The beat goes on

Worldwide (Map) 
January 13, 2022 – 317,486,000 confirmed infections; 5,516,000 deaths
January 14, 2021 – 92,314,000 confirmed infections; 1,977,900 deaths
In last 28 days: 44,936,600 confirmed infections; 182,290 deaths
Total vaccinations dispensed to date: 9,546,3634,000
News from one year ago: Five countries doing well against Covid: New Zealand, Senegal, Iceland, Denmark, and Saudi Arabia. 

US (Map) 
January 13, 2022 – 63,232,340 confirmed infections; 844,650 deaths
January 14, 2021 – 23,071,100 confirmed infections; 384,635 deaths
In last 28 days: 12,809,100 confirmed infections; 40,417 deaths.
News from one year ago: “The death toll from Covid-19 has now passed 380,000 across the US".

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
January 13, 2022 – 3,540,900 confirmed infections; 92,830 deaths
January 14, 2021 – 1,278,305 confirmed infections; 35,140 deaths
In last 28 days: 309,860 confirmed infections; 2,604 deaths.
News from one year ago: “SA recorded 806 new Covid-19 related deaths in the past 24 hours, its highest ever single-day deaths so far.” 

News blues

In South Africa:

A Covid-19 vaccine trial in SA will assess the safety and impact of varying doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Pfizer shots as boosters for those infected with HIV and the wider population.
The study carried out by the Johannesburg-based Wits Reproductive Health and HIV Institute will recruit about 300 health workers, of which about a third will be HIV-positive, said Dr Lee Fairlie, head of child and maternal health at the institute.
With about 8.2-million people in SA, or 13% of the population, infected with HIV, the effectiveness, or immunogenicity, of Covid-19 vaccines in generating an immune system response in immunocompromised individuals has been a key concern. HIV causes Aids, which weakens the immune system.

Read more >> 

The beat goes on… that is, the beat of misinformation about vaccines’ adverse effects:

South Africa’s health department has again encouraged the public to report any adverse events after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine.
This comes after a video clip of a man who appears to have throat cancer was spread on social media, saying it was caused by a Covid-19 jab.
The video was shared by the leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Kenneth Meshoe, who said it occurred after the man received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center said some patients may suffer swelling or tenderness, including in the throat, after getting the Pfizer vaccine, but this usually goes away within 10 days.
It said such swelling is possible after any vaccine, as it could be a sign the body is making antibodies, as intended.
“It is also possible that this swelling will show up on imaging tests and could be mistaken for progression of certain cancers — primarily breast, head and neck, melanoma, and lymphoma. On imaging tests, the lymph node enlargement may be detected for a longer period.”

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The Lincoln Project:
NPR Trump (1:45 mins)
Under Watters’ Top 10  (1:40 mins)
Ernst Owning the Libs (0:21 mins)
Last Week in the Republican Party (2:20 mins)
Sad  (0:55 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Andy Thorn plays music outside… and a wild fox comes to listen  (1:39 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Coal King and Senator Joe Manchin is at what politicians call “an inflection point” … a time to “pivot”… As duly-elected Prez Biden and Congressional Democrats apply pressure for Manchin to support For the People Act – y’know, secure democratic voting rights - I got in on the act. I contacted Manchin and urged him to vote FOR the Act. You can contact him, too:

… contact Senator Manchin to share your concerns. If you have …insight or questions you can contact Senator Manchin’s West Virginia office at 304-342-5855 or Senator Manchin’s Washington, D.C. office at 202-224-3954. Or submit and online form. West Virginians with a 304 or 681 area code can contact Senator Manchin’s office through a toll-free number at 855-5737.

I also contacted Senator Kyrsten Sinema  and sent her an online message.
By the way, both senators offer a long list of topics on dropdown menus from which constituents select their topic of concern. Neither senator offers the option “vote” or “voting”. Kinda telling, no?

***

After European nations suspended most air travel from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in November 2021, EU member states have agreed to lift this air travel ban.
Now, to figure out what that might mean for a solitary traveler from California.

If it gets squirrelly, I can pull out a friend’s recent gift: an at-home Covid test. What do I mean by squirrelly? For example, obtaining test results take “up to 48 hours”. CDC states, “you will need to get a COVID-19 viral test (regardless of vaccination status or citizenship) no more than 1 day before you travel by air into the United States.” So, there’s a discrepancy in timing of test results and boarding a plane or arriving in another country. Example, a flight to/from South Africa takes at least 30 hours. I will take a test in a local facility and carry proof of that, but I’ve no control over when that facility emails my results; could be anywhere between 15 and 48 hours. Bureaucracy, being what it is, could deem my test results “old”/expired anywhere along the route. Then what?
Perhaps I can pull from my back pocket my friend’s test kit gift and perform the test at passport control?
Always good to have a backup plan to attempt to outwit stolid bureaucracy and bureaucrats.

***

In the meantime, I entertain myself by spying on local waterfowl on my daily walk.

Stilt.

Oyster catcher.

Golden eye amid reflections.

Standing at Point A looking eastward toward Point B.

Standing at Point B looking westward toward Point A.

***

Today, California sunset – 5:12pm - and SA sunrise – 5:12am - is synchronized: 

Bay Area, California:
Sunrise: 7:23am
Sunset: 5:12pm

No rain....   

Midlands, South Africa:
Sunrise: 5:12am
Sunset: 7:03pm
Still raining….