Latest Journal entry for "living in the time of the Corona"

By jxmartin

Fri, 18 Sep 2020

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Latest journal entry for "Living in the Time of Corona"

Friday, September 18, 2020

It is a cool, fifty degrees, with brilliant sunshine, here in WNY. The temperatures have an important impact on the many restaurants in the area. Most of us are still reluctant to” dine in,” preferring an outside venue. The cold temps will pose a challenge to all of us still adapting to new “Corona Conditions.” We breakfasted this morning in a Williamsville diner (Break’n Eggs.”) The place was sro, but every table was socially distanced and all patrons wore masks to enter. No one felt odd doing so. It is almost automatic in our new behavioral mode to cope with the virus.
 

Congress still dithers on a continuing stimulus for the states and localities. The Dems want it, the President doesn’t. He doesn’t want to hand “Blue states” anything but grief. Many have gone to great ends to remind him that he is president of “all the states” not just “red ones"(Rep.) It falls on deaf ears.
 

In a recent televised interview, with CBS newsman George Stephanopoulos, the president stated that “many people” were advising him against issuing a mask wearing edict. When George asked him “Who?” The President replied “many waiters say so.” I could hear the theme song from the classic Jefferson Airplane song (white rabbit) playing in my head. “Go ask Alice, I think she will know.” Maybe Rod Serling’s “Twilight Zone” theme would work equally as well.
 

A Trump official in HHS predicted “armed revolution” on election night. And suggested people hook up with “Watchmen Groups” and buy large quantities of ammo. Even the Trump people told him to take a 60 day leave of absence.
 

Meanwhile, the Corona death toll keeps rising towards the 200,000 level. We may reach 400,000 deaths before this plague subsides. That would put the catastrophe at the levels of the Spanish Flu pandemic, that hit us one hundred years before. Infections are on the rise from college student returning to campus and El/Hi kids going back to school. Some of them get it and insist on social distancing and mask wearing. Some don’t. 
 

The greatest commentary on our viral management comes from most of the world, who still refuse our citizens entry into their countries. Where some, 1,000 a day die from Corona here in the U.S., six or seven die daily, in nearby Canada.
 

Many in the Administration claim that the development of a vaccine is close by. Except for the medical experts that is. They advise that late winter or early spring is the closest we might see a safe and effective vaccine. They further warn that distribution, to our entire population, could take up to another year, at the earliest. Life, as we know it under Corona restrictions, will be with us for another year at least.
 

The stock market churns along in its merry way. I have no idea any more what affects the market and what doesn’t. Curiously, we have noticed multiple signs popping up in the area, advertising “help wanted.” Some offer wages of $15 an hour. Yet, they get no takers. The other day, one of our favorite bagel shops closed its doors, to walk in customers, because they didn’t have sufficient staff to serve them. Where are all of the unemployed who “can’t get jobs?”
 

We have some personal tribulations about returning to our home in Florida this year. New York has the virus relatively under control. Florida does not. They are allowing fans at football stadia and not encouraging anyone to wear masks Their infection and death rates are skyrocketing. No wonder Canada and Europe told us to get lost.