Phonebots


Phonebots clog city streets. Tenacious, impenetrable and defiant, they march catatonic to the glow of their hand held device. They invade crosswalks with self absorbed surety of army ants, oblivious to crossing signals, traffic flow or common decency.

Wanting to scream “what’s wrong with you!” never goes well when driving a company vehicle. Self centred numskulls always take offence. Sometimes they snap a photo of our company logo/phone number, calling to express outrage over the employee who almost ran them down. Propriety dictates polite restraint. I take a deep breath, waiting patiently for phonebots to cross the street. Every so often my inner prankster honks the horn, if I’m lucky a phonebot jumps and scurries. One time a phonebot dropped their device, I laughed out loud.

Do phonebots know how infuriating they are? Believe it their right to cross intersections with flashing “Don’t Walk” signals? Create gridlock by stepping off the curb seconds before a light changes preventing vehicles from making turns, then dawdle along with kaleidoscope eyes fixated on their cell phone? Do the self absorbed little darlings care? Absolutely not! So I sit, and I wait, and every so often I shake them up with a strategically dispatched blast of the horn. It’s hysterical, phonebots hate it when you interrupt social media dribble in the middle of an intersection at rush hour.

 

Ponder Saharan Night Skies


Take a moment to ponder timelapse perfection by Lucie Debelkova – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClDKSZTXcuOz4lC_Zv183Ng Lucie travelled along ancient trade routes from the Atlas mountains, across the Sahara to Marrakech during darkest Moon phases to capture night skies without light pollution. Dark skies reveal the Milky Way of our ancestors – mesmerizing, irrefutable and bristling with thought provoking imagination.

 

CIMAvax


In 2011 the Center of Molecular Immunology in Cuba launched a lung cancer vaccine, they called it Cimavax. Inexpensive to manufacture, the government absorbed the cost of $1 per inoculation, providing free Cimavax shots to all citizens. While not exactly a cure for lung cancer, Cimavax prevented growth of cancer cells, significantly extended life expectancy of existing lung cancer patients and did so without side effects.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CimaVax-EGF

President Obama actively championed relaxed U.S./Cuba relations. In 2016 America eased up on the Cuban embargo, making way for medical and technological collaboration with Cuba. A deal was struck with Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY to apply for FDA approval and proceed with clinical trials of CIMAvax in America. Along came Trump, complete with a mission to undo all things Obama and maintain antiquated absurdity of an iron fist Cuban embargo.

I’ve spent the last hour researching CIMAvax, FDA approval in the U.S., Roswell Park Cancer Institute, clinical trials and patient testimonials. Truth is, information indicating  collaborative efforts to advance lung cancer treatment in America by making CIMAvax available to patients outside Cuba, pretty much evaporate in 2016. Several articles dated 2016 reported FDA approval for clinical trials in the U.S., one article written in 2016 said it would be 2023 before CIMAvax was available in America.

Humanity deserves a world where the greater good eclipses politics. CIMAvax isn’t snake oil quackery akin to FDA approved weight loss pills or faith based sales of miracle holy water guaranteed to cure the incurable. Cuba doesn’t want to harm its citizens, free CIMAvax vaccinations exist to strengthen a nation, not line the pockets of a entitled few. If I were Cuba CIMAvax wouldn’t leave my shores without contractual surety from America that vaccinations would be available to all Americans at a nominal fee. Yeah, right!

As I write the fate of CIMAvax in America is unclear. All I can say for sure is free lung cancer vaccinations have been available to Cuban citizens since 2011.

 

Full, Total, Super And Bloodless


Invitation to the first full moon of 2019 arrives with the promise of cosmic splendor. January 20 marks the first full moon, first total lunar eclipse and first of three consecutive full supermoons ( lunar orbit coinciding with perigee, the closest point of orbit to Earth ). Full, total and super define the show, blood is an inaccurate rumour. Participants sold Blood Moon tickets needn’t despair, absence of Biblical prophecy won’t detract from the spectacle. Missing the show means waiting until May 26, 2021 for another.

See the source image

There was a time when total lunar eclipse viewable from North and South America, Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northern and western Africa and the Arctic was enough to attract participants. Today media dumbs us down with banners of blood moon click bait. In 2013 fundamentalist Christian pastor John Hagee published his book “Four Blood Moons: Something Is About To Change”. Four blood moons refers to a tetrad – four consecutive total lunar eclipses with no partial lunar eclipses in between, each separated from the other by six full moons. The last astronomical tetrad occurred during 2014/2015.  End-timers dusted off the Book of Joel, equating “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes” with ominous end times prophecy. Never mind that a sun turning to darkness refers to solar eclipse, or science of atmospheric conditions make an early rising moon appear red. Hagee’s book spent weeks on NY Times best seller list, sold millions of copies and solidified full moons as blood. Blood Moons are fundamentalist poppycock, total supermoon lunar eclipses are cosmic gems. Shame on Christian fundamentalists for trying to steal cosmic wonder. Leave the moon alone.

Visit https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/ to determine optimal viewing at your location. Watch live at https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2019/01/15/21-jan-2019-supermoon-total-eclipse-live-events-online/ or throw caution to the wind by going outside. 

 

 

Eternal Africa Loop


 

Music history regards 1982 as the year American rock band Toto achieved its greatest success. Mainstream radio saturated airwaves with Top 100 Toto hits – Roseanna, Hold the Line and Africa. You didn’t have to like Toto, I changed the station when they aired but still knew every word by heart. Toto hits were a fact of life, songs destined to occupy  supermarkets and customer service hold lines 30 years later.

Screen-Shot-2019-01-14-at-8.44.49-PM-1547516796

Fast forward to the continent of Africa, Namibia to be precise. Namibian artist Max Siedentopf recently created an ode to Africa in his nation’s desert. Seven stark white pedestals, each with a solar powered mp3 player constantly looping Toto’s Africa. Siedentopf freely admits that despite using the most durable materials available, his dream of Africa looping for all eternity could be stymied by harsh desert conditions.

https://www.cnet.com/news/africa-by-toto-is-playing-on-infinite-loop-in-the-african-desert/

 

Anarchy In The U.K.


 

As I write my neighbours’ 16 year old son loops Sex Pistols Anarchy in the U.K. at high volume. Young neighbour prompted my speakers to blare Sex Pistols in solidarity. Truth is, neighbour kid made my day.

I was 16 in October 1976 when Sex Pistols recorded Anarchy in the U.K. Sex Pistols didn’t register in rural Canada, small town AM radio played top 40 mainstream rock sprinkled with Country & Western hits. A friend’s older brother home from university introduced me to punk rock, I was transformed. Anarchy in the U.K. expanded sheltered perspectives, broadened horizons, made every neck & arm hair stand at attention.

Over 40 years later another 16 year old discovered the Sex Pistols. Different time, place and circumstance, but no less impactful. Kudos to you neighbour kid, play music as loud as you like.

The People vs. Donald J Trump


Ponder the words of New York Times contributor David Leonhardt ….

“The presidential oath of office contains 35 words and one core promise: to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Since virtually the moment Donald J. Trump took that oath two years ago, he has been violating it.

He has repeatedly put his own interests above those of the country. He has used the presidency to promote his businesses. He has accepted financial gifts from foreign countries. He has lied to the American people about his relationship with a hostile foreign government. He has tolerated cabinet officials who use their position to enrich themselves.

To shield himself from accountability for all of this — and for his unscrupulous presidential campaign — he has set out to undermine the American system of checks and balances. He has called for the prosecution of his political enemies and the protection of his allies. He has attempted to obstruct justice. He has tried to shake the public’s confidence in one democratic institution after another, including the press, federal law enforcement and the federal judiciary.

The unrelenting chaos that Trump creates can sometimes obscure the big picture. But the big picture is simple: The United States has never had a president as demonstrably unfit for the office as Trump. And it’s becoming clear that 2019 is likely to be dominated by a single question: What are we going to do about it?

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He has already shown, repeatedly, that he will hurt the country in order to help himself. He will damage American interests around the world and damage vital parts of our constitutional system at home. The risks that he will cause much more harm are growing.

President Trump meeting with members of his cabinet at the White House on Wednesday.CreditDoug Mills/The New York Times

Some of the biggest moderating influences have recently left the administration. The defense secretary who defended our alliances with NATO and South Korea is gone. So is the attorney general who refused to let Trump subvert a federal investigation into himself. The administration is increasingly filled with lackeys and enablers. Trump has become freer to turn his whims into policy — like, say, shutting down the government on the advice of Fox News hosts or pulling troops from Syria on the advice of a Turkish autocrat.

The biggest risk may be that an external emergency — a war, a terrorist attack, a financial crisis, an immense natural disaster — will arise. By then, it will be too late to pretend that he is anything other than manifestly unfit to lead.

For the country’s sake, there is only one acceptable outcome, just as there was after Americans realized in 1974 that a criminal was occupying the Oval Office. The president must go.”

Win The Pope’s Lamborghini


In November 2017 auto maker Lamborghini gifted the Pope a custom Lamborghini Huracan. Thanks but no thanks replied the Vatican, seems the Pope is more of a conservative Popemobile kind of guy. The Vatican asked Sotheby’s in Monaco to auction it for charity in May 2018. The winning bid of over $900,000 US fell through, the Vatican was stuck with a Lamborghini signed and blessed by the Pope.

Pope’s white Lamborghini offered in sweepstakes; winner gets trip to Rome

Pope Francis blesses a Lamborghini presented by representatives of the Italian automaker at the Vatican Nov. 15, 2017. The car will be offered as a prize in a raffle and the proceeds given to charity. (Credit: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano.)

So what’s Lamborghini to do with a luxury car signed and blessed by the Pope? Offer the possibility that anyone could drive a blessed Lamborghini of course! For a mere $10 per ticket the prize is staggering. You and a friend flown to Rome, put up in a four star hotel, handed keys to your sweet ride at a ceremony attended by Francis himself and Stefano Domenicali, the CEO of Lamborghini. According to contest entry site Omaze, his Holiness is “gifting it to YOU.” See contest home page link below.

Win a One-Of-A-Kind Lamborghini® Blessed and Signed by Pope Francis

Curiously Omaze omits pertinent contest details such as closing date. However, the site is quick to dangle “free spin” perks to those who buy in. The site asserts “Proceeds from this campaign will benefit a number of causes working to transform lives around the world. Your support will help rebuild villages that have been devastated by violence and war, assist victims of human trafficking, provide medical care and education to those living in poverty, and more incredible, live-saving work. Donations will be distributed through Charities Aid Foundation of America [CAFA, a 501(c)(3) public charity] to causes working to support these communities in need.”

Hang on, I stand corrected – buried deep within the fine print a closing date of January 30, 2019 at 11:59 pm PST. Entrants must be 18 and not residents of Belgium, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Singapore, Sudan, Syria or Thailand. Why Belgium? Thailand?

Catholic charity is no stranger to raffling off gifts to the Pope. In 2015, $12 bought a chance to win unwanted Papal gifts including a new four wheel drive Fiat Panda, a Homero Ortega Panama style hat, a leather suitcase, an espresso coffee maker, watches and bicycles gifted to the Pope. It’s hysterical!

In practical terms I suppose the Pope has to do something with all the gifts bestowed upon him. Maybe I’d feel better if proceeds went to victims of Catholic abuse, hard to say let alone put into words how absurd the notion of raffling off a Pope signed Lamborghini strikes me.