4863

Be the bad guy. This is the time to be the bad guy. It is not a joke that people will die from exceptions made during these early days. Casualness kills.

4864

Yeah, my parents are treating it like it’s not a concern as well. It’s not the first time they’ve been stupid and stubborn about something but I feel like this one has a chance at being their last.

I agree with JMJ, be the bad guy. I had to do something similar with a friend who had to head over to my place last weekend. He wanted to bring his kids along, one of which had been running a Girl Scout cookie stand that morning and the other who had to miss a birthday party because two of the kids there had come down with a fever. He’s what I would call a “low information” type of person so he didn’t really see what the big deal was (“You’re even that old, you’d be fine”). I had to kind of be the bad guy in that scenario and not let him or his plague vectors into my house.

4865

Two checks to most Americans, $1,000 each.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/18/trump-coronavirus-economic-plan/

4866

Dude, it’s totally because guys pick their noses all day long

4867

This is a good start, as long as businesses that receive money are prevented from using it for executive bonuses or stock buybacks.

I have no faith that McConnell’s Senate will pass anything this large though.

4868

Rand Paul will protest along the lines of something, something deficit!!! (but never when it’s a tax cut to the 1%)

4869

Thank goodness.

I assume they realize that much of this country is probably three or four paychecks from civil unrest. People who can’t afford food will riot. Even the very rich are in trouble, if the grocery stores have been looted.

4870

I hear you. I mean I’m doing okay normally but my wife is likely to be laid off soon. We have some savings but there’s a decent chance I’m out of a job as well within the next few months if these trends continue, and I don’t see how they won’t. I’d like to not be homeless and starving, thanks. Still, I can ride it out for a while.

But all the people one check away from eviction? They need help, immediately. There’s a lot of people in that situation and they’re also in industries heavily impacted by this (can’t work from home).

4871

If this is the weird, weird path that we take to get to set a precedent for UBI, I’ll take it.

They could brand it the TempoRary Universal Money Program.

4872

One of my buddies at work just informed our team that his father just died from COVID-19.

4873

Fuck.

4874

Well, here is a collection of the good news, so far, which might help everyone a little.

4875

Whatever works at this point.

Well, that fucking sucks.

4876

This Canadian is. Most of the cases reported in my local area have people who were on a trip to the US in the past week. My subjective judgement from that is that the situation in the states is significantly worse right now. I think America has just recently pulled ahead of Canada in terms of total tests performed, which is just pathetic. Though I suspect once things get ramped up the US will be able to do more tests per capita.

4877

ACE inhibitors.

4878

Agree.

I think this was more Canada deciding to close the border, but allowing it to look like a mutual decision. That’s in everyone’s best interest. We certainly want to avoid stoking nationalism in the US as much as possible.

4879

Yeah, but are the reports of men being hit harder from Denmark, or China and similar countries? I’d only heard about that in China, but I may not be up to date.

If the data on it being more dangerous for men is primarily from China, I’d consider it more likely that it is a greater likelihood of smoking, or something similar, just because it would be data from one population with one particular set of gender behaviors. If it is multinational/ethnic, then I’d believe it could be something biological.

4881

Yes.

Has anyone seen explanations as to why men seems to be harder hit than women? A week or so ago, I saw someone saying that more men in China are smokers, but I don’t think that is the case in Denmark. And we are also seeing 2/3 of those tested positive being male.

4882

Now that would be something…a hurricane taking out Phoenix!

4883

Sorry to hear about your niece Espressojim. I hope she and the rest of your family get through it okay.

We have a baked in excuse because my wife runs an assisted living facility. Fortunately for my daughter, her best friend works in the building so we’re allowing her to come over with hand washing.

Our town does have its first confirmed case as of today.

It’s been a bit of a week here. On Friday my wife’s building went into full lockdown so her job has been 24/7 intense since then. Saturday morning my unlicensed, uninsured daughter decided to practice driving with her friend and totaled their car. (What was it we were saying about 17 year old brains? No one was hurt fortunately.). Monday mourning my cousin died of complications from an unrelated car crash. Monday afternoon my mother’s assisted living facility had two residents test positive.

And yet, we count ourselves fortunate. My job can be done remotely and, as we provide bandwidth primarily to hospitals, local governments, schools and cell carriers, we’ll have an important role to play in the coming months. My wife may be stressed but she’s in a position to make a real difference.

I hope all of you are able to weather this well. Hopefully Congress will get off its ass and start passing real relief for folks whose jobs will be impacted by all of this.