[ExI] bikers again and smallpox

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: SR Ballard <sen.otaku at gmail.com> 
Subject: Re: [ExI] bikers again and smallpox

Spike, correlation does not imply causation. 

The states probably didn’t shut down simply because they didn’t need to. 

About half of them have very low population density, and have a lack of cities.

SR Ballard



Ja.  Dense packing is a big factor, perhaps the most important one.  Clearly we have dense packing in a nursing home.  We had dense packing at Sturgis.  We have dense packing on subways.

I don't know what else to do but watch and wait.

Interesting aside: California is a state which has nearly as much variation by county as the US has by state.  Some counties, such as Los Angeles, are packed to the rafters nearly everywhere.  But up in the northeast part of the state, you will find some of the loneliest most sparsely populated places anywhere in the country.  Several counties up that way never had a covid fatality.  Plenty of those counties really don't have the option to shut down their economies, because that is the lifeline of many of the residents there.  So... California decided to empower the county health departments.

However... counties are not uniform either.  Elon Musk is down on the southern edge of the county in a place where it looks like the border kinda just wandered down and accidentally took in his factory.  That county takes in the densely populated east side of the Bay, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Newark, those kindsa places.

Musk made his factory safe by eliminating the need for people to ever come in close contact, then opened it up in defiance of county rules.  The sheriff called him and explained what he was asked to do, Musk met him out in the parking lot, photographers recorded him accepting his 50 dollar fine while shaking rubber gloved hands with the sheriff and everyone in masks.

Then it was on with the business of stamping out electric cars.  The citation was framed and hung on the wall of Musk's office.  How could ya not like that guy?  He is feeding thousands of people dependent on Alameda County.

spike