Silver here. Claire graciously grants me access to her blog. What an odd, contrived phrase is “Social Distancing.” PHYSICAL distancing may be helpful (solid information is extremely scarce these days) but why “Social” distancing? It’s almost as if those in power prefer that we remain isolated and afraid. Not everyone is buying it. Here’s a lovely post from someone who recognizes the power of words, and suggests a sensible and lovely alternative. Please spread this far and wide. This is an important message.
24 CommentsMonth: March 2020
So I received a text from Neighbor J two days ago: Would you like to participate in a community garden? X says we can use his fenced area; it’s full of raised beds. Every year since the truly heavy DIY work on the former Ye Olde Wreck (now Mo Saoirce Hermitage) was finished, I’ve been promising that this will be the year I build raised beds and plant a veggie garden. Every year, the expense of the project plus the fact that I’m a really, truly, terribly awful black-thumbed gardener means I put on my guilt and put off the…
18 Comments… but on the other hand, I also don’t know how significant it is. Just passing it along. Friend TSO said that, at the large post office where his brother works, the postmaster read a memo this morning that made two points: first, that all USPS employees should start using direct deposit because of potential “communications disruptions”; second, that they should begin carrying their work IDs at all times because if and when the nation goes on lockdown, “only law enforcement, postal service, and medical professionals will be able to travel to and from their homes.” TSO verified the news…
17 CommentsLast week the local grocery store was out of toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes. Of course. That’s old news. Covid-19 business as usual. The new normal as pundits keep telling us. This week they received new supplies, but when I dropped in Friday they were not only out of the infamous items, but either stripped of or light on dozens of others. Eggs were unavailable. Butter was gone except for a few pricey specialty types at $12 a pound. Yogurt was sparse and only a few gallons of milk remained. Items featured in the week’s sale flyer were…
24 CommentsI began writing this post after California ‘crats shut down the Bay Area and Governor Jay Inslee of Washington state demanded that all restaurants in his state close their doors except for take-out and delivery. I also began the original version of this post with a fulmination about the insanity of specific measures (“You oldsters stay in your homes and don’t go out even to buy food.” In other words, “We don’t care if you starve for want of helpers to run errands for you; just don’t clutter up our hospitals or disrupt our attempts to make ourselves look like…
18 CommentsI hit the library yesterday to do some ‘Net surfing and emailing, only to find it “canceled” like so much else. It was open and minimally staffed, but had the air of a haunted house. Patrons could check out and return books, but the banks of library computers were shut down (“until at least March 31,” said the signs), chairs were removed from all the carrels and upturned on the long reading tables, and the ever-present din of children was absent. I never thought I’d miss the shrieks of rugrats, but I did. The place was a freakin’ tomb. They…
18 CommentsWow, that was gratifying (again). Patreon sent money yesterday and your contributions have barely dropped at all. One new contributor even signed up in the last few weeks. It’s not large in terms of dollars. But my lord, your moral support for me and my mostly inactive blog nearly move me to tears. Yes, keep this up and I’ll have to start blogging again. In fact … well, more about that in a moment. —– In the meantime, the human race goes on being governed by its collective amygdalas and the rest of its limbic system rather than its individual…
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