2020: A new COVID virus is causing an epidemic in China. Trump suggests
that we should close our border to travelers from China.

The Peanut Gallery ( + Nancy Pelosi and several other Democrat politicians): "RACIST! RACIST! RACIST! ORANGE MAN BAD! RACIST!"

2021: A new COVID variant is found in several countries in Southern
Africa, plus in Hong Kong, China. BOTH the Biden Administration, and the Trudeau Administration, close the border of their respective countries to travelers from those Southern African countries, but NOT to China or Hong
Kong.

The Peanut Gallery: <crickets>


* SLMR 2.1a * ....we came in?
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)

2021: A new COVID variant is found in several countries in Southern Africa, plus in Hong Kong, China. BOTH the Biden Administration, and
the Trudeau Administration, close the border of their respective
countries to travelers from those Southern African countries, but NOT
to China or Hong Kong.

Now the South African state health department and the WHO are saying the
world is over-reacting. Like how the WHO skipped over the Greek letters Nu
and Xi to appease China's dictator. XD

-- Sean

... Common sense is not so common. - Voltaire
___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)

Now the South African state health department and the WHO are saying the world is over-reacting. Like how the WHO skipped over the Greek letters Nu and Xi to appease China's dictator. XD

I don't know about the WHO, but I would not mind if the South African
health authorities are correct. What I read today makes it sound like
Omicron might be more contageous but also with much milder symptoms.
Sounds like it is still too early to tell, though, when it comes to more serious cases.


* SLMR 2.1a * This message protected by DALETECH!!
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)

Mike Powell wrote to SEAN DENNIS <=-

I don't know about the WHO, but I would not mind if the South African health authorities are correct. What I read today makes it sound like Omicron might be more contageous but also with much milder symptoms. Sounds like it is still too early to tell, though, when it comes to
more serious cases.

As a friend said, the best way to deal with this new "variant" is to just
turn off the TV.

-- Sean

___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)

I don't know about the WHO, but I would not mind if the South African health authorities are correct. What I read today makes it sound like Omicron might be more contageous but also with much milder symptoms. Sounds like it is still too early to tell, though, when it comes to
more serious cases.

As a friend said, the best way to deal with this new "variant" is to just turn off the TV.

Probably the best way to deal with many things these days. :)

Mike


* SLMR 2.1a * Float on a river, forever and ever, Emily...Emily...
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (618:250/1)

Mike Powell wrote to SEAN DENNIS <=-

Probably the best way to deal with many things these days. :)

Indeed. The "news" is a fool's errand these days.

-- Sean

... If at first you don't succeed, try something else.
___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)

Re: Re: 2020 vs. 2021
By: Sean Dennis to Mike Powell on Mon Dec 06 2021 05:07 pm

Mike Powell wrote to SEAN DENNIS <=-

Probably the best way to deal with many things these days. :)

Indeed. The "news" is a fool's errand these days.

-- Sean

... If at first you don't succeed, try something else.
___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

I think it was The Gift of Fear which recommended people not to pay attention to the media, because it
made you afraid of stuff that didn't matter to you, and made you lose focus of the things that were
actually dangerous for you.

I reached the conclusion that most of the problems the public is concerned with are manufactured with
Spain's anti-dog panic. The news managed to get people scared of any dog bigger than 45 kg in a country
in which there has never been a problem with dog attacks or anything.

I work at speciallized press and I have worked with activist press, and the trend seems to be for
journals and the like to stick to news that sell. So it pays to focus on certain subjects so they "become
a thing" and have a recognizeable brand. I have noticed that news and posts that have a recognizeable
"brand" tend to generate more people sharing links with other people, they get more eyes on e-journals...
so e-journals are incentiviced to inflate one or two subjects in a given timeframe, so people seeks
information about those subjects and finds you.

The problem is that in technical press it is harmless (journals full of "Security" articles, "Raspberry
Pi" articles) but in general press it is devastating (journals full of "Dog" articles cause the neighbors
to sue you because you have dogs).

--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

SEAN DENNIS wrote to MIKE POWELL <=-

Indeed. The "news" is a fool's errand these days.

Agreed! I am late to this convo, but totally agree. I used to only
check Fox News, but even they are click baiting these days. So I use
Google News to kinda aggregate articles and then I can block sources I
don't care to read.

Kev


--- Telegard/2/QWK v3.09.g2-sp4/mL
* Origin: Razor's Domain/2 BBS (618:200/1)

Re: Re: 2020 vs. 2021
By: Kevin Nunn to Sean Dennis on Wed Dec 08 2021 10:41 am

SEAN DENNIS wrote to MIKE POWELL <=-

Indeed. The "news" is a fool's errand these days.

Agreed! I am late to this convo, but totally agree. I used to only
check Fox News, but even they are click baiting these days. So I use
Google News to kinda aggregate articles and then I can block sources I
don't care to read.

Kev

It is... complicated.

Most news outlets buy their news from the same (small) set of news agencies. Every mainstream news outlet is using the same sources and telling pretty much the same things. What changes is the spin they put on them.

Real independent journalists are scarce, because real journalism gets powerful people angry and is therefore quite dangerous. There is an spaniard one I can thing of, who is funded by private citizens in order to uncover what others won't uncover, but no big outlet is buying any news from him.

--
gopher://gopher.richardfalken.com/1/richardfalken
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: Palantir * palantirbbs.ddns.net * Pensacola, FL * (618:250/24)

Kevin Nunn wrote to Sean Dennis <=-

Agreed! I am late to this convo, but totally agree. I used to only
check Fox News, but even they are click baiting these days. So I use Google News to kinda aggregate articles and then I can block sources I don't care to read.

Sadly, with Rupert Murdoch handing the business to his sons, FOX News is turning left rather quickly and is not worth watching. I enjoy reading The Epoch Times and the Washington Examiner online. I also watch OANN online
when I can.

For an aggregate news source, I highly recommend Whatfinger News (whatfinger.com). Run by veterans and they have a lot of news Google News won't have for obvious reasons.

-- Sean

... If things were left to chance, they'd be better.
___ MultiMail/FreeBSD v0.52

--- Maximus/2 3.01
* Origin: Outpost BBS // bbs.outpostbbs.net:10123 (618:618/10)

SEAN DENNIS wrote to KEVIN NUNN <=-

For an aggregate news source, I highly recommend Whatfinger News (whatfinger.com). Run by veterans and they have a lot of news Google
News won't have for obvious reasons.

Nice, thanks! I will check that out.

Kev

--- Telegard/2/QWK v3.09.g2-sp4/mL
* Origin: Razor's Domain/2 BBS (618:200/1)