One Mask, Two Mask, Three Mask Whee!

I have been trying to balance being well informed with maintaining my sanity. It has been a herculean task. 

I shall leave aside, for this entry, the double impeachment theatrics costing the American people, once again, lots of money that could be better spent reducing the trillions of dollars of debt currently in progress in the great halls of the Senate. Today is an update on life with masks, you know, that short term effort to flatten the curve imposed in early 2020 and its concomitant contradictions.

The last few days, there has been a suggestion, a strong suggestion, likely soon to be a mandate, that two masks are far better protection against the present coronavirus (certainly to be superseded ad infinitum by one of the many other coronavirus's out there since time immemorial). This is interesting in that at the same time, and just coincidentally in the middle to late part of January, the number of "cases" (defined, is it, the number of positives with or without symptoms?) went down, and just as the highly anticipated and solution of solutions, the vaccination, is being (very badly) rolled out in states like my own. I just heard, today, for example, that because there are no more first doses, places like Dodger Stadium are being closed down for the time being for distribution. Ahem. I am in one of the categories denominated as needing the vaccine. My doctor's office, though like most or all of them, not distributing the vaccine, has sent me several general e mails saying that they will be reaching out to those in the key categories. I have also received many e mails from the pharmacy with which I am signed up, but they haven't yet been approved to receive the vaccine. You might say, well you could do what others have done, and stay on the computer all through the night until you manage to find someplace 100 miles from your home to get that first dose. Forgive me in saying that I do not consider that reasonable, particularly when the mantra has been the critical need to make the vaccine available.

It is critical. Until it really is not. But I digress. Masks. 

So, we should be wearing two masks. I personally have had (and though they are afraid to say it out loud for fear of improper opinion others have had) a very hard time in wearing a mask. I do it when I do go out, because I have no choice, and because the propaganda has made me so afraid--despite my common sense and the fact that nothing that the science has said has been consistent--in being around anyone without it. One of the goals of whatever this last year has been about, beyond the claim of it being about public health--has been to isolate the population. It is inhibiting community. It has prevented family and advocates of the elderly in nursing homes from being able to have any personal contact or to be sure that their loved ones are being adequately treated and protected. Mission, whatever it is, accomplished. Those people--and I guarantee you they cross all political affiliations--who dare to go out and try to live ordinary lives--are excoriated for being selfish. Now that California is allowing outside dining again, I am having a birthday dinner (his, not mine) with a friend. The pleasure of that type of event today is not the same as it was over a year ago. I have been dissuaded, as again, appears to have been the purpose, from wanting to go out, ever. I heard today also that there is talk of not allowing Americans to travel between states. If the cases are going down, why? The science. 

But, those who will cross the borders without benefit of going through the immigration process can travel freely, as a matter of humanitarian good. 

I heard over and over how people should not have private parties or go to watch parties at bars and restaurants when the Super Bowl was shown last week.  Some restaurants covered their televisions.

But I don't get it. If the Super Bowl was a potential super spreader, then why not cancel it. I will give you one guess. Money. This was one bit of profit that would not be squelched. But my neighborhood restaurant. Bye Bye. Shut up. Take you 1200, or 600. Oh, and as to that, why are people who are retired getting stimulus checks? Are they expected to start a business.

Masks. I have to remember. Masks. They will save us. I wonder if Amazon sells cheap Hazmat suits. 

Yippee! They do. Several selections. Here is one.

I never felt this way before. And, one of the things I am feeling. Fear. Fear in my nation, for my nation, and for myself, and my community and my friends and family. And fear from fellow Americans.