Pandemic Report
Relevant news items include but are not restricted to the following:
- Almost 14% of US adults have gotten the new monovalent COVID-19 vaccines and about 10% of newly vaccinated are minors. There's some evidence of a vaccine uptick as we approach Thanksgiving next week but a recent poll showed up to 75% are not worried about COVID affecting Thanksgiving travel plans.
- Confidence in scientists during the pandemic has dropped from 87% to 73%, with a disproportionate drop among Republicans. No doubt that social media with anti-vaxxer misinformation, high-profile Congressional hearings (e.g., Rand Paul) and some CDC reversals, e.g., on masking guidance, have taken their toll.
- A prominent Harvard study showed a drop in life expectancy of about 3 years during the pandemic with women's longevity advantage growing to about 6 years. Part of it seems to be men are more likely to be in riskier locations and less likely to seek help for physical or mental illness/substance abuse issues.
- Texas' recent ban on employer vaccine mandates, including healthcare facilities, is worrisome. I know an elderly relative in a Texas assisted living facility among other residents, recently caught COVID. We know from CDC the rates of COVID and flu shots among healthcare workers have dropped. We even have the anecdotal report of a doctor knowingly performing a procedure while COVID-positive.
- We have reports that up to 20% of Paxlovid (Pfizer's oral COVID medication) users have COVID rebounds.
- Sen. Romney (R-UT) is chairing a hearing on COVID relief fraud where up to $5B may have been stolen by foreign entities and $36B estimates in small business program fraud may be only 10% of actual fraud.
- In addition to the last item, individual fraud cases continue to be prosecuted, such as a Georgia woman accused of stealing $388K from a Boise institution.
Other Notes
Blog pageviews slogged this past week to nearly a baker's dozen daily, nearly half the recent daily rate. not including the bloated Singapore stats over 2 months back. No clue. Even my last social media post didn't achieve double digits as it usually does. My Twitter/X impressions are sagging below 200 impressions a day.I have been obsessed with the Beatles' "Now and Then". I bought the download over the past week via Amazon. I thought I had $5-6 in downloads credit (by agreeing to let Amazon reschedule recent deliveries). I found myself billed the $2 and tax, no credit given which is different from more recent experience with credits. Maybe the Beatles is a special case to credit redemption. Not a big deal; I'm willing to give the Beatles the money.
There is an emotional aspect to the single download. The "last" Beatles' song is paired with a remix of "Love Me Do", their first hit single. There's a personal attachment to that. My late best friend (and former UH doctoral student suitemate) Bruce Breeding liked the tune. (I don't recall us talking music but apparently, we both loved the Beatles.) Bruce had a massive stroke and for a while Susan his wife/widow, had a daily blog tracking his recovery. One of the first signs of his regaining consciousness was something like seeing his feet move upon her playing '"Love Me Do".
I've probably watched at least 2-3 dozen YouTube reaction videos. Some of them are funny; I remember one where the hosts couldn't name John or George. A few wrongly obsessed the voices were generated (vs. isolated) by AI software. About the harshest criticism I've heard are those who think the Beatles performed better songs. Some will point out some song differences from John's original demo. Others will say George hated the song, didn't have an accompanying vocal, and even Paul emulated George's use of the slide guitar.
Most of us Beatles fans know about John's final words to co-songwriter Paul:
Paul McCartney's wife, Linda, shared the last thing Lennon ever said to McCartney, according to [Ultimate Classic Rock]), and it's heartbreaking given what was to come: "Think about me every now and then, old friend."
The story is some time after John's death, Yoko Ono, his widow gave Paul 3 unfinished demos, also including "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird". "Now and Then" was on a cassette tape and technology in the 90's could not separate John's vocals from his piano playing in spots. More recent technology has enabled that.
I'm disappointed it got to #7 in its first week on the Hot 100. Normally I would say that is almost a lock on hitting #1 but occasionally I've seen hotshot debuts peak early and quickly drop.
My favorite Hallmark TV movies list continues:
- "Holly and Ivy". Melody, an aspiring librarian, has bought a fixer-upper next door to Nina, a single mom to daughters Holly and Ivy. On her trips to the hardware store, she meets Adam, a construction contractor whose real passion is custom woodwork. Nina has a fatal illness, and Melody impulsively agrees to adopt the girls. But the courts will never agree if Melody doesn't get her house up to code. Will Adam help self-reliant Melody? HMM
- "Love You Like Christmas". Maddie, a corporate up-and-comer, is driving to a big business meeting and takes the wrong turn at a fork on the road to Christmas Valley. Along her drive she encounters Kevin, a Christmas tree farmer who has spilled his cargo on the road. Circumstances lead to Maddie staying with widower Kevin and his preteen daughter. Sparks fly between Maddie and Kevin but her corporate boss wants her back at headquarters ASAP. HMM
- "A Joyous Christmas". Rachel, a successful motivational author/speaker, is in town to host a Christmas inspirational event. Joy, a local volunteer, rescues Rachel from a pedestrian/car accident. Rachel is estranged from her local brother and soon sparks fly with Jack, a local producer recruited for the event. Joy agrees to help Rachel with the event. Joy donates a children's book to a charity which unexpectedly links Jack and Joy. HMM
- "Holiday Engagement". This is an older one I saw HMM schedule at 4 AM. Hillary a local newspaper feature writer, is engaged to Jason, a career-driven lawyer. Hillary wins a Mexico trip from a local radio show. Jason wants her to move with him to Pittsburgh where his career will advance. When Hillary balks, Jason breaks the engagement. Hillary's mom expects to meet Jason at Christmas. Hillary recruits David, a struggling actor she had earlier met playing a huge hot dog, to go home with her and play Jason in exchange for the tickets. It almost works until the real Jason shows up to win her back.
- "A Bride for Christmas". Jessie has had bad cold feet before at multiple weddings as a runaway bride. Aiden takes a bet he can get any woman to accept his marriage proposal and a co-worker, who struck out asking Jessie at a gallery, nominates her and Aiden accepts. Jessie has an interior design business and Aiden recruits her to remake his condo to get his foot in the door. She volunteers at a local dog shelter and they bond over a common love for dogs. He falls for her and wants out of the bet she doesn't know about; Jessie actually asks Aiden to marry her. Jessie's prior fiancé overhears Aiden's colleagues concede to his winning the bet. Jessie finds out and furiously calls the engagement off. HMM
