COVID-19 - On the Ground

[Mjl]

dammit, speak American!

[pdub]

This board is no fun because its a small group of crotchety old men with similar views. They run off people they can't agree with (cnb, lobster, myself at some point im sure)

I've definitely played the villain part lately. But wasn't my fault or intention. The first few years I never even ventured off the basketball boards. Wish I never had. But then covid happened, we were all stuck at home with nothing to do, because of unnecessary regulations, not the virus itself. And I didnt think the world was ending (I was right) while others thought we needed to go 110 percent drastic measures.
I tried to be nice, and was met with asshole attitude from a bunch of crotchety old men. And it continued to escalate to where we are now

A few of you are decent people who its enjoyable to talk KU basketball with tho. That is what brought us all together

Where’s that eye roll shooting out of my skull gif?

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

This board is no fun because its a small group of crotchety old men with similar views. They run off people they can't agree with (cnb, lobster, myself at some point im sure)

I've definitely played the villain part lately. But wasn't my fault or intention. The first few years I never even ventured off the basketball boards. Wish I never had. But then covid happened, we were all stuck at home with nothing to do, because of unnecessary regulations, not the virus itself. And I didnt think the world was ending (I was right) while others thought we needed to go 110 percent drastic measures.
I tried to be nice, and was met with asshole attitude from a bunch of crotchety old men. And it continued to escalate to where we are now

A few of you are decent people who its enjoyable to talk KU basketball with tho. That is what brought us all together

A. If it's "no fun" then why do you insist (or at least chose) staying on it?
B. "They" run off people who they feel deserve to be called out. Who's intentions are to make this board "no fun" for the majority who enjoy coming on here to converse with those who have like minded feelings and ideas. Sure it's nice AT TIMES to have people bring different views and opinions but when they get constantly bombarded with a bunch of narish - then they get annoyed. Trust me, I used to be the differing opinion on other sites/boards and people let it be know they didn't like it and they didn't want me to be.
C. It's 100% your "fault" and "intention" to play the "villain part". You know damn well what you're doing.
D. We were not "ALL stuck at home with nothing to do". Plenty of us had many things to do - other than be on this board.
E. My hope is no one thought the world was ending but plenty of people thought there was a deadly virus that we all needed to be or at least should have been respectful of. "Drastic measures" or not.
F. You didn't "try to be nice". Maybe at times you did but not all the time.
G. I suppose I am a crotchety old man. I'll take that moniker/designation when it comes to my annoyance of those who minimized Covid. You were a crotchety young man when it came to your annoyance with those who maximized Covid. Ok, we all get it. Let's move on......
Bottom line is we all probably should have been more in the middle with our reactions to Covid but 95% of the time I'll choose to error on the side of caution over negligence when it comes to MY and those I care about (and even those I don't care about) safety and health/well being.

[JKLivin]

I very rarely post anymore, but I check in from time to time to see if things are any different. Obviously, nothing has changed. Randy, Illy, and the other outsiders have never done anything other than refuse to agree with prevailing opinion among those who seem to think they own the boreds. Only on rare occasions have they blown up, and at that, only after being pushed over the edge by the pack.

I find it ironic that, of the three people who made me decide to leave the boreds, two are making a public "poor me" exit because they feel mistreated. I left because I got tired of sharing my opinion and being insulted, raged at, and disparaged at every turn. People like Leawood (rest in peace), Ph.D., and Overlander get specific, personal, and downright nasty with those who disagree, and nothing is ever done about it. I finally got tired of being called names, having the worst moments of my life mocked and celebrated, and having my beliefs disparaged. I realized I have better things to do than to be made to feel bad about myself, and my life is much better for it.

The bottom line is that message boreds are a place to exchange ideas, not to rage at and bully people who don't share your views. Unless and until some of the worst offenders grow up or are held accountable, this will continue to be a dysfunctional echo chamber. It is beyond sad.

[randylahey]

I was never really an outsider until I finally spoke up about covid, which needed to be done. My voice needed to be heard, and lot of american did not agree with these extremist views of covid. My "crime" was saying we are still normal people in a normal world and we can continuing living our life. I was right

But because of that I was labeled public enemy #1 by a group of assholes who insisted their way was the only way

[randylahey]

Did you guys know I posted on here for a couple years before covid?

It was just basketball tho, I never left that board. It was noncontroversial civil basketball takes

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

I very rarely post anymore, but I check in from time to time to see if things are any different. Obviously, nothing has changed. Randy, Illy, and the other outsiders have never done anything other than refuse to agree with prevailing opinion among those who seem to think they own the boreds. Only on rare occasions have they blown up, and at that, only after being pushed over the edge by the pack.

I find it ironic that, of the three people who made me decide to leave the boreds, two are making a public "poor me" exit because they feel mistreated. I left because I got tired of sharing my opinion and being insulted, raged at, and disparaged at every turn. People like Leawood (rest in peace), Ph.D., and Overlander get specific, personal, and downright nasty with those who disagree, and nothing is ever done about it. I finally got tired of being called names, having the worst moments of my life mocked and celebrated, and having my beliefs disparaged. I realized I have better things to do than to be made to feel bad about myself, and my life is much better for it.

The bottom line is that message boreds are a place to exchange ideas, to rage and bully people who don't share your views. Unless and until some of the worst offenders grow up or are held accountable, this will continue to be a dysfunctional echo chamber. It is beyond sad.

Can't and won't say you are wrong for feeling the way you do - and I am sincerely sorry.
That being said, there are multiple boards on this site with many threads. Surely there is something you can find on here where you can share your feelings/ideas/opinions with like minded people that you know you won't anger/upset by sharing what you post.
Not everyone is tolerant - but you know that.
As you know, you have choices - to leave and if you choose, to try and find others who will be more respectful on other sites, or deal with the shit on here and try to take it for what it is.
I can't make others change to accommodate me, so sometimes I take a break from here or if I choose to stay, I occasionally put someone on "foe" to take a break from them.

P.S. Unfortunately I find many social media sites where people exchange ideas and opinions to be a "dysfunctional echo chamber". Of course Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, included.
It makes me a worse person for frequenting those sites. Because of it I say shame on me - as much if not more than shame on others.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

I was never really an outsider until I finally spoke up about covid, which needed to be done. My voice needed to be heard, and lot of american did not agree with these extremist views of covid. My "crime" was saying we are still normal people in a normal world and we can continuing living our life. I was right

But because of that I was labeled public enemy #1 by a group of assholes who insisted their way was the only way

Needed to be done FOR YOU. Your "voice" in NO WAY "NEEDED" to be heard.
Your "crime" was ridiculing people who chose to error on the side of caution while spewing bullshit you found on social media from people you knew NOTHING about.

I'll accept the "asshole" label but I'm not someone who said or even implied my "way" was the "only" "way".

[japhy]

I was never really an outsider until I finally spoke up about covid, which needed to be done. My voice needed to be heard, and lot of american did not agree with these extremist views of covid. My "crime" was saying we are still normal people in a normal world and we can continuing living our life. I was right

But because of that I was labeled public enemy #1 by a group of assholes who insisted their way was the only way

So you fantasize yourself the Galileo of covid?

Victimhood....that's so sad.

So you just walked into a conversation/thread that was 600 pages long to tell people who obviously disagreed with your position, something they "needed to hear". You know how message boards work.

An aside here. A skill you should work on, reading the room. It will serve you well some day if you truly are injured by this thread.

But you stuck around bantering for over a year in spite of the majority of the participants letting you know they didn't feel they "needed to hear" what you were putting out.

Just so we are clear, was anyone putting a gun to your head forcing you to participate?

"I was right", that is most honest thing you have said in awhile. This is about "being right" for you. Evidence to the contrary be damned, explanations of how information you quote is cherry picked be damned, how your sources are known liars/not experts be damned....you are too far down this rabbit hole to admit you are wrong. You have bet your whole existence/personality on this special truth that you "know" and are determined to share. To face reality now would be a death blow to your ego I suspect.

Or you are just a sad lonely troll looking for negative attention?

Why else would you persist in the face of such horrible slander and take daily "victory laps" when some right wing nut job tweeted a "confirmation" of your truth? We don't need this, you need this.

Did you guys know I posted on here for a couple years before covid?

Congrats, you finally got noticed?

[randylahey]

Yes. Needed. You guys were wrong about a lot of shit. Covid was never just going to be magically eradicated. The way things where going, if enough people didn't start being realistic our society might still be masked, locked down, and requiring vax ID to go out and do things

[KUTradition]

so very special

[Shirley]

Yes. Needed. You guys were wrong about a lot of shit. Covid was never just going to be magically eradicated. The way things where going, if enough people didn't start being realistic our society might still be masked, locked down, and requiring vax ID to go out and do things

“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.'” Isaac Asimov

[KUTradition]

in that same vein… “opinion is the wilderness between knowledge and ignorance”

[DrPepper]

Wow. When I saw covid coming, this is the first place I left.
I found lots of things to do and people to help. This place is for short bursts of time and a shot of KU basketball that is unavailable locally. I needed neither during Covid. To each their own.

[randylahey]

If anything will resonate with the crowd on a ku basketball board, maybe it is this


All the dumb regulations you guys played along with. That had no science backing it

[Sparko]

The science of avoiding ingesting a virus is sound. But go ahead and never wash or bathe, Randy. Isolation also kept our medical care from being completely schwacked where possible. Sorry if you were inconvenienced by survival. Here is a great story on the price of ignorance:

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5 ... ing-to-die

[Mjl]

If anything will resonate with the crowd on a ku basketball board, maybe it is this


All the dumb regulations you guys played along with. That had no science backing it

Who are you arguing with here? Like, who here said something like that was a good idea?

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

I like randy saying "all the dumb regulations you guys played along with".
I mentioned Mayor Lightfoot closing the lakefront in another thread and how I felt about it.
Yes, I "played along with" it. Guilty as charged. If I didn't play along with it, I would have been arrested.
Yes, I contacted my Alderman's office as well as the Mayor's office to "voice" my anger about it. NOT funny is those I spoke with were actually understanding and compassionate.
Meanwhile, Covid was raging partly because selfish assholes did NOT "play along" in other regards and they simply didn't give a fuck about infecting others.
I know in hindsight people such as randy actually feel that was a good thing.

I don't expect anyone to read this and the truth is I am posting it for MY sake more than anyone else's.
To show respect and appreciation to/for the man who was a fantastic brother in law and more importantly - outstanding husband to my sister and valuable member of society.
My brother in law who did NOT have Covid is dead largely in part because of those selfish fuck people I referred to in the first "paragraph".
Let me help randy (and others) if he can't understand why. I promise it's not a difficult concept.
At the onset of Covid my b.i.l was getting cancer treatments. The big worry was if he contracted Covid he would not be able the get the treatments. As Covid progressed, my b.i.l. couldn't get much needed medical care because the hospitals and medical staff at the hospitals were inundated with treating Covid patients. That was it. Tough shit. Game over.
randy has expressed his dismissive attitude/mentality as being - oh well, who cares? My b.i.l. was going to die soon (define "soon" as you will) anyways.
Well, randy - maybe that's true. Maybe it's not. WE will never know for sure.
What I do know for sure is that someone who served the public in the DC metro area as the Director of the Department of Environmental Programs, Senior Director of Environment, was in charge of Homeland Security, was the Director of Health, and Deputy Executive Director, someone who was in command of the restoration of the Potomac River, emergency preparedness activities following 9/11, and metro funding and safety initiatives, is dead.
Not FROM Covid but possibly (probably?) because of Covid.
Then we have people (such as randy?) who serve no purpose in life to others other than the ability to post shit on messages boards, and be smug and snide, are alive and well and living happily ever after.

[Sparko]

We forget to to celebrate living through a pandemic of epic proportions. Unlike the Flu of 1918-1921, this one was generally an incredibly brutal way to die.

[randylahey]