Brad

This article might be helpful for people with older parents. How to Protect Older People From the Coronavirus

I understand your perspective. Unfortunately, we can’t rely on the federal government; their response has been putrid but let’s not get too political as we’re all probably on the same page when it comes to that. Except for going to doctors or the grocery store, I’ve cut off my social interactions completely: no more gym, no more bookstores or record stores, restaurants and our library is closing tomorrow for at least a month. It's hunker down time. I’m turning 70 this year and my wife 71. We are in good health (no underlying conditions, my wife’s recent heart surgery notwithstanding) and just hope we make it through.

I don’t agree it’s being weaponized and it is damn serious but some articles and television broadcast coverage are raising the anxiety level and that’s just not helpful. The Times and other newspapers have articles with dos and donts and those are helpful but predicting how many may die and so forth are not in that category.

I don’t find articles like these particularly helpful. It just creates further anxiety and there is enough of that already. At this point we know what we must do.

Thanks. I know she’s feeling better when she won’t let me do things anymore.

It wasn’t the final cut because there’s no plantation scene. The movie ends with Martin Sheen saying “the horror.” The way I remember it when I first saw it was with Kurtz’s being destroyed and the Doors singing. I was expecting this when I saw it last night so that surprised me.

Although not my idea for reading, here's an article on books about pandemics such as The Plague and Station Eleven. Your Quarantine Reader

Apocalypse Now. Still a strange movie.

She went to her cardiologist yesterday and he was quite pleased with her progress; she’s ahead of where he expected her to be. Good news!

A flash sale from NYRB Classics. https://www.nyrb.com/collections/ides-of-march-flash-sale?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NYRB%20Ides%20of%20March%20Flash%20Sale%202020&utm_content=NYRB%20Ides%20of%20March%20Flash%20Sale%202020+CID_4d0c1e0cab8148bf16d463680955e2f1&utm_source=Newsletter&utm_term=Browse%20the%20books

The only thing I was doing in that article (besides going to the grocery store) was going to the gym, which I’ve decided to curtail. We have a lot of walking paths around here so that’s what I will be doing.

I went out tonight to the local Shoprite to see if it was bad. It was. All the produce had been purchased. I was hoping to buy a couple of honeydews but had to settle for a couple of cantaloupes. People had their carts loaded to the gills. I purchased two big bags of rice last weekend from the Chinese food store, just because we were low, so we certainly have enough rice for awhile, come what may. I always complain to my wife that she buys too much of this or that. I ain’t complaining no more.

Your soul collection must be amazing. You’re not the Soul-pope for nothing.

Narcos Mexico 2. Well done. Machiavellian.

That goes double!

Creedence - Willie and the Poor Boys

In times like these, I want to avoid reading books like The Plague or seeing Contagion, which Wesley Morris in the New York Times recently discussed.

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about it.

Spain’s football league has been suspended for two weeks and Real Madrid players are in quarantine.

Can other sports be far behind?

That’s a good one.

I think they governors have been doing this to make giving aid easier to those who need it. I’m trying to limit going out to places such as the grocery store and as soon as I get back in the car I use the sanitizer.