Monday, December 15

Tag: pandemic

A 2020 Pandemic Story ‘Sell Me This Pen’
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MOVIES

A 2020 Pandemic Story ‘Sell Me This Pen’

During one of my home-alone lock downs, I watched The Wolf of Wall Street for the third or fourth time and became fixated by the scene at the end of the movie. A presumably reformed Jordan Belfort is introduced to a crowd of wannabe tycoons eager for advice from the bad boy of fast fortunes. Belfort, convincingly played by Leonardo DiCaprio, walks on stage in an un-tucked dress shirt and new blue jeans to a round of applause. He stops, sighs and studies the room much like a hungry carnivore, surveying meat. He quietly steps down from the stage and approaches several anxious attendees in the front row and holds up his pen. "Sell me this Pen," he asks. As they stumble with various pedestrian responses, "Um... it's an amazing pen," "Well, it's a nice pen," and "I personally love this pen."...
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Porn Use Is Up, Thanks To The Pandemic
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SEX-CAPADES

Porn Use Is Up, Thanks To The Pandemic

Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic is affecting almost all aspects of daily life. Travel is down; jobless claims are up; and small businesses are struggling. Self-isolation can be boring and lonely. Annie Spratt/Unsplash, CC BY But not all businesses are experiencing a downturn. The world’s largest pornography website, Pornhub, has reported large increases in traffic – for instance, seeing an 18% jump over normal numbers after making its premium content free for 30 days for people who agree to stay home and wash their hands frequently. In many regions, these spikes in use have occurred immediately after social distancing measures have been implemented. Why are people viewing more pornography? I’m a professor of clinical psychology who researches pornography use. Based on a decade...
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Who Will Pay Them? Delinquent Electric Bills From The Pandemic Are Coming Due
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VIDEO REELS

Who Will Pay Them? Delinquent Electric Bills From The Pandemic Are Coming Due

The shutdowns and restrictions that governments have imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have made it hard for many households to afford basic needs. Thousands of Americans are struggling to pay monthly utility bills. Utilities and policymakers recognized that services like water and electricity are essential to people’s health, safety and comfort. Since mid-March they have taken steps to keep those services coming. The most popular approach has been for them to impose moratoria on late fees and disconnections for nonpayment of bills. Every state in the U.S. has enacted some version of this policy, from formal declarations to voluntary programs offered by utilities. Map of disconnection moratoria as of Nov. 3, 2020. NARUC But now these moratoria are starting to expire. Consumers are ...
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Ultraviolet light can make indoor spaces safer during the pandemic – if it’s used the right way
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VIDEO REELS

Ultraviolet light can make indoor spaces safer during the pandemic – if it’s used the right way

Ultraviolet light has a long history as a disinfectant and the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19, is readily rendered harmless by UV light. The question is how best to harness UV light to fight the spread of the virus and protect human health as people work, study, and shop indoors. The virus spreads in several ways. The main route of transmission is through person-to-person contact via aerosols and droplets emitted when an infected person breathes, talks, sings or coughs. The virus can also be transmitted when people touch their faces shortly after touching surfaces that have been contaminated by infected individuals. This is of particular concern in health-care settings, retail spaces where people frequently touch counters and merchandise, and in buses, trains and planes. As an e...
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The US economy is reliant on consumer spending – can it survive a pandemic?
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VIDEO REELS

The US economy is reliant on consumer spending – can it survive a pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically affected the American economy, reducing spending by American households on materials goods, air travel, leisure activities as well as the use of automobiles. As a result, greenhouse gas emissions have temporarily fallen dramatically. While this may be a positive for the environment, the social price is high: Since the U.S. economy depends heavily on consumer spending, the country is experiencing the highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression, the threat of homelessness for tens of thousands of people and a failure of businesses large and small. How did the U.S. arrive at the point whereby mass consumption – and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with it – is necessary for economic and social well-being? Are greenhouse gas reductions and a...
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