I need to go grocery shopping and my husband doesn't want me going next week.... I am either super naive or just in denial - I keep thinking it will be OK...

I think it has become very popular to change one's mind. I remember when my kids were much younger this woman told me in regards to my parenting that "once I'll know better, I'll do better". The only reason I didn't punch her in a face is bc I was holding something in my hands. I mean - how arrogant to think that my opinion is just so foolish and ignorant that I just need to be educated by her. And I think this sentiment of "the only reason you are not agreeing with me is bc you don't know / understand the issue" is what makes me even less willing to change my mind at times.

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh ladies - I just finished How to Stop Time. Exceptionally written, in my not very educated opinion. I HATED the ending. I am finding less and less books that end in a smart way. It has been such a disappointment. Starting Bel Canto.

Evidently my category has a name - "stubborn" lol Although, of course, I don't think I am 🙂 But seriously, I don't think I fully embrace many things. I leave room for "improvement" in a way. I think very few things are black and white and so I don't pick just one side. It has created many problems for me bc I don't fit in most circles or situations and it's hard to have really good friends.

I think it's a great idea and I hope you find someone who is good and honest. They are worth their weight in gold!!! I will just comment on a bathroom thing - I started doing daily swish and swipe from Fly Lady and I don't need to do any major bathroom cleaning anymore. So, until you find someone, may be your kids can try that?

My husband did 180 on breastfeeding after having a "few" conversations with me. I can't think of anything that I majorly changed my mind on. I've been told I am very hard to convince of anything. I don't think that's true. I have certainly reconsidered things, I just don't know if it was a complete opposite of where I started. Don't know if this answers your question

I almost failed economics in college...twice....so....this is my uneducated opinion.... I think there will be some bubbling not even bc of the election but bc of the unpredictability of covid but it will settle down one way or another. People made a lot of money of the last few years, both on Wall Street and off - and they will try to protect it at whatever cost possible. I think people always think that it's all political, I think it's all about money. That being said......my grandmother told me many stories about living through Russian revolution....But I think the world is different now is that people with money are more savvy in how to protect themselves. I think at the end of the day it won't be much different. That's all I got.

Oh interesting about kids stretching things and never-ending reading. I can see how we would be doing nothing but read-alouds.....

99% of the time I start with the same base - carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Whatever veggies need to be used up - potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, etc. Then I add variations of lentils, quinoa, pasta, beans, chicken - whatever I want for protein bc I like to have it as a 'whole" meal. For spices I started using Za'atar. Sometimes I add tomato sauce, sometimes not. I do make meatball soup and chicken and rice and Greek lemon chicken - but those are more involved. Last week I made tomato soup from fresh tomatoes - everyone loved it. I hope they remember the taste bc it took foooorrreeever to make it.

I am not sure if this was meant as an insult.....

I don't think I am moving goal post. My premise is that despite the outrage of the public, there was very little that could have been done based on the reality of what and where our country is. Also, people keep saying masks, tracing, testing - it all would have been great if 1) we had the type of compliance from people that South Korea has and 2) we had the ability to ramp up those things for 300M people. Overall, I find it incredibly sad that people (not on here, necessarily) made a HEALTH issue a political issue. So....to answer @Not_a_Number - I guess it's not a data that I would be looking for but ideas on what could have unified us as "one" so testing and masks and tracing would have been a feasible and realistic measures.

Right!! But look what has been happening here - do people in Asia post youtube videos of people not wearing masks and or spit on people who wear masks?? I've seen dozens of them over the last 7 months. It's horrible! People are so divisive and vicious to each other. No matter the mandates, no matter the common sense. And the highlighted - we are severely missing that!

I do think you are right about complete and total divisiveness. About everything!!! It really is heartbreaking to see. My parents had such high hopes when we came here a few decades ago...

We can't! We tried! I think some people got a ankle monitor or something. Some media went ballistic. Again, we tried, I think and again, people didn't want to do it - HIPAA and privacy! Well, I can't remember if I mentioned it - we did screwed this up royally bc many people who didn't need it, got it and vice versa.

Would you believe me if I told you that I don't watch any news or anything politically related. Like at all!! I searched for medical recommendations when this thing started. I have a few friends who work in John Hopkins (I used to live in MD) and I asked them. I watched Fauchi videos. But most of all - I decided that I am too terrified of this thing so I am going to protect myself and my family no matter what anyone said. *My* reality is that I have friends who are R and are super cautious about Covid and I have friends who are libertarians who think it's all BS. I have friends who are D who are just happy that Trump is getting slammed for this. A very good friend of mine was telling me yesterday that the ONLY reason she is voting for Biden was bc of how Trump handled Corona and that got me thinking - what could he have done differently. And then when I saw this article today about Europe I remembered how people on here were saying that US is the only country who handled it so so badly. Thus my question - what could have been done differently, here, in US, with all the advantages and limitations that we have.

I know....but...it just seems very circular at this point I very much have an open mind bc I am really interested in what could have been done differently. It's not like I have a moral belief or anything, I have nothing to loose and everything to gain from understanding why people think they way they think. So far I have seen three things - masking, testing and tracing. My argument is that none of those, even if done from day 1 (which is not even that realistic) would have had the same results as they did in Asia. So, that's where I am.

I am very much a person who likes to understand the "why" behind things. I just don't understand why people are so convinced that this nightmare could have been prevented / done less damage in US. I guess that's what it comes down to for me. And I am not seeing anything that would convince me that here, in US, something could have been done.

We are not Taiwan. Our population and demographics is entirely different. Anything can be done on a smaller scale with a homogeneous population. I can't comment on WSJ article bc I am not able to read it. If there are points there that would prove me wrong, I would love to see it ETA: Never mind, I didn't realize it was just a video. So.....arghhhhh......again....are you arguing that starting January 20th we should be testing everyone, making everyone wear masks and doing contact tracing? Bc even know - 7 months and over 200K deaths into this. there are plenty of people who don't want to do any of that. I don't know why I keep coming back to this thread - I asked for "realistic for US" plan. this is not it!

Good luck!!! It's hard, it really is. Let me know if I can help in any way

May I make a suggestion? It really is great knowing where you money is going, but your budget should not be based on what you are spending, it should be based on what you WANT to be "spending" it on (including savings). Otherwise, it's not a budget but just a record of your cash activities.

I know, I didn't think any of that was feasible or would have helped, but you wanted to wait and see. Let's wait and see 🙂

I have no idea what Trump's followers do. I do know that on here and on my other SM places people are blaming Trump for handling this wrongly from the beginning. I think it's misguided, for the reasons I have stated repeatedly. I actually think it's much much more important how it is being handled now and for the next 6 months. Anywhoooo, I don't think I have anything new to say at this point. I have not seen any plans or ideas that would make me reconsider my opinion. I keep seeing the same emotional sentiments that I have seen over the last 6 months....

I think that US is in a unique country. I think that fact that we have federal and state govts makes is super difficult to get unity and consensus in something that was so unknown. Things were changing very rapidly and I think hate and distrust for Trump was making things even more difficult. I think people are angry but I think the anger is misplaced. I think this has been a horrible situation that will have a ripple effect for years, if not generations to come, regardless of what was done in the beginning. I know I am in a minority in my opinion.

Yep, you right. Let's just mandate masks, people are sheep. Until it goes against their personal pleasure! https://news.yahoo.com/wedding-birthday-party-infect-56-120537435.html So....Cuomo was praised on how he handled NY, clear message from the top, great actions and here we are.