THE POWERS THAT BE CRAZY, GREELEY, AND MASK-HOLES

So there's this town north of here called Greeley. On certain days, since I have lived here, at certain times of year, the wind blows this really awful stench into Denver. A combination of poop and decay that smells like an army of zombies got food poisoning from eating too many brains  and let loose. When I first experienced this invisible cloud of noxiousness, I asked my wife what was happening. She said it was Greeley. Apparently there is a lot of cattle up there, and the feedlots fill up with nastiness, and hence the smell. Don't take my word for it. Google it. I just did, using "smell from greeley" and got all sorts of articles. They say it isn't as bad as it used to be. Which is scary. If you shit the bed only twice a night, but used to five times, it's still a problem. But most folks seem to be able to live with it, I guess. At least they do up in Greeley.

So, last night, I was watching Maddow. It's my go to news show, and the only one I can watch for more than ten minutes without switching the channel. One of the big stories last night on her show was how there is this meat packing plant up in Greeley that has a Covid problem. Five employees dead from the disease, and an unknown amount of workers with it. Unknown because they stopped testing early on after discovering that of the people that they had tested, there was over forty percent positives for Covid. The plant shut down for a bit, was even promised help with more testing from VP Pence on national TV. But the testing help never materialized, and now the plant is open again, with the same people, and who knows how many infected folks. So now, instead of filling our nostrils with the stench of animal waste, the town of Greeley will be filling our lungs with infection. But don't take my word for it. Google it. I just did, using the words "greeley meat packing plant covid". And lots of articles popped up. And from reliable local sources like KDVR, CPR, the Denver Post. So, thanks Greeley. You suck.

If you want to see the Maddow segment, click HERE. I know, it's over three minutes. But I think you have the time these days.

There seems to be this really bizarre fantasy going on, this rash of magical thinking that not only equates the death rate of the virus to the flu, but that we've weathered the storm, it's all over, and now we can go back to being our old careless, carefree selves, throw our masks away, and do whatever we want. I think that's nuts. First off, I don't want to go back to a world of ignorance. I don't think that helped us. I don't want a world where medical care is treated like a luxury. That's part of what got us here. I don't want to go back to a world the air stinks from time to time so that our beef costs less. I don't want to move backwards. We need to,  and eventually will, move forward.

Because, despite opening up some states, and not wearing masks, and whatever the POTUS says, the virus is still here. People are still dying. And will continue to do so. I wonder what will happen when the number of deaths from the virus surpasses the flu rate? Will the powers that be adjust the numbers of flu deaths? And why does that even matter? Fifty six thousand additional deaths on top of natural causes like flu and cancer and car crashes is a lot of additional deaths. It's not like people are dying of Covid instead of flu. Still, more and more folks are walking around without masks, getting closer and closer to each other. I have a friend who works at Home Depot who calls those without masks mask-holes. I like that. Seems to fit. I have another friend whose mother yells "six feet apart or six feet under" at the mask-holes in her neighborhood. Confrontational, perhaps, but accurate.

So, what to do? I think get ready. This is all the first act of the movie, the part where the situation is set, and we meet all the players. Act Two is about to begin, with twists, turns, a dark night of the soul, leading to a big confrontation of some sort. And then Act Three, where we blow up the Death Star.

We will get through this. Not without blood, sweat, and tears. But will will get through this.

Here's a song. It's Spinning Wheels.