@276 Ever been to an arts and crafts fair and been cornered by some aging hippie spouting off gibberish while you look at his shitty collection of Nepalese doodads for sale?

Welcome to kristofarian's stall.

I find his Puerile Projectionisms
quite Amusing! Plus (+) it
Always Pwns
it's elf.

so there's that

Oddly enuff
it always
comes
back
for

more.

I don't like Trump, but I also don't like misleading bullshit that was also the same fucking bullshit nonsense they lobbed at Obama.
"Respirators, ventilators, all of the equipment — try getting it yourselves," Trump told the governors during a phone call, The New York Times reported. "We will be backing you, but try getting it yourselves. Points of sales, much better, much more direct if you can get it yourself." - Trump
That is not saying FUCK YOU STATES GET YOUR OWN VENTILATORS, it is saying lets do all that we can and do what you can yourself. For fuck sakes I am embarrassed to be a liberal these days with politicizing a fucking virus

Thanks, Stranger. These Updates are as concise and complete as anything I've seen.

@284

Needs its algorithms tweaked; it can't tell the difference between politicizing a virus and criticizing the political response of politicians.

By my back of the envelope calculations, that $1.5Trill equals about $4500.00 per American, which sounds like a nice amount to tide ppl over for a month or so

Guess slog PM must be on hiatus. Bummer. Hope shit's back to normal soon. Hugs.

@272: Don't you have some remedial 7th grade Math homework to catch up on?
Make a doctor's appointment soon, too, while you're at it. MAGAvirus is known to rapidly kill vital brain cells. Your latest garbled word salad demonstrates that you desperately need what little you've got left.
@287 joemama: I'm really sorry. Times are very uncertain and stressful for so many of us.

Everyone stay healthy, warm, and safe. May common sense prevail.

I braved going outside and grocery shopping today. It was so beautiful.
EVeryone stay healthy, warm, and safe. And wash your hands.

@290 your MAGA comment directed at me could not better illustrate the point of the article about you!

I'm probably farther left than you are politically, and certainly not a racist like you (as the article reveals). You're a dimwitted dupe who the Russians own, and your cries for blood based on misinformation are the root of evil in our time.

https://ordinary-times.com/2018/11/06/auntie-grizeldas-bandwagon/

"He [hair Furor] then called Boeing 'the greatest company in the world... '"

Yep. Boeing took trumpfy's TRILLION POINT FIVE Tax Cut /Handout
and spent their fair share on STOCK BUYBACKS, VASTLY
Enriching their Managers' Stocks /Options.

You mean, they didn't spend it on Improving Boeing?
'Improving Boeing'? How Quaint. Gawd, No.
They gotta Get It Whilst They CAN.

And now?
It;s all GONE.
Oops.

Not to Worry, Citizenry!
Fake "prez' gonna give them yet
another MASSIVE Fucking HANDOUT.
Oh, Re-JOICE!

Whilst We the people are all gonna get a Check for
TWO HUNDRED -- or Maybe THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS!

Don't spend it ALL in One Place.
Suckers.

@299 kristofarian: I remember George Dubya's supposed "Big Tax Rebate" for the masses upon his inauguration in 2001. G.W.'s quote to the 99%:
"Go to Disneyworld!"
Yeah, right. As if a mere three hundred bucks would cover travel expense round trip from SeaTac to and from Orland, Florida and home again!

@299 kristofarian: Agreed and seconded. MAGAs are truly suckers. I am reminded of George Dubya's "Big Tax Rebate" for millions of U.S. citizens upon his inauguration in 2001, after he stole the election from Al Gore. Florida's highly defective "hanging chad" voting system and the electoral college fully screwed up the 2000 general election. G.W. Bush's big quote to the "unwashed masses":
"Go to Disneyworld."

Yeah, right, Dubya. As if a mere $300.00 is truly going to cover the traveling expenses of a cross-country flight to and from Orlando, Florida from SeaTac. Imagine how the world would have been if 2001 had been Al Gore's rightful inauguration, winning by the majority of the popular vote.

News You Can Use: It's not a real panic till there's a run on the banks.

"People are going to keep needing food.
It’s such a weird feeling when you come to work.
It’s like walking into a minefield."

We were elbow to elbow at Freddy Meyer's today.
Only heard one sneeze, off in the distance.

Perhaps my timing could have been Better.
And they were out of it anyway.

Oh, and the Library, scheduled to close (for weeks) at 5pm sharp today was aleady closed at three as well. (I don't blame them; sometimes sick people who have nowhere else to go go to Libraries. I don't blame them either.) I was gonna stock up, pandemically...

But, the Co-op did have
the spice I was looking
for so Score.

This will get a lot worse. More than you all realize.

Keep social distancing, hold stream parties with friends, wash your hands with soap and water.

It's not for you, it's for your mom and dad and aunts and uncles and grandparents and your friends relatives and those of your friends with hypertension, cardiac risk, pregnancy, diabetes - those are the people you do it for.

We KNOW that it's been spreading for months. The lack of testing and no antibody tests so we can say you were already exposed and are now immune is the problem.

I think published anti-vaxxers should be prohibited from getting any vaccine that may become available. It's only fair, wouldn't you say?

These are indeed, seriously perilous times. Everyone stay healthy, warm, safe, and wash your hands consistently.
@302 spunkbutter: Please, spunky---I don't need anything more to worry about. Besides, I just got notice from my bank that their lobbies are closed, but drive through, phone, and online banking services are still available. I'm so glad I have direct deposit.
@307 spunkbutter: Anti-vaxxers would just scoff at getting a CONVID-19 vaccine, anyway, even if there was a possibility of saving lives. But for public health's sake they should certainly remain home and / or quarantined.
I'm glad I had my two recent shingles vaccinations are taken care of, and that I got a flu shot last fall.
How are people living in the San Juan Islands getting around if they work on the mainland (and vice versa)? It looks like no long distance road trips for my VW and me anytime soon.

@302: Given that there is the FDIC, I'll put that in the list of things not to worry about right now.

@306 oh calm the fuck.down panic boy. It's okay to go outside and exercise according to the Bay Area lock down order. Just keep some distance. Your probably 1000 times more likely to get the bug picking up take food out than running past another runner on the sidewalk.

The effect of people going outside is bupkis on the spread of the disease, positive to mental health. Stop demonizing people totally unnecessarily.

So this is the apocalypse. I’m trapped in my own home on the Eastside. Suburban strip mall hell, indeed.

"To stop the spread of the coronavirus, state and local governments have shut down as much of communal life as possible. People are also social distancing, staying out of public spaces to slow transmission of the disease.

But this has destroyed demand for goods and services, putting the United States on the path to a recession that could easily become an outright depression.

Washington is, finally, working toward a response. But even the most ambitious proposals are nowhere near powerful enough to actually stop the coronavirus from destroying the economy.

To do that, policymakers have to go beyond stimulus or bailouts for select industries. They have to take responsibility for economic life on a scale not seen since the New Deal."

"In forcing people to stay away from each other, the outbreak has made our mutual interdependence clear. This, in turn, has made it a powerful, real-life argument for the broadest forms of social insurance.

And for the party that pioneered American social insurance, the party of F.D.R. and L.B.J., it’s an opportunity to once again embrace direct state action as a powerful tool for preserving and promoting prosperity.

If the era of small government is over, and it is, then it’s well past time for Democrats to seize a moment that belongs to them."

Here's the top Reader's Pick coment:

"Maybe it's time for the Banks and the 1% we bailed out a decade ago to bail out the 99% this time around.

We should rethink the nature of the economy. Let's not bail out the airlines, let's nationalize the airlines, if they need a bailout then we own them, we take back all those stock buybacks we subsidized.

Let's think about everything that should be public; municipal wi-fi, etc. Any other ideas?

All of a sudden the Republicans and the 1% want socialism when times are bad, let's keep it when good times return."

--PNBlanco, Montclair, NJ 5h ago

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/opinion/coronavirus-bailouts-stimulus.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage

@311: That was loosing your cool? Compared to the explosive temper tantrums around here that was as loud as a cat jumping from an ottoman onto a shag carpet.

test

Markets are now below where they were when Trump took office. Wasn't that about the only thing this guy might have been good for?

I can guarantee you that if we'd advanced to a third term of Obama's economic policies, slow and steady real gains, not Trump's ridiculous corporate borrowing bubble, everybody's 401k would be looking a hell of a lot better right now.

It's no wonder people are freaking out - deep down even his supporters know the guy is a total incompetent when s*** gets real ....

Is there a 4th page with comments? Seems like it, but the links not working for me....

The USN is indeed calling up reserves to crew its two hospital ships, the medical staff ill be military while the operating crew will be merchant mariners employed by whichever company has that contract, now, seafarers will come from the MEBA, SIU and MMP

https://news.usni.org/2020/03/17/pentagon-preparing-navy-hospital-ships-mercy-comfort-for-coronavirus-response?fbclid=IwAR2g_lJLObCAoOtaRbRBCHTADhpUz0vqWeXbIcSniAt1EofaRlhXnCvlLnk

The latest news from DOD is that the USN is calling up reserves to crew its two hospital ships, one is home ported in Norfolk VA. and one in San Diego CA.

The medical staff ill be military and the operating crew ill be merchant mariners hired by whichever company has that contract now, and called from the MEBA, SIU, and MMP halls

https://news.usni.org/2020/03/17/pentagon-preparing-navy-hospital-ships-mercy-comfort-for-coronavirus-response?fbclid=IwAR2g_lJLObCAoOtaRbRBCHTADhpUz0vqWeXbIcSniAt1EofaRlhXnCvlLnk

@314 Your 16-year-old daughter is a slag.

Seattle expert estimates 20,000 novel coronavirus infections in the U.S. now

Updated March 14, 2020 at 4:14 pm

By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times staff reporter

"A Seattle expert is estimating about 20,000 people in the U.S. are now infected with the new coronavirus, nearly 10 times more than the roughly 2,300 confirmed cases.

"Trevor Bedford, a computational biologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, posted his estimates in a series of 13 tweets Friday night. “I could easily be off 2-fold in either direction, but my best guess is that we’re currently in the 10,000 to 40,000 range nationally,” he wrote."

If the actual number of cases is 10x the mortality rate drops to a tenth of the current estimate.
If there are 40,000 cases that drops the mortality rate to 5% of the current hysterical figure.
Both figures well below the rate for the common flu.

And in fact, they are finally going to realize some day that people have been getting and surviving this virus for months already, before CNN and MSNBC decided to shit their pants about it.

Jackasses.

Is this comment thread still working? Let's find out!

EDIT: Fixed. Go about your business!

@305 guesty: Agreed and seconded. I am fortunate to be on a still running bus line as well as be able to drive my VW, and that local stores are within one mile in each direction, and good people surround me.

Everyone stay warm, healthy, and safe. Wash your hands often.

@315: Good. From now on, you can consider me like a cat jumping off an ottoman onto a shag carpet. That should officially settle any heated argument you may be tempted to start with me or anyone else out of sheer boredom, sugarlips. Meow.

@314 -- I agree. It really is time to start talking about nationalizing companies, and I would start with Boeing, for several reasons:

1) It is essentially a monopoly. The only competition for most of its jets is Airbus. One trans-European heavily subsidized corporation versus one wholly owned U. S. corporation sound OK by me.

2) It has lost whatever mojo it ever had. The problems go way back, as I'm sure any Boeing engineer will tell you. They stopped trying to make the world's best airplanes, and focused on squeezing that extra dollar at the end of the quarter. There is nothing of value left from a corporate standpoint (unlike plenty of American companies, that still have a soul).

3) It is, and will be heavily dependent on the U. S. government. It can't just go back and make airplanes again. It needs the U. S. to buy up the weapons that keep it in business. It needs to have government trade lawyers bargain on its behalf. It also needs the U. S. to bail it out. Not to protect the jobs of those on top -- but to protect the highly skilled workers (engineers and machinists) that have been screwed by the corporate heads for so very long.

Nationalize Boeing. In the long run we will be better off.

Oh, and just to be clear, I wouldn't nationalize the airlines (or most corporations in the U. S.) although I would regulate them a lot more. But Boeing is a special case, which is why it should be run by the country. Like Amtrak, in a generation folks will forget that there really was a private company (or companies) doing that sort of thing back in the day.

@323 -- All those dead people in Italy (475 today) are just overreacting.

Will Melania wear her I REALLY DON'T CARE, DO U? jacket in the PSAs or will she do them naked? Either way, no one is going to listen to or care about whatever she has to say. She is a bigger piece of shit than her husband, because she chooses to be with that psychopath so she can be rich and pretend she's not an immigrant who came here illegally and used her naked body to get an "Einstein" visa. Be Best, Melania, and STFU, you know, something your shit bag of a husband is incapable of doing.

329
Over 600,000 people die in Italy every year.
You are the one overreacting.
Grow up.

326
Everything is far from fine.
Policy makers acting based on hysteria, terror and panic are destroying our economy.
Even if this virus does the worst the panty-wetting crowd are shrieking about it would not constitute a major national crisis. You are terrified weak backboneless infants with zero character or courage or fortitude. Real crises and challenges, including actual public health threats, will absolutely face our nation in coming years. This is not one. Not even close. And yet segments of our nation are folding like a cheap card table before even this non-crisis gets started.
Your weak shallow civilization is crumbling before your eyes.
Once you are gone America can get back to what made it great, exceptional, worthwhile.
In the meantime we must endure your Harry Potter Mandrakish screeching.
You will not be missed when you are gone.

Excellent Call, Garbby.
(Some of?) Our resident Schlog Trolls
are NOT Residents of this USA:

"Your weak shallow civilization
is crumbling before your eyes."

"Once you are gone America can get back to
what made it great, exceptional, worthwhile."

You betchya, Putin, jr.
Shit like Slavery and Lynchings
and far "right"-wing Terrorism and
Women can't Vote and as far as the
Gays, the Infirm and anyone who cannot
benefit the Holy Plantation Owner in some way is
Unnecessary* in unbridled Capitalism's /the Kleptocracy's
total Domination of OUR Civil Society.

And what better time than in a fucking Pandemic
for these probably Very Well Paid Trolls to prosper
by sowing Division?

*not worthy of Healthcare
much less the time of day

Speaking of Making Americ White Again:

"Idaho’s legislature hasn’t addressed the coronavirus.
But it has passed 2 anti-trans bills this week"

"While a state passing legislation that would seem to be unconstitutional is worrying in the best of times, Idaho lawmakers’ focus on this issue — again, it has passed two anti-trans bills in two days — amid the coronavirus pandemic is a matter of concern.

Although the state only has a handful of coronavirus cases so far, Idahoans are still allowed to congregate in bars and restaurants without restrictions, something at odds with guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House.

In a time when people are concerned for their own health, and as the US — and Idaho — sees a growing number of confirmed coronavirus cases, the state’s focus on further marginalizing a tiny community with little political power comes across as increasingly petty and small."

"Increasingly petty and small."
Protecting the Patriarchy at ALL Costs.
Way to Go, Youdaho.

https://www.vox.com/2020/3/18/21184941/idaho-coronavirus-anti-trans-bills-birth-certificate

I had to venture out this morning for an appointment & so I did a little grocery shopping...
PCC was pretty normal- a few bare shelves, looked like the t.p. aisle had been ransacked (I thought those stories were apocryphal, but apparently not) and the meat section had one bare display case, but otherwise...
So then I had to stop at my local small-town sad grocery store.
Different story there.
No t.p. or paper towels, beer aisle was 1/3 normal inventory, the processed cheese and canned food shelves were stripped.
Middle America hunkering down with shit food, Fox News and cheap booze. Tsk tsk.
Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

@330: Wash your filthy hands and get a vaccine for MAGAvirus as well as CONVID-19 already, you deranged little Putin sock puppet.
@331 Garb Garbbler: You nailed it for the WIN. Bravo and Kudos.
@332 & @333 kristofarian: Agreed and seconded. WTF is up with Idaho, besides MAGAvirus running extra rampantly? I think there should be a vaccine for toxic masculinity. What to do when all the schools are shut down and the textbooks are all printed in RepubliKKKan Texas?
Their restaurants and bars are all still open?! It's as kallipugos @334 said, quoting actor John Vernon as Faber College Dean Vernon Wormer, to Stephen Furst as Delta frat boy, Kent Dorfman, a.k.a. Flounder: "Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
How the hell is anyone living in remote, rural areas, like the San Juan Islands going to get supplies, much less transportation and medical care?
@334 kallipugos: Bravo and well done on the Animal House quote. I nominate you, Garb Garbbler @331 and kristofarian @332 & @333 among winners in this comment thread--one of the longest in recent Stranger history.

331
There are two Americas;
one of Americans who believe in, are inspired by and strive to live up to the ideals that made our nation great,
the other- populated by cringing whining American'ts- that long ago abandoned the values that keep us free.
That civilization is dying before our eyes, going out crying and blaming and fearful and angrily demanding one last fistful of handouts as it swirls around the bottom of the crapper.

We won't miss you when you are gone.

Yeah those beaches, man, always doing whatever they want.

@334 - Nobody likes that organic, vegan, gluten-free, recycled toilet paper sold at PCC.

Be a damn Shame when all those Disbelieving Geezers Take One for Darwin whilst they laff so hard at pwnig them damn dumb Libs. I shall shed a tear and maybe doff my domecover as those multiple miles of hearses pass, and think of trumpfy's, FOX's and Rush the Oxymoron's Complicity and how Very well off they all are.

The bigger damn Shame is how badly they'll be Clogging up and bogging down our Nation's soon-to-be-Maxxed-out Hospitals and, in so doing, heavily increasing the Death Tolls for innocent bystanders, unlucky enough to hafta Compete with utter Stupidity. And maximum Hubris.

@340: Oh. So my local Co-Op should still be in pretty good shape, then, with the exception of its shelf supply of paper products. Speak for yourself, sugarlips. Meow.
@341 kristofarian: It's a mixed blessing that my doctor is declaring my recommended surgical procedure an elective at this point. I can't imagine being in a hospital or in the ER right now. I really feel for healthcare workers everywhere. I know I'M ready for my "biological clock" to run out.

@329: Just because you want to trash (more than trash) the First Lady doesn't mean everyone else feels the same way. A lot of Trumpists love her and will listen to her; and if that creates a healthier population, why in the world would you want to even think of disrespecting it?

I just loaded my knickers. Do I have it???

Mr President;
Washington represents two percent of the American population,
20 percent of the COVID-19 infections,
and 61 percent of the fatalities caused by COVID-19.
It is clear that we fucked up big-time and we need someone to bail our sorry asses out.
Little did I dream, as I spent the past years criss-crossing the nation running for President, that I had left my state so woefully unprepared for the challenge we face.
Gawd, what a dickless sorry-assed piece of shit Governor I turned out to be.
Please send the Navy.
XOXO
Jay

@347 -- You do realize that virus first took hold in Washington State, right?

Do you really think that each state has their own version of the CDC? If Canada invades the U. S. and takes over Seattle, are you going to blame the state militia, instead of the federal military?

Jesus, what a moron. This was a major fuckup at the federal level, not the state level, and Washington State has handled the situation better than a lot of places (which is why other states have now passed us in terms of cases, and will soon pass in terms of deaths).

Meanwhile, the NYTimes reports:

"Coronavirus Stimulus Package Spurs a Lobbying Gold Rush
Some industries are in dire need of a bailout. Others see a rare chance to win special breaks at a moment when the fiscal spigots are open."

Capitalism! MAGA!
Aint America wonderful?

@347: Pull your head out of your MAGAass, you clueless little Putin sock puppet. And stop misconstruing FOX-TeeVee as a reliable news source.
Washington State is leading the nation on slowing the coronavirus CONVID-19. Meanwhile Trumpty Dumpty is laughing, spewing its usual nonsensical garbage on Twitter, and its equally inept partner in crime, Dencey Pencey thinks all can be cured by the "power of prayer". As IF.
@348 Ross: Agreed and seconded. Well summarized.

@347 Is that you, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump? Why are you wasting time here with us plebs, instead of working hard to get bailout money for your hotels and resorts, like your fellow blood-sucking parasites, er, I mean Big Biz CEOs are doing? Better hurry to grab the money before the bailout-trough is all hoovered up by them! Hurry, hurry, times-a-passing!

It is interesting to note that in Italy, mortality rates from coronavirus CONVID-19 are twice as high in males as those in females. While urgently needed medical research is being done, vaccines will not be made available in eighteen months, medical supplies are scarce worldwide, and there is no cure.
We're all in this together. May good common sense prevail for us to get through it.

@337: You shouldn't be so mean to Republicans sweetie.

Seems to me if you're not going to stay home and go out and be in a large group then when you get sick you can feel free to NOT seek medical help. I mean if you are too good for following the stay the fuck home rule, then you are obviously too good to be treated when you get sick (because you were fucking STUPID)!!!!

A 34 year old guy just died after going to Disneyland and Universal in Los Angeles earlier this month, so all of the people who believe they cannot get sick and will not die if they do really need to pull their heads out of their asses.

*could not die

@356: *would not die

@358: Yes, there's one I missed. If you're referring to the insider trading news regarding NC Senator Richard Burr, I stand corrected on that per the Stock Act.

Why are so many of them at the fucking beach? Um...

"Here Are Our Favorite Seattle Parks, Beaches, and Hiking Trails—Go Out and Enjoy Them This Weekend by Stranger EverOut Staff • Friday at 5:15 pm"

@361: Looks like you didn't read the first paragraph:

Spring is here, and normally Seattle's 485-plus parks and beaches would be swarmed with people having picnics, LARPing, and prematurely sunbathing. But as local public health officials urge people to practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, such activities are discouraged. However, if you want to do some solitary reflection somewhere other than your living quarters, these spaces remain open, just as long as you stay at least six feet away from other people. With that in mind, we've rounded up our favorite Seattle parks below to inspire you to go out and enjoy the fresh air—and maybe explore some secret beaches while you're at it.

@363: I will reply to you politely. Giving you the respect you fail to give others. Here it is:

The beaches should be discouraged. But jogging/walking/hiking solo at safe distances is encouraged by epidemiologists.

@363 -- I was thinking the same thing. It really is crazy that The Stranger posts an article about something they know little about (hiking) and don't have a comment section. A few notes:

1) Granite Mountain will have plenty of snow, and there is significant avalanche danger on that mountain (several people have died over the years).

2) Melakwa Lake is also under snow. There may be avalanche danger, but my guess is the greater risk is getting lost.

3) Discovery Park is bound to be crowded, but you should be able to keep your distance while walking. There are a lot of trails that should enable you to get away from folks.

4) Green Lake could be very crowded, but you could always walk through Woodland Park or just walk through the various neighborhoods. Same sort of thing for the Arboretum and Volunteer Park. There are places to go even if what you had in mind is too crowded.

5) Mount Si can get ridiculously crowded. Unlike the parks in the city, someone who goes there is likely to just persevere, which means you are likely to be in a big crowd much of the time. That is probably the last hike I would recommend under current conditions.

6) Poo Poo Point is similar to some of those urban hikes, in that it doesn't have to be your destination. The view from there is not that spectacular. The main value is a walk in some pretty good old growth forest, and you can get that in various places in the area. If the main trail up there is too crowded, don't feel like you are missing much if you find a different trail going somewhere else (and there are a bunch of trails there). The biggest crowds might be in the parking lot.

@366: Because of the narrownesss of trails, hikers tend to naturally have save distances between them as they go single file zig zagging up to the top of, like, Poo Poo point. The parking lots could have clusters of people, but so could also the top and where the views are.

@367 -- If a trail is really crowded -- like Mount Si crowded -- then you have groups of people walking together, whether they want to or not. These are people often breathing heavily, thus sending little droplets into the air, for others to inhale. People who walk together (four across, for example) have probably already exposed each other. In contrast, someone waiting, patiently, to pass another hiker, may be exposing themselves to someone new. You also have dogs, which often brush up against people. I'm not saying it is the most dangerous environment, but it isn't benign either.

The answer to the headline question is simple.

There are two (2) pandemics occurring simultaneously. The first is a disease outbreak. The second is a stupidity outbreak.

Seattle appears to be ground zero for the stupidity outbreak as well.

372
Leftist have absolute control in Seattle and California and NY;
yet they have done nothing about their own carbon footprint, have the worse homeless problems in the nation, the greatest income inequality, huge underachievement in their black communities.
Their Hollywood and Media Elites are the worst abusers of women.
Leftists talk a good show but don't do JackSquat.
Show your teeth?
How about stfu...

Holy shit-!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!---I love beaches and our blessed surrounding of nature. But it's as everyone who is sane says---stay out of crowded and confined areas! The coronavirus CONVID-19 is a global pandemic. Climate change is real. Social distancing is a MUST. Everyone stay healthy, safe, and sane.
This reminds me of the big tsunami scare we had back in 1986 that went largely unheeded.
A major earthquake in Japan was supposed to have sent a major tsunami across the Pacific Ocean, threatening everyone on the West Coast. People in my hometown of La Conner where I grew up were evacuated from our homes from the local fire departments and emergency crews--especially those of us overlooking Deception Pass, Whidbey, Hope, and Skagit Islands, and the Kiket Island Peninsula. So what did millions of people down in coastal California do?
Heyyyyy--surf's up, dude! Let's par-taaayyy........!
Despite California's statewide warning to avoid the coastline, that's exactly what a bunch of people did.
They wanted to go "see" the tsunami and possibly catch the big wave on video recorder. Fortunately for those of us on the West Coast, the Big Tsunami Scare of '86 turned out to be a false alarm.
What a shame that the crew of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger weren't as lucky.

I wonder how many are all so eager to go "see" coronavirus CONVID-19 for themselves?
Come on, people. May common sense prevail over curiosity at the boiling point of no return.

374 etc

"genocide and eugenics and white supremacy and everything America stands for"
What a sad opinion you have of America.
You filthy loser.

America is, head and shoulders, the greatest civilization that has ever inhabited this planet.
Not because Americans are better than (or even different from) other people;
but because, historically, the Ideals we admire and have tried to live up to are superior to all other.

America, and Americans, are not perfect.
But there is enormous good in the American people, and has always been; and our systems of government have allowed us to grow as people and as a people, and be a beacon to the planet.

True American's recognize and cherish that reality and their nation.

Toxic Leftist American'ts hate and reject our nation and the values that make it great.

ps it is so pathetic to see clueless terrified mental midgets blaming "Russia" when confronted with realities that blow their putrid world view apart.
You pathetic weak fearful clueless babies....

Democracy and self-rule are not easy, it is a business for adults;
The Left is a whining shrieking toddler blubbering with snot and tears streaming down their red faces.
Our nation and civilization really need you to grow up.

@Jenny -- "America is, head and shoulders, the greatest civilization that has ever inhabited this planet."

Some'd beg to Differ:

See: A People's History of the United States
See also:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WxdaU9AsnU

Scathing Feedback from the Newsroom, the link referenced in my comment above:

"We (USA) lead the World in only three catagories:

Number of incarcerated Citizens per capita

Number of Adults who believe Angels are Real

and "Defense" spending where we spend more than the next 26 Countries -- COMBINED -- 25 of whom are our Allies."

It's only "news" if you haven't heard it
and obviously you either haven't or don't care to.
That's on You.

@380 -- "You pathetic weak fearful clueless babies..."

Without Projection you tighty ass far far FAR
"righties" would be totally Voiceless.

Speaking of 'growing up.'

Now, please, tell us all how "well" your hero
is "handling" HIS Katrina/Panfuckingdemic?

He is, without a Doubt, America's Biggest Loser -- according to our very own IRS.

When only ONE percent of the Citizenry is kicking the 99%'s ass that isn't 'Winning.' That IS Fascism.

How much are they paying you?
'Cause you are obviously NOT in the 1%.

@378: Indeed, never reply to a 404. It just encourages cyber-rot spewing that litters up the comment thread with off-topic rage.

383

Very Well, Thank You.
Our President is doing a great job.
And polls reflect that increasing numbers of Americans are recognizing and appreciating The President's Herculean Efforts on our behalf.

He, and We, face two challenges;

first, the: China Virus-
so far this has gone very well;
less than 29,000 cases,
28,000 considered mild;
700 serious cases and 350 fatalities.
In a nation of 350,000,000 people this is a, literally, statistically immeasurably small impact.
The president has marshaled the nation's resources and boosting production and availability of needed supplies.
Thank You, Mr President

The second crisis is must more threatening, and more intractable and difficult to address.
That is the panicked hysterical overreaction to the virus,
and particularly the virulent hatred of the Left and Leftist Propaganda Outlets (that parade as journalistic enterprises)
The President has courageously called these villains out, but tens of millions remain enslaved to and complicit with their evil negative destructive attacks.
Sad

@374
Garb Garblar in high dudgeon is a thing of beauty.

And yes, ignore the 404s. Plus, they get especially annnnnnngry if we talk about them behind their backs.

378

I'm with you, Garb! Good stuff.

Yeah, ignore the 404s. They're like a fart in the wind, only shittier. Pathetic, really.

Recent reports Sen. Rand (R-KY) has tested positive for Coronavirus.
There's some serious karma there- wasn't Sen. Rand the only Senator who voted against the initial funding in response to this medical disaster?
BTW - I wish Sen. Rand, and all Senators and Congress members the very best of health. This is not a time to wish ill on anybody!

@389 Yeah and he got tested despite having no symptoms. Meanwhile people who are sick and doctors and nursers who are sick - all people who DO have symptoms, cannot get tested. i guess we know where all of the tests are and who gets access to them.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-connecticut-200-nurses_n_5e708979c5b6eab7793bd0f0

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/coronavirus-testing-challenges.html

https://time.com/5802154/coronavirus-testing-questions/

https://www.nj.com/opinion/2020/03/in-a-pandemic-sick-people-still-cant-get-tested-making-america-great-editorial.html

How one woman fought to get her husband tested while her state was applauded for having no coronavirus.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/21/us/west-virginia-coronavirus-patient-one-test/index.html

@392
Yes, xina, I saw that CNN article about the WVa couple. Very appalling. I hope some good comes out of all of this, but money rules everything - and everyone else be damned!
I wish you the best. These are very anxious times.

SOCIAL DISTANCE - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody

https://youtu.be/WimbyL_25Nw

I'm really worried about the possibility of increased domestic violence. People are stressed and scared, many are out of work and most are forced into isolation, and/or staying inside together most of the day. There will definitely be increased conflicts; and a lot of the regular protective mechanisms, school, counselors, teachers, doctors, police, social workers etc. are less available, or not around at all to help! I'm frightened especially for the kids and people who are suicidal, and vets. The mayor, and city council, and governor need to figure out how to mitigate this problem, maybe set up a special crisis hotline or someplace people can call for help, or tele-talk to counselors to de-escalate their anger when they feel like they're about to lose control.

God, I wish we had a real president instead of that fool in the White House. Obama or Clinton or even Bush would all be better, since they actually care for the people, even if they are flawed in some ways. I don't think Trump cares at all how many die or suffer, as long as the economy stays good enough, (or he can lie and blame someone else for its collapse), for him to get reelected.

Sometimes I almost think this is a judgment on us, on our greed and horrifying callousness towards the poor and those less fortunate. I guess the Jesuits were't boasting when they said if they can get you before you're seven, they'd be able to brainwash you for life.

A zoonotic virus for our cruelty towards nature and our destruction of the planet and other species.

Vietnam, population 97,095,584 as of March 2020, right below China, and one of the very first countries to report infections, has 20 current active cases of COVID-19 infections, including 10 Vietnamese and 10 foreigners as of March 9th, 2020. Total number of infections 89, no deaths!

How did they do this?

If you're interested in the size of a the USNS Mercy, here is a photo of her sailing next to an aircraft carrier

https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/90451167_10158065265732173_6941919665878728704_n.png?nccat=1&ncsid=8024bb&ncohc=CFnDhf8gx2wAX9yriwj&ncht=scontent-sea1-1.xx&oh=d0371e3197659ac4869658e11265b59c&oe=5E9F49D9

How to feed the hungry, protect health professionals, aid refugees and support service workers during the pandemic

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/us/how-to-help-coronavirus-pandemic-iyw-trnd/index.html

I found this info. about Vietnam's response on a travel website to SE Asia, (although they are still calling Vietnam, Camodia and Laos Indochina (!!!), so caveat emptor):

"WHO LAUDS VIETNAM RESPONSE TO COVID-19 EPIDEMIC

Vietnam has responded well to the Covid-19 epidemic from the very outset, preventing its spread, WHO says.

The World Health Organization said in a statement Saturday that the first days of the outbreak, when China had detected just 27 cases of the acute respiratory disease, Covid-19, in Wuhan City, Vietnam’s Health Ministry had already issued prevention guidelines, including close monitoring of border areas and steps to prevent possible infections among people.

When China confirmed the first death caused by the new coronavirus on January 11, Vietnam quickly tightened medical control at all border gates and airports. Visitors’ body temperature was checked on arrival; and anyone showing symptoms of cough, fever, chest pain or breathing difficulties were isolated for testing and strictly monitored at medical facilities.

Apart from a hotline to provide the public with needed information on the disease, Vietam also established 45 rapid response teams at major hospitals across the country to deal with suspected cases of new coronavirus infections.

Vietnam has also been doing a good job in monitoring and quarantining those suspected of contracting the virus and in treating infected patients, ever since the nation detected the first infection cases, the WHO statement said.

So far, Vietnam has recorded 16 cases, of whom nine have been discharged from hospitals while the rest are all in stable condition.

"Early detection, early isolation, and active treatment is extremely important," WHO said.

The UN health agency said it highly evaluates Vietnam’s ability to address urgent public health issues, including emerging outbreaks of infectious diseases.

For Vietnamese and visitors here, life goes on ...

(Updated 13 February, 19:00)

All the 16 infected cases found in Vietnam related to direct Wuhan contact and have been placed in field hospitals. There are 7 cured and leave the hospital so far including the first patient who is from Wuhan with a complicated medical profile. Others are all in stable situation.

The reality on the ground is that the Vietnamese government have taken preventative action to help contain the virus:

Health screening at airports and land borders;
No flights between China and Vietnam;
No entry for travellers having visited China the last 14 days;
People coming back from China are quarantined in isolated hospital for 2 weeks;
All suspected cases or anyone who have contacts with infected patients are well supervised by the medical staff in medical centre;
CLEAR INFORMATION IS UPDATED HOURLY on GOVERNMENT and MOH websites" !!

Regarding sex, masturbation is the safest. That should be welcome news to Ballard residents.

https://nypost.com/2020/03/21/nyc-health-department-gets-graphic-in-coronavirus-sex-memo/

392

NY and California are drastically cutting back on who they allow to be tested;
they are embarrassed by how high their tolls are rising and how it highlights how poorly they are handling the situation.

btw 90% of people who think they have symptoms and get tested do not have the virus.
The Panic runs deep in some circles.

Seattle is losing the Mercy to California.
NY, California and Seattle; the trifecta of incompetence...

392

California and NY are restricting who can get tested, even folks w symptoms will not be tested unless it would change their treatment.

Of people who think they have symptoms and get the test 90% do not have the virus...

@397 the virus dies about twice quickly in hot humid climates. That's enough difference for the dots to not easily connect.

@388: Thank you for your eloquent words. And I'm very sorry that this is hitting so close to home for you.

Wow, Rattlesnake Ridge was Crowded
they oughtta have one of those little ticket machines down at the parking area and before you go up, you hafta take a number. And if said number ends in a three or in a seven, you WILL have COVID-19. Or are the odds even higher?

Dancing with the Devil.

We've become a ship of Fools
with a fools' 'gold' 'president.'

People's knowledge is only as "good'' as their sources:

“Rupert Murdoch Put His Son in Charge of Fox. It Was a Dangerous Mistake.”

“The 48-year-old Lachlan Murdoch stood by as Fox News hosts played down the danger of the deadly coronavirus to their viewers . . . for two crucial weeks in late February and early March, powerful Fox hosts talked about the ’real’ story of the coronavirus: It was a Democratic- and media-led plot against President Donald J. Trump.

Hosts and guests, speaking to Fox’s predominately elderly audience, repeatedly played down the threat of what would soon become a deadly pandemic.

The person who could have stopped the flow of misinformation was Ms. Scott’s boss, Lachlan Murdoch, the chief executive of the Fox Corporation. But he wasn’t paying much attention.

The 48-year-old heir to his family’s media fortune was focused instead on buying a streaming company called Tubi for $440 million, a person who has spoken to him said. The acquisition would drive 'long-term growth,' he proudly announced in a news release on March 17.

That same day, the number of coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 5,600.”

Murdoch's Covering his Bottom Line
was more Important than any
impending Pandemic

Therefore they're
Culpable.

END Fascist Ownership
of OUR Airwaves.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/business/coronavirus-fox-news-lachlan-murdoch.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

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@395 iseult and others: The VA has the VA Suicide prevention / Crisis Hotline at the following toll free number for veterans in distress and / or those concerned about veterans: 1 (800) 273-8255. There are very helpful people to talk to 24 / 7.
I have been in physical pain (not CONVID-19 related; it's inherited and chronic). I have been in VA therapy for service connected PTSD. Often just being able to talk to someone ---even at 2 am is helpful, because I don't bother my neighbors or older siblings. I feel strange being among the elders in my family now. Both my parents, both sets of grandparents, and all my aunts and uncles are gone.
Music helps keep me together. Online contact is not the same as face-to-face, but helps keep so many of us connected and hopefully out of harm's way. In the warmer weather I hope to get my car out of storage soon. I don't suppose it would be to travel further than short distances within my community. I only go to the store(s) and my pharmacy for groceries, household items, and prescription and vitamin supplement refills.

Thank you and bless you, Ben Gibbard, lead vocalist of Deathcab for Cutie, for sharing your music. I plan to buy CD packing and bubblewrap to send copies of my music at the local USPS, and play / practice at home. My apartment building is so quiet---not much is said, but I think my surrounding neighbors are grateful for what they hear in the daytime and early evening.

Everyone stay healthy, safe and sane. Stop buying guns and hoarding toilet paper! May common sense prevail over this pandemic.

Funny, remember when we were told not to shame gay men for their lifestyles, but go for a hike and suddenly ... boo on you!

Harvey Weinstein is in prison, infected with coronavirus.
Do Trump, Pence, and the rest of their Evil Empire need to get infected, too, in order to finally wake up?

411

Also funny, for folks who lived thru AIDS on the blood and guts healthcare frontline, is how totally different the public reaction to this has been.
AIDS would have been remarkably easy to snuff out with some quarantines and basic Public Health 101 measures.

https://holistichealth.one/treatment-for-coronavirus/ We need to protect ourselves and masks alone won't do it. The Coronavirus is actually taking lives now. Please don't panic, just prepare. Use these precautions and you won't have to worry about catching it or any other viral infection going around including the flu. Holistic options are available and best for prevention as well. #coronavirus #flu #immune