I'm well. Got carry out from Chipotle yesterday and I missed that so much.
No mid-week walk this morning as Pola had her phone off when I texted her yesterday evening. I do need to get out and walk around though it's quite hot out.
New cases are comfortably above the 1,000 mark again.
Alive and well. I took Thursday & Friday off work; on Thursday, my wife and I went to Sequoia National Park. While they had a lot of road construction -- that seems to be constant -- we did reach Moro rock and climbed it. The outlook was beautiful; there was a sporadic stream of people making their way up & down the narrow trail and stairs. There were few masks, but a lot of distancing and facing away when passing in opposite directions.
After descending and devouring a hearty lunch, we took the walked the Sugar Pine trail; it was beautiful, and we only met 1 other couple on the trail -- except for the few hundred yards where the path crossed the High Sierra trail at Crescent Meadow. We crossed a couple and a trio, and took pictures of the couple at their request. Then we completed our circuit, again encountering no one. We did, however, encounter a deer who raced along the trail from the opposite direction. On the way out of the park, there were three different sets of deer walking along the road or grazing just off the verge. It was pretty special, really -- I wonder how the wildlife enjoyed the extra three months without visitors, if the lack of stressors changed anything on a longer term basis, or if it was just a nice vacation for them.
All in all, a great weekend -- and not too crushing a load when I returned to work yesterday.
Yesterday, there was a deer standing next to my house in broad daylight. Not hiding in the bushes behind the house, but standing there beside the driveway. If I miss Coronavirus, I'm going to get Lyme.
Still here. "Here" has changed, as discussed in the Risk Management thread. Had a test last weekend and it was negative, so that's nice.
Sanding is done! Finished the last of it yesterday. Now we just need to pressure wash it again, then stain.
5 is a nearly daily occurrence for me. Certainly weekly. To be fair though, the virus doesn't seem to have changed this, it was true last year too.
I'm considering flying a very short distance next weekend and really not sure how to evaluate the risk. We are down to zero new cases for a couple of weeks locally, which is what made me consider it at all. 30 min in-air vs 4 hours in car.
It's new here. The deer looked sick, lots of splotchy patches on the fur but not too skinny.
12 splotchy patches could be molting, or it could be sick. Seems a bit late for molting but i guess that depends where.
Nothing new. New Covid-related negative experience: Self-returning library books.
I've been ignoring library book due dates for decades now. Not to brag, but there is no way that occasional quarter-a-day fines will impact my quality of life or my retirement plans. So if a book isn't interesting enough to finish by the appointed date, I keep it.
So since the county library has been closed, I've tried borrowing their e-books for the first time. It didn't occur to me to pay attention to the due date. I was close to the end of a mediocre mystery, the central mystery still unresolved, and in the middle of a longish sentence when the book decided I had had it exactly 7 days from the moment of borrowing. It removed itself from my Kindle and inserted itself into the Kindle of someone who had reserved it. It won't be available again for a few weeks, by which time I will have forgotten everything about it. I will never know whodunit.
You need to set your Kindle to airplane mode until you finish a book. You won't be able to get new books while network is off, but it won't revoke the current book until it can talk to the mothership.
I guess we've bubbled up with another household. They live an hour away, but they have a pool, which makes the drive totally worth it.
feeling pretty superfluous -- all the things I've been hoping and praying for over the last 30 years are finally starting to happen, and what's my role? Kicking in $50 to people's Gofundmes, and liking shit on FB. Can't spell F.B.I. without Facebook after all. Perhaps a better person would blow himself up at a Dow Chemical board meeting or something, but that would be pretty hard to organize in my current state. I kinda figured this would be the outcome when I went back to the financial industry. I spend my days robbin' poor widder wimmin and orphans, but my compensation is pretty minimal. I had everything figured out when I was 18, I coulda been a bum, instead of a contemner, which is what I am. I've been totally withdrawn from society for 4 months now, and is anyone the worse for it? Nope. So who cares? Always figured if I got to this point I could just walk away, but I doubt I could walk more than half a mile at this point. which wouldn't even get me to the 3rd precinct. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
13 You expect Moby to count the splotchy patches?
Up at 3 am for my walk with Pola. Marina again...
21: Take care. Being shut in hasn't been good for most people's sense of wellness.
17: I got a message to pick up a book at my town library. I can't remember what I requested. I have to make an appointment.
21: I hear you and I care. I'm in a similar position, in fact. I was going to mention that Dow and Dupont have grotesquely merged, but apparently I am behind the times and they split up again, which may make it a less auspicious time to take out the board of directors than 18 months ago. But you must know more.
I'm also at the point of just being sad and worried about the current covid hotspots, past both "told you so" and initial phase of anger. Second phase of anger sucks more, as I recall, and will arrive in a few days.
"I've been ignoring library book due dates for decades now. Not to brag, but there is no way that occasional quarter-a-day fines will impact my quality of life or my retirement plans. So if a book isn't interesting enough to finish by the appointed date, I keep it."
You, sir, are a monster.
17 in the voice of Rodney Dangerfield I think.
We are fine. I think, possibly, edging towards a bit too much social contact over the past three weeks, after a long time with none at all. It has been nice to see friends, and for xelA to play with other kids, though. xelA isn't really getting as much home schooling done as he did a few weeks ago. Mrs ttaM has been made redundant from her work, and our flat purchase has definitely fallen through.
On the other hand, I got a pay-rise at work, back dated for 6 months, which is nice as we have a wage freeze at the moment which was due to be lifted in October. I've lost some of the quarantine weight, but it's a bit up and down. But the overall trend over the past 6 weeks is down (about 4-5lbs), so that's good.
Small pleasures, but I've been wheeling and dealing guitar gear -- selling old pedals I never use, or pedals I built for myself which I don't like -- and I've done OK and managed to pick up a few things I like.
The library fines are a classic case study in behavioural economics. Imposing a small fine for non-compliance can make people less likely to comply. If unimaginative were a member of, say, a volunteer library, which had no fines or penalties for late returns but simply said "please don't keep books for more than 7 days, because other people might want to borrow them too", they would probably be more likely to return books on time - because it's framed as a social obligation. Similarly if they'd just borrowed the book from a friend.
But having a small fine for late returns makes unimaginative think "basically I can keep this book as long as I want, for 25c a day after the first seven days" and so they do, because that's a minimal cost. And they don't feel any sense of guilt about it, because it's now framed effectively as a monetary transaction, and the social obligation is simply to stick to the terms of the transaction - which they are doing.
I think the actual case study relates to blood donations - countries where blood donors get paid actually find it more difficult to get enough donors than countries where blood donors just get a biscuit.
Similarly if they'd just borrowed the book from a friend.
Probably not the best illustration of your point.
re: 31
They did the same study with nurseries. Once they started fining parents for late pickups, parents started thinking of that as a service and turning up late. Something comes up at work? Stuck in traffic? Never mind, I'll pay 5 quid per 15 minutes (or whatever), and I'll pick them up an hour late.
Frame it as "we close at 6pm, the staff have to get home", less lateness.
34: yes! That was the one I was thinking of. Thanks.
31, 32, 33, 34: Very interesting, I learned something today. Wonder why libraries persist with the mini-fining.
I am just back from spending several days in a place with no internet and no cell service - it was restorative.
Giving blood, raising children, same difference.
AIMHMHB, if you tell your kids "I will stop your pocket money if you misbehave" what you are actually telling them is "if you misbehave you can bribe me to ignore it".
33: I think so; even if unimaginative is one of the 99% of people who don't return borrowed books unprompted, they would presumably give their friend his book back as quickly as possible if he actually asked them for it back.
On the other hand, 10p bags seems to make a huge difference to whether people bring their own (or make do without any).
I am alive and feeling slightly guilty for not checking in for so long although probably nobody was worrying b/c I comment here rarely but I think this check-in thread thing is really a small-but-great prosocial act so still feeling a bit shit for not doing right by it.
Still not working, probably won't till August looks like. Aagh.
My insane q-anon mother sent me a video where a guy puts an oxygen sensor underneath his face mask and notes that it reads under 20% to make the argument that if you wear a mask you're going to get de-oxygenated and then... something bad will happen I guess, and I've been thinking about it for days b/c it's like I finally hit a wall of stupid and I can't muster another calm and gentle explanation of why this is wrong and in fact I don't want to talk to her at all anymore but ghosting your old, crazy, locked-in mother is bad so I'm stuck.
And I have absolutely no further news to share because, y'know.
Meant to add that I kept a library book 25 years ago and I still flush with shame when I remember it, so thanks for that, thread.
41: A friend posted a debunking from an MD, and I couldn't figure out what the original might have said. How terribly stupid. (If your mother is not a believer in the plague nor its mitigation, how come she is isolating?)
re: 41
Well, it would, no? That's the percentage of oxygen in the air after all.*
* I'm assuming you know this, of course.
I am on line to get a Covid-19 test right now. No symptoms, but NYC says everyone should get tested regardless of symptoms, and my father is coming over this weekend for the first time since this all started so I want to be sure I'm not going to accidentally kill him.
Not ruling out the deliberate option?
The old man does get irritating at times.
I am on line to get a Covid-19 test right now
"Ma'am, could you please sneeze into your webcam."
Are you mocking my characteristically New Yorker manner of speech? No reason why you shouldn't. Everyone else does.
36: instead of fines, they need this guy: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/aug/09/spain-debt-collectors-cobrador-del-frac
imagine! the book does not come back and the librarians say...it must be time for...EL COBRADOR! and suddenly a grave and dignified gentleman in tails is standing outside your door holding a single copy of the offending BOOK to symbolize your shame.
I'm sorry - my mockery was ill-informed. I should of course have written "Hey! Asshole! Sneeze into your webcam! C'mon, hurry it up!"
55: the original and best tries to bust its targets when they're meeting other potential creditors, like suppliers to their businesses, so I am now imagining the Cobster following various academics around campus. the good thing, I guess, is that by definition someone who fails to return a library book is someone who reads books, and probably knows other book people, and is therefore subject to being shamed about their library card being delinquent.
The police were looking for someone who punched a police horse during the local protests. Based on a blurry picture, I thought I knew who it was. They just arrested somebody else so now I can't make Blazing Saddles jokes.
I hear that Rhode Island is changing its name. Let me be the first to suggest East Connecticut.
Brainscrape report: really unpleasant, but the nurse seemed to think that I was finding it worse than most. She muttered something about my having a deviated septum as she was swiveling the swab around trying to get it deeper into my skull. If you're the sort of person who can breathe through your nose ever, it's probably less bad.
Maybe you should have tipped better?
59 seems fair. Cecil Rhode was a reprehensible character.
I am struggling a little here. Working from home and being on camera all the time is messing with my head, and I find myself regressing to insecurities I thought I was long over: Like, the feeling that I am not working hard enough, that people are annoyed or angry with me, that my work is pointless, etc. ad nauseam. Like many of you, I recognise that I am worse off than in the beforetimes, and still I don't want to go back... It is confusing and exhausting and most just disappointing: I thought I would be better at this! Obligatory note: Nothing is on fire, we are fine, mustn't grumble etc.
They require the camera on at all times?
That would be really bad for my mental health.
Also, it isn't a fucking island.
Unfortunately for Mossy and his love of geographic sanity, they are thinking of changing its name to "Rhode Island".
(Surprised that Moby didn't suggest "The Rhode Island".)
31: The library here changed the policy years ago in response to those studies.
Columbus Metropolitan Library to eliminate overdue fines beginning Jan. 1, 2017
change the state's official name on government documents, shortening it from "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" to just "Rhode Island"Just to make things that extra bit more ridiculous. America! You suck.
53 I should look into getting into that line of work but only for library fines.
65: yes and yes indeed.
I have always been doing the bulk of my work online, but the majority of the people around me are new to this game, this means: camera on, funny backgrounds, endless meetings, and please share your screen. Gah!
Does Providence Plantations get to spin off as it own new state?
|| To the surprise of nearly all the analysts, the DC Circuit came through for Barr on the Flynn case. Folks will recall I called this one right well before the argument. What analysts got wrong is presuming that conservatism is some sort of intellectually legitimate worldview, and so someone like Judge Henderson would be expected to rule against someone like Barr because he's clearly wrong on the law. Nope. Lesson: Never let Republicans have power. Ever. |>
Apparently in Heebieville, currently 1 in 52 people has an active (and known) covid case.
So we're shutting down the parks. But not the bars and restaurants and not mandating masks.
(to be clear, our mayor has no power to do those other things, or she would.)
And masks are ambiguously mandatory sometimes.
60: Reminds me of my doctor's office visits leading up to my sinus surgery (many) years ago. Nothing like having metal instruments up your nose and being able to feel them scraping the inside of your sinuses.
Good times.
In other news, I may have to cancel my subscription to The Atlantic. I just visited their front page to be met with the headline "My Little Pony fans are ready to admit they had a Nazi problem". Peak 2020?
Why do you attack people who report the truth?
75 JFC stay safe Heebie.
And of course we all know 76 is the exact opposite of what they should be doing.
Everybody's still healthy here, and I started my new job Monday, which is (at least for now) 100% from home and lots and lots of Zoom meetings. Since none of the meetings involved HR finger-wagging, I guess I passed the pre-employment tinkle test and can today report that a month's break from my particular poison has a... well, let's say "noticeable"... effect. It's been a long time since I thought "oh yeah, definitely done for this evening" or "is Rachel Maddow even speaking English?"
How far do you have to pee to be accepted?
I've moved from the CRO world to the pharma world, so it's volume instead of distance. I contain multitudes.
I don't recall ever being drug tested.
This seems like a really bad time to come back into contact with unmediated reality. It's fucked up out here.
I just looked up the company policy. It says nothing about testing but if I get arrested for anything, I have to tell them.
23 new cases in the state today, 5 here in Missoula County. I liked 0 better.
88: From now on I'll try to refrain from calling the police on you for any egregious puns. But don't push me.
I liked 0 better.
ME TOO! STOP TESTING NOW!!!
I'm not aware of any of the pharma companies in our area that do drug testing of new (or existing) employees. Regional thing?
71 describes six to eight hours of all my workdays.
Maybe it's only if you bring a pot-crapping dog to the interview?
How do people stop from picking their noses at work?
Usually, if I see someone in front of my, I can wait. But it's a real struggle to remember that people can see my nose when I'm on a call.
It probably has to do with this, though my last employer had an entire division of the company dedicated to federal projects and they didn't test, so maybe it's just an interpretation of the boxes that need to be checked?
Yikes, heebie. I am glad you are doing your best to be safe, but I'm so sorry that your elected officials don't have more power.
Hanging in here. Been a bit tough on the personal front. Grateful to have as much job security as I do given all that is going on.
I've taken up running, which I deeply dislike. I genuinely enjoy yoga, so I thought that all of those people who run all the time ALSO genuinely like their form of exercise. Nope. At least many of them don't, judging by the number who have said a heartfelt "ME TOO" when I tell them how much I don't enjoy it.
I like running, but only on days when I'm feeling. Mostly I like how I feel the day after a run.
I never used to like running, but I've been enjoying it since this all started and I can't go to the gym.
Also, if you punch a police horse and need to get away, running will stand you better than yoga.
They should change Rhode Island to "Aquidneck." That's a great name going insufficiently used. The original island of Rhodes is seismically unlucky.
And Cecil Rhodes is every other sort of unlucky.
The library here changed the policy years ago in response to those studies.
Yeah, ours here got rid of fines recently too. Albuquerque had already gotten rid of them when I was a kid, so when I started to hear about the concept I as very confused.
At Ohio State, they had big fines. But I learned that if you waited long enough, they declared the book lost and then if you brought in, the fine was only $10.
I have always run on treadmills, and was a bit nervous about running on the street - figured it would take a toll on my joints and be less air-conditioned, and I wouldn't be able to go as fast. Turns out it's not bad, and my natural pace is faster than where I set the treadmill. I still hate running, though.
Most people go faster off the treadmill.
I enjoy walking. One of my favorite parts of the day.
I enjoyed it until NC summer weather got here. Not so much now.
Spring was the worst for me there. Stupid trees fucking.
CAN WE RAISE THE TONE HERE
Stupid trees that are technically masterbating.
Crap. Poor spelling isn't helping.
I really do like running, although for me it's sort of an "enthusiastic trudging" pace.
I always thought I did not like yoga. But now I think I just do not like yoga classes. I'm almost done with a 30 day challenge and I've really enjoyed it thoroughly.
I'm trying shorter runs to push for more speed, but still really slow. I can do a mile in nine minutes, but two miles means I need to go slower. I can do a half mile in about four minutes, but then I need to stop.
Anyway, I'm probably going to be able to outrun the older cops, but not the younger ones or any horses.
Of course, they have to carry more stuff.
You only have to outrun your friend.
Can I just say that I fucking hate running and I do it very slowly and the only thing remotely pleasurable is when it stops and I realise I have survived. On the veldt, where it is nice and smooth, we all rode bicycles.
Can I just say that I fucking hate running and I do it very slowly and the only thing remotely pleasurable is when it stops and I realise I have survived. On the veldt, where it is nice and smooth, we all rode bicycles.
Everyone should remember the bear rules: If it's black, fight back. If it's brown, lay down. If it's white, say goodnight.
121 works with cops too. May require N friends.
Which apparently even live in Pa.
The coloration varies enough that you can't tell that way. But it rhymes.
Doing better here--the crazy stressful workload brought on by everyone realizing "oh shit, we're trying to launch a really big product and we haven't done that in a decade" two months before the launch (when I had been screaming about it and throwing red flags for 6 months before that) is finally starting to settle--not because all of the work got done, nor any of the busywork of reporting out on all the work in progress which cost me two weeks of productive time, but because the head of the business finally figured out that the enormous public launch they wanted wasn't practical and we're turning it into a "soft launch" with a "splash launch" in the fall. Thankfully my new boss managed to maneuver things so my team (especially me) doesn't take the fall for the collective fail. Two more weeks of ass-busting, then a little breathing room.
The boxes are mostly unpacked from the move, the kiddos have been champs, can't wait until I have the mental space and energy to get art on the walls and start having hobbies in all the extra space the new place provides.
Now if the Covid thing would just blow over so I could actually go out and find somebody to date, that would be nice. Online dating without the hope of meeting for months is exceedingly meh. I suspect I am either going to have to compromise my ideals on self-isolation and meet up with someone else equally unwise, or just resign myself to constant unfocused horniness breaking over me in waves for the next year.
If it's cinnamon, you failed the shibboleth.
If it cinnamon, you safe if you skinny, mon.
Up again at 3 am, no actually I woke up at 1 and couldn't get back to sleep, for another walk at the marina with Pola...
105. I kept a library notice listing the overdue books marked as lost and an amount due over $1k. ( 7 physics books, one a conference proceedings). It's a bookmark somewhere.
They didn't let you get your degree if you didn't pay or return the book.
That and writing/defending a dissertation are why I don't have a Ph.D.