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| Cuomo and de Blasio shake hands, each hoping to spread COVID-19 to the other. |
But people care about my health and well being. You know how I know? I receive daily emails from companies that have nothing to do with stopping the spread of the virus telling me what they're doing to stop it. A bank where I closed my accounts two years ago; Zipcar, which I haven't used in about 15 years; the Criterion Collection, where I've purchased some Blu-Rays; Google 1, which is offering me $5 to put toward whatever it is they're offering -- these and more are letting me know they have my back, even though they really have nothing to offer. I guess the Criterion folks are wearing surgical gloves when they send movies.
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| If the woman on the right were any further away, she'd be on a different network. |
More fascinating are the correspondents and talking heads yakking from their homes, often via Skype, rather than the set. Not only are they often more casual than usual, you get a good idea of their personalities and, more importantly, salary differences, as you'll see from these photos I took yesterday morning from three different networks.
On the left, CBS Medical Correspondent Dr. Jonathan LaPook appears to be broadcasting from his basement game room while still in his pajamas. And judging by those eyelids, he's likely heading straight back to bed after he signs off. Don't let us keep you up, Doc!
Nicholas Kristoff, on the right, is deliberately giving the vibe of a New York Times columnist by speaking from his home office, while unwittingly showing us how badly he needs a housekeeper to tidy things up. And judging by his looks, he may be auditioning for the job of Piers Morgan's stand-in.
Whoa, talk about a 180! Vladimir Duthiers of CBS News not only appears to be delighted to be telecommuting, he's also got a house worth showing off. Check out that vintage Haiti tourism poster! And unlike his colleague Dr. Lapook, Vlad actually got dressed for the occasion, even if he turned it into casual Tuesday.
Not so the guy on the right, a talking head for CNBC. His name escapes me, but who needs a name with a pad like that to telechat from? Show-off! Judging by his wardrobe -- he's the only one of this quartet wearing a tie -- and the den on the left (look how the sun shines in perfectly between the two chairs!), you know this guy is an investor who's made out like a bandit, and will be the first to go when the revolution arrives.
New Yorkers, however, haven't gotten entirely hep to distancing, although there are fewer of them walking about. Let's do a then & now comparison of the corner of Lexington Avenue and 83rd Street, a 15-minute walk from my place.
On the left is photo of the corner circa 1898; on the right is the same corner yesterday. As you can see, there are only four people in the first photo and, of course, zero cars. Yesterday, there seems to be only three people when normally there would be at least five times more in that shot. I was able to take this photo from the street because traffic is lighter than usual.
As I wrote in an earlier piece, more New Yorkers are wearing surgical masks every day, even as doctors warn us they don't help. But when the number of locals infected with COVID-19 rises with each morning news broadcast, people understandably take what precaution seems, well, precautious. And when Wall Street finally tanks, leaving my IRA with nothing but zeroes, they better take extra precaution when I jump out the window.
UPDATE: Gov. Cuomo has ordered all businesses in New York state to instruct at least half their employees to work from home. What did I tell you? The shut-down has begun!
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