Ack, I keep reading that as

We’re being led by officials who no longer [recognize] or [refuse to name] the enemy they’re inviting into our own backyard.

And I’m thinking “wait, which is it? Are you upset the officials no longer recognize the enemy or because they no longer refuse to name the enemy?”

I get what they’re trying to say, but it’s not clearly stated.

Sidenote: shout-out the Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem, a Polish author.

His name’s “Elvis” and he answered to “Aye-ellll-vis”. Now he doesn’t answer to anything because he’s gone deaf, but he’s still a great pup. He’s a senior terrier mix, about 10 pounds. He’s a bit of a velcro dog and I am the One True Human, so it sucks for him that I work outside the home. He’s stuck with Work From Home Partner, who just doesn’t fill the same void in Elvis’s heart. So, Elvis sleeps all day and then watches the front very attentively when he decides I should come home.

He still has bursts of energy. Last weekend he met a chihuahua his age. Elvis was like “omg, you’re slightly smaller than me and seem even more chill. Let me dance around and thwack you in the face so you’ll play with me”. The other pup was game and it was adorable to watch two seniors playing.

He goes on long hikes with me. He gets tired after about a block and will turn around and try and get me to go back to the car. I generally just carry him at this point. He’s lucky he’s tiny. He’ll lean forward to ask to be set down, then he’ll either sniff something or amble so very slowly along the path. He is the worst hiker.

This question reminds me of a dog I ended up with. He knew his name, but only in the same accent as his previous owner. So I’d be at the dog park in New England calling for my dog in the most exaggerated southern accent I could muster.

I learned about an expensive headset brand today. Their website was fun, their product is exactly what I want, and they have a 5-year warranty. The headsets come with spare ear pads. Never heard about them before today. I somehow trust they’re worth the price.

(Still ended up just buying new foam pads for my current $30 headset, but I was tempted.)

A bunny?

We gave away computer parts on Craigslist a few months ago. It was a no-stress transaction and the receiver was a sweet old-school computer person building a basic machine for his kids to play Minecraft. Would do again.

a lot of people are going to die.

Yep. It makes me feel helpless and I hate it.

Side story:

I had the sweetest young store clerk at the grocery checkout. We’d already chitchatted about something, so it wasn’t awkward when he shyly asked if I was sick, if that was why I masked.

I told him “no, I’m fine, but my roommate’s immune system is weak AF. Oh, and my dad died of COVID and I’m still a bit sore there.” and he got big eyes and gave his condolences.

I’d guess he was 14 when my dad died (Jan 2021), when a lot of people’s dads died. That’s a quarter of a lifetime ago for him. It’s been an age. /feeling old and nostalgic

Back when my friends were getting our first COVID jabs, we’d congratulate each other on “a strong immune response” whenever we’d feel crappy afterwards.

Iirc, glasses help reduce infections, too.

Back in 2020 I’d wear my p99 respirator and goggles at the grocery store, then a full strip into the washer and shower as soon as I came home.

Now I’m more relaxed: n95 or kn94 plus standard prescription glasses, washing hands up to the elbow (makes me feel like I’m on MASH). I still strip as soon as I get home, but not because of COVID.

I’ve gotten relaxed at work over the summer because there were minimal people in the library. I’m going to go back to full masking outside my office now that the students are back, especially since I don’t have a new flu or COVID vaccine available to me.