Omicron Con

I haven't covered the emergence of the omicron variant of COVID because I was preoccupied with family holiday goings-on, and frankly, I believe that a 'wait and see' approach to this new variety is warranted until its transmissibility and virulence are better known.  I'm not really that worried about the omicron variant... after all, some waggish doomsayer predicted that it would be the pi variant which will end us all on March 14.

That being said, it was a bit disconcerting to read that omicron has already arrived in New York, with an attendee of the November 19-21 NYC Anime Con tested positive for the variant.  The individual was vaccinated, and only experienced a mild case, from which he recovered, so it's not a case of omae wa mo shindeiru, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disconcerted.

On a personal note, the president of the organization I work for issued a vaccine mandate- we have to offer proof of vaccination by December 8 or be suspended without pay.  I put a photocopy of my COVID-19 vaccination card in the interoffice mail, indicating that I've received my two shots and a booster.  Still, I am glad that our winter hiatus has now arrived, so I can go into hermit mode for the next six months.

It's Always Been a MAGA Plague

Via Tengrain, we have a recap of Donald Trump's career as a COVID superspreader, including the shocking, but not surprising, revelation that Trump tested positive for the 'rona just days before his first debate with Joe Biden.  If you can't beat your opponent in the debate, or the campaign, use a biological weapon against him...

Tengrain's post details the superspreader events from September on, which infected members of Trump's inner circle as well as the rubes.  In one particularly pathetic case, Chris Christie probably contracted COVID from Trump while helping him with debate prep.

The real issue is that COVID-19 was always a MAGA plague.  The first COVID superspreader event was the 2020 CPAC conference, which resulted in the containment-and-quarantine of my beloved city of New Rochelle, NY.  It's still a MAGA plague, and MAGA politicians are determined to keep it that way.

Twelve Years of Bastardy

Twelve years ago, I started this blog with a post which spoofed the opening of Robert E. Howard's The Phoenix on the Sword, the first of his 'Conan' stories.  The opening of the Arnold Conan movie was modified from this introduction.  I've striven to post just about every day since then, with some measure of success.  One one bizarre occasion, I even wrote 24 posts in 24 hours, but feel no need to repeat that feat.

As far as goals and inspirations go, I pretty much can't describe them better than I did in my five year blogiversary post.  Needless to say, it's also nice to have a running chronology of contemporary events and my thoughts and moods regarding them.  I've gotten more political in the intervening years, because politics have gotten more fraught.  When I started, it was a pretty even mix of navel gazing, star gazing, and gazing into the abyss, but the abyss has gotten deeper in the past five, and particularly last two, years.

My one big blogging regret is that I didn't start earlier, primarily because I missed out on two years and three months of Secret Science Club lecture recaps.  Currently, I plan to keep on blogging as long as Google doesn't mess with the Blogger platform too egregiously.  Thanks for reading, you make it all worthwhile.

Vin's Birthday 2021

Here's wishing a happy birthday to my brother Vincenzo, who hosted me for Thanksgiving last week.  It has been traditional in our family to celebrate Vin's birthday as a continuation of Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception.  Vin's in the Huntsville region, and the presence of the space center there has meant that there are several really good German restaurants in the region, so we had a nice gemütlich celebration of his natal day.

Vin has always exhibited limitless generosity and boundless hospitality, and last week was no exception.  Soon after Vin entered the army, he posted the family address on a bulletin board, letting his comrades know that they had a place to have a good meal and to stay while on leave.  His generosity and hospitality hasn't diminished one bit.

Vin and his wife, also generous and family-oriented, have raised their children well, instilling in them the values that they embody.   They are smart kids, generous, and talented (they are all musical and the girls paint).  Vin himself, retired from the Army, has been working for an aerospace-related company.  He's able to work out of home, which has made the family dog ecstatic, but he maintains the 'strack' discipline that was instilled in him as a teenager- he's out of the house by 5AM to hit the gym every morning.  He's found a great work/life balance that gives him plenty of time for his family.

I'm proud of Vin, his wife, and the kids, and grateful to be related to them.  THAT is the main reason why Vin's birthday has always been a continuation of Thanksgiving.

Back in the Proverbial New York Groove

I just got back to New York around 11PM last night (heading to work, rather than home), and already my vacation seems like a dream.  Looking back over last week, I realize that I accomplished a lot.  Mom was able to get her booster shot at a drugstore in Alabama (there being a paucity of vaccines in her Virginia environs).  I got to see my nieces taking riding lessons and help out their friends at the stables.  I got to hear my nephew practice singing for his upcoming Christmas recital.  I got slobbered on by a very large dog on several occasions.  I set up a Thanksgiving Zoom that all of my siblings and most of my nieces and nephews were able to participate in.  After driving my mom back to her home, I was able to catch up with another nephew and meet his girlfriend (who in retrospect comes across as someone I've known for years), and tried out a great Uyghur restaurant not far from Mom's house.

The ride from Virginia to New York was surprisingly uneventful, given the travel day I picked.  I left Mom's house after 5PM, aiming to cross the mighty Hudson in plenty of time to work the midnight shift.  I honestly think at aiming to be at one's destination at an off-hour was the key to my success... I mean, who in their right mind wants to arrive at midnight?  The shift itself wasn't bad, I had taken a nap the prior afternoon.  At any rate, it was nice to see Ginger.  I got home in time to say good morning to my upstairs neighbor, who was getting ready to take the kids to school, and slept most of the day away.

As I said, last week already seems a bit unreal.  I'm already in 'Long Winter' mode- the deal I made with my coworker was that he'd work Thanksgiving (a London boy, it's not a holiday that resonates with him) and I will work Christmas so he can spend the day with his family.  I'm back in the New York groove, I just hope that, with a new COVID variant, it won't be a New York rut.

Second Leg of the Return Trip

Today, my plan is to leave Mom's house in northern Virginia and drive straight to work the midnight shift in New York's lower Hudson Valley.  Before hitting the road, I am planning on meeting Boy B, my eldest nephew, son of my sister, for lunch.  He's currently in the Space Force (no joke) and traveled from Cape Canaveral to Washington DC to spend the holiday with his girlfriend.  I'm looking forward to meeting her, she was brave enough to participate in a Thanksgiving Zoom with various aunts, uncles, and cousins, and seems like a sweet young lady.  She's currently in grad school for political science, so she's a bright gal, too.

Timing the departure is the difficult part, because traffic will probably be heavy.  The fact that I am hoping to reach my destination at an odd hour should work in my favor.  I won't be in any hurry for lunch to end.

First Leg of the Return Trip

Today, I tackle the first leg of the return trip, post-Thanksgiving.  We'll be leaving soon, heading out at the same time my nieces leave for their horse riding lessons... there's no urgency to leave, and we want to maximize our time together.  

Mom and I spent a good chunk of Wednesday watching the girls ride, and more importantly, of watching them help their friends out- they ride horses owned by other riders, many of whom have nine-to-five jobs, and are trusted to exercise these animals.  I also watched, with pride, the girls helping an older friend, a recent college grad, load a balky horse onto a travel trailer, using a companion horse to reassure the reluctant one to enter.  They are smart, kind kids, and I just love spending time with them.  I'm a bit bummed that we don't really have time to see them in action for another day.

Yeah, there's no urgency to leave, no 7AM start to adhere to. Mom and I are going to stick to the winning formula of our trip down- a light breakfast, supplemented by occasional snacking on the drive.  The goal is to avoid stops as much as possible while we are traversing what Charles Portis dubbed 'pelagic America'.