The weather moderates – Local hiking – An increase in overdose-related deaths – Continued difficulties in Texas – No red carpet for Ted Cruz’s return to Houston – A monolith in Kinshasa – Evening statistics
Clearing the walkways was easy today. I had removed the snow and ice on them that fell yesterday, and the small amount that accumulated from the snowfall overnight and this morning was minimal. Indeed, the weather did most of my work for me; the rising temperatures steadily melted the residual ice and by noon my driveway and sidewalk were clear. During mid-afternoon there was an interval of sunshine amid parting clouds. I did not wish to drive, although the roads had been cleared by that time, so I took advantage of the fair skies by going out on a 5-mile loop, half of which is on trails in the woodland and the other half along quiet side-streets. Graceful cirrus clouds framed the sun. The snow on the ground was just thick enough to cover up the mud and the temperatures continued to rise. There is not much elevation gain on this hike but there is a little (300-400 feet at a guess) and the snow made what otherwise would have been a negligible effort a bit of challenge. There even was a stream crossing to liven matters up a bit. In short, it was a most welcome change after the gray weather and enforced inertia of the past several days, and my spirits rose as I paced the trails, almost to the extent of warbling, like Browning’s Pippa:
God’s in His heaven, All’s right with the world!
Although there may be a difference of opinion about that . . .
The CDC has confirmed what many people have suspected all along: in the 12-month period ending last June there have been over 80,000 deaths from overdoses, about a 20% increase from the previous year and the highest number of such deaths of any year on record. The shutdowns triggered by the pandemic have induced stress, isolation, and economic upheaval – all of which fuel addiction and relapse. In addition, the treatment options and support systems are for the most part in abeyance. Opioid abuse had begun to fall in 2018, but the increasing popularity of fentanyl reversed that trend, and naturally the resources that the medical care profession requires to combat the coronavirus have lessened the amount available for substance abuse. I used to be severe about such unfortunate souls in the past, which I regret; in some few cases it may be, as I used to believe, primarily the result of lack of will-power, but for the most part it is a disease. I might with equal justice blame people for having poor digestions or infirm limbs.
In Texas most homes now have power for light and heat. About 325,000 homes and businesses still lack power, but that is much better than the 3 million without power the preceding day. The weather, however, has damaged the infrastructure of the state’s water system, causing authorities to order 7 million people to boil tap water before drinking it. Many people left faucets dripping in an effort to prevent their water pipes from freezing. In response, Governor Abbott urged residents to shut off water to prevent more busted pipes and preserve municipal system pressure. Some homes and facilities have had little or no water at all on account of the water main ruptures and problems at pumping stations. In some cases hospitals have been prevented from carrying medical procedures on account of the lack of water.
However, the Texans at any rate have the belated presence of Ted Cruz to cheer them up. The Senator, possibly realizing that this episode might be held against him if he runs for President in 2024, tore himself away from reveling in Cancun; but for some mysterious reason his return to Houston was not greeted with the enthusiasm he might have expected. As one editorial in the Houston Chronicle opined, “Texans’ anger with Ted Cruz right now could power an entire electrical grid.” There were some jabs from various television personalities as well. “Snake on a plane, right there!”said late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. “Headed, ironically, to the very place he tried to build the wall around.” And from the Daily Show host, Trevor Noah: “I mean, look, I get that Ted Cruz is tired. The man deserves a break after trying so hard to overthrow the government, but this is not the time, Ted!” His ineptitude in this matter is indeed surprising, since Cruz himself came down heavily on Austin mayor Steve Adler for traveling to Cabo San Lucas amid the pandemic a bare two months ago.
There is a rather strange report from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A 12-foot tall metallic monolith appeared overnight on a roundabout in the city’s Bandal neighborhood, one of several that have been constructed by various artists around the world in imitation of the black monoliths created by an alien species in the science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. After rumors about its origin grew over the period of several days, the residents took matters into their own hands by ripping it apart and razing it to the ground. The report stated that the residents feared it was satanic or put there by aliens or by a secret cabal, but after all this may be an exaggeration: the monoliths in question are extremely ugly, and it seems quite possible that the Kinois acted this way simply because they are zealous aesthetes determined to eradicate an example of such egregious bad taste.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 111,231,650; # of deaths worldwide: 2,462,617; # of cases U.S.: 28,603,585; # of deaths; U.S.: 507,717.