The Northstar Journal

CBS News

Australia Has Dug Itself Into A Hole In Its Relationship With China. It’s Time To Find A Way Out

1-universe-pictures

ABOUT US: The Northstar Journal is a general interest online weekly reaching an international readership from America to Australia and Europe to Asia. We are also on FaceBook and Nextdoor.com. If you enjoyed this edition and would like to contribute to the next, please go here. To contact us directly, minstrel312@aol.com

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

MEMORIAL DAY: TO SCOTT SMITH, WHO DID NOT MAKE IT BACK

Posted on May 22, 2020 by minstrel312

Pacem, Libertatem, Justitiam

May 24, 2020

Volume 12 Number 35

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

Inside: Memorial Day: To Scott Smith, Who Did Not Make It Back; Returning To Normal Where I Live; Beyond the Pale; Good News & Awesome Examples; News We Would Rather Not Read But Need To Know Anyway; Community, Culture & Lifestyle; The Kitchen; Economics; History; Northstar Interactive; Health & Wellbeing; Covid-19; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Climate Change; Ecology; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

VietnamWall-reflections

MEMORIAL DAY: TO SCOTT SMITH, WHO DID NOT MAKE IT BACK

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. America has two holidays which pay military honors to those of her citizens who have served. One, Veterans Day, is in November and is for all of us. Monday, we celebrate Memorial Day, to remember those who died under arms.

I’d like to thank KQED’s Matthew Green for an article he wrote three years ago which features a chart of American War casualties from the Revolutionary War – Afghanistan with full demographics, including how many in 100,000 of the population, when known at the time.

We urge you to take a moment to go here and then come on back here to keep reading. I came away from this realizing how profoundly and completely those deaths connect us. It would, I suspect, be very hard to find anyone who has not lost someone. I have and I know Olya has too. Scott Smith, of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, is on the Wall. He was a Navy Seal who was killed in the Mekong Delta. A friend from Boot Camp, he was also engaged to one of my sisters. The last thing he said to me was, “If you make it back, make it count.”

He didn’t make it back and he had lots of company. I’ve done what I can to make it count. But you know something? He and I had our own plans. I resent the fact that we keep dashing the hopes of people like him and my sister in the name of love of country.

Seems to me if we loved Americans as much as we claim to love America, more people would live for it. And far fewer would die in its name.

Rusty

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

Lyiv, Ukraine Photo by Tom Burke

GETTING BACK TO NORMAL WHERE I LIVE

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

Things in Europe are getting back to normal, which is of course reassuring. Slovenia first European nation to declare end of epidemic at home

London now has the lowest rate of COVID-19 infection in the UK. Probably they at last got their herd immunity. Coronavirus could be ‘wiped out in London in weeks’ – but what’s the picture in the rest of England?

Gradually Ukraine is going from lockdown by 22 June. Meantime the decision was made to convert to an adaptive quarantine, where regions decide the quarantine measures. After entrepreneurs and farmers protested, the markets were finally opened and that means a lot for local growers who, before, had to throw away their produce because they couldn’t sell it.

The government had to provide further relief, especially after declaration of the chief medical officer Lyashko: parks and squares in Ukraine were closed for the psychological effect rather than for directly controlling the spread of the virus raised more than a few eyebrows, my own included. Ironic how manipulative being honest with the public can also become.

Probably that is what people around the globe expect the most from their governments: fact-based information and absolute frankness. The ones on top were chosen to represent society, not just to rule.

Luckily we live in a modern world where people are the source of power so nothing should be done against their will or without their express consent. If there are some restrictions, they should be explained and based on the real situation.

If the restrictions could be avoided, they should be avoided. And it is as simple as that. At the end of the day, each of us is responsible for our own health and spiritual well-being.

Also I found a quite interesting perspective on COVID while listening to an interview of Dr. Zach Bush, a multi-disciplinary medical specialist. He thinks that “the Virus is unmasking the toxicity of our environment”.

It is important that he mentioned that in difficult cases that seem like pneumonia ventilators do not work because the real cause is hypoxic injury. So it should be treated more like a cyanide poisoning then a respiratory disease. That explains the horrible statistics that Nearly 9 in 10 COVID-19 patients who are put on a ventilator die, New York hospital data suggests.

And concerning that interesting link of pollution and virus rates already mentioned by few other sources, isn’t it ironic from that perspective that lockdown did work first hand not because governments limited people, but because it stopped polluting enterprises.

One might ask, would it not be reasonable, instead of infringing people’s rights. to stop polluters? Nature tries to help us by pumping oxygen with all early sprouted greenery but isn’t it time to help ourselves too? Delhi, Mumbai, Seoul and Wuhan see record-breaking clear skies as Covid-19 lockdowns subdue air pollution.

In Dr. Bush’s opinion, the danger is not the virus but that we sterilized ourselves from nature. By creating own artificial environment, we now suffer from all sorts of toxins. And now, in fear, we are missing the beauty of life, of one another. We need to reorient ourselves to life and to put in line with biology not only our medical system, but also our manufacturing and consumer goods, our energy and transportation.

If the virus will help to open people’s eyes on more eco-friendly living then all that we coming through right now will make sense.

Stay safe, Mishka. And all. This too shall pass. I promise.

Olya

BEYOND THE PALE

Jamal Khashoggi’s Sons Forgive Saudis Convicted In His Murder, Sparing 5 From Execution

Singapore’s Supreme Court Sentences Drug Suspect To Death On Zoom Call

Singapore Is Using A Robotic Dog To Enforce Proper Social Distancing During COVID-19

GOOD NEWS AND AWESOME EXAMPLES

2020 National Teacher Of The Year Announced, Educates Kansas Preschoolers Alongside Retirees

As ‘Normal’ Crumbles, Young People Are Turning Their Grief Into Action

Dairy Farm Bottles Milk Instead Of Dumping It

How Cristina Mittermeier Merges Storytelling And Science

Iceland Prime Minister’s Key To Leading Through Coronavirus: ‘Put Your Ego As A Politician Aside’

Native American Farm Working To Keep Community Fed During Pandemic

Rebuilding A Scotland That Hasn’t Existed For 2,000 Years

This Startup Is Building A Huge Magic Mushroom Farm In Jamaica

Washington National Guard on front lines in state’s COVID-19 battle

NEWS WE WOULD RATHER NOT READ BUT NEED TO KNOW ANYWAY

Canada FaceBook Fined $6.5m Over ‘False’ Privacy Claims

Coronavirus: Trump Gives WHO Ultimatum Over Covid-19 Handling

Counterfeit Masks Reaching Frontline Health Workers In U.S.

Microplastics In Florida Birds Of Prey

Report: WA State The Primary Target For Unemployment Fraudsters

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

A Texas Court Is Holding The First-Ever Jury Trial Over Zoom

Cities Plan To Keep Traffic Out When Lockdowns Lift

Dating During The Pandemic Is The Same — And How It’s Not

Fighting A Wildfire During A Pandemic?

Is There Any Safe Way To Socialize During The Coronavirus Pandemic?

Lockdown: South African Actors Create A Hit Online Soap Opera

The Year Of Car-Free Streateries

Western States Lead The Way In Vote-By-Mail Elections

Why The Indoor Farming Movement Is Taking Off

THE KITCHEN

5 Ways To Eat A Rose

Hank Shaw’s Three Sisters Chili

Italy’s Beloved Three-Ingredient Pasta Dish

The Perfect, Easy, Cast-Iron Pizza Recipe.

Vegan Spiced Bean Curd With Tomatoes And Mustard Seeds

Vegan Steamed Bean Curd With Ginger And Chillies

ECONOMICS

Coronavirus Won’t Kill Globalization. But It Will Look Different After The Pandemic

Another 4.4 Million Americans File For Jobless Aid

HISTORY

Arlington National Cemetery Opens Its 105-Year-Old Time Capsule

In 1919, The Mayor Of Oakland Was Arrested For Failing To Wear A Mask

Judge Approves Salvage Firm’s Plan To Recover Titanic’s Telegraph Machine From Shipwreck

“Stories Of African American Daily Life, Achievements And Resilience Extend Far Beyond A Park’s Physical Borders.”

Amateur Archaeologists Studying Aerial Maps Of The U.K. Spot Dozens Of Hidden Historical Structures

The True Story Of Catherine The Great

Ancient Hillfort May Be Largest Known Pictish Settlement In Scotland

This 2,000-Year-Old Coin Commemorates A Jewish Rebellion Against Rome

Underground Chambers Discovered Near Jerusalem’s Western Wall

Rare ‘Light-Footed’ Dinosaur Discovered In Australia For The First Time

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

Bill Gates’ 5 Summer Books And Other Things To Do At Home

Eight Film Festivals Worth Attending (Virtually)

Smithsonian Magazine Monthly Crossword: May 2020

Take A Free Video Tour Of Blockbuster Pompeii And Herculaneum Exhibition

Transform Your Selfies, Pet Portraits Into Famous Artworks

HEALTH & WELL BEING

Biologist Has Great Advice On COVID Infection Risks

Stop Work Stress From Turning Into Burnout

Joining Others In Song Might Just Be The Best Thing You Can Do Today

This Bionic Eye Is Better Than A Real One, Scientists Say

What The Science Really Says About Grilled Meat And Cancer Risk

COVID-19

Coronavirus Isn’t Worse In Cities Because Of Density

For This Russian Messianic Cult, Coronavirus Isolation Is A ‘Blessing’

Hallmarks Of An Effective National COVID-19 Response

Smart City Planning Could Slow Future Pandemics

There’s A Hidden Cost To Coronavirus, And China Is About To Pay Dearly

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Orbital view of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano on Mars, stretching some 13.6 miles (22 km, 72,000 feet) above the red Martian plains. Olympus Mons is 2 1/2 times taller than Mount Everest! Image via ESA’s Mars Express/ Justin Cowart

Is Mars Still Volcanically Active? New Study Says Maybe And so it would appear from the above photo.

Did Scientists Just Find Evidence Of A Parallel Universe? If they have, it would explain a great deal, would it not?

EARTH

lemurfrommnn

Any idea what the beautiful creature in this photo is? It can be tricky to know the difference between monkeys and apes, but here are a few specific characteristics to look for.

Here’s How Coronavirus Affected Carbon Emissions In Every State

How Do Hurricanes Get Their Names?

NASA Photos Reveal A Lake Of Water—Not Lava—On Kīlauea Volcano

Why Is Earth’s Magnetic North Pole Drifting So Rapidly?

CLIMATE CHANGE

China Prioritises Employment Over GDP Growth In Coronavirus Recovery

Climate Change Is Turning Parts Of Antarctica Green

Coal Generator Uses Investment Treaty To Fight Netherlands Coal Phaseout

Coronavirus Lockdown Cut Energy-Related CO2 Emissions 17%, Study Finds

Denmark Proposes Two Huge ‘Energy Islands’ To Meet 2030 Climate Target

EU Plans To Protect 30% Of Land And Seas By 2030 For Biodiversity

Global Warming Is Also Influencing Where Tropical Cyclones Rage

Global Warming Is Making Hurricanes Stronger

In Just 50 Years, Many Populated Parts Of The World Could Be Too Hot For Humans

Rwanda Submits Tougher Emission-Cutting Plan To The UN

Spain Unveils Climate Law To Cut Emissions To Net Zero By 2050

We Must Build Back Better After Cyclone Amphan

ECOLOGY

Cities Find Green Ways To Reduce Storm Floods

Radioactive Waste Cleanup Paying Off For Giant Idaho Aquifer

Saving Our Planet Starts With The Soil

Solar Energy Project In Nevada Will Be Biggest In United States

SPACE

Artist’s concept of water vapor plumes on Europa, the smallest of Jupiter’s 4 large Galilean moons. Image via ASA/ ESA/ K. Retherford/ SwRI.

5 Reasons Why The James Webb Space Telescope Is Such A Big Deal

China Is Pulling Ahead In Race To Identify Extraterrestrials

NASA Earth Observatory’s Latest Images

NASA’s Asteroid Deflection Mission May Spark An Artificial Meteor Shower

Research Spacecraft May Pass Through Tail Of Dead Comet

Scientists Want To Build Nuclear Reactors To Power Moon Colony

US Space Force Launches Secretive Spacecraft

TECHNOLOGY

Drones Detecting Body Temperature Being Used In COVID-19 Response

These Scientists Say Nanobots Could Kill Individual Cancer Cells

Researchers: This AI Can Judge Personality Based On Selfies Alone

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

At A Grueling SubArctic Race, A Photographer Finds Calm

National Geographic’s Best Animal Photos Of The Year

When A Polar Bear Finds A Camera

BON Perennial: Hakai Magazine – The Sea versus St. Augustine

TRAVEL

A Piece Of Italy Lost In Switzerland

Japan’s Forgotten People

Why New Zealand Is So Progressive

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: EMPEROR – A gripping tale of love and honor forged between fierce enemies of war, inspired by true events and starring Matthew Fox and Academy Award®-winner Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur. Immediately after Emperor Hirohito’s World War II surrender, General MacArthur (Jones) suddenly finds himself the de facto ruler of a foreign nation. He challenges his expert on Japanese culture – General Fellers (Fox) – to provide evidence in 10 short days to decide if the Japanese Emperor, worshipped as a god by his people but accused of war crimes, should be punished or saved. The fate of a nation awaits…

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

owl

Many birds are steeped in lore, but the owl is a raptor wrapped in mystery. Did you know, for example, that dreaming of an owl can signify death in some cultures? Consider these 5 superstitions about owls.

Excellent! Moths Work The Pollination Night Shift, Visiting Some Flowers Bees Skip

You guys will totally love this. Learn The ABCs Of National Park Wildlife

Why Do These Chimps Like To Throw Rocks At Trees? Because they can?

SHORTS

Cold-Blooded, But Not Cold-Hearted, Garter Snakes Form Friendships

How To Protect Nature During Uncertain Times

Researchers Thought These Metallic Blue Bees Were Extinct — Until They Saw Them In Florida

koala

STRANGE BUT TRUE

Saber-Toothed Anchovies Swam In The Oceans Millions Of Years Ago

Wolf Spiders May Turn To Cannibalism In Warming Arctic

Police Lure Escaped Peacock Into Custody With Mating Call Played On Cell Phone

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:

CBS News

Effective Altruism

1-universe-pictures

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

C-19 NEED NOT BE THE END OF THINGS

Posted on May 15, 2020 by minstrel312

1945 Street Party In Dover

May 17, 2020

Volume 12 Number 35

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

It’s Time To Restore Earth

Inside: C-19 Need Not Be The End Of Things; VE Day In Belarus; Beyond the Pale; Good News & Awesome Examples; News We Would Rather Not Read But Need To Know Anyway; Community, Culture & Lifestyle; The Kitchen; Economics; History; Northstar Interactive; Health & Wellbeing; Covid-19; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Climate Change; Ecology; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

thinking-man

C-19 NEED NOT BE THE END OF THINGS

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. For the first time in 13 years, we missed coming out because a portion of our neighborhood lost Xfinity/Comcast for about three days. The problem was handled as best it could be and I do not anticipate a recurrence.

In response to email and texts from several of you, yes, I continue to believe that Covic-19 is an example of Olya’s contention that “sometimes bad things happen to good people for a good reason.”

We are a gregarious species whose numbers have increased to the point where our love of physical companionship has made us susceptible to a myriad of illnesses, some as historically deadly as the one we’re facing now. Like past plagues, this one is reducing the population of an extremely invasive species.

We have failed to appropriately prioritize so the planet is doing it for us. We don’t want friendlier skies. We want cleaner skies. We don’t want to be king of the road. We want to leave the driving to “them”. We don’t want to be packed like sardines in a tin, blasted by noise that kills orcas, or subjected to the herd mentality and hysteria of a Fillmore West cultural experience.

So now, more and more of us are working from home and according to most reports, we are actually more productive. Without the commuter traffic, what needs to be on the road spends less time on it. The cleaner air reduces respiratory incidents and less sirens rend the cityscape.

Covic-19 does not need to be the end of things, no more than any catastrophe does. We’re a species which greets change with mixed emotions. Sometimes we are not very good at facing the need for it.

But we have survived this long because we invariably do. It’s called “evolution” and we’re still here because, like the cockroach, we are very good at it.

Rusty

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

Children's party celebrating VE Day in South London

VE DAY IN BELARUS

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty:

Last week we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the ending of World War II. In Europe it is called Victory in Europe Day; in post Soviet countries simply Victory Day.

The memories of those who still can share the pain and joy of these days are precious. Also it is interesting to hear reflections of the only surviving monarch who served during that war. VE Day 2020: The Queen’s Special Link to the Victory in Europe Anniversary

While in the most countries the celebrations of 75th Anniversary were cancelled due to the pandemic there was one country that was able to hold the event. So I enjoyed watching a Victory parade in hero-city Minsk, Belarus.

The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, said that their heroic ancestors would not understand if they didn’t honour that day. The parade was not to show off military power but to commemorate the importance to them of them of Victory Day. According to him, one of three Belarussians became a victim of WW2 and those sacrifices couldn’t be compared to the present situation so he had no moral right to cancel it.

The President of Belarus further stated that the duty of the descendants of Belarus partisans is to remind them all (and even the international community) of the real meaning of the Victory day so the lessons of the past would not have to be relearned.

He said he was thankful to all the allies and countries then parts of Soviet Union that participated in the joint effort. As Belarus aka White Rus was the only nation to conduct a parade on the post-Soviet space, thousands of people joined the celebrations via online television from countries like Azerbaijan, Russia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, China many others who wanted to join in glorifying of the common victory.

Solidarity in times like we have now when the world is plunged to uncertainty is important and having common reasons for joy is a great way to unite people across the countries and continents.

In the America, the musicians of the choir of the Schiller Institute sang the song of the war years “ Three Tankers”. They dedicated it to the 75th Anniversary of the meeting of Soviet and American soldiers on the Elbe, saluting them and appreciating everyone across the globe who participated in bringing peace to our world.

Olya

BEYOND THE PALE

5 Years After Decommunization: Speaking With The Creators Of “Looking For Lenin”

After Little India Riot, Singapore Promised Migrant Workers Decent Housing. What Happened?

Appalachia’s Front Porch Network Is A Lifeline

Burning EU Flag Can Now Bring German Jail Term

Eurovision Tribute By Fizz Members And BBC Correspondent

Putin’s Approval Hits Historic Low

We Will Have Summer Tourist Season, Promises EU

GOOD NEWS AND AWESOME EXAMPLES

2020 Pulitzer Prize Winners Include ‘This American Life’ – See A Full List

Australia Fires: Rescue Dog Bear Saves Scores Of Koalas

Baltimore Bioterrorism Expert Inspired South Korea’s Covid-19 Response

Beyond The Coronavirus, My Students See A Better World

Colson Whitehead: Author Wins Pulitzer Prize For A Second Time

For These Female Scientists Who Grew Up In China And Found Fame In The US, Gender Equality Needs More Work

Group Delivers Meals While Also Helping Restaurants

Israel Pledges $60m Toward Global Efforts For Covid-19 Vaccine, Diagnostics, R&D

Practicing Empathy In The Coronavirus And Climate Crises

States Lead To Rid Food Crops Of Harmful Pesticide

Volunteers Rescue Crops For People Who Need Food Right Now

NEWS WE WOULD RATHER NOT READ BUT NEED TO KNOW ANYWAY

Billions Could Live In Extreme Heat Zones Within Decades

Black And Asian People Are 2 To 3 Times More Likely To Die Of COVID-19, U.K. Study Finds

Cardinal Pell ‘Knew Of’ Clergy Abuse, Says Australian Royal Commission

Loneliness And Lockdown Exploited In Romance Scams

One For The History Books: 14.7% Unemployment, 20.5 Million Jobs Wiped Away

Police Data Reveals Stark Racial Discrepancies In Social Distancing Enforcement Across New York City

Three Potential Futures For The Coronavirus And Us

We Must Set Aside Crude Nationalism If We Want To Learn The Truth About COVID-19’s Origins

WTO Head Steps Down A Year Early As Downturn Looms

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

A New Generation Of Furniture Design Is Taking The Struggle Out Of Self Assembly

Arts And Crafts Are Experiencing Surge In Popularity Amid COVID-19

Beyond Compost: 5 Methods To Get Your Garden Soil Ready

California First State To Enact Automatic Vote-By-Mail For November Election

Cities Can Pave Way In Green Coronavirus Recovery

Do More In Less Time

For The First Time In Supreme Court’s 231 Years ,The Justices Will Hear Oral Arguments By Phone

How Will Americans Commute After Lockdowns End?

Muslims Are Redefining Ramadan Traditions Amid Covid-19

Native American Tribes Sue Treasury Over Stimulus Aid As They Feud Over Funding

Scared To Return To Work Amid The COVID-19 Pandemic? These Federal Laws Could Grant You Protections

Seattle Will Permanently Close 20 Miles Of Residential Streets To Most Vehicle Traffic

Survey: Majority Of Americans Don’t Want US To Reopen Right Now

The Gift Of Soil: How Composting Builds Community

What Can We Learn From ‘Kind’ Nations?

What Happens When We Lose Our Social Rituals—And How To Make New Ones

Why We Turn To Gardening In Hard Times

THE KITCHEN

Healthy Bok Choy Mushroom Stir Fry

A Special Dish From Chef José Andrés

How Will Farms And Restaurants Emerge After The Coronavirus?

When Done Right, Cacio E Pepe Becomes The Ideal Comfort Food

ECONOMICS

33 Creative Initiatives Taken By Israeli Companies During The Pandemic

A New Impact Fund In The NW Lets Anyone Invest In Climate-Saving Entrepreneurs

As The Coronavirus-Hit World Limits Exports, Can New Zealand And Singapore Keep Trade Open?

As Food Supply Chain Breaks Down, Farm-To-Door CSAs Take Off

Bank Of England Warns Of Deepest Recession On Record

Buzzfeed Closing UK And Australian News Operations

How To Run A Factory During A Pandemic

It’s Evidence Of A Vein Of Toxicity Running Through The Company Culture.

Nearly 3 Million U.S. Workers Filed Unemployment Claims Last Week

The Sharing Economy Is Taking On A Whole New Meaning These Days

What Economics Says About Coronavirus And Climate Change

HISTORY

Watch 150 Years Of Asian American History Unfold In This New Documentary

Researchers Locate Wreck Of Battleship That Survived Pearl Harbor And Nuclear Bomb Tests

How Do You Find A Sunken U.S. Warship?

Newly Unsealed Vatican Archives Lay Out Evidence Of Pope Pius XII’s Knowledge Of The Holocaust

VE Day: ‘Our Dad Wrote The Peace Document’

Bones Tell The Tale Of A Maya Settlement

Bronze Age Chieftain’s Remains Found Beneath U.K. Skate Park

Archaeologists Discover Teenage Mummy Buried With Trove Of Ornate Jewelry

Ancient Egyptian Funeral Home Reveals Embalmers Had A Knack For Business

Archaeologists Discover Ancient Stone Turtle In Drained Angkor Reservoir

Even 400,000 Years Ago, The Loss Of Animal Species Took A Toll On Humans

200-Million-Year-Old Fossil Captures Squid Viciously Entangled With Its Prey

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

Blast Into Space With This Fun Video Series.

Digital Crossword Puzzle: Tilling The Soil

Download 1.9 Million Free Images From The British Museum

Have Your Kids Discover Their Inner Wild Cat.

How To Track Migratory Birds Near You

How We Can Protect Monarch Butterflies

Join A Smithsonian Entomologist And The Monterey Bay Aquarium For This Beetle-Centric ‘Animal Crossing’ Livestream

Join Futurism And Singularity University For Their First Digital Event Series,

Let Your Kids Escape To Amazing Australia.

Play Smithsonian Magazine’s Weekly Crossword

Quiz Your Kids On Weird Trivia About The World.

The Best Places For Your Kids To Learn Real-Life Skills Online

Watch Season One Of Human Elements On Crosscut Or Stream The Series On KCTS 9

HEALTH & WELLBEING

3 Rituals That Will Make You More Motivated

Coronavirus: How Long It Takes To Recover

Evolution Helps Us Understand And Treat Cancer

Gas Stoves Pollute The Air And Harm Your Health, Studies Find

Regular Baths Can Help Ease Depression

What Is Lockdown Eating And Why Am I Doing It?

Why Coffee, Bitter Melon And A Bit Of Religion Could Increase Your Longevity

COVID-19

A Night With The Seattle Quarantine Parade

Australia’s Covidsafe To Singapore’s Tracetogether: Are Coronavirus Contact Tracing Apps A Panacea, Privacy Invasion, Or Simply Flawed?

Coronavirus: Thanking Healthcare Workers Worldwide

Doctors Are Cloning Covid Patients’ Antibodies For New Treatment

During Pandemic, Eastern Washington Sees Rise In Illegal Trash Dumping

How Coronavirus Outbreak Upended The Entire U.S. Food System

Iceland Has Tested 13% Of Its Entire Population For Coronavirus. Here’s What Health Authorities Found

Inslee Signs New Covid-19 Order For Phased Re-Opening Of Washington’s Economy

Israeli Bio-Defense Lab Says It Found An Antibody That ‘Neutralizes’ The Coronavirus

MIT Invents $6 Covid-19 Test Using CRISPR

New Military Test Detects Covid-19 Before It’s Infectious

New Zealand Pm: No Open Borders For ‘A Long Time’

Russia In Second

Russian Quarantine Eases

Seattle Extends Eviction Moratorium Through December

Two Israeli Biomed Firms Nab Fda Approval For Separate Covid-19 Trials In Us

Washington’s Stay Home Order Extended Through May 31, State To Reopen In Four Phases

What’s Up With India’s Coronavirus Lockdown: Did It Work And What’s The Plan Now?

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

perserverance

NASA Mars Rover Detects Ancient Life…In Australia

Will Humanity Re-Evaluate Its Relationship With Nature?

NASA Wants To Chase Interstellar Objects With “Orbital Slingshot”

The Plague Brought The Renaissance. What Could COVID-19 Bring?

EARTH

mushroom

Mother Nature Network’s Tom Oder took a walk in the woods with mushroom expert Tradd Cotter and discovered a whole new world. What I learned on a mushroom walk.

5.4-Magnitude Earthquake Damages Puerto Rican Museums

These New Maps Show 16 Years Of Ice Sheet Loss

The Manmade Threat Growing Beneath Mount St. Helens

In A Tunnel Beneath Alaska, Scientists Race To Understand Disappearing Permafrost

M3.1 Quake Hits Near Bremerton

Scientists Find Direct Link Between Electrical Fields In The Atmosphere And Living Organisms

Will Clear Roads And Clean Skies Outlast The Pandemic?

CLIMATE CHANGE

After The Oil Crash, We Need A Managed Wind-Down Of Fossil Fuel Production – Cleo Verkuijl, Ivetta Gerasimchuk And Niklas Hagelberg

Amazon Faces ‘Perfect Storm’ Of Forest Clearance, Coronavirus And Wildfire

Climate Change The New Battle For Taiwan’s Women Environmental Activists, Who Fought For It To Shed ‘Garbage Island’ Label Decades Ago

Coronavirus Is A Make-Or-Break Moment For Climate Change

Coronavirus Lockdown Speeds India’s Shift From Coal To Solar Power

Covid-19 Outbreak In Polish Coal Mines Heaps Further Pain On Struggling Sector

Farmers Are Coming Around On Climate Change

Five Ways For Governments To Green Airline Bailouts

How The Coronavirus Recovery Effort Can Support A European Green Deal

Shorter Supply Chains Needed To End Hunger After Pandemic: UN Envoy

South Korean Government Backs $2 Billion Bailout To Coal Company, Despite Green Finance Pledge

This Oil Crash Is Not Like The Others

Watchdog: Germany Must Reach Net Zero Emissions By 2038

ECOLOGY

20 Miles Of Seattle Streets Will Soon Close Permanently To Most Cars

BC Hydro Sees Steepest Drop In Energy Demand Since 2008

Columbia, Snake River Dam Operators Must Keep Waters Cold Enough For Salmon Survival

U.S. Wind Industry Delivers Strong First Quarter

US Renewable Power Sources Have Topped Coal For Record 40 Days

World Leaders Stress Green Recovery Plans

SPACE

Amazing Image Of Jupiter Looks Like It’s Burning

Astronomers Solve “X-Galaxy” Mystery With Powerful New Telescope

China Tests Spacecraft That Will Send A Crew To Its Space Station

DARPA Is About To Launch A Military Version Of SpaceX’s Starlink

Lunar Flashlight To Seek Ice On The Moon

NASA Live: Official Stream Of NASA TV

NASA Earth Observatory’s Latest Images

Scientists Detect Powerful Radio Burst Coming From Our Own Galaxy

Scientists Find New Evidence Of Ancient Rivers On Mars

These Self-Repairing Lunar Habitats Could Help Settle The Moon

Tom Cruise Partners With SpaceX To Film Movie In Space

TECHNOLOGY

Cities Are Transforming As Electric Bike Sales Skyrocket

FaceBook And Google Extend Working From Home To End Of Year

Physicists Discover New Trick To Stabilize Fusion Reactors

Scientists Create Jet Engine Powered By Only Electricity

Submerged In Water, This New Device Uses Sunlight To Produce Energy

The Pandemic Shows Why WA Needs Universal Internet Access

Why The Two-Wheel Chariot Was So Effective In Ancient Battles

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

Deep Reefs, Empty Beaches, And Modern Slavery This Week In Hakai Magazine

In Photos: Why Bus Drivers Get Hazard Pay

Robert De Niro On Coronavirus Lockdown And US Politics

Redemption, Recovery, and Remediation This Week In Hakai Magazine

TRAVEL

A European City Full Of Charming Contradictions

Will New Zealand Show Us The Future Of Travel?

Check Out This Rap Video To Learn All About Hawaii.

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: THE MAGIC OF BELLE ISLE stars Morgan Freeman, Virginia Madsen, Emma Fuhrmann, Madeline Carroll, Kenan Thompson, Nicolette Pierini, Kevin Pollak and Fred Willard. Monte Wildhorn (Freeman) is a famous Western novelist. His struggle to cope with the death of his wife six years earlier has sapped his passion for writing and has caused him to begin drinking heavily. He rents a lakeside cabin for the summer in picturesque Belle Isle and befriends the family next door, an attractive single mother (Madsen) and her young daughters, who help him find inspiration again. Source: Wikipedia

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Male pug-nosed tree frogs confuse predators by overlapping their mating calls with those their neighbors. (Purdue University / Henry Legett)

Illusionist Frog Attracts Mates Without Unwanted Attention From Predators. Oookay.

This is certainly good news. Pacific NW Whales Get A Respite From Underwater Noise

Should You Let Your Cat Outside? I personally think that with a little creativity, the outside can be replicated inside with plants, an aquarium, etc.

SHORTS

Ten Animals And Plants Around The World That You Can (Virtually) Adopt

Labrador Tops Most Popular Dog Breed List For 29th Year In A Row

BBC Sports Broadcaster Who Narrates His Dogs’ Lives In Lockdown Is Branching Out

STRANGE BUT TRUE

Hundreds Of Sheep Flock To Lockdown City

A Suburb In Costa Rica Gives Citizenship To Plants, Trees, And Bees

Forgotten Tunnel Found Beneath Danish Train Station

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:

CBS News

Effective Altruism

1-universe-pictures

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

CANCEL THE RENT?

Posted on May 2, 2020 by minstrel312

China Is Installing Surveillance Cameras Inside People’s Homes

May 3, 2020

Volume 12 Number 33

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

Inside: Cancel The Rent; John Fitzgerald Kennedy Weighs In; Beyond the Pale; Good News & Awesome Examples; News We Would Rather Not Read But Need To Know Anyway; Community, Culture & Lifestyle; The Kitchen; Economics; History; Northstar Interactive; Health & Wellbeing; Covid-19; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Climate Change; Ecology; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

maxresdefault

CANCEL THE RENT?

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. Have you guys noticed the Shadow of Stupid that haunts the planet’s reaction to the flea called man? It’s like, “if this is your idea of the solution, I’m better off with the problem.”

Here’s an example. ‘Cancel The Rent’ Could Be Just The Beginning There has been talk about that here in Seattle and even mentioned in the big house where I live with a dozen or so other people. It’s NOT a good plan.

As a matter of fact, as a plan, quite frankly, it’s a prescription for homelessness. If the rent isn’t paid, where does the landlord get the money to pay HIS expenses, like mortgage, utilities, property taxes and any other amenities he may provide?

If someone is truly unable to pay the rent, then sure, I can see working things out if possible, including turning to the government for help. What I am totally against is being able to pay but instead calling a rent strike that will cause a domino effect on my landlord and his family.

No, that may not be the most financially astute of decisions. But then if we’re going to put a price on my principles, we’re not talking coin of the realm. We’re talking pride and personal responsibility.

Those have value but they cannot be bought.

Rusty

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY WEIGHS IN

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

On April 27, 1961, John F Kennedy made a speech The President And The Press: Address Before The American Newspaper Publishers Association . Many points he made then resonate now. Today, our undeclared war is with an Invisible enemy whose practice is “infiltration instead of invasions”. Thanks to the press, millions of Americans heard, watched and read that history-making addressed.

The influence of the media has increased dramatically, especially as an instrument of change. As such, the responsibly for ethics and morality in journalism has, as well. And this despite the enduring proliferation of false news by those who would twist the truth for their own anti-social agendas. Through our experience we see that every story has different sides and depending on the angle given, will trigger different emotions and reactions.

We see now how the concentration of news on corona-virus only, disregarding other threats sometimes more vicious, and most importantly not giving enough accent on solutions, brought a distortion of reality and one might argue in a way was counterproductive.

One might think how induced fear, hopelesness and losing control will help. Seems like in recent months the world-wide strategy was to put it simply “Make ’em scared so much, they will stay at home” with giving no other option.

Looking at the experience of rare countries that dared take their own approach to fighting this pandemic, we could ask if lockdowns actually work. Millions people are suffering from other illnesses, including those with symptoms similar to C-1. But somehow – and one might say unfairly — it got all the attention. ‘Calamitous’: Domestic Violence Set To Soar By 20% During Global Lockdown, Ease Lockdown, Let Other Critical Patients Get Treatment: Hospitals, Economy Suffered Record Collapse In Activity Even Before Virus Lockdown.

I’m not even going here to mention statistics on other diseases. One can find it on their own and see how unfair and incomparable the numbers to not let people receive their treatment on lockdown terms.

Seeing that inconsistency. protests were pretty the expected outcome Brazil’s Bolsonaro Joins Protest Against Stay-At-Home Orders, Hundreds Rally Against Coronavirus Lockdown In Southern Russia, Dozens Arrested In Anti-COVID-19 Lockdown Protest In Germany, Ukrainian Businessmen Demand Easing Of Lockdown And Government Support

Is it time to realize that total lockdowns are even more disastrous then the cause? How valid is this approach then? Perhaps easing it depending on regional circumstances, like how you are doing it in America makes much more sense, as local administrations see the risks and understand people’s attitudes better. The mayor of the Ukrainian Cherkasy oblast was the first in my country who decided to take the risk using legislation which gives local authorities control over decentralization. Scoop Of The Day: Cherkasy Jumps The Gun By Easing Lockdown.

One might think that if the numbers are greater in our capital, Kyiv, social distancing and other restrictive measures there should be taken more seriously. However, in places like Cherkassy, where they are lower, different measures should obviously be taken. One size clearly does not fit all, here or in any other European country, especially when people see the example of neighbouring (and lockdown free) Belarus, where despite of all international and domestic fears to the contrary is stable and probably the best on the Continent.

In conclusion I want to quote again from President Kennedy’s speech.

“It was early in the Seventeenth Century that Francis Bacon remarked on three recent inventions already transforming the world: the compass, gunpowder and the printing press. Now the links between the nations first forged by the compass have made us all citizens of the world, the hopes and threats of one becoming the hopes and threats of us all. In that one world’s efforts to live together, the evolution of gunpowder to its ultimate limit has warned mankind of the terrible consequences of failure. And so it is to the printing press–to the recorder of man’s deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news–that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.”

Olya

BEYOND THE PALE

Coronavirus: Think The Worst Is Over For China’s Economy? Not So Fast

Lock Down, Start Up: The Digital Firms Cashing In On Coronavirus Quarantines In The Philippines

New Zealand Calls For Thousands Of New ‘Green’ Jobs In Bold Comeback Plan

Rohingya Crisis: Hundreds Of Refugees Stranded In Boats At Sea

Russian PM Mishustin Diagnosed With Coronavirus

Saudi Arabia Ends Executions For Crimes Committed By Minors, Says Commission

Israel At 72: Coronavirus-Fighting Ingenuity Reinforces Israel As The ‘Collaboration Nation’

GOOD NEWS AND AWESOME EXAMPLES

Bellevue Teen Using Coding Skills To Help Support Restaurants During The Coronavirus Pandemic

Black Women Reshaping Afrofuturism

Chernobyl Is My Inheritance, But It Has Lessons For Us All

Framing Hope Through A Photographer’s Lens

How A New Jersey Farmers’ Market Went Virtual

Human Elements: Preserving 600-Year-Old Giants

NASA Wages War On Coronavirus

Using Down Time To Plant New Corals In The Great Barrier Reef

Preserving 600-Year-Old Giants – Video

USDA Announces $19 Billion Aid Package For Farmers And Ranchers

Volunteers Are Collecting Tablets For COVID-19 Patients So They Don’t Have To Suffer Alone

When Doctors Can’t Treat Everyone, How Do They Choose Who Lives And Who Dies?

NEWS WE WOULD RATHER NOT READ BUT NEED TO KNOW ANYWAY

Coronavirus Is Likely To Become A Seasonal Infection Like The Flu, Top Chinese Scientists Warn

Coronavirus: Top NYC Doctor Takes Her Own Life

Less Than A Third Of The World Can Feed Itself From Local Crops, Says Study

Margaret Atwood: It’s The Best Of Times, It’s The Worst Of Times. Make The Most Of It

Tokyo 2020 Olympics Will Be ‘Scrapped’ Instead Of Delayed Again, Says Games Chief

WHO: ‘No Evidence’ That COVID-19 Antibodies Protect From Potential Re-Infection

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

90% Don’t Want To Return To “Normal”

4 Good Practices For Taking Care Of Kids In Quarantine

7 Strategies To Turn Trauma Into Strength

Balancing Grief And Joy In A Time Of Uncertainty

Chinese Kids Are Wearing Adorable Social-Distancing Hats At School

Concern About Infectious Diseases Makes Us Wary Of Getting Close To Others

Delivering Hope Through Rescued Food In California

Instead Of Buying Guns Or Hoarding Food, Let’s Feed Each Other

Israel At 72: Israeli VCs Are Cautiously Optimistic About The Future, Despite Pandemic

Jvp Sets Standard For Safe Return To Work With 3d-Printed Shields, Robots

Madrid’s Balcony Cinema Screens Films For People In Lockdown

Major-City Growth Slows, But That Doesn’t Mean A Rural Rebound

Which States Are Prepared To Switch To Voting By Mail?

WHO’s Maria Van Kerkhove On Balancing Science, Public Relations And Politics

THE KITCHEN

A Simple (Video) Guide To Making Sourdough Bread

Best Banana Bread In The World

Far From Home? These Regional Comfort Foods Can Be Shipped To Your Door

How A Mouth-Watering Rivalry Came To Define Part Of America’s Heartland

ECONOMICS

30 Million Have Sought US Jobless Aid Since Virus Hit

Boeing Reports First-Quarter Earnings

Branson’s Virgin Atlantic In Virus Bailout Talks

Coronavirus: Can Asia’s Small Businesses Survive Covid-19?

Downturn Signals Opportunity For Climate-Aligned Investing

European Investment Bank To Provide Israel’s Pluristem With $54m For Covid-19, Other Cell Therapies

Farmers Come Up With Creative Ways To Sell Their Produce

Trump Told America’s Governors They Were On Their Own. Maryland’s Larry Hogan Is Taking Charge

HISTORY

Researchers Uncover New Evidence That Warrior Women Inspired Legend Of Mulan

In 1970, Fed Up With The City’s Neglect, A San Diego Community Rose Up To Create Chicano Park

How 13 Seconds Changed Kent State University Forever

High Waters In The Great Lakes Reveal Two Centuries-Old Shipwrecks

First The Women Who Ran This U.K. Military Hospital Faced World War I. Then Came The 1918 Flu Pandemic

When Babe Ruth And The Great Influenza Gripped Boston

These Are The Decade’s Biggest Discoveries In Human Evolution

Philadelphia Memorializes Enslaved Woman Who Saved The City’s Historic Stenton House In 1777

Why Scottish Archaeologists Are Building A Replica Of An Iron Age Stone Tower

What Rome Learned From The Deadly Antonine Plague Of 165 A.D.

Archaeologists Unearth Remnants Of Lost Scottish Wine-Bottle Glass Factory

Archaeologists Discover Recycling System In Ancient Pompeii

See Ancient Cave Art Found In Egypt’s Sinai Desert

After The Dinosaur-Killing Impact, Soot Played A Remarkable Role In Extinction

Groundbreaking Fossil Suggests Spinosaurus Is First Known Swimming Dinosaur

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

Stuck At Home Together?: Nat Geo’s Got You Covered With 12 Activities To Entertain & Educate Kids.

The Met Opera’s ‘At-Home’ Gala Live Streams Performances To World Silenced By Pandemic

New Virtual Exhibition Showcases The Healing Power Of Art

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Disinfectants: A Guide To Killing Germs And What Dangers To Be Aware Of

How Exercise And Diet Affect Coronavirus Risk

Just 10 Minutes Of Exercise A Week May Be Enough To Extend Your Life, Study Says

Nicoya: The Costa Rican Peninsula Where Centenarians Thrive

Our Diets Are Changing Because Of The Coronavirus Pandemic. Is It For The Better?

Smart Food: Understanding The Nutritional Value Of Canned Foods

Telehealth Is Having A Huge Moment During Coronavirus Crisis

Why Rituals Are Good For Your Health

COVID-19

The Coronavirus Pandemic – National Geographic Special

Australia Eyes Early Lifting Of Virus Restrictions

FDA Approves NASA Ventilator For Use On COVID Patients

From Coffee In Hong Kong To Burgers In Malaysia & Ramadan In Singapore – Coping With C-19

How US Government Can Tackle Coronavirus Housing Emergency

How US Public Transit Can Survive Coronavirus

Independence Day: 72 Israeli Technologies Fighting Covid-19

LA Offers Free Coronavirus Test To Every Resident

No Silver Lining To The Coronavirus Crisis, But A Golden Opportunity

Scientists Find Link Between Vitamin Deficiency And COVID Deaths

Will Thermal Cameras Help To End The Lockd

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

EARTH

The Trees That Survived The Bombing Of Hiroshima

Paleontologists Find Antarctica’s First Frog Fossil

Emissions Declines Are Setting Records

CLIMATE CHANGE

Renewables Most Resilient To Covid-19 Lockdown Measures, Says IEA

IMF Chief: $1 Trillion Post-Coronavirus Stimulus Must Tackle Climate Crisis

Merkel: Don’t Neglect Climate Finance To The World’s Poor

German Environment Minister Defends Airline Bailout, Promises Green Recovery

France Calls For Minimum Carbon Price To Counter Oil Crash

How To Combat Climate Depression

How Climate Research Continues During Stay-At-Home Orders

Youth Climate Activists Are Writing A Just Recovery Curriculum

ECOLOGY

Can Farmers Do Something With Unsold Milk Besides Dumping It?

More Trouble For Hanford Site After Review Of Tunnel Collapse

Port Of Seattle To Meet Emissions Reduction Target 10 Years Early

The World Is On Lockdown. So Where Are All The Carbon Emissions Coming From?

SPACE

The new unified geologic map of the moon. It shows the geology of the moon’s near side (left) and far side (right). This map is a synthesis of 6 Apollo-era regional geologic maps, updated based on data from recent moon missions. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ USGS.

A Third Of Americans Believe In UFOs, But They Aren’t All Looking For The Same Thing

First-Ever Comprehensive Geologic Map Of The Moon

Japan To Develop Plan For UFO Encounters

Join Us in Celebrating Hubble Telescope’s 30^th Birthday

May 2020 Guide To The Bright Planets

NASA Earth Observatory Latest Images

Scientists Want To Hunt For Life On Long-Dead Worlds

SpaceX Wins Large NASA Contract For Starship Moon Missions

The Forces Behind Venus’ Super-Rotating Atmosphere

TECHNOLOGY

How Does Contact Tracing Work And Is My Data Safe?

Israel’s Flytrex Pilots Drone Deliveries Of Essential Goods For Shelter-In-Place Us Shoppers

Scientists Build Rocket Engine Powered By Spiraling Explosions

Why Video Calls Are Surprisingly Exhausting

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

Captain Tom: RAF Flypast In Veteran’s Honour

Red Skelton Performs In London

The Shared History Of Wild Horses And Indigenous People

TRAVEL

Nostalgic For The North? Take A Virtual Dogsled Ride In Fairbanks, Alaska

The Swiss City Where Even Fun Is Serious

The Fortress Hidden Beneath A Castle

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: LAST OF THE DOGMEN This is Tom Berenger in an early yet standout role as a modern tracker of the lost and fleeing and the haunting discovery he makes that sends him spiraling back through time.

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

mumbai_flamingos.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart

Flamingos’ Complex Social Lives Include Friends, Enemies And Maybe Even Frenemies Not unlike another species we could all name, right?

This is absolutely inspirational. How The Stunning Scarlet Macaw Came Back From The Brink

Meet The New Species Of Snake Named After Salazar Slytherin Of The Harry Potter Franchise “Oookay,” he said, backing out of the room slowly.

SHORTS

Dr. Fish — It’s Doubtful There Is Anyone Who Knows More About Fish Than Hawaii’s Jack Randall.

The World’s Most Interesting Insects

Shelters Are Clearing Out As Pet Adoptions Surge

66-Million-Year-Old ‘Crazy Beast’ Finds A Taxonomical Home

STRANGE BUT TRUE

These Gene-Hacked Glowing Plants Look Incredible

Dolphins, Surfers And Waves Sparkle In Bright Blue Bioluminescent Glow Off California Coast

Strip Clubs Are Offering “Drive-Thru” Experiences During Pandemic

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:

Rainforest Site

Sightline Institute

Smithsonian Magazine

1-universe-pictures

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A NEW BREED OF FIRST RESPONDERS

Posted on April 25, 2020 by minstrel312

What Happened To Oil Prices And What Does It Mean For Russia?

April 26, 2020

Volume 12 Number 32

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

Inside: A New Breed Of First Responders; The Universal Law Of Irony; Beyond the Pale; Good News & Awesome Examples; News We Would Rather Not Read But Need To Know Anyway; Community, Culture & Lifestyle; The Kitchen; Economics; History; Northstar Interactive; Health & Wellbeing; Covid-19; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Climate Change; Ecology; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

Rainier Valley Albertsons-Safeway Store, Seattle, Washington. Photo by Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller

ANOTHER BREED OF FIRST RESPONDERS

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. I made another backpack and bus trip to the grocery last week and as I waited in line with my cart full of groceries, I watched my favorite checker, a tall, ponytailed, genial Afro-American now working behind a Plexiglas screen.

I’ve never understood how Seth, or tiny Asian Amy can stay on their feet that long at a stretch. Now, I admire them even more for their dedication and good humor as they still risk their lives to make sure we are provided for.

When I got to the register, I asked Seth how they were doing.

“Rusty, we’re okay here. But two tested positive for it at another (Safeway) Store.”

“Tell them we’ll light a candle for them, Seth. And thank all of you for all you do for us.”

Without missing a beat, he nodded. “I’ll pass it along, man. Thanks, Rusty. Tell Olya hi for us.”

As have many of you, I have seen bravery and I have seen courage. I don’t consult with Oxford or Merriam Webster, despite high esteem for both, but rather from personal experience. Like many of you, I have seen both. I have been both. I admire both. We need both.

There are no bombs bursting in air at my grocery store; no HUEY gunships with their beautifully lethal tracers which make them so destructive and yet so artistic at night. There are just people who interact with other people and expose each other to other diseases than the one grabbing the headlines now.

Photo by Merritt Scott (Rusty Miller)

We feel the same way about our bus drivers, who despite the distancing, let those with walkers or wheelchairs or strollers on the front of the bus because that’s where the lift is. That brings them within three feet/92 cm of those passengers. The rest of us board through the rear doors, toll free and about eight feet from the driver. We have eye contact with them through their passengers’ rearview mirror. Funny thing about a thumbs up. It looks cool even as a reflection.

Photo by Merritt Scott (Rusty) Miller

You guys have people like these in your life. When was the last time you thanked them?

Rusty

P.S. Here’s an excellent National Geographic article entitled Who Are The People Who Are Helping Us Every Day?

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

Sir Isaac Newton. Photo courtesy of https://sirisaacnewton.info/

THE UNIVERSAL LAW OF IRONY

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi Rusty and All:

You know, sometimes I think that Isaac Newton’s Universal Law of Irony is largely underestimated. By knowing how his principles became very practical after he “discovered” them, will certainly help us understand how this one affects our lives in the most unexpected ways.

All that expectation of a Third World War and apocalyptic speculations in the movies just made the Universe laugh. So what about an Invisible Enemy and countries occupied with fear one by one? Did anyone expect that? Definitely a Universe :”gotcha”.

So called in some media by his opponents as the “last dictator” of Europe, the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, appeared to be the most liberal in the way of fighting COVID-19. No lock-down, no limiting people’s rights to work, going to church, traveling whatsoever while many of the more politically leftwing countries became quite strict with their citizens. Despite all the criticism of his approach, the numbers strongly suggest his approach is winning this war.

Belarus saved the medical Semashko system inherited from the Soviet Union. Over the years, it has worked very well for them and is doing so now. Again, look at the numbers. Belarus C-19 patients have a 98 percent recovery rate. Why? Perhaps this headline offers a glimpse. How The USSR Defeated A Smallpox Epidemic In A Matter Of 19 Days

Targeting the contacts at the early stages in that one was very important. According to the article, “From primary contacts, the search progressed to secondary contacts and so on, until the whole chain was established. People were taken off trains and airplanes that carried potentially infectious people were ordered to turn back mid-air.”

Turning that plane in mid-air definitely saved not only USSR but all of Europe. Contrast this almost surgical approach with the mass lockdowns Russia and much of the West is experiencing now.

In the aftermath of this pandemic, the efficiency of measures undertaken and experience of different countries will be closely examined and analyzed. I strongly sense that one solution will not fit all. But we can determine the basics of an effective campaign. As another example, look at Sweden. It is about the size of Belarus. The Scandinavians did not shut down the economy but relied instead on a good medial system and social distancing.

I found it interesting how blood plasma transfusions from recovered COVID-19 patients appeared as a universal remedy. The protocol helped during times of Spanish flu, Ebola and, previous SARS invasions. We’ve discovered a very useful tool that may make us less apprehensive about our ability to handle such medical crises in the future.

I watched the White House Press briefing with Coronavirus task force and was pleased to hear the call by President Trump: “If you recovered from the corona virus, I ask you to consider contacting your local blood and plasma donation center for arranging your donation that could potentially save many lives”. Good effort, especially in times when blood donations in general have gone down.

The Universe is still kind to us. When it gives problems, it also lives a space for solving them. So here I would repeat the wise words from Arnold Schwarzenegger. In a recent video, he pointed the way in terms so simple they cannot be misunderstood.

“Don’t be a part of the problem. Be a part of the solution.”

We agree.

Olya

BEYOND THE PALE

Israelis Just Showed The World What A Socially Distant Protest Looks Like

US Oil Prices Drop To 21-Year Low As Demand Dries Up

What Might Affect More People Than The Coronavirus? Unemployment In China

GOOD NEWS AND AWESOME EXAMPLES

‘This Is A Time For Outrage.’ Angelina Jolie Discusses How Coronavirus Is Harming Children Across The World

In A World Facing Grim Challenges, Hope Still Reigns Supreme

I Was Secretary-General Of The U.N. Here’s How The Coronavirus Crisis Can Bring The World Together

Local Opera Singer Performs Mini Concerts In His Front Yard

Russian Man Runs 100-Kilometer Marathon In Coronavirus Quarantine

We Don’t Blindly Accept Data. Top WHO Official Defends The Group’s Response To COVID-19

NEWS WE WOULD RATHER NOT READ BUT NEED TO KNOW ANYWAY

A Decade Later, Gulf Residents Suffer From BP’s Toxic Legacy

Beware Of COVID-19 Email Infections From ‘Trickbot’ Say Microsoft And Cyber-Security Experts

Border Wall Construction Brings Crowds, And COVID-19 Anxiety, Into Arizona Towns

Chipotle Paying Record $25 Million Fine Over Tainted Food, Norovirus Outbreaks

FDA Issues Warning About Hydroxychloroquine For COVID-19

Nationwide Study Finds Malaria Drug Touted By Trump Led To More Deaths In Coronavirus Patients

Poll: Most Americans Think Anti-Quarantine Protesters Are Idiots

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

1,000-Year-Old Mill Restarts Full-Time Flour Making

Best Work From Home Tips From Around The World

A Day At A Regenerative Ranch

Class Of 2020: A Lost Generation In The Post-Coronavirus Economy?

Get Mutual Aid To Those Most In Need

It Took A Pandemic For Cities To Finally Address Homelessness

Pandemic Policing Proves A Hands-Off Approach Works

This Is Me At 68: Elders Reflect During Crisis

THE KITCHEN

Expert-Tested Cooking And Baking Substitutes If You Can’t Find Your Usual Ingredients

Quarantine Recipes: April Bloomfield’s Banana Bread

Taste Of Freedom: How Coronavirus Is Changing Asia’s Relationship To Food

ECONOMICS

ComEd Files For Delivery Rate Decrease, Announces Further Customer Support

Construction Market, Including Utilities, Was Slowing Before Covid-19

Coronavirus Crash: For Value Investors, Covid-19 Can Be A Crisis And An Opportunity

Elective Surgeries, Outdoor Recreation & Some Construction Restart As Washington Recovers From Coronavirus

Indie Bookstores Are Fighting To Survive The Pandemic. A New Movement May Have The Answer

Who Wins And Who Loses When Oil Prices Fall?

HISTORY

Digging Into The Past To Find Optimism For The Future

Vietnam War Survivors Of South Korean Massacres Tell Their Stories In New Documentary

What An 1836 Typhus Outbreak Taught The Medical World About Epidemics

When Bubonic Plague First Struck America, Officials Tried To Cover It Up

How A Public Health Crisis Nearly Derailed The American Revolution

Researchers Follow A 15th-Century Recipe To Recreate Medieval Blue Ink

The Ancient Battlefield That Launched The Legend Of Hannibal

Scientists Stage Sword Fights To Study Bronze Age Warfare

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

High-Impact Job Board

How Local Communities Can Help Save Mangroves

List Of Social Purpose Job Boards.

NASA And Lego Host ‘Build A Planet’ Challenge

Reducing Global Catastrophic Biological Risks

This Free Game Lets Users Build Their Own Virtual Art Museums

Why You Should Turn Your Yard Into A Mini-Farm

HEALTH & WELLBEING

9 Things That Helped Me Get Through My Mild Covid-19 Infection

Autopsies Now Say California – Not Washington State – Has First Known U.S. Coronavirus Deaths

Can Anxiety Cause High Blood Pressure? Here’s What The Research Says

Coronavirus Won’t Be The Last Pandemic. Here’s What We Can Do To Protect Ourselves

Food Waste Is A Huge Environmental Problem. Here Are 5 Ways To Reduce Yours

Hay Fever Or Coronavirus: The Symptoms Compared

Hospitals Are Using Ipads To Turn Robot Dogs Into Doctors

Many Self-Identified “Vegetarians” Eat Fish

Mental Health Providers Support Each Other

Nearly Half Of All Americans Breathe Unhealthy Air

What Happens When Humans Aren’t Allowed To Touch Each Other?

Which Countries Have The Best Healthcare?

Working Out At Home? Here’s The Smartest Exercise Gear You Can Use

COVID-19

TIME Magazine’s Lasted Corona Virus Update & Free Email Subscription To It

Almost Every COVID-19 Patient Hospitalized In NYC Had Underlying Health Issue

California COVID-19 Traffic Report Finds Silver Lining

CDC Confirms COVID-19 Fatalities In California Weeks Before Washington State

Formidable Collection Of Resources

Germany Relaxes Shop Closures

Grandmas’ Top Tips To Get Through Lockdown

How Greece Avoided The Worst Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Seattle Opens ‘Stay Healthy Streets’

Six Ways To Protect Your Vegetation Management Workforce

Three Sydney Beaches Re-Open For Exercise

What Covid-19 Teaches Us About How To Fix Freeways

Why Hong Kong Is Extending Coronavirus Restrictions – Even As New Cases Dwindle To Zero

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

weird comet

Remember the movie Independence Day? NASA: Something Is Off About This Interstellar Comet

We Could Learn A Lot From The Humble Flower Amen.

Try this for perspective. Fifty Things We’ve Learned About The Earth Since The First Earth Day

EARTH

Could Rainfall Have Triggered The 2018 Eruption Of Hawaiian Volcano Kīlauea?

Earth’s Insect Population Shrunk ‘Jaw-Dropping’ 27% Over Past 30 Years

Why Researchers Believe One Of Canada’s Largest Caves Went Undetected For So Long

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Activists Form New Tactics And Alliances Amid Coronavirus Lockdown

Coronavirus: Which Governments Are Bailing Out Big Polluters?

Four More EU Nations Back A Green Post-Coronavirus Recovery

Greenpeace Takes Arctic Oil Lawsuit To Norway’s Supreme Court

New Zealand Sticks To 2030 Climate Target While Waiting For 1.5C Advice

Next UN Climate Science Report To Consider Lessons From Coronavirus

The Cost Of Tackling Climate Change Is Less Than The Cost Of Doing Nothing

UN Development Chief Calls For Green Shift Away From ‘Irrational’ Oil Dependence

UN Survey: Climate, Conflict, Health Top Future Concerns

Young Climate Activists Slowed By Pandemic, But Not Defeated

ECOLOGY

Leaks In The City: Methane’s Invisible Menace

Plummeting Demand For Oil And Gas = Opening For Clean Alternatives

Top Six Wind Power Trends Of 2019

Wind Tops Coal In US Power, Marking Its Rapid Ascent

SPACE

First Glimpses Of Large Asteroid Due To Pass Soon

How WFIRST Will Use Warped Spacetime To Find Exoplanets

On May 27, Astronauts Will Launch From U.S. Soil For The First Time In Nine Years

Space Force Unveils Its First Weapon, A Satellite Jammer

SpaceX Starlink Satellites Cause A Stir Over Western Europe

This NASA Website Shows What The Hubble Telescope Saw On Your Birthday

Update On 2I/Borisov, The First Known Interstellar Comet

The Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory

TECHNOLOGY

Drones Are Delivering COVID-19 Tests In Ghana. Could The U.S. Be Next?

US Police Testing “Pandemic Drones” That Monitor Social Distancing

US Announces $12 Million For Research On Quantum Information Science For Fusion Energy

Long, Knotty, World-Spanning Story Of String

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

The USAF Band Holiday Flash Mob At The National Air And Space Museum 2013

The Irish Tenors- Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go? (Live)

Britains Got Talent Alison Jiear Sings Youll Never Walk Alone

TRAVEL

Enjoy Free Video Tours Of Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings Across America

England To Debut World’s Longest Coastal Path By Middle Of Next Year

Explore Washington, D.C. From Home With This Free, Smithsonian Scholar-Led Tour

Is Virtual Travel Here To Stay, Even After The Pandemic Subsides?

New Hotel In Turkey ‘Floats’ Above Ancient Ruins

Unwind With These Free, Museum-Led Meditation And Mindfulness Sessions

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MEDIA OF THE WEEK: Gary Cooper: The Face Of A Hero | The Hollywood Collection

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

: Fruit Bats. Photo courtesy of animalsake.com

This is absolutely fascinating. Why Bats Are One Of Evolution’s Greatest Puzzles

This is good news, is it not? Bald Eagles Found Nesting In Arizona Saguaro Cactus For First Time In Decades

This needed to be done yesterday. 8 Creative Techniques To Keep Coral Reefs Alive

SHORTS

Elephant And Rhino Populations Increase Thanks To Anti-Poaching Efforts

Horses And Dogs Share Universal Play Language

Like Dolphins And Whales, Ancient Crocodiles Evolved To Spend Their Time At Sea

Prickles The Sheep Returns Home After Seven Years On The Lam(B)

The First Gray Wolf In More Than 100 Years May Have Returned To Northern France

Toxic Newts Use Bacteria To Become Deadly Prey

PERENNIALS

World Wildlife Foundation Wildlife Photos Of The Week

Hakai Magazine: All Creatures Great & Small At Its Best

koala

STRANGE BUT TRUE

Want A Goat On Your Office Video Call? There’s A Service For That

Monique The Space Elk And The Wild History Of Tracking Wildlife

See ‘Cheesehenge’ And Other Historical Homages Created For Archaeology Competition

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:

Rainforest Site

Sightline Institute

Smithsonian Magazine

1-universe-pictures

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

THE EDGES OF TIME

Posted on April 17, 2020 by minstrel312

China McDonald’s Apologises For Guangzhou Ban On Black People

April 19, 2020

Volume 12 Number 31

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

Inside: The Edges of Time; To Gaia, With Profound Apologies; Beyond the Pale; Climate & Climate Change; Community, Culture & Lifestyle, Covid-19 Page Link; Ecology; Economics; Health & Wellbeing; History; Northstar Interactive; Good News & Good Examples; Not So Good News & Bad Examples; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

Photo courtesy of https://wonderfulengineering.com/download-42-time-wallpapers-which-will-always-keep-you-on-time/

THE EDGES OF TIME

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the winter of despair, it was a Spring of Hope… those words, written almost one and half centuries ago by Charles Dickens in “A Tale of Two Cities” struck me with their appropriateness today, in our times.

To me, it feels like we are living on the edges of time. That has never been easy. As a child during the 1990s, I saw the edges of time when one of the biggest nations in the world, the USSR, collapsed.

When people are lost and their world is in ruins, recovery is slow and painful and often like building a house one brick at a time. If, instead, we attempted to build a digitalized world based on technological control of every aspect of it, we run the grave risk of losing the very freedoms which make it possible to do this. Even for the alleged “better good,” I find this unacceptable.

I prefer that world arise renewed as people realise what is of real value and has been for centuries. I am talking about clean air and uncontaminated water and food. I am talking about a real sense of helping one another. I am talking about a hierarchy of values which includes health, family, nature and living together in harmony. I’m not saying that I think technology per se is bad. It has no more intrinsic moral value than any other tool. The morality is the province of those who use the technology.

I was pleased, on the C-19 front, to hear about the first person healed with blood plasma from patients who recovered from this infectious disease. Last week, at the Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine, Moscow, Russia, plasma from people already recovered with C-19 illnesses was transfused into those battling Covid-19. Doctors save from COVID-19 using plasma and look for donors – Russian newspaper

There are already first good results. One of the patients said he felt better the very next morning “Just like the disease was taken off with a hand,” was how he expressed it.

Institute director Sergey Petrikov explained, “Antibodies are those substances that neutralize the antigen, i.e. the virus, so when they inject plasma with antibodies from people that have recently been ill and recovered who have high enough titres, the antibodies begin to fight the virus and the person becomes feeling well”.

The first effectiveness of this treatment was confirmed by Chinese doctors. Now, the procedure has been adopted by South Korea. The German Regensburg Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene André Gessner tried it as well and after their first transfusions, feel positive about this method too.

There is more good news from America Plasma treatment being tested in New York may be coronavirus ‘game changer’. As blood transfusions have to be complying the medical guidelines, this week American Food & Drug Administration (FDA) issued Recommendations for Investigational COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma.

In Ukraine, the work is on the way, as well. My country has become one of five which began producing its own tests for antibodies to C-19. We are adopting this protocol too, following the American experience with it.

Perhaps the most heart-warming part of this is the incredible willingness of the recovered to help, with their own blood, those in a critical state. Is that not what Jesus did for us?

God bless and help us to get through these times

Olya

gaia__mother_earth_by_blazingelysium-d3dsf5x

Photo courtesy of https://www.deviantart.com/blazingelysium/art/Gaia-Mother-Earth-204559557

TO GAIA, WITH PROFOUND APOLOGIES

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. This Wednesday, the 22, in what might be considered supreme irony, the world celebrates the 50^th anniversary of Earth Day. We visited https://www.earthday.org/ and found this comprehensive and interactive website entertaining, informational and, well, just plain fun.

I’ve said before that I think C-19 is Gaia slapping her human children hard for making her sick. With the love and patience only a female parent could have for such pernicious children, there are times when she must surely wring her hands and wonder where she went wrong as the mother of all life.

We need to tell her that she didn’t do anything wrong. We did. She needs to know that we don’t blame her for spanking us; that we really are truly. We need to promise her we won’t do this again. And that yes, ma’am, we will clean up the mess we’ve made.

Then we need, each and every single one of us, to look at our own lives and see what we can do to take less and return more. We’re certainly being provided that opportunity, this magnificent chance to sort out value from price. And to embrace perhaps the greatest of all epochal truths.

The Industrial Revolution is over and we did not win it.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless.

Rusty

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

BEYOND THE PALE

Chernobyl Fire Under Control, Ukraine Officials Say

Philippine Project Fights Bias Against Dark Skin

Giant Pumpkin Rivalry Brings Growers Together In Australia

Domestic Violence Comes To A Head In Locked-Down India

As South Koreans Head For Polls, Moon Gains Currency With Coronavirus Crisis Handling

CLIMATE: CHANGE & WEATHER

China May Delay Submitting Climate Plans Amid Economic Slowdown

Citizens’ Assemblies On Climate Change Seek To Shape The Post-Covid Recovery

Climate Change: Us Megadrought ‘Already Under Way’

C-19 And Climate Change: “A Giant Wake-Up Call For Planetary Health”

C-19 Crisis Underscores Small Islands’ Climate Vulnerability

Kenyans Live With Shattered Hopes Of A Chinese Oil Boom

Renewable Energies Under Threat In 2020 From Coronavirus, Oil Price Slump

South Korea To Implement Green New Deal After Ruling Party Election Win

Tribal Nations Demand Response To Climate Action

Why Climate Advocates Should Welcome The Historic Opec++ Deal

Will Covid-19 Have A Lasting Impact On The Environment?

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

Berlin Artists Turn Their Balconies Into Mini Galleries

Handwritten Letters Are Making A Comeback

In The War On The Coronavirus, We Must Ensure That Women Do Not Become Collateral Damage

Pollsters Find Unexpected Boon: Americans Stuck At Home Willing To Talk

Secret Language Of Ships

She Watched Her Baby’s First Ultrasound From Her Car In A Parking Lot Across The Street

These Lucky Farmers Tend A Garden On An Isolated Georgia Island

Washington Farmers Markets Are Reopening, But Won’t Look The Same

Wave Goodbye To The Handshake

We Need To Rethink Our Food System To Prevent The Next Pandemic

Why Phone Calls Have Made A Comeback

COVID-19

Please visit The Northstar Journal Covic-19 Page It has an alphabetical index of links to stories from the BBC, High Country News, the Mother Nature Network, Sightline Daily, the Smithsonian, TIME magazine, YES magazine and other equally impeccable sources. It is updated when we publish the magazine, Saturday or Sunday, depending on where you live. Thanks, Rusty

ECOLOGY

Couple Starts School Where Students Pay Their Tuition By Collecting Plastic Waste

Feeling Powerless? Switch To Green Power

How The Laws Earth Day Inspired Have Benefited Us All

Roadmap For A Post-Coronavirus Green Recovery

To Silence Wind Turbines And Airplanes, Engineers Are Studying Owl Wings

ECONOMICS

Amazon Hiring Additional 75,000 Employees

Boeing To Restart Limited Operations In Puget Sound, Moses Lake

China’s Virus-Hit Economy Shrinks For First Time In Decades

EU Helps Protect Weak Firms From Foreign Takeovers

How Moon Mining Could Transform The Economy And Space Travel

What Independent Grocery Stores Bring To Rural Communities

What The States Need From Congress Now Is Cold, Hard Cash

HEALTH & WELLBEING

The Pandemic Is Forcing Teletherapy To Go Mainstream

Bad Mood? Studies Show Why That Can Be A Good Thing

Covid-19 Keeps Humans From Touching. Here’s Why That’s So Stressful

Getting Back Pain While Working From Home? An Ergonomics Expert Offers Advice

Hear Directly From Scientists About COVID-19

Plant-Based Recipes To Try During The Pandemic

Standing Too Close. Not Covering Coughs. If Someone Is Violating Social Distancing Rules, What Do You Do?

Surprising Links Between Your Mental Health And Everyone Else’s

Why Rolling Coronavirus Patients Onto Their Stomachs Is Saving Lives

HISTORY

Greater Idaho And The Ugly History Of Northwest Secession Movements

Weeks Where Decades Happen: Seattle Has Been A Ghost Town Before

This World War II Bomber Took More Enemy Fire Than Most Others And Always Came Home

What Made Emmett Ashford, Major League Baseball’s First Black Umpire, An American Hero

What We Can Learn From 1918 Influenza Diaries

These Ancient Stone Troughs Contained An Unlikely Beverage

Hares And Chickens Were Revered As Gods—Not Food—In Ancient Britain

Here’s Why This Smithsonian Scientist Studies Ancient Pathogens

No Wool, No Vikings

Treasure Trove Of Artifacts Illustrates Life In A Lost Viking Mountain Pass

Traces Of Millennia-Old Milk Help Date Pottery Fragments To Neolithic London

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

Words From Animals Quiz: Sick Of The News? Come Look At Pictures Of Baby Animals.

Become A Backyard Naturalist Right Now

Build An Herb Spiral

COVID-19 Images Wanted For History

J.K. Rowling Brings Magic To Quarantine With Launch Of Harry Potter Hub

Museum Of Modern Art Now Offers Free Online Classes

Saving A Prehistoric Fish

Staying In? Look Up Together For International Dark Sky Week

Take Action For The Planet By Volunteering On Earth Day

GOOD NEWS AND GOOD EXAMPLES

99 Year-Old British WWII Veteran Raises $10 Million For U.K. Health Workers Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

California Governor Outlines How The State Will Decide To Open Again

King County Reserves Hotel Rooms For Health Care Workers On Front Lines

Meet The Medical Students Becoming Doctors In The Middle Of A Pandemic

Meet The Modern Farmer On The Frontlines Of The Pandemic

Seattle Giving $800 In Grocery Vouchers To 1,000 Recently-Displaced Workers

Seattle Joins 11 American Cities To Discuss Care Of City Forests

Tacoma Police Create Music Video To Teach Public How To Practice Social Distancing

This Nonprofit Helped Invent Cds And Barcodes. Now It Can Decontaminate Millions Of N95 Masks

Urban Farms Are Thriving Amid The Pandemic

We Thought The Tasmanian Tiger Went Extinct In 1936, But Several Recent Sightings Indicate Otherwise

Tiktok Donates £5m To Royal College Of Nursing Foundation

NOT SO GOOD NEWS AND BAD EXAMPLES

Amazon Fires 2 Tech Employees Who Raised Coronavirus, Climate Concerns

Congo Announces New Ebola Case Just Days Before Planned Declaration That Its Outbreak Had Ended

Converting Forests Into Farmland Could Increase Spread Of Zoonotic Disease

EPA Won’t Tighten Soot Rules, Even As Evidence Links Air Pollution And Coronavirus Risks

More Recovered Coronavirus Patients Are Testing Positive Again

Pastor Refused To Close Church Due To COVID. Then It Killed Him

Smithsonian Scientists Discover Six New Coronaviruses In Bats In Myanmar

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

Artist’s concept of a rainforest in what’s now West Antarctica. Image via James McKay/ Alfred Wegener Institute

A Rainforest In Antarctica During The Age Of Dinosaurs

Why Science Needs Art

Powerful X-Ray Imaging Reveals New Details Of Dinosaur Embryos In Eggs

EARTH

“Feeding Baby” Photo By Hongwei Wang and courtesy of The Smithsonian

10 Pioneer-Era Apple Types, Thought Extinct, Found In Forgotten Orchards Across Pacific Northwest

Earth Had Its 2nd-Hottest March On Record Last Month

Extreme Wildfires Are Changing Western Forests

How Rain Evolved Its Distinct Scent—And Why Animals And Humans Love It

Satellite Data Show 30% Drop In Air Pollution Over Northeast U.S.

SPACE

Artist’s concept of a nearby civilization signaling Earth after observing an Earth transit in front of our sun. Scientists have looked for radio signals from at least 20 nearby stars, those situated so that they might see Earth transits. So far, no signal has been found. And so the search continues. Image via UC Berkeley/ Breakthrough Listen.

Astronauts Who Launched Before Pandemic Are Starting To Come Home

Astronomers Spy Brightest Supernova Ever Seen

Astronomers Spot Strongest Cosmic Storm In Known Universe

Human Elements: When Science Stations You In Space

Lyrids: All You Need To Know

NASA’s Plans For A Lunar Base Camp – Universe Today

Parasitic Spacecraft Docks With Dead Satellite, Brings It Back To Life

See That Huge Asteroid That’ll Safely Pass Earth Later This Month

Shocking Research Threatens Our Understanding Of Dark Matter

Space Travel Causes Astronauts’ Brains To Expand

SpaceX Is Officially Sending Astronauts To Space Next Month

Will SETI 2.0 Help Us Discover Intelligent Aliens?

Latest images from NASA’s Earth Observatory

TECHNOLOGY

Ditching Zoom? Here Are 10 Video Chat Alternatives To Use Instead

How Innovators Are Adapting Existing Technologies To Fight COVID-19

MIT Scientists Are Building Devices To Hack Your Dreams

The Long, Knotty, World-Spanning Story Of String

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

Hakai Magazine: All Creatures Great & Small At Its Best

Hikers Filmed Great Horned Owl Swimming In Lake Powell

Swing Girls – First & Last Concert

TRAVEL

Find Your (Virtual) American National Park

A Photographic Tour Of The World’s Most Colorful Places

At A Kentucky Farm, Champion Thoroughbreds Live Out Their Retirements

Miniature Gecko Art Gallery Premieres On The Heels Of Viral London Gerbil Museum

Take A Free Virtual Tour Of Five Egyptian Heritage Sites

For You, Space Fans. A Grand Tour Of ISS

Take A Virtual Tour Of This Belgian Sourdough Library

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: FRANK VS. GOD — After his house is destroyed by a tornado (what his insurance company deems an “act of God”), former hotshot lawyer David Frank is determined that someone must pay. He decides to serve God…with a lawsuit. Stars: Henry Ian Cusick, Ever Carradine, Natalya Oliver

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Tattooed Whale, 2016 by Tim Pitsiulak. Screen-print on Arches Cover Black. Reproduced with the permission of Dorset Fine Arts and Hakai Magazine.

I can so relate to this. So can Olya. When Whales and Humans Talk

I love this. It’s a video. Yosemite wildlife taking advantage of people-free park as coronavirus keeps humans in hiding

These are neighbors. Video: A Window Into The Lives Of Resident Killer Whales

SHORTS

After A 240-Year Hiatus, White-Tailed Eagles Are Coming Back To Southern England

Clam Uses Its Foot To Dig Into The Sand In Absolutely Fascinating Video

Wild Dolphins Seem To Have A Range Of Personalities

0001 atom

Watch This Madlad Pick Up A Starbucks Coffee Using A Drone

Expert: Coronavirus Forcing Rats To Cannibalism, Infanticide

Fox Covered In Thick Mud Was Unrecognizable When Rescued From Hole At Construction Site

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:

Rainforest Site

Sightline Institute

Smithsonian Magazine

1-universe-pictures

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

RESURRECTION, A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Posted on April 11, 2020 by minstrel312

China’s Coronavirus ‘Victory’ And Britain’s Threat Of A ‘Reckoning’ Show Two Countries Out Of Touch With The Post-Covid-19 Future

April 12, 2020

Volume 12 Number 30

Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.

Inside: Resurrection, A Personal Experience; Informed Predictions; Beyond the Pale; Climate & Climate Change; Community, Culture & Lifestyle, Covid-19 Page Link; Ecology; Economics; Health & Wellbeing; History; Northstar Interactive; Good Reading From The Smithsonian; Good News & Good Examples; Not So Good News & Bad Examples; Our World and Beyond; Earth; Space; Technology; Funzone: Travel; Best of the Net; Movie of the Week; Masha & the Bear, All Creatures Great & Small; Strange But True; About Us

hand of god

RESURRECTION, A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Olya Bereza, Associate Editor

Hi, Rusty:

This week, on April 7, we celebrated World Health Day. This annual global holiday is intended to draw our attention to the majour importance of global health. This year, it is a crossover designed to acquaint people with, as we call it here, “the first guardian,” our immune system. It emphasizes, in this regard, a healthy lifestyle, clean air and water as well as uncontaminated food,

As we could see from statistics bad habits are not just bad habits, it’s something that undermines human health from inside. According to the World Health Organization, smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 7 million deaths per year. If the pattern of smoking all over the globe doesn’t change, more than 8 million people a year will die from diseases related to tobacco use by 2030. Also according to the WHO, obesity is considered one of the greatest public health challenges of the 21st century as its numbers have tripled since 80s.

Both of the above-mentioned affect the immune system or make work for our second guardian, health workers, more difficult. I therefore want to applaud medical workers around the globe. What a selfless job they do for all of us. And our goal is, whenever possible, to make them less busy by taking care of ourselves.

I remember going to the hospital when I was little and the big hands and smile of this tall man who was checking me after I had an operation. One might not expect a surgeon to have such big hands. He brought me back to life together with the whole team of medical workers and I will forever appreciate their efforts from doctors to nurses and all the other care-givers. It was April too, time before Easter, when i got there. I remember it was still dull and cold outside. When I was finally able to go for a walk, I remember the first green leaf in my hand. It was almost like resurrection to be able to appreciate this green little leaf again thanks to my guardians. This is why Easter time is always holy for me. It’s when nature resurrects again.

Even this year, I have hope that all the waves of darkness into which the world seems to have been plunged will be gone. It was symbolic that now for Christians, it is the time of fasting and we need to pass this test. Easter gives the hope of salvation and resurrection of our world. Within the context of any crisis our species faces, I believe that Jesus Christ’s words acquire a very direct meaning.

“For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”.

That’s it for this week. Stay safe, my cousin. This too shall pass, Mishka. And we are still young

Olya

Photo courtesy of https://jiminmontana.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/mother-nature-our-angry-step-mother/

INFORMED PREDICTIONS

Rusty Miller, Editor

Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. After reviewing the news about C-19, I took another shopping trip and it was no different than the one I described in a previous column. It was a bright sunny day, with the sky clearer and the air cleaner than it has been in a long time. While nobody was particularly amiable, they were not unfriendly and did not appear to be stressed by this new normal.

In a recent article in BBC Futurism, whistle blower Edward Snowden contends that this pandemic is, in fact, an attempt by national governments to gain more power and control over the population. While he reluctantly concedes such draconian measures may be necessary when the population is not acting in its own best interests, he predicts these measures will remain in effect long after and in the name of preventing future outbreaks. For the full article, please go here.

Bill and Melinda Gates are “across the Lake” (Washington) neighbors and she donated to a music festival I was promoting so I’ve been a fan of both of them. However, I long ago learned not to make heroes out of the mortally born. The more exalted, the more plummeting the fall from grace when we are reminded, once again, that presidents, premiers, CEOs, billionaires and even priests, ministers and rabbis are just as prone to equal measures of success and failure – morally, ethically, spiritually, intellectually and physically – as the rest of us.

Bill predicts pandemics will visit us every twenty years. Before I share the link, I just want to remind everybody that he’s not a medical expert. He’s done what we have. He’s researched and formed an opinion. HIS opinion. To read it, please go here.

I don’t dispute anyone’s predictions because I don’t have any of my own. But I don’t take seriously those without the credentials to make informed predictions. I also don’t worry about emergency measures remaining in place.

Once this epidemic passes through the belly of the snake, there’s no way, anyone is going to keep any human beings anywhere from celebrating, returning to work and getting back to life with a new appreciation of all aspects of that life. We may not be a particularly intelligent species, but like the cockroach and the clam, we have proven remarkably adaptable. Resilience R Us.

That’s it for this week, gang. Take care, stay well and God Bless.

Rusty

Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go here

BEYOND THE PALE

Coronavirus Has Lit The Fuse On A Time Bomb In China’s Economy: Debt

Coronavirus Is Paving The Way For A Return To Military Rule In Asia

Japan’s Invisible Problem: Enough Empty Homes To House Hong Kong And No Known Owners

A Fire At Chernobyl Is Releasing Large Amounts Of Radiation

CLIMATE: CHANGE & WEATHER

Airlines Urge UN Body To Ease Climate Goals For 2020s As Traffic Collapses

Chile To Peak Emissions By 2025, Under Strengthened Climate Pledge

Coronavirus Lockdown Gives A Boost To Citizen Science Projects

Coronavirus: Plane-Free Skies Spur Research Into Warming Impact Of Aviation

European Green Deal Must Be Central To A Resilient Recovery After Covid-19

Forests Are Adapting To Climate Change—For Now

How The Climate Change Generation Is Redefining Community

Japan’s Woeful Climate Plan Amounts To Science Denial

Saving People From Coronavirus Can Teach Us How To Do The Same For Climate Change

The US Election Is Even More Crucial With UN Climate Talks Delayed To 2021

COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE

These Artists Used Clay To Build Their Dream Homes In Miniature

Why Scientists Created A ‘Smart Toilet’ That Recognizes Your Butt

12 Ways Communities Are Taking Care Of Each Other During The Pandemic

Community Solidarity Through Homemade Face Masks

Everything You Need To Survive If The S Hits The Fan

Home As Sanctuary: “Making Ourselves Still In The Face Of Uncertainty”

Five Tips To Look Your Best On Video Calls

How Other Species Handle Social Distancing When Someone Is Sick

How Will The Pandemic Transform Urban Space?

Jacinda Ardern: ‘Tooth Fairy And Easter Bunny Are Essential Workers’

Safely Reopening America

The Case For Building More Tiny House Villages

Trump Administration Takes Steps To Get Farmworkers Into The Country

Turkey’s Unique Hand Sanitizer

Video: 6 Ways To Instantly Be A More Positive Person

What Will Tomorrow’s Workplace Bring? More Elbow Room, For Starters

COVID-19

ECOLOGY

A Green Solution To An Aging Stormwater System

Colorado Neighborhood Runs On A Self-Reliant, Clean Energy Grid

Human Elements: Healing Forests With Fire

Kenya Installs The First Solar Power Plant That Transforms Ocean Water Into Drinkable Water

Oceans Could Return To A Picture Of Health In Just One Generation

This “Mutant Enzyme” Can Break Down Plastic Bottles In Hours

ECONOMICS

Boeing Extends Suspension Of Puget Sound Operations Until Further Notice

Five Countries With The Most Resilient Economies

How To Bring Caring For Kids And Elders (And Other Acts Of Love) Into The Economy

Lessons From MLK For A Better Post-Coronavirus Economy

The Fed Has Already Injected $2.3 Trillion Into The Economy — And It’s Just Getting Started

Worst Recession In Decades Piles Pressure On EU To Agree New Relief Package

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Avoid Misinformation About COVID-19

Facemasks Will Not Work Without Social Distancing & The Other Precautions

How Much Caffeine Can You Safely Consume?

How To Find Optimism In This Moment Of Fear And Uncertainty

Identify Pollen Allergy Symptoms

People Are Buying Astronomical Amounts Of Eggs Right Now

Playlist For All The Moods Likely Experienced While Social Distancing

Stare At Screens Without Hurting Your Eyes

Volunteers Start Taking Another Experimental Coronavirus Vaccine

What Experts Know About Masks And COVID-19

HISTORY

Fifty Years Ago, The Crew Of The Damaged Apollo 13 Came Home

How A Spy Known As The ‘Limping Lady’ Helped The Allies Win WWII

How The Coronavirus Death Toll Compares To Other Deadly Events From American History

Seattle’s Quick Thinking In 1918 Flu Pandemic – And Now – Credited With Saving Lives

Recently Discovered Drawings For The Statue Of Liberty Hint At A Last-Minute Change

The President’s Cabinet Was An Invention Of America’s First President

Archaeologists Discover Paintings Of Goddess In 3,000-Year-Old Mummy’s Coffin

Ornately Decorated Eggs Have Been Traded Worldwide For Thousands Of Years

A Comet May Have Destroyed This Paleolithic Village 12,800 Years Ago

More Than 30 Million Years Ago, Monkeys Rafted Across The Atlantic To South America

NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE

Canadian Space Agency Education Activities

Celebrate Some Of The Most Important Religious Celebrations Of The Year – Virtually

Even Parks Are Going Virtual

Jumpstart Your COVID-19 Victory Garden

Mine Precious Metals In Your Home

Protect Yourself From The Most Dangerous Misinformation

Read Books For Free During The Pandemic

Remote Learning Is Nothing New To Outback Families

These California Wineries Are Hosting Virtual Wine Tastings

Try This Crossword – Building Bridges – Courtesy of YES Magazine

Watch Live As The National Zoo’s Cheetah Gives Birth To A Litter Of Cubs

What Top Chefs Are Making In Self-Isolation

When You Can’t Think, Procrastibake

GOOD READING FROM THE SMITHSONIAN

Yellow Fever Stalks The Founders, By Stephen Fried

President Lincoln’s Disastrous First Month, By James M. McPherson

Congress Fights The Civil War, By Fergus M. Bordewich

The Great Railroad War Of 1877, By Paul Dickson

The Spanish Flu Strikes, By John M. Barry

American Civilians Defend Against U-Boats, By Timothy Gay

How We Survived Black Monday, By Alan Greenspan

In Memoriam: Richard Reeves, By Edwin Grosvenor

GOOD NEWS AND GOOD EXAMPLES

California Uses Climate Cash To Cut Power Bills During Pandemic

Caravan Of Birthday Love For 103-Year-Old WWII Veteran During Pandemic

Couple Rescues Baby Zebra Entangled In Poaching Snare With Wire Wrapped Tightly Around Its Neck

From Patient To Healer: How This Woman Is Saving Lives

Good News: Social Distancing Is Working

Irish Leader Leo Varadkar Picks Up Shifts As Medical Doctor To Help Tackle The Pandemic

Meet The Artist Behind Animal Crossing’s Art Museum Island

Meet The Heroes On The Front Lines Of The Coronavirus Pandemic

Sen. Rand Paul Says He Is Now Coronavirus-Free And Volunteering At A Kentucky Hospital

With More People Staying Home, Washington Skies Are Cleaner

NOT SO GOOD NEWS AND BAD EXAMPLES

Foreign Spies Targeting Americans On Zoom And Other Video Chat Platforms, Intel Officials Say

OUR WORLD AND BEYOND

homo-erectus-man-woman-exhibit.jpg.653x0_q80_crop-smart

We keep finding fewer excuses for our inability to live with one another. 3 Different Early Human Ancestors Lived At The Same Time, In The Same Place

This is incredible. Physicists Are Crashing Matter Into Antimatter To Hunt A New Boson

So is this. NASA’s All-Female Team Of ‘Aquanauts’

EARTH

With Humans Told To Stay At Home Amid Covid-19 Pandemic, Pollution Has Drastically Declined

One Of Japan’s Most Spectacular Ancient Sky Mysteries Has Been Solved

As Temperatures Rise, Arizona Sinks

Want To Stop The Next Pandemic? Start Protecting Wildlife Habitats

SPACE

A Fire At Chernobyl Is Releasing Large Amounts Of Radiation

Here’s How To See That Huge Asteroid That’ll Safely Pass Earth Later This Month

Latest From NASA’s Earth Observatory

Microbes Living In Deep Sea Rocks Spawn More Hope For Life On Mars

NASA Releases Breathtaking Infrared Image Of Pillars Of Creation

NASA Telescope Idea Could Spot Vegetation On Distant Exoplanets

NASA Awards Contract To Deliver Science, Tech To Moon Ahead Of Human Missions

Saturn’s Auroras Could Help Explain The Weird Amounts Of Heat In Its Atmosphere

Was Mercury Once Habitable?

TECHNOLOGY

Self-Driving Car Company Lays Off All Its Human Safety Drivers

The Surprisingly Long History Of The Ventilator, The Medical Machine You Never Want To Need

Not Even The Most Powerful Computer Can Predict What A Baby Will Become

Wanted Urgently: People Who Know A Half Century-Old Computer Language So States Can Process Unemployment Claims

0001 Magazine funzone

BEST OF THE NET

A Baseball Team Is Filling Its Stadium With 500 Robot Spectators

Hear Daily Shakespeare Sonnets Recited By Patrick Stewart

Here’s What It Would Be Like To Drive On Different Planets

These Are The Winning Photos Of Smithsonianmagazine’s 17th Annual Photo Contest

TRAVEL

A New side To The Holy City of Bethlehem

The Most Inviting City In Africa?

Take A Virtual Tour Of Two Recently Excavated Homes In Pompeii

U District Neptune Theatre at night

MOVIE OF THE WEEK: In this time of crisis, in our search for heroes, let us not forget or for a moment count out those whose oath of loyalty has no expiration date. THE HANOI HILTON” – COMPLETE 1987 VIETNAM P.O.W. DRAMA

Magazine testament kindle cover

ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL

Photo courtesy of Rainforest.com

Awesome. Photographer Captures Rare Black Wildcat On Film In Africa

Here’s another chance to die of “cute”. Family of Orangutans Play With Otter Neighbors In Adorable Pictures Captured at Belgium Zoo

It’s getting rather cozy where they live, looks like. Zookeepers Move Into Wildlife Park To Self-Isolate With The Animals

Here’s a tear-jerker. It Took A Pandemic For This Old Dog To Finally Find A Home

SHORTS

6 Questions Pet Owners Are Asking During The COVID-19 Pandemic

All It Took For These Zoo Pandas To Mate Was For Humans To Go Away

American Robins Migrating 12 Days Earlier Than They Did 25 Years Ago

Animals Are Taking Adorable Field Trips During Quarantine

Deserted Beaches Are A Boon To Sea Turtles During Nesting Season

Scuba Diver’s Close Encounter With 20-Foot-Long Great White Caught On Camera

Whale Sharks: Atomic Tests Solve Age Puzzle Of World’s Largest Fish

0001 atom

Bees In Sweden Are Calling McDonald’s Home In World’s Smallest Restaurant

“UFO-Like” Sea Creature Made Up Of “Millions Of Clones”

Quarantined Couple Builds Art Museum To Entertain Pet Gerbils

hands clapping

OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO: