5fouls

Gibraltar is usually rock solid in what they do.

I think a lot of the issue in the U.S. is the number of Americans that feel some sort of sense of entitlement. When I see pictures 3rd world countries where everyone has a mask on, it disheartens me that we cant get there in the U.S. That said, I think the U.S. is reporting differently than many countries, Some countries likely don't have the capacity to count their dead. Others like China and Russia obviously under-report. And, finally, it's possible that the virus simply hits certain populations harder. The U.S and Eastern European cultures are very similar, and both of those have been hit very hard. Meanwhile, places like Japan are coming through very well. Could be that cultural factors, even down to something like diet, are playing a part.

As far as ICU capacity, I can only speak from my personal experiences. In 2015, my brother was in ICU for just under 3 weeks until he passed. At no time during those 3 weeks was the ICU not at or very near capacity. If a room opened up to to discharge or death, it was filled within a matter of hours. My mom has been in and out of ICU multiple times in the last half-dozen years. In a couple of those instances, she had to spend time in a regular bed until ICU space opened up. My point is that ICU capacity can be misleading, both ways. If a hospital that typically runs at 90% capacity is now at 95% capacity because of Covid, that's not in and of itself alarming, rather just a slight deviant from the norm. At the same time, if a hospital is at 40% ICU capacity, it's not necessarily a good thing if the hospital normally runs at 20% capacity. The problem with the numbers that are thrown around (from both sides) is that they are meaningful only when taken into context. Even the number of deaths, which is ultimately how this disease should be judged, can be misleading. Even taking away the 'of Covid' and 'with Covid' argument, things like the age of those that die is important. If 60% of the deaths in a community/city/state are people over 80, that is meaningful as it relates to how society should react. By contrast, if 60% of the deaths were school aged children, then you shut down schools. But, if only a fraction of one percent of deaths are school aged children, you leave schools open and take steps to protect those in the community that are at risk.

Arizona's raw numbers may not match those of Florida or Texas, but a large part of that is the overall population difference. From my perspective, Arizona is in a ,much darker place right now than either of those other states. I mean, Texas's number of cases per $1MM population still lags behind Indiana's and at no type in this process has Indiana been considered to be a hot spot.

Yet, a few weeks back when I posted FACTUAL information about the DC numbers that contradicted a blatantly false and misleading story ran by a major media outlet, I was the one that was accused of having an agenda. Yes, that's still a sore spot with me. Not saying this about you, but there are people that only complain about false and misleading information when it does not fit their narrative.

And........now we have the re-emergence of the Bubonic Plague. https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/06/asia/china-mongolia-bubonic-plague-intl-hnk-scli-scn/index.html

I just finished my 60 Bosch episodes in 60 straight nights binge. Best TV series I've ever watched. Gonna be tough waiting for Season 7. My plan is to start watching The Americans tomorrow night.

That truly will be a shame because all we truly seem to know about this virus is that it is very infectious. We don't seem to have a handle on how many are infected or what the true death rate is.

Unfortunately, I think we're going to see more and more of this.

I saw Vic play at Bankers Life the last game before the stoppage against the Celtics. He had 27 points. While he may not have been 100% at the time, he still scored 27 points against one of the best teams in the NBA. If he was able to do that on March 10th, then it is likely he could have played and contributed in Orlando. And, as I stated in an earlier post, it would be very telling as to what, if anything, the Pacers front office and coaching staff said. They are closer to it than you or I. So far that has been nothing.

At least you just read an article. Vodka resulted in marriage #4 for me.

Hadn't heard much about Sweden lately. This article indicates the jury is still out on whether their approach has been a success or a failure. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/07/03/what-sweden-can-teach-us-about-coronavirus-348462

Didn't you have shortness of breath and some other symptoms?

#2. #1 liked it.

For years, I thought my wife was screaming 'Oh Fouls!' while we were in bed. Turns out she was screaming "No Howls' And, here I thought she liked my wolf call while we were in the throes of passion.

7 time NASCAR champ Jimmie Johnson has tested positive and will miss the Brickyard 400 this weekend.

Good for Vic if he goes to Orlando to support. But, I'm not sure that will make a difference to some of his teammates if they lose a nip and tuck series to the 76'ers, Bucks, or Celtics.

On the point of 'quitting'. I know LeBron has quit on a few cities during his career, but he never quit on his team. Can you realistically see a scenario where LeBron would have not shown up in Orlando? I don't think it would have mattered if the Lakers were the top seed, the 5th seed like the Pacers, the 8th seed, or one of those teams just trying to play themselves in. LeBron would be there, and he would put the team on his back if needed.

Had not seen the Pritchard quote. A leader earns that title during tough times, not easy ones. Could be a big setback to Vic's career. If the Pacers do move on and Vic is on the market, he's going to have to answer some tough questions about why he did not play.

In my opinion, it will be very telling if the coaching staff and/or front office does not make a public announcement that supports Vic's decision.

A sentiment that probably 99.9999999999999% of the people in the world agree with.

Does anyone know if Juwan will be on the Jazz roster in Orlando? I'll probably watch a lot of the Celtics games. Hoping the time off has been good for Romeo. Yogi should get some play for the Kings as well. They're ultimately not going to make the playoffs, so they may give guys like Yogi extended time.

Vic and Mike Trout are two different animals. Trout is a great player, but has never been a 'leader'. The Angels never make the post-season. I've never viewed the Angels as 'Trout's Team'. Vic, on the other hand, stepped up the minute he got traded to the Pacers and inserted himself into the leadership role. If it is truly an injury setback, then the front office and coaching staff need to step up and confirm that. Otherwise, this most certainly could hurt Vic's image as the leader of the franchise, both among fans as well as in the locker room.

I was at Bankers Life for the last Pacers game before the shutdown and Vic had a huge game against the Celtics. If he was healthy enough then to play, then I can't see how that can be used as an excuse to sit out now. Disappointing. That said, I think the prospects of the NBA actually playing is probably 50/50 at this point.

This is the truth. Oh wait, if I say what you said is the truth, then there actually is some truth, which contradicts what you said. I'm so confused.