Archive for 2020
March 1, 2020
AT AMAZON, spring savings in Automotive.
FROM WHEATON COLLEGE, Advice for Houses of Worship on Public Health Emergencies. I would have changed the emphasis, but it’s okay.
R.I.P. ANDREW BREITBART, who died 8 years ago today. I met him for the first time in 2002, in L.A. This photo is from after the Quincy Tea Party event in 2009. That’s Elbert Guillory, Jim Hoft, Andrew, me, and Dana Loesch.
I wish Andrew were still around for all sorts of reasons, but I’d certainly love to hear his take on today’s politics.
IRONY CAN BE PRETTY IRONIC SOMETIMES: ‘This Land Is Your Land’ Is Still Private Property, Court Rules.
Flashback: “I saw a sign that said ‘private property,’ but on the other side it didn’t say nothing. This side was made for you and me,” Woody Guthrie sung during the earliest performances of his song in 1944. Pete Seeger “reinserted that Marxist ode to taking private property” back into his performance of “This Land Is Your Land,” alongside Bruce Springsteen at Barack Obama’s inauguration.
DISEASES SHOWN TO INTERACT AND SPREAD LIKE INTERNET MEMES: And the reverse is true as well; it’s as if social media is like a virus of the mind, or something.
OPEN THREAD: Seek solace and comfort going forward in the post-Buttigieg presidential race.
COORS MASS SHOOTER DOESN’T FIT THE MEDIA NARRATIVE: Is That Why You’ve Heard Nothing About Him?
ANTHONY FAUCI, ET AL.: Covid-19 — Navigating the Uncharted.
On the basis of a case definition requiring a diagnosis of pneumonia, the currently reported case fatality rate is approximately 2%.4 In another article in the Journal, Guan et al.5 report mortality of 1.4% among 1099 patients with laboratory-confirmed Covid-19; these patients had a wide spectrum of disease severity. If one assumes that the number of asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic cases is several times as high as the number of reported cases, the case fatality rate may be considerably less than 1%. This suggests that the overall clinical consequences of Covid-19 may ultimately be more akin to those of a severe seasonal influenza (which has a case fatality rate of approximately 0.1%) or a pandemic influenza (similar to those in 1957 and 1968) rather than a disease similar to SARS or MERS, which have had case fatality rates of 9 to 10% and 36%, respectively.2 . . .
China, the United States, and several other countries have instituted temporary restrictions on travel with an eye toward slowing the spread of this new disease within China and throughout the rest of the world. The United States has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of travelers from China, especially from Hubei province. At least on a temporary basis, such restrictions may have helped slow the spread of the virus: whereas 78,191 laboratory-confirmed cases had been identified in China as of February 26, 2020, a total of 2918 cases had been confirmed in 37 other countries or territories.4 As of February 26, 2020, there had been 14 cases detected in the United States involving travel to China or close contacts with travelers, 3 cases among U.S. citizens repatriated from China, and 42 cases among U.S. passengers repatriated from a cruise ship where the infection had spread.8 However, given the efficiency of transmission as indicated in the current report, we should be prepared for Covid-19 to gain a foothold throughout the world, including in the United States. Community spread in the United States could require a shift from containment to mitigation strategies such as social distancing in order to reduce transmission. Such strategies could include isolating ill persons (including voluntary isolation at home), school closures, and telecommuting where possible.9
Read the whole thing.
JUST SAW MIKE BLOOMBERG’S CORONAVIRUS COMMERCIAL. He looks and sounds like an audio-animatronic robot, spouting platitudes. Whatever he spent on this, it was too much.
UPDATE: It was followed a few minutes later by the first Amy Klobuchar ad I’ve seen. That was brilliant timing, as the usually drab and colorless Klobuchar positively glowed with warmth and humanity by comparison. Money well spent on her part.
SAME. BUT WHERE’S MY ORION NUCLEAR SPACE CRUISER? I’M WAITING. Elon Musk approves of the US Space Force, eyes ‘Star Trek’ potential.
THROW BACK THE LITTLE ONES: AP sources: Pete Buttigieg ending his race for Democratic presidential nomination. Okay, I should probably have saved that headline for Bloomberg . . . But hey, there’s nothing to stop me from using it again!
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: U.S. Coronavirus Outbreak Widens: Rhode Island confirms its first case of the virus, while number of cases in King County, Wash., rises to six. “New cases of the novel coronavirus in Washington, California and Rhode Island on Sunday raised fears of a wider spread of the disease in U.S. communities, prompting federal officials to ramp up efforts to test for and fight the widening outbreak. Health officials are focused on a cluster of confirmed cases in Washington state where some patients had no clear path to exposure, including the first death from the virus in the U.S. Those cases, and several others in Oregon and California signal that there might be wider spread of the virus in some American communities with many cases still undiagnosed.”
South Koreans told to stay home as coronavirus infections surpass 3,100.
Coronavirus outbreak spreading across Iran.
Italian coronavirus deaths rise to 34, number of cases hits almost 1,700.
U.S. plans ‘radical expansion’ of coronavirus tests.
Ecuador confirms five new cases of coronavirus, all close to initial patient.
Nigeria says 100 people have been exposed to Covid-19 patient.
Coronavirus crisis as 13 more Brits infected and PM to chair Cobra meeting.
Egypt says 1,443 people tested for coronavirus so far.
Houston mural changed to read ‘Wash Ur Hands’ amid coronavirus outbreak.
What are coronavirus symptoms?
Negotiators move closer to deal for coronavirus, expected to exceed White House request.
Coronavirus just caused the American Physical Society to cancel its biggest meeting of the year.
NH Students Told to Stay Home After Return From Italy.
Louvre museum in Paris closes over coronavirus fears.
Nike, Columbia deep clean campuses as coronavirus reaches Oregon.
Panicked New York shoppers stock up at Costco amid coronavirus fears.
Why are so many new cases of COVID- 19 in Canada linked to travel from Iran?
4 new cases of COVID-19 in Ontario bring Canada’s total to 24.
Scoop: Lab for coronavirus test kits may have been contaminated. “The Trump administration has ordered an independent investigation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lab, and manufacturing of the virus test kits has been moved, the sources said. . . . It was not immediately clear if or how possible contamination in the Atlanta lab played a role in delays or problems with testing. Nor was it clear how significant or systemic the contamination concerns may be; whether it was a one-time issue that’s easily resolved, or a broader concern involving protocols, safeguards or leadership.” Flashback: You had one job, CDC.
THEY’LL QUIT PROTECTING HIM ONCE BIDEN IS OUT OF THE RACE, BUT THAT’S NOT YET:
I DUNNO, I KINDA WANT ONE JUST FOR THE RETRO-CONTRARIANISM: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review—I think I hate flip phones.
CLARICE FELDMAN: Coronavirus: When All Else Fails, Try Reason.
LESLIE EASTMAN: A biochemist reviews the Trump administration’s continuing response to COVID-19. “Until the press decides that it wants to help the country instead of destroy Trump, it needs to be quarantined.”
NEW SOCIALIST “IT GIRL” CONTINUES TO PAY DIVIDENDS: “That microbiology award from MIT that AOC is bragging about was second place at a high school science fair.”
MAKE THE SUPER BOWL GREAT AGAIN: Dee Snider backs petition to have AC/DC play Super Bowl half-time show.