I mean, really? They tell us to self isolate (which as a blogger I've been doing for decades), and then they expect you to put on actual clothes to leave the house? https://t.co/YPq2qfVxMW
— Not-So-OK Boomer (@Rand_Simberg) March 23, 2020
All posts by Rand Simberg
NASA’s Latest Excuse
SLS will be further delayed by the virus.
But they’ll continue to be paid, so the overruns will just be higher.
[Late-afternoon update]
I wish that publications wouldn’t report this as a fact: “The Space Launch System is a powerful deep space rocket to transport astronauts to the Moon and beyond while Orion is the crew module.”
At least say that “NASA claims that…”
Drive-In Theaters
I don’t know how many are left, but we drove past one on Friday coming up to the central coast. They’re looking pretty good now for going out to the movies. Most modern audio systems in cars would be a huge improvement in home theater over that mono speaker that hung in the window.
Ingenuity
Turning one ventilator into nine.
[Update a while later]
While my only risk, based on Italian data, seems to be hypertension (which I’ve had all my adult life), I do suffer from the disability and pre-existing condition of not being a woman.
Maybe, just to be safe, or at least reduce my risk, I should start identifying as one. I’m sure it will fool the virus.
Safer At Someone Else’s Home
California turned up the screws last night, but extermination is an exempted activity, so the fumigators are still coming today, and we’re still driving up to Cambria (and returning Monday) with the cats. If anyone stops us, I’m pretty sure that once we explain the situation, we’ll be waved on. But there is still plenty of traffic on the highways (though nothing like normal), so no reason to pull us over (unless I actually do something wrong). I may be a little less leadfoot than usual.
[Saturday-morning update]
Probably the quickest trip from LA to Cambria ever–about three and a half hours, which was good because we had a crying cat. Traffic was light, and moving along at 80 mph on the freeways. More anon.
The Precautionary Principle
Our reliance on it has destroyed our ability to manage risk.
Gee, someone should write a book about that. It applies to climate as well. And more related links.
Lockdown
Is it inevitable, and soon? It’s a good idea to prepare, but I don’t think it will be necessary. In any event, unless we cancel tomorrow’s fumigation, we have to leave the house until Monday.
[Update later morning]
If this is true, it’s great news. The case-fatality rate may be only a tenth of a percent.
[Update mid-afternoon]
This is stupid. How do these people expect the needed goods to be moved with the war on truckers?
[Update Friday morning]
More on the trucker’s plight.
[Update a few minutes later]
I’d been needing a haircut, but put it off too long, I guess (I always procrastinate, because I hate getting haircuts). Other than the impact on the proprietors’ businesses, no one will suffer from not getting a tattoo, but hair grows.
[Bumped]
China
…destroyed evidence of the coronavirus in December. And a study has revealed just how deadly the cover up was.
Buzz
He knows something about quarantine, and he’s protecting himself.
[Update a few minutes later]
This is good news for Buzz (and me) if he’s otherwise healthy: 99% of the deaths in Italy were people who had other illnesses.