A day in the Alf -or- All things fuzzy

<ed: all TXTs here run in immediate succession>

b1-66er:

 https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/03/30/coronavirus-social-distancing-mit-researcher-lydia-bourouiba-27-feet/5091526002/

b1-67er: I've done a medium amount of reading on ecoli and lysteria.  On all the bacteria stuff it's a war of numbers.  You use chlorinated water and you get about 5 log kill step.  Copper ions about a 2 log kill step.  That's the number of zeros taken off the bacteria count. It's never about getting to zero, that won't happen.

66: Heavy. 

It's as if things WANT to live. 

67: I suspect the masks and distancing with virus need to be viewed the same way. Maybe it's 27 feet to get to zero, but zero probably isn't the important number.

I'm a little fuzzy on viruses. Are they alive?

66: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-viruses-alive-2004/

Kid: Can he stay mom? ET got to stay!

Mom: ET was a movie.  This is real!

[Alf episode 1]

My neighbor has gone full-on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

He's outside. 

Running a flamethrower.

Special K: That sounds bad. Is he going to Italy?

67: Do you have a fire extinguisher?

66: Absolutely. 

Not one big enough to put out a house. 

67: Big enough to put out a human?

66: I'm pretty sure it could put out a human. 

Bring my bike over here and we'll try it. 

Me: what it's that sound outside, something like a jet?

The Accomplice (rolling eyes): I don't hear anything. 

M: I can't teach you how to listen. 

TA: {opens door} There's a guy out here with a flamethrower. 

M: That would be it. 

I love the lockdown. 

It's not all the same. 

Everyday is weirder.

And I've only just seen episode 1 of Alf.

Just imagine what's possible from here. 

Would you like any exultation with that?

Special K: I watched some DVRed TV tonight. Saw about 6 or 7 ads for fast food. Everybody has a deal. Free delivery, free Frosty at Wendys, free kid's meal, etc.

b1-66er: Whoa!

We live in the best of times. 

K: Sure.

b1-66er: THAT'S the spirit!

K: Right on.

We need a bigger boat

In the vacuum

DENT: 

We are reusing N95 masks for a week at a time. 

He is what I have devised:  it turns out you don't need high temps to inactivate the coronavirus. 70C (158 F) for 30 minutes will do it. Or, lower temps like 65 C for 1 hour. I rigged my sous vide machine inside a cooler to get those temps. 👍. We can have multiple people put the masks in ziplock bags and run them. I am still working out the details because 70C was damaging the plastic parts of the mask, but I think we are almost there!

<ed: this is what you get with a doctor whose undergraduate degree is in chemical engineering.> 

The croutons will be impressive

b1-67er (agricultural machine designer): Just sent <the CA> governor's office an email.

b1-66er: Good citizen.

What'd you say?

67: I said tens of thousands of people are moving to Salinas  in mid April from Yuma, and Yuma has lower restrictions. I suggested it was good material for a governor to governor talk.  Specifically suggested Newsome try to get higher restrictions on lettuce producing counties for the next couple weeks.

66: Good citizen.

Impressive. 

67: Sprinkled in a little about protecting the food supply from coronavirus.

66: ... as seasoning...

KbrAne only one neural jump away

A rare KTXT news item, provided to all three of you as a community service. 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/mar/30/scientists-develop-ai-that-can-turn-brain-activity-into-text 

Being Darth Vader sounds better all the time

b1-66er:

Haven't read this. 

https://scitechdaily.com/mit-posts-free-plans-online-for-an-emergency-ventilator-that-can-be-built-for-100/

The Actore: Cool

b1-67er (P.E. in CA): That's a good idea because all the parts touching the patients air already meet FDA requirements.

TA: Interesting that they lifted liability for machines dealing with this virus. I think that's a really good idea for now

67: Absolutely. No company in their right mind should touch it otherwise.

TA: Did you see that there's a video game controller in the picture?

67: Good idea on the controller. They are pretty bulletproof.  Trouble is there will instantly be a controller shortage.

TA: Yeah, But they are literally in just about every home. And I think people will happily volunteer one if they know it will help a relative in need

Although their kids will fight them on it because they won't know what the heck to do with their time😂

67: That's not $100 worth of stuff.  Maybe $800 or so plus labor.

TA: I was thinking the same thing about the cost. Controllers alone I think are worth $60-$100. However 800 still sounds a hell of a lot better than $30,000

67: True. It's plugged into a white sheet metal box sort of hidden under the laptop. I wonder what that is.

Plus I'm sure it lacks a lot of bells and whistles and reliability testing.

Still useful. 

Great in a "I'll take any ventilator I can get" world.

TA: Yeah, you would know very well that dynamic. I'm also wondering about the sensors and feedback system because each patient has different volumes of air and requirements that they will need which will have to vary throughout their treatment.

Another thing I have to worry about is can those ambo bags last for up to four weeks? I think they were meant to only last for a short time until they can hook a person up to a ventilator according to the article. There's a huge difference between an hour's worth of use <and?> four weeks which could literally be 4 million cycles if their million cycle per week number is accurate

67: Likely you would wear them out. But even if you get a week, you could swap them out.  Sensors may well be the bottleneck to quick production.  The controller on the left end of the plywood is probably doing that decision making.  

The red/green/yellow object on the end of the bag  is some kind of visual pressure sensor. It looks like a bypass sensor from a hydraulic filter.

You may adjust the pressure manually.

TA: Agreed.

Very cool. Although if it <has>  to be adjusted manually... does that require a person to be there 24 seven?

Get me a gun and a lime, I'll bring the Corona

b1-67er: NRA and state of California aligning for lawsuit. California says gun shops non essential and must close due to Corona virus. NRA says second amendment violation and that they are essential.

I think NRA will win this one.

b1-66er: Pandemics: 

Your real life lesson in Civics

D4rw1n: Remember it is only since 2009 that the USSC has held that the 2nd even articulated a personal right to bear arms. Heller v. DC

So now we can have a jurisprudence on it like we have on the first amendment 

Balancing the state interest vs. the individual liberty interest 

66: So, in that balance, which way does it tip?

D4: The framework under Heller is almost identical to that under first amendment law:

 1. Is the firearm itself protected (cannons no; hunting rifles yes; fights ongoing in between).

 Here yes because presumably the shops are all selling lawful firearms 

2. What level of scrutiny to judge the law by? 

A. Strict scrutiny if it touches a "core" 2Am right, like self defense in the home. 

B. "Rational basis" balancing of interests if not touching a core right. This may be a close call but I think the right to buy a gun in a store right now, in a pandemic, is not as "core" as the right to have one in the home to defend the self. But reasonable minds will differ. But let's say this law gets rational basis scrutiny. 

The state interest here is to have the authority to enforce social distancing by closing nonessential businesses. It's going to be a very strong argument in the courts because it dramatically saves lives 

The liberty interest is to go out in the pandemic and buy a gun. This is personally critical to a portion of the population. A woman who designed our bathroom remodel recently went batshit crazy trying to buy a bunch of guns to protect herself from the mobs or coronazombies she imagines will be roaming the streets soon 

But it's a relatively weak liberty argument in the end, I think. The state will say you can still do the transaction online from a Federal Firearm License holder seller, and have the seller deliver to you. They'll also say the ban is temporary, just until it's safe to allow people to gather in shops 

Could be super interesting

66: +2 for first known use of Coronazombies.*

Thank you. 

* and KTXT establishment don't like the "zombie" concept... it's the filmatic equivalent of sarcasm: easy, dumb and ultimately uninteresting. 

THAT'S how good D4rw!n's use was, still warrants 2*.

An international trade lawyer, a mathematician and a mechanical engineer walk into a bar...

D4rw1n: Question for my tech savvy and scientific friends: what are my personal chances of going to the moon? At age 18 when we were no longer doing it I decided it was zero. Now I think it's slightly greater than zero

b1-67er: Interesting. I would put it at maybe 1 percent if you will have a spare $100,000,000 or so perhaps 20 years from now.

b1-66er: It's like a riff from the line in Mad Max. 

'Speed's is just a question of money. How fast do you want to go?"

Put a few million down, I'm sure the Russians would take you right "now."

As a tourist on Virgin Space or equivalent, 5%.

(Sorry, I sped read that ... the Russians aren't going to put you on the moon. )

67: They will take your money right now. But I think it's the Chinese that might get you to the moon.

66: Actually, I don't think tourists will go to the moon in our lifetime. 

Your kids, maybe. 

There's moon problems they haven't figured out (but don't admit).

Dust. #1 with a bullet. 

They won't figure out the dust problem in our lifetime. 

67: There are inklings of a new space race to build a moon base. The race would be between the Chinese and Americans.

66: Yes. 

67: Going to Mars is much more interesting than a moon base.

66: I think Mars is impossible. 

67: Oh, no way. Just really really expensive.

66: There's also the question no one EVER talks about,  knock on Earth pollution. 

There's indication that the Martian environment is 100% uninhabitable. 

Lack of an atmosphere is a big big deal. 

67: I'm not talking about inhabiting. Just exploring.

66: I don't think we can do it.

Next 50 years? < 1%.

Not in D4rw1n's kids' lifetimes.

67:  I think we could do it right now. We just lack the will

66: No. 

If you wanna play Russian Space Roulette,  I say there's a 30% we could get someone there. 

Chinese style. 

Die on the surface. 

67: Park fuel in mars orbit. Park fuel on mars surface.  Park fuel in earth orbit. 

66: 30%.

Assuming Americans/ earthlings still allow rockets to be shot. 

67: Technically we would have to decide if we are talking about going to and from Mars, or just to Mars.

66: 30% there and surfaced. 

<1% back and alive. 

67: The Russians are the kings of rocket launching. But Americans are the unchallenged champs of parking things in Mars orbit or putting them on the surface in one piece (most of the time).

What do rockets screw with? The ozone layer?

66: Massive polluters.

The size of an office building. 

67: I'd put the US at 80% getting a live man to Mars, 60% there and back.

66: You're very optimistic.

What's your timing?

67: If they worked in ernest starting now? Twelve years. Maybe a bit more.

66: It's 2 orders of magnitude harder than Earth <> Moon in the 60s.

3 extra years isn't enough. 

67: But they have put craft in Mars orbit, and on Mars surface.  Really the new trick is launching off the Mars surface.

So they aren't starting from scratch, like they were on the moon.

66: Yeah. 

That's the right approach, for sure.

Or, if you wanna talk fantastic,  we could just get our pet space dragon to have babies there...

... which, I think, is about as likely. 

67: No, it's technically doable.  It would just take a ton of cash.

66: Yes. 

The stomach for American spending on Apollo started waning toward the end...

It's not in the public Spirit today. 

US$15 kickstarter isn't going to do it. 

67: Yeah I don't think America has the will. 

 Nor the Russians.  

The Chinese might have the appetite and ability to stay focused, but they would probably kill a fistful of astronauts.

66: Yes. And will willingly do so. 

Remember the USA is the country that bitched so bad about Apollo shots toward the end that they had to get approval to not override the NBA championships on TV. 

67: Once you succeed...once it seems easy to the public...But that first landing would be mesmerizing. 

 It would be the new high water mark for mankind.

<ed: I damn near removed the inherent sexism from that comment. >

66: No doubt. 

Won't happen, though. 

67: Will happen someday.

66: Probe time!

Less money. Less risk. 

More data. More places. 

Easier. 

More interesting. 

67: Interesting, but less interesting. 

66: We've already shown we know how to trash a planet.

We don't have to do it AGAIN.

67: If at first you don't succeed.....

66: Try until you hit the number 8...

... then go to another solar system?

Show me there's life on Europa.

That's good enough. 

Cheaper. Easier. More interesting. 

67: Cheaper. Technically harder. You have to get into the ocean.

66: how about a mission to explain why Uranus rotates like a football being thrown and is perpendicular to the orbits of all the other planets?

Makes way more sense to figure out. 

67: Man on Mars inspires.

You'll be driving a Chevy Phobos.

66: Mars. Man. There.

Vs.

GODDAMN THERE ARE WORMS IN ONE OF JUPITER'S MOONS. 

67: Say What?

66: They think there could be life in Europa's oceans. 

They're pretty sure there's a heat source there,  not unlike our volcanic vents...

Those exist without sun or air on Earth, ergo___

67: Yeah, Europa is really interesting. 

They should send a man there.

66: Jesus. 

You have to cut way way back in the Mountain Dew. 

Blasphemy by 'blog

b1-66er: "In an unprecedented move, Disney parks will remain closed until further notice"

Special K: Unhappiest place on earth. 

b1-66er: Special K!

Better get the judiciary caulk

b1-66er: (I think) an interesting legal question for you...

Let's say a federal grand jury is called...

... but the state you draw in forbids assembly of 10 people...

What happens,  legally?

 What's the correct public decision for how to behave?

D4rw1n: Legally you would be in an unprecedented situation if state law or municipal ordinance required you to stay home, and a federal grand jury summons required you to serve

Analogous situations have arisen. The applicable law provides an excuse from grand jury service if you can make a showing of "undue hardship or extreme inconvenience"

So the prospective juror in your case could declined to serve, and offer evidence that doing so would subject him or her to prosecution (or, more likely, citation) under state or local law

b1-66er: Super great. 

Extremely interesting. 

One of the things that's interesting in Pandemic World are the seams on the legal highway as you cross from federal into state territory. 

Thank you. 

D4: What you really want to know, is what happens if the judge is a hardass and refuses to excuse the jurors just because they are afraid they will get tickets for gathering in a group of 16 to 23 (which is by rule the size of a federal grand jury)?

66: What say you?

D4: If it ever did come up, I would expect the higher courts to issue an injunction in favor of the jurors, prohibiting the judge from impaneling the grand jury and endangering their health

Federal law would empower the judge to require service. But I would anticipate lawsuits by the jurors against the federal judiciary and the judge. It seems to me that the proper grounds would not be violation of state law, but rather physical endangerment. For this reason I don't think the case will come up, because the judges are too interested in self-preservation to create such a crisis

66: Yes. 

It's hard to imagine any legal system that would say,  "I'm sorry but you must put your arm in the running saw blade."

D4: Exactly. There may be a judge or two who will, but in the end the courts know that they run only if citizens serve their duty. Hard for the whole system to maintain its legitimacy if they start thinking that could make people put their arms in saws all the time

b1-67er: The lawyer next door said all but serious felony cases have been postponed in Monterey County. But it's being treated as a holiday, so the days don't count against statute of limitations.  I imagine that's a thorny issue.

The Dear Hunter's backyard...

... RIGHT NOW. 

At least they left the napkin dispenser chained to the counter

b1-66er: "Toilet paper, hand sanitizer stolen from Las Vegas farmers market"

Special K: These are weird times.

b1: You can always tell when the casinos are closed. 

Off the res.

b1-66er: "Fourteen inmates escaped from jail, 6 still on the loose"

'The inmates were able to escape by breaking open an exterior fire door using a table from inside an annex, authorities shared.

"They decided they were going to break down the door and leave," said Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell in a video posted on Facebook. "Despite the governor's shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order, apparently they didn't want to do that so they are out and about."'

Special K: Sheriff Funny.

b1: JAIL BIRDS CAN'T ABIDE BY "SHELTER IN PLACE" SPECIAL K!  

What would you do?

Let's say you just heard about Rikers Island and you're IN Rikers Island, what would you do?

K: I'd rage.

Are they Co-vid or Co-bad?

b1: For sure I can tell you where to find them...

The Crow-bar.

Fraternal twin vitrine

b1-66er: I watched Basket Case on my cell phone over the last 2 days...

I'm convinced it's the BEST possible way to watch that movie...

b1-67er (simultaneously) : Probably the best possible format.

66: It's hard to believe I'd EVER say that. 

Shows how truly bad the times have become. 

67: You used to own basket case

66: Oh,  you will SO love this...

I DO,  but the last 2 minutes have been erased ...

... by the magnet that held my videocassette stand closed. 

67: Son of a bitch!  Who's bright idea was that?

66: Prerecorded video tape manufacturer, I'm sure. 

Ever hear of the concept of "conspiracy?"

Or have the illuminati kept that idea from you?

<you, dear reader, yes YOU can (and should) get a Tubi account for your cell phone for free. Do it. Get the app, Watch Basket Case. You'll have to watch a couple ads, just behave the way you always do in an ad land that doesn't have a DVR. Make your life better. Buy me a donut when the crisis is over. If the situation never passes, don't worry about it. >

Don't mind the hot body

Special K: Reading Twitter and the news…the R's are doing a full push to "reopen America for business" next week. Circa April 1.

b1-66er: I thought you'd given Twitter a rest. 

You've decided a still mind isn't interesting enough,  I guess.

K: Dammit, I need to get away from it and I'm flailing.

b1: Maybe if you break your Twitter habit, you break your food habit. 

K: Food habit is doing great though!

b1: Save your body

Ruin your mind

(SM)

K: Oy.

OK. Twitter is going away. 10 minutes x 2 times a day for starters.

b1: That's actually an interesting question...

Body or mind.

     Ruin one. 

Your choice. 

<ed: no response. >

Oh, there b1 goes AGAIN

Cap'n Happy: I think I had COVID in Jan. I came down with something. I kept saying this isn't a cold, and it isn't the flu. I rarely get sick. I typically only get a cold about once every 2 years, and even then it's mild. I haven't had a flu in nearly 20 years. Something hit me in Jan that was weird. I got a pounding headache that put me on my back for 3 days. On the 2nd day I said this is getting serious, and could become pneumonia. If I don't feel better by tomorrow I need to see a doctor. It made me lose my appetite and feel nauseous for about a week. I barely ate and had to force even the smallest bytes of food. By the 2nd week I had a respiratory infection. That's something I can't even remember having for 30 years. I was hacking up some nasty stuff. It started out clear and thick. Then yellow, and then green. After about 10 days it went clear again, but that was about 2 weeks altogether. I also lost my voice for about 5 days, and after that I was horse for another 5. All that time I did NOT have a sore throat. Took about 5-6 weeks to recover, where I felt normal again. Looking back, it was corona. I ask my gf, who teaches a classroom of 1st and 2nd graders if any of her kids were sick. She said over the holidays half the kids were out sick, and it continued for several weeks. I asked if any of them were Chinese. She said no, but then remembered one of the sick kids had a father that got sick after a business trip to China. So, I'm pretty sure I had it before people knew what this was. Like I said, it was really weird. I knew it was a virus but I was certain it wasn't a flu.

b1-66er:

Betting Cv instead of flu is suspect. 1Could be, but I'd bet money it's not, it'll be easy enough to test once that's more widely available.

Were you running a temperature?

CH: I didn't have a fever, but I did have night sweats. I'd wake up soaked and dripping.

b1: I'm pretty sure that puts you out by default. 

It'll be easy enough to find out in a couple months. 

If so,  you'll also be resistive when as it sweeps through thr Bay.

Did you get a flu shot this year?

CH: I've never had one

b1: Flu is far more common. Even now. 

I'm super familiar with, "well, it could be..."

It took three years to diagnose my MS. 

You couldn't have done it with a website and guessing. 

Wish it wasn't. I would've gladly taken an immediate diagnosis.

Three years is a long l-o-n-g time as it's passing. 

Imagine what you had. 

Now imagine it lingering to 2023.

That's what I had. 

Maybe I had Cv early. 

I guess you could go more extreme and say,  now imagine having  some side impact of what you had that never gets cured.  

That's what HAVE. 

For the rest of my life. 

I know,  I know "why can't you let this whole MS thing go? EVERYTHING isn't all MS. "

It is if you're me. 

In case you missed it: for the rest of my life. Incurable. 

You better believe I get a flu shot. 

<ed: no response of any kind. It's not fun when people aren't playing properly in the sandbox. >

Red dot rising

Special K: This is weird.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/03/20/national/coronavirus-explosion-expected-japan/#.Xncn-pNKiL4

b1-66er: It really and truly is. 

Nice catch. 

JAPAN WINS WWIII AS "LAST COUNTRY STANDING"

K: Go go Japan!

Hang that arm from the yard dog!

b1-66er: Watch the vid.

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/family-makes-own-pirates-of-the-caribbean-ride

Special K: That's good. Strong effort.

b1: I like the idea of drunken family members running in circles. 

Reminds me of my childhood. 

K: Fun for all!

b1: Not exactly the way I remember the emotion. 

TXTing into the void

b1-66er: On the stereo:

"Good morning, today's forecast calls for blue skies."

Dr. ENT: That's cool. I could use some blue skies after this past week of COVID news. 

b1: Oh yeah. 

And you're not sequestered, either,  I bet. 

DENT: I am not sequestered or quarantined. But, I have next week off for spring break. It is a real Staycation. 

b1: Yay. 

Does all this madness ultimately cause you more work?

DENT: Our office visits are down now. I'll send an email I just got that is disturbing.

b1: ... and suddenly CO springs becomes Haiti...

DENT: Yes. Or England in the Middle Ages. 

b1: I'll let you know when I get it. The 'net's a little slow...

When 40M people are watching "Porky's" it takes awhile. 

Got it. 

"He also explained that testing twice appeared necessary, separated by 24 hours in between tests, to truly confirm negativity to COVID-19..."

I've been sayin' this and sayin' this. 

"What does a 'negative' actually tell you?"

I claim testing is a red herring. It's taking your eyes off what's actually important. 

DENT: What I got from the article is the virus is definitely aerosolized, and paper masks are not terribly helpful. The N 95 mask's are probably not good enough. The surgeries that I do are incredibly high risk. And, I probably should be in the spacesuit PAPR.

b1: Yes. I see that as well. 

DENT: And the other take away is that ENT docs get sick because of the high viral load when they get exposed. Less likely to be in the 80% mild case. 

b1: Yes. 

So how are YOU psychologically feeling right now?

DENT: I am a little stressed to say the least. I have done what I can do to prepare. This is going to get ugly. Almost everyone will get this at some point. The hope is to get it after some useful treatment (hydroxychloroquine/Zithromax/antiviral drugs) become widely available. I am at that point of general resignation of what will be will be. 

b1: Do you, personally, know anyone who either has it or has died from it?

DENT: I know an orthopedic surgeon who is recovering. 

b1: Whoa!

The huge majority DO recover... the public mind is skipping over that part and focusing on death. 

That's the scary part for thre average person. They're not thinking of the other side of the coin. 

It sounds like a son of a bitch to get. 

DENT: We have had 4 deaths in CO. 2 here in El Paso county. The ski areas (Vail, Breckenridge, Frisco) are badly hit already. The doubling time is 2-3 days.  10x every 2 weeks. 

b1: When mom said, "don't go messing with that pangolin," the kid should have listened. 

Mammals with scales are a hint at the evil within. 

DENT: Even if you survive it can scar your lungs. I just saw that about loss of sense of smell as well. That's new.  

b1: I can tell you for a fact that if you lose your sense of taste, the American medical establishment's response is essentially, "huh?! Kinda sucks to be you. "

DENT: Yeah, you can live without a sense of smell, but it would take some of the fun out of <life>.

I have a friend who is very angry at China. 

Ok. I get there was a delay and some political denial for a couple of weeks. But the West really misses this boat cruise. 

This was an interesting pod cast.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/1439-michael-osterholm/id360084272?i=1000468027968

 Also talks about Chronic Wasting Disease in deer and how that is likely to infect humans at some point. 

That will be our fault, not China's.

b1:  The Trump administration referring to this as the Chinese Virus, aside from being ignorant...

... may well be a play for border protection...

...State governments are responsible for the health and well being of their citizens, not the federal government. 

But the feds ARE responsible for protection of the borders. 

DENT: I have not been tested. No symptoms yet. Tests are still in short supply and rationed. 

Well, we have been "invaded." <ed: I added the quotes.>

b1: Yes. A good (extremely smart) friend of mine in CA has no sense of smell...

...She was doing laundry in college and a guy came up and said. 'I know a secret about you... you have no sense of smell...'

DENT:  Go on. . . . 

b1:..."HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

"Because I don't either. You're the only person I've ever seen who washes clothes the way I do. "

DENT: Which is. . . ?

b1: I don't know. Probably multiple loads. Extra rinses. Unusual drying. 

Some sense- of- smell blind thing. 

Always washing. 

Something. 

DENT: Do most people smell their laundry before they put in the washer?  

I think my mom did. 😆

b1: Like I said, I don't know. 

I wasn't expecting you to go all Sherlock Holmes, or I wouldn't have told you the story in the first place. Here's an idea: let's ignore the general story and drill on insignificant details. 

DENT: We have the CDC which should have been much more proactive on this. Bill Gates has probably done more than the CDC. 

b1: Yes. He'll cure malaria faster than the CDC as well.

If you have Nf, you should watch, "Inside Bill's Brain," it's simply excellent.

Really, it's BG on 4 topics: malaria, nuke power and two more I forget...

Really really good. 

DENT: He gave a TED talk in 2014 about how we are not ready for a pandemic that was prescient. 

We do have Netflix. I will check it out. 

b1: Yes. 

Turns out he only person who knows what's going on. Everyone else is distracted, I guess. 

If you're not blinkered by politics, it makes you think more clearly. 

DENT: I think BG is a little above most politics. 

b1: Yes. 

That's why he's SMART. 

(Which, I believe,  means 'pregnant' in French. )

[That was a l-o-n-g running joke in jr. High when everyone was taking foreign language.]

DENT: Estoy embarazado. 😁

So, b1, some stuff you should know if you get symptoms of COVID:

1.  Hydroxychloroquine and Zithromax May have some benefit, especially if taken early.

2. The symptoms can be mild at first and then turn bad bad suddenly. 

3. Cough and fever are common, but some people start off with GI symptoms of diarrhea and maybe nausea. 

Hydroxychloroquine is an antimalarial drug that we take every year before going to Haiti. It is also used for autoimmune conditions Like rheumatoid arthritis. Very safe overall. 

b1: Yeah. I had a GF lose her mind on mefloquine in Bali. 

Far enough gone,  she had to quit it. 

DENT: Mefloquine can do that. Not so much with chloroquine. Perhaps some vivid dreams or suicidal ideation. That's all. 

b1: My high school pals would've considered those pluses. 

DENT: So, how are you feeling these days?

b1: I'm okay. The antibiotic and anti cough gave me almost immediate relief... I'm not completely better. 

The accomplice is recovering from her total hip and is doing MUCH better than last time...

Thre surgery came at the PERFECT sociological time. 

Mom's doing just fine. 

I call her everyday (instead of visiting last week...I was early on the Cancel Travel train).

DENT: Who's this?

b1: My cohabitant. 

Her mom died right before all this madness, which was also perfect timing. 

DENT: I am glad to hear she is doing well. Hip operations are usually great. 

I don't remember hearing about the cough. Pneumonia?

b1: It's the one you beat on me (unprompted and unrequested) about the P.A. diagnosing me by phone. 

DENT: Oh, THAT. 

b1: Yes, fuck you very much. 

Q: what's worse than having MS?

A: having MS and a bad cough. 

DENT: Sorry. Couldn't hear you. I was updating your address. 

b1: Q: what's worse than having MS and a bad cough?

A: having MS  a bad cough and the person who used to sleep IN YOUR BED (for FREE) telling you that you aren't solving the problem correctly... from 750 miles away. 

DENT: You might have touched a nerve. Forgive me. 

b1: Har. 

Maybe you should see an ENT.

IF YOU CAN FIND ONE THAT CAN CLIMB THAT HIGH ON A THRONE TO SERVE YOU. 

And to think all this started with "Mr. Blue Sky. "

My dad said it best, "that goddamn son of a bitchin' ELO."

The Skulker merely copied him.

DENT: Ah, The Skulker. There's a guy that fell off the earth. 

 I am glad it worked out. But, I still stand by what I said.  Take <my comments> as my general opinion on the state of medicine these days, not on your case specifically. 

<ed: just to be clear, he was talking to me, "specifically.">

b1: You may still turn out to be right. Drop a daisy on my casket and say, "I told you so."

Broadly speaking, I'm actually enjoying the state of the world right now... or more precisely I like the experience...

...I like days and periods of time that leave memories.

I like things not always being the same.

DENT: I know you are a night owl.

b1: It's nice to see the public concerned about health, instead of just me...

BUT this virus ultimately gets understood,  maybe cured?

And my MS never does...

So the public attention wanders away. 

Comparing it to the freak out everyone's having right now, I can tell you, for sure, that the average American couldn't deal with what I have. 

I barely do. 

DENT: Are your MS symptoms stable?

b1: ... but I'm SO much better than the average patient, it's not even worth talking about,  except for the fact it's me. 

DENT: What is your worst/most frustrating symptom?

<first time I've ever been asked that question... by anyone... I've been diagnosed for about 4 years. >

b1: Right now? Lack of balance. 

DENT: Mostly with walking? Or just sitting. 

b1: Walking. 

I can sit and stand. 

I cannot run.

i don't walk distance without a cane (for balance reasons only, so I don't fall).

I do well enough that I don't talk to my nuero anymore...

I talk to her P.A.

DENT: That's pretty rough since it was only, what, 5 years ago that you were in the best shape of your life?

b1: That's right. The decline from 5 years ago is significant. 

From 3 years ago, not so much. 

DENT: Do you think the meds you have been on have been helpful?

b1: Went in a couple weeks ago and he had me do a bunch of stuff...

Arms out,  eyes closed, walk toe to heel, etc...

On and on. 

And under his breath he said,  "there's nothing wrong with you."...

"I HEARD THAT! I'M GOING TO SUE YOUR ASS,  BECAUSE I HAVE IT ON VERY GOOD AUTHORITY THAT I HAVE MS. "

DENT: Hmmm. Because you were compensating so well?

b1: "If you do, you'll be the first person in this building to do so. There's 200 professionals in here. I'm the only one who's never faced a suit. "

DENT: Is this the neurologist from the Cleveland Clinic?

b1: It's the P.A. to the two (and only) MS specialists at the entirety of the CC. 

 Me: "That's impressive,  why?"

Him: "I think it's because I write more than 20 pages on all my patients, everyday.  People seem to respect extensive notes. "

DENT: He probably has a point about extensive notes. 

Do you think the meds you have been helpful?

b1: They think they are. Having said that,  there's no doubt they rough up my liver like a ball and pein hammer.

I think it's my diet, maybe that and los drugs.

DENT: Ugh. No free lunch. 

<ed: you could say that. My prescription is currently US$200 a day, for life. (There is no cure.) I pay US$0.>

b1: I'm certain my good attitude helps me. 

They have liver numbers they want to keep ne above...

I crossed em once. 

They redefined.

I crossed em again. 

They redefined AGAIN...

DENT: Well, you are the luckiest guy in the world. 

<ed: that's true. Someone has to be. >

b1: Exactly. 

I'll be all right.

 "You cross 'em again,  we're putting you on something else."

THAT I do not want. This one now is the equivalent of a college level drug. I've already gone through the lower stuff. 

Everything else is grad school and various levels of terrifying. 

The penultimate time I saw him, I was the last appointment of the day.  He walked in and said,  "oh thank God, it's you guys! This has been a hard day. "

They tell me at this point, I've been in tecfidera longer than anyone else in the world. Not everyone can tolerate it. 

DENT: A lot of medicine is trial and error and soft science.  We have general ideas about what the body can do, but every body is different. 

I see he enjoys your visits. 

I'll have to look that <drug> up. 

b1: It's rare. Fewer than 2000 are on it. I always gave to help the pharmacologist look it up for possible conflicting meds. 

It's super common for me to be in the Clinic and have laughter echoing though the building as a result...

I used to apologize to the front desk people...

DENT: The laughter part doesn't surprise me a bit. The apology part does. 

b1: Three times ago the receptionist said, "Baby, don't you apologize. We need a lot more of that here. "

I said, "don't call me 'baby' with my girlfriend standing right here.  My phone number's on my records. Just don't call when she's home..."

AND THE PATIENTS WAITING IN THE LOBBY LAUGHED. 

My going to the Clinic is the most stabilizing, secure, thing I have in my life. 

They'll end up with at least a third of everything I'm worth/ own...

Sounds nice, but It won't be much. 

DENT: I thought you were maybe on something that started with a c. 

I am sure they see a lot MS and have a good handle on it. 

Mayo Clinic has always been good at hitting people up to get put in the will. 

b1: I can see how they would be. 

I asked my P.A. last time I was there, "just how rare a patient am i?"

"Oh god. 90% of the people we have are in a VERY bad mood...

... another 5% don't talk at all...

...Of the last 5, you're either the most enjoyable or next most. "

DENT: That's probably the best compliment you could get!

Neurologists are not psychiatrists. 😄

b1: "Hand me that knee hammer. I'll make it to number 1."

That's exactly the way I take it.

But seriously, it's just a devastating disease...

DENT: I can (or really can't) imagine. 

b1: And EVERYONE I personally know (and there are several) has it worse. 

By and large it's a women's disease. First guy I ever met with it was in a wheelchair...

DENT: I have seen quite few patients over the years with MS in a wheelchair. 

b1: It was after an MS talk. 

Him: "it's really nice meeting you."

Me: "nice meeting you too."

Him: "I hope we meet again!"

Me "We will but you shouldn't wish I'll on yourself. How's your memory?"

DENT: I'll bet you were good for each other at moment for different reasons. 

b1: him "Oh, it comes and goes. "

me "Good. Next time we meet I'll say you owe me five bucks. You won't remember and I need the money. "

His caregiver laughed until she cried. 

DENT: He has a sense of humor. 

Now you know who is in first place. 

b1: Yeah. I suspect it's easier to tell that joke if you have MS as well. 

Coincidentally, THAT was the day I found out about the CC.

 DENT: There is your competition. Take him out. 

CC?

b1: Cleveland Clinic. 

DENT: Ah. Right. 

b1: Man, you're bad at abbreviations that aren't 'scrips.

DENT: I am not a millennial and never was one. 

Call me Nahasapeemapetilon1

b1-66er: 4x more posts were made to KTXT yesterday than the entirety of 2016.

Special K: Everything's booming due to Cv. 

b1: Exactly. 

KTXT is essential.

Our version of a 7-11...

... and our slushie machine needs work too. 

We have a sequestered weiner!

b1-66er: "The Bay Area is the first place in the US to pass a shelter-in-place law to address the coronavirus pandemic."

Not true. 

Special K: Yes. Not a law. 

b1: Also happened in NV first, I'm pretty sure.

I think the CA mandate is modeled off NV. 

K: I thought the bay one was first. Last Friday I think. 

b1: Well, *i* say the NV one was 4 years ago and Wayne Newton announced it with Imagine Dragons¹.

K: Sold. 

¹this was the way the new T-mo arena was announced, actually. b1 wins the debate, but his veracity is erroneous. Just like those people who used to mix it up in arguments at AAPL in the old days. 

Absence of clever

b1-66er: What event is that?

(It has no header. )

Oh it's a joke. 

Har. 

Special K: What event? What?

b1-66er: Exactly. 

K: I didn't text you anything about an event. 

I don't know what you mean. 

b1: 2020 canceled

That. 

Har again. 

K: Ah. 

I sent that 5 hours ago. Did it just land?

b1: Yes. 

Bad jokes propagate slowly. 

I show: sent 16:02; received 20:49.

K: Yow. 

You're the boss of me now, and you're not so big

Special K: I'm about to meet with my new boss. Did I mention he works in Boulder? He does.

He has a degree in bible studies. I should tell him what we're reading.

(I'm behind.)

b1-66er: Do. 

Let me know what he sez.

I suspect he already knows about it. 

K: I don't know if I should mention the Bible reading thing, because I don't remember how I found that out. Maybe he doesn't want anybody  to know.

b1: He'll be interested in talking about it. Even if briefly...

I suggest starting the conversation with. "Just so we're clear, I'm from the chosen tribe. "

K: Oh hell yes.

More melted than a Snickers

b1-66er: "State Department Tells U.S. Citizens Not To Travel Abroad"

Special K: That's big.

b1: Right. I only inform you big. 

Pandemics, State department, Taco Bell...

...... there is no other news. 

K: You have a high bar. I have a fu bar.

Where's the vice grips...

The Actore: I think the issue isn't the lethality of the disease, it's the lack of hospital facilities and ventilatorsthat could ramp up the lethality from 2 to 20% of ppl who get it.

b1-66er: Yes. 

That's what we're trying to smooth. 

TA: But that doesn't factor in the infinite b1-6xer series stubbornness.

b1: It's simultaneously our greatest strength and greatest weakness...

Sole survivors standing on a pile of rubble with a USB cable that only works, "if you hold it like this. "

All signs point to "K"

The Fembot: I am enjoying the arch and ktxt.

b1-66er: I've never been so active...

Even eclipses my Haiku Years. 

Special K's losing his mind, which makes it better. 

F: You two do write entertaining stuff! 

b1: We're glad you think so.

F: I know you do it mostly to amuse yourselves, but I appreciate it, too.  It is a good look inside your minds... kinda like the 24HOTV sessions.

b1: Exactly. 

F: Now you are both just weird all the time, without lack of sleep and bad TV.

b1: Good observation. 

K will love that. 

F: I am sure you will share with him.  Someday I would like to meet him in person.  Does he come to DenCo, now that his MIL has died?

b1: Not as much. His brother still lives there.
You'll meet him. 

Have your ant eating mammal turn the dial a little to the left

Special K: "Tomorrow Trump is visiting @fema where he will hold a video call  with Governors. He's teasing a big announcement from the 

@US_FDA

 that we expect him to make at the 11am #coronavirus Task Force briefing, likely having to do with a possible treatment."

b1-66er: We're breeding pangolins and gonna drop them on the Taliban?

K: Tune in tomorrow!

b1: I listen to K radio. 

"I prefer my records warped."

K: 95 FABULOUS KBOT!

b1: "All static...

... half the time. "

K: 10,000 milliwatts of pure stereo power!

b1: "It's got a good beat and I can dance to it, I'd give it an 85, DICK."

Days of nothing go by incredibly quickly. I'm sad when they end.

K: Why? Tomorrow is the same.

Magic K-ball

b1-66er: Make a prediction. 

About anything. 

It's WAY better than hearing you rolling numbers like a beaver ball, again. 

Special K: That's because I mostly know to shut up.

I predict online-only.

WWDC will be canceled*.

b1: Agreed. 

K: The next wave is canceling the online-only versions of conferences that were instituted a couple of weeks ago.

b1: Oh! Interesting! Why?

K: Even to put on the online things requires people to get together to do planning. That's super hard to do now.

b1: Ah!

K: International air travel will be suspended (if it isn't already).

b1: ALL countries or just U.S.?

K: Just US, I mean.

b1: Okay. 

If the U.S. does it,  will others follow?

K: Not many. Maybe big countries.

*this is a bit of a cheat by the K... I've already heard from my contacts at AAPL that the WWDC is not happening live and they're just trying to figure out the messaging... and the K has/had b-fast every Friday with in-and-out AAPL employee, the Grumbler. Likelihood that K heard it "somewhere" is high. 

Estupidia nervosa

Special K: I've been offered a COVID-19 test. I'm not sure whether to take it.

b1-66er: Who offered it?

It doesn't really matter...

Because you either have it or you don't...

If you do, it's not going to change your behavior at all...

If you don't, then you know you didn't as of, what, 4 days ago?...

Then what?  You take it again some other time?...

No fever. 

No cough. 

No symptoms. 

NO TEST. 

Special K: I signed up for G's new trial service, just to see what would happen.

I was shocked to find they accepted me and said I could get tested.

They are only testing healthy people.

(I think)

To see how prevalent it really is.

That is, asymptomatic people.

b1: Ah.

K: I'm strongly leaning toward not going. I don't need a trip to a clinic when I'm not feeling any symptoms.

Is it un-civic or unpatriotic of me not to go?

If I have it, am I harming my family by not going?

b1: No one gets a staph infection at home. 

You're vectoring through the world. 

K: I figure if I don't go, someone else will take my place, so they'll get the data they're looking for.

b1: The ONLY reason I could think of going -as you- is you're in the higher risk group...

But the answer means nothing relative to your behavior. 

Pass.

You've got the dog and mail truck problem...

What do you do now that you've caught it?

AND THINK AHEAD ON APPLYING FOR STUFF FOR CHRISSAKES. 

Don't do things just to see if you can get it. 

I slit two different throats over my interviewing career of people who were doing that for jobs I had open...

Snidely Straight Neck used to do that. 

Absolutely despicable. 

K: I saw somebody online who applied and was rejected. I assumed that would happen to me too.

b1: That's lame. 

"I saw some guy get turned down buying black tar heroin in five points so I thought I'd try. 

I did it. 

Now what do I do?"

K: My family agrees with you.

<ed: TXTing is a spectator sport at the K household during lockdowns>

b1: Coronavirus has made you ill. 

K: No doubt!

I'm playing until I get all the pink chips

b1-66er: All non-essential businesses in NV closed for a month. 

"Stay home for NV."

"Limit the exposure at funeral services. "

All casinos close by midnight. 

b1-67er: Bet it ALL!

66: THAT'S MY BROTHER!

Centrifungal

Special K: "The Senate coronavirus bill vote will be delayed after Republican Sen. Rand Paul pushed a doomed amendment."

b1-66er: REVOLUTION.

K: Ecch.

Special K: "Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly just announced Kansas K-12 school closed the remainder of the year."

b1-66er: THERE GOES MY SENIOR PROM!

Show me pictures of the bear again, please. 

K: I want the bear to eat the prom lady.

Q: What do you call a movie director who goes camping now?

A: Tentin Quarantino.

b1: That's terrible. Where'd you get that? 

Twitter.

The home of all 3rd grade humor.(sm)

K: Yep, yep, yep.

A new way to change the sheets

b1-66er: "Amazon knows you're ordering toilet paper in bulk. It's trying to stock more essentials"

Special K: The TP thing is really the stupidest.

b1: It is. 

I say that only because I have a Robison Crusoe raft of toilet paper I sleep on.

Right on the line

b1-66er: Oh you guys!

"In California: Millions locked down; 911 gets calls about neighbors coughing"

Special K: Bad headline! If there's one bad thing, it's not a trend.

OK, good headline.

The hole thing

Special K: I'm in charge of donuts every 12th Friday.

b1-66er: This week ?

Honestly, I'd put you on donut duty more frequently. 

I think you have that ability in you. 

Mr. Crypto: I promised to buy my team donuts if they accomplished a task. My team's preferred donuts are insanely expensive.

I spent like a thousand bucks on donuts

They were very good donuts

K: Big cities have amazing donuts.

I had some leftover donuts in the SF Google office once. They were amazing. I'm glad I've forgotten the name.

Music for epidemics

b1-66er:

On the Sonos right now:

https://youtu.be/C_8QOdd2jQc

b1-67er:  Nash the Slash seems like just the artist for a pandemic.

66: Exactly. 

The secret to life is embracing the darkness. 

67: You know if he was still alive he could become THE poster child for coronavirus

66: I consider him to be. 

"Death is merely an inconvenience all of us face. "

Where's the switch?

Special K: The sleepy people have the power. 

Beware the day after the day after the day after the Ides of March

b1-66er: "President Trump Tests Negative for Coronavirus"

"Coronavirus updates: Trump declares national emergency; schools in 12 states shut down; cruise lines halted"

"...the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed 50 million globally and 675,000 here, back when the U.S. had only 100 million people."

"Louisiana will delay presidential primary"

"Ohio, Maryland, Oregon, New Mexico, Michigan, West Virginia, Virginia, Louisiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington and Alabama have ordered all schools closed."

Special K: Close it all. 

b1: Stop the virus. 

Cancel culture. 

Save its meaning. (SM)

"No visitors allowed in federal prisons for 30 days"

"Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian PM, tests positive"

K: "Vail Resorts has suspended operation of all North American mountain resorts beginning March 15 through March 22. Lodging operations will remain open to serve guests on location and those with existing reservations."

When do you think they will order everything closed? Restaurants shops, casinos?

b1: I'd say you'd be a better authority,  you're more aware. 

When do you think?

K: I guess Wednesday. 

All mixed up

Special K: 

What's the difference between Covid 19 and Romeo & Juliet?

One's a corona virus and the other is a Verona crisis.

Ya (billion dollar) baby!

b1-66er: ALICE COOPER TOUR POSTPONED! 

Special K: No more Mr. nice guy!!!

So what's Angel Hair?

b1-66er: Ramen are the pubes of the noodle world. 

I mean that in the best possible way. 

Now WHERE is that bomb shelter key?

Special K: Santa Clara County* just closed the schools. There is a fucking run on food at grocery stores.

*Santa Clara is the county that headquarters nearly all the world's high tech companies,  except Microsoft.

Bigger than the chip washer

b1-66er: "The coronavirus is creating weird new business opportunities, from robots to anti-spitting hats"

"Amazon has removed more than a million products that claim to be effective against the coronavirus"

Special K: Broadway is closed! "Broadway theatres will go dark beginning 5 pm today."

b1: Right choice. 

K: So far Playful People is not closed, but we're on the verge.

b1: "Because Broadway did. "

You're going to have to take up knitting. 

K: Harry Potter and Hamilton in SF shut down too.

Harry Potter was trying to finesse it with smaller crowds, but they bailed on that today. Things are happening so fast.

b1: Close the world.

Stop the virus. 

(SM)

K: I like it.

b1: It's actually a great tagline. 

K: Yes.

b1: You can play it either way. 

K: I see friends reporting how crazy busy Costco is. But the grocery stores I've been in have been normal. I wonder what's up.

b1: Survivalists. 

"We need everything in quantity,  where do we go?"

K: Yeah.

b1: I had an entire raft of sardines in my grocery cart last night...

And some 40 something sneered as he walked walked past...

"Man, I eat 6 things and have a compromised immune system. You have no idea. "

K: The sneering, I don't like them.

"It's no worse than the flu! It's the media!" Fuck 'em.

b1: You and I have fallen victims to them all our lives...

... the worst is when it's been me on you. 

K: Eh, it's ok.*

XFL seems to be the only league standing.

b1: "Sponsored by Carona 

It's not a virus. 

It's a BEER."

K:

- NBA suspended indefinitely

- MLB suspended indefinitely

- NHL suspended indefinitely

- Big East Tournament canceled

- SEC Tournament canceled 

- AAC To2/2 urnament canceled 

- ACC Tournament canceled

- Big 10 Tournament canceled 

- Pac-12 Tournament canceled

- MLS suspended 30 days

b1: CinemaCon canceled!

So, the Dear Hunter asked me a good Q.

Are they going to shut the casinos?

K: 

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/12/21172040/coronavirus-covid-19-virus-charts

How can they shut the casinos? How can they not?

b1: I think they have to. 

And all those chips?

K: Chips seem like a good vector.

b1: I doubt washing them is the answer. 

K: You couldn't wash them often enough.

b1: I hadn't even thought of the 'reuse' component!

K: Have the casinos ever closed?

b1: That's a good question. 

I don't think so. 

There's been disturbances that have shut some temporarily.

Like the MGM the night Tupak was shot. 

K: March Madness canceled! That's gotta hurt LV.

b1: Yes. 

K: All content on https://www.nytimes.com/news-event/coronavirus is now free.

b1: GREAT!

K: Yes.

More sites should do that.

b1: All information free. 

Coronavirus free.

"Like the old days. "

K: Trump: ""You know, we need a little separation until such time as this goes away."

b1: Oh,  IT will go away,  all right. 

You're not doing your job as watchdog...

I think Public Madness is officially 9/10.

K: Yes. It's a low-key panic.

b1: I have a degree in applied mathematics. I can say those kinds of things. 

K: It's good that he said that, rather than ignoring it. Maybe people will come around.

DISNEYLAND IS CLOSED!!!!!!!!!!!

"i think the impulse for many people is to look at things closing down or events cancelling right now as a sign of doom, but for the most part i think it's cause for optimism—someone in charge of something is taking this seriously, and doing what they can to limit interactions"

b1: AND REASONABLE K EMERGES FROM THE SWAMP!

*<ed- it's not. >

Hooked on Corona

The Actore: Because of corona bs, I got upset that I couldn't open a public door that needed to be pulled without actually touching the surface. 

So today I made this thing out of a piece of scrap wood so I can push or pull doors open without touching them. Also push elevator buttons, etc. I know I'm a little crazy, in that most of corona spreads in the air, but there is a little piece of mind that comes with this:

Almost like shaking hands

Special K: "Out of a total of 5 Stages, the City of San Jose is in Stage 4, High Response Level of its Pandemic Response Plan and has proclaimed a local emergency. This means that there is high risk to the local population."

<pic insert>

b1-66er: Does THAT mean everyone will start crashing into other people's butts with their heads?

K: It's protocol.

You and your tiny infinity

b1-66er: Closing monologue of "The Incredible Shrinking Man"

So close - the infinitesimal and the infinite. But suddenly, I knew they were really the two ends of the same concept. The unbelievably small and the unbelievably vast eventually meet - like the closing of a gigantic circle. I looked up, as if somehow I would grasp the heavens. The universe, worlds beyond number, God's silver tapestry spread across the night. And in that moment, I knew the answer to the riddle of the infinite. I had thought in terms of man's own limited dimension. I had presumed upon nature. That existence begins and ends in man's conception, not nature's. And I felt my body dwindling, melting, becoming nothing. My fears melted away. And in their place came acceptance. All this vast majesty of creation, it had to mean something. And then I meant something, too. Yes, smaller than the smallest, I meant something, too. To God, there is no zero.

Special K: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-06/apple-encourages-silicon-valley-staff-to-work-from-home-on-virus

b1-66er: (And the stock goes down 4 points. )

That's a good pic of the campus. I've never seen that view before. 

Random headline: "Coronavirus will probably affect you. How you can prepare."

K: OK. I devour social media and I sense a change in the wind today on the virus. The trend is for more people to back off panic and back

 off taking it super seriously. I think panic and overreaction is going to decline. It might rise again, but it's going to decline for the next few days at least.

b1: You should start a channel.

Social Media Prognosticator.

K: I'm too lazy.

In Watchmen, the world's smartest man figured out trends by watching a giant bank of TVs and figuring out the gestalt.

<pic enclosed>

b1: Whoa. Nice comic pic interplay in the conversation, K-bot!

K: I only have a few points, so I might as well make them over and over.

Call me "COVIDi-2019"

Special K: <enclosed screenshot>

b1-66er: Whoa. 

"We pay more attention to Coronavirus than we do to the name of our restaurant. "

K: HAHAHAHAHAHA

You must be vvTHISvv young to enter the ride

Special K: Microsoft said everybody should work at home if they can. If you're

 60+, you MUST work at home or go on leave.

b1-66er: Who told you?

K: I read it here--

https://news.microsoft.com/2020/03/04/kurt-delbenes-march-4-guidance-to-king-county-employees/

b1: Good catch. 

K: I'm doing my part by being home almost every day.

b1: I've always liked that about you ...

 You eat your share...

And you slack your share...

K: And more.

b1: ... and you're ALWAYS willing to pick up for others who don't. 

K: I haven't been in the office since yesterday a week.

And I won't be there until next week.

b1: I haven't been in the office since year yesterday 10 years. 

And I won't be there in the next decade. 

I think that's how you natives say it. 

K: That's great.

I was thinking of pursuing retirement soon but I'm not gonna.