PANDEMIC-RELATED

What Isn't?
   A quantitative analysis by me has not been done, but I think that among the most popular news topics -- right up there with the Middle East situation, the U.S. presidential election, the colour of one of the candidates and Taylor Swift -- the Covid pandemic still maintains a high ranking. Our era is likely to be divided for study by the historians into pre- or post- chunks. Our plague period seems to have had an impact on everything. 
   We learned from the pandemic, for example, that people do not like to work and really find it inconvenient to go to it. All kinds of social changes and behaviours are now attributed to the Covid years. To prove my point I will show some results quickly found by doing this simple google search: "Pandemic related."

Pandemic-related stress affected babies' brain development;
School's in for summer; Reading, math program helps young students close pandemic-related gaps;
Pandemic-Related Disruption and Positive Adaptation: Profiles of Family Function at the Onset of the Pandemic;
Pandemic-related impacts and suicidal ideation among adults in Canada: a population-based cross-sectional study (CDN);
The contribution of pandemic relief benefits to the incomes of Canadians in 2020 (CDN);
The impact of pandemic-related stress on attentional bias and anxiety in alexithymia during the COVID-19 pandemic;
Pandemic-related experiences, mental health symptoms, substance use, and relationship conflict among older adolescents and young adults from Manitoba, Canada (CDN);
Pandemic-related stress (OMA);
COVID-19 and your mental health;
Pandemic-Related Violence;
Pandemic-Related Workplace Violence and Its Impact on Public Health Officials;
COVID-19 pandemic related supply chain studies;
The impact of pandemic-related worry on cognitive functioning and risk-taking;
Internet use and COVID-19: How the pandemic increased the amount of time Canadians spend online (CDN);
Pandemic-related behaviours and psychological outcomes; A rapid literature review to explain COVID-19 behaviours;
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the postsecondary graduating class of 2020(CDN);

   I am not sure what all of this means, but the good news is that the people doing all of these studies were likely able to work from home and present the results via Zoom. 
   Perhaps I am a bit suspicious. I did recently provide a post where I questioned the degree to which we can generalize about people within a particular generation. I suppose one can also question the degree to which a society has changed because of one cause, even a big one like the pandemic. 

When Was It?
   The pandemic, that is. In case you have forgotten, as I did, exactly when our plague started and how long it lasted, I will provide an answer here. 
 A beginning point: "On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared this novel coronavirus outbreak a public emergency of international concern. A few weeks later, on March 11, 2020, it declared COVID-19 as a pandemic."
An ending one: "On January 30, 2023, the Biden Administration announced it will end the COVID-19 public health emergency declarations on May 11, 2023."
Sources: Here are two Covid timelines:
"COVID-19 Timeline" (CDC)
"COVID-19 Pandemic Timeline"

Welcome to 2023

1907 - Some Things Don't Change

Patient: "I can't afford it Doc. I'll simply have to wait until prices come down."

Clearly there were also health care and inflationary concerns back near the beginning of the last century. (London Free Press, Oct. 31, 1907.)

1923 - Some Things Do Change

This advertisement is from the LFP 100 years ago. Clothes are not much of a concern these days. The pandemic didn't help and a large segment of the population now shows up in public in pajamas. Fifty years after this ad., fellows were still wearing suits and fedoras to a ball game.

Now people in airports look like they just came from a garage sale and I gather that even in churches, parishioners arrive in sweat pants and tee shirts. 

   We can do better than this. Perhaps in 2023 we can at least tuck in our shirts and strive to conceal that thong. 

The Bonus:

   Apparently these sartorial issues are not just of concern for those of us in the colonies.

"Very recently a kind friend from New York asked us to dinner at Claridge’s. It has been magnificently enlarged and redecorated, but not, thank God, ‘re-imagined’. The dining room, however, came as a shock. Who were these people, sulky of visage, lounging at tables in tracksuits and T-shirts? The service was impeccable, but my fellow diners looked like they were on their way back from the gym. Later, ruthlessly going through my wardrobe, I came upon a grubby T-shirt and a pair of torn denim shorts. As I flung them into the rubbish box, I had second thoughts. ‘Hang on Barry!’ a voice said. ‘Don’t chuck those away. Someone might invite you to Claridge’s.’"

Source: 
"Why Does No One Dress For Dinner at Claridge's Any More?" Barry Humphries, The Spectator, Dec. 17, 2022. 

The Misery Index

Feeling Miserable?

   Your answer to that question is probably "YES!"  To put our problems into some perspective, I present the chart below. Such a presentation allows me to quickly provide a post, the first one in several days, and it will show you that we have been miserable before. Actually our misery may be more inflated than the chart indicates since the variables in it relate to economic matters which are less troubling than the social, cultural and climate issues surrounding us. 

Click on the chart for a better view of it.

Sources:

   The chart was found in: "Remember the 1970s Misery Index? It's Back and On the Rise," Jason Kirby, G&M, March 23, 2022.  Here is how it begins:

"The index is a measure of financial distress. Born out of the 1970s, when consumers faced the dismal reality of prices for everyday goods surging at double-digit rates even as unemployment skyrocketed—a phenomenon known as stagflation—the index combined the inflation rate plus the unemployment rate. Over the years, variations of the index have added other factors, like interest rate changes and GDP per capita. Nevertheless, the core measure of prices and joblessness shown here remains a popular yardstick for economic hardship. And it’s on the rise."

   Once again Wikipedia does a good job of providing information about the Misery Index and various offshoot indices. 

   For some Canadian information see: "Ottawa's Pro-inflation Policies Fuel the Misery Index," Matthew Lau, Financial Post, Jan. 26, 2022. It is noted that: "Canada Ranked Sixth Highest on the Misery Index - the Sum of the Unemployment and Inflation Rates - out of 35 Industrialized Countries in 2021."

   For more see the Fraser Institute, "The Misery Index Returns," Jan. 18, 2022. 

The Bonus:

   More bad news, the political situation is also terrible. This is a headline in the G&M:

"The Vacuum at the Centre of Canadian Politics: An Incompetent, Unethical Government Faces an Intemperate, Unhinged Opposition," Andrew Coyne, June, 24. 2022. 

"Over the last few weeks and months it has become impossible to escape the feeling that Canadian politics has come loose from its moorings. There is a manic edge to it, as if the inmates had suddenly and collectively declared themselves absolved of any remaining obligations to common sense, or the ordinary routines of democratic politics, or the rule of law."

   South of the border these sentiments recently were expressed by Bret Stephens:

In answer to a question he says: "Which sort of brings us to the nub of the problem: Conservatives want policies that don’t work in practice and liberals want policies that don’t work in politics." (NYT, June, 6).  The following week he notes: 

"Every time I think of Democrats and lose my hope, I think of Republicans and lose my lunch. The same conservatives telling us that we have a mental-health crisis, particularly among boys and young men, see nothing amiss with giving them almost unlimited access to weapons. It’s like sending a loved one to a Betty Ford clinic while insisting that there should be an open bar out front in the lobby on Tuesdays." (He is, by the way, a 'conservative.')

At least it is sunny outside and the days are still long.

The Covid Misery Index

   Apart from the various economic misery indices, there is one for that other miserable event - the pandemic. It shows how Canada ranks among other nations in terms of managing the response to the coronavirus. 

Speaking of Injections

   We face many complications and challenges during the current pandemic, but we should not overlook the very real concerns of those who need cosmetic surgery. Many of them had to attend holiday celebrations wearing their real lips, which were very noticeable under the mistletoe. Even those working alone at home had the wrinkles not covered by sweatpants, exposed on ZOOM. 

  Although you think you probably know all there is to know about COVID and Omicron, you may not be aware of the fact that, if you are in urgent need of forehead filler, you should wait a bit if you are also reluctantly giving some thought to getting a vaccine. It surely is a stressful time, particularly for wealthy Republican matrons. 

  You have good reasons, I’m sure, for not believing me, and you are tired of reading about this whole pandemic mess, so I will direct you directly to the sources. The first reference comes from a Republican one, so I am sure it has some substance and in it medical authorities are cited. 

“Botox Shot or Covid Boost? The Combo Causes Some Seasonal Wrinkles:

Doctors Advise Patients Seeking Cosmetic Treatments Not to Get a Vaccine Shot Two Weeks Before or After Their Procedure to Avoid the Risk of Swelling,” Alina Dizik, Wall Street Journal, Dec. 27, 2021. I think it is worth providing the first couple of sentences and then I will skip to the medical concerns:

Amanda Madison wanted to look fresh in time for her 50th birthday this winter. The Covid-19 vaccine booster threw a wrinkle into her plan.

She had time to add more volume to her lips and cheeks before her birthday bash, but needed to wait two weeks before and a further two weeks after getting her Covid booster shot before adding additional treatments to achieve "a fresh new start" for the New Year.

Spas and dermatology practices dealing with the holiday injections rush have an unexpected challenge this year: helping patients navigate Covid-19 boosters…

Many dermatologists advise clients to put time between vaccinations and injections of fillers -- gel-like substances used to plump up skin. In rare cases, mRNA vaccines have been linked to an inflammatory reaction to hyaluronic acid-based dermal fillers, the most common kind, according to case reports and research published in the Archives of Dermatological Research earlier this year. That can complicate holiday-season treatments, especially as Omicron increases the need for boosters.

People should wait two to three weeks between fillers and the Covid-19 vaccine to avoid a risk of swelling in areas where facial fillers were injected, says Gregory Greco, president-elect of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. He encourages patients not to put off the vaccine due to fillers. "We don't want people to delay boosters for fillers," he says.

 I was somewhat surprised that those interviewed apparently did not mind using their real names and that they are relatively young. I have since learned that there is a “Botox Boom”, partially propelled by youthful clients. Once again, directly to the source:

“Botox Sales Erupt With Younger Patients: Botox Sales Have Never Been Higher,” Bob Herman, AXIOS, Dec.28, 2021

The big picture: The pandemic drastically reduced the number of people getting cosmetic skin treatments. But the rollout of the COVID vaccines and a larger, younger crowd willing to try Botox injections have led to swelling demand in dermatology offices and medical spas.

By the numbers: U.S. sales of Botox — just the cosmetic version that is used to smooth out face wrinkles and not the version that is used to treat conditions like migraines and neck spasms — surpassed $1 billion in the first nine months of 2021, compared with $600 million in the first nine months of 2020.

Canadian Content

   Those of you who insist on more Canadian material, or those of you here who want your surgery done on home soil, should know that one of the sources in the WSJ is in our nation’s capital: 

The chances of unwanted side effects as a result of facial fillers and the vaccine are extremely small, says physician Alain Michon. He has seen two patients experience this type of swelling in his Ottawa-based aesthetic practice and published research in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology earlier this year. He estimates that less than 1% of patients experience vaccine-associated posttreatment swelling in areas where they have had injections.

The Bonus:

This is not directly related, although it does involve injections. I find puzzling, the Republican/conservative vaccine views which, I think, generally are not in favour of government mandates - or the government at all. On the other hand Republican Rick Perry, a former Governor of Texas (of all places), once mandated a vaccine for girls going into grade six, for a sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer (by the way, the vaccine, Gardasil, works.) Opposition was met, partially because some felt that it might encourage sexual promiscuity. That may be true and it was probably particularly worrisome for those parents who had gotten plastic surgery for their daughters, because they wanted them to do well in beauty pageants and look better under the Friday night lights.

Post Script: Rick Perry still looks rather well. Meg Ryan, not so much.

What's In The Mail?

   The news here in Ontario is not good. The Covid situation has worsened and we have been told to stay-at-home until May 20. That news, as reported by an English newspaper, seemed even worse when it appeared under this headline: "Ontario Gives Police Sweeping Powers as Covid Crisis Spirals Out of Control," (Leyland Cecco, The Guardian, April 16.) One learns that: Police in Ontario will now have the power to stop drivers or pedestrians and ask for their address and reason for being out. Residents could face fines of up to $C750 (US$600) for refusing to comply. Although I was inclined to think that such strict measures were likely necessary to reduce the transmission of the virus, I was unaware of the unintended consequences which will cause an increase in other bad things: “Blanket powers for police to stop vehicles like this bends our constitutional freedoms too far, and will cause a rash of racial profiling,” Michael Bryant of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association said in a statement.

   I am a member, I suppose, of a race not subject to the rash, but I will comply with the directives issued and stay on the property. Staying at home means I have lost many of the excuses I typically offer as explanations for my lack of blogging activity. In my defence, however, the pandemic means I don't have much to blog about, just as you don't have much to offer when your neighbours ask, "What's New?" The mail received, doesn't seem like a promising subject, but here goes. 

   If you didn't realize the mail could be exciting, you probably missed my two earlier posts about the surprising things that can be delivered to your door.  I began the year by discussing The Epoch Times, a conspiracy promoting publication that some of our fellow citizens don't want the Posties to deliver. Then in February, Druthers arrived and, among other things, we learned that vaccines should be avoided. 

   Recently we received, as I am sure you did,  a very timely, massive catalog offering "Great Courses" from the "World's Greatest Professors" which you can take right from the home you are now not allowed to leave. The list of things about which you can learn is a long one and you find them here: ShopGreatCourses.com.  And, if you act now, the courses are cheap. For example, Western Civilization -- The Way You Wish It Had Been Taught, cost $595 on a DVD, but you can stream it now for $25. (As an aside, I thought such a subject was now verboten, but maybe it is being taught the way we wish it had been and perhaps placed at the bottom, under all the other civilizations.)

   If you are thinking about enrolling during this pandemic down time, perhaps you should exercise due diligence.  I took a look for the professor offering the 'Western Civ" course and he does exist and has emeritus status from the respected university named. Although the catalog received was mailed from Niagara Falls, that is not unusual. The people at the headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia simply forgot  to tell them to change the spelling to 'catalogue'. The fact that the headquarters of the CIA is close by, means nothing, I'm sure. It is the case, however, that a little searching found a lot of customers who were not pleased with the products being offered. 

Hand -Written Solicitations For Your House

   Less substantial than the tabloid size course catalogue received, were two different hand-written notes, both of which were, I am sure, 'written' on machines.  Both badly wanted the house to which the notes had been delivered. Adelle and others offered cash and a closing that would happen quickly, perhaps even faster than the quick and problem-free closing offered by Adam & Kristyna who also said, "I don't really care about the condition of the building, as I'll be renovating it anyways." While it is nice to receive hand-written notes these days, the plural 'anyways' is problematic and I suggest due diligence again be exercised. If, however, Adelle or Adam do have the cash, I advise selling, since the real estate bubble is likely to burst before Covid is contained.

Druthers

 Newspapers

    So many newspapers have closed in recent years there is a Wikipedia entry for "The Decline of Newspapers." It is odd then, that I received another new one last week. You may recall my post about The Epoch Times back in January. This week our subject is Druthers which is pictured above. That is the third issue and 100,000 copies of it are being distributed across the country. The title, as the masthead indicates, means what it implies, as in "If I had my druthers, we all would know the truth," and apparently that is all that Druthers publishes.  You can decide for yourself at druthers.net where you can access and assess all the issues currently available. 

   Not only does Druthers give you the truth, it also points you to other places where more of it is found. On p. 5 of the issue above you will find "Websites of Interest" and the first one listed is "Vaccine Choice Canada" and the second is "The World Doctors Alliance." The first one cannot be said to be vaccine friendly and the second appeared in the headline: "World Doctors Alliance" Shares False and Misleading Claims About the Covid-19 Pandemic." Still, one wants to trust the publisher Shawn Jason Laponte, who says on the last page: "Please world, be kind to one another. We really are just one big earth family. Thank you. I love you. Keep on passing it on." He is publishing Druthers "Because Mainstream Media Sucks!" One London reader was impressed enough to offer to hand out copies at his place of work. Before you make such a decision do have a look at Druthers where you can also buy this T-shirt. 

Vaccines

   I thought most Canadians were worried about not getting the vaccine which, at this point, is a legitimate thing to be worried about. I forgot about the fact that vaccines cause autism and that many movie stars and wealthy and influential people like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are ardent anti-vaxxers. But, if you are a vaccine fence sitter, where can you go for the real truth?

      The few employees still remaining at Statistics Canada have been looking into it. That chart is from, "Misinformation During the Covid-19 Pandemic," by Karine Garneau and Clemence Zossu and here is some prose to go with it and the news is not good:

During the pandemic, nine in ten Canadians (90%) used online sources to find information about COVID-19. The three main sources were online newspapers or news sites (63%), social media posts from news organizations or magazines (35%), and social media posts from other users or influencers (30%).

The survey found that many Canadians were not in a regular habit of checking the accuracy of information they found online, with only 21% reporting they always check the accuracy and 37% saying they often check. However roughly 36% of Canadians reported that they only sometimes (24%) or rarely (12%) checked the accuracy of COVID-19 information they found online, which facilitates the sharing of potentially misleading, false or inaccurate information.

The most common reason identified by the 1.5 million (6%) Canadians who never verified the accuracy of the information was that they trusted the source (53%). Of the other reasons, 22% reported that they did not think about checking the accuracy of the information, 20% did not care about checking, 11% said they did not know how to check and 10% did not have time to check. Men and women both reported similar proportions for the reasons they didn’t fact check the information found online.

  While the pandemic is serious, the infodemic is as well and is likely to last longer:

An infodemic is an overabundance of information, both online and offline. It includes deliberate attempts to disseminate wrong information to undermine the public health response and advance alternative agendas of groups or individuals. Mis- and disinformation can be harmful to people’s physical and mental health; increase stigmatization; threaten precious health gains; and lead to poor observance of public health measures, thus reducing their effectiveness and endangering countries’ ability to stop the pandemic.

   

Sources:

  An early report about Druthers is found here: "New Covid Conspiracy Newspaper With Extremist Ties Eyes Canada-Wide Distribution," by Rayne, Dec. 18, 2020 at Antihate.ca.

  For a recent article: "How This Man's Newspaper is Pushing Anti-Covid-Restrictions Rhetoric Across Canada," Alex McKeen, The Toronto Star, Feb.7, 2021.

The Bonus: 

  You have probably read about the new Novavax, vaccine that is going to be produced here in Canada (in a Montreal facility still under construction.) See: "Novavax's Vaccine Will Be Produced in Canada. What Do We Know About It?" Patricia Treble, Maclean's, Feb. 4, 2021.

Novavax was developed in Maryland. This from Reuters:

Chief Executive Stanley Erck and three of his top lieutenants have sold roughly $46 million of company stock since the start of last year, according to a Reuters review of securities filings, capitalizing on a near 3,000% rally in Novavax shares fueled by investors betting on the success of the shot under development. The lucrative liquidations, which have not previously been reported, underscore the transformation in Novavax’s fortunes during the global pandemic and the opportunity for its executives to lock in big profits from market optimism.

The Gaithersburg, Maryland-based company was worth only $250 million until about a year ago, when news of its experimental vaccine and its participation in Operation Warp Speed drove its valuation up to as much as $11 billion.

At least there is some good news to report. 

Who Should Get the Covid Vaccines First?

    

   In clear violation of the protocols I mentioned in the "About this Blog" section, I will focus on an issue that is both current and complex. I planned to eschew the present because most topical subjects tend to be ephemeral and this blog is designed to be eternal. In this case, however, the current issue has long been around, but avoided, and it will linger for a long time to come and will still be avoided. I also deliberately planned to avoid the difficult subjects because I am not equipped to handle them. I can't handle this one either, but at least I can point out the questions if not answer them. Perhaps you hadn't even thought about them, so I am at least helping in that regard.

   The 'issue' in this case we will define simply as the question raised above: Who Should Get the Vaccines First?  Complex ethical problems are involved, as are logistical ones which complicate further the ethical ones. I will avoid the problems associated with the rationing of the vaccines, if there are not enough of them and focus on how the delivery of them should be prioritized, which is what the question is getting at. I am sure most of you know the answer to the question - You Should.

   The problem with your solution is that there are several million people who disagree with you and that only includes the ones on this continent. The disagreements have started to surface and will, like the virus, increase exponentially as the vaccines are only slowly dispensed. To give one example, which is an irritating one if you are quarantined on a cold day in Canada, consider this question: "Why in the hell is that Snowbird in Florida, getting the vaccine before I do?" That question is not only being raised here. I have a relative in Florida, who indicated that she was not happy with those northerners who were getting the shot before she was unless, perhaps they owned property there. I have another relative in Maryland who is not too pleased that those who are in prison might be given a priority ranking higher than his. You may be getting the feeling now that the question is not so easy to answer.

   Increasing numbers of such questions will be asked with increasing urgency over the next few months. While I indicated I don't have the answers, I can at least list some of the questions that are going to be asked and direct you to some of the resources that will help answer them. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that they will indicate you should be first in line.

   This post was prompted by an article I read this morning. It provides a clear account of the ethical issues which are rather murky when examined closely. In the middle of the essay, which should be read if you are at all interested in the emotional costs of this pandemic, is this paragraph of questions:

"Given this, who should get the vaccine first? If we prioritize people who are more likely to contract and die from the illness—which is one common method of allocating vaccines—should Black, Latino, and Indigenous Americans be on the top of the list, given their documented vulnerability? Should the risks associated with being among the first to receive the vaccine be distributed more broadly? Should health-care workers get the first doses? What about schoolchildren, or teachers? Should we prioritize people most likely to die from the disease (say, the elderly) or those most likely to transmit it widely (say, college students)? Can a government compel some citizens to get inoculated? Should it? If the U.S. is the first country to develop the vaccine, should it share its limited early doses with the international community? Should the federal government get to decide how the vaccine is allocated among different states? What if multiple vaccines arrive on the market with different levels of effectiveness, or different side effects? Who gets which one?"

It is not very difficult to translate these questions into 'Canadian.' It is being suggested here, for example, that being in the older cohort, I should be vaccinated first. But, is not the student on campus more likely to spread the virus and have many more years to live and be more productive? Will the shot I get come when Trudeau, Ford or a local authority determines it will? Why did that province, get the vaccine first? Should those on P.E.I. be put at the end of the line because they are on an island? Should Canada outbid other countries for the limited supply? One could go on.

The good news is that there are plenty of bioethicists around and available to provide clinical advice in difficult situations. There are also well developed guidelines, protocols and "crisis standards of care" about such things as whether to bother with resuscitation or determine which of the five patients gets the last ventilator. The bad news is that the desperate decision will probably have to be made by a first year resident who to you, looks like an adolescent. No one wants to be in the position to make such a decision, just as our Prime Minister or Premier will have difficulty determining who gets the first vaccine.

The bad news continues. Even if there was conclusive evidence indicating exactly what should be done and a leader willing to make the decision required, there would be many followers who would object. There are some in communities close by who are not willing to obey the rules and there are many, particularly, south of our border, unwilling to submit to government protocols and trust the government even though they believe in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Sources:

The article: "What the Chaos in Hospitals is Doing to Doctors," Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, Jan./Feb. 2021. On the cover, the question is raised: "Who Should Get the Vaccine First --- and Last?" I will not put the link in because it is unlikely to get you behind the firewall, but the article is very good.

"Guidance on the prioritization of initial doses of COVID-19 vaccine(s)," Government of Canada.

“COVID‑19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations” Center for Disease Control, Oct. 29, 2020.

"Fair Allocation Mechanism for COVID-19 Vaccines Through the COVAX Facility," World Health Organization, Sept. 9, 2020.

"National Academies Release Framework for Equitable Allocation of a COVID-19 Vaccine for Adoption by HHS, State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Authorities," The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, Oct. 2, 2020.

The Bonus:

Ethical issues can be perplexing and confusing and sometimes even symbols are not clear. If, like me, you associated the caduceus pictured above with the field of medicine, you were correct. But, apparently it is not a good choice. See: "Caduceus as a Symbol of Medicine", or "Things You Don't Learn in Medical School."

Factlet (6)

 

Extraordinary Times....         Desperate Times.....

That's Billions With a 'B'

   For review, a Factlet is true, whereas a Factoid is only widely believed to be true. I have not provided a Factlet for a while, so here are a bunch of them in one post. My last one was about the Opioid Epidemic and was negative, and this one is about the Covid Pandemic, but is positive. The pandemic has been profitable for some and not just the manufacturers of Purell or the makers of plexiglass. To wit:

   To put the chart in context, consider this:

A Wealth Tax??

   Jeff Bezos has already decided to give $10 billion to causes relating to climate change. He started by donating $791 million to various organizations, including $100 million each to: The Environmental Defense Fund, The National Resources Defense Council. The Nature Conservancy, The World Resources Institute and The World Wildlife Fund.  This will certainly help, since in 2019 only 2% of the $730 billion given globally was for the fight against climate change.

   Elon Musk has decided to move from California to Texas. The decision may be related to the fact that the Lone Star State has less regulations and lower taxes.

   Short of pleading for these individuals to be more philanthropic, what could be done? Instituting a wealth tax is one option and it is being considered in the UK. It is suggested that the tax could be a one-time one and there appears to be a fair amount of public support for it. That would likely be true here, but perhaps not in the Lone Star State during the time of Trump.

Sources:

   The chart is from a report produced for Americans For Tax Fairness and The Institute for Policy Studies. The title: "Net Worth of U.S. Billionaires Has Soared by $1 Trillion - To Total of $4 Trillion - Since Pandemic Began." A sub-heading indicates that the "Wealth Increase in 9 Months Exceeds Likely $908 Billion Cost of Covid Relief Package GOP Has Stalled as Too Costly."

   The charitable actions of Bezos are reported in the Washington Post - see: "Bezos Makes First Donations From $10 Billion Earth Fund For Fighting Climate Change," Steven Mufson, Nov. 16, 2020.

Bezos owns the Washington Post.

   The title of the Wealth Tax Report is: "A Wealth Tax For the UK", Wealth Tax Commission Final Report, by Arun Advani et al. The full 126 pp final report is available. 

The defining feature of a one-off wealth tax is that it would be a one-off exceptional response to a particular crisis. Individuals would only be taxed once based on the wealth they owned valued at a particular date. They would still be allowed to pay the tax in instalments over a number of subsequent years, to reduce the cost in any single year, but the amount of tax would be based on their wealth on the initial assessment date.

For two articles about the report: "Economic Cost of Covid Crisis Prompts Call For One-Off UK Wealth Tax," Richard Partington, The Guardian, Dec. 9, 2020 and "U.K. Urged To Levy $350 Billion Wealth Tax to Fund Pandemic," Andrew Atkinson, Dec. 9, 2020.

The Bonus: 

   You will have noticed the names of three Waltons in the chart. To see what Alice did with a bit of her money a few years ago, read this earlier post or, when the pandemic is over, travel to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

The Cannonball Run

During COVID

  The rain continues so I will continue posting. Some people do far more adventurous things. Like get a highly modified vehicle and hop in it in New York and see how fast they can get to California. Realizing that traffic is down considerably during this time of Covid, a few fellows decided to go for the record recently and did break it. The former record holders can surely argue that an asterisk needs to be placed next to the new one since the holders of the current one had an unfair advantage. 

   The new record is contained in the image above. It took the racers less than 26 hours to travel across the continent since their average speed was 108(MPH)/ 174(KPH).

   I recently posted about the earlier, pre-covid record which is noted above and was taken from the GPS device on the dashboard of the car. It took those fellows over 27 hours, even though they only stopped for 22 minutes.

Sources:

   See my earlier post which also provides information about the cross-continental record by bicycle - Racing Across America. 

   There are many articles about the very illegal race, but start with the Wikipedia entry for 

Cannonball Run Challenge. 

P.S.

   Clearly this is one of those "Don't Try This At Home" events. For the answer to the question you likely want to ask me, see: "Why Are We Glorifying Cannonball Runs, the Illegal Pastime of Thrill-Seeking Drivers?", Petrina Gentile, The Globe and Mail, July 21, 2020.

The Bright Side

   Not all the news is bad during this time of the Great Flu. As someone who specializes in the contrarian, I thought I would provide you with a few good bits.

   One does not have to read the following article since the very good news is obvious in the headline: "Corporate Insiders Pocket $1 Billion in Rush For Coronavirus Vaccine," David Gelles and Jesse Drucker, New York Times, July 25, 2020.

  Jeff Bezos also continues to do well and you don't need to be concerned about his ex-wife. This was found on Bloomberg News:

Jeff Bezos added $13 billion to his net worth on Monday, the largest single-day jump for an individual since the Bloomberg Billionaires Index was created in 2012.

Bezos, Amazon’s 56-year-old founder and the world’s richest person, has seen his fortune swell $74 billion in 2020 to $189.3 billion, despite the U.S. entering its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. He’s now personally worth more than the market valuation of giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp., Nike Inc. and McDonald’s Corp.

and

Mackenzie Bezos, his ex-wife, gained $4.6 billion Monday and is now the 13th-richest person in the world.

   If you are among the fortunate ones and are healthy, but still worried about the coming of the fall and the prospect that we might have to remain hunkered down, there are options like these:

   The marketing folks at Hilton Head are suggesting you can rent a home there and your kids can "Go Back to School Island Style."

   If you would rather be locked down this winter somewhere really warm, consider Barbados. 

Here are some related headlines:

Out of Office: Barbardos Prime Minister Welcomes Remote Workers: Proposes 12-Month Visa.

Working From Home Can Soon Mean Working in Barbados For Up To A Year.

The Bonus:

   Additional good news: The NHL resumes play on August 1, and you can watch the Kentucky Derby on Sept.5 and view The Masters in November. [the normal dates for these events were altered due to Covid.]

   So there; things aren't so bad.

   

Duct Cleaning

   
   Loyal subscribers know that I generally eschew current events (they also know the meaning of the word ‘eschew’ - for the rest of you, it means ‘avoid’), because my followers would already know about them and, more importantly, recent news items are eschewed (avoided) mostly because they are troubling and usually begin with a word that starts with the letter “T” (this blog is mainly read by U.S. citizens and Canadians who will be able to figure out what that word is.)
 
   First-time readers will not know that my posts are typically not funny. If you happen upon a humorous one, the content will surely have been taken from a comic, just as the odd clever bits were stolen from someone cleverer. So, to be clear, whatever I come up with below is deadly serious and will likely not be very clever.
 
   I am violating my rule of not discussing current events or the Royal Couple because all the news headlines now begin with a “C” word rather than the “T” one, although the “C” word is often preceded by a “T”one. In this instance, a short explanation of the “C” word may be required for my readers who are on the other side of a border which is now both real and linguistic. In Canada the “C” word stands for 'Coronavirus' or 'Co-Vid 19' and it is referring to a virus which is causing what was an epidemic, but which is now a pandemic which may be catastrophic, or not. The same virus in the United States is called the 'Chinese Virus' because, as we all know, the Chinese caused it and the Americans are more direct.

Finally - The Duct Cleaning Offer

   The news is depressing and I will not attempt to attract you by pretending to present some that is ‘Breaking” . Everyone is aware that the virus is transmitted most directly to us by our furnaces through the heating ducts. If you have been reading the news and not hanging up on the robo-call duct-cleaning guy, you will know this. It is tempting here to offer some breaking news and say that the Chinese are directly responsible, but I am unable to do so. I did find out, however, that Reliance Home Comfort was acquired by Cheung Kong Property Holdings LTD back in 2017.

   My purpose is more uplifting in that I will offer here some rare good news. It is that, during these trying times, I will be a responsible citizen and do my bit by offering, FOR FREE, to clean the ducts of the first 350 readers who respond (there are some, discussed below, who are not eligible to receive this offer.) After a visit from me, you will no longer have to worry about contagion and you will have a good response for the duct-cleaning robo-caller.

    Those of you who participated in the "Great Toilet Paper Bubble" are excluded from the offer above. You are clearly poor citizens who should be penalized. On the other hand, you are also clearly ignorant ones, so I will allow you to take advantage of my other offer.

   While you were raiding all the toilet paper isles, I made a run for the Ex-Lax and have cornered the market. Months from now, when you are sitting there feeling guilty, surrounded by stacks of toilet paper, I will be able to assist you in getting the diarrhea you deserve. Limit, three packages per customer.

Post Script: (the usual bonus stuff for subscribers)
   I avoid the headlines and politics because they are awful.  I only take a peek occasionally and probably miss all the headlines that are positive and reveal how kind people are and how we are all rallying to whatever flag it is we are flying.  Some results from a brief look recently confirmed my views:
Headline -”Canada Post to Reduce Hours, Install Clear Barriers in Response to COVID-19”.
Among the questions that could be asked -Who knew that there was still a post office and that people got mail or that delivering those flyers was that dangerous? This is the first news I have seen about the Posties since they boycotted the Postal Code.

   Some family members on the West Coast decided to retreat to an island to get away from it all. Even though they have owned property there for years and it is a large piece which allowed for a lot of distance, they noticed that the residents were less than welcoming and they felt like hippies from the sixties. That happened in Lotus Land where people are supposed to be mellow. The same thing is happening elsewhere according to the headlines I found:
"Seeking Relief from Coronavirus, Urban Brits Flee to the Countryside, Where Locals Beg Them to Please Stay Away,"
LONDON — Like refugees fleeing a coming contagion, anxious, stir-crazy Brits poured out of the cities and into the countryside over recent days, to postcard-perfect hamlets and wind-swept islands, seeking solace or safety in the mountains, lakes and shore....
They were not welcome. The emphatic message from the locals: Go away.

‘Stay On the Mainland’: Tensions Grow as Affluent City Dwellers Fearing Coronavirus Retreat to Second homes [Cape Cod, New England]
"In recent weeks, wealthy city dwellers hoping to escape the novel coronavirus have been fleeing to their second homes, exacerbating long-standing tensions between locals and summer residents. While those from out of town feel they have the right to use property that they own and pay taxes on, year-round residents worry that the new arrivals could be carrying the disease, and that local hospitals aren’t equipped to handle an outbreak."
   Apparently even some Southerners are becoming less hospitable - "North Carolina's Outer Banks Closed off to Nonresidents".
Sources: 
The two recent headlines are from the Washington Post and the Outer Banks situation is found on ABC News and elsewhere.
   And I did not make up the Great Postal Code Boycott of 1972. See: "A Chilly Reception for the Postal Code," CBC Archives, Oct. 21, 2018 and the Wikipedia entry for "Postal Codes in Canada."