Spanish views from a small town

Today is a down day. Despite the gorgeous sunshine and the warm temperatures, it's a day to say goodbye to when the sun goes down, and to let it slide into the oblivion of forgetfulness. First, on Facebook someone mentioned that those who didn't want to wear masks were not thinking of their friends and loved ones. Someone responded saying that there was no pandemic, that it was all a hoax to get people to "follow the leader." Dear God. Someone else commented various points, saying that the CDC had changed their findings, saying only 6% had died of Covid (it's 6% who died without comorbidities), that asymptomatic people didn't infect others, that hospitals weren't overwhelmed, and that masks weren't necessary, because some doctors even operated on people without them. Also, that masks were harmful, and included a picture from somewhere with people who had rashes around their mouths. Finally, the reason for the pandemic "hoax" was to be found i...

We're told to keep our chin up, that we can get through this together, and not to listen to the doubters and the doomsayers. So, who's sowing the doubts and distrust? I don't know, but I do know to check out whatever comes through chats and Facebook. My husband received a video the other day. It described a man going into the Facebook page of the Ministry of Health and going to a posted video with over forty thousand likes. He then "checks" to see who has liked or reacted to the page, and on the screen one can see just about the entire page with laughing faces. The man points out that all the names are foreign. He goes on to say that the Ministry is creating false profiles to fill their posts with reactions. Fake news. While watching the video, I went to the same page through my Facebook, and found the post. The reaction page, when I opened it, didn't have laughing faces. Rather, it had angry faces and all the names were Spanish. When I clicked on a profil...

The inventor of fake news must have thought up the idea after visiting his grandma in her small village. There, I'm sure he must have heard some juicy tidbit about a neighbor that everyone assured him was true. Only it wasn't. But it could have been possible. Light bulb goes on. How to manipulate world opinion, Chapter One, is written. This past week, I ordered a tractor load of wood. Normally, my husband goes out and brings in fallen trees; last year his mother told him to cut trees on her property. The resulting firewood, an enormous pile, was for both houses. But last year was last year. He also had more time, being unemployed in the late winter and spring, and the weather was drier. This year, he still hadn't been able to go scope the surrounding woods. Hence, the order. The tractor brought some trunks that are as wide as a table for ten. When my husband saw those he threw his hand to his forehead trying to think of how he can possibly chop them up into firewood. Th...