COVID-19 (Part 8) - by Moses

      Now that we're at the end of April we're seeing the media putting things into perspective for the masses.  It stands to reason that in the fall there may be a second wave of the Coronavirus.  With a strong immune system going into the fall speculation is to receive a flu-shot to insure your immune system is strong to be less susceptible to COVID-19 over the fall and winter months.  The U.S Federal Government is hinting on ending the lockout and returning people into the workforce slowly but surely over the next few months.  What this writer would like to know is this; When there is a vaccine for COVID will it be the best one to offer the world population? and will the vaccine be made mandatory or voluntary?  The problem with taking the first vaccine made available for market is this; When a vaccine is developed there are chemical properties of the actual virus in the vaccine.  If it's not the best one to offer will there be health ramifications to taking an inadequate vaccine (only to be told six months later that they have the one necessary)?.  The vaccine itself may open up the possibility for other viruses to surface. 

  It is obvious that Asia has some serious health concerns that are being widespread.  The 'Wet Markets' that we see in China have been in existence for 70 years.  Why weren't they closed down sooner?  American interests imply that the U.S Government looked the other way on what is now considered to be plague like dietary.  Why weren't the 'Wet Markets' closed down once they were discovered by American intelligence?  This is scandalous to a man of Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Tai, Hindu, and Buddhist faiths.  When will it be accepted that these gross dietary items in 'Wet Markets' need to cease to avoid further viruses in the future.  How can one fathom eating a rat, bat, dog, or cat?  The division of East vs West is the problem here.  The Western World needs to step up to the plate and lay down the law to practices that are going on in Asia.

  Considering that the kill rate of COVID-19 is less than 5% to those that contract it, what will we do if we re-open the economy and another virus hits two years later?  Do we shut the World down again on another 4.5% chance of death (for viruses that may resurface time and time again).  This whole scare is really just a Military exercise designed to strengthen a Police State, a F.E.M.A Camp of sorts that restricts Rights and Freedoms.  Probably an inception from years past.  This whole script is getting tired.
   

COVID-19 (Part 7) - by Moses

      Now that we're entering the end of April with no end in sight for re-opening markets and employing non-essential workers for the time being, how long will the average North American be able to survive financially with the current system in place?  Why did America bail out big business and the banks when it's the people that are really suffering?  When the U.S.A acts responsibly like Canada has (honoring the workforce with subsidies, employment insurance, and rent forgiveness - paid for by the Canadian Federal Government) we'll see an accurate summary of how decimated the economy in America really is.  Couldn't we just look at the year we lost as a blip in the economy and nothing more?  Just call it the 1 year lockout.  It stands to reason that middle class jobs will always be around after this scare, to support big business mantra of satisfying the coffers (the top 1 % income earners).

  The scary thing is that if this virus snowballs and stays in the system for years to come, how will we adapt until the vaccine arrives?  It is sad to say but the U.S is going to have a lot more homeless people the way they're handling the situation in their homeland.  With not enough supports being paid to small business owners and middle class homes there will be people made destitute as a cause and effect of a stagnant economy for as long as the eyes can see at this point.  Why is corporate America being given first class treatment by their Federal Government and the people being treated like lambs for slaughter?  I heard a solution that made sense.  Take everyone's bills and just add the amount of months we lost to this mess to the end of the contract.  Who really suffers when a monthly bill, or monthly mortgage is postponed for a year?  Please don't ask me to feel bad for the banks when they are constantly finding ways to make the public pay for their services and record billions in profits every quarter.  

  I feel for the guy who works in a town that has only three or four companies in their town, and as a result of the lock-down we now see a family of four being told that their $50,000/year income is almost guaranteed to be gone by the end of COVID-19 (as the companies in town may have to close down for good).  Will we see ghost towns and a deep recession as a result of trying to play by the corporations rules and authoritative practices of the institution(s) that are currently in place?   

  As for the Metropolitan's across North America, can we really practice social distancing effectively over a much longer period of time?  At what point does the bubble burst and people stop caring.  This apathy could hit, resulting in a second wave of COVID-19. 

  With respect to the testing that they're administering to the people keep in mind that about 1 Million Americans have been tested for the virus.  With a population of over 350 Million people this has to improve enormously.  What is known is that even with the virus most (95.5%) will survive it.  The problem is that in late September when the temperature starts dipping and we see the annual flu season hit, will the Corona-virus cases take precedent to the flu cases that come up?  If so, then we may see flu cases go up in number as our health care system that was accommodating the flu season annually not the Corona-virus in years' past.  This leads to an over-inflated flu epidemic in its' own right.  Say for example the 25% of all Americans that are plagued by the flu this Fall and Winter become targets for COVID.  The reality is that the flu may induce an influx of both strands of neuro-compressors as COVID and the flu strands become enshrined into the ecosystem. 

Trevor Shott - by Moses

      In 2015/16 Trevor Shott started his University Career in Ice Hockey with the Oregon Ducks.  In his freshman year Trevor led his team in goals.  In his second year (sophomore) of 2016/17 he was named the Ducks Captain.  Shott repeated as goals leader and in this year he led the team in points while taking the Oregon Ducks to the North Division Finals of the Pac12.  As his third year came (Trevor's Junior year) 2017/18 the team competed well but didn't contend for the title.  Trevor decided to take a year off and the Ducks ended a miracle season winning the North Division of the Pac12.  Shott came back strong to complete his masters in business for the 2019/20 season and returned as Captain in his final year.  All Trevor did this year was score 32 goals with 25 assists and 57 points in 28 games leading his Ducks to a repeat of the North Division of the Pac12.  Time will tell if Shott will play in the professional worldwide Hockey Market.  To stand a chance in North America Shott could crack an AHL team like the Toronto Marlies and probably earn $100,000+/year doing so in his first year.  He could try the Swedish Elite League, the Swisse League, or the KHL likewise and bring in a good salary (of around $75,000/year) while gaining invaluable experience towards a career in the NHL.

  What is known is that Trevor has an insatiable desire to succeed as shown through his prowess in education and sports.  It's important to remember that the youth of today are what we are to expect for our future leaders.  Trevor's dad Chuck Shott was a Hockey Coach and schooled his two sons in Ice Hockey at an early age which helped both boys develop quickly in hockey I.Q.  Chuck Shott was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and relocated his family to Arizona before moving to Oregon.  Trevor's brother Matt is currently working as a scout for the Arizona Coyotes.  If Trevor decides to pursue a career in professional sports he should draw strength from his past successes to procreate his future endeavors (successful endeavors).

    

The Coronavirus Pandemic (Part 6) - by Moses

      So now it's April 2nd, 2020 and we see the worldwide number of Coronavirus cases at almost 1 million with roughly 50,000 deaths.  A staggering ill assessment by Donald Trump from what he was calling a strong flu in January right through to early March.  This is like out of the movie 'Outbreak' with practically no end in sight.  All we can really do at this point is to isolate as effectively as we possibly can, and with respect to keeping our sanity there is social media to keep us well informed.  Which brings me back to the first three parts that I wrote about this pandemic, that it could be G-d's wrath (a plague like that of the bubonic plague - capable of killing 100-200 million people worldwide over a 14 year period)  .  

  Spreading like it does begs the question;  Are we going to see off-breeds of the original strand of the known Coronavirus manifest as a threat to infect people in greater severity as to what we're seeing now (ie. a strand of the virus that has a 30% kill rate of the infected)?  If this is only the beginning then the population in North America could be devastated.  Already throwing out numbers like a possible 1 million deaths in America from this disease are probably in fact too conservative.  What we'll eventually have to accept is that our way of life in the Western World may have to change to accommodate safe practices in almost every way we go about our business.  How crazy do germaphobes look to be now; the Howard Hughes of this World, and any other influential paranoid as they were so deemed as recently as 3 months ago.  Our perspectives will surely change as this virus grows, as to what other measures we can take to ensure our health and safety on this matter.

  All I can think of are the Health Care Workers; the Doctors, Nurses, Orderlies, First Response Teams and other Hospital Staff risking their lives to save ours.  When we think of why it's important to have Doctors (and other Hospital Staff) we are now aware as to why.  If this is a test from Hashem (the Creator of the Universe) himself then we're royally screwed.  How many people in the world operate with morality?  The inference is obvious, like in the time of Noah there are very few people that are righteous in a spiritual sense.  How many unspoken sins?  How many hypocrites populate the mainstream population?  Too many to count.  Not to be negative but when I think how common place it is in North America to see someone with a tattoo, or to see someone who takes a kickback in their daily functions as a rule of thumb.  Isn't it accepted that 1000 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean is a good start?

  Let's try and live through these times as homo-sapiens with purpose and vigor (determination), not let our minds take us to a shallow existence.  Will we survive this scare as a people?

  As a Jewish man I recount the Passover every year during Seders.  At home now with no family gathering I'm wondering how Rabbi's see the poetic injustice of recounting the story of the Passover in which each Rabbi's take (Rabbi Eliezar, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Jose, and Rabbi Akiba) on how severe the 10 Plagues that befell Egypt could really have been in those times?  Each Rabbi had his own take as to the severity of how many plagues the G-d most high was capable of delivering.  How do Rabbi's under different names today make similar analogies in the modern day with respect to the Coronavirus, while keeping in perspective our Exodus from Egypt and the plagues of that time (all at the same time)?