A Podcast You SHOULD Hear: Dolly Parton’s America podcast “You’re the Only One for Me, Jolene”

I've been listening to the 9 podcasts in the "Dolly Parton's America" series  and this one is a MUST HEAR. You should listen to this 55 min. Dolly Parton’s America podcast “You’re the Only One for Me, Jolene” 

 - it features a gay musician, looks at how her songs can be applied to LGBT people (I can relate about her Wildflowers” song- I've always said it applies to how I have felt in life) , What Dolly says about Christians against LGBT people, and a Surprising fact about how Nelson Mandela played one of her songs over the PA system in the So African prison  where he was imprisoned. A fascinating listen.

https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america/episodes/only-one-me-jolene

Archaeological Find! The world's oldest bridge is being preserved in Iraq

 We love archaeology, and recently the British Museum published a blog about an ancient bridge foundation that was uncovered before World War 2. It was confirmed as a bridge that is over 4,000 years old. Below is the story of the continuing archaeology and a short video explaining it:   Here's the story:

The world's oldest bridge is being preserved in Iraq
British Museum.org - April 5, 2021 (Source: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/the-worlds-oldest-bridge-is-being-preserved-in-iraq/) 

The world’s oldest bridge, located in the south of Iraq, is soon to be to be saved for future generations thanks to the Museum’s pioneering emergency heritage management project.

Aerial view of the bridge and the city of Girsu in the background.

British Museum  4 April 2018

The bridge at Tello was built in the third millennium BC, making it the oldest bridge still in existence. This remarkable survival will be preserved by a team of British Museum archaeologists and Iraqi heritage professionals who are being trained to protect ancient sites that have suffered damage at the hands of Daesh (or the so-called Islamic State). Restoring the 4,000-year-old bridge will be a potent symbol for a nation emerging from decades of war.

Aerial view of the bridge in the ancient city of Girsu (modern Tello).

The British Museum is proud to be working with the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage to undertake this work as part of the Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme. The bridge’s conservation will be part of the fourth phase of the Scheme, with field training of two groups of trainees beginning in autumn 2018. These latest trainees will be the first female archaeologists to be trained as part of the five-year project.

Trial of wall reconstruction techniques.

Saving the bridge could one day lead to the site welcoming tourists from around the globe to learn about Iraq’s rich heritage. Alongside the archaeological work, the project will see the creation of a visitor centre at the site, which will hopefully lead to the return of international tourists to the region, who have stayed away during recent conflict. The new visitor centre will explain in both English and Arabic how the bridge has contributed to world history, and tour groups from outside Iraq could begin to visit the site by 2020.

Built for the ancient Sumerian city of Girsu, the bridge was only rediscovered in 1929. Described at the time as an ‘enigmatic construction’, it has been variously interpreted as a temple, dam and water regulator. Recent studies using 1930s photographs as well as recently declassified satellite imagery from the 1960s, alongside new research at the site, have confirmed that it was a bridge over an ancient waterway and that it is (at the time of writing) the earliest-known bridge in the world. Since the excavations nearly 90 years ago, the bridge has remained open and exposed, with no identifiable conservation work to address its long-term stability or issues of erosion, and no plans to manage the site or tell its story to the wider world.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/nyIvMPeg9go

CRAZY!: In 1965 This Man Was "Shipped" from Australia to England

 Here's a story that can be a lesson to people who are working in another state or country and can't afford to fly home: Save Up for It!  This is a story from the BBC News of a young man who couldn't afford to fly home on a commercial airliner from Australia to England, but it was apparently cheaper to pay to ship freight. So, with the help of two friends, he flew in a crate - but it didn't go directly to England - it went to the U.S.! He was so cramped, that when he was found (in the U.S.), he had to go to the hospital... You couldn't do this today- because freight is inspected. So, DON'T DO THIS! Here's the story>>

BRIAN ROBSON

image captionBrian Robson would love to re-connect with the two Irishmen who helped send him home

Crate escape: Search for Irishmen who airmailed Brian Robson home 

By Nuala McCann BBC News NI  April 8 2021

Are you Irish, were you in Australia in 1965 and did you happen to help a homesick Welshman airmail himself home in a wooden box?

Brian Robson wants to contact Paul and John - he can't remember their surnames - who helped him get out of Oz.

Brian, from Cardiff, was 19 years old when his two friends helped nail him into a crate so that he could mail himself from Melbourne to London.

He couldn't afford the air fare but he was desperate to get home.

The journey proved much more hazardous than he had imagined and almost spelled the end of his life. But he lived to tell an incredible tale.

As a teenager, Brian had taken a job with Victorian Railways on an assisted immigration programme in Australia, but he was deeply unhappy.

He couldn't just buy a ticket home - he had committed to spending two years in the country.

His travel costs had been paid for by the Australian government and he said he would have had to pay about £800 to reimburse them and fund his way home

That is when he came up with the idea of sending himself home as air freight.

Back then, they all saw each other often and became close. Brian needed their help because Paul had access to a typewriter to do the paperwork to send him as freight. At first, they thought he was completely mad. It took a week to persuade them to help. "John was with me all the way, but Paul did not want to do it at all," he said.

The friends agreed that he would keep them out of the story or any publicity in case it led to trouble for them.

They helped him into the wooden crate that was the size of a small fridge - he brought pillows, a torch, his suitcase and two bottles - one for water, one for urine. He couldn't stretch his legs and couldn't turn around. The journey proved more difficult and dangerous than he could ever have imagined.

Brian Robson spent about 96 hours crammed into a crate with his suitcase for company Credit: BBC News

MIS-DIRECTED! 

 He was meant to fly direct to London but freight was diverted on a much slower route via Los Angeles.

Brian soon realised that just because a crate said "this side up" did not mean anyone paid attention. When the plane landed first in Sydney, he was left in his box standing on his head for 22 hours in excruciating pain and suffering blackouts.

But he did not give up. Back in the air again, he was on his way - just not directly to the United Kingdom.

'There's a body in there' "I was in the crate for five days and ended up in a freight shed. I thought I was in London," he said. "I could move my hand to get to my torch but my fingers were very stiff so I dropped the torch.

"I heard voices saying: 'What's going on there?' "That's when I realised two men were not speaking with English accents, they had American accents. "One of them looked through a hole in a wood knot in the chest and we caught each other eye to eye. "He jumped back a mile and said: 'There's a body in there.' "Then they both ran off. An hour later, all hell broke loose. FBI, CIA, airport security, an ambulance."

Over the course of his journey, he had become frozen rigid in his wooden box. Brian was taken to hospital where he slowly recovered the use of his limbs.

The Americans did not press charges. Instead, the stowaway was sent home to London on a plane - this time in the cabin. He went on to enjoy his life, a family and a career and now, aged 76, he has written a book about his big adventure - The Crate Escape - to be published at the end of the month.

Looking back, Brian Robson cannot believe his hare-brained idea."It was stupidity. If my kids tried it, I would kill them," he said. "But it was a different time."Now he would just like to meet up with his Irish friends again.

Great Night-time Wrist Support Brace for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you've been reading the blog over the last couple of weeks, you know I've been dealing with carpal tunnel wrist syndrome, which causes pain in the wrist. At one point the pain was so bad it woke me every night for a week before I went to the doctor. You can read about that in a previous blog. I also did a blog about the best workout gloves that offer wrist support for carpal tunnel issues.  In today's blog though I'm going to recommend a great overnight wrist support that will actually help reduce carpal tunnel pain! 

I went on Amazon.com and bought "Night Wrist Sleep Support Brace - Fits Both Hands - Cushioned to Help With Carpal Tunnel and Relieve and Treat Wrist Pain ,Adjustable, Fitted-ComfyBrace."

MY REVIEW:  This is a great brace to wear at night. I've noticed a difference over a couple of nights of wearing it.  First, my carpal tunnel pain has not awakened me in the middle of the night. Second, after wearing it a week at night,  I found the carpal tunnel pain was diminishing. Now into the third week of wearing it, I can honestly recommend it. It's comfortable, has a padding inside for wrist support and velcro fasteners to adjust accordingly. I've used carpal wrist supports before, but this is truly the best one for night time / overnight wear. 

ABOUT THE ITEM FROM THE DESCRIPTION:

About this item

• MAXIMUM SUPPORT FOR YOUR WRIST:This ergonomic hand splint will give your injured wrist the support it needs during sleep or rest.The hand brace is ideal for those suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome, arthritis and tendon it is or for those that need support for their weak and post-cast wrists.
•  ADJUSTABLE FOR THE PERFECT FIT: Forget about your usual wrist braces that are too loose or too tight!The ComfyBrace hand splint is designed to fit everyone. With its hook and loop fasteners you can rest assured that the brace will fit perfectly for maximum support and comfort.
• IDEAL FOR BOTH HANDS: The ComfyBrace wrist support strap was designed to fit right and left hand and accommodate your every need. With its ergonomic design you can use it on your right and left hand. The hand splint is very easy to use. With its slip on sleeve design you can forget about the hassle of wasting time and energy trying to wear your wrist brace.
  
• ULTIMATE COMFORT AND SUPPORT: The ComfyBrace hand splint was made for your convenience. The wrist support brace has cushioned beads and is very soft for maximum comfort,and the material is breathable and does not hold any moisture.The hand protector was made to last and it is extremely durable.
• SEE RESULTS OR YOUR MONEY BACK: We are so certain that our premium quality hand splint will give you the support and comfort you desire, that we offer you a 100% satisfaction guarantee! If for any reason you are not fully satisfied with the wrist brace, we will give you a full refund!

LINK ON AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Night-Wrist-Sleep-Support-Brace/dp/B074MKSSHK

In the News: Feral Cats are 1 of the 5 costliest invasive species, causing billions in damages

When you think of the term "invasive species" it brings to mind a plant or animal that is not native to a region that causes a lot of destruction to local vegetation or local animals. Recently science News published an article from a scientific study, that assessed the biggest global Invasive Species Threats and Feral cats are near the top of the list. Here's the study:

 The 5 costliest invasive species, causing billions in damages

Jonathan Lambert SCIENCE NEWS 

 Invasive species can wreak havoc on local ecosystems. Cleaning up that biological wreckage comes at a big price. These invaders, often thrust into new environments unintentionally (or intentionally, to combat pests) by humans, can transmit new diseases, devastate crops and eat away at crucial infrastructure. From 1970 to 2017, such invasions cost the global economy at least $1.28 trillion in damages and in efforts to control them, researchers report March 31 in Nature. As the globe becomes increasingly interconnected and invasive species take over new habitats, that cost grows.

Boris Leroy, a biogeographer at the French National Museum of Natural History in Paris and his colleagues screened over 19,000 published papers, ultimately analyzing nearly 1,900 that detailed the costs of various invasions at particular times. The team then constructed a statistical model that estimated yearly costs, adjusting for factors like inflation, different currencies and timescales. Between 1970 and 2017, annual costs roughly doubled every six years, reaching a yearly bill of $162.7 billion in 2017.  Costly critters 

Here’s a closer look at the top five costliest invasive species. 

 1. Aedes mosquitoes (A. albopictus and A. aegypti): about $149 billion The Asian tiger mosquito (A. albopictus) arrived in the United States in the mid-1980s, by way of hitchhiking in used tires shipped from its native Asia. First detected in Houston, it rapidly spread to 40 states. It’s also invaded parts of Europe, South America, Africa and Australia. A. aegypti, or the yellow fever mosquito, is native to sub-Saharan Africa and spread around the world by similar methods. Together, these two mosquitoes cause significant damage to public health by transmitting a range of diseases like Zika, chikungunya, yellow fever and dengue, which accounts for the bulk of their cost. As the mosquitoes spread, the toll of these diseases grows (SN: 11/20/19).

2. Rattus (rats): about $67 billion These rodents’ worldwide occupation stems from about 3,000 years of hitchhiking on human boats. Once they arrive in a new location, rats often outcompete other small mammals, but can also harm birds and aquatic species. On islands around the world, rats have driven many species to extinction. For example, the Pacific rat, native to mainland southeast Asia, has snuffed out at least 1,000 species of island birds. Rats’ high cost stems from these biodiversity losses, but the rodents also can damage crops, destroy property and transmit disease (like the bubonic plague).

3. Felis catus (cats): about $52 billion Native to Europe and the Middle East, our feline friends have established themselves on all nonfrozen continents. Cats are excellent predators, and can make a quick meal from a variety of prey, from insects to birds. By some estimates, cats kill a billion birds each year in the United States alone (SN: 1/29/13). The bulk of the economic damage inflicted by cats cataloged in Leroy’s analysis comes from their impact on native biodiversity and resulting losses in spending on birdwatching and hunting birds like ducks, pheasants and grouse.

4. Coptotermes formosanus (termites): about $19 billion These subterranean termites native to East Asia have spread around the globe via trade. Termites can thrive wherever there is cellulose (like wood) and moisture, which has helped them quickly establish colonies upon being introduced to a new region. Their appetite for wood can wreak havoc on all kinds of structures, from homes to bridges. While they can also damage crops and tree farms, their high cost in this analysis boils down to their impact on infrastructure.

5. Solenopsis invicta (fire ants): about $17 billion Fire ants usually become the dominant ant species when introduced to a new region, due to their aggressive foraging tactics, which include potent stings and bites. Native to South America, these ants arrived in the United States in the 1930s by boat, most likely carried in soil from the region. They’ve also spread to Australia, New Zealand, China and around the Caribbean. Fire ant colonies have wide-ranging impacts; they can feed on a variety of seedlings, from citrus to soybeans, reduce the size of grazing lands for livestock and bite and sting farm animals and humans.

Fantastic Novel: Margaret Truman's Undiplomatic Murder by Donald Bain

I just finished reading a great crime novel called "Undiplomatic Murder" by Donald Bain. It's part of the "Margaret Truman mystery series."  Back in 1981, I read the second book in her series. It was called "Murder on Capitol Hill." I thought it was pretty good, but had not read any other in the series until recently, when I learned that one of my all-time favorite mystery writers had picked up writing for her and wrote several in her series. In today's blog you'll read my review of "Undiplomatic Murders," and learn about Margaret Truman and Donald Bain. You may be surprised>>>>

WHO IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS? Donald Bain is the author I love (he passed a couple of years ago), and I became a fan because he wrote the majority of books in the Murder She Wrote mystery series (based on the television show in the 80s and 90s that I loved). He wrote the majority of the 50 plus books in that series. Bain has written 115 books, including forty of the bestselling Murder, She Wrote novels, was a longtime friend of Margaret Truman. He worked closely with her on her novels, and more than anyone understood the spirit and substance of her books.

WHO IS MARGARET TRUMAN? Margaret Truman, the daughter of President Harry S. Truman, published her first mystery novel set in Washington's corridors of power, "Murder in the White House," in 1980. Mr. Donal Bain did not help with that book, but he worked as Truman's ghost writer for the next 23 books in the series.

5 of 5 STARS -  Donald Bain did it again. I wasn't sure about reading another character by the author, because I was afraid I would compare it to his "Jessica Fletcher" but the characters were fantastic. Robert Brixton plays a former police officer working for U.S. agency in security. The supporting characters were fantastic and you could picture them in your mind. The story starts with a cafe explosion and leads Brixton on a complicated, inter-connected maze of bad guys. I was so into the book that I couldn't wait to finish it! Awesome book! 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Private investigator Robert Brixton has always hated Washington. Against his better judgment, he decides to stick around and take a job as an agent in a new State Department security agency headed by his former boss at the Washington P.D. After work one day he meets his youngest daughter, Janet, for a drink at an outdoor cafe. Shockingly, a young Arabic woman blows herself up, killing Janet and a dozen others. Seeking revenge for his daughter, Brixton follows the tracks of the bomber to a powerful senator's son. Brixton finds himself digging deep into what turns out to be a small but powerful cabal whose goal is to kill embassy workers from nations involved in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Donald Bain thrills again with Undiplomatic Murder, the riveting next installment in the Margaret Truman's beloved Capital Crimes series

Other Margaret Truman mysteries By Donald Bain:

1. Margaret Truman’s Experiment in Murder    ’12
2. Margaret Truman’s Undiplomatic Murder    ’14
3. Margaret Truman’s Internship in Murder    ’15
4. Margaret Truman’s Deadly Medicine    ’16

A Collection of Idiots of the Week : from Conspiracy Theory Spreaders, to Non-Vaccinators, to People who Take Credit for Doing No Good

 This month is full of idiots, so I had to collect them in one posting. Idiot #1 is an Christian Broadcasting channel that continually puts out DUMB conspiracy theories (one of our neighbors even repeated and believes it, sadly) that said "the vaccine has nanochips to control people."  Idiot #2 is a U.S. Politician who voted AGAINST COVID relief and has promoted it to his constituents as something HE passed. Finally Idiot #3 is an entire group, who because of their politics refused to get vaccinated against the Deadly COVID virus. Can't get much dumber than that.  Here are the IDIOTS of the WEEK:

IDIOT #1:  LOVEWORLD CHRISTIAN BROADCASTING FINED FOR CLAIMING COVID  VACCINE HAS "NANOCHIPS" TO CONTROL PEOPLE

Ofcom in the UK has fined a Christian broadcaster £125,000 after it breached the rules by airing “inaccurate and potentially harmful claims about coronavirus”. Loveworld Television Network was found to have made the violation back in January after a 29-hour show titled The Global Day of Prayer featured sermons with “potentially harmful” claims about Covid-19 - including that the virus was “planned” and created by the “deep state” and vaccines were a “sinister” means of administering “nanochips” to control people. Ofcom had already ordered Loveworld not to repeat the programme and to broadcast a summary of its decision three times in a day, but has now issued the fine after concluding the breaches were “serious, repeated and reckless”. SOURCE- the UK Independent Newspaper

 IDIOT #2:  GOP REP TOUTS STIMULUS FUNDS HE VOTED AGAINST 

Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) sent a tweet touting some funds that community health centers in his district will be receiving — even though he voted against the American Rescue Plan, which made the funds possible. “You can’t have your cake and vote against it, too,” North Carolina Democratic Party Chair Bobbie Richardson said. ‌

IDIOTS #3: REPUBLICAN MEN NOT GETTING COVID SHOT 

Even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged fellow Republican men to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible. Recent polls show that Republican men are passing up the shots. "There's no good argument not to get the vaccination," McConnell said. [HuffPost] ‌

Good Person/Hero of the Week Blind man, 82, helped rescue family from burning yacht

 This week's good person/hero is about 2 people who saved three people from a Yacht in a harbor in Wales, before it exploded!  The article from BBC News (below) spotlights the blind man who helped, but didn't mention his friend's name, who was piloting the boat that made the rescue.  Regardless, both of them are Good Person of the Week. Here's the story from BBC News (I edited paragraph 1 and 2 for clarity about person #2):  

(Photo: the yacht the blew up in the harbor. Credit: BBC News) 

82-Year old Blind man and Friend helped rescue family from burning yacht 

BBC NEWS, April 12, 2021

An 82-year-old blind army veteran and friend helped rescue a family from their burning yacht just before it exploded.

John Nicol, from Llandudno was on a boat piloted by his friend when they saw the smoke and fire. They navigated over to the boat and pulled a mother and her son onto their vessel and hoped the skipper would be able to put the blaze out.  But the flames were already too fierce and they were forced to also help the skipper, who escaped just before the yacht blew up. The drama happened in Conwy harbour, Wales on Saturday 3 April.

(Photo: Mr. Nicol. Credit: https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/) 

Mr Nicol and his friend had spotted the burning yacht in the distance as they sailed to Puffin Island. 'Luckily, no-one hurt' After rescuing the mother and son they had initially handed the skipper their fire extinguisher to douse the flames.

"I have sailed for 50 years and was a coastguard for 18," said Mr Nicol. "Luckily, I know all the procedures, so I was able to give the coastguard all the information they needed. It all happened so quickly. It was awful what happened, and I feel dreadfully sorry for the family, but luckily no one was hurt."

Mr Nicol, who served in the Army with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, lost his sight because of anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy and glaucoma.

News You May Have Missed: Cake Legal Suit, Too Much Toilet Paper, COVID Breath Test, Volcanoes and Voting and more

It's been a busy week, and sadly it has been filled with murders and mayhem. That said, you may have missed these stories about a UK Court CAKE War, SMART Businesses fed up with Voter suppression, the COVID Smell Test, Enough Toilet Paper already, and MORE. 

1.     UK Legal Case   Colin The Caterpillar Cake Argument

2.     Smart Businesses Fed Up With GOP Voter Suppression Laws

3.     The “Smell Someone’s Breath” Test For Virus Transmission 

4.     White Nationalists Thrilled With Tucker Carlson

5.     Youtube Blocks Nigerian Preacher Tb Joshua: Over Gay Cure Claim 

6.     St Vincent Volcano: Island Covered In Layer Of Grey As La Soufriere Erupts  

7.     Americans Finally Have Enough Toilet Paper; Sales Plunge 

STORIES AND LINKS BELOW: 

SHORT BBC NEWS VIDEO::   BBC LEGAL CASE:  Colin the Caterpillar cake argument:  Marks & Spencer has begun legal action against Aldi, arguing the supermarket's Cuthbert the Caterpillar cake infringes its Colin the Caterpillar trademark.  VIDEO  https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-56768197

***Good! **  BUSINESSES FED UP WITH GOP  VOTER SUPPRESSION LAWS - As many as 100 CEOs and business leaders from American companies attended a Zoom conference call over the weekend to discuss a unified effort against Republican measures to suppress voting rights. Actions could include cutting donations to lawmakers or delaying investments in states   

WHO PARTICIPATED? Executives at PepsiCo, PayPal, T. Rowe Price and Hess Corp. Delta, American, United, Starbucks, Target, LinkedIn, Levi Strauss and Boston Consulting Group, American Express, AMC Entertainment, Estee Lauder, Merck — and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, a co-founder of Home Depot. 

  ON STATE LEVEL IN MICHIGAN - General Motors, Ford and Quicken Loans took a stand against GOP Voter restrictions  to curb voting by people of color.

THE “SMELL SOMEONE’S BREATH” TEST FOR VIRUS TRANSMISSION  If you can smell your friend’s lunch, you’re inhaling some of that air as well as any virus that’s inhaled with it. And this is why we say that masking is fine, social distancing is fine, but the indoor airborne environment needs to be improved and that can be done with ventilation.”

**Disgusting*  WHITE NATIONALISTS THRILLED WITH TUCKER CARLSON Fox News host Tucker Carlson doubled down on his support of the white nationalist "great replacement" theory this week, exciting white nationalists across America who think it will help their movement, HuffPost's Chris Mathias writes. VDare, a well-known white nationalist website, gushed over Carlson’s monologue like a proud parent.

**Good News*  YOUTUBE BLOCKS NIGERIAN PREACHER TB JOSHUA: OVER GAY CURE CLAIM   YouTube has suspended the account of influential Nigerian TV evangelist TB Joshua over allegations of hate speech. Seven videos showed the preacher conducting prayers to "cure" gay people.   Facebook removed 1 video of the “preacher” slapping a woman to “cast out a demonic spirit".

 ST VINCENT VOLCANO: ISLAND COVERED IN LAYER OF GREY AS LA SOUFRIERE ERUPTS  - The Caribbean island of Saint Vincent has been coated in a layer of grey, caused by ash from the volcano La Soufriere mixing with rain.  Before it started erupting on Friday, La Soufriere had been inactive for decades.

**About Time!***  AMERICANS FINALLY HAVE ENOUGH TOILET PAPER; SALES PLUNGE. =- “You never knew when you weren’t going to be able to get it, so every time we went out we got some,” said Marjorie Greenburgh, 62 years old, of New Rochelle, N.Y. “They just kept amassing.” Ms. Greenburgh still has 54 rolls, stored in various places throughout her home: in a guest room, the back of a linen closet, the laundry room in the basement. “I’m not planning on buying for a while,” she said.  

From Forbes: Perceived Versus Actual Risk - Vaccine Lessons Meteorologists Understand

My friend and fellow meteorologist writes a fantastic column for Forbes.com and this week's was especially noteworthy for me, because of the COVID 19 vaccine. A couple of friends and acquaintances have noted some hesitancy in getting the vaccine.  The risks in getting a vaccines are much, much less than being struck by lightning or in a car accident.  

 Perceived Versus Actual Risk - Vaccine Lessons Meteorologists Understand 

 Forbes.com Dr. Marshall Shepherd April 14, 2021

This week the United States Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) raised concerns about the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Distribution of that particular vaccine has been halted because of rare occurrence of blood clots in six women who received the shot. While the medical reasons for the pause are understandable under the emergency use declaration, I immediately knew this would set the U.S. back in its fight against COVID-19 and achieving immunity. Though only 6 cases out of nearly 7 million doses administered, I fully expected the “see I told you so” crowd and anti-vaccination movement to find a voice in this too. It is the perfect opportunity to discuss “perceived” and “actual” risk because it is something my colleagues in meteorology deal with often.

People arrive at a mobile Covid-19 vaccine site in Wilmington district of Los Angeles, California on ... [+]

 AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

If you divide 6 by 7 million, a really, really small number is the outcome. In fact, that number works out to 0.000085714285 percent. This suggests that the risk, at least based on the sample of 6 cases, is extremely small of having the rare clots. According to the CDC, there is. 1 in 500,000 chance of being struck by lightning. In terms of percentage, that is about 0.0001999999 percent. People still go outside. This sets up a perfect discussion of perceived and actual risks.

A 2016 study in the Journal of Risk Research looked at how political ideology, socio-demographic background and climate change “beliefs” shaped a person’s perception of weather. The term “motivated reasoning” emerged in their analysis. Motivated reasoning is when people tend to consume or interpret evidence in a way that confirms what predispositions or what they already believe. By the way, you see this all of the time on social media. The study also found that people’s perceptions of weather often take precedence over actual weather.

Lightning strikes during a storm in Jakarta on April 12, 2021. (Photo by Goh Chai Hin / AFP) (Photo ... [+]

 AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Dan Gilbert wrote a 2006 opinion editorial in the Los Angeles Times on perceived and actual risks. Using the lens of global warming, Gilbert, then a psychology professor at Harvard, laid out four reasons people perceive risks as greater than or less than actuality:

1. People overreact to intentional acts and under react to naturally-varying, generic, or accidental events. This probably explains why some people don’t have the same concern about being struck by lightning but are screaming loudly about the vaccine pause.
2. People strongly react to things that offend their morals. Gilbert wrote, “Moral emotions are the brain’s call to action.” There are people that fundamentally are against vaccines or believe COVID-19 is a hoax. Yep, yikes. As such, their motivated reasoning causes them to react a certain way to the news about the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.
3. People don’t react as strongly to threats perceived to be far off in the future as they do immediate risks. This is something that I hear all of the time about climate change even though the impacts are upon us now. I see it with extreme weather too. We continuously beg people to have tornado or hurricane plans in advance but often people are left scrambling to respond once the storm is upon them.
4. People under react to slow changing processes or events. Gilbert writes, “Because we barely notice changes that happen gradually, we accept gradual changes that we would reject if they happened abruptly.” He goes on to give an example of Los Angeles traffic changes over the decades. However, I see similar parallels with hurricane warnings, sea level rise, and prolific infrastructure development in storm-prone areas.

It has always baffled me why folks with long metal rods would continue to walk around a golf course during a thunderstorm. I have always scratched my head when someone says, “I’ll evacuate if it gets to be a category 5 hurricane but I am staying at category 3.” People have flawed personal algorithms for how they perceive risk and often a healthy dose of the dreaded optimism bias. These four explanations by Gilbert also provide clarity.

Minibuses carrying people evacuated from banana fields ride along a road La Lima municipality, ... [+]

 AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

Follow me on Twitter. Check out my website. 

Marshall Shepherd

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program.

SOURCE: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2021/04/14/perceived-versus-actual-riskvaccine-lessons-meteorologists-understand/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=follow&cdlcid=5ee13082f414222e41bf188f&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=follow&cdlcid=5ee13082f414222e41bf188f&sh=2b51b4fdb414

Did you know? There are 4 Languages Spoken in Scotland

 Did you know Scotland has four languages? We visited in 2013 and had no idea. Recently a BBC News article highlighted the language called "Doric." I knew of English and Gaelic, but didn't know about the other two. Here's the story from various articles in BBC News:

                  (Photo: A Bagpiper in Edinburgh, Scotland in 2013: Credit: RGutro)

The 4 Languages of Scotland 

(taken from several articles on BBC News in 2021)

Doric, Scotland’s little-known fourth “language” after English, Gaelic and Scots. Colourful yet guttural, the rural north-east dialect is a subset of vernacular Scots, officially protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

But it is also the one most Scotland natives have problems deciphering. Its ragged tones, cadences and irregular verbs are often mocked as unsophisticated and socially awkward. This “mither tongue” (mother tongue) is spoken widely from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Nairn in the Highlands, where one in two people speak it, according to the University of Aberdeen. And yet it remains a paradox: it was once forbidden to be taught in schools and its currency is such that plenty of Scots do not even know Doric exists.

(Photo: Tom and Rob in Edinburgh, Scotland on vacation in 2013. Credit; R.Gutro)

WHAT ARE THE OTHER 3 LANGUAGES OF SCOTLAND? The Scots language is one of Scotland’s three official languages, with English and Gaelic. The 2011 census indicated that one and a half million people claimed to speak Scots, making it the largest minority language in Britain. But still it is ignored. Scots receives only a fraction of the government money spent on Gaelic.

ABOUT THE SCOTS LANGUAGE - According to BBC News, In the Scottish Parliament, Scots prose and poetry is hewn into the exterior decoration of the building, but scarcely a word on the interior. Yet Scots was once the tongue of most lowland Scots, of the Royal Court and great poetry. Alistair claims that the demise of the language is due to the departure to London of Scotland’s King James VI, to the received pronunciation of the BBC, and to generations of teachers insisting their pupils speak 'proper English'.

WHAT SCOTLAND SPEAKS - Scotland is a country divided by common languages. Everyone speaks English, but the farther north you travel, the more Scots, Gaelic and Doric lilts fill the air. Scots is spoken by around a third of the population – with pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary differing from its English-language cousin – while indigenous Gaelic is a Celtic dialect of Irish descent and predominantly the tongue of the Outer Hebrides.

 SOURCE: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20210321-scotlands-little-known-fourth-language

Best Podcast Series!! Dolly Parton's America!

I recently found my all-time favorite PODCAST!  It's a series called "Dolly Parton's America." The podcasts are created in the WNYC Radio studios with OSM Audio in New York City, NY.  Each podcast is about 1 hour long and features interview shorts with Dolly herself, and the host, Jad Abumrad talks about her music, her outlook, her personality. These are really wonderful. 

(Photo Credit: Dolly Parton photo illustration by Christine de Carvalho; Jad Abumrad photo by Bo Jacober)

ABOUT THE PODCAST: Dolly Parton's America

WNYC Studios & OSM Audio

In this intensely divided moment, one of the few things everyone still seems to agree on is Dolly Parton—but why? That simple question leads to a deeply personal, historical, and musical rethinking of one of America’s great icons. Join us for a 9-episode journey into the Dollyverse. Hosted by Jad Abumrad. Produced and reported by Shima Oliaee. Dolly Parton’s America is a production from OSM Audio and WNYC Studios.

LISTEN AT THE WEBSITE (Free): https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america