May Banter 2020

[WxUSAF]

Just now, Always in Zugzwang said:

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.

My daughter is a 6th grader and if her experience is typical (which I doubt since she’s pretty diligent and self motivated), then I think the distance learning is maybe 50-75% of in school education. 

For my fourth grader, it’s probably 25% at best.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

2 minutes ago, ErinInTheSky said:

I'm just really bummed my son might never be able to say bye to his daycare friends.

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?

[mappy]

Just now, losetoa6 said:

Didn't realize boating and fishing off your own boat was even banned .

yeah i am pretty sure you couldn't even launch a boat if you tried. 

[ErinInTheSky]

Just now, Always in Zugzwang said:

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?

There's one friend that we will absolutely be in contact with, but all the rest, we haven't been super close to but he enjoys them at daycare.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

1 minute ago, WxUSAF said:

My daughter is a 6th grader and if her experience is typical (which I doubt since she’s pretty diligent and self motivated), then I think the distance learning is maybe 50-75% of in school education. 

For my fourth grader, it’s probably 25% at best.

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).

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

2 minutes ago, ErinInTheSky said:

There's one friend that we will absolutely be in contact with, but all the rest, we haven't been super close to but he enjoys them at daycare.

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

[mappy]

29 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Maybe someone has the exact amount but I heard on the radio a few days ago that over 150,000 Md kids haven't even checked in to the online schooling for various reasons including no computers , wifi , or parents not caring etc. Hopefully since its official no in person schooling that this gets addressed some . I heard in New Orleans it's even worse with kids getting lost in the shuffle. Pretty sad situation. 

It’s bad up here man. So many locals on our neighborhood FB page about it. Comcast does not go all the way to the line. Many in the Freeland, White Hall and BaltCo portion of Manchester areas have no internet. Our local schools only just starting sending out hot spots and chromebooks last week. 

[mappy]

Hell, it took 6 weeks before a school in the Hereford Zone allowed for pickup for free meals for kids. The Hereford Food bank has been feeding them. Terrible 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

22 minutes ago, mappy said:

It’s bad up here man. So many locals on our neighborhood FB page about it. Comcast does not go all the way to the line. Many in the Freeland, White Hall and BaltCo portion of Manchester areas have no internet. Our local schools only just starting sending out hot spots and chromebooks last week. 

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.

[RDM]

17 minutes ago, mappy said:

It’s bad up here man. So many locals on our neighborhood FB page about it. Comcast does not go all the way to the line. Many in the Freeland, White Hall and BaltCo portion of Manchester areas have no internet. Our local schools only just starting sending out hot spots and chromebooks last week. 

Oh my, really?  One would have thought the school districts would have raised this up the chain.  With a coordinated response the technology exists to tactically establish hotspots and the associated linkages to major trunks quickly.  The large providers and elements of the USG have those capabilities.  Hopefully this will be part of the lessons learned that are documented and improved upon for the next time.  (perhaps wishful thinking on the latter)

Didn't realize parts of BaltCo are not yet connected.  The Dulles Corridor is singularly THE most connected data spot on Earth, yet our fellow citizens so close by have no Internet at all?  Sad. 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Just now, RDM said:

Oh my, really?  One would have thought the school districts would have raised this up the chain.  With a coordinated response the technology exists to tactically establish hotspots and the associated linkages to major trunks quickly.  The large providers and elements of the USG have those capabilities.  Hopefully this will be part of the lessons learned that are documented and improved upon for the next time.  (perhaps wishful thinking on the latter)

Didn't realize parts of BaltCo are not yet connected.  The Dulles Corridor is singularly THE most connected data spot on Earth, yet our fellow citizens so close by have no Internet at all?  Sad. 

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.

[aldie 22]

I'm out of mashed potatoes 

[Mrs.J]

27 minutes ago, leesburg 04 said:

I'm out of mashed potatoes 

I just made some fried potatoes. Those may work. 

[CAPE]

53 minutes ago, leesburg 04 said:

I'm out of mashed potatoes 

mashed potatoes are awesome with weed butter.

[mappy]

1 hour ago, Always in Zugzwang said:

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.

Hotspots are being given to families. 

1 hour ago, RDM said:

Oh my, really?  One would have thought the school districts would have raised this up the chain.  With a coordinated response the technology exists to tactically establish hotspots and the associated linkages to major trunks quickly.  The large providers and elements of the USG have those capabilities.  Hopefully this will be part of the lessons learned that are documented and improved upon for the next time.  (perhaps wishful thinking on the latter)

Didn't realize parts of BaltCo are not yet connected.  The Dulles Corridor is singularly THE most connected data spot on Earth, yet our fellow citizens so close by have no Internet at all?  Sad. 

Oh yeah those along the line in the higher elevations do not have internet connection, Comcast doesn’t go up there and vios is not anywhere close to expanding north either. They have dish usually for tv and rely on work/school/library/hotspot for online things. 

1 hour ago, losetoa6 said:

No excuse for that nonsense 

I agree. I know there are a lot of schools offering meals and it takes time to get them set up, etc... but 6 weeks, I feel, was way too long.

[Yeoman]

2 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

Didn't realize boating and fishing off your own boat was even banned .

I guess they didn't want to pass it to fish

[Stormpc]

It's too bad the covid-19 thread closed. Regardless of the bickering back and forth, I found it very helpful and informative. Forum members were sharing very good information that was not easily discovered or disseminated by formal news outfits. But In fairness, I'm not a moderator nor do I see what goes on behind the scenes. Maybe it was getting uglier than it looked. Anyway it was fun while it lasted. 

[Stormpc]

NHL appears to be in serious Jeopardy. Wouldn't it be something is Ovechkin came up just short of Gretzky because this season was shortened or cancelled? Not a capitals fan but I want to see him do it. It was a crapshoot as it was. I gave him a 50% chance. Now I'm not so sure.

[CAPE]

2 minutes ago, Stormpc said:

It's too bad the covid-19 thread closed. Regardless of the bickering back and forth, I found it very helpful and informative. Forum members were sharing very good information that was not easily discovered or disseminated by formal news outfits. But In fairness, I'm not a moderator nor do I see what goes on behind the scenes. Maybe it was getting uglier than it looked. Anyway it was fun while it lasted. 

Apparently the politics killed it. And Phin.

I just hope it doesn't take over banter again. That sucked.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

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

 

[psuhoffman]

3 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

Didn't realize boating and fishing off your own boat was even banned .

It may have been banned but I’ve seem people fishing in the pond I pass off route 30 between my house and the Shopping center everytime I go.  Seemed harmless though.

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

2 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

 

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! 

[mappy]

7 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Carroll county was set up 4- 5 weeks ago 

Oh yeah Balt Co had a horrible roll out. But glad it’s been fixed. 

1 minute ago, losetoa6 said:

Yea. ..Some dude fishing off his 1984 runabout boat seems like the definition of isolation. 

And yes! My dad had one of those way back in the day, we’d go fishing out on the Magothy River in AA county. Ah man that takes me back. 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

6 minutes ago, WxWatcher007 said:

 

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

[PhineasC]

22 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Apparently the politics killed it. And Phin.

I just hope it doesn't take over banter again. That sucked.

I wasn't involved in the final meltdown with trix and psuhoffman. Kinda hilarious how you pretend to be cool with being treated like a small child by self-appointed content curators. LOL yeah but it was all me. Gotta blame someone I guess; if you blamed the right people you'd be kicked out of the club.

[Mrs.J]

9 minutes ago, Always in Zugzwang said:

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! 

I am glad that I am able to help. That particular dish is just vial!

[snowfan]

37 minutes ago, C.A.P.E. said:

Apparently the politics killed it. And Phin.

I just hope it doesn't take over banter again. That sucked.

Unpopular take....blaming it on phin is an easy out. There are plenty guilty of screwing up that thread.

[CAPE]

52 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

I wasn't involved in the final meltdown with trix and psuhoffman. Kinda hilarious how you pretend to be cool with being treated like a small child by self-appointed content curators. LOL yeah but it was all me. Gotta blame someone I guess; if you blamed the right people you'd be kicked out of the club.

I said apparently.

Jesus get a grip. 

I am the one who pushed for that thread. I know your shtick. Doesn't bother me. Its old and tired and boring. but consistent. Hard to believe so many people cant figure out how to deal with it.

[CAPE]

11 minutes ago, snowfan said:

Unpopular take....blaming it on phin is an easy out. There are plenty guilty of screwing up that thread.

I didn't blame anyone dude.