Well, shut my mouth. Another thread on the virus. I think I'll lurk for awhile.

I thought the market would be up today. I was wrong. But it did have a nice late day recovery. That would suggest that Monday might a a good up day, but the virus is changing faster than all who are trying to chase it with a fix.

I took a look at Boeing's stock chart. Boeing has had its share of problems with the grounding of the 737 Max a year ago. And the recent news suggests Boeing will be able to put the Max back in the air soon. But the virus is a new wrinkle for this company. Airline companies are getting hit hard; Demand is through the floor; Flights are being cut back; Opec can't get a handle on crude prices and wants to cut production but one Opec partner is being difficult. I am enjoying the cheap gas but I hope I am not shooting my self in the foot by saying that.

Boeing is the largest export company in the U.S. and contributes much to the U.S. balance of payments. The airliners are getting hit hard and it look like the losses are going to be huge. If the airlines are not making any money, how will they fund their new plane purchases from Boeing? This virus action could throw the entire airline industry for a loop. And Boeing, IMO, will not escape.

My town is the aircraft town. Spirit makes a large part of the 737 fuselages. Spirit finally had to lay off 2800 people about 6 weeks ago because of the Max grounding and has now been thinking of firing production back up just so the lay offs don't leave town for another job. The layoffs have affected many local small suppliers that also support out local aircraft industry. Boeing makes a lot of jobs in Kansas and all kinds of layoff help and training programs, at state level, are being put in place.

Here is Boeing's 5 year stock chart. It is not looking good for the home team. From a technical chart perspective it is very important that Boeing can hold this price of $255.00.

If the stock breaks that red line going across the chart at $257.00 then the next stop is $ 120.00. The good thing in this chart is this has been a high volume sell off so maybe the weak sellers are out of the way and some strong buyers step on Monday and start buying. If no buyers, look out below.

Here is an article from last year when the Max was grounded to give you all some perspective of how much of the Dow's and S&P 500s action is made up of Boeing.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/11/boeing-alone-will-cost-the-dow-more-than-200-points-as-stock-heads-for-big-decline.html

Here is an article that is a little more recent.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-boeing-stocks-graphic/dow-heavyweight-boeing-ending-strong-decade-with-whimper-idUSKBN1YL275

Screen Shot 2020-03-06 at 2.32.29 PM (resized).png

It also has been discussed the that Apple is getting back to work in China. Well, good for China; Good for Apple. But Boeing builds its products in the states and creates a lot of jobs in this country. If this virus continues and knocks the airline industry for a loop, then Boeing will not escape and a lot of jobs will be disappearing for a while.

Y'all have a good weekend.

Oh, I see. Means you get to keep it all in the family

Crazy Levi mentioned somewhere else that lobster has taken a dive to $8.00 lb. since the Chinese market disappeared.

The other side of that coin? The lobsterman. They will starve at those kinds of prices. And then the fishing boats and all of the boat gear dealers will take a hit. Then the boat gas. Then the dock/slip owners.

There is nothing going on around here—-yet. All is normal or seems to be. No masks. No runs on the stores. Your experience shows how fast it can change.

I need to start buying some dry goods and can goods. For milk, I guess I’ll be finding out what powdered milk is like.

Every once in awhile I hear somebody say in conversation that so-and-so is full of more shit than Christmas turkey. I see the Christmas turkey has arrived and is blissfully, and ignorantly, posting bullshit.

Well, that means you are either a drunk or an idiot. Or perhaps a drunken idiot?

This is the only chart that shows anything positive. And it is just a chart showing change in percentages. It has nothing to do with absolute numbers. Today the death rate is down to 6%. And, as I see it, this is the only thing to cheer about.

Screen Shot 2020-03-07 at 12.01.32 PM (resized).png

The numbers on the left were 24 days ago. The numbers in the middle were 19 days ago. The numbers on the right are from today.

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We talk about the "progress" China has made in trying to get in front of this freight train, but China is still gaining about 100 people/cases per day. So, percentage-wise China is making ground. But the absolute numbers do not seem encouraging. Especially when you look at Italy and Iran.

NOTE: This is just 1/4 of the table. There is no room to post the rest.

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Daily new cases are still going up the world around.

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Total new cases looked like they were leveling off a little bit but now it looks like they are accelerating.

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And here is why.

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The orange keeps getting bigger.

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I wish I had taken some snaps of this pie chart a few days ago. It is so dynamic. Last week Iran was just a small sliver of of the pie, as was Italy.

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Saving the best for last. New daily cases are creeping up while new recoveries are going down.

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Everything above is sourced from: https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/coronavirus-map-live-cases-death-toll-world-latest/

"How did the disease spread around the world?

" China's health authorities have been praised for their quick reaction to the disease and their transparency in sharing genetic data. The quarantine of "Wuhan and other Chinese cities is thought to have delayed the spread of the coronavirus to other countries by a matter of weeks.
============================================================

And an early prediction that proved wrong. Ignorance and BS always abounds :

"However, experts said at the beginning of the outbreak that the disease did not spread easily from human to human. That has since been proved "wrong, but may have contributed to initial complacency.
======================================================

And the part that gets my attention:

" Because many people who become infected suffer either no symptoms or only mild symptoms, coronavirus has also been able to spread under the radar.

" Some disease modellers believe that only 10 per cent of cases in China and a third in the rest of the world are being picked up.
=================================

I really have to think about if I want to willingly enter a confined space where everybody is playing pinball while wiping their face and hands all over their clothes.

It was #41.

OK, Wickerman, Let me see if I got this right. Because some other kids' mom shows signs of having the virus, your kids now have to stay home. Is this going to turn into a situation that because your kids might have been exposed that you now have to stay home and self-quarantine ?

What about all of the other families in that school. Are all of the kids in that school being sent home, too? Could we see you and your family and all of the other families in that school having to stay home?

How many kids and how many parents in that school? What about the teachers and their families ?

The ramifications on the supply chain are tremendous.

Everybody is stocking up. Stores are having to having to scramble to keep the shelves full. Manufacturers are having to scramble to supply the stores. I'll stay again: Everybody is stocking up; For possible future needs and nothing they will need tomorrow.

Assume everybody goes and buys a 3 month supply of toilet paper, and by some circumstance of events, the virus just magically goes away. Now, you have a population that is stocked up with a 3 month supply of toilet paper. If the virus does not materialize then the country has a 3 month supply of toilet paper to work off. If you are the toilet paper maker you will need to find something else for your employees to do for 3 months when demand and supply start matching again.

Of course, the morbid way to look at it is that half the population dies. There is going to be a lot of toilet paper out there free for the taking, which will still cause the supply chain fits.

There is no way to win with the possibilities we are looking at.

You have to admit that with this virus action that: global warming, air pollution, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, California fires, and any other item you can think about, that all of these items have been placed on the back burners.

That data table I put up earlier has changed.

The U.S. did have 365 cases yesterday. And now the U.S. has added another 115 people to 434.

Screen Shot 2020-03-07 at 6.06.52 PM (resized).png

New York state is dealing 21 new cases for a total of 76.

Last week there only around 100 case in the states.

Screen Shot 2020-03-07 at 6.10.04 PM (resized).png

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/07/health/coronavirus-outbreaks-saturday/index.html

Fox News is right there with the updates, too.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/coronavirus-new-york-update-cuomo-state-emergency

So Italy is talking about throwing people in jail for violating the quarantine and Iran is letting people out of jail to help slow the spread.

The links are out there.

Go fish.

Oregon is on the list of states declaring an emergency.

OPEC cannot agree on prices and production. Saudi Arabia has slashed oil prices.

Now over 500 case of virus in the US.

Weekend DOW futures down 900 points.

Fasten your seatbelts.

My girlfriend, age 69, who has some respiratory problems has informed me that if I go play pinball at the end of the month that will not be allowed in her house until 14 days after I get back.

I stay with my sister-in-law and my niece when I go. My niece has health issues, including breathing issues and she uses oxygen 24/7. I’ll need to make other lodging arrangements if I go.

I have my pinball machine tuned up and ready to go but I am having to do some soul searching on this.

It will be a rough morning in the markets.

Suggest you check out CNBC.com for some explanations of what is happening. There you will learn about circuit breakers that are being triggered on big down days.

This is uncharted waters.

Last week The Fed cut interest rates 1/2 point in a panic move. Now it’s hands are tied. The market cannot look to The Fed for help.

The futures markets have had circuit breakers for a long time before breakers were placed on stocks. It is called Limit Up or Limit Down. So it works both ways.

Stock market only has limit down days. It is a one way street.

Sure is quiet today. Everybody hostage to their stock tickers?

I went shopping this morning. Plenty of TP here. There is even a pallet in the middle of the aisle.

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But it was pretty light on the dry beans shelf. I had to make do with the small sacks of beans. With beans selling like hot cakes, TP sales can't be too far behind

That is not my cart, BTW.

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The CDC wants the airliners to start collecting some data on travelers. The airliners are kicking and screaming saying they should not have to.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/politics/coronavirus-airlines-white-house-tensions/index.html

We are going to see a lot of desperation moves, finger pointing, passing the blame for awhile. There is going to be a whole lot of passing the buck.
==============
The New York subway systems is trying to downplay things.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/09/us/new-york-subway-coronavirus/index.html

" On Monday, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman and CEO Pat Foye sought to assure the public the trains "remain safe" but urged people with health issues, "If you can get around without riding the subway, do it."
=================

Meanwhile, The US State Dept. is telling us to not get on cruise ships (as if that even needs saying with the Grand Princess debacle ).

https://www.al.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-concerns-dont-travel-on-cruise-ships-us-state-department-warns.html
=========
So, the message is don't get on a ship; I suppose because of all the close contact; sounds like a no-brainer. But meanwhile, everyone can fly or cozy up on the subway. But just be sure to stay one meter away from each other.

What really scares me is a 2nd wave. Everybody poo poos this virus and talks about flu this and flu that.

I never knew about the 1918 flu until I stumbled onto it on youtube. I thought I had read all about it, but I missed something.

https://www.history.com/news/spanish-flu-second-wave-resurgence

" While the global pandemic lasted for two years, the vast majority of deaths were packed into three especially cruel months in the fall of 1918. Historians now believe that the fatal severity of the Spanish flu’s “second wave” was caused by a mutated virus spread by wartime troop movements.

"..Luckily, the first wave of the virus wasn’t particularly deadly,..."

"..Reported cases of Spanish flu dropped off over the summer of 1918, and there was hope at the beginning of August that the virus had run its course. In retrospect, it was only the calm before the storm..."

"..Somewhere in Europe, a mutated strain of the Spanish flu virus had emerged that had the power to kill a perfectly healthy young man or woman within 24 hours of showing the first signs of infection..."
==========================

So, with this stuff we are currently dealing with may or may not go away this summer, you have to hope it does not come back in the fall and kick everybody's butt.

The virus has showed up in Frisco Texas.

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/03/09/texas-coronavirus-case-confirmed-collin-county/

"A man in Collin County tested positive for the new coronavirus — the first case in Texas thought to be caught domestically and not related to a group of Houston-area travelers who took cruises in Egypt in February.

" The newest patient is a Frisco man in his 30s who recently traveled to California.

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha LMAO !

How do you know that it doesn’t? The only thing I ever read about the homeless is that they are a blight on society. I am not saying this; this just what I keep reading

Just so you don’t go and eat a bat.

Deleted

Well, what kind of insurance company was it? Was this your car insurance company?

Why did you not research it before you brought it here and spread rumors? Why did it take someone else to call it for the hoax it is? Couldn't you have at least vetted it and not have posted it?

No. Someone misspoke about that and really, I mean really spooked the markets.

The CDC top doc, who calls the shots, has agreed that this virus testing will be free.

Watch as he gets his balls busted by a Cali congresswoman.

https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2020/03/12/katie-porter-robert-redfield-cdc-coronavirus-free-testing-sot-vpx.cnn

Well, you might want to put that movie on a thumb drive just in case you get a chance for the test. "Right here, Doctor. It is supposed to be free." She did include rich people in the free testing arena, so that makes it OK. If the rich were not included then it would be socialized medicine

It just boggles the mind. Who loses when your kids stay home from school?

1) Daycare.

2) After school snack shops.

3) School bus companies usually have annual contracts with the city they work in. Do the busses go idle and still get paid by the city? The bus drivers get Jack for wages. In some states, bus drivers get unemployment. Not my state. If your bus wheels are not rolling you don't get paid.

4) What else?

To make that claim, you first have to prove that China owes us any favors.

Trade war payback, maybe? Perhaps even call it a sanction? Life can be a two-way street.

Wait until the FAA gives the all clear for the Boeing 737 Max, and China says they need to study the 737 situation a little more before the 737 can fly in China. Without China on board, the 737 will have a tough time of being airborne again. That's Boeing and the FAAs fault. And China holds a big knife, with 737 Max engraved on the blade, that it can twist when the time comes.

Payback because American companies and the world's companies sold the keys to the strong box to China years ago. Cheap Chinese Labor sings like a mermaid relaxing on the rocks.

Payback because the politicians allowed it happen in the first place because their votes were bought.

And now we are in a trade war with a country that can play the long game.

You say despicable. I say it was inevitable.

New virus cases out side of China keep going up.

Iran does NOT have it under control. Spain is going up. The Scandinavian countries are getting hit pretty hard with new cases. China is looking better but has not stopped it completely.

Italy got religion and locked everybody down. Will the US or any other countries have the gonads to follow China and Italy?

Screen Shot 2020-03-13 at 9.10.10 AM (resized).png

I'm still waiting for the health insurance that was going to be "great".

Yes. He got stuck. Tough shit for him. But all he was doing is the same thing the company who sells those Epipens for what? $600.00 pair? Basically, IMO, he is following the prescription drug model which is "bend our customers over".

Interesting. Are the Epi pens $600.00 per pair or $25.00 per pair? How she buy them for $25.00?

I'd like to find a deal like that on Crestor.

The hospital in a small town about 30 miles from me has been on the ropes for the last 3-4 years. Last week, it told all of the employees to leave and not come back. It closed its doors for good. It was just a matter of time for this hospital, but this virus may have accelerated the company that owned the hospital to make the decision to close.

For the residents of this town, the next nearest hospital is 35 miles away.

Maybe these are a generic pen? I seem to recall that a generic was in the works but not real sure.

Rural areas are getting hit hard. Lots of uninsured people who cannot afford Obamacare. And lots of states turned down the federal aid to help with state Medicaid costs. Sick people still hit on ER for their medical care. Hospitals can't charge for this stuff and have to work for free. But then Walmart does not have to offer scrips for free and the ER patient cannot afford the script so the patient just keeps getting sick and hitting on ER and the hospital has to work for free again. Until it cannot work for free anymore and closes the doors. Now the patient has no ER to visit, no insurance to see a doctor and no money. And the insured people now have to make an 80 mile round trip for hospital.

My one word tweet: Dumb.

Anybody who wants a test can get one. At least, that is what I think I heard. My local hospital did not get the news.

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article241185246.html

A Wichita hospital wants the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to set up public testing sites in Wichita to ease the burden on its emergency room.

People who want testing are being turned away unless they fit a very strict set of criteria, a hospital spokesperson said late Friday afternoon.

Wesley Medical Center, which is caring for a 72-year-old man who is the area’s first positive case of COVID-19, can’t keep up with the number of people requesting testing. Those people are clogging the emergency room and interfering with the hospital’s ability to provide emergency care, according to a statement by the hospital..."

Read more here: https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article241185246.html#storylink=cpy

Yes. Our Ex-governor Brownback turned Medicaid expansion down.

No, the owners' will not reconsider. While the Medicaid expansion would have helped, the real reason for the closing is that some of the doctors got into a pissing contest with the hospital, left to start their own clinic about 500 feet away in another building and starting serving the insured patients with good insurance and sending all the medicare (medicare does not pay very much) patients, and uninsured patients, next door to the hospital.

And now that the clinic has basically put the hospital out of business, the clinic's own patients have to make a long distance trip for hospital care. The clinic is all for profit, has no ER, works 9-to-5, and is not open on weekends. So much for the Hippocratic Oath.

In the old days, they used to use old Sears & Robuck catalogs (sort of like a big city telephone book), corn cobs, alfalfa. Sears is pretty much out of business, today's phone books like like a child's nighttime reader book. Only the rural farmers may have wagons of corn cobs, and in the cites, alfalfa is scarce as well.

Since no one wishes to walk around with a dirty hand, toilet paper has become a most valuable commodity. But I suppose that fist bumps are replacing handshakes maybe the run on TP could be a little lighter

Nope. Corn cobs. My grandpa's favorite. All those little pockets where the corn kernels were popped out make little scrapers. . You had to make sure as you were picking through the pile of cobs that you got the longest ones.

EDIT: I tried them one time. They sure did not feel like Charmin

I never thought I would have money to burn . I buy in bulk and am not part of the TP chase action going on. I feel rich

IMG_3232 (resized).JPG
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IMG_3238 (resized).JPG

That's how I remember it

Wrapped rolls are Amazon bulk buy.

The large rolls were bought at the Friday night auction. 12 for $6.00. That’s cheap TP.

You can still find TP on Amazon but the prices have gone up.

I know why your stores are stocked to the ceilings. No storage space. We see these articles about how people in NY live in these little bitty apartments with room for a cot and a Bunsen burner. And a common bathroom at the end of the hall.

No storage space is my reasoning

I read about that guy and his battle with the franchiser.

I stay out of the loop pretty much.

I see Elton John is on tour in April and on.

Anybody buying tickets?

I wonder if EJ will have to reschedule?

Italy has had 364 people die in last 24 hours.

Another cruise ship with 5 positive cases on board cannot find a place to dock in the Caribbean.

More and more counties are closing their borders.

Sorry. No links. I don’t know how to link on an iPhone. My apologies for not knowing how to do an iPhone link and chiding others for not linking.

EDIT: I get most of what I read from the fake news website.

On Wednesday or Thursday, I showed you the TP on these aisles.

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 8.30.36 PM (resized).pngIMG_3216 (resized).JPG

This was Sunday evening at 7:30pm. Same aisle. Signs said limit of 2. All gone.

Screen Shot 2020-03-15 at 8.32.03 PM (resized).png

I wonder what will happen in the aftermath.

Will the way people worship experience a sea change? Will more people start going to church in tears of sorrow, or will they echew the churches and just stay home?

What about the Middle East countries? Since burial traditions and other traditions have gone by the wayside, will those people be compelled to just stay home in the future?

Will people lose their appetite for cruise ships, realizing that they are floating Petri dishes with no easy escape.

Same for aircraft. Will people start thinking that being enclosed in an aluminum tube is about like being on a cruise ship only in a much smaller space?; With the added bonus that you can always fall out of the sky.

Will people start eating at home more and fast food takes a big hit?

No one has a crystal ball for this.

Where medical science and politics collide.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/15/politics/trump-administration-coronavirus-social-distancing/index.html

"Speaking on Sunday morning talk shows, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said much more would be required of Americans if the disease is to be stopped or slowed. Asked by CNN's Brianna Keilar on "State of the Union" if he'd like a "national lockdown" where people are told they need to stay home and out of restaurants and bars, Fauci said he'd "like to see a dramatic diminution of the personal interaction that we see" in those places.

"Whatever it takes to do that, that's what I'd like to see," Fauci said.
---------------------------------------------------

"According to an administration official, both Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and economic adviser Larry Kudlow are adamantly against greater travel restrictions, including a nationwide ban, arguing that any further restrictions on the airlines could be catastrophic.

" Mnuchin and Kudlow "don't want a national edict saying don't fly," this person said, noting that both men had a "heated disagreement" with medical advisers in the Oval Office earlier this week when restrictions on European travel were being discussed."
======================================

Some tough decisions are going to have to be made. I don't envy anyone working in high level of government. Every decision will be a cross-your-fingers experiment. There will be much 2nd guessing. No way to win until the virus has blown itself out---which no one has any idea when that will happen.

Sort of like when Ford, GM, and Chrysler were in congress in 2008-09 begging for money. GM wanted 25 billion and was asked, "Why 25 billion, Why not 24 billion? Why not 26 billion?

Whose ass are they pulling these numbers from? No more than 250. Now we are down to 50. Why 250? Why 50? Why not 25? Why not 10?

Chew on these.

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My neighbor died and I kept an eye on her house for her daughter. The junk mail never stopped. Her son-in-law cured the problem by taking the mailbox down and hiding it. End of junk mail problem.

Sounds to me like you are watching too much Sean Hanity.

When I was a kid growing up, there used to be these old men that wore a copper ring bracelet because the copper was supposed to chase arthritis away. I imagine those old farts got their information from the same book of fantasies you must be thinking about.

"Most airlines could be bankrupt by May. Governments will have to help"

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/business/airlines-bailouts/index.html
============================================

So, last go around, the banks got bailed out, but it was their own fault.

The airlines are getting hammered through no fault of their own. Bail them out? Or not? It will be expensive, but letting the airlines go bankrupt Chapter 7 style is probably not wise, even though it can be considered a socialist measure.

Watching the markets take on water is just as exciting as it was watching Election 2000 with all of the hanging chads and pregnant chads. Riveting.

Is she even real? It looks like she is one of those A.I. persons/faces we have been reading about.

How would you propose to collect? Escalate the trade war?

In the 30s, after the run on the banks, FDR, Roosevelt set up the FDIC to be was the insurer of last resort for your bank accounts. If banks wanted in the FDIC, they have to pay a monthly insurance premium. Had that not been done, everybody would have just hidden their money in their mattresses because after the bank run nobody trusted the banks. Your bank account (s) were guaranteed for $100,000.00. That was a lot of money in the 30s. Not so much in today's economy.

In 2008, when the economy tanked, some people had a lot more than $100K sitting in their bank accounts and when banks collapsed these people lost any excess over $100,000.00. They were pissed and rightly so. Congress stepped in and raised the insured amount up to $250,000.00.

People pulling money today could have cash parked in their accounts in excess of $250K so maybe they are not wanting to risk any cash in excess of the insured amount. Some people, perhaps, still don't trust the banks or maybe do not even trust the government. I can't say that I blame them.
=======================================

Around 25 years ago, a dentist in a town not too far from me died. When the whoever's started cleaning up his house, they found around $1,000,000.00 dollars in cash stashed. For whatever reason--maybe the dentist watched his parents get wiped out in the bank collapse in the 30s-- this guy did not trust the banks.

I appreciate the link. I really do. But the internet of old has gone away and is going behind paywalls. Now, you get 2 or 3 looks and the nag screen pops up telling you that you have to subscribe. So, the days of linking an article to support your point are slowly going away. The nytimes has shut me out, as have several others.

I miss the old days when banner ads were the norm and when one could go anywhere and surf anonymously.

Nope. Maybe if I register it will work?

Screen Shot 2020-03-16 at 5.50.19 PM (resized).png

The White House is getting religion.

Stay away from groups of more than 10 people.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/politics/white-house-guidelines-coronavirus/index.html

"The White House advised all Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 and urged older people to stay at home altogether in a set of new guidelines designed to fight a spreading coronavirus outbreak.

"The new guidance, which President Donald Trump announced from the White House in an uncharacteristically sober press conference, reflected the heightened gravity of the situation facing the country as more and more people become infected.

More at the link.

Sure. And Fox will talk like it was on top of it all along.

I got shoot pool on Tuesday nights. At a bar. I texted my team leader that I will not be there tomorrow. And maybe for longer.

My sister-in-law even told me I was not American because I read fake news CNN. We are still communicating but it is strained.

Thats is about the best article I have read in a long time.
================================

I really like this part:

"Some more details from Boeing:

Boeing Co. has asked White House and Congressional officials for short-term aid for itself, suppliers and airlines as the outlook for the travel industry worsens by the day, said people familiar with the matter.

The U.S. planemaker is seeking to avoid layoffs and damage to hundreds of smaller companies that make parts and systems for its aircraft, said the people, who asked not to be named because the talks are private. Boeing has also been buffeted by the grounding of its best-selling 737 Max, which awaits regulatory clearance to resume flights after two deadly crashes.
-------------------------------------------

Followed by this part:

We have one small problem with that: while Boeing was perfectly happy to load up on as much debt as it could over the past decade, the bulk of the proceeds was used for none other than enriching its shareholders and management, with zero consideration for those same employees and suppliers that the company suddenly cares so much about now. And Boeing certainly didn't care about its passengers when it cut every corner it could find, to design the 737 MAX as cheaply as possible, a plane that was "designed by clowns, who are in turn supervised by monkeys", even if it meant the airplane would become a deathtrap.

So, no, nobody in their right minds should give Boeing even one penny in "short term aid". Instead, management and the board should be ordered to sell as much stock as they need - you know, the opposite of buying it back - to maintain the business, even it means sending the stock price crashing far lower.

Because it's called capitalism, and because there is no reason why taxpayers should foot the bill for a company which instead of saving cash when times were good, was handing it out to shareholders and a handful of executives, and which should now for some insane reason be eligible for a bailout when times suddenly go bad.

No: force Boeing - and others like it that spent billions repurchasing its stock while incurring massive amounts of debt - to sell its stock. After all that's what a public company's stock is - a currency - and just as Boeing could repurchase it when it had cash, and lifted its stock price to all time highs, it should now sell its stock and use the proceeds to fund itself, like any other corporation does when it needs funding. Last time we checked, Boeing's market cap was $73 billion, and it certainly afford to drop much more as the company now does the buyback in reverse.
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And especially this part:

And especially this part:

And especially this part:

And especially this part:

This is also a warning to Congress and the White House: if chronic stock repurchasers such as Boeing, are bailed out instead of ordered to find their own sources of liquidity, there will be a mutiny in America and rightfully so, because it was Boeing's shareholders that got rich on the way up, and now it is somehow up to taxpayers to make sure the company, loaded up with record amounts of debt used to fund buybacks, survives one more quarter.

That, in a word, is bullshit.
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Well, it is election year. There has to be at least a few people to attend the rallys.

Anybody who has been flying all over the country giving pep talks is going have to stay home.

Here is how they are doing it in China.

Do you think the US has the moxie to do this?

And then what happens is we all look for his pinside name and the check out his collection, and wish we were closer.

More than half of American jobs are at risk because of coronavirus

Finding new jobs will be tough for those losing paychecks

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/economy/job-losses-coronavirus/index.html

It is all in the link. Sad.

Exponential movement in the U.S. (with graphs)

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/

Last week there were 50 or so cases of Coronavirus ( get ready for a new acronym: CV ). in US. Today there are almost 5000 cases of CV. There have been 93 deaths and 74 recoveries. That's not a very good ratio.

There are a lot of good charts at link but this one stands out.

Screen Shot 2020-03-17 at 1.05.36 AM (resized).png

I see I was thumbed down 3 times. Nobody seems to have a sense of humor around here But what I speak is truth. Just look at all of the estate sales that get oohed and ahhed about on the project pins thread; some of those estate sales are moving sales but some are the ultimate I-just-checked-out sales. We brag about the great deal we got on some pin but don't give rat's ass where it came from.

If you can't get up, look in the mirror everyday and laugh, you are going to have some dark days ahead.

I guess I have a strange sense of humor. I sent this picture to my sister-in-law and she thinks I am a total waste. We used to have a lot of family fun when the rest of the family was still living but I have recently figured out she did not get the sense of humor genes when she fell out of her mother's womb. I thought this picture hilarious. She thinks it is trash

Screen Shot 2020-03-17 at 9.34.53 AM (resized).png

It sounds like the TP makers have been running at full capacity for some time with little room to ramp production. This virus is upsetting their demand models.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/17/business/toilet-paper-supply-chain-coronavirus/index.html

"Demand for Marcal toilet paper from retail customers is up over 25%, he said. "Paper machines already run 24/7. There's only so much we can do with any incremental increase in demand because there is no surplus capacity."
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I'm guessing that those who did not stock up with the first run will clean the shelves if they ever get a chance.

Well shit, Daditude. I'm sorry to hear this. No relief in sight? Unemployment checks? Anything? Do you have a feel for what it is going to be like? What about health insurance? How will you deal with that? Did your employer offer any information on when you go back to work?

and

Condolences out of the way, does this mean you are going to turn into a super-moderator 24/7?

A new acronym: TDS

Hear hear. My lapel pin is bigger than yours.

Unknown (resized).jpeg

Honch, now he is going to be chasing you around pinside and down voting everything you say, just like me and Crazy Levi. He has seriously messed with my upvote/downvote ratio

When Chernobyl happened, the Soviet politicians handed it over to the military and got out of the way. What outfit other outfit is better prepared to get in front of things when times are hostile?

I made a visit to my broker's office. As I was sitting in a seat waiting to see someone, some dude at the counter starts talking about there being a cure for this virus. Said the cure has been known for 20 years.

ME: So you are saying there has been a cure for 20 years? And you know all about it? What makes you so knowledgable?

HE: I'm a nutritionist. The rest of his conversation was blather and I tuned him out. He looked normal but I consider him an idiot for going around and spreading trash like that.

Ugly numbers.

China has zero new cases.

USA looks like it could surpass France. US recovery rate not very good compared to France. Actually, the US death rate to recovery rate is abysmal.

Screen Shot 2020-03-17 at 6.15.36 PM (resized).png

I wish I could show the video that is on youtube. Comedian Bill Maher is interviewing some senator. At one point the senator says you don't have to take an IQ test to be a senator. And then he realized what he said and his smile turned into a frown.

Sounds like you are talking about Sean Hanity.

A package of TP might be more appreciated

Whack-a-mole.

Mexico

Total cases = 82

New cases today = +29

Deaths. = 0

That's a fairly good record.

So, you are now the picture of restraint If the mods won't get you, let'er rip

Oh yeah, the Kansas governor has closed all K-12 schools for the rest of the school year.

Parents are POed: " People wanted to know: Who’s going to stay home with my kids?

"Some people called the decision “madness” and “overkill.” One Kansas mother said her child was in tears:

“This is absurd. How do you expect the economy to recover? Public system and family life style is not capable of handling this ridiculous strategy. You will kill the economy and kids will be home alone while parents work. ...”

“Our Kansas schools just cancelled for the rest of the year. My 12 year old who loves school in tears.”

She also has frozen mortgage foreclosures and rent evictions. . I don't know how that works for landlords.

https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/article241290866.html?intcid=connatix

I always did like this guy. Now, I know for sure why.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/mark-cuban-in-a-landslide-billionaire-shares-vision-for-saving-corporate-america-amid-coronavirus-pandemic-2020-03-17?mod=home-page

Mark Cuban

" Cuban said he believes that any industry hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic — and there are MANY — should be required to share any federal incentives with all employees. And second, he said no stock options should be repriced at lower levels unless every worker owns stock.

“Everyone must be treated equally,” he wrote.
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ETUDnD6WsAAx-uN (resized).jpeg

You will be double taxed