Jim Hines's 2020 writing income post.
Amanda Gorman, the runaway star of the inauguration. Poetry has power.
"A third national lockdown in England appears to have had little impact on the rising rate of coronavirus infections, according to the findings of a major study, with 'no evidence of decline' in the prevalence of the virus during the first 10 days of tougher restrictions." Ten days can be the incubation period and these numbers could still be from before the lockdown (although there's a high probability of non-compliance). This is why you have to lock down early.
"The devastating fall and winter wave of coronavirus infections that is causing so much misery across the U.S. appears to have finally peaked, according to several researchers who are closely tracking the virus." Severe side-eye. Are the numbers easing? Somewhat. But I doubt we're on the backside of the bell-curve. I think this is more of a plateau of the virus reached peak transmissibility.
"Moderna Inc said on Tuesday it had received a report from California’s health department that several people at a center in San Diego were treated for possible allergic reactions to its COVID-19 vaccine from a particular batch."
"New research out this week provides reassuring evidence that people vaccinated against coronavirus will be protected against emerging new variants of the virus… Two teams tested two of the new variants against blood taken from people who had received the full two-course dose of either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine." The mRNA vaccines are geared to the spike protein, that protein, more than likely, won't change very much (because it's how the virus attaches to our cells). And that's why it was chosen.
"A growing number of grocers are adopting a novel approach in the race to get their workers vaccinated against COVID-19: providing pay incentives."
"The coronavirus pandemic is still posing 'serious risks' to the euro zone economy, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said Thursday as lockdowns are tightened across the region."
"Americans continued to hit the unemployment line in large numbers as the ongoing surge of Covid cases added to America’s unemployment problem last week… Jobless claims totaled 900,000 for the week ended Jan. 16, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That was slightly less than the Dow Jones estimate of 925,000 and below the previous week’s downwardly revised total of 926,000." You know, it took a lot of hard work for Joe Biden to inherit a worse jobs situation than Obama, but Trump did it.
Saying the quiet part out loud. "Alice O’Lenick, who is the Gwinnett Board of Registrations and Elections chairwoman for 2021 and 2022, encouraged members of her party to write letters and make phone calls to state legislators to encourage them to make changes to state elections laws.… 'I was on a Zoom call the other day and I said, "I’m like a dog with a bone. I will not let them end this session without changing some of these laws,"' O’Lenick said. 'They don’t have to change all of them, but they’ve got to change the major parts of them so that we at least have a shot at winning.'" Republican know they're the majority and are unlikely to ever achieve majority status in the near future. They are more than happy to revoke your franchise if it means they get to stay in power.
"First lady Melania Trump did not write her own "thank you" notes to the White House residence staff who have cared for her and her family for the last four years, according to two sources with knowledge of the notes and Trump's handling of them… The 80 or so staff who received the type written notes were under the assumption the first lady had written them herself. Instead, Trump tasked a lower-level East Wing staffer with writing them "in her voice," and she signed her name." It's petty, but JFC these people are so classless.
Won't anyone think of all the fact checkers who are now suddenly out of a job. "In his final remarks as president, Donald Trump tried to take credit for accomplishments of his predecessor and even those to come under President Joe Biden… Falsehoods suffused his farewell remarks Wednesday morning and the night before, though he was spot on with this: 'We were not a regular administration.'"
"Former President Donald Trump did not declare martial law in his final minutes in office; nor did he reveal a secret plan to remain in power forever. President Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were not sent to Guantánamo Bay. The military did not rise up and arrest Democratic leaders en masse… Instead, Biden took the oath of office and became the 46th U.S. president on Wednesday… For some supporters of QAnon, this was an earth-shattering turn of events. Or rather, nonevents." The sad trombones play for Q. Waits for the inevitable "we're still here" stories about Q. No, I have very little sympathy.
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