We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Let's face it: Most of us have fairly humdrum, routine, comfortable lives aside from work annoyances, bill-paying, and kids' various problems.
But humans are wired for excitement, threat responses, etc. Survival instincts. Most of us crave some degree of excitment, and will even pay money for it because life is so relatively easy. Some more than others, of course. Roller coasters, climbing Mt. Everest, etc.
There's probably a Bell curve spectrum of various responses to real, perceived, or imagined threat. Some cower and hide, some rise up and resist, even irrationally, and everything in between. I like to think I am in the calm, rational, middle but I will kill you if you threaten me or my home. No regrets if that were to occur.
Paranoids love to have a teensy bit of fact to appear to justify their habitual fearfulness, and preppers love having a reason to justify their prepping. I feel those people just find it exciting, but most people I talk to just joke about the hysteria.
What a crazy world! If you ask me, a 6-month supply of peanut butter and jelly, and a bag of flour, ought to take care of it. Maybe 50 bags of chips, and how many cases of beer? Store Shelves Across The Country Are Emptying Fast
UN agency: Iran nearly triples stockpile of enriched uranium. The U.N.'s nuclear watchdog says Iran has nearly tripled its stockpile of enriched uranium since November in violation of its deal with world powers
NYC is experiencing a virus panic. It must be in anticipation of a Wuhan-style 14-day lockdown. Supermarkets are running out of things like toilet paper, beer, coffee, etc. and there are empty shelves where the tomato sauces and spaghetti were. My Trader Joe's looks a little like Venezuela.
But why the run on water? People are buying all of the bottled water. Why? I can understand stocking up on beer and wine, but water?
Some students say colleges not doing enough to combat coronavirus-fueled racism."In classes, people won't want to sit next to them. If they're coughing, everyone stares at them," a student said of his peers of Asian descent.
Scott's podcast today, with Scott stoned. He's a better talker stoned than 99.9% of people cold sober.
Virus panic is making a lot of adults act insane. The stock market, though, makes sense in its own crazy way because of supply chains, etc., and it always overreacts anyway. Good buying opportunity, as I see it.
With all the news hype, I wonder what our readers think about this phenomenon whether the news hype aspect, the medical aspect, or the panic.
In global terms the coronavirus epidemic has reduced trust in One World institutions even further than they have fallen already. The bat from Wuhan that trashed the tourism trade, sank the cruise ship industry, cancelled myriad events, crippled global supply chains and upended politics is the single most dramatic example of the Butterfly Effect in history.
Has Bernie Sanders ever lavished the kind of praise on the United States that he has heaped on the old regime of the Soviet Union, the dictators of Venezuela, or the Communist masters of Cuba? Has he ever praised the United States, period?
"Since when has a U.S. president allowed the little guys themselves, dressed as they've just come off the farm, authentic as can be -- no Hollywood stylist could do as well -- come out and speak their truth?"
“What I love about these rallies is that they provide such a stark contrast to the vision of America that the Democratic candidates keep describing. The story they’re selling is that these are dark times in a country that’s being run by a lawless autocrat. The rallies are filled with thousands of happy people who are laughing and applauding a president for whom they have very deep affection. Trump comes off as a proud, gloating grandpa, giving off no autocrat vibe whatsoever.”
My kids are too old to ever suffer under your universal this and universal that, and I'll dedicate the rest of my life to ensuring that my grandkids won't have to, either.
Viking skeleton’s DNA test proves 
Americans Are Avoiding Corona Beer Amid Coronavirus Outbreak,
Photo: Winter Croci in New England 
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