Serving the turkey

© The New York Times 

No overt concession by the Trumpster, but concession is implicit. 

The White House on Monday stopped the blockade on cooperating with President-elect Joe Biden’s transition. 
“President Trump’s government on Monday authorized President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to begin a formal transition process after Michigan certified Mr. Biden as its winner, a strong sign that the president’s last-ditch bid to overturn the results of the election was coming to an end,” The New York Times reported. “Mr. Trump did not concede, and vowed to persist with efforts to change the vote, which have so far proved fruitless.” 

Irony triumphs. Remember when Trump mocked Carrots the Pardoned Turkey for refusing to concede White House after the last election?  

News blues…

With Trump heading to the exit, fighting the pandemic can begin in earnest.  

***

When will South Africans get the Covid vaccine?  (8:14 mins)

***

Not directly related to Covid-19, but fascinating: New Genetics Research: Migration made African immunity stronger  (5:22 mins)

***

Now This: Right to stand up  (4:49 mins)

As mentioned before, The Lincoln Project was founded by a group of Republican political strategists specifically to defeat Trump and Trumpism. This project, unique in American history, chose humor, satire, and historical references to raise awareness about and to fight back against Trump and his Republican enablers. I am not a Republican, but I’ve shared The Lincoln Project content and ads in my pandemic posts. Along with appreciating the Project’s aim and goals, I’ve enjoyed their work – and learned a lot more about what makes the co-founder tick. The Lincoln Project has (lightly) softened my view about Republicanism. Enjoy the latest salvos:
Remove Republic from Republican  (1:00 mins)
Mourning in the Republican Party  (0:55 mins)

"It's a Republic, if you can keep it…
The framers of our Constitution designed a system of checks and balances with three coequal branches of government, empowered to reign in the most reactionary and radical ebbs and flows of popular opinion, and to secure the fundamental, inalienable rights of all Americans.
The survival of our Republic as it was conceived is dependent on each branch of government remaining disciplined and independent of one another, and remaining loyal only to the Constitution and the American people—not to a party, nor, especially, to one man.
The U.S. Senate, the upper chamber of the legislative branch, was once touted as “the world’s greatest deliberative body.” And throughout our history, there have certainly been times that were true.
But the current Republican Senate majority’s loyalty to the American people and the Constitution has been replaced by absolutist partisanship, a zero-sum, no holds barred political calculus, and allegiance to a party led by a deranged, unhinged, immoral narcissist.
This allegiance to power and partisanship over the needs and interests of the American people, and the illiberal, nativist populism Trump espouses, is Trumpism.
But, while Donald Trump will leave the White House in a matter of weeks, Trumpism has proven to be a persistent, pernicious force that will not so easily be removed.
Donald Trump brought our nation to the precipice of calamity—a cliff we are only beginning to slowly inch back from—and he did so with support, guidance, and counsel from sycophants who encouraged and enabled his worst ideas and instincts.
We must hold accountable those in power who, at the very least, did nothing to prevent Donald Trump’s desecration of our nation's highest office and revered institutions.
We now know the names of those who cannot be counted on to hold truth to power, put country over party, and defend the Republic.
All of them."

Healthy planet, anyone?

The UN’s World Meteorological Organization reports:

Climate-heating gases have reached record levels in the atmosphere despite the global lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
There is estimated to have been a cut in emissions of between 4.2% and 7.5% in 2020 due to the shutdown of travel and other activities. But the WMO said this was a “tiny blip” in the continuous buildup of greenhouse gases in the air caused by human activities, and less than the natural variation seen year to year.

***

The underwater farm on an Irish island  (3:17 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The security system is still enabled when neighborhood monkeys arrive in our garden. Yelling through my bedroom window does not discourage them. I wonder if, perhaps, they look forward to the resident crazy lady’s morning greeting?
Hats off to British musician Paul Barton playing the piano to hundreds of hungry monkeys in Thailand .

Vaccine on the horizon

(c) Rico

I was tempted to title today’s post, “Is he gone yet?”… and focus – again – on the Trumpster and his ongoing temper tantrums about the Losers who made him a Loser by losing an election.
In the US, this period is called “lame duck,” but as Naysan Rafati, of International Crisis Group, puts it, “This is less a lame-duck period and more of an adrenaline-infused mallard.” 
Indeed, Trump will do a lot of damage to the American cultural psyche and, likely, to domestic and international relations on his way out, but he IS on his way out. 

It's time for him to move on - and for me to change the subject, too. Goodbye, already! 

News blues…

Dr Fauci on Pfizer’s 90 percent effective Covid-19 vaccine: Yes, there are challenges ahead, including convincing the public to continue (start?) to implement ongoing public health aspects to protect oneself (wear masks, socially distance, sanitize) but the vaccine looks very promising….  (3:53 mins) 

***

At the same time, “Don’t Get Too Excited About the Coronavirus Vaccine. It’s unmitigated good news. But it would be a tragic mistake to relax our vigilance right away.”  

***

State hospitals in South Africa’s Nelson Mandela Bay ran out of intensive care beds on Monday 9 November as coronavirus infections in the Eastern Cape’s biggest metro edged closer to 5,000. The district manager for the Department of Health in the metro, Dalene de Vos, said there were 4,546 confirmed cases of coronavirus infections in the metro — an increase of 692 over the weekend. 

On the other hand, the U.S. has surpassed 1 million new confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of November - 100,000-plus cases a day for 10 days!

Healthy futures, anyone?

Could listening to the deep sea help save it? 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I’m suffering pandemic fatigue. Yesterday was as bad as its been for me over these 230 days. I hit a wall. Constant rainfall – same today – added to my morose state. On such days, it is particularly important that I “change the channel” – focus on something nourishing. Instead of staring at my belly button and feeling hard-done-by, I edited my blog that shares my ceramic sculptures. Take a look…  And, yes, thank you, I do feel better. It’s still raining, but I’m more motivated and more centered. I guess it doesn't take much to get me going...

Reality check

Day after day I read the news and become more agitated at the goings on, in the world and, particularly, in the United States. US media ratchets up the anxiety, as do polls, the president, and Congress. I’m reaching the point at which it becomes … mentally destabilizing… to focus on US news for news.

News blues…

The underlying assumption of Donald Trump’s many proclamations about Covid-19: life will immediately return to normal after a vaccine is administered.
Wrong. Again.
Here’s How the Pandemic Finally Ends : A vaccine by early 2021, a steady decline in cases by next fall and back to normal in a few years — 11 top experts look into the future.

“It will take two things to bring this virus under control: hygienic measures and a vaccine. And you can’t have one without the other,” says Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
… Producing and distributing a vaccine will take months, with the average American not receiving their dose (or doses) until at least mid- or late 2021. And while widespread inoculation will play a large role in bringing life back to normal, getting the shot will not be your cue to take off your mask and run free into a crowded bar. The end of the pandemic will be an evolution, not a revolution, the vaccine just another powerful tool in that process.
… Experts’ estimates of the timeline vary, but there seems to be some agreement that the virus could be in decline and under control by the second half of 2021, and that society could see pre-Covid “normal” within two years.

Buckle up – and don’t forget to wear your mask!

***

Daily Maverick webinar: Eskom’s Survival is South Africa’s Survival. Hosted by Sasha Planting with Sikonathi Mantshantsha and Doug Kuni.

Healthy futures, anyone?

The wealthiest one percent of the world’s population are responsible for the emission of more than twice as much carbon dioxide as the poorer half of the world from 1990 to 2015.

Carbon dioxide emissions rose by 60% over the 25-year period, but the increase in emissions from the richest 1% was three times greater than the increase in emissions from the poorest half.
A report, compiled by Oxfam and the Stockholm Environment Institute, warned that rampant overconsumption and the rich world’s addiction to high-carbon transport are exhausting the world’s “carbon budget”.
Such a concentration of carbon emissions in the hands of the rich means that despite taking the world to the brink of climate catastrophe, through burning fossil fuels, we have still failed to improve the lives of billions, said Tim Gore, head of policy, advocacy and research at Oxfam International.
“The global carbon budget has been squandered to expand the consumption of the already rich, rather than to improve humanity,” he told the Guardian. “A finite amount of carbon can be added to the atmosphere if we want to avoid the worst impacts of the climate crisis. We need to ensure that carbon is used for the best.”
The richest 10% of the global population, comprising about 630 million people, were responsible for about 52% of global emissions over the 25-year period, the study showed.

The biggest surprise?
Globally, the richest 10 percent are those with incomes above about $35,000 (£27,000 / ZAR600,000) a year. The richest 1 percent are people earning more than about $100,000 (£78,000 / ZAR1,711,600) a year.
This requires a shift in understanding, particularly if one assumes an annual a salary of $35,000 barely provides a sustainable lifestyle in California’s San Francisco Bay Area. There, an annual salary of $35,000 disallows rental of even a small apartment,, and certainly disallows saving enough money to make a down payment on a home. (The median home value of single-family homes and condos in San Francisco is $1,416,879, with a down payment of 20 percent, that is, more than $280,000.)

***

A note about political ads shared below: US political campaigns spend millions of dollars each year on political ads, and many more millions during presidential elections. This year, for the first time in my memory, Republicans are running political ads against Republican incumbents, particularly against the incumbent Republican president. The ads are diverse, hard hitting, and unprecedented. I share them to express surprise at the anomaly and at creativity. Enjoy!
The Lincoln Project: The Choice  (0:55 mins)
Meidas Touch:
Lying Lindsey  (0:58 mins)
Vote Or Die: You Are Not Nobody  (0:25 mins)
Really American: Trump Destroys Democracy (0:35 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

My mother’s relocation to the Care Center is complete (sort of) and her – and Jessica, The Dog’s - settling in proceeds. My mother’s sole focus is Jessica’s happiness – and she appears to believe that my sole focus should be Jessica’s happiness, too. Accordingly, I regularly drive to the Center with freshly cooked giblets for Jessica, Beeno biscuits for Jessica, a non-slip mat for Jessica. (This, to secure the recycled crate upon which Jessica accesses my mother’s bed. Jessica’s first try on the crate resulted in the crate slipping on the tile floor and Jessica tumbling. So far, she’s refused to approach the crate for another try.)
After cancelling my visit today - I’m feeling unwell - and hired someone to deliver Jessica’s freshly cooked giblets.
In theory, my mother agrees that Jessica “must” transition to eating canned dog food. But she reports that Jessica “doesn’t want” to eat it – and frets that Jessica will starve.
I insist that Jessica transition to that more practical diet - whether she “wants to” or not – and advise mixing small amounts of canned food into Jessica’s high-end giblets meals.
“But,” my mother moans, “She doesn’t like it.”
“Your job as leader of the pack,” I urge my mother, “is to demonstrate to The Dog how to adjust to change.” 

Each day allows one to re-evaluate reality. Not an easy task. 

Rain dance

© Associated Press
Click to enlarge

California’s winter rains usually end in March or April and begin again in October or November – although these days that varies. This year, that schedule is catastrophic. 

With more than 14,000 firefighters battling hundreds of fires around California and more than 2 million acres already burned, let’s dance, pray, beg for rain.

News blues…

After a typically dry summer, California is parched heading into fall and what normally is the most dangerous time for wildfires. Two of the three largest fires in state history are burning in the San Francisco Bay Area [population more than 7 million].
A three-day heat wave brought triple-digit temperatures to much of the state during Labor Day weekend. But right behind it was a weather system with dry winds that could fan fires. The state’s largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, was preparing to cut power to 158,000 customers in 21 counties in the northern half of the state to reduce the possibility its lines and other equipment could spark new fires.
Randy Moore, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Region that covers California, announced campgrounds at all national forests in the state also were closed. “The wildfire situation throughout California is dangerous and must be taken seriously. Existing fires are displaying extreme fire behavior, new fire starts are likely, weather conditions are worsening, and we simply do not have enough resources to fully fight and contain every fire.”
Record-breaking temperatures were driving the highest power use of the year, and transmission losses because of wildfires have cut into supplies. Throughout the holiday weekend, the California Independent System Operator that manages the state’s power grid warned of outages if residents didn’t reduce their electricity usage. 

*** 

With scores of pharma companies working on a vaccine against Covid-19,  spokesperson for AstraZeneca, the company working with a team from Oxford University, explained the trial has been stopped to review the “potentially unexplained illness” in one of the participants.

The spokesman stressed that the adverse reaction was only recorded in a single participant and said pausing trials was common during vaccine development.
“As part of the ongoing randomised, controlled global trials of the Oxford coronavirus vaccine, our standard review process was triggered and we voluntarily paused vaccination to allow review of safety data by an independent committee.”
“This is a routine action which has to happen whenever there is a potentially unexplained illness in one of the trials, while it is investigated, ensuring we maintain the integrity of the trials. In large trials illnesses will happen by chance but must be independently reviewed to check this carefully. “We are working to expedite the review of the single event to minimise any potential impact on the trial timeline. We are committed to the safety of our participants and the highest standards of conduct in our trials.”
The vaccine had been expected to be publicly available as early as January.

On the other hand,

Pfizer and BioNTech are confident they can have a vaccine against the novel coronavirus ready for regulatory approval by the middle of October or early November, [said] BioNTech CEO and co-founder Ugur Sahin. "It has an excellent profile and I consider this vaccine ... near perfect, and which has a near perfect profile."
US drug giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech say they plan to provide 100 million doses of their vaccine candidate, BNT162, by the end of the year, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. How are vaccines tested? 

In the pre-clinical stage of testing, researchers give the vaccine to animals to see if it triggers an immune response. 

• In phase 1 of clinical testing, the vaccine is given to a small group of people to determine whether it is safe and to learn more about the immune response it provokes.
• In phase 2, the vaccine is given to hundreds of people so scientists can learn more about its safety and correct dosage.
• In phase 3, the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm its safety – including rare side effects – and effectiveness. These trials involve a control group which is given a placebo.

Take aways?
Excessive heat. Excessive fire danger. Excessive death and illness. Who knows what will happen next?
One thing for sure: we’re living in unprecedented times. But we’re doing it. We will survive. (Let’s hear it, Gloria Gaynor.  (3:12 mins)

***

The Lincoln Project: Fallen Heroes  (2:00 mins)
Radicalize  (0:55 mins)
Trump is not like you  (2:15 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Hard day in the house, sad day, too. Three dogs down. Yes, three elderly, incontinent dogs but my mom loves ‘em. Now they’re elderly, incontinent doggie angels in doggie heaven. Happy sad? 

The move is moving along. This time next week, my mom will start another phase of her life. She’ll adjust and, I believe, even enjoy the company once she settles in.
And I’m saying a   L O N G  goodbye to the plants I’ve nurtured in the garden lo, these many months.