Coronavirus

[HEADING=2][[SIZE=5][COLOR=rgb(184, 49, 47)]‘Urban Warfare’ as Europe’s Second Wave Spins Out of Control[/COLOR][/SIZE]]('https://www.yahoo.com/news/urban-warfare-europe-second-wave-123713910.html')[/HEADING]
Some hyperbole but not looking good

Doing my annual OSHA refresher on BBP - ugh

Doing my annual OSHA refresher on BBP - ugh

Ah Hepatitis B, an old friend, along with it's Devil Spawn, Hepatitis D. We used to harvest Hepatitis D from woodchucks from Pennsylvania, REALLY!!

Always wondered if they were related to Punxsutawney Phil...

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[MEDIA=youtube]GLcNStHTDjM[/MEDIA]

I like da spitting inda beginning... cellie...

OMG he looked like he was going to blow a F'in blood vessel!

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wader vics from staten island,, im staying far away from this nut,, see he mite be sick,, see all the spit comming out of his mouth ,, im social distancing from him , like aleast a full block :LOL:,,,[COLOR=rgb(26, 188, 156)] ><)))):>

Meanwhile, the much smaller state RI (less potential cases) remains on the NYS quarantine list....smdh

Massachusetts also now qualifies to be added to the list, but Cuomo spared its inclusion. Like New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania — all of which qualify for the list — he judged a quarantine for Massachusetts to be impractical given its close ties to the state.

[URL unfurl="true"]https://news.yahoo.com/california-added-york-coronavirus-quarantine-201847871.html[/URL]

the expansion “world wide” of this current CV wave, will enrage countries to stand against China... cellie...

[URL unfurl="true"]https://news.yahoo.com/wedding-birthday-party-infect-56-120537435.html[/URL]

[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/fbi-warns-ransomware-assault-threatens-045020352.html[/URL]

*BOSTON (AP) — Federal agencies warned that cybercriminals are [unleashing a wave of data-scrambling extortion attempts]('https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-302a') against the U.S. healthcare system designed to lock up hospital information systems, which could hurt patient care just as nationwide cases of COVID-19 are spiking.

In a joint alert Wednesday, the FBI and two federal agencies warned that they had “credible information of an increased and imminent cybercrime threat to U.S. hospitals and healthcare providers.” The alert said malicious groups are targeting the sector with attacks that produce “data theft and disruption of healthcare services."

The cyberattacks involve ransomware, which scrambles data into gibberish that can only be unlocked with software keys provided once targets pay up. Independent security experts say it has already hobbled at least five U.S. hospitals this week, and could potentially impact hundreds more.

The offensive by a Russian-speaking criminal gang coincides with the U.S. presidential election, although there is no immediate indication they were motivated by anything but profit. “We are experiencing the most significant cyber security threat we’ve ever seen in the United States,” Charles Carmakal, chief technical officer of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant, said in a statement.
=========================*
Somebody should be gettin' on phone to Vladimir like right now........

[URL unfurl="true"]https://us.yahoo.com/news/religious-school-retreat-led-to-covid-outbreak-in-wisconsin-171425123.html[/URL]

Good news for those of us that like Nautical Items strewn about the house, but another economic disaster thanks to the pandemic. I've got 2 conflicting dogs in this fight, as we've enjoyed 5 cruises, but never on one of the mega, floating-city ships, but I do like buying nautical items for our house...

[HEADING=2]Where Cruise Ships Are Sent to Die[/HEADING]
At a shipyard in Turkey, the boats, including some from Carnival’s Fantasy fleet, are being turned into scrap, even as the industry hopes to find a way to start sailing.

Facing dire financial circumstances, cruise lines have been sending ships to Aliaga, in western Turkey, to be dismantled. Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times
[[IMG alt="Ceylan Yeginsu"]https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/10/17/multimedia/author-ceylan-yeginsu/author-ceylan-yeginsu-thumbLarge-v2.png[/IMG]]('https://www.nytimes.com/by/ceylan-yeginsu')
By [Ceylan Yeginsu]('https://www.nytimes.com/by/ceylan-yeginsu')
Oct. 30, 2020, 5:00 a.m. ET

Along the meandering industrial peninsula of Aliaga on Turkey’s Aegean coast, the contents of gutted vessels lay strewn on the dusty roadside, scattered among clusters of orange lifeboats that tower so high they obscure the dramatic scene unfolding in the shipyard below.

There, five mammoth cruise ships sit crammed into a muddied cove, as hundreds of workers chip away at their hulls and bows, exposing the intricate anatomies of the boats that once carried thousands of people around the world. Now, [as the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate the cruise industry,]('https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/26/travel/coronavirus-cruises-reopening.html') companies are downsizing their fleets and selling the ships for scrap.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Kamil Onal, chairman of the Ship Recyclers’ Association of Turkey. “Before the pandemic we mainly dismantled cargo ships, but now this has become the fate for cruise ships after months of sitting idle without passengers.”

Among the ships being recycled at Aliaga, are three Carnival cruise liners — [Inspiration,]('

Lifeboats from recycled ships dot the landscape in the boatyard. Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times

The ship-breaking operation is evidence of how deeply the coronavirus pandemic has damaged the $150 billion global cruise industry. After widely publicized outbreaks on ships worldwide, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a no-sail order effective March 14 for all United States cruises, leaving nearly 350 vessels idled in open waters or in ports.

The order is set to expire on Oct. 31, after the [White House intervened ]('https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/health/covid-cruise-ships.html')to keep it from being extended until February. But the C.D.C. recommends that travelers defer all cruise travel worldwide.

“Cruise passengers are at increased risk of person-to-person spread of infectious diseases, including Covid-19, and outbreaks of Covid-19 have been reported on several cruise ships,” [the agency said.]('https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/warning/coronavirus-cruise-ship')
The outbreaks took place on boats that had resumed operations in Europe, with heightened health protocols and a requirement for testing, and included eight people on board the Costa Diadema who tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month.

Costa Cruises, which is part of Carnival Corporation, said the incident showed how its safety protocols had been effective, allowing them to detect and safely manage positive cases before embarkation and during the cruise. All major cruise lines with a capacity to carry more than 250 passengers have committed to requiring a negative test before boarding, once the no-sail order is lifted, according to the [Cruise Lines International Association]('https://cruising.org/en/'), the industry’s trade group.

The ships to be taken apart include the Carnival Fantasy, Inspiration and Imagination. Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times
[HEADING=2][/HEADING]
[HEADING=2]Taken apart, piece by piece[/HEADING]
A cacophony of screeching metal, banging and clunking engulfs the shipyard as the ships are ripped apart deck by deck, with stateroom walls torn away and the amenities — gyms, theaters, discos — broken into pieces and carted away.

Nearly 2,000 workers have been employed to strip the five cruise ships of machinery, electronic equipment, glass, wood and other materials that can be reused or repurposed.

“Everything is taken out piece by piece, from the light bulb to the piano and swimming pool to the golf course,” said Mr. Onal, looking out his office window at a group of workers cutting metal scraps from the ships. “It’s a momentous task that will take up to eight months for each ship and they will continue until there is nothing left.”

He pointed to a single square of steel bobbing up and down in the water — the remains of an engine room in a cargo ship. “That’s what the cruise ships will look like toward the end,” he said.

[IMG alt="Items from recycled ships surround the port area, waiting to be sold. "]
Items from recycled ships surround the port area, waiting to be sold. Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times

After an intensive review, the Carnival Cruise Line group said it had selected two ship-recycling facilities in Turkey to dismantle its ships because of their track records of compliance with national and international environmental agreements, including the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. Mr. Onal said there was also a financial incentive because the Turkish recycling firms made a better offer than other global ship recycling facilities, but neither party would disclose how much the shipyard paid. The shipyard will then sell off the more than 1.1. million tons of steel it expects to remove from the ships by the end of the year.

“Our highest responsibility and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection, and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the communities we visit and our crew,” Bill Burke, chief maritime officer for Carnival Corporation, said in an email. “That commitment extends to our cruise ships, starting from the moment a ship becomes part of our fleet and continuing all the way through to its retirement.”
Last year, Carnival Corporation and its Princess subsidiary [paid a $20 million fine]('https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/04/business/carnival-cruise-pollution.html') for illegal dumping and other environmental violations.

The contents of the dismantled ships are in high demand among antiques brokers and private collectors in the area, who have been placing bids on the most valuable items.

“Don’t take notice of how the ships look now on the outside,” said Noyan Yurttas, co-owner of the Iskele Marine, a nautical antiques store opposite the shipyard. He was referring to the giant gashes torn out of the ships’ hull. “It’s a treasure chest in there.

Noyan Yurtas stands in the doorway of his antique store, which sells a range of salvaged items from cruise ships that have been dismantled. Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times

Hotels and corporations have bought most of the furniture from the ships, including tables, chairs and room fittings, Mr. Yurttas said, but antiques brokers have their sights set on the baroque lighting fixtures and wardrobes that weigh nearly 100 pounds.

“These are not regular ships; they are luxurious floating museums with many precious items inside,” he said with an excited smile as he sat in his store full of shiny bronze nautical antiques, including clocks, ornate light fixtures and maps. Other brokers in the area have collected articles like life jackets, lamps, sinks and art for people interested in purchasing cruise memorabilia.

“We have mainly seen local collectors and customers this year because of the pandemic, but normally tourists come here from all over the world to buy the items from the ships,” Mr. Yurttas said.
[HEADING=2]‘Like a pack of wolves’[/HEADING]
Photos and videos of the ships’ dismantling have been circulating on social media, and for cruise enthusiasts it has been hard to watch, even from a distance. At 30 years old, the Carnival Fantasy is the oldest vessel in the Carnival Cruise line fleet, and was popular among older people for its smaller scale and familiarity.

“I was heartbroken to see the ships sold off and scrapped like that,” said Maggie Hetherington, 74, a retired nurse from Norwich in southeast England who has taken several cruises on the Fantasy and its sister ship Inspiration. “They look like they’ve been attacked by a pack of wolves.”

Ms. Hetherington said she understood the economic considerations of the cruise companies but believes there will still be a demand for older ships once the pandemic is over.

“Not everyone is into the big new high-tech ships, as impressive as they may be,” she said. “The Fantasy’s décor may be a little dated, but there is something appealing about walking into a smaller ship, hanging your hat and knowing your way around,” she added. “There’s also the element of nostalgia.”

Derek Watson, 69, an avid cruiser from Liverpool in northern England took his first Caribbean cruise on the Fantasy. He said that such iconic ships should be phased out gradually and fans of the vessels should be allowed to take tours or book final excursions before they are scrapped.

“It’s just sad that these ships are being dismantled before having one last hurrah,” Mr. Watson said. “It’s hard to stay optimistic and get excited about future cruises when so many are being retired at the same time.”

When exactly those future cruises will sail is hard to predict. Royal Caribbean Cruises, another of the industry’s biggest companies and which also sent two ships to be recycled in Aliaga this year, has teamed up with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and a panel of medical experts to establish safety measures that would allow cruising to return.

The shipyard’s owners expect a brisk business in recycling the cruise ships, as almost all crusing remain shut down.Credit...Bradley Secker for The New York Times

Last month, the panel submitted a list of 74 detailed recommendations to the C.D.C., including testing, capacity reduction, face coverings and enhanced sanitation procedures. The cruise executives said they were confident that cruises could resume safely if all the health and safety protocols were applied.
But the cases aboard the Costa Diadema cropped up despite testing after passengers took shore excursions on the Greek Islands. The guests were asymptomatic and tested positive upon re-entry into Italy.

And the optimistic outlook from executives as they prepare to bounce back from the crisis is at odds with the backdrop of destruction and debris at the Aliaga shipyard. Mr. Onal said they were expecting more cruise ships to arrive over the next few months.

“There’s a lot of interest, it’s going to be a busy year ahead,” he said.

Starting to lose it with anyone who says "Can't wait until 2020 is over!" like when the ball drops in Times Square on News Year Eve there's going to be a loud POOF and the Pandemic will magically disappear!! The most egregious use of this seems to be newscaster/interviewers talking to people with businesses/ventures deeply impacted by the Pandemic.

I'm concerned that these statements are starting to instill a false sense of security. Right now, when the ball drops, and for at least few months after, NOTHING will be changing in our day to day existence. Hopefully an effective vaccine will become available and there will be better, widely available effective therapeutics, but Masks, Social Distancing, Restrictions on Large Gatherings, and Scrupulous Hygiene will be with us.

This should be a Cool Hand Luke "Get Your Mind Right" moment, instead it's starting to become a "Unicorn Farting Rainbows" event.

Starting to lose it with anyone who say "Can't wait until 2020 is over!" like when the ball drops in Times Square on News Year Eve there's going to be a loud POOF and the Pandemic will magically disappear!! The most egregious use of this seems to be newscaster/interviewers talking to people with businesses/ventures deeply impacted by the Pandemic.

The "virtual" ball.
I'm hoping that by then, dealing with the virus will become less political, but you never know.

Starting to lose it with anyone who say "Can't wait until 2020 is over!" like when the ball drops in Times Square on News Year Eve there's going to be a loud POOF and the Pandemic will magically disappear!! The most egregious use of this seems to be newscaster/interviewers talking to people with businesses/ventures deeply impacted by the Pandemic.

I'm concerned that these statements are starting to instill a false sense of security. Right now, when the ball drops, and for at least few months after, NOTHING will be changing in our day to day existence. Hopefully an effective vaccine will become available and there will be better, widely available effective therapeutics, but Masks, Social Distancing, Restrictions on Large Gatherings, and Scrupulous Hygiene will be with us.

This should be a Cool Hand Luke "Get Your Mind Right" moment, instead it's starting to become a "Unicorn Farting Rainbows" event.

Well Dom....I'm so sick of 2020 I won't even turn my clock back an hour this year....who wants it!!

Starting to lose it with anyone who says "Can't wait until 2020 is over!" like when the ball drops in Times Square on News Year Eve there's going to be a loud POOF and the Pandemic will magically disappear!! The most egregious use of this seems to be newscaster/interviewers talking to people with businesses/ventures deeply impacted by the Pandemic.

I'm concerned that these statements are starting to instill a false sense of security. Right now, when the ball drops, and for at least few months after, NOTHING will be changing in our day to day existence. Hopefully an effective vaccine will become available and there will be better, widely available effective therapeutics, but Masks, Social Distancing, Restrictions on Large Gatherings, and Scrupulous Hygiene will be with us.

This should be a Cool Hand Luke "Get Your Mind Right" moment, instead it's starting to become a "Unicorn Farting Rainbows" event.

That’s great Dom. I actually don’t think the ball will change anything until at least 2025-2039 at least. Possibly the next century.

I enjoy reading your musings and big pharma gravitas from high up above in the sticks of Maine telling the rest of the peasant navante what to expect and how to live gong forward in a life of fear wearing face diapers with business closing on every corner.

But Please do continue to share.

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Dom; Lol. LT. Caffey was right at the end. For all of Jessups talks, however true, the Kernal was takin away in handcuffs by the MP’s.