coronavirus

No more room in the inn (and hospital)

/ justdrivewillyou / 1 Comment

I promise I’ll come up with an original post soon, folks, but lately, so many other bloggers are so eloquently addressing issues which concern us all, I feel everyone must read them. Here’s the latest example, from Keith, whose writings I greatly respect. Larry

musingsofanoldfart

We have a relative with multiple chronic issues who is now in great pain and cannot stand up on her own. She was sent to an urgent care clinic because the hospitals are full up. She is now waiting in line at the nearest hospital to get a MRI as they cannot figure out what was wrong after the Xrays at the urgent care clinic showed no breaks.

Yet, if she is admitted, they may not have any hospital beds. You see, the hospitals are overrun by COVID patients who the significant majority of which have been unvaccinated. Yesterday, I read two things of import to this issue. In my metropolitan city of about one million people, there were only 66 hospital beds available in all hospitals within 30 miles. That was in the morning.

I also read of the death of one of my favorite singers, Marvin Aday, better…

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Homecoming

/ justdrivewillyou / 2 Comments

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,

‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,

When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,

For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.


As I was just listening to this popular Christmas tune, I realized how different this year’s holidays will be.

Some things will stay the same, of course. The decorating. The shopping. The music. The food. All in glorious abundance.

Due to the pandemic, though, going home will be more problematic, and surely advised against by the health experts.

Of course, as we proved over Thanksgiving, not everyone will heed said advice. And the infections will spread, again.

Because, by golly, we’re not going to let a little thing like a highly contagious virus ruin our holidays.

I understand the desire, the need, to spend time with family at this time of year. I get it. It stinks that we’re being warned to not do it.

But folks, it’s just not safe.

I know a lot of you refuse to believe that, and a lot more of you don’t care. And I can’t stop you from doing what you want.

All I can do is hope you will choose to be safe, for everybody’s sake. Just call, or Zoom, the ones you wish you could be with. I know it’s not the same, but better than no contact at all.

Believe me, I’m as tired of the coronavirus as anyone else, but it’s still here, and still killing people. None of us like to acknowledge that, but it’s true. We must continue to wash our hands, wear our masks and keep our distance to help prevent the spread of this deadly virus. A vaccine is coming, but it ain’t here yet.

So, please, folks, let’s be sensible about this, and considerate of family and friends, so that we all can survive this crisis and still be around for future holidays.

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year. Love and peace to you.

Oh, Those Stupid Scientists

/ justdrivewillyou / 4 Comments

(Before the coronavirus crisis) people used to look to the United States with a degree of reverence. For democracy. For our moral leadership in the world. Supporting science and using technology to travel to the moon. Instead, what’s really been exposed is how anti-science we’ve become.
-Dr. Cedric Dark, emergency physician, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas


When I was in school, one of my least favorite subjects was science. I just wasn’t into it that much.

Apparently, a great many Americans, including our president, are still not.

Leading scientific experts on climate change and the coronavirus have been ignored, mocked, silenced or contradicted by donald and his minions. Their steadfast refusal to face the reality of either crisis has been, to put it mildly, appalling.

If you guys really have no use for science, then don’t bother seeing a doctor when you’re sick, because it’s science that leads to a diagnosis and a remedy.

Don’t bother watching your big screen TV at home, because it’s science that produces the audio and video.

Don’t bother driving your pickup anywhere, because it’s science that makes it go.

You see where I’m going here, MAGA men? Science is part of our everyday life. You can’t just ignore or reject the parts you don’t agree with. The facts are what they are. And there are plenty of qualified people who study those facts, and who know what to deduce from them. And it’s their expert advice you’re rejecting, putting as all at greater risk.

And I’m telling you to cut it out.

We’re looking right in the face of two serious threats to our health. We’d best pay attention to the people who know how we must deal with them, if not for ourselves, then for the generations to follow.

Live For Today (Because Tomorrow Will Suck)

/ justdrivewillyou / 9 Comments


It’s probably the depression talking, but I tell you, the future looks just so bleak to me anymore. To wit:

No matter who gets elected in November (please, Joe!), this country is so deeply, bitterly, hopelessly divided, I see no chance for reconciliation. In fact, I think sometimes it might come to war.

The coronavirus keeps on infecting, and killing, lots of people, especially here in the States, in no small part to the selfishness and ignorance of so many people who simply can’t be bothered with it.

Climate change is happening all around us, and time is running out to do something about it, and I’m not optimistic about us Americans doing our part. Again, selfishness and ignorance; also, arrogance.

(And I feel so sorry for the children who will inherit all this $#!t.)

On a more personal level, I’m at the age where more of the people I’ve known and loved all my life will be passing on, and I can’t bear to think of saying goodbye. To say nothing of whatever ailments await me the older I get.

You see why I don’t write so often these days? I’m just Mister Sunshine, right?

I know I shouldn’t be this way. I just have a hard time finding anything to look forward to these days. So I just figure I need to take each day as it comes, and see if I can extract anything good from it.

Sorry to bring you down, folks. Maybe next time, more cheerful. Like I said, the depression probably has a little too much of my mind lately.