PSA: Supposedly Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts' Makes A Great Hand Washing Song.
Good morning, sweethearts! Are you washing your hands? Are you self-quarantining if you don’t feel well? Are you continuing to support your local creators, restaurants, and event hosts as they struggle with the impacts of shutdowns, declining audiences, and companies working from home? (Btw, scroll ahead to the bullets if you just need a distraction this morning.)
I’ve been thinking about how intertwined we are, and how that all of that is laid bare in a crisis situation. I heard from someone yesterday that the head of a local San Francisco bakery, one that normally gets thousands of orders from tech companies for nerd holiday Pi Day, had hired extra staff in anticipation. Then, this week, those orders dried up.
Obviously, this situation isn’t the worst case scenario, and any effort we can make to flatten the infection curve is absolutely important and must happen, but I want us to remember that sort of drastic economic change for a small margin business can be existential.
And it’s not just small businesses: the outbreak is magnifying some of the existing class discrepancies in the tech industry; please read Nitasha Tiku and Elizabeth Dwoskin’s piece on how the contract workers of the big tech companies are caught in an employment gray area, “drawing wider attention to both this shadow workforce — and the less visible class divide among white-collar workers.”
So as companies encourage their staff to work from home, don’t forget the ripple effect that hits hourly workers and local businesses and your own neighbors and friends. If you can, and it won’t compromise you or your loved ones’ health, please continue to frequent those businesses, attend those events, give a (consented-to) elbow bump to your local postal worker, say hi to the MUNI worker sanitizing the escalator handrails.
And speaking of COVID-19, have you found yourself saying “what’s the big deal, I’m not in the at-risk population, it won’t impact me,” first off: Stop. Just stop. Do not say those words aloud, because you have no idea the message it is sending to your immunocompromised friends and family, or friends and family in the at-risk demographic. And if you need some reason to make this outback about you in order to care, please read Christopher Mims’s tweetstorm on how this outbreak will affect YOU, even if you’re not in the susceptible population, as it will have a major impact on our healthcare system and our hospital capacity.
So, for the love of all things Flying Spaghetti Monster, wash your damned hands and self-quarantine if you feel ill.
TO THE INTERNET for some random non-COVID stuff to salve your anxious brain this morning.
I spoke at Odd Salon on The Children’s Crusades, and here’s the video, and I’m proud that this one somehow pulled through, and I’d love for you to watch it.
Hey there Jews and Jew-adjacent! It’s Purim, have you noticed that hamantaschen may resemble a part of the lady anatomy? You can thank friend of the Missive Mandy for pointing that out, cuz you’ll never be able to unthink it, or stop laughing. And based on the subject line of the email she sent me, I think “Yonic Purim Treats” is a great band name.
There’s a group of Marianne Williamson supporters who are channeling “the power of the universe to defeat Trump on the astral plane of love” by mentally placing politicians in spiritual eggs that prevent harm and you know what, sure. Why not. If it helps bring about a functioning government that can protect our population from a pandemic, I’ll join in.
OMG, ANIMAL CROSSINGS AROUND THE WORLD. Thx Mum for knowing we needed this.
And finally, like I need another remote work habit to be self-conscious about: Stop annoying people with these email greetings and sign-offs. You can have my “Best” signoff when you pry it out of my cold, dead-but-somehow-still-typing-because-this-is-a-dystopia fingers.
Love y’all, mean it. Be kind to each other.
xoxo Amy