Apropos of the talk about the monetary value of human life - and how the young really are valued higher for insurance purposes since a life-long condition will cost way more to treat for them than the elderly: yesterday I learned that 40% of Ontarians in the ICU due to Covid-19 are under the age of 40. What that tells me is that we really aren’t taking this thing seriously enough. It’s easier to talk about how the elderly should accept the risk so that the young can get back to work when 80-90% of those in ICU are >80. Not so much when more than a third are under 40.
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Yeah, I don’t think that’s just limited to Ontario. Too lazy to Google it, but I’ve read a similar stat before somewhere.
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Just saw this from the Ontario premier regarding price-gouging:
All the way to the top, by the look of it. We’ll see if it ever gets enforced, but I do like the principle of holding the chain of command to account.
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Where? I mean, the economy had already crashed before we started taking precautions. We won’t have numbers on a lot of other stuff for quite a while (hell, we don’t even really have numbers on the economy, just indirect measures). We know how to fight this thing, but as far as separating the costs of doing so from the cost of the crisis itself, we’re pretty well in the dark.
To be fair I suppose, an evaluation of VSL and the CDCs scenario for if things go wrong reveal a conservative damage ceiling of around 8.5 trillion USD. That however is supposedly a very conservative estimate (it’s from a Forbes article using self admittedly lower values), only includes a narrow and specific type of damage, and even then I’m dubious if you want to argue that the costs of fighting it have approached that.
If you really want to discuss it we certainly can, but… Eh, I’ll be straightforward Mike. This stuff is being spammed as a talking point for political advantage in the media. It is interesting academically, but right now they’re selling the public a load of lies, not seriously examining it.
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Didn’t we set a record for unemployment claims last week? I can’t imagine shuttering a portion of the economy will help that number this week.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding your point, or we’re talking past one another, but seems like you’d have a hard time arguing that these trade offs aren’t already here, no?
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I’m pointing out that we don’t even know what’s caused by the shutdown and what’s caused by the virus. You’re not wrong about talking past each other though. Basically my argument is a combination of pointing out the lack of data, and the high required level for it to be a concern.
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Ha, I’ll say.
Ok, now I think we’re making the same basic points, but maybe where we disagree is how much weight each field of study should be given? But honestly, I’m not even sure we disagree on that so much. 
Either way, just saw that we have at least 4 more weeks of social distancing. It’s like waiting on the ■■■■■■■ groundhog in Pennsylvania every winter. Can we get a groundhog for The Virus?
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Honestly, we’re talking about different things more. My point was more on the lack of evidence for an extraordinary claim. That and I’m tired of that talking point.
Apart from that, well, view epidemiologists as soldiers. They know how to fight a war. That doesn’t mean they know the result.
Yeah though, I just kind of figured that things would probably stay shutdown for a while. Likely going to need to reschedule a doctor appointment actually.
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I need to get a haircut, sooooo baaad. I look like a hippie.
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That sounds like a good thing? That sounds like a good thing.
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Gonna be a LOT of pony-tailed bearded hipsters by the time this is over…
Edit: just reading a Grauniad opinion piece (yes Mickity, I know) that looks at the whole economy-lives issue. One key point made is that the economy is people; if people are pushed back to work too soon and get sick, seriously ill, or die, then the long term effect on the economy could be much worse.
Also - being the Grauniad - the point is made that most of those calling to get the economy restarted are the ones who already have the most money, and are best able to isolate etc. Or, to put it more succinctly:
Am I prepared to risk my health and life for that? H-E-double toothpicks NO.
Worth a read. The piece is by Robert Reich, a former US secretary of labor and currently professor at UC Berkeley.
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If anyone feels like weighing in to their Senators/Representative, here’s a link for doing that through the EFF on the latest attack on 230. I’m getting really tired of these things. This one is particularly egregious, involving undefined mandatory rules that some sites and services would be incapable of complying with due to encryption and privacy regardless.
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Just look like one? Wait a second, I have something for ya:
That should align you with your haircut 
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No, Mick. Fight the urge. Resist the man telling you how to appear and be. Embrace your glorious locks. Let them fly in the wind, free and unrestricted as our speech should be…
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Alright, one more:
And if he listens to those songs 3 times a day I expect @MickityMike to preach Free Love and the End of Capitalism for the foreseeable future 
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Since we’re mentioning authors:
On the governor of Florida, a self-declared ‘go-to-it guy’ handling the crisis:
“I’m not sure he’s ahead of the curve, I think he’s somewhere behind it. This whole situation is a little bit like the barn door has been locked but the horse was stolen, I’m going to say, 10 days ago.”
Yep.
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But if I don’t cut my hair, I will grow a frizzy afro-like mop up top! Mop top. That’s me! I’ll look like Bob Ross fer feck sake.
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You say that like it’s a bad thing. Bob Ross can NEVER be bad!
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Now how will I ever stop reading @MickityMike s posts in the voice of an excited libertarian Bob Ross?
Bob Ross was shown on late night TV for a while. I think he provided entertainment for millions of drunk Germans that turned on the telly when they came back from the pub…
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