[chrisk]

Californians should be planting vegetables right now.  If you don't have a yard, plant in containers.  You can buy starts to cut the harvest time.  You will be harvesting food in a few weeks.  It's too cold here in Idaho to plant outside, so we are starting seeds indoors.  Also, get some chickens.  They are cheap to feed and they produce good protein in eggs.  If they don't lay, eat them.  Rabbits are also a good source of protein and they reproduce rapidly.

General payments, even means-tested, are a way to buy votes by incumbents. The money should all go to the unemployed.

We pretty extensively garden (I have like 15 fruit trees and a smattering of bushes, and have built a number of plots for vegetables as well) and it gives you a nice addition to a meal sometimes. There's just no way that people who don't have large plots can possibly generate a significant number of calories from their land, especially on short notice and with no skill. I suppose it would help on the margins, but turning a run to the grocery store into a run to the nursery isn't much difference.


Re: compliance, I was shocked today when I went to my local market. The staff were wearing gloves/masks but were not even attempting to maintain distance, they weren't limiting access to the store at all, people inside were not making any attempt to keep distance (and in fact loudly complaining when spacing made access hard), it was a complete ***** disaster to the point that I am absolutely not going back there until I get assurance that it's better, because dear god is that an outbreak waiting to happen.

I also saw a group of people chatting close together blocking a trail in the park when my son and I went on a walk. They weren't from the same house because they separated as we approached. I just, what is wrong with these people?


Re: the economy, we need to throw as much as we can at it as fast as we can. I'm in love with the idea I saw floated by some congresscritter somewhere to authorize the fed to print money to send to people, that seems like the best of all worlds (money goes out quickly, only possible downside is inflation which is low anyway). I keep seeing that people want to means-test it which is absurd, it's impossible to know based on last year's taxes who actually needs money now because of job loss etc, there are crazy differences in CoL ($180k in the bay area is a lot different than in Idaho) and half of the point is to get people to spend (if we're getting checks I'm waaaaay more likely to patronize local businesses than if I think we're on our own). Sure postponing debt payments would help some with people like me, but man does it seem pointless, especially if the money is coming from the fed.

[chrisk]

Californians should be planting vegetables right now.  If you don't have a yard, plant in containers.  You can buy starts to cut the harvest time.  You will be harvesting food in a few weeks.  It's too cold here in Idaho to plant outside, so we are starting seeds indoors.  Also, get some chickens.  They are cheap to feed and they produce good protein in eggs.  If they don't lay, eat them.  Rabbits are also a good source of protein and they reproduce rapidly.

General payments, even means-tested, are a way to buy votes by incumbents. The money should all go to the unemployed.

We pretty extensively garden (I have like 15 fruit trees and a smattering of bushes, and have built a number of plots for vegetables as well) and it gives you a nice addition to a meal sometimes. There's just no way that people who don't have large plots can possibly generate a significant number of calories from their land, especially on short notice and with no skill. I suppose it would help on the margins, but turning a run to the grocery store into a run to the nursery isn't much difference.


Re: compliance, I was shocked today when I went to my local market. The staff were wearing gloves/masks but were not even attempting to maintain distance, they weren't limiting access to the store at all, people inside were not making any attempt to keep distance (and in fact loudly complaining when spacing made access hard), it was a complete ***** disaster to the point that I am absolutely not going back there until I get assurance that it's better, because dear god is that an outbreak waiting to happen.

I also saw a group of people chatting close together blocking a trail in the park when my son and I went on a walk. They weren't from the same house because they separated as we approached. I just, what is wrong with these people?


Re: the economy, we need to throw as much as we can at it as fast as we can. I'm in love with the idea I saw floated by some congresscritter somewhere to authorize the fed to print money to send to people, that seems like the best of all worlds (money goes out quickly, only possible downside is inflation which is low anyway). I keep seeing that people want to means-test it which is absurd, it's impossible to know based on last year's taxes who actually needs money now because of job loss etc, there are crazy differences in CoL ($180k in the bay area is a lot different than in Idaho) and half of the point is to get people to spend (if we're getting checks I'm waaaaay more likely to patronize local businesses than if I think we're on our own). Sure postponing debt payments would help some with people like me, but man does it seem pointless, especially if the money is coming from the fed.