ICYMI

College Clusterfuck 2.0 – “It’s a Dystopian Hell” – Updated

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Update 09.05.20

What could be worse than being stuck at home with Mom and Dad for months on end isolated from friends, activities restricted?

Going back to Mom and Dad to be stuck at home for even longer because you got expelled from college AND telling them they just paid for a year of college and housing for nothing.

The students were part of a special one-semester program for first-year students and according to Globe, the prepaid $US 36,500 cost for the semester won’t be refunded. Students won’t be able to take courses from home but are eligible to return in the fall.

11 freshmen at Northeastern were dismissed for violating COVID-19 rules. Their $35,000 tuition won’t be reimbursed. — https://www.businessinsider.com.au/11-northeastern-students-dismissed-breaking-covid-19-rules-party-2020-9

jordanschachtel.substack.com — America’s college students are returning to campus for the Fall semester, and many are finding themselves in an environment that no longer resembles an academic institution, but something closer to a correctional facility for young adults. It’s not just a handful of schools that are pursuing extreme restrictions and punitive measures in the name of “stopping the spread” of the coronavirus, but something that has become a nationwide norm.

Tales from America’s COVID college campuses — https://muckrack.com/jordan-schachtel/articles

College campuses have transformed into some of the most restrictive environments in America.  After hearing about these conditions, I sent out a post on social media asking for testimonials from students, parents, and educators. The responses below are some of the many replies I received discussing what students are experiencing in colleges and universities that have allowed for students to return to campus.

Tales from America’s COVID college campuses — https://jordanschachtel.substack.com/p/tales-from-americas-covid-college

From what I can tell Jordan Schachtel is an investigative journalist. If you follow the link in the second quote above you’ll find a bevy of quotes from both students and parents on college life 2020 pandemic edition. What you’ll read is absolutely jaw dropping. A lot of prison analogies…

This is not going well nor will it end well. Online education will become the new operating model for higher education sooner rather than later. See my earlier rant Post Pandemic Changes in Consumer Behavior for Professor Galloway’s opinion. He says it’s simple math.

Funny to think how colleges and universities will succeed now that they all have to focus on education and teaching their students. Not sports. No longer modern day fiefoms that exist solely to enrich the clueless intellectual elites. My Dad always told me the purpose of college was to teach you how to think, not what to think. High time to get back to what a “higher” education should be.

The Implosion of Freelance Work

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I live in LA, and the article is really about people who work in entertainment/media — every tv show, commercial, music video and movie is the result of anywhere from a few dozen to hundreds of people who work for the run of the project, then move on to another project. It’s everything from the building trades – carpentry, electrical, rigging/framing – to business services — legal, accounting, HR – to tech heavy work – video/sound editing — and finally, a lot of musicians — people who write and play the music you hear. All of these people are employees of the production, not AB5 type gig workers.

It’s a lifestyle/career choice and not for everyone. People hustle, build relationships and are always on the lookout for the next gig. But the work has been steady for decades, and then very suddenly the whole sector shut down hard.

Los Angeles Hit Hard by Implosion of Freelance Work

 

The pandemic has only exacerbated tenuous financial conditions for many in the flexible workforce.  According to a survey of more than 1,100 U.S.-based respondents interested in flexible work, more than half (53%) of people are currently earning half or less of their pre-pandemic income. Approximately one-third (31%) of respondents have lost their entire income since the pandemic started. This survey was conducted by FlexJobs, fielded in partnership with Prudential (1), in late June 2020.

Demographic breakdown of the 1,100 U.S.-based respondents interested in flexible work. Gender: female (81%), Male (17%) Prefer not to identify (2%) Ages: 20-39 (29%), 40-59 (53%), 60+ (18%); Education: high school degree or equivalent (4%), some college but no degree (15%), associate or bachelor’s degree (48%), graduate degree (33%); Career level: entry-level (11%), experienced (56%), manager (21%), senior level or higher (12%). Household income: Less than less than $50,000 (35%), $50,000 to less than $75,000 (18%); $75,000 to less than $100,000 (17%), $100,000 to less than $150,000 (17%), $150,000+ (13%). 34% of respondents were unemployed and looking for work.

Survey Finds 53% Earning Half Or Less Of Their Pre-COVID-19 Income

As a former freelancer my heart goes out to all of the gig workers whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.  I transitioned back to the world of W-2 work quite some time ago and haven’t regretted the move.

Meanwhile in Georgia…

“I think quite honestly this week went real well other than a couple of virtual photos,” Gov. Brian Kemp said at a news conference with the U.S. surgeon general.

Georgia governor: School openings going well except photos of crowded hallways

3rd Cherokee County school closes due to new COVID-19 cases

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DO NOT DRINK Hand Sanitizers

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From May 1 through June 30, 2020, 15 cases of methanol poisoning were reported in Arizona and New Mexico, associated with swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Four patients died, and three were discharged with visual impairment.

Serious Adverse Health Events, Including Death, Associated with Ingesting Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Containing Methanol — Arizona and New Mexico, May–June 2020

HandSanitizerCOVID19_IMAGE_05Aug20_1200x675-medium

This should be obvious but I guess it’s not.

What Seniors Can Expect as Their New Normal in a Post-Vaccine World

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“Before COVID-19, baby boomers” — those born after 1945 but before 1965 — “felt reassured that with all the benefits of modern medicine, they could live for years and years,” said Dr. Mehrdad Ayati, who teaches geriatric medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and advises the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. “What we never calculated was that a pandemic could totally change the dialogue.”

What Seniors Can Expect as Their New Normal in a Post-Vaccine World

The skeptic in me was in complete denial until I got halfway through the list of predictions.

Hell, I’m already doing most of the things on this list now.

The Bloody Mask — RadaJonesMD

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My honeymoon with Thailand ended yesterday. We live in a condo in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Signs on every door warn: No Mask, No Entry. Most people comply. Some don’t. I ignore them unless they try to join me in the elevator. If they do, I wave them away. “Not without a mask, please.” …

Unlike many adopters of national mask policies, who value discipline and conformity, Americans hate being told what to do and feel the mask is an assault on their freedom. Unfortunately, that contributed to our high COVID numbers. Thailand – who had the first COVID case outside China –  had a total of 3185 cases, 58 deaths, and no community transmission in weeks. Compare that to the US numbers.  2.9 mil cases, 130K deaths and 58K new cases on July 3rd. Yes, Thailand has 70Mil people, while USA has 328 mil. Still.

via The bloody mask — RadaJonesMD

This article by Dr. Jones is worth reading in its entirety.

Mask up people!

Everything is Bigger in Texas

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Today’s post is not intended to offend anyone or to plainly demonstrate how dumb some Texans are.  I married a Texan.  My two most successful projects are Texans.  I lived for over 20 years in Texas.  But you can’t make this stuff up:

As public health experts warn that ICUs in the city might soon be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, shops and restaurants remain packed.

  What Pandemic? Houstonians Party, Shop, and Ice-skate as COVID-19 Surges.

Nearly 22 new cases per 100k people (7 day moving average) as of 07.02.20

In Galveston county less than an hour away by car:

54 new cases per 100k people (7 day moving average) as of 07.02.20

While down at the border:

EMERGENCY ALERT:  STARR COUNTY RESIDENTS:  Today it is with a heavy heart that we announce that we have had 18 deaths in Starr County due to COVID-19, and we had two (2) severely ill patients flown out of the valley for medical assistance, one was flown to San Antonio and one to Dallas. The local and valley hospitals are at full capacity and have no more beds available.

I urge all of our residents to please shelter-in-place, wear face coverings, practice social distancing and AVOID GATHERINGS.
– Your Judge Eloy Vera

Nearly 66 new cases per 100k people (7 day moving average) as of 07.02.20

Meanwhile in Oklahoma County:

No fireworks today.  We’ll have a quiet July 4th, burgers on the grill, potatoes, slaw and some beer.

13 new cases per 100k people (7 day moving average) as of 07.02.20

All statistics are from the Harvard Global Health Institute.  See my previous post Do You Live in a Covid-19 Hotspot?

And if you are offended by my comments on your intelligence I don’t care.

Just One Percent

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Potent antibodies found in people recovered from COVID-19Potent antibodies found in people recovered from COVID-19

The researchers first isolated antibodies that could bind to the receptor binding domain (RBD), a crucial region on the virus’s spike protein. They then tested whether the antibodies could neutralize SARS-CoV-2—that is, bind to the virus and stop infection.

Most participants had low or very low levels of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Only 1% of the study participants had high levels of antibodies that could neutralize the virus.

Wear a mask.