Life Update · 11:39pm Mar 31st, 2020
Hey everybody!
This is a strange time. The whole Corona thing has blown up into a giant mess. I'm still keeping going. Hope the same can be said for everyone out there :)
First I thought I'd share something neat a friend showed me last week:
Above is a link to an AI that's complied all the spoken dialogue of characters from various franchises and has generated the ability to have these characters say just about anything a person can think of. This includes most of the Mane 6 and Celestia. It makes a reasonable guess as to the inflection and intonation used for a particular line, I guess though context, though sometimes there's some hilarious miss pronunciations or instances where it sound excited then very calm. It's not perfect, but it's kind of a dream come true ^^
There are also tons of give-aways and sales on Steam, Gog, and EpicGames, as well as (I think) Uplay, and early releases of films to enjoy. All that, hopefully, is there to keep people's spirits up and give them something to do during this time of isolation.
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Concerning the Corona, I am not sick *knocks on wood* and I hope to stay that way, but...
I have a family member who just came back from France with her boyfriend, just as the travel restrictions were being put in place. I was afraid she was going to be stuck there, but nope... now she's sick with a strange virus, however, and so are her boyfriend and his kids that went with them. The hospitals here won't test for Corona unless you go in sick enough to warrant hospitalization, so all we can do is speculate. Concerning the rest of my family -- they're all around the US and they're all teachers. Each has had to adjust to an Online medium for instructing... I'm happy to see they're able to do that so easily, I just wish it were happening under better circumstances.
I currently live in a state that has a governor-issued Stay At Home Order, which is, honestly... seems lax. I tend to be the type to reach for a tinfoil hat, and this isn't bothering me. People sometimes speak about these things like they're equivalent to martial law, though I suppose states are different in how they go about enforing these things. I can totally leave my house for whatever reason, they just don't want people gathering, which is understandable. I've always been kind of a hermit, with a goal of moving even further away from people in a few years, so, yeah, it doesn't bother me -- I just get out for work and for food and stuff, as I normally would. Parks are open, people still walk outside, so I'm not thinking the sky is falling (yet)... just keeping my hands inordinately clean XD
What I am worried about, however, is just how other people are dealing with this, particularly while they're in survival mode. I also worry about how other people seem to want to start stuff for a laugh or dare. I live with two elderly parents, one of whom is very independent, and I'd hate to think of some jerk spitting or coughing on my father just 'cause while he's out getting medicine or something. There was a dare from a few years back where people were randomly punching people on the street, though none of us had to deal with that so *knock on wood* it's the same deal this time ^^
Work-wise I'm kinda lucky. I work for a non-profit, doing Eccomerce data entry... it's literally just me and a manager right now. It's a bit depressing, seeing how there is nobody and no customers, but... I've been told I'm the one keeping the profits flowing, given the situation. No pressure or anything knowing this XD Despite all the strangeness going on in the world at this time, we are keeping up-beat, and that's really cool.
Stimulus checks are on their way. I don't know if I feel too optimistic about how funds are being divided out and why, but the money's going to help people and that's a good thing. Everybody's situation is different, a lot of people need that money, some of them to supplement what unemployment might be giving them. Like I said, this whole thing's a mess. At least, for some, getting back money for taxes will also be helpful.
Moving on...
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So... I've taken to drawing a bit. I'm no artist by any stretch, but I've been posting my stuff to Fur Affinity. It's been fun to sit down every once and a while, and see what I can draw out on my tablet. I've got to use references right now (I'm unable to draw from my head) but it's a step in a good direction. I've been talking to artist friends and getting tips/advise where I can. If anybody's interested in seeing my doodles, check my Fur Affinity account:
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/waywardpony/
Other than this... really, I'm just trying to keep it together. I've been taking it easy and not forcing anything, spending time with friends and family through the phone and internet while dealing with everything one day at a time. I truly am very lucky to still have work, as 95% of the workforce where I work was sent home indefinitely (hoping for April return). I don't know if we'll continue to be open if what we're doing doesn't prove viable enough, but for the time being it'll work :)
Take care everyone, stay healthy and safe!
Peace 
-Wayward Pony
It sounds like your state is trying to do the same thing my state, Pennsylvania, is doing. Interestingly enough, I haven't had any reason to go outside beyond walking Buddy. So, like before, I walk Buddy, hit a few Poke Stops, and come home.
The biggest impact has been to my little chicken. He is finding a lot of his friends don't feel like talking over chat, or on the phone. He looks to try and get into some group gaming but his friends tend to not want to do so, or they won't do it until after 10:00 PM.
There is also the worry I have with how Daft goes back-and-forth between my place and where his mom is staying. Especially since his mom is actively in a new relationship at the moment. :(
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I am glad you are still able to work despite the crisis. When I heard how the earliest people can get unemployment checks being within 4 weeks I thought, "How many places are going to say they'll wait four weeks to be paid?".
Another interesting thing, which has been brought up to me, is how the money we're getting as a stimulus was already going to be given to American tax payers when they did their 2020 taxes. So, given what I know, we're just getting an advance on next year's tax return.
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I send my best to your family as they, hopefully, find out they just have the flu and not this terrible virus. The news hasn't been exactly all that positive and, today, the radio is saying our president wants us to be prepared for a difficult two weeks of increasing fatalities from Covid 19. :(
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Be well, stay safe, and remain as creative as you can. You got this. we got this! We'll get through this together! :).