My Daily Struggle in the COVID-19 Lockdown

 A whole year; a whole year has passed since I started writing this blog. It has been three days since the one year anniversary of the pandemic. This pandemic caused suffering all around the world, but not as much as it has affected Americans. As of today, 29,920,435 have been diagnosed with COVID-19. That is almost 10% of the population. That means, of ten people with whom you will interact this day, one will have had it or are suffering from it now. Also, the latest death toll is 544,424. Hence, if you have not lost a relative or friend from COVID-19, you know someone who has suffered such loss.  Let us look back a year ago and compare it to last week. First, there were still hate crimes and acts of intolerance against ethno-racial minorities, only the last weeks have seen an increase in racism towards Asians--since they are being accused of bringing the virus to America (even if they were born here and never left).  There was an incidence of our President sli...

 Let's talk about race. One thing Americans never seem to get tired of is talking about race and what is racist. For instance, it was not enough that the leftists want to ruin many childhood icons, like Sesame Street, Disney, Mr. Potato Head, and toy stores in particular. Now, their ravenous mouths water in the direction of Dr. Seuss. There has been a campaign started by our new president to remove Dr. Seuss books from the shelves. Why? Because the books are "racist." Seriously? So, Dr. Seuss is inappropriate, but King and King isn't? This is what America has come to, ladies and gentlemen. How many minorities actually campaigned against Dr. Seuss? {crickets chirping} Now, how many so-ashamed-to-be-White left-wing radicals are against Dr. Seuss? {marching, shouting, torches flaring} That's what I thought. Strike 2, Biden.  Afraid to lose power of the mob, the fascists are attacking another icon of American culture. They never tire of trying to divide us further. On...

 Good news! As of Tuesday, February 16, 2021, I am fully vaccinated against COVID-19! Yes, I know that there is still a 5% chance I could get infected, but don't kill my vibe. Allow me some time to luxuriate on this blessing.  More good news: Parler is back online. Yes, I know that there are a few unsavory characters who use Parler, and two bigots who were in a Parler exile group with me on MeWe called me a nigger when I tried redirecting their rude behavior to the group. Still, most of those I have encountered on Parler are decent conservatives and free-thinkers who are tired of being bullied by Big Tech. It seems that the independent company that web-hosts Parler has Russian ties, but so what? It is a shame that an American has to depend on Russia for freedom of speech, but until Big Tech, New York, and Hollywood relieves itself of those who hates the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, so be it. For those who  did not know, Rush Limbaugh, the conservative radio talk sh...

I have a few things to discuss today.  First, as of Tuesday, 2/16/2021, I will be completely vaccinated against COVID-19. Halleluya! (As tomorrow is Transfiguration Sunday, I know I will only liturgically be allowed to use this word for 3 more days. ;-) ) I am glad that, after many hurdles, seniors are now getting their vaccinations. If you have not gotten yours, please do so--for your health and others. It is safe, and it does not alter your DNA as some conspiracy theorists suggest. If you can get Pfizer, great. If not, Moderna is almost as good. Just avoid others--especially Astra Zeneca. It is only about 70% effective, and the company has the reputation of using aborted fetuses.  Second, for those who have not heard, the former president, Donald Trump, was acquitted again. I guess the Democrats in Congress enjoy wasting our time and money. For the record, if you listened to his speech, he did not encourage those rioters to storm the Capitol building. He told them to protest...

So, I went to church today at the local Greek Orthodox church as I said I would. I love the liturgy and all of the icons in the sanctuary. Plus, I am a sucker for domes. Plus, the priest was very nice; since the only Greek I know is "Kyrie eleison," "Chrystos anesti," "Alithos anesti," and "S'agapo,"  he showed me a website I could use to follow along to the liturgy, called "Ages Initiative." It helped me quite a bit, but learning Greek would help me better. For that, I would need to learn a new alphabet. Even so, I love the chanting, the incense, and the blessed bread (not Eucharist) concluding the service. In fact, I saw something spectacular today. When the priest burned incense all over the altar area, which was behind a wall called an iconostasis (like the curtain to the Most Holy Place), the incense made a fog above the altar. When it streamed through the iconostasis, the sun hit it as it spread out and landed on all of our he...

 This is not a special report. I am writing this an evening early because I have a tremendous need to vent. First, I did receive my booster shot on Tuesday, and as of February 16th, I will be fully vaccinated, Halleluya!  Vaccines for those over age 65 are now being offered, but I am hearing that those eligible are not able to make appointments. Perhaps there are first responders and other essential workers who still have not gotten theirs. Perhaps they the supply is not keeping up with the demand. Whatever the reason, be patient. Your time for vaccination is coming. Yes, there are reports that there are new strains of the virus, but the people who inform us of this are some of the same people still encouraging us to get vaccinated, so let's not kill the vaccine in the crib. Besides, a few years ago, they told us that there was a new strain of influenza found that may deem regular vaccines ineffective. Were there unusual outbreaks of influenza that year? I think not. So, if yo...

This week, one of you who is a regular reader expressed to me that, while he did not agree with some of my views, enjoys reading my blogs and encouraged me to keep blogging. This, friends, is open-minded thinking--something this country sorely needs right now. Another regular reader is an Democratic Illinois senator, so I know much of my opinions cross hairs with policies he supports. I appreciate this, friends, and it is an honor sharing my thoughts with you. Another person who had read my posts could not see both sides of the coin. They would shut you down if you said anything slightly supportive of the previous president. They would rant and rave about him but would not listen to my response. If they disagreed with a point I made, they would ask me for my source, and if I told them, they would discredit it if it were from a conservative viewpoint. I would tell them not to discuss politics with me since they would not listen to other perspectives or be fair in their judgements, but t...

 Hello again. Many of you have been very encouraging about me continuing to write blog posts indefinitely. I was originally going to resurrect my previous blog, The Silver Soapbox, but I am not set on it. But, when I retire this blog, you can be assured that I will keep blogging. For those who have been religiously reading, you have my humble thanks. I know you may sometimes disagree with me, but I am comforted that my thoughts and opinions are safe with most of you.  As a special feature, here is a poem I wrote today. It testified to how I have been feeling since the Inauguration. Hope it inspires you. Since I was young, I loved America It was my proud, happy home And I was proud to be born here My teachers taught me rights and liberties My mother taught me responsibilities and morals Freedom came at a cost, and we all had to pay My feelings and wants were beneath The good of the people The security of the Republic And the fear of God We learned that we ar...

 Three hundred days. Wow. For those who have been reading all this time, you have my humble thanks. Well, I had gotten my first vaccination last Tuesday.  My agency worked together with the city, and they made sure that we were among the first. It was just like any other vaccination, only I must go back in 3 weeks for a booster. Thankfully, it was from Pfizer--so it is the most effective. Plus, it does not have any cells from murdered unborn children.  So, I learned a few things from taking this vaccine. First, until we hear otherwise, yes, I must wear these stupid rags over my face a spell longer. This is because, while there is only a 5% chance I could catch the virus after my booster shot, when I am fully vaccinated, there is a chance that I could still carry the virus and infect someone else. Second, while most vaccines include dead or devenomized viruses, this one use takes "spike proteins" from the virus and introduces them to our cells. The proteins do not have the...

 This was not a very good week. First, the good old boy of a District Attorney, Michael Gravely, decided not to pursue criminal charges against the cops who shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Yes, this is the same incident that caused the rioting and the shooting of rioters last summer. Yes, Blake had a warrant for his arrest, and yes, he was probably resisting arrest, and while Officer Rustin Sheskey possibly does not have any racial bias, many of us are compelled to ask the question once more: What if Blake were White? We have seen too many cases in which perps of European descent resist arrest and commit exceedingly violent crimes, even with guns, and they are brought to jail unscathed--no matter how aggressive they are. Heck, let's not forget Dylan Roof--the White supremacist who shot at congregants at Emanuel AME Church--killing nine of them--even a nonagenarian woman. By the time he was booked at the local jail, he had no bruises on his face. He was even given dinner fro...

 Happy New Year! If you are like me, you are only pleased to see 2020 go. I have decided to continue doing this blog until I am eligible to receive the vaccine. The day I receive it will be the day of my final post. Because of my medical conditions, I know I am likely to be eligible for the next batch. By spring, God-willing, this nightmare will be over. I can't wait for the day when I can walk into a public building without a mask, when everything is open, and I no longer will hear of someone getting sick or dying.  So, it seems that, for the only time he was in office, President Trump's veto of the COVID-19 relief package was overturned by Congress.  They actually agreed on something. The package guarantees $600 per person in each household whilst the President wanted the amount to be $2000 per person per household. I am sure that I must have missed a detail or two, but that is the gist of it. The President's veto actually reminds me of the shrewd manager. A manager who...

 It's the second day of Christmas. No matter what anyone tells you, Christmas is NOT over. Tomorrow, I am going to light the candles on the Advent wreath for the last time, and then I will put it away. I will probably put a few other things away to straighten up the house. Still, there are 12 days of Christmas, people! So, this year, I spent Christmas with my mother; the wife had to work. It was a good Christmas all around, though.  Speaking of Christmas, I saw something that really annoyed me. I passed by the Greek Orthodox church next to Loretto Hospital. On the church's property, there was a mailbox that said "Santa's Letters." This reminded me of when I was a child and there was a deacon who dressed up as a Santa Claus and children lined up in the church to see him. This made me angry even as a child, since my mother, who was mortified at the idea of lying to me, never indulged me in the belief of Santa Claus. She taught me that if I were good to make a list o...

 The Pfizer vaccine was released on Monday, but only hospital workers and first responders are getting it first. This is understandable since they are the ones taking the most risks. It is being said that the rest of us, excluding those with serious health problems, will not get the vaccine for another few months. Also this week, a second vaccine, Moderna, was approved and will be available soon. When they become available for me to use, I will take Pfizer or Moderna. Astra Zeneca's vaccine is still only 70% effective, but I doubt that I would use it anyway--especially with the allegations that they use cell lines of aborted babies for these vaccines. I don't know how true it is, but I would not put it past them. With whatever is approved, however, this issue might be moot.  There is something I have been seriously thinking about. I think that March 13rd, the day President Trump declared a national emergency because of COVID-19, should be declared a national holiday. After all...

 It happened. Yesterday, December 11, 2020, The FDA approved Pfizer's 95% effective COVID-19 vaccine. After all the sickness, drama, death, finger-pointing, isolation, unemployment, and chaos, a vaccine could be available as early as Monday morning. Very soon, COVID-19 will take the same exit as the Spanish Influenza and the Black Death. Very soon, I will hug my friends and shake hands with strangers without worrying about becoming ill. Very soon, stadiums will be filled with roaring fans, and churches (hopefully) will be standing-room-only. Yes, very soon, social distance will be replaced with social closeness. God be praised! The question that lies ahead is, "What have we learned?" Indeed, what have we learned--as Americans and as humans. Regrettably, for some, no lesson was learned. They will still be just as selfish and overindulgent as ever. They will still have the wrong priorities. They will still celebrate immorality and hatred. If anything is learned, I hope it i...

 Yet another week passed. The good news was that the COVID-19 infection rate is starting to plateau, meaning that new cases and deaths have plateaued. Also, there is more talk of the vaccines and when people will begin getting them. As for the unpleasant news, I have learned personally what my commuting clients must endure with social distancing. I took a bus with him, and three buses passed us by before one could stop. Whenever a bus no longer has space to socially distance, it runs express. Hence, it took three times as long as it usually does to get where I am going. Also, I was talking to my friends about what to do on New Year's Eve, but it seems like we probably won't be able to get together as we planned. Damn you, COVID-19! Ruined the whole year and killed over 250,000 Americans. I think this video from Office Space sums up what I think of 2020, possibly the worst year of my life (hint: the year 2020 is the printer):  At least I accomplished one good thing this week; I...

  Tired of COVID-19 How much longer? People crying People dying Many more rules Children out of school How much longer? I feeling like wailing I feel like bailing I feel like screaming Am I dreaming? How much longer? No eating out Just stay home and pout Freedom's memories are hazy And I'm bloody well going crazy How much longer? No shaking hands Cancel all my plans Or I'll get sick Isn't that a trick? HOW MUCH FRICKING LONGER?!

  Another week gone by. Another week less with COVID-19. It would appear that the percentage of those contacting COVID-19 is up again--close to the numbers back in May. Sure, it would be easy to feel despair from this, but don't forget that we are encouraged to wear masks now much more than we were in May. Plus, we have treatments to reduce the risk of death. Then, of course, Pfizer developed a vaccine that is supposed to be 90% effective. We are going to beat this thing, friends. Just keep praying and living in hope!  I hope each of you had a chance to take a look at my article in this Des Plaines Valley News newspaper--if you live in my locale. I had the displeasure of reading the letter below mine from a woman who is, unfortunately, going to be my new representative, replacing Dan Lipinski in 2021. She talks about how we need to fixing America and all that jazz. The majority of her post involved her doing what most politicians of the Democratic Party have done: denigrate Pr...

 The elections have come and gone. Though President Trump has not conceded, it seems that Biden has won. Again, no matter who wins, Americans in general have lost. The margin of winning between Trump and Biden are very small, but it seems that the few votes have gone to Biden. Still, I found it very interesting that, even in New York and California, less than 25% of the counties were blue; the rest were red. Hence, the small-towners and the rural were in favor of Trump. They represent roughly half of this nation, and even those who are against his policies did not want Biden to sink in. Instead of denigrating them, let that sink in. Try to learn why. We need another way to talking to each other. We need to get back to agreeing to disagree. There were self-righteous leftists who disowned their families and friends simply because they admitted voting for Trump. I still remember how that ratchet excuse for a mother kicked out her 8-year-old son because he voted for Trump in a school e...

 Much to talk about today. First, I had another dream last week. In this dream, nonwhites, myself included, were forced onto trucks and taken to a concentration camp. We went through metal detectors, had our heads shaved and designed according to race, and were beaten for being too slow or for no reason at all. There were no thugs or thots mouthing off in this dream. Either they were the first to die, or they were just as scared as I was. While we were being herded into the camp, I somehow had gotten lost from my group, and I was confused to find myself alone and frightened that I would be beaten or worse for straying from my group. All the while, I heard a song in the background from a hatenanny from George Lincoln Rockwell's American Nazi Party: "Ring a bell, shout for joy, White man's day is here. Thirty million ugly coons waiting by the pier. America for Whites, Africa for Blacks, give that ugly ape a stick, give that ugly chimp a spear." As I have said before, I ...

 Well, I am back at the monastery for the weekend. Enjoying it very much. Doing some thinking and reflecting, as well as getting questions answered. Whilst meditating, I realized that, in my anger about how I was treated regarding my grandmother, I dishonored my father. It does not matter that he dishonored me and hurt me very much. When I reflected on the Ten Commandments, I realized that my obligation to honor my father is greater than his to honor me. By my comments, I have sinned, and I am sorry. So, just as I thought things were getting better pandemic-wise, this week happened. In Illinois, between Wednesday and Thursday, the rate of COVID-19 cases increased by 54%. The mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, placed a curfew on restaurants, bars, and nonessential businesses. I keep hoping that things will at least get better for Thanksgiving. If I must cancel Thanksgiving Dinner, I will be very unhappy. Many of us will certainly struggle to find something to be grateful for this yea...