Cowboy Who?

After the White House downplayed the coronavirus threat in the past month, the number of Republicans saying it has been blown out of proportion jumped, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Uber Pool has been suspended in the US and Canada, according to Reuters. The ride-hailing giant has put its carpooling service on hold to help limit the spread of COVID-19 -- it'll be impossible to maintain "social distancing" when you have to share a car with several strangers, after all. Uber has disabled the option in both countries, so you can't share a trip with up to three passengers to save money for a while.

The World Health Organization strongly suggests social distancing, or staying a few meters away from other people, as a basic protective measure against the new coronavirus. It's meant to minimize contact and to slow the spread of COVID-19. Uber Rides and Platform SVP Andrew Macdonald told Reuters in a statement: "Our goal is to help flatten the curve on community spread in the cities we serve." A spokesperson also said that Uber will evaluate whether it needs to suspend Uber Pool in other regions on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to suspending its carpooling service, Uber will start showing users in the US and Canada a message asking them to "travel only when necessary." It will encourage riders to wash their hands before and after a ride and sitting in the backseat to help protect its drivers, as well.

Yesterday, Uber Eats announced that it's waiving delivery fees for over 100,000 independent restaurants as a way to serve people who have to stay at home. It's also offering 14 days of financial assistance to drivers who were diagnosed with the disease or need to be quarantined because of it.

Source: Reuters

In an ongoing cascade of museum closures around the state (which we’ve been reporting on and updating here since March 11), the major Houston museums have announced closures, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, the Menil Collection, and The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston. A press release from the Houston Museum District Association today, March 16, announced the closures.

Of the 22 museums and area organizations in Houston, including the Houston Zoo (closed March 13), most will close beginning March 16, while others will close within the next day or two, like the Houston Center For Contemporary Craft (March 18), or have decisions pending (Health Museum).

The full list is as follows:

• Art League Houston: Galleries will be temporarily closed until further notice and spring semester art classes are being transitioned online.
• Asia Society Texas Center: Suspending all public programs and exhibition viewing.
• Blaffer Art Museum: Temporarily closed until Saturday, March 28. Will re-evaluate the situation the 28.
• Buffalo Soldier National Museum: Temporarily closed, starting Tuesday, March 17.
• Children’s Museum of Houston: Temporarily closed as of Sunday, March 15.
• Contemporary Arts Museum Houston: Temporarily closed as of Monday, March 16. Museum programs shifting to online platforms, including the website and social media.
• Czech Center Museum Houston: Temporarily closed, starting Tuesday, March 17.
• DiverseWorks: Temporarily closed until further notice.
• Holocaust Museum Houston: Temporarily closed as of Monday, March 16.
• Houston Center for Photography: Temporarily closed, as of Monday, March 16. Classes will be moved online.
• Houston Center for Contemporary Craft: Temporarily closed, starting Wednesday, March 18.
• Houston Museum of African American Culture: Temporarily Closed Through March.
• Houston Museum of Natural Science:Will temporarily close, starting Tuesday, March 17 through Friday, March 27.
• Houston Zoo: Temporarily closed, as of Friday, March 13.
• Lawndale: Temporarily closed, as of Monday, March 16.
• Menil Collection: Temporarily closed, as of Monday, March 16.
• Moody Center for the Arts:Temporarily closed, as of Friday, March 13.
• Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Temporarily closed, as of Monday, March 16.
• Project Row Houses: Temporarily closed, as of Monday, March 16.
• The Health Museum: Plans pending.
• The Jung Center Houston: Galleries are closed. Classes will be moving online, including free anxiety-relief classes.
• The Rothko Chapel: Closed due to Renovations.

For changes and updates to this list, please visit the Houston Museum District Association’s website here.

The post Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, and the Menil are Closed appeared first on Glasstire.

By Rob Wilson, via his Instagram.

The incredibly gifted Rob Wilson, an illustrator and graphic designer who moved from Dallas to New York City not all that long ago, is a very hot commodity in journalism and media (and has been for some time), but as he rides out COVID-19 like the rest of us, he’s at home with his dog Maisie doing lovely short comics about… all this, and posting them to his Instagram. His IG is always, always good — he’s an incredibly responsive artist — but if you need a sweet and poetic distraction (with a dose of humor) for a few minutes that connects you back to this crazy shared experience, we highly recommend checking it out. He also posts on Facebook.

By Rob Wilson, via his Instagram.

By Rob Wilson, via his Instagram

****

Rob Wilson is an illustrator and graphic designer. Originally from West Texas, he spent more than 22 years creating award-winning work as designer and creative director for a Dallas design agency. In 2011 he founded the firm Silas Tom.

Wilson brings his wit and distinctive style to projects that include work for Dell, Design Within Reach, Monocle, Neiman Marcus, AT&T, HarperCollins, Refinery 29, The Washington Post Maga- zine, Hudson Yards, Nasher Sculpture Center and The Wall Street Journal. He is also the creator of the icon for Welcome to Night Vale, one of the most downloaded podcasts in the world. His work has been honored by Communication Arts, AIGA, Dallas Society of Visual Communication, Print, Type Director’s Club and Graphis. He was part of First Things First during NYCxDesign Week, sev- eral groups shows at Erin Cluley Gallery and the ArtSpace 14 Exhibition at Pan McMillan London. In 2018, Rob was nominated for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award. Rob lives in New York City.

The post Great Right Now (and Really Always): Rob Wilson’s Instagram appeared first on Glasstire.

NOW YOU KNOW

The Dropkick Murphys have been playing St. Patrick's Day shows for 24 years. This year the show, like most things, will be a little different. In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19, the band is canceling its regular concert but will livestream a free performance tomorrow at 7pm ET.

Musicians streaming concerts isn't really anything new. YouTube has been streaming Coachella performances for years, and Apple and Amazon have livestreamed concerts and festivals. But those usually have in-person audiences too.

Despite all we've heard about sports games potentially happening without spectators, this is one of the first, if not the first, major "no attendees" concert due to the coronavirus outbreak. It may encourage other musicians, whose tours have effectively come to a halt, to get creative with reaching their audiences.

In the meantime, you can catch the Dropkick Murphys show on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook tomorrow. They'll start things off in Boston at 7pm ET. As the band wrote on its website, "the show must go on!!!"

Via: Kerrang!

Source: Dropkick Murphys

A view of Francesca Fuchs’ current show at Talley Dunn Gallery in Dallas. Wouldn’t it be great to see a whole video walkthrough of the show?! Let’s make these happen!

Glasstire is asking commercial galleries, nonprofits and artist-run spaces across the state of Texas to send us video walk-throughs of your current exhibitions! Please shoot a video on your phone or camera (horizontal, please), no more than five minutes long, and get it to us via email (or email us a link to download the file). We will post these videos on Glasstire’s homepage as part of a new series titled Five-Minute Tours. We will add a simple intro-outro to the video, upload it to our YouTube channel (and get it up on Glasstire’s homepage). Feel free to make it as serious or as fun as you’d like.

Ideas: slow pans of the entire exhibition, plus a curator, gallerist, or artist describing the show, and perhaps highlighting a few key pieces. We’ll roll this out as a pilot program within days and we’ll keep it going for as long at the COVOD-19 situation persists. For more inspiration, see the video exhibition walkthroughs of James Kalm.

Email your submissions to rees@glasstire.com.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing your shows! Stay safe.

The post Seeking Submissions NOW: Share Short Videos of Your Texas Art Exhibitions on Glasstire appeared first on Glasstire.

On Friday, an exhausted-looking election official in Arizona was speaking at a press conference about the state’s upcoming primary when he gave up, mid-speech. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” said Maricopa County election day director Scott Jarrett, before he left the platform, and the room. It had been a difficult week. Arizona election officials were organizing a vote while also figuring out how to protect voters from the novel coronavirus. State officials fought in court over the legality of mail-in ballots, and 78 polling places — many of them schools and nursing homes — pulled out of participating in Tuesday’s primary.

So how ‘bout this election in the middle of a pandemic? The novel coronavirus is capable of spreading through human contact and objects we’ve touched. It hits older people harder. Public health experts are advising that everyone cancel large gatherings to prevent its spread. Which leaves something like a primary election, where an overwhelmingly older electorate files through lines, touches shared pens, and coughs on each other, in an awkward spot.

Yet 26 states still need to vote. Arizona isn’t the only state struggling to figure out what to do. Wyoming will no longer have an in-person caucus — it’s now vote by mail only. Louisiana and Georgia have postponed their primaries.

And there’s good reason for those states to change plans. Primary elections really are a setting at which coronavirus could spread, said Sam Scarpino, a professor of environmental sciences at Northeastern University. He studies infectious diseases, models their spread and does outbreak surveillance. If a state isn’t postponing the primary, it should be taking the risks seriously and making plans to reduce transmission — regularly cleaning and disinfecting shared equipment like voting machines throughout the day, and creating more physical distance between voters.

The CDC made similar recommendations — adding that the first line of defense should be encouraging ways to vote while being socially distant, such as vote-by-mail, early voting, voting during off-peak hours and drive-up voting. “The best solution to protect voters – especially older voters – is in fact mail-in voting,” Maimuna Majumder, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School’s Computational Health Informatics Program, wrote to me in an email. Just don’t lick the envelope, she added.

But it’s not going to be easy to reduce crowding and increase cleaning when the number of polling places is shrinking and disinfecting supplies are scarce. About 130 polling places in Ohio have dropped out because they were also the homes of vulnerable populations, according to Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper. As of Friday, replacements were being arranged and voters contacted about the changes, but it’s likely a lot of Ohioans will show up Tuesday to find a notice telling them they need to go to a different location. In Arizona, Maricopa County is dealing with the problem by establishing 111 new Vote Anywhere centers beyond the 40 it originally had, where county residents can vote regardless of the location of their house.

The other big problem: poll workers. There’s already a routine shortage of volunteers at polling places, according to data from the federal Election Assistance Commission. During the 2016 elections, for instance, nearly 65 percent of jurisdictions reported difficulty arranging for a sufficient number of poll workers.

What’s more, the poll workers themselves are overwhelmingly part of the population most at risk for coronavirus complications. That same EAC survey collected age data on 53 percent of the poll workers who volunteered in 2016. Of that number, 32 percent were from 61 to 70 years old and another 24 percent were 71 or older. Numbers from China suggest that the risk of dying from coronavirus looks like a hockey stick — small for people under the age of 60, but shooting up fast after that. The death rate was 3.6 percent for people 60 to 69 years old, 8 percent for those in their 70s and 14.8 percent for people 80 and older. Death rates in Italy have followed a similar pattern.

So, what to do? Volunteers should be given gloves, Scarpino told me. They should stay home if they have any symptoms of sickness at all. And with all the contact they’re likely to have with hundreds of people — some of whom have to be assumed to be sick — he thought poll workers fell into a category in which it would be a good idea for them to wear a mask. (In the U.S., public health officials have recommended that only sick people, or healthy people caring for the sick, wear masks — largely to ensure there are enough masks available for healthcare workers.)

But one big thing individuals can do to make primaries safer right now is change the age demographics of who works them. “If you’re in your 20s or 30s, maybe you go volunteer at polling locations and let the retirees stay home,” Scarpino said.

8:01 PM: This debate opens with just two candidates: Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. The third candidate still running, 38-year-old Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, is not present, presumably social-distancing herself to protect the two elderly and more-vulnerable candidates.

8:02 PM: CNN Moderator Jake Tapper begins the debate with an intensely confused, “You told me we were out of hot dogs, so why do I see you eating a hot dog right now” look on his face. He says no audience will be present tonight because coronavirus has made people reevaluate what sort of life choices they’ve been making to want to be locked in a room with two old men and a few CNN employees. He directs the first question to Biden, noting that events consisting of 50 people or more must be canceled and postponed, and asks what he tells people dealing with stressors from the pandemic. Biden responds by coughing and touching his face in sympathy.

8:08 PM: Tapper points out that Trump has said he takes no responsibility for the coronavirus response because he inherited the red tape of having to have a CDC and a staffed pandemic response team. He asks Biden what he thinks of Trump not taking any blame. Biden points out that the World Health Organization offered the US test kits and President Trump refused them. Tapper then turns to Sanders and asks if he were president, what would he do to make sure every sick American gets treatment. Sanders asks if Tapper knows what the word “all” means, like when people say “all for one” or “Medicare for all.” Biden interrupts and says this has nothing to do with Medicare for All. Bernie responds, “OK, pretend a wife gets sick, and her husband needs to see a therapist, and their kid breaks their leg — what do they do? Explain it to me like I’m five years old.” Biden shakes his head and says, “Look, I’m not going to stand here and go back and forth with you on politics, taking turns and clarifying positions, while people ask questions like some sort of blasted debate. We’re in a war here!” Tapper asks him if he’d call in the military. Biden answers, “You’re darned right, I’d call in the army, and the navy too — look, we got a crisis here and we need to respond like it’s a crisis. This is like when we fought Ebola, and now we’ve got this new malarky SARS, and if I have to call in the generals, then we’re going to get that war room going and fire the ol’ missiles.” Bernie stops him and says, “The problem with Ebola is you can’t just keep treating Ebola like it’s the same thing as SARS, you keep talking about Ebola, you’ve got Ebola in my head — NOT ACTUALLY IN my head, I’m very healthy. I would love to challenge you to a foot race right now, but I have been told by some of my staff to stop doing that. The bottom line is you have to understand the fragility of the economy.” Biden laughs.

8:37 PM: The debate gets heated when Sanders talks about who holds power in the United States and calls for Biden to stop accepting money from super PACs. Biden responds, “You have nine super PACs funding you right now, want me to list them?” Sanders answers, “Go ahead and list them.” Biden waves him away with an “Oh, give me a break,” to which Sanders replies, “I won’t give you a break, list them.” Biden then asks the moderators if Bernie is allowed to make him list them. The moderators consult their rules, but since the rulebook is long and was instituted at the start of the presidential race, they get lost somewhere between “What to do if Marianne Williamson materializes onstage?” and “Why is John Delaney here again?”

8:48 PM: The discussion turns to social safety nets. Sanders calls out Biden’s past remarks on his willingness to consider cutting social security. Biden calls him a liar. Sanders responds, “Oh yeah, go to the YouTubes!” Biden squints his eyes, “Listen, you little snot-nosed shit with your yous and your tubes, I know what I say, and I’m the one who made it happen!” Moderator Ilia Calderón tries to rein in the conversation and asks, “Vice President Biden, yesterday you endorsed a Warren plan you’d opposed, and earlier today you supported Sanders’ proposal to make college tuition-free. What’s changed?” Biden laughs, “Well, you see, I say a lot of things! Look, who can keep track.” He stands very presidentially and nods.

9:07 PM: Via video, an Arizona professor asks the candidates how their cabinet members would best advise them on women’s issues. Sanders responds that his cabinet will look like the country, adding, “Unlike Joe, I have a consistent voting record on a woman’s right to own her own body.” Biden says, “My cabinet will look like the country — wait, did Bernie take that answer already? No fair. OK, then I’ll commit to picking a woman to be my vice president.” Everyone looks at Bernie, who looks around and says, “Me? OK, yeah, I’ll probably do that too.” The livestream continues, “Yes, but it’s time for women to be truly equal, so would you commit to picking a woman to be your arch-nemesis?” Biden squints his eyes, “Ma Beagle, I’m coming for you — you and your Beagle Boys!” Sanders looks over both of his shoulders, “I will fight the ghost of Margaret Thatcher whenever and wherever she chooses to fight me. Again.” Biden laughs.

9:37 PM: Calderón says there are 1.5 million Cuban Americans in Florida. She asks Sanders, “Why would they vote for you when they hear you praise a program of Castro’s?” Sanders responds that he has opposed authoritarians across the world. Calderón then turns to Biden, stating he, too, said similar things about Cuba’s education program. Biden says that Obama was trying to change Cuban policy and that no one should praise authoritarians. Bernie throws his hands up in exasperation. “I didn’t say I was praising them, I was just saying I wasn’t praising them, but this is the problem with politics, you need to be able to acknowledge when something is positive,” Biden interrupts, “That’s like saying Jack the Ripper was good because—” Sanders interrupts him, “No! OF COURSE I DON’T LIKE AUTHORITARIANISM.” Biden responds, “Yes, you do, you totally want to kiss authoritarianism!” Sanders counters, “I said I like ONE authoritarian’s hair ONE time. That does NOT mean I want to kiss authoritarianism! I ABSOLUTELY do NOT!” To which Biden laughs and says, “Whatever, authoritarianism-boyfriend, you’re, like. going to marry authoritarianism.” Sanders sighs. “What I’m hearing is a lot of talk of Joe and who he pictures kissing, and the bottom line is this: it’s an unprecedented time.” Biden nods. "I agree with Bernie. It’s a crisis — a crisis of kissing.”

9:47 PM: Dana Bash asks Biden why his message is not resonating with Latino voters? Biden ignores her. She then asks Sanders why his message is not resonating with African-American voters. Sanders says, “OK, Joe, on this we agree,” and ignores Bash as well.

9:57 PM: For closing statements, the candidates are asked to reiterate their opening remarks because coronavirus is making us all sort of light-headed and only a few people know if any of this is real, or if we’re just trapped in a collective fever dream anyway. I mean, we’re all trapped in our homes, watching old men talk on the TV about what they’ll do if humanity still exists, and at this point, maybe we’re already doomed, so what’s the point of any of this really, other than an excuse to do shots any time Biden asks Sanders how he’s going to pay for Medicare for All?

SANDERS: The bottom line is either you want Medicare for All or you don’t.

BIDEN: Look, Trump’s awful.

TULSI GABBARD: [off to the far side] I have literally been standing here the whole time, did you just not see me or?

Our 15th most-read article of 2020.

Originally published March 16, 2020.

Due to concerns about COVID-19, our university recently gave me three hours to move our entire class online for the next three to sixteen weeks. I am providing these instructions for a seamless, uninterrupted course experience. I have never taught online before, but with the help of our men’s field hockey coach turned online-learning coordinator, I have developed a virtual experience that matches the intimacy and rigor we cultivated in our Philosophy of Face-to-Face Discourse In the Public Square class.

Course Communication

We will use AOL Instant Messenger to recreate our passionate in-class discussions. I assume everyone has an AIM account, so please send out your usernames. Mine is HangingChad2000. For fun, I encourage everyone to include their favorite Donnie Darko quote as their away message.

Video Lectures

Lecture One

Content: I look in the camera and say, “Is this on? Is this on? Oh, I think it’s on! Wait, it’s not on! No, it is on! How do I share my screen?! I don’t think this is on.”
Takeaways: The camera was on.

Lecture Two

Content: I rhapsodize beautifully about Habermasian theories of the public square as they apply in times of pandemic before I realize that the camera was not on.
Takeaways: I don’t remember what I said, but it felt like a pretty amazing lecture. You would have loved it.

Lecture Three

Content: I provide an introduction to Amartya Sen’s work while my cat repeatedly sticks her butt into the camera and then knocks the laptop to the floor.
Takeaways: My laptop is now glitching after falling on the ground. This should not affect our course experience.

Lecture Four

Content: A YouTube clip of Bill and Ted meeting Socrates.
Takeaways: “All we are is dust in the wind, dude.”

Discussion Questions

Please respond to the following discussion questions in our official course ICQ chatroom (formerly my Star Trek: Deep Space 9-fan chatroom. Please ignore my lengthy posts about why Jadzia Dax should have never married Commander Worf. I can’t figure out how to delete those).

Question 1: Which philosopher provides the more compelling revision of the idea of the public square: Nancy Fraser or Michael Warner?

Question 2: I don’t know, maybe write something about what Hannah Arendt would think of Facebook? Or should it be Instagram? What do you kids use these days?

Question 3: Who would get more swipe rights on Tinder: Hegel or Heidegger? Please provide at least three quotes and one image to defend your answer.

Final Exam

I will email a Word 93 version of the exam to you. When you open it, the formatting will be all messed up. Please print out the 27-page exam, complete it in blue or black ink, then take it to Kinkos and have them fax it back to me. Please complete the exam in two hours. If I understood a conversation I overheard in the hall correctly, you can time yourself with an online timer application called “TikTok.” It should be available on your mobile telephones.

Internet Access

I know some of you may struggle to get consistent internet access after the university removed you from your dorms. If you went back home, your parents do not remember the wireless password because they only wrote it down on that Ruby Tuesday receipt they lost six months ago. If you had to temporarily move into the Drury Inn and Suites on Highway 53, I heard you can steal Wi-Fi from the self-storage place across the road from 2:00-4:00 most afternoons.

Final Thoughts

Thank you for your patience in moving this course online! The good news is that our work will not go to waste, because no matter how terribly this goes, the administration will take this experience as proof that we can offer this course exclusively online and run this version of the course, without revision, online for the next ten years.

I’m surprised, and, quite frankly, a little disturbed by what I’m seeing on the news right now, you guys. That new sickness sweeping the globe really looks like a legitimate, old-fashioned, biblical plague upending our already distorted shell of reality. It’s some real Judeo-Christian stuff coming our way, and yet the Dread Lord Nyarlathotep — the guy we voted into office for their Washington outsider status and arcane knowledge of the unknowable — just seems… I dunno, off. He’s somehow really out of His depth here.

I don’t honestly know why Nyarlathotep has been unable to harness this monotheistic plague’s fury for His own gain yet. Past crises of His own infernal engineering have been a piece of cake for him, but He just clams up as soon as the first incomprehensible tragedy outside the realm of His dominion arrived. Did you see last week’s press conference when He turned to one of His last remaining human advisors behind Him and asked, “Well, what do you think we should do to help your fetid species?” Sure, that guy’s head immediately imploded upon receiving such a direct blast of psionic energy, but it was Nyarlathotep’s tacit admittance He didn’t know the right course of action that really surprised me.

The Black Pharaoh always projected such a non-anthropomorphic disgust with the whole of humanity, but it’s as though his void-heart isn’t even into this Reign of 1000 Eons of Insanity He specifically campaigned for anymore. For years — really, since the Beginning of Time, I suppose — we were warned we weren’t ready for the Abrahamic God’s wrath to spread across these once fertile lands. Heck, we were promised it for so long that people like me got real tired of the empty vows, which is why we opted to give a cosmic entity of infinite degradation a chance in the Oval Office. This is an elected official who ran on a platform of new mind-flaying strategies and soul-starving woe, and now He can’t seem to coordinate a proper governmental response to one old fashioned Horseman of the Apocalypse? I gotta say, I’m a little disappointed in the God of a Thousand Forms.

Also, did you hear that there actually was a Horsemen Preparedness Team already organized by the last guy running the show, but the Crawling Chaos turned them into a vaporous mist of sewage as soon as He was sworn into office? Man, that’s some real egg on His face, right? Yeah, I know He sometimes goes by the “Faceless God.” He took away your senses of hope, joy, and wonder, but last I checked He at least left us with a sense of irony. Geez.

Anyways, I can tell by your grimace that it’s not just the constant, searing spiritual pain that’s bothering you right now. You’re still mad at me for voting Him into limitless power. Look, I said I regret it now, alright? You and I both know this society needed a real shake-up of leadership. You opted to phonebank for the guy promoting free medical access for just these kinds of infectious horror shows; I decided to sign Nyarlathotep’s Blood Oath of Agonizing, Lusting Shame. To each their own, aside from those unlucky reporters fused together upon hearing the Black Pharoah’s gnashing laughter at last week’s press conference.

Hey, you gotta admit, “I don’t take responsibility at all,” is a pretty on-brand response for an Outer God, though.

CAN THIS YEAR BE OVER

After much consideration, it has become clear that to ensure the safety of Hogwarts faculty, staff, and students from an unknown mythical creature bent on murderous intent, all courses will immediately begin migrating online. Furthermore, to minimize the risk of widespread homicide, all large gatherings of students, including all Quidditch matches and meals in the Great Hall, will be suspended indefinitely.

This proactive policy is focused on stopping the further petrification of students. Fortunately, there have been no confirmed deaths among our faculty, staff, and students. But cases of petrification have been increasing in the school, and our experts say intervention is the best option to limit the damage.

Some might argue that we should have acted with more haste. Yes, it is true that the school has known about the myth of a secret chamber for centuries and in that time, we could have used magic or simple powers of deduction to try to locate it. And yes, the chamber had been opened once before and a student was killed. And yes, we have witnessed multiple students and at least one cat turn to stone. But I’d argue that it is unfair to judge our actions by their results. Also, I’ve shown myself to be a person who repeatedly puts children in harm’s way for unconvincing reasons.

I realize some parents might worry that a move to online classes could hinder their child’s learning, but I hope to reassure parents that students can learn most of the material taught at Hogwarts by reading books and by waving a wand around while randomly shouting out words. In fact, class time here is mostly passed by students squabbling, sharing gossip, and randomly throwing chemicals into boiling cauldrons while they attempt to ignore the instructions of their teachers. That said, we remain committed to our faculty and intend to bring most of them back once this threat passes.

Although I might have appeared omniscient, all-powerful, and strangely, all-knowing at fortuitous and seemingly convenient times in the past, I assure you that I am a mortal and can die just as easily as anyone else, say, by falling off a building.

I anticipate that once we neutralize this threat, students will be allowed to return to our school and will enjoy, especially while at Hogwarts, a long period of safety for many more years to come.

Sincerely,
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Order of Merlin (first class)
Headmaster, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards
Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot

Click here to go see the bonus panel!

Hovertext:
Stay safe out there, geeks.

Space City Weather is, and always will be, a weather site. We have no pretensions beyond providing the most reliable forecasts we can, and to help greater Houston residents make decisions about what is best for themselves and their families in times of inclement weather. With that said, we have received numerous questions about the coronavirus, and requests for a site similar to Space City Weather to provide health information for this epidemic. Alas, neither Matt nor I are biologists, physicians, epidemiologists, or even medical journalists, so we are not going to do that. However, in this post, I want to provide some general thoughts about this issue from the perspective of someone well versed in crises (i.e. hurricanes) and public reactions.

We are taking this serious, and so should you.

Social Distancing—the time is now

This is probably the best proven tool we have at this time to fight the coronavirus—and the only one you can take personal control of. This is why schools are canceled, and likely will be for awhile. This is why sports have been suspended, and the rodeo canceled. These are absolutely the right decisions, and the earlier they are enacted, the better it will be for our ability to control the spread of the coronavirus, and give our health care system the time and resources to help those who fall severely ill.

Important to remember that #Covid-19 epidemic control measures may only delay cases, not prevent. However, this helps limit surge and gives hospitals time to prepare and manage. It’s the difference between finding an ICU bed & ventilator or being treated in the parking lot tent. pic.twitter.com/VOyfBcLMus

— Drew A. Harris, DPM, MPH (@drewaharris) February 28, 2020

But we need to go further than canceling mass gatherings. Practicing social distancing in your own life means staying home as much as possible, and maintaining a gap of six feet or more between yourself and others outside the home. Fewer interactions and added distance when you must go into public spaces lowers the chance of exposure. Moreover, if you do get infected, social distancing lowers the chance of spreading the virus.

Practically, this means you should not go to bars or restaurants if possible—take-out or cooking at home are better options. Church services should be temporarily moved online. None of this is popular or economical palatable, but the more of this we do, the more we slow the spread of coronavirus. (If you want to support a favorite business, buy a gift certificate to use for later). A combination of social distancing and aggressive testing by South Korea has provided a model for how democracies can control this disease. We must emulate this, or face drastic consequences.

Hoarding

Every time a significant tropical event threatens Houston, we see runs on the grocery stores—bottled water being the highest priority item. With coronavirus, toilet paper has emerged as the highest priority item. It is not clear why this is, but for goodness sake there is no toilet paper shortage in the United States and panic buying and hoarding only increases the anxieties of everyone else. If you’re buying cases of toilet paper when you already have an adequate supply, you are—I have vowed never to curse on this web site as children read it, so I won’t here—a scoundrel, dastard, villain and worse. Do not do this.

The coronavirus outbreak will be vastly different than a hurricane. And while we do not know what to expect, it is clear that we are not going to see the kinds of natural barriers (like wind and flooding) that will prevent trucks from driving, and grocery stores from remaining open.

Be good neighbors

As is the case during a hurricane, check on neighbors (while practicing social distancing!) If they need help, help them with supplies. Basically, look out for more than yourself.

Coronaviruses have a halo, or crown-like appearance when viewed under an electron microscope. (CDC/Dr. Fred Murphy)

The fact is, with this virus and disease, we are all in this together. The virus spread quickly from China, to the rest of Asia and Europe, and it is now circulating widely in the United States because we have a global culture. We humans travel everywhere. And we are all in this together. It is not us versus them, or one political party versus another. We are all humans, sharing the same world, with a limited set of resources, facing this. We are better together.

Appreciation

During severe weather, countless people in this region express their appreciation for our efforts. So in this time of need, let Matt and I do the same for everyone who is working to keep the region going—that means those people who are stocking grocery shelves, driving delivery trucks, working in pharmacies, preparing take-out meals in restaurants, picking up the trash, keeping the lights turned on, farmers, and more. The list of those providing essential services goes on, and on. Thank you. And then there are the health care providers and first responders, preparing for disaster, facing the uncertainty, and putting themselves directly in harm’s way. Your sacrifice and dedication are admirable. Thank you so very, very much.

More information

If you have more questions about coronavirus, this comprehensive, continually updated guide by my colleague at Ars Technica, Beth Mole, is a great place to start. She’s a microbiologist and fine writer, and seeks to take the same calm but prudent approach to this issue that we do to weather.

We’ll be back with a full forecast tomorrow morning.

Never mind. Stay safe, everyone.

There are numerous ways to evade censorship of the press, but it's getting increasingly difficult when countries like China and Russia are cracking down on VPNs and similar tools. Reporters Without Borders thinks it has the answer to those mounting obstacles: make the news available in a game that's rarely blocked. The team has worked with BlockWords and MediaMonks on the Uncensored Library, a Minecraft map that includes articles from journalists and sites whose work is frequently censored for its unflattering truths. You'll find articles from murdered Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi (whose fiancée Hatice Cengiz supports the project), the activist-friendly Russian site Grani.ru and the Egyptian anti-corruption outlet Mada Masr, among others.

You can also see details for the current state of press freedom in 180 countries.

The library is a technical achievement in its own right. It resembles a giant neo-classical museum, complete with country-specific wings and huge book collections. You can't tear the library apart, but you can add more if you have the time and inclination.

Reporters Without Borders believes the Uncensored Library should be relatively resilient. Anyone can download the necessary map, and Minecraft's nature makes it easy to host another server if an oppressive country tries to take one down. We wouldn't count on this lasting forever, mind you. Countries that already have draconian censorship measures aren't likely to think twice about banning Minecraft outright -- this may be just a temporary reprieve.

Still, that's not entirely the point. This is also a commentary on censorship, and a way to engage people who otherwise wouldn't think much about such a difficult subject. If it encourages some Minecraft players to advocate for press freedom or pursue investigative reporting as a career, it will have accomplished its mission.

Via: Fast Company

Source: Uncensored Library

What makes a disease seasonal? And will the new coronavirus go away as the weather gets warmer? Scientists hope not.