sauromatian wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I usually don't watch the Oscars because I don't like awards shows. This year, I didn't watch the Oscars because I'm protesting their lack of diversity.

I'm okay with diversity as long as it doesn't include 3rd and 4th Edition......  

Agent Cooper wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:I'm old enough to remember when Bird Flu was going to utterly wipe out humanity.  Then it was SARS.  Then after that MARS.  Now it's this.  

All the same, the media continues to roll out one theory after another. Here's the latest: AI Predicts Coronavirus Could Infect 2.5 Billion And Kill 53 Million. Doctors Say That’s Not Credible, And Here’s Why
"An AI-powered simulation run by a technology executive says that Coronavirus could infect as many as 2.5 billion people within 45 days and kill as many as 52.9 million of them. Fortunately, however, conditions of infection and detection are changing, which in turn changes incredibly important factors that the AI isn’t aware of. And that probably means we’re safer than we think."

I'm not sure that the researchers & the writer of the article are really looking at this issue from all sides. If I read it correctly, they posed the idea of the coronavirus to an artificial intelligence, with the intention of using the data to help stop its spread. They think the AI is telling them that the virus could spread so rapidly on its own, but maybe there's more to it. Maybe the AI is saying that it could use coronavirus to wipe out humanity for its own purposes. Maybe it was a mistake to tell the AI about it in the first place.

It’s difficult to tell what’s real and what’s manufactured in a click-centric, entertainment “news” paradigm.

benjoshua wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The thing that surprised me about this whole thing is how the coronavirus compares to the flu.  The coronavirus is supposedly about as lethal as the flu, and the flu has infected 19 million people, caused 180,000 hospitalizations, and killed 10,000.... just in the United States, but we don't panic about the flu.  

I'm not saying the coronovirus is not a problem, because it is, especially for countries with poor health systems or an overall unhealthy populace.  And I don't mean to be crass or uncaring when I say this, but the main effect on Americans will likely be a decline in the world economy.

*** I sincerely hope this thing doesn't spread world-wide, but it's looking like it will.***  

It already has spread, as there are at least 12 cases in the US.

Quite a few carriers have suspended flights to China.

Cruise ships are not being allowed to dock in fear of contamination.


What we don't know is:

1) How is the virus being transferred
2) The incubation rate of the virus (0 -24 days?)

stratochamp wrote in Random Thoughts or OT Chit-Chat Thread:The NTRPG hosts and attendees would really welcome your attendance Frank, I think you should consider attending in 2020.

THIS!!!!

I'm not trying to pigeon-hole you into attending just one more con but I suspect that the reaction to your attendance would be quite positive; especially if people felt you might not get down there again soon. I think many would welcome the opportunity to share with you the impact your works had on them. Kindly consider it in that light.

-Bill

Sorry to hear that, Frank.
Guys, before you jump to any conclusions or listen to a hype-driven media who just WAITS for things like this to crop up, let me add some facts in here.

1. The flu infects tens of millions each year in the U.S. Very few die, because most everyone has a head-start against it due to the immune system having produced antibodies in the past. Those antibodies aren't usually effective since influenza mutates, but having 1/2 a puzzle to start makes it much easier. There is no head-start with this infection. The fact that 2% die is a spin; the median age of death appears to be around 75, and median age of infection is 60 or so. Nothing new there. The reason that it is at 2% is that there are an unknown number of undiagnosed cases, and as with any infection like this, the number will end up being much lower.

2. Every time a new virus emerges, the media spins it as the End Times. SARS was going to devastate the world, and yet here we are. Ebola was going to infect the world, and yet it never became a threat, because of the infection vector. Even if this becomes a pandemic (and the criteria for that is low as far as the CDC is concerned), the same category of people will die as do with flu: older and very young people.

3. Unlike the old days, this was discovered extremely early. You can bet every company with a shot (no pun intended) at making a vaccine is spending 24 hours a day at it to take advantage of the hype.

4. Does anyone even remember the last pandemic? It was swine flu in 2009. And yet, it was not important enough for 99 out of 100 people to remember 10 years later.

Wash your hands (with soap, not that antibacterial shit) regularly, and you'll be fine. If it ends up being a global pandemic, so? It is nothing compared to what COULD go pandemic. Pneumonia is far more deadly and easily transmitted.
However, the future is always unknown, so in the interests of the group I am offering to hang on to everyone's RPG collection until the threat is past. I'll even pay postage.
Just remember my campaign slogan: Your orange B3 is safe with me.

Who is mad at Frank?  Cold shoulder?  Huh?

Hell, If I met Frank at a con I'd probably be the spastic fanboy that pesters him to sign every item I have twice and then beg him to tell me TSR stories until security has to forcibly eject me from the event.   

I realize that adding another voice to the chorus may actually be a disincentive to Frank attending, but sign me up for the fanboy package as well.  

Actually, is there a Fanboy Prime package?