Our second March in lockdown

 

Nice try mister, but where is the face mask?

Cookie can remember a time when he really thought that maybe, after 60/90 days in social distancing lockdown, we would be over this COVID hump. 

I mean, two weeks seemed a bit optimistic, right?

And a month, well, if we must.

But two months would have been mid-May, morphed into four months, morphed into six, and well, here we are.  

At first husband was working from home for two months, then four, and well, Spring 2021.  Now comes word that he'll be working from here until spring 2022.   I don't mind it.  I have adapted.  The dogs are enjoying this, too.  But it makes one wonder why they just don't switch everyone to at home, period.  Why couldn't we move back to Ohio?   It would be the same telecommute.  But no - we are tethered here. 

Still, if I look over the past year, there are two kinds of people, and yes - I am certainly going to stereotype here:

Type C People: We are cautious.  We either stay walled up in our homes, or we venture out safely for the things we need.  When we see friends, it outdoors at a distance and there is no physical contact.  But we all try to social distance as much as possible.  These people will deeply consider the vaccine to getting the vaccine.

Type U People: These are the people who refuse to accept science, refuse to let you observe the science in peace and quiet.  They invade your space.  They think its their business to make up reasons why they don't want ANYONE to get the vaccine. 

I avoid Type U people like I avoid the plague itself. 

To that end, now Mr. Cookie and I await our shots.  Maryland is slowly opening up the appointments.  Given my breathing issues, I hope for sooner, rather than later. But we'll see. 

Today in Baltimore, it is wet and soggy.  Hoping for better days ahead!

Facebook and its odd suggestions

Facebook continues to vex Cookie, and that shouldn't be a surprise.  Facebook continues to vex all of its users.  Unfortunatly, it has become one of the main ways that people keep in contact. 

Since it launched its new format, the situation has gone from bad to worse.  NOT ONLY did they redesign the interface, but they also redesigned how to get to you, and attempt to manipulate you. 

How so? 

With the launch of *new* Facebook, the evil duo of Zuckerman and Sandberg have ordained that instead of getting updates on your friends, you get updates from your groups.  

Groups you see are how they gauge your interests to feed you advertising.  In fact, they don't want you interacting with your close friends and loosely goosey Facebook friends on their profiles - they want everything in groups. 

Oh, they are still targeting your ads based on the information you have given them, but the reach to wit that they expropriate your needs has become less based in reality and more based on fantasy.  Part of the reason is that major corporations have pulled a lot of the ad dollars during COVID.  And because trustworthy stores are drying up (Lord & Taylor, for God's sake!) and closing, the means that Facebook is pulling in more start-up companies without any real "brand" to speak of,  or concrete contact information, selling sub-standard and questionable merchandise. 

So how is this impacting Cookie? 

Two days ago it was a direct assault on me.  It was horrific.  For every two posts from my groups or even friends, Facebook aimed one inane advertised product, one after another, and then it went into repeats that kept hammering away. 

This annoys me.  It also pisses me off.  Cookie is a contrarian.  Tell me to buy something and I simply won't.  And because money is tight, I don't have it to throw away on something I don't need from a company that I don't know.  Take this, for example:

Why would I need this?  Why would anyone with a lick of common sense?  Why would anyone want to look at this unless you are some hairy man from the Balkins?

You shave that hair off and it just going to come back thicker and itchier.   So what do you do?  You either live with it, or you get your back waxed by someone who knows what they are doing. 

Cookie is not opposed to manly hairy men in good shape.  But this looks like a product that is only in demand if you are a portly, sweaty, "mans" from the old country.  So Cookie to Facebook, this is a HUGE no.

Cookie also says no to the cluster ads for "Pants that look great with no underwear," and from another company "Shorts that look great without underwear."  Same for "Underwear that looks so great that you won't want to wear pants" or "Shorts" when you go out.  Also no to, yoga pants, biking pants, and those suit pants that "fit and feel like loungewear."

Cookie also does not need underwear designed to make my business look larger when I wear pants.  Nor do I need compression shorts to hide my "junk".  The Cookie Monster is happy as is. 

Still, I feel lucky.  Another friend, who is a male, in my age group, was hit yesterday with the unthinkable:

"Why does Facebook feel the need to advertise women's disposable urinal cups and menstrual cups on my feed?"  Why indeed.  "And what do think that a gay man of sixty needs a cervical cap?"

Why indeed Mr. Zuckerberg? Ms. Sandberg, why as well?

We'll never know.  And that's what scares us about Facebook.  Because no one really knows what is coming on behind the scenes, or what will come of it.