Hello, faithful readers.
IDALIA
I was preparing for Hurricane Idalia and then awaiting its landfall in South Carolina. Even natives were a little wary as we sat in a local bar on Tuesday with some of the boat owners in the area.
We stocked up on ice, Eileen foundour flashlights, we charged our phones, and made contingency plans to stay with a relative a bit farther from the water. It was the first hurricane warning since we moved, so we wanted to be extra prepared.
Thankfully, the hurricane lost its steam before it hit Georgetown and although there was some flooding and some of the stores on Front Street placed sandbags just in case, the wind was nominal and the water had receded by early the next morning.
Thank you to all who reached out to check on our well-being, and we also reached out to family in Florida. Prayers to anyone who was directly in its path and sustained any significant damage or any loss.
Takeaways:
Weather people get excited about severe storms. At one point, they had us convinced that we had to move our Highlander or it would be swept away in the flood. It was not.
This weather event was the first of its kind in some time. Locals, here, cannot recall a hurricane coming from the land side instead of the ocean. The hurricane caused an estimated 9.5 billion in damages in Florida alone.
The major takeaway is that more and more anomalous events are happening due to rapid climate change. Al Gore is the only V.P. to win the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on alerting the world to the impacts of climate change. Maybe, we need to listen.
FROZEN
Due to the hurricane, Governor Ron DeSantis was front and center again. Another politician making headline news is Mitch McConnell, the minority leader in the U.S. Senate. On two separate occasions, Senator McConnell seemed to freeze and have a blank stare, the latest, during a press conference, lasting 30 seconds. McConnelll has since been medically cleared to return to work.
I am not a doctor, so I will not speculate on the cause of these incidents, but I am not the only voice that wants him to come clean or step down. According to an NBC news article, two members of his own party want him to be, “fully transparent about his health issues” (Wong, Nobles).
On second thought, I do not need him to be transparent. He is 81 years old, and even tax laws on retirement accounts expect him to be retired and enjoying his salad days.
I understand that his leaving would be disconcerting to the Senate and the Republican party, especially during a presidential campaign, but this once again. raises the question of term limits for congresspeople. McConnell is in his seventh term and has been in the Senate since 1985. 1985! I was a junior in high school, and Tears for Fears were Shouting and falling Head Over Heels. The Breakfast Club was serving detention.
Oh, and he is a former attorney. According to the Congressional Research Service Report dated December 14, 2022, 57 senators list their occupation as “lawyer.” You said that there would be no math, but it seems that more than half are lawyers. How does that provide a diverse perspective?
P., we want lawyers to enact our laws. Yes, but we want advocates for every profession and different demographics to be served as well. The intent was for Congress to represent the states and their constituents. I am not a lawyer, and like most, I am not 64 (the average age of a senator). It is time for term limits on Congress, and the concerning pauses from Senator McConnell are more evidence to support this policy.
WORMING YOUR WAY IN
I move from the serious to the seriously sublime. A 64 year-old woman in Australia was sent into brain surgery after suffering multiple symptoms including headaches and depression. During the surgery, Dr. Hari Priya Bandi removed a 3 -inch roundworm from the patient’s brain. A living roundworm. This type of worm is associated with carpet pythons, and this is the world’s first known case of a live worm in a human brain (Magramo, CNN).
Now, that is disgusting. The women lived in lake region inhabited by these snakes. First rule, don’t live near snakes. Second rule, don’t eat weird things. SARS was caused by bats, Covid by turtles or raccoon dogs (the latest evidence) (WU, The Atlantic). I am not saying that I do not respect the eating habits of other countries or other cultures, but let’s cook it thoroughly.
END OF DAYS
Floods, paralysis, and invertebrate infestation. Sounds Biblical to me. I am already dealing with Palmetto bugs on a daily basis, so we can add locusts to the mix. I am spiritual, but not necessarily religious, but I might want to find my yellowing catechism notes.
Have a great and safe Friday,
Love and laughter,
P.