{"id":5065,"date":"2021-04-28T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-28T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/?p=5065"},"modified":"2021-04-27T17:08:59","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T00:08:59","slug":"reflections-on-the-cruelest-month-as-it-comes-to-an-end","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/2021\/04\/28\/reflections-on-the-cruelest-month-as-it-comes-to-an-end\/","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on \u201cthe Cruelest Month\u201d as it Comes to an End"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.0&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;19px||23px|||&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243; global_module=&#8221;2637&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/GPB-Bank-Local-Banner.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;GPB-Bank-Local-Banner&#8221; url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.goldenpacificbank.com\/&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.1&#8243; min_height=&#8221;114px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;17px||2px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.1&#8243;][et_pb_post_title title=&#8221;off&#8221; author=&#8221;off&#8221; categories=&#8221;off&#8221; comments=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_image=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.2&#8243; meta_font=&#8221;|700|on||||||&#8221; meta_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; meta_text_color=&#8221;#ff0000&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_post_title meta=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_image=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_font=&#8221;Georgia|700||on|||||&#8221; title_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; title_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; title_font_size=&#8221;40px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px||false|false&#8221; title_font_size_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; title_font_size_phone=&#8221;31px&#8221; title_font_size_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; header_2_font=&#8221;Georgia|300|||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;21px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-5px||0px||false|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">\u201cThough April showers have come our way\/Our tax returns are now due in May\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.3&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.3&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Author&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.1&#8243; header_4_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_6_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_6_font_size=&#8221;13px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||2px|||&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h6>By Ed Goldman<\/h6>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.0&#8243; module_alignment_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; module_alignment_phone=&#8221;&#8221; module_alignment_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.1&#8243;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span class='et-dropcap'>A<\/span>s this month wends its way to a conclusion\u2014or, if it\u2019s been an especially bad one for you, grinds its way to a concussion\u2014I\u2019m reminded that in his best known work, \u201cThe Waste Land,\u201d American poet T.S. Eliot wrote, \u201cApril is the cruelest month.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve long suspected it was because the IRS told him that dropping the 133-pound Oxford English Dictionary on his foot didn&#8217;t qualify as both a medical deduction and continuing-education expense.[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/To-Sir-Mitt-Love.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Edgy Cartoon&#8221; title_text=&#8221;To-Sir-Mitt-Love&#8221; show_in_lightbox=&#8221;on&#8221; align=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; width=&#8221;64%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;66%&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; max_width=&#8221;67%&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; border_width_all=&#8221;1px&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset3&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-16px||||false|false&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>To Sir, Mitt Love<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]Tax time can be cruel or nervous making for many of us. But doesn\u2019t it seem like years since you\u2019ve seen late-night TV newscasts showing cars lined up at the U.S. Post Office moments before midnight on April 15? So many people E-file or get automatic extensions these days that the collective stress many of us used to feel can now be spread out over a period of months. And, of course, the federal government has generously allowed us to not send in our hard-earned money this year until May 17 (suggested new campaign slogan: \u201cRemember: IRS Rhymes with &#8216;Why, Largesse!&#8217;\u201d).   <\/p>\n<p>Of course, if you\u2019re a last-minute filer you\u2019re likely to still be one no matter how many extensions you\u2019re granted. (\u201cIt\u2019s only December 15, 2024?! Have these people no mercy?!\u201d) For some reason, this reminds me of when I started working at home fulltime in 1984 and thought I\u2019d now never get to the office late.  But I hadn\u2019t taken into account the fact that gridlock can occur just as easily in one\u2019s bedroom or kitchen as on the freeway. In short, procrastination can take many forms (even W-2s).  [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=&#8221;Adsense Horizontal&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.0&#8243; width=&#8221;90%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; max_width=&#8221;90%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|0px||0px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||0px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; global_module=&#8221;1433&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;]<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- gs_horizontal_new --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     style=&#8221;display:block&#8221;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-client=&#8221;ca-pub-8489921453224987&#8243;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-slot=&#8221;5069548950&#8243;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-format=&#8221;auto&#8221;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-full-width-responsive=&#8221;true&#8221;><\/ins><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><\/script>[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Because of taxes, April\u2019s always been kind of a bum-rap month. But some pretty interesting things have happened in this \u201ccruelest month.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, in 1513, Ponce de Leon discovered Florida and sometime later, alligator logos appeared on golf shirts. Historians are divided on whether\u00a0hideous\u00a0golf attire was invented before the game itself.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>The first Pony Express rider kick-started his horse, bound for Sacramento, in April of 1860. But the service, riders and horses were stabled forever 18 months later, when Wells Fargo, which owned the Pony Express, decided it wasn\u2019t profitable enough. Even so, it had lasted longer than some Hollywood marriages (as do many of these columns). And Wells did manage to rebound a mere 155 years later when regulators fined it for habitually creating fake customer accounts.<\/p>\n<p>The first catcher&#8217;s mask was used in a baseball game in April of 1877 and to commemorate the occasion, Willard Romney was given the middle name of Mitt, which, through repeated usage, became his given name. \u2014Okay, that might have happened a bit later. I&#8217;m checking on it.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code admin_label=&#8221;Bebe Banner &#8211; Seasonal&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#eeeeee&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;10px|10px|10px|10px|true|true&#8221; global_module=&#8221;5061&#8243;]<a href=\"https:\/\/www.anrdoezrs.net\/click-8194613-14498132\"><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lduhtrp.net\/image-8194613-14498132\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" alt=\"\" border=\"0\"\/><\/a>[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_text module_class=&#8221;endingG&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>In April of 1964, when I was 13-and-a-half years old, the Beatles held the first five places on the U.S. singles chart. The songs were \u201cPlease Please Me,\u201d \u201cI Want to Hold Your Hand,\u201d \u201cShe Loves You,\u201d \u201cTwist and Shout\u201d and \u201cCan\u2019t Buy Me Love.\u201d If you rearrange the order of those, you can construct a pretty suggestive haiku. But no matter how clever your creation, I\u2019d advise against your having stood and recited it during Easter Mass or Passover Seder this month. April Fools humor simply has no place in a house of worship or your Aunt Sonya\u2019s eat-in kitchen.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, as we\u2019re learning, April this month promised to be much brighter than April of 2020. Vaccines are working, businesses are reopening and the world is experiencing a surge of something more powerful than any pandemic: hope. I hope your month was filled with sunlight and PG-rated haikus.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.3.2&#8243; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto||0px|false|false&#8221; module_alignment_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; module_alignment_phone=&#8221;&#8221; module_alignment_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; border_color_top=&#8221;#E02B20&#8243; global_module=&#8221;1122&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.0.6&#8243;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;About Ed&#8221; module_class=&#8221;AuthorBioBox&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.7.7&#8243; text_font=&#8221;Georgia||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#444&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#eeeeee&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;10px||10px||true|false&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/about-ed\/\">Ed Goldman&#8217;s<\/a> column appears almost every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A former daily columnist for the Sacramento Business Journal, as well as monthly columnist for Sacramento Magazine and Comstock\u2019s Business Magazine, he\u2019s the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3jUELxM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">author<\/a> of five books, two plays and one musical (so far).<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(173,135,0,0.11)&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px||32px|||&#8221; top_divider_color=&#8221;#b08a0f&#8221; top_divider_height=&#8221;56px&#8221; top_divider_flip=&#8221;vertical&#8221; bottom_divider_color=&#8221;#b08a0f&#8221; bottom_divider_height=&#8221;50px&#8221; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.goldenpacificbank.com\/&#8221; link_option_url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;6px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#02528f&#8221; border_style_all=&#8221;double&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset7&#8243; box_shadow_color=&#8221;#02528f&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;7px||19px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font=&#8221;PT Serif Caption|700|||||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#00518e&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;6vw&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;2px||9px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||2px|||&#8221; header_font_size_tablet=&#8221;8vw&#8221; header_font_size_phone=&#8221;10vw&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center;\">Yes, Virginia<\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;PT Sans Caption||||||||&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-7px||11px|||&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">A Weekly Blog by Virginia Varela<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;PT Sans Narrow|300|on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#b08a0f&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;15px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">President and CEO, Golden Pacific Bank<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;10px|||||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/virginia_varela_3.jpg&#8221; title_text=&#8221;virginia_varela_3&#8243; align=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.4&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;2px&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset3&#8243;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Caption&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.4&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-16px||||false|false&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>photo by Phoebe Verkouw<\/em><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.3&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<span class=\"et-dropcap3\">H<\/span>eroes work here!<\/p>\n<p>Golden Pacific Bank, like so many other businesses, faced significant challenges in the past 16 months or so amid the COVID 19 pandemic.  As losses increased, any of our small-business and individual customers experienced a decline in earnings.  Too many customers faced temporary shutdowns or worse, resulting from reduced business- and consumer-spending and other, ongoing uncertainties. <\/p>\n<p>Golden Pacific Bank tried to meet customers right at their level of need:  <\/p>\n<p>-We contacted them individually to discuss their needs and to create custom- tailored plans to assist their financial challenges as needed; and<br \/>\n-We increased our new commercial and industrial loan customers, and participated in the national PPP lending program.  <\/p>\n<p>Golden Pacific Bank was one of the first community banks in the nation to fund millions of dollars in PPP loans.<\/p>\n<p>Our staff remained incredibly loyal to their communities.  All of our bank branches stayed open; we had branch employees available for customer assistance all at all hours of operations.  Our branch staff wore gloves and masks and took other precautions, but we were absolutely there for our elderly, technically challenged, and remote customers.  <\/p>\n<p>We were one-hunded percent present for customers who needed a real smile on a real face in real time.  We not only retained customers during this difficult time: our new deposit and customer-accounts ballooned.<\/p>\n<p>About six months ago I ordered \u201cHEROES WORK HERE\u201d signs for each branch and personally delivered them to each branch manager.  I\u2019m so proud of our bank and our staff.  We continue to demonstrate that there is a role for caring in the communities we serve.  As a businesswoman and an experienced banker, I\u2019ll contend that during times of disaster, really caring and being responsive to customers with thoughtful new ways of providing service make good business sense.  Having heroes on staff and on hand really helps![\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;10px||0px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.6.6&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.37)&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-7px||9px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">sponsored content<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.9.2&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221;][et_pb_code admin_label=&#8221;Adsense Horizontal&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.5.0&#8243; width=&#8221;90%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221; max_width=&#8221;90%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|0px||0px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;|0px||0px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; global_module=&#8221;1433&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;]<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js\"><\/script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><!-- gs_horizontal_new --><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     style=&#8221;display:block&#8221;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-client=&#8221;ca-pub-8489921453224987&#8243;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-slot=&#8221;5069548950&#8243;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-ad-format=&#8221;auto&#8221;<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     data-full-width-responsive=&#8221;true&#8221;><\/ins><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><script><!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] -->     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<!-- [et_pb_line_break_holder] --><\/script>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n<span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As this month wends its way to a conclusion\u2014or, if it\u2019s been an especially bad one for you, winds its way to a concussion\u2014I\u2019m reminded that in his best known work, \u201cThe Waste Land,\u201d American poet T.S. Eliot wrote, \u201cApril is the cruelest month.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5052,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Reflections on \u201cthe Cruelest Month\u201d as it Comes to an End - The Goldman State by Ed Goldman<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/goldmanstate.com\/2021\/04\/28\/reflections-on-the-cruelest-month-as-it-comes-to-an-end\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Reflections on \u201cthe Cruelest Month\u201d as it Comes to an End - The Goldman State by Ed Goldman\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As this month wends its way to a conclusion\u2014or, if it\u2019s been an especially bad one for you, winds its way to a concussion\u2014I\u2019m reminded that in his best known work, \u201cThe Waste Land,\u201d American poet T.S. 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