Wednesday Open Thread

8 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. It is morning … a foolish one, to boot. 

   but somehow, I'm not much in the mood for the usual search for cleverer than I pranks.

   190,000+ reported cases, 4,000+ reported deaths in the US.  And some continue to whine about shutting down. 

    

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   1. If the rate of death really is around 1% and not higher due to the Libertarian death panels (if you’re poor you deserve to die, no heath care for you!) 4,000 deaths implies 400,000 infections in America as of a week ago.

      The number people with infections now will therefore be 800,000+.

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2. Stupid is as . . . 

   Obamacare Markets Will Not Reopen, Trump Decides

   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/upshot/obamacare-markets-coronavirus-trump.html

   . . . the same as it ever was . . .

   Heck’uv a job, Donnie!

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3. Hey Alva.  You should set up a posting where we can provide guesses on:

   –Number of US deaths (I'd use 500,000 as a conservative estimate)

   –Low point of the Dow Jones  (maybe 15,000?)

   –Highest unemployment rate (30%)

   –What date businesses can reopen in CO (June 15?)

   I am personally swamped helping all of my small business clients apply for the SBA Paycheck Protection Plan loan boondoggle.  The "only" $349 billion program will be swiped up on a first come, first served basis on Friday morning like Rolling Stones tickets.

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4. Polsters – want a virtual meetup?  Michael says the bar’s open, bowls on the house. Your bar, (BYOB!) , your House. Pants optional. See you there? 

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   1. I’ll pass. But thanks to Michael for his offer.

      Re your comment: “has sheltering in place turned into climbing the walls?”

      No way. I’ve got so many projects to work on that I doubt I’ll get them all done by April 30 (looks now like things will still be shut down through month’s end).

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5. “Who knew that?  Nobody told me they had to work.  Nobody ever told me that.  Nobody knew that . . .”

   A Ventilator Stockpile, With One Hitch: Thousands Do Not Work

   President Trump has repeatedly assured Americans that the federal government is holding 10,000 ventilators in reserve to ship to the hardest-hit hospitals around the nation as they struggle to keep the most critically ill patients alive.

   But what federal officials have neglected to mention is that an additional 2,109 lifesaving devices are unavailable after the contract to maintain the government’s stockpile lapsed late last summer, and a contracting dispute meant that a new firm did not begin its work until late January. By then, the coronavirus crisis was already underway.

   The revelation came in response to inquiries to the Department of Health and Human Services after state officials reported that some of the ventilators they received were not operational, stoking speculation that the administration had not kept up with the task of maintaining the stockpile.

   https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/us/politics/coronavirus-ventilators.html?

   . . . Not surprised’ I am.   

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   1.  🤦‍♀️ Doesn't that just figure. Let me guess? He wanted a company that would maintain them cheaper? 

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