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Original question:“What are the downsides of living in Florida?”Answer:Some things are obvious:Hurricanes.Tornadoes (Not as much as Oklahoma or Kansas, but still more than most states).Lightning. The Tampa area is the lighting capital of America.Flooding in a few very low-lying areas.Heat (during the summertime).Humidity (during the summertime).And some things that are not so obvious:VERY dry winters that lead to widespread wildfires about once every 10 years or so.Wintertime traffic congestion due to snowbirds (snowbirds are people, most of them elderly, that live in Florida only during the winter).Wintertime traffic ACCIDENTS due to snowbirds (Frankly, some elderly people should not have a driver’s license if they live in high population parts of Florida, imo. Driving in high traffic areas requires an agility at the wheel that many elderly people just don’t have). I’ve come VERY close (like stomping-on-the-brakes-tires-screeching-to-within-inches-of-the-other-vehicle-close) to some accidents because of elderly people making very poor driving decisions.Most of Florida (except for parts of northernmost Florida) is flat flat flat. Like no mountains, foothills, hills, or even bumps flat. Anything over 5 feet in height is called a “hill” or “highland”. I actually call it “Flat Florida”. No joke.There a LOTS of crawling type bugs down here. LOTS. Which is OK if they stay outside. But they won’t, even if you keep your house IMMACULATELY clean.The traffic lights down here are literally 4 times as long as traffic lights elsewhere. No joke, I’ve measured it. I found that traffic lights in most places that I lived in or visited before I moved down here lasted 30 seconds from beginning of green to the next beginning of green. Down here traffic lights are 2 minutes from beginning of green to the next beginning of green. As a result, there are more people that run red lights down here, and also much longer groups of cars between traffic lights, which causes some people on side streets to turn into traffic when it’s not safe.Much of the housing in some of the counties is located in developments that have restrictions, such as the colors you can paint your house, the type of mailbox you can have, what colors and types of Christmas decorations you can put up, and so on. If you try to disobey those restrictions, then the HOA/POA (Home Owners Association/Property Owners Association) for that development will fine you, and if you don’t pay the fine, they will put a lien on your house. No joke. Some people actually like such restrictions, so for them, this point would be a plus. But not for me.Many housing lots are tiny, like less than 1/3 of an acre. This is because it is the price of the land, as opposed to the house, that is more expensive, especially anywhere within about 20 miles of the ocean. So to get an affordable home, it is necessary to build it on a tiny lot, in much of Florida. There are many high-class type houses that are surprisingly affordable down here, as long as they are on very tiny lots.Lastly, what is by far the most negative thing about Florida, there are MANY girlie joints (you see the billboards for them all over the place) and pawn shops, which draw the criminal element.But for all of those (except the flatness), there are very common and/or easy work-arounds:As for hurricanes, houses in Florida nowadays are built to VERY STRICT building codes. We have among the strictest building codes, if not THE strictest building codes, in the nation. Plus some counties add even STRICTER building codes on top of the already strict state codes! The house I live in, for example, has withstood two MAJOR hurricanes (Frances and Jeanne in 2004, which hit very close by). Houses (and any other buildings) down here that have been built in the last 15 years or so aren’t simply houses; they are FORTRESSES. No joke. And if you are concerned about the week or two after a hurricane power outage, you can buy a generator, a gas stove, etc., or solar panels, which have been getting less and less expensive as of late. Plus solar panels cut your normal electricity cost. So if you are buying an existing house, be sure the house has been built after 2002. If you have a new house built, it will be built to the new codes. Just be sure to use only Florida certified builders, and keep an eye on them (take photos of the construction from time to time, say). If you are still concerned, hire builders that will build to the strictest codes in the state - the Miami-Dade building codes. Those are, by far, the strictest building codes in the state and, in fact, the entire nation.As for tornadoes, see my prior point.As for lightning, stay indoors and don’t touch anything plugged into electrical outlets. If you are outdoors, get indoors. Many public places have lightning detectors that go off even before you know there is a thunderstorm in the area. Florida thunderstorms are very short; they only last about 15-30 minutes or so on average, and usually occur around 4 or 5 PM during the afternoon on summer days, so it’s not much of an inconvenience anyway. And if you’re afraid of thunderstorms, one summer in Florida will cure you of that!Most areas that are prone to flooding have been declared nature reserves, or parks, or some other type of area that you can’t build in anyway. Plus the drainage system is very well built, and has been in continuous construction since the 1940’s (for more info, see the South Florida Water Management website https://www.sfwmd.gov/). If you still have any concerns, look up the flood zone map for the county that you plan to move into, then don’t buy or rent a house in a flood zone.As for the heat and humidity, just about every single property, be it houses, stores, malls, workplaces, etc., has central air conditioning. Plus EVERY car sold down here has good AC. In fact, there are state laws that REQUIRE certain places, such as nursing homes, etc, to have AC, and systems to back up that AC in case of power outage. So an average summer day consists of: Waking up in your air conditioned house, driving to work in your air conditioned car (be sure to park in the shade), working in your air conditioned workplace, running your shopping or other errands in air conditioned stores/banks/doctor offices/whatever, then driving your air conditioned car back to your air conditioned house. And the rest of the year, the temperatures are much nicer than in the rest of the country.As for the once per decade wildfires, they don’t occur everywhere, and when they DO occur, one of Florida’s many, very well equipped fire departments is usually on the scene in minutes. In the rare cases when they get out of control, most of those are in remote areas like the Everglades where nobody lives, and if one does get close to an inhabited area, people will be warned if there’s even a slight chance of the fire coming their way, and evacuated if needed. Plus extra fire departments are called in from other states in those cases. Plus a lot of warning/work is done to prevent fires from getting close to houses to begin with (towns/counties/state trimming roadside/canalside shrubbery, etc.) If, after all that, your house is one of the rare few to get burned down, your homeowners insurance will put you up at a hotel somewhere nearby (Florida has TONS of hotels), and your insurance will build you a brand new house, built to the latest codes, to boot! But check insurance company reviews before you buy any kind of insurance.As for the wintertime traffic congestion, try to avoid living in or near a city. Traffic is INSANE in south Florida (that is, the counties of Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade. Those all contain big cities. But Monroe and most other counties are OK). Plus, once you become a native Floridian, you will learn all the back roads to take to get around most of the congestion.As for the wintertime traffic accidents, see my prior point.If you like mountains, you are plain out of luck. You’ll have to go up to Georgia to see the Appalachians. But the very northernmost part of Florida, by Tallahassee, for example, has some hills.You can easily get around the bug thing by having a pest control guy spray around your house every month or two. If you don’t like bugs in your house, you will REQUIRE pest control spraying. It’s not expensive and it works. It’s kind of like of an extra utility bill that you have to pay, but it’s not that much; for us it has varied from $30 to $35 per month.As for the traffic light thing, learn the roads. We DO allow right-turn-on-red down here (like most of the nation), so when you come to a red light, and you need to take a right, you’ll be OK if there is a right turn only lane. Or if you see a traffic light about to turn red far down the road (99% of the roads down here are as straight as an arrow for long distances), you may be able to turn off the road that has the traffic light and use another road that doesn’t have a traffic light. I use these and other legal tricks all the time to avoid red lights. Also be extra careful at intersections (remember the red-light runners), and watch those side streets! Fortunately, however, the wider streets down here make it much easier to see traffic at intersections and coming in from side streets; so overall, even with the afore-mentioned issues, it seems safer to me.As for the housing developments thing, if you don’t like restrictions, make sure that any house that you buy or rent is NOT in such a development. Talk to your realtor, or ask someone in a nearby house, about it. In some counties, it’s easier to find houses that are not in developments; in other counties, it’s virtually impossible (such as Palm Beach county, say), unless you either: A. are willing to live in a high crime area, or B. have several million dollars in your bank account. About the only reasonable “work-around” for housing in a county like Palm Beach County would be for you to buy housing in a development that has fewer restrictions than other developments (get a list of the local HOA/POA rules and regulations BEFORE you buy a house), and then be SURE to attend all HOA/POA meetings, or better yet, become an actual MEMBER of the POA/HOA, to ensure that they keep the number and type of regulations down to a bare minimum.As for the girlie joints and pawn shops, sad to say, there’s not much you can do immediately except to avoid them and avoid the neighborhoods that have them (and no, I do NOT recommend the use of arson :D). Long term, I would like to see the state legislature ban such businesses, or if that is not possible, to regulate them so heavily that it becomes almost impossible for such businesses to exist in the state.I moved down to Florida from Albany, NY over 20 years ago, and OVERALL I AM VERY GLAD THAT I MOVED TO FLORIDA, for the following additional benefits:It’s much sunnier. We RARELY have days that are overcast or rainy all day long. Most of our rain comes from brief but very heavy rainfalls in afternoon thunderstorms; outside of that, it’s usually sunny.There are fewer social restrictions on what people can talk about (like church, prayer, and such; people are very open about that and many other things down here).They are also more open about fireworks and a few other things.I like the way people think down here, they are more down-to-earth.Folks are “warmer” down here; that is, they are more polite and welcoming. You will, of course, come across the occasional grouch, but that happens everywhere.Property tax rates are lower than many states.There is a 3% cap on how much the tax rate on your home can increase, annually, no matter how much the value of your house increases (if it’s your primary residence). So if your house increased 20% in value last year, they can’t increase your home property tax more than 3%. It’s actually in the state constitution.If your Florida home is your permanent residence, you are (in the majority of cases) eligible to have up to $50,000 worth of the value of your property exempted from the calculation of your total taxes. SWEET!!!There is NO state income tax. Yippee!!!!There is a moderate sales tax, but there are annual sales tax suspensions, such as a week in June for hurricane preparation items such as generators, plywood, etc; a week in August for school related items, and so on. During those weeks, the sales tax for the specified items is ZERO. Nice, eh?It’s MUCH easier to find your way around in Florida than many other states because 99% of the roads run either DUE North and South or DUE East and West, go straight as an arrow for long distances, have no hills, plus most of the roads are much wider (which also makes seeing at intersections and onto side streets much better and therefore safer). If you can navigate in any other state, Florida should be a snap for you.Oh, but bear in mind, once you get down to Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties, some of these things are really different, like #’s 2, 3, and 4 in this list. Those three counties are a different world entirely. But most of Florida is just fine.

1Be polite and cooperative when you get pulled over.Being belligerent or indignant may make you feel better but it might cost you more. By being polite and cooperative, the officer may just write your ticket for a less costly offense instead of what was actually committed and with luck, you might just get a warning! On the other hand, if you are nasty or curt, the officer may note this and the prosecutors will be less likely to cut you a deal if this went to court.2Avoid admissions of guilt and never make excuses or create outlandish stories.When you are asked if you know why you were pulled over, just respond with a simple and polite, "No officer, I do not."Keep in mind that honesty is the best policy especially when you prefer to get off with merely a warning.On the other hand, if you do get you the ticket, and decide to contest it, remember that any admissions you make now, can be used against you later.3Follow one of the two theories on how you question the officer.Adopt the 'low-profile' technique. Ask the officer if you can handle the ticket by mail. The officer will immediately see you as a low probability to go to court and may take fewer notes. When you do challenge the ticket, the officer's sparse notes will make him want to skip the hearing. Even if he does come to the hearing, his sparse notes and memory will help the judge decide in your favor. Questioning the officer on the other hand will cause him to write voluminous notes on the traffic stop.Alternatively, question the officer more directly, as you are handed the ticket, about how the offense was detected and verified. For a speeding ticket, find out where they positioned themselves when they clocked you and what speed measurement device they used and if it was radar, laser, or Accutrac. Gather as many specifics as possible, including the serial number of the device. If, however the officer estimated your speed by following you, then find out what the location was when he began to follow you. Make sure you write down the patrol car's license plate number and his badge number. If the citation was for an offense other than speeding, make sure you understand exactly why they pulled you over, especially if the citation was for something that could not have been easily seen. Do note that the officer does not have to give this information related to the device used at the time of stop. You can request this information by filing a motion of Discovery, and then you will get that information.4Check your ticket for accuracy by reviewing it immediately upon receipt. There are two considerations here:If there are inaccuracies that may hurt your case (i.e. if the officer notes on the ticket that you crossed two lanes of traffic when you only crossed one, or if he says traffic was heavy when in fact it was light), ask him immediately to correct them. Be very polite when requesting changes to your ticket. However if you find that the officer is not accommodating, do not argue but record the actual circumstances in your mind, and after he leaves, jot it down.On the other hand, if there are inaccuracies that may help your case or get the ticket dismissed, such as the wrong license plate number, the wrong street, etc., you do not want to call attention to them.5Begin preparing your defense immediately, once the police officer has given you your ticket and left the scene.Record relevant event details. Factors can include traffic, road conditions, weather, time of day, and extenuating circumstances.If you have a camera or cell phone camera take pictures - especially if your defense depends on something like an obscured speed limit sign or a huge pothole that you had to swerve to miss.The best witness you could ever have is a dash-cam recorder. It records video in front, to the sides and rear of your car. It also records audio in your car's interior, speed, location and other driving info. It can show: red light, full stop, traffic flow, etc.Go to the officer’s original position (whether stationary or moving) and check for any obstructions that might have caused them to have a poor view of the alleged offense or that might have caused the radar to malfunction.Make a diagram of the road showing where the officer was positioned, which direction you were traveling, where you eventually stopped, and other important details.6Read the fine print on the ticket after you get home, as there is useful information on there that might help you. Make sure you understand all of it, as it will give you instructions on how to proceed to the next step.7Decide whether to fight the ticket by the circumstances involved, and the information on the ticket. Weigh the costs and benefits of contesting the citation.Find out exactly what offense you are charged with by looking at the code number on the ticket.Find out what the cost of conviction will be, including the fine, jail or community service, mandatory diversion programs, and increased insurance rates.8Calculate the cost of fighting the ticket and weigh it against the chances of getting it dismissed or reduced to a lower charge.9Decide whether you will need a lawyer.Find out whether or not the jurisdiction where you received the ticket or were involved in an accident will allow you to have a lawyer for a hearing on a traffic ticket that cannot lead to a criminal conviction for either driver (criminal convictions are for DUI, felony hit and run, etc.) This information will be on the ticket.If you plan a civil suit against the other driver in an accident, your attorney can come to court to observe the hearing on the ticket, but may not be involved in the hearing.10For most minor traffic violations, it might not be cost effective to retain an attorney.Some exceptions include a ticket you received while far from home—an attorney can handle your case without you having to travel to court—or a ticket issued by photo enforcement (in many jurisdictions, if you’re not in the court room, there is no way to prove that you were the driver, and the case will be dismissed).You should, however, hire an attorney for more serious infractions, such as DUIs.11Request a trial. Your ticket may include a court date, or you may need to request a trial.For most minor violations, your ticket will also give you the option to pay the fine.In almost all jurisdictions, paying the fine is an admission of guilt, so do not remit payment. Instead, follow the required steps to get your day in court.12Get as much information as you can.Well before your court date, send a written request for discovery.Discovery is the legal notion that you are entitled to see all the evidence against you and other relevant information that the prosecutor may have that can help or hurt your case. The prosecutor’s office must provide this information if you request it.In some jurisdictions, you may need to file a motion for discovery for the judge to consider. In addition, you may be able to file a public records request for relevant information.Some things you’ll want to specifically request (and you generally must make specific requests) include the officer’s copy of the ticket, maintenance and calibration records for any speed monitoring or breathalyzer device that was used by the officer to charge you, and the officer’s training records and certifications.The exact nature of your case and your plan of defense will dictate the exact information you need to get.13Try to cut a deal.In many places, you can request a pretrial conference with the prosecutor. This is an opportunity to plead to a lower charge or get a reduction in points or fines before you go to court.Sometimes you can make an appointment for sometime before the court date, while sometimes you can only meet with the prosecutor right before your hearing.Always consider any deal thoroughly, and make sure you understand the implications on both your driving history and your insurance costs.14Consider traffic school.Many jurisdictions offer an option to attend traffic school. In return, there are opportunities to reduce or dismiss the charges. Explore this option by researching the law in your state. If you find that traffic school is a good option, request it from the prosecutor or judge. In California commercial drivers may not take traffic school.15Request a continuation of your hearing.In most jurisdictions, the police officer who gave you the ticket must show up for the court hearing.If he or she fails to show, your case will be dismissed. Many times officers will schedule many court hearings on a certain day so that they can appear for all of them at once.If you request a continuation (a change of date) you increase the odds that the officer will not show up.You usually need to do this in writing, and typically you will need to make your request several days in advance of the scheduled hearing.You might see about choosing a court date that is closer to the holidays - this might increase the odds of your officer being out on vacation.16Plan your defense.The officer is responsible for Prima Fascia (Prime Facts) for presenting evidence. Facts or points (Id'ing operator, not losing a visual, time of day, traffic lights operational, traffic signs visible, etc) are required. If he fails to mention these Prima Fascia points the summons may be dismissed, but only if you catch the missing point. When dealing with an inexperienced officer, a defense attorney is invaluable. Outside of that, your argument is moot.Once you have decided to go to court, make sure you know how you will argue your case.If there is a particularly egregious error on your ticket, you may be able to rest your defense on that, but minor discrepancies (such as the color of your car) will not help you out.If your defense is based upon extenuating circumstances, make sure they are sufficient to warrant a dismissal. For example, "I was running late to work," will not impress the judge.Make an outline of your points, and make sure your evidence is well-organized.17Go to court and plead not guilty. Show up to your hearing looking clean and professional.If you have not yet had the opportunity to speak to the prosecutor, now is a good time to do so. Unless there is an offer for a satisfactory deal, plead “not guilty.” A plea of “no contest” or “guilty with explanation” will do you no good.Remember, just showing up to court may result in a dismissal if the police officer doesn’t also show up.In Broward County, Florida, and perhaps in other places, if the officer does show up, change your plea to “no contest”; in most cases you will only pay court costs, with no points on your license and no traffic schoolnecessary. There are many law firms in the area that will handle this for you for a reasonable fee, saving you the time and lost wages of going to court.18Use facts to present your case to the judge without admitting guilt."I was only doing 57 in a 55" is an admission of guilt. "I was traveling at a safe speed for the conditions" does not admit guilt.Politely and clearly explain your defense, entering evidence as necessary.In some cases (for example, a malfunctioning stoplight or an obscured speed limit sign) you may be able to admit guilt without harming your case.Many conservative municipalities, however, maintain a master copy of all traffic laws, speed limits, and zone descriptions in a set of books at a courthouse or town hall. Sometimes these municipalities will not take your (legitimate) ignorance of the law as an excuse.19Make mental or handwritten notes of the decisions of the judge. Many courtrooms do not record conversations for traffic proceedings where criminal penalties are not reasonable. There can be ambiguity in how the judge declares your guilt or innocence and any penalties you might face. Make sure the Clerk or Collections department has information that matched what the judge decided.20Follow through with all the court’s requirements. Many times the judge will allow you to pay a fine without incurring the points on your license, or he or she will allow you to enter a diversion program. These arrangements and others can only benefit you if you follow through and complete the requirements in a timely manner. If you don’t, you will most likely be convicted of your original offense, and other charges may follow.21Request a copy of your motor vehicle record (MVR) from the state department of motor vehicles. Occasionally, clerical errors result in a dismissed ticket appearing on your MVR as a conviction. These can be difficult to clear up quickly (for example, when your insurer notices and raises your premiums), so it is best to make sure your record is accurate. Telephone the court building and ask to speak to the Clerk's Office, or speak to someone who can verify that your case is paid, dismissed, postponed, etc.

Because too many in America are quick to only go by what they think, what the media feeds them, and don’t have any clue about reality, rather than question everything the media feeds them. I personally don’t fear C-19 because I’m informed. I’ve traveled a bit (not 1/2 of what several friends & family have done), and enjoy meeting new people, picking their brains, learning about their culture, trying to understand them, and why they believe what they do. I’d also say I’m not the smartest guy that I know, but as an educator, I read a lot. Also encourage my students to stay current on national & worldwide events (so I have to keep up with all of them combined), to consider at other viewpoints, look at the science (as well as the politics and history) behind different ideologies, & I personally enjoy looking at compiled statistics (altho I’m no statistician, and the actual compiling is too tedious for me). Also, I actually am “protecting myself” from the virus, but do not blindly follow the blatantly false narratives of the news media.The FBI’s data for 2017 (obviously, there’s no complete, published 2020 data yet, so I’ll try to stick to 2017 numbers across the board) reported 7,694,086 property crimes that year, 1,401,840 burglaries, and 1,247,321 violent crimes (included in that number were 15,192 deaths by firearm… which is not a whole lot higher than the 13,840 fire-related deaths & injuries the same year, but quite a bit lower than the 40,231 traffic deaths).However, the Bureau of Justice Statistics stated that there were actually 2,538,170 Household Burglaries (because only ~49% were reported) and 10,285,240 Other Thefts in the same year. (With a 95% confidence rate in the higher number.)Currently, the CDC has reported 174,645 deaths from C-19 (as of 8/22/2020… preceding link will have updated numbers as the days go by)… and according to their published numbers that is a 97% survivability rate. (On a side-note, I know over 200 people that have had it… all around the country… and refused to get tested… but they had all the symptoms, so I’m pretty sure that 97% survivability rate is on the low side.) The majority of reported deaths were people with pre-existing conditions, the elderly, or both. The CDC also reported the 2017 flu had 61,000 deaths (affecting the same demographic), and the Spanish flu of 1918 had a mortality rate in the US of 675,000 (which primarily affected the healthy under 5, 20–40, & 65+).All that means (as of today) is violent crimes, home invasions, and other crimes are over 5,900% more likely to happen to any American in an average year than death from the C-19 virus. (Another, un-related side-note: even if the Spanish Flu were to happen this year and kill the same number as 1918, the probability of a violent crime, home invasion, or other crime happening to any individual would still be over 3,000% more likely than dying from the Spanish flu.)I’ll come back to this later, but in light of those numbers, it seems a bit naive to me if someone has NOT done something to attempt to thwart (or prepare for) violent crimes, burglaries, and property crimes… even if it’s just getting a Ring doorbell or a medium- to large-size dog… everyone should do something.Moving over to masks, up until 2020 started, every study I found on the effectiveness of using masks showed no cloth or N-95 mask was very effective in stopping the spread of germs & diseases (if spread by droplets or aerosolized particles); they mentioned that they were responsible only for slowing the spread of anything, rather than effective to stop the spread. Yes, I know hospitals use them for pretty much everything (even TB)… I do have a lot of medical-professional buddies off whom I bounce questions, but there were studies (again, prior to the C-19 breakout) that stated using a plastic face-shield was much more effective (unless using them together, which was recommended, or a higher grade of mask). However, since C-19 started I’ve found many “studies” touting both cloth masks & N-95 masks… claiming those masks are now (miraculously) highly effective in stopping things that they could not stop (or they were very poor in stopping) just 9 months ago. That’s why I highly doubt the objectivity & truth of these recent studies. I’ve read the data on several that claim to have used several hundred people, but deeper into the study they admit they actually used only 1 or 2 people for their study (and they’d counted how many people came in contact with the 1 or 2… to come up with the “several hundred” number… rather than the old way of counting thousands that had contact “with a minimum of X others”). Sadly, a lot of these recent studies even mention having no “control” group… yet are still calling their work “clinical research” or a “surveillance study.” Publishing anything with no control group and 2 people in contact with under 200 others each is shoddy. Studying only 1 or 2 people shouldn’t be called “clinical research” or a “surveillance study,” because it’s actually just a “case report” (or a “hypothesis sample,” which should determine the direction of the planning stage of the clinical research study). Almost all of the “studies” conducted earlier than the C-19 craze required thousands of participants and a large control group… or no other medical professionals would recognize that work as legitimate. There are several good papers on what constitutes accepted protocols for conducting and publishing studies, I like this published paper at NCBI (2016) because it’s written in fairly plain language and is fairly comprehensive for such a short paper. In discussing how to calculate the number of subjects in a good study, it states,“The entire source from which the data are obtained is called a universe or population. A small group selected from a certain universe based on certain rules and which is accepted to highly represent the universe from which it is selected is called a sample and the characteristics of the population from which the data are collected are called variables.” — (Italics were from the paper, bold was added by me.)Most of the 2020 mask “studies” fail to “highly represent” the universe from which they’ve been selected (total US population), and consequently, the error probability of much of the current mask research is high.In spite of this, I still wear a mask, but the primary reason I wear my mask when I’m not sick is due to the county-wide mandate to do so. (I spent time in Japan during my HS years, so it seems perfectly sane to wear a mask when I am sick. Completely ridiculous to wear a mask when someone else is sick tho… the data is not there to prove the efficacy of masks on everyone. Maybe by 2023 there will be decent data one way or the other. )However, just because I discount the legitimacy of many recent mask studies, only wear masks because I’m forced to, and recognize death from the C-19 virus is only a very small possibility, that does not mean I’m not taking steps to protect myself from the virus. In addition to my “old fart” daily supplement, I take 1,000–2,000mg of timed-release vitamin C twice a day (with zinc), echinacea, & D3 (plus selenium & saw palmetto for “mens’ issue” prevention), I don’t go out if I don’t need to, I stay away from others that are sick, and I carry a bottle of hospital grade cleaner inside the door of my vehicles that kills all known pathogens on contact. (Most people cannot get this cleaner; I got a couple of cases of it from a lab that did extensive AIDS research when I was working as a biomedical technician.) I spray it on every gas pump I use and let it sit for a minimum of 30 seconds before I use that pump. (The next guy will have a nice clean pump too.) When I get back to my vehicle after shopping I also spray it on my hands. If any store I enter looks dirty, then I’ll also spray the soles of my shoes after leaving (right before I step into my vehicle). If I feel any symptoms of sickness, I stay home &/or wear a mask until they go away (more on this later). I feel these few steps are more than sufficient measures to lower my risk of infection, the risk to my immediate family, & that I’m not contributing to the spread of any disease.I actually do know many people that have contracted C-19 (got a positive test result); most were fine in 2 weeks without treatment, some said they lost their taste, smell, or both. A few friends said they felt like they were going to die, while my neighbor had to wear a defibrillator vest for 3 weeks (it restarted his heart 4 times that I know of). Also know of 9 (family of very close friends) that have died (4 in other countries), but no one I know first-hand has actually died. More importantly, I know my DR has been successfully treating the C-19 virus since early April using a deep infrared sauna (with slightly elevated, but not hypoxic CO2 levels during treatment). He’s had a 100% success rate so far: no side effects, no pneumonia afterward, & no recurrences. I’ve recommended him to everyone I know with symptoms, and nearly all testing positive have gone to get his treatment. I have several friends working in large hospitals here that have his number and they’ve already told him they’re going to see him immediately if they get anything more than a runny nose. What Doc does, is… if anyone goes right in for a treatment as soon as a sore throat, sniffle, or other flu-like symptom manifests… he’ll prescribe them one 15-minute treatment and they go home (that’s with no C-19 test; has worked for “regular flu” diagnoses & colds as well). If OTOH, they’ve received a positive C-19 test result and are mild or asymptomatic, then he prescribes two (to three) 15-minute treatments based on the severity of symptoms and time since symptoms first occurred. He’ll go up to four 15-minute treatments for acute cases (those near death), but very few have needed four. I’ve contacted numerous influential people in the news media, our local govt, DRs, local hospitals, even the CDC, but no one so far has wanted to hear anything about it, none have wanted to come view his treatments, or even read a copy of his data. When I press them, most admit it’s because there are no drugs or vaccines, nothing is able to be patented, and the treatment is inexpensive ($35/treatment). YT & FB have taken down every link, video, and paper he’s attempted to post… even tho they’ve been clearly labeled “clinical study” or “experimental C-19 treatment.” (I recommended to Doc that when he publishes he does it both in the US and in Sweden. Pretty sure if he doesn’t, then all of his research will be confiscated, and he’ll be put under a gag order.) According to his eqpt supplier, he’s the only one using this treatment right now, so if you want it, you’ll either have to fly to Broward County, Florida or buy a unit yourself (~$500). So, no… I’m not worried at all about contracting C-19… at least not any more than I would be getting the regular flu or a cold.I’m not “afraid” of a home invasion either, but I have some preparation for one (and not all of my defense layers will ever be posted online). Primary preparation is carrying one or more condition-1 firearms, pretty much everywhere… as long as I’m not in the shower (or in any legally restricted gun-free zone when I leave my home). Secondarily, I’ve prepared by installing hurricane windows and doors… the windows are bullet-proof straight-on at close range… there are deadbolts (even tho you only see 1 from outside), and all of the door jambs aren’t just sitting in place (with short nails or screws), they’re set deep in the concrete with 6″ tapcons. (Other than the windows, all of these are fairly easy and inexpensive preparations anyone could do in a weekend.) The third (and most important) layer of defense was teaching my entire family gun safety (first) & how to skillfully handle firearms. None of the kids have horsed-around, or “played” with firearms or other weapons; they recognize firearms as tools and treat them with respect. I teach them gun safety at a young age with Nerf- (when they’re young and more apt to play with a weapon), then airsoft-, & finally BB-guns. After they’re knowledgeable in gun safety, they’ve matured, and shown significant responsibility, then I’ll put them in a controlled environment (gun range with a single round in revolvers, rifles, & then semi-automatic handguns, etc.) to teach them proficiency with the tools available in our home… and only those tools that a rational person would think they can operate safely at their age (primarily .22lr rounds… until they’re adult-sized and big enough to handle a 9mm).Did that because I had to stop 2 home invasions myself (wasn’t hard, simply had firearms close at hand & knew how to use them). Was ~8yo the first time and ~10yo the second. Both times the cops said (based on what had been happening in that area) the probability was better than 90% that they’d have raped my mom & sister, then killed all 3 of us, robbed the house, and left our bodies for dad to find when he got home. That was a long time ago, and the world isn’t any better. Since I’ve stopped home invasions, I know they happen. Have also had several friends experience them, most successfully stopped them, a few just survived them (one “survivor” was physically abducted at knife-point, tied up, terrorized, and held for several hours… she still has extremely bad PTSD).Based on my experience and that of my friends, I feel it would be much better to teach gun safety (not gun operation) to all kids in school than it is to keep all guns under lock and key all the time. Yes, I know guns aren’t accessible in a safe or under lock and key, so they can’t be used, but that’s part of the problem. Several of my “home invasion survivor” friends had their guns locked in a gun safe at the start of the home invasion… because they were afraid to have a firearm out of the safe with the possibility of a “tween” or teen seeing the weapon. It would be much better to teach the kids the how & why of gun safety in elementary school, that they are not toys, that friends & loved ones can die if you mess around with them, and get most of the kids in schools over the fascination with real guns… or the idea that since all real guns are locked up, every gun you find will be a toy gun someone lost.Had 2 cousins shoot family members because their anti-gun parents lived in an anti-gun city, in an anti-gun county, and thought that telling their kids, “guns are bad” was enough to keep everyone safe. It wasn’t. The 3yo cousin (nearly 4yo) thought he found a toy gun in a nail bin, pulled it out, pointed at his dad, and pulled the trigger (his dad didn’t live to see the ambulance). The 12yo cousin (different part of the family, but the same town) thought he found a toy gun in a creek and did nearly the same thing, but killed his best friend (big brother) instead. All-around pretty devastating for the family.As a result, my dad thought it would be better to teach me to be responsible and to have a grasp of the basics of gun safety at a young age. Was a good thing he did: when I was ~8yo, & saw a car-full of scary-looking guys coming down our driveway, with my mom (who didn’t know how to get the safety off or shoot well), we were able to run them off. The 2nd time (~10yo) was a van-full of scruffy guys that actually made it to my porch, started pounding on our front door to break it down… it was just me and my little sister at home for 10 min while my parents ran to the nearest convenience store. If my dad hadn’t left me a 12 gauge (used that the 2nd time) or a handgun (used that the 1st time, but also had one with me the 2nd time too… in case they got thru the door), then I wouldn’t have been able to use a firearm to drive off the criminals, my dad would’ve been a widower before 30, and my mom, sister, & I would have been no more than a sad statistic today.IMO, if a kid isn’t responsible and mature, they still need to learn gun safety, however, they shouldn’t have access to any firearm, or be taught how to operate them. (The US would be a much better place if everyone knew the finality of screwing around with a firearm.) Also don’t think people with serious mental issues should have access to firearms, either. (Have close family members that gave their firearms to others in the family to hold when they realized they were depressed; smart move IMO.) Lastly (& I’m sure this one will be controversial) I think there is a whole new test that should be created and given to concealed carrying firearms owners: All conceal-carry permits should be nationwide (like a driver’s license), but after the teaching on gun safety and before a permit could be issued (and right before every renewal) there should be a mandatory urine test for illegal & non-prescription substances. If anyone fails that drug test, then they should be put on 2-week probation, & re-tested (blood test the 2nd time)… if they fail the 2nd, they should be restricted from carrying firearms for 6mo (receiving another drug test at both 3mo and 6mo). If they fail either of those, they should have to get all firearms out of the house for 3 years… and have drug tests every 3 mo for the duration of that 3-years (re-setting the 3-year clock for every failed drug test).I also think the US would be a better place if we had similar restrictions for those with a first offense DUI, a domestic abuse case (proven, not just claimed), & sexual abuse cases, etc. (on that note… after passing a gun safety class & drug test, the abused spouse should be allowed to purchase & concealed carry a firearm for self-defense regardless of their state.) The abusing spouse should be required to store their firearms away from their home either with a relative or friend (who will be subject to the same amount of jail time for whatever crime the abuser commits against the abused spouse with that stored weapon), or the local PD, or a gunshop for a 3-year minimum after their offense (if it included no jail time).My thinking is, if it’s federal, everyone has to have the same level of safety training as well as the illegal substance tests… and losing firearms for non-weapons offenses: if someone is so irresponsible as to endanger the lives of others (DUI), then on the 2nd offense, they should lose their carry permit for 3 more years, and on the 3rd, no longer be allowed to carry a concealed weapon. If they’re a ticking time-bomb behind the wheel of a car, then they probably will be with a weapon too. Those serving time for any abuse, violent crimes, or weapons-related crimes (murder, rape, robbery, home invasion, assault, etc.) should also not be allowed to have guns in the home for at least 10 years after their release (with random drug tests), unless the victim(s) petitions for a waiver… and there is irrefutable evidence of a changed life. I also feel that any household in which all of the members have passed gun safety classes should be exempted (in all states) from locking up all the firearms that aren’t in the direct possession of someone using the firearm (i.e. gun racks in homes with responsible, mature, trained kids would be fine), unless a non-tested individual came over to visit (which would seem to be common sense to me). Another side-note… also think it would be nice if those standard weapons lost to forfeiture could be made available for abuse victims for free (first), then to schools, 4-H Clubs, and Boy- & Girl-Scouts (places with gun clubs for kids), and any exotic, or left-over firearms could be sold and the proceeds go to whatever the voters in each county deemed a “worthy” cause.I’ve looked for recent data on firearms stolen annually in an attempt to determine the validity of the “lock up all firearms because hundreds of thousands are stolen every year” (I’ve heard people say they’re stolen to commit crimes), but the most up-to-date report I can find is from the Bureau of Justice Statistics in 2010 and it really doesn’t indicate that theory holds much weight either. It does, however, denote a clear annual downtrend in firearms stolen annually since the mid-1990s (firearms stolen annually was under 150,000 by 2010) and that most of the thefts are taking place in roughly the same percentages of where the most population resides (~55% of the US population is found in suburban areas, and they had ~50% of the property crimes & burglaries, the difference was split between urban and rural areas).Another unfounded statement that annoys me is when people try to tell me that firearms deaths in the “under 18” bracket is in the tens of thousands annually. The FBI’s data has that clearly available to anyone willing to look thru all of their tables and take some note: of the 17,251 firearms-related offenses (not only murder) in 2017, only 803 of those were committed by someone under 18. Of the 15,129 that were murdered in the same year, only 1,208 were under 18 (680 killed with a firearm). The kicker: how many under 18yo victims were killed by under 18yo offenders? that would be a grand total of 85. The “children victimizing children with firearms” scenario doesn’t hold water. Suicide prevention needs much more attention than preventing kids from learning gun safety. It’s the 2nd leading cause of death (after accidents) in 10 to 18-year-olds; it’s much higher (2,381) than total homicides (1,358) in the same report (didn’t have homicides with firearms in that one).In our house, guns are mainly just tools. Over the years I’ve had to grab a gun many times to run out and shoot poisonous snakes & rabid animals that were threatening livestock, pets, family, and neighbors. I’ve also driven thru fields to find my cows down on the ground with broken bones… once with a debilitating gunshot to the abdomen (that one really irked me). If I don’t have a gun on me when something like this happens, then I generally toss my keys to whichever of my kids is riding along (as young as 10) and send them back to the house with the truck to get a fully loaded 9mm, .45, or .44, so I can put the suffering animal down without causing it more pain & anguish (I prefer to stay and calm the animal as best as possible while someone else goes for the weapon… and I usually ask them to return with a backhoe to bury it). I get ludicrous responses when telling this to others…Many people have tried to say something about how it’s “different” for me “living out in the country” or because I’m “living out west” but… I don’t. I’m in Broward County Florida; the 17th most populated county in the US. In 20–25 min I can drive to downtown Ft. Lauderdale, downtown Miami, or out into the Everglades. (The infamous “Liberty City riots” were actually about 15 minutes from my door, but thankfully that happened before I moved down.) So no… it is not “much different here” and I’m not “in the country,” I just happen to have a small farm in a densely populated area and my kids are mature and responsible for their age because I taught them to be.As for blindly supporting Trump across the board… I don’t. He wasn’t very my last choice of everyone that was running as an independent or as a Republican (Jeb…cough…my former governor… gag), but he was pretty close. (Not one of the Democrats seemed like a sensible option even next to Jeb.) I’m not a die-hard Republican Christian… I’m just a God-fearing, pro-life, anti-socialist. The (D), (I), & (R) labels aren’t relevant to me. If a candidate fails either of the 2nd or 3rd categories above, then they don’t get my vote; if they fail the first, then at least I know what I’m dealing with.I’m pro-life because I’m pro-science. If I want to know something, I find good books on the subject and teach myself… for example: baby brains start developing around the 3rd week while the heartbeat is detectable between 5–1/2 to 7 weeks. If someone has a brain and a pulse, I consider them human, with their own right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.I’m anti-socialist because I’ve got a lot of Cuban, Romanian, Venezuelan, and Russian friends that have told me exactly what their lives were like living under a Communist regime. I don’t want to see the US going anywhere near socialism, communism, fascism, etc. Personally, I think that anyone that supported Bernie (or an equivalent candidate… for any public office) should voluntarily go live in Venezuela (which was the 4th largest oil producer in the world, before Chavez… and only if Maduro is still in power), or Cuba, or North Korea… for at least 2 years, so they can experience a “true” socialist or communist society. (If they aren’t willing to experience true socialism or communism, then they aren’t being honest about their ideology.) After their first 2 years in a socialist, or communist country, then they can either decide to stay in that country (if they’re still socialists), or come back here and vote with their brain rather than support that failed ideology… socialism is anti-Constitution.Getting back to Trump, I’ve not been impressed with very many of his pre- or post-Presidential actions (have been with Pence tho, that guy is a class act), except that he does do the unexpected. Sometimes I laugh, other times I smack my head, and sometimes he surprises me with something good. On a personal level, Trump appears to be an OK guy if he’s your friend. He’s not really got much else going for him personally, except that he’s doing what he believes is best for America & supports our veterans, and those are things I support & respect.Administratively, since Trump does have a firm grasp of business principles, I’d love to see how America could really take off if we cleaned out the career politicians that have been camping in DC for decades and put in some business owners to make our country run more efficiently. I really can’t imagine why anyone would want to vote for a President, Senator, Representative, Governor, or Mayor that’s never held any job except that of a lawyer or politician? & what modern-day career politician has even the smallest inkling of how to make a business profitable? Most Americans that have started their own business (or even managed someone else’s business) know that it’s simple to start out: cut costs, don’t give away the store, and make sure there’s no “dead-wood” taking a paycheck for doing nothing. I would think that this one thing (of knowing how to make a business profitable) would be more important for regular Americans to see in a candidate than someone who promises to give out free phones, or free money to people that are not working (& not looking for a job), or trying to pay for the medical bills of illegal immigrants (or people that have shot themselves up with drugs for years). If we had more business-minded people in Congress than activists, then we’d have a shot at getting our country out of debt.Most of the things I like about Trump’s Presidency so far I’ve heard echoed by other church-going people. I (and nearly all of them to whom I’ve spoken) not only dislike his pre-presidential personal life… but also will tell you that right away. The main administrative things I like are: he’s trying to improve the economy, decrease federal spending, lower taxes, cut out the dead-wood in the federal govt., and he’s doing that for a $1 paycheck. No President in recent history can say all of that.