In America, we often find ourselves outraged regarding the prices that pharmaceutical companies are allowed to charge for life-saving medicines--particularly when those medicines are low-cost to produce to begin with. Right now, those companies are hard at work lobbying for the rights to do this with the medications to treat Coronavirus that doctors are in the process of developing.
Right now is a great time for many of us to spend time learning new arts, enjoying time with our nuclear families (or Face Time with extended family and friends!) and creating new things. Remember what Mark said in Rent: the opposite of war isn't peace, it's creation. Creating is what makes us human, and if Isaac Newton could figure out gravity during a plague, perhaps many of us could use this time to explore our own creative genius.
Several films have been delayed due to the Coronavirus pandemic, which I'm very grateful for. I'd much rather people be safe and sound at home rather than crammed in theaters, although I understand the disappointment. I'm looking forward to seeing Wonder Woman 1984 so much, too! I could see releasing it digitally, but I also get why Warner Bros. would wait.
Over the past few years, some of us have lost a bit of our faith in humanity. The world's become a harsher place, or so it has seemed, with the rise of far-right, often bordering on fascist, governments. Did you ever imagine that a global pandemic might restore that lost faith? The public--and private--response to those in need has been overwhelmingly beautiful to the point of moving me to tears on a daily basis.
Last week we talked about a few ways to play games with friends when you're at different locations, so this week I thought we could talk about the games we can play in person with the loved ones we're sharing spaces with right now. For me, that's only three people, including myself, so to play team games we've had to be rather creative!
When it comes to stocking up on shelf stable foods, some families struggle for a variety of reasons. Cost is an obvious factor for millions of Americans, as is storage, transportation and other things to consider. Some families also have special health needs that make them unable to consume most shelf stable foods; I'm one of these, and I know many others who have similar issues.
The care and kindness that human beings respond with in terms of a global crisis are incredibly inspiring. While there are always some disheartening stories, the reality is that most people care, want to help and strive to help. As we've all heard multiple times this month, we're all in this together. Among the many businesses suffering right now are animal shelters, which breaks my heart.
As a cat owner and gardener, I get how tough it is to have house plants around your fur babies. My dogs are known to knock over a plant or two, and my cats will chew anything that's low enough for them to reach, so my plants are all on high shelves or on top of the refrigerator. Some people have even more challenges, like allergies, that prevent them from having plants.
Animal adaptations and evolution are incredible. Not only are they just plain cool and inspiring, but they prove that we have the ability to continually grow and change in response to our environments. It's a nice thought, isn't it? Humans have proven this in many different ways throughout the centuries, too.
With so many live versions of animated classics out now, it's fun to imagine more of our favorite animated characters in live action roles, especially when we already have a dream cast to play them. Screen Rant came up with a pretty good list that would work well for most characters.
While some countries that were able to take action and practice social distancing right away were able to quickly keep as many citizens healthy as possible, others haven't been as lucky. In the United States, leadership is unsurprisingly split, and governors all issue different orders, or no orders at all, rather than acting as a cohesive country.
Now that many of us are sheltering in place, it's a good time to share our experiences and comfort with one another through many means, whether it means performing music for one another to enjoy to sharing our written words. In some ways it's one of the hardest times to look away from the Internet, between being addicted to the latest news and the latest celebrity share.
Back in 1982, I was a wee newborn, so I certainly didn't catch the Grateful Dead appearance on David Letterman. However, the Internet has made so much possible, including the chance to see many past performances and appearances. One of these includes the time Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir were interviewed by David Letterman, which included some great performances.
Everyone needs a bit of help through these days of uncertainty and fear. Even the CDC is crowdfunding the public health response, which boggles my mind. Our government should be doing this; the CDC should not have to host a bake sale. That doesn't mean I think we shouldn't donate; if that's what it takes, that's what it takes. I just think it's an outrage.
China has announced a ban on wildlife trading for the moment, but with the state of the world, perhaps we need to consider a more permanent solution, especially since online black market sales are simply replacing the market for snakes, bats and other exotic animals. Nigeria is also refusing to stop the sales of pangolin despite the animal's endangered status--and the fact that it's the most trafficked animal in the world.
Part 2 of 2 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
Veridian collaborated with three site license companies that are supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (LLW Repository Ltd, Magnox Ltd, Sellafield Ltd) and EDF Energy Nuclear Generation Ltd. This collaboration gave the researchers access to five very different geological sites.
Nuclear plant operating with essential staff, limiting other access gloucestertimes.com
Ambient office = 86 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 98 nanosieverts per hour
