Kentucky is "Healthy at Home, not "sheltering in place," and shortly Indiana will be joining through distance.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear took the next step on Sunday evening, issuing an executive order for non-essential retail businesses to go dark.

This chart explains the meaning of essential versus non-essential.

My fellow Hoosiers, it might be helpful to get ready. Whether or not these measures constitute a slippery slope with reference to civil liberties, they'll be implemented in Indiana; as I write, the Twitter wire says Governor Eric Holcomb will be addressing the state at noon.

Elected officials everywhere say, "You hold a blow dryer up to your face and you inhale through your nose and it kills all the viruses in your nose."

When I saw this newspaper story mentioned on social media, there seemed little reason to investigate.

Was it The Onion or Babylon Bee?

No, brothers and sisters, it's a real newspaper, and Bryant H. Culpepper really is an elected official, but I'm willing to print the link to the facts and allow it to suffice with no further comment.

That's because during the past 15 years of paying closer attention to local affairs in New Albany and Floyd County, I've heard numerous utterances like this, on a wide variety of topics, emanating from members of both political parties who've been elected to office, often for multiple terms.

Nah. I got nothin'.

Okeechobee county commissioner suggests ways to combat COVID-19 virus, special to the Lake Okeechobee News

OKEECHOBEE – While most of the Okeechobee County Commissioners urge the public to refer to the health information from the Centers for Disease Control, the Florida Department of Health or their own doctor, one commissioner uses the public commission meetings to share his own ideas about COVID-19.

At the March 20 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commissioners, Commissioner Bryant Culpepper referenced a program he said he saw on One American News Network about the coronavirus.

“One of the things that was pointed out in this interview with one of the foremost doctors who has studied the coronavirus said that the nasal passages and the nasal membranes are the coolest part of the body. That’s why the virus tends to go there until it then becomes healthy enough to go into the lungs.

“This sound really goofy, and it did to me too, but it works,” he explained. “Once the temperature reaches 136 degrees Fahrenheit, the virus falls apart, it disintegrates.

“I said how would you get the temperature up to 136 degrees? The answer was you use a blow dryer. You hold a blow dryer up to your face and you inhale through your nose and it kills all the viruses in your nose.

“So that sounds like a really simplified way of doing things, but sometimes the cures for these diseases are very simple.

“Also, if you are worried about it going into your lungs, because that’s where it goes to turn into pneumonia, you can put a pan of water on the stove until it turns into steam and inhale it. It sounds too easy, but at this point, it’s worth trying,” he continued ...

Kurt Eichenwald explains "Why Americans will cause one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks."

(The woman who retweeted the comment above prefaced it with these words: "They've pivoted from 'it's a hoax' to 'just let them all die' with breakneck speed.")

For those of you not in the habit of patronizing Twitter, which I know can be an acquired taste, writer Kurt Eichenwald unleashed an epic coronavirus rant on Saturday. I've arranged it below.

First, an unrelated fact: Eichenwald, who is 58 years old, was hired by New York Times in 1985 and began his career as a news clerk for Hedrick Smith. In turn Smith, who was the NYT Moscow Bureau Chief from 1971 through 1974, was the author of a seminal book called The Russians. If you took Frank Thackeray's history courses at IU Southeast in the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, this book was required reading.

A very influential volume for me. Now for Eichenwald's tweets.

---

Kurt Eichenwald ... @kurteichenwald

Why Americans will cause one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks.

A. A vast majority are self-centered and ignorant, believing that we know more than experts because of Google University.

B. We are self-indulgent, unwilling to make sacrifices until problems are out of control.

C. We have a nation that is so torn apart that millions were convinced a global health emergency was a lie perpetrated by people with different political beliefs.

D. There is an entire media apparatus (Fox etc) that promoted the lie for ratings and politics advantage.

E. Millions are unable to recognize that we have an incompetent President, whose mismanagement of this is on a historic scale, and who is lying every single day about this in order to feign greatness.

F. Many believe those lies, with result that they think refusing to follow safety advisories is a way to shove it in the face of those with different political opinions.

G. Many - including politicians - don't understand the mechanisms of pandemics. They don't get that the *right now* is irrelevant, unless it is an action of containment. It is like looking at a small flame in a house, saying "no so bad" so doing nothing as it starts to spread. So, rather than put out a small flame, which would be relatively easy, we wait until the house is on fire and expect that the small water bucket we had that could have dealt with the flame will have any impact at all once the house if engulfed in flames.

H. Because of that lack of understanding, people don't realize that, if someone in LA gets infected, the virus from that guy can infect someone in Kansas. He touches something, someone touches it and is infected, to the next, to the next, to the next, to the guy in Kansas.

I. People think their BS "philosophies" are more important than stopping disease. So you have people whining about restaurant closings because "tyranny" and in response, other idiots up their use of them to prove everyone is stupid, when they are the stupid ones.

J. You have a level of sociopathy that is astounding. Too many young people say "I'll be fine" when 1. They can die. 2. Kill other people 3. If they get infected, can infect someone who infects etc., fuel the spread and kill their own grandparents on other side of USA.

I could keep going & going. We as a nation are unrealistic, uninformed, arrogant, ignorant & selfish. The Greatest Generation sacrificed and stopped Hitler. We sacrifice next to nothing, so are fueling mass infection.

We're not the Greatest Generation. We're the Worst.

fin

DNA, UEA and City Hall create New Albany Service Industry Relief Program.

Read about it at DNA's Fb page.

"It’s our responsibility to help others during this time," stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

Read about the good news from City Hall and two of its wholy owned subsidiaries, which are pitching in to help affected service industry workers.

I'm for it. Ironically just today I received the monthly sewer bill in the mail.

I'm surprised the sewer utility isn't delaying payments to help affected community members in need.

Hmm. Anyone know who the sewer board president is? The news release follows in its entirety.

---

Develop New Albany, New Albany Urban Enterprise Association, and City of New Albany Partner to Assist Service Industry Employees with Relief Program

Develop New Albany (“DNA”), in conjunction with the Urban Enterprise Association (“UEA”), the City of New Albany and private donors, created a fund to help the local service industry workers affected by the COVID-19 crisis in New Albany.

 “Develop New Albany is proud to partner with our city to serve some of those hit hardest and support our local restaurants who continue to serve the community.” Rob Dunn, Board President

Restaurants and bars have been ordered closed throughout the State but can still provide curb side food service. Unfortunately, this adversely affects a substantial segment of service industry workers. The program is designed to provide employees affected by the closures a $25 daily stipend to order curb-side service at a participating New Albany restaurant.

City Council-member, Jason Applegate stated, “A life-long resident of New Albany asked me how he could donate to laid off workers. After a quick call to Develop New Albany and Mayor Gahan, the idea that the laid-off worker feeds the business financially while literally being fed was born. I could not be more proud of our city for uniting in such a beneficial way.”

“We are glad to partner with DNA, UEA, and other donors to help service workers affected by the business closures in our downtown. It’s our responsibility to help others during this time,” stated Mayor Jeff Gahan.

Employees and businesses affected by the closures can participate by following the guidelines and contacting DNA at info@developnewalbany.org.

Program Details – Employees affected will be able to get food at participating downtown restaurants. A list will be generated of those affected and distributed to participating restaurants. When an employee places an order and verifies identity at pickup, we will reimburse the restaurant up to $25 per person per day. The reimbursement will come in the form of a check and will be distributed multiple times per week (to be determined).

Who can participate in the program?

All service industry employees of restaurants / bars within New Albany whose job was affected by the COVID-19 crisis are eligible. Verification from employer will be required. Identity of employee will be verified by restaurants at the time of food pickup.

How can a restaurant / bar in New Albany participate?

-All restaurants and bars can submit a list of employees. This list should be of active employees as of March 16, 2020. This information should be emailed to Heather Trueblood, Program Coordinator of Develop New Albany at developnainfo@gmail.com

-Downtown New Albany restaurants that are interested in participating as a food provider should contact Heather Trueblood at developnainfo@gmail.com or by calling/texting at 812-941-0018.

This program will continue until the allocated funding runs out. If you know of a business or organization that would be interested in contributing to this program, please contact Heather Trueblood at developnainfo@gmail.com or 812-941-0018

Information for participating restaurants

You will be provided with a list of eligible employees. If someone contacts you directly and they are not on the list provided, they will need to provide a paystub from a New Albany restaurant within the last 2 weeks and identification for verification. If this happens, please email the name of the employee to Heather to update the master lists.

The program will reimburse up to $25 per person per day while funds last. A tracking sheet will be provided to you to help with accounting.

Checks for reimbursement will be handled by Develop New Albany. Restaurants will submit their tracking form and a check will be delivered to the restaurant multiple times a week.

Jürgen Klopp: "If it’s a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it’s no contest. Really, it isn’t."

This is not to be construed as support for Liverpool FC. I'm loyal to the hometown of the mother-in-law I never had the pleasure of meeting, and pull for Plymouth Argyle, currently League 2, and was in 3rd place -- a position for promotion -- when the coronavirus shutdown came. 

From sportswriter Dave Zirin at The Nation: Liverpool’s Jürgen Klopp Shines Amid the Coronavirus Crisis.

If there is one person in the entire sports world who deserves a tip of the hat, it’s the manager of Liverpool Football Club, Jürgen Klopp ...

... On March 4, he was asked about the coronavirus and said, “What I don’t like in life is that [for] a very serious thing, a football manager’s opinion is important. It’s not important what famous people say. People with knowledge will talk about it and tell people to do this, do that, and everything will be fine, or not. Not football managers.”

But above all else has been a statement issued by Klopp this week to Liverpool fans. It’s beautiful and deserves to be read in full.

Here it is.

I don’t think this is a moment where the thoughts of a football manager should be important, but I understand for our supporters they will want to hear from the team and I will front that.

First and foremost, all of us have to do whatever we can to protect one another. In society, I mean. This should be the case all the time in life, but in this moment I think it matters more than ever.

I’ve said before that football always seems the most important of the least important things. Today, football and football matches really aren’t important at all.

Of course, we don’t want to play in front of an empty stadium and we don’t want games or competitions suspended, but if doing so helps one individual stay healthy—just one—we do it no questions asked.

If it’s a choice between football and the good of the wider society, it’s no contest. Really, it isn’t.

Today’s decision and announcement is being implemented with the motive of keeping people safe. Because of that we support it completely. We have seen members of teams we compete against become ill. This virus has shown that being involved in football offers no immunity. To our rival clubs and individuals who are affected and to those who later will become so, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

None of us know in this moment what the final outcome will be, but as a team we have to have belief that the authorities make decisions based on sound judgement and morality.

Yes, I am the manager of this team and club and therefore carry a leadership responsibility with regards to our future on the pitch. But I think in the present moment, with so many people around our city, the region, the country and the world facing anxiety and uncertainty, it would be entirely wrong to speak about anything other than advising people to follow expert advice and look after themselves and each other.

The message from the team to our supporters is only about your well-being. Put your health first. Don’t take any risk. Think about the vulnerable in our society and act where possible with compassion for them.

Please look after yourselves and look out for each other.

You’ll Never Walk Alone,

Jürgen

GREEN MOUSE presents Nawbany Week in Review ... and the siege begins.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was the week that was, and the week that was ... now bereft of our customary amusements ... wuz filled instead with uncertainty.

Those of you clamoring to live in fascinating, historically unique times, well, you got it.

I didn't bother reporting on the most typically Nawbanian story of the week.

There was to have been a city council meeting on Thursday, with the main agenda item being the annual request for homeless services funding of the sort where New Albany gives money to people and organizations in Jeffersonville in the hope that the homeless don't photo bomb Democratic Party re-election selfies.

Council president Tiberius Severus Octavian Elagabalus Septimius Augustus Claudius Hadrian Gluteus Maximus Caesar -- Protector of Fitting and Proper Scribnerian Values, Deliverer of all Downtown Datedness, Master of the Ex-Mercantile, and Guardian of the Gates -- also known as Bobby, decreed the meeting canceled, only to be reminded that this can be done only with a vote. Fidgeting followed, then the City County Building was closed to meetings in the interest of social distancing. Having always been socially distant, the council meeting finally was canceled owing to padlocks, and former councilman Dan Coffey immediately began posting again on Facebook.

Never, ever forget that I got more votes running as an independent for mayor than HE did. With this happy thought ringing in your ears (or was that my neighbor's HVAC equipment?), following are some of the week's headlines.

As for the first item, all I can say for sure is I know for a fact that state government is working on temporary changes to a few of the permits governing the ability of restaurants to sell carryout alcoholic beverages. When and how it will come down is above my pay grade, which currently is nothing.

And: Support your independently owned, genuinely local food and drink businesses, of which chain franchises are not -- sorry, folks, but those pesky facts again. 

Indiana is following suit as Kentucky temporarily allows alcoholic beverage carryout and delivery by licensed restaurants.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: COVID-19 may be driving me to drink, and that's fine because I'm walking, not driving.

ON THE AVENUES: If it's a war, then the food service biz needs to be issued a few weapons. We need improvisation and flexibility to survive the shutdown.

SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS: Normalcy or normality? I've made up my mind.

City Hall, BOW take note and help as "New Albany Restaurants Transition to Curbside Pickup/Delivery Options."

Did you do this, doofus? Surrender your commercial driving license immediately.

New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan and the Floyd County Democratic Party show support for small independent businesses, and this is to be commended.

LIVE TO EAT: These downtown New Albany restaurants are offering carry-out and curbside meals.

This just in: Gov. Holcomb's "Steps to Slow the Spread of COVID-19" include a shutdown of Indiana restaurants and bars (except for carry-out and delivery).

It won't be pretty: "You know when I drink alone, I prefer to be by myself."

Indiana is following suit as Kentucky temporarily allows alcoholic beverage carryout and delivery by licensed restaurants.

Governor Beshear temporarily loosens restrictions on alcoholic beverage carryout and delivery by licensed restaurants (Food & Dining Magazine)

Indiana's measures broke just before 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evening. The Alcohol & Tobacco Commission will be allowing restaurants already licensed to sell adult beverages inside their buildings to temporarily expand their permits to carryout sales.

In short, take home a few beers with your food. The relaxation does not apply to draft beer, which remains the domain of small breweries.

In some instances, it appears this may extend to deliveries, too; it's a little-known fact that several types of ATC permit always have allowed deliveries, even if few establishments take advantage of it.

The ATC will be requiring establishments to apply for a supplemental carryout addendum, and the "devilish" details are as yet not forthcoming. Then again it's been only 12 hours. There'll undoubtedly be hitches and glitches, but I can say with certainty that quality people are "on it," and I'll try to thank them all profusely in due time.

Maybe ... to repeat MAYBE ... some restaurants will have permission by the end of the business day today (Friday). If not, next week seems probable.

ON THE AVENUES: If it's a war, then the food service biz needs to be issued a few weapons. We need improvisation and flexibility to survive the shutdown.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: COVID-19 may be driving me to drink, and that's fine because I'm walking, not driving.

"If you live in the Bay Area, you’re most likely under mandatory shelter-in-place orders right now."

For all we know, this could be coming to Indiana. Or not.

My Italian pen pal Fabio hails from Milan in the region of Lombardy, the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. I'm not entirely sure where he lives nowadays. Earlier Fabio was monitoring one of my social media discussions about efforts to temporarily suspend carryout alcohol restrictions in Indiana.

(As of this afternoon, Governor Andy Beshear has confirmed that Kentucky will be doing so, and I'm cautiously optimistic this will occur in Indiana as well.)

To paraphrase, Fabio wrote that he hasn't worked in two weeks and things in Milan are so bad in terms of illness and loss of life that he can't think much about food and drink.

This is sobering, no puns intended.

I've read enough history to understand what Fabio is saying, even if I haven't experienced it myself. It would be the height of absurdity for me or anyone else to marginalize his thoughts, because he's in or near the middle of it, and Italy is suffering grievously -- a state of affairs that America might well be facing.

And yet, everything else aside, it seems to me that we must function in the present as constituted right now. This doesn't mean there is no future, or that we're excused from planning for it. I feel an obligation to my team to do whatever I can to help put us in position to endure this.

We accept the governor's shutdown, and merely want to modify partial closure terms already mandated. Nothing ventured, nothing gained; anyway, if we went on full lockdown for two weeks, once this concluded we'd likely return to partial shutdown for an indeterminate period prior to opening back again in some semblance of normality.

I'm staying home as much as I can. We'd be decently equipped at the house to withstand a two-week mandated quarantine. There's liquor, wine and beer. There might even be food.

As I've been writing this post, a report appeared saying that there are now five coronavirus cases in Floyd County out of 50-something in the entire state of Indiana. Our county is small, and we have 10% of the reported cases? Of course we also know the absence of testing overall means these numbers surely are being under-reported.

Don't ask me to summarize. We're all just stream of consciousness until the fog lifts. It drives me to drink, and I'm not saying no.

The coronavirus is driving us to drink. Maybe that’s OK, by Esther Mobley (SF Chronicle)

This week, America discovered the peculiar pleasures of drinking under quarantine.

If you live in the Bay Area, you’re most likely under mandatory shelter-in-place orders right now. If you’re not, you’re probably exercising some version of social distancing (at least I hope you are) and wondering what measures your community will implement in the coming days and weeks to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Your first concern is probably not how and what you will drink (at least I hope it’s not), but once you’ve gotten the bottom rungs of the hierarchy of needs secured — food, medications, all that toilet paper you’ve been hoarding — you might, as I am, be wondering how to add a little bit of relief and delight to the indefinite indoor sentence that lies ahead.

Why, under these particularly bizarre circumstances, are we feeling so drawn to a drink?

I have some theories ...

ON THE AVENUES: If it's a war, then the food service biz needs to be issued a few weapons. We need improvisation and flexibility to survive the shutdown.

Noon Friday Update (March 20): As of yesterday evening, Indiana is implementing certain temporary carryout privileges for restaurants, as advocated in this column. It's an ongoing story, with an overview here.

This will be a truncated edition of the weekly column. Since last week's entry, everyday "normality" as most of us have experienced it throughout our lives has been suspended -- temporarily, or so we're told, although it's worth remembering that most challenges of COVID-19's magnitude usually end with a plethora of new, altered realities, some big and others small.

As a social worker, Diana as yet remains in the trenches, seeking to provide daily needs and services to at-risk populations. My world is the food, drink and hospitality business, and we're in a state of siege. It is an existential crisis unlike any we've faced in the past century.

What I'm about to write may strike some as trivial in the context of society's needs at this juncture, so let me assure you that I'll not be asking for the moon and stars at a time of universal dumpster fires. Rather, I'm urging a common-sense improvisation pertaining to measures already announced, something that might assist my brethren to make it through to emergency's end.

There may be other relevant improvisations I'm missing, and if so, let me know. Ears are wide open, and there's ample opportunity for consideration.

---

My thinking on this matter began evolving when I saw this quote in the Indy Star by Eric Holcomb, governor of Indiana.

"We are at war with COVID-19 and we will win this war."

This is when it occurred to me that in the context of state-mandated closure orders for restaurants and bars -- my family, my community -- we're the ones being asked to bear the brunt of the anti-COVID-19 resistance by buying time and being crippled or extinguished if necessary -- in effect, to do what we can with to delay the invading hordes while stronger lines of resistance are being built in the rear.

It's a common theme in military history, although it may not be the best time to recall what happened to Poland's cavalry at the outset of the Second World War.

If it's wartime analogies the governor prefers, then mine make perfect sense. It is not at all far-fetched, considering that the business fatality rate will escalate exponentially the longer the closure order (exempting food carryout) stands.

If this is a war, and if normality is subject to experimentation and revision, then perhaps it would be a good idea to examine further ways to help us fight the battle. 

And boost morale.

Naturally restaurants and bars are eager to do their part within these revised (and improvised) frameworks of operation. It remains that carry-out, curbside and delivery meals alone are an imperfect compromise for many of us, given that our business models rely on the margins from alcoholic beverages.

Those of us without state permits allowing for alcoholic beverage carryout sales, as with holders of riverfront area licenses, are being placed at even more of competitive disadvantage as we all struggle to make it through the state-mandated suspension of normal activities.

We're holding inventories of beer, wine and spirits that are locked down. Most beers and wines don't improve with age, either. Meanwhile package stores, supermarkets and drug stores are not subject to this p(P)rohibition.

If all on-premise sales are off-limits for now, restaurants and bars already have lost one of their stool's three legs. Without alcoholic beverage sales, the second leg is gone, too.

One-legged stools might be tenable, but only barely.

Concepts that include words like "temporary," "modification," "expedient" and "let's throw this against the wall and see if it sticks" need to be considered. As I wrote on Facebook:

"If we're at war, and if restaurants and bars are expected to bear the brunt of a calculated wartime strategy of 'social distancing,' then can they at least be allowed to use the weapons they already possess to stay alive, so they can continue to fight another day?"

I hope that Governor Holcomb will consider a short-term departure from the "everyday" that would allow us to serve the needs of customers for the duration of the war against coronavirus, as well as give us a statistical chance of surviving the conflict.

Holcomb should instruct the Alcohol & Tobacco Commission to temporarily suspend enforcement of Indiana's bewildering carry-out alcohol laws, until such a time when restaurants and bars can go back to operating as they did before the crisis. Merely loosen up, temporarily. Existing permit holders know the rules, and the vast majority follow these procedures.

We aren't newbies. We just don't have a box checked on a sheet of paper.

Our patrons are accustomed to coming inside, hanging out, eating a meal and having a couple of beers. For an indefinite period, almost surely long after March 30, they can't do this. Buying bottles and cans of beers and wine to take away with their food does not seem like a radical reordering of civilization.

I'm saving the most corona-vincing argument for last, because as it pertains to relaxing enforcement of an alcohol law or three to help keep us in the ballgame.

KENTUCKY
ALREADY
IS DOING IT. 

That's right. The Kentucky Restaurant Association lobbied Governor Andy Beshear for a measure of temporary rationality, and I'm told that by Friday 20 March restaurants will be able to sell carry-out beverages with food -- only with food, which is a proper distinction, as are other qualifiers (package not draft, etc)that might be required.

I've written this in one sitting, straight through, and there'll be mistakes. I understand perfectly well that my topic isn't a priority, and nor should it be, which actually reinforces the simplicity of the point being made here.

This isn't rocket science.

It's a tool (or a weapon, your choice) to assist us in carrying on as we carry out ... calmly.

---

---

Recent columns:

March 12: ON THE AVENUES: Keep calm and carry on.

March 5: ON THE AVENUES: I've got the spirit, but lose the feeling.

February 27: ON THE AVENUES: There is a complete absence of diversity among regular News and Tribune columnists.

February 20: ON THE AVENUES: For downtown New Albany, escaping reality might soon be a bridge too far.

SHANE'S EXCELLENT NEW WORDS: Normalcy or normality? I've made up my mind.

There's damage out there some place
You got to step aside
Where are you going that decision is made
That's how it started
Too hot and dirty inside
Contain your feelings when there's nowhere to go

After years and years of dithering, I've chosen normality over normalcy. English speakers have come to use these words interchangeably, and that's fine, but damn it, each of needs to make a choice NOW.

Normality gets my vote, and I'm sticking with it.

Whether you prefer normality or normalcy, one thing's for certain: we won't be having any of it for a very long time to come. Our favorite Doctor Councilman Al Knable explains the social aspect of normalcy/normality in a time of COVID-19 in this excellent op-ed piece contributed to the local chain newspaper.

KNABLE COLUMN: The road back to normalcy

There is an old yarn that tells of a weary traveler who, in the days before GPS and navigation apps, found himself far from home, hopelessly lost in the country. Indeed he was “off the map.”

Minutes passed as hours. Miles rolled beneath him, carrying him no closer to home, the gas gauge approaching “empty.” Desperate for assistance, the lost soul finally came across a seedy gas station, which to him appeared like an oasis in the desert.

Honking his horn with joy, a sleepy gas jockey at length appeared. The driver, overcome with relief exclaimed, “Fill ‘er up! And can you please tell me how to get back to the highway?”

The attendant puzzled a long moment, carefully studied the map and then answered sheepishly, “Mister, I’m afraid you can’t get there from here.”

This is our predicament. We are the traveler, the highway for lack of a better word is “normalcy” and we are off the map with no one who can tell us exactly how to handle this coronavirus outbreak.

People are afraid — more so even than after 9/11. No doubt some of this anxiety comes from facing an enemy even more unseen and insidious than Al-Qaeda. The uncertainty of just how bad things might get, our loss of freedom of movement add fuel to our concerns. There is perhaps so much information emanating from so many sources without rest that no one entity is deemed as the authority. Thus information mingles with misinformation breeding rumor and fear.

So how do we return to normalcy?

As for my personal decision to opt for normality, there's a good explanation here.

Normality and Normalcy, by Maeve Maddox (Daily Writing Tips)

Both nouns derive from the adjective normal.

normal: conforming to a standard; usual, typical, or expected.

The adverb is normally.

According to some speakers, normalcy is an abominable neologism to be avoided at all costs. This attitude is illustrated by this comment praising a writer for preferring normality over normalcy:

A Nobel in Literature to you for writing “return to normality” instead of the ugly neologism “normalcy,” first popularized by Warren G. Harding.

Actually, according to the OED, this particular “neologism” was around as early as 1857, nearly half a century before Harding used it in his campaign in 1920 when he promised “a return to normalcy.”

(snip)

Normalcy is not interchangeable with normality in some contexts. For example, in comparing an untypical condition to a typical condition, one would want to pair abnormality with normality and not normalcy. Although the form “abnormalcy” is showing up on the web and even in some dictionaries, it’s not in the OED, and it is not standard in American speech.

Bottom line: Normalcy is well established and acceptable in standard American speech, although it is not interchangeable with normality in some contexts. Normality, on the other hand, suits every context in which the sense “the state or condition of being normal” is intended.

City Hall, BOW take note and help as "New Albany Restaurants Transition to Curbside Pickup/Delivery Options."

On Monday evening this idea was passed along to 3rd district councilman Greg Phipps; twelve hours later it had been vetted and approved by the Board of Works. Impressive and praiseworthy given that precisely the same body once required six months to consider the appropriateness of a street piano.

Sorry. Couldn't resist it. This move is welcomed; thanks.

New Albany Restaurants Transition to Curbside Pickup/Delivery Options

To better facilitate curbside and carry out orders, the City of New Albany took action and approved curbside parking for local restaurants in front of their businesses. New “Curbside Service Parking Spaces” will become available throughout downtown during this emergency and signs are being created and placed as soon as they are fabricated.

Did you do this, doofus? Surrender your commercial driving license immediately.

Prior to Monday, I'd have found it hard to believe that a truck could come this close to felling the huge concrete building guard in the alley by Pints&union. It appears that American dipshit slapdash ingenuity has triumphed, because someone found a way.

In the process, more than a few gallons of oily liquid were spilled all over the alley, to be tracked up and down the sidewalk and into our building. We notified 3rd district councilman Phipps, who passed the information to the street department, and we'll see. The concrete is compromised and will have to be repaired, having done its duty admirably.

My guess? The company that services our used kitchen oil collector. Their phone number is right there on the collection vessel in the alley -- just in case the police launch an investigation.

BEER WITH A SOCIALIST: Pubs in Ireland with plenty of beer in August, 1987.

Hitchhiking to Lanesville from Ireland, 1987.

During the late spring and early summer of 2017, I finally got around to digitizing some of the old slides from ancient times. It occurred to me to tell the story of the 1987 European Summer, posting roughly on the same date the photos were taken, albeit 30 years later.

Now it's 2020, and an exceedingly dry (on-premise) St. Patrick's Day owing to the measures mandated by Indiana state government as we seek to flatten the curve of COVID-19.

Pints&union might as well be “A Pub with No Beer.”

The following repeat of the post documenting August 2, 1987 is prompted by a recent Facebook conversation.

Brad, I was mistaken. It was 30, not 20. For the rest of you, read on to learn what I'm referring to.

---------------------

30 years ago today: Wonderful countryside and birthday pints while in Kenmare.

Previously: 30 years ago today on THE BEER BEAT: Stouts galore in Cork, Kinsale and the Hibernian Bar, but in Ballinspittle, not so much.

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Barrie and I had a week to roam before returning to Cork for the U2 concert, and so into the countryside we went.

Day 107 ... Friday, July 31
Cork → Kenmare. Scenic bus ride (Wander Inn)

Day 108 ... Saturday, August 1
Kenmare. Walk into hills to the north. Not great weather afterward

Day 109 ... Sunday , August 2
Kenmare. Football replay. Coachmen's Inn for 30 points. Drunkenness (walk along bay, through woods)

First, a brief beer digression.

At some point during our time in Ireland, Barrie and I entered a pub and struck up a conversation with the woman working behind the bar, who turned out to be the pub's owner.

She was delighted that we were American, happily divulging that she'd put Budweiser on tap the day before, because the great American lager was only then being introduced to the Irish market in earnest.

Coaster evidence.

As gently as possible, we explained that drinking Budweiser really wasn't why we had come to Ireland, but thanks anyway.

She persisted. Did we happen to know that Budweiser was brewed under license in Ireland, not imported from America? We didn't. Weren't we curious? Perhaps we'd like to buy a pint each of Budweiser and see for ourselves if it tasted the same?

After a humorous negotiation, we convinced her to give us a half-pint each, and we'd taste test the Budweiser for her. Don't worry; we tipped well.

Somewhat anticlimactically, to me Irish-brewed Budweiser tasted almost exactly like Irish-brewed Harp Lager. Fortunately, we didn't see much more of Budweiser during the trip, but I suppose it was adequate as a calibration beer.

Returning to the narrative, from Cork we caught a bus to Kenmare. The bus spent part of the journey traversing a segment of the Ring of Kerry, the scenic regional road route. In fact, we'd chosen Kenmare because it was said to be the "jewel" of the Ring of Kerry.

Indeed, it was a friendly little town amid evocative countryside. The town sits where Kenmare Bay ends, roughly 30 miles from the sea. There was blue water, green hills and ample black ale.

There are no surviving records of where we lodged in Kenmare. My fickle memory insists it was a guesthouse or small hotel of some sort. I wrote the words "Wander Inn" in my notes on the arrival day. There still is a pub by this name, and now it has a bed & breakfast upstairs, but the name just doesn't sound right. Maybe it's the place with the Budweiser landlady.

(Upon further reflection, I believe it was the Kenmare Fáilte Hostel)

The relevant point about Kenmare was that one didn't have to walk far from town for "rural" to begin, and we did just that. The hike on our second day in town took us north, toward what I have learned is the direction of Killarney National Park.

Sunday, August 2 was the signature Kenmare moment, when we adjourned to a pub called The Coachman's Inn for a one-day-early celebration of my 27th birthday.

Gaelic football was on the telly, and Barrie was buying. A tad light on cash given what we'd likely be spending, he asked if The Coachman's Inn accepted plastic. It always was a good idea to ask first. Without exaggeration, I'd estimate that in 1985 and 1987, only 10% of the places where I ate and drank in Europe accepted charge cards.

Coachman's did, though for reasons unknown it was against policy to run a tab. Barrie would have to pay up front for what we planned to drink all evening long.

I was annoyed, but typically Barrie wasn't. He made a great show of quick math, counting on his fingers and speaking nonsense German; with everyone laughing, he then told the bar man to charge for 30 pints of Guinness and two servings of beefsteak and potatoes.

Shrugging, Barrie further noted that if need be, we could always give the pints away to someone else. If memory serves, the final tally was 16-14 in favor of Ottersbach -- and nothing at all was given away.

Kenmare in 1987 (above) and 2011 (below). It's gotten much more colorful.

Next: Skibbereen, Baltimore and our last days in the Irish countryside.

New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan and the Floyd County Democratic Party show support for small independent businesses, and this is to be commended.

You probably don't need reminding, but I've been harshly critical of the Floyd County Democratic Party ... for a very long time.

My criticisms remain intact. It would be nice if we could all sit down and talk through them; however, it's no time to be a Disney-fantasy fetishist.

That's because we have work to do. Disclaimers aside, allow me to commend the Democrats for this post.

Coronavirus begins taking toll on small business

Democrats urge individuals to support local businesses

With Coronavirus now in Floyd County, it is clear the response won't allow us to do business as usual. From the cancellation of recreational events to the closure of dine-in facilities at restaurants, we are all adjusting to a new reality as we work to control the spread of this infection. You can check here for the latest information on the spread of the virus and resulting measures taken by the federal, state and local government.

While health and safety regulation may not allow us to dine-in or utilize services in the traditional ways, we can still work to support our local businesses and their workers. Here are a few quick tips to practice during this period of social distancing:

Carry Out: Dine-in options may be out, but several local restaurants are serving customers through carry-out options. Your purchase of lunch using a carry out option can help these restaurants weather the COVID-19 storm.

Tip: Just because it is carry out, don't forget to tip. Tips go directly to workers and help support those individuals financially.

Gift Cards: Purchase a gift card now to use at a later date. Any dollar amount will help the local business and you can benefit by using the card for future purchases or as a gift.
Check for Social Distancing Accommodations: Some small businesses may be making accommodations for social distancing. These accommodations may enable you to receive a service that otherwise would be unavailable.

Purchase Local Produce: Local farmers will also inevitably feel the impact of COVID-19. Stock-up on local vegetable and other goods produce grown by these vendors. Organizers of local farmers markets can assist - check in with Develop New Albany by clicking here.

Shop online or Over the Phone: Many local businesses have developed online stores or take phone orders. While the physical storefront maybe closed, these businesses will continue to operate and mail out orders.

Check in: Touch base on your favorite boutique owners and ask how you can help. Your interest will let them know you're thinking of them and provide encouragement.

Use Social Media: Use social media to help promote local businesses, share their services, and gather public support. Banding together will help get the word out.

Supporting our local economy has never been more important and we can each make a difference. Let our local business community know we're here for them, even if caution requires us to practice social distancing.

Sincerely,

Adam Dickey
Chair, Floyd County Democratic Party

Solid advice.

And also this, from Monday evening.

This afternoon, Indiana Governor Holcomb ordered restaurants and bars to close dine-in services through the end of March. New Albany has a high number of successful local restaurants and bars, and city government is focused on assisting them through this difficult time.

Earlier today, Mayor Gahan met with owners of some restaurants, bars, and shops to offer city support and to keep lines of communication open. He also addressed concerns of the financial strain that this can put on business owners, their employees, and families of those affected.

Mayor Gahan has, and will continue, to urge state and federal leaders to provide assistance to those most impacted by this pandemic.

Mayor Gahan said, “We are going to get through this. It’s going to take some time – but we will get through this.”

Yes, it's true that Gahan provides little of substance apart from (yet again) urging Republican-controlled government units higher-up to intervene with aid. Yes, it's true that the city was deserted yesterday when he chose to have a walk. But for the consistently agoraphobic mayor to so much as leave his office is a sign of progress, and as such, must be recognized.

I'm told that some local Republicans view the preceding posts from Democrats as political in nature. Under normal circumstances, I might be inclined to agree, but when one takes into consideration our new societal abnormality, it's plain good thinking, and the "right" sort of politics, for them to say these things aloud.

The food and drink segment in the state of Kentucky is reckoned to employ 10% of the state's work force, and the figures probably are similar in Indiana. We're willing (well, in most cases) to take an extreme body blow to do our part, and some businesses won't survive it. Our workers are going to be experiencing disarray and dislocation.

It is fitting and proper for New Albany municipal government and its dominant urban political party to express solidarity.

Obviously plenty of local Republicans also have been highly supportive, whether publicly or privately. Unfortunately, others on the right side of the aisle are on social media displaying what can only be viewed as potentially self-destructive denial.

In political terms, I dislike Jeff Gahan and Adam Dickey. But what they're doing here is a far more useful optic than what I've seen coming from some prominent GOP members.

Speaking for myself, I'm setting aside as many of the usual disagreements as possible, for as long as possible, for the duration of the coronavirus crisis if possible. I needn't love you, vote for you or even tolerate your congenital malfeasance to understand this is a special time, requiring special measures. I don't have the time now to nitpick.

Whenever we come out the other side, all bets are off. At this precise moment, all of us -- you, me, everyone -- need to be thinking about specific ways to be (a) productive, and (b) supportive to members of the community more vulnerable than we are.

Got it?

Good. Let me know if I can help.

LIVE TO EAT: These downtown New Albany restaurants are offering carry-out and curbside meals.

New Albany Social took some time off during the past year, but Kelly Ott Winslow posted this list on Monday evening, and it has been shared 1,596 times as of 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday.

That's simply fantastic.

Please remember that although the restaurants listed have always prepared food to go, our new abnormal means that virtually all of them are reinventing themselves on the fly without much of a road map.

As an example, I know for a fact that city officials are working on plans to help define the word "curbside" (reserved parking spaces) to assist in the effort of restaurants being social with take-away food albeit with minimal human contact, but in this and other considerations it will take some time to work out the kinks.

Over at Food & Dining Magazine we'll be trying to push as much information as we can given the circumstances. All that can be said with any accuracy is that local restaurants and bars will be doing what they can to survive for the foreseeable future, and your patronage is crucial.

For bars with little or no food service, the COVID-19 "curve flattening" measures are tantamount to Our New Prohibition. I'll try to report about them, too.

Stay tuned.

The end times are far too topical, so my diary comes to ... a conclusion.

At the start of the year I was looking for ways to shake up this blog, partly because I'd vowed to embark upon a sabbatical of sorts from direct and time-consuming involvement in local politics, but also from a sobering realization that ruts are real.

The "sober" part didn't last very long.

As explained on several occasions, time constraints also became more of a factor, which was a good problem to have. Two part-time jobs add up to a whole; both Pints&union and Food & Dining Magazine pay me actual money, which is something this blog has not ever done in 15.5 years of operation.

Having lowered my daily quota of posts from four to three, and now to two, it seemed like a good idea to have regular topics.

Monday ... Roger's Diary of the End Times
Tuesday ... Beer with a Socialist
Wednesday ... Shane's Excellent New Words
Thursday ... On the Avenues
Friday ... Green Mouse Presents Nawbany Week in Review

It was (and remains) my hope to do food on Saturday and music on Sunday. These will happen, although I'm not sure when.

You'll have noticed the strikethrough: Roger's Diary of the End Times. COVID-19 was the furthest thing from my mind when this idea came to me. Rather, it was inspired by designer ice cubes.

ROGER'S DIARY OF THE END TIMES: If polar ice caps melt, what happens to ostentatious bourbonism?

However, while the advent of our current coronavirus strain/drain might itself be a verifiable sign of the end times, it's tacky to make a direct reference to it, and so I'll drop it for a while unless a format change seems justified. It might.

Like everyone else without a template, I'm just waiting to see how it all shakes out.

This just in: Gov. Holcomb's "Steps to Slow the Spread of COVID-19" include a shutdown of Indiana restaurants and bars (except for carry-out and delivery).

Joining Kentucky, Ohio and Illinois.

It's easier to cut and paste at this point.

Gov. Holcomb Announces More Steps to Slow the Spread of COVID-19

INDIANAPOLIS — In a continuing effort to slow the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Governor Eric J. Holcomb has announced additional efforts.

The governor and other state officials will conduct a COVID-19 briefing today at 2:30 p.m. in the south atrium of the Indiana Statehouse with the latest updates on testing and cases.

Here are additional directives from Governor Holcomb.

• Indiana will adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for large events and mass gatherings. The guidance recommends no in-person events of more than 50 people. Here is a link to the guidance: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/mass-gatherings-ready-for-covid-19.html
• Under the current guidance for schools, 273 public school districts are closed, using e-learning days, or on spring break and have announced a future closure. The Department of Education is working with the remaining 16 school corporations to determine their next steps and needs
• Bars, nightclubs and restaurants are required to close to in-person patrons and may provide take-out and delivery services through the end of March
• Hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers should cancel and/or postpone elective and non-urgent surgical procedures immediately. This action will help the healthcare system conserve resources and personnel necessary to meet emerging health needs
  • Physicians should continue to perform critical procedures necessary to prevent short-term and/or long-term adverse effects to their patients’ overall health
• The state’s Emergency Operations Center has been raised to a Level 1 status and will work in conjunction with the incident command center at the Indiana State Department of Health for planning, coordination, predictive analysis and other functions
• State employees will maximize the use of remote work and meet virtually whenever possible while maintaining operations. Non-essential in-person meetings will be limited to 10 persons or less and should meet virtually whenever possible. High-risk individuals should not attend meetings in person
• State employees over the age of 60 with underlying health conditions are advised to work from home, and agencies should identify work that can be accomplished remotely for those individuals
• The Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, which are closed on Mondays, will close to the public beginning Tuesday
• The visitors center at White River State Park will close
• Indiana state parks and recreation centers, including state park inns, remain open. Restaurants will convert operations to take-out and delivery
• State agencies already are developing remote work plans for employees and will continue to implement them while maintaining necessary state services. Employees who work outdoors are encouraged to practice social distancing
• The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) has suspended rules requiring certain unemployment insurance claimants to physically appear at a Work One location to engage in reemployment services for the next four weeks. This will ensure that individuals who may be symptomatic do not have to physically appear to continue their unemployment insurance eligibility
  • The DWD will also request flexibility under federal and state law to expand eligibility for claimants and ease burdens on employers.

• The Indiana Economic Development Corporation will postpone the inaugural Indiana Global Economic Summit, scheduled for April 26-28

• Communities are encouraged to work together to provide child care options for all who need assistance and delivery services of meals and other necessities for senior citizens
• Hoosiers who can donate blood are encouraged to visit local blood centers. Blood supplies are low. Please follow the guidance at www.redcross.org

More information may be found at the ISDH website at https://on.in.gov/COVID19 and the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.