HK: Coronavirus fallout - toilet paper runs - snatch n grab at knifepoint - what humans do
And from the "one death, bat soup and panic buying, to 'grab your toilet paper at knifepoint'" dept. - understanding human psychology when tshtf: Gold is the most important thing, so the most important things, like toilet paper, must be wrapped in golden wrapping [pic of actual goden wrapped toilet papers being carried by the dozens outside a store, from article not attached]. And of course, as everybody knows, when tshtf the most important things end up in short supply - so what do you do? Grab the golden loot at any cost, even knifepoint, that's what you do: Coronavirus: Hong Kong police on a roll as third suspect in toilet paper heist flushed out https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3051231/coronaviru... Christy Leung Published: 11:00pm, 18 Feb, 2020 - Man was picked up during raid at guest house on Sai Yee Street a day after supermarket staff were robbed at knifepoint early on Monday morning - Hong Kong has been gripped by panic buying since the coronavirus outbreak, as spooked residents snap up essentials such as rice and tissue paper Another man has been arrested in Hong Kong for his role in a bizarre toilet paper heist outside a Mong Kok supermarket, as a gang aimed to clean up during a run of panic buying in the city, sparked by the deadly coronavirus. The man, 26, was picked up during a raid at a guest house on Sai Yee Street, not far from the scene of the robbery – in which 600 toilet rolls worth HK$1,640 (US$211) were stolen. “We believe the trio thought the rolls would have [market] value and that they could profit by reselling them,” Chief Inspector Chow Ka-man said. “They knew each other and one of them has a triad background.” Chow added the gangs moved the toilet rolls in a trolley after the crime and that he believed there would be more arrests. At about 6am on Monday, three masked men stole 50 packets of toilet roll from a delivery man outside a Wellcome supermarket in Mong Kok. Police said one of the men was armed with two knives. Two people, aged 50 and 55, were arrested on Monday, and the force said at the time they were seeking three others, thought to be aged between 20 and 30. Two of the arrested were guest house employees while the third was unemployed. Wellcome earlier said its staff were threatened and robbed while they were unloading a delivery from a truck at the store. No one was injured. The incident followed weeks of panic buying at supermarkets across the city after online rumours sparked fears of a shortage of essential goods, such as rice and tissue paper, caused by the outbreak of the virus, which originated in mainland China. The government repeatedly reassured the public that supplies remain unaffected by the outbreak, yet residents continued to empty grocery stores. Hong Kong recorded its 62nd confirmed case of infection on Tuesday evening, and there has been one death.
The coronapocalypse continues as folks can now "safely" say to themselves "I always KNEW something like this [fake apocalypse] was going to happen". At least we're less insane than NooZealanders - aren't we? In an absolutely apocalyptic and historic un-Australian event, Sydney's Bondi Beach was CLOSED DOWN! Shocking news I know ... just how absolutely ______! Supermarket industry wades into 'uncharted waters' https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/rollercoaster-week-for-supermarket... .. Shelves wiped clean, fights in the aisles, and sales through the roof. If there was one word to describe the last week across supermarkets, it would be "unprecedented". Man literally TASERed for toilet paper: Coronavirus: Heartbreaking picture highlights impact of panic buying https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-heartbr... [elderly lady weeps as she looks at long empty supermarket shelves] .. Tensions have boiled over into physical fights, with NSW Police charging two women with affray after an incident over toilet paper in a Chullora Woolworths in Sydney earlier this month. A man also had to be tasered in a Big W in Tamworth, northern NSW, over a stoush over the precious loo roll. Australia now has 1023 confirmed cases of COVID-19, and seven people have died. Ok, ok, the science it is muffas: Science behind why Australians are panic buying toilet paper https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/science-behind-why-... Australians have left the world puzzled by their panic buying of toilet paper. This is the reason why we are reacting so strangely. Anxious Australians are buying toilet paper to deal with their worries about coronavirus but they should be considering other ways to relieve their stress. While other countries have run low on toilet paper, Australians are stockpiling despite there being no threat of running out as 60 per cent of the country’s toilet paper is manufactured locally. Vision of Aussies scrambling over each other to panic-buy multi-packs of toilet paper has been beamed across the world, leaving many puzzled. So why is everyone panicking? Dr Paul Harrison, a human behaviour expert at Deakin University, explained the reasons why Australians in particular were stocking up on toilet paper. “Research shows that in capitalist cultures like Australia, you deal with problems by buying things,” he told news.com.au. “Through times of trouble we are encouraged to spend our way out of it.” Dr Harrison said humans in general were drawn to “simple answers” in times of crisis. “Coronavirus is an abstract problem, with an unclear effect and it’s unfolding minute-by-minute,” he said. “Humans struggle with nuance and unclear outcomes and research shows that when people feel like they have lost control, they tend to be drawn to small things that they can control. “In Australia we are constantly told that we can solve problems by buying things, and research shows that buying utilitarian items such as toilet paper and cleaning products can rebalance that sense of lack of control.” One example of Australia’s tendency to throw money at something to solve a problem, was the current calls for a stimulus package to boost Australia’s economy. “I’m not saying that it can’t,” Dr Harrison said. “But it makes it seem like the simple solution is to buy stuff.” A secondary “herd effect” happens because people can see shortages happening and they don’t want to be the one left without toilet paper. There is also a cultural aspect to the panic buying related to Australia’s individualistic attitude. “Australians as a culture tend to think predominantly as individuals and we value things around assertiveness and independence,” Dr Harrison said. People who have individualistic tendencies tend not to feel supported by the community when things fall apart. “So in this kind of person with individualistic tendencies, amid stress and when the world feels chaotic, they fend for themselves and their family.” Australians have shown they can pull together as a community in times of crisis like this year’s bushfire emergency but Dr Harrison said coronavirus was different. “It is quite isolating, if you get it, you will metaphorically and quite literally be isolated,” he said. “So if you get it, people feel they need to look after themselves and their family.” Dr Harrison said trust in politicians and institutions was also at an all-time low and this exacerbated the feeling that people were on their own. “Something like 80 per cent of people don’t trust our institutions, which is not a great thing,” he said. “If a leader or (institutions like) the banks are not there in a time of need, it does erode your trust in them.” While some have questioned the usefulness of buying toilet paper, Dr Harrison said it came down to people feeling unsettled and wanting to take action. “Two things need to be satisfied: they need to be able to perform that action and for it to lead to an end state of feeling in control, and buying toilet paper satisfies both these,” he said. “If you think about it rationally it doesn’t make sense but most behaviour is not rational, it’s emotional.” Even when people make an emotional decision, Dr Harrison says that the cognitive brain will later provide a rational basis for that decision. All of these factors came together to explain Australia’s obsession with stocking up on toilet paper. “Buying toilet paper doesn’t make sense but it does,” Dr Harrison said. “It’s something people do buy weekly and you do need toilet paper, you just don’t need 100 rolls.” For people who want to ease their anxiety about coronavirus but want an alterative to buying toilet rolls, Dr Harrison suggested thinking about other people. “One way of reducing anxiety is to do things for other people,” he said. “Thinking about what things you can do for others also provides that sense of reward.” Supermarkets have urged shoppers not to stockpile as shelves are being constantly restocked. They have urged shopped to think of more vulnerable members of the community who may not be able to shop often or get to different stores in search of products. A Coles spokesperson said the supermarket did not advocate hoarding of goods and said shelves were being regularly restocked. “Coles is committed in delivering the best service to all Australians and during this challenged time is committed in ensuring all Australian communities have access to the products and services we all need. Coles wants to ensure that no matter where you live or how old you are, you have the same access as everyone else on your street.” "Unparalleled Challenge" - Inside America's First Locked-Down Major City, "Everything's Out Of Our Control" https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/unparalleled-challenge-inside-americas-fir... .. California Governor .. issued a state-wide "stay at home" order .. San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area issued 'shelter in place' orders after a surge of deaths .. Several days into one of the most extreme lockdowns, Bay Area residents have been forced to stay at home, only allowed to leave for essential travel, such as shopping for groceries, medications, fuel, caring for others, and exercise. NBC News spoke with one resident, Trish Tracey, who had to shutter her restaurant on Tuesday in the Mission district. She laid off her entire kitchen staff of 17 employees and has tried to renegotiate her lease. "Everything is out of our control," Tracey said. .. The mass lockdown in San Francisco is serving as the blueprint of how other local governments in the state might have to resort to Martial law-style lockdowns. Other states, such as New York and Maryland, could be days or weeks away from a major lockdown to flatten the curve. .. "This is a challenge unparalleled to any challenge I have faced in the last 28 years of my career," Dr. Baldev Singh, a pulmonary critical care physician in nearby San Jose. [and this one, worse than torture:] .. local economy grinds to a halt, tens of thousands of people have already lost their jobs, grocery stores run out of food, millions forced to shelter in place and watch Netflix [oh the absolute horror - Netflix ought be outlawed immediately! Sheer torture!] .. the Bay Area could soon see troop deployment on streets to maintain order. In other news, 2020 is turning out to be one hell of an entertainment year...
NYT Op-Ed Calls For People To Stop Using Toilet Paper https://www.zerohedge.com/health/nyt-op-ed-calls-people-stop-using-toilet-pa... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/opinion/toilet-paper-hoarding-bidets.html?smtyp=cur&smid=tw-nytopinion The New York Times has published an Op-Ed which shames people into the 'correct' way to clean up after dropping a steamer - arguing that amid an absurd toilet paper shortage due to coronavirus, people should simply ditch trees and begin using bidets to strip-mine their crevices. Panic buying of toilet paper has spread around the globe as rapidly as the virus, even though there have been no disruptions in supply and the symptoms of Covid-19 are primarily respiratory, not gastrointestinal. In many stores, you can still readily find food, but nothing to wipe yourself once it’s fully digested. This is all the more puzzling when you consider that toilet paper is an antiquated technology that infectious disease and colorectal specialists say is neither efficient nor hygienic. Indeed, it dates back at least as far as the sixth century, when a Chinese scholar wrote that he “dared not” use paper from certain classical texts for “toilet purposes.” -NYT https://books.google.com/books?id=Lx-9mS6Aa4wC&pg=PA123&dq=Needham,+Volume+5,+Part+1+%22toilet+paper%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiggeOZ4bboAhVgkHIEHbbXBBAQuwUwAHoECAIQCA#v=onepage&q=Needham%2C%20Volume%205%2C%20Part%201%20%22toilet%20paper%22&f=false The author, Kate Murphy, educates us on the history of ass-wiping, writing that before TP was readily available for our bungholes, "people used leaves, seashells, fur pelts and corn cobs," and that "The ancient Greeks and Romans used small ceramic disks and also sponges on the ends of sticks, which were then plunged into a bucket of vinegar or salt water for the next person to use." This is all according to forensic anthropologist and historical pooping expert Philippe Charlier, who wrote a 2012 book - "Toilet Hygine in the Classical Era." "It's not sexy," said Charlier. "but when you study poo from 2000 B.C. you can get a lot of information about alimentation, digestion, health, genetics and migration of populations." Modern, perforated toilet paper was invented by Seth Wheeler in 1891 according to a patent he took out on the concept. https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/a9/9c/8b/12d8546b8f523b/US459516... Then we have the invention of the wet wipe - which any modern parent knows is far superior to toilet paper. ...they are now marketed aggressively to adults with gender specific brands like Dude-Wipes and Queen V. Sales reached $1.1 billion worldwide last year, up 35 percent from five years ago, according to Euromonitor International. The unfortunate result is that the wipes have begun to coalesce with grease in city sewer systems to form blockages the size of airliners. -NYT https://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2015/apr/22/fatbergs-is-th... The ultimate solution? A bidet. According to Murphy, "experts agree that rinsing yourself with water is infinitely more sanitary and environmentally sound." According to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey, a colorectal surgeon (when he could have chosen literally any other specialty), said "A lot of people who come to see me have fairly significant irritation of their bottoms," adding "Most of the time it has to do with overzealous cleaning." Bailey added that 'you're just never going to get as clean as rinsing with water.' Murphy, meanwhile, shames readers by comparing the rest of the world to Japan - which has "high-tech toilets capable of cleansing users with precisely directed temperature-controlled streams of water," we've become bidet-averse. Blame prudishness and puritanism, at least in part: Bidets, once ubiquitous in France, became associated with hedonism and licentiousness. Marie Antoinette had a red-trimmed bidet in her prison cell while awaiting the guillotine. And during World War II, American soldiers first saw bidets in French brothels, which made them think they were naughty. An often-told joke was that a wealthy American tourist in Paris assumed the bidet in her hotel room was for washing babies in, until the maid told her, “No, madame, this is to wash the babies out.” http://en.muvs.org/topic/the-bidet-is-for-vaginal-rinsing/ But even in France, toilet paper has taken over. “Now, when constructing a new flat, nobody puts a bidet in it,” Dr. Charlier said. “There’s not room for it, particularly in Paris.” Although, when the bidet is incorporated in the toilet, as modern versions are, space is a nonissue. “Maybe there are also psychological reasons we do not embrace the newer technology,” he said. -NYT So - with toilet paper flying off the shelves amid the coronavirus pandemic, is it time to start freshening up with a targeted blast of H20?
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