Update no.1001

 Update from the Sunland

No.1001

15.3.21 – 21.3.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

The Update has had a few thin editions in the past, but this will be the thinnest of them all.  So far, President Biden is delivering what I wanted—peace and stability.  No insults, no grotesque misstatements, no tweets, no firings, no ridiculous conspiracy theories, no nonsense.  His administration is achieving more than I expected and delivering on the objectives he set out during the campaign.  I like what he is doing in fighting the pandemic, but we have a long way to go with so many Americans defying the guidelines and refusing inoculation.  He has become the Herculean effort to mend fences with our allies and quietly served notice to the dictators that the lovey-dovey ridiculousness of the last administration is no more.  Most of all, he is acting presidential.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.1000:

“Good day young man plus 1000 blogs!

“You mention the loss of contributors to the blog.  Yes, I agree with you from my own experience of life.  The team I use to speak to our local schools re remembrance used to consist of former National Servicemen, (Call ups) WW2 soldiers, full time servicemen and me!  Now it’s only me!

“We used to speak to hundreds of students which I wish to keep doing so I need a cunning recruiting plan Cap!  With your different experience I’d like to have you on the team.  Make a booking!”

My reply:

Yep, milestone passed.

It is a sad fact of life.  Death comes to us all.  It seems my primary job these days is pushing that inevitability out as far as I can.

Bless you for all you do for veterans, my friend.  Hopefully, the younger generation will pick up the lance in time.

I would love to join your team in speaking to students and young folks, to help them appreciate the gratification found in service and the significance of history.  We’re still talking about a trip to the Motherland when travel is permitted, again.  Middle son is actually planning a trip for his family to visit the place where we lived when I worked and they went to school in England.  Go figure!

We get our second dose next week, so progress by jerks.

 . . . Round two:

“That all sounds good Cap-keep smiling.  This summer could well be our third without an overseas holiday, normally a night in Belgium with a RAF friend’s family, he was an air traffic controller and still does that work.  Then a night or two in Bavaria and then onto Austria and Veneto.  Magic.  Never mind it has been done many times and my Italian only amounts to ‘two beers please.’”

 . . . my reply to round two:

Oh my, I suspect your Italian proficiency is better than you portray, my friend.  While there are and will be bumps in the road, I do believe we are making headway against the pandemic.  We will overcome; it is only a matter of time and perseverance.  The surge in Europe is not a positive sign, but I suppose it is understandable.  We let up restrictions too quickly; we get a surge in infections.  We get our 2^nd dose next week.

 . . . round three:

“2^nd dose! Excellent.  We have another three weeks waiting for that but we’ve had our first of course so ‘all’s well’.  And yes, ‘it will end well’. We’ve started on planning 100 years of the RBL due in May.  We’re planning an event with our parish council financial support.  There will be several meetings to bang that on the head!

“OK mate must move on.

“Don’t worry about us Brits and enjoy the sunshine-they tell me it’s a large yellow glowing lump in the sky.”

 . . . my reply to round three:

A week from today for us.  We will do our part to beat this pandemic.  Now, we just need to get more American citizens vaccinated.

Congratulations on the approach anniversary of RBL.  I am certain you will find success in fund raising for the celebration.  All such organizations need fresh, young blood to remain vital.  Good luck.

I suspect the British nation is in better shape than the American nation, but I still fret about the future.

Clear skies and warming temps here.  Almost time to jump back in the pool.  LOL

 

Comment to the Blog:

“Congratulations on your milestone.  I'm sure it's been an interesting trip.

“I have noted that blogs in general are in decline. “Vlogs” such as YouTube and podcasts seem to be gaining favor.

“The DNC actors (Biden) don’t understand (or don’t want to understand) that the Republicans are committed to the Republicans.  The DNC wastes valuable time and political capital trying to get GOP help.  They should respond to polling on issues.

“The ‘For the People Act’ includes many useful election improvements and also some poison pills for smaller parties.  Those involve qualifying for the funds and how the matches work.

“I look forward to ending the virus restrictions, particularly unmasking.  We're having severe mental health results of those restrictions, such as our doubled homicide rate here in Columbus.  Also, I have a personal malfunction with my nose and the masks.  The widely advertised exemptions to the mask order are not occurring in reality.

“Most nations have discarded royalty.  That’s actual progress.  I don’t care what the British ones do.”

My response to the Blog:

The time change passed without observance.  Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, and I am grateful. Hopefully, you made the transition without difficulty.

Thank you.  Yes, it has been an interesting trip and continues to be so.

Perhaps so.  I cannot imagine making that transition.  I will stick with writing, which I enjoy doing – the process.

Again, perhaps so.  Nonetheless, I laud President Biden for making the attempt and expending the effort.  It is the correct thing to do.  We need debate, negotiation and compromise.  I do believe they are responding to We, the People.  The majority of our citizens support the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and other reforms on the president’s agenda.  So far, I support what President Biden is doing and how he is doing it.  He is acting as a president should.  As the BICP believers persist in their efforts of division, regression, and oppression, they will dig themselves deeper and deeper into irrelevance.

While I cannot say the For the People Act is the reform we need, it is certainly better than what we have now and especially better than where the BICP is trying to take us.  They are being exposed for what they are.  White supremacy movements, xenophobia, homophobia, and all of the other divisions of hate espoused by the BICP have no place in this hopefully returning grand republic.

You are not alone, my friend.  Your difficulties may be unique, but the general consequences of the pandemic constraints are shared by many.  We get our second dose next week; it will be good to pass that milestone.  We look forward to the day we can step out onto the brighter sunlit uplands.  This too shall pass.

Intellectually, I have always resisted the notion of superiority by birth whether royalty or the dreadful caste system in India.  Likewise, I reject the exceptionalism of wealth.  Money is just another form of royalty.

 . . . Round two:

“A thousand essays on all manner of issues is a lot of good work.  Duly noted, at least.

“I’m ‘out of sync’ due to the time change.  Others have more stress.

“I could imagine doing a podcast, because I enjoy extemporaneous/spontaneous discussion, but it would take real preparation.

“‘Debate, negotiation and compromise’ are not available.  The Republican Party will have its way or no way.  Let’s carry out the will of the people rather than try to pacify the hateful.  Also, the value of compromise is itself debatable as our national issues deepen into multiple crises. 

“All things pass in time.  In the meantime, the restrictions are fatal to many and harmful to most.

“That’s an excellent point about the exceptionalism of wealth, but the British Royals get more media attention than they deserve.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Thanks, mate.  Appreciation is the icing on the cake.

You will adapt in a few days.  I like living in a no-DST state.

Yeah . . . a lot more preparation . . . plus I’d have to put clothes on—a non-starter.  LOL

You may well be correct.  Certainly, the current body of evidence suggests you are spot on correct.  However, the non-aligned, non-tribal, independent in my political thinking says it is worth a valiant attempt.  The BICP (GOP) recognizes reality; they are a minority and a diminishing minority at that.  These are the gasping death throes of a dying political party.  Rather than adapt to the changing world around them, they are becoming progressively more desperate to invoke Jim Crow laws just like white supremacist Southern Democrats did a century ago.  That is exactly why I think HR.1, as incomplete and flawed as it is, must be considered essential.  Jim Crow was not acceptable a century ago; it is most emphatically not acceptable today.  The BICP (GOP) refuse to adapt, let them reap the whirlwind.  I hold very little sympathy for that tribe.

I cannot argue with your assessment of the harmfulness of the pandemic restrictions.  What do you propose to relieve the stress?

The British do put on a great show, and I enjoy a good show.  They also represent a lot of history.

 . . . Round three:

“If the Republicans decline as we expect and H.R. 1 makes fundraising difficult for smaller parties, that leaves us with one party.  The Democrats have a better presentation than the Republicans, but I still don't want a one-party government.

“To relieve the consequences of the restrictions, we should first admit that the masks that don't meet at least the N95 standard have essentially no value.  Then we could focus on viral loading, which would lead to treating the rest of the hotspots.  However, time and the vaccines have led to a reduction in new cases, if the numbers are credible.  Sooner or later, the restrictions will go away or simply be ignored.”

 . . . my response to round three:

I trust you have recovered from your tardiness.  LOL

You are, of course, spot on correct.  A one-party political system is one step short of dictatorship and autocracy no matter who it is.  I have not yet seen the language in HR.1 that would make it more difficult for smaller political parties to raise campaign funds; I’ll keep looking.

Any mask is better than no mask.  Remember, the object of a facial mask is to attenuate spittle (that carries the virus) expelled by an individual shouting, singing, or even just speaking.  Yes, we will eventually beat this pandemic.  A friend actually suggested masks might not ever go away; dread the thought.  Nonetheless, when we encounter another airborne virus or pathogen, masks must return.

 . . . Round four:

“The virus is an airborne species in the micron-size range.  Based on my asthma experience with particles in that range, my comment stands.  Remember that most of those ‘experts’ on TV are presenting their speculation via graphics anyone could create.”

 . . . my response to round four:

Yes, it is, but it is not self-propelled.  It is carried by saliva and other oral/nasal fluids.  Let us keep things in perspective.

 . . . Round five:

“The New York Times this morning has an article (their "Morning" column) on perspective about the virus.  It seems both Republicans and Democrats have distorted perspectives on this one.  (Big surprise, huh?)”

 . . . my response to round five:

Nope, no surprise.  The distortions among Democrats are far less injurious than the distortions among the BICP (GOP).  We can filter out President Biden’s “positive thinking.”  The distortions by the [person who shall no longer be named] are far more injurious; it can be easily argued his inaction, indifference and outright subterfuge killed the majority of the half of a million American fatalities so far.

 . . . Round six:

“I suppose the Democrats believe their distortions do less harm.  I'm sure the Republicans feel the same way about theirs.”

 . . . my response to round six:

Perhaps so; that is the nature of tribalism.

I was trying to observe both tribes in an objective manner.  I am not in favor of either BICP (GOP) or Democrat tribes.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)