Covid19

[Too Tall]

Just spoke to my brother in Italy. Except for work exemptions and important circumstances (somewhat loosely defined) travel across commune boundaries is prohibited (commune loosely = city + the immediately surrounding area...smaller than a typical US county) on pain of fine or jail. They live in the commune of Modena which is within the province of Modena, region of Emilia Romagna, adjacent to the Lombardia region (Milan).

According to Bill Lombardia is the best medically equipped region of Italy (which has an excellent health care system) and they're at the point where decisions about who may be able to survive, and who can't, are being made so as to best utilize the available resources (ventilators and blood oxygenators).

Apparently patient #1 was a fit, 35yo amateur athlete who has just come off of a ventilator.

The govt was asking folks to stay home as much as possible but that didn't get adequate traction; among other manifestations of non-compliance the local papers noted that the bars and night spots were still hopping. The ask was then ratcheted up to enforcible public orders.

Here is a link to the John's Hopkins Global COVID-19 tracking dashboard: Operations Dashboard for ArcGIS

Furbizia. I love the Italians for many things. Come he!! or highwater, good food and spectacular cheer must abide.

NYTs article from yesterday >> On Day 1 of Lockdown, Italian Officials Urge Citizens to Abide by Rules - The New York Times

[j44ke]

A lot of people continue to deny or downplay the potential threat of Covid. And not because they're Fox news crazies either; smart people I know well and respect. Saying things like "it's just a flu", "flu kills more people", "car accidents kill more people", etc. I can't tell if it's a coping mechanism or the American obsession with rugged individual tough guy-ism. Or maybe younger people really, truly don't give a f**k about older people. In any case it's not really helping.

I think when there is a cone of uncertainty spread over everyone, people tend to make up their own narrative. It isn't willful, it is self-protective and symptomatic of a lack of definitive information. Same thing affects the stock markets.

[summilux]

I'm getting worried. We were instructed to inventory our N95 masks and keep them in a secure location. We were also informally advised to have a two month supply of lab ethanol and surgical gloves around. I have a meeting this afternoon to plan for a complete university shutdown. The level of institutional fear is much much higher than when SARS hit. I'm not a panicky guy but tonight I'm making sure we have lots of TP.

[gt6267a]

Stop living like a caveman. It was $99 back when I purchased. Took about 10 mins to install. Free yourself from the TP.

Amazon Kohler Bidet

Kohler website

[WFSTEKL]

i will never understand the hoarding of toilet paper

why else would they put the shower next to the toilet?

Or an outhouse beneath a rain cloud.

[davids]

A lot of people continue to deny or downplay the potential threat of Covid. And not because they're Fox news crazies either; smart people I know well and respect. Saying things like "it's just a flu", "flu kills more people", "car accidents kill more people", etc. I can't tell if it's a coping mechanism or the American obsession with rugged individual tough guy-ism. Or maybe younger people really, truly don't give a f**k about older people. In any case it's not really helping.

Because what is happening is scary. And unprecedented in our lifetimes.

[alexstar]

All,

If you have not done so recently, you should reach for Camus' The Plague from your bookshelf. It is an encouraging story about Promethean qualitative ethics.

I brought my copy with me to Paris. It seems like an auspicious time to re-read it. The cake is for my birthday, from the hotel. I suspect the staff has some time on their hands. Later they dropped off a card and balloons, and still later, a bottle of wine.

IMG_20200310_151934197_HDR.jpg

[BBB]

A small ray of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy time!

[j44ke]

Hard to decide whether New Rochelle is the Manhattan of this week or not. Would the close Manhattan? How would that even work (several Hollywood movies aside)?

We are going upstate this weekend, and my wife's firm has encouraged work-from-home. Should we just stay? On one hand, yes. On the other hand, no world class hospitals.

[WFSTEKL]

I brought my copy with me to Paris. It seems like an auspicious time to re-read it. The cake is for my birthday, from the hotel. I suspect the staff has some time on their hands. Later they dropped off a card and balloons, and still later, a bottle of wine.

IMG_20200310_151934197_HDR.jpg

You are my hero.

[WFSTEKL]

Hard to decide whether New Rochelle is the Manhattan of this week or not. Would the close Manhattan? How would that even work (several Hollywood movies aside)?

We are going upstate this weekend, and my wife's firm has encouraged work-from-home. Should we just stay? On one hand, yes. On the other hand, no world class hospitals.

Would you prefer to die by fire, or ice?

[Bobonli]

Hard to decide whether New Rochelle is the Manhattan of this week or not. Would the close Manhattan? How would that even work (several Hollywood movies aside)?

We are going upstate this weekend, and my wife's firm has encouraged work-from-home. Should we just stay? On one hand, yes. On the other hand, no world class hospitals.

Assuming you're getting upstate in your own car, you're probably less likely to encounter a "sick" person up there than in the city. Focus on staying healthy. The air is better in the mountains.

[Saab2000]

Would you prefer to die by fire, or ice?

Ice. Fire has got to be the worst way to go.

Again, I’m not afraid of the virus. I’m afraid of the panic and hysteria about it. And the common sense. Empty airplanes probably make sense. It’s hard to pay the mortgage with empty airplanes. There will be casualties in my business but we’ve endured and survived crises before.

Same applies to most businesses that require people to spend money and interact with other humans, meaning most.

Still keeping on keeping on. Glad I have a job but that F-word (furlough) was mentioned yesterday by the most important person in my company. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

It is an existential threat to significant companies in my business.

[j44ke]

Would you prefer to die by fire, or ice?

Hmmm....

[Lionel]

Just checked in at SFO for my FRA flight.

46 total passengers on a 777.

[j44ke]

Just checked in at SFO for my FRA flight.

46 total passengers on a 777.

So just first class and business?

[Lionel]

So just first class and business?

United does not have a first class anymore, they call it Polaris now. I think we have 6 people in there me included.

[j44ke]

You'll be able to observe the CDC's guidelines on spacing.

Edit: Sorry - social distancing.

[Lionel]

We have more waiters in the lounge than customers.

[AngryScientist]

Ice. Fire has got to be the worst way to go.

Again, I’m not afraid of the virus. I’m afraid of the panic and hysteria about it. And the common sense. Empty airplanes probably make sense. It’s hard to pay the mortgage with empty airplanes. There will be casualties in my business but we’ve endured and survived crises before.

Same applies to most businesses that require people to spend money and interact with other humans, meaning most.

Still keeping on keeping on. Glad I have a job but that F-word (furlough) was mentioned yesterday by the most important person in my company. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

It is an existential threat to significant companies in my business.

hang in there saab. this will pass.