Music Monday: London Grammar, “Strong.” Blown away by her voice every time.
Bookmarked: indiebookclub version 0.1.2 launched
🤣 that's amazing
Yeah, last October apparently. Ambient, synth-y vibes. I'm really enjoying it! https://finechina.bandcamp.com/album/eyes-in-the-water
It’s Bandcamp Friday! 100% of purchases go to the artists today. I picked up Sucré, Starkisser; Starflyer 59, Vanity; and Fine China, Eyes in the Water and Trees at Night
Thanks, Joe. I’m grateful for for your friendship! Also very good point, I had not considered that it would have taken some other mysterious method to bring us together if it hadn’t been Twitter shortly before its demise. :)
Mark: That’s a good question that I realize I didn’t touch on in the post. COVID mortality is definitely down since 2020, which is good (though could be improved). I am more concerned about long-term health issues like disability, chronic illness, and opportunistic infections due to repeatedly damaged immune systems. Research is increasingly showing that each infection increases the risk for long-term issues, regardless of whether the initial symptoms were mild. A recent one, “Experiences of Canadians with long-term symptoms following COVID-19,” showed that of people infected 3 times, 38% were reporting long-term symptoms. CDC has said that of US adults infected, 19% report long-term symptoms.
I don’t usually follow the number of COVID deaths closely, though I hear about them from COVID-conscious people especially during the surges. I think during this winter surge we just came out of, there were 1-2k people dying per week for many weeks in the US. That’s an improvement from past years, but not an acceptable new normal, in my opinion. Thousands more were hospitalized and some percentage of those infections will develop long-term issues.
I usually follow the levels of virus in wastewater more closely, via Dr. Hoerger’s pmc19.com/data and wastewaterscan.org. Since we don’t have good testing these days, wastewater levels are about the best stand-in we have for current levels of transmission. There’s a video on his site describing the methodology in more detail, but I like how he calculates the chances that anyone in X number of people is infectious, as well as comparing current levels to the historical levels. This last winter was the second highest levels we’ve had in the US, next to Omicron. There are many times in the year when wastewater levels are higher than in 2020.
I feel we are in a worse place than 2020 since most people don’t know these things and thus, somewhat understandably, don’t take any precautions. The virus spreads and mutates like wild.
Happy to discuss more, whether here or via email.
Currently reading: The Free People's Village by (ISBN 9781646143306)
Finished reading: The Fifth Season by (ISBN 9780316229302)
Bookmarked: 10 Principles of Disability Justice
I was reminded of the April Fools joke I posted in 2005. I was a holdout on getting a cellphone and posted that I finally got one. So many blog comments from friends. I miss those days.
I did finally get one in 2006, though.
I swear I’m witnessing the cognitive decline from people getting repeatedly sick. There’s an increase in repeated work email questions that were answered very recently in the same thread.
Love this! I had no idea about the legends and hadn't really thought about how the Navy might have been opposed to the bridge. Fascinating.
Bula? Bula? Bula? Bula?
🤣 apparently I *was* tired
I came across the anarchist folk-punk band Sister Wife Sex Strike from a video of their unauthorized album release show in a Starbucks. Listening to their new EP now, pre-op:
Kill the locals, oppress the masses
Divide them into races and classes
Then sell progress back to them
The story of the band name is amazing:
The band's name is inspired by real life events: in 2021, Pigeon & Moth were sharing a lover and when they found themselves mutually dissatisfied by his efforts, they went on a sex strike to have their demands met.
I rewatched SpaceCamp, a movie I loved growing up. Cheesy premise but still fun, even if mostly for nostalgia. Oh, and the robot, Jinx! I wonder if Joe has one in his bot collection.
I had no idea that the young boy was Joaquin Phoenix and that he was going by Leaf at the time. The full movie is currently free on YouTube.
Is this a test/am I just tired, or is that the same URL twice? 🤣
😍 Ooh. I'm not familiar with this brand. How are their pens in your experience? I have a CW&T Pen Type-B and have mixed opinions on it.