Festival bummer

action adults celebration clouds

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This Covid, corona virus stuff is cancelling everything.

Sports. Concerts. Funerals. Weddings. Church. Parades. Street, county, and state fairs. Festivals. If it draws a large number of people, it’s likely been cancelled. They aren’t waiting to do it either. Most everything has been cancelled through the end of the year.

Now, I don’t do, or don’t even like some of those things listed above. But I believe people should have the right, even with precautions, to participate if they choose to do so. However, in a continuing move to scare everyone into compliance, everything is cancelled.

Well, almost everything. Not “protests.” Those are still allowed and even encouraged. Just wear a mask or not…

So, over the weekend, I learned that one of my favorite street festivals here in the county was cancelled. Major bummer. I loved going over to the city about 20 minutes away, parking, and then meandering about the booths looking at cool stuff, art, smelling the smells, and whatnot. It was a lot of fun.

Anyway, that’s when an idea struck me. If “protests” are allowed…HOLD THE STREET FESTIVAL ANYWAY! Hear me out here.

Do it anyway. Hell, all you have to do is slap some social justice slogans on it (pick one or nine, doesn’t matter), paint some signs (or the street, cuz you know that is the “in thing” right now), tell people to wear masks, shout some nonsensical stuff, and let people gather to “protest.” It would almost be like that CHAZ/CHOP thing in Seattle, right?

It’s like the perfect formula to do whatever the heck you want. It’s a license to celebrate, mourn, party, remember, whatever.

This is a great idea. Dare I say, it could even be a “protest” against tyrannical governors and health officials. That would be something. Wouldn’t it?

 

On the scene

action adult aperture blur

Photo by Terje Sollie on Pexels.com

Masked silliness.

It’s particularly hard to watch the news these days. No, I mean like actually watch it. Like tuning into your local news broadcast news and watch reporters reporting from the scene. Any scene.

Anyone else irritated by the fact that a reporter who is reporting from outside, in the open air, still has their mask on?

There is literally NO REASON to have the mask on while you are out in the fresh air. None. Well, other than if you are following (and trying to reinforce) the narrative being crammed down our throats, oh, and if you are virtue signaling.

We all know how the reporting thing works. We’ve seen how you do it for years. We know the person operating the camera for your “on the scene” reporting is likely more than six feet away from you. The reporter isn’t interviewing anyone for this “on the scene” report. Thus, there is no practical reason for having the mask on.

I see it time and again. The other day I saw a reporter who was along the side of a highway, where the wind blows furiously, with his mask on while reporting about cars parked along the highway. Like, he does know he is outside, right? He does know the wind is blowing like the dickens, right? He does know there is not a chance that he can catch or spread the virus while her reports here, right?

It’s actually kind of stupid that these reporters are perpetuating the fear instead of accurately reflecting the guidance we have been given about being out of doors. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen one reporter yet who actually has done a report of this kind without a mask. So, have then been instructed to perform this way?

That’s not objective reporting.

But, we already know they don’t really do that any longer.

 

 

Waffles

For someone who has a lot of opinions on a lot of thing Covid related, Fauci seemed to waffle an awful lot about protests and whether they are appropriate in the time of infectious disease.

Did you catch this exchange?

Did you get hungry for waffles? Because I did. Suddenly someone doesn’t have a straight answer about something infectious disease related, other than saying crowds without masks spread the virus.

Weird, I can’t go to work (I am working, every day but can’t GO to work) but I don’t work in a crowd.

But I CAN go to Walmart, Costco, Home Depot…where there are crowds of people…buy liquor (or pot, if that is your speed) at a store, where there are also crowds.

Inconsistent? Hell, yes.

Should we limit protests? No, probably not. Can a peaceful protest be done and still keep spreading the virus? Very possible. Should a violent, riotous crowd (“protest” if you’re a Liberal) be limited? For sure. Can that same crowd keep from spreading the virus? Highly unlikely.

That’s the insanity of all this. Any rational person can see the fallacy of what we are being told. If you read between the lines, you can clearly see that Fauci wants to have an opinion on those types of crowds, but he doesn’t go far enough to say so because, well, if he did the Liberal media and extreme left fringe groups would turn on him too. Soon it would be time for them to “cancel” him too.

Rational people can see what is going on. There is no question about it.

Now, where’s the syrup?

 

 

Peter pays Paul

palm trees

Photo by Jessica Lewis on Pexels.com

Again, California and it’s Democrat leadership is getting it wrong. Again, and again, and again…

Apparently the Democrats there, well, anywhere really, think that money grows on magical trees.

They want Peter to pay Paul, by borrowing against the future and against an economy that won’t be able to support said future.

Essentially, Democrats are trying to buy votes for the upcoming elections, instead of being fiscally responsible. Whether the federal government is going to continue the increased unemployment giveaway, California is looking for ways to do it.

Do it? Yes, at the expense of the future by borrowing and borrowing and borrowing and then taxing and taxing and taxing. All under the guise that this giveaway will stimulate job growth. Not sure if they understand how job growth works, but you don’t tax businesses to death and then assume people will hire more people. It just doesn’t work that way. Businesses cut people off the payroll when they get taxed into oblivion.

Oh, and let’s not forget the “safety net” they are thinking they will provide will also be given to illegal immigrants who have lost their jobs. So, spending money on people who shouldn’t be here in the first place at the expense of people who should be here. That makes total logical sense (sarcasm)…and continues to perpetuate the encouragement of illegal immigration.

Insane. Idiotic. Stupid. Moronic.

So many words to describe California, all applicable.

 

Grow up

blue white ribbon on pink box

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It never ceases to amaze me at how adult family members can be so immature, especially family members who are in their late 50’s.

A few details about my BNL. Single. Lives alone. Makes great money as a machinist in a local shop. Like to talk about himself, but that mostly includes his cats and his job (which he talks in technical jargon so no one can understand what he is talking about). Is a bit out there in ideology, but not extremist by any means. Likes rocks, gems, and nature photography.

Now, he always shows up at holiday celebrations. Rarely shows up for birthday celebrations, other than for his parents. Always comes to consume, but almost never contributes. Never participates in planning get-togethers and never shares in the expense, even though he will show up for them. When asked to bring something, he feigns not knowing what to bring, and if he is asked to bring something specifically it is never enough for size of the gathering.

Over the weekend, my FNL had his 80th birthday. His daughters (even one from out of town) planned the gathering and provided nearly everything for it. BNL showed up before the gathering and didn’t help with setup, tried to carry on conversations while we were setting up (as in, watched while we worked), didn’t offer to help, didn’t offer to help with expenses, nothing. But he made sure he was next to first in line for food. The only thing he actually did, or offered for the whole thing….he picked up some folding chairs at the end. Otherwise, he was busy hiding in the house and doing other things.

Time for someone to grow up and not think of themselves? Yeah, pretty much. Why do none of his siblings say anything to him about it? I have no clue.

Maybe there is history I don’t know about, but I am pretty sure he would have already told me if I stood there to listen to him long enough.

Irritating, you know?

Seattle

aerial view of city buildings

Photo by Josh Fields on Pexels.com

I don’t recommend you visit.

It’s irritating to watch from a city nearby and see all the garbage that is going on down there.

The City and County Councils have gone off the rails. The mayor is a failure. Chaos in the streets (continues) and chaos in the government.

Homelessness is rampant. Drug use is up, even to the point that the city is providing space to allow and encourage it. Mismanagement of funds. Sheltering illegal immigrants.

“Handcuffing” cops so they can’t deal with unruly “protesters,” but just making them stand there to watch the lawlessness or take the physical and verbal abuse.

CHAZ and then CHOP.

Defund the Seattle PD by 50%, which is causing a mass exodus of officers to other communities.

Close the King County Jail within the next several years and completely stop youth incarceration. They want to take the position of the sheriff from being one voted on and into the position to one of being appointed.

They are trying to tax big businesses in the city and county to ungodly levels, which will eventually drive them out, not only from the city and county but very likely even the state (Bezos is public enemy #1 instead of the rioters destroying the city and holding parts of it hostage).

Make any sense? Any of it?

None. Not one bit of it.

Unless, your playbook was written by Marx. And Lenin. And Stalin. And Mao.

Ah, suddenly a picture comes into focus.

Don’t visit Seattle. Don’t be a tourist. Certainly don’t even think about moving there. Stay away from it. I have decided that I will avoid it as much as possible. No more visiting (it’s not safe). No more sports teams (can’t guarantee getting to the stadium will be safe). No more exploring. No more spending. No more.

Don’t visit Seattle.

Noon

photo of man touching his head

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Noon, and all I wanna do is sit down.

Technically, I have been sitting all morning while I work.

But I mean like actually sit down and relax. Actually, you probably already know what I meant without me having to say it. I think we would all just like to sit down and put our feet up.

It’s July 17, 2020, and we are now officially more than halfway through the year.

That’s not real comforting to know that when it feels like we have been through three years in the last six months. Right?

The next six months is shaking out to be another 4 years worth of issues. How fun will that be?

Anyone else just…tired?

Tired physically, emotionally, and of anything and everything?

 

Once again

uyuni salt flat

Photo by Leonardo Rossatti on Pexels.com

I don’t know why I bother, because I am going to be ignored either way.

Advice.

Why ask for it if you are going to completely ignore it?

Family. I tell ya.

Kids. *shakes head* Damn, kids.

When they ask for advice, they don’t really want advice. They just want validation for their own thoughts and opinions, and if you don’t give them what they want then they discount your advice and do what they wanted to do in the first place.

Gets old, ya know?

 

Focus

man in white crew neck t shirt

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

The focus is off and that’s the problem.

This whole Covid-19 thing has gotten the reporting all backwards.

At first, when this all came about, the reporting was all about how many people died each day. It was reported by county and by state.

Now, it isn’t necessarily how many people have died but how many people have been tested and have come back positive. From what I understand, a positive result doesn’t necessarily mean that they have a currently active case but just that they have had it at some point in the past (maybe I am misinformed…). Obviously, testing is now more prevalent than it was at the beginning, so of course there will be more people testing positive.

Anyway, just because someone has tested positive doesn’t mean it is a death sentence as we know the mortality rate is extremely low. So, other than fear-mongering, why keep reporting positive cases?

We don’t report how many people get the flu or the common cold on a daily basis, even though large numbers of people still die from them each year.

We don’t report daily car crashes, even though people die from those.

We don’t report daily abortions, even though babies dies daily from that.

We don’t report daily new cases of cancer, though people die from that as well.

Heart disease? Nope. Heart attacks? No. Suicide attempts? Not.

Doesn’t exposure and lack of death create a herd immunity?

So, what’s the big deal if more people are testing positive? The number of deaths (percentage wise) doesn’t seem to have spiked on an exponential climb. If the mortality rate has remained relatively the same, then is there really that much of a cause of concern?

Maybe I am missing something. Or maybe I haven’t.