Silent!

 

Confusion Rules!

 People are confused.  And they have a right to be.

 

Should I send my kids to school?  Is it safe for them?  And is it safe for the rest of us?  Confusion Rules!

 

It looks like Team Biden is being supported by the Chinese.  And Team Trump is being supported by the Russians.  Is there a Team America that will honor our vote and result in a fair election?  Confusion rules!

 

Should there be a football season this year?  Who decides?  When do they decide?  With or without fans, does it matter?  Confusion Rules!

 

What happens to people who are out of work?  And what happens to their families?  Will there be unemployment support?  Dysfunctional politics matters more than people.  Confusion Rules!

 

Does Black Lives Matter still matter?  Is anything really going to change?  Most people say yes.  Good, so now what?  Confusion Rules!

 

The Ohio Governor tests positive.  Then, a few hours later he tests negative.  And it still takes more than a week to get a test result either way.  Confusion Rules!

 

All of this is at home.  How about overseas?  Don’t ask.  Confusion Rules!

From Inside My Bubble!

It’s been quiet around here.  All day almost every day I stay inside my secure bubble, venturing out only for a walk or if absolutely necessary.  Even though I don’t have any serious pre-existing medical conditions, at age 87 I am vulnerable and choose to be extra careful.

We are more fortunate than many.  Our home is comfortable, a pleasant place to be.  Grocery store and restaurant deliveries keep us supplied with necessities and good food.  Newspapers, TV, the Internet and a stash of books on my Kindle provide entertainment, news and diversions.

It is only when I pay attention to the world outside my bubble that my mood shifts to the dark side.  Without a doubt, it is a dystopian mess out there.  And dystopian doesn’t even capture it.  Disease, unrest, inequality, economic disaster, our broken, flailing country helpless to stop the demise of democracy, etc., etc.  The view is ugly.

Best to stay in the present.  I can worry about a future I can’t control.  Or I can be grateful for the blessings that I have right here in the present.  And I am.  I am thankful for my bubble.  It’s a good place to be!

Thoughts!

I haven’t watched the George Floyd death video.  I won’t watch it.  Of course I’ve seen bits and pieces of the video (impossible to avoid them if you watch the news), but the idea of watching a man die for 8 minutes and 46 seconds is too gruesome for me.

I did see the sequel – the killing of Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta.  It was like a movie chase that only took a few seconds, not up close and personal as with George Floyd.  And the result?  Another dead black man at the hands of a white police officer.

So what else is new?  The pundits have been opining nonstop about whether we are a country besieged by systemic racism.  Hello?  Where you been for four hundred years?  White men didn’t come alone to the new world.  They were accompanied by their black slaves.  And while there have been changes over the centuries, overt and covert racism has gripped the American psyche every step of our historical way.

We cannot get rid of our racist way of being with legislation – see the Civil Rights and Voting Acts of 1964-65.  Or by declaration – see the Declaration of Independence.  Or by proclamation – see the Emancipation Proclamation.  Our racism is indeed a way of being, ingrained in how we respond to those who look different, our fear of the other, our unwillingness to question even a little of our perceived superiority.

So what now?  Is there any chance that recent events are a moment in time when a transformation is possible?  Or will we at best nibble around the edges and fundamentally change nothing?

I won’t say impossible.  I will say, am sorry to say, not likely.

Other Things!

Everyone’s attention is on the virus, especially as the U.S. death toll nears 100,000.  But that’s not the only thing that’s going on in the world.

In the future the University of California is not going to require SAT or ACT tests for admission.  Tradition be damned, the future is now.

In Hong Kong, the “one country, two systems” promise made by the Chinese when the British left in 1997 is on the way out.  The inevitable protests soon to come will be nasty.  And in the end Hong Kong will have the same rules as the rest of the country.  No surprise, really.

A defiant Netanyahu is finally going on trial.  He’s guilty as hell and will not be convicted.  And it’ll take years for the process to play itself out.  So much for the rule of law.

Speaking of the rule of law (or lack thereof) Trump lackey Bill Barr will continue to use the Department of Justice to subvert the constitution.  And no Republican has the guts to stop him.

In Germany they are playing football again.  No fans, but real games.  And the Spanish will play again soon.  No word yet on when the Premier League will join them.  My guess – pretty soon.

The never ending violence and terrorist acts continue apace in several African countries, Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Pakistan, etc.  No end in sight.

In the U.S., cops and vigilantes continue to kill unarmed black men.  Also, no end in sight.

Also in the U.S., homelessness continues to be a seemingly unsolvable problem.  Lots of good intentions.  Lots of talk about it.  Lots of theories about what to do.  No end in sight.

Beautiful weather in California.  A glorious spring.  Warm and sunny.  Only one problem – no rain.  We’re headed for another drought.  Lots of worry and no answers.  Can’t control this one.  I wonder why desalinization isn’t more available.

Have a great day!

What to Say?

I haven’t posted a blog comment in a while.  Every day I think I have something to say but can’t figure out what it is.  So I’ve been saying nothing.

We’re in our second month of being locked down, sheltering in place as they say.  Unlike many people not as fortunate, we haven’t been particularly inconvenienced by all this.  With grocery and restaurant deliveries, the internet, TV, and my Kindle plus frequent neighborhood walks, we are comfortable in our bubble.

I do wonder what life will be like when the crisis passes.  Likely different, but how?  Given our ages – 87 and 80 – we will still be considered vulnerable and will probably be advised to be extra careful about exposing ourselves to a potential infection.  Being risk averse, I expect we’ll follow the advice.

Until then, I appreciate the sunny days, the beauty of the bay and bridge, the peace and quiet we enjoy, and our good health.  Much to be grateful for!

April Fools Day + One!

I’ve been safely tucked away in my bubble for several weeks now.  Except for a walk every other day I stay inside.  Have groceries delivered.  Order in from restaurants.  Watch a lot of TV.  Plenty of time for reading.  In truth, not all that different from before “shelter in place” entered our lives.

We’re luckier than many.  No jobs to lose.  No rent to pay.  No serious pre-existing medical conditions.  Given we’re in our 80’s, old age makes us vulnerable, but we tend to be careful anyway, so no great life style change is called for.

Our trip to Europe scheduled for May is cancelled.  At first I thought of just changing it to September, but as the pandemic has gained strength I’ve decided that’s too soon, so for now we’ll just put it (and any other trips) on hold.  We’re really glad we’ve done so much travelling over the years.  If we have a bucket list for places we haven’t visited and want to go (and that would be a short list) they can easily be put on hold too.

Even though we haven’t been seriously impacted, these are strange days indeed.  Very weird.  A transformative time.  There will be no getting back to normal.  What will pass for normal will be a new normal.  What will it look like?  No way to know.

So for now, we’ll sit back and watch it all unfold – and do whatever we can to stay healthy!