Wed. Mar. 25, 2020 – gonna go out, despite lockdown

By on March 25th, 2020 in ebola, WuFlu

Warm and damp.

Get pretty warm yesterday and had a nice breeze in the afternoon. I was sweating like crazy loading my truck.

Much to do today. Stuff to stack and organize. Stuff to retrieve from storage.

I will be in and out throughout the morning and then gone in the afternoon.

I looked at TX numbers last night and we were ~1000 cases. Wasn’t I b!tching about suspiciously low numbers in the 50s and 60s just a week ago? THAT’s how fast this thing is. And a little birdy told me there are SO MANY patients that are presumed but not tested and identified yet…

Take a look at the responder numbers — https://iafc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/3813d2f872224d8a93c52f05cd392b8c drill down to YOUR area. Watch the trend.

Harken back to my review of the CDC pandemic advice to hospitals, and the points about when EMS fails, when they make decisions in the field to NOT transport, etc. Think about the other points too. That’s what’s coming.

Stay in, stay safe.

nick

65 Comments and discussion on "Wed. Mar. 25, 2020 – gonna go out, despite lockdown"

  1. Greg Norton says:

    Oh my goodness, we are on the road to 30% unemployment. I am with the dumbocrats on this one, give the unemployed money for food and housing. They need about $4,000/month if they have a family. The new jobs will not just ramp up smoothly. And their kids are not getting free meals at the schools either so they are having to provide three meals a day for the first time ever.

    Where do I sign up? $4000 isn’t much less than my current take home, and we structure things so that either one of us can pay the bills without the other being employed.

    That kind of money isn’t happening.

    Which reminds me … say, aren’t trim notices due soon? ISDs still gotta pay the bills on those $80 million HOK-designed stadiums.

  2. Greg Norton says:

    I looked at TX numbers last night and we were ~1000 cases.

    Tests are starting to roll out. The upside of the incident at the VA yesterday is that we learned the Feds have the capability to test and get results in less than eight hours if they have to play CYA.

    The pinhead arrived at work sick at 8 AM, and despite her best efforts to hide it, the supervisors noticed and had her tested. Results were known and spread by word of mouth throughout the building by 5 PM.

  3. Ray Thompson says:

    They need about $4,000/month if they have a family

    My wife and I could live on $1,500.00 a month. In fact we are basically living on $2K a month, cutting back would not be difficult. Even if we had a kid or two that would not reach the level of $4k, maybe $2.5K a month. However we have spent responsibly. We don’t own a couple of 4-wheelers, three newer vehicles, high dollar cell phone plans, and all the other trappings. We have no debt, including our home. We have done without when we did not have enough money for something rather than using a credit card.

    kids are not getting free meals at the schools

    As stated yesterday, all the schools here are providing breakfast and lunch for any student. All they need is for a parent to show up at the school with the student(s) to get the bag of food for the day. Only weekends are excluded.

    I have to go to the church today to record 3 or 4 broadcasts. I wonder if they lock down the area would it be considered essential that I go to the church to run the recorded broadcasts on Sunday morning? I don’t know that it will get to that point here as this is not a heavy population density like New York, or Nashville, or Memphis, or even Knoxville. But if it is a state wide lock down I don’t know what will happen.

    And how would they enforce? Police blockades on the major arteries? Lots of back roads if you know the area to get around those. Not enough police to block all the roads. If the police see you driving will they pull you over and demand your papers? No papers get arrested or fined? What statute prescribes such fines and the amount?

  4. Ray Thompson says:

    The pinhead arrived

    You are being too kind. I would have much stronger words.

  5. ITGuy1998 says:

    The Bailout passed.

    We all keep saying it, and it has to happen sometime, but when does our endless spending come back to bite us?

  6. Greg Norton says:

    We all keep saying it, and it has to happen sometime, but when does our endless spending come back to bite us?

    Try buying physical gold right now. It flat out isn’t available. The paper price is too disconnected from reality.

  7. Ray Thompson says:

    when does our endless spending come back to bite us

    Good question. Another two trillion and probably not the last. That is a lot of money to push the US further in debt.

    I am wondering how they payouts to individuals is going to take place? Use the IRS and tax return information from which year? Will that produce direct deposit? Or will checks be mailed? Based on what information? Again the IRS is the only agency that has reasonably accurate name, address, and children information. Or will a $28 million website be created where people sign up? How is children information verified?

    I don’t need the money, but will take it. Will the money be considered taxable? Will I have to return the money based on my 2020 tax return as my taxable income will be considerably more than the last four years? If so, I don’t want it. My AGI for last year was considerably below the limit. Will people receiving SSI be declared ineligible?

    My guess is that none of this has been considered in the negotiations and will be figured out later with the usual screwups by the government. ACA website ring a bell?

  8. Greg Norton says:

    You are being too kind. I would have much stronger words.

    We’ll see what happens. The core problem is the Subcontinent working at the VA. That has to change.

  9. Ray Thompson says:

    The core problem is the Subcontinent working at the VA

    The people at the VA office I use all seem to be local people. They all speak English.

  10. MrAtoz says:

    I am wondering how they payouts to individuals is going to take place? Use the IRS and tax return information from which year?

    No doubt the rules will be draconian. $4,000 to families below the poverty line based on IRS filings. Any other families will get much less, even if they are currently unemployed.

    How will the *undocumented* get their loot. I wonder if there is a provision for that. I’m sure Stretch’s bill had it in there. Even the current bill is “we have to pass it to find out what is in it”. I’m sure MrsAtoz’s corporation will get jack. I’m separated from the family, do I get a separate amount? At least I have a pension. Until the goobermint decides to keep it and give it to Jose Jimenez.

  11. Nick Flandrey says:

    Jeez, I was tired.

    I’m trying to balance the need to get stuff done with the need for adequate sleep so I don’t get run down and sick. Today that meant I slept in.

    I doubt I’ll see any stimulus money. I think and thought that the money should be administered as unemployment insurance. States can work within their rules, and there is precedent for the fedgov to extend and support that. If the money is to compensate for lost work, then it should only go to people who were working. I say that as someone without state qualifying wages. Wife is “highly compensated” and doesn’t qualify either. Also crazy to not adjust for regional cost of living. Add a mechanism for small corps and self employed to make a claim. Just giving money to heartbeats is stupid.

    n

    added- last time they did it the goal was to increase consumer spending, and a large number of people used it to pay down debt or increase savings, thus not accomplishing the stated goal. Same thing is gonna happen this time, for everyone that doesn’t buy liquor and dope.

  12. ITGuy1998 says:

    Wel, liquor and dope are consumer products….don’t see what the problem is…. /sarcasm

  13. IT_Pro says:

    I think the stimulus money should only be provided to those affected by the pandemic, meaning those whose income has changed. If you are working from home and are being paid the same salary, why do you need the money (regardless of income)? If you are living off the government (welfare or other SSA money), why do you need MORE money now?
    But if you have become unemployed, then it would be useful to have some extra money to make up the difference between unemployment and your recent weekly income.

    I personally have never been eligible for stimulus money (guess they think I make too much) or have been given any tax relief (when IRS said I owed tens of thousands of dollars while unemployed and had to cash in retirement savings, and then had to pay the penalty for early withdrawal and taxes on that money in the following year).

    It seems that it really is just another wealth transfer, because some day the increasingly smaller portion of the population that pays taxes will end up paying for this.

  14. Harold Combs says:

    Went by our local range / gun store this morning after dropping the wife at dialysis. They tell me that gun shops have been exempted from the non-essential business shutdown order. They have put limits on the number of boxes of 9mm per person. Happy to see they are open. I will head there Friday while the wife is in dialysis. I have 2 black rifles with optics that I need to sight-in after the move. Keeping personal distance at a range is not a problem. It was deserted when I visited at 8am. Need to make sure we are prepared for when Covid-19 mutates into a Zombie virus. Need to do a full inventory on my ammo this weekend. I am sure that I have plenty in most calibers but short in a couple (.40 S&W & .38 Spl).
    Received a TXT last night that because of the new 10 person limit, several of my ATM locations are shutting down for the duration. I have to run around this afternoon pulling my cash out of these locations. I’d like to pull the machines too but don’t have the strength or transport to move them. They are all paid for anyway and the cash they hold is more valuable than the physical systems. Yes, I will use N95 masks and gloves at every location.
    The wife is scheduled for a full bone scan at the local hospital tomorrow. I’m not happy about going to the virus-breeding-ground (hospital) for non-essential services. I will call er doctor to verify the urgency of this testing.

  15. Nick Flandrey says:

    ” I will call er doctor to verify the urgency of this testing.”

    —yes! I was shocked by the ‘business as usual’ attitude my Dr had, sending me for non-critical bloodwork at the office where they had 2 Drs get quarantined.

    Avoid if possible.

    n

  16. Chad says:

    One thing that drove me crazy before the pandemic and is driving me even crazier now…

    STOP LICKING YOUR FINGERS TO SEPARATE THINGS! Ugh! Whether it’s some old lady in the produce section of the grocery store licking her fingers to open a produce bag (and then picking up and setting down produce with those same licked fingers), or a cashier at a gas station licking their fingers to open the bag to bag up the stuff you just bought, or a teacher licking her fingers to separate papers as she hands out worksheets. It’s disgusting. STOP PUTTING YOUR SPIT ON MY STUFF!!! Why, dear God, why did that ever become a thing? In what fantasy world did people think it was okay to lick their fingers, touch something, and then hand that thing to somebody else? It’s not just disgusting for the receiver. Do they have any idea where their fingers have been before they lick them? It is such a huge pet peeve of mine that I call it out every time I see it. I’m okay being THAT guy.

  17. Nick Flandrey says:

    I use water from the veg mister to wet my fingers so I can separate those damnable bags….

    Yes, it’s gross to lick your fingers, and potentially deadly now.

    n

  18. brad says:

    Who will pay for printing $2 trillion? Everybody, in the form of inflation. Which the government will deny exists, but will show up in ShadowStats.

    Edited to add: this could also be the death blow to the US dollar as the preferred currency for international transactions.

  19. Nick Flandrey says:

    Although the tech companies don’t produce the masks themselves, either because of coincidence or because they have access to certain supply chains, they are able to source the equipment in a way the government cannot.

    The details are not clear on exactly how a company such as Apple has access to the masks, but it is possibly because the tech giant has relationships that the federal government does not.

    –no mystery needed. Apple was “HOARDING” the masks for their own use.

    n

  20. Nick Flandrey says:

    Why do I keep reading that Ford is going to make VENTILATORS?

    https://gunfreezone.net/ford-goes-mcgiver-respirators-out-of-f-150s/

    The article and drawings are for PAPR, the blower and filter part of a “bunny suit”. Bunny suit optional.

    It makes WAY more sense that they would make PAPRs because those don’t need a decade of FDA ring kissing, and are MUCH LESS likely to kill a user.

    n

  21. Greg Norton says:

    Who will pay for printing $2 trillion? Everybody, in the firm of inflation. Which the government will deny exists, but will show up in ShadowStats.

    The Fed will buy the Treasuries which don’t sell at auction. They’ve been doing this for a decade, and, as a result, Treasury bonds are not investments anymore. The bonds are instruments of liquidity for which the holder effectively pays a negative interest rate as a fee for the service.

    The resulting expansion of the money supply used to show up in M3, but that hasn’t been published by the Fed since 2006.

  22. Nick Flandrey says:

    @brad, yes, and the inflation will erode the savings of prudent people, after they draw them down to get thru this period of no income. Like Venezuela. Think you’ve got retirement savings? Silly you, we’ll just make those ‘disappear’. Then you’ll be dependent on .gov programs again.

    Funny how that works out.

    And that’s why my wife and I are looking to turn cash into something that will ride thru, like property – since gold is now out of the question, and ebay banned my mask sales…..

    n

  23. RickH says:

    This was interesting … and not virus-related:

    Raspberry Pi Project Uses Artificial Intelligence to Detect License Plates

    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-project-artificial-intelligence-machine-camera

  24. SteveF says:

    STOP LICKING YOUR FINGERS TO SEPARATE THINGS!

    +1,000,000,000 It’s a foul habit.

    After one woman repeatedly ignored my request to stop licking her fingers as she riffled through some papers she had to give me, I licked my fingers and wiped them on her sleeve. She viewed that as horribly offensive and did not see that what she’d been doing was worse.

    this could also be the death blow to the US dollar as the preferred currency for international transactions

    Meh. That’s been predicted for at least 30 years now.

  25. DadCooks says:

    What we really need is a true Biblical Jubilee.

  26. Greg Norton says:

    “this could also be the death blow to the US dollar as the preferred currency for international transactions”

    Meh. That’s been predicted for at least 30 years now.

    Anytime that trial balloon gets floated, the alternatives always come up short, mostly because no one buys as much cr*p as Americans. Becoming a reserve currency at this point would mean running trade deficits consistently larger than the US for many years to catch up.

  27. Ray Thompson says:

    If you are living off the government (welfare or other SSA money), why do you need MORE money now?

    Exactly. Why am I eligible for any money? I have SS, am not working, the shutdown is not causing me any problems. I am able to pay my bills, same as the last four years. I am getting several $K a month from the government now. Why do I need more? Or more importantly, why do I deserve more? That money would be better served for the son of a friend that was working and has now been laid off.

    I suspect that people on SS will be denied any additional funds. That may still hurt some people that are having to work, and draw SS, because of being unable to make ends meet.

    If the IRS looks at my tax return I am way below the poverty line on AGI. If AGI is what is going to be used then I will probably get the money. My AGI was less than $400.00 on my 2019 tax return. I should be homeless according to IRS standards.

    I suspect that the funds will be taxed as ordinary income. If that is the case I will keep enough to cover the taxes and probably give the rest away. Either to the church or someone that really needs the money. I will do that by paying a mortgage payment, buying groceries, or perhaps needed car repairs. I will not give money directly to the individual. I got burnt doing that once, never again.

  28. ITGuy1998 says:

    I had a surprise in my bank account today – my AL tax refund. It only took 1.5 months. I was expecting 4+ months to receive it. I guess it was quick because it was so small…

  29. lynn says:

    STOP LICKING YOUR FINGERS TO SEPARATE THINGS!

    +1,000,000,000 It’s a foul habit.

    After one woman repeatedly ignored my request to stop licking her fingers as she riffled through some papers she had to give me, I licked my fingers and wiped them on her sleeve. She viewed that as horribly offensive and did not see that what she’d been doing was worse.

    xkcd: “Business Greetings”
    https://www.xkcd.com/2277/

    I suddenly realized that he was talking about people licking their fingers to separate their business cards. Guilty.

  30. lynn says:

    “this could also be the death blow to the US dollar as the preferred currency for international transactions”

    Meh. That’s been predicted for at least 30 years now.

    Anytime that trial balloon gets floated, the alternatives always come up short, mostly because no one buys as much cr*p as Americans. Becoming a reserve currency at this point would mean running trade deficits consistently larger than the US for many years to catch up.

    My son maintains that we went to war in Iraq because the Saddam Hussein was selling oil to the Chinese for yuan. He may be right.

    For those who do not know, one of the conditions that we emplaced on the world after WWII is that all international transactions be converted to and denominated in USA dollars. That was the beginning of the SWIFT system.
    https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/050515/how-swift-system-works.asp

  31. SteveF says:

    I will do that by paying a mortgage payment, buying groceries, or perhaps needed car repairs. I will not give money directly to the individual.

    Likewise.

    But you’re missing the major point, Ray. “From each according to his ability”, meaning that people who have valuable skills and a strong work ethic — eg myself — will be paying higher taxes to cover the costs of the crisis. “To each according to his need” means those who haven’t worked a regular job in their adult lives and have $200 cell phone bills and $600 car payments need more. You’re not allowed to have an opinion on this because you’re a cis-het white male, you hater.

  32. lynn says:

    I suspect that the funds will be taxed as ordinary income. If that is the case I will keep enough to cover the taxes and probably give the rest away. Either to the church or someone that really needs the money. I will do that by paying a mortgage payment, buying groceries, or perhaps needed car repairs. I will not give money directly to the individual. I got burnt doing that once, never again.

    Give the money to your kid. He will look upon it as manna from heaven. Or at least found money from Mom and Dad. No strings whatsoever though.

    My parents actually gave me the down payment for my new truck as a Christmas gift. I took it after I made sure that they had the cash. And I spent it. And I make good money, real good money. Of course, they are very concerned about our disabled daughter and how much she is costing us.

  33. lynn says:

    I doubt I’ll see any stimulus money. I think and thought that the money should be administered as unemployment insurance. States can work within their rules, and there is precedent for the fedgov to extend and support that. If the money is to compensate for lost work, then it should only go to people who were working. I say that as someone without state qualifying wages. Wife is “highly compensated” and doesn’t qualify either. Also crazy to not adjust for regional cost of living. Add a mechanism for small corps and self employed to make a claim. Just giving money to heartbeats is stupid.

    I doubt that any one of my three businesses will see any federal funds. I am fairly sure that they will show up for a portion of the “profits”. And one of them is still profitable. The big one is not and is losing cash in a concerning manner.

    I have spent a lot of time of effort making investments in hard assets over the years. Turns out the government thinks that it can tell me how those assets are to be used and managed (see governments new instructions for landlords, see new rules to stay at home and not manage businesses or properties). This is not the USA I grew up in.

  34. brad says:

    “If you are living off the government (welfare or other SSA money), why do you need MORE money now?”

    Bingo. Some people are hugely affected, others not at all. A barber, for example, is totally screwed. Avoid personal contact = no haircut. No income, and that’s a problem that needs dealt with quickly. Someone who can genuinely work from home? No problem, no bailout needed.

    Someone already living on welfare? Also no bailout needed. The problem is, of course, that most such people in the US are full-fledged members of the FSA.

    I keep reading about schools in the US continuing to provide breakfast and lunch for kids. I genuinely don’t get it. If you’re that poor as a parent, you have welfare. SNAP, WIC, or probably any of a dozen other programs. Failing that, there’s always the food bank. They can feed their own kids – there’s no reason for anyone else to do it for them.

    “My son maintains that we went to war in Iraq because the Saddam Hussein was selling oil to the Chinese for yuan. He may be right.”

    Wouldn’t surprise me at all…

    “For those who do not know, one of the conditions that we emplaced on the world after WWII is that all international transactions be converted to and denominated in USA dollars. That was the beginning of the SWIFT system.”

    Also for those who do not know: Even though SWIFT is used internationally, the US can see and interfere with all SWIFT transactions. And occasionally does so, even if there is no US party to the transaction. There was a semi-famous case of some European tobacco shop purchasing cigars from Cuba: the US intercepted the money and kept it, because Cuba was embargoed.

  35. ~jim says:

    Is there a reason Trump’s businesses can’t recieve StimuCash just like any other tourist business (assuming they get a bailout too), or is the reason to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest? Last time I checked he was a citizen just like you or I…

  36. Greg Norton says:

    My son maintains that we went to war in Iraq because the Saddam Hussein was selling oil to the Chinese for yuan. He may be right.

    Maybe, but then the problem would have been spending that Chinese funny money. Think about what they made 20 years ago. Who else besides Americans would want the contents of most aisles of a circa-2000 WalMart, back before they got serious about groceries.

    Even now, food is not easily bought with yuan. Most of WalMart’s sales the last few weeks were not putting money in China’s coffers, and the newly re-merchandised clothing section of the Tarjay near our house is full of things which will join the Costco Kirkland TP on the garbage barges in six months.

    The second Gulf War was a serious miscalculation on both sides if Saddam was selling oil for yuan.

  37. lynn says:

    I keep reading about schools in the US continuing to provide breakfast and lunch for kids. I genuinely don’t get it. If you’re that poor as a parent, you have welfare. SNAP, WIC, or probably any of a dozen other programs. Failing that, there’s always the food bank. They can feed their own kids – there’s no reason for anyone else to do it for them.

    I had to get the back air conditioning of the house for sale cleaned out yesterday (icky nasty sludge). Since I own eight air conditioning systems, the tech and I are on a first name basis. He was telling me that his wife gave him a baby for Christmas and he gave her a one year old from his cousin. The judge ripped guardianship from his cousin and wife and he had to step up. I did not ask and he did not tell but I suspect that his cousin and and wife are either in jail or were so incompetent that they could not avail themselves of the programs out there.

  38. lynn says:

    The second Gulf War was a serious miscalculation.

    Down here in the South, we call that a tar baby.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar-Baby

  39. lynn says:

    There is no end to the shame our Congress brings upon us.

    Hey ! It is the best Congress that money can buy !

  40. MrAtoz says:

    We just finished a “Zoom” video conference with our extended biz family. How are we going to make money online? Lots of ideas that we have to mull on how to implement. The consensus is “we need to do something now.” Social platforms, biz platforms, pod cast style coaching, school district contacts, etc. Two school districts paid us for a keynote/in-service via video conference in the past. How do they distribute something like that now “Avengers! Don’t Assemble” is the standard. As far as I know, most school districts are still paying all employees. To do what? Oh, yeah, ProgLib unions will lobby to keep the tax dollars flowing to ensure votes in November. Keep collecting those property taxes with threats of liens.

  41. MrAtoz says:

    Every time Plugs puts out a video, it is clear his brain is rotting and circling the drain. Komrad Sanders must sense this since he is not dropping out. Bernie is probably ready to pounce when Plugs’ corpse finally gets flushed.

  42. Nick Flandrey says:

    Got the shelves assembled and truck unloaded.

    Gonna head out soon. Had to take a cool down break.

    N

  43. Greg Norton says:

    Every time Plugs puts out a video, it is clear his brain is rotting and circling the drain. Komrad Sanders must sense this since he is not dropping out. Bernie is probably ready to pounce when Plugs’ corpse finally gets flushed.

    The lake house for going away in 2016 was fine, but Bernie wants a G-IV this time around. As long as he is still running, Mrs. Bernie banks money as the media buyer for the campaign.

    Ted O’Baxter speculated about the brokered convention and Cuomo in a one-off radio special airing in New York this week. He doubts Cuomo will try it and claims it would be in Cuomo’s best interest to wait out a second Trump term rather than risk Plugs elected.

  44. lynn says:

    Mrs. Bernie banks money as the media buyer for the campaign.

    Wow, I thought that you were joking, it is apparently common knowledge:
    https://www.lawenforcementtoday.com/sanders-and-family-secret-finances-revealed-it-should-disqualify-him/

  45. lynn says:

    The second Gulf War was a serious miscalculation on both sides if Saddam was selling oil for yuan.

    I forget how many dollars people outside the USA are holding but it is a staggering amount. Some 3X or 4X the amount of money in circulation in the USA. And most of those foreign dollars are just entries in a spreadsheet at the Fed.

    You don’t want those dollars to come back. Ever. Hyperinflation city.

  46. Greg Norton says:

    Wow, I thought that you were joking, it is apparently common knowledge:

    That’s been common knowledge since 2016. Nobody cares. Mrs. Bernie remains an unindicted co-conspirator in the college failure fiasco, and that’s how the Dems keep her in line.

    Bernie roasted his chances in Florida this year, and the Dems need to take that from Trump to win.

    I’m also not kidding when I say that the highest ranking state-wide elected Dem left in Florida is the dopey, pinch-faced Agriculture Commissioner. Now that Andrew Gillum has self destructed, she’s the defacto head of a party which should be benefiting from an increasingly purple state but is locked out of Congressional seat power for at least a decade.

    https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/03/24/florida-needs-stay-at-home-order-now-nikki-fried

  47. lynn says:

    “I, Cringely – 2020 Brings the Death of IT”
    https://www.cringely.com/2020/03/25/2020-brings-the-death-of-it/

    “IT — Information Technology — grew out of something we called MIS — Management Information Systems — but both meant a kid in a white shirt who brought you a new keyboard when yours broke. Well, the kid is now gone, sent home with everyone else, and that kid isn’t coming back… ever. IT is near death, fading by the day. But don’t blame COVID-19 because the death of IT was inevitable. This novel coronavirus just made it happen a little quicker.”

    Everything is changing.

    ADD: Evolve or die. I guess that I am dying.

  48. lynn says:

    “Gov. Baker prohibits reusable shopping bags during coronavirus emergency”
    https://www.wcvb.com/article/gov-baker-grocery-store-pharmacy-public-health-order-bans-reusable-bags-march-25-2020/31931763#

    “Boston: From now on, reusable bags are prohibited and all regulations on plastic bag bans are lifted. Finally, stores are not allowed to charge for paper and plastic bags”

    I wish that these virtue signalers would make up their minds.

    Hat tip to:
    http://drudgereport.com/

  49. ITGuy1998 says:

    “I, Cringely – 2020 Brings the Death of IT”

    I don’t think this guy has ever had a real job. Especially in IT.

  50. lynn says:

    “Coronavirus Cases: 466,771 view by country Deaths: 21,151 Recovered: 113,808”
    https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

    China is continuously reporting 0 or way less than 100 new cases. I do not believe them.

    However, Italy (+5,210 new cases today) and the USA (+9,988 new cases today) are getting ready to pass China both.

    This still does not look like a pandemic to me. It is a serious outbreak but a pandemic would have a 100 million cases across the planet. But, the day is still young.

  51. Greg Norton says:

    I don’t think this guy has ever had a real job. Especially in IT.

    If you’re referring to the pseudonym, a lot of notable IT people held that gig at InfoWorld over the years, including Jerry Pournelle.

    If you’re referring to the Cringely running that website, he’s been a fly on the wall of Silicon Valley since the 70s. He wrote a semi-significant book on Valley history, “Accidental Empires”, which led to his PBS special “Triumph Of The Nerds”, mostly notable for the interviews and a few money lines from Steve Jobs which will be around forever.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J33pVRdxWbw

    At the Death Star, we knew Cringely as the person who used his influence and coverage to elevate the principals of Excite from their startup days in an almost cliche Valley garage to dot Bomb millionares in over their heads at their Exite@Home HQ, complete with slide (!), built with a bunch of our cash at a time when the company, fighting off the WorldCom ponzi, could least afford it.

    He’s done notable things, but not actual innovation in hardware or software like you would expect.

    YouTube, naturally, has several complete copies of “Triumph Of The Nerds” as well as its sequel, “Nerds 2.01”. Kill some time streaming this week.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrC722gKCIc

    Pay attention to the guys at Architext through both specials. Cringely made them fortunes. And, yes, Joe Kraus, the RA-turned-CEO is an a**hat.

    The first special has the best interviews, but “Nerds 2.01” is interesting for a mix of historical irony and, in restrospect, howling naivete.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luwXqAJBneI

    Best moment in “Nerds 2.01”? Cisco co-founder Sandy Lerner griping about “only” taking home a billion dollars after being fired. Cringely conducts the interview outside, sitting in chairs on the exquisitely manicured lawn at her home, Jane Austen’s country estate.

    So sad.

  52. paul says:

    I’m a bit puzzled. When I changed my phone number from Straight Talk to (and a new to me phone) Verizon, the plan is unlimited talk and text and 3GB data. But Special Deal and you get 6Gb data a month.

    It all wacky. $40 – 3GB. Auto pay gives a $5 discount. And wonder of wonders, unlike DirecTv, I’m taxed on $35. Not taxed on $40 and then a $5 discount.

    Somewhere along the way I had the impression unused data rolled over. Use 1Gb, get your 6 and have 11Gb. Up to a limit of hmm, three months? It’s never happened. But of course I can’t find that particular web page anymore.

    Yesterday I had 5.9 Gb data remaining. It’s a “smart icon” on my phone. This afternoon I suddenly have 20.9Gb data available.

    So, did the unused portions suddenly roll over or did Verizon, from the goodness of their hearts, give me an extra 15Gb?

    If they gifted me 15Gb I think they would be sending an e-mail or a flood of txt messages crowing about how generous they are.

    I use maybe, 1.5Gb max after killing all of the Google stuff that was constantly “updating” stuff.

  53. lynn says:

    I’m also not kidding when I say that the highest ranking state-wide elected Dem left in Florida is the dopey, pinch-faced Agriculture Commissioner. Now that Andrew Gillum has self destructed, she’s the defacto head of a party which should be benefiting from an increasingly purple state but is locked out of Congressional seat power for at least a decade.

    https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/03/24/florida-needs-stay-at-home-order-now-nikki-fried

    I think all of these stay at homes orders are just trying to get the 20 somethings off the beaches and the kids out of the neighborhood parks. I drove by a neighborhood park the other day and I’ll bet that there were at least 100 kids there. Three of my neighbors wrote Facecrack messages complaining about it.

  54. Greg Norton says:

    I think all of these stay at homes orders are just trying to get the 20 somethings off the beaches and the kids out of the neighborhood parks. I drove by a neighborhood park the other day and I’ll bet that there were at least 100 kids there. Three of my neighbors wrote Facecrack messages complaining about it.

    When you see the video from Clearwater Beach filmed last week, realize that it was up to the City of Clearwater to prevent that from happening. The state had little to do with what happened, and all of the media offices have been purged from that end of the city by the people really in charge, the newspaper buildings in particular completely razed to the ground.

    Then, the most important question to ask is “Who runs the City of Clearwater?”

    All Hail Xenu. We joked that the kids were purging their Thetans.

  55. RickH says:

    @paul – one story among many, about Verizon and others adding free data to plans, to help with all of the home schoolers and workers.

    https://9to5mac.com/2020/03/14/us-carriers-unlimited-data-coronavirus/

    Meanwhile, T-Mobile has announced its own set of efforts to help customers stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic. Starting immediately, all T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers will have unlimited smartphone data for the next 60 days. T-Mobile will also “soon” give customers an additional 20GB mobile hotspot services.

    and https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizons-covid-19-relief-efforts , although this appears to be just for school-related data:

    As the list of nationwide K-12 schools shifting to remote learning heightens, Verizon is supporting the students and teachers in its Verizon Innovative Learning program, the company’s education initiative targeting Title 1 middle schools, by tripling their data allowances. Effective March 16, the additional connectivity includes all tablets and laptops within the program and upgrades data plans from 10GB/month to 30GB/month through June 30.

    From Verizon’s site: https://www.verizon.com/about/news/our-response-coronavirus

    Verizon’s home broadband plans offer unlimited data for all of your work from home or remote learning needs. For our wireless consumer and business customers, our unlimited plans include wifi hotspot capabilities, allowing you to connect devices such as laptops and tablets via wifi. Consumer and small business Fios and DSL broadband internet plans have no data caps AND 15GB of high speed data for wireless consumer and small business customers WILL be automatically applied with no customer action necessary.

  56. Greg Norton says:

    This still does not look like a pandemic to me. It is a serious outbreak but a pandemic would have a 100 million cases across the planet. But, the day is still young.

    Oh, I have faith that India will come through for you.

    A second case is known at the Austin VA as of today, but until they tell my wife to get a test, she has to assume that she’s been separated from the cases sufficiently to continue seeing patients as non-infected.

  57. lynn says:

    A second case is known at the Austin VA as of today, but until they tell my wife to get a test, she has to assume that she’s been separated from the cases sufficiently to continue seeing patients as non-infected.

    Do you have a plan if she gets it so that she does not spread it to you and the kiddos ?

  58. Greg Norton says:

    Do you have a plan if she gets it so that she does not spread it to you and the kiddos ?

    She will know at work and call ahead. We have masks from painting the house out in the garage.

    I’ll sleep in the guest room upstairs for a while and keep my fingers crossed.

    An Indian family originally built our house, and the master suite is fairly isolated for a Texas design, with enough sq. footage and plumbing in place downstairs to build another complete master suite.

    Of course it means using my kids bathroom. I may be better off taking my chances with the virus. 🙂

    Could be worse. My wife’s old employer in Vantucky is hosed for supplies, and their lapses helped create the Measles pandemic last year.

    https://www.columbian.com/news/2020/mar/20/covid-19-testing-supplies-scarce-in-clark-county/

    See the quote from Alfred Seekamp. That guy is such a clueless fossil. In her exit interview, he told my wife that she always had a job if she wanted one at the clinic. No thanks.

  59. lynn says:

    I’ll sleep in the guest room upstairs for a while and keep my fingers crossed.

    I hate to say this but you probably should have moved up there at the precious incident. But, it is incredibly hard to do that. When I brought my wife home after her first cancer surgery in 2005, she was dismayed to see me bring our single bed into our bedroom. She told me that I could sleep with her just fine. I knew better, she had 35 inches of incisions in her abdomen and chest with four drains. I could see myself rolling over on one of her drains and accidentally pulling it out, that was not going to happen. She had the drains for four weeks, just in time for her second of five surgeries.

    I am convinced that we are all going to get this Chinese Flu. The only variable is the amount of time that it takes. I am hoping that social distancing works to some extent.
    https://news.yahoo.com/coronavirus-could-become-seasonal-top-us-scientist-001146451.html

    After all, it is just another nasty cold virus and quite well adapted for us human beings. Unfortunately, we are not adapted for this variant yet. Maybe somebody will get a vaccine out for us soon and be able to make eight billion doses in a couple of days time.

  60. lynn says:

    My son and I spent a couple of hours talking about finances tonight. He is really concerned about me and the wife since we bought the new used house before we sold the old house. Which is for sale with zero visits to date. Plus the death of my partner may trigger some financial items for our business depending on what his widow and children want to do. He left his widow with a couple of properties and several million in cash though. BTW, I have known her since I was 5 years old, she used to babysit for my mother. His oldest son is very wealthy, nine figure wealthy so there is no way that his mom is going without.

    My son maintains that the unemployment rate in the USA is already 10%. A lot of his friends have been laid off. He thinks it is already 15%. The bad thing is that he sees 30% unemployment by June. I was hoping August. We both agree that 50% of the 15 million oil and gas workforce is going to be laid off and the other half are going to take 50% pay cuts. Things are that dire in the oil patch. Our business is not in the ditch but we are awful close.

    The bad news is that with 15% to 30% unemployment is going to cause the housing industry to crash. Maybe a 50% drop in housing prices in the Houston area. He wants me to drop the price $100,000 today. Otherwise I will end up renting the house in a very uncertain market.

    In fact, he sees breadlines by August. He has already named it, our grandparents had the Great Recession. We will have the Greater Recession.

    Depressing, very depressing. Neither one of us see a way out of this mess.

  61. Nick Flandrey says:

    @lynn, add in the inflation caused by the first $2T in ‘stimulus’, and the inevitable follow on ‘stimulus’ will cause even more as the try desperately to keep the balloon from collapsing….

    If you had the money in hand, what would you do with it? If it sat empty for 2 years, what shape would you be in? (and if a few-like 100K to 500K estates and homes hit the market at essentially the same time in a year? #boomerremover)

    There are management companies specifically to run your rental properties now that weren’t around a few years ago, if you’re just parking the property until a recovery.

    nick

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