March 29, 2020
Volume 12 Number 28
Reader-Supported Please go here. Thank you very much.
Inside: Covent Garden Is A Shell; Another Of Those Proverbial “Interesting Weeks”; Beyond the Pale; Climate & Climate Change; Community, Culture & Lifestyle, Covid-19 Page Link; Ecology; Economics; Health & Wellbeing; History; Historical Essays From The Smithsonian; 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
Jeannine Saba, experiencing life in Covent Garden as a local, saying hi to neighbours Photo courtesy of https://www.instagram.com/thecoventgardener/
COVENT GARDEN IS A SHELL
Olya Bereza, Associate Editor
Hi Rusty:
As more and more countries – due to Covid-19 — advise social distancing and self-isolation especially for elderly, there arises the issue of mental health. While physical distancing is making a difference in the infection spread, we need to try to find the ways to cheer each other up. Face it. As humans, we are still social beings.
I’m doing my best every evening to call my over-eighty grandma from Urals, Russia to share this difficult time together at least on the line. One day, perhaps, technology can offer more to people who, for whatever reasons, stay alone. Here is an interesting article, Can Artificial Intelligence Fight Elderly Loneliness? I also found this video extremely entertaining, Here’s How People In Different Countries Are Dealing With Social Distancing And Self-Isolation
I think in these circumstances, each of us has quite a unique experience. I asked Jeannine Saba, the founder and creative director of my favourite printed magazine The Covent Gardener, to share how it feels to be in the center of an unusually quiet London. It does seem like a once in several centuries opportunity to see empty streets of such a metropolis. Here is what she told me.
“Living in Covent Garden isn’t for everyone at the best of times. For eleven years, my mornings have started with the racket of barrels of beer being pushed down the alley ways, the crushing of glass bottles from the night before, and the team of early cleaners chatting and laughing away. During the day, I hear the saxophonist from next door, the crowds applauding the matinee actors on stage at the Adelphi Theatre (I overlook its rooftops) and the general hustle and bustle of Covent Garden. And that’s not even having left the flat. This noise is the lifeblood of Covent Garden, I feel safe hearing it and very much alive and excited to start the day.
“Today, under lockdown, it’s a different story. Covent Garden shut its doors a week ago and it is eerily silent. In the distance, I can hear a car alarm going off and some traffic from the Strand. But that’s it. It’s been a beautiful day and the weather helps, but without noise, the street performers, the theatres, the live music from the pubs and even the odd drunk in the alleyway, Covent Garden is a shell. She is empty. Community is everything.
“Who knows how Covent Garden will look once this is over? We know it is one of the most visited places in the world. It might take awhile for her to get back to her full glory. I intend to keep promoting the area I love and my home to the best of my ability and once this challenging time is over, I welcome everyone to visit Covent Garden again.”
That’s all for this week. Stay safe, my cousin. This too will pass, Mishka. And you are still young.
Olya
Northstar columnist and associate editor Olya Bereza was born in the former Soviet Union and now lives in Ukraine. Fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, she is a degreed psychologist with a background in international marketing and personnel management. For comments, please go here.
Photo courtesy of https://dailyhive.com/seattle/motivational-flag-seattle-space-needle
ANOTHER OF THOSE PROVERBIAL “INTERESTING WEEKS”
Rusty Miller, Editor
Hi again, from the shores of the Salish Sea. Well, it has been another of those proverbially “interesting weeks” I get to talk about when Olya’s is the act I get to follow. That having been said, best get to the doing of it.
This first one is close to home. The house in which I rent space is at the end of a long drive and so is the one next door. The mail boxes for both places are at the start of the drives and one way I help out is by collecting the mail for my house from the locked box. Last week, we found a small white envelop with a handwritten note inside:
Hello, neighbor(s)!
We hope you’re staying safe and healthy. We wanted to say hi. If you want or need childcare, want to coordinate grocery store runs and or want to meet in the street for water/iced tea/beer/wine (w/six ft of distance) to have some human interaction, let us know. Stay healthy!
A & A
I’ve met them briefly before and they’re nice people. I’ve traded emails with them and they’ve reinforced that impression. I haven’t had the opportunity to take them up on their invitation yet but that’s just because it’s been a little busier than usual with the magazine and monitoring a good long distance friend who is awaiting her C-19 test results.
I am also a member of Nextdoor.com, Rainierview. At “press time,” there were some 25 individuals in South Seattle whose integrity, compassion and courage echoed those of my literal next door neighbors. Yep, some of them are readers of the Northstar Journal and we are honored by their society.
We’re continuing to enrich our content under Northstar Interactive and this week, are delighted to present four Smithsonian essays under our History section. This is an excellent opportunity for not only kids but adults to broaden their knowledge base and have considerably more to talk about than the weather or back fence gossip.
We’re also continuing to update our Covid-19 page and that index will soon be encyclopedic. And yes, we are continuing to accept donations and during this crisis, we are in turn donating to those of our news sources who also need our help Your comments and suggestions are also really welcome.
Here’s something that should raise the hopes of all of us. 101-Year-Old Man Who Survived 1918 Flu Beats Coronavirus, Too
Since several of you also asked, we will come out the other side of this better for the experience. Many of the lifestyle changes we need to make now will benefit us and every other living creature on the planet. We will stop living like ants in a hill or bees in a hive (no offense to the insects intended). We will stop congregating like the bison on the American prairies, swallows in a chimney or bats in (yep, you guessed it) a belfry.
We will stop abusing the planet and Gaia will forgive us. But this is not baseball. There are no three strikes. If we mess with Mother Nature again, she will make us prey of the Hounds of Hell and our species will not survive.
I sincerely hope we don’t blow it.
Rusty
Northstar editor Merritt Scott “Rusty” Miller is a journalist, author, editor and photographer living in Seattle, Washington. For comments, please go her
BEYOND THE PALE
Afghanistan Conflict: Militants Storm Sikh Temple In Kabul
Australia Is Turning A Tourist Island Into A Quarantine Zone
Ukraine’s Missing People Amid Ongoing Conflict
CLIMATE: CHANGE & WEATHER
Climate Change Is Just As Real As Coronavirus. Deal With It Now
Coronavirus Pandemic Shows We Need New Ways To Look After The Earth And Each Other
Coronavirus: In Hawaii’s Air, Scientists Seek Signs Of Economic Shock On CO2 Levels
Electric Cars Help Limit Climate Change Despite Blackspots In India, Poland
From Summits To Stimulus: Nature-Based Solutions Can Help
Governments Urged To Attach Green Strings To Long-Term Coronavirus Recovery Plans
Russia’s Plans To Tighten 2030 Climate Goal Criticised As ‘Baby Steps’
Youth Climate Activism Adapts In The Age Of Coronavirus
COMMUNITY, CULTURE & LIFESTYLE
2020 Election Won’t Look Like Any We’ve Seen Before
4 Ways To Build Community From Home
6 Questions To Ask Yourself Daily For A Healthier Quarantine Mindset
Artists Turn Boarded Up Windows Into Symbols Of Hope — VIDEO
Density Is Normally Good For Us. That Will Be True After Coronavirus, Too.
Here Are Some Of The Ways The Pandemic May Accelerate Long-Term Trends
How Long Will Social Distancing Last?
How To Come Together When We’re Apart
I’m A Doctor’s Husband, And I’m Begging You To Keep Medical Workers Like Her Safe
Overcoming Winter’s Alienation
Striking Images Of Life In North Korea
When Music Speaks To You, Your Brain Syncs Up With The Musician’s
WHO Wants You To Ditch The Phrase “Social Distancing”
WWII-Era ‘Victory Gardens’ Make A Comeback Amid Coronavirus
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 weekend. Rusty
Is The U.S. ‘Flattening The Curve?’ Check Our Coronavirus Chart For Daily Updates
ECOLOGY
Gift And Theft In The Far North
Housing Policy Is…Salmon Policy?
Traffic And Pollution Plummet As US Cities Shut Down
WA Governor Signs Bill To Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags Statewide
ECONOMICS
3.28 Million Americans Filed For Unemployment Last Week, Shattering Previous Record
Fighting COVID-19, Can The U.S. Save Both Lives And The Economy?
If We Bail Out Airlines, It Better Come With Climate Rules
Nordstrom, Alaska Airlines Announce Huge Cutbacks Due To Pandemic
These Free Tax Filing Options Can Keep Money In Your Pocket During These Rocky Times
HEALTH & WELLBEING
These Disinfectant Products Have Been Approved By The EPA To Kill The Coronavirus
COVID-19 And Tobacco Harm Reduction: What’s The Relationship?
Drive-In Movie Theater May Be Just The Cure For Lockdown Fatigue
If Meditation Is Not Your Thing, Try A Walk In The Woods
Laughter Helps The Brain Relax. How Humor Can Combat Coronavirus Anxiety
Loneliness Was A Public Health Crisis Long Before Social Distancing. Here’s How We Can Solve It
Surviving Isolation: A Lesson From 5 Astronauts
Walking Is The Calming, Restorative Activity We Need Right Now
Ways We Are Healed By Nature (Even Houseplants)
You Asked: Can Indoor Plants Really Purify The Air?
HISTORY
Shutting Down Hawai‘I: A Historical Perspective On Epidemics In The Islands
The Pioneering Health Officer Who Saved Portland From The Plague
This French Woman Risked Her Life To Document Nazi Theft
The Forgotten American Explorer Who Discovered Huge Parts Of Antarctica
Who Was Alexander Von Humboldt?
Community-Researcher Collaboration Reveals Ancient Maya Capital In Backyard
New Feathered Carnivorous Dinosaur Found In New Mexico
HISTORICAL ESSAYS FROM THE SMITHSONIAN
A Fateful Experiment At Jamestown, By James Horn: The First Votes Of A Fledgling Virginia Assembly In 1619 Marked The Inception Of The Most Important Political Development In American History — The Rise Of Democracy. Smithsonian Essay
The American Presidency, By Michael Beschloss: The Struggles And Triumphs Of Our Presidents Have Been Central To Shaping Our Nation, Even Though They Operated Under A Constitution That Didn’t Grant Them Unilateral Power. Smithsonian Essay
Voyage Of Mercy, By Stephen Puleo: In The Blackest Days Of The Great Potato Famine In Ireland, Americans Responded By Organizing The First International Humanitarian Mission, Sending Food And Provisions In The Refitted Warship USS Jamestown. Smithsonian Essay
The Frémonts Open The West, By Steve Inskeep: With Five Major Exploring Expeditions West Of The Mississippi, John C. Fremont Redefined The Country — With The Help Of His Wife’s Promotional Skills. Smithsonian Essay
The Legacy Of The Warren Court, By Geoffrey R. Stone And David A. Strauss: In Many Ways, The Constitution As We Know It Results From Their Landmark Decisions. Smithsonian Essay
NORTHSTAR INTERACTIVE
14 Podcasts For Social Distancing, From Home Cooking To Homeschooling
50 Ways To Stay Sane During The Coronavirus Pandemic
68 Cultural, Historical And Scientific Collections You Can Explore Online
A Collection Of Coverage Highlighting Digital Education Resources
A Place To Share Your Good Ideas For Coping In This Crisis
How To Explore National Parks With Virtual Tours
Stuck At Home? Take Yale’s Most Popular Course Ever: The Science Of Happiness
This Week’s Best Livestream Learning Opportunities
Three Ways To Help Save The Planet
Your Butterfly Photos Could Help Monarch Conservation
GOOD NEWS AND GOOD EXAMPLES
4,500 Retired Doctors And Nurses Sign Up To Rejoin NHS In Just 48 Hours
Amazon’s COVID-19 Blog: How We Are Supporting Our Employees, Customers, And Communities
Appalachian Students Displaced By Outbreak Get A Lifeline
Bellarmine Prep To Open Its Doors To The Homeless – VIDEO
Bellevue-Based Eddie Bauer Shifts Production To Make Masks For Local Hospitals
Black Panther Spotted In This African Country For The First Time In Over A Century
Bus Drivers Are Delivering Lunches To Kids Whose Schools Have Closed Due To Coronavirus
Cheery Thoughts For A Scary Time
China Plans To Lift Lockdown On Wuhan, Where COVID-19 Was First Detected
Designer Brand Ralph Lauren To Make Masks And Gowns
Distilleries Around The U.S. Shift Production To Hand Sanitizer
How Australia’s Wilderness Is Recovering From Wildfires
How Social Distanced ‘Bear Hunts’ Are Uniting Neighborhoods Amid Coronavirus
Native American Photographers Develop The Stories Of Their People
Presidential Lessons For The Coronavirus Pandemic
Spirit Of Sharing Spreads In Metro Vancouver Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
Thousands Of Retired Health Care Workers Are Volunteering To Help Areas Overwhelmed By Coronavirus
Truckers Are The Unsung Heroes Of This Pandemic
U.S. Government Has Mobilized Private Companies To Face Crises Before. Here’s What To Know
‘Without Empathy, Nothing Works.’ José Andrés Wants To Feed The World Through The COVID-19 Pandemic
NOT SO GOOD NEWS AND BAD EXAMPLES
Botched Efforts To Stop Coronavirus And Climate Change
FTC And BBB Warn: Beware Of ‘Stimulus Scammers’
Man Dies After Confusing Fishtank Cleaner With Drug Touted By Trump, Musk
Misrepresenting Traditional Knowledge During COVID-19 Is Dangerous
Travelers Hide Flu Symptoms To Get Home
US Jobless Claims Soar To Record 3.3 Million As Layoffs Jump
OUR WORLD AND BEYOND
View larger or view annotated. Talk about social distancing! The Curiosity rover has that down
The Mars rover captured a new selfie on February 26, and NASA released it this week. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ MSSS. Read more and learn how the rover captures a selfie.
Incredible. How A Few Sick Tobacco Plants Led Scientists To Unravel The Truth About Viruses
Incredible II Two Guys Created Synthetic ‘Leather’ Made From Cactus To Save The Environment
EARTH
5.4-Magnitude Earthquake Damages Zagreb Cathedral, Museums
Check Out These Mammatus Clouds
Great Barrier Reef Suffers Third Mass Bleaching In Five Years
Scientists Discover Massive Instability Under Antarctica Glacier
SPACE
Behold The “Quasar Tsunami,” Which Can Kill An Entire Galaxy
Mercury’s Messy Surface May Have Once Had Crucial Ingredients For Life
NASA Data Shows Something Leaking Out Of Uranus
NASA Leadership Assessed The Impacts Of Coronavirus To Space Missions
NASA’s New Mars Rover Still Launching In July Despite Coronavirus
Robotics Work, Space Biology Keep Station Humming
Scientists Find Superconductor Inside Giant Meteorite
Scientists Say There Could Be Life On Mercury
US Space Force Is About To Finally Leave The Planet
Why Approaching Comet Atlas Is So Bright (And How You Can See It)
Your Moon And Planet Photos From March 16-22
Latest Images From NASA’s Earth Observatory
TECHNOLOGY
Vacuum Maker Dyson Designed A New Ventilator In Just 10 Days
Poland Made An App To Make Sure Patients Stay In Quarantine
Can This 3D-Printed Ventilator Help Spain?
BEST OF THE NET
Eurythmics – I Saved the World Today (Official Video) – YouTube
These Photos From The First Decade Of Smithsonian Magazine Show Where Art And Science Meet
Striking Images Of Life Inside North Korea
This Reporter’s Reaction To A Bison Herd Is The Most Inevitably Intense Reaction Meme |
TRAVEL
Covid-19’s Global Impact On Travel
Take A Free Virtual Tour Of The Winchester Mystery House
MEDIA OF THE WEEK:I am a Michael Landon fan to the max. Here is one of the reasons why. This performance should have won Ed Asner an Emmy.From Highway to Heaven: The Last Assignment
DAILY 10 QUESTION TRIVIA QUIZ: This one is from Daily Email Trivia and delivered to me in mine. There is also an opportunity, the site, to take more quizzes on a wide range of subjects and to engage interactively and competitively.
A superpower no longer, a resource hungry and repressive America faces a Latin American armada rampaging its west coast and a strong, silent and powerful Canada manning the North Wall. The fires of rebellion burn in the Pacific Northwest and it is into this crucible and forge that the cybernetic patrol boat Testament and her crew of three men and three women are thrust. Individuals of duty and conscience both, when they join the other side, all Hell breaks loose. A rollicking adventure for anyone who loves the sea, a good yarn and characters who spring to life even as Testament herself leaps the waves. For a $4.00 Kindle Book adventure you will remember for a lifetime, please go here.
Associate editor Olya Bereza is also the children’s novelist Holley Dovetail. This is one of several of short novels for the young and the young at heart. To preview and/or purchase on amazon.com, please go here.
This little fairy-tale short story dedicated to a pet-friend gone chasing the rainbow. For kids their first lost and challenge in life is letting go of their pet friends that once became part of their world. This little story will help in times they have to say good-bye without falling into despair. Yep, go here.
ALL CREATURES, GREAT AND SMALL
Artist’s rendering of Ikaria wariootia. It would have lived on the seafloor SOHAIL WASIF/UCR
This is amazing. Fossil Worm Shows Us Our Evolutionary Beginnings
The more I read about these creatures, the more fascinating they become. Scientists Discover That A Squid Can Edit Its Own Genetic Code
This is absolutely amazing. Ocean Conservancy Photo Contest Shows Off Incredible Ocean Life
SHORTS
Army Of Hungry Ducks Keeps This Historic South African Vineyard Pest-Free
Females Live Longer Than Males—Among Humans And Other Mammals, Too
In A First, Researchers Record Penguins Vocalizing Under Water
Now We Know The Reason For The Narwhal’s Tusk
Urban Coyotes Eat A Lot Of Garbage—And Cats
Watch A Man Walk A Dog Using A Drone
Lego Pieces Could Last For 1,300 Years In Marine Environments
This Professor Wants To Grow Entire Buildings Out Of Bacteria
OUR THANKS THIS WEEK TO:
Earth Sky News: Updates On Your Cosmos And World
Moscow Times: Independent News From Russia
South China Morning Post – This Week In Asia
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
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