I hope you’re staying calm, cool and collected during these frightening, unconcern times. If you have any good coping skills, please share. We can all use them.

Truth: I’m not coping well at all. My anxiety level was high before the coronavirus pandemic started.

I won’t go into why that is right here, but just know I have insomnia and had an appointment with a sleep expert at Northwestern scheduled for next week. I had waited six months to get in. I canceled the appointment.

Thanks to this pandemic, my anxiety has really amped up. Just the idea of going into a grocery store makes my heart pound.

I won’t even talk about the economy and my personal financial worries. At the risk of sounding like a crazy loon (if the shoe fits, wear it), here are some of the things that run through my monkey mind:

How long is it going to be before the grocery store clerks and pharmacy techs get the virus? These poor souls should have access to masks. How many people will they unknowingly infect while bravely serving the rest of us?

Taking someone’s temperature before allowing them to work or go into certain places is a good idea, but what’s to prevent people who are asystematic from spreading the disease?

Is it safe to touch your mail? The food you pick out in the grocery store? Your credit card once it goes in the machine? The medicines which are handed to you at CVS or Walgreens?

If you’re a caregiver and get the virus, how are you supposed to care for that person and self-isolate?

Will people ever stop hoarding food, cleaning supplies and toilet paper? Will I ever see friends and family again? How long will touching them be a no-no?

How long does the virus live on surfaces? I’ve heard conflicting information. They say the virus might live in the air. Is that true and for how long?

Even if they come up with a vaccine–which we know is a long way off, what’s to prevent the next one and the next one?

I’ll stop here. But it doesn’t help my anxiety level knowing that our president thinks it’s a personal insult if a reporter asks a question about our fears. Did you see how Trump bashed a reporter for doing so?

I know you can read other opinion pieces with positive ideas about how to cope with this crisis. Please read them all.

My wish is that by publicly sharing my fears it will help you open up about yours and not beat yourself up if you are also having difficulty coping. Please comment. Think of this as a coronavirus support group. Maybe we can help each other.

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Saturday, March 21—

Yes, it’s spring again, and the sky is soft and gray. Crocuses are blooming.  The pussy willows are opening, the same color as the sky.

This morning, I went to get milk at the Walgreens at Roosevelt and Ridgeland in south Oak Park. There was a big delivery truck full of stuff,  but no one knows what’s on it.  Milk? Rubbing alcohol?    This is how we live now, and every day is different.

Some businesses are laying off workers.  Some shops are forced to close, for now.  The Jewel is hiring—apply online or at the Customer Service desk.

Later in the afternoon, I walked back to Walgreens. The parking lot was packed!  There were lines of people at all the registers. Limit 2 on paper products.  No one was buying Easter candy, yet.  There was no milk, today. Tomorrow, who knows.  I’ll be back.

March is unpredictable, anyway. There may be snow on Sunday.  But today, clouds give way to sun. Kids are playing basketball  in the alley. There are buds on the branches, but no baseball on the radio. Remember baseball? Here’s a post on baseball, and opening day.

But we are learning how to live here now—-in this changing weather, Spring and all that is. There is such beauty in this world–tough and resilient and audacious–the crocuses, the daffodils, the chirping sparrows,  the first green leaves. Buds are swelling on the lilacs and magnolias.

The beauty of  opening day.

OK, the venues are all closed, and you’re housebound like a kid with the measles. But, you have a computer, or radio? You’re good.

Tuesday, March 24.

Preview of the now-canceled Naperville Bluegrass Festival on Folk Festival with Lilli Kuzma. 90.9 FM, or www.wdcb.org. 8 PM.

Wednesday, March 25. 

While the Naomi Ashley Band’s performance at the Wire has been cancelled, you can see them live via her Facebook page at the regular time, 8:30 PM.

All live Folkstage concerts have been postponed until further notice.

As you can imagine, all these cancellations, while inconvenient for us concert-goers, are a disaster for full-time professional musicians. If you would like to help out, many have established Patreon pages where you can sponsor a performer. For example: www.patreon.com/benbedfordmusic, and www.patreon.com/debracowanmusic.  I know there are many other performers who have patreon pages.

You can also make a donation to the emergency fund of local 1000 of the travedling musicians’ union. www.local1000.org.

You can also go to the web page of your favorite musician, and buy something. Do you have all of their CD’s?

To all of the performers and venues: if you have a concert that is switched to an online, get me the information so I can spread the word. [email protected].

To everybody else: stay home, be healthy, and hopefully this nonsense will be over soon. And share this article on Facebook. You’ve got the time to do it.

A drug to treat malaria, chloroquine

May help in treating Covid-19.

Trump says, “Let’s ingest it!”

Dr. Fauci says, “Test it!”

Which proves that sheer ignorance has no vaccine.

THE PLATFORM

Genre: International

Rating: R

Running Time: 94 mins.

Where Can You See It?: Netflix

Premise: Goreng (Ivan Massague) wakes up in a vertical prison that puts two people per level with an unknown number of levels. Each day, a single platform of food for all of them is lowered down to each level for two minutes. The lower your level, the less food you get. Let the games of survival of the fittest begin.

Behind-the-Scenes: Netflix acquired the rights to this Spanish film, originally titled El hoyo. This is director Galder Gastelu-Urrutia’s first feature-length directing credit.

The Good: The Platform has a killer concept that is expertly executed. It does a fantastic job of world-building with minimal effort and no wasted time. I was immediately hooked – from the first minute to the last frame. The production design of the vertical prison and falling platform is ingeniously realized, and really shows what talented filmmakers can achieve even on a limited budget. The actors – all unknown to me – are believable and give committed performances. The story lends itself to a mix of genres, including thriller, horror, and sci-fi, so it offers a bit of everything to genre fans. The social allegory is timely and clever, offering an entertaining indictment of capitalism and the resulting economic injustice.

The Bad: It’s not exactly a subtle film in terms of that social allegory. It has a lot of visual levels, but not so many thematic ones. The third act promises big action, but goes out with more of a whimper than a bang and doesn’t quite nail the landing. Could be due to some of its budget constraints.

Should You See It?: Yes. This is the perfect Friday night flick for more adventurous moviegoers. It won’t play to everyone’s tastes, but genre fans should definitely check it out. And, if they ever do an American remake (not that one is needed), Jordan Peele would be perfect for it.

Star Rating: **** out of 5 stars

Better Than: High Rise

Worse Than: The Raid

* * *

For more movie/TV commentary and other mischief, follow me on Twitter: @Hammervision and on Letterboxd: @Hammervision

As our country deals with the Coronavirus and its consequences, a time of crisis, among other things, will no doubt reveal who we really are.  Try as we might to write it off as instinct, but what really gets revealed in a crisis is character. Character reveals who we are for better or worse. Thomas Paine’s famous quote perhaps says it best. “These are the times that try men’s souls.” During a time of crisis such as the Coronavirus, it’s not just a time of anxiety and worries but it affords us a chance, an opportunity, to choose well or badly. In the last week, while grocery shopping I have witnessed both behaviors. I have been jostled, pushed, yelled at and also I have witnessed the opposite behavior; kindness, compassion,  a friendly smile, and a kind word.  Someone dead set on getting 20 rolls of toilet paper, scores of hand sanitizer,  and disinfection towels, was not worth the hassle to stand my ground.  I’ll live to shop another day. Fights did break out.

`

If you were to write the word “Crisis”`in Chinese it is composed of two distinct characters, one represents danger the other represents opportunity. Chicago’s last Mayor Rahm Emanuel once was quoted as saying “YOU NEVER LET A SERIOUS CRISIS GO TO WASTE.” A perfect example of the double meaning of CRISIS —  some folks see danger and some see opportunity. Before the danger of the Coronavirus is even neutralized, and the many victims it leaves in its wake are still fresh,  lots of people are seeing opportunity.

The thinking is any kind of crisis can be good, shaping new ideas and spawning new opportunities that we have suddenly been subjected too while avoiding danger. Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot have asked for unprecedented measures to try and stem the onslaught of a fast-moving killer virus. Stay at home, stay 6 feet from each other, just essential movement and groupings, sensible measures to try and save lives and keep people from being sick. Certainly, two leaders that have not given OPPORTUNITY a second thought, saving lives and keeping people from being sick is the sole focus.

Dante says the darkest places in hell are reserved for those who remain neutral in times of a moral crisis. Believe me, I’m no Dante but in my opinion that hell should include those who are second-guessing the life-saving strategies of our leaders, constantly looking for someone or something to blame and ignoring basic decency. Hoarders during a crisis such as a Coronavirus virus are not to be confused with “PREPPERS” who stockpile life-extending goods, such as water, storable food, plants and seeds and YES! weapons and ammunition, simply because if it ever came time for it, others would seize their property.

As soon as the pandemic was announced and America was being attacked by the virus, we saw first-hand thousands of people immediately heading to the stores stockpiling toilet paper(still trying to figure that one out) water, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes, basic groceries such as eggs, pasta, bleach, and many other items that we routinely put into our shopping baskets, were immediately impossible to buy because the hoarders got there first.

Above is a photo of Chicago’s Magnificant mile. A Saturday morning, usually bustling with thousands of shoppers and tourists. Many stores resorting to boarding windows as a precaution to prevent “ALTERNATE SHOPPERS” A new way to describe looters and smash and grabbers. Tonight an entire city will be tested when the stay at home order by the Governor goes into effect. Will we respond with a sense of decency and civic pride or will we see opportunists and bad behavior by those who ignore the danger for selfish gratification.

When things stand out to me, I spend most of my day thinking and trying to understand why it happened the way that it did,  At my foundation, I believe that everything happens for a reason. Some things don’t make sense at the time, but at some point later in life, in reflection, I seem to find a connection, Is that the same for you?

Well I have certainly been stumped a time or two, but this “RONA” has me scratching my head.Those who know me, know that I ALWAYS have something to say, but I don’t always say it.  I wait until the time feels right for me. It feels like the right time to talk about Ms. RONA.

I am not a scientist – but I observe and research things to share my findings.
I am not a doctor – but I diagnose problems in my head.
I am not a preacher – but I have a message.

When it comes to “Rona” (as labeled by social media), also known as Coronavirus or COVID-19, I have had many thoughts, ideas and possibly suggestions.

I don’t think any of us have answers, but most of us are reflecting quietly and in our small groups. 

We can focus on the problem or focus on the solution. The outcome from this seemingly insignificant mindset shift will be dramatically different.

I know that I am not the only one wondering, “How could this happen to US?” but WHAT IF we, for this moment not focus on the how, but focus on the what if…

What if…

• WE, the global WE needed to slow down.  WE, the world WE. Maybe things were moving too fast and we were about to CRASH. Despite best efforts, no one could redirect us make us stop and WE were out of control.
• YOU needed to “RE-ORG” your life? You knew this already but you never had time to do it because you had work, you had play, you had this event and that event and this…and that.
• YOU needed to spend more time with your family? Despite your best intentions, you always had other demands on your time. You had this meeting, that meeting, this thing, that thing.
• YOU needed to spend time with YOURSELF  to think and reflect about your life’s journey, where you came from, where you are now, where you are going and how the heck are you going to get there.
• YOU needed to learn to APPRECIATE what you have and realize that you don’t NEED anything else.
• YOU needed a reminder to be GRATEFUL for your life, your health, your job, your family and friends.
• YOU needed to stop being SELFISH and to think about others for a change.
• YOU needed to realize that PEOPLE really do matter and you can’t make it alone.
• YOU needed to understand that you really don’t have the POWER and CONTROL that you thought you had.

What if we center ourselves, get focused, rest up, catch up, prepare for what will come next? Let’s try to stay positive and do our part in helping to solve the problem. While we are in it, let’s work on ourselves in a way that can help others. …AND maybe,  I’m just ranting and none of what I said means anything to anyone. However, if the outcome is good and one person learns from it then it was time well spent. 

#iamoneperson