OT: What changes are you and family making to your lifestyle due to coranavirus?

[kingdobbs]

Doesn't this happen almost every week? Seriously. Probably more than half the time I see some crazy news story about people doing something really stupid it's from Florida. What is it with the people in that state?

It’s much less that there’s “something in the water” that brings out the crazy, it’s just that we hear about them more. Though admittedly it’s more a well founded hypothesis than demonstrated fact.

Florida has a particularly transparent “sunshine law” on its public records, and those records, including arrest records, are available for free and immediately upon request within days, if not hours, of being filed; all a journalist has to do, typically, is call a local PD and ask for the file, and the department, with almost no exemptions, must release the records on such a request. It doesn’t matter if the PD has officially “released” the report.

It also helps that Florida has a high population and a greater than average access to alligators than most of the country. Almost anyone can bring a wild raccoon or possum into a liquor store whilst drunk; not as many can do the same with a gator.

 

[casual-yardin]

The problem with huge increases in national debt is that it drives up interest rates...which leads to tax hikes and spending cuts.....

....when there is lack of confidence in the country's ability to pay it's debt, investors demand higher interest rate returns.

That increase in interest rates would reduce the market value of outstanding government bonds, causing losses for investors and perhaps precipitating a broader financial crisis by creating losses for mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies, banks, and other holders of government debt .....losses that might be large enough to cause some financial institutions to fail.

except that rates have been falling for the last ~20 years while the debt went from ~$4T to ~$22T....

 

[Jaker]

Things in Italy are spiralling out of control.

 

[billybud]

except that rates have been falling for the last ~20 years while the debt went from ~$4T to ~$22T....

And the Congressional Budget Office has warned that we may have to pay the piper....

 

[Waquoit]

I stopped at my local specialty store to pick up some things figuring they might not be open for awhile. Then it hit me to buy myself a $100. gift certificate. The guy says, "Thanks, this helps." I think I'm going to go the gift card route for my local restaurants instead of take-out.

 

[billybud]

Interesting reading...and the debt has climbed since the CBO report...

CBO: Consequences of a Growing National Debt | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

2014-07-21-In addition to showing the path of future debt, CBO's Long-Term Budget Outlook described the consequences of a large and growing federal debt. The four main consequences are: Lower national savings and income Higher interest payments, leading to large tax hikes and spending cuts...

www.crfb.org

 

[Jaker]

Right now, everyone had better be working on their contingency plan on how they will survive and carry-on if we see total economic collapse here and in Europe. That's how serious this potentially can be.

 

[Edward Sargent]

I am becoming very cognizant of what I'm touching in public. Was at the Mall in Waterbury and realized I was holding the rails on the escalators. My wife told me immediately when she saw me do this. Well on the way back up I touched it again, and jerked my hand like it was the 3rd line.

Have hand sanitizer in the car, but we have yet to stock up for Armageddon.

I'm somewhat cutting back on public places, and am becoming conscientious when buying groceries, shopping (touchy/feely), and even greeting friends. I so much want to go about my usual activities but this bombardment of updates (mostly scary stuff) has my mind so occupied when out of the house.

Also I have started to actually notice how frequently I am touching my face.

So crazy cuz a week ago, none of this was an issue.

I did an occupational exposure study of workers handling hazardous chemicals in PPE and you would be shocked at how many times you touch your face with your hands in the course of a work day even wearing gloves and knowlingly handling carcinogenic chemicals!!

 

[mussels]

Interesting reading...and the debt has climbed since the CBO report...

CBO: Consequences of a Growing National Debt | Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

2014-07-21-In addition to showing the path of future debt, CBO's Long-Term Budget Outlook described the consequences of a large and growing federal debt. The four main consequences are: Lower national savings and income Higher interest payments, leading to large tax hikes and spending cuts...

www.crfb.org

What you and the article are saying is consistent with what Mr McEachern taught in economics 101 in the Monteith lecture hall (or was in Arjona?) in 1973. Problem is, that according to that line of thinking we should have had runaway inflation with interest rates as low as they are/have been. The only reasonable explanation to me is "nobody knows nothin"

 

[ctchamps]

I love the “we can’t use any drugs because there haven’t be trials” reasoning. I think there’s 20,000 potential participants right now.

This link explains the caution. Medicine that is relatively safe under most circumstances can be deadly under certain circumstances. Aspirin can be deadly for certain children with a viral fever. So we don't know if the virus changes something in us to make those malarial drugs dangerous. Hence one of the reasons for testing. Another reason is there is a limited supply. It works for malaria. Removing it for the treatment of those patients to treat the corona virus and finding out it wasn't effective would be foolish.

Aspirin is safe until it isn't

 

[mussels]

Was never a fan of his but Cuomo has been excellent since this all started.

Would hate to see what a bad job looks like.

NY now has almost half of the cases in the US. Seems to me he was initially more interested in chest bumping de Blasio, than protecting people. Late to the game with restrictions.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Right now, everyone had better be working on their contingency plan on how they will survive and carry-on if we see total economic collapse here and in Europe. That's how serious this potentially can be.

What happens to quarantines when people can’t pay their rent or mortgages? I give it two weeks tops before the riots and looting begins.

 

[Leebo]

Would hate to see what a bad job looks like.

NY now has almost half of the cases in the US. Seems to me he was initially more interested in chest bumping de Blasio, than protecting people. Late to the game with restrictions.

West Virginia was the last state to have any cases. People were praising them. But they weren't even trying to test people at that time. So which state was doing a better job?

 

[Leebo]

What happens to quarantines when people can’t pay their rent or mortgages? I give it two weeks tops before the riots and looting begins.

They've already said that evictions and foreclosures aren't going to be happening right now. But you do have to be in contact with the people you would normally pay. You can't just stop paying and not talk to them.

 

[Jaker]

What happens to quarantines when people can’t pay their rent or mortgages? I give it two weeks tops before the riots and looting begins.

Some banks are already halting foreclosures and penalties, eventually if it gets really bad the economy will be frozen.

 

[mussels]

It also helps that Florida has a high population and a greater than average access to alligators than most of the country. Almost anyone can bring a wild raccoon or possum into a liquor store whilst drunk; not as many can do the same with a gator.

So you're saying that there's an under reporting of all the raccoons and possums that go flying through the Wendy's drive through windows up north ?

This may have significant ramifications to the corona virus carry-out strategy.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Just got home from practicing social distancing at a friend's house. First crawfish boil of the season. I can damn near go vegan and just eat brussel sprouts, pineapple and mushrooms.

 

[kingdobbs]

So you're saying that there's an under reporting of all the raccoons and possums that go flying through the Wendy's drive through windows up north ?

This may have significant ramifications to the corona virus carry-out strategy.

Novelty is indeed an important component of newsworthiness.

When you hear about Florida Man bringing an alligator into a liquor store, it is the most important story you’ll read in the newspaper. Or online these days, I guess.

When you hear about New York Man bringing a raccoon into a Wendy’s, it’s a Tuesday.

 

[mussels]

Novelty is indeed an important component of newsworthiness.

When you hear about Florida Man bringing an alligator into a liquor store, it is the most important story you’ll read in the newspaper. Or online these days, I guess.

When you hear about New York Man bringing a raccoon into a Wendy’s, it’s a Tuesday.

Just to be clear, ForidaMan didn't bring an alligator into a liquor store. Who would raise an eyebrow at that ?

FloridaMan thew a three and a half foot alligator through the take out window of a Wendy's. That would not be Tuesday in NY - Saturday all bets are off.

 

[navery12]

Would hate to see what a bad job looks like.

NY now has almost half of the cases in the US. Seems to me he was initially more interested in chest bumping de Blasio, than protecting people. Late to the game with restrictions.

They have almost half the cases because of how active they've been in testing compared to other states. The numbers are going to skyrocket the next month, that doesn't mean the actions taken are bad

 

[jostar1]

States in Lockdown (thought there would be more):

 

[jdb50]

The national debt is never going to be paid off. Since this is a worldwide problem who is going to buy our debt? We are going to be printing money and handing it out. Before this crisis I felt that the national debt was never going to be paid back. Some day the government is going to be forced to say "Sorry, we are cancelling the debt and are starting over." We will then start to grow a new debt.

 

[Devland]

I already had plenty of toilet paper and ammo before all this started. The people running around trying to find toilet paper and ammo now were just unprepared. Let this be a lesson.

 

[billybud]

The national debt is never going to be paid off. Since this is a worldwide problem who is going to buy our debt? We are going to be printing money and handing it out. Before this crisis I felt that the national debt was never going to be paid back. Some day the government is going to be forced to say "Sorry, we are cancelling the debt and are starting over." We will then start to grow a new debt.

Ouch...to all the pensioners, insurance companies, etc that have bought that debt. The Chinese have bought $1.07 trillion of the US debt....$6.7 trillion in US debt is held by foreign countries.

 

[metsfan2323]

Ouch...to all the pensioners, insurance companies, etc that have bought that debt. The Chinese have bought $1.07 trillion of the US debt....$6.7 trillion in US debt is held by foreign countries.

I'm no authority here, but please no more posts about this topic, its the ultimate rabbit hole. Keep the thread focused on the virus.

 

[metsfan2323]

States in Lockdown (thought there would be more):

View attachment 52203

Interesting how there are far fewer deaths in California compared to New York even though CA has twice as many people, possibly evidence that this might subside when it gets warmer out and people get more sun (vitamin D). I have ramped up my vitamin D intake and so has my family. Vitamin D has long been known to help fight the common flu and respiratory infections.

 

[dennismenace]

except that rates have been falling for the last ~20 years while the debt went from ~$4T to ~$22T....

Yes and when you can no longer sell your bonds and other obligations at the usual rates the rates go up.
Right now the US treasury instruments are desirable holdings partly because the dollar is the reserve currency of the world that countries use when settling international debts most often and because of the stability of our economy and military force it is considered a safe haven in times of crisis. Let's hope that remains the case or the rates will skyrocket. It is also inflationary to keep printing money and foisting it on others so some day the reckoning will come to us and our children if we do not address this.

Fiat Money

 

[auggie22]

Brother in law leases space for his businesses, which are shuttered during the outbreak. He has talked to his lawyer and his landlords ... there is not suspended lease payments or foreclosures, at least for him.

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

Yesterday was the first day since this ramped up on the 8th where we had a reduction in new cases and second straight day where there was fewer deaths. So that’s something?

 

[auggie22]

States in Lockdown (thought there would be more):

View attachment 52203

not a rhetorical question - why are the first states to go on lockdown the most left-leaning states?