[QUOTE=Pessimist;2466505] Isn't that the common complaint about economists, that if you have 4 economists in a room there are 8 opinions?[/QUOTE]I've never heard that specific comment before. It is brilliant! Thanks for the morning laugh.
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[QUOTE=Pessimist;2466505] Isn't that the common complaint about economists, that if you have 4 economists in a room there are 8 opinions?[/QUOTE]I've never heard that specific comment before. It is brilliant! Thanks for the morning laugh.
[QUOTE=RickRock;2466587]The US has the highest healthcare costs in the entire world, and the highest number of COVID-19 deaths.
Laos has one of the lowest healthcare expenditures on earth, 17 COVID-19 infections, and 0 deaths.
As it turns out, money can't buy everything.[/QUOTE]Well, a few things money can buy is politicians, and testing kits. Very much on topic regarding your assessments there on Laos.
[QUOTE=RockyV;2466668]The reporting standards and testing capacities are different. US (population of 331 million people) has so far carried out 131,000 test /1 million people, Laos (population of ca. 7 million people) has carried out just 2,853 tests /1 million people.
To cite Trump: if you don't test you wouldn't have any cases!
Rock.[/QUOTE]I will say that all tests are not equal. US, as you said did 131.4 K tests per mil pop and has 10.5 K cases per mil pop. S Korea did 27.7 K tests per mil pop and has 264 cases per mil pop. A test done early in the phase of a pandemic, when there are only a few dozens of total cases or a few hundred cases means you can catch and trace as many infections as possible, isolate them, and prevent a full blown outbreak. We did not test enough early on, and now it is out of control.
That said, this virus is impacted by many cultural factors. Asians are used to prior SARS outbreaks. Their governments were sensitive to this from early on. They reacted quickly. Their people are used to mask wearing. I see tons of people walking around w / masks even in perfectly normal times. Their populations are compliant and respect governments and do not question rules, especially rules that impact individual freedoms.
In the developed white countries, and especially Anglo Saxon countries and particularly so in US / UK, people are individualistic. We are not used to listening to governments. We look to ourselves to survive and do not depend on the government. Our best president of last 50 years Reagan said government is part of the problem, not of solution. We own guns to protect ourselves; I do myself even if I live in a very nice gated complex. Our government was clueless w. Are. T. How to react to this outbreak. We happened to have the very worst POTUS as far as this virus is concerned. This was a perfect storm. We will definitely not fare this terribly the next time, I am super confident about it. Churchill said "Americans Will Always Do the Right Thing — After Exhausting All the Alternatives".
That said, people taking pot shots at US and gloating at our infections and deaths and comparing us to Laos are living in a lala land. Please be my guest and migrate to Laos, or if you are already in Laos, be happy and stay there. There is not one single country that has the combination of military / financial / economic / soft-power / cultural domination that US exerts on the world. Even in the countries which are very hostile to us, say China / Russia / any others, their populations are typically huge fans of Americans, American culture, and our people and want to copy us or even come and live here.
[QUOTE=YummyPL;2466679]I've never heard that specific comment before. It is brilliant! Thanks for the morning laugh.[/QUOTE]Haha Thank you very much. You know, the the favorite 4 words of an economist are "on the other hand".
An economist is someone who doesn't know what he's talking about. And make you feel it's your fault.
Q: Why did God create economists? A: In order to make weather forecasters look good.
Milton's First Law of Economists: For every economist, there exists an equal and opposite economist. The Second Law of Economists: They're both wrong.
[QUOTE=Pessimist;2466403]I should visit these places more often. I have been in Barcelona dozens of times but somehow or other never visited the beach. I was in Tiergarten in Berlin but did not see many naked chicks, let alone attractive ones. There is a small section of nude beach in San Diego years ago, and more recently near Miami but US nude beaches are worthless. I always had the fantasy of fucking a lovely girl on the beach, half in water. Some day.[/QUOTE]Have you been to Haulover? I used to go there regularly in the early 2000's and it was not too bad. Once a rather ok nude woman in her early 40's complimented my dick and we got to talking, sat down on the sand and proceeded on some hanky panky and a guard came up to us and warned us. America sucks. This would not have happened in France. That beach sucks big time now. Last time I went about 10 years ago it was overrun with undesirables and gays.
[QUOTE=Turgid;2466864]Have you been to Haulover? I used to go there regularly in the early 2000's and it was not too bad. Once a rather ok nude woman in her early 40's complimented my dick and we got to talking, sat down on the sand and proceeded on some hanky panky and a guard came up to us and warned us. America sucks. This would not have happened in France. That beach sucks big time now. Last time I went about 10 years ago it was overrun with undesirables and gays.[/QUOTE]Yeah, once. I was in FL for business and then drove straight to the Haulover beach because it was a decent distance away and I was confident no one I knew would see me on the beach. Around 3 PM in late March. Did get down to my birthday suit LOL but it was weird because I did not have a towel to put my bum down and it was hot. 75% were men, the women were old, not so good. I think there was one reasonably attractive woman but I did and't get a good look as she was roughly 100 ft away. After an hour, got dressed and walked away. Was an experience.
You definitely have skills. Able to hit up strangers on a nude beach is not an easy thing. Yeah, US sucks. You got away lucky w / just a warning. There have been multiple reports of couples arrested for public sex in FL. Here is one from a few weeks ago. You get arrested for doing what comes naturally. What a country!
[URL]https://rare.us/rare-humor/elderly-florida-couple-sex-sidewalk/[/URL]
[URL]https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne--20191203-jilviehjtndifaxntjg2citwlu-story.html[/URL]
[URL]https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-couple-had-sex-inside-patrol-car-after-arrest-for-riding-bicycles-while-drunk-reports[/URL]
[URL]https://www.bradenton.com/news/local/crime/article222200710.html[/URL]
BTW, since you do use escorts in US. There is a thread here on sugar babes now on ISG. Perhaps a bit more expensive than escorts? But you seem skillful, and these days sugar babes are desperate. I am staying away from them because I can't take a risk on covid due to family issues but that may not be a problem for you.
[QUOTE=Turgid;2466389]I last visited Cap D'Agde in France in 2008. There were many naked hot ladies there. There was the sexy section of the beach where you could bang ladies for free but the lady chose you and not vice versa. A hot lady never chose me for sex, only to give me hand jobs.[/QUOTE]Full naked Cap Agde on Mediterranee sea still exist, but never been. Since I m lonesome free bird, I only go to mountains, my paradise, I was so happy in Gran San Bernardino Aosta side, even 10/15 degrees and windy and even rain in Bonette south France, when Summer was said to be hot, and to be closer to angels.
40 years back in France or Germany no girl or woman was wearing a bra on the beach or swimming pool, today that is no more possible so many frustrated guys around, the same guys are not even able to shower nude in a FKK, the world is changing not sure for the better.
Today I saw an interview with a pfizer infectologist in charge of phase 3 of the vaccine that they will try soon in South America. He said what we all already know. If we have 100 infected, 75 are asymptomatic, of the remaining 25,16 have mild symptoms and 8 have complications. The interesting point was when he explained why some places in europe have the covid "under control", such as Spain or Italy, it is because it depends on the number of deaths that each of those countries had and the areas where the virus was focused. For every death, studies estimate that there were 1,000 infections. If we multiply, for example, the 29,000 "official" deaths in Spain, when we all know that there were more, we have 29 million infected. Around 60% of its population. So, we would be talking about of certain herd immunity. We can also explain the same situation in other countries or in cities such as New York, where the number of infections but above all of deaths has dropped considerably. If this opinion makes sense, the important thing would be to know now is for how long the antibodies last in those infected who survived this disease. A couple of days ago, I heard a WHO doctor saying that the antibodies can weaken in a few months but it is not yet known in how many, it could be 6, 8 or 12 months. This information would be important considering the effects of a second wave...
[QUOTE=TeaInTheSun;2466992] For every death, studies estimate that there were 1,000 infections. If we multiply, for example, the 29,000 "official" deaths in Spain, when we all know that there were more, we have 29 million infected. Around 60% of its population. So, we would be talking about of certain herd immunity. [/QUOTE]The infected rate encountered in this study, even in so-called hotspot areas, is nowhere near 60%.
[URL]https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31483-5/fulltext[/URL]
[QUOTE=Pessimist;2466778]I will say that all tests are not equal. US, as you said did 131.4 K tests per mil pop and has 10.5 K cases per mil pop. S Korea did 27.7 K tests per mil pop and has 264 cases per mil pop. A test done early in the phase of a pandemic, when there are only a few dozens of total cases or a few hundred cases means you can catch and trace as many infections as possible, isolate them, and prevent a full blown outbreak. We did not test enough early on, and now it is out of control.
That said, this virus is impacted by many cultural factors. Asians are used to prior SARS outbreaks. Their governments were sensitive to this from early on. They reacted quickly. Their people are used to mask wearing. I see tons of people walking around w / masks even in perfectly normal times. Their populations are compliant and respect governments and do not question rules, especially rules that impact individual freedoms.
In the developed white countries, and especially Anglo Saxon countries and particularly so in US / UK, people are individualistic. We are not used to listening to governments. We look to ourselves to survive and do not depend on the government. Our best president of last 50 years Reagan said government is part of the problem, not of solution. We own guns to protect ourselves; I do myself even if I live in a very nice gated complex. Our government was clueless w. Are. T. How to react to this outbreak. We happened to have the very worst POTUS as far as this virus is concerned. This was a perfect storm. We will definitely not fare this terribly the next time, I am super confident about it. Churchill said "Americans Will Always Do the Right Thing After Exhausting All the Alternatives".[/QUOTE]I totally agree with this analysis. Great contribution to the discussion. Thanks!
[QUOTE=Pistons;2466223]When it comes to these cultural differences Chongmal talks about, that is just one more of these "we are better than them" stories. And as much as BLM has something to it, such stories must also go. Because they are fake mindsets going forward, and only a source of racism.[/QUOTE]Well, hmm, ok.
At risk of being further labeled a racist, I will make a couple quick points. Maybe not so quick.
As I read this you have already labeled me a racist and part of the problem. I suspect this is because I demonstrated pride in my Asian heritage. I accept that you may find my Asian success unfair. I will counter your claim that my Asian pride is part of the problem with the theory that people who see racism everywhere are a bigger part of the problem. Racism exists globally. Yes, I have seen Asians demonstrate their dislike for impure blood first hand. In some cases this intolerance is lessening but in predominantly Asian populated areas it still exists strongly, just as it does in white cultures, Hispanic cultures and black cultures.
I showed examples of how one culture accepts the fact they are thrown a crap hand, and they invest in themselves to work their way up. The examples I gave crossed state and international borders. Does investing in their culture eliminate the racist mindsets that surround them, no, but it improves their personal situation, their families situation and their extended families situation. At risk of further offending you I will say the German, Irish, Italian, Polish, etc. Early immigrants to the US did the same thing. Their criminal enterprises fed their intra national social assistance programs. If a culture and people are not willing to invest themselve and tackle the crap hand dealt to them, who else will. Is it racist, cultist, fueling bigotry by creating pride, maybe. On the other hand, not braking out of the cycle of being a victim has proven that victomology, although not genetic, can be passed on to our descendants or cast aside.
My Grandfather worked as a share cropper. He worked years to eventually be able to buy his own land and all of the family came together to build a house. My father graduated High School and immediately started working in a hazardous environment which he did until he was 65. He worked 18 years after that in other manual labor before illness disabled him physically. I joined the military and earned the option to finish university. It took 15 years to finish my degree, my career has been a yoyo of highs and lows. In addition to paying WGs enough to buy a small mansion, I have also paid for my children's college degrees, allowing them to start debt free. Of course, perhaps all this was only possible because of my White Privilege. Nope, one of my former colleagues is African American and we both talked about it for years. Our kids played football together, graduated different schools but all started their careers unburdened by debt. Here we are, African, White, Asian all in the same boat.
Our limiting factors are our minds.
Silly Rabbit, Trixie Are For Kids!
One babe I saw on seeking today.
If anyone is interested just Google the Covid-19 vaccine trial at Oxford UK. They have become increasingly confident that their trials will be a success as early as September this year.
As the UK doesn't have a large amount of the virus circulating the third stage of the trial is being done in Brazil on a larger scale where the Covid-19 rate is high.
Thanks but I think it is a long way to go to find a vaccine, it seems even the people who got the covid are only protected several months could be the same effect for any vaccine, we are still waiting for the HIV vaccine also promised and discovered 100 times.