96 thoughts on “May 14, 2020: We Meet Again”

  1. My computer couldn't even handle CIV5. I spent many glorious hours on CIV3, and still jokingly demand tribute from some friends.

  2. I've been playing a lot of Civ VI recently. I've got a couple cloud-based games going with some curling buddies. The base game is solid even without any expansions, as an FYI.

    1. It might be because I played so much Civ IV, but I found I tired of Civ VI a lot faster than previous games. I still played the heck out of it for a while though.

  3. Has anyone else played the Super Mega Baseball series? The 3rd one released this week to great reviews, the gameplay is fantastic and has options that make it really easy to play co-op with my 6-year old.

      1. There's a demo available, so definitely give that a try. Under the cartoon-ish player models is a really solid physics model for the actual baseball.

        One of the thing both boys have really enjoyed is the team/player creator, shockingly their players end up being the best on the team.

    1. I played a ton of Super Mega Baseball 2 when it came out on Game Pass, and then purchased it on Switch last summer and played a ton more. I caved on SMB3 on the Switch last night despite telling myself to hold off for a sale. I'm just too excited for the Franchise mode. The gameplay is my favorite of any baseball game in a long time, and the muscle memory of playing it actually makes it harder for me to hit in The Show since I occasionally start holding down the swing button to time a hit.

      1. I checked it out and I am now in the process of caving in and buying it on the Switch.

        1. I told my son to buy it as soon as we have a rainy day. More for me than him.

  4. I almost want to ask where you saw CIV6 on sale, but I won't. 🙂

    My current timesuck besides Rocket League is Stardew Valley. Oh my word, is that thing a calming relief in these times. It's nice to just build out my farm, etc. I'm surprised I ended up liking it so well. And I have it on the Switch so it's easy to play in the breaks of the day. OTOH, I spend too much time on it and I should spend time building actual things in my shop and such. One friend says "Stardew Valley is like water. It fills every crack in your day." Hrm.

  5. We made the KA deep dish pizza(s) last night. The first time we made it this lockdown I used the Serious Eats version - more flour = 2 pizzas (unfortunately the salt content of the dough was way too high....). This time I used 2.5 cups of flour instead of the 2 cups in the KA version, made two pizzas - left over brisket, bbq sauce, mozz, and wilted spinach, and sweet potato, bacon, red onion, goat chez. The crust is probably my favorite part. Now a go to in the slaughterhouse, though turning on the oven isn't something we'll be doing regularly until November.

    1. Both of those pies sound amazing, meat. I hope there were some leftovers for cold pizza breakfast.

      There’s a local place that does pies with carnitas, chorizo, or duck confit. I can’t find the other toppings for carnitas or duck confit, but the chorizo pie comes with sweet corn, Hook’s 1-year Cheddar, jalapeños, cherry tomatoes, yellow onion, chili aioli, & cilantro. Nobody else in the house wants to eat one...so it’s a combined supper & breakfast feast.

      That KA pie crust is a fantastic recipe. I’m hoping to make it again in the next week or two.

      1. cold cast iron. Proof the dough in the fridge over night, take out 3 hours before baking, cut in half about an hour or so in, put each dough ball into the bottom of the cast iron that you've coated with olive oil, roll dough ball around to coat in oil, push down and spread the dough out. Let the dough rise in the pan, covered for the next hour or so, spread the dough out one last time - top with cheese first making sure to get a significant amount of cheese on the edge of the dough pan meet up, add sauce of your choosing and other topping, finish with some more chez, bake in a preheated 450 oven until crispy as all get out on the bottom. No fail.

          1. It's really good; I'm considering making it again over the weekend. By the way, I meant to report back that my second attempt--the one with 30% white whole wheat flour in the crust--turned out great.

            meat, how did you get 2 crusts by increasing the flour by just 1/2 cup? I have 2 cast-iron pans, but one is larger than called for, so I've been mulling over whether I could use a pan to bake one pizza while the dough for a second one has been shaped at the appropriate size on an oiled plate or somesuch and then after the first pizza is out of the cast iron, I'd slide the dough in, top it, and pop it in the oven.

            1. The crust I'm making is somewhere between srsly deep dish and kinda deep dish. The extra half cup of flour makes a dough that is stretchable enough to end up with a serious bread without it being BREAD if that makes sense.

                1. I didn't note in the above that I'm cooking in two cast iron pans at the same time. One is slightly smaller than the other - likely a one off line of pans that are half way between the 8 inch bottom and the 9 inch bottom? - and has produced great results. I do up my oven temp by 25 degrees (though my oven tends to the cooler side anyway), and have (endured) several minuets of additional cooking time. Both of my cast iron pans are of the workhorse variety (read abused by their owner ... sorry pans), and have exceptionally smooth interiors due to their age - ~70+ years old + seasoning.

                  1. I figured you must have two cast iron pans of the appropriate size. I have one 9" but the other is probably more like 11," which isn't going to work for this purpose.

                    I bought a new oven last fall and after 15 years of an oven that ran cool, it's glorious to have not have to compensate by turning it up higher or never having things bake in the suggested amount of time.

  6. How are others feeling about the relaxing of MN's stay-at-home?
    EAR and I are of the same mind that this just switches a lot towards us to make tough decisions.

    In-laws will invite us to join them at their cabin for Memorial Day. Do we say yes?
    Does saying yes to that obligate us to saying yes to something likely coming from my side of the family?

    Do we go to mass?
    Do I go back to my haircutter?

    Will I be asked to come back to the office?
    Could I go back to taking the bus or would I need to buy a new vehicle and parking arrangement downtown?
    Or would EAR drive me?

    It was so much simpler when the rule was just: No. We didn't have to make the decisions.

    1. I agree. It doesn't change much of anything for me, personally, except now all of the decisions are harder, and I don't have a built-in excuse for my homebody tendencies.

      1. "my homebody tendencies"
        That's it! I'm not looking forward to a return to normalcy, to get out and see people, go shopping for trivial crap.
        I've leaned in to this WFH. I think I've finally got things working better.
        I've got my Dam park here and take good walks most lunchtimes.
        And it'll soon be warm enough out that my cold basement will feel like relief!

    2. Our family isn't planning on making many changes. My oldest will probably go get a haircut; I have sizable returns to formerly-closed retailers that can hopefully be done well outside of peak hours, but nothing I can think of outside of that.

      Work is the bigger question for us, along with the childcare dilemma from yesterday. It makes me less trustful of others, which directly affects my child/family if he goes to a heavily populated school-based program. But even if we can piece together a schedule where we only go to the office a couple days per week, having a kid home 24/7 without schooling just isn't a feasible option.

      Actually, summer sports is another dilemma. We just got an email about rescheduled tournaments, so presumably yesterday's announcement puts us on the path of having a season. I'm not fully comfortable with it though.

      1. along with the childcare dilemma from yesterday

        The school officially opened up Compass signups today, so the assumption is that that's going to be a thing, so that helps.

      2. My oldest will probably go get a haircut

        Can they? I haven't read the order because no longer in the state, but I thought I saw the haircutting part remained closed.

        1. Planning on opening in June if I have it right, so I got a little ahead of myself planning out our proposed activities.

    3. Personally, I like the order.

      First off, until at least the end of May, we're still capped at 10 people. So anything more than that is still prohibited. This includes religious services and family gatherings. For our family of 6, that's already going to limit our interactions.

      Second, I think it makes sense to base our approach on reality. Looking at the adjusted models, it is good that we're using actual effectiveness of stay at home to adjust our predictions. It looked like we'd have to keep this up until September and even then we'd only slightly reduce infection and death rates, so this seems like a reasonable real-world adjustment.

      Third, I think individuals being responsible for their own isolation is a good principle - I like governments acting in the least restrictive means - provided that they actually have the freedom to do so. So, if you've been working from home and are comfortable with that, I do not think an employer should be able to override your preference on that, while we're in a the "safer at home" time (after the "safer at home" order expires in the future, then, obviously employers could require a return to work again).

      This third part is really the big question, for me. If people want to stay home and say no to doing things, or pick and choose what they're doing, I have zero problem with it. I just don't want other people judging them for their choices. Someone else on-site had talked about those judgments previously, and I felt like that was a very good take on this... if we're all non-judgey, then I think this approach is good. If not... there will certainly be tensions.

      1. I don't think that 'mericans are capable of being non-judgey at this most of polarizing time.

      2. I like it, too. I think there is a limit to the amount of time some can/will follow the orders. The data shows that people are starting to loosen things on their own. A good leader should recognize this and adjust or risk losing people altogether.

        I agree that the looseness of it puts more on the individual to make his/her own decisions but I'm ok with this.

        Also, if rules are too broad they don't make sense. Big stores have been open while some little places haven't been. It makes more sense to just have guidelines at this point.

        I also don't view "the economy" as the "stock market." The economy is how we provide food and shelter to ourselves and our families. It can't be shut down indefinitely. The shut down also causes health risks.

        1. Full-on FZ:

          Spoiler SelectShow
          1. we get to 20% of the US infected, that projects out to roughly 600K dead from COVID-19, making practically a 3-way tie for leading cause of death along with cancer and heart disease.

            As the number roll in we're seeing a spike in severe cases and deaths in the African American community. If we reach 600K deaths from this disease a large proportion will be poor, black and already chronically ill. This has exposed a rather alarming health care gap in America (the greatest health care system in the world!). Sadly, I don't think that people will register the severity of the disease if the deaths are happening in a population they don't often cross paths with (or, really even give a damn about). The federal response shouldn't just be masks and gowns, but should also be systemic changes to public health policies that benefit and support the poorest among us. Of course DJT is president, and he made quite the show of tearing out the veg. garden tended to by the previous FLOTUS. Vegies suck anyway.

            1. FZ SelectShow
        2. FWIW, the most important things, in my view, really are:
          1. continue social distancing as much as possible
          2. wear your effing mask in public
          3. voluntarily limit outings that make social distancing hard

          personal services (salons, etc.) are really, really hard to do with masks and social distancing. We have to recognize there are heightened risks associated with those businesses. I don't know how to manage those risks while allowing people in those industries to make a living. Masks, obviously, but they are gonna be hard to maintain.

          restaurants are gonna have to provide PPE for staff and try to limit crowding, but so many of them run on thin margins, it's gonna be damned hard.
          bars likewise are gonna have to provide PPE for staff and try to limit crowding. Huge behavioral challenges where alcohol consumption is concerned.

          production lines, such as in meatpacking plants and factories are gonna have to do much, much better with PPE, spacing and sanitation.

          in sum, ugh. The people who are foaming at the mouth about "RE-OPEN NOW" are not thinking. But we have to get the economy back on its feet in an orderly, sensible way. And be prepared for the virus to rebound.

          1. production lines, such as in meatpacking plants and factories are gonna have to do much, much better with PPE, spacing and sanitation.

            What labor union or other such group is going to lobby washington to start treating these low wage workers, doc? What incentives are there for these companies to 'do the right thing'? I'm feeling more cynical than ever that our clountry has missed an opportunity to really change for the better. I certainly don't expect the current occupant of the white house to help the poorest and most maligned in our society because he's too busy lining his pockets.

            1. It doesn't help that the processing plants have merged and centralized to the point that their employees are mere numbers and an outbreak at one location threatens the whole supply chain

              1. No doubt. There has been huge concentration in the meatpacking/processing industry in the past couple of decades.

                FZ SelectShow
                    1. I love New Orleans as a place. I absolutely love this city, but, as the saying goes nothing matters before the but, it is still the south and the south gunna south.

                  1. I’m starting to actively hate living here.

                    Don' give up on Brandy & Benedictine, Sex Olives, and Colby Cheese.

      3. I had a friend ha ha someone driving around with their mask on. I've decided that one thing I would do is give anyone wanting to be extra protective a pass. Sort of like seeing someone at the Y taking the track slow or skimping on their lifting regime - at least they're not the folks not even working out.

      4. Oh, in theory, I agree with you, Phil.
        But personal taste doesn't always line up so nicely.

        1. Well with this disease out there, I don't really plan on going around and tasting persons.

      5. These rules seem to make a lot more sense than the much looser things in North Dakota; restaurants and especially bars should not be open right now!

        My view on all of this is pretty selfish, I guess, but I'm concerned that the relaxing of these restrictions is just going to make it even longer before I can see J. While we have all sacrificed to flatten the curve somewhat, not enough was done in the meantime to really, really get a hold around this. I left Winnipeg on March 16th. The border is now going to be closed through June 21st, at the least. We are not going to be able to spend our wedding anniversary together. I'm legitimately concerned we won't get to see each other at all this summer, and honestly who even knows after that. It's just so, so frustrating. Like I get that desire for a return to normalcy, but I'm pretty concerned that things are going to get worse before they get better, and things have not been great.

        I'm coming from a place of relative privilege here; I'm still employed and working from home was already my normal. I don't have kids. I'm already a homebody. But I'm stuck away from my people, with no end in sight to that. Things feel really, really grim.

    4. I can't figure out how to feel about it. I generally don't listen to press conferences, but I turned it on last night while washing dishes. The thing that struck me is that Walz never said anything about it being safe to be out and about more. What he said is that the time spent sheltering in place allowed the time for hospitals/health care providers to prepare--from more testing being available to ICU beds to ventilators to PPE. So the assumption is that more people will get sick--and die. It's just that the hospitals won't be overwhelmed. Probably. I have a hard time feeling good about this.

      The other thing on my mind is how interconnected we all are. I can decide what's safe or not safe for my family, but if we're in contact with someone who is taking a vastly different approach, that changes the risk for all of us.

      1. I guess my feeling is that Zee German was pretty accurate in his reply to my link yesterday. The "hammer" was a whack-a-mole mallet. Now, that did end up buying us enough time, but there was never a point where applying that light a hammer was actually going to end this. I honestly think that if we kept this exact level of stay at home up for another six months, we'd be in roughly the same scenario that we are in right now.

        Now, to be clear, I don't believe that the stay at home order was a mistake -- at all. I'm not even sure that it's a great idea for it to be rescinded just yet, if only because things are on the rise in Minnesota (especially in rural areas -- but then, I live in one of those areas, and the majority of people around here weren't exactly complying with the letter or spirit of the order in the first place). This phase was always going to come, though, and I'm not sure that putting it on for another month would actually buy us that much.

        1. These are all totally fair points. I just have a hard time thinking about the fact that no matter what is done (or not done), more people will become ill and some of those people will die--it's simply a question of how many and how fast. And yes, I know that people die for all kinds of reasons every day. The pandemic just brings it to the fore in a different way.

        2. I keep trying to write something coherent, but I just keep coming back to what a failure it has been that on a nationwide level we have basically done nothing to put the country in a better spot after 2 months of people (mostly) following stay-at-home guidelines.

          I understand people questioning the point of it all if the result isn't much different if we stay at home for another four months.

          I also don't trust people not to push the limits too much during this "Stay Safe" phase.

          1. I completely agree with pretty much all of this.

            The main thing that concerns me in all of this is that in the process of trying to have our cake and eat it, too, we'll end up doing the exact opposite.

    5. Went to costco today, and they've eased up on restricting the number of folks allowed in, and it felt really, really uneasy to be in that close proximity to that many people. I don't think that I'm going to be interested in dining out anytime soon.

      1. Also, hilariously costco's famously generous return policy doesn't cover toilet paper, bleach, sanitizing wipes, bottled water or hand sanitizer. I say bravo to the company for not allowing jerks who horded those supplies to return them for cash back.

    6. Almost cut my hair.

      First time around it was pretty bad. Did another touch up this morning and NBBW said the back isn't so bad (is bad, and so is the front). But I saved $22*2 clams so far. I miss the straight edge and my barber's commentary on bad Italian cooking on Food Network.

  7. So in bjhess and my OOTP league, Rich Becker was just named MVP of the 2006 World Series. Yes, that Rich Becker. He's somehow a borderline HOF candidate.

    1. I've been thinking about getting OOTP now that I have a computer than can handle a modicum of processing requirements.

  8. I say in the case of empty stadium games, fake crowd noise would be better than no crowd noise--what say you? Once the novelty of empty stadium wears off (for me it takes maybe 20 minutes), I quickly lose interest in watching a sporting event. Basically it plays out like this:

    Brain: Look, all of those people are paying attention to the men running around on the field, performing feats of speed, strength, and skill!
    ubelmann: This is great!
    Brain: Look at those feats of speed, strength, and skill performed with no one watching!
    ubelmann: Why do I care about this again?

    I still love sports--I think--but I'm less sure than ever that I really like sports or if I'd be interested in just about any live entertainment with large crowds. I think there would be limits--I am not signing up for gladiator games any time soon, even non-lethal fights with crowds don't really grab my attention--but I bet I would watch somewhat ridiculous sports like dodgeball if they were popular enough and well presented.

    1. I watched a good 20 minutes of professional Ultimate Frisbee the other day and really enjoyed it, reminded me of the pickup games we used to play back in college. Back then a little start-up cable channel called ESPN was filling out its airtime with Australian Rules Football, yacht racing, and 9-ball tournaments.

    2. A lot of sporting events already have enhanced audio, essentially foley artists making it sound more like it "should". There's an interesting 99PI about it - The Sound of Sports

    3. I was wondering about that the other day - whether they'd keep mics close enough that we'd be able to hear what the players, coaches, and umps are saying.

    4. So Dortmund is playing Schalke at Signal Iduna on Saturday at 9:30ET. We'll see how that goes without Ultras and tifos.

  9. so, it looks like I will only be seeing ~10 percent pay cut starting July 1. Don't yet know how big the cut will be to my operating budget. I guess I'm still grateful to have a job with benefits.

      1. as it turns out, our operating budget appears to be untouched. Combo of special fund sourcing and having a significant role in statewide mental health policy, I guess. The need for mental health/behavioral health services is gonna go up and up as this thing stretches on.

        also, the new monthly revenue distribution numbers for the counties from our special fund came out today. The May distribution was down $200 million (2/3rds) from May 2019. May is one of the typically large distribution months because of quarterly tax payments and the timing for filing annual taxes (based on April revenues). That turns the year-to-date revenue in the fund from having been up 7.6 percent year-over-year as of last month to down 4.5 percent year-over-year. It ain't getting better next month.

      1. yea, pink and green don't really mix into anything attractive. But as a painter, I'm sure you could do something with it.

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