After the disbandment of his indie rock outfit Cymbals Eat Guitars, Joseph D’Agostino pivoted towards solo music. The change birthed D’Agostino’s new project Empty Country, and he shared his eponymous debut solo album last week. D’Agostino celebrated the release of his debut record while stuck at home in quarantine. So the singer decided to grace his fans with three live versions of songs off Empty Country.
While home in his own studio, D’Agostino managed to perform energetic versions of the tracks “Diamond,” “Clearing,” and “Becca.” Along with his wife, D’Agostino said in a statement that they “hope this provides a distraction from the constant, crushing anxiety we’re all enduring.”
D’Agostino wrote about the theme of the song “Diamond” in a statement, saying it was written about the hardest year of his life:
“I began writing ‘Diamond’ for my wife Rachel in October 2017, on our foreshortened honeymoon in Upstate New York. Rachel’s aunt had passed away after a long battle with leukemia the day before our wedding, so we would have to head back south for the funeral only a few days later. Rachel’s cousin had succumbed to bone cancer just three years prior. The days Rachel and I spent in the Catskills after our wedding were slow and unreal, suspended in amber. We walked on the rails of the derelict Ulster & Delaware like twin gymnasts on parallel balance beams, Esopus Creek slipping by beside us. We relished in having no cell service. Though we were less than a year into the Trump era, we were already exhausted and full of dread. We fell deeply in love with the region and made plans to move there from Philadelphia as soon as we could. On the morning we left NY, the weather shifted. The leaves took on the queasy dull luster that prefigures thunderstorms. But for two gold days, we postponed encroaching reality. It is now 2020. The sh*t is fully hitting the fan, and we haven’t yet left Philadelphia. The advance I mention waiting for in the song— the one we planned to use as a downpayment on a house— would never come. In January 2019, within 24 hours of handing in the Empty Country masters, I was promptly dropped by my manager, publisher and booking agent. This professional disaster kicked off what would prove to be one of the most challenging years of my life, one that I seriously doubt I would have made it through alive without Rachel. So this song is for her… but you can listen too if you’d like.”
Watch Empty Country perform “Diamond,” “Clearing,” and “Becca” from his living room above.
Empty Country is out now via Get Better Records. Get it here
The sports world is on hiatus right now due to the global pandemic that is COVID-19 and the far-reaching impact it’s had just about everywhere, from China and southeast Asia to Iran to Italy and central Europe to the United States where the outbreak has reached record levels. Most sports leagues have accepted their fate that they will not be playing games for some time — the latest federal push of CDC guidelines banning gatherings of more than 10 people through April 30 indicates it wouldn’t be until the summer at the earliest before leagues get back.
UFC has been insistent that their big UFC 249 event would still take place on April 18, however, in a venue outside the United States and without fans. The main event for the card was set to be the highly anticipated matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, but that appears to be unlikely to take place due to travel restrictions placed on Russia, where Khabib recently returned to and now is stuck.
Nurmagomedov updated fans on his status on an Instagram Live on Monday morning, saying he was not able to travel due to the recent restrictions placed on the country by the prime minister. He also explained he was told the fight was likely to happen in the UAE, but when he left camp in the U.S. and traveled there earlier in March, he was told he had to return to Russia due to restrictions that were set to be enforced there. A snippet of the translation of his IG Live is below, via RT Sport.
“After talking to the UFC we decided to fly over to the Emirates a month before the fight. I don’t remember the exact date, it was 19th or 20th, I’ll have to check. But when we landed in Emirates we learned that they are going to close borders. And no one will be able to leave or fly in, with exception for residents.
“So we had to fly back to Russia. Currently I am in Dagestan and I am training and preparing every day. Although I don’t know what am I preparing for. Because after we came to Russia we also learned that the borders are going to be locked. Same like in the States, same like in Europe, Emirates, everywhere. The whole world is in quarantine right now.
“So now I am hearing that they are looking to organize it with or without me. OK, go ahead.”
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, UFC is aware of the situation and is now moving forward with looking for alternatives, including a possible replacement fight for Ferguson, as well as seeking a new location for the event.
Ferguson, per sources, has been offered a fight against top contender Justin Gaethje. However, that fight has not been agreed upon nor finalized. Neither has a location for the event.
Given increased travel restrictions facing just about everyone around the world right now it is hard to see how UFC pulls off getting all of their fighters to a central location outside the United States for this event. As more restrictions get placed in more places, Dana White and company will be hard pressed to find a location that can accommodate them, but there’s no doubt they certainly will try to make it happen.
A dog in Colorado is doing his part to help during the coronavirus pandemic. Sunny, a golden retriever, has been delivering groceries to his neighbor, Renee, while she self-isolates.
Sunny’s owner, Eveleth, and Renee have lived next to each other for over a decade.
Renee has respiratory problems so she uses an oxygen tank. The COVID-19 virus is especially deadly for people with respiratory problems because it creates inflammation and fluid build-up in the lungs.
People with chronic respiratory issues have some of the highest mortality rates from the COVID-19 virus.
The delivery process is simple: Eveleth sends Sunny over to Renee’s house to get her shopping list. After Eveleth returns from the store, she gives Sunny the grocery bag and he delivers it next door to Renee.
“She got the list, she gave it to Sunny, Sunny brought it to me,” Eveleth told KKTV. “I went to the store, got her her groceries, and he delivered them all to her.”
Sunny has been making deliveries to Renee since the virus began to spread in the U.S. a few weeks ago.
“What a wonderful thing, just a sweet thing,” Renee said. “So he started doing the schlepping, back and forth. It’s been fun, it’s been a real treat.” Sunny seems to enjoy it, too. Renee gives him the equivalent of a doggy tip after each successful delivery by asking, “Who’s a good boy?” and giving him a rub down.
Golden retrievers are bred to be bird dogs so they are great at fetching and returning items to people. The breed is eager to please so they are popular service dogs and often used on search and rescue teams. So delivering groceries comes naturally to dogs like Sunny.
Sunny’s regular visits are also a great pick me up for Renee, who lives alone. “Little things like Sunny coming over to visit is nice and it makes you feel good,” Renee said. “It’s a way of communicating.”
Plus, Sunny is safe for Renee to be around because dogs can’t get COVID-19 or pass it to humans.
“There is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19,” the World Health Organization said in a statement. “COVID-19 is mainly spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.”
Eveleth hopes that the story of Sunny and Renee gives people something to smile about in these trying times.
“Anybody can do something small, that can be so helpful,” she said.
The story of Renee and Sunny is a great example of neighbors helping each other in a crisis. It goes to show that even when people practice social isolation they can also help each other if they get a little creative. It also helps to have an amazing golden retriever like Sunny.
With the news cycle running nonstop coronavirus pandemic coverage, we could all use some uplifting content right now.
Sharing good news is Upworthy’s jam (especially on our Instagram page, which is dedicated only to positive stories) so we’re always happy to see new outlets highlighting the best of humanity. We’re also fans of The Office, so we’re also always happy to see John Krasinski.
John Krasinski plus good news almost seems like too much to hope for, but dreams really do come true, friends. Krasinski asked his Twitter followers to share any good news stories they’d come across and then launched a YouTube channel, “Some Good News,” where he reports the stories from his home.
It’s uplifting. It’s funny. It includes Steve Carell. And it’s just what we need to remind us to look for the bright spots when the world starts to feel dark.
The United States of America now leads the world in the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases — surpassing Wuhan, China, the origin of the virus, and Italy, the epicenter of the European outbreak. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases (and America’s expert on all things coronavirus), has said that it’s “entirely conceivable” that over 1 million people will contract COVID-19, which would likely amount to roughly 100,000 deaths. As such, it’s a very real possibility that you or someone you know will contract COVID-19, which probably has you more than a little freaked out. We’re right there with you!
Let’s remember the facts though, as of Sunday evening, March 29th, there were 722,289 cases of the coronavirus worldwide, with 33,984 deaths, and over 151,901 recovered cases, with many more hundreds of thousands on their way to recovery. This disease is certainly scary, but we will beat it and every day we’re finding out a little more about the virus. The more we know, the safer we’ll be. So turn off the TV, stop watching the insane daily press conferences, and beef up your coronavirus knowledge by listening to an expert.
No, we don’t mean us. We’re talking about the expertise of Dr. David Price of the Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Dave is an ICU doctor who is on the frontlines at the center of the U.S. outbreak, at a hospital where 20% of New York state’s coronavirus cases are being treated.
Late last week, Dr. Dave shared everything he knows about the deadly virus in a recent online Q&A posted on Vimeo, and his wealth of firsthand knowledge will make even the most frightened amongst us breathe a sigh of relief. To put it in his words, “when you know that the only way you’re going to get this disease is if your hands are dirty, and if you touch your face, and if you’re way too close to that person, that becomes incredibly liberating. All of a sudden the person at the store isn’t your enemy, they’re someone who is going through this with you.”
The full hour-long interview is worth a watch, but we gathered the most essential points so you could get back to binge-watching ten-year-old television shows. Here is everything you need to know about coronavirus, from how people are getting it and how you can keep you and your loved ones safe, to what to do if you already have it.
If you don’t have time for the whole video, we broke out some key moments below:
What are the symptoms for COVID-19?
This is one of the most common coronavirus-related questions and one of the most difficult to answer. Searching “what are the symptoms of the coronavirus?” might as well direct you to a GIF of someone shrugging. According to Dr. Dave, “What commonly people have is fever, cough, and then sore throat… Your lungs will primarily be affected. 80% of people just don’t feel good, mild cough maybe a little headache.”
So while your paranoia and your stuffy nose and sudden diarrhea is alarming, take a breath, it’s probably not the coronavirus.
How do you get COVID-19?
“The overwhelming majority of people are getting this from physically touching someone who has this disease, or will develop it in the next one to two days, and then touching their face.” Dr. Dave repeatedly stresses in his video that we must all become “hand nazis.” Under no circumstance should we be touching our face if we’re out in public, so do whatever you have to do to make this your new favorite habit.
“The vast vast vast majority of COVID-19 transmission is droplet… A droplet — something that comes from the mouth — either goes onto your hand or falls onto a surface and then is very quickly taken up, touched, and then put on your face.”
So… you can’t get it from the air?
While it’s certainly possible, “The thought at this point is that you actually have to have very long sustained contact with someone… I’m talking about over fifteen to thirty minutes in an unprotected environment, meaning you’re in a very closed room without any type of mask.” This will likely put a lot of us at ease. It’s highly unlikely that we’re going to get this thing from picking up food from our favorite restaurant, or by saying “hi” to whoever is delivering your food.
How do we keep ourselves safe in public?
Again, don’t touch your face. “Know where your hands are and know that they’re clean at all times… Walk around with Purell… when I leave my apartment, everything that I see that I’m going to touch, I make sure I Purell first. When I leave my apartment door and I go to the elevator, it’s okay if I touch it with my hand, but then I Purell,” says Dr. Dave, stressing, “This is not a disease that we’re getting because someone is sick and then touched something, and then an entire community of 10 people get it because they touched it… it’s mostly from sustained contact with people who have COVID-19… keep your hands clean and you will not get this disease.”
But just because you have good hand discipline, doesn’t mean you’re above smart social distancing, “If you’re going to go to the grocery store, if you’re going to touch the cart — just clean the handle. If you go into the store and you see people around, don’t touch them… distance yourself. You don’t have to wait directly in line with somebody, you can stand a couple of feet back.”
Should I be wearing a mask?
Dr. Dave is all for wearing masks, but mostly because having a mask on your face is an easy way to train yourself now to touch it. So don’t hoard medical masks, donate your supply to your local hospital and tie a bandana around your face, bandit-style.
“You don’t need a medical mask. These masks that people are wearing are not preventing them from getting the disease… the general community has zero need for N95 masks.”
I’m still hanging out with my friends on the weekend…
What is wrong with you. Stop doing that. Please. Do you want us to be quarantined longer than April?!
“You have to shrink your social circle,” says Dr. Dave, “Find your isolation group, find your group of three people, four people, your family — and set boundaries. The people who are going to get this are people who maintain large social circles at this point.”
I’m a great social distancer… but what if my less responsible housemate gets it?
Despite the fact that a large majority of this virus’ spread comes from family transmission, according to Dr. Dave, “Simply being in the home with someone who has COVID-19 will not get you that disease.” However, please understand that even if you feel fine, you’ll essentially have to be quarantined for as long as the infected person in the event you’re an asymptomatic spreader.
“Isolate yourself from your family… if you’re able, have the person in a separate room… have the person who is sick have their own bathroom… if the person has to come out and interact with the family, this is the perfect indication for one medical mask for the person who is sick.”
What if I just have a cold?
Might as well play it safe, just so long as we’re all in quarantine. “I think if you have something that feels like a cold or you feel like you’re getting sick, take the precautions like you have COVID-19 for one to two days. If in one to two days you’re feeling much better and this is like the thousand other colds you’ve had in the past year… you don’t have COVID-19.”
How safe is interacting with take-out or grocery delivery people?
“I think it’s a reasonable idea to have the delivery person leave the food that they’re delivering to you outside your door. You can probably pick it up with a glove and open the bag and all the inside contents are fine. That’s an overabundance of caution, but it think it’s reasonable,” says Dr. Dave, adding, “What you don’t want to do is high-five the delivery man, you don’t want to shake the delivery man’s hand, you don’t want to pick up the plastic bag you’re getting… and have a huge long interaction with that bag… but if you follow the rules and everything you touch you just clean your hands, you will not get it.”
So it’s not just old people getting it?
No, so it’s time to stop acting like this is someone else’s problem. The way we beat this is by being responsible. “This disease affects everyone… 23-year-olds, 35-year-olds, 45-year-olds with zero medical problems are getting this disease, people like that are coming to the hospital, people like that are going on ventilators. There is a very evil narrative early in this disease that said that this is only a disease of old people and people that have hypertension and diabetes, that is not true… it hits the entire spectrum of ages.”
Okay, I have it, how do I keep the people isolating with me safe?
Keep your distance, from everyone. “If you have a vulnerable population in your family… you need to find another living arrangement for that patient or practice incredibly strict isolation of that family member.” It’s also not a bad idea to contact everyone you’ve seen up to two days before you first developed symptoms (see why social distancing is important?). Dr. Dave explains, “It’s likely that people who get this disease are shedding the disease one to two days before they have a fever… If you develop COVID-19 and have a fever, know who the people are in your life who you interact with over the prior 2-3 days and let them know.”
Should I get tested?
Look, we all want to get tested, especially those of us who still have to go to work or those of us who live with a vulnerable population. Unfortunately, even on a state level, we’re not really where we need to be in terms of testing availability. “It depends on the availability of testing in your community. If you have symptoms like the flu, it’s likely you have COVID-19,” but Dr. Dave is quick to clarify that even if you did get tested, when it comes to your treatment, “not a lot would change by knowing that test result.”
Should I go to the hospital?
Depends. If you think you might have COVID-19, absolutely don’t go to the hospital — you might be putting people at risk. Instead, call your health care provider (or your county’s public health office if you don’t have insurance) and await the next steps. In all likelihood, you’ll be able to self-treat at home, only those who are having trouble breathing should consider treatment at a hospital.
“If you’re feeling short of breath come to the hospital… it’s not, ‘I have a fever,’ it’s not ‘I think I have COVID-19,’ it’s not, “I can’t stop having these body aches,” it’s ‘I feel short of breath when I get up to go to the bathroom,’ those are the people who should come to the hospital and be evaluated.”
What’s this I’m hearing about Ibuprofen making symptoms worse?
This is a weird one, but it would appear that some early data suggests Ibuprofen is not an effective treatment — no one can say why yet. “There is really good data from Germany that there are worse outcomes and more inflammation from people who are using Ibuprofen. If you have a fever take acetaminophen.”
What are my chances of needing to go to the emergency room?
If you’re generally healthy and not an at-risk population, you’re likely going to get through this with little more than a handful of awful days. “Of the entire population of people who get COVID-19, about 10% need to go to the hospital because they get short of breath. Of the 10% who are coming to the hospital, about one to two to three percent of those are requiring admission to the ICU and should be put on a ventilator.”
What if I need to be put on a ventilator?
Don’t panic — it’s not the end. “The vast majority of people come off the ventilator… usually seven to ten days later. Going to the hospital is not a death sentence, it’s a safe place to be.”
Is there a chance of the coronavirus weakening?
It’s too soon to tell if warmer weather will have a strong effect on the coronavirus, but time is guaranteed to have an effect on this virus. It won’t be tomorrow, it won’t be next year, but according to Dr. Dave, “as it mutates it’s going to get milder and milder, five years from now you’re going to get coronavirus, this exact COVID-19, and it’s going to feel like a cold.”
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
