Monday Motivation

After a 3 day break I’m feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week. 

Forsyth County is among several NC communities experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. We're not technically a hot spot though health officials are concerned. Greg and I are committed to following recommended health guidelines to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible. I'm also determined to live in a growth zone, not in fear. 

Reid and Lauren celebrated the 2 year anniversary of their first date Saturday June 13. Meanwhile Trump gave a commencement address at the West Point graduation ceremony. Afterward, Israel wondered what the content of the speech might mean for foreign policy while social and traditional media buzzed with petty gossip over a video of Trump’s awkward attempt to drink water and his slow walk down a ramp. Some folks are speculating he may have had a stroke or some other neurological condition. I wonder if maybe he has tendonitis in his right arm, and if he might wear lifts in his shoes to make himself look taller which could make walking difficult. For what it’s worth, I have tendonitis in my left shoulder so I know personally how it limits the use of my left arm. It’s not a major problem, just a minor inconvenience. #TrumpIsNotWell, #TrumpIsUnwell, #RampGate and #WaterGait trended. 

Sunday June 14 was Flag Day, the 245th birthday of the US Army, and also Donald Trump's 74th birthday. Trump supporters with boats staged Trumptilla boat parade flotillas to celebrate. Left leaning patriots flooded social media with photos of President Obama while right leaning patriots posted images of war hero and Trump critic John McCain. #AllBirthdaysMatter, #ObamaDay  and #ObamaIsBetterAtEverything trended.

In the spirit of sharing softer news and/or silly vibes:

President Barack Obama gave final White House Correspondents Dinner speech.  

Daily pandemic update:  

• Vaccine developer Moderna announced plans to trial its vaccine on 30,000 people in July. 
• Beijing reported its first instance of local transmission in weeks, a 52-year-old man said he had not left the Chinese capital for more than two weeks and had not been in contact with anyone from outside the city.
• China moved to mass testing in Beijing after a spike in cases connected to a major wholesale food market.
• A number of European nations including France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland reopened their borders to fellow Europeans.

Aljazeera.com timeline

15 June 2020	Cases		Deaths		Recovered
10:08 GMT*	Thu 6/11	Mon 6/15	Thu 6/11	Mon 6/15	Thu 6/11	Mon 6/15
World	7,492,035	8,014,132	419,616	436,005	3,803,543	4,137,754
US	2,067,355	2,162,228	115,163	117,858	808,556	870,556
NY	401,333	404,470	30,680	30,911	85,192	86,001
CT	44,347	45,088	4,120	4,201	7,689	8,596
NC	38,496	44,263	1,092	1,132	23,653	23,653

A moment of silence for those we’ve lost to coronavirus, including the first 100 and the first 100,000 in the US.

As of today 12% of closed cases in the US resulted in death; 88% recovered.

Globally 10% of closed cases resulted in death worldwide; 90% recovered.

Currently 2% of all active cases are considered serious or critical.

*Documenting time of day because real time data updates continuously.
Tracking specific states:  NY is US epicenter. Son Reid lives in CT. I live in NC. 
Worldometers     Coronainusa     Starsexpress2020     https://ncov2019.live/

In the news: 

• 1,000+ West Point graduates from classes spanning 6 decades signed an open letter reminding the Class of 2020 of its commitment to avoid partisan politics.
• Black men Robert Fuller and Malcolm Harsch were found hanged to death in CA. Authorities suspected suicide though investigations are ongoing.
• Consumer correspondent Jeff Rossen assessed coronavirus risk of summer activities. Meanwhile health experts offered advice to stay safe at work as well as tips for hair and nail salons.
• Disney, T-Mobile, Papa John’s pizza, Poshmark, Smile Direct Club, and furniture maker Vari pulled ads from Tucker Carlson program though Fox News reported no loss of ad revenue. Vanity Fair reported Rupert Murdoch thinks “Trump is going to crash and burn.”
• Facebook page that copied Trump posts was flagged for inciting violence; Trump was not.
• Federal Judge Walton ordered DOJ to explain redactions after reading un-redacted Mueller report.
• Gen Mark Milley, chair of joint chiefs, released video admitting mistake appearing in Trump church photo-op.
• Health & Human Services announced rollback of LGBTQ protections. 2 black trans women were killed last week. Meanwhile Trump administration submitted a legal brief to Supreme Court arguing that a taxpayer-funded organization should be able to refuse to work with same-sex couples and others whom the group considers to be in violation of its religious beliefs.
• Israel: Netanyahu retracted call to imprison journalist for criticizing him.
• #LovingDay trended in celebration of Supreme Court decision allowing interracial marriage.
• Man who claimed Derek Chauvin and George Floyd bumped heads changed his story.
• More military leaders took stand to support racial justice. Trump called slavery evil during West Point speech though he continues to oppose racial justice protests.
• RNC announced Jacksonville FL will host celebration marking Trump’s acceptance of his party’s nomination for reelection. Business portion of convention will remain in Charlotte NC.
• Seattle protestors occupy police-free Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone dubbed CHAZ, later rebranded Capitol Hill Occupied Protest – CHOP. Trump called protestors domestic terrorists and told Mayor Jenny Durkan and Gov Jay Inslee in a tweet to “take back your city NOW… If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game,” adding: “These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!” Gov Inslee responded, “A man who is totally incapable of governing should stay out of Washington state’s business.” Mayor Durkan told Trump to go back to his bunker adding, “The threat to invade Seattle, to divide and incite violence in our city, is not only unwelcome, it would be illegal.” Protesters have described the site as a safe and peaceful place where the vast majority of people wear masks to protect each other against coronavirus and offer whatever skills or supplies they have. People have been seen handing out masks, hand sanitizers, snacks and water. A variety of demands have been raised during the occupation; top 3 involve defunding the police, using that money to invest in community health and services, and dropping criminal charges against protesters. Meanwhile Fox News shared digitally altered images along with their biased and flawed coverage urging police action to take back control.  
• Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said companies that received billions of dollars through PPP coronavirus relief fund will not be named, prompting allegations of corruption conspiracy cover up.
• Trump interview with Harris Faulkner on Fox News: 1) Trump claimed to have done more for African Americans than any other president though Faulkner reminded him Lincoln freed slaves. 2) Trump attempted to defend his looting-shooting tweet by incorrectly attributing it to former Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo who was known for brutalizing black communities. 3) When questioned about Biden’s warning that Trump could try to steal the election, Fox News focused on Trump’s response that Biden is “not all there” while Reuters accurately reported Trump said he would “do other things” which Politico interpreted to mean he would leave office peacefully. 
• Trump rally in Tulsa OK was rescheduled for June 20 after backlash. Original plan was contentious because Juneteenth celebrates end of slavery in US. Also, 1921 white mob massacred black community in Tulsa. Rally waiver intends to limit COVID liability.
• US Air Force Staff Sgt Steven Carrillo was charged with 19 offenses after allegedly shooting and killing Santa Cruz CA Sheriff Sgt Damon Gutzwiller and wounding 4 other officers. Authorities said Carrillo was armed with homemade bombs, an AR-15 rifle and other weapons and that he was intent on killing police. FBI is investigating if Carrillo may be involved in earlier law enforcement killing in Oakland, and if he might have links to white supremacist boogaloo.
• WHO confusion: asymptomatic spread of COVID-19 reportedly varies between 2% and 45% in different studies. 

NC News

• Fatal shooting near NC State University Centennial Campus resulted when boyfriend shot girlfriend’s father.
• Judge ordered Ace Speedway to close. Track owner alerted fans on Facebook that scheduled races have been cancelled. Other race tracks including 311 Speedway spark similar health concerns over large groups.
• NC artist painted “END RACISM NOW” on street in Raleigh. 
• NC House Bill 594 lifting restrictions imposed on bars and gyms is still waiting on response from Gov Cooper as coronavirus cases continue to climb.
• NC lawmakers passed bill to make absentee voting easier.
• Small towns in NW NC join national movement of protests against racism.
• Winston Salem demonstrations continued as local artists painted a huge “END RACISM NOW #BLM” mural on North Main Street. The fairgrounds also debuted murals on the Farmers Market building.

  

In my personal life…

I took a 3 day weekend and the break felt wonderful. Greg asked me if I had stopped blogging and I told him no, just taking a mental health break. The weather was perfect here; sunny and warm (upper 70s, low 80s) but not too hot or humid. We spent time outside every day. Greg mowed the lawn and grilled. I tended the garden, got a little sun, and rested in the shade. It was the best, most relaxing long weekend in recent memory.

Friday Greg and I drove back to Levering Orchard to purchase more cherries. We bought some yellow sweet cherries (mostly red with a bit of yellow around the stem) and some darker red sweet cherries, enough for us and to share with friends. On the way home we stopped at an open air market in Cana, VA where we bought watermelon, cantaloupe, country ham, and a few more farm fresh goods. We wore masks, of course, though most people didn’t, not the staff nor the customers. Noticed one man shopped shirtless, which reminded me of cousin Jason in Lenoir. When my brother Randy graduated from Lenoir Rhyne College in Hickory, Jason wore a nice button down shirt with his best pair of blue jeans. As soon as the ceremony ended he made a bee line for the parking lot to rid himself of the shirt.

Saturday we became cherry mules (like drug mules, except with fruit) delivering bags of cherries to friends as we ran a few errands. First stop was an Amish community near Hamptonville. We were going to buy some butter but there were too many cars crowded around the market so we circled around to a nearby outdoor furniture store where we oohed and aahed over some lovely patio sets. Next we visited with friends Billy and Grayson and met their neighborhood stray dog, Sadie. They’ve resumed going back to church where they said the pastor now holds 3 services to help people social distance; some wear masks and some don’t. After a pleasant and properly distanced visit we drove to Cindy’s Snow Creamery in Clemmons. We were relieved to see only a few cars in the parking lot and just 2 families waiting in line ahead of us. Orange traffic cones had been placed to help people keep a safe distance. The staff wore masks and gloves though we were the only customers wearing masks. Greg picked a Frog Prince shave ice treat (pineapple and polar punch with a gummy frog) while I chose an old fashioned vanilla snow cream like my grandma used to make with fresh winter snow. Some folks make theirs with sweetened condensed milk but grandma Sue used farm fresh cow milk with a little sugar and a bit of vanilla extract. Afterward we stopped to see Ken and Kerri in Bermuda Run. Neither of them seemed concerned about coronavirus; no masks, no distancing, no worries. On the way home we called ahead to pick up dinner at a restaurant near home. Sunday was a day of rest for the most part.  

 side by side hammocks enable us to relax together outside when the weather is nice 

Thursday morning I ate a Scotch egg for breakfast. For linner we called in an order from Bibbs Downtown: pulled pork, beef brisket, beans, potato salad and banana pudding for dessert. Friday we skipped breakfast before driving to Virginia. On the way back we stopped in King (pronounced Kang) for lunch. Greg wanted a Wendy’s hamburger; the drive thru was normal operations, no special safety protocol. My Burger King impossible burger and onion rings were served contactless. For dinner we ate salami and havarti on crackers. Greg made apple cobbler for dessert. Saturday we had a salmon bagel for breakfast. As we ran errands we stopped for shave ice and snow cream as an afternoon snack. On the way home we called El Maguey on Yadkinville Rd to pick up dinner; we split a California burrito, chips and salsa. Sunday morning Greg made biscuits with country ham. We snacked on pretzels for lunch. For dinner Greg prepared Hillshire Farms sausage, corn on the cob, roasted squash, and rice followed by left over cobbler for dessert. The squash came from our garden. 

My daily action for racial justice has become routine: to continue listening, reading, and seeking out information shared by black voices. This feels more passive than active which makes me want to do more, though I’m not sure exactly what yet. I’m not comfortable joining large group protests because of coronavirus. Today I’m going to consider other active ways to make a difference.