CORONAVIRUS - NEW YEAR'S EVE UPDATE

As for the coronavirus...heyyy, it's been a while since we talked about it!  So let's.

At one point, the "experts" were saying that for natural "herd immunity" to kick in, something like 60% of the population had to be infected.  I don't know if that's still true or not; they keep moving the goal posts.  You never know what numbers are going to come out of Dr. Fauci's ass (or hat, or wherever he gets them) on any given day.  In any event, it's instructive to look at the raw numbers for where I live: Escambia County, Florida.  Please refer to the chart above.

The Florida Department of Health reports that we've had 22,008 people turn up positive for COVID-19.  But remember, it is generally assumed that *eight times* more people actually have the virus when you account for the asymptomatics.  Conservatively, that would mean 175,000 people in the Pensacola area have already been infected.  If we divide that number by the 315,000 people who live here, we get 0.555 which works out to be 56%.  So we're getting really close to that 60%.

As you can also see from the chart, 372 people have died here.  That works out to be 0.12% of our population.  A little over one-tenth of one-percent.  Oh wow, what a horrible, deadly epidemic!  Now, statisticians will argue that such a figure is horribly inaccurate and doesn't take into account...blah blah blah.  It doesn't matter.  The number of new infections and deaths are rising so slowly that using the raw data is perfectly fine to give us a snapshot of what the virus is doing right now, today.  In other words, deaths have not gone up "EXPONENTIALLY!!!!" as some feared and predicted.

One last calculation: Percent of infected people who've died.  Now it gets tricky.  Do we use the "official" number of people who've tested positive?  Or do we use the "people who've tested positive times eight" number?  For the sake of argument, let's use the latter.  372 divided by 175,000 equals 0.021, or 2.1%.  So basically, 2% of the people who get coronavirus die from coronavirus.  Turn that around - 98% of people who get coronavirus survive.  

You know what?  I never get the flu.  I mean *never*.  At this point, I'll take  my chances with getting the coronavirus.  I don't believe in asymptomatic spread, and so trust me, the minute I start feeling sick I'll self-quarantine.  And just to be on the safe side, I'll cover my coughs and sneezes...LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING ALL MY LIFE.  Meanwhile, I'm going to continue to live that life.  

I suggest you do the same.  Happy New Year!

Suddenly I See

Country singer KT Oslin died the other day; she was 76.  When I heard the news, I initially thought it was another singer, KT Tunstall who died, but the latter KT is much younger and is still with us.  It reminded me of a funny story though.

Picture it:  We're in Brewster, Washington back in 2012, not long after I met my friend Brandon Arago.  We both love music, and over the years have turned each other on to various artists and songs. Brandon is more of a heavy-metal kind of guy.  But like the saying goes, you can't judge a book... 

This one particular time, I came to him with a song and music video I'd just discovered that I was certain he didn't know of.  It was KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See" - a bouncy, extremely catchy tune about female empowerment.  I love the song and the very creative music video that she made for it.

Anyway, I said, "Hey Brandon, listen to this!" and hit "play."  Within literally two notes (I swear), Brandon screamed, "AAARRRGGHHH!  KT Tunstall...turn it off...TURN IT OFF!"  He was holding his fingers in his ears and had an expression on his face like I was performing an appendectomy on him without anesthesia.  Kind of like the expression peope get when forced to listen to Nickelback, same thing.

Apparently, the song was from 2006.  I'm always late in discovering music.  And in 2006, a teenage Brandon was working on the ground/maintenance crew at Giants Stadium in New Jersey.  KT Tunstall was set to perform in concert one night, and Brandon and his crew were getting the place set up during KT's sound-check.  The song she used to calibrate the mics and speakers and such was, "Suddenly I See."  Over and over.  And Over.  Brandon said, "I must've heard that damn song a hundred times.  I hate it!"

I must admit that Brandon has turned me on to way more music and artists than I have recommended to him.  It was he who introduced me to the group, Stick Figure whose album "Set In Stone" literally changed my life.  But back then it was funny how he'd heard of KT Tunstall and her song when I didn't think it possible.

And so here, for your listening and viewing pleasure (I hope!) is KT Tunstall with "Suddenly I See."

Car Smells

A lot of Uber drivers eat in their cars, but I don't.  I don't want the car smelling like food.  Which is also why I don't do Door Dash, Uber Eats, or any of the other food-delivery services.  It's bad enough that the car smells like me.  I don't need people getting in and going, "So you had McDonalds for lunch, eh?"  And then I'd go, "Uhhhhh yeah, *four hours* ago!"  The smell of fast food does linger.

Having said that, yesterday I went through the Wendy's drive-thru.  For some reason, they up-sized my fries.  It's okay, I like Wendy's fries.  I went over to the airport to sit in the queue and eat.  Since I wasn't number one, and this is Pensacola and not LAX, I knew I had some time to scarf down my oh-so-healthy lunch (with the windows and sunroof open) before I got a run.  

Upon pulling said container of upsized fries out of the bag, the damn thing literally exploded!  Don't ask me how.  I mean, fries went everywhere! What the...!  Mostly all over my passenger seat and a few on the floorboard.  I rounded up most of them, but one little bugger slid down between the seat and the center console. I tried to fish it out with my crossword puzzle pen, but it only got worse.  Then I dropped the pen down there too.  Now I had a french fry *and* a pen lost in the bowels of my car.  The errant fry had slipped down *under* the seat track, out of sight and very inaccessible.  It was *GONE* baby!  Dammit.  Now I'd have to go home and take the passenger seat out.  Don't want no decomposing french fry stinking up my car.  I finished out the day, angry at myself for not being more careful.

And so this morning I figured I'd try something.  I straightened out an old wire coat hanger and slid it in from the front, between the console and the seat track and floorboard.  And by Jove, that did the trick!  It worked a treat, as the Brits say.  That little french fry fucker came pooping right out the back of the seat track, along with my ballpoint pen, thankfully, as I wasn't done with the crossword puzzle yet, and also a dime and a penny, which is odd, because I can't remember the last time I carried any coin change at all.     

Some drivers over-deodorize their cars with powerful air fresheners.  They must think the passengers like it.  They don't.  The passengers just assume the driver is trying to cover up the smell of the weed he just smoked.  Not me.  I just want my car to smell like car.  

Hypocrisy When We See It

1) California Governor Gavin Newsom recently implemented pretty strict lockdown measures in his state, and then was caught attending a birthday party at a super-fancy restaurant.  Initially, Newsom *LIED* and said it was a small gathering that was held outdoors.  Turns out there were 24 people in the group and it was held INDOORS.  Did Newsom exhibit any shame or embarrassment?  Of course not.

2) From the CDC we have heard conflicting, often contradictory claims.  In the summer it was, "Outdoors:bad/Indoors:safe."  Now it's winter and they say, "Outdoors:safe/Indoors:bad."  Or is it the other way 'round?

3) We are told that there are numerous ways of spreading the virus other than coughing/sneezing.  But we allow malls and big stores like Walmart and Costco to remain open, and it's safe - AS LONG AS EVERYONE WEARS A MASK!  Yet we do not see employees of these stores dropping like flies.

4) We know that in the U.S., if you die for whatever reason (e.g. car crash) and you happen to have the coronavirus, then your cause of death is listed as: CORONAVIRUS.  We know that this isn't logical, but we are told that it most certainly is the way it should be done.  In our tiny brains, we wonder if that's also the way COVID-19 deaths are counted in every country...and if not, perhaps that's why the numbers in the U.S. appear to be so much worse than everywhere else?

Many people have full-time jobs, and families, and other interests.  They don't personally know anyone who's either had - or died from - the coronavirus.  They're not obsessed with this disease and have not made a PhD-level study of it like so many "internet experts" do.  And if you consider my first four paragraphs above, all that crap adds up to a huge level of skepticism and confusion among the American people.  We see the inconsistencies...the things that do not make any sense.  And it is hard for us to know what or who to believe.  

We know and don't deny that a lot of people have died "from coronavirus" so far.  But we also know that if you're reasonably healthy, the coronavirus is just not a big risk to your life.  We also know that people die - some would say, "prematurely" from a great number of things every year.  And we know that sooner or later, everyone is going to die.  Logical, intelligent people understand that it doesn't make sense to quarantine the healthy to save those who might get sick.  Doing that cripples a society, and ultimately does more harm than good.  

So right now, if you're in any of those at-risk groups (which are well-known at this point), or if you're a type of person who is always so paranoid and afraid of everything, then by all means, if you leave the house you should take all reasonable precautions.  

The rest of you, get on with your damn lives.

Hunter Biden's Supposed Laptop

So back in 2019, Hunter Biden supposedly turned in a water-damaged laptop to a computer store in Delaware.  For some reason, he left it and never went back for it.  Eventually, the snoopy store owner (a Trump supporter) delved into the hard drive and found...supposedly found all sorts of questionable material, including some incriminating pictures (or videos) and emails.  But not only that!  Supposedly, the emails implicate Hunter's father, Joe (who was Vice President at the time) in some shady dealings...not only with Ukraine, but also in China too!  If true...IF TRUE...these are pretty damning allegations.  People like the President and Vice President are prohibited by law from making personal financial deals with other countries.

The computer store owner supposedly made a couple of copies of the hard drive.  He says that he gave the laptop to the FBI, and a copy of the hard drive to Rudy Giuliani.  Supposedly, the FBI did nothing with the computer.  Finally, Giuliani gave the hard drive to the NY Post (which by the way is the oldest newspaper in the country, founded by Alexander Hamilton if that means anything).  The Post came out with a big expose.

Suddenly, everyone scattered like the participants in a Zoom call when Jeffrey Toobin logs-on.

At first, the mainstream media basically ignored the story or actively tried to sweep it under the rug.  However, after the NY Post published their piece and that became national news itself, other media outlets simply had to say something about it.  All of them, and some high-ranking politicians (like Adam Schiff) were falling over each other, dismissing the NY Post story as fake, claiming with no proof that the contents of the computer were a "Russian disinformation campaign."  We can understand the politicians for making a claim like that, but shouldn't the media be more objective?  Is that too much to ask?  Apparently so.

For their part, the Biden's never denied that the laptop actually was Hunter's.  Nor have they denied the contents of the emails.  But they did call the whole thing a smear campaign.  That wording is curious.  Instead of calling the emails and such a big hoax, they used the term "smear campaign."  Why does this matter?  Well, a hoax would be something fake; a smear campaign might be factual information used in a harmful way against someone.  Hmm.

Then John Ratcliffe, the Director of the Department of National Intelligence (and a Trump appointee) came out and said categorically that the contents of the computer were genuine and *not* from Russian disinformation.  Although no official statements have been issued, "government sources" say that both the Department of Justice and the FBI agree with the DNI.

Okay...  But the story gets weirder.

For some reason, Rudy Giuliana showed up in Delaware on Tuesday of this week, trying to get the state's Attorney General to take the hard drive.  The A.G. did, but turned it right over to the FBI, which the A.G. said should be handling the case anyway.

So.  What's the real story?  Is this real dirt or fake dirt?  Was Hunter Biden taking money "for himself" (wink-wink) but funneling some of it to his father?  Were the other sketchy things on that hard drive genuine?  If so, both Biden's are in a heap o'trouble.

This whole situation is very strange.  To me, it all shakes out as dirty politics as usual.  I look at it this way: Donald Trump has had to endure four years of the Democrats using every trick at their disposal to undermine and nullify his presidency.  He is pissed, and undoubtedly wants to get back at the people who've been against him.  I think that the Democrats didn't know who they were dealing with.  Because when it comes to dirty tricks and getting back at people, Donald Trump is a master.

Life On The Gulf Coast

Every area of the country has its downside.  California has earthquakes and mudslides and forest fires.  The midwest has tornadoes.  And New Jersey has...well...just being New Jersey is bad enough!  

Down here on the gulf coast we get hurricanes.  (We don't even worry about tropical storms.)  During hurricane season (June through October), we anxiously watch the tropics for these inexplicable low-pressure waves that are spawned in Africa and then come barrelling westbound across the Atlantic. 

A wave will morph into a "depression," then grow into a tropical storm and ultimately a hurricane.  Once a storm enters the eastern Caribbean, weatherguessers will then start to predict where it's going to go.  Might it turn and go up the Atlantic coast?  Or will it come straight across into the Gulf of Mexico?  Here in Pensacola, Florida, it is those latter ones that capture our attention.

The various weather services - and there are many - produce predictions of a storm's track.  They are collected into what are called the "spaghetti models" because if you superimpose them onto a map it looks kind of like a bowl of spaghetti.  People more knowledgeable than me then choose the path-model they think is the most likely candidate.  

Spaghetti Models from KHOU Houston

Right now we're looking at Hurricane Delta, which at the moment is a "strong Cat-2" storm down by the Yucatan Peninsula.  Forecasters say that it will intensify into a Cat-3 or Cat-4!  Its current track takes it into the Gulf of Mexico.  Then it's anyone's guess as to exactly where it will make landfall, except that it will be along the gulf coast somewhere, probably around New Orleans...and that could be 100 miles east or west of there.  As the crow flies, Pensacola is about 150 miles east of New Orleans.

There are many variables when it comes to hurricanes.  Overall strength, actual track and speed of the storm across the ground are the most obvious.  But upper-level steering currents and the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico also play a part.  And right now, the Gulf is pretty warm.

So yeah, we're a little concerned.  If there is anything hopeful at all with the approach of a Cat-3 hurricane, it is that the last hurricane took down the weaker trees and branches.  So maybe this next one won't cause so many trees to fall on so many powerlines.  That might be the only good news, but we'll take it!

The Easiest, Most Delicious Casserole Recipe

Do you like tacos?  WHO DOESN'T LIKE TACOS!  Why, that would be un-American!  

This is not a cooking blog.  But being a single guy who loves to eat, I occasionally come across a recipe for something that tastes really good and that even I, with my limited abilities in the kitchen, can cook.  There are a few "standard" dishes that I make when I have company over.  And I found a new one!

I came across this recipe online for a...kind of..."southwest salad" type of thing.  I don't know what you call it.  And of course now I can't find the video to share the link.  It is incredibly simple and easy to make.  And it is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.  Yes, in my life.  It's so simple that even a basement-dwelling 20-something who can't even make toast can cook up this dish on a hot-plate and make it come out incredible.  Trust me.  

YOU'LL NEED:
1 pound of ground turkey
1 can of black beans (rinsed)
1 can of corn
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 big bag of shredded cheese (your choice)
1 big bag of tortilla chips (I prefer flour to corn)

OPTIONAL:
1.  Two avocados, cut up and put in a bowl with some lime juice
2.  Sour cream
3.  Salsa (mild or hot, your choice)

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Cook the ground turkey.  Drain, return to pan, add the taco seasoning and 2/3 cup of water. Mix it all together.
2.  Mix in the corn and black beans.
3.  Add a generous handful of shredded cheese.  (I use a "Mexican blend."  You, use what you got.)
4.  Cover and stick in a 350 degree oven for ten to fifteen minutes to let the cheese melt.
5.  Done!  Bring the whole thing to the table.  Be careful, it's hot!  Use a trivet and pot-holders.

NOTES:

You'd rather use ground beef or ground pork?  Knock yourself out.  In fact it would probably taste better with ground beef.  I just like to limit the amount of red meat I take in, and ground turkey works fine.   

If you don't have a fry pan with a cover that you can stick in the oven, no problem.  Once you get everything all mixed up, just transfer it to a casserole dish, cover with tin foil and pop it in the oven.  (But seriously, go buy a good quality fry pan - a big, oven-safe one with vertical sides and a cover.)

I serve this over broken up tortilla chips (nachos style).  Or you could serve the chips on the side.

After I scoop out a huge mound onto my plate, I'll top it with salsa, sour cream, avocado, if I have that stuff.  (And of course, MORE CHEESE!)  But the dish by itself is awesome.

I like the fact that there's no rice or potatoes in this dish, although you could certainly serve this over rice.  And of course, while you're cooking, you could add cilantro, or chili peppers, or onions, or cut up tomatoes...I mean, the list of things you could add to this dish is endless.  But me, I keep it simple.  The turkey (with taco seasoning), corn and black beans (and cheese!) all by themselves served over tortilla chips is marvelous.

This size of this basic recipe works if you live alone or there are only two of you in the household.  There won't be much left over.  I usually double the recipe.  It will get eaten.

No, this is not high-class, gourmet food.  You won't see Giada De Laurentiis making this dish on her Food Network TV show.  It's about as basic as can be.  But trust me on this... if you're in the mood for some easy, delicious comfort food, it doesn't get much better than this.