Day 8: California Under Martial Law Lite (Darkness Descends)

Yesterday my daughter informed me that this online learning her school is utilizing is not going so well for her. She doesn't think she's learning much, if anything at all; the assignments are often vague; and she feels like she just isn't performing up to her standards. For a kid who does well in school and has high expectations for herself, this was hard to hear coming from her. She wondered how all of this will affect her and her classmates' future. Explaining to her that this was uncharted territory for us all did little to quell her fears. She can't see her friends. She can't go to the high school sports games. She can't go to class. She wants life to return to normal. At one point she said, "I think this is the new normal."

I think she's partially right.

Social distancing. Hoarding. Idiots doing their best to deny there is a problem. Wall Street being a higher priority than Main Street. All of these things were not only predictable, they are also manipulated by the powers that be because they are a form of control. Humboldt is no exception. Our tip line  to turn people and businesses not following the shelter in place guidelines just lets us do most of the work for them.

WinCo is still out of toilet paper and paper towels. As soon as they get a meager supply in, the hordes raid it. Why anyone is doing this is unknown, yet because others did, now more people must, too. Pot dispensaries are allowed open because they are essential businesses, though California legalized recreational pot, which has far surpassed medicinal use. Why is this recreational business allowed to be open, yet movie theaters are not? Could be because people who smoke pot are more subdued than others. It's an effective form of crowd control, especially when everyone is to stay home. Again, we are doing the work for them. Consume above all else. Consume.

The streets of Humboldt still have cars, but not as many as ten days ago. There are still people walking their dogs in Henderson Center, but not as many as were seen nine days ago. In fact, Henderson Center looks like it does on Christmas minus the decorations and lights. Darkness has descended, but midnight is still hours away.

I read yesterday that our hospital, a St. Joseph's establishment that I am not too fond of, has limited ICU beds. By limited, I believe it is under 20. If that is the case it's a good thing Henderson Center looks like it is out of 28 Days Later. We've got one person hospitalized now because of Covid-19. If those numbers climb too quickly then those beds are going to be utilized just as quickly, and if that happens I doubt any of the hospitals in Redding or near there will allow our patients to be flown in. It is the situation the experts said would happen and the one the politicians ignored, that will happen. Humboldt's numbers are going to climb and those beds are going to be used. We will be no different than any other country, and we proved that when our country's numbers of infected climbed higher than Italy's. We weren't supposed to really match Italy until April 1. We were early. Hurray!

Our governments at state level and above have failed us, yet we still demand their help. We aren't really going to get it. $1200 is nothing, and they know it. It's not even a pacifier. We should stop appealing to these morons, the same ones incidentally who made this situation worse, and start taking it upon ourselves to save ourselves. Listen to the medical experts. If the fed opens the economy back up, don't participate in it. If the numbers are still climbing (and I suspect they will be, or will be high enough that intermingling should still be a concern), don't go back to the ball games. Continue to wash your hands. Your president and some of your governors will tell you that everything is back to normal, that everything is all right. Go about your lives as you did before. But look around and you'll quickly spot the lie. It will stick out like a sore thumb. If you compare this crisis to the crisis of 9/11 you'll be able to easily see your role in it. The role of Joe Q. Public in both. You were told how you could help. In the case of 9/11, you had to continue to be a consumer. Once the fed gives the all clear, it won't be, "Go out and see your family. Hug your neighbor." It will be, "Go out and buy stuff." Watch. Our roles are clearly defined.

Mussolini and friends hanging out with the citizens of Italy.

Humboldt has always been suspicious of politicians, though we do have our Trump parrots here, too. It will remain suspicious on the whole after this clears. I hope more people re-examine their roles, though, and decide that maybe they want to be more than a consumer. And maybe we should try to remember that the people who will claimed that they saved us, actually made this situation far worse. The Italians showed Mussolini how they remembered him. Maybe we'll show the same love to our "leaders" if they try to take credit for that which they fucked up. Or maybe we'll just continue down that consumer path, happy that we can easily buy toilet paper once again.