COVID-19 got into our household during the holidays. We had a small gathering on Christmas of only immediate family, and within a few days we all had the virus. We still don’t know how we got infected. While most of us were lucky enough to have only mild symptoms, it was still very scary. Six months ago, I didn’t know anyone personally who had contracted the virus – today I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by a COVID-related death. I’m afraid we have a long way to go with this pandemic. The vaccine rollout has been slow, especially in California, and with the virus mutating, there is a lot more uncertainty.
I still think 2021 will be far better than 2020, but concerts, live sporting events, large conferences and busy restaurants might be further away than we had hoped. Having the virus and surviving it only intensified my conviction that our health and safety must come first. Everything else can be replaced when we get to the other side of this. From a risk versus reward standpoint, I am glad schools will be open in the Fall. There are only so much our kids can take, but we all need to do our part to be safe and responsible. Please wear a mask!
The usual solutions will not solve the current housing affordability crisis. Any solution that does not begin and end with a sustainable plan to radically increase housing supply is just noise. The barriers to increasing housing supply are complex and require the crucial cooperation of both public and private sectors, and more education.
“Boomerang” was a different kind of film. It was a movie about friendship, loyalty, and romance set in NYC at a medium-sized Black-led company that sold beauty products. Boomerang had an all-black cast and a plot that had nothing to do with being Black. While that was unheard of at the time, Murphy was such a big star that it didn’t seem like a big deal.
Terms like “great, genius,” and “world-class” are overused, perhaps because they mean something different to everyone. Greatness is subjective. Some might say you must be great just to be employed in the film business or to play professional sports, but I don’t think Will Smith or LeBron James think that way. The concept of being great also requires context. You could be a great high school athlete but only an average college player.