Shutting down...

"What is next up once the schools are closed? Unknown. I do know this however - many grandparents will be plucked out of retirement life, and back into part time parenting to help out their kids."

It is ironic. I was just re-watching the last episode of Atlas Shrugged when we were down in Florida on vacation. In that movie, John Galt gave his famous line, "I am going to shut down the engine of the world". That is exactly what is happening right now. Only it is not a fictional character like John Galt who is doing it. It is a microscopic virus. And the result is the same. Slowly in our country, rapidly in some Euro countries, the engine of the world is shutting down. And soon, we will all be hunkered in our houses, wondering where the next roll of TP, the next pound of hamburger, or the next bottle of water will come from. 

Today, the Governor of Minnesota will lay the bad news on parents. Starting on the 18th of March (March 16th in some districts), school will be cancelled until the 31st of March. My guess that end date could slip out into April. Depending on the spread of this thing. What are parents going to do that can't work from home? Stay tuned - that is one of the many questions floating around right now, which does now have answers.

On the news this morning, was a story about some guy stabbing another guy at a WalMart. Why? Over a case of water. Stabbed him with a broken wine bottle. Stocking up has devolved into hoarding, and hoarding has devolved into sheer panic. Is there a water shortage in our country? Nope. How about meat. No, again. TP? Certainly not. But we have strained our supply chains so much, that we have created a temporary shortage of those items. How desperate are some folks getting to have those scarce items? Way, way too desperate.

Italy is locked down. Ireland is locked down. Yesterday, Spain went into lock down. More and more flights to foreign countries are being scrubbed. Apple and Nike have both closed their stores. With sports all but gone this spring, store closings and kids home from school, to say 2020 is becoming surreal, is a vast understatement. 

Every time I am tempted to think this entire thing is nothing more than a flinch, I look at what has happened in Italy. 17,000 cases, with 2,500 new cases yesterday alone. Even in a "locked down" condition, this virus is still raising havoc in Italy. The fear is, the contagion will spread to the other Euro countries. Bottom line - Europe is a mess right now, and unlike the US, countries like Italy waited too long after playing footsie with the Chinese.

What is next up once the schools are closed? Unknown. I do know this however - many grandparents will be plucked out of retirement life, and back into part time parenting to help out their kids. And what if the out of control hoarding continues? Turns into total lawlessness? I shutter to say this, but the National Guard could be called out and some kind of Marshall law invoked. 

Preppers - this is what you have been preparing for. Now is the time to help our friends and neighbors who have not adequately prepared. It is time for families to grow tighter, and neighborhoods to act more neighborly. We will get through this, and we will be much stronger when we get to the other side.  

Living through the COVID apocalypse...

"If you have a bunker, and it is looking a bit stocked right now, consider yourself lucky. However, if you and your spouse both work, and have kids in school, these might not be lucky times ahead. If schools get furloughed for a month or so, and your job does not allow you to work from home, then what?" 

By now we all have stories to tell how nut-so things are becoming. There is nothing I could report here that would shock anyone. All I can say is this - Y2K was a slowing moving panic for stocking up, Heck, we had many months of warnings by the sooth sayers on how bad things could be. 9/11 - different story. We did not know if the attacks were just starting, if we were going suffer under some kind of NBC attack, or what. Still, as crazy as that time was, it was nothing like right now.

Late yesterday afternoon, we decided that for the first time in a very long time, we were going to have Chinese food for diner. It was my job to run down and pick it up. Before I left, my wife was going through some lamentations that with ALL the shopping we had done, we neglected to buy any ground beef. And our supply in our freezer was dwindling fast. So as a surprise, I would run into Cub real fast, buy a chub or two, and then pick up the Chinese food and head home. Bad plan.

The first warning bell should have gone off when I pulled into a very full Cub parking lot. I did find a parking space and went inside. It was like a food fight. Mayhem. I made my way through maddening crowds to the meat section. Holy picked over Batman! I had never seen it like that, not even before Thanksgiving or Christmas. I did manage to find a few one pound chubs of ground beef. On sale? Not hardly. I don't think I have ever paid more for ground beef. 

By now we all know that not only is the country in a state of emergency, but so are many of the states - including ours. What does that mean? Our crazy times are about to get crazier. My belief is that "social distancing" will become the norm for a while. And how will that work with people riding buses, trains, kids sitting in schools? It won't. I think we are just at the start of living in the long list of do's and don'ts. I would not be surprised to see this state, or even the entire nation for that matter, shut itself down. Like Italy and Ireland? Maybe.

If you have a bunker, and it is looking a bit stocked right now, consider yourself lucky. However, if you and your spouse both work, and have kids in school, these might not be lucky times ahead. If schools get furloughed for a month or so, and your job does not allow you to work from home, then what? Sure, some have grandparents to lean on, but many do not. As strange as our days have been up to now, they could get a whole lot stranger before Easter. 

If because of work, you had to wait until this weekend to shop, good luck with that. Wear your body armor and bring an extra cup of grace with you. I know we will all get through this, and hopefully, be stronger for the experience of doing so. The is the Bird, coming to you from the Bird's Bunker, saying roger and out.

March Madness

"Trying to stay away from the media, as I have really been sucked into the vortex the past few days. Listening to enough of that Chicken Little stuff, will drive one cray-cray."

No, this is not about basketball. Seems our spring tournaments are also on the COVID -19 causality list. This is about the real March madness. How we are coping with the panic of this disease very few know anything about. This disease, which has gone through Wall Street like a bulldozer, has turned even the most sleepy grocery stores into mayhem. Why? Fear. Fear of the unknown. We keep getting information from the media that this COVID -19 is somewhere between a common cold and the bubonic plague.

Since we were gone for six weeks, we only "spot shopped" when we first got home. Yesterday, we did some "deep shopping" to re-stock on what we were totally out of. We picked Thursday, as we have found it is usually the deadest day of the week to shop. Wrong. It was a mad house. It was like the day before Thanksgiving. What were people buying? Not toilet paper. Gone. But everything else. Carts were full of stuff. All kinds of stuff. It was like, the asteroid has not struck as yet, but we can see it from here.

This is going to be a very strange spring. Basketball - gone. Hockey - gone. Soccer - gone. Baseball - delayed. Travel - forget about it. This country is not on lock down as of yet like Italy is, but it sure seems like we are headed in that direction. As goofy as March is turning out to be, what will April be like? I shutter to think.

Not even the "fireside chat" we had from the President could calm the nation's fears. This boogie man of a disease, has most folks thinking Armageddon - or worse. Washington can only play the blame game. Democrats blame the President, the President blames Congress, some of the Neocons in the Senate blame China. All this crap is someone's else's fault. And as long as we feel that way as a nation, Washington will be of little help in getting this thing fixed.

Today will be another day of social distancing (whatever that means). It will be sitting around the homestead, trying to come up with useful things to do. Trying to stay away from the media, as I have really been sucked into the vortex the past few days. Listening to enough of that Chicken Little stuff, will drive one cray-cray.

Good luck fellow Americans. Stay tuned, stay prepped, and most of all, stay brave. We will all get through this, and then maybe we can watch a good baseball game.

Okay - now this **** is for real

"Washing hands, not touching face - that is part of it. But since this virus can survive airborne, proper social distancing will increase our odds of not catching it. But social distancing is antithetical to the way we live. And that be the challenge. Good luck to us all."

Last night, the news was coming at all of us fast and furious. It was almost too much to absorb. But at the rate this new virus is spreading, to hesitate would be to turn us into a country like Italy. In case you have not noticed, Italy is a real mess right now. So much so, the entire country is on lock down. No travel anywhere, and the only stores which are open are pharmacies and food marts. 

President Trump had his no nonsense demeanor on last night. No flights from Europe for thirty days? Wow! That is a kick in the gut. My guess? Thirty days will just be a starter. According to the experts, this thing will be far from over in thirty days. Universities all over the country are cancelling formal classes (hello, on-line classes), the NBA has called off the rest of their season, and the NCAA final four will be played in front of empty seats - if at all.

Anything else? Plenty - just not announced as yet. Plus, welcome to the world of social distancing. Not something to practice for the future, the medical experts are saying to start NOW. Especially if you are over 60 or 65. Ireland has cancelled all St. Patrick Day events, but St. Paul is still going full steam ahead with theirs. So far. But in this world where things can change on a dime, you might want to keep that blarney stone in the closet up until the parade happens (if it does).

What do I think is next for social distancing? Buses. Trains. Church. To really curtail the spread of something this infectious, we need to practice social distancing like, okay - this s**t is for real. Again, to not take it serious, will allow us to fall into a total lock down posture like Italy is. 

These are the days the history books will write about. These are the days which will define us. In my book, there is a bright side to the darkness of COVID-19. We WILL learn how to deal with infectious diseases once again. So when the next one comes, which might have a death rate of 20%, we will be better prepared.

Washing hands, not touching face - that is part of it. But since this virus can survive airborne, proper social distancing will increase our odds of not catching it. But social distancing is antithetical to the way we live. And that be the challenge. Good luck to us all.

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.  

I am going to self isolate myself!

"Well in any event, back to my isolation. My wife is now up, and I fist bumped her good morning. No kisses or hand holding. Then what? Maybe another episode of 'Last Man Standing'. Welcome to my bubble."    

How is that for a redundant title? It is like when someone says, " I am going to take a selfie of myself". Drives my wife nuts. In any event, are we all ready for more isolation? Less crowds? Less gatherings? I am not. I am one of those nutty people who love to chat others up when I am out in public.

Yesterday, a friend dropped by and brought us three seasons of "Last Man Standing". That will put a dent in the boredom. Since we are both recovering from a lung disease, we nap more than once during the day. This is okay for a while, but only for a while. Even though some of the experts are telling seniors to get used to isolation, I don't know if I am ready for it. 

One of our couple friends who WERE going to Israel this week, posted a picture this morning of Ben Gurion Airport. It looks like a ghost town. Then there is Italy. Where the entire country is in sort of a "lock down". Or Ireland, where they are considering cancelling all St. Patrick Day events. Is this our new world? The world of isolation? Playing sports in front of empty stadiums? Concerts being cancelled? 

Both Bernie and Sleepy Joe were going to have rallies yesterday in Ohio. Both got cancelled due to this virus thing. The Governor of Washington is now considering limiting all gatherings to 250 people or less. The State Department is telling all seniors to stay away from cruise ships. If you are flying on a plane right now, you best not go into a sneezing fit, or you might suffer a beat down from other scared passengers.

Whoever said these are now uncharted waters might be right. With a young person living in our county, lying in the hospital in critical condition due to exposure to COVID - 19, one does not know who is safe and who is not. 

Easter is April 12th. That is a month away. By that time, will be also be like Washington, and not allowed to gather in numbers? Will Easter service be turning on the TV, then watching the pastor preach while sitting in your living room? Will Easter brunch be going out in your kitchen and putting some goodies out on the counter? Or will this all blow over by April 12th. Nobody seems to have a clue.

Well in any event, back to my isolation. My wife is now up, and I fist bumped her good morning. No kisses or hand holding. Then what? Maybe another episode of "Last Man Standing". Welcome to my bubble.    

Bunkering - a refresher

"Is there more? Oh yes - quite a bit. But I have addressed this many times before. The purpose of this article was for basic bunkering. This might be what we have been prepping for. If not, a good dry run for prepping for something much worse."

Okay. Now this stuff might be getting real. If you are over 55, you might want to pay attention. If you are over 65, you NEED to pay attention. If you already have a bunker - great. You are ahead of the game. If you have one and it is only "so-so", it might be time to buff it up a bit. If you have nothing, time is no longer your friend. You need to move with haste and purpose.

Today, we had the third confirmed case of COVID-19. In the county I live in. Only this time it did not hit an elderly - it hit a person in his or her 30's. And that person is in the hospital in critical condition. But the real scare of this disease is how easily it can be passed from one person to another. That is why more and more states are telling their seniors to self isolate. And to truly self isolate, one needs a viable bunker.

Here is a brief refresher on basic bunkering, if you have not started as yet:

• Water - Any prepper will tell you the same thing. Water is the most important. A viable bunker will have one half to one gallon of potable water per person per day. If that sounds like a lot - it is. But it is that important. Have at least one week, preferably one month of potable water in your bunker.
• Meds - Hopefully you have your meds "bow waved" out a month or so. Meaning, having at least one month on non-expired meds on hand. In addition, talk to your provider about getting 3 months or 6 months of meds per order. That will really help. If your water runs out, if your meds run out, you can get in trouble real fast.
• Tactical Food - That is what you have in or around your kitchen. Most folks have enough food to last two to four weeks in the pantry and freezer. Hopefully, we will never get to the point where that is not enough.
• Survival Food - This is your "oh, crap" supply. In other words, this is the long term survival food one would need should your tactical food run out. I have met preppers who have four years of supply. I recommend three to six months. If that is not enough, we have big, big problems.
• Paper Products - Yes, I am talking about TP. And paper towels. And paper napkins. And paper plates. Get the picture? All of this stuff we need, and it has no expiration date. Stock to your heart's content. 
• Guns and Ammo - Just in case...

Is there more? Oh yes - quite a bit. But I have addressed this many times before. The purpose of this article was for basic bunkering. This might be what we have been prepping for. If not, a good dry run for prepping for something much worse.