My mask is back and there's gonna be trouble

Sing along.

My mask's back and you're gonna be in trouble
(Hey-la-day-la my mask's back)

Gaps, always the gaps. Or oops I did it again. I'm still trying to figure out how to be a journal writer and a blog writer. I don't want to bore the people who stop by here regularly, so I'll keep it short. I like writing in journals and scribbling late night "notes" on the phone, but it's challenging incorporating those thoughts into the blog.

It was cloudy today in Seattle. Thank goodness. It's been a long time since I've felt Mother Nature's cooling down. It beats ACs and fans any day.

I'm all over the place right now. I have a ton of road laundry in a corner that is seething, bitterly pointing out that I have the quarters to do the job. Do it! Oh silly laundry, I'm a seasoned pro at ignoring calls to action.

There's not a lot of good news out there right now. Delta, drought, wildfires. I'm not opting for escapism or denial, but I don't want to go very far in that direction tonight. Wherever you are, I hope you're doing well.

Capitol Hill (all of Seattle?) is masking up again. Fine by me. At this stage it's probably not worth expending energy on the mask debate. Do they work? Do they act as a negative incentive (disincentive?) for vaccinations? Does this mean the vaccinations don't work? Blah blah blah. I don't mind wearing them, especially if it gives a little peace of mind to people working indoors.

I'm fascinated by policy discussions, but I think we've hit diminishing marginal returns. Everyone and anyone who is on TV or who has a column is talking about the bewildering policy deicisions and guidance. It's like having 300 people officiate a Jenga match. I'm a professional eavesdropper just off a long roadtrip - Average Joe Americans are confused and have largely made their risk calculations.

I think it's safe to say that the vaccines' effectiveness wears off some earlier than expected. I'm not a doctor, and I was a straight C student in science. I'm basing that off of Pfizer's own statements. I try to remind myself that my criteria for effective vaccinations is an improved chance at 1) no hospital, 2) no ventilator, 3) peace of mind when visiting my family and friends.

I'm at about 3 months fully vaxxed and have been going out, but I'll probably scale that back some. Indoors + Time + Poor Ventilation = Bad. I've been catching up with friends who work in the restaurant and bar industry, and the anecdotal evidence is that there are several local bars that have experienced outbreaks among the fully vaxxed staff. My anecdotes aren't baseless. Local news has covered the story.

Many of the bars and restaurants have started requesting proof of vaccination. I've been on hand to see the implementation. It's Capitol Hill, so it's not surprising that most people are cool with that. I am. I have seen a few groups scramble to get around it. Show a card and do the walk back out hand off. Text a photo of a card to people without one. My guess is that in all instances the people were vaxxed.

I intended to post a bunch of links to New York Times articles. You should see my browser window. About 15 tabs open, most of them sporting that famous T that is the NYT's signature. A few WP's for the Washington Post. But it's too many links. I'll just add a few.

I really enjoyed this article about a Welsh photographer who started spending time in Wyoming ranch country. It's really a wonderful article, and it gets to what long-term photo projects are about. I love the idea of long-term photo projects, but the execution is absolutely daunting. I'm sure many of these projects aren't acknowledged until...that's terribly worded. I'm sure many photographers stumble on their projects accidentally or after the fact. That makes them even more impressive. Try to imagine assembling a ten years long photo project from your smartphone after you thought of the project idea in year 5. (This will relate to an upcoming post...this is me imitating some of my high school teachers...this is an important point and could very well show up on a quiz hint hint.)

I can't stop thinking about wildfires, community, and climate change. I grew up familiar with wildfires, but it was Paradise and the Camp Fire that really got hold of me. Where are we on this? It seems like everything else these days - COVID, masks, climate change, the challenges of immigration, everything. It's all so binary. It's real or it's a hoax.

I like to be transparent (hate that term) with my biases. I think we are dangerously and adversely affecting our environment, which will cause dangerous consequences. Let's put that aside for a moment. It's hot and dry in the American west and southwest. Wildfires are going to continue to torment people in the west and southwest. I thought this New York Times article did a fantastic job of conveying the experiences of the people living in the fire zones.

You might find this very hard to believe, but I've been thinking about some (lame) jokes I wanted to include in this post. They've escaped me, resulting in a somber, sullen post. That's ok. Trying to get back into a rhythm of posting to The Blog With No Clear Focus. I mentioned it earlier, but I hope you're doing well. Jason, how are the renovations. Scott, I was telling a friend tonight about my friend who moved to Cuenca. Chuck, that same friend mentioned a desire to move to Wilmington. I thought of you. TB, hope you and L are doing fun summer activities. Mom, my dinners have taken a nosedive.