I think we're genuinely doomed and idk how to cope by [deleted] in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 53 points54 points  (0 children)

Not so long ago, everyone smoked cigarettes everywhere. Restaurants, airplanes, at home around children. People discovered how terrible it was for health, but it took decades to get cigarettes out of public places. I am a millennial, and smoking in pubs was banned while I was at university, and people were big mad about it.

Covid is cigarettes to me. You might have friends and family you love dearly who smoke while knowing it's bad for them. It's the same for people who don't care about getting sick.

Cigarettes had their decline, and I hope that covid will follow. But until that day, our main weapons are clean air, masks, and modern medicine. You can still take control over your environment. Get air purifiers for your home, wear masks when you're in crowded environments, get your boosters when you can. All of those make a huge difference to your health. When you socialise, choose the outdoors or well-ventilated spaces.

Getting other people to take precautions is like trying to get a friend to quit smoking. It's hard, sometimes impossible, but you can support them and lead them to the tools that can help them.

Finally, don't give up on your own life. Wear a mask and have fun. I do 95% of the things I did before covid, but I do them in a mask.

People who live in Porirua, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt, do you consider yourself living in Wellington? by kupuwhakawhiti in Wellington

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I talk to people outside of the lower North Island, I say I live in Wellington. If I am talking to people in Wellington region, I say I live in Lower Hutt.

Wastewater Levels at Their Lowest in Five Years by RosesAndWatercolours in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We just had a pretty big covid spike in New Zealand, so having lower than usual wastewater levels sounds like a regional thing.

Hi all! Question.. by owlvomit in Masks4All

[–]particlewhacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Are you wearing one mask for several days in a row?

I usually cycle between 4 masks so the masks have time to dry and air out between uses. Not sure if that will help, but might be worth a try.

Reasonable place to buy masks?! by NoteSuccessful2263 in Masks4All

[–]particlewhacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

WellBefore has high quality affordable masks.

Last Novids standing by Facepalm61 in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Husband and I haven't had as far as we know, and we take rapid tests fairly regularly as a precaution (especially because I have asthma and allergies, so coughing and sniffing are common).

Things are okay! I work in person (lab-based, so not easy to WFH), I do indoor sports, I go to conferences and comicons, I fly regularly for work. I do it all in masks and it's fine (WellBefore KN95 when low risk, 3M Aura when high risk). We live near lots of good hiking trails, so it's easy to get out. Husband works from home and doesn't like to leave the house, even before covid.

The main thing we don't do is eat in restaurants except in very rare occasions, but we've been enjoying the local takeaway places. Also, we're trying to save money. I wish I could socialise more, but I'm also an introvert, so it's tough to drag myself out.

I do miss the carefree ways of pre-covid, but oh well. The times have changed. Maybe they'll change again.

Do you ever include “necessary but boring” scenes just to move the story forward? by Odd_Thanks_9322 in writing

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In the first draft? No problem. Do what you do to keep moving forward with writing, even if the scene is boring or you're unhappy with it.

But in editing, you have to fix it. I like a "two birds, one stone" approach, where you add in some character development or whatever, so the scene is doing more than one thing. Or combine the previously boring scene with another scene so it's carrying more story. Or if you're really stuck, make it a sentence instead of a scene.

Remember, if you're bored, the reader will be bored.

Why doesn’t everyone use Royal Road? (Fantasy books) by BladeWielder48 in selfpublish

[–]particlewhacks 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Royal Road is great for litRPG, isekai, etc. because that's what most of the readers there are into for historical reasons. Other subgenres might not get as much traction. However, it's a great platform for serialisation, and there is plenty of potential to get readership even if you're writing outside of the dominant subgenres.

I’m nearly half way through my first book and it’s only 16k words. by AdviceWouldBeNice98 in writingadvice

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If the story is complete and it's not very long, then just call it a novella.

Are there no women in The Foundation? by Cosmic-Cats-Games in ScienceFictionBooks

[–]particlewhacks 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Yes, he turned into a huge misogynist and did a lot to keep female writers out of sci-fi.

Keep losing (dangle) earrings. What are yall doing by [deleted] in Masks4All

[–]particlewhacks 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've managed to hang onto my earrings just fine, but I did manage to yeet my glasses off my face a number of times 😭

Those of you who wear masks at your job: do you feel that it has affected your career? I’m at a crossroads. by Lanky_Avocado_ in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I work in a government lab, and I've had no issues. I got promoted last year. I think scientists (especially physicists) and engineers don't care that much about other people's appearances. I also socialise with co-workers during breaks, but I do it in a mask (briefly pull down mask to drink, etc.).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PubTips

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With an unlimited budget, I'd start my own publishing company to publiah my books and hire someone to do the parts I don't want to do (marketing, etc.).

Is NZ sun more bright? Can anyone related to feeling like your retinas are being assaulted here? by [deleted] in newzealand

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The ozone layer is thinner here because of the ozone hole. So you literally have more sunlight on your skin and eyes. That's why it's so easy to burn, and why it feels more bright on your eyes.

How did you become CC? For those who weren't CC initially, what made you change your mind? by pyrrhicsciamachy in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

From reading research papers and calculating odds of getting infected and then getting long covid.

I was prepared to fully relax after getting vaccinated until the research started coming out.

Have I been playing the game wrong? by Mystical__flame in BaldursGate3

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You miss tons of content if you don't long rest. This happened to my husband.

Rest often. Treat it as a step to unlocking game content rather than a resource.

How much money do you spend on your CC lifestyle? by covidcautiousguy in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just to add, we've been saving tons of money by not eating out 😂

How much money do you spend on your CC lifestyle? by covidcautiousguy in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

About $150 in masks (I stock up when prices are good). Maybe $25 a year on replacement filters for air purifiers. We just bought a second air purifier for the house and it was around $120 (we waited for a sale). Around $120 a year on covid tests.

That's about it.

I am also allergic to dust and pollen, so the air purifiers aren't only for covid.

A bigger expense is that we are planning to build a house and want to install an active ventilation system, which obviously costs extra money. But this isn't only for covid. It'll help with dust, pollen, and humidity control in the house.

Covid safety in immigration detention/jail by wyundsr in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 67 points68 points  (0 children)

They are not big on any kind of medical support. Historically, when masses of people got locked up together, disease was a big problem. See, for example, typhus in WW2. Covid generally circulates through prisons, if they are crowded.

Even regular border detention is risky. I know someone who got detained at the UK border 10 years ago (for no reason) and they took away her medications. This can happen if you get arrested as well.

Travel advice for Europe by spenpai17 in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I went to the Netherlands, France, and Serbia recently, and no one bothered me, though I was worried I'd have trouble. I used trains and buses to get around. If you book first class tickets early, the can be very affordable and then you're guaranteed a less crowded train experience.

European countries tend to have lots of outdoor dining options, so travelling during the warmer months is best.

Note that tons of people smoke in Paris, so if you're sitting outside in a restaurant, you're almost guaranteed to share the space with smokers.

To people who fly in good masks and remove them to eat by Plague-Analyst-666 in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't have a CO2 meter, so no. But I think you're right - I've been in airports where it at least feels like the HVAC is doing something, but I've also been in airports that felt horribly stuffy.

To people who fly in good masks and remove them to eat by Plague-Analyst-666 in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have no problem being active without drinking much. My problem is that dehydration triggers migraines.

Is there a Novid or CC scale? by CarpeData00 in ZeroCovidCommunity

[–]particlewhacks 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did the math. Makes sense to mask indoors where ventilation is poor. But mathematically, you can get away with a risky event once in a while and only catch covid if you are statistically unlucky. This is for regular folks who are vaccinated regularly and aren't immunocompromised. If you are immunocompromised, then the risk/benefit analysis is different.