I know that people around here (and in real life) think that I’m too optimistic and that the world is shit and yadda yadda yadda. Yeah, there’s bad shit everywhere but my point is that there’s good shit everywhere too.
One saying says, “There’s always a silver lining.” Another one says something about doors and opportunities and honestly I can’t remember it.
Whether you like one-sentence sayings or not, the truth is that there have been a lot of good things that have come out of this pandemic. Things that have made this world a better place.
Allow me to elaborate:
1 – REMOTE WORK
There have been industries that introduced remote work years ago. However, those were rarities. It wasn’t until the Pandemic that almost every industry was forced into Remote Work. Guess what? Remote Work is great for employees AND for employers if handled correctly!
Within my own industry, I’ve been fighting for years for processes and procedures to be modernized. The move to Remote Work forced our senior managers to change. Within my team, we actually improved productivity by implementing the ideas I’ve been trying to implement before.
I have had staff with young children that have thanked me for the ability to be at home and watch them grow up. I know they’ll remember these years fondly for the rest of their lives.
2 – BETTER AIR QUALITY
This map will show you air quality everywhere in the world that has monitoring stations. I’ve been involved in this project and I’ve been able to see the results over the course of the Pandemic.
As fewer cars hit the road and fewer planes were in the sky and fewer factories were running, our planet was getting healthier. I have noticed the difference at home as the air smells better. That’s a weird thing to say, but it’s true. The scents of flowers and trees were no longer overcome by toxic fumes.
As we head out of the Pandemic, we are slowly returning to the roads and skies, but I think that we won’t return in the same volume as before. We’ve seen something better and I think we’ll push to get back there.
3 – NO TRAFFIC
OMG. During the early days of the Pandemic, everyone was on lockdown and the only ones allowed on the road were “Essential” workers.
I happened to be one of them. I also drive a sports car. All I can tell you is that driving the nearly empty freeways of LA was a fantasy come true.
What used to take an hour was only 30 minutes. Remember what I mentioned above about productivity? I could get from one work site to another on the other side of town in no time!
Yes, those days are gone, but for a few precious months, the freeways of LA were my playground and I’ll never forget that.
4 – BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE
This is mostly tied in with the remote work thing, but there is more to it. Let me tell you a story about a work friend.
Before the pandemic, he was having serious stomach pains. He’d gone to doctors and they didn’t know what was wrong. A couple of times, he had to go home early as he wasn’t feeling well.
Then, the Pandemic hit and we all started working from home. He was able to take a shit whenever he wanted/needed and guess what? The stomach pains went away.
You don’t know how many conference calls I’ve been on where I’m sitting on the can. In fact, here is a list of things I’ve been able to do while working:
- Take a dump
- Take a piss
- Eat
- Work out
- Run errands
- Prepare healthy meals
- Have sports on TV in the background
- Have movies on TV in the background
Does that mean I’m not working when I’m doing those things? Absolutely not!
I’m either on the phone or on my work laptop at the same time I’m doing those things. It’s called multitasking. Remember what I said about productivity?
I’ve found that doing those things helps me focus better on work stuff. Too many times at work, people finish their immediate assignment and either bullshit with people around them (reducing the other person’s productivity) or make it LOOK like they’re busy when they’re not. Which doesn’t help anyone.
I much prefer to use time more effectively. By filing in gaps at work with productive or fun activities, one gets a bigger feeling of accomplishment. To me, that translates into better work and a better life away from work.
5 – MORE TIME FOR IMPORTANT SHIT
I’ll be honest with you guys. I’m probably in the best shape I’ve been in my whole life. I’m back you what I weighed in high school. While my speed from those days is gone, I’ve replaced it with muscles that I’ve never had.
All of that is thanks to the additional time I’ve been spending at home.
It’s insane how much time is wasted going to an office to work. And then, when you’re there, as I mentioned above, you can’t do other things (like errands) you need to do so you end up doing them after work which cuts more into your personal time.
All the time adds up. Now, I don’t spend all my time working out. I also take care of my parents. They’re getting close to 80 and I know I won’t have them around too much longer. I am treasuring the time I have with them much the same way that my co-worker is treasuring the time with his young child.
Which is to say that the Pandemic has helped me to evaluate how I spend my time and what takes priority. I am happier now because I’m spending time on things that make me happy and avoiding things that don’t. That’s a great lesson for everyone that we wouldn’t be learning if not for the Pandemic.
6 – ADVANCES IN MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY
I know people around here don’t like Donald Trump but one of the best things he did as President was to speed up the process of getting vaccines tested and approved for distribution.
Free from bullshit red tape, Moderna and Pfizer were able to get extremely effective vaccines mass-produced in a very short amount of time. This has saved millions of lives.
On top of that, the mRNA technology was proven to be effective and its use for dealing with future diseases will be widespread.
I don’t want to turn this into a scientific paper, but medical science has learned a lot from this pandemic that it will be able to use in the future. That can only be good for society as a whole.
7 – GLOBAL COOPERATION
Try to pooh pooh it all you want, but the world DID come together to fight this thing. Information was shared worldwide and scientists worked together in all parts of the world to come up with solutions to the Pandemic.
Countries that had excess supplies of vaccines sent them to countries that needed them. Communities did come together to help each other. I helped create a vaccination site at a major LA stadium and I can attest that it’s a beautiful thing when people work together for the Greater Good.
Yes, there were countries that refused to play along, but that leads me to my last point:
8 – DARWIN’S LAW IN ACTION
Darwin is often misquoted in popular culture and media. However, the gist of the message is that the smarter and more adaptable species survive while the dumber and slower to change die out.
Rikki’s periodic Rod and Todd updates are testament to that.
It wasn’t just individuals, though. Countries whose leaders made bad decisions suffered while countries whose leaders made good decisions flourished. Google New Zealand COVID response for an example.
***
To wrap up, yes people lost their lives and many suffered greatly. I’m not denying that. Alls I’m saying is that some good did come out of this. And for that, we should be thankful.
I am drunk in the Beagle passage because no single supplement! The crew has tied everything down for the Drake passage crossing tomorrow, in the words of one of the French guides ‘it may not be…uh, very pleasant’
Good thing the champagne cocktails and gin and cookies are quite pleasant, and also I AM ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD!
Dude. I’m getting some mal de mer in the bathtub just thinking about it! Fair Winds and Following Seas, I’ll be whatever passes for praying in my world. I’ll be doing that.
Is “Gin and Cookies” Snoop’s long-awaited follow up? Did he do it in the halftime show?
Putin trying to get the Soviet Union back like Jake and Elwood Blues tried to get the band back together.
I always buy a nice new set of sheets when I move. I washed them, and they apparently were hit with a wrinkle rocket. Iron them, you say? Fuck you, I say! We own an iron, I just unpacked it, but we have never been formally introduced. My real estate agent gave us a couple of gift cards, I will buy a steamer.
You and Gumby are just supposed to sex all them wrinkles out obvs
Doesn’t work on bodies, why would it work on sheets?
I love cotton sheets and I also hate cotton sheets.
One thing I did not mention because I haven’t been able to take advantage of it but that should be noted is that TRAVEL is cheaper and less crowded than it’s been in a very long time.
Our own Dok Zymm is a perfect example of that as she’s been able to go to many different places during the Pandemic at what I’m sure are reduced rates.
For those vaccinated ones that are able to travel, this has been a wonderful time to go. No crowds, low costs, it’s heaven!
Great point – ideal time to travel except maybe Ukraine.
Good thing I went to Ukraine in September and November, it was fantastic
In case anybody needs a soundtrack for the war that seems inevitable:
https://doorfliesopen.com/2016/06/24/request-line-armageddon/
I love to go back to those old posts and see who’s still around, who doesn’t show up often, who I wish would come back, the dearly departed, (sob) some guys I have never heard of, and one guy I don’t miss at all. I bet you can guess who they are!
Since he’s not your favourite, can you tell the others?
HINT: You would not be surprised.
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Here’s why I’m not worried:
1) No one in the US is willing to die for Ukraine
2) If Biden drags us into Ukraine, he’ll lose the midterms and Trump and his isolationist policies will win big in 2024. That would be stupid.
3) Putin took Crimea and no one did shit. He’ll annex Donbas and no one will do shit.
Biden can’t win either way. Look at all the shit he took for the correct, 100% justified decision of “we can’t do anything further with Afghanistan so let’s GTFO.”
Actually see this as the beginning of the end of Putin. He either…
1) Goes balls out and gets caught up in a slog, which will not play well at home, or
2) Runs back home because Ukraine and NATO ain’t making this easy, which will not play well at home.
He underestimated NATO (and our) resolve in standing with Ukraine. The idea that he’ll just steamroll Ukraine and other EE countries is laughable.
That, to me, is the more interesting thing to ponder. There’s no protégé. There’s no Putin Jr.
Putin is getting older. What will happen to Russia when he inevitably passes away?
Whatever the billionaires want.
Putin longs for USSR, The Sequel. Don’t know if the rest of the power structure really wants that. As you say, post-Putin will be interesting.
Shit from the Right is irrelevant. They’ll give him shit for pissing at 3:00 AM instead of sleeping through the night like a Patriot.
The vast majority of Americans were happy to get the fuck out.
I really think that’s Purim’s goal, the Donbas. I don’t think he’ll invade the rest of Ukraine for the same reason the US doesn’t invade Mexico: he’d win, and then he’d have to straighten all their shit out.
One thing I’ve noticed is that people my age, (losing side of 50), seem a lot less inclined to put up with things, in terms of employment, than they used to, and are either switching careers or outright retiring.
Law has always had more than it’s share of burnouts, but now it seems more like people having just changed their perspectives on life and how they want to spend it, as opposed to just not wanting to be a lawyer anymore.
I have unpacked two (2) boxes. Go me!
Take your time. Set it up exactly like you want it.
Yup. It’s not like I don’t have time, and I certainly have experience. I just want to get most of the boxes done in the living spaces so my poor cat doesn’t freak out any more than he already is. I will put the not needed right now stuff in the garage and get to it whenever.
Don’t be fooled. The cat just wants you to create empty boxes for it to sit in.
Hey, me too! They were boxes of Oreos, but tomato, tomahto, amirite?
I have a sugar festival going on here. I bought a coffee cake, peanut m&ms, and a box of Mike and Ikes. But diet pepsi to wash it down with, because I’m not a fucking savage.
I still have boxes from 2 moves ago to unpack. So that’s like 20+ years. Take your time
I follow him too. Hilarious, and not afraid to say exactly what he thinks. Dick Butkus gives absolutely zero fucks!
Another positive is teleconferencing your doctor. I’ve always been creeped out by going to the doctor’s office because you know there’s something wrong with most of the folks in the waiting room.
Yeah, that’s brilliant. I’m sick, I feel like shit so let’s go sit in a room with other sick people.
Fuck that.
I changed doctors in the middle of the pandemic and apart from a blood draw and blood pressure check all of my visits were over the phone.
One of these days I may meet my doctor in person.
Why hadn’t we been doing virtual doctors visits all along?
That should never change back.
That’s a great point! My parents did that and it was great!
Listen pal, if you can figure out a way to have a hot nurse stick her fingers up your ass over the phone then I’m all ears.
Goatse for the doctor like a big boy!
I too would like more information about the aforementioned procedure.
Agreed, though I despise Trump – his signoff on the fast-tracking of vaccines was imperative to the fight against COVID.
Of course, his squirrel-like attention span and need for immediate gratification meant he failed in almost every step afterwards.
The fact that Trump’s own supporters will boo him when he says something positive about vaccines is interesting. It seems there are limits to their cult-like fascination with him.
they are Frankenstein’s monster at this point
Please refer to #8, Darwin.
It’s why I always scoff when people say that a proper COVID reponse would have won him the election. It wouldn’t have made a difference – in fact, he’d have probably lost even worse. He appealed to those people by promising them candy for dinner and no bedtime; they would have abandoned him if he genuinely tried to deviate from that.
From a commenter “keta” at the Lawyers Guns and Money blog:
That is beautiful
Good write up. Agree with most, I was a lucky “essential” throughout it all too. I had no issues with my civilian team teleworking. We had to delay some field work but nothing essential got lost. I think the jury is still out on number 8 and probably will be until detailed study occurs. There were areas hit hard who were doing prudent things, so I suspect there may be a geographic factor. Weather, population density, cultural norms, etc. We will learn a lot from the final detailed studies.
You are correct. Some cultures are averse to government-sponsored vaccination due to bad experiences in the past, which is understandable.
As a very multi generational culture Italy suffered bad early. In the states my nieces and nephews go see their grandmother… Uhm… never or very rarely. Here you see nonni daily… and there better be a big hug and kiss. That puts the most vulnerable in close contact with the biggest spreaders. There were certain mountain regions that got hammered. Politics aside, although that did play a big part, there’s a lot to unpack here. I am interested in the studies that will follow.
It is just fucking beautiful here today. We’re going to take advantage of Presidents Day and run up to Rocky mountain national park
I saw a report yesterday that masking and other COVID protocols may have taken one of the four majors strains of influenza out of circulation.
“What about herpes?” – R. Mexico…wait, no, that’s too obvious…Ron M.
I saw that too, but haven’t followed up to see if it’s real or just internet BS.
On the other hand it’s been a while since I even heard of someone having the flu.
A thought provoking piece you have here, sir! As an esteemed business owner in a newly industrialized nation, I feel compelled to provide some additional commentary on the points you’ve made. Do put on your reading glasses for this one!
Remote Work: While I can appreciate that many British subjects have enjoyed the perks of online work, we in Rhodesia have not been so lucky. Internet connections in our proud nation are slower than a two-legged giraffe, and effective moving-picture-calls have proven impossible. I do feel bad that my manservants have not had the opportunity to try out remote work for themselves — all that I can say to them is “you get what I signed you up for!”
Better Air Quality: Because Rhodesia is an environmentally pristine nation, we do not suffer from any air quality issues at any time. That said, I have heard that the factories in London have not been working as hard over the last 2 years, which has undoubtedly helped the citizens breathe easier. I am all for keeping the air clean if it helps my workers live (and work) longer!
No Traffic: For the first time in my life, I was able to take the train from Bulawayo to Salisbury without any harassment from local insurgents. You have no idea how pleasant it is to sit in your own private carriage and gaze upon the beautiful savanna without the threat of projectiles! I should hope this effect of the pandemic will last as long as it can.
Work/Life Balance: I do not understand this term, as my life is completely devoted to my work. My manservants are also undeniably devoted to the cause — with 20 hour-long work days, how could you have any other perspective?
More Time for Matters of Importance: See above. No need to consider how to best distribute time when all daily matters are of equal importance!
Advances in Medicine: While inoculation is always intriguing, nothing prevents disease better in the tropics than a gin and tonic presented in a fine crystal glass (I’ve had more than a few over the past two years). All of my manservants also do not yet see the value of inoculation, as the protection offered by their local witch doctor has been more than sufficient against this latest scourge.
Global Cooperation: I’m not sure that I agree with you on this one. Paul Kruger almost started the Third Boer War yesterday because I refused to share the ten AstraZeneca vaccines that our country had been afforded by the lads at home! He should produce his own supply!
Darwin’s Law: I wholehearted agree with you on this one — after all, I’m still alive!
Brilliant!
To follow up Balls’ comment about mRNA vaccines, I saw this fairly lengthy comment regarding how those vaccines work and wanted to share it. Worth your time to read:
There are different kinds of vaccines. I’ll go ahead and type in some information here for anyone who is genuinely curious about vaccines.
Live/attenuated vaccines contain a weaker strain that is less capable of causing serious illness. This trains the immune system for how to recognize the antigens so that if you are exposed to the fully potent version, your immune system will already know how to fight it. Examples include the mmr, varicella, rotavirus, and influenza (in nasal sprays).
Inactivated/killed vaccines contain actual particles of real viruses that have been denatured or destroyed so that they are incapable of causing infection. Examples include polio and hepatitis A.
Toxoid (inactivated toxin) vaccines contain a denatured or inactivated toxin (usually a denatured protein) which trains your immune system how to recognize the real toxin and remove it safely. Examples include tetanus and diphtheria.
Subunit/conjugate vaccines contain parts of a virus, such as the outer protein hull or a spike subunit from a virus. This teaches your immune system how to recognize these subunits. Examples include hepatitis b, influenza in injections, pneumococcal and meningococcal.
mRNA vaccines are new and different. They contain a small amount of messenger RNA, the kind of messenger RNA that the nucleus of your cells uses to send instructions to your ribosomes to have proteins manufactured. mRNA does not survive long floating around in your blood. The presence of mRNA can indicate an infection is ongoing and it triggers your immune system. There are adjuvants injected with the mRNA that aid in calling the immune system to the site of the injection. Your white blood cells take in this RNA material in order to analyze it. The ribosomes in the white blood cell manufacture some of the proteins that the mRNA codes for, exactly the same way your cells would normally make any other protein. The mRNA degrades pretty quickly so there’s a limited window of time where your white blood cells will manufacture these proteins. These proteins themselves are harmless and they usually just code for the manufacturer of the spike protein subunit.
After enough of the protein is manufactured the white blood cells take it to your thymus and locate T cells that identify it. This kicks off your immune system to learn how to recognize these new proteins as Invaders.
The actual mechanism that all of these vaccine types functions on is causing your immune system to generate T cells to recognize the antigen. The only difference is how you present the material to your immune system to get the process going. In all cases, the resulting T cells are the immunity that your immune system builds up. Unfortunately, most T cells do not hang around for very long. You need a very special kind of memory T cell, and that memory T cell is very much a living cell that floats around in your blood. Some different kinds of infections can attack and kill memory T cells, and some drugs like immunosuppressive medicines required after you receive an organ transplant can either impair the creation of memory T cells, or impair the activation of memory T cells. This means if you’re going to be receiving an organ transplant you really want to get all your vaccines done ahead of time, because there’s a good chance you won’t be able to receive vaccines afterwards.
Cells are constantly manufacturing new proteins, and some of the proteins being manufactured are presented on the outer cell membrane by major histocompatibility molecules. It’s like a little window into the inner working of the cell that your immune system uses to check up on cells to make sure they’re working correctly. Virus is hijacked this machinery inside your cells to make their own proteins instead of your proteins. If your cells are manufacturing virus particles and your immune system knows how to identify those particles early, then an infection can be shut down very shortly after it starts, usually long before symptoms begin to appear.
If everyone understood how their immune system actually works, there wouldn’t be a single anti-vax person on the planet. Unfortunately, the immune system is hideously complex, and the vast majority of people really don’t need to understand it to go about their day-to-day lives. They just need to listen to the experts that do understand it.
Also too many people are goddamn morons and/or easily brainwashed. So even if it was easier to explain it wouldn’t matter.
That old line about “think about how dumb the average person is and then realize half the population is even dumber” rings true.
Not us here, of course; we’re all well above average.
/trips over untied slipper laces
Yeah, when Covid hit I took a hard look at what we were doing and canceled every developing revenue stream that wasn’t profitable, dumped clients that were giving us smaller orders, told sales reps that all their orders had to be in by 3 rather than 5, and this caused the warehouse to finish completing orders and loading trucks much earlier. Our profitability went through the roof. I’m not changing a thing when things return to ‘normal’.