Hi yes hello! I went on a break, as forewarned, because it’s all so clear that we’re in for AT LEAST another month of this and daily updates were getting daunting. Plus? Quite honestly? Doing a daily analysis of this mess was an extra damper on the already devastating reality. So I opted to pull back to weekly updates with random stories intermixed as they hit. Baaaasically, a slow shift back to the intended K Studies style. Whatta journey.
WFH in Action
So the second half of last week featured me in my dev hat again to work on a Python script for JIRA and PowerPoint antics. That means that I was head down in code and thus didn’t feel the impact of the WFH ordeal quite like other days. Even so, we’re two weeks into this WFH fun and I’m still appreciating the dynamics. I thought perhaps the excitement and change of scenery would wear off, but I’m finding my stride and liking this ability to multitask more than I would at the office. I feel like I can work the way I need to work instead of assimilating to an assumed norm. ::y’know, the stuff I talk about for years in terms of why WFH opens doors to lots more people:: I’ll resist that tangent 🙂 TL;DR WFH is solid. I love it.
COVID-19 Latest
Now for the daunting part.
As of Day 9’s post, Monroe County was up to 106 confirmed cases and three deaths. Today, we’re up to 257 confirmed cases and eight deaths. As for NY as a whole, we’re still the epicenter of the virus and surpassed 1,000 deaths these past couple of days. That said, I believe we’re also the state that’s pushing for the most testing. Combine that with our densely-packed city and voila! 10X the infection rate versus other states. Super messy.
Governor Cuomo is still doing a solid job of informing the public, even though I think we could be stricter in our mandates. Still in the PAUSE routine and parks are still not quite shut down, as one example of public spaces that still allow people. At the same time, I appreciate that he’s attempting to balance that line between over- and underreacting. Table flipping a city like NYC would be devastating in and of itself. We’ll see what the next days bring, though, as people are definitely not as diligent about this virus as they can be. At the end of the day, a hard hit might be the only way to shut this virus down. Maybe. Whew so hard to tell what’s best right now.
Other updates: Cuomo pushed the school return date to April 15th and Trump nudged the CDC(or someone pushed this) to extend a domestic travel advisory through the end of April. Another month, kiddos! Now the “fun” part…
Lessons and Predictions
This is gonna blow past April 15th, just saying. Of course, I want to be super wrong, but I Just don’t see the possibility when the apex is due in the next two weeks. So much room for the virus to spread and loop again. I’d much rather hold off on any further statements about the “when” until we’re past the next two weeks.
So many lessons, too. I’m too zonked to go into deep details on ’em, but Trump is facing hell for having the My Pillow guy on his presser today, comparing his presser “ratings” to reality TV, and FOX is eyeing some potential lawsuits now that people can see how hard they downplayed this whole situation. Bust out the popcorn. Plenty more to come.
Another intriguing detail is the slow shift in seriousness across the states. Take, for instance, the fact that a megachurch pastor in Tampa Bay, Florida, got arrested for his 2-day congregation. I’ve been watching how places of worship and massive gatherings contribute to the spread of COVID-19, Louisiana being a latest example, but try to counter the negative lens with a positive one: Christian organization, Samaritan’s Purse, sets up large, emergency field in Central Park in NYC. We all know my tendency to be critical of religious organizations, but I’m desperate for some positive scenarios at this point. Plus, every little bit counts right now while this apex gets preps for a hard landing. Whew.
Let’s see what the next couple days brings us.
On a completely random note, I watched Portrait of a Lady on Fire and found that it was a wonderful catalyst to a cathartic cry. I’m not one to cry when overwhelmed with fear; instead, I go into a hyper analysis mode (hence the past weeks of this fun!). But, having something evoke a good, solid cry like that movie did was just what I needed (I guess?!) and thus I highly recommend it. Plus, it’s just freakin’ gorgeous. Such an intentional film. K stopping myself from rambling about it!
No snarky note this time. Roll with the punches, people.
