May 27, 2020--Mike Stevens: Empty Calendar Depression

Take a look at the email exchange I had recently with a good Maine friend, Mike Stevens. It's about, what else, aging. It begins with my note to him--

To Mike

Word filtered all the way to the Epicenter, New York City, that you have or had something with which I am all too familiar-- diverticulitis  I hope that for you it's in the past tense as I know it can be wicked unpleasant. And I hope you have been otherwise well and are enjoying the reemergence of spring.

Spring with the virus. 

I could take a pass on that combination. We all could. But in truth living here in New York City in a version of quarantine the past 3-4 months isn't so different from the way we normally live our lives. So for us, we are blessed, it has been more inconvenient than perilous. Though we have lost a few friends and family members. 

Illness and death thus feel pervasive even though we continue to feel well. It takes someone much smarter than me to figure it out, to make sense of it. Assuming that is in fact possible.

As I mentioned, I hope you are OK  and that you and Mary have been doing as well as possible.

We do not as yet have firm Maine plans. We had been hearing, though not universally, that as "people from away" we will not be welcomed. As we do not want to affront anyone, we have to think about the right way to make plans to live a version of our traditional Maine lives.

But we hope to figure it out. One thing that would certainly be nice would be the chance to see you both.

From Mike to Steven--

Hi Steven

    

Thanks for checking in.  It took a long time, but I am now recovered from the diverticulitis.  It was not fun!  I still find my energy level is a little low, but I am basically fine.

     

Like you two, Mary an I are finding we do not spend our days in ways that are terribly different from the usual.  We feel very fortunate to have such a pleasant place to stay at home in.  I do, though, complain a little about “empty calendar depression.”  

Usually I ask Mary each evening, “What’s on the calendar for tomorrow?”  She checks and often mentions a meeting or an appointment or a get-together with friends.  Now it’s always, “Nothing.” Hardly a reason to get up the next morning. 

    

Still, unlike you, we have lost no family members or friends to the virus, so we count ourselves lucky.  You have our sympathy.  I find myself yearning for someone who would unify us all in a time of mourning, but we seem sadly lacking in national leadership these days.

    

Out of staters are beginning to make their way back to Maine.  If you are willing to observe the governor’s request that you observe a two-week quarantine when you get here, I think you would be welcome. Year-round residents appreciate that effort.  

We would be happy to help by delivering groceries and any other necessary supplies to your house once you arrive.  We’re good at social distancing.

    

Again, thanks for being in touch.             

Peace!

May 20, 2020: Perchance to Dream

Rona said, "If you want to sleep through the night, don't talk about COVID-19 after 8:00."

I hadn't been sleeping well. That is not new.  It is not unusual for me to wake up with a jolt at 4:00 a.m. and though I try to get back to sleep frequently it is to no avail.

With ear buds, seeking distraction, on the radio, I listen to late night talk shows but for the most part they rant about the pandemic and how it was caused by a conspiracy that somehow involves Barack Obama and Bill Gates with one or the other of them also the Antichrist. 

Some distraction!

Rona said, "The other night one of your ear buds popped out and I could hear what you were listening to--a doctor of some sort who was talking about doing radiosurgery on someone's prostate."

I remembered that. Dr. Lederman. He's on the radio frequently during the middle of the night.

"With that blasting in your ears it's a wonder you can sleep at all."

I knew she was right, but I've been doing this for decades and am addicted to middle-of-the-night radio. Sometimes there's a baseball game to listen to, but not this year.

"I know that . . ."

"You need to try to stop this. With everything going on in the world, you don't need more aggravation. You're making yourself crazy and soon you'll be making yourself sick."

"I know . . ." 

"One thing you can do immediately is stop talking about COVID after 8:00. Maybe that would help. You're already taking Zoloft and I'm not comfortable adding a sleeping pill to the mix of your meds." I shrugged, beginning to feel hopeless. 

Rona said, "It's nearly eight o'clock now so why don't we start tonight? I won't let you draw me into a discussion about Trump and the pandemic. That also should help you sleep through the night."

I agreed and less than an hour later we went upstairs to watch some mindless TV before letting ourselves fall asleep. 

That night I woke up for good at 3 a.m., a little better than my usual, but still I knew it would lead to an agitated day.

The next night over dinner, we talked about Rona's city garden, not a word passed between us about the virus. And thus I expected to have some uninterrupted sleep. 

That was not to be.

Though I fell asleep a little past midnight, and that should have launched me into at least a decent night's sleep, by four I was wide awake, waiting for "Morning Joe" to go on the air. I was slipping backwards and losing my motivation to keep experimenting.

The next night, breaking all the rules that just a few days had me feeling optimistic, at about 9:30, as if out of the blue, I asked Rona to summarize for me the two types of tests they give people who they suspect might have COVID.

"The first one is the swab test," Rona said. "It can tell if you actively have the virus, the other one is a blood test and it . . ."

She broke off and punched the mattress. "I can't believe this. After talking about this an hour ago and agreeing we would not allow ourselves to talk about the virus after 8:00, here I am," she smacked the bed again, "here I am doing just that. Talking about it. You've turned me into your enabler. I'm sure Dr. Lederman and his prostate machine are waiting for you."

Rona was right in everything she felt and said.

Weakly I said, "But everything you've been saying about it tonight has been very interesting. I learned a lot. And . . . "

"I give up." Rona said, and with that she turned out her light and rolled onto her side, facing away from me.

At 7:30 am we got out of bed and hugged each other. I tried to apologize. 

Rona said, "Forget about it. I know you're struggling with this."

"I am. I really am. I don't want to be this way. Please, one more time, forgive me. I am trying. I really am."

I knew Rona had heard all this before.

"But one crazy thing," I said with a smile.

"What's that?"

"Like last night when out of nowhere I asked you about the tests, well past eight o'clock, and you began to respond, I assumed I would be lucky to sleep at all. My head would be filled with COVID anxieties. But, maybe I'm going about this the wrong way. Amazingly, I slept very well. No antichrist. No conspiracies. Just beautiful sleep."

"And what are you taking from that?"

"Maybe a little medical talk is not a bad but a good thing?"

"I think I've heard this one previously," Rona said. "But let's give it a try. We don't have much to lose."

And we have for the past few days. And, in spite of myself and my sleep history, I'm feeling optimistic. I'm sleeping quite well.

May 6, 2020--Yellow Peril

The one foolhardy thing Trump has not (yet) tried to distract the public and rescue himself from responsibility for making the coronavirus crisis worse is "wagging the dog."

Traditional wagging the dog involves getting the U.S. military involved in a small scale war against a feeble opponent. All designed to elevate presidents' approval ratings. 

Like the small war in Grenada during Ronald Reagan's administration, in Panama when George H.W. Bush was in office, and in Kosovo when Bill Clinton was president and ensnared in a sex scandal.

As in all such situations the message to the world is that America is not to be messed with. More accurately, President So-In-So is a tough dude and not reluctant to carry and use a big stick. 

He might even be represented as a little crazy and thus extra dangerous. With Kissinger shilling for him, Nixon played that card.

In regard to Trump and wagging, keep an eye not on Iran but China. Yes, China. By no means a feeble opponent.

Then why China?

From even before he was elected it has been apparent that Iran is in Trump's crosshairs. He unilaterally abrogated Barack Obama's deal with them to limit for 15 years their nuclear weapons' program and recently there has been an intensification on both sides of saber rattling.

But this emerging confrontation seems to have calmed since Iran-hawk John Bolton (remember him?) left the Trump Cabinet.

The focus now is preposterously shifting to China. Not just to it's cheating in the acquisition of purloined intellectual property and its unfair trade practices, but also in response to our charging them with the intentional fabrication and spread of COVID-19. 

This, in an effort to shift blame from Trump's inability to limit its impact by attributing it to the "Yellow Peril," the way conservatives and American isolationists during the Cold War in a racist way referred to the Chinese Communists.

Secretary of State Pompeo has been mobilized by Trump to assert that there is "enormous evidence" that the virus "originated" in a lab in Wuhan and to imply to the Chinese leadership that unless they cease this behavior the United States is even prepared for military intervention.

In response the Chinese Foreign Ministry has accused the Trump administration, in their words, of "shirking responsibility for their own epidemic and prevention and control measures and divert public attention."

In other words, classic wag the dog. In this case a very big dog but Trump has a big crisis to wish away and an ego out of control that is bigger than the island of Grenada.

April 2, 2020--Cuomo Time

Anyone paying attention knows what Donald Trump did and didn't do to make the COVID-19 pandemic much worse than it would have been if a more competent and compassionate president had been leading the fight to contain it.

We know he sacked most government workers who had expertise about pandemics, claiming they weren't necessary because, grandiosely, he knew all that was needed to take on global epidemics.  

We know that when he could no longer ignore the signs that a pandemic was heading our way he tried to get away with happy talking Americans to distraction, telling then he was on top of things and very soon it would miraculously disappear.

All the while a number of governors, New York's Andrew Cuomo most prominently, were begging for help with supplies, medical equipment, and protective masks and gowns.

To many, Trump was the villain and the governors were adulated, especially Cuomo who has been so visibly on the case that a number of leading Democrats are hoping that a way can be found to nominate him to run against Trump.

I wish that Trump would disappear from the scene later this afternoon. Actually, in half an hour. 

But is it accurate to blame the failed response to the coronavirus to only Trump and his administration?

My view is it's worse than that--there is much more blame to spread around that it even includes governors such as Andrew Cuomo. 

The entire health care system is to blame: presidents, governors, mayors, and especially hospital and health care administrators. Administrators, not the galant staffs.

The federal government, even a competent one, is not exclusively responsible for assuring that hospitals are adequately equipped to take on medical emergencies. 

Do we expect the federal government to be in charge of hospitals' supply of scrubs, face masks, and sterile gloves? Should we expect the central government to make and store enough ventilators to handle everything heath care workers and institutions require to confront an emergency?

There are of course things that the government is best able to do. For example, deploy hospital ships and field hospitals. And perhaps top off emergency supplies when state resources are overwhelmed as they now are.

Isn't it reasonable to expect individual hospitals and state systems to stock at least 50 percent of the supplies and equipment needed to handle a crisis?

Listening to governor Cuomo and his colleagues it sounds as if they see this to be a federal responsibility. That perhaps FEMA should be in charge of it.

This is not the way our health care system is organized. Perhaps it should be. It is not centrally organized and controlled. I suspect Bernie Sanders would make the case that it should be, but to me, when faced with a pandemic, the buck stops a number of places.

March 30, 2020--TRUMP Care

It is obvious that Trump hates everything associated with Barack Obama. Especially Obamacare.

Not because Trump has problems with what's included in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare's actual name)--I am certain he has no clue about what's in it. But the one thing he does know is that it will always be thought of as Obamacare. 

Ironically, Republicans who hoped it would turn out to be a disaster mockingly labeled it "Obamacare" so the public would forever associate it with Obama's legacy.

Well, they will turn out to be right--the millions covered by Obamacare will always think of it as connected with Obama, the compassionate president who willed it into being.

On the subject of social and political policies named for people, think about the postwar Marshall Plan, named for Truman's secretary of state, George Marshall; think about the Fulbright Fellowship program named for its lead congressional sponsor, Arkansas senator William Fulbright; think about the Nixon Doctrine which articulated a strategy to contain the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe. And of course there is the granddaddy of all doctrines, the Monroe Doctrine, named for president James Monroe, who sought to limit European involvement in the Americas. 

And then there is the aforementioned Obamacare. Different than the generic Medicare and Medicaid. Both could have been named for President Lyndon Johnson--Johnson Care--who was able to get them approved by a reluctant Congress.

On the other hand, in New York City alone there are numerous buildings named for Trump--TRUMP Tower, TRUMP Parc, and TRUMP Plaza. I could go on. And on. 

On all of these properties in huge gilded letters, visible from miles away, we can see the TRUMP name blazoned on the facades. 

(An interesting sidebar--residents of many of these properties have successfully petitioned to have the TRUMP name removed.)

Further, Trump gets malicious pleasure coming up with nasty nicknames for those he opposes or dislikes.

So, among many others, we have Sleepy Joe Biden, Howdy Doody for Pete Buttigieg, and Pocahontas for Elizabeth Warren.

The latest nasty name is the "China Virus." Excoriated for this as racist, Trump has sort of backed off. But he knows his base loves this sort of xenophobia.

But before moving on, I have a suggestion--let's name the COVID-19 virus the TRUMP Virus. 

He's so obsessed with himself that he might actually like this.

March 20, 2020--Coronavirus

I've been wanting to write about COVID-19 but thus far have been unsuccessful.

Everything meaningful seems to have been explored, even what we might learn from Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel, Journal of the Plague Year, which is about the 1665 Bubonic Plague. Quit a bit, actually.

But when reading about the current flu season (as distinguished from COVID-19) I have a few questions. 

I am hesitant to pose them, concerned that I will be viewed as being insensitive or, minimally, not yet ready to go along with the conventional wisdom.

Let me begin by citing a few statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)--

As of yesterday morning in the U.S. there were between 36 and 51 million cases of the 2020 flu.

They have led to between 17 and 24 million medical visits.

In turn, there have been 37,000 to 67,000 hospitalizations.

Tragically, there have been 22,000 to 55,000 deaths.

In regard to the coronavirus, as of yesterday morning there were 10,691 confirmed cases in the U.S.

Of these, 10,424 were so-called "active cases" and 64 (or 1 percent) "serious or critical."

There have thus far been 160 deaths nationwide.

I am not good with numbers and even less adept at statistics. For example, in regard to the 2020 flu data, I do not know why there is such a wide disparity in regard to hospitalizations and deaths. But the comparative numbers between COVID and the basic 2020 flu are stunning enough to cause me to be skeptical about what we have thus far faced and what is ahead of us.

I know I am comparing apples and oranges--the 2020 flu has by now nearly run its course whereas COVID-19 is in its early or mid stages. And the viruses that do the infecting emerged from two very different kinds of pathogens.

But again, in spite of this they are both viruses and the huge difference in the numbers suggests that we should be talking publicly about this as it might contribute to refining our approach to data collecting and reporting and double-check to make sure our health policy is as effectively targeted as possible.

With that said, we should take every precaution that is recommended. It would be irresponsible to behave in any other way.

Still, can those of you who know how to run and understand numbers straighten me out? 

Or is it possible that we as a nation are doing a little overreacting?