Okay..... NOW we can panic

by Jon Sullivan - 2020-03-12 - Opinion

I hope you all have enough toilet paper. Because there ain't no more in the store.

And yeah, check the office supply stores. But you better do it fast because they are selling out too. We've been reduced as a nation to sharing hot tips on where you can buy toilet paper. No shit.

Luckily I just bought a bunch before this all started. So I think I'll have enough. But obviously I'll be conserving. No reason to think this won't last for months. And the president seems determined to get us all killed. Leave dying people on a cruise ship in the harbor so our "numbers" don't go up???? Yeah..... I don't think we can count on him at all.

At this point I'm just numb. I've been counting on this Belgium trip for close to a year. Some of the stuff I've already paid for might be refundable. And surprise surprise, travel insurance doesn't cover global pandemic. Still, I don't even care about that as much as just not being able to go. And right now I have no idea whether it will happen or not. Things are changing so fast. A week ago we were all laughing about the hysteria, and now we have travel from Europe banned.

Chancellor Merkel in Germany is predicting a 60-70% infection rate. Even if the mortality rate is only 1%, that's still close to a million people dead in Germany alone. Maybe her numbers are wrong. But no matter what the numbers are, a hell of a lot of people are going to die. Is going on holiday to charming Belgian villages to drink sour beer and eat fried potatoes during a global pandemic a good idea? And what about having zero faith I'd even be able to get back into the US?

So right now, what is hysteria and what is prudent caution? With things changing by the hour, is there even really an answer to those questions? Two weeks ago hoarding toilet paper would have been insane. Today it's not so crazy.

It's not hysteria when you can't buy toilet paper any more.

I'm wondering what else I should be stocking up on. Coffee? Canned goods? Water? Is a run on the banks even possible anymore? Should I take out some cash? I'll bet all the doomsday preppers we made fun of are laughing their heads off now.

It's not hysteria when you can't buy toilet paper any more.

Buy prints

SHARON SULLIVAN

2020-03-12 08:30:18 : This. I have no idea what to do. Travel? Not travel? Hoard food? Take a lot of cash out of investments? I wish I could talk to mom and dad.

Sorry about your trip.

(I've been on hold with Schwab for 15 minutes. I should probably hang up)

Mike McKay

2020-03-12 08:33:58 : Yeah, nuts here too. The other day there was plenty of toilet paper... yesterday... everything was gone. It must be nice to be stupid and crazy enough to hoard toilet paper! As far as prepping, dont store more than a months supply of anything. We have a months supply of food and for water we have several 5 gallon water bottles that would take us through a week or two of water being shutoff (plus I have 500 gallons of water in the hot tub ). I also have a gas stove with extra propane in case other utilities go down. Never got around to getting a generator yet. Didn't think I would need it but with the crazy reactions of people hoarding toilet paper, sanitizer, and ammunition, I am concerned. That, with Iris being a potential target because shes Asian could be an issue. I try to decide if this is a sign that we are in a deep decline in civilization or that we have always been this stupid....

Jon Sullivan

2020-03-12 09:07:19 : AMMUNITION!!!!!???? Now I need to worry about that??? Armed gangs of people out looking for butt wipe? Awesome. Just fucking awesome.

By dumb luck, I use that Amazon subscribe thing to have a lot of this stuff auto delivered once a month. So I always have a month of it as just regular business. I wish I could say it was good planning, but really it's more being lazy and cheap.

Valerie Haines

2020-03-12 11:14:19 : LOL.....butt wipe!!! I haven't heard that phrase in a while. I choose not to buy into the hysteria. I'll be pissed when I can't get what I need at the store which will just further reinforce my belief that the average person is a dumb-ass.

Jon Sullivan

2020-03-12 11:40:58 : I'm of the opinion that we're at a point where "not buying the hysteria" is unrealistic. Whether it comes to travel, getting sick, dying, hoarding, the markets, or all the rest, we're undeniably in a global crisis that is rapidly getting worse. Even if you work from home, have plenty of TP, and don't have risk factors, they are cancelling sports, school, concerts, pretty much everything really. It all has a cumulative ripple effect. I think Italy is the place to get a realistic idea of what's coming in the US.

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