Among the effects of the pandemic are certain changes in how people work. Now everyone knows what it is like to have a job away from the central office, in a bureau or a remote location. Misunderstandings and crossed signals are common; it is easy for the person outside of headquarters to feel overlooked or neglected.
Twice my jobs required me to play this role -- as San Francisco bureau chief for California Magazine in 1990-91 and as Washington bureau chief for Salon in 1999-2000, and although my teams were productive in both cases, ultimately neither job worked out.
California magazine's headquarters was in Los Angeles; but it went out of business. I left Salon mainly for family reasons in order to move back to the west coast. Salon is and always has been headquartered in San Francisco; it's hard to imagine it anywhere else.
As an aside, Salon founder David Talbot is out with a new book, co-authored with his sister Margaret Talbot and brother-in-law Arthur Allen, about the activists who led the changes in the 1960s and 70s. I'll be reviewing that book here in the coming weeks.
But back to those experiences as a bureau chief -- they made me sensitive to the issues remote workers face and subsequently I tried to act as a resource for the outside bureau folks. Invariably, they were concerned about what was going on back at headquarters.
My hope for those still inside the workforce is that many more people now will be similarly sensitized, and make sure their colleagues in remote locations get the support they need. That would be what we could call a Covid silver lining.
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One of the more significant articles this weekend came from the Post, reporting that elderly people are increasingly vulnerable to falls due to the interactions between various prescription drugs they take for high blood pressure, depression and allergies.
Since falls are a major factor in injuries and deaths, and these health conditions are so common, this should be a major red flag for anyone caring for their aging family members and friends. I, for one, know what it is like to live in fear of falling; and also to get better and leave that fear behind.
One of the major takeaways from my decades of research into the effects of chemical substances on human health is that the synergistic effects of agrochemicals -- and drugs --remain poorly studied or understood by medical authorities.
On a practical level, it is worth discussing the Post article with your physician or nurse to see whether any adjustments should be made in the doses and/or medications you are taking. Life is so much better when you can regain your sense of balance.
***
The news:
* U.S. Workers Are Quitting at Highest Rate in Decades --Americans are deciding to take on new jobs and careers as the economy rebounds, spurning a return to business as usual. Some are burned out from extra pandemic workloads and stress, while others prefer the flexibility of remote work. (WSJ)
* 600,000 dead: With normal life in reach, covid’s late-stage victims lament what could have been (WP)
* G7 chides China on rights, demands COVID origins investigation (Reuters)
* The Battle Over the Coronavirus Lab-Leak Theory -- The debate about the origin of the pandemic has become loud, contentious, and infused with politics. We need to find real answers. (New Yorker)
* Private Inequity: How a Powerful Industry Conquered the Tax System -- The I.R.S. almost never audits private equity firms, even as whistle-blowers have filed claims alleging illegal tax avoidance. (NYT)
* The past 2 decades have seen dramatic rise in elderly taking drugs that can lead to falls (WP)
* New Device Taps Brain Signals To Help Stroke Patients Regain Hand Function -- After a stroke, people often lose dexterity in one hand. Now, the Food and Drug Administration has authorized a device that can restore function by encouraging the brain to rewire. (NPR)
* There is no shortage of job openings for local election officials in Michigan. It's the same in Pennsylvania. Wisconsin, too. After facing threats and intimidation during the 2020 presidential election and its aftermath, and now the potential of new punishments in certain states, county officials who run elections are quitting or retiring early. (AP)
* Climate Protesters Rally on the Streets and at Sea Amid G7 Summit -- Groups of demonstrators gathered in Falmouth, England, on Saturday to protest the effects of climate change as world leaders met for the G7 summit. (AP, Reuters)
* Russia, U.S. and other countries reach new pact against cyber hacking, even as attacks continue (WP)
* New Israeli government wins majority vote, ending Netanyahu tenure (Reuters)
* Justice Dept secretly subpoenaed McGahn’s records (AP)
* Teachers nationwide rally to protest restrictions on lessons about racism (WP)
* School districts across the United States are hiring additional teachers in anticipation of what will be one of the largest kindergarten classes ever as enrollment rebounds following the coronavirus pandemic. (AP)
* Baseball’s Sticky Situation -- Doctoring baseballs with ultra-tacky substances has pitchers dominating and some questioning the game’s integrity. Can cleaning up the balls liven up the sport? (NYT)
* Two people were killed and at least 30 others wounded in mass shootings overnight in three states, authorities said Saturday, stoking concerns that a spike in U.S. gun violence could continue into summer as coronavirus restrictions ease and more people are free to socialize. (AP)
* 'Crazy Worms' Threaten America's Trees — And (Gasp!) Our Maple Syrup--The invasive worms, which reproduce rapidly, are creating havoc in forests. They thrash around so violently that they can jump out of a person's hand. They also lose their tail — on purpose. (NPR)
* Humpback Whale Nearly Eats a Lobsterman, Then Thinks Better of It -- Michael Packard, a lobster diver in Provincetown, Mass., found himself inside the mouth of a whale on Friday morning, then was spit out. (NYT)
* Increasingly Worried Man Hasn’t Yet Come Across Any Guacamole In Burrito (The Onion)
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"When I'm Sixty-Four"
The Beatles
Losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a Valentine?
Birthday greetings bottle of wine?
Till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me
Will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?
s
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