So, as Wonkette subtly points out in Gavin Newsom: Better Part Of Valor Is SHUTTING CALIFORNIA THE F*CK BACK DOWN, we’re putting the brakes on our brief dalliance with reopening public gathering places in the midst of a pandemic. So,…
Just Sayin’: How A Democracy Would Organize Its Military
Not as a miniature bubble of autocracy, that’s for sure. What sane democracy would centralize its most dangerous weaponry under the control of the citizens least in tune with its societal values? Seriously: the United States’ military as currently constituted…
Social Distancing: Where There’s A Will …
Well, that was working for a while. But it’s not anymore. Take a look at the latest chart of cases from my local county: That tells a simple story: things started slowly but we saw the potential and reacted early…
Return to Normalcy: So, There Is Such A Thing As “Too Soon”
I know I said several weeks ago that There’s No Such Thing As “Too Soon”, but this is different. Really, really different. That post was arguing that it’s never “too soon” to talk about the causes and possible solutions to…
Schools Out: But Probably Not For Long Enough
So, apparently Governor Newsom of the West Coast Pact thinks schools here may be able to reopen in July. Really? Here in Sonoma County, the new and active case lines are flat or possibly trending slightly upward (though the county…
Protesting A Pandemic: Making The Case For The Nanny State
I really don’t want to have to talk about this every damn day. Really. But this is starting to get out of hand. Apparently the poor pandemic-awareness amongst the current crop of protesters is giving the CHP an excuse to…
Let’s Talk About It: There’s No Such Thing As “Too Soon”
There is no such thing as “too soon” when it comes to considering the causes of a problem, unless you’re personally one of the folks who’s responsible for dealing with a crisis directly. (In that case, maybe you deal with…
Peak Silliness: Please Stop With The Predictions
Please, oh please, stop publishing predictions for when this will “peak”. They’re not useful. Every time the local paper talks to the county health administrator, they cite the same prediction that the county will have “up to 1,500 patients” in…
Flatline: This Level Of Social Distancing Has Reached Its Floor
So, as I’ve pointed out a few times, our “social distancing” efforts are working. And they’re pretty much the only thing that will work in this situation. But it’s likely that we’re reaching the limit of how much they’ll work.…
Social Distancing: It’s Not Just Hunkering Down Anymore
Now that we’ve gotten settled in, and the febrile rate is down 20% from Kinsa’s trendline (at least it is here in Sonoma County, CA), it’s time to start thinking about what’s next. Months, probably years, of carrying on like…