Book Reviews: I have added a review of Wartime with the Tram Girls, sent to me by Net Galley. Lynn Johnson has written an accessible novel of historical research related to the domestic front and women’s changing roles during WW1, with some romance as well.
The following has been moved to Book Reviews Archives: My first review of The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Covid – end of isolation
Leah in isolation; Leah hopeful at the door; Leah – ‘let me down those stairs’; ‘I’m out, oh joy, a tree’.
We just celebrated at Tilley’s.
Self isolation was relatively easy – after all, what can be nicer than having to read a book or watch television?* Although it was hard for Leah, whose only exercise was playing with the treat ball, our sympathy was somewhat diminished on the second day we were able to walk. Again, she was desperate to get out, running down the stairs, out the back door, then …white feet planted, turned tail, and desperate to get inside: it was raining.
My first day out, despite the rain, included taking the tram into Civic. Great Covid care observed:
*Relatively easy for those of us with a freezer, fridge and pantry with supplies; no other responsibilities; and no worries about the wages we are losing. On the latter, we were offered certificates to show we were in isolation. Good for people with a sympathetic employer, but what of those people relying on casual employment?
It is easy to see how, with the best of intentions, the virus spreads. We had been home from Western Australia a day and a half before being advised about isolation. We had followed the story in the news, and initially it appeared that the infected person’s activity took place two days after we left. We had collected Leah, shopped, had coffee at two venues in the meantime. After all, we’d been no where near the areas where the infected person had been (two days after we had even been in Perth, according to the news reports). We also take precautions, however safe a location is deemed to be.
We had no warning that we would be unable to do anything other than go for our test after the text message telling us we needed to self isolate. Sensible precaution, and easy for us to accomplish. I have been critical of the warnings about lock downs about to occur, but how fortunate I was to have food and enough medications to stay the course. What of those caught with nothing? What of those put at risk as others deal with these matters in the period between warning and lockdown?
Social distancing, hand washing and sanitizing, and masks on the personal level, and community / government action publicly, however safe a state seems to be appears to be essential.
As observed above, and in previous posts, this is happening in many of the places I’ve visited in Australia since the beginning of the pandemic.
However, there are neglectful governments and irresponsible individuals.
Axios reports that action is being taken against the latter in relation to misinformation about vaccination. Thank you Axios for this report from your AM Newsletter:
1 big thing: Facebook targets anti-vaxxers
Photo illustration: Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Facebook is about to use its election disinformation playbook against vaccine misinformation, Axios’ Margaret Harding McGill and Sara Fischer report.
- Why it matters: It’s a partial reversal for Mark Zuckerberg, who said in September that the company wouldn’t target anti-vaccination posts the same way it has aggressively cracked down on COVID misinformation.
Now the company is doing four things to crack down on COVID/vaccine posts:
- Removing misleading posts and pages: Posts of debunked claims about the vaccines face removal, as do groups, pages and accounts on Facebook and Instagram that repeatedly share debunked claims.
- Returning validated vaccine info when users search on debunked claims.
- Adding resources on how to get vaccinated.
- Giving $120 million in ad credits to help health agencies, nonprofits and UN agencies reach billions of people.
Between the lines: Facebook provided a lengthy list of false claims that can get posts or pages removed, including:
- “[T]he COVID vaccine will kill you” … “the COVID vaccine contains a microchip” … “the COVID vaccine provides no immunity” … “the COVID vaccine causes autism!”
Good news for President Joe Biden
As the fight for control of the Republican Party continues; the Impeachment Trial of Former President Trump takes place (with excellent coverage by MSNBC this morning Australian time); and Congress debates the Covid 1.9 Trillion package, the following was great news:
Robin's Room 