News Of The Week Roundup: Week 30, 2021
Sunday, August 1, 2021 at 03:57PM So now it's August. I can't believe we're already into the eighth month of the year and summer is winding down. It's been a mixed bag summer for me so far. I did get to go to Walt Disney World in June. The following week, I was on a normal training run, tripped and broke my shoulder (I've never broken a bone before). So the past six weeks I've been in a sling and also not permitted to drive. Of course I broke my right shoulder, which is my dominant arm. That means typing - especially at the beginning of my injury - was ridiculously painful and slow. In fact, whenever I had to write something, I would peck it out with my left hand only. You'll note I never missed posting a single day during this entire fiasco.
I am hopeful that I get good news at my next round of X-rays next week and that I get out of my sling and can start to rehab and drive again. I assume physical therapy is going to be painful, but it is what it is. I have to get my arm back to full range of motion. The accident meant the half marathon I was training for isn't happening now, either. I deferred my registration until next year. Oh well I guess. I've read it can take a full year to get back to optimal strength. I want to start lifting weights again soon.
I can't believe I haven't been in a pool all summer yet (thanks again, sling!). I am hoping to get some pool time this month. And last night I saw my first concert since the beforetimes! I saw Brit Floyd with Eric and my friend Joe. It was a fun, sold-out show with great music. Who can argue with "Comfortably Numb" live?
Since my injury, I've had lots of time to read books, watch news and stare at the wall. The news over the past week was a lot about the Olympics and the resurgence of COVID-19 thanks to the Delta variant and the unvaccinated.
The single biggest story out of the Tokyo Olympics is gymnast superstar Simone Biles pulling out of competitions to focus on her mental health. And good for her. Elite athletes are not toys built for our amusement, programmed to "perform" on a whim. Not being in the right headspace when flipping and flying through the air is dangerous. Simone is smart for knowing when to step back. Hopefully her actions bring more awareness to mental health, period. Gymnastics is a career for Simone, the same way some of us program computers, write articles or teach kids. When work pushes too hard and things become overwhelming, all of us has the absolute right to push back and protect ourselves.
Simone Biles' sponsors, including Athleta and Visa, are lauding her decision to put her mental health first and withdraw from the gymnastics team competition during the Olympics.https://t.co/d5k75GLX2h
— NPR (@NPR) July 30, 2021
I’m in awe at Simone Biles' strength on the global stage as she finds the courage to stand up & prioritize her mental health.
— Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (@SenatorWarnock) July 29, 2021
Thank you, Simone, for representing #TeamUSA both on & off the mat—you’re an inspiration to us all.https://t.co/Djy9lnF2R5
Michael Phelps has spent the past couple days voicing support for Simone Biles – because mental health is a topic he understands intimately. In 2018, he opened up to CBS News about his thoughts of suicide and the strain Olympic greatness puts on athletes. https://t.co/pXa8bKW5fi
— CBS News (@CBSNews) July 28, 2021
Florida is ground zero for the current COVID-19 surge. The state is setting new records for cases and hospitalizations, despite the fact that there is a vaccine that can basically stop the virus in its tracks. The vaccine is available to everyone in America, for free and basically on demand at this point. But alas, here we are.
Page one in Miami.
— Carl Quintanilla (@carlquintanilla) August 1, 2021
(via @ukpapers @MiamiHerald) pic.twitter.com/JhqrCuerGZ
The massive numbers of unvaccinated folks in America - along with some new study findings - lead the CDC to reverse decisions on masking. Now, if you live in a COVID "red zone" the CDC says you should mask indoors regardless of vaccination status. That's because the CDC now knows that even vaccinated folks can transmit the disease - with high viral loads. This is disappointing news to learn of course.
28) 📍UPDATE—the CDC finally released that worrisome unpublished analysis from Massachusetts showing 74% of the mega outbreak being breakthroughs, and that among the breakthroughs— viral loads were similar in vaxxed and unvaxxed. This is why CDC ultimately had to reinstate masks. https://t.co/dnlbzTU49d
— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) July 30, 2021
Breaking News: The Delta variant is as contagious as chickenpox and may be spread by vaccinated people as easily as the unvaccinated, an internal C.D.C. report said.https://t.co/hDs1FOIPMt
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 30, 2021
Look, i’m not a epidemiologist. nor am i scientists. But it seems like if, as a society, we just got vaccinated we’d be done with this fucking shit.
— Sam Stein (@samstein) July 29, 2021
And I leave you with these interesting images:
The abandoned Six Flags New Orleans, destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 only five years after it opened. https://t.co/OGZtVG42iC pic.twitter.com/AWguw4u6lJ
— Abandoned America 🏚️🇺🇲 (@abandonedameric) July 26, 2021
Covid-19, NOTWR, Simone Biles
Reader Comments (11)
I haven't been in a pool either. But that is because, for the most part, I find them to be gross cesspools of other people's detritus. Having owned a hot tub for the past few years, I now know what it is that you use chemicals to remove or hold back. The idea of going into a public pool or hot tub makes me want to gag nowadays. But I have dipped my toes in the ocean on a couple of occasions!
Those pictures of the shuttered amusement park in NO made me smile. For a few years, I was really into websites that documented abandoned places around the world. One of those rabbit hole things.
I say the following with no interest in politics: a person close to me had their unvaccinated grandmother die in recent weeks from the virus. On the other hand, another close friend had their parents, who were vaccinated, get the virus and, rather quickly, recover. Another friend had their brother die from complications that seem to be from getting the virus, even after they got vaccinated. So there is still risk. There are still things that we can all do to keep ourselves and others safe. But this is a virus. Positive thoughts and a can-do attitude don't mean squat. And even being cautious doesn't mean that you (or me, or others) are out of the woods just yet.
Me? I am vaccinated. Why? I have two stents in my heart. I figured, it can't hurt. And it didn't. But that doesn't mean I can't get it and spread it to someone who could then die. Just me being me (or Him). And do I still wear a mask? Well, sometimes, when I am indoors. Right now, I take it on a case-by-case basis. It has been nice to mingle with more friends, indoors and out, for the first time in a long time. Spending a year-plus in my tent by the river was not a fun time! But I got to know some squirrels on a first name basis! They are surprisingly friendly.
I don't really watch much of the Olympics. True, there are some interesting moments. But I find them to be, on the whole, such a money suck for those who host them, when that money could be diverted to other causes and do more good. Then again, I am not a big sports person either. But I get the pull. I hope those who watched enjoyed the pageantry.
@Him you need to dip more than your toes in the ocean brother! being in the water clears your mind and body of anything icky heheh I used to live on Maui so I know about the Oceans healing power brah ;)
another great post @him!!
Get vaccinated or DIE!
The choice is yours.
My only, respectful caveat is this: you can get vaccinated and still die. Then again, nothing is certain. So you do what you need to do, for you, and for others, and then, basically, you have to hope for the best. Sure, there are less and more reckless approaches to all of this . . . but this virus, and what it does to people, is a new wrinkle in an old truth: do your best and hope it is enough. Not sad, really. But a truth.
Gary, in answer to your friend Yrag's question, I think you hit on the sweet spot of all of this. It's hard to put down a hard and fast answer when the question keeps moving. So, you hope those who know best try their best. And you hope they correct themselves when they are wrong or when the information changes. Consider masks. They are horrible. I hate wearing them. I hate most everything about them. But . . . the flu? This past season? Where did it go? And, so as to be a true contrarian, that leads me to worry: what the hell is gonna happen this upcoming flu season? I think we can all agree on this paradox: viruses are a lot dumber than we are and a lot smarter than we think we are. Now as ever, vaccines are only ever a _part_ of the solution. And even that part is tentative at best.
Crued, where I live, even in the summer, dipping more than your toe in the ocean requires a wet suit!!! That said, I got to spend some precious time--after a year--with my family, tubing down a river and soaking in a lake. Both had temperatures in the low-70s!!! So I am good for now. But I hear ya'.
That said, Gary (the goon babbling moron of the operation) suggests that to accomplish this , leading off with the campaign slogan “Mario Cuomo,Slapping Fannies and Killing Grannies since 2019” may not be the ideal way to kick off said campaign. Good luck and to quote Motley “ Knock ‘em Dead Kid”. 😂👍👍
In all seriousness, I was once told that I should do one of two things with my life (besides also being told about my need for an editor): be a lawyer or go into speech-writing. I chose neither. I was also on a path to be a journalist (was one for a brief second). But I dodged that bullet too. So now I sit in my tent, waxing philosophically. It suits me. Orwell's "Politics and the English Language" remains as relevant today as it was when it was written. And lawyers? They are like the Grim Reaper. When you see one, you know something has gone sideways!
I really try to see all sides of things. As with everyone, I occasionally slide into a partisan pose and hold my ideas up. But I think that humility, and a good sense of humor, help to make this world a lot more tolerable. What's the point of learning you made a mistake if it doesn't inform your subsequent decisions (that's pragmatism for you)? The other bonus? I have friends that tilt in all directions. And we can sit down, share a drink, discuss issues, and disagree. And we are still friends. Again, there is a place for bombast. But, like salt, nowadays I use it sparingly!