A to Z

I think the photo snafu thing from yesterday has resolved.  I suppose Tuesdays post will be the proving ground for an actual fix. 

I'm in a non-creative mood, but my friend Sal (Philadelphia Sal, not Cleveland Sal....who isn't really my friend anymore) provided me a funny (?) video.  It's all of 30 seconds long, and semi-timely. 

With only 24 letters in the Greek alphabet, we are already on 13.  Honestly, I heard of a Lambda variant, but nothing between Delta and Lambda. And I certainly didn't hear of a Mu or Nu. 

....and yes, I know the Greek alphabet. 

So with hurricanes they can't just start naming things over with A if necessary. That's harder to do with just an alphabet. It seems epidemiologists and infectious disease experts have boxed themselves in here. And I don't think we're running out of variants anytime soon. 

Yes, I did find this amusing, if not semi-epileptic seizure inducing. 

710 and I wondered how long it took to put this together and exactly how. 

1. Search all Star Trek franchise scripts for the word "omicron". 

2. Find which franchise, year and episode in which that appeared. 

3. Find each episode, Scroll through said episode to find that 0:00:00:02.

4. Capture it. 

5. Copy / Cut it. 

6. Paste it. 

7. Repeat. 

8. Post. 

I mean, there are probably two new variants since they started that video compilation. 

Song by: ABC

Side Effects

I was a few days away from my eight months since my last Covid vaccine. But me, being the fragile flower that I am - and I am ! - I got my booster shot a few days early. 

I have made no secret here about my anxiety to Covid, along with the idea of having to die alone with no one (read: 710) being able to see me or say goodbye. 

Though honestly, if it comes down to ICU and intubation, just make me DNR and let me go. The reality of coming back from that isn't all that high. 

I felt a bit guilty about getting the shot early - or at all. However, it's not like people who haven't gotten vaccinated at all are clamouring to get their first or second shot. And it's not like toilet paper in April 2020 - there's plenty to go around........because not enough of the country is vaccinated.

You've all read here that we still don't go out and socialize, though we had a couple over last week. Still - no movie, restaurants, we haven't been shopping for things we need for the house, so that furniture we needed 16 months ago, we still need. And when we do go - have masks will travel. 

Getting to the vaccination site was just horrible. Traffic in the 216 was worse than I had ever seen. A 20 minute ride took me almost 90. I was late by 17 minutes - and I pride myself for usually being on time. 

To add to it all, half-way there, I realized it wasn't at the location at which I assumed. I hit the hyperlinked address and let Apple Maps take over. Silly me. Silly silly me. 

I had not noticed on the link it had the address and street. No town. No state. No zip.  Only when I noticed me going into another town, which was past my destination did I go......."huh".  Je looked at my phone and it said I'd reach my destination in 16 HOURS and 2 minutes.  The 2 minute thing didn't bother me nearly as much as going to a different state.  No way was I going to make my appointment time - as I hadn't left over a half day early. 

So, some rerouting and yes, 17 minutes late. 

The problem working in healthcare and leadership is: people know you. So the site I went to had people to whom I had spoken, emailed or presented to via a webinar. They knew me, though I didn't really know them. That is bothersome to me. Perhaps I should be flattered, but I suspect they know me for a reason - which usually isn't good. 

Anyhoo. The shot. Like the other two were quick and easy. It took way longer to put my shirt back on. 

The good news?  Save a sore arm, no side effects !!!!

My first Moderna dose was like the third. The second had me sick with fever et al. By most accounts, most booster people have that reaction #2 with the third. 

I waited for it. And waited. If the '12 hours after' rule applied, I'd just be waking up from my night time sleep for those effects to show up - yet they never did.  As Spo might say, I was pleased as punch with that. Yet it was a restless night because I kept waking up to see if I was ill. 

If I need a booster every eight months or so, so be it. 

The boost won't have me going out and doing more things. It's just a layer of protection for me and my family. 

Song by: Joseph

I'll Wait

 This sums up the shittiness that is Florida and its governor. 

I truly do not get Desantis' end game with this. How does all of this not hurt his state's economy?  I mean, I suppose he hopes the less affluent populations perish, as they weren't going to vote for him in the first place.  .....but then who is going to clean all the Kentucky Taco Hut bathrooms - should the people who he thinks are the spreaders of the disease - once they call kick the bucket? 

I mean, I suppose they don't call the state 'g-d's waiting room' for nothing.

Song by: Van Halen

What a Difference a Day Makes

...........and we're back. 

To masking. 

To the absolute surprise of no one, Covid numbers are climbing in Ohio. I mean, they're climbing most everywhere, but I don't live most everywhere. 

Monday Covid Numbers in Ohio (reported on Tuesday)

Tuesday Covid Numbers in Ohio (reported on Wednesday)

Quite the jump in 24 hours. 

Whoopee.......and he keeps going up for this morning's news cycle. 

All the counties around us, save one (tick tick tick), is back to mandating mask wearing indoors. 

While I say 'good', I'm waiting for the foot stomping, the throwing on the ground with the tears and tantrums - while their three year old looks on. 

At work yesterday, we got the email saying we are going back to masking, which isn't really a huge huge change. It's a frickin' hospital. We were never allowed to unmask in patient care areas or public areas. Just in administrative areas where people had to prove to be vaccinated and in small groups.  

Honestly, the extent of my unmasking was to walk across the hall to go the bathroom, where one might argue is where I should have worn it....................if you know what I mean. 

The biggest thing of the memo was the timing. Usually it is, "on such and such a date we will be....", but this one was, "effective IMMEDIATELY............."

I still wear my mask in all stores and would have continued to do so, regardless of county regulations. 

I am waiting on our fucked-up governor, who was so strong in the beginning, and just kowtowed to the right legislature, as now he is in fear for his job due to his mandatory masking and sheltering in place orders. Honestly, if he had not, these dipshits opposing him would have been dead months ago......so he was a little short-sighted. 

We will see how compliance goes. We will see how it will affect businesses. But you know, a dead consumer spends no money.  ....maybe that's what they should consider. 

Song by: Sarah Vaughn

Delta

I'm tellin' ya - Sandy Duncan, Peter Falk, Sammy Davis Jr and Miss Cleo could have seen this coming. 

It's not that Miss Cleo has (well, had) one eye, she was just a scamming 'fortune teller' - but even a broken clock is right twice a day. 

It was less than two weeks ago when I said I told ya so about rise in Covid cases. In 2-3 days it went from 20,000 to 24,000.  Now it's 60,000+ per day.......and the Delta, and now, Lambda variant (seen above), is allegedly infecting some people who've had the vaccine. 

Oh, and there is now modeling that has 4,000 deaths PER DAY, by October.   So.........yay!  Roughly 120,000 per month. ....on top of the pushing 700,000

The Alabama governor wench is blaming the unvaccinated on the rise.  Wow.  MENSA material. But she also hates blacks and gays, so............I don't really give a fuck what she thinks, even if she is correct on this. Naturally, Alabama has the lowest vaccination rate in the country. 

Not surprisingly, only a few states other than Alabama voted for BLOTUS in bigger % of numbers. Yes, there is a direct correlation from unvaccinated rates to that orange turd. 

But the CDC is recommending at all school children K-12 wear masks in school. They're also encouraging masking of all folks in the highly infectious areas.  I'm still fine with masking, but I think it will be a long hard road to get people back to doing it pre-re-opening up of things over the last few months. 

So, yay, we get to live the death, anxiety and uncertainty of April - December 2020. And we thought 2021 was gonna be our year!

Song by: Crosby, Stills & Nash

Human Touch

So, as I mentioned the other day, I was in Provincetown for a long(er) weekend. Four nights, in fact. 

The idea was to go last Fall, but you know.............Covid and no vaccine as of yet. And while we still considered it, places were being shut down, so nowhere to stay. Oh - and we were to meet friends there, though none of us ended up going. 

More on the trip later though. 

My friends and I have been doing weekly Zooms for the last year - only missing one week, and that was two weeks ago. So, in this weird way it seems like I've "seen" them, when in actuality, we haven't. 

While I have seen Becky once or twice during this last 14 months, we kept out distance. And no touchy. 

Morty, on my drive to the Cape, I calculated this is longest in our 33-34 year friendship that we have gone without physically seeing each other. While it was momentarily sad, there was instant glee that it would all be changing in a few hours. 

I got to see Becky and her husband first. Hugs.  Real. Life. Hugs. 

I had no idea how much I had missed it. It was internally emotional. Externally too, but mostly internal. 

We were not a horribly demonstrative family, so when I saw my sister a week or so ago, there were no hugs. It's not who we are in that setting. And of course, I hug 710 all the time, but you know..........24/7/365.  I was amazed as anyone how much I craved this kind of connection and intimacy. 

During the course of the weekend, I'd see other friends and we have that physical connection too. 

Of course, the culmination is always at the departures. I may, or may not, have given Morty the longest, tightest hug I've given to anyone in a blue moon. I have to say, the weekend of friends might be able to sustain me for a quite a while. I hope it isn't a while, but.......you know, fucked up year #2 is still in progress. 

If you are vaxx'd and have the chance, I highly recommend seeing someone who is vaxx'd and make that human touch - the literal and figurative kind. 

Song by: Bruce Springsteen

Take Me Out

So last Saturday we did something that I cannot even recall was the last time. 

We went to dinner at someone else's house!

It was my niece's 30th birthday. While you don't know her, I have a hard time seeing her as and adult, let alone 30. I still remember her 1st birthday vividly, or her as the 7-8 year old singing "Oops I Did It Again"......over and over and over. 

Now she has a Ph.D and treating kids who have had traumatic home lives. I still cannot fathom how she does that, because at most, in my head, she's a teenager. 

So anyways - my sister had dinner for her. She axed if we would be comfortable coming over. We all discussed, as it's kind of a group decision anymore. 

It would just be the six of us. Everyone has been vaccinated. So we took a dive into the social pool, as it were. 

In the last year, I've seen my sister three times:  once at my mother's stone setting, one at a dog park and over the December holidays, we stood out in her driveway for about 20 minutes catching up. 

710 has seen my brother-in-law a few times, as their covid shots were at the same place at the same time. 

And none of us as seen each other's "new" house. We've been here a year now. They've been in their new place about six months. So, out we trekked to their place. 

First off - the house is really nice. They got something we didn't - a first floor master. Sure, I don't need it now, but.......tick tock........  And they have great outdoors space, though it was too cool for that. 

It turns out, they all wanted to go out, but knew we would have turned that down. And we would have. So they go carry in - which was nice. 

Two beers. Dinner - and too full for the dessert I brought. 

Since it was semi-last minute (like 4-5 days notice) it turns out another side effect of Covid - getting a birthday cake made. Used to be 24 maybe 36 hours notice. Now it is 1-2 weeks!  So. I had to find alternative desserts.  It still worked out. 

As I am (or can be) socially inept, I did start the visit with a pre-apology.  Out side of work I have not socialized with anyone. 710 hasn't even been to the office in 14 months, so he, even less so. While I can't say we were uncomfortable, we had the potential to be. I wasn't sure how we would act or interact. 

Overall, it was fine. It was a little strange and we didn't stay a long long time. As it was their new house, we didn't bring Shep (and he and Bailey don't see eye to eye a lot of the time, as I recall).  So, for the second time in a year, he was left alone at home. 

Again, since Covid, he's just never been without us*. Someone is ALWAYS home. So, save for daycare, so is he. He did fine. Nothing was destroyed. 

One toe into the water.  Let's see how this goes. 

* a white lie.  we did leave him for 90 minutes for my mother's stone setting last June. 

Song by: Franz Ferdinand

On Your Own

It's a weird time in which we live. 

I know I'm overstating the obvious, but I'm not quite sure I am. Not to the depth of where we are, or going to be. 

This headline from the Washington Post is just fucked up.  A country - gianormous at that - is out of healthcare resources. No room in the hospitals.  No oxygen in the hospitals. No oxygen anywhere. New cases increasing at the rates of almost a half-million every single day. 

Oh, and the mass cremations. 

Cases are on the rise in the U.S. too. Not at India's rate, but in a much younger population than we've seen in the past. Hospitalization rates are up. Vaccination numbers have stalled. And here in Ohio, we're increasing number of people at sporting events - and the CDC just relaxed mask requirements for outdoors. 

Of course that last one comes with caveats:  small groups.  socially distanced.  et a.  But people, as I have come to find, are generally stupid.  I'm guessing the last thing they heard was 'no masks'. 

I know that within the hospital system in which I work, positivity rates and the census is on the rise. ICUs are at capacity, even transferring some patients out to other hospitals to make room for the more critically ill. 

The above headline has not quite spurred my anxiety into overdrive, but it did pique the thought that it might. Sooner than later. 

710 has part of this team in India. Two on that team died over last weekend. Both in their 30s. Both with families they've left behind. I didn't know them,  but I felt horrible for their families and hope the company does something for them. It's also telling that due to India's current experience,  the amount of work the folks there does for American companies - they have to rejigger schedules on products, projects and plans. 

Right now, I feel that it's a watch, wait and see kind of scenario for the U.S. , and if / when it happens, like India, we will be fucked. 

....well that was a downer of a post.  Sorry.

Song by: Bananarama

Bad Reputation

Oh honey.  No. 

Just.....no!

Deb Brix is trying salvage what is left of her reputation as an actual doctor. But as Pat Benatar once sang, it's a little too little, it's a little too late.  (now try and get that song out of your head!)

The picture here - and multiple others like it - seem to be saying, "I told lies that were thissssss big". 

And she did.  Huge ones. And to what end? 

To hear her tell it, had she been allowed to talk, at least 100,000 lives could have been saved from Covid. 

Honey - you were "allowed" to talk. You weren't allowed to speak in the role you opted to take. The one you knew was a farce. You opted to be silent for your own gain. 

Brix could have gone out in a fucking blaze of glory had she stood up in one of those White House sessions and lambasted the president and his team about their lack of performance, their lies, the misguided "science" behind everything they said. 

But she kept your pie hole shut. 

Sure, BLOTUS would have canned her sorry ass after speaking the truth. And oddly she wouldn't have to worry about not being heard. Every new org in the country (save Fox) would have clamoured to get interviews with her. 

So, her Apology Tour '21 falls flat. She's more guilty on this than BLOTUS. That AMA should strip her of her license. 

Song by: Freedy Johnston

a Shot in the Arm

As you know - I got my two Moderna vaccines a while back.  Yay me!

Getting vaccinated to save my life (potentially) is now the second best thing to come out of the inoculation process. 

Of course, the year is now almost a quarter over, so I feel I've been cheated out of about 90 doughnuts.  

Song by: Wilco

Death at One's Elbow

I won't lie. I was a little miffed at the lack of response my last Facebook post received. One like.  ONE!  Not even a 'love. I post so little - compared to most - that when I do, and I think it's funny, I like to semi-resonate. Bother. 

While some people use the platform as VagueBook, I try not. I post funnies mostly - or at least things I THINK are funny, but I try not give the folks lobs I do want them to think about it, even for a nanosecond. 

Two days ago was the one-year anniversary of our shelter-in-place order, and nothing was the same again. One thing being: no more handshakes (which I do NOT miss). But I thought of our now 'elbow greetings' - or my faux elbow greeting (show my elbow from six feet away, but still no need to touch me!)

But I thought of Young Frankenstein and posted the above .gif with:  I cannot believe that for an entire year we all haven't been saying: "Taffeta, Darling"........."Taffeta, Sweetheart".

I know my demographic. These people wouldn't (or shouldn't) be associated with me if they didn't get the association.  

Oh wait - I just got a laughing thingy. Yay me!

Well, in the meantime, enjoy Madeline Kahn. 

Song by: the Smiths

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad

I don't know from elsewhere in the States or the world, but here in Ohio, things are finally kind of moving in terms of getting Covid vaccinated.  

We seemed forever stuck on vaccinating 70 and up. That was mostly due to lack of vaccine - not an inordinate number of senior citizens.......though to be honest, I haven't done the research on that. 

Just 10 days ago they opened it to those 60 and up and a week later to 50 and up. 

710, my sister and brother-in-law got their first shot a week ago.  "My" posse are starting to get them this week. 

One Cleveburgh mega station is prepared to do 8,000 shots per day. And thankfully, they are doing it in a part of town that is underserved for minorities and people of colour. It's right at a major bus changing station and the city will also provide ride vouchers for people to get there. We are finally doing something right. 

My place of work has given out close to 50,000 vaccines.  50,000 patients. More vaccines.......because most of them have been two shots. We finally got the J&J (one shot) in the last week, but the majority are still Pfizer. 

But I'm realizing the new intro line to people isn't "hey baby, what's your sign", it's "hey baby, which vaccine did you get?".

Discussion now centers on one or two shots?  If two shots (and one, I suppose - though know one I know has gotten the J&J one), what was the side effects for each dose and the severity of each.  The humble brag that comes with the "I had no issues at all" - the people who hate them behind their back.  I kid. 

I'm amused at the vaccine shopping. I never ask for which brand are they hoping. Is it so they only take one shot that is 73% effective, or do they want the 94% one - which requires two? Without knowing - or asking - I remind them that flu shots are about 35% effective, so take what you are offered. 

710 and I are a little excited. At some point in a little over a month we can see my sister and her family. And hopefully we can get together with our Columbus friends.   .....and some Cleveland ones. 

I still foresee being safe, but with a little bit of comfort knowing we've all been vaccinated. 

Song by: U2

My Shot

Choo Choo.  All aboard the Vaccination Station. 

While I don't feel #blessed, I do feel lucky and somewhat privileged to have gotten my first Moderna vaccine. 

Thanks Dolly. 

I get that I work at a hospital. I get that I rarely, anymore, work remotely. So yes, that puts me higher in the chain to get it. And had all the front line workers - including environmental services and nutrition workers - not gotten it first, I might have refused. 

Last Thursday, I got word that they had the vaccines lined up and as it turns out, so many of that Wave 1 had gotten them, they hadn't filled the slots for people to use the doses that were ready to go. And that the area was taking walk-ups for employees. 

Honestly, I kind of thought I was being pranked and that I'd be turned away. It turns out, I wasn't. 

A simple consent and scheduling of my second dose, I was taken around the corner to these stations. There were 10 cubes and maybe half were filled with folks taking a needle in the arm. As the shot is intramuscular and to be given 2" below the shoulder, the shirt had to come off.  

The shot was harmless. Whomever gave it to me did it flawlessly.  

Then I went out and sat for 15 minutes - each patient given a timer. Each seat was at least 6' away from another, and of course, we all had on masks. We were watched to make sure we had no adverse reactions. 

Overall, I did not experience any side effects. A few hours later my upper arm was sore. Tetanus shot sore. Not flu shot sore. It hurt that night when I rolled over in my sleep and I had discomfort reaching for a cereal bowl the next morning. But two rounds of Motrin helped and 48 hours later, there was almost no pain. 

But I had no fever. No chills. No other symptoms. All is good. 

I'm looking forward to round 2.  I'm really looking forward to someone getting these shots out to the masses. 

Song by: the cast of Hamilton

Outrage

1 in 1,000. 

Think about it. One out of every 1,000 in the U.S. has died of Covid. In a one year(ish) timeframe. 

Save most people in the medical community, where is the collective outrage? I mean, unless you're a sports fan - because there is outrage that you can't have them they way they used to be. But that's outrage of a different kind.

The NBA annoys the fuck out of me - though they do so on most days, but... .  Honestly, what is the point of games where the teams travel, as opposed to just playing in one location?  The new schedule won't allow for spectators, so again.......why bother? 

I'm pretty sure you don't want me to start on the NBA's now twice per day Covid tests for all players, coaches and staff. By all means, let's protect the millionaire-ish athletes. That seems reasonable. 

There certainly seems more outrage at this Nashville bombing, where potentially - at most - one person died, and the don't even have that confirmed. And if so, it was probably the bomber itself. The 3,000+ per day now dying of Covid certainly makes the news, but doesn't seem to raise an eyebrow. 

I do love the irony of the Tennessee governor asking BLOTUS for FEMA relief for a catastrophic event when unemployed, starving and / or almost homeless folks can't get a dollar, let alone 600 of them, for a true catastrophe. 

Our local news confidently and proudly mentioned when we had only 7,800 new cases the other day that it was below the 8,300 average.  DUDE!  Three months ago it was around 800 per day.  That is how desensitized we are to all of this now. 

So, at this point, we have the equivalent of a 9/11 every. single. day.  So - again.....where is the outrage? 

I think Nashville has shown us. 10 second clips of ICUs on the evening news aren't 'real'. A 'blast' and physical damage are real. 

330,000 dead.  That is 111 September 11s.  Or......444 planes crashing into things.  Every. Single. Day.  ....well, for 111 days.  So far. 

Maybe this is the way to get it through the pea-brained public and political minds. 

A bottle of water through a TSA checkpoint is unallowable, but not wearing a mask is my g-d given right! Or so say some people to the latter. I don't see them taking their AR-15s to those checkpoints to be allowed get their boxcutter on an aircraft. 

I think the Covid graphs should be bar ones, but the bars should be WTC buildings. Any linear portion can be a 727.  Maybe that would raise awareness. 

I mean, obvi it won't happen, but we, as a nation, are as dead inside as 330,000 (and counting) are on the outside. 

While I was thinking of saving this for my January Ad of the Month, I'm doing it now. The Ohio Department of Health, in theory, has put out an extremely effective ad.  Though for the deniers, or the people who just outright don't care, it won't make a lick of difference. 

Song by: Booker T & the MGs

Source of Infection

In this year of Covid, it would be easy to overlook the 32nd World AIDS Day day. 

However, I think, due to Covid, this is the perfect time to mention it - if not to draw comparisons. 

While I think BLOTUS completely bungled - and continues to bungle - anything related to Covid, he's certainly not Ronald Reagan choosing not to publicly acknowledge AIDS for four years and after more than 47,000 deaths. More than 59,000 by some other accounts. 

Mind you, Corona hit harder and faster than AIDS. There was no way for BLOTUS to completely ignore it, though he put enough roadblocks in the way for slowing things down. Reagan ignored it completely. At least publicly. 

Since 1981, over 35 millions have died from AIDS worldwide, more than 1.2 million in the U.S. Mind you, in a matter of 10 months we have 25% of that from Covid. Depending on vaccine timing, we might surpass 40 years of AIDS deaths in 12 months. 

That said, I think the community - the pharmaceutical one in particular - has responded much better due to Covid than HIV. Maybe it is wishful thinking, but one would hope that this is due to HIV. Not so much the disease as the lessons learned during and since.

It also doesn't hurt that Covid isn't considered a gay and minority drug-related disease. Yes, don't kid yourself - no one was rushing to help out us deviants. There was a stigma. I'm sure there still is to a degree. 

There are still about 38,000 folks in the U.S. per year diagnosed as having HIV. I'm curious to see how, or if, that decreases in the next year. In theory, social distancing  should have stopped hook-ups, though on the other hand, drug use is up due to the fact that isolation and lack of in-person addiction services are taking a toll on that population. 

Of course, what I'd like to see is after Covid is under control - with three possible vaccines ready to roll - is that same effort goes into the HIV battle. 

Sure sure - BLOTUS promised he'd end HIV / AIDS. I don't think he aid he'd do with with science, since he doesn't believe in that. Maybe he means he'll stop using his infected dick on others?  That should cut down on lots of infections. 

But it's BLOTUS - so his claim to end AIDS is automatically an untruth anyways. 

I get the Covid distraction for 2020, but let's hope it doesn't take away from almost four decades of progress. 

Song by: Van Halen

Thanks

I admittedly do not understand people. 

I have watched the news where people are traveling for Thanksgiving, while they clearly hear of, and know of, the rapid rise in Covid cases. They're unswayed. They don't care - about others, let alone themselves. 

My sister called two weeks ago and asked if we should do anything. While I haven't seen her in months, and I'd love to, I declined her lightly-asked invite. She totally got it. 

Honestly, if I'm breaking sheltering, it's not going to be for turkey. 

So - for the second time ever, we are having Thanksgiving at our house. The last time was in 1987.  This time, just the four of us:  710, Shep, Sophie and myself. 

710 loves turkey, so turkey we shall have - though it will just be a breast. I'll make sides - as long as one is mashed potatoes, since that is another request of his. 

But as this is Thanksgiving, I'm not one to normally speak about for what I'm thankful - but this being 2020, all bets are off. 

It's been a tough year for all - more so for others. So this isn't a humble brag, or it's not how it is meant. Both of us here have jobs - ones not completely affected by Coronavirus. Yes, I took a pay cut for a bit and had my 403b contributions discontinued for nine months, but.........I have a job. It keeps a roof over our heads and we don't have to worry about eviction, meals, utilities. 710 has one too. His company is struggling due to it - but his area is the only profitable one. 

I am very thankful for that. And for that, we are planning more of helping others out not just during the holiday season, but for the forseeeable future. I find it to be our duty. 

While I haven't seen my sister, we talk, we text - so it's not a loss. I think at this point it will be weirder to see her than not. 

I am thankful for my longtime friends. Our weekly talks, our constant texts kept my spirits up more than they know - because it was more than I ever said. I spoke of angst on this here blog and it was real. Mini panic attacks of the potential of dying alone in a hospital  room due to Covid. 

Admittedly I had become a little numb to that as the months went on, but as the cases surge here in Ohio, that angst comes back to visit me. I'd say it's not logical to have those feelings, but it is. Read a paper, turn on the news - see the masses being exposed, hospitalized and dying. 

Wow - this post has kind of become a downer. That was not the intent. 

I miss our Cleveland friends. Oddly, they are closer physically, but many of them are being far more careful than we - so now and then we run into them while we are walking - and catch up from opposite sides of the street, but no true connection. It's weird for sure. 

And yes, I am thankful for you. You all keep coming back. And I'm track (I think) to have my best blog year - in terms of hits. For what that's worth.  I just assume you folks have nothing better to do during this pandemic - tons of free time, so you stop by.  That works for me. 

Hope you all have a good day. Enjoy it. 

Song by: Shelby Lynne

All Over Now

I should write something.

BLOTUS - just in time for the election - has claimed the accomplishment of ending Covid as a pandemic. 

Honestly. I shit you not. 

I'm not sure then how he and the White House explain the 83,000 cases in one day last week.  Or the 40% increase in cases from the week before that. 

Ohhhh....wait.  They don't explain anything. Yet people eat this shit up like candy. And if they don't believe it, they certainly don't question it. 

Mind you, this is the exact same administration - his 117th Chief of Staff (he picks only the best people!) said, and I quote: "we're not going to control the pandemic". 

Oh - how I laughed. 

It almost implies that they, at one point, tried to. If someone can get me the data on when that was, I'd be happy to read it over. 

This administration will fuck you over without a thought yet.........people are turning out in record numbers to vote early.  And as much as I would like (read: hope) to think it is to vote him out, you have to believe there is equal fervor to keep him in.  

Allegedly Texas' early voting is surpassing all their previous voting numbers - and I'm not talking just the early portion. Since it's Texas, I have to believe it is to keep this turd in office. 

I don't know how Kool-Aid stock is doing, but I gotta figure it's up like 471%. So many people are drinking it, how could it not. 

I have nothing to base this on, but I have to feel I'd like Jim Jones more than I do BLOTUS. 

Song by: Aimee Mann

American Idiot

“Fauci is a disaster. If I listened to him, we’d have 500,000 deaths,” BLOTUS said on a call with campaign workers 

BLOTUS  said Americans were fed up with pandemic restrictions. “People are saying, ‘Whatever. Just leave us alone.’ They’re tired of it. People are tired of hearing Fauci and all these idiots,” “Fauci is a nice guy. He’s been here for 500 years.” 

So, BLOTUS - one question, if I may: 

WHY ARE YOU USING ALTERED FAUCI FOOTAGE ON YOUR TV ADS TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE HE WAS SAYING YOU DID EVERYTHING RIGHT IN REGARDS TO COVID ????

Honestly, I could not hate this guy more.  ........and I ain't talking about Fauci.  And he's saying these at meetings where he knows he'll get taped and it will get 'leaked'.  It's all very fucking calculated. 

I know, especially with the altered ad that Fauci has called out, BLOTUS is playing both sides of the coin, but no one is calling him on it, and no one - maybe other than me - cares. 

I will BLOTUS this:  Americans ARE fed up..............but with him, not Fauci. 

Song by: Green Day

Empty Chairs

 Someone took my idea and made it better.  Not as if that is so difficult. 

About six months ago, I wrote about a would-be visual protest of Covid.  It went nowhere. Clearly, I did nothing to help it along. But none of my 700 reads per day got anyone else to do it either. 

.....or did it? 

Someone installed 20,000 empty chairs on the Ellipse.

That group, Covid Survivors for Change, got this going. They even got the Singing Skull Dionne Warwick to be the host for the National Day of Remembrance. Good for her. I mean though - she had to see that coming, right? (get it?  get it?.)

The chairs visualizes and represents better than my casket idea. 

While it might be weird to say, I'm kind of digging this. 

Hats off to them - and to BLOTUS who almost has to see it from his balcony. 

Song by: Don McLean

Disgusted

I'm breaking a self-imposed, never discussed rule of never really posting video of the "president" - at least this one. 

Hopefully, the next video I post of him will be of him leaving Washington DC............or being taken to Riker's. 

Yesterday, I got home in time for the national "news". I have REALLY been avoiding most print and television media stuff. But 710 likes to see it now and then - so there we were, turning it on five minutes in. 

BLOTUS, being BLOUTS, is discharged right at national news time - which I don't believe for two nanoseconds was a mistake. 

Lester Holt and NBC, whom I used to like, now I find has no dignity whatsoever, on what they opt to report, just cut to BLOTUS not just leaving Walter Reed, but we watch the entire flight back.  Yes, they totally bagged any other national news................or a long range camera shot of a helicopter. 

The one thing they did broadcast before they cut to that, was the fucker himself.  I swear, I almost swallowed my tongue. 

What. The. Actual. Fuck. 

This fucking shit for brains heard of Covid back in December 2019.  NOW - he says he just "learned a lot about Covid"?

I'd ask if he could be more disrespectful of the 206,000 dead, but we all know he can - and will - be. 

While I do wish he would die - and soon - my friend Morty is correct, we cannot let him be a martyr. We will NEVER hear the end of that shit. 

Song by: Lucinda Williams