Hello
faithful readers. I hope everyone is coping
well with the Coronavirus pandemic and staying safe and healthy. In today's article, I will again utilize my
amazing analytical skills, superior problem-solving expertise, and serene
humbleness to contribute a smattering of useful and thought-provoking insight
into the discussion.
Masks. I see people wearing these medical masks
everywhere. I go bicycling down the remote,
wooded trails that wind alongside the bayous and creeks of Houston, and there I
see people wearing masks while riding a bike!
The purpose of wearing a face mask is supposed
to be to protect others from you if you are infected, especially if you cough
or sneeze. Not only does a mask NOT protect you from
others, but it may actually INCREASE your risk, because you will probably touch
your face while putting it on. Leave the
masks for the medical people who must care for sick patients. For you, the best defense from the virus is actually
pretty simple: wash your hands often,
avoid touching your face, and if you must go out in public, keep your distance.
Beaches. Why are local authorities closing
beaches? Here in Texas, we have hundreds
of miles of seashore beaches - plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Furthermore, the virus has a hard time
surviving in hot sunshine, or in salt water.
There may be wisdom in closing public latrines
and restrooms, however. Thus if you need
to "go", here's my advice: For
a "number one", there's a great big ocean right there. For a "number two", bring a shovel,
and some tarps or sheets, and rig up a privacy cubicle. Dig a hole.
Deposit. Cover with sand. There.
Stay-at-home orders. There is some ambiguity and lack of
consistency over whether these orders are mandatory and enforced, or just
voluntary. I understand that in some corners
of the world, it IS indeed mandatory. But
here in the USA, it is, for the most part, voluntary. Or at least SHOULD be voluntary.
I shudder when I read news accounts of
church preachers who openly defy the stay-at-home protocol, hold services, and urge
their congregations to come. And then
get arrested for it. There are two serious
problems here: Obviously, the pastor and the followers need
to exhibit a bit more common sense. Pastors,
like politicians, are not gods. But more
importantly, law enforcement needs to stay out of it. We don't need to be consuming precious
resources like police, the judiciary, and jails for these kinds of
scofflaws. Stopping the virus ultimately
comes down to ALL of us taking personal responsibility, and is not a job for
government or the police.
Hoarding. May those who hoard resources such as toilet
paper be condemned to eternal damnation.
Few things in life make me shake my head in disgust at the stupidity of
my fellow man than being unable to buy toilet paper and facial tissue, because
the grocery shelves have been stripped clean by panicky morons. In my wildest imagination, I cannot envision a
relationship between a virus and a run on paper products. Food and fuel, maybe, but paper products? The really scary thing is that these hoarders
are VOTERS also. It does explain a lot
of the stupid s*** government does, however.
Meanwhile, hoarding is related
to:
Price "Gouging". Liberal politicians and pundits have come out
and said that "price gouging" during this crisis is a crime against
humanity and should bear the full impact of the law! Baloney.
"Gouging" is just the market reacting to a change in supply and/or
demand. If supply goes down or demand
goes up, then the resulting high prices will make consumers consume less and
producers produce more. Vice-versa for
the opposite situation. The free market
is a very self-correcting mechanism, and is actually the best deterrent to
hoarding. Once the price spikes, then the
hoarders realize that they can sell (or give away) their excess supply at
prices that undercut the gougers. Wage
and price controls, meanwhile, do NOT fix supply/demand problems, and in fact,
only make the situation worse. Like so
many problems in our lives, "correcting" the market is NOT a job for
government.
Online jobs. The virus has caused a virtual explosion of opportunities
for working online. One of the many online
jobs with big demand right now is teaching.
I teach online English classes to Chinese kids, and stargazing to
American kids, and my schedule is as full as can be!
There is a huge potpourri of various online
opportunities. Meanwhile, application
numbers for unemployment compensation are off the charts. And according to the latest news reports, it
seems that would-be unemployment applicants are hopelessly frustrated with jammed
up phone lines and websites. So, if you
are among the recently laid-off, here's my advice: rather than asking the government to pay you
to NOT work, look into working online.
In closing, remember that liquor stores
are considered "essential businesses", and the supermarkets have
ample supplies of wine and beer. Hunker
down and imbibe!
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