Bored in lockdown? Fill out your census form!

Do it now if you haven't yet! You are not only being a good citizen, you are helping your city to the tune of $2000 in federal funding per person enumerated and ensuring that California is allocated all the Congresscritters we should get. Since we're a lot saner here than some places, we need all the representation our true numbers deserve. By filling out your form, you are also sparing Census employees one less door to knock on -- and one less potential risk of encountering the damn virus. They aren't out there now, but some level of virus is going to be with us for a long time ...

It's easy to do. You've almost certainly received a letter addressed to "RESIDENT."

There are more instructions than you'll probably need. The government goes in for paper.

The questions mostly seem innocuous: how many persons live in your home, who are they, do you "own" (pay a mortgage) or rent.

EP took offense when asked her sex. "What -- no place for 'sprite'?!" The census doesn't know diddly-squat about the variations within sexes and among genders.

We let it rip in the race/ethnicity section after declaring ourselves "White"; I'm "English, Irish, and French Hugenot"; she's "Ashkenazi Jewish, Ukrainian, and English." Wonder how, or even if, they compile this stuff.

Since the federal government is proving itself something of a hostile entity these days, it is slightly anxious-making to offer them information, even for folks like us. But we all have to do it for the sake of community solidarity ... we get by with a little help from our friends.