Tuesday Afternoon Links

by | Apr 14, 2020 | Daily Links | 450 comments

There are an awful lot of people holding government positions who have decided that rights are not inalienable when the Fate of The World hangs on the little people doing as they are told. Let’s be crystal clear. The absolute worst case in America was always going to be smaller than The Holocaust. At this point, it is difficult to say how much smaller, but I suspect that it would have been less than 1M people. Now, it looks like maybe one-fifth of that is the absolute high. Thirty days into crisis mode, Florida experienced its 500th death from COVID. We still haven’t hit 3000 hospitalizations. There are more beds available in Florida hospitals now than all the people who have been hospitalized in the state. There are more ICU beds available than have died in the state. At current rate of infection, assuming that testing only catches 10% of actual cases — I can’t pin this number down, but based on testing parameters on the web, I suspect that they catch 90% of the serious cases and a much smaller percentage of the non-serious cases — It will take approximately 1000 MORE* days for everyone to have been exposed to the virus. That isn’t a realistic scenario, so what’s the next most realistic scenario?

Raleigh police decide that there’s a public health exception to the right to peaceably assemble.

Was talking to an English recruiter today who said the UK is expecting a double digit contraction in the 2nd quarter. The IMF predicts the US will lose “merely” 6%. Holy fuck. Six percent of a $20T GDP is a lot of fucking paychecks.

Local sheriff comes out against reopening beaches. I think, in a way he’s doing the county a favor. Not that I think the beaches should be closed, but how the fuck is he (or his deputies) supposed to determine whether people are there for exercise or just to sit? At least he came out against a county-wide curfew.

This one is just for the picture. Those are some giant ass eyes.

 

 

*Ideally, we’re only catching about 1% of infections and we’re “only” 100 days from full exposure

About The Author

Brett L

Brett L

Brett set out to find America, the real America, the America of strip malls and serial killers, of butthole waxing and kelp smoothies, of cocaine and maggots. He sought it in the most American part of America—Florida: swamp gas and fever dreams, where love arrives on a rickety boat and leaves when it doesn't have the money for its fourth abortion. Oh, where has Brett gone? He’s drinking at the neck of America’s wang, chewing its foreskin and working its shaft. Brett is becoming legend. Brett can never die. Brett can never die. Brett is America, facedown in his own patriotic puke: the red his blood, the white his stomach lining, and the cold, cold blue his gas station slushie, spiked with coconut rum and tetracycline.

450 Comments

  1. YDAK

    You can still picnic at the River….
    First!

  2. Scruffy Nerfherder

    Protesting is a non-essential activity.

    And Raleigh police are non-essential shitbags.

    • Not Adahn

      I saw Playa on that reply.

      And also Ken White, world renowned super-1A lawyer guy. He didn’t take any actual legal action, but he did call the cops racist, so he’s done his part.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        So is shooting unarmed nonwhites in the back but hey everyone has their hobby right guys

        Ken is obviously campaigning to get a BLM Award, or an Oscar.

      • Ted S.

        So shooting unarmed whites in the back is essential?

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        I think that’s a logical conclusion.

      • leon

        The jump to race is so boring and tired. We have civil rights abuse right here, but Ken will jump to focus on racisim.

      • Chipwooder

        it is impossible to abuse the civil rights of wypipo…..duh! Only noble and holy creatures like dusky-hued folx can have their rights violated.

      • Translucent Chum

        So is shooting unarmed nonwhites in the back but hey everyone has their hobby right guys

        Heh.

      • Tonio

        My understanding is that someone with legal standing, someone affected by this, would have to file..

      • Ted S.

        The courts will determine that nobody had standing for this, but everybody has standing to appeal Trump’s executive orders.

      • DEG

        There was an arrest. That person should have standing, but we live in Bizarro world.

      • Chafed

        That’s not Ken White. It’s a different handle using his avatar.

  3. Count Potato

    “Protesting is a non-essential activity.”

    OFFS!

    • Grumbletarian

      Orwell himself was never so succinct.

      • leon

        Orwell mistakenly believed that the government tyrany would have to be hidden behind flowery langauge.

    • Translucent Chum

      Which is funny. Whitmer specifically said people could protest in the middle of the rest of her deranged handling of this.

      • Oy the Billy-Bumbler

        I signed the recall Whitmer petition last night on change.org. up to 228k last I checked.

      • Shirley Knott

        I signed as well.

    • Tonio

      First and Second Amendment rights are non-essential, and only asserted by shitlords.

  4. leon

    It seems that every cop in Raleigh ought to be [REDACTED] but since [REDACTED] is not deemed an essential activity, we can go [REDACTED].

    • Jarflax

      Onve you reach the point of [REDACTED] why do you care that they say it isn’t allowed? Across the Rubicon the rules are no longer a concern; you have accepted that the consequences of failure are death.

  5. Count Potato

    “Not that I think the beaches should be closed”

    So you are saying it was a boating accident?

  6. Donation Not Taxation

    Most Libertarian President Ever TM”
    ‘Q Mr. President, just to clarify your understanding of your authority vis-à-vis governors — just to be very specific: For instance, if a governor issued a stay-at-home order —
    THE PRESIDENT: When you say “my authority” — the President’s authority. Not mine, because it’s not me.

    Q If I could just ask the question —

    THE PRESIDENT: This is — when somebody is the President of the United States, the authority is total, and that’s the way it’s got to be.

    Q It’s total? Your authority is total?

    THE PRESIDENT: It’s total. It’s total.

    Q Your authority is total?

    THE PRESIDENT: And the governors know that.

    Q So if a governor —

    THE PRESIDENT: The governors know that. No, you have —

    Q If a governor issues a stay-at-home order, you —

    THE PRESIDENT: — a couple of bands of — excuse me. Excuse me. You have a couple —

    Q Could you rescind that? Could you rescind that order?

    THE PRESIDENT: You have a couple of bands of Democrat governors, but they will agree to it. They will agree to it.

    Q What if it was a Republican governor?

    THE PRESIDENT: But the authority of the President of the United States, having to do with the subject we’re talking about, is total.

    Yeah, please, go ahead.’

    https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-vice-president-pence-members-coronavirus-task-force-press-briefing-25/

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      This is earlier in the transcript:

      “THE PRESIDENT: Well, if some states refuse to open, I would be — I would like to see that person run for election. They’re going to open. They’re going to all open.”

      I’m pretty sure he’s referring to the presidential power to organize and rescind the federal response. Total is an overstatement but his powers in that area are very broad, whether they should be or not may be another story.

      • Donation Not Taxation

        Pages before. You may as well say that he is saying he has total authority to include infrastructure in phase four whether the Democrat congresscritters like it or not. The stuff about phase four is among the stuff in between those two.

  7. Translucent Chum

    Lawsuit alleges Whitmer’s ‘abusive’ order is ‘taking’ with no compensation

    The lawsuit contends provisions of Whitmer’s stay-home order are “arbitrary, capricious, irrational and abusive.” The provisions violate the First Amendment right to freedom of association and the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment, which entitles individuals to compensation when their property rights are taken, according to the lawsuit filed by lawyer David Helm.

    Perhaps it begins…

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Pregnancy is protection against COVID.

      Now I just need to get pregnant.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Just identify as pregnant. If Covid tries to deny your reality, file a complaint.

      • commodious spittoon

        You could try stepping off a curb but I think all the bus lines are shut down.

      • Bobarian LMD
      • Hyperion

        The best protection is probably getting it. Because of the social distancing, when we all can finally be free gain, we’ll probably all get it. That’s just a guess, but being socially distanced from each other, we have no immunity unless we already had it and just don’t know we had it.

      • Certified Public Asshat

        Hyperion is trying to get everyone pregnant.

      • Animal

        STEVE SMITH KNOW HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

    • Pope Jimbo

      That seems to be Minnesoda’s governor’s play now. Can’t reopen until we are testing at least 40K a week.

      I’m wondering what he is going to do when more testing proves that this was a big nothing burger. That lots and lots of people have had this with no symptoms.

    • Playa Manhattan

      Probably not. I thought I had it.

      Antibody test says I did not, and that I’ve never been exposed to it.

  8. leon

    This one is just for the picture. Those are some giant ass eyes.

    How is South Dakota a Hot Spot for the CV?

    • Drake

      Because the Governor didn’t lock people in their homes! The media (the propaganda arm of your enemies) will make up the numbers to “prove” it.

    • The Other Kevin

      Was it one of those “increased from 10-30 = TRIPLED IN ONE DAY” things?

    • Lady Z

      Because of this.

      Which has coincided with a continuing drastic drop in pork prices that deepened in mid March. I’d like to know how many were showing symptoms, and why so many people at one factory were tested.

    • Hyperion

      Yeah, it’s a real hotspot.

      New York = 10,834 deaths as of now.

      South Dakota = 6 deaths as of now.

      In fact, SD is one of the lowest of all 50 states.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      It isn’t. They have one facility with a breakout. But the media narrative must be that South Dakota is rapidly descending into hell because there mustn’t be a counterpoint to total lockdown.

      • Enough About Palin

        But the media narrative must be that South Dakota is rapidly descending into hell because there…is a Rebublican governor sitting in Pierre.

        Seriously. Six deaths in SD and their governor is evil. A death-count in NY of 10,834 and it’s because they have a Republican president in DC. DON’T YOU GET IT!!!!

    • Ozymandias

      It’s “ravaging” SD. Ravaging it.
      Meanings no longer have words.

      • Enough About Palin

        We played at a club in Ravaging, SD. They loved us!

      • Ted S.

        It didn’t pounce on SD?

      • The Hyperbole

        Well about ten percent of the Pig Plant caught THD so maybe the writer should have used decimated instead.

      • J. Frank Parnell

        Still not accurate unless everyone in SD works at the pig plant.

      • The Hyperbole

        The article never claimed that SD as a whole is being ravaged, the writers seemed to be careful in pointing out that it’s the plant they are talking about when the say “hot spot” or “cluster”.

        Yes, they say that SD’s experience shows us that “no part” of the country is safe from being ravaged…But unless you insist that ‘no part’ means ‘an entire state’ That can be read as pointing out that even in a ‘Safe’ state like SD places can be ‘ravaged’.

      • Ozymandias

        Here is the headline: “South Dakota’s governor resisted ordering people to stay home. Now it has one of the nation’s largest coronavirus hot spots.”

        FTA:

        Increasingly exasperated local leaders, public health experts and front-line medical workers begged Noem to intervene Monday with a more aggressive state response.

        But the governor continued to resist.

        TH – I can’t find your read on that article, no matter how hard I try to twist the words. It is nothing but histrionics. And so what if 300 people TESTED POSITIVE. Testing positive doesn’t mean anything. If we had been testing all along, there would undoubtedly be tons of places with big numbers of people who ‘test positive.’ It’s a useless stat… that you will immediately jump to defend – so I suppose nothing new in that regard.

        The real issue is how many have died. 6. Six in the whole state. But yeah – they’ve been “ravaged” by it.

      • The Hyperbole

        Do you really not see the difference between “It has one of the…” and ‘It is one of the…”?

        Yes, it’s histrionics, yes they should have mentioned how many of those who tested positive were sick and how many were hospitalized*. I just don’t get the “OMG they said South Dakota is being ravaged” when they clearly didn’t say that.

        *also why do you guys (the editorial “you guys”, the royal “you guys”) always key in on how many people died? As if it’s death or a walk in the park. 800 people had it but only 2 died, you 62 people that spent a week in ICU should just rub some dirt on in and walk it off. (I pulled those numbers out my ass but it’s the spirit of my argument that matters)

      • The Hyperbole

        And another thing, I can understand doing this if “you guys” were posting on Facebook or Twitter or somewhere that people might need some persuading. I could accept a little exaggeration and bombast when you are trying to open some hearts and mind, deceitful it might be, but some people need a little kick in the ass to get them thinking. Everyone here, however, more or less already agrees, there’s no point in acting like Corn Pop didn’t exist or that Brennan is an ‘avowed commie’, none of us are going to be voting for Biden or praising the CIA anytime soon.

      • westernsloper

        Yes I saw the Has and not the Is, unlike the Mail article that was posted earlier. The thing is the criteria for testing is what leads to “hotspots” especially in a place with damn near 4000 employees. And I am guessing nobody who tested positive at that plant has died and very few are in the hospital and even fewer if any are on a ventilator. The vast majority of deaths are from the elderly with multiple ailments. The community that works at meat plants are not exactly solo living loft condo dwelling hipsters They have big family, lots of kids and there is a good chance they did not get the Vid at the plant. If it was possible to test everybody and then get a real rate for deaths this thing would not even be a statistical blip. I think the more of an overall point being made is it is nice to see at least a few Governors not swing their authoritarian dicks and then have the stats using incomplete data warped into “hotspots”.

      • The Hyperbole

        Fair enough WS, and a compelling argument since you addressed the claims actual made in the article. As I said above I would like to see more reporting on hospitalization rates not just the positive tests rates and deaths. One hard part of this is the lack of good information, thus everyone can play the old “Statistics don’t lie but statisticians do” bit.

      • Ozymandias

        Because I’ve seen what decimation actually looks like, TH. That’s why. Because I know what it looks like when a place has been “ravaged” by disease.
        Because “hotspots” doesn’t mean “people who tested positive” for a disease when a huge chunk of that percentage will be asymptomatic, followed by a much lower percentage who will get a mild case, followed by an even smaller percentage who will merely be sick for a while, followed by an even smaller percentage who will be seriously ill, followed by a very, very, very small percentage who might die, and most of those will be people who are already high risk for the flu and a variety of other illnesses.
        But only you rush to jump in over my point that the writer is torturing the English language.
        You’re right, TH. The place was ravaged. It’s a veritable slaughter for the fucking ages. I don’t know how SD will survive and the governor should lock the entire state down, which is the author’s entire theme and thesis.
        You feel better now?

      • Jarflax

        Ozy, all he was pointing out was that the article didn’t claim that S Dakota was a hotspot, it claimed that the Smithfield plant was a hotspot and S Dakota therefore contained a hotspot. Why does that entirely correct point bother you so much? I’d say most of the current debacle comes from hyper emotional reactions to stimuli. Hyperbole has certainly got his faults but his metapoint seems to be that we are just as prone to hysterical partisanship as anyone else and that it is not anymore appropriate from us than from anyone else.

      • The Hyperbole

        You’re right. I’m sorry.

      • Ozymandias

        And this was the quote:

        Yet as South Dakota’s experience shows, no part of the country is immune to being ravaged by the virus. And rescinding orders that people stay at home – or declining to issue them, as in the case of South Dakota and four other states – offers plenty of peril.

        No place in SD has been “ravaged” by this virus.

      • Lady Z

        Clever. I appreciate your pedantry.

      • Not Adahn

        There was an outbreak at a police academy?

    • DrOtto

      They have 868 CV cases out of 900000 people and 6 deaths. Clearly a hot spot. Percentage-wise, maybe not and in raw numbers maybe not, but still, if a Boston newspaper says it’s a hot spot. I’m going with the Boston newspaper.

  9. bacon-magic

    Rock on Brett!

  10. Rebel Scum

    Raleigh Police
    @raleighpolice
    Replying to
    @thmsftz

    Protesting is a non-essential activity.

    Oh, so the BoR is non-essential.

    • Donation Not Taxation

      Not aware cower in place going after 3 and 7.
      On camera allegedly nonfiction media types (not just journos), houses of worship, and gun stores in many (not all) states have carve-outs in the orders.

      • Donation Not Taxation

        Except for the ‘by jury’ part of 7

  11. Scruffy Nerfherder

    Updates from Das Schloss

    Still trying to get the PPP application in. Turns out I’m missing a copy of my current business license.

    Now why would you be missing an essential document such as your business license you might ask?

    Turns out, the re-application was due on March 1st. It was sent at the end of February. Thanks to our wonderful USPS, it arrived at the city administration building only last week (120 city blocks away).

    But since Kung Flu rules the world, all mail is held in incoming for three days at all city departments. And the licensing department has to send a written request for information to the city treasurer (three days) who then sends written confirmation back (three days) followed by the USPS losing my license for another couple of weeks I’m sure.

    So maybe I’ll get my application in by the end of the month if I’m lucky.

    • RAHeinlein

      That sucks. Hope it works-out for you.

  12. bacon-magic

    This one is just for the picture. Those are some giant ass eyes.

    Wasn’t she in Dances with Wolves?

    • YDAK

      Mary McDonough was much prettier, and BSG, not that Costner shit, please….

      • Not Adahn

        I ain’t gonna lie that movie was beautiful.

        Ad if you want a younger her in a move, there’s always Sneakers

      • bacon-magic

        It’s Mary McDonnell you anti-irish shitlord.

    • Chipwooder

      The press runs the most unflattering picture possible of a Republican? NO WAY!

  13. leon

    Also if you read the responses to the tweet asking the Ragleig police what part of the order was being violated…

    Well just don’t.

    I can understand a little why there was severe public fighting between loyalists and patriots during the revolution.

  14. Translucent Chum

    Michigan: 8 patients admitted so far to TCF Center’s 1,000-bed setup

    At the same time, hospitals have seen a slow decrease in the COVID-19 patient hospitalizations, and the University of Michigan said last week it was delaying the opening of its field hospital because of the curve of coronavirus deaths was “significantly flattening.”

    The state also announced recently it would place fewer beds than planned in a second field hospital at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.

    • YDAK

      Nice!
      Howdy Lach! long time no see,

      • Lachowsky

        Been staying busy. Lots of work and and little ones running about have limited my glib-time

    • DOOMco

      And you already have an idiot commenting.
      Way to go!

    • Sean

      ?

  15. Count Potato

    “Four women (1.9%) had fever or other symptoms of Covid-19 on admission, and all 4 women tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Figure 1). Of the 211 women without symptoms, all were afebrile on admission. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained from 210 of the 211 women (99.5%) who did not have symptoms of Covid-19; of these women, 29 (13.7%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Thus, 29 of the 33 patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 at admission (87.9%) had no symptoms of Covid-19 at presentation.

    Of the 29 women who had been asymptomatic but who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 on admission, fever developed in 3 (10%) before postpartum discharge (median length of stay, 2 days). Two of these patients received antibiotics for presumed endomyometritis (although 1 patient did not have localizing symptoms), and 1 patient was presumed to be febrile due to Covid-19 and received supportive care. One patient with a swab that was negative for SARS-CoV-2 on admission became symptomatic postpartum; repeat SARS-CoV-2 testing 3 days after the initial test was positive.”

    I think that means the test sucks.

  16. Rebel Scum

    This one is just for the picture.

    Hawt.

  17. Count Potato

    So what is the politically correct term for quarantine? Chink Clink? Slant Slammer? Wuhan Can?

    I don’t want to offend anyone.

    • YDAK

      Slope condo?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      The Coolie Cooler

    • Lachowsky

      Jap trap?

      They all look alike anyway.

    • Rebel Scum

      Triple Delight Trample Your Rights?

    • Jarflax

      DeWine detention.

    • pistoffnick

      tyranny

    • bacon-magic

      Tiger king cage

    • LemonGrenade

      Since my governor is Northam I’m going ‘commie coonman’s containment’.

    • leon

      When it comes to re-opening, SCIENCE — not politics — must be California’s guide.

      CA has developed 6 indicators that will help guide how and when we decide to re-open our economy. This isn’t about an on/off switch. This will be a thoughtful process — led by public health…

      You know who else let science be their guide?

      • Tres Cool

        Mr. Wizard ?

      • Sensei

        Franz Joseph Gall?

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Dr. Victor Frankenstein?

      • Rebel Scum

        Dr. Evil?

      • Tres Cool

        “Noem has perhaps gone even further than others, however, citing the principle of individual liberty and the limitations of government to dictate people’s behavior – even when public health may depend on it.”

        How dare she!

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Thomas Dolby?

        No… wait…

      • pistoffnick

        Good heavens Miss Sakamoto – you’re beautiful!

      • Ted S.

        Trofim Lysenko?

      • Lady Z

        Dr. Mengele?

      • Grumbletarian

        Anthony Michael Hall?

      • bacon-magic

        Margaret Sanger?

      • Bobarian LMD

        The Professor… and Maryann?

      • Spudalicious

        Dr. Strangelove?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Anyone who tells you a timetable is lying to you and putting your life in danger. Don’t believe them, they are only trying to make you happy today and whatever they tell you will change tomorrow.

      How about “I decide when and how I put risk my well being, not the government”, you submissive little twat.

      • Drake

        If I was on Twitter, that thread would get me banned for life.

    • leon

      “I think we’re going to come out of this whole thing having woken up to the realization that liberty has been insanely overrated and it’s time to move on,” said California governor Gavin Newsom, who was quick to impose the guidelines on his state. “Human rights aren’t even real. Science can’t prove them. They’re imaginary. We need to be a culture of empiricism and evidence and toss out these old-fashioned ideas about human liberty and rights which, frankly, came straight out of the days of slavery.”

      Pretty Prescient of the Bee

      • prolefeed

        having woken up

        Good of him to clarify that being woke is anti-liberty — or dare I say, anti-choice?

      • Shirley Knott

        Pretty funny that (politically) the notions of human freedom and human rights come straight out of the British Empiricists.

      • Ayn Random Variation

        I’m sorry, but is this a real quote or the Bee?

    • B.P.

      “This will be a thoughtful process”

      Hahahahahahahahaha

    • robc

      2 are done and 4 are impossible.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        That’s like the science in every other California initiative.

  18. DEG

    It’s quaint that the people replying to the Raleigh cops thread are quoting the Constitution. Where do they think the government and the cops get their toilet paper from?

    That NPR article needs fixing. Here:

    “The COVID-19 pandemic ispanic and government overreach are inflicting high and rising human costs worldwide,” IMF forecasters wrote in their global outlook, titled The Great Lockdown.

    Hmm….

    Pinellas County commissioners may decide to reopen beaches for people to use them for exercise. As they dwell on the decision, the sheriff says it could be too early to ease restrictions intended to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

    Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told FOX 13 that the idea of reopening beaches, even if it’s just for exercise, could be premature.

    Gaultieri sounds suspiciously like Gauleiter.

    As governors across the country fell into line in recent weeks, South Dakota’s top elected leader stood firm: There would be no statewide order to stay home.

    Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi Noem argued disparagingly, reflected a “herd mentality.” It was up to individuals – not government – to decide whether “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.”

    And besides, the first-term Republican told reporters at a briefing this month, “South Dakota is not New York City.”

    Ahh… that explains the picture and the tone of the article.

  19. Scruffy Nerfherder

    New York City’s coronavirus death toll soared past 10,000 after officials added more than 3,700 people presumed to have died of the virus.

    New York City, already a world epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, sharply increased its death toll on Tuesday, after officials said they were now including people who had never tested positive for the virus but were presumed to have died from it.

    Why weren’t they presumed to have died from AIDs, or Ebola, or raptured? I wonder….

    • Sean

      FYTW!!

    • Sensei

      We all agree China decided to stop reporting any cases. Naturally NYC decided they needed to do the exact opposite.

      Makes perfect sense.

    • hayeksplosives

      This is a big deal. Did no one in that journalistic chain have qualms about not pushing back on why they are counting the deaths?

      This should be making everyone go “hmmm…”

    • Rhywun

      Un-fucking-real. GIGO….

    • Translucent Chum

      Sinai is a shithole in NW detroit. It’s surrounded by a shitty neighborhood and a ton of nursing homes. I’d rate the pic as ‘plausible’ but there isn’t any context so who knows.

      I was also born there…

      • Hyperion

        It’s CNN. The pic was probably taken in Wuhan.

  20. grrizzly

    Weekly ad circulars are dropped in front the front door every week. Instead of thick circulars with coupons for each of the grocery chains, they now include three identical packages of thin circulars because the supermarkets drastically reduced the number of promotions.

    • hayeksplosives

      We got a weekly circular with all kinds of food delivery ads up front, and the rest of the circular was pages of dispensary ads.

  21. Fatty Bolger

    I bet the difference in deaths with government intervention vs. no government intervention is approximately 0%.

  22. Trials and Trippelations

    Wow I had no idea about the Raleigh protests. I did not see it on local (wral) news website when I got up at 3. The story is there now, not sure if I just missed it or it was missing. Wral main headline is that this is the deadliest corona virus day with wait for it….16 deaths most of which were nursing home resident and the report notes at least one was really sick.

    The protest article is pretty poor as was the article last night about reopen NC. A few sentences from the creator of the FB group and 1-2 paragraphs from Duke faculty that have no expertise (not that the experts are all that special) saying people need to shut up because their betters knows what is best

    https://www.wral.com/coronavirus/debate-grows-over-when-to-reopen-nc/19055779/

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      from Duke faculty that have no expertise

      Let me guess, they’re from the Duke English department. Those guys never shut up.

      Duke sucks.

      • Trials and Trippelations

        Last night’s article was a Duke business school prof talking about the epidemiological parameters needed to reopen NC with no quote about business or the economy.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        Unless you’re talking about basketball, they seem to pretty much have that down pat.

  23. The Late P Brooks

    New York City’s coronavirus death toll soared past 10,000 after officials added more than 3,700 people presumed to have died of the virus.

    It’s almost as if there is some sort of incentive to get the numbers up.

    • Not Adahn

      The more stiffs, the more obvious that Cuomo is a better choice for President than Trump!

  24. Lachowsky

    Since inflation is about to start destroying my savings, i’m thinking about pulling all the equity out of my house, cashing out my 401k, and depleting my savings account.

    What to buy though? Land? Gold? Guns? Blow?

    I need to shed my dollars while they are still worth something.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      I’ve got some Beanie Babies that I’d be willing to cut you a deal on.

      • Lachowsky

        probably a safer bet than the U.S. dollar right now

    • Jarflax

      I suggest the Jarflax Investment Fund, we project a rate of return +-25%. We follow the classical Publicly Owned Networked Zone Investment scheme.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Don’t listen to him, he’s just trying to offload his peanut butter futures, Jarflax Investment Fund gives it away.

        The Scruffy Nerfherder Open Realty Trust is a much better investment.

    • pistoffnick

      Steel plate and a bulldozer?

    • pistoffnick

      woodchipper

    • Bill Door

      How about pumpkins?

      YouTube.com/watch?v=3w5D9yJUMOc

      • Bill Door

        Crap. Try the link again…

        Pumpkins

      • Tundra
    • Swiss Servator

      …How about some Swiss Francs?

    • Toxteth O’Grady

      Dr. Paul Sr. always likes gold but it’s quite high right now. Silver? Ammo?

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      And who brought the suit?

      The ruling was in response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Science in the Public Interest and Healthy School Food Maryland and represented by Democracy Forward.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Now that’s branding I can support.

    • Ted S.

      Is there any “about us” on that site?

  25. J. Frank Parnell

    I can’t even with that South Dakota article.

    Such edicts to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus, Gov. Kristi Noem argued disparagingly, reflected a “herd mentality.” It was up to individuals – not government – to decide whether “to exercise their right to work, to worship and to play. Or to even stay at home.”

    Wow, what a monster she is.

    But the governor continued to resist. Instead, she used a press briefing Monday to announce trials of a drug that President Donald Trump has repeatedly touted as a potential breakthrough in the fight against coronavirus, despite a lack of scientific evidence.

    “There’s no scientific evidence! We need to run some trials!”
    “Okay, let’s run some trials.”
    “Why would you do that? There’s no scientific evidence!”

    The piecemeal approach to combating the coronavirus in South Dakota offers a throwback to America’s not-so-distant past, the period around a month ago when governors were still leery of using their powers to shut down restaurants and bars or to order people, for the greater good, to stay at home.

    As I said, I can’t even with this.

    On Monday alone, 57 more workers were confirmed to have positive diagnoses, bringing the total well above 300 – and making it one of the country’s largest clusters.

    Here’s the map they link to – Yeah, it’s crazy the way South Dakota just jumps right out at you.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      The thing that stands out to me is that the pork processing facility would most definitely be considered an essential business during a shelter-in-place order.

      So there would no effective difference right now if the governor had ordered a shut-down. The facility would still be a hotspot.

      You have to be retarded to not realize that.

      • The Hyperbole

        No you’d be retarded not to realize that along with a shut down of non essential businesses the open ones need to be forced into adopting social distancing, masks, gloves, temperature test of all employees twice a day, etc, etc…

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        And you think Smithfield Foods isn’t screening their employees already and sanitizing the plant every other shift?

      • Ted S.

        Forget it, it’s Hyperboletown.

      • RAHeinlein

        It’s Smithfield, so highly unlikely they are appropriately screening and their workforce is crap, so no way they are following guidelines/staying home if they are sick.

        However, are controls already in-place that would ensure no jeopardy to the food supply, answer is yes.

      • Dr. Fronkensteen

        Meat processing is not essential. We all need to move to a vegan lifestyle. /hippy prog.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        How is Smithfield minimizing its team members’ risks of catching COVID-19?

        We have instituted a series of stringent and detailed processes and protocols that follow the strict guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to effectively manage any potential COVID-19 cases in our operations. These include mandatory 14-day COVID-19 related quarantines with pay as an uncompromising effort to protect our dedicated employees. We’ve also relaxed attendance policies to eliminate any punitive effect for missing work due to COVID-19 diagnosis or quarantine.

        In addition, we are taking the following measures to minimize our team members’ risks of catching COVID-19:

        Added extra hand sanitizing stations
        Boosted personal protective equipment
        Continuing to stress importance of personal hygiene
        Enhanced cleaning and disinfection
        Expanded employee health benefits
        Implementing thermal scanning
        Increased social distancing in common areas
        Installed plexiglass barriers
        Restricting all nonessential visitors

        But I guess they need to be forced to do it. That would definitely be more effective than a voluntary response.

      • J. Frank Parnell

        A government edict is the only way to let the virus know we’re serious.

      • Swiss Servator

        So you just want to yell at them. “Forced” indeed.

      • Tundra

        Our Governor is retarded, then.

        “Until you get that, it’s going to be very difficult to open up again because you’ll keep getting hotspots. You’ll get a situation like Smithfield: open up, get everybody sick and now the whole plant is shut down. Because 60 people were sick, they didn’t control it, you got 3,700 people and 5% of the pork production in the country out of commission,” said Walz.

        “That is not opening the economy. Opening the economy is sustainable.”

        Cunt.

      • R C Dean

        Dammit, Scruffy. That was my comment, almost verbatim.

    • Hyperion

      So when is the Glib who runs The Bee going to reveal their self?

      • Tres Cool

        Too many Calvinists here.

    • Oy the Billy-Bumbler

      FTA:. “Anyway, it’s great to have Corn Pop’s endorsement, and I know that working together, we can build a stronger Canada.

      That’s gold, Jerry! Gold!

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        Would (take Biden over the flaming moron we have as our PM right now).

      • Hyperion

        You’ll have a bad case of buyer’s remorse on that one.

    • Bill Door

      The Bee slays me sometimes.

      Well ok, all the time.

  26. The Late P Brooks

    The piecemeal approach to combating the coronavirus in South Dakota offers a throwback to America’s not-so-distant past, the period around a month ago when governors were still leery of using their powers to shut down restaurants and bars or to order people, for the greater good, to stay at home.

    What are yew waitin’ fer? Git yore Stalin on, honey!

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      If “the greater good” becomes the standard whereby the government opens and closes businesses then we’re well and truly fucked.

      • Mad Scientist

        That will prevent any gun store or shooting range in California from opening ever again.

  27. Rebel Scum

    Something here is amish…

    In the sleepy town of Mesopotamia, Ohio, population 3,220, health inspectors got wind of an illicit wedding attended by members of the local Amish community and filed a “notice of violation” against the revelers, according to local news reports.

    Vindy.com:

    “[Kristofer J. Wilster, director of environmental health in Trumbull County], said his report will be turned over to Trumbull County authorities. The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and the county health department investigated the report of a possible wedding celebration involving 300 people, according to a sheriff’s report.

    According to a caller Tuesday night to Trumbull County 911, an Amish wedding was scheduled to take place Thursday around noon at the Mesopotamia location, which is commonly used for large gatherings. The caller told 911 that food preparation at that location began Wednesday with about 40 people.”

    • bacon-magic

      I hopeth that puff will get thee snuff.

    • Fourscore

      Did they get the license numbers of the attendees’ vehicles?

  28. Count Potato

    “Because the media won’t acknowledge it themselves, Trump just showed a video laying out the timeline of his administration’s action on coronavirus and made the media sit through it in the briefing, watching their own networks’ words.

    Savage.”

    https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/status/1249825371710783489

    I know, then the hydroxychloroquine fell out of his ass.

  29. DEG

    Michigan groups planning protest

    Critics of Michigan’s expanded stay-home order are planning an in-vehicle protest to tell the governor they believe she has gone too far.

    The Michigan Conservative Coalition and Michigan Freedom Fund, who organized the protest, asked for protesters to surround the Capitol in their vehicles at noon Wednesday to display flags and signs, make noise and be disruptive about Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “erratic, unilateral orders that threaten Michiganders’ economic existence,” according to a news release. They warned protesters to come ready for a potentially major traffic jam.

    This protest comes several days after Whitmer extended her order through April 30 and took the requirements of staying home a step further, banning crossing the street to visit with neighbors or driving to see friends, among other things.

    • Hyperion

      Looks like you guys elected Hitler for Governor. Recall is in order.

      Banning garden seeds. Fuck that cunte, what a nasty piece of work.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        There are problems with the supply chain, hey let’s ban seeds.

      • Hyperion

        There’s no bread, let them eat cake.

        /woodchippers now top selling item, surpassing demand for toilet paper

  30. Certified Public Asshat

    Where the Hell Is Barack Obama?

    This is Obama frittering away the good will he generated to no discernible good end. Democratic voters turned out by the millions to vote for Joe Biden not because they love Joe Biden (no one does), but because they love OBAMA. Perhaps they’re hoping that, once Biden is in office, Obama will act as shadow president. Given Biden’s policy platforms (or appalling lack thereof), I see no evidence of that ever happening. I see Obama helping Biden win. But like Biden, he seems to have little interest in what happens after the winning part. And has Obama said fuck all about Biden’s sexual misconduct? Nope. Not a goddamn word. No, instead he’s gonna endorse the fucker wholeheartedly.

    I’d vote for anybody over Trump, but did it have to be THIS anybody? Thanks to Obama, I guess it does. Biden is gonna spend the rest of this campaign season being like, “It’s time we stopped saying MY BAD and said MY GOOD instead!” Maybe he’ll stumble bass-ackwards into beating Trump with this kind of lazy sloganeering, but I don’t even know if I care anymore.

    Apparently the meme #thanksobama applies to liberals and not conservatives.

    • Lachowsky

      Maybe he’ll stumble bass-ackwards into beating Trump with this kind of lazy sloganeering –

      “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

  31. DOOMco

    How did NC not come armed?

    • Atanarjuat

      No idea, I saw plenty of guys open carrying there last year.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      They’re doing better in the cases per one million population than many of the shelter in place and get arrested if you go out states. If you take into account the fact that this is a political hit job the frenzy makes sense.

      • AlmightyJB

        Their readers aren’t going to check their lies. Nether will the rest of the media.

      • Naptown Bill

        Yeah, the theme of the ‘rona is that everyone you don’t want in authority is using this to further their political objectives. The progs are attacking Republicans, and the authoritarians from all sides are attacking civil rights. This feels just like the post 9/11 period, or the rush to jam Obamacare through congress.

      • Stinky Wizzleteats

        It reminds me of both of those things but I honestly don’t remember it being this bad.

  32. AlmightyJB

    “Protesting is a non-essential activity.”

    Actual tweet from Raleigh Police.

    • bacon-magic

      I seem to remember when they swear in new officers that they are to “uphold the Constitution of the United States of America”.

      • DOOMco

        That was yesterday

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Stomping on people and not allowing a legal and peaceful means of gathering to address displeasure at mistreatment will not end well.

      • AlmightyJB

        At least DeWine listed First Amendment activities as essential in his order.

  33. The Late P Brooks

    Headline:

    Coronavirus has killed at least 30 food and retail workers, union claims: ‘Workers are deeply concerned’

    That’s interesting. I wonder how many random “food and retail workers” die, on average, in any given month.

    • Hyperion

      VA either has to secede from NOVA or they’ll just have to accept that they really do not have their own state, they’re just vassals of DC.

  34. Rebel Scum

    Adam Schiff✔
    @RepAdamSchiff

    Why do reputable news organizations carry these daily Trump press conferences live?

    They are filled with misinformation and propaganda. From the President himself, no less.

    The country would be far better served and informed if they used highlights later.

    Enough is enough.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Censor the President!!! Schiff really one of the most reprehensible cocksuckers in congress which is a high (low?) standard to meet.

    • Dr. Fronkensteen

      The country would be far better served and informed if they used highlights later

      Like your impeachment process, you smarmy POS.

    • Grumbletarian

      The country would be far better served and informed if they used highlights later.

      I strongly suspect Highlights would be advanced reading material for most journolists.

    • Hyperion

      They’ve went too far and still they say it isn’t enough. The governors and mayors that is. And they are right now drunk with power and wanting more. It’s an addiction worse than any drug addiction. So they’re not going to let go easily at all.

      But they’re putting massive numbers of people out of jobs and if they keep this up, they will break the supply chains and there will be shortages of essential goods.

      So you see it starting. But this will rapidly escalate to civil disobedience and then violence.

      So we’re in a bad place, where you have power drunk ‘leaders’ and you have people becoming desperate. A very dangerous situation.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Yep. And the cops are doing their damnedest to provoke ordinary people. They aren’t used to have people push back at them and they’re going to overreact in the bullshit officer safety narrative they’ve constructed. Which will just spiral.

      • Hyperion

        Yeah, I get it. I mean the cops have a job. They’re just doing their job, because what else are they going to do? They may want to reconsider that attitude, because their mostly safe going home safely at night job might turn into their worst nightmare in a heartbeat in a situation like this.

        We have to re-open the economy, and soon. We’re creating something far more deadly than a virus. And a lot of politicians need to be held accountable. Also, no more dependence on China, period.

      • Shirley Knott

        It is also, and perhaps more significantly to them, destroy the already fragile economic status of cities and states across the country. How loyal will the pigs be when they have no income?

  35. The Late P Brooks

    It were the virus what dunnit! Havoc, she were!

    What started as the worst-case scenario for U.S. unemployment is quickly becoming reality. Some economists now see the jobless rate surging to 20% as soon as this month — and there’s no guarantee it would stop there.

    About 5.5 million people are estimated to have filed for unemployment last week, in data due out Thursday. That would push the four-week total above 22 million, roughly one-in-eight of the workforce — essentially wiping out all the job gains since the last recession.

    And jobless claims are expected to stay in the millions for several more weeks, as the impact of the coronavirus cascades through the economy. It all adds up to a worse recession than initially thought, and probably a more difficult recovery once the pandemic subsides.

    ——-

    “We don’t have the administrative systems to get $2.2 trillion into the economy in three weeks,” said Claudia Sahm, director of macroeconomic policy at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. “What we have right now is a race between the virus wreaking havoc on the economy, and the relief trying to get out.”

    Whatever you do, don’t mention the governors. This all just happened. Unanticipated. Inexplicable.

  36. Spartacus

    Thirty days into crisis mode, Florida experienced its 500th death from COVID. We still haven’t hit 3000 hospitalizations. There are more beds available in Florida hospitals now than all the people who have been hospitalized in the state. There are more ICU beds available than have died in the state.

    Peak daily cases was April 3. And it is STILL true that half of all the cases in Florida are in Dade and Broward counties.

  37. Count Potato

    “Weekly ad circulars are dropped in front the front door every week. Instead of thick circulars with coupons for each of the grocery chains, they now include three identical packages of thin circulars because the supermarkets drastically reduced the number of promotions.”

    I though maybe it was because the people who printed the flyers were “non-essential”, but some markets no longer have flyers online.

    • grrizzly

      The circular online is identical to the printed one for the local grocery store. It’s a big business; a few years ago I worked on the case where the big players sued each other.

      • Count Potato

        That’s true. So I guess the graphic artists or whoever else makes them isn’t working.

  38. KSuellington

    So, yesterday afternoon my wife checked on our kids summer camps this year because we got a notice from one that they are mailing back a check for a full refund on the assumption that the camp will get cancelled and that they’ll let everyone know if it’s not the case so we can sign back up (yea SF Gaelic Football, that’s how it is supposed to be done!). We have them in two other camps for the rest of the summer. Both of them said they are not giving refunds and they don’t expect to have a camp this summer, but that we could use it for credit. After a sternly worded email one relented and gave back our money, the other is claiming they don’t have it (we paid for all of these back in February on the credit card). As soon as the wife gets back from work I’m having her call that credit card company and have them try and reverse the charges due to fraud. Has anyone had any experiences similar or of getting money back from the credit company when a company pulls this kind of bullshit?

    • KSuellington

      That’s also a question for the law Glibs. It seems to me that what they have done is fraud. Am I correct?

      • Jarflax

        Criminal fraud might not stick. A small claim suit might well succeed, it depends on the contract terms particularly the terms of any force majeure clause.

      • KSuellington

        Thanks for the replies guys. I’m gonna try with the cc company first, I really don’t want to go the small claims route as that will take at least a year I imagine at this point.

      • RAHeinlein

        We have successfully disputed charges via Chase in similar circumstances – definitely the correct initial route. They will ask if you have contacted the payee, sounds as though you have done so.

      • KSuellington

        Thanks for the reply. Yes, this was their answer to our email:

        “As soon as we get some help from the government which we are working on daily we can hopefully offer refunds. At this point there is no money for that.”

        Fuck them. That enraged me. They want me to have to put it on my credit so they don’t have to. Wankers.

      • mikey

        Chargebacks are a real threat to a business. Too many and they lose credit card privledges.

      • westernsloper

        My only disputes with CC companies have been charges made on my Discover in Bakersfield CA while I was on the other side of the planet and had not been to Bakersfield since I was about 6 yrs old. Discover wrote it off no prob. Then disputing re-occurring charges that were occurring for months before I noticed. The initial charge made at the wee hours of the morning to some no name billing company. Had to admit, ya those pron charges were probably made by me with no recollection. Ooops.

        If they are a local company I would go visit in person and explain you people need to make this right or you will never do business in the camp scene again. Parents tend to be a big spending demographic.

      • DrOtto

        IANAL but think fraud would mean they intentionally deceived you, which probably isn’t the case; however, they also didn’t provide you with the services they promised to deliver, so I would still call the credit card company to reverse the charges as you weren’t the party to reneg.

      • KSuellington

        Thanks for the replies guys! I’m waiting till the wife gets home from work as she is the principal name on that card. Hope that Chase can reverse the charges.

      • LemonGrenade

        Pretty sure can you dispute a charge for “services or product not received” too.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      That will depend on the contract. In the absence of a contract, you will still have a case but I imagine it will depend on the state in which the camp resides.

      As far as chargebacks go, policies vary depending on whether you used a debit card or credit card. You usually have more recourse when you use a credit card.

      • KSuellington

        We are in CA. I have to recheck to see what we signed. It’s almost a grand so I am going to try and go through the credit card company (Chase) and have them charge it back. The billing cycle is about to come due in a few days so I would hope they could charge it back. To me that is a terrible business practice and no way I want to have any association with someone who would do that. I would have been willing to let them sit on the money till the camp starts at the end of July, but no way now.

      • Don Escaped Kenosha

        terrible business

        I hope people are held accountable for this mess, but I rather expect that “I got 2020’ed” will be a standard GetOutOfJailFree card soon.

        I’ve played it close to the vest and paid every bill on time, but I suspect I’ll get bupkus for it on the old scorecard. Morons and charlatans will be promoted and elected, and I will have just been an asshole for being careful and playing by the rules.

      • KSuellington

        Yup, I’m starting to get the feeling I am the sucker for paying my bills on time and not just sucking on the gubmint tit.

      • Jarflax

        ^This. When we end up with runaway inflation and every investment tanked the people who spent every penny they made and then some wil at least have memories of the fun they had. It sucks to be an ant when everyone you elect, including the ‘responsible party’ turns out to be a grasshopper.

      • Mad Scientist

        So let’s say we do end up with runaway inflation. Will that mean I’ll be able to pay off my mortgage with a week’s salary? Or will it mean things like loans get adjusted, outside the scope of the loan agreement, and indexed to the inflation rate?

      • KSuellington

        IANAL, but I don’t think they can change your principal, can they?

      • SUPREME OVERLORD trshmnstr

        I’m guessing somewhere in the middle. Everything gets reindexed in a way that isn’t as bad as it could be (thus enabling the statists to preen) and fix the gap with bailouts.

    • Lachowsky

      i dont expect to ever see the 50 i paid for my kids baseball sign-ups back.

      • KSuellington

        I don’t either. I was the coach for the team too. This is different. It is months away. 50 bucks I could forget. A grand when I’m currently at 50% of my business I cannot.

      • whahappan

        Late reply, but hopefully you see it. Dispute the charge with your CC company. They should immediately reverse it, and give the merchant the chance to dispute the reversal. “Yeah, we cancelled the camp, but sorry we don’t have the money” is not a valid reason to dispute the chargeback.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      It means a comeback of seventies fashion models like Twiggy.

      • Gustave Lytton

        Lol

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        Sixties, d00d. Sixties.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Ok Boomer

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        Accuracy, d00d. Accuracy.

  39. Pope Jimbo

    Predictions on the first state legislature to convene and override gov’s emergency powers act?

    I’m thinking it is coming. Local GOPers are getting a bit restless. If any of them had a spine and was able to give a speech, Gov Walz would be in trouble. All you have to do is point out how his predicted deaths number is plummeting and how Walz himself has admitted that the models aren’t accurate, but only directional. And point out that Walz’s own model shows that there is almost no differnence in outcomes between “cower in place” and “isolate elderly and others”.

    Fuck! I am getting pissed beyond belief. I see that Walz granted himself another couple weeks of dictatorship yesterday. It has gotten so routine that I didn’t even notice.

    • Hyperion

      The entire thing is non-sense and mostly stems from a raw power grab attempt by power crazed politicians.

      There’s nothing wrong with social distancing suggestions or even coercing businesses into trying to enforce them for a reasonable amount of time.

      Shutting down the economy like this is pure madness and is going to cause astronomically more harm than good.

      • Pope Jimbo

        I’ll get Tundra working on that. I’m sure he can fake that many in a week. Of course, not being a member in good standing of the DFL, I bet his petition gets scrutinized a bit more than one submitted by one of the anti-mining groups from up north.

      • Tundra

        Lol! I was looking at the rules today.

        My anger, though, is eclipsed only by my wife’s.

    • Fourscore

      Big Boss Man Walz skipped Friday’s press conference to spend Good Friday with his family. As a rule I would hope he skipped all the way home and sheltered in place but he may be back to sticking it to , oops, I mean doing the people’s work. He’s a real hero

  40. The Late P Brooks

    No you’d be retarded not to realize that along with a shut down of non essential businesses the open ones need to be forced into adopting social distancing, masks, gloves, temperature test of all employees twice a day, etc, etc…

    OK Karen

  41. DOOMco

    Well today the school finally gave in.
    30 furloughed, many reduced to part time.

    I’m still essential. But ladydoom had to go to the ER Friday. She’s on some fucking hardcore drug for it now. Some thoughts or prayers would not be dismissed while she gets through this. She can’t feel her limbs well and it’s like she’s in a cloudy dream. We got her out Friday night, and I worked out a way to work from home for all my paperwork I need to do, so I get to be home most of the time for a bit.

    • KSuellington

      Damn that sucks Doom. I feel for you guys. I didn’t see any posts yesterday eve. I hope what she has isn’t too serious. What a fucked up time.

      • DOOMco

        I didn’t even post anything on it that night.
        pericardial effusion. She had one as baby was born, they found it after and we had to drain it.
        The medicine route was picked this time, but it’s taking it’s own toll.

      • KSuellington

        Brutal. My best hopes for a speedy recovery for her.

      • DOOMco

        Thanks. I was really impressed with the ER staff considering what they’re dealing with. They took her seriously, got the right doctors paged in and made a plan. All while wearing what she described as sterile welding equipment.
        It’s just more stress on a cooped up lady, and I know she’s not liking what’s going on.

        It also points to her kidneys being worse than they thought, but we knew that was going to come eventually.
        It’s a hard time. I appreciate the thoughts and know everyone has their own stuff too.

      • Jarflax

        You’re in my thoughts and what passes for prayers.

      • Shirley Knott

        I’m very sorry you, and she, are having to deal with this. My very best wishes to you both.

      • Swiss Servator

        I will pray for her. A lot.

      • westernsloper

        Damn, sorry Doom. Hoping/praying for the best.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Thoughts and prayers sent.

      Good luck.

    • Hyperion

      Thoughts and prayers, bro. Hope she’s feeling better soon.

    • Count Potato

      Sorry 🙁

      Prayers sent.

    • DEG

      Sorry.

    • gbob

      Damn, Doom. Sending good thoughts your way.

    • RAHeinlein

      So sorry, Doom – positive thoughts and best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

    • Tundra

      Christ, Doom.

      I am so very sorry. I will be praying my ass off for you all.

    • Gustave Lytton

      She’s got it. Thoughts and whatever prayers are worth from someone like me. Stay strong Doom!

    • Sean

      Prayers sent.

    • Mojeaux

      Oh I am so sorry, Doom!

    • Professional Beach Bum

      Prayers for you both

    • AlmightyJB

      Sending good juju Doom. Hope it’s a speedy recovery.

    • DOOMco

      Thanks everyone.
      It feels good to vent a bit, too.

      I’m happy I’m still employed, my baby is healthy and happy, and my family will get through this.
      I’m glad we went to the ER when we did.

    • Gdragon

      I suspect that my thoughts are more valuable than my prayers but you have them both Doom, hope she feels better,

    • Gdragon

      I suspect that my thoughts are more valuable than my prayers but I offer them for the both of you Doom. I hope she gets/feels better.

    • Gdragon

      I suspect that my thoughts are more valuable than my prayers DOOMco but they are both for the two of you. I hope she gets/feels better.

      • Gdragon

        I knew that was gonna get squirrelly.

      • DOOMco

        I’ve had a lot of errors today. No squirrel double posts yet, but it acts like I didn’t comment until I refresh.

  42. J. Frank Parnell

    Damn it. I had tickets to see Einstürzende Neubauten in October, but they just canceled their North American tour.

    https://vimeo.com/402660719

    • DOOMco

      That escalated quickly. No one hurt i hope!

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Somebody had too much Mexican food last night.

  43. The Late P Brooks

    Whoopsie.

    Clean-up on aisle nine.

  44. Pope Jimbo

    Sigh. Everyone is a censor.

    A physician with some of his professional colleagues posted a story about why the lockdown needs to be ended on Medium. Shortly thereafter it was taken down by Medium because:

    Due to current heightened global public health concerns, we’re giving careful scrutiny to coronavirus-related content on Medium to help stem misinformation that could be detrimental to public safety. We will remove content which is determined in our analysis to be likely to increase the risk of potential harm to persons or public health.

    In the interest of transparency, this includes, but is not limited to, the following prohibited claims:
    – Health claims or advice which, if acted on, are likely to have detrimental health effects on persons or public safety.

    Prohibited Health claims:
    • Denial of effectiveness of social distancing or quarantine for COVID-19, or calls encouraging people to suspend these practices before official determinations have been made public

    So anyone daring to say that the emperor has no clothes will not be allowed to say so on Medium. Staying at home isn’t depressing the fuck out of me, my fellow citizens are depressing the fuck out of me.

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Medium’s been censoring nonauthority approved coronavirus information for a while now.

    • KSuellington

      Funny how the rationale behind the shutdowns shifted from “flattening the curve” to “fuck you we are doing this because we know better than you.” Didn’t take very long for that.

      • SUPREME OVERLORD trshmnstr

        I can’t shake the feeling that we’re living through history, and not the good kind. The “we could never get that bad” kind.

      • Dr. Fronkensteen

        Augustus will restore the Republic. Just wait.

      • Mad Scientist

        Yes, this is seriously starting to feel like “interesting times.”

  45. westernsloper

    with more than 300 workers at a giant pork-processing plant falling ill

    Ill, or tested positive? There is a big difference there.

    And fuck the Raleigh Police. As someone pointed out before………you don’t think those fuckers would come for your guns?

  46. The Late P Brooks

    We’ll decide what’s best for you

    Local governments are increasingly saying that stores such as Costco, Walmart, and Target that have been allowed to stay open during lockdowns because they sell essential items such as groceries shouldn’t be allowed to sell nonessential items during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The rationale is that it prevents shoppers from spending unnecessary time browsing the store — and thereby limiting their risk of exposure to the coronavirus — and makes it fairer to other stores that sell mostly nonessential items and have been forced to close.

    ——-

    Vermont and Michigan are among the governments that have rolled out new regulations preventing big-box stores from selling nonessential items.

    Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development has directed these retailers to “cease in-person sales” of products including “arts and crafts, beauty, carpet and flooring, clothing, consumer electronics, entertainment (books, music, movies), furniture, home and garden, jewelry, paint, photo services, sports equipment, toys and the like.”

    In Michigan, big-box stores over 50,000 square feet are required to rope off carpet and flooring, furniture, and paint departments, along with garden centers and plant nurseries.

    While some shoppers have welcomed these new restrictions, others have criticized local governments and the stores themselves for not allowing them to shop freely. And varying opinions about what is essential versus nonessential are creating confusion.

    Confusion. Karen is confused, alright.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Hadleys gonna Hadley….

      seeing if JBs recommendation to use that writers name to politicize everything works here

    • DOOMco

      This commerce clause.

    • Rhywun

      makes it fairer to other stores that sell mostly nonessential items and have been forced to close

      I can’t even.

  47. Gustave Lytton

    Gov Cuntface here is being publicly called a bitch on Twitter. Seems like the volume of profanity is increasing.

  48. The Late P Brooks

    Due to current heightened global public health concerns, we’re giving careful scrutiny to coronavirus-related content on Medium to help stem misinformation that could be detrimental to public safety. We will remove content which is determined in our analysis to be likely to increase the risk of potential harm to persons or public health.

    The Ministry of Truth will deal with quibblers. Harshly.

    • Hyperion

      “to help stem misinformation”

      So they’ve already banned anything posted by the CCP or WHO? That’s good to know.

  49. Gustave Lytton

    Turns out one of the local rags has been pushing the state health fuckup agency (the same one that mismanaged the Cover Oregon website) to stop hiding care faculties numbers. Well over half the deaths are of residents of those places. My suspicions:
    staff and visitors entering either unknowingly or “just a cough, don’t want to put off a visit to Grandma or not come to work today”
    poor personal hygiene
    lack of environmental controls to prevent spreads
    lack of PPE usage on an ongoing basis to prevent spread of any contagious diseases(*)

    https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2020/04/coronavirus-confirmed-in-34-senior-care-homes-as-state-withholds-extent-of-exposure-among-residents.html

    *thats another thing that’s become obvious- any kind of food service worker or employee with many public contacts each day (package delivery, bus drivers, grocery clerks, etc) should be wearing surgical/procedure masks period

  50. AlmightyJB

    Taco Tuesday with homemade guac, carmalized onions and poblano, and Fresno Chili’s. Yummy.

  51. UnCivilServant

    Did I lose my contributer status? All of a sudden half my glibs dashboard went away.

    • Don Escaped Kenosha

      Ima bigger asshole than you and I’ve still got mine, so I figure just systems fun

    • Mojeaux

      It’s the Kung Flu what dun it.

    • UnCivilServant

      And it’s back.

      I sent an email to SP while it was gone. I don’t think she’s seen it that quickly, which means this might be an intermittant issue… D:

    • Mojeaux

      *sigh* This whole moving thing doesn’t really bother me. I’m kind of excited, actually, because it’s a new start in a house I’m not responsible for. Of course, I’ll cry for the first week because it’s a new place and not my HOME, but that’s a given.

      What bothers me is the uncertainty. Don’t know where we’re going to move and now we’ve the added complication of my husband working from home and the possibility that it could turn permanent. It was hard enough finding places with enough room for ME to set up an office (hence, the search for an RV trailer and/or she-shed), but now I’m convinced we’re going to have to be office mates.

      Naturally, all of this is $$$$ dependent.

      I could make a garage or a basement work. I could make a she-shed work. I could make an RV trailer work. I could make a storage unit work. It might not be pleasant or as pleasant as my setup is right now, but I could make it work.

      The uncertainty of it all was getting to me before, but then Kung Flu happened and now… Sheesh. I just don’t know who I am most days right now.

      /vent

      • UnCivilServant

        Take a few breaths and remember, if you ever want help, and it’s feasible, glibs are into voluntary assistance.

        So I can’t help you move your desk, but I’m sure there’s something.

      • Mojeaux

        I think what I’m going to need is video instructional hand-holding while I wire up a she-shed without burning anything down.

      • Not Adahn

        How far on the outs with the local church are you?

        I’m not saying I have a sister that parlayed the vast amounts of downtime involved in being a music minister into a well-paying side gig hustling church-choir themed CAH ripoff decks, but even for volunteer plebes, Protestants tend to provide a desk an a computer…

  52. YDAK

    I was posting something new the the site, now WP revoked my privileges, I’m sure it’s there, they just won’t give me permissions, WTF?

  53. The Late P Brooks

    Did I lose my contributer status? All of a sudden half my glibs dashboard went away.

    Publish or perish.

    • UnCivilServant

      I’m 4500 words into my next contribution, I just want it completed before it starts posting.

      • YDAK

        refresh or reload, worked for me…

      • UnCivilServant

        It took several minutes and a number of reloads, I don’t think it was client-side.

  54. Chipping Pioneer

    You know, the gun grabbers have been so focussed on restricting firearms sales, they’ve completely ignored woodchippers.

    • Tundra

      And hemp.

      • Count Potato

        Why are you racist against nylon?

  55. KSuellington

    Good article on Art Laffer and his advising of Trump during this. I really hope that Trump takes his advice as it is solid. There should be no more piles of money getting shoveled out, it has to be a suspension of the payroll tax for the next year. I know the Dems will howl and moan over that, but it would actually give us a shot at a recovery.

      • Fourscore

        Lafffer pisses me off, the guy is 80 and looks great. I’m offended by that. At least he understood the damage that was being done to the economy, waaaaaay before anyone else, with the exception of the Glibs.

        /Looks in the mirror. Still pisses me off

    • Hyperion

      “it has to be a suspension of the payroll tax for the next year”

      Absolutely, been saying this since the beginning. Don’t give me other people’s money, just stop stealing mine.

      • Ownbestenemy

        It was touted in the beginning of all this back in March but complaints it would take too long arose…don’t mind the irony of it all

      • DOOMco

        That’s one emergency action I wouldn’t mind sticking around.

    • Suthenboy

      I am at a bit of a loss as to how anyone could not see how devastating this national house arrest is going to be on the economy. People really are short sighted.
      The devil is coming for his due and I would not be surprised to see civil unrest and violence as a result.

      • Ownbestenemy

        Nah the Karens and Media will package it as nazis or white supremacists so everyone will gobble it up and cheer the clamp down on

      • Suthenboy

        People are going to be running out of money and food.
        The reason we have had little chance of that happening is because people have too much to lose…money, jobs, houses, security etc.
        That is about to change.

      • Ownbestenemy

        i was being obtuse. I am in your camp on this. We can still get food…but once that dwindles or disappears…the game changes.

        Reminds me…pork ribs are 1.97/lb….time to stock up

      • Suthenboy

        Now you are making me hungry.

        Local chain here…Mac’s Fresh Market….puts pork ribs and butts on sale now and again for forty eight cents per pound. I have about 8 racks, two butts and three more butts ground into sausage.
        The local Krogers used to put whole briskets on sale for twenty bucks. I think at one time I had 6 of them in the freezer at once.

      • LCDR_Fish

        Another good reason for me to buy a full size freezer once I get my new garage.

      • Mojeaux

        I’m hoping to be able to get another one after we move.

      • Sean

        This is why I still think May 1 will be a big turning point for a majority.

      • Count Potato

        Yes, I don’t think the clampdown can go more than a couple more weeks.

      • Ownbestenemy

        I think we will be saying that in two more weeks sadly….

      • Sean

        Around here, I expect construction to resume next and retail to open with occupancy restrictions and distancing guidelines. Masks will probably be strongly recommended for May. Dine in restaurants and movie theaters not looking too optimistic.

        Of course, this is all wild speculation on my part. I am not expert and did not stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        I’ve mentioned before that I’ve had several convos with my fellow Canadians wherein I’ve essentially said “If you think COVID’s gonna have a high death toll, wait’ll you see the food riots.”
        Nobody I’ve talked to wants to believe that it could get that bad.

  56. Gustave Lytton

    Didn’t order a plate carrier yet, but since non-essential medical is probably fucked, used some of the FSA money for IFAKs.

    • Sean

      Me neither. I couldn’t make up my mind.

      On the other hand, I’m down to 146 lbs. If someone starts shooting at me, I’ll just turn sideways.

      • UnCivilServant

        146? Is there anything besides skin and bones in there?

        I have to lose at least one Sean to get down to a proper weight.

      • The Hyperbole

        Maybe he’s only 4′ 7½” tall.

      • Sean

        6 ft

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        Good Lord, man. If you turn to the side and stick your tongue out, people might mistake you for a zipper.

      • Fourscore

        Drink a bottle of strawberry pop and you could pass for a thermometer

      • Sean

        Steak and (soon to be) bourbon.

      • YDAK

        Teryaki Pork and Rice, mmmm.

      • Invisible BEAM of the comment stream

        Always a classic.

      • YDAK

        and cheap,

      • YDAK

        Really? 5’10” 130lb.

      • UnCivilServant

        Shedding two Yusefs would be hasardout to my health, I’m not that fat.

      • UnCivilServant

        *hazardous

        wow, I mangled that word the first go round.

      • YDAK

        Well, I am over 2 Evans old now, and I gained 5 pounds in all the drama…

      • Gustave Lytton

        Which ones were you looking at? I think I’ve settled on the SKD tactical PIG.

      • Sean

        I started out looking at packages at ar500, then started sliding upmarket to Spartan systems and then to skd.

        I got confused, wandered off, and bought my 10mm and 1,500 rounds instead.

      • Sean

        Sig 1911

      • AlmightyJB

        Sweeeet.

  57. The Late P Brooks

    Consumers await permission to consume

    The way the president tells it, the American economy is like a light switch that he can simply flip on. He floated a full “beautiful” reopening by Easter Sunday. And when that deadline passed, he teased a “big bang” reopening at his discretion. He (falsely) says he has “total authority” to reopen the economy.
    Governors of some of the biggest states have a different idea

    ——-

    CNN polling last week found 60% of Americans said they are not comfortable returning to their regular routines if social distancing were lifted after April 30.
    Economist Justin Wolfers warns of “private lockdown” taking hold, if the economy is re-opened without a credible plan.
    He noted that the president’s new Council to Reopen America does not have a single economist or public health expert.
    “Without credibility, proclamations that it is safe won’t work, and a private lockdown will replace the government-mandated one,” he tweeted. “If that happens, the recession will needlessly drag on. As the government throws away its credibility, it destroys its ability to prevent an ongoing downturn.”
    A false start in the economy could be devastating for consumer confidence. If people don’t believe they are safe, they won’t spend.

    ——-

    Consumers hold the key, but leadership matters now more than ever. Citizens need to know that they there is a national plan for their health and their prosperity. That they are safe from the virus, that there is adequate testing to detect it, contact tracing, a vaccine in the works, ways to test for antibodies to send some people safely back to work and a safety net for workers on the frontlines.

    The lowly rabble need to hide under their beds until Top Men tell them it’s safe to come out. We cannot allow them to decide for themselves.

    • Suthenboy

      “CNN polling”

      In a word, bullshit.

      A large number of people will be shopping and reopening businesses 30 seconds after it is lifted. In short order, a week or so, everyone else will be out…if they have any money left.

    • Gustave Lytton

      That which is not prohibited, is mandatory.

  58. YDAK

    I finally got WP to work, mostly, my Captions keeps justifying Left, and I want them Centered,

    • UnCivilServant

      That’s a justified complaint.

      • YDAK

        Easy in HTML

      • UnCivilServant

        I was looking to spark a pun thread.

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        We’ll have to divvy this effort up.

      • YDAK

        there is justification for such a move,

      • Shirley Knott

        Make it all spic and span.

      • UnCivilServant

        That’s a lot of work, I might just take a br eak.

      • Gender Traitor

        Damn. Now I’m ashamed I didn’t pick up on that. My pun detecting skills are obviously marginal at the moment.

      • Tres Cool

        Sup’ briar!

      • LemonGrenade

        I’d join in, but over the span of time this has been running, I fear it might end up unordered.

  59. The Late P Brooks

    Also-

    You had better sit down while I tell you this, Shirley. Individuals have a wide variance of risk tolerance, meaning there will inevitably be a slow roll-out of freedom. The crowds will not appear as if by magic, but offered the opportunity, people will slowly begin to seek some level of comfortable normalcy.

    • LemonGrenade

      I volunteer to go first. I want out!!

    • Shirley Knott

      I am *always* sitting down. Well, except for the briefest possible perambulation, such as from chair to bed or back.
      I’d have to take amphetamines to become merely sedentary.

      • UnCivilServant

        My knees hurt from sitting too much. I’ve started treating the level surface syndrome of other pieces of furnature so I can sit in different positions throughout the day.

      • YDAK

        Walk?

      • UnCivilServant

        There’s only so much room to pace in the house…

        what? You can’t mean… go outside? Where there’s… people! And weather! That’s crazy talk!

      • YDAK

        In my hardcore Diorama/EDM stage, i would stand and walk for 16 hours a day, too much to do, and yes it hurt my back doing so,

      • Shirley Knott

        Amen!
        I looked at people through the curtains today. I think that’s enough social interaction for the season.

    • westernsloper

      Risk tolerance? I left the great state of Oklahoma escaped Oklahoma (H/T Don) to go work in the swamps of South Sudan in 2006. I not only have a skewed risk tolerance I may have an unhealthy recognition of risk. Or not.

    • Suthenboy

      My dogs are also snoring while Rome burns.

      • YDAK

        I do love that look of not giving a shit, just rub my Belly, or not

      • The Bearded Hobbit

        Years ago it was pointed out to me that, once you start rubbing a dogs belly, they expect it to go on forever. When you finish they give you a look that says, “Why’d you stop?”

      • Ownbestenemy

        We groomed a blind/deaf dog of a work buddy…she would walk and then just sleep. No laying down or circling….lay down and snore instantly. Cute little shit

    • Gustave Lytton

      None of that virus shit for my dog. There are real problems like deer, turkeys, squirrels, and birds trespassing in her yard. She’s mad as hell and isn’t going to take it anymore.

    • Suthenboy

      Good grief. Look at her. She is retarded. Looks like she needs a minder following her around. A retard with a bad temper is a scary thing.

      • YDAK

        I have had a few people who don’t just Social distance, but violate the NAP, now I can say get out of my face with Style!

      • pistoffnick

        There’s a Chinese guy at work (my company is owned by them) who won’t respect my boundaries. I took a tape measure (a heavy steel-cased one) and pulled it straight upwards about 5 feet, cocked my arm back to get a little arc on it, then asked him “About that long?”. Then I let it swing right into his nuts.

        He still hasn’t learned, but I thought it was funny.

  60. The Late P Brooks

    I turned on the news, just in time to see that female reporter badgering the Bad Orange Man. Such brave. Trump’s palace death squad undoubtedly dragged her out of there by her hair and brutally raped and tortured her in the basement. Because War on Press!

    • Suthenboy

      I am surprised it has taken him this long to get that pissy. My patience would have run out with the shitweasel propagandists a long time ago.

      And btw, I saw the exchange and he made the context of this ‘absolute power’ comment very clear….’with regards to what we are talking about here’. I am not sure what the law says but he also made it clear that the power is vested in the office, not him personally.

      • Ownbestenemy

        LIBTard!!!….wait….RepubTard!!!

        I can’t keep em straight.

      • Suthenboy

        Does Libtard mean ‘libertarian’ or ‘liberal’?
        I cant keep it all straight either.

    • Ownbestenemy

      Now do the UN, ICC, foreign military assistance, etc. Yes I am going to tske a mile from this inch

    • Suthenboy

      Now he has my vote locked in.

  61. Ownbestenemy

    So in the new economy what should my wife accept as payment for her dog grooming business? Sex? Bottle Caps? Ammo? Eggs?

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      Hand sanitizer and Everclear

      • Translucent Chum

        That’s the same thing you fool! ?

      • YDAK

        NON ONO, Everclear is for Self Surgery…

      • Translucent Chum

        Anesthetic and sanitizer.

      • Ownbestenemy

        She is Irish so thats Leprechauns and Rainbows to you mister

    • westernsloper

      Ammo and meat. We need rat meat test strips asap.

      • UnCivilServant

        What do you have against ratburgers?

      • Ownbestenemy

        That is sound advice

    • Mojeaux

      Food and toilet paper.

      No, I am not kidding. At Aldi’s, being limited to 2 cans of evaporated milk when I used to buy 2 flats at a time and 4 cans of green beans when I used to buy 3 is making me pissy.

      • Ownbestenemy

        No shit. Garlic is back (but we remedied that by planting an herb garden) and now its back to jalepeno peppers out….Nevada is weird

      • Mojeaux

        Bartering. Always a viable means of trade.

    • Mojeaux

      All my Gilmore’ing today is being performed by WordPress. No duck-fucking shall be needed.

    • westernsloper

      I filled up the green beast, with the fuel light on, for $52 bucks yesterday. Over 32 gallons the big pig took into it. I was happy. That $ amount used to get me half a tank. I am trying to look on the bright side here.

      • westernsloper

        Hi Gilmore!

    • Stinky Wizzleteats

      “Sure, lots of prisoners have been incarcerated for robbery, but they almost always rob from the rich”

      I’m going to need a citation on that one (also still not OK at all), otherwise, yeah, good article.

      • UnCivilServant

        They rob by proximity. I was robbed more often in lower middle class areas adjacent to the hood than when in better off areas. (We were oddly unrobbed in the hood because the neighbors knew were had nothing to take)

      • UnCivilServant

        This is assuming we’re talking about common criminals who don’t pretend to be virtuous.

  62. LCDR_Fish

    Still only 2.5% deaths per “reported/tested confirmed” cases in VA – this whole shebang should definitely be handled on a county by county/state by state basis vs a nationwide shutdown.

  63. hayeksplosives

    Have they appointed a Committee for Public Information yet? That was Woodrow Wilson’s opening salvo.

    • Translucent Chum

      The Dangerous History podcast has a series dedicated to how horrible he was. A tyrant since he was a teenager.

  64. Hyperion

    Playing Mount and Blade II Bannerlord.

    We just raided a bandit hideout and I gots myself a cape!

    A fucking cape! That’s a whole new level of badass, only a real badass has a fucking cape! Whoohoooo!!!!!!

      • Hyperion

        I’d like to see how it actually looks on the battlefield, but I have to chase down an unfortunate band of peasants or something first…

      • UnCivilServant

        I’m sure you’ll find something.

      • AlmightyJB

        I like the Black Flag. I think I might be needing one soon.

      • Hyperion

        I guess there’s already a mod where you can design your own banner, although it’s not officially supported yet. I’d like something more like a Gadsden flag with the orange and black, but that was the best I could do for now.

      • Hyperion

        lol

    • Translucent Chum

      +3 style.

  65. R C Dean

    Harking back to Don and my conversation about debt and leverage, consider how leveraged the US economy is.

    Now throw in a 6% contraction in one quarter. Compare to the total contraction of 4.3% in the US GDP during the Great Recession.

    I see no reason to be the least bit optimistic about “bouncing back” from the damage done to our economy.

    I was thinking the other day that it has been a long generation (nearly 40 years) since we had inflation that mattered much. The memory of how bad high inflation can be is pretty much gone, which I think is why everyone is so blase about throwing trillions of fiat cash into a contracting economy.

    I have a feeling a lot of people are about to re-learn the lesson about inflation.