As the world watches the most obstructed transition of power in history, Trump is silent. I have had many conversations over the past week about his shenanigans. He has two months left before he loses his job and his friends are supporting his delusions, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Even, Homeland Security says this was the most secure election in history. And it’s not the lawsuits, I understand the legal system and exhausting options. But, it’s the boxing out of transition resources for me. It’s blocking access to GSA funds and being excluded from intelligence briefings. Like I told someone, Trump is acting like a woman who doesn’t want to tell anyone she is pregnant. You don’t have to acknowledge it, but we all know and you will have to accept it when the baby comes. There are some situations where denial just doesn’t work. Trump, your baby bump is showing.
COVID, An Even Bigger Thing
So, while Trump throws a tantrum, the real story in America is COVID-19. And Trump could care less. We are basically on a third wave, passing milestones everyday. As I type this, there are over 10.5 million cases and over 242,000 deaths, and there were more than 150,000 new cases in a single day. But, by the time you read this, there will be more. Yet, once again, there is no overarching plan. But some states and cities are implementing new restrictions. (California, New York, Maryland, Iowa, Utah, Chicago) Meanwhile, President-Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris are working on having a plan, but that won’t be in effect until January. So, how many people will we lose before then?
Not really sure why people have to keep saying this, but Wear Your Mask! It’s really the LEAST you can do. New research shows that the mask not only protects others but, also yourself. So, I know you don’t care about me; but maybe you care about you! Wear a MASK. Even to all those Thanksgiving gatherings that you are going to have but should not. If you just have to get together, check out the CDC guidelines for Thanksgiving.
Viruses On A Plane
I think all health experts think you should stay put and not travel this holiday season. However, they know Americans don’t listen. So, what about flying? First, you should know that flights are getting more crowded. Starting December 1, Southwest will join United and American in allowing every seat on planes to be sold. JetBlue will scale back the number of blocked seats. Jet Blue, along with Delta and Alaska, also plans to drop all limits some time next year.
In a surprise to no one, Airlines say it’s safe to fly. They based this on a study they funded that found the risk of spreading the virus is low if everyone wears a mask. And we know how compliant people are. (more than 1,000 people have been banned for not wearing masks) The CDC, however, says that sitting within 6 feet of others for an extended amount of time will still increase the risk of getting infected.
I Won’t Say I Told You So
The first cruise in the Caribbean since March came to an abrupt end this week. You guessed it! Passengers tested positive for coronavirus. The company, SeaDream, is a yachting company that returned to port in Barbados after giving passengers rapid tests as part of its safety procedures. There were travel writers and influencers onboard who said one person tested positive. There were a total of 53 passengers and 66 crew members onboard.
Sea Dream I is not subject to the CDC rules currently banning passenger cruises because it does not operate in U.S. waters. Good luck with all that.
Hey, Who’s Driving That Car?
Nobody. Honda announced this week that it will be the first automaker to mass produce level 3 autonomous cars. What does that mean? The car will navigate congested expressway traffic on its own. How dope is that? Sign me up, I hate rush hour traffic. It will be called the Honda Legend and is expected before the end of March 2021.
I didn’t know this, but there are six levels of vehicle autonomy. From manual cars or those with simple functions such as cruise control to fully self-driving vehicles that would not need steering wheels, or brakes and accelerator pedals. A lot of people are already driving level 2 cars, those that can control their own speed and steering, think cars that automatically slow down and parallel park. I think it’s cool. I mean the cars can’t be worse drivers than people.
Stranger Moves
Wanna know the crazy things Movers have seen? Me too. The WSJ polled movers from Omaha to New Orleans about the strangest items they either packed or moved. And this is what they found:
- Porcelain dolls and animal fetuses in jars (same house)
- Packing and moving closets of sex toys (people should really pack these up themselves)
- A collection of Chucky dolls and Pennywise dolls (that were voice-activated unbeknownst to the movers, lol)
- A family of vampires, who drove a hearse and slept in coffins
- House full of taxidermic safari animals like lions and baboons (wrong on a number of levels)
- An entire garage of 30- or 40-year-old gutters
- Chicken coop
- Collection of wooden Jesus figures from the 16th and 17th centuries
- Antique phone booths that were 250 pounds and were 7 feet tall
But Also This
- Harvard did NOT discriminated against Asian Americans in their admissions process according to a recent court ruling.
- No Peen on the Screen. In a move that took longer than expected, the New Yorker staff writer and CNN Chief Legal Analyst, Jeffery Toobin has been fired from the New Yorker. He is still on leave from CNN. If you don’t know, Toobin was suspended from The New Yorker in October for exposing himself on a Zoom call.
- Murder Hornet News. Remember the Murder Hornets that added that little something extra to 2020? Well, they may not be gone. After a nest was destroyed in Washington state, it is unclear whether one of the 200+ queens capable of starting their own nest escaped. Watch your back, honey bees.
- Obamacare. It is open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act; enrollment ends December 15.
The Culture Commentary 