Tuesday, March 17, 2020

"...Bless"


I was offline today till now. I had to pull my head out of that beehive. I don't know the world's latest. ...other than now it's in all 50 States. However I can give you my subjective local view of things. Traffic seemed lighter. 
Those that can working at home,...or worse laid off.

Went shopping, and to laundry. My local is taking only ten loads a day. I was number 12. My friend the owner let me in. She said she was making exceptions for old customers. Bless her. The markets are open. Shelves perhaps 30% empty. This after being restocked from the earlier rush.

I assume the distributors are not topping off the locals,...holding back. A wait, and see. The library was closed. A note said new shorter hours. also directions to the main branch downtown. This has a normal schedule.

The food take outs except for the chains were shut. 
The Haitian Chinese  Hispanic, and Indian take outs either closed for two weeks or on shortened times. 


Maybe one in six wearing masks. 
Btw the drug store was out of these all week so far. Folks speaking to each other.  New Yorker's open up when shit hits the fan. Folks telling their personal war stories of this thing. Blessing each other.

I'm listening to WQXR while posting this. These guys are one of the last Classical Station's in the region. We used to have several.

https://www.wqxr.org/

They're programing music for this event. 
This to help, and calm folks. Giving good information, and beautiful music. Some host's reading emails from listeners. 

Just now several emails from musicians laid off as all concerts are cancelled for the duration. Musicians artists of all genres. Classical Blues Rock Folk,...are all listening to 'QXR. ...as am I.

As I say people are speaking. This brings out our best. So often we part by saying "...Bless you". I did this as well,...western rationalist that I more or less am. A Blessing is an intent of positive affirmation to another. These days especially.

As for our national situation,...

We all have an idea of what's coming. 
Given how badly the Feds have acted so far. This is so terrible that's it's beyond mere blame of any disturbed person or political deadlock. It's just happening, and we are all in it.

We're likely in for the Italian model. We're two to three weeks out from it. So should be calmly prepared. Bless you all.

That term again, "...Bless you."

As I post this on the evening of March 17th 2020 I hear Bells.
Saint Marks with her new bells barely two years old in her 120 year old steeple. That, and Saint Gregory's further down with her 140 year old brass. Both chiming as the sun sets.

With a hymn of Bells, and Blessings on the lips of many. That's Brooklyn or my part of it on this dusk.

...Bless you all. 

(...The Bells of Saint Greg's above.)

6 comments:

  1. This region also has only one classical radio station left. Eight years ago it almost went under, but the management decided to go from a private to a public model, and were successful. Good on them.

    The Italian model sounds like a realistic expectation. From what I've read and heard, the CDC screwed up on testing big time, and that is the main reason we're probably headed for serious trouble.

    I mostly stay at home anyway, so I guess I'll stick with it. I hope no one brings the bug home, but I suppose there's a high likelihood that will eventually happen.

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  2. "The most prudent and effective method of dealing with the world around us is to assume that it is a complete fiction." -J. G. Ballard, introduction, "Crash", 1995

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  3. The Public listener support model is best for certain formats.
    Public for classical music generally works.

    With other's it problematic.

    NPR with it's general appeal to the literate, and interested eats up most of the non-far right talk radio listeners.

    The left Pacifica Radio Foundation found this out the hard way.
    Their adherence to far left, and racial ethnic identity ideologies drove most of their former fans away,...pity.

    Other than NPR.
    New Music Classical or Free Form Rock are the only sorts of formats that work publicly now.

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  4. Sadly yes,...we're in for the Italian model on skates.

    Many reasons we know them all.
    Bottom line we're fucked, and need to brace for it.
    Don't go the fuck out for months to come unless you really must.

    Forget that two weeks bullshit.

    In that time if they turn everyone loose they'll just get sick. This because the shit is still out there.
    Months...months is what really is called for.

    I've been shut in since I was forcibly retired about seven years ago. So I know how to do this...it's now normal for me. For most it may be impossible. We'll just have to see.

    There may be acts of violence as millions of low information emotionally immature folks are stuck with each other.

    That's a fear.
    The police here in NYC are preparing for just exactly that...this happens anyway, but now it'll be times 20.

    What fun.

    We are at the start of a national adventure.

    Good luck to our republic.

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  5. Life is a fiction.

    Mr. Ballard has a point. This might be a good strategy for maintaining sanity for the balance of 2020.

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  6. "I have also The Bible of Hell, which the world shall have whether they will or no."
    -William Blake, "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell", 1790

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