Lock The Clock

If you’re like me this semiannual switch between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time is madness.  Today I lost an hour of sleep and in November after I set my clock back an hour I’ll still get out of bed in the dark to turn the coffee on.  At the end of the day I’ll pour myself a glass of Merlot in the dark.  This resetting of the clocks is messing with my circadian rhythms.

Daylight Saving Time is associated with the Western world as most countries outside Europe and North America don't observe the ritual. 

Courtesy of CNN research the notion of Daylight Saving Time has a curious pedigree.

1784 - The idea of daylight saving is first conceived by Benjamin Franklin.

1914-1918 - Britain goes on DLS during World War I.

March 19, 1918 - The Standard Time Act establishes time zones and daylight saving. Daylight saving is repealed in 1919, but continues to be recognized in certain areas of the United States.

1945-1966 - There is no federal law regarding Daylight Saving Time.

1966 - The Uniform Time Act of 1966 establishes the system of uniform Daylight Saving Time throughout the United States. The dates are the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. States can exempt themselves from participation.

1974-1975 - Congress extends DLS in order to save energy during the energy crisis.

1986-2006 - Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.

August 8, 2005 - President George W. Bush signs the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. Part of the act will extend Daylight Saving Time starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. 

 

In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act which would make daylight saving time permanent.  The House did not pass it and then-President Biden did not sign it.  Whether the second session of the 119th Congress will pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 remains to be seen.  H.R. 139/S. 29 has not passed as of this moment.  The legislation, which proposes making daylight saving time permanent, was introduced in January 2025 but has remained stalled in committee, with low chances of passing, according to GovTrack.us and GovTrack.us. 

 

As for making Daylight Savings Time permanent there is evidence that the frequency of heart attack and stroke increases around the ritual resetting of clocks twice a year.  Benefits of Daylight Savings Time enhance public safety and make better economic sense.  Proponents of Daylight Saving Time argue that most people appreciate an increase in daylight hours after coming home from work.  

Speaking for myself - I like the notion of longer, lighter evenings and a happier more prosperous United States.  I like my clock precisely where it is.   

Make it permanent. 

 

Lock the clock.

Raising An Eyebrow

This is both strange but true.

The Eyebrow Auto Brake—a car braking system operated by the driver’s eyebrows—featured in Popular Mechanics magazine, 1965.

It is not a real safety system.  Rather, it is a tongue-in-cheek illustration of a car that braked when the driver raised their eyebrows.  The idea played on the notion that drivers instinctively widen their eyes (and lift eyebrows) in moments of surprise or danger.  Sensors were humorously depicted as detecting eyebrow movement and triggering the brakes.

Mid-1960s Popular Mechanics occasionally published April-Fools-style concepts and speculative futurism.  Naturally,these columns appeared during an era when:  Power brakes were still not universal, seat belts were controversial and real automated safety systems were a figment of most people's imagination.

Fast forward to today - six decades later - and safety technology commonly found in today's vehicles.  Including but not limited to:

Seat and shoulder belts, anti-lock brakes, airbags, crumple zones with passenger cabin safety cages, traction control, rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control, speed limit recognition, automatic high beams, electronic stability control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors - including autonomous parking, automatic reverse braking, lane departure warning and lane-keeping assistance, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, intersection collision detection with evasive steering assist and 360 degree camera systems.

And let's not forget the eyebrows; there is driver attention and drowsiness monitoring too.  If my eyes wander for only a second too long my daily drive issues a visual and audible warning.  Don't think about this very hard - this technology is going to keep older drivers on the road; longer and safer than ever before.

Popular Mechanics may have been pulling someone's leg in 1965 yet they were prescient. 

If Only The Dead Could Talk

Ruben Ray Martinez, a 23-year-old U.S. citizen, was killed last year by an ICE agent, with the Department of Homeland Security accusing him of having struck an ICE agent with their vehicle. However, DHS’ account of the incident was fiercely disputed by Martinez’ childhood friend, Joshua Orta, who was present during the encounter and claimed neither had offered any resistance to ICE officers’ demands.

On Saturday, Orta died in an unrelated car crash while driving in San Antonio, Texas, with his stepfather confirming his death to the New York Times on Monday.

 

If Only The Dead Could Talk

Originally reported on Wednesday by Newsweek we learned of another Immigration and Customs Enforcement connection to the shooting death of an American citizen in March of 2025.  A shooting death kept from public scrutiny until only last week.

Coincidentally, and leading up to this, a review of internal emails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) indicate that senior Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were informed of a significant rise in reported use-of-force incidents compared to the previous year.  In this case incidents in early March alone had quadrupled year-over year.  

Now the public learns of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez shot last March in South Padre Island.  ICE's involvement in the shooting was not disclosed to the public until this last week.  

According to ICE documents, the episode, which occurred around 12:40 AM on March 15, 2025, Mr. Martinez failed to follow commands to exit his vehicle. Martinez initially did not follow officers' instructions but eventually slowed to a stop after receiving verbal commands.  Agents surrounded the vehicle and told him to get out of the car before he accelerated and hit a federal agent who reportedly landed on the hood of the vehicle.  Another agent then fired multiple times through the driver's side window.  

The Department of Homeland Security described the shooting as an act of self-defense, saying the agent had "fired defensive shots to protect himself, his fellow agents and the general public" after the driver "ran over" a Homeland Security Investigation special agent.

That agent was treated and released for a minor knee injury.  Martinez is dead.

According to Homeland Security Department policy an immigration agent is supposed to use deadly force only if the officer has reasonable belief that the subject poses an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.  Furthermore, the policy specifically states that officers should avoid placing themselves in positions in which they have no other option but to use deadly force.  

In ICE's own reporting this appears another instance of ICE agents not complying with department policy concerning placement of personnel in connection to apprehended vehicles.  Haven't we seen this before?

ICE has not reported the existence of dash cam or body cam video of the incident and no known public video has come forward.  Martinez had been celebrating his birthday with a friend known since elementary school.  He was employed at an Amazon warehouse in San Antonio and had no known criminal or arrest record at the time of this post.

Some will take exception to my view on this subject but I happen to believe federal agents concealing their faces behind a mask and not wearing identification is a bad look.  They need to be up-front like law enforcement we're all accustomed-to.  A sinister look invites nothing but trouble.  Sure, a few of you will tell me about doxing of federal agents.  But you know what?  If rampant doxing was as big as you might imagine, then all law enforcement everywhere would be masked all the time.  

It's not.  

Where I live law enforcement officers wear a badge with a number, including a name tag and rank, they don't hide behind a mask and produce a business card before we part company.  They're professionals and go about their job like professionals.  They're so good at their job they never, never, ever stand in front of a stopped vehicle.  Even I know not to do this.  Your local LEOs are likely identical to mine.  But I digress and apologize for the cheap shot.

Do you know what is an even bigger bad look than masked federal agents?  

Another of our countrymen gunned-down by a federal agent.  

Naturally, there's that small handful of my acquaintances who will bask in their ghoulish reflected glory over this and crow on social media about how Martinez had it coming and it was all his fault.  Nevertheless, I figure most people reading this are standard-issue citizens who understand that federal agents shooting Americans to death is just, plain, smarmy.  It looks terrible and doesn't poll well.  

Moreover, the image of the best professional ICE agents suffer because of this nonsense.  From the top down the reputation and credibility of the entire department suffers.  If, as a consequence, agency leadership comes-across as evasive or furtive the public will take notice and the people will mutter about it.  None of this is rocket science.  Hearts and minds; it is all about winning in the court of public opinion. Appearance counts for a lot.  

So, what do we know for sure? 

Martinez is dead and cannot speak for himself.  This is conspiracy fodder.

No dash cams, no body cams, no identification or accountability for the shooter.  Unheard-of in the world of professional law enforcement this is sloppy meatball policing for sure.  If this is a deliberate policy to never leave a digital trail; that is a really bad look.  (See about conspiracy above)   

How about the boss?  Yup, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem hiding this from the public as long as she has.  Or is this just another oversize example of garden-variety incompetence?  Both looks are really bad; the former is much worse than the latter.  

Hidden from the public for a year.  Sloppy or deliberate?  Reader's Choice - you pick.  

What are they hiding from us anyway?

If Only The Dead Could Talk

Somewhere along the line I shared that I refreshed my CCW training during COVID.

My instructor had some sage advice. Basically, she had this to say (I am paraphrasing):

If you happen to be legally carrying and someone invites you to a protest, an act of civil disobedience or a riot; run the opposite direction.  

The gist of this was in the wake of the George Floyd protests and the Kyle Rittenhouse shootings your CCW permit isn't a superpower against kryptonite circumstances.  A perfectly innocent legal carry situation is not a shield against an overzealous prosecutor.  Mounting a successful defense can drain your financial resources.  Worse case?  Worse case is always worse.  Use your imagination. 

Anyway, her words were good advice.  Prescient too.

Nevertheless, what happened in Minneapolis shows that ICE will treat the mere presence of a legal firearm as justification for lethal force.

Carrying a gun is not a crime, yet it was readily used as irrefutable proof of dangerous intent.  And now that Alex Pretti is dead and unable to contest that narrative; that’s the narrative.  

 

From the president on down the chain of command the instant narrative is this:  

Pretti was obviously a domestic terrorist and a would-be assassin.  Consequently, he deserved to die.  This was a good shoot.  

The practical upshot of this is if you are interdicted by the Federales while carrying - even legally - masked paramilitary forces without visible personal identification can and will kill you on the spot.  With the support of our government.

Judge.

Jury.

And executioner.

At this point there isn't much you can do about it; you're dead.  

Because our government has declared you guilty beforehand. 

 

Am I willing to be wrong about all of the foregoing?  You bet I am.  Yet the president has expressed a desire to impose martial law across the land.  And he usually gets around to trying to do everything he says he wants to do.  I'd also bet he'll continue to use his shadowy veiled paramilitary forces to terrorize a small blue enclave in Minnesota with only an estimated 130,000 undocumented migrants to provoke unrest.  

It's rather quiet where I live; not that counts for anything in a world where the Constitution counts for nothing....

Lock The Clock

If you’re like me this semiannual switch between Standard Time and Daylight Saving Time is maddening.  Tomorrow I will lose an hour of sleep and in November after I set my clock back an hour I’ll still get out of bed in the dark to turn the coffee on.  At the end of the day I’ll pour myself a glass of Merlot in the dark.  This resetting of the clocks is messing with my circadian rhythms.

Daylight Saving Time is associated with the Western world as most countries outside Europe and North America don't observe the ritual. 

Courtesy of CNN research the notion of Daylight Saving Time has a curious pedigree.

1784 - The idea of daylight saving is first conceived by Benjamin Franklin.

1914-1918 - Britain goes on DLS during World War I.

March 19, 1918 - The Standard Time Act establishes time zones and daylight saving. Daylight saving is repealed in 1919, but continues to be recognized in certain areas of the United States.

1945-1966 - There is no federal law regarding Daylight Saving Time.

1966 - The Uniform Time Act of 1966 establishes the system of uniform Daylight Saving Time throughout the United States. The dates are the last Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October. States can exempt themselves from participation.

1974-1975 - Congress extends DLS in order to save energy during the energy crisis.

1986-2006 - Daylight Saving Time begins on the first Sunday in April and ends on the last Sunday in October.

August 8, 2005 - President George W. Bush signs the Energy Policy Act of 2005 into law. Part of the act will extend Daylight Saving Time starting in 2007, from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. 

 

In 2022, the Senate unanimously approved the Sunshine Protection Act which would make daylight saving time permanent.  The House did not pass it and then-President Biden did not sign it.  Whether the 119th Congress will pass the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 remains to be seen.  

 

As for making Daylight Savings Time permanent there is evidence that the frequency of heart attack and stroke increases around the ritual resetting of clocks twice a year.  Benefits of Daylight Savings Time enhance public safety and make better economic sense.  Proponents of Daylight Saving Time argue that most people appreciate an increase in daylight hours after coming home from work.  

Speaking for myself - I like the notion of longer, lighter evenings and a happier more prosperous United States.   

Make it permanent. Lock the clock.

Tick Tips

From my In-Box was this email from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Ticks seem to be everywhere this spring! Most commonly found in the woods and areas with tall grass or brush, many Wisconsin communities are part of "tick country."  

Tick bites can be unpleasant and sometimes cause serious illnesses such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and spotted fever group rickettsiosis. 

Don't let ticks ruin your fun. You can still enjoy plenty of time outdoors this summer by taking a few preventative steps.

• Wear long sleeves, pants and tall socks to prevent ticks from getting on you. Tuck shirts into pants and pants into socks for extra protection. 

• Use insect repellent on exposed skin and clothes. Repellents should contain either DEET (20-30%), Picaridin (10-20%), IR3535 (15–20%) or oil of lemon eucalyptus (30-40%). Permethrin can be used to treat clothes, shoes and other gear. 

• Stay on marked trails and designated recreation areas. Veering off the trail and traveling through tall grass or brush can increase your chances of tick exposure. 

• Do regular tick checks. Perform full-body tick checks after being outdoors in areas where ticks may be present. Remember to look over clothing and pets, too.

• When removing a tick, don't squeeze, crush or puncture its body, which may contain infectious fluids.

• Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water and clean the bite site with rubbing alcohol after removing a tick. 

Help fight the bite in Wisconsin.

Just the other day I got out of bed and much to my horror found this on my shirt.

At first blush I thought it was a tick.

Turns-out it was black fuzz.

Whew!

Four Short Years Ago

One of the interesting benefits of Face Book is the Face Book Memories feature.  The Face Book algorithm will "nudge" you with a post or status from the past.  It is actually a reasonably useful feature inasmuch as it captures an actual day in history, a photo, a trip, a status or seemingly mundane post.  Did I really say that?  Yeah, that was a really great trip!  Or, I forgot about that.

This is one from April 4, 2020.  Four short years ago.  It seems like a million years ago.  I chose not to re-post it on FB - choosing to do so here instead.  You see, coming here to read something is voluntary.  If I were to re-post this on FB it might find its way by means of the algorithm to just about anyone's feed.  And as a consequence, it might inflame certain individuals who have seemingly fond memories of April 4, 2020.  Sometimes discretion and not agitating certain individuals is the better part of valor.  

Here it is:

Gas price a mile from home was $1.19.  School cancelled - yes cancelled.  Self-distancing measures on the rise.  Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.  Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.  Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.

Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.  Entire sports seasons cancelled.  Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.  Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.  No masses, churches are closed.  No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 5 or more.  Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home. Children's outdoor play parks are closed.  We are to distance from each other.

Shortages of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.  Shortages of ventilators for the critically ill.  Panic buying sets in and there is no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towels, no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.  Shelves are bare. Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.

Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.  Supply lines begin to unravel.  Fines are established for breaking the rules.  Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.  With morgues full, refrigerated trailers begin overflowing with growing numbers of dead.

Press conferences daily from the President.  Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.  Government incentives to stay home.  Barely anyone on the roads.  People wearing masks and gloves outside.  Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.  Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status?

One day it will show up in my Face Book Memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.

 

This was a total, absolute, cluster f**k.  Nothing to be fond about.

Emergency Services

 When you have a powerful thirst, who you gonna call.....?

Strategic Partnership?

If you spend as much time as I do napping in a deer stand or turkey blind one of the observations made during a hunter’s waking moments is that deer and turkeys sometimes hang out together.   It’s not all the time; yet, it isn’t a rare occurrence either.

The proximity of a flock of turkeys to one or more deer doesn’t scare-off the whitetails and the presence of the deer doesn’t seem to bother the birds.  By all outward appearances they seem to enjoy the company of one another.  What is the explanation for this curious wildlife behavior and what seemingly might be a symbiotic relationship?

Wild turkeys both see in color and their vision is incredibly advanced – possibly three times greater than that of a human with 20/20 vision.  Since turkey do not sport external ears their field of view is 270 degrees and they can detect motion a hundred yards distant.  Turkeys move about in sizeable flocks resulting in dozens of vigilant eyes.  Inasmuch as turkeys will immediately begin to distance themselves from any movement they conclude is suspicious whitetail deer place their trust in the instincts of their turkey pals and follow.

Similarly, it is the sniffer of a whitetail that is incredibly advanced. I’ve been busted by a deer that winded me long before the animal ever had an opportunity to detect my presence visually. In a group setting, if a deer goes on high-alert as a consequence of a whiff of danger the turkeys place their trust in the instincts of their whitetail pals and follow.

This photo of a whitetail fawn accompanied by a flock of wild turkeys likely includes about a dozen pair of sharp eyes and a minimum of one very good nose - further evidence of an inexperienced young deer mixing-in with a brood flock for safety's sake.

So, if you’re driving down the road some day and you spy a flock of turkeys keeping company with a doe and her fawns or any collection of whitetail deer there’s an explanation other than mere coincidence.

Some biologists have concluded that each species trusts the other’s best sense for their mutually-assured security.

 

Herd Immunity

After a slow initial rollout, as of yesterday, it is estimated that 75% of the eligible population of the peninsula has now been vaccinated.  Presently children less than 16 years of age are not eligible.  Once the kiddos are vaxxed we'll have likely attained herd immunity.

Kudos to our county health department, first responders and front line healthcare workers.  Obtaining a vaccine driving thru a fire department bay is brilliant!

I have said all along that conquering the virus is the ticket to economic recovery.

This blogger is tickled to be counted among those who have been micro-chipped.  Just kidding

Yes, there are individuals who believe Bill Gates is using COVID vaccines to insert tracking micro-chips in the general population.  For what reason there is nary a clue as I believe Bill Gates has better things to do in his spare time.  Nevertheless, these unvaccinated believers walk amongst us.

Everybody is entitled to their own belief system.

That is what makes America great. 

Always.....

 

Firearms Safety

Those who know me would tell you that it is not at all unusual for me to have a pistol on my hip while walking or working in the woods or just generally out-doors.  

And no I am not some sort of deranged wacko gun nut, someone making a political statement or attempting to intimidate a visitor.  I am simply living the Boy Scout Motto - Be Prepared.  This habit started about a dozen years ago when around Christmastime I received an email from a friend that included a trail camera photo of a gray wolf taken a couple of miles north of here.  Hunting dogs and wolves are not on generally good speaking terms.

Over the years I've spared my dogs a couple of bad encounters with skunks, killed a few raccoons stumbling-around during daylight hours and behaving rabid and dealt a measure of justice for the depredation of nesting songbirds by ditch tigers.  There is also the risk of dogs running at large and locking horns with my dog.  I've never had an encounter with other dogs that has risen to the level of deadly force - but I had a close call a year ago.  Being prepared is a good best practice in rural America.  

In September of 2016 I was issued a Wisconsin permit to carry a concealed weapon - a CCW License.  

I should hope that I would never have to use a firearm for any purpose other than hunting or target shooting - nevertheless it is an additional level of preparedness.

It also affords me the luxury of carrying a loaded handgun secreted in a vehicle, the glove box of a UTV, a backpack, briefcase or concealed beneath an article of clothing. 

Anyway, the Missus and I have been engaged in various adult education endeavors in our retirement including taking classes in person and online.  For instance I recently completed a course on Native Americans of Door and Kewaunee County and Beyond.  Also the very timely:  Electoral College Past and Present.  On tap are additional subjects including:  The History of Diesel Locomotives, Medicinal Herbs and much more.  Exercising your brain cells is a good best practice.

Last weekend I spent a Saturday completing a firearms safety course.  A prerequisite to obtaining a CCW License.  Even though I already am a legal license holder I figured it would be a good refresher.  And it was.

Facilitated by a USCCA and NRA Certified instructor it was a review of basic firearm safety, handling and storage.  Basic stuff. Included was legally permissible possession, transportation and use of firearms. Most important was a review of the use of deadly force and techniques for avoiding and controlling violent confrontations.

Some takeaways for those of you who are not licensed but might be interested in what responsible firearm use is all about include the following:

It is legal to 'open carry' a weapon in public.  Nevertheless, is is not recommended.  It can draw unwanted attention and appear provocative to the general public.  A best practice is to carry concealed.
 
In Wisconsin brandishing a weapon is against the law.

You can carry a concealed weapon into a tavern as long as you are not consuming alcohol on the premises. Furthermore, you cannot carry with detectable alcohol in your system. 

Wisconsin is not a 'Stand Your Ground' state. Wisconsin follows the 'Castle Doctrine'.  Deadly force is permissible only to defend life in your own home (automobile or business) if the aggressor is over the threshold.    

Corollary:  The best weapon for home defense is not an AR-15 or a handgun - but rather a pump-operated shotgun.  If you are defending your castle it is a best practice to not go looking for an intruder but to retreat with your loved ones to a 'safe room' with your shotgun and call 911.

Use of deadly force to defend property is criminal.  Dogs are property.
 
Use of deadly force is allowed only:  

• In the face of great bodily harm   

• You must be an innocent party     

• No lesser force is sufficient/available    

• There is no reasonable means of retreat/escape

If you discharge your weapon it is not unreasonable to expect jail and charges even if ultimately found to be in the right.

A CCW license does not absolve the holder of civil or criminal liability for negligent weapon use or storage. 

The single best thing to do is to avoid violent encounters in the first place.

Solving An Age-Old Problem

If you are like me and were born with outdoor plumbing be grateful for being equipped to easily pee in your woods when nature calls.  No dropping the drawers for we of the male persuasion.  Hey, when you've acres upon acres of trees the world is your urinal.  That said - I also have a couple of comfy outdoor privies with contoured seating and panoramic views - but we'll save that discussion for another day.

If you're also like me - and have traveled here and abroad - there is nothing worse than being in an urban public space – a park, a botanical garden or a plaza - and being assaulted by the strong smell of cat box. I take that back – cat boxes don’t smell that bad. What I’m talking about is the sensory assault visited-upon us by public urination.  Guys (yes - guys) the Town Square in not your urinal.

I have witnessed the acrid, ammonia-like stink lingering in the city air all over North America and abroad. It is as old a challenge as civilization itself. You have to hand it to the Romans and their vast department of public works and civil engineering to introduce the concept of modern public sanitation. Yet this problem persists. And as a consequence of thinking out of the box there may be a sustainable solution.  

photo - GreenPee

This is the GreenPee – manufactured by the Dutch company Urban Sense - these colorful planters not only provide a location for pollinator habitat they also are a possible solution to urban public urination. These are being deployed in Amsterdam as well as additional Dutch cities and urban locations in Belgium. 

They reduce water use associated with traditional urinals, provide an alternative to the annoyance of public urination and can be equipped with a sensor that sends an alert when it is time to be emptied. The contents are fetched and subsequently converted to fertilizer and clean water. 

You can learn more here. 

In the mean time watch for a GreenPee coming to a big city near you.

Be a Patriot - Not A Spreader

For all of the ruckus about wearing a mask in public – it is about as close to a cure as it comes. Sure, it’s not 100% effective – but it’s smart to maintain social distancing, wash your hands, don’t touch your eyes and if you cannot maintain a safe social distance wear a mask in public. 

There is another reason; if you are a capitalist like me it is simple economics.  This is one of the fastest ways to flatten the curve and get the economy back up and running.  The Trump Administration's own CDC Director suggests we can do this in four to eight weeks.

None of this is political - it is a teeny, weensy inconvenience.

So, be a patriot - don’t be a spreader. 

From today’s Wall Street Journal: Face Masks Really Do Matter – The Scientific Evidence is Growing.

Cavalry to the Rescue

Donald Trump has called for the reopening of schools this fall.   I happen to agree with him.  This is congruent with the assessment and conclusions of clinical psychologists, pediatricians and parents who need to return to work.  Nevertheless, there are caveats.  

The first is that the president cannot have it both ways.  By that, I mean, if he has already abrogated all responsibility to the governors to manage the pandemic, he has no expectation of authority to order anybody back to school. He has zero standing to demand a student, classroom teacher, administrator, custodian, aide or lunchroom lady return.  This is a matter that is rightfully left to the states and better yet to individual communities where governance of public schools is left to local boards of education.          

The second caveat is that as a consequence of the president's lazy and haphazard lack of leadership the pandemic is surging. Again. Thusly, reopening schools safely is going to be costly. Very, very costly.  And with Wisconsin school districts already constrained by state curriculum and budget mandates – they are going to be clobbered by these added costs.  

The federal cavalry should be thundering to the rescue.       

Back in March, federal aid passed into law provided for $13.5 billion to K-12 education - less than one percent of the total stimulus.  Seems to me that Washington needs to step-up and do more as the states certainly don’t have the means.  Their budgets have been bled-dry by the economic impact of coronavirus and the Trump recession.
        

Consider this – if the feds can provide bailout funding to cover the payrolls of restaurants, bars and law firms - or funding to keep banks, cruise lines, movie theaters and airlines afloat - they should add school districts to the list.  

It is a known truth that a critical key to a return to normalcy is getting our school-age children back in school.

Safely.

If I had the ear of the president as an advisor I'd encourage him to step-it-up and call for a cavalry charge - seems like a good strategy for reelection after-all. 

Of course nobody listens to me....... 

Friday Music Comes to Monday

In further news individuals and families have been fleeing larger urban communities in Illinois, Wisconsin and even New York to their seasonal homes on the peninsula.      Apparently they feel they will be safer sheltering in place here.

Two weeks ago Door County Emergency Management asked visitors and everyone else to stay away.  The County requested lodging entities to consider reducing the risk to our neighbors by not accepting new reservations and canceling those that exist to encourage people to temporarily not travel to the area.        

Officially, traveling to or visiting Door County is not recommended at this time due to COVID-19.  

Emergency management reminds you that visitation can be damaging to small, isolated communities like ours that have limited resources and infrastructure available to cope with a potential outbreak. 

The brutal truth is that the peninsula does not have the medical infrastructure to handle an outbreak.      

By definition 'sheltering in place' means exactly that.  Stay where you are.  No travel.  Stay put.  This is how you slow the spread of a pathogen. 
 

Maybe the peninsula should do what Rhode Island is doing.    

For the love of God and all that is holy don't make a damn personal exodus to Door County thinking it's safer here. Keep to yourself and stay home!        



Caution - Adult Language.....