Thirty-third Entry

Sunday, April 19th, 2020

The first quarter of this year presented very high temperatures. January was the warmest in many decades, nearly 6.5 degrees warmer than the average. February and March were also significantly warmer than normal. The Gulf of Mexico is hotter than ever—perfect for creating stronger hurricanes. Good thing so much plywood is already in place in New York City. 

The Small Business Administration has committed all of the funds from the first round of the “Paycheck Protection Program.” It seems that most of the money went to what I consider to be big companies. By Federal definition, a “small business” is one with fewer than 500 employees at any one facility. It is unclear why they won’t release the names of the companies that got the “loans.” These loans may not need to be paid back. “Forgiven” is the official word. Sounds almost like the word “gift”— and all with taxpayer’s money.  

I heard another mention of the $1,000 fine for large gatherings. There is now a number you can text to report large groups of people—today’s version of the post-9/11 tips line.