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a-pretty-nerd · 4 years

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Tomura Shigaraki x AllMight!Daughter!Reader

Chapter 5

Premis:

When The League of Villains discovers that AllMight has a daughter, they are quick to snatch you up and hold you hostage. Shigaraki had a careful and thought out plan, but that was before you got there. Now you're in the mood for some not-so-healthy rebellion.

Word Count: 1,386

Warnings: prescription drugs, restraints, yelling.

A/N: So its been a hot minute, sorry my MHA friends! I’ve opened my inbox again, so if you’ve got a request for any MHA characters, I’ve gotchu! (I also write LGBTQ+ content, so whatever you want, I gotchu bb <3) And don’t be afraid to interact! Gimme a like, comment, shoot me an ask, it really helps me out! And if you’d like to support me further, go ahead and check out my Patreon where I’ll be making some exclusive content!

Chapter 4 Chapter 6

Shigaraki sat alone in his room pouring over web page after web page. Books, articles, essays, anything and everything he could get his dry, cracked hands on. Telekinetic quirks were common, there was no shortage of people with the ability to move things with their mind. However, he was having a hard time finding cases where the user was medicated to suppress their quirk. Sure, science was always developing new ways to alter quirks, but rarely were people with telekinetic powers put on such strong anti-depressants.

He leaned back in his chair, his nails digging at the dry skin on his neck as he thought over the information he had collected. He tried to pull the pieces together. You were so scared, so freaked out and panicked. He was having a hard time processing it himself. He had expected you to beg and cry while being held captive, but you were worried, about your captor’s safety.

He pulled his hand away from his neck and looked down at his hands. The things you said. The way you plead for death. So sincere. No one had ever begged him like that. It sent a cold shiver down his spine. It caught him so off-guard. Maybe he’d bitten off more than he could chew with you. Maybe he should let you go. No. No, he couldn’t. He wasn’t done with you yet. He had plans he had to follow through with. If he could pull this off, he could tear the world apart from the inside, out. If he showed everyone how incapable and flaky heroes could be, he could turn the narrative to the public. It would make everything so much easier.

If he could just get them to tell the truth. He had tinkered with the idea of broadcasting footage of you telling the truth, but even then, how could he get people to believe. No. He decided he just needed more time. While he plotted further, he would continue to keep you hostage. He had to.

He stood from his seat and shuffled out into the hallway to find a few stragglers in the living room chatting. He stood there around the corner and listened to them talk. He had given the task of keeping an eye on All Might and the investigation, just so they could stay one step ahead. They were bickering about the best way to go about following All Might since he had hardly left his apartment since your disappearance.

He turned and walked back down the hallway and stopped in front of a particular door. He stared at it for a moment, lost in thought. He knew you were behind it. He knew he had questions to ask you. He knew you’d comply, you were never shy about giving information before. You were so open but at the same time, so closed off. It was starting to frustrate him.

He stood in front of the door for a little longer than he realized, lost in deep thought as he contemplated on his options. Suddenly the door swung open, it almost startled him. With wide eyes he looked down at Toga. She looked back with a surprised expression before flashing a smile and speaking.

“Come to check up on our guest?” She giggled at him.

“Has she been stabalized?” He asked. Toga looked back into the room and then back to him. She shrugged.

“A few things move here and there when she’s upset, but nothing extreme. I’d be careful if I were you, she’s easily freaked out right now. She won’t stop begging to be let go. She keeps going on and on about our safety. Somethings not right.” Once she was done talking, Shigaraki walked past her.

You watched his looming figure make it’s way into the small room. Before you slept in a sleepingbag in a glorified closet, now, you had been tied to an old twin bed. Your arms tied above your head, your feet stretched out in front of you, another binding around your torso. The whole thing made you feel sick and violated. There was something horrifyingly familiar about these restraints.

“Have you slept at all?” He asked you as he sat down in the chair beside the bed.

“Have you?” You asked him. You could see the dark circles under his eyes, how puffy and dry they were. You traced imaginary lines over the scars around them, you noted they were the same around his lips. You wondered if they were dry to the touch or just scar tissue left over.

“How long have you been on medication for?” He asked you. You looked away, suddenly very aware of how long you had been starring at his face.

“Since my quirk manifested when I was eight. Eight? Nine maybe?” You trailed off, filing through the memories in search of the right answer.

“And you forgot to mention your medication until recently, why?”

“I don’t know. This is my first time being kidnapped. I didn’t know when I’d be home, or if I’d be dead.” He scoffed at you.

“Why do you keep thinking I’m going to kill you?”

“Are you fucking serious? You’re Japan’s- The World’s most wanted criminal. You’ve killed before you’ll kill again. You think me forgetting about my meds is a big issues, motherfucker its hard to think about anything right now. Much less remembering to take my meds without my phone alarm going off to remind me everyday. I don’t know if you’re aware, by being held hostage is kind of upsetting!” On your last word, the bed began to rattle, a glass of water on the bedside table threw itself towards you, and the chair Shigaraki sat in thrusted forward, closer to you. He jumped at the movement, and grasped onto the sides in an attempt to stablize himself. The sight of the villain in such a state of surprise, made you smile.

“Fair.” He muttered as he looked around, avoiding your eyes as you chuckled at him. He sat back down before speaking again. “What were you taking?”

“Paroxzaphin. It’s a strong antidepressant. It’s the only thing that works for me. Because my quirk relies heavily on my emotions, it was difficult to control when I was young. But with the help of medication, it is now manageable.”

“Supressed.”

“Exscuse me?”

“Your medication didn’t manage your quirk, it suppressed it entirely. If it does as you say, then it would have worked to manage your quirk, but instead it suppressed to a point where you were unable to use it entirely.

“Fine. It suppresses my abilities. But you don’t know what you’re dealing with. It would be better if I didn’t have this ability at all.”

“Why do you say that? What happens without it? You move a few pieces of furniture around? I’m not afraid of you.” He leaned in closer. Way too close for your liking.

“You don’t understand. Overtime, it’ll get worse.”

“How do you know?”

“You have to let me go, everyone is in danger.”

“Why? What happens?” He growled.

“Let me go!” You cried. His frustration peaked as he loomed over you. His eyes wide, his lips turned into a dark frown as he bared his teeth. He reached out a hand. Your restraints loosened around yours arms, until you felt dust fall over your flesh. You pulled your hands down and stared at the bruises the restraints caused. Soon your torso and ankles felt the release as well. You looked up at Shigarak who now stood at the foot of the bed. You opened your mouth to ask him why, but he interrupted you.

“You’re safe here. I trust you.” He said softly. You were confused. Where did this come from? Why was he so calm all of a sudden? Why was he looking at you like this? Like he understood, like he had sympathy for you.

“What?”

“I’ll see about getting you your medication. For now, you stay here as you have been. If you feel things are too much, tell us before you go into another fit, okay?” You nodded. He seemed almost reluctant to be saying what he was. To be as mature and nurturing as he was being, but regardless, he seemed to understand. And that was new.

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junker-town · 3 years

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The NBA’s new Covid-19 restrictions won’t be good enough

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The league’s expanded health and safety measures won’t stop the virus from tearing through teams.

Adam Silver knew it was going to happen when the NBA decided to bypass forming another bubble to instead return the league’s teams to their home arenas for a planned 72-game season. The commissioner watched MLB and NFL teams lose an unwinnable fight against Covid-19 that led to positive tests and postponed games even in the best case scenarios. Before the season’s opening tip, Silver called a similar outcome in the NBA “inevitable.”

Covid was always coming for the NBA, and in the last week it has fully arrived.

The Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls are all dealing with outbreaks within the locker room. Games getting postponed have become a daily occurrence. Meanwhile, the virus just killed 4,000 Americans in a single day for the first time since it suspended life as we know it in early March. The early days of a vaccine are here, but the crisis caused by the global pandemic is greater than ever.

There was mounting pressure on the NBA to issue some sort of response as more players tested positive and entire rosters became compromised from the necessary contact tracing that would follow. Now that we know what that response is, it can’t help but feel underwhelming.

The league’s expanded health and safety measures try to double down on keeping teams away from outside infections. When playing in their home market, players are now required to remain in their house except to attend team activities or take care of their essential needs for the next two weeks. When teams are on the road, they can’t leave their hotel rooms or invite guests in. There are stricter guidelines about wearing masks on the bench, and about where players can sit on flights home. Hugs are outlawed. You can read the league’s entire memo here:

Here’s official release on enhanced NBA/NBPA measures: pic.twitter.com/l1yEsR9Gox

— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) January 12, 2021

If there was speculation from outsiders that the league would pause for an extended period, it was always uninformed. For Silver and the NBA, sickness was built into the plan. The league only announced the first half of its schedule, and left the second half open in case games needed to be made up from postponements. Of course, just keeping up with the schedule should feel like a minimal concern when the virus continues to claim thousands of lives each day. It’s not just players and coaches who are at risk, it’s everyone they interact with on their way to putting on a game.

As the league tried to tighten its circle and barricade its walls, it is hard not to think of when the NBA’s plan to play amid a pandemic was hailed for its vision and safety. Despite some early reservations from critics, the bubble was a major success at keeping everyone inside healthy. The NBA could have put it on again. The reasons for why they didn’t touch every part of the business, but you have to wonder if everyone involve is starting to have second thoughts.

NBA basketball has not felt like the greatest product in the world lately. The Sixers just dressed an injured player (Mike Scott) so they wouldn’t have to forfeit for having too few available players after Seth Curry’s positive test infiltrated the locker room. Jonas Valanciunas was pulled by the Grizzlies at halftime to enter quarantine. Stars like Jayson Tatum have returned positive tests. The Heat just started Gabe Vincent in the backcourt and played Max Strus heavy minutes off the bench. There are reports that certain players have already contracted the virus for a second time.

As it happens, stars like James Harden and Kyrie Irving are having their reputations called into question for not following protocol. The situation has gotten messy, but that was always the league’s best hope. At this point, the NBA is just praying this season doesn’t kill someone in its path.

The NBA is saying that it isn’t possible to pass the virus during a game because players don’t stand within six feet of each other for 15 minutes at a time. That discounts the heavy breathing players do on top of each other, and forgets just how physical NBA basketball really is. It also doesn’t make much sense when cities have taken rims off the courts and closed down public spaces so the game of basketball doesn’t continue to spread of the virus.

While the league fights its biggest uptick in cases yet, Karl-Anthony Towns is just trying to get back onto the court from a wrist injury. Towns’ return is coming, but as he admitted earlier this season, his mind will never be all the way back. Towns’ mother was killed by the virus in April. He said that seven of his family members total have died from the virus. “I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven months, eight months,” Towns said.

Fans are starting to feel like it’s hard to get invested in the games as cases around the league spike. Imagine how someone like Towns must feel as he tries to rush back onto the court knowing exactly how deadly this virus can be.

The NBA’s new protocols will not stop the virus from infiltrating the league. The powers that be will argue that pausing for two weeks wouldn’t have helped either, but feels like it would have been worth a try. Instead, the show rolls on as planned. This was always how it was going to be.

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dippedanddripped · 4 years

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Modern consumers are as politically and socially conscious as ever. While some brands respond out of fear of alienating sects of their audience, a recent Morning Consult study found that merely saying the “right things” or “standing in solidarity” no longer cut it with consumers. They want the brands they support to back up those platitudes with action.

At the moment — with protests against racial injustice continuing across the globe — companies face increased pressure to denounce discrimination publicly and solidify their commitments to diversity and inclusion. We have recently seen companies respond to this demand in a variety of ways.

After George Floyd’s death, some brands posted brief messages of support and solidarity on social media, while others launched full-scale multichannel marketing campaigns. Regardless of the approach, companies should proceed with care when commenting on current events — especially when they involve social justice or politically polarizing topics.

Throughout the digital age, businesses have amassed massive paper trails on their websites and social media accounts. With a small amount of legwork, consumers can easily comb through a company’s receipts to see which brands are offering lip service and which ones genuinely care. Any inauthentic or inaccurate statements about your commitment to diversity or equal rights can quickly be debunked, ridiculed, and shared virally across the internet.

Be About It Instead of Just Talking About It

Authenticity in marketing has always been a best practice, but it becomes even more crucial in this time of social unrest and Covid-19. Campaigns about current events and social issues leave companies vulnerable to a different and deeper level of scrutiny.

For example, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Amazon released a commercial that thanked its “heroic” employees and described the company’s dedication to keeping them healthy and safe. The ad seemed heartfelt, but it became clear that the company was not “walking the walk” when coupled with Amazon’s recent employee strikes over workplace safety concerns.

Similarly, the NFL continues to struggle to authentically address racial injustice in America. For the past month, the league has been outspoken on social media about the horrors of systemic racism and police violence. But two short years ago, the NFL punished players for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of these same issues. Naturally, plenty of people have scrutinized their inconsistent stance.

This is not a time for companies to share generic, hollow, or hypocritical sentiments. Doing so can ring inauthentic and like a publicity stunt instead of a genuine attempt at contributing to the conversation. Instead, it is a time to be humble, own up to any mistakes, and express a desire to grow. This level of humility and authenticity is what consumers want to see right now, and it will help companies continue to build trust over the long run. Companies that acknowledge what is going on in the world, and that honestly want to improving things, strike the right chord with their customers. Companies that practice corporate social responsibility, for instance, can attribute 40% of their public reputation to that CSR work.

But authenticity can devolve into just lip service that companies hope will make them look good without having to do anything. I have seen it happen that way, and I understand the adverse effects it can have. To help brands maintain their campaigns’ authenticity and effectiveness during times of unrest, here are four tips I have seen work:

Step beyond your company’s perspective. Marketing teams often craft campaigns in a vacuum. When developing their messaging and imagery, they rely heavily on internal expertise and perspectives because they know their products better than any outsider would. However, topics like global health and racial injustice likely fall outside of the average marketing team’s purview. When attempting to comment on these sensitive topics, incorporate perspectives from outside experts to maintain the thoughtfulness and sincerity of your messaging.

Connect with brand leaders who have also had to adapt or overhaul their messaging and tactics during uncertain times. They usually have insights that can put the challenges you’re facing into perspective and help you avoid unexpected struggles in the future. In addition, pick the brain of your target audience to learn about what they want to hear and what will not work for them. These outsiders can hold a mirror up to your company, and allow you to see things more clearly.

For marketing teams, turning to people outside the organization can also illuminate when groupthink is leading them astray. When I worked at Dell, for example, the company decided to ramp up its marketing efforts toward women. I was asked to join an internal task force to help create these campaigns, but I quickly recused myself from the situation once I realized the CMO — who happened to be a woman — was intent on pushing stereotypical messaging, emphasizing topics like fashion and diet. She and her team would not listen to people outside of the task force that voiced concerns and warned her about this ill-conceived messaging built on outdated tropes. After the campaign went live, she ended up losing her job because of the ensuing public backlash over the campaign’s content.

Listen, process, and validate. When customers or employees voice concerns about your company’s response to Covid-19, racial injustice, or other current events, do more than listen to their feedback — work to process it critically. Pay close attention to the specific terminology they use and take it at face value. Do not try to read between the lines or defensively make assumptions about the way they feel. If you do, you are more likely to inject your biases and preconceptions into the mix. When crafting your response, mirror their phrasing and word choices to validate their concerns and show that you understand.

Take the case of what recently happened at Starbucks. The company faced significant backlash after consumers learned the retailer would not allow employees to wear any attire that said “Black Lives Matter.” This policy appeared to contradict previous statements made by the company on antiracism and inclusion. Starbucks validated consumer concerns when they spoke out against the hypocrisy, and the brand recently announced it would manufacture and distribute 250,000 “Black Lives Matter” shirts to its employees. While the move from some companies would be to dig in and not back down from such a public display, I think Starbucks deciding not to dig its heels in here was the right move. By acknowledging the hypocrisy and vowing to do better, it saved face and allowed the company to start somewhat anew.

Apologize without caveats or explanations. Do not underestimate the power of a sincere apology — even if the transgression occurred decades ago. Lucasfilm, for example, first came under fire in 1999 after creating Jar Jar Binks, a character many viewers believed to embody racist stereotypes. George Lucas has persistently denied any racist intent over the years, and he has refused to apologize for creating such a controversial character. With Jar Jar Binks back in the news recently, due to questions about the character’s appearing in an upcoming “Star Wars” TV project, Lucas has another opportunity to offer a sincere apology once and for all.

Expressing genuine contrition does not include caveats or explanations, and it should not take a rotation in the news cycle to spark remorse. It accepts fault and places the onus on the brand rather than the people who feel offended. Even if you do not immediately understand or agree with the complaints against your company, take time to self-reflect and determine why an apology might be necessary.

If you decide to express remorse publicly, admit your lack of understanding while explaining how you plan to educate yourself. Provide follow-up statements as you learn, evolve, and implement changes.

Do not make a one-off statement. We have established that apologies are not enough in today’s age. With “cancel culture” as pervasive as it is, a one-time reaction is as good as letting an issue get ahead of you. Instead, treat apologies or mea culpas as the first steps of an ongoing dialogue designed to bring about thoughtful and meaningful progress.

After you finish owning up to the issue and better educating yourself, demonstrate how you are continuing to grow and leave that development open. Look at household names like Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, Cream of Wheat, Mrs. Butterworth’s, and Eskimo Pie — today, these brands are taking a (much needed) step forward by revisiting their divisive and antiquated trademark packaging. While, in a better world, this would have happened many years ago, it does show that they are trying to grow and create more inclusive products.

What is powerful about the actions those brands are taking is that they are just that: actions. Statements without actionable follow-through are just hot air. In the best case scenario, they are ignored. In the worst case, your brand will face backlash and be worse off than if you stayed silent. Take the next logical step that shows that you can “walk the walk.”

Following through doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive: If you value your essential workers, give them an hourly boost for facing increased hazardous conditions. If you value the environment, plant a tree. If you support your local community, give each employee paid time off to volunteer at their favorite charities. If you are invested in inclusion and improving racial equality, hire and recruit candidates from underrepresented communities. Make these gestures routine instead of opportunistic to show that you are invested in bringing about real change.

Your company might not get it right 100% of the time, but sticking to your core values, communicating with care, and displaying a willingness to reevaluate your point of view will enable you to build trust with consumers while learning and growing alongside them.

#social responsibility #marketing #fashion blog #streetwear blog #music blog

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comfsy · 4 years

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I’m In The Vulnerable Class for COVID-19. A Plea To Take This Virus Seriously.

A friend of mine recently texted me in a fury.

“Someone just posted on FB that we’re doing things to stop the virus only because it’s going to ‘hurt old people’s feelings’ if we don’t,” he said.

His mother has respiratory issues and thus falls into the “older person vulnerable to the new coronavirus” category, as do many others.

Like me.

And I can read.

So when I read tweets or posts about how it’s basically “just a flu” (false) that “only hurts the vulnerable,” it makes me worry for us as a society. If we can’t protect our most vulnerable, what are we doing?

Don’t panic. Doctors/ virologists I’m speaking to say 98% of people will be fine, even if they get Covid-19. They expect it will go around the world, but that most people who get it will be a little sick, then recover. The danger is to vulnerable people. Hospitals/ old age homes.

— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) February 26, 2020

COVID-19: We Need to Consider Society As a Whole

I’ve received many reader emails about COVID-19 asking for my thoughts given that I am currently dealing with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and an inflammatory immune condition that already predisposes me to a cytokine storm.

It’s been very surreal to see the news unfold at a time when I have been in quarantine of sorts (bedrest) for many, many months. Due to the CSF leak, I rely on family and friends for groceries and to make food as I cannot do so myself. For those who are chronically ill, the lack of independence for basic needs adds an extra layer of concern and need for care on a daily basis.

The discourse about Covid-19 seems to consist of differing responses from several distinct groups of people

First, the people who are well and who believe they’ll be unscathed. This “isn’t a big deal,” they say. “Why is the media making us panic?”

Second, those who are vulnerable like me, and who know they are at risk for significant complications if they contract the virus.

There are some people who live in between those two extremes, and while healthy themselves are nonetheless able to remember a series of subclasses whose lives legitimately depend on the collective to stay safe.

And then, there are others whose actions are downright dangerous for all of us. This includes NBA player Rudy Gobert. Per Hot Air’s report:

I doubt we’ll get a better case study during this nightmare of how a single person’s cavalier denialism about the threat from the disease can put entire industries at risk. This happened two days ago. Gobert apparently thought it was silly that the NBA had set a new rule requiring reporters to stay six feet away from players at all time. So, as a goof, he decided to touch all of their microphones after his Q&A ended.

After mocking COVID-19 precautions by touching a bunch of things — he then tested positive. And like any exponential virus, others are testing positive too.

Jazz star Donovan Mitchell has tested positive for the coronavirus, league sources tell ESPN. Jazz players privately say that Rudy Gobert had been careless in the locker room touching other players and their belongings. Now a Jazz teammate has tested positive.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 12, 2020

Ultimately, Engel isn’t wrong from a statistical perspective.

He’s also not the first or last person I’ve seen try to stem the panic by reminding people of the expandability of the vulnerable like me.

I’m writing this post as a plea to each person to put overall societal needs above individual desires until this virus peaks.

I am not a doctor, and the following is not medical advice. It is, however, a summary of what I’ve researched for my own safety given my immune system.

Disinformation and panic don’t help anyone, especially during a pandemic.

By now, you’re probably living under a rock if you don’t know what the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the artist formerly known as 2019-nCoV until it was named COVID-19. People also refer to it as “coronavirus”, but since it’s one of many coronaviruses, I’m not going to do that here.

People also refer to it as the “Wuhan flu,” but since it’s actually not a flu virus and people are already erroneously comparing it to the flu, I’m going to stick to COVID-19 for this piece. (See below for my response to the the “it’s just the flu” people.)

COVID-19 is a called Novel Coronavirus because it’s a new disease for humans. The World Health Organization estimates a global death rate of 3.4%. While people around the world may have built up an immunity to the flu over time, the newness of the COVID-19 means no one had immunity when it first broke out. There’s no current way to cure it.

The fast spread of this virus has led to heavy amounts of disinformation and even outright conspiracy theories. I’ve argued with quite a few people online who suggest that this is “just like the flu,” or that “most people barely feel sick.” In an internet age where we are able to get fast data out of countries that are ahead of our curve here in North America, there is simply no excuse for not acting as swiftly as possible.

Panic isn’t useful.

Changing nothing in your life isn’t useful either – it’s actually outright dangerous right now.

In the middle lies being informed, prepared, and willing to think about society as a whole. Doing so lowers the burden on our health care systems, and buys a bit more time for treatments and research to happen. Reducing the number of people who are sick at once is the best way to keep our health system from being overwhelmed. And that in turn helps not just COVID-19 patients but also everyone else who must seek treatment in a hospital.

Two factors that make COVID-19 a big concern to everyone:

A medical system that is over capacity, where doctors will need to decide who coming in gets a ventilator, who gets a bed, and more – not just COVID-19 patients, but other vulnerable patients with chronic diseases. Data tracks at a 10% hospitalization rate in Italy, with those in critical condition needing 3-6 weeks for recovery. That is a very long strain on the system.

The lack of immunity to the disease worldwide means that there’s no ceiling on the amount of people who can get infected. Presently, cases of COVID-19 are doubling in only a few days’ time. Research labs and scientists around the world are racing to find a vaccine that works, but as of today there is simply mitigation, planning, and attempts at slowing down the progression.

Yes, the bulk of infections will be mild.

Those people will still transmit this highly contagious disease, though. And even if you’re fully asymptomatic, you can still spread this virus in the process as a vector.

Which is why acting now, even if you’re healthy, is critical.

This also means preparing without panic, being reasonable about what we need and don’t need without hoarding, and above all considering our roles as citizens in a collective. As Mark Manson said in a new post:

So, while staying home, from an individual risk perspective, seems unnecessary and an overreaction, from a systemic risk perspective, it’s the only prudent thing to do. The more people who go out and about, the faster this thing spreads, and the faster this thing spreads, the more the hospitals get flooded, and the more the hospitals get flooded, the more people die unnecessarily.

This chart put together today by the Institute of Disease Prevention shows the potential mitigation of COVID-19 for King and Snohomish counties in Washington State by taking precautions sooner rather than later.

Infections with and without social distancing COVID19, courtesy of the Institute for Disease Prevention

This virus is beyond containment worldwide, and acting swiftly but calmly is imperative.

Learning from Italy

Outside of mainland China, Italy now has the highest number of deaths in the world from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. And the country’s fatality rate from COVID-19—at 5%—is much higher than the global average of 3.4%.

Here's the last 8 days of US #covid19 testing mapped to Italy's numbers starting on 2/22. The trend looks awful similar. pic.twitter.com/zZ3ng396Jf

— Eli Pariser (@elipariser) March 11, 2020

Why is Italy’s death rate so high? Italy has conducted a substantial number of tests — more than 42,000 as of Saturday (March 7), according to Al Jazeera. But the size of the outbreak and the late adoption of containment measures combined with speed of spread meant that Lombardy and to a lesser extent other areas in Italy are unable to get back to a place of balance. The strain on the system is so bad that the Italian College of Anesthesia, Analgesia, Resuscitation and Intensive Care (SIAARTI) has shared guidelines (link is in Italian) for the criteria that doctors and nurses should follow in these extraordinary circumstances, likening them to the moral choices doctors face during wartime. They require doctors to allocate ICU access to the patients with the highest chance of therapeutic success. This may seem logical and even utilitarian, but it’s a devastating position to be in every day during an outbreak.

At the same time, an Italian doctor begged other countries to act now. Dr. Daniele Macchini posted (link is in Italian; English here) about what’s happening on the front lines of Italian’s coronavirus response, noting that each ventilator was like gold. He notes that there are no more specialist doctors, just doctors as a whole, a single team to try and stop the inflow of sick people. Italy does have a sizeable older population, but the case study of Dr Macchini and others on the front lines would be foolish to ignore.

The foregoing is not “media hype” but rather published testimony and guidelines from a country right in the middle of a substantial outbreak.

We need to think through the exponential growth of this disease, and we don’t seem to be doing so on a systemic level. The way exponential growth works is that seems tolerable until suddenly it’s an avalanche – and then it’s often too late.

Let’s try to avoid the avalanche.

Risk Groups for COVID-19

Briefly, because we’ve all been bombarded with graphs these days, a note about mortality and risk groups.

The pre-existing conditions that are known to be a factor in worsening COVID-19 infections in patients:

Risk factors COVID-19 via NatGeo

The medical consensus is that those over 60 years old, and those with underlying health conditions are the most impacted by the disease.

For those who are chronically ill and/or fall into these categories, extra precaution is needed. What is also needed — as this post will keep saying over and over — is for everyone to take social reduction seriously, especially because of testing limitations in many countries but especially the United States.

In addition to the main pre-existing conditions listed above, immunocompromised patients are at higher risk for fatalities. And there are millions of immunocompromised people in America alone, a number which not only comprises those with immunodeficiency syndromes but also people with cancer – who are accounted for in the above chart – or who have been treated for it, people who have received transplants, people with HIV, and more.

Symptoms and mitigation when starting to feel sick

The symptoms of Covid-19 vary from case to case. From China’s data, the most common are:

fever

dry cough (majority of cases)

fatigue

mucus coughing up from the respiratory tract (called sputum)

If you have a fever and dry cough alone, advice from interviewed doctors is to get tested by calling your department of health – NOT by presenting to the ER or Urgent Care where you could potentially infect others.

Generally, contacting your department of health for your state, province, or territory is the best option.

For Americans: state department of health contact information here.

For Canadians, scroll down to the phone numbers of each provincial health department, here.

Where testing comes in

Data from Italy suggests that many cases went undetected and enabled community spread. This data is part of why it is extremely important to get testing capacity up to population numbers, and why containment in the USA is going to be a big problem.

As of March 11, 2020, it’s still difficult to get tested in the USA.

Several Legal Nomads readers have reported all the symptoms, a doctor’s request for testing in the USA, and still were told by the Department of Health in their state that they were not eligible.

Those readers did the smart thing and put themselves on self-quarantine, but what of the others who did not?

Based on exported cases to other countries, Italy may have had about 4000 #COVID19 cases by end of Feb, rather than the 1100 that were reported, suggesting about 70% of cases went undetected. More great analysis by @AshTuite and co https://t.co/CI4dENGlyr

— Adam Kucharski (@AdamJKucharski) March 6, 2020

Strain on the hospital system when catastrophe medicine is at play, especially in the USA

The facts for the US heath care system during this pandemic are not great.

According to the American Hospital Association, the US has 924,107 beds total, in the USA. On a per capita basis, as of 2017 that was 2.77 beds per 1000 people. For comparison, China’s 2017 per capita bed ratio was 4.05 beds per 1000 people. (See OECD heathcare stats here.)

Put simply, there are not enough hospital beds in the USA for an outbreak of the kind we’ve seen elsewhere, nor for the projection of hospitalizations – 4 to 8 million – that researchers estimate the United States will see. In fact, the US’ hospital beds per 1000 people is also smaller than the other main countries overwhelmed with an outbreak. In 2017, Italy is at 3.18, and South Korea at 12.27, both beds per 1000 people.

Moreover, with at-will employment in many states, little sick days, especially in jobs that are front-facing (service industry, food industry, etc), community spread is a valid concern.

And then there’s patients who are chronically ill and depend on medication and hospital needs even outside the “at-risk” aspect of COVID19. If the system is overwhelmed as we’ve seen happen elsewhere, deaths from pre-existing conditions that can’t get properly treated are more likely.

From a family friend, a doctor in Indiana who reviewed the Indiana State Department of Health Crisis Standard for Ventilator Allocation:

Here’s the problem: If we can’t find a way to slow the spread of this virus in the United States, the healthcare system will be faced with a surge of patients that may overcome available healthcare resources. Things like ventilators and ICU beds may be inadequate.

But most patients survive, right? The flu kills more people, right? Well, that’s again not the whole truth. Take a look at the news out of Italy. Hospitals are overrun at 200% capacity. They have ICU patients in operating rooms. They have run out of ventilators. Patients are being triaged into likely to survive or not likely to survive. The former receive a ventilator. The latter receive oxygen and medications to keep them comfortable as they die. That’s because this virus is capable of making people – especially older people and people with comorbid conditions – very very ill. None of us have immunity to this illness, and unlike flu none of us have been vaccinated against COVID-19. If this illness is allowed to spread unchecked, far too many patients will require care at the same time forcing doctors and hospitals to choose between patients who are likely to survive and those who are not – a process called ventilator allocation.

Oh come on, isn’t it just like the flu?

No.

For the love of all things holy, NO.

This isn’t the flu – it’s a different virus altogether. Scientists in Asia have described it as a cross between SARS and AIDS in terms of how it impacts the body.

It is more contagious than the flu.

It is more deadly than the flu.

Even assuming a global death rate of 1% (despite the current rate of 3.4-3.5% per the WHO), it would be 10x more deadly than the flu, which has a death rate of 0.1%.

COVID19 vs the flu, courtesy of Bloomberg.

The data from all around the world indicates a much higher mortality rate and a very different virus altogether from seasonal influenza. China’s datasets, as well as those from countries like Taiwan and Singapore where so far containment has been possible, have all provided us with information to help us see what’s coming.

And the success of our outcome depends on individual willingness to mitigate risk moment to moment.

So what can we do? Think collectively, not individually, to help flatten the curve of the epidemic.

“We are past the point of containment,” says @UWMedicine Dr. Helen Chu. “Now we need to keep the people who are vulnerable from getting sick.” #COVID19seattle @UWVirology @WADeptHealth WADeptHealth @KCPubHealth https://t.co/q4mvKarU2D

— UW Medicine Newsroom (@uwmnewsroom) March 6, 2020

For those who require hospitalization, they require the long term stays I mentioned earlier of ICU care for a period of 3-6 weeks. Italy thus far estimates that many COVID-19 patients need at least 4 weeks on mechanical ventilators.

That number would put hospital systems over capacity very quickly if we don’t flatten the curve on this virus.

via Vox news

This virus is going to affect your life. And you get to choose how you act to decide if you want to contribute to flattening the curve, or spiking it.

I sound like a broken record for social distancing because we know testing isn’t going to get everyone and thus if we want to have a bell curve more like South Korea versus like Italy, we need to start taking action on an individual level yesterday.

I realize not everyone has the privilege to work from home or to take all the measures I list below.

But doing the extent possible is extremely important from EVERYONE, in order to help ease the impact of this epidemic.

Fine, you’ve convinced me. Now how do I help stop the spread for COVID19?

Starting place: do not panic. Each of us thinks better and makes smarter decisions when we are not in cognitive overload. The earlier you take precautions, even if you’re not directly impacted yet by the virus, the better you can help lower the societal burden. Choose compassion for the societal burden over fear and distrust. I know it’s not easy, but as a collective we do depend on it. Worldwide data shows there’s no advantage to being a late mover here.

1. SOCIAL DISTANCING

Does your company let you work from home? Start doing so now.

Limit nonessential public gatherings.

Make small choices that can take out away from groups of people, even in quotidian activities. Refrain from museums, clubs, dancing, religious services, and more as this plays out. Crowded spots are prime dissemination spots.

What is a “public gathering”? Doctors I have spoken with define a public gathering as anything more than 6 people, but there doesn’t seem to be consensus overall as you can see with the number (5) below. Regardless of the actual numbers, social distancing is how we can have a hope at slowing the spread of COVID-19, and potentially mitigate its effects on the hospital system.

The same doctor who wrote about the — above, says:

This means not flying on a plane or taking a cruise or a train. This means cancelling your vacation. This means not going to gatherings of people. How many is too many people? To give you an idea, one of the health organizations I work for has banned meetings of more than 5 people. Most meetings are video or teleconferenced. So should you go to a crowded school event or a sporting event? NO! And school’s shouldn’t be so irresponsible to continue to offer such gatherings.

This also includes cancelling non-critical medical visits, to keep the hospitals and systems as clear as possible for the coming burden. Telemedicine has been available for a few years now, and this is definitely the time to avail yourself of it if you have the privilege to do so.

I’ve been telling people, “be St. Louis, not Philadelphia,” because in 1918, Philly held a huge parade during an influenza outbreak. In contrast, St. Louis cancelled all gatherings. As you can see from the chart below, the death toll was very different in those two cities.

There is a reason for canceling public gatherings. In a pandemic, don't be Philadelphia (held a parade in 1918 when cases started to come up, downplayed cases), be St. Louis (canceled gatherings). More here: https://t.co/KE7RYbxDGM @mlipsitch pic.twitter.com/wyrHx0nOLA

— Florian Krammer (@florian_krammer) March 6, 2020

It’s selfish to complain about “changing your plans” or making adjustments to social activity when the downside of doing nothing is systemic overload and catastrophe medicine. Again, this isn’t hype, this is simply a summary of what we’ve seen in other countries to date with medical systems that don’t have enough beds for contagion at this volume.

As Mark Manson says in a new post about COVID19 :

People like me don’t have the privilege to be out in the world safely right now, and nor do your parents and grandparents.

WASH YOUR HANDS. OFTEN. LONGER THAN YOU WANT TO.

The most important thing other than social distancing is to wash your hands, for 20 (long) seconds.

That’s a lot longer than most of us have been washing our hands. And we need to do it frequently. Before and after eating food. When returning home from outside. When in contact with anyone else. If there is a chance your unwashed fingers has the virus on them, you do not want that anywhere near you or your home.

Happy birthday sung twice is about the right length, so many people are singing that as they wash. Here’s a song generator from The Verge that can help you choose other options so you don’t hate birthdays by the end of this COVID19 pandemic.

Soap works very well on this virus, and it doesn’t need to be anti-bacterial soap. It just needs to be a looooong wash, because of the nature of the virus.

For the science behind why that is, see the thread below:

1/25 Part 1 – Why does soap work so well on the SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus and indeed most viruses? Because it is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer. A two part thread about soap, viruses and supramolecular chemistry #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OCwqPjO5Ht

— Palli Thordarson (@PalliThordarson) March 8, 2020

If you cannot use soap and water because you’re away from access to it, alcohol-based hand sanitizer with over 60% alcohol content is a good stand in. When you do get access to water, though, soap and wash immediately.

STOP TOUCHING YOUR FACE

THIS IS SO HARD.

I’m not alone; a study from 2015 shows people touch their faces an average of 23 times per hour.

It’s very important though, and we have to keep avoiding it as much as possible. This includes the eyes, since ocular transmission has been one of the ways the virus is spread.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Matt Shirley (@mattsurelee) on Mar 6, 2020 at 2:50pm PST

DISPOSABLE GLOVES IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

Wear gloves or nitrile or latex disposable gloves when in public spaces like buses, subways, and other areas where you will be touching areas that others have touched like pumping gas.

If you are in a social situation where you need to remove your gloves, do not touch your face or eyes, no matter how much something itches. And before you put gloves back on, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, scrubbing the fingers.

STAY 2m (6 FT) AWAY FROM SICK PEOPLE, AND TRY TO KEEP DISTANCE OF 1m (3 FT) GENERALLY WHEN OUTSIDE.

This means life changes that have irritated some people, but nonetheless are reasonable precautions during an outbreak like this.

And still, social distancing takes precedence.

If you’re going to dine out, get take-out food and bring it home instead. Sit outside if there’s a terrace, instead of staying inside a closed restaurant. Netflix instead of a movie theatre. You get the drill.

THIS MEANS NO HAND SHAKING OR CHEEK KISSING TO GREET PEOPLE.

Curtsy, arm pump, touch your feet together, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re not actually touching your hand or face to someone else’s hand or face.

AVOID PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

This likely doesn’t require an explanation, but is to avoid a cough, sneeze, or hand-to-hand contact that can put us in the danger zone for droplet splatter or air particles that can transmit the virus.

DOORKNOBS: LEARN TO CLEAN THEM OFTEN AND TRY NOT TO USE THEM IN PUBLIC.

I’m very limited here because of my CSF leak, but for those of you who can open and close doors using your elbows, hips, or shoulders: do it. If not, wear gloves to turn a doorknob, or wash your hands immediately after touching it. If someone does get sick in your household, wiping down your doorknobs is a good idea too.

The CDC has a list of cleaning recommendations for COVID-19 here.

WIPE DOWN YOUR CELL PHONE WHEN YOU RETURN HOME FROM OUTSIDE.

I use alcohol-wipes for this, small size, but the ones I bought are no longer available. A spray bottle with rubbing alcohol sprayed onto a wipe will usually suffice. Apple used to say not to clean phones this way, but due to COVID-19, Apple has changed its guidelines. The company now says you can use a wipe with 70% isopropyl alcohol or a Clorox wipe to clean your iPhones.

WHEN THE WEATHER ALLOWS, OPEN A WINDOW.

This virus cannot linger in a well-ventilated space, per this FP article, though it’s quite cold in much of North America still.

ON MASKS

There’s a lot of controversy about masks. If you do choose to use one, you need to don and doff them with gloves on, and then make sure you properly dispose of the gloves.

When the mask has been taken of, place it inside of a disposable container or bag, seal it, and put it in the trash.

From a March 12th piece by The Guardian, they recommend wearing them when caring for sick people and when around sick people:

Wearing a face mask is certainly not an iron-clad guarantee that you won’t get sick – viruses can also transmit through the eyes and tiny viral particles, known as aerosols, can penetrate masks.

However, masks are effective at capturing droplets, which is a main transmission route of coronavirus, and some studies have estimated a roughly fivefold protection versus no barrier alone (although others have found lower levels of effectiveness).

If you are likely to be in close contact with someone infected, a mask cuts the chance of the disease being passed on. If you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, or have been diagnosed, wearing a mask can also protect others. So masks are crucial for health and social care workers looking after patients and are also recommended for family members who need to care for someone who is ill – ideally both the patient and carer should have a mask.

However, masks will probably make little difference if you’re just walking around town or taking a bus so there is no need to bulk-buy a huge supply.

If someone is coughing or sneezing it’s good to ask them to put on a mask to protect you.

DON’T FORGET TO STAY SOCIAL, EVEN INSIDE

I’ve been on bedrest now for close to two years, and with technology I’ve been able to keep myself sane and connected with friends. In times like this, where fear often takes over, it’s even more important to stay in touch with people you love even if you can’t see them.

An epidemic of loneliness is not what does the immune system good. These are three things that really helped me during bedrest and isolation the last few years:

Schedule nighttime calls with friends to calm you before bed.

Watch Netflix programmes together, pressing play at the same time.

Start meditations in groups where everyone meditates starting at the same time.

STOCK UP, RESPONSIBLY

Make a list of crucial medication and cold/pain relief medication and stock up for a month’s extra supply – or more if your insurance allows.

In Canada, most people I’ve spoken with have gotten 2 months extra prescription medication filled. In the USA, this will vary by state and insurance provider.

Other things to have in the house:

All-purpose cleaner

Hand soap

Dish soap

Rubbing alcohol in case you need to dilute it to make a spray.

Paper towels

Cold & flu medicine that you favour, if any.

Painkillers like Tylenol or Advil

Latex gloves or nitrile gloves to wear donning and doffing masks, or for use outside the home.

Toilet paper (for a few weeks extra not a panicked by of a monster load of toilet paper!)

Bleach or Lysol or Clorox Wipes for cleaning.

Toothpaste

Laundry detergent

Some non-perishables that are easy to have in case you want to minimize your food trips: rice, canned tuna or chicken, protein bars, popcorn, crackers, nutritious seeds like flax or chia, peanut butter, oats, cans of chickpeas and beans, and oils you use to cook with. Also some frozen veggies.

Don’t forget the pets! Stock up on pet food for an extra month.

The vulnerable are worthy of protection too.

Today, Norway now has a mandatory quarantine for all inbound travelers and cancelled all schools, all sporting events, and has a mandatory quarantine for people coming into the country from abroad.

In the USA and Canada, these large-scale domestic measures have not happened yet, though more and more cancellations are happening each day.

We know that the countries that have been most successful at lowering their overall death rate are the ones who take swift, aggressive measures quickly.

In South Korea, for example, nearly 20,000 people are being tested every day for the virus and labs are working 24/7 to get testing kits back. This morning, I heard a segment on NPR from a man there who tested positive despite his only symptom being a slight cough. In Seoul, the radio anchor reported drive through testing with results delivered via text in 5-6 hours.

We can see from Italy what happens when we don’t take a preemptive, wide-reaching approach. Let’s not squander the horrifying lesson they taught us. It’s clear that the US does not have the capacity to test at high levels like South Korea, meaning many people who are otherwise asymptomatic could be infecting the vulnerable classes in society.

It took me many days to write this article because I can only stand for small 20 minute increments to write it with my CSF leak. But it’s well worth the “up time” if it makes a few more people take COVID19 seriously.

Stay home.

Do what you can to protect the at risk population.

Change your schedule, your patterns, your habits to the maximum extent you can.

Just because I’m vulnerable to this virus doesn’t mean I’m less worthy of staying well.

COVID-19 Resources

COVID-19 by the numbers (WORLDWIDE) – Worldometers

COVID-19 by the numbers (USA ONLY, including cases per county so people can track the spread locally) – Infection2020

How to prepare reasonably without panic – Virology Down Under

WHO global data for COVID-19

How does the virus affect the body – National Geographic

Stay The Fuck Home (a succinct summary)

The post I’m In The Vulnerable Class for COVID-19. A Plea To Take This Virus Seriously. appeared first on Legal Nomads.

I’m In The Vulnerable Class for COVID-19. A Plea To Take This Virus Seriously. published first on https://takebreaktravel.tumblr.com/

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newyorktheater · 4 years

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Workers in protective gear disinfecting an empty theater in Seoul, Korea. Theaters have been shut down in several world cities because of COVID-19. Will this happen in New York?

a closeup of the Coronavirus

With the first reported case of COVID-19 in Manhattan, there is increased concern about the virus among New Yorkers, and that includes theatergoers.

New York Governor Cuomo said yesterday that it was “inevitable” the outbreak would spread. But New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said “the facts are reassuring…We have a lot of information now, information is actually showing us things that should give us more reason to stay calm and go about our lives.”

Coronavirus in New York: The Latest

From the New York Times: The section most relevant to theatergoing: “NYC & Company, which monitors tourism in the city, has projected 285,000 fewer visitors this year from China. That would be a decline of more than 25 percent from the 1.1 million Chinese visitors last year. China is the second-biggest source of international tourists to the city, behind Britain. Through last weekend, restaurants, museums and Broadway shows were largely unaffected…”

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

This page created by the Centers for Disease Control is the most reliable source of health information about the virus

What you can do personally

Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, and keep them away from your face.

(More on hand washing from the CDC)

Keep your distance from sick people.

Leave the masks for the ill and for health care providers.

What can we expect

From Juliana Grant, preventive medicine physician and infectious disease epidemiologist: “Daily life will be impacted in important ways. Travel is likely to be limited and public gatherings will probably be canceled. Schools will probably be closed. Expect health departments to start issuing these orders in the near future, especially on the West Coast. The acute pandemic will probably last at least for several months and quite possibly for a year or two.”

Would the threat of coronavirus put you off going to the theatre?

That’s the poll question in The Guardian in the UK. So far, 52 percent have said no, 48 percent yes.

In a survey of 2,200 U.S. adults from February 28 to March 1 by Morning Consult, 31 percent said they are less likely to go to a theater performance because of the coronavirus; that figure jumped to 62 percent when asked “if the coronavirus were to spread to your community.”

Movie theaters and/or legitimate theaters already have been shut down in cities as varied as Tokyo, Seoul, Venice, Milan and Palo Alto

Statements from The Broadway League and Actors Equity:

“The Broadway League is closely monitoring this evolving situation on behalf of the Broadway community. The safety and security of our theatregoers and employees is our highest priority. We are following the lead of our city, state and federally elected officials, as well as implementing strategies recommended by public health authorities in all of our theatres and offices. We remain vigilant, and we are prepared to make decisions based on current needs, as well as in response to changing conditions.”

Actors Equity: “We have shared guidance with staff, posted resources for members and are having the appropriate internal conversations about maintaining business continuity if an outbreak becomes more severe. We have also initiated conversations with major Equity employers and other labor leaders around maintaining a safe and healthy workplace. We will continue to monitor the situation, seek guidance and best practices from the appropriate health authorities and share additional information as warranted.”

March theater openings

February New York theater quiz

The Week in New York Theater Reviews

Video projection of Dharon E. Jones as Riff and Amar Ramasar as Bernardo, as the actual actors confront each other on stage.

West Side Story What’s most remarkable about Ivo van Hove’s shake-up of West Side Story is, for all the Belgian director’s ruinous choices – chief among them, an overabundance of distracting video projections – he doesn’t completely ruin what’s most thrilling about this 63-year-old musical updating of Romeo and Juliet. Leonard Bernstein’s music remains a miracle of melody and mood, rendered glorious by a 25-piece orchestra with orchestrations by the legendary 81-year-old Jonathan Tunick. If much of the singing doesn’t especially stand out in this production, Isaac Powell and Shereen Pimentel as the star-crossed lovers Tony and Maria give us what we need: They offer powerful evidence why the songs they sing — “Maria,” “Tonight,” “One Hand/One Heart” and “Somewhere” – are not just universally beloved; they can still make you cry.

For aficionados of West Side Story, there are many other, less salutary reasons to get emotional.

Let West Side Story die, Puerto Rican writer and translator @FluentMundo writes. Or, to quote Anita: “Forget that boy, and find another.” https://t.co/Uk4Ii4BtDQ pic.twitter.com/ca3bXvpLYT

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) February 24, 2020

Beth Malone and David Aron Damane

The Unsinkable Molly Brown Molly Brown, a socialite, social activist and survivor of the Titanic disaster in real life — turned into a Tony-winning Tammy Grimes on stage and Debbie Reynolds at her pluckiest on screen — has been meticulously transformed once again, into…Elizabeth Warren.

Kevin Ramessar, Debbie Christine Tjong, Janelle McDermoth,

We’re Gonna Die

We’re all in pain – because of loneliness or loss, betrayal or illness – and playwright Young Jean Lee wants to offer us some comfort. This might not be immediately apparent, given the title of her unusual show, and its format: Performer Janelle McDermoth sings a half-dozen tuneful, hard-charging rock songs interspersed with anecdotes of sorrow and trauma that range from funny-sad to tragic to horrid, lifted from Lee’s actual life and that of her friends and family.

Natalie Portman is Keyonna’s imaginary friend, and also her crush. The 16-year-old has other crushes – all white actresses, pictures of whom she has cut out of magazines and pasted into a collage on her “dream board.” But she only plays with Natalie – performing in scenes with her from some half-dozen of the movies in which the Academy Award winning actress has appeared, from The Empire Strikes Back to The Professional. Keyonna does this, we realize from the beginning of C.A. Johnson’s sweet if largely familiar coming-of-age play, to find some moments of manufactured joy in a life burdened by a dead father, a drunk and sometimes disappearing mother, and a brother who is trying his best but is only two years older, so that the family is one rent day away from homeless, and one meal away from hungry.

All The Natalie Portmans

Cambodian Rock Band

How do you put genocide on stage? Lauren Yee starts with a rock band, which is playing so loudly when we enter that the theater management offers ear plugs for any who request it. A rock concert may seem an odd, even inappropriate, way for a play about genocide to begin, but what comes next is even more jarring in this disorienting, genre-bending show that shifts tone and time and focus — and may arguably be the best way, perhaps the only way, Yee could have told the story she wanted to tell.

The Week in New York Theater News

To Kill A Mockingbird plays to 18,000 students at Madison Square Garden

Greg Kinnear will make his Broadway debut succeeding Ed Harris as Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird, starting April 21.

Congratulations to @lucyprebblish winner of the 2020 Susan Smith @blackburn_prize + $25K for “A Very Expensive Poison” (inspired by murder of ex-Soviet spy Alexander Litvinenko), & to @AHarris1361 for Special Commendation (+ $10k) for “What to Send Up When It Goes Down.” pic.twitter.com/GYoIKl7xUI

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) March 3, 2020

“The Miranda Family” (@Lin_Manuel et al, pictured) is launching, in partnership w/ @repertorionyc, “Voces Latinx” National Playwriting Competition. Submissions due April 1st. Details: https://t.co/sP52qyT4nh pic.twitter.com/PmpAHEFBiP

— New York Theater (@NewYorkTheater) February 25, 2020

Rush tickets and lotteries

Company $43 digital lottery and rush Diana $40 digital lottery The Minutes $35 digital lottery and rush Hangmen – $39 rush

Airport Sushi skit on SNL spoofs The Phantom of the Opera,” “West Side Story,” “Annie,” “Wicked,” “Little Shop of Horrors” a

youtube

Rest in Peace

James Lipton, 93, theater educator, Broadway producer, book writer & lyricist, but best-known as host of Inside the Actors Studio, talk show about CRAFT of acting “Anybody’s craft is fascinating. A taxi driver talking about taxi driving is going to very interesting.”

Negro Ensemble Company founders, left to right: Robert Hooks,Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald Krone

Gerald Krone, 86, a founder of Negro Ensemble Company

Claudette Nevins, 82, TV regular, four-time Broadway veteran (Plaza Suite) and on tour (The Great White Hope)

The Coronavirus and Theater. #Stageworthy News of the Week With the first reported case of COVID-19 in Manhattan, there is increased concern about the virus among New Yorkers, and that includes theatergoers.

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citizentruth-blog · 5 years

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How Much More Crowded Can the Dems’ 2020 Field Get?

(Photo Credit: Beto O'Rourke/Twitter) Beto O'Rourke may be a hunk of a man, but shouldn't we know a bit more about him and his politics before vaulting him to the top of an already-crowded Democratic field for 2020? Not long after his near-miss in the race for a U.S. Senate seat for the state of Texas, people inspired by Beto O'Rourke's performance were already prepping his 2020 presidential bid. This despite, you know, Beto's own assurances on the matter that he wouldn't be running in 2020. Then again, he wouldn't be the first candidate to say one thing and do another. Never say never, eh? The desire is apparently there for Beto, though. And I do mean desire. If there was one candidate this election cycle who inspired a legion of thirsty female fans, it was the gray-in-all-the-right-places Beto O'Rourke. Very curiously, the Texas GOP tried to make their opponent look foolish during the race by showing him getting arrested as a college student, or when he used to play in a band, or skateboarding in a parking lot. The strategy backfired, though, because as discerning observers submitted, Lone Star State Republicans only managed to make Beto look hot, hotter, and oh-so-dreamy. Upping the sex appeal of the Democratic Party field isn't to be undersold. Although how much sexier can you get when you already have John Delaney in the mix, amirite, ladies? Seriously, though, as impressive as Beto's bid was in a state that Trump carried by nine points in 2016 and was won by Republicans in each of the last four presidential elections, it's kind of amazing—and possibly frightening—that party supporters would be willing to throw everything behind someone they potentially know very little about. So, yes, what do we know about Robert Francis "Beto" O'Rourke, other than that he's a fine hunk of meat? According to his campaign website, he's a fourth-generation Texan, born and raised in El Paso. He went to school at Columbia, and worked in New York City doing different jobs before coming back home and starting Stanton Street, a web development company. Becoming involved in various civic and community-based organizations, Beto then moved on to the world of politics. He served two terms on the El Paso City Council and then ran for and won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. O'Rourke has served in that capacity ever since. Other than that, yeah, there's the mug shot. Beto was arrested twice in the 90s, once for attempted burglary and the other for DWI, with both charges eventually getting dismissed. He was also in a band called Foss. They have a MySpace. And yes, he skateboarded in a Whataburger parking lot. As John Oliver would say, cool. Perhaps his biggest—and best—moment making the Internet rounds, though, was his defense of players protesting racial injustice by kneeling during the playing of the National Anthem. You can view his response here as highlighted by NowThis, a post since retweeted more than 200,000 times and liked more than 400,000. All of this is all well and good, and Beto's impassioned treatise on these players' patriotism especially deserves to be lauded, but what about the issues? Besides swearing off PAC money, what does our bad boy who can shred in multiple senses stand for? Going back to the ol' Beto for Texas site, his platform is actually pretty developed. His positions include: Strengthening the safety net for farmers by bolstering federal crop insurance programs. Defending the Affordable Care Act and opposing cuts to Medicaid and Social Security. Promoting policies that encourage companies to invest in their surrounding companies. Barring the use of public tax dollars for private schools. Optimizing the use of current resources while incentivizing renewable energy sources. Supporting the Equality Act, repealing the Defense of Marriage Act, and ensuring equal pay for equal work. Imposing term limits, refusing money from political action committees, and ending partisan redistricting. Requiring background checks for all gun sales and prohibiting the sale of military-grade weapons and high-capacity magazines. Promoting universal health care. Increasing funding for Pell Grant scholarships and the Federal Perkins Loan program. Ending the militarization of our immigration enforcement system and closing private immigration prisons and for-profit detention centers. Investing in apprenticeship, certification, and training programs that will help those without college degrees keep pace in an era of increasing specialization. Ending the war on drugs and the federal prohibition of marijuana. Defining "victory" in a military/diplomatic sense and outlining a strategy to achieve it Exercising appropriate oversight of Medicare. Improving access to care and housing for veterans. Ensuring a woman's right to choose and guaranteeing access to birth control and emergency contraception. O'Rourke's stances generally seem agreeable from a liberal standpoint. Accountability for gun sellers, campaign finance reform, legalization of marijuana probably stand out the most. Also, defending the ACA and so-called "entitlement" programs, protecting women's health care and equal pay, and standing against GOP anti-immigration rhetoric is important. Other points on the agenda arguably don't go far enough. The apparent hedging on use of fossil fuels at a time when urgent action is needed on climate change is disappointing, as is the refusal to more forcefully call for single-payer health care/Medicare-for-all. These positions may be tailored more to Texas voters than they would in a presidential election. However, could you really assume as much? And for those suffering from a case of Beto-mania, how much of his platform is one with which you were familiar prior to reading? How distinguishable is it from the ones offered by the likes of Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Julian Castro, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, or Elizabeth Warren (and I know there are people I'm leaving out)? Ignoring considerations of race—and that's quite a thing to push aside—the comparison to Barack Obama is obvious. Beto's a younger congressman who is well-spoken and measured in his political approach. He has that fabled "it" factor. But will that be enough in 2020? Obama's meteoric rise within the Democratic Party ranks occurred prior to the rise of Donald Trump. Now, with Trump the incumbent challenging established political norms (if not breaking them) and with other rising stars in the party like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez giving voters a glimpse of what the Dems of the future might look like, the political landscape may not be what it was back in 2008—fresh-faced as Beto O'Rourke may be. At the very least, he or whomever Trump's opponent will be will need a slogan to match "Make America Great Again." Evidently, the bar for political entry is a low one to clear these days. Whether it's the need to satisfy an electorate desperate for novelty and voices outside the established vanguard, that someone like Donald Trump has already done gone blown up the whole system we thought we knew, or both, party supporters appear to need only to hear one inspiring speech from an individual before signing on for his or her presidential run. Oprah Winfrey, for one, has been an oft-speculated-about figure ever since she made a stirring speech at the 2018 Golden Globes after accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award. The acceptance speech touched on various themes, including racial justice, the need to defend a free press, and female empowerment. It was a well-written, well-delivered speech, and Winfrey is clearly a people person and born entrepreneur. Not only has she not expressed a clear desire to run for president in 2020, however, but we know very little about what she stands for apart from her stances on the aforementioned issues. Michelle Obama, an Ivy League-educated woman with a best-selling book out and a stadium tour soon to begin, has similarly raised consciousness about various topics, include healthy eating, women's rights, and supporting military families, but has yet to affirm a bid for the White House and has indicated little about a developed platform along these lines. As with Winfrey, the belief in Michelle Obama as a viable presidential candidate lies heavily in that she talks a good game. With Obama in particular, it also probably helps that her husband spent two terms in the Oval Office and overall public opinion of him remains high. Speaking of Barack Obama, prior to becoming President of the United States, he was a relatively young and untested senator from Illinois. He didn't have all that much experience to his name before his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention helped vault him into the national consciousness. As many Americans would agree, he managed to do a fair job, and could've done perhaps an even better one if not for Republican obstructionism in Congress. If he, a neophyte of sorts, could fulfill the duties of the highest political office in all the land, why couldn't Oprah or Michelle? Certainly, they'd be a better choice than Donald Trump, no? While, again, this is not to say that they can't or even shouldn't run, it is worth wondering what it says about us that we'd be willing to go "all in" on them or someone like Beto O'Rourke despite such little exposure. In the case of Barack Obama, though I may have some misgivings about some of his policy directives, I submit he is of uncommonly strong character. The way he carried himself during his presidency was such that even at his worst, he still projected a certain sense of dignity and resolve. Beto may have much of the same qualities as Barack Obama, but it would be unwise to expect too much of him, and at that, to expect that his candidacy alone would be enough to propel the Democratic Party in an exciting new direction. After eight years of Barack, we got Trump. Good as his showing in Texas was, Beto still lost. The party's commitment must be more than just to one or a handful of candidates. It should be issue-driven and focused on the people to be affected by these stances rather than the names on the ballots. Even with the best men and women running for office, a weak party infrastructure is damaging to the cause. As the weeks pass, the Democrats' field for 2020 promises only to get more crowded, as does their desire to remove Donald Trump from office. For them and for us as voters, it bears questioning what we expect from a candidate for public office and what specific problems we want addressed by today's political leaders. If this does not help narrow the pool of candidates, we are not doing our due diligence as political participants. Read the full article

#2020election #BarackObama #BetoO'Rourke #DemocraticParty #donaldtrump #MichelleObama #OprahWinfrey

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junker-town · 4 years

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How MLS plans to return this summer

We now have a good idea of what the season will look like.

It has now been nearly a week since Major League Soccer came to terms with the players’ union on a modified Collective Bargaining Agreement that cleared the way for returning to play in 2020. The games would be the first since the league put a halt on its 25th season on March 12 due to the coronavirus pandemic with the 26 teams having played just two games apiece.

Despite that agreement, the league has yet to officially unveil its exact plan nor what the season might look like after. There have, however, been many reports surrounding those plans. While there are still a lot of unknowns, there’s at least enough out there that we have a good idea of what this season might look like.

What is the plan?

Keeping in mind that this has not been formally announced and is therefore subject to change, there’s been solid reporting suggesting that the basic framework has been set. The basics are these:

Teams would each play three games in what could broadly be called a “World Cup-style” group stage at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando, Fla. Those three games would all count toward the regular-season standings.

At the end of the group-stage, teams would move on to a 16-team knockout tournament where they’d play as many as four more games. Those other games would NOT count toward the regular-season.

In addition to some sort of cash prize and the glory of being crowned champion of a trumped-up preseason tournament, the winner will also get a spot in Concacaf Champions League.

The longest any team is expected to be in Orlando is six weeks, with teams eliminated earlier in the tournament going home once they’re done.

Can I attend?

Not unless you are deemed essential personnel by one of the teams or the league. Although the games will all apparently be nationally televised, they won’t be open to in-person spectators.

When does it start?

The latest reports suggested the goal was to start on June 24. But that’s only about two weeks away and it appears as though the timeline may have changed after negotiations took a bit longer than was probably hoped. With the NBA also apparently planning to use the Disney resort complex, it’s unclear if it’s even available for the preferred time.

What caused the delay in negotiations?

The original plan MLS proposed was a bit more involved and would have required players to quarantine in Florida for as long as 10 weeks. Considering only players and team personnel will be allowed at the facility, that was seen as a particularly onerous ask. At the same time, MLS owners wanted players to accept a pay cut that started out as high as 50% before settling on something closer to 7.5%. MLS players, it should be said, are not nearly as well compensated as their contemporaries in other major North American sports leagues nor the top leagues in Europe, so any reduction was considered significant.

How are they making sure everyone stays healthy?

That was another predictable sticking point in negotiations. At one point, a pretty detailed plan was leaked to a reporter, causing the league to threaten fines of up to $1 million if anyone got caught sharing information with the press. That plan, which may have changed, called for players to be tested before and after they arrived in Orlando and then tested again before each game. It would have required something like 50,000 tests in total.

What was the concern?

While that’s a lot of testing, there was a rather significant hole in the quarantine bubble that wasn’t being accounted for: hotel staff. Players expressed understandable concern about how safe they could be if hotel staff were still coming and going effectively as they pleased and maybe weren’t even being tested with anything like the same frequency. Even now, players haven’t gotten solid reassurances on those concerns.

How are players feeling about all this?

There are clearly some hard feelings, even if there seems to be a broad desire to starting playing games again. Players felt like the owners took an unnecessarily hard-line approach when they suddenly threatened a lockout toward the end of the negotiations, despite both sides showing a willingness to engage in back and forth. In addition to the testing concerns, there’s also some worries about going to Florida where coronavirus is still spreading at a concerning rate.

What happens after the tournament?

There’s at least a tentative plan to pick up the season at home stadiums at some point. That, of course, remains a big unknown. Part of why tournaments like this are proving so popular is that different markets have different levels of outbreaks and openness. For instance, the San Jose Earthquakes were only cleared to begin individual training last week while some teams have already started doing full-team training sessions.

What do fans think of the plan?

In Orlando, The Mane Land’s Michael Citro has observed a high degree of confidence in the plan working, at least by locals:

Fans are excited to get MLS back, despite not being able to attend. Even though the preference would be to enjoy the games at the local stadium as usual, this plan by Major League Soccer is being viewed as a positive overall. If anyplace can pull this off in a safe manner — and opinions are divided on that point, especially on the heels of a week with a sharp rise in coronavirus infections in Florida — it’s Orlando. The infrastructure sets up nicely for this type of tournament. The fields are in great condition, Disney World is an established, world-class event host, the ESPN infrastructure is in place for television, hotel space is ample, and the weather is generally compliant (if a bit hot and humid).

Others like Waking the Red’s Michael Singh is noticing a bit more measured response:

Eager to see their favorite players back on the pitch, fans North of the border, specifically in Toronto, were relieved to see MLS and the MLS Players Association reach an agreement to return to action. While there has been disappointment from some who were hoping to have clubs compete at home—and caution from others amid the COVID-19 pandemic—overall, Canadians, who have been very active on social media cheering on the likes of Alphonso Davies overseas, are excited to have their own local stars to cheer on once again.

Dirty South Soccer’s Joe Patrick sees some genuine excitement:

The most surprising thing that I’ve observed from Atlanta United fans is how hardened they are to the new reality facing the country as it battles the pandemic, and how that relates to Atlanta United’s immediate future. The day Don Garber announced MLS was suspending, one of the prevailing notions was that “at least it’ll help the injury situation at center back.” Even now, with the revelation that the regular season could be as short as ~17 games, Atlanta fans are heartened by the fact that the team’s six points accrued are carrying double the value they otherwise would. All these people care about is winning.

Sounder at Heart’s Mark Kastner, however, is a bit skeptical:

I don’t think it’s a great idea broadly or specifically. MLS’s plan seems so short-sighted and rooted in financial concerns rather than player or public safety. That there’s not even a concrete plan for whatever happens after this Orlando tournament is a giant red flag for me. Not to mention the tumultuous labor disagreement, when the owners threatened to lockout the players. All of it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. With the rest of the country hellbent on “reopening”, it’s hard to blame MLS for doing something like this. I can only hope they have proper testing equipment and players + staff can stay healthy.

Those concerns were echoed by Alicia Rodriguez of Angels on Parade:

I think the biggest contrast between MLS fans and other sports fans is a not insignificant proportion of season-ticket holders are really upset by the restart plan. With supporter group culture so big around the league and so much emphasis put on gameday atmosphere and community, not being able to participate in the matches like they normally would misses the point of the games, to an extent. For these fans, soccer is part of the experience, obviously, but tailgating/pregame rituals, drinking, seeing friends on a weekly basis and for some, chanting and standing for 90 minutes, is the actual experience. This is a time for compromise, to be sure, but I wonder if MLS fully understand the part about their league that makes them different in the U.S. and Canada won’t be replicated in Orlando, or maybe even for the rest of 2020.

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junker-town · 6 years

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How do NBA players avoid injuries when they jump 4 feet in the air?

Why proper landing form can make the difference between a long career and one that fizzles out due to injury.

DALLAS — Dennis Smith Jr. is flying, several feet above the court. It’s the Dallas Mavericks season opener, a sold-out affair at the American Airlines Center, and the rookie point guard with volcanic hops has picked this moment in the second quarter to show off his 48-inch vertical leap.

Smith had just baited his defender, Atlanta’s Taurean Prince, into a screen, only to blow by him the opposite direction. He plants with his left foot, just inside the line that separates the second player from the third on free throw attempts, and rises with the ball in the right hand. He’s barely 12 minutes into his professional career, and he’s attempting a dunk that would be remembered for the rest of it.

Prince is behind Smith and another Hawk, John Collins, is ahead of him. They’re both sensational athletes whose max verticals measured at 36 and 38 inches, respectively, at the draft combine. The top one percent of the one percent, you could say in your best Bernie Sanders accent. All three rise up together like a Hollywood action section.

Smith first absorbs contact from Collins, and then Prince. The ball flies off one way as the baseline official calls a foul. Smith’s body twists at the waist, his torso parallel with the ground and his legs flailing beneath him. His left knee bends at a 45 degree angle, and he sinks back to the ground awkwardly.

Though Smith pops up instantly, he purposefully takes a foul to head to the locker room. The Mavericks call it an ankle injury, but Smith plays normal minutes in the second half.

“It was just a rough collision, or whatnot,” Smith says after the game. “I just took a quick breather.”

Smith misses the next two games with swelling on the same left knee reconstructed from ACL surgery his senior year of high school. The Mavericks have invested their future in Smith, and he’s a case study for a massive undertaking.

How do you make sure an explosive, franchise-changing talent stays that way?

We tend to view injuries as a cosmic dice roll, only talking about them after they’ve happened. It’s a backwards facing approach. Much more goes into injury prevention than what’s seen on the surface.

Dr. Jeff Taylor, an expert in biomechanics and injury prevention at High Point University, is trying to change that. Taylor has helped author 10 different studies on these topics in an effort to raise awareness in the public sphere.

Why? Because what happens before an injury, he said, is infinitely more important.

“If you start looking at rehabbing after an injury, it’s already too late,” he told SB Nation. “From an injury prevention standpoint, if we can prevent that initial injury, we’re going to prevent all of the financial and psychological and physical after-effects.”

“If you start looking at rehabbing after an injury, it’s already too late.”

The NBA increasingly understands injury prevention. Training staffs treat every ailment for cause nowadays, not just effect. A symptom like back tightness, for example, could actually be due to a hip problem.

“A preventative approach, in terms of training and preparation for a season, it’s what the NBA is now,” said seven-time NBA All-Star Grant Hill, now a Turner sports analyst. “So it’s a lot different than it was 20 years ago.”

Hill is the most famous example of an injury-prone player shedding his label. He played in just 47 games from age 28 to 31 due to severe ankle injuries, but had a career renaissance as a role player in Phoenix, one of the first training staffs to adopt holistic medical practices.

Injury prevention is now a “big science,” Mavericks trainer Casey Smith told me. Mavericks players all have biomechanical screenings that help find what Smith calls “movement inefficiencies.” These often point to asymmetric weaknesses in the body -- if one leg is stronger than the other, it can lead to debilitating physical problems. Athletes are particularly susceptible to repeated problems once they have a history.

“The biggest predictor of injury in the NBA is previous injury,” Smith said.

Dennis Smith Jr. is the Mavericks’ most important patient, and much of that work will happen behind the scenes. But laypeople like us need visible examples that Smith displays on the court to get a clue into the Mavericks’ larger plan.

You should have already noticed the most prominent one. It’s the way Smith lands.

Smith’s titanic clash against Atlanta is, in a sense, the worst-case scenario when a player jumps into the air. Every jump requires a landing, and every landing comes with physical force that must be distributed somewhere. The concern with incredible leapers like Smith? The higher up they go, the harder they must come down. It’s simple science.

Taylor, the doctor who has studied these situations, pointed out two clear dangers. First is when they land with their feet outside of their shoulders, or his “trunk.” The second is when the leg hits the ground relatively straight, rather than angled at the knee. Both actions put additional force directly on the joints.

“Something we certainly try to do with our athletes is teach them how to land,” Taylor said. “Land differently, land better, land more safely.”

Vince Carter regretted not learning this sooner. He didn’t really figure it out, and didn’t care to, until he was in his 30’s. “I’m paying for it now,” he told me.

“I would recommend learning how to land because, shoot, I came into the league in the era where if you fly like that, you were allowed to knock guys out of the air and there was no ejection,” Carter told SB Nation. “These guys have it good, to be honest with you. They can say what they want, but back then, you were trying to fly through the air and Alonzo Mourning and [Charles] Oakley could knock you out of the air. It is what it is, but you’d better learn how to fall.”

The best way for a player to realize the importance of falling properly is through bad experiences that expose poor technique.

By then, though, it’s usually too late. The most obvious case study is Derrick Rose.

Even when not bothered by defenders, Rose often landed with his legs too straight. His biomechanical tendencies caused his legs to flail in the air, too. Because Rose failed to sink into his landings, his joints absorbed far too much force.

Those examples originally showed up on By Any Means Basketball, a YouTube channel that analyzes potential causes of injury. The man behind it is Coleman Ayers, who runs an athletic performance training organization. He harped on another factor that can help explosive players avoid injuries: falling.

“Some players have something against falling down when they land,” Ayers said. “They land in an awkward position, because a lot of landings in the NBA, it’s such a high speed game, it’s impossible to land in a perfect position every time. When you land in a vulnerable position, a lot of players try to absorb that force in the wrong way, rather than falling down.”

Rose was one of those players, and his knees have paid for it. And one player who draws comparisons to Rose — a player who has even compared himself to Rose — is Dennis Smith Jr.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The good news for Mavericks fans: Smith’s mechanics bear few similarities to the former MVP. He generally lands correctly and on both feet when unhindered by opponents or contact. He’ll sometimes smooth his landing by taking two or three quick steps when he comes back to the ground, another natural way to reduce the force that comes with flying so high.

Take this dunk from Smith, his own variation on Rose’s reverse dunk above. Smith’s legs don’t flail like Rose’s did, and his legs are much less straight upon landing.

OK! http://pic.twitter.com/kqnmn0sIML

— Bobby Karalla (@bobbykaralla) July 8, 2017

Still, anytime a player flies that high, there are dangers.

“His landings are a little more severe,” Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle admitted.

No one can land perfectly every time. Grizzlies center Brandan Wright told SB Nation that he was taught how to land from an early age to take impact off his body. He has still suffered from various lower body injuries that have combined with other ailments to limit him to 40 games the past two years.

“I used to be, early in my career, a one-foot jumper, but for safety reasons I started jumping off two feet a lot more,” Wright said. “I can land a little bit stronger, I can take contact better in the air. I can prevent more injuries.”

He’s not the only player to change his style for health reasons. Clippers star Blake Griffin wrote an article on The Player’s Tribune titled “Why Ain’t He Dunkin?” explaining why went from about 200 dunks each of his first four seasons to just 68 last year. Minnesota point guard Jeff Teague, now 29, said he stopped dunking entirely.

Smith’s worst landings come from his most audacious dunk attempts, such as the ones at the Las Vegas Summer League and that show-stopping attempt in the regular-season opener. So far, the only consequence has been the two missed games, but every improper Smith landing adds additional stress and opens up the possibility for catastrophe.

Ayers and Taylor both suggested that the nature of the dunk attempts are Smith’s problem. While Smith declined to talk about his landings for this story, Mark Cuban told SB Nation that Smith is aware of the concerns about the way he lands.

This isn’t to suggest Smith should stop dunking, but not everything can be dunked. Dallas has every incentive to keep its young, future star healthy for the next decade, whatever it takes.

“He's been working extremely hard to do a lot of things with our guys, with balance, with core, with all those things,” Carlisle said. “All those things help strengthen the joints. He's been doing that stuff from day one since he got here. He's made great strides in every area. Look, we've got to watch it, and he's got to keep working.”

The science of injury prevention is just that -- preventative. No one can land perfectly every time, and it isn’t a panacea for violent collisions several feet in the air, like Smith’s aerobatics in the season opener.

Eight teams passed on Smith in the draft, and the possibility of serious injury in the future may explain why. The Mavericks benefitted from those teams’ decisions, because Smith is the kind of player that can shepherd this franchise into a post-Dirk Nowitzki era.

But that will only happen if his body holds up, something the Mavericks and Smith are working towards every day.

“Can we prevent every injury? No,” Taylor said. “But the non-contact injuries certainly can be prevented.”

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