Who Was That Masked Man?: Have you noticed that while the CDC has told us wearing masks is unecessary, people in and from other countries are wearing them? In Asia, it's considered the right thing to do for anyone who might be sick to wear them. Unfortunately, since we're discouraged from doing it in the U.S., it makes us think the person is a walking petrie dish. I hear this has resulted in a few misunderstandings around the country and even I'll admit to a knee-jerk reaction when first seeing someone masked from the corner of my eye. That didn't stop me from wearing one yesterday when I went to the grocery store. Most people looked away quickly. A few smirked. Nobody recoiled in horror.
The 24-Hour News Cycle Plays in Hell: Ever since the early 1990s, news has become as prevalent in our lives as breathing. The so-called "Desert Storm" campaign was covered 24/7 by cable news and the broadcast news stations. Those days seem quaint now. People actually had to turn on their televisions to find out what was being reported. Handheld devices and social networking are connecting us in ways both wondrous and dangerous. Unsubstantiated rumors abound, changing from minute to minute, and there is no filter preventing them from reaching the masses. If ever there was an argument for professional journalism, this is it? Unfortunately, this current president and hundreds of other politicians have poisoned the ill-informed against all forms of media. How do we know? Because they don't even see the irony of using media to complain about it!
There's no Art of the Deal for Incompetence: In his press conference held yesterday, Donald Trump sounded more reasonable and sober than he has since this entire situation began, but what does that really mean? Less word salad? Less boasting about his "accomplishments?" More accepting of personal responsibility? Ultimately, it's up to the individual to decide, but his constant reference to the "tremendous job" officials are doing and how "a lot of progress has been made" are certainly questionable. Despite Trump's constant assertions that we as a nation were prepared for this, we moved too slowly considering what was happening in China and we are paying for the lackadaisacal response.
Briefings are for Underwear: Everyone except his staunchest apologists knows Donald Trump ain't got no time for no in-depth conversations. There are reports that this was also true of the briefings about the Coronavirus. This does track when one reflects on his ridiculous comment during yesterday's briefing where he stated, "a month ago, nobody thought about this." Naturally, it's preferrable to think he was using over-simplified language and wasn't being literal. I'm willing to accept that to an extent. However, that doesn't account for his early dismissals of the eventuality of Covid-19 reaching American shores.
Words of Wisdom from Randos:
- "This is what 'deconstructing government' looks like. This what shutting down our pandemic response agency looks like. This is what putting an amateur reality show host as leader of the free world looks like."
- "Our leader did not lead. He left us wide open for this. He called it a hoax. He called it fake news. He did not do his job!"
The City That Never Slept: I've been to Manhattan twice. It does sleep from about 4:00 am until 5:30 am. This link, however, tells a different story.
More to Come~
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