October 4th, 1918 Oswego is a flu hot spot in NY with between 2,500 and 3,000 cases. No NY mandatory orders as quarantining felt to be impracticable. Special corps of Nurses formed. 113,737 cases in the US with 2,479 deaths.

© words by Daniel DeMarle 4/2020

There are so many reasons we must have a change in the Presidency and in the Senate in November.  Let me be clear, this is not about Politics in general, but it is about Politics right now.  That means we have had competent Presidents on the Democrat and on the Republican side.  However right not we do not. Right now we have a President and a Senate Majority Leader who are putting all of us, and much of Earth in significant danger.  This is really about those two people.  Unfortunately the Senate is very unlikely to remove Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell from office.  He could possibly lose his upcoming election.  Things might be somewhat better even if the Republicans kept the Senate and had a different Majority Leader, but that is unclear. So frankly it would be best if the Republicans lost the Senate and the Democrats kept the house.

So why must these two individuals lose, because if not we will pass multiple points of no return.  We might still pass those if Democrats win the Presidency and the Senate and keep the House, but we have less of a change of that if they are out of there.

The number 1 reason, is not COVID-19 or the coming Great Recession or possibly Great Depression. Those are on this list, but they are not number 1.

The number 1 reason is Climate Change.  In 2019 we had 11 years left until we are past a significant not return Climate tipping point.  Trump and the Republicans have pretty much done everything humanely possible to make Climate Change almost inevitable.  On 1/2021 when a new President is sworn in, we will 9 years left for drastic action.  If Trump wins reelection and he continues his current policies, when he leaves four years later we will only have 5 years left.  To have any chance of mitigating the worse impacts of Climate Change we need different leadership in Washington.

Number 2 COVID-19.  Some estimates say we may still be dealing with his for another 4 years.  The 1918 flu became deadlier over time.  It is unknown if this will happen with this virus.  We are at mile 1 of an ultra marathon and already over 40,000 Americans have died. We need absolutely clear leadership not just in America but in the World, and Trump and McConnell have proven themselves completely unable of providing that leadership.

Number 3 the great recession or depression we are now facing.  It will take tremendous leadership at all levels of the US Government to fight that fight and get America and the World through this coming disaster.  We need a different team at the Top and not the team that got us into this mess.  As Vice President, Biden has already been there for this ride.  Having Democrats and Progressive Democrats pushing an agenda can give a wide range of hope of addressing issues 1 and 2 above. Imagine a new green deals that emerges from all of this this to fight climate change and return America out of a great recession.

Number 4 the Supreme Court.  This is totally political. How did the Supreme Court become political? Well the answer is thank the Republicans.  Remember Mitch McConnell stole a Supreme Court seat.  That made this totally political. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will possible not make it 4 more years. Enough said.

© words by Dan DeMarle 4/21/2020

Flowers collected in my childhood at my family home stored
in one of my father’s college textbooks

Tomorrow, when tomorrow arrives,

I will go out and pick flowers.

I will place them carefully,

oh so carefully,

between the pages of an old book.

In that way years from now,

On some nice future day,

when grandchildren or great-grandchildren,

ask, as they inevitably will,

Ask about lives lost and changes,

and about all the whys and wherefores,

I will have them open the book,

probably a book of poetry,

those thick long words can dry anything quickly,

and turn the leaves and say,

Yes, but even among the graves, there was always beauty.

© words and picture by Daniel DeMarle 4/20/2020 written during the COVID-19 Pandemic

There is only one true thing in this story. What is it? On my ride to work today, it started to snow. No big deal as it is the end of March. What made it hard was I took too sharp of a corner and wiped out on my bike. It was a big deal because I had not fully closed my coffee mug. Coffee spilled everywhere. Including all over my bike bag. When I got to work, I discovered it had leaked over my lap top. So it wouldn’t start. Luckily there is always paper and pen, which is what I wrote this on. My day got worse from there. So then I wrote to you to see and to say April fools.