Twitter Tweet About Covid in Uganda Stimulates Discussion

Christmas at an orphanage in Uganda, pre-Covid. As a result of the
economic lockdown this orphanage in Kampala had to close.

Twitter is a remarkably useful platform. You can follow individuals, or you can do searches for topics and see what is being said about that topic, any topic. You can type in the word "Riots" and see all the places in the world where riots have been taking place. You can also type in the names of places and see what is happening there. You can follow countries or cities where you have friends, or simply places you are curious about. And you can also see responses from others to all these things, often being carried on like an out of control bar fight. It's Reality TV in some ways, though a little more raw and less edited.

I know a few people in Uganda so I check in via Twitter to see what has been happening there since the lockdown.  Here's a Tweet that caught my attention last night.

* * * *
sally
@sallyKP

News Flash!
Uganda (43,000,000 people), where Hydroxychloroquine is eaten like candy due to malaria, have had 20 deaths.
20!

Not 20,000!
Not 2,000!
Not 200!

👉🏼20!👈🏼

* * * *

In checking the factuality of this at the Global COVID-19 Dashboard, I find that there are now 22 deaths. There have been a little over 2300 cases. The country has been in lockdown, which explains some of it, but there are 43 million people and it's curious to see so little impact in many of these poorer countries.

According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Hydroxychloroquine is not recommended (a) because it is not effective as a treatment for Covid-19 and (b) because it has side effects.

The Food & Drug Administration also cautions against the use of Hydroxychloroquine outside of the hospital or in a clinical study.

According to this BBC story, Uganda reported its first Covid death in late July. The BBC underscores the strictness with which their lockdown has been enforced. In fact more people had died at the hands of the enforcers of the lockdown than had died from the virus (at the time the story was published.)

This article in Science magazine states that scientists have noticed the low death counts in Africa but can't understand the reasons, since the virus does seem prevalent. "The pandemic appears to have spared Africa so far. Scientists are struggling to explain why."

* * * *
Here are several Tweets in response to the Tweet I shared above:

A Canadian in Germany  
@CanadianGermany
Probably not like candy but as a medication against malaria. People will say the average age is in the twenties but I guess there are more than 20 older ones, actually a lot more. The CFR in basically all "malaria countries" is much lower than in EU and US. The difference is HCQ

patriot
@Mahadbarya
Hey...I'm Ugandan and offended ...though the deaths are just 20...we dont eat Hydrochloroquine like candy we take as medicine besides..we use masks,sanitize regulary and at times keep the social distancing ....thank you

Matt Young
@Realmattyoung
I go to Uganda every year! Ugandans are amazing people! I love Uganda. The people were promised masks by the government and they didn’t get any. I talked to one of my contacts who said 2 of those cases were falsified because the Dr’s were paid to lie. God bless Uganda.

Zeroed
@mactimo23
They are falsified deaths

Mike B
@dublinsquirrel
that's why the MSM don't talk about it

ShaQQFu
@ShaQQFu
RIP critical thinking

George
@George96531446
I have been asking why we haven't heard about all the deaths we were supposed to expect from under developed countries? Well now we know why they haven't happened! Take note WORLD.

Graeme Goodall
@GraemeGoodall29
Which begs the question why hydroxychloroquine was withdrawn from the shelves in all European and North American pharmacies just prior to lockdown? Why was The Lancet commissioned by the WHO to brand this safe,effective treatment 'dangerous'.

Daydrinking Drunkard
@KielbasaDude
Replying to @jzippy84 and @NJDeptofHealth 
You still here pushing a bogus miracle drug??? The study doesn't prove shit. Good-bye, knucklehead

* * * *
If nothing else, the Twitter stream is an immediate and unmediated place to find information you won't find elsewhere, and misinformation. If you read thoughtfully, though, you can certainly get a pretty good sense of what is happening.

This brings to mind the 2008 event that showed me the power of Twitter. Here are the two posts I wrote back then in response to the Mumbai Hotel incident:
Mumbai Heartbreak Hotel
Why Mumbai Massacre Matters To Us

Just sowing seeds. Make the most of your day. When it's over it will be gone forever.

Noteworthy Steinbeck Notes and Quotes

This past week I've been reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. It's possibly the last of Steinbeck's major works that I'm finally getting around to reading after having gone through a "Steinbeck phase" earlier in my life.

From his opening descriptions of the Salinas Valley one is dazzled by Steinbeck's linguistic dream-weaving. His patient character development and vivid psychological profiles reflect the unfathomable landscapes of the soul that make us human.

The 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to him "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social perception." Upon reading Steinbeck again, it's easy to see why the Nobel Committee was sufficiently impressed with his writing and impelled to award him this prize.

Here are some excerpts from his work that reflect his prose and perspectives on the world we live in. Much has changed since the Dust Bowl days of The Grapes of Wrath, yet our essential human and the struggles we face to maintain our dignity remain unchanged. In this sense, the great writers are timeless.

* * * *

John Stenbeck. Public domain.

"We are lonesome animals. We spend all our life trying to be less lonesome."
--In Awe of Words

"In every bit of honest writing in the world … there is a base theme. Try to understand men, if you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and nearly always leads to love. There are shorter means, many of them. There is writing promoting social change, writing punishing injustice, writing in celebration of heroism, but always that base theme. Try to understand each other."
--Journal Note, 1938

"In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable."

--NYTimes

For man, unlike anything organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments.
--Grapes of Wrath

There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension.
--East of Eden

It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it.
--Sweet Thursday

No man really knows about other human beings. The best he can do is to suppose that they are like himself.
--The Winter of Our Discontent

To be alive at all is to have scars.
--The Winter of Our Discontent

No one wants advice, only corroboration.
--The Winter of Our Discontent

Literature is as old as speech. It grew out of human need for it, and it has not changed except to become more needed.
--Nobel Prize Acceptance Speech


Related Links
Conversations with John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck - Writers Take Sides 1938

Bluegrass State Photos Bring Back Memories

People and places of Kentucky

Courtesy Gary Firstenberg

aka Muddy Waters

Grave of Chester Arthur Burnett. Howlin' Wolf features
prominently in Dylan's Murder Most Foul.

*

My grandfather was born there (in Eastern Kentucky), and his father and his grandfather. I remember visiting my great-grandfather when he lived on the mountain in Eastern Kentucky across from Yellow Rock, and later again when he had moved to Bear Track, population 36 at the time. I can trace my roots back through great-great grandparents and their parents all the way back to Daniel Boone, whose offspring I am. "Daniel Boone was a man..."

I have so many memories, including visiting the places where the newborn Abe Lincoln lived, one being pictured above. Mammoth Cave, Cumberland Lake, Gethsemani, the Trappist Monastery where Thomas Merton is buried. After I'd grown there were business trips to Louisville for truck shows and National Street Rod Association events, and to Chevy Chase for diesel truck competitions.

In short, it's a beautiful state with a lot of history for me personally.

* * * *
Photographer Gary Firstenberg sent me these fotos from Kentucky as he continues on his points-of-interest road trip through the Midwest.

Related Links

Gary Firstenbergs Recent Midwest Travels
Best of Gary Firstenberg Collection

Jane Kim Shares Thoughts On Toastmasters, Power and Powerlessness

The pandemic has altered many aspects of our lives in 2020, but it hasn't stopped our lives altogether. It's just been a matter of making adjustments. One such adjustment has been the advent of Zoom.

Zoom videoconferencing has made it easy for companies to transition to the cocooning now common for the past seven months. And for our local Toastmasters club it's had some special perks because a few of our members have attended meetings in other parts of the country and the world, and occasionally we have had guests Zoom in from elsewhere.

Jane Kim

At our Toastmasters meeting Thursday Jane Kim gave an interesting speech about how we carry ourselves and its impact on both ourselves and others. I asked for permission to share her talk here and a little about herself.  Her talk follows this brief interview.

EN: How did you become interested in being part of Toastmasters?

Jane Kim: I became interested in Toastmasters after some folks from my inner circle encouraged me to check it out. I was working for two public access broadcast television stations in the Twin Cities when I joined one of the local clubs there and, while I was exposed to much journalism and communication while working at these two jobs, I still had this desire to polish up my skills. I joined the Plymouth club in the Twin Cities in November of 2019 and when I learned that I got hired at FOX 21 Local News in Duluth, I decided to jump right into the Duluth Toastmasters Club, mainly to make great connections in the Northland and to keep working on my skills.

EN: What have you learned through your involvement with Toastmasters?

JK: I've learned that no one is a perfect speaker, which is a good thing! Everyone has something that they can improve on. I've learned for myself that I tend to speak with a lot of um's and and's, and I tend to rush when I speak (I consider that to be a nervous tic of mine). I would say the Ah Counter's role and the variety of Evaluators for my speeches have been key to my growth in these areas. But on the other hand, I've learned that in a supportive and encouraging environment like the one at Duluth Toastmasters, you can reach the goals that you set for yourself. For instance, during the most recent speech that I gave, I was able to use gestures naturally and effectively, even during a Zoom call! I'm learning a whole lot through my participation in Toastmasters, and I am ever so grateful for the opportunity to take part in such a sweet group!

* * * *

Let Your Light Shine

Presence. What allows for someone to have a great or not so great presence?

It was at a garage sale where I stumbled upon a book that would shift my perspective about body language and how your body contributes to changing your mind. We were covering rummage sales and the summer trends of selling one’s old treasures for a story at work, and I think it was the second or third garage sale we went to where I found the book Presence by Amy Cuddy for a measly two dollars.

I wasn’t too familiar with Cuddy’s work – I watched part of her TED talk maybe a few years ago, but it wasn’t until I actually read her book Presence that my understanding of the effectiveness of body language changed.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

There’s a part in her book where talks about feeling powerful and powerless. It’s actually interwoven throughout the entirety of the pages in the book, but Cuddy basically makes the claim that feeling powerful and powerless are two types of dispositions one can have. One can feel powerful, feeling decisive and confident and ready to take on the world, or one can feel powerless, indecisive, insecure, defeated.

As she mentions in her book, power makes us approach while powerlessness makes us avoid. When one feels powerless, not only do our minds have thoughts of insecurity and defeat, we also quote constrict our posture, tightening, wrapping, and making ourselves smaller (limbs touching torso, chest caved inward, shoulders slumped, head lowered, posture slouched). We also use restricted gestures and speech by hesitating, rushing, using a small vocal range, a high pitch and so on.

She goes on to say that when we are feeling powerless, in virtually every way that we can, we make ourselves smaller. Rather than take up more space, we take up less – through our postures, our gestures, our walking and even our voices. We shorten, slouch, collapse, and we restrict our body language end quote.

In response to this, one can only see that those watching us will find us also powerless. Did you know that if you stand in a powerful pose – something like this, this or this – will actually change the hormones in your brain? Yes, the body indeed can change the mind. According to Presence, the body and the brain are a part of a single integrated complicated beautiful system.

“I don’t sing because I’m happy,” said William James, “I’m happy because I sing.” Let that sink in for a minute. It’s not because of the emotional cues of the song that makes one happy but you’re happy because you participate in the act of singing.

According to studies sponsored by Oregon and Harvard universities, doing power poses leads to a high level of testosterone and low levels of cortisol. Testosterone is connected with dominance while cortisol is a stress hormone. According to an article by weekplan.net, people holding power poses tended to be more confident, authoritative, assertive and relaxed while those in low power role poses had low levels of testosterone and high levels of cortisol. When we decide to do something like asking someone out on a date or raising your hand in class or volunteering, we consider the possible benefits or the possible costs of the action. Benefits being a new relationship or being able to say what we think and costs being looking foolish in the eyes of others. If we are constantly focusing on the costs of the action, then we miss out on the decisions that we can make and opportunities to feel powerful in the moment. I don’t mean to keep quoting this book, but presence is the way you carry yourself and is a source of personal power. It’s the key that allows you to unlock yourself, she says, your abilities, your creativity, your courage and even your generosity.

I hope that both you and I learn the secret to finding our presence.


Related Links
Duluth Toastmasters Club 1523 
Duluth Toastmasters Club 1523 on Facebook
Meet Duluth Toastmasters Club 1523: Dave Boe and Randine LePage
More Toastmasters Testimonials: Katy, Wulfgar and Yana
A Visit with Transition Life Coach Yana Stockman

Duluth Farmer's Market 2020: Veggies, Flowers and Other Signs of the Times

Wednesday we did a walkthrough at the Duluth Farmer's Market on the corner of 14th Avenue East and Third Street. Susie's parents met at this Farmer's Market way back when. The market is now a century old, with a lot of history under that roof. 

In recent years it seems that a lot of new "Farmer's Markets" have sprung up in the Twin Ports, but none compare to those glory days when this market was moving truckloads of produce. 

One thing for sure, growing up on a farm teaches you a lot about what real work is. Picking cukes when its in the mid-thirties and raining may not be the most fun you've ever had, but you do what you have to do to get everything picked and washed so it looks desirable come Saturday morn. 

Much more can be said, as always. Here are the hours so. you can check it out. There's something for everyone.

DULUTH FARMERS MARKET
Every Wednesday (2-5:00 PM) & Saturday 

(8:00 AM-12:00 PM) 

May through October

At the corner of 14th Ave E. and 3rd St.

https://www.duluthfarmersmarket.com/

Let's Face It. A Lot of People Are Suffering. Here Are Some Links to Useful Grief Resources

Losses can be devastating. It can be like a wound that initially feels numb, but then the pain hits you with an unexpected intensity. For some, the wound can become infected and require a more complicated healing process. Over time, the wound may heal, but the scar remains as a reminder of the pain and loss you endured. For some, the wound never fully heals.
--Dr. Ron Newman

Loss has always been a part of life, and alongside loss is that inner anguish we've come to label "Grief." The above is a quote from my brother's article Seeking Balance When Experiencing Grief.

I've already noted in several blog posts that 2020 is a year very few could have imagined. The economic challenges are pervasive and news stories somewhat striking, but when families lose loved ones, it's very personal. We're not just statistics. Their absence, especially when sudden and unexpected, leaves a massive hole in our hearts.

For this reason it's good to be aware of resources that are available to soften the wound and aid in healing. That is the purpose of this blog post. The trigger for this post was discovering that Quiet Heart Music has a new website: https://quietheartcomfort.com/

* * * *

So far COVID deaths are currently more than three-quarters of a million globally, more than 170,000 in the U.S. There may be a few, but most people have friends and family members who have had hearts broken this year, and more to come. Are you among those who have lost a loved one?

Pianist Henry Wiens has spent a lifetime producing and sharing music designed to comfort those who are hurting. Through Quiet Heart Music Henry sought to provide a meaningful, inexpensive alternative to sending flowers to friends, co-workers and employees who have lost loved ones. Flowers are a temporary token, but you can tell that many people today are requesting that "in lieu of flowers" you should consider giving to a charity that the loved one cared about.

Giving music that truly heals those who are left behind is another alternative. (EdNote: My intention here is not to put florists out of business. It is to add options to friends and family, especially an option that contributes to the well-being of someone you care about, the ones left behind.)

I found this note about the gift of music in one of my old journals:

Music is one of the more fantastic gifts of God. It lifts the soul on wings to ethereal inner spaces. Nothing more effectively breaks life’s monotonous hold on us, transporting us to the portals of paradise. How do musicians and composers do it? From nothing & emptiness they bring forth combinations of sounds, melodies, themes, so pregnant with feeling it seems an inexplicable mystery. Rainbows of sound, trembling with life, causing our hearts to break open with rapture, or sweet sorrow.--Journal Notes, June 30, 1993

* * * *

The new Quiet Heart website allows you to listen to Henry's music free, something I heartily recommend. Then purchase the CDs that you most relate to. (I have all, but also have favorites.) In addition to being a potent form of healing, Henry's music is perfectly suited as a background track for writers and artists. It doesn't intrude. Like a light breeze on a summer's eve it carries you along on its wings.

* * * *

Another truly valuable feature of the site is a section titled Grief Resources. One page in this section has links to an overabundance of articles on grief by Dr. Alan D. Wolfelt. In one of these he writes, "Grief is not a train track toward acceptance. Instead, it is more of a 'getting lost in the woods' and almost always gives rise to a mixture of many thoughts and feelings at once.

There are links to more than 50 articles dealing with all aspects of grief. Some deal with grief in general, some with helping you in your grief, or with helping others through their grieving. Others deal with grief with regards to specific situations like suicide, or grieving children or teens. Life is hard, and I know first hand how isolating it is to suddenly lose someone close when you are a teen. There are even sections to help hospice workers and funeral directors.

Visit this page for the grief resources noted above:
https://quietheartcomfort.com/grief-resources/

For what it's worth, Henry Wiens is a beautiful man with a beautiful spirit. You can feel it in his music.

Related Links
Henry Wiens Talks About the Power of Music as an Agent of Healing and Hope
Healing the Hurting Through Music
Quiet Heart Testimonials
A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis

Almost Wordless Wednesday: Photographer Gary Firstenberg's Recent Midwest Travels and Links to Five More Photographers

Related Links
All the photos here are courtesy Gary Firstenberg, lifelong entrepreneur and rolling stone whom I met last week on his tour of the Northland. His work has been shared via a variety of formats from cards to breath mint tins. You can find a link to his work below.

I've enjoyed friendships with a number of photographers in my career and in my blogging. For this reason I am including numerous additional links to photography websites whose work you will appreciate and may consider for potential future assignments.

Gary Firstenberg
https://firstinphoto.smugmug.com/BEST-of-COLLECTION/i-rMwRHG8

Photographer Andrew Perfetti
https://www.andrewperfetti.com/

John Heino Photography
https://business.facebook.com/johnheinophotography/

Michael K Anderson
https://singingcanoe.smugmug.com/
Interview

Jeff Frey Photography
Interview
Giclee Reproduction

Karl Dedolph (Street Photography)
https://karldedolph.com/
Interview