Piecing Together the Extent of the Horror

Yesterday, I posted about the good news that my mother received her second COVID-19 inoculation, which has me feeling a great deal of relief.  The news on the national level is not so great, however, even though we seem to have turned a corner, as the idiom goes.  Via Tengrain, we have this sobering reminder that the COVID-19 death toll is, on a global scale, probably double that reported by various governments, in the case of the United States, the figure is probably about 38% higher, with a total death toll of over nine hundred thousand Americans.

This particular figure has been calculated by tallying excess deaths, over the statistical average, for the COVID-19 era.  Globally, there has been a discrepancy between official death counts and excess death statistics.

Months ago, I noted that the Former Guy actually stated that not testing for COVID-19 would drive the numbers down, and took away the FDA's authority to regulate COVID-19 testing kits.  Last July, the Trump Maladministration forced the CDC to stop releasing hospitalization and ICU statistics, handing the authority to the Department of Health and Human Services.  It has to be noted that the lowballing of COVID-19 deaths in the US was greatest in localities that supported Trump, though even in New York, nursing home deaths were underreported by the thousands.

A year ago, I predicted that a half-million Americans would die before the pandemic ran its course, and my co-worker countered by saying it would be a million.  I'm starting to think that I may have been a Pollyanna... and to think that I've always maintained that I'm a cynic!

COVID Relief

Gradually, we seem to be finding our way out of the COVID crisis.  To my vast relief, my mom received her second Pfizer inoculation this afternoon.  I called her a couple of hours after her jab, and she told me she was doing fine- no pain, no fatigue, no adverse reactions at all.  Basically, her experience with the shot seems to be mirroring mine.  I advised her to drink plenty of water, but I'm sure she'll be fine.  Mom walks six miles a day, weather permitting.

The real significance of her second inoculation is that, in two weeks, I should be able to visit Mom without any qualms.  I figure it would be nice to help her out with some gardening, and the weather should be decent enough to do some planting by then (it still gets down to the 40s at night, so it's premature to plant any basil or tomatoes).  Even more importantly, Mom will be able to travel to see her grandchildren.  It's been too long since she's taken a good, long trip.

I don't worry about Mom, she's in good health and has a good local support network in her neighborhood.  She's well squared away, but it's nice to know that she'll be protected from this out-of-the-ordinary scourge. 

Your Annual Warning Against the Marxican Threat

For years, I have been warning against the Marxican threat on Cinco de Mao, that perilous day when leftists celebrate the birthday of Karl Marx by drinking a lot of tequila, mezcal, and cervezas. 

Having completely capitulated to the Marxican menace, I signaled my surrender to the Cinco de Mao forces by stopping at a Pueblan restaurant not too far from work to grab some tacos before punching the clock. A lot of other persons had the same idea, the wait for takeout orders was a half hour, plenty of time to call Mom up and tell her I had submitted to the Marxist cause (Groucho, Chico, Harpo, and Zeppo are Mexican names, no?). Unfortunately, there aren't taco trucks on every corner, but a guy makes do with the taquerias he's got in his various milieus. That being said, La Perla Poblanita puts out some fine cuisine.

Why am I using French vocabulary on this night which celebrates a Mexican vicory over a French army? No puedo decir! It's a pity I couldn't drink any tequila, this being a work night- I actually found some tripe on sale at the supermarket (it used to be cheap), and tomorrow I plan on cooking a world class hangover cure.

Petrol Pump Paladin

 Champions exist among us, those brave souls who, when faced by the evil deeds of evildoers, take arms against the malfeasors, leaving this world safer for the meek-but-law-abiding. Here, we have a veritable Jedi master, facing multiple opponents with an elegant weapon for a more civilized age:

BDE= knowing when to pull it out. pic.twitter.com/fLHDXtdUF4

— Knot the Agency Guy (@knot_agency) April 30, 2021

It's not as clumsy or random as a blaster!

Dart the Reluctant

It's infuriating that a sizable percentage of the population is experiencing 'vaccine reluctance'.  It's even more infuriating that the talking points being deployed by the anti-vaxxers, who also tend to be anti-mask and anti-lockdown... being pro-pandemic for all intents and purposes.  The latest lunacy is that vaccinated people shed vaccine particles which interfere with menstrual cycles of those in the vicinity.  This is now being pushed by a QAnon whacko who ran unsuccessfully against Nancy Pelosi.  She believes that vaccines are satanic:

QAnon conspiracy theorist DeAnna Lorraine warns that the effort to get people vaccinated is a "modern-day Holocaust," complains that it's teaching people to trust science instead of their guts, and says it's all the work of Satan. pic.twitter.com/PWP3Tb9aGz

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) May 3, 2021

 At this point, we'll never achieve herd immunity with so many vaccine holdouts unless we take drastic measures.  It's time to shoot those idiots with dart guns firing vaccination needles.

Eerie Cries and Nazgûl Eyes

The common red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is an uncommonly beautiful animal, sleek of form and pleasant of hue.  We have them in my neck of the woods, but it is a rare occasion, usually around dawn, when I see one.  Hearing them, though, is another story entirely... it's enough to raise one's hackles.

Right around four-thirty this morning, I heard that screa suh m and rushed out to the field with a high-powered flashlight to get a glimpse.  While I could see the sleek profile of the wee beastie, the most prominent visible features were the twin glows of the animal's tapeta lucida reflecting back at me.  Needless to say, the cat wasn't too happy knowing that there was another predator in the vicinity.  She eagerly jumped onto my shoulder, even though the fox kept a distance of about fifty meters, and was glad when we eventually went back inside.

I'm not the sort of person who scares easily, I couldn't function in my job if I were, but there's something unheimlich about such a sound, even coming from a small, pretty animal.  Of course, my natural inclination is to investigate the sources... contrary to John Bellairs' advice: "Unexplained noises are best left unexplained."

I love my job, I find it a continuous source of beauty and wonder, but it's not for everyone.  To my knowledge, two new hires didn't even last a shift.  I like to think that it's my investigative bent which keeps me here... well, that and a certain level-headedness.  I know I'm the most dangerous animal onsite.

Hooray Hooray the First of May!

 Outdoor judo starts today!

Today was the return of my Saturday morning coaching gig.  In an ordinary year, this program runs from October to March, and takes place indoors- the model of the program being that the children would participate in school athletics in the Spring and Summer.  With social distancing guidelines still in place, we have adapted to the new conditions, and will be running an outdoor program throughout May and June, a semester of eight weeks rather than our traditional ten.

Judo being a contact sport, we haven't really been able to conduct complete classes in which the kids can compete with each other.  Today, we just went over the steps necessary for the throws ippon seoi nage, tai otoshi (my personal favorite), and o soto gari.  We were practicing in a gorgeous locale on the shore of Long Island Sound, and while the scenery was beautiful, when we started it was windy and a bit chilly for early May.

Of course the highlight of the morning was seeing everyone- administrators, coaches, parents, and kids.  We all compared vaccination notes, most of us have received the requisite number of shots (we're not getting any older), and we look forward to a day when we can return to our usual digs,  On a sad note, I learned that Roberto Rulli, loving father, doting grandfather, skilled judoka, brilliant mentor, and good friend, passed away at the age of eighty in Florence, Italy.  He was a kind man, but one who knew more than a few tricks to use on opponents.  Condolences to his loved ones.

After the program ended, a restorative lunch with friends at the venerable Mister Taco in New Rochelle was in order.  Some guacamole, a couple of tacos, and a glass of horchata were accompanied by a lively discussion of the infamous North Avenue bars, which from the late seventies to the mid nineties were positively overrun by underage drinkings (uh, I'm not admitting to anything).  Yes, until the mid nineties, when there was a drunk driving incident which claimed the life of a teenager, the neighborhood was pretty much a destination for free-range high schoolers looking to get loaded.  Thankfully, the county social scene shifted to my neighborhood, where the taverns are more professionally operated, at the time, leaving the former party district of North Avenue open to development by immigrant business owners from Mexico and Jamaica.  It was a hell of a nostalgia trip, with tales of debauchery in dives with fetid accommodations... quite the contrast to the morning's wholesome outdoor activity.  I think next week, I'll introduce my friends to the varied restaurants on New Rochelle's busy Main Street... there's a really good Peruvian place among the quality Mexican restaurants.

It's good to have this part of my routine return, even though it's not exactly what it was in the Before Times.  Someday, we'll be able to really play our sport (my great and good friend Gentle Jimmy G made it clear to me that he's looking forward to beating me up), someday soon.  In the meantime, we make do with imparting the bare fundamentals and figuring out how to teach under very limiting circumstances.