I’m sorry for the late reply (I’m working from home). When you say “way upstate” and “the city”, I guess you’re referring to Upstate New York and New York City?

Yes. It. Is.

I’m going to assume that you’re young, like early 20s. If I’m wrong, please forgive me, but it sounds like you’re young. Now, if so, you most likely have many decades left to do all the living you don’t think you’re doing now.

We don’t all have this. What are you talking about? The whole point of isolation is to prevent spreading it. We wouldn’t be isolating if we all had it. Do not listen to anyone telling you that you had it, unless that person has the results of a test that you’ve taken for it.

I want a million dollars. We can’t always get what we want. You’ll be able to do those things again. It probably doesn’t seem like it, and I am sure you’ll hate me for saying this, but it’s important to come to terms with not getting what you want.

The models and “guesses” (which aren’t guesses) are based on what experts in the field are saying. I don’t have any way of personally verifying that, so my only choice is to trust the experts.

What you’re saying is patently untrue. The death toll will be at least an order of magnitude higher if people start going out. It hasn’t been nearly long enough yet to see a reduction in most places, but in the places that were hit early and took action quickly, we ARE seeing progress.

People always die. And people are going to die throughout this crisis. It takes weeks for the isolation to have an effect, because that’s how long it takes. The most important thing is that the more diligently and responsibly people act right now, the sooner it will be over.

The world is not turned off. Everybody is staying in to protect the vulnerable and the health care system from collapse. I realize it’s not helpful to say this, but it’s temporary. This will pass.

I'm NOT a counselor. We've never interacted before now. Talk to me.

I’m not a counselor. Talk to me instead then.

Hello. Please respond if you see this message. I implore you not to do that.

I think we both know the answer to that...

It’s not that you have nothing to look forward to. This will end eventually, as these things always do. The point is that if you are holding out hope that this is going to be over in two weeks, it’s a false hope, and you’re only hurting yourself with it.

You’re saving some of that vitriol for the American response, which has been even more inept, right?

Yeah, but... Fuck COVID-19.

Yes, because a) it’s not an accurate description of it, and b) it didn’t originate in Spain anyway, and the reason it was called the “Spanish flu” is the same as why the Trump admin and its lackeys are trying to push the current pandemic as being “Chinese”: to blame it on foreigners.

It’s a virus, not a person. It doesn’t have a nationality. Calling it “Chinese” isn’t a meaningful description in any way; it’s in every country right now.

I believe the claims about Jian Ghomeshi too, but apparently the crown witnesses were not good. I can’t recall the exact circumstances, but IIRC some of the testimony from his accusers was shown to be false. As much as I’d like to see justice, you can’t have justice without truth. I’m not sure who bungled the case,…

Sex work will never be eliminated for the same reason drug use will never be eliminated. There will always, always, always be people who are willing to pay for sex, and as long as there are people willing to pay for something there will be other people willing to sell it to them.