Thanks for sharing your family connections with us. My only connection is second-hand, with a young female Doctor in an ER somewhere in downtown Manhattan - a dear friend of one of my daughters. She is telling my daughter what a madhouse it is.
And I imagine John Jackson, Steve Hodges, and other classmates have some family members in the medical professions, somewhere on the front lines.
* (Note: Steve has a bunch in his tribe of nieces - I think all 5 are doctors)
(also my young friend at a hospital in Ellwangen, Germany, where he says they are simply overwhelmed)
My thoughts and prayers go out to them, as well as a level of gratitude that I,,, we,,, the whole country probably have not felt since 911.
NOTE: I just watched a video sent from Tom McKeon of a man describing the findings of his good friend - a doctor who heads up the Pulmonary Department at Harvard Medical. His assertion is that they are seeing strong evidence that the use of Ibuprofin (Advil) is causing a very ADVERSE effect on the virus patients, and advising that people should only take Acetaminophen (Tylenol) at this time.
* * * I would ask you Jim, if you could corrobarate this finding?
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In other news, it appears a young Congressman, Republican Thomas Massie from Kentucky has failed to quality for this years "Miss Congeneiality" competition. How sad!
I can just see my mother shaking her head and rolling her eyes now, and uttering a phrase she often used to describe anyone operating outside the norms of common sense - "a case of arrested development". I myself would use a shorter phrase - numskull !
As of yet there is no convincing medical evidence that ibuprofen has specific negative effects on COVID-19 specifically. However, any seriously ill person is at higher risk of the adverse effects of ibuprofen (and other NSAIDS) for causing GI bleeding, fluid retention and possibe renal damage. Also, being anti-inflammatory, these drugs may decrease the immune response and lead to more viral shedding. Any or all of these effects would be unwanted in a COVID-19 patient. Acetaminophen would be a much better choice for treating a fever in these patients.
Right after I watchd that video, I also read contradictory reports about this.I guess I am proof positive that the news can get ahead of the actual facts sometimes.
Yesterday Pope Francis gave the Urbi et Orbi blessing to the world. Before he gave this extraordinary blessing he spoke to those watching from around the world:
The Covid-19 pandemic has reminded us that we are all on the same boat, said Pope Francis, and so we call out to Jesus. The disciples ask Him, “Teacher, do you not care if we perish?”
The Pope said these words would have shaken Jesus, “because He, more than anyone, cares about us.”
The storm, said the Pope, exposes “our vulnerability and uncovers those false and superfluous certainties around which we have constructed our daily schedules” and lays bare “all those attempts to anesthetize ourselves”.
He said that Christ is calling on us all to "seize this time of trial as a time of choosing.” Now is not the time of God’s judgment, but of our own: “a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not.”
The Pope said we can draw lessons from the many people who – even though fearful – have reacted by giving their lives, including medical personnel, supermarket clerks, cleaners, priests, police officers, and volunteers. This, he said, “is the force of the Spirit poured out and fashioned in courageous and generous self-denial.”
He went on to say, that faith begins “when we realize we are in need of salvation” and are not self-sufficient. If we turn to Jesus and hand Him our fears, said the Pope, He will conquer them.
“Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things. He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies.”
Jesus’ cross, said Pope Francis, is the anchor that has saved us, the rudder that has redeemed us, and our hope, because “by His cross we have been healed and embraced so that nothing and no one can separate us from His redeeming love…..we embrace the Lord in order to embrace hope: that is the strength of faith, which frees us from fear and gives us hope.”
Concluding his meditation, Pope Francis entrusted us all to the Lord, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so that our faith might not waiver in this time of crisis.
“Dear brothers and sisters, from this place that tells of Peter’s rock-solid faith, I would like this evening to entrust all of you to the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, Health of the People and Star of the stormy Sea. From this colonnade that embraces Rome and the whole world, may God’s blessing come down upon you as a consoling embrace. Lord, may you bless the world, give health to our bodies and comfort our hearts. You ask us not to be afraid. Yet our faith is weak and we are fearful. But you, Lord, will not leave us at the mercy of the storm. Tell us again: ‘Do not be afraid’ (Mt 28:5). And we, together with Peter, ‘cast all our anxieties onto you, for you care about us’ (cf. 1Pet 5:7).”
I realize we are losing lives and thousands are really ill due to the corona virus. I did not realize the true severity of this pandemic disease until golf courses in Central Ohio have shut down!!!!!! This is a true horror.
Mary Ann and Beth have to be super concerned , but very proud at the same time. I hope and pray your relatives stay well while making others well. Jocko, congrats to you. Grandkids are the greatest!
Our children are keeping their children away from us so we don't contact the virus. That is worse than March Madness being cancelled. I am certain that many of us are going through the same ordeal.
Mike: My friend who golfs tells me they kept sneaking onto the course after it was closed. So the management took the flags off the greens. When people still kept sneaking back they plugged all the holes.
Love the pope's address. I know it was meant for the faithful worldwide but I was glad most of all for the Italians in particular, who sorely needed it.
I know this plague stalking the landscape is no laughing matter, but then again, humor is often a useful counter-agent in helping to preserve one's sanity. Our friend Fred C. sent me an email with this link yesterday. I suppose he may have felt it inapprpriate to mix it in with the heartfelt and serious posts we have been doing on the site here about Covid-19, but this song parody of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody is quite thoughtful as well as amusing, so I am tossing it into the mix anyway. Sorry Fred. You know I am not to be trusted. Although don't wory, I am staying self-isolated. As the song says when it changes the refrain of "Galileo, Galileo." I too feel I "Gotta lay low, Gotta lay low." Ha! Brilliant.
There is always hope. Life will bloom forth again in spite of all the seriousness of the Covid-19 and all the negativity that is expressed on televison and social media platforms. Use good judgment in your activities. Try to be positive in your outlook and communication. But most of all, have faith my friends.
I thought your piece about the Pope's blessing was excellent. Other than the references to the Blessed Virgin, he sounded like he was reading from the script of our Marked Men For Christ retreats.
(or, ahem, is it probable that we are all reading from the same script?)
Especially the part about our craving for self sufficiency - a dangerous concept - especially for us men, who are raised to be tough and resourceful and independent.
I coined a phrase at MMFC that I refer to as the "I got this" syndrome - "I can do this myself." - "Leave me alone, I don't need anybody's help" - Etc. Which often leads to failure, isolation and feelings of inadequacy - which becomes a spiritual dead end street. ("I'm the only one who suffers from this problem, this failure, this weakness, this sickness, and nobody can help me fix it.")
I am reminded of those moments at our weekend retreats when it dawns on guys that we are broken, and powerless, but NOT alone, and finally give ourselves permission to let go of this insecurity and throw our trust into a Savior. (I refer to it as "dumping it all on the Cross"). But not a "Savior" who is popularized by rules and regulations, litergy, or tradition - (the "Old Law"). And definately not one who wants us to Play "Church", or "Religion". But rather, one who lifts us when we fall, feeds us when we are hungry, and finds us when we are lost. One who wants our hearts.
It is often a very thrilling, emotional, moment to witness. It came over me with a wave of emotional outpouring at my first MMFC weekend, and I have stood close by and witessed the hardest of men, all types, and bitterly broken, give up heir stubbornness, and surrender to HIS unconditionall gifts of love, and freedom, and joy.
Now we are in a time when we are reminded of our own human limitaions. A time when we have to confess, "I Don't Got This!"
And this is precisey when HE turns to his 12 buddies (us) and says, "I tell you that you will have trouble in this world. But fear not, for I have overcome the world."
I keep discovering missed messages - some from a while back, and also cannot find the page with birthdays. Could someone give me a heads up about whre to find these things?
This is not political. Ballyferriter is at the far western end of the Dingle Peninsula and the closest town in Ireland (and Europe) to North America – the town has one of the classic Irish directional finger signs pointing out toward to the Atlantic which reads “Next parish - America”.
I sailed. I read that some rare times at sunset, there is a green flash as the sun sinks. Everyone disagreed about whether that was factual until some guy like Tom got an incredibly lucky shot of the phenomenon.
Need advice. The lovely was on Facebook. She was wiping the screen or something and suddenly there is our son live and in person. Apparently she activated "mesenger". I haven't heard either of them laughing so hard in awhile. Question, will that app allow more than two people (three or more different computers) to conference call? I dislike FB a lot but that could influence me.
The lad drove around Seattle for an hour and a half today. Said it looked like Zombie-land.
But this is really bad. I just played my 9 year-old grandson in Langley WA (out on Whidbey Island - just off shore from Seattle, Mukilteo, and Everett) a game of chess via "Chess.com" ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I am unable to open the firewall on your article but it touches memories.
Mary and I were there many years ago. Took a bus tour out to Dingle and beyond. Stopped to photograph the "Strand at Inch" (from "The Quiet Man" horse race scene - and I seem to recall scenes from "Ryan'sDaughter"), stopped for (very) expensive lunch at Doyle's Seafood in downtown Dingle, then drove out to the point.
I thought it was BallyDavid, but I must be wrong. The tour guide explained the bit about it being the "Last parish before Boston", and I learned what the term "Irish Wake" really meant. He also explained about the people who once lived out on those tiny Blasket Islands, a mile or so offshore, but had to be removed in the 50's - too expensive to furnish schooling and medical personel for such a small remote group.
But the cutest part for me was - he explained that the Pub we parked across from in that tiny village of maybe 50 people was our bathroom stop. And then he went on to explain that there would be dirt floors, and that no one in the Pub except for the bartender could speak any English, so we would have to ask him for directions to the rest rooms.
Dave, I’m impressed that you remember so much about Dingle since you were there so long ago.
I thought NYT allowed everyone 10 free articles a month but maybe you’ve reached your limit. The article was about how traditional Irish wakes have had to be suspended because of Ireland’s ban on large gatherings as a result of the coronavirus. Here are the first few paragraphs:
When Betty Ryan died at her home in rural Ireland of complications from cancer last week, her family was understandably distraught.
And compounding their grief was a question that is now arising for families around the country: What would they do about her wake and funeral?
Like so many rites in Irish life, death is a social event as much as it is a time of mourning. But a ban on large gatherings because of the coronavirus outbreak has meant that funeral rituals have to be rethought.
Betty was the first person in the village of Ballyferriter, in County Kerry, to die since measures intended to stop the virus’s spread were introduced, and the family feared that their matriarch would not receive a proper send-off.
As her family left a nearly empty church after a private funeral service, they saw their neighbors and friends lining the village street, standing at least six feet apart, dotted along the mile-long route from the church to the graveyard.
And they were singing: “Oro se do bheatha bhaile” — “A Song to Sing You Home.”
When I used the term "Irish Wake", I was referring to the ritual that was used to say goodbye to family members who were about to depart for "Amer-i-Kay" back in those days of the 19th Century and early 20th - and it was thought that they would never be seen again (often the case with families of modest means). It's my understanding that they threw a huge party, with a blessing from the priest, along with food and drink and music, including a casket on the dining room table - symbolic of the impending "loss" of the loved one. Thus, the term "Wake"
You would know more Irish history than I. Hope you (or anyone) can add more knowledge on this matter.
I watched this video while scrolling through Facebook today. It shares advice from a New York City doctor who is on the front lines of this virus. Regardless of the fact that it comes from a source objectionable to some, I felt that the information contained in the video was important for us all as we continue to seek out the best ways to protect ourselves and our families. As the video suggests......stay home, stay smart, stay clean.
P.S. After I posted this, my sister sent me a link to Dr. Price's full length video. It is about 50 minutes long. http://https://vimeo.com/399733860
Dave Mitchell - I strongly agree with your assessment of Frankl's book. It is an excellent one that I read a while ago. You may have motivated me to go back and pick it up again. First I have to finish Frank Herbert's Dune which I first read a bit over 40 years ago.
