Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday – When is a Pandemic over?

Tags

Delta Variant, lockdowns, Pandemic, Protests, TedEd, Tuesday, Vaccines

As I say so often, I rarely read the news in detail. I only scan it to see what’s going on in the world. The Delta variant is reeking havoc in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and so many other places. Australia has experienced multiple lockdowns, New Zealand has locked down its entire country when one case appeared, and many states in the U.S. are experiencing surges in COVID cases again. Protests and civil unrest is high around the globe as people fight back against quarantines, mask mandates, vaccine passports, and all the rest.

Here’s an educational video about Pandemics and how they are labeled “over” by health experts.

My folks and I are staying right where we have been–in a pseudo lockdown. My Mom will be 78 and my Dad is 83. Both have underlying conditions. We have all been vaccinated, but are still mindful of how crazy this new variant is. We will be getting the booster when it comes out, and only go out to shop for necessities. We still order in and have meals delivered. The county we live in is at an all time high for COVID cases–more now than the version of COVID that hit us in 2020. Things are opened up here, but we are still careful about things, because we want to do all we can to avoid this thing if at all possible.

I hope you enjoy today’s video. I enjoy TedEd, because the videos are short, yet highly informative. I hope each of you and your families avoid this nasty thing, and do whatever you believe is right for your personal set of circumstances.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – Kickoff Activities

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Activity, habits, Hobbies, Kickoff, Monday, Movitation, To-do List, Work

Each Monday, I get myself started with a kickoff activity. It is the one thing that gets me going on the rest of my tasks. My kickoff activity is journaling. Journaling while drinking a cup of coffee or anything caffeinated, is something that gets my creative juices flowing. When I was working, my kickoff activity would be going through my email and identifying priority emails to respond to, getting my call list out, and double-checking my calendar for activities and meetings for the day.

Kickoff activities are those that trigger other activities during the day. When I start journaling, I contemplate a lot of different things. This contemplation helps me organize myself for the day. Another kickoff activity is my to-do list. Mine is pretty much on autopilot, unless something comes up that is out of the ordinary. It may seem boring, but my day is the same. I have key items I like to accomplish each day. I focus on four key areas: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, and Social. Physical is eating right, getting enough sleep, hygiene, and exercise. Mental is reading, writing, and learning. Spiritual is reading spiritual things, meditating/contemplating, listening to good music, and journaling. Social is blogging, social media, staying in touch with friends and family, and getting out in the community. Although, I am more of a home body now because of COVID, I still try to interact with folks at the grocery store, gym, and anywhere else I go.

One great way to interact socially is playing video games. The one I play a lot is Call of Duty. There is all kinds of interaction in this game because it is online and networked. Every simulated battle contains 11 other folks who I can interact with during the fight and afterwards. These folks could be local, or on the other side of the world. Since I play in the wee hours, it is likely that I will have Europeans, Asians, and other nationalities online, when most of the US is asleep.

What are you kickoff activities on Monday? What habitual action do you take to “kickoff” everything else?

Have a great Monday, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – Bill Burr

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Bill Burr, Chuckle, Comedy, FriYAY, Funny, Funny Friday, Giggle, Laugh, Relax, Snicker, Weekend, YouTube

If you’ve never experienced Bill Burr, you’re in for a treat (as long as your sense of humor is aligned with mine). This is a 45-minute video, so if you don’t have the time to watch the hole thing, no worries. This guy cracks me up. A great addition to the Funny Friday line-up.

I wanted to add some variety here, because the FAIL videos I watched weren’t that spectacular this week.

I hope all of you have a terrific Friday, have some nice things planned for the weekend, and of course, get in some rest and relaxation.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Scribd

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Books, creativity, Fiction, habits, Learning, Reading, Scribd, Thankful Thursday

I enjoy reading. It is one of my hobbies. My favorite fiction genres are science fiction and fantasy. My non-fiction genres are history, military history, political history, and anything else that teaches me something. Books are a terrific getaway, particularly during the winter months and hot, muggy, summers of Michigan, when going outside is a no-go.

I am grateful to my parents who got me reading at an early age. That habit never left me and it came in real handy during college. Now, I read to keep my mind active and continue to learn new things.

Reading is creative, particularly when you are reading fiction, because you have to create the scenes in your mind. When I am reading a gifted author, the scenes are easy to create. For some self-published authors, it is a little more difficult, because they lack the craft of the greats. I read them anyway. I figured if someone takes the time to write a book, why not give them some of my time. I have come across some great books in the self-publishing space.

So today, I am grateful for Scribd. I am not an affiliate, but have been a Scribd subscriber for a few years. It has a great selection of books, magazines, audio books, and a whole lot more. You won’t find recently released works, as the authors need to make their money, but after a book has been in circulation for a bit, Scribd will get the title.

If you read voraciously like I do, you may want to check them out. Here is the link: https://www.scribd.com/home

It runs me 9.00 USD a month, but is really worth it, particularly if you find a great book that is still selling on Amazon. The savings are tremendous, particularly when you add the magazines you have access to, and the comics.

Well, that’s it for now. Have a terrific Thursday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Anne Frank

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Anne Frank, Courage, Holocaust, inspiration, Love, Sacrifice, Tragedy, wisdom

Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction.

Anne Frank

Whoever is happy will make others happy too.

Anne Frank

I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.

Anne Frank

Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!

Anne Frank

Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.

Anne Frank

Here’s a Wikipedia link to see what a wonderful and impactful life this young lady had: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Frank

Have a great Wednesday!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Ted Talk Tuesday –

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Learning, Pandemic, Science, Small pox, TedEd, Trivia, Tuesday

Well, folks. We thought we had beat this COVID thing, but the Delta variant has risen and is causing all kind of problems across the globe as science scrambles to respond. Check out this video on Small Pox, a plague that hit us in the 1900s.

Hopefully it’ll shed some light on what we are doing to beat COVID this time around.

Enjoy!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Motivation Monday – It’s All in the Preparation

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Do Nothing Day, Hobby, iPad, Monday, motivation, Netflix, Saturday, Sunday

I’ve addressed this before in my Motivation Monday writings, but wanted to bring this up again. Sundays are labeled my “do nothing day”. On Sunday, I literally do what I want, without a schedule and where I purposely do not do anything listed on my to-do list. I wanted one day to truly be “lazy”, feel no pressure, and just enjoy the day, regardless of what I end up doing, guilt-free.

What does my “do nothing day” look like? Typically, it involves sleeping in. And when I say sleep in, I mean it. I normally do not get out of bed until 11 am or 12 pm. Sometimes I’ll get up briefly for my iPad, and get right back into that warm bed and watch some Netflix. It really depends on my mood, and what I feel like.

I don’t remember where I got this idea from, but it has worked miracles for me. When I get up Monday, I’m raring to go. I would also like to note that my preparation for Monday occurs on Friday and Saturday, where I take a look at my upcoming week and figure out what I am going to be doing. This alleviates any pressure on me to do anything on my “do nothing day.”

So get your calendar straight, look at the things you have on your schedules, and get your clothes prepped. Then when you hit Monday, you are hitting it running. I hope some of you take up a “do nothing day”. It may not be as “hard-core” as mine, because you have certain responsibilities you can’t avoid (pets, children, etc.), but it is a really worthwhile venture.

Your “do nothing day” doesn’t have to be on Sunday, either. You can set it for a day that is easier. Perhaps, Saturday?

Well, that’s all I got for Monday. Have a great week, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Funny Friday – More from the FAIL Army

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Animals, Cars, Chuckle, Friday, FriYAY, Funny, Giggle, Laugh, Relax, Snicker, Weekend

I hope you enjoy these videos as much as I did. Have a great weekend, folks!

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – My Readers

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Blogging, followers, Individual, Interesting, passion, Readers, stories, Unique, Variety

When I write these postings, I rarely know what I am going to be thankful for. It just comes as I begin rambling on and on about this or that. Today, I am thankful for my reading audience. I have already achieved my follower goal for the year, but many are still coming. What a wonderful blessing.

When I first began blogging a few years back, I was very apprehensive about what I was writing. I worried about what people would think. Over time, I realized that each blog is individual. We write about what we care about. Some care about writing, some crafting, and some just put out the news in a particular area. When I realized that we are all just posting things that we are passionate about, I loosened up.

So today, I am grateful for my readers. Some of you are authors, some of you are crafters, others are retired. All are enjoying life as it comes and sharing their stories. And boy, are some of these stories terrific. Some stories are also sad, but informative. They share what a person is going through with the hope they might help someone else deal with the same issue in an easier way. All of these stories forms the fabric of the blogosphere. What a magnificent quilt it is!

Have a great day, folks. Thanks for following Daily Ramblings. I truly enjoy your comments and look forward to more people joining the conversation in the future.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Wisdom Wednesday – Walt Disney

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Entertainer, Happiest Place on Earth, Lady and the Tramp, Mickey Mouse, Snow White, Walt Disney, Walt Disney World

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

Walt Disney

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

Walt Disney

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.

Walt Disney

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.

Walt Disney

All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.

Walt Disney

Most of us know who Walt Disney is, but there’s always a story behind the story. Check out Walt’s Wikipedia page to learn even more about the man who brought us Mickey Mouse! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney

Until next time…

Dave