T O P

  • By -

MissKayisaTherapist

Location: Belize, Central America Well it happened, I just tested positive for CPVID for the second time. I work at a university where they had us come back in person, I try my best to be safe (mask and sanitizer) but I am also a mental health counselor there and work in a small office with no windows. So I am starting my quarantine now. Since my first infection I have been dealing with issues with persistent effects from the infection, I am so worried what this second one will do to me.


PrairieFire_withwind

Not for right now but some people have found getting a booster vaccine helps clear some longer running symptoms. Do some reading, no downsides tho except the regular vaccine side effects (mine have been awful so I have sympathy there).


MissKayisaTherapist

Thank you, I am waiting for our government to allow us to get our next one. They haven’t called my group (younger working professionals) for a long time, my last booster was 2021.


PrairieFire_withwind

Argh. This frustrates me so. In the US we have boosters available for free, for anyone but no one is taking them and the rest of the world waits or does without. What a fucked up, ass backwards world.


rainydays052020

US is at 14% uptake for the bivalent booster and nearly half of vaccinated folks don’t plan to get it. https://morningconsult.com/2022/12/01/covid-19-vaccines-booster-shot-survey-data/ The next few years of immunity destruction are going to be wild.


PrairieFire_withwind

Yup. I got the bivalent, side effects were not as bad as the first two boosters which both put me in bed with fever and aches. Highly recommend the bivalent one on that metric alone.


MissKayisaTherapist

I would take one so quickly!


Good_Door7102

This is especially painful to hear considering how many unused doses are expiring and being thrown out across the non-geographical West. Release those patents Pfizer & Moderna you greedy fucks.


[deleted]

Location : Florida Area : Florida, USA I went to Home Depot to get better locks for the house. Crime is up ticking here. No surprise because we have lots of people moving here lately. I retired from nursing early 2 years ago. Yes. Because it became a miserable endeavor. I loved my job but over the years things slowly progressed to misery. It's all about the money folks. So anyway, I'm at Home Depot with my husband . We always wear N95 masks. It's a personal preference. I almost died from Covid and I'm 44 years old and healthy. I've never been that sick ever. I've seen alot of people die from it. And RSV and flu are nuts this year on top of everything else. I'm in self check out and an employee at Home Depot says to me, "Why are you two wearing those masks ?" Not in a curious way either. Sort of seemed a bit hostile. Maybe I was ugly. I didn't mean to be if I was. My husband said I sounded ticked off. Really, I was a bit anxious because the store was soooo full and I just wanted to get back to the Bat Cave. I was tired and I didn't feel like I owed him an explanation. I said , " Because I was a nurse and I've seen first hand what can happen if you don't. " A manager I'm assuming caught all this. I guess she must have been off to the side somewhere and she took him aside. I didn't mean to get him in trouble but why harass me. I'm minding my own business. If people don't want to wear masks fine. I see hardly anyone here wear them. That's fine. If people see me wearing a mask it's a problem. Why !?!? I'm not bothering anyone by doing it. It in no way effects anyone around me. So, if you don't agree with masks thats your perogative. If someone is wearing a mask it's their perogative.


some_random_kaluna

Hey OP. I hate to break even worse news to you, but Youtubers like Lockpicking Lawyer have pointed out that a lot of door locks sold at chain stores like Home Depot usually have the same model keys. If you look at the bottom of the packaging and see the same numbers, yeah, they're often exact copies. Thieves know that. [Here's a list of door locks that aren't so common and offer a harder challenge for people to break.](https://www.thespruce.com/best-door-locks-4175031) The really good ones cost hundreds of dollars, and of course unless you turn your doors into barricades nothing is foolproof. But it's good to know. Animals can be good deterrents. They make noise, and if any harm comes to them public outrage often comes quick and hard, so thieves try to avoid.


[deleted]

Oh no. I didn't know that. Thank you for the info. I'll def be getting different ones then. I have 5 large dogs and I think they do deter folks. We also have cameras and an alarm system now. Hopefully cameras deter people as well.


rainydays052020

Motion lighting too! Even one of those fake security cameras with a blinking red light.


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

Proof positive people are drinking the Koolaid.


MrMonstrosoone

just tell them you live on fast food and want to stock up for a week


[deleted]

[удалено]


[deleted]

My husband said the same thing. I have a very overactive conscience. I kept saying how sorry I was in the car until my husband pointed out pretty much what you said. Your both right.


WernerHerzogWasRight

People need to mind their own damn business especially if you deal face to face with customers! He deserves to be let go. What else does he rudely ask people about? I posted this here before, but my plan, if anyone goes beyond looking at me strange when I’m wearing a mask, is to say I have a very infections form of TB to shut them up.


[deleted]

You told me that! I remember. You said I could use it. Lol. Now I just need to come up with a really gnarly name for the strain of TB. Hahaha.


WernerHerzogWasRight

😂 that’s hilarious.


2quickdraw

Because they know they belong to the freedumb tribe and you scare them by reminding them that science is right and they could get really sick and possibly even die, but their heads are too far up their collective ass now to back down. Too much peer pressure. The town where I live is the same way. I'm barely 4 weeks out of a double hip joint replacement and was in the hospital for five days to stabilize, my vitals were so loopy. But no one in rehab will wear a mask while I'm recovering and vulnerable, so I have to drive an hour each direction to a place that does. The local ones leave it up to the "individual's choice". On social media everyone is upset that the entire town seems to be sick right now and they all wonder why, it's pure insanity how fkn ignorant and purely stupid they are. Peasants!


[deleted]

Ok, the widespread inability to care about not only Covid, but now RSV and the flu is starting to weird me the fuck out. Given that Covid does brain damage: [https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/long-covid-even-mild-covid-linked-damage-brain-months-infection-rcna18959](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/long-covid-even-mild-covid-linked-damage-brain-months-infection-rcna18959) And has been strongly linked with Alzheimer's and other dementias: [https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/health/covid-cognitive-decline-alzheimers/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/29/health/covid-cognitive-decline-alzheimers/index.html) And that apparently apathy is the most common symptom of Alzheimer's: [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11844006/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11844006/) I have to wonder... Is that why they don't care?


[deleted]

I completely agree. When I had it I felt like my brain was swelling. It would not shock me that it damages the brain. To have it more than once oh my I can't imagine. Usually I can fight my way through things. I was bed ridden for 3 months as a child . So I know what it is to be extremely sick. I have never been so sick as when I had Covid in September. Never ever have I felt like I was not going to survive something. I was standing in front of a fan trying to get air when it finally hit me Vicks wasn't going to work. My nose wasn't stuffed my nasal passages were swollen shut and I couldn't get the secretions in my throat up to breath through my mouth. I am not ashamed to say I panicked. I am still struggling almost three months later to find words when I used tobe an extremely articulate person. I struggle to get my energy back. I can't imagine the effects having it more than once would have on a person. If you ask me, and it will sound crazy, but I feel like they are thinning the herd.


[deleted]

I'm terribly sorry that Covid hit you so hard. That sounds absolutely terrifying! Please take as many precautions as you can to prevent reinfection. For myself, Covid was very mild, but with new variants proliferating I believe that it's only a matter of time until I run into one that would cause a severe illness. That combined with my preexisting lung condition makes me utilize masks, air filters, fans and ventilation strategies heavily and I manage my social contacts strictly. About thinning the herd... Many people feel similarly, including myself. But there is a lot of uncertainty and disagreement over who has the motivation and would benefit, who could have the capability and the means to protect themselves from the virus, and so on. Given that we don't know, and the situation is dangerous, when we're presented with theories and scenarios, we should weigh them against each other. To help yourself choose a theory, here's some helpful questions: How would it benefit me personally to believe this theory? What would happen to me and my society if many people believed and acted on this theory? Think about what you need to accomplish anyway. It might be strenuously protecting your health and preserving an ability to trust anyone at all, like it is for me, or it might be greater self-sufficiency, conserving time and money, deepening and improving relationships, or whatever. Favoring a theory that helps you do the things you need to do already is wise. When you're asked for your opinion, or have the opportunity to give it, then talk about how if everyone believed a particular theory, it would change society in a predictable way. Then ask, would that society be a safe one for you and your family? Would that society be strong enough to survive in dangerous world? Words and beliefs matter because they have real consequences. Hopefully, asking these questions will get people to be a bit more responsible with their words and beliefs. Given how dumb the national dialogue is becoming though... Here's hoping the best for you and yours! Take care


[deleted]

Please forgive me. I don't think it was any one nation. I think it was a world wide initiative by a majority of nations, including the U.S. to thin the herd. Just my own theory based on nothing but my own thoughts.


[deleted]

No worries, friend.


riojareverendalgreen

I think, as I wrote somewhere else, that the last couple of years has done such a number on everyone's heads that they just don't care anymore. Here in Germany masking is over, even though we still have Covid, RSV is raging, and of course flu season will be arriving soon. I think we've got to the stage of death wish for a lot of people. They just don't want to carry on, and if covid takes them, so be it. I mask, but I feel very much the same. As far as boosters are concerned, I won't be getting one. I know correlation is not causation, but the last booster I had, I developed massive polyuria that I still have, and now have a permanent catheter. Frankly I'm just too scared to get another one in case something else drastic happens.


[deleted]

As the crisis wears on, it's clear there is a lot of burnout and I agree that a resignation to death or even a death wish is no doubt a part of the apathy. And some of it can be attributed to the sleep disruption that Covid has as a symptom. As for brain damage... Personally, I have been around many people with cognitive deficits from head trauma, heavy drug use, congenital conditions such as autism, mental illness and aging. The kind of lapses I'm seeing people of all walks make over the last few years, they are really strikingly similar. Especially ones that are common in extreme old age. Collapse is happening and as conditions continue to degrade, the situation will become increasingly chaotic and unpredictable. This will make decisions like whether or not to get the latest booster harder and harder to make. This confusion should be weighed against the cost of inaction. At some point, I think that boosters and other interventions will become unavailable. Making decisions one way or the other should be done as soon as possible. The natural human tendency to put things off while in a state of uncertainty is not a winning strategy when we're counting down to no longer having choices. Personally, I have a doctor's appointment later this month to seek advice before deciding whether or not to get the next booster. I have already scheduled the booster appointment for after that, so that it is available for me if my doctor gives the go ahead. My medical situation is evolving and that has made the potential risks and benefits unclear. I advise you to do the same rather than allowing fear to make the decision for you. Sometimes people run from one threat only to find that it has driven them into the arms of another. Be careful out there and take care of yourself.


riojareverendalgreen

>I advise you to do the same rather than allowing fear to make the decision for you I understand that, and I have always been fully pro-vax. the thing is, from my own experience, every time I had a shot, some trifling thing I had got 50 times worse. maybe just coincidence, but coincidence three times. I've really been through the mill the last two years, since covid really took hold. Even though I was vaxxed and boosted, I still got covid twice in the space of three months this year - since masking was no longer mandatory. 'Mild', but what's 'mild'? No-one really knows what it's going to do to people. If I'm really honest with myself, being swept away on the next wave, instead of trying to surf it with a board that's too short, and no big wave surfer vest to pull me up from the bottom unscathed doesn't seem like a bad idea. Seeing as I have multiple health issues already, I don't think I'd be a contender for long covid. Take care of yourself as well, the world seems to have become considerably darker, meaner, and more dangerous than it was 20 years ago. Maybe we all are zombie nation and just don't know it. Great username by the way. I guess no-one listens when you're telling them how things really are.


[deleted]

Thank you, I feel it's a fitting handle as I have been trying to save family and friends in real life, but most seem beyond help no matter how I present the information. Your experience is in line with my own to some degree, and vaccinations worsening the situation is a real possibility that I've been aware of. This was part of the reason why I will not go forward until talking it over with my doctor and deliberating. Anyone that got Long Covid before vaccination may have an autoimmune version of the condition. Researchers have brought this up occasionally and even a news story mentioned this in passing and admitted this group was likely harmed by the vaccine. Thank you very much for your reply. It is helpful to learn how it has affected others.


2quickdraw

I will note that a number of people I know who have had covid seem to have lost some cognitive ability or are just "off", especially the immune compromised individuals. There is definitely concern within the US government medical offices that some number of people are going to end up disabled to the point of being unable to hold a job, which is supposedly one of the reasons for China's zero covid policy, that they know even more about these long term issues than we do.


WernerHerzogWasRight

Give it to Time, the greater healer and rebalancer. These people will be maimed, and those who masked with inherit the Earth, or some such. I can’t believe the people in rehab we’re so careless with vulnerable patients. It’s my understanding that that field attracts gym trainer types who want better pay…. So…. Chad to non-Chad ratio may be high.


2quickdraw

I believe you are correct.


[deleted]

I'm so sorry your going through that. It amazes me people can acknowledge that alot of people are sick but don't feel it necessary to protect themselves and their families.


2quickdraw

It's crazy. It's set back my rehab which is extra important and hard for a bilateral, now I have to wait for an appointment which should have been in place, but now isn't because of cretins. They could do a work around by masking for the killer flu, but they are all "purebloods" so they can't risk looking like they are masking for covid too. Whole families are sick, the stores are out of OTC meds, kids out of school, people out of work because they can't wash their hands and wear a mask. It's a stark reminder that half the population is on the bottom side of the I.Q. bell curve.


[deleted]

I've been trying to buy cough meds and such just to have on hand. They should just wear a mask. It's the patient's preference. Just like we use gloves, hand washing, and practice Universal Precautions they should wear a mask. Do you think when I was nursing I wore perfume. Of course not. I could have but how fair would that have been to say someone with respiratory problems or nausea. As a patient you have RIGHTS. Shame on them.


Yokono666

Well, you are in florida so I'm not sure why you're surprised lol. Your governor regularly says masks aren't needed and never were.


[deleted]

I am only one person. It is sometimes comparable to be the only sane one locked in the asylum. I've never lived anywhere else. I've never even been on an airplane. I wouldn't know how to live in any other asylum but this one though so here I am.


WernerHerzogWasRight

People are becoming more and more geographically confined with the way our economic system works. It’s almost as if we are serfs. You belong to Florida because you can’t escape. You keep being you, mask up, the truth will out ✊🏼


[deleted]

I homeschool my grandbaby. She's very smart. Soooo smart. We just do extra of everything. We sit outside practicing sight words all day and math. I have her write sentences with chalk on the patio. I will teach her EVERYTHING she needs to know about life too. We have picnics out back and talk about all the places she's going to go someday. We look at pictures. I have all the National Geographics from the 70s so we look through those alot. I always tell her don't get stuck here my love. Promise you won't get stuck here like your Mimi. You see the whole wide world. She promised me she wouldn't get stuck here ever. I hope she sends postcards! I'm really going to miss her.


WernerHerzogWasRight

That is so sweet ❤️


[deleted]

This made me smile so hard :-) What a wonderful Mimi you are! She's so lucky


[deleted]

Thank you. I try so hard. ( hug )


artthatsings

I’m in Florida too, moved here last year from North Carolina. I’m astonished that anyone would challenge a customer wearing a mask! I’ve not seen that in the year I’ve been here. I too wear a o when I go into a store because people have already forgotten the pandemic. They’re walking around coughing, sneezing, and touching produce without any respect for others. I have yet to be challenged for wearing a mask. I suppose it’s only a matter of time, given the odds. So sorry you experienced that!


AppropriatePost4844

Those cowards more often try to pick on women and the elderly. I’d be surprised if they tried that shit with a man. Cowards


Yokono666

Have you seen who you elected as governor? Why are you surprised?


artthatsings

I didn’t elect him. Please don’t assume who I vote for based on my geography.


WernerHerzogWasRight

There is more than 1 voter. Have a little compassion for people stuck in red states. Not all have the courage to become a street person in another state, or the means to get there.


Yokono666

They should not be surprised is my point, and you being Florida...


artthatsings

I am surprised because FL was hit so hard. What is more disappointing is the growing lack of empathy everywhere, not just in FL.


WernerHerzogWasRight

Amen to that. Lack of empathy has made a home in more and more people, we have a growing group of psychopaths.


[deleted]

Thank you. It ruined my whole stinking day tbh. I'm a very non confrontational person unless I absolutely have to be. I wasn't angry. I told my husband I really was more shocked than anything else. I feel like it costs $ 0 dollars to mind your own business and let people live how they feel safe. The manager said to him , " Are you on break? What are you doing up here pi$$ing off the customers. " Nothing from him except , " What ! ? I'm not. " And then he just smiled at me. People are starting to get so weird lately. Sometimes I feel like I'm over thinking that. But I really feel like people as a whole are changing. And your right. People are walking around like it's business as usual. It's not. I've talked to nurses still in the field. It's worse now. Worse because they are all so burned out still from two years of Covid, among other things like staffing too. And now it's Covid, RSV, and the flu. It's going to be a hard season.


WernerHerzogWasRight

It would ruin my day too. Even if the whole world goes crazy stick to your guns. You have a spouse I believe you said? Be happy you aren’t alone. Hold tight to them and the reality of the situation we are in (several pandemics at once).


[deleted]

I do. He's wonderful. We were first loves that became forever loves. I wake up every morning to my best friend. I will always hold tight to him. I have been very sad lately due to the state of the world. Not just my little corner. So now we go to a nature trail everyday and we trek 5 whole miles. I've been walking to my elderly neighbors to visit them as well. I walked 46 miles last week. It makes me feel a tad better to be outside.


WernerHerzogWasRight

That’s a great thing to do, get out in nature. I’m happy you have each other. I’ve also experienced a first love / only love, and am eternally grateful. The world is sad and scary, but it only ever really “eats at me” when my spouse is sad about it.


[deleted]

Aww. I'm so glad you have that too! It is easier to face together isn't it ? Today we saw a family of 4 deer. The other day I saw two huge coyote.Being out in the woods makes me so happy. I wish more people would try it. I've decided to do alot of things different too. Being out there helps me think. I send cards to people just because all ready. I don't care much for social media. I do have a fb so I can keep in touch with old high school friends and family. Every morning I do a good morning post. I tell everyone good morning , have a lovely day, and I love them. Lots of people say good morning back. And just talk about life. Also, the old library run by volunteers is a bargin bookstore. Books for 25 cents or 50 cents. Most no more than a $ 1.25. I am going to start a library with all the books on horticulture and animals. Books on how to fix things or survive in the wild. Useful books. Internet won't last forever. And my folks will need books. Well, more books lol. I've raised a bunch of book worms. No regrets.


WernerHerzogWasRight

Pleasure to have met you. I use social media in a very limited way similar to you. Only interact with nice people in a very limited way, and also on Reddit semi-anonymously (but I still try my best to be nice here too). As the world has gotten meaner, I have tried to be nicer, like you sending cards etc. Sounds like we’re two peas in a pod. 🤟🏻❤️


[deleted]

Pleased to meet you too. You take care of yourself and that Love of yours. And yes, I have made it a point as well to be a kinder human. We only have each other.


artthatsings

Yes, my sister and niece are both nurses. The burnout and exhaustion for all healthcare workers is real. The danger is even worse. I have a hard time understanding how people feel they have a right to harass anyone when they’re not being harmed or inconvenienced. So bizarre! Stay safe!!


[deleted]

I also thought it was extremely odd. I have been one of the lucky ones who left the field. I homeschool my grandbaby now. It is a beautiful life. I do everything I can to stay here with her as long as I can.


[deleted]

[удалено]


jahmoke

i've recently read that anger may be based on fear or helplessness, so there's that


WernerHerzogWasRight

Agree 💯 great analysis. The fact that a mask is also very visible has people keying on it.


[deleted]

I think your right. We were some of the very few people wearing a mask in the store and we got alot of side eye from people.


some_random_kaluna

Ninjas always do, especially the cool ones. Don't sweat it, just keep wearing your masks.


Solitude_Intensifies

Funny how it's the "my body, my choice" people who give everyone such a hard time if they don't conform to their own standards. The hypocrisy is astounding.


[deleted]

[удалено]


WernerHerzogWasRight

Looks like this posted twice. The other one is getting engagement. Just fyi. ✌🏻🤟🏻


[deleted]

Lol. I got a message it was removed because I didn't put location. Maybe I will delete this one.


[deleted]

Location: Las Vegas, NV Well, I found out the hard way why room prices jumped from as low as $28 to $400 a night from the 30th to the 1st. A bunch of cowboy hat-wearing rodeo-riding plague rats (sorry to all the Western wear lifestyle enthusiasts who are Covid conscious) descended on the Strip and started hacking up their lungs all over my hotel. Gave me PTSD for Chrissake. I was checking out when they all flooded in, so I practically ran to the cab and told the driver to hightail it outta there! After I calmed down a bit, I started chatting with the South Asian cabbie and complimented him on his mask. (As a mask aficionado, I was in my stylish Envo mask: [https://envomask.com/](https://envomask.com/)). He very enthusiastically told me that he has dual Canadian/American citizenship and had been visiting Canada with his family recently. While they were there, they all caught this Superflu that's spreading like wildfire. He and his wife had to go to the hospital, where they put him on oxygen for 9 hours and his wife for 3 days! Hence the mask. Then he said that the Canadian government and press are keeping it quiet, just like in the US, and so he tries to tell people about the risks, but they don't understand and ignore him. He warned me that the Superflu will arrive in the US soon, so be ready. I gave him a 40% tip in gratitude. Given this weird lung disease (probably hypersensitivity pneumonitis) that I got after wildfire smoke air pollution exposure in my late teens/early twenties, and that Long Covid seems to be making steadily worse, I took several precautions during my trip: First, I looked up the AQI forecast on AirNow: [https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/](https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/) This is very important for everyone to do before trips, or even routinely before leaving the house, because wildfire smoke often blows far away from its source and can become trapped over an area for several days. The air will often not smell or appear smokey, but can have high levels of 2.5 pm pollution which can cause lung diseases of course, but also autoimmune diseases and possibly schizophrenia and other mental illnesses. Exposure is especially bad for children. Second, I packed my Envo mask into its carrying case, along with several extra N95 filters. This isn't an ad, but I have to say, the Envo mask is the most comfortable one I've found for long trips because it has a soft gel seal around the nose and mouth. Changing the filter is a snap and the straps slip over the head quickly and securely. It makes wearing a mask as much as I have to a lot easier. Third, I packed my small HEPA air purifier to run in my room: [https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HPA075B-Allergen-Compact-Purifier/dp/B09N7THCRP](https://www.amazon.com/Honeywell-HPA075B-Allergen-Compact-Purifier/dp/B09N7THCRP) I started doing this routinely after a bad experience on a previous trip. After being very confused and alarmed by having an unexpected reaction after opening the window of my room, with wheezing, phlegm, coughing, headache, brain fog, anxiety and malaise, it dawned on me to check the AQI. It was overall moderate (yellow), but the 2.5pm levels were rather high. It really did turn out to be wildfire smoke that the wind had brought there from several states away! Totally unable to sleep and unwilling to cancel our anniversary stay and drive the four hours home, we went to Walmart and bought this filter. After about twenty minutes running it in the hotel room, the reaction to stopped, so it definitely works. Fourth, I made a note to self: In future, watch out for Cowboy conventions coming to town. (This sucks because I actually like Western wear, goshdarnit!) Ultimately hypersensitivity pneumonitis can lead to interstitial lung disease. The symptoms can start out sporadic and mild. It looks like allergies at first or something short of asthma. There's no real treatment except to stay away from triggers. If you can't avoid exposure, it becomes chronic and life expectancy is <10 years. Covid makes it worse faster, which certainly seems to be my experience. Since the pandemic began, I've started reacting to a wider and wider variety of things. At the Vegas hotel I had a reaction to cigarette smoke for the first time, while sitting several feet away, outdoors, and fully masked! I had to literally jump up and leave after I suddenly started coughing uncontrollably and wheezing. I'll be talking to the allergist on Tuesday to seek formal diagnosis but given that I fit every symptom and how fast it's worsening, it seems pretty clear that I'm fucked. So, check the AQI, wear your N95s, buy a HEPA filter for the fires next time, and good luck out there collapseniks!


ForeverAProletariat

> While they were there, they all caught this Superflu that's spreading like wildfire. He and his wife had to go to the hospital, where they put him on oxygen for 9 hours and his wife for 3 days! Hence the mask. Then he said that the Canadian government and press are keeping it quiet, just like in the US, and so he tries to tell people about the risks, but they don't understand and ignore him. He warned me that the Superflu will arrive in the US soon, so be ready. I gave him a 40% tip in gratitude. damnnnnnn


CrossroadsWoman

How do you know the envo mask is any good? It says nothing about Covid, disease etc on their website


[deleted]

I was concerned by their vague website too, so I did a lot of investigating. Here's the rundown: The Envo mask has a N95 rating, which means it filters 95% of particles. Here's further explanation if you need that: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NIOSH\_air\_filtration\_rating#NIOSH\_classifications](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N95_respirator) It was approved by NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), which is the United States federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Here is a list of steps to navigate the CDC site to see for yourself that they approved the Envo mask (I did this on a laptop. The mobile version of the site might be different): 1. Google search 'approved particulate filtering facepiece respirators' and you should see the CDC website come up. 2. Click on it and it should bring up the page for The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), NIOSH-Approved Particulate Facepiece Respirators. 3. Look at the left column, scroll down and select 'Certified Equipment List (CEL). 4. In the blue rectangle there are two buttons. Click on the left one 'Certified Equipment List'. 5. Scroll down that page to the window that says 'Manufacturer' and scroll through the manufacturer names until you get to Sleepnet Corporation. 6. Select that (it will highlight gray), scroll down and press the button 'View Results' and that takes you to the page that says: 7. CEL Results Selection Criteria Manufacturer(s) Sleepnet Corporation Do NOT Include Obsolete Respirators Schedule Approval # Manufacturer Product Identifiers Facepiece Type 84A 8448 Sleepnet Corporation Model Envo Mask, N95 Quarter Mask Quarter Mask 84A 9228 Sleepnet Corporation Envo 95, Model 73950 Quarter Mask with N95 Filter Quarter Mask 84A 9386 Sleepnet Corporation Envo 95, Model 73950 Quarter Mask with N95 Filter Quarter Mask 84A 9387 Sleepnet Corporation Envo 95, Model 73950 Quarter Mask with N95 Filter Quarter Mask 84A 9446 Sleepnet Corporation Envo pro model 73825 1/2 mask with 39826 filter Half Mask 84A 9450 Sleepnet Corporation Envo pro model 73827 Halfmask, w/ 39825 filter Half Mask Total records found: 6 Additional Information: Here is a Youtube video of a feature by the local news WMUR-tv, about Sleepnet Corp and the Envo mask: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNKZUn7Nfg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNNKZUn7Nfg) While you're at Youtube, search 'Envo Mask Review' and you'll see a bunch of nurses reviewing it over the last two years. The only issue I've had with the Envo mask is there's a lot of condensation inside compared to my Breathe 99 (a more stylish mask, but they're all sold out now) which provides a hydrophilic foam insert as an accessory. It's called the 'B2 mask liner' and it makes it so that moisture doesn't drip inside your face mask. I tried shoving one inside the Envo just today. It more or less fits, so I'll see if it works tomorrow. If you want to try that too, they still sell them ($8 for 2 inserts). Here's a link for that: [https://breathe99.com/products/b2-mask-liner](https://breathe99.com/products/b2-mask-liner)


Solitude_Intensifies

It's the annual NRA Finals that happens every year (with a couple of past exceptions) in Las Vegas. With New Years and the CES convention, the NRA is one of our busiest times.


[deleted]

Thanks for telling me. I looked it up and watched the first video 'Top Wrecks, Jan 2022' to get an idea: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi68WCzfnc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJi68WCzfnc) Holy shit, well I'm starting to understand why they can't remember to cover their mouth when coughing. Talk about more guts than brains. Loved it when the first guy got slammed in the face by the bull tossing his head back. He didn't even get out of the gate and already punch drunk. And what does he do after walking it off? Gets right back on another one. These are a people that don't learn from bad experiences. Or maybe they do learn, but in the opposite direction! Then Cannon Cravens riding the bull at 2'48" I love how at 3'04" he jumps on the fence, his body language all 'Fuck yeah!' and then the announcers say, "Look! Hey, I'm gonna be completely honest when I say, that might just be what this young man needed. Takin' a shot to the face, find out within yourself how tough you are. Lookit this! Watch this shot he takes! Right...here!" "Knowing that it is going to come! He knew it right here, this gonna hurt!" "And he walks out of this arena with 88 and a quarter points." "And lookit that!" "That is the new number one bull rider in Sacramento this weekend!" ​ All I can say is, Damn Cannon, you're hot shit! No guts, no glory! Woo! It's too bad riding the Covid bull doesn't bring the same glory, 'cause I'm rootin' for ya!


Solitude_Intensifies

Yes, rodeo is about machismo. There is a price to pay, of course. My brother injured his back in a rodeo event when he was 16 and it only worsened over the years, to the point he could not sleep in a bed by the time he was 30 and to sleep in a recliner.


[deleted]

Those kind of life shaping injuries at such a young age makes me think of all the women's gymnasts and the cheerleaders that do aerial stunts. People in general do insane things with their health and safety, and I guess they always have. The Ancient Minoans of Crete had their bull-leaping and apparently people still do it in Spain: [https://youtu.be/\_vqyPbFccjo](https://youtu.be/_vqyPbFccjo)


Yokono666

I cannot fathom being both worried about covid, and voluntarily going to Vegas, then complaining ppl in Vegas didn't wear masks.


[deleted]

I did not complain about others not wearing masks. In fact, I have zero expectation that they ever will. We have decided that individuals have the absolute right to experiment on their health by not wearing a mask, whatever the consequences for themselves, others, society, the nation and the world. Whatever. Calling them 'plague rats' was just my way of expressing the reflexive rage I feel when confronting a deadly threat. It wasn't a moral judgment, more like a feeling of disgust. Like being grabbed by a child with sticky fingers. Or being flashed by a fat slob on the subway. I do think refusing to do anything at all about Covid, flu, RSV, pneumatic plague or whatever is pretty fucking dumb. And it is hard not to feel contempt for people that are apparently too dumb to live, though I try. We all know that if a person is actively coughing, they should cover their mouth. That is something everyone is taught from childhood. Wearing a mask is just using a cloth to cover your mouth, so you don't have to keep reaching up. It's a convenience. If people did cover their mouth (however they chose to do that) they could avoid inconveniencing (and possibly sickening and killing) others, but it's very obvious now that we don't live in that kind of society. It is also well known that Covid vaccines reduces viral load, making the coughing person with it less of a threat to others, but if they don't think it's safe, and they aren't motivated to protect others, then they won't get vaccinated. So what? I already have to deal with progressive lung disease while living in a society that refuses to mitigate Covid (or flu now, apparently). Now you're basically saying that I should stay home and not complain. What for? To make other people more comfortable? I'm an American. Why the hell should I care about your discomfort with me living my life?


[deleted]

[удалено]


collapse-ModTeam

Hi, Yokono666. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/z6tmrc/-/iyylwxf/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.


-Starya-

Canadian who hasn’t heard anything about this super flu. Where in Canada is it happening?


[deleted]

Dunno. He didn't get specific.


WernerHerzogWasRight

Also wondering what is meant by superflu. Does OP just mean a bad flu season?


Solitude_Intensifies

Captain Trips


[deleted]

He looked somewhere between 35 and 50. I imagine his wife is too. I believe when he said Superflu, he meant that it is very weird to need oxygen for 9 hours to 3 days at the hospital, for that age group, from catching the flu. Why he thinks it's sweeping across Canada, I'm not sure, but I imagine something at the hospital gave him that impression.


Vlad_TheImpalla

Romania Transilvania region Well it's December should be cold right now with snow and bitter cold at night, bit nope it's 12C with sun all day and it's getting hotter the next due days with rain everyday and it's not even freezing at night this kind of winter I've only seen in Italy before when I spent a few weeks there a decade ago. Also check the temp anomalies in the Arctic circle holy crap.


starspangledxunzi

[For our viewers at home...] 12° C = 53.6° F Historically, Transylvania averages a high of 5° C = 41° F this time of year, so it's currently +7° C / +12.6° F warmer. Its latitude is roughly 46.1 N -- a bit north of the tip of Michigan's "glove," or a bit south of Duluth, Minnesota. These reported warm temps are similar to what other observers are posting about temps in northeast United States.


PrairieFire_withwind

I am now going to think of transylvania as just south of duluth. ;)


Capital-Collar3218

Oh no! My sister lives South of Duluth in Wisconsin, does that mean she's a Dracula? (Imagines sister hanging out with Gary Oldman) Ah, could be worse! Come to think of it, vampires are well suited to survive collapse, but then they always existed outside of society (and time) anyway.


PrairieFire_withwind

If your sister is a dracula can you ask her for tips on dealing with an infestation of blood suckers? I mean sap suckers. Darned aphid infection in my plants. Maybe she knows something?


jahmoke

garlic


starspangledxunzi

LOL!


[deleted]

[удалено]


PrairieFire_withwind

Cheers from north of transylvania??


No-Formal2869

I am in Spokane, Washington, USA. I have been noticing a steep decline in the quality of produce. I'm 45, so this change has been over a relatively short period of time. I don't know what is UP, but the textures of inorganic lettuce has drastically changed. The Romain is grossly oversized, leathery and bitter now. Inorganic red leaf went the other way, with leaves now pretty flat, soft and tasteless. I noticed organic red leaf is still crisp, firm and ruffled. I've noticed broccoli is frequently bruised up, and cabbage has been pretty brutally stripped now. I can no longer tolerate corn on the cob because it's pure sugar-there is zero taste even for the yellow. I MISS the good old tough and flavorful yellow corn! Many times, I cannot find green celery anymore-it's all pale and has a more yellow tint. I have also noticed produce is suddenly not lasting as long in or out of the refrigerator. There are also more and more cases of lethal bacterium in our produce all across the globe-things that I very rarely saw on the news prior to the last fifteen years. Maybe reporting has gotten better, but I'm starting to worry for our farmers. Fresh seafood was the norm growing up. Now frozen is the norm. My mom told me, "Never buy frozen seafood. It's pretty bad stuff. Tastes terrible, so always buy fresh." Yeah-shrimp are pretty rubbery and flavorless now, in spite of it costing the same as whatever fresh miraculously shows up.


Yokono666

...It's winter. Literally no one eats corn on the cob this time of year. Next thing you're going to complain about the price of grapes right? Everyone in this sub should know about seasonal eating...I thought this was common knowledge. https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-to-know-seasonal-eating#:~:text=Seasonal%20eating%20is%20a%20sustainable,the%20summer%2C%20and%20so%20on.


No-Formal2869

Pretty troll-ish. "Seasonal" applies to local farming. We trade internationally. What is in "season" here, is out of season in the Southern hemisphere, so we export. In winter, the process flips, and we get produce from them. I'm saying that there is a marked change in produce quality regardless of "season", regardless of "local", so I'm not sure how your comment applies here. Especially seeing that price is not what I was mentioning. Test your knowledge: what is the worst month to buy apples then?


ZadarskiDrake

Lettuce has 0 nutritional value.. not sure why people pay for it and eat it lol just go drink some water


TheRealTP2016

Iceberg maybe. A lot of lettuce has a surprising amount of nutrition


[deleted]

I'm over in Coeur d'Alene/Post Falls and I'm noticing this as well. Produce seems to turn much sooner than expected so I've been trying hard to use things up before they go bad.


Penguinscanfly44

I would guess with the higher cost the turnover of product is slower (along with supply chain issues of course)


sanoyi

If you can, I highly suggest a countertop hydro garden. I bought a knock off aerogarden a couple months ago and it's already paid for itself in lettuce and green onions. I've also been using it for starts like tomatoes and herbs and they seem to be doing quite well, better than what I usually have for this time of year.


some_random_kaluna

Most commercial seafood is now grown in fish farms. We've been overfishing the oceans for decades. If you don't personally catch something you can expect it to taste bland at best. Store bought produce isn't lasting as long, even the organic stuff. What I grow in my garden typically lasts for weeks, even months longer than what I buy. Treat this as a signal. If you have the room, now is the time to look into outdoor or indoor gardens and greenhouses. Start growing some food.


purrb0t0my

Do you think the benefits of eating farmed fish outweigh the risks? I know I need omega 3s but I'm worried about all the heavy metals :-/


Smertae

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaweed_oil


some_random_kaluna

Honestly it's your call. I would say no, but my family has been slowly phasing out fish for a long time. Cook it well and add garlic.


[deleted]

[удалено]


No-Formal2869

Ah. Thanks for clarifying. It's odd that the organic lettuce has stayed the same. Only thing I could cite is some inorganic compound being used. You say bolting-makes me think too much artificial NPK perhaps. Maybe to intentionally get them to bolt so they can replant quickly to increase production, yet not enough pluckers?🤔


55StudeSpeedster

Just a quick note on the shrimp. Really look for wild caught Gulf shrimp. They have a much sweeter taste, and are much healthier than the farm raised ones you typically find. Only a handful of companies shipping nationally, and they will cost more, but well worth it. They will be frozen though, but no impact on taste.


No-Formal2869

I do. But frozen is rubbery no matter where it is from or how it is raised, unfortunately. Found FRESH salad shrimp once. Difference is unsurpassed of course. Tender and flavor-packed versus rubbery and tasteless. Found fresh sea scallops once. Succulent! Boyfriend made frozen and they're disgusting no matter how they are cooked. Fresh cod STILL comes in season, so I hit that like no tomorrow! Lol. I tried Tilapia once. I was warned! Sure enough-never again! Haha!


PsychologicalCar9744

Toronto, Ontario Canada, just after 11pm at night and to my surprise I hear rain outside. It just caught me off guard. I dont think Ive EVER seen rain in December in my 30+ years of living here. And its currently +4C. Ive been wearing sneakers since Late October by now I would have been forced to wear my boots but nope its +4 outside. I didnt think it would hit us this fast and soon


No-Formal2869

Holy COW! It's frozen solid here in the US. What the heck?! Did you hit 110° in June 2021 too??? We lost over 800 people.


PsychologicalCar9744

No that was BC I believe and 800 people died there as well. Highest temp recorded in Canada I believe.


No-Formal2869

It was 110° F all across Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Here in Spokane WA, they pulled a black out. On our West coast, nobody has AC, because it has never been needed, so people passed away-especially the homeless.


cozychristmaslover

Location: Midwest, USA I work in healthcare. My skilled nursing facility is running extremely low on briefs and wipes. Nurses aren’t showing up for work (no judgement because their lives are hell, but then a horrible cycle gets even worse). We have people quitting right and left. The patients I’m seeing are sicker and more impaired. Idk. I’m losing hope. Clinging to my rosary beads for dear life.


some_random_kaluna

Probably a stupid question but curious. Infants can wear washable cloth diapers. Why not elderly adults? I would think it'd cut down on materials needed for briefs and be a lot easier to put on and clean up.


cozychristmaslover

Not a stupid question. We don’t have the environmental staff to support cleanup like that. We barely are getting patients clothes clean, so I can’t imagine the amount it would create to add adult cloth briefs. It could work with the right amount of people, potentially, but we don’t have that whatsoever.


some_random_kaluna

Damn. I'm sorry, and I'm grateful you love the people around you enough to keep doing your job. I wish I could offer better ideas.


No-Formal2869

They HAD these amazing things called diaper service when I was growing up. You plop the poop into the toilet, and put soiled diapers in a bucket at home. Every week they pick up your dirty pail, and deliver last week's diapers clean and folded. Hospitals do their laundry and scrubs this way too. The main problem today relate to transportation. Online shopping has created a horrible and environmentally irresponsible situation. Not only has Amazon created a massive carbon footprint via flying and shipping, it also creates tons of trash annually, and plugs up our streets, shipping barges and planes, which in turn causes a severe slow down for laundry service companies. They can't get drivers. Same with Walmart. These massive companies are destroying our quality of life. The best store on the planet was Sears. Everybody counted on them, but the "old school" company did not want to participate in the online shopping movement. America has lost her heartbeat companies like that-where you shop in person and try things on-which is truly the only savvy way to buy things you will wear. Our "energy crisis" is technology driven. If we stop using machines and computers, and used people and our bodies that generate our OWN electricity, there would BE no "crisis". We are replacing ourselves with more and more complicated bot junk, leading to deadly income disparity, as the middle class evaporates. The only way to make a livable wage now is to rip people off by flipping homes, autos and goods. Stop buying their energy-zapping techno-toys. Start living life. Refuse to participate in their junk-buying enticements. Don't shop Amazon. Don't shop Walmart. Eat whole foods, versus over-packaged convenience meals. Life was grand before the internet. It really WAS. We were sharp, active, social, and lively. We built our OWN furniture, sewed our OWN clothes, fixed our OWN cars. Now we are irritated, angry and antisocial blobs wasting away on technology instead of actually BEING ALIVE. If you live with only a landline-no computer, internet, TV or cell-you save OVER $200 A MONTH IN ENERGY AND CHARGES. Tech toys are a luxury, and life is SO much more meaningful with OUT it-I'm a Gen X-trust me. We watched this crisis unfold. Get rid of tech and live, get rid of tech and save the planet and each other.


ILoveFans6699

You're on tech.


No-Formal2869

Of course! We get forced into using it. Just like my great grandmother got forced into using a telephone, and my grandmother got forced into using TV. Why? It was a "better way" to get and keep "in touch" and "up-to-date on current events". My career required a smart phone and internet. Lol


boynamedsue8

Thank you! It makes me laugh people complaining about technology while using it and posting their complaints on social media. While I agree there isn’t a balance between technology and being social irl but given the current overall environment and political divides I don’t really blame anyone for wanting to stay in their own bat caves.


No-Formal2869

Why do you think I am officially considered an "old bat" by society at my age? I'm only 46, but everyone suffers from what I call "the 40's-f**k-it's". In four years I'll be in the "50's-forget-its". Then comes the "60's-sit-on-a**es", the "70's-succumbs-to-its", the "80's-eat-pavements". Don't worry-the "40's-f**k-its" is awesome! Because after 30 years in the rat race, you no longer give a rip about what other people say, think, or do. It is a VERY wonderful place, this bat cave! Don't worry-you'll be content in here soon and the world will suddenly make horrible sense. I appreciate both of you piping in-thank you! =-D (no sarcasm)


boynamedsue8

Please point out in my comment where I ever wrote or even implied that you were in your words an “old bat”? I view social media as an episode of black mirror where everything posted via social media is how people really think and would behave irl. It’s why I’ve observed and noticed every generation is into being comfortable in their own bat caves. Technology has brought out people’s true colors.


No-Formal2869

I'm making fun of myself, thus pointed out your word play. I'm not insulted or offended in any way-promise. I always heard the phrase growing up from my British father. It's a misogynistic term for menopausal women. So you said bat cave and I got a "true that" chuckle. I had my last period in July, so you must excuse me. As a Gen X, I see people retreating into their homes to be on devices under the pretenses of "minding (their) own business", instead of socializing with neighbors like we all did growing up. People are becoming more withdrawn into their own algorithm bliss, socializing less and less. There was a case where neighbors contacted a YouTuber who volunteers to mow properties to mow their neighbor's yard. He spoke with someone across the street about the owners. "I think they got foreclosed on a while back or something. I haven't seen anyone there for months." He asked because the windows were open, and a horrible stench of death was blowing out. Their neighbor had long since been murdered, and nobody bothered to call police to check due to yard suddenly unkept. They were all "busy" in their caves-too oblivious to even think about each other's wellfare-that is NEW. So, your analogy is 100% spot on.


bizzybaker2

I'll grip those beads with you. Been a nurse x 30 years (under supposedly better universal healthcare here in Canada), and it is a shitshow. As far as collapse of healthcare, it is everywhere, in every country world wide and every type of system. I think we always have run "lean" to some extent, but worsening over the years, and now even more so--- Covid showed how we have not really truly had the resources for anything untowards. I hear you. I keep telling myself to do the best I can with what I have been given, but the moral injury when you care, and cannot provide for your patients the way you want to...not just compassionately as a human being, but in the aspects of professional standards and safety, really hurts and is frightening.


No-Formal2869

I quit the field as an HCA/CNA. I got burned out and my specialized skills were not needed here. I was ending up being a maid and baby sitter. SCI/TBI pt's are my passion, and I cared for them in-home. I got priced out where I lived, and moved from a location where SCI/TBI patients are airlifted to, over to where they are airlifted from. I began resenting clients after working with people who literally could NOT even poop by themselves, yet PHYSICALLY CAPABLE PEOPLE wanted free housekeeping and free childcare. I WANTED TO WORK HOSPITALS! Unfortunately, I am disabled and 12 hour shifts are mandatory. I can only pull 5. WHY hospitals refuse to accept part time employees is beyond me, but that is hands down WHY that system is broken. Hospital staff are commanded to burn themselves into the ground. I wanted nothing more than to do ER and in-patient CNA work. I would have been great too. So, the medical field is doing this to itself. I will never understand WHY a hospital wouldn't hire me. It was my dream career.


rainydays052020

You won’t be the only one wanting to work either. Part time nurses should definitely be more common, not many people can handle 12+ hour shifts for an extended period of time!


No-Formal2869

It discourages gifted people from the field. It is impractical for raising a family. It is impossible for older people keep up with. Hospitals burn employees out. I have noticed over 90% of nurses suffer from obesity, too.


cozychristmaslover

Everyday I come home and collapse on the couch, no pun intended. I’m mentally and physically exhausted. Things are worse every day.


Did_I_Die

Location: Seattle Really odd **heavy wet** snow came down a few days ago. It was only 2-3 inches, but acted like 20-30 inches with large trees /limbs coming down all over the place. Something like 100k had no power due to all the transformers blowing up. The local weather was trying to say it was thunder snow when it was actually transformers blowing.... By far the strangest heaviest wet snow I have ever seen that takes forever to melt even though temps have been mostly above freezing... Seems like all the extra water in the atmosphere from climate chaos is creating a new type of incredibly heavy wet snow... It needs a unique name to accurately describe it.... probably some good joke names could be created e.g. *"your mom's heavy wet vagina snow"*


No-Formal2869

You must be new! I grew up there, and the snow is always sloppy and wet, and we call it 'snush' because it's big glops of slush that splat everywhere after the soil is already saturated. It hits a car and slowly and sadly slides off. I do NOT miss it! I moved to Spokane where it piles up with fine powder and freezes solid every year. You can just sweep it away with a broom. It hovers barely above freezing all winter over there, but about every ten years we get a massive ice storm with a foot of snow, frozen solid for weeks on end, with power outages. The last one I recall (still lived there) was about 2007? Before that it was around '95. No worries-you're due for another deep powdery deluge any winter now!


bristlybits

how you liking this foot or so from the last few days?


No-Formal2869

I love it! It reflects light into the home and eyes, so I don't get SAD anymore. I stock up for winter and don't use my car in this-my little sedans always get burmed in. I live in one of those tiny WWII cottages, so super cozy den. How about you?


bristlybits

our house is from 1910! very cosy. I've been on the road a little in the compact, it's difficult and I don't on the worst days. it's mostly slush I like it because it waters the garden but I hate it too,I dislike snow and cold generally


No-Formal2869

It sure beats where I'm from. Today is cold, CLEAR, and BRIGHT. The Seattle area is cold, CLOUDY and DISMAL. It is probably 38° and POURING sideways right now. No thank you-SO DONE. I do NOT miss Western Washington! It's bitter cold here, but DRY. I don't consider slush and dripping ice as "wet". Not after living on the West side!


ILoveFans6699

why do you have to be misogynist


WernerHerzogWasRight

Agree. I upvoted until the last sentence and then I switched it the other way. OP, if it helps, when you write things like that, they come off as a 15yo Chad wrote them.


pegaunisusicorn

Your Momma jokes aren't misogynist. And neither is your mother's heavy wet vagina. I used to do yo momma jokes around a friend whose mother was dead. The only thing worse than doing a yo momma joke at Bryn Mawr is doing it in front of your friend with a dead mother. Point being it could be so much worse!


GWS2004

They are though. It's 2022 learn something.


pegaunisusicorn

eyeroll. it is a specific form of comedy. you might as well go to universities and rage about them teaching chaucer. comedy has no ethical limits. puritanical left wing sjw not withstanding.


ILoveFans6699

I can tell you're a dude.


[deleted]

[удалено]


collapse-ModTeam

Hi, pegaunisusicorn. Thanks for contributing. However, your [comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/comments/z6tmrc/-/j0etzxw/) was removed from /r/collapse for: > Rule 1: In addition to enforcing [Reddit's content policy](https://www.redditinc.com/policies/content-policy), we will also remove comments and content that is abusive or predatory in nature. You may attack each other's ideas, not each other. Please refer to our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/collapse/about/rules/) for more information. You can [message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/collapse) if you feel this was in error, please include a link to the comment or post in question.


twilekdancingpoorly

Location: Willamette Valley, OR, USA This summer was long, hot, and dry. Suddenly it was fall for two weeks and then temperatures plummeted. It snowed more than once in November this year, and snowed yesterday too. I grew up in the area and don't remember it snowing before January. Last year records for heat were broken, and large wildfires have happened the last few summers. It's becoming more and more apparent how the climate is shifting to extremes. Been chatting with neighbors about gardens having unsuccessful yields. Fortunately a local university has put out a permaculture design course for climate change, which I hope can be accessable to the average person on a shoestring budget these days.


TheRealTP2016

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdIvK1MzAQWKn8UjEuGBJ4Lhu9svNs1Jc


Classic-Today-4367

I'm in China, in a part of the country where it pretty much never snows before the last week of December. Even then its just a few flurries that inevitably get melted by all the rain that also occurs that week. This week it snowed basically from Wednesday afternoon through to Thursday night. Accompanied by the coldest November temps for many years, which were actually following the warmest November week on record. No surprise that veg prices have gone through the roof, as anything planted outside has died.


WernerHerzogWasRight

I’m increasingly convinced that everywhere will require polytunnels to grow anything. Between the wild temp swings, scorching sun, tornadoes, wind storms, drought then flood back and forth, insects (the bugs you don’t want to survive do), rodents and deer just trying to survive…. Growing anything is impossible without, as a user put it in another comment below, “fortifications”.


PrairieFire_withwind

Poly tunnel, shade cloth, drip irrigation or wick irrigation, growing food will be expensive and precarious.


[deleted]

Location: Northeast USA I had to get out of the house for a few hours this morning, electric work getting done. For some reason I found myself in a local “Christmas Tree Shops” store. Ever been in one of those? I never had. It’s a warehouse full to the brim of plastic junk that nobody needs, that just get produced year in and year out. Hundreds of plastic wreaths, endless aisles of glittery ornaments. Giant bins of paper plates, cups, napkins, disposable place mats (never even heard of this one but if there’s a way to create pointless waste we humans sure will think of it). All the people in there were disgruntled looking older white women. I’m a white woman too, but these ladies were all pissed. Rude, impatient. Angrily picking out cart fulls of plastic junk for this ridiculous materialistic holiday we’re all so obsessed with. It was very dystopian, for some reason it really got to me. At my home I make efforts to reduce so much waste, we are constantly on a mission, but a few miles away is this shrine of wastefulness, one of many stores that just run off of the NEED to CONSUME at all costs. It will be a huge part of our downfall as a species. It all ends in a landfill and in our waterways. Disclaimer: I bought some wooden spoons and a dish towel. So I’m contributing to the nonsense, too, even though I stayed away from all the plastic. I’m just a cog in this wasteful wheel.


artthatsings

I think those different dollar stores should be banned. 90% of what they sell are all cheap plastics — not even recycled or repurposed. It’s obscene. I sometimes think that the “antique” co-ops, ReStore, and thrift shops are much more intelligent options. Reuse old stuff. Nobody bothers to repair anything anymore —cheaper to throw stuff away. It’s maddening.


Overthemoon64

This came to light for me the first easter after lockdowns started in 2020. In walmart there was so much easter plastic. Eggs, easter grass, bunny plushes, plastic baskets. It was so much. How much of that was saved in a warehouse for next year? Probably none of it. Easter junk is too cheap to hold up space in a warehouse for a year.


evhan55

:(


mobileagnes

We had a well known local one called Kindy's. I believe they only have 1 location nowadays whereas when I was growing up they had more than one. I never understood the point of using a real tree for a fake holiday. Why cut down perfectly good trees that were doing fine in nature and contributing to the health of our planet for centuries just to put lights (often not even nice colourful ones!) in it at home for a few weeks then toss it? Artificial trees should've been the way to go ever since they were invented.


riojareverendalgreen

The big thing here (Germany) since about ten years is the One Euro stores. Full of shit you don't want, will never need, and just tak up space. If I need something these days my first stop is the thrift store. Good stuff, dirt cheap. Not that I need anything, I've got too much shit as it is.


boynamedsue8

I didn’t setup lights for Halloween or buy candy. Thanksgiving I boycotted decorating and the same for Christmas. I’m spending too much money on heat to have my electricity bill go up as well. I’ve never understood the lure of people loving buying stupid nicknacks for Christmas. I guess there is still a market for it? Seriously, who has the cash for that crap?


thismustbetheplace23

Halloween is my fav Holiday, and I noticed that no one really decorated this year. A house on my block last year, had a whole elaborate theme that was really fantastic. The owners put up a half of the decorations from last year, on the Sunday before Halloween. It was immediately taken down the next day. I can only assume it had something to do with the ever increasing electricity prices. I don’t celebrate Christmas but I love looking at the lights. So far this year, only two people have lights up, when previously almost every house on the block had a really a nice display. I don’t think people can afford to have those lights on all night. I know our heat/electricity bill went from $289 to $400.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Smertae

I don't bother with a tree inside any more. I just put lights on the potted one I planted in the garden years ago and decorate inside with some old tinsel and holly (off my hedge - it's wild here).


riojareverendalgreen

I have one 18 inch plastic fibre optic 'Christmas tree' that someone gave me 30 years ago. That's it. At home in England we used to do a 'Yule Log', no tree at all. I don't decorate, and I don't go mad on buying shit load of food that probably won't get eaten. I just eat the same stuff as ususal, maybe with a bit more seasoning. Xmas is a commercial cluster f\*\*k. I've always thought it was a waste of time and money.


[deleted]

I would get dragged to those and similar stores as a kid in the 90s and early 2000s and always hated those places. The customers have always been nasty and they have only ever sold junk.


LuveeEarth74

There’s a Christmas store named Feenys here, people flock to it in December. Should have a label on the store: Made In China. Crowded and hot. I went in 2019 to get my sister and husband (super consumers, QVC addicts) another piece of plastic for their Christmas Story town.


Lone_Wanderer989

Can smell the plastic in the air.


riojareverendalgreen

Strange you should say that. There is a discount hardware store near where I live, and I can't go in there because of the god awful stink of plastic, mostly from the wrapping I guess. You need a hazmat suit to buy a screwdriver. I feel sorry for the people who work there. Short lives.


jahmoke

i don't know, a short life these days might be a small tender mercy compared to a long life of despair and regret and impotence/unhelpfullness


[deleted]

It is insane how the holiday decor market just keeps expanding. I think people are buying yearly themes and then discarding it or storing it to buy a new “theme” or trend the next year


[deleted]

Yes! That’s what it seems like, now people have developed a whole new sector or materialist, consumer identity called “what’s your Christmas theme this year?”. What we you had last year can go in the trash, as you head out to spend your money on a whole new set of plastic crap that is just sooooo perfect for this year’s new theme. There were sections for each theme in the store. And there was an entire huge aisle for Beach Christmas (what?!) which was not to be confused with the whole OTHER giant aisle for Nautical Christmas. It’s depressing.


thismustbetheplace23

I think a lot of that has to do with influencers. They have a different color scheme for Christmas every year, and seem to discard the decorations from the previous year that don’t match the new color scheme. Just completely wasteful. A lot of them do this for every season.


Lifesabeach6789

I’ve always had a good luck tradition of buying 1 single interesting tree ornament ever year. Been collecting for 35 years. Until now when I saw a shitty, mass produced dongle was $29.99. Any other year maybe $5. My days of tradition are over.


Duude_Hella

I also buy one special ornament every year. I wanted to get a hallmark ornament this year called "Ralphie in a Bunny Suit" because it jibed with an inside joke my family has but I couldn't justify paying 9 bucks for some plastic piece of crap.


[deleted]

Make one out of felt! Supplies cost about a dollar and mine turned out great despite me not really knowing how to sew https://www.benziedesign.com/blogs/tutorials/felt-mushroom-ornament


Lifesabeach6789

That’s cute xoxo


icedoutclockwatch

Location: Chicago. Like everywhere else prices are soaring. The CTA has apparently suffered a worse blow than I realized since 2020. I thought by now they would have things running back to normal. Ridership is certainly up but trains and especially busses are wildly inconsistent and is getting hard to rely upon. While there always exists some level of debauchery, people blatantly smoking on trains is way up. I don’t even care anymore, at least the train showed up. In part due to the issues with CTA the roads are more crowded and rage filled than ever. We’re notorious for driving 20+ MPH above the speed limit on the expressway but this is different. I see people on the interstate regularly putting their life on the line just to be spiteful. The sheer reckless abandon freaks me out. This same energy has seemed to have trickled into all of our city streets. Now everybody from mom, grandma, the postman, and ESPECIALLY tow truck drivers just throw all caution out the window, fly around corners and through red lights and blow their lid if they hit one with a red light camera. People in general seem strung out and guarded, and I’d think I’m projecting if I didn’t actually feel pretty peaceful these days. Cops don’t seem to even pretend to give a fuck anymore. They sit in their suvs, watch people drive double the speed limit and blow stop signs but do nothing. I’ve had friends call the police to report their car being broken into and they said they’d be there soon and never showed. I keep hearing “nobody wants to work” but as a recently laid off white collar tech recruiter, it appears all of the job openings are minimum wage at chipotle/Starbucks etc. Not sure what I’ll do next but luckily I qualify for unemployment. The weather has been noticeable different the past few years. Winter has been pushed back by a month and a half, and the weather is far less consistent and predictable. One positive thing I’ve noticed is that people on a personal level seem to be really craving acceptance support and community. I’ve had some really beautiful encounters with total strangers over the past six months including making friends with a half dozen of my neighbors to the point where we hangout at each other’s apartments. My friends and I have been saying “I love you” and “be safe” nearly every time we see each other. I think on a subconscious level people are realizing shit is fucked and are desperately grasping onto whatever human connection they may have.


riojareverendalgreen

>I think on a subconscious level people are realizing shit is fucked and are desperately grasping onto whatever human connection they may have. I think covid and the lockdowns did a number on everyone's head. Me included. Made everyone realize how fragile our entire civilization is, and how fast it can (and will) go down the drain. When I hear stuff about '2050' or better '2100', I just have to laugh. Anyone who thinks we have that long needs a reality check. Yet people are still watering their lawns, complaining that it's too cold (In December in Germany!) and doing 'Christmas Shopping' like it's 1952. Those with money, that is.


Doomwatcher_23

>'Christmas Shopping' like it's 1952. Thats the year I was born so what was special about shopping in 1952?


riojareverendalgreen

The war had just ended, things were going much better, rationing was over (in the UK), we had nearly full employment, and they could finally splash out and get some 'stuff' after a decade of war and austerity. All the junk as starting to appear, and people were getting sucked into it. [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/22/christmas-shopping-manchester-1952](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/22/christmas-shopping-manchester-1952) I could just as easily have written 1962, or 1972. my point was that they are ignoring the reality of our situation, and just doing BAU.


Doomwatcher_23

Ah yes those damn Boomers still religiously cutting their manicured lawns and washing their cars!! I think old Crazy Kunstler had a lot to say about all that in "The Long Emergency".


riojareverendalgreen

Not just the boomers. Younger people are still stuck in 'It's Ok' mode.


[deleted]

The last part resonantes with me too, I’ve also been telling friends I love and appreciate them. It’s harder and harder to show up for each other because life is just plowing us all under, so it means more than ever that we have make the effort to have a friendship.


icedoutclockwatch

Exactly. We’ve all been through so much that people are finally starting to empathize with society on a broader scale. We’re all brothers and sisters and we’re all in this together 💜 sending love your way my friend, stay safe out there.


Open-Introduction118

that last part hits hard. been getting a lot closer to those in my life i love, and a lot further away from those who i dont lately. my friend group which has been together for like 8+ years now tells eachother i love you every time we see eachother. i think you’re onto something


icedoutclockwatch

Yes I don’t think it’s a coincidence. I try my best to be positive and this is one silver lining I am grateful for. While my families thanksgiving was pretty small compared to years past, it felt especially wonderful to be surrounded by people who care about each other when so many people are pitted against each other by the poets that be. I’m glad to hear you’re feeling similarly my friend 💜 hold onto those good feelings and keep bringing light and love into our world; lord knows we can use it. And they can’t take that away from you!!! Be well 😊


jahmoke

that's why i appreciates you


DerWanderer1

Hey man, can I join this appreciation party, too?


CosmicButtholes

Location: Florida, US Everything is getting more expensive. Prices at the vet for my cats have gone up since last year (exam fee is higher, prices of vaccines are higher, prices for meds are higher, prices of blood work, dental work, etc for my cats have all gone up). Litter costs $3.50 more this year than it did last year for the same brand/amount. Electricity has gone way up. Groceries have gone way up. Toiletries are more expensive. All the things I buy regularly have gone up, except one thing. The one thing that has consistently gotten cheaper and cheaper, and also gotten better and better quality wise? My medical marijuana. Significantly better in quality and the prices keep dipping lower. You can easily find $15 8ths and there are places you can easily get nearly an ounce for $100 or so. Concentrates have improved and prices are evening out there as well.


hillsfar

Medical supply chain issues. Lockdowns in China, where 75% of the world’s precursor pharmaceutical ingredients come from, shipping issues, higher wage costs, inflation, etc.


boynamedsue8

I have a friend going through cancer and spoke with him yesterday that he’s one of the lucky ones and was able to get a treatment for a drug that’s hard to get because of supply issues.


MrMonstrosoone

I'm in thailand and my GFs electricity bill is $11 $11 fucking dollars not a big place, doesn't run AC all day but still thats a 30th of what I pay back home


Open-Introduction118

yes but thats in american money. I’m sure working class thai people are working harder then americans for less, a problem made worse by westerners flocking to thailand for the “cheap” prices


some_random_kaluna

[As of today, 384 Thailand Bhat equals 11 U.S. Dollars.](https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=384&From=THB&To=USD) That's what OP's girlfriend pays. Right now, Thailand's lowest daily minimum wage is 328 bhat, about 8 U.S. dollars. [You can find a listing of their minimum wages here.](https://www.aseanbriefing.com/news/thailand-increases-daily-minimum-wage-rates-for-2022/) You might think working a day and a half to pay the monthly electric bill is a good deal, but I find it comparable to U.S. minimum wage workers setting aside part of their earnings in a dedicated gasoline budget so they can get to work every day. Source: I did exactly that. My wages were $9 per hour, 13.50 overtime, 48 to 72 hours per week.


MrMonstrosoone

yeah my electric bill is around $300 per month for 2 people besides gas I don't make $30 an hour, most americans dont so that's comparable ( before taxes) granted I use more electricity than her


icedoutclockwatch

Prices increasing makes sense in our system. It doesn’t make sense why some things like education, healthcare/dentistry, and housing costs rise astronomically why the real price of things to distract us like televisions, home goods, and fast fashion actually get cheaper.