Hello, Friends. How are you? Was it a strange week for you? I assume so because it’s been a strange week everywhere. This is unlike anything that has happened in our life times and it’s hard to know what to expect and how to properly react.
I’m going to jump right into links. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you. And I should tell you now, the vast majority are coronavirus related — some serious, some light-hearted, some calming, some infuriating, some very funny:
-Things change so fast. Last night President Macron spoke and cancelled all schools in France until further notice. (Pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, universities. ALL schools.) That of course includes the school my children attend.
-How canceled events and self-quarantines save lives, in one chart.
-The Internet is not working for women and girls.
-“Soap-all sorts of it: liquid, solid, honeysuckle-scented, the versions inexplicably only marketed to men or women-is a badass, and even more routinely effective than hand sanitizer. We should be excited to use it, as much as possible.”
-Are your hands getting thrashed from all the hand-washing? Here’s a luxe hand lotion I originally found at Tail of the Yak in Berkeley — though it’s made in France. I keep the Rose Geranium on my nightstand. For something more sturdy and healing, I use Mom’s Stuff Piñon Salve.
–The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors. There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care.
-Hah. How To Work From Home Most Chaotically.
-You’ve probably seen jokes about how a quarantine period will mean a baby bump nine months down the road. Here’s something no one is joking about: The past few weeks have coincided with a surge in domestic violence.
-“I want to die young as late as possible,” writes Mary Pipher. “I don’t want to live beyond my energy level. I don’t want to suffer dementia or lie helpless in a hospital. I want to die while I still believe that others love me and that I am useful.”
-Hah! Check out these travel posters by Subpar Parks — they are cheeky illustrations of real one-star reviews of US National Parks. One dissatisfied visitor said of Zion National Park: “scenery is distant and impersonal”.
-Ugh. Ugh. An NPR Source says Trump blocked coronavirus testing in January to aid his reelection chances by keeping U.S. infection figures low.
-A disease specialist in Seattle had the ability (and instinct) to test for coronavirus as early as January. Officials told her she wasn’t allowed to test. She did it anyway and found a bunch of cases. So what happened? They told her to stop.
-When a danger is growing exponentially, everything looks fine until it doesn’t.
-Russia’s parliament voted Wednesday — 383 to 0 — to change the constitution so Putin can hold on to the presidency until 2036. That is to say, until he is in his 83rd year of life and 36th year in power.
-What if your partner wants fewer kids than you?
Here are some tweets I saved for you:
–I relate to this SO MUCH.
The weirdest part of living through the #COVID19 pandemic is this strange mixture of normalcy and emergency that we’re all experiencing. I constantly feel like I’m either over- or underreacting, or really both at the exact same time. It’s surreal.
— Thomas Zimmer (@tzimmer_history) March 12, 2020
-Because the president thought it would hurt his re-election.
-A thread on what experts are predicting since we haven’t even been able to, or allowed to, test for the virus.
Currently experts expect over 1 million deaths in the U.S. since the virus was not contained & we cannot even test for it.
This will be recorded as a major preventable public health disaster. I will try to relate what I learned from a long day of calls about what is happening.
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) March 13, 2020
-In comparison, here’s how the U.S. dealt with H1N1 timing-wise.
H1N1 was first diagnosed in US April 15, 2009.
CDC activated emergency operations April 22.
1 million tests released by May 15.
Prototype vaccine completed by end August 2009.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) March 13, 2020
-On the bizarre travel ban that experts agree will likely do more harm than good. (More about the travel ban, reported by the NYTimes.)
“… the (Trump) Administration did not consult with European allies before POTUS’ announcement. And on the UK’s being excluded—European officials express responses ranging from curiosity to horror.”
(via @nickschifrin)
2/
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 12, 2020
-What to do when half the population is being brainwashed?
Just watched some more Fox News. There’s literally no way to mount an effective, united national response to a crisis as long as this network is actively brainwashing half the population.
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) March 12, 2020
-Thinking about all the parents out there who don’t yet know how they will manage an unexpected, extended school break.
Not one single parent needs to hear “this is good, actually” in response to expressing dismay or alarm over the schools closing. We know why it’s being done, but that doesn’t magically grant us the resources for a surprise several-week-long break for our kids. Please be kind.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) March 12, 2020
-Hahahaha. “I will not let it prevent you from learning quantum mechanics.”
-Having to explain to the kids that though it may seem like a school vacation, all the fun things that people like to do during vacation will be closed down too.
NEW CLOSURE: All Smithsonian museums and National Zoo will close indefinitely starting Saturday.
— Mikaela Lefrak (@mikafrak) March 12, 2020
–This is beautiful. I hope I’ll be able to notice and appreciate the moments of beauty that happen in reaction to the pandemic.
-When we’re frustrated with closures, let’s remember that this is an act of solidarity.
I imagine all the closures and cancellations give people a sense of ominousness. But it’s really an amazing act of social solidarity: We’re sacrificing so we can give nurses, doctors and hospitals a fighting chance. Start from there and hopefully we can figure out the rest.
— Matt Pearce ? (@mattdpearce) March 12, 2020
-Rita Wilson is crowd-sourcing a list of Quarantunes.
Hi guys!I want to make a @Spotify playlist for people self quarantining.Something that might relate to isolation, perhaps? Can you send some song ideas that I can add?Also, what should we call it?Quarantine Choruses? This is what one does in quarantine.Uthink of stuff like this.
— Rita Wilson (@RitaWilson) March 13, 2020
-So glad to see people remember that kids need to be fed, with or without school. When you see announcements like this in your area, please spread the word.
We will provide FREE Breakfast and Lunch to ALL KIDS in Denver, ages 1-18! This will begin 3/16 and will last through 4/6.
Breakfast is 8-9 — Lunch is 12-1
Here are the locations:
SW: Lincoln High School
SE: Place Bridge Academy and Joe Shoemaker
NW: North High School (1/2)
— Tay Anderson (@TayAndersonCO) March 13, 2020
-I’m not a drinker, but I love the idea of people sharing the knowledge they have for things big and small. What knowledge could you share?
If anyone is stuck at home tonight and needs a cocktail recipe, tweet me your ingredients. I’ll tell you what to make.
— Derek Brown (@ideasimprove) March 12, 2020
-Not everyone is safe when being stuck at home. “Home” is a place of violence for a whole lot of people — especially women and children.
All joking aside, for those who are worried about quarantining during #COVID19 in a home where they do not feel safe, live help is available from the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7/365 at @ndvh by chat or by calling their hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
— Kimberly Corban (@Kimberly_Corban) March 12, 2020
-Little ways you can take care of yourself today.
Some things to take care of yourself today:
-Use some yummy smelling lotion after washing your hands for the 90th time
-Go for a walk
-Call a friend
-Pet an animal (dogs are Covid19free!)
-Listen to a great podcast (Kind World is delightful)
-Take a hot bath
❤️❤️❤️
— Allison Czarnecki (@petit_elefant) March 12, 2020
-Love this! Let’s look for ways to be resourceful and creative — and share examples when we see them.
the fanciest restaurant in Seattle has converted itself to a drive-through burger joint in order to keep its team members productively employed and provide seattle with a more appropriate product during these dark times ?? pic.twitter.com/NLs8OXseAD
— Maia Bittner ? (@maiab) March 12, 2020
-Responses with books to read and shows to watch while self-quarantined.
1) What should we watch while self quarantined? 2) What’s a good, not-too-depressing book you recommend?
— josie duffy rice (@jduffyrice) March 13, 2020
-Hah! CoronaMojis.
CoronaMojis:
?- sorry i cannot attend your function
?- just washed my hands!
?- self quarantined
?- i work in the toilet paper industry
?♀️- touching my face so much rn
?♂️- exposed af
?- ate all my good snacks
?- trying to drown out my family
?- welp, we had a good run— Josh Hara (@yoyoha) March 12, 2020
-France has SUCH a hand-shaking, cheek-kissing greeting culture, that I imagine the whole country is feeling this loss.
Finding the absence of handshakes with work acquaintances and embraces with friends quite sad. The whole range of physical social contact suddenly gone, one day to another.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) March 12, 2020
-How to explain the importance of hand-washing to children.
Sometimes a prime example is better than words — especially when it comes to explaining something to children. That’s what Jaralee Metcalf, a teacher from Idaho, decided to do to show her pupils the importance of washing their hands properly. 1/n pic.twitter.com/CCq6cTGMsI
— Cllr Chris Pender (@ChrisPenderKE) March 9, 2020
I hope you have a healthy, calm weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle