Thursday, June 4, 2020

Self-isolation Day 79.


Last night I went to bed at 10:30 (with a blanket), fell asleep quickly, got up once during the night, again at 5:30am, finally waking/getting up at 7:30.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Yesterday, he announced he was against Trump's threat to call in the US military to quash protests. He said active-duty personnel should only be used as a "last resort." Surprise: the White House apparently didn't take that too well. And later in the day Esper seemed to backtrack. He wasn't the only one with opinions: former Defense Sec Jim Mattis denounced the president yesterday for "militarizing" the response to protests and "dividing" the country. Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama called on mayors, city councils, and police oversight bodies to review their policies on police use of force.

Yesterday, the UK's PM Boris Johnson said he'd open the country's doors to nearly 3 million Hong Kong residents if China went through with its national security law. Reminder: The law would let China bypass Hong Kong's local gov and crack down on pro-democracy protests there as soon as this month. But Johnson's saying 'not so fast' and that it violates the "one country, two systems" agreement – which was the one big condition China had to follow for the UK to hand over the territory in 1997. Johnson added that he's willing to allow Hong Kongers to live and work in the UK and even get on a path to citizenship. China reportedly accused the UK of "gross interference."

Yesterday, World Health Organization officials said there's no evidence the coronavirus has mutated yet in ways that would change how quickly the virus spreads or affects people. The WHO also reportedly said the coronavirus is "relatively" stable and that, like most viruses, it'll "evolve to live with humans" which could make it less severe.

Hydroxychloroquine. Yesterday, the WHO said it's hitting 'resume' on its trial of the antimalarial drug as a potential coronavirus treatment. Last week, the org announced it was pausing testing on the drug after a study found that it led to an increased risk of heart problems and death. But officials are raising concerns regarding how the study (and other ones like it) collected data. Meanwhile, a separate study is saying 'WHO, look at me.' It found the drug doesn't help prevent COVID-19.



Teresa left at 11am for her beauty parlor appointment. She called me at 2:30 and we agreed to meet at Exito in the mall.



First we stopped at Medipiel where she bought something for her skin. I guided her to the refrigerators, she talked to a salesman and he took us to an aisle of refrigerators I hadn’t noticed before. (I thought there was only one aisle but actually there are 4. My best guess is Teresa asked the salesman for what's on sale.) We checked out a couple and settled on the smaller of the two which is still larger than the one we have now. My only request was that it have a cold water and ice dispenser. It was a Honeywell model on sale for 4,504,678 (33% off) until June 15^th. (Interestingly, that amount translates in dollars to almost exactly $1200.) I questioned that there are 3 days where we can save the 19% IVA and they both told me it’s only for products up to 2 million pesos. I was ready to purchase it but Teresa wanted to wait until I measured the elevator to see if it fits so we told the salesman we would return on Saturday. I understand we buy it from Exito then contract with Whirlpool to deliver and "install" it.

All the stores in the mall are open but few customers or people walking around. Teresa noted they have some great sales. She bought a pair of fancy flip flops at a store for 65mil.


Teresa wanted to look at electric mixers so we went to Home Center. Unfortunately the line was too long for her so we skipped it. We stopped at Todo Fresa where we bought snacks and coffee to go. Outside we pulled down our masks and consumed our snacks at one of the few seats available.


Teresa was tired so we took a taxi back to the apt.


I measured the elevator and the good news is that the refrigerator will fit inside but the bad news is that it won’t fit through the door opening. The fridge is narrower (although longer) than our dining room table so I know it will fit up the stairs. We plan on giving our old fridge to Wilson and MT. I asked what they would do with their old one and was told they will give it to the doorman. I wonder what he will do with his. Notice the chain reaction here?



Former US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis - who President Donald Trump has compared to one of his heroes, General George Patton - on Wednesday issued a blistering statement saying, "Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people - does not even pretend to try. Instead he tries to divide us. We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort."

Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general who served in the Trump administration between 2017 and 2019, condemned his former boss for making a "mockery of our Constitution."

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Thursday that former Defense Secretary James Mattis' criticism of President Trump's response to mass protests in the wake of George Floyd's killing was "unfair" during an interview on "Fox & Friends."

A retired four-star Marine general on Wednesday excoriated President Donald Trump's threats to use the military on protesters and his controversial church photo op on Monday, writing that his actions "may well signal the beginning of the end of the American experiment."

Gen. John Allen, the former commander of American forces in Afghanistan and former special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS under the Obama administration, wrote in an op-ed for Foreign Policy that "to even the casual observer, Monday was awful for the United States and its democracy."

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Wednesday likened President Donald Trump’s church photo-op stunt to the symbolic images of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill inspecting the rubble of buildings bombed during World War II. (Maybe there is something to the "blondes are stupid" hype.)

Anderson Cooper, host of “Anderson Cooper 360,” noted how Churchill saw combat, was a prisoner of war, wrote books and was “one of the greatest orators in modern times.” Trump? Not so much.

Nearly 2 million more Americans filed unemployment claims last week - an enormous number that is nevertheless the lowest since the outbreak began spreading widely in March, leading some to hope the economy may have stopped its free fall.

President Donald Trump may no longer be hunkering down in a bunker, but he does seem to be building a lot more fencing around the White House. CNN reporter Betsy Klein on Thursday posted a video showing a massive amount of new fencing being built at the White House, which is part of an effort to limit anti-police brutality protesters’ ability to demonstrate directly in front of the building. Some noted that Mexico might pay for this wall. Lol.

President Donald Trump promised his longtime informal political adviser Roger Stone would not serve time in prison, revealing the convicted Republican provocateur “can sleep well at night” and reprising his fiery criticisms of former special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe. Sounds like judicial interference to me.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced on Thursday that the state will remove the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from Richmond's historic Monument Avenue.

A Trump replay from March 4^th: Trump while touring the CDC in Atlanta said, “Anybody right now, and yesterday, right now that needs a test gets a test. They’re there. They have the test. The tests are beautiful. Anybody who needs a test gets a test. You have to be calm. It will go away.”

Later that same day, Trump says “What a problem.  Came out of nowhere.”

The US has 1,838,521 ð 1,857,612 ð 1,880,542 coronavirus cases with 106,101 ð 107,045 ð 108,117 deaths.

Per Medellin Guru, as of this afternoon Colombia has a total of 31,833 ð 33,354 ð 35,120 cases with 1,087 deaths.  Medellin has 578 ð 594  ð 607 cases, an increase of 13 from June 3^rd to June 4^th. Looking at the 6-day average Colombia’s curve is still on an upward trajectory. (We'll see how things go with the current reopening of the economy.)

Joke of the day

A 19-year-old Italian girl tells her Mom that she has missed her period for two months. Very worried, the mother goes to the drugstore and buys a pregnancy kit. The test result shows that the girl is pregnant.

Shouting, cursing, and crying, the mother says, "Who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!" The girl cries and says she only dated the man for a few weeks. She picks up the phone and makes a call. Half an hour later, a Ferrari stops in front of their house. A mature and distinguished man with gray hair and impeccably dressed in an Armani suit steps out of the Ferrari and enters the house.

He sits in the living room with the father, mother, and the girl and tells them: "Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem. I can't marry her because of my personal family situation but I'll take charge. I will pay all costs and provide for your daughter for the rest of her life."

"Additionally, if a girl is born, I will bequeath a Ferrari, a beach house, two retail stores, a townhouse, a beachfront villa, and a $2,000,000 bank account. If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couple of factories and a $4,000,000 bank account. If twins, they will receive a factory and $2,000,000 each.  However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest I do?"

At this point, the father, who had remained silent, places a hand firmly on the man's shoulder and tells him in a serious voice: "You go out on another date!"