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I just had the most mind-blowing conversation with a former colleague. Long story short, we're downsizing on our move and I'm trying not to send a whole bunch of perfectly good used furniture to the dump. I've contacted everywhere that I could theoretically donate it, and they're not taking any furniture. I've contacted every used furniture store, and they all say they're overstocked. One told us, "I'm going to sit here and take this exact phone call all day today." So I reached out to my contact list on my phone to see if anyone needed anything for free.
One person, whom I guess I haven't talked to much lately, ends up saying they could use something and I tell him we'll leave it in the driveway for him next week. The conversation ends up with me saying that we're avoiding as much indoor, face to face meetings as we can during this move.
He says, and I quote from the text, "You don't really believe in COVID, do you?"
I reply, "Yeah, the science is pretty straightforward."
He says, "Scientists are just conspiracy theorists."
I say, "You're a scientist. I know this because I hired you and you have a degree in biochemistry."
He says, "That was before I got my MBA and realized how the world really works. Science isn't real."
Apparently I started something, because I haven't even told anyone else this yet and I just got a text from someone else:
"He drives a cybertruck now and quotes Elon Musk all day. Sorry, could have warned you 
"
What a world.
This really turned into a real life cautionary tale of the rabbit hole for me. All I knew was that I hired this guy in 2016-ish and that he quit in 2021-ish. By 2021 I'd given up day to day office details and I guess I had no idea what happened.
Turns out this is a whole descent into madness brought about by the pandemic. He resented "lockdowns"(yes, I know there was not really any such thing) and started railing about teachers being "lazy" when his kids went virtual. He hated the fact that I, and others in charge, had implemented a COVID policy at work that at the time he quit that probably involved no work related travel and masking(people who have to work in a lab can't be fully virtual). This is all quite the opposite of other people that I know quit around that time because they didn't want to get COVID and wouldn't come into a lab.
Now I guess he has an MBA and attends school board meetings with Moms for Liberty and rails on about how there needs to be bibles in schools and whatnot. I never would have thought it for a minute, but, I guess that's the path from science to insanity.
@BE I'm reading a book on medical grifts and why people go anti-science. It is a desire to take control over their lives from unseen forces. They feel that life is out of control and a magic incantation will give them control.
As to furniture, giving it away is hard. There are the scammers on FB. Non-profits make you take furniture outside. I finally connected to a family in need via an involved citizen and then freecycle.org for the desk.