175 Responses to COVID-19

I suppose that I really should have done a post related to the COVID-19 pandemic a bit earlier, but I didn't want to think about it much, so, except for a couple of comments in passing, I've largely ignored it.  I now think that I may have made a poor choice in this regard, because my comments about the challenges of "social distancing," etc., may be a bit out of step since some people are insisting that "opening up" the economy supersedes other people's right to have a fighting chance of surviving this disease.  Now, I DO tend to believe that you ought to have the right to commit suicide in your own way on your own time, but I DON'T support your "right" to take me with you!  
 
I follow the news from actual medical experts and find it highly unlikely that this thing is over and done with and we're all going to be "just fine" any second now because a man with a BS degree in Economics (without Honors) from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and who claims to be some sort of "genius" is smarter than "everybody" because he watches "the shows," and says that things will be just fine shortly.  I will admit that I may be old fashioned, but I prefer to place my trust in people with M.D. or Ph.D. in some branch of Biology or Public Health after their name when it comes to questions of MY health.
 
In any event, like most other people, I have been dealing with staying at home close to 99% of the time (I have been out to walk to our mailbox, for a few medical appts., trips to the pharmacy [prescriptions need to be refilled even in these times], etc., but that totals just a few minutes a week) and I AM a bit tired of staying inside, away from people, and having most businesses and services be closed, but there IS always the fact that this could be the:

I find that a much pleasanter way of approaching this situation than this, for example:

I DON'T think that we have to fly off the handle completely and go into a state of total panic, but I really don't believe that we need some flak jacket wearing idiots with semi-automatic, assault weapons parading in our streets demanding the "right" to go to restaurants and to buy clean underwear to understand that this pandemic is putting a strain on the economy and, generally, making life difficult and uncomfortable for most of us in a wide variety of ways.  But, when I see some of these same people waving swastika flags, etc., I wonder if they really are in favor of the treasonous revolution they seem to be advocating.  
 
Remember, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS did to George III's England what they described as "TREASON" in the U.S. Constitution (Article III, “Section 3. "Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them ....”).  I acknowledge that no actual shots have been fired during these "demonstrations," so War has not actually been levied, but the threat is clearly being made and certainly appears to have been intended by these "patriots."  Perhaps they should be spending more time helping their children with their History and Civics schoolwork, than parading around in the streets demanding their "rights."  
 
Speaking of assisting with your kids' schoolwork, did you see this?

(I suppose that notice may only have meaning to English majors or others who had "picky" teachers (like me, I admit) who required actually researched term papers, theses, etc.  But I thought it was quite amusing.)
 
Speaking of amusing got me to remembering this Non Sequitur cartoon I saw a week, or so, ago.  I had put it in my folder of Internet-related cartoons but decided that it probably fit here better in this post.

Of course, as anyone who follows this blog could easily tell, I am VERY fond of Non Sequitur.  I am especially fond of the multi-frame "Sunday" strips, but I rarely collect or use them as them are difficult to format for this sort of posting.  Still, this one was just too good to pass up:

This DOES provide a possible solution to the challenge of fast food delivery during a time of "social distancing."  I'm not sure that it's totally practical, but it just MIGHT work!
​
Another solution to boredom was suggested by Foxtrot the other day,

So, there ARE possibilities.
 
I close by taking a note from the CBS Sunday Morning tv show which Bonnie and I have been pretty faithful watchers of for quite a long time.  It's still pretty good, but I confess that I miss Charles Kuralt, the original host of it.  Perhaps the feature which I enjoy the most is the "nature minute" at the end of the broadcast, where they just show a few shots of animals, birds, trees, flowers, whatever comes along.  No music, no talking, just peace, quiet and pretty.  
 
Here's the best I can do.

It's just some baby tigers flopping near their Mom's feet and tail, enjoying being alive.  Why?  Because everybody needs a baby tiger every so often.
 
We will get through this.  Togetherness helps.  Naps do too, trust the baby tigers.
 
LLAP,
 
Dr. B