Cool, damp, but sunny and clear. I hope.
Stayed cool and clear all day yesterday. It was 45F at midnight but 70s and maybe into the low 80s at some point during the day. Cool in the shade though.
I got stuff done around the house. Moved the rest of the insulation into the attic. Broke down a whole bunch of scrap. Messed with the pool liner so it will hopefully finally dry out. Poked at a couple of other things.
It doesn’t sound like much but it was forward progress.
On the other hand, my cough and sore throat don’t seem to be getting better. I’m going to try to get a test today or tomorrow. I don’t have a fever, or any of the other serious and definitive symptoms, but I’m supposed to be driving to Florida to spend a week with my mom at the end of the week… I’m still not comfortable with that, and especially so if I’m not feeling well. Maybe I’ll try a rapid test this time, and pay for it.
I’ve been feeling tired and run down, but then I’m not sleeping enough either. Being tired is a natural consequence of not sleeping. Anyway. Better to test if I can. And if I can trust the results. And if I can actually get a test. To be honest, I stopped paying attention, and the pictures out of El Paso shocked me. Daily Mail had this to say,
– it has become a particularly heavy burden upon rural America.
Counties with fewer than 10,000 residents now have the highest rate of new daily coronavirus infections per capita of any size county, according to an Axios analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
These rural counties – referred to as ‘non-core’ by the National Center for Health Statistics and US Census Bureau are suffering an average of 60.4 new cases per every 100,000 people, whereas 35.4 out of every 100,000 people living in large central metro areas are being diagnosed a day.
As a result, the national rate of infections seemed to be climbing more slowly, but hospital systems are more likely to be imperiled now than they were during the first spring peak of the pandemic in the U.S.
Rural areas have fewer beds to begin with, meaning that they can quickly become overwhelmed, as El Paso, Texas, has. That means that even if the absolute numbers of new cases and hospitalizations remain low, facilities may run out of space and personnel to treat patients, and people may die faster than space an be made in small local morgues.
Aesop and others had mentioned this very scenario way back in the early days… Other than total deaths, most of what was outlined before this became political has remained on target. Waves. Of decreasing size. For years. Rural areas with no resources quickly overwhelmed.
No one called the political aspects. Always there are second and third order effects. Those are much harder to predict.
Violent rhetoric and actual violence against conservatives are increasing. The radical elements on the left are becoming emboldened (or the ones who are in the know are becoming desperate.) If I was a conspiracy guy, I’d say we’re due for a major incident that will overwhelm the election stories. Bonus if it kills Americans, bonus if it can be used to bludgeon Trump for not giving up and letting Biden in the door. And if it looks like Trump might actually be successful in his challenge, expect someone to try for him. It’s kinda amazing that he’s made it this long considering the forces aligned against him. They’ve tried smears, they’ve tried legal action, they’re trying election fraud, what’s left? And Harris is waiting in the wings to step in… The flip side is some antifa/blm/black bloc kids get sacrificed to create a narrative that Trump’s nazzi white supremacist thugs are out of control and need more crackdowns…
Or dozens of other potential scenarios, most of which end in increased violence and lead toward civil ware…..
The good news is, if you are prepared for zombies, you’re prepared for most of the rest of the threats too. Don’t get caught short this time. Stack what you need. Stack it high and deep.
nick