This pandemic has affected life in many ways. One of them is that we’re getting to see things we’ve never seen before, little subtle changes. And the things we’re seeing are being normalized. Nothing to see here, move along folks.
Empty shelves are now a common sight, something we’re becoming used to. At least in America, they had been quite rare. You’d only see them occasionally. Sometimes in stores that had a Going Out of Business Sale in the front window. Or empty bread, milk, and bottled water shelves somewhere in a part of Florida in the path of an oncoming hurricane. Now they’re everywhere, every day.
And we have a new class of litter. In years past, I don’t think I ever saw a mask lying on the ground. Now they’re a common sight:
In the Twin Cities there’s a chain of bicycle stores called Erik’s Bike Shop. Driving on Interstate 494 today, I saw a billboard ad for them that proclaimed Bikes in Stock. Um, you’re a bicycle shop. You’re supposed to have bikes in stock. But during this pandemic/recession-depression, bike sales have soared. As have sales of recreational vehicles. In every other economic downturn, RV sales figures have cratered. But in this coronapocalypse, they’ve gone way up.
Coronavirus News and Analysis:
Florida Health Directors Ordered to Keep Quiet
Displaying either a level of tone-deafness exceeding that of Marie Antionette, or a level of psychopathy matching that of Ted Bundy, the US Federal Reserve is — RIGHT NOW — engaged in the largest transfer of wealth in all of US history.
Data shows Kansas counties with mask mandates have seen a decrease in COVID-19 cases
Nasdaq Valuations Say You’ll Be Stuck at Home for a Long Time
Signs of lasting change are everywhere. Bankruptcies are piling up, altering the consumer landscape. A survey by CreditCards.com found more than 40% of people who spent money on movies and event tickets before the pandemic now plan to spend less. Half of Americans aren’t eager to hit a bar, and more than one-third aren’t excited about sports games or movies, according to a recent survey by Bloomberg and Morning Consult.
The shift to working from home has increased the number of hours Americans work
Trump makes multiple false claims about Covid-19 relief as he signs executive actions, and in a related story, Biden Calls Trump Order ‘Reckless War’ on Social Security. Meh, it may be a moot point. Won’t this get tossed out in federal court? Last time I checked, Congress controls the purse strings.
U.S. Response to Virus Met with Incredulity Abroad
