So here in Illinois, the shelter-in-place order kicked in yesterday, and I’m sheltering the fuck in place. How are you all doing in The Time of Social Distancing? Are you officially or unofficially on lockdown? What are you doing to keep anxieties at bay?
Here at the Tiny Mammoth Institute we’re … getting by, with the help of video games, breathing exercises, and my oblivious cats. Hope you’re all holding up ok.
Anyway, here’s an open thread to discuss all this or whatever else you want to talk about.
And here’s another cat, a famous one, in a box.
–DF
@Moggie
Why stop there? We could then grow some cloned skin and bind copies of autobiographies or other books they wrote with it (it’s called anthropodermic bibliopegy). Now, you can own a set of the Harry Potter series bound in J.K. Rowling’s skin.
Note: I am aware that she is a TERF and I would not buy said set, I am just giving an example.
@Naglfar
It’s generally held to taste much like pork, but sweeter; the traditional Fijian term for it translates to ‘long pig’.
I wonder if someone will try marketing ‘plant-based long pig’ any time soon?
My workplace is a manufacturer, so we can’t work from home. I’m in the front office, but still going in, as they occasionally need me to run some serial-number labels off the desktop printer. Spouse has been more-or-less a shut-in for the past few years, so not much has changed for him except that he’s got more people to talk to online.
Our older cat had to be euthanized recently (his kidneys were finally shutting down completely), and we’d planned to get a companion for our younger cat, but figured the animal shelters were probably in lockdown for the time being. However, we checked just in case we could get on a waiting list in the meantime, and, well, now we’ve got a kitten.
Hm. Looks like my workplace may be closed from midnight tomorrow.
I’m officially moved out of my home
@ lainy
Oh no. Have you got somewhere safe you can be?
@ specialfrog
Hmm, what with your idea and Dali’s restaurant this is like Soylent Green sponsored Dragons’ Den.
Christ on a pogo stick….
Biden is not a “no show”:
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/03/23/820093972/biden-admonishes-trump-in-new-crisis-campaign-approach
Well, the UK is now on official lockdown, the government having belatedly bowed to the inevitable. Their dithering will undoubtedly end up costing many lives. We’re probably on a similar trajectory to Italy, but two weeks behind.
What the fuck is Bolsonaro doing?
Fuck. My work decided to do mandatory overtime for 4/1 to 4/3. We are not an essential service, but there are already contractors out due to having kids whose schools/daycares are closed or being immunocomprised and there’s definitely a chance that MN will close all non-essential businesses. If that happens, it means that 7 people (plus supervisors and managers) are able to work from home and will be expected to maintain the benefits call center for 3 clients, both of whom have us for both health and pension. So, 6 lines plus webchats.
Does that sound reasonable to anyone?
Greedy fucks. The executives don’t want to lose any profit, so they’ll just work their employees to death instead. I don’t know what the fuck they think they’re going to do if some of the 7 of us get sick ourselves. Or have technical problems working from home.
@ moggie
I’ve been doing long nighttime walks through the lanes. Sometimes they cross midnight. I’m trying to work out if that counts as two gos for my “One exercise a day” allowance.
I’m glad there’s a bit of clarity though. I was literally getting emails every half hour from the Bar Council as the rules on attending court kept changing.
Oh, and it now transpires that the remote conferencing system most of the legal industry uses isn’t GDPR compliant; so back to WhatsApp.
Non-contact hugs to everyone, hoping you’re all ok.
Here in Argentina we’ve been in recommended shelter-in-place since march 17, and last Friday it was updated to mandatory shelter-in-place.
Most of the early spreading was due Argentinians flying back home from high risk areas (mostly Italy) and not respecting the quarantine (including many with symptoms of COVID-19 already!). Since last Friday borders were closed, and people breaking the quarantine are being held on house arrest under police supervision.
Many Argentinians around the world got stuck in airports due to their flights being cancelled. The State airline sent planes to get them home, and some were outraged to find out they had to actually pay the plane ticket! And many even tried to refuse medical isolation once they got back. More than 20.000 people left the country AFTER the closing of borders was announced, and now are demanding State flights to get back. Many National routes have been closed because people tried to go on vacation instead of staying home.
Way to go assholes! /s
The right demands the President declares state of siege, while the ultra left complains the general quarantine is a de facto state of siege.
The military hospitals were made available for care of the infected, and one “mobile hospital” (basically sanitary tents) was set in one of the largest military bases in northern Buenos Aires. One military factory is dedicated to producing varieties of alcohol, and the one military textile factory is manufacturing chinstraps.
There are also many welfare measures in place, especially cash for people with no job and who perceive no welfare benefits, and one time bonuses for people on welfare. Schools are closed but their lunchrooms are producing take away meals for the children, and food packs are being distributed in the poorest areas. They also decreed paid leave for domestic workers.
There is a daily government report with updates on the status of the pandemic in the country and the political actions taken/to be taken. A few provinces are also closing their borders these days. The shelter-in-place measures expire on march 31, but it’s foreseeable they will be extended, considering the contagion is rising and the temperature is dropping as we enter Autumn.
I’m so glad this is happening under a Peronist government (the neoliberals run the country to the ground from 2015 to 2019, even downgrading the Health Ministry to a secretary).
As for me, I’m staying home with my kid, going out maybe once a week to get food. I disinfected the whole house, downloaded a Nintendo emulator to play nostalgic games (mainly Mario Bros.) and binge-watching series, trying to take in very low doses of news media.
I’m pretty sure we’ll make it through this safely, and I’m also helping my grandma (who lives across the street) with getting food and other essentials so she can stay home.
Anxiety is beginning to be a bit of a problem, but sharing all this with you is definitely helping! Stay safe all!
@Moggie:
So, basically Catholicism, minus the “clap your hands if you believe” aspect?
Well I’m in the UK and sad I’m not going to see my family which is gonna have a bad effect on my mental health. But I’ve been following what’s been happing in Italy and the measures will be worth it if it stops what’s happening there here.
Actually though, otherwise I’m OK. This is my life, I don’t work and avoid people as much as possible so I’m just carrying on.
Whatever the fuck he always does, I’d guess.
Someone sent me this. Social distancing suffragette style.
My manager told me it’s just the few days to get our quarter off to a start, but I don’t trust it.
@Luzbelitx:
Fiddling while the Amazon burns, then? 🙁
@Alan, for a moment I thought that was Natalie Wynn.
@ moggie
Er, yeah, I get that. Cos I totally know who that is.
@Moggie
I can see the resemblance.
“I am social distancing for I have been cancelled, woe is me, woe is me.”
@Surplus
Trump retweeted a Nero meme the other day. Self-awareness is over.
@Alan Robertshaw
Better known as ContraPoints. YouTuber who has become increasingly problematic.
Sounds about right 🙁
@Moggie
My uncle is a doctor in Brazil, he has lived there close to 60 years. From what he tells me, he isn’t doing anything at all. He has to be tending at least 3 different hospitals and they are terribly understaffed and in constant need of supplies. So far no nationwide quarantine has been declared. Last I heard Sao Paulo (a city of 40 million people) had been quarantine, other cities remain open in a country with a population of 200 million people. In essence, he’s adopted the Trump and Boris Johnson strategy.
On the other hand, we seem to be faring well with Vizcarra. 7th day of quarantine and the curb seems to be flattening as we climb from 363 infected to 393 with about 9 registered deaths. My sister in the US is almost recovered from the virus but now my brother-in-law has started having the symptoms, and he is still being asked to come in to work.