It’s bitter cold here in the Godless northeast, the nights are long and frankly, if there was a fast-forward button on life, I’d punch that button for all I’m worth. So let’s daydream together. I don’t have a crystal ball or even a good handle on what life will look like come Thursday, but: What are your predictions for six months down the road? Will we still be living with COVID? Will it be in our rear-view? Will Donald Trump be in prison? Feel free to expand your answer, and/or focus on whatever you want.
On a personal level, I expect to going out more, getting together more, maybe even traveling more but all that was true last July when things were briefly better. I find thinking about next winter more worrisome. That leaves science and politics
Science wise, we'll know more so we're likely to have more ways to protect ourselves or get treatment if needed. However, I suspect the unvaccinated will keep the numbers high. Death and severe illness may be our best ally and scare more people into getting the shot. I guess it's come to that, "Go Reaper!". Regardless what happens in this country, it's going to take a long time for the rest of the world to catch up and that will give variants a chance to develop.
Politics wise it's a pessimism/optimism thing.
Pessimistically, nothing happens in Washington and we faced with an enormous registration, messaging and organizing challenge to overcome oppression efforts.
Optimistically, some action is taken in Washington. It's more likely to be something like Electoral College reform which will help in 2024 but not in the mid-terms which circles back to the challenge noted under pessimism. I'm choosing not to invest any hope in the investigations in NY, Georgia, even the January 6 committee. If it happens, it happens.
I'm not especially superstitious but I write this next part cautiously. The MAGA fever may be beginning to break a little. Mike Rounds (senator, R-South Dakota) calling out the big lie appears to be giving some of his spineless colleagues cover. Some of them have come to Round's defense after Trump's infantile attack. Trump's deal with Alaska Governor Dunleavey, (Trump's endorsement in return for Dunleavey not endorsing the well respected, incumbent Senator Murkowski) is turning into an embarrassment for the governor. Embarrassing for other republicans as well, if only because it was politically stupid. The more Trump decompensates and acts like a five year old on the playground calling somebody poopy pants, the looser his grip gets and the easier it is for the moderates (at least) to show some guts. Polls show his base is still holding but nothing lasts forever. By July we'll know if I'm on to something or if I'm learning to speak Canadian.
I get so angry that people are willing to participate in culling the herd when all it takes is a shot or three, a mask, and keeping their distance. I have wished for horrible things to happen to only a select few people in my life, and watching those horrible things happen to Trump has been delightful -- which isn't precisely a Christian attitude. My head hurts.
Based on the SME’s I’ve seen SARS-CoV-2 will be around in one variant or another for the balance of our lives, though between Darwin and the deep blue sea the unvaxxed and unwashed are growing fewer every day.
I will be getting progressively more behind on gardening, and unfortunately also finding it too hot for me easily to make myself go out and work on it.
In July I will be eating at my favorite local places again, at a table on the sidewalk in one case, on the patio in the other case. My local concert venue will be back out on the deck in their parking lot. I will not be birding in Scotland, but I may be birding in Maine for a few days again like last year.
Will Trump -- any of them -- be in prison? Well, Bernie Madoff went to prison. Leona Helmsley went to prison. Martha Stewart went to prison over a paltry $40,000. Michael Milken went to prison -- put there by Rudy Giuliani, according to Forbes. In ordinary times, yes, one or more of the Trump cartel would be serving time. But that would ramp up the martyr factor many orders of magnitude. Trump was the reason for the January 6th Insurrection, but he didn't plan and coordinate it. Those people are still loose -- Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jim Jordan, etc. They'll do it again, and they won't make so many mistakes next time.
I believe that band will continue their crappy attempts at democracy-crushing so that they will be easier to catch. This isn’t vengeance talking. They deserve jail and nothing more. But birding? Sounds lovely, as does the concert-going.
The wheels of justice turn slowly while the weather seems to change by the minute. I think we will have some forms of covid until we can develop herd immunity. The only thing I can speculate on is that I will need bigger and bigger rolls of duct tape to keep myself together as I age.
I always score introvert on this tests so my reaction has been different. The isolation is hard but not as much of I was more of a people person. (I mean, I LIKE people but not all at once.) I cannot imagine doing this otherwise. Amen to the grasp-loosening. This is far longer than I anticipated or planned for.
To quote the well known song in the George Gershwin musical, Porgy n’ Bess; “Summer time and the living is easy. Fish are Jumping…”.
Even in the darkest of times there’s hope. God delivering, God sanctifying, God fearing Hope. Hope in a delicious goodness to come. Hope.
Amen. And thank you.
On a personal level, I expect to going out more, getting together more, maybe even traveling more but all that was true last July when things were briefly better. I find thinking about next winter more worrisome. That leaves science and politics
Science wise, we'll know more so we're likely to have more ways to protect ourselves or get treatment if needed. However, I suspect the unvaccinated will keep the numbers high. Death and severe illness may be our best ally and scare more people into getting the shot. I guess it's come to that, "Go Reaper!". Regardless what happens in this country, it's going to take a long time for the rest of the world to catch up and that will give variants a chance to develop.
Politics wise it's a pessimism/optimism thing.
Pessimistically, nothing happens in Washington and we faced with an enormous registration, messaging and organizing challenge to overcome oppression efforts.
Optimistically, some action is taken in Washington. It's more likely to be something like Electoral College reform which will help in 2024 but not in the mid-terms which circles back to the challenge noted under pessimism. I'm choosing not to invest any hope in the investigations in NY, Georgia, even the January 6 committee. If it happens, it happens.
I'm not especially superstitious but I write this next part cautiously. The MAGA fever may be beginning to break a little. Mike Rounds (senator, R-South Dakota) calling out the big lie appears to be giving some of his spineless colleagues cover. Some of them have come to Round's defense after Trump's infantile attack. Trump's deal with Alaska Governor Dunleavey, (Trump's endorsement in return for Dunleavey not endorsing the well respected, incumbent Senator Murkowski) is turning into an embarrassment for the governor. Embarrassing for other republicans as well, if only because it was politically stupid. The more Trump decompensates and acts like a five year old on the playground calling somebody poopy pants, the looser his grip gets and the easier it is for the moderates (at least) to show some guts. Polls show his base is still holding but nothing lasts forever. By July we'll know if I'm on to something or if I'm learning to speak Canadian.
I get so angry that people are willing to participate in culling the herd when all it takes is a shot or three, a mask, and keeping their distance. I have wished for horrible things to happen to only a select few people in my life, and watching those horrible things happen to Trump has been delightful -- which isn't precisely a Christian attitude. My head hurts.
Okay, yes, no, and no.
Based on the SME’s I’ve seen SARS-CoV-2 will be around in one variant or another for the balance of our lives, though between Darwin and the deep blue sea the unvaxxed and unwashed are growing fewer every day.
I will be getting progressively more behind on gardening, and unfortunately also finding it too hot for me easily to make myself go out and work on it.
I think I'm going to run out of home projects soon. I've already run out of money to do them but I just keep adding to the list.
Nostadamus, I'm not. Nor am I Pollyanna. So take this all with a huge grain of salt. But here's how I see July:
1. Infection rates and hospitalizations will be down, but another variant will be circulating, which means...
2. Anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers will ramp up their disinformation/misinformation campaign even more, leading to...
3. An even wider political gap in this country. So...
4. Trump will not be in prison, DC politicians will continue to get nothing done, and...
5. The GOP will win big in the mid-term elections (but that's not until November).
(I told you I'm no Pollyanna!)
You’re a realist. This all sounds entirely plausible.
If indeed Republicans win big in November I don't know that I can bear it.
Ugh.
I want to dispute each of your points… but sadly I find I got nothin’.
It will be 125 degrees in Phoenix. And Tuscaloosa. Brain pans will boil over.
They haven’t already?
Kinduva layup, wasn't it? :)
There is always superglue too!
Thank you for the giggle.
In July I will be eating at my favorite local places again, at a table on the sidewalk in one case, on the patio in the other case. My local concert venue will be back out on the deck in their parking lot. I will not be birding in Scotland, but I may be birding in Maine for a few days again like last year.
Will Trump -- any of them -- be in prison? Well, Bernie Madoff went to prison. Leona Helmsley went to prison. Martha Stewart went to prison over a paltry $40,000. Michael Milken went to prison -- put there by Rudy Giuliani, according to Forbes. In ordinary times, yes, one or more of the Trump cartel would be serving time. But that would ramp up the martyr factor many orders of magnitude. Trump was the reason for the January 6th Insurrection, but he didn't plan and coordinate it. Those people are still loose -- Roger Stone, Steve Bannon, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jim Jordan, etc. They'll do it again, and they won't make so many mistakes next time.
I believe that band will continue their crappy attempts at democracy-crushing so that they will be easier to catch. This isn’t vengeance talking. They deserve jail and nothing more. But birding? Sounds lovely, as does the concert-going.
Where do you recommend birding in Maine?
I went with CT Audubon. Mainly we went in and around Acadia National Park.
The wheels of justice turn slowly while the weather seems to change by the minute. I think we will have some forms of covid until we can develop herd immunity. The only thing I can speculate on is that I will need bigger and bigger rolls of duct tape to keep myself together as I age.
Ha. And safety pins, for pulling up the skin that hangs around my eyes.
I pray to God that Trump will be in jail. Justice is moving at a snail’s pace.
I appreciate that the wheels of justice turn slowly...no. I'm lying. In this case, I want them to whirl like a propeller.
Warmer. Over the last several years, I've slowly adjusted to living in the unpredictable. I expect that way of being to continue into July.
I always score introvert on this tests so my reaction has been different. The isolation is hard but not as much of I was more of a people person. (I mean, I LIKE people but not all at once.) I cannot imagine doing this otherwise. Amen to the grasp-loosening. This is far longer than I anticipated or planned for.