Magazine Posts

Leque Island is located between the city of Stanwood and Camano Island, WA. The area is going through a process of restoration. Water from Skagit and Port Susan bays and the Stillaguamish River flowed into Leque Island for the first time in 100 years on Oct. 14, 2019 - opening 250 acres to the tide, young salmon and crab.The natural marsh vegetation will slowly return to tidal marshland as it reseeds with natural vegetation. Learn more about the Restoration Project 

America feels completely chaotic today. Protesters are marching in major cities, sometimes looting; police appear to be attacking them and the journalists covering the protests. Rather than calming the situation, the president has thrown gasoline on the fire, which escalated yesterday’s fight with Twitter. Trump launched a blistering verbal attack on China and announced that the United States is withdrawing from the World Health Organization in the midst of a deadly pandemic. Meanwhile, new information suggests that the Trump administration did, indeed, collude with Russia...............Read more

* "How Private Equity Is Ruining American Health Care || Bloomberg Businessweek"

* Must-Reads Of The Week From Brianna Labuskes || Kaiser Health News

In 2020 we also honor all who lost their lives to the CoronaVirus epidemic 

Our Money
DeVos Funnels Coronavirus Relief Funds to Favored Private and Religious Schools

Covad-19
Covad-19"I Wish I Could Do Something for You,’ My Doctor Said"

OUR MONEY
- Administration ‘Backs Off’ Accountability for Companies Refusing to Return Unneeded Aid 
- Recent Profits and Tax Breaks are Not Keeping Corporations From Seeking Taxpayer Assistance.
COVID-19
THERE ARE SENSIBLE WAYS TO REOPEN A COUNTRY. THEN THERE'S AMERICA'S APPROACH

Difficult times can bring out the best in people—and as the coronavirus spreads across the nation, an epidemic of kindness has followed in its wake. Despite the challenge of social distancing, people are finding creative ways to stand by each other, even while standing apart.

Shortly after the “stay home” order, Kristan McCary of Ajax Café sprang into action. Her Port Hadlock restaurant announced free meals for curbside pickup on social media: “For as long as we are able, the Ajax will be serving no cost meals for those in need.” Soon thereafter, she offered free delivery to the housebound.

Maryland teenagers Matt Casertano and Dhruv Pai organized a grocery delivery service for senior citizens. After volunteering to shop for their own elderly neighbors, they realized they could help on a larger scale. Now seniors in their community can email shopping lists, and a nearby volunteer gets the groceries and leaves them at the front door.

Citizens nationwide have stepped up to feed our frontline healthcare providers. In D.C., Elena Tompkins and Sarah Cannova collect donations to buy meals for delivery to hospital workers, which also helps struggling restaurants. In Bremerton, Ed Van Gil started making large batches of home-cooked meals and personally delivering them to healthcare facilities—and when word of his good deed spread, a group of community volunteers joined in.

Many people also rely on spiritual sustenance, and churches have adapted by holding services inspired by drive-in theatres. The congregation assembles in cars, and the sermon—often delivered from “pulpits” designed for maximum visibility—is broadcast to their radios. In Ohio, Pastor Frank Carl stands 25 feet high in a scissor lift, while in Wisconsin, Pastor John Hanson preaches from atop a dump truck.

As countless celebrations for graduations, weddings, and birthdays have been cancelled, drive-by parades of family and friends have become the new norm. New Jersey native Charles Swody’s 100th birthday was no exception. The World War II veteran and retired local Fire Chief was honored with a festive motorcade through his neighborhood, complete with a fire engine in the lead—and his wife of 78 years at his side.

Such is the generosity and resilience of the human spirit. We’ve learned how to stay close, even from a safe distance. We’ve learned to spread love, not fear. And we’ve learned that no matter how far apart we are, we’re all in this together.

The Sickness in Our Food Supply

Why We Need Postal Democracy

How To Make Sense of All The COVID-19 Projections? A New Model Combines Them

When the storm passes
and the roads are tamed,
and we are the survivors
of a collective shipwreck.

With a weeping heart
and a blessed destiny 
we will feel happy
just for being alive.

And we will hug
the first stranger
and praise the luck 
of not having lost a friend.

And then we'll remember
everything we lost
And all at once we will learn
all we had not learned before

We will no longer be envious 
because we have all suffered
We will no longer be lazy
And will be more compassionate 

What belongs to all will be worth more 
than that never achieved
We will be more generous
and much more committed 

We will understand how fragile
it means to be alive.
We will sweat empathy
for who is and who has left.

We will miss the old man
asking for a dollar in the market
we didn't know his name
although he was next to us

And perhaps the poor old man
was your God in disguise.
You never asked for his name
because you were in a hurry.

And everything will be a miracle
And everything will be legacy.
And life will be respected,
the life we have won.

When the storm passes
I ask God, full of sadness 
to return us to be better
as he had dreamed we would be.

Translation of Alexis Valdés  poem "Esperanza" (Hope) written in Spanish in March 2020 about the humanitarian crisis brought "by the Coronavirus and the "hope" of how we will feel when the "Storm Passes" ("Cuando pase la tormenta"  -  Esperanza)

Alexis Valdés is a Cuban composer, singer, musician and poet residing in Miami. Translated by CP

- A historical view of Mothers day
- Remote Learning - The Class Divide: Remote Learning at 2 Schools, Private and Public
- Covid-19 - The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them .
- If 80% of Americans Wore Masks, COVID-19 Infections Would Plummet, New Study Says 

Today marks 93 days since the first Coronavirus case was reported in the U.S. We now have 803,018 confirmed cases and 43,558 deaths.
What about those highly needed tests?  If you rank the world reporting nations based on the number of tests per 1 Million of population, The US is number 42 in the world. Yes, Number 42.
I don't know about you, but I am tired of political spinning and lies. Lets ask our government to tell us the truth and to marshal our resources to address this problem in a coordinated, disciplined non political way.