Greetings:
It's now March 23 2020. Feels like a bad snowstorm but the snow keeps coming
How do we take care of ourselves and eachother now?
and how do we resist unnecessary government control of our lives?
My hats off to ABRA and to Friends of Nelson, who have been able to stay focused on pipeline issues in their weekly newsletters. Please subscribe if you haven’t already:
ABRA alliance: https://www.abralliance.org/
Friends of Nelson: http://friendsofnelson.com/
By the way, a few weeks ago, ABRA reported that the Constitution pipeline had finally been cancelled for good, forever. Yay! That’s the pipeline that was to have crossed from NE Pennsylvania into NY state but NY said no. Then lawsuits and appeals and more lawsuits and appeals until FINALLY the company said, oh, nevermind. . .
So. . .back to the subject that is on everyone’s minds:
Stay Informed, but resist the temptation to check daily how many new cases there are--does it help to know?
Also, consider taking Inventory. Of your stuff--how much toilet paper do you have? Do you need? Do you really need to stockpile? Next, of your skills and resources as well. . .how can you help?
Discern Do fact checking via Snope.com or other reliable source. Go ahead tho and check out those right-wing conspiracy theory folks too.
Resist the temptation to panic. Fear is not good for the immune system. I may be wrong, but I believe: Not everyone will be exposed. Not everyone who is exposed will get sick. Not everyone who gets sick will get badly sick. Not everyone who gets badly sick will die.
Many people will lose jobs, income, and hope. That last part is really important. Please keep in mind, and in your prayers if you do that:
There are 5 or 6 big internet-based companies in the world competing with each other. They are set to profit “bigtime” from this crisis. Consider alternatives to Google (which now owns Youtube), Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Apple and Microsoft. That might include:
By the way, I’m an analogue person in a digital world, as well as a person who prefers to listen than watch. I’ve been reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and having a lot of aha’s: So that’s why I hate Facebook and don’t have a smartphone. Newport contends that many folks now are suffering from solitude deficit--they literally don’t know how to be alone. He also discusses how President Lincoln would intentionally remove himself from the White House to be alone and write before making decisions during the Civil War crisis.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Several I’ve heard recently have included misleading and disparaging information about “Baby Boomers” --hey, I’m one!
Why not take the time now, if you are younger, to call up one of your older relatives and learn about the resistance to the Vietnam war, the grape boycott and farm worker movements in the 70’s, the American Indian Movement, and the “mutual aid” that was organized in the LGBTQ community during the late 1970s to 1980s during the initial outbreak of AIDS. .. when for 10 years the US government did and said NOTHING to stop the spread of AIDS (I’m still angry about it!) Don’t forget to talk to African Americans and non-wealthy whites of my generation in Virginia who had their public schools shut down, not for months, but several years, during Virginia’s refusal to go along with school desegregation. (Called Massive Resistance, by the way.)
This “little free food pantry” is about a block from my house in Hagerstown, in front of a church.. Maybe more things like this could spring up all over?
Here are some resources for the Mutual Aid , “solidarity not charity”
From Congregate Charlottesville:
Please fill out this form to request a mini-grant of up to $200 bit.ly/cvillecoronafund (all information is confidential)
Questions, concerns, and offers to help? Email CvilleCares@gmail.com
Fredrick MD-Covid-19 Supply Exchange
Join social media
Supporting Frederick, Maryland Small Businesses Through Covid-19
Join social media
Your community not listed? Want to start something? Check out:
http://bigdoorbrigade.com/
There is one listed for the Shenandoah Valley also, but I was unable to get confirmation that it is legit before sending this out. Beware: there are hackers still hacking everywhere, including the Johns Hopkins site for COVID-19 info--jeez louise. . .
It's now March 23 2020. Feels like a bad snowstorm but the snow keeps coming
How do we take care of ourselves and eachother now?
and how do we resist unnecessary government control of our lives?
My hats off to ABRA and to Friends of Nelson, who have been able to stay focused on pipeline issues in their weekly newsletters. Please subscribe if you haven’t already:
ABRA alliance: https://www.abralliance.org/
Friends of Nelson: http://friendsofnelson.com/
By the way, a few weeks ago, ABRA reported that the Constitution pipeline had finally been cancelled for good, forever. Yay! That’s the pipeline that was to have crossed from NE Pennsylvania into NY state but NY said no. Then lawsuits and appeals and more lawsuits and appeals until FINALLY the company said, oh, nevermind. . .
So. . .back to the subject that is on everyone’s minds:
Stay Informed, but resist the temptation to check daily how many new cases there are--does it help to know?
Also, consider taking Inventory. Of your stuff--how much toilet paper do you have? Do you need? Do you really need to stockpile? Next, of your skills and resources as well. . .how can you help?
Discern Do fact checking via Snope.com or other reliable source. Go ahead tho and check out those right-wing conspiracy theory folks too.
Resist the temptation to panic. Fear is not good for the immune system. I may be wrong, but I believe: Not everyone will be exposed. Not everyone who is exposed will get sick. Not everyone who gets sick will get badly sick. Not everyone who gets badly sick will die.
Many people will lose jobs, income, and hope. That last part is really important. Please keep in mind, and in your prayers if you do that:
- Those who cannot miss work, have no sick leave, and cannot maintain “social distance” including poultry workers, fast food workers, grocery store clerks
- Those in prison and those who work in prison (Remember that many in prison are awaiting trial, not yet convicted, or are there for minor probation violations).
- Those who no longer have access to water to wash their hands: eg the homeless
- Health care workers, post office workers, direct care providers for the elderly, etc.
There are 5 or 6 big internet-based companies in the world competing with each other. They are set to profit “bigtime” from this crisis. Consider alternatives to Google (which now owns Youtube), Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, Apple and Microsoft. That might include:
- Spend less time online and more with real-time conversations on the phone
- Order from Ebay or other online retailers instead of Amazon. Look at used books at All About Books https://www.allaboutbooks.org/. Or support authors directly, for example pipeline fighter Bobby Whitescarver from Augusta County, who is offering a discount now: :https://www.gettingmoreontheground.com/swoope-almanac/
- If you use facebook live, for example, consider installing the new app on Firefox that prevents Facebook from tracking your other online activities while you are watching/listening. Remember your time=their money
- Do less online and more on the phone, including organizing phone conferences.
- Get outside and walk. If the parks are closed, I intend to walk around the gate. . . In this case yesterday, the park was open:
By the way, I’m an analogue person in a digital world, as well as a person who prefers to listen than watch. I’ve been reading Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and having a lot of aha’s: So that’s why I hate Facebook and don’t have a smartphone. Newport contends that many folks now are suffering from solitude deficit--they literally don’t know how to be alone. He also discusses how President Lincoln would intentionally remove himself from the White House to be alone and write before making decisions during the Civil War crisis.
I listen to a lot of podcasts. Several I’ve heard recently have included misleading and disparaging information about “Baby Boomers” --hey, I’m one!
Why not take the time now, if you are younger, to call up one of your older relatives and learn about the resistance to the Vietnam war, the grape boycott and farm worker movements in the 70’s, the American Indian Movement, and the “mutual aid” that was organized in the LGBTQ community during the late 1970s to 1980s during the initial outbreak of AIDS. .. when for 10 years the US government did and said NOTHING to stop the spread of AIDS (I’m still angry about it!) Don’t forget to talk to African Americans and non-wealthy whites of my generation in Virginia who had their public schools shut down, not for months, but several years, during Virginia’s refusal to go along with school desegregation. (Called Massive Resistance, by the way.)
This “little free food pantry” is about a block from my house in Hagerstown, in front of a church.. Maybe more things like this could spring up all over?
Here are some resources for the Mutual Aid , “solidarity not charity”
From Congregate Charlottesville:
Please fill out this form to request a mini-grant of up to $200 bit.ly/cvillecoronafund (all information is confidential)
Questions, concerns, and offers to help? Email CvilleCares@gmail.com
Fredrick MD-Covid-19 Supply Exchange
Join social media
Supporting Frederick, Maryland Small Businesses Through Covid-19
Join social media
Your community not listed? Want to start something? Check out:
http://bigdoorbrigade.com/
There is one listed for the Shenandoah Valley also, but I was unable to get confirmation that it is legit before sending this out. Beware: there are hackers still hacking everywhere, including the Johns Hopkins site for COVID-19 info--jeez louise. . .
