Saturday, March 14, 2020

Celebrities and Politicians: Momento Mori – Unpopular Thoughts on Corona Virus

Only the lonely
Know the way you feel tonight?
Surely the poorly
Have some insight?
Oddly, the godly
Also might,
And slowly the lowly
Will learn to read you right.


Coronavirus: China’s first confirmed Covid-19 case traced back to November 17


Peter Dutton had been in the US recently, and met with Ivanka Trumpand the US attorney general on 6 March, though it is not known when he contracted the virus
Czech American Ivanka Trump MEdia Dragon Reader: Australia coronavirus: Peter Dutton tests positive for Covid-19 as Morrison reverses decision to attend NRL game – as it happened

Home to more than 7 million people, NSW is Australia’s most populous state, and Chant said models suggested 5% of the state’s population - some 350,000 people - would need hospital treatment as a result of coronavirus.
Australia has recorded nearly 160 infections and three deaths from the flu-like disease. Among the infected is one of its highest-profile government ministers, Peter Dutton, who is in charge of home affairs. He said he was feeling fine.

Nine faces new coronavirus scare after Dutton visit

Why this photo of Peter Dutton has the world talking


Among the 121,061 to have been infected by the COVID-19 virus so far, one class of notable people appear to have been affected more than others — politicians. 

There are far more politicians who have been infected than you would have by statistical chance,” Francois Balloux, a professor of computational systems biology at University College London tells TIME. “Politicians are over-represented in the number of people who have been diagnosed.” 
Why Are So Many Politicians Testing Positive With COVID-19?


Coronavirus hits politicians, sports and showbiz stars as it spreads across globe


Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, wife of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with his wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, in 2019. Trudeau's office says Sophie Gregoire Trudeau has tested positive for the coronavirus. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)
Here are the famous people who have tested positive for coronavirus illness, COVID-19



From The Decameron to Station Eleven, there has always been aliterature of pandemicbecause there have always been pandemics... Literature of Pandemic The Decameron to Station Eleven

Sick of singing ‘Happy Birthday’ while washing hands to fight coronavirus? Try these pop hits instead

'You are not alone, we are together': Italy breaks into song amid virus crisis


Hundreds of people stuck in lockdown in Italy are now banding together in song, with music ringing through empty streets and being filmed for social media.






What To Read When You Feel Too Much


Author Rachel Vorona Cote: “Despite my best efforts, I am not chill, and will never be chill—I possess only meager crumbs of that coveted asset. So, I muddle on as best I can. Reading is a safe harbor, and it is also my pressure valve.” So she’s got a few recs for all of us who might be finding ourselves with more reading time (and more anxiety) than usual right now. – The Rumpus

The stupidest, most exasperating piece of advice commonly offered to suffering people is also the truest and most comforting.
I have been thinking a lot about this article w/r/t the White House's response to COVID-19: "Seniors Are More Conservative Because the Poor Don't Survive to Become Seniors"


A Brutally Honest Account Of Capitalism, Motherhood, And Writing


Karen Russell: “When I fixate on this math, I begin to have the panicked sense that I gave up time with my son to delete three paragraphs; suddenly writing badly feels like stealing from him. This is obviously not a healthy way to approach creative work, or a pressure that yields good fiction.” Way to go, USA! – Wealthsimple

       In The Guardian they present: "six novelists telling fresh stories about Europe", in 'My family are too frightened to read my book': meet Europe's most exciting authors
       The only one of these authors under review at the complete review is Hassan Blasim -- his The Madman of Freedom Square -- but I do also have copies of Three Apples Fell from the Sky and All About Sarah (well, They Say Sarah, as the US title has it), and should be getting to them. 


Curcumin is the spice of life when delivered via tiny nanoparticles Medical Express

30 Reasons You Should Never Let Your Dog Play In The Mud Bored Panda

Fruit fly study suggests neither nature nor nurture is responsible for individuality PhysOrg

Why Our Seas Are Suddenly Swimming With Drug-Running Narcosubs Popular Mechanics

Mass grave reveals how Black Death impacted rural England ars technica

Nihilism aeon



Almost Midnight: Sydney Writers' Festival clocks world crisis


How the humble potato changed the world BBC

Momento Mori – Unpopular Thoughts on Corona Virus Craig Murray

Coronavirus: The psychology of panic buying BBC

Why is customs STILL NOT screening passengers from coronavirus hot-spots Italy, Iran and South Korea who arrive at major airports, including JFK, LAX, Atlanta and Chicago’s O’Hare? Daily Mail