lucius septimius 3/23/2020 6:01:03 AM

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For OR when he shows up:

Where I was in Germany it was pretty cheap -- when I changed my money it was four Marks to the dollar; the dollar dropped after that.  Switzerland is always expensive as is Paris.  

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 6:23:41 AM

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So, NYC is supposedly an "epicenter" of contagion, with about 10,700 cases of infection and something like 99 deaths.  

I realize that the virus is contagious, that it is more contagious when people live and work cheek by jowl, and that there is no "cure" for it (of course, we don't really have a "cure" for flu, either), and that we don't want it to spread needlessly.   Still and all, it seems that the extent of panic response, and of lockdown, are rather excessive over numbers which, in a city of 8 million plus, still seem rather small.

lucius septimius 3/23/2020 7:17:24 AM

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buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 7:20:11 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 3:

Apparently, NYC has somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of the cases nationwide, and some 1800 people in intensive care.  I assume that has much to do with our population density, and our highly "multicultural" citizenry, including a large Chinese population.  It may also be due to more aggressive testing, i.e., it being not so much that we have more cases, but that we've found them sooner.

lucius septimius 3/23/2020 7:35:39 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 4:

The cases here are almost all concentrated in the metro area; the other four major cities have only one or two cases.  There is one downstate county with a large number.  

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 7:36:31 AM

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Now, if I were of a paranoid mindset, I would consider that the Chinese have always suffered from overpopulation;

that due to their one-child policy, which resulted in an overabundance of sons due to selective abortion, they have a large population of horny young men with little prospect of finding themselves life partners;

that the Chinese have had a sense of ethnic superiority for centuries that makes the Nazi "master race" ideology look bush-league; 

that the Chinese rulers subscribe to a world-domination ideology;

that the Chinese have for decades engaged in economic behavior which has resulted not only in their own manufacturing dominance, but which has debilitated the manufacturing of many other advanced countries, and which also has them holding a great deal of lien on that which remains in those advanced countries;

that the Chinese have also made colonial "development" inroads in Africa, not to mention holdings in the US, Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere in Asia.

With all that in mind, the Chinese could afford to lose a few tens of millions of their own citizens to a virus and still field a formidable army. If that virus debilitated, or even wiped out, other populations around the globe---and the measures taken in response to that virus crashed various economies around the globe---between their outright ownership, their financial paper, and their manufacturing base, could the Chinese not take over whole countries, especially if they are backed by a large army that has a nuclear capability in reserve?

Just wondering.  I'm sure that there are many holes in this scenario, and I trust that the folks here will show them.

JCM 3/23/2020 7:53:53 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 2:

We are being giving numbers, 22,000 cases, 400 or so deaths.

Numbers are interesting but don't tell us a damn thing.

Rates tell us important information.

What is the RATE of infection.

What is the RATE of infected in the general population.

What is the RATE of infected showing symptoms.

JCM 3/23/2020 8:02:14 AM

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lucius septimius 3/23/2020 8:15:56 AM

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Reply to JCM in 8:

No, no, no -- it was because it was giving piles of money to Wall Street and creating a special "Slush Fund" for Drumpf to use on himself and his buddies.  At least that's what the Senate dems are saying.

JCM 3/23/2020 8:20:36 AM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 9:

Elections have consequences. One of which is who gets to fill the poke with pork.

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 8:32:15 AM

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Good (late) morning.  So while most of us are holed-up or semi-holed-up in our homes, frantically sanitizing our hands, wearing masks, etc., meanwhile I'm looking out the window, the trash collectors are driving down the street, business as usual, loading people's garbage.

How much would they have to pay you right now to do that job?

Would you do it at any pay level?

When this thing is over, we need national ticker-tape parades for these guys, health care workers and first responders; and those on the "front lines" of keeping our distribution chains going for grocery stores and pharmacies (including gak and Phil).

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 8:35:45 AM

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Reply to JCM in 8:

Reply to lucius septimius in 9:

They won't get away with it. People are paying more attention to the news and they'll be livid at Nancy and Chuck's bullshit. James Clymer came right out and said they plan to use the crisis to push their agenda.

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 8:41:45 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 11:

Endorsed. Garbage collectors are the unsung heroes of civilization,  along with plumbers. 

My brother works in a warehouse and has a part-time job at Target in NJ. Even under Gov. Murphy's strict quarantine order, both are considered essential.

JCM 3/23/2020 8:42:12 AM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 12:

From what I've seen they are trying to slide Green New Deal shit into the bill.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 8:44:28 AM

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Syrah 3/23/2020 8:49:13 AM

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Syrah 3/23/2020 8:58:50 AM

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The Democrats keep playing Trump like he is Bush Sr. or Bush Jr., that he will let them set the narrative and drive the news without a whimper or rebuttal.

They seem to believe that they can make this “Trump’s Katrina”.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 9:08:24 AM

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Question before the house:  My landlady has just asked demanded that I use something called "Zelle" to pay next month's rent.  It is something I am supposed to "put in my banking app," a banking app being something I do not have, thank you, and have absolutely no intention of getting. 

My online banking is currently in abeyance since the "token" died and I have to re-up its registration, but that banking was entirely limited to my being able to transfer money between two of my own accounts; I do not let any outsiders into my actual account for any reason.

Before I turn the landlady down flat, I would be curious to know if anyone else here is familiar with this Zelle thing, or has any other comments on the subject.

JCM 3/23/2020 9:18:28 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:

Zelle is put together by major banks. It's a legit transfer tool.

You aren't letting outsiders into your account. You are setting up an authorization to send money from your account to theirs.

One way street. They can't pull money, or see your account.

You be able to do it manually, Send the rent when you want in the amount you want. Or automatically, an amount on a date .

Syrah 3/23/2020 9:21:21 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:

this is something that a few credit unions here use.  It may be used by banks and savings and loans more broadly. 

I think it is safe. I would feel safe using it. You could call your local bank, explain that you don’t have the means to do this from home, and ask them if they can help you.

as an aside, and as a landlord, I am not sure that she has a right to require this unless it was part of the rental contract.

https://www.becu.org/landing/Zelle

JCM 3/23/2020 9:24:00 AM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 13:

Hear! Hear!

JCM 3/23/2020 9:24:43 AM

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Reply to JCM in 14:

“This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told lawmakers, according to a source on the call.

revobob 3/23/2020 9:28:34 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:  My son uses Zelle to pay for tools, etc. he buys from places beyond practical driving distance. It is an electronic service that transfers from one bank account directly to another, much like PayPal. It is, however subject to scams- money transferred to a 'wrong' account apparently is NOT recoverable. If your landlady wants to avoid dealing with cash or checks, I would suggest getting her account number so that you can transfer funds directly from your account into hers. It might be worth a trip to her bank to discuss this with her bank people to reassure both of you of the safety of paying that way. FWIW, we pay almost all of our bills online, have for several years, and have never had any problems. I am told that paying electronically, when done properly, is safer than sending checks through the snail mail. If you always pay your rent on time, you can even set up an automatic payment where your bank transfers the money to hers without your intervention. We have several that we handle that way, again with no problems. Some types of accounts, notably insurance, even give a small discount for automatic transfer programs because it simplifies their lives. You could ask her about such a discount. If it happens that you use the same bank it is even simpler. One aspect of Electronic Fund Transfers that can affect both parties is that there is no longer a 'float' between the postmark date of a mailed payment and the actual withdrawal from the payer's account. The payee does not need to wait for the check to clear either.

If she is intransigent, you could pay with a stack of $10 bills, and point out that they are 'valid tender for all debts...".

JCM 3/23/2020 9:30:53 AM

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In #23 revobob said: If she is intransigent, you could pay with a stack of $10 bills, and point out that they are 'valid tender for all debts...".

And that they were double counted by the patients at the local corona ward.....

Syrah 3/23/2020 9:32:03 AM

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Pelosi and Schumer keep confusing Trump with Bush Sr. and Jr.  It is as if they think that Trump won’t push back, that he just cower in a corner and let them and their fellow travelers in the media set the narrative.

they seem to think they can make this “Trump’s Katrina”.

it is as if they somehow think that Trump isn’t going to be spending the whole summer beating them over the head with how while he and the Republicans were working hard to get the country through this crisis, the Democrats were playing politics and shut down the relief bills in order to lard them up with graft, like abortion funding, carbon regulations and other irrelevant silliness?

revobob 3/23/2020 9:32:25 AM

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In #6 buzzsawmonkey said: that due to their one-child policy, which resulted in an overabundance of sons due to selective abortion, they have a large population of horny young men with little prospect of finding themselves life partners;

Some people have combined this with the fact that Russia has a significant surplus of (reasonably attractive) females, and a lot of resources the PRC would love to have, to suggest some form of takeover of Russia by the PRC- militarily or by negotiation. Personally I cannot see Vladimir agreeing peaceably, but the PRC could probably defeat Russia with working up a real sweat.

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 9:38:08 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:

As revo and JCM point out, Zelle is perfectly safe. I have used it and a similar app called Venmo to send money to my kids for birthdays, etc. 

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 9:38:51 AM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 18:

Zelle?! 

revobob 3/23/2020 9:39:08 AM

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In #11 Occasional Reader said: Would you do it at any pay level?

When I was younger, bulletproof, and immortal- sure. Especially if the money was decent. The odds are actually not bad, and if, like many of the people that do those jobs I didn't have many alternatives- yeah. (FWIW, I pretty much always had better alternatives, even early on.)(In 1986 I talked my way into a CNC programming job when I literally did not know what 'DOS' was. The initials are BS for a valid reason- but I learned quickly, well enough that within 3 months the man who wrote the programming software we used was sending me out to moonlight as a trainer for his other customers.)

revobob 3/23/2020 9:44:37 AM

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In #18 buzzsawmonkey said:  It is something I am supposed to "put in my banking app," a banking app being something I do not have, thank you, and have absolutely no intention of getting. 

I'm not sure what you mean about the 'token', but unless your bank is First National Piggy, they are certain to have the capability to do this. (Unless the 'token' referred to is associated with your internet connection or something like that.)

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 10:02:52 AM

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Reply to revobob in 30:

Buzz, you download the Zelle app and enter your banking information. It doesn't connect directly to your banking app. 

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 10:17:40 AM

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In #29 revobob said: I literally did not know what 'DOS' was

It's Spanish for TWO.  Sheesh, even *I* know that... 

revobob 3/23/2020 10:22:22 AM

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In #32 Occasional Reader said: It's Spanish for TWO.  Sheesh, even *I* know that... 

Even without the 'Equis'????

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 10:28:36 AM

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In #33 revobob said: Even without the 'Equis'????

Just don't mention THE CORONA

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 11:49:49 AM

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I've become my own personal Cargo Cult.

Cargo - wrapped in packages marked "Amazon" - arrive at my door.  I open them like Christmas presents, and delight in their usefulness, especially under the present circumstances.  And then I await more Cargo. 

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 12:00:06 PM

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In #35 Occasional Reader said: I open them like Christmas presents, and delight in their usefulness, especially under the present circumstances.  And then I await more Cargo. 

So, you Clutch Cargo?  Do you have pals named Spinner and Paddlefoot?

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 12:32:57 PM

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In #36 buzzsawmonkey said: So, you Clutch Cargo?

I don't know if you heard... xe no longer identifies with the gender assigned to xim at birth, and now goes by Clutch Purse. 

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 12:50:28 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 37:
Clutch Cargo and his pals Spinner and Paddlefoot would be dodging Child Protective Services today.  

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 12:51:49 PM

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Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 1:00:36 PM

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In #39 buzzsawmonkey said: Thanks to everyone who explained "Zelle" above.

*I* thought *my* explanation was the best one.

Is it safe? 

PaladinPhil 3/23/2020 1:56:49 PM

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Good afternoon from the Great White Gulag. Premier Ford is shutting down all non-essential business as of tomorrow at midnight. Stopped at the local beer store on the way home and it was a social distance line up. I'm stoking up on beer and the wife is stocking up on liquor when she gets off work. You can literally sense the level of panic this afternoon in people. There's talks of keeping schools closed after the beginning of April. Have to arrange things with the Squire's mother and figure out if our tentative babysitter is going to have school after as well.

Fortunately/unfortunately grocery stores are essential. Which means that we don't lose our jobs and we are still bringing in an income. Downside is that the level of stupid is ratcheting up now.

midwestgak 3/23/2020 1:58:16 PM

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In #18 buzzsawmonkey said: Before I turn the landlady down flat, I would be curious to know if anyone else here is familiar with this Zelle thing, or has any other comments on the subject.

I don't know about Zelle, but my landlord (Kirk Management) sent all renters an email stating that rent is still due on the first of every month. 

You've been warned, peasants.

(We already use their app to make rent payments so that is a none issue.)

JCM 3/23/2020 2:52:53 PM

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Reply to midwestgak in 42:

WA State has put a no-eviction order in place. Protect people who lose jobs, so they don't lose their homes too.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:06:09 PM

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In #41 PaladinPhil said: I'm stoking up on beer and the wife is stocking up on liquor

Disinfect from the inside out!

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 3:30:51 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 44:

Praise the Lord! The Georgia Assembly approved home delivery of beer and wine! It needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor, but I expect that will happen. Keep in mind this is a state that less than 10 years ago didn't allow Sunday sales of alcohol. Progress!

lucius septimius 3/23/2020 3:32:22 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 45:

In Germany you get drink delivery at home of beer and soft drinks sort of the way people used to get milk.  It's just part of the culture.

Kosh's Shadow 3/23/2020 3:32:50 PM

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In #43 JCM said: WA State has put a no-eviction order in place. Protect people who lose jobs, so they don't lose their homes too.

I can understand that. They should include a no foreclosure order, and a no property tax order; tax to be payed based on when rent can be payed. The former, maybe. The latter? ROFL

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:42:26 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 45:

My Bucket's Got a Hole in It

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:44:36 PM

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doppelganglander 3/23/2020 3:45:27 PM

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Reply to lucius septimius in 46:

You could get beer, wine, and liquor delivered in NJ when I was a teenager. Ask me how I know.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:48:09 PM

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In #50 doppelganglander said: You could get beer, wine, and liquor delivered in NJ when I was a teenager. Ask me how I know.

I'm a Ding-Dong Daddy from Dumas

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 3:49:23 PM

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My memories of 2020 will now include; the sight of police guarding a delivery of paper towels to my local CVS.

/which seemed a bit exaggerated to me

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 3:50:31 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 48:

Haven't heard that in years. Funny how the trendy beer growler business is really just the same thing in nicer containers.

Beer Street and Gin Lane

(I'm drinking gin right now.)

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 3:51:10 PM

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In #41 PaladinPhil said: There's talks of keeping schools closed after the beginning of April.

Um, yeah, i'd say that's a given.

When I first saw the announcement here that schools would be closed "until April 1", I actually laughed-out-loud.  Totally unrealistic. 

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 3:53:44 PM

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buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:54:29 PM

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Reply to doppelganglander in 53:

Speaking of beer: archy interviews a pharaoh

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 3:55:20 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 54:

How's Little OR? Is his mom able to work from home, too?

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 3:57:22 PM

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In #53 doppelganglander said: (I'm drinking gin right now.)

Speaking of which, it is my understanding that what the British called "pink gin"---referred to in many late-19th/early-20th century stories---was gin adulterated with quinine so as to be able to down the anti-malarial in a palatable manner.  (Lucius may be able to amplify.) 

Perhaps, with the purveying of "chloroquine," which would appear to have some quinine in it, "pink gin" will make a comeback.

Kosh's Shadow 3/23/2020 4:02:36 PM

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Massachusetts has a stay at home advisory, and only necessary businesses can open.

Here is the very dense list of essential services

One important group of essential workers:

Workers supporting groceries, pharmacies and other retail, including farmers markets and farm stands,that sells food and beverage products, including liquor stores

Another (for me)

Personnel working for companies, and their subcontractors, who perform under contract to the Department of Defense providing materials and services to the Department of Defense, and government-owned/contractor-operated and government-owned/government-operated facilities

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 4:11:25 PM

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In #57 doppelganglander said: How's Little OR? Is his mom able to work from home, too?

1) He's doing great and 2) yes, fortunately she can (thank goodness), in fact she's on obligatory telework, as am I.

This morning she sent me a photo of him totally absorbed watching... Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, an episode from 1968.  She says he loves it.  I asked her to tell him that daddy watched it, too, back when I was his age.  

He's basically having a ball (so far), no school and he gets to hang out with daddy or mommy all day.  

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 4:13:32 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 58:

I've already seen serious suggestions that tonic water (with quinine) might be a quasi-prophylaxis, until chloroquine becomes available.  And so, I've now got a bunch of Canada Dry bottles in my provisions, which I'm starting to mix with my morning orange juice.  Hey, it can't hurt.  I think.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 4:18:07 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 61:

Add a splash of Chlorox to get the true "chloroquine" effect...

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 4:21:57 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 61:

if you will drink

hair restorer follow

every dram with some

good standard

depilatory

as a chaser

---certain maxims of archy

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 4:23:03 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 58:

Pink gin is flavored with angostura bitters and sometimes fruit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_gin

doppelganglander 3/23/2020 4:25:40 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 60:

Very good.

Reply to Occasional Reader in 61:

Orange juice? You're doing it wrong.

buzzsawmonkey 3/23/2020 4:31:31 PM

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In #65 doppelganglander said: Orange juice?

I still want to see a pro-Trump Hebraic group in Florida called "the Orange Jews."

JCM 3/23/2020 4:36:21 PM

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Schools have been closed for 2 weeks.

We've been asking teachers, the district for updates to online course work... no response.

We get an email today from the HS principal.

Seriously I blew my top. WTF? You have to WAIT for some fucking beauracrap to DO YOUR FUCKING JOB!

Fuck me... if I waited two weeks for my boss to tell me what to do I'd be out of a job so fast.

Kosh's Shadow 3/23/2020 4:37:19 PM

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Reply to buzzsawmonkey in 66:

Reminds me of an old joke. Some Jews were visiting China, and they asked the waiter at the restaurant whether there were Chinese Jews.

He said, No, we have orange jews/juice, apple juice, but no Chinese juice.

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 4:55:33 PM

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In #65 doppelganglander said: Orange juice? You're doing it wrong.

I hate gin, and am meh about vodka.  

Occasional Reader 3/23/2020 4:56:35 PM

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Reply to JCM in 67:

Sheesh, even DC Public Schools are a lean, jungle animal compared to that. 

midwestgak 3/23/2020 8:26:43 PM

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In #67 JCM said: "We wait for guidance from our state leaders to proceed

Ask, "How many fingers . . ."