May 17, 2020

More than two months in our voluntary self stay at home family quarantine.

So many topics run through my head so often that it is almost overwhelming to write.  The one on top of all else is the opening of parts of my State and New ark right next store.  There are States like Fla.  and others that barely closed t all.  There people showing up with flames throwers and rocket launchers in Michigan protesting the sty at home.  These armed thugs stormed the state house with out consequence.  So there's a topic. Peaceful protesters of things like climate change get zip tied and arrested.  Armed storming of a governement and the president calls you "good people".

But regions of New York are opening this week, as well as other states and their tourist destinations.  The North east regional "authority" (I guess) of States that formed because of the Federal government was derelict in its responsibility to the safety of American citizens, have announce that State beaches will be open on Memorial Day.  The President in April: "I take no responsibility at all for it."

So where does that leave us.  We have been fairly strictly self enforcing our stay home stay safe orders.  Going out only for infrequent walks and grocery and post office trips.  We actually have started to take our now 9 Month + old to the park.  I've actually dreamed about her crawling in grass, and virus be damned, she did it twice this week at a little park down the street.  Other people were there, but in masks and everyone was very respectful of keeping a 6 feet "social" distance.  I didn't get too deep into thinking what or who touched the grass before us, etc.  That's a scary rabbit hole I find in my mind from time to time.

The data will come in in about two weeks on how the openings effect the spread of the Virus.  The rule of thumb is it takes about a two weeks to show symptoms and for the virus to take hold from point of contact.  Reports from the Jersey Shore already show that many are not wearing masks or properly distancing which is cause for much consternation and anger in those who have been abiding by the rules and flattening this curve.  Reminder New York City has been shut down for two months.  Broadway, concerts, sporting events, bars, restaurants, stores, Closed for two months.  The curve of Virus hasn't just flattened itself.

I'm not writing this as another place to express my anger at the president, but his "mission accomplished" like banners hung on Our White House reading that we're the best at testing is a blatant falsehood and misrepresentation of facts as is his "America is Back". He is dangerous.  If this opening leads to spikes and outbreaks, some scientists predicting they will be even worse than the last and CURRENT ones.  The responsibility and deaths fall firmly on his comb covered head.

There is a lot of talk about the politicization of the Virus.  I would say it is science that has been politicized.  Since climate change was called global warming there have been deniers of science based on studies funded by industries whose narrative and cash flow are at odds with the science coming out.  Climate science deniers are not alone.  Reproductive science and health have also been politicized.  One to drive a wedge in the American Citizenry to hide and attach other agendas to an American woman's choice as to what to do with her life and body.  Denial of health science is too fold.  1. to lead to every American's ind=surance company over paying for every pill and medicine over prescribed under the sun and 2. the belief that all medicine is for the big bad drug companies and if we just go outside and take oregano oils, etc. and eat plants we won't need medicine. Both of these are over simplifications, but its how they boil down to me.  There's also the televangelists filling their coffers by "blowing the virus away with god's breath".  This brings us to another topic.

In this age of social media, which has been vaulted into even newer heights through this pandemic, even one not only has an opinion, but they act as though they are an expert.  Research consisting of searching google and youtube for links that follow/dictate their narrative. The denial of decades if not a century in studying viruses and disease has been thrown out the window by some for the doctor that was on Oprah's opinion.  This is not to say they are using the presidents' "it will be down to zero" from 15 cases in February.  Their message is more, the elderly and sick dying be damned, we should go outside and "build up our immune system" like there would be someway to build it up for a virus that got here months ago.  They say go out in the sun, like if someone has the virus the sun will go into their body and kill it.  Experts have been systematically ignored in a world.  The president's former campaign manager has said "throw as much shit into the system as you can". and then people won't know what to believe and won't believe anything.  It is working.  People equate web sites that, like this one are straight opinion of the author and equate it with journalists who vet stories, scientific journals who follow the scientific method and require peer review, experimentation and hard data to prove hypotheses.

The last topic I've been thinking a lot about is this medium I am talking to you through.  The internet and it's social media spawn.  I don't think either are good for us, especially the way they are currently being used and effectively weaponized, but ethereality is they will both be in our lives as long as the power is on and we are "living" a greater portion of our lives in them. Zoom, Tables, Teams, Hang outs meetings.  I watched three different live streams last night and President Barack Obama's virtual commencement speech to the Nation.

Everything points to what will happen next, but is it "next" if we are still under this Virus's thumb.  Some, like the president, are taking a defiant tone with the virus as if it somehow operates like a person or "enemy".  This guy more than most even needs a "boogeyman". The Virus however doesn't give a shit about rhetoric or politics.  It spreads.  It mutates.  It continues to kill.  I guess by Memorial Day, a fitting holiday, we will see if we are truly on the other side and on our way out of this predicament.  Hopefully if we are, there are enough scientists, despite the naysayers and willfully ignorant working on it before it springs up again, over the next few months, the next flu season, and beyond.