-19 pandemic worsens.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/04/nation/makes-you-ask-why-hell-we-even-bother-infectious-disease-experts-face-disillusionment-covid-19-pandemic-worsens/?outputType=amp&__twitter_impression=true

“At almost every step of this pandemic, we have failed magnificently as a country,” the Harvard scientist said Monday. “And in ways that we just really didn’t need to fail.”

The country, and in particular this city, are home to some of the greatest public health experts in the world, many of whom have spent their careers preparing for a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m just astounded by the dysfunction, the willingness to just stay the course as hundreds of thousands of people die, and the unwillingness to innovate in literally any way,” said Mina, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who has been advocating for widespread at-home rapid antigen testing since March, with little success. “I’ve realized that when we need to rise up as a country, we have truly no moral capacity to do it. It’s just the most mind-bending, complete “Twilight Zone” experience that makes you ask why the hell we even bother.”

https://twitter.com/JeremyKonyndyk/status/1241592039281655808


I don't know how to 'unroll' the rest, but read through it. He takes each important date and documents how US failed to act.

I'll try.

2011


2012


2013


2014


2015


2016


2017


2018


2019



Here's a couple of real cakes I've done for family and friends.

With the sickness and loss of my precious Mellow over the past week, I forgot to post it.

A week ago, tonight, he seemed a little stand-offish and only ate about half his dinner. On Sunday, he refused to come on the back porch to eat, so I brought him inside and decided to take him to the vet for a check. He was his typical self; yelling loudly and banging against the bedroom door to be freed. We saw the vet Monday afternoon and they discovered he had a high fever. Did blood work and saw nothing out of line. So, they gave him a steroid shot and put him on antibiotics.

Things were good that evening and Tuesday. He didn't feel as warm and he was eating about 50% of his meals. Wednesday, he got quieter and made a hideout under the bed. He still liked to be held and purred loudly. But he stopped eating. Thursday was the same, so I called an made an appointment for 8AM, Friday.

His temperature was 103. More blood tests still showed nothing abnormal. Test for FIV came back negative. They gave him liquids, another steroid shot, and added take home prednisone and a second antibiotic. I got about 2 Tablespoons of chicken baby food down him via syringe.

Today, at around 3, he suddenly cried out and I recognized pain in that. I immediately rushed to our emergency clinic about 15 miles away. They put him on oxygen and IV and then the doctor told me the worse. His temp was down to 98 degrees and he was 'crashing'. His organs were shutting down. The doctor said he wouldn't live another 2 hours. They suspected it was Bobcat Fever and he had almost 0% of recovery even though they worked up a $1500 medical estimate to try and save him.

I went into shock. I had to get my ex-DIL on the phone to help me through. I knew I had to release my sweet boy from pain. It was all horrible. To have a healthy cat lose 1/3 of his weight in 6 days and go into lung and heart failure, seems like a bad dream.

Mellow (officially, Marshmellow) showed up one day at my house in April 2009. I was just going through my radiation treatment for my Stage IV tonsil cancer. He stayed. He was semi feral not liking anyone new to be around. But he would roll over on his back for tummy rubs and ear scratches when he saw me. And boy could he purr. The last purrs I heard were at 12:30 this afternoon. The other 3 abandoned cats took to him and my little colony of ferals was registered with the city. All were neutered and vaccinated. I'm now down to 2. My oldest was killed by a dog running loose in July 2015.

I think I'm rambling. I just want you to know I loved Mellow and my heart is broken.

Not too good. My eye sight isn't what it used to be. The turrets aren't really level and were hard to form.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-had-an-abortion-why-is-none-of-your-business/2019/05/27/c8757df8-7e64-11e9-8ede-f4abf521ef17_story.html?utm_term=.f1962b187044

What about those of us who aren’t victims? What about those who simply happened to find ourselves pregnant? Abortion doesn’t have to be motivated by trauma.

I had an abortion. I’m not going to tell you how old I was or what my circumstances were at the time. I won’t mention whether birth control was used or whether it wasn’t. I’m not going to tell you whether the guy is or is not still a part of my life, whether it was a one-night stand or a long-term relationship. I’m not going to discuss the health of either party involved in the consensual or nonconsensual sex, nor the viability of the embryo. None of those details are pertinent. I got pregnant. I didn’t want to be pregnant. I had a medical procedure to remedy the situation. Full stop.

I am an adult of sound mind and body. My government has decreed me capable of voting, of operating motor vehicles, of purchasing firearms, of paying taxes. Why is this irrational line drawn at body autonomy?

I had an abortion, and I need no one’s forgiveness. Nor should I need your permission. In defending reproductive rights, we should refrain from framing the argument around the most extreme and saintly of cases in the hope of converting more supporters. When we pander to find circumstances under which abortion becomes palatable, we dilute the simple message that body autonomy should be a right regardless of gender.

cancer, I absolutely believe young people should be vaccinated. Incidents of HPV oral cancer are rising astronomically...now causing 70% of all throat and mouth cancers. As younger people now participate in oral sex as a substitute for intercourse, the number is expected to continue going up.

In case you don't know, treatment for oral cancers is among the most brutal of treatments. People may lose their ability to speak and/or eat. They lose their teeth, have blisters in their throat, and have their jaw bones disintegrate. And they die as it spreads. I have lost 2 of my support group members since February.

Either vaccine or make sure your kids don't ever have oral sex.