Death by Ignorance

I was trying to play Scrabble online tonight and got caught up browsing FB, then in a discussion about the “possibility” of lifting the bans on social interactions in the US and all people returning to work.  I made comments; I read more; I got upset; I did some quick research; here I am…

Nearly 500,000 military personnel died during the U.S. Civil War. That’s almost half of all Americans who have ever died during wartime, and more than a hundred times more than died during the American Revolution, according to the latest estimates from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.May 24, 2015

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/many-americans-died-u-s-wars

US deaths in wars

American Revolutionary War 50,000

War of 1812 20,000

Mexican-Anerican War 17,435

WW1 320,518

WW2 1,076,245

Korean War 128,650

Vietnam War 211,454

War in Afghanistan 22,266

Iraq War 36,710

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war

same site

War in Afghanistan killed 0.001% of the US population at that time (2010).

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The argument that was posed in this FB talk was that the actual Death rate (according to “early” studies and his observations and understandings of said studies was that the “real” death rate)

is around 0.05% or even 0.001% not 3% not 5%.

My quick research easily concluded that the years spent in the Afghan conflicts gave us  22, 266 deaths or 0.001% of that time’s US population.

COVID-19 in about 2 months has yielded 14,451 deaths in JUST New York City.  That is almost 2/3 of the entire Afghan deaths.  TWO MONTHS.  And, from my readings, we can add 4 things:

1.  We do not know if we have yet hit the high point of the virus here in the US.
2.  We do not Know if this virus is seasonal.
3.  We do not have a vaccine.
4.  All of us (most all) have elderly or immune-compromised loved ones around us.

I do not advocate panic; I do not advocate burying out heads in the sand; I do not advocate being paranoid to the point of never leaving your home.

I DO advocate some sense of an understanding of how serious this is.

I am very sorry that people are inconvenienced by the solid efforts to:

1. protect our loved ones, especially the high-risk ones.
2. not overload our hospitals with the sick so that the highly-ill ones can be taken care of.
3. keep food in a position to be spread out to all.
4. protect people in spite of themselves, at times.

I do have great sorrow for those who are not able to work right now and who are having difficulties making ends meet! 

But, in all seriousness, if you die, or if your spouse or child gets very ill and medications and hospitals are not available, you would wish you had followed the guidelines and stayed home.

I have tried to keep politics out of this, but I have to say that Congress and Upwards Should be even more responsive to the needs of the LIVES of the people. I know that our economy is suffering.  I know it is hard and difficult and all to not keep falling farther and farther behind, but we have a responsibility as adults and as members of this great nation to keep it together through this, not in spite of it.

Again, as always, I love you all.

Stay safe, be smart,

Scott

A Tale and a Thought or Two…

A man was out and about in a large city. He had no mask and no gloves and no worries. He entered a well-to-do hotel and went to a room. He didn’t stop at the front desk nor had he booked a room for the night. He was not concerned about this either. The room was large with a huge bed in the up corner. As he lay on the bed he turned his head and could see out into the hall leading to the next room. The bed was comfortable and he drifted off to sleep. When he awoke, he looked strangely around at the room. It no longer looked familiar. In fact, now he was worried that he was here.

“What will I say to whomever is staying here?” Then, thinking he heard a noise from outside the room. “That must be the maid. What will she think if the wrong person is here?”

He started to sit up and realized he was caught up in the covers and blankets. He tried to push them off, but the more he tried the harder it was. He forced himself to sit and shook his head. Now, everything shifted a tiny bit in the room and he realized he was home, in his bed. The “hall” which was now his own hallway leading to the house. He lay there disconcerted, but knew it had been a dream.

Just a short story to help you if you are feeling uptight or bothered. The scenario above was the one I woke up to this morning. I take some medicine which makes my dreams more frequent and vivid. I really did think I was in a large hotel bedroom. The “shift” which happened when I sat up is common when I actually move, waking up. They used to be night terrors and I used to wake up shouting, screaming, or utterly in panic. It’s funny what just a little more medication can do. Especially when it was taken to calm me down and sleep better since Sis’s death.

We are all having to deal with so much now. I see avoidance behaviors, fear behaviors, denial behaviors, and so on. So many ways all of us try to handle all the mixes of feelings we have and all the things we see others do or hear them saying.

My aunt’s test came back positive, but she is displaying no symptoms whatsoever. There are returning her to her own room. She can’t go to the other facility at the present time since her test was positive.

I am dealing with it all in my own way, a lot of dreaming, but most of it just the realization that all is perfect in the end. I am not trying to make light of anyone’s discomfort or a relative’s death. My faith understands that we may not know how or why it’s perfect, but it happens and there is something much larger going on. My beliefs do not try and pin blame on anyone or anything. We make out own paths and decide their directions. I am realizing more and more that this faith I have chosen will not always be popular with everyone and I won’t always understand it either. I just know and believe. I feel it deep down and in this age’s time of confusion and fear, it’s a rather nice one to fall back on.

Here’s to whatever or whomever you follow. May your faith hold you solid in these trying times.

Scott

So Much and So Very Little

Well, my little corner has had its own ups and downs in the last week.  Looking at the map I follow ( Here )  has been telling me a lot, none of it very good.  Even now, when the US seems to be starting to level off, there are still places that have me sad.  NYC is one of those mixed places.  An awful amount of illness and death there (5000+ dead), they have a designation as number #5 in a list of Countries (not cities) in the world in illness/death.  But, the city seems to be coming back slowly.  I notice a slowdown in new illnesses and even death there.  Gives me hope.  At the same time, I get worried when I don’t hear from athingirl, who is from NYC, but I did find she wrote a post about 12 hours ago that I must have missed.  Those things worry me now.

It’s the same with Blessed with a Star on the Forehead  is another from the NY state.  They are very different people, but I love both of them.  She also penned something today, so I feel glad that I have every reason to think her well, too.

Back to my area.  In the tri-county area of Indiana around my small town, there are about 59 occurrences and 11 deaths confirmed.  This has me worried because my Aunt is in a nursing home that had 11 who died (all of them? or are they missing some?).  She has had COVID-19 for over a week now.  I thought she was better (and may well be), but I am told she is having labored breathing problems but no fever and getting good meds.  Mixed blessing.  My own Mom (in her mid-80s) is stuck at home and is alone.  I call about twice a day and make sure I get her groceries and that she is doing okay.  I did a large grocery trip yesterday to Walmart (yes, the virus does, indeed, change things).  I was upset at all the people, young and old, who were not wearing gloves nor masks (I only saw 4 wearing masks and no gloves).  I saw a couple of workers in masks and gloves, but not my cashier.  I also noticed that she did not clean down the belt, even though I waited for her.  They did have food and I was able to get most of what I wanted and a lot of what I had to have in good quantities for both Mom and I.

What aggravated me the most, I think, was that in my little town of under 4,000 (maybe under 3,000), when I pulled into the larger gas station there, I saw a group of 4 female teens walking together (close) with no gloves and no masks on them.  Then, 2-3 boys pulled up to the station and they all stood around talking sans gloves/masks.  All I could think of was that they all have parents and grandparents who are NOT in the same risk category they are and even THEY should realize that just because you can do a thing doesn’t mean you should do a thing.

On the brighter side, I am okay with my own stay at home.  My housekeeper has not been able to clean here for about 3 weeks and it looks to me like another 2-3 before I will even THINK about it.  However, I am not making much of a mess and am doing some cleaning.  I use the computer and tablet as my escapes.  I binge Netflix (currently, 7 seasons of Voyager), watch several movies, play video games, and am still beta testing the up-coming DLC “Wastelanders” for Fallout 76 on April 14th.  Life is much quieter without the Scammers and Want-my-money people not calling.  I estimate I am now receiving about 4-6 calls a day less.

 

So, Mom and I both say “Hi” to all and may you have health and happiness in this mess of times.

The Law of Attraction and God look over you all (and I don’t think the two are separate),

Scott

When is the Flu NOT the Flu…

Well, I was somewhat humbled yesterday.  Now, for those who don’t want to read, watch, or hear bad news about the COVID-19 virus, please just like if you can or just go somewhere else.  It is not my intention to bother someone more than they can handle.  Having said that, After I say a few things, there is a link to a 34 min talk by an MD/Bariatric Surgeon.  He is honest, open, and blunt about this virus and he needs to heard.  This may be the most important Post I have ever done.  Language and harsh images (not graphic, just harsh) ahead.  You have been told.

Okay, first, me.  Here is a map from the John Hopkins portion of the CDC, or however it is stated:—> Here  <

I wanted you to see this because, the Dr. did his speech in the first 1/2 of March and was worried that we could reach 100,000 confirmed cases by May 15, 2020.  The map will show we have well over 144,000 confirmed cases on the 30th of March.  That is scary enough.  I watched this talk and HAD to share and put it out here.  And you should do the same, please!

Here is the 34:47 talk:   —>  Here  <—

Namaste. Truly love each and every one of you,

Scott

From the Bunker…

First, do understand that, except for the obvious (masks on the few times I go outside, not eating at Cracker Barrel, shopping for groceries w/o Mom) my life is mostly the same.  I was a kinda “stay at home” person.  I have my online friends, my buddies in my games of scrabble and Friends with words, and now 1 on Deluxe Scrabble.  So I am still social and even more so with all of you out there reading and commenting.  I have a great deal of friends.

But still “From the Bunker” does pull up the correct emotions.  I see very few people and even fewer friends.  But, my latest trip out:

I went to Walmart for my Insulin and decided that, vow or no vow, I would buy some things there.  I still know they are not as nice as Meijer’s people, but I did need groceries and they did have them.  Not exactly certain why Walmart has groceries while other stores don’t.  I would guess it is because they can buy so much stock at one time, as big as they are.  Regardless, I called in my RX order, went and picked it up, then headed to the grocery section.  Now, I was in there less than an hour. I don’t know what I expected to see, but what I did see was a bit scary.

There were, perhaps 50-80 customers plus employees, so 100 maybe.  Now, I was the only one I saw wearing gloves or a mask.  I do stand corrected as I saw one masked woman coming in as I left.  But the employees had not gloves either nor masks.  I still never heard one cough.  However, as I was coming into the store, the door flies open and 5 little children come running out of the store followed by BOTH parents.  Now, I know there could be reasons, but I kept wondering why 1 didn’t stay home so the other parent would shop and not put the children in danger.

There were no big incidents and I got all the things I wanted in the quantities I wanted.  This leads me to “try” and shop some at Walmart again.  See here for the other reasons I left.

There are very few people actually on the road at a given moment.  Many are parked and shopping, the rest are home.  The teens were the ones I saw hanging together and shopping much closer than 6 feet.  However, in a supermarket, did you ever try to pass someone in the aisle AND remain 6 feet apart?  Really, now.

I did see one stock clerk stumble, drop a bunch of empty boxes, then stumble again trying to pick them up.  As I got nearer to him I said, “You know, that two of the symptoms, loss of coordination and inability to carry much weight.”  He looked up and said, “Really?”  I replied, “Oh, not the coronavirus.  It means you are overworked and very tired.”  He smiled. “yes,” he said.

It’s the smile I wanted.  Yes, Susannah, smile, keep smiling, AND get others to smile, if for just a second.  Susannah.

Namaste,

Scott