It's funny to me that you say this. I stopped watching the news in 2018 just to see how it would affect my life and haven't gone back to "keeping current" since. I find that most of the people around me that are "outraged" by current events are heavy news watchers. :bonk:



The only time I even look into "news" now is when it sounds too far fetched to be true or because some meme won't stop a reference that I can't get without looking deeper into the story.

In 2016 I stopped listening to the Talking Heads (talk radio, CNN, FOXNEWS commentary programs, etc) and switched to scanning headlines and reading just news stories or specific segments on specific subjects.

My life is much better now.

Different timeframe but the same here. I also tossed social media and local news except for weather.

Now it's a mix of independent blogs, a few forums, and mostly foreign press.

Whatever news fads and fantasies I miss that locals deem important is usually displayed with stickers on the back of their Prius.

I used to watch Fox News religiously, but switched over to MSNBC and CNN and it's really helped my IQ.

the timeline is funny because i stopped in 2017. not intentionally, but i moved into my own place, and it didn't have a tv antenna installed. at first, it was on the to-do list, but then i got internet, and amazon prime. after that, installing an antenna just got pushed further and further down the list as i started to appreciate not getting outraged at every miniscule little thing, and not having to endure commercial breaks anymore.

How do you folks expect to stay confused if you don't keep up? - :iono:

I`m confused and I don`t keep up

Can`t

hey boi, got sum dat new k-pop spinin'?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox...n-research.amp


Fwiw

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.was...ry%3f_amp=true


Fwiw

I think it would be great to figure out exactly where the virus originated from because knowing that could be important for avoiding a future event. There are only a few possibilities:

1) It evolved naturally from social species like bats or birds and passed to humans because of contamination or interactions—likely.

2) It evolved naturally in livestock or in wet markets and passed to humans—likely.

3) It evolved in 1) or 2), and it was brought to a lab to study, and it got out—possible.

4) Same as 3), but it was further developed in ‘gain of function’ research and accidentally got out—possible.

5) Same as 4), but it was intended as a biological weapon—unlikely given that the Wuhan Institute of Virology isn’t a military facility and is centered in such a public place.

6) Same as 5), but it was intentionally released on its own population, a la V for Vendetta—highly unlikely.


Solutions:

1) Do what we do already and try to screen species for emerging viruses, while improving sanitation and food preparation standards. Unlikely to contain all future pandemics.

2) Eat less meat. Close wet markets. Reduce the dependency on cultures eating wild animals—unlikely.

3) Improve lab practices to avoid the possibility of infection in employees. Unlikely because people are fallible and corporations are built to save money or do the bare minimum. Most of the time improvements are short lived unless they are building code standards.

4) Stop ‘gain of function’ research or increase standards and oversight for those practices. Need to weigh the benefits versus the consequences. Unlikely to stop internationally.

5) Point international fingers at said country—likely. Apply sanctions and international oversight to nation caught experimenting with biological weapons—possible. Possibly get remedial reparations—unlikely. Skip to war—extremely unlikely and should be avoided.

6) Same as 5), and the citizens of said nation should hold their government accountable and purge those responsible—unlikely. Skip to revolution—extremely unlikely.

I ain't going veggie