SpecialEd

Okay, the only derogatory dictionary definition I have found for "gal" was in the so-called "Urban Dictionary"--which is a bullshit source of made-up words and definitions, probably coined and compiled by bored high school students. These words come and go each year. A few years ago, "ratchet" was a really big deal with teens. Many students asked me to say this word and then burst out laughing. I still don't know what it's supposed to mean. The whole thing, including the "gal" racist allegations, is beyond stupid.

I have used this term my entire adult life and have apparently not offended anyone that I know of. This association of the term with racism sounds made-up. Never heard this before.

A living room and entertainment center on two wheels. Freaking awesome.

TMI, Bubs.

Members of the Furry Culture and Pastafarians are also fanning the flames of conspiracy. Ignore their gratuitous assertions and those of Bubba, a new member of OR who, as many know, is a recent retiree of NASA, an organization whose sole purpose is disseminating fake news and creating chaos under the guise of promoting extraterrestrial science.

??

Just don't get virtually drunk and cyberembarrass us. And ensure you stay at least six feet away from yourself.

Bubs, your sister IS a hero, and I'm not surprised at all that she volunteered to reenter the battlefield. That's the stuff many (if not most) medical people are made of. Just remember: there will always be doctors and nurses who graduated at the bottom of their cohort in med school. Pray you don't become one of their patients.

Looks as if all of us who have responded so far are of like mind. I know I speak for all of you when I say, despite our opinions, we are grateful toward our first responders and to the medical community. Not a job I would want to have. We are all different, and those who risk their lives for us are drawn to these callings--many, I feel certain, not for the money, either.

After reading this morning about the ultra chaotic conditions in a New York hospital, I found myself wondering just how many of these frontline workers were so terrified of the goings on around them that they are considering getting out of this side of healthcare, if not the entire industry. I'm sure I would have been one of those. No job (or "calling" as many practitioners refer to their job) is worth one's life--is it? What value is sacrificing one's self when it could have been prevented? Is the pay even worth it? This whole situation reminds me of the Chernobyl tragedy, where so many workers placed themselves in harm's way in mitigating (or trying to mitigate) a terrible situation while facing almost certain death. Nothing wrong with changing jobs and/or careers, and I don't blame some of the folks you mention who are trying to bullshit their way out of a dangerous assigment or duty. It looks cowardly--no, it IS cowardly--but it's not wrong. Those who are paralyzed by fear should get out of the way so they can be replaced by those who are ready and able to help as asked. This may be a "war," but civilian healthcare work is not military service. The whole mess is complicated even further by the well-publicized lack of tools to do the job safely--PPE, vents, gowns, gloves, etc. If you would stay on the front line, readers, please let me know why. As I indicated earlier, I certainly wouldn't.

College kids?? I don't understand that at all. Weird.

True dat. I guess they don't want the freedom.

Oddly enough, many of the kids I talk with couldn't care less about getting their first driver's license.

I'm sure that's true, plus the current generation of kids will be coming of age with this new technology instead of the muscle cars we were enamored with at their age. They will geek out on electric vehicles. The big block Chevelles, Mustangs, and Firebirds from the 70s probably are looked upon as dinosaurs by anyone under 21 years old now.

Oh no, I can assure you you are absolutely right. I see it every freaking day at school. That's one reason why it's so great that we don't live forever.

I just have a really hard time imagining future teenagers and college kids getting excited about kilowatts instead of cubic inches. Plus, the absence of engine noise seems . . . I dunno, kinda boring.

World's quietest drag race. How weird is this??

Makes perfect sense now. Glad to have learned something while sitting at home, not working, and eating too much.

Wow, that's seems odd; I wonder why? Soap and water are still touted as being the most effective solution. My hands have become pretty raw over the last few weeks.

These dumb asses volunteered to attend choir rehearsal; they weren't ordered to go, according to the story.

I think the take-away is that people should take all available measures to insulate themselves from exposure and passively exposing others. Dr. Acton said today that we should all internalize this and, for practical purposes, assume that everyone we encounter is either toxic or susceptible and act to minimize proximity. Pretty fackin' easy to do.

I totally get that. Verifying facts and dispelling speculation/misinformation is almost totally impossible in this panic-fueled environment. As you imply, negative reports of the spead/containment of this scourge have consequences for countries that "do business" with the USA.

https://people.com/health/washington-choir-members-die-after-rehearsal-amid-coronavirus-spread/ Here is a story about a terribly tragic occurrence that happened recently in our country. Stupid people who don't follow experts' rules pay the ultimate price. Totally unavoidable deaths and needless exponential exposure of the virus to others.

Hand-sanitizers with an alcohol content of at least 62% are considered effective by the CDC. Lysol is also approved as an effective surface disinfectant--this is what we use around our house. Parenthetically, DeWine and his team closed Ohio schools until May 1 this year during today's statehouse press briefing. I'm confident that this school year will effectively be over very soon.

I know it would be ridiculous to ask you to cite sources for all of this information here, but if half of what you write here is factual, it is appalling. At minimum, I agree that there is a high probability that the Chinese are, indeed, skewing the truth in order to mollify their populace, and bolster their international reputation.