Week in review, 02/10 - 02/16

Don't have any definitive proof or documentation, but this picture has been going around and apparently the turtle is named Jonathan and is 189 years-old. Born in 1832, when Andrew Jackson was president, and still alive. God Bless this marvelous creature ...

‘This coronavirus is going to be here to stay. Eradication of this new coronavirus is basically impossible.’ Doctors warn that COVID-19 will become endemic, a seasonal illness like the flu

MIS-C syndrome in children is growing in numbers, and cases becoming more deadly

President Biden declares there will be enough vaccine for 300 million Americans by the end of July: Light at the end of the tunnel, but only if everybody were to do their part. Millions steadfastly refuse to do so

Massachusetts: ‘Hundreds of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been reported as "wasted" to the Department of Public Health’

It’s going to take awhile to catch up after the previous administration’s dreadful handling of this pandemic. Gov. Charlie Baker: Massachusetts is not seeing anticipated increase of COVID vaccines from the federal government

First case of the South African variant (B.1.351) confirmed in Massachusetts; patient had ‘no reported travel’

‘Hundreds of students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst could face disciplinary action after officials said they disregarded Covid-19 protocols, contributing to a spike in cases and a number of new restrictions at the school’

Very interesting details emerge of the previous president’s bout with COVID-19 this past October. In the moment, many of us were confused as to whether he was faking the whole thing or not. The timing was suspect, but he did appear a bit pale and gaunt. Now we know it was for real and more serious than what was being reported

Georgia prosecutors launch criminal investigation into Trump’s efforts to overturn the election

For the historical record: How all 100 senators voted in the second Trump impeachment trial

Forty-three Republican senators just voted to piss on these peoples’ graves: Two police officers who helped fight off the U.S. Capitol mob on January 6 have committed suicide, and more are hurting

More than 120 anti-Trump Republicans (in other words, real Republicans) meet to discuss forming a center-right third party or faction. The GOP can no longer be reformed from within, it’s firmly a nationalist populist party now. A new party would be a tremendously challenging undertaking, and likely would take years to prosper. The other option is for everyone to infiltrate the Democratic Party, and try to make them a true ‘big tent’ party once again

‘55 percent of Republicans back the use of force as a way to “arrest the decline of the traditional American way of life,”’ Lisa Lerer: Whether or not Trump is convicted, the extremism that flourished under his administration is embedded in our politics

Clearly positioning herself for 2024, Nikki Haley is singing a different tune and now says ‘we shouldn’t have followed Trump.’ Of course not, you craven, shallow opportunist, and you knew that all along as you shamelessly pandered to him and his cult following. #NeverTrump #NeverHaley

Conspiracy theorists accuse President Biden of ‘altering the jet stream’ to cause deadly winter storm in Texas. Altering the jet stream is not even possible

Oh, for the love of Christ: QAnon believers now claiming that President Biden is flying on a ‘fake’ Air Force One, and therefore is not the real president

Happy to see civility being enforced again after four years of incivility and madness: White House press aide resigns after threatening Politico reporter

The United Kingdom is undergoing its worst economic decline in 300 years. Not a misprint, 300 years

‘Russia is prepared for a split with the European Union if the EU imposes new crippling sanctions amid a dispute over the treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.’ An evil, brutish nation that must be contained at all costs before they start another catastrophic European war that will kill millions. In hindsight, we should have destroyed them when they were at their weakest at the time of the Soviet Union’s demise. Some would say we should have destroyed them at the end of World War II, as Gen. Patton wished to do. Instead, being the decent people we are, we chose to help build them back up each time. And look at the ‘thanks’ we got for our goodwill

President Biden imposes sanctions on Myanmar military leaders who directed the recent, successful coup in that country

Hezbollah leader declares ‘Israel will see things it hasn’t seen since its inception’ in response to IAF military drills

Nanny Facebook announces they’ll be limiting political posts in their algorithms in order to ‘turn down the temperature’

‘Murica: Where we can’t be bothered to wear masks to protect one another from a deadly virus, because ‘mah freedumb.’ But achieve fifteen minutes of fame for being a complete idiot, and we’ll reward you: More than $21,000 raised for woman who put ‘gorilla glue’ in her hair

Rest in Peace, Chick Corea. The great Jazz keyboardist has left us at age 79. A remarkable life and career. A Boston native. A huge loss

Trying to keep us all sane here: From 1973, the amazing Return to Forever album, Where Have I Known You Before. Jaw-dropping great, take a listen. #RIPChickCorea

To the extent I still care about this thing (not much), I will pick Kate Bush, Iron Maiden, Fela Kuti, Rage Against the Machine, and Todd Rundgren for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A very weak class of nominees, and only going to get weaker the further we get away from the golden age of rock/pop music

‘Baseball trading cards are booming during the pandemic.’ I like this trend. As a kid in the ‘80s, it was a fun little hobby but one that I never took seriously. Had I taken it seriously and held onto them, perhaps I’d be sitting on a small goldmine

A glimpse into life on Prince Edward Island in the early 20th century, when at least some of my ancestors were still living there

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