March 29 2020, 01:19

I don’t know how it feels in Russia, but from here it seems like a mix of “War of the Worlds” and “The Hunger Games”. Absolutely all media worldwide is reporting on the losses and successes against the common enemy. People at home in the evenings count the losses and rank the countries that have taken the lead. “The USA has overtaken Italy! The USA has topped 100,000! The first affected infant! Trump sends a floating hospital to New York!”. The only things missing are pictures of tripods with Martians inside and tanks on the streets (God forbid, of course). Millions of people perceive it as a show (especially if it has not yet affected their country and/or their friends and relatives).

My second thought – at some point, interest in the coronavirus will start to wane simply because everyone – both readers and writers – will realize that the topic has run its course. It will just become something mundane. Like Dostoevsky said, “The scoundrel of a man gets used to everything.” I am sure that if they do not find a proper solution, they will accept some kind of workaround, reopen the borders, and continue living in whatever conditions they can manage. Yes, some people will die, but people are dying now from various things we cannot influence. They will stop counting this statistic, and the focus will shift to something new.

My third thought – today it’s this virus. Tomorrow – a bacteria. Today – we need ventilators and lack intensive care units. Tomorrow we will need surgeries, and there will be shortages of operating rooms. Fundamentally, being prepared for such scenarios is impossible. And now we are dealing with a virus that doesn’t survive outside a host from hours to a couple of days, which requires almost a spit in the face to infect (aerosol is not yet confirmed), which has an R0 of 2 to 3, which only has up to two weeks of incubation period, and a mortality rate of a few percent. There are many exotic diseases already where each of these listed components is significantly higher. Mortality under 50%. Contagion like measles or smallpox. Incubation periods of several months, during which infection occurs. So, we are all still “lucky”.

March 27 2020, 09:46

On eBay, there are active auctions for selling toilet paper.

Here’s one, the starting price was 10 bucks. 67 bids, and now it’s already at $992. Ends in two and a half hours.

That’s it, the auction has ended and the link no longer works. Found another one, but this time let’s just have a screenshot. Closes in 20 minutes. Initial bid – a buck, already at $510 and 55 bids.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Scott-Comfort-Plus-Double-Rolls-Toilet-Paper-30-Double-Rolls-Free-Shipping/202945099603?hash=item2f40787753%3Ag%3AOXIAAOSwPwVeePd0&LH_Auction=1

And you say there’s no remote work for those staying at home

March 26 2020, 13:43

They write “No GMO” on a salt packet, “No Cholesterol” on an oil bottle, but for some reason, they don’t write “No vitamins!” on a berry packet

Why do berries have zero percent vitamins? There should be at least 20 mg of vitamin C per 100 g.

I’ve been devouring them like a horse these last few days (because they’re tasty), but I thought I was also getting plenty of vitamins. Turns out the label says no

March 25 2020, 13:15

Russia announced a week of holidays to combat the coronavirus. Idiots.

To defeat the virus, we actually need to increase work, not decrease it. We should offer “work from home” positions to those who are idling without any holidays. Give tax discounts to companies that manage to open such vacancies during the quarantine. After the quarantine is over, the country will have a million new jobs and employers who have better figured out how to handle remote work.

This is beneficial from all sides. So that there’s no time to even walk to the fridge, let alone stroll through empty cities. So that a typical company, already suffering losses, doesn’t shut down completely in a month.

Otherwise, not only will the economy suffer (since employers will have to pay from reserves for such a forced holiday), but people will either overdrink or relax. And try telling them that they should drink alone while in self-isolation.

March 23 2020, 18:38

Tried ordering groceries online for delivery or pickup. Three stores – Wholefoods (akin to Azbuka Vkusa), Walmart (akin to Auchan), Harris Teeter (a bit simpler than Wholefoods). All had advanced online stores.

Results: nobody can deliver or organize pickup.

Wholefoods (Amazon) offers delivery only. They are located 10 minutes away from me, and usually can deliver within 30 minutes. Now, when choosing delivery, everything ends at the date selection page. There are no slots available today or tomorrow.

Harris Teeter is 5 minutes away from me. They offer both delivery and pickup. Pickup costs about $5, delivery about $12. Neither is available. For pickup, all stores ask you to choose a time slot. So, slots are all taken until the end of the week. For delivery, they simply don’t let you choose a date because no dates are available.

That leaves Walmart. They also offer pickup and delivery. For pickup, you need to select a slot, but there are none available today or tomorrow, and no more options. Walmart refuses to deliver to me, although the store itself is a 15-minute walk straight. Apparently, not all Walmarts organize delivery.

In the end, Nadya is going to Trader’s Joe tomorrow to buy all the stuff personally in the store. Online shops are failing.