Supercharged

The Lincoln Project:
CPAC Day 3 in 2 minutes  (1:57 mins)
CPAC Day 2 in 83 seconds (1:25 mins)
Alike  (0:55 mins)
Wrong side  (0:27 mins)
Randy Rainbow: Thoughts and prayers (3:46 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Scientists have long known and warned that climate breakdown is supercharging infectious diseases, making them more frequent and dangerous. But the new paper quantifies the extent of that growing threat, concluding that a stunning 58% of all documented infectious diseases — 218 of the total 375 — have been aggravated in some way by one or more climate hazards associated with greenhouse gas emissions, including warming temperatures, drought, wildfires, sea-level rise and extreme precipitation.
[Camilo Mora, a climate scientist at UH Manoa and the paper’s lead author,] stressed that that estimate, as alarming as it is, is conservative. The findings exclusively draw on cases with evidence linking climate hazards to infectious disease, he said.
…
…researchers break down the ways one crisis has helped fuel another. Climate change has brought people and pathogens in closer proximity. Warming temperatures and precipitation changes have allowed for mosquitoes, ticks, birds and other disease vectors to expand their range, while human displacement and migration from sea-level rise and extreme weather has resulted in new contacts with dangerous pathogens…. Hotter land temperatures are driving a surge in mosquito-borne viruses like dengue fever, while warming oceans have been linked to major increases in vibriosis, bacterial infections caused by eating contaminated seafood or swimming in tainted water. Additionally, climate impacts have allowed for pathogens to more successfully reproduce and become more virulent, while simultaneously blunting our own ability to avoid and fight off disease.

Read “Climate Change Is Supercharging Most Infectious Diseases…”  >>

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Meso Mary is in the back-and-forth stage of post-surgery recovery. One day she feels as if she can cut down on her meds – specifically, oxycodone - she’s afraid of becoming addicted - next day she feels she’s already addicted as she’s unable to cut back. The docs tell her to relax, take the drugs, after all it’s only 3 weeks since her invasive surgery, no need to cut back so soon. She listens, takes their advice, and still tries to cut back, and explains, “I’m cutting back just a little bit, an hour here and there, not much.” Except an hour is much when one is discomforted by pain.
Isn’t it?
It’s easy to have an opinion. Much harder to maintain that opinion after one has been through the wringer of diagnosis, surgery, pain, recovery, pain, slow healing, pain….
Mary’s anxiety about addiction indicates the power of the media playing up the unprecedented numbers of Americans addicted to oxy. Yes, opioids are addictive. No, Mary is not a candidate for addiction. For one thing, addiction is unlikely if the drug is taken to address “real” pain. Apparently, it is after pain abates and the patient continues taking the pain killer that addiction arises.
Other than that, Mary appears to be - and insists that she's recovering well. She and I walk several times per day, talk, eat well, take naps as needed.
She’s on a trajectory to heal.

I'm on a trajectory to help her heal.  
Thank the gods.

Healing begins

Worldwide (Map)  

August 4, 2022 - 581,482,920 confirmed infections; 6,412,307 deaths
August 5, 2021 – 200,670,800 confirmed infections; 4,264,000 deaths
August 6, 2020 – 18,753,000 worldwide confirmed infections; 706,800 deaths

US (Map) 
August 4, 2022 - 91,961,550 confirmed infections; 1,032,820 deaths
August 5, 2021 – 35,392,700 confirmed infections; 615,150 deaths
August 6, 2020 – 4,824,000 confirmed infections; 158,250 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
August 4, 2022 - 4,004,555 confirmed infections; 101,982 deaths
August 5, 2021 – 2,497,655 confirmed infections; 73,875 deaths
August 6, 2020 – 529,900 confirmed infections; 9,298 deaths

Post from:
August 5, 2021: “Hyacinth as virus” 
August 6, 2020, “Reaching out” 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Wrong side  (0:27 mins)
Eric for Missouri (0:49 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party - August 3, 2022  (2:10 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Meso Mary is in the back-and-forth stage of post-surgery recovery. One day she feels as if she can cut down on her meds – specifically, oxycodone (she’s afraid of addiction), next day she feels she’s already addicted and unable to cut back. 

The docs tell her to relax, take the drugs, after all it’s only 3 weeks since her invasive surgery, no need to cut back so soon. She listens, takes their advice, and still tries to cut back. She explains, “I’m cutting back just a little bit, an hour, not much.” 

Except an hour is much when one is discomforted by pain.
This is the power of the media playing up the unprecedented numbers of Americans addicted to oxy. Yes, opioids are addictive.  No, Mary is not a candidate for addiction. For one thing, addiction is unlikely if the drug is taken to address “real” pain. Apparently, it is after pain abates and the patient continues to take the pain killer that addiction arises.
Other than that, Mary appears to be recovering well. She and I walk several times per day, eat well, take naps as needed.
I’m so relieved she’s on a trajectory to heal.

Alas, after this batch of healing ends, chemo begins.     

Let it rain...

News blues

Despite wildfires making their “own weather”, today, San Francisco Bay Area has a light sprinkling of rain. Are the two related? Who knows? In the meantime, let’s enjoy the sprinkles. Read more >> 

***

Every person and every case of covid is unique with no hard-and-fast rule for how sick a person will get or how long a person remains infectious. These guidelines offer a general framework, but patients should consider their different circumstances, priorities and resources to assess risk. 

***

The mesothelioma community is large, tight, caring, and constantly toiling away in the background. Once a diagnosis of mesothelioma is confirmed, the “meso community” gets involved with free materials, free advocacy, legal advice and support, free online seminars – and a library full of free publications, from recipe books to more techno-medico information on types of meso, meso care facilities, the latest on chemo and/or immunotherapy, etc. This community, one quickly discovers, is large, diverse, helpful, and “on the ball.”
As Mary’s primary at-home care giver, I get involved wherever I can to ensure Mary – and I – access whatever information we can to address her long-term needs. (More below.)

On war and culture war

Ukrainian war-art exhibition arrives in Brussels >> 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Weekend (0:37 mins)
The Boss  (1:47 mins)
Meidas Touch: Texas Paul EXPOSES how Trump is Exploiting Ex-Wife Ivana’s Death for Profit  (3:37 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Mary has been doing well with the meds. She is concerned (so am I) about the oxycodone. The dosage was 10mg immediately after surgery and dropped down to 5mg before she returned home. We maintained the 5mg dose every 4 to 5 hours until last night when we implemented 5mg every 6 hours. This is proving exhausting. That extra hour or so between dosage is, Mary reports (and I see) very challenging. Today, instead of up-an-at-‘em Mary, I see slow moving, short-of-breath, and pain scrunched Mary. 

She’s not her usual self, ready to take on the day. Rather, she’s staying in bed Mary, not hungry Mary, unwilling to engage in protracted conversations Mary. 

She’s also determined Mary. “I’ve gone this far with cutting back the dosage – and I've extended the time between dosages. Why would I stop doing that now? Pain is to be expected. I’ve had my left lung scraped and bruised, banged and bashed. That hurts. Drugs help, but not enough. Let me alone for now. I can manage.”
What can I do but keep an eye on her and let her manage her health her way?

But, oh, it hurts to see her hurt.    

Oh, no, Joe!

News blues

US President Joe Biden tested positive for Covid – again! This is “likely a “rebound” Covid-19 positivity that the doctor noted is ‘observed in a small percentage of patients treated with Paxlovid.’
Biden has experienced “no reemergence of symptoms, and continues to feel quite well” and will, as a result, not resume treatment >> 

***

On war and culture war

Photos that define the war on Ukraine >> 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Our President  (0:33 mins)
Texas power  (1:34 mins)
Midterm polls  (0:17 mins)
Working for America  (1:26 mins)
Editorial comment: Texas, about 1.8 times smaller than South Africa, shares one big thing in common: neither can supply reliable power to residents.
Trapped (0:57 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party - July 29, 2022  (2:09 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Photo to enjoy our world: "Rush hour in The Wartrail, Eastern Cape” [South Africa]
© Lewis Lynch

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Caretaking Meso Mary is both terrifying – I’ve no training in what to do or how to do it – and challenging – I’ve no training in what to do or how to do it. We muddle along. All the tubes that once penetrated Mary’s left lung have been removed. Now, I simply ensure the wound from the tube removal is clean and healing. And it is. I’d add photos here, but they’re gruesome, and not to everyone’s taste. We’ve joked about explaining her scars when next we go swimming. Today’s story is to the inquisitive that Mary was attacked by a sevengill shark. Not quite as sexy as being attacked by a Great White but more plausable since sevengills offer a better shot at survival than Great Whites. Moeover, sevengills are found in SF Bay, aggressive when provoked, and potentially dangerous to humans. According to the International Shark Attack File, sevengills have been responsible for five documented unprovoked attacks on humans since the 16th century.
Other than that, Mary walks a couple of times each day, is cutting back on her drug regime, naps when needed, and all in all is making a remarkable recovery.

***

Visiting my local Walgreens store for, say, toothpaste or Band-Aids is increasingly frustrating. This because these inexpensive goods are locked into transparent cases. I can see what I want but I cannot reach in and get it. Rather, I must find and ring the bell associated with the aisle then wait for the store attendant to come and unlock the case. Same thing for the next item I want. After two or three such frustrating shopping expeditions, waiting for the attendant for minutes on end, I told the attendants I’d not be returning to shop there. I walked out of the store, and I’ve not returned.
My experience is now a “thing” shared by thousands of others. Here’s why >> 
What a world!

Altogether now

Worldwide (Map) 
July 28, 2022 - 573,772,850 confirmed infections; 6,393,400 deaths
July 29, 2021 – 196,414,175 confirmed infections; 4,194,100 deaths
July 30, 2020 – 17,096,000 worldwide: confirmed infections; 668,590 deaths

US (Map) 
July 28, 2022 - 90,973,500 confirmed infections; 1,028,850 deaths
July 29, 2021 – 34,724,000 confirmed infections; 612,050 deaths
July 29, 2020 - 4,451,000 confirmed infections; 151,270 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
July 28, 2022 - 3,998,000 confirmed infections; 101,880 deaths
July 29, 2021 – 2,422,155 confirmed infections; 71,431 deaths
July 30, 2020 - 471,125 confirmed infections; 7,498 deaths

Post from:
July 29, 2021, “Turning tables” 
July 30, 2020, “Another Thursday”  

News blues

Two new studies provide more evidence that the coronavirus pandemic originated in a Wuhan, China market where live animals were sold – further bolstering the theory that the virus emerged in the wild rather than escaping from a Chinese lab.
The research… shows that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was likely the early epicenter of the scourge that has now killed nearly 6.4 million people around the world. Scientists conclude that the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, likely spilled from animals into people two separate times.

Read more >> 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Really, Lindsey?  (0:48 mins)
Danger zone  (0:36 mins)
Matt Gaetz’s Secret  (0:55 Mins)
This woman votes  (1:46 mins)
The many sounds of Don Jr  (1:10 mins)
Courage  (1:40 mins)
Josh Hawley is a bi*ch  (1:14 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party - July 26, 2022  (2:09 mins)

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

A friend is driving from Anchorage, Alaska, to Portland, Oregon – a 45-hour journey of close to 2,500 miles/3,916 kms. He’s doing it alone. His last transit through Canada required a delay of more than a day as the results of his Covid test had not reached the Canadians. (A cursory review of Covid test/vaccination requirements for transit through Canada is confusing. Travelers must be vaccinated but it’s not clear if recent test results or lack thereof would or would not delay one'sjourney.)
Yesterday, this same friend was riding his bicycle along a narrow path outside Anchorage. As usual, when rounding a corner, he rang his bike bell to alert anyone on the path of his approach. Instead of another cyclist or hiker on the path, he alerted a female brown or black bear and her two cubs. 
My friend quickly halted, turned his bike around, and skedaddled back the way he’d come. Luckily, mama bear and cubs were as surprised seeing him as he was seeing them. She responded slower than he did and, by the time she was ready to charge, he’d disappeared.
Anchorage’s bears are, however, taking it on the nose – just for being bears.
Anchorage’s city officials decided recently to move their homeless population from shelters in town into tents outside of town and in local parks.

[Recently, Anchorage] … closed its pandemic mass shelter, which had housed hundreds of homeless people throughout the last two years.
When the shelter closed, some people who are homeless moved to Centennial Park, grabbing the 84 available spots after the campground stopped taking reservations from the public.
Alaska wildlife officials have killed four black bears in a campground recently reserved for people in Anchorage who are homeless.
Employees from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game killed a sow and her two cubs and another adult bear… reportedly stealing food from inside tents at Centennial Park.

Read more >> 
I’m speechless. Incomprehensible that not a single city council person remembered that bears live in and around local parks.
The lack of foresight. The lack of care – for animals and people. The lack of humanity…. 

Frightful.

***

Meso Mary is back home and, as she says, “Glad to have some semblance of control over my life again. Now, with my hand on the bottle of oxycondone, I can figure out the pain relief dosage that works for me. I’d prefer not to use too much oxy – or too little. Being able to put aside the pharmacist’s directive (“1 every 6 hours as needed for pain”) for a dosage based upon my actual felt need is liberating. Turns out I’m taking less than prescribed yet managing my pain levels with aplomb.”
That Mary. Always a step ahead of the game.
Gotta love her….

***

Today, during our foray outside to ensure Mary both exercises and exposes her skin to sunshine, we discovered a local resident feeding the ground squirrels. Yes, indeed, many posted notices around the park request no one feed the wildlife. Yes, indeed, this local resident ignored the request and fed the wildlife.
Squirrels, crows, and pigeons enjoyed the handouts. 

Not a week, a lifetime!

News blues

I suspended posting for over a week to learn what I needed to learn to act as caregiver to my bestie, Mary.
A week ago, I accompanied a nervous Mary to the hospital, checked her in, hugged her “tot siens”, and left her in the very capable hands of the thoracic surgery team that would relieve her of an unknown quantity of pleural mesothelioma nodules accumulated in her chest and upon the lining of her left lung.
It's been a rough week, rougher for Mary, but she’s home now.

Before describing Mary’s surgical and post-surgical encounters – and my lesser encounters as care giver, let’s revert to the familiar: the pandemic. 

Or should I say, pandemics? 

Pandemic 1: Covid
An abbreviated set of Covid numbers
Worldwide (Map) 
July 23, 2022 – 569,461,510 confirmed infections; 6,383,200 deaths
July 14, 2022 - 558,366, 400 confirmed infections; 6,357,300 deaths

US (Map) 
July 23, 2022 – 90,390,200 confirmed infections; 1,026,950 deaths
July 14, 2022 – 88,967,000 confirmed infections; 1,022,000 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
July 23, 2022 – 3,998,000 confirmed infections; 101,980 deaths
July 14, 2022 - 3,998,000 confirmed infections; 101,880 deaths

Pandemic 2: Emergent monkey pox
Outbreaks of monkey pox in more than 70 countries is, the WHO declares, an “extraordinary” situation that now qualifies as a global emergency.

Declaring a global emergency means the monkeypox outbreak is an “extraordinary event” that could spill over into more countries and requires a coordinated global response. WHO previously declared emergencies for public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2014 West African Ebola outbreak, the Zika virus in Latin America in 2016 and the ongoing effort to eradicate polio.
The emergency declaration mostly serves as a plea to draw more global resources and attention to an outbreak. Past announcements had mixed impact, given that the U.N. health agency is largely powerless in getting countries to act.
Last month, WHO’s expert committee said the worldwide monkeypox outbreak did not yet amount to an international emergency, but the panel convened this week to reevaluate the situation.

Read more >> 

***

On war and culture war

"You couldn't make this up. Last night Russian state TV ran a report on the unexpected 'benefits' of having your son killed in Ukraine. You can buy a [cheap vehicle] Lada with the compensation given to you by the state!
Watch the report >> 

Moreover, Russia, after coming to an agreement with Ukraine on shipping grain from the port of Odesa, bombed the port – and thereby the agreement.

Russian missile strikes have hit the southern Ukrainian port of Odesa, just one day after Ukraine and Russia agreed on a deal that would allow the resumption of vital grain exports from the region.
Serhii Bratchuk, a spokesman for the Odessa military administration, said two missiles hit the infrastructure of the port and two were shot down by Ukraine’s air defense.
At least six explosions were heard in Odesa, according to Ukrainian member of parliament Oleksiy Goncharenko.
It comes one day after ministers from both Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement – brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in Istanbul – to allow grain exports from Ukrainian Black Sea ports aimed at easing the global food crisis sparked by war.

Read more >> 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Tucker Carlson’s Unofficial Presidential Speech  (1:12 mins)
Part of the plan  (1:10 mins)
Last week in the Republican Party - July 19 , 2022  (2:10 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Believe it or not! A four-year assessment by 82 leading scientists has found,

A market-based focus on short-term profits and economic growth means the wider benefits of nature have been ignored, which has led to bad decisions that have reduced people’s wellbeing and contributed to climate and nature crises, according to a UN report. To achieve sustainable development, qualitative approaches need to be incorporated into decision making.

Read “Humans need to value nature as well as profits to survive…” Focus on market has led to climate crises, with spiritual, cultural and emotional benefits of nature ignored >> 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

Mary’s harrowing journey with surgery becomes clearer each day as she adjusts to her new reality: pain, confinement, pain, physical limitation, pain, and pain killers. 

The journey will unfold as she becomes more comfortable and I’ll share her own words as we go forward. For now, the summarized version:
Surgery took about six hours. During that time, the surgical team removed an astonishingly large and well-formed series of malignant masses from her chest, lining of her left lung, her heart, her aorta.
Mary had asked the surgeon, previous to surgery, to take an informal photo of what he removes. This, as she, none of her friends and family, had a clue a to what pleural mesothelioma nodules look like.

Now we do.
It ain’t pretty. Indeed, it is astonishing.
“How on earth,” Mary asks, “Did I walk around with that much gunk around my lung and not know?
That’s the question.

Malignant epithelial mesothelioma nodules, exised.
July 15, 2022.

A close look at the photo shows well-formed, well-developed, well-entrenched malignancies. That “stuff” has been around for some decades.
How did it escape detection for so long?
More to the point, how much longer could it have gone undetected ifMary hadn’t heeded the advice of a doctor during a casual conversation?
Back then, Mary admitted experiencing pain in her hip. The doctor suggested x-rays. 

Mary poo-poohed that. “X-rays? For a sore hip? Seems too trivial.”
Thank the gods she took the doc’s advice.
Thank the gods she asked her primary doc’s advice on why she had a short, dry cough while doing certain yoga exercises.
Thank the gods, her primary doc ordered x-rays on her chest.
Here we are, six weeks later, with the gunk displayed here, displayed here. That is, it’s no longer squatting in her chest.

Thank the gods!  

eeek! More variants

Worldwide (Map) 
July 14, 2022 - 558,366, 400 confirmed infections; 6,357,300 deaths
July 15, 2021 – 1,888,565,400 confirmed infections; 4,061,275 deaths
July 16, 2020 – 13,558,000 worldwide: confirmed infections; 585,000 deaths

US (Map) 
July 14, 2022 – 88,967,000 confirmed infections; 1,022,000 deaths
July 15, 2021 – 33,952,000 confirmed infections; 608,120 deaths
July 16, 2020 - 3,500.000 confirmed infections; 138,000 deaths

SA (Coronavirus portal) 
July 14, 2022 - 3,998,000 confirmed infections; 101,900 deaths
July 15, 2021 – 2,236,800 confirmed infections; 65,595 deaths
July 16, 202o - 311,050 confirmed infections; 4,460 deaths

Posts from:
July 15, 2021, “Heavy heart” >>
July 16, 2020, “Doin’ the numbahs!” >>

News blues

Meet “Centaurus”, the latest coronavirus variant, aka BA.2.75, overtaking in speed of transmission, the extremely transmissible BA.5 variant.

“Centaurus” was first detected in India in early May. Cases in the UK have since risen steeply – and apparently faster than those of the BA.5 variant, also present in India, and is rapidly displacing the previously dominant BA.2 variant in many countries.
BA.2.75 has also since been detected in about 10 other countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Germany and Canada.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) designated it a “variant under monitoring” on 7 July, meaning there is some indication that it could be more transmissible or associated with more severe disease, but the evidence is weak or has not yet been assessed.

Read more >> 

Fulltime job these days to keep up with variants, subvariants, boosters….

***

On war and culture war

More Russian men look to avoid military service >> 

***

The Lincoln Project:
Rep. Jamie Raskin’s closing remarks  (2:30 mins)
Herschel Walker’s Green New Deal  (Good air, bad air? Say what? This man is the Republican Party’s nominee for US Senate, 2022. (0:46 mins)
Proud Boys  (0:55 mins)
The GOP’s Crazy Candidates  (2:24 mins)

Healthy planet, anyone?

Since humans in “leadership” positions insist climate change is a “hoax”  , or “fake news” , while they spread disinformation, geophysics continues “business as usual”. Just this week, for example, two glaciers displayed the stresses they faced before succumbing – and the growing dangers of continuing to ignore our planet's warming.

 
Read “Rising global temperatures are weakening glaciers in mountainous areas, where millions of people rely on these reservoirs as a source of water”, watch the videos, and believe your eyes....

***

Think climate change is “someone else’s fault”? Not so. It’s yours and mine, too. We’ve been ineffective in shutting out the caps-in-hand politicians who fully rely on corporate donations.
Read more about it.
Summary:

Corporations are facing increased scrutiny over their political spending—particularly when their stated values seem to contradict their lobbying efforts. A 2020 report by the Center for Political Accountability offers abundant examples, including corporations that have publicly demanded racial equality while contributing to groups and candidates that promote racial gerrymandering and corporations that purport to be concerned about climate change while donating to groups that challenge the EPA’s clean-power plan. In this groundbreaking article the authors argue that companies should halt political spending entirely to reduce the risk of blowback and enable executives to focus attention and resources on running their companies.
From the article:
…hypocrisy—has become endemic in the corporate world as a direct consequence of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. That ruling freed corporations to fund political candidates and dark-money campaign committees (organizations that do not have to disclose their donors).
As a result, companies now donate to help elect candidates they hope will do their industry’s bidding or support a specific cause, even as they publicly advocate for the opposite stance.

Read more from Harvard Business Review >> 

This reality is beginning to catch up with “us”… as “a new analysis provides the first measurement of nations’ liability in stoking the climate crisis.”

© Guardian graphic. Source: Callahan et al., 2022, “National attribution of historical climate damages”.
Note: Losses calculated using emissions from countries’ territorial boundaries in 2010 US dollars.

…Dartmouth researchers combined a number of different models, showing factors such as emissions, local climate conditions and economic changes, to ascertain the precise impact of an individual country’s contribution to the climate crisis. They looked for these links over a period spanning 1990 to 2014, with the research published in the journal Climatic Change.
What they found was a perniciously uneven picture – rich nations in northerly latitudes, such as those in north America and Europe, have done the most to fuel climate change but have not yet been severely harmed by it economically. Countries such as Canada and Russia have even benefitted from longer agricultural growing seasons and reduced deaths from the cold as winters have warmed.

Read “Nearly $2 trillion of damage inflicted on other countries by US emissions” 

Research puts US ahead of China, Russia, India and Brazil in terms of global damage as climate expert says numbers ‘very stark’ 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

My mother passed away, in her sleep, one year ago. Today would have been her 89th birthday. I wasn’t there when she died. Not only had the Care Center shut down due to another Covid surge, but I’d departed South Africa 6 weeks prior to her death. I’d been in the country for longer than one year, due to Covid, lockdown, cancelled air travel, and caring for my mother, her interests, her dogs, her property. Moreover, I’d brought my son-in-law from Alaska to caretake my mother until I returned. After I departed, he, however, wasn’t allowed to visit her, again due to the Covid surge.
I tried my best to protect and care for my mother during that difficult time.
Good training for caring for my bestie over the next few weeks.

The last days before surgery are the most challenging. 

Mary’s ready for surgery – “Now! Today!” she says. “Waiting is the hardest.”
I’ll be back posting as soon as I can, under the circumstances.
Meanwhile, a task for you: strategize on – and implement – ways to address our planet’s ongoing crisis.