No pictures today.  No cute little crafts to display.  Reality has set in.  It has set in that the world has lost its dang mind.  Completely.  It’s raining, which is making it all the more depressing and ominous because if it continues, I know I will be getting zero sleep tonight due to the neurotic chiweenie that claims residence in our domicile.  The kids aren’t here, since I’m working from home (which… per my previous post, Karen, you can’t fully commit to working when kids are home… you just can’t).

You know, the weird thing about all of this isn’t the virus-I couldn’t give two craps about the virus.  I’m not afraid of it or its affects-it’s no worse than the flu (do your research, don’t argue with me… it’s DIFFERENT… not worse).  What kills me is the response to all of this and the mass hysteria that has ensued.  Sheeple are scary.  VERY scary.  The amount of misinformation, panic, and outright incorrect information floating around is astounding.  I’m also perplexed (although not terribly shocked) about how willingly everyone is to allow full government control of this entire situation.

Hear me out for a minute here… I realize the entire point is to “flatten the curve” by “social distancing”, but if I hear those two phrases again someone will receive a quick punch to the face.  Everyone gets it… we all get it.  Stay away from other people.  But honestly, you’re grocery shopping.  You’re around people.  You WILL see people.  I’m just shocked that responses are “protect those with low immune systems!”.  Yeah, we get it.  But when do the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many?  Here’s a little example: one child in an entire school has a mild peanut allergy.  Should the school ban peanuts entirely due to one child? No.  The answer is no.  Everyone is too quick to answer, “Yes! Do what we can to protect the one!”.  No.  Not even close.  You are demanding everyone else take care of the one.  Now, don’t get me wrong… proper hygiene, stay home when you’re sick, make common sense decisions, but come on.  An entire country quarantined for the few that this will affect?  Those with low immune systems should be urged to self-quarantine until it runs its course.  The flu?  Ever heard of it?  Did you know that over 80,000 people in the United States alone died from the flu in the 2017 – 2018 flu season?  You didn’t?  Now you do.  The CDC estimates that there have been 22,000 – 55,000 deaths due to the flu since October 2019 and 370,000 – 670,000 hospitalizations due to the flu during this time period.  How many have died worldwide from coronavirus, you ask?  8,944 worldwide.  Approximately 56 of every 1,000,000 Chinese citizens tested positive for coronavirus.  Doesn’t sound so scary now, does it? Yeah, yeah… I know not everyone was tested.  Still, not as staggering of a number, is it?  Why are we treating this different than the flu that has already killed as many as 55,000 people in the United States since October? Why????

This virus spreads fast, it’s semi-unpredictable and hasn’t been studied extensively, so precautions are being taken to not overcrowd hospitals.  I’m not debating that that doesn’t need to happen, but what I’m debating is HOW it’s happening.  The blatant fear mongering that’s taking place at a state level is astounding.  Stop “guesstimating” numbers to scare people.  Present facts.  Stop telling me you’re getting take out for dinner to support local business… guess what?  All local mom and pop business are now in economic RUIN.  People’s financial lives have been destroyed completely.  So, you economically devastate a large majority of a country to protect the small minority that are immunocompromised?  There’s something more to this.  Time will tell…

For now, have fun at home with your loved ones, peeps!