1. It’s the end of Pandemic Week 8. Here in Utah, we went from a threat level of red to orange (just like after 9/11! fun!) which is something different and therefore exciting. No matter what, you’re doing a great job of coping.
2. This opinion piece by Dave Eggers is just…<chef’s kiss>. Magnifique.
P: It seems it would just be easier to give people the exact salaries they had before they lost their jobs to one of the deadliest viruses in 100 years. Just freeze everything. Just mutually agree to pause, together, so we don’t have to lose 730,000 more souls.
A: First of all: boring. Where’s the intrigue? The drama? With our system, you have wave after wave of unemployment, with no end in sight. Every week brings something new: business closures, bankruptcies and ruptures of the supply chain — a never-ending, cascading, domino-orgy of lost savings, empty storefronts and shattered dreams. That’s much more exciting than some boring old guaranteed income that would allow everyone to simply ride out the pandemic knowing their jobs and businesses would be there when the virus was defeated.
3. This video about taking care of yourself during lockdown is a fantastic extended metaphor and well worth your time: