COVID-19 Note

I am suspending all calendar event notices until the status of events is more predictable and is back on a normal track as the Corona virus threat lessens, I hope.

At this point cancellations are just about everywhere with various dates for when venues, organizations and schools hope to be back to regular operations. Some are already working at online classes using Zoom or other teleconferencing applications. That, of course is not the same as face-to-face work but it is a way to keep things in play.

I also think this will be worse then we are told. We are poorly prepared, having little to no true public health in the country. I speak as a user of the VA health system which has been superb for me and for friends I know. I hasn't been given much credit but it does nicely. So far in any year I haven't paid more than $40, and that for copays on some prescriptions. In the meantime I've had doctor exams, labs, vaccines, even ultrasound and blood pressure monitors for me, all at no out-of-pocket cost. Further, they keep me appraised of events and make sure I get my regular appointments, any special appointments and even send me prescriptions. And I can go to any VA hospital or clinic anywhere in the country, should I need, at any time. I can also consult at any time using their remote connection app. They really go all out.

By comparison, as far as I am concerned, "Wounded Warriors" is a scam but it is all we hear, while the VA gets pummeled. But for all the advertising I never see any WWs clinics or hospital or outreach programs. All that advertising takes money and my old "reporter sense" tells me they are taking the money and running. Did, you know I used to be a reporter? I managed to get cynical in short order. But those are other stories.

For my money, and because of my experiences the VA is not only tops (yes, it isn't perfect and there are some things I would like) but is a good start on a model for a public health system. Forget insurance companies. They are there to make a profit, not provide care.

Okay, so much for my soap box.

I may take this time to refresh the calendar approach and redo what I cover. Remember, I've never made any money on this. I've only spent money on this. And I've never tracked anyone. Because of Facebook there has been little point for a long time in keeping up with lessons and events in the area. Not that I think Facebook does a good job. For one thing it is not designed to cover dance. It is designed to addict visitors to returning to "give" their data which can be sold. The addiction comes in because you can't simply come back later and expect to re-read anything the way you saw it. It keeps changing. I call it Flushbook because anything on that platform disappears as someone else's item is posted and then another post and so on. Facebook itself admits this is deliberate and uses the "addiction" word for their method.

Facebook is a constantly moving target and I don't begin to have the time to be glued to the machine. I also avoid using FB as much as possible, partly because as an old database programmer for decades, I don't like tracking, spying and data mining - from anyone, including Google and Amazon (what did you think those wonderful smart speakers were?). This would creep out (and should) anyone were it happening with some physical person looming over us constantly. Yet that could hardly gather as much information as data mining. Even so, people sign up like crazy and can't seem to stay away from it - - or other surveillance technologies sold as conveniences.

For some time now I've let the calendar run itself, hoping that contributors will keep their own data up to date. The calendar is designed to maintain a list of times for event but also regular lessons in a database which doesn't flush away with each new post. In the meantime I mostly use my site to merely show pictures from events I cover. With the Corona crisis I will take the time off to rethink what I want to do with kcdance.

Cheers,
Mike Strong