the less necessary parts

"met with hadley, our clerke, who, upon my asking how the plague goes, he told me it increases much, and much in our parish; for, says he, there died nine this week, though i have returned but six; which is a very ill practice, and makes me think it so in other places; and therefore the plague much greater than people take it to be." diary of samule pepys. 30 august 1665.

is this "worse than people take it to be"? perhaps...not to reduce this to a numbers game...however numbers are all i have to go on and that they may be unreliable is probably an understatement...the cdc cites 15219 cases today...up 4777 from yesterday with 201 deaths which is 51 added to yesterday's total...hardly exponential growth in cases or deaths...my state has 51 more cases ( two more in my home county ) and no additional deaths...again hardly explosive growth...the state has tested 554 people out of 7 million or so...so...again...they haven't a clue about real numbers and this could be far more widespread than the number indicate...a fair amount of uncertainty which is at least one factor in the panic buying that continues unabated around here...and presumably almost everywhere else...

the media is still working at doing its part...earlier to day the n y times announced the "stay at home" order in california...if you look at the upper right of the paper you'll see "the market" was still in the green at that point...

a few hours later the times announced the "stay at home" order in new york and the markets tanked...coincidence? probably...however i know people who steadfastly refuse to believe in coincidence...that most of them subscribe to conspiracy theories is a given...that doesn't make them incorrect all the time...just in need of an explanation...any explanation that reinforces their worldview...whatever the reason____________________________

"All master-workmen in manufactures, especially such as belonged to ornament and the less necessary parts of the people's dress, clothes, and furniture for houses, such as riband-weavers and other weavers, gold and silver lace makers, and gold and silver wire drawers, sempstresses, milliners, shoemakers, hatmakers, and glovemakers; also upholsterers, joiners, cabinet-makers, looking-glass makers, and innumerable trades which depend upon such as these;—I say, the master-workmen in such stopped their work, dismissed their journeymen and workmen, and all their dependents." daniel defoe. a journal of the plague year____________

the market reacted...and will continue in its 21st century schizoid path for the nonce...the jitters will not subside any more readily than this virus...so what have i done today in plague terms? i pared my fingernails down to the quick...less place for a virus to hide from the soap...beyond that i went for a drive around the industrial farm fields south of here and wrote a blog post about erosion...i carted some trash and some empty cardboard boxes out of the basement to the trash/recycling...had a mug of tea ( a gift from a close friend ) and some lunch..there may be some reading going on after this...i did not buy paper products, cleaning products, bread, milk, isopropyl alcohol, or bleach...and would not have even if there were any on offer...i have washed my hands and disinfected "often touched surfaces" with what is on hand here...that is enough for today...tomorrow will have to take care of itself.