Denial is a river in Egypt

Have We the People reached the point at which “real” reality begins to inform our day-to-day actions?
A range of powerful and complex emotions - such as desire, need to be right, greed, pride, revenge, need for status, shame, humiliation - exert a strong influence over humans’ ability to interpret facts.
The worsening coronavirus pandemic highlights the reality that:

… fact-based decision-making hasn’t made as much progress in society as it deserves because many decisions are overwhelmed by emotions. Our overall progress as a society, however, is predicated on our learning how to control emotions and make decisions based on “real” facts [as opposed to “alternative facts]. Add in other psychological dynamics such as ideology (which substitutes belief for facts), inertia (change requires significant energy), momentum (the desire to will obstacles out of our way), impulsiveness (wanting it now!) and stubbornness (no one will change my mind), and we can easily relegate facts to a far, obscure corner [of our minds].  

News blues…

The three Ws: Watch your distance; wash your hands; wear a mask. Informative updates on coronavirus from an European perspective.  (11:50 mins) 

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Canadian Premier's harsh holiday message, “If you don’t think Covid’s real, you’re an idiot!“ (3:33 mins)

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Powerful reality check by MSNBC’s Stephanie Rhule on her COVID-19 Diagnosis: I Did All the Right Things, But I Still Got the Virus  (6:20 mins)

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Donald Trump’s ever-widening reign of inhumanity continues. His finals acts in office include pardons for his crooked cronies (Mike Flynn, Roger Stone, Joe Arpaio, et al), decidedly questionable pardons among a long list and, now, an execution spree (“killed more death row prisoners than the U.S. government has done in the last five decades”) that are also super spreader events.

The decision by the U.S. government to move full steam ahead with federal executions in the face of a raging pandemic has attracted scant attention, despite the fact that it is dramatically out of step with state prison practices and opposed by a growing number of law enforcement officials and advocates for incarcerated individuals.
Since coronavirus lockdowns began in mid-March, executions by state governments have essentially come to a halt because of the health risks involved. Only two people on state death rows have been executed, Walter Barton in Missouri on May 19 and Billy Wardlow in Texas on July 8.
In contrast, the federal government has executed eight people, with five more people scheduled to die before President Donald Trump leaves office. Brandon Bernard is set to be executed on Dec. 10, Alfred Bourgeois on Dec. 11, Lisa Montgomery on Jan. 12, Cory Johnson on Jan. 14 and Dustin Higgs on Jan. 15.
Since it reinstated capital punishment at the federal level this summer, the Trump administration has killed more death row prisoners than the U.S. government has done in the last five decades combined. 

Donald Trump spectacular and brazen vindictiveness is so apparent that humans cannot directly cope. We appear, so far, stumped, opting for denial over evidence.
How much longer will We the People allow Trump, his cronies, and the Republicans that enable him to continue on this path?

Healthy planet, anyone?

A change of pace: celebrate our ancestors and an example of “what you do today matters tomorrow”: Astonishing rock paintings discovered in Colombia hold a lesson for today’s rainforest. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Spending more time in South Africa this year than I’ve done in the last 40 years has advantages. One advantage is an unfolding awareness of seasonal change.
These days, for example, neighborhood monkeys invade this garden – balancing precariously on overhead cable, scaling garden walls and fences, and squeezing through the security gate - before our security system disables at 5:30am. This means, instead of my usual monkey-deterrent behavior – running outside wielding a stick and yelling, “go home, monkeys! Scoot monkeys!”, I yell from behind the burglar guards. Hardly incentive for monkeys to abandon the chance to snack on green onions, tender zucchini, crunchy new potatoes….
Moreover, “go home monkeys”? 

This IS their home. They’ve as much right to snack on Earth’s bounty as I do, perhaps more since no grocery stores cater to their culinary needs.

"Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me"

As our world sags under an astonishingly contagious virus, Donald Trump continues to ignore reality, instead whining continually along the lines of, “Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me". (See below.)

News blues…

In the US state of Michigan, the forces for crazy upped the game over the weekend: “Supporters of President Donald Trump amped up their efforts to intimidate M
ichigan officials this weekend, gathering with firearms outside Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson’s home on Saturday to protest the battleground state’s election results…” 

In the US, the combination of crazy coupled with access to guns is a potent combination for violent wackiness.
The prez, it is worth repeating, does nothing, says nothing, and shows no intention of doing or saying anything, about the pandemic… other than tweeting that his clown-show lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has contracted Covid-19:  

Rudy infected with Covid
Perhaps not wearing a mask
and gulping air is partly to blame?
Iconic Rudy Giuliani

"Rudy Giuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!"

By the way, “Carry on” also refers to a long and successful string of comedic movies :

The stock-in-trade of Carry On humour was innuendo and the sending-up of British institutions and customs, such as the National Health Service (Nurse, Doctor, Again Doctor, Matron and the proposed Again Nurse), the monarchy (Henry), the Empire (Up the Khyber), the armed forces (Sergeant, England, Jack and the proposed Flying and Escaping), the police (Constable) and the trade unions (At Your Convenience) as well as camping (Camping), foreign holidays (Cruising, Abroad), beauty contests (Girls), caravan holidays (Behind), and the education system (Teacher) amongst others. Although the films were very often panned by critics, they mostly proved very popular with audiences.
In 2007, the pun "Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me", spoken by Kenneth Williams (playing Julius Caesar) in Carry on Cleo, was voted the funniest one-line joke in film history.

Healthy planet, anyone?

The pandemic will leave behind a very different world from that of a year ago. Thousands of people have died; entire industries have been brought to the brink; welfare states have been shaken. In the coming years, the major challenge facing all public leaders will be charting a path of recovery through the devastating human, social and economic marks that Covid-19 has left on our societies.
But rather than redoubling on the fragile world of the pre-pandemic age, we should be taking advantage of this moment to build one that is more just, balanced and sustainable.
Cities will play a key role in this process. Barcelona and its metropolitan area want to lead the response to one of the toughest situations that humanity has faced in modern times. Achieving this will mean tackling two interrelated challenges. We need to continue the fight against the climate crisis, spurred by the European Green Deal. And we will need to boost the post-Covid economy through green technologies, sustainable industry and transport. ...
Read “Cities can lead a green revolution after Covid. In Barcelona, we're showing how…” 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Reorienting the brain: strong memories from my childhood in the Valley of a Thousand Hills include hot summer days concluding with fierce afternoon thunderstorms. Perhaps the storms were more intense because we lived on the edge of a valley, what was referred to as “the highest point.” The standard signifier or this status was a black and white plaque – no words – affixed to a five-foot metal pole embedded in a bucket of concrete buried above the slope into the valley/escarpment.
Being caught in a storm, while riding horses, or swimming in dams, or exploring the veld was deeply thrilling and satisfying. Thunder, lightning, and drenching rain reminded me that I was part of an amazing world worth celebrating as the spirit moved me: running, singing, and dancing amid the wildness.
During yesterday’s thunderstorm – lighting flashing directly overhead and buckets more rain – I realized that living for decades in California has impeded me not at all of the need to celebrate our planet’s vitality.
My brain rejoices as it reorients and my voice, if not my body, follows: I sing my appreciation.

Day of rest

News blues…

Pandemic news is exhausting. A day of rest is in order – after a data-driven reality check. 

South Africa:
Confirmed Cases: 796 472
Confirmed Deaths: 21 289
Confirmed Recoveries: 716 444 

Source: Data courtesy of the Data Science for Social Impact Research Group at the University of Pretoria. Sourced from Department of Health Statements and NICD and Daily Maverick.

United States:

“I have federal agents that protect me. So they drive me to work, they stay here, they make sure that nobody tries to break in [to my home] and, as Steve Bannon would like, have someone behead me. I don’t socialise. It’s my wife and I and the federal agents." 
                                                        Dr Anthony Fauci 

                                                                                               
Source: Sources: State and county officials
Graphic: Jiachuan Wu / NBC News

Healthy planet, anyone?

Are Tides And Waves The Missing Piece Of The Green Energy Puzzle?  Solar and wind are energy powerhouses until the sky is dark or the air is still. An ancient source of energy — the tides — could soon offer a predictable alternative.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

While not recovered yet, I am recovering from 3 days of grim achiness. 

Another day of rest should perk me right up.

uyagula

Feel sick during this Covid pandemic and, naturally, one suspects the onset of Covid-19. Thursday evening my body began to ache – neck, back, hip joints, and a thumping headache. 

Friday morning, I reviewed the list of Covid symptoms. My temperature was normal, no sore throat, no fever, no chills, no fatigue, no dry cough. The only symptom was body ache. No Covid toes. Judging by the wonderful wafts of jasmine and yesterday, today, and tomorrow blossoms, my sense of smell wasn’t affected. I had not contracted i-coronavirus, but a simple case of uyagula (“ya-goola”/sick).

News blues…

Notoriously recalcitrant with facing Covid realities, people of the United States are facing lockdowns that other countries, South Africa, for example, implemented months ago.
Governor of my home state, California, Gavin Newsom, yesterday announced a Regional Stay Home Order, where all sectors other than retail and essential operations would be closed in regions of the State where less than 15 percent of ICU beds are available. 

Health Officers announced the San Francisco Bay Area will implement the Regional Stay Home Order earlier, stating that more aggressive action is necessary to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed. The new restrictions will go into effect in Alameda County on Monday, December 7, at 12:01 am and remain in place until January 4, 2021.
Under the Regional Stay Home Order, all private gatherings are prohibited and the following sectors must close:
• Indoor and outdoor playgrounds
• Indoor recreational facilities
• Hair salons and barbershops
• Personal care services
• Museums, zoos, and aquariums
• Movie theaters
• Wineries
• Bars, breweries, and distilleries
• Family entertainment centers
• Cardrooms and satellite wagering
• Limited services
• Live audience sports
• Amusement parks
The following sectors will have additional modifications in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing:
• Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Additionally, overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
• Retail: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Shopping centers: Allow indoor operation at 20% capacity with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
• Hotels and lodging: Allow to open for critical infrastructure support only.
• Restaurants: Allow only for take-out, pick-up, or delivery.
• Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
• Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only.
• Entertainment production including professional sports: Allow operation without live audiences. Additionally, testing protocol and “bubbles” are highly encouraged.
Finally, glimpses of sanity…

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The Lincoln Project: 

Don’t go back  (0:25 mins)
Pulpit  (0:25 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

This is the year Americans learned how a food system reliant on industrial agriculture, near monopolies and exploited laborers breaks down. Just two months into the pandemic, the meat industry in the most powerful nation in the world was buckling.
Big questions: Can this food system be fixed?
Can farmers create a food system that works with the earth, not against it?

For all the consumer-facing, shrink-wrapped elegance of the modern food system, the pandemic has exposed its fragility.
Alongside the public health crisis, poverty and food insecurity have skyrocketed this year. As of July, 29 million Americans said they “sometimes or often” did not have enough to eat.
At the same time, Americans were confronted with images and stories of farmers forced to dump milk, destroy crops, and euthanize their livestock as processing facilities and restaurants shut down. 

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It’s not just the food system. It’s all systems with profit-first motives.
The biggest petroleum corporation in the world, Exxon, faces $20 billion hit from 'epic failure' of a decade ago. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Today, I remain uyagula, but less achy, and slightly less headachy. Now I worry about what might happen if I contracted Covid. My travel health insurance ran out months ago and my US-based health insurance is valid only in the US. I’ve no backup health insurance. This would mean any serious ill health would require going into debt for private hospital care or, horrors, partaking of the free but notoriously poor government health system. (One is advised to bring one’s own sheets and blankets for a stint in state hospitals – and to carry them with you to the toilet. Leaving bedclothes on the bed, even briefly, runs the risk of returning to a bare bed, bedclothes stolen. 

Shaggy-dog story? 

Am I willing to risk it?