End of the month thoughts

One thing I have been thinking recently: Is Trump really stupid, or is he just very smart in pretending to be stupid. I'd say he is street savvy and not book smart (at all). I doubt he's read a book in his life, and his father bought him his degree from Penn. I could further go off on this piece of shit occupying the White House, but I think you all know how I feel about him and honestly right now I don't feel like wasting any more time writing about this racist, bloated sack of shit.

 

Covid-19 cases are back up. Did we re-open too soon? Are the people who are "over it" (or were never "with it" to begin with) to blame? Of course, the vacuum in leadership in Washington contributed to this and continues to contribute to this disaster. And as this pandemic has sadly shown, we are largely a nation of spoiled arrogant fools.

 

And now that Covid-19 is seriously kicking our asses again, we have re-entered a phase in which I am paranoid about everything. I am now wearing my mask at work about 90 percent of the time: always when I am in open/public areas (which is what we are supposed to do) and even when I am in the "plastic bubble" known as my work cubicle.

 

Speaking of work, was I ever actually away from work for three months? I'm been back here almost three weeks and that stay-at-home time already seems like a long time ago. Of course, I am concerned that if numbers continue to uptick here in Michigan, the library will have to be put in mothballs again and we'll be home for who knows how long.

 

I am cranking this out during my lunch break at work, one of the few times I am sans mask. Only a few minutes left until I am back on the clock, so I will press the "publish" button...

Random thoughts about our current shit show

Bars in Florida opening to soon and people getting sick. Americans are selfish and stupid, reflected in the selfish and stupid president.

 

Things I miss: stopping by Replay Exchange or Flat, Black & Circular after work. Replay is closed and, though FBC is open, I just don't feel ready to hang out at a record store right now. In fact, there is no place I feel like "hanging out" right now.

 

---

 

I have taken several days between the first part of this post and now. Friends and family are all that are keeping me from losing my mind.

 

Where to even start. The COVID-19 cases continue unabated in this country, and have I mentioned that our "president" is an utter disgrace? We aren't simply the laughing stock of the world, we are flat-out pitied by the world. I never thought I'd live to see the day when the United States was pitied by the global community.

 

Alright, enough ranting for now.

 

What else is in the news? How about Aunt Jemima finally going away. First of all, how in the hell was Aunt Jemima even still a thing in the year 2020? And though it seems like the vast majority of people have no problem with Aunt Jemima being pitched into the dustbin of history, it's amusing to hear some white people behave as if they have some sort of emotional attachment to Aunt Jemima. Puh-leeze!

 

It feels like every twenty years or so, we need to be woken up from our American amnesia and realize that there is plenty of racist and/or problematic garbage that needs to be dealt with. In the past, we (I should probably specify "white people") fall asleep again. It remains to be seen what happens this time. My hope is that real change takes place. 

 

Okay, that is enough for now. I will send this missive out into a cyberspace.

Back at work for the first time in 89 days

My 89-day stay-at-home stint is now over. I am back at work in downtown Lansing for the first time since March 13.

 

My workspace looks hermetically sealed in plastic. We have disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, and must wear masks whenever we are outside our cubicles. Unless I am walking down a corridor or in the break room, people generally appear as ghostly shadows through the plastic sheeting surrounding my cubicle.

 

This is the first time I have been in Lansing since March 13. Almost three months--and I live only eight miles from the city. This is the longest period of time I have not been in Lansing since--I am guessing--1991.

 

It would be an understatement to say it feels strange. If you've ever read Nineteen Eighty-Four or seen the movie adaptation, you'll remember Winston Smith's tiny cubicle at the Ministry of Information. That is what this feels like. Okay, not quite as bleak perhaps, but not too far off. Definitely closed off. But better safe than sorry, as the cliche goes. I'm happy that my employer is taking our health seriously, even if it makes work depressing. Hell, this whole coronavirus pandemic is depressing on multiple levels.

 

I like to walk on my breaks, and went out walking for downtown for the first time since, well, the last time I was at work in March. Unsurprisingly, the streets are fairly deserted. I saw where windows had been broken during the demonstrations that took place in Lansing several days ago (honestly, since all the days blend together, I can't even remember when the demonstrations were. Two weeks ago I suppose?). I was heartened by the encouraging messages written on many of the boards.

 

I have washed my hands probably 20 times today and disinfected my work area at least a few times. There are about 40 minutes left in my first day back in almost three months, so back to work I go.

A brief expression of sorrow

Could the world possible get any worse? (That is a rhetorical question. Of course it could, and I sure as hell hope it doesn't).

George Floyd is murdered in Minneapolis, captured in perhaps the most chilling video I have ever seen. I honestly don't know how anyone but the most deluded racist can NOT conclude that the cop involved in this (Derek Chauvin) is a racist sociopath/psychopath. He deserves to be convicted of this crime and sent to prison for a long time. 

How many more times do we have to talk about a black person killed by police? When will this ever end? When will police ever be held accountable for their actions?

The ensuing rebellions around the country, and in particular the tone deaf response from our horrible president, have been depressing. It just compounds the depression I have already had regarding coronavirus and Trump's terrible response to that crisis.

I am depressed about the state of our country. It gets worse all the time, and I wonder when we hit rock bottom. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say the soul of this country is at stake in this November election.