Day 319

 January 23, 2021

Recently I discovered these words by Nelson Rockefeller:

"We live in an age of revolutionary transformation. We can seek to shape it or we can doom ourselves to irrelevance. We can accept the challenge to our creativity or we can resign ourselves to ineffectual bitterness. We can lose ourselves in passionate and paralyzing controversy over technical aspects of individual problems, or we can, as I deeply believe we must, develop a more creative perspective—one which enables us to see the inner relationship of great issues and the larger framework within which they can be solved."

They written in 1968, but seem appropriate for these times.

The challenge we face as a country is to do what Rockefeller believed, "develop a more creative perspective". We as a country must see what is happening and find the perspective of others and understand it. The way our democracy is set up there will always be different opinions. Freedom is what this nation was founded on. Unfortunately it was also founded on revolution and that is the part people are clinging to. We need to revolt in 1776. It was necessary to gain freedom from a oppressive government, but these days people are taking their freedom into a violent tilt. 

The new president has started his tenure with 17 new actions, many designed to reenact policies once disbanded by the previous administration. Others are targeting the current issues of our world (pandemic, climate and racial injustice).

Since January 20th the world seems more peaceful. Is peace really attainable? The people of the United States will have their eye on president Biden and his staff. The world will also be watching the soap opera that has been ongoing in this country. There are many questions still to be answered in regard to the pandemic and getting this virus under control is a priority. 

As humans will all seek reassurance and that is something that has been lacking from our lives since March 2020. The need for humans to connect is an innate desire and the virus has created a wall for most human interaction. The current state of the world has brought to the surface many hidden fears and anxieties causing many people to act out in anger or retreat into a solitary lifestyle bereft of human contact and the reassurance we all require. 

As we thread our way through this life we all have doubts about ourselves, regrets for things we have done and many live in quiet desperation for the hope of what may never come about. With the smallest of gestures and few words, one person may have a profound affect on another by offering them reassurance. Either a shoulder to lean on, an ear to hear their voice or an empathetic understanding that they are not in this alone. 

We share these deep feelings of uncertainty and can be a valuable resource to those who carry the weight so heavily that it brings them to their emotional knees. When we provide even the most banal words of comfort we are offering the hope and reassurance that things will be alright. The current times may seem bleak and our patience wear thin, but things will change and the future holds a certainty that all of us can endure with a little help from our fellow humans. 

George Washington Burnap said, "The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."

It is in something to hope for that allows us to keep on keeping on amidst the turmoil, pain and suffering that life can be. And when someone, a human like us, can offer us words of hope we can see another side of life. One that offers love and laughter, joyful experiences and unparalleled beauty. 

Sometimes we just need a little kindness and other times we need a swift kick in the ass. Either way the results can be beneficial to our human spirit. In the movie Rocky Balboa, Rocky speaks to his son and provides his son with a verbal kick in the ass. Let Rocky be your inspiration!

Day 284

 December 19, 2020

A December to remember. Well, more like a year to remember. Nearly all of the year 2020 has been marred by the coronavirus outbreak and subsequent pandemic which has handcuffed the world and now taken over 1.6 million lives. As we grow closer to the end of the year we are inclined to reflect on the recent past and even sometimes the station that is our current life.  If you are alive and reading this, then in one way, it is a wonderful life. 

The iconic holiday film "It's a Wonderful Life" starring Jimmy Stewart, Donna Reed and my favorite film noir femme fatale, Gloria Graham tells the story of all of us as we exist though the trials and triumphs of our lives. The film, produced in 1946, was initially a flop and when its copyright was not renewed it was broadcast for free and began airing frequently during the last few weeks of the year and thus became a holiday tradition. (NBC owns its rights and airs it every Christmas eve)

Jimmy Stewart was a WWII fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps and flew some 20 combat missions. Upon his return to Hollywood It's a Wonderful Life was his first film and since he was still grappling with the traumatic experiences of war and feeling of loss fellow pilots his emotional scenes where his character, George Baily, is breaking down and crying are all very real. 

The movie is about loss and pain and everyday failure and how many humans sometimes feel like they are at the "end of their rope". George Bailey turns to prayer and the answer to his prayer is an angel named Clarence who goes on to show George how wonderful his life really is even amidst the struggles and setbacks he has endured. As we all reflect on our lives, particularly this past year and how the pandemic has shaped and misshaped our living, consider all the wonderfulness in your life.

Beginning with life itself. Each and every day is a new opportunity to see, act and hope. 

See all the beauty life has to offer you, beyond the seasonal lights, there is natural beauty (like last nights moon) and imperfect beauty (the human body and its intricate workings).

Act in a way that manifests your deepest desires for love, joy and self-worth and then act as if every human you interact with is someone of value. This mortal life is fleeting and frail and we must not forget our time on this earth is limited. Cherish yours and the lives of others.

Hope for all of your wishes and keep hoping (and praying-if you are disposed to do so).

Never let the light go out on your dreams. 

Even beyond this life. Your memory will live on in others. 

Take this time to recall those souls which touched us and moved us in ways we will never forget. 

The dearly departed are with us still in our heart of hearts.

Loved and preserved. 

For the eternity of our lives they live on.

And let us recall the people, we may not know, but we are linked with indelibly everyday as we proceed through these challenging times. The essential workers. Those in day care and nursing homes. Those doctors and nurses caring for our brothers and sister struck with COVID-19. The grocery store workers and all those who continue to supply us with our daily needs. They are amazing humans doing what it takes for all of us to see this through.

May this years end bring you joy and tears and hope 

in a way that inspires you to endure and be more human than you ever thought possible. 

To care and love and cry.

To live and love and laugh.

To be alive.

Day 277

 Saturday December 12, 2020

It is with anticipation and trepidation I await the arrival of the vaccine to the United States. My reasons of anticipation ought to be obvious as we all long for the life we lived prior to the pandemic and the vaccine offers us a great hope for controlling the virus and its prodigious spread. The fear I hold onto is because of the way the pandemic has divided our country and it will continue to be evident as the vaccine becomes available. I believe many people in the U.S. will not vaccinate and the divide will continue as those that long to heal this country will be combatted by the unbelievers and such who did not care to help quell the virus from the onset. Also, it is a matter of the unknown. What side effects will the vaccine bring? Will enough people take it to eradicate the virus within a few months or will the process take longer?

Questions. So much uncertainty. Yet we have hope. And that sure feels good as we approach the new year.

Recently I read an article about Brooklyn and how it has changed through the years. Incorporated in 1834 by the Civil War it had grown to the third largest city in America. A century later it was barely a functioning borough of New York. As neighborhoods began to fall from poverty and crime the nail in the proverbial Brooklyn coffin was the closing of the Navy Yard in 1966. Some 12,000 jobs were lost and many fled to the suburbs leaving behind a Brooklyn ripe for decay. Of course it survived and went through many changes as different ethnicities moved away, gangs dissolved and crime brought under control. The modern movement has brought in a younger clientele and the gentrified Brooklyn we know today is thriving.  The following photos are from Brooklyn in the 1960's. 

1. A diverse neighborhood with a Jewish deli, Chinese restaurant and Italian pizza place side-by-side

2. The workers of the Navy Yard give a thumbs down to the potential closing

3. Two New York Yankees visit neighborhood kids.

Reading of Brooklyn made me think of Walt Whitman, raised in Brooklyn, but born on Long Island, the great poet of his time and beyond. He self-published Leaves of Grass in 1855 and the second edition included the poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry". Whitman was a volunteer nurse during the civil war and later a printer, editor and of course writer for publications such as the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the Crescent (in New Orleans) and the Brooklyn Freemen. It is Leaves of Grass, Whitman's view of the world as he sees it, in which we are given 32 poems of Americana. One, I sing the body electric, deeply explores the physical body of man and woman. Whitman also explores purpose and one phrase states, 
"Each has his or her place in the procession.
(All is a procession, the universe is a procession with measured and perfect motion.)"

We are sometimes in need of reminding what is our place in this universe and how we ought to go about pursuing or spreading our dream to our fellow humans. Pass on to one another cheer, love and the treasures you know to be talents. Build one another up. Praise those that bring you joy when they sing, dance, teach or inspire you to be more than just the a sacred body, but indeed an integral part of this perfectly measured procession of life. Here I am under the Brooklyn Bridge in 2013.

 

Day 270

 December 5, 2020

There is so much going on as the entire world population braces for the holidays, the flu season, and the dead of winter while also anticipating the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine. 

Both  Pfizer and Moderna have developed adult vaccines and many people are awaiting the public release and distribution.  As of this writing, Britain has given emergency authorization for the Pfizer vaccine and will begin distribution on Monday. The U.S. has stricter authorization guidelines and hopes to have the vaccine ready for distribution around mid-December.  A pediatric version is in the making, but it is complicated as children are usually not included in trials (Pfizer began trials in children aged 12 and up in October and Moderna is set to begin testing soon).  There are many who do not approve of testing on children and while that delays the distribution for the vaccine to school age children most experts agree that children do not transmit the virus as readily as adults

Nor do they typically show serious symptoms when they are infected. It seems this information and the fact that teachers will be some of the first offered the vaccine will in all likelihood mark the end of remote teaching starting in 2021.  Most school districts around the world are currently in either a fully remote model or a hybrid version. In the meantime experts are also predicting a massive surge in both cases and deaths in the U.S. by February if people do not take mask wearing and social distancing seriously.  This may scare school boards and district administrations from pushing for in-person education. All of this makes for a very controversial topic.  

We can only wait and see.

In other virus news the second wave of COVID-19 is streaking across the globe. Decimating the European nation and dampening the lives of those in the U.S. Hospitals are near capacity again and shutdown orders are once again in effect and the number of infections and deaths continues to reach mid-April numbers. The death total in the U.S. has exceeded 270,000 and as both infections and hospitalizations continue to rise it makes the coming weeks seem dreary. It appears this may go down in history as the worst holiday season ever. And for those who like to read you may want to look into good-reads-book-worst-holiday-ever

This graph tells the European story.

The first memorial for victims of COVID-19 is being constructed in New Jersey On the site of a former toxic dump, everything is legal in Jersey of all places.

In sports news, Rafer Johnson, the first Black captain of a United States Olympic team and a participant in the1960 Olympic games and gold medal winner in the decathlon has died at 86.

The NFL continues, but not without its COVID-19 cases, quarantines and game delays. We recently has a game on a Wednesday for the firs time in decades. Having bye weeks has helped but those are ending soon and the league will have to get more creative such as the case with mid-week games.  Due to the Wednesday game we will have a second MNF game and a Tuesday night game this upcoming week.

The Rose Bowl, a major college football game, will be played in an empty stadium on Jan. 1.

    

Day 221

 Sunday October 18, 2020

Today we voted. We are hopeful for change. We are hopeful the people who take office can make the changes needed in this country to help us re-establish our nation as one of diversity and unity. A nation which allows immigrants to arrive and thrive here as a true land of equal opportunity for all people. 

The world needs hope now more than ever with a pandemic known to the world as Covid-19 rifling through the planet and making life difficult for most and unbearable for others.  The novel coronavirus has infected nearly 40 million people and taken the lives of over one million.  The world will never be the same.  In our efforts to regulate we have sacrificed time and luxury. Many opportunities have been lost.

Many lives have been shattered. This past month has seen a second wave of infections hit the world and countries devastated early on (France, Spain and Italy) are being ravished again. In the United States the number of daily infections has increased in over 75% of our states. 

 The dire conditions many areas were in during the months of April to July are rearing again. All this as we enter the cusp of flu season. How will this virus and the flu react together? Little is still unknown and a vaccine is still months away.  The school district we currently work in has seen both exposures and positive cases in several schools.  The in-person hybrid model is four days old and only in elementary and middle schools. High schools are set to open this week, but with state infections on the rise and a multitude of quarantines it seems this may be the last week before all goes remote. The challenges of the hybrid model are many and our feeling is it may not have made the impact on those in-person students as hoped. Remote learning certainly is not the answer, but the safety of students and staff is and always should be the precedent. The superintendent will make a decision no later than October 22nd regarding the model we use in the coming months. Needless to say, education has been thwarted by this virus as much as our economy and travel industry if not more so because it affects our future population of working adults and potential world leaders.  Where will we be a year from now?

Maybe school districts around the world will move to year-round schooling to make up the gaps in learning?  Maybe a longer four-day work week with a remote-learning Friday will be the new standard?

It will certainly be interesting to see the world in one year and note the changes in an array of areas most assuredly what our government will look and act like. We are in need of a leadership with empathy and understanding for those less fortunate than the 1%. However, the U.S. is just one piece of a large global puzzle and many nations need reform and healing. The remaining few months of 2020 are a mystery for many reasons and let us hope the unwrapping of those unknowns will be wrought with a feeling of hope and relief rather than despair and pain. I voted today. I voted for change and hope for a better tomorrow. A better country. A better world. And a resurgence of caring persons who are unified for the good of all humans in the spirit of empathy and love.

In a effort to supply my readers with support I offer an article How to destress

I wish you all good luck and safety this upcoming week. 

Day 214

 October 11, 2020

Unbelievably, seven months into the pandemic the world health organization reported the highest daily cases of coronavirus. According to The NY Times, “The world recorded more than one million new cases of the coronavirus in just the last three days, the highest total ever in such a short span, a reflection of resurgences in Europe and the United States and uninterrupted outbreaks in India, Brazil and other countries.“

It does not seem fathomable that COVID-19 is increasing in number of cases instead of decreasing. It speaks potentially to two ideas, one how little we know about this virus and the lack of precautions people are taking in the world. Last week the POTUS tested positive for coronavirus and this week he is holding an in person rally with hundreds of people, at least masks were required. The situation for Trump is dire as in most polls he is losing to democratic candidate Joe Biden. 

As the situation in the United States becomes increasingly anxious (as cases are on the rise in many states)

the situation in India is even more so as the countries rural areas are being devastated. The number of cases in India is quickly approaching the U.S. total of 7.7 million. 

As many school districts have installed, Aurora Public Schools is moving into a hybrid model. This model allows for a small percentage of students to be in the building while other students join the class remotely.

The planning for this has been daunting and more than ever before this looks like a trial and error approach since there are several variables in motion. Internet connections, the limitations placed on remote learners, the unknown behavior of in person students under restrictions and lack of community with in person student-to-remote student. The reality is this is new territory for most of us. I am resigned to performing the best I can and adjust as necessary. I imagine the students at home will feel left out and disengage. We shall see how it goes. In the meantime if you are looking for reasons to be cheerful. Check out this website https://reasonstobecheerful.world/ it is engineered by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, an activist for positive change in the world, he is an influencer in not only the music world.

Enjoy the week and stay Safe out there.

Day 179

 When I wrote in my blog last week the world had reached 25 million cases of coronavirus and 847,000 deaths. In one weeks time we have transmitted and verified 1.9 million more cases, but unfortunately only a few thousands deaths. The total stands around 880,000 on Sunday afternoon. 

It is safe to stay nothing has changed. Last night on our way to pick up dinner we saw many people walking around the streets on their way to here or there. A bar/club we passed had folks spilling out the door and waiting in line. Mostly people under 30. Most were wearing masks, but who know what the situation was inside. With people drinking I highly doubt they are masked. I have no idea of the ventilation in this place. This is happening all over the world. The youth of today spreading the death of tomorrow. Since the re-opening of college campuses. 

"many across the country have seen an increase in coronavirus cases in recent weeks as students return for the fall semester. The potential spread of the virus off-campus has deeply affected workplaces, schools, governments and other institutions in local communities. In the U.S., at least 51,000 coronavirus cases and at least 60 deaths from the virus can be traced to American colleges and universities..."

The U.S., Brazil, India, Argentina and Spain continue to be hotbeds for the virus.  This chart explains the last seven days.

 With Brazil and the U.S. having over 250,000 new cases in one week it is awfully apparent neither country has leadership tasking the pandemic seriously. The lack of control in the U.S. is rampant as the numbers indicate. In the case of India (with over 550,00 new cases in one week) it is a matter of space and population. There is no place for the people to go, to quarantine to stay socially distant. 

We are currently in a remote school system where all kids are home and staff are either teaching from home or from their classroom. The school hallways are eerily quiet. On Friday, Maren was one of only three adults in her building. We are anticipating a switch to a hybrid format in the middle of October. All the details of this change have not yet been shared with staff and we are still a month away.

A lot can change in a month. I heard Colorado is the second highest tourist destination in the U.S. for Labor day weekend. First is Orlando, FLA.

"So, life goes..and so, I go...carry on my brother" -Neal Cassady (of the famed beat generation)

As Billy PIlgrim in Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five repeats each time he sees a person deceased, "so it goes"

And although this Billy Joel song is about loss of love. Some may say "loss is loss"...

Billy Joel- And so it goes

Day 172

 Sunday August 30, 2020

A year ago not many people would have imagined the condition we currently find ourselves in. The novel coronavirus which became COVID-19 and officially became a pandemic on March 12, 2020 has infected over 25 million people and has a death total nearing 1 million (it is around 847,000 as of today). India now has the fastest-growing coronavirus caseload of any country in the world, with more than 75,000 new infections per day. In the past week, India has reported nearly half a million cases.

Yet the world and all its inhabitants continue to disagree on very important issues such as mask wearing and social distancing.  The two most important defenses against a virus primarily spread through human transmission. I suppose people are either uninformed of the virus and how it is continually spreading or very opinionated about their rights not to help themselves and fellow Americans. There is hope for the "all saving vaccine" soon, but I imagine even that will be met with both controversy and repudiation. 

The United States is in the middle of a presidential election (November 2020) as both the Republican and Democratic conventions recently wrapped up. The nation is also still protesting and calling for social justice as police officers continue to make grave mistakes when confronting citizens even after the killing of George Floyd in May turned the country on its end. There are struggles in most major cities around both the control of the virus and social issues regarding civil rights and police enforcement. In Denver this week police ransacked homeless encampments and made several arrests.  My friend Peter shot this video of one of the raids.Denver Police raid on homeless encampment

Many major sporting events were cancelled due to the recent shooting of another black male, Jacob Blake, by a white police officer. The shooting led to protests and rioting which eventually resulted in a civilian shooting two protesters. 

In Portland, Oregon the protests against police brutality and racial injustice have gone on for three months and last night a group of protesters clashed with a Trump rally and one person was shot dead.

Our society is desperate for leadership on so may levels beginning with the top, but also at the state and local levels. 

When will this hell on earth end? Will the eradication of COVID-19 (whenever that happens) be enough to regulate the world? The anger and hatred will still fester. Changes in our world societal systems are needed. In a conversation with friends recently, someone mentioned the feeling of solidarity of around the world after 911. For a short time we felt the pain and the human suffering deep inside our hearts and every man, woman and child mourned the loss of life in a tragic event.

The terrorist attacks that September day manifested changes in the airline and travel industries. Are these tragic moments we are witnessing, although not on the same scale but still inhumane, not enough to evoke the changes we need to see social equality and more humane treatment of impacted people.

“The time of a man's life is as a point; the substance of it ever flowing, the sense obscure; and the whole composition of the body tending to corruption. His soul is restless, fortune uncertain, and fame doubtful; to be brief, as a stream so are all things belonging to the body; as a dream, or as a smoke, so are all that belong unto the soul. Our life is a warfare, and a mere pilgrimage." - Marcus Aurelius

 

Day 165

 Sunday August 23, 2020

It has been a week since my last entry.  We are one week into remote teaching and all is well.  By the end of the week things started to feel comfortable and creating a consistent and predictable classroom was helpful to both the students and myself.

I love the space I am teaching in and that helps a great deal. I have enough space and feel safely isolated while still being in the school. 

Of course it feels odd to be in a school without children, but hey are only a google meet link away. The students appear to be positive and engaged for the most part. I can tell some students are not comfortable of happy with their current circumstances and I feel for them.  This entire endeavor is not easy and the uncertainty of it all must be stressful.  Especially if much of your life operates on a day to day basis.  The pandemic becomes one more giant WHAT IF?

The fact is much of this is both in our control and out of our control.

We have the choice to protect ourselves and others through social distancing, wearing a mask and washing our hands regularly.  We have the option to socialize with certain people or not.  We can stay home if we need to.  It is the virus itself we do not have control of.  Where is it? Many carriers are asymptomatic and that is fearful.  The fact that it keeps spreading due to people who are not choosing the option to protect others.  The potential for this to last for many more months without a vaccine and even then the effectiveness of the vaccine is unknown.  Many questions and few answers.

This past week saw the democratic convention take place online and I suppose it fit with the times.

As Joe Biden and company are taking the stand that the incumbent POTUS has not done right by us and continues to fumble major issues such as the handling of the coronavirus, the social injustices surrounding Black Lives Matter and even the upcoming election (Post Office anyone?)

With the November presidential elections looming there is also a tension in the air because the election will ultimately affect the next four years.  Which will in turn determine how the country continues to respond to the virus as well as major social issues around Black Lives Matter and the United States police forces.  The education systems are bound to be impacted with decisions regarding safe practices involved the different models of teaching.  While the youth of our country are destined to be affected in more ways than one (socially, educationally, and economically) All of this and the pandemics' economic impact that has ramifications affecting us and the world around us, which also continues to ebb and flow with the virus and pandemic, they all want to see who will be the leader of the United States of America.   The state of our country relies on the leadership in office and we need strong leadership now more than ever. 

Both in Colorado and California wildfires continue to rage as the drought conditions and high temperatures are preventing firefighters from making any headway in containment as over 900,000 acres in California and over 200,000 acres in Colorado have been scorched. 

Sports are back in a remote and modified way with seasons being shortened and restrictions in place to keep both team personnel and players safe. Fans are safe since they cannot attend games. 

And although it has been enjoyable to have this brand of entertainment again it is not a panacea for our current woes. 

The world as we once knew it has changed and will continue to remain a distant and remote and virtual world for quite some time. The best we all can do now is hold our collective breath and wait as the world turns. 

Spinning World

Day 158

 Today is Sunday August 16, 2020

With the beginning of our 2020-21 school year starting officially and virtually this Tuesday I will be blogging only on Sunday. It will be an account of the events which occurred during the week. So friends enjoy today and we'll see you in a week. 

The pandemic continues to handcuff us in many ways, but we were able to enjoy pedicures and dinner out at La Cueva tonight. It is a pleasant break from the mundane when these small victories occur, but this pandemic always in the back of our minds, feels at times, never-ending.

Yesterday marked four years since we lost our beloved cat Cassady. How fast the time flies? Or does it? The six months of this pandemic are not flying by.

Which brings me to the concept of time. What is it really? It's truly something to wonder and a mystery that has evaded humankind for...well,.. all time. Are it's only constraints are the clocks we use to keep it? What would life feel like if we didn't keep time?  Would day and night have a difference besides the light the sun provides?

We have heard the expression before; time is of the essence. And it is an ever-relevant expression because time only travels in one direction, forward. So it is essential we utilize the time we have as it does run out for each of us at some point. Time can feel slow or fast, nonetheless it moves on in its relativity. 

According to young science journal, 

"Newton believed that the nature of time was independent of our existence; time has and will always exist." But then along comes Einstein and this,

"Einstein’s fundamental principle regarding time — there is no ‘right answer’, as there is no absolute conception of ‘now’ in absolute time and space. Einstein turned the whole concept of time on its head. The implications of his theory of having no absolute frame of reference changed the way physicists looked at the world, forcing them to renounce their Newtonian beliefs. If there was no concept of ‘now’, then the actions you perform tomorrow, and the days after that, already exist. The future becomes predetermined."

Put that in your pandemic pipe and smoke it!

(Shout out to Gandalf and middle earth fans everywhere) 

This is where the subconscious mind comes into play. Projected thoughts on what your future will be can be manifest by said thoughts and correct decisions made at the right time in your future. The universe will draw to you the opportunity to achieve your goals, the goals you crave with unwavering desire and continually work for, if only you see the risk and seize it. Because most people allow fear to prevent them from reaching their goals. They "live in quiet desperation" as Emerson said.

Earl Nightingale, a purveyor of positive thought, had two goals in life. One was to discover the secret to success the other was to write books. From a young age he wanted to know what made some people rich and others poor. (He grew up poor in Long Beach, California) You can read about his story here: https://www.success.com/earl-nightingales-greatest-discovery/

He discovered the secret in the words written by Napoleon Hill, in the book Think and Grow Rich. The words were "We become what we think about"

He went on to write books, the most famous of which is called The Strangest Secret. Aptly named because, he pondered, how could such a simple truth not be known by the vast majority of humans?

He concluded and observed that most people spend their time thinking about what they don't have (complaining) or once had (reminiscing). Instead they ought to be conjuring up their successful future (predetermined or not). 

Day 157

 August 15, 2020 The weekend is here. It actually does not feel like a real weekend yet. After our first week of remote training for the 2020-21 school year and students arriving virtually on Tuesday we still have some preparing to do. So it will be a working weekend. 

The novel coronavirus from May, when it ripped through the United States at a torrid pace, is making a comeback?! I say that realizing the United States has never really controlled the virus and in fact July was the worst month of all in regards to infections.  So there is that. 

It is apparent that many Americans have no idea what is going on or how dire it is.

And just in case you didn't know, "The United States reported at least 1,470 deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the highest single-day total yet in August."- The Washington Post

Apparently we are not the only ones as this map shows...red means a lot of infections.

 

In Europe, cruise ships are setting sail again.  Does not seem like a good idea to have a floating petri dish of non-mask wearers, but the economy must be revived at all costs. That is a joke (in poor taste)

The market has made a turnaround, but that only helps in recovering the wealthy, but not the working class.  In the work force, most higher paying jobs have been re-employed, but only half of the lower paying jobs ($20 and under) have comeback.  The separation of classes continues to increase, even in a pandemic, because the upper class are back to work and major chains are seeing the stock prices rise again while small business owners catering to the middle and lower class are struggling to survive. 

In local news...

This year continues to deliver bad news as weeks of dry, hot weather have caused drought conditions and spawned wild fires in the Colorado mountains. 

A stretch of Interstate 70 was shut down near Glenwood Springs due to one fire and the once clear beautiful "purple mountains majesty" has turned smoky gray.

 Over 1,000 brave men and women are charged with fighting these wildfires. This blurb from Colorado Public Radio, gives the locations of the wildfires and a quote from Governor Polis:

"Grizzly Creek Fire: 19,440 acres, 0 percent containment (Aug 15 @ 7:30 a.m.)
Pine Gulch Fire: 73,381 acres, 7 percent containment (Aug 14 @ 2:45 p.m.)
Cameron Peak Fire: 5,424 acres, no containment (Aug 15 @ 7:30 a.m.)

“It’s no question that this is a difficult time for Coloradans, especially those in the vicinity of the fires, and we appreciate our emergency first responders and public safety workers now more than ever,” Polis said"

 In other news, Joe Biden has named Kamala Harris as his running mate. Which brings me to The Post Office, which recently communicated with "detailed letters to 46 states and D.C. warning that it cannot guarantee all ballots cast by mail for the November election will arrive in time to be counted — adding another layer of uncertainty ahead of the high-stakes presidential contest."- The Washington Post

With both the Democratic and Republican conventions coming up the nation begins its big push towards November's presidential election.  The two candidates seems to be opposites on many issues and that only makes everything that is said and seen from convention days forth all the more juicy.  The world being in the midst of a pandemic makes it that more...anticipatory (something new to watch, right?) 

Day 156

 Today is Friday August 14, 2020 In recent coronavirus news. According to the Washington Post, "On Wednesday: The United States recorded the most covid-19 deaths in a single day since mid-May, nearly 1,500 fatalities. "

This seems nearly unfathomable to me. How can people, six months into a pandemic, read this and continue to venture out without masks and refuse to social distance.  Do these imbeciles not realize that they are perpetuating the virus spread? Today I heard a story about a restaurant in Kankakee, Illinois where every patron and employer were unmasked and the place was completely full. Un-fuken-believable. Where is the common sense? The concern for self and others. 

I recall, years a go, seeing a bumper that read Slap the stupid people. 

 

So it goes. On and on. It is increasingly frustrating for me to read these increasing numbers then hear/read stories like the restaurant in Kankakee and have faith in human kind.  

So I would like to talk about Marcus Aurelius and his writings. Aurelius was a Roman emperor from 161-180 and the last emperor of Pax Romana, a long period in Roman history known for peace and stability. He was a philosopher of stoicism, a belief system based on personal ethics and driven by logic and natural laws. The philosopher wrote, “The longest-lived and those who will die soonest lose the same thing. The present is all that they can give up, since that is all you have, and what you do not have, you cannot lose.” This is included in his writings under the title Meditations, a source of writings on Stoicism still praised centuries after his death.

The stoics, with their radical view of ethics, had a goal and that was to live their best life.

They strove for self-discipline and an acceptance of all things present.  They were mindful before it was cool. Virtuous and fair they were read by many great minds of history such as George Washington, Walt Whitman, Frederick the Great, Immanuel Kant and Ralph Waldo Emerson.  Kant, a German philosopher, seeking to define enlightenment often referred to the latin phrase Sapere aude which can be loosely translated as "Dare to be wise"

If only some of us dared more often.

Day 155

 August 13, 2020 

We are on our fourth day of remote professional development and my head aches, my eyes burn and my brain is fried. 

The district is front loading our cerebral cortex with massive amounts of information. The information is worthwhile and will be immediately applicable to our remote teaching term.

The part of it that is most difficult is staring into a computer screen for hours and having little time to process the data before the next training.  And we begin direct online instruction next week. 

When I was choosing a major for college I knew I did not want to be in a cubicle or desk job. And certainly not chained to a computer. It is utterly depressing. I do not know how people do it.

I chose physical education because I wanted to move and be on my feet. Which I have been joyfully doing for 25 years.  Although last spring the pandemic slowed everything to a grinding halt.  The Cure sing a song called Grinding Halt. You can listen to it here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8el7sMurPYw

The numbers in the pandemic are rising every day and nothing appears to be able to slow its progress (or we are just not trying hard enough) The current number of daily cases in Colorado appears to be on the decline since a mask ordinance was put in place in late July. Here a map and some numbers for Denver County, the largest county, and where we currently reside.

   

We shall see what the numbers look like in October as our school quarter comes to a close and once again the board of education will decide which model to proceed with.  The models are remote, hybrid, cohort and in-person.  I just heard recently that the entire state of New York is going to reopen in September with a unique plan that falls in line with safety considerations as well as district discretion. WKBW in Buffalo reported recently saying, 

"New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced schools in New York State will reopen in September but with some stipulations.

Instead of using a "one size fits all" plan, the Governor said reopening plans are being approved on an individual basis by the NYS Department of Health.

"Remote education, a blend, half-day, quarter-day, a third day . . . that is all up to their discretion," said Cuomo."

This is of interest to me since my sister and two nieces are all in the education field and my nephew is in middle school.  The stress all educators and probably many children and parents are feeling right now is paramount.  Over the last few days, as I have planned for the upcoming remote quarter of teaching, this pandemic-pain-in-the-ass has really hit a nerve.  It is not that I forgot it or was in denial, but being in a pandemic over the summer was just a big fun-sucker.

And yes we were remote in the spring, but it was mostly access based instruction and it was more about helping children and families cope while we ourselves dealt with the sudden reality of online instruction.  This new year comes with rigor and accountability and evaluation and new learning. Tons of new learning.  Of course, all us educators are in this together.  We are all sailing the ship called COVID-19 into uncharted waters, but dang if it sometimes doesn't feel like you were stranded on a deserted island and all you have is computer! 

Day 154

 August 12, 2020 

Yesterday was another day of remote learning and collaboration with peers in preparation for the upcoming school year. We will be teaching remotely for the first quarter.  The district has provided many resources and asynchronous training opportunities around such things as creating a positive class culture to behavior management to communicating with families all designed around the digital education model.  There has also been online courses for the four digital platforms we will be using this year (Kami, Screencastify, Flipgrid and Pear Deck).

We are exactly one week away from virtually being in front of students.    

The situation in the world remains the same. We are in the midst of a global pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus which has spread its way around the world and has infected over 20 million people resulting in 737,000 + fatalities.  Because testing remains limited in parts of the world, experts say we do not even know the true numbers of infected or dead. The virus has changed the way the world operates as travel bans and other restrictions have crippled the economy. The unemployment rate is at a rate not seen since the great depression and many businesses have been forced to close.  People have lost jobs, housing and loved ones as COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc upon the earth.  Every country has been effected either directly with large numbers of infected people (U.S., India and Brazil are the top three) or indirectly by travel or trade bans limiting their ability to maintain a sustainable income.  The top scientists in all the world are working to create an effective and safe vaccine. But because of the mysterious qualities of the virus the results may be unpredictable.  The current coronavirus is one which can infect people, but show no symptoms, it may infect and show minor symptoms which go away in a 3-7 days and it may infect people and take their lives within 7-10 days.  Underlying medical issues can play a part and the elderly seem to be particularly vulnerable.   However, there have been cases of perfectly healthy young people contracting the virus and succumbing to it.  Originally it was though children were immune, but that is no longer the case and although they are less likely to be infected and transmit the virus it is still a possibility.  A school, which had opened to in-person learning last week was quickly shut down after persons were infected and over 800 students and 40 staff members were quarantined after only being open for six days.

If you want to know how fast the virus has spread recently here is a quote from Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, secretary-general of the World Health Organization, who said in June. “It took more than two months for the first 100,000 cases to be reported, ...For the past two weeks, more than 100,000 new cases have been reported almost every single day.”

Even after learning much about the transmission of the virus and witnessing major failures in prevention of infection across the world we are all still not performing the simple measures it takes for us to slow the spread.  A real enigma, especially after how easy it is to get the correct information and how simple the measures truly are (keep six feet distance, wear a mask and wash your hands often), yet the puzzlement continues. I suppose it says a lot about our humanism and egotism and ignorance. Our hope is for a safe and effective vaccine for the rational folks and let the ignoramus around us continue to do what they do. 

  

Day 153

Tuesday August 11, 2020

Yesterday was an all day virtual training for professional development. I was on the computer from 8:00-5:00 with a few sporadic breaks here and there. It was exhausting.  We are preparing for the upcoming first quarter of teaching remotely.  Today was information on Neurosequential Model of Education. It is helpful information, but quite overwhelming today. Three modules each one hour long.  Then content guides and specific work with peers.  Lesson planning and collaboration.  When your career changes this drastically it really brings home the reality of the pandemic.  The other restrictions do not really effect me that much, but the training today was eye-opening.  It will surely be the an interesting first quarter of teaching.  Go slow to go fast is the current motto.  In order to create community, trust and a sense of belonging in your classroom, relationship building with students is a must and it begins with a slow pace of learning and practicing expectations while installing consistent and predictable routines. 

Gathering steam as you move into the content and building up both resilience and tolerance in children. 

In case you are wondering why the virus is called novel, here is an explanation from the NY Times, "It's called the novel coronavirus because we believed it was new to human experience, a brand-new pathogen totally alien to our immune systems, totally invulnerable to the defenses our bodies had built up against other diseases."

There is some mystery around this virus, most notably why around 40% of infected persons show no symptoms at all.  The theory (with very promising research) says some people are partially immune to the virus.  Although they are not sure why there is suggestion that old vaccines may be the reason.  This is good news, but in the bad news category, Americans continue to spread the virus profusely.  Our total has reached 5 million and a very unsettling 100,000 infections in children since late July.  All this with many school districts a mere weeks or even days away from classes starting.  Many are going the remote route, but others are in a hybrid or cohort model where kids and staff will be in the building.  New research has shown how children are affected in vastly different ways (depending on age)  than adults.  Much is still unknown about the transmission by children, but either way it will be both a most interesting and precarious fall semester.  In business news, the pandemic continues to crush certain companies.  Two such ride share companies Lyft and Uber are reporting a loss of 75% of their market due to COVID-19.

 

Day 152

 Monday August 10, 2020

Saturday was National Baseball card day.  When I was young I collected baseball cards.  Mostly from the seventies as those were my elementary school years.  I remember having all the 1973 World Series cards between the NY Mets and the Oakland A's.  The A's were a powerhouse winning three world series in a row from 1972-1974.  The Mets were my favorite team and I wanted to be a catcher like Jerry Grote.  Here is his 1973 baseball card. 

I definitely owned this card. I even caught a few games when I was playing baseball in the Long Island summers of my youth.  Here is an article about that collectible year of 1973 baseball cards.

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/vintage-set-of-the-week-1973-topps-baseball/

Now for some national news and of course it revolves around the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus aka COVID-19.

The United States continues to lead countries in case growth, doubling its cases in the past two months. The nation has exceeded five million cases and over 160,000 deaths.  And with that we get news that 250,000 motorcycle enthusiasts are expected to show up in South Dakota for the annual Sturgis rally.  This will be one of the largest public gatherings since the pandemic became official on March 12th.  Only in America?!  That is one reason why we have more cases than any other country.  Yes, we are the most populous, but also the least effective at slowing the spread.

With that being said, the European nations have led the way to a dusty death (leading in COVID-19 deaths per capita). Health officials in some areas did not include nursing homes in the pandemic plans and many were left unattended.   Failing to protect their elderly has led to a gross number of deaths in Europe. 

In other news; a recent explosion, due to many tons of ammonium nitrate (a fertilizer) stored in a port in Beirut, left five thousand injured and killed 145 people. That led to protests and riots against a government accused of corruption and neglect.  The protesters stormed the governing  ministries and several legislators have resigned. You can read more about it here: https://arab.news/6m7sm

Several years ago, after a magical 2007 season I officially became a fan of the Colorado baseball team. The Colorado Rockies are currently in first place and Maren and I are enjoying listening to the games.  And even though it is unlikely we will attend a game this year we are thankful for baseball and hearing our boys do well has given us great joy.  Go Rockies!  

Day 151

 Sunday August 9, 2020 

Drinking coffee in the backyard of this current life is peaceful. It is settling and unsettling all the same. It is usually quiet. I am usually alone. I am usually mindful.  Those are all the entities that create peace for me. It is my world inside the world, but it is the world itself that is unsettling. 

The pandemonium of the world is unsettling.

Since the pandemic began I have been, for the most part, confined to my home.  And since it all began in the spring, naturally, the backyard became a place to go.  The outdoor living room if you will.

So it is with great discord that I find myself here both in the backyard and in this pandemic.

One by choice, one by circumstance.  It is the circumstance that is the hard pill to swallow.

But if I have learned anything during this time of isolation from the outside world, it is the gift of slowness.  The idea of leisure and the certainty that life often moves too quickly, for all of us has opened my eyes to a new love for doing nothing and being alright with it.

  We ought to slow it down. We ought to embrace life as it ticks by, each second piling up into minutes, jamming into hours, squeezing into days and culminating into years.  Becoming our lifetime.  But time's arrow only moves forward.  We cannot go backward into the stream of time.  Only forward.  And where are we headed?  Well, at the risk of sounding morbid...death. 

Or as David Byrne would sing, "We're on the road to nowhere.."

Is that not what death is; nowhere? (to us agnostics anyway)   In the time of the pandemic when life has slowed down we are being reminded to enjoy the little moments.  

Enjoy the small pleasures. Enjoy every tiny task. 

Enjoy the mundane routine of waking and living. Simply said, enjoy being.  Time has not, in fact, slowed down, only we have and that is a good thing.  In his book, In praise of slowness, Carl Honore states, "Inevitably, a life of hurry can become superficial.  When we rush, we skim the surface, and fail to make real connections with the world or people."  This shift to relaxing and enjoying our homes albeit due to stay-at-home orders and a potentially deadly virus is a shift towards clutching the now and holding on to it. Carpe diem has made a comeback in an odd sort of way.

Indeed, seize the day and every minute of it.  See the sun coming in through your window or feel the rays streaming through the trees in your backyard.  Listen to the birds. Smell the fresh cut grass.  Taste every snack.  Be alive with the world around you and with your senses be intimate with this world. (not the pandemonium world, but the one in your home/backyard etc.)

In the words of Franz Kafka, "You don't need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen.  Don't even listen, simply wait.  Don't even wait, be quite still and solitary.  The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked.  It has no choice."

 Some day the masks will come off and distance will be shorter than six feet and that is when time's arrow will once again fly at full speed.  Still ahead and still towards your one and only demise.  

My hope is that you are late for this rendezvous. 

Day 150

 Saturday August 8, 2020 The weekend is here...Does anyone care anymore? I suppose people who have worked through the pandemic still look forward to weekends. I guess we all do, out of habit, but it feels so contrived.  I long for the authentic and spontaneous feeling of T.G.I F. Some day...

It has been a few days since I have looked at COVID numbers.  The seven day average in the world for new cases daily is an incredible 255,000+.  Since July 7th we have been over 200,000 a day on average and climbing. Here is what the chart looks like:

The trend continues to rise and still people in the United States are refusing to where masks and or social distance.  Although our daily case average has decreased the last two weeks cases are still surging in many states and it ought to be obvious to everyone this virus is not going away anytime soon.  A good trend is death totals have decreased and are well below the peak levels. 

This chart indicates the seven day average of new cases in the United States:

The latest news revolves around schools and how they will operate this coming fall. Many districts are beginning classes this month and most are going remote to start. 

New York City, the largest district in the nation, returns to school after labor day.  The decision is not clear which model they will follow. Governor Cuomo has endorsed in person learning in some format. (the two models are a hybrid of in-person and remote and a cohort model of inperson with little movement of students throughout the day)  Mayor de Blasio says a final decision will be made at a later date.   Since the beginning of the virus outbreak and subsequent pandemic we have learned much about how the virus is transmitted. 

The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly from person to person, mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. Spread is more likely when people are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).  And although many mysteries still remain some new research has found:

Asymptomatic spread. A new report from South Korea provides more evidence that people without symptoms can unwittingly spread the virus. Researchers found that people with no symptoms had just as much virus in their nose, throat and lungs as those with symptoms, and for almost as long. Roughly 30 percent of those infected never develop symptoms, the study says, but are probably still capable of spreading the virus.

Airborne transmission. A leaked report from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment provides one of the clearest examples yet that the coronavirus can be transmitted through the air. The study examined a retirement home where almost an entire ward of patients was infected. Health authorities found large quantities of the virus in the air-ventilation system.

Stay safe friends. Wear a mask. Keep your distance from others. Wash your hands more often.

Day 149

Today is August 7, 2020    It is hard to believe, but we started this pandemic while we were in school (it was officially declared on March 12, 2020) just getting primed for spring break.  They extended our spring break by one week and we never went back to in-person teaching again that school year.

 Yesterday we started preparing for the upcoming school year and we are still virtual.  Aurora Public Schools announced they would be teaching remotely for the first quarter (Aug. 18-Oct. 8) and will then review COVID statistics and health advice before transitioning into another format.  The possible formats include a cohort model, a hybrid model and full in-person teaching.

This day was all about reviewing district expectations and understanding the safety measures in place when you are in building.  You have a choice to teach remotely from your classroom or from your home.

All students will be learning from home.

All of it struck me as very surreal. Like, is this really going on? I realize it has been going on for over four months, but as it became more clear today that this is how things are and no one is sure when it will change. The entire school year is going to a fluid procedure moving forward.  Not only in regard to the model we teach in, but how we teach and how students learn. 

Once again, grace and patience is on the forefront of everyone's mind.

This is the latest school news from around the United States, according to the NY Times:

"American parents overwhelmingly oppose sending their children back to classrooms full time, despite their serious concerns with online learning. Nearly half favor a mix of digital and in-classroom instruction, according to a Washington Post-Schar School survey conducted by Ipsos, and 16 percent support the White House position that nearly all children should go back to class.

Many school districts plan to hold online classes for at least part of the school year, but few of them are prepared to do it, The Post’s education desk reported. Many teachers have not yet been trained to teach remotely, administrators have done relatively little to plan for digital classes, and “millions of students nationwide still lack devices and Internet access.”

Parents of special-education students are especially worried about a school year of solitude and screens. The Post interviewed families across the country who fear remote classes will leave children with disabilities behind and deprive them of crucial skills they need for an independent life.

Meanwhile, some schools that decided to reopen are already running into crises. A Mississippi school district has sent 116 students home to quarantine after an outbreak in the first week of classes."

We are planning for more live instruction, more rigorous instruction and more student accountability including attendance and grading.  There is also teacher accountability as the evaluation system is back on track.  The entire evaluation will be around teacher rubrics with no student learning objectives (as in the past).

The district has done an extensive job in preparing all staff and students for this upcoming remote learning endeavor and although I am sure there will be bumps and obstacles they have many resources in place to help all of us navigate through the process.

I spent most of the day in virtual meetings and asynchronous learning videos. "Onward" is a word a former principal of mine, Michelle Barone, used to say all the time. 

Onward, indeed!

Day 148

Today is Thursday August 6, 2020

When pandemic meets epidemic or coronavirus versus the flu or when the sh*t hits the fan.

What experts do not know is what will happen when the seasonal flu runs up against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Some experts believe undoubtedly there will be waves of COVID-19 throughout the fall. which is not much of a prediction because there have been waves though the summer and all along the way since mid-March.  Australian is batting down the hatches as they face a second lock down to help squash a second wave. 

The upcoming flu season brings with it a myriad of problems mainly because it appears the spread of COVID-19 will still be occurring.  First is fact that many hospitals will already be overwhelmed and hospital beds may not be available for those in need. Second will be determining which virus a patient has, coronavirus or the flu, as the symptoms are often indistinguishable.  A third variable is just how COVID-19 will react to the flu.

This article from The Guardian can explain it better than I can, "Every autumn there is a predictable series of outbreaks of respiratory viruses. It starts with rhinovirus, the main cause of the common cold, which breaks out every September as young children go to school and swap mucus...The rhinovirus subsides as most children are exposed and their immune systems activate. Then another virus breaks out: respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. Every year in October or November, this causes mild colds in people of all ages, but sometimes severe lung infections in the youngest and oldest of us...Then RSV subsides, and the annual flu epidemic sets in, anywhere from early winter to spring, driven mainly by transmission among children, but taking its main toll among the elderly..."

 The mystery of COVID-19 continues as we move forward.  

Rising case reports and anxiety is keeping everyone on edge.