JT IRREGULARS: 3/15/20

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Bidet sales soar as toilet paper sells out amid COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

As cases of the coronavirus continue to climb, nothing feels more surreal than the irrational stockpiling of toilet paper, even though experts tell us it isn’t necessary and manufacturers say there is no shortage.

Whether it stems from a herd mentality, reading social media posts about toilet paper fights, or an overwhelming sense of helplessness, one thing is certain: the panic buying of toilet paper has prompted bidet sales to soar.

While Americans have long been resistant to bidets — a common feature in European toilets where jets of water clean you off instead of toilet paper — the spread of the coronavirus seems to be changing longtime views on self-washing.

Inexpensive entry-level styles of the Toto washlet bidet seat can be found at big box stores like Home Depot, Wayfair and Lowes for as low as $250. And new affordable alternatives, like the Tushy bidet, allow you to clip on a bidet attachment without plumbing (it draws water from the toilet’s supply line) and electricity for the cost of toilet paper on EBay right now — $79 for a classic bidet and $109 for the warm water spa version.

“Tushy’s sales over the past few weeks have grown from double to triple to more like 10-times what they were in weeks before word spread about TP shortages,” said Jason Ojalvo, CEO of Tushy. “This could be the tipping point that finally gets Americans to adopt the bidet.”

Brondell, which sells bidet attachments, hand-held bidet sprayers and luxurious bidet seats, has also seen a boost in sales in the wake of the pandemic.

“In the midst of this unprecedented toilet paper run, we’re really grateful for the opportunity to provide those who need them with smart solutions for toilet paper replacement,” said Daniel Lalley communications director for Brondell.

From: https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-03-16/bidet-sales-spike-as-consumers-panic-buy-toilet-paper

What Bill Gates is afraid of

This was published five years ago.

Milwaukee tenants are struggling because of the coronavirus crisis. A Riverwest landlord just cut the rent to $100.

From JSOnline:

Talis Shelbourne, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

After seeing how the country has been responding to coronavirus, one Riverwest man sent his two tenants a letter telling them for the month of April he was only charging them $100 in rent.

John Zutz, who owns a triplex on Booth and Locust streets, said he realizes they might be struggling financially, sick or unable to work and he wanted to help.

"I know that one of my tenants has a job at a retail place that is likely closed down and another works at one of those blood donation places; I've seen him around the house a lot, so I'm guessing he might have been laid off," he said. "They’re good tenants, and I was trying to figure out something I can do that could help."

Zutz said his mortgage and bills are covered and that even though cutting his tenants' rent is going to cost him $1,000, it's cheaper to help out good tenants in the long run.

"The last eviction I did cost me over $3,000, so this a good deal," he said. "If I keep a good tenant, that’s even better. And if they support a few local businesses in the area, that’s a trifecta."

Zutz said he wants to help keep the economy afloat, too.

"We’ve got to keep the money moving," he said. "The stock market tanked for three days in a row because people are sitting on their wallets."

In fact, in his letter, he encouraged his tenants to spend money in Riverwest.

"Get a carry-out meal from one of our great restaurants (and leave a nice tip)," he wrote. "Spend a few bucks at the hardware store. Get groceries, if you can."

Zutz, who has been a landlord since the 1980s, said he's watching to see what happens next month and is willing to step in again.

"I would encourage other landlords, if they’re able, if they have the means to do it, to do it. I think we all have to do something. You have to decide for yourself what you can do and what you can’t do. We’ve got to keep the money moving."

How has coronavirus affected your life? Have you lost your job or are you concerned you won't be able to pay rent?

Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414) 403-6651 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and message her on Facebook at @talisseer.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2020/03/20/milwaukee-landlord-cuts-rent-help-tenants-through-coronavirus/2887339001/

Vandal Attempts to Destroy Urinal

I hope that he hurt himself permanently. Stupid piece of shit. He gets to crawl out on the piss-soaked floor.

Cannabis dispensaries listed as essential businesses under L.A. County coronavirus order

The “safer at home” emergency order just announced by Los Angeles County and the cities within its borders at a Thursday evening news conference requires all indoor malls, shopping centers, playgrounds and nonessential retail businesses to close effective midnight tonight through at least April 19.

Allowed to operate — as long as they observe proper social-distancing guidelines and do not include more than 10 people in one place — are a list of essential services including city and county government services, grocery stores, hardware stores and, wait for it, cannabis dispensaries.

Unlike the confusion surrounding cannabis businesses in the Bay Area “shelter in place” order that was announced Monday (which had dispensaries closing only to open the next day after a handful of cities — including San Francisco and San Jose — clarified that they could remain open), the city of Los Angeles’ coronavirus FAQ lists as essential healthcare services “cannabis dispensaries, or any related and/or ancillary healthcare services.”

The actual order issued by the county of Los Angeles reads slightly differently, noting that the order does not apply to healthcare organizations including “cannabis dispensaries with a medicinal cannabis license,” though at the news conference announcing the order, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said (though not in reference to this particular issue) that the cities and the county had worked hard to ensure that the details of the order were not in conflict.

From: https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2020-03-19/cannabis-dispensaries-essential-service-safer-at-home-ordinance

Kentucky Gas Station Is First in the US to Return to 99 Cents

The price of a gallon of gasoline has hit under $1 per gallon at a station in Kentucky, likely triggered by the CCP virus crisis.

The Epoch Times refers to the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, as the CCP virus because the Chinese Communist Party’s coverup and mismanagement allowed the virus to spread throughout China and create a global pandemic.

The pandemic has driven oil prices down for weeks after stunting China’s economy. Meanwhile, OPEC members have grappled over oil, with Saudi Arabia slashing prices, triggering a price war with Russia.

According to GasBuddy, a BP gas station in London, Kentucky, lowered its price to 99 cents per gallon.

Patrick de Haan, the operator of the website, confirmed the information over the phone with the BP clerk.

“Lowest low since 2016: a station in #OklahomaCity selling for $1.17/gal today is your lowest price in the nation!” he wrote on Twitter.

De Haan added that the BP station is “known for bunker-busting prices.” However, “sadly, the station is now SOLD OUT of regular and waiting for another delivery,” he wrote.

“Absolutely amazing to see how quickly prices have fallen, and the return of something few Americans have seen since the early 2000s,” DeHaan wrote in a press release. “We’re in uncharted waters due to demand plummeting in light of the coronavirus situation, and yesterday oil prices fell to their lowest level since 2002 in a sign of the deep distress our economy is facing.”

WBIR reported that there are gas prices in Tennessee that have dropped below $1.50 per gallon.

The average price of gas hasn’t dropped below $2 per gallon since around 2004, says the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

From: https://www.theepochtimes.com/kentucky-gas-station-is-first-in-the-us-to-return-to-99-cents_3278175.html

Army Deploys To New York As NYC Reports 1 Coronavirus Death Per Hour On Friday: Live Updates

From ZeroHedge:

For nearly a week now, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been begging the White House or the Pentagon to send in the Army Corp of Engineers to quickly transform existing businesses into coronavirus hospitals where patients from the impending surge can be isolated and treated.

If the state doesn't quickly make up for its twin shortages of hospital beds and medical equipment, Cuomo warned, it could lead to thousands of preventable deaths.

Now, a few days after President Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper dispatched a Navy hospital ship to New York to help with the outbreak, President Donald Trump formally approved FEMA aid to the state late Friday night after declaring New York the nation's first "major disaster area" since the start of the national outbreak.

Billions of dollars in emergency funding are now available to help combat the outbreak in the state, FEMA said in a statement.

"Federal funding is also available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures," FEMA said in a statement.

President Trump's national emergency declaration earlier this month activated FEMA, and made a pot of $42 billion in disaster-relief funds available.

The decision comes after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio claimed that his city has become the epicenter of the national outbreak, as public health authorities in the city counted at least one coronavirus-linked death per hour on Friday.

Between just 10 am and 6 pm, 14 people in NYC died from the virus, raising the death toll in America's largest city to 43. It was the first time NYC's daily death toll hit double-digits.

NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot warned on Saturday morning that double-digit increases in deaths may become the new normal for New Yorkers, for at least a time.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if we get to a day when we have double-digits new people dying every day," she said at a City Hall press conference Friday afternoon.

"With more and more cases confirmed here each day, it’s imperative that the federal government does everything within its power to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus."

In another rare moment of political unity, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the president's decision.

The latest data show 8,299 confirmed cases in New York State. And as the state runs out of hospital beds and precious ventilators, Trump is sending in the military, which is now working on plans to takeover hotels, college dormitories and sports arenas and turn them into ICU-like medical facilities, as the Daily Mail reports.

According to the latest federal data, at least 19,624 people have been diagnosed with the virus, and at least 260 deaths have been recorded. So far, 147 people have recovered. Globally, there have been at least 275,000 diagnosed cases and more than 11,000 coronavirus-related deaths.

In other news, Switzerland reported another batch of new cases, bringing its total to 6,100 infections and 56 deaths.

As the global panic deepens, and the number of cases continues to multiply at an alarming rate, more officials are calling for the 2020 Tokyo Games to be postponed - an unprecedented event that would probably rattle confidence in global markets, at least momentarily, as the world grapples with the unprecedented situation at hand. The IOC chief rebutted these calls again Saturday morning, according to reports in the Japanese press, but it definitely makes one wonder: If things keep getting worse, how much longer can they hold off?

From: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/army-deploys-new-york-nyc-reports-1-coronavirus-death-hour-live-updates

As Harley-Davidson and Others Close, Cree Lighting Stays Open, Imperiling All in Racine County

COVID-19 is almost certainly at the Cree Lighting plant in Racine county: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/covid--racine-county-cases-salons-close-virus-possibly-at/article_a6e6752c-b7bf-5e78-a462-01420bde44e9.html#tracking-source=home-top-story . So why won't Cree close? The only possible answer is that they are putting profits over the safety of their employees and Racine county. 'Butterball' Mason and Jonathan Delagrave need to shut down Cree, now! Their failure to act endangers all of Racine county. If you survive the coronavirus, be sure to remember these criminals at election time.

Pigs putting money before people - the Racine way.

Liquor stores in New York are considered 'essential' businesses by the state and will remain open during the coronavirus shutdowns

New York liquor stores were deemed "essential" by the state and will remain open during the slew of shutdowns in response to the coronavirus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order Friday requiring employees at nonessential businesses to work from home until further notice.
Some of the exceptions are pharmacies, grocery stores, and gas stations.
The order goes into effect Sunday evening, but liquor stores will not be among the businesses required to have their staff work from home.
New York liquor stores are considered "essential" and can remain open as employees at other businesses are required to work from home until further notice, according to the New York State Liquor Store Association.

New York's new executive order, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo Friday, mandates that nonessential businesses keep their workers at home in an intensifying effort to slow the coronavirus. The order will take effect Sunday evening.

However, liquor stores do not need to send their workers home because they are considered "essential" by the state, as they fall under the retail and manufacturing categories for "food processing, including all foods and beverages," according to the New York State Liquor Store Association website.

Other businesses in New York that are considered essential include healthcare operations, pharmacies, grocery stores, gas stations, and mail services.

Businesses that do not comply with the executive order risk civil fines, but Cuomo said the order was not a shelter-in-place mandate.

While the executive order is not a shelter-place-mandate, Cuomo emphasized the importance of New Yorkers limiting outdoor activity, avoiding public transit, practicing social distancing, and staying home if they are sick, except to seek medical attention if they are advised to by a medical professional in a remote consultation.

There were more than 7,000 coronavirus cases reported in the state on Friday.
From: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-new-york-liquor-stores-deemed-essential-can-stay-open-2020-3

Watch Hennessey Take 2020 Corvette To 182 MPH In Under A Minute

Oboy, a video of a speedometer.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Quarantine Minilogue - Formal Friday, Testy Trump & The Killers

Lori Nickel: I'm making a conscious decision to push back against despair from coronavirus by taking positive steps

From JSOnline:

Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." — Martin Luther King Jr.

I am paralyzed by so many moments of sadness and anxiety, depression and insomnia, for the damage that coronavirus has already done and for what we in Wisconsin are bracing for it to do that I had to make a drastic, conscious change.

For every negative feeling of despair, I have to create a positive action— no matter how small — to try to balance it out.

So I checked on my mom's best friend. And when I told her I will get her anything from the store — I will wear gloves and drop it off at her apartment, untouched — it made her laugh. And that made me smile.

I could make that offer because my neighbor stuffed some extra medical gloves in my mailbox the other day, even though I told her I was fine with hand sanitizer and pretty much never leaving my house again.

And I started at home projects, like cleaning and caring for the stuff I already have.

Then I looked at the clutter I was purging and that was eye-opening too; we just don’t need more stuff.

And I’ve been watching and listening to stand-up comedy in between all the news consumption because laughing is therapy.

I sent a friend of a friend an e-gift card to Panera because she is an emergency room nurse. She has to leave her kids alone at home so she can take care of those who are sick, and that is a gut punch.

And I have now started daily check-in texts to friends and family.

That has turned into meet-ups for walks in parks and along the lakefront. And plans for more. It feels so good to put an appointment on my canceled calendar.

I am also pausing more than ever to be grateful.

Thankfully, we’re not having one of our winter springs. These mild temperatures mean I can walk with my 73-year old dad next week even if I can’t hug him.

I am grateful that I saw a healthy red fox hanging out in my backyard yesterday. It’s been years since I’ve seen wildlife back there. Was she lingering because she didn’t need to run away from me and my self-isolating neighbors? Or did I just notice because I’m otherwise always too busy to stop and look?

I am grateful for technology. Normally, I am trying to get away from these screens, but my friend Melissa — who works in IT — pointed out that recent years of building cellphone infrastructure has set us up to use the internet in more ways than ever. We have access to education, work and entertainment with videoconferencing and learning management systems. There are more options than a phone call to keep us feeling connected to each other.

And mute buttons have always been great, too.

Another friend, Deb, was inspired by a story she heard. A regular customer walked into his favorite restaurant, bought a $500 gift card — and cut it up. So she decided to buy restaurant gift cards, too, only she dropped them off at a retirement community for the residents to use.

I still worry. Spectrum is offering free internet to students for 60 days (Bravo!). But what about people who can’t afford computers?

And then there were a couple of teachers out for a walk. They were really concerned about their students, who counted on the meals they got at school. How would they get transportation to the schools that were still providing food?

But then another friend of mine, Tanya, posted this on Facebook: “I don't have a lot but if y'all need something DM. It's tough out here and I ain't going to let people go hungry. I can help one or two families with a few groceries. Milk, peanut butter and jelly, a loaf of bread, I have supplies to share. Don't be shamed; these kids need to eat.”

Isn't this extraordinary? She’s a single working mom with a special needs child.

I cling to the bright spots, big and small. Capture Sports Marketing will launch an “Athletes Doing Good Campaign” on Friday for children going through a health challenge who could receive a get-well video from an athlete.

And Silver Circle Sports Events is offering free virtual races to any runner or walker who has signed up for any of its races in 2020.

Another friend, Heather, a lawyer, is going to a client's house to get his health care directives signed because he is at great risk of illness and can't go out.

Nothing good will come from me wallowing in this feeling of helplessness. There is so much to do and so many ways I can give. It’s time to go to work.

Message Lori Nickel on Twitter at @LoriNickel, Instagram at @bylorinickel or Facebook at facebook.com/ChinUpLoriNickel.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/03/20/push-back-coronavirus-despair-theres-so-much-good-we-can-do/2880736001/

"THE MAGIC LINK" 1940s CON EDISON ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, FUSE BOXES & WIRING PROMO FILM 10454

Open Blog - Weekend

And tomorrow.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Walmart to pay nearly $550 million in employee bonuses: ‘It’s almost like a mini stimulus package’

Roundy's hiring 2,500 workers for its Pick ’n Save and Metro Market stores to handle increased demand

From JSOnline:

Tom Daykin, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Roundy's Supermarkets Inc. is hiring 2,500 workers at Pick 'n Save and other stores to handle increased demand tied to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: Mike De Sisti / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. wants to hire up to 2,500 workers for its Pick ’n Save and Metro Market stores throughout Wisconsin, the Milwaukee-based company announced Friday.

Roundy's, like other supermarket operators, is seeing a surge in demand from shoppers stocking up on food, toilet paper and other items as social distancing, quarantines and other measures are enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company needs help in all positions and all shifts at 106 Wisconsin stores. This includes full-time, part-time and salaried management positions.

Roundy’s benefits include medical, dental and vision coverage, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, 401(k) savings plans, tuition reimbursement, vacation days and an employee assistance program.

Employers had trouble finding employees before the coronavirus struck. Where the hell are they going to get 2,500 workers? Or Amazon get 10,000? Or Walmart get 150,000? It's absurd.