July Banter 2020

[H2O]

How can people drink that stuff?  Would rather drink anything made by Aristocrat

[CAPE]

1 hour ago, H2O said:

How can people drink that stuff?  Would rather drink anything made by Aristocrat

I drink it as it was intended- a digestif.

Plus the cold brew coffee version is much better imo.

[ChocolateDinosaur]

Greetings.  Lurker here.  I wanted to ask if there are any local TV stations that have current radar only or with NOAA forecast info only?  I am in Loudoun County for reference.  I have found channels like this easily in Florida for example, not certain if anything of the sort is to be found buried in the local channels here.  Thanks for any help. 

[H2O]

8 minutes ago, ChocolateDinosaur said:

Greetings.  Lurker here.  I wanted to ask if there are any local TV stations that have current radar only or with NOAA forecast info only?  I am in Loudoun County for reference.  I have found channels like this easily in Florida for example, not certain if anything of the sort is to be found buried in the local channels here.  Thanks for any help. 

Good question.  Not sure Cox cable carries anything beyond what they have for each local network news channel.  Dunno if satellite or other cable offers that.  Not even sure what is offered via antenna anymore.

[JakkelWx]

This was a view of my yard before last night's droughtbuster

now 

[fourseasons]

25 minutes ago, H2O said:

Good question.  Not sure Cox cable carries anything beyond what they have for each local network news channel.  Dunno if satellite or other cable offers that.  Not even sure what is offered via antenna anymore.

I have Cox (resists urge to say unladylike words) and WUSA9, the CBS affiliate, had the radar on one of its subchannels a bunch of years ago but got rid of it.  I'm pretty certain WJLA, the ABC affiliate, had (emphasis on had) a subchannel devoted to weather too.  Right now if my cable subchannels are any indication, none of the DC stations have a subchannel devoted to weather or the radar.

[PhineasC]

17 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

Btw I don’t approve the “opening=dead kids” campaign by teachers unions. More kids will die from other diseases and accidents related to schools probably.  The real threat is to staff and the community. I get that’s harder to work in a meme or sign but I don’t like dishonest tactics.  

I told you the teacher’s unions would push hard to keep schools closed, and, as I recall, you stridently denied that would happen. Teachers wanted to be back in the classroom “more than anything” was part of the response, I believe. 

[PhineasC]

We made the decision months ago to homeschool so we are all set. It’s sad watching parents have meltdowns over this issue as September approaches. There are so many unknowns and high emotions, I understand the frustration. It’s nice to be outside it just watching, however. It will suck for the kids no matter what the schools do. 

[nj2va]

Just now, PhineasC said:

We made the decision months ago to homeschool so we are all set. It’s sad watching parents have meltdowns over this issue as September approaches. There are so many unknowns and high emotions, I understand the frustration. It’s nice to be outside it just watching, however. It will suck for the kids no matter what the schools do. 

The impact on inner cities, low income areas, and children in unstable homes is the untold story - the disparity in experience with online schooling is likely large vs the other end of the spectrum.  Seems like school districts aren't being creative enough with how they can try to have in person learning.  

[PhineasC]

2 minutes ago, nj2va said:

The impact on inner cities, low income areas, and children in unstable homes is the untold story - the disparity in experience with online schooling is likely large vs the other end of the spectrum.  Seems like school districts aren't being creative enough with how they can try to have in person learning.  

Yes. Not trying to start an argument here, but the two groups pushing hardest for 100% remote learning (aside from the teachers) are middle to upper middle class parents who are teleworking and people without kids or who have grown kids. This is what I am seeing in my social circles, at least. Working-class parents who can’t telework are melting down over schools being remote next year, for good reason. 

[PhineasC]

Schools are a critical part of life for poorer families. The schools are a safe refuge in blighted urban areas, a source of food, and a sort of daycare for kids whose parents can’t take sick days easily or just switch jobs on a whim. Teachers are sometimes the only positive role models and forces in the lives of these kids. Remote schooling basically destroys all that. I expect a lot of these kids to end up roaming the streets during the day instead, which will end badly for everyone. 

But our entire response to COVID has screwed the vulnerable working poor the most in favor of wealthier teleworking families which are at the lowest risk from serious illness, so I expect the back-asswards policies to continue. 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

17 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

Everything you are saying makes sense. I don’t begrudge you your thoughts. I totally empathize. I don’t teach in Carroll. I teach in Baltimore City. But I am glad they are starting virtual. We explored the idea of virtual or in person options. Problem was too many teachers fall into the “vulnerable” category to run in person schools (especially with smaller classes) if they opted out. I have asthma and Crohns. Both conditions put me in higher risk. My wife and son have asthma. I’ll admit I’m nervous. Phin can make fun of me and call me names. I don’t care. I have a family and I worry about our health. If that makes me some soft snowflake wuss in his opinion so be it. And metrics do look fairly good in parts of MD now but keep in mind the metrics are delayed. They show us what was happening a week ago really. The fear is with schools open it could spread fast and before we react a teacher with a compromised immune system gets it and... All I can say is I want to teach. I could and have done a lot of things but I choose to teach because it’s what I want to do. And I want to get back to normal. I also want to live a long time and see my children grow up!  That said I also empathize with parents that want their children back at school.  I empathize with students that want to be back with their friends.  This sucks. And I don’t have any definitive answers and I don’t pretend too. But I think we all need to be empathetic towards each other’s positions. 

First...oh,  man, that sucks about Crohn's.  And I can empathize, because I've had a history of colitis myself (going back to when I was about 11-12).  Ugh!  I've had enough of those endoscopy tests that I can almost have a drinking game with that God-awful nasty prep solution you have to drink the night before!!  I can deal with an all-liquid diet for a day, and can deal with the procedure itself (they knock you out for it anyhow).  But in the number of times I've had to go through this, I've *never* gotten used to drinking the gallon of that metallic salt flavored s*it!! 

More on topic, I definitely agree with you and get the concern.  I know enough people and have enough friends (including family) who have any variety of "risk" conditions.  I think we'd all like it if schools (and anything else) could reopen and we can get back to some kind of normalcy.  My own daughter will be a Senior this upcoming year, and MoCo just announced it will begin the year with virtual learning through at least the first *semester* (near the end of Jan. 2021).  All fall sports and whatnot are canceled of course, with that.  Does it suck, especially since she's a Senior?  Yeah, and I feel for the fact that her last year in HS will be marred by this crap.  Maybe, with some luck, they'll have some in-school instruction come the 2nd semester but I'm not sure.  And who knows if they'll have a "live" graduation or do something remote like they did for the class of 2020 this year.  So yeah...a drag.  BUT...I totally get it and for the most part support the decision.  MoCo, just by nature of being highly populous and within the DC metro area, has the 2nd highest number of cases (I think PG has the most in the state?).  So it's a different animal than other parts farther out in MD.  I'm sure some areas of the state can more safely open earlier or start up some kind of blended in-person/remote kind of deal.

 

17 hours ago, psuhoffman said:

Btw I don’t approve the “opening=dead kids” campaign by teachers unions. More kids will die from other diseases and accidents related to schools probably.  The real threat is to staff and the community. I get that’s harder to work in a meme or sign but I don’t like dishonest tactics.  

Yeah, as much as I totally support being very cautious on re-opening, especially in some areas, some of the rhetoric gets over the top.  You're right, the real threat is spreading the disease rampantly through the community by having thousands of kids in school (even if the younger kids might be at far less risk for severe reaction).  And there are probably enough kids with at-risk conditions, as well.

[PhineasC]

23 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

Agree with pretty much all this.  The roaming the streets is definitely true. I grew up in a low income and basically poor neighborhood in Baltimore and even when school was in session we'd get into mischief on the holidays and 1/2 days not to mention hooking a day or 2 a week . If you take in person school totally away from these inner city low income kids it's sadly  a huge mess unfolding and many won't graduate and more will end up in gangs , jail, abused ..you name it . I think Baltimore said they're 100% online 1st semester.  I also wonder how many 100s or 1000s don't have Chrome books or wifi . The ripple effects will go on forever I'd think. 

It’s absolutely ridiculous for any of us to expect a poor mother in Baltimore working 2 service jobs to be able to do remote learning for her 3 kids. They are going to be running the streets. 

[PhineasC]

4 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I also had a couple friends who's parents didnt speak English..only the children. I'm not sure how common that still is but ... How will they oversee online learning.  

The #StayAtHome crowd doesn’t care. 

[NorthArlington101]

The #StayAtHome crowd doesn’t care. 

I agree that in principle everyone should have an option of going to school in-person or staying home. But so should the teachers, the custodians, the lunch staff, the administrators, the bus drivers, and every other person that makes a school function. And if half of them (or more) opt not to show up to work... then what?

 

This whole thing sucks. But IMO, the next month before classes start is likely better spent trying to come up with policy solutions for families that need schools/childcare. Or everyone could just start to truly wear masks and we could contain this sooner.

 

[CAPE]

Just now, losetoa6 said:

My youngest daughter- a 10th grader who is a strait A student struggled for the 3 months online and that was with a good head on her shoulders , great laptop and wifi. They both really want to go back . 

Online can be fantastic for self motivated college students, if it is set up and managed properly. Especially Masters students for certain degree  programs. The success rate falls off dramatically when you get to HS aged kids. It is so dependent on the  bandwidth of the available internet technology, the parents, and the self discipline of the student, which is generally lacking at that age. So many social distractions etc.. Just my opinion.

[SomeguyfromTakomaPark]

1 minute ago, CAPE said:

Online can be fantastic for self motivated college students, if it is set up and managed properly. Especially Masters students for certain degree  programs. The success rate falls off dramatically when you get to HS aged kids. It is so dependent on the  bandwidth of the available internet technology, the parents, and the self discipline of the student, which is generally lacking at that age. So many social distractions etc.. Just my opinion.

Agree totally,  also doesn’t help that schools really water down the grading policy.  In dcps all the kids automatically passed for the most part, once they figured that out most of them didn’t log on very frequently.

[CAPE]

Just now, DCTeacherman said:

Agree totally,  also doesn’t help that schools really water down the grading policy.  In dcps all the kids automatically passed for the most part, once they figured that out most of them didn’t log on very frequently.

Even the few courses we have put online, for adults, who are motivated presumably because these courses are international requirements for them to keep doing their jobs lol, it was like herding sheep. Instructors have to constantly monitor and keep after them to login and put in the time for each module, and post on the board/chat for specific topic discussion, which substitutes for class participation.

[CAPE]

5 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

I think the biggest problem in her case was ...she had to teach herself the majority of each week with very little actual teacher instruction . 

Yup. Some people can learn new material without actual contact/feedback from an instructor, while others find it difficult. This is where it comes down to the design and execution of the online platform- making it as analogous to the traditional classroom experience as is possible.

[PhineasC]

25 minutes ago, NorthArlington101 said:

I agree that in principle everyone should have an option of going to school in-person or staying home. But so should the teachers, the custodians, the lunch staff, the administrators, the bus drivers, and every other person that makes a school function. And if half of them (or more) opt not to show up to work... then what?

 

This whole thing sucks. But IMO, the next month before classes start is likely better spent trying to come up with policy solutions for families that need schools/childcare. Or everyone could just start to truly wear masks and we could contain this sooner.

 

Just wondering, where are you guys seeing these non-mask wearers? I have been bouncing around a lot on the road between NH, DE, and MD, and I see the vast majority of people wearing masks as directed. This idea that legions of non-mask wearers are keeping the spread going seems a bit suspect to me... where are these people? I must not be nearby.

[NorthArlington101]

8 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

Just wondering, where are you guys seeing these non-mask wearers? I have been bouncing around a lot on the road between NH, DE, and MD, and I see the vast majority of people wearing masks as directed. This idea that legions of non-mask wearers are keeping the spread going seems a bit suspect to me... where are these people? I must not be nearby.

Honestly? A lot of it is people within my age group (18-29) or younger -- plenty of Snapchat stories or Instagram posts with people in large groups drinking/partying/whatnot.  Lots of my college friends are planning trips over the summer and are surprised when I turn them down. I'm super pleased with what I see as a whole in this area, but  that said I'm still not leaving my house all that much.

With the scientific consensus about the effectiveness of masks growing yet the pandemic not slowing down, there clearly have to be a decent chunk of offenders out there. My anecdotal observations line up with the spike in infections in younger people as well.  

[PhineasC]

3 minutes ago, NorthArlington101 said:

Honestly? A lot of it is people within my age group (18-29) or younger -- plenty of Snapchat stories or Instagram posts with people in large groups drinking/partying/whatnot.  Lots of my college friends are planning trips over the summer and are surprised when I turn them down. I'm super pleased with what I see as a whole in this area, but  that said I'm still not leaving my house all that much.

With the scientific consensus about the effectiveness of masks growing yet the pandemic not slowing down, there clearly have to be a decent chunk of offenders out there. My anecdotal observations line up with the spike in infections in younger people as well.  

OK, I avoid 18-29 year olds like the plague so that's probably part of it.

[pazzo83]

15 minutes ago, NorthArlington101 said:

Honestly? A lot of it is people within my age group (18-29) or younger -- plenty of Snapchat stories or Instagram posts with people in large groups drinking/partying/whatnot.  Lots of my college friends are planning trips over the summer and are surprised when I turn them down. I'm super pleased with what I see as a whole in this area, but  that said I'm still not leaving my house all that much.

With the scientific consensus about the effectiveness of masks growing yet the pandemic not slowing down, there clearly have to be a decent chunk of offenders out there. My anecdotal observations line up with the spike in infections in younger people as well.  

yeah - i generally see most people in masks in my neighborhood.  they are required inside in our building so we are pretty close to 100% compliance there.

[CAPE]

8 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

My job takes me many areas in Md and Pa . Only 1 I can remember in Md inside a store . In Pa i have seen a handful of people without masks inside .

Same. I saw one dude in a store, technically wearing a mask- it was hanging on his chin- not covering his nose or mouth. lol.

[Mrs.J]

53 minutes ago, losetoa6 said:

My job takes me many areas in Md and Pa . Only 1 I can remember in Md inside a store . In Pa i have seen a handful of people without masks inside .

We board my daughters pony in VA. A lot of people over there are without masks.

[SomeguyfromTakomaPark]

1 hour ago, PhineasC said:

Just wondering, where are you guys seeing these non-mask wearers? I have been bouncing around a lot on the road between NH, DE, and MD, and I see the vast majority of people wearing masks as directed. This idea that legions of non-mask wearers are keeping the spread going seems a bit suspect to me... where are these people? I must not be nearby.

 

8 minutes ago, Mrs.J said:

We board my daughters pony in VA. A lot of people over there are without masks.

I was in a gas station off I-81 near the 3 really big crosses and no one had a mask on in there. 

[Inverted_Trough]

Looks like public health measures to manage Covid have basically eradicated the flu from the Southern Hemisphere.  This bodes well for us for the fall.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-19-measures-have-all-but-wiped-out-the-flu-in-the-southern-hemisphere-11595440682

[40westwx]

11 hours ago, losetoa6 said:

I heard a stat weeks ago that over 150,000 kids in Md never checked in at all online .

One of the biggest issues that I face is family dynamics.. and I suspect this is a problem for others too.  I have two boys - 9 and 11.  In school they are angels.. one actually won an award for behavior five years in a row.  At home it is more or less a shit show.  Just like any boys that age, they fight and run around like maniacs.  

The only way I could get them to attend the daily online classes was to stand over their shoulder and watch them.  Their mom is more or less just a big sister and really doesnt enforce any rules and I work two and half jobs to pay for fortnite skins. 

To make matters worse.. all of the online sessions came at exactly the same time as my "meetings".  Standing over their shoulders was impractical in the long run and eventually they won the war of attrition and stopped logging in.  

A couple of my co-workers mentioned that in North Carolina there are rumors of a property tax protest if they dont open schools back up.  

[Mrs.J]

43 minutes ago, 40westwx said:

One of the biggest issues that I face is family dynamics.. and I suspect this is a problem for others too.  I have two boys - 9 and 11.  In school they are angels.. one actually won an award for behavior five years in a row.  At home it is more or less a shit show.  Just like any boys that age, they fight and run around like maniacs.  

The only way I could get them to attend the daily online classes was to stand over their shoulder and watch them.  Their mom is more or less just a big sister and really doesnt enforce any rules and I work two and half jobs to pay for fortnite skins. 

To make matters worse.. all of the online sessions came at exactly the same time as my "meetings".  Standing over their shoulders was impractical in the long run and eventually they won the war of attrition and stopped logging in.  

A couple of my co-workers mentioned that in North Carolina there are rumors of a property tax protest if they dont open schools back up.  

Your boys would hate our house. Both Mr. J and I were on them like flies on a dog pile. The oldest Miss J did very well on her own so we only had to check in with her. The younger Miss J some days were better than others. Both girls have told us they want 100% online and are prepared to step up to the plate. 
 

As for the NC folks, do they not understand that property taxes do not just pay for the physical school building yes? Sounds like they are talking about cutting off their noses to spite there faces. 

[Mrs.J]

10 hours ago, DCTeacherman said:

 

I was in a gas station off I-81 near the 3 really big crosses and no one had a mask on in there. 

Yep. The looks I get when at a horse show over there, were you are supposed to have masks on at all times ring side, are like a death stare. Had one woman pass me 3 times at a show and stare me down while I was wearing a mask.