So here’s a bit of what I’m up to lately, or, rather, what the Actuary family has been doing. Regular readers will know that I gripe about my parish regularly – that too many parishioners are passive and figure that “nothing can be done,” or avail themselves of the greater level of involvement at the neighboring “competitor” parish. And the same appeared to be proving true when it came to outreach and ministries as a result of the shut-down: other... Read more
Is hydroxychloroquine an effective treatment for COVID-19*? Are ventilators effective in treating patients as the disease worsens? Why are African-Americans dying in greater numbers? Let’s talk science. How many times have you heard the phrase “the science is settled”? That’s been repeated endlessly with respect to climate change, but, in fact, the reality of science is that it is never settled. Many years ago, as a student of history, I had a class in “historiography” in which the professor aimed... Read more
Schools are closed. Depending on what part of the country you’re in, they’re closed ’til April 30, or closed for the rest of the year, or nominally closed til April whatever-th but, let’s face it, that’s gonna be extended. And depending on the school district, the kids are doing “e-learning,” or they’re working on workbooks with parental guidance, or neither of the above. And depending on the family situation, they’re being supervised/nagged by parents, being directly instructed by those parents,... Read more
So when I last visited this blogging editor, I complained about people making accusations of “euthanasia” towards others who worried about the economic impacts of our response to COVID-19. As time passes, I continue to worry, and my concerns increase, about the economic impact of our COVID response. You probably know the drill: projections of chaos in hospitals, of old folks being denied ventilators, of patients being triaged, and worse, are not coming to pass. Elective surgeries have been cancelled... Read more
So earlier today, I dropped off my first batch of fabric face masks to the assisted living community where my parents live, and thought about the fact that, only a bit over a year ago, they were living in their longtime home, going out to restaurants or getting take-out, going out to the grocery store, and so on. How much less are they at risk of COVID-19 because they now have their meals prepared for them and no longer need... Read more
“A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged by reality” — Irving Kristol. “If you’re not a liberal at twenty you have no heart; if you’re not a conservative at forty you have no brain.” — unknown. Folks, the stimulus/relief bill I wrote about earlier this week finally passed, in its somewhat less pork-laden Senate version. And at the time I was so angry about the Democratic wishlist provisions of the House bill ($15 minimum wage, board representation by... Read more
Here’s the latest on the stimulus/relief bill making its way through Congress: Democratic lawmakers are blocking the stimulus bill proposed in Congress, slamming their Republican colleagues for refusing to include reparations for transgender Native Americans affected by climate change. “If we aren’t handing billions of dollars to Native Americans with gender dysphoria displaced by our current climate emergency, then what are we even doing here?” shouted Chuck Schumer in a scathing speech outside the Capitol Building. “The American people are... Read more
Just a couple thoughts and an invitation to discussion: First, the first “relief” bill has already been passed — it offers 2 weeks paid sick leave to everyone, and a total of 12 weeks at 2/3rds pay for parents whose kids are home from school or daycare. There are a couple quirks. First, it only provides benefits (federal benefits paid through a mechanism of refundable, advanced tax credits to employers) to workers at companies with fewer than 500 employees. This... Read more
Folks, I am now convinced that we should all be making — and wearing — facemasks. Here are some links, which I will be updating as I see more: Why? A New York Times article which says that the US took a strategy of discouraging masks, in order to protect the supply for healthcare workers, when the reality is that mask-wearking by the general public is one part of the general strategy of those Asian countries which have controlled Coronavirus/COVID-19:... Read more
I have a sewing machine. Regular readers will know that I lament not being able to put it to good use very often, especially as my days of making homemade Halloween costumes are over. Periodically I contemplate actually putting into action the maybe-someday offer of making a cosplay costume for a friend who cosplays, but it’s logistically challenging as said friend lives in another city and we only really know each other through a Facebook group. And I periodically contemplate... Read more
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