It looks like bay and I have something in common

[Trub Lou]

Apparently there was a murder-suicide a few houses down.  The people who own(ed) the field behind my property.

What the hell is happening to the world, man?

[Trub Lou]

Nothing hitting the news yet. I wonder if they're still trying to figure out how these were covid deaths before reporting.

[Badogg]

Welcome to the party pal!

[Trub Lou]

Iowa criminal investigators released info last night. Dude calls 9-1-1 and says he shot his wife. Cops show up and find him dead too.

[Idajack]

Not to politicize this overly much but I’ve had two people I know reasonably well loose a family member to suicide since Covid lockdowns started.
First was the son off a friend who was a hugely successful YouTube content creator with a channel called talking kitty cat. Kid was early 30’s and pulling down deep six figures from YouTube but three or so months into the lockdown crap he just couldn’t take the isolation and fear and put one through the brain.
Left a note that he didn’t want to live in a world without human contact or such.
Second is a fellow from my church who’s father ended it on his birthday dec 1, he was fed up with the same kind of lockdowns and where he saw politics and our nation in general headed.
Sorry to hear about your neighbors, I think all the fear of Covid and lack of human comfort as well as some people watching their futures become unsure is just more than a lot of people can take.

[Augie91]

It does not surprise me that suicide has went up this past year. Covid has led to isolation and sadness imho. There's nothing like a handshake, a hug, singing a song, glasses one can see thru! Plus, all of the pandemic fear and scare a lot of people probably figure that Covid is coming to get them and it's just a matter of time. That's still kind of sad and scary to have it in your neighborhood Trub. You ever talk to the people?

[Trub Lou]

The real irony here is that all of these losses will be in the "excess deaths" number that some folks mistakenly cite as after covid deaths, and actually use to argue FOR more lockdowns. So yeah, it may actually make sense to start talking in terms of lives saved by not instituting more severe isolation measures. Either way, this past year has certainly taken a toll.

[Augie91]

Will be interesting to see how much the lockdown word will be used in couple weeks. Hopefully we won't hear it too much. A gentler and more humane approach is definitely welcome as I think people's patience is about as thin as it's gonna get.