No news is good news

Usually actively engaged in following news around the world, I hesitate, now, to do so. Too much bad news. Too much bad Trump news….

News blues…

• Trump still pushing hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19. 
• Trump reportedly never was invited by the Yankees to pitch the first game of the season. He lied. Rather, his aim was to grab the limelight from Dr Anthony Fauci who was invited – and who pitched. 
• Trump finds Twitter’s trending “very unfair” and, he claims, “illegal, too. They look for anything they can find, make it as bad as possible, and blow it up, trying to make it trend,” the president laments. 
• On and on he goes…clowning his way through a pandemic, as the world’s people struggle along a path strewn with up to 10,000 children dying each month from hunger. Covid-19 side effects are pushing the world’s hungry communities over the edge. ... and Trump and his cronies have no coherent strategy against a pandemic. 

Trump grifts, you die! (1:00 min) Meidas Touch

Healthy futures anyone?

In this new segment, I find examples of areas of the world where and people are creating/living sustainably.
Today, Cuba.
The US embargo has kept Cuba frozen in time, its environment pristine, and its people independent and self-sufficient. A brief history:
On March 14, 1958, the United States imposed its first embargo on the sale of arms to Cuba, during the Fulgencio Batista regime.
On October 19, 1960 (almost two years after the Cuban Revolution had led to the deposition of the Batista regime) after Cuba nationalized American-owned Cuban oil refineries without compensation, the U.S. placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine.
On February 7, 1962 the embargo was extended to include almost all exports. The embargo did not prohibit the trade of food and humanitarian supplies.
On December 17, 2014 Presidents Barack Obama and Raúl Castro announced moves to reestablish diplomatic relations and to loosen travel and economic policies. Obama also announced a review of Cuba's status as a terrorist state and an intention to ask Congress to remove the embargo entirely.
On May 29, 2015, according to the U.S. State Department, "Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism was rescinded. Under the announced changes by the President, there will be an increased ability to transact with Cuban nationals and businesses, including Cuban financial institutions. Additionally, permitted U.S. banks would have been able to open accredited accounts in Cuban banks.
But, along came Donald Trump…
On November 8, 2017, barely a week after Trump was elected, he and his Administration enacted new rules to re-enforce the business and travel restrictions to go into effect on November 9, 2017.
(Read a Wikipedia version of US/Cuba relations and US embargo against Cuba .)
The last laugh? 

A new report published recently places Cuba at the top of developed countries in the world in terms of sustainability. The Sustainable Development Index measures each country’s CO2 emissions aligned with other parameters linked to human development like education and life expectancy. The most recent figures from 2015 reveal Cuba as the most sustainable country on the planet followed by Costa Rica and Sri Lanka.

While the tourist industry has hurt biodiversity in much of the Caribbean, Cuba's relative isolation has left its wildlife untouched. Now, Cuba is a safe haven for rare and intriguing indigenous animals, migrating birds and marine creatures. But as the prospect of the US trade embargo being lifted looms, a surge in tourism is predicted. What will happen to Cuba's ecological riches in the process?
Watch “Cuba: The Accidental Eden, The Jewel of the Caribbean” (PBS 53:02 mins)
Movie promo:

Cuba may have been restricted politically and economically for the past 50 years, but its borders have remained open to wildlife for which Cuba's undeveloped islands are an irresistible draw. While many islands in the Caribbean have poisoned or paved over their ecological riches on land and in the sea in pursuit of a growing tourist industry, Cuba's wild landscapes have remained virtually untouched, creating a safe haven for rare and intriguing indigenous animals, as well as for hundreds of species of migrating birds and marine creatures. Coral reefs have benefited, too. Independent research has shown that Cuba's corals are doing much better than others both in the Caribbean and around the world.

In real terms, Cuba, a sustainable ecosystem, is better off not having Americans traipsing all over the island, making American demands, and influencing that culture with American values. It better for Cuba’s natural environment, too.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I applied for absentee voting ballot today. What struck me as odd for a US consulate doing business in South Africa was the assumption that I could “drop off [my] sealed ballot at our office for mailing to the US”.
The consulate office is in Durban. I reside in the Midlands. That’s a trip of at least 90 minutes one way by car - and not feasible during Lockdown.
At least they know enough about how things work in South Africa not to assume that I could mail my hardcopy forms or my hardcopy ballot through the SA Postal Service.
For all intents and purposes there is no functioning SA Postal Service in this area.
The local post office teetered for several years (“no ink to print receipts,” “no stamps,” etc.). It shut down altogether about two years ago although it’s hard to say when it actually closed.
Residents were not informed about the closure.
If I wasn’t here with a laptop, an email address, and an Internet connection (albeit, inconsistent), my mother would be sunk.
No longer able to drive, nor walk any distance, she’d have no way to pay her monthly bills. Indeed, she’d not even know her monthly bills were stacking up – until her utilities and services – rates/property tax, water, power, etc. – were turned off.

So, what’s the next step for absentee voting?
Who knows?
Who knows if there’ll even be an election?
We the People know that Trump and his allies are doing their best to prevent eligible Americans from voting.
All the more reason to insist upon my right to vote!

Thinking future

Time warp. Long seconds of disorientation this morning during which I lost track of whether it was morning or evening.
Four months of Lockdown will do that.

News blues…

On the day I emailed the US Consulate in KZN for directions on how to vote absentee, I discovered Michele Obama has launched a national voter registration effort.

Obama said, “We’ve only got 100 days left [before the election on November 3] and we’ve got to direct every ounce of energy we have into making sure everyone understands the importance of their voice and their vote.”
This election “could not be more important for the future of our country….” 

If you’re American living in America and not yet registered, register to vote now.

Healthy futures anyone?

Introducing a new segment on this blog: Healthy futures anyone reviews areas of the world where and people are creating sustainable lives and/or living sustainably.
Yes, many are out-of-the-way places, off the beaten track. But that doesn’t nullify their success.
First up, Nakhchivan, on the Transcaucasian plateau between Armenia, Iran and Turkey.

Nakhchivan has adopted a strict no-pesticide, all-organic food policy. This health-conscious land-to-table ethos ensures that the Balbas breed of sheep you’re eating come from Nakhchivani farms; the fish from Nakhchivani lakes; the wild dill, aniseed terragon and sweet basil from Nakhchivani foothills; the produce from Nakhchivani orchards and even the salt from underground Nakhchivani caves. 

Learn more about Nakhchivan.

Then there’s South Georgia. A far-flung British territory in the South Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Antarctica offering glaciated peaks, billowing tundra grasses, and millions of happy penguins.

The Lincoln Project
An interview with co-founder Ric Wilson on the huge walk away from GOP that Trump may not survive (10:00 mins)

Trump has been in office for exactly 1,282 days. During that time, he has:
• Ignored a pandemic while 140,000 Americans died from COVID-19. Then he said "we've done a great job"
• Fawned over Putin as Russia paid the Taliban cash for killing American soldiers in Afghanistan
• Utilized a mercenary secret police to go into U.S. cities and attack peaceful protestors
• Lied over 20,000 times — over 15 a day — and has played golf at least 280 times
• Begged at least three different countries to cheat in our elections
• Cozied up to ruthless dictators — saying Kim Jong Un is a friend — while isolating our friends
• Watched helplessly as our economy has gone into a depression that has left 40 million Americans out of work.

Ready to sign up for four more years – 1,460 days – of Donald J Trump and his ilk?
If not, register to vote now. .. and vote on November 3.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Covid-19 has traction among South Africans. KwaZulu Natal has 14.4 percent of the total – 64,061 cases – and creeping up on the Eastern Cape with 73,585 infections.
The good news in this household? I might have stumbled upon a plan for my mother’s ongoing safety, health, and welfare that will conclude with me returning to California, my family, and my houseboat - albeit only in several more months.
To celebrate the forward momentum, I’ve begun efforts toward prepping for the sale of this house.
Having a plan helps orient.
I’m prepared for the plan not to work out, but at least there is a plan….

Day of rest

The global coronavirus infection rate passes 16 million. The US rate passes 4 million. South Africa heads toward half a million.
Overwhelming.

News blues…

As he presented his adjusted budget to parliament on Friday, Police minister Bheki Cele said gender-based violence (GBV), political killings and farm murders were some of the most stubborn crimes plaguing [South Africa].

… “There are far too many women killed in South Africa, many by people known to them. The accelerating scourge of GBV is affecting everyone, both young and old. We should all agree this is a societal challenge that needs all of us to deal with it decisively. It cannot be police alone,” said Bheki Cele.
Speaking about the impact of Covid-19 on the police service, Cele said 10,077 officers had been infected with the virus, and more than 95 officers had died. "When the whole world pressed the reset button, policing continued. When world economies collapsed, policing continued. When businesses closed down, policing continued. When everyone was locked down in their homes, policing continued. When news of police officers who were arrested for wrongdoing made headlines, policing continued. When statistics of the Covid-19 infections skyrocketed to alarming figures, policing continued.

Not to dampen Police minister Bheki Cele’s support for his police force, but what sort of policing continued?
This is not a rhetorical question.
Last week, two clerks at the veterinary clinic recognized me as the author of an article in the local weekly, “Village Talk.” (Justice, South African Style )
Both clerks thanked me profusely for sharing my experience on local policing efforts. One said, “Many share similar experiences of police doing nothing, but few write about it. We expect little from the police and that’s what we get.”
I felt disoriented by the experience of 1) being recognized in a small town where I know few people, 2) supported in my point of view and, 3) pleased by both.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I take heart in the wonderfully sunny winter days in the Midlands. Very different to cold, wet, dark winters in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Despite the morning frost and ice, gardening under these conditions is a pleasure.
Nevertheless, a welcome sign that spring is on its way:
Last month, June 26, the sun rose at 6:52 am and set at 5:08 pm
Today, July 26, the sun rose at 6:45 am and set at 5:23 pm.
Harbinger of spring.

Considerations…

Week 18 of Lockdown begins…. How much longer will this go on?
Predictions are not my forte, but circumstances are such that I predict I’ll still be posting daily blog entries at Week 28.
That is, unless “something” happens to me….

News blues…

During his recent public address, President Ramaphosa announced that all public schools would "take a break" for the next four weeks from 27 July until 24 August. Grade 12 pupils and teachers would only take a week-long break and return on 1 August, and Grade 7 pupils would take a two-week break and return on 10 August. The academic year would be extended beyond 2020 and the details would be communicated in due course….
South Africa-style democracy ensued: tails wagging the dog?
South Africa’s Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga welcomes 'school break'… and calls on communities not to vandalise schools

Motshekga said, "Once again we appeal to members of the public to protect schools during the break to prevent theft and damage that was caused when schools were closed to the Covid-19. It remains one of our biggest concerns when schools are targeted. The burglaries and theft of food supplies and other expensive items defeat our efforts to provide mainly for the poor and vulnerable learners who are always the hardest hit."

The Western Cape government was considering its legal options to oppose the closure of schools….
Premier Alan Winde, speaking during a Friday "digicon" on the province's special adjustments budget, said, "The Western Cape … opposed the closing of schools."

"In my own experience, being on the ground specifically in highly vulnerable, high density areas where our hotspots were showing the numbers, I am convinced it's safer at schools than not."
The national school nutrition programme would also continue operating during the break. Winde called this "interesting", saying schools would still "actually stay open" to run these programmes which is "critical, specifically right now… So many months into this pandemic, with the real slowdown in the economy, food security is a massive issue. It links directly with our ability to get food efficiently to hotspot areas where starvation is a big thing among our young people and scholars."

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) says the decision by the government to close schools is “regrettable and unjustifiable”.

“The decision means that by August 24 2020 over 10 million South African children, depending on the grade they are in, will have lost over 50 percent or 100 scheduled school days as a result of Covid-19 school closures.”

The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) said it was pleased that Ramaphosa had responded “partially positively” to calls for schools to close.
The union, however, said the announcement lacked logic or an attempt to convince society with scientific statements.

“The president does not cite the work of epidemiologists who understand when we are reaching the peak of the pandemic, and what that means for decisions to close public schools and not private schools. The president acknowledges that there are differences of opinions without taking the country into his confidence.” 

The Educators Union of SA (Eusa) said while it welcomed the decision to close schools, it said the plan on how schools would reopen lacked “scientific reasoning”.

“We maintain our call that all schools should close until it is safe to reopen. It is sad that we come to this victory [closure of schools] when teachers and learners have already died from the virus and thousands have got infected while at work,” the union said.
The union said the issue of private schools not closing exposed inequalities within the education system.

The Governing Body Foundation noted the announcement with “reservation”.

“We appreciate that the minister consulted widely with stakeholders … to assist her in preparing a report for the president and cabinet.”
“Pressure has been exerted by the teacher unions, supported by some civil society groupings, to close schools for the reasons they advanced, and they have prevailed.
“However, the Governing Body Foundation, along with other stakeholders such as the South African Council for Human Rights, education and economic researchers, and medical and scientific organisations, believed that children in South Africa would be better served if schools remained open, provided they could do so safely.”

Gauteng education department head Edward Mosuwe said at the Gauteng Provincial Command Council briefing "… while we take a break we are going to provide nutrition for learners who qualify for school nutrition programme. … since the re-phasing in of grades we started with 183 000 of the 600 000 that were qualifying for nutrition".
However, on average, the programme covers 1.1 million pupils daily.
The programme has been extended to cover all pupils not back at school yet, in line with a court order. "Learners who are not back yet at school have been asked to bring their own containers from home, own face mask and wear their school uniform to be easily recognisable".

In the US, the resurgence of infections and the faltering economy has ignited debate about how to proceed with the new school year. Republicans favor opening schools so that parents can return to work, stimulate the economy, and benefit Trump’s dwindling re-election prospects. As in all things Trump, chaos reigns:

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Thursday that the state will delay in-person learning through at least Labor Day as cases break records in the state.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said his state will introduce a plan to reopen schools Tuesday. "Our kids need to be in school because kids not only academically are suffering, emotionally, mental health. ... working families need for their children to be in school so they can continue to work. There's a lot of reasons why schools can be and should be open. So long as we do that in a way that protects teachers and protects students at the same time we believe we can do," Lee said.

New guidance from the CDC is strongly in favor of sending students back to the classroom, saying that available evidence shows that coronavirus does not possess as great a risk to children. With the services and instruction offered in school, the CDC guidance said virtual learning can be a disadvantage to American students. "It can lead to severe learning loss, and the need for in-person instruction is particularly important for students with heightened behavioral needs," the CDC statement said.

***

The Lincoln Project: Maxwell  (0:55 mins)
Brief levity: rap-style song, Cognitively there (1:44

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Warmed by the winter sun, I find sitting in the garden and watching monkeys cavort allows moments of peace and serenity amid turmoil.
I’m experiencing increasing physical stress – aching jaw from clenching while asleep, tension aches in my neck, shoulders, and back muscles – brought on by security concerns: compromises with my own physical safety and breeches of security from internal actors that my mother refuses to acknowledge.
Staying busy is essential.
The comfort of ritual.
This being my first winter in the Midlands – 3,400 ft elevation – I’ve no experience with precipitous temperature drops overnight.
Since many plants, including indigenous, succumbed to the unexpectedly severe frost in June, I’ve protected young succulents by covering them every evening – and uncovering them every morning.
A handful of small succulents – and all vegetable seedlings - thrive on this treatment.
Larger plants must fend for themselves.
Indigenous plants tells a story.
Consider the aloe, how it freezes.

Aloe  garden - May 2020 - large aloe to the right
Click to enlarge 

Early July after overnight freezing
Click to enlarge

July 22, 2020
Click to enlarge

\

“Cognitively there!”

(c) The Late Show
Click to enlarge. 

Five words that prove the president of the United States is “cognitively there”: person, woman, man, camera, TV.  (2:40 mins)

News blues...

President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, addressed the nation, shared facts and figures regarding economic costs of the pandemic on the country, and promised to tighten the consequences of corruption.

US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brilliantly addresses foul comments directed at her by Rep. Ted Yoho on the steps of the US Congress.
In 9:35 succinct minutes Ocasio-Cortez clearly speaks on behalf of all women who’ve been accosted by powerful men with attitudes of impunity.
Yoho ain’t gonna easily squirm out of this! 

News anchor/presenter Ari Melber on the history of Trump promotion of Law and Order as a political strategy – and echoes Richard Nixon’s strategy. (10:00 mins)

***

Coronavirus is decimating safari tourism – an industry worth almost $30 billion a year and employs almost four million people. This is also leading to an increase in poaching.

Experts and rangers on the ground say they are seeing a surge in poaching as thousands of unemployed people dependent on the industry turn to wild animals for food. They also fear an upsurge in more organised poaching of endangered species.

Overall, South Africa’s tourism sector may have already lost an estimated R54.2 billion in output in just three months as Covid-19 travel and leisure restrictions batter the industry.

Furthermore… the sector now faces a potential 75 percent revenue reduction in 2020, putting a further R149.7 billion in output, 438 000 jobs and R80.2 billion in foreign receipts at risk.

***

Going bats?
A global research consortium, including the Max Planck Institute, stated:

For the first time, the raw genetic material that codes for bats’ unique adaptations and superpowers such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to survive and tolerate deadly diseases, to resist ageing and cancer has been fully revealed, and published.”
Read “Groundbreaking study adds insights into why bats are flying laboratories that advance medical understanding.” 

***

Let’s hear it for science, public health, and vaccines!

For most of human history billions of children died from infectious diseases. Recurring epidemics of influenza, measles, cholera, diphtheria, the bubonic plague, and smallpox killed large parts of the adult population, too. The Black Death killed half of Europe’s population in just a few years. Today, infectious diseases are the cause of fewer than 1-in-6 deaths.

Read “Our history is a battle against the microbes: we lost terribly before science, public health, and vaccines allowed us to protect ourselves.” 

***

Remember those five words that prove you're "cognitively there"?
Sarah Cooper: How to person woman man camera tv… (1:25 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Click to enlarge.

Dump fire!
Pietermaritzburg firefighters battled to contain the inferno at the New England Road landfill site as arsonists kept lighting new fires around the dump. …

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a fireman said their solution of dumping sand on the fire and then water was set aside by city officials who visited the site on Tuesday.
“We are the experts when it comes to fire-fighting. We had a quick solution of dumping the heaps of sand, already at the site, over the fire and then dousing it with water, but we were told they [city officials] would make decisions about how the fire would be put out because they are in charge and we must just do what they say,” said the disgruntled fireman.
The initial fire, they said, would have been contained within a few hours had their advice been taken. “Now it’s going to take us at least a week or more to put out. Putting it out with water is going to do nothing.
“We honestly feel that this landfill site and the fires are part of something bigger. Unfortunately we are the pawns in this game as we have to risk our lives going out there all the time,” said the fireman.
Another fireman said being at the site was like “being in hell”. 

A petition is circulation force the closure of the Msunduzi Municipality New England Road landfill site.

***

The power struggle at this house is about worsen.
I worked with the security team to thwart my mother’s domestic worker’s refusal to disclose the whereabouts of her son. (Background) The security team picked him up soon after his mother handed him his latest allotment of her cash.
He was served with the court order, officially explained how he can defend himself, and alerted about implications of further harassment. He signed the document.
However, both domestic workers have side-stepped complyig with filling out this household’s coronavirus tracing document. Everyone here, including me, agreed to document 1) all trips off the property and 2) all contacts with whom we interacted while in public.
So far, neither worker has recorded outside contacts.
I'll formally ask them - again - to comply.
The pressure ratchets up if neither mentions contact with the son.
My 87-year-old mother is my priority. Her fragile health will not withstand a Covid-19 infection.

Be careful out there!

July 22 – 15,240,000 worldwide confirmed infections; 623,660 deaths
     July 16 – 13,558,000 worldwide: confirmed infections; 585,000 deaths
July 22 - US: 3,971,000 confirmed infections; 143,200 deaths
     July 16 - US: 3,500.000 confirmed infections; 138,000 deaths
July 22 - SA: 395,000 confirmed infections; 5,940 deaths
     July 16 - SA: 311,050 confirmed infections; 4,460 deaths

Numbers from April 9, 2020.
Click to enlarge.

Numbers in pictures: April 9 compared to July 22
South African news reports 572 new COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours, 400 of which occurred in the Eastern Cape.

The bad news: the number of confirmed cases jumped by more than 13,000.
The better news: the recovery rate has improved 58 percent. This means almost 230,000 people have already recovered.

Numbers from July 22, 2020.
Click to enlarge.

Tracking coronavirus global spread 

California hit a single-day record for new COVID cases. San Francisco Bay Area counties are doing better than the rest of the state, especially compared to Southern California counties.

***

Now for a break from "the horror, the horror": 
The Lincoln Project: Failure  (2:13 mins)
A summary of Trump’s response to coronavirus over the past five months.
Trump sums it up: “That’s the way it is”.
Randy Rainbow is pro-Anthony Fauci (so am I!): GEE, ANTHONY FAUCI! - A Randy Rainbow Song Parody (3:53 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

© Photo: JOSH EDELSON/
AFP Via Getty Images
Click to enlarge.

Fire season!
A recent post described fire season in KZN and in California.
Today, the Hog Fire announces California fire season is roaring back.

A massive pyrocumulonimbus cloud, or fire cloud, formed over the Hog Fire in far northeastern California Monday, generating its own weather with a wild mix of thunderstorms, rain, and fire whirls….
Thunderstorms passing over the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range kicked up high winds that fanned flames in the late afternoon and spread the blaze in remote Lassen County. The intense heat in the vigorous updraft created a foreboding weather cloud of smoke and ash, reaching 30,000 to 35,000 feet (10,000 to 12,000 meters) in height.

***

Since police in this area are, well, hopeless, this post is in the spirit of spreading the word so that, in the horrible event that I’m attacked by my mother’s domestic worker’s drunk-of-a-ne’er-do-well son security personnel know where to look for a culprit. (Background)
And aother wrinkle in an ongoing saga.
The upper security gate has been used in the past by the domestic worker to allow her son onto the property after the alarm was armed for the night.
I’d discovered this two years ago after returning to SA for a visit.
I heard a buzz from the alarm panel located in my bedroom. At first, jet lagged, I paid little attention. After several nights hearing the same sound, I investigated.
I checked the security cam replay and found footage of the domestic worker responding to her son’s after-hours call through the intercom. In the footage, the domestic worker, dressed for bed, appears on the monitor, unlocks the padlock, opens the gate with the remote-control opener, ushers him inside, then re-arms the alarm and re-locks the padlock on the gate.

I showed my mother the footage.
Her first reaction was to flinch … then she shrugged.
The message she conveyed? So, what’s your point?
Six months before I’d arrived for that visit, my mother had caved when her domestic worker begged permission for her son had to live on the property. Despite his conviction and 5-year prison sentence served for rape, his lack of employment, his history of alcohol abuse, my mother had allowed the 40-year-old to move into his mother’s living space.

Back then, I copied the footage from the security cam and saved it on my laptop. I also changed the security on the gate so that the domestic worker could no longer open it.
Since she lies to my face, I said nothing directly to her: sometimes actions speak louder than words.

Fast forward to yesterday, July 22 – approximately two-and-a-half weeks after the incident wherein the ne’er do well – evicted – son threatened to kill, rape, etc., me.
While the domestic worker uses a leaf blower to clean my mother’s front verandah, I’ve never seen her use it to clean the area between the garage’s folding door and the upper security gate.
Suspicious, I checked the padlock on the upper security gate.
It was unlocked.
The key to that padlock is one on a set everyone in the household uses.
I removed the key from the set, switched padlocks, and held both keys to the new padlock.
Today, I reviewed yesterday’s security cam footage.
At 11:37 am, the domestic worker leaf blows in the vicinity of the gate and padlock – quickly unlocks the padlock, then finishes leaf blowing.
A copy of that footage now resides on a thumb drive and on my laptop.
Creepy.

My mother – a receptacle for denial of reality for much of her 87 years – refuses to believe the evidence of her own eyes.
Me? I don’t feel heard – or safe.

Oh, no!

Internet connection down for 24 hours. Again.
The toughest part of disconnection from that lifeline?
Ironically, lack of human connection.
One can catch up on the news – much of which focuses on coronavirus infection rates. But disconnected Internet makes me feel cut off from other humans.
Dr. Steven Gundry addresses this feeling in his video unfortunately titled
“TRUTH ABOUT CORONAVIRUS  (10:00 mins).”
Why unfortunately titled?
With truth under fire, and “truthiness” ascendant, the title sounds suspiciously like another conspiracy theory.
It’s not.
Dr. Gundry’s brief overview of coronavirus ends on a thought-provoking question: what will be the long-term effects of social distancing on highly social humans?

News blues…

The Donald’s plummeting poll numbers convinced him to resume press briefings. This,

… after discontinuing them in April and declaring them a waste of time. Trump is expected to hold the briefings a few times a week, but not on a daily basis like he was earlier this year.
There remains an internal split over whether it's wise for Trump to take the stage and discuss the virus in a high-profile setting like a White House news conference.
Some aides have reminded others how hard they fought to convince Trump to end the briefings in April when he suggested sunlight and ingesting disinfectants could help cure coronavirus.

Trump’s legendary inability to follow a simple script promises a wild ride.
Should We, the People, be scared stiff at the prospect of further Trump ramblings at the podium? Or should we bring out the popcorn and watch the show unfold?
Think I’m exaggerating? Watch this clip.
Are you ready to put your life and the lives of your family and friends in this guy’s hands?

***

After months of mask-denial, Trump is now a fan of masks, has always been a fan of masks, and, as he sees fit, will remove the mask he carries in his pocket and put it on – at least for a photo op! 

***

Prophylactic advice - reprise
According to a new study,  if people washed their hands regularly, wore masks, and kept their social distance from each other, [people] … could stop most all of the Covid-19 pandemic, even without a vaccine or additional treatments.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Blast from the past….
I’ve lived in California since I was a young adult which means I never run into someone I knew as a child or teenager. This lends poignancy, when I’m in South Africa, to running into people I knew in my “salad days”.
This week I heard from two people I’d known from our days as passengers on one of two yellow school buses that transported rural students to high schools in Pietermaritzburg, an hour-long trip of about 20 miles each way.
The “English bus” and the “Afrikaans bus” followed the same route but seldom crossed path. When they did, male passengers gleefully opened windows, gesticulated, jeered, and hurled derogatory names at one another.
It was – mostly – youthful boredom stimulating such behavior although a fraught history between these cultures added a certain je ne sais quoi. Drivers of both buses were, however, Afrikaans and our driver was offended by English boys’ antics.
One fateful day, boys on our bus dropped a stink bomb.
As passengers fought over access to windows, the irate driver cursed loudly – then parked the bus in front of the village police station. He demanded we close all windows, threated police arrest of anyone daring to open a window, then exited the bus.
Arms folded, exaggerating the luxury of breathing fresh air, he guarded the closed door and smirked as he watched us gag.
After the stink dissipated, he boarded the bus and continued the journey.
Decades later, the humorless side of my human nature that craves vengeance admires that bus driver’s quick-thinking.
The side of my nature that craves justice and compassion is appalled at how quickly adults can victimize children.