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Post in Besides Beauty
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Health and Sanity Check-Ins

Things are crazy now. I think we are all trying to stay healthy and maintain sanity as well. I thought I would start this thread so folks can check in and discuss how they're doing. I want all my BIC friends to be okay. I will kick this off with a first post. Take care of yourself lovelies.

Re: Health and Sanity Check-Ins

@WhereYouStand Awe man! I hope you get better soon!

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thanks!

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@WhereYouStand - Sending positive vibes your way ~~~!  (((HUG))) 💖💖💖

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thank you!

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@WhereYouStand 

Wishing you a speedy recovery and tons of good vibes for the 9th. 

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thank you! 

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The more people who are effectively vaccinated worldwide, the better chance we have to slow down and prevent new mutations of the Coronavirus.  That may prove to be very important to all of us.  The sooner that we are effectively vaccinated, one by one, the better.  It cuts down on the danger for everyone. 

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@tsavorite @niki172 You're both correct! 🙂 The virus can cross species where there's the possibility of mutation AND every time the virus replicates, there's room for slight, accidental variations in the process so the more we do to reduce spread and chances for the virus to mutate, the more we decrease risk of new strains. Although eradicating any disease entirely is a very tall order and as noted, not realistic, at least at this point ;_;

 

You both made me curious since we still do not know how the virus originated or how the new strains came about. I learned one current hypothesis for the new strains is that more chronic human cases allowed for the virus to reproduce more in their bodies and thereby, mutate more.

 

From National Geographic

 

[The UK and S. Africa strains]'s origin involves chronically ill patients treated with experimental therapies like convalescent plasma donated by recovered COVID-19 patients. In such lengthy illnesses, the virus has more opportunities to replicate, increasing the odds for mutations. The consistent use of the therapies, meanwhile, may put more pressure on the germ to evolve.

 

“Some of these people who are chronically infected have some quite big shifts in the virus,” says Ravindra Gupta, a virologist at the University of Cambridge. “Some are immune-suppressed. Some of them have had convalescent plasma. Some of them have had [the antiviral] remdesivir.”


If this suspected origin story does prove to be the case, it could have implications for treatment, says Muge Cevik, a clinical lecturer in infectious diseases at the University of St. Andrews. Earlier in the pandemic, the best path for helping patients was unclear. That led hospitals to give patients a buffet of therapies, with the hope that some combination might work. But if new-wave medicines like antivirals and antibody therapy contributed to the development of viral variants, it will be “a reminder for all the medical community that we need to use these treatment options carefully.”


While mutations edit genetic code, they don’t always lead to outward changes in a germ or organism. That’s why these newfound variants have garnered so much concern. It’s as if the virus entered a dressing room and came out with a new outfit, rather than the normal circumstances where it would only change its hat...

 

Other reputable sources like BBC share this theory about the new strain "incubating" for a long time in a patient, possibly immunosuppressed. But we don't know. Possible for it to have passed to animal and back, I'm guessing there's not much research being done into risks like house pets?

Re: Health and Sanity Check-Ins

@tsavorite unfortunately that's not necessarily true with a virus like this. Since it's been proven that animals can contract Covid (for example there was that tiger in a US zoo that tested positive) and also cases of cats and dogs having Covid if a virus mutates enough it can jump species (that's actually still the working idea of how Covid came to be that it did come from a bat originally).  And since this would be a mutation of the virus it's not a guarantee that the current vaccines that are rolling out (and soon to be booster shots) would provide 100% protection against a new strain that jumped species. This is how viruses such as Ebola work - it came from primates and jumped into the human population with mutations of variant strains along the way. There are even new mutant strands of the Polio virus in South Africa to this day that are affecting children.

I agree with you that to vaccinate is extremely important, and who knows maybe the virus never gets to that point of new mutation, but people and the scientific community needs to be vigilant as this is one nasty virus.

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@niki172 ,

Thanks, I will edit.  😊 

I'm worried about the dangers from variants or mutations.   Vaccinations and more vaccinations are our best hope.  I'm willing to mask, double mask, distance, isolate, or quarantine as long as necessary to not end up on a ventilator in an ICU.  There is a problem that many people will get their shots and immediately think that the pandemic danger is all over.  It will take more time than that.

 

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@tsavorite trust me when I say that I really hope that you are right and it is eradicated from the human population for good very soon 💜. The analytical pessimistic side of me always bubbles to the surface - it never fails sadly. I just want everyone to be safe and not think that since there's a vaccine(s) now we can throw the masks and caution to the wind. I'm very concerned that is going to happen. After having 5 deaths these last 2 months between family and friends trust me when I say I really want this post-Covid world badly.

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@niki172 ,

I agree with you.  I'm very sorry for all the losses that you have suffered from this pandemic. 

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@tsavorite thank you.

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I would like to celebrate January 20th, 2021 as a beginning of a return to sanity for the United States.   We have a long way to go, but this is a beginning. 

We have such a long way to go to get this pandemic under control, and the worst days of the pandemic are probably yet to come.  We are in very deep water.  We didn't need to go in this direction with the pandemic. There were choices that were made, and we are now living and dying with the results.  Now, there is hope, if everyone gets vaccinated.

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Today is definitely a day to celebrate @tsavorite!

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Just a Canadian stopping by to say my heart is going out to all of the Americans who are part of the BIC community.  We're not a perfect country but we hide it well and despite what it seems like the media is trying to do, it seems like many people are trying to hide a blatant disregard for domestic terrorism.  I'm so floored that people are holding that ideal close to the idea that he/they could make America *great* again.  

 

I'm safe in my corner of the world and not to brag but I feel blessed.  We've been in our second wave for a while and there are provinces who are still super locked down, with curfews in place, we've had a day where there's 0 new cases.  My boss let me know that our company has decided to finally follow their claim of closing 200+ locations but our store is safe.  My father got his negative covid result from his pre-holiday shopping exposure. 

While I'm aware of how fortunate I am, I still can't shake the night terrors that wake me up in the middle of the night.  They're not Covid/white supremacist related but it's just one of the telltale signs that I'm stressed out.  I'm still lonely?  I'm just choosing to focus on the positive right now and still searching for the lights at the end of the tunnel.  

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@Nickelliebear1  I’m so sorry you are so stressed out. I totally understand the lonely feeling. I feel it too. I am very grateful for my family but it’s sometimes nice to be able to see people outside your household. We got locked down another 14 days. I am soo hoping this allows down soon. If you every feel lonely and need someone to talk to I’m always here to listen. 

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@ather I live on my own so my only human interaction are with coworkers and my customers, lol.  Hopefully you're getting closer to regaining some sense of normalcy.  

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Just a very very sad time for our country 😞  Lost pride. Can't say anything when my friends from other countries ask what's happening here. I am just worried where are we headed. 

Not sure if I am optimistic but let's see if hope restores on 20th and beyond.  

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I'm going to ramble.  Consider yourself warned.

 

When I first moved out of my house at 18, I moved to Boston, and I used to walk around and see the most bizarre things.  Like one time I saw a homeless lady pushing a stroller with like 3 telly tubbies strapped in.  She was just pushing her stroller along mass ave like it was normal, and nobody else batted an eyelash.  I, on the other hand, was looking around to see if anyone else noticed the very odd scenario, and then I was even more confused when nobody else seemed to notice.

 

That's how I feel about Wednesday.  A group of domestic terrorists ransacked the Capitol with the intention of taking elected officials and their aides by force, and doing god-only-knows-what with them.  (And let's be honest, they weren't going to give them a pat on the back and let them go.)  That  being said, everyone around me seems to be acting like this is normal.  (And I'm generalizing here so please don't take this personal.)  

 

It feels like 9/11, only half of the country can't see it for what it is.

 

It makes me feel like that 18 year old watching the homeless lady stroll down Mass Ave with her Telly Tubbies, and nobody else is paying her any mind.  And then that makes me wonder, "did I just see what I think I saw?  Nobody else seems to see it.  Maybe I'm the crazy one!"  But no... we did just see a bunch of domestic terrorists and an insurrection.  

 

And then speaking of mental health -- I feel like I almost have to tip-toe around the insurrection because I understand that a lot of people are stressed out and scared by Wednesday, and are trying to take a mental-health-break from the news, but I'm the opposite where I feel like Wednesday was bad and we need to acknowledge it every single day until something is done to address it.  

 

I'll wrap this up and say thanks for reading, I hoping you're all doing okay, too!

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@itscarin Here's an analysis from Business of Fashion regarding the radio silence. It's not about beauty, but the two industries are so closely intertwined, I think it applies.

Spoiler

Soon after a costumed, right-wing mob, inflamed by online memes and outgoing US President Donald Trump, stormed the seat of the country’s democracy last Tuesday to stop the certification of the 2020 election results, many companies took swift action to protect their brands. Almost immediately, many paused their marketing activities for fear of appearing next to coverage or commentary on what President-elect Joe Biden gravely called “insurrection.”

 

The same day, CEOs from technology to finance issued statements on the matter. Apple chief executive Tim Cook lamented a “sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history” and called for accountability. BlackRock chairman Larry Fink called the Capitol invasion “an assault on our nation, our democracy and the will of the American people.”


Even the Republican-leaning National Association of Manufacturers issued a strongly-worded statement denouncing the violence: “This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule.” And soon, companies from Amazon to Nike to Goldman Sachs had vowed to pause financial contributions to legislators who voted against certifying the election.

 

But few major brands rushed to make big consumer-facing statements.


Patagonia, no stranger to taking political positions, was one of the only fashion and apparel companies that issued a statement to its fans, condemning the “assault,” calling for the removal of Trump and noting the “double standard” in the security response to last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests and the storming of the Capitol.


In recent years, leading brands like Nike and Gucci have reversed years of corporate neutrality, taking a public stance on sensitive topics from racism to gun control. Most famously, Nike embraced polarising American football quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the national anthem, which is played before sporting events across America, to protest the police brutality and wider social injustice suffered by Black people.

 

At the heart of the shift is the rising spending power of millennials, who expect the brands they love to embrace values that align with their own and take a stand on important socio-political issues as they lose faith in traditional institutions like government and the media. Millennial employees have similar expectations of the brands they work for at a time when attracting and retaining talent and fostering a strong company culture are more important than ever.

 

Never was this shift more visible than in the avalanche of support from major brands for Black Lives Matter when protests erupted after the police killing of George Floyd, another flashpoint in a deeply divided nation.

 

And yet, when a mob of white nationalists stormed the US Capitol last week, many of the same brands stayed silent, save for quiet statements pledging to withhold political donations. Why?

 

Some may have become more cautious after being burned when their statements supporting Black Lives Matter and other causes were seen as inauthentic, self-serving and, in some cases, at odds with their own internal cultures, attracting social media backlash.


In November, Gap was ridiculed when it posted (and then deleted) a tweet featuring a branded, half-red, half-blue hoodie — a reference to America’s political divide — with the caption: “The one thing we know, is that together, we can move forward.”

 

Others may have been wary of commenting on every new crisis at a volatile moment in history.


But for many, the underlying calculus was rooted in the distinction between politics and values. The killing of George Floyd was widely seen as above politics. It was not about being a Republican or a Democrat, or even an American. It was about fundamental human values that are global and universal in nature, transcending nations and their party politics in a way that the Capitol invasion — inextricably linked to Trumpism and the 2020 election — did not.

 

While universal values are not always universally shared, they are less fraught with the tension and complexity that can make party politics a minefield for brands. Critically, they can also be more easily activated in a way that is positive, constructive and aligns with a brand’s own framework of values. For example, Nike’s decision to support Kaepernick’s protest underscored its commitment to equality and aligned with its underlying belief in the universalism of sport.

 

Which brings us to the matter of aspiration. Fashion brands ultimately sell more than just clothes, shoes or bags. They sell a better you. As such, their worldview is fundamentally optimistic. Their brand storytelling is typically uplifting and empowering.

 

It’s far more natural and advantageous for them to stand for something positive — whether it’s racial equality or a cleaner planet — than stand against the ugliness of a reactionary mob.


Many brand managers will have watched the Capitol invasion unfold in real-time and, despite pressure from employees, quickly realised there was no positive brand story for them to tell.

Article by VIKRAM ALEXEI KANSARA 

 

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