MN is getting a 2 week shelter in place order starting friday. The local paper isn't covering it, but they do have an article questioning how much power the governor should have. Meanwhile this is Lisa at work, where the + tests are starting roll in

USAC staff down 40% in a combination of layoffs and furloughs.

@Bruce van-Schalkwyk to be fair I'm sure the calculus went something like:

(lapsed members)*discounted membership > budget shortfall? = not even fucking close

USAC membership high water mark was around 70k and it's down about 50% so - less than a million even at 100% subscription... so yes, that would go a long way but every day they wait for that number to climb they're burning dough.

Say 50% subscription is more likely, how long would that take or would they wait before pulling the trigger?

It's a shit deal but not an unreasonable one.

@Bruce van-Schalkwyk  I think you make a good point.  While it might not have been enough, almost certainly would not have been, it might have helped change whatever paradigms they have going at USAC and make a pitch for the community.  Most probably wouldn't answer, but getting more people involved would be a good thing overall.

@Jules It isn't a surprise Americans have been living paycheck to paycheck.  That should have been known by the early 2000s at the latest.  Even last year there was a survey which found that 60% of all Americans would have trouble putting $1,000 together in an emergency.  Like this one.  These days, a "merit raise" is one that matches the COLA percentage.

the bigger issue is that companies and industries taking in billions of dollars in profit have been effectively doing the same.  I think I read that airlines spent upwards of $100 billion on stock buybacks in the past five years.  And their "excuse" is that only suckers keep cash on hand.  Because with a fat balance sheet, investors are going to balk-they want dividends while there was no reason to pay workers more, at least in their mind.  

I did not mean to be glib about the consequences of this or the larger disaster. Just that their calculus seems fairly transparent, and unsurprising.

If there is a bright side to this I do think that a lot of the progressive steps that will need to be taken as things get worse will be very hard to roll back.

I don't feel like the cost of this disaster is worth those gains, but it looks to me like America is both a rock and a Hard Place right now.

So on another note, yesterday I finally lambasted my boss for being such an ass during this period. Quite frankly his actions and inactions have made me feel unsafe, and I feel it has put me and others at undue risk of exposure. I do care for my mother who is 75 and has a compromised immune system (respiratory) so I am in not so good a mood today. I am thinking of writing to my union, and I'm in the process of backing up all my work email in case they decide to lock me out since I know my boss to be quite vengeful.

Wednesday and I can get back to riding outdoors.. Can't wait.

Silver lining , I’m learning new skills 
first loaf of bread I’ve ever made

Apparently the french don't want folks riding their bikes and anybody going to the ER to deal with broken collar bones, or keep me honest here @Thierry Bonnaire what they call le quiksnap bone. 

https://cyclingmagazine.ca/sections/news/france-bans-cycling-restricts-running-to-2-km-from-home/

^that's an impressive first try. Inside photo is where it's at tho....

@Jules
here you go lad

Nicely done!

found this optimistic and helpful, so I'm posting it here:

An Astronaut's Guide to Self Isolation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uL5sqe5Uk8

Great find @Bruce van-Schalkwyk

@Mark Taylor that's the kind of crumb I like.

So my wife took her mom to get tested for COVID 19 yesterday and she tested positive. She’s in pretty good health, but now my wife was exposed so it looks like we’ll all be staying in doors for a while. 

good luck, Bobby. Take good care. I have known of a few people that have been in close proximity to others that tested positive and did not catch it. Hope your mother in law keeps it mild and gets better soon. Much love to you and yours.

Damn, I'm sorry to hear that.  Most cases are reportedly pretty mild so I hope your family gets through this without issues.  Hang in there.

Dammit Bobby. Very sorry to hear that. Fingers crossed for you all. Hang in there.

Good luck Bobby.

Thanks guys. So far so good. Mom and dad are doing OK and aside from my boys driving us crazy in the house, we’re doing OK.

I felt it necessary to visit a drug store today.  Not stuff for me.  Supplies for the kids.  

Anyways.

The Duane Reade by me limits the number of people in the store and has X marks taped outside the store.  They start at about 6' apart, but go down to 3' by the end.  There's a person ahead of me, but she's not standing on the X because she's smoking.

A few minutes in to the wait, a big guy stands about three people behind me.  He's got a mask on.  Lots of people are wearing masks, many in their own cars, so I pay it no mind.  

Up strolls another woman, also smoking.  She walks up to the big guy and starts telling him his business.  About how he shouldn't be wearing the mask outside, about how he's doing the wrong thing, and on, and on.  

He's trying to stay polite and just telling her to leave him alone but she wouldn't.  I contemplated asking her about the risk factors of Covid-19 and smoking.  But before I got to that point, the security guy let me in.  

Unexpected benefit of living above the arctic circle here - lot of drive though pharmacies, atm machines, etc.

After an almost 2 year hiatus I opened the ark seal door into madness browser to facebook again. 

If you guys want up to date data. We use this site at work.

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

To expand on Mark’s baking, I was working on reviving my sourdough starter and had to discard some this morning so I decided to make sourdough flapjacks.

My friend who has a side hustle as a baker can't find any flour in retail outlets anymore. THANKS OBAMA HIPSTERS.