So, as I’ve pointed out a few times, our “social distancing” efforts are working. And they’re pretty much the only thing that will work in this situation. But it’s likely that we’re reaching the limit of how much they’ll work.…
You Should Read This: Richard Epstein Is Wrong About All The Things
Isaac Chotiner at The New Yorker interviews the dude who seems to have started the “won’t someone think of the economy!” freakout amongst the current Presidential administration. It does not go well. At least, not for Epstein; it goes swimmingly…
Rules: Some People Think They Don’t Apply To The Folks Who Make Them
Now, I am kinda annoyed about this: Sonoma County emergency management director disregards coronavirus shelter-in-place order, takes family to beach. That’s not a good look, Chris. To be fair to him, his statement on the matter is pretty good: “I…
Still Idiots: Not Totally Wrong
According to any sane reading of the Constitution, the State here in the United States does not have the power to issue mandatory quarantine orders. They just don’t. Because they are expressly forbidden from “abridging” “the right of the people…
Social Distancing: It’s Not Just Hunkering Down Anymore
Now that we’ve gotten settled in, and the febrile rate is down 20% from Kinsa’s trendline (at least it is here in Sonoma County, CA), it’s time to start thinking about what’s next. Months, probably years, of carrying on like…
No, Just No: Department Of Justice Goes For Broke
Sheriff Barr is gettin’ a mite bit envious of them Banana Republics down South o’ th’ Border. They asked Congress to authorize indefinite pre-trial detention. You can see Mother Jones’ coverage at Trump’s Justice Department Proposes Indefinite Detention in Emergencies—Like…
Buckle Up: It’s Gonna Be Like This For A While
So, the U.S. is pretty much on the same trajectory Italy took with this thing. And that is bad. Italy’s health system was in better shape than ours is, and had more hospital beds per capita; lots more when you…
Kinsa Thermometers: Maybe A Good Thing Right Now?
This is a weird one. So, apparently there are these IoT thermometers out there. And like most Internet of Things devices, their privacy is really bad, so the maker (Kinsa) is now sitting on a database of body temperature readings…
What’s The Problem: Math From The Back Of An Envelope
A lot of folks, including many of the public faces of government response, don’t seem to really understand what’s going on here. Pandemic. Scary word; very scary problem. So let’s look at what that problem is. I’ll use my local…
Niftyness: The Mainstream News Is Catching Up
I’m so excited: the mainstream news (Bloomberg, no less!) is finally calling for an end to free corporate bailouts. I know; slow down; breathe. This is a drum that I, and many others on this side of the political spectrum,…