Some semi-random ramblings and observations on COVID.

There are others who are more articulate than me, but, here are a few things in my not-so-humble-opinion.

First I hear 'it is just like the flu'.  It isn't 'just like the flu'.  Seventeen years ago I had the misfortune to have influenza several days before I was scheduled to get my annual flu shot.  High fever, aches and pain and then the cough developed.  It turned out I picked up a major lung infection because of 'it is just the flu'.  The doctor prescribed a pain killer because I was coughing so hard every muscle in my chested was sore and tired.  Antibiotics for the infection.  Bronchial-dilator so I could breath and the last medicine was to help with the coughing.  The lung infection made it feel like I was drowning and I was lucky I didn't have to go to the hospital.  In total it took six weeks off work before I was able to go back and for weeks after that I was easily tired.  Ever since I have a cough that I cannot get rid of.  Part of the six weeks was Christmas and I don't remember celebrating it as I was on the La-Z-Boy semi-reclined sleeping most of the day.

For COVID-19 from what I see it is even worse than 'just the flu' and now I am seventeen years older and a diabetic too which puts me into a higher risk category.  So far we have been lucky and isolating ourselves now and I have been working at home.  When we do need supplies I am using a list of what is necessary prepared ahead of time to minimize the number of stores I have to go to and it is just me going to the store.  Hand-washing has always been practiced here and we just upped the frequency (whenever I walk out I wash my hands when I get back).  Paper towels by the sink for when we finish washing.  We do have a small supply of wipes, but, I have cleaners and Javex that works just as well cleaning surfaces.

For household supplies we didn't go into a panic like too many others.  For decades we always kept at least a two week supply of frozen, canned and dried goods in the house in the event of a weather emergency.  If we did lose hydro then a lot of using the BBQ for the frozen goods before it spoils.  BBQ always has two spare tanks so we can do three meals a day for a few weeks without a problem.  All we needed was only a minimal topping up there (milk, bread & butter).  Toilet paper and paper towels we tried to keep a four week supply and we were not worried when there were nothing in the stores.  We limit trips to the stores to only what is needed and kept our distance from all others to minimize our contacts with others.  We did have a small supply of cash, but, with COVID-19 we used credit cards for all payments.

People were rediscovering the joys of cooking, but, again panic buying of baking staples and hoarding meant many others were denied some staples.  Again, we were lucky as I do a lot of baking and had most staples on hand with the exception of a small quantity of yeast.  Hopefully people will keep on doing more home baking as there is nothing better than fresh baked goods over prepackaged items that may be high in sugar, fat, salt & preservatives.

It is sad and frustrating watching and reading the news about those who are ignoring best practices to try to minimize the spread.  Trolls are spreading conspiracy theories to get the people to fear the government and any possible medications or vaccines in the future.  People who have medical issues, the elderly, health care workers EMS and others pay the price of some members of society not trying to slow the spread by physical distancing and staying at home.  You want to be social?  Facebook, twitter, Skype, ZOOM, Messenger allows you to socialize with co-workers, friends and family without the chance of spreading the virus.

For politicians that are wanting to restart businesses as you are worried about the financial impact.  If people get sick and die because you opened earlier to 'save the economy' then who will make the products, who will deliver the products, who will buy the products as the people are sick or dead?

For politicians:

• We want you to be leaders;
• We want you not to point fingers;
• We want calm, clear communications and no political spin;
• The buck stops with you and if you don't do your job we can replace you at the next election;
• We want you to consult with and take the advice of experts;
• Not to pronounce that you know it all and know better than the experts;
• We want you to take responsibility of your actions or inaction and not to blame others;
• We want you to put aside partisanship and embrace co-operation with all parties to put the needs of the people and country first.

After the emergency

When it is all done and over with there must be a public formal review at the municipal, provincial (state), federal and international:

• What Worked and why;
• What needed improvement.  Action plan to improve things, assign people to the tasks, delivery dates and a schedule for updates until completed.
• Who should be responsible to set up a number of facilities for
• Critical medical supplies like gowns, masks, gloves, cleaners, essential medicines, testing kits, any specialized medical devices;
• A plan to keep it stocked and disposal of expired materials;
• A budget defined to keep the facilities operational;
• Regular reports to the government on the status of the facility;
• Who should be responsible for monitoring for potential outbreaks in the future and reporting to the various levels of government;
• Who should get the reports and the communication process;
• Who is responsible to take action on the reports;
• Who are critical personnel in various industries;
• Food supply and the supply chain;
• Doctors, nurses, paramedics, police, fire departments;
• Long term care homes;
• Communications;
• Utilities;
• Transportation;
• Communication plan so we know what position (not the person) will be the central point of contact;
• How is it communicated;
• How often will there be updates;
• Basic plan to define each stage of the emergency;
• What gets shut down and when will it restart;

Walk it back a bit people

This goes for all people in all counties.  Watching the TV, listening to the radio and reading (paper and online) is troubling.  Too many politicians, media and people in general have been using language that is extremely troubling.  The labels they apply to others they disagree with, the words all degrade people, delegitimize them as a people or what they believe in.

It is OK to disagree, but, point out where you don't agree and why and not use words that incite hatred and intolerance. Politicians should know the power of words as that is what they use to get into power and stay there.  They should use the language of inclusion and tolerance. 

Words like

• Classy
• Crooked {insert name here}
• Fake news (one of the ones I dislike a lot)
• Horrible person
• Loser 
• Pathetic
• Political correctness (another one where they use it to justify their hated)
• She/he is a great person.  Every time I hear that now it seems to be just before a certain person south of the border then goes nuclear on them.
• Stupid
• Swamp.  A swamp is a good place where nature does its magic.  What they should be using is cess pit.
• Weak

It isn't an all inclusive list, but, words/phrases above should not be a part of any speach given by a politician or business leader.

Break time for a caregiver

Last week I had my first vacation in over four years (after 1,496 days).  Most of my personal time off that is allowed and my vacation time have been spent looking after my wife.  Days she is sick and I am at home caring for her and the many medical appointments eat up the time I am allowed and each year I don't have any time (at best two days in my time bank) left over to take at least a one week vacation.  While she is able to do a number of things on her own it has been a bit stressful and not having time off to recharge has left me all too often feeling tired.

This year has been different.  Even with her having cataract surgery (11 appointments in total for both eyes) I have enough time accumulated that I could take a one week vacation.  We didn't do much other than my slowing down and relaxing.  Where I work knew how long it was since I had a vacation and they made it a point to ensure that I was not to be contacted while I was off.  Several days it was 'retail therapy' by going to malls she hasn't gone to for years.  One day there was really nice weather and I told her it was just for me.  I spent the day outside walking along the Ottawa and Rideau rivers with my camera and for four hours totally relaxed.  I don't know if it is a big deal for most people, but, for me it was a wonderful break.  For part of the day I could relax, enjoy the views and have a day to myself.

Before her stroke I tended to take vacation either in October or December.  I like October as the weather usually is still nice and fewer tourists out where I like to walk and take photos.  Christmas I used the time off to bake and finish off the buying/wrapping of presents.  For both it is a slower life and a time to forget about work and enjoy life.  I am looking forward to next year and see if there will be enough time for a two week vacation.

Who is running the circus?

It is a sad and scary thing watching the political turmoil south of the border.  The president says nice things only if the person agrees with POTUS 45.  Once they lose favour then the language changes and language of a bully is used to put down the person. His supporters will flood the media that they control and social media with half truths and complete lies and repeating it until the people start to think it may be true.

When he tries to pick a person for a high level job he expects them to swear personal loyalty to him and not to the constitution and the law.  If there is a person in a position that he can terminate he does so and demeans and puts the person down and then attempts to put a replacement in who will swear personal loyalty to him and put in effect what he wants (whatever that is as it changes).

Now he is trying to regulate social media to remove 'bias'.  They seem to think that when those on the right get banned for hatred, bigotry, sexist offensive language.  They want to use the power of government to dictate who gets to 'free speech' online, social media and traditional media which is the government interfering with the first amendment.  They believe in free speech only when it is their speech and anything else is to be shut down or regulated.  This sounds more like Russia, China and North Korea.

It is almost a daily event to see/hear what POTUS 45 or his minions will do.  They work for the rich, powerful and politically connected who agree with what he wants and will work to demean and destroy those who question his actions or disagree with him.

It will only get worse as the next election gets closer.  I foresee him using language that will incite incidents to intimidate anyone who does not support him or his supporters.  He will deny, lie and spin when confronted with that and claim that the ones questioning him are the ones who are spreading 'fake news'.  When he loses the election I see that he will dismiss the results claiming fraud, blaming illegal immigrants, 'fake news', and then invoking powers that he does not have to try to stay in office.  Those on the right will then start actions claiming to support the true president and a time of civil unrest will distract everyone and those who truly want this discord (Russia, China and North Korea) will take advantage of this to expand their control of those who cannot protect themselves.

Rambling thoughts on politicians

It is disappointing that elected governments think they have the right to do anything they want.  They vilify the policies and laws of the prior government and then dismantle them without any apparent reason other than the other party put it into place.  It does not matter the party (NDP, Liberal or Conservative), it is the policy, the services or the laws that does not fit their ideology and therefore must be chucked out no matter the price the people pay. 

When we question it they ignore us, phrase and twist words to make it look and sound better than it really is, or, try to make us think they know better than us and speak down to us in rather condescending words.  They forget that we elected them to represent us and that they are responsible and accountable for all their actions and inactions to us.  They need to remember that they must consult with us and to inform us of what they are going to do.

All too often large companies, the rich and well-funded special interests seem to be dictating to the politicians what they can and cannot do like the current federal scandal that has the appearance of businesses dictating the actions of politicians.  Politicians are more worried about losing votes and power rather than doing what is right and what the law says.

What can be done?  For starters we need legislation at the federal, provincial and local government level that allows the people to forward a petition for the recall of the politician.  Once a specified threshold has been met there is a special election.  There may be limits such as how long after an election before a petition can be issued and how many more months before the next election also.  There needs to be a threshold on the number of people required and they must reside where the politician is and must be an eligible voter.  It may not be a cure-all, but, if politicians know that if they do not work on our behalf we can turf them from office and replace them with a person who will work on our behalf.

Another thing is for us to stop being hyper-critical of anything they do.  That isn't easy, but, if we look rationally at what they are doing and ask why and ask them why, maybe we will be more understanding of what is being done.  Also when you are reading those 'articles' ask yourself where the information came from, are they checking their sources and do other news sites are reporting the same thing.  I have seen 'articles' and while they seemed reasonable something was off and when I dug a wee bit I found that the 'Canadian' article was actually written outside of Canada.

The next thing is to completely remove their being funded by organizations and the rich.  They need to have a hard dollar limit per person and only a real person can contribute.  This will minimize the influence the rich and corporations have and force the politicians to solicit funds directly from the voters.  It won't be perfect, but, if they can see in their pocket book the effect of not listening to us it may be another way to persuade them.  Personally I have stopped taking calls looking for money and turfing their physical mail and emails and let them know why I have stopped and what it will take before I start contributing.  Will it stop them?  Right now it is 'no', not many are doing it and the hit on their bank accounts is minimal.

When there is an election try to go to the 'meet the candidate' meetings and have a short list of questions prepared for the candidates on the topics that matter to you.  Ask the incumbent why did they do what they did, ask the other candidates on what they will do and let them know if they break their campaign promises it will cost them their job.  Read up on the platforms and be a knowledgeable voter.

The next big, very big thing is to vote.  I have voted in EVERY municipal, provincial and federal election since 1988.  If you don't vote then don't complain as you not voting indicated that anyone who gets voted in is fine by you! Not everyone who I voted for got into office.  All too many were a disappointment or their party was a disappointment.  When that happens I look at the next election as an opportunity to correct that. 

Participate in the process.  Decades ago I volunteered for a campaign and got an excellent education on what it takes a candidate to run for office.

Why the hatred? Why the fear?

A lot of people are talking about the various hate groups and are much more able to articulate the racism, hated, intolerance these groups stand for and how to counter them.  For a long time I keep reading and hearing to 'hold back, wait, don't say anything as it will get better'.  Well it has not gotten better, we are seeing more and more of those who spout hatred, commit murder, exhibit racism of the worst type and use fear to try to intimidate people into standing by and be quiet and accept their message of hatred.  Well guess what?  I am tired of holding my tongue (and keyboard) and I will be starting to speak out.  I suspect there will be a few who empathize with the hatred and will either 'unfriend' me or spout even more hatred in the hope that I will shut up and be quiet.  For those who 'unfriend' that is OK, you have a right to your opinion and I am sorry that my beliefs in tolerance, love, and respect somehow threatens you.  For those who try to shout me down or intimidate me, go ahead and try, you may silence one messenger, but, the message will still go out from others.


Growing up my parents and family taught us to:

• Do unto others as you would want done to yourself. 
• Treat everyone with respect and courtesy.
• To speak out when I see something wrong.
• To help those who need help.
• To listen first, then ask 'how can I help?'.
• Recognize and acknowledge that I am imperfect, but, to keep striving to be better and not make the same mistake twice.
• Not to hate those who hate, but, to hate what they stand for.
• Not to judge a person by their religion, language, skin colour, nationality or sexual orientation, but, to judge them by how they treat themselves and others.

Seeing the problems south of the border by neo-nazis, KKK and other racist domestic terrorist groups (that is what they are, domestic terrorists) and stop using that sanitized term 'alt-right'.  Domestic terrorists is an ugly term and it should be applied to the ugly beliefs that neo-nazis and the KKK are trying to make us believe, that somehow being white is better, being white is being oppressed, being a 'white Christian' somehow makes you better without truly understanding what it is to be Christian and the work involved to be a true Christian. 

As a society here in Canada we unfortunately do have those who preach the gospel of hatred, fear, violence, intolerance and racial supremacy that we see happening south of the border.  As a society we need to acknowledge that and to address it head on with love, tolerance, learning and respect. 

I was reading online about one of the groups in Quebec and that they say they are not 'racist', just against Islam.  Well if that isn't racism I don't know what is.  For the ones who were 'protesting' in Quebec, why are you hiding your faces?  Could it be you don't feel 'pride' in what you believe in?  You don't want it known that you are racist, bigoted, small minded?  You were trying to avoid taking responsibility for your violence?  Another person expressed that they were not happy eating halal, well if you don't like halal food don't eat it.  Quick explanation from a Christian reading up on what is Halal (and I may be wrong or over simplifying)... It is what is permissible for their diet.  Nothing fancy, just a set of rules defining what they consider 'permissible' to eat, how it is prepared and for meat what type it is and how it is slaughtered.  From what I read I don't have a problem with halal, it is just a set of rules for their diet.

Update 2020-06-07

Almost three years and it has gotten worse.   South of the border POTUS is acting nore and more as a dictator. Someone who who can say anything, do anything and those in power apologize, rationize or downplay his words, actions and inactions. 

A small, but, big victory

For many people they may not think the following is a big thing, but, for someone who had a stroke and their caregivers it is a wonderful thing.

For the last week Jane has improved her dexterity and strength in her left arm and hand such that she can easily clean and make a new pot of coffee and to unload the dishwasher.  The first is nice, but, the second is huge to us.  Her left side was impacted by the stroke and she has balance and mobility issues still.  She is doing exercises for the arm and leg and over time the strength, flexibility and balance has been coming back.  With the dishwasher she has to bend over to lift dishes and utensils from the bottom rack, pivot and walk across the kitchen to put away the clean dishes.  While the glasses are done right handed she is using the left hand to lift and store the plastic cups, small pots and the dishes.  The first time she did it she called me at work to let me know what she could do.  It was a huge psychological boost for her and she felt that she was contributing more to helping out around the house.

For some time now if I partially prepare the meal and place it in the refrigerator and have the slow cooker on the counter she can prepare simple hot dinners.  It is more than just making meals, cleaning up, she feels that she is contributing to the house work and not dependent on others for everything.

Sometimes it isn't the major things that is a major victory in your recovery, it is the smallest things we do used to do every day and have taken it for granted.  The stroke has taken being able to many simple things away from Jane like making a pot of coffee and doing dishes, but, slowly over time she has started doing those little tasks again.