Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 206
March 21, 2020
March 21, 2020: First round action concludes in our Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tourney! Newsletter Update!
The final first round match-up in our Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament pits two of my favorites against each other –
It’s I Should’ve Spaced You When I Had the Chance vs Isn’t That A Paradox?
Cast your votes!
First round action concludes in the #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament!
Choose between I Should Have Spaced You When I Had the Chance and Isn't That A Paradox?
Vote!
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 21, 2020
As I mentioned yesterday, I’m putting together a little something for Dark Matter fans. It’s going to be a blast and you will NOT want to miss it. Details to come!
The newsletter update (links embedded within the headlines):
A great little tutorial on proper hand washing. This is how the surgeons do it!
A good illustration of why the surgical hand washing technique is really very important pic.twitter.com/zI3W5Ym4ZA
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 21, 2020
Please don’t flush disinfectant wipes down the toilet
How coronavirus will change the world
If some idiot like Dr. Drew tells you you’re overreacting, show them this article
From an "essential" shipping worker.. It’s getting bad, already. from China_Flu
The virus appears to be more fatal for men than women
Doctor who helped defeat smallpox reveals what’s coming
How the W.H.O. really dropped the ball
It’s necessary. Why? Because = idiots.
Things looking bad for the U.S.
“Masks don’t work” is incorrect at best, an outright lie at worst.
How Taiwan and Singapore stayed on top of this thing
Streaming services offering free 30 day trials
The post March 21, 2020: First round action concludes in our Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tourney! Newsletter Update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 20, 2020
March 21, 2020: Out and about – but not! Another update!
Ready for our morning walk!
Akemi is a big fan of medical masks. They’re quite common in Japan, worn by sick individuals who don’t want to infect others, and by healthy individuals who don’t want to get sick. When, a few weeks ago, the experts started telling the public that “masks don’t work”, Akemi’s response was “Bullshit!”. And, of course, it IS bullshit. Really, these “experts” should have just been honest with the public and just said: “We fucked up. We had three months of warnings that this would happen but we failed to take preventative measures and didn’t stock up to protect our healthcare professionals. We have been caught with our pants down and we’re sorry.” But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
For my part, I’m going maskless – for now, as I’m only really going out to walk Suji at the park (or occasionally going out to pick up eats). Yesterday, we had to go to the bank for what turned out to be an alarmingly all-too-long twenty minute visit. But Akemi had me covered.
Literally.
Planning something special for you Dark Matter fans. I’ll have more details for you early next week!
The Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament continues! Choose between –
Episode 1 and Episode 7!
The #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament continues with Round 1 action!
It's Episode 1 vs Episode 7!
Pilot vs Wendy the Robot!
Vote!
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 20, 2020
Your daily Covid-19 news update (links embedded in the headlines):
How power companies are keeping your lights on during the pandemic
There’s a correlation between the severity of Covid-19 and the by means by which it is contracted
Infection via contact results in milder cases than infection through lungs
How people in Nanjing went from 93 infections to 0 infections:
And how a small Italian city eradicated the virus. Spoiler Alert! They tested everyone!
If we go into full isolation for four weeks, we can get on top of this.
How long will the shutdown take? Short segment from my call with @nntaleb pic.twitter.com/Csz0GgcwZj
— Yaneer Bar-Yam (@yaneerbaryam) March 19, 2020
I’ve been saying this all along. America needs to pick it up!
An unprepared New York could run out of medical supplies in 2-3 weeks
Drugmaker brings down the price of chloroquine, a promising treatment
We’ve all heard of scaremongering – but in Canada, we have caremongering
Bored? The internet to the rescue!
The post March 21, 2020: Out and about – but not! Another update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not! Another update!
Ready for our morning walk!
Akemi is a big fan of medical masks. They’re quite common in Japan, worn by sick individuals who don’t want to infect others, and by healthy individuals who don’t want to get sick. When, a few weeks ago, the experts started telling the public that “masks don’t work”, Akemi’s response was “Bullshit!”. And, of course, it IS bullshit. Really, these “experts” should have just been honest with the public and just said: “We fucked up. We had three months of warnings that this would happen but we failed to take preventative measures and didn’t stock up to protect our healthcare professionals. We have been caught with our pants down and we’re sorry.” But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
For my part, I’m going maskless – for now, as I’m only really going out to walk Suji at the park (or occasionally going out to pick up eats). Yesterday, we had to go to the bank for what turned out to be an alarmingly all-too-long twenty minute visit. But Akemi had me covered.
Literally.
Planning something special for you Dark Matter fans. I’ll have more details for you early next week!
The Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament continues! Choose between –
Episode 1 and Episode 7!
The #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament continues with Round 1 action!
It's Episode 1 vs Episode 7!
Pilot vs Wendy the Robot!
Vote!
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 20, 2020
Your daily Covid-19 news update (links embedded in the headlines):
How power companies are keeping your lights on during the pandemic
There’s a correlation between the severity of Covid-19 and the by means by which it is contracted
Infection via contact results in milder cases than infection through lungs
How people in Nanjing went from 93 infections to 0 infections:
And how a small Italian city eradicated the virus. Spoiler Alert! They tested everyone!
If we go into full isolation for four weeks, we can get on top of this.
How long will the shutdown take? Short segment from my call with @nntaleb pic.twitter.com/Csz0GgcwZj
— Yaneer Bar-Yam (@yaneerbaryam) March 19, 2020
I’ve been saying this all along. America needs to pick it up!
An unprepared New York could run out of medical supplies in 2-3 weeks
Drugmaker brings down the price of chloroquine, a promising treatment
We’ve all heard of scaremongering – but in Canada, we have caremongering
Bored? The internet to the rescue!
The post March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not! Another update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not really! The newsletter update!
Ready for our morning walk!
Akemi is a big fan of medical masks. They’re quite common in Japan, worn by sick individuals who don’t want to infect others, and by healthy individuals who don’t want to get sick. When, a few weeks ago, the experts started telling the public that “masks don’t work”, Akemi’s response was “Bullshit!”. And, of course, it IS bullshit. Really, these “experts” should have just been honest with the public and just said: “We fucked up. We had three months of warnings that this would happen but we failed to take preventative measures and didn’t stock up to protect our healthcare professionals. We have been caught with our pants down and we’re sorry.” But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
For my part, I’m going maskless – for now, as I’m only really going out to walk Suji at the park (or occasionally going out to pick up eats). Yesterday, we had to go to the bank for what turned out to be an alarmingly all-too-long twenty minute visit. But Akemi had me covered.
Planning something special for you Dark Matter fans. Will have more details early next week!
The Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament continues tomorrow!
*
Your daily Covid-19 news update (links embedded within the headlines):
Your global tracker
*
Under this model, researchers conclude social distancing and school closures would be in effect two months on and one month off until a vaccine is available. Whenever that is.
*
How power companies are keeping your lights on during this pandemic
*
Senate Intel chairman with insider knowledge on the burgeoning pandemic sold off stock ahead of economic downturn
*
There’s a correlation between the severity of Covid-19 and the means by which the virus is contracted.
Infection by contacts is actually milder than contracted the virus through your lungs
*
How people in Nanjing are battling the virus, going from 93 infections to 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsdJGj3-jM&feature=youtu.be
*
And how a small Italian city eradicated the virus. Spoiler alert: They tested everyone!
*
Isolate for four weeks and you can get on top of this:
https://twitter.com/yaneerbaryam/status/1240675140737908738
*
I’ve been saying this all along. America needs to pick it up!
*
An unprepared New York could run out of medical supplies in 2-3 weeks
*
Drugmaker brings down the price of chloroquine, a promising treatment in the fight against the coronavirus
*
We’ve all heard of scaremongering – but in Canada, we have caremongering
*
Drive-ins are a thing again!
*
Bored? The internet to the rescue!
*
[image error]
The post March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not really! The newsletter update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not really! The newsletter update!
Ready for our morning walk!
Akemi is a big fan of medical masks. They’re quite common in Japan, worn by sick individuals who don’t want to infect others, and by healthy individuals who don’t want to get sick. When, a few weeks ago, the experts started telling the public that “masks don’t work”, Akemi’s response was “Bullshit!”. And, of course, it IS bullshit. Really, these “experts” should have just been honest with the public and just said: “We fucked up. We had three months of warnings that this would happen but we failed to take preventative measures and didn’t stock up to protect our healthcare professionals. We have been caught with our pants down and we’re sorry.” But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
For my part, I’m going maskless – for now, as I’m only really going out to walk Suji at the park (or occasionally going out to pick up eats). Yesterday, we had to go to the bank for what turned out to be an alarmingly all-too-long twenty minute visit. But Akemi had me covered.
Planning something special for you Dark Matter fans. Will have more details early next week!
The Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament continues tomorrow!
*
Your daily Covid-19 news update (links embedded within the headlines):
Your global tracker
*
Under this model, researchers conclude social distancing and school closures would be in effect two months on and one month off until a vaccine is available. Whenever that is.
*
How power companies are keeping your lights on during this pandemic
*
Senate Intel chairman with insider knowledge on the burgeoning pandemic sold off stock ahead of economic downturn
*
There’s a correlation between the severity of Covid-19 and the means by which the virus is contracted.
Infection by contacts is actually milder than contracted the virus through your lungs
*
How people in Nanjing are battling the virus, going from 93 infections to 0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfsdJGj3-jM&feature=youtu.be
*
And how a small Italian city eradicated the virus. Spoiler alert: They tested everyone!
*
Isolate for four weeks and you can get on top of this:
https://twitter.com/yaneerbaryam/status/1240675140737908738
*
I’ve been saying this all along. America needs to pick it up!
*
An unprepared New York could run out of medical supplies in 2-3 weeks
*
Drugmaker brings down the price of chloroquine, a promising treatment in the fight against the coronavirus
*
We’ve all heard of scaremongering – but in Canada, we have caremongering
*
Drive-ins are a thing again!
*
Bored? The internet to the rescue!
*
[image error]
The post March 20, 2020: Out and about – but not really! The newsletter update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 19, 2020
March 19, 2020: My Top 10 Comic Book Reads of the Week! And your daily update!
The first few weeks of my return to reading comics offered some pretty solid reads, but this week was the best yet. A lot of really great titles that I managed to narrow down to a Top 10. But it wasn’t easy.
Nevertheless here are MY Top 10 Comic Book Reads of the Week. (My daily coronavirus-related news update appears at the bottom of this entry, if you’re interested).
#10. X-Ray Robot (Mike Allred, Laura Allred)
Max is a family man seeking a more interesting life. While conducting a new experiment at work, the fabric of his reality is torn before his eyes, and a robotic figure appears, claiming to be his 277-year-old self. The robot is able to ”X-Ray” multiple dimensions and battles a nihilistic entity from another dimension who wants to take all life to its ”Pre-Big Bang” status. Max and the robot embark on an interdimensional roadtrip through past and future to take down the ”Nihilist” and save the universe!
A pretty wacky sci-fi opener from the always atypical Mike Allred. This one promises to be a lot of fun.
#9. The Red Mother (Jeremy Haun, Danny Luckert)
As Daisy works to unravel the secrets behind her fiance’s disappearance and her own horrifying visions, she is approached by the mysterious Leland Black, a too-charming entrepreneur with an intriguing proposition. As Daisy struggles to keep both feet in reality, Leland Black might be the tipping point… one way or another.
Jeremy Haun (The Beauty) excels at the type of creeping horror that gets under your skin. An unnervingly suspenseful slow burn.
#8. Starship Down (Justin Giampaoli, Andrea Mutti, Vladimir Popov)
Mankind discovers its startling origin! A cultural anthropologist consults with US Naval Intelligence to investigate the discovery of an extraterrestrial ship buried under the ice for thousands of years in Siberia. The meddling Russians, Vatican officials, the international media spotlight, and her own insecurities all threaten her efforts to keep the fabric of society from crumbling.
Smart sci-fi with echoes of The Thing and The Arrival and an closing image that left me asking: “Wut?”
#7. Middlewest (Skottie Young, Jean-Francois Beaulieu, Jorge Corona)
Nicolas Raider’s operation is a reflection of the man himself: backbreaking work, ruthless kidnapping and mistreatment of children, the cruelty of the guards—all characteristic of and authorized by him. Everything will need to go precisely according to plan if Abel and his crew hope to make it out alive.
It’s Cool Hand Luke meets Lord of the Flies amidst a fantasyland backdrop.
#6. Jimmy Olsen #9 (Matt Fraction, Steve Lieber, Nathan Fairbairn)
Jimmy and Jix are on the run, pursued by an intergalactic death force that wants to break up their marriage by any means necessary. If they succeed in offing Jimmy, their prince regent plans to marry Jix and unite their warring empires…but Jimmy Olsen’s still busy trying to solve his own murder! (Or rather, his decoy corpse’s murder.) It’s a typical day for Superman’s pal…
This one gets the prize for the most off-the-wall entry of the week. It’s a little DC of yore, a little James Bond, and a lot of Peanuts. No, really.
#5. Guardians of the Galaxy #3 (Al Ewing, Juann Cabal, Belen Ortega, Chris Sprouse, Nina Vaqueva)
The Guardians saved the Galaxy – at great and terrible cost. And now, they have to break the news… to the Guardians. Four artists tell three stories of two bonds broken, one born again…and the birth of the West Spiral Arm Guardians!
If Al Ewing’s Guardians of the Galaxy run was a television series, I’d kill to work on it.
#4. Tartarus #2 (Johnnie Christmas, Jack Cole)
Tilde’s on the run from an empire. Klinzu has a date in a war zone. Their plan, a fiery escape to the most dangerous place in the galaxy: Tartarus.
Very intriguing character and world-building in this relatively new sci-fi entry.
#3. Spider-Woman #1 (Karla Pacheco, Pere Perez, Jung-Geun Yoon)
When the angry, irritable, and unwell Spider-Woman takes a simple security gig to help get back on her feet, she finds herself besieged by unknown forces out to destroy everything around her. What’s wrong with Jessica? Just how DID she get this job? And who are these violent lunatics who keep trying to blow her up? WHO CARES? Does Spider-Woman have someone to punch? THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.
Well, this was the surprise of the week. Great humor. And action, of course.
#2. Bang #2 (Matt Kindt, Wilfred Torres, Nayoung Kim)
A constant stream of terrorist attacks follows John Shaw, and the only thing that keeps him one step ahead is a collection of power-giving inhalers and a hatred of shoes. When he’s once again caught in the middle of a terrorist plot, Shaw finds that these random attacks may not be so random—and the fabric of reality may be at stake.
Mark Millar said it best:”‘Skip dinner and buy this book”
#1. DCeased: Unkillables #2 (Tom Taylor, Karl Mostert, Neil Edwards, Trevor Scott, Rex Lokus)
With the world ending around them, Red Hood and Batgirl take shelter in the most unlikely place: an orphanage full of children! Will they be able to protect the kids from the impending hordes of the infected streaming out of Gotham City and Blüdhaven? And elsewhere, Deathstroke, Vandal Savage, and some of DC’s worst villains battle the apocalypse out as an “Anti-Suicide Squad.” But a certain wondrous woman may not let them have it their own way!
It’s The Walking Dead meets, well, DC Comics – with a focus on the villains. Win win win!
And, your newsletter update:
I have to admit that, even though I’ve been working from home for months now, the self-quarantine has been challenging. And we’re only a few days in! Of course, having the internet makes it a lot more bearable. Speaking of which…
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/tech/netflix-internet-overload-eu/index.html
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/18/tech/zuckerberg-facebook-coronavirus-response/index.html
Finally! I figured this was a no-brainer: https://deadline.com/2020/03/kevin-bacon-6-degrees-campaign-social-distancing-1202886975/
Global tracker: https://bnonews.com/index.php/2020/02/the-latest-coronavirus-cases/
Canada stepping up to help its citizens: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2020/03/canadas-covid-19-economic-response-plan-support-for-canadians-and-businesses.html
How the U.S. and South Korea took different approaches to the virus – and the consequences: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-testing-specialrep-idUSKBN2153BW
In spite of news to the contrary, things are NOT back to normal in China: https://time.com/5804136/china-coronavirus-quarantine-new-normal/
Taiwan should be a part of the WHO: https://time.com/5805629/coronavirus-taiwan/
*
Much of this could have been avoided had the Chinese authorities acted swiftly instead of suppressing news of the virus: https://www.reddit.com/r/China_Flu/comments/fkz25v/a_study_has_indicated_that_if_chinese_authorities/
Medical professionals coming out of retirement to help with the burgeoning crisis: https://nypost.com/2020/03/18/in-one-day-1000-nyc-doctors-and-nurses-enlist-to-battle-coronavirus/
And, in Italy, med school students skip final exams and go right to work: https://www.newsweek.com/italy-coronavirus-covid-19-medical-students-1492996
Coronavirus can leave some with 20-30% lung damage: https://www.sciencealert.com/even-those-who-recover-from-corona-can-be-left-gasping-for-breath-afterwards
Just older people and those with underlying health conditions? New figures beg to differ: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/health/coronavirus-young-people.html?referringSource=articleShare
Microbiologist says if people continue to eat wild animals, the next pandemic could be even worse: https://www.thestandard.com.hk/breaking-news/section/4/144036/Microbiologists-mock-conspiracy-claims-on-Wuhan-virus
Promising clinical trials! https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1240314674358505473.html
Colorado’s 1600% surge in unemployment applications crashes the labor department’s website: https://www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-colorado-unemployment-applications-website-jobs-1492968
Idiots: https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1240354656494268419
And more idiots: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pastor-defies-coronavirus-ban-as-hundreds-attend-church/ar-BB11nsyC
A full lockdown looms: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/18/america-united-states-lockdown-coming/
We may be here a while: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/19/health/us-coronavirus-case-updates-thursday/index.html
I miss Japan: https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200318/p2a/00m/0na/014000c
It’s amazing how human ingenuity allows us to adapt: https://www.reviewjournal.com/business/las-vegas-strip-club-to-offer-drive-through-peep-show-1985402/
[image error]
The post March 19, 2020: My Top 10 Comic Book Reads of the Week! And your daily update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 18, 2020
March 18, 2020: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers! And newsletter update!
Since many of you have requested it, I’ll be including a daily Covid-19-related news update at the end of each blog entry (for those interested).
For those of you at home, this might be an opportunity to discover a new title, writer, or artist. If you can’t visit your local comic store, you can order digital copies of new releases, graphic novels, and back issues online. I use: Comixology
With regard to these week’s comic book covers – these were my favorites…
Alienated #2 (cover art by Joe Quinones)
Aquaman #58 (cover art by Jeremy F. Roberts)
Archangel #1 (cover art by Jeff Dekal)
Batman #91 (cover art by Francesco Mattina)
Batman: Alfred Pennyworth (cover art by Alex Ross)
Captain America #20 (cover art by Alex Ross)
Heartbeat #5 (cover art by Tula Lotay)
Hotell #1 (cover art by Karen Andrews)
Justice League #43 (cover art by Jamal Campbell)
Captain Marvel #16 (cover art x 2 by Mark Brooks)
Dragonfly & Dragonflyman #5 (cover art by Jamal Igle)
Excalibur #9 (cover art by Marcos Martin)
Iron Age 2020 #1 (cover art by Rahzzah)
Marvels X #3 (cover art by Alex Ross)
Red Sonja: Age of Chaos #3 (cover art by Derrick Chew)
Robin 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular #1 (cover art by Derrick Chew)
Spider-Woman #1 (cover art by Stanley Lau)
The Red Mother (cover art by Jeremy Haun)
Unbound #5 (cover art by Josh Burns)
So, which were YOUR favorites?
The daily update:
Coronavirus global tracker: https://bnonews.com/index.php/2020/02/the-latest-coronavirus-cases/
*
How we respond to this NOW will make a huge difference: https://twitter.com/jeremycyoung/status/1239975682643357696
The actual report: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/media/imperial-college/medicine/sph/ide/gida-fellowships/Imperial-College-COVID19-NPI-modelling-16-03-2020.pdf
Doubling times and projections. Scary! : https://www.danreichart.com/covid19
How long will this quarantine last? Possibly longer than 2 weeks: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/18/surgeon-general-social-distancing-not-enough-135377
Canada and the U.S. about to close their border to non-essential travel: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/coronavirus-march-18-covid19-canada-world-1.5501240
The WHO recommends AVOID taking ibuprofen for Covid-19 systems. That’s Aspirin and Advil (to name a few). Tylenol is the safer alternative, but fever is your body’s response to the virus so consider not taking either:
https://www.sciencealert.com/who-recommends-to-avoid-taking-ibuprofen-for-covid-19-symptoms
Good news. According to China, a Japanese drug was very effective in treating the coronavirus: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/japanese-flu-drug-clearly-effective-in-treating-coronavirus-says-china
Bleach is NOT the answer: https://www.lifezette.com/2020/03/poison-control-begs-people-to-stop-drinking-bleach-to-fight-coronavirus/
Many regular folks with symptoms being denied testing: coved-19: https://www.star-telegram.com/news/coronavirus/article241270066.html
Meanwhile, they managed to test entire NBA teams, almost all of whom were asymptomatic: https://mondestuff.com/coronavirus/mayor-de-blasio-we-wish-them-a-speedy-recovery-but-with-all-due-respect-an-entire-nba-team-should-not-get-tested-for-covid-19-while-there-are-critically-ill-patients-waiting-to-be-tested-tests-s/
There seems to be a testing divide: https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/famous-people-normal-people-tests?utm_source=dynamic&utm_campaign=bfsharetwitter
*
Amazon hiring 100k employees to meet surging demand: https://blog.aboutamazon.com/operations/amazon-opening-100000-new-roles
Meanwhile, Florida Governor refuses to shut down beaches. Spring Break must go on, I guess: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-governor-refuses-shut-down-beaches-amid-spread-coronavirus-n1162226
Elon Musk is an idiot: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1239031946962808832
He attempted to deem one of this Tesla factory an essential service. That didn’t fly: https://www.wired.com/story/sheriff-tells-tesla-not-essential-musk-thinks/?mbid=social_twitter&utm_campaign=wired&utm_brand=wired&utm_source=twitter&utm_social-type=owned&utm_medium=social
This doesn’t bode well. In Connecticut, 22,000 unemployments claims were made over Monday and Tuesday. The usual number is 3,000 – 3,500 a week: https://www.courant.com/business/hc-biz-unemployment-claims-20200317-uuiam6g2t5b6pczsouacogzenm-story.html
Volunteers 3D print unobtainable $11k medical valves at a cost of $1, only to have the original manufacturer threaten to sue them: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20200317/04381644114/volunteers-3d-print-unobtainable-11000-valve-1-to-keep-covid-19-patients-alive-original-manufacturer-threatens-to-sue.shtml
A supermarket in Denmark came up with clever way to keep people from hoarding hand sanitizer. Special sale! One for regular price! Two for x 25 regular price! https://twitter.com/_schuermann/status/1239294777452974080
History of pandemics:
The post March 18, 2020: Week’s Best Comic Book Covers! And newsletter update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 17, 2020
March 17, 2020: Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter!
Earlier today, All the Time in the World beat out Built, Not Born to advance to second round Final Four action in our Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament.
It's the #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament!
Round 1 action!
Choose between All the Time in the World and Built, Not Born! (Refresher images below)
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 16, 2020
Today, two more episodes face off. It’s #2 vs #7, Kill Them All vs We Voted Not To Space You.
Click on the link below to vote!
It's the #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament!
Round 1 action!
Choose between Kill Them All and We Voted Not To Space You.
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 17, 2020
I hesitate to call this Quarantine Day #2 since, as a writer, especially one working development, I’ve been in defecto quarantine since wrapping production on my last show.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to report in from parts all over (Ireland, San Antonio, Saint John, Michigan, Quebec City, Kingston, Spain, Ottawa and Bavaria to name a few). It’s really fascinating to see how different countries are responding to the virus and how people are reacting. Reports of pubs being shut down in Ireland, choir practices canceled, fresh produce flying off shelves (but leaving scratch baking ingredients fairly untouched) – while, in other areas, it’s business as usual even to the point of ignoring requests to avoid crowds and large gatherings. Keep checking in. And would love to hear from any blog readers in Singapore, Taiwan or South Korea to discuss the great job your governments have done to combat the virus.
Pleased to hear many of you have either prepared or have support systems in place. In some cases, certain of you are taking on the responsibilities of becoming the support systems and to those (like Ponytail), I wish you uncomplicated times and nothing but positive thoughts for the good you do. Also thinking of those of you with special needs, as well as those who literally cannot afford to stay home and not work – yet have no choice but to do so.
Thanks for some of the sage advice left in the comments section, like this from reader Mike Bruce: “Best advice I have had was from a Chinese doctor not to allow my lungs to get dry & to take long steamy daily showers to keep my lungs clean making it easy to expel mucus the normal way.”
I’ve started a little morning news update for a friend to keep them abreast of coronavirus-related news. If you’re interested, I’ve copy and pasted this morning’s newsletter at the bottom of today’s entry.
More #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked:
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Actor Jeff Teravainen (@JeffTeravainen) really impressed with his nuanced portrayal of Lieutenant Anders on #DarkMatter. His performances, professionalism, and amazing attitude have ensured he will always be on my casting radar. pic.twitter.com/haTXeposoi
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 9, 2020
Alan Silberberg is a talented artist, cartoonist, children's author, and screenwriter who I had the pleasure of working with on #StudentBodies, a series he co-created, wrote for, and for which he provided all of the show's animated segment designs. pic.twitter.com/8JBVxcO2Fd
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 10, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Peter F. Woeste served as Director of Photography on 94 episodes of #StargateSG1 as well as the two #Stargate movies: Ark of Truth and Continuum. pic.twitter.com/Z5oZWWOoVl
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 11, 2020
Hand sanitizer with at least 62% alcohol content is great, but soap and water is the best! Why? Alton Brown breaks it down for you: https://laughingsquid.com/alton-brown-soap-is-better-than-hand-sanitizer/?fbclid=IwAR3ekYMoPAmJaHxtjN5UCj0gbxOftj6_qtqhEjxnfXniIOiCoUMQzoi8rjs
There’s some suggestion that the death rate skewed male in China because Chinese men smoke at a rate of 63% to Chinese women at 3%. If you smoke or vape, now might be a good time to quit.
Amazon stepping up as more people turn to online shopping for their daily needs: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-to-hire-100-000-warehouse-and-delivery-workers-amid-coronavirus-shutdowns-11584387833
On the other hand, the service industry is going to be hit hard. When we’re not eating at home, Akemi and I are going to use Ritual (or just call ahead orders for pick up) to help support the local restaurants, many of which will be operating under a take-out/delivery system only: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/restaurant-layoffs-coronavirus-risk-millions/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&linkId=84454802
Also in a bad way are the world’s airlines that face bankruptcy and are asking for a 25 billion dollar handout from the government. Them I feel a lot less sorrier for. https://diazhub.com/coronavirus-will-bankrupt-nearly-all-the-worlds-airlines-in-a-matter-of-weeks-aviation-experts-say/
Well, this is alarming. There are A LOT more cases out there than we realize. I already thought as much, but ten times as more? https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/health/coronavirus-statistics-undetected.html
Testing on potential vaccines have begun, but in all likelihood they won’t be approved for general use until next year: https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-16/coronavirus-vaccine-test-opens-as-us-volunteer-gets-1st-shot
Certain Asian countries were very proactive (unlike most of the West), immediately shutting down borders, enacting mass quarantines, and testing like hell. As a result, Taiwan, South Korea, and Singapore have seen relatively low death rates. In the case of Singapore, life is already back to normal: https://twitter.com/MsMelChen/status/1239604019460558848
Some good news. The lockdowns, especially in China, have been very good for the environment: https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/china-pollution-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html
When the governments realized that they hadn’t prepared and there weren’t enough masks for medical professionals, they started a misinformation campaign claiming that masks didn’t work in order to keep people from hoarding. This has backfired on them: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html
This is interesting. People with Blood Type A may be more susceptible to the virus while those with Blood Type O may be at lower risk. I don’t even know my blood type:
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3075567/people-blood-type-may-be-more-vulnerable-coronavirus-china-study
Based on the Diamond Princess “experiment”, it is believe that 17.9% of those stricken by the virus will be asymptomatic (symptom free) for the duration of the infection – but still contagious. https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.10.2000180#html_fulltext
New York: https://twitter.com/chrislhayes/status/1239638657792987139?s=20
There are not enough ventilators in ICU’s to deal with the deluge of patients. Meanwhile, a company that makes ventilators claims they can increase production fivefold…but haven’t been asked: https://www.forbes.com/sites/baldwin/2020/03/14/ventilator-maker-we-can-ramp-up-production-five-fold/#622bfaf45e9a
More good news! Dogs and cats can’t get the virus! But they can, of course, be carriers if an infected person coughs on them: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/03/13/idexx-tested-thousands-of-cats-and-dogs-for-coronavirus-all-came-back-negative/
Finally, gross incompetence on the part of the UK government. There are two approaches to dealing with the virus. The first allows the virus to spread unchecked, resulting in a quicker acquisition of herd immunity (majority of people who will require immunity). This approach shortens the time span of the outbreak and is very good for the economy, but is terrible for human life as it overloads the healthcare system and raises the death rate, in some cases, to as high as 20%. The other approach is called “flattening the curve” and seeks to slow the progress of the contagion. This lengthens the time a society must deal with it. It’s bad for the economy, but prioritizes human lives as, by flattening the curve, it keeps the numbers low at any given time, allowing the healthcare system to keep up. Anyway, the UK opted for the former – not realizing the consequences until they’ve gone well down the road: https://www.buzzfeed.com/alexwickham/coronavirus-uk-strategy-deaths
And that’s today’s update. Thanks for subscribing to my newsletter.
The post March 17, 2020: Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 16, 2020
March 16, 2020: Battening down the hatches!
The Dark Matter Greatest Episode Tournament kicks off today with this #1 vs #8 first round match-up. It’s All the Time in the World vs Built, Not Born! Click the link below to cast your vote.
It's the #DarkMatter Greatest Episode Tournament!
Round 1 action!
Choose between All the Time in the World and Built, Not Born! (Refresher images below)
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 16, 2020
So, how is everyone doing out there? Akemi and I have battened down the hatches and are preparing to ride out the storm. We have balcony door open for ventilation, the air purifier running 24/7, and only venturing out for Suji’s walks, maintaining that six foot distance from others. Akemi, being Japanese, insists on taking the extra precaution of wearing a mask. I’ve been working from home for several months now so I don’t expect the isolation to really change things for us (although I will miss our occasional walks to SOMA for chocolate), but I am concerned for many others, especially those losing income as a result of businesses temporarily shutting down. And don’t even get me started on the stock market.
Having delivered the second episode of TimEscape, I am thinking of shifting gears to writing that feature (I was planning to write while in Montreal). To be honest, with everything that’s going on, I haven’t been in much of a writing mood, so I’ll see how things go.
How are things in your town or city? Here in Toronto, not really much in the way of panicking outside of a rush on toilet paper (which I, frankly, don’t understand). Akemi has noted that the supermarkets have been clear of certain standard items: cleaning products, frozen dinners, and some fresh produce. There was talk last night that the mayor was going to enact a city-wide lockdown, but it appears those rumors were unfounded. Foot traffic seems to be down in my neighborhood, yet restaurants and bars are apparently still pretty busy. Which is, I suppose, good for those local businesses – but perhaps bad with regard to containment.
I must admit, the one thing I have the hardest time doing – even harder than NOT touching my face, is NOT kissing my dog.
More #AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Bruno Bittner was Chief Lighting Technician for over one hundred episodes of the #Stargate franchise (SGA and SGU). Great guy, ever-dependable, and an avid sturgeon fisherman. pic.twitter.com/Kl6fkud8WM
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 6, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
Jennifer Johnson was Post-Production Coordinator over 66 episodes of #SG1, then an Associate Producer for over 150+ episodes of #Stargate. Organized, easy-going, and a lot of fun to work with. pic.twitter.com/lvvsUL3vI5
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 7, 2020
#AmazingPeopleWithWhomIHaveWorked
I had the pleasure of working with actor Marc Bendavid (@marcbendavid) on #DarkMatter where he played the roles of ONE and Jace Corso (and alt Jace Corso!). Thoughtful, well-spoken, and a great dining companion. pic.twitter.com/1PFeFGPgqc
— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) March 8, 2020
The post March 16, 2020: Battening down the hatches! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
March 15, 2020
March 15, 2020: Suji Sunday!
Inner wear as outerwear.
Spring fashion.
Make sure to wash your hangs and pugs for 20 seconds.
Sideways love.
Preparing for social distancing.
Suji says: Stay safe!
The post March 15, 2020: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.
Joseph Mallozzi's Blog
- Joseph Mallozzi's profile
- 39 followers
