They Finally Closed the Auto Show in Minneapolis.

[MineralMan]

It's been going on all week, but it's closed starting today, for the last two days of the show.

I suspect there hasn't been a big crowd at the annual car show for a couple of days.

Lots of things are closing down here in the Twin Cities. That's probably a good thing. Schools, though, remain open, at least so far. Shutting down the schools leads to parents not being able to go to work because they have to care for their children. That's part of the reason they haven't shut them down - that and the school breakfast and lunch programs, which are important for many kids in our two major cities.

I suspect they'll shut them down next week, though.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Pretty much everything is shut down or canceled.

The zoo, the Arboretum, museums, plays, concerts, sports events, college/U classes. Even though the public schools are still open they've canceled the after-school activities and field trips, and even that might be causing problems for some families. I hope something will be done to help kids who need school lunches. The same thing seems to be happening in most other cities, and I hope it at least slows this thing down enough that hospitals don't get overwhelmed, as happened in Italy.

It's kind of a ghost town now. I worry about restaurants and other small businesses that rely on regular customers. There's a great little cafe I often go to for lunch but I'm not going there (or anywhere) now and I don't suppose most of the other regulars are there now, either. I hope they survive.

[MineralMan]

2. It's going to be hard on very many businesses and the people who work at them.

I don't know what will come of that, but it won't be wonderful, I'm sure.

We're not eating out at all right now.

[gab13by13]

4. GDP for this 1st quarter has to be 1 or lower.

If GDP comes out at 2, someone is fudging the numbers.

[gab13by13]

3. Minneapolis is taking a big hit,

I had 4 tickets to watch college wrestling at the 113,000 Vikings stadium. That's loss of 4 airline tickets, loss of 4 days at a hotel, loss of a rental car, and loss of price of my tickets.

[MineralMan]

5. Yeah. All of those mass events are shut down, and wisely so.

I hope I will not have to fly out to California anytime soon. It's possible, though, with two 95-year-old parents. Flights, though, will probably not be crowded, which would help. My fingers are crossed.

[Wellstone ruled]

6. The World Construction Equipment

Expo here in Vegas Closed last night two days early.