the wild

Two new studies provide more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China market where live animals were sold.

apnews.com

Why did you choose to expose your family and the people in the movie theater to someone that had such a cough?

"…had such a cough"

The boy was not used to getting up that early and the coughing was a result of a morning hack. When we picked him up, his mom saw I had a mask hanging from an ear and got him one which he wore in the car. He did not cough in the theater at all, the theater was less than 10 percent occupied. No one was in front of us all the way to the screen. He ate popcorn a lot, not from my wallet.

Post 278 is a reminder of some of the behavior exhibited way back, when different folks felt the need to tell others how to behave during the lockdown. Not a fond memory, but grateful CPF allowed some discussion. Other forums visited, shut down COVID talk altogether because of its divisive, self-righteous triggering.

However, I spoke with a neighbor friend who could not join me this weekend because his daughter was at a conference in Colorado Springs that was cut short because of the COVID; had to go get her. Last evening, got a text from the parent who drives our son and 2 others to day camp; that one of the campers tested positive. This morning, one of my son's carpool boys tested positive… Last day of camp not to be for our boy. No overt symptoms observed with that kid by son or my wife.

I'm going to try to not let stress/fear of disease hamper health.

You stated that your son's friend was coughing badly. I asked why you chose to expose your family and other people in the theater to someone that had such a cough due to the words you used.

As for as my post being a reminder, perhaps that was written a tad nilly willy. 🤨

 

[bykfixer]

It's no longer willy nilly? Sheesh, everything has changed since the pandemic started.

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

It's no longer willy nilly? Sheesh, everything has changed since the pandemic started.

No, the correct wording is still willy nilly. I just didn't want to be charged with mixing KITROBASKIN's words. 😄

 

[Monocrom]

COVID still out there. We're on its time, not the other way around.
I'm doing reasonably well. But my outlook on people in general has greatly suffered. At least on those who take incredibly unnecessary risks, and clearly don't care if they get sick. But the kicker is, they don't care if they end up infecting others. Which, for some others, is a death sentence. They treat it as though they have no personal responsibility at all if they get others sick.

 

[knucklegary]

Those inconsiderate folks who gives a rats a$$ about others have always been out there and covid hasn't changed their ways. Not just kids! I've seen adults sitting in the library sick as sh!t, head full of snot, blowing and coughing all over the damn place. Disrespectful to others? You're damn right!

 

[bykfixer]

We're doing ok here according to the voices.

 

[jtr1962]

American kids are smart yet the tried and true acedemia makes kids learn things so irrelevent to a normal life the kids end up stupid. I used to show my kids how the crap they were being taught in school could be applied to real life. It helped them understand some but they were rarely challenged so they were bored most of the time.

Totally true, and I say that as someone who graduated from Bronx HS of Science and Princeton University. Sure, these schools were great and taught me a lot, but the most valuable thing they taught me was how to think, as opposed to specific facts (most of which I forgot a long time ago.) We seem to be teaching our children less and less of that these days. I have lots of theories on why. One is to just turn them into good consumers who will be easily swayed by advertising. Another is to make them into compliant corporate drones. Or perhaps the schools just don't have enough teachers who can teach kids critical reasoning skills.

Teaching how to think and reason is sort like the old adage teaching a person how to fish, instead of just giving them fish. I'm still learning. About ten years ago I taught myself microcontroller programming, for example. I've since made lots of cool projects that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.

I really think schools should teach a lot more science and engineering. This stuff seems to grab kid's attention, they can easily see how it's applied in the real world, and we need more good engineers. Or doctors. Or scientists. These people shape our world more than most so-called leaders. Or you can use these reasoning skills to make you better at whatever you do, even if you become something else. Plus it challenges kids. I learn more when projects don't work out the way I thought first time around, then I have to deeply analyze them to find out why.

You seem to be functioning much higher than someone who has a supposed 4th grade reading level as your college advisor claimed. My brother has far less formal education than me (he only went as far as community college), but he's as sharp as they come with critical thinking. I told him I'll teach him more about electronics since he expressed a desire to learn once he retires and has the free time.

 

[jtr1962]

Those inconsiderate folks who gives a rats a$$ about others have always been out there and covid hasn't changed their ways. Not just kids! I've seen adults sitting in the library sick as sh!t, head full of snot, blowing and coughing all over the damn place. Disrespectful to others? You're damn right!

And that was an inconsiderate thing to do even pre-covid.

 

[bykfixer]

Totally true, and I say that as someone who graduated from Bronx HS of Science and Princeton University. Sure, these schools were great and taught me a lot, but the most valuable thing they taught me was how to think, as opposed to specific facts (most of which I forgot a long time ago.) We seem to be teaching our children less and less of that these days. I have lots of theories on why. One is to just turn them into good consumers who will be easily swayed by advertising. Another is to make them into compliant corporate drones. Or perhaps the schools just don't have enough teachers who can teach kids critical reasoning skills.

Teaching how to think and reason is sort like the old adage teaching a person how to fish, instead of just giving them fish. I'm still learning. About ten years ago I taught myself microcontroller programming, for example. I've since made lots of cool projects that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.

I really think schools should teach a lot more science and engineering. This stuff seems to grab kid's attention, they can easily see how it's applied in the real world, and we need more good engineers. Or doctors. Or scientists. These people shape our world more than most so-called leaders. Or you can use these reasoning skills to make you better at whatever you do, even if you become something else. Plus it challenges kids. I learn more when projects don't work out the way I thought first time around, then I have to deeply analyze them to find out why.

You seem to be functioning much higher than someone who has a supposed 4th grade reading level as your college advisor claimed. My brother has far less formal education than me (he only went as far as community college), but he's as sharp as they come with critical thinking. I told him I'll teach him more about electronics since he expressed a desire to learn once he retires and has the free time.

When the advisor asked me if I wanted to retake the test using a handicap version I responded "so when I fill out an application for a bank president job will they have a handicap version?" The answer was "well no probably not". My response was "I'm trying to take a computer drawing software course because my pencil broke, so do I get to take the course or not?" It was autocadd v14 and I'd never taken any autocadd courses before. So the first 3 weeks was learning wth autocadd even was. lol. I left college in the 80's when they introduced computer aided drafting one semester but a decade later decided I should at least know how it works so I could have a better understanding of what young designers could draw. It's kinda like this, I can't rebuild an automatic transmission but I understand enough about it to know if the repairman was shooting straight with me.

My dad taught himself computer programming via punch cards (in the early 1980's) in order to set up machinery at his work to computers. Basically he wrote software (however that is done) and managed to hook up 1950's lathes and other factory machines to modern (at the time) some kind of comador vic 20 type of computers. He liked DOS but hated Windows and never had a home computer. Eventually he bought a flip phone but hardly ever turned it on.

So with all that said I think being able to self-teach has been part of why I never let the pandemic bug me all that much. While folks worked from home that meant more privacy at the office, less hectic commutes and a general sense of well being knowing I did everything I knew how to do in order to not catch it and not spread it.

 

[Poppy]

Totally true, and I say that as someone who graduated from Bronx HS of Science and Princeton University. Sure, these schools were great and taught me a lot, but the most valuable thing they taught me was how to think, as opposed to specific facts (most of which I forgot a long time ago.) We seem to be teaching our children less and less of that these days. I have lots of theories on why. One is to just turn them into good consumers who will be easily swayed by advertising. Another is to make them into compliant corporate drones. Or perhaps the schools just don't have enough teachers who can teach kids critical reasoning skills.

Teaching how to think and reason is sort like the old adage teaching a person how to fish, instead of just giving them fish. I'm still learning. About ten years ago I taught myself microcontroller programming, for example. I've since made lots of cool projects that otherwise wouldn't have been possible.

I really think schools should teach a lot more science and engineering. This stuff seems to grab kid's attention, they can easily see how it's applied in the real world, and we need more good engineers. Or doctors. Or scientists. These people shape our world more than most so-called leaders. Or you can use these reasoning skills to make you better at whatever you do, even if you become something else. Plus it challenges kids. I learn more when projects don't work out the way I thought first time around, then I have to deeply analyze them to find out why.

You seem to be functioning much higher than someone who has a supposed 4th grade reading level as your college advisor claimed. My brother has far less formal education than me (he only went as far as community college), but he's as sharp as they come with critical thinking. I told him I'll teach him more about electronics since he expressed a desire to learn once he retires and has the free time.

Perhaps there is a disparity of what students are being taught in different school systems. OR your not in touch with what is being taught today, and your comments are based on your school experience, and what you were taught.

I can only speak of what my grand kids are being taught, in their high school. Granted 22 years ago, my wife and I could have moved into any community that we chose, and we moved primarily to get into a better neighborhood, and a first rate school system.

We're still there. The kids are being taught how to do math in their head. I don't know how they are teaching algebra, but the kids get it. They are allowed to use their cell phone/calculator app for advanced math problems. Guess what? In the real world we use calculators, or apps on our cell phones. It does seem that they don't teach them how to count up when giving change at the big Mac D, but perhaps those kids didn't go to the school that I am speaking of.

I don't pay close attention to their class topics, but I helped them with a class they were doing regarding interest rates, credit cards, setting a budget, etc.

Regarding reading, I don't think they do Shakespeare, but they do some of the classics, such as the "Flowers for Algernon". The books they read are often, non-fiction, and/or historically based, that have a message or moral. Hitler, Schindler's list, stories of the Holocaust. If they haven't already, I am sure that they will start reading about 9/11 (it occured before they were born).

Regarding science and engineering:
I agree, they should be taught more of that. Of course not all minds are geared that way, but it should be offered. Unfortunately, that takes money, and I guess not all systems are affluent enough. My daughter made friends with some of the smartest guys in her school. They took programming, and CAD classes.

My grandson has been exposed to programming and is in his second year of CAD. For Christmas I bought him a 3D printer so he can play with it. A lot of lower income kid's parent have to struggle to get them a computer to do the homework they get from school.

 

[raggie33]

im lucky not one single person that listened to my advice got covid. i may look like a freak with my hand cleaner and etc etc. but it sure beats geting sick

 

[jtr1962]

So with all that said I think being able to self-teach has been part of why I never let the pandemic bug me all that much. While folks worked from home that meant more privacy at the office, less hectic commutes and a general sense of well being knowing I did everything I knew how to do in order to not catch it and not spread it.

Same with me. I filter through all the noise and try to arrive at what makes sense. So far, so good. As far as I know, I haven't caught covid or spread it to anyone.

 

[jtr1962]

Perhaps there is a disparity of what students are being taught in different school systems. OR your not in touch with what is being taught today, and your comments are based on your school experience, and what you were taught.

I think the latter because I'm not really exposed to any children. My niece is 29. I have no kids of my own, and therefore no grandchildren. All I know about the schools is second hand from the media.

We're still there. The kids are being taught how to do math in their head. I don't know how they are teaching algebra, but the kids get it. They are allowed to use their cell phone/calculator app for advanced math problems. Guess what? In the real world we use calculators, or apps on our cell phones. It does seem that they don't teach them how to count up when giving change at the big Mac D, but perhaps those kids didn't go to the school that I am speaking of.

Well, that's just today's version of the "you're not teaching new engineers to use slide rules" that I heard when I was in school. By high school scientific calculators were affordable, even for relatively poor people. We used them for homework, and sometimes for tests. My understanding was only a few years earlier they had been teaching about slide rules but electronic calculators made that pointless, other than as a purely academic exercise.

In the real world we'll continue to get more and more tools to do the tedious work. At some point we stop teaching about various steps to solve a problem when there's an app or spreadsheet for it. These tools enhance productivity, allowing you to focus more on the big picture and less on lots of minute details which automation easily solves.

Much the same thing has occurred in electronic design. For example, at one time engineers actually designed op-amps using discrete transistors if their circuit needed them. Then integrated circuits came along. This allowed the engineer to just use an op-amp as another building block, like a resistor or capacitor, instead of designing from scratch. It also made circuits better. Designing op-amps (or any analog circuitry) is a black art that few engineers do well. So better to let those engineers make integrated op-amps so everyone has access to an expert design. The same reasoning applies to many other things which are now integrated into single chips. This lets an engineer design a much more complex project which in the past might have required a team of dozens or hundreds, each working on some tiny part.

I don't pay close attention to their class topics, but I helped them with a class they were doing regarding interest rates, credit cards, setting a budget, etc.

Good to know they're still teaching that in school. Money management is one of the most useful skills going.

Regarding reading, I don't think they do Shakespeare, but they do some of the classics, such as the "Flowers for Algernon". The books they read are often, non-fiction, and/or historically based, that have a message or moral. Hitler, Schindler's list, stories of the Holocaust. If they haven't already, I am sure that they will start reading about 9/11 (it occured before they were born).

Regarding science and engineering:
I agree, they should be taught more of that. Of course not all minds are geared that way, but it should be offered. Unfortunately, that takes money, and I guess not all systems are affluent enough. My daughter made friends with some of the smartest guys in her school. They took programming, and CAD classes.

My grandson has been exposed to programming and is in his second year of CAD. For Christmas I bought him a 3D printer so he can play with it. A lot of lower income kid's parent have to struggle to get them a computer to do the homework they get from school.

I'm interested in getting a 3D printer when I finally have more free time to play with it. Before that I'd like to get at least semi-competent with designing 3D objects. For me this could be very useful, printing custom cases for projects, or even buildings and stuff for a train layout.

 

[raggie33]

im going to use my 3d printer to print a 3d printer

 

[turbodog]

...

I really think schools should teach a lot more science and engineering. This stuff seems to grab kid's attention, they can easily see how it's applied in the real world, and we need more good engineers. Or doctors. Or scientists. These people shape our world more than most so-called leaders....

If the pandemic's taught everyone anything it's that we ALL need EVERYONE... want is another matter though.

 

[Lumen83]

i may look like a freak with my hand cleaner and etc etc. but it sure beats geting sick

COVID is largely spread by inhaling respiratory droplets. Wash away though, you'll prevent other stuff.

 

[Poppy]

If the pandemic's taught everyone anything it's that we ALL need EVERYONE... want is another matter though.

I guess about 10-15 years ago, one could hire a "day laborer" for about $100 a day, and they would work like the devil for it.
About 10 years ago, if you pulled up to where they were standing, and said you needed three men, they would physically fight to get in the truck. Later they got organized, and had a list.
Last week I was speaking with a landscaper who told me that they want $200 for a 7 hour day, and that you had to buy breakfast, and lunch.

A friend of mine told me he recently sold his landscaping, snow plowing business. His employees were unreliable, and would randomly not show up for work. It seems that I hear that from a number of sources.

 

[scout24]

(Bites tongue) Pandemic Mental Health, folks... Carry on.

 

[bykfixer]

(Bites tongue) Pandemic Mental Health, folks... Carry on.

I've noticed more frantic people than back in '020 but maybe that's because they no longer hunker down at home waiting on a government check and have to join the ranks of the rest of us again.

Example: At the road widen project I work at the traffic volume picked up back in Spring. Yet here lately the traffic is way more wreckless. Used to be a couple of those orange drums that line the road got hit once or twice a week. Lately it's several a day and crashes have noteably increased as well. Instead of a rear ender at a red light it's 5 car pile ups in between intersections from so many people white knuckling the steering wheel riding bumper to bumper like the last lap at Daytona.
Aingst seems to be the new pandemic.

Another example is at the grocery store where people are acting like that carton of CocaCola is the last Cabbage Patch kid even though there's 322 more cartons left.