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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 23 of 23. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by beckett2 on March 29, 2020, at 21:29:02
https://www.newyorker.com/books/second-read/how-dreams-change-under-authoritarianism
Posted by beckett2 on March 29, 2020, at 21:38:31
In reply to third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on March 29, 2020, at 21:29:02
Posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 18:01:51
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on March 29, 2020, at 21:38:31
From Dylan Eckardt, RE agent, Bridgehampton, NY.
I've never seen a real estate market like this. We're renting stuff that never rents in March. There's not even a price for it because it doesn't happen. I've had calls from diplomats, CEOs, Fortune 500 people.
I got this call 'I'm on my way, driving out from the city. You've got to find me a house south of the highway with nine bedrooms. I want no one around me. I want a pool, a tennis court. I've got a blank cheque. Make it happen.'
Posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 18:17:13
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 18:01:51
Is this in Australia?
Posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 21:01:55
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 18:17:13
New York.
Ia that what is called 'upstate'?
Posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 21:06:46
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 18:17:13
I could only access the first of the links, having burned out the New Yorker.
Interesting subject.
Thinking about language, there was a language professor in Dresden with a Jewish wife. They managed to leave during the fire bombing. What is his name?
Succession is very good.
Posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 21:10:20
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 18:01:51
Somewhere on Long Island.
Posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 22:29:12
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 21:06:46
> I could only access the first of the links, having burned out the New Yorker.
>
> Interesting subject.
>
> Thinking about language, there was a language professor in Dresden with a Jewish wife. They managed to leave during the fire bombing. What is his name?
>
> Succession is very good.
>
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REhlyvtiIhQ
I'll try it. (Btw, I watch nerdwriter sometimes.) Is it based on the Murdochs?Have you seen any of Westworld? I'm wondering if I should try it.
Posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 22:38:52
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 21:10:20
Parasite. I was able to see it in the theater.
Posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 22:41:24
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on March 30, 2020, at 22:29:12
Yes, it is based on the Murdochs.
It has some really good writing, where for example some people are saying the opposite of what they mean and they and the viewer understand the situation perfectly well.
Posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:16:51
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on March 30, 2020, at 22:41:24
I can't read the New Yorker right now, either.
The newspapers have gone away.
I will put in some time, today, with trying to access them online.
I know already that I will struggle with unreadable layouts etc.
Our access to news is limited. They don't want us knowing what is going on / how things are going around the world.
The Hamptons. Long Island.
vs Inner city hospitals.
Our hospitals...
All elective surgeries have stopped. It's our administrators wet dream: All of the money / budget. None of the expenditure.
We aren't inundates with cases.
But apparently our workers take 20 minutes to don PPE.
There has been extensive staff training in wearing PPE.
Because people in our hospitals are not trained to do that. Are trained not to do that. Are trained to use as little consumable items as they can in order to make more money for the administrators.
We hear from the something general of health. Ashley something. He's the only person who gets speaking rights, by the seems of it. The 'party line' only. I do understand that there is something... About projecting solidarity and one message. Not being confusing.
On the other hand this is not a free country at all. You are only allowed to speak of things that make money for administrators and senior officials.
There was some squabbling about face masks. They are swearing that we don't have a shortage. But that's because they are hoarding them and not letting people use them. Apparently the government has given them to the DHBs... And the DHBs gave it to front line health care workers (after suitable enough delay to ensure community transmission)...
Last week people looking after the supermarket cues were wearing face masks. They aren't now. They are standing there with a water squirt bottle squirting what really appears to be water into people's hands as they walk into the store. Massively watered down hand sanitising imitation kinds of stuff most likely.
Being cheap.
Less than 60 per cent alcohol.
Being ineffective.
Someone will think that they are being so very very very f*ck*ng clever. Watering down supplies.
Saving money.
We can't buy hand sanitiser in the supermarkets anymore.
It's being diverted... Uh... It's being hoarded.
Police don't have face masks.
Police go about in groups, now. That's a pretty big bubble.
They have really gone ham on ruining all the public services.
Gutted...
It feels like they are trying to tell us that the world has been gutted...
We don't see the wealthy people anymore. They've gone away into their mansions. They still get paid 'working from home'.
The resources are diverted their way preferentially.
I'm thinking about what things were supposed to have been like in Russia during the war. With the officials living the life of luxury while the workers...
For how much longer will things keep up?
Things were unsustainable.
Our education system has been gutted.
I think they only sign off on people who agree to part of the whole facade of all of the money and none of the work. All they do is police their position to make sure nobody does that job -- not on their watch.
Posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:45:39
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:16:51
I am incredibly ambivalent about the whole situation.
Sometimes I think there is something centralised or organised about it. A force for good. A virus that spares the young. That mostly targets the elderly people in nursing homes with plenty of pre-morbid conditions...
Our Prime Minister keeps saying we are self-isolating to keep our old people safe. We will not allow herd immunity to develop. Development of herd immunity is inhumane. We are taking humane steps to prevent community transmission that would naturally occur without intervention. We most certainly are not trying to kill off the old people in the old people homes. We are doing everything we can to keep them alive (whether they want to be or not -- atually we just legalised euthanasia for people with less than 6 months to live only just BEFORE this whole thing hit)...
I am ambivalent about the situation.
I am ambivalant about whether the government is doing what is in the best interests of New Zealand or New Zealanders or anything other than the financial interests of senior officials in this mess.
I am ambivalent about whether supplies are being hoarded to enhance the next pay increase for the Minister of Health and the Members of the District Health Board who feel that they won't be able to find the money for their next pay increase if they need to spend the money on replacing supplies.
I am ambivalent about whether our senior officials are profittering from this situation.
E.g., our Tertiary Education sector. They always cry poor poor poor we need more and more and more government handouts. While senior officials earn hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars each and every year. Poor poor poor poor them. Poor them. Just a constant stream of government handouts and bail outs for poor poor them.
While they don't process applications or completions. While they don't grade things properly. While they don't do any of the work or any of the things they are supposed to do.
Where are all the theses?
THe senior offiicals were too cheap to have them printed.
Poor poor poor.
Besides which nobody here has speaking rights.
Poor poor poor.
I don't know what is going on or whether things are in teh process of getting better or what the hell.
All I know is that the senior officials generally...
Earn too much.
Earn to much to be at all even a tiny little tiny bit credible.
They don't seem to do anything except figure out how to profit themselves at everybody elses expense.
Nasty psychopaths.
That's what I see.
They don't even do the most basic things they are required to do.
Grub all the resources for themselves.
Hide themselves away.
Not appearing in public any more.
That's for sure.
Posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:48:10
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:16:51
I mean how can I possibly have any other view?
They don't process anything.
They don't process appliations.
THey don't process students work.
They don't do any of the thigs they are supposed to do.
They don't even try.
They just go 'make us you can't make us make us hahahaha'
While collecting up all the money and resources and not doing any of the things they are supposed to do.
And somehow I am the bad guy for not wanting to join them?They aren't doing anything.
They just pass themselves off as things they are not (they don't do their job).
And collect up all the resources.
And hold back the development.
Prevent the development.
Express the state of retardation.
New Zealand: It's not working.
Posted by sigismund on April 2, 2020, at 19:25:41
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:48:10
>They just go 'make us you can't make us make us hahahaha'
This is the mad part of our culture, it's everywhere. Not an interesting part either.The gun shops in the US are open as an essential service?
Posted by beckett2 on April 3, 2020, at 0:19:26
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on April 2, 2020, at 19:25:41
> The gun shops in the US are open as an essential service?
>The NRA is suing the people's republic of california because gun shops here are non-essential. At least that what was happening.
Posted by sigismund on April 3, 2020, at 21:38:42
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by beckett2 on April 3, 2020, at 0:19:26
Things don't look good to the south of you.
With the NRA in mind I offer you this......
https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/04/02/the-temple-of-self-gratification/
Posted by beckett2 on April 4, 2020, at 15:46:36
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by sigismund on April 3, 2020, at 21:38:42
> Things don't look good to the south of you.
>
> With the NRA in mind I offer you this......
>
> https://www.counterpunch.org/2020/04/02/the-temple-of-self-gratification/Gun Girl is a treat
Posted by beckett2 on April 4, 2020, at 15:59:48
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by alexandra_k on April 1, 2020, at 13:16:51
> I can't read the New Yorker right now, either.
>
> The newspapers have gone away.
>
> I will put in some time, today, with trying to access them online.
>
> I know already that I will struggle with unreadable layouts etc.
>
> Our access to news is limited. They don't want us knowing what is going on / how things are going around the world.
>
> The Hamptons. Long Island.
>
> vs Inner city hospitals.
>
> Our hospitals...
>
> All elective surgeries have stopped. It's our administrators wet dream: All of the money / budget. None of the expenditure.
>
> We aren't inundates with cases.
>
> But apparently our workers take 20 minutes to don PPE.
>
> There has been extensive staff training in wearing PPE.
>
> Because people in our hospitals are not trained to do that. Are trained not to do that. Are trained to use as little consumable items as they can in order to make more money for the administrators.
>
> We hear from the something general of health. Ashley something. He's the only person who gets speaking rights, by the seems of it. The 'party line' only. I do understand that there is something... About projecting solidarity and one message. Not being confusing.
>
> On the other hand this is not a free country at all. You are only allowed to speak of things that make money for administrators and senior officials.
>
> There was some squabbling about face masks. They are swearing that we don't have a shortage. But that's because they are hoarding them and not letting people use them. Apparently the government has given them to the DHBs... And the DHBs gave it to front line health care workers (after suitable enough delay to ensure community transmission)...
>
> Last week people looking after the supermarket cues were wearing face masks. They aren't now. They are standing there with a water squirt bottle squirting what really appears to be water into people's hands as they walk into the store. Massively watered down hand sanitising imitation kinds of stuff most likely.
>
> Being cheap.
>
> Less than 60 per cent alcohol.
>
> Being ineffective.
>
> Someone will think that they are being so very very very f*ck*ng clever. Watering down supplies.
>
> Saving money.
>
> We can't buy hand sanitiser in the supermarkets anymore.
>
> It's being diverted... Uh... It's being hoarded.
>
> Police don't have face masks.
>
> Police go about in groups, now. That's a pretty big bubble.
>
> They have really gone ham on ruining all the public services.
>
> Gutted...
>
> It feels like they are trying to tell us that the world has been gutted...
>
> We don't see the wealthy people anymore. They've gone away into their mansions. They still get paid 'working from home'.
>
> The resources are diverted their way preferentially.
>
> I'm thinking about what things were supposed to have been like in Russia during the war. With the officials living the life of luxury while the workers...
>
> For how much longer will things keep up?
>
> Things were unsustainable.
>
> Our education system has been gutted.
>
> I think they only sign off on people who agree to part of the whole facade of all of the money and none of the work. All they do is police their position to make sure nobody does that job -- not on their watch.
>
>
>
>
>
>
Health Care Providers (HCP) do not have face masks. The current president has said explicitly to blame Obama because he left the shelves 'bare'.The public is now told to wear cloth over the mouth and nose. People are sewing face mask for HCP. The president's son-in-law says that the federal government's stockpile does not belong to the states. (Many read the to mean there is no stockpile.)
The governors of each state have fallen to bidding against each other for supplies.
Posted by alexandra_k on April 4, 2020, at 17:16:03
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams » alexandra_k, posted by beckett2 on April 4, 2020, at 15:59:48
I am not sure who produces the filtration fabric for N95 masks. It might be only China.
I know that other countries are saying that they are making N95 masks locally -- but I think other countries might be reliant on fabric shipments from China as starting materials for the production of the masks.
If so, then that's a... Uh... Really rather non-ideal situation for every other country to be in.
I was surprised to read that maybe Iowa got federally supplied with maybe 3x the number of masks they asked for whereas North Carolina got maybe 1/2.
Then I thought to myself... Maybe Iowa doesn't usually supply masks to very many hosptial workers, at all. So when they did the math they were only looking at supplying to 1/3 of the staff in the hospital or something, whereas North Carolina did the math for everybody to have 3 masks per shift. Made up numbers, but you get the idea.
I do think that the free world should have stood with Hong Kong for acknowledgement of human rights and rule of law.
The freedom to wear masks.
The freedom not to wear masks.
But I guess one isn't free to wear masks if China won't supply and manufacturing fell out of America.
It is good for Delaware to be producing something.
It is a shame that it needed to be ordered to be so because they wouldn't get organised to come to the party themselves and produce them themselves.
Trump can't save America.
I am learning more about the State vs Federal distinction.
He doesn't want to mandate things at the Federal Level any more than he has to. He wants things to be sorted out more locally because more locally people know better (should know better) about what is going on at the local level. What the need is. What would help make things better instead of worse.
Also... Who would want to be responsible for / held accountable for making bad decisions later? When it isn't clear what to do / what is to be done.
I know our attention has been drawn to the production of ventillators...
I don't know what the hold up is with quality face masks.
It seems to be really rather a lot of an oversight to not have developed the technology / production capability for advanced air filtration given the potential for biological warfare...
Posted by alexandra_k on April 4, 2020, at 17:39:34
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams » alexandra_k, posted by beckett2 on April 4, 2020, at 15:59:48
I would imagine that the Federal Governments stockpile is for the Federal Government.
For the essential government workers to carry out essentail government functions.
For the worst case type of scenario, indeed.
For when Trump needs to wear a face mask.
It's likely to be an end of the world kit.
Opening it...
It will never be opened.
I would imagine. Of the Federal Stockpile.
________________________________________________________
The states are choosing to see the situation as one in which they are being forced to outcompete the other states. The aim being to grub up all the supplies for themselves.
They need to come up with a sensible plan.
How many people are in the hospital? What kinds of roles? How many masks does each person need?
Be transparant about things like that. Then distribute things so that to each according to their need.
It's hard becuase they rightly point out that there isn't any point having the masks when staff aren't trained to use them properly.
So some hospitals are organised and able to come up with a sensible bid, I would imagine. Of what they need.
Which makes it easier to do business with them. I'd imagine.
Than states that just want as many as possible as cheaply as possible because it's a squabble for the 'top'.
_________________________________________________________
I think what I have learned in all this is that you have to go:
If there isn't the supplies for me to 'do no harm' then there isn't the supplies for me to pass myself off as a doctor.
I am not meaning to suggest that it is the health professionals fault if they contract the virus. But you do have to ask yourself 'did I do the things I was supposed to do to make sure that I did not contract the virus'.
And when you don't do things like practice appropriate hand hygine and wear masks to protect your patients from you then... You become a vector. Making the situation worse.
I imagine many of our front line healthcare workers and police etc are the main healthy vectors for the virus right now.
__________________________________________________________
America was starting to prosecute people for bribing University Admissions.
I know, it's terrible that these things happen in America.
But to the best of my knowledge America was the only country in teh world that said 'that's not okay and we actually will prosecute'.
To protect the integrity of the education system.
___________________________________________________________
China is so hard becuase I don't speak the language. So I don't feel that I have a handle on what is going on, at all. Always reading what others say in translation. ANd being aware they have their own agenda.
___________________________________________________________
Private school here... ONe of the kids was saying that it was like her school knew this was going to happen. Kids were prepared for online learning from the very start of the year so no major suprise when things shut down.
_____________________________________________________________
It isn't just about whether kids have access to devices or not.
It's about the quality of the teaching.
____________________________________________________________
How is the University Council supposed to meet, now, to decide which of the students they will admit to which program?
They aren't allowed to meet in person.
They will have to use technology. How will they negotiate and bargian and be bribed?
How is that supposed to go, now?
____________________________________________________________
Posted by beckett2 on April 5, 2020, at 1:41:04
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams, posted by alexandra_k on April 4, 2020, at 17:39:34
Those are all good questions. My sense, but I really really don't know, is that all the pandemic modeling games are done on the federal level, and when states do them, they are not coordinating their games w another state.
This year the fed games were cancelled. Oof.
Atm, there is chaos because there is no chain of command. The orange abdicated any responsibility while blocking anyone else from knowing or doing. It's crazy, really.
Our country is too big (crowded) to be governed this way, even in the best circumstance.
Posted by sigismund on April 5, 2020, at 5:07:36
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams » alexandra_k, posted by beckett2 on April 5, 2020, at 1:41:04
>The orange abdicated any responsibility while blocking anyone else from knowing or doing.
On the Majority Report there was a clip oh him talking with some scientists and the usual lot. Looked at from a certain point of view he was very funny. It was farce.
'Do you think a decent shot of a really good flu vaccine would stop it?'
'No'
'No, probably not.' With arms folded and serious expression.
Posted by sigismund on April 6, 2020, at 15:20:47
In reply to Re: third reich of dreams » beckett2, posted by sigismund on April 5, 2020, at 5:07:36
As someone from the Cuban Foreign Ministry pointed out it is terrible moral decadence to use this moment to sanction Venezuela, Iran or Cuba, 'thou shalt not kill' being a historic principle.
And what could be any response? They lock gays up? Give us a break. We are talking of millions.
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
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