94 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ea034d6dfe605cd416ae8332f32c717c.pdf 8d4170c26e04539dbe80f205a0937ea4 PDF Text Text Day 251 by windoworks I literally don’t know where to start. Senator Lindsey Graham (R) called Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Secretary of State who is in charge of the hand recount in Georgia and ‘suggested’ if there was one incorrect ballot in a county’s ballot total - throw the whole county’s ballots out. Of course he later denied it. Raffensperger and his family have 24 hour security because of the death threats they have received, eg. If you don’t declare Georgia a win for President Trump, we are coming to kill you and your family. Yesterday Dr Atlas, a neuroradiologist - a what Pamela? Neuroradiology is the medical subspecialty that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of brain, spinal cord, head and neck, and vascular lesions using xrays, magnetic fields, radio waves, and ultrasound. Anyway , in the tradition of appointing totally inept and unqualified people to really important positions within the White House and beyond, Trump appointed Dr Atlas as the White House advisor to the Covid Task Force, because as we all know, a man who studies X-rays, CAT scans and MRIs knows exactly how Covid works and what is the best prevention method going forward. I doubt he’s even set foot inside an ER at this time. So yesterday he told Michiganders to ‘rise up’ and refuse to follow the restrictions mandated by the Michigan State Health Department because we all need to gather with friends and family for Thanksgiving, which may possibly be the last one every family is present at. Washington Post The governors of Michigan and Washington appealed to the federal government to step in with more help for struggling businesses in light of the new restrictions. In response, White House coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas urged people to reject their states’ public health guidelines. “The only way this stops is if people rise up,” Atlas said in a tweet Sunday night. A wide array of groups from the retail, tourism and hospitality industries are trying to battle new restrictions to preserve their ability to continue to operate. At the same time, some major retailers are buckling down with precautions that echo those they took early in the pandemic. Kroger has temporarily reverted to limiting purchases on items such as hand sanitizer, toilet paper and disinfecting wipes. Walmart stores are metering customers by only allowing a certain number inside at a time. Now I’m assuming that if you are reading this blog, that you believe in Science and indisputable facts and figures. That you understand that it takes an average of 12 years and thousands of dollars in student debt to become a doctor of medicine. That each doctor is asked to take a Hippocratic Oath. This is quite a long and detailed oath which is mainly saying the patients needs outweigh everything and in one section says “and I will do no harm or injustice to them”. Them being the patients. New York Times “With the level of community spread we have in Michigan and that many other states are now facing, the �only way to bring Covid down is state action — or a terrible loss of life,” Robert Gordon, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, said yesterday. The Trumpers Over 70M Americans believe the twaddle perpetrated by Trump implicitly. So much so, that stories are now surfacing from states such as Montana where the seriously ill nonbelievers are screaming (yes, screaming) at the nursing staff. They are demanding the special drug that Trump got and they are raging at the staff for wearing layers of PPE. They only stop screaming when the ventilator tube is inserted down their throats and some die still believing this is a hoax. You know I just wrote that paragraph and even I feel it is just too hard to believe. If this was a movie I would say: ‘Oh I’m not watching this. Its too fantastic. This would never happen’. And yet it is. Day after f****** day. Because Trump persists in fostering a belief that the election was rigged and he truly won it, and because he won it, the incoming President-Elect and his team are denied access to daily security briefings (you know, the ones which inform the President of the threats facing America etc - which Trump never attends anyway). Biden’s team is managing to establish their White House team through back channels, because no one on Trump’s side will begin the transition process. �So here we are. Living in a country where the virus is raging with no way of containing it and experts are predicting 400,000 American deaths by the new year. Vaccines are in development and doing well, but even with the best planning, it will take months to vaccinate all those willing to be vaccinated. Two days ago Trump wanted to bomb Iran because it seemed like a good day to bomb something. Someone talked him out of it. (Thank you, whoever you are). The joint chiefs of staff have tried to stand apart from this insanity because any action they take would be construed as a coup. Trump tweets all night long (definitely imbibing some sort of amphetamines) and then plays golf every day! Biden and his team are in the dark, so I ask myself (in a quavering voice) who is actually in charge here? Yesterday, my neighbor TJ, who is a gifted builder, found out that his scheduled hip replacement operation was postponed indefinitely because although they had the bed and the operating theater, they didn’t have the nursing staff or anesthesiologist because they’ve either been exposed to the virus or they’ve tested positive. He is self employed and in terrible pain every day. He had quarantined in preparation for his surgery and now he doesn’t know what to do. And this is the same for every state. In Ohio, the hospital system is down 1000 staff members, again, either infected or quarantined. The day before yesterday, South Australia, a state in Australia, discovered 1 positive case. The next day, alarmingly to them, there were 17 more people who tested positive through community spread. The state health department swung into immediate action. All the systems they put in place are working like a well oiled machine. 17 cases. Guess how many we had here over Sunday and Monday in Kent County? 1,365 new cases. Craig receives and average of 6 emails a day from students, each one more upsetting than the last. Last night a young, sensible man informed Craig he had checked himself into an emergency mental �care facility as he couldn’t get his anxiety levels under control. Craig was gobsmacked. He worries about his 59 students daily. Sometimes I think he is their only rock to hold on to. ��Here is Oliver, pacifier in his mouth, playing with water. He is reluctant to give up the pacifier during the day. I think the gastro virus hit him hard. Here’s another handy chart about pods: Yesterday this was posted on FB and I think we’re all going to participate. Perhaps you might too, wherever you live. Pot and pans work if you haven’t got a bell and it really doesn’t matter if you celebrate Christmas or not. �Imagine someone reading this blog in 2120. Would they believe it? I don’t think I would. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-17_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-251 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-17 Title A name given to the resource Day 251 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a1b5bd45b83234cbdf698407d8c8305f.pdf f6d0b4c92611cdb2f3e77008ac97dc0e PDF Text Text Day 252 by windoworks A friend of Craig’s has just driven across the country from Long Beach California to pick up his daughter who is now on a break from her studies until January. He decided driving was a safer choice than flying. But he was astonished and dismayed by the crowded restaurants he saw in states like Texas, Arizona and Missouri, as he drove through. I guess we all know what the people of those states will be doing for Thanksgiving. And just in case you still weren’t sure about that traditional extended family dinner: �From a post by a doctor on FaceBook: FB This has been a tough week. Covid cases are exponentially increasing and stressing our community and our hospital systems. Almost every night that I have been on call I had to have a very difficult conversation with a family about a dying Covid-19 patient. Last night I had two Covid deaths. For those of you who think that this is not real or it’s just the “flu” or it’s a political ploy, wake up! The decision to wear a mask is not a personal choice or a “freedom”, it is a necessity to protect one another. How many more deaths is it going to take before Covid non-believers accept this grim reality. Our national response to this crisis has been extremely inadequate and politicized . It’s not about politics, it’s about frank incompetence. Many more people are going to die before this over. Many more health care workers will also be stricken while we risk our lives serving our communities. I know that this post will only reach a �minuscule amount of people but if we all rally together and practice the CDC guidelines maybe we have a chance. Sorry for the rant, but I’m truly scared. Last night, the hospitals in Grand Rapids (and perhaps all of West Michigan) announced that they would be full with no more available beds by this weekend. That’s 3 days away. And to confirm that, here’s this: The Atlantic More than 1,000 American hospitals report that they don’t have enough staff to manage the influx of coronavirus patients. That’s 22 percent of hospitals in the U.S.. This frightening statistic, courtesy of my colleague Alexis C. Madrigal, is a quantitative summary of the horror story already unfolding. Nationwide, beds are filling. So are body bags. Health-care workers are scared. “It keeps rising and rising, and we’re all running on fear,” one told Ed Yong. A change is coming; vaccines look promising. But relief appears to be at least another season away. In the meantime, our writers have some practical advice for Americans. • Lock yourself down now. “It’s time to buckle up and lock ourselves down again, and to do so with fresh vigilance,” Zeynep Tufekci writes. • Cancel Thanksgiving. “Telling people not to gather for a holiday is, of course, an unpopular message,” James Hamblin writes. “So I’m doing it.” • The golden rule of pandemic winter safety is simple, Rachel Gutman explains: Don’t spend time indoors with people outside your household. Two vaccines are barreling towards the finish line - which is fantastic - but the distribution to communities may take months. So remember the simple rule: mask up! The Atlantic One question, answered: First Pfizer. Now Moderna. Should news of a second company's promising vaccine-trial data change our expectations? I asked our staff writer Sarah Zhang, who covers vaccines, to put this latest development in context: It’s more good news! Pfizer’s and Moderna’s vaccines work in very similar ways, so it’s not surprising that they are similarly effective. I’m also relieved because Moderna’s vaccine does not require ultracold storage like Pfizer’s, meaning it will be a lot easier to distribute in rural communities. Both companies are manufacturing vaccines as we speak, and this second success means more doses to go around in the initial scarcity phase. We just have to wait and get through this winter. Washington Post: �While the coronavirus pandemic is positively exploding across the country — we’re now averaging more than 150,000 new cases and a thousand deaths per day — Trump’s administration has stopped even pretending it cares. At the current pace, by the time Trump leaves office, more than 300,000 Americans will have died of covid-19. And even after he departs, every day more will die because Trump politicized simple public health measures, convincing his supporters that refusing to wear a mask to protect yourself and those around you is a great way to own the libs. Yesterday Governor Whitmer sent out a video with Governor Andy Beshaer (Kentucky), Governor Mike DeWine (Ohio), Governor Tony Evers (Wisconsin), Governor Eric Holcomb (Indiana), Governor JB Pritzker (Illinois), and Governor Tim Waltz (Minnesota), called Mask Up. Its a great video to watch, all the governors were asking the citizens of their states to Mask Up. In the comments under Governor Whitmer’s post there were the usual cries of impeachment and other derogatory words. I can only suppose �these citizens of Michigan didn’t actually watch the video in which the other governors spoke just as much as Gretchen. I grieve for my state of Michigan. Such hatred. Such selfishness. And such despair. In other embarrassing national (and possibly international) news, two Republicans initially refused to certify the results of the election in Michigan, because - and this is an educated guess here - the results confirmed Joe Biden winning the state. After a slew of breaking news stories, the two abruptly reversed and voted to confirm the results. This and other well broadcast egregious actions gives the saying ‘Only in Michigan’, a truly embarrassing meaning. And this says it all for me: �On to the other topic of the day - Trump’s refusal to concede or at least agree to a smooth transition. Here’s what Barack Obama had to say: �The Atlantic 1. On Donald Trump as a phenomenon: I will say that I’m not surprised that somebody like Trump could get traction in our political life. He’s a symptom as much as an accelerant. But if we were going to have a right-wing populist in this country, I would have expected somebody a little more appealing. 2. On Republicans refusing to stand up to him: Donald Trump’s character and behavior haven’t surprised me … I didn’t expect him to significantly change. 3. I did not believe how easily the Republican establishment, people who had been in Washington for a long time and had professed a belief in certain institutional values and norms, would just cave. 4. On misinformation: If we do not have the capacity to distinguish what’s true from what’s false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work. And by definition our democracy doesn’t work. We are entering into an epistemological crisis. ��Here’s Oliver! Is he about to bite the lemon? I can’t be sure. ��US coronavirus: yesterday there were 159, 508 new cases. We are racing upwards with a new total of 11.4M cases. There were another 1,583 deaths to bring the total to 248K. In Kent County we had 709 new cases which gives us a new total of 25,703 cases altogether. We had 3 new deaths making the total of deaths 257. Remember, these numbers are just from yesterday. ��Here is a sunrise taken from my birthday twin, Mary Alice’s balcony, looking across Reeds Lake. She sent it to me this morning to lift my spirits on my birthday, so I’m sharing it with you. Whatever else happens, a new day always dawns. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-18_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-252 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-18 Title A name given to the resource Day 252 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d501f8fa266a40b35e6cf7fadb982bfb.pdf e1eaa0ef2da54c461257f3ec5df74b04 PDF Text Text Day 253 by windoworks The more things change, the more they stay the same. Yesterday, the total of cases in the US reached 11.6M as we are adding at least 1,500 new cases per day. Soon we may be adding 2,000 cases a day. And as predicted, yesterday we reached 250K deaths. the prediction that we may have 400,000 deaths by January/February is beginning to look all too likely. I look at the daily increases in Kent County and I find them distressing to read. They are predicting 1,000 new �cases a day by Christmas. And you know your county is in trouble when they post under: We need your help. Home Health Department COVID-19 URGENT - We Need Your Help This Holiday Season At a time when we would typically gather with loved ones to celebrate the holidays, COVID-19 cases are spiking in Kent County. The extremely high infection rate is threatening the ability of our local health department and hospitals to provide services essential for the health of our community. We need your help to get things under control. Here’s what you can do to help keep your family and friends healthy this holiday season: • Avoid gathering in-person with people from outside your household • If you do get together with family or friends from outside your household: o Keep gatherings small – 10 people or fewer o Wear a mask and distance when gathering indoors, even with a small group o Wash hands frequently; keep hand sanitizer readily available and don’t share towels o Designate one person to serve the food; that person should wear a mask and wash their hands before and after serving o Bundle up and gather outdoors if possible; wear a mask if you can’t consistently keep 6 feet apart Do not host or attend in-person holiday gatherings if you or anyone in your household: • Has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has not met the criteria for when it is safe to be around others • Has symptoms of COVID-19 • Is waiting for COVID-19 test results • May have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days • Is at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 The risk of COVID-19 spreading at your holiday gathering increases as follows: LOWEST RISK Gather in-person only with members of your own household. Celebrate “virtually” with extended family and friends using videoconferencing or a group phone call. MORE RISK Smaller (under 10) outdoor and in-person gatherings in which individuals from different households remain spaced at least 6 feet apart, wear masks, do not share objects, and come from the same local area (e.g., community, town, city, or county). Drop off a holiday meal at the home of your loved ones – designate a time and drop the meal at the front door; do a brief “driveway visit,” wear masks and stay 6 feet apart; wash your hands before and after delivery. HIGHER RISK Medium-sized in-person gatherings that are adapted to allow individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and with attendees coming from outside the local area. �HIGHEST RISK Large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area. And after all this time, I can’t believe this is still happening: Washington Post: A newly married Ohio couple said nearly three dozen people at their wedding, including three of their grandparents, now have the coronavirus. Which part of highly contagious, especially inside crowded inside spaces with singing, dancing and eating, did you not understand? Here’s the latest map of the US showing Covid infections: Michigan is in the highest number of cases category. And yet we are contending with a State House and Senate who can’t seem to grasp the severity of the virus spread. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The head of Trinity Health Michigan says frustration prompted a Twitter response to Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, garnering a lot of attention online. “Mike, as a member of the medical community you claim you are working with, we don’t see you. One phone call with our CMOs does not constitute working with us. We have told you we are in trouble, but you decided that the pandemic was a good time to take a vacation,” Trinity Health Michigan President �and CEO Rob Casalou replied to Shirkey’s statement on new MDHHS restrictions that take effect Wednesday. The health system leader followed that up with, “We need leadership and there appears to be only one leader in Lansing willing to deal with the reality of this public health crisis. The leaders of our state Senate and state House have decided that a recess was more important and then choose to criticize from the sidelines.” Casalou’s posts refer to the GOP-led legislature going on a break that typically covers the start of firearm hunting season and Thanksgiving each year. One glaring difference being that previous November breaks didn’t align with surging cases of a deadly virus.“When I saw the reply from the Senate Majority Leader, I just hit a point of frustration that I no longer could accept the fact we’d allow politics to continue to exist in the single largest public health crisis of our lifetime,” Casalou told News 8 Monday afternoon. �Crooked Media Eleven days after the election ended in decisive victory for Joe Biden, Republicans’ continued performance of uncertainty about the outcome is as appalling and dangerous as it is unrelentingly embarrassing. On Tuesday, the two Republican members of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers briefly refused to certify the election results in Michigan’s largest county, for a very valid reason that definitely wasn’t “Detroit has a lot of Black voters and we don’t think their votes should count.” (Against all odds, a white man in a polo shirt summed up this stunt best.) The Republicans reversed course on Tuesday night, for a very badass reason that definitely wasn’t “reporters started finding all the racist memes on our Facebook pages.” As a cherry on top, Donald Trump missed the memo and congratulated his would-be coup enablers on their courage, after they had agreed to certify the results. So there we have it. One week exactly to Thanksgiving and people are still trying to tweak the rules to accommodate the 20+ people they want to have at their Thanksgiving table, all sharing food, stories, laughter etc. and of course, sharing the virus. It will just be Craig and I with Murphy at my feet at the dinner table. Yesterday we drove out to Grand Haven and sat in the car while we ate our lunch and watched the wind swirl up the sand and the waves. Afterwards we drove to Kirk Park and walked the circuit through the woods. It was a chilly but sunny day. �I am beginning to see the world through different eyes. Yesterday, when we came home, I posted on FB that after Craig retires on May 4 2021, we are returning to Australia to live. The pull of family and our grandchild is just too strong. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that family matters. Don’t panic, I will keep writing the blog even after we return to Australia. It might be interesting to follow our adventures as we pack up, sell the house and leave. Time for Oliver. �Bottle time at daycare. �Today, I’ll leave you with this: Tomorrow then. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-19_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-253 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-19 Title A name given to the resource Day 253 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7578166c1777faddf031e8580aee41d7.pdf 9e909a5f3750d9923e70debbfb56a5f9 PDF Text Text Day 254 by windoworks We begin this morning with this: a line for covid testing in one of the middle states. Every news venue has been sounding the alarm about gathering for Thanksgiving, but no one can tell if the majority of people are listening. Washington Post: Roughly one in 100 Americans are contagious with covid-19 at this moment, a level not seen since the the U.S. outbreak's deadliest period this spring, according to estimates by separate research teams at Columbia University and the University of Washington. Using different methods, both groups calculated that more than 3 million Americans have active infections — far more than the official counts record. “It is about equal to the number of public school teachers in the entire country, or the number of truck drivers,” our Health desk wrote. “If the University of Michigan’s football stadium were packed with a random selection of Americans, about a thousand of them would be contagious right now.” The University of Washington model estimates that another 245,000 people will be infected by the end of today. �About 40 percent of Americans plan to attend a large Thanksgiving gathering, despite the coronavirus’ rampant spread and warnings from public health officials. I continue to watch interviews with nurses and doctors who are not only dealing with extremely ill patients, but patients who believe literally to their dying breath, that they don’t have Covid. As the nurse or doctor shows them their vitals and test results, and ask if they would like to FaceTime or call their loved ones - time after time these patients insist that they’ll be fine - its just bronchitis or pneumonia, or maybe lung cancer. Some of these patients die still adamant that it isn’t the virus. Now I could go on a long rant here about Trump and the destruction and mayhem he leaves in his wake. He has convinced at least 71M Americans that the virus is a hoax and that even if you succumb, its just like a cold and man up, you’ll get over it. I am sitting here, shut in my house since March, not going out except for drives, short walks in safe places, doctors appointments and trips to the grocery store. The virus is now beyond anyone’s control. No borders between the states are closed and every state is taking action in a piecemeal way. There never has been even the briefest action taken by the Trump administration to assist states in any way. Any action taken by a Democratic governor of their state has incurred ridicule, calls to overturn any restrictions and a slew of threats. The White House has had at least 2 outbreaks that we know of, and most of the infected staffers are never heard of again. Remember Hope Hicks the superspreader of the first cluster? Did she recover? Did she die? Who knows? And I am absolutely sure that Trump staged his ‘bout’ of Covid. �And this arrived in my inbox yesterday from Tina Freese Decker, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Spectrum Health: To our patients and community, We have stood strong, together, tackling the many challenges of these past months with commitment and hope. Last spring, we came together as a community and flattened the curve of COVID-19. I’m reaching out to you today because things have changed drastically. COVID-19 is now surging like never before in our communities, and we need your help. • Of the thousands of tests we conduct every day, more than 18% of people tested are positive. • Hospitalizations have quadrupled in the last four weeks — now five times higher than our peak in the spring. �• People are coming to us very, very sick. And one in 10 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are dying. This virus is affecting all groups, young and old, across all populations. • Because hospitals throughout our state and nation are experiencing the surge at the same time, there is very limited opportunity to share staff and transfer patients. Our teams of doctors, nurses, caregivers and support staff are working tirelessly to do everything possible to battle this virus. But — we cannot do it without your help. We know what works to slow the spread of this deadly virus. Wear a mask; they do protect you and others. Wash your hands often. Stay socially distant. Avoid all gatherings. I know this is hard, but the sacrifices you are making now truly will save lives. I and all of our team members at Spectrum Health remain so grateful for our community standing strong with us. Thank you. And just to keep you up to date: US - 187, 396 new cases yesterday. Total cases: 11.8M. Yesterday’s deaths: 1,962. Total deaths: 252K. Keep breathing. Michigan - 7,855 new cases yesterday. Total cases: 310K. Yesterday’s deaths: 141. Total deaths: 8,717. Breathe in, breathe out. Kent County - 742 new cases yesterday. Total cases: 27,055. Yesterday’s deaths: 10. Total deaths: 277. At some point these figures become meaningless. We are so inundated with ‘breaking news’ etc., that the numbers sit on the page and we say oh well. But 252,000 people have died across this country. 252,000, and each person meant something. These are the numbers for yesterday only. Today’s numbers will be bigger. We will reach 300,000 deaths soon and then 400,000 as they are predicting. AND ALL THESE DEATHS, ALL OF THEM, CAN BE LAID AT DONALD TRUMP’S FEET. Or wrapped around his shoulders so that the weight of them crushes him completely. That’s what I hope, but he will never be held accountable. None of them will be. Instead we will all be asked to forgive and move on. There isn’t enough forgiveness in the world for what he has managed to do. I much prefer ‘an eye for an eye’. The one light at the end of the dark tunnel is this: Washington Post. Pfizer, BioNTech say they will file today for emergency clearance of coronavirus vaccine, which could make doses ready in December The companies announced they plan to file Friday for regulatory approval of their coronavirus vaccine, a landmark moment and a signal that a powerful tool to help control the pandemic could begin to be available within weeks. Once the companies file their application, those findings will be scrutinized by regulators, potentially paving the way for limited doses of the vaccine to be available in December. So at least the frontline workers like nurses, doctors etc will be vaccinated by early next year. It will take months for the larger population to begin to be vaccinated. So we should be excited but patient. �And all the while, Trump is sowing as much dissent and chaos as possible. Crooked Media Donald Trump is actively and personally attempting to overturn the results of an election he lost by nearly six million votes (updated to at least 8 million), and the fact that it won’t work this time is limited comfort. Republicans at every level have shown a willingness—or even eagerness—to destroy democracy when they have no chance of success; how many of them would behave better in the coming years if overturning a future election required stealing only one state? �Joe Biden has mentioned that Trump and his family/minions will be ‘assisted‘ from the White House, if necessary. This is diverting television for everyone who doesn’t live in the US, but it is horrifying in its long term implications and a dreadful experience for those of us living here.Trump has turned the United States of America into a low grade reality show for the world. And once a precedent is set such as he is doing by refusing to accept his loss, it is almost as if it is set in stone. I just cannot imagine how long it will take until some sort of calm is established. I’m not even sure the current democracy will survive. �An unexpected feel good moment: this morning Craig received an email from a woman in Canada. Her father (in his 90s) is an Emeritus Professor and suffers from macular degeneration. This is a eye disease �that causes loss in the center of the field of vision. (Dame Judi Dench has it). Anyway, the family live scattered across Canada and in normal circumstances would meet up several times a year. However, the virus has stopped this, and the father is finding life difficult. So the daughter set up video sessions twice a week during which the father, mother and daughter watch an episode of Craig’s Great Courses ‘Big History’ lectures. These have so reenergized her father, that he is now going for long walks outside and discussing each episode at length with her mother. The daughter wrote to thank Craig for such a wonderful course and asked if he would Skype with her father if she set it up. Of course Craig will say yes when he responds. Oliver �Clapping his hands. Very pleased with himself. �So that’s it. We are beginning the looong task of thinking about what to take and what to leave behind. Its a big task thinking about moving countries, especially as you are not quite as young as you used to be. On my birthday, TJ my neighbor asked me - 39 again, Pamela? Yes, I replied. Oh mum, said Asher when I told him, you can’t be - I’m 39! Twins! I wanted to say. The virus is lurking outside your front door. Be very, very careful. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-20_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-254 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-20 Title A name given to the resource Day 254 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a16c47fb77b90243cc361e8fd1635bed.pdf 5b4795d7749adb59c36c824f30462a90 PDF Text Text Day 255 by windoworks This morning I introduce Tracey Dale. Once upon a time Tracey was a high school senior who babysat my children, with two other school friends on a rotation, once or twice a week after school. I was teaching elementary school and the three girls took it in turns to babysit until 5pm, when I would take over and prepare dinner. Over the years we lost touch with the two other girls, but our connection with Tracey was reestablished through the television, as she won the Miss New South Wales title and then, with Craig and I glued to the TV, she won Miss Australia! To cut a long story short, she had a wonderful year as Miss Australia, and during that year she met Alan Dale, an actor who was starring in one of Australia’s favorite soap operas and they got married and eventually moved to Los Angeles. Fast forward to 2020. Tracey lives in Los Angeles, she has two talented sons and her husband continues in his acting career. We last met up in 2017, when Craig and I were in L.A. on our way to Australia, and had a great lunch together. I asked Tracey if she would contribute to “The View from Far Away”, and she agreed. Here it is. Enjoy. I Face-timed my 79 year old mother last week. When she answered, she sounded out of breath and immediately pointed the phone at the ceiling. “Hang on, I’ll just get some clothes on.” I calculated that it was midday on Monday in Australia. “What have you been doing?” I teased. She giggled, but when she finally aimed the phone at her face her explanation was far more outrageous than what I’d been imagining. She was choosing which dress to wear to a party at the golf club she and my dad belong to. “You’re going to a party?” I asked. “It’s a dinner really,” she said. “And the tables are spaced apart.” “But it’s indoors.” “Oh, yes.” We caught up on each other’s news and then she revealed that she was meeting some of her oldest friends for lunch at a cafe the following day. This group has known each other for more than 70 years. In fact their mothers had been friends and used to meet once a month to play cards. How is my mother having such a vibrant and happy social life when I’ve been a shut-in for nine months? She never missed a hair cut, and the golf club was only closed for a week or two at the beginning of the pandemic. Meanwhile, my last haircut was ten months ago. My once cropped blond hair is now long and dark brown with streaks of silver. I haven’t eaten at a restaurant or been inside a friend’s home in all that time. And I haven’t seen my oldest son — the longest we’ve ever been apart. The contrast is stark. �Was the Australian government daring, brilliant and clever in its dealings with the pandemic? Not really, mistakes were made — a cruise-ship allowed Covid positive passengers to disembark in Sydney and mingle with the greater population. Its shutdown wasn’t particularly militant: hairdressers never closed and schools were only shuttered for a relatively short time. What it did do was try. The Federal and State governments closed state borders and prioritized safeguards: there was enough PPE for health care workers, enough testing for everyone who needed it, plus they were serious about contact tracing. An app was developed to track any clusters, and they mandated name and address logs for everyone eating inside restaurants, clubs and hotels. They also took rapid action whenever there was an outbreak, in one case closing down a whole state for more than a month when positive cases spiked. And when the rules were broken, police laid charges. The other part of this equation was that, for the most part, the Aussies got on board with whatever their leadership requested of them. Not like sheep, like a football team, all working together for a win. And win they have. There is now virtually no community transmission and an economy and a population that’s recovering quickly. While I sit inside my Los Angeles home — aware that my family here has been luckier than most — and figure out what Netflix show to watch next (thank god for The Crown), my mum is choosing what to wear to her next holiday party. �Old friends get together for lunch once a month in Sydney, Australia Makes you think, doesn’t it? Meanwhile, in Trump’s America - I'm furious, team. Three weeks ago, President Trump held a superspreader rally in Muskegon, Michigan, just 20 minutes away from the hospital where I've been serving patients as an Emergency Physician for two decades. Now, in the wake of this rally, Muskegon is dealing with a tsunami of new COVID-19 cases. Hospitals are again filling up at an alarming pace. Refrigerator trucks are being driven in because morgues are overflowing. We have test positive rates of nearly 20%. Every shift I show up, we don't have beds. We're calling five, six, or seven hospitals around us just to find a couple of beds for sick patients. This is the reality that Donald Trump has put us in through his incompetence, his recklessness, and his unwillingness to cooperate with President-elect Biden's COVID19 Team — which only serves to slow down our country's ability to stop this virus. At this very moment, Trump is STILL trying to fight the election results and refuses to grant Joe Biden's COVID Team access to classified briefings or top public health experts. He's endangering our democratic process and American �lives. Dr. Rob Davidson Emergency Physician Executive Director Committee to Protect Medicare This dropped into my inbox yesterday: Kent County is now in the highest risk level for COVID-19. With this in consideration, the Kent County Health Department is issuing a Public Health Warning with comprehensive guidance on how residents can best protects themselves. With a community-wide positivity rate of more than 15% in Kent County, the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic is severely impacting the ability of public health officials to conduct case investigations and has threatened our local hospital systems. This Public Health Warning will likely continue through January 15, 2021 at the earliest. The cooperation of all residents with these recommendations will help our community reach a downward trend as quickly as possible. This is a Public Health Warning, not a Public Health Order. Note that this is a Health Warning, not a Health Order. This is because the Republican majority in both the State House and Senate have hamstrung Governor Whitmer and the Michigan State Health Department. No one is allowed to place an Executive Order or a Public Health Order. Apparently a minority of freedom fighters overtakes my right to be protected. And just to emphasize the scope of neglect, this morning the US reached just under 200,000 new cases (12M total) and just under 2,000 new deaths (254K total). Here is a way to visualize the death count: Washington Post Here's another way to think about it, from our Graphics team: If all 250,000 victims had come from the U.S. heartland, a region roughly the size of South Dakota would now be devoid of human life. How many more empty states will we have to visualize before this is over? �I love Crooked Media. They put their stories in terms I can relate to. Here’s yesterday’s excerpt: Their frivolous-lawsuit-based strategy to steal the election has run aground. Their even cruder “bribe Republican officials”-based strategy to steal the election has run into the brick wall of Republican opposition. We now await the thrilling climax of the failed Trump-Giuliani heist: like Thelma & Louise, but with globs of hair dye and spray tan trailing the convertible as it plummets earthward. • President Trump’s pseudo-legal effort to overthrow the election and end American democracy has reached such heights of absurdity that even the Trumpy-as-hell propaganda website Powerline noticed: Trump’s lawyers submitted an affidavit to a federal court alleging voting irregularities in Michigan, based �on data from townships in Minnesota, which, if we remember American geography correctly, is a different state (though in fairness to Trump’s lawyers, they both start with “Mi”). • Indeed, “lying about fraud” to “steal the election” is now the official position of the national GOP. On Thursday, the RNC twitter account quoted barking-mad Trump lawyer Sidney Powell claiming, “President Trump won by a landslide” (fact check: He lost, bigly). The GOP-endorsed Powell would later appear on Fox to assert, "the entire election, frankly, in all the swing states should be overturned and the legislatures should make sure that the electors are selected for Trump." Meanwhile, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) said“Rudy [Giuliani] and his buddies should not pressure electors to ignore their certification obligations.” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said, “it’s difficult to imagine a worse, more undemocratic action by a sitting American President,” and Georgia has certified Biden’s victory. By early next week, enough swing states will have certified their results to guarantee Biden more than 270 electoral votes. �The top two GOP Michigan members were invited to Washington to meet with Trump. Before they left, honorable people everywhere overloaded the email accounts and message banks on both men. Then we all waited with baited breath to see what they would do (having reminded them that their careers were on the line). Then, this appeared: �So that email and message onslaught worked, hey? I bet they still won’t cooperate with Governor Whitmer. And by the way, the trip to Washington cut into their ‘hunting’ break. Now Trump’s moving on to another swing state. As Jim Carey so eloquently said: LLLLL Loser! I’m beginning to think Trump must enjoy losing, he keeps repeating it so often. Oh and this just in - Donald Trump Jr has the virus. We are asked to send thoughts and prayers. Well, I’m sending thoughts..... Well thats it for another day. Still hunkering down. 5 days until Thanksgiving. Do NOT be the person who infects your family this Thursday. Be thankful you’re alive and eating a good dinner, even if its by yourself. Remember, as Tracey said: not sheep but a football team. We can do this. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-21_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-255 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-21 Title A name given to the resource Day 255 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3fe20ea59fd7f18180b8c956819419ef.pdf f022d7bae1b36aa288662e153dda36ae PDF Text Text Day 256 by windoworks As each day dawns I find it harder and harder to process what is happening here in the United States of America. I am not naive. I know that the US has had a history of racism and inequality, of excessive wealth and grinding poverty, but it always promoted itself as a country where people could get ahead and achieve their dreams. And it was always based on democracy, that is, a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected members. There have been presidential scandals and heinous behavior by state elected officials, but somehow, sense and moral behavior swam to the top. Well, not always, but NEVER in the way we are seeing now. We are entering (or we have actually already entered) uncharted territory. All rules have been suspended by Donald Trump and his minions. There is not a single check or balance to be seen. So here is the state of play: a large chunk of Americans have happily enrolled themselves, their friends and their families into the Trump Cult. Yes, a cult. Cults are by nature defined as a religious belief and this applies directly to Trump. Almost 45% of Americans believe in the religion of Donald Trump and his �tenets. The central belief on which this cult rests is: believe everything I say, because I have come to rescue you from everything you abhor (equality, abortion rights to name a couple) and restore you and our country to the way it should be: white, racist, wealth for those at the top and poverty and servitude for those at the bottom. And guns for all. Women should be accessible for sexual pleasure and then just in the kitchen cooking and cleaning. Whether Trump adherents will admit it or not, those are the core beliefs that Trump holds. Like all dictators, he is probably unhinged and delusional. When he talks at rallies and makes absolutely no sense, his disciples love him all the more. They believe he is speaking in code or perhaps even tongues, which is a sure sign that God sent him to save their world. I am not a religious person. My break with God occurred when I was 13 years old and my mother died after a long battle with cancer. My Methodist pastor told me in all seriousness, when I asked him why my mother had to die, that God needed the good people for himself. I remember thinking: God has millions of people, I needed my mother and shouldn’t my need outweigh any god’s need? And later a deeper philosophical question occurred to me - why do gods have needs? But this is my life path and as much as I ask you to respect that, I do my best to respect your life path in return. But no matter how I try, I cannot respect Trump believers. I don’t believe Trump is the devil or that he is evil. I do believe the whole of his life is based on what is good/best for him - not even his children really seem to matter. This is all a long preamble to my point of despair. Trump has taken all the hidden fears and base behaviors of many Americans and elevated them to a cult status. And with that, he has begun to tear the United States of America in two. He is tearing it apart so successfully that I think it will be difficult to sew it back together again. Like life imagined after the pandemic abates, life after Trump will be significantly different. We will have no clear path back to normal. 45% of Americans believe that the virus is a hoax that Democrats thought up - and some of them die still believing that. They die without saying goodbye to their loved ones because they refuse to believe that the virus is real and they’re dying. And no, I didn’t make that up. This is not a trashy sci-fi movie written by hacks, this is the actual life Craig and I are living. We are surrounded by friends and neighbors we have barely seen for 9 months. Each household on our block has amended their lifestyle in an attempt to keep everyone around them safe, but this is not true for other neighborhoods. At this moment, we cook all our meals at home, while the leaders of the GOP for Michigan drink Dom Perignon in Trump’s hotel in Washington DC, maskless and surrounded by other maskless people. Like the myth of Pandora’s box - you can’t stuff these great and unexpected troubles back in the box, once opened. What will the USA look like in the future?I can’t imagine, and before you wave Joe Biden at me as a magical cure all, remember, Trump’s Republican Party will block him at every turn, and the disciples �will threaten and harass all Biden supporters. In a country where Republicans in charge of election vote counts are vilified, threatened and harassed because they tell the truth that Biden won their state, you can be sure that going forward, no one is safe. The phrase ‘once Biden is inaugurated’ is not as meaningful or as reassuring as it was a month ago. So that’s where we are. Who knows what today will bring, never mind tomorrow. And all the while, the virus explodes, faster and faster. Washington Post Americans should not risk traveling for Thanksgiving, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday, as the covid-19 death toll ticked past 250,000 and the nation logged more than 1 million infections in a week. “What’s at stake is basically the increased chance of one of your loved ones becoming sick and then being hospitalized and dying,” said Henry Walke, the CDC’s covid-19 incident manager. But many Americans don't seem to be listening. Our Health desk reports that people are waiting for hours in line for coronavirus tests in some cities, and for days more to get a result. The huge demand is driven in part by the massive levels of disease, but also by people preparing to travel for the holiday. Even if you manage to get a test, experts warn that a negative result doesn't mean you'll be covid-free when you sit down with grandma for turkey. To repeat ourselves: Americans don't seem to be listening. Our National desk checked in on towns and cities across the country to find out how much, if at all, a year of death and disease has affected people's attitudes. We'll leave you with the first two paragraphs of that story, from rural Alabama: Most everybody in town knows that Gladys Maull has been battered this year: Her father, her sister, an aunt, a great-aunt, all dead from covid-19. Maull keeps a sign on her front door: “Please do not come in my house due to covid-19. Thank you.” Some people just step on in, maskless. ��New York Times The U.S. is heading into a make-or-break holiday week. The country passed 12 million cases, adding one million new cases in the past week alone. New daily cases are approaching 200,000: On Friday, the country recorded more than 198,500, a record. At least 255,000 Americans have died of the coronavirus, and hospitalizations rose beyond 82,000. Above, a memorial in Miami for virus victims. Craig and Murphy walked to Reeds Lake early in the morning yesterday. Here is the perfect mirror reflection: �There were complaints that I didn’t include an Oliver photo. I have temporarily run out of new ones, but then this appeared in my Instagram account. This is Oliver and his father, Christian. ��Authors note: I rewrote this post a number of times. But then I remembered, this is a chronicle of what is happening. In some ways I write this for the future as well as the present. These are the facts, and this is how I record them. Wherever you live, stay safe, stay healthy and above all, be heroic. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-22_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-256 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-22 Title A name given to the resource Day 256 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a01830cfdb33effd550ee8603673ef8a.pdf 07fea9a9f0a089861395d9b7b9e555ad PDF Text Text Day 257 by windoworks There are 3 vaccines currently entering the final stages: Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca. While this is excellent news for the future, there is still this winter to contend with. From The New York Times: As of Monday morning, more than 12,313,700 people in the United States have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 256,500 have died, according to a New York Times database. Case numbers are spiking across most of the United States, leading to dire warnings about full hospitals, exhausted health care workers and expanding lockdowns. And the pandemic shopping insanity has begun again. Here is a FB piece posted by a neighbor. From a grocery store manager: I manage a grocery store. Here's some things everyone should know: 1. I don't have toilet paper 2. I don't have sanitizer 3. I run out of milk, eggs and meat daily 4. I promise if it's out on the shelf … it's not in a hidden corner of our back room Those are the predictable ones, now for the real stuff 5. I have been doing this for 25 years I did not forget how to order product 6. I did not cause the warehouse to be out of product 7. I schedule as much help as I have, including many TMs working TONS of overtime to help YOU 8. I am sorry there are lines at the check out lanes Now for the really important stuff 9. My team puts themselves in harm's way everyday so you can buy groceries 10. My team works tirelessly to get product on the floor for you to buy 11. My team is exhausted 12. My team is scared of getting sick 13. My team is human and do not possess an antivirus… they are in just as much danger as you are. (Arguably more) But they show up to work everyday just so you can buy groceries 14. My team is tired 15. My team is very under appreciated �16. My team is exposed to more people who are potentially infected in one hour than most of you will in a week (medical community excluded, thank you for all that you do!) 17. My team is abused all day by customers who have no idea how ignorant they are 18. My team disinfects every surface possible, everyday, just so you can come in grab a wipe from the dispenser, wipe the handle and throw the used wipe in the cart or on the ground and leave it there… so my team can throw it in the trash for you later 19. My team wonders if you wash your re-usable bags, that you force us to touch, that are clearly dirty and have more germs on them than our shopping carts do 20. My team more than earns their breaks, lunches and days off. And if that means you wait longer I am sorry. The last thing I will say is this The next time you are in a grocery store, please pause and think about what you are saying and how you are treating the people you encounter. They are the reason you are able to buy toilet paper, sanitizer, milk, eggs and meat. If the store you go to is out of an item.. maybe find the neighbor or friend that bought enough for a year … there are hundreds of them… and ask them to spare 1 or 2. They caused the problem to begin with… And, please THANK the people who helped you. They don't have to come to work! I have no Michigan or Kent County statistics, as even in the midst of an escalating pandemic, they don’t post numbers on Sunday and I really can’t think of a good reason for why not. And here’s a curious thing. During the early surge of the pandemic, Dr London from Kent County Health Department would update us each day via video. Then during the summer it was cut back to every Thursday only. This has continued even though our situation is much worse. On the other hand Governor Andrew Cuomo has continued his frequent updates for his state complete with slides. I see that there is some negative discussion about Governor Whitmer mandating all universities to cease face to face classes. Talk about not paying attention. Firstly, this was a directive from the Michigan State Health Department, because, as you remember the Michigan Supreme Court took away Governor Whitmer’s executive powers for emergencies. Secondly, pretty much every university in Michigan had already shut down face to face classes as they were overwhelmed by students testing positive. Don’t forget that a number of Craig’s students are stuck in their dorm rooms for Thanksgiving (on their own with food delivered to their door) because they have the virus and can’t go home, or, their families have the virus and they can’t go home. I had thought of getting my hair cut but when I texted my stylist, she told me that she had one positive client but she herself tested negative; another stylist had a positive client and then she also tested negative; and one of the other stylists tested positive so she and her husband were quarantined. All in all, I decided to let my hair grow. �It seems evident that Trump will never concede - legally he doesn’t have to, he has lost the election anyway. Biden has begun crowdsourcing the funding he needs to complete his transition to the Presidency and the White House. There is speculation that Trump will go to Mar-A-Lago for Christmas �and simply never return to the White House. His debts are staggering and the lawsuits against him are piling up. Meanwhile, he’s talking about a 2024 run for President and he intends to continue to run the Republican Party with an iron grip. I think if he wants to avoid jail time he should claim sanctuary maybe in one of the 24 countries which don’t have an extradition treaty with the US - maybe Russia or Saudi Arabia? I really can’t imagine what Ivanka, Don Jr and Eric are thinking of - they’re not welcome in Manhattan. In a side note: if you’ve always wanted a swanky Manhattan address of your own, fear not. Life after the pandemic is touted to make those exclusive buildings 50% cheaper to rent, because the wealthy are moving out to safer rural places and landlords will be desperate to rent them out. Today some state Republicans are meeting with the Michigan electoral Certification Board. Apparently they want to (a) investigate some irregularities which everyone knows do not exist or (b) change the electors to all Republicans so that they can give the state to Trump, even though the state voted Blue for Biden and in spite of the federal ruling that electoral college voters must vote according to the candidate the state was called for. We are certainly living in interesting times. Yesterday Craig began the great book clean out. Did I tell you that we arrived in Michigan 18 years ago with 54 packing boxes - one of which held objects dear to me and the remaining 53 that held Craig’s books? Over the 18 years he has, of course, collected more. My collected books will fit nicely in a small plastic bag - but Craig’s..... He began in the TV room. Here’s what it looks like now: �As Asher said: very Marie Kondo (look her up). And here’s one advantage - without the loaded bookshelves (there was a third one where the TV now stands) the emptier room makes the TV louder and for those of us beginning to be hearing challenged, that is a blessing. The goal is to slowly clear all the rooms of the house, ready for buyers inspection. Its an extraordinarily daunting thought. So Uncle Asher arrived for a 6 day stay with Zoe and Oliver. He drove through torrential storms and crossed the border of Victoria and New South Wales about 10 hours after it opened again. It was closed for 138 days by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It is the first time Asher has been able to leave the state since the end of June. Here he is, safely arrived in Sydney, with his nephew: ��Thanksgiving is in 3 days time. Yesterday over 1M Americans boarded flights to families. The airlines were thrilled at this uptick in revenue, but medical teams in all states were not. It seems certain that the virus is everywhere and there is no telling how sick a person might get, or what long term symptoms may shadow the rest of their life. Experts are predicting that this holiday and Christmas will bring huge case increases. Well, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. As ever, stay safe, stay healthy and stay heroic. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-23_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-257 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-23 Title A name given to the resource Day 257 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f4c6f1ca10c2ff758618191ddae09096.pdf 4a265abe3cd333c2a328aea917549dc0 PDF Text Text Day 258 New York Times by windoworks Many Americans have spent weeks, if not months, asking some version of this question: What if President Trump refuses to leave office? The main answer to the question has always been the same: It’s not up to him. As long as other parts of the government — like Congress, the courts and the military — insisted that he honor the election’s outcome, he would have to do so. He could do so quickly and cleanly, as all of his predecessors have done. Or he could make it messy, discrediting American democracy along the way. But he would eventually need to leave the White House. As Matt Glassman, a Georgetown University political scientist, has told me: “Presidents compete with numerous actors — Congress, the courts, interest groups, political appointees in the departments and agencies, and career civil servants — for influence over public policy. The president must rely on his informal ability to convince other political actors it is in their interest to go along with him, or at least not stand in his way.” When a president fails to do so, he often ends up being powerless to act. And that’s what happened to Trump. Hundreds of local election officials refused to bend to him. Over the past few days, several congressional Republicans publicly told him that he needed to acknowledge reality. (Many other congressional Republicans were only mildly supportive of him, giving credence to his lies but doing nothing concrete to support his efforts to change the result.) Business groups — traditional Republican allies — also told him to begin the transition. In the end, Trump did as they told him to do. Washington Post Trump administration informs Biden it is ready to begin the formal transition; Trump tweets that he recommended initial protocols. Administrator Emily Murphy of the General Services Administration sent a letter Monday to President-elect Joe Biden informing him of the action after weeks of delay. It was the clearest acknowledgment of Biden’s win over President Trump. I should shout hooray, but I’m too tired. Its like that adage: the end of the world comes not with a bang, but with a whimper. Trump is whimpering. So what awaits him after January 20, 2021? Perhaps this: New York Times: Two separate New York State fraud investigations into Trump and his businesses, one criminal and one civil, have expanded to include tax write-offs on millions of dollars in consulting fees, some of which appear to have gone to Ivanka Trump,” the Times reports. “The inquiries — a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., and a civil one by the state attorney general, Letitia James — are being conducted independently. But both offices issued subpoenas to the Trump Organization in recent weeks for records related to the fees." Ivanka Trump tweeted that both investigations into her dubious "consulting fees” are “100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage.” �Biden has said that he has no interest in pursuing federal charges against Trump. Instead he has put Trump out of mind and has begun nominating his cabinet team. So far this is (as expected) a talented, educated group of leaders in their chosen fields and a mix of genders and ethnicities. It is exciting to watch Biden carry out his campaign promises. He has nominated John Kerry as Climate Envoy (a new position and a presidential recognition of the threat of the climate crisis - oh, we passed climate change some time ago) and he will sit on the National Security Council. So we are finally moving forward with the promise that the daily Trump drama will slowly fade into the background. But meanwhile (and there’s always a meanwhile), the virus rages on, unchecked. There are 2 days until Thanksgiving. 6 out of 10 Americans will stay home, safe and isolated in their immediate family bubble. The other 4 will drive or fly to larger gatherings of unprotected people, having decided that no virus is going to stop them from hugging Grandma and eating her delicious turkey dressing. Here’s a little chart for your consideration: �Yesterday, while sitting parked in a local park to enjoy the scenery and eat a snack and drink coffee, we watched with astonishment as 5 planes circled above us, coming into to land at our local airport. In 9 months I’ve never seen that many planes in the sky at once. And as Craig remarked: how many are bringing the virus for a visit this Thanksgiving? And here’s more: Washington Post The United States is now averaging more than 1,500 deaths each day — and with the national case count still climbing, that toll is expected to get much worse over the holidays. Those deaths do not fall equally across the country. The virus is killing Asian, Black, Hispanic and Indigenous Americans at rates far higher than for White people — sometimes striking down multiple generations in the same family, and devastating communities of color. �This week could make matters even worse. Our Education desk warns of “a mass pre-Thanksgiving exodus from [college] campuses nationwide that could spread the dangerous pathogen in hometowns across the country.” Government officials and public health experts are making final pleas for Americans to stay home. You can’t assume you don’t have the virus, and you can’t assume the people whose homes you’re about to enter don’t have the virus at this point in our pandemic,” Tom Inglesby, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said on “Fox News Sunday.” Remember, 4 out of 10 Americans aren’t listening. The biggest decision for Craig and I this Thanksgiving is whether to eat our meal at lunchtime or dinnertime? Maybe in the middle? And Christmas Day will be pretty much the same for us - on our own. Every year the Oxford Dictionary chooses a word for the year. This year they chose many: NPR As the months of the pandemic passed, quirky terms such as "covidiots," "doomscrolling" (the endless consumption of bad news) and "Blursday" (referring to the difficulty in determining what day of the week it is) surfaced. "Mask-shaming" also emerged, which refers to either shaming people for wearing a mask or shaming people for not wearing a mask. Scientific jargon entered public discourse, especially epidemiological terms, the report notes. Terms like "R number," "flattening the curve," "community transmission" and "superspreader" became more common for the public to use when talking about the pandemic. Craig has continued with the Great Book Shedding. Yesterday he discarded 398 books and kept 2. He’s very proud of this. This was the first bookshelf in his study. Now the question becomes - what to do with all these mounting discarded books? We have talked of a yard sale in the spring - I think it will be a series of years sales. I have begun to collect all the knick knacks and small treasures scattered about the house. These will be sorted at a later date. Later this week I will post photos of my remaining windows for sale on marketplace. Keep an eye out if you’re interested. We are proposing to fly out in early July, so this process of selling off and selling up will be a slow one, although 7 months is not that long. I think its time to start making lists. Oliver. I am constantly astonished by his daycare facility. Here he is painting a Christmas Tree for their Christmas display. �I love his look of concentration. �A return to the flashback. Some days past, I just couldn’t post the flashback - it seemed too frivolous. However, to resume. I left you somewhere along the west coast of India. I also missed out a stop, so here it is: Mangalore. Mangalore, officially known as Mangaluru, is the major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats mountain range about 352 km (219 mi) west of Bangalore, the state capital. The city developed as a port in the Arabian Sea during ancient times; it has since developed into a major port of India that handles 75 per cent of India's coffee and cashew exports, and is the country's seventh largest container port. Wikipedia. Mangalore fruit market ��Shiva Temple complex - no shoes allowed , so I was walking on the carpet as the marble tiles were too hot to stand on. Women and girls inside the Shiva Temple. ��Craig in the temple - note the red mark on his forehead. We paid a coin and the Hindu Priest blessed us by putting the red mark on our foreheads. I cannot express how hot the weather was. This morning when I went to the Kent County Health Department site to look up the daily statistics, there was a large warning post superimposed on the page. Try as I might I couldn’t copy it . It said that we have reached the highest level of alert; that our positivity rate remains above 15% (remember 1% or less is the preferred rate); deaths would continue to rise and hospitals were close to overloaded. Two days ago, Michigan hospitals began asking medical staff who had tested positive to continue working because staff shortages were now acute. So, like it or not, believe it or not, we are all in this together. Yesterday I watched a farmer’s daily video. He was a non believer until he developed Covid. He said the first indication was that his heart hurt and no amount of ibuprofen or Tylenol would help it. He was recovering but said his heart still hurt and that the virus bore no resemblance to a cold or flu - it was an entity inside your body. It was a powerful video because it was so understated. He survived, but will others? Remember, 4 out of 10 Americans wouldn’t follow the safety rules. Stay safe, and do your best. We’re all counting on each other. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-24_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-258 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-24 Title A name given to the resource Day 258 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a563f7b3d7f3c5aba4edcdb7ba7f5fd5.pdf 05a89c9c67c295c5cec53f1d86eb3159 PDF Text Text Day 259 by windoworks It seems like a good day to look back at the last 8.5 months. When I began writing this pandemic diary, it was the tail end of winter. I remember that March 11 was the monthly Women’s City Club Finance Committee meeting, followed by lunch and then followed by the monthly Women’s City Club board meeting. I had been following the progress of the coronavirus and so I was nervous about these back to back meetings. I came into the Finance Committee meeting and put disposable gloves, a box of tissues and a pump pack of hand sanitizer on the table in front of me. Everyone at the table looked at me as if I was an alien who had just joined their meeting by mistake. We talked about the virus and its possible implications for the club, but no one really believed it would make a marked difference. I remember thinking to myself: this virus will change the world. Life will never be the same again. At the time, friends and family thought I was being overly dramatic in much the same way as I was after 9/11. But 9/11 did change our lives in ways that we have accepted and now treat as normal. Catching a plane became so much more complicated overnight. We take our shoes off, put all our belongings through a scanner before we ourselves walk through a scanner and may be patted down in case we have explosives or guns concealed on our person. The door to the cockpit is locked from the inside so no passenger can break in and hijack the plane. Federal buildings have security guards and scanners to stop domestic terrorists. And so on. And although we grumble, we accept these restrictions and perform the tasks almost without thinking. Covid-19 has changed the world in the most profound way. It has affected practically every country in the world. Each country has dealt with it in a different way. Who can forget the Italians singing to each other every night out their apartment windows? The English population banging pots and pans one night a week and calling thank you to the medical workers. The yard signs which have proliferated here in Grand Rapids, thanking essential workers: doctors, nurses, truck drivers, postal workers, grocery store workers etc. We were all so grateful to the medical staff. Masks were not recommended at first, but then the CDC decided they were advisable. Friends began making masks by the hundreds and donating them to those who needed them - both personal and professional. One friend is still making them and has them bagged outside her husband’s studio for anyone to collect. In the beginning, Michigan had 2 cases. I’ll repeat that: 2 cases. The Governor, the Lieutenant-Governor and the Chief Medical Officer with advice from the Attorney-General and the Secretary of State, decided to close the state down. Everything closed. The only places open were grocery stores, pharmacies and medical facilities. You were allowed to go outside and walk, run or cycle. We were asked to say 6 feet apart from others, wash our hands frequently or use hand sanitizer for 20 seconds each time. Masks were �now encouraged, especially inside public premises. Restaurants and coffee bars converted to curbside pickup as did all speciality food stores. Fast food outlets put in drive thru facilities and have remained popular during this whole time. Sometimes the line of cars wends its way out of the parking lot as people wait to order. At first, hardly anyone wore a mask outside and although they were mandated to enter a store, it was not always enforced. Grocery stores introduced early shopping hours for seniors, healthcare workers and customers with underlying health problems. At the beginning Craig and I shopped once at Meijer during this very early morning time slot. Never again. We were astonished by the stampede of grey haired people, all elbowing their way to the products they wanted. Toilet paper ran out - I have no idea why. Hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes shortages I understand but toilet paper? Flour, sugar and eggs were next. Egg farmers struggled to get their hens to lay enough eggs to satisfy the population’s needs. Items would suddenly disappear: frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes chicken stock. Gluten free products began to be in short supply also. At the onset, Craig and I visited a Walmart looking for something we couldn’t find anywhere else. The shelves looked as though a tornado had gone through the store. Aisle after aisle of empty shelves and shoppers searching desperately for that one essential item they were missing. My store cupboards underwent a dramatic change. In the past I had bought new products that looked interesting and I though we might like. Now, my cupboards contain only what we use and consume regularly. For 259 days we have prepared and eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. Occasionally I will make a carry out lunch that we will eat in the car, usually at a lakeshore spot somewhere. We have eaten 2 lunches (both sushi) that we purchased and brought home and 1 dinner that a chef made and Craig collected from his house. I think about those days when we would decide to go for a drive somewhere and stop to have lunch in a cafe or restaurant before returning home. I remember the social dinners out - at other people’s houses and in restaurants and all these things seem long ago. I think about them wistfully and about buying take out food and then I think: no, I don’t feel comfortable. So for me, the thought of having anyone else inside our house is extremely uncomfortable and worrying. I can’t be sure that Craig and I are not asymptomatic, or that the times that each of us were so ill, Craig in January (after a cruise) and me in early March (during another cruise) that we might have had the virus then. When we flew to Costa Rica to pick up the Central American cruise that Craig was filling in for a sick lecturer on, the man across the aisle from us was very sick. He coughed incessantly and sneezed and drank copious amounts of alcohol to make himself feel better. He never covered his mouth when he coughed and Craig sat with his sweater over his face the whole flight in an effort to keep the germs away. We have often wondered about that man. Did he have the virus? Was he a superspreader? Is he still alive? �Thinking back, Michigan had 2 cases in mid March. Since September the cases in the US, Michigan and Kent County have risen alarmingly. We have heard Grand Rapids mentioned several times as a virus hotspot. We have had notices from doctors and hospitals. Almost whole hospitals have been converted to Covid facilities. Michigan medical staff have been asked to keep working, no matter what. There are no states with extra medical staff. Everyone is struggling. I would say to contain the spread, but that hope has passed. Now we are asked to monitor our own health and keep ourselves and our families safe. Again, Michigan had 2 cases in mid March. Yesterday the US had 176,439 new cases. Total cases are now at 12.7M. As fast as we reach a new million, the case levels rise faster to the next million. How long until we reach 13M - a day? Two days? US deaths yesterday: 2,203. We have reached 2 thousand deaths per day and are racing towards 2,500. US total deaths to date: 260K. How long until we reach 300K deaths? Michigan’s new cases yesterday: 6,853 and total cases so far is 347K. Yesterday’s death count was 167 and total deaths are 9,094. At 10,000 deaths (not far way) that would fill 2 Ford Theaters. And here in Kent County, the Health Department posted this online last night: With more than 632 new coronavirus cases per day and positivity rates above 14 percent – the highest local rates since the onset of the pandemic – our ability to provide services essential for the health of the community is threatened. Furthermore, our ability to conduct case investigation and contact tracing is severely challenged. As a result, we are prioritizing case investigations and cannot assure communication to all people who test positive or their contacts in a timely manner. For that reason, we are asking for the cooperation of our residents and employers: • Any person notified of a positive test for COVID-19 should immediately isolate for a period of time not less than ten days from onset of symptoms (if applicable) or from test date. The person must be fever-free without the help of fever-reducing medications for at least 24 hours and all other symptoms must be improving before leaving isolation. *Any person who tests positive for COVID-19 should contact all persons they were in close proximity to from a period of time beginning 48 hours before onset of illness (if applicable) or the test collection date. Close contacts include persons within six feet of distance for at least 15 minutes cumulative over 24 hours and/or physically contacted with a hug, kiss, handshake, or other intimate contact. Those close contacts should be advised to quarantine. • Any person who has had close contact with someone who is infected with COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days from the date of their last contact with the infected person. The quarantined person should stay home, stay away from others as much as possible, and watch for symptoms. If the person tests positive, they should follow isolation instructions outlined above. If the person tests negative, that does not mean they may end quarantine. That is because it can take up to 14 days for the virus to incubate after contact with someone who is infected. �The long incubation period is something that no one understood at the onset. The virus continues to puzzle and confound the experts. The long term effects, the way it mutates inside the body, the different symptoms between patients, the ways in which it is spread, what promotes the spread and what inhibits it - the questions are endless. Will life be the same? I don’t think so. I can’t imagine how long it will be before I can hug someone other than Craig, or visit a neighbor’s house, or even shake someone’s hand? How long before these ideas don’t make me feel uncomfortable? I don’t know. Maybe the masks and the distancing and the hand washing are with us forever, just like the scanners at the airport. Oliver, Zoe, Asher and our friend Chardi went to Taronga Zoo yesterday. Here’s Oliver and Zoe looking at the elephants. Asher made sure Oliver wore his giraffe pants to the zoo. ���We’ll return to the flashback tomorrow. In the meantime, wear a mask, wash your hands, stay at least 6 feet apart and NO HUGGING. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-25_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-259 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-25 Title A name given to the resource Day 259 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55c7007f0ba1ca4622008091f83b5e6e.pdf 205973d369b060449dcef60938f8d1cf PDF Text Text Day 260. Thanksgiving. by windoworks This photo is from 11 years ago. It was the year Zoe and Asher traveled secretly to the States to surprise me and celebrate my 60th birthday. This was the year we were all together for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not a national holiday in New Zealand or Australia. The British settled New Zealand after compromising with the Maori, and the British simply took possession of Australia because it seemed an empty land. Australia then became a major prison for British felons - far away and out of sight. Most people were sent there for the term of their natural life’s and were never allowed back to Britain. These were not murderers or such, these were desperate, starving people who’s crimes were petty ones at best. So New Zealanders were too busy surviving to be thankful and Australians were too busy being resentful to be thankful. There is a lot of discussion about the origins of Thanksgiving. History records that the first ‘Thanksgiving’ was held in November 1621 by the surviving pilgrims and some of the local Native Americans. They ate a feast of what was available - deer, fowl, corn etc. They didn’t have pies because they didn’t have an oven. I �think the feast was to mark their survival in a much harsher land and climate than they had imagined. Thanksgiving didn’t become a national holiday until 1863, when Abraham Lincoln designated the 4th Thursday of November as a day of giving thanks. I really don’t know how turkey and pumpkin pie became the main meal features. Roasting a turkey is a tricky thing - not long enough and its raw inside, too long and its dry and unpalatable. There are the traditional side dishes: mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole (not my favorite), dressing (stuffing), cranberry sauce and Brussels sprouts. The meal is usually eaten in the early afternoon after which everyone watches the obligatory football game. Before the meal begins, everyone gathers at the table and says what they are thankful for. This year I am thankful to not be surviving this pandemic on my own. I am thankful to have a husband, Craig, who stays steadfast through my hysterical laughter, cranky temper and torrents of tears. I am thankful for the outpouring of love from our family members, far, far away. I am thankful for enough money for a roof over my head, a warm and comfortable house to live in and enough food on the table for all meals. I am thankful for my dog Murphy Brown, who is always ready to cuddle and look at me with love in her eyes. I am thankful for all my friends, near and far, who reach out to me on a regular basis. I am thankful for the sunny days which I hold as a memory through the many grey days (ahh, Michigan). And I am thankful for you, dear readers, who take this fraught journey with me, day after day. Happy Thanksgiving. Two days ago, Governor Whitmer asked us all to stay safe for Thanksgiving. She asked us to celebrate this year just in our small bubble. She warned us that if we held our usual large family gathering this year, there might be empty chairs at next year’s Thanksgiving celebration. The medical experts are worrying that this celebration may be the tipping point for your local hospitals. Virus cases continue to climb. Washington Post The United States witnessed its deadliest day since early May on Tuesday, recording nearly 2,100 covid-19 deaths, with daily highs set in nine states. Nearly 88,000 people were in hospitals with the virus at the last count — another all-time high — setting up a historically bleak and dangerous Thanksgiving holiday. The U.S. outbreak just keeps accelerating. Yesterday the US added 178, 434 new cases. This brings the total to 12.8M. But its the death rate which is worrying. Yesterday the US added 2,294 new deaths and the total is now 262K. I remember being shocked by 200K deaths and then appalled by 250K deaths. The average of daily deaths seems to have increased to over 2,000 a day, and climbing. ��All around us, the numbers are increasing. We seem to be climbing a steep mountain with no peak in sight. People are suffering from covid fatigue. But I think if you let your guard down, even for a minute, you put yourself and your household in danger. As my neighbor, Amy said: what a sad last Thanksgiving for you and Craig. And that thought leads to this: Yesterday, Craig purchased our plane tickets. When he had completed all the details online and the message said thank you for your business, I burst into tears. So its really happening. We are leaving from Chicago at lunchtime on Monday July 5. Our tickets are one way, through Japan flying on JAL. Will we have to be vaccinated first? I don’t know. Will we have to quarantine in Sydney? I don’t know. So, Oliver. ��The tongue pokes out when he’s concentrating. Flashback: Mumbai. Mumbai (formerly Bombay) lies on the Konkan coast on the west coast of India and has a deep natural harbour. The seven islands that constitute Mumbai were originally home to communities of Marathi language speaking Koli people. In 2008, Mumbai was named an alpha world city.It has the highest number of millionaires and billionaires among all cities in India.Mumbai is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Elephanta Caves, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, and the city's distinctive ensemble of Victorian and Art Deco buildings. Wikipedia ������From the top: Dhobi Ghat. There are rows of open-air concrete wash pens, each fitted with its own flogging stone. Called the world's largest outdoor laundry, Dhobi Ghat is a very popular attraction among foreign tourists. It is located next to Mahalaxmi railway station on the Western Railway's Saat Rasta roundabout. It can be easily seen from the flyover bridge of Mahalaxmi station.Wikipedia. Authors note: although a tourist attraction Dhobi Ghat was deemed in disrepair and not clean. It has been shut down, demolished and a new more modern laundry facility has been constructed elsewhere. Second photo: a piece Mahatma Gandhi wrote, on display in his museum, in the house he stayed in when in Mumbai. Third photo: Craig in front of Mumbai Central Railway Station formerly known as the Queen Victoria Railway Station. Fourth photo: 2000 year old giant sculpture of the Buddha’s footprint. Fifth photo: another Buddha sculpture in the courtyard of the Prince of Wales Museum , and finally last photo: the Queen Victoria Gate to Mumbai. Interestingly, although named Empress of India, Queen Victoria never set foot in India, but 3 of her sons and 1 grandson did visit, all in her lifetime. So, celebrate online and stay safe. Remember: it will be all right in the end, and if its not all right, then it isn’t the end. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-26_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-260 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-26 Title A name given to the resource Day 260 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/609593c4e4e63ff544d20ae4a322f097.pdf 6e95252418c4cc1c5edac6f4d317ca79 PDF Text Text Day 261. by windoworks Did you have a safe Thanksgiving? From all the photos of friends on Facebook, everyone I know had a safe Thanksgiving. It seemed we all celebrated just with those who live in our houses, and in some ways it was a sweeter Thanksgiving. Not everyone ate turkey, Craig and I included. I don’t mind turkey but it is not my first choice. We had chicken, stuffed with homemade stuffing and roasted vegetables on the side. We ate in the early afternoon and then spent the rest of the day in a food coma. Our dessert was an amazing pecan pie from Rise, the gluten free bakery. We remembered past Thanksgivings with neighbors and friends - snowy Thanksgivings and warm Thanksgivings. I was asked yesterday if Australia practices �Thanksgiving and I reiterated what I wrote in yesterday’s blog. Nevertheless, we might hold a family Thanksgiving on the Saturday after the official date. Its not a national holiday and that Thursday is a normal working day. Craig and I were reminded of the Thanksgiving meal we cooked in France on our 6 month sojourn in Europe in 2016. That was a solo one also. My mother-in-law once said to me: photos are nice, but memories are better. And she’s right. A friend told me how she and her husband had gone on two trips to the U.P. this year - once on their boat in summer, and again by car in the fall. She said the memories were so wonderful that they will carry them through this challenging winter to the promise of spring and a vaccine. I hope you celebrated safely, and will celebrate the Festive season in December safely too. There are no statistics to share today because - Thanksgiving. There is a warning that cases and deaths will rise sharply in 2 weeks. The photos of the crammed airport concourses with passengers waiting in long lines to board flights did not inspire confidence, and all those people have to fly home again this weekend. Worrying. Here’s a disturbing piece from NPR: The actual number of coronavirus infections in the U.S. reached nearly 53 million at the end of September and could be approaching 100 million now, according to a model developed by government researchers. The model, created by scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calculated that the true number of infections is about 8 times the reported number, which includes only the cases confirmed by a laboratory test. Preliminary estimates using the model found that by the end of September, 52.9 million people had been infected, while the number of laboratory-confirmed infections was just 6.9 million, the team reported in the Nov. 25 issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. "This indicates that approximately 84% of the U.S. population has not yet been infected and thus most of the country remains at risk," the authors wrote. Since then, the CDC's tally of confirmed infections has increased to 12.5 million. So if the model's ratio still holds, the estimated total would now be greater than 95 million, leaving about 71% of the population uninfected. This morning, what number there were, did confirm that the US has passed 13M cases. But these are just the cases confirmed by a laboratory test. Using the CDC model the true number of cases in the US for today only is 104M. At the beginning of 2020, the population of the US was just over 331M. This would mean that just under one third of the population has the contracted the virus. In our worst fears, Amy Whatsername cast the final vote on the Supreme Court bench, to allow religious groups in New York to continue to hold indoor services. Perhaps she never read about the Black Death. The Black Death was the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history. The Black Death resulted �in the deaths of up to 75–200 million people in Eurasia and North Africa, peaking in Europe from 1347 to 1351. Plague, the disease, was caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Wikipedia How was it promoted in Europe? The citizens believed that they were being punished by God for some imaginary transgression or behavior - so, they all crowded into churches to pray for forgiveness and an end to the plague. That turned out to be the perfect incubator. They died in droves - and the Black Death was not an easy death. See any similarities? Crowded churches with people praying fervently. I guess Amy wold say its the people’s choice. Now I have no problem with that IF the congregation STAYS in their church for the next 2 weeks. Just sayin’ ��I am alarmed by the number of infected friends and relatives I am hearing about. I don’t think a single one of Craig’s 59 students is unaffected by the virus. At least 4 of them spent Thanksgiving isolated and alone in their dorm room, with food delivered to their door. At least Craig and I were together with Murphy. Macy’s held their annual Thanksgiving Parade but greatly changed. It went the length of one block only, there were no bands and only a limited number of balloon holders riding on trucks. For the first time this year, they included this: The 2020 parade featured a land acknowledgment, traditional rattle song and a blessing honoring people of Native American tribes historically based in the Northeast. "Did you catch the performance of the Wampanoag Language Blessing?" Macy's tweeted just after 10 a.m. The parade highlight came as Indigenous people across North America move to reclaim their lands, a campaign that is gaining steam as the US grapples with injustices committed against marginalized communities. CNN. In miscellaneous news, Governor Whitmer has been nominated for Times Person of the Year. Yay Gretchen! Trump has said if the Electoral College votes for Joe Biden, he will move out of the White House. They better damn well vote for Biden! And I hope Trump moves out early to allow time for a forensic deep clean. The White House has been designated a virus hotspot, as so many staff and management have tested positive. �Covid-19 testing in Buffalo.Libby March for The New York Times As well as the virus, families are starving in the US. All government assistance ends on December 31, and Mitch McConnell has blocked any suggestion of renewals, or a new program. Lines for food banks are long, and sometimes supplies run out before everyone gets something. Every charity is stretched to the limit. Oliver �Is he mansplaining? �After Mumbai we sailed on to Muscat, Oman. Muscat, Oman’s port capital, sits on the Gulf of Oman surrounded by mountains and desert. With history dating back to antiquity, it mixes high-rises and upscale shopping malls with clifftop landmarks such as the 16th-century Portuguese forts, Al Jalali and Mirani, looming over Muscat Harbor. Its modern, marble-clad Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with 50m dome and prodigious Persian carpet, can accommodate 20,000 people. �At the port waiting to board our �bus. Oman is mostly a desert country but wealthy from oil supplies �Nakhal, an Omani fort in the hills above the �Gulf �Teaching us about Omani history �I am standing in warm spring water and tiny fish are nibbling the dead skin off my feet. �Amazing experience. Would I do it again? Yes. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque �All marble, �everywhere The gorgeous grounds around the �mosque The lecturers on the cruise: L to R - Carl Hulse (Washington Bureau Chief, New York Times), Roger Cohen (NYT op ed writer) , Maureen Dowd (NYT op ed writer), Warren Hoag (former International Editor, NYT), and Craig. �True And: �Our 2020 Thanksgiving Day photo. Remember: keep your guard up. We’ll get through this. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-27_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-261 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-27 Title A name given to the resource Day 261 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/da02acbb5200d26b5f4ae59fed161065.pdf 6cdf5158a589739dc8e5456ab9bbfb35 PDF Text Text Day 262. Saturday November 28. by windoworks ��Tomorrow, all those people who flew to be with family members for Thanksgiving, in spite of the experts, mayors and governors pleading with them not to do it, will fly home again. Undoubtedly COVID-19 will be on each plane, taking a free ride back to a new destination and new hosts. And before you accuse me of exaggeration, think about it. No one has any true idea of the number of people who carry the virus without symptoms. That they’re asymptomatic only shows up if they’re tested. Remember, a large percentage of the population believe fervently that the virus isn’t real, because Trump told them so. CNN As Thanksgiving week draws to an end, more experts are warning the Covid-19 pandemic will likely get much worse in the coming weeks before a possible vaccine begins to offer some relief. More than 205,000 new cases were reported Friday -- which likely consists of both Thursday and Friday reports in some cases, as at least 20 states did not report Covid-19 numbers on Thanksgiving. The US has now reported more than 100,000 infections every day for 25 consecutive days and hospitalizations remain at record high levels -- with more than 89,800 patients reported nationwide Friday, according to the COVID Tracking Project. A record was set just a day earlier, with a staggering 90,481 hospitalizations. And the nation recorded a daily death toll of less than 1,000 only twice this week -- while the two days prior to Thanksgiving each saw more than 2,000 American deaths reported. Based on the current Covid-19 numbers in the US, the country is far from rounding the corner. If anything, we are rounding the corner into a calamity. We're soon going to exceed well more than 2,000 deaths, maybe 3,000, 4,000 deaths every single day here in the US. The Thanksgiving travel and gatherings that took place over this past week will likely only further push cases upward, experts have said, warning of another surge soon to come. The holiday has been described as "potentially the mother of all superspreader events," with Americans leaving from every airport in the country and possibly carrying the virus with them, oftentimes unknowingly. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans to avoid travel for the holidays this year, but millions have flown since that warning. Officials expect Sunday -- as everyone heads home from their holiday destinations -- to be the busiest day of travel since the pandemic began. �So here we are. After an initial twitter storm,some wildly inaccurate press briefings and at least 33 emergency court cases, held without any tangible evidence at all and thrown out crossly by judges who said ‘don’t waste the courts time’ - Trump has become extremely quiet. Now when he makes a wild assertion on twitter, such as: There's no way that Biden got 80 million votes," , this appears underneath. �This claim about election fraud is disputed in bright red text and a warning exclamation mark Instead, he is doing as many reprehensible acts as possible - but very quietly. He is still talking about a 2024 run for President but I think that’s just talk. And more and more, non Trump supporters don’t really care what he does or where he goes after January 20 - as long as we never hear from him or his followers or his family again. What devastating words these must be for Trump: we don’t care about you. Have you noticed that everything eventually becomes a news item? No matter how wonderful or uplighting or catastrophic or unthinkable, each event is relegated to history and a smaller and smaller posting in the media. For 4+ years, Trump has lived by his constant presence on the front page - how unnerving it must be to surrender that position to Joe Biden and his incoming team. How upsetting to hear that Joe Biden had more than 20 calls from international leaders, all welcoming a return to normal relations between their country and hours. This morning I heard that Kim Jong-un, the dictator of North Korea, ( and the man Trump ‘fell in love with’, is displaying excessive anger and taking irrational measures over the pandemic. Apparently he has banned all fishing and salt production as he doesn’t want the seawater contaminated by the virus. I think I must be missing something here. Yesterday 2 batches of packing cartons arrived as well as 3 packing tape and dispensers and a life size roll of bubble wrap. Craig has now been through every bookcase in the house and there are many bags of rejected books in the basement. The packing supplies and a smaller number of accepted books are all in the guest bedroom which I think will be the packing room from now on. Craig has decided to paint his study as its the only room in the house that he hasn’t painted. Our daily lives now consist of discussions of: Are we planning on taking this? Should we sell it? Should we buy it in Australia? It’s exhausting and we still have 7 months before we leave. Oliver and his first excursion to a toy shop. I think all his dreams came true. ��And then he took himself home again ��Our next stop was at Dubai. Google: Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates known for luxury shopping, ultramodern architecture and a lively nightlife scene. Burj Khalifa, an 830m-tall tower, dominates the skyscraper-filled skyline. At its foot lies Dubai Fountain, with jets and lights choreographed to music. On artificial islands just offshore is Atlantis, The Palm, a resort with water and marine-animal parks. Sailing in through the haze. You can just see the Burj Khalifa. �The Burj Khalifa. is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of �829.8 m (2,722 ft, just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding antenna, but including a 244 m spire[2]) of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world. Wikipedia. Looking down at the Dubai Fountain. �Looking way out into the desert. ���This aquarium in the mall under the Burj Khalifa was huge. It took up a whole wall. �I’m glad I saw Dubai and went up to the top of the Burj Khalifa. But it is just a city of incredible wealth. All the work is done by seasonal immigrants from other poorer countries. There were billboards advertising teeth whitening and plastic surgery. We drove to a beach area but it was just huge mansions bordering the sea. All the United Arab Emirates states have been made excessively wealthy from oil. But the oil reserves are finite and very gradually, the world is turning away from oil and gas and moving to renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. What’s impressive about the Emirates is that less than a hundred years ago, they were all Arab tribes living in tents in the desert as Bedouins. It was unbelievably hot, but a dry heat. On to our last stop tomorrow. That’s it for today and the sun is shining after a number of grey days. Stay safe, stay well. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-28_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-262 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-28 Title A name given to the resource Day 262 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a2a4152d04d16b5f51f15346c3534e0e.pdf 468715aa758cb136100519189350cec1 PDF Text Text Day 263 by windoworks Everything that Trump has done and continues to do, is undermining a large percentage of the population of the US‘s belief in the electoral system. This is extremely dangerous and has far reaching consequences. Despite everything to the contrary, Trump keeps telling his followers that the Democrats stole the election in a variety of ways - and they absolutely believe him. This is not a good sign for the democracy. Here’s some insider information: �Washington Post The facts were indisputable: President Trump had lost. But Trump refused to see it that way. Sequestered in the White House and brooding out of public view after his election defeat, rageful and at times delirious in a torrent of private conversations, Trump was, in the telling of one close adviser, like Mad King George, muttering, ‘I won. I won. I won.’ However cleareyed Trump’s aides may have been about his loss to President-elect Joe Biden, many of them nonetheless indulged their boss and encouraged him to keep fighting with legal appeals. They were “happy to scratch his itch,” this adviser said. “If he thinks he won, it’s like, ‘Shh . . . we won’t tell him.” The result was an election aftermath without precedent in U.S. history. With his denial of the outcome, despite a string of courtroom defeats, Trump endangered America’s democracy, threatened to undermine national security and public health, and duped millions of his supporters into believing, perhaps permanently, that Biden was elected illegitimately. Trump’s allegations and the hostility of his rhetoric — and his singular power to persuade and galvanize his followers — generated extraordinary pressure on state and local election officials to embrace his fraud allegations and take steps to block certification of the results. When some of them refused, they accepted security details for protection from the threats they were receiving. All the while, Trump largely abdicated the responsibilities of the job he was fighting so hard to keep, chief among them managing the coronavirus pandemic as the numbers of infections and deaths soared across the country. Though Trump ultimately failed in his quest to steal the election, his weeks-long jeremiad succeeded in undermining faith in elections and the legitimacy of Biden’s victory. As each swing state confirms the results for Biden, and Biden proceeds at a fast clip to appoint Cabinet members and others, the election seems decisively over. Trump has said he will move out of the White House if the Electoral College votes to confirm Biden’s win on December 14. But he has also said he will declare his run for re-election in 2024 on January 20, Inauguration Day. I wonder what will happen to all those true believers, family and friends who inhabit the White House now. I have seen stories about Melania divorcing Trump after January 20. I wouldn’t be surprised. While I know he can pardon himself for federal crimes ( shaky but feasible), no such pardon exists for the actions pending against him by New York State. I imagine Governor Cuomo is secretly smiling. Today is the day everyone who flew across the country to visit Grandma and Grandpa for Thanksgiving, is now flying home. Medical staff in every facility across America are doing this: Washington Post At a rural health system in Wisconsin, officials and medical experts began drawing up protocols for the once unthinkable practice of deciding which patients should get care. The chief quality officer of a major �New York hospital network double- and triple-checked his system’s stockpile of emergency equipment, grimly recalling the last time he had to count how many ventilators he had left. In Arizona, a battle-weary doctor watched in horror as people flooded airports and flocked to stores for Black Friday sales, knowing it was only a matter of time before some of them wound up in his emergency room. Days after millions of Americans ignored health guidance to avoid travel and large Thanksgiving gatherings, it’s still too soon to tell how many people became infected with the coronavirus over the course of the holiday weekend. But as travelers head home to communities already hit hard by the disease, hospitals and health officials across the country are bracing for what scientist Dave O’Connor called “a surge on top of a surge.” “It is painful to watch,” said O’Connor, a virologist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. “Like seeing two trains in the distance and knowing they’re about to crash, but you can’t do anything to stop it.” “Because of the decisions and rationalizations people made to celebrate,” the scientist added, “we’re in for a very dark December.” I am personally at the point where I wonder if the virus is lurking in the air outside the front door. A family member in Australia asked what we were doing every day. He seemed a bit shocked when I described it. Here it is: Every morning Craig and I wake up about 6am. Craig makes us breakfast which we eat in bed. After breakfast he takes Murphy for a longish walk while I sit in bed and write this post. Later in the morning, after Craig returns and he reads the post and we drink some more coffee, Craig does some schoolwork, or book sorting and I get up and shower ready for the rest of the day. I clean up the kitchen, do any of my chores and then hey presto! Its time for lunch. After lunch we go for a drive and some days, a walk and then its back home for Craig to teach or continue with activities like book sorting or room painting. For myself, I bake or read or or work on my jigsaw puzzle or watch something on TV. At 3pm, its afternoon tea time - a cup of tea and a snack. On most days, Zoe and Oliver FaceTime about now and Craig and I chat with Zoe while watching Oliver play with his toys etc. About 5pm Craig takes Murphy for a shorter walk, while I organize dinner. We take it in turns to cook dinner but on teaching days its usually me. If Craig isn’t teaching we will play a couple of games of Rummikub before dinner. After dinner, Craig cleans the kitchen and then its time for TV. We have watched entire seasons of many shows and when one finishes its always a search for the next good one. By 9pm, we are both tired and so Craig locks up the house and we go to bed and read before falling asleep. And that has been our routine for the past 263 days and I suspect it will continue for the next approximately 190 days, or until we’re vaccinated. Did I mention that during this surge Craig has become the designated shopper? So most Sunday mornings at 7:30am he leaves the house to be as close to the start of the line at Trader Joe’s, in the senior and infirm hour from 8-9am. He prides himself on getting everything on the list in under 15 minutes - the maximum time allowable to be inside in a store in over 24 hours. No browsing, just organized shopping for groceries. �Yesterday we drove to Ionia State Park. This is a beautiful recreation area with hiking trails and cross country skiing tracks. The camping area had some people living there in RVs and tents - it will be cold there once the snow falls. We parked looking out at Sessions Lake and watching a fisherman launch his dinghy and row out to fish. ��It was a lovely area and one we’ll visit again. Authors note: occasionally I make a sack lunch and we drive somewhere scenic and quiet to park and eat our lunch. Our daily walks are most often in one of the nearby cemeteries - very quiet and hardly ever any live people. Oliver. It has been horrendously hot in Sydney and two days ago it was just too hot to sit him in his high chair. �This is the table and chair Uncle Asher gave him for his 1st birthday. �Our cruise came to an end in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Its focus on oil exports and commerce is reflected by the skyline’s modern towers and shopping megacenters such as Abu Dhabi and Marina malls. Beneath white-marble domes, the vast Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque features an immense Persian carpet, crystal chandeliers and capacity for 41,000 worshipers. ― Google We were exhausted and had booked a luxurious hotel on the edge of a golf course for the night. But we had to visit the mosque. Outside the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in my ridiculous mandated covering. �The vast indoor courtyard. Notice that Craig can just wear his own clothes and doesn’t even �have to cover his head. �All marble and precious stones, crystal and gold, of �course. �On the famous Persian carpet under another priceless chandelier �It was synthetic and I nearly passed out from the �heat. �Gorgeous mosaics Outside again. We were only allowed in the public viewing area which was only a small part of the huge mosque. �Ah the blessings of a hotel pool on a hot day. �The next morning we flew home. See you tomorrow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-29_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-263 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-29 Title A name given to the resource Day 263 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc6fa6f2e52346631cccef15691f9184.pdf 3d5badc744ad644493993f106023cb73 PDF Text Text Day 264. by windoworks ��The day after Thanksgiving the US added 205,460 new cases and the total cases have reached 13.4M. The total deaths stand at 267K. Michigan added 16,680 cases, for Thanksgiving and the next day. The total cases have reached 378K and the total deaths stand at 9461. I cannot give you yesterdays statistics for the US, Michigan or Kent County as they do not run the numbers on Sundays or Thanksgiving apparently. Yes, you really are looking at a cart with 4 bodies on it and the staff opening the temporary morgue housed in 2 refrigerated semi trailers. From Washington Post: Biotechnology company Moderna, one of the leaders in the race for a coronavirus vaccine, announced it would file Monday for regulatory clearance — a critical milestone that brings the United States a step closer to having two coronavirus vaccines before the end of the year. And there’s more. The vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer and BioNTech are a major proof of concept for a flexible and fast medical technology, years in the making, that utilizes a snippet of genetic material called messenger RNA that teaches cells to build the spiky protein found on the surface of the coronavirus. The immune system learns to recognize and block the real virus. Washington Post. So think about this: as a volunteer, you must be prepared to have the injections, not knowing whether you’re receiving the vaccine or the saline solution. Then you agreed to be exposed to the virus because if you aren’t exposed, how would the scientists know if the vaccine works? Moderna’s vaccine was 94 percent effective at preventing illness in a 30,000-person clinical trial, the company said — a performance �that exceeds expectations and is on par with the best pediatric vaccines. All 30 cases of severe covid-19, the illness caused by the virus, were in a group that received a placebo. Washington Post. I remember clinical trial discussion from my Psychology days at university. For a vaccine they must run a blind trial for it to be judged effective - and easily replicated. That means that the test subjects are divided into 2 groups. One group gets the vaccine and one group gets the placebo (has no therapeutic effect). This the control group. In order to test a vaccine, both groups must be exposed to the virus. This tells you if the vaccine works. Now in a blind test, no one working with the groups has any idea who was received the vaccine and who received a saline solution. The only people who know who received what are the scientist at the top running the trial, and they have no contact with the administering staff or subjects. There were 196 cases of covid-19 in the study, 11 of which occurred in the vaccine group — a decisive signal that the vaccine protected people from illness. The 30 severe cases of covid-19 in the trial, including one death, all occurred in the group that got salt water shots. Washington Post I know that as a test subject you have to sign all sorts of forms certifying that you are aware of the dangers of the trial, but still, it is disturbing that one subject died from the virus. So I tip my hat to all clinical subjects - you are far braver than I will ever be. Two of the vaccines, Moderna and Pfizer are hoping to be authorized to begin vaccinating the first group in mid December. I assume this will be frontline workers such as hospital staff etc. Then gradually next year, more and more of the population will be vaccinated. Two notes of caution: either vaccine will produce a day of side effects. You will feel as though you have the virus, but this should pass after 24 hours. The other concern is that the scientists are not sure if vaccinated people (i.e. asymptomattic people) can spread the virus. Again from Washington Post: Major questions remain, including how long the protection will last and whether the vaccine will decrease transmission in addition to preventing illness. One worst-case scenario that has been debated by scientists is a vaccine that prevents symptoms and disease but doesn’t decrease the spread of the virus by asymptomatic people. So its tricky and I know some people will be diametrically opposed to the vaccine. For Craig and I, it may be a requirement of making a long international flight and then avoiding quarantine in Australia. Will it signal the end of mask wearing? Probably not for the foreseeable future. And then there’s the problem of the long haulers. I always associated long hauls with 24 hour international flights, but now this is the new name of the ongoing sufferers of weird Covid symptoms. Here’s one story: PBS.org Imagine being young and healthy, a nonsmoker with no preexisting health conditions, and then waking up one morning feeling like you were being suffocated by an unseen force. Back in March, this was my reality. I had just returned from Europe, and roughly 10 days later started having flu-like symptoms. I became �weak overnight and had trouble breathing. It felt like jogging in the Rocky Mountains without being in condition, only I wasn’t moving. I went to the hospital, where I was tested for COVID-19. I was one of the first people in Texas given a non-FDA-approved test. My results came back negative. As a social epidemiologist who deals with big data, I was certain it was a false negative. More than four months later, the symptoms have not gone away. My heart still races even though I am resting. I cannot stay in the sun for long periods; it zaps all of my energy. I have gastrointestinal problems, ringing in the ears and chest pain. I’m what’s known as a long-hauler – part of a growing group of people who have COVID-19 and have never fully recovered. Fatigue is one of the most common persistent symptoms, but there are many others, including the cognitive effects people often describe as brain fog. It’s too soon to say we’re disabled, but it’s also too soon to know how long the damage will last. Well, it must be time for Oliver now. Here he comes to cheer us all up. �Laughing with Great Uncle Drew. �In late July 2018 we took our first cruise with the Azamara Quest, a smaller ship where Craig was to be the only lecturer. He would be lecturing for 3 one week cruises, back to back, around the Mediterranean. We flew into the Nice airport in France and were picked up at the airport by a man with a sign and driven in a luxurious limousine to Monte Carlo. We arrived at the dock where our ship was waiting. �It was at the moment I got out of the car that I realized I would have to up my dress �standards for this cruise as all the other passengers boarding the ship were impeccably dressed. The pool area on the ship �Looking at the Monaco harbor �Leaving the wharf �And we’re off! Here we are: 26 days until Christmas. Numbers are expected to rise dramatically over the next 3 weeks and at least half of America are worrying about what the other half will do over the Christmas break. Whatever your religion, it is much better if you and your family bubble celebrate the festive season together at home. Our hospitals have reached the ‘who lives and who dies’ stage. Now its up to us. Remember this is a team sport and we all need to keep our heads and hearts in the game. I can do this, you can do this, we can do this. Yes we can. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-11-30_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-264 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-11-30 Title A name given to the resource Day 264 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6a00955f5f5439dcddcf1e1ae5492614.pdf 6377fe9b70602b7673144517e0c0d76b PDF Text Text Day 265 by windoworks I begin this morning with a reflection. A neighbor gave me a book for my birthday and I was reading it and I realized something significant. The author talks about intentions - something you can imagine yourself doing and then realizing that intention or dream. And sometimes we find the thing that makes us feel happy and fulfills our intentions, by accident. I realized as I read the book’s conclusion that I had accidentally found mine. In the beginning I wanted to be a writer and all the advice said: begin with what you know. So I began (years ago) to write my autobiography. Initially I had intended to finish it at my 50th birthday - which shows you just how long ago I started. I have not finished it and it sits reproachfully on my IPad. Next, every time we went on vacation, I wrote a blogpost, and sometimes, between vacations and when I felt so moved, I wrote another one off post. At the beginning of this pandemic I began writing this Pandemic Diary. At first it was short and scant, but over the last 9 months it has been added to and extended until it is an epic every day. Sometimes I check to see if it ‘looks’ long enough. But here’s the thing: I love writing it. I love the research that goes into every aspect of the blog. I love the way it flows from item to item. But most of all, as well as the joy of writing it, I love you, the constant Readers, who join me day after day, walking this pandemic with me. This is my unexpected intention, realized. I am a writer and it is one of the things that I do best. This is my song and I am singing to you. �Today the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has reported there are 96,069 patients currently in hospital. The virus numbers are climbing again. This morning for comparison, I looked at the daily case number in Michigan on June 16 - 164 new cases. Yesterday Michigan recorded 10,768 new cases, in a single day. All the experts are advising that this will be a ‘dark’ winter. They expect the case numbers to keep rising and the daily death counts to rise also. There is some good news - or as Dr Fauci says: a faint light at the end of the tunnel - both Pzifer and Moderna expect to have their vaccines available before Christmas. Now the discussion centers around who should get the first round of vaccinations. All hospital staff, of course. Then police, firemen etc. and perhaps nursing homes as well. They are sustaining a larger number of Covid related deaths. Our age group (66+) will be either the second or third round. �As we think about the end of the pandemic (but not, dear Reader, the end of the virus - sadly that is here to stay), reports are surfacing of the true beginning of the pandemic. Bloomberg Testing has found Covid-19 infections in the U.S. in December 2019, according to a study, providing further evidence indicating the coronavirus was spreading globally weeks before the first cases were reported in China. The study published Monday identified 106 infections from 7,389 blood samples collected from donors in nine U.S. states between Dec. 13 and Jan. 17. The samples, collected by the American Red Cross, were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing to detect if there were antibodies against the virus. The findings of this report suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infections may have been present in the U.S. in December 2019, earlier than previously recognized,” the paper said. Reports of a mysterious pneumonia spreading in Wuhan, China, first emerged in late December 2019. After multiplying rapidly throughout the city in the following weeks, the disease spread across the globe, with the first U.S. case emerging on Jan. 19. The revelations in the paper by researchers from the CDC reinforce the growing understanding that the coronavirus was silently circulating worldwide earlier than known, and could re-ignite debate over the origins of the pandemic. It’s not the first evidence showing the virus could have existed or infected people outside China before 2020. A patient in France was found to have contracted the virus after being hospitalized with flu-like symptoms at the end of December, contradicting official statistics showing Covid-19 reached the country from people returning from Wuhan at the end of January. The CDC study indicated there were isolated infections in the western part of the U.S. in mid-December. Antibodies were also found in early January in other states before the virus was known to have been introduced to those places. The scientists indicated it’s unlikely that the antibodies developed to curb other coronaviruses, as 84 samples were found to have neutralizing activity specific to SARS-CoV-2. They also noted it wasn’t possible to determine the magnitude of infections on a state or national level based on the samples, or whether the cases were locally transmitted or travel-related. Well that’s interesting. Both Craig and I still wonder if we had it earlier in the year and a friend of mine diagnosed with pneumonia in January, has discovered that he has a problem with the blood flow in one of his heart’s ventricles - and his doctors think it is an indication of him having had Covid. If you were wondering how a pod or bubble works, here is a story that may make you think carefully before you begin: �NPR D.C. resident Catherine Dill describes herself as an introvert, so the initial weeks of the city's stay-athome order didn't wear on her quite as much as others. Still, after months on her own, Dill formed a pod with three close friends. "It took a lot of work to think through … how to do it safely, but now that we have a routine, it's just really comforting and emotionally uplifting to be able to share the same space with people again," Dill says. Her bubble includes a friend who also lives alone and a married couple, all of whom live a few blocks apart in D.C. But the pod is not "static," Dill explains — households will temporarily leave the bubble whenever someone takes on a new level of risk. "If any of us go indoors somewhere, then that person is out of the pod for two weeks," Dill says. And she means it: they're all largely getting groceries delivered (a luxury not everyone can afford during the economic crisis), so even going into a supermarket means cycling out of the pod. In one recent instance, a member wanted to be a poll worker during the election, so she knew that meant taking a two-week leave of absence from the pod after Election Day. President-Elect Joe Biden has named a large number of White House staff as well as proposed Cabinet members. His choices are an interesting mix of ethnicities, gender and color. At the same time he has begun outlining policies such as environment and education. And he and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris have begun receiving security briefings which I’m enormously relieved by. Of course Trump hasn’t gone anywhere and here’s a piece from Crooked Media: In spite of his crack(ed) legal team, Trump continues to lose the election in fresh and exciting ways on a daily basis. On Saturday the Pennsylvania Supreme Court tossed out a GOP effort to block the state from certifying its results. Recounts requested by the Trump campaign in Wisconsin’s two largest, bluest counties reaffirmed Biden’s victory. As of today, all six key states where Trump threw legal spaghetti at the wall—Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Wisconsin—have certified their results, making Biden’s victory official. And just in case you were wondering - they’ve begun construction of the official viewing platform for Biden’s Inauguration. Some Republicans are trying to persuade Trump to attend the Inauguration Ceremony to show his rabid supporters that he accepts Biden’s legitimate win. Good luck with that. Yesterday Oliver stayed home from daycare as he has a fruity cough and a runny nose - and once again, he appears to be teething. ��Here he is, glued to the TV while ‘The Lion King’ entertains him, and allows his mother to do some office work. Flashback: our first port was in Cannes. �I am impressed with how skinny I look. This is the Old Town part of Cannes on a sleepy �Sunday morning. I just want to point out that Craig made me walk up the steep streets to this look out - 6 weeks after my total hysterectomy. But it is a nice photo opportunity. �This might have been the spot where I said: no I don’t think �so. �This sort of walking was much more my style. After an early buffet dinner onboard the ship, they put us on buses and took us to our first Azamazing Evening. It was a Can Can Cabaret in a downtown Cannes theater. �Never one to miss an opportunity, Craig had his photo taken with some of the dancers. And then it was back to the ship and champagne as we got off the bus. Every Azamara cruise features an Azamazing Night, all laid on for free. Next port tomorrow. Remember to be careful, stay healthy and stay heroic. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-01_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-265 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-01 Title A name given to the resource Day 265 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/10a087c92fc669a073644adb3c74c3c0.pdf 192a4c9ba29258134c6aee92686161d9 PDF Text Text Day 266 by windoworks ��I feel as though we are in the calm before the storm. You know that moment when everything goes eerily quiet, then the wind picks up and suddenly, all hell breaks loose. From Washington Post: Americans heard the pleas to stay home. They were told what would happen if they didn’t. Still, millions traveled and gathered during last week’s Thanksgiving holiday, either doubting the warnings or deciding they would take their chances. Now, like any partygoer waking from a raucous weekend — feeling a bit hung over and perhaps a tinge of regret — the nation is about to face the consequences of its behavior and will need to quickly apply the lessons before heading into the doubleheader of Christmas and New Year’s. Health experts point to several key takeaways: Many states were overwhelmed by unexpected surges in testing — with many families hoping a negative result might make their planned gatherings a little safer. Some airports were not prepared for the huge crowds that had not been seen since the beginning of the pandemic, making it difficult for travelers to maintain social distancing. But perhaps the most obvious lesson: Public health messaging needs to be retooled, as whole swaths of the country are simply tuning out the warnings from officials and experts. “We have to rethink how we’re communicating. Blaming people, yelling at them, stigmatizing them — clearly it’s not working,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Georgetown Center for Global Health Science and Security. “We have to show compassion and empathy. Understand where people are coming from and persuade them to do otherwise.” As bad as the country’s infections and hospitalizations are now, they will probably worsen in coming weeks because of the millions of interactions that occurred during Thanksgiving, experts say. In recent days America’s infection curve has already become a sheer mountain-climber’s cliff with recordbreaking case numbers and hospitalizations. If people travel and gather for Christmas as they did this past week, they project, the country’s already catastrophic situation could reach levels where hospitals are forced to choose which patients to save and which to let die, and where lockdowns become unavoidable realities of everyday life. Many people seem to be continuing to indulge in a kind of magical thinking and denialism, as they have all year long. “It’s like ‘I know this is a bad idea, but I want to do it, so I’ll find a reason and way,’ ” Rasmussen said. You know I think its hard for people. They’ve had a president (normally the bastion of acceptable behavior) who has indulged in magical thinking for 4 years. I think of that well worn phrase: lead by example, and I realize that half the population is following Trump’s example. Here’s his example for Christmas and New Year: Washington Post: Despite the cacophony of warnings to avoid travel and gathering in large groups, the White House is planning a spate of indoor holiday parties. �With an example like that, what do we expect people to do? This is the bit from the Washington Post story that bothers me the most: hospitals are forced to choose which patients to save and which to let die. Remember all those war movies where they showed field hospitals where they put different colored tags on the toes of wounded soldiers lying on stretchers? And some nurse or orderly asked what the red toe tag meant? And the harassed doctor always said: oh this one we can’t save. Soon there will be patients with the modern equivalent of a red toe tag because our hospitals will be so overwhelmed with severely ill Covid cases, the medical staff will have to make life and death decisions. Thats the thought that really bothers me. Craig and I have done everything we were asked (and more recently, were begged) to do and yet, what if one of us ends up in hospital with Covid and even if we’re not red toe tagged, we’re there, in isolation, wondering if we’ll survive. Yesterday I watched Governor Whitmer and then Dr Joneigh Khaldun explain just how dire the situation could get, and even then, when I accidentally hit the comments button on the screen, there they were, those die hard nasty people shouting their rabid comments for all to see. Insisting that once again, Gretchen was stepping on our rights. I am tired of this. I would like all those ‘my rights’ people to move far away from this state and leave all of us who listen and research and understand consequences not only for ourselves, but for everyone else around us, happy here in our restricted conditions, secure in the knowledge that we are all working together to survive. I was talking to my brother-in-law who lives in Australia, about shopping at Trader Joe’s and their careful restrictions, cart cleaning etc. He asked if other grocery stores do that much to keep shoppers safe and when I answered no, he asked why not? Good question. �This pandemic has put a strain on marriages and relationships. Craig and I have been here, uninterrupted, for almost 9 months straight. We follow the same routine, day after day. Yesterday when I woke up Craig said: Congratulations! We‘ve made it through another month! And I guess if we’ve done almost 9 months, we can make it through 6+ months to July. Craig also said to me a week ago: I don’t want to end up living in our house like hermits with 3 pieces of furniture. And then yesterday he said: We are going to be living like hermits with 3 pieces of furniture, aren’t we? Well, yes. And our guest bedroom? The pile of ‘take with’ is growing at an alarming rate. News continues to pour in about the vaccines in the final approval stage. The Atlantic The vaccine news cycles are just beginning. More trial data are coming, our science reporter Sarah Zhang says in her latest. Expect future results that are “sometimes good, sometimes confusing, and sometimes disappointing.” But overall, the picture looks pretty great: Sarah, who once cautioned readers about putting too much hope in vaccines, is feeling optimistic. I asked her to take stock of what we know so far—and what we don’t. What we know • We have three effective vaccines: one each from Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. (Although the latter company cleared the FDA’s bar for effectiveness, its trial results were pretty confusing.) �• If the first one, Pfizer’s, is authorized for emergency use by the FDA, it will be available by the end of the month. • Per a CDC panel vote this evening, the first recipients will be health-care workers and residents of longterm-care facilities. What we don’t know • How will we prioritize vaccines in the long run? Who will get them next, and when? • What other vaccines may be coming, and how effective will they be? (So far, all of the candidates require two doses. How will Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose solution fare?) • Will Americans be willing to take them? This morning there are clearer guidelines. Most importantly, Craig and I can hope to be vaccinated by February/March. Will this allow us to enter Australia without quarantining? Probably not. And here’s the thing that we’ve been thinking about: our family members will want to hug us when they see us - and well, we’re feeling kinda awkward about that. Its like that thing about shaking hands - no, and probably never. Oliver �Eyeing off Drew’s iced coffee with evidence of chocolate brownie around his mouth. �So our next port was Saint-Tropez. Saint-Tropez was a military stronghold and fishing village until the beginning of the 20th century. It was the first town on its coast to be liberated during World War II as part of Operation Dragoon. After the war, it became an internationally known seaside resort, renowned principally because of the influx of artists of the French New Wave in cinema and the Yé-yé movement in music. It later became a resort for the European and American jet set and tourists. Wikipedia.This was a port where I wandered around the old port shopping area and Craig explored further afield. ���Thats our ship at anchor. �Hilltop fort �Sun setting on our day in Saint-Tropez. To end today, I have a photo of a flowering Jacaranda tree from my friend Merrilyn. She passes this tree every morning on her daily walk. �See you tomorrow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-02_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-266 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-02 Title A name given to the resource Day 266 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ad7592e8de8b209778a0545be8d86daa.pdf 1c4fdf130638ea58c8750d0d601e380b PDF Text Text Day 17,384. No? Okay, day 267 by windoworks I begin today with this: The New York Times reports: At least 2,607 new coronavirus deaths and 184,174 new cases were reported in the United States on Dec. 1. Over the past week, there has been an average of 161,228 cases per day, an increase of 2 percent from the average two weeks earlier. The Times reports that as of this morning almost 14 million people have come down with coronavirus in the U.S. and more than 270,000 have died. Now CDC Director Robert Redfield claims that things are going to get much worse over the next three months. This is a quote that should raise red flags and cause people to reassess large gatherings and holiday travel plans. December, January and February are going to be rough times. I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult in the public health history of this nation.” Dr. Robert Redfield, Director CDC Now that is disturbing, but it was reported on Tuesday. Since then this was recorded for yesterday, and we have crested over 14M cases in total: News & Guts More than 200,000 new coronavirus cases were reported on Wednesday while more than 100,000 Americans were hospitalized with the virus. Both those numbers are records. Also, the U.S. reported the highest number of new daily COVID deaths since the pandemic began with more than 2600 reported today. Here’s some other cheery news: Science Alert A systematic analysis of 33 COVID-19 autopsies has found small traces of viral material in the human brain, and they appear to have come from the nose. It's a scary thought that SARS-CoV-2 might actually make its way into the human nervous system; while the results are preliminary, the signs are not looking good. The upper part of the human nasal cavity, known as the nasopharynx, is thought to be one of the first sites of infection and replication for SARS-CoV-2, and it might also be a weak point in our brain's defences. The human brain is separated from the rest of the body's blood supply by a semipermeable barrier of cells - helpfully named the blood-brain barrier - that keeps toxins and pathogens away from our precious noggins, at least most of the time. �In fact, some scientists think this could be what's causing many of the neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, including loss of smell and taste, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. Some days this blog turns into ‘everything you ever wanted to know about whatever, but were afraid to ask. This is probably one of those days. Yesterday I came across a post which explained why Trump’s followers adore him and believe his every word. I thought it worthy of sharing. It might answer some of those ‘I don’t understand’ moments. The Rise of Gnosticism with Donald Trump an interpretation by Linda Kristensen Gnosticism is derived from the Greek word “gnosis” meaning to know or knowledge Gnostic is defined as “relating to knowledge especially mystical knowledge. Gnosticism is a collection of religious ideas and systems which originated in the first century AD among Christian and Jewish sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge over the orthodox teachings, traditions and authority of the church. Trump supporters see Trump as the “Chosen One” to run our country. His Rallies are Church to them and Trump is their Gospel. To attend a Trump rally is to engage directly in the ecstasy of knowing what the great man knows, divinity disguised as earthly provocation. (To Trump-supporters; Trump is the biblical equivalent of King David flawed but still he became King. Therefore he must be believed, honored and all must be loyal to him.) One of the defining marks of the MAGA cult, like the gnostics of olde, is their deep and intense belief in the Myth of the Untutored Genius. This myth is one of the oldest refuges of the lazy and dumb. So just as the members of the Master Race are always guys who look like this Adonis…so the people who fancy themselves untutored geniuses always talk as though their native, instinctive brilliance confers on them an intuitive understanding of everything by a kind of direct spiritual illumination that leaves all those pencil-necked dweebs who did the homework in the dust. So Trump, like Bart Simpson on the day of the test he couldn’t bother to study for, tells us that he has a “natural instinct” for Science. He brags that doctors are astounded at how he just intuitively knows so much about coronavirus. When people relying on the best facts, data and hard numbers crunch those numbers and report what they add up to…. (Trump) the Untutored Genius consults his “gut” and declares them all wrong because he “just knows”. �What can be done to combat Trumpism, MAGA, Gnosticism? NOTHING - they will believe this way of thinking until they don’t. �So Pamela, I hear you ask - what then can you tell us about QAnon? This is what I’ve discovered and its illuminating: QAnon is a wide-ranging, unfounded conspiracy theory that says that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping pedophiles in government, business and the media.It began in October 2017; an anonymous user put a series of posts on the message board 4chan. The user signed off as "Q" and claimed to have a level of US security approval known as "Q clearance”.These messages became known as "Q drops" or “breadcrumbs".QAnon began as a prank by 4chan members with the goal of convincing gullible people to unwittingly promote the fictional organization "QueersAnonymous". It has since been adopted and perpetuated by many around the world. And so there it is - it started as a prank. But even more concerning is this: Crooked Media: Trump’s freshly-pardoned former national security advisor Michael Flynn shared a deranged manifesto from a right-wing Ohio group calling for Trump to “temporarily suspend the Constitution” until a new election is held, impose martial law, and “silence the destructive media.” You know, like the textbook definition of a military coup. It’s a classic If You Give a Mouse a Cookie situation—if you pardon a criminal conspiracy theorist for lying to the FBI, he’s just gonna want to try sedition. Meanwhile, Trump’s hints at another presidential run in 2024 (which he may or may not kick off on Inauguration Day, like a baby) are getting louder. At the third of at least 25 planned mask-optional White House Christmas parties, Trump told guests, “It's been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I'll see you in four years.” As exhausting as it is to contemplate, we can all take comfort in the fact that it would be a tremendous kick in the nuts for Secretary of Running for President Mike Pompeo. As at every stage of the clown coup, Trump and his allies have called for anti-demoratic actions that have no chance of happening, based on fraud claims and conspiracy theories that have no basis in reality. But Republicans’ silence has helped amplify that anti-democratic rhetoric, and we can’t ignore that this one buffoon trying to protect his ego and escape accountability is weakening our defenses against the next, slightly shrewder buffoon to come along. Remember the movie where the TV journalist began a movement by opening the window and shouting “I’m not going to take it anymore”? Is it time for me to do that? Would anyone else join me? Okay, I can hear you all shouting: where’s Oliver? �This photo is titled: my Mummy’s mean and won’t let me have this chocolate rabbit. �Our next port of call was Girona. Girona is a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, beside the River Onyar. It’s known for its medieval architecture, walled Old Quarter (Barri Vell) and the Roman remains of the Força Vella fortress. Landscaped gardens line the Passeig Arqueològic, a walkway following the Old Quarter’s medieval walls, which include watchtowers with sweeping views. ― Google ��������Such an interesting place. You know in 3 weeks sailing, we had 1 day at sea. This was the first week and we had shore excursions every day. Looking back, the 3 weeks were probably my favorite cruise. It is nice to relive it as I suspect it will be a couple of years before cruising begins again and Craig is asked to lecture. As I write this, it is a sunny morning. Michigan can have few sunny days going into winter and so we all cherish each sunny day. As ever, stay safe by wearing a mask, maintain physical distance and wash your hands. And one last thing: I read a recent article about those igloos and individual glasshouses that restaurants and cafes are putting up outside their premises. While they look safe, they’re designed to keep out the wind - and you actually need the wind to blow the virus away. I’ll leave you to think about that. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-03_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-267 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-03 Title A name given to the resource Day 267 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9886c602d24c3b1b3539d02e3e0779de.pdf b143915db4885467c0443c2dccad8552 PDF Text Text Day 268 by windoworks 216,548. Thats the number of new cases in the US yesterday. That number brings our total cases to 14.2M. Remember 3 days ago when we had almost reached 14M? The case numbers are racing upwards. Yesterday there were 2,857 deaths in the US from Covid-19. In one day. US total deaths now stands at 276K. And it is just one week since Thanksgiving. Michigan has a total of 410K cases and a total of 10,031 deaths. I am beginning to be too afraid to look up the daily totals and yet I do. In Michigan a federation of restaurants tried to sue to have indoor dining reestablished. The judge refused saying the Michigan Health Department had closed indoor dining in the best interests of public safety. I understand that businesses are losing money and facing closure, but money overrides community safety? People ask me how New Zealand and Australia managed the virus. They managed it with the understanding that most of the population would do as they had been asked. They managed knowing that they had real consequences for those who didn’t comply and endangered others. So many people have said: oh this would never work here in the US. Why? Can most people not see the greater good? Do a person’s right to do as they please override everyone else’s safety? Where is that written down? Yesterday during zoom class time, one of Craig’s students said on the morning she was getting ready to go home for Thanksgiving, she realized she couldn’t smell the body lotion she was applying. She was tested and it came back positive. She spent Thanksgiving alone in her college dorm room for a week with very basic food dropped off outside her door by catering. Luckily, one of her negative roommates told the story to her mother and on Thanksgiving Day that mother dropped a box of yummy food outside her door. Meanwhile, against all recommendations (and pleas), a million or more Americans traveled to be with family for Thanksgiving. The experts tell us it will be 2-3 weeks before we see the resulting climb in cases and deaths. It is beyond my imagination to think about what those numbers will be. Atlantic This spring, we first met bad. This winter, we’re set to meet worse. “Grim” remains the key descriptor: Our friends at the COVID Tracking Project see a pandemic that is heading to its worst phase yet, setting dire new records along the way. To help understand just how bad things are getting, here’s a collection of recent coverage: • Pandemic data are stalling out. Thanksgiving has skewed reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths, but one metric is still clear: Hospitalizations keep rising. • Keep your eye on hospitalizations. The metric is “a good number to watch for the most stable view of the situation,” Whet Moser advises. (The country broke records yesterday, reaching 100,000 for the first time.) • Iowa shows what happens when the government does nothing to fight the coronavirus. Our politics staff writer (and a native Iowan) Elaine Godfrey reports from the state: “To visit Iowa right now is • to travel back in time to the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.” �Here’s some timely advice: New York Times Today, I want to give you a guide to risk minimization. It’s based on a Times survey of 700 epidemiologists as well as my conversations with experts and colleagues, like Donald G. McNeil Jr. 1. There is one behavior you should try to eliminate, without exception: Spending time in a confined space (outside your household) where anyone is unmasked. Don’t eat indoors at a restaurant or friend’s house. Don’t have close, unmasked conversations anywhere, even outdoors. If you must fly, try to not to eat or drink on the plane. If you’re going to work, don’t have lunch in the same room as colleagues. Group lunches have led to outbreaks at hospitals and elsewhere. 2. This next set of behaviors is best to minimize if you can’t avoid it: Spending extended time in indoor spaces, even with universal masking. Masks aren’t perfect. If you can work out at home rather than at a gym — or do your job or attend religious services remotely — you’re reducing your risk. You don’t need to wear a mask when you go for a walk or a jog. Donald, who’s famously careful, bikes without a mask. “I consider keeping six feet distant outdoors more important than wearing a mask,” he told me. “If I had a birthday candle in my hand and you’re too far away to blow it out, I can’t inhale whatever you exhale.” You can also feel OK about doing many errands. About 90 percent of the epidemiologists in our survey have recently visited a grocery store, a pharmacy or another store. Just wear a mask, stay distant from others and wash your hands afterward. 3. The big picture: I find it helpful to think about the notion of a personal risk budget. I don’t spend any of my risk budget on supermarket shopping, because grocery delivery works well for my family. But I do take occasional unmasked, distant walks with one or two friends. They help keep me sane as we head into a long, very hard winter. But what is Trump doing to help? I hear you ask. Crooked Media Is it ideal that our large sociopathic president is spiraling deeper into his own narcissistic injuries while the rest of the country rolls into the worst stage of an already unthinkable crisis? Nope! Remember how the recently pardoned Micheal Flynn talked loudly about overturning the election, suspending the Constitution and holding a new successful election for Trump? (Author’s note: I swear to God you can’t make this stuff up). Anyway Dr Heather Richardson who writes an excellent daily blog posted this: �University of Texas School of Law Professor Steve Vladeck pointed out that “The Uniform Code of Military Justice defines as ‘sedition’ one who, ‘with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of lawful civil authority, creates, in concert with any other person, revolt, violence, or other disturbance against that authority.’…” The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley today pointedly distanced the military from talk of a coup. “Our military is very very capable… we are determined to defend the U.S. Constitution,” he said. “No one should doubt that.” A defense official told Military Times that the idea of Trump declaring martial law and having the military re-do the election is “insane in a year that we didn’t think could get anymore insane.” He spoke too soon. This afternoon the president released a video of himself making a speech he said was “maybe the most important speech I’ve ever made.” It was a 46minute rant insisting, despite all evidence to the contrary, that he won the 2020 election. While he has lost virtually every court challenge he has mounted and his own Attorney General, William Barr, has said there was no evidence of fraud that would change the outcome of the election, Trump continues to insist that there was “massive” voter fraud, and called on the Supreme Court to “do what’s right for our country” including throwing out hundreds of thousands of Democratic votes so “I very easily win in all states.” Joe Biden leads Trump in the popular vote with 80.9 million votes to Trump’s 74 million. Biden has won the Electoral College by 306 votes to Trump’s 232. These results are not close. Let me take a step back here for a minute to emphasize that this is dangerous, unprecedented… and crazy. The president of the United States is trying to undermine an election for which there is no evidence there was any irregularity, in order to stay in power. He might be doing so for the money—he has raised $170 million so far on promises to challenge this election—or because he is worried about the lawsuits he can expect as soon as he is not protected by the presidential office. Or, perhaps, he is simply escalating his rhetoric to continue to grab headlines as he feels the focus of the world slipping away from him and he cannot stand it. For the focus of the world is indeed slipping away from him. The president has largely ceased to govern, nursing his grievances in the White House and emerging only to golf. Today, the Supervisor of Elections in Pasco County, Florida, Republican Brian E. Corley, said he felt compelled to speak out against those attacking the election. “Facts are stubborn things,” he wrote in a statement. It is a lie to say the election was fraudulent, he said, and "[w]ith every deep state conspiracy and illegitimate claim of fraud our democracy sinks deeper and deeper into divisiveness. As the world looks on, the greatest democracy in the world dares to risk the peaceful and orderly transition of power in favor of propagating unfounded claims of ‘rigged elections.’" “The people have spoken, and… the election is over.” Tonight, the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office tweeted that their elections team was “threatened with execution by firing squad.” It said, “This has to stop. The wild, unfounded accusations amplified by [Trump] need to stop.” So this is where we are - 47 days out from the election. Trump is flying to Georgia to ‘help’ the GOP Senate candidates. If their Democratic opponents win, the balance in the Senate shifts from GOP to �Democratic. If not, then the Republican Senate will continue to block all Democratic bills. At this point, the thinkers among us must be asking themselves Why? Why block bills? Why try to undermine the sitting President? Money and power, those twin aphrodisiacs, that’s why. And once again, to raise my voice in this insanity: just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should. Yesterday, at a zoom chat meeting for members of the Women’s City Club, I let them know I was resigning my membership in the New Year as Craig and I plan to return to Australia in early July. When a member asked what it was like with the virus in Australia, I felt awkward telling them there have been no new cases for 3 weeks or so in the majority of states. Life is slowly returning to a facsimile of normal. My daughter asked me yesterday if we had any plans for a face to face farewell with our friends. Who knows? They are now reporting that it might take longer to roll out the vaccines as supplies seem to have been halved initially. Once again it remains: who knows? President-Elect Biden has said he will ask all Americans to wear masks after his Inauguration for 100 days - that’s until April. Craig and I will continue to do so but will most Americans? Oliver: �At daycare: still life with Digger. �No flashback today but I’ll resume tomorrow. I’ll leave you with this: � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-04_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-268 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-04 Title A name given to the resource Day 268 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1de9f47b372aacf10872822f0eaa229e.pdf ead451e1b7670428c28178452d2d33bd PDF Text Text Day 269. Saturday December 5 by windoworks The virus is spiraling out of control. The Pentagon blocks the Biden team from meeting with the major intelligence (read spy) organizations. The Festive Season is coming. The CDC recommends mask wearing indoors everywhere except your own home. The San Francisco Bay Area will go into lockdown on Sunday, and the rest of California may not be far behind. Washington Post Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield predicted that the national death toll could reach 450,000 by February. A separate CDC forecast estimated that as many as 19,500 Americans could die of the virus during the week of Christmas alone. In the ‘virus is spiraling out of control’, here are stats for the US as of yesterday: 229,077 new cases, case total now 14.4M. 2,637 new deaths, death total now 279K. Sobering isn’t it? And remember, the true numbers are possibly 8 times the reported numbers. I’ll let you do the math. A couple was arrested after boarding a United Airlines flight in Hawaii knowing that they were positive for the coronavirus. Hundreds of mostly maskless protesters packed the street outside a Staten Island bar that was forced to shut down this week after flouting coronavirus restrictions. Austin Mayor Steve Adler (D) apologized Wednesday after it was revealed he had vacationed in Mexico shortly before urging residents to avoid all travel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to host hundreds of people at an indoor holiday party, despite the agency advising his subordinates to avoid in-person gatherings. Here are 3 covid questions answered: Washington Post Fact: Masks help prevent the spread of the coronavirus Several studies support the theory that face coverings reduce the risk of infection. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testified before the Senate in September that masks are “the most important, powerful public health tool we have” for combating the pandemic. Part of the confusion about face coverings seems to have come from President Trump’s false claim in October that 85 percent of people diagnosed with covid-19 wore masks — a mischaracterization of a CDC study. Masks, of course, work only when you’re wearing them. It matters what you do when you take them off. Someone can say they “almost always” wore a mask and still could have had instances when they needed to take it off in a public setting — say, while dining out. �Fact: There are no known cures for covid-19 While a cure for covid-19 would be more than welcome, no drug or other treatment has been found to eliminate the illness. Since the coronavirus emerged in China late last year, myriad false rumors have �circulated about potential cures, ranging from drinking bleach to snorting cocaine. The Food and Drug Administration has issued nearly 150 warning letters to companies fraudulently promising a cure, treatment, prevention method or diagnostic tool. In reality, “the pharmaceutical toolbox for physicians to treat covid-19 is seriously restricted,” as The Post’s Christopher Rowland put it in September. The FDA so far has authorized only two drugs for the illness: remdesivir, for in-hospital use, and bamlanivimab, for people with mild or moderate symptoms. Fact: Scientists believe the coronavirus originated in animals Claims that the coronavirus was man-made in a Chinese laboratory continue to circulate, despite virologists and public health officials repeatedly explaining that the virus’s genome suggests it is naturally occurring in nature. Others have suggested that the virus accidentally leaked from a lab that was studying bat-borne pathogens in Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus originated. The Post’s Fact Checker investigated these theories in the spring and found that most scientific evidence strongly supports the conclusion that the virus was not manufactured. Is there any good news, Pamela? I hear you asking. Well, a federal judge restored DACA and that means thousands of immigrants known as ‘dreamers’ are eligible to apply for work permits. And, Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education, trying to prove she really is a good guy, has extended the moratorium on federal student loan repayments until January 31. What a sweetie. On the flip side, here’s a Washington Post story which I assume is true but extremely depressing: Just 25 of the 249 congressional Republicans acknowledge Joe Biden’s win over President Trump, Post survey finds. The Post contacted all 249 Republicans in the House and the Senate as the president continues to perpetuate falsehoods about widespread voter fraud and a rigged election. Two Republicans actually consider Trump the winner despite all evidence showing otherwise. And another 222 GOP members — almost 90 percent of all Republicans serving in Congress — will simply not say who won the election. So there is the alternative universe we seem to have fallen into and are unable to find the exit. This reminds me - years ago I went to Frankenmuth (famous for its Christmas shopping etc) and a group of us went into a big Christmas decoration store. It was huge, and like IKEA you wander on, aimlessly, hoping to find an exit. I kept looking for the big red panic button. I did get out of the store eventually but the feeling of panic today is reminiscent of Frankenmuth. There must be some kind of way outta here Said the joker to the thief There's too much confusion I can't get no relief. No reason to get excited The thief he kindly spoke �There are many here among us Who feel that life is but a joke But, uh, but you and I, we've been through that And this is not our fate So let us stop talkin' falsely now The hour's getting late, hey You guessed it - All Along the Watchtower, made famous by Jimi Hendrix, but written by Bob Dylan. Oliver �Asleep on my �daddy’s shoulder �This one titled: where did my baby go? �The next day we reached Palamos. Beautiful clear water and sandy beaches �Perfect for swimming �I love the colors of the �houses �An ornate altar inside the church And of course Craig went exploring and found a ruined fort. Now I know the news is bleak and will probably get bleaker as the case numbers increase from Thanksgiving. Lets get ready to stay safely at home for Christmas, or whatever you celebrate. A Holiday is only Happy when celebrating it doesn’t put us in danger. Don’t forget: your local hospitals are FULL. There really is no room at the Inn. So, put on your mask when you leave your house, stay 6-10 feet away from everybody and wash, wash, wash, your hands. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-05_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-269 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-05 Title A name given to the resource Day 269 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55857ea9f47426067396f64862a20de0.pdf c2b477b24312511c11f8e3027a10c8df PDF Text Text Day 270. by windoworks Well here we are. It is Sunday and the weather is cold - 26F (thats -3.3C) and its 8am. The high today will be 36F which is 2.2C. No sign of snow although it is cold enough. Yesterday my friend Pamela and her partner Jack came around and collected a triptych glass collage piece of mine that Pamela purchased from me. The three long windows hung in front of the long windows halfway up the stairs for years. Craig has taken down all the collage windows that the children asked for and all the ones we are taking with us. The windows of our house are now mostly bare and every room is beginning to sound echoey. All this activity is making Murphy anxious and she copes by sleeping on the floor as close to me or Craig as possible, for as long as possible. I understand. Sometimes I think: if I just close my eyes and snooze, will it all have been a very bad dream? The case numbers keep climbing and the deaths keep increasing too. An average of 200,000+ new cases a day means that it takes 5 days to reach the next million. Yesterday we reached 14.7M which means by Tuesday we should be over 15M. There are all sorts of predictions by the experts but even these are changing as the numbers continue to climb. We are all hoping for some improvement in our lives by mid 2021. It is beginning to look like the Covid vaccine might become an annual thing much the same as the flu shot. But apart from that, what do we think life will look like once we get the virus under control? Here’s some thoughts from a writer at the Washington Post: Things may be unpleasant now, but if everything goes well, then sometime next summer, we should reach the end of this miserable journey through plagueland. But on closer inspection, the more I realize I don’t really know what “there” will look like. For all the talk of a “return to normal,” large chunks of the old normal are due for a post-covid-19 rethink. And I’m not just talking about movies heading to video or takeout cocktails — though, please, let’s keep the takeout cocktails. The more I think about it, the more I think I’m talking about practically everything. And how about the nonmedical things we could be doing to control infectious disease? Are we going to bring handshaking back, and if so, why? Should we accelerate the arrival of a cashless, touchless payment economy, despite the loss of privacy? How much do we need to beef up the ventilation systems in public spaces? Any chance we’ll keep wearing masks on subways, in malls, in movie theaters? And if not, at the very least, can we collectively agree to stop going to work sick — even if that means more generous paid sick leave? Of course, a lot of us might just stop going into work — or at least stop going in so much. I doubt that the office is truly over; in fact, the pandemic has highlighted the value of personal contact. But it’s easy to imagine most office workers getting their collegial fix in a couple of days a week. �That, in turn, probably means reimagining homes — who still loves the open-concept home after nine months of 24-hour family time? Quick commutes become less valuable, personal living space much more so, which represents an extinction-level event for a lot of commercial real estate owners, and the ancillary businesses that serve commuters, particularly in New York and San Francisco. Exurban estates with good views, on the other hand, might well enjoy a renaissance. Business travel is also due for reconsideration — and without business travelers, the travel industry will collapse. While you might expect that means some fantastic deals for leisure travelers, it’s more likely to mean the reverse, since travelers on an expense account often subsidize bargain-hunting tourists. The resulting declines will crush hotels, airlines and their workers, plus the budget of every city with a significant tourism or convention business. Governments now realize that some manufacturing — such as personal protective equipment — may be too important to leave offshore, given that other governments might seize that production in an emergency. And companies have learned the dangers of building “just in time” supply chains that snake through three continents, none of which holds more inventories than they need for this week’s sales. Their customers now understand those risks, too, if they’ve spent hours scouring stores for toilet paper or months waiting for a new refrigerator. In fact, we should expect big changes in anything that could be filed under “borderless economy.” When the chips were down, governments slammed borders shut, grabbed whatever they could for their own citizens and worried about everyone else later, if at all. I have no answers to those questions, yet; I don’t even know if these are the right questions. The only thing I’m quite sure of is that 2022 won’t look quite like 2019 — or anything else that any one person can now imagine. And that’s what I think also. Everything will change, especially here in the US. I am changed too. You cannot be subjected to this pandemic and not change. Perhaps having just your own immediate family at Thanksgiving and Christmas is pointing out to many people that no matter how often we argue with our relatives, they are still our families and in perilous times we hope to stick together. This pandemic has pulled some families together and ripped some apart. We all just keep hanging on, hoping for a better day. Over the weekend Oliver stayed with Craig’s brother Drew and his wife Bernie. He had a wonderful 2 days and Drew sent 7 (seven!) short videos of Oliver. Every day he looks a little older than the day before and every day he shows us something new he has learned. It is a ray of sunshine in these dark days. So here’s Oliver. ��Flashback: that night we experienced the first White Night onboard the ship. Each cruise features an Azamazing Night and a White Night. You dress in white, eat fabulous buffet food on the pool deck and then dance and drink champagne for as long as you like. The music is live and the cruise performance troupe sing. The Costa Brava �Our first White Night. Tomorrow Alcudia. See you then. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-06_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-270 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-06 Title A name given to the resource Day 270 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6d705bd5f8d5c762a9eff1b4f4150343.pdf 4b18d59e15d1a448b7bb4c8637be93bd PDF Text Text Day 271. by windoworks ��Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids. Along with lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, nucleic acids constitute one of the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life. Wikipedia The jab is known as a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine. Conventional vaccines are produced using weakened forms of the virus, but mRNAs use only the virus's genetic code. An mRNA vaccine is injected into the body where it enters cells and tells them to create antigens. These antigens are recognised by the immune system and prepare it to fight coronavirus. So, unlike the flu vaccine which delivers a microscopic dose of the flu to your body, this RNA vaccine uses the virus’s genetic code to trigger immunity. I’m telling you all this because yesterday Craig listened an anti vaxxer interviewed on ‘On The Media’, and her overriding concerns with a vaccine were: it will alter your DNA and we will become non human and, it introduces lots of metal into your body which will interact with the 5G network. This woman has over 1M followers. I imagine that although they have the technology to follow her, they have never used that same technology to research facts. In my discussion a few days ago, I mentioned ethics. Any proposed study or proposed procedure must first clear the Ethics Board. This board ensures that all experiments etc are not going to harm the subjects in some way. I don’t believe the vaccine developers or the Ethics Board even considered the vaccine either changing the human race to become some other entity or, the fact that vaccines might contain metals. Because, neither of these assertions are true, they have no factual basis. Note to reader: I can feel myself getting very angry here, so I’ll move on. �Last night I read a long article by Dr Sanjay Gupta, the Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN. The article supposes that the USA is Dr Gupta’s patient. If you want more than what I am posting, read it online. Its worth following up. According to the most recent IHME model, the number of projected Covid-19 deaths could decrease by 66,000 by April 1st if 95% of people wore masks. Think about it. One of those lives saved could be your own mother's, your elderly neighbor's, your favorite musician's or the next brilliant scientist's. It could even be your life or mine. In addition to wearing masks, we must restrict our activities and reduce capacity at certain types of businesses. A modeling study, by researchers at Stanford and Northwestern universities, shows that a small minority of places people visit account for a large majority of coronavirus infections in big cities. And it suggests that reducing the maximum occupancy in such places -- including restaurants, gyms, cafes, hotels and religious establishments -- can slow the spread of illness substantially. This type of move will, or course, cause the patient a certain amount of pain—so leaders should be prepared to offer pain medications. In this metaphor, morphine comes in the form of money for those suffering, an economic stimulus. One thing that has become clear. Our patient does not like taking small, incremental steps like those outlined by countless public health experts. Instead, the patient, our country, likes the big, hail-Mary, grand gestures. We are the quick-fix, short cut society -- always hoping for the magic cures and potions, instead of leaning into the simple effective tools, which require a little more work. As a result, my patient doesn't want to wear a mask and skip holidays with the family and friends; they just want a vaccine to hurry up and return us to life as normal. Our human spirit has made us innovative, creative, resourceful and tenacious enough to see this dream of a vaccine bear fruit. But it's our human behavior and biological reflexes that will dictate how deep our wounds ultimately go. No amount of science can rescue us from ourselves. I can only hope that this country's self-preservation instinct kicks in soon, and long enough, to get as many of us over the finish line as possible. Yesterday, Rudi Giuliani tested positive for the virus and has gone to hospital. He has attended many events in recent days - all without a mask having drunk the Kool Aid of Trump’s team. Trump continues to do as many actions as possible to turn both America and the Presidency into a scorched earth continent. He has amassed a staggering amount of money from his fans which he will use to help pay off his massive debts. He is planning rallies and disruptions for the next 4 years before running again for President. People say to me: be optimistic, Pamela. This is the United States of America. I say to them: take a closer look. This has fallen into the States of America, each state trying to survive a massive catastrophe which is aided and abetted by the one person who is supposed to have a duty of care for this country - the President. About half of all voters voted for Trump. Their most fervent hope was another 4 years of this unmitigated chaos and perhaps an overturning of the Constitution and Standing Rules so Trump could be the President indefinitely. Why do they want this? Because, at the heart of it, I believe, Trump allows them to be their �basest selves - that person who fears people of other colors, other ethnicities, other sexualities. Those other humans who ‘don’t look like us’. In truth, apart from a select group clustered around him, he has given these ardent fans nothing, no concrete thing. No money, no health care, no financial stability. Just a dream, an idea, a safe racist place, away from the reality of the world. You know he’s successful when seriously ill Trump fans die believing their illness is pneumonia, or bronchitis or lung cancer - but not the virus. Because Trump told them it wasn’t real. All hail Trump. And just to demonstrate Republican’s credulity, here’s 2 points from the New York Times about the 2 Republican senators facing a runoff election with 2 Democratic candidates in Georgia: • At a debate for one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs, Senator Kelly Loeffler, a Republican, refused to say Trump lost the election. Loeffler is running against the Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. • In the other runoff, there was no debate because Senator David Perdue — a Republican under fire because of personal stock sales — refused to participate. Jon Ossoff, the Democrat, answered the moderator’s questions next to an empty lectern. How much Kool Aid have they drunk? Here’s my question: how will this country ever put itself back together again? Is it torn apart, beyond repair? I don’t know if there is enough optimism for reunification to succeed. In totally unrelated news, we took the weekend off from sorting out a houseful of belongings and on Sunday morning drove out to the lake. ��It was like a millpond. It was also very, very cold weather and the sky to the west looked bruised and brooding. On the horizon, although you can’t see them in either of these photos, were clusters of boats. We assumed they were fishing. Oliver: �Having got himself up here, not entirely sure how to get down again. Alcudia is a municipality and township of the Spanish autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. It is the main tourist centre in the North of Majorca on the eastern coast. It is a large resort popular with families. Most of the hotels are located in Port d'Alcúdia and Platja d'Alcúdia along the 14 km long beach that stretches all the way to Can Picafort. In Alcúdia the old town is well preserved with houses dating back to the 13th century. The old town is surrounded by a medieval wall. Wikipedia �Through the city gate �Inside the walled �city Amazing altar in one of the churches �Medieval art is my �favorite �In a cafe in the town square, waiting for our coffees The Roman ruins �Well preserved Roman ruins. No of course I didn’t walk to look at the ruins. It was WAY too hot. I did like the old town though. Keep smiling, keep shining Knowing you can always count on me, for sure That's what friends are for For good times and bad times I'll be on your side forever more That's what friends are for See you tomorrow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-07_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-271 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-07 Title A name given to the resource Day 271 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4cd957b0a0e520d94e7d4be9cf154563.pdf e25676897c82da8d589bee33ef4f0768 PDF Text Text Day 272 by windoworks Yesterday, as forecast by me (well I did the math), the US reached over 15M covid cases. And yesterday Governor Whitmer addressed the state and said Michigan is in an extremely fragile position. The Michigan Health Department extended the restrictions (which were set to expire today) until December 20. The way we are going, I imagine these restrictions will be extended into January. Here’s a refresher in case you forgot: �Now I think those restrictions are pretty reasonable considering that Michigan has reached 436K cases and 10,415 deaths. And we still have the surge from Thanksgiving to contend with. �New York Times I asked the authors of the Health Affairs study to put their findings into terms that we nonscientists could understand, and they were kind enough to do so. The estimates are fairly stunning: • At the current level of infection in the U.S. (about 200,000 confirmed new infections per day), a vaccine that is 95 percent effective — distributed at the expected pace — would still leave a terrible toll in the six months after it was introduced. Almost 10 million or so Americans would contract the virus, and more than 160,000 would die. • This is far worse than the toll in an alternate universe in which the vaccine was only 50 percent effective but the U.S. had reduced the infection rate to its level in early September (about 35,000 new daily cases). In that scenario, the death toll in the next six months would be kept to about 60,000. It’s worth pausing for a moment on this comparison, because it’s deeply counterintuitive. If the U.S. had maintained its infection rate from September and Moderna and Pfizer had announced this fall that their vaccines were only 50 percent effective, a lot of people would have freaked out. But the reality we have is actually worse. How could this be? No vaccine can eliminate a pandemic immediately, just as no fire hose can put out a forest fire. While the vaccine is being distributed, the virus continues to do damage. “Bluntly stated, we’ll get out of this pandemic faster if we give the vaccine less work to do,” A. David Paltiel, one of the Health Affairs authors and a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, told me. There is one positive way to look at this: Measures that reduce the virus’s spread — like mask-wearing, social distancing and rapid-result testing— can still have profound consequences. They can save more than 100,000 lives in coming months. And just a little worrying footnote to that story, also from the New York Times: • Once Pfizer delivers its first 100 million vaccine doses to the U.S., the country may not get another batch until June. That’s because the Trump administration passed on a deal last summer to secure more shots, and the European Union bought them. Don’t ask me - is it part of his plan to destroy America? Although I am informing you about case increases and deaths, I think it is hard to imagine what it is like on the frontline. Earlier this year we saw some videos of intensive Care units and the daily strain of coping with the virus-positive patients. Those videos have stopped now and I suspect it is because no one has the time to record them. Here are 2 reports out of seven that I read in the Washington Post yesterday. They are from nurses on the frontline. First: JACKSON, MISS. As of Dec. 7, Mississippi has seen 166,194 total confirmed cases, 3,961deaths, and 1,188 people are �currently hospitalized with the virus. Catie Carrigan, 28 ICU, University of Mississippi Medical Center There are some patients who have been in their younger 20s and their younger 30s, and I think maybe those are the hardest cases. They have families and they have kids just like I do, and it’s hard coming into work and taking care of them. Knowing they’re supposed to be going to college, they’re supposed to be getting married, they’re supposed to be having kids and, instead, they’re laying in a hospital bed on a ventilator fighting for their life. They have their whole entire lives ahead of them, and then they get hit with this disease that everybody thinks is a hoax and then they die. I worked in the ER a month ago, so I know exactly what’s going on down there, and now I work in the ICU, so I know exactly what’s going on on both sides of it. There are no ICU beds in the hospital. None. When there are no ICU beds, we hold them in the ER, or we hold them in the PACU (post-anesthesia care unit). The ER still has to treat our trauma patients, our car accidents, our gunshot victims. So when we have those ICU holds in the ER, it obviously makes the jobs of nurses and doctors in the ER way more difficult than it needs to be. We are treating patients in the hallway. They’re just trying to do the best they can with the resources that we have. There is no room left, essentially, and I think that’s really what people don’t seem to understand. And I get it, when you’re not in health care you don’t really see our side of it, but we’re seeing the worst of it. It’s hard for us to convey that to the public because they don’t seem to want to take our word for it — but take our word for it. Take our word for it. And second: GLENVIEW, ILL. As of Dec. 7, Illinois has seen 796,264 total confirmed cases, 14,216 deaths, and 5,190 people are currently hospitalized with the virus. Luisa Alog Penepacker, 51 ICU, Glenbrook Hospital I’ve taken care of a lot of husband-wife patients, unfortunately. One of the cases was one in which the husband had tested positive for covid first, but he was a mild case. She was a little bit more serious. She ended up on our unit. The husband ended up in the hospital the next day, but he was on the step-down unit. When I admitted her, she was terrified, especially knowing that her husband was upstairs in another unit. She was having a hard time breathing, and she grabbed onto my hand and looked at me. She goes, “Am I gonna die?” I mean, I didn’t know what to say. And I just told her, “Not on my watch.” So we just kept on going. But unfortunately, she got intubated the next day. Then I was sent to work upstairs on the step-down unit. I had her husband that next day, and he was actually quite happy that I saw her. He goes, “You took care of my wife, how is she? I heard that she’s not doing well.” I didn’t know what to say to him, either. I just said, “You know, she’s in the best of care. �We’ll take really good care of her.” And he looked really relieved. He goes, “I’m just so glad that someone who had seen her is here now to talk to me.” And my heart broke with that. She ended up passing. A few days after, he went home, and I didn’t see him, so I don’t know how he took it. He wasn’t able to see her before she passed. We wear personal air purification respirators on our heads — these big white domes over our heads with a respirator hose going to a machine strapped around our waist, and we look like astronauts walking through the unit, going in and out of patients’ rooms with our plastic gowns and gloves. It can be frightening to family members if they’re allowed to come to visit and definitely for patients because we’re kind of scary-looking. It can be frantic at times. You walk through the hall, and you see a lot of patients on ventilators. You hear a lot of beeping. People are rounding constantly to check on patients. It’s a busy place. And then there’s this: Well what am I looking at, Pamela? These are iPads set up on stands. They are used in hospital rooms where Covid patients are isolated. Each one is brought in so staff can facilitate families FaceTiming their loved ones, perhaps those on ventilators. It is the only way some families get to say goodbye. And all the while, Trump continues to besmirch the election process. This ongoing action will not be without longstanding consequences. The Atlantic America remains on the eve of a potential return to normalcy. This time, the country is nearing the formal procedural end to one of the year’s biggest dramas, the 2020 election. Donald Trump’s ongoing refusal to concede—coupled with his attempts to undermine the process outright—may finally hit a wall. But a shattered norm is hard to piece back together, and this administration’s actions will have longrunning consequences. • Language fails to capture Trump’s strategy in recent weeks. Treat it like a coup. Zeynep Tufecki, who was �in Turkey for the attempted coup in 2016, warns: “The incoherence and incompetence of the attempt do not change its nature.” • This may be Donald Trump’s most enduring legacy. He will leave behind “a nihilistic political culture, one that is tribalistic, distrustful, and sometimes delusional, swimming in conspiracy theories,” Peter Wehner argues. And as my favorite, Crooked Media, puts it: It’s unclear how Trump’s gun-toting fans will react when his options have been exhausted, but we’re nearing that point. Georgia has recertified its results after counting all ballots for a third time, handing Biden his weekly Georgia victory. Judges have dismissed Sidney Powell’s kraken lawsuits in Georgia and Michigan, and the official Trump legal team has lost its pinnacle of legal flatulence Rudy Giuliani, now that he’s been hospitalized with coronavirus after potentially exposing hundreds of people. A fitting conclusion to both the post-election mess, and one man’s utterly extraordinary six-week faceplant. On Saturday night, Jocelyn Benson (Michigan’s Secretary of State) was minding her own business at home. She and her 4 year old son had just finished putting up Christmas decorations when she heard a commotion outside her house. These were armed protesters shouting obscenities and chanting into bullhorns, making unambiguous, loud and threatening demands. Because thats what you do when the President INSISTS that the election was rigged. Every recount has strengthened Biden’s lead and almost every court case has been thrown out by irate judges, angry at having their time wasted. More than 1,500 lawyers have signed a letter asking that the lawyers involved in these fictitious lawsuits be investigated and possibly disbarred. Bringing lawsuits without any evidence of a crime is a documented legal reason for disbarment. As Jocelyn Benson noted: those unhappy with the results of this election have perpetuated an unprecedented, dangerous, egregious campaign to erode the public's confidence in the results of one of the most secure, accessible and transparent elections in our state's history. Today is the closing day for election appeals (I think I read that correctly). When everything else failed, Trump has tried to strong arm Governors in swing states to throw out the state electors and instal sympathetic Republican ones. There was a federal law passed before the election stating that Electoral College voters in each state must vote in accordance with the winner of that state. So far, no governor has acquiesced to Trump’s demands. It must be an extraordinarily difficult time to be a Republican legislator. He really does have them by the short and curlies and they have so little backbone they react by being struck dumb. Oh, and Trump’s considering pardons for himself and his family - no details or specifics, just a blanket pardon for anything and everything. You can’t make the stuff up. YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP. (Yes, I know I am shouting). Yesterday Craig held a zoom meeting with a group from the University of the Third Age in Brisbane, Australia. They �asked: how is it really in the US? And then were shocked and horrified when Craig answered. They live in an alternate universe where the virus is largely contained and life looks to be prepandemic to my eyes. Now I know you need an Oliver photo to calm down. �Here he is painting a star red, for the daycare decorations. �I received a video of the daycare Christmas concert. This year it was a video only due to Covid. Oliver featured heavily, doing his version of dancing which bears a remarkable resemblance to African tribal dances. He loves dancing and gets right into it. Flashback: so the next stop was Valencia. The port city of Valencia lies on Spain’s southeastern coast, where the Turia River meets the Mediterranean Sea. It’s known for its City of Arts and Sciences, with futuristic structures including a planetarium, an oceanarium and an interactive museum. Valencia also has several beaches, including some within nearby Albufera Park, a wetlands reserve with a lake and walking trails. ― Google Cuidad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) ��Russafa - possibly a refurbished Roman amphitheater. �Medieval gates to the old town �district �Valencia Cathedral �Poster for Valencia �oranges �Cafe de Las Horas (Cafe of the hours). Loved this cafe. So there we are. Another very grey day in Michigan. All sorting and packing is suspended until this weekend after Craig finishes teaching for the semester. Tomorrow then. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-08_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-272 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-08 Title A name given to the resource Day 272 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e56650f7c7acc15b4f9bdfd9c8ff424e.pdf 2b649088f5734f39af7057086958949b PDF Text Text Day 273: 39 weeks by windoworks This morning my sister-in-law sent me a link to this: 2020 the musical. A recap with Broadway songs. Jimmy Fallon and Andrew Rannells performing. Look it up, its priceless, although it did make me teary. Craig was talking to one of his classes yesterday and they were reflecting on this year. The students who began as excited and nervous 1st year Honors students have all grown up. A pandemic will do that. They are all back at home now, and all changed by their first ‘living away from home’ experience. I’m not sure there’s many students left actually on campus. Speaking of the pandemic, here are the stats for yesterday. US: 219,944 new cases, total: 15.2M. We should reach 16M by Saturday. 2,597 new deaths, total: 286K. At this rate of around 2,500 a day, we should be at 300K deaths by Tuesday next week. Now its hard to grasp these figures. They have become just numbers. To give you some perspective: world case numbers yesterday: 68.3M, so the US has just under one quarter of the world’s cases. I tried to think of 15M somethings that would perspective, but I can’t. Oh wait, I looked up visitors to the Vatican each year and the answer was 5M, so today’s case total for the US represents 3 years of visitors to the Vatican. In Michigan the death toll yesterday stood at 10, 620 which would fill 2 Ford Theaters and begin on a third theater. Here’s something uplifting. CHICAGO (AP) — Hayley Orlinsky has made so many bracelets, looping colorful rubber bands over her thumb and index finger again and again, that she no longer must watch her hands. The spunky 7-year-old from Chicago has spent most of the coronavirus pandemic crafting the creations as a fundraiser to buy personal protective equipment for a children’s hospital. So far, the endeavor has generated nearly $20,000 for Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, prompting praise and purchases from Chicago politicians, a Broadway actor and her beloved White Sox. Hayley’s initial goal was $200, which she quickly surpassed, charging $3 a bracelet or $5 for an added charm It’s hard for the second grader to grasp how much more $20,000 is by comparison — but she figures it’s a lot. “It’s more than the tooth fairy gives,” she said. It all started when she heard news stories about PPE shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and was inspired to help. The money Hayley raises goes directly to Lurie through a fundraising office. Lurie hasn’t had any problems getting gear and has used the money to pay for masks, goggles, face shields, gloves and other items for medical workers and visitors, said Tracey McCusker, an associate director at the hospital’s foundation. For Hayley, the mission is personal. She spent her first days of life at Lurie’s neonatal intensive care unit �after experiencing breathing problems. She wanted the doctors, nurses and medical staff working with kids to “protect themselves.” Now that I’ve cheered you up, here’s some Trump shenanigans from Crooked Media: Former DHS cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs, whom Trump fired for debunking his election conspiracy theories, has sued the Trump campaign and its lawyer Joe diGenova for defamation. DiGenova, memorably, went on Newsmax and called for Krebs to be “taken out at dawn and shot.” The lawsuit alleges that Trump, his legal team, and Newsmax conspired to falsely claim that the election was stolen, to defame Republicans who spoke out against those claims, and to fraudulently raise over $200 million from duped supporters. • If anything, the violent rhetoric from Trump allies has only grown more unhinged since the Krebs episode. The official Arizona Republican Party twitter, a dank swamp of conspiracy theories, has begun urging supporters to fight to the death in support of Trump’s attempts to cling to power. We’ve all become desensitized to a lot of things over the past year, but let’s be clear: This is fucking berserk. �Well actually I’ve lost count of the number of times Trump’s lost the election. • Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis has tested positive for coronavirus after attending a White House Christmas party on Friday. For those keeping score at home, the Trump elite strikeforce team has now racked up more coronavirus cases than wins in court. Yet another White House superspreader event. But here’s my question - what are Trump and the Trump family going to do after January 20? More importantly, where will they all go? I think the Trump name has been besmirched and they may not be welcome in Manhattan any more. There is a rumor that Trump will go to Mar-A-Lago for Christmas and just never return. Next Monday is the day the Electoral College votes to confirm the result of the election. As Joe Biden has 306 Electoral College votes already, and he only needed 270 to win the election, I’m guessing this is just a formality. Well it better be just a formality! On our drives in the countryside we are still seeing some Trump flags, banners and yard signs. I think these people are hoping for the miracle he has promised them. But this is a dreadful precedent for the �government and I hope some legislation is put in place to avoid this type of egregious behavior in the future. This morning we worked out there are 207 more sleeps before we fly back to Australia. This morning I watched the daily update for COVID-19 in New South Wales. There are no new community transmissions and the 60 some people in hospital are not on ventilators. But what piqued my interest was the investigation of poop at the southwestern Sydney sewerage station. They had found vestiges of the virus, and they asked all people living in the 40 suburbs serviced by this station to get tested if they had any cold symptoms at all. Do we test the sewage?? I guessing no, as I’m pretty sure the virus is totally out of control right across the States. We had China and Europe to watch and learn from at the onset - and because the President lied to everyone, we did nothing as a nation to prepare. It was up to each state and it is still up to each state. How did this happen in a democracy, and will we stop it happening again? Will the people in the House and the Senate learn from this and make sensible provisions? Many scientists in the virus field are saying this may well happen again with a new virus we have no protection against. Will it be Pandemic Mark 2? I sincerely hope someone in authority is already making contingency plans. Something to ask your local representative about. Oliver. �So much cuteness! �Our next port was Barcelona. Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, is known for its art and architecture. The fantastical Sagrada Família church and other modernist landmarks designed by Antoni Gaudí dot the city. Museu Picasso and Fundació Joan Miró feature modern art by their namesakes. City history museum MUHBA, includes several Roman archaeological sites. ― Google. So first up we went on a walking tour of the city are and the most impressive sight was this: �The Sagrada Familia �On 19 March 1882, construction of the Sagrada Família began under architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned, Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete. Wikipedia. �It is still not complete today and will take years more to finish. �A building constructed in the Gaudi �style. Formerly the bullring, now a shopping mall �Looking out over Barcelona �The guest Spanish dance troupe onboard that evening. The first cruise ended in Barcelona so we had two whole days for sightseeing. More Barcelona tomorrow. I’ll finish today with this, just received from my counselor. Take heed: �� Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-09_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-273 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-09 Title A name given to the resource Day 273 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f3403eb32f04bec9372c4a2aab8e6e9e.pdf 1295f153860a8c2b7eea0bbc5118c149 PDF Text Text Day 274 by windoworks That was just to make you laugh before I give you yesterdays numbers. Yes, they’re that bad. US: new cases: 218,473. Total cases: 15.5M. New deaths: 3,053. Total deaths: 290K. Hospitals are overwhelmed. Morgues have run out of space. The Atlantic: Conditions are continuing to deteriorate in America’s hospitals and long-term-care facilities. Still the holidays loom. What’s usually a happy countdown ’til the end of the year is plagued by fears that �they’ll prove accelerants for this already-deadly surge. What should you weigh as you consider your holiday plans? Leadership vacuums remain, and no one has succeeded in offering clear safety guidance that Americans will actually follow. And this: Washington Post More than 20 percent of Americans traveled for Thanksgiving despite the health risks, according to an analysis of cellphone data. Dismissing health concerns and despite a positive case on the premises last week, the State Department hosted 200 guests for indoor tours and holiday drinks Tuesday night. �If 20% traveled for Thanksgiving, how many are intending to travel for Christmas. And what sort of example does Trump keep setting? • Crooked Media: it would be nice if the government were to give people money to stay home and slow the spread, no? To paraphrase GOP leaders, “go fuck yourselves.” The U.S. is alone among wealthy Western countries in not providing material help to people during the winter surge, for the very simple reason that the party that currently runs our government is insane. In a sign that another stimulus package isn’t exactly imminent, the White House suggested adding a one-time $600 stimulus check to its discussion draft, but only in exchange for gutting enhanced unemployment benefits. Millions of Americans are at risk of eviction! Canada is paying jobless workers $2000 a month! There’s just no excuse! So, when are we getting the vaccine? When? Crooked Media: After Operation Warp Speed spent billions of dollars to hasten the development of coronavirus vaccines, 31 countries around the world have reserved more vaccine doses per capita than the U.S. It’s like ordering an elaborate cup of coffee and then walking out of Starbucks without it, except, you know, people will die. Incomprehensibly, this was a deliberate choice: Pfizer offered the Trump administration the chance to reserve more doses over the summer (“hey man, you forgot your coffee”), the Trump administration took a pass, and Pfizer now can’t guarantee another round of supplies until June. • FDA approval for the Pfizer vaccine—which will launch the deliveries of 6.4 million initial doses (enough to vaccinate 3.2 million people)—could come as soon as this week; in the meantime, Americans are stuck watching the U.K. and Canada sail towards national immunity like the D.W. meme. Authorization for the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, of which the U.S. has reserved 300 million doses, will be more delayed: AstraZeneca lost credibility with U.S. regulators when it failed to disclose a pause in clinical trials, and scientists have criticized the lack of transparency around its data.The vaccine is definitely safe and viable, but its efficacy rate is still unclear (especially among older adults), and that means we’ll have to wait. This morning this just makes me tired. Here we are, a developed country, lagging behind the other developed countries of the world. I was discussing Trump’s behavior with my neighbor, and we agreed that if we had done only one of his actions, we would have been brought to trial and sent to jail. Yesterday Trump joined the Texas “lawsuit” that contends that a law allowing mail in ballots in swing states were illegal. This suit will be brought before the Supreme Court. If, by chance, they hear this case and then rule in Trump’s favor, I believe the United States of America will cease to exist. And the reputation of the Supreme Court will be sullied beyond repair - much as the Republican Party is. Every day I feel as though I have fallen further down a rabbit hole, like Alice. A large percentage of Republican voters will believe that Biden won the election fraudulently. They will continue to believe that for the next 4 years. You �cannot repair that. It would have to take Donald Trump admitting he was wrong - and he will never do that. When Craig and I watched Joe Biden onstage after the election was first confirmed, I was disturbed by the number of security guards standing on the stage with him. I would guess this is the future of his presidency, carefully and overtly guarded at every step. His White House experience promises to be like a luxurious prison. This breaks my heart. This is not the United States that Craig and I came to 18 years ago, so excited to be living here and be a part of it. Its not the place that we spent 7 years to become citizens. I remember the day we were sworn in. You are only allowed 2 guests each and we had over 20 guests. The thrill I felt when we all took the Oath of Allegiance and became American citizens. And when we drove home afterwards, every house on our block had put out American flags to congratulate us. Now, I am ashamed of our president’s behavior and ashamed of Republicans who support his egregious behavior. I ashamed of the citizens who threaten state officials, and chant the words: lock her/him up! I am ashamed that states have been left to cope unaided from the federal government, and I am ashamed that this country elected a would be dictator - one who’s hold on reality seems to become more tenuous with every passing day. I don’t want Trump to sneak away to Mar-A-Lago. I want him held responsible for every heinous and possibly treasonous action he’s ever taken. I want him held responsible because he is responsible. As you can tell, this is not my best morning. I am tired beyond belief and I have a headache. We are talking with a realtor who will begin our house sale process much sooner after the new year than we had thought. We are beginning to pack and seal boxes, and put away loved treasures. We (really Craig) are planning when to stop utilities etc. I have sold 2 of my windows and have 4 more for sale. Our house looks emptier with every passing day. People have asked if we can have some sort of farewell event - if the vaccine isn’t available to us until June, then I don’t see how we could safely do this. Oliver �Doing craft at daycare but the cottonwood ball seems to be glued to his hand and not the paper plate. �I’ll leave you with something to smile at, just as I began this post; � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-12-10_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-274 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-12-10 Title A name given to the resource Day 274 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng