From Worldometer (new COVID-19 deaths yesterday):
DAY USA WORLD Brazil India South Africa
- Looks like the decline of COVID-19 new deaths in the U.S is finally happening.
- Something troublesome about the world, though.
- I glanced at the world new deaths/day graph over time and I can discern a new increase.
- Where are they coming from?
- The USA still leads with 1594 new deaths, followed by Russia #2 1123, India #3 734 and Ukraine #4 692. Romania had 508 and Bulgaria 154, so those former Soviet countries appear to mistrust their government and not getting vaccinated.
- Are there some clues from new cases? The USA led with 78,932, UK #2 43,941, Russia #3 36,582, Turkey #4 26,896, Germany #5 26,099 and Ukraine #6 22,574. Add Romania 14,950, Poland 8,365, Serbia 6948, Czechia 6288, Bulgaria 5643, Slovakia 4746 Croatia 4571, Georgia 4337, Lithuania 3634, Latvia 3206 and Slovenia 3181...and yes, there is a pattern forming.
- But Thailand had 8542 new cases, Malaysia 6146, Singapore 5324, Vietnam 4411 and Philippines 3166...high, but not as bad.
- California had 5666 new cases, Michigan 4893 Texas 4557, Pennsylvania 4178 and New York 4095, Ohio 3839 and Colorado 3385. Noticed those packed college football games with 100,000 spectators and no masks every Saturday. Hawaii finally allowed 1000 fans this past weekend and we had 184 new cases yesterday. The U.S. Veterans Affairs had 1068 new cases with 31 new deaths yesterday.
- Japan only had 344 new cases, China 59 and Taiwan 8.
- President Joe Biden today proudly announced a framework for agreement on the budget bills. What does that mean?
- Know what kicking the can down the road means?
- A framework means nothing will get voted on anytime soon. Not today, not tomorrow and maybe not even next week.
- So can Biden go to Glasgow and smugly announce to the world that he is personally proclaiming his support for COP26 and the negotiations? Of course.
- Can he say that the USA will lead the world to remediate warming? Well, not really, for Senator Manchin managed to save his coal industry by insisting that coal is still okay.
- Biden can mutter, but we will be increasing incentives for clean energy. That's about all.
- Nothing of any relevance will be settled in Glasgow.
- No announcement yet about COP28.
- What about COP27? That will occur next year in Egypt.
Easy Sleep Remedies
Regular exercise contributes to sound sleep, and there are particular foods that can help too, like turkey, white rice and chamomile tea. Demand for prescription sleep aids ticked up early in the pandemic, but a natural sleep supplement like melatonin is worth a try. Weighted blankets that swaddle adults like babies have become popular, or consider a hops- or lavender-scented pillow or a temperature-controlled mattress. Catching up with Bridgerton or The Daily Show in bed, however, is not a great idea. Instead, tune into your favorite frequency — white, pink or brown noise — to be lulled to sleep. Need more help? You may have to wait a while to book a sleep retreat, but just dreaming of faraway locales could settle your mind enough for a good night’s rest.
(If you clicked on those noises, you would have found that brown has the lowest frequency and pink the highest.)
Real-Life Dreamscapes
Artist Salvador DalÃ...
...certainly had some unusual dreams. The surrealist called his art “hand-painted dream photographs,” and there’s no better example than his iconicPersistence of Memory. The painting depicts melting clocks and insect-infested watches in a barren landscape set against a placid sea and rocky mountainous cliff. In the center is an exaggerated caricature of a homunculus-like figure with a furrowed brow, saddled with a melting clock. Considered a commentary on the modern obsession with time — , and the anxiety that brings — , the work is proof that the dream state can take you places beyond real life.
The Danger of Desire
Cases of ‘flesh-eating’ STI increase in the UK
A flesh-eating sexually transmitted infection that causes "beefy red" ulcers is on the rise in the United Kingdom. According to the CDC, the STI donovanosis, most common in parts of India, Papua New Guinea, central Australia, the Carribean and southern Africa, has shown a slight uptick in cases in the U.K. since 2016. Though donovanosis is still very rare in the U.S., the rise in infections is drawing new attention, with STIs often going undiagnosed and underreported. Doctors urge caution — and condoms — as other STIs are also on the rise in the United States. (Source: Independent, Forbes) That graphic above?
I originally had a frightening photo, but took it out for fear of getting banned by Google. Want to see them? Click here.
Bezos Announces ‘Space Business Park’
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin plans to launch a commercial space station
Partnering with Sierra Space and Boeing, Blue Origin is working to bring business to the final frontier. By the end of the decade, Bezos plans to create a “mixed-use business park” within the space station with a 10-person capacity. The company hopes the station, called Orbital Reef, will host endeavors like microgravity filmmaking, research or simply function as a space hotel for those who fancy a break from our little blue dot. While plans for the 32,000-square-foot station may seem ambitious, it’s unlikely Blue Origin will find itself strapped for cash, as Bezos has committed to spending $1 billion a year on Blue Origin ventures. (Source: BBC)
Real, Good News
Billionaires combine efforts to combat disinformation--Reid Hoffman, Ken and Jen Duda, Incite Ventures and George Soros have announced they will fund a new media company, Good Information Inc., aimed at tackling disinformation.
- An American media and entertainment company founded by members of minority groups was launched in 2013, headquartered in Mountain View, California.
- Anti-conservative, or a left-wing organization, called a neoliberal nightmare by Rolling Stone.
- They suffered a scandal on October 1 of this year and announced they would cease operations.
- However, on October 4, they returned to life.
- All the above news items are recent.
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