Dave's Journal, Dec2020
1939 - 15¢ . . . long ago.
Seeing that cover reminds me that I read the New Yorker for 50+ years and it was my reference for intelligent writing (the best, actually). I even got my sense of humor from its cartoons.
But, sadly, after D. Trump was elected, the magazine swayed far too political for me. Not that I disagreed with their opinions, I just didn't want the topic of politics in the New Yorker. So a few years back I cancelled my long standing subscription. I miss it, but truth is they went astray long before I bailed out.
Sad. I miss it.
Could have sworn these animations were late 1950's, but no .... they are 1964 and 1969. That was an awful decade. Much much worse than these days. But I guess Rudolf and Frosty helped kids deal with it. Didn't realize that I had the DVD's (that I swiped these clips from).
Groceries-to-Go ->> well .... the CDC is predicting another 200,000 COVID19 virus deaths in the US during Dec-Jan-Feb, and that ignited my paranoia and I decided start ordering groceries-to-go. Pick them up in the parking lot tomorrow. Ordering was easy enough. We'll see how the actual delivery works out.
Russian Jupiter-8 50mm/f2.0 on it's way from Santa's workshop in Latvia. Old and beat up, but hey so am I.
It's a legend for not-sharp, low contrast, vintage looking pictures and videos.
(on Amazon Video - kind of cool -
have no idea what the storyline is.)
(Photo of my TV screen set to B&W, vintage lens.)
Otherwise, things are ever so boring around here. COVID lockdown shows no signs of ending. Christmas gatherings won't happen this year. Big virus spike is expected in mid December, due to Thanksgiving holiday that just passed and people ignored the safety guidelines.
Every 30 seconds someone dies due to complications from catching the COVID virus. It is typically not the singular cause of death, but it is the coup de grace that finishes you off. So, if you are already battling some illness, you don't want to get this virus.
Well, I tell myself, chalk it up to a "bad year". The world is gone to hell in a basket, so does it really matter?
FOOTNOTE: I did online grocery shopping (as reported above) and the parking lot pickup was excellent. Never even got out of my car. They load the trunk. Real paper shopping bags with handles, neatly packed. Changed my buying habits, for sure.
This graph is horribly plotted, but it says that Central Massachuetts ICU's (last column on the right) are at 67% capacity at the moment. (Only 33% of ICU beds are open.) I have no idea what the typical rate is, but you could get nervous thinking about this.
Jees.... and there's this :
This virus is having a big effect on unemployment in the US.
Take, for example, this poor girl ....
Alice Little, the woman who infamously hypes herself as the "highest-earning sex worker in the US," is suing the state of Nevada in a bid to force the reopening of brothels amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Little's big lawsuit comes after the state's governor, Steve Sisolak, excluded houses of ill repute from the "close contact establishments he permitted to get back to business as part of phase 2 reopening efforts in May.
"The governor's decision to keep brothels closed is just blatant discrimination against Nevada's legal sex workers," said Little, 30, in a press release.
The ginger Ireland native - who has 106,000 followers on Instagram - worked for the Moonlite BunnyRanch, which closed its doors in March in line with statewide coronavirus lockdown measures. Around a year prior, Irish Central reported that she was pulling in around $1 million per year.
Plants (gift from Catherine)
in from the cold porch for winter
(not a minute too soon).
I should make a box shelter for these guys.
Dec.31.2020Well tomorrow morning the world will be just as screwed up as it is today, but at least we get to hang up fresh new calendars, and make fresh French style coffee with our Christmas grinder and press. (It ain't espresso, but it's very pleasant and not acidic.)
