What are you doing during quarantine?

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by azlvr

Piper6909 it’s so nice to see another person as informed as myself. I am a news junkie also, I just wish everyone was as informed that way there would be no chance of re-electing the worst president in my 63 year lifetime. I thought there would never be a time that I wish we had W back. I was wrong.

Thanks, Azlvr. There are a lot of well-informed people on this forum, even though we all have different opinions. And in the short time I've been on here, I believe I've developed a sort of a kinship with a majority of the people on here, even those with whom I've had disagreements. I'd meet up with any of them over a cup of coffee or a drink of their choice. Yes, we have heated discussions, but I don't wish ill on any of them, and I believe none of them wish ill upon me. That's how it should be, and that's how we'd like to keep it.

Best wishes and stay safe.

P.S. I'm ashamed to admit that I voted for this a$$-clown. For reasons I'd rather not get into right now. I am one of those Obama-Rump voters in a swing state. Biggest regret of my life. I'll do all I can to keep him from getting re-elected. I'm confident there are many people like me.

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

well here's the view from a NYC worker who lives in NJ. Both my folks are battling cancer and a list of other illnesses too long to list. They live in Florida and I fly back and forth several times a month to help with their illnesses as I have no siblings to chip in. Last year I had to take two months off as both of my folks had to be hospitalized (thank you New York State Family Leave that protected me from losing my corporate job). A stroke left my father bedridden with cancer. My mother had a severe complication with an experimental heart implant device and she's not been well ever since. I have been back and forth to the hospital in an ambulance too many times to count. The local paramedics know us well. The emergency room staff and nurses are all familiar faces. A good friend in Florida going through a near identical situation with his bedridden father ended up with a MRSA infection himself was laid off after exhausting time off as he'd just switched job. A year earlier both my father and mother ended up with severe flu and bilateral pneumonia. Both were on the same hospital floor just two rooms apart. That was the first time I got the call of "you better come back to the hospital right now your father's fever is not coming down". But he willed himself back by not refusing a single meal, sip of water, a single dose of medication and summoning all the strength of a man over 80.

So long way to say I'm very familiar with "it's just the flu" sentiments and how NOT well staffed and equipped hospitals are. One thing I see time and time again is that in a for profit hospital system they simply do not build in the staff, supplies and equipment for a pandemic. Many times we are told there arent any rooms available we'll have to keep you guys in the ER treatment area for the night. Also, I have recently developed my own health issues that would not mix well with a corona class virus. Also, my folks were severely affected by the 2009 financial catastrophe so I'm pretty much all that's keeping their retirement from becoming a burden to the state. The cost of healthcare in this country is such that you better be either very much destitute or very wealthy if you end up with a catastrophic illness like cancer. Even with Medicare the out of pocket costs are crushing on a fixed income. Aside from the financial responsiblity, If I go down in an ICU to this "flu" my folks won't see me again. And vice versa.

So a few weeks ago someone in our new Hudson Yards NYC office tested positive. It was one of the first confirmed cases in NYC. They didn't bother to tell us until the day it broke on Page Six. Thanks for that Mr. Ross. They basically evacuated the whole multi billion dollar complex the next day. We've been working remotely for a week now but as far as livelihoods this has basically wrecked everything. Every deal has been put on ice. All valuations done before this are garbage. Firms are trying to get out of deals they've already made. Some clients are openly discussing bankruptcy to get out of deals or just pay out the painful break up fees that kick in for walking away. Oh and the stock market crashed 25-30% depending on the day of the week. You know a minor side distraction. I'm getting worrisome emails that are giving me the impression that we're in imminent danger of a trigger event in the financial markets if some other shoe drops this quarter. Prior to all this for 2019, about 33% of all S&P 500 companies had posted *declining* earnings over the previous 12 months. GDP was *stalled* at or below 2% for the previous 9 months. GDP growth for 2020 was expected to go lower still. Stocks trading 25x earnings? Yeah that's totally great before a steep correction. So things in the real economy were shaky to begin with and now the equivalent of a Hurricane Sandy federal disaster but instead of a one night "act of God" event it's every single day for weeks. Then we get the email that an additional two people at our office are positive or in isolation for COVID-19. This complicates things because I may be asymptomatic and can't go near my folks who are now both coughing for the last few days. I was hoping to go down to Florida and help them out which I do practically every two weeks for at least a long weekend. And ironically for once a last minute flight on United isn't $500+.

And most troubling is that Florida's genius governor allowed all the spring breakers to come in during a national pandemic in a state with one of the highest elderly populations. Great thinking Ron. especially as one of the states without the Medicaid expansion..$35k treatment per COVID-19 case.. awesome. Checking Kinsa's network of smart thermometer tracking the entire state is lit up red with an "atypical" fever pattern. Atypical in that Kinsa's modeling takes into account allergy season and Florida, Lousiana and the Michigan area are all showing a fever pattern that may be consistent with early COVID-19 symptoms. The next two weeks will determine if Florida's late shelter in place orders will have a dire impact.

As far as Trump's role in this debacle. Things he's said while I've been experiencing all this really make me wonder if he's literate. His defenders say "no Trump didn't call the virus a hoax he said the Democrats were using it as a hoax". Okay. So let's recall his visit to the CDC "it's all under control"... "Cases are going DOWN not up"... "the vaccine will be ready soon"...."No.. DISAGREE it's not inevitable that cases will go into the thousands. It's at 200 now.. it could go to zero". He said that last one a mere two weeks ago when Italy and other countries were already into the thousands of infections. And he voiced skepticism of thousands of new infections contrary to the belief of every single physician and scientist of note. And my favorite of all "Yes I've been around people who were confirmed positive but NO... I don't need to be tested I have no symptoms"... as he stood less than an arm's length from individuals over age 70. And they inexplicably continued holding the press conferences in the smallest room of a 30 room White House mansion...despite the fact that press conferences have been held in the largest rooms for decades. No let's pack all the asymptomatic into a small room with the nation's most important leaders charged with a national security emergency.

My guess is that Dr. Trump had baseless confidence that cases would go to zero because he gave himself credit for closing travel to and from China. Either he didn't bother to read the "code red" memos or just willfully disregarded the fact that Italy also closed its airports to travel from China more or less the same time we did. Yet they still ended up with a massive spread of the virus by not testing everyone... and numerous other mistakes we have been making, even now. Trump thought if he delayed the mass testing it wouldn't disturb the stock market and the onset of the warmer months would resolve the virus on it's own. But this had no basis in fact because the Corona viruses increased exponentially in both Australia where its summer now and in Singapore where the climate is tropical.

Even now at this moment, with 80k confirmed cases and no federal mandate by HHS or the CDC to test flu and pneumonia deaths post mortem in order to determine if it was a COVID-19 case, we have no plan to test every person in the country with at least priority to close quarter zip codes. Meanwhile Amazon have 220 milion customers in a country of 330 million. Did anyone in this administration sit down with Jeff Bezos and the others at Amazon and Walmart to authorize by Presidential emergency powers during an actual state of emergency that they source test kits from all over the world (literally what they do!), shipping them out to all Amazon customers and then return shipping the tests to foreign and domestic laboratories globally to process? Did he ask Amazon or Walmart to roll out apps that would notify people to call their testing laboratory the instant their result was ready with instructions to encourage all their close contacts to get tested immediately? Did he call Google into the room to develop a feature in Maps to alert the public to block by block clusters of infections? Did he call Verizon, Tmobile and At&t into the room to use amber alert type text notifications of high infection areas? Have we even once used the emergency text system during this entire shut down? But of course as Trump says "no one could have imagined this could happen" nevemind that Bill Gates and Trump's own multi agency Crimson Contagion drill told him a year ago that we were INADEQUATE. And now without a single physician or scientist backing him up he's saying parts of America can end social distancing and huddle together the asymptomatic with the at risk groups. This is all surreal.

EDIT:
Important message
https://youtu.be/sbPQCJtnT6o

Perfectlap, have you considered writing for a living or as a side gig? Very well-done.

My heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to your parents. I've had to deal with sick parents, but not both at the same time, and especially not over long distances. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you.


PS: Loved the vid!

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by 78F350

I saw a lot of that around Oklahoma/Arkansas. Most hospitals had kept PPE easily accessible where workers could easily grab it when needed. There was no need to keep it locked up and nobody took more than what they needed for the moment. When it became clear that most PPE came from China and that the supply would run short (before a wide outbreak in the USA was considered likely) hoarding started and the stuff that had been left unsecured disappeared quickly. I can usually get fresh gloves at a facility, but keep my mask until it is damaged, soiled, or hard to breathe through. We still have plenty in our (locked) supply, that we are are conserving.

My daughter (Nursing home LPN) was wearing scrubs and had her cloth mask when she stopped at a gas station convenience store on the way home. She was confronted and told to leave. They didn't want 'her kind' around spreading the virus.

WTF!? A-hole idiots.

[flouese]

Originally Posted by piper6909

Resident Rump disbanded the epidemic response team that was put together during the Ebola crisis even though he was warned by the outgoing administration specifically about potential pandemics and has spent the first two months of this crisis calling this whole thing hoax. Between calling it a hoax for 2 months and the brain drain we suffered for the team he disbanded, we are in far worse shape than we would have been.

What exactly has he done to make you think he's doing a good job?

I did not join this forum to read about politics. There are two topics I NEVER discuss; religion and politics. Why? Because there are always opposing positions that usually lead to ugly arguments. Lets get away from politics, do what you can to stay safe and keep on "Boxstering!"

With that said, I continue to get the CEL code referencing low fuel tank pressure. I replaced my fuel tank pressure sensor and the fuel sending unit. Is replacing the gas cap next? HELP. I hate the orange light in the face.

Thanks,

Fred in Florida

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by flouese

I did not join this forum to read about politics. There are two topics I NEVER discuss; religion and politics. Why? Because there are always opposing positions that usually lead to ugly arguments. Lets get away from politics, do what you can to stay safe and keep on "Boxstering!"

With that said, I continue to get the CEL code referencing low fuel tank pressure. I replaced my fuel tank pressure sensor and the fuel sending unit. Is replacing the gas cap next? HELP. I hate the orange light in the face.

Thanks,

Fred in Florida

Because there are no opposing opinions when discussing oil, tires, IMS bearing, etc.

But I get it. you're right. This actually belonged in the off-topic discussions section. But now it's here and the subject matter itself is inextricable from the politics of the time, becasue the politics of the time control the subject matter.

[piper6909]

Originally Posted by MrBen

...I think the president is doing the best he can under the circumstances...

Come on, man! How is dismantling the epidemic response team and calling this a hoax for two months 'doing the best he can'?

[azlvr]

The President is clearly in over his head. Just watched an interview with the head of Army Corp Of Engineers, wow I want him for president. The same way the General that finally got things going in Katrina did for another incompetent President. Looks like the Federal Gov't is finally moving, just way too late.

[azlvr]

Originally Posted by particlewave

FYI: Not that I feel the need to explain myself to certain clowns, but my wife is a healthcare provider. That’s why we moved to WA (high demand).

We are literally on the front lines, defending against this.

That just makes your original statement all the more ridicules.

[WillH]

Home again so work on the Boxster, get my KTM superduke ready for the road, fix exhaust leak on lawn tractor, and barbecue. After that yard work and more barbecue.

[Racer Boy]

There are a lot of people that just can't believe that this virus thing is for real, and I can understand that. You can't see it, no one I know is sick, it just doesn't make sense. There is a sense of none of it actually being real.

All I know is that the health care professionals that I encounter in my work are all scared and very worried. I'm not a doctor (but I do play one on TV), but I am smart enough to know that if they are taking it seriously, then the rest of us should, too.

Already there are examples of public figures that have said it's all a hoax dying from Covid 19. No doubt there will be plenty of stories of Darwin Award winners when this is all over.

Last night at dinner we had a very animated discussion on the off-season moves that the hometown Seattle Seahawks had made this week during free-agency. Even my wife was participating in the conversation, and she gets sick of sports. We were all just so happy to talk about something else besides the virus!

[78F350]

Finally took the time to figure out the leaky roof in Pepper ('04 Cayenne). There's no sunroof, so there were no roof drains. I didn't figure that out until after I took the whole headliner out. It was actually screws that mount the luggage rack tracks were a little loose. A dab of silicone, tighten them up, and no more leaks. In the process I found out how easy it is to get a new key for the roof rack thanks to a post on Rennlist.

Tomorrow, I plan to finish fixing the door lock on my red '97 Boxster. Parts came a few days ago. The little tabs in the tumble broke. Fairly simple fix with VW/Audi parts for under $10:
How to Fix Broken Lock Cylinder for 20 Dollars

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by piper6909

Perfectlap, have you considered writing for a living or as a side gig? Very well-done.

My heartfelt thoughts and best wishes to your parents. I've had to deal with sick parents, but not both at the same time, and especially not over long distances. I can't imagine how difficult this must be for you.


PS: Loved the vid!

Thanks. I intentionally made it very long to discourage the possibility that any ultra die hard Trump supporters might read it. Although to their credit they generally will read something longer than a fortune cookie unlike their hero.

The tough part of this for us that have relatives that are constantly brought to hospitals and have healthcare workers coming to the home daily is that these people and facilities are the only reason my father is still alive and enjoying life. For a person who is bedbound with blood clots, incontinence and advanced cancer he's always smiling and laughing. Ironically my father was kicked out of hospice because they said he was too strong and his vitals too stable. Yet he's been rushed to the hospital every month for the last year to be given powerful antibiotics that can only be administered intravenously. it's like night and day within hours of taking with these drugs, he's like a new man after. But the workers are no longer coming to the home now and the next trip to the ER might be a death trap or he might be turned away altogether. Maybe next time these governors will take stay at home orders seriously and sooner in states with high senior citizen populations.

[Brian in Tucson]

I don't read the car forums to get all politicized. I'm fairly liberal, and my views are set in granite.

That said, I'm hunkering down. I'm 68, retired, and have kidney disease and diabetes. And my mom, who's 92, and has various age related ailments lives with me. Like some other issues, specifically envirionmentalism and climate change, it doesn't hurt anyone if I stay low, limit my driving, and only go to get groceries once a week. Just takes a little planning.

Some say this virus thing is hysteria. No, I don't think so. And why chance it?

I have on 01 Base Boxster. It lived a hard life and despite only having 73,000 miles it was a wreck. I'm older and if I don't want to work on it, I put it off til tomorrow. It's been a year now since it was last started.

I just drained the gas tank. Lots of black sh it in the bottom of the tank, and about 6 gallons of stinky gas. I've got a couple of gallons of premium and a qt. bottle of Techron to dose it with. When I can start driving it again, it'll get Chevron. I replaced the fuel filter yesterday, it back flowed with black gas! It's up on the quick jack, I'll start it up of the ground and if it's running better, I'll put all the underside plastics back on. Lost or broke a bunch of those plastic nuts, I'm gonna see what I've got around here to replace them or see if Amazon carries something. Amazon has a good selection of plastic fasteners, the prices are good.

I've got three bottles of black Rit dye. I've been converting interior from blue to black, a bunch of carpet still is faded blue.

I have a set of new strut cartridges. While it's on the quick jack, I'll tackle that job. Brakes need flushing, too. Somewhere I have a set new bleeder screws.

Need to put the top back on, I've been doing engine work, and it's easier to just remove the top completely--I have an 03 top and the glass doesn't stow very well for servicing.

Even those of you who are non believers, I wish you well. And hope for no one getting Covid 19. Even Trump and Pense. We'll take care of them in November.

Stay well, drink lots of water!

[maytag]

y'all are killin' me with the partisan-politics that descend to embarrassing levels. Some of you seem so intelligent, and you prove it with some of your more thoughtful posts. Then you descend again to the insults and the name-calling. it's so disappointing.

This is where my kids would say "no Dad, YOU'RE disappointing".... and I expect a couple of you will do the same here. Which sorta makes my point, I guess.

I'd like to think that, perhaps differently from a Muscle-Car forum, or a Home-Brew forum, that a Porsche forum would have a little higher-functioning group, intellectually-speaking. This group SHOULD be able to have a meaningful dialogue, discussing minor and major differences in opinion and policy without devolving to all the hyperbole and histrionics we've seen in this thread, and a couple other recently.

Look; I wasn't a fan of much of what Obama did, but I was at least willing to capitulate that he was a good person, who honestly wanted what was best for the country. We simply disagreed on what that was. He was eloquent, which was a refreshing change from Bush. And, while I didn't vote for him, he WAS in point of fact, my President.
I understand that Trump is harder to like than Obama, because he has an enormous ego ("it's huge, ask anybody, really really huge. the hugest") and he takes the bait every time it's tossed in front of him. He probably can't diagram a sentence, either. I didn't vote for him either, But he is, in point of fact, MY president, and yours too. (except for y'all who don't live here.... you're exempt ). And you know what's best for the country? NOT DIVIDING IT. Yes, I think that in spite of the great things our country has experienced because of Trump, he has also done much to divide us. More than Obama before him, (though HE poured plenty of fuel on some fires, too). But WE decide if we'll be divided or not; not them. WE decide if we'll descend every time into the same old routines that you claim to hate Trump and his minions for. Let THEM be idiots.... we needn't be.

If you honestly think that everyone who disagrees with you is stupid, or evil, or hates America, or whatever other things you've heard from both our politicians and our media, then you are what's wrong with America (and the world at large).

It's humorous, when you think about it, to think that our arguments don't consist of policy and the finer points of what works and what the risks are of each "solution" to each challenge we face; but rather our arguments consist of "your candidate is stupider than mine". You disrespect every single individual who disagrees with you when you BEGIN a dialogue with inflammatory and derogatory name-calling (like "Rump", for instance). You are demeaning others when you say "I used big words so the Trump Supporters couldn't follow-along". That makes you "bullies".... and most of us outgrew that in the 4th grade.

I live in a glass house. I'm plenty guilty of rising to the bait on occasion. I feel passionately about things too. But I aspire to more statesman-like conduct. I hope to be a voice of unification.... not in a "we should all agree with each other" sense, but in a "this is what makes us great: diversity of opinion based on differences in life-experience and perspective."

I've been watching politics closely since about 1985. Today's climate is as corrosive as any I can recall. I don't know how it compares to the '60's, when everyone seems to have been an activist. But I know that I miss the days when reasonable people could gather to discuss an issue and compromises could be made amidst mutual understanding.


yeah... Utopian, I guess. ::sigh::
But my friends know that I mean it. I believe it's possible, and it's certainly preferable.

[Perfectlap]

Maytag, interesting that you hold yourself up to a much higher standard of civility than the politician actually elected to do the job. Like him or hate him he's showing us exactly what he is and what he values most. I always think back to Ronald Reagan in times like these and remember the class and dignity he always showed. He carried every single Democrat state but one in his re-election despite the Democrat voter never once giving him control of Congress even with two genuine landslide wins. So the electorate was divided but Reagan united. Maybe it helped that he wasn't obsessed with himself.

[maytag]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Maytag, interesting that you hold yourself up to a much higher standard of civility than the politician actually elected to do the job. Like him or hate him he's showing us exactly what he is and what he values most. I always think back to Ronald Reagan in times like these and remember the class and dignity he always showed. He carried every single Democrat state but one in his re-election despite never once giving him control of Congress despite two genuine landslide wins. So the electorate was divided but Reagan united. Maybe it helped that he wasn't obsessed with himself.

I try pretty hard not to compare my expectations of myself to what I expect of anyone else. It's not a contest. I simply want to be the best I can be. Of COURSE I hold myself to a much higher level of civility than I hold someone who doesn't show excessive civility himself. The question I have is: why don't YOU? (I'm not accusing, I'm simply responding to your surprise)

[paulofto]

Okay, just a little levity with a message. This is very well done especially if you are a Queen fan.

https://youtu.be/8KPbJ0-DxTc

[78F350]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Thanks. I intentionally made it very long to discourage the possibility that any ultra die hard Trump supporters might read it....

Lost all respect for you there. Still got a Boxster?

[maytag]

Originally Posted by paulofto

Okay, just a little levity with a message. This is very well done especially if you are a Queen fan.

https://youtu.be/8KPbJ0-DxTc

Ha! I LOVE it!

Did y'all see Neil Diamond's "Washing Hands" song over the weekend?

[Perfectlap]

Originally Posted by 78F350

Lost all respect for you there. Still got a Boxster?

Yes the Boxster S continues to be my only car since 2004. From 9k miles to 110k as of this morning.

As for your other comment I don't need the respect of ultra die hard supporters of any politician. Certainly not those of a self proclaimed stable genius who wants to end social distancing between the untested asymptomatic and the vulnerable at risk groups like my elderly folks. You see I have no allegiance to ANY politician because they would sooner drive over my corpse than defend me on an internet forum. Some apparently still hold onto inexplicable loyalty to lying ignorant politicians. Which always reminds me of the quote below.

"It is easier to fool someone than to convince them that they have been fooled" - Mark Twain