The global media have been been filled with warnings that the delta variant of Covid-19 is striking both vaccinated and unvaccinated populations from Australia to Bangladesh.
If this were a B&W newsreel, you'd be watching crowds of distressed people fleeing the scourge with a deep-voiced narrator specializing in dramatic tones, as opposed to my tinny, hunt-and-peck keystrokes.
Alas, the variant is here in the U.S. as well but so far it is not causing major problems.The business and science press has radiated confidence that the big vaccine makers will prove capable of developing booster shots that can handle whatever curves the variant throws at us, but still...
What all of this underscores for me is that those of us who are vaccinated should be enjoying our freedom to mingle and party to the fullest extent possible while we can.
Life is good, life is short, don't miss any chance to see family and friends. Or connect with those you haven't seen for a long while.
I did just that one night recently when four of us gathered for an evening of dinner, conversation and memories. We'd worked together 25 years ago but I'd only seen one of them since then until now.
Maybe the pandemic is helping all of us to explore connections old and new; I hope so.
My three former colleagues have all accomplished many things over the years, publishing books I didn't know about and traveling the world. Being with them was beautiful.
For me it was the latest reminder of how good it is to be alive and free. On the way to the reunion, my Lyft driver told me he is deeply religious (Christian) and that he had attended a peace rally before work that day in Oakland.
He lamented that we're all too much caught up in ourselves; that if we could be just a little bit more thoughtful of each other, a little less selfish and a little more generous with our spirits, the world would become a much better place.
He also said he strongly believes families should take care of their elders and not park them away in nursing homes, especially during pandemics.
When we arrived at my destination, it turned out that the GPS had guided us to an incorrect stop, a short ways from where I needed to go. I said I could find it from there but the driver insisted on turning around, searching for the correct address, and double-checking before allowing me to get out.
"God Bless You," he called after me.
Talking about formal religion is not my thing, as I've said many times, but I have never lost my respect for people who do adhere to spiritual beliefs -- of any kind actually.
With the Lyft driver, who BTW happened to be Asian-American, I mentioned to him the many acts of generosity and kindness I've experienced from poor Muslim families in Central Asia, as well as from Hindus, Buddhists, Shinto, Parsis, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, atheists, agnostics and adherents to fringe religions.
Finding faith seems to be a human urge that is universal. My own version is private; I don't talk or write of it. But if appreciating the intricate ecology of life on the planet, and treasuring that with a desire to preserve it counts as a religion, well you can sign me right up.
***
Sunday something came over me and I started watching romantic movies again for the first time in weeks. "Definitely, Maybe," and "Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong."
Maybe there's something in the air...
THE HEADLINES:
* Delta Covid variant may be edging race against vaccines -- Analysis: research suggests ‘scarily fleeting’ contact could infect, and that places with high jab rates are susceptible (The Guardian)
* Sydney, Australia, Is Placed Under Full Lockdown to Curb Outbreak -- Australian officials instituted a strict two-week lockdown for Sydney and surrounding areas on Saturday, to fight an outbreak of the coronavirus Delta variant. It is Sydney’s first full lockdown since early 2020. (AP)
* India Has Undercounted Covid-19 Deaths, Families and Experts Say-- Statisticians and health experts estimate India’s Covid-19 death toll far exceeds one million, compared with the official count of more than 390,000—an undercount that undercuts the understanding of how big a threat new variants are. (WSJ)
* Covid Update: Crowds Flee Dhaka in Advance of Bangladesh Lockdown (BBC)
* South Africa expected to tighten Covid rules as third wave gathers pace (The Guardian)
* Are coronavirus vaccines effective against variants? (NHK)
* Pope Francis compares work of U.S. priest whose ministry affirms LGBTQ people to the work of God (WP)
* How 165 Words Could Make Mass Environmental Destruction An International Crime (NPR)
* How Deceptive Campaign Fund-Raising Ensnares Older People -- Older Americans, a critical source of political donations, often fall victim to aggressive and misleading digital practices. A broad Times analysis points to the scope of the problem. (NYT)
* Prominent Nicaraguan opposition leaders and journalists flee an escalating government crackdown (WP)
* The Apple-Microsoft Tech War Reignites for a New Era -- The battle over App Store rules has renewed tensions between the rivals and could overshadow the rise of augmented and virtual reality applications. (WSJ)
* As variant rises, vaccine plan targets ‘movable middle’ (AP)
* 108 degrees in Portland, 102 in Seattle: Heat wave shatters records (WP)
* How Do You Help Girls Thrive In School? There's A Surprising Answer --A new study finds that girl-centric programs may not be the only effective way to boost girls' school performance in low-income countries. (NPR)
* Biden’s Push for Equity in Government Hits Legal and Political Roadblocks -- No part of President Biden’s agenda has been as ambitious as his attempt to place concerns about equity squarely at the center of the federal government’s decision-making. (NYT)
* Transgender rights, religion among cases justices could add (AP)
* Want kids to learn math? Level with them that it’s hard. (WP)* Drought woes in dry US West raise July 4 fireworks fears (AP) |
* The Unlikely Survival of the 1,081-Year-Old Tree That Gave Palo Alto Its Name -- A redwood tree called El Palo Alto has long served as the 120-foot-tall symbol of Palo Alto, but a project to help it thrive has been delayed. (NYT)
* Case files on 1964 civil rights worker killings made public (AP)
* Tennis Instructor Mentoring Young Player Sees Potential In Parents’ Income (The Onion)
***
"Connection"
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
The doctor wants to give me more injections.
Giving me shots for a thousand rare infections
And I don't know if he'll let me go
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
Connection, I just can't make it, connection
But all I want to do is to get back to you.
I wonder why it is that they suspect them.
They're dying to add me to their collections
And I don't know if they'll let me go
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