World Views

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... 309868002/

"As COVID surges, Americans remain divided on the threat."

"Republicans, who tend to downplay the virus and see it as inevitable,
and Democrats, who see it as a controllable threat, live in different realities."

Time for a reality check?
The virus is an inevitable controllable threat ...
according to all the news in 2020.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... enter.html

"New York restaurant City Winery to make customers take a $50 coronavirus test before they enter."

In this restaurant, the cost of the first glass of wine is bit pricey
... and paid long before the wine is served.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Today's headlines ...

CDC: NO TRAVEL
PANDEMIC WORSE THAN EVER
TESTING STRAINED
HOSPITALS BUCKLE
CALIFORNIA CURFEW
LA NEARS LOCKDOWN
NYC ON BRINK
DEATH IN EUROPE EVERY 17 SECONDS

The good news is that the herds are herding
(albeit on opposite sides of the pandemic),
but all will help promote herd immunity.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN27Z3BK

"Mexico’s Senate approved a landmark cannabis legalization bill in a landslide vote on Thursday,
paving the way for the creation of the world’s largest legal marijuana market"

Like the trademark "sweet? or unsweet? (tea)" greeting by restaurant servers in the U.S. South,
"sweet? or unsweet? (air)" will be the greeting by restaurant servers in Mexico where smoking is permitted.

See also: https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/ ... ung-health

"Smoking marijuana may also reduce the respiratory system’s immune response,
increasing the likelihood of the person acquiring respiratory infections"

Who knew
Cannabis seems to complement the health agenda of the coronavirus.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/easiest ... 30664.html

"If you or someone you know tests positive, the system will alert anyone who had been within six feet of that person
for 15 minutes or more that they've been exposed"

Big downside is becoming overconfident that the system will always alert you (lotsa people need to be using this).
And note that the system knows where people have been and for how long! ... like a personal electronic shadow ...
managed from the Cloud ... by unknown persons.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.kxan.com/news/education/no- ... gh-school/

"Nobility as it is now called, allows each club at the school to nominate two people to be recognized
during the week of homecoming - no longer just a boy and girl."

Seems fair, but will a school's "Gender Neutral" recognition be influential later in life
Their yearbook entry: "Voted most gender neutral!"

And if two are recognized, why not three? (since boy/girl pairing is ended)
And with three, there's less assumption of romantic pairing.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://nypost.com/2020/10/26/feel-unsa ... on-demand/

"Unsure about my abilities to deliver a damning blow, I found the next best thing: a personal security app, called Bond, that offers trained bodyguards you can book by the half-hour on demand." (a business relationship! - fee is higher for personal dude with bodyguard training)

Entrepreneur Alert
A trained granny with commanding presence (and green beret?) would also be popular

In high school, my granny-like algebra teacher always wore sneakers. One day, she suddenly stepped outside the classroom to lecture noisy students passing by. They ignored her ... until she ran after them minutes later and escorted them to the principal's office.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://metro.co.uk/2020/11/18/you-can- ... -13615745/

"The Ouroboros Steak, named after the ancient Egyptian snake that eats itself, can be grown from cells scraped from the inside of your cheek and fed serum from old donated blood. While the steak is currently just a prototype, and designed as a thought-provoking piece of art, it is a real piece of meat grown from human cells."

Who knew
"Bite Me!" can now be a serious dinner invitation.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... cases.html

"With a population of only 680,000 residents, (El Paso) has more active COVID cases than the cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio combined. But despite the rise in cases, residents are going about their daily business as usual with little panic about the virus"

"shelves are fully stocked, residents are seen leisurely shopping at strip malls and dining indoors despite the Texas town being the Covid-19 epicenter with hospitals filled to capacity"

Apparently, filled hospitals prove that this city's business model works
What this city exports might be deduced, albeit unofficially.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.foxnews.com/science/florida ... ese-snakes

"Florida officials consider suggesting Burmese snakes taking over Everglades be eaten"

"it's possible the high level of mercury in the scintillating snakes could be a result of their inability to process it. If prepared correctly, however, the unrelenting reptiles may be used in recipes that generally call for chicken or pork... With a stir-fry you can add fresh ginger, garlic and vegetables of your choice and serve it over rice"

See also: https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/wea ... 328020002/ ,
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... at-it.html

"While many pythons contain high levels of mercury, it's rare that they can be eaten."
(can be eaten rare? or can rarely be eaten?) Nevertheless ...
Suddenly, faux python meat sounds appealing!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/2 ... virus-talk

"The message is clear from the hand-written poster above the counter -- all talk of coronavirus, lockdowns or virology is strictly forbidden. In this little bar on the outskirts of Rome, the manager hopes to give her clients a brief respite from the global pandemic while they drink their coffee."

Entrepreneur Alert

Another bar can open nearby where talk of coronavirus, lockdowns or virology is encouraged.
Then those satiated customers can eventually segue to the other bar for a respite.
Or couples can split according to chat preference, then segue to a peaceful home.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/pizza-h ... 05213.html

"Pizza Hut U.K. announced ...
'Christmas pizza' featuring rotisserie chicken, bacon, sage, onion stuffing
and a base comprised of red wine gravy."

A better holiday mood is created when this pizza is delivered
by a DoorDash Dasher (reindeer costume optional).

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/20/business ... index.html

"Tofurky, which has been selling its mock turkey roast since 1995, saw a 22% surge in holiday orders
from retailers ahead of Thanksgiving ... made from wheat gluten and tofu with wild rice stuffing"

Interestingly, mock ("something that resembles an existing thing")
is more accurate than the later faux ("not genuine; fake or false").
Also, 'mock meat' is a bit whimsical compared to 'faux meat'.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.healthline.com/health/healt ... ople-do-it

"Why people do it" is indeed intriguing, considering that the output
of this orifice is labeled a "biological hazard" in medical circles!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ation.html

"Too much information, grandma!"

"Children who cringe at their parents talking about sex should beware –
their grandparents are even more willing to spill bedroom secrets."

And the P words are discussed without any embarassment:
Pension, Persistence, Pleasure, Pillow, Posture, ...

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.tampabay.com/news/health/20 ... ss-so-far/

"Biobot is using poop data from cities to do all kinds of epidemiological studies. For example, the lab discovered
that people with COVID shed a larger viral load in their poop in the first few days of infection."

Now ... what's all that nonsense about "pegging"?!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech ... rains.html

"Human genes are inserted into MONKEY BRAINS causing them to expand
in unnerving Planet of the Apes-style experiment"

Please! Stay focused on the brain!
The "normal" fetal marmoset brain image (white) is not other anatomy!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/mass ... ger-joints

"Massive 14-hour line forms as Colorado gets first In-N-Out Burger joints"

Waiting for hours to buy fast food still counts as productive use of time (?)
... but helps improve much reduced gasoline sales during the pandemic.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.wsj.com/articles/retailers- ... 1605934806

"Retailers Cut Back on Choices: ‘We Don’t Need Three Types of Red’ "

"Now, with choices overwhelming shoppers and clogging supply chains, some brands are moving in the opposite direction.
They are trimming styles and colors in the hope that by eliminating the decision paralysis that grips customers
when they are faced with too many options, they can boost sales and reduce end-of-season markdowns."

Nice marketing spin (that customer paralysis is caused by too many options).
And most customers think that price/price/price is the typical paralysis.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/health/f ... index.html

"And yet. I am incapable of feeling the joy that has, for every Thanksgiving prior to 2020, accompanied me to the homes of friends and family. There will be no road trips, no extended family hugs, no old friends in town visiting and reminiscing over a tall cold one, no spontaneous moments featuring new characters. This year is all plot twists without the comic relief."

"I have landed in a new place this year, one where it's perfectly acceptable to want people to take their gratitude
and shove it up this year's pathetically small turkey cavity."

However, downsizing holiday expectations might reveal an attitude cavity
(as well as surrounding terrain) that would benefit from downsizing.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/world/ox ... index.html

"The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) has been unable to name its traditional word of the year for 2020, instead exploring
how far and how quickly the language has developed this year ... 2020 is not a year that could neatly be accommodated
in one single 'word of the year' ... with the language adapting 'rapidly and repeatedly.' "

For perspective, how meaningful to you was the 2019 "word of the year" (or those of previous years)?
Did you try to use it frequently in conversation? Did you hear it frequently used in conversation?
And if English is not your primary language, how significant is an English "word of the year"?

BTW, how many letters are in your now preferred 2020 "word of the year"?

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ntana.html

"Teen who was crushed by his 4-ton forklift truck defies the odds and survives"

... and still can smile!

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.the-sun.com/news/1843609/dr ... s-swimmer/

"The nail-biting footage was captured by drone photographer Jason McIntosh, 41, from Miami. He was flying his drone over the water, 25 meters away from the shore, on November 15 when he captured the amazing scene... The swimmer was so oblivious to the shark’s presence, he was even filmed giving the thumbs-up sign to the camera at one stage."

Apparently, a well-fed shark, more curious than "stalking".

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://abc7chicago.com/tofurky-thanksg ... t/8132736/

"With interest in plant-based products on the rise, retailers want to be well-stocked with options
for vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian consumers who want a plant-based centerpiece."

... usually with a non-plant-based theme: faux meat, Tofurky, sausage-like, ...
But planetarian consumers still prefer traditional (authentic) plant options.

"Don't you mean 'plantetarian'?"
No. Terra firma (not Lab) is the message.

Rod

[Amigoo]

Re: https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2020/1 ... an-bdk.cnn

"Pianist Paul Barton attempts to serenade a pack of monkeys with piano music in the ancient city of Lopburi, Thailand."

"Pack" of monkeys? Looks like a city of monkeys! ...
and not much evidence that they're paying attention to the music.

Rod