GOOD NEWS
Emergency assistance for public television and radio stations has been approved by the U. S. Senate for $175 million in the Covid-19 related bill passed in an all-night marathon session this past week. Amendments to eliminate lifelines to these stations were prevented as Protect My Public Media reports ensuring the "highest quality remote learning services, local reporting and emergency communications." Public broadcasting has always been highly valued by me but has assumed increased significance these later years of my life, especially during this pandemic.
The Grand Canyon Protection Act to prevent uranium mining in the area has passed the U.S. Senate following previous passage by the House of Representatives. This is "part of a package of legislation aimed at protecting wilderness and public lands. Other provisions include protecting nearly 1.5 million acres of public lands as wilderness and designating more than 1,000 miles of rivers as part of the nation's Wild and Scenic Rivers" azcentral reports.
"A federal judge ... cleared the way for California to enforce its net neutrality law, denying a request by telecommunications providers to delay state rules meant to ensure equal access to internet content" The New York Times recently reported.
Florida voters over two years ago passed an amendment that took effect in 2021 outlawing greyhound dog races I was pleased to read. This "...could amount to a national death sentence for the century-old U.S. sport", NBC News reported. "With the state now out of the greyhound-running business, four tracks in three states -- West Virginia, Arkansas and Iowa -- are left still chasing rabbits."
I recall the summer after my high school graduation our multi-state senior trip in a school bus made an unscheduled stop in Florida before moving on through the state. Our adult chaperones encouraged us to go to the dog races which strictly speaking given the age of most of us we probably shouldn't have been able to attend. Some of us objected on the grounds of rejecting this treatment of dogs. We were able to remain on the bus with a chaperone, spared viewing what we considered to be an inhumane sport while the rest who chose to do so went to the races.
VACCINATION SYMPTOMS UPDATE
Updating my vaccination experience following my first Pfizer inoculation ... this past week several days after my shot I became aware of experiencing an unusual degree of fatigue. This tiredness continued a couple days which I think may be attributed to the vaccine as others I know receiving Moderna reported feeling this also though a younger person receiving Pfizer didn't experience fatigue. Reactions are relatively nil and seem to be unique to the individual.
As I previously reported I had minimal reactions initially: "The injection caused no immediate reaction just as occurs with my yearly flu shot. The only difference was about twenty hours later I did begin to experience swelling, then aching with increasing intensity at the shot site. This lasted for only a few hours, then abruptly ceased."
VANISHING FIGURE
A bit of an unexpected event occurred here one noon time earlier this past week when I glimpsed through a backyard patio door window and was startled to see what appeared to be a pile of clothing with legs stride out of sight toward a side yard gate. I went to a utility room window where I could see a small section of the yard and gate but observed no one. Returning to my living room I called our local police non-emergency number since I perceived no immediate danger though I was encouraged to call 911 in such an instance in the future. Before I even ended the call there was a knock on my door.
Opening my door I was surprised to see a policewoman there already. She informed me other officers were driving around the area, but she wanted permission to explore my backyard which I willingly gave her. Incidentally, when I open my regular door I can see out through the locked screen door but no one can see inside my house.
Soon the policewoman knocked on my living room patio door to ask if a sweatshirt and a few other possible trash-type items she described were mine. They were not, so she wanted permission to retrieve them which, of course, I granted. Whether or not they later found the owner I don't know.
I did learn from neighbors that a homeless person had sometimes been observed at a residence down the street on their porch some days examining packages that had been delivered but had left without further activity.
Several years ago there was a recurring instance with an individual I observed on several occasions in a neighboring city who suddenly lunged toward my car one day causing me to narrowly miss hitting him. Periodically he would appear in heavy traffic on old Route 66, a multi-lane boulevard, sometimes seeming to be trying to direct traffic, other times pacing the sidewalk, waving his arms appearing to talk to himself. He would be gone for days, weeks other times, then eventually reappear. I think he may have been removed from circulation on those occasions, then finally I ceased to see him any more.
The homeless people I've seen have been male except for one female for a short time several years ago. These individuals have generally presented with mental health issues, various drug issues including alcoholism as described in our local newspaper and police blotter reports. Some dangerous behaviors have occurred. There have been increasing homeless people in our city and other adjoining cities in recent years. Reportedly assistance offered them is sometimes rejected but efforts have continued to be made by our city government, religious groups and other organizations to provide help for the few homeless individuals in our community.
