Most areas those murders/killings are friend on friend or family member on family member. Very few are random so not really a reason for staying inside unless you know someone with violent tendencies.

ha ha ha :Unmurdered".

I'm bored. I'm used to being extremely busy. I haven't started any new "projects". Maybe I should get a part-time job...

Crime has gone up a lot here as well. Innocent bystanders getting hurt/killed. Last week a 12-yr old boy walking with his mother was an innocent victim in a drive-by. Guns at a house party where a fight broke out, etc.

I would like a part-time job also - not to keep me busy, but for the money. I have plenty to do to keep me busy, and so I am quite content to stay at home and work on the projects that I have. I have quite a large backlog of projects, but at some point, they will run out. Then I can create new ones, however.

I do not feel the urge to go out and do stuff and see people. I think I will after a while, but I'm not there yet. I did go to a battery store yesterday to buy replacement batteries for our lawn mower, and the store, Batteries & Bulbs, had a very good policy of wearing masks and distancing, and so I felt reasonably safe. I had removed the three batteries from our Black & Decker mower battery pack but was unsure of how to replace them. I watched a couple of YouTube videos for info and then decided that I really needed to see the batteries in person before buying them. I still managed to get a 10% discount, probably for buying three at a time (at $60 ea), and at least I was able to buy name-brand batteries with a warranty.

I have not paid much attention to crime rate statistics, but I did seem to notice a rise in crime in the Palm Springs metro area. I haven't watched enough local news in Los Angeles to know if that is happening here as well.

I do not feel the urge to go out and do stuff and see people.

You do not go out to stores, and travel back and forth between your two houses, and see your brother? If you have been truly isolated for 8 months without going to a store or seeing your brother or any of your friends/family, and do not long to see any of them, you are indeed unusual.

I so look forward to seeing my far away son, his wife, and my grand baby in person, I hope that will happen next year.

Rise in crime is probably from a number of different things. Being shut up to long with someone who really annoys you. Being shut up too long with people who are not able to keep up financially. Being shut up too long and don't have any money, may lead to something criminal. There are probably many stressors the pandemic is causing that could lead to bad behavior.

If everyone wore/had been wearing a mask we could be doing better.

I have no problem saying a quick word to someone not wearing one. I don't lecture or speak directly to them, I just say loudly near them my disrespect for people who don't wear one. If more people shamed those not wearing masks maybe it would put pressure on those that don't.

It's really a small thing to do, wear a mask.

The murder rate in Milwaukee has gone up. As of yesterday, there were as many shooting deaths as all of last year. Everyone is getting on edge, and the slow down in the economy has created more desperate people. The lower end of the economy has been hit harder then the upper end, but this end of the economy employed a goodly number of people. For example, restaurants are closed, so those waiter and waitress job are gone. Without diners, there are no tips, and waitpersons here depended on tips. The stress is increasing on the lower income segment in the cities. In Milwaukee, rent deferments are running out and slum landlords have rushed to the courthouse to file eviction papers. Its going to be a bad winter!

All of the above but it should also be noted.........

Crime will always go up when more people stay inside. Even before Covid as people became fearful of going out, say at night, they handed over the streets to the criminals. Some communities celebrate National Night Out. I always found it a bit odd. Every night should be a time for neighbors to go out if they wish. Hiding behind locked doors is counter productive. More good people out, along with a willingness to get involved, equals less crime.

I cannot imagine staying inside for 8 months. I feel so fortunate to have the stables to go to. It's so nice to see so many kids having fun on the horses and even non equestrians and families hiking the trails. We are having some plumbing done over the next 2 days. I have to stay tomorrow because DH and I have to be somewhere in the afternoon. But I told my riding instructor I would be spending most of the day there on Friday doing some riding, some whatever. Even during the times I can't ride I can still enjoy grooming, help tack, chat with people or simply sit back and watch the horses and happy people out enjoying themselves and living life normal for a bit. I just seem to know more and observe more people not living inside. Not seeing the fear that I read about on the net. Caution yes, but not fear.

Crime going up. Suicide/depression/chemical dependency going up. Natural immunities going down. For EVERYONE'S sake MOST people really need to find a middle ground.

I will use precautions, but I'm not going to isolate myself and live in fear. There are some horror stories out there, but we only have so many days to live our life. We've curtailed some of our activities. We also look for alternatives that we do enjoy and can feel comfortable doing. Everything has some sort of risk attached. We do the things we feel comfortable doing.

In my metro area, murders have been on the upswing for a couple years; last year we were averaging 2 per week for many months - but it has reached a new peak now. Well before the pandemic, we were seeing incidents of gun violence and death over things like an argument over a parking space, or bad driving, as well as the "typical" drug trafficking, robberies, parties where someone felt "disrespected", and gang violence.

From reading the paper daily, and the now almost daily reports of 1, 2 or 3+ people having been shot, I would say that most do not involve family disputes or people who know each other - exception being people who "know" each other through their respective gang affiliations.

We feel safe here (outer Cape Cod). There are more people here off-season than usual because they came to their second homes where they can telecommute and distance learn in relative safety compared to NJ, NY, CT. Everyone is good about mask-wearing. Businesses and restaurants require it. We're used to the isolation of winter here but do miss our lunches out. It's too cold now for outdoor dining and we will not risk indoors. Our only forays out among people are to the grocery store and pharmacy. I can't imagine the stress families are under socially, emotionally, financially. I miss my family in Ohio but will not see them until next year sometime (hopefully).

Domestic assaults had gone up at the beginning of covid with stay-at-home restrictions and then gone down during the summer. According to the news last night they are going up again, as are calls to mental health hotlines.