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An old dream relegated to graffiti and decay. The broken remnants of a hopefully better life.
Gray Mountain Auto Connection -- A Brief History
Thirteen indicted in auto scams allegedly aimed at Native Americans.
PHOENIX (AP) - Thirteen car salesmen and managers have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to a multimillion-dollar fraud operation aimed largely at Native Americans.
By: Wire Service Jan 30, 2003 0
Defendants face 38 criminal counts stemming from sales at Joe Florek VW-Audi and Gray Mountain Auto Connection, both in northern Arizona, according to the indictment unsealed Tuesday.
The suspects allegedly defrauded Navajo and Hopi consumers, as well as more than a dozen lending institutions, wholesale auction businesses and warranty companies.
"This is the largest automotive fraud case ever charged in Arizona," said Mark Aspey, an assistant U.S. attorney.
The indicted men allegedly carried out multiple swindles. Among the scams identified in the indictment were falsifying customer loan applications, forging signatures, and purchasing vehicles at auction with bad checks.
A little Yellow Ledbetter reference since dh is in Tampa at the Pearl Jam concert and I'm stuck at home with a recovering (and whiney) newly tonsil-less boy...
Unsealed on a porch a letter sat.
Then you said, "I wanna leave it again."
Once I saw her on a beach of weathered sand.
And on the sand I wanna leave it again. Yeah.
On a weekend I wanna wish it all away, yeah.
And they called and I said that "I want what I said" and then I call out again.
And the reason oughta' leave her calm, I know.
I said "I know what I was the boxer or the bag."
He called to tell me that song was the final encore.....
The Chambered Nautilus
BY OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES SR.
This is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign,
Sails the unshadowed main,—
The venturous bark that flings
On the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
In gulfs enchanted, where the Siren sings,
And coral reefs lie bare,
Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their streaming hair.
Its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;
Wrecked is the ship of pearl!
And every chambered cell,
Where its dim dreaming life was wont to dwell,
As the frail tenant shaped his growing shell,
Before thee lies revealed,—
Its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!
Year after year beheld the silent toil
That spread his lustrous coil;
Still, as the spiral grew,
He left the past year’s dwelling for the new,
Stole with soft step its shining archway through,
Built up its idle door,
Stretched in his last-found home, and knew the old no more.
Thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee,
Child of the wandering sea,
Cast from her lap, forlorn!
From thy dead lips a clearer note is born
Than ever Triton blew from wreathèd horn!
While on mine ear it rings,
Through the deep caves of thought I hear a voice that sings:—
Build thee more stately mansions, O my soul,
As the swift seasons roll!
Leave thy low-vaulted past!
Let each new temple, nobler than the last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast,
Till thou at length art free,
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life’s unresting sea!
The farther north you go the more the signs start to sound like dares. An unsealed track, impassable when wet, stretching toward Normanton with a half-day of empty country between you and the next petrol station. It feels as if the road itself is asking whether you truly meant to come this far.
For I care nothing about apparitions, neither do you, scrutinizing the air only to ask, “Is it giving?” but not so dependent on the answer as not to have our hopes and dreams, our very personal idea of how to live and go on living. It does not matter, then,
but there always comes a time when the spectator needs reassurance, to be touched on the arm so he can be sure he is not dreaming.
~John Ashbery
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Has the omicron wave peaked in the U.S.?
Covid-19 cases are finally falling in the United States, welcome news after nearly two months of skyrocketing case counts driven by the highly infectious omicron variant.
“Nationally, the case numbers are coming down, which I consider an optimistic trend,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a White House Covid briefing Friday.
But the falling numbers don’t mean Americans are out of the woods.
That’s because, as cases fall, a huge number of people will still be infected: As many people who got sick as cases soared to their peak will get infected on the downward slope, said Dr. Jonathan Li, an infectious disease physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
“It’s a great sign that the slope is going down but case rates remain very high,” he said.
Friday, the seven-day average of cases in the U.S. was 743,913 cases, down 7 percent from the week before, according to NBC News data. Deaths, however, rose slightly, from an average of 1,979 on Jan. 14 to 2,131 on Friday.
According to Katriona Shea, a professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University and a member of the coordination team for the Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a group of institutions that pool multiple models to create pandemic projections, cases and hospitalizations are expected to peak before the end of January in most states.
Cases are already falling in parts of the Northeast, Walensky said. “We are starting to see steep declines in areas that were first peaking, so areas of the Northeast — New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut — are really starting to come down.”
Shea said that cases in the rest of the country and deaths, which lag behind cases, are expected to trail shortly after.
The big dropoff in cases in large states like New York can make the nationwide average look lower, even though cases are still rising in many states, but she expects all states to hit their peaks soon after Northeastern states.
Even so, people should not see this as a time to ease up on precautions, she said.
“People think that if the peak is at the end of January, then we’re done. But a lot of damage can be done on the other side of that peak,” Shea said.
The omicron variant now accounts for nearly 100 percent of new Covid cases in the nation, CDC data show. Although early evidence suggests this strain of the virus is less likely to cause severe disease than its predecessors, many more people are being infected than ever before, so the number of people dying will still be significant, she said.
People also shouldn’t expect a smooth decline.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if we saw a few more bumps in the road, temporary bounce backs that don’t get back at the level of the peaks we’re seeing now, but are still brief periods of increase on this general trend of a decline,” said Justin Lessler, a professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health in Chapel Hill.
These brief spikes will likely be driven by lags in reporting and behavior changes, such as traveling more over holiday weekends, he said.
According to Li, although much of the decline is driven by immunity and fewer hosts for the variant to infect, behavior changes also play a vital role. If these behavior changes such as wearing masks ease up, it could blunt the speed of the decline, he said.
The latest Covid-19 Scenario Modeling Hub predictions, published Thursday, projected that by April, cases could drop to the lows seen in June 2021, before the delta wave hit.
What the models cannot predict, however, is how the virus may evolve.
“All it takes is one new variant,” Shea said. “There was no indication of omicron and there were other variants that did not take off. Omicron made a huge change and it’s definitely possible it could happen again.”
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COVID hospitalizations plateau in some parts of the US, while a crisis remains in others
COVID-19 cases have sharply risen again across the US and around the world, with the new Omicron variant accounting for most new cases. The winter surge has prompted many experts and officials to reemphasize the importance of masking indoors and social distancing, in addition to getting vaccinated, including booster shots.
Below, we’re gathering all the latest news and updates on coronavirus in New England and beyond.
New Zealand will move to tighter Covid-19 restrictions at the end of the day after evidence shows that omicron is circulating in the community.
The move to the “red” settings will include more mask wearing, gathering limits and increased distancing requirements at hospitality outlets, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said at a news conference Sunday in Wellington. Businesses will remain open and people can travel. Red isn’t a lockdown, she said.
“The goal at red is to slow the spread of the virus,” she said. “We have significant capacity in the system to attempt to stamp out outbreaks.”
Nine Covid cases reported previously in the South Island city of Nelson have been confirmed as omicron, which has triggered the response, Ardern explained. The cases in a single family had attended a wedding in Auckland where one guest has also tested positive, and an Air New Zealand worker on their flight is also infected.
For students in surge, a ‘new normal’ and plenty of worries
Massachusetts — still faced with record-setting COVID-19 caseloads, nearly two years into the pandemic — the 17-year-old begins each day with a high-stakes calculation: How to get to her first class on time, alongside 1,500 other students, while limiting her risk of exposure to the virus?
If she enters Worcester Technical High School too early, she will have to wait in the cafeteria with hundreds of other students, some unmasked as they eat breakfast, until the 7:10 a.m. bell that releases the crowd into the hallways. But if she waits too long to avoid the rush, she risks being tardy to class, even if she sprints upstairs to her fourth-floor classroom.
It is the first of dozens of decisions she must make as she navigates a pandemic-era school day during the Omicron surge, a routine she agreed to document this month for the Globe to help shed light on the experience of thousands of Massachusetts students. Since December, more than 100,000 positive cases of the virus have been reported among the state’s 911,000 students.
Omicron spreads to rural Alabama
New infections are climbing steeply in rural Alabama, even though the omicron surge appears to have leveled off in urban areas like Birmingham, Mobile and Montgomery, al.com reported.
Alabama is the second-least vaccinated state in the U.S., with less than 48% of people fully vaccinated, compared with the U.S. average of almost 63%. Hardest hit in the omicron wave are counties with the lowest vaccination rates, al.com reported. The state hit a record on Thursday of 46% of tests positive for Covid-19.
Tom Cruise’s next ‘Mission: Impossible’ films are delayed over COVID
One of the biggest movies slated for 2022 — “Mission: Impossible 7″ starring Tom Cruise — is being pushed into next year in the latest blow to struggling cinemas.
The film, which had already been postponed before, will shift from September to July 2023, according to a statement from ViacomCBS Inc.’s Paramount Pictures. Although filming wrapped last year, editing and other post-production chores have been delayed by the surge of the omicron variant.
The next picture in the series, “Mission: Impossible 8,” is also moving, from July 2023 to June 2024.
What to know about cruise travel while Omicron spreads
It’s not the most carefree time to go on a cruise.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently warned all travelers, even those who are vaccinated, to avoid cruise ships. Infections are soaring during the omicron surge, with ships reporting 14,803 coronavirus cases onboard between Dec. 30 and Jan. 12. That number was below 200 in early December. Passengers and crew have told horror stories about being stuck in isolation for days, with only lukewarm room service and in-room TV to pass the time.
There is a fresh level of uncertainty to sailing now: Several cruise lines have canceled trips in the near future and longer term, and ports have been turning ships away.
Despite the CDC’s advice, travelers will still book cruises as long as they’re allowed. Here are answers to 10 common questions they may be asking at this stage of the omicron wave.
Omicron wave leaves US food banks scrambling for volunteers
Food banks across the country are experiencing a critical shortage of volunteers as the omicron variant frightens people away from their usual shifts, and companies and schools that regularly supply large groups of volunteers are canceling their participation over virus fears.
The end result in many cases has been a serious increase in spending by the food banks at a time when they are already dealing with higher food costs due to inflation and supply chain issues.
Vaccine passport protests in Europe draw thousands of people
Thousands of people gathered in European capitals Saturday to protest vaccine passports and other requirements governments have imposed in hopes of ending the coronavirus pandemic.
Demonstrations took place in Athens, Helsinki, London, Paris and Stockholm.
Marches in Paris drew hundreds of demonstrators protesting the introduction from Monday of a new COVID-19 pass. It will severely restrict the lives of those who refuse to get vaccinated by banning them from domestic flights, sports events, bars, cinemas and other leisure venues. French media reported that demonstrators also marched by the hundreds in other cities.
In Sweden, where vaccine certificates are required to attend indoor events with more than 50 people, some 3,000 demonstrators marched though central Stockholm and assembled in a main square for a protest organized by the Frihetsrorelsen - or Freedom Movement.
Omicron nears US peak even as some regions still face struggle
The omicron variant is starting to loosen its grip on the U.S. Northeast, but experts warn that it will take more time for the latest wave of Covid-19 to recede nationwide.
The strain’s fast surge and swift descent in one of the most populous parts of the U.S. echoes its trajectory in areas of Europe and South Africa, where infections skyrocketed only to come back down nearly as quickly. That’s raised hopes that while omicron has at times seemed like a replay of the worst days of the early pandemic, it will soon ebb.
However, the shape of the omicron wave may look different in various parts of the U.S., depending on vaccination rates and hospital capacity in those areas. While omicron has been milder than other variants, it has strained health-care providers across the country, and infections in children have been higher this time around.
Little evidence that COVID spreads by contact with overseas mail, China says
Chinese officials say experts have seen little to suggest that Covid-19 is spreading via non-frozen goods after a recent infection of the omicron variant in Beijing was said to be traced to overseas mail.
Experts have insufficient evidence so far on non-frozen imported goods transmitting Covid-19 to people in China, according to He Qinghua, an official with the National Health Commission, at a press conference on Saturday. Earlier this week, the Beijing Municipal Health Commission said a positive case sometimes handled international mail at work and authorities couldn’t rule out the possibility of the person getting infected through such an instance.
Further studies need to be carried out, He said. Global studies and virus control practices show the coronavirus mainly spreads through close human-to-human contact, he said.
“Humans contracting the virus via tainted goods is not the main spreading channel, but we cannot rule out such a possibility,” he added.
In the Beijing instance, samples taken from a package and some documents inside international mail received by the person tested positive for the virus.
Airlines in Europe say they are flying near-empty planes as Omicron derails travel. They say EU rules mean they can’t stop
As the Omicron variant derails travel plans around the world, airlines say strict European Union regulations are forcing them to fly near-empty flights — unnecessary and environmentally harmful flights that they argue they need to fly to save their long-term takeoff and landing slots at European airports.
Airlines must use a certain percentage of their designated slots at airports to hold on to them. But low demand during the pandemic has led airlines to fly near empty flights, often known as ghost flights, to meet the requirements. Lufthansa, a large German airline, has said it canceled 33,000 trips, or 10 percent of its winter flights, because of low demand but still anticipates needing to fly 18,000 “poorly booked” flights to secure its slots.
China’s success taming virus could make exit strategy harder
The sweeping “zero-tolerance” strategy that China has used to keep COVID-19 case numbers low and its economy functioning may, paradoxically, make it harder for the country to exit the pandemic.
Most experts say the coronavirus around the world isn’t going away and believe it could eventually become, like the flu, a persistent but generally manageable threat if enough people gain immunity through infections and vaccines.
The Fugees are the latest artists to cancel shows over the pandemic
Pandemic woes continue to disrupt the attempts of artists to resume live performances. Months after delaying their 25th anniversary reunion tour to early this year, The Fugees announced Friday that the tour would be canceled altogether, saying the pandemic made performing safely too difficult. On Thursday, Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency only a day before its debut.
In a post on Instagram, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel, who were promoting the anniversary of their Grammy Award-winning album “The Score,” said they were putting safety first.
“We want to make sure we keep our fans and ourselves healthy and safe,” the post read.
The group said that “now it may not currently be our time for revisiting this past work,” adding that it remained hopeful that “if opportunity, public safety and scheduling allow,” a future reunion tour might be possible.
Jan. 21, 2022
Passenger from Ireland charged with assault on Delta flight to New York
A belligerent Delta Air Lines passenger who refused to wear a mask during a recent eight-hour flight from Dublin to New York has been charged with assaulting and intimidating a member of the crew — one of several who tried to get him under control — as he terrorized everyone aboard throughout the trip.
Shane McInerney, 29, a Galway, Ireland, resident, threw tantrums and stubbornly went maskless on the Jan. 7 international flight despite being asked “dozens of times” by crew members to put one on, court documents say.
He also created chaos in other ways throughout the trip — including mooning people as he was escorted back to his seat, throwing a drink can at the head of another passenger, and kicking the seat of the person in front of him, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn.
Two hours into the flight, the captain, on a break, spoke to McInerney, who took off his cap twice, put it on the captain’s head, then allegedly held his fist to the captain’s face and said: “Don’t touch me.”
As the plane was landing, when passengers and crew members were seated and wearing seat belts, McInerney defiantly stood in the aisle and refused to sit, officials said.
McInerney was charged with assaulting and intimidating a crew member on Delta Flight 45. He was released on a $20,000 bond when he appeared before a judge a week ago. His case was unsealed on Friday.
NFL ends daily COVID-19 testing for all players
The NFL is curtailing daily testing of all players, vaccinated or unvaccinated, for COVID-19.
In a memo sent to the 32 clubs and obtained by The Associated Press, the league said Friday that medical experts from the NFL and the players’ union agreed to the change. Those doctors have seen enough evidence of a decrease in positive tests in the last month to feel comfortable with dropping daily tests.
Last month, weekly testing for vaccinated players and personnel was stopped, but anyone who reported symptoms of COVID-19 or was part of targeted surveillance still was subjected to testing.
“Following consultation with our jointly retained infectious disease experts, the NFL and NFL Players Association have updated the NFL-NFLPA COVID-19 protocols to eliminate the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players to determine testing cadence,” the memo said. “Effective immediately, all players and tiered staff will be subject to strategic and targeted testing.”
The league will continue symptom-based testing and screening for symptoms.
White House official says US is moving toward a time when ‘COVID won’t be a constant crisis’
The official in charge of President Biden’s coronavirus response team expressed optimism Friday about the future of the pandemic, saying the nation is “moving toward a time when COVID won’t disrupt our daily lives, where COVID won’t be a constant crisis but something we protect against and treat.”
The official, Jeff Zients, made the remark at a White House news conference as the national coronavirus caseload was on a slight downward trajectory, largely because of declines in major cities in the hard-hit Northeast. That trend also prompted Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to sound an upbeat note.
Latin America, Asia latest to get hit with Omicron surge
In Costa Rica, officials are encouraging those infected with the coronavirus to skip voting in upcoming national elections. On the other side of the world, Beijing is locking down residential communities as the country anxiously awaits the start of the Winter Olympics on Feb. 4.
In Latin America and Asia, where the omicron variant is making its latest appearance, some countries are imposing such restrictions while others are loath to place new limits on populations already exhausted by previous constraints.
Omicron quickly swept through the places it first hit, such as South Africa, the U.K. and the United States, pushing daily cases far higher than at any time during the pandemic.
The Americas reported nearly 7.2 million new COVID infections and more than 15,000 COVID-related deaths over the past week, the Pan American Health Organization said Wednesday. Coronavirus infections across the Americas almost doubled between Jan. 1 and Jan. 8, from 3.4 million cases to 6.1 million, PAHO said.
Infections are accelerating in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia and Peru, and hospitalizations are rising in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne. The Caribbean islands are experiencing their steepest increase in COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, Etienne noted.
Mass. Nurses Association calls on Baker to declare state of emergency
The Massachusetts Nurses Association has called for Governor Charlie Baker to declare a state of emergency through the end of March and establish new protections for health care workers who are exhausted by the crushing demands of the pandemic, according to a letter from the group.
Union President Katie Murphy, a registered nurse, warned in the letter Thursday that the state’s health care system is nearing a breaking point and said Baker should reinstate the provisions of his March 10, 2020, emergency declaration, made one day before the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization.
COVID hospitalizations plateau in some parts of the US, while a crisis remains in others
Fewer people in the United States are being admitted to hospitals with the coronavirus than a week ago, suggesting that the record-breaking surge in hospitalizations driven by the omicron variant could soon decline, following recent case trends. But the country remains far from the end of the omicron wave, and in many areas it could be weeks before the strain on hospitals subsides.
The number of people hospitalized with the virus nationwide and those sick enough to require intensive care remain at or near record levels. In much of the West, in parts of the Midwest and in more rural areas of the country, where omicron surges have hit later, cases and hospitalizations are still growing significantly.
FDA authorizes antiviral drug remdesivir as an outpatient therapy for people with COVID-19
Federal regulators Friday authorized the antiviral drug remdesivir for covid-19 outpatients at high risk of being hospitalized, providing a new treatment option for doctors struggling with shortages of effective drugs to counter the coronavirus.
The Food and Drug Administration said the intravenous treatment, which had been limited to patients in the hospital, could be administered to outpatients with mild-to-moderate illness.
Remdesivir, manufactured by Gilead Sciences, was among the first coronavirus treatments authorized in 2020. The drug received full agency approval later that year for people 12 and older. Treatment of younger children is permitted under an emergency use authorization, but Friday’s expansion to outpatients includes both age groups.
Arizona sues Biden to keep school anti-mask rules
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey sued the Biden administration on Friday over its demand that the state stop sending millions in federal COVID-19 relief money to schools that don’t have mask requirements or that close due to COVID-19 outbreaks.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Phoenix comes a week after the U.S. Treasury Department demanded that Ducey either restructure the $163 million program to eliminate restrictions it says undermine public health recommendations or face a repayment demand. The Treasury Department also wants changes to a $10 million program Ducey created that gives private school tuition money to parents if their children’s schools have mask mandates.
Rio de Janeiro delays Carnival parades as Omicron spreads
The world-famous Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro will be held in late April rather than the final weekend of February, as the number of coronavirus cases in Brazil spikes and the omicron variant spreads across the country.
“The decision was made respecting for the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil and the need, at this time, to preserve lives and join forces to drive vaccination throughout the country,” said a statement issued Friday jointly by the cities of Rio and Sao Paulo, which also delayed the start of its Carnival parades until April 21.
Earlier in the afternoon, Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes and his Sao Paulo counterpart Ricardo Nunes held a video call along with their respective health secretaries and each city’s league of samba schools that put on the parade, according to the statement.
Mass. reports 86,450 breakthrough COVID-19 cases, raising total to 6.8 percent of fully vaccinated people
Massachusetts on Friday reported 86,450 more COVID-19 cases among fully vaccinated people since last week, bringing the total since the beginning of the vaccination campaign to 348,510 cases, or 6.8 percent of all fully vaccinated people.
The data, which is typically released on Tuesdays, was reported on Friday after delays due to network connectivity issues, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health said.
Preteens may be vaccinated without parents under California bill
California would allow children age 12 and up to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent under a proposal introduced Friday by a state senator who said youngsters “deserve the right to protect themselves” against infectious disease.
Currently in California, minors ages 12 to 17 cannot be vaccinated without permission from their parents or guardians, unless the vaccine is specifically to prevent a sexually transmitted disease. Parental consent laws for vaccinations vary by state and region and a few places such as Philadelphia, San Francisco allow minors to consent to their own COVID-19 vaccines.
Wiener’s bill would lift the parental requirement for that age group for any vaccine that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If the bill passes, California would allow the youngest age of any state to be vaccinated without parental permission.
That includes immunizations against the coronavirus, but Wiener said vaccine hesitancy and misinformation has also deterred vaccinations against measles and other contagious diseases that can then spread among youths whose parents won’t agree to have them vaccinated.
“You have parents who are blocking their kids from getting the vaccines or ... they may not be anti-vaccine but they just aren’t prioritizing it,” Wiener told reporters at a news conference at San Francisco’s Everett Middle School. “Those kids deserve the right to protect themselves.”
Mass. reports 13,935 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 102 deaths
Massachusetts on Friday reported 13,935 new confirmed coronavirus cases and said 29,322 vaccinations, including booster shots, had been administered. The Department of Public Health also reported 102 new confirmed deaths.
Why you should take COVID-19 precautions even as Omicron declines
Recent news on the Omicron-fueled coronavirus surge has been encouraging. Massachusetts cases are dropping from stratospheric heights. Coronavirus traces in Boston-area waste water, considered a harbinger of future cases, are plummeting. And some experts are predicting a lull ahead — or even the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
But don’t get too excited, experts say, emphasizing that it’s crucial for people to take precautions even as cases fall, both to protect themselves and to ensure that the steep case declines continue.
US judge blocks Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal workers
A federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction Friday blocking the White House from requiring federal workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, although the ruling came months after the White House said that 95% of federal workers were already in compliance.
The Justice Department said it would appeal the ruling.
What can Google search trends for COVID-19 symptoms tell us about the direction of the pandemic?
In what may be another encouraging sign that the surge of the Omicron variant is subsiding in Massachusetts and around the country, the volume of Google search trends for COVID-19 symptoms is declining.
Data provided by Google on trends in searches for COVID-19 symptoms showed that after rising through most of December, the number of searches for symptoms like fever, chills, and cough began to drop in the last days of 2021 in the United States and Massachusetts.
The decline in search volume for certain COVID symptoms appears to align with data from the state’s Department of Public Health that show COVID-19 cases are declining in the state. According to state data, the seven-day average of new cases is 30 percent lower than when it peaked last week. And in the United States, the seven-day average of daily cases is beginning to tick downwards after appearing to reach a peak a few days ago, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Having trouble ordering free COVID-19 rapid tests? Here’s what to do.
The government website where you can order free COVID-19 tests is up and running, and every American home is eligible to receive four at-home tests. It’s a very simple process — except when it’s not.
If you haven’t ordered your free rapid tests, visit www.covidtests.gov, click on the blue “Order Free At-Home Tests” button, and it will take you to a page on the US Postal Service’s website where you fill out your name and address. No payment is necessary, so you don’t need a credit card or health insurance information. Tests are supposed to start being mailed out the week of Jan. 24, and orders should ship within 7-12 days of placing the order, according to the website.
Changing Course: American Air tweaks meals to boost masking
American Airlines and its flight attendants agreed to change the carrier’s onboard food service to maximize the amount of time that passengers keep their face masks on.
Effective Jan. 26, the first three courses of meals in first class will be served at once, rather than separately, on some cross-country flights and routes to Europe, Asia and South America. In coach on those flights, beverages will be offered only with meal service, according to a memo sent to flight attendants Friday.
On domestic trips of 1,500 miles or more, a second beverage service will be made on-request.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants proposed the new standards, which are temporary, to help reduce contact between flight attendants and passengers while travelers face coverings are off. Federal rules meant to limit spread of the new coronavirus require passengers to wear masks during flights unless they are eating or drinking.
Mass. employers added 222,000 jobs last year
Massachusetts employers added 20,100 jobs in December, according to data released on Friday, wrapping up a year in which they struggled to fill open positions.
Employment in the state increased by more than 222,000 jobs in 2021 but remains about 155,000 below the pre-pandemic level of February 2020. Hiring has been restrained by COVID-19 disruptions and the reluctance of many residents to jump back into the labor force.
Somerville health panel rejects indoor business vaccine mandate
Somerville’s Board of Health on Thursday voted 2-1 to reject a proposed COVID-19 vaccination requirement for indoor businesses such as restaurants, gyms, clubs, and theaters.
“I don’t feel like I’m ready to sign on to this mandate for this virus at this time,” said Dr. Brian Green, chair of the health board, during the panel’s meeting prior to the vote. “Because what we know about Omicron is that this is not going to have any effect of decreasing transmissibility in the restaurants and gyms.”
Green, however, suggested he could support such a mandate under different circumstances.
Almost a quarter of Bulgarians testing positive for COVID, country responds
Health authorities stepped up anti-infection measures in Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, and other major cities in response to a surge in new coronavirus cases driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Schools are limiting in-person classes, requiring students in all grades except first through fourth to switch to distance learning. The precautions also ban mass events and require restaurants and bars to operate at half of their customer capacity. All catering and entertainment establishments have to close no later than 10 p.m., and visitors need valid health certificates to be admitted.
Bulgaria, which has the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rate in the European Union and a population of 6.5 million, reported on Friday 8,932 new virus cases and 87 deaths. The country’s test positivity rate for the virus increased to about 24 percent.
Booster shots improve protection against Omicron, CDC studies show
Three studies released Friday offered more evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are standing up to the Omicron variant, at least among people who received booster shots.
They are the first large US studies to look at vaccine protection against Omicron, health officials said.
The papers echo previous research — including studies in Germany, South Africa and the UK — indicating available vaccines are less effective against Omicron than earlier versions of the coronavirus, but also that boosters significantly improve protection.
Firefighters union pushes back against vaccination mandate for Boston’s workforce
In the latest instance of resistance to Boston’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for its city workforce, the influential firefighters union is pushing back against the new requirement with a planned news conference that will detail its objections at Florian Hall on Friday.
The Boston Firefighters Local 718 has invited its members “to stand in opposition to Mayor [Michelle] Wu’s anti-labor actions.”
“Her blatant disregard for the collective bargaining process by unilaterally revising a memorandum of agreement with an effective testing option cannot go unchecked,” read a message from the union to its members.
COVID boosters should start with most vulnerable, says WHO
The World Health Organization says that coronavirus vaccine boosters should now now be offered to people, starting with the most vulnerable, in a move away from its previous insistence that boosters were unnecessary for healthy adults and an acknowledgment that the vaccine supply is improving globally.
At a press briefing on Friday, the U.N. health agency said it was now recommending booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, beginning in the highest-priority groups, about four to six months after receiving the first two doses, in line with guidance from dozens of countries that embarked upon booster programs months ago.
6 Czech players test positive before Olympic training camp
Six players on the Czech Republic’s Olympic hockey team have tested positive for the coronavirus, national team coach Filip Pešán said Friday.
The six players, all unnamed, are among a group of 12 that came from the Russia-based KHL.
“It’s a complicated situation and it’s changing every hour,” Pešán said, adding none of the positive players had any symptoms.
Those who tested negative will stay in a bubble in a hotel near the team’s training facility in Prague while the positive individuals will isolate at home and join the team later, depending on negative tests.
The Czechs have named a preliminary 24-man squad for the Beijing Olympics. Anticipating possible positive coronavirus tests, Pešán has 30 substitutes available to step in.
Former Boston Bruins center David Krejci will lead the hockey team in Beijing, where the NHL won’t participate. The 35-year-old Krejci left Boston in July after 14 NHL seasons to continue his career at home in the Czech Republic.
The first part of the team is set to fly to Beijing on Thursday.
Adele postpones Las Vegas residency, citing pandemic impact
Adele has postponed a 24-date Las Vegas residency hours before it was to start, citing delivery delays and coronavirus illness in her crew.
The chart-topping British singer said she was “gutted” and promised to reschedule the shows.
In a video message posted on social media, a tearful Adele said: “I’m so sorry but my show ain’t ready.”
“We’ve tried absolutely everything that we can to pull it together in time and for it to be good enough for you but we’ve been absolutely destroyed by delivery delays and COVID,” she said, adding that “half my team are down with” the virus.
Adele had been due to perform 24 shows at Caesars Palace Hotel starting Friday following the release of her fourth album, “30.”
In a tweet, Caesars Palace said it understood fans’ disappointment but added: “Creating a show of this magnitude is incredibly complex. We fully support Adele and are confident the show she unveils at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace will be extraordinary.”
Australia records deadliest day of pandemic with 80 deaths
Australia on Friday reported its deadliest day of the pandemic with 80 coronavirus fatalities, as an outbreak of the Omicron variant continued to take a toll.
But Dominic Perrottet, premier of the most populous state, New South Wales, said a slight decrease in hospitalizations gave him some hope about the strain the outbreak is putting on the health system.
The previous record of 78 deaths was set on Tuesday. There have been just under 3,000 coronavirus deaths in Australia since the pandemic began.
New South Wales, home to Sydney, reported a record 46 deaths. They included a baby who died from COVID-19 in December, one of several historical cases that were investigated.
China mandates 3-day Olympic torch relay amid virus concerns
China is limiting the torch relay for the Winter Olympic Games to just three days amid coronavirus worries, organizers said Friday.
The flame will be displayed only in enclosed venues that are deemed “safe and controllable,” according to officials speaking at a news conference.
No public transit routes would be disturbed and normal life would continue for the 20 million residents of the capital, where a handful of new COVID-19 cases have been recorded over recent days.
Beijing’s Deputy Sports Director Yang Haibin said safety was the “top priority,” with the pandemic, venue preparations and the possibility of forest fires in Beijing’s cold, dry climate all factored in.
The relay will run Feb. 2-4, taking in the three competition areas of downtown Beijing, the suburb of Yanqing, and Zhangjiakou in the neighboring province of Hebei.
The Games have already been impacted on a scale similar to that experienced by Tokyo during last year’s Summer Olympics.
Preteens may be vaxed without parents under California bill
California would allow children age 12 and up to be vaccinated without their parents’ consent, the youngest age of any state, under a proposal late Thursday by a state senator.
Alabama allows such decisions at age 14, Oregon at 15, Rhode Island, and South Carolina at 16, according to Senator Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who is proposing the change. Only Washington, D.C., has a lower limit, at age 11.
Wiener argued that California already allows those 12 and up to consent to the Hepatitis B and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and to treatment for sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, and mental health disorders.
“Giving young people the autonomy to receive life-saving vaccines, regardless of their parents’ beliefs or work schedules, is essential for their physical and mental health,” he said. “It’s unconscionable for teens to be blocked from the vaccine because a parent either refuses or cannot take their child to a vaccination site.”
Currently in California, minors ages 12 to 17 cannot be vaccinated without permission from their parents or guardian, unless the vaccine is specifically to prevent a sexually transmitted disease.
Wiener’s bill would lift the parental requirement for that age group for any vaccine that has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
That includes immunizations against the coronavirus, but Wiener said vaccine hesitancy and misinformation has also deterred vaccinations against measles and other contagious diseases that can then spread among youths whose parents won’t agree to have them vaccinated.
Austria takes big step toward COVID vaccine mandate for adults
Austria’s lower house of Parliament voted Thursday to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for almost everyone 18 and older, putting the nation on the path to be the first in Europe with such a wide-reaching mandate.
The law would take effect Feb. 1. The bill must still pass in the upper house and be signed by the president, Alexander Van der Bellen, but both are considered formalities at this point.
While Austria’s bill is the first of its kind, other European nations are pushing large segments of their populations to get vaccinated. Italy has made vaccines mandatory for those older than 50, with fines for those who do not comply, and Greece has mandated vaccines for those 60 and older. Other European countries have made vaccine passports compulsory for certain activities.
Under the Austrian law, people who are pregnant or cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and those who have recently recovered from COVID-19 will be exempt.
Once the law goes into effect, all households will be notified. The government said it would begin routine checks of vaccination status in mid-March, including during traffic checks.
Once the vaccine checks begin, people who can’t immediately produce proof of vaccination will be reported to authorities and can be fined up to 600 euros ($685). If people contest their fine, it can increase to 3,600 euros (about $4,000).
The law is set to last until 2024. Austria’s current rate of vaccination is 75%, similar to that of France and of Italy, and new cases are averaging 17,846 a day, according to a New York Times database.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, opponent of vaccine and mask mandates, tests positive for coronavirus
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, R, who has challenged the Biden administration’s efforts to mandate vaccines, reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus, his office confirmed.
“He remains working diligently for the people of Texas from home,” spokesman Alejandro Garcia said in a statement.
Paxton’s office did not answer questions about whether he was vaccinated or when he was infected.
Social media posts showed him attending a rally for former president Donald Trump over the weekend.
The attorney general, whom Trump endorsed, filed a lawsuit this month to challenge the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate efforts.
Paxton has staunchly opposed attempts by President Biden to make coronavirus vaccines compulsory for health-care workers in facilities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funds, for troops in the Texas National Guard, and for staff members at Head Start programs. He has also fought requirements for parents, teachers, and children to wear masks at schools.
Jan. 20, 2022
About 1.5 percent of Beijing Olympics arrivals have COVID
About 1.5% of athletes and others entering Beijing for the Winter Olympics are testing positive for Covid, with all of the infections caught within five days of arrival, according to the International Olympics Committee’s Covid-19 support team. There have been no signs of transmission within the closed-loop bubble established by the organizers, and just 0.02% of those screened inside the area have tested positive.
The results show that early identification of infections and mitigation measures designed to stop their transmission is an effective alternative to quarantine requirements, the organizers said.
Japan eyes more quasi-emergency measures, Yomiuri says
Japan’s government may expand a state of quasi-emergency to eight more prefectures, covering 24 of the country’s 47 regions in total, the Yomiuri newspaper reported without attribution. The expansion would include Osaka and its vicinity.
An official decision on the measure, which allows local governments to place restrictions on businesses, will be made as early as Jan. 25, the newspaper said. It also reported that the government is looking to extend existing measures in three prefectures -- Okinawa, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi -- by two weeks.
San Francisco coronavirus cases fall rapidly
San Francisco’s infections are falling rapidly from a peak a week and half ago, the city’s department of health said Thursday. The seven-day average of cases dropped to about 1,705 per day as of Jan. 12 from 2,164 on Jan. 9, while hospitalizations are also expected to peak in the next few days at a level that’s within the health system’s capacity.
Mayor London Breed said the city’s response to the omicron-fueled surge demonstrates it can handle large outbreaks while keeping schools and the economy open.
“We know that this virus will be with us for the foreseeable future, but we have the tools in place and the experience managing Covid to not let it completely upend our lives,” she said in a statement.
Mass. reports dip in new public school coronavirus cases with 28,151 among students and 4,758 among staff
For the first time since early December, coronavirus cases among both students and staff in Massachusetts public school have decreased, according to data released Thursday.
State education leaders reported 28,151 new cases among public school students and 4,758 among staff members for the week that ended Wednesday.
The 32,909 total cases were 15,505 fewer, or about 32 percent less, than those reported last week. The decrease in school cases comes as data shows that cases statewide have peaked after an Omicron-fueled surge.
14,384 confirmed cases and 86 deaths. See today’s COVID-19 data from Mass.
Massachusetts on Thursday reported 14,384 new confirmed coronavirus cases and said 31,190 vaccinations, including booster shots, had been administered. The Department of Public Health also reported 86 new confirmed deaths.
The state also reported that 3,144 patients were hospitalized for COVID-19. The seven-day percent positivity was 15.03 percent.
Nearly half of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Massachusetts are ‘incidental’ cases, new state data show
New state data show 51 percent of COVID hospitalizations in Massachusetts on Tuesday were patients who were seriously ill from the virus, while 49 percent of patients were admitted for other reasons but happened to test positive upon admission.
The state launched its new method of reporting primary vs. incidental COVID-19 hospitalizations on Thursday, reporting that on Jan. 18, 1,624 people were in the hospital primarily because they were seriously sick with the virus while 1,563 patients had tested positive for COVID-19 while being hospitalized for other reasons.
Some experts predict a lull but say COVID could have more tricks up its sleeve
The surge fueled by the Omicron variant will likely fade in the weeks ahead in the United States, experts say, and encouraging case declines have already emerged in Massachusetts and other states in the Northeast.
But what comes after that? Some experts are expecting a lull in the pandemic followed by a decline in the severity of future waves. But many also warn that it’s hard to predict where the pandemic will go next — and a new variant could throw everything into doubt.
COVID-19 cases have peaked in Massachusetts
The latest wave of COVID-19 in Massachusetts has crested, with the number of new cases dropping precipitously since last week, prompting even the most wary prognosticators to see a flicker at the end of the tunnel.
The data indicate Massachusetts is headed toward a respite, and the United States also will see cases decline, said Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. But he cautioned that “every expectation with this virus comes with a caveat because it’s always making us look silly.”
Biden’s team says it’s on alert for Omicron disruptions in China
The Biden administration is monitoring real-time data obtained from businesses operating in China to determine whether outbreaks of the Omicron variant of coronavirus pose a risk to US supply chains, an administration official said.
It’s too early to tell whether there will be any impact on the American economy from the variant’s spread in China or from aggressive efforts by officials there to stamp it out, the official said.
The official asked not to be identified discussing the administration’s efforts because the data is not public.
Free rapid tests are about to roll out in the US. In other countries, they’re already part of daily life.
The US government is just beginning to roll out free antigen home tests. A website for ordering launched this week, with the first batches - four per household - scheduled for delivery later this month. But while up to now home tests have been expensive and hard to find in much of America, in other countries - Britain, Singapore and India among them - rapid self-tests have been widely accessible for some time. And people have incorporated them into their everyday lives.
Whereas the Biden administration announced it is buying 1 billion rapid tests, Britain’s National Health Service has already distributed 1.7 billion free home tests (in a country of 67 million) over the past nine months. With packs of seven available by home delivery and at pharmacies, people have boxes in their kitchen, next to the daily bread, ready to go.
Coronavirus levels in Boston-area waste water continue to plunge
In another encouraging sign that Omicron may be loosening its grip on the state, the amount of coronavirus detected in Eastern Massachusetts waste water has continued its dizzying decline in recent days, according to data released Thursday by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.
The numbers have dropped to less than a quarter of their Omicron-fueled peaks early this month, though they are remain higher than they were during last winter’s surge.
Plane heading to London returns to Miami over maskless passenger
An American Airlines flight to London returned to Miami after a passenger refused to follow the federal requirement to wear a face mask, according to the airline.
The airline called Miami police, and officers escorted a woman off the plane at Miami International Airport Wednesday evening without incident. A spokesperson for the Miami-Dade Police Department said American Airlines staff dealt “administratively” with the passenger.
The Cambridge startup tracking COVID in America’s wastewater
When talking with Mariana Matus and Newsha Ghaeli about poop, it can veer into the philosophical.
“The behavior of a city is imprinted in its sewage,” Ghaeli said. “It’s like the fingerprints of our health.”
Their company, Biobot Analytics, has met the pandemic moment. What started as a research idea at MIT, focusing on how wastewater data can help mitigate the spread of disease, has turned into something bigger. Now, it’s a fast-growing startup — with over 65 employees and millions in funding — that has contracted with over 700 towns, across every state in the country, to study their sewage and help policy makers predict how bad the coronavirus could get in their communities.
NBC will not send announcers to Beijing for Winter Olympics
NBC will not be sending its announcers and most hosts to the Beijing Olympics due to continued concerns about rising COVID-19 cases worldwide and China’s strict policy about those who test positive.
It will be the second straight Games for which the broadcast teams will work mostly out of NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, rather than the host city.
MBTA patron refuses to wear mask, hits Transit police officer in face, officials say
A 29-year-old Sturbridge man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly striking a Transit police officer after refusing to don a mask to ride the T at North Station, officials said.
In a statement, MBTA Transit Police identified the man as Rutul Jaiswal.
Police were called to the North Station Commuter Rail around 9:45 a.m. because Jaiswal had allegedly refused “to wear a mask while attempting to travel on the MBTA,” the release said.
36 percent lower risk of hospitalization from Omicron found in Denmark
The risk of ending up hospitalized after a COVID-19 infection is 36 percent lower for people who were exposed to the Omicron than the Delta variant, according to a new study from health authorities in Denmark.
The study in the Nordic nation, which has one of the world’s most ambitious programs for testing and variant screening, showed that 0.6 percent of those infected with the new variant were admitted to hospital, compared with 1.5 percent of those who tested positive for Delta.
US jobless claims rise to 286,000, highest since October
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in three months as the fast-spreading Omicron variant disrupted the job market.
Jobless claims rose for the third straight week — by 55,000 to 286,000, highest since mid-October, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly volatility, rose by 20,000 to 231,000, highest since late November.
A surge in COVID-19 cases has set back what had been a strong comeback from last year’s short but devastating coronavirus recession. Jobless claims, a proxy for layoffs, had fallen mostly steadily for about a year and late last year dipped below the pre-pandemic average of around 220,000 a week.
‘It’s been a desperate call’: Substitute teachers in high demand as districts grapple with teaching shortages
With Massachusetts school districts facing debilitating teacher shortages due to COVID-19, substitutes are among the staff members sorely needed but in scant supply. In an attempt to keep classrooms covered, school systems across the region are desperately trying to find anyone to fill in as the most recent surge of the virus pummels the teaching population.
As incentives, districts like Woburn and Brockton recently announced pay hikes to recruit more substitutes. Since the onset of the pandemic, both Boston and Cambridge have waived the requirement for substitute teachers to have a bachelor’s degree; Cambridge now requires at least one year of professional experience working with students, said spokesperson Sujata Wycoff, and Boston requires unlicensed candidates to pass an online course, according to the current job listing.
New Mexico is short on substitute teachers. The governor asked the National Guard and state employees for help
As school districts across the country scramble to find substitute teachers to fill in for instructors out sick with COVID, New Mexico is tapping into unconventional resources for help: the National Guard and state employees.
The initiative, which Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, D, said is the first in the nation, encourages government workers and National Guard members to volunteer to become licensed substitute teachers, Lujan Grisham announced Wednesday.
“Our schools are a critical source of stability for kids — we know they learn better in the classroom and thrive among their peers,” Lujan Grisham said in a news release. " . . . The state stands ready to help keep kids in the classroom, parents able to go to work, and teachers able to fully focus on the critical work they do every single day.”
Government employees and National Guard members who volunteer will be placed on administrative leave or active duty status and receive their normal salaries.
Employers across various industries are reeling from staff shortages as the Omicron variant spreads throughout the country. Hospitals, grocery stores, and airlines are all struggling to keep up with demands as employees call out because they are sick or need to quarantine after being exposed to the virus.
Staff shortages at schools have been a primary concern for government officials, who worry about how a third year of instability will impact students. Some school districts have taken creative steps to keep students in classrooms and operations running. Superintendents in Texas and Michigan have asked parents to volunteer as substitutes. In Vermont, school board members have filled in as custodial workers, and in Georgia, a school principal has been helping out in the cafeteria. In Delaware, a charter school offered to pay parents $700 to take their children to school and pick them up at the end of the day.
Dutch artists protest COVID lockdown of cultural venues by hosting approved haircuts at shut-down museums
Some of the Netherlands’ most celebrated museums, concert halls, and art centers opened their doors Wednesday to host hairdressers, nail artists, and fitness instructors, in playful protest against what they see as inconsistencies in the country’s coronavirus protocols.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said last week that businesses such as beauty salons and fitness centers would be allowed to resume operations after a strict lockdown that was imposed in mid-December. But cultural venues such as theaters and galleries would remain shut for at least another week, he said.
That proved a step too far for performance artists Sanne Wallis de Vries and Diederik Ebbinge, who organized the Hair Salon Theater initiative to bring hairdressers and nail artists to still-shuttered cultural venues on Wednesday.
The Dutch cultural sector has been flexible and adaptive, the organizers said in a statement, but believed that the “dire situation” facing the arts should be highlighted. They asked for a plan for reopening the sector and noted that few infections had been linked to arts groups over the pandemic, suggesting that it was possible to resume cultural life carefully.
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam was among the several dozen cultural venues that partnered with the Hair Salon Theater initiative. Customers who reserved seats ahead of time were able to get $38 haircuts or $34 Van Gogh-themed manicures while sitting amid the impressionist master’s portraits. (Masking and social distancing were mandatory.)
New Zealand says it won’t use lockdowns when Omicron spreads
New Zealand is among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the Omicron variant — but Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Thursday an outbreak was inevitable and the nation would tighten restrictions as soon as one was detected.
But she also said that New Zealand would not impose the lockdowns that it has used previously, including for the Delta variant.
“This stage of the pandemic is different to what we have dealt with before. Omicron is more transmissible,” Ardern said. “That is going to make it harder to keep it out, but it will also make it more challenging to control once it arrives. But just like before, when COVID changes, we change.”
Ardern said that within 24 to 48 hours of Omicron being detected in the community, the nation would move into its “red” setting. That would allow businesses to remain open and domestic travel to continue, but would require schoolchildren to wear masks and limit crowds to 100 people.
Why are men more likely to die of COVID? It’s complicated
It’s one of the most well-known takeaways of the pandemic: Men die of COVID-19 more often than women do.
Early on, some scientists suspected the reason was primarily biological, and that sex-based treatments for men — like estrogen injections or androgen blockers — could help reduce their risk of dying.
But a new study analyzing sex differences in COVID-19 deaths over time in the United States suggests that the picture is much more complicated.
While men overall died at a higher rate than women, the trends varied widely over time and by state, the study found. That suggests that social factors — like job types, behavioral patterns, and underlying health issues — played a big role in the apparent sex differences, researchers said.
NBC will not send announcers to Beijing for Winter Games
NBC will not be sending its announcers and most hosts to the Beijing Olympics due to continued concerns about rising COVID-19 cases worldwide and China’s strict policy about those who test positive.
It will be the second straight Games for which the broadcast teams will work mostly out of NBC Sports headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, rather than the host city.
“Something significant has changed virtually every day for the last three months, forcing us to adjust our plan numerous times. And I expect that to continue as well as the challenge of doing the Olympics,” said Molly Solomon, the head of NBC’s Olympics production unit.
Video: Houston hospital turns to virtual ICUs to fight Covid surge (CNBC)
“With COVID’s changing conditions and China’s zero-tolerance policy, it’s just added a layer of complexity to all of this, so we need to make sure we can provide the same quality experience to the American viewers. That’s why we are split between the two cities.”
NBC Sports spokesman Greg Hughes said in a phone interview the network no longer plans to send announcing teams for Alpine skiing, figure skating, and snowboarding to China. Those had been among the handful of announcers expected to travel, but NBC’s plans changed over the past couple of weeks.
“Our plans will continue to evolve based on the conditions, and we’re going to stay flexible as we move through this,” Hughes said.
NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel is one of 250 people the network already has in Beijing. Most of those are technical staff.
US hospitals brace as deadlines loom from a vaccine mandate
Health care workers in two dozen states must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by March 15 after a Supreme Court decision last week, a ruling that has left some already understaffed hospital systems bracing to possibly lose workers just as the highly contagious Omicron variant is inundating them with patients.
The new guidance was issued Friday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services after the court upheld President Biden’s vaccine mandate for health care workers. It will affect about 10 million people at about 76,000 health care facilities participating in the Medicaid and Medicare program, including hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Experts say mandates are effective in persuading more people to become vaccinated, which they say is essential to helping prevent the spread of the virus. And Biden has continued to push for more vaccinations and testing, reiterating that schools should remain open and the time for lockdowns was over.
“We’re moving toward a time when COVID-19 won’t disrupt our daily lives,” Biden said at a news conference Wednesday. He called a recent Supreme Court decision to block a vaccination-or-testing mandate for large private employers “a mistake.”
The CDC’s guidance Friday meant that health care workers in 24 states where vaccine mandates were not yet in effect must receive at least one shot of a coronavirus vaccine within 30 days and must be fully vaccinated by March 15, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said.
The states affected are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. For these states, the federal vaccine requirement had been blocked by a lower court.
The guidance does not yet apply to Texas, where a preliminary injunction still prevents such requirements.
The Supreme Court’s decision does not affect timelines already in place for the other 25 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, where health care workers must by fully vaccinated by Feb. 28, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
New Jersey mandates booster shots for hospital, nursing home, and prison employees
Employees of New Jersey hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and jails will be required to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus — with a booster — or risk losing their jobs, Governor Philip D. Murphy announced on Wednesday.
Workers at most medical facilities in the state were already required to be vaccinated by Feb. 28 under President Biden’s mandate for health care workers at entities receiving federal money, which recently withstood a Supreme Court challenge.
But Murphy’s requirement goes further, mandating health care workers to get booster shots as well, and it represents a significant shift for the state’s prison and jail system, where staffing levels are already strained and vaccination is well below the statewide rate.
Murphy, a Democrat who was sworn in to a second term on Tuesday, had given workers the option to satisfy the state’s earlier vaccination requirement by getting regularly tested for the coronavirus.
“Testing out will no longer be an option,” Murphy said outside a testing site in South Jersey. “We are no longer going to look past those who continue to put their colleagues, and, perhaps, I think, even more importantly, those who are their responsibility, in danger of COVID. That has to stop.”
Yet another rainy day, what to do? Go for a drive on an unsealed road up a local rural valley and go for a brief wander while it's not raining.... Take shelter under a display board by the old tree, hmm, plan the next move.
Caught out minutes from the car in Aniseed Valley near Nelson, South Island New Zealand.
Saqqara is an Egyptian village in Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis. Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Step pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb, and a number of mastaba tombs. Located some 30 km (19 mi) south of modern-day Cairo, Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).
Saqqara contains the oldest complete stone building complex known in history, the Pyramid of Djoser, built during the Third Dynasty. Another sixteen Egyptian kings built pyramids at Saqqara, which are now in various states of preservation. High officials added private funeral monuments to this necropolis during the entire Pharaonic period. It remained an important complex for non-royal burials and cult ceremonies for more than 3,000 years, well into Ptolemaic and Roman times.
North of the area known as Saqqara lies Abusir, and south lies Dahshur. The area running from Giza to Dahshur has been used as a necropolis by the inhabitants of Memphis at different times, and it was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. Some scholars believe that the name Saqqara is not derived from the ancient Egyptian funerary deity, Sokar, but from a local Berber tribe called Beni Saqqar.
The earliest burials of nobles can be traced back to the First Dynasty, at the northern side of the Saqqara plateau. During this time, the royal burial ground was at Abydos. The first royal burials at Saqqara, comprising underground galleries, date to the Second Dynasty. The last Second Dynasty king, Khasekhemwy, was buried in his tomb at Abydos, but also built a funerary monument at Saqqara consisting of a large rectangular enclosure, known as Gisr el-Mudir. It probably inspired the monumental enclosure wall around the Step Pyramid complex. Djoser's funerary complex, built by the royal architect Imhotep, further comprises a large number of dummy buildings and a secondary mastaba (the so-called 'Southern Tomb'). French architect and Egyptologist Jean-Philippe Lauer spent the greater part of his life excavating and restoring Djoser's funerary complex.
Nearly all Fourth Dynasty kings chose a different location for their pyramids. During the second half of the Old Kingdom, under the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, Saqqara was again the royal burial ground. The Fifth and Sixth Dynasty pyramids are not built wholly of massive stone blocks, but instead with a core consisting of rubble. Consequently, they are less well preserved than the world-famous pyramids built by the Fourth Dynasty kings at Giza. Unas, the last ruler of the Fifth Dynasty, was the first king to adorn the chambers in his pyramid with Pyramid Texts. During the Old Kingdom, it was customary for courtiers to be buried in mastaba tombs close to the pyramid of their king. Thus, clusters of private tombs were formed in Saqqara around the pyramid complexes of Unas and Teti.
From the Middle Kingdom onward, Memphis was no longer the capital of the country, and kings built their funerary complexes elsewhere. Few private monuments from this period have been found at Saqqara.
During the New Kingdom, Memphis was an important administrative and military centre, being the capital after the Amaran Period. From the Eighteenth Dynasty onward, many high officials built tombs at Saqqara. While still a general, Horemheb built a large tomb here, although he later was buried as pharaoh in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes. Other important tombs belong to the vizier Aperel, the vizier Neferronpet, the artist Thutmose, and the wet-nurse of Tutankhamun, Maia.
Many monuments from earlier periods were still standing, but dilapidated by this period. Prince Khaemweset, son of Pharaoh Ramesses II, made repairs to buildings at Saqqara. Among other things, he restored the Pyramid of Unas and added an inscription to its south face to commemorate the restoration. He enlarged the Serapeum, the burial site of the mummified Apis bulls, and was later buried in the catacombs. The Serapeum, containing one undisturbed interment of an Apis bull and the tomb of Khaemweset, were rediscovered by the French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette in 1851.
During the periods after the New Kingdom, when several cities in the Delta served as capital of Egypt, Saqqara remained in use as a burial ground for nobles. Moreover, the area became an important destination for pilgrims to a number of cult centres. Activities sprang up around the Serapeum, and extensive underground galleries were cut into the rock as burial sites for large numbers of mummified ibises, baboons, cats, dogs, and falcons.
Saqqara and the surrounding areas of Abusir and Dahshur suffered damage by looters during the 2011 Egyptian protests. Store rooms were broken into, but the monuments were mostly unharmed.
During routine excavations in 2011 at the dog catacomb in Saqqara necropolis, an excavation team led by Salima Ikram and an international team of researchers led by Paul Nicholson of Cardiff University uncovered almost eight million animal mummies at the burial site next to the sacred temple of Anubis. It is thought that the mummified animals, mostly dogs, were intended to pass on the prayers of their owners to their deities.
In July 2018, German-Egyptian researchers’ team head by Ramadan Badry Hussein of the University of Tübingen reported the discovery of an extremely rare gilded burial mask that probably dates from the Saite-Persian period in a partly damaged wooden coffin. The last time a similar mask was found was in 1939. The eyes were covered with obsidian, calcite, and black hued gemstone possibly onyx. "The finding of this mask could be called a sensation. Very few masks of precious metal have been preserved to the present day, because the tombs of most Ancient Egyptian dignitaries were looted in ancient times." said Hussein.
In September 2018, several dozen cache of mummies dating 2,000 years back were found by a team of Polish archaeologists led by Kamil Kuraszkiewicz from the Faculty of Oriental Studies of the University of Warsaw. The Polish-Egyptian expedition works under the auspices of the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw. Investigations were carried out for over two decades in the area to the west of the Djoser Pyramid. The most important discoveries include the tomb of vizier Merefnebef with a funerary chapel decorated with multi-colored reliefs, which was uncovered in 1997. as well as the tomb of courtier Nyankhnefertem uncovered in 2003. The expedition also explored two necropoles. Archaeologists revealed several dozen graves of noblemen from the period of the 6th Dynasty, dating to the 24th–21st century BC, and 500 graves of indigent people dating approximately to the 6th century BC – 1st century AD. Most of the bodies were poorly preserved and all organic materials, including the wooden caskets, had decayed. The tombs discovered most recently (in 2018) form part of the younger, so-called Upper Necropolis.
The research of the Polish-Egyptian expedition also focuses on the interpretation of the so-called Dry Moat, a vast trench hewn around the Djoser Pyramid. The most recent discoveries confirm the hypothesis that the Dry Moat was a model of the pharaoh's journey to the netherworld, a road the deceased ruler had to follow to attain eternal life.
In November 2018, an Egyptian archaeological mission located seven ancient Egyptian tombs at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara. Three of the tombs were used for cats, some dating back to the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties, while one of four other sarcophagi was unsealed. Among the dozens of cat mummies were 100 wooden and gilded statues of cats and one in bronze dedicated to the cat goddess Bastet, and funerary items dating back to the 12th Dynasty. Another of the seven tombs belongs to Khufu-Imhat, the overseer of buildings in the royal palace.
Also in November 2018, a collection of rare mummified scarab beetles was unearthed in two sarcophagi, one of which was decorated with paintings of large black beetles.
Also in November 2018, the Egyptian government announced the discovery at Saqqara of a previously unknown 4,400-year-old tomb. It belongs to Wahtye, a high-ranking priest who served under King Neferirkare Kakai during the Fifth Dynasty, and his wife, four children and mother. The tomb is about 33 feet (10 meters) long by 10 feet (3.0 meters) wide and has five burial shafts and a basement. It contains more than fifty sculptures, and is painted with scenes of the family, wine and pottery making, musical performances, sailing, hunting, and furniture making.
On 13 April 2019, an expedition led by a member of the Czech Institute of Egyptology, Mohamed Megahed, discovered a 4,000-year-old tomb near Egypt's Saqqara Necropolis. Archaeologists confirmed that the tomb belonged to an influential person named Khuwy, who lived in Egypt during the 5th Dynasty. "The L-shaped Khuwy tomb starts with a small corridor heading downwards into an antechamber and from there a larger chamber with painted reliefs depicting the tomb owner seated at an offerings table", reported Megahed. Some paintings maintained their brightness over a long time in the tomb. Mainly made of white limestone bricks, the tomb had a tunnel entrance generally typical for pyramids. Archaeologists say that there might be a connection between Khuwy and pharaoh because the mausoleum was found near the pyramid of Egyptian Pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, who ruled during that time.
In October 2019, a cache of 30 coffins with mummies was discovered, at the time Egypt's largest in more than a century and the first cache to be discovered by a solely Egyptian mission. The coffins were stacked on top of each other and arranged in two rows about three feet below the sandy surface. The first coffin's head was partially exposed in the sand, which led to the cache's discovery. Two of the coffins belonged to children, a rare occurrence in archaeology. Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, explained that one could identify the mummy's gender by the shape of the hands on the coffin, open hands being female and hands balled into fists being male. The colors of the coffin inscriptions---made from limestone, red oak, turquoise, and other natural stones mixed with egg whites—stayed intact, and the mixture of egg yolk and candle wax spread over the coffins to make them shine was still visible, making this a unique find.
On April 28, 2020, archaeologists announced they had found a 30-foot-deep (9 meter) burial shaft containing five limestone sarcophagi, four wooden coffins with human mummies, and an array of other artifacts. Among them were 365 faience ushabti and a small wooden obelisk about 40 centimeters tall that had been painted with depictions of Horus, Isis and Nepthys.
In September 2020, a 36-foot (11-meter) deep burial shaft revealed almost 30 sarcophagi that had remained completely sealed since their interment.
On 3 October 2020, Khalid el-Anany, Egypt's tourism and antiquities minister announced the discovery of at least 59 sealed sarcophagi with mummies more than 2,600 years old. Archaeologists also revealed the 20 statues of Ptah-Soker and a carved 35-centimeter tall bronze statue of god Nefertem.
On 19 October 2020, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced the discovery of gilded, wooden statues and more than 80 coffins in three burial shafts. Officials believed the coffins contain senior officials and priests from the 26th Dynasty.
In November 2020, archaeologists unearthed more than 100 delicately painted wooden coffins dating to the 26th Dynasty and 40 statues of the local goddess Ptah Soker. Other artifacts discovered include funeral masks, canopic jars and 1,000 ceramic amulets. “This discovery is very important because it proves that Saqqara was the main burial of the 26th Dynasty,” said Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and Egypt's former Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs.
In January 2021, the tourism and antiquities ministry announced the discovery of more than 50 wooden sarcophagi in 52 burial shafts which date back to the New Kingdom period, each around 30 to 40 feet deep, and a 13 ft-long papyrus that contains texts from Chapter 17 of the Book of the Dead. The papyrus scroll belonged to a man named Bu-Khaa-Af, whose name is written on it, on his sarcophagus, and on four ushabtis. Excerpts from the Book of the Dead were also painted onto the surface of other coffins. Also found in the shafts were wooden funerary masks, board games, a shrine dedicated to god of the dead Anubis, bird-shaped artifacts and a bronze axe. A limestone stelae dated to the reign of Ramesses II was found in one of the shafts, depicting the overseer of the king's military chariot Kha-Ptah and his wife Mwt-em-wia worshipping Osiris and sitting with six of their children.
Also in January 2021, a team of archaeologists led by Zahi Hawass found the funerary temple of Naert or Narat and three warehouses made of bricks attached to the southeastern side for storage of temple provisions, offerings and tools. Researchers also revealed that Narat's name was engraved on a fallen obelisk near the main entrance. Previously unknown to researchers, Naert was a wife of Teti, the first king of the sixth dynasty.
In November 2021, archeologists from Cairo University discovered several tombs, including that of Batah-M-Woya, chief treasurer during the reign of Ramesses II, and of a military leader named Hor Mohib.
In March 2022, five 4000-year-old tombs belonging to senior officials from the Old Kingdom and First Intermediary Period were discovered. On 30 May 2022, 250 sarcophagi and 150 statuettes were displayed at Saqqara, dated back to the Late Period more than 2,500 years ago, in addition to a 9-meter-long papyrus scroll which could be a depiction of a chapter of the Book of the Dead.
In May 2022, the discovery of the nearly 4,300-year-old tomb of an ancient Egyptian high-ranked person who handled royal, sealed documents of pharaoh was announced. According to University of Warsaw’s Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, the elaborately decorated tomb belonged to a man named Mehtjetju who served as a priest and an inspector of the royal property. Kamil O. Kuraszkiewicz, expedition director stated that Mehtjetju most likely lived at about the same time, at some point during the reigns of the first three rulers of the Sixth Dynasty: Teti, Userkare and Pepy I.
In January 2023, Zahi Hawass announced the discovery of four tombs at Saqqara including a 4,300-year-old mummy to a man named Hekashepes covered with gold, in addition to finds date back to the 5th and 6th dynasties, such as a priest inspector named Khnumdjedef, secret keeper called Meri and a judge and writer named Fetek.
Sealing:
At the end I seal all paint with Mr. Super Clear UV Cut matte spray and I seal naturally glossy features (eyes, lips and nails) with acrylic gloss varnish. The painted surface becomes waterproof, but I do not recommend wetting it on purpose. Elliot’s unsealed face, however, has survived from swimming in the salty ocean and having a big cat sleep right on it.
Signing:
For a full OOAK experience, I will sign the back of your doll’s head if you wish so and include a graphic certificate of authenticity, at no extra charge.
Other info:
I do not take partial repaints or any other fixing work at the moment, only full repaints. I do not repaint previously repainted dolls or reroot previously rerooted dolls unless their heads are already clean and in a good condition when they arrive to me. If you are outside the EU, there may be a tax or customs fee for you by your own country’s customs upon the arrival of your doll(s). There may also be similar fees when I receive your doll(s), and in that case I charge them from you. I work in a smoke free home. I have cats, but I do not let them sleep with anyone else’s dolls but my own. On occasion a single cat hair may still be found in your package. Please make sure that the dolls you send me to be customized are totally clean, and pack them into a sturdy box with their faces protected with something soft such as bubble wrap. I ship double boxed so that dolls have bubblewrap around them and they are attached to the inner box with tape; their faces are turned to the side and have air around them, but their bodies don't have space to move.
Please note that I need the full doll to be sent whether you want the body enhancements or not, because I like to photograph my patients in their full glory once finished, and I can't guarantee that the paint or the sealant won't get damaged if the face is squeezed, wet or heated when the head is put on the body. I usually don't remove and attach dolls' heads anymore after I'm finished with their faces. When I have done that, the lips have in some cases lost a bit of paint, and I have had to fix them. I paint multiple layers, so there is always a possibility that some paint from the top layers gets rubbed off if treated in the way I described.
Please feel free to ask any questions and make suggestions. Message me privately if you would like to send your doll as a patient. If you have ever wanted to own a doll repainted by me, now is your chance to get one for a good price with all the free extra enhancements. ;-)
-Marianne Tahko
Another charming 1/6 plate daguerreotype child portrait - this one is currently unsealed but still in good condition.
Deboxing the Anna and Elsa Animators' Doll Gift Set. The backing is removed from the box, with the dolls and all accessories attached to it. The box was unsealed, but there was tape holding the backing tray in the box, that had to be cut. The contents are now in clear view.
I got the newly released Anna and Elsa Animators' Doll Gift Set from my local Disney Store last Friday, October 31, 2014. They just got the set in that day, and had a good supply of them (at least eight). It is a very large and expensive set. It contains Anna and Elsa toddler dolls holding a little Olaf plush, with two full outfits for both Anna and Elsa. They are wearing nighties on with shoes and socks, and are holding handkerchiefs. They have their day dresses as their alternate outfits, with tights, shoes and hair ribbons. There are also dress forms and hangers for each doll. The box has the same height and depth as a single Disney Animators' doll box, but is about 4 1/2 times as long. The dimensions are 31'' L x 16.5'' H x 6'' D. It weighs 5 1/2 pounds. It costs $99.95 US. It is currently sold out online. But it just started to be available in stores, and is continuing to be distributed more widely day by day.
I will post photos of the set boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also do comparisons between this and the regular DAC Anna and Elsa dolls.
Anna and Elsa Doll Gift Set - Disney Animators' Collection
US Disney Store
Released online 2014-10-27
$99.95
Item No. 6070040581131P
Sisterhood
Costumed in deluxe satin dresses with floral detailing, soul sisters Anna and Elsa bond together for this Disney Animators' Collection gift set including two additional outfits for each doll, plus accessories and plush snowman pal Olaf.
Magic in the details...
Please Note: Purchase of this item is limited to 5 per Guest.
• Anna and Elsa dolls each come with 2 detailed satin outfits
• Floral filigree screen art patterns
• Leggings and socks
• Molded shoes with matching decoration
• Rooted, styled hair
• Satin hair ribbons
• 2 padded dress forms
• 2 satin-covered hangers
• Includes fuzzy plush Olaf with embroidered details
• Comes in collector's display box featuring animators' character sketches and top carry handle
• Part of the Disney Animators' Collection, each doll sold separately
The bare necessities
• Ages 3+
• Plastic / polyester
• Dolls 16'' H
• Imported
Safety
WARNING: CHOKING HAZARD - Small Parts. Not for children under 3 years.
The air conditioning of our trains has been accompanied by a conditioning of our experience of train travel. Today the "train operating companies" want us to turn up at the station, tarrying before departure only long enough to purchase a polystyrene cup of coffee with portion-controlled serving of milk and a sealed, standardised blueberry muffin. We sit in our allocated seat within the sealed capsule of the "car" and, prompted by a disembodied voice informing us that we shall shortly be "arriving into" our "station stop", we alight and must leave the premises without loitering. In short, passengers are a regrettable necessity of the money-making process. The companies will most unwillingly provide the minimum of service in exchange for the maximum amount of money they can get away with demanding. We should not make nuisances of ourselves by lingering in stations or showing interest in the infrastructure. Taking photographs may result in your being detained while "police officers" search your home.
In 1975 the traveller was still free to more or less come and go as the fancy took him. This was especially true of any passenger who, as in my case, had bought a First Class All-line Rail Rover ticket. I would not normally have travelled on a public holiday, but the August Bank Holiday Monday (25th) fell unavoidably during the currency of my ticket and, having paid for a day's travel, I felt obliged to make use of it. I was glad I'd decided to splash out on first class. While the hoi polloi stood in the corridors at the other end of the train, I sat in rarified splendour in an entirely empty first class carriage. Here I leaned out of the unsealed window and took a photograph of a power station somewhere on the outskirts of Wakefield. I must have notched up a considerable mileage with my head out of train windows and used to carry a special comb for getting the tangles out of my hair afterwards. The train was the 0800 London St Pancras - Glasgow ...once the "Thames-Clyde Express"... hauled by a "Peak"-class locomotive, no. 45 062 SHERWOOD FORESTER. My itinerary was Bristol (Stapleton Road) - Leeds - Carlisle - Bristol (Temple Meads) ...600½ miles. I was getting the most out of my Rail Rover.
Watch the video of our helicopter flight over Mitchell Falls on www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNUIIrDkIDk
Yes, we did it! This was pretty hard work to drive up to the Mitchell Plateau and certainly the greatest adventure on our 2nd Australia trip in 2010.
The Mitchell Falls is a magnificent chain of four waterfalls that form the main natural attraction of the Mitchell Plateau region.
For outback surroundings and Aboriginal culture, Mitchell River National Park in the rugged Kimberley region, is among the best destinations in Australia. Here you can see astonishing landscapes including the Mitchell Plateau and the spectacular and brilliant Mitchell Falls.
Mitchell Plateau harbours a huge assortment of wildlife including mammals and an abundance of birds, saltwater crocodiles and snakes. You will be able to observe,Brolgas, Sea-Eagles, Kites, Herons, Pittas and some Rainbow Bee-eaters and other birds often seen here. The Mitchell River National Park is also home to more beautiful terrain including Merton Falls, Surveyors Pool, the Mitchell and King Edward Rivers. The area is home to many of the earliest rock art sites, most of which have remained untouched for thousands of years.
The park of 115,300 hectares, 288,250 acres, lies in an out-of-the-way part of the Kimberley and contains some of the region's most scenic jewels. The Mitchell River, flowing northwards, emptiesinto Walmsley Bay and the Admiralty Gulf whilst carving gorges and waterfalls into the originalsandstone, particularly along the boundaries of the Mitchell Plateau, hence the name Mitchell Falls.
The fan palm is a prominent feature of the vegetation of some parts of the plateau, an elevated laterite-capped plain. This is one of the few places in Western Australia where this type of palm is, such a prevailing feature.
Mitchell Falls and Surveyors Pool are the park's two main attractions. The track to Mitchell Falls ends at Mertens Creek. From here a walk of about one hour (round trip) takes you to Little Merten Falls and allows time to see the sights and swim. Allow four to six hours round trip to Mitchell Falls so that time can be spent at the Falls.
The park lies in some of the most out-of-the-way and difficult to get to country in Australia.
Access is via the 4WD only, Mitchell Plateau Track from Kalumburu Road, 172 km north of the Gibb River Road junction. The track is maintained on an irregular basis only and may have wash-outs and corrugations.
Drive with extreme care. Tracks north of the Mitchell Plateau airfield are rough while the tracks north of Surveyors Pool are very rough and may be treacherous. Tracks and roads may be closed during the wet season.
[Source: perth-getaways.com]
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10
Aperture: f/4
Exposure time: 1/320 second
Focal length: 25 mm
ISO Speed 80
Tonemapping with Photomatix Pro, finishing with PS CS5
Nambung National Park sits 200kms north of Perth, and just 17km south of the nearest town, Cervantes. It is a 192 square kilometre reserve, protecting Australia's largest grouping of weathered limestone pillars and spires.
A one way unsealed roadway allows visitors to move through the park to different areas, with parking areas provided so occupants can then explore the region on foot.
From different higher elevations, white sands and the ocean can be seen in the background.
No correspondence.
Perhaps shot as he cycled to deliver a dispatch, this Belgian soldier now lies unceremoniously on an unsealed road alongside the tools of his trade; his bicycle and rifle, the latter of which lies suspiciously close to hand. Placed there after his death?
His tunic is open and his belt and accoutrements are missing, sure signs his body has been examined for any items that may provide information for German intelligence officers.
Eventhough I was on call today and I could not get dirty from working on the studio, I went and swapped ideas with friends and family. I feel like I am about at the halfway point before I can move in lights and start actively utilizing the working space. It's still pretty dusty from the broken up and unsealed plaster.
The stock rooms and shipping rooms in the rear of the building remain untouched and full of junk. They will become dressing rooms and prop rooms. I like the light airy feel provided by the removal of the paneling and carpet.
I was called back to the hospital about 15 minutes after this image was captured.
The start of the unsealed Gunn Point Road. It is not a long road. The moon is up and there is plenty of wet season grass on the edges. Not really visible in this shot but there are quite a few small calibre bullet holes in the sign. The road, at times, can be very wet and very slippery. At the moment it is fairly dry and dusty from an irregular wet season . There are the usual deep puddles after the end of the road and the Gunn Point beach track is easy to cross.
Driving on this road and many other unsealed roads, in the Top End, just needs a bit of common sense.
Special devices were used in World War II to take letters from their envelopes without opening the seals. The pincer-like device was inserted into the unsealed gap at the top of an envelope flap. One could then wind the letter around the pincers and extract the letter from within.
For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov
The road to Twin Falls is a 4x4 unsealed road and track that branches of the bitumen infrastructure of Kakadu National park. After engaging 4WD travel 65 km to Jim Jim fall Turn right prior to Jim Jim falls and travel 10 km to Twin Falls. A 4WD with a snorkel is a must in order to cross Jim Jim creek, normally about 700mm deep and 100m wide.
The last few km of trave to the falls is via a boat shuttle service that travels up the gorge and then a walking track over boulders, sand and a board walk. The walk culminates in a large sandy beach with twin falls plunging into a deep pool. However the pool is of limits for swimming as estuarine crocodiles may be present.
Photo above is a Panorama of 8 photos
www.jimjimfalls.com/Twin-Falls-Kakadu-National-Park-Austr...
600_7743_Panorama xyz.3
Iconic sign near the Nullarbor Roadhouse, SA. I didn't see any camels, or kangaroos when crossing the plain (well not live ones anyway), but unfortunately I did hit a wombat. Nothing I could do....
I felt that crossing the plain in this civilised age is not the adventure it may have once have been, say in the 70's for instance, when the road was largely unsealed, and vast distances between fuel stops. I even had mobile reception most of the way.
Most of the vehicles I crossed were grey nomads, towing their caravans or driving their motorhomes, as the vast majority of freight goes by rail.
An interesting experience, one I'm glad I did, but not keen to do again anytime soon.
"I crossed the Nullarbor", as the old bumper stickers used to say.
Special devices were used in World War II to take letters from their envelopes without opening the seals. The pincer-like device was inserted into the unsealed gap at the top of an envelope flap. One could then wind the letter around the pincers and extract the letter from within.
For more information on CIA history and this artifact please visit www.cia.gov
The result of a 'CCBS only' build session with my son for Hero February! There is something uniquely intuitive and inspriring about CCBS for kids, it works perfectly for what it sets out to do - be an accessible system to create characters quickly! My son built the hero while I was on villain duty (of course) and he named his character and we came up with a scenario.
I quote: The hero is called 'Mutt', has lava, fire and plasma powers, is strong (!), and his silver armor pieces are 'instructible'. (sic)
That last bit apparently meant indestructible!
Also, technically a collab?
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When a group of archaeologists brought back an alien monolith from an uninhabited planet to Makuhero City's museum, little did they know it was an ancient containment device for a malevolent being whose body is fluid - and that they inadvertently unsealed it.
When the creature escaped after eons of imprisonment, it occupied another exhibit - an incomplete, ancient suit of armor - and went on a rampage while looking for a more suitable vessel, one it wouldn't be constantly dripping out of.
Rookie hero 'Mutt' was deployed to the location, where he used his lava and plasma powers to subdue the creature and seal it back. At least, most of it...
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More images: www.instagram.com/p/DF6dw7sIjci
The dolls of the Frozen Mini Doll Set are fully deboxed. Hans, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff are posed standing, propped up against a wall.
Deboxing the Frozen Mini Doll Set. First the top lid is unsealed and opened. Then the cardboard backing tray containing the dolls is slid out of the box. The dolls are attached to the spacers and backing by wires, rubber bands and plastic T-tabs. Next the dolls are removed from the backing. The girls are more complicated to debox, as their heads are attached to the spacers. So they are placed face down on a counter to continue the deboxing. After they are removed from the spacers, there are still wires around their waists, tissue paper around their legs, and Elsa has tiny plastic posts sticking out the back of her head. Finally the remaining packaging restraints are removed from Elsa and Anna, their dresses are closed up, and they are now fully deboxed. Then Hans and Kristoff join the girls, in the same positions that they were in the box.
First look at the Frozen Mini Doll Set, which I purchased in store on its release day, October 28, 2013. They consist of 4 figures from Frozen, Hans, Elsa, Anna and Kristoff. The girls are 5.5'' high, the boys are 6'' high. Elsa and Anna are wearing simplified versions of their coronation gowns, and their hair is styled in updos. They will be photographed boxed, during deboxing, and fully deboxed. I will also pose them other with comparable dolls.
US Disney Store
Released In Store and Online 2013-10-28
Purchased In Store 2013-10-28
Frozen Mini Doll Set
$24.95
Item No. 6070040900948P
Have an ice time
This Frozen Mini Doll Set, featuring Anna and Elsa in sparkling array, along with Kristoff and Hans dressed in their best, will melt her heart. These adorable 5'' figures will inspire warm memories of the film and endless hours of play!
Magic in the details...
•Includes four dolls: Anna, Elsa, Hans, and Kristoff
•Each doll comes fully costumed
•Adjustable arms, legs and head
•Anna and Elsa feature rooted hair
•Inspired by Disney's Frozen
The bare necessities
•Ages 4+
•Dolls: plastic
•Up to 5 1/2'' high
•Imported
Creator: Laurie, W. J.
Location: Townsville, Queensland.
Description: This is the old Central State School in Townsville. Part of the George Cripps postcard series D21-8-90; Accession number 7857. View related images: hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/125
Read more about the Strand on our blog: blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/06/25/queensland-place-hist...
Learn more about this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/11618
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Townsville, Queensland.
Description: Unsealed road leading to the beach at Townsville. A church and approx. 11 other buildings can be seen in the image.
This image is part of APO-8 Album of North Queensland Views. View related images: hdl.handle.net/10462/eadarc/7411
Read more about the Strand on our blog: blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/06/25/queensland-place-hist...
Learn more about this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/38031
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Townsville, Queensland.
Description: Script on postcard reads: "Melton Hill. T.V." and "Melton Hill Townsville" on the frame.
This image is part of the 6282 Tunbridge Family Photograph Albums. View related images: hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/388
Read more about the Strand on our blog: blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/06/25/queensland-place-hist...
Learn more about this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/123927
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Townsville, Queensland.
Description: View of the Strand including young fig trees, many of which still stand today.
This image is part of the APO-15 Townsville Harbour Board Photograph Album, Accession number 6324. View related images: hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/335
Read more about the Strand on our blog: blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/06/25/queensland-place-hist...
Learn more about this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/39180
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
My Beetle, and me, in Madura South Cave on the way back from the ASF Conference in WA in 1965. VW Australia said they had enough images for ads like this!!
The Beetle crossed the unsealed Nullarbor 5 times from Dec 1964 to Dec 1965...
From a C41 scan.
See also neg scan www.flickr.com/photos/spelio/303224373/
and some more shots of this trip..
www.flickr.com/photos/spelio/2174392966/
See old exploration map here.
www.explorationswa.com.au/people/
B1R15-130 "Don't need no steeenking four wheeel drive" lol.
see below!
And see Nullarbor Karst in www.australiangeographic.com.au/travel/travel-destination...
Read the disturbing proposal for near Eucla...
A few hours after crossing the border to Peru from Bolivia, we drove on an unsealed road along the famous Lake Titicaca, until a tiny village a few kilometers before Puno to stay for the night.
We were hosted by an old widow farmer, in her house on the edge of the lake.
Just enough time to unpack my stuff, get the tripod and enjoy the last rays of the day.
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Canon EOS 5D Mark III + EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM @105mm, ISO400, 1/500 (2 exposures at f/4 and f/22 merged)
Nambung National Park sits 200kms north of Perth, and just 17km south of the nearest town, Cervantes. It is a 192 square kilometre reserve, protecting Australia's largest grouping of weathered limestone pillars and spires.
A one way unsealed roadway allows visitors to move through the park to different areas, with parking areas provided so occupants can then explore the region on foot.
From different higher elevations, white sands and the ocean can be seen in the background.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Townsville, Queensland.
Description: Postcard image overlooks North Beach, houses and other structures, and unsealed roads.
Read more about the Strand on our blog: blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2012/06/25/queensland-place-hist...
This image is part of the APA-19 Album of Views of Townsville. View related images: hdl.handle.net/10462/comp/597.
Learn more about this image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/211538
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/resources/picture-queensland
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
Many unsealed Canon zoom lenses have the tendency to accumulate quite a bit of dust on the interior lens surfaces. One prominent example for such a lens is the Canon EF-S 17-55 f2.8 IS. After a few thousand photos in about 6 months I have now 5 quite nasty dust particles easily visible inside the lens. I took this photo to check for shadows of dust particles in and on my lens.
The particles that sit inside fortunately have no visible effect on the image. I had a similar sized dust particle on the front of the lens itself. This one left behind the nasty shadow in the lower left of the sheet of paper at this 17mm f22 photo. At 55mm f22 it would be invisible too.
On the way to Corroboree Billabong yesterday afternoon.
One side of the road has been burned, which I thought made for something a bit different to the other million gravel track photos I have in the archives! Not sure if it was controlled back-burning or a wild fire, but you could still smell the burning in the air, so it must have been fairly recently burnt.
I find it fascinating that the termite mounds are fire-proof, they were still standing strong!
This is a 6 shot panorama, stitched in photoshop.
252 of 365
A Daguerreotype from James E. McClees and Washington Lafayette Germon of Philadelphia, c. 1850.
Research shows that McClees & Germon had their business on the 700 block of Chestnut Street starting in 1846 until they dissolved their partnership in 1855.
Looks like someone before me unsealed and tried to clean it up, but damaged the photo instead. It's still very nice!
Auction find.
May 6 - "Martyrdom" of Saint John the Evangelist
Commemorates the attempted martyrdom of Saint John the Evangelist in 95. John was bound and brought to Rome, Italy from Ephesus by the order of Domitian; the Senate condemned him to be taken to the Latin Gate and thrown in a cauldron of boiling oil. John stepped out of the cauldron without injury, and instead of exiled to Patmos.
St. John was one of the greatest devotees of Our Lady. He was given as a son to her, and she was given as a mother to him. Probably he was already practicing the perfect form of devotion to Our Lady that St. Louis Grignion de Montfort wrote about, which is the holy slavery. At any rate, all his life he had the greatest devotion to her and an intimate union of soul with her. It is more than licit to imagine that when he was thrown into the cauldron of oil, his eyes and thoughts were turned toward her. He received a miracle – the recovery of his youthful strength - through her hands. Also, the grace of the visions he received in Patmos came through her.
In those revelations the future of the Church was unsealed to him. So, it is probable that the present days were shown to him. It is not impossible that he also saw the individuals whom Our Lady would call to fight for her glory in these sad days in which we live.
Our Lady was given to St. John as mother because he was the only Apostle who remained with her at the foot of the Cross. None of the other Apostles were there. The chaste disciple, the one whom Our Lord loved, was the disciple who remained faithful. Today, in the hour when so many have abandoned the foot of the Cross, it is natural that Our Lady be given again as mother to those who remain faithful. To be at the foot of the Cross means to be faithful to the Holy, Apostolic, Roman Catholic Church; to be orthodox; to be counter-revolutionary; to be a slave of Our Lady in a world where no one wants to talk about suffering, dedication, fidelity, and purity.
Creator: Unidentified.
Location: Canungra District, Queensland.
Description: Tourists pause at a lookout spot near Canungra.
View the original image at the State Library of Queensland: hdl.handle.net/10462/deriv/133375.
Information about State Library of Queensland’s collection: www.slq.qld.gov.au/research-collections.
You are free to use this image without permission. Please attribute State Library of Queensland.
A 4mm scale Hejan Class 26. The model came with a sealed nose door, it has been "unsealed". The factory paint also had a "too wide" yellow panel, the edges by the lamp irons have been painted green. The bogies were also altered to move the center coil springs back. The tablet catcher recess should also have a stripe behind the tablet catcher.
Located at the entrance to the lobby the boulders, which are 77,000 pounds and 49,000 pounds, respectively, and reach a peak height of 10 feet tall, were supplied by Las Vegas Rock of Jean, NV. They were each cut open to show the natural veining of the stones; and the inside of each was hand polished and sealed with Custom Building Products’ Aqua Mix® Enrich ‘N’ Seal, a premium penetrating sealer that was formulated to darken, enrich and highlight the character and beauty of unsealed natural stone.
Faifa Mountains (or Al Fifa) is a mountainous area with wonderful places such as the Valley of Qa'a, Karthah, Thwayei Mountain, Hakamy Mountain, and Al Abseyah. The Valley of Qa'a is always covered in green due to the thickness and diversity of its trees. It is characterized by stone formations and running water during most of the year. Unique waterfalls appear during times of rain. The area is 30 km south of the center of Faifa. Karthah is a mountaintop overlooking the valley of Damad and the Faifa area. Vegetation is lush. Only 1 km south of Faifa, it can be reached by an unsealed road. The Thwayei Mountain is one of the mountains of Faifa region. It is characterized by its steepness and gradient that provides beautiful prospects overlooking the Valley of Jarrah and the Faifa region in general. The top of Hakamy Mountain overlooks a group of planted graduated areas and the valley of Jooh. It is 1km to the south of the center of Faifa. Al Abseyah is the highest peak that can be comfortably reached in the Faifa Mountains.
Al Faifa hills are 2000 meters high, so it has become a place where many saudi people from the coast want to come for the fresh air.
The game is to have the highest house!
It is also the border with Yemen.
© Eric Lafforgue
The Historical Games Company
'The Historical Puzzles Collection'
© Board of Trustees of Victoria & Albert Museum 1996
Licensed by V&A Enterprises Ltd
'One of a collection of puzzles from paintings at the Victoria & Albert Museum'
cardboard
2022 piece count: 72,674
puzzle: 88
From the box lid:
'The Sonnet'
William Mulready 1786-1863
William Mulready was born in Ireland and trained at the Royal Academy. His first achievements were in landscapes but he needed to augment his income by painting theatre scenery. The drudgery of which must have been distasteful for an artist who was unhurried, meticulous and a perfectionist.
Mulready was a slow painter, producing only two or three works a year but gradually his reputation grew and he gained great contemporary acclaim for works dealing with his central preoccupations of youth and age, childhood and young love. His works were greatly admired, and inspirational, to the young Pre-Raphaelites whom he taught.
'The Sonnet' depicts the figures of a shy young poet and the girl who reads his verse. Their clothes, the trunks of the trees and the rocky foreground have a controlled luminosity and unobtrusive innocence achieved through thinly applied opaque colour over the light initial priming. This brilliant technique is controlled perfectly conveying the artist's simple yet moving theme.
Mulready lived until 1863 leaving this painting as a glowing testament, one of the finest of all the paintings now in the Victoria & Albert Museum.
I spotted this puzzle in our local British Heart Foundation charity shop, but balked at paying £5 for a secondhand jigsaw, especially as the box was unsealed and the pieces were loose inside. Then I had second thoughts and went back to the shop, only to find they'd closed down in the meantime!
But... a week or so later it turned up in another charity shop a few doors away, still unsealed and still priced at £5.
My darling husband has an 'arrangement' with the manageress of that shop: he takes in a large bagful of (complete) puzzles and she lets him choose one from her stock, free of charge.
So can you guess what he came home with the other day? Yep, this little beauty! And what a beauty it is - complete and in excellent condition for a 25+ yr old jigsaw. A little difficult around the murky areas, but a little perseverance paid off.