70sEraVet
70sEraVet's JournalTennessee is first in nation, but nothing to cheer about
"Tennessee is first in the nation for average new daily cases per capita over the last seven days, and the margin between first and second is substantial."
https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2020/12/17/tennessee-now-st-us-new-daily-covid-cases-per-capital-last-days/
The darkest blues song ever written, and I just learned
that there is a powerful vintage video to go with it. It honestly leaves me shaken. The Reverand Gary Davis --
https://m.
Bow hunting should be viewed with the same horror as bull fighting, cock fighting or dog fighting
Most animals shot with bow and arrow escape the hunter and die of blood loss or starvation - a painful, unnecessary death. I'm not a fan of hunting, but this form of hunting in particular should be banned. A recent news item is especially distressful.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/17/canada-carrot-deer-arrow-sticking-out-of-head
The first openly gay Cabinet Secretary will be in the line of succession
I'd heard that Mayor Pete, Biden's pick to be Secretary of Transportation, will be the first openly gay Cabinet Secretary. I looked up where that Cabinet member would stand in the line of succession to the Presidency. The only chart I could find was the current line of succession, with Elaine Chao as Transportation Secretary in the 14th spot (but since she's foreign born, not eligible).
So I assume that means Mayor Pete (soon to be Mr. Secretary Pete) will be the first openly gay person to stand in the line of succession to the Presidency!
(I've never learned how to include an image in these posts, so I can only provide a link)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_line_of_succession
Neanderthal skulls reveal evidence of semi-aquatic lifestyle
An interesting short article that explains how a bone that develops in the outer ear canal of people that spend a major portion of their lives swimming and diving, provides fossilized evidence that Neanderthals may have been a semi-aquatic species.
https://www.the-scientist.com/reading-frames/did-human-evolution-include-a-semi-aquatic-phase--67306
America needs to learn table manners for the Covid vaccine dinner
As excited as I am that the US may soon start distributing a vaccine, I had to wonder how long poorer nations would have to wait. The image of irresponsible Americans running around maskless, then being the first at the vaccine dinner table, leaving the scraps for the poorer dinner guests, is not an image that we should be proud of, but one which fits us far more often than we would like.
I did come across an NPR article that described how several EU nations and others are working on the problem of getting vaccines to our poorer nations. Of course, America is habitually absent.
"...several of these countries, including Canada and the U.K., recently joined an international initiative to help distribute the vaccine more equally around the world and to help bring vaccine to countries who can't produce or purchase it themselves. (The U.S. hasn't yet joined the agreement.)"
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/11/05/931397094/poor-countries-fall-behind-in-race-to-reserve-covid-19-vaccine
I'm thankful for my fellow DUers
This will be the first time in our married lives (43 years) that we will spend Thanksgiving without ANY of our children or grandchildren at home. Its harder on my wife than it is on me.
I know that many of my fellow DUers are experiencing the same thing, some without even the company of a spouse. My heart goes out to all of you.
2021 WILL BE A HEALING YEAR!
I saw this in an advice column today
"Dear Amy:
My father-in-law refuses to believe that Biden has won the presidential election, and flies into a rage every time the subject is brought up. He gets red in the face, stamps his feet, and will even throw things. My wife insists that we should protect him by going out of our way to avoid any mention of the election. But I feel that postponing the inevitable will only result in increased hostility and feelings of isolation in a man who already believes the world is conspiring against him.
My question is, would it be better coming from me, or from an old family friend, whom he trusts? I'm sure this friend would be glad to help, in between speaking engagements at landscaping companies.
Worried,
J. Rod"
A family conundrum for next four years
My daughter texted me a couple of days ago, to ask that I don't mention the election to her husband because he voted for Trump. I'll try to honor her wish - I certainly don't want to to make a difficult situation more difficult for her, and I do love and respect my son-in-law. But, just how long do I have to avoid it? Do I have to pretend for the next four years that Trump is still the president when I'm with her husband?
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Member since: Fri Jun 7, 2019, 10:14 PMNumber of posts: 3,495