Stories Without End: Things That Are Still Things

Besides the endless stream of mass shootings, there are stories that will not end. 

 COVID is still a thing.  People are still getting sick from this disease. 

Now we have vaccines and boosters for the vaccines and it's been two frickin' years. Why is COVID still a thing? 

Well, shit like this ain't helping.

Dr. Lisa Gwynn,  Florida pediatrician who was on the state-appointed public health board of directors for statements about COVID-19 vaccines, was booted off that board for actually advocating for children under 5 years old  to get the vaccine following advice from  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   

This irked Florida’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Petronis, an ally of the state’s hard-right Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).  DeSantis has peddled misleading information about the vaccines. Florida 

is the only state that has not ordered vaccines for young children.

These events in Florida are sadly not unique. There are too many people (including those absurdly in positions of authority) who are in the mindset that "ain't nobody gonna tell me to take no shot".) 

 

It's stupidity like this why COVID is still a thing. 

Inflation is still a thing. Mostly driven by high gas prices because the oil companies are raking in record profits with unfettered impunity. President Joe Biden gets blamed for high gas prices even though gas prices are also high in countries where he is not President.

While Biden has no authority to control gas prices, he did try to use the "bully pulpit" of the Presidency to chastise oil company executives: “This is a time of war and global peril. Bring down the price you are charging at the pump to reflect the cost you’re paying for the product. And do it now.”

Oh no! Was Joe Biden being mean to those poor old oil company executives? Well, thank God Jeff Bezos is around to defend them. 

“Ouch. Inflation is far too important a problem for the White House to keep making statements like this.  It’s either straight ahead misdirection or a deep misunderstanding of basic market dynamics.”

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slapped back at Bezos: "I guess it’s not surprising that you think oil and gas companies using market power to reap record profits at the expense of the American people is the way our economy is supposed to work."

Shit cost too much.  A recent grocery run to Wal-Mart that used to run me about $40 cost me around $60.  A recent Sheetz run for 3 people cost me $50! That's right: FIFTY DAMN DOLLARS!!

Russia's assault on Ukraine is still a thing. The invasion of Ukraine is not the cakewalk that Vladimir Putin imagined it would be and it's been nothing but a drain of lives,money and resources. But Putin is not backing down because Putin doesn't want to be seen backing down.  

Putin gave no consideration to the negative impacts (economic sanctions, loss of life, etc) on Russia in starting this unprovoked war and so there's no reason that the actual reality of negative impacts on Russia would make Putin give any fucks at all about ending it. 

Russia has made some "progress" in securing parts of Ukraine but only after a considerable expenditure of time, material and personnel. The costs associated with these gains far outstrip the value of those gains but Putin does not give a single damn about that. 

These stories that will not end are driven by ego and ignorance of men who suffer no consequence but others pay the price.