Thought for the Day (Just in case)

 

Thought for the Day (Just in case)

 

As more and more people get vaccinated, Covid numbers are not yet falling.  In some states new cases are slightly rising once again.  Scientists are saying this is because the virus is mutating and the mutations are even more transmissible.  The virulence of the new mutations is not yet determined, but the fear is the new mutations may be even more deadly.

I am not an epidemiologist and I do not even play one on TV, but I would think that new mutations would be less virulent, not more.

Why you ask?

Any virus should follow the Darwin evolutionary principle of survival of the fittest.  What makes a virus fit…or what makes a virus best able to evolve into a successful virus?  Is a virus successful if it kills its host?  I don’t think so.  The longer a host survives the longer the virus survives and is able to infect other hosts.

Let's look at a virus like any organism and its evolution.  The evolutionary cycle of a virus would be a fast-moving evolution.  All organisms mutate.  A mutation that makes survival more difficult does not thrive.  A mutation that  gives an organism a survival advantage will thrive and slowly replace the current variety.

A mutated virus that is less transmissible would not replace the current virus; it will fade away.  A virus that kills its host quickly would have less chance to infect other hosts and thus would spread slower and not survive robustly.  

Thus, this cranky non-scientist believes that the Covid virus will mutate.  It will mutate until the vaccine corals us into heard immunity.  The new mutations will thrive, but they should be less virulent, because that would be their competitive advantage for survival. 

Experts will not tell us this.  They always want to err on the side of caution.  So, experts and politicians will still fear new mutations and will want us to fear them as well.

I say do not fear the new mutations.  If you are vaccinated you are safe.  Safe to not wear a mask, safe to not social distance, safe to live your life like you used to.

On the other hand, I am an idiot.  Maybe you should continue to be careful just in case.  I know I will…you know, just in case.

I am not really afraid of the new mutations.  

I am not afraid of sharks either but I don’t swim with dead fish around my waist either.  You know…just in case.  

 

THE REVERAND AND THE LAWNMOWER

                                  THE REVERAND AND THE LAWNMOWER

 



                                                  From "Maybe It's Just Me!"
                         I had to steal this story from my first book, I am reminded of it every Easter.

 

I seldom went to church after I had entered high school. The exception was Easter Sunday.  Mom loved the Easter Sunday Sunrise service.  She would have us all up and dressed by 4:30 AM Easter Sunday, to catch the 5:00 AM Sunrise service.  The most unusual service I can ever remember was Sunrise service in Easton Md. 1978.

It was a beautiful crisp Sunday morning, sunrise over an Eastern Shore creek, with a crab fisherman working his lines from a traditional Eastern Shore crab boat in the background.  Insufficiently dressed for the cold as usual, the entire Hagy clan shivered and shifted from foot to foot as we waited for the service to start.

This traditional service combined three Easton, MD. religious factions every year. Each year the sermon was given by a different denomination of Christianity. There was a Catholic Priest, an Episcopal Minister, and a Baptist Reverend from the mostly black church.

This year the sermon was delivered by the Episcopal Minister. The Priest offered a prayer, the Baptist read a scripture and the Episcopal Minister rose to give the Easter sermon. The priest sat on his left, the Baptist, ready to punctuate the sermon in the way common to the Black Baptist tradition, part dance, part religious rap, to his right; the Minister began his sermon.

“Friends, several years ago my lawn mower would not start”

“Wouldn’t start”

“My wife informed me there was a repair shop 20 miles away in St. Michaels.”

“Praise the Saint”

At this point Marybeth, seven at the time, yanked on my coat horrified that the Baptist was rude and was being disrespectful of the service.  She was not familiar with the Baptist point man tradition.  I had to quietly assure her that “Praise God’s” were quite all right.

“It was noon Saturday and the shop closed at one. If I wanted it fixed, I needed to leave right away.”

 “Tell it Rev“

“As I prepared to load the mower in my trunk, I was distracted by my daughter.”

“Praise the children”

“I then got into the car and was off to the repair shop.”

“Tell it”

“Half way to the shop, I realized that because of the distraction”

“Distracted”

“I might not have loaded the mower in the car.”

“Tell it Rev”

“Now I could not stop and go back home to see if I loaded the mower, because I would not have time before the shop closed”

“Tell it….rev?”

I knew by the Baptist Minister missing a beat, that he was thinking what we all were thinking, “Dude, stop the car and check the trunk”.  But the sermon went on.

“Should I go back and miss closing time, or continue on, having faith that the mower was in the trunk?”

“Faith, praise GOD”

'Pull over and check the trunk, I thought with everyone else.'

“I decided to continue on my way, with faith that the mower would be in the trunk.”

“Praise God”

“When I arrived at the shop and checked the trunk my faith was rewarded.”

“Praise God”

“The mower was in the trunk all along.”

 “Tell it, Tell it”

“And so friends it is this same faith that brings us here today on this blessed Easter Sunday………….”

On the way home, after the service my brother Chris commented, “Well I guess someone had to give the worst Easter sermon ever.”

“Praise God”

 

Note: For anyone who does not believe this story, three years later our family stood in frozen sunrise astonishment as this same minister delivered the exact same sermon.  This time the Baptist did not miss a beat.  Not even I would make that up.

Stupid Headlines 040421

 

Stupid Headlines 040421

This week’s stupid headlines and my stupider sometimes sophomoric comments

 

'Captain Underpants' book pulled for passive racism – I guess Caucasians were upset over the “Tighty Whitey” wearing Captain.

 

Serial killer on federal death row dies at Indiana hospital – And the ultimate irony…his last meal was a bowl of Wheaties!

 

Study: Adolescents more likely to become addicts after trying marijuana or misusing prescription drugs – Studies also found that adolescents were more likely to drown when in water, and get fat when they eat junk food and never leave the couch.

 

Florida baby born on 3/21 at 3:21 in 321 area code – Welcome to the world baby Treduceuno.

 

English housing estate invaded by flock of 'road runners' – A flock of coyotes cannot be far behind.

 

Oscar Mayer makes bacon-scented shoelaces – Not recommended for mailmen.

 

Russian poll finds Putin is Russia’s sexiest man – He received 145,900,000 votes out of a possible 145,981,000 Russians.

 

81,000 Russians suddenly disappear – It is a mystery!

 

Starbucks drinkers can now pay for coffee with Bitcoin via Bakkt digital wallet app – It’s about time, I’ve got Bitcoin just burning a hole in my Bakkt wallet app.

 

Krispy Kreme defends its free doughnuts to vaccinated people offer – They are giving away FREE doughnuts, what is to defend?

 

FEEL GOOD NEWS STORY OF THE WEEK

Marine father's salute to son goes viral –   What a moment…This is so cool!

https://www.foxnews.com/us/marine-fathers-salute-to-son-goes-viral-report

 

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!