Althouse: At the Closet-Cleaning Café...

March 16, 2020

At the Closet-Cleaning Café...

EBD7CDC3-F118-4C02-B131-CE9F3AAFE3FE_1_201_a

... what have you found today?

158 comments:

Ken B said...: Looks like a group portrait of the Althouse regulars.; 3/16/20, 5:27 PM
h said...: In Maryland and DC all restaurants and bars are now closed for eat-in/drink-in. Carry out and delivery are still permitted for food. Any opinions about whether or not this is safe? Also, it reminds me that I read (possibly on this blog) that the city of Milwaukee had a smaller problem with the 1918 flu (are we allowed to say "Spanish"?) because the mayor closed churches and a lot of businesses (but not bars). And someone told me Philly had a big problem in 1918 because they went ahead with Mummers parade and the like.; 3/16/20, 5:28 PM
Emery Christoph said...: If I paid for shipping, may I have them? (Serious question.); 3/16/20, 5:39 PM
stevew said...: Well, it wasn't today, but while cleaning out the house in preparation for putting it on the market we have found:

1. The brass pendulum for a mechanical wall clock. The clock was a gift in the 80's from my in-laws. We couldn't find the pendulum after we moved here in 1999, until now. Fortunately we kept the clock all these years.

2. A couple of chunks of expensive wood that were to be gifts to me quite some time ago.

Also went through lots of papers and other memorabilia with our kids recently. They came over to sift through and keep or discard whatever they wanted. Turned the visit into a great excuse for a family meal. Was really a lot of fun looking through old stuff. Ended up throwing most of it in the trash.

All of these discoveries add to my happiness.; 3/16/20, 5:40 PM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Skeletons of tiny horses; 3/16/20, 5:40 PM
The Bergall said...: Looks like my office desk back in 1998..........!

And no one stole a single one.; 3/16/20, 5:41 PM
The Bergall said...: Looks like my office desk back in 1998..........!

And no one stole a single one.; 3/16/20, 5:41 PM
narciso said...: meanwhile, it's israeli election boogaloo three, as gantz is given an opening to put together a government, this is how lawfare works, even when you win a large bloc of votes,; 3/16/20, 5:41 PM
Ken B said...: H
The 1918 cases show that closing crowded places made a difference. Bars were open in some places, but people were encouraged to eat or drink quickly and go, to keep the numbers down. That worked too. Delivery serves a similar purpose and of course is more practical now than then.
Plastic table Menus are actually germ traps, so not using them might in itself be important!; 3/16/20, 5:44 PM
Rabel said...: Did Meade bring those with him or buy them after moving in?; 3/16/20, 5:48 PM
tcrosse said...: Glinda finds her way out of the closet.; 3/16/20, 5:48 PM
Shouting Thomas said...: I gotta agree with you, prof.

Fighting over who's to blame is useless. I'm exiting that fight.

Doesn't matter where the shit came from or who's to blame.

Just help one another and get thru it.

My family is doing great. Mommy is a school teacher, and she's getting an unscheduled vacation. The grandkids love the stay-at-home mommy time and are thrilled.; 3/16/20, 5:53 PM
Gabriel said...: I had Spikor. I didn't have many of them.; 3/16/20, 5:54 PM
J. Farmer said...: The earliest childhood toys I can remember were Masters of the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My older cousins were more GI Joe snd Star Wars. My toys got passes on to younger cousins before getting past on to my nephew, before my sister finally donated them.; 3/16/20, 5:57 PM
Jaq said...: Trump just called it the “Chinese Virus” in a tweet. OMG.; 3/16/20, 5:57 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Get out of the house, Althouse!!!!! Coronavirus has killed all but the two witches- even Batman!; 3/16/20, 5:59 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Well, the Chinese have claimed we infected them, so a good reply.; 3/16/20, 5:59 PM
Fernandinande said...: Fake headline:

Lockdown NOW, crisis till August: Trump says there are '15 days to stop the spread' and old must stay home, gatherings over 10 people end, and schools, offices bars and restaurants close to beat coronavirus
"the two-page list is called '15 Days to Slow the Spread'"

The fake hysterical news article doesn't link to the paper because it doesn't say any of those things:

1 Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.

2 If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.

3 If your children are sick, keep them at home. Contact your medical provider.

4 If someone in your household has tested positive for the Coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.

5 If you are an older American, stay home and away from other people.

6 If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition—such as a significant heart or lung problem—stay home and away from other people.; 3/16/20, 6:01 PM
Yancey Ward said...: Geez, even Roadrunner got caught!; 3/16/20, 6:01 PM
Achilles said...: J. Farmer said...
The earliest childhood toys I can remember were Masters of the Universe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My older cousins were more GI Joe snd Star Wars. My toys got passes on to younger cousins before getting past on to my nephew, before my sister finally donated them.

You left out My little pony and Transformers. I don't remember having barbie's.; 3/16/20, 6:03 PM
Jaq said...: What a fuckup Mueller was.

https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1239683997422292992

Apparently they dropped prosecution of those Russians for reasons they could have read here in the comment threads.; 3/16/20, 6:03 PM
n.n said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/16/20, 6:03 PM
Jaq said...: "Well, the Chinese have claimed we infected them, so a good reply.”

I know. Trump is big into game theory. Attack on attacks, meet kindness with kindness.; 3/16/20, 6:05 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: After doing the laundry, cleaning and sanitizing the kitchen...both regular chores. Preparing our corned beef for dinner.... We started cleaning the closets. Making keep, donate and toss.

Going through my husband's closet and putting things in piles. We haven't done this in his closet for years.

Work tee shirts that are good, almost new. Shirts that are OK but probably only to be used on dirty jobs. Shirts that are too big or he just doesn't like but good enough to donate. Shirts to tear into rags for work. Stuff so gross that no one would want to touch them. (we should buy stock in Carhartt)So maaaaany tee shirts long and short sleeve and in so few colors. The man is NOT a clothes horse :-)

Car show tee shirts and stuff with printed slogans..Not for work but cool to wear otherwise.

Ditto on the jeans. Keep. Good, Bad and Ugly. Toss or donate.
Vests. Jackets.

We have a nice big donate pile of really very good clothing that someone can use and which has made a lot of space in the closet.

Feels good to lighten the load. My closet in a few days.; 3/16/20, 6:06 PM
n.n said...: Trump just called it the “Chinese Virus” in a tweet. OMG.

German, Chinese, ... It's not diversitist. It's less ambiguous than novel Corona or Covid-19, which obfuscate its geographical and corporate origin, and denies useful information to scientifically study it. Perhaps it could be designated by its GPS or cardinal coordinates, but that would reduce the Chinese incorporated space to a geographical identity.; 3/16/20, 6:08 PM
Nancy said...: I love Marie Kondo, but my email files (10,000+) continually defeated me. Then one morning a month ago I found that they had all been wiped off the server by my internet provider. !!! Good news: there was only one lost email that I really needed and I was able to get another copy. Bad news: the count is mounting again.; 3/16/20, 6:08 PM
Jaq said...: Sis didn’t know that her Barbie dolls had a secret life as lipstick lesbians.; 3/16/20, 6:09 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: 1 Listen to and follow the directions of your state and local authorities.

2 If you feel sick, stay home. Do not go to work. Contact your medical provider.

3 If your children are sick, keep them at home. Contact your medical provider.

4 If someone in your household has tested positive for the Coronavirus, keep the entire household at home.

5 If you are an older American, stay home and away from other people.

6 If you are a person with a serious underlying health condition—such as a significant heart or lung problem—stay home and away from other people.

I agree with and am following all but #1.; 3/16/20, 6:10 PM
n.n said...: BREAKING: Prosecutors move to drop the case against the Russians charged by Mueller.

Another aborted witch hunt due to lack of viability, and mitigation of a social contagion amplified and spread by the talking heads at CNN, WaPo, NYT, NBC, DNC et al.; 3/16/20, 6:12 PM
J. Farmer said...: You left out My little pony and Transformers. I don't remember having barbie's.

No, I was talking about the toys I had as a kid. I never had those.; 3/16/20, 6:13 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: DBQ-I admire the fact that you're using downtime to clean out closets, cupboards etc.
My wife is doing the same thing--looking at cupboards that she hasn't analyzed for years, and seeking to involve me in questions as to whether she should throw out a can of ground black pepper that probably left the factory in 1983! Aarrgh--wait till she gets to my closet.

But the good news is that she'll probably finally deal with the archaeological museum she maintains in the refrigerator.

All in all it's enough to drive a husband to drink--and since it will soon be five o'clock here on the Left (and leftie) Coast, I think I'll do that. At least once.; 3/16/20, 6:16 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "But the good news is that she'll probably finally deal with the archaeological museum she maintains in the refrigerator."

I cleaned my parents' fridge in 2017. I found things in there that had expiration dates from W's administration. I wanted to call a hazmat team.; 3/16/20, 6:24 PM
Bob Boyd said...: What I found was, it's not my day to clean the closet.; 3/16/20, 6:26 PM
rcocean said...: Its good that Robin has finally come out of the closet. "Aunt Harriet" didn't fool anyone.; 3/16/20, 6:28 PM
madAsHell said...: Can we separate the action figures from the dolls?; 3/16/20, 6:30 PM
J. Farmer said...: Your sisters had the barbies, huh farmer

Not really. My oldest sister has a couple of Madame Alexander dolls and a lot of cabbage patch kids, but that was about it.; 3/16/20, 6:31 PM
h said...: Replying to Ken B, who noted "The 1918 cases show that closing crowded places made a difference". Thanks for the reply and what you say is completely consistent with everything I've seen. In retrospect, the early decisions to halt the NCAA and NBA playoffs seems like the right thing, and done early enough. Now, we are deciding that a restaurant/bar (or church!) with 100/200 is "too many", and I don't object to that judgment. I walk my dog in relative isolation along uncrowded biker/hiker paths. If my area follows SF to prohibit any outdoors activity (or have I mis understood what they did) I'm going to dis-obey and walk my dog.; 3/16/20, 6:31 PM
J. Farmer said...: Can we separate the action figures from the dolls?

Thanks to the marketing wizards at Hasboro for that important distinction.; 3/16/20, 6:36 PM
readering said...: Sell collectibles to raise cash!; 3/16/20, 6:38 PM
narciso said...: a better link; 3/16/20, 6:38 PM
Paco Wové said...: "Apparently they dropped prosecution of those Russians for reasons they could have read here in the comment threads."

Looked at the comments below on that Twitter thread. Holy cow. Apparently, not prosecuting anyone is yet more proof of Trump's perfidy, or something. Hard to figure out the exact dimensions of that alternate universe.; 3/16/20, 6:50 PM
madAsHell said...: The newspaper is telling me that firearms, and ammunition have become the new toilet paper. (Do not attempt this at home!)

I'm not so sure. The price of 9mm ammo hasn't moved much, and there is no apparent spike in the NICS background check queries.; 3/16/20, 6:51 PM
h said...: On the subject of cleaning out closets, etc. I amazon searched an old economics book by a second tier famous economist, and the top hit said, "for sale $945.00". What the !!!! But there were 6 other copies for sale at prices ranging from $4.16 to $7.50. What a let down.; 3/16/20, 6:53 PM
Xmas said...: The Ninja Turtle, Splinter, and the Mad Ball may be worth something.; 3/16/20, 6:53 PM
Inga said...: I cleaned out a medical box in my closet and I still can’t find my thermometer. I’ve tried several different stores and pharmacies in the area with online shopping, none to be had. Plus the stores nearby haven’t been restocked yet, I check online just to see if they have toilet paper yet, nope not a roll. I have plenty, I’m just curious. I’ll have to try Amazon and see what they're charging for a simple digital thermometer .; 3/16/20, 6:55 PM
sinz52 said...: Chinese scientists have just discovered something surprising about this virus: this virus can be spread by the fecal-oral route (like "Montezuma's Revenge") as well as by droplet infection (sneezes and coughs).

If that is verified, then handwashing and other anti-cold/flu measures won't be enough. You'll also have to prevent the fecal-oral route like you do for Montezuma's Revenge: Avoid raw vegetables (salad bars) that infected people may have touched. Don't go swimming in bodies of water that infected people may have swum in. Thoroughly wash fresh produce from the supermarket, and cook it rather than eat it raw. Etc.; 3/16/20, 6:57 PM
narciso said...: Politico is full of ...trolls. dubilier was a skilled legal combatant a veteran of miami and ny us attys office.
.; 3/16/20, 7:01 PM
Andrew said...: Wow! News from Ohio: what a mess. The Governor (who has been doing a great job in most people's opinion) announced today they were going to delay tomorrow's primary election. However, he doesn't have the authority to do that directly. It requires a lawsuit, and for a court to make that decision. So the lawsuit was filed. Because of the public health basis, everyone assumed the court would agree with the postponement. It looked like a formality. Poll workers were informally told not to show up tomorrow.

And... the judge just denied the request! The primary is still on. Even worse, CNN reported that the judge affirmed the request, meaning no vote tomorrow. So it's a real shitshow. Voters were told one thing only to have it completely changed. Same with poll workers and government officials. Sad thing is, I can understand where both the governor and the judge are coming from. It's not an easy decision. But still, no one expected this. So no doubt tomorrow's primary will have fewer voters, both because of the health risk and the unexpected change to what looked like a final decision. (How many elderly people will want to vote, after it was seemingly cancelled for health reasons, even if they know polls are back open?) I don't envy those in charge right now. If this pandemic is as bad as it appears to be, voting tomorrow could be the opposite of what needs to be done. But who wants to tell citizens not to vote?

But I will say again, Governor DeWine has been extremely impressive, and so has his whole team. A real standout is Dr. Amy Acton, the Director of Public Health in Ohio, who is getting universal praise. If you have time to kill, search for Dr. Acton on YouTube. She's the Ohio version of Dr. Fauci.; 3/16/20, 7:03 PM
h said...: I (and my comments) have been focussed on corona virus. But the Russian Concord (etc) decision would, in any other day be a BFDeal, and casts a cloud back over 3-4 years of Mueller, DoJ, Trump-Russia. I wonder if people will remember realize this, as we move toward election day. But I do have faith that 10, 20, 50 years of history will realize this, and will make the Russia Trump collusion thing look like the joke that it is.; 3/16/20, 7:08 PM
Inga said...: “Thoroughly wash fresh produce from the supermarket, and cook it rather than eat it raw. Etc.”

Bananas, melons, apples, kiwis, citrus fruits all can be washed in bleach water, rinsed off and then peeled and eaten raw.; 3/16/20, 7:13 PM
Inga said...: The governor of New Jersey just said he has 200 nurses on furlough because they were expose to Covid19. Wow, this sort of exposure of healthcare workers needs to stop, we can’t afford to lose nursing staff now.; 3/16/20, 7:15 PM
Jaq said...: I am eating canned vegetables until this is over. You can even throw the can in the dishwasher if you are really paranoid.; 3/16/20, 7:18 PM
Clyde said...: Took my lunchtime walk around the parking lot today, and ruminated on how it looked like a normal beautiful Florida day. Looks can be deceptive, of course. The half-moon was in the sky to the southwest, reflecting blue and looking for all the world like it might have water on it, and a couple of vultures flew in lazy circles looking for lunch.; 3/16/20, 7:19 PM
Clyde said...: Permitted gatherings have dropped from 250 to 50 to 10. Reminds me of the biblical story of Lot trying to find righteous people in Sodom. At this rate, somebody's going to get turned into a pillar of salt.; 3/16/20, 7:22 PM
Inga said...: “I am eating canned vegetables until this is over. You can even throw the can in the dishwasher if you are really paranoid.”

Yuck, buy frozen veggies and cook them as usual.; 3/16/20, 7:22 PM
agentlesoul said...: WaPo has a cool set of simulations on virus spread.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/world/corona-simulator/?utm_source=pocket-newtab; 3/16/20, 7:23 PM
FullMoon said...: Wow, this sort of exposure of healthcare workers needs to stop, we can’t afford to lose nursing staff now

Doctors also. No sense exposing them.; 3/16/20, 7:27 PM
Jaq said...: I was at a funeral for a close friend’s dad today. Try not hugging there. For that matter, try not touching your face through a whole service. His dad was well known in his community, and had lived a long and productive life, active right up to the end, but his funeral was only attended by his immediate family and a couple of friends, which I could tell hurt my friend’s feelings. I am sure he expected his dad’s funeral to be very well attended were it to happen in normal times.; 3/16/20, 7:29 PM
Jaq said...: "Yuck, buy frozen veggies and cook them as usual.”

I was raised "trailer trash” on government cheese and food stamps and secretly prefer canned vegetables.; 3/16/20, 7:31 PM
NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...: Speaking of toys; who remembers Major Matt Mason?; 3/16/20, 7:31 PM
gspencer said...: Were they played with? They're so clean. And unbroken.; 3/16/20, 7:33 PM
Jersey Fled said...: I've hated vegetables since I was a kid. I only eat them in soup.

A tomato is a fruit, right?; 3/16/20, 7:34 PM
Titus said...: Cambridge based biotech administers first vaccine today. Thanks Cambridge. This is a clinical trial.

Tits.; 3/16/20, 7:36 PM
Jaq said...: Chinese ambassador to South Africa blames US for the virus.

https://twitter.com/AmbLINSongtian/status/1239453193689587712

Do you think we are still going to offshore our supply chain to China after this passes? I don’t. There is one guy who has had this right about China all along, and it is Donald John Trump.; 3/16/20, 7:37 PM
traditionalguy said...: Those are 1980s toys. My guess would be that Road Runner captured them in battle one at a time and keeps them as his trophies. Or Althouse kept them for reminders of raising her boys.; 3/16/20, 7:38 PM
heyboom said...: Gathering items for a neighborhood yard sale I came across my original Buzz Lightyear action figure from 1995. I bought it with the stated purpose of selling it later as a collectors item. It was still in the original box with tape and only very minor wear on the corners. Truthfully, I had completely forgotten that I had it.

Paid $19.95 for it at Toys R Us and just sold it a couple of weeks ago on eBay for $140. Now, after all of the taxes (Fed/State) and the many fees eBay tacks on, I may just break even!; 3/16/20, 7:43 PM
Drago said...: Titus: "Cambridge based biotech administers first vaccine today. Thanks Cambridge."

Thanks PDJT for changing the legacy Obiden-bama policies and rules and streamlining the process to allow for this record-breaking 1st clinical trial.; 3/16/20, 7:48 PM
Drago said...: Peter Navarro putting the final touches on an Executive order to get our critical pharmaceutical supply chain out of China and back to the US.

https://news.trust.org/item/20200316171057-xlqe1/

Meanwhile, the Chinese don't care for that idea...at all:
"A Chinese official on Monday warned that a push by the White House to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign medicines in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak was "neither realistic nor wise."

Sounds like that Chinese official is an advisor to the Biden campaign.; 3/16/20, 7:52 PM
Tomcc said...: Nice specimens!
"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word."; 3/16/20, 7:55 PM
Mark said...: This is a primary, not a general election. That is, it is a matter for the party, not the state.

If the DNC had stepped in and said to postpone, Ohio wouldn't have to worry about being a charlie foxtrot.; 3/16/20, 7:58 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Re: DOJ's decision to drop the case against the Russian company, Concord Management

From Conservative Treehouse:

"The prosecution was always just a farce. The ridiculous Russian indictments were only created to give some sense of validity to a premise that did not exist; and to allow the Robert Mueller investigation to continue operating when there was never a valid justification for doing so."; 3/16/20, 7:58 PM
Jaq said...: “Flattening the curve” not only saves lives by avoiding excessive surge in cases, overwhelming hospitals, but it also reduces the total number of cases, saving even more lives. So if it works, we can have fewer deaths at the small cost of having Achilles tell us it was all a hoax.; 3/16/20, 8:01 PM
Jaq said...: Forgot the link.
https://www.r-bloggers.com/flatten-the-covid-19-curve/; 3/16/20, 8:01 PM
Sydney said...: I found precious personal protective equipment that I had stashed away during the last pandemic scare, which didn't turn out to be as bad as this one.; 3/16/20, 8:02 PM
Jaq said...: The gist is that the initial infections will have a better survival due to enough equipment, and that as the herd immunity grows, the spread will slow resulting in fewer cases overall.; 3/16/20, 8:06 PM
Ken B said...: Andrew
So CNN lied about polls being closed?; 3/16/20, 8:10 PM
pacwest said...: Car show tee shirts and stuff with printed slogans

I refuse to wear any shirt with a company logo on it. If they want to advertise on my shirt they should pay me to wear it, not the other way around.; 3/16/20, 8:11 PM
heyboom said...: Like Dorothy, California always had the power:

Surprising absolutely nobody on the right; 3/16/20, 8:14 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Two studies from China now indicate as temperature and humidity increase, transmission rate for corona virus decreases. Just as happens with regular influenza.

Also, Johns Hopkins is experimenting with giving infected people blood transfusions from others who have recovered from the virus. This is a well known therapy developed more than 100 years ago that does not require FDA approval.; 3/16/20, 8:16 PM
Jaq said...: China says it’s the Ft Dietrich Fever.; 3/16/20, 8:16 PM
Jaq said...: "Two studies from China now indicate as temperature and humidity increase”

90% humidity and 90 degrees every day, baby! I never thought I would be happy to see it come.; 3/16/20, 8:17 PM
Jersey Fled said...: Car show tee shirts and stuff with printed slogans

Those are the worst. The printing on them is as thick as wallpaper.; 3/16/20, 8:19 PM
Ken B said...: Andrew
Holy shit. I saw the tweet. I count that as a lie when a news agency does it. They claim over and over they check. When they report they implicitly say, we verified this, we stand by it. They reported without checking.; 3/16/20, 8:22 PM
stevew said...: Prediction: either way this thing turns out both sides of the argument will declare victory.; 3/16/20, 8:25 PM
h said...: Thanks Jersey Fled for the informative post. I continue to be cautious about extrapolating from the China experiece, because (a) I don't entirely trust their data reporting and (b) because they have social controls that are not available in other countries.; 3/16/20, 8:27 PM
Tomcc said...: I can be patient and cooperative with all these restrictions for about two weeks. I hope we have enough data by that time to know whether we can dial it back a bit. I fully expect the surge in cases to diminish with warmer weather. I hope that we haven't mortally wounded our economy by then. And I also hope that a treatment is developed before we see a rebound in the fall.; 3/16/20, 8:28 PM
h said...: Tomcc@ 8:28. You said what I feel.; 3/16/20, 8:31 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: stevew found: "The brass pendulum for a mechanical wall clock."

The one time we paid the movers to pack our stuff, the pendulum to our clock was also missing. For months. Eventually I found it in the shed... in a paint roller tray.

Last time we did that.; 3/16/20, 8:32 PM
Andrew said...: @Ken B,
More likely CNN did a very poor job of reporting. But they both tweeted and sent out an alert that the judge affirmed the governor's request, meaning the primary was postponed. They then corrected the tweet, and sent out a new alert with the correction. If you do a Twitter search for "CNN Ohio" you can see people reacting. Lots of angry Dems trying to get people to the polls. (I'm not sure it really matters, since Biden has been the front runner here for awhile and Bernie did nothing last night to change the dynamic.); 3/16/20, 8:33 PM
robother said...: Why would any sane nation continue to rely on shipments of medicine from a country that is repeatedly claiming that your military planted a deadly virus? Precisely because the claim is patently false, is why one should assume it is laying the predicate (as we lawyers say) for a retaliatory action.; 3/16/20, 8:35 PM
FullMoon said...: I can be patient and cooperative with all these restrictions for about two weeks. I hope we have enough data by that time to know whether we can dial it back a bit.

Substantial progress will be declared within two weeks. Enough to return to the new normal. With caveat that virus still around, people will become ill and some will die but we did the right thing..; 3/16/20, 8:35 PM
Andrew said...: @Ken B again,
Sorry, I didn't see your second comment about Ohio before I posted mine. In principle I agree with you - it's virtually a lie when they screw up that badly.

I don't expect the media to be unbiased, but can't they at least be competent? This is really inexcusable.; 3/16/20, 8:36 PM
Wa St Blogger said...: I refuse to wear any shirt with a company logo on it. If they want to advertise on my shirt they should pay me to wear it, not the other way around.

Locke, is that you?; 3/16/20, 8:37 PM
Ken B said...: Andrew
It can only happen if they report before checking. They either didn’t even wait for the ruling or learning there was a ruling *did not read it*. You cannot get this wrong if you actually check. Hence my view it’s a lie. As you say, there is no excuse. But they will pay no price, because their audience consists of 1) those who do not care if they are accurate, and 2) people in airports. Neither will change the channel.; 3/16/20, 8:42 PM
Marcus Bressler said...: If you are going to use bleach as a sanitizing agent, you only need one tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water. Sorta like vermouth in a martini ratio.

THEOLDMAN; 3/16/20, 8:44 PM
Maillard Reactionary said...: Well, Ken B won the thread in the first post IMO but re toy figures when I used to go to Japan I'd try to find a lurid plastic kaiju monster for my daughter or some other youngster. One time I found a Bemura figure that was perfect for holding my business cards on my desk. I had a serious conversation with one of the managers from Japan once about it. He seemed impressed that I knew what it was (I had decoded the katakana on the tag). I think I got some cred from them for that.; 3/16/20, 8:45 PM
Ken B said...: Tomcc, h
That is part of why the Brits chose their response. They think the virus has already gotten beyond containment in Britain and that long closures are unsustainable. They have some very serious thoughtful scientists defending their approach. I think it will probably work but I am not convinced it is the right approach. It depends heavily on a couple unproven assumptions, one being that no effective vaccine or cure will appear in short order.; 3/16/20, 8:46 PM
Andrew said...: @Ken B,
I agree completely.
My workplace usually has CNN on in the lobby and the break room. It's torture.; 3/16/20, 8:47 PM
Anonymous said...: "A real standout is Dr. Amy Acton, the Director of Public Health in Ohio, who is getting universal praise. If you have time to kill, search for Dr. Acton on YouTube. She's the Ohio version of Dr. Fauci."

So you are impressed by this then:

"Warning of the rapid spread of the disease from the Ohio General Assembly in Columbus yesterday, Dr Acton said: 'I know it is hard to understand COVID-19 since we can't see it, but we know that one per cent of our population is carrying this virus today. That's more than 100,000 people."

There is simply no factual evidence that supports this. None. This is baseless speculation which will only induce panic. When you look at the testing which has been done in most states - even though they are testing only those with indications - fever, cough, etc. less than 5% if the tests have been positive. There is no way that 1% of the asymptomatic population is carrying it, and if they are that actually makes this less serious, not more serious.; 3/16/20, 8:57 PM
Ken B said...: I watched Prime Minstrel Trudeau’s conference, and the questions. In short, he closed the border to all foreigners except Americans.

And the press was after him for ... not closing the border tight enough.
This the same press that called even mild travel restrictions racist in the past. That said racism was why Trump closed borders.
They asked why “Americans”, ie a kind of foreigner, should be allowed in at all. From the people who complained about Trump favoring his own citizens over foreigners.

Someone's law is, the left never believe what they preach. Sure looks that way here.; 3/16/20, 9:01 PM
chuck said...: @Ken B That is part of why the Brits chose their response.

The Brits have changed their mind, decided too many would die. Don't know how much of a role politics played in the decision, some I'm sure, but there you are.; 3/16/20, 9:02 PM
Anonymous said...: Ohio - 50 confirmed cases of coronavirus. Unlike most states - which list they number of people tested - they conveniently do not.; 3/16/20, 9:03 PM
Ken B said...: I don’t know MN Irish, so I don’t know if he/she/they/it is lying but his statement impeaching Acton is false. Her claim is not “baseless speculation “

https://twitter.com/talexperkins/status/1239379170532241408?s=12; 3/16/20, 9:06 PM
Big Mike said...: My workplace usually has CNN on in the lobby and the break room. It's torture.

Ours had it on in the cafeteria. I had lots of fun when they went berserk over MH370, when it seemed that Wolf and the other anchors couldn't understand why the plane wouldn't be discovered in time for their deadlines.; 3/16/20, 9:07 PM
Ken B said...: If we find an effective cure or vaccine it will be BECAUSE of profit seeking pharma, not despite it. Bernie Sanders is wrong in the MOST CATASTROPHIC WAY POSSIBLE. Seriously, aside from an accidental nuclear launch there is no more catastrophic error possible. If we had president Bernie these last three years we'd be fucked.; 3/16/20, 9:15 PM
Two-eyed Jack said...: For those following Life Care in Kirkland, there is a new bulletin today:

https://lcca.com/downloads/kirkland/Kirkland-Update-03162020.pdf

No increase in patient deaths, fuller info on employee testing:

Employees:
Original Number of Employees on 2/19: 180
Employees with no history of symptoms: 78
Employee Tests: 46 positive, 24 negative, 24 pending
Employees Returned to Work: ongoing; 3/16/20, 9:19 PM
rightguy said...: Re England's response to Covid-19. As of today England has 1,372 cases with 31 deaths, with the youngest deceased 59- and he had an underlying disease. I don't see a compelling reason for discontinuing their policy of targeted quarantine.; 3/16/20, 9:21 PM
Ken B said...: Here is a detailed power point about the virus and disease.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DqfSnlaW6N3GBc5YKyBOCGPfdqOsqk1G/view

For those who care to read, the fallacy of Achilles and MN Irish and the other Pollyannas is explained.; 3/16/20, 9:34 PM
pacwest said...: The Brits have changed their mind, decided too many would die. Don't know how much of a role politics played in the decision, some I'm sure, but there you are.

I was hoping they would stay the course so we would have another data point for future pandemic. The pressure must have been immense for them to change so quickly. I'm wondering what pressures will mount in the US after a few months of economic malaise.; 3/16/20, 9:37 PM
Mark said...: We've entered the surreal zone.; 3/16/20, 9:48 PM
Andrew said...: Well, for those of you who care about Ohio's primary, the situation just got more chaotic. The Governor and his Director of Health are closing the polls anyway as a health emergency. So they are basically defying the Court's order. Lots of people are very angry. No doubt there will be more lawsuits, and accusations about voter suppression. I feel bad for the poll workers who have been given conflicting information throughout the day. Many were working late tonight to ensure machines and personnel were at the voting sites tomorrow (many of which had already been relocated because of the virus). I think the Governor is doing the best he can, and this isn't really his fault. He has been very transparent, and clearly wants to save lives. But it's still a clusterf---. This is how not to postpone a primary.

Allow me a little schadenfreude, however: Democrats, I just don't think it's your year.; 3/16/20, 9:50 PM
Mark said...: Frankly, I'm exhausted.; 3/16/20, 9:54 PM
exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...: I made an appointment to donate blood tomorrow. It's a small thing, but it makes me feel like I'm contributing something of value. I used to do it regularly, but had fallen off during the past few years. Tucker Carlson reminded viewers tonight that the healthcare system always is in need of blood donations. It doesn't help corona virus patients directly, but with the system being stretched in many other ways, one thing people can do to help is donate blood.; 3/16/20, 9:58 PM
Mark said...: This is one of the dangers of being so dependent on a service economy.; 3/16/20, 10:05 PM
Narr said...: Donating blood is a great thing. I was just going to hit four gallons some years ago when I went from having highly desirable "baby's blood" (so pure, mostly, was my life) to damaged goods from one visit to the next. They had a newer, better screening test and I showed antibodies to some off-the-wall tropical buglet-- no more blood of mine out there!

With a few exceptions, most medical folks have never heard of it when I mention it.

Narr
Maybe sleeping on the beach on Santa Rosa Island wasn't the best idea; 3/16/20, 10:12 PM
Gahrie said...: Donating blood is a great thing.

I'm not allowed to donate because I was exposed to madcow disease.; 3/16/20, 10:17 PM
Quaestor said...: What a wonderful cast of characters for a Robot Chicken style bit of stop-motion animation.; 3/16/20, 10:17 PM
Narr said...: I'm old enough to recall the debut of The Action Figure-- G.I. Joe!

The Prof's collection is a lot cleaner than what I see at estate sales.

Narr
Americans sent a lot of money to China for plasticrapola like that; 3/16/20, 10:30 PM
Tomcc said...: Ken B- thanks for the link. My employer has graciously given me the day off tomorrow; I'll give it more attention at that time! (SARS-2, indeed); 3/16/20, 10:31 PM
Clark said...: I believe the judge in Ohio simply denied a temporary restraining order to two private plaintiffs. If that is true, the state is not defying the court's order.; 3/16/20, 10:48 PM
walter said...: Doughnut licker Arianna Grande sent a tweet that just said “please.”
--
Take heed!

More importantly, Mickie D's closings are en route.; 3/16/20, 10:59 PM
The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...: "If you are going to use bleach as a sanitizing agent, you only need one tablespoon of bleach in a gallon of water. Sorta like vermouth in a martini ratio."

I have 14 gallons of outdoor bleach in my garage, accumulated throughout the winter in preparation for the annual spring de-mossing (it's the PNW). The accidental hoarder. I wish it was gin.; 3/16/20, 10:59 PM
StephenFearby said...: sinz52 said...
Chinese scientists have just discovered something surprising about this virus: this virus can be spread by the fecal-oral route (like "Montezuma's Revenge") as well as by droplet infection (sneezes and coughs).

Reported over a month ago. But a useful reminder.

Context (with a link to the original study):

Latest Study Suggests The New Coronavirus Is Also Spreading Via Feces
AFP 9 FEBRUARY 2020

'..."Importantly, 2019-nCoV has been reported elsewhere in the feces of patients with atypical abdominal symptoms, similar to SARS which was also shed in urine, suggesting a fecal transmission route which is highly transmissible," William Keevil, a professor of environmental healthcare at the University of Southampton said in a comment to the UK's Science Media Centre.

The possibility is not totally surprising to scientists, given that the new virus belongs to the same family as SARS.

Fecal transmission of SARS was implicated in sickening hundreds in Hong Kong's Amoy Gardens housing estate in 2003. A rising plume of warm air originating in bathrooms contaminated several apartments and was transported by wind to adjacent buildings in the complex.

Based on the literature, "The 2019-nCoV virus found in stool may be transmitted through fecal spread," added Jiayu Liao, a bioengineer at the University of California, Riverside.

But, he added, "We still do not know how long this virus can survive outside the body - HIV can only survive roughly 30 minutes outside the body - and what temperature range the 2019-nCoV is sensitive to."

Fecal spread could present new challenges to the virus's containment, but is more likely to be a problem inside hospitals, which can become "amplifiers" of epidemics, said David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto.'

https://www.sciencealert.com/latest-coronavirus-study-suggests-it-can-also-be-spread-through-poop; 3/16/20, 11:27 PM
Yancey Ward said...: You can estimate how many are infected at any time by analyzing the test results you have for a given state or country if you have an idea how many people in that state or country fit the profile of the people tested. In this case, if the tests are being limited to those with cold and flu symptoms, then the CDC has a pretty good idea how many such people are in the state or the entire country for this given time of the year- lots of historical and contemporary data available to the CDC for this estimate. I don't know if Acton pulled the number out of her ass or not, but I doubt it- I would guess this was the top end of the estimated range.; 3/16/20, 11:31 PM
StephenFearby said...: "Your Computer Can Help Stanford Researchers Fight The Coronavirus. Here's How

If you're feeling helpless in the face of the spread of the new coronavirus around the world, here's a positive action you can take: get scientists closer to a cure in a shorter space of time by donating the time that your computer is sitting idle.

By installing a small program on your laptop or desktop at home, which runs in the background when you're not doing anything else on the computer, you can help the experts run complex calculations to learn more about the COVID-19 disease.

The app (for both Windows and macOS) is called Folding@home and it's been developed by researchers at Stanford University – in fact this app has been helping with disease and drug research for almost 20 years now..."

https://www.sciencealert.com/help-scientists-beat-coronavirus-by-lending-them-your-unused-computing-power

In case you were wondering...

"Can you mine Bitcoin with a PC?

Bitcoin mining is the process of updating the ledger of Bitcoin transactions known as the blockchain. ... Today, in order to be profitable with Bitcoin mining you need to invest heavily in equipment, cooling and storage. It's not possible to mine Bitcoin profitably with a PC or a GPU at home. Dec 22, 2019"; 3/16/20, 11:37 PM
Ray - SoCal said...: Trump hits back, and China trying to pin the blame on the US for the Chinese Wuhan Virus is a poor choice.

I can understand China trying this, after Obama, Bush II, Clinton, and Bush being push overs concerning China.; 3/16/20, 11:48 PM
walter said...: "Chyyynaa!"; 3/17/20, 12:04 AM
Ralph L said...: as temperature and humidity increase, transmission rate for corona virus decreases.

I believe it's because artificially heated air dries out and cracks our mucus membranes.; 3/17/20, 12:05 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Here is something to think about tonight while you try to sleep.

This is one of the things that has been bothering about the responses of some of the governments- it is the assumption that shutting down the economy is a trivial thing- you do it for a few months, eradicate the virus, and then restart everything with no consequences worse than the virus itself would have produced. We have some data on the virus, not complete, but certainly more data than we have on shutting down an economy of 330,000,000 for a few months. The path the US is on right now will reduce GDP, probably, by no less than 5% per the next two quarters, but it could get a lot worse because we are in completely uncharted waters here- can we feed even 330,000,000 with the economy shuttered for even 3 months? Really, can we even keep the power on in such a circumstance.

In short, I think the option of doing whatever is necessary to stop this virus is terribly myopic and hubristic. I am all for encouraging social distancing- the Meades and Althouses of the world can do this easily (so can I), but those aren't good options for everyone, and probably not good options for us collectively. In other words, I wouldn't force anyone to do it.; 3/17/20, 12:10 AM
mockturtle said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 3/17/20, 12:16 AM
Narayanan said...: There is a nice scene in Komarr with Nikki and Miles about rocket ships.
Toys to play with for young Nikki.
"Toys" to play with for Admiral Naismith.; 3/17/20, 12:28 AM
walter said...: Dunno Yancy,
Did I miss the bit in that article that even mentions Italy?
Just ignore that?
Perhaps a few weeks of timely dislocation makes a difference in the big picture.; 3/17/20, 12:56 AM
Narayanan said...: Reported over a month ago. But a useful reminder.
_____&&&&&
I'd seen that and
I'd been wondering why this was not part of the discussion!?; 3/17/20, 1:03 AM
Narayanan said...: Is it easier to check stools?
Nasal swab description during White House presser sounded very involved for personnel changing PPE for each.; 3/17/20, 1:07 AM
Yancey Ward said...: Walter,

What makes you think it is a few weeks? That is the point- shutting down society like the Italians and the Chinese have done is a black box- not been done before, and the Italians haven't actually succeeded in stopping anything yet. This is a huge experiment that could blow apart very easily. I will also note the Chinese haven't stopped it either- they continue to get 20-30 new cases a day with the lockdown still in place. Remember, this all started with a single case at some point, so you need to get to zero if you are going to lift the lockdown, else the epidemic slowly restarts itself. It might be months or even a year before the Chinese get to that zero.; 3/17/20, 1:08 AM
Yancey Ward said...: The same thing applies here- all the cancellations and lockdowns will now need to get their respective areas down to zero new cases, else you will end up repeating it later.; 3/17/20, 1:10 AM
walter said...: Depends on if we are acting ahead of the curve compared to the others.
Having the medical system overrun has implications too...a different sort of "black box".
Arguing against containment less than down to patient zero strikes me as myopic, fatalist and counterproductive.
Current strategy seems to be based on different outcomes between S. Korea and Italy.
Excluding those examples from that discussion is odd.; 3/17/20, 1:31 AM
Clyde said...: Warren Zevon was prescient, even though he died back in 2003. Here is a song for our times.

Splendid Isolation - Warren Zevon; 3/17/20, 4:18 AM
Clyde said...: Was watching a presser from Chicago yesterday featuring Lori Lightfoot, the black lesbian mayor of Chicago. Joe, there's your perfect veep candidate.; 3/17/20, 5:04 AM
exhelodrvr1 said...: Yancey,
"In short, I think the option of doing whatever is necessary to stop this virus is terribly myopic and hubristic. I am all for encouraging social distancing- the Meades and Althouses of the world can do this easily (so can I), but those aren't good options for everyone, and probably not good options for us collectively. In other words, I wouldn't force anyone to do it."

Agree - many people have no understanding of the impact of government action on the economy, and how that impact on the economy will then impact society. That is true with things such as tax rates and excessive regulations. This is a relatively extreme example; 3/17/20, 5:05 AM
stevew said...: This morning the Boston Globe poses the question: "How long should Americans expect to live like this - separated from friends, coworkers, and classmates?". And it's only been a day or so for most, particularly the unwilling.

My social interactions follow a sort of sine wave; bursts of activity and engagement with others followed by troughs of solitude. The wave length and frequency varies. A decent amount of my work and interaction with colleagues and customers is done virtually via phone and web conferences. I don't count that as social distancing because we're interacting.

For lots of people, such as the headline and article writer, this separation is unfamiliar and upsetting. Have already seen delays in the progress of business opportunities. Let's hope this next few months isn't like post 9-11 October through December when new business went to zero.; 3/17/20, 5:22 AM
rhhardin said...: I've received no reassuring coronovirus message from the IRS in spite of my decades-long patronage.; 3/17/20, 5:54 AM
rhhardin said...: My social interactions will pick up when the lawn starts to need cutting. Then I get out there all day with a scythe, streaming something via baby monitor off the computer.; 3/17/20, 5:58 AM
rhhardin said...: Ameritrade says they'll no longer meet face to face with you fucking people.; 3/17/20, 5:59 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "The Ninja Turtle, Splinter, and the Mad Ball may be worth something."

Thanks for reminding me that the rat is Splinter.

Maybe, in my seclusion, I'll use Splinter as a model.

Fits with my old rat theme...; 3/17/20, 6:03 AM
brylun said...: The CDC was Fighting Racism and Obesity Instead of Stopping Epidemics

I wonder if Althouse thinks this stuff should continue?; 3/17/20, 6:07 AM
brylun said...: What is the epidemiology of gun violence?; 3/17/20, 6:08 AM
brylun said...: No wonder the test kits were screwed up...; 3/17/20, 6:09 AM
Fernandinande said...: Did I miss the bit in that article that even mentions Italy?
Just ignore that?

According to teh news, Italy had flash mobs of 2 or 3 people, maybe even 4 people in one instance, standing on their balconies and orally spraying viruses into the street below.

The CDC was Fighting Racism and Obesity Instead of Stopping Epidemics

And not being honest about either.

As Lileks put it, "people who seem stunned to find that the systems in which they placed their trust for their entire lives were not, as it turned out, beavering away on their core mission."; 3/17/20, 6:27 AM
Marcus Bressler said...: I cannot donate blood as I had Lyme Disease back in 94. Had to have 6 weeks of daily intravenous antibiotics and the symptoms disappeared in the final week.

THEOLDMAN; 3/17/20, 6:38 AM
Anonymous said...: Ken B said...
I don’t know MN Irish, so I don’t know if he/she/they/it is lying but his statement impeaching Acton is false. Her claim is not “baseless speculation “

Well, aren’t you just delightful. This whole pandemic thing seems to have you a bit giddy.

From your link:
“Cumulatively, we estimated that ~30-50k local infections in the US may have occurred since the beginning”

It doesn’t support what she said. I am not saying there aren’t people with subclinical cases who would test positive. It occurs with most viral diseases, and often we don’t know to what degree. I am saying her estimate was ridiculously high and she said it purely for dramatic effect.

Dr. Acton estimated 1% of the population Ohio, or 100,000 people in Ohio would currently test positive, which is more than the entire number of known active cases in the world outside of China. Do you really believe that there are 100,000 people currently walking around Ohio who would test positive for the coronavirus when there has been only 50 identifiable active cases,14 hospitalizations, and no deaths so far in the entire state?

Nope.

This was a “guesstimate” based on some vague comments by an epidemiologist and a paucity of data from a handful of cases. I stand by what I said. It was a rash and inflammatory comment which is not worthy of her position and profession. Within a few more days it will have been proven completely inaccurate.; 3/17/20, 6:39 AM
Churchy LaFemme: said...: "The Ninja Turtle, Splinter, and the Mad Ball may be worth something."

Thanks for reminding me that the rat is Splinter.

Maybe, in my seclusion, I'll use Splinter as a model.

Fits with my old rat theme...

Splinter is perhaps the most obvious tie of the TNMT to Frank Miller and his run on the comic Daredevil. In an amazing turnaround for a Marvel also-ran book, he introduced characters and storylines which are regarded as classic to this day.

In particular, he introduced Daredevil's crabby old mentor "Stick" and a group of evil ninjas called "The Hand".

Then came a one-shot, poorly produced black & white parody comic called "The Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles" which was a send-up of Miller's run on Daredevil:

The radioactive ooze which gave Matt Murdock his Daredevil powers dripped into the sewers of New York and transformed some turtles dwelling there. They had a mentor called "Splinter" and they fought "The Foot" clan. Somehow it took off.

If Miller hadn't become rich himself later, he would have a very good moral case for half of the TNMT profits..; 3/17/20, 7:31 AM
Marc in Eugene said...: The Dutch premier made an address to the Dutch last night (if I'm keeping the dates right) in which he concisely outlined 'three approaches' to the plague and why the D. government is going with the one, 'maximum control'.; 3/17/20, 10:15 AM
Era Music said...: You can estimate how many are infected at any time by analyzing the test results you have for a given state or country if you have an idea how many people in that state or country fit the profile of the people tested. In this case, if the tests are being limited to those with cold and flu symptoms, then the cdc has a pretty good idea how many such people are in the state or the entire country for this given time of the year- lots of historical and contemporary data available to the cdc for this estimate. I don't know if Acton pulled the number out of her ass or not, but I doubt it- I would guess this was the top end of the estimated range.; 3/17/20, 11:04 AM
FullMoon said...: Dr. Fauci’s Mysterious Math – The Quantifying Today Reflects Where We Were A Week Ago – Today Cannot Be Quantified Until Next Week…; 3/17/20, 11:18 AM
Anonymous said...: Era Music said...
I don't know if Acton pulled the number out of her ass or not, but I doubt it- I would guess this was the top end of the estimated range.

"Tara Smith, a professor of public health at Kent State University, said Friday she thinks Acton's number is “too high,” but said that there could be 1,000 undetected cases in Ohio right now.
On Friday at the press conference, Acton said once there is better data, modelers would go back and see if she was right.
"As modelers far smarter than I am put that together, we'll look back at this and we'll see where we were," she said."
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/487534-ohio-official-was-guesstimating-statement-that-100000-people-have

She pulled it out of he ass. Honestly, is this so hard to comprehend.; 3/17/20, 2:29 PM
Anonymous said...: She said that the “guesstimate” was based on one prediction that 60 percent of the U.S. population will become infected with coronavirus. Marc Lipsitch, an epidemiologist at Harvard, has estimated that between 20 and 60 percent of Americans will come down with coronavirus, known as COVID-19, at some point.
Acton said that Ohio health officials “worked our way back” on the calendar to determine Ohio’s current infection rate.
https://www.conservativedailynews.com/2020/03/fear-mongering-ohio-governor-said-100k-are-walking-around-with-coronavirus-in-the-state-the-health-official-behind-the-number-now-says-she-was-guesstimating/

Dr. Trevor Bedford, a physician at the vaccine and infectious disease division of Fred Hutch, noted that when there were around 100,000 infections in Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the outbreak, there were 1,000 severe cases in the city, and 300 deaths.
“Thus, given the severity of this disease I don’t see how it’s possible to reach 100k infections and not notice it in deaths and hospitalizations,” Bedford wrote on Twitter, adding that he “very respectfully disagree[d]” with Acton’s estimate.
https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/13/ohio-governor-coronavirus-100000/; 3/17/20, 2:39 PM
Char Char Binks, Esq. said...: Y W

The purpose of the reaction to ChiCom virus isn’t to save lives. It’s meant to tank the markets, cause a recession, and oust Trump. H1N1 killed 12,000 people in the USA in 2009 - 2010, but the MSM wasn’t pushing to get Hussein out of the White House.; 3/17/20, 9:34 PM