New Location for the 2020 Chicago Pipe Show

[wolflarsen]

Game over. Sorry guys. Better luck next year.

 

[chilllucky]

Although I share your concerns and am also moving towards your conclusion, I wish you wouldn't 'call off the show' if you are not amongst the people empowered to do so.

 

[mso489]

Looking ahead when this happens, maybe some ways in the future, check out the elevated train when you book the hotel. I think in the O'Hare Airport area, many of the hotels are accessible with a short train ride from the airport so you wouldn't even have to rent a car. Ask the hotel when you book the room, for future reference. I understand that there may or may not be a show with the current public health concerns. Most things are on hold.

 

[sablebrush52]

We are concerned with the health of all who plan to attend the Show, but we are not willing to cancel the Show in mid-March.

You're not that concerned with the health of all who plan to attend the show, or you would cancel the show. It's that simple. You're more concerned with having a show than concerned about the health issues. There is nothing, let me repeat this, NOTHING, that you can do to 100% guarantee that highly at risk people run no risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus while attending the show, short of cancelling it. Well, maybe something, like providing hazmat gear to everybody. Are you offering to do that?

Considering what the planners have gone through since Pheasant Run croaked out, I can understand their reluctance. They've shed blood to make this happen. But sometimes things just aren't supposed to happen. When it rains locusts and frogs and the rivers turn to blood in Chicago, will you then take a hint?

Look at the way this outbreak is expanding, the sheer incompetence of the CDC and Azar, and ask yourselves the question, in what universe does this pandemic run its course in 6 weeks? I'm not that good at denial.

I got my eyes opened a bit this weekend while I was up in Palo Alto for a family event. My brother, who is 75, and I were semi isolated to protect us from potential exposure from other attendees. We were served first from the buffet, actually they made plates up for us to avoid possible exposure to utensils, etc. We wore surgical gloves while performing our parts of the ceremony, so as not to touch items that had been touched by others. There was hand sanitizer everywhere. Mind you, some of the people attending are doctors, including epidemiologists, who work at Stanford and are very familiar with the risks this particular virus presents and are studying it, hence the many extra measures to limit contact or proximity. Most of the invited guests chose not to come, so the turnout was about 30%, mostly school mates of the honoree.

What is likely to happen with your show is that a ton of people are going to cancel out at the very last second, leaving you holding the bag.

The CDC did put out a travel warning, advising older Americans not to travel on airplanes, which was quashed by a White House request, but has since surfaced.

For all of those who are in the at risk age group of 60 and above, who are determined to go to this show, good luck. You're going to need it.

 

[mso489]

sable', thank you for the daylight on the subject. People over age 60 probably should not travel at all, and certainly not to gatherings. I will have to pass on the N.C. TAPS pipe show, though perhaps it will be postponed anyway. It appears to me that action on this virus started two months later than it could have.

 

[briarbuck]

Slap some jam on the event because it's toast. Postpone 90 days like most everyone else is doing.

" It appears to me that action on this virus started two months later than it could have. "

mso the very first reports of an issue was only two months ago. You can't shut the world down every time some new flu comes out.

 

[sablebrush52]

It appears to me that action on this virus started two months later than it could have.

Not just to you. There are models for how pandemics develop, and action policies that have been set up for dealing with them. Those plans weren't followed, and there were some incredibly stupid actions taken by management at the CDC and HHS. If anyone wants to know more it's all there online in abundance.

mso the very first reports of an issue was only two months ago. You can't shut the world down every time some new flu comes out.

No, earlier than that. Reports were coming out in December. As for shutting down the world, sure you can if you want to nip an outbreak in the bud. We simply lack the will to do that.

 

[mso489]

The object of the game is to tamp down the virus so much of this effort seems unnecessary. When it starts to seem not only necessary but essential, then we are in real trouble. Like the public health person who pointed out that precautions need to start while they still seem silly. After that, it is too late.

 

[briarbuck]

No, earlier than that. Reports were coming out in December. As for shutting down the world, sure you can if you want to nip an outbreak in the bud. We simply lack the will to do that.

I certainly hope we never have the will to shut it down. Small businesses will die at a higher rate than Old people. An argument certainly can be made that the rate of suicide, drug abuse and alcoholism would increase for those who lose their life's work by about the same rate as people we lose to the virus.

 

[scloyd]

Here's my two cents for what it's worth. I'm 61 with some minor health issues and live less than an hour from Itasca, where the CPS is suppose to be held. I'm not attending the show. It's not worth the risk.

 

[brian64]

I certainly hope we never have the will to shut it down. Small businesses will die at a higher rate than Old people. An argument certainly can be made that the rate of suicide, drug abuse and alcoholism would increase for those who lose their life's work by about the same rate as people we lose to the virus.

In this case the "cure" is likely to end up being much worse than the disease. This same hysteria could be whipped up every year based on flu stats if this is going to be the model. Yes, standard precautions need to be taken, just as with all other pathogens, but nothing about this makes sense proportionate to the available info, IMO.

 

[Bowie]

Is it appropriate for the pipe show to post a list of vendors with their websites and social media accounts? These folks will certainly lose some exposure and business. Perhaps giving them some exposure, especially to newer pipe smokers who have not heard of them yet, will help mitigate their losses.

 

[kcghost]

I know the guys who put on the show and they want to put one on if there's anyway possible but sadly we don't live in that world. Sorry guys, better luck next time.

 

[swan]

You're not that concerned with the health of all who plan to attend the show, or you would cancel the show. It's that simple. You're more concerned with having a show than concerned about the health issues. There is nothing, let me repeat this, NOTHING, that you can do to 100% guarantee that highly at risk people run no risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus while attending the show, short of cancelling it. Well, maybe something, like providing hazmat gear to everybody. Are you offering to do that?

Right on the spot, this is exactly what I thought about last week NY pipe show as well.

I understand that they are hoping that the situation will go back to normal or almost in a month from now but a good portion of the attendance is made by Chinese buyers and I don't think that many of them will show up.
Same will happen for Europeans.

Obviously there is probably some kind of liability clause so that it is better for them to wait to an official order to recover part of the cancelation costs.

It is a very messed up year, I wish it was only about pipe shows.

 

[ron123]

Easy now, Chicken Littles.

CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 36 million flu illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths from flu.

 

[ray47]

Easy now, Chicken Littles.

CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 36 million flu illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths from flu.

I agree completely. I'm 73 and more afraid of the flu killing me then this hyped up current virus. A lot of people have sure drank the Kool Aid. I wish I had the cash to go to the show because I would. If anyone disagrees with me, tough, live with it, I'm pissed.

 

[JimInks]

sable', thank you for the daylight on the subject. People over age 60 probably should not travel at all, and certainly not to gatherings. I will have to pass on the N.C. TAPS pipe show, though perhaps it will be postponed anyway. It appears to me that action on this virus started two months later than it could have.

The TAPS show was cancelled.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I certainly hope we never have the will to shut it down. Small businesses will die at a higher rate than Old people. An argument certainly can be made that the rate of suicide, drug abuse and alcoholism would increase for those who lose their life's work by about the same rate as people we lose to the virus.

Wisdom. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

 

[jguss]

Easy now, Chicken Littles.

CDC estimates that so far this season there have been at least 36 million flu illnesses, 370,000 hospitalizations and 22,000 deaths from flu.

The Chicken Little comparison isn’t apt. The economic consequences of the coronavirus-19 have already vastly exceeded those of any ordinary flu, a relatively low number of current mortalities notwithstanding. And by the way, on the latter subject: if leading epidemiologists are right, and 30-60% of the country is infected, even at the low end of the mortality rate estimates the death toll will range north of a million.

Is it the end of the world? No. Is it already a huge deal with massive economic dislocations? Yes. Is there a real potential for it to be a much bigger deal? Yes.

For what it’s worth I’m cautiously optimistic and expect the worst to peak before summer. Does that mean April? May? Early June? No idea.

But as far as the show is concerned I agree with Jesse. I think there’s no chance the world returns enough to normal in seven weeks to allow a successful pipe show.

 

[verporchting]

Well, the Governor just ordered all bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses to close and prohibited all public gatherings effective 6 am tomorrow. All schools, including colleges and universities were already closed.

And I live in a state where deer and elk dramatically outnumber people, so ... yeah, Chicago Pipe Show is more or less screwed.

WINNING!