Into the darkness...

"Stay tuned. We have officially sailed off into the darkness. Whatever you do, please wash your hands, and do not touch your face. Get familiar with your TV - you will be spending a lot of time with it soon."  

When my wife and I went to the "U" (back when Moses was a boy), not even a nuclear attack would keep the "U" from holding classes. Yes, we did make it down to the campus in some blinding snowstorms and bone chilling cold weather. Flash forward to today. The "U" will suspend all classroom education, and go to "alternate" online teaching until at least April 1st. And they are not alone. Notre Dame is doing the same until (at the earliest), the middle of April. Wisconsin just published they are doing to do the same.

And just like that, this roaring market has entered "bear" territory. Companies are looking at furloughs, or at best, working at home. What happened? Where did this all come from? This is so very sudden. Yes it is. It is the destroyer of portfolios, delayer of vacations, and disrupter of plans. In other words, just like 9/11, this came out of nowhere - and, like 9/11, has the potential to change everything.

This tiny virus, which has barely touched this country as yet, just killed 200 in one day in Italy. With no vaccine, with no warning, this virus can spread very fast. How fast? Check with China. And according to Dr. Michael Osterholm, we are just at the beginning of this mess. A fool's errand would be to take this lightly. A panic merchant would tell us it is the end of the world. Where does the truth lie? Somewhere in between.

So where are we right now? On March 11th? In the darkness. Knee jerk reactions will rule the day. Mad and insane stock piling of things we don't need will continue. Why is this virus so different? Is it more deadly? Nope. Not by a long shot. It is how contagious it is. And if you have the right chemistry to harbor this virus, and then let it invade you, it can be deadly to you and others you come in contact with. 

Where do we do from here? Isolation for seniors. No large gatherings for anyone. Sound like fun? Not to us. Will summer kill this virus off, so we can at least get to the beach? Maybe. Or, maybe not.

Stay tuned. We have officially sailed off into the darkness. Whatever you do, please wash your hands, and do not touch your face. Get familiar with your TV - you will be spending a lot of time with it soon.