A Quiet Seattle

I posted the following photo in the previous blog entry post thingy. I keep returning to the photo, though, so I figured I’d give it its own post. I took the photo as I was walking back to Capitol Hill from Pike Place Market. I knew the sliver of light and the sunbeam would be dramatic.

The photo had potential. It’s not quite there, but I like it all the same. For me, the biker in the light is the subject, but they’re just too close to that car. I wish the biker had been slightly to the left, or in a position to create more depth.I also wish there had been more light falling on the bus or shining within.

Doesn’t matter. I like it. In the heart of COVID, it makes me think of 28 Days Later, with individuals grappling with new realities. That requires some projection, though, and a focus on general circumstances. It was late on a Saturday, and depending on the convention center’s schedule, it could have been quiet then without COVID. Probably not this quiet. Last week it would have been packed with cosplayers attending the Emerald City Comic Con.

I hope everyone’s doing well during these trying times. I’m hoping our elected officials and regional governments can sort things out. At the federal level, I hope the big egos will step aside and let the public policy experts lead the way. I am so tired of their games, the ambushes, the little traps, and the pettiness.

Chinese virus? Don’t treat us like idiots, we know what’s going on. Both the Chinese and Trump botched things early on. I’ll never understand governments’ first instincts – keep it quiet. I think there was a similar instinct at play at Chernobyl, but I know some dispute that. The Chinese government eventually sprang into action, and it would be productive for us to hear their lessons learned.

Trump, Fox, and Rush initially downplayed the virus, and we lost valuable time. How different would the situation be now? We’ll never know. Since then Trump has done some good things and some not so good things. But we should not let governments or the media play these “Chinese virus” games. It’s all a distraction.