Tuesday, March 17, 2020

Covid notes of note

Ann is back from England; the border rolled in behind her.  Her return trip was less harrowing than the media projected. She had trouble activating the Trusted Traveler fingerprint check. Several attempts and two machines on, the agent said she must wash her hands a lot for her prints to be unrecognized.

Producing a wipe from one pocket and a sanitizer bottle from the other, Ann said she didn't consider her protocol "too much". The agent had her aggressively wipe her forehead with her finger tips, and several tries on the machine recognized one index finger.

Here is how to shut down a general election in Ohio: bring in a woman. All day yesterday, the courts battled over having or cancelling today's primary election in Ohio. The governor and the lieutenant governor claimed no constitutional authority,  candidates filed motions for and against and the brouhaha was on. 

Eventually Dr. Amy Acton elbowed her way to the front and announced the current health crisis warranted protection of poll workers and voters, and there would be no election. The Secretary of State can work out the details of everyone voting.

I was staggered to learn yesterday, the leader of our country offered a substantial sum of money for exclusive US access to a Covid-19 vaccine in development by a German company. This is below reprehensible. It turns my stomach. This administration has established new norms of behavior. Anger, cruelty and lying are the grounding principles. I imagine Angela Merkel's response was robust.

My plans for this afternoon are to use the drug store drive through to pick up a prescription and then stop at the dollar store to reconnoiter. I could use a roll of paper towels. I'm not desperate yet, but I don't anticipate going out again this week or next. While I'm back in the paper department, I will see if their inventory of toilet paper is substantial. 


My last job for the day is to take the box of Girl Scout cookies I bought and give them to Dan and/or Joe on the way out. I selected Tagalongs, the peanut butter and chocolate cookies. I was stunned at their tastelessness.  But I'm sure the guys don't discriminate.






34 comments:

  1. And when you think that the second largest backers of the German research team are Bill and Melinda Gates' Foundation.....
    We are returning to cotton pee cloths (paper used as usual for the other!) which are used then washed in a hot wash. When you consider that only 30% of the world population uses paper....and too many trees go into making it, especially the quilted kind. It was quite interesting to hear on the radio today that loo roll manufacturers are phasing out the quilted variety and making more of the basic with the same amount of paper!!
    Glad your elections have been sorted until things are clear...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hari OM
    Father's recent updgrade included the bidet toilet. TP now becomes a minor (t)issue!!!

    It's all just so nuts... YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Turns out that Trump refused the WHO test kits because he wanted to throw the business to his son in laws brother, who proved as useless at developing test kits as he is at developing real health insurance policies. Wasted us five precious weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wishing you good luck on your paper towel quest!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I always enjoy your take on things Joanne.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I saw that story about the trumpster seeking exclusive access to the vaccine. Hiss and spit doesn't cover what I said and thought.
    Good luck on the shopping recon.
    And I am smiling at your comment about the tasteless cookies. You are undoubtedly right.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I've been watching your on-again, off-again election on the news. I'm glad they got it worked out at least for now. We are all facing many different kinds of challenges and decisions these days. Everyday I receive a whole new selection of emails telling me what has closed that I normally visit or use. At least (knock wood) grocery stores and pharmacies are open. I'm glad to hear Ann got back okay. I bet that was not a fun return for her. The airports have looked ridiculous with everyone returning from other countries. Take care Joanne.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would LOVE to have heard Merkel's reaction to Trump's pathetic and evil efforts to spirit away a vaccine. I don't like being cooped up but have most of what I need, for now. It depends on how long this lasts. It's still spreading where I am (WA state) but we have some great virus chasers at UW who are cranking out lots of tests. They didn't wait for the federal government to botch up the response, but got right to work back in December.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I read that Merkel's reaction was a succinct "it was quickly taken care of" or words to that effect :)

      Delete
  9. People’s health is more important than the election right now. Wise woman!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I agree with you regarding the attempt to buy the German vaccine and to restrict it for US citizens. Any successful vaccine should obviously be made available to the whole world.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think that Trump should be tried at the Hague for attempting to buy that vaccine. I truly do. And for the other ways he has gotten in the way of science and human health for personal gain.

    ReplyDelete
  12. It's not hard to wash to the point where skin cracks and breaks, so it doesn't really surprise me that Ann had problems with the fingerprint ID. My knuckles are always in trouble by this point in the winter, and now it's just that much worse!

    As I added to Margaret's comment above, my understanding is that Merkel dismissed the matter of Trump trying to buy exclusive access to the vaccine with a brief "it was quickly taken care of". I can picture her delivering that line, and it does my heart good :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My hands look like they are 85 years old, while the rest of me is only 67.

      Delete
  13. I try not to think about our IMPOTUS. It makes me ill. I want to be well.....I am lucky because my daughter went grocery shopping for me today. But the distilled water I need for my CPAP is not available. But I am ok for about two weeks. We got our girl scout cookies from my granddaughters today, thin mints and samosas. They are the only ones edible and the samosas are way way too sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Tasteless cookies? That's terrible. Also terrible is someone wanting EXCLUSIVE use of the antivirus. What about the rest of the world? Does he think we don't matter? How selfish can he be?

    ReplyDelete
  15. We had our primary today in Arizona. It was only the Democratic one as I don't know who if anyone else is running on the Republican side. Turnout was okay from what I heard. Hope you found your paper products you wanted!

    Betty

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dear Joanne, yes, the German government managed to keep the research company in Germany - it was a severe act of diplomacy and economy.
    Now our news-speakers always say: "We are glad to have kept it here - for the use of all (!) mankind."
    I am glad to hear that you will protect yourself by staying at home - I am sure you will have no difficulties to find something to do :-)
    Take care, Joanne! XXX

    ReplyDelete
  17. Will you ever be shot of that awful man?

    LX

    ReplyDelete
  18. Trump probably wanted the vaccine all for himself, not just to share with his fellow Americans.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Sue's body chemistry is such that she can't get fingerprint recognition to work on her apple devices. It drives her crazy.

    As for Trump, I too am shocked but then again I am not. I am appalled though.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Have to leave the house today, but will use extreme care. The eldest son's wedding trip has been postponed in deference to the 'Paternal Unit's' age/health factors. We're most grateful. As for the POTUS, could someone please gag him??

    ReplyDelete
  21. Not anger so much, but cruelty and lying (and ignoring blatant problems that are crying out for attention) are very much the hallmarks of the British government as well.

    ReplyDelete
  22. We just finished off a box of Girl Scout cookies - thin mints, they never disappoint.

    ReplyDelete
  23. What planet did that horrible man fall off of and can we send him back there?

    ReplyDelete
  24. he is despicable and apparently his foul soul knows no bottom. I'm going out to get a throwaway paintbrush to seal the bit of stone tile in the new shower and that's it. I may go to yoga tonight. no suspected or confirmed cases in my county and it's a big space where we can easily be 10' from each other.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I had not heard this vaccine story. After checking Snopes (maybe I should check other fact checking sites too?) it appears NOT to be true. Now I don't care for him and wish he limited his career to reality TV but I also don't like rumors.
    We have a good supply of TP but we did notice a hardware store with a sign telling everyone they had cases of TP now. So look beyond the normal shopping spots for items in need. We didn't pick up any but it has me thinking outside of the box stores.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I just read Reuters did not fact check, but published. It is not true, but has spent a week not being pulled back. Reuters is hard to not believe.

      Delete
  26. Good luck finding any paper products. I have decided that there are humans that must eat paper because the shelves have food but nothing in the way of toilet paper or paper towels.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh dear, Joanne I loved your post and the comments as well. We don't have a very good opinion of your President. Our PM is conducting daily reports on the virus situation with different experts answering questions and it is a pleasure to see how calm they all are, answering questions as best they can. We are social distancing and washing our hands Lots to do to keep us occupied and digging up past of our garden to grow veg, something we said we wouldn't when we moved here as we are getting older!
    Stay safe

    ReplyDelete
  28. While I wa stuck in
    Balboa I noticed that the divider curtains all had different weaves. I took photos and will send you copies when I wake.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dear Joanne, okay, so the accine offer by the president is fake news. But, he's done so many reprehensible things that it's easy to believe the rumor. Peace.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Sounds like a classic fake news item.

    ReplyDelete