240 Comments

In the last day or so British Airways have moved to “vouchers for travel within a year, no change fees” for any flight departing before the end of May, so I’m pretty well set to do what I intended with no cost penalties

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Costco

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I went early to get gas and get some TP. Got in line around 805-810 in Concord (opens at 9) and it already was down at the end of the building around the corner. I think they started letting people in a little after 830. 1 TP, 1 paper towel, and 1 thing of water per member. It was insane. I didn't really need TP but did need gas and wanted to avoid the parking lot after it opened so I went early. Decided to get things while I was there. Surprisingly no one was running once they got into the store. Just orderly walking to the back where the paper products were.

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Does Trump have Corona Virus? An Investigation (BY ASHLEY FEINBERG)

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/does-donald-trump-have-the-new-coronavirus.html

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I'm going to say yes. But he won't get tested until he absolutely has to.

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Boss: We're looking at a month of working from home.

Me: I'm never wearing pants again!!!

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It's currently only a week for us, but I'm already looking forward to PJs and no bra

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In the immortal words of Claude Rains, "I'm shocked, shocked!..."

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WHAT

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/10/dinosaur-days-days-were-half-hour-shorter-when-dinosaurs-roamed-earth/5010978002/

When dinosaurs roamed the Earth, days were about a half-hour shorter than they are today, a new study says.

Why is this? 70 million years ago, the Earth turned faster than it does today, rotating 372 times a year compared with the current 365, according to an analysis of an ancient fossil mollusk shell from the late Cretaceous period.

This means a day lasted about 23½ hours.

The study backs up what astronomers theorized about the length of days millions of years ago.

Researchers analyzed a single mollusk that lived for more than nine years in a shallow seabed in the tropics – a location that's now dry land in the mountains of Oman.

The mollusk grew fast, laying down daily growth rings. The study used lasers to sample tiny slices of the mollusk's shell and count the growth rings.

“We have about four to five data points per day, and this is something that you almost never get in geological history. We can basically look at a day 70 million years ago. It’s pretty amazing,” said study lead author Niels de Winter, an analytical geochemist at Vrije Universiteit in Brussels.

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That makes sense, as there was no Ivanka, making 30 minutes of daily conversation unnecessary.

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well of course it was, jeez. Also in the future, will have much longer days because the moon is slowing us down and eventually the moon will match the earth's rotation and only be seen from one side.

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I'm sorry not all of us had firsthand experience, Cugel

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I'm such a giver....

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pqtm

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Climbing Gym or No Climbing Gym?

No reported cases in my county, small gym, never more than like ten people in there at a time. Touching lots of surfaces with my hands is the objective. Is it irresponsible to go?

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don't touch your face, wash hands afterwards. tough.

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SOP for me. I usually bring a flask of herbal tea to force some built-in rest between climbs, usually without washing hands first. Probably need to rethink this but otherwise, I feel like if I follow what you suggest and don't get coughed or sneezed on, I'm not increasing risk that much.

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no licking the rock wall!!

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Well that sounds boring!

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The Blarney Stone is so sad right now.

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Mar 14, 2020
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How do you know it's not a fake?

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Good news thread--anything positive going on for y'all?

1) I'm at work today, mainly for Pre-Pi Day Pie Party, but am able to work remotely and will do so next week

2) I have health insurance

3) W4C Pi Party tomorrow!

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Pretty much everything that doesn't involve the world at large is good in my life. Good job, awesome family, good health, and tackling yet another new adventure sport...hard to complain about much even when the rest of the world is falling apart.

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I mean not really. Basically neutral. About to cancel spring break plans 🤷🏼‍♂️

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Did you? My trip is still on but I am wavering. I would like for them to cancel it for me and then I would feel no guilt or regret. Also, refunds.

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I’ve started canceling apartments before additional payments are due. I’m sitting tight on the plane tickets in case BA gets freer about cancellations. In the meantime I’ll figure out a couple of alternative times in case I need to bite the bullet and reschedule the flights for a specific time

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I'm not sure what BA's policy is but United, surprisingly, is allowing free use of the credit within 1 year of the booking date. No reticket booking charge.

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Right now they’re making no accommodations for people who booked before March 3 or so. I have previously booked on US flag carriers to Europe if I thought I might need to cancel / reuse tickets, but in early January I really didn’t foresee this level of disruption and I was using a bunch of Avíos we’d unwittingly accumulated on a BA affinity credit card. Oh well.

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Good to know. I'm on United to SFO next Wed for a family reunion but my sister is up in the air (so to speak) because her husband has chronic respiratory issue and hasn't been feeling well. Has tests and doctor's appt next Monday but it won't surprise me if they bail. I probably would. Then I would have to decide to visit my brothers anyway or to go another time.

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Cathay Pacific is allowing free re-bookings regardless of ticket category (important for me - my eventual flight back to Shanghai is on CX)

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My spring break plans involve travel to the northern parts of Death Valley travelling a 200 plus miles on dirt roads. In other words, fits right in with the recommendation of social distancing.

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A trip well designed for the times

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Yes, even if it wasn't intended as such. Let me guess, your plans involved travel on a plane?

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Mm-hmm. Visiting family and relics in the UK

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That is a bummer. Sorry to hear. My family traveled to Kauai last year at this time. It would have been a major disappointment if we had to cancel.

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1. Going away party this afternoon for a colleague, so we get catered Mexican food!

2. Firm decided that we're working remotely next week (which, in addition to letting me lounge in PJs on my sofa, will also make it much easier to do 2 job interviews)

3. 5 of 6 things I was to do this weekend have been cancelled/postponed, and I have so much free time now that I almost don't know what to do with it

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Good luck! Is it at Marvel so you can get me into the company?

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Marvel doesn't pay well. You don't want that.

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About a year ago I had to choose between two offers and took the less lucrative one, so you never know...

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because of coronavirus, I got my Japanese scholarship postponed to September from April, which gives a much better time frame to wrap things up at home and work and properly say goodbye to everyone I know in the Bay. Also time for one more Cal game before I skeedaddle to the Far East for 4 years!

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TIT or a different institution?

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Ohh? What will you be doing?

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I'm doing my Ph.D in Quantum Computing!

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I was about to share my good news. Yours just makes me feel inadequate.

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Good for you! I hope the process is relatively smooth for you.

So the first time I heard about quantum computing was at 2am on a Saturday night at Pita Pit when I visited UCSB friends in college. I can't say that my understanding has deepened in the ensuing 13 years.

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I decided I'll make the Mrs Field's cookie recipe for tomorrow. I was thinking of the NYT cookie recipe but I don't want to have to go find the ingredients. And Zacharys!!!

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Mar 13, 2020
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Get this, it's a cookie, but . . . it's the size of a pie.

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ohh...well I was going to do just cookies, but maybe I'll make one into a cookie pie...just to see what it's like.

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Make a pizookie, top with ice cream

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I could bring ice cream...

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Mar 13, 2020
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raw cookie dough? cook a cookie crust, put in the raw cookie dough, then put it back in for a quick cook the top.

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Chocolate chip cookie crust, chocolate mousse filling, whipped cream topping, chocolate shavings on top

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Mar 13, 2020
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Your families' home remedy for [insert ailment here]:

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Bactine for everything. Best smell since mimeographed tests in jr high.

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Dr. Ms. Newellbany's family, which has West Virginia roots, would just "put a little Vick's on it."

Doesn't matter what it is, just "put a little Vick's on it."

Scrape your knee? "put a little Vick's on it."

Have a cold? "Put a little Vick's on your chest."

Stomach bug? "Swallow a little bit of Vick's."

This is a real thing they do.

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Reminds me of the reliance on Windex of the Michael Constantine character in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

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My mother's remedy for prolonged exposure was a Hot Toddy or two. I had this remedy applied after a winter backpacking trip that was cut short by an unexpected snowstorm making it necessary to retracing our steps to pur starting point. Going ahead would have been foolhardy as the snow obliterated sight of the trail blazes and blanketed the trail so that it wasn't visible.

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Whenever I get sick, Mrs Bk97 always suggests I have hot chocolate and tequila. I don't think it helps, but it certainly doesn't hurt!

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My mom said that as a kid, when she or her brothers had a cold/flu, her dad would make them a Manhattan and put them to bed

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My step dad swears by a Hot Toddy when he is sick

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Contraction of everything...market in the Tank. Bozo fiddles while Rome burns.

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How do you sleep? (Number or your own way)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ES10vZAXQAEnVE9?format=jpg&name=medium

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7-11

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14, but with arms under the covers.

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usually 1

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3 with rare instances of 4.

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Sobbing and alone.

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Oh wait, there's a numerical guide?

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3 & 8, maybe?

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1

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Combine 10 and 3

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3 or 4 or 9, depending on the day. Sometimes I just stay in awake in 3 though depending on how rough the day was

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3 & 4

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Ditto! But on the opposite sides depicted in the diagram

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You don't go back and forth?!?!?!

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Once I'm out, I'm out. Very little fidgeting or rearranging, and I tend to start off on the same side.

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Used to be a 1, now more of a 3.

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Question part 2. For those that aren't side sleepers, stomach or back?

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I'm a 1, former 5. Wife is a 3.

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I'm a 7, 13 is a pqtm

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4 on my stomach

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Today in Corona Virus

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Just got an email saying the LA Public Library is shutting down until the end of the month.

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It'll be ok. I have 25 books checked out and digital borrowing is still available and there's a ton of books I already own that I'll finally get around to reading.

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Mar 14, 2020
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Acquiring books and reading books are two different hobbies.

I'm currently reading:

Trick Mirror - Jia Tolentino

Briarpatch - Ross Thomas

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Ooh, what books? I've been getting more non-fiction lately in an attempt to slow down my reading.

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You read "The Dying Earth" yet?

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She can open a window and look outside for that.

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Dangit. I knew I should have picked up my books on hold this morning. I really thought they'd hold out until Monday

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Still waiting to hear from Los Angeles Superior Court if jury trials are still proceeding as planned or if they will be vacated/continued. It is unbelievable to me that they haven't made a decision yet.

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Class of 20's graduation ceremonies are cancelled.

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I do feel sorry for all the class of 20 kids that can't go through graduation. At Vandy and Williams they were only given like 4 days to a week to leave. Must be harder for the seniors that the goodbyes are so abrupt and can't be spread out like it normally would

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My job interview on Monday has been switched to a video conference, so that I don't have to shake hands with 10 people in person.

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Good Luck!

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Thank you!!

It's not the dream job at Netflix (have tried and been rejected by them 3 times now!) but it'll hopefully be better hours/infrastructure than my current job.

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Know your worth, and demand that others recognize it, too!

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I'm good at my job, I work hard, and I'm fairly easy to get along with. That's all true and that's what I'll be communicating in my interviews. Just gotta figure out tan appropriate dollar amount to put on that before Monday.

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20% more.

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I read online about anecdotes of people getting extra food from Chinese restaurants who are super happy for their patronage. That has definitely NOT been the case for me during this past week. The restaurants that I went to still have the normal number of Chinese-looking patrons, and I have definitely not been given extra free sides nor other benefits (nor special thanks for my continuing patronage). Then again, my orders of foods for one might be too small?

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I will order from these places as long as deliveries are still coming.

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Not really a stigma against Chinese food in Bangkok. But I don't know how to do delivery here (my cousin's building - you have to go downstairs to accept, but I don't have a Thai phone nor do I speak Thai). But right across the street, that is impossible to cross, is one of the big street food centers of Bangkok.

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DoorDash Chinese food. It comes SO fast.

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Not US but Tohoku University in Japan just announced postponement of the start of their spring term https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/news/university_news/for_the_new_students.html. This makes two of the Top 10 universities in Japan, and the first public I think. I think others will follow suit...

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So, a guy on Nextdoor.com set up the idea of a delivery service to the local elderly and immuno-compromised. I went out to five different retailers to see if the project was viable.

It was busy yesterday, but today people have lost their minds. Absolutely full parking lot in the middle of the day. Full blown hoarding. All shelves are nearly running low on most stuff and empty on a lot of things -- except for fresh produce.

Bottom line: the project is not viable because Instacart has cornered the market.

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