2020: Journal of a Plague Year

Throughout my 2020 zine, I make factual claims. This may seem like a strange thing to do in a post-factual world, but I’m an old-fashioned person who believes it’s possible for a fact to be a fact. While some things are complicated and demand nuance, there are still some things in this world that submit to scrutiny as true/false propositions. And so, where it seems appropriate, I have provided sources for my claims. I make no representation as to the accuracy of my sources. However, I do not rely on media outlets like Fox News, Breitbart, or OAN, so that’s something. Along the way, I also provide bibliographical references. Some of the issues we have encountered this year, like epidemiology, race, and tyranny, deserve extended reading.

Table of Contents

• Ringing in a New Year: 2020
• A Note About Florida
• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Waiting For Covid
• Homeless in a Pandemic
• To Mask or Not To Mask
• Lockdown (Part I)
• Dreaming Covid-19
• Skip It! Skip It Good!
• The Skin I’m In
• Opening Up Is For Autopsies
• NEOWISE: Covid Comet
• Bullshit
• I Sing The Covid Electric
• Making Art in a Pandemic
• The U.S. Election Gong Show
• Lockdown (Part II)
• Matters of the Mind & Spirit
• The Last Word(s)

Ringing in a New Year: 2020

Note: The Plague, Albert Camus, trans. Stuart Gilbert (New York: Vintage), 1991: “That incessant sunlight and those bright hours associated with siesta or with holidays no longer invited, as in the past, to frolics and flirtation on the beaches. Now they rang hollow in the silence of the closed town, they had lost the golden spell of happier summers. Plague had killed all colors, vetoed pleasure. That, indeed, was one of the great changes brought by the epidemic.”

Note: On March 11th, the World Health Organization announced that it was upgrading the Covid-19 epidemic to a pandemic. See “WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic,” by Domenico Cucinotta & Maurizio Vanelli, in PubMed Central, March 19, 2020.

Note: On March 17th, 2020, the Government of Ontario declared a state of emergency. See Global News, “Ontario government declares state of emergency amid coronavirus pandemic.” March 17, 2020.

Note: On January 8th, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp shot down Ukraine International Air Flight 752… See Ralph Goodale’s December 2020 report to the Prime Minister, “Flight PS752: The long road to transparency, accountability and justice.“

Note: …CBC reported the first appearance of the Covid-19 coronavirus in Canada. See the CBC article, “Canada’s 1st ‘presumptive’ case of coronavirus found in Toronto.” January 25, 2020.

A Note About Florida

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Note: Thanks to a 4Chan hoax, the OK sign has acquired a new meaning. The Anti-Defamation League offers some background on its web site.

Waiting For Covid

Note: The first people on the planet to change their behaviour in response to Covid-19 were the 10 million residents of Wuhan who were quarantined on January 23rd. See NPR: “Chinese Authorities Begin Quarantine of Wuhan City As Coronavirus Cases Multiply.” January 23, 2020.

Note: …it is a species of coronavirus that is responsible for 20% of common colds… See WebMD: “What’s Causing My Cold?” May 08, 2019.

Note: People from, and allies of, the Wet’suwet’en First Nation had gathered in Christie Pits and were marching east along Bloor, protesting the Coastal GasLink project… See The Guardian: “Canada: protests go mainstream as support for Wet’suwet’en pipeline fight widens.” February 14, 2020.

Note: The lead story was about a small Italian town named Castelvetro where, when residents turned on their faucets, they got wine instead of water. CNN: “A malfunction causes red wine to flow from faucets in an Italian town.” March 07, 2020.

Note: …blithely unaware that the Toronto Stock Exchange was plummeting. It would end the day 1,661 points lower, the single biggest selloff since Black Monday, 1987. See City News 1130: “TSX closes with biggest drop in 32 years amid COVID-19 fears, oil price war.” March 09, 2020.

Note: …the Toronto Stock Exchange responded by dropping another 1,762 points. Global News: “TSX drops 1,700 points, Dow down almost 10% amid Trump’s Europe travel ban.” March 12, 2020.

Note: His mother is a Type I diabetic and therefore acutely vulnerable to the ravages of Covid-19. The Government of Canada web page, “Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Prevention and risks” specifically lists diabetes under a subsection titled “People at risk of more severe disease or outcomes.”

Note: Related to this is the practice Naomi Klein identifies as disaster capitalism. See The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Naomi Klein (Toronto: Vintage Canada), 2007.

Note: See The Six Sheet Rule, an apocalyptic tale of a post-toilet paper society, posted April 19, 2013.

Note: See Last of the Brat Tribe, an apocalyptic tale of an orange-toupéed president who wakes up in his bunker after the world has been ravaged by a deadly pathogen, posted December 13, 2019.

Note: …where people fought one another for toilet paper… See The Sun: “Loo-Sing It: Coronavirus – Man tasered by cops after another fight over toilet paper breaks out between panicked shoppers.” March 05, 2020.

Note: Walt Disney World Resort announced that it would close all its theme parks at the end of business on Sunday. See Associated Press: “Walt Disney World to close theme parks through end of month.” March 12, 2020.

Note: …the well publicized claim from Bill Gates in 2017 that a pandemic is one of the most predictable global disasters there is. See CBS News: “Bill Gates warned of a deadly pandemic for years — and said we wouldn’t be ready to handle it.” March 19, 2020.

Note: Dr. Eileen de Villa, offered this rationale for applying the “essential services” designation to liquor stores… See Dished Toronto: “LCBO stays open as Ford shuts down non-essential businesses.” March 23, 2020.

Homeless in the Pandemic

Note: Mayor John Tory cited health and safety reasons… See CBC “Mayor John Tory defends decision to clear homeless out of Rosedale Ravine Lands.” January 07, 2020.

Note: I looked outside and saw plumes of black smoke rolling a hundred metres or more into the sky. See my own post: “Sherbourne Street Bridge Fire”, January 12, 2020. Also, see the CBC report which features a photo of me shooting photos of the scene: “Engineers to be brought in after fire under bridge in Bloor and Sherbourne area.” January 12, 2020.

To Mask or Not To Mask

Note: For articles on mask-wearing in Asian countries, see Quartz: “A quick history of why Asians wear surgical masks in public.” November 19, 2014. And also Psychology Today: “Why Was Mask Wearing Popular In Asia Even Before Covid-19?” May 17, 2020.

Note: As early as the beginning of February, there had been articles in the news about how Chinese restaurants and shops owned by people who are ethnically Chinese had reported steep declines in business. See CBC: “As fear of coronavirus spreads, business drops more than 30% at Toronto Chinese restaurant.” February 06, 2020.

Note: Donald Trump threw gasoline on this racist fire… For an example of the far right’s take on the matter, see the Federalist’s article, “Trump Defends Calling Wuhan Virus ‘Chinese Virus’.” March 17, 2020.

Note: According to health care professionals, there is only one right way to put on a mask… See the CDC web site: “How to Wear Masks.” Accessed February 06, 2021.

Note: On July 2nd, the Toronto Transit Commission made it mandatory for riders to wear masks on subways, streetcars and buses. See Global News: “Toronto makes face masks mandatory on TTC, Ontario recommends all riders wear them.” June 11, 2020.

Note: On July 7th, the city of Toronto passed a temporary by-law… See CTV News: “Toronto makes it mandatory to wear a mask in indoor public spaces.” June 30, 2020.

Note: Trump even refused to wear a mask when he inspected a facility that manufactures masks. See NBC News: “Trump defends decision not to wear a mask during factory tour.” May 06, 2020.

Note: …he refused to wear a mask while visiting a factory that makes Covid-19 testing swabs. See The Hill Reporter: “Trump Didn’t Wear Mask at Maine Factory, Everything Manufactured That Day Will be Thrown Out.” June 06, 2020.

Note: This came to a head on April 30th when protesters and militia stormed Michigan’s state legislature… See The Sun: “Cops rush to protect Gov Whitmer as armed militia members storm Michigan state house protesting virus stay-at-home order.” April 30, 2020.

Note: On the morning of July 15th, a man drove to the Minden Valu-Mart… See CBC News: “Man shot dead by OPP after mask dispute has been estranged from his family for decades.” July 17, 2020.

Note: Here also I ought to leave a further remark… See Daniel DeFoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Public Domain, available for download from Project Gutenberg.

Note: However, Chinese authorities assure us… See The Next Web: “Masks won’t protect you from facial recognition.” March 10, 2020.

Note: Since Covid-19, Apple has rejigged its iOS … See Wired: “The iPhone’s Face ID Will Soon Work With a Mask—if You Have an Apple Watch.” February 02, 2021.

Lockdown (Part I)

Note: Blindness, José Saramago, trans. Giovanni Pontiero (New York: Harcourt, 1998).

Note: Although the federal government had announced an $82B emergency relief package… See CBC News: “Trudeau unveils $82B COVID-19 emergency response package for Canadians, businesses.” March 18, 2020.

Note: …the federal government would receive more than 7 million applications for CERB… See The Motley Fool: “7 Million CRA CERB Applicants: Can You Get $2,000/Month?” May 07, 2020.

Note: It was toward the close of the fifth or sixth month of his seclusion… See Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “Masque of the Red Death,” Public Domain, available for download from Project Gutenberg.

Note: …an American-based right-wing web site posted an article by an unlicensed dermatologist… For more far right lunacy, see The Federalist: “How Medical ‘Chickenpox Parties’ Could Turn The Tide Of The Wuhan Virus.” March 25, 2020.

Note: Facebook gave it free play, allowing it to go viral… See Huffpost: “Facebook Says Post Proposing COVID-19 Infection Parties Doesn’t Violate Its Policies.” March 28, 2020.

Note: Kentucky’s governor, Andy Beshear, announced… See CNN: “A group of young adults held a coronavirus party in Kentucky to defy orders to socially distance. Now one of them has coronavirus.” March 25, 2020.

Note: ABC news reported on July 1st that Tuscaloosa students… See ABC News: “Alabama students throwing ‘COVID parties’ to see who gets infected: Officials.” July 01, 2020.

Note: [T]he virus causing laughing sickness (kuru) in the New Guinea highlands… See Jared Diamond’s, Guns, Germs, And Steel (New York: W.W. Norton, 1997). See especially Chapter 11.

Note: …the SARS-CoV-2 virus can survive in a freezer for up to 2 years. For example, see Al Arabiya: “How long can coronaviruses survive in a freezer? Up to two years, warns expert.” March 19, 2020.

Note: …we should apply surgical room standards to our food cleaning. See the Now This YouTube video: “How to Safely Grocery Shop During Coronavirus.” March 28, 2020.

Note: Once it declared a lockdown, the province cancelled classes until April 5th. See CTV News: “Ontario to close all publicly funded schools for 2 weeks after March break due to COVID-19.” March 12, 2020.

Note: A study published on May 25th revealed that LTC’s accounted for 81 per cent of all Covid-19 deaths in Canada… See The Globe and Mail: “81% of COVID-19 deaths in Canada were in long-term care – nearly double OECD average.” June 25, 2020.

Note: As of that date, there was a total of 5,324 LTC deaths in Canada of which 1,538 happened in Ontario. See CBC News: “Canada’s proportion of COVID-19 deaths in long-term care double the average of other countries, study shows.” June 25, 2020. The Government of Ontario tracks LTC infections and deaths here.

Note: Castleview Wychwood Towers has logged one infection, an employee, who immediately self-isolated. There have been no resident infections and, obviously, no deaths. I wrote this in the early fall of 2020. The Government of Ontario subsequently records Confirmed Resident Cases as <5, Confirmed Deaths as <5, and Confirmed Staff Cases as <5. Accessed February 06, 2020.

Note: Military personnel were so traumatized… TVO has posted a copy of Brigadier-General C.J.J. Mialkowski’s report. “COVID-19: Read the Canadian Forces report on long-term care.” May 26, 2020.

Dreaming Covid-19

Note: In April, a spate of articles appeared reporting that people were experiencing more vivid dreams… See, for example, Psychology Today: “COVID-Inspired Dreams.” April 04, 2020. And CNN: “The meaning behind your strange coronavirus dreams.” April 12, 2020.

Note: The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Public Domain, available for download from Project Gutenberg.

Skip It! Skip It Good!

Note: The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan (New York: W.W. Norton), 1963.

The Skin I’m In

Note: On May 25th, in Minneapolis, police arrested George Floyd because… See USA Today: “What we know about the death of George Floyd: 4 Minneapolis police officers fired after ‘horrifying’ video hits social media.” May 26, 2020.

Note: Two days later, in Toronto, Regis Korchinski-Paquet… See Global News: “Thousands rally in Toronto after death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet.” May 30, 2020.

Note: …as the CBC reveals, “[n]o government agency or police force maintains national statistics… CBC: “In deadly encounters with Toronto police, more than a third of victims are black.” April 05, 2018.

Note: CBC’s Deadly Force investigation… See CBC’s: Deadly Force: Fatal encounters with police in Canada: 2000-2017.”

Note: In a separate investigation, The Globe & Mail found… See The Globe and Mail: “More than one-third of people shot to death over a decade by RCMP officers were Indigenous.” November 17, 2019.

Note: …there had been a spate of books published that address racism… Here is a necessarily incomplete list. I have written synopses of these books in my blog post: 2020 Reading Roundup.

• The Image of Whiteness, Daniel Blight (London: SPBH Editions and Art on the Underground), 2019
• The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power, Desmond Cole (Toronto: Doubleday), 2020
• White Fragility: Why it’s so Hard for White People to Talk About Racism, Robin DiAngelo (Boston: Beacon Press), 2018
• So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo (New York: Seal Press), 2019
• I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness, Austin Channing Brown (New York: Convergent Books), 2018
• Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning, Cathy Park Hong (New York: One World), 2020

Note: Take Doug Ford, for example, who made a statement to the press on June 2nd… See CBC: “Doug Ford says Canada doesn’t have same ‘systemic, deep roots’ of racism as U.S.” June 02, 2020. For a more thoughtful analysis, see Canada’s National Observer: “How Canada tries to hide its racism by pointing a finger at the U.S.” June 26, 2020.

Note: What does the data tell us? See Brookings Institute: “Why are Blacks dying at higher rates from COVID-19?” April 09, 2020. See NPR: “Why Misinformation And Distrust Are Making COVID-19 More Dangerous For Black America.” April 10, 2020. See Mother Jones: “Why Are Blacks Getting COVID-19 At Higher Rates Than Whites?” April 14, 2020. See The Guardian: “Black people four times more likely to die from Covid-19, ONS finds.” May 07, 2020.

Note: Meanwhile in Canada… See Global News: “Canada’s lack of race-based COVID-19 data hurting Black Canadians: experts.” May 02, 2020.

Note: A month later, Global News attempted to expose a racial dimension to Covid-19 infection rates… See Global News: “Black neighbourhoods in Toronto are hit hardest by COVID-19 — and it’s ‘anchored in racism’: experts.” June 02, 2020.

Note: Toronto Public Health became the first official body in Canada… CBC: “Toronto will start tracking race-based COVID-19 data, even if province won’t.” April 22, 2020.

Note: The Province of Ontario followed suit in June. CBC: “Ontario proposing all health units collect race-based data on COVID-19.” June 16, 2020.

Note: On July 30th, the CBC reported that visible minorities accounted for 83 per cent… CBC: “Black people and other people of colour make up 83% of reported COVID-19 cases in Toronto.” July 30, 2020.

Note: …the Canadian Union of Public Employees points to labour market discrimination… CUPE: “COVID-19’s impact on Indigenous, Black and racialized communities.” September 16, 2020.

Note: After the statue of Egerton Ryerson was defaced, rather than clean up the statue and pretend nothing had happened, Ryerson University responded by leaving the statue as is and erecting a plaque beside it which reads:

“This plaque serves as a reminder of Ryerson University’s commitment to moving forward in the spirit of truth and reconciliation. Egerton Ryerson is widely known for his contribution to Ontario’s public educational system. As Chief Superintendent of Education, Ryerson’s recommendations were instrumental in the design and implementation of the Indian Residential School System. In 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission reported that children in the schools were subjected to unthinkable abuse and neglect, to medical experimentation, punishment for the practice of cultures or languages and death. The aim of the Residential School System was cultural genocide.

“Let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children” Chief Sitting Bull

“For the child taken, for the parent left behind.” Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.”

Opening Up Is For Autopsies

Note: In April 2019, Premier Doug Ford unveiled his most significant initiative… CBC: “Ontario’s new licence plate slogan will be ‘A Place To Grow’.” April 09, 2020.

Note: …remember that on November 2nd, 2018 Ford went to Sarnia and unveiled a Welcome To Ontario sign… Global News: “25 new, upgraded Ontario ‘open for business’ signs to cost more than $106K.” November 02, 2018.

Note: Government of Ontario: A Framework for Reopening our Province. April 27, 2020.

Note: Government of Ontario: COVID-19 Response Framework: Keeping Ontario Safe and Open. November 03, 2020.

Note: A common theme in relation to both plans is Doug Ford’s refusal to disclose the source(s) of his medical guidance. CBC: “Ontario’s Doug Ford says he relies on COVID-19 experts, but his government won’t identify them.” June 09, 2020.

Note: Ford required Toronto Public Health officers like Dr. Eileen de Villa to sign non-disclosure agreements… The Star: “Toronto Public Health officials barred from publicly revealing their advice to Doug Ford’s provincial government.” November 16, 2020.

Note: On March 17th, when we went into lockdown, Ontario had 12 new cases. My data are drawn from the Government of Ontario’s excellent Covid-19 data portal.

Note: June 24th – The Ontario government included Toronto within the stage 2… Global News: “Toronto, Peel Region move into Stage 2 of province’s reopening plan Wednesday.” June 22, 2020.

NEOWISE: Covid Comet

Note: On the eve of the Norman Conquest… The Indian Express: “Before Comet Neowise, when these celestial visitations were seen as harbingers of doom.” July 23, 2020.

Note: ...Andrew Dickson speculates that Shakespeare wrote Lear while in lockdown. The Guardian: “Shakespeare in lockdown: did he write King Lear in plague quarantine?” March 22, 2020.

Bullshit

Note: SARS-CoV-2 originated in a Wuhan lab… Fox News: “Sources believe coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan lab as part of China’s efforts to compete with US.” April 15, 2020. New York Post: “Chinese virologist claims COVID was made in lab — but US studies don’t agree.” September 11, 2020. Daily Mail: “Chinese virologist who fled to the US after claiming Beijing covered up Covid-19 vows to publish evidence PROVING the virus is manmade – and claims even non-scientists will be able to verify the data.” September 11, 2020.

Note: 5G wireless technology causes… BuzzFeed News: “A Conspiracy Theory That 5G Is Causing The Coronavirus Is Spreading Alongside The Pandemic.” April 03, 2020. Birmingham Mail: “Watch as Birmingham EE phone mast goes up in flames – days after fake claims 5G linked to coronavirus.” April 03, 2020. CNBC: “UK cell towers torched amid bogus conspiracy theories that link 5G with coronavirus.” April 06, 2020. Denver Post: “Conspiracy theorists set fire to 5G towers claiming link to coronavirus.” April 26, 2020. Global News: “Quebec police investigate 4 cellphone tower fires, possible link to conspiracy theory.” May 05, 2020.

Note: Masks reduce oxygen levels… The Atlantic: “How a Bizarre Claim About Masks Has Lived on for Months.” October 09, 2020.

Note: It’s going to disappear. Politico: “‘It’s going to disappear’: Trump’s changing tone on coronavirus.” March 17, 2020.

Note: In his book, Rage, Bob Woodward revealed that on February 7th Trump acknowledged he understood… NBC News: “Trump told Bob Woodward he knew in February that COVID-19 was ‘deadly stuff’ but wanted to ‘play it down’.” September 09, 2020.

Note: Chloroquine. The Guardian: “Trump touts hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid-19. Don’t believe the hype.” April 06, 2020. The Washington Post: “The rise and fall of Trump’s obsession with hydroxychloroquine.” April 24, 2020. National Institute of Health: “Chloroquine or Hydroxychloroquine With or Without Azithromycin.” October 09, 2020.

Note: By then it was too late for an Arizona man… The Guardian: “Arizona man dies after attempting to take Trump coronavirus ‘cure’.” March 24, 2020.

Note: Bleach & light. Rolling Stone: “What Would Happen to Your Body If You Actually Injected Bleach?” April 24, 2020.

Note: Testing raises infection rates. CNBC: “Trump blames rise in coronavirus cases on increased testing, despite evidence of more spread.” June 23, 2020.

Note: A survey conducted at the end of July by the Pew Research Center found that 62 per cent of Republicans… Pew Research Center: “Why are COVID-19 cases rising in U.S.? Republicans point to more testing, Democrats to more infections.” August 14, 2020.

Note: You have to go by the cases. Rolling Stone: “Trump Collapses Under Pressure of Extremely Basic Follow-Up Questions About COVID-19.” August 04, 2020.

Note: QAnon. CBS News: “What is the QAnon conspiracy theory?” November 24, 2020.

Note: Antifa. The Guardian: “What is antifa and why is Donald Trump targeting it?” June 06, 2020.

Note: …antifa is an idea, not an organization… Snopes: “FBI Director Says Antifa Is an Ideology, Not an Organization.” September 17, 2020.

Note: Since the rise of Covid-19, Russia has sown disinformation to destabilise the West. The Guardian: “Russian media ‘spreading Covid-19 disinformation’.” March 18, 2020.

Note: …the founding of The Anti Vaccination Society of America in 1879… The College of Physicians of Philadelphia: “History of Anti-vaccination Movements.”

Note: …46 per cent of respondents to an Ipsos survey indicated that they would refuse to be vaccinated. Daily Beast: “Inside the World’s COVID Anti-Vaxxer Epicenter.” November 30, 2020. Ipsos: “COVID-19 vaccination intent is decreasing globally.” November 05, 2020.

Note: A later survey published in the Journal du Dimanche… RFI: “France begins Covid vaccinations, but only 13 percent ‘certain’ to volunteer.” December 27, 2020.

Note: …one survey which puts the figure as low as 10 per cent. Abacus Data: “1 in 3 Canadians would take a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as its available.” November 09, 2020.

Note: First, the efficacy rates are not 100 per cent. New York Times: “2 Companies Say Their Vaccines Are 95% Effective. What Does That Mean?” November 20, 2020.

Note: Against the Grain: A Deep History of the Earliest States, James C. Scott (New Haven: Yale University Press), 2017. See especially Chapter Three: “Zoonoses: A Perfect Epidemiological Storm.”

Note: The Great Reset, Klaus Schwab & Thierry Malleret (Geneva: Forum Publishing), 2020. I review the book on nouspique. See The Spectator: “What is the Great Reset?” November 17, 2020. See the official web site.

Note: In September, Justin Trudeau addressed the World Economic Forum… AFP Factcheck: “Trudeau UN speech sparks ‘Great Reset’ conspiracy.” November 19, 2020.

Note: …on November 17th, conservative MP, Pierre Poilievre… Petition page on Piolievre’s web site.

Note: …Long Term Care facilities which have accounted for 2,721 (61 per cent) of Ontario’s 4,474 Covid-19 deaths… I rely on the Government of Ontario’s data portal for these figures: “How Ontario is responding to COVID-19.”

Note: Ontario Long Term Care Association. “The role of long-term care.” Accessed December 31, 2020.

Note: A peer reviewed study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal begs to differ… CBC: “More COVID-19 deaths at for-profit nursing homes in Ontario, study finds.” July 22, 2020.

Note: A CBC article posted on December 18th more or less corroborates my math… CBC: “These nursing home chains have the highest COVID-19 death rates in Ontario, data analysis finds.” December 18, 2020.

Note: There are a number of possible explanations for this disparity. See recommendations from Science Table: Covid Advisory for Ontario: “COVID-19 and Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes.” January 20, 2021.

Note: Bob Bell wrote an op-ed in the Toronto Star (November 23rd) in which he acted as an apologist for Revera Inc. … Toronto Star: “Understanding Ontario’s long-term care tragedy.” November 23, 2020.

Note: Ontario Health Coalition: “Fact Sheet on Revera Inc. For-Profit Long-Term Care & Retirement Home Chain Owner.” September 16, 2020.

Note: In April, Canadian Forces stepped in… TVO: “COVID-19: Read the Canadian Forces report on long-term care.” May 26, 2020. See also Global News: “Who owns the 5 Ontario long-term care homes cited by military for extreme neglect, abuse?” May 29, 2020.

Note: On October 20th, the Ford government introduced legislation… CTV News: “Ford defends bill that critics say shields long-term care homes from lawsuits.” October 21, 2020.

Note: As a final indignity, two of the large LTC chains… CBC: “2 Ontario LTC operators got $157M in COVID-19 aid. They also paid $74M to shareholders.” December 09, 2020.

Note: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, Barbara W. Tuchman (New York: Ballantine Books), 1978. See my discussion in nouspique.

Note: Canada’s chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, has advised… CBC: “Physical distancing, mask-wearing could be in place for 2-3 years even with vaccine, Tam warns.” August 04, 2020.

Note: In other news, Lucy Liu has disclosed that she once had sex with a ghost. Showbiz Cheatsheet: “Lucy Liu Once Claimed To Have Been Intimate With a Ghost.” August 16, 2020.

Note: …statistical heuristics… The idea of a “statistical heuristic structure” comes from Jesuit epistemologist, Bernard Lonergan. See Insight: A Study of Human Understanding, 5th edition, ed. Frederick E. Crowe & Robert M. Doran (Toronto, University of Toronto Press), 1992. See Chapter 2 for a comparison of classical and statistical heuristic structures.

Note: The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells, Public Domain, available for download from Project Gutenberg.

I Sing The Covid Electric

Note: I sing tenor with the Orpheus Choir of Toronto.

Note: The Skagit Valley Chorale met on Tuesday March 10th at Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Church near Seattle… L.A. Times: “A choir decided to go ahead with rehearsal. Now dozens of members have COVID-19 and two are dead.” March 29, 2020. See also the CDC’s report: “High SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rate Following Exposure at a Choir Practice — Skagit County, Washington, March 2020.” May 15, 2020.

Note: The best way I can think to describe it is by analogy to the phenomenon of murmurations. All About Birds: “How Do Starling Flocks Create Those Mesmerizing Murmurations?” February 21, 2013.

Note: A study conducted in 2017 found that 10% of Canadians… Ludwig Van: “https://www.ludwig-van.com/toronto/2017/10/02/the-scoop-move-over-hockey-study-shows-singing-is-canadas-national-pastime.” October 02, 2017.

Note: …the SARS-CoV-2 virus can survive on some surfaces for as long as 5 days. WebMD: “How Long Does the Coronavirus Live on Surfaces?” February 03, 2021.

Note: It is more likely that transmission occurs by either droplets or aerosols. Slate: “Why the COVID-19 Debate Between Aerosols and Droplets Matters Less Than You Think.” July 20, 2020.

Note: While the WHO amended its guidelines on July 9th to state that aerosols play a role in the transmission… WHO: “Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: implications for infection prevention precautions.” July 09, 2020.

Note: …the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) didn’t acknowledge this until October 10th… CBC: “Canada quietly updates COVID-19 guidelines on risk of airborne spread.” November 04, 2020.

Note: The government of Ontario capped indoor gatherings at 10 people. CBC: “Premier limits gathering sizes provincewide as Ontario reports 407 new cases of COVID-19.” September 19, 2020.

Note: …based on the novel by Delacorta (Daniel Odier). Diva, Delacorta (New York: Ballantine Books), 1979.

Note: This year, Orpheus has been privileged to record Seán Doherty’s Stella Celi Extirpavit which he composed this year specifically to address the pandemic. See Seán Doherty’s web site.

Note: In fact, 20 per cent of all colds… WebMD: “What’s Causing My Cold?” May 08, 2019.

Making Art in a Pandemic

Note: Perhaps the finest expression of this insight comes from Wordsworth… Here is the full text of the sonnet:

Nuns fret not at their convent’s narrow room;
And hermits are contented with their cells;
And students with their pensive citadels;
Maids at the wheel, the weaver at his loom,
Sit blithe and happy; bees that soar for bloom,
High as the highest Peak of Furness-fells,
Will murmur by the hour in foxglove bells:
In truth the prison, into which we doom
Ourselves, no prison is: and hence for me,
In sundry moods, ’twas pastime to be bound
Within the Sonnet’s scanty plot of ground;
Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be)
Who have felt the weight of too much liberty,
Should find brief solace there, as I have found.

Note: The Lonely City, Olivia Laing (New York: Picador), 2016.

Note: Ricco looks to interventions staged during the 1990’s… See the essay “Impotentiality and Resistance” The Blackwood Gallery, SDUK 07: TILTING (1).

Note: In 2019, there were 690,00 AIDS-related deaths. HIV.GOV: The Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic. Accessed February 05, 2021.

Note: The same can be said for malaria deaths… WHO: “The “World malaria report 2019″ at a glance.” December 04, 2019.

Note: …or tuberculosis… WHO: Tuberculosis. October 14, 2020.

Note: In May, through his connection with the Andrea Rosen Gallery in New York City… Andrea Rosen Gallery: Press Release. Accessed February 05, 2021. See also The Felix Gonzalez-Torres Foundation. And Artnews: “Thousands of Fortune Cookies to Be Offered as Art in Largest-Ever Showing of Felix Gonzalez-Torres Work.” May 05, 2020.

Note: Funny Weather: Art in an Emergency (New York: W.W. Norton), 2020.

Note: Our experience of buildings has changed. This is the predominant theme of The Global Soul, Pico Iyer (New York: Vintage Books), 2000. See also “Def Leppard and the Anthropology of Supermodernity” in Otherwise Known as the Human Condition, Geoff Dyer (Minneapolis: Graywolf Press), 2011.

Note: Not far from it stands another Brutalist building… Toronto Star: “Once Upon A City: Rochdale College and the hippie dream.” April 06, 2017.

The U.S. Election Gong Show

Note: On January 27th, just one week after assuming office… CNN: “Full text of Trump’s executive order on 7-nation ban, refugee suspension.” January 28, 2017. See also the Federal Register: “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States.”

Note: Umberto Eco calls this the “bomb effect.” “On Mass Media Populism” in Turning Back the Clock: Hot Wars and Media Populism, Umberto Eco, trans. Alistair McEwan (New York: Harcourt Books), 2006.

Note: On the morning of May 29th, in response to rioting in Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd, Trump tweeted that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.” NPR: “The History Behind ‘When The Looting Starts, The Shooting Starts’.” May 29, 2020.

Note: Trump responded by telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” NBC News: “Proud Boys celebrate after Trump’s debate callout.” September 29, 2020.

Note: The Vision and Creed of Piers Plowman, William Langland, Public Domain, Project Gutenberg. This excerpt is drawn from Vol. II, Part XX, lines 14026-39. The Anti-Christ appears to Piers Plowman in a dream, tearing up the fruits of Truth and plowing them under, sowing falsehood in its place, as if he were a God.

Note: American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America, Chris Hedges (New York: Simon & Schuster), 2006.

Note: The Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt, Chris Hedges (New York: Nation Books), 2015.

Note: “Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt” appears in the essay “Ur-Fascism” in Five Moral Pieces, Umberto Eco, trans. Alastair McEwan (New York: Harcourt Books), 1997.

Note: The Plot Against America, Philip Roth (New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), 2004.

Note: The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick (New York: Vintage Books), 1962.

Note: It Can’t Happen Here, Sinclair Lewis (New York: Signet), 1935.

Note: Canada had a contract with 3M to manufacture N-95 face masks. CNN: “On April 2nd, under the authority of the Defense Production Act.” April 07, 2020.

Note: On January 29th, Trump established the Coronavirus Task Force… CBS News: “Trump creates task force to lead U.S. coronavirus response.” January 30, 2020.

Note: It appears that Harrison’s only qualification was that he bred labradoodles. USNews: “Special Report: Former Labradoodle Breeder Was Tapped to Lead U.S. Pandemic Task Force.” April 22, 2020.

Note: Less than a month later, Trump sacked Azar… Politico: “Trump puts Pence in charge of coronavirus response.” February 26, 2020.

Note: CS China COVID Procurement Service. Washington Post: “Commerce’s COVID Service Flyer.” April 16, 2020.

Note: By the time demand for those supplies had flipped from China back to America… Washington Post: “U.S. sent millions of face masks to China early this year, ignoring pandemic warning signs.” April 18, 2020.

Note: …Jared Kushner recruited young unpaid volunteers… Salon: “Kushner’s COVID-19 “task force” consisted of untrained volunteers using personal email: documentary.” October 08, 2020.

Note: They had torn up the Obama administration’s 2016 pandemic plan… PBS: “Obama team left pandemic playbook for Trump administration, officials confirm.” May 15, 2020.

Note: Politco described what ensued as “Lord of the Flies” and “Darwinian.” Politico: “‘A Darwinian approach to federalism’: States confront new reality under Trump.” March 31, 2020. And again: “‘Lord of the Flies: PPE Edition’: U.S. cast as culprit in global scrum over coronavirus supplies.” April 03, 2020.

Note: For example, Blue Flame Medical sold ventilators to Maryland… CBS News: “Inside the chaotic PPE market where shortages of critical supplies persist.” December 06, 2020.

Note: …polling worse… Gallup: “Last Trump Job Approval 34%; Average Is Record-Low 41%.” January 18, 2021.

Note: On September 18th, US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg died. NPR: “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Champion Of Gender Equality, Dies At 87.” September 18, 2020.

Note: However, he felt no compunction to adhere to his own precedent… CNN: “Trump nominates Amy Coney Barrett as Supreme Court justice.” September 26, 2020.

Note: It’s difficult to pin down precisely when Trump was first diagnosed with Covid-19. NPR: “Timeline: What We Know Of President Trump’s COVID-19 Diagnosis, Treatment.” October 05, 2020.

Note: …Trump’s physician, Sean Conley, gave conflicting information… NPR: “Who Is Sean Conley? White House Physician To President Trump.” October 03, 2020.

Note: It may or may not be worth noting that Trump has an interest in both Regeneron and Gilead Sciences… CNN Business: “Trump has ties to drugmaker Regeneron — and now its stock is surging.” October 05, 2020.

Note: …Trump climbed into an SUV… Vogue: “Anger Builds Over Trump’s Sunday Night Joyride Around Walter Reed.” October 05, 2020.

Note: He pulled off his mask and saluted the helicopter… Washington Post: “Trump returns to White House from hospital; may not be ‘out of the woods,’ doctor says.” October 05, 2020.

Note: During the Vice Presidential Debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris… CBS News: “A fly landed on Mike Pence’s head during the debate and rested there for nearly two minutes.” October 08, 2020.

Note: …Giuliani got himself worked into a lather… Daily Beast: “Rudy Giuliani’s Hair Dye Streaks Down Face After ‘My Cousin Vinny’ Performance.” November 19, 2020.

Note: …the New York Times revealed that the runny goo… New York Times: “Whatever It Is, It’s Probably Not Hair Dye.” November 19, 2020.

Lockdown (Part II)

Note: In September, children returned to school. CTV News: “Ontario unveils plan to reopen schools in September. Here’s what you need to know.” July 29, 2020.

Note: When Andrzej, the winemaker, walked by… Big Head Winery.

Note: To borrow a phrase from Temple Grandin… Hence the title of the Oliver Sacks book, An Anthropologist On Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales (New York: Vintage Books), 1996.

Note: Earlier in the season, Ontario Wine Awards had named Rosehall Run’s 2018 JCR Pinot Noir… OWA Press Release.

Note: Effective Monday morning at 12:01 a.m., Toronto and Peel Region would be in lockdown. The Globe and Mail: “Toronto and Peel go to lockdown, retail goes to curbside-only.” November 20, 2020.

Note: COVID-19 response framework: keeping Ontario safe and open November 03, 2020. Updated November 13, 2020.

Note: It took only 8 days for The Toronto Star to reveal… Toronto Star: “Ontario rejected its own public health agency’s advice when it launched its colour-coded plan for COVID-19 restrictions.” November 11, 2020.

Note: The whistle-blower was Dr. Shelley Deeks, chief health protection officer… Toronto Star: “Shelley Deeks, the Public Health Ontario whistleblower on colour-coded COVID restrictions, is leaving for a job in Nova Scotia.” December 09, 2020.

Note: On December 21st, premier Ford announced that the entire province would go into lockdown… CBC: “Ford orders lockdown for all of Ontario starting Boxing Day.” December 21, 2020.

Note: A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, Barbara W. Tuchman (New York: Ballantine), 1978. See my post on nouspique.

Note: In fact, his Minister of Finance, Rod Phillips… CBC: “Doug Ford acknowledges he knew finance minister was away before news broke of Caribbean vacation.” December 30, 2020.

Note: “Day The First” from The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio, trans. John Payne, Public Domain, available from Project Gutenberg.

Note: Initial doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in Canada… CBC: “1st doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Canada.” December 13, 2020.

Note: Adam Skelly, owner of Adamson Barbecue with locations in Leaside and Etobicoke, announced… Dished: “Etobicoke restaurant defies lockdown measures and opens dine-in service.” November 24, 2020.

Note: Doug Ford responded to the situation by saying… CBC: “Etobicoke restaurant ordered to close after defying provincial lockdown orders, allowing indoor dining.” November 24, 2020.

Note: …when Skelly broke into his own premises, they arrested him. Global News: “Owner arrested at Etobicoke restaurant that defied COVID-19 restrictions, facing criminal charges.” November 26, 2020.

Note: As small business owners go, he has more financial depth than most… Dean Blundell: “Con Artist, Adam Skelly Of Adamson BBQ, Just Conned You Out Of $300,000 And He’s Looking For More.” November 29, 2020.

Note: …annual revenue of $100 million. Wikipedia: Deco Labels. Accessed February 05, 2021.

Note: …the story was picked up by Breitbart… Breitbart: “BBQ Rebellion: Restaurant Owner Arrested After Days of Defying Toronto Lockdown.” November 26, 2020.

Note: Fritz Lang’s 1927 film, Metropolis. See Berg: Notes on videophones in film. March 13, 2012.

Note: The Jetsons. Smithsonian Magazine: “Future Calling: Videophones in the World of The Jetsons.” January 28, 2013.

Note: Dick Tracy. Daily Beast: “How Dick Tracy Invented the Apple Watch.” March 10, 2015.

Matters of the Mind & Spirit

Note: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn (New York: Delta), 1990.

Note: The History of the Peloponnesian War, Thucydides, trans. Richard Crawley, Public Domain, available for download from Project Gutenberg.

Note: In May, 2020, the Journal of Anxiety Disorders published an article which proposes CSS or Covid Stress Syndrome… Psychology Today: “COVID Stress Syndrome: What It Is and Why It Matters.” July 11, 2020. See ScienceDirect: “Development and initial validation of the COVID Stress Scales.” Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Volume 72, May 2020.

Note: On June 1st, after a press conference in the White House Rose Garden… NPR: “Peaceful Protesters Tear-Gassed To Clear Way For Trump Church Photo-Op.” June 01, 2020. See also Huffpost: “Trump Poses With Bible After Having Protesters Cleared Away With Tear Gas.” June 01, 2020.

Note: Almost immediately, a story started circulating that Trump had been holding the Bible upside down… Snopes: “Did Trump Hold the Bible Upside Down?” June 25, 2020.

Note: In April, still relatively early in the course of the pandemic, the Washington Post reported that 30 bishops and clergy of the Church of God in Christ… Washington Post: “Covid-19 has killed multiple bishops and pastors within the nation’s largest black Pentecostal denomination.” April 19, 2020.

Note: Pastor Ronnie Hampton of the New Vision Community Church… news.com.au: “Coronavirus US: Evangelical preachers and their congregations dying from COVID-19 in droves.” May 25, 2020.

Note: Closer to home we have Henry Hildebrandt… Global News: “Police gather footage after Aylmer, Ont., church holds 3rd drive-in service amid COVID-19 order.” April 27, 2020.

Note: …Hildebrandt and his church have gone on to lead large protests… The London Free Press: “Aylmer protest against COVID-19 public-health measures draws 2,000.” November 08, 2020.

Note: It’s interesting to note that Hildebrandt has been spotted protesting outside Adam Skelly’s Adamson Barbecue in Etobicoke. The London Free Press: “Henry Hildebrandt: From religious firebrand to COVID-19 provocateur.” January 09, 2021.

Note: …all that remains is what Aldous Huxley calls downward self-transcendence… See especially his remarks on “herd-intoxication” in the epilogue to The Devils of Loudon, Aldous Huxley (London: Chatto & Windus), 1952.

Note: Douglas John Hall: Collected Readings, ed. David B. Lott (Minneapolis: Fortress Press), 2013.

The Last Word(s)

Note: For 2020, the American Dialect Society selected the word “Covid” as its word of the year. ADS: “2020 Word of the Year is “Covid”.” December 17, 2020.

Note: The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the first instance of “Covid-19” (the word, not the virus) was detected on February 11th, 2020. Oxford Languages: “2020: Words of an unprecedented year,” page 7.

Note: The ADS nomination page… ADS: “Nominations for Words of the Year 2020.” December 17, 2020.

Note: A “Karen” is an entitled white woman… BBC: “What exactly is a ‘Karen’ and where did the meme come from?” July 30, 2020.

Note: …when a Black birdwatcher named Christian Cooper told a white woman named Amy Cooper… Wikipedia: “Central Park birdwatching incident.” Accessed February 06, 2021.

Note: The Origins of Totalitarianism, Hannah Arendt (New York, Harcourt), 1976.

Note: American Nightmare: Facing the Challenge of Fascism, Henry A. Giroux (San Francisco: City Lights), 2018.

Note: …Giroux cites an article by Rebecca Gordon in TomDispatch.com… TomDispatch: Rebecca Gordon, No “New Normal”, November 20, 2016.

Note: Meanwhile, in developing countries, more people die each year of the infectious diseases tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria, than have died of Covid-19 in 2020. WHO: “Disease burden and mortality estimates.” Accessed February 06, 2021.

Note: For my final word… Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, Hunter S. Thompson (New York: Vintage Books), 1971, pp. 66-68.