Thoughts on COVID19

We have been at the virus battle for so long, that there is indeed a new normal. The Barometer watches Hallmark Christmas movies whilst on the treadmill this time of year. The movies are good clean fun. No one swears. Folks fall in love. Romance blooms. Not to mention tree-decorating, flour battles whilst cookie-baking, carnivals, festivals, parades, really lovely houses, and small town charm. About 45 minutes into the first movie of the season, the Barometer was taken with one dominating thought: These lovely people had no masks. They were giving hugs and kisses, eating together, having parties, and, oh, were they happy. The Barometer was very sad. Hallmark always provided a joyous escape from pressure. Now, Hallmark was sparking feelings of jealousy, resentment, and just a smidgen of anger.

The Barometer thought about increasing restrictions and realized that PETA would be in court seeking injunctions if chickens were confined in the manner we have experienced and are facing once again. How the Barometer longs for the liberties of a free-range chicken. No mask. Ability to interact. To walk about. To eat together. The free-range human is extinct.

And it feels as if those doing the confining do not really know what they are doing. Elon Musk was tested four times for the virus using the same machine. Mr. Musk got two positives and two negatives. Singer Erykah Badu tested positive in a swab test from her left nostril and negative in a swab test from her right nostril. We have been wearing masks since March, social distancing, and closing down for a good part of that time. Physicians and scientists assured us that those were the solutions. However, we do have a virus surge once again. Mr. Musk may have a point when he concluded, “Something extremely bogus is going on.”

The virus is real and can be deadly. But the science may not be real and is proving deadly. The Barometer hopes PETA steps in for the ethical treatment of humans.

About mmjdiary

Professor Marianne Jennings is an emeritus professor of legal and ethical studies from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, retiring in 2011 after 35 years of teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in ethics and the legal environment of business. During her tenure at ASU, she served as director of the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics from 1995-1999. In 2006, she was appointed faculty director for the W.P. Carey Executive MBA Program. She has done consulting work for businesses and professional groups including AICPA, Boeing, Dial Corporation, Edward Jones, Mattel, Motorola, CFA Institute, Southern California Edison, the Institute of Internal Auditors, AIMR, DuPont, AES, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Motorola, Hy-Vee Foods, IBM, Bell Helicopter, Amgen, Raytheon, and VIAD. The sixth edition of her textbook, Case Studies in Business Ethics, was published in February 2011. The ninth edition of her textbook, Business: lts Legal, Ethical and Global Environment was published in January 2011. The 23rd edition of her book, Business Law: Principles and Cases, will be published in January 2013. The tenth edition of her book, Real Estate Law, will also be published in January 2013. Her book, A Business Tale: A Story of Ethics, Choices, Success, and a Very Large Rabbit, a fable about business ethics, was chosen by Library Journal in 2004 as its business book of the year. A Business Tale was also a finalist for two other literary awards for 2004. In 2000 her book on corporate governance was published by the New York Times MBA Pocket Series. Her book on long-term success, Building a Business Through Good Times and Bad: Lessons from Fifteen Companies, Each With a Century of Dividends, was published in October 2002 and has been used by Booz, Allen, Hamilton for its work on business longevity. Her latest book, The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse was published by St. Martin’s Press in July 2006 and has been a finalist for two book awards. Her weekly columns are syndicated around the country, and her work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Reader's Digest. A collection of her essays, Nobody Fixes Real Carrot Sticks Anymore, first published in 1994 is still being published. She has been a commentator on business issues on All Things Considered for National Public Radio. She has served on four boards of directors, including Arizona Public Service (1987-2000), Zealous Capital Corporation, and the Center for Children with Chronic Illness and Disability at the University of Minnesota. She was appointed to the board of advisors for the Institute of Nuclear Power Operators in 2004 and served on the board of trustees for Think Arizona, a public policy think tank. She has appeared on CNBC, CBS This Morning, the Today Show, and CBS Evening News. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders in Business Ethics by Trust Across America. Her books have been translated into four different languages. She received the British Emerald award for authoring one of their top 50 articles in management publications, chosen from over 15,000 articles. Personal: Married since 1976 to Terry H. Jennings, Maricopa County Attorney’s Office Deputy County Attorney; five children: Sarah, Sam, and John, and the late Claire and Hannah Jennings.
This entry was posted in News and Events. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.