Obviously people live in a wide range of conditions from congested apartments in major cities to pretty remote and rural settings. I see some pretty crazy things on TV here in Miami from the current very large drunk crowds of spring break people with no mask to one guy in his boat in the middle of a very wide river with a mask on.

After reading the comments so far I don't get the impression people are very trusting of the effectiveness of the vaccine. Mario and family may be an exception and Eva and I have decided to take some limited amount of risk interacting with a few people we know and care about, otherwise what is the point of the vaccine.

The comments about gun violence is actually pretty shocking. As that is an everyday condition here in Miami I am not sure why I would find it shocking. I never leave my house without being armed to go anywhere, to ride the bikes, to go to church... It really is a horrible state of affairs to feel that it is necessary to be armed at all times, plus the huge responsibility that entails.

I own a business which uses dangerous chemicals on a weekly basis. I am required to pass a Hazmat test every year. I had several hundred N95 mask, Hazmat suits, full face mask and other things in stock when the pandemic started. Wearing a mask has been a normal thing for me to deal with for several years. I have been required to interact with my employees but have always had the necessary protection to prevent the transmission of Covid-19 or any pathogen or poison gas.

We have only left the house when necessary up until now and my business partner has dealt with most of the day to day issues.. I wear a mask when I need too.

The pandemic has been very hard to deal with on many levels. One of my employees died of Covid-19. I have been unable to go to my house in Paris for over a year with no real end in site. The car sets in the garage and only gets started every month or two by a mechanic.

A lot of stupid things have happened here in the United States. They continue today with the mass murder of 10 people at a supermarket in Boulder Colorado.

The pandemic will most likely end at some point. The Covid-19 epidemic will be here for years to come. I see no reason to be hopeful for a end to the gun violence.

The good news...we still have many friends all over the world who we care about and who care about us. Fortunately we have video and audio connections all the time.

Billy

“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig?
“Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”