@anya1anya The article's opening anecdote being a mom who was happy to keep her kid out of school so that she wouldn't give COVID to "hospice patients" she cared for is such a spot-on encapsulation of the absurdity of this historical moment that it almost seems made up.
@ajlamesa The rich and the poor (i.e., the "essential") were the first to abandon COVID fear and restrictions; COVID fear and restrictions have been unique to the moralizing "middle class" (term conceals a lot of diversity) since early 2021 if not earlier.
@joeko1991@schmangee I'd second this one if you're prioritizing walkability and transit access, as well as the cool kind of "only in LA" vibes and experiences. If you are squeamish about poverty and homelessness, it's not a great idea.
@Saikmedi Especially interesting subsegment of all this: kids of successful immigrants (often but not always Asian-American) who took their parents' money but are here to trash their meritocracy-focused values.
@soncharm Having done a little homeless outreach work in the COVID era, I have noticed that many homeless wear masks, under their noses, in settings where no one else has them on and it makes no sense (outdoors). Only other group that does this in such numbers is kids. It's an abomination.
@soncharm I recently witnessed several homeless outreach workers tell an obviously mentally ill, very vulnerable homeless female to "stay back" from them, outdoors, because she didn't have a mask on. The outreach workers had on cloth masks, sometimes under nose.
@ClickingSeason About 5% of Underworld is worth reading. Interestingly enough he's at his best when he tries to write from the point of view of non-white or female characters, which is when your typical Smart Male Macronovelist is at their most cringe.
@AppletoZucchini You don't have to wear a mask to see the new Avengers movie or go to Disneyland, only to go to the symphony. But hey it could be worse. A mere year ago these institutions just banned kids who weren't vaccine-eligible yet.
@MarlaTellez@lapublichealth It's okay, it won't affect anyone except school kids (who are largely masked now anyway due to close contact rules) and those who choose to patronize a few select businesses in Silverlake.
@AlecMacGillis Mainstream NPR Democrat talking point on this was literally, "okay, but why are we talking about this and not white-collar crime or wage theft?"
@SpiritedSparr0w There aren't helpful lessons for modern parents in this, alas, but that's almost certainly the reality. Babies weren't really meant to sleep in dark rooms by themselves on a schedule set indirectly by their parents' employers or siblings' schools.
@Porkchop_EXP Early childhood experiences are hugely important to cognitive development. This can vary materially even with siblings (different daycares, parents in different emotional places during key years) and obviously varies a ton between generations.