March 2020

We have been watching stock prices, and saw Royal Caribbean Cruise Line go from $120 a share to less than $25 a share in about 45 days. A similar drop from companies like Darden Restaurants, Hilton, and Marriott. We bought about $5K worth.

I am hoping that this announcement comes sooner rather than later. My prediction is that I will double my money as soon as the quarantine is lifted. The quarantine isn’t working because people are still interacting, it’s just the businesses that are closed. So we take a big financial hit while 10,000 people a day are catching this, destroying the economy for little to no gain.

My wife went back to work this morning. They are micromanaging so much, it is incredible. Even though teachers are salaried employees, the ones at her school are being forced to punch a time clock to make sure that they are working the prescribed number of hours.

The students will be working online. Here are the rules:
– teachers must set up a system of one way communication where students receive communications once per day from teachers
– another one way line of communication for students to submit work
– Teachers are also required to set up a system of two way communication between students and themselves, and ensure that each student communicates one on one with them each day. Administrators are to have access to this line of communication, so they can monitor what teachers are saying to students. (chat sessions?)

Once this is accomplished, teachers may work from home, subject to the following restrictions:
– teachers are to spend 7:30am to 3:30 pm at least in front of computer, doing school related work.
– electronic time clock will be installed on their computer to confirm this
– teachers are subject to home visits from administrators to ensure compliance
– All costs for utilities, Internet, electronic devices, and other expenses are to be the responsibility of the teacher. If any software needs to be purchased that is not already provided by the school, that is also the responsibility of the teacher.

I am glad that I don’t work there. I also assure you that I will not permit some administrator into my house for an inspection, unless they want to pay me a stipend for renting office space from me at the prevailing local rate, which is $3.75 per square foot per month. Of course, they will just claim that she will have to work on campus once that comes to a head.

For weeks, we have been told that the symptoms of Wuhan virus infection are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In fact, for weeks you weren’t even tested for the virus unless you presented with those symptoms AND had recently traveled overseas or had contact with another person who was a known positive.

A couple of days ago, a friend of mine who lives in Miami claims to have had a mild case of Wuhan that had been confirmed by lab testing, but states his only symptoms were fatigue and loss of taste and smell. I am going to be honest here, I thought he was full of crap.

Then this article come across my feed.

In South Korea, China, and Italy, about a third of patients who have tested positive for COVID-19 have also reported a loss of smell 

The prevention of the spread of this virus is an order of magnitude more difficult than even the most pessimistic among us dreamed it was. Preventing the spread of this is now, in my opinion, impossible. Perhaps it was never possible. We are destroying our nation’s, and even the world’s, economy for a fool’s errand.

Free COVID testing for rich old people who have retired to Florida from up north. Fuck everyone else. I don’t want to be tested, but this is beyond the pale.

The Florida governor today said that 34 hospitals are now more than half full. Granted, Florida has 350 hospitals, but not all of them are equipped to handle COVID cases. As soon as the state reaches its maximum capacity, things will begin to get ugly.

In Florida, it is legal to use force (including deadly force) to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. Here is the statutory definition of forcible felony (emphasis added):

“Forcible felony” means treason; murder; manslaughter; sexual battery; carjacking; home-invasion robbery; robbery; burglary; arson; kidnapping; aggravated assault; aggravated battery; aggravated stalking; aircraft piracy; unlawful throwing, placing, or discharging of a destructive device or bomb; and any other felony which involves the use or threat of physical force or violence against any individual.

Tampering with food is a first degree felony in Florida (ss 501.001):

Whoever, with reckless disregard for the risk that another person will be placed in danger of death or bodily injury, tampers with, or conspires or attempts to tamper with, any consumer product or the labeling of, or container for, any such product is guilty of a felony of the first degree

Why do I post this? Because there is a new social media trend where teens are filming themselves coughing on produce and then posting it to social media as a “corona virus challenge.” Doing this in the presence of any adult, armed or otherwise, should result in an immediate ass kicking, pepper spraying, or other use of force as appropriate to end the threat. Stupidity should be painful.

My son is a nurse practitioner who works in the emergency room. He is what they call a “floater” and he works in different emergency rooms, depending on where he is needed. His house is an hour and a half drive from mine. Whenever he works at the hospital near me, he spends the night at my house rather than having to make the drive after a 10 or 12 hour shift, only to turn around a few hours later and drive back.

Last week, I had a discussion with him and pointed out that I am higher risk due to age and some of my health history. The best, most cost effective way is to avoid catching it. Since he works in the ED, he is constantly exposed to everything that they have. We decided that once his exposure was too great, he would stop staying here.

Today he saw 30 suspected COVID cases, including seven who had already advanced to pneumonia. So that is the last I will see of my son for awhile. We jointly decided that it was too risky for him to stay at my house for the time being.