WHAT, NO FOOTBALL?

In the Fall of 2019 my wife and I attended two of Penn State's home football games. Since I am handicapped,  I go in a wheel chair. The Pitt game was sold out, but I was able to wrangle two handicapped seats and we both went in wheelchairs. I love watching football, but there will be no more cheering with 100,000 screaming Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium for the for-seeable future.

COVID-19 has stopped all major  sports events the world over. No-one wants to talk about the major sports in the United States because there are billions of dollars at stake and the fan base is huge.  This virus is very contagious and we are just beginning to figure out how it behaves.  Sitting next to total strangers in a huge stadium or arena has been sports for the past 100 years, but no more.  

I do not believe any of the major sports will return to their former glory, until there is a massive testing program and a vaccine; and that will take years. With all the money involved it will be really interesting to see to what lengths the professional baseball, football, hockey and basketball leagues will go to salvage their investments  

Colleges and universities also have a big investment in infrastructure, student athletes and the paid bureaucracies needed to run major sports programs.  I was wondering as I listened to the stories about the recent NFL Draft whether any of the kids being selected will ever play the game.

We have had season tickets for the Gretna Theater for many years. There will not be any shows in this famous open-air venue this summer.  I will miss the after-show parties at the Hall Of Philosophy.

What about movies? Who is going to sit in a dark theater next to total strangers and watch a movie for 2 hours? Most of us won't, because we have no idea whether COVID-19 may be sitting in the seat next to us.

My grandson and I spent the month of February traveling through Florida in a 24-foot motorhome. We visited the Kennedy Space Center, Disney World, the Everglades, attended a Pirates vs Bluejays baseball game and stopped in the Smokey Mountains on the way north. We arrived home March 10, just in time to watch the World fall apart. Great trip, but sadly, none of us will be able to repeat the same trip for a very long time.

COVID-19 has changed our lives for ever and our success as a species will depend on how well we respond and cope with the many changes this tiny life form has unleashed. 

DONALD IS TRAPPED IN A ROOM OF MIRRORS

The President of the United States controls the politics of the country at the moment, whether we like it or not. 

Donald was elected President in 2016 because he promised a needy segment of the American population that he would help them when he said "I will take care of you".  These people desperate for a "champion" believed him and voted to elect him to lead the country.  His most ardent supporters, mostly white conservative Christians, continue to believe him and make up his "base" to this day. Over the last 3 years the Republican Party has gradually become Donald's Party with his "base" making up its core.  

For historical reference I will admit that I was Republican until the 1990's', now registered as a Democrat, but I am really an Independent. I believe in good government that is honest, just, works for people, provides useful services and protects the least among us.  

Donald elicits a wide variety of emotions--- adulation from his base of supporters, fear from his colleagues and hatred from his opponents.  I have another reaction---I feel sorry for him.

Donald is a 73 year-old man who appears to  have never really experienced a positive emotional connection with another person.

As a science educator I encountered students in my classes that fit Donald's behavior pattern.  In today's public schools, were he a middle school student, he would have an IEP (Individualized Educational Program) and receive some kind of remedial services. He would be described as a "special needs student" and would receive individualized training to help him cope with his deficits or handicaps.

I do not know if Donald ever received any remedial help with his handicaps that he exhibits all the time.  It is obvious that he has limited  positive skills in dealing with people, so I have to assume he never received any help.

So what do I mean by handicaps? Donald has often been described as a narcissist (a person who exhibits an excessive admiration of oneself).  Being self-centered is a common thread throughout  the human species, but Donald's condition is way beyond normal. He constantly craves and sometimes demands approval and admiration, often complaining when he does not receive what he desires.

He does not have the capacity to admit mistakes or errors.  That is another section of his handicap. Since, like the rest of us, he makes mistakes but can't admit them, so he resorts to being a bully.  When confronted with a mistake he often deflects by denying it, blaming the error on someone else or changing the subject. His mind appears to be so fragile that for him to apologize for a mistake, he seems almost on the verge of a mental breakdown, so for cover he resorts to name calling, putdowns and temper tantrums.  He has probably done this since he was a child. 

This is classic behavior for some special needs children.  Growing up these kids quickly discover what works for them. If they don't get what they want, a meltdown or tantrum in front of guests or extended  family, will get  Mommy and Daddy's attention.  Parents in this situation often go to great lengths to avoid the embarrassment of an out of control child.  I believe this is how Donald performs in the White House and why he gets away with behavior most of us would not tolerate in our own small children.

Donald does not show empathy for others. This is another one of his deficits. He does not appear capable of, as we might say "walking in someone else's shoes".  He feels no-one 's pain or fear or joy or love or compassion. That part of his brain is gone and was probably never there.  As a result he can assault a woman sexually, send migrant children sick with COVID-19 back to their home country, deny health care to sick minorities and lie constantly.  He shows no remorse for the terrible things he says or does to other people, because he has none.

Sadly, I believe HE CAN NOT CHANGE, BECAUSE HIS MIND WILL NOT LET HIM.  Donald is a scared old man trapped in a room of mirrors where he sees only himself. He would like to find a way out, but can't. 

Donald is in the most powerful position on the planet and is emotionally unable to lead humanity through these most perilous of times.

God help us.

  

THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS PREDICTABLE

To Fellow members of the Human Species,

This is a rather crude chart I made in 1984 when I was a science educator.  I created it to illustrate what could happen if the population of humans continued its exponential increase into the future.  I warned my students that "you may in your lifetime see some of the options this chart presents.” I did not expect I would live long enough to experience them myself.

TRENDS OVER TIME---

The RED CURVE is human population growth over time. At the beginning of modern agriculture about 10,000 years ago there were perhaps one million people on planet Earth.  That is probably about the number the planet could sustain as hunters and gatherers.    Agriculture allowed for organized  settlements that provided increased safety and a  reliable food supply. The population of humans increased gradually as modern civilization progressed, but did not rise sharply until modern medicine came on the scene in the 1800's.  The human population in 1984 was 4.7 billion.  Today it is 7.7 billion.

The GREEN CURVE is agriculture.  Over time our creativity and the Earth's natural resources have combined to provide us with a generous variety of plant and animal food items that we have used to keep ourselves well fed and generally healthy.  This curve has kept ahead of human demand, but at a cost.  We are using the Earth's resources to produce our food supply, but at an unsustainable rate.  

The BROWN CURVE is the Earth's Natural Resources. Their use accelerated with the  beginning of the industrial revolution, and the onslaught of modern civilization. We have exploited oil, coal, natural gas, metals, water, land and air in our efforts to conquer the planet and use its resources to produce a lot of people with a lot of  "stuff", without considering the consequences. 

MY VIEW---WHERE WE GO FROM HERE

The above chart illustrates 3 potential results for the human population when confronted with a pandemic at a time when we are already facing a crisis around our unsustainable economic system.

CURVE STRAIGHT DOWN. The Earth Abides (book by George R. Stewart) curve that illustrates a complete collapse of the population that could lead to human extinction or perhaps results in a few people who could survive by a return to a hunting, gathering existence. 

CURVE DOWN AT 45 DEGREE ANGLE.  Sharp gradual decline. 

CURVE LEVELS OFF.  In my opinion this is the most likely result of the COVID-19 virus pandemic  The disease so far is attacking the old (like me---I am 80), the sick, and the vulnerable. Children, young adults and those who are generally healthy are avoiding or recovering from this disease. I believe the longterm effects of the disease caused by the COVID-19 virus will be to keep human numbers close to a constant and more in tune with the resources the planet offers. This is a form of natural selection that will keep the human species fit and strong going into the future. Despite the deaths of many from this disease (maybe including myself) this is the best outcome we can expect from the trauma we are experiencing.

Since we as a species do not seem to have the moral or political will to control our population growth, COVID-19 IS GOING TO DO IT FOR US.