HOUSING AND FOOD APOCALYPSE AROUND THE CORNER

Man has two basic needs. Shelter and food.  Without, survival can be difficult.

Coronavorus has exposed society to worse shelter and food problems than existed before. An apocalypse is in the making.

In June, 30,000 Americans could not make rent. A federal eviction program exists which has protected many in recent months. However, it ends July 25.

Most are already 3 months behind in rent payments. B the end of July, it will be 4. How will the landlord be paid? Another $1,200 check won’t make things better, assuming another $1,200 check is even forthcoming.

Expect therefore a huge wave of evictions, homelessness, and hunger.

The eviction/homeless numbers are staggering. Experts project 15 percent over 2 months resulting in 17 million new persons on the streets.

Food banks have been doing the job so far. They will be overloaded. Some will go hungry.

The result will be more demonstrations. Actually, riots. Civil disorder as we have not known in recent times. People cannot be denied the basics for survival.

Bubonic plague can be the next pandemic.

This has not been an easy year thus far. First, coronavirus. Recently in Florida, 8 cases of dengue fever. The Fall is coming. Flu season will return .

The bubonic plague is the black death of the Middle Ages. Rarely occurs in modern times.

It occurred recently in Mongolia near the Russian border. Two cases initially. Bad at a time when there should be none.

The cases confirmed. Two brothers. The plague caused by eating marmot meat.

Marmot meat is the “native cuisine” of Mongolia. The relatively small animal is skinned and cleansed. Hot coals are sewed into the stomach of the animal. The marmot is left to cook.

Mongolia now has 146 confirmed cases of bubonic plague. Five hundred four second contact individuals.

The Mongolian government did not screw around. As is evident, they are already into tracing.

WHO is concerned. They have people on the ground in Mongolia.

A noteworthy observation. The Mongolians are paying attention. They are getting on top of the problem immediately. They are not dilly-dallying as the U.S. has with coronavirus.

The Alps are magnificent. Beautiful. Awesome.

I have had the opportunity to visit various parts several times. Snow and ice on the tops of the mountains even in the summer.

I recall a July when when I was staying in a chalet half way up Mont Blanc. Somewhere around the Italian/French border. It was hot.

Woke one morning to find snow everywhere. No green grass left to be seen. Strange as it was, it had snowed overnight. Locals told me not uncommon in the summer. By 11 in the morning, the snow had melted.

The white snow of the Alps is now pink in many places. Described as salmon tinted. Watermelon colored. A bad sign for the Earth’s climate.

The pink is caused by “snow algae.” The algae caused by warmer than normal weather. The effect on the glacier ice and snow is that both melt faster. Resulting in flooding below.

Coronavirus has a serious hold on the U.S. for 2 reasons. A President who has failed to lead by example and who has failed to accept coronavirus as a danger. Another is most people refuse to follow the simple rules required to bring the virus under control. Like mask wearing, social distancing, and washing hands. They also want to party when such is not recommended.

Key West is no different than most other parts of the country. Key West did well initially. Now it has succumbed to the desires of the business community to reopen.

Local coronavirus numbers have steadily been rising since June 1 when Key West and Monroe County reopened. They will increase further as a result of the July 4 weekend past.

Local leaders banned the Fourth fireworks. A wise move. They also have prohibited persons from buying alcohol inside bars where social distancing is being enforced and then taking the drinks outside to a crowded sidewalk to drink where there is no social distancing.

The beaches were closed also.

That’s it.

I would have closed the restaurants and bars. Even though the 6 foot rule in bars and 50 percent rule in restaurants was being enforced.

Tourist came to Key West for the Fourth. They partied.

My friends who were out reported 75 percent of those on Duval were without masks. Mostly tourists. Most young people.

The Town should have been shut down for the weekend. We do not need strangers bringing disease to Duval Sreet.

I was also told the boat business was good. Visitors filled the boats the whole weekend.

Most tourists are coming from Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. They are the 2 highest numbered counties in the whole U.S. for coronavirus.

Miami-Dade closed down. Broward on the way to doing it.

No problem. U.S. 1 to Key West is open.

Monroe County made it easy. Took down the road block June 1. Succumbed to the pressure of local businessmen to reopen.

What will 2 weekends from now hold? An increase in coronavirus cases in Key West. Without question. The town may have to be closed down again and properly so.

Lets put this in perspective. The Key West hospital has only 10 ICU beds. Four already occupied. The rest of Monroe County 8. Where will our sick go? Out of town to be hospitalized and perhaps die.

Many believe we are experiencing the “second wave” of the virus. They’re wrong. Even Dr. Fauci says we have not finished the first yet. He claims the U.S. continues to be “knee deep” yet in the “first wave.”

The U.S. is presently just short of 3 million coronavirus cases.

The numbers keep rising dramatically. Coronavirus is like a meteor. It moves rapidly.

Last thursday represented the highest daily number of new cases in the U.S. Fifty five thousand plus. Up from the previous day’s 52 thousand plus.

On today’s date in 1896, May Johnson caught a chicken and prepared it for dinner: Lena and I “caught a chicken, Lena pulled, I picked, we cooked dinner.”

Reminded me of my youth. Like 4-5 years old. Chickens were bought in “chicken stores.” Not like today in super markets. In fact, no supper markets back then in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s. Big grocery stores at the most.

The chicken stores sold only chickens. The store a room filled with open cases of live chickens. The customer selected the chicken desired. A worker took it behind the counter. Killed and plucked the chicken. Plucking removing the feathers.

We were poor. Could not afford to buy a chicken.

No one who could pay wanted the feet. Bones with little meat and a lot of skin. The stores kept them for those who might have a need. For free. We had a need.

I used to go with my grandmother. The store always had a bag of legs waiting for her. She got enough for the whole family.

The legs were boiled. Made for excellent chicken soup. The bones and skin tasted good and provided the protein portion of a meal.

I do not know what happens to the chicken bones these days. Never have seen in a super market. Someone has to be eating them.

My thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday. The greetings are still coming in today. You are all wonderful people!

Tonight my blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Trust me, there is much to discuss. I will be in all my glory ranting and raving.

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!

 

 

 

5 comments on “HOUSING AND FOOD APOCALYPSE AROUND THE CORNER

  1. My grandparents bought little chicks and raised them in a caged area under their back porch in the middle of the big city. They had a constant supply of eggs and fresh chicken to eat. Some of my relatives had good sized “chicken coops” in the backyard for the same reason.

  2. My grandpa demanded that the necks, feet and “ace of spades” from the Sunday chickens be saved for him.

  3. In my neighborhood, only the Jamaicans and Win Dixie have chickens. And of that only the Jamaicans, have live chickens.

  4. The Dions on Stock Island is clean, well stocked and well managed.
    Their baked chicken breast is great and the gals are super nice, but then, I am really good looking.

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