Making masks in India

Courtesy of a Duncaster resident

A song from Les Mis by world-renowned singers

Looking at the numbers

Some comments on life from Bob Hope

A boyhood friend of mine sent me this. When was the last time you thought about Bob Hope?

ON TURNING 70 - "I still chase women, but only downhill ."

ON TURNING 80 - "That's the time of your life when even your birthday suit needs pressing."

 ON TURNING 90 - "You know you are getting old when the candles cost more than the cake."

 ON TURNING 100 - " I don't feel old. In fact, I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap."

 ON GIVING UP HIS EARLY CAREER (BOXING) - "I ruined my hands in the ring. The referee kept stepping on them."

 ON GOLF - "Golf is my profession. Show business is just to pay the green fees."

 ON PRESIDENTS - "I have performed for 12 presidents but entertained only six."

 ON WHY HE CHOOSE SHOWBIZ FOR HIS CAREER - "When I was born, the doctor said to my mother, congratulations, you have an eight pound ham." 

ON RECEIVING THE CONGRESSIONAL U.S. GOLD MEDAL - "I feel very humble, but I think I have the strength of character to fight it."

 ON HIS FAMILY'S EARLY POVERTY - "Four of us slept in the one bed. When it got cold, mother threw on another brother."

 ON HIS SIX BROTHERS - "That's how I learned to dance. Waiting for the bathroom."

 ON HIS EARLY FAILURES - "I would not have had anything to eat if it wasn't for the stuff the audience threw at me."

 ON GOING TO HEAVEN - "I have done benefits for ALL religions. I would hate to blow the hereafter on a technicality ."

We're all in this together

Hospitals in the field

Countries are creating hospitals in many places. Here's a sample:

In the Gaza Strip

In London

In New York

In Italy

This is an adult?

From Twitter:

“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020

A tour of some major cities of the world

Would they have looked the same at 2 a.m. a month ago?

A Poem by Gutpreet Gill

A friend from Glastonbury sent me this poem. I had never heard of Mr. Gill but I found it timely.

What if…

There is so much fear, and perhaps rightfully so, about COVID-19.

And, what if…
If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an intelligence far greater than humans at work…
That all is interconnected.

What if…
the virus is here to help us?
To reset.
To remember.
What is truly important.

Reconnecting with family and community.
Reducing travel so that the environment, the skies, the air, our lungs all get a break.
Parts of China are seeing blue sky and clouds for the first time in forever with the factories being shut down.

Working from home rather than commuting to work (less pollution, more personal time).

Reconnecting with family as there is more time at home.

An invitation to turn inwards — a deep meditation — rather than the usual extroverted going out to self-soothe.
To reconnect with self — what is really important to me?

A reset economically.
The working poor. The lack of healthcare access for over 30 million in the US. The need for paid sick leave.
How hard does one need to work to be able to live, to have a life outside of work?
And, washing our hands — how did that become a “new” thing that we needed to remember. But, yes, we did.
The presence of Grace for all.

There is a shift underway in our society — what if it is one that is favorable for us?
What if this virus is an ally in our evolution?

In our remembrance of what it means to be connected, humane, living a simpler life, to be less impactful/ more kind to our environment.

An offering from my heart this morning. Offered as another perspective. Another way of relating to this virus, this unfolding, this evolution.

It was time for a change, we all knew that.
And, change has arrived. 

What if…

Try Nabucco

There are 26 singers. Would you like to have coordinated them?

Courtesy of a Duncaster resident
 

A test that only takes minutes

Abbott Labs has entered the field of testing for the coronavirus. The FDA approved Abbott's test system on emergency basis. The test is claimed to deliver positive results in five minutes and negative results in 13 minutes. Abbot expects to start shipping on April 1. They can produce 50,000 test units a day. Combined with Abbott's 2000 RealTime system for coronavirus detection, the company claims it will produce about 5 million tests for the novel virus in April.

It's not the end of the pandemic as a kot more medical supplies are needed, such as ventilators and personal protective gear for health workers, including masks.

An opera you may have never seen

What the World Needs NOW

This is by the Boston Conservatory at Berklee School. Courtesy of our Florida correspondent.

Some Rumors never die

Appalachian Spring

Now the Toronto Symphony from home.
Thank the same Duncaster resident

The finale of Beethoven's 9th

The Rotterdam Philharmic from home
Courtesy of a Duncaster resident

Coronavirus myths

Not quite the same as Italy

Want to go to church?

Checking your memory

A friend of mine in Glastonbury sent me the following article entitled "Temporary Forgetfulness." It was written by the French Professor Bruno Dor of the Institute of Memory and Alzheimer's Disease (IMMA) at La Pitié-Salpêtrière – Paris Hospitals. It is reassuring.

"If anyone is aware of his memory problems, he does not have Alzheimer's."
1. I forget the names of families ...
2. I do not remember where I put some things ...
It often happens in people 60 years and older that they complain that they lack memory. "The information is always in the brain, it is the "processor" that is lacking."

This is "Anosognosia" or temporary forgetfulness. Half of the people 60 and older have some symptoms that are due to age rather than disease. The most common cases are: - forgetting the name of a person,- going to a room in the house and not remembering why we were going there - a blank memory for a movie title or actor, an actress, - a waste of time searching where we left our glasses or keys ... After 60 years most people have such a difficulty, which indicates that it is not a disease but rather a characteristic due to the passage of years ..

Many people are concerned about these oversights hence the importance of the following statement: "Those who are conscious of being forgetful have no serious problem of memory. "Those who suffer from a memory illness or Alzheimer's, are not aware of what is happening." Professor Bruno Dubois, Director of IMMA, reassures the majority of people concerned about their oversights: "The more we complain about memory loss, the less likely we are to suffer from memory sickness." - Now for a little neurological test: Only use your eyes! 1- Find the C in the table below!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
2- If you have already found the C, Then find the 6 in the table below.

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 69999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

 3- Now find the N in the table below. Attention, it's a little more difficult!

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMNMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

If you pass these three tests without problem: - you can cancel your annual visit to the neurologist. - your brain is in perfect shape! - you are far from having any relationship with Alzheimer's. IN GOD WE TRUST!

What happens to us if we get the coronavirus

Getting rid of your sins

These days there's a drive-thru for everything. That's why a priest in Maryland decided to have drive-thru confessions. Every day except Sunday, and if the weather permits, he sits on a wooden chair in his priestly robes in the parking lot outside his Maryland chapel and does a contact-free confession and blessing. For those wishing an anonymous confession, the priest covers his eyes with a bandana.

Problem beyond the coronavirus

Need I say anything?

From a Duncaster resident

Remember Life Magazine?

Here are some photos from it that may spur memories. Note the names of the photographers; they were household names.

Cover of Life Magazine, 23 November, 1936: photo of Fort Peck Dam by Margaret Bourke-White (Credit: The Picture Collection Inc)

Normandy invasion on D-Day, soldier advancing through surf, 1944 by Robert Capa

Detail of contact sheet, Times Square, New York City, August 1945 by Alfred Eisenstaedt (Credit: The Picture Collection Inc)

Life photo editor Natalie Kosek reviews photographs, 1946 by unknown photographer (Credit: The Picture Collection Inc)

Midwife Maude Callen delivers a baby, Pineville, South Carolina, 1951 by W Eugene Smith (Credit: The Picture Collection Inc)

Audience watches movie wearing 3-D spectacles, 1952 by JR Eyerman (Credit: The Picture Collection Inc/ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, The Howard Greenberg Collection)

Is the media looking at more than the virus?

Foreign Policy in Focus thinks not. Here's an excerpt from a recent article: 

"The constant coverage of coronavirus has pushed other reporting to the margins. The far greater danger of climate change, which is killing millions and will kill far more, has been shortchanged in reporting. So has been the mounting threat of nuclear war as the United States pulls out unilaterally from arms control agreements and spends close to a trillion dollars on the upgrading of nuclear weapons systems. For that matter, the radical concentration of wealth around the world has been virtually ignored by the mainstream media. The decision of the Federal Reserve, without any form of democratic consultation, to inject $1.5 trillion into the stock market was buried under COVID-19 reporting." 

"Actual scientific reporting on what exactly the coronavirus is and how it functions has been relatively rare. Media is not by nature educational these days, but rather aimed at sensationalism and marketing. Few true experts appear on television to explain the process an outbreak goes through or to provide meaningful comparisons between the number of deaths from COVID-19 and other deadly contagious diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis B, or pneumonia."

Why wash with soap

Here's what it looks like as of St. Paddy's Day

Appropriate for my 10,000th post

Is she right?

Getting together in China

An Interesting Comparison

Is the virus ending in China?

Wouldn't you like to know the situation there? I haven't seen anything in the media this week. How many new cases are there now that the virus has been there for two months? What has been the death rate? Will we go through a similar cycle?

This can't be true

Business Insider claims that "President Trump tried to recruit German scientists working on a cure for the coronavirus and offered large sums of money to secure exclusive rights to their work for the US". Their claim is based on an article in a German newspaper. The health ministry issued a statement to Reuters: "We confirm the report in the Welt am Sonntag."

If it is true, how many more inhuman and immoral statements do we need from Trump?

How often do you touch your face?

Should we try this?

One benefit of the virus

Fewer front-page articles on Trump. But he does contact his friends. I got another call from him yesterday.

A Pew Survey

Dancing in the world of Coronavirus

My buddy called again

Donald has called twice today so far. I guess the previous owner of my place was a good Republican and gave money to the candidates.

Who said this?

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch; I want to tell you, Kavanaugh: You have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” 

You probably thought it was our president. You're wrong. It was Senator Charles Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate. Another indication of the poor quality of our leaders.

Help Catch a Suspect

The police in Surrey, England are seeking help from the public in finding suspects. One technique they are using is putting an image of the suspect on a pancake and asking the public for help to "whisk them away."

The police posted digitally-enhanced photos on social media of people they want to speak to. This has led to some puns. On one of them, the police added: "We would like to establish if he is a crepe-tomaniac?! (badoom tisch!)." 

So, naturally, the people have responded with their own puns: 

"Take it he stole some dough?" 
 "Don't pancake!! We are on to it!!"  
"I hope you manage to crepe up on them and apprehend them safely!" And the police responded: "Thank you - we'll try to be syruptitious!" 

Thanks to our Florida correspondent.

Soothing comments

The Interpreter is a newsletter that the NY Times sends to its subscribers. Here are some comments from today's issue about the coronavirus issue:

The disease is probably not particularly deadly; health officials tend to put it somewhere within range from of a severe seasonal flu. The World Health Organization said that the coronavirus is thought to be a bit deadlier than the flu, but to spread less easily. Even in a global pandemic, it’s expected to kill fewer people than the flu virus. The flu goes globally pandemic every year and the world continues spinning.

The risk from the virus’s impact on you individually is probably low. As for the systemic risk, it depends, as with virtually all kinds of systemic risk, on your personal context. If you live someplace with good governance, as well as plentiful health care and economic resources, the systemic risk to you is likely to be lower. That means that you have less chance of dying from Covid-19, yes, but it also means that any impact on you is likely to be less severe. The state will be better able to absorb any societal and economic burden.

The lowest in 150 years

What are they afraid of?

Yesterday, the White House had a briefing on the coronavirus, something we are all interested in. Naturally, the press was there. However, it was forbidden to film or record it; all it was allowed to do was take still photos. Was the hearing informative for the American public? Was this the first step in a new way of conducting White House hearings?

Trump commenting on Biden

From today's Washington Post: 

 “Sleepy Joe,” Mr. Trump continued, “he doesn’t even know where he is or what he’s doing or what office he’s running for. Honestly, I don’t think he knows what office he’s running for.” 

If Mr. Biden won the presidency, Mr. Trump said, his staff would actually do the governing. “They’re going to put him into a home, and other people are going to be running the country,” the president said, “and they’re going to be super-left, radical crazies. And Joe’s going to be in a home and he’ll be watching television.”

How old is Trump? 

How much money does the Pentagon have access to?

While the Department of Defense still remains unauditable, it is able to spend about $392 billion more than its proposed new budget . It does so by accessing other budgeted funds. One of these is the Overseas Contingency Operations account, which,if it was an agency in itself, it would be the fourth largest in the government; the budget here is $69 billion. Another source is the National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages our nuclear weapons program; another $27.6 billion. A third are “Defense-Related” Activities, which includes a number of miscellaneous national-security-related matters, including international FBI activities and payments to the CIA retirement fund; the cost? $9.7 billion. Then, there is the intelligence budget; that's $23.1. Add in VA benefits of $238.4 billion, Homeland Security of $52.1 billion, DOD's share of the interest on our debt.

Are we getting our money's worth? Is the media reporting properly?

One view of where we are re cllimate change

Courtesy of Bloomberg Green

Meet some scammers