Home alone: What do you during a Pandemic

**WildWilly** · 05-22-20

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**Roadpizza** · 05-22-20

https://thehill.com/homenews/state-w...was-suing-over

**WildWilly** · 05-22-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-23-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-24-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-25-20

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**Selden** · 05-25-20

Originally Posted by Richard230

It is just good luck for both kids that they had a home to return to and a mother who feeds and takes care of them - and may end up doing so for the rest of her life.

Don't get me started.... Our daughter turned 40 in March. Although she doesn't live with us, multiple health issues and now the pandemic mean that she is a constant financial drain.

My wife and I hope to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary this fall. Before the shit hit the fan, we had decided to fly to Turkey for a 2-week drive around Anatolia August 31-September 18. I bought our plane tickets in early March. IF pandemic projections hold, that still looks like the best time to travel; but we won't decide whether to continue as planned or postpone until ~July 1.

When I bought the plane tickets, I also made a reservation for a first night near Istanbul airport with a family through Homestay. Two weeks ago they contacted me to say that they were getting out of the B&B business, but would like to host us as guests anyway — whenever we decide to travel. After an exchange of e-mails, we are holding video calls several times a week, which gives them a chance to practice their English, and me a chance to practice my Turkish, a language I haven't used at all since 1977. I'm also taking a few online courses. To my surprise, Turkish grammar is coming back quickly, but re-acquiring vocabulary and retraining muscles and synapses used for listening and speaking require practice, practice, practice.

So, in answer to the original question of "What do you do during a pandemic?" I am re-learning a foreign language and trying to immerse myself in another culture — to the extent that is possible in rural north Georgia. Fortunately for me, there are an incredible number of free (and ad-free) music videos from the Middle East on YouTube, ranging from Mizrahis (Arabic-speaking Jews) to pan-Turkic videos featuring performers from all over the Turkic-speaking world, quoting the lyrics from one video: Özbek, Türkmen, Uygur, Tatar, Azer, Karakalpak, Kırgız, Kazak, Başkurt.

**Roadpizza** · 05-25-20

One surprising upturn in this whole thing is, the coronavirus has made Drive-in movies the new comeback kid. Makes sense when you think about it.

**WildWilly** · 05-26-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-26-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-26-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-27-20

Trying to eat healthy . . .c.c

**WildWilly** · 05-27-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-28-20

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**Richard230** · 05-28-20

Originally Posted by WildWilly

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Those wolves sound like Zoomers to me.

**WildWilly** · 05-29-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-30-20

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**WildWilly** · 05-30-20

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**Richard230** · 05-30-20

I was surprised to see the beach parking lots opened up in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay yesterday. They have even unlocked the bathrooms. Apparently the towns got tired of trying to keep visitors from parking in the adjacent residential neighborhoods and from using the beach and people's lawns to relieve themselves.

**WildWilly** · 05-31-20

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**Richard230** · 05-31-20

Originally Posted by WildWilly

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And do it in the name of a black man killed by a policeman.

**WildWilly** · 06-01-20

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**Richard230** · 06-01-20

I just heard on the news that last night the rioters in Washington DC torched and trashed the AFLCIO HQ building. They also painted graffiti on the Lincoln Memorial. What strange things to do to support the black community's cause.

I might add that there were a number of rioters during the weekend in the San Francisco Bay Area who broke into Best Buy, Target, jewelry, and clothing stores and stripped them of much of their inventory. There were videos showing mobs of young people breaking windows and carrying out large TV set boxes stolen from the Emeryville Best Buy store and placing them in the trunks of their waiting cars. Now many of these businesses are closing their stores and laying off their employees until the situation finally calms down and perhaps some of the smaller stores may never reopen. So why do peaceful protests become riots? And how does that help a legitimate cause?

**WildWilly** · 06-01-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-01-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-01-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-02-20

**Richard230** · 06-02-20

Things are getting really nasty in the San Francisco Bay Area and perhaps in other locations, too. What has been going on recently according to news reports are that gangs of robbers are taking advantage of the protests and driving their cars around in large groups to shopping malls. If they see any cops in the area, they get back on the freeway and head for another location. But if the store and the area looks deserted, they will park their cars at the front door, break-in and steal everything they can. Various pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens, grocery stores like Safeway and Lucky, Apple stores, car dealerships, Walmart stores, Target stores, and jewelry stores were all robbed over the past few days while the police were busy directing traffic around the protest marches. Many of these stores are temporarily shutting down and boarding up their buildings, leaving their neighborhoods with nowhere to shop. This has resulted in several cities and counties establishing curfews in the hopes of catching these thieves while they are traveling in groups before they can rob and damage these and other stores. I might add that most of these perpetrators seem to be young white men.

**oxytotl** · 06-03-20

Originally Posted by Richard230

Things are getting really nasty in the San Francisco Bay Area and perhaps in other locations, too. What has been going on recently according to news reports are that gangs of robbers are taking advantage of the protests and driving their cars around in large groups to shopping malls. If they see any cops in the area, they get back on the freeway and head for another location. But if the store and the area looks deserted, they will park their cars at the front door, break-in and steal everything they can. Various pharmacy chains like CVS and Walgreens, grocery stores like Safeway and Lucky, Apple stores, car dealerships, Walmart stores, Target stores, and jewelry stores were all robbed over the past few days while the police were busy directing traffic around the protest marches. Many of these stores are temporarily shutting down and boarding up their buildings, leaving their neighborhoods with nowhere to shop. This has resulted in several cities and counties establishing curfews in the hopes of catching these thieves while they are traveling in groups before they can rob and damage these and other stores. I might add that most of these perpetrators seem to be young white men.

Thank you for this interesting post Richard. I recently watched a TV news report showing looters in action, I'm not sure where, but I commented to my wife that there seemed to be a great many white youths taking advantage of the situation, and wondered why.

**WildWilly** · 06-03-20

I ponder . . . . . .

**Richard230** · 06-03-20

The news last night reported that 70 expensive new Dodge cars were stolen from just one dealership in the city of San Leandro within a short period of time last Saturday. The value of the vehicles was around $5 million. So far 15 cars have been recovered (one was located 150 miles away), but most of the cars recovered have had their engines and other parts removed. Apparently, several of the cars were Dodge Hellcat models with very powerful and expensive engines. You can imagine the number of people and the organization that it took to pull this heist off while the cops were preoccupied with controlling protests and looting in other parts of town. There had to be at least 150 people involved in this robbery. I really wish these gangs could be cornered, arrested and sent away for many years. Until that is done taking advantage of legitimate peaceful protests by criminals in this way will just completely distort their messages - and cause Trump to continue to do what he does best, stirring the pot and driving people crazy.

**WildWilly** · 06-03-20

If you think the Clorox clown will quit "stirring the pot" when this madness stops, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you. The Republican tax cut resulted in the theft of billions. That's looting on a grand scale.

**Richard230** · 06-03-20

Originally Posted by WildWilly

If you think the Clorox clown will quit "stirring the pot" when this madness stops, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you. The Republican tax cut resulted in the theft of billions. That's looting on a grand scale.

I am not under any illusion that Trump will back off with his crazy talk and actions. It is only going to get worse as the November election nears. I wouldn't put it past him to declare martial law if he thinks he won't be reelected and try to become another Putin.

However, I am looking forward to the Republican national convention where few people will be wearing masks and social distancing will be nowhere to be seen. I wonder how many of those delegates will still be with us when it comes time for them to cast their votes for Trump in Congress?

**oxytotl** · 06-04-20

Originally Posted by Richard230

I am not under any illusion that Trump will back off with his crazy talk and actions. It is only going to get worse as the November election nears. I wouldn't put it past him to declare martial law if he thinks he won't be reelected and try to become another Putin.

However, I am looking forward to the Republican national convention where few people will be wearing masks and social distancing will be nowhere to be seen. I wonder how many of those delegates will still be with us when it comes time for them to cast their votes for Trump in Congress?

That is the concern of us all that he'll ensure the elections will be cancelled and that idiot will become another President Mugarbe who hung on for years and destroyed his country.

**WildWilly** · 06-04-20

What terrifies me is that the entire world knows what a disaster he is yet millions in the country he is destroying still support him. But I'm sure there were still nazis supporting hitler as the allied bombs were raining down.

**Richard230** · 06-04-20

At least is was All Quiet on the Western Front in the SF Bay Area last night. I guess the deployment of the National Guard to Vallejo kept the rioters and looters at bay in that city and the huge peaceful protests in other cities were too extensive for the criminals to do their thing without being noticed.

**WildWilly** · 06-05-20

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**Mravac** · 06-06-20

Originally Posted by WildWilly

What terrifies me is that the entire world knows what a disaster he is yet millions in the country he is destroying still support him. But I'm sure there were still nazis supporting hitler as the allied bombs were raining down.

Similar situation in our country. 4 years after last elections, 15 out of 21 ministers were removed from their offices or resigned, due to political (mostly
embezzlement, bribery or abuse of powers) scandals. And yet, one month before next elections, leading political party (which holds majority of before mentioned 21 ministry) is still leading in pre-election surveys, while economy is being destroyed by bad decisions, to many taxes and ridicolous rules, not to mention this pandemic at top of everything. Humans are strange species, not to say something harsher... Sad.

**WildWilly** · 06-06-20

I've been keeping track of comb over time

**Richard230** · 06-07-20

I am happy to report that San Mateo County has loosened its health regulations and is now allowing restaurants to provide sit-down meals, instead of only takeout. The seating must be at outdoor tables spaced 6 feet apart. Indoor dining is still not allowed. Today I visited Alice's Restaurant with a couple of friends for breakfast. We ate at a table on the front porch. The owner told us that during the takeout regimen, they were only averaging about 300 customers on weekends (many fewer during the weekdays), but now business is really picking up with lines of people waiting to make an order at the outdoor register. When the restaurant was open last summer for full operations, they typically got between 1000 and 3000 customers a day, depending on how nice the weather was. The two owners hope things will be back to normal soon. A photo that I took today at 9am is attached.

**WildWilly** · 06-10-20

Yes

**WildWilly** · 06-12-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-14-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-15-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-15-20

Been reading a lot.

**WildWilly** · 06-15-20

Also getting in my cardio

**WildWilly** · 06-15-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-16-20

Another day . . . .

**WildWilly** · 06-17-20

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**WildWilly** · 06-17-20

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