Coronavirus:

[E7]

Amazon, Walmart, Walker Muffler and others. Try 380 and 81 around Scranton pa. Have your prayer beads handy.

Haven't been up by Scranton in several years and it was pretty much of a zoo back then. As I recall, coming in from the north was interesting.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Was up and back from my place in Pa with my son and passed through Hagerstown, etc. All good with a 95+% dry basement, but seems everywhere we stopped that mask wearing and social distancing is not on the menu. Passed by one home with a big tent out back with parking signs for guests and a crowd out back, and then at another farm under the trees 30-40 picnicking in a big circle.

[Neil]

Lots of self-appointed experts out there. Let's hope they are the ones to bear the brunt of their reckless behavior, and not innocent bystanders. Wear your masks and avoid crowds, even outdoors, but especially indoors. Better treatments are coming, perhaps a vaccine or three, but right now these measures are all we've got going for us.

[E7]

seems everywhere we stopped that mask wearing and social distancing is not on the menu. Passed by one home with a big tent out back with parking signs for guests and a crowd out back, and then at another farm under the trees 30-40 picnicking in a big circle.

Where I am, you are supposed to wear a mask at the local super market. I have seen only one person without one in my several trips there.

Restaurants have reopened. I haven't been in any thus far, but how do you wear a mask and social distance in a restaurant? Does everyone have to sit 6 feet apart? Do you slip your mask up to eat a bite, then pull it back down?

[healey36]

Birx is out today recommending face-shields, and Fauci recommends goggles (both in addition to the obligatory mask).

Where did I leave my welder's helmet?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Restaurants have reopened. I haven't been in any thus far, but how do you wear a mask and social distance in a restaurant? Does everyone have to sit 6 feet apart? Do you slip your mask up to eat a bite, then pull it back down?

Pretty simple.

If you would look at the reports on just that activity you would know that the people sharing a table are not wearing a mask and that the table is at least 6' from any other table. All of the servers are wearing masks; One might presume that the customers if they have to leave the table put their mask back on.

[robert.]

Pa. does not allow seating at the bar. Most places have outside seating only. patio/deck/parking lot and street. Not much pleasure in dining on a 180 asphalt parking lot or street.You must wear a mask when walking inside or headed to the restroom. You need to buy food in order to be seated. Pa's governor has issued a mandate on what a meal is. No more selling of singular crackers or cheese puffs. "A meal is defined by Pa. law as food that is prepared and is sufficient to constitute breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The prepared part means a bag of chips, pretzels, or peanuts is not OK, but a $1 hot dog is" Everyone i talked to said dining out is no good. Menu choices are limited. Wait staff is stressed and wants to move people along for more turnover. A common feeling is most bars and restaurants will not survive another year. Many here in town are for rent or lease now. Pa's board of health is out in force. several restaurants are closed weekly for violations. Every Tuesday posted online is a list of places that failed. the board of health thinking is "if you can't follow rules that have been in effect decades. how will you be able to follow new rules just handed to you?
Some violation i saw online. thawed chicken stored in bags with salad. Mold in coffee maker. spoiled milk. leaking packages in cold storage. food stored on floor of cold storage. mop bucket in cold storage. dumpster overflowing.

[healey36]

Local chamber estimates one third of restaurants will be gone by year-end. They also reported that roughly 8% of the national work-force is/was engaged in the food service industry. Realizing that number includes institutional and wholesale-distributor food operations, that's still a big chunk of folks likely to be on the street currently or in the foreseeable future. In recent years the economy was built on the backs of low-paying service jobs...now those folks are first up to get crushed. The Fed needs to stop backstopping the rich guys, and let a few of these chips fall a bit more equitably. Let the market drop by a third and suddenly the orangutan will feel a blowtorch under his @ss. Until then, let them eat cake...if you can find it.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

In recent years the economy was built on the backs of low-paying service jobs...now those folks are first up to get crushed. The Fed needs to stop backstopping the rich guys, and let a few of these chips fall a bit more equitably.

Just reveals how fragile and brittle our economy really was and not that booming nonsense that's been touted for the past 3 years. We were still in uphill recovery from the 2007/8 disaster.......

Let the market drop by a third and suddenly the orangutan will feel a blowtorch under his @ss. Until then, let them eat cake...if you can find it.

If it drops by 1/3, a lot of people will feel it really fast -- and we'll be looking as another crisis in credit and retirement sectors.

[robert.]

I saw an article about coke and their lobbyist being a major hold up in the next stimulus package. Coke lost almost 25 percent of their worth in the first half of 2020.
Not many people talking about Kodak's new deal.

[healey36]

Not many people talking about Kodak's new deal.

Kodak has been pivoting to the chemical business for quite awhile. To be honest, they always had a sizable chemical operation, and as the camera business and its ancillaries declined, the chemical side came to the fore. This new deal will probably speed the already in-process transition.

There might be some confusion in these reports, however. Kodak had a big chemical operation that they spun off back in the early 1990s (Eastman Chemical). That's an independent company, not affiliated with Kodak. I'm wondering if that's the company that landed the big deal.

Nope, just checked...it looks like it's Kodak, looking to enter the pharma industry.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Not many people talking about Kodak's new deal.

Kodak has been pivoting to the chemical business for quite awhile. To be honest, they always had a sizable chemical operation, and as the camera business and its ancillaries declined, the chemical side came to the fore. This new deal will probably speed the already in-process transition.

Used to have the Kodak catalogs in my office for years and lots of their stuff on the shelves in the lab.

Huge deal for Kodak shifting to a rather different chemical operation putting a major facility into business. This is something that actually does make sense.

Coke OTOH dug themselves into a bit of pit by lacking the diversification needed that their competition embraced.

[Chris Webster]

From Elliott Downing on twitter:

If [Trump] fights TikTok as successfully as he fought Covid, you'll find it running on your toaster in six weeks with no way to uninstall it.

[up148]

Coke OTOH dug themselves into a bit of pit by lacking the diversification needed that their competition embraced.

And is this what happens when you're so large, increased growth of sales/market share are just impossible to achieve year over year. I feel sorry for none of the big corporations, most have had their way too long and maybe now will have to pay the piper....just like all us little guys.

Knowing none of the repercussions or giving it real serious thought, I would love to see government break up the big 4 who've been in the hot seat with congress (Amazon, Apple, Twitter & Google) like what happened to the industrial and railroad barons of the late 1800's. But, I really don't see that happening in our world today. They busted up Ma Bell in the early 80's, so what's difference. These companies have way too much power that influences our daily lives and they're using it in ways that shouldn't be allowed. Absolute power does corrupt IMHO.

[chuck]

I wish you'd all stop comparing him to an orangutan.

It isn't fair,

to real orangutans!

These are highly social, intelligent, sensitive/empathetic creatures.

The only thing they have in common with the moron-in-chief is their orange color and wild hair.