The Swamp

If you can remember how Palpatine took power if you didn't eject Star Wars Episode II from your memory, the same thing is happening in Hungary.

Thank God the Dems won the House in 2018, huh?

Nobody has been a worse follow during this thing than Nate Silver. I like stats and correcting people more than the next guy but shut the fuck up.

Ryan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:42 am Nobody has been a worse follow during this thing than Nate Silver. I like stats and correcting people more than the next guy but shut the fuck up.

+1.

It was a little more tense out and about today getting a few groceries. I called my mom to see if I could bring her some things. It was like calling a 3-year-old. She’s asked for skittles and ice cream bars...

tennbengal wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:46 pm

Ryan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:42 am Nobody has been a worse follow during this thing than Nate Silver. I like stats and correcting people more than the next guy but shut the fuck up.

+1.

It was a little more tense out and about today getting a few groceries. I called my mom to see if I could bring her some things. It was like calling a 3-year-old. She’s asked for skittles and ice cream bars...

My Mother-In-Law asked for chips and ice cream.

tennbengal wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:21 am Maryland mandatory stay home orders starting at 8 pm tonight. There’s been some bad clusters here now - including a nursing facility in Mt. Airy well west of baltimore.

Yeah, Mt. Airy is about the same distance as DC.

At any rate, VA issued the same order, but *boom* effective immediately. (that was at 2p).

I was actually in VA at the Total Wine when that was announced... Stocked the fuck up!

Pruitt wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:47 pm

tennbengal wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 12:46 pm

Ryan wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 11:42 am Nobody has been a worse follow during this thing than Nate Silver. I like stats and correcting people more than the next guy but shut the fuck up.

+1.

It was a little more tense out and about today getting a few groceries. I called my mom to see if I could bring her some things. It was like calling a 3-year-old. She’s asked for skittles and ice cream bars...

My Mother-In-Law asked for chips and ice cream.

In times of high stress, I lose my appetite and desire for junk food. I get why people crave comfort food or junk food or "stress eat," but between lack of appetite and rationing food like I'm living through the depression, I'm barely eating and already lost 8 pounds under quarantine. Been meaning to bring this up as well as a workout plan in the weight/fitness thread...

My answer right now would be chocolate and beer so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tampa megachurch pastor arrested after leading packed services despite 'safer-at-home' orders

Thoughts and prayers.

If these charlatans end up in jail and Fox News ends up losing a $100 billion lawsuit for spreading misinformation resulting in loss of life, this will all almost have been worth it.

It's a mental dilemma and exact representation of that Larry David gif.

My dad keeps calling me to talk, cause he's bored. He's reading how Vietnam is totally shutdown again due to a most recent case in the country's largest hospital and he's just flabbergasted.

"I know the virus is severe but Vietnam didn't even shutdown during war!"

It's stunning to see the percentage of people who seemingly have no idea how far 6 feet is.

I told my kids its like if I were laying in between them and the other person and my wife helpfully pointed out I'm actually only 5'10.

mister d wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:06 pm I told my kids its like if I were laying in between them and the other person and my wife helpfully pointed out I'm actually only 5'10.

That's cold.

Then they said you were “two inches too short” and this time your wife nodded, sadly.

I had a dream last night that Greg Dulli died of COVID-19, possibly because he lives in New Orleans and possibly because I was gonna go see him next month, though that's obviously off.

When the definitive story of this period in history is written, when the sheer incompetence of this administration and the federal government is laid bare and all of the stories come out, future generations (if any are left) will be left gobsmacked at how this was allowed to happen that a con man was allowed to ascend to the presidency of the United States of America and the sheer wreckage left in his wake.

So we've learned that:

1. Anyone can be President when nothing really bad is happening.

2. Take a look around you for a real-life example of a Libertarian hellscape! It's here and it's majestic. Everyone better save up the $50,000 it's probably gonna cost when one of these pharma companies figures out a real treatment for this thing.

degenerasian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 4:00 pm My dad keeps calling me to talk, cause he's bored. He's reading how Vietnam is totally shutdown again due to a most recent case in the country's largest hospital and he's just flabbergasted.

"I know the virus is severe but Vietnam didn't even shutdown during war!"

It's easier to see an enemy combatant than it is to see a virus

Finally a silver lining...

The Sybian wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 1:00 pm Finally a silver lining...

Plus James Dolan and Harvey Weinstein.

Couple thoughts:

That official memorandum was 100% leaked to the media. I deal with official guidance like that on the daily and I have to send things up the chain as necessary. We have our own everything inherent to communication. This was intended to get out.

Which leads me to the fact that the Captain (Colonel being the equivalent rank in other branches) is most definitely going to be force retired for it. He's doing the right thing overall, but he won't become an Admiral if he ever had aspirations. Though to him, in this moment, an entire warship full of sailors take precedence because that's what you're taught as a military leader: take care of your people. I look forward to a future Op Ed from this guy in retirement.

The Navy was a waaaaayyyyy distant 2nd on military services I wanted to join. Things like "living in close quarters in a ship at sea for months at a time" is why. I wonder if this will hurt recruitment any for the Navy. Probably not because our paychecks and employment are nearly depression-proof, but it might change your mind on joining that particular branch.

Jesus, my nephew was just deployed on a sub.

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:47 pm Jesus, my nephew was just deployed on a sub.

Fuck. I'd much rather be deployed in one.

Just another example: When you have shitty leadership at the tippy top, the cascading effect is so much worse for everyone else.

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:54 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:47 pm Jesus, my nephew was just deployed on a sub.

Fuck. I'd much rather be deployed in one.

I know it sucks.

A_B wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:54 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 2:47 pm Jesus, my nephew was just deployed on a sub.

Fuck. I'd much rather be deployed in one.

I would have guessed you'd have chosen "as one".

Toronto has banned all public events until June 30.

I think he meant in a nephew.

From the sounds of things over our back fence, it appears the assholes who live behind us are having a little family party. I hear the adult son and his wife, and the little grandson, as well as other voices. Not exactly following the shelter-in-place rules. For crying out loud, people!

sancarlos wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:57 pm From the sounds of things over our back fence, it appears the assholes who live behind us are having a little family party. I hear the adult son and his wife, and the little grandson, as well as other voices. Not exactly following the shelter-in-place rules. For crying out loud, people!

A lot of people are selfish jagoffs. If you don't believe me, go try and buy some toilet paper somewhere.

OK, I'm going to say it...I don't get not getting the TP "hoarding". I get it if you've actually seen someone leave with an inordinate amount, but it makes sense that TP would be near the top of non-food items families would want to stock up on and thus more likely to be unavailable at the stores. Especially when you take into account a family is typically not in the house for 10-12 hours a day.

My 50th is coming up, and I had to shut down the floated notion of a surprise party that was being run by my wife.

She was so sweet about it, and it was heart warming that my friends wanted to do something.

I'm an absolute zilch in terms of notoriety, but it would be a fireable offense to be somehow caught hanging out at a party as the spokesperson for a govt entity. Not to mention, you know, as a functioning member of society right now.

Also, I like my friends, but... C'mon guys. Think it through a little.

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:06 pm OK, I'm going to say it...I don't get not getting the TP "hoarding". I get it if you've actually seen someone leave with an inordinate amount, but it makes sense that TP would be near the top of non-food items families would want to stock up on and thus more likely to be unavailable at the stores. Especially when you take into account a family is typically not in the house for 10-12 hours a day.

That made sense for a little while, but who the hell is still buying all the TP at this point?

brian wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:37 pm Toronto has banned all public events until June 30.

Even if the curve is flattened, a good idea to hold off on the many street festivals that we usually enjoy here in the summer.

But fuck man, this is the worst.

Wife probably working from home until around then.

Daughter's summer internship just got cancelled.

Only thing keeping me sane are the long walks in the city owned golf course with the dog. 2-3 hours every morning.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:28 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:06 pm OK, I'm going to say it...I don't get not getting the TP "hoarding". I get it if you've actually seen someone leave with an inordinate amount, but it makes sense that TP would be near the top of non-food items families would want to stock up on and thus more likely to be unavailable at the stores. Especially when you take into account a family is typically not in the house for 10-12 hours a day.

That made sense for a little while, but who the hell is still buying all the TP at this point?

All the people who haven't been able to find it for the past 4 weeks? I got lucky, we made a run to BJs (have at it, MisterD) a week or two before the panic buying. My wife wanted to keep a bulk case of TP in the basement for the lower floor bathrooms, and a second case upstairs in the laundry room for the upstairs bathrooms. Glad I didn't argue that one. Did the same with paper towels and clorox wipes, which my wife has been hoarding for a decade. My MiL puts hand satirizer in all of our stockings every Christmas, so we had a bunch of that on hand. If anyone needs a travel toothbrush, we all get one of those every year, two. Probably have at least 16 in the house.