Friday, May 22, 2020

What's the New Normal Weekly Link Round-Up




There was an interesting post on one of my favorite blogs (Kay's Reading Life) in which some of us talked about things that were once considered normal that we'd now think twice about doing. Trying out grocery delivery was brought up (I was no stranger to this before COVID-19) as well as going to movie theaters, buffet-style restaurants, and airline travel.

This is definitely a time when we have to decide for ourselves just what "normal" is. Does it mean that everything goes back exactly the way it was? I don't think so. You can't be on lockdown, wear masks whenever you leave your house, and disinfect everything in sight without it changing the way you think. I'm on the Err-on-the-Side-of-Caution team. There's still a lot we don't know about COVID-19, and it's utterly irresponsible to endanger ourselves and others needlessly.




Sky Harbor International Airport here in Phoenix is one of the busiest airports in the country. Denis drives a 40-foot-long rental car bus from the terminals to the rental car center. He took the photo above at 9 PM on Monday night at Terminal 4-- the busiest one in the airport. I have never seen the airport that empty-- not even if our flight home landed in the wee hours of the morning. It's spooky, isn't it? But I can't help thinking that there has to be a way to salvage the economy without risking the deaths of thousands upon thousands of people.

On that sober note, I'm going to take my healthy self on out to the corral. At least I don't have to wear a mask around the links. Head 'em up! Moooove 'em out!


►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄
  • Raise a glass of chianti: CBS has officially announced that its upcoming TV series Clarice—recounting the adventures of FBI agent Clarice Starling from Thomas Harris’ 1988 thriller, The Silence of the Lambs—will premiere during the Fall 2020 season.
  • How Scooby-Doo's origins are related to the RFK assassination. 
  • A brief history of TP, from Silk Road hygiene to pandemic hoarding.
  • The real Lord of the Flies: what happened when six boys were shipwrecked for fifteen months.
  • Arts and crafts are experiencing a surge in popularity amid COVID-19. (Gee, I was a crafty person before it was cool.)
  • In Thailand, funeral cookbooks preserve recipes and memories.
  • How reading got farm women through the Depression.
  • You can now download 1.9 million free images from the British Museum.
  • The coronavirus pandemic is changing how people buy books.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄


►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄


►Fascinating Folk◄
  • Ada Lovelace, the world's first computer programmer, in children's books.
  • Photographer Roie Galitz goes to the ends of the Earth to capture rarely viewed animals.
  • Chad Staples, an Australian zookeeper, took home monkeys, pandas, and a tiger in order to keep them safe from bushfires.
  • Hattie Caraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate, faced a familiar struggle with gender politics.
  • Immerse yourself in Jane Goodall's wondrous, chimpanzee-filled life.
  • Once attributed to a male artist, the painting David and Goliath has been identified as the work of Artemisia Gentileschi.
  • How Michael Connelly, the creator of Harry Bosch, discovered Chandler, forged a career, overcame rejection, and got his first book published.
  • The tragedy of Lizzie Siddal, art's greatest supermodel.


►I ♥ Lists◄


That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. Practice social distancing by curling up with a good book!


5 comments:

  1. I'd like to think, too, that there is a way for us to salvage the economy and get businesses open, etc., without putting our lives at risk. We're an innovative species, and I'm sure we can figure it out if we put our minds to it. That said though, I'm not taking any unnecessary risks right now... OK, I'll go visit that Maya settlement, but at least I don't need a mask for that...

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  2. We are erring on the side of caution as well. Even seeing pictures of crowds sends a little rush of anxiety. I don't know when I'd feel comfortable on a plane after this. Thanks for the links!

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  3. Thanks for the shout-out, Cathy! Yes, there were some interesting comments and behaviors brought up with that post I did. Some things that I had thought about, but kind of forgot. Not surprising as I often can't remember what day it is exactly - ha! They are kind of all the same.

    I do think that many things will be a bit different in days, weeks, months and possibly year to come. Or not. Who knows? Some seem to be sensible and stay home/wear masks, etc., if they need to or feel like that's best for them. Some seem way over the top and, quite honestly, more than a little pushy, rude, mean - which is unnecessary. I did go to the dentist this week and had my teeth cleaned. Felt a little like I was in an operating room - for the hygienist and dentist anyway. They made me feel quite safe. Hair appointment tomorrow. My stylist has also been very careful to explain her new procedures and as she is the daughter of a nurse, I trust her to follow through. Otherwise, I think that people should stay home if they need to, want to, are part of the high-risk groups. Otherwise, if they choose to go out or must go out, wear a mask, practice the good behavior, and be kind to others. Have a good weekend and that picture of Sky Harbor is a bit eerie!

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