Mixed Bag of ... Stuff

The Schloss-Blog, in the spirit of the holidays, has a mixed bag today. Sort of ... politics and not politics.

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COVID-19 has changed our lives, but we've come a long way. After all, how many of you remember sneezing into the crease of your elbow?

Yet, COVID hospitalizations are up 40% as we head into the heart of holiday partying, or so the NY Times tells us.

No one, not a single soul, wants to go back to a shutdown, so how do we mitigate against the virus creeping back into our lives in a critical way without compromising the advances we've made in socializing, traveling, shopping and just gathering altogether?

Good question. Anyone got an answer?

We are learning, to an extent, to live with the virus. But the virus isn't done killing us, clearly. We'll be at 800,000 dead Americans soon.

Where do we go from here? Wherever asshole #COVIDiots let us, I suppose.

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On a brighter note, Sex and the City is back, "And Just Like That" the characters are all here, except for ever sex-crazed Samantha (Kim Cattrall). This time around, they're all in their 50's and there is an acknowledgment of COVID on the show.

We'll see where it goes.

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Still got cable?

As profitable as cable is, cord-cutting goes on and streaming is poised to displace it as our primary viewing vehicle.

Live sports is primarily keeping cable - and network TV - afloat. Will that last?

I hear from people that all the promises about "live sports" being available on streaming services is not what it is promised to be in their promos.

For me, when I'm the last person still on cable, I'll switch over to a streaming service and find out. Until then, I can access amazon prime and HBOMAX anytime I want to.

It's sort of like an electric car. I'll buy one when the gas stations on every corner are replaced with electric-charging stations that do the trick in minutes, not hours. Shell Electric, Mobil Electric, Exxon Electric are all still a pipe dream.

Or as they say in the commercial, "now squeegee." 

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As great a quarterback as Aaron Rodgers is, he is just as much a lying asshole.

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Speaking of things remembered, do you remember malls? Been to one? I haven't. OK, I ran in and out of one, literally, to go to a small jewelry store to get a new band attached to an old favorite watch.

But Macy's? Penney's? Nordstrom? Are you kidding? Been two years.

Will be another two until asshole #COVIDiots get vaccinated and we can all go back to being normal.

Same, for me, for movie theaters.

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Keep hearing the economy sucks. Does it?

Unemployment? Way, way, way, way down (4.2%).

Wages? Way, way, way, way up. Yes, some 5% annualized. But CNBC is saying a 9% rise in inflation negates that.

Things like supply-chain problems, although alleviating, inflation and labor shortages provide the perception that the economy is not good, even though it's humming.

But perception is reality, and if Democrats don't harp on their economic successes and COVID wins,  Republicans who don't care if you die, or how, will win back everything.

And all those gains stand to be erased.

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Next week, preceding Christmas, the Schloss-Blog will not just do a year-end look back but will look at some lists of best, worst and most that pop up at this time of year.

Like "vaccine" being the word of the year, according to one dictionary. "Allyship," was the word according to another dictionary, the art of aligning with and supporting a cause, perhaps human rights (so why are the Olympics in Beijing this February?). 

We'll see. See you then.

Good night, Mrs. Calabash. Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson.

More Sunday night on my Radio Free Phoenix rock 'n' roll show.