Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro boasted that his citizens are immune to the coronavirus because they have the magical ability to wallow in human waste “and nothing happens,” reports The Guardian. “They never catch anything. You see some bloke jumping into the sewage, he gets out, has a dive, right? And nothing happens to him,” he told reporters.

Unfortunately, Bolsonaro's magical thinking appears to be immune to the wily virus:

On Thursday Brazil’s health ministry said that its coronavirus death toll had risen to 77, up from 46 on Tuesday. So far 2,915 cases have been confirmed.

A report in the Folha de S~ao Paulo, a leading Brazilian broadsheet, suggested there had been a “vertiginous” rise in the number of people being admitted to hospital with severe respiratory failure since late February when the Covid-19 case was detected.

Image: By Marcelo Camargo/Ag^encia Brasil - http://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/politica/foto/2014-02/congresso-promulga-emenda-constitucional-77?id=78867, CC BY 3.0 br, Link Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/president-bolsonaro-boasts-tha.html

The House of Representatives just passed the CARES Act, a $2 trillion coronavirus/COVID-19 stimulus and relief bill, by voice vote. It’s now headed to the White House for impeached president Donald Trump's signature.

The coronavirus bill promises direct payments of $1,200 to every United States resident with a social security number who makes up to $75,000 per year.

Residents who make up to $99,000 a year will get smaller checks.

Residents who make more than $99,000, you will receive nothing.

Good luck, everyone.

[IMAGE: CSPAN]

House just passed the coronavirus bill, which will give a direct payments of $1,200 to every US resident with a social security number who makes up to $75,000 per year. < $99K will get smaller checks, > $99K no check https://t.co/aAxoxIyaMr

 Sarah Mimms (@mimms) March 27, 2020

.@RepThomasMassie objected to the vote because of a lack of quorum. The Chair determined there was a quorum present. H.R. 748 passed by voice.

 House Press Gallery (@HouseDailyPress) March 27, 2020

House approves the $2 trillion #CoronavirusReliefBill. It now comes here to the @WhiteHouse where @POTUS has said he'd immediately sign it. pic.twitter.com/HKZfZ7XFgM

 Steve Herman (@W7VOA) March 27, 2020

WASHINGTON (AP) - House OKs $2.2T rescue package for virus-ravaged economy and health system, rushing it to Trump for his signature.

 Matt Lee (@APDiploWriter) March 27, 2020

That’s it. In less than one minute, the relief package has passed over Massie objection

 Garrett Haake (@GarrettHaake) March 27, 2020

That really was an empty, dangerous and expensive gesture, pulling 200-plus people back to the Capitol #coronavirus

 Patricia Zengerle (@ReutersZengerle) March 27, 2020

C-SPAN's cameras are outside the Capitol as members leave after the vote.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/coronavirus-relief-package-pas.html

No, that isn't a deepfake. In 1973, the stock market crashed and an Arab oil embargo resulted in a gas crisis. With that as the context, a (false) rumor of a toilet paper shortage emerged and spread like wildfire via news outlets before it was further fueled by Johnny Carson (who later apologized). It's a fascinating story of shortage psychology and panic buying. From Priceonomics:

In November of 1973, several news agencies reported a tissue shortage in Japan. Initially, the release went unnoticed and nobody seemed to put much stock in it -- save for one Harold V. Froelich. Froelich, a 41-year-old Republican congressman, presided over a heavily-forested district in Wisconsin and had recently been receiving complaints from constituents about a reduced stream of pulp paper. On November 16th, he released his own press statement -- “The Government Printing Office is facing a serious shortage of paper” -- to little fanfare.

However, a few weeks later, Froelich uncovered a document that indicated the government’s National Buying Center had fallen far short of securing bids to provide toilet paper for its troops and bureaucrats. On December 11, he issued another, more serious press release: “The U.S. may face a serious shortage of toilet paper within a few months...we hope we don’t have to ration toilet tissue...a toilet paper shortage is no laughing matter. It is a problem that will potentially touch every American.”

In the climate of shortages, oil scares, and economic duress, Froelich’s claim was absorbed without an iota of doubt, and the media ran wild with it.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/watch-johnny-carson-on-the-toi.html

 

Maybe it's just me, but when Bill Gates talks about how to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, I trust him more than Donald Trump, Rush Limbaugh, or Ann Coulter.

Here @AnnCoulter I fixed it for you: pic.twitter.com/4ZTr5LJKCg

 Teapot Dome was Amateur Hour! (@HarrenGWarding) March 24, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/bill-gates-on-cnn-returning-t.html

Stray cats follows you into the store and guides you to his fav cat food from r/funny

Lacking money and hands, this cat was waiting for someone with both to come along and offer assistance. I hope this little gal or feller gets adopted soon. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/stray-cat-leads-convenience-st.html

Actor Mark Blum, famous for his roles in Crocodile Dundee and my favorite — the memorable uptight nerd-yuppie husband in Desperately Seeking Susan, which starred Madonna and Roseanne Arquette, has died of COVID-19.

From CNN:

Mark Blum, a veteran stage actor known for films including "Desperately Seeking Susan" and "Crocodile Dundee," has died due to complications from Covid-19, according to a statement released by the Screen Actors Guild.

Blum was 69.

Though he was perhaps best known for the 1985 film "Desperately Seeking Susan," in which he starred alongside Madonna and Rosanna Arquette, he most recently appeared in supporting TV roles on the HBO series "Succession," the Netflix drama "You" and Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle."

He was a staple in the New York theater community, frequently appearing on Broadway, including the revival of "Twelve Angry Men," though he appeared off Broadway much more often. Blum was a regular player with Playwrights Horizons, an off-Broadway theater in New York. The company remembered him on Twitter.

With love and heavy hearts, Playwrights Horizons pays tribute to Mark Blum, a dear longtime friend and a consummate artist who passed this week. Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theater, and to theaters and audiences across the world. We will miss you. pic.twitter.com/NMVZFB5hPb

 Playwrights Horizons (@phnyc) March 26, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/rip-desperately-seeking-sus.html

I am sure this guy squealed. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/informer-by-snow-still-cra.html

Bob Dylan just released his first new song in eight years. It's a 17-minute murder ballad about the assassination of John F. Kennedy. From the lyrics to Murder Most Foul:

“It was a dark day in Dallas, November ’63. The day that will live on in infamy. President Kennedy was a-riding high, good day to be living and good day to die.”

Greetings to my fans and followers with gratitude for all your support and loyalty across the years.This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting.Stay safe, stay observant and may God be with you.Bob Dylanhttps://t.co/uJnE4X64Bb

 bobdylan.com (@bobdylan) March 27, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/27/bob-dylan-just-released-a-17-m.html

You probably have a lot of items in your home that you'd hate to lose to theft or damage. While certainly no one ever hopes to fall victim to a natural disaster or home invasion, you need to be prepared just in case it does happen. When it comes to choosing a reliable renters insurance, it might be worth looking outside the more traditional options. Like Lemonade, for example. This trending technology-driven insurance company has a primary goal of making the lives of both renters and homeowners easier (and headache-free).

How Lemonade is different

If you've ever had the unfortunate experience of submitting a typical insurance claim, you understand the frustration the process strikes up: endless back and forth between agents, a lot of fine print to decipher, and of course — the endless wait for the much-needed funds from your claim to process (if you even actually end up winning it). Lemonade wants to put an end to all that financial and emotional toil: its state-of-the-art service is intuitive, the customer service is impeccable, and best of all, your claims are processed in as little as three seconds.

Here's how Lemonade works: powered by AI technology, you can get set up with a customized insurance plan tailored to your individual needs. Just answer a few questions, and you'll be able to review a plan that you can further adjust — and you pay immediately for it (no paperwork or call wait times to deal with). Lemonade also works by a flat fee, with rental insurance starting as low as $5 a month and homeowners insurance available for $25 a month. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/this-tech-powered-renters-an.html

Congratulations! The United States of America now has more coronavirus cases than any other country, at least as far as test results go. With 83,507 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Doom Board, we're leaving China (81,782) and Italy (80,589) in our wake. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/u-s-now-has-most-coronavirus.html

Sadly, Adams passed away in 2014 of a heart attack while on vacation. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/skate-legend-jay-adams-was-sti.html

An appropriate book for this time, Soviet-era dystopian fiction grandmasters Boris and Arkady Strugatski considered Snail On The Slope "the most perfect and the most valuable of their works."

Snail on The Slope is comprised of two separate storylines, taking place in and on the edge of The Forest. Together they paint a vivid picture of how modern society is not prepared for the future it is driving towards.

The Bureaucracy has established The Administration on the edge of The Forest. Peretz, a visiting philosopher enthralled with the idea of The Forest but unable to gain clearance to actually see it just wants to leave. Every day he is promised a ride back to civilization, but it never comes. Evicted from the hotel and with his visa revoked, Peretz is suddenly outside a system that doesn't even work when you are ensconced within.

Candide is a survivor of a crashed Administration helicopter in The Forest. Initially, he encounters villagers who appear to be current-ish era humans losing their technology, science, and civilization in a future where physics and biology are evolving faster than they are. Exploring The Forest even slightly more introduces him to new cultures he and the remnants of his humanity could not have predicted or prepared for.

I highly recommend Snail on the Slope.

The Snail on the Slope (Rediscovered Classics) Kindle Editionby Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Olena Bormashenko (Author, Translator) via Amazon Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/dystopian-masterpieces-the-st.html

Does anyone ever read the introductory paragraph preceding a listicle like this? I sure don't. I always skip straight to the numbered list. So without further ado, here are the 5 types of villains making the pandemic worse for everyone else:

1. DENIERS

People who are hostile to science, evangelical Christians, sociopaths, members of Trump's loyalty cult, social media toilet lickers, and those whose investment portfolios are under threat.

Credo: "Coronavirus is George Soros / Bill Gates / libtard-concocted fake news designed to hurt God Emperor Trump."

Exemplars:

Bloviator / racist hatemonger Rush Limbaugh: "The coronavirus is the common cold, folks.” Disgraced failed senate candidate Roy Moore: "Businesses are closed, our economy is destroyed and churches are closed by tyrants who pander fear in the place of faith in God and our U S Constitution" Unfairly photo-shopped Jerry Falwell Jr: “Shame on the media for trying to fan [coronavirus] up and destroy the American economy. They’re willing to destroy the economy just to hurt Trump.” Former Ms. Nevada State 2019 Katie Williams: "I just went to a crowded Red Robin and I'm 30. It was delicious, and I took my sweet time eating my meal. Because this is America. And I'll do what I want." Attorney Scott A. McMillan: "The fundamental problem is whether we are going to tank the entire economy to save 2.5% of the population which is (1) generally expensive to maintain, and (2) not productive."

2. HOARDERS

People who buy up vast amounts of toilet paper, particle masks, disinfectant wipes, and food, either out of fear or to seize an opportunity to profit through price gouging. Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/the-5-types-of-pandemic-villia.html

The legendary Fred "Curly" Neal of the Harlem Globetrotters died this morning. He was 77. I remember the first time I saw the Globetrotters as a kid in the late 1970s. I was disappointed when the team was introduced and Curly was nowhere to be seen. Then suddenly, one of the players tore off another's afro wig and we realized it was Curly in disguise! From ESPN:

"We have lost one of the most genuine human beings the world has ever known," Globetrotters general manager Jeff Munn said in a statement. "Curly's basketball skill was unrivaled by most, and his warm heart and huge smile brought joy to families worldwide. He always made time for his many fans and inspired millions."

Neal played in more than 6,000 games in 97 countries for the barnstorming Globetrotters from 1963 to 1985, when the team appeared in numerous televised specials, talk shows, television shows and even cartoons that included the team's own animated series [first episode below].

Fred “Curly” Neal – the Harlem Globetrotters icon known worldwide for his trademark shaved head and charismatic smile – passed away this morning in his home outside of Houston at the age of 77. pic.twitter.com/JdZa6zTvZU

 Harlem Globetrotters (@Globies) March 26, 2020

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/the-harlem-globetrotters-fre.html

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/thank-you-all-in-emergency-f.html

A woman thought it would be good fun to enter a Pennsylvania grocery store and cough on produce, meat, and other fresh food. As a result, the store threw all the food (worth $35,000) she came in contact with away.

From NBC News:

[Gerrity's supermarket co-owner Joe] Fasula said his staff "did the best they could to get the woman out of the store as fast as possible" and get police on the scene. He added that the local district attorney's office said it will pursue charges against the woman.

The Hanover Township Police Department confirmed in a statement that it is investigating the incident and that charges would be filed against the suspect, who underwent a mental health evaluation.

Image: Facebook Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/grocery-store-throws-away-35k.html

My, how the tables have turned.

Many Americans are relocating from their homes to far-flung places to escape the coronavirus outbreak.

This, public health officials tell us, only worsens the outbreak -- they can carry the virus without any symptoms.

A growing number of people in Mexico want their government to crack down on the reportedly growing number of American citizens who are fleeing south to escape Trump's colossal mismanagement of the worsening U.S. outbreak.

Customs and Border Protection quietly requested 1,540 military personnel to assist with border enforcement, citing migrants' "potential to spread infectious disease" per DHS memo leaked to me.

1,000 troops would go to the Canadian border: https://t.co/ARxTjp3MWF pic.twitter.com/1H4jrwkVSU

 Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) March 26, 2020

From BBC News:

Residents in Sonora, south of the US state of Arizona, have promised to block traffic into Mexico for a second day after closing a checkpoint for hours on Wednesday. They wore face masks and held signs telling Americans to "stay at home".Mexico has fewer than 500 confirmed Covid-19 cases and the US over 65,000.

The border is supposed to be closed to all except "essential" business, but protesters said there has been little enforcement and no testing by authorities.

The blockade was led by members of a Sonora-based group, Health and Life, who called for medical testing to be done on anyone who crosses from the US into Mexico.

Jose Luis Hernandez, a group member, told the Arizona Republic: "There are no health screenings by the federal government to deal with this pandemic.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/mexicans-want-crackdown-on-cor.html

Wouldn't it be amazing if the United States did this?

Britain’s finance minister Rishi Sunak said Thursday all self-employed citizens will receive a taxable grant of 80% of their average monthly profits as part of the government’s coronavirus response plan.

From Reuters:

“The government will pay self-employed people who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus a taxable grant worth 80% of their average monthly profits over the last 3 years up to 2,500 pounds per month,” Sunak said at the government’s daily news conference.

“It will be open to anyone with trading profits up to 50,000 pounds,” he added.

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/in-coronavirus-shutdown-brita.html

Stuck at home? Us too. And all anyone can think about is food.

Stuffing your face for hours on end is definitely not a good way to stay healthy right now, but if you're going to do it anyway (let's be real—your original stash is already gone), why not improve what you're snacking on?

No, we're not saying to munch on baby carrots and call yourself satisfied. Instead, drop the guilt but none of the enjoyment and snack on this electrolyte-infused popcorn.

An organic, low-calorie, gluten-free and tasty treat, lytepop has more fiber and fewer calories (just 70!) per 14g serving than Smartfood popcorn, these portion-controlled bags are the key to balancing your nutrition routine while you're spending a heck of a lot of time doing a heck of a lot of not much.

Popcorn, in general, is a great snack. Because it's a whole-grain food, it's naturally high in several important nutrients and helps boost heart health. And because of its fiber content, you get digestive health benefits along with the bonus of feeling fuller, which is super helpful for bridging the hunger gap between meals and for keeping you from way overdoing it on snack calories.

This lytepop version is made with a superior kernel variety that produces larger, fluffier pops with exceptional taste, so you'll still get that same snacking joy. The added electrolytes provide the body essential minerals that aid in hydrating to help prevent fatigue and muscle cramping, which will you do some good whether you're conference calling from your couch or you're still committed to your fitness routine (high five to you, btw). Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/lytepop-electrolyte-infused-po.html

Canada is not super cool with plans by impeached U.S. president Donald Trump to send a thousand (maybe fewer) U.S. troops to the U.S.-Canada border. Trump says militarizing the border is good because he's worried things will become so desperate in the U.S. with the pandemic, Americans will flee north to escape the oncoming coronavirus hellscape.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Trump's plan is unnecessary because it makes no sense as a response to the coronavirus outbreak, and that it would damage relations between the two countries.

From Reuters:

Trump is expected to send fewer than 1,000 troops to the Canadian border, two U.S. government officials told Reuters. They would help enforce the ban on non-essential crossings due to the coronavirus pandemic, one of the officials said.

It would be “an entirely unnecessary step that we would view as damaging to our relationship,” Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told reporters at a news conference. She said she had first heard about plans to deploy troops “a couple of days ago”, and said Canada had made its position clear to various members of the U.S. administration.

Earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also discouraged militarizing the border. “Canada and the United States have the longest unmilitarized border in the world and it is very much in both of our interests for it to remain that way,” Trudeau said. “We have been in discussions with the United States on this,” he told a news conference, without giving details.

Read more: Canada calls Trump plan to deploy troops at border unnecessary and damaging

Canada says it is strongly opposed to the US putting troops on the border https://t.co/CCp5lTm6XR

Read the rest

https://boingboing.net/2020/03/26/canada-not-okay-with-trump-sen.html