Surviving C-19 Day Ten
April 10, 2020 7 Am
82 Days since first US infection.
9 AM
The C-19 count is unknown this morning. Perhaps you recall my caution about climate change events and C-19, we that came home to roost, on my roof in fact. It began yesterday with an all-day rain event at about 35 F. No cherry blossoms here in April. Come evening the temp dropped and the rain became heavy wet snow.
Unfortunately for us the weather had been rather warm of late. Warm enough for the Bears and Skunks to wake up from hibernation, and warm enough for the tree sap to run. The sap running makes trees flexible rather than frozen stiff, add the weight of a bunch of heavy wet snow to that and you wind up with broken and downed trees everywhere.
At 3 AM a nearby oak relocated to my roof, we have been without power since then. No electric, no furnace, no heat, so too I hear is my town and state, but without electric I’m in a data hole. Our local power company was also recently acquired by another corporation and is in the midst of transfer of service to the entire area. So repair orders for the power crews are struggling through a new system today. We have a fireplace at least, though we are very low on wood. We do not often use the fireplace and its spring, what fire wood we had has been used up.
I am writing this on a pocket memo pad because that was all I could find. The power outage here illustrates the issues all of us face with climate change and C-19, this is exacerbated for the poor. Imagine the issues you would face with C-19 in the third world, large families, very limited space space and a central heating & cooking area. How do you social distance under those types of circumstances? You cannot, and I fear what will happen to places like Lagos, or the barrios of Rio under C-19 duress.
My room is now down to 70 F from 72F, my 60 Gal tank is down to 78 from 80, and its heat has been slowly leeching into my room for hours now. Soon my room will be too cold and I will have to congregate in the living room where the fireplace is for warmth. By tonight, if we still have no power, we might all be sleeping there for warmth. I have been without power for three weeks in a Maine winter before, but I am not as rural as that now, I am near the University and on the central power grid for my area. In Maine this is a workaround situation.
I have never understood the “Good Guy” idea of nature held by many of my fellow humans. An idea embraced by many environmentalists or even anthropomorphized into ‘Gaia’ by certain people. Nature is a collection of blind forces each reacting to the last action of the others. It is a long series of catastrophes broken up by periods of calm in which we forget the last catastrophe.
The idea of nature as balanced is kind of absurd. Such an idea restricts nature to your local planetary ecosystem in a period of calm, where the life forms sharing a planet tend to find an equilibrium. History proves these never last, but we are so short lived we can live entire lives in calm periods, and so come to see the calm as the norm when that is only half the story.
People who see that semblance of equilibrium in our living ecosystem fail to notice it’s not balanced at all. In it everything is literally eating everything else, which is not balance but a competition for resources needed to live and preserve your species. If C-19 teaches humanity anything in this digital age I hope it’s that we too are food for nature. C-19 is ‘Motley Crue’ on a bender and we are the fucking hotel room. That too is “Natures Balance”, “Crows gotta eat, so does the worm”.
To me idea there is some balance point where nature thrives reveals to me a worldview where nature is something ‘other’, that nature is not us, but the ecosystem we are in. Nature is something external to us, which we can then adjust. An idea of “we live in nature” rather than “we too are nature”. C-19 is entirely natural, hell in my view your smartphone is entirely natural. Your smartphone is a byproduct of humans like an anthill or beehive is to an ant or bee.
We alone as a species evolved to manipulate our physical environment to aid our survival and propagation instead of living within the confines nature set and adapting to those. It has been so successful we have altered our physical environment on a global level to an extent we were not able to imagine prior. We have altered our physical environ to the point that we ourselves are driving the 6th great extinction event. We are not the first species to do this, trees did it long before us.
10 AM
So now I wait for the sounds of aid in a world silenced by C-19. Nature cuffed me harder than I thought. Seven trees down, 1 on the house, 4 near misses to the house, 1 on the neighbors car, folded it right down the center line; ((“Shit! That broke easy didn’t it? Looks like you’re gonna need a new one of them”-George Carlin)) and another near miss to my truck. News on the Maintenance guy’s radio says days for Maine, that it’s like the Ice storm of 1998, or so he tells me.
Two days or more he tells me before power is restored, massive outages all over the state. However I suspect much less than that as I am located on the central line which feeds the fire department, police department and town hall. My 60 gal tank cannot last that long I fear. Without power O2 will deplete and the tank will cool, many of my fish won’t survive a steep temp drop and none will survive O2 depletion. It’s down to 78 already, at 74 I will start losing fish.
Talked to the head maintenance man for my rented home, he says the tree service will be here soon, and power might be two days. My tank might be dead already and not know it. He too compared the storm to 98, not good news for the state. That was the storm where I had no power for 3 weeks, but I was in the sticks then. Looking out in my area many of the trees are 45 to 90 degrees bent by snow weight and many did not survive that. Lots of snapped tree tops and uprooted trees as well as broken limbs. Days of chainsaw work ahead in my visible vicinity. 68 degrees inside and 76 degrees in my tank, a sword of Damocles over my tank.
11:15 AM
Well, the power came back on, central line like I expected, hope folks in the sticks don’t have it too bad. A 30ft tree removal truck just got mired in my front yard 5 feet from my front door. Heavy truck and wet muddy grass covered by 8 inches of heavy wet snow equals a muddy mess.
Evening Morning
Global Infected 1,583,904 1,631,310
Global Dead 94,807 98,401
Increase Infected 93,114 47,406
Increase Dead 6,177 3,594
US Infected 454,304 473,093
US Dead 16,267 17,836
Increase Infected 21,866 18,789
Increase Dead 1,459 1,569
Since I left off 3,594 people died, of those 1,569 my fellow Americans.
Legacy Headlines this Noon
PM Boris Johnson ‘walking again’ as coronavirus recovery continues
Apple and Google team up to contact trace Covid-19
Philippines stops doctors, nurses, health workers from going abroad
Yanomami indigenous youth with coronavirus dies in Brazil
Coronavirus mutated into three distinct strains as it spread across the world
Italy’s daily coronavirus death toll and new cases decline slightly
UK’s exit strategy from coronavirus lockdown could see young adults released first
Tokyo Games chief says postponed Olympics not certain to go ahead in 2021
Coronavirus deaths in England rise by 866 as UK toll soars to almost 9,000
Congo reports first Ebola case in six weeks
Coronavirus: Newborn babies in Thailand given face shields to protect them from COVID-19
Moscow stretched ‘to limit’ by virus cases: official
Spain sees lowest daily toll in 17 days, with 605 deaths
New, larger wave of locusts threatens millions in Africa
Aerial video shows mass grave on New York City’s Hart Island amid coronavirus surge
Coronavirus victim toll could be higher in UK: Hundreds of care home deaths not included in official report
Vigilantes kill eight people in Malawi amid fear of ‘bloodsuckers’
In a test of faith, Christians mark Good Friday in isolation
U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Climbs to World’s Second Highest
Spain sees lowest daily toll in 17 days, with 605 deaths
Ten newborn babies ‘catch coronavirus from infected staff’ at maternity unit
Coronavirus: Teachers stopped from using Zoom after ‘very serious incidents’
Pacific nations stay vigilant against coronavirus in cyclone’s aftermath
Trump hits record approval in Fox News poll
China reports 42 new cases of coronavirus
Delta says 35,000 workers taking up voluntary unpaid leaves, still seeking more
UN chief warns COVID-19 threatens global peace and security
Robbers escape by air after stealing gold bars from Canadian mine in Mexico
US economy unlikely to recover as rapidly as it collapsed
A comedy of tragedies for the poor tree surgeon. Truck got stuck in my yard, he powers it out after 20 min, gets his cherry picker bucket up, starts cutting, and then the truck dies with the bucket extended. He lowers bucket to ground as that is all he can do and tries to fix truck to no avail. He calls for aid, but the tow truck cannot tow him until the buckets retracted so now they are finagling a way to power up the bucket for retraction and towing. Tree is only halfway off the house. Hours later the truck is still broken down in the yard, tree still on the house, but I have power and thus heat now.
I was watching Rogan yesterday, he had on one of my favorite people on, Michael Shermer, editor in chief of Skeptic magazine. They were talking about Trump and how the presidency sucks for every president, no matter what you do people find you in error. Joe seems to see the media portrayal as more than slanted, unjustly slanted against Trump. I do not see that, although I do see a failure to admit anything he does which is good. If Trump does anything right a lot of the media will gloss over that and focus on what he did wrong, a smart or good act will be lucky to get a soundbite on many shows. I agree what he did in the lockdown on China was good, but Joe seems to believe if he had locked it down more tightly then he would have been lambasted as an autocrat, so no matter what action he took he would be skewered by the press.
I say SFW? The time to worry about being lambasted in the press is after you make sure their remains a nation for them to Lambast you over. I thought the lockdown was insufficient, too many holes in it, from China and then later in Europe. To me it was kind of like saying ‘Hike!’ from the line of scrimmage and just standing there, then, when the rush comes in, tossing the ball up in the air and saying “I’m just backup!”
I think part of why he did not act was fear of how the media would cover such an action and more fear of his base; a significant part of which is libertarian and against large government anything. The people who fear FEMA Concentration Camps might turn on him if he quarantined the country and Dems claiming he was an autocrat while he did it might also hurt his base, so he didn’t, it was easier to believe the other spins on C-19 around him, that it was nothing or that the nation could “ride it out” like the flu.
As a result he fell into that denial loop so common in pandemics. A POTUS in denial of a pandemic is not something our nation can afford. A POTUS who dismantled the pandemic team and ignored the pandemic plan while in denial of the harsh reality of the unfolding pandemic is what we got.
More Legacy Media Headlines
Surgeon general on why minorities are more likely to be exposed to COVID-19
US death toll from coronavirus will be ‘substantially below’ 100K: Trump
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo announces negative number of ICU admissions in the state
Texas reaches milestone of 10,000 COVID-19 infections
How the epicenter of China’s coronavirus outbreak is getting back on track
Printing protective equipment in the basement
Recognizing volunteers feeding those in need
Families celebrate virtual Passover
Covid-19: The long wait for cases in Italy to fall
Covid-19: “People here felt like the Queen was speaking for all of Europe”
Covid-19: Israelis observing confinement much more strictly at Passover than they did at Purim
Refugees in France come to rescue as farmers struggle without foreign seasonal workers
Coronavirus – US: New York is now the coronavirus capital
Coronavirus – Covid-19: Yemen reported its first case
COVID-19 in Iran: Artists call on the US to lift sanctions
A year after blaze, Notre-Dame Cathedral holds small Good Friday service amid virus lockdown
Coronavirus – US: Volunteers distribute food to those who have lost jobs or income
Coronavirus – Good Friday: ‘We have mass on YouTube’
Some bread and wine with that? Paris cheesemonger adapts to stay afloat during France’s lockdown
France sees first decrease in ICU patients as virus death toll passes 12,000
Lt. Gen. Honoré: In A Disaster The Only Priority Should Be Saving Lives
VP Pence’s Fmr. Doc: Trump’s Coronavirus Briefings Can Be ‘Hard To Watch’
NYT: Trump Allies Think Coronavirus Briefings Hurt Him More Than Help Him
Mayor De Blasio On Coronavirus Guidelines: ‘We Cannot Risk Resurgence’
Trump Delivers Easter message As Nation Battles Coronavirus Pandemic
Suicide Prevention Hotline Calls Spike Amid Pandemic
Trump: There Are ‘Clear Signs’ Coronavirus Strategy Is Working To Save Lives
When Is The Right Time To Lift Lockdown Measures In New York?
Trump Coronavirus Briefing Gets Fact-Checked On Live TV
Health Care Workers On Battling Stress: ‘We Have To Keep In Mind The Larger Purpose’
Mom Whose Son Got Virus: ‘I’m A Doctor Who Took All Precautions’
Health care workers thanked with chorus of howls
First responders honor hospital workers in Florida
More Virginians to access jobless aid next week
Airmen’s training, graduations pared due to virus
Trump teases WHO announcement, boasts market gains
Lines snake around arena for California food bank
Trump: Aggressive anti-virus strategy saving lives
Birx: Encouraging signs with virus, but not at peak
NASA astronauts reflect on virus, Apollo 13
Churches scramble to set up online giving, worship
Unemployed, underemployed at NJ food bank
For McConnell, virus carries echo of boyhood polio
Virus slams black Americans, exposes inequities
Coronavirus: ‘Herculean effort’ to provide NHS protective gear
Passover, Ramadan, Easter: How to celebrate at home
Coronavirus: New York ramps up mass burials amid outbreak
Coronavirus tests and masks sold by fraudsters online
Coronavirus: US weekly jobless claims hit 6.6 million
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson out of intensive care but remains in hospital
Coronavirus: Raab urges UK public not to ruin lockdown progress
Coronavirus: Why are football teams in Belarus still playing?
Trump says reopening the country will be the “biggest decision” he’s ever made
Churches hold alternative Easter services amid coronavirus pandemic
10-year-old with muscular dystrophy tells a joke a day to lift spirits
Bar owner removes dollar bills from walls to pay staff during coronavirus
Governor Cuomo on reopening economy and concerns about “second wave” of coronavirus
Families grieve loss of loved ones as pandemic grips entire world
CBS News Poll: More Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of coronavirus
Trump facing scrutiny over ouster of government watchdogs
Dr. Anthony Fauci: Antibody tests are coming soon
Ex-NFL player now on the frontlines against coronavirus
Melinda Gates: This is what keeps me up at night
Magic Johnson calls out racial disparities in pandemic testing
Dr. Sanjay Gupta shows how to make your own mask at home
Chris Cuomo shares picture that embarrasses brother
President Andrew Cuomo? Maybe
So the truck got repaired and tree cut up, now I have logs all over the snowy lawn, tore up my sidewalk and lawn too. Fortunately I don’t own, I rent so that is not on me. At least I did not have to bury my begging fish, remain grateful for the small things.
Thousands without power as April snow storm hits Maine: Central Maine Power is reporting 204,370 customers are without power while Emera Maine reports 51,600 outages.
Morning Evening
Global Infected 1,631,310 1,691,719
Global Dead 98,401 102,525
Increase Infected 47,406 60,409
Increase Dead 3,594 4,124
US Infected 473,093 496,535
US Dead 17,836 18,586
Increase Infected 18,789 23,442
Increase Dead 1,569 750
Maine infected 560 586
Maine Dead 16 17
Increase Infected 23 26
Increase Dead 2 1
While I isolated and dealt with another Snowstorm 4,124 people died, of those 750 were my fellow Americans and one was a fellow Mainer.
Splinters from a fractured mind 