245 Years Ago. Alone In His City. Halfway Through 2021. Along Came A Spyder. She Is Magic!
- A very happy 4th of July weekend to you and yours. I hope that no one takes our Independence with a grain of salt, especially in light of some of the chaos and terrorism happening at home and abroad. I was surprised that Independence Day was only declared a federal holiday in 1941, considering the United States is celebrating our 245th birthday. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence and two days later, on July 4, delegates from the thirteen colonies adopted the Declaration of Independence, drafted by the one and only Thomas Jefferson. If you have a flag, fly it. If you do not have one, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Ace Hardware have flag kits for under $15.00. Buy a flag and fly it proudly. To our Canadian friends: you celebrated Canada Day this past Thursday….and my experience with Canadians tells me most of you are still celebrating four days later.
- Only ten years ago, on March 11, 2011, a deadly earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck northeastern Japan causing the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear facility, killing thousands, displacing hundreds of thousands, and unleashing widespread contamination. While we all acknowledged this tragedy, it is difficult for many of us to understand the impact and subsequent realities of a nuclear facility meltdown. On the ten-year anniversary of the tragic meltdown, Mayu Nakamura’s new documentary “Alone Again in Fukushima” was released and as Nakamura stated “this documentary was produced to ensure that all people around the world never forget the consequences of this tragedy.”
I watched this documentary last week. Reminders of what the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki faced seventy-six years ago transcended this documentary, focusing on one man who chose to remain in the nuclear zone to care for abandoned animals after everyone else was evacuated. An amazing, well-told story that reminds us of the vulnerability of our infrastructure. If you have a chance, take a hour to take in “Alone Again in Fukushima.“
- Mid-Year Headlines To Ponder – we are already halfway through 2021 so it is time to take a look at some headlines of concern. I do not know if the CDC and the WHO use Australia as a benchmark when weighing Covid-19 and the new variant viruses. What I do know is that I do not like what I am reading as we literally cannot afford another lockdown.
- Britain’s COVID-19 Cases up 72% in the past week.
- In Arkansas, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the nation, cases are surging.
- COVID-19 cases see increase, Orange County/Orlando leaders urge caution heading into 4th of July holiday.
- White House to deploy response teams focused on combating Delta variant of Covid-19.
- Australia’s NSW state says Delta outbreak grows despite lockdown.
- Four of Australia’s eight capital cities are now under Covid-19 lockdown.
- Covid Cases, Death Rates Jump In Los Angeles Ahead Of 4th Of July Gatherings; Top Health Official Warns, “Another Wave Could Become A Very Real Possibility”
- I have never been big on needing or wanting ‘toys.’ I have had a couple of boats and sometimes have driven a decent looking car, but for the most part I have kept an even keel with my extracurricular wants and needs. With that said, a few years ago, for whatever the reason, I fell in love with the machine seen below. I don’t know why, as I am definitely not a fan of motorcycles, but the Can Am Spyder RT is a toy that I think I would enjoy. It just may be the forward-thinking design or my memory of my mean-machine tricycle.
There are a wide variety of viewpoints on the Spyder RT, and as a gut check, after a very interesting visit to a biker/dive bar near Osteen, Florida, I asked one of the bikers, dressed head-to-toe in black leather on a 93 degree day, what he thought about the the Spyder RT. His brief and terse reply cannot be printed in this blog. 🙂
- Finally, a bit of levity on this 4th of July weekend as we go to a show I have only seen bits and pieces of over the years….and yes, there are some incredibly talented people that appear on America’s Got Talent. Thankfully, my compadres Joe and Samir are going to breakdown and explain how this young lady made this happen: