Tag: COVID-19

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This pandemic is real people…

A few weeks ago I posted an article, The Pandemic Blues – Take II. In it I detailed several things that happened to me during a round of golf that disturbed me in relation to folk’s attitude towards the corona virus pandemic.  I then mentioned passing a popular bar/restaurant on my way home that is close to the golf course.  It caters to a working class crowd,  and is a nice place to grab a cold one and a bite to eat.  What I noticed that day was how crowded the parking lot was, to the point of overflowing.  And how I could not imagine social distancing taking place in there.

The last 2 or 3 times I have been golfing over in Illinois, the bar has been closed.  Today at the golf course there was a young man  behind the counter who I knew and knew to be from the area.  I asked him if he knew the story about why the bar was closed.

Well yes he did.  It turns out 2 of the waitresses tested positive for COVID-19.  They were going to just close down the place for a couple days for a “deep cleaning”, he told me.  He then went on to relate that there was a cluster of 20  COVID-19 cases in a small town close to Columbia, IL  When they did the contact tracing they all went back to the bar!  So they have closed the bar down for 2 weeks.  I suppose that works to… I’m not really sure.

I can only hope when they reopen they test their employees a little better and force their customers into practicing social distancing.  I do not really see the later happening in this particular establishment.

We all need to take care and realize that this is a real and serious pandemic, and that it is far from over.

Keep well.

 

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Sure, why not…

This started shortly after my bride retired in 2013.  She had spent the previous 35 years teaching Special Education, and earned a much needed rest.   The last 3 or 4 years had been tough on her as her role had changed from one she loved, teaching, to one she was less than enthralled with, case management.   Same job title and pay, but the documentation for Special Education seemed to have assumed more importance than the teaching in the minds of upper management.  What do they say, “follow the money.”

She was at a bit of loose ends initially, as are most retired folks.  She started responding to an activity suggestion with, Continue reading “Sure, why not…”

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USA is pitied

Note:  For the most part, even though I am the home of “The Little Known Blogger” with a minimal readership,  I try to honor intellectual property rights. A friend sent me this opinion piece from the Irish Times.  I could not find a link to it that was not behind a pay wall.  Because I found this oped so spot on until such time…

Irish Times
April 25, 2020
By Fintan O’Toole
Editorial

THE WORLD HAS LOVED, HATED AND ENVIED THE U.S. NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE PITY IT

Over more than two centuries, the United States has stirred a very wide range of feelings in the rest of the world: love and hatred, fear and hope, envy and contempt, awe and anger. But there is one emotion that has never been directed towards the US until now: pity. Continue reading “USA is pitied”

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God Bless Costco

Missouri is opening for business May 4th. Whether this is a good idea or not , will be seen.  I am not sure what St. Louis County will do as we have been the worst hit county and city in the state.  I’m unclear if they even have the option of going against what our wonderful Republican governor dictates.

I received an advertising email this morning from Costco.  Maybe they have been sending them out during the quarantine, but this is the first one I remember receiving in a while.  In it they detailed their guidelines Continue reading “God Bless Costco”

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Bill Gates, Wuhan, COVID-19

This is how truly nutty the world of conspiracy theories is.

I study Spanish via Skype with several different individuals that live mostly in Central America and northern South America.  I’ve never researched how much business China does in Latin America, but according to these folks Chinese products are huge there, especially technology items. Consequently, due to the business connections of Continue reading “Bill Gates, Wuhan, COVID-19”

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Rev. Joe’s Random Thought #2,944

yeah I know you did not ask!

I have two conjoined fears.

First fear: it looks like the total number of COVID-19 deaths will come in lower than the original predictions of 100,000 to 240,000.  This is a good thing, but time will tell.  Gospodin Trump will use this lower number to tout the success of his “management” of the crisis.  The MAGAs and GOP faithful will buy it, believe it and repeat it ad nauseam.

Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be hitting urban areas the hardest, and especially poor people and people of color in those places. This will result in the cluster fuck of an institution known as the Electoral College electing Gospodin Trump to a second term.  See NPR story: What Coronavirus Exposes About America’s Political Divide

If they have a vaccine by then the south of Spain is looking very good.   I am sure I could figure out health care options when I get there.  I am not sure what the golf situation is in Spain, but I have figured out that most of the golf in Central America is resort golf and very expensive.

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Zombie Apocalypse and Silver Linings

In my somewhat long and very circuitous life I have lived through several natural disasters, economic, spiritual and emotional crises. The current one of COVID-19 feels different on so many levels.   With natural disasters and to some extent with economic crises there is something physical to grasp onto, something to see.  Especially with natural crises, there is often something physical you can do.  Our physicality in this crisis is limited to sheltering in place. With a natural disaster you generally have a timeline.  You have an expectation Continue reading “Zombie Apocalypse and Silver Linings”