WC 1M Post Challenge - You Ready?!

[Laura Knotek]

After China imposed a ban on importing plastic trash, most of the trash was diverted to South East Asia. Malaysia became the world's dumping ground for recycled plastics
Its big business, both legal and illegal. There was no way we could cope, a lot ended up being unrecyled, unprocessed and stockpile in illegal mountainous dumpsites.
Last year was a temporary halt to imports, but it as resumed with tighter regulations.

The sad part is those people living near those are never fully consulted or aware of the dangers, and always the ones that suffer.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/malaysia-world-plastic-waste-recycling-china-11048810

https://www.theguardian.com/global-...countries-china-ban-thailand-malaysia-vietnam

Wow, that sucks. I heard about the ban but didn't realise it was only temporary. Nobody wants to live near a pile of rubbish, and it's awful that the people in the neighbourhood aren't able to do anything to stop it.

 

[N_LaRUE]

It feels like Corona virus is going to make the top 10 events of 2020. I thi k lots of people are either underestimating or really just clueless about how impactful this situation is.

Economically, it's already a disaster. Forget cellphone launches, phone production will be impacted. Forget cellphones, other manufactured goods may be affected. Workers may lose jobs wholesale; consumers will tighten up on spending to converse cash or divert funds to medical expenses. International relationships may get strained - immigration is already a hot button issue, but adding a health risk on top of it does no favors. Seeing what's happened with some of the cruise ships in the Caribbean recently? That hurts everyone involved. Who wants to travel overseas unless necessary?

The thing that's most noticeable to me is how fractured the global response has been. This nationalism approach is gonna leave a lot of people screwed over.

Nothing positive in this at all.

This.

It's obviously a lot of politics being played out here. No country wants to be seen as the second China in this. So you sort of wonder how much were being told is true

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Cellphone, IT stuff can't even begin to compare to the losses in the tourism industry here in Sabah... The Chinese have stopped coming, so will travellers from counties like Korea et that has started quarantine measures.
It's bad, real bad.

Yup, I didn't even want to go into the tourism stuff. Cruise ships not being allowed to dock at ports of call, students in universities canceling study abroad, etc. Lots to worry about for sure. It's why lots of countries are going to play it tight to the vest in announcing any new cases.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

This.

It's obviously a lot of politics being played out here. No country wants to be seen as the second China in this. So you sort of wonder how much were being told is true

South Korea is already #2 in terms of cases...but rest assured, someone else will read from the early China playbook and think that works.

Yes, this shall be a "yuge cluster****" indeed.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/...tion=click&module=Top Stories&pgtype=Homepage

 

[libra89]

http://somegadgetguy.com/2020/02/29/samsung-galaxy-s20-what-is-a-reviewers-responsibility/

Wow is all I can say. I appreciate the depth of this viewpoint.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Wow is all I can say. I appreciate the depth of this viewpoint.

Too many shills on YouTube across all sorts of topics because money can be made on YouTube if your shill is packaged properly, even post the ad revenue apocalypse.

We don't see enough critical thinking skills these days. Thats why even though I don't agree with all Juan says, at least I acknowledge his critical thinking skills.

 

[N_LaRUE]

I'm really starting to hate social media. Well I've felt this way for some time but more and more I'm starting to feel it's a negative thing that affects our lives rather than positive.

The amount of misinformation on social media is by far it's biggest downfall.

Too many people are spreading garbage about everything.

Trying to filter out the noise is difficult. I can only imagine what it feels like for those addicted/attached to these platforms.

I guess it will take a pandemic to shift some people's thinking...

 

[raycpl]

Having my half-yearly med review...
The awkward moment when you really tried and gave a bit and it may not be enough..
... . but the lab guy said nothing but just nods

"urine sample"

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I'm really starting to hate social media. Well I've felt this way for some time but more and more I'm starting to feel it's a negative thing that affects our lives rather than positive.

The amount of misinformation on social media is by far it's biggest downfall.

Too many people are spreading garbage about everything.

Trying to filter out the noise is difficult. I can only imagine what it feels like for those addicted/attached to these platforms.

I guess it will take a pandemic to shift some people's thinking...

To me:

Social media is at its worst a cesspool of human nature's most cowardly elements; at its best something incredibly useful to bring people together; and on average its those bad conversations at larger family gatherings.

It's hard to have nuanced conversations with stupid. You're more likely to get stupider than stupid becoming smarter.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

To me:

Social media is at its worst a cesspool of human nature's most cowardly elements; at its best something incredibly useful to bring people together; and on average its those bad conversations at larger family gatherings.

It's hard to have nuanced conversations with stupid. You're more likely to get stupider than stupid becoming smarter.

So here are two examples of "why you can't fix stupid".

1) I'm headed into work just now and this Asian lady gets off the subway wearing a surgical mask. All of a sudden this older black gentleman starts jeering and pointing her out. NYC over the weekend has confirmed its first two cases of Corona virus. So you know what he was likely implying with his antics.

Here's what's sad about that. I'm used to seeing a small subset of Asian people, mostly women, out in public wearing surgical masks for YEARS here in NYC. I've seen it increase a bit more...so far I haven't seen in my my travels where it is to the point where I'm seeing more of other ethnic groups wearing masks in public. It doesn't meant that people don't wear it and do so solely out of Corona virus concerns.

I also have a black male client nearly two years removed from a dual liver + kidney transplant who chooses to wear surgical masks in public. So the fear mongering that this guy was implying was unnecessary and destructive. Of course you'll have some idiotas jump on the same bandwagon. Trying to provide education there is almost like using your teeth to scrape paint off a wall.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

To me:

Social media is at its worst a cesspool of human nature's most cowardly elements; at its best something incredibly useful to bring people together; and on average its those bad conversations at larger family gatherings.

It's hard to have nuanced conversations with stupid. You're more likely to get stupider than stupid becoming smarter.

Here's example #2:

https://youtu.be/EYnzZWGqFbo

This is a good example of why you really cannot take stuff on YouTube seriously and the importance of critical thinking. Especially when you know how YouTube works.

Having done HIV related work for 10 years, including running professional treatment groups with HIV+ folks and having told a few people of their HIV+ test results, it was disappointing that they chose the oversimplification of the ideal stance of "disclosure of status" and failed to properly highlight the complex nature of the conversation around disclosure. This is a topic constantly being discussed amongst HIV+ folks and treatment providers. We even talked about the burden of feeling forced to disclosed as it's own topic.

Not calling these guys stupid, it's just they've done other videos where a lot more research was put in to highlight the nuances of the topic. This wine, they focused more on the person in the video they were reacting to. Of course the real you cannot fix stupid part showed up in the comments by both subscribers and a few of their responses when they got called out.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

So, the plot thickens as the field narrows...

...and yet the remaining choices ain't all that great.

 

[libra89]

So, the plot thickens as the field narrows...

...and yet the remaining choices ain't all that great.

It sounds like this actually makes the choice harder.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

It sounds like this actually makes the choice harder.

The choice was always going to be a lesson in "lesser of two evils".

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Hey Libra, the itch has virtually disappeared. Or at the very least, really, really calmed down.

 

[libra89]

Hey Libra, the itch has virtually disappeared. Or at the very least, really, really calmed down.

Wow, that's interesting! I didn't expect this to happen, or at least if it did, not as soon.

 

[libra89]

The choice was always going to be a lesson in "lesser of two evils".

This is true, but at least with more options, you have the illusion that there's more.

For politics, eh. For other things (like meeting people), more choices can be encouraging.

 

[libra89]

Speaking of choices, it seems like 3 concerts that I would like to attend are all in the same month. The month and time when I'll have to study for a final so it's looking like I'll have to wait to graduate first.

Edit: Of course, I'm looking forward to graduation but every spring for the past 4 years, I have attended a concert that I wanted to attend. Even right before graduating from undergrad, I saw one of my favs for the first time. Saw him at the beginning and graduated in the middle of the month.

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Wow, that's interesting! I didn't expect this to happen, or at least if it did, not as soon.

Well, it has. It's not that I'm totally satisfied with the V35. The same sensor size doesn't help. It's the one thing you can tell how LG improved from the G7 to the V40 that year. The battery life is still middling, really. I know what it is and I'm fine with using it.

The thing is that there's nothing out there in the size I want. The Mate 10 Pro comes closest and that's a 2017 phone. I have a Mate 20 Pro I could use instead, so that's moot. Xperia 5 is insanely overpriced and doesn't offer that much of an upgrade. V50 is rare and overpriced. It's just not much is other there worth the hassle, really.