Coronavirus Diary: April 27, 2020

For most of us, our understanding of this pandemic is constantly evolving, becoming just about a full time job.  This morning we can discuss a few items that have come to our recent attention.

First, some humor/truth from Brad Pitt/SNL:

Next, Netflix has a new episode of the __EXPLAINED series that should merit your viewing: “Coronavirus, Explained“.

And then we have this piece of analysis from The New Yorker, “Seattle’s Leaders Let Scientists Take The Lead.  New York’s Did Not“.  This is a fairly lengthy read that I would recommend you hear as professional voices take you through it via  the AudM app for your smartphone, or on the website itself.

Coronavirus Diary: April 26, 2020

Over to Tietan Park to walk the dog. Tietan Street, normally flush with traffic:

Dogs like windows and if they are large enough, they can go for sunroofs.

Along Tietan, we see that a couple of Airstreams, within the space of two blocks, seem to be providing in-town housing. We also stumble upon a vintage Mercury. And some signs of optimism.

And a family is out cycling.

The Worldwide Art Parody Phenom

A few weeks ago, we commented on the Getty Museum’s art challenge.  Don’t know who actually started it, but the latest and my current favorite is this Instagram account, originating in the Netherlands.  I can get lost with this thing, and others like it, for hours.  Some of this stuff is just crazy amateur antics, and some has to be art itself.  And just about all of it is hilarious.  Here’s just a couple of random examples:

(based on Magritte’s “The Son of Man”)
(based on Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see more at the Dutch site here.

And I just found a great piece on a Russian version of this kind of undertaking reported in the NYT.

SIDEBAR: Speaking of art, we highly recommend the Amazon Prime documentary on Hank Virgona, “Nothing Changes: Art For Hank’s Sake”.

Coronavirus Diary: April 25, 2020

The customary, obligatory take on the morning sun from our front driveway:

 

Deliberately shooting out of focus sometimes seems right these days …

My Italian garlic grower friend (and Peter Frampton fan) and I have a telephoto  morning chat, socially-distanced by the width of the street:

I hear that T***p wants to eliminate the Post Office …

Downtown banks, like this one, are shuttered and uninviting:

A Tesla seems to be the only car out and about on this block of sad First Avenue today:

Quiet and lonely throughout downtown:

A bee, unable to fly, seems to be approaching death …

The incessantly barking dog:

Coronavirus Diary: April 24, 2020

On the matter of masks…  My formula today: two layers of T-shirt material between which is a chunk of blue shop towel material (alternatively, two pieces of standard paper towel).  See these research findings for some of the latest on the efficacy of various DIY mask ingredients.  Note to self: wear only with one of my black turtlenecks.

also see images from the Mask Study