On July 6th, actor Tom Hanks sat down for an interview with The Guardian to promote his new movie “Greyhound.” However, this interview was not done face-to-face between Hanks and the correspondent. Like almost all other professional interactions nowadays, it was done remotely, with the two parties talking via computer screens in their homes—practicing social distancing due to the coronavirus.
This particular interview with Hanks was especially telling, because the actor was actually one of the first American celebrities to contract COVID-19 back in March, and “Greyhound” was among a long list of movies meant to hit theaters this summer, but got sidelined because of the pandemic.
Now, Hanks—along with his wife Rita Wilson, who also had coronavirus—is fully recovered and well. Nevertheless, his beef with the pandemic is not entirely settled, as the coronavirus’ consequential theater shutdowns has forced him to release his new film on a different platform: Apple TV+.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with Apple TV+. As far as streaming services go, Apple is a rising phenomenon and has brought about several praiseworthy shows since it launched last November. All the same, Hanks intended “Greyhound” for a theatrical release, and in the interview he called the film’s ultimate home on Apple TV+ “an absolute heartbreak.”
Again, this is not necessarily a jab at Apple, but it is indicative of what many filmmakers are going through right now. Streaming vs Theatrical releases was a hot debate in Hollywood long before COVID-19 ran everything amuck, but now that releasing movies in theaters is not an option, many movies have no choice but to sell out to the streamers and debut online.
“Greyhound” for example, was meant to hit theaters in March with Sony Pictures as distributor. However, the pandemic pushed the release date back perpetually, and in May, it sold to Apple for $70 Million, getting an official July 10th release date on the site.
Hanks continues in the interview, “I don’t mean to make angry my Apple overlords, but there is a difference in picture and sound quality [when viewing a film online rather than in a theater].” He is not the first filmmaker to voice this opinion, but he is also not the first filmmaker to have his creative work siphoned off to an unanticipated platform during these unprecedented times. Paramount Pictures, for example, sold the Kumail Nanjiani-starring rom-com, “The Lovebirds” to Netflix earlier this year despite initially banking on a theatrical release.
Triple Threat Thwarted by Timing, perhaps, but will be enjoyed nonetheless
The alternative would’ve been to hold out on releasing these films until theaters re-open. Given the fact that the theaters are closed indefinitely, though, only the movies that are more-or-less guaranteed blockbuster hits are taking this risky option—Marvel’s “Black Widow,” Universal’s “Fast & Furious 9,” DC’s “Wonder Woman: 1984” and Warner Brother’s Chris Nolan-directed “Tenet” are among them.
“Greyhound”— which Hanks wrote and produced as well as starred in— might’ve had blockbuster potential, but the clock was ticking a little too temperamentally on production company Columbia Pictures and the film’s $50 million budget. Returns simply could not be left up to a temporally unspecified gamble.
Luckily, the stigma around direct-to-streaming releases has diminished in recent years, as Netflix in particular has garnered a large number of Oscar nominations with prestigious projects like Martin Scorsese‘s “The Irishman” and Alfonso Cuaròn’s “Roma” going straight to the service. Likewise, even the studios are also transitioning to the streaming world these days with Disney+, HBOMax, and Peacock headlining the ongoing streaming wars.
Still, with “Greyhound” being a war epic set at sea, we can empathize with Tom Hanks for wanting audiences to experience it on the big screen. In fact, we can empathize with all of the filmmakers who put their hearts into creative projects for 2020, and are now seeing them shrunk down to something smaller—but perhaps not lesser—than their expectations.
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Following up a spate of “worst ever” coronavirus decisions with yet another…
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump and Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced their ambitions to have all public schools open and operating by the fall for the start of the new academic year. This is a dicey decision, for most schools closed long before the start of summer break because of the coronavirus, transitioning to virtual leaning for the last few months of classes. Thus, reopening schools in autumn would only make sense if there was a significant decrease in COVID-19 cases over the summer.
Unfortunately, such is not the case, as the pandemic recently hit a second spike with increased numbers in several states throughout the country. Barring some miracle, it does not look like the coronavirus will be reasonably diminished by the regular first day of school. Still, Trump and DeVos are steadfast in their plan to reopen, even threatening to thin school budgets for districts that remain closed.
Understandably, the President and Secretary’s outlook has been criticized by many, most notably teachers, who are strangely left out of conversations about plans to reopen. Many state and local governments—the institutions who have the most direct say in how their schools should operate—also disagree with the federal government on this one, for it puts students, teachers, and faculty members at incredibly high risk.
Like all things COVID-19-related, though, the risk is not equally intense across the board. Although the public school system is often dubbed America’s great equalizer, history shows that such has never quite been the case. Socio-economic imbalances, racial inequities, language-barriers, and additional differences between districts proves that not every student has the same opportunities across America. The choice to reopen all schools during a pandemic only highlights these ongoing discrepancies.
A higher risk for the lowest income areas echos throughout the pandemic, including schools
First off, there is the simple fact that not all places in America are experiencing COVID-19 in the same way. A few months ago, the mid-Atlantic was facing the worst of it while the Rocky Mountains were relatively safe. Now, states like New Jersey and New York are recovering while figures in Idaho and Utah are surging. To execute the same course of action in all schools across all states in these uncertain times would make no logical sense.
Even schools within the same states, though, have to deal with this pandemic in different ways. Schools in wealthy communities, for example, may have the local tax dollars to afford more instructors, thus allowing for smaller class sizes with more socially-distanced environments. Contrarily, schools operating on shoestring budgets—often urban and overcrowded schools—will have no choice but to put their students at risk. Non-coincidentally, these are also the schools that would be most effected by budget cuts.
Likewise, schools located in disadvantaged parts of the country deal with student populations at a higher risk. Although we are told the virus doesn’t discriminate, if a poor child is infected or someone in his or her family gets sick, that student will face a far less secure road to recovery than someone coming from money. Healthcare bills, insufficient housing, and the tumultuous state of the economy renders the virus far more dangerous to certain demographics than others right. All life is equally precious, but students in schools with large classes and tight budgets have the most to lose from coming into contact with the disease.
Then, there is the matter of education, the quality of which could be severely hurt if students and teachers spend valuable class time worrying about a perilous disease. Increasing precautions would be essential, but who would be responsible for enforcing such precautions? It is hardly the duty of teachers, who being older and having to engage in multiple classes a day will often be at even greater risk than their students.
The danger is real and forcing an across-the-board re-opening is no solution at all
Teachers are already severely overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated for all the effort they put in, and most of them go above and beyond for their students as it is. However, demanding them to put their lives in jeopardy day-in and day-out is simply too much to ask, especially when none of the people making this decision for them are (or ever have been) teachers.
Of course, nobody dislikes remote learning more than teachers and students. They know better than anyone how imperative in-person instruction is to learning. But it is still not as important as health and wellbeing. Today and always, those should be the top priorities in any institution.
Plus, if Trump or DeVos want to use the “learning experience” or the “importance of education for all” as their rationales for reopening, one only needs to look at their records in the field to recognize the con. Since assuming their current titles, the two political cronies have slashed the federal education department’s budget, often targeting Special Education programs and LGBTQ+ protections for cuts. They are also both big proponents of education privatization. Evidently, the “importance of education for all” was not a big deal for them before the virus started spreading during an election year.
Speaking of privatization, many private schools—including some of the nation’s most elite universities—are currently announcing plans for their fall semesters, and most of them involve remote learning in some capacity. Once again, it demonstrates how the premature decision to reopen schools is latently classist. The students who can afford private educations won’t have to risk their lives everyday. Trump and DeVos, both of whom patronize private high schools and universities, clearly do not think public school students deserve the same protections as their own children.
Sadly, these educational inequities have always been the case. The egregious pressure that Trump and DeVos are currently putting on our nation’s most vulnerable and innocent, however, just brings these inequities to the foreground.
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To get through this we’re gonna need all our faculties on high alert…
It’s no wonder that the busiest freeway on the planet is nearly empty, with all that’s going on. Sure. But try driving on it if you remember the old normal. To dramatize, take a look at the video above taken during the 5pm rush hour on Tuesday, and the video below, of just what this beast could do on a big traffic day. Even a “normal” day, pre-covid-19 had a similar feeling. Not anymore.
It can be an emotional and somber experience to see, first hand and in-person, what the busiest freeway in the world looks like in the middle (at the beginning?) of a pandemic and with unemployment rate at up to 50% (locally). And then there’s the one bright spot; that the deserted freeway is being impacted even more so by the new “WFH” (work from home) boom as we change our lives and reduce carbon emissions by living a digital life.
“Anecdotal” evidence: raising the feeling that something’s going on other than what you hear from on-high
Sometimes, even if you listen to the voices all around you, take in all the news and noise, you just have to block all of that out and take a good look with your own eyes. If you look beneath the surface of the news you will also find a very different story.
Take for example the recent “positive” jobs reports. Unemployment appears to be dropping and the overall numbers are not as bad as many had feared, right? Or is that just a manufactured impression? The previous official jobs reports were rife with confusion and even errors that were admitted outright by The Bureau of Labor Statistics. Of course by that time the “good news” had already circulated and had created the desired effect (a delay of the stock market pricing-in the real unemployment numbers).
The reports, according to former US secretary of labor, Robert Reich, are not giving an accurate picture, and he points out in a recent piece that the real situation is that the current number of unemployed is the worst in over 70 years.
Naturally the reasons, emanating from the top job at the White House, for wanting to spin these very important numbers, are obvious. Not only is there the the high stakes re-election scenario but, in this special case, the potential prosecutions that could proceed from a loss for Trump in November.
And if you are not a “Robin Hood” day trader and are just trying to get a life?
Although Los Angeles is not currently in an official “lockdown”, there is a surge in new cases and over twelve million active cases worldwide, and over three million in the US alone. Therefore, the streets reflect the real situation that people are experiencing – both economic due to the lack of employment and the caution and self-isolation that is appropriate and the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc in the city.
Donald Trump said Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the US economy is “roaring back”.
Rubbish. The labor department gathered the data during the week of 12 June, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day. By the time the report was issued, that figure was 55,000.
Click to See “Saving Capitalism“ to Help Lynxotic and Independent Bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.
Then, just today, the newest jobs report came out. The headline on Marketwatch was that, although 33 million people are unemployed and millions more getting laid off weekly, “many doubt it’s that bad”. Why the caveat? You tell me.
Rather than focusing on the 33 million out of work, with the real number potentially far higher, they question anything that may help to mitigate the negative impression (bad for the stock market). Then they feature an earlier story with the title: “U.S. Regains 4.8 million Jobs in June”, further giving the impression that everything is hunky dory.
Oh, and late last night United Air Lines announced that they would lay off 36,000 which they site as a worst case scenario. Brooks Brothers announced Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Bed, Bath and Beyond are closing 200 stores. And the list goes on.
With the Climate Crisis far from over, A pandemic that has no end in sight and economic repercussions that are beginning to boggle the mind, there is plenty to overwhelm the average or even supra-average human.
Maybe, for now though, with all the doom and gloom, it’s best to just put the pedal-to-the-metal and enjoy the empty road…
The 20 second rule automated for your entertainment
With the new update, WatchOS 7, at the WWDC 2020 event, Apple announced a handful of significant updates to its product line. Many were unexpected and some where …yawn, but one in particular was, well, funny but not in a bad way. Apple Watch will do something that no other wearable device has yet to do, automatically detect hand-washing.
Why is this important? Well, hopefully most of us know that washing your hands can greatly help to prevent the spread of germs and protect yourself from getting sick. On a daily we are touching multiple surfaces and while we are all still actively in a pandemic with COVID-19, practicing good hygiene is a major key to lowering your risk as well as to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
So even though it’s totally obvious we should wash our hands, particularly as we are reminded constantly in the media, it is more than an appropriate for us all to go back to the basics. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands for least 20 seconds. The old trick of singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice is effective. But with the new watchOS 7 update, there will no longer be any guessing as to whether or not you’ve washed your hands for the recommended amount of time.
The Apple Watch will utilize motion sensors and on-device machine learning along with the microphone to automatically detect when you’re washing your hands. Once your watch detects you’re washing (hand motions coupled with sounds of running water and soap suds) – a 20-second timer will begin a countdown. If you happen to stop earlier than the 20 second mark, you will be prompted by haptic feedback (vibrations) to tell you to continue washing. When a successful 20 second hand washing session has happened, your watch will give you a nice message of “Well Done”. Your Apple Watch will also be able to remind you to wash your hands when you get home.
In case you missed it: here’s the breakdown courtesy of the CDC
Again, going back to the basics, here are five simple steps based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations to washing your hands the correct way:
Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap.
Lather hands by rubbing them together with soap – including the backs of your hand, between your fingers and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands under clean running water.
Dry your hands.
Being able to rely on your Apple Watch to ensure you are keeping your hands properly washed and having good hygiene is an added health bonus, that again, while during a pandemic – is not only good for staying healthy but can also protect those around you. Hopefully next year a feature like this one will not be necessary and we can return to more exciting uses for our bionic time piece.
An attendee of the Wild Memorial Day of Beach Parties has tested positive for the coronavirus and may have been contagious during the event
The video above, of a pool party sans distancing, in the area made famous by the Netflix series “Ozark” is just one of many examples of a wild weekend that seemed to surpass even pre-pandemic levels of reveling and rioting.
The health department in Camden County Missouri, Health Department stated that the individual had also visited various bars in the area during that weekend. The illness became symptomatic.
Here is the timeline of the infected persons movements as provided by the Camden County Health Department:
Saturday, May 23: Backwater Jacks: between approximately 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Shady Gators and Lazy Gators Pool: 5:40 p.m.-9 p.m.Backwater Jacks: 9:40 p.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday, May 24: Buffalo Wild Wings: 1 p.m.-2 p.m.Shady Gators: around 2:30 p.m. until around 6:30-7 p.m.
Missouri has had about About 12,700 people that tested positive for coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic and about 730 have died from Covid-19 infection, according to state data.
This out-come was generally feared by the medical experts, and it appears that other than professionals and medical front-line personnel no-one was considering the 1918 pandemic experience where a too early loosening of quarantine controls resulted in a powerful second wave of the flu epidemic a month or so later.
From Sea to Shining Sea hardly a mask to be seen…
It now remains to be seen if these other Memorial Day gatherings produce any cases or even contribute to as renewed rise in cases and deaths in the many areas that hosted massive, unprotected crowds during the holiday weekend:
Not only on the West Coast, but all the way on the other side of the country in North Carolina, crowds gathered to celebrate. The video below shows a NASCAR crowd whooping it up to the whining engines, shoulder to shoulder with no mask in sight. There appears to be an “instinct” and a feeling among the US population that there’s no longer any need to pay any attention to the coronavirus or contagious diseases of any kind. Let’s hope that feeling really is “magical” because, if not, June is going to be a blowback party of the wrong sort.
One case from a crowded party from an individual that attended various public bars and restaurants the entire weekend does not mean that others will have been infected also. It is also true, however, that if one patient has been isolated already that had the virus during that weekend of partying, it is more than likely that there are others. We can only hope that this, along with the gradual but intensive shift town crowds and unprotected gathering will not begin a new wave of cases. One only has to look at the protests this weekend to see another example of a dangerous situation where many people are at risk of spreading the virus and infecting themselves and others.
After a Wild Memorial Day of Beach Parties, BBQ and Pools Gone Wild is the 2nd Wave Coming?
Anyone who’s seen the stories or noticed what’s been trending on twitter knows by now that the extended holiday weekend was a scene for the ages. It appears that our patience with lockdowns and quarantines is not just running out, it has literally exploded into its opposite.
The video above, of a pool party sans distancing, in the area made famous by the Netflix series “Ozark” is just one of many examples of a wild weekend that seems to have surpassed even pre-pandemic levels of reveling and rioting.
In Los Angeles, perhaps due to the aversion to flying to out-of-town destinations during a pandemic, the beaches were mobbed like it was 4th of July 2018. Photos of Venice beach circulated twitter on Saturday and the whole weekend appeared to have elevated traffic levels above what is traditionally seen on otherwise sleepy holiday weekends.
This out-come was generally feared by the medical experts, and it appears that other than professionals and medical front-line personnel no-one was considering the 1918 pandemic experience where a too early loosening of quarantine controls resulted in a powerful second wave of the flu epidemic a month or so later.
From Sea to Shining Sea hardly a mask to be seen…
Not only on the West Coast, but all the way on the other side of the country in North Carolina, crowds gathered to celebrate. The video below shows a NASCAR crowd whooping it up to the whining engines, shoulder to shoulder with no mask in sight. There appears to be an “instinct” and a feeling among the US population that there’s no longer any need to pay any attention to the coronavirus or contagious diseases of any kind. Let’s hope that feeling is “magical” cause, if not, June is going to be a blowback party of the wrong sort.
The scary part, if you are among those that actually believe the scientific studies, is that the highest level of contagion is during the asymptomatic phase of a person that has contracted the virus. This would imply that any one of these healthy looking folks could be an asymptomatic carrier and could transmit to dozens, hundreds or even thousands as they come in contact. Can’t help but think of the choir in Washington State that shared the infection at a practice session at a rate of almost 90%. 2 died within 14 days.
So let’s hope that this is the day we all get a “pass” from above and that it is not the beginning of any new wave of cases or, worse. Let’s just enjoy the sunshine, our youth and some burgers and brews. And hope for the best.
Competitive bidding underway for films previously set for worldwide release to theaters
Tom Hanks stars in the new Sony Pictures World War II drama, “Greyhound,” which was due for a theatrical release on June 12th. Like many other films meant to come out this summer, though, “Greyhound” has been derailed by the coronavirus and the worldwide shutdown of movie theaters. Thus, the film has been expedited to the streaming market and will now be available exclusively on Apple TV+.
Launched just last November, Apple TV+ has been an underdog in the streaming war so far. The affordable $4.99/month service met some early awards for its highly praised “The Morning Show” and has created a few shows starring major talent such as “Defending Jacob” with Chris Evans and “See” with Jason Mamoa. The platform has also done a few spinoff shows such as the children’s “Fraggle Rock: Rock On” and a revival of Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories.”
By-and-large, Apple TV+ has been committed to original content, opting to produce in-house series and movies rather than acquire outside titles. However, Apple TV+ does not have the vast libraries of Disney+, HBO Max, or NBCUniversal’s Peacock. It is a tech company that just entered the film and TV entertainment world and it must to compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime, both of which have created more original series in recent years, but still rely heavily on mergers and acquisitions for variety.
Apple TV+ appears to have a long road ahead in order to gain significant foothold
While Apple’s closed-system quality-over-quantity approach to streaming is admirable, it’s not giving them any leg-up on their rivals. Hence, they are presently bending their own rules a bit, talking with bigger studios about licensing out additional content. The service allegedly paid Sony $70 million for “Greyhound” and according to Deadline, the site will treat the film as its biggest movie release yet.
The deal also works out for Sony. Unlike Disney, WarnerMedia, or NBCUniversal, Sony does not have its own streaming service, so allocating its property to Apple gives them a presence in the streaming world without selling out to one of their theatrical competitors. Of course, Sony would probably prefer to release “Greyhound” on the big screen, but the global pandemic has all but slaughtered that possibility.
During the coronavirus, all streaming sites have seen increases in activity. Apple TV+, like any of the other platforms, is profiting off of, but also vying for the attention of people stuck at home. Throwing a Sony-produced Tom Hanks war epic in the captive audience’s faces will certainly help the site’s cause.
Aaron Shneider directs “Greyhound,” and its narrative comes from a screenplay by C.S. Forester and Hanks himself. It follows the true story of an American navy ship crossing the Atlantic in the early days of World War II while being pursued by troves of enemy German U-Boats. Apple has not yet scheduled a release date for the film, but it will likely come out sometime this summer.
Many factors contribute to the haze of confusion surrounding the facts
The coronavirus pandemic is sowing confusion across the globe, not just medically but in the representation of fact vs. hopes. Since, 1918, most of the world has not experienced anything akin to a global outbreak of this magnitude. In order to navigate this novel landscape, quality, consistent, and factual information is essential. Unfortunately, many journalists are already getting the boot during the shutdown, which causes trusted reporting to be less available, but the stifling of facts does not stop there, as now scientific integrity may be in question too.
As harrowing as COVID-19 is, the disease is presenting new opportunities for scientists and medical researchers. Academically speaking, it is an irresistibly hot topic, and any significant contribution to its study could launch a career. Thus, there is a budding competitiveness amongst the scientific community, with many researchers rushing to uncover something (anything) about the coronavirus and get it published.
According to a new post on Harvard Law’s Bill Of Health website, a recent study from Stanford University epitomizes the chaotic drive for scientific corona-findings right now. The Stanford study is documented in an unpublished paper titled, “COVID-19 Antibody Seroprevalence In Santa Clara County, California.” It describes a procedure whereby the scientists tested multiple Santa Clara County residents for the SARS-Cov-2 antibody, which causes COVID-19. The ultimate findings suggest that many more Santa Clara residents had the virus than sought treatment for it.
By extension, the scientists suppose that this conclusion could be true for other parts of the world as well. If it is, it could significantly alter the reported data as well as the global reaction to the virus.
Peers in the scientific community, however, express skepticism towards the Stanford study, citing dire flaws in its methodology. First off, Stanford improperly selected its subjects for the tests. Rather than creating an algorithm for testing random individuals from the Santa Clara area, it fished for volunteers on Facebook, attracting people more likely to seek out testing in the first place and ergo, more likely to have symptoms. Using social media also means that they probably drew in a younger crowd, catering to a demographic that is less at risk and therefore less prone to hospitalize or report feeling sick.
Critics also note some inconsistencies in the data itself, particularly the section that takes into account the risk-factor of faulty equipment or inaccurate results. Overall, the results are more than a little suspicious, depicting a possible example of scientists getting excited over this unprecedented natural phenomenon and jumping to conclusions.
Politics, ratings and money are putting pressure on journalists and scientists alike
Of course, the scientific community meets even greater discrepancies when findings get thrown into the blenders of media and politics. Even when the science remains rightfully impartial, different forces can twist or manipulate data to tell a different story.
“If refusing to mislead the public during a health crisis is insubordination, then I will wear that badge with honor,”
Rebekah Jones in an interview with Chris Cuomo of CNN
In Florida, for example, Department of Health scientist recently lost her job for refusing to skew data. In a statement to CBS, she said that the Department wanted her to “manually change data to drum up support for the plan to reopen.”
Jones’ job at the Department was to create Geographic Information Systems (maps) of Florida that topographically represented the spread of COVID-19 across the state. Her work was widely praised and her departure comes non-coincidentally around the same time that Florida Governor Ron Desantis is trying to reopen stores, restaurants, and barber shops across the Sunshine State.
In a leaked email, Jones warned other Florida Health Department workers to be weary of forthcoming data produced by the state, for it could easily be meddled in corrupt agendas.
Science, by definition, is the objective study of what is. When warped to fit a subjective point of view, though, it becomes something very dangerous—a destructively deceitful force disguised as the truth. Nowadays, truth is an unfortunately delicate term, but it is a necessity to conquer our current circumstance. If we lose science as the impartial study of truth, then we lose the facts, and thus lose our grasp on reality.
Have you seen the monologue from Bill Maher on Amazon and Bezos? If not you better take a look. Can’t say if Bill is a barometer of the pulse of the public at large, but this time he seems to be spot-on. There could be a sea-change coming, even as we all reflect on the massive changes wrought this year, not only by the pandemic itself, but by the collateral damage and collateral advantage, in some cases, that came with it like a tsunami after an earthquake.
Perhaps change can be good. Tesla and Elon Musk are trying, at least, and the upcoming announcements regarding battery tech breakthroughs are like a ray of sustainable sunshine in a world of clouds and rain. Quibi appears to be struggling out of the gate (surprising no one!) but with billions in their war chest it’s likely too soon to count them out entirely. After you check out the Bill Maher video below, you might want a little deeper background on the landscape that led to Amazon’s insane dominance, so check out the extended, anonymously sourced reporting by our News Staff.
Isn’t it funny that the so called bursting of the dot-com bubble in 2000 which resulted in a nearly 75% drop in the tech heavy NASDAQ index by March, 2000. Ultimately, among survivors and upstarts, the winner-takes-all saga led to no less than three trillion dollar companies. Click to see complete story.
Tesla has proven already that a well designed and engineered EV has many superior qualities compared to an equivalent ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle. Teslas have shown that they can last up to one million miles with far less maintenance. Click to see complete story.
A recent “study” has been cited by a gaggle of digital media outlets. Featuring headlines such as “Jeff Bezos Could Be the World’s First Trillionaire, and the Overwhelming Response Is ‘Thanks I Hate It’ (Vice.com) and“Jeff Bezos could become world’s first trillionaire, and many people aren’t happy about it” (USA Today) and trending on twitter via the hashtag #bezostrillionaire and #RIPCapitalism. Click here to see complete story.
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman launched Quibi on April 6th. The latest project from the two well-experienced entertainment moguls, Quibi is a streaming service designed for the smallest of screens— namely, smartphones and other mobile devices. The subscription based platform’s initiative is to provide short bursts of entertainment for people on the go, keeping content between seven and ten minutes long apiece. Click to see complete story.
In an interconnected world consensus happens fast when a new thing needs to be named
The coronavirus is, as we all know by now, properly named covid-19 or at least the novel coronavirus. Could even be the new coronavirus, which is what “novel” is meant to convey. As you also probably already know, it is not named after a Mexican beer, but rather the fact that, presumably under a microscope, the virus looks like a crown or “corona”. And the “19” in covid-19 stands for the year of discovery, 2019, not that it is the 19th pandemic or 19th strain of the virus (go now and tell Kellyanne Conway).
If you are watching an interview on the pandemic and an expert or pundit is opining they are probably an epidemiologist which is a person who studies epidemics and is a word, and a group of people, you don’t hear much about except when the whole world is in the middle of one.
As you read this you might be at home due to your state, city or county having issued a “stay-at-home order” which is a nice way of saying you are under lock-down. When you go out you will need a mask and, above all to practice social distancing. Oh, and that mask will theoretically need to be an N-95 medical grade one to protect not only others but you as well. But please don’t wear one as they are needed for medical professionals.
The N-95 is necessary because droplets coming from coughing, sneezing, breathing or even loud talking or singing (!) will be hanging in the air for many minutes. See illustration above for a graphic portrait off droplets in action.
Flattening the curve is a simple and yet complicated concept that has become part of folklore or at least our community consciousness. It refers not to stopping or conquering the virus, which is impossible, but to slowing the rate of new infections down to a tempo that is below the rate at which hospitals and government services can keep pace with the surge of new patients. Spreading the virus more slowly is the real goal of wearing masks, practicing social distancing and observing the stay-at-home orders.
What do we do during lockdown? Go shopping of course!
Also, we must all have at least a cursory understanding of the meaning of essential vs non-essential business and employment. Walmart is essential due to the huge grocery section and the much sought after paper products, but the areas where every other non-essential product are available remain open also. However, if your store looks like Walmart but has no grocery section you are non-essential.
Photo / Lynxotic
Amazon of course is the most essential business of all and it’s soon to be trillionaire owner can decide what products to favor with faster shipping and which to delay or try not to sell, even as they remain on sale. He owns our national supply chain now. but just be sure to use alcohol spray on the boxes and wait anywhere from 3 to 72 hours before opening. And when you wash your hands, which you must do many, many, many times a day be sure and sing happy birthday to yourself. Or set your timer for 20 seconds +.
Both gouging, which is a crime in many states but Amazon wants to be made into a federal crime so it can blame its individual marketplace sellers, and hoarding which everybody does, especially with paper products, are rampant and it’s just something to get used to.
After approximately 2 months, flattening the curve changes to F.U. to the Gov, as long as they are democrats
Anti-lockdown protests, which are never called anti-stay-at-home-order protests are also something to get used to. Noose imagery, nazi swastikas, calls to kill or lynch the governor and, naturally semi-automatic weapons with enough ammo cartridges to re-load at least half-a-dozen times are all ok, even inside the state capitol. Just be sure you are white. If so you will be designated as a “good person” by the guy in the White House.
We are all intimately familiar with that little town of 11 million residents in China they call Wuhan, and we know that they have both a notorious “wet-market”, Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where people occasionally also buy bats they plan to snack on, and we also know that the same little town has a, now famous lab where they had been studying coronavirus strains.
Depending on who you ask, the novel coronavirus, aka covid-19, had its origin in one of these two places and was released accidentally, or on purpose either by the chinese government or by the U.S. military and the they, or the bat eating customers and wholesalers are to blame for everything.
The coronavirus might kill you but when the pandemic is a pin prick to the largest bubble in history you will surely notice it
The outcome of all of this is still very mush uncertain, but the US government and the SBA have already issued stimulus checks, created the C.A.R.E.S. act, created programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program, The EIDL disaster loan program and beefed up unemployment payments by $600 per week, while extending the length in some cases that claims can last. This is all to combat the economic fallout from the pandemic, and, depending on who you ask is a recession or a depression and in any case is really, really bad and getting worse. This has created an unemployment spike as large as or larger than the 1930’s Great Depression peak and make the 2008 Financial Crisis look like a hiccup.
Oh, and they have spent already somewhere between $2-3 trillion dollars, not including the Federal Reserve‘s contribution to “infinite quantitative easing” and other measures. Las week the congress passed a bill for an additional $3 trillion of “stimulus” but this will change as the senate and the prez and not going to agree (not due to the size but because the “wrong” people will get the money).
A sequel to this glossary on the next chapter “post pandemic deflationary depression and words you will need to understand to survive” is in the works and will follow shortly, along with the eponymous depression itself. Cheers.
Banks make final approval, official form, with schedule for documentation, lays out detailed requirements
The US treasury department, along with the SBA made the highly anticipated document and details available on Friday. The application, which can be downloaded from this link and printed, or filled out online, contains the requirements needed in order for the so called Paycheck Protection Program, or PPP, recipients to apply for forgiveness under the program.
This release also clarifies the process whereby the borrower must fill out the form and provide any additional accompanying documentation. Once completed the borrower must submit the form and accompanying documents to the lending institution where they received the PPP funds. The lending bank will make the final decision to approve any forgiveness.
The 11 pages included in the file consist of the forgiveness application itself and instructions on how to fill it out. The application itself has two important schedules: Schedule A and the worksheet for Schedule A.
Key is the 60-day period which has been designated as the period within which the funds must be used, in order for the expenses to be forgivable. In some cases there can be, apparently, some flexibility regarding the date an expense was incurred, such as hours worked by employees, vs. the date those incurred expenses were paid, such as the scheduled payroll payment date or pay period closing date. The applicable dates, can in some cases, be the date the expenses were incurred, not paid, in case of discrepancies.
While some may find this application and the accompanying instructions more than sufficient, such as ongoing businesses that maintained employment and lease / mortgage payments, and already have a ratio to costs between them at 75% / 25% as prescribed in the original guidelines. Others, however, may have a more difficult time deciphering what exactly they can or can’t expect forgiveness for.
Though the release is a major step toward clarification, confusion still abounds in the details of the program and forgiveness eligibility
Articles are appearing online picking apart the confusion that may be caused by this initial attempt to clarify the process and set it into motion. The SBA has indicated that more guidance will be forthcoming.
One gripe being mentioned is the lack of narrative-based guidance, basically a verbal explanation for the various cases that could potentially arise and how they should be handled.
Many businesses had to furlough or fire employees due to lack of funds and then re-hire or re-activate them to comply with the SBA program, in particular wanting to be sure to qualify for forgiveness. This was an acute need in some situations, such as restaurants or other businesses that were required to close and deemed non-essential. In many of those cases the employees were paid not to work or to do minimal work while receiving a full paycheck.
Companies in that situation, even with full forgiveness granted, face a daunting, uphill battle to regain profitability or viable revenue streams to keep them running after the 60 days of funds has run out. The lingering effects of the pandemic and the lock-down and stay-at-home orders along with the general state of fear (well founded in many cases, it appears) create a situation where former levels of business revenue and activity may take a long time to regain.
This is not taking into account the economic after-effects and general depressed state of consumption being seen in current national published data.
While the SBA has taken a large and positive step forward with the release of this application and achieved some clarification of the process, much more help for struggling businesses will be needed as we emerge, slowly, from the coronavirus / covid-19 crisis.
Groundbreaking and unvarnished look at what really transpired
A new book set for release on May 15th, 2020 comes from one of China’s most acclaimed and decorated writers and is a powerful first-person account of life in Wuhan during the peak of COVID-19 outbreak.
It is unclear if and when a physical book will be available for purchase, but for the moment, it is most It is unclear if and when a physical book will be available for purchase, but for the moment, it is becoming available in audiobook and e-book format
Synopsis from the publisher, HarperCollins :
On January 25, 2020, after the central government imposed a lockdown in Wuhan, acclaimed Chinese writer Fang Fang began publishing an online diary. The writer used a pen name rather than her birth name as she wanted to be a “witness” rather than be cast as a critic for or against the Chinese government and how the pandemic was handled.
In the days and weeks that followed, Fang Fang’s nightly postings gave voice to the fears, frustrations, anger, and hope of millions of her fellow citizens, reflecting on the psychological impact of forced isolation, the role of the internet as both community lifeline and source of misinformation, and most tragically, the lives of neighbors and friends taken by the deadly virus.
A fascinating eyewitness account of events as they unfold, “Wuhan Diary” captures the challenges of daily life and the changing moods and emotions of being quarantined without reliable information. Fang Fang finds solace in small domestic comforts and is inspired by the courage of friends, health professionals and volunteers, as well as the resilience and perseverance of Wuhan’s nine million residents. But, by claiming the writer´s duty to record she also speaks out against social injustice, abuse of power, and other problems which impeded the response to the epidemic and gets herself embroiled in online controversies because of it.
As Fang Fang documents the beginning of the global health crisis in real time, we are able to identify patterns and mistakes that many of the countries dealing with the novel coronavirus have later repeated. She reminds us that, in the face of the new virus, the plight of the citizens of Wuhan is also that of citizens everywhere. As Fang Fang writes: “The virus is the common enemy of humankind; that is a lesson for all humanity. The only way we can conquer this virus and free ourselves from its grip is for all members of humankind to work together.”
Blending the intimate and the epic, the profound and the quotidian, Wuhan Diary is a remarkable record of an extraordinary time.
Click to buy “Wuhan Diary” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all Independent Local Bookstores
Jeffrey Katzenberg and Meg Whitman launched Quibi on April 6th. The latest project from the two well-experienced entertainment moguls, Quibi is a streaming service designed for the smallest of screens— namely, smartphones and other mobile devices. The subscription based platform’s initiative is to provide short bursts of entertainment for people on the go, keeping content between seven and ten minutes long apiece.
Quibi entered the streaming war with a lot of hype, propelled by a massive marketing campaign and a line up including several noteworthy filmmakers such as Steven Spielberg, Guillermo Del Toro, Steven Soderbergh, Sam Raimi, and more. Many industry insiders had high hopes for the novel platform, even after it decided to stay true to its April 6th launch date amidst the coronavirus.
Sadly, that decision might be coming back to haunt Quibi, as the service came out over a month ago and has so far severely underperformed. The service cost roughly $1.4 billion to create— most of the money coming from Hollywood studio investors and the Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba— and according to the New York Times, it has garnered under 2 million active subscribers in its first month. At a price of $4.99-$7.99 per month, this is a long way from breaking even.
Despite knowing the risk of launching Quibi during COVID-19, Jeffrey Katzenberg is now attributing the site’s underperformance to the pandemic. In a New York Times video interview, he unambiguously stated, “I attribute everything that has gone wrong to coronavirus.”
The founder’s rationale is that the platform is best consumed for people with busy, mobile lives. Quibi provides content catered to people on tight schedules, with news and entertainment served in quick doses. Under the current quarantine, however, people are more sedentary than ever before. Katzenberg continued to the Times, “My hope, my belief was that there would still be many in-between moments while sheltering in place. There are still those moments, but it’s not the same. It’s out of sync.”
This makes sense, but is called into question when considering the success of other streaming sites during the lockdown. Established platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ have benefitted immensely from people staying at home. With theaters closed, lots of content is getting expedited to streaming and these sites are serving as the last lines of entertainment during these isolating times. Netflix has added 15.8 million subscribers in 2020, and Disney+ 4.5 million in the month of April alone.
Of course, Quibi lacks a lot of what these preexisting services have to offer. It does not possess the name brand recognition of a Netflix or Amazon, nor does it have have the vast, familiar library of Disney+. Despite its impressive rolodex of attached producers and a few reboots of popular shows, Quibi has had to build from the bottom up with original programming.
No Blockbuster (yet?) and Now A Changed Attitude Re: TV
Unfortunately, on top of all the circumstantial roadblocks facing Quibi as a company right now, its shows have not been well received either. Many critics and consumers are not buying into the concept of watching content on a phone. Even though Quibi invested lots of effort into creating “turnstyle” technology for a seamless vertical/horizontal viewing experience, the final product has been underwhelming. A review from The Vulture called the technological attempt’s outcome, “a sad cropped, vertical version of a show that looked better in widescreen.”
Now, Quibi is looking towards the future. With so much money and human capital tied up in the project, it has no choice but to keep moving forward, trying to rebound and improve upon itself.
Marketing-wise, Quibi plans to start advertising for individual shows. Up until now, the platform has marketed itself as a whole, with celebrity-endorsed commercials promoting the overall site rather than specific programs. Going forward, Quibi will create more ads centered on particular shows, much in the same vein as Netflix and Disney+.
The site will also be updating its terms of usage. For starters, Quibi users will no longer be tethered to their phone screens. Subscribers will soon be able to watch Quibi shows on their televisions. This was always something that Quibi aspired to in the longterm, but wanted to get its customers used to the small screen standard first. Given the users’ apparent aversion to mobile viewing, though, Quibi is accelerating the process.
Moreover, Quibi content will be sharable on social media going forward. At first, Katzenberg and Whitman wanted to keep all of Quibi (including screenshots) behind its subscriber paywall. Those walls are now becoming permeable, as Quibi demands more traction. Allowing users to share Quibi shows on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter will help spread its popularity and get more people talking about it.
Evidently, Quibi is undergoing some changes at the moment. Regardless of the peculiar situation, the bottom line is that Quibi has not been so successful out the gate. Things will probably get even more competitive in the coming months as NBCUniversal’s Peacock and AT&T’s HBOMax enter the streaming world. Consequentially, Quibi executives are changing their approach immediately, lest the Quibi craze be over before it even begins.
Not long ago it was a pledge of billions for the climate crisis, now $4 billion for “safety”. Where are the audited accounts?
Above: Photo Collage / Lynxotic
Funny thing about promises made by politicians and owners of public companies. Although truth will eventually come out due to public access to accounting, these are often so far in the future that virtually anything can be promised today with no need for a specific plan or transparent numbers to back them up.
On May 3rd, in a dramatic “you may want to sit down” moment Jeff Bezos announced that the company he runs, and is the principal shareholder of, would take all of the $4 billion in expected 2nd quarter operating profit and “invest” it in “COVID-related” costs:
“Under normal circumstances, in this coming Q2, we’d expect to make some $4 billion or more in operating profit. But these aren’t normal circumstances. Instead, we expect to spend the entirety of that $4 billion, and perhaps a bit more, on COVID-related expenses getting products to customers and keeping employees safe.”
Now those who follow Amazon news might remember that in February the online retail giant’s owner pledged $10 billion as a “donation” toward battling climate change, under the moniker “Bezos Earth Fund”.
Even as these ego boosting promises are helping with the image of this company, often otherwise described as “the grim reaper” in the press for its murderous behavior toward any potential competition, a cursory look beneath the surface quickly yields another story. The announcement on Friday suspiciously coincided with fallout from a WSJ article alleging that false information was given in testimony relating to Amazon’s well known extreme competitive behavior against its own so-called marketplace sellers. On the same day as the “generous” promise came to light the WSJ published a follow up piece indicating that Bezos has been “asked” to testify before Congress and to clarify what appears to be an attempted cover-up of the well known practice.
A long history of incredibly consistent behavior points to something lurking beneath the headlines
While we are digging into the weeds here it’s important to note that both the promised, not yet existent, $4 billion and the “pledge” to set up the “Bezos Earth Fund” are not binding in any way, but simply vague promises. It will be months and likely years before any solid information could come out as to just what the various monies will be spent on, if at all.
For example, Amazon has made it well known that it intends to take its “Grim Reaper” show to the health care industry in an attempt to cause the same kind of carnage that it achieved in the book retail and publishing industries, not to mention Diapers and countless other product categories. Who’s to stop this push into a new area to conquer from being funded by this “generous promise” of $4 billion even while stating that all of Q2 profit will be used for “protecting employees as this crisis continues”. Who will prevent that from happening? Yes, you have it right, no one.
Meanwhile, even as these lovely pledges and promises get the digital ink equivalent of a small ocean, the usual slash, burn and pillage continues in plain sight. Many of those same digital outlets crowing about the generosity of the great emperor of Amazon’s promise, just had their business models turned to something more suited to a cremation urn than the daily news shelf. Amazon Affiliate payments to media outlets, a mainstay keeping many news organizations afloat (barely) were suddenly slashed up to 80% this week. So, in other words, a huge constituency that created the success of the giant firm is once again being rewarded by almost certain financial collapse. Big surprise.
There are two that “win”: one is Amazon, second a bribed customer and all others are lured into a death trap
This warrants a deeper look into the process and train of thought that can be deduced from the recent facts, actions and events. Amazon’s income has exploded since the coronavirus crisis began; hence the anticipated $4 billion operating profit projection.
Warehouse workers ? A million allegedly working in almost sweatshop (or worse) conditions for slave wages. Do they benefit financially from this obscene windfall? Yes, they get, possibly, free masks. Perhaps a tiny pay raise for certain “teams”.
How about the marketplace sellers (you know the ones that Congress and the WSJ appear to believe have been systematically defrauded and cheated for decades) that generate nearly 60% of the gross income of the retail site? They will be rewarded with increased scrutiny, higher fees, higher costs and the usual brutal death camp treatment. Lower fees for the best among them? Never.
Ultimately, this charade is business as usual and par for the course from a company that did not get the nickname “Grim Reaper” for nothing. $14 billion for altruistic causes that represent selfless generosity towards others? That’s as likely as a Camel jumping through the eye of a needle.
full statement released by Amazon / Bezos:
From online shopping to AWS to Prime Video and Fire TV, the current crisis is demonstrating the adaptability and durability of Amazon’s business as never before, but it’s also the hardest time we’ve ever faced,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “We are inspired by all the essential workers we see doing their jobs—nurses and doctors, grocery store cashiers, police officers, and our own extraordinary frontline employees. The service we provide has never been more critical, and the people doing the frontline work—our employees and all the contractors throughout our supply chain—are counting on us to keep them safe as they do that work. We’re not going to let them down. Providing for customers and protecting employees as this crisis continues for more months is going to take skill, humility, invention, and money.
If you’re a shareowner in Amazon, you may want to take a seat, because we’re not thinking small. Under normal circumstances, in this coming Q2, we’d expect to make some $4 billion or more in operating profit. But these aren’t normal circumstances. Instead, we expect to spend the entirety of that $4 billion, and perhaps a bit more, on COVID-related expenses getting products to customers and keeping employees safe.
This includes investments in personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning of our facilities, less efficient process paths that better allow for effective social distancing, higher wages for hourly teams, and hundreds of millions to develop our own COVID-19 testing capabilities. There is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and the best investment we can make is in the safety and well-being of our hundreds of thousands of employees. I’m confident that our long-term oriented shareowners will understand and embrace our approach, and that in fact they would expect no less.
Universal Studios and AMC theater chain at war over a potential straight to video future.
Throughout the history of the movie theater business, it has often survived desperate times, successfully adapting and staying in business during the Great Depression, two World Wars, the rise of television as competition, and, so far, even the recent streaming boom. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the entertainment industry has likely met its match, and the exhibition sector is getting hit the hardest.
For the first time since the 1918 pandemic, when theaters in San Francisco alone lost $400,000 per week while closed in what we now call a “lock-down”, theaters across the globe are being forced to barricade their doors. Adhering to social distancing precautions, government officials and theater owners alike are barring the possibility of people gathering in close proximity at the cinema.
Clearly, averting these gatherings is the responsible thing to do during the coronavirus outbreak, but several weeks into the lockdown, many theater workers were struggling to make ends meet. Now, exhibitors are even losing the cooperation of studios.
Currently quarantines are being gradually phased out, with social distancing procedures being used for “non-essential” retail, restaurants and in some cases movie theaters in the first wave of relaxation. Next would be Schools, parks and other public gatherings. Later, in a third phase, concerts and sporting events would be sanctioned, assuming that there is no second wave of cases to cause a reversal back to strict lock-down quarantines again. That is, at this point a big “if” as some states are already should surges in the number of new cases.
Just as restaurants could face financial hardship if they must maintain 50% or even 30% capacity to adhere to social distancing guidelines, a half-empty theater is an anathema in the movie business and could kill off theatrical releases altogether if required for years.
Part of the reason why theater chains have been able to persevere for so long is because major Hollywood studios see the continuing economic value of putting a movie exclusively on the big screen for at least a few weeks. The theatergoing experience allows studios to profit off of ticket sales before making their products available on the far more modestly priced home video markets. At least, this is how the process has conventionally taken place.
If congregating for any reason is too dangerous it could render Hollywood theatrical releases virtually extinct
Now, with so many theaters closed, it makes almost no sense for movies to even attempt theatrical releases during the pandemic. For a few titles (mostly the flashiest blockbuster-style movies like “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Fast 9,” or “Black Widow”) studios have pushed back release dates, knowing that they will eventually turn a profit at the box office despite delays. However, for some more modestly budgeted movies, production companies have contemplated (and in some cases executed) forgoing theatrical runs altogether and releasing the movies straight to video on-demand.
Bypassing theatrical runs has obviously been a possibility for decades, and the perspective has gained significant momentum in the past few years as direct-to-streaming titles have gained legitimacy. If the practice became widespread, however, this would be a nightmare for the theater industry. Because the pandemic is likely to prevent public gatherings for months or even longer, the shift towards this business model is rapidly becoming unavoidable.
Most notably, Universal Studios recently released “Trolls: World Tour” in theaters and on-demand at the same time. To the shock of theater owners everywhere, the film has reportedly made over $50 million on-demand, perhaps exceeding box office expectations and proving that a movie can make huge profits while eschewing the box office and going straight to this direct-to-home-video model.
Universal’s choice to take this unconventional path with “Trolls” led to the studio butting heads with AMC Theaters. AMC President Adam Aron penned a scathing open letter to Universal’s Chairman, claiming, in a threat that sounds like a bluff, that the chain would never play another Universal movie in any of its theaters. That’s a bold claim considering that Universal releases all DreamWorks, “Fast & Furious,” and “Jurassic Park” titles, all of which would bring in major numbers for AMC.
Worst case scenario, however, AMC won’t even need to worry about this, for Universal amongst other studios will see the success of the direct-to-home-video model and replicate it, significantly decreasing, perhaps even nullifying theaters’ essentialness in the release process.
Other movies that were already out when theaters started closing such as Universal’s “The Invisible Man,” Warner Brother’s “Birds Of Prey,” and Pixar’s “Onward” were expedited to on-demand. They are all now on Amazon’s Prime Cinema platform, available for rent at the theater-ticket-like-price of $19.99. The cost is definitely higher than a standard rental, but when watching with the whole family, it is cheaper to view these movies at home than each individual paying for a separate movie theater ticket.
That is, if people could even choose go to the theaters when they wanted to take the risk.
The world is changing fast and it is unlikely if things will ever go back to “normal”
Despite the success of Prime Cinema rentals and “Trolls: World Tour” on-demand, studios cannot ignore the desperation and unique extremes of the times. People are in a vacuum and home entertainment is the only kind of entertainment available to them. If consumers had the option of going to the movies, perhaps the home-video model would not prove as successful.
Essentially, the entertainment industry is undergoing a massive non-consensual experiment, but the variables are erratic and irreplicable. There is no telling how these movies might’ve done at the box office if the box office still existed.
When theaters open up their doors again, studios might realize that people still appreciate going to the cinema and that continuing theatrical releases as usual is the only financially sensible option. Of course the level of fear that people will still feel, even after governments sound the “all clear”, is also an unknown.
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AMC and Cinemark both hope to have their doors open by mid-June or July. Meanwhile, the states of Georgia and Texas will be amongst the first states to allow theaters to continue business. Returning to normalcy will not be simple, though. Just because state governments allow theaters to reopen does not mean that they have to. Plus, many theaters will probably want to take precautions with their crowds, allowing a limited number of people in at a time. The movies themselves will also probably be in limited supply, as it wouldn’t make sense for a movie to get a theatrical release if theaters are only open in a couple states.
If theaters were open today, we would currently be entering a huge summer blockbuster season with “Wonder Woman 1984,” “Fast 9,” and “Black Widow” leading the charge alongside Disney’s “Mulan,” Pixar’s “Soul,” and Warner Brothers’ Christopher Nolan directed “Tenant.” Likewise, we’d be seeing a whole lot of indie content pushed up through the festivals such as South by Southwest and Cannes— the former getting cancelled back in March and the latter pending cancellation.
God forbid the need for precautionary measures is still as extreme through the end of the year, but if the entertainment industry in still in the same situation come winter, then the closures, cancellations, and postponements will collide with the Awards Season. Already the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences has stated that a theatrical run is no longer a requirement for Oscar nominees, breaking down a barrier that has been a point of contention over the past few years. As of right now, it is unclear if this waived rule will remain in perpetuity after its adoption during this highly abnormal year.
Regardless, those who own and work in movie theaters remain on the edges of their collective seats. While nobody in the entertainment industry is currently in an ideal situation, the theaters are clearly the most vulnerable; and that threatens the survival of the most hallowed of hollywood traditions.
In Spite of the Serious Statistics, Some Locations are Resuming Habits from before the Pandemic
There is almost an air of celebration afoot. Beaches in Southern California are sunny and crowded as if this is just any premature springtime heatwave. The stock market futures are rising. It’s as if all of us just can’t take any more of the depressing news. So we just stop paying attention.
Unfortunately the virus is still alert and ready. And, more likely than not, there will be new cases reported a week or two from now, right on cue, after this moment passes. Officially the “Safer at Home” order in the Los Angeles area remains in effect until May 15th. Judging from the traffic and the “non-essential” businesses that are opening up there is an unofficial attempt to end to the so called “lock-down”.
It’s as if almost no one read the article about the large percentage of asymptomatic carriers of the virus on the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Or the French navy’s flagship Charles de Gaulle, with over 1000 cases and counting. Or how in 1918 both San Francisco and Los Angeles ended quarantine precautions too soon and suffered a second wave, shortly after the first.
“Siren wails on November 21, 1918 signaled to San Franciscans that it was safe, and legal, to remove their masks. All signs indicated that the flu had abated. Schools re-opened, and theaters sought to make back the $400,000 they had lost during each of the six weeks they were closed… Barely two weeks after the celebratory removal of masks, new flu cases were reported. Five thousand new flu cases would surface in December 1918 alone.”
Headlines are Anticipating an End to the Pandemic even as the Experts Warn there is A Long Road Ahead
If you are reading articles about how States are reopening and America is getting back to business, be careful. Think about those sailors that were spreading the virus to each other thinking they were not sick. Oh, and by the way, as of April 20th, 8 of the crew members from the Theodore Roosevelt were hospitalized and one has died.
Click to buy “Deadliest Enemy” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
What all of this adds up to is that covid-19, a.k.a. the novel coronavirus is very, very contagious. And since it is impossible to know if you or I will be asymptomatic carriers or among those that become seriously ill, the best, most prudent advice is to continue precautions indefinitely. Taking care to prevent spread and prevent becoming infected ourselves is the least we can do. Celebration we can do anytime. As long as we are around for the beautiful day that a vaccine and an effective treatment are found.
The photo above, taken from “Deadliest Enemy’s” cover, says it all. The image depicts a “real life” scenario showing how this potentially deadly virus can spread, for example in an airport. Of course, in real life the “droplets”, as they are now known, are not florescent yellow. Too bad. If they were at least we could clearly see how dangerous it is to be in a crowded area while this disease, which currently has no treatment or vaccine, is on the loose.
Mark Olshaker and Michael Osterholm’s bestselling book “Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs” is more relevant today than ever before. Just as in San Francisco, in 2018, we are about to enter a phase where the “all clear” will be announced, setting the stage for a potential second wave.
“Siren wails on November 21, 1918 signaled to San Franciscans that it was safe, and legal, to remove their masks. All signs indicated that the flu had abated. Schools re-opened, and theaters sought to make back the $400,000 they had lost during each of the six weeks they were closed… Barely two weeks after the celebratory removal of masks, new flu cases were reported. Five thousand new flu cases would surface in December 1918 alone.”
Years before COVID-19 was on the map author Mark Olshaker and disease epidemiologist Michael Osterholm collaborated to write a book exploring the (then hypothetical) concept of an infectious disease spreading across the modern world. The final product outlines how easily such a disease could spread in our globalized society, how governments and scientists might react to it, and what a bio-fallout would mean for cultures and individuals across the planet.
Click to buy “Deadliest Enemy” and at the same time help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores
Obviously, such a situation is no longer theoretical. Olshaker and Osterholm’s concepts are in fact quite pertinent during the coronavirus pandemic. Their illustration of geo-political and medical scrambling to fight off a never-before-seen threat is eerily astute.
Fourteen chapters make up the book, each one investigating a different infectious disease from the past three decades. It goes into detail about how the world handled (or failed to handle) acute respiratory syndrome, AIDS/HIV, Zika, Ebola, and many other outbreaks. Even while studying the past, though, the authors keep a pulse on the future, constantly thinking about how we can learn from previous situations, and consider what those situations might look like on larger, perhaps planetary scales.
Olshaker and Osterholm conclude that major diseases can fall into four different threat levels—pathogens of pandemic potential, pathogens of critical regional importance, bioterrorism, and endemics. Of course, diseases can evolve along this spectrum, but the authors offer advice on how we can respond to them on each step of the way.
They liken curing or preventing diseases to solving puzzles. There are more pieces than one might expect, and the final product is somewhat of a mystery. The solution will not come solely out of a lab; it will take cooperation on many fronts including politicians, healthcare providers, medical and pharmaceutical professionals, and of course, everyday people who are vulnerable and instrumental in the spread or containment of an illness.
“Deadliest Enemy” is part history, part current events, and part memoir. The authors, offer up their own experiences in the field—most notably Osterholm’s disturbing eye-witness account of La Crosse encephalitis—while tapping into something larger than any single person. The book met high praise upon release, and the CDC recognizes it as a significant contribution to the world of written work on diseases.
On Friday, April 17, San Diego Comic-Con organizers announced that the annual event for 2020 will be cancelled for the first time in its fifty year run.
The four-day pop-culture convention traditionally takes place every summer. It is a yearly celebration of all things comic books—from the books themselves to movies, television, novels, and other transmedia adaptations.
their payments for Comic-Con 2021. We thank our friends for your continued support, and we are exploring the possibility of an online presence that should give us all an opportunity to share in the community for which Comic-Con is famous.
While San Diego may not be the largest Comic-Con in America, it is the most prestigious and widely observed of its kind. Roughly 135,000 people attend each year including academics, professionals, and fans, many of whom cosplay as their favorite characters.
SDCC 2020 was meant to take place between July 23rd and July 26th of this year. The organization fought hard to keep the event happening throughout the coronavirus shutdowns. However, its leaders finally pulled the plug, realizing that the packed occasion would severely violate the current social distancing precautions.
The event for this year has not been postponed for any later date, but rather terminated altogether. Nevertheless, those who have already bought tickets will have the options of receiving full refunds or transferring their purchases to vouchers for SDCC 2021.
Economic Fallout hitting Across Multiple Industries
Given that COVID-19 has put the entertainment industry on hold for 2020’s foreseeable future, though, perhaps it is fitting that this year’s Comic Con has been cancelled. Comic Con’s paramount draw is the panels of creative professionals who reveal new content and information within their industry. This includes casting decisions, trailers, original ideas, and much, much more.
Because most studios have had their 2020 production and release schedules pulled out form under them in light of the pandemic, it’s unclear how much concrete new information this year’s Comic Con would have to offer. Either way, its cancellation is unprecedented, but if everything is back to normal a year from now, 2021’s convention should have a surplus of exciting news to deliver the culturally famished masses.
Starting in a Crisis but Representing the New Normal?
In the modern digital age of direct-to-streaming films, studios and production companies have long contemplated the idea of releasing movies straight to home video markets at the same time as their theatrical debuts. Over the past few years, the gap between films’ theatrical runs and their home video releases has only shrunk, and the line has further greyed with rising numbers of nontraditional release platforms, or forgone theatrical runs altogether.
By and large, though, theaters have still maintained their relevancy. However, that has changed over the past couple months. Right now, theaters are shutdown across the globe because of the coronavirus and many recent releases have been expedited to Video-On-Demand markets. The most conspicuous of these expedited releases is that of DreamWorks’ “Trolls: World Tour,” which made history as the first film to get a VOD and theatrical release on the same day.
Releasing “Trolls: World Tour” like this was a bit of a gamble. Like many other movies, “World Tour” simply could have postponed its premiere for a more stable time. Nevertheless, the VOD release it seems to have paid off. The film came out on April 10th and has already earned Universal Studios $50 million. For comparison’s sake, the movie’s 2016 predecessor—simply titled “Trolls”—earned $46.6 million for its opening weekend in the theaters and overall had a $346.9 million Box Office run.
“Trolls: World Tour” will not have an enormous Box Office success given all of the theaters closed right now. However, it will arguably make more off of its VOD rentals than it ever would during a traditional theatrical period.
Granted, this is an unusual time. “World Tour” and its home release are probably benefitting from the isolated audiences practicing social distancing. Likewise, the film costs $19.99 On-Demand, a price that emulates that of a movie ticket, but is noticeably more than that of a regular VOD rental. The movie also garnered some extra attention as the first film to execute this unconventional release platform. Lastly, it is a family comedy appropriate for kids and adults alike to watch on a common screen. All of this considered, the VOD success of “World Tour” might be an anomaly tied to beginner’s luck and the current circumstances.
Virtual “Box office” Cume is nothing to Sneeze at
Nevertheless, the entertainment experiment that is “Trolls: World Tour” has still proven fruitful, raising the question of whether or not other movies will follow in its footsteps. If “World Tour” can get $50 million in its first week On-Demand, maybe the persistent gap between theaters and home markets has become futile. Perhaps moviegoers are content to watch a new picture at home for the same price of seeing it on the big screen.
The nullification of theatrical releases would naturally be bad news for the theater companies, but it would give streaming sites and tech companies a leg up in the entertainment market. It would also completely transform the industry release pipeline that has persisted for the past century. This potential change, however, will not manifest overnight. “Trolls: World Tour” simply demonstrates that a corresponding VOD and theatrical release can be financially effective, and it may spark an evolution in the enduring movie distribution model.
“Trolls: World Tour” is a PG-rated animated comedy-musical. Walt Dohrn directs alongside David P Smith, and the voice cast includes Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Rachel Bloom, James Cordon, and many more. It is available on Amazon’s new Prime Cinema hub alongside other VOD expedited titles such as “The Invisible Man,” “Emma,” “The Way Back,” “Bloodshot,” “Birds Of Prey” and others.
Plenty of reasons for Pessimism but Huge Sudden Changes are where we’ll find the greatest Opportunities
The film clip above, featuring the Steven Spielberg directed film based on the sci-fi book by Ernest Clines, is built on a fairly familiar and, lately, believable premise. In the year 2045 (or sooner from the looks of things) all our human foibles and follies have devastated the world landscape, both physically and economically. Global warming has taken a toll and disasters we now know so well, such as pandemic outbreaks and economic catastrophes, are recent history and shape the reality at hand.
The story takes place in the world of young virtual reality explorers. And from there the plot is a pretty standard fantasy exploration of the potentials and drama that this backdrop produces.
This and other dystopian works of fiction are suddenly ringing true in a new way, and on different levels, since the world has been on lock-down as we battle the novel coronavirus. There is a feeling of a world on the verge of collapse, with an unknown and very uncertain future, and talk of an economic malaise with almost no historical precedent about to unfold, if you accept worst case scenarios.
Yet, using wild flights of imagination and optimism there are hidden bright spots and silver linings that might arise, not accounted for in this film or other works of dystopian art.
“Ready Player One” promo still image / Warner Bros.
An Idea so Big and Radical it is Hard to Wrap our Heads Around it no matter how hard we try
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What if the twin terrors of the covid-19 Pandemic and the possible economic collapse that may follow are actually a kind of gift to the world and humanity? What if this is the mother of all opportunities, like some wildly fantastic movie plot, where the wake up call from the cosmos comes at exactly the perfect moment to, well, wake us all up?
It’s easy to forget that, before we all became consumed in pandemic survival mode, there were already enormous changes and challenges afoot, a they were not small potatoes.
Global warming and climate related disasters were beginning to take center stage in political and social thought. Greta Thunberg was Time’s Person of the Year, and, for the first time, climate deniers (generally paid shills for the oil industry) were no longer being taken seriously.
All that now seems like a distant memory, but what has changed? A lot and also nothing. The threat of global warming and the urgency to stop carbon emissions and begin a transition to sustainable energy is no less pressing, regardless of our current preoccupation with stopping the pandemic.
Skys around the world have turned blue and clear while traffic is a fraction of the previous norm
Though many have warned the pollution and carbon burning will resume with a vengeance, once the quarantines are lifted, there is nevertheless a psychological effect of seeing and experiencing the beauty of clean air and reduced traffic that is fascinating. Eerily similar to scenes in the film 12 Monkeys, wild animals roam freely in urban centers.
Like a good omen or an invitation to positive change, the idea that nature can bounce back so quickly could be seen as a clarion call to change. Of course, a year from now we could see a world where fossil fuels are even more entrenched, due to economic desperation, where societies take great strides backwards in the ability to communicate and all the problems from the past and present accelerate into a final snowball bound for hell.
But what if something else happens?
What if the drastic measures, like the world wide lock-downs, and the economic stimulus actions attempting to stave off the potential economic catastrophe, indicate the potential for entire nations and even the entire world to work together in times of great need?
Virtual and Enhanced Communication as Tool for Crisis Adaptation
One of the interesting and unforgettable earmarks of the current crisis lifestyle is the switch in our lives from “real” lives to internet lives and virtual meetings and events. TV shows are staging networked broadcasts using FaceTime and Zoom, with the various actors and talking heads streaming from their private quarantine stations. We communicate with each other privately using the same technologies and non-contact methods.
What if this foreshadows a revolutionary change in how we use technology to improve our lives, accelerate communication, increase productivity and prevent the future from being an ecological disaster of biblical proportions?
What if all of us learning to adapt to a life with less unnecessary travel, while at the same time studying and inventing solutions for those problems is exactly what we need to be doing? What if we all need to collaborate on ways to stop the spread of disease, certainly, but also need to find ways to seamlessly transition to solving the bigger underlying pre-existing issues in order to save ourselves and our planet?
What if we were all forced to stay inside and use our computers to communicate. And what if we were forced to learn new “jobs” and ways to survive financially? And what if we could engage people around the world to work from home solving the real problems facing humanity, instead of flying and driving around, burning carbon, chasing the latest greed-driven suicide gold rush?
Ideas like universal basic income will not be optional when 50% of the world is unemployed. But if the income generated by the robots and the energy produced by solar, wind and other clean, sustainable energy sources are available and not in the hands of corrupt politicians, Bezos and Zuckerberg, and the fossil fuel companies, then why not?
These kinds of “radical” solutions will have all sorts of political and greed-driven opposition, of that you can be sure. But, as with the coronavirus, when faced with an insurmountable obstacle, like a rapidly spreading deadly virus that does not spare victims just because they have money or power, things change fast. Really fast.
I have always said, climate change deniers will stop trying to convince people it’s a hoax once Miami and New York are underwater. In a different way, we are already there. What we are living through is like a test run and a wake up call that can help us to prepare for the real and necessary changes to come.
Having the Future Thrust Upon you is not as bad If you Look Forward to Change
So why not make the most of it? Many people are. Reading books, particularly serious books for learning new ideas and thinking outside the box, are having an online sales boom. People are using the time and freedom to set their own schedule and goals, and considering career paths and constructive engagement in ways they might have never otherwise even considered.
In this scene from the original “Matrix” film the writers sub-consciously show us the horrors of the future – but instead what they show is a symbolic representation of the present and the past. Humans are imprisoned for life in “farms” and live only to produce energy – the food fed to babies locked in pods is a sticky black goop said to be the liquified remains of the dead, but is, clearly just a very familiar substance already enslaving us all: crude oil.
Perhaps, looking back from a better future made possible by this pandemic, we can see a reality where the greatest obstacles to change were the addiction to failed behaviors, failed infrastructures and suicidal greed that was considered “normal” in a dying world. If a larger force makes those things impossible or less viable then it should be welcomed with open arms.
There is an existing world infrastructure based on fossil fuels and greed that has been artificially propped up by political and economic forces for far too long. Now that entire system is collapsing on itself. The coronavirus is just a pin prick to the bubble of stupidity and greed that has been there all along.
Those of us that can see and imagine a future, not built around and based on that failed system, will have the opportunity to use our computers and virtual communication systems, primitive as they are at this stage, to communicate with one another and discuss ways to find a new beginning. That new beginning is already starting with blue skys and clean air across the world. Leaders not motivated by greed and yet wielding power like Elon Musk are putting enormous energy into solving the carbon burning dilemma and replacing it as quickly as possible with sustainable energy.
The economic upheaval to come must be seen as an opportunity to replace the old structures with new and better solutions. The recent extreme acts of the government show at least a willingness to try things never before attempted. Many will not work. Meanwhile, enormous, radical change is no longer a science fiction dream but an unavoidable reality.
Let’s embrace the dream and face the future with the wildly optimistic idea that changes for the future do not have to be dystopian. They can be Utopian. Why should we settle for anything less?
Please click on photo to buy “Blowout” and at the same time you can help Lynxotic and All Independent Local Bookstores. Also available on Amazon
While nothing is a Panacea and Medical Attention is always Advised, at Least Something that could help is being discussed…
A Virus with no cure, no vaccine and no approved drugs available, other than fever reducers such as Tylenol, the novel coronavirus, also known as covid-19 is very scary indeed. One tiny ray of hope has emerged from social media in the form of celebrities that have contracted the disease and either recovered or are recovering as we speak.
Among many in the limelight who have tested positive, some, such as Idris Elba and his wife, were and remain asymptomatic, even as the prescribed quarantine period has elapsed. Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson have now fully recovered. Singer Pink and her 3-year-old son tested positive but have fully recovered and are now negative.
Click to buy “Flour Water Salt Yeast” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores. Also on Amazon
Writer of the wildly successful Harry Potter book series, author J.K. Rowling frightened millions of fans around the world a few weeks ago when she announced that she had contracted many of the symptoms associated with COVID-19: “For last 2 weeks I’ve had all symptoms of C19 (tho haven’t been tested)”, she said in a tweet.
Luckily, the writer is married to Scottish doctor Neil Murray. He also recommended a home remedy for her symptoms. The remedy is a breathing exercise. It involves taking five deep breaths, holding them in for four full seconds, then exhaling. On the sixth deep breath, you let it out with a forceful cough. After doing this cycle twice, you lie on chest-down on the ground, breathing slightly deeper than regularly. Dr Sarfaraz Munshi, from Queens Hospital in the UK , explains that a larger area of the lungs are in our back rather than front, and by lying on our backs we are closing off more airways. Therefore, he suggests lying face-down when finishing the exercise.
“Here’s the secret to kicking’ this virus. It’s not a pill or a potion. It’s about your will and devotion. The virus wants us to lay down. You’ve got to do things to beat this virus, you’ve got to breathe deep when it hurts. “
– Chris Cuomo
The U.K. doctors who have been sharing this technique advise people feeling sick to spend lots of time lying chest-down, for it places less strain on the lungs than lying on one’s back.
“You have to walk around — it hurts. You don’t want to do it. Everything in your body is telling you not to do it, and it’s lying to you, and I know that now… The more I push myself to do, the better I’m getting, so I’m going to take faith in that for now.“
– Chris Cuomo
Chris Cuomo credits Same Technique and Practices it “5x” per day
From Christina Cuomo’s Instagram post- drinks and fluids to help hydrate during high fever.
On his CNN show, which he continues to broadcast, albeit from his basement, Chris explained that he’s been pushing himself to keep active. “When the fever spikes you just want to curl up in a ball and stay there for the next six, seven hours and you can’t. You’ve got to bundle up your clothes, you’ve got to start drowning yourself in fluid,” he said, sharing the results of his X-ray with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. “You have to walk around — it hurts. You don’t want to do it. Everything in your body is telling you not to do it, and it’s lying to you, and I know that now… The more I push myself to do, the better I’m getting, so I’m going to take faith in that for now.”
Thank you for your kind and lovely messages! I really am completely recovered and wanted to share a technique that’s recommended by doctors, costs nothing, has no nasty side effects but could help you/your loved ones a lot, as it did me. Stay safe, everyone x
“When the fever spikes you just want to curl up in a ball and stay there for the next six, seven hours and you can’t. You’ve got to bundle up your clothes, you’ve got to start drowning yourself in fluid”
Chris Cuomo on his struggles with “the Beast” A.K.A. Covid-19
YES. 5x day. And I do stuff on tummy. And I walk a little and take big gasps. Still fighting fever waves. Last night was depressing. Decent day then fever all night. https://t.co/pdMSfIbssm
J.K. Rowling recently Tweeted that she is fully recovered, and she shared the technique that helped her get better via a YouTube link. Chris Cuomo, meanwhile, according to his wife Christina, was experiencing a greatly reduced fever (99º) and appears to be recovering after 121 days+ of fighting “The Beast”. Hearing that Rowling is doing well is a sigh of relief in these trying times. Nevertheless, the case shows that nobody is safe from the coronavirus, and we all must take the proper precautions to eliminate the pandemic’s spread. Of course, such a homemade provision is not a cure or an excuse for seeking legitimate medical help. If you feel sick, you should still go to the doctor.
Independent Bookstores, closed and struggling due to Shelter in Place orders, see Massive Surge in Online Sales
Click to buy “Three Dog Tales” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores.Also on Amazon
Bookshop.org, where our sister site Cherrybooks.org is currently housed, seeing a huge surge in sales: starting on March 27th the world appears to have run out of streaming shows to binge-watch and decided to consider reading as a serious alternative.
Some stores are reporting a 300% jump, interestingly focused on this weekend in particular. Our sister company has seen similar numbers. More interestingly the titles that people are buying are like a window into all of our thoughts, hopes, fears and desires.
It’s an encouraging sign to see that people are literally taking this serious, daunting situation to heart and rethinking their own lives and even life itself. Naturally, entertaining escape from reality fiction and romantic fantasy fills a need and there is plenty of those kind of titles in the mix.
And, particularly, in the initial surge of interest, books related to epidemiology and any previous history titles related to pandemics and viruses enjoyed a spike in interest.
It’s Amazing to See how Millions are Searching for ways to Learn and Expand Knowledge, as We Hope to Transform Crisis into Opportunity
The depth and breath of the interest appears to be swelling into a second wave of sorts. Just as we are all going through various psychological stages in our reaction to the crisis we appear to have reached a stage where we are learning to accept that the length of self-isolation or physical separation in the name of “flattening the curve” will not be a week to ten days but could stretch into April and even May.
Click to buy “Dare to Repair” and at the same time help Lynxotic and all independent local bookstores. Also on Amazon
Lots of time on your hands? Need to save money due to unemployment? Want to do something that you can do alone in quarantine? All of the above apply to these titles and all DIY and How-to books !
This reality has triggered what appears to be a healthy and even heroic response in many. When viewing the titles people are choosing, and the depth of the thought that appears to have gone into those choices, it’s as if there is a massive worldwide army of people with a tsunami of desire to solve problems. From personal, individual problems and hopes, to world wide challenges in matters of health, economics, ecology, politics and so on.
Know of somebody who is lying all the time? Is he on TV every day? Finding it hard to cope? This one’s for you. Also available on Amazon
Looking inward and toward the rear view mirror, people are researching history, particularly the 1st world war and its massive flu epidemic, along with the great depression as we ponder our financial and economic fates.
Even deeper inward philosophy, religion and all kinds of introspective longing to understand ourselves and societies and our history can be seen in the book titles. Stoicism books are selling by the dozen, as are, not surprisingly books on christianity and faith. Other religions and philosophies are represented also.
Humor is a big draw at a time we can all use a laugh and a smile. Everything can be seen and felt in the choices people are making as they search for ways to use this mandated time to reflect and regroup. How better to reach out for answers than the oldest technology for wisdom and the progression of ideas: books and solitary reading.
Below: a random smattering of titles from actual orders to illustrate this phenomenon along with our descriptions of the impulses that led to these selections:
This one is an obvious choice. Eyes tired from binge-watching for 37 hours straight? When you wake up tomorrow you can soothe them by forgoing the video version and going straight to the original. We find a surprising number of people become interested in the original book version of a title after the film or video version already hit the streets…
Want to do good? Thinking of role models sorely needed in this world of ours? Thoughts leaning toward what a person can do to help others during this time of crisis and suffering? Biographies of inspirational figures, such as Mother Teresa are very popular now, showing a trend towards introspection and the meaning of life and serving others.
How huge is poetry during self isolation? Very. This is one that has been surprising, from modern to romantic to historic classics, poetry books are flying off the shelves like there’s no tomorrow. Which we all hope is not the case. Even if it does turn out that way, what better last thought to savor than one from a great poet?
From Charles Bukowski to Rumi or Thich Nhat Hanh people are letting words flow from the pages and letting their souls devour the sweet nectar. Whatever style or epoch tickles your fancy it’s out there waiting. Take it and run with it. What have you got to lose?
Religion and Spirituality are huge, which goes without saying. The impulse to look within ourselves is growing stronger even as the world around us appears to be devolving into chaos. Perhaps it’s a feeling of wanting to reach back to our roots and traditions of our families or childhood.
Or it could just as well be a strong desire to explore what’s absolutely new and unknown to us. Either way the solitary time in this unexpected environment we find ourselves in is perfect for exploring things we may not have had an opportunity to investigate during “normal” times.
Or maybe it’s time to figure out how to solve all the world’s problems. Sure it’s great to start with epidemiology and search for a coronavirus vaccination. But what about the rest of our problems? Or how about just great ideas for better ways to live and organize society? Or political solutions and movements? With enough time on our hands to study and reflect there may not be any problem too big or too complex.
Somebody said we are all in quarantine and spending all our time eating and fighting with spouses and relatives. Why not take a break and read about how not to fight with each other. Many have apparently taken that advice to heart as some of our biggest sellers are books and how to get along with each other, and ourselves! Reading has a miraculous influence on us to give us the strength and courage to believe that we can fix anything. Even solve our own inner dilemmas and weaknesses.
Of course there is always the pleasure of exploration. Novels and guilty pleasure reads, cookbooks and food, Romance, Sex, Relationships, Children’s Entertainment, Movies and Music, the list goes on and on. The old saying “there’s an app for that was preceded many, many years earlier by a simple truism that has stood the test of time. There’s a book for that.
