Day #112

Got today off - instead of July 3. See post on July 3-5 as to why.

Stormy weather prevented a planned walk around the Cemetery today and yesterday. Hot. Humid. Poor Air Quality. Bad walking weather.

And...mother told me today that one of the residents in her community contracted the virus. They don't know them and had no contact with them, so are fine. My parents have been social distancing and following the protocol.

Mother: Your father has decided he is going to take a holiday.
Me: Didn't he just have one?
Mother: No, you don't understand - away from here.
Me: Where's he going to go? I mean I get the inclination - I want one too, but where is he going?
Mother: I'm not exactly sure. He asked me today if we could go to a hotel in Savannah.
ME: Eh, no.
Mother: He wants to get away. He's bored. He wants a vacation from his life.
Me: Don't we all.
Mother: It's worse for him, he's stuck. He can't read any more. He can't write. And the news is bad..

Sigh. South Carolina is one of the states with an uptick in cases, and with various hot spots, because the area residents refuse to take the virus seriously. They are mainly Trump supporters who think, it's not a big deal, I could always get hit by a bus tomorrow. Ugh, the South.

Meanwhile, Maine has decided to let New York, CT and New Jersey into its fair state without quarantine, it's already permitted New Hampshire and Vermont. (I don't know, it may change it's mind after Trump's rally in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Arkansas has informed Trump that if he wants to do a rally there - he has to wear a mask or he'll be kicked out.)

NY's Governor went after Trump and the Federal Government again today. Demanding the idiot wear a mask. He's also not forgiven them for not letting New York test in January and Feb, and more importantly not declaring a state of emergency in January and locking things down then. New York will never forgive the US Federal Government, the CDC, and WHO for that. Seriously, who can blame them?

How the US is handling COVID scares the bloody hell out of me. Also, this whole new bit about how the virus hangs in the air of indoor spaces - for a while, makes me concerned about doing laundry and living in a 77 unit apartment building with an elevator. I limit the amount of time - I'm in the elevator. I go in and out of the basement rarely. And the elevator I use has a fan and air circulation. So, I think I'm safe. I'd feel safer if all the nitwits in the building wore masks - they don't. Meanwhile the Northeastern US is seriously considering defecting to Canada, and building a wall to keep everyone else out. If only half my friends and family members weren't residing in the rest of the US.

Otherwise everything looks fine. If you stay off the internet, the news, and just wander about, outside of the masks - it looks normal. One guy on a bike was coughing behind me. I got as far from him as I could. The idiot was not wearing a mask. Also he was riding his bike on the sidewalk where there was a perfectly good bike lane to use - I wanted to kick him.

It's been a quiet day for the most part. Discovered the air conditioner in the apartment above mine is leaking through the window and wall in my kitchen. Not horribly, but leaking. I notified the super to check it out. The apartment above continues to be a nuisance. They leaked into my leaving room, my bedroom, my bathroom and kitchen at various points. Although not too seriously - it could be worse. One of my friends on FB (Rahael) has had serious leaks - to the point in which her bathroom was flooded by them and she had sopping bedding, towels, etc. Also an upstairs flat resident with mental issues who refused to look into it. My situation is nowhere near that dire. And she appears to have handled it rather well considering.

But, what this has taught me is if I ever buy a place, to get one that does not have someone living directly above me. Then again - I have done that, and the roof leaked. Actually the roof leaks were far worse than what I'm dealing with now - so, you really can't win, can you?

Little edgy tonight. A Little Frustrated. A Little Depressed. The Days Seem to Drag, while the Months and Seasons seem to fly by. And I've slowly begun to realize that I don't like summer that much more than I like winter. Although at least it's prettier - with greenery and flowers. Winter is just depressing. I dread what is coming, yet at the same time - have hope for it.
I'm optimistic. It's weird I know. But I honestly think everything will work out and we'll all come out of this in a better place than we were - or at the least a different one.

On that note - I leave you with another picture.

Interesting Social Psychology Experiment: Blue Eye - Brown Eye

So, this is a rather famous social psychology experiment conducted by an elementary school teacher turned anti-racism activist, Jane Elliot, which is making the rounds on social media.

I first saw it mentioned by James Marsters on Twitter. Then my college pal, Felicia, shared it on Face Book. I took it from Face Book and discussed it with Felicia, who is half black and half Hispanic, and not self-righteous. So you can actually have a discussion with her - without getting ripped to pieces. James Marsters? Not so much. I avoid interacting with celebrities, actors, famous writers, and social media influencers on Twitter - I've learned my lesson. (Actually it is impossible to have a reasonable discussion with anyone on Twitter or Youtube. So I don't bother.)

Anyhow, here it is:

Watch on YouTube

It's rather long, and if you've been bullied in your lifetime - not easy to watch, in fact possibly triggering. Most social psychology experiments are though. I took, as you may recall because I posted on it alot at the time, a social psychology course at the New School in NYC in 2005. I audited the course. During it - we watched and studied various social psychology experiments, this one was referenced and described in the reading materials - I vaguely remember it. And we even did social psychology experiments in class.

Jane Elliot, to my knowledge, is not a trained social psychologist - which may explain my quibbles with her experiment, and why I'm not sure it works in quite the way she intended. I really wish it was done by social psychologists, who would dig a bit deeper than she appears to. And who would do a few different things with it.
( spoilery thoughts on the experiment. You may want to watch the experiment first )