Enough about my COVID for now. Everything is progressing satisfactorily, although we will obviously miss in person Rosh Hashanah services. Which is too bad, because it’s such a good opportunity to see all of those we see less often than we would like see more. But it is this socializing that spreads COVID of course, so we will sit at home and live stream services.

But COVID, like crime, seems to be spreading rapidly. When we arrived back in DC, because we were exposed even though I had not yet tested positive, we did not attend a function that I was involved with. This morning, I learned that someone else who attended tested positive the morning after the event.

In addition, a friend told me her sister flew to the United States from England to meet up with some high school friends, and tested positive when she got here, isolating herself from her friends. And a cousin of mine told me of a friend of hers who flew, with his parents, to Hawaii for a family wedding, only to have his father test positive when they got there, so they all missed the wedding.

It seems obvious that this is going to get worse, at least until the next vaccine becomes taken widespread and takes effect.

And it’s not the only thing that seems to be falling apart. How about the United States of America? I’m exaggerating? Maybe. But maybe not.

Crime, especially violent gun crime, is increasing exponentially across the country. The new abortion restrictions are having secondary consequences – a shortage of ob-gyns, and women avoiding pregnancy for fear that, in case of medical emergency, necessary treatment will be unavailable. Problems handling asylum seekers are spreading to cities in the north and midwest. Hurricanes, floods, fires. All of the attention on Donald Trump’s four active major cases, and now one against Hunter Biden. And, of course, the opening of the Biden impeachment investigation.

But the most pressing matter right now is what is going to happen after September 30, when it is most likely we will have a federal government shut-down.

Months ago this seemed inevitable. But I hoped it could be avoided. There are 12 appropriations bills that must be approved. They are all based on the budget agreement made several weeks ago. The Senate has, I think, passed all of them. I heard the vote was something like 91-7. The House has passed only one. And the right wing Republican crazies say that they won’t vote for any, that a government shut down is no big thing, and that if Kevin McCarthy goes ahead and brings any of them to a vote, they will move for his removal as Speaker of the House. No great loss there, but there is no one to replace him.

And what do the right wins GOP reps want? They want to ignore the budget agreement and drastically cut spending, they want to build a wall on the border, they want to cut funding for Ukraine, and more.

Maybe there will be a 30 day extension, so the government will stay operating another month. Maybe not. Whichever – it sure doesn’t solve a problem. Fourteen months until the next election ? Fourteen months of chaos.