Are you hunkering down?

How long ago did this thread get started? Check it out. Then re-read every post from start to finish. Notice any change in overall tone as the days ticked by? I wonder what we will all be thinking and saying next week. And the week after . . .

My wife and I are 73, but very healthy. It is probably dangerously optimistic, but I like to think our odds are better than those of most people our age. Still, we are taking this very seriously and doing everything we can to minimize our exposure.

We go for long walks, and most people we see out and about are practicing social distancing. Yesterday morning, there were more seagulls than people downtown. Everything is closed or open only for take-out service. I fear for many of these businesses. There are many more hard choices yet to be made.

I tell my kids and grandkids (via text, and phone, only :lol:) that all you Millennials and Gen X-ers think you have finally found a way to shut us Boomers up, but we're smarter than you think - after all we are Boomers!

Stay safe out (or in) there in Hunkerville.
 
Someone here said: "The MSM is pushing this, making it worse and creating panic. Why? They have an obvious agenda."

Yeah right, the main stream media have an agenda. You sound like a Trump supporter.
 
I did not vote for Trump, but I did take four years of journalism in school and have written for magazines. There is no such animal as fair and balanced news. Every media outlet has an agenda. Sensation sells. If you want viewers to return to your news program, you make it appear that what you are offering is important enough to make them choose you over other media outlets.

Make no mistake, there are right and left leaning media, and some that are closer to the middle, but they all have a message to push that suits their specific slant. Edgar Allan Poe said it best. Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.
 
Yeah right, the main stream media have an agenda.
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Altho, I am quite liberal, I have a "hobby" of listening to lots of right-wing media (Limbaugh, Levin, Hannity, Stein, and many others). I hear this media agenda sentiment from these opinion-makers all the time (long before this virus crisis). A couple of things have always puzzled me about this sentiment......things these right-wing opinion makers never seem to address.

The phrase "have an agenda" is puzzling to me. Not so much what the agenda is (tho I fully doubt one exists), but rather WHY the vast majority of the media would have such an agenda. What do they get out of it? Why would they even bother? Clearly some news providers focus on a certain type of audience; for example, FOX the right, MSNBC the left, etc. I can understand that since why appeal to 20% of all Americans, when you can have 80% of a segment that consists of 40% of Americans. But the folks who say "have an agenda" don't seem to mean that, they seem to mean something like: 10 executives in some conference room somewhere decided on this specific agenda, and are forcing it down people's throats. Again....WHY would anyone do that? What do they get out of it?

Next, I wonder HOW all these news outlets, and there are lots of them (NSNBC, ABC, NBC, NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, you get the idea), coordinate this agenda? Does the chief executive of each of these media companies call each other every morning and coordinate today's implementation of The Agenda? Then there's the problem of once the agenda is decided, HOW does one communicate and coordinate the dissemination of the "message" to literally thousands of reporters, hosts, photographers, editors.....must be quite a job!

The media is a very convenient scapegoat. Societies throughout history have always loved having scapegoats; in particular, it is a favored tool of historical despots to focus the populace attention elsewhere.
 
Find a 22 I can afford - local or I will never pull the trigger. Buy the boat. Enjoy the boat and the C-BRATS. Skip all else but be sane, sober and safe! Bob
 
smckean (Tosca)":1orawpnx said:
Yeah right, the main stream media have an agenda.
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Altho, I am quite liberal, I have a "hobby" of listening to lots of right-wing media (Limbaugh, Levin, Hannity, Stein, and many others). I hear this media agenda sentiment from these opinion-makers all the time (long before this virus crisis). A couple of things have always puzzled me about this sentiment......things these right-wing opinion makers never seem to address.

The phrase "have an agenda" is puzzling to me. Not so much what the agenda is (tho I fully doubt one exists), but rather WHY the vast majority of the media would have such an agenda. What do they get out of it? Why would they even bother? Clearly some news providers focus on a certain type of audience; for example, FOX the right, MSNBC the left, etc. I can understand that since why appeal to 20% of all Americans, when you can have 80% of a segment that consists of 40% of Americans. But the folks who say "have an agenda" don't seem to mean that, they seem to mean something like: 10 executives in some conference room somewhere decided on this specific agenda, and are forcing it down people's throats. Again....WHY would anyone do that? What do they get out of it?

Next, I wonder HOW all these news outlets, and there are lots of them (NSNBC, ABC, NBC, NY Times, Washington Post, CNN, you get the idea), coordinate this agenda? Does the chief executive of each of these media companies call each other every morning and coordinate today's implementation of The Agenda? Then there's the problem of once the agenda is decided, HOW does one communicate and coordinate the dissemination of the "message" to literally thousands of reporters, hosts, photographers, editors.....must be quite a job!

The media is a very convenient scapegoat. Societies throughout history have always loved having scapegoats; in particular, it is a favored tool of historical despots to focus the populace attention elsewhere.
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It's called advertising dollars. From the CEO to the news director down to the reporters, each media outlet has a plan to raise as many advertising dollars as they can. They promote what sells. It's not a conspiracy. Call it an agenda, slant or message, but each one has something to sell.
 
It's good to remember the difference between skepticism and cynicism. And between rational concern and paranoia. Believing in some cabal that controls the output of the mainstream media (whatever that means) is not a sign of a healthy mind. Give me a more nuanced argument about the tenor of the times, and the prevailing currents in popular culture, education and politics, and how they influence what we see and read, and I will listen.

It is true, nonetheless, that money-making entities like the news media do have an agenda. It's to make money. If it bleeds, it leads. Sensationalism, lurid details, even stories ABOUT agendas, all sell papers. And political entities have agendas, too. It's political power. But you don't have to be completely empty-headed to think that most of these agendas are NOT exclusive motivations. Good reporters and editors really do care about getting the story right. Good politicians really do care about the public welfare and the national interest.

So, whom to believe? I don't think the answer is just to say "Nobody!" Nearly everyone seems to have formed some sort of opinion about this Corvid 19 pandemic. How did they do that? I mean, in particular, how did people come to such opposite opinions? If you can't trust anyone, how do you form any opinion at all? Obviously it takes work to try to be informed. Education from as many sources as possible is always a good starting point. Most of us develop more or less reliable BS meters, and should pay attention to them, as well.

We all have our prejudices and need to be aware of them. Double check now and then, even when you "know" you're right. And remember, the two emotional states most inimical to rational thought are fear and anger.

I will say this, it's reasonable to develop reliance on some sources. For instance, I rarely checked with media weather "experts" before I decided to go or stay when on my boat. NOAA is more reliable - has less of an "agenda," if that's the way you choose to think of it. Historically, at least, agencies like the CDC have been more reliable than politicians or news media when it comes to health issues.

Be kind. Be safe.

Bill
 
On "agendas" and other behaviors, a few things that make sense to help me
not become agitated with others.

1. Avoid "Why" questions. There really is no good answer from the other than
"Because I'm a useless human being and deserve to be shot.". Alternately, using
"What's with..." stimulates conversation in which you have a chance of agreeing,
maybe only partially.

2. Excessive ego, projection and entitlement all are unconscious ways we attempt
to protect our self-image; hence we want to "be right", "be heard", "feel
important", etc. These factors have been around since man became bipedal and
started to communicate.

3. Fear, greed and power are HUGE motivators that go into 1. and 2. in complex
ways.

4. Then, there's psychopathy...

There. I feel better now.

Aye.
Grandpa used to say, "Life is complicated."
 
Smckean and Bill,

Thanks for your well written thoughts. Clear, concise and logical.

Hope you don’t mind, but I’ve copied your posts, and reposted to my Facebook friends

Be safe,
Ferg
 
It's called advertising dollars........They promote what sells. It's not a conspiracy.
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I didn't think I'd have to define the terms "Mainstream Media" (MSM) and "Agenda" when I wrote my post above, but looks like I should have. Yes, all media companies are motivated to make a profit and to attract advertisers and listeners, but that has little to do with what's meant when someone says that "the main stream media has an agenda".

First off, Rush Limbaugh invented the term MSM long, long ago to differentiate right-leaning TV (FOX) and right-leaning talk radio (Sinclair, EIB) from all the rest of the media. According to Rush and other right-wind hosts, MSM does not include themselves.....that's the whole point of the term "Mainstream media". Last I checked all media companies including Rush's EIB Network, and the FOX News Network have the objective of promoting what sells. Indeed, it is this exclusion of themselves by the right-leaning media from what they call the MSM that does make it a conspiracy.

Next, "Agenda". The objective of making money is not what these hosts mean when they say "agenda". I've listened to thousand of hours of right-leaning media over the years, and I guarantee you they mean specific liberal or left-leaning policies. These hosts rarely state what these policies that they object to are (the term agenda is used more often as a generalized dog whistle), but the hosts do sometimes spell out what the agenda (policies) is. To put some meat on my definition of what they mean by "Agenda", allow me to give you a few examples of how they define the MSM agenda: gay rights, "free stuff", socialism, government control over most or all aspects of your life, open borders, dependency on government largess, re-distribution of wealth....I could go on, but you get the idea. No, "Agenda" as it's used by the right-leaning media and listeners is far more specific than simply "businesses are in the business of making money". And the term "Mainstream Media" definitely does not include the right-leaning media itself.

So hopefully me taking the time to define the terms "MSM" and "Agenda", will help some better understand my initial post.
 
Was enjoying the original theme of this discussion but rather boring now that it somehow turned political.

We are hunkering down not too much different than normal life. Even the county orders to shelter in place do not effect our normal routine too much. We do plan to get out on some low country trails on our mules soon and hit some local lakes for overnighters on the Cdory. However we do not take lightly the impact it has on others.
 
Wow, I have been off the grid for a few days.....reading this thred seems....I don't know, not relevant to the fact that we are in the early stages of a world wide pandemic, a lot of people are going to die of a disease that didn't even exist last year, that is a fact. The disruption to our economy is a fact. We are in the process of ballooning the federal budget that is a fact. Millions are unemployed and are hurting, that is a fact. Is is supposition but if these facts don't add up to a depression it will be a miracle, a miracle which I hope for. Get real, this isn't about right or left wing "agendas" for me at 69 I'm hoping I can stay healthy and survive the financial hit that is already affecting me, my tenants are unemployed and Dana's Surgery Center is virtually shut down so she has no work to come back to after being in Mexico for 2 months. AND, she as a nurse and her brother that is a doctor says this is in her words " IT'S REAL!!!"
Political agendas left, right and center suck when we need to pull together and help each other in any way we can!!

Pardon me, but I am in a rest stop in 40° rain after driving narrow Mexican roads and still busy LA freeways for 13 HOURS!!! towing a boat, trying to get home and this discussion seems to have turned into a stupid train wreck!
 
Micah, I totally agree. This is a disease, yes, new and hugely overwhelming in many ways. It did not come about via any politician gist, right, left or middle. Maybe, in fighting this war with an invisible enemy, we will see some of the politicians working together. If they don't then they need to be fired -- voted out. But for now, and through the foreseeable future, We need to be in this pulling together, and fighting it in a coordinated way. Pay attention to the scientific and medical logic and take this situation seriously.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

7_SleepyC_at_Port_Harvey_001.thumb.jpg
 
kennharriet":10jvjb74 said:
Was enjoying the original theme of this discussion but rather boring now that it somehow turned political. . . .
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"now . . . somehow"??

In my original post on this thread (top of page 5) I suggested everyone should go back and read the posts starting on page 1 of the thread and compare the tone of some of those to the tone of more recent posts. I thought we were making progress. I still do. Baby steps. :)

After a run of spectacular sunny days, the weather this morning is testing my resolve to get out for a walk every day. I'm gonna do it. It's dark and cold and wet, but I'm feeling good. I hope all of you and your loved ones are, too.

Bill
 
smckean (Tosca)":51gyu0yy said:
So hopefully me taking the time to define the terms "MSM" and "Agenda", will help some better understand my initial post.
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I appreciate that. I had never heard of MSM. I simply translated MSM as "Bigfoot," because one boogie monster is as good as the next when a scapegoat is needed.

My brother recently used the term "deep state" and I had to ask him what that meant. He listens to more conspiracy theory media than I do. He may have missed some of the details, but it sounded to me like it consisted of a conspiracy between long-term public servants and scientific experts. The theory is that they have joined together to cause damage to "patriotic citizens" through vehicle emission standards, responsible gun legislation, vaccines, etc. Right now it now looks like we need could use more deep state.

Oh great. The deep state is working on a vaccine for the corona virus hoax. This new deep state vaccine will alter your mind and make you believe that a 30 round clip is unnecessary for an untrained civilian. I probably shouldn't say that or the conspiracy will end up on Facebook (assuming it isn't already there).

Mark
 
We’ve been hunkered down for the last week or so. Seems like so much longer now.
We’ve got all the supplies we would ever need. The only problem is keeping the 5 year old occupied with 4’ snow in the back yard.
My wife finely broke and told me to load the boat up. We’re going king fishing in K-bay for a few days! Whoop! Whoop!
Leaving in a hour:) :smiled
 
Marco Flamingo":18u63dt7 said:
... make you believe that a 30 round clip is unnecessary for an untrained civilian. I probably shouldn't say that or the conspiracy will end up on Facebook (assuming it isn't already there).
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Actually, it's been proven that owning a 30 round clip will prevent you from getting infected by the Corona virus. How do you not know that?

Get a clip for you and each member of your household and you're all protected from the virus.

P.S. You need the 30 round clip because the virus is very, very small and those suckers are hard to hit.
 
Been a while since I posted, still looking for boat… hoping a TomCat will be in our future.

Wish I could hunker down, must work. I’m a Medical Technologist the VA Out Patent Clinic here in Anchorage. Wife Jody has a private law practice, it's winding down because the Courts are closed. When not at work we stay home for the most part except to exercise outdoors, and occasionally go to the grocery store in hopes of finding what’s on our list.

Building a home gym downstairs starting with a rowing machine and weight bench. Luckily, I have a dissent set of Dumbbells but would like to expand some; good luck finding any right now. All the health clubs have shut down, so everyone is buying them up. Fortunately, we have high end fat tire ebikes, riding is a big part of our exercise regimen winter and summer.

In Anchorage and most of Alaska the Governor and Mayer’s have issued a preemptive strike ordering a hunker down mandate for everyone not working at an essential business.

My son Jacob was at the University of North Dakota (UND) currently working toward his commercial pilot’s license, a degree in aviation and soon to become Certified flight instructor (CFI); everything was really going his way. When the S**t hit the fan about 10 days ago he and a roommate headed to his parents’ house on Hilton Point South Carolina; at least until things blow over. When Jacob realized things were not improving anytime soon, he’s opting to fly home this Wednesday, before passenger flights are shut down into the state. Maybe not the best idea but at least the Triple J will be together. He will have to self-quarantine for 14 days; says he’s going to do some cooking.

We attempt to social distance ourselves at work, and everyone entering the clinic is screened, today they started taking temps: can’t stop thinking I’ll get Covid-19 sooner or later. At 64 I’m healthy and fit for being a bit overweight, perhaps I’ll be ok; just don’t want to be part of the problem.

Time will tell how long we’ll be able to keep the lab open; we are considered a front-line asset.

Knew I should have retired last year!

Thanks for the forum, a welcome distraction from the chaos.
 
I was thinking today about my ancestors.....distant ancestors.....like 50,000 years ago ancestors.

Imagine their lives. The cold, the hot, the hunger, the fear, the danger, and yes, the disease. What brave people with an incredible will to live. And to think every single one of them, and I mean all of them, lived thru birth, childhood, an into adulthood long enough to find a mate and have offspring. If even one of those thousands had failed, I would not be here today.

This hunkering down under threat has me appreciate those ancestors in a new and vivid way.
 
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