The Panic Has Arrived

As I write this, a state of panic induced by and fed by Organized Media is sweeping the nation.  COVID-19, a/k/a the coronavirus, a/k/a the Wuhan virus, a/k/a the Chinese virus, is out there.  The first case in Pima County was reported yesterday (and that person has since recovered) but this was a few days behind the panic.

You can't find hand sanitizer or clean wipes anywhere.  Walmart was almost out of toilet paper when I stopped there yesterday for kitty litter.  At Safeway this morning, the toilet paper shelves were 1/3 empty, and I would not be surprised if they are now 1/3 full.

The Tucson Festival of Books for this coming weekend has been cancelled.  Spring training games up in Phoenix may go forward without fans in attendance.  Some music festivals out there have been cancelled outright or postponed.  Italy is on lockdown.  Israel may have finished locking down as I write this.

I'm not personally worried about getting this virus.  If I get it, I get it.  If I don't, I don't.  I didn't fear the bird flu, I didn't fear H1N1, and I don't fear the virus.  That said, I've been washing my hands every time I go to the can, but that's been my standard operating practice since I was in the fourth grade.  For several months I've used the store-provided sanitizing hand wipes to clean the shopping cart handles.

Organized Media, is of course, going to instill as much panic as possible, since in their own cretinous little minds, they think this will sink President Trump.  They're not going to let this go.  This is either the Lie of the Month or it's the Lie of the Year.  Either way, it may be a while before we hear the end of this.

Recent history has shown us that outbreaks of this nature are temporary and will fade.  My own personal opinion is that this will go the way of H1N1.

I suppose I should visit some of those websites that I mentioned last time, about how this time this is it, this is the end, and the Rapture will happen in a matter of weeks.

I think I'd rather read something else, like a ham radio magazine.