Hello, Friends. How are you? Was it a strange week for you? I assume so because it’s been a strange week everywhere. This is unlike anything that has happened in our life times and it’s hard to know what to expect and how to properly react.
I’m going to jump right into links. Here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you. And I should tell you now, the vast majority are coronavirus related — some serious, some light-hearted, some calming, some infuriating, some very funny:
-Things change so fast. Last night President Macron spoke and cancelled all schools in France until further notice. (Pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, universities. ALL schools.) That of course includes the school my children attend.
-How canceled events and self-quarantines save lives, in one chart.
-The Internet is not working for women and girls.
-“Soap-all sorts of it: liquid, solid, honeysuckle-scented, the versions inexplicably only marketed to men or women-is a badass, and even more routinely effective than hand sanitizer. We should be excited to use it, as much as possible.”
-Are your hands getting thrashed from all the hand-washing? Here’s a luxe hand lotion I originally found at Tail of the Yak in Berkeley — though it’s made in France. I keep the Rose Geranium on my nightstand. For something more sturdy and healing, I use Mom’s Stuff Piñon Salve.
–The Extraordinary Decisions Facing Italian Doctors. There are now simply too many patients for each one of them to receive adequate care.
-Hah. How To Work From Home Most Chaotically.
-You’ve probably seen jokes about how a quarantine period will mean a baby bump nine months down the road. Here’s something no one is joking about: The past few weeks have coincided with a surge in domestic violence.
-“I want to die young as late as possible,” writes Mary Pipher. “I don’t want to live beyond my energy level. I don’t want to suffer dementia or lie helpless in a hospital. I want to die while I still believe that others love me and that I am useful.”
-Hah! Check out these travel posters by Subpar Parks — they are cheeky illustrations of real one-star reviews of US National Parks. One dissatisfied visitor said of Zion National Park: “scenery is distant and impersonal”.
-Ugh. Ugh. An NPR Source says Trump blocked coronavirus testing in January to aid his reelection chances by keeping U.S. infection figures low.
-A disease specialist in Seattle had the ability (and instinct) to test for coronavirus as early as January. Officials told her she wasn’t allowed to test. She did it anyway and found a bunch of cases. So what happened? They told her to stop.
-When a danger is growing exponentially, everything looks fine until it doesn’t.
-Russia’s parliament voted Wednesday — 383 to 0 — to change the constitution so Putin can hold on to the presidency until 2036. That is to say, until he is in his 83rd year of life and 36th year in power.
-What if your partner wants fewer kids than you?
Here are some tweets I saved for you:
–I relate to this SO MUCH.
-Because the president thought it would hurt his re-election.
-A thread on what experts are predicting since we haven’t even been able to, or allowed to, test for the virus.
-In comparison, here’s how the U.S. dealt with H1N1 timing-wise.
-On the bizarre travel ban that experts agree will likely do more harm than good. (More about the travel ban, reported by the NYTimes.)
-What to do when half the population is being brainwashed?
-Thinking about all the parents out there who don’t yet know how they will manage an unexpected, extended school break.
-Hahahaha. “I will not let it prevent you from learning quantum mechanics.”
-Having to explain to the kids that though it may seem like a school vacation, all the fun things that people like to do during vacation will be closed down too.
–This is beautiful. I hope I’ll be able to notice and appreciate the moments of beauty that happen in reaction to the pandemic.
-When we’re frustrated with closures, let’s remember that this is an act of solidarity.
-Rita Wilson is crowd-sourcing a list of Quarantunes.
-So glad to see people remember that kids need to be fed, with out without school. When you see announcements like this in your area, please spread the word.
-I’m not a drinker, but I love the idea of people sharing the knowledge they have for things big and small. What knowledge could you share?
-Not everyone is safe when being stuck at home. “Home” is a place of violence for a whole lot of people — especially women and children.
-Little ways you can take care of yourself today.
-Love this! Let’s look for ways to be resourceful and creative — and share examples when we see them.
-Responses with books to read and shows to watch while self-quarantined.
-Hah! CoronaMojis.
-France has SUCH a hand-shaking, cheek-kissing greeting culture, that I imagine the whole country is feeling this loss.
-How to explain the importance of hand-washing to children.
I hope you have a healthy, calm weekend. I’ll meet you back here on Monday. I miss you already.
kisses,
Gabrielle
