It’s been some time since I last posted (last post September 2019). Digital life got in the way. I finally retired my old flip phone and got a new Smart Phone. What a mistake! I became one of those digital age / millennial / Gen-Z people for whom I so much despair. Truly, smart phones are a mind numbing addiction. I quit cold turkey and have re-emerged into sanity. I credit our current political pandemic for my cure (this post March 2020). I only strive to pose questions to my faithless readers, thereby causing them to think. So… COVID-19 AND ME:

2019/2020 Flu Season –VS- Coronavirus: Which is currently more deadly? As of the date of my compiling this article (24Mar2020), US statistics from the CDC website are:

FLU A/B: 54,000,000 cases with 23,000+ deaths.

CORONAVIRUS: 54,896 cases with 778+ deaths.

Flu Testing – VS- Coronavirus Testing:

FLU: Are Flu tests currently available? Yes, but not necessarily! Most often it’s via diagnosis of symptoms. After all, a vast majority of us know the difference between a common cold and the ‘seasonal’ flu. The former is predominantly snot, and the latter is predominantly fevers and chills, with a little puke here-and-there.

CORONAVIRUS: Are Coronavirus tests currently available? Yes! However; you must be a politician, high paid entertainer, uber-athlete, or wealthy person to receive a test. The rest of us will receive a test during quarantine processing or autopsy. Of course, you can always hold your breath for 10-seconds to see if you cough at the end (in which case, you have the virus – thanks for your medical wisdom Geraldo).

Flu Prevention –VS- Coronavirus Prevention: Is there really a difference? Both are viruses (no cure) that mutate. Our current “seasonal” flu has a vaccine that may OR may not prevent an infection (I got my flu vaccine this season and still got flu a/b – it was awful). The coronavirus (covid-19; does that mean it’s the 19th variation of the virus?) has no known and/or current vaccine. Both are spread in the same manner. Both need to be taken seriously. Both are deadly.

FLU: No media ad-nuaseam saturation. No political grandstanding. No social distancing. No stay at home. No work from home if able. No closure of businesses. No limitation of customers entering a business. No prohibition of large gatherings. No panic buying. No conspiracy theories of origin. No enactment of Federal powers limiting Constitutional Rights.

CORONAVIRUS: Media ad-nuaseam saturation. Political grandstanding. Social distancing. Stay at home. Work from home if able. Closure of businesses not registered with the Federal Government as essential to the welfare, safety and security of the nation. Limitation of customers entering a business. Prohibition of large gatherings. Panic buying. Conspiracy theories of origin. Enactment of The Defense Production Act (the first legal step to Federal Martial Law).

Flu Cure –VS- Coronavirus Cure: Wow! I’m amazed at the number of cures out there on social media sites. Which is best for you?

FLU: Old Wives Advise; Feed a cold, starve a fever. Plenty of liquids. Chicken soup. Stay tucked in bed. It’s worked for a LONG time, and no one seems to be panicking over the “seasonal” flu (with its 23k US deaths).

CORONAVIRUS: Being an election year- just like the number of candidates for president- there are a significant number of cures on the web:

1. Gargle With Bleach. Causes mouth and esophagus burns, thereby removing you from our gene pool.

2. Drink Alkaline Water With a Capful of Bleach. Causes mouth, esophagus and gastral burns, thereby removing you from our gene pool.

3. Swallow Tide-Pods. Causes gastral burns (etc.), thereby removing you from our gene pool.

4. Drink Coca-Cola With a Capful Of Hydrogen-Peroxide. Causes slight mouth and esophagus (yet major gastral) burns, thereby removing you from our gene pool.

5. Consume Televangelist Prescribed Silver Solution. Causes heavy metal poisoning and death, thereby removing you from our gene pool (while contributing your wealth to his).

6. Cocaine, Cannabis, Alkaline Water, Monster Drinks, Gluten-Free Foods (which are the only things left on Walmart shelves), Chalupas, and possibly ‘pet rocks’ from the 60’s/70’s may work. While trendy and 'guaranteed to work,' they will still help to remove you from the gene pool.

7. Relax, Our Politicians Know Best! After all, we are all just ignorant worker-bees whose sole job is to labor to provide for the benefit of all, under the direction of our more educated betters (our elected politicians). Their sole purpose in life is to ensure that we, the masses, work hard to provide for them, the enlightened, who have never labored a day in their life (lest we forget; “A Republic Mam, If you can keep it.” – Benjamin Franklin).

Flu –VS- Coronavirus Summary: Both viruses are highly contagious and potentially deadly. Keeping your hands clean, covering your mouth (with a tissue or your sleeve – not your hand) when coughing or sneezing, and staying home when you’re sick are extremely helpful. Hording, Panic Buying, Listening to Politicians vice Medical Experts and the resulting Full Blown Panic are not.

 

  Here we are at the end of September 2019. I’ve tried to get back to posting my keen and insightful observations on a monthly basis as I realize my constant readers need guidance. After all, why stress out thinking for yourselves when I can be your conscience? So, without further ado, here’s what you should be concerned about at this moment in time.

 

Vaping:

  As any person that has smoked a cigarette (of the legal or illegal [in most states]) has experienced, the first puff causes you to choke and cough. Basically, your body telling you it’s not healthy. However, our pleasure center overrides our preservation center when the nicotine (or other chemical substance) causes craving for more. The latest advertising is that “switching” to vaping is safer than smoking those evil, time consuming and disgusting cigarettes (i.e., Jewel [sp.], “I don’t need to stop to smoke anymore, because…”). Having been a smoker for 40+ years, I was leery of the vapor. After all, I had double ‘walking’ pneumonia several years ago, was hospitalized, and had to ‘vape’ medication that caused more severe coughing than smoking. Why? Because the vapor was more readily absorbed by my lungs than the dry smoke! To me, vaping seemed more dangerous than ‘dry’ smoking. Why weren’t doctors or the CDC harping about the danger? Well…, recent news reports have proved my concerns accurate. Serious lung disease and deaths are now being reported in the news due to Vaping. Yes, the nicotine vapor is more swiftly absorbed than the dry smoke.

 

Impeachment and 2020 Presidential Campaign:

  WOW! All kinds of political crap is hitting the airwaves and social media. Pushing for impeachment of the current ‘Presidential Apprentice’ and endless coverage of the 30+ Democratic candidates is further polarizing the nation. My prediction is that if the latter do not get their heads together (e.g., out of their collective asses) and select one candidate by the end of October 2019, the former will win again. Alternatively, wouldn’t it be a HUGE wakeup call if the American people elected an independent?

 

Cloud Storage:

The push, and acceptance, of storing our information on “The Cloud” is amazing. Even after WikiLeaks (Snowden –vs- NSA [Bluffdale, UT]) reported government spying and collection of personal information, coupled with social media selling the same information, people still willingly upload their personal information. Subsequently, those same people are outraged when their personal data is used to target them with advertising and other invasive things. Our smartphones track everywhere we go and everything we search, text, speak, photograph, video, etc. They are our willingly accepted and embedded tracking chips (i.e., 666). Maybe we should start uploading copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Flood “The Cloud” with our Constitutional Rights.

 

   A lot of use some form of Word Processing program on our computers. You can download plug-ins (and apps) for the program that check your spelling and grammar. These even apply to our smart phones (if you’re lucky enough to afford one). I recently found a new plug-in/app for Inclusive Language. It will check your document and suggest changes to ensure you’re not offending anyone. Naturally, I had to install the plug-in/app and try it out. Here’s what happened.

 

Program Suggestion: Scintillate, scintillate, asteroid minific.

What I Typed: Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

 

Program Suggestion: Moving igneous or porous objects striking portions of an individual’s anatomy could conceivably fracture the osseous structure, but appellations, however vicious, will eternally remain benign.

What I Typed: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.

 

Program Suggestion: Eschew the implement of correction and vitiate the scion.

What I Typed: Spare the rod and spoil the child.

 

WOW! The damn plug-in/app makes me sound like an Inclusive Politician.

 

Even More Educated Discussions with College Kids/Recent Grads in the Work Breakroom!

After more than a year* our favorite college educated kid has returned to the work breakroom.  He took a sabbatical to continue his education toward a Bachelor’s Degree (the piece of paper that proves some of you believe you know more than the rest of us).  Now, with a Bachelor’s Degree in hand, promotion to middle-management and continuing his education towards a Master’s Degree (further written proof that some know they’re even smarter than the rest of us uneducated plebes), he flings more “pearls of wisdom” our way.

 

Social Media is better at reporting the truth than conventional news media.

When asked by another person at the table, why?  His response was that conventional news media is driven by corporate agendas and social media is the truth from an individual.

My 1st question.  So, are you saying that conventional news media has an agenda but individual social media does not?  His response – Exactly!

My 2nd question.  Can conventional news, or some type of group, pose as an individual on social media to report the truth?  His response – No!  All of those platforms have algorithms in place screening to ensure that it’s an individual person and not a corporation or group.

My 3rd question.  So, if the social media platforms allow the publication, the general public can trust that the posting is from an individual -telling the truth- rather than a corporation or group with a specific agenda?  His response – Obviously!

My final question.  Then how do you explain the conclusions of the Mueller report?  His response – A pissed off and dumbfounded look.

 

Capitalism is more detrimental to a society than socialism.

When asked by another person at the table, why?  His response was that capitalism was all about the individual while socialism was all about society as a whole.

My 1st question.  I think I understand what you’re saying, but could you explain a little further?  His response – Sure.  In capitalism, an individual hordes things while in socialism those things are equally shared.

My 2nd question.  Sorry, I’m still not fully understanding.  Could you give an example using food?  His response – Certainly.  In capitalism food is horded by individuals who can afford it, while in socialism the food is equally distributed to all.

My 3rd question.  I only went to high school for three years and don’t have a college degree like you.  However, if I’m understanding you, we could view the people in this breakroom as a society, correct?  His response (with a smug smile) – Now you’re getting it.

My final question.  If you truly believe socialism is superior to capitalism, why are you hording your lunch rather than sharing it with everyone in this room?  His response – A pissed off and dumbfounded look.

 

People with college degrees contribute significantly more to the common good than those without degrees.

When asked by another person at the table, why?  His response was that people who went to college to earn a degree sacrificed years of their life in order to study and improve their education for later contribution to the common good.

My 1st question.  Would you agree that our in-home toilets are a significant contribution to the common good over the old fashioned, hole-in-the-ground, outhouse?  His response (with withering facial expression) – Of course!

My 2nd question.  How significant of an impact would the in-home toilet be over the outhouse?  His response (condescending look) – In a city, indoor plumbing removes the waste while an outhouse allows the waste to seep into the ground creating dangerous biological contamination.

My 3rd question.  I see.  So, to whom do we owe this common good?  His response (with a superior and knowing smile) – Sir Thomas Crapper, who was the inventor of the modern toilet.  He was Knighted by Queen Victoria and graduated from Newton College.

My final question.  Actually, Thomas Crapper patented the ball-cock, not the flush valve.  He was never Knighted, and ‘graduated’ from Newton Middle College (what we would call Jr. High).  So, without a college degree, how did he significantly contribute to the common good?  His response – A pissed off and dumbfounded look.

 

*1st Breakroom Discussions; read Joe GED’s FaceLip Launch (October 2017).

*2nd Breakroom Discussions; read Joe GED’s More Breakroom Discussion (March 2018).