Fear the walking dead..?

America, and presumably most of the industrialized world is locked down because of the risk of covid-19. It's been just about 40 days since most states imposed restrictions. Much global commerce has come to a halt and as you might predict, as resources begin to become more limited, people are beginning to turn on one another like rats in a cage or fledglings in a nest. Human society is a product of the natural world and nature is nothing if not Darwinian. 

Yonder come the Zombies

It's natural for people to panic in the face of losing their jobs, unpaid rent, empty store shelves. I would have thought it would take a bit longer than five weeks, but it seems that's about the limit of the patience of a large portion of America's citizens. The greatest generation this is not. People are beginning to protest government's limitations on commercial and personal activities, though the protests seem to be more politically opportunistic than genuine. Let's just say there are a lot of red hats in the crowds.

Covid-19 stats for the DC area 04/25/2020

Many of us, a majority according to the polls, support the limitations imposed primarily by governors across the country (the federal government stages daily dog and pony shows, but doesn't seem to actually have a national public health policy of any consequence - other than maybe injecting people with Lysol or somehow irradiating them with UV rays). But clearly, concern for the health and well being of our fellow citizens is not the highest priority for all of us...

I have tried over the years to keep an open mind and respect the views of people with whom I disagree, but despite my best efforts it is getting substantially more difficult. I understand there's a significant part of our population who feel increasingly left out of our nation's natural evolution, or nature's evolution for that matter. I sympathize. Who wouldn't want to be a white man in the immediate post-war era, even though it was always a myth? Who wouldn't want to live in some Archie Bunker America that certainly never existed wherein everybody was happy and prosperous and free?

Oh, that's what's wrong with you - you're a Nazi...

What the hell's wrong with you, White Man?

There's always been a nostalgia for a mythical past and I get that. I suppose our founders' choice to base our entire nation's government and official architecture on an idyllic vision of ancient Athens fits that description. But something there is about the conservative mind that seems to make it particularly prone to the kind of self-delusion and reality-free fantasy of some Dick and Jane world that if it existed, only did so on the backs of minorities and women who, trust me, were not enjoying it nearly so much.

Once you've abandoned facts as the basis of history, I guess it's only natural to create a fictional now in which Nancy Pelosi conspires with Chinese scientists working in a North Carolina lab to unleash a virus that may be deadly (or harmless) in order to destroy capitalism and enslave the American people. But at least the disease can be cured by shining sunlight inside our bodies and/or injecting them with disinfectant.

Look, if to maintain your worldview you have to disbelieve observable fact, distrust all authority and internalize all manner of laughable conspiracy theories, there's something wrong with your world view. Democracy is always a battle of ideas. It should be hard fought to force us to grapple with a range of issues and possible solutions. But it shouldn't be a battle over whether or not objective truth is real.   

The next normal

US deaths reported per day

I don't even remember how long it's been since our routine was disrupted. Three weeks? A month? Something like that. For a lot of people are being seriously impacted by this pandemic, and not only the poor souls who've actually contracted the virus. Millions suddenly find themselves out of work, and the longer the "lockdown" goes on, the more will find themselves falling on hard times. It's possible this will make the Great Depression pale in comparison, though it's too soon to tell.

Having said that...

A funny thing happened on the way to the end of the world. Forced to work at home rather than getting in cars, buses, trains and airplanes to get to work, millions of people have significantly reduced the pollution they typically produce. And we're using less electricity. Weird, isn't it? Our economy has to crash in order to improve our environment. Economic productivity, at least as we currently practice it, is clearly correlated to the degradation of the very air we breath. I guess that explains why it's so damn hard for our leaders to agree to set and attain targets for reducing the damage we do to the planet.

There's something in this experience that could teach us something about other ways to work - yes, most meetings are unnecessary or can be done perfectly well via teleconference. To play - how about a family bike ride through the neighborhood instead a drive to some commercial fun park? And even to eat - no commercially produced yeast? Learn how to make your own sourdough. Maybe we can re-learn some of what were basic skills for our grandparents and embrace the simple pleasures that make life feel worthwhile and don't require the endless acquisition and consumption and waste of ever greater quantities of pointless consumer products.

DC, MD and VA covid-19 statistics for April 15, 2020

When the pandemic subsides, what will be changed? Will we have learned anything? Will we have reassessed the way we live, learned to appreciate what we have, made adjustments to live more sane, appreciative, sustainable lives? Will we have seen that baking bread or tending the garden with our families or along is more fulfilling than going to meetings, writing reports and shopping online? Or will we just go back to business as usual; get back into our cars and drive to the office, fly to the conference, take prosperity and our health for granted? Will we just continue down the rabbit hole of digitally mediated consumerism and impersonal social detachment? Don't fool yourself; we were already practicing "social distancing" through our mobile devices and "social" media. Will any of us take this opportunity to embrace healthier, happier lifestyles and a better way of living?

And lest you presume I'm some sort of self-righteous scold lecturing from my holier than though keyboard, I'll point out that nobody reads this blog, so this message is really just to myself. I am processing these lessons, asking myself these questions and wondering if I can embrace this opportunity. I realize that I view this all from the perspective of privilege. I am a white collar knowledge worker who only needs a laptop and a cell phone to earn a salary higher than the income of the average American family of four.

I know that many people are struggling and just want to get back to work and school and have things return to "normal". But this is a pivotal moment in our societal evolution, and I very much hope we can make the most, or at least something valuable come of it. And I hope those of us who are passing through this from a position of privilege consider what it's like for those who are struggling and think about how we can forge a more equitable culture that recognizes the contributions of all our citizens and values rich, diverse community over profit and personal gain. 

The choice is ours. We've been handed a stark reminder that most of our daily activities, at least in the Western world are frivolous or at best optional. Deprived of physical human contact and freedom of movement, in some cases having lost people to this virus, we've been reminded of what's really important. Or should have been anyway. So what are we going to do about it?

The cruellest month

From the back yard - Dogwood, Cherokee Brave

I initially thought of this coronavirus virus pandemic as somehow antithetical to the lovely Spring weather we're having here in the national capital region. You know, disease and death all around while flowers bloom and abundant life returns to the land. Contradictory, no? Well, no, it isn't contradictory. Just a little egocentric perhaps.

Think about it from the virus' view point. It's just an organism that's trying to perpetuate the survival of its species, like all organisms. Find food, shelter, a cozy place to grow and thrive. Lots of things we don't like are very successful survivors - ants, cancer, reality shows.

Our current coronavirus, the cause of the illness known as Covid-19, seems to have hit upon a pretty successful survival strategy. It has managed to spread around the world in just a few short months, finding a seemingly inexhaustible supply of food and shelter (that is, human bodies). It took our species millennia, even millions of years to do that. Like cockroaches and Asian tourists, this virus looks unstoppable. You've got at least to respect the shear persistence and tenacity of it.

From Today's Washington Post

We're doing more or less the same thing to the planet. We thought our population could just continue to expand and grow indefinitely, devouring the planet's resources as if they were limitless. But the Earth may have some defenses too, just as our bodies do.

Maybe the coronavirus is one the planet's ways of defending itself against a destructive parasite - humanity. Maybe the ecosystem is a self-regulating organism which, though slow, has the ability to adjust to threats and defend against them.

Maybe earth will exterminate us by sending waves of natural disasters and disease at us. Maybe it will just allow the biosphere to become uninhabitable by our execrable, invasive species so that we all die and go away. Or maybe, just maybe, our gorgeous self-correcting system of a planet will find some sort of balance where the virus will kill just enough of us to protect itself from our voracious appetite. Maybe.

I don't believe in grand intent, but I would love to believe there could be undiscovered natural laws that govern such things. Something like the law of conservation of energy that maintains a balance between life and its own tendency to self-destruct. I sure would like to think there's such a thing. I don't see any evidence of it, but who knows? Otherwise, if left to our own devices, it's looking increasingly like our species is gonna have a pretty bad time in the coming days.  

Of course, what seems inexhaustible never is. The virus will eventually run its course, killing some of the hosts and having most of them develop immunity. It will have to mutate and evolve if it wants to survive, adapting to humanity's ability to create antibodies and ultimately medicines that limit its success. I suspect humans will adapt to the earth's limitations and protective capabilities too. At least I'd like to hope so. In both cases, there will probably be a lot of death in the process.

Today's count

On the beaten path

April 5, 2020 Covid-19 statistics

NextDoor.com posting

The NextDoor.com Public Plea to Joggers/Cyclists, asking us to wear masks and keep six feet from the oblivious pedestrians lollygagging along our neighborhood's many "bike paths", has generated 96 comments so far. Now cyclists, typically considered a mere nuisance, are being accused of negligent homicide via inadvertent biological warfare. I can only presume she wrote a similar plea to motorists asking them to wear masks when the windows of their cars are open.

People are scared, but come on. Wear a mask while running or cycling? Only someone who had never done it could even think such a thing.

I understand that non-cyclists resent the spandex crowd, and for good reason. Many cyclists, like many humans of all types, are assholes. They put on their "pro kit" and head out on the multi-use paths intent on winning Strava segments or improving personal records, or whatever race fantasy they have. That's wrong and stupid and they should rightfully be scorned for it.

But while the Cat 6 racers are too often the public face of "cyclists" most of us are just normal people trying to get somewhere or get a little healthy exercise, or both. We aren't trying to scare or hurt anyone, and we don't "come out of nowhere". We were somewhere before, now we are near you, then we go somewhere else. Pedestrians think cyclists "come out of nowhere" because bicycles are quiet and pedestrians aren't paying attention. They have no situational awareness and they don't think they bear any responsibility for their behavior as they are walking or pushing a stroller or letting their fucking dogs piss and shit all over places other than their own goddamn property.

Multi-use paths are part of our transportation infrastructure, just like roads and sidewalks. They are generally about 10 feet wide, expected to support two-way traffic. That's 5 feet on each side for those of you following along - impossible to get the recommended 6 feet away from others without veering into oncoming traffic. So most paths are not a good place for congregating and it's impossible to practice "social distancing" in such a place.

The speed limit on shared use paths in Maryland is 15 MPH unless posted otherwise. In a car that seems painfully slow, but to someone walking two miles per hour, that seems blazing fast. And a 175 pound man moving 15 MPH is indeed a pretty imposing object. But if a cyclist is paying attention, obeying the rules and employing at least of modicum of common courtesy, they are not dangerous. We are not a problem. In most cases the biggest problem on paths is the walkers, futzing with their cell phones, oblivious to their surroundings, meandering all over the very narrow strip of asphalt as though they are the ONLY users. They're not, any more than pedestrians and cyclists are the only users of roads. You have a right to be there, but you realize you're one of many diverse users of the trail and have a responsibility to at least pay attention.

Maryland Share-Use Path design guideline

I'm particularly sensitive about this issue because my home is adjacent to an extremely popular multi-use path. When I bought the house I was thrilled to be by the path - I have immediate access to a major car-free route to the heart of our highly walk-able community. I can stroll or cycle to two grocery stores, the local public library, movie and performing arts theaters and a huge assortment of restaurants, shops and services.

For the most part I still feel very positive about living next to the path. We get to see our neighbors as they go about their lives, trundling back and forth to the store or going out to dinner, having a run, heading out on a bike to the park. It's not exactly Mayberry, but it's common to chat with our fellow citizens which really makes our corner of the block feel a little less anonymous than most places we've lived. People bring their kids here to teach them to ride bikes and roller skates in a safe, car-free block. The path and the slim green space along parts of its periphery tends to invite people to pause to chat and catch up with each other as they go about their lives. It's really nice.

But there are definite annoying aspects to being path adjacent. Most are provided by our so-called neighbors, the kind of self-righteous bastards who would buy a dog, put him on a leash and march him to somebody else's home to urinate and defecate. And among the many users of the path, they are the ones who act the most entitled. It's probably a defense mechanism - they know they are splashing dog piss all over public land or other peoples' homes, and when confronted they often react by adopting an extraordinarily defensive posture. I've had a woman actually tell me, no he's not while a shit log was literally dangling from her dog's ass. I've had a man tell me to fuck off while his dog was digging in my landscaping. I can only presume they have some semblance of a conscience and when their lack of consideration is called out, they respond with the psychological equivalent of fight or flight. Hard to run when your dog is hunched over in mid squat, so telling the person whose home you are treating like a toilet to fuck off is probably your only recourse. Aside from apologizing for acting like an oblivious jerk.

And picking up their little bags of shit is a constant chore. Makes me want to call Wade Blasingame.

How anyone carrying a literal bag of shit can look down their noses at anyone else, much less demand other citizens show them respect, is utterly beyond me. If you don't like cars, get off the road. If you don't like cyclists, get off the bike paths. If you don't like feces in your yard, don't buy a dog. And if these self-righteous path police want me, the guy who picks up their dog shit and repairs the damage to the landscaping done by their pets and undisciplined children, to wear a mask when I'm cycling... well...