Fall Banter and General Discussion

[Baroclinic Zone]

2 minutes ago, powderfreak said:

Nice, still 70/55 up here!

South wind and cloud cover not letting us decouple at all and keeping a well-mixed atmosphere.

These types of nights are intriguing to me. Microclimates.

7F drop in less then 1hr

[klw]

10 minutes ago, dryslot said:

If all are wearing a mask and social distancing in the polling areas, What's the problem?

Those help but picture what you do when you go in.  You check in a table, the person looks you up on the rolls, gives ballot.  Rinse and repeat for hours for the person at the desk.  And you know not everyone will be wearing masks.

if it is safe, does that mean you are going to be a poll worker?

[dryslot]

9 minutes ago, klw said:

Those help but picture what you do when you go in.  You check in a table, the person looks you up on the rolls, gives ballot.  Rinse and repeat for hours for the person at the desk.  And you know not everyone will be wearing masks.

if it is safe, does that mean you are going to be a poll worker?

No mask, No entrance, We're not reinventing the wheel, Seeing i already work 50+ hrs a week, Its highly doubtful i would work at the polls, CDC says wearing a mask is safe to protect you against the virus? No, If you don't feel safe, Don't volunteer to work or don't go vote and request an absentee ballot, You can put it in the mail or drop it off at town office or city hall, Isn't the USPS reliable? (snicker)

[HoarfrostHubb]

40 minutes ago, Baroclinic Zone said:

Didn’t vote. I’m unenrolled and didn’t see anyone that I felt I needed to vote for.  We’re on to November.  

Sometimes I vote against someone. Lol

Our son voted for the first time today

[dryslot]

1 minute ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Sometimes I vote against someone. Lol

Our son voted for the first time today

Was it a local or state election?

[HoarfrostHubb]

11 minutes ago, dryslot said:

No mask, No entrance, We're not reinventing the wheel, Seeing i already work 50+ hrs a week, Its highly doubtful i would work at the polls, CDC says wearing a mask is safe to protect you against the virus? No, If you don't feel safe, Don't volunteer to work or don't go vote and request an absentee ballot, You can put it in the mail or drop it off at town office or city hall, Isn't the USPS reliable? (snicker)

Our volunteers all appeared to be past retirement age today. Still seemed very safe. I’m not personally worried about mail getting lost etc. delayed yes... I’m glad there are options (absentee, mail in, early)

It should be fine

[HoarfrostHubb]

2 minutes ago, dryslot said:

Was it a local or state election?

State.  US Senate and rep. Some local stuff.   Primaries

[dryslot]

4 minutes ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Our volunteers all appeared to be past retirement age today. Still seemed very safe. I’m not personally worried about mail getting lost etc. delayed yes... I’m glad there are options (absentee, mail in, early)

It should be fine

I'll be there, I don't see any issues with in person voting, I'll just go like i usually do early afternoon, Seems to be much quieter then early morning, Lunchtime or dinner time.

[Skivt2]

1 hour ago, powderfreak said:

Fun community it sounds like....yikes.  Either that or sounds like a high school clique online that is trying to make it sound like they sit at the cool kids table.

Just on Monday terrible things happened involving tourists from out of state:

1) people filmed two cars from MA illegally filling a dumpster they had no right to use.  There was a video.

2) a beloved dog was hit and killed by a car that was driven by a teenager with her parents in an out of state car in front of the dogs family in broad daylight.  They backed up, picked up the bumper of their car, said, “at least it was not a person”. And then they drove away without even stopping to talk to the family and express any remorse.

3) A killington employee was mowing the lawn by the Skyship and someone threw a full beer can from their out of state car and hit the guy in the head.

4) a guy wrote on similar forum to this that is “Killingtoncentric” how he and his friends Came up and went mountain biking this past weekend from a quarantine place and then went out partying and no one stopped them so the quarantine is a joke.

5) the outbreak went public

And that’s just one day.  
According to folks in town, every place they usually have to themselves in the summer is full of people with out of state plates, littering and trashing the place and disregarding social distancing and masks.  Supposedly the place fills up on weekends and empties out on Sunday same as always.  

[PhineasC]

53 minutes ago, dryslot said:

If all are wearing a mask and social distancing in the polling areas, What's the problem?

If the older folks can work at Home Depot, as many of them have been doing since March, I don't see why they can't be just as safe at a polling place. This in-person voting concern seems like a repeat of the beach concerns from the spring. It's basically an urban legend of sorts that has become fact in people's minds for various reasons, but with little real science or logic to back it up. People just "know" in-person voting couldn't possibly be safe just like they "knew" a bunch of people sunbathing was sure to be a super-spreading event. They have these thoughts while standing in line for tacos or sitting in a restaurant or perhaps while packed together at a political rally/protest...

[HoarfrostHubb]

12 minutes ago, dryslot said:

I'll be there, I don't see any issues with in person voting, I'll just go like i usually do early afternoon, Seems to be much quieter then early morning, Lunchtime or dinner time.

I personally have no issues with it. I like doing it.  If my elderly mother in law (89?)can make one less trip into a crowd (even non Covid related...her driving isn’t so good) I feel better. She hand delivered to her local ballot box early. 
 

I got an I voted pen today (they were not RE-using them) instead of an I voted sticker. 

[HoarfrostHubb]

Now I want tacos.   Wachusett Brewery stopped selling their fish tacos this summer.  I miss them.  

[dryslot]

1 minute ago, PhineasC said:

If the older folks can work at Home Depot since March, as many of them have been, I don't see why they can't be just as safe at a polling place. This in-person voting concern seems like a repeat of the beach concerns from the spring. It's basically an urban legend of sorts that has become fact in people's minds for various reasons, but with little real science or logic to back it up. People just "know" in-person voting couldn't possibly be safe just like they "knew" a bunch of people sunbathing was sure to be a super-spreading event. They have these thoughts while standing in line for tacos or sitting in a restaurant...

I agree, The elderly baggers at the grocery stores don't seem concerned working their shifts especially of late, And were only talking one day at the polls, If someone does not feel safe, They have options to vote.

[dryslot]

1 minute ago, HoarfrostHubb said:

Now I want tacos.   Wachusett Brewery stopped selling their fish tacos this summer.  I miss them.  

Ohh, Fish tacos are my fav, Whenever i go out to a pub or restaurant and those are an option, They end up on my plate.

[PhineasC]

1 hour ago, Skivt2 said:

No one talks about me on those groups and I don’t talk on them either.  Like I said community pages are a source of useful information. Duh......Things like a town meeting on a zoning change that effects you.  New hours at the dump.  What new business is moving into XYZ store front or which one is going out of business. Where/when are the Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts selling Xmas trees/cookies this year.  What town elder just passed away. When’s the grange turkey dinner this year? Someone is selling just the elliptical you use at the gym only for really cheap, yay.  How many more examples do I need to give you so you understand why reading community pages makes sense?  Unfortunately these pages often reveal the attitudes of the people in town to political/controversial topics.  I can say many people at Killington think anyone not from there are scum.  It is what it is.

I understand the rationale for reading the pages. I don't understand the rationale for taking gossip you read in those places personally.

[powderfreak]

27 minutes ago, PhineasC said:

If the older folks can work at Home Depot, as many of them have been doing since March, I don't see why they can't be just as safe at a polling place. This in-person voting concern seems like a repeat of the beach concerns from the spring. It's basically an urban legend of sorts that has become fact in people's minds for various reasons, but with little real science or logic to back it up. People just "know" in-person voting couldn't possibly be safe just like they "knew" a bunch of people sunbathing was sure to be a super-spreading event. They have these thoughts while standing in line for tacos or sitting in a restaurant or perhaps while packed together at a political rally/protest...

It’s certainly not safe to pull the polling machine lever down with your mouth during a pandemic.  If only there was another way, maybe, but I’d rather lick the ballot envelope instead of the lever if those are the two choices, ha.

All joking aside, voting is fun to do in person.  Feels civic.  My parents still say my name comes up on the list of voters for Albany, NY despite the fact I’ve voted in Vermont for a decade.

[mreaves]

https://frontporchforum.com

@SkiVt2, try Front Porch Forum. Each town in VT has their own forum and it is generally much better than Facebook or whatever. Not perfect but better. 

[Skivt2]

8 hours ago, PhineasC said:

I understand the rationale for reading the pages. I don't understand the rationale for taking gossip you read in those places personally.

“Taking it personally” implies that I think the things they say about nonlocals are specifically aimed at me.  That’s not my issue.  I’m pissed that they are xenophobic and are stereotyping everyone who’s legal permanent residence is not there, into the same “evil tourist” category.  There is a huge population of part time residents who pay taxes and are part of the community.  A huge rift is forming between these two groups.  

[radarman]

KMart superthread?

[tamarack]

14 hours ago, tunafish said:

The Pastor from that wedding is making sure he does his part to help the spread in the Sanford community.  

 

Depends on how one does it.  When "phase 2" arrived in June, meetings of up to 50 people were okayed, with masks and/or distancing.  Our pews are tape-blocked such that differing family groups sit 6+ feet apart and families with younger kids view the service remotely from a downstairs room to ensure <50.  We do sing hymns, but those with louder voices (like me) mask up to sing.  Choir has not yet resumed - we had hoped to present our Easter program for the church's 40th anniversary in June - no go - so now were looking at December and doing it as the Christmas program as the material works for either holiday.  I'm not real confident it will go completely, maybe just the spoken parts w/o the choir.  Just common sense.

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

Funny how people stake their claim to ‘their land’ and don’t want outsiders but at some point they themselves moved into a previously ‘claimed’ land and labeled as outsiders. It’s a viscous cycle of man’s psychopathic beliefs that only they or their family are true people of a specific territory but unless they evoved from an ameoba at a nearby lake...we are all nomadic and have no right to claim anything but our own subconscious. But alas, the American belief system of ‘this is mine you’re not welcomed here’ runs rampant. Blacks - you can’t eat at this restaurant or drink from this fountain. Immigrants - go back to where you came from. People, such deeply flawed species, and while we have evolved...we are still making the same mistakes humans made thousands of years ago - tempted by greed, power, control, and the vagina. 

[tamarack]

11 hours ago, dryslot said:

No mask, No entrance, We're not reinventing the wheel, Seeing i already work 50+ hrs a week, Its highly doubtful i would work at the polls, CDC says wearing a mask is safe to protect you against the virus? No, If you don't feel safe, Don't volunteer to work or don't go vote and request an absentee ballot, You can put it in the mail or drop it off at town office or city hall, Isn't the USPS reliable? (snicker)

"Safe" in this context is relative.  The science says that wearing masks greatly reduces the chances of getting COVID-19 but I've not heard any science that says it totally eliminates the chances. 
Sitting in a poorly ventilated room (typical of many small-town voting places) for 8 hours while hundreds of people file by multiplies the "greatly reduce[d]" chances.  Volunteers in our town are generally dedicated and will be there, but reducing the number of folks parading past the registry table can only help.

Edit:  'Berg nicely describes the "lock the gate behind me" syndrome.

[CoastalWx]

26 minutes ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

Funny how people stake their claim to ‘their land’ and don’t want outsiders but at some point they themselves moved into a previously ‘claimed’ land and labeled as outsiders. It’s a viscous cycle of man’s psychopathic beliefs that only they or their family are true people of a specific territory but unless they evoved from an ameoba at a nearby lake...we are all nomadic and have no right to claim anything but our own subconscious. But alas, the American belief system of ‘this is mine you’re not welcomed here’ runs rampant. Blacks - you can’t eat at this restaurant or drink from this fountain. Immigrants - go back to where you came from. People, such deeply flawed species, and while we have evolved...we are still making the same mistakes humans made thousands of years ago - tempted by greed, power, control, and the vagina. 

For the first time ever, I’m so disgusted with humanity, especially in this country. I literally feel like an outsider as I try to always understand both sides to everything and insert some emotional intelligence. The “me me me and **** you” mentality just gets worse and worse.

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

18 minutes ago, CoastalWx said:

For the first time ever, I’m so disgusted with humanity, especially in this country. I literally feel like an outsider as I try to always understand both sides to everything and insert some emotional intelligence. The “me me me and **** you” mentality just gets worse and worse.

It’s happenning and accelerating at the local level too. It’s not just the stories that are shown on the news. Everyone I know is experiencing the divide and tension within their communities, amongts their friends, and their own families. The line in the sand has been drawn. You are either this or that...can’t be both. Example: Why is it that we can’t be for black lives matter AND for the police. Why does it have to be one or the other? I don’t get it. It’s mind boggling that we have to pick a team as if it’s a football game. 

[ORH_wxman]

55 minutes ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

It’s happenning and accelerating at the local level too. It’s not just the stories that are shown on the news. Everyone I know is experiencing the divide and tension within their communities, amongts their friends, and their own families. The line in the sand has been drawn. You are either this or that...can’t be both. Example: Why is it that we can’t be for black lives matter AND for the police. Why does it have to be one or the other? I don’t get it. It’s mind boggling that we have to pick a team as if it’s a football game. 

Tribal instincts eventually infect everything. It's gotten worse over the past couple decades with the advent of biased cable news channels and internet forums/social media where everyone can retreat to their own echo chambers. It's becoming like that in where people choose to live as well. The less contact we have with people who are not exactly like us, the more we dehumanize those other people in our minds....and that's the fastest way to rationalize atrocious behavior toward other people....you view them as an evil non-human enemy....tribalism is strong.

[mreaves]

5 minutes ago, ORH_wxman said:

Tribal instincts eventually infect everything. It's gotten worse over the past couple decades with the advent of biased cable news channels and internet forums/social media where everyone can retreat to their own echo chambers. It's becoming like that in where people choose to live as well. The less contact we have with people who are not exactly like us, the more we dehumanize those other people in our minds....and that's the fastest way to rationalize atrocious behavior toward other people....you view them as an evil non-human enemy....tribalism is strong.

Here is a somewhat crazy theory I have.  When we got rid of the draft, we did away with a lot of social mixing.  Obviously it wasn't 100% as many wealthy people were able to get out of it but it provided many with their first contact with other viewpoints, religions, ethnicities etc.  I also realize that it needed to be abolished when it was but I feel there was a side effect.  Not to mention that the military has become almost a separate class.  I'm sure there are many holes that can be poked in that theory but it's just a thought I had.

[PhineasC]

3 minutes ago, mreaves said:

Here is a somewhat crazy theory I have.  When we got rid of the draft, we did away with a lot of social mixing.  Obviously it wasn't 100% as many wealthy people were able to get out of it but it provided many with their first contact with other viewpoints, religions, ethnicities etc.  I also realize that it needed to be abolished when it was but I feel there was a side effect.  Not to mention that the military has become almost a separate class.  I'm sure there are many holes that can be poked in that theory but it's just a thought I had.

For a long time I have advocated for a peacetime draft of 18-20 year olds where we make them spend summers cleaning up cities, building infrastructure, etc. A lot of nations have mandatory military service still even though they never fight wars. It helps build national spirit and togetherness. It also helps the kids learn work ethic and some skills. 

[CoastalWx]

1 hour ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

It’s happenning and accelerating at the local level too. It’s not just the stories that are shown on the news. Everyone I know is experiencing the divide and tension within their communities, amongts their friends, and their own families. The line in the sand has been drawn. You are either this or that...can’t be both. Example: Why is it that we can’t be for black lives matter AND for the police. Why does it have to be one or the other? I don’t get it. It’s mind boggling that we have to pick a team as if it’s a football game. 

Because common sense has gone out the window. Social media definitely has given many a platform to be heard and thus others see/hear this too.  Go aliens. 

[RUNNAWAYICEBERG]

16 minutes ago, mreaves said:

Here is a somewhat crazy theory I have.  When we got rid of the draft, we did away with a lot of social mixing.  Obviously it wasn't 100% as many wealthy people were able to get out of it but it provided many with their first contact with other viewpoints, religions, ethnicities etc.  I also realize that it needed to be abolished when it was but I feel there was a side effect.  Not to mention that the military has become almost a separate class.  I'm sure there are many holes that can be poked in that theory but it's just a thought I had.

It would get people to stop bitching and complaining about meaningless things when you are staring at a potentially deadly situation. Perspective is everything. But...black soldiers returned home after WW2 and were still treated like outsiders, unwanted in certain establishments... so fighting for your country apparently doesn’t qualify you to recieve basic humanity either. 

[mreaves]

16 minutes ago, RUNNAWAYICEBERG said:

It would get people to stop bitching and complaining about meaningless things when you are staring at a potentially deadly situation. Perspective is everything. But...black soldiers returned home after WW2 and were still treated like outsiders, unwanted in certain establishments... so fighting for your country apparently doesn’t qualify you to recieve basic humanity either. 

I agree and I glossed over all the problems with the draft and only focused on benefits.  The idea of mandatory national service as mentioned by Phin is where I would go but we can't even get people to agree on masks so getting something like mandatory service is a looooong shot at best.