Two Covid Pandemic Issues

Issue 1: How the 1918 Pandemic Ended This NYT article recounts the various 1919 pandemic waves and the reactions to them, and how that pandemic ultimately came to an end. It's got some hopeful insights and some not as hopeful, but it's a worthwhile read.

Issue 2: How to Respond When an Antii-Vaxxer Dies of Covid The question posed is far more interesting than the views expressed by the author, a Jesuit Priest. Posed properly, the question should read: If you knew that an anti-vaxxer refused to wear a mask, and had infected 20 fully-vaccinated people who did wear masks and, while many of those people did okay, some had serious repercussions and some died who had young children and aging parents who depended on them, how would you respond to that anti-vaxxers death from Covid (or from anything for that matter)?

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Panera Bread

I have not eaten at or gotten food from Panera Bread. Nor do I know anyone, including a loyal reader who might be described as a connoisseur's connoisseur who was thought to have sampled food from every restaurant in the free world and beyond, who has tried it. But while their menu is a bit clunky to navigate, their food (especially the bread soup bowls, salads, and sandwiches) looks good and their delivery fee is just $1 (I don't know if one is supposed to tip the delivery person on top of that). 

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NFL: Stupid Is as Stupid Does--Yet Again

When the Kansas City Chiefs used their last play of the first half to go for a difficult touchdown instead of kicking an essentially unmissable field goal, they proved again that, just like stupid mistakes being a major determinant of who wins lawsuits, stupid mistakes plague the NFL even in their championship games (making one wonder how they even got to the AFC championship game). Would it have made a difference in the outcome? I don't know. But it at least might have avoided another tie game leading to playoff under the NFL's stupid OT format (covered brilliantly and appropriately sliced and diced in an earlier post).

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Signs of Counterfeit Masks

Here are 6 signs the NYT says to be on alert for re counterfeit N95, KN95, and KF94 masks:

Legitimate N95 masks never have ear loops; instead they have a pair of elastic bands that go around the back of the head. This typically creates a tighter seal than the ear loops characteristic of KN95s and KF94s.

Packaging should be tamper-evident. Legitimate masks are typically sealed so it’s clear whether anyone besides the manufacturer has handled the contents. If your masks come in a package that’s not secured shut, be suspicious.

Look for an expiration date. On respirator masks, the particle-repelling electrostatic charge and the elastomeric materials in the straps eventually degrade over time. Without an expiration date, you won’t know if the mask is fully effective.

Beware quality-control issues. A crooked nose-bridge wire, elastics that lose their stretch or detach easily — these issues affect the fit and consistency of the mask, and wouldn’t pass muster for a reputable brand.

Packaging should not say “F.D.A. approved.” An N95 is approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), not the F.D.A. (though a surgical N95 must also be cleared by the F.D.A.). 

On N95 masks, look for NIOSH spelled correctly in block letters. There should also be an approval number. This alphanumeric designation starts with the letters “TC-84A,” followed by four additional digits, and can be found on the mask or the bands.

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Devil in a Blue Dress (1995 Movie on Hulu)

Devil in a Blue Dress is a period piece starring Denzel Washington with a noteworthy appearance by Don Cheadle. It's like a mystery scandal thing that certainly holds one's attention even if there is no overarching big point to the movie except that it does give a sobering view of racism in America. If you have 1h42m, there are worse things you can do with your time.

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Cleaning Countertops

Cleaning and sanitizing countertops is essential. Some everyday cleaners will do the counters good, but using the wrong cleaners can do real harm. This article reviews the basics and gives some excellent tips and cautions.

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What Tom Brady and I Have in Common

Tom Brady (who won more Super Bowls than any NFL team has won Super Bowls) will definitely go down as the greatest quarterback in NFL history, and could easily go down as the best football player in NFL history, and just might go down as having the greatest athletic career of anyone in history. Given all that, it might be surprising to some what Tom and I have in common, and that is this: In the 2000 NFL draft, 198 players were chosen before either Tom or I was chosen. Modesty precludes from saying who was the 199th player chosen, but I'll share these hints: It was in the 6th round by the New England Patriots.

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Houses of Worship in the Age of the Pandemic

This appeared as the lead letter in the Central Phoenix section of the Arizona Republic on Jan. 29. The subject line was changed (from "Terrorism and Covid") without the author's permission, nor was the author given a heads-up that it was being published even though it was submitted 12 days ago. 

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After Life (3 Season Series on Netflix)

I've recommended After Life before and now that the third season is done, I recommend it even more highly. I am not a Ricky Gervaise fan, but he's very good in this and it's a wonderful series of half-hour episodes. It's a little too sappy now and then, and drags a bit from time to time, but it's heart-warming, tender, and poignant, with some insightful looks at what makes people human--even if poetic license of exaggeration is taken.

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Two Ways to Look at Wealth: The Right Way and the Other Way

Two indisputable things to say about the stock market since the Fed changed its view on inflation from "transitory" to not, and its announced stance to tighten up on money: The market has reacted with some violent swings (even intra-day ones) and no one knows where it's going from here. In the circumstances, in assessing one's financial well-being, one can feel flush one day and not so much the next. That is because humans tend to look at their wealth in the other way rather than the right way. By way of a hypothetical example, take someone who has $1M (as if anyone has $1M which is why this example is designated a hypothetical). This might be plenty for them to live on, in which event, the right way for them to see it is they are doing fine ... even great. But, if that person had had $2M invested before the market dipped and now has just $1M, they feel terrible and perhaps even depressed; or conversely, if that person had had $500K invested before the market soared, and now has $1M, they feel good and perhaps even elated. The bottom-line is this: Humans tend to look at what they have based on where they were (i.e., looking back) instead of based on where they are (i.e., looking at the here and now).

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Use Your Medical Office's Portal ... Not the Telephone Receptionist

Say it's been 6 months since your last check-up with your cardiologist or their assistant, and, while you're feeling fine and  nothing has changed, you do not know if you should have another check-up. If you call the office and ask whether or not you should have a check-up (and, if so, whether in person or virtual), you just might get the following answer (and I'm not kidding): "I don't know. That's totally up to you. If you want to make an appointment, I'll make an appointment for you. If you don't, that's fine too." Here's what to do instead: Virtually every medical office has a patient portal--so, don't bother calling, just send a message inquiry to your provider.

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Three Fabulous Affordable Out-of-the-Way Caribbean Get-Aways

Tranquility Beach Resort: A brand-new boutique hideaway on Anguilla’s most beautiful beach, Tranquility Beach Anguilla Resort on Meads Bay captures the island’s luxe-meets-low-key vibe in 15 beachy-chic condominiums on the sand. Perfect for a short getaway, an extended family vacation, or a lifetime of island living, these stylish oceanfront retreats combine privacy and highly personalized service with the resort services you love most. Whether you’re imagining dinner on the beach prepared by your private chef, a kitchen and bar stocked with the best staples and spirits, or dinner reservations at a five-star restaurant just a short, toes-in-the-sand stroll down the beach, we offer permission to relax, unwind, and define luxury on your terms at our new Anguilla beach resort. This place, while affordable, is a bit higher than the two below.

Natura Cabana Boutique Hotel & Spa: Natura Cabana is an unspoiled, beachfront hideaway just 3 miles (5 km) from the heart of action-packed Cabarete, Dominican Republic. The unique architecture and eclectic decor are designed to promote comfort and tranquility. Nature is the essence of their concept, so the hotel, spa, and restaurants co-exist with the lush surroundings. The song of the sea and the sounds of the tropics add to the ambiance, enhancing this beautiful journey for its guests. Each of the twelve cabanas is designed within the guidelines of Feng Shui, achieving balance in the energy. Guests like to think of Natura Cabana as a spiritual renewal center in which to relax and re-energize, a romantic getaway, or just a place to meet up with close friends and loved ones. Extremely affordable

Acajou Hotel: ACAJOU is a small, eco-friendly, family run hotel situated on the beautiful and dramatic northern Coast of Trinidad in a little fishing village called Grande Riviere. The hotel is built as a group of traditional cottages nestled in between the beach, a crystal clear river and lush rainforest covered mountains. Less affordable than Natura but more so than Tranquility.

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The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window (2022 Series on Netflix)

The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window is a new series on Netflix. Based on the first episode, it's certainly a watchable series .... very quirky and often difficult to know what's actually happening and what's not. The episodes are a half hour which is a big plus and make it a no-risk show to see if you like it. No clue how it will hold up as it unfolds. 

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The Markets and the Fed: Why This Time Might Be Different

When the phrase in during up-markets, particularly steep up-markets, is "this time might be different," the wiser course has been to head for the hills. Greg Ip's piece in the WSJ applies that phrase to a totally different circumstance, namely, the Fed's raising interest rates and otherwise tightening money supply after there has been an enormous spike in inflation and not, as usually has been done in the past, as a preemptive move. It's a thoughtful article.

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Some Factoids re Amazon Fresh

1. Unlike deliveries from Whole Foods Market which cost $9.95 (no matter how much the order costs) and come from the local store, deliveries from Whole Foods Fresh, which are free (for orders of $35 or more), come from Amazon's main fulfilment center.

2. When you watch the delivery being made on the Amazon map, it might show you as being "next" but the delivery vehicle seems to meander all over the place and make various stops before it gets to you. My best guess is that's because it's delivering food to some people but other Amazon products (which also come from the main fulfilment center) as well, and so you might be the "next" food delivery but not the next delivery in fact. Nevertheless, on every order so far (and there have been at least 9), the delivery was  made within the promised window slot.

3. No tip is required for Amazon Fresh deliveries, but it will default to a 10% tip with a $5 minimum. You can add, reduce, or eliminate the tip entirely within 24 hours of delivery. What's curious is that, if the comment 2 above is correct in that the driver is delivering both Fresh food and other items, why it is tips are included only for the Fresh if at all.

4. Unlike an order from Whole Foods which is likely prepared/packed by one person who takes the order list and fills bags with the ordered items, the Fresh orders likely are filled by multiple people each of whom has responsibility in given areas. As a result, there are some oddities in packing, e.g., the order might have 20 items but only one can item (a can of tomato soup) which will be the only item that appears in one of the delivered paper bags.

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Info re Calling Customer Service

Almost always, when you call customer support or an office, the first thing you will hear (after being instructed  to hang up and call 911 if this is a medical emergency) is to "listen carefully because our menu options have changed." More often than not, that is untrue, fake news, and misinformation, so you need not waste any undue effort listening carefully. Just put on your normal listening hat, and as often as not, hitting 0 will get you to a human rep.

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Tips re Netflix

Stop Next Episodes From Auto-Playing: Tired of opening Netflix and being met with a preview for a movie or show you have no interest in watching? There's a way to turn those off. Like turning off autoplay, go to your Account page, click the account you want to change the settings for and then click Playback settings to open a new page. At the top of the new page, under Autoplay controls for [User] uncheck the box next to Autoplay previews while browsing on all devices and click Save. Not only will previews stop when you first open Netflix, but now moving your mouse over a show won't cause a preview to play either. 

Stop  Previews From Playing: Once you start, it can be hard to stop. If you find your Netflix binging habits are spiraling out of control because Netflix starts up the next episode of a show immediately following the end of your current episode, you can stop it. Go to your Account page, click the account you want to change the settings for and then click Playback settings to open a new page. At the top of the new page, under Autoplay controls for [User] uncheck the box next to Autoplay next episode in a series on all devices and click Save. You can turn off auto-play for each profile, which means you can continue your binging ways but turn it off for your kids' account.

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Tip re Amazon Returns

When returning stuff on Amazon, one has a choice to have the refunded amount go back to one's credit card or go onto one's Amazon account. While the former option might be thought of as the better one, it is not. Thus, if you choose the posting to Amazon's account: (i) you get more options as to where to drop off the return for no charge; (ii) the refund will post quicker into your Amazon account (under the Gift Card balance) than it will to your credit card and will apply as a credit automatically when you make your next Amazon purchase; and (iii) and perhaps most important, if you got 5% back because you used your Amazon Visa card or any amount back from the card you used, you won't "lose" that cash-back as a result of the return/refund.

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Tip re Including Out-of-Stock Items on Amazon Fresh Orders

The surest way to get your desired free 2-hour delivery time slot on an Amazon Fresh order is to place the  order 24  hours before you want the delivery (i.e., if you want the 5 am -7 am delivery slot on Friday, place the order at 5 am on Wednesday). The only problem is that there might be items out-of-stock and hence not available when you place the order. Rather than continually going back to Amazon Fresh to see if the item(s) you want has/have been restocked, just open the Amazon Fresh page that has the item, and set it through your Auto-Refresh setting to keep checking for you. 

PS: Auto-Refresh is an extension available on Chrome and I'm guessing every other browser. It is an amazingly useful extension that, once you have it, you will find indispensable for countless instances where you want to see if the information on any webpage has updated.

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Baseball Hall of Fame: Needs a New Name

Without disclosing my position on whether Bonds, Clemens, Schilling, and Rose should or should not have been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, the following conclusion is inescapable: The Hall of Fame does not include the player who hit more home runs than anyone in baseball ever, the pitcher who collected more Cy Young awards than anyone in baseball ever, a pitcher who won over 350 games which is more wins than all but  8 other pitchers in baseball ever (all but 2 of whom played in eras before the last couple of eras), and a player who has more base hits than anyone in baseball ever. So, it is not just fair, but indisputable, to say that the Hall is not populated with the best players. Nor is it populated with the players who most embody "fame" under any meaning or reasonably understandable synonym of that word. In the circumstances, it would seem to make sense to rename that Hall--some fitting candidates would be: Hall of Players With Excellent Careers Whom We Like, or Hall of Excellent Players Who Might Not Have Been Role Models But We Forgive Their Transgression(s), or Hall of Not the Best Players But Some Very Good Ones.

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Biden: Tell Us Why Ukraine Matters

Text of Letter to the NYT: "To date, all that can be told from Biden’s words is that Russia and perhaps Putin personally will pay a heavy price if Russia invades the Ukraine. Not a word about what price Americans will or might pay. From Biden’s statements, we have learned that, whatever the stakes or however important Ukraine’s independence is, they are not important enough for the United States or NATO to send troops into Ukraine, and perhaps not even important enough to send personnel to train Ukrainians on the arms being shipped. If the Biden Administration does not explain to the country what the stakes are in Ukraine, and why Russia’s invading Ukraine threatens a vital national interest of the United States, and what that vital national interest is, then should it come to be that Americans are going to pay a high price for what happens (e.g., if there is a cyber-attack on facilities in the United States or a major collapse of markets), the Biden Administration can expect to have its support, which already is dangerously low and on a downward trajectory, crumble away."

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The Gilded Age (New Series on HBO)

The Gilded Age is a new series that airs Monday nights on HBO. It's kind of a cross between Upstairs, Downstairs and Downtown Abbey. Christine Baranski is her recognizable self turning in a laudable performance. It's not over the moon but it's entertaining enough sort of, and while it's set in an earlier age, it's not like the characters are aliens or the sub-lots are fantastical. A major negative of the first episode is that it ran 1h21m. Let's hope that's an outlier viz the remaining episodes. While it tries to capture the look and feel of the age its portraying, the street scenes are so clearly sets or computer animations that one must chuckle instead of being even mildly awed in any way.

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Rechargeable Arc Lighters: For the Birds

As many loyal readers might guess, I am smitten with new technology. At least I was until my trusty mechanical butane lighter (pictured below) gave out and I got an electric rechargeable arc lighter (pictured below). It's good looking for sure and that it doesn't need fuel is wonderful. Unfortunately, I can't get it to light anything and so I returned it and bought a pack of 3 old faithfulls.

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PS on RFK, Jr. and Cheryl Hines

 A January 22 post here linked a story about RFK, Jr's path to becoming a crazed anti-vaxxer, and it also expressed shock that Cheryl Hines was his wife. This past weekend, RFK, Jr. went way over the top in invoking the horrors of the Holocaust as akin to vaccine mandates. As this Newsweek article explains, Ms. Hines released her own statement condemning her husband's remarks, while he put out a classic non-apology apology, to-wit: "My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry." As such, he embraced what a January 20 post here called one of two of the worst ways to handle a mess up. 

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NFL's Overtime Rule: A Flawed Outlier

Every professional sport that breaks ties with an overtime has a balanced and fair overtime rule, except the NFL. In baseball, the innings are extended where each team has the same number of offensive and defensive innings; in basketball, play continues for each overtime period of a set time; in hockey and soccer (the real football), there is sudden death but each team has an equal chance to be the first to score, and in soccer if it goes to PKs, each team has an equal  number of chances; and similarly in golf, tennis, curling, darts, shuffleboard, bowling, badminton, volleyball, skeet, cricket, rugby, and table tennis (although concededly table tennis is a bit different). The NFL has a modified-sudden-death format where a coin toss decides who receives the kickoff and, if that team scores a touchdown on its first possession, the game is over even though the other team had no offensive chance to score. As exciting as the Bills/Chiefs game finish was this past weekend, with over 30 points scored in the final few minutes, it could have been even more exciting if the Bills had been afforded the opportunity in OT to match the Chiefs' OT touchdown. Tony and Mike disagree. But on this issue they are not only old and old-school, they are wrong and wrong-headed and total knuckleheads.

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Caution re Automatic Downloads

Some email programs and browsers default to set downloads in general and downloads from links and attachments to open automatically (as Gmail does, which I didn’t realize) and others don’t (like Outlook, which is my primary email client). It is more convenient to allow for automatic opening of downloads/links/attachments, but it is safer to not allow automatic opening especially for the instances where the source is  untrusted or unknown and hence might be malicious. If you are interested in changing your download settings, type into The Google something like "Stop automatic download and opening of attachments in [insert your email client or browser name]" (without the quotes) and follow the steps to do so that will appear.

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Air Fryers: Don't Come Home Without One

If there's one appliance that will spice up your culinary life more than any other, it's an air fryer. Everyone knows how great they are for crisping chicken without splatter or oil. But as has been explained elswhere, air fryers are not just for making fried foods, they will produce the best cheesecake ever in 20 minutes and meats and seafoods will come out more delicious than anyone can ever dream. The Cuisinart Chef’s Convection Toaster Oven TOB-260N1 (pictured below) is my favorite (and Wirecutters) and cost about $300, but if you want a smaller unit that is not as good and cost about $50 more, you can go with my and their second choice, the Philips Premium Airfryer HD9741/96.

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Best Microwave Popcorn

My family long ago mastered the at-home movie-watching experience, complete with surround-sound speakers and air-popped corn, drizzled with real butter my dad melted over the stove. Fast-forward to college, and my movie-watching quickly shifted to microwaving noodles and watching Netflix huddled around a 14-inch laptop. One evening, my college roommate casually pulled out a bag of Kirkland Signature Microwave Popcorn. It is, without a doubt, the freshest-tasting microwave popcorn I’ve tried. It brings me back to family movie nights as a kid, and it easily beats all of the cloying, overly salty brands of typical microwave popcorn. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll never go back. Alterantively, just buy a hot air popper, buy popping kernels, and add good quality olive oil.  In all events, be sure to read your microwave manual about the desideratum of using it for bagged microwave popcorn. Some of the better microwaves will tell you not to.

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Dream Horse (2020 Movie on Kanopy)

Dream Horse is the story of an unlikely race horse bred by a small-town Welsh bartender who, with no experience, convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings in the hopes he can compete with the racing elites. It is a true story. It's not the best movie ever made, but it's not bad, and it's heart-warming, and the photography and scenery are lovely. The cast includes Damien Lewis in quite a different role than he played in Homeland. Claire Danes is not in the movie.

PS: Kanopy is a free streaming service available to anyone who has a library membership. 

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PS's re the NFL Post of Yesterday

PS 1: Although the NFL post as it appeared online added a sentence that read "And the end of the Chiefs/Bills game topped that Rams/Bucs game," it did not appear in the email. Nor did the email or the post include the line, which it should have, that the four weekend divisional playoff games likely represented the best weekend of football ever played, all of which games were decided on the last play by the offense. In all events, the last few minutes of the Chiefs/Bills game, where 30+ points were scored, might be the greatest ending of a game ever. As one observer put it, it was a game where neither offense should have lost and neither defense should have won.

PS 2: A knowledgeable loyal reader took issue with the stupidity given in the post about going for the 2-point conversion just because a penalty moved the spot from 2-yards out to 1-yard out, and made an excellent point in doing so: "I would have gone for two points, only because, given the score (6-0) and because it was still early (1st half), it made a lot of sense and there was no risk to speak of. Also, about the difference between two yards and one yard -- a two-point conversion is the same as a 4th down play, i.e., one chance to make good.  NFL stats reveal that the probability of gaining a first down on 4th-and-2 is just under 50%, while the probability of gaining a first down on 4th-and-1 is almost 75%.  Also, 2-point conversion percentage since 2001: from 2-yard line: 48.5%, from 1-yard line: 62.4%.  And those odds improve with Derrick Henry in the backfield." While not calling this read a knucklehead, we did point out to him, as Tony and Mike would have done on PTI: "The PTI guys would chew you up on using metrics instead of judgment. And as to the metrics, when examined closely, the metrics cited are based on extra points much later in the games ... and virtually not at all in the first quarter ... and they are based on where the extra point matters for some reason ... and virtually not at all where there is no clue whether or not it will matter ... putting it another way by way of a different example, getting a first down on 4th and 1 is quite high, but would you go for it in the first quarter from your own 12 yard line?" All that said, if I made the rules, I would eliminate the PAT entirely and have TDs count for 7 points.

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Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy

We have railed in this blog about sample size and other statistical concepts that, when not understood or adhered to, lead one to jump to wrong or at least unsupported conclusions. The Israeli experience with a second booster is the latest example. Another important concept to understand is the Texas Sharpshooter Fallacy, which is the tendency of people to ignore the differences in the data and overemphasize the similarities, thus arriving at an inaccurate conclusion, and is an error that typically happens when a person finds and applies an existing pattern that nicely fits into their presumptions. The most common example of the fallacy is looking for environmental factors to explain cancer clusters that in reality are random events. As the January 24 edition of The New Yorker explains (at 8-9), understanding the fallacy might lead us (including the scientific community, as Dr. Fauci sees it), when it comes to the Omicron variant, to stop focusing on case counts (infections) and focus instead on hospitalizations. And, even as to hospitalizations, it might make more sense to focus only on those with respiratory symptoms and not include those who are hospitalized for other reasons but happen to test positive for Covid in the hospital.

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The NFL: The Good, the Bad, and the Stupid

The Good: The athleticism is amazing and with no dominant teams, almost every game is a toss-up. And if you didn't watch the Rams/Bucs game, you missed one of  the great games and what almost was one of the greatest comebacks of all time. And the end of the Chiefs/Bills game topped that Rams/Bucs game. 

The Bad: The crowd noise is such that you cannot hear the commentary although, except for Tony Roma and another one or two, the commentary is worthless; and the refereeing is atrocious and too often determines (incorrectly) the outcome of the game.

The Stupid: The coaching is moronic. Just by way of example, after a penalty is called on an extra point play where the kick would have put the team up 7 to 6, the coach decides early in the game to take the penalty, move the ball from the two-yard line to the one-yard line to go for two points ... as if the extra yard makes a difference in likelihood of converting. The extra point then was missed and the team went on to lose. As said, this is just one example, but if you don't like watching stupidity (and remember they get paid millions for making stupid decisions), don't watch NFL games.

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How to Ask Someone If They Have Been Vaccinated

[Prefatory Note: I realize what is covered here will not be new to any loyal reader or semi-loyal reader. But there are others out there who read this blog who might find this post informative]

If you are concerned Covid-19-wise in getting together with someone at their place or some common place or having a tradesperson or someone at your house, there is no shame nor should there be any hesitancy in asking that person ahead of time, "Have you been vaccinated?" BUT, if that's all you ask, and the person says, "yes," you won't know if that person has been boosted. The responder might have innocently answered your question literally or they might have been shy to tell you they have not been boosted. That said, if it matters to you, be sure to frame the question as follows: "Have you been vaccinated and boosted?"

PS: I will defer comment here on the outrageous refusal of the White House and the CDC to have the term "fully vaccinated" not include boosters for those eligible for boosters.

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Low-Maintenance House Plants

If you don't have a green thumb, or even if you are thought of as a butcher of house plants, this WaPo article is for you. It identifies 10 low-maintenance house plants you are unlikely to kill.

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Foreign Policy (Afghanistan vs. Ukraine) and Domestic Politics

Re Foreign Policy: There likely is a difference between what we were not willing to stand up for in Afghanistan, namely, to continue our efforts to prevent the Taliban from taking over, and what we supposedly are willing to sort of stand up for in Ukraine, namely, to impose economic sanctions on Russia should it invade Ukraine. But the difference might not be as obvious to everyone as it is to those implementing our foreign policy. Our ignorance on the matter is the main reason we don't do foreign policy here.

Re Domestic Politics: There likely is a reason the January 6 Committee keeps dribbling out documents and such and then its members going on TV to say little other than that the investigation is continuing. One thing seems to be a certainty: This strategy will not lead to the changing of any minds or enabling to action (e.g.., legislation or invocation of the 14th Amendment ban on office holding or timely criminal prosecutions). The reality is they are running out of time to conduct their trial (also known as public hearings), produce a report (which likely will be just a book and not a 1-to-2 hour visual documentary), and take whatever actions they are going to take. As said in trial practice, you don't wait until your 100% ready to go to trial ... if you ahead of the other side on preparation, you go to trial as soon as you can to maximize that advantage. And here, there is no "other side" as such ... the trial is whatever the Committee wants it to be and a 1-2 hour expose movie to be played on TV or a 6-episode series that can be streamed would be the best trial they could do. All that said, our ignorance on the matter is the main reason we don't do politics here.

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Google Fi

Especially if you travel internationally, but even if you don't, Google Fi might be much better for you and a much lower cost (both in terms of monthly charges and phone prices--although your current phone likely will work on Google Fi) than your current cellphone carrier. The Google Fi Website will explain it, as will this Android Central article. There are no activation fees or contracts, and VPN and encryption are built-in. The coverage likely will be as good or better than you currently have. And if you have or like a Pixel phone (although almost any phone will work), Google Fi should definitely be considered.

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From Camelot to RFK, Jr.

As this WaPo piece lays out, Bobby Kennedy's son's path to becoming a leader of the anti-vax movement is nothing short of ... well, I don't have the word for, but it is an amazing tale. And on top of it all, he is married to Larry David's ex-CYE wife, which also  makes you think.

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Outline on Cutting the Cable and Saving a Bundle

You might take a minute or two and add up what you are paying for your cable box and internet service and streaming services and you might be shocked. If you're fine with paying that much, read no further. But if you'd like to see how drastically that bill might be cut, read this Wirecutter article on what might be done.

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Overview of Universal Remotes

I would love to get rid of my various remotes and go with one universal remote. Unfortunately, I've never found one that actually would let you put all your other remotes away and was not unduly difficult to set up. As it turns out, I was neither alone nor incorrect. As this Wirecutter article confirms, while there a couple of models it recommends, none looks worth the expense--and they are not expensive.

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Cleaning and Reusing N95 and KN95 Masks

This Wirecutter article has excellent tips on how to safely re-use and otherwise extend the life of N95 and KN95 masks, which are the masks now recommended for protection against and reduce the spreading of the Omicron variant.

PS: A loyal reader, also a  fan of Wirecutter, has brought to our attention a terrific piece at page 25 in the January 24 edition of The New Yorker, entitled "Wirecutter: The Best Partner." Here is the introduction and their top pick:

[EOP]

How to Obtain Canadian Residence as a Retiree

Obtaining Canadian residency involves a different process if you are working versus if you are retired. In recent years, many citizens of the United States have been looking northward as they near or have reached retirement age. The idea of retiring in Canada is appealing to many Americans seeking an affordable and picturesque locale for their golden years. And Canada can help you stretch your U.S. dollar as far as it can go while avoiding the, well, oft chaotic politics of the United States. But, retiring from the United States to Canada is not as simple as many people think. This article walks you through the most important considerations for retiring from the United States to Canada. From immigration to taxes, healthcare to climate, this is your go-to guide for retiring in Canada. 

PS: If you are intending to work, the process is different. This article will walk you through that process. 

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Political Endorsements: Another Instance of Trump's "Brilliance"

It is being reported that Trump is considering endorsing multiple rival candidates in various mid-term elections. As Trump sees it, this would give  him "two chances" to win in each race. No arguing with that. 

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Emigrating to Canada

If you think you're alone in considering the desideratum of emigrating to Canada in view of what is happening and likely to be happening in this country, you are not alone. The next time you have a doctor visit or any kind of social encounter, ask the person if they've given doing so any thought, and you are likely to be stunned at how many people are looking at the matter seriously. Even some people who swore they'd never go back to any place whose climate was at any time other than moderate are having such thoughts. 

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JSX Airlines: Better Way to Fly (Just Wish It Connected More Cities)

If you're flying to cities in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, or Florida, or between Miami and Westchester County, JSX Airlines is absolutely your best bet. The fares are competitive with or often lower than Southwest, you're on a 30-passenger jet with business class amenities, and you leave and arrive from your own separate terminal avoiding all the hassle of TSA, baggage claim, and the crowds at the main terminals.

[EOP]

Two Worst Ways to Deal With Mess-Ups

Non-Apology Apology: I am truly sorry if you/anyone were/was offended by what I did/said.

Non-Merit Excuse: We really messed up ... on our messaging.  

[EOP] 

Network Storage Device Recommendation: Buffalo Link Station

You can spend a lot of money on a network storage device, but for under $130 (on The Amazon) you will do great with a BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB Home Office Private Cloud Data Storage with Hard Drives Included. It takes just seconds to set up on your network and then all your networked computers can access it and store stuff on it and just a minute or two more and you can access everything on it from any computer in the world as well as from your phone or tablet. And it's good looking. Note that remote access might require you to port forward a thingy on the router, but you can reach Buffalo support in under 2 minutes and after cajoling them a bit and not accepting their suggestion to call your router maker or ISP, to use their tech's words, "trick them" into doing the settings for you because they are impossible to intuit or follow from any guide. You also might run into difficulty restricting access to the website where all your stuff is, but again, reaching tech support is easy and they'll do it for you. Finally, if your mapped network drive loses its Windows credentials, the Google should help you fix the problem.

[EOP]

Somebody Somewhere (2022 HBO Series)

Airing on Sunday nights on HBO, Somebody Somewhere is the story of some unusual but real people in a small Kansas town. They are quirky for sure, but engaging. The episodes are a half-hour so not much lost in trying it out. It's not for everyone. But it's definitely for people, with discriminating taste, who like to see stories they've never seen before.

[EOP]

After Life (TV Series on Netflix)

The third season of After Life just began on Netflix. It's written and directed by Ricky Gervais which will make a lot of people shun it, and I am not a fan of Ricky Gervais. But the first two seasons were very good and, while a bit on the depressing side, the third season looks off to a good  start. Half-hour episodes make it a big plus. The acting is very good and the scenery is delightful.

[EOP]

Maximizing Your EV's Range

As this WSJ article explains, the good news is that it is possible to extend the range of your EV, even far beyond its stated maximum range, by changing your driving habits. The bad news is you  might have to drive much slower than you would like.

[EOP]

The White House Is Listening to Us re Masks

Last week, a post here and in a published letter chided the White House for not distributing N95 and KN95 masks to people. Apparently, they are listening as 400 million masks will be made available soon for free at pharmacies and health centers.

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Neil Gorsuch: Not Just a Disgrace as Justice, a Disgrace as a Human Being

As the Huff Post and others are reporting, Justice Gorusch refuses to wear a mask, although Chief Justice John Roberts has asked everyone on the court to mask up out of respect for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who has had diabetes since childhood. Diabetes is a high-risk factor for developing severe COVID-19. Five of the justices, including Sotomayor, are older than 65, another risk factor. Worse still: Gorsuch’s seat on the bench is right next to Sotomayor’s. Gorsuch’s refusal has reportedly forced Sotomayor to call in for weekly conferences instead of participating in person. 

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Identifying as a Republican on the Upswing

As this Gallup Poll lays out in terrifying terms, while on average Americans' political party preferences in 2021 looked similar to prior years, with slightly more U.S. adults identifying as Democrats or leaning Democratic (46%) than identified as Republicans or leaned Republican (43%), there has been a dramatic shift over the course of 2021, from a nine-percentage-point Democratic advantage in the first quarter to a rare five-point Republican edge in the fourth quarter.

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CCleaner Adjustment to Make (and Uninstaller Recommendation)

CCleaner is an excellent program to clean out junk from your computer. But it has a tendency to try to sneak things onto your computer when updating you don't want or need. To avoid this from happening, uninstall your current version of CCleaner and then install either CCleaner Slim or CCleaner Portable from this download site. On the subject of uninstalling, we strongly recommend Revo Uninstaller ... besides getting rid of all the little things just uninstalling leaves behind, it will automatically create a restore point in case the uninstall messes something up.

[EOP]

Free At-Home Covid-19 Test

The government website where you can order free at-home Covid-19 tests (4 per residence) went live a day early, i.e., on January 18. 

[EOP]

Reducing Your Cox Communications (and Perhaps Other Cable Providers) Bill

If a promotion/discount you had say of $30/month expired, and you call in to see if you might get something to reduce your bill, the answer might be no. And that no answer might be repeated if you call in again in a few days and then again a few days later. But if you call in again another few days later, you might not get a full $30 discount, but you could get at least a $15 discount, and that's not peanuts, especially when you realize you get that discount every month. I figured it out. 

[EOP]

PS on the Supreme Court's OSHA/Vaccine Mandate Decision

A blog post here a few days ago ripped the Supreme Court's so-called "decision" invalidating the OSHA/Vaccine Mandate. While laudatory comments came pouring in from loyal readers, occasional readers, and many others (indeed, everyone was talking about my post), a couple of people who think they know something about constitutional law took issue on supposed doctrinal grounds. Fortunately, the NYT picked up these outlier critiques and fed them to a true constitutional scholar for rebuttal. In this NYT piece by Linda Greenhouse, it is clear as can be that my lambaste was on the most solid of doctrinal grounds, as well as being just plain correct on common sense grounds and every other rational-based ground.

[EOP]

iPhone 13 Does Not Support Noise Cancellation

Apple's iPhone success is built in large part on customer loyalty and customers' penchant to upgrade whenever a new model comes out. They reasonably expect that new models will have all the features they had come to like and perhaps some improvements. Not so much with the iPhone 13. As this article confirms, Apple has admitted that its iPhone 13 series doesn't support the noise cancellation feature during voice calls. It was previously reported that a bug in iOS 15 was preventing iPhone 13 users from enabling the 'Phone Noise Cancellation' feature. However, that canard has been put to rest.

[EOP]

Best Bed Sheets

This Wirecutter article gives a terrific overview of all kinds of bed sheets and recommendations accordingly. To find the best sheets, they washed, dried, stretched, rubbed, and slept on dozens of sets, and think most people will be happy with the L.L.Bean 280-Thread-Count Pima Cotton Percale Sheet Set. Whether you prefer smooth pima cotton percale, sateen, plush flannel, or airy linen, they have other recommendations to help you get a great night’s sleep, at all different price points.

[EOP]

Further Amazon Fresh Tips

For the first time in 6+ orders, an ordered item (organic chicken broth) was not delivered. Instead, non-organic chicken broth was delivered. I have no idea if this was a mistake of the shopper or an attempted substitution that would be acceptable. In either event, with a couple of clicks, it was possible to get an immediate refund without the need to return the delivered item. Also, the organic romaine lettuce head that was delivered was not up to snuff, and again, with a couple of clicks, it was possible to get an immediate refund without the need to return the item.

[EOP]

tick, tick ... BOOM! (2021 Movie on Netflix)

tick, tick ... BOOM! is a musical about the life of Jonathan Larson directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (whose name you might recognize from his connection to Hamilton). It's absolutely first-rate and must-see. The story is gripping, the music is fantastic, the performances are stellar, the cameos (including the one Hitchcockian) are a hoot. It's reminiscent cinematographically and ambitiously to All That Jazz, but about a different person and a different point in the central character's life and much tighter and more focused and better. As a side note, if you think it takes but a few people to make a movie, watch the credits to the end.

[EOP] 

Smart Power Strips

As this article explains, traditional power strips are an affordable way to expand the number of electrical outlets in your home. But their convenience can encourage you to leave electronics plugged in all the time -- and many devices keep drawing power even when you're not using them. Printers, DVD players, computers and plasma TVs are all examples of products with standby modes that make them convenient to use but suck significant power on the sly. This so-called phantom power drain costs you money, wastes electricity and ups your carbon output to boot. Smart power strips, on the other hand, work to reduce your power usage by shutting down power to products that go into standby mode. Doing so may save you some serious cash. Statistics vary, but experts say standby power consumption in an average home ranges from 5 percent to 10 percent of your household energy consumption. It can also account for about 1 percent of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions [source: Lawrence Berkley Nation Laboratory]. Finally, they cost far less than you'd think (on The Amazon and elsewhere) and often have surge protection and other features built in.

[EOP]

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021 Movie on Apple TV+)

The Tragedy of Macbeth stars Denzel Washington and Francis McDormand. Casting doesn't get much better than that. Forsooth, it is the carrying out of a story (I won't spoil what it's about or how it ends or even whether it's based on  something Shakespeare wrote) that's not always easy to watch. Don't forget, it's directed by Joel Coen, which might tell you the kind of stuff that happens that makes it not always easy to watch. The staging is highly original and the 4:3 screen aspect is a clever take. Forsooth, close-captioning is highly recommended. 

[EOP]

Further Amazon Fresh Tip

It looks like they open up delivery slots 48 hours in advance. By way of example, the 5 am- 7 am delivery slot for Monday will  open up at 5 am on the Saturday before. 

[EOP]

The Arizona Republic Published Another Letter of Ours Without Any Notice

Three days ago, this post appeared here, and while we have no memory of doing so, apparently submitted the text to the Arizona Republic (likely after not getting any response from the NYT). To our shock, while they changed the heading, here is what appeared in this morning's Arizona Republic (albeit in the neighborhood section and not the  main opinion section):

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How to Spot Fake N95, KN95, and KF94 Masks

Putting aside the CDC, there seems to be a consensus among experts that N95, KN95, and KF94 masks are needed to protect against the Omicron variant. Unfortunately, fake masks abound. This Wirecutter article gives a host of tips on spotting and thereby avoiding fake masks.

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Netflix Monthly Fees Going Up

If you think you have escaped the inflation that's running rampant, think again--your halycon days are over. Netflix's basic plan in the U.S. rose by $1 to $9.99 per month. The standard U.S. subscription now costs $15.49 per month, up from $13.99. Netflix's premium plan was increased to $19.99 per month from $17.99.  The changes are immediate for new customers. Existing customers will see the changes on their next bill.

PS: When it comes to sharing your Netflix service, as stated expressly in plain language on the Netflix wesbite that anyone should be able to understand: "Only people who live with you may use your account."

PPS: It is not clear whether the full increase will be passed on to T-Mobile customers given that T-Mobile covers the cost of the Basic plan and all but $5 of the Standard plan.

[EOP]

Wolf Like Me (2022 TV Series on Peacock)

Wolf Like Me starts off as an intriguing show with somewhat quirky characters who are likeable or at least seem interesting to follow. But by the end of the second episode, it becomes clear that this is a bizarre series detached from any reality. Even being 1/2 hour episodes and co-starring Sasha Baron Cohen's wife cannot save it.

PS: You can access Peacock for free and while there is an ad or two, they are short and non-obtrusive so no need to upgrade and pay for the ad-free tier.

PPS: Beginning with this post, the show being referenced is hyper-linked to IMDb.

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DOJ Alumni Statement on Criminal Accountability for the Efforts to Overturn the 2020 Election

Many DOJ alums, including some illustrious ones, have issued a statement that might be summarized as follows: "We strongly support the Attorney General in conducting the ongoing meticulous investigation of the events of January 6. We were especially encouraged to hear the Attorney General’s statement on the anniversary of the insurrection that the Department is committed to holding accountable anyone — “at any level” — who was “criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy,” regardless of whether they were present at the Capitol on January 6."

Link to Full Statement and List of Signatories 

Further Tips on Amazon Fresh

When you place an Amazon Fresh Order, you are given choices for delivery slots that day, the next day, and the day after the next day. The further out, the more delivery slot choices you have. And the closing of the order will not be moved up. So, the bottom-line is this: It makes sense to set the order 2-days ahead, and then add to it until it closes which likely will not be until late in the afternoon or the night before the delivery if you chose say a 5am-7am delivery slot. Just remember that, while you can add to an order, you cannot remove an item or reduce the quantity of an ordered item once it's in your cart.

PS: A fifth data point produced yet another instance where all the ordered items were delivered.  

[EOP]

Goliath (2016 Series on Amazon Prime) and The Great (2020 Series on Hulu)

These are two series I've given up on but that does not mean you should: 

Goliath has been given rave reviews (including by a semi-loyal reader who has good reason to rave on this) and I can see why based on just two episodes. It is a gripping story involving a big lawsuit that moves along. The problem I had was with the cinematography (and if you consult  The Google, you will see I am not alone). In the first episode, every scene  is shot in the dark ... not just night-time scenes but daytime scenes, and when inside an office, the curtains are drawn to make the room as dark as possible. The second episode has a few outdoor scenes that are decently lit, but again, many scenes are shot such that you cannot even see who is on the screen.  

The Great is the story of Catherine the Great from the time she goes to Russia and marries the Emperor. Again, it got a thumbs-up from the semi-loyal reader, although not as many thumbs and not as high up as was given for Goliath, but that assessment is likely accurate. The costumes and scenery are certainly fetching, but, with the exception of Catherine at least in the first episode, all the characters are just disgusting. Not their acting, which is fine, but  the people they are portraying. If you like skin-crawling depictions of crass people, you might give The Great a shot. And who knows, it could turn out to be a compelling story, whether it's one of Catherine doing great things in the face of adversity or becoming corrupted in the face of evil. 

[EOP]

What Statute Was the Supreme Court Reading in Its OSHA Vaccine Mandate Decision?

Here is the the text of sections 1 and 2 of the OSHA enabling statute (emphasis in red added): "To assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women ... [t]he Congress finds that personal injuries and illnesses arising out of work situations impose a substantial burden upon, and are a hindrance to, interstate commerce in terms of lost production, wage loss, medical expenses, and disability compensation payments. The Congress declares it to be its purpose and policy, through the exercise of its powers to regulate commerce among the several States and with foreign nations and to provide for the general welfare, to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources -- by providing that employers and employees have separate but dependent responsibilities and rights with respect to achieving safe and healthful working conditions; by providing medical criteria which will assure insofar as practicable that no employee will suffer diminished health, functional capacity, or life expectancy as a result of his work experience." You don't need a Yale (3 of the justices), Harvard (2 of the justices), or Notre Dame (1 of the justices) law school degree to apply the plain language and intendment of the highlighted portions of the statute. You just need to be divorced from everyday reality and wedded to some bizarre notion of puritan jurisprudence to come up with a decision that says OSHA cannot impose a rule whose only function is to prevent employees from suffering diminished health or functional capacity or life expectancy as a result of showing up to work where it is known, but for the mandate, that a high percentage of them will be infected with a terrible and often fatal disease inflicted by intransient and misinformed co-workers.

PS: If there's any doubt that, contrary to Chief Justice Roberts' assertion that judges should be like umpires calling balls and strikes ("Judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules, they apply them"), this Court is purely-result oriented, this decision puts that assertion to rest. When it came to the framer's intent in interpreting the second amendment, it mattered not a  wit to this court that the framer's had no idea what weaponry would be coming along. But when it came to congress's intent in enacting OSHA, it was dispositive that congress did not foresee the pandemic.  

[EOP]

Enigma of N95 and KN95 Masks

The federal government, first under Trump and  then under Biden, had no hesitation to send out trillions of dollars in cash not just to those who needed it but to families making $150,000 per year or more. Yet, we are sitting here now knowing (although the CDC has yet to catch up) that N95 and KN95 masks are the best defense (after vaccinations) against the Omicron variant, and for peanuts, the federal government could be sending plenty of them, and could have been sending plenty of them, to every household. Perhaps, they will get around to doing so, but in all likelihood, the Omicron variant will have been done wreaking its havoc before they do so. Does anyone running this government know what they are doing?

[EOP]  

Ethical Question re Treatment for Omicron Infection

Predicament: Pfizer's Paxlovid and Merck's molnupiravir pills are the most effective way to treat persons infected by the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Unfortunately, while the government did extensive investing in vaccines, it has done much less investing in treatments, and as a result, there is not enough of these treatments to go around to save all those who need it to be saved. 

Ethical Question: In deciding who gets the treatment and who does not, and that's the decision being made, should any consideration be given to whether or not the patient has been vaccinated? If vaccination status is not taken into account, then 80+% of those getting the vaccine will be those having chosen not to be vaccinated.

[EOP]

Why Letting Omicron Just Spread Is Not the Way to Go

A blog post yesterday noted an article suggesting that it might be preferable to speed up rather than slow down the Omicron spread. That article was not intended to reflect or be read in any way as reflecting our view. As this WaPo article explains in persuasive terms why "speeding up the spread" is not a good approach.

[EOP]

Best Way to Deal With Ice and Snow on Car Windshields

This Wirecutter article has some excellent recommendations for ice scraper/snow brushes to clear your car windshields. Not surprisingly, the Hopkins SubZero 80037 is their top pick, but there are some decent alternatives as well. What is shocking is what's omitted from the list: Move to Phoenix and never scrape again.

[EOP]

Biden's Predictions

Text of Letter to the NYT: President Biden has been glaringly wrong in predicting big things that really matter, including events in Afghanistan, the end of the pandemic, and the transitory and moderate rise of inflation; and he also has been glaringly wrong in not predicting big things that really matter, including the opposition to vaccinations and the need for testing. It is no wonder that his approval ratings have been tanking. Biden has two options: Fire the advisors whom he has relied on for his wrong predictions and for his lack of needed predictions and hire new ones or a "prediction czar"; or stop making predictions. If the past is prologue, one would predict that he will not stop making predictions.

[EOP}

The Filibuster Is Going to End

Submitted as a letter to the NYT: Senators Manchin, Sinema, and other Democrat senators reluctant to "reform" the filibuster to allow for voting right protection seem to believe they are protecting an institution to preserve the power of the minority. They are living in a dream world. The next time the senate is controlled by Republicans (which looks likely in the next election), led by Senator McConnell to cement his "legacy," they are going to jettison the filibuster to enact legislation on all their "favorite issues." So, the question now is not whether to eliminate the filibuster on voting right matters, but whether the Democrats should take the last shot they might have in decades and get rid of it to protect all the civil rights the Republicans are so eager to get rid of and to authorize OSHA to impose vaccine mandates.

[EOP]

Cannabinoids (as Edibles Not Smokeables) and Covid-19

As is now being reported, the next breakthrough in stopping Covid-19 may come not from Big Pharma, but from the humble pot plant. Researchers in Oregon in the US discovered that two compounds found in the devil’s lettuce can stop the virus in its tracks. Rather than attempting to smoke their way to immunity, a team of scientists at the University of Oregon isolated two compounds from hemp – cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) – and found that they bind to the coronavirus’ spike protein and in turn prevent it from binding to the outer membrane of human cells. This latter binding process is normally how the virus enters the human lungs and other organs. The two compounds are precursors to CBG and CBD, which are widely legal and available to consumers. CBG and CBD cannabis oils and extracts are commonly used to treat anxiety, sleep disorders, epilepsy, and a wide range of other ailments. CBGA and CBDA “are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans,” said Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center. Van Breemen added that these compounds “can be taken orally,” and “have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection” by the coronavirus. Van Breemen and his team published their research in the Journal of Nature Products on Tuesday. However, they have a long way to go before doctors begin writing hemp oil prescriptions en masse. While the study found CBGA and CBDA effective against both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus, it was carried out on human cells in a laboratory, rather than actual human test subjects.

We know many loyal readers would like a more technical explanation, which thanks to a  loyal reader we have for you: This PublicMedicine.Gov paper (entitled "Cannabinoids Block Cellular Entry of SARS-CoV-2 and the Emerging Variants) was brought to our attention by a loyal reader: "As a complement to vaccines, small-molecule therapeutic agents are needed to treat or prevent infections by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants, which cause COVID-19. Affinity selection-mass spectrometry was used for the discovery of botanical ligands to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Cannabinoid acids from hemp (Cannabis sativa) were found to be allosteric as well as orthosteric ligands with micromolar affinity for the spike protein. In follow-up virus neutralization assays, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid prevented infection of human epithelial cells by a pseudovirus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and prevented entry of live SARS-CoV-2 into cells. Importantly, cannabigerolic acid and cannabidiolic acid were equally effective against the SARS-CoV-2 alpha variant B.1.1.7 and the beta variant B.1.351. Orally bioavailable and with a long history of safe human use, these cannabinoids, isolated or in hemp extracts, have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2." 

[EOP]

Two Covid-19 Updates: One Helpful, One Kind of Scary and Creepy

Helpful Update: This WSJ article provides some helpful information on rapid testing for the Omicron variant. In sum: Rapid antigen tests can definitely detect Omicron, but some research indicates that rapid tests may be less sensitive to Omicron than they are to other variants. That means the tests might be yielding more false negatives, especially in the early days of infection.

Scary Creepy Update: Slowing the spread of the coronavirus is a universal mantra. But maybe it's wrong. As this opinion piece puts it: Instead of slowing the spread, speeding the spread may be safer because tamping down on Omicron whose effects are relatively mild may increase the risk of an ‘antigenic shift’ to a far deadlier super-variant. Yikes!

[EOP]

Rejuvenating Your Computer by Refreshing Your Operating System or Accessorizing

Before tossing your computer because it's sluggish, here are things to try that might refresh it and have it humming again. On a Windows machine, one way is to do a Refresh and the other is to do a Fresh Start. Unlike restoring to factory settings, neither will wipe out your files or data. Recovery Mode on Macs should do the same thing.

If your computer's internet throughput seems slow, it just might be slow if it's an older computer with an older built-in wi-fi. For about $35, you can add say a Netgear Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) or comparable USB dongle which just might double your throughput. Same goes if your laptop's keyboard or mouse are sluggish ... just add an external keyboard or mouse. And if you're running low on memory, add an external hard-drive.

[EOP]

Standing Up for the Pig

Here is Peta's Official Statement on the pig-to-human heart transplant: "Animal-to-human transplants are unethical, dangerous, and a tremendous waste of resources that could be used to fund research that might actually help humans. The risk of transmitting unknown viruses along with the animal organ are real and, in the time of a pandemic, should be enough to end these studies forever. Animals aren’t toolsheds to be raided but complex, intelligent beings. It would be better for them and healthier for humans to leave them alone and seek cures using modern science." As far as we can tell, the guy receiving the pig's heart and his family had no comment.

[EOP]

Cancelling Orders on eBay

Many loyal readers have flooded us with concern as to whether the poor schlump who ordered a front emblem logo that had been stolen from his car was able to cancel his eBay order. We are pleased to report that he was, and it took just one day (not three) to be so informed. It is important to get the cancellation request in as soon as possible and certainly before the item has shipped or been prepared to ship. It is nice, if the seller does agree to cancel, to send a note of appreciation, which likely will prompt a nice note back from the seller.

[EOP] 

The Tender Bar (2021 Movie on Amazon Prime)

Although it did not get the best of reviews, this coming of age movie starring Ben Affleck and directed by George Clooney is tender, sweet, and poignant, and worth watching. While all coming-of-age movies have some overlap, this one has some refreshing angles to it, and goes years beyond where many coming of age movies stop. I'm not a Christopher Lloyd fan, and can only wonder how Clint Eastwood would have played his part, but it wasn't that big a part anyhow so no big deal. The title comes from a major setting in the movie, which is one of its unique takes, among some other non-obvious twists. One negative, and this movie is not alone in this regard, is too many scenes are shot in dark light so it's straining to see who is who and what their expressions are. There also are a couple of dream sequences that could have been dispensed with, but I'm just quibbling at this point.

IMDb Link to The Tender Bar

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Pope Says Getting Vaccinated Is a "Moral Obligation"

Never before have I had kind words for the Catholic Church or the Pope. Shaped first by seeing the devastating and irreparable misery resulting from the Church's "procreation policies" in Central America, and then the inexcusable pervasive acts and cover-ups of rampant sexual abuse of children, it is not too much to say that the harm it has inflicted on innocent people around the world outweighs whatever charitable good it says it has done. But, on one score, the Pope is to be lauded, as Pope Francis suggested Monday that getting vaccinated against the coronavirus was a “moral obligation.” Although one does not need to invoke any God or concept of holiness or theology to understand what a "moral obligation" is, one can only wonder why so few other religious leaders have not proclaimed such a "moral obligation" from their pulpits and in their prescriptions to their flocks. Perhaps divinity schools need to update their "moral obligations" courses and requirements for graduation. For Heaven's sake, and don't snicker, even law schools teach ethics and state bar exams have a separate ethics section that must be passed to practice law. 

[EOP]

Tip re Buying Replacement Auto Parts

Say you notice on the front of your car that the grille logo emblem is missing. Could have popped off although unlikely or could have been stolen, who knows, it's gone, and you want it replaced. The Amazon has some original parts but not many. You likely can find it on eBay, and the price is right at $20, but it will take about a week to get. You call the parts department of your dealership and are stunned when told the price is $80. But, as it turns out, if you order instead through that same dealership's online parts department, the cost will be $40 and you can pick it up within an hour of your placing the order, and you are assured it's a genuine part and returns are easy if necessary. So, the point is: Rather than starting with third-parties like eBay, where the cancellation of your order might not be possible (it will take up to 3 days to find out), start with the online service of your dealership. As we always say, live and learn, and your mistakes are your best teacher.

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Getting Through to and Getting Promotional Discounts From Cox Communications

Cox changes its promotional discounts all the time. Unfortunately, even if you've been a Cox customer for more than 40 years and are a senior citizen on a limited fixed income, Cox will not tell you that a new promotional discount has become available for you. Instead, you have to keep calling in to find out if such a promotional discount is now available to say make up for a $13/month promotional discount that just expired. Here are three numbers to call:

1-866-961-0027: Seems to be a billing number that will answer even on the weekends. But no time is given for how long the hold will be, and you'll have to repeat all your account info even though you punched it when you called.

1-866-867-7644: Seems to be a billing number with all the limitations as the above number and might not get you through to billing on weekends.

1-844-227-3943: This is the so-called "loyalty line" but the name shouldn't fool anyone. It does not require you to punch in any account info so you have to give it when you get a rep. The good thing about this line is that it will allow for a callback within an estimated time instead of having to wait on hold. Note that Cox now has "silent holds," i.e., no music so you don't know if you've been disconnected.

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Tip re Airbnb If Prices Shown Are in Foreign Currency

Airbnb has a known glitch where prices might be shown in other than a currency where the property is located, e.g., a Santa Fe, NM unit might show the cost in Indian Rupees. There is an easy fix. Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and  click on the button on the right that shows the currency being displayed (as noted in the first picture below which has the Indian Rupee symbol), and then it will open all the available currencies and you can click on the one you want, such as $ USD for U.S. dollars (and that button will show the U.S. Dollar symbol as noted in the second picture below).

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Further Tip re Amazon Fresh

While you can add to your Amazon Fresh order between the time you place it and packing has begun, both by increasing the number of an item on your list or adding a new item, you cannot reduce the number of an item on your list or remove an item. For example, if you ordered 2 organic red onions, you cannot change that to 1 organic red onion nor can you delete your organic red onion order.

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Brilliance of This Blog's Prognostication Talent

More than a month ago, a post on this blog predicted, before any scientist even dreamed of its being possible, that the "benefit" of Omicron might be that it preempted the far more dangerous Delta variant. Guess what ... we were correct. For example, as reported by the Arizona Republic on January 9, the "Omicron variant represents nearly all Covid-19 cases." Put another way, while some have difficulty making predictions especially about the future, we find that our predictions are eerily accurate, especially those about the future.

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The Righteous Gemstones (TV Series on HBOMax)

The Righteous Gemstones is the story of a televangelist family that fits the stereotype of being deviant and greedy and downright awful. The first episode, which this review is based on, is certainly grabbing and holds one's attention, and might have made for a good first half of a 2-hour movie. But, the characters are such, in that they’re loathsome but not likeably loathsome or even captivatingly loathsome enough to likely lead to continued watching the series. It is hard to turn one's back on anything starring John Goodman, but at least in the first episode, he plays a fairly minor role, and it would seem likely will continue to do so.

IMDb Link to The Righteous Gemstones

Tip re Copying Text From PDF to Word

If you spend a lot of time copying text from PDFs into Word or any time at all, this tip might be useful. If the PDF ends up broken up over lots of lines, there's no need to fix it manually. Just go to find and replace, type ^p into find, and one space into replace. These pics might be helpful.

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Last-Minute Vacation Planning

In the good old days, it was not only possible, but preferable, to plan vacations well in advance. With the pandemic, and the unpredictability of new variants and spikes, not so much. Fortunately, there are tools to help with last-minute get-aways often at bargain prices:

Explore Tool on Google Flights: Open Google Flights and click on the Explore button, and with various filtering options, you just might find a flight to where you'd like to go at a price that will please you.

Hopper: The Hopper App and Stay the Night Feature (available only on iOS for now) will show you heavily discounted last-minute hotel room rates.

Last-Minute Luxury:  Embark Beyond  is a travel agency specializing in luxury travel. It now has a service called Embark Now, which specializes in last-minute luxury destinations. Given the last two years, you deserve to reward yourself, and doing so on a discounted basis makes it even better.

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CORBEVAX: Possible Game Changer to Vaccinate the World

As this NPR article outlines, a vaccine authorized in December for use in India may help solve one of the most vexing problems in global public health: How to supply lower-income countries with a COVID-19 vaccine that is safe, effective and affordable. The vaccine is called CORBEVAX. It uses old but proven vaccine technology and can be manufactured far more easily than most, if not all, of the COVID-19 vaccines in use today. This could result in the distribution without patent problems of far more vaccine doses than the U.S. and the entire G-7 intend to provide to poorer countries, and at far lower cost (e.g., like a dollar a dose), which is necessary if we hope to get past this pandemic. The science is based on the research done by Drs. Peter Hotez (who will be familiar to many) and Maria Elena Bottazzi. 

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Best Coverage of the Insurrection Anniversary

Brought to our attention by a loyal reader, if you have 2 minutes, you can watch the winning coverage of the anniversary of the insurrection, as brought to you by Stephen Colbert.

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Cautionary Tip re Amazon and an Amazon Fresh Follow-Up

Cautionary Tip: It often makes sense to check if an item from a national store is available on Amazon because of Amazon's fast free shipping and easiness of returns. That said, be sure to always check that the Amazon price is not inflated over that from the merchant, because it often is. For example, Wirecutter's top dish towels are from Williams & Sonoma and cost $20 for a set of 4 plus $7 shipping and take about a week to arrive. Amazon has no shipping charge, you get 5% off by using their card, and delivery is in 2 days, BUT, and it's a  big BUT, they cost $42 on Amazon.

Amazon Fresh Follow-Up: A fourth data point produced yet again delivery of all ordered items, and orders created early in the morning will produce a plethora of delivery slots for the next day, and the ability to add to the order will close late in the afternoon.

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Credit Monitoring Recommendation

We have strongly recommended that everyone have some service to monitor identity theft stuff, and have given a highly favorable review of Complete ID through Costco. Not only do they send out immediate alerts by text or email or both if anything happens that uses your social security number, or passport, or driver's license, or  phone, or you pop up on the dark web, or a sex offender moves into your neighborhood, but they have excellent customer service to which you can get through quickly (under 30 seconds) and to reps who know what they're talking about. Best of all, the charge is just $8.99/month (cancellable at any time) plus tax, but wait, it just got better. You can put yourself and an additional adult on the same account (while each will have their own portal) for just $15.99/month plus tax and for a few dollars more children can be added. That might not sound like a tremendous savings, but, it is, and here's how I figured it out ... give me $3 every month or 7 and a half cent every hour, and it adds up to quite a bit ...I figured it out.

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NFL Ethics Question and Answer

Background: Under a certain (not-highly-improbable) scenario, if the LA Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders play to a tie in their final game of the season against each other, they both make the playoffs.

Question: Would it be ethical for both teams to "lay down" and play for a tie?

Answer: When it comes to the NFL, there is nothing that makes sense, there is no right and wrong, and ethics are never a consideration.

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Don't Assume Vaccination and Booster Status or Anything Else re Covid

There are plenty of people out there, and indeed, not just out there, but close by, who are extremely intelligent and politically sane who are not boosted and do not wear N95 or KN95 masks, and are very nice and caring people. Just because you like and otherwise respect someone, don't assume anything and do not be afraid to ask about their vaccination/booster status.

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Three Gmail Tips

Smart Compose: Gmail's Smart Compose works like predictive text and is meant to streamline your writing process. For example, while you're typing "I'll call you," Google Smart Compose will suggest "tomorrow." Just hit Tab to accept the suggestion; otherwise, keep typing. If you're not a fan of Smart Compose, you can toggle it off in Settings. 

Clean Up Your Inbox: It doesn't take long for my inbox to spiral out of control, even if I'm liberally using the select-all-plus-delete combo. Fortunately, there's another way to parse through the ancient digital weeds in your inbox. If you're certain that you don't need any emails before a certain date, you can type in "before:<DD/MM/YYYY>" into the search field and enter the date of your choice. This will filter your inbox so you can more efficiently use the select-all button to delete old emails. 

Email Filters: With so many websites asking for your email address these days, your inbox might start looking like an overflowing trash can. You might also just want to better organize emails and prioritize emails from certain people. This is where filters come in handy. To set up a filter, open Gmail, click the settings gear and choose See All Settings. From there, click Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create a New Filter. You can customize your filter to organize emails by sender, recipient, subject, keywords and other factors. When you've got it to your specifications, click Create Filter. 

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Chrome Reading List Options

The Chrome Reading List is one of the browser's most useful features. Not only can you store stuff for later reading, but it you want to have a tab available for immediate repeated reference, storing it on the Reading List provides just such fast (1-click) access. Reading List is supposed to work in terms of storing new tab  pages by giving you the option when you click on the Star button at the end of the URL address line. However, it is reported that this function has stopped working for many users. No problem--there are two easy alternatives: (i) Left click on Reading list and there will be an option to "+ Add the current tab" ... just click on that; or (ii) Right click on the tab itself and there will an option to "Add tab to reading list."

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Failure Is Not an Option: Or So the Biden Administration Would Have Us Believe

While  the quote "failure is not an option" is attributed to Gene Kranz at NASA, actually it comes from the movie about the Apollo 13 mission. But it is a mantra that has been embraced to the point of default by the Biden administration. Ignoring the wisdom that credibility and character are enhanced by admissions of failure (see, e.g., Kennedy's handling of the Bay of Pigs), the Biden administration looks like it wants to outdo the Trump administration in claiming nothing it does is a mistake, i.e., there is nothing to see here, no failures, move along. For sure, no one has been fired, not for the withdrawal from Afghanistan, not for the testing debacle, not for the idiocy promulgated by the CDC, not for blindness on the inflation front. But as long as the Biden administration thinks it has a messaging problem and not a problem dealing with the fact that the hallmark of competence is understanding and acknowledging one's mistakes, there is scant hope we are going to dig  out of this morass. PS: If you think I'm exaggerating: (i) the CDC has not yet recommended N95 or KN95 masks and continues to approve of cloth masks; and (ii) just ask Ms. Walensky about the CDC's first or revised or now current policy on 10 day vs. 5 day vs. no testing vs. voluntary testing.

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