Tuesday July 21 2020
The United States of Ohio was in the news today, but unfortunately for nefarious reasons this time. It seems the state’s Speaker of the House, Larry Householder, was arrested for, allegedly of course, being involved in a $60 million bribery scheme. Prosecutors are calling this racketeering job the largest public corruption scandal in Ohio’s history.
Hey, go big or go householder.
And here I was judging all those people getting $600 a week in unemployment while I try to work two jobs for much less.
There is a chasm between those who want to do the right thing and greedy fucks in power.
Yeah, no. I’m ok with my choices.
When we’re working outside during the summer twilight, we’re witness to the wonders of the neighborhood bat population that crosses by on their way to a hearty mosquito dinner. They’re silent, these critters of the night, but we welcome their silhouettes as they pass overhead.
Having not seen any one of these close enough to make eye contact, I’m left to guess they are of the small brown bat species that is common in Ohio.
“Eat! Eat, Pappa!,” I call to them like Mrs. Claus on that one Rankin Bass Christmas special.
We have a particularly bad mosquito problem in our yard, and by that I mean, the skeeters just love my sweet and tasty blood. After an evening of enjoying a fine home-cooked meal on the patio, I pay for it the next few days by attempts to not scratch open the maddingly itchy spots on my legs, reminiscent of the chicken pox of my kindergarten period, sans the socks over my hands.
There’s been plenty of studies on what attracts mosquitoes to one person and ignore others. Which is a bit silly when you could just ask me instead. My opinion? They seek out victims who have a high histamine response to their bites. Skeeters are little sadists.
Now that it’s summer in Ohio, we’re hearing about the newest cases of West Nile , which is spread by mosquitos. According to the CDC, most cases, eight out of ten people, don’t develop symptoms.
But woe to those that do.
And just to take home the point that Nature is the boss of us, some of the symptoms are similar to the coronavirus, such as “high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.”
Sure, not all those symptoms match. I realize that. But let’s not forget that the ever-evolving COVID-19 isn’t done with what it has to offer.
Donnatopia 