Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

New McCarthy, same old McCarthyism.

We won’t go back.

This country desperately needs a functioning Fourth Estate.

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

If marriage is the equivalent of selling yourself into slavery, women with self respect should reject the offer.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party.”

Balloon Juice has never been a refuge for the linguistically delicate.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you don’t.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Republicans can’t even be trusted with their own money.

President Biden is doing good where he can, and getting it done.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

We are aware of all internet traditions.

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Our job is not to persuade republicans but to defeat them.

The Giant Orange Man Baby is having a bad day.

I have other things to bitch about but those will have to wait.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

You are here: Home / Healthcare / COVID-19 / Biden’s remarks on the coronavirus crisis

Reader Interactions

361Comments

  1. 1.

    Zzyzx

    I was thinking that Biden should start doing this. Without being an asshole, give daily briefings that are more informative than what Trump is doing. Make us start thinking of him as the president.

  4. 4.

    different-church-lady

    Well, it’s happening again: I’m out for coffee and there’s a whole lot of people in this cafe who are acting like touching a thing another human being has touched is not going to kill them.

  7. 7.

    Woodrow/asim

    Can’t find the link right now — however, report is that the Senate will take up legislation on this after the recess.

    This really, really feels like the point where nearly everyone “neutral” starts to realize how horrific modern Conservative Ideology, truly is — and has been, for decades.

    It’s just…the cost. The cost of learning this lesson is already too damn high. And risks being so much worse.

  14. 14.

    Woodrow/asim

    @Baud: AV is hell. One of my last performances, I had to dance a 4 minute-long song where the volume was nearly inaudible, doing my choreography by memory+improv where needed. And that was in a venue that hosts bands on the regular.

  16. 16.

    Kelly

    @Zzyzx: If trump fires Dr Fauci Biden should hire him immediately. We all know how trump hates honest, independant staff.

  24. 24.

    different-church-lady

    @Baud: Yeah, well it won’t be making me cranky for at least the rest of this month, because there will be no work for the rest of this month, because NOBODY STAND WITHIN 500 FEET OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING EVER AGAIN!!1!

  25. 25.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Woodrow/asim: I saw that too. Basically, the Senate wants Trump to be the one to do the ‘good’ things, so they’re ignoring what the House and Democrats in general are doing so that Trump can make new proposals.

    The fact that the Democrats have been right all along about this (along with health experts) and that Trump has demonstrably made things worse AND failed miserably is something they want to fix the public perception of. So all new fixes NEED to come from Trump so he can get credit for them.

  32. 32.

    dmsilev

    @TaMara (HFG): TPM is reporting that the Senate has cancelled their recess, probably because someone explained to McConnell et al. just how bad it looks for them to be sitting on their hands right now.

  33. 33.

    MisterForkbeard

    @different-church-lady: I admit to picking up “to-go” food from a restaurant yesterday and being vastly annoyed at a woman who brought her five year old in to eat and sit down.

    The five-year-old had a raspy cough and was coughing every minute or so. Not okay at the best of times, and not okay now either.

  34. 34.

    Elizabelle

    paraphrasing:  Labeling cvirus a “foreign virus” does not take Trump’s administration off the hook.

  37. 37.

    dmsilev

    Shorter Biden: “Listen, and understand. That coronavirus is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

  38. 38.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Baud: Meanwhile, Trump’s people are out on Fox today talking about how they’re going to keep doing rallies and that Biden is stopping rallies to hide his dementia.

    Meanwhile, they’re also saying Trump won’t get sick because he’s the President and has the best medical care in the world. I wonder if his underlings are TRYING to get him killed so someone else can take over.

  39. 39.

    guachi

    Biden should say that any disaffected administrations scientists should join his campaign and that donations will go to pay for real scientists to keep America informed.

  40. 40.

    Elizabelle

    “fueled by adversarial relationship with the truth, which he continues to have”

    Love it!  Tell it, Joe.

  41. 41.

    Baud

    He’ll never be an Obama level orator, but the points are good ones, and he is measured.

  42. 42.

    dmsilev

    Curious, in a mordant way, how the “Biden has dementia” slur is going to cope with this speech.

  44. 44.

    PST

    @Zzyzx: Regarding league cancelations, I wonder what role is played by the fine points of business interruption insurance policies. Owners may be better off arguing that a this is a natural disaster that has prevented them from doing business than they would be playing to sparse crowds. That could put a little different spin, also, on declarations of emergency and banning of large gatherings by mayors and governors. Not to question their sincerity or the wisdom of their actions, but might they also be helping owners by taking decisions out of their hands and creating insurable events.

  45. 45.

    Elizabelle

    Public health officials should be those who speak on this virus.  No more screen-seizing by the gaslighter in chief.

    Proposes testing at no charge.  And measuring the program.

  46. 46.

    dmsilev

    Ouch. “Here’s what to do. Now, not ten months from now. Donald Trump is welcome to copy any of it.”

    I know it’s become a cruel joke, but “today he became President” might actually be accurate here.

  48. 48.

    Jay

    8 days ago #seattle was alive and vibrant, children were in schools, roads were packed, and residents and tourists were abound. Now it is a ghost town, empty of people and cars. Residents are hunkered down, worried and waiting. Remember, we are 10 days ahead of where NYC will be. pic.twitter.com/lUy0mwPzvL— Naveed Jamali (@NaveedAJamali) March 12, 2020

  50. 50.

    Feathers

    I really wish he would give the facts details behind the failures of the TrumpAdmin. For instance, say how few tests have actually been done compared to other countries.

    ETA: He should be saying what China, Korea et al. did and how we need to match it.

  51. 51.

    Betty Cracker

    Biden releasing his own national plan as if he’s a shadow president is a fascinating gambit. I have no idea if it will work, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.

  53. 53.

    Jay

    I went to the grocery store this afternoon. As I was walking in I heard a woman yell to me from her car. I walked over and found an elderly woman and her husband. She cracked her window open a bit more, and explained to me nearly in tears that they are afraid to go in the store.— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

  56. 56.

    MisterForkbeard

    @JPL: Interesting – hadn’t heard that at all. Only ‘some’? I wonder what their criteria is

  58. 58.

    Elizabelle

    Calls for vaccine available FREE OF CHARGE when available.

    And rebuilding the NSC office on pandemic threats.  Which Trump eliminated.  “For reasons I don’t understand.”

    I assure you if we wait for it to worsen, and then scramble to catch up, the human toll [will be far worse].

  61. 61.

    Elizabelle

    Biden can stick it to McConnell if he won’t take up the House legislation.

    How do we know when Congress will be back from its break, if the virus makes that unadviseable?

    ===

    goes after indiscriminate tax breaks.  Yup.  Talks about wage replacement.  Even among gig economy workers.

  62. 62.

    Leto

    Biden talking about providing meals to school children who depend upon those… the contrast in basic human decency is staggering.

  63. 63.

    Chyron HR

    @Elizabelle:

    And rebuilding the NSC office on pandemic threats. Which Trump eliminated. “For reasons I don’t understand.”

    Aw, baby, once the clips of Biden saying “I don’t understand” go viral, Bernie is going to turn this primary right around.

  67. 67.

    gene108

    @Feathers:

    Never a good look for a politician, especially one running for President, to unfavorably compare America to any other country.

    Might be true, but I’ve never seen it work to inspire anyone here, other than to have right-wing nuts call the person criticizing us as unAmerican.

  68. 68.

    PAM Dirac

    @Kelly:

     

    If trump fires Dr Fauci Biden should hire him immediately

    I was wondering about the rules of a Fauci firing. The Director of NIAID is not a presidential appointment. As far as I can tell the appointment is made by the NIH Director, which is a presidential appointment and is currently Francis Collins. I was personally involved in a situation of political bull shit at NIH and Francis Collins stood up to the politician. It was a much less visible situation, but the stakes were also much lower. I would bet that if the orange fart cloud told Collins to fire Fauci, Collins would refuse. Trump could fire Collins, but I really wonder if he could get anyone in there that would step in and fire Fauci. Not to mention that Fauci almost certainly in career SES and has Civil Service protections so even if they removed him as Director, he would be a federal employee and retain his salary.

  69. 69.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    I tuned in the middle, old man sounds like he knows what he’s talking about

    the stuff about the markets was a kick in trump’s psychological nuts

    good

  70. 70.

    Elizabelle

    Biden’s plan is scientifically based and humane and proactive.

    Compare and contrast with the drugged one last night.

  71. 71.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Zzyzx:

    Announcement expected shortly that MLB will be suspending operations. More details to come.

    WORSE THAN 1994!!!

  72. 72.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Cheryl Rofer:

    Didn’t watch Trump’s speech last night, but that’s because I don’t expect much from him. Biden in this speech inspires so much confidence that is desperately needed right now

  73. 73.

    dmsilev

    @Betty Cracker:

    Biden releasing his own national plan as if he’s a shadow president is a fascinating gambit. I have no idea if it will work, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.

    It’s the right thing to do given the circumstances. Someone has to lead, and Trump both won’t and can’t.

  75. 75.

    Darkrose

    @Zzyzx: Yikes. Shit’s getting real.

    Meanwhile, my community college district just sent out an email emphasizing that no students, staff, or faculty have tested positive, so classes are being held as scheduled. In many of our classrooms, students are lucky if they can get two feet between them; forget about six feet. I’m back at work despite my cough because the Kaiser doctor assured me it was okay. She never asked where I worked. Fortunately, the librarians across the district are sharing information and strategies for moving our services online and figuring out how we can support students and instructors, but the district office is really dropping the ball. Students are scared, and all we’re getting is “Well, no one’s got the virus yet, so carry on!”

  76. 76.

    The Dangerman

    @Betty Cracker:

    Biden releasing his own national plan as if he’s a shadow president is a fascinating gambit.

    Trump is enough of a dick that he will run away from this plan in total. After all, Biden is demented. /s

    Or, he’ll do all of it and then say it was all his idea.

    Biden sounds damned presidential to me. No yelling. No sniffing. Good grief, this is what Obama sounded like. Damn, it’s good to visit that again.

  77. 77.

    Nora Lenderbee

    I wonder if his underlings are TRYING to get him killed so someone else can take over.

    I’m sure they think President Dense would be more controllable.

     

  79. 79.

    Beth in VA

    This is actually calming. Biden’s doing well. And yes, he’s stuttering, but clearly not addled. This speech should shut down any dementia talk.

  80. 80.

    Mo Salad

    I am at the point where I am anticipating an election between Kamala Harris and Nikki Haley to see who takes over for President Pelosi. This can get much worse over the next few months.

  81. 81.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Elizabelle: I assume you’re responding to this, but I’ve been offline and missed it

    Ana Cabrera @ AnaCabrera
    McConnell ally says Senate won’t take up House #coronavirus bill until after recess. “The Senate will act when we come back and we have a clearer idea of what extra steps we need to take,” Sen. Lamar Alexander told reporters

    I also missed the update from a half hour ago

    Lauren Fox @FoxReports· 26m

    McConnell announces recess is canceled next week.

  82. 82.

    Gin & Tonic

    @MisterForkbeard:

    I wonder what their criteria is

    Having long ago apparently lost the battle with “data,” can we at least attempt to keep “criteria” a plural noun?

  83. 83.

    different-church-lady

    @Elizabelle:

    Talks about wage replacement. Even among gig economy workers.

    So rare when I’m in the group that needs financial relief.

  87. 87.

    mrmoshpotato

    @dmsilev: Good on McTurtle for doing the right thing.

    Oh wait, he’s just trying to save his own fascist, Constitution-hating turtle ass.

    Fuck him.

  89. 89.

    Steeplejack (sky-high wi-fi)

    About to land in Las Vegas but had to share this.

    I bet that lady is pretty psyched about having a Peloton now.

    — Ben Terris (@bterris) March 12, 2020

  90. 90.

    Darkrose

    @dmsilev: I blame Rob Manfred because I pretty much blame him for everything. That, and the Cubs winning the World Series in 2016. No one believed me when I said that marked the start of the apocalypse.

  92. 92.

    Feathers

    Good speech. I get that he didn’t go negative and into details. However, someone does need to make sure that the misdeeds of the Trump Administration actually makes the news.

  101. 101.

    Ferdinand

    OKC public schools just announced they’re closing tomorrow (and Spring Break starts Monday) for deep cleaning. My school teacher wife tells me parents have been coming in throughout the day to check their kids out.

  102. 102.

    Mary G

    Nothing fancy, but so reassuring to hear somebody stand up for science and common sense. I wish the lighting had been better.

  103. 103.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    damn, the pangolins of the world are on notice

    Marty Kady @mkady

    · 4h
    Sen. Tom Cotton release this morning: “We will emerge stronger from this challenge, we will hold accountable those who inflicted it on the world.” What does that mean?

    Actually, I suspect Tom Cotton has some history of taking out his anger issues on small animals

  105. 105.

    Feathers

    I must be completely stressed out. I just got the first sudden, huge pimple on my face in about a decade.

  106. 106.

    Betty Cracker

    If the response on CNN is any gauge, Biden’s speech was a success in that it projected a sharp contrast with Trump’s incoherent, self-congratulatory rambling last night and contained helpful guidance for state and city leaders. If nothing else, it brings renewed attention to Trump’s criminally irresponsible bungling of the testing roll-out and idiotic and counterproductive travel ban.

    BTW, do y’all think the geniuses in the Trump brain trust anticipated how that European travel ban (with exceptions for countries that host Trump properties) would clobber the market today? I don’t think they had a clue.

  107. 107.

    dmsilev

    @Baud: According to the Post, he’s giving a coronavirus speech this afternoon:

    Sanders plans to deliver remarks later Thursday afternoon in Burlington, Vt., on “the health and economic crisis facing the country,” his campaign announced shortly before Biden was scheduled to address the novel coronavirus outbreak during a speech in Wilmington, Del.

  109. 109.

    Major Major Major Major

    Shadow presidenting is a great strategy for him, as well as signaling that the primary is over (which Bernie twitter seems to have realized too). Only misstep was the “god bless our troops” at the end, which is an understandable tic I guess.

  114. 114.

    Kent

    @Elizabelle:paraphrasing:  Labeling cvirus a “foreign virus” does not take Trump’s administration off the hook.

    The original one might have been “foreign born” but all the viruses infecting Americans today were all born right here in the good-old USA.

  119. 119.

    dmsilev

    @Cheryl Rofer: Thank you for the link. This is the sort of thing that a competent administration should have been doing two or three months ago. Nancy Pelosi and her team can push for a lot of the legal changes and funding and so forth suggested, but the executive action stuff seems a tad less plausible given who the executive currently is. It’s what we should be doing though.

  120. 120.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @different-church-lady: We went to a Billy Joel concert some years back. He decided for no particular reason to wander across the stage and play for a while on a different keyboard.

    Turned out that keyboard wasn’t miked, or wasn’t plugged in properly or something. When Joel figured that out halfway through the song, he started the song over. But he was kind of pissed and took a moment to yell at the sound guy first.

  122. 122.

    Immanentize

    The mother of the Immp’s friend just paid 45 dollars and 63,000 miles to get him back to Boston from his Paris study program. Via Dublin. Things Trump has made awful part forever.

  123. 123.

    Jay

    People are NOT being tested upon their return to the US. Some are being SCREENED at airports – observed quickly for any obvious symptoms, having temperatures checked, filling out forms – not having a coronavirus test. https://t.co/oT5v7XzJoJ— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 12, 2020

  125. 125.

    NeenerNeener

    As a sad lady at a computer store told me this week:

    “None of this is helping Trump fix the stock market”

  127. 127.

    Kent

    For Sunday’s debate what the DNC should do is just print out the last 100 or so Trump Tweets on coronavirus and other relevant issues facing the country, pass them out or splash them on the screen and just let Biden and Bernie take turns fact-checking and providing the rational Democratic answer or alternative approach.

  128. 128.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Major Major Major Major: Only misstep was the “god bless our troops” at the end,

    Doesn’t he end every public speech that way? I wouldn’t be surprised if it has something to do with Beau in his mind

  129. 129.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    We’re pretty much locked in. I am entertainment director around here, and the wife has requested funny stuff, preferably plague-related. She’s not a fan of extreme gore though, even in the service of comedy, so I’m not quite sure about zombie stuff like “Shaun of the Dead”. I just rented “Creepshow” for the Steven King episode (“The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill”).

    Any thoughts from the jackals on plague comedy?

  131. 131.

    Barbara

    @Betty Cracker:

    BTW, do y’all think the geniuses in the Trump brain trust anticipated how that European travel ban (with exceptions for countries that host Trump properties) would clobber the market today? I don’t think they had a clue.

    If they didn’t have a clue, and I agree that they probably didn’t, they should be fired.  But then, Jared was the guy who thought that firing Comey and pardoning Blago would appeal to Democrats.  He isn’t very smart.  Stephen Miller just doesn’t care about markets.  He is that insane.

  133. 133.

    Betty Cracker

    I like this part of the Biden plan that Cheryl linked at #103:

    Stop the political theater and willful misinformation that has heightened confusion and discrimination. Biden believes we must immediately put scientists and public health leaders front and center in communication with the American people in order to provide regular guidance and deliver timely public health updates, including by immediately establishing daily, expert-led press briefings…

    Ensure that public health decisions are made by public health professionals and not politicians, and officials engaged in the response do not fear retribution or public disparagement for performing their jobs.

    Yes. Get rid of Dense Pence starting every goddamned briefing with paeans to Dear Leader’s leaderly leadership. Dr. Fauci telling the truth is what we need.

  136. 136.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Last Man On Earth is a quirky post-apocalyptic comedy. An acquired taste, moves a little slow and relies on toilet humor (literally) a bit heavily for my taste. I think if you like Kristen Schaall, you’ll like it. Full disclosure: I bailed midway through season 2 just cause there’s too much TV

  137. 137.

    Chyron HR

    @Baud:

    I think Bernie Twitter and Bernie Reddit are actually in the same stage of grief, “acceptance but also revenge”.

  139. 139.

    Leto

    @Eljai: a basic ability to show compassion to the least of us is a bigger selling point than most of us will admit. It’s also a delineation point between the two parties which is evident in almost everything they do/propose.

  140. 140.

    Spanky

    In one week …

    Up until as recently as a week ago,  Mr. Poggi said the coronavirus threat felt like an abstraction and that he — like much of America, underestimated the seriousness of the outbreak and shared lighthearted memes. That’s changed quickly and dramatically.

    “It’s a weird thing because it seems so far away and then it’s right up on your doorstep,” he said, likening this to being on par to a natural disaster or terrorist attack for damage it’s wrought in such a short time.

    “It’s gonna kill our (Italian) economy. You feel hopeless because it’s an invisible enemy,” he said. Earthquakes, some devastating, are regular occurrences in Italy and Mr. Poggi said that during those events, people know how to help one another. But with COVID-19, “You feel helpless because you have to stay at home.”

  141. 141.

    Betty Cracker

    Trump or whoever has the keys to his Twitter account is just straight-up posting CDC graphics on hand-washing, etc. Nope, not kidding.

  144. 144.

    Joey Maloney

    Has anyone pointed out this “Biden has dementia” play is straight from Rove’s playbook? Attack the other guy at your guy’s weakest point, and then everyone says “both sides, amirite?” And there’s still milions of Americans who will eat that shit up with a spoon.

  146. 146.

    bluehill

    @NeenerNeener: I’ve seen other similar comments elsewhere or rationalizations like “still better than Obama/Hillary.” Trump could shoot them and they would still vote for him.

    One of the things that separated sapiens above other humanoids (according to Yuval Harari) is the ability to tell stories and believe in something larger than themselves. Great strength and weakness.

  149. 149.

    Leto

    @Barbara: Jared is also the guy who told the Palestinians to, in essence, stop whining, take responsibility for their actions, and pick themselves up by their turbans and… profit!

  152. 152.

    Feathers

    @Major Major Major Major: He did talk about the military having to step up if their medical capacity was needed. And the National Guard is helping in New Rochelle. So strange, but not totally out of left field.

  156. 156.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Having long ago apparently lost the battle with “data,” and “media,” can we at least attempt to keep “criteria” a plural noun?

    Improved it for ya.

  160. 160.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    @dmsilev: Shorter Biden: “Listen, and understand. That coronavirus Dump is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

     

    /fixed

  162. 162.

    Jerry

    @cope:

    I enjoyed Zombieland though my wife was ambivalent.  I haven’t seen the sequel.

    The sequel was entertaining enough, I guess. It felt tedious more than anything else, though.

  163. 163.

    scav

    Although not as useful as ducks on demand, we could probably use a place for resources like this,

    As our community comes together in this time of crisis, the Seattle Symphony will continue sharing live performances that provide strength, comfort and joy. The musicians of the Seattle Symphony have generously volunteered to share live concert broadcasts with everyone during this time of uncertainty. All concerts can be streamed here and through the Symphony’s social media channels on YouTube and Facebook.

    Program Schedule
    Thursday, March 12, 2020, at 7:30pm: Mahler Symphony No. 1
    Saturday, March 14, 2020, at 8pm: Mahler Symphony No. 1

    We will update this page with additional free live broadcasts as they are scheduled.

  164. 164.

    ThresherK

    @Chyron HR: I’ve got a great doctored video story from social media. Well, okay, not great,  but illustrative:

    Person A: Posts link, via Newsweek, to that faked video of Biden “endorsing” Trump.

    Bernie Bro: Goes on a rant about “Biden’s got dementia, and he’s just a hair to the left of Trump”.

    Person C: Points out “Hey this video is for crap. It’s an absolute fraud the White House is shitting all over the place. Even Twitter had to slap ‘fake’ on it”.

    Bernie Bro: Replies “That still doesn’t change the fact that Biden is only a kinder, gentler version of Trump”.

    (As always, nobody in this space is involved above.)

  166. 166.

    Mary G

    I know this is all hard for you, @realdonaldtrump, so let me spell it out:
    – Free testing
    – Fee waivers
    – Emergency sick leave
    – Quarantines
    – Cancellations
    – Giving a damn
    — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 12, 2020

  167. 167.

    The Dangerman

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Ode to Joy Flashmob

    My maternal GF was a concert cellist; it regularly saddens me when I think I never heard him play. I was supposed to play cello … but brass just sounded so cool. Then basketball got in the way.

    Anyway, for a joy break that is kinda related to street (this is kinda famous and not at all new except generally you find it edited down):

    Bruce

  171. 171.

    ThresherK

    @Mary G: Would you believe there are some lefties slagging Hillary for being a “late to the party weathervane” with this tweet?

  172. 172.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Baud: The bumper sticker version is one of two sentences “Listen to experts and don’t fuck it up” or “Take care of people first”. :)

  174. 174.

    Betty Cracker

    Hubby just returned from work after stopping by the grocery store on the way home. Says panic buying is in full swing.

  175. 175.

    Mallard Filmore

    @Jay:

     

    naw, he’s casually inferring going to war with China.

    In terms of strategy, is that better or worse than going to war in Afghanistan?

  177. 177.

    catclub

    @Elizabelle: Public health officials should be those who speak on this virus. No more screen-seizing by the gaslighter in chief.

     

    I felt certain those admin officials testifying in front of the Congress yesterday, who were called back for an emergency meeting,  were called back because Trump cannot stand attention paid to anyone else.

  178. 178.

    Jay

    But, but, but , but President Dumph said in his speech last night “they would be tested”,…….

    He wasn’t lying, was he? //

  181. 181.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @schrodingers_cat: I’ve seen pictures of a press aide to Bolnasaro standing with trump and giving him a “make Brazil great again” hat, because we are an international laughingstock, said aide has tested positive

    Arieh Kovler @ ariehkovler
    The man on the right is now confirmed to have the coronvirus. Here he is with Trump and Pence 5 days ago. They also ate together. Trump and Pence should now be in 14-day quarantine (bet they aren’t, though).

  182. 182.

    Immanentize

    It seems Biden just replaced his campaign manager, who was a Biden advisor, with an Obama 2012 re-election deputy campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon.  Probably a good move.

    (he is getting the fighting Irish together?)

  183. 183.

    The Dangerman

    @Betty Cracker:

    Says panic buying is in full swing.

    Your locals are late to the game; it’s been nuts for a couple weeks here.

    I’m kinda sad I joined in; I have a shitload of water, enough food to survive for a while, and about a years supply of TP (mainly, because Costco sells in in yearlong quantities). I’m good to go (so to speak).

    I’m thinking about calling the particular nasty, um, events “Trumps”. Flushing becomes a little more fun then.

    Sorry for the TMI.

  184. 184.

    geg6

    Just watched a press conference with my governor and our state surgeon general. Very reassuring, very professional and very on point with social distancing.  No sports, concerts, higher ed, etc. Certain necessary businesses like groceries, pharmacies, all medical facilities, gas stations to stay open.  All gatherings, even family gatherings, are discouraged. Montgomery County has severe restrictions in place as it is the current epicenter of the state.  I trust our surgeon general.  She is very factual and matter of fact (not the first time I’ve seen her in action).  She is just great and I love that she is transgender and nobody seems to care because she is so competent and awesome.

  185. 185.

    Fair Economist

    @Cheryl Rofer: Damn, Biden has a good plan. That beats any plan I’ve seen by any government anywhere. Targets both the health issues and the economic fallout, with excellent aim.

  186. 186.

    trollhattan

    @The Dangerman:

    Very cool about your grandfather.

    You also reminded me of the “Take the Money and Run” scene with Virgil playing cello in the marching band.

  188. 188.

    Jay

    In other news:

    Secret Users Of Clearview AI’s Facial Recognition Dragnet Included A Former Trump Staffer, A Troll, And Conservative Think Tanks
    CEO Hoan Ton-That said his facial recognition app is strictly for law enforcement. But he’s shared it with political connections, potential investors, and entities designated as “Friend.”

    https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/ryanmac/clearview-ai-trump-investors-friend-facial-recognition?__twitter_impression=true

    Yup, Charles C. Johnson, Wingnut Par Excellence, …..

  189. 189.

    WhatsMyNym

    @Betty Cracker: My local coop grocery store is reminding shoppers that they can order by the case, most items arrive in a few days.  You can phone your orders in; their major distributor has an online catalog.

  190. 190.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Betty Cracker:

    My sister just texted from Costco, she confirms the panic buying here (her husband works for Costco and has been witnessing the panic for a week now.)

  191. 191.

    Immanentize

    Market went up during Biden’s talk, but has fallen again after traders realized he ain’t the President yet.

  192. 192.

    Betty

    Just heard Republicans are demanding a Hyde Amendment be included in the legislation. Insanity!

  193. 193.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @catclub: consultation and cooperation are for the weak

    a travel ban is tough and decisive

    we’re are all prisoner’s of an old man’s junior high locker room idea of machismo

  194. 194.

    trollhattan

    @The Dangerman:

    Other than living where tap water that tastes lousy, I don’t understand stocking up on water. It’s not like a natural disaster that shuts down utilities.

    I have calculated our paper towels will last longer than the TP supply, so I’m warning the family to “toughen up” just in case.

  195. 195.

    Mo Salad

    @Yutsano: I am a CPA on tax season. One of the worst anti-ebulients known to man.

     

    Would the opposite of anti-depressant be anti-ebulient? It is now.

  197. 197.

    misterpuff

    @dmsilev: Shorter Biden: “Listen, and understand. That coronavirus is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

    So it’s the Terminator.

    And Biden is Sarah Connors.

  199. 199.

    cain

    @dmsilev:

    Shorter Biden: “Listen, and understand. That coronavirus is out there. It can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you are dead.”

     

    Did you just quote from The Terminator? :)

  200. 200.

    RedDirtGirl

    I’m watching a segment on CNN with Mike Pence. Never realized how much he resembles rat-fucker Roger Stone.

  201. 201.

    Mary G

    Good! Protect RBG!

    #SCOTUS to close down amid coronavirus concerns. "Out of concern for the health and safety of the public and Supreme Court employees, the Supreme Court Building will be closed to the public from 4:30 p.m. on March 12, 2020, until further notice."— Kimberly Robinson (@KimberlyRobinsn) March 12, 2020

  202. 202.

    trollhattan

    @catclub:

    Was listening to BBC World Service overnight and there were many choice quotes from various European politicians and diplomats at Trump’s latest surprise gift.

    The January 2021 Biden Apology Tour [per Fox et al] is gonna take five months.

  205. 205.

    HumboldtBlue

    Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz who tested positive for the virus and then proceeded to rub his hands all over the phones and microphones on the table in front of him during a pre-game press conference yesterday has also infected a teammate, Donovan Mitchell, by being careless in the locker room.

  207. 207.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    The president used to be inaugurated on March 4th.  But after the Great Depression, it was changed to January 20th.  It was reasoned a change in administrations has to happen faster in case you have a disaster for president like Hoover.

    After 2008, there was a lot of discussion about moving it up to even an earlier date because Dubya was such a catastrophe.   Unfortunately, they never moved up the date.

    This time they have to do it.

  213. 213.

    Mary G

    I’m sick of all the winning!

    London (CNN Business) European stocks had their worst day in history Thursday as fears mounted over economic fallout from the novel coronavirus and measures taken by the European Central Bank to cushion the blow from the crisis failed to impress investors.

    The ECB said it would ramp up bond purchases to help support the economy, joining policymakers around the world in a rush to contain the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.

    But the central bank, which also took steps to boost liquidity, did not push interest rates deeper into negative territory, a move that some investors had been expecting. That fed a freefall in European stocks, which were also hit by President Donald Trump’s decision to ban travel from more than two dozen countries on the continent.

    Europe’s Stoxx 600 fell 11%, the index’s worst day on record. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 both plunged over 12%.

  214. 214.

    Jay

    Meanwhile, ICE IS ARRESTING IMMIGRANTS AT HOSPITALS. They don’t care if it stops people from seeking medical treatment.Trump and ICE are putting their war on immigrants above the health and safety of every person in this country. Unforgivable. https://t.co/ajt7Faxv1r— ✡️ Never Again Action ✡️ (@NeverAgainActn) March 12, 2020

  215. 215.

    The Dangerman

    @trollhattan:

    Other than living where tap water that tastes lousy…

    Not to scare your daughter away, but tap water here blows; nothing wrong with it, just super hard (or super soft; I forget how that works).

  217. 217.

    Immanentize

    @Mary G: I was wondering if they will continue to have arguments.  It really would not be that hard there to do so — with no public.

    PS. My colleagues and I were discussing who were the Justices most likely to contract Covid first.  Thomas, because of his wife’s crazy advocacy work.  Roberts, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh because of their kids (and sports).  And who is most at risk?  RBG, Sotomayor (diabetic), Alito (serious hypertension), Thomas (never good health) and Roberts (maybe if brain barrier issues are true – epilepsy).  And the rest who are old!

    Yes, we worry about such stuff.

  218. 218.

    cain

    @Jay:

    naw, he’s casually inferring going to war with China.

    haha, China is our supply chain for nearly everything and our buyer for everything else. I dont’ think that’s going to happen, because shit of people are going to be unemployed and there will be shuttered businesses everywhere. I suppose you just send them to war, but this isn’t 1967.

  221. 221.

    terry chay

    @Woodrow/asim: Exactly as expected — he can’t put it to a vote because with so many vulnerable incumbents it’ll pass and then the President will have to veto. The Republican Party has hitched their cart to Trump.

    But with the trajectory of the virus, by the time they come back from recess and widespread testing weeks away America will look like a different place and likely be in no mood for excuses.

    Some polls have McConnell only at 1% over his likely opposition. This is just as likely political suicide.

  222. 222.

    jonas

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:   Tom Cotton release this morning: “We will emerge stronger from this challenge, we will hold accountable those who inflicted it on the world.” What does that mean?

    IIRC, Cotton has been peddling some conspiracy theory recently scraped from the bottom of an 4chan forum that coronavirus is a biological warfare agent either purposefully or accidentally released by the Chinese government to destroy the world economy or something. It makes a ton of fucking sense.

  223. 223.

    Mary G

    The World Health Organization has announced that dogs cannot contract Covid-19. Dogs previously held in quarantine can now be released.

    To be clear, WHO let the dogs out.
    — Liam Hackett (@DiageoLiam) March 12, 2020

  224. 224.

    Calouste

    @David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch: I read that in 1916 Woodrow Wilson had the plan, if he lost the election, to appoint his opponent Secretary of State, then the highest in the order of succession after the VP, and then resign together with his VP, because he thought it was irresponsible to leave the country with a lame duck president for 4 months during a war.

  225. 225.

    Jay

    U.S. WHO Expert compares the response & conditions of coronavirus spread in countries. “Our response is much, much worse than almost any other country that's been affected”He uses "stunning," "fiasco" & "mind-blowing" to describe how bad it is. https://t.co/co8helWsWW— Carole Myers (@CaroleMyers) March 12, 2020

  226. 226.

    RobertB

    @The Dangerman:

    Not to scare your daughter away, but tap water here blows; nothing wrong with it, just super hard (or super soft; I forget how that works).

    Hard water (high mineral content) won’t generate much lather.  Soft water (high sodium content) won’t rinse off the lather.

  229. 229.

    Mary G

    @Immanentize: Looks like work goes on, just no public watching:

     

    More on #SCOTUS closure. "The Building will remain open for officialbusiness, and case filing deadlines are not extended under Rule 30.1."— Kimberly Robinson (@KimberlyRobinsn) March 12, 2020

    People in the comments are saying that they should use electronic document filing instead of paper, but that’s probably hard to do fast?

  233. 233.

    Jay

    @cain:

    you might not have noticed, but the US has been engaged in lots of obvious self harm since 9/11. Expecting sanity from a certain class of US politician is quite the reach.

    Tom Cotton has a long list of countries he want’s to bomb and he will be running for President in 2024 or 2028.

  234. 234.

    Martin

    NY state will stop releasing infected numbers. I was expecting this at some point. If you are mitigating, it doesn’t matter how many people test positive because mitigation accepts that most of us will, it matters how many are hospitalized and how many are dying. That’s what you’re trying to control for.

    It’s kind of early to make this move, but it’s a good bit of signaling to indicate what people ought to be paying attention to.

    And I’m not sure if this is the start of a trend, or just an outlier (assuming the latter), but Italy’s fatality numbers are better than expected. It might indicate their hospitals are at capacity  and people are dying at home and will take longer to get counted, or it might indicate their efforts are having some effect at slowing this down. Could be a lot of things. We’ll see if that trend continues.

    Finally, props to my Rep

    Rep. Katie Porter @RepKatiePorter· 2h

    I did the math: a full battery of coronavirus testing costs at minimum $1,331. I also did the legal research: the Administration has the authority to make testing free for every American TODAY. I secured a commitment from a high-level Trump official that they’d actually do it.

    Freshman in congress and flipped a red district that was legend as being among the hardest in the nation to flip. She’s not the big ideas kind of democrat like AOC (we need those too), she’s the ‘pull the shoe out of the gears so things start working again’ kind of Democrat. Like nurses, they’re the ones you need a lot of, and who keep the ship from sinking. Could not be prouder

    Her ‘I told your staff this would be on the test’  moment is sooo like her. I can’t stop laughing at how on-brand that is for her.

  235. 235.

    Matt McIrvin

    @The Dangerman: Well, maybe not Obama, but he sounded like a guy who was making sense, had been consulting with experts and was proposing concrete plans, which is so profoundly different from anything we’ve heard lately.

    Trump is going to go off like a rocket over this.

  237. 237.

    Immanentize

    @Mary G: That is not a Supreme Court thing, but it is in every other federal court.  I have a short amicus brief due March 27.  Have to have it printed and served.

  241. 241.

    Immanentize

    @Baud: They have electronic docketing, and filing, but  not always  required.  In forma Petitions still get filed by paper (with PDF if possible).  Luckily, the printers handle all the filing and service requirements.  Still a very cost effective service.

    ETA.I am having weird comment formatting glitches. No, drinking has not begun….

  242. 242.

    Jeffro

    it’s funny…I watched trumpov sick and snort his way through last night’s speech, and I nearly missed a work conference call to watch Biden’s speech…but I am feeling unmotivated to watch Bernie at the moment.

    Let me know if he concedes…

  245. 245.

    trollhattan

    @The Dangerman:

    We have undercounter and fridge filters that take our tap water from “chloreinish and seasonally organicish” to just fine. But the kind we use will not address hardness or iron, so an RO setup or something similar for lowering hardness is perhaps in order.

    Big whole-house softeners are effective but I hate the vaguely salty taste of the water out of those (YMMV). “Hey, Culligan Man!”

  247. 247.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    I’m concerned Bernie may sprain his crucial wagging finger in this speech.

  251. 251.

    Duane

    @TaMara (HFG): In a time of national need Republicans decided to take a break. Careless to the point of criminality. If Coronavirus doesn’t take McConnell’s life may it take his job. Same for the rest of his heartless stooges.

  253. 253.

    Anotherlurker

    @different-church-lady: I’m in a similar situation, D C L.  I’m semi-retired and still do 3-7 days work/month as an A2.  I’m effected because most of my work for sports broadcasts.  So far I have had an MLS game canceled, substitute work on televised NBA games has now gone away. College sports are probably going to go the way of these other 2 sources of income.

    All this sucks, but this virus is bigger than us all .

  254. 254.

    JWR

    @Joey Maloney:

    Has anyone pointed out this “Biden has dementia” play is straight from Rove’s playbook?

    Nobody in our media is smart enough to notice it, but I saw a clip of Rove just this week saying that Biden couldn’t string two sentences together. Yep, Rove 101.

  256. 256.

    Leto

    Our county here in PA, Montgomery County, basically just went on total lockdown to get ahead of this shit. Gov Wolf is on the talking picture machine delivering this message right now. Hospitals, gas stations, grocery stores, emergency responders will be available, but for the next two weeks everything else is closing down for the next two weeks. Discouraging people going to movie theaters, concerts, telling religious leaders to think about their congregations.  Re-iterating washing hands for twenty seconds, wipe down surfaces, avoid sick people/stay home if you’re not well, keep 6ft distance from people, just stay home!

  259. 259.

    Avalune

    We’re on lock down ya’ll.

    Imm we won’t be making the trip to Boston apparently, since we’re on lockdown.

    Gotta go cancel some other appointments and make sure we have the last little bit of anything we need.

  260. 260.

    Citizen Alan

    @Mary G:  It shouldn’t be since virtually all legal filings are initially typed on a computer, so it’s easier to convert them to .pdfs than it is to print them. I am surprised that SCOTUS still takes paper docs, since I’ve been using Electronic Case Filing (ECF) for as long as I’ve been a lawyer.

  261. 261.

    Martin

    @Mary G: Shouldn’t be. There’s countless mechanisms we use in industry and government that are secure and easy to use, and will scale almost infinitely. I can set something like that up at work in no more than an hour.

  262. 262.

    Mary G

    @Martin: I donated and did some calls for her after it became evident that Mike Levin would take my district. So glad she beat the odds. She is fabulous in these hearings.

  263. 263.

    Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism

    Waiting for the announcement that March Madness has been canceled.

    Duke has said they won’t be fielding any athletic teams indefinitely. Kansas has announced that they are canceling all athletic travel. I don’t think they’ll be the last.

  264. 264.

    Elizabelle

    Listening to Bernie now.  He is not shouting.  Calm delivery.

    “The pharmaceutical industry must be told, in no uncertain terms, that the medicines they manufacture must be [affordable; no price gouging].”

    It’s his stump speech, geared to Cvirus19.

  267. 267.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: It has to be funny? I got nothing there. But for anyone willing to read a post-pandemic novel that’s ultimately hopeful, consider Station Eleven.

    Here’s the blurb:

    Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.

    Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.

  269. 269.

    Immanentize

    @trollhattan: The softeners are better now than the old Culligan ones we had to have when I was a kid (our water was so hard it rusted).  You can now pretty finely adjust the amount of salt that gets put in to the stream.

  270. 270.

    Martin

    @Mary G: I love the shitty whiteboard presentation. Other Reps set up their glossy propaganda posters, and she pulls out a  $8 white board, props it up on the head of the person sitting next to her, and goes into full professor mode.

    I hope she never changes. I want to see her do that shit from the Oval Office.

  271. 271.

    Elizabelle

    NY Times, Neil Irwin article:

    Something Weird Is Happening on Wall Street, and Not Just the Stock Sell-Off

    A sinking feeling reminiscent of the global financial crisis, when all kinds of obscure markets went haywire.

    Ya think?

  272. 272.

    trollhattan

    @Ksmiami:

    Oops, I mangled the name, thanks for the revise. And yes, it’s a scream. Watched it by myself and kept looking around for others to share the humor with.

    “Flight of the Conchords” fans who haven’t seen it need to fix that, like, yesterday.

  276. 276.

    RSA

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Having long ago apparently lost the battle with “data,” and “media,” can we at least attempt to keep “criteria” a plural noun?

    I’ll put it on the agendum.

  277. 277.

    joel hanes

    @cain:

    China is our supply chain for nearly everything and our buyer for everything else.

    If you count on Trump understanding this, or being capable of being made to understand this, you have an error in your reckoning.

  279. 279.

    Jeffro

    I didn’t have a chance to check and see if they broadcast any of Biden’s speech (highly doubt it) but Fox News dot com has not one peep that Biden said anything…anything at all.

  280. 280.

    Elizabelle

    @Immanentize: @Chyron HR:

    Oh yeah.  Sanders’ speech was micro rather than macro, as Biden’s was.  More emphasis on the individuals and small businesses affected.

    Anyhoo, both speeches were better than Trumpster Fire’s last night.

  281. 281.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @trollhattan: That one’s been on my list since first seeing the trailers, but more so lately after (finally) seeing Thor: Ragnarok and finding out that director Taika Waititi was the director on the vampire movie as well. My wife found Ragnarok a little tiresome though so it may not turn out to be a date movie.

  283. 283.

    Jay

    @Immanentize:

    guess you didn’t see the Covid19- diabetes post this morning.

    Apparently, it kills a lot of diabetics fast, and that’s in countries where insulin is affordable and not a GoFundMe bleg.

  284. 284.

    trollhattan

    @Immanentize:

    Good to know. There are fortunately a lot of technologies to choose among that can be tailored to one’s specific water conditions. The challenge is getting a proper water test from somebody who does not also sell them, to inform which path is best.

    Just Sunday a salesguy accosted me in the Home Despot light fixture aisle asking whether I would like a free water test. “Dude, does it look like I’m in plumbing?”

  285. 285.

    Gin & Tonic

    @trollhattan: Or just live with it. I have a well, and my water has lots of iron (lots.) I just accept the fact that I’m not going to get anemia, and that my pots will need to be scrubbed regularly, and the toilets will have an orange-ish ring at water level.

  286. 286.

    Immanentize

    @Citizen Alan: @Martin:

    Fellows! It’s the US Supreme Court. The problem isn’t standing up a system. As Citizen A. notes, all the other courts have e-filing systems and requirements. It’s getting the Justices to use them or care enough to make it a requirement even if the clerks print out everything for them. They LOVE their little color coded brief booklets. Not changing for, I would guess, twenty more years.

    At least we don’t have to file in 14″ foolscap anymore

  288. 288.

    Elizabelle

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:   And Taika Waititi just won an Oscar for adapted screenplay for JoJo Rabbit, which I highly recommend.

    Am a Taika fangirrrrl, although haven’t seen Thor or most of his work.  But he is just so appealing, talented, and does not take himself too seriously.  Refreshing.

  289. 289.

    Captain C

    @Betty Cracker:BTW, do y’all think the geniuses in the Trump brain trust anticipated how that European travel ban (with exceptions for countries that host Trump properties) would clobber the market today? I don’t think they had a clue.

    Except for the ones who heard it and immediately went and shorted the market.  Those individuals don’t have a conscience.

    (I’m assuming there’s at least one or two such people in his retinue.)

  290. 290.

    Jeffro

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    Totally agree.  Someone who doesn’t have to be the smartest person in the room…just smart enough to hire the smartest people and then actually follow through on what they tell him to do.

    I loved Biden’s line about how the markets will stabilize if there’s actual leadership.  OUCH.  But so true…

  294. 294.

    David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch

    What a shame, it took a pandemic to suspend the Astros.

  296. 296.

    Jay

    one cool thing that i'm not sure if any of you know but the medicaid/medicare administrator and the secretary of HHS aren't on speaking terms right now— ghost wife (@eponawest) March 12, 2020

  299. 299.

    Elizabelle

    @Martin:   And that without spectators on the course.

    I guess golf is a noncontact sport with plenty of social distancing.  Hmmm.

  301. 301.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Leto: Howdy neighbor. I live in Delaware County. We don’t have a county-wide response BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE A COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT thanks to a century of Republican rule.

    Last year’s election gave us a Democratic County Council and this was one of the tasks they set out to accomplish but it takes time to create a health department.

  302. 302.

    Immanentize

    @trollhattan: Ha!  I am saving that line for when I will inevitably need it.
    I have an under sink two-filter system that works great for improving our drinking water. The filters are a bit expensive, aqua-pure, like 100 bucks twice a year. But I am happy we have it.

  303. 303.

    Jay

    @trollhattan:

    up here, if you are on a well, you need annual water tests. The District Health Department reminds you, and also does the tests, for 122 different potential issues. It’s free.

  306. 306.

    trollhattan

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Iron by itself is tolerable, iron bacteria if established can raise holy plumbing hell (I had it in my apartment, back in the day).

    “Greensand” filters remove iron and its friend, manganese but if it ain’t broke….

  307. 307.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Elizabelle:

    That’s right, totally forgot that. And I just saw it as well. Wonderful, strange film. The part of Imaginary-Friend-Hitler is played by Waititi. Which is clearly a reflection of him not taking himself seriously, as you say.

  308. 308.

    Martin

    Well, that’ll get your attention:

    This is huge: Ohio Health Dept. Director Amy Acton is saying that evidence of community spread indicates that 1% of Ohioans are currently carrying coronavirus. That’s *117,000* people.

    Only 5 in Ohio have actually tested positive to this point.

    I don’t believe this is necessarily true, though. Community spread doesn’t necessarily extrapolate to some political boundary. You can have community spread in a town like New Rochelle that doesn’t imply community spread in a place like Montauk.

  309. 309.

    Martin

    Man, ESPN is going to be nothing but cornhole league and Jelle’s marble racing, isn’t it?

  310. 310.

    trollhattan

    @Jay:

    Great system, that, since it can catch problems that creep in without your knowledge.

    I once worked at a community development corporation who advocated for rural affordable housing, water and wastewater services. One initiative was to organize scattered towns into groups who shared water sampling and testing, collected by circuit riders and tested at contract labs. Vastly more affordable than doing it singly.

  312. 312.

    trollhattan

    @Martin:

    “All the sports that aren’t technically sports, 24/7”

    USL just followed MLS and are on hiatus. IMO the Tokyo Olympics are hanging by a thread.

  313. 313.

    NotMax

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Stretching your requirements a mite –
    King of the Zombies
    Carry on Screaming!
    An American Werewolf in London
    The Lost Boys
    Tremors
    They Live    .

    Schlock for schlock’s sake:
    Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
    Nudist Colony of the Dead    .

  315. 315.

    White & Gold Purgatorian

    @Major Major Major Major: Why is “God bless our troops” a misstep.
    God bless them, indeed, every single day. And the doctors, nurses, administrators and, yes, janitors, who are the first line troops defending us all from a pandemic. Those people are watching tragedy barreling toward them and, shamefully, they are getting precious little support from the feds.
    Took my mom to see her orthopedic guy yesterday. Three weeks ago he shook my mom’s hand and mine when he came in the room. Yesterday he just said hi, which was a relief. Hand sanitizer on all the desks. The front desk is asking patient names again instead of having people sign a clipboard. No confirmed cases in this area yet but these folks clearly understand what is coming.

  318. 318.

    Marcopolo

    @Dorothy A. Winsor: It has to be funny? I got nothing there. But for anyone willing to read a post-pandemic novel that’s ultimately hopeful, consider Station Eleven.

    This is an awesome book.  Emily St. John Mandel (is that a great name or what) is a really talented writer.

    And it is being made into a tv series:

    On October 18, 2019, it was announced that Station Eleven would be adapted into a 10-episode miniseries that will premiere on HBO Max. Hiro Murai is set to direct, with Patrick Somerville as showrunner and writer. They will both also serve as executive producers alongside Scott Steindorff, Scott Delman, and Dylan Russell. The miniseries will star Mackenzie Davis as Kirsten and Himesh Patel as Jeevan. Gael García Bernal and David Wilmot have also been cast in undisclosed roles.[15]

  319. 319.

    Suzanne

    I am barely holding it together. I am working remotely right now, but I really need to sell my house. My realtor says that the market is good and that the housing market and the stock market move separately, but I really need to sell it quickly. The universities here have decided to do two weeks online, but the K-12s are still planning on going back on Tuesday. I have a sore throat, but I often do, because I am allergic to everything.

  321. 321.

    Marcopolo

    In case anyone does want a fun apocalypse based tv show, I’ll recommend:

    You, Me and the Apocalypse

    With their days numbered, a group of people struggle with the inevitable apocalypse after it is discovered that a comet is on a collision course with Earth.

    Rob Lowe gives a nice turn as a fairly devout priest.

  323. 323.

    Leto

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: Howdy neighbor! Sorry you guys don’t have a county health department, but hopefully you get something going with the new Dem majority. Take care of yourself and let us know how you’re getting along :)

  324. 324.

    Jay

    @trollhattan:

    we expect Government to work for us.

    We have two water bands here, one is in deep rock, ( 50 to 100 metres), one is in shallow rock, ( 5 to 10 metres). The deep one is fossil water from 2 million years ago, that can in some areas, “get” radon. The shallow one is water and snowpack laid down 3 to 5 years ago and can suddenly start showing all kinds of krud if an upstream neighbour started “dumping stuff in the crik”,…

  325. 325.

    Leto

    @Elizabelle:

    Have to say of the three Thor movies, Taika’s is the most entertaining. Character development and just plain fun! Change from the other two Thor outings.

  326. 326.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Wait, WTF?! You don’t have a county health department!? That’s crazy. Have you had to rely on the state health department? What about flu and other infectious disease surveillance? What was the justification on not having one?

  328. 328.

    NotMax

    @Marcopolo

    Also too the short run British series Whoops Apocalypse as well as the related mostly in name only movie of the same title.

  331. 331.

    trollhattan

    @Jay:

    The shallow one is water and snowpack laid down 3 to 5 years ago and can suddenly start showing all kinds of krud if an upstream neighbour started “dumping stuff in the crik”,…

    “I’m sorry to inform you sir, but your water is showing 350 mg/L banjos.”

  333. 333.

    trollhattan

    @Suzanne:

    Still, be on the lookout for any Peggy Lee moments. We need ALL our jackals!

    (Also, too, take a good antihistamine and see if it clears up a bit.)

  334. 334.

    joel hanes

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    a post-pandemic novel that’s ultimately hopeful

    Another in this vein is George R. Stewart’s beautiful, elegiac classic _Earth_Abides_.    Highest possible recommendation.

  335. 335.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Somehow it flew under the radar. I wasn’t aware of it until a slate of Dem candidates ran on that as one of their central platform issues. The Dems all lost that year, but as I recall the Republican council announced they’d do a study to see if the county needed one. I don’t remember that study every being done or published.

    Basically (and this was another thing pointed out by the Dem candidate) nobody knew where the county budget went. Nobody was paying attention, and I don’t think they published much info on their meetings or budgets. At least one other jurisdiction around here announced after election day that they would now be making the council minutes available to the public. That was a new thing.

  337. 337.

    joel hanes

    @Martin:

    I don’t believe this is necessarily true

    As the testing will never even come close to catching up, we will never know.

    Therefore, since the world has still
    Much good, but much less good than ill,
    And while the sun and moon endure
    Luck’s a chance, but trouble’s sure,
    I’d face it as a wise man would,
    And train for ill and not for good.

  339. 339.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @TaMara (HFG): If Schumer had an ounce of sense (debatable) and a gram of political wits, he’d keep the Dem Senators in town and holding their own meetings on this. Live.

  342. 342.

    WhatsMyNym

    @Suzanne:

    I really need to sell my house

    It will be even more important to have professional quality pictures on your listing to attract potential buyers. Folks will be pickier about how many houses they visit.

  343. 343.

    Jay

    @White & Gold Purgatorian:

    with 17+ Infinity Wars of Choice ongoing,

    US Troops abandoning allies to “take the Oil”,

    massive MIC corruption,

    War Criminal pardons,

    Dumph surrendering to the Taliban,

    The VA failing,

    just to name a few,

    since 9/11, outside of specific uses in issues based speeches, it’s become a meaningless bromide like “thoughts and prayers”, “thank you for your service”, etc that grates across the spinal cords of many Americans like a bastard file.

  346. 346.

    Kent

    @Martin:Man, ESPN is going to be nothing but cornhole league and Jelle’s marble racing, isn’t it?

    Re-runs.  We’ll be watching endless “classic” games from years past.

  347. 347.

    Ruckus

    @The Dangerman:

    Anyone who isn’t in dementia, and a complete asshole should be able to speak better than shit for brains. I’ve spoken before crowds before and on TV and if I can, most anyone can. The first time is the worst, it does get easier but it isn’t all that difficult.

  348. 348.

    Jay

    @trollhattan:

    there was a case a couple of years ago where the landowner sub leased the property out to a Numbered Corporation that used it to improperly store Hazardous Waste. Not cool. Code only allows permitted logging, ranching, farming and a restricted list of small businesses. Needless to say, the lawsuits are ongoing.

  350. 350.

    Suzanne

    @trollhattan: I’m so used to my allergies making me feel low-grade crappy that I don’t really notice them anymore. But now I’m paranoid.

    I wish our government would just say something like “Okay, everyone: three-week lockdown. We can do this.” It’s these drips and  drabs that are stressful. If they just pulled the trigger, we could deal with it, because it would have an end date.

  351. 351.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m scrolling through the thread to make sure I get them all.

    This started with us talking about The Snapper, which started us talking about other movies centering on pubs. I mentioned Shawn of the Dead and an Irish movie I saw once on Aer Lingus that involved a monster from the sea. Turns out the monster is poisoned by people whose blood is full of alcohol, so of course it’s everyone’s duty to get as drunk as possible.

    We were also listening to various horrifying stories on the administration non-response to the virus. So somehow the two thoughts merged into my wife’s request for plague-themed entertainment.

    Our conversations tend to go through bizarre twists and turns. I’m afraid after a couple weeks of talking only to each other we may not be fit for normal human society anymore.

  354. 354.

    Ruckus

    @Fair Economist:

    Not to knock the concept but it’s not like we haven’t had time to come up with a lot more comprehensive plan than the nothing trump has his thumb stuck in.

  356. 356.

    gvg

    @Suzanne: I am really sorry. I don’t have anything really useful to say, but I thought I should just sympathize and tell you I noticed.

  357. 357.

    Duane

    @Marcopolo: Thanks for reminding me to call my two worthless Missouri senators. Part of me wants to see Republicans tell people they really don’t care about them, but providing direct help during this national emergency has to be done. Put enough pressure on the rat bastards, they might do what’s right, if only to save their political hides.

  359. 359.

    trollhattan

    @Jay:

    Stuff like that is no better than crank cookers dumping their waste into ditches. Depending on the substances and environmental conditions, contamination can literally drive the neighbors out and make an entire area uninhabitable.

    Once worked on a project for a plot of land in the SoCal desert where the duffer living there put “recovered” i.e., stolen electrical wire onto metal racks, doused it with diesel and burned off the insulation. Did this across the property for years and the PCBs and dioxins drifted off his land and onto a neighboring low-income apartment complex.

    Good times.

  360. 360.

    Suzanne

    @gvg: Thank you. I am a fairly anxious person, and so I don’t know if I am overreacting. I just changed jobs, too, so now I’m worried about getting fired.

    Though I design hospitals.

  361. 361.

    Elizabelle

    @Ksmiami:   Loved that.  For years, Taika and crew said they were planning a follow up movie based on the werewolves.  But … events intervened.

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