“Tis strange,-but true; for truth is always strange; Stranger than fiction: if it could be told, How much would novels gain by the exchange! How differently the world would men behold!” ― George Gordon Byron, Don Juan

I am glad to say that occasionally one of my blogs does resonate with some of those who peruse them. It's the concept of even a stopped clock being completely accurate at least twice a day. I think we all know I've put enough stuff out there for something to stick. It is Wednesday, April 29, 2020, and we find ourselves longing for the day when we can unmask and show our true identity. The mask-wearing Covid-19 threat has had its critics but it has also been the source of a number of funny anecdotes. ~ I saw one fellow begging Netflix to suspend the 'are you still watching' feature. Of course, we are still watching, what else do we have to do? ~ Everyone thought dogs were hard to train until humans were told to sit and stay. ~ It has been interesting to see the pundits scold folks who live paycheck to paycheck for not having a rainy day fund while billion-dollar companies are first in line for government welfare. ~ Introverts enjoying their personal quiet-time need to check on their extrovert friends. They are not okay. ~ Before folks who stayed home all the time were called sad, disturbed, or a loser. Those who stay home now are called a true citizen, a hero, and an inspiration to others. ~ Who would have ever believed the man of the house, the proverbial hunter-gatherer, would be judged based on his ability to find toilet paper. ~ It's hard to believe a grossly overweight fellow with high blood pressure and high cholesterol who brags about looking directly at the eclipse would not follow the advice given by local health professionals. ~ Here's what we have learned about how the economic relief works. It's the trickle-down approach where the 1% get the relief. After that, what happens? That's it!~ You know it's serious whenever there is a drawing out of the hat designating who in the family goes to the grocery store. After that, everyone gathers around the individual and says their farewells. ~ (Those were found out on the net and they do not necessarily reflect the views of the one copying them. Thanks.)

I know a lot of businesses are in trouble as a result of this shutdown. However, there are some who have grown during this same timeframe. I read where Zoom, the network utility allowing group meetings, has grown from 20 million users per day to over 200 million. Some are easy to guess. Certain food product companies have done well since so many folks are stuck at home. Networking companies that provide internet and entertainment services have done okay too. The makers of disinfecting products like Clorox are selling everything they produce. Online retailing giants like Amazon have prospered as people have ordered everything from soup to nuts to be delivered. It goes without saying that some of the pharmaceutical concerns have done well with the insatiable demand for a variety of testing kits, drugs, and related supplies. Interestingly enough, one of the major delivery companies did make a quarterly profit but their loss of business deliveries offset the increase in the residential business. One aside here. A big-city mayor who chairs the national environmental committee has typically lambasted any and all things related to the oil and petrochemical world now is saying his city may go under because of the projected loss in gasoline related tax revenues. It's one of those I don't want to live with you but on second thought I can't live without you.

Meanwhile, the only consistency I see from a majority of the mainstream media is their hate Trump campaign which actually dominates their approach to covering any and every news subject. I am not saying that he does everything right. No one ever has and no one ever will. However, I am now into my 60th plus year of paying some attention to the political world we live in and I can't remember anything like what we are seeing. I do wish at times he wouldn't give them so much to misreport, however, they can't even bring themselves to acknowledge one positive thing he has accomplished. In fact, the other day a black democrat representative gave a public thanks for the help the administration had provided to his state and his district. For him to do that in today's hate Trump climate is essentially political suicide. He made those statements knowing he would suffer for doing so, and, did he ever suffer! They want him out of office. They want him out of the party. They want him to be known as a traitor. Why? The people he represents were in need. He appealed to the administration and they responded. He thanked them for doing so. And, that, my friend, became a sin worthy of capital punishment. You will not notice these things if you are not noticing them. Sounds duh, but, it is true. With that contribution to the continuing saga we call life, I leave you with a prayer for our President, our government leaders at every level, and for those who are serving during this challenging time. Amen. .....More later.