More of the same

News blues…

Like elsewhere in the world, South Africa’s Covid infections are surging: more than 3,370 new cases in the past 24 hours. Numbers are “concerning,” says Health Minister Zweli Mkhize. 

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Black Friday, indeed: ‘Terrified’ retail workers face brutal Black Friday choice: Risk catching COVID-19 from ‘entitled Karens’ or get fired.

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Whackjobbery is baaaack! The recent surge in whackjobbery (see definition) submerged during the swampy election, but it’s back – and as whacky as ever. Even diehard whackjobs are confusing their ideologies as QAnoners fight the “MAGAverse” and all threaten to boycott, well, something or someone.
It’s funny, in a macabre way - as long as adherents leave their guns home - but it's a challenge to keep the factions straight.
Mike Rothschild, writer and researcher on conspiracy theories working on a book about QAnon, offers a primer:

“At its core, Q mythology is a theory that Trump is the sole savior from a cabal of Satan-worshipping, pedophiliac Washington elites…
It's really hard to put aside that worldview, even for just a couple months, to get behind a conventional election.
When you've been spending years thinking all elections are rigged, the deep state controls everything, nothing you do matters and the only way to stop it is for Donald Trump to win every state, be president for life and destroy his enemies — you're so caught up in believing this radically enormous thing, that you miss the very small thing right in front of you….” 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

The shebeen (unlicensed “bush pub”) across the road hosted a party last night. It began at 7pm or so – and continues… (currently 7am next morning). Music, singing, dancing, fighting, yelling… sounds like a hellava party. Our security alarm sounded at 2:44am last night. A check of the property revealed no incursions. 

***

Zebra suit… Lockdown across South Africa, instituted mid-March, shut down my swimming routine at the pool in a gated community. Soon as the facility reopened in September, I started swimming again.
This gated community also currently houses my mother in the Care Center. It’s a high-end facility that my mother agreed would suit her needs. Alas, she’s changed her mind. Alas, I lost patience with her constant reversals and complaining – "not enough tea, hard veggies, old people" (she’s 87), etc. etc. Alas, when we selected her room, we agreed overlooking the parking lot was the option that allowed her regular views of wild animals – small groups of zebra, impala, and warthogs – and an intriguing assortment of bird life. This has proven true. So far, she’s not complaining about the view. But I am. Alas, the view includes the only entryway to the swimming pool This means our currently troubled relationship affects my swim routine: I hesitate to enter the pool in full view of my mother while not dropping by for a visit.
Friends to the rescue: one friend suggested that, when I head to the pool, I wear a zebra suit as a disguise!
Friends. I luv ‘em!

Mythical plans

News blues…

SA: My early morning Covid stats app declared more than 3,000 new infections across this country in the past 24 hours.
US: Even with 181,490 new cases on Wednesday, millions of Americans defied official advice not to travel or gather for Thanksgiving on Thursday. This is the third daily rise in a row, and hospitalisations hit 89,959 cases, a record for a 16th day in succession. 

***

Conspiracy theories frequently revolve around a coherent plan emanating from a central cabal coordinating lockstep coercion aimed at “taking over the world,” or the city, or the county, or the state, or the whatever….
Rudy Giuliani, Trump's lead lawyer in his “ongoing series of false claims about election fraud, laid out the whole shebang during a, um, sweaty press conference on Thursday” :

"This pattern repeats itself in a number of states, almost exactly the same pattern, which to any experienced investigator, prosecutor, would suggest that there was a plan from a centralized place to execute these various acts of voter fraud specifically focused on big cities and specifically focused on, as you would imagine, big cities controlled by Democrats. And particularly focused on big cities that have a long history of corruption."

The one big, glaring weakness in such theories?
Two or more humans together barely agree on what to eat for dinner, never mind adhere to a “plan from a centralized place.” (Think Soviet Union….) Despite an agreed-upon “platform,” Democrats barely control party apparatchiks – think AOC and “the squad”, Dianne Feinstein – never mind act coherently.
If a coordinated “centralized place” presented a coherent people-and-planet-friendly plan, I’d quickly join it. I’ve participated many so-called “political action” planning sessions and experience proves it is ludicrous to suggest groups of humans are capable of agreement, never mind successful coordination. It just doesn’t happen. We’re genetically incapable of agreeing upon and sticking to a long-term plan. That’s why we’re destroying our beautiful life-sustaining planet.

***

The Lincoln Project offers thanks:

While this year presented unique challenges for all of us, we still have so much to give thanks for.
We are thankful for unity — an unprecedented coalition of over 80 million Americans united behind Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to reject Donald Trump.
We are thankful for democracy — despite egregious and seditious attacks, we, the People, remain sovereign and in charge of our Republic.
We are thankful for honesty, integrity, and merit — as the Biden transition kicks into high gear, it is relieving and exciting to witness the restoration of moral, principled, and qualified leadership and expertise to the White House.
Above all, we are thankful for you. Your dedication and support for our mission is truly the only reason we are here.
You fought to protect our democracy.
You restored honor and decency to the White House.
You defeated Donald Trump.
Thank you, for being a watchdog for our country’s institutions, a gatekeeper for our nation’s highest offices, and a dedicated patriot.
Our work is not over—far from it.
We will keep up the fight against Trumpism as long as we have you standing with us.
We hope you have a safe, restful, and joyful Thanksgiving.
From co-founders: Reed Galen, Jennifer Horn, Mike Madrid, Steve Schmidt, Ron Steslow, Rick Wilson

Healthy planet, anyone?

Amazing gift that will keep on giving: New Zealanders Dick and Jillian Jardine, whose family have owned and worked the land for 98 years, have gifted 900 hectares of pristine land by the edge of Lake Wakatipu to the crown, saying it is “the right thing to do”.
The stretch of land at the foot of the Remarkables range will become open to everyone in 2022, after being handed over to the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust for “the benefit and enjoyment of all New Zealanders”. 

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Back in 2018, the US state of Utah’s Division of Wildlife Resources built a bridge over Interstate 80 to reduce traffic accidents in Parleys Canyon caused by wandering animals. Last week, the agency released a video of the bridge in use - aiding moose, porcupines, deer and even bears across the busy highway. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.
Thirty-six weeks of waiting….
Temperatures are dropping back in California, specifically where my semi-abandoned houseboat is docked. The outboard motor is exposed to the elements. It’ll crack if temps drop below zero – as forecast by weather people. I’ve reached out via text to request fellow mariners cover the motor with an old cloth or bag or towel or…. 

Fourteen thousands miles away and I rely on the “kindness of strangers…”

Lucky bird

“Oh, that’s a lucky, lucky bird….”
Donald J Trump was not referring to his expectation that he’ll avoid a future as jailbird for assorted tax and constitutional crimes. He was congratulating Corn and Cob, the turkeys he pardoned from become meals for Thanksgiving 2020.  (1:50 mins)
As comedian Steven Colbert noted, “An innocent turkey pardoned by a lame duck.” 

***

Note, below, the exponential increase in numbers of Covid infections and deaths…
Worldwide (Map) 
November 26 – 60,334,000 confirmed infections; 1,420,500 deaths
October 29 – 44,402,000 confirmed infections; 1,173,270 deaths
September 24 – 31,780,000 confirmed infections; 975,100 deaths

US (Map) 
November 26 – 12,771,000 confirmed infections; 262,145 deaths
October 29 – 8,856,000 confirmed infections; 227,675 deaths
September 24 – 6,935,000 confirmed infections; 201,880 deaths

SA (Tracker)  
November 26 – 775,510 confirmed infections; 21,2010 deaths
October 29 – 719,715 confirmed infections; 19,111 deaths
September 24 – 665,190 confirmed infections; 16,206 deaths 

News blues…

Hunger for Thanksgiving…  (2:20 mins)
Travel for Thanksgiving… 

***

More than 3,200 new infections in South Africa in 24 hours. 
Western Cape considers local restrictions to fight resurgent Covid-19 

 ***

What will The Lincoln Project do next? The group made a difference in the recent election as well as presented new ways of understanding Republicanism, what it means to be American, and demonstrated one way to push back against lies and deceit.
Their recent ad: The Lincoln Project Gives Thanks,  (1:43 mins).
Right back at ya, TLP: Thank you!

Healthy planet, anyone?

South African lizards pollinate 'hidden flower' in Drakensberg 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

My pall of despondency briefly lifted today when two realtors dropped by to take another look at my mother’s large property so as to revamp the online marketing description. The current description garnered not a single nibble from potential buyers. 

Californian’s hot real estate market ensures most properties receive multiple offers over the asking price and sell quickly. Here, one gets nary a sniff? 
Living in a double holding pattern – pandemic and waiting to sell – is a nightmare.
Additionally, I’ve spent almost a year here – six months more than planned – trying to establish a safer home for my frail mother. 

It's tough, when delivering yet more cooked giblet meals for The Dog, she greets me with a barrage of complaints: “I can’t stay here… I’ll die if I stay here … their vegetables aren’t cooked enough… they don’t give me enough tea … people here are old … I’m moving back to my house: you can live in the top section and I’ll live in the bottom section….” 

She was shocked when I said, “I don’t want to live in the top section. I have my own plans and my own place.” 

She's unfamiliar with someone, anyone - never mind her daughter - disagreeing with her ready-to-implement plan-of-the-day and refusing to fall in line.
Not only did I not fall in line, I suggested she make more of an effort to reach out to others instead of rebuffing efforts others make towards her, and that she stop complaining….
Oh boy!
The fur’s gonna fly!

Moving on

US President-elect Joe Biden is naming his cabinet and the country is moving on…. 

Now to roll out an actual, coherent plan  to address the pandemic across that nation and the world.

News blues…

Lockdown booze ban saved 21 lives a day: Shocking stats reveal how badly SA is impacted by alcohol abuse, with young men bearing the brunt.

A report on unnatural deaths in SA during the second alcohol ban shows the devastating effect that booze has on the country.
Researcher Kai Barron of the Berlin School of Economics, says the data showed “the five-week sales ban reduced the number of unnatural deaths in SA by 21 per day, which is substantial”...

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South Africa’s health ministry confirms 2,493 new cases in the past 24 hours from 20,288 tests — a positivity rate of 12.2%  

The ministry also confirmed 115 new Covid-19 related deaths, taking the national death toll to 21,083. Of the new deaths, 45 were in the Eastern Cape, 20 in the Free State, 19 in Gauteng, 16 in the Western Cape, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal, and five in the Northern Cape.
There have also been 716,444 recorded recoveries, at a recovery rate of 92.8%.
The figures are based on 5,325,631 total tests to date, of which 20,288 fell in the past 24-hour cycle.

***

US sets record for Covid-19 hospitalizations amid fall surge 

There are 88,080 people currently hospitalized with Covid-19, setting a record for hospitalizations amid a continuing fall surge, according to the Covid Tracking Project. This is the highest number of Covid-19 hospitalizations the nation has ever experienced since the pandemic hit the US.

Healthy planet, anyone?

Amazing creatures of our amazing planet: each arm of an octopus may have a mind of its own…. 

The common octopus, Octopus vulgaris, … has three hearts, and eight limbs with 200 suckers that can feel, taste and smell its surroundings. Scientists remain divided over whether it has one brain or nine. In mammals, most neurons are in the brain, but with octopuses, two-thirds are in their body and arms, enabling each arm to do complex tasks, such as opening jars to obtain food, apparently independently from the central brain.
After much experimenting with underwater mazes and other contraptions, scientists concluded that octopuses could solve various problems with one limb and then communicate the experience to other arms via the central brain.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I grew up in KwaZulu Natal’s rural Valley of a Thousand Hills, elevation 759m/2490ft. 

Elevation of my current home in the Midlands: 1032m/3386ft. 

That 273m/896ft difference means, among other natural wonders, cooler weather and smaller critters, including smaller snakes. Indeed, overall, there appear to be fewer snakes here than in the Valley of a Thousand Hills, home to large snakes, from non-venomous mole snakes to lethal black- and green mambas as well as rinkhals (spitting cobra), adders (puff and night), rock pythons, etc. During my childhood, I’d find snakes relaxing under or on a bed, in cupboards, on verandahs, on footpaths…. I recall finding a puff adder wrapped around cistern plumbing, three inches from my young, vulnerable spine, as I sat upon the toilet.
Until yesterday, in two years, I’d seen only three small snakes here. I spotted the fourth in the veggie garden while I rearranged potato plants uprooted by invading monkeys. Small, black, and whiplash fast, it burrowed into debris.
Like me, monkeys are terrified of snakes. As I child, I saw Jacko, our pet vervet monkey, faint at the sight of a rubber snake placed under his shelter.
Maybe the small, black snake in the potato plants can help dissuade neighborhood monkeys from regular and destructive incursions into the garden?
It has certainly dissuaded me …

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.  

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

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

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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 .

Early Santa

Covid-19 won't stop NORAD from tracking Santa's Christmas Eve flight around the world.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, responsible for protecting the skies over the US and Canada, says it will be ready to follow Santa on December 24 as he flies from the North Pole to visit children's houses all over the world.
This will be the Santa Tracker's 65th anniversary. It dates back to a typo in a 1955 Sears ad and an Air Force officer, who's now known as the "Santa Colonel."
NORAD was even able to keep the tradition going during the [Trump-inspired] 2018 government shutdown.

News blues…

Recently, G20 leaders – excluding Trump, who played golf instead – pledged online to “spare no effort” to ensure the fair distribution of coronavirus vaccines worldwide. They offered no specific new funding nor a roll out plan to meet that goal.
I offer no insights on funding, but I have a suggestion on distribution: Santa’s Christmas Eve flight around the world.
There may be more Santa skeptics in the world than there are Covid-19 skeptics in the US, but surely even a diehard skeptic wouldn’t argue when a clatter of reindeer hooves sounded on the roof and, from heaven, a frozen package of vaccine dropped through the chimney?
Rollout is an challenge. Temperature, for example, is key to maintaining vaccine efficacy:

[Covid-19] vaccines use a novel technology—strands of messenger RNA (mRNA), held within lipid particles—that is vulnerable to degradation at room temperature and requires doses to be frozen for transportation, then thawed for use.
…The Moderna vaccine may have an edge: Unlike Pfizer’s and BioNTech’s offering, it does not have to be stored at –70°C, but can tolerate a much warmer –20°C, which is standard for most hospital and pharmacy freezers. 

African countries have a disadvantage: hospitals and pharmacies are in short supply and many that exist likely lack freezers.

A challenge beyond distribution:

We are likely to need several Covid-19 vaccines to cover everyone and as a contingency, in case the virus mutates and “escapes” the ability of one vaccine to neutralise it, a real possibility in light of the discovery of an altered form of Sars-CoV-2 infecting European mink. But we also need better methods of diagnosing and treating the disease. The recent suspension of two major vaccine trials due to serious adverse events is a salutary reminder that there’s much still to learn and a pandemic, while no one would wish for one, provides scientists with a golden opportunity for learning.
Like most Covid-19 vaccine candidates, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are injected into the muscle, from where they enter the bloodstream and stimulate the production of antibodies to Sars-CoV-2 (specifically to the protein that forms the spikes covering its surface). But antibodies are only one component of the body’s adaptive immune response, which develops over time, in response to invasion by a virus or other pathogen. There is also innate immunity, which we are born with and that is mobilised instantly upon infection, but is not tailored to any specific pathogen.
“There are a lot of moving parts to this,” says immunopharmacologist Stephen Holgate, of the University of Southampton in the UK, who wonders why scientists have focused on so few of them.

I assume it is out of the question to suggest scientists and G20 leaders – minus Trump – meet online with Santa to work out the details?
[Note: I admit a tongue-in-cheek flavor. Given the current moment replete with “alternative facts,” conspiracy theories, and old fashion lies, let it be known: editorial comments are satire… born of frustration, pandemic fatigue, and loss of confidence in top down leadership.]

Healthy planet, anyone?

Photo essay: The tiny, magical world of pygmy seahorses, one of the most elusive fish on the planet. 
Note photo #10: “a new species of pygmy seahorse, Hippocampus nalu … spotted in Sodwana Bay, in north-eastern South Africa … the first pygmy seahorse to have been recorded anywhere in the Indian Ocean.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Yesterday, I dreaded visiting my mother at the Care Center. Her ongoing complaints debilitate, from not enough cups of tea, “cold” tea, too many “old people,” “hard” vegetables (she’s old school English and expects cooked vegetables the consistency and color of Pablum), “unhappy” dog, “nobody” walks The Dog, etc., etc.
I groaned as I filled out the Covid tracking documents before entering the facility,  and learned my mother's escalating her complaints. Nevertheless, carrying two containers of cooked giblets and one container of rice – for The Dog – and a bottle of my mother’s favorite wine, I squared my shoulders and cautiously entered her room.
She was asleep. 
I set the dog food in the ‘fridge, placed the wine on the floor near her bed… and skedaddled.

Oh, I do believe in merciful Santa….

Virus mass distribution

For a Trump official, US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s slip of the tongue  during a telephone interview was uncharacteristically honest: “We’re working on mass distribution of the virus.”
Likely his goal was spinning reality and saying, “mass distribution of a vaccine.” 

Shakespeare said it first: “the truth will out.” 

Will Trump say to Mnuchin what Trump's famous for? "You're fired!" 

News blues…

Another horrific milestone in a month full of devastating Covid-19 records in the country. November already accounts for almost a quarter of all Covid-19 cases and 9% of deaths.  The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 12 million Saturday - an increase of more than 1 million cases in less than a week. The number of US coronavirus cases surpassed 12 million Saturday -- an increase of more than 1 million cases in less than a week.
South Dakota is the state with highest rates of Covid in the country, replete with residents and a governor who refuse to pay attention to safety…   (4:11 mins) 

***

Hunger for Thanksgiving? Los Angeles California in dire straits ….  (2:50 mins)

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SA records 86 new Covid-19 deaths as cases climb to 765,409 

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President Cyril Ramaphosa has pleaded with G20 Leaders to ensure all countries have access to the COVID-19 vaccine once it is available, saying the global recovery needs to be inclusive.  
"An immediate task is to ensure that there is equitable and affordable access for all countries to the COVID-19 vaccine once it is developed.

***

Healthy planet, anyone?

Mission Blue  is a not-for-profit organization geared “to inspire action to explore and protect oceans and to unite a global coalition for an upwelling of public awareness, access and support for a worldwide network of marine protected areas termed Hope Spots.” 

Cape RADD (Research and Diver Development) became the newly-appointed Champions of the False Bay Hope Spot. Run by a small team of passionate marine biologists and conservationists, Cape RADD serves as a platform for researchers in the False Bay area of Cape Town, South Africa.
Cape RADD’s team of scientists aim to better understand the underwater world by using a variety of sampling techniques including transects, quadrats, remote underwater video and mark-recapture to monitor long-term changes to biodiversity in the area. They conduct a number of research projects including kelp forest grazer density and distribution, fish and shark population estimates, microplastic pollution, and more.   Learn more >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

I am rediscovering my groove after despondency, fear, anxiety dogged my last ten days. Somehow, resilience won out. I’m back in action.

***

Today, I bid farewell to the elderly concrete mixer that gifted me 5 bags full of compost. The last batch surprised: the raw material was damp after sitting in the mixer during two thunderstorms. Instead of producing drier, spreadable compost, it produced dozens of compost balls in a variety of sizes: ping pong ball, tennis ball, baseball, even a pair of semi-deflated-footballs. Not perfectly round, but off-center, the collection of balls resemble animal dung ranging in animals the size of cane rat to rhinoceros. Gardening. Gotta love it: never a dull moment.
My waders got a workout, too. Geared up - waders, gloves, sunhat with pert guinea fowl feather, and slathered in sunscreen - I entered the rain-swollen pond to weed out excess pond lilies and freshwater grasses. I recycled this vegetation by forming a new footpath through the far reaches of the garden.
The plum tree is prolific this year, with dozens of slowly ripening fruit. Naturally, this indicates dozens of future visits by the neighborhood’s monkey troop. Already the troop, numbering more than 50 fearless individuals, including this year’s crop of youngsters, enter the garden at will, pull up potatoes, root through zucchini plants, and enjoy mulberries and bird seed.
I predict too much monkey business….