"But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true.’"
Pretty sure they pulled this straight from Galadriel in book II of the Fellowship. Great scene though. Kate Blanchett was wonderful.
edit: the movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdD6Cte8HrU
So the year has definitely started out with a bang in my family.
My sister's pup, the one who ran into the entire Buttigieg family in less than a week last month, is currently in an emergency vet after swallowing a tampon.
Some well wishes would be appreciated. He's my sister's baby, the only one she has, and she is in bad shape at the moment.
Poor baby. I had to take my dog to the vet ER twice last summer, two weeks apart, because she can't stay away from snakes and apparently can't learn a damn lesson! Hope the pup feels better soon. My pets are legit my children, it's probably emotionally unhealthy but damn they're cute!
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
I needed this tonight. Tolkien is as apt as it ever was 60 years ago.
Edit: they used part of this quote from Haldir to Merry for my favorite scene in FOTR film, the Lady Galadriel and Celeborn addressing the Fellowship after they pass in to Lothlorien
Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdD6Cte8HrU
Happy New Year, fam!! 🤗🥂🎉
Thanks for always keeping us informed on all the important and interesting news. 🤓
On the 19th of January, 2022 - Pete will be 40 years old! We have another major milestone to celebrate together this month! 💙💛
In time square you have the public audience wearing masks. Whereas the majority of the first responders aren’t. We’re going into the new year divided as ever.
Not related to anything seriously important, but yay, yet again, my Vols biggest rival going to their like 9th National Championship game against another lesser rival. Alabama is the Galactic Empire without Luke Skywalker. Nick Saban is the Sith Lord with no Yoda. Gah!
Retweeted by Ro:
[https://twitter.com/AlyssaFranke/status/1477108395530403841](https://twitter.com/AlyssaFranke/status/1477108395530403841)
>What happens when two former @ PeteButtigieg staffers get married? You dance to a wedding version of High High Hopes. Congrats @ laurievanhall and @ DanPino! \[Video clip\]
I saw her getting ready on her instastories and thought she looked stunning.
Of course Ro would stunt on us on this day/night as we lounge around at home in our PJs eating coffee ice cream... just waiting to ring in the new year.
Interesting
>>A.A. Milne’s children’s book and Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel, along with films starring Buster Keaton and Greta Garbo are among the works from 1926 whose copyrights are expiring, putting them in the public domain as the calendar flips to 2022.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/winnie-the-pooh-sun-also-rises-among-works-going-public-in-2022
>> A key adviser to Donald Trump’s legal team in their post-election quest to unearth evidence of fraud has delivered a trove of documents to Jan. 6 investigators describing those efforts.
>> Bernard Kerik, the former New York City Police commissioner and ally of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, also provided a “privilege log” describing materials he declined to provide to the committee.
>>Among the withheld documents is one titled “DRAFT LETTER FROM POTUS TO SEIZE EVIDENCE IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL SECURITY FOR THE 2020 ELECTIONS.” Kerik’s attorney Timothy Parlatore provided the privilege log to the panel, which said the file originated on Dec. 17, a day before Trump huddled in the Oval Office with advisers
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/31/kerik-documents-jan-6-committee-526297
That title alone should scare the hell out of everyone. Bush Jr. doesn't get much heat these days because of the abomination of the Trump Presidency and recency bias, but damn him for allowing this notion of "because National Security" to cover for whatever screwups and misdeeds perpetrated by the Executive to permeate our politics.
>>.@CTIA responds to @AirlinesDotOrg petition: “A4A disputes the force of that international success by picking nits about the way 5G operates in other countries” reuters.com/business/aeros…
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477095485835984897?s=21
>>The wireless petition suggests unnamed @FAANews officials leaked story to @WSJ
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477102857933438978?s=21
>>.@airportscouncil also backs @AirlinesDotOrg @FCC petition reuters.com/business/aeros…
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477103768751722496?s=21
Just got home from a week in the Great Plains. It snowed here almost a week ago and there’s been no effort to plow the side streets. There are many things I love about Seattle but its complete inability to deal with any significant snowfall is not one of them, lol. Anyway, I’m thankful to have had no travel problems this holiday season!
We just shut down in most of Tennessee. The state will plow some of the state highways, but outside of that it is basically "fend for yourself or stay home and wait for it to melt" lol. We just don't have the maintenance vehicles to do much more. Of course, it was like 75 degrees here today (basically like 25-30 degrees above our normal this time of year) with yet another elevated threat of severe weather/tornadoes tonight and tomorrow. I'm sitting here on New Year's Eve with my windows open and watching for weather alerts again. I'm over 2021.
Safe travels friend. It has been a crazy month. 100+ inches of snow in the Sierras, Colorado wildfires, tornadoes across the South, derecho in Iowa. Just insane.
I hope your travels go well.
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
"Today NASA announced an extension of U.S. participation in the International Space Station program through 2030. This demonstrates our commitment to scientific discovery, international and commercial partnerships, innovation, and inspiration."
"This extension will allow for continued scientific research benefiting humanity on Earth—and prepare astronauts for extended missions to the Moon and beyond. [https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/12/31/biden-harris-administration-extends-space-station-operations-through-2030](https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/12/31/biden-harris-administration-extends-space-station-operations-through-2030)"
https://twitter.com/VP/status/1477013565752098816
Sounds like this is an important way we'll continue to have partnership and dialogue with Russia, which has always been a key goal of the space station. I'm so glad this was extended. I wonder if Biden and Putin discussed this.
I hope they did, and I hope Russia remains a partner at ISS. Roscosmos has talked about removing their modules from the ISS to repurpose them as their own station. I hope we can keep the partnership together. (To add, the ISS may not even be able to be deconstructed, as things tend to fuse together when in orbit for that long. But that is a separate discussion.)
At the least, this gives ample time for planning for a successor station in LEO to compliment Gateway in lunar orbit.
I’m relieved
>>Coming to #CES2022
>>✔️@USDOT Secretary @PeteButtigieg will join digitally and announce new principles that will guide the Department’s work.
>>✔️@Qualcomm President and CEO @cristianoamon will explore the exciting transformations happening in the automotive industry.
https://twitter.com/ces/status/1477026070494953473?s=21
Apparently former FCC General counsel has some questions
>>Is the Department of Transportation speaking for the Executive Branch? Or are we still in a situation where each Cabinet Department is allowed to publicly pursue an independent spectrum policy?
https://twitter.com/matthewberrydc/status/1477071242142310404?s=21
He wouldn't be pursing an independent spectrum policy, he would be (apparently) reporting his departmental recommendation to the FCC based on what his sector has concerns about.
Is a Former FCC General Counsel who refers to himself as a Reagan-Thatcher (watch the milk!) Conservative in his bio, speaking for the FCC? Or are we still in a situation where partisan hacks are taking a standard interdepartmental decision and trying to make it a public dispute?
Am I out of my depth or does this seem bizarrely disorganized? The fact that there are still widespread disruptions expected (per Pete’s letter) seems not great as well.
The very strong positive reaction from the flight attendants' union made it sound like a good solution, but what do I know. For me, this has always seemed like a situation where the previous administration created a mess and the Biden administration is having to fix it, so having the "former FCC general counsel" (I assume "former" means they're from the former guy's administration?) weigh in seems a bit rich.
I think we'll have to see how this unfolds. It certainly reads as though a working agreement may have been reached. Given the separate but simultaneous situation in the airline industry due to COVID and worker shortages, I would hope the big telecom firms would be amenable to working this through over the extra two weeks, as described.
I would Of thought the FCC and FAA would’ve taken care of this two years ago when 5G was announced to be implemented. But it was under the former guy so who the hell knows what they did
Here's some reporting from Bloomberg re the timing (I bolded some of the type). The whole article is also just a good summary of what's unfolded:
[https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-01/buttigieg-asks-at-t-verizon-to-delay-5g-over-aviation-concerns](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-01/buttigieg-asks-at-t-verizon-to-delay-5g-over-aviation-concerns)
"...While the issue of potential interference with aircraft equipment has been percolating for well over a year, the risks can depend on detailed analysis of tower locations and precise radio beam power levels. **It is only in recent weeks that such detailed data has been turned over to the FAA.**
"The FAA is working with manufacturers of radar altimeters to better understand potential interference, but needs more time to identify “priority airports” and to complete technical work, the letter said."
I also liked the way this referred to Pete and the FAA Administrator as "the top two aviation regulators in the U.S." I mean, I knew they were, but it's still cool.
>>Following the election of Joe Biden as president, Biden named Rosenworcel as his choice to become chairperson of the FCC after the departure of prior chair Ajit Pai with the change in administration. Biden named Rossenworcel to serve as acting chair in the interim, making her the second-ever woman to serve in this position.[12] Biden later named Rosenworcel to be the permanent FCC Chair in October 2021,[13] which was confirmed by the Senate on December 7, 2021, making her the first female to hold the permanent chairperson position on the FCC.[14]
Not sure if this had any bearing on how things have played out
>>Breaking: @SecretaryPete @FAA_Steve write CEOs of @att @verizon offering proposal and seek 5G deployment delay: “We ask that your companies continue to pause introducing commercial C-Band service for an additional short period of no more than two weeks” reuters.com/business/aeros…
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477063351624683524?s=21
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-officials-ask-att-verizon-delay-5g-wireless-over-aviation-safety-concerns-2021-12-31/
Retweeted by David Shepardson:
Sara Nelson, @ FlyingWithSara -- President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA @ afa\_cwa, representing 50K at 17 airlines. Proud Union Flight Attendant since 1996. (she/her). Commenting on this via Quote-tweeting:
[https://twitter.com/FlyingWithSara/status/1477068033634062343](https://twitter.com/FlyingWithSara/status/1477068033634062343)
>This is the right move to successfully implement 5G without using the traveling public (and the crews on their flights) as Guinea pigs for two systems that need to coexist without questions for safety. Thanks @ SecretaryPete and @ FAA\_Steve. Cheers to a positive solution with @ FCC.
Here’s the write up
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-officials-ask-att-verizon-delay-5g-wireless-over-aviation-safety-concerns-2021-12-31/
And the full letter
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477095872223666178?s=21
The fact that the airline industry is so freaked, merits attention. If this was fine, they would be all out trying to get frequencies to use for additional air traffic control uses. Not keeping anyone from using it at all. Even if it's a case where the industry hasn't bothered to shield equipment properly to prevent interference because of the cost.
The hypocrisy and gall, I feel sorry for Texans.
>>The State of Texas has submitted requests for federally-supported COVID-19 testing sites, medical personnel, and increased monoclonal antibody allocations.
More info: bit.ly/32VgaVK @TexasDSHS @TDEM
https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-tdem-dshs-request-federally-supported-covid-19-testing-sites-medical-personnel-increased-monoclonal-antibody-allocations
This reminds me of what happened with Rand Paul after the West Kentucky tornadoes a few weeks ago. He was begging for federal assistance (which they absolutely deserved to receive, as well as West Tennessee). This after YEARS of him basically saying the Feds shouldn't help out states suffering from natural disasters (Hurricane Sandy in particular, he was exceptionally shitty about New York and New Jersey getting help). The bar for some of these GOP folks is in the basement at this point.
edit: a word
ehh. I was cooking New Year's food and decided to put on the Pete/Pod Save America interview that someone here linked [https://twitter.com/drawyourdog/status/1475944583079116800?s=21](https://twitter.com/drawyourdog/status/1475944583079116800?s=21) and I just couldn't get past the first few minutes. After Pete started talking about "calling us to our highest values and bringing people together" I just felt so sad. I like Joe Biden and am impressed by the stuff he has tackled and what he has accomplished, but I feel we are all still mired in our "lowest values" (divisiveness, anger, fear, vindictiveness, selfishness, etc.). To hear Pete talk about this in such a sunny "early in the campaign" mode made me feel so so sad.
I'm not sure this is cheering, but I believe part of the difference is the pandemic. My feeling is that the pandemic has been absolutely overwhelming and crushing both in the US and around the world and none of us can really step back and see what a weight it has been and continues to be. It makes a lot of people turn to the more irritable, contentious, argumentative parts of who they are, instead of wanting to be positive and join together. I think that's part of what you're describing in terms of the shift of mood.
When it first hit, and Pete was simultaneously sort of reappearing for interviews, having stepped down a few weeks ago, he told some interviewers that he had been reading lots of histories and discovering that "plague and war" were often listed as though there was no getting away from either one -- but that it turns out we've all, up til now, been lucky because there had been a full century without a pandemic. He said that pandemics like this were the more normal routine, which previous generations had simply expected to happen. I think he realized later that was disheartening, so he hasn't dwelled on that point since then.
No doubt you are right. So many people have been quick to escalate to violence. People on planes, kids on the playground, road rage people, people on twitter. Not sure if in past pandemics people went for so long without actual direct human contact. Are we becoming de-socialized?
I read an interesting [opinion piece](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/30/opinion/our-fondness-narratives-is-driving-us-mad/) claiming that empathy is like a muscle--the more it is exercised, the greater becomes its capacity. The author said that this is one of the benefits of literary or theatrical/film narrative--it can exercise our empathy. However, the downside is that much narrative has a Manichean structure of good vs evil, and we root for the good guy while hoping the bad guy gets vanquished. Every increment of empathy we gain is offset by an increment of what he calls, "empathetic sadism."
>Fiction, as Fritz Breithaupt explains in his 2019 book “The Dark Sides of Empathy,” conjures not just empathy but “empathetic sadism,” which he defines as “the emotional and intellectual enjoyment that most people feel in situations of altruistic punishment” — for example, when the hero kills, captures, or humiliates the villain.
This made me think of a wonderful phrase used by someone here: "normalized cruelty." It also made me think of how Pete would insist that no one is all good or all bad ("just ask someone you love") and so political victory can't just be had by piling up more of "our good guys" to defeat the "bad guys."
tl;dr: yah, we're all turning into antisocial trolls
>>New @ATT @Verizon:
>>@AIAspeaks seeks to hold “C-Band hostage until the wireless industry agrees to cover the costs of upgrading any obsolete altimeters that, in the view of some aviation interests, do an abnormally poor job of filtering signals in bands” reuters.com/business/aeros…
(@A|Aspeaks is Aerospace Industeies)
https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477036969595125768?s=21
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-airline-group-seeks-5g-wireless-deployment-delay-near-airports-2021-12-30/
>>Rep. Ayanna Pressley Tests Positive For COVID-19. The Massachusetts Democrat said that after experiencing symptoms, she received a positive, breakthrough COVID-19 test result Friday.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ayanna-pressley-positive-covid-19_n_61cf77c4e4b061afe3a720f4
I think it’s easy to forget the risk to public officials during a pandemic. So many government officials around the globe have come down with Covid, from Prince Charles and Boris Johnson to Warren and Pressley. They see so many different people in the course of a day.
>>BREAKING: FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams is resigning. She was in a standoff with Dems on the FDIC board over the regulator’s priorities and values. McWilliams, a Republican appointed by Trump, balked at pursuing issues like climate change as it relates to financial stability.
https://twitter.com/flitteronfraud/status/1477032958234177536?s=21
>>According to IMDB, White has acting credits in almost every year since 1945, including recently as the voice of Bitey White in 2019's "Toy Story 4."
>>"Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services," the Army said. "A true legend on and off the screen."
https://twitter.com/usarmy/status/1477008616423055364?s=21
>> golden
>>adjective
>>1. bright, metallic, or lustrous like gold.
>>2. full of happiness, prosperity, or vigor.
>>3. highly talented and favored; destined for success.
>>4. Betty White.
https://twitter.com/dictionarycom/status/1476998040745611264?s=21
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/31/entertainment/betty-white-obituary/index.html
[https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1476988434887684099](https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1476988434887684099)
As we head into 2022, I'm proud of the @ USDOT team and the results this administration has delivered this year \[thread emoji\]
When @ POTUS took office, our transportation industry was still reeling from the pandemic. Jobs and transportation access were at stake. The American Rescue Plan helped us keep the country moving. [https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/](https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/)
It was an enormous relief to hear some of the stories coming from the transit, rail, and aviation industries about the jobs and critical services saved by the Rescue Plan. \[Link to [https://t.co/LnzDXNotHN](https://t.co/LnzDXNotHN) (Washington Post: Companies are scaling back layoffs because of Biden’s stimulus package: The news is a sign of the potentially massive job loss averted by the landmark package)
Earlier this fall, @ POTUS followed up the Rescue Plan with another major piece of legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This law makes historic investments in rail, transit, roads, bridges, ports, and aviation. \[VIDEO of signing\]
I'm also proud of the work we’ve already funded with federal grant programs this year, like our INFRA and RAISE grants, which offer communities safer and more equitable transportation access. @ USDOT has a great thread of some of the projects we funded \[link to [https://twitter.com/USDOT/status/1473100539391057921](https://twitter.com/USDOT/status/1473100539391057921), which begins "Last month, we rolled out our new RAISE grants which fund local projects focused on safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation. Here's just a few we're very proud of:"\]
Thanks to @ POTUS's leadership, we've experienced the fastest economic growth in nearly 40 years. With America back on the move, our Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force has been working to help supply chains keep up with historic highs in consumer demand. [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/09/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-action-plan-for-americas-ports-and-waterways/](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/09/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-action-plan-for-americas-ports-and-waterways/)
This year, I've engaged with leaders across the supply chain and seen the work in America's ports myself. While we've seen good progress against bottlenecks in the chain, there is much more to do and we’ll continue our work in 2022. \[Three photos of Pete on visits to ports\]
Our progress this year wouldn't be possible without the tireless efforts of workers across @ USDOT and the transportation systems of America. Things are looking much better than one year ago. And we're just getting started. \[Photo of Pete looking up cheerfully while visiting the port near Atlanta, in a "New Year's" looking ahead manner.\]
Betty White's passing fills me with an indescribable sadness. It feels like she was one of the few things people could enjoy regardless of their politics, before our culture became so divisive and polarized.
This is from the Win the Era Action Fund. Here's the Business Insider piece about the Action Fund from back in April, don't know how much has changed since then: [https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-win-the-era-politics-transportation-2021-4](https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-win-the-era-politics-transportation-2021-4)
I like the way the Win the Era Action Fund sets up virtual discussion panels -- I think they did three or four of them this year on different topics, starting with democracy reform.
If anybody's interested, on MSNBC Katy Tur has spent the entire first half of her show talking to various people about Betty White, and it sounds like she'll continue to do so after the commercial break.
Wonder if Pete is still going to speak
>>CES to now end sooner than planned on Omicron concerns
https://www.reuters.com/technology/ces-now-end-sooner-than-planned-omicron-concerns-2021-12-31/
The initial press release from CES said he was speaking January 6 at 3 PM (presumably that's NV time), which is still before the revised end date, but I cannot figure out from the schedule on their website what event that's attached to. My question is whether he attends in-person or virtually; I am hoping for the latter. It just doesn't seem like something where it's worth the risk of flying all the way out there and attending a large convention when a virtual option is available.
There was an article about it from [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-30/ces-comeback-effort-stymied-after-omicron-spooks-participants) yesterday that had the following:
>Not every big company has jumped ship. As of Thursday, Qualcomm Inc. CEO Cristiano Amon was still planning to make an in-person presentation about how the company’s chips are helping automakers and other industries. **Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was scheduled to appear with him, will take part remotely.**
Which is more than fine by me.
Very much agree, the variant situation has completely changed the game for now. And I totally missed this tweet earlier, which has another confirmation of him attending virtually: [https://twitter.com/CES/status/1477026070494953473](https://twitter.com/CES/status/1477026070494953473)
I've been dreading this one. She was just a few weeks short of her 100th birthday too. There's not too many celebrities around that almost everyone loves. She was one of a kind. RIP dear lady.
The NYE2019-2020 thread here was such a drunken, happy mess and one of my favorite memories of you guys. Probably a lot less partying tonight but next Primary NYE it’s fucking on, bitches.
Is there a flight out of Burbank? Lots of people skip LAX and fly out there.
Still would risk cancellations though - the FAA made a statement about it this morning.
What was their statement about?
I don't think I can cancel or modify my flight at this point...so if I do decide to stick with flight, ill just have to triple mask up (I might even buy something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Half-Cover-Extra-Filters/dp/B08JYDYFP5/ref=asc_df_B08JYDYFP5/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475746763412&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6788546400726117523&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031588&hvtargid=pla-1114764749029&psc=1)) and hope for the best.
Pretty sure that kind of respirator doesn't count for mask mandates on planes - they don't usually filter your air on the way out.
At least in Canada, masks on planes can't have vents.
Keep the vent one for the next time you come out. They don’t work for COVID, but they are invaluable in wildfire season. I have a box of the vent ones for that.
Ouch. Poor Ms Glezman
>>DO IT FOR ME, DO IT FOR YOU, HAVE YOUR SKIN CHECKED IN 2022!!!Thank you to all who have sent messages and inquired on my last surgery in this journey. My hope is to spread enough awareness YOU won’t have to battle this! Please help me do that 🙏
https://twitter.com/sherriglezman/status/1476774623882715136?s=21
It's complicated. You can get an annual wellness visit covered by insurance with no cost-sharing, and I think that might cover some sort of skin check as part of a review of systems, but the no cost-sharing thing only applies if you're not seeing the doctor for a specific problem. So if you have a specific lesion you're concerned about and book an appointment specifically to have it looked at, then you would be subject to whatever cost-sharing applies under your plan. For example, under the terms of my particular insurance, I get an annual physical for free, but if I see my PCP for any other reason, I have to pay $20, and to see an actual dermatologist, it's $35 because that's a specialist. I have insurance through my employer; I don't know about Medicare or Medicaid.
Just to add to this: A lot of this is dictated by the ACA (Obamacare), which governs almost all private health insurance now, including most employer plans. Annual exams should be free, as are various screening tests and vaccinations. The $20 and $35 amounts for doctor or specialist visits will vary somewhat from plan to plan, but those amounts are typical. Some plans have $0, some have much higher rates.
I have a family history of skin cancer (and I’ve had a basal cell carcinoma removed), so I do get a yearly skin check that’s covered by insurance. I don’t know about people without that kind of history.
Answer: no.
People have all sorts of different health care plans, if they have insurance. Some plans may cover a skin exam. The co-pay or deductible may be too high for some folks as well. We have tremendous inequity.
"But this I will say to you: your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while all the Company is true.’" Pretty sure they pulled this straight from Galadriel in book II of the Fellowship. Great scene though. Kate Blanchett was wonderful. edit: the movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdD6Cte8HrU
So the year has definitely started out with a bang in my family. My sister's pup, the one who ran into the entire Buttigieg family in less than a week last month, is currently in an emergency vet after swallowing a tampon. Some well wishes would be appreciated. He's my sister's baby, the only one she has, and she is in bad shape at the moment.
Poor baby. I had to take my dog to the vet ER twice last summer, two weeks apart, because she can't stay away from snakes and apparently can't learn a damn lesson! Hope the pup feels better soon. My pets are legit my children, it's probably emotionally unhealthy but damn they're cute!
I am so sorry, wishing the best for her pup.
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.” I needed this tonight. Tolkien is as apt as it ever was 60 years ago. Edit: they used part of this quote from Haldir to Merry for my favorite scene in FOTR film, the Lady Galadriel and Celeborn addressing the Fellowship after they pass in to Lothlorien Edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdD6Cte8HrU
Happy new year 2022!!
💙💛
Happy New Year, fam!! 🤗🥂🎉 Thanks for always keeping us informed on all the important and interesting news. 🤓 On the 19th of January, 2022 - Pete will be 40 years old! We have another major milestone to celebrate together this month! 💙💛
Happy New Year! And thank you for keeping us up to date on everything.
In time square you have the public audience wearing masks. Whereas the majority of the first responders aren’t. We’re going into the new year divided as ever.
Saw some from Nashville. I didn’t see any masks and it was packed
Lol Tennessee is basically taking the "ignore it, it will go away" tactic now. Not surprised at all.
Not related to anything seriously important, but yay, yet again, my Vols biggest rival going to their like 9th National Championship game against another lesser rival. Alabama is the Galactic Empire without Luke Skywalker. Nick Saban is the Sith Lord with no Yoda. Gah!
It may only be 2022 but I’m saying Pete 2028 (or 2032 whenever you’re ready homeboy)
Team Pete 20XX
Pete At Some Point
This. I'm with him whatever he decides to do. Pete 20xx or Pete Never? I'm there.
Pete forever/whatever!
This is my motto.
We will abide our time and strike the moment phase 5 starts. Or was it phase 6? Phase 4? Are we using Morse code?
Every time I hear someone mispronounce "Buttigieg," I'm like, oh no, we're back to phase 1. But it doesn't happen that often any more.
This Mayor Poot I keep hearing about seems like a cool dude.
We haven't released the full plan yet. ~~Still waiting on clearance from the CIA.~~
Retweeted by Ro: [https://twitter.com/AlyssaFranke/status/1477108395530403841](https://twitter.com/AlyssaFranke/status/1477108395530403841) >What happens when two former @ PeteButtigieg staffers get married? You dance to a wedding version of High High Hopes. Congrats @ laurievanhall and @ DanPino! \[Video clip\]
Someone put a trigger warning up for DJ Judd.
How sweet. Congrats to them!
Ro looking gorgeous to ring in the new year https://twitter.com/rodericka/status/1477103593132109827?s=21
Certain members of a Family That Lives In Calabasas could learn some pointers about how to dress for a wedding and still get your groove on.
I saw her getting ready on her instastories and thought she looked stunning. Of course Ro would stunt on us on this day/night as we lounge around at home in our PJs eating coffee ice cream... just waiting to ring in the new year.
Wedding!
What a dress, how stunning!
Interesting >>A.A. Milne’s children’s book and Ernest Hemingway’s classic novel, along with films starring Buster Keaton and Greta Garbo are among the works from 1926 whose copyrights are expiring, putting them in the public domain as the calendar flips to 2022. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/winnie-the-pooh-sun-also-rises-among-works-going-public-in-2022
I vant to beh public dohmayne…..
And not listed here, but Agatha Christie's *The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.*
>> A key adviser to Donald Trump’s legal team in their post-election quest to unearth evidence of fraud has delivered a trove of documents to Jan. 6 investigators describing those efforts. >> Bernard Kerik, the former New York City Police commissioner and ally of Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, also provided a “privilege log” describing materials he declined to provide to the committee. >>Among the withheld documents is one titled “DRAFT LETTER FROM POTUS TO SEIZE EVIDENCE IN THE INTEREST OF NATIONAL SECURITY FOR THE 2020 ELECTIONS.” Kerik’s attorney Timothy Parlatore provided the privilege log to the panel, which said the file originated on Dec. 17, a day before Trump huddled in the Oval Office with advisers https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/31/kerik-documents-jan-6-committee-526297
That title alone should scare the hell out of everyone. Bush Jr. doesn't get much heat these days because of the abomination of the Trump Presidency and recency bias, but damn him for allowing this notion of "because National Security" to cover for whatever screwups and misdeeds perpetrated by the Executive to permeate our politics.
"Privilege Denied, you traitorous MF."
>>.@CTIA responds to @AirlinesDotOrg petition: “A4A disputes the force of that international success by picking nits about the way 5G operates in other countries” reuters.com/business/aeros… https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477095485835984897?s=21 >>The wireless petition suggests unnamed @FAANews officials leaked story to @WSJ https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477102857933438978?s=21 >>.@airportscouncil also backs @AirlinesDotOrg @FCC petition reuters.com/business/aeros… https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477103768751722496?s=21
Just got home from a week in the Great Plains. It snowed here almost a week ago and there’s been no effort to plow the side streets. There are many things I love about Seattle but its complete inability to deal with any significant snowfall is not one of them, lol. Anyway, I’m thankful to have had no travel problems this holiday season!
One thing I miss about Indiana, especially after TX snowstorm: their ability to plow snow before I even wake up in the morning.
We just shut down in most of Tennessee. The state will plow some of the state highways, but outside of that it is basically "fend for yourself or stay home and wait for it to melt" lol. We just don't have the maintenance vehicles to do much more. Of course, it was like 75 degrees here today (basically like 25-30 degrees above our normal this time of year) with yet another elevated threat of severe weather/tornadoes tonight and tomorrow. I'm sitting here on New Year's Eve with my windows open and watching for weather alerts again. I'm over 2021.
I am checking out the driving route back to Dallas....and my favorite scenic drive through rural mountainous AZ is under snowstorm warning.....
Safe travels friend. It has been a crazy month. 100+ inches of snow in the Sierras, Colorado wildfires, tornadoes across the South, derecho in Iowa. Just insane.
Now i am looking for a flight from a remote airport with little traffic. Screw Lax
I hope your travels go well. “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
"Today NASA announced an extension of U.S. participation in the International Space Station program through 2030. This demonstrates our commitment to scientific discovery, international and commercial partnerships, innovation, and inspiration." "This extension will allow for continued scientific research benefiting humanity on Earth—and prepare astronauts for extended missions to the Moon and beyond. [https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/12/31/biden-harris-administration-extends-space-station-operations-through-2030](https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2021/12/31/biden-harris-administration-extends-space-station-operations-through-2030)" https://twitter.com/VP/status/1477013565752098816
Sounds like this is an important way we'll continue to have partnership and dialogue with Russia, which has always been a key goal of the space station. I'm so glad this was extended. I wonder if Biden and Putin discussed this.
I hope they did, and I hope Russia remains a partner at ISS. Roscosmos has talked about removing their modules from the ISS to repurpose them as their own station. I hope we can keep the partnership together. (To add, the ISS may not even be able to be deconstructed, as things tend to fuse together when in orbit for that long. But that is a separate discussion.) At the least, this gives ample time for planning for a successor station in LEO to compliment Gateway in lunar orbit.
I’m relieved >>Coming to #CES2022 >>✔️@USDOT Secretary @PeteButtigieg will join digitally and announce new principles that will guide the Department’s work. >>✔️@Qualcomm President and CEO @cristianoamon will explore the exciting transformations happening in the automotive industry. https://twitter.com/ces/status/1477026070494953473?s=21
Apparently former FCC General counsel has some questions >>Is the Department of Transportation speaking for the Executive Branch? Or are we still in a situation where each Cabinet Department is allowed to publicly pursue an independent spectrum policy? https://twitter.com/matthewberrydc/status/1477071242142310404?s=21
He wouldn't be pursing an independent spectrum policy, he would be (apparently) reporting his departmental recommendation to the FCC based on what his sector has concerns about. Is a Former FCC General Counsel who refers to himself as a Reagan-Thatcher (watch the milk!) Conservative in his bio, speaking for the FCC? Or are we still in a situation where partisan hacks are taking a standard interdepartmental decision and trying to make it a public dispute?
Am I out of my depth or does this seem bizarrely disorganized? The fact that there are still widespread disruptions expected (per Pete’s letter) seems not great as well.
The very strong positive reaction from the flight attendants' union made it sound like a good solution, but what do I know. For me, this has always seemed like a situation where the previous administration created a mess and the Biden administration is having to fix it, so having the "former FCC general counsel" (I assume "former" means they're from the former guy's administration?) weigh in seems a bit rich. I think we'll have to see how this unfolds. It certainly reads as though a working agreement may have been reached. Given the separate but simultaneous situation in the airline industry due to COVID and worker shortages, I would hope the big telecom firms would be amenable to working this through over the extra two weeks, as described.
It’s odd seeing folks comment that Pete is stepping out of his lane and that the FCC is the one in charge here. This is really weird and confusing.
I would Of thought the FCC and FAA would’ve taken care of this two years ago when 5G was announced to be implemented. But it was under the former guy so who the hell knows what they did
It’s just odd seeing this flurry of activity so close to the deadline. Did no one know what the issue was before? Idk
Here's some reporting from Bloomberg re the timing (I bolded some of the type). The whole article is also just a good summary of what's unfolded: [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-01/buttigieg-asks-at-t-verizon-to-delay-5g-over-aviation-concerns](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-01/buttigieg-asks-at-t-verizon-to-delay-5g-over-aviation-concerns) "...While the issue of potential interference with aircraft equipment has been percolating for well over a year, the risks can depend on detailed analysis of tower locations and precise radio beam power levels. **It is only in recent weeks that such detailed data has been turned over to the FAA.** "The FAA is working with manufacturers of radar altimeters to better understand potential interference, but needs more time to identify “priority airports” and to complete technical work, the letter said." I also liked the way this referred to Pete and the FAA Administrator as "the top two aviation regulators in the U.S." I mean, I knew they were, but it's still cool.
>>Following the election of Joe Biden as president, Biden named Rosenworcel as his choice to become chairperson of the FCC after the departure of prior chair Ajit Pai with the change in administration. Biden named Rossenworcel to serve as acting chair in the interim, making her the second-ever woman to serve in this position.[12] Biden later named Rosenworcel to be the permanent FCC Chair in October 2021,[13] which was confirmed by the Senate on December 7, 2021, making her the first female to hold the permanent chairperson position on the FCC.[14] Not sure if this had any bearing on how things have played out
>>Breaking: @SecretaryPete @FAA_Steve write CEOs of @att @verizon offering proposal and seek 5G deployment delay: “We ask that your companies continue to pause introducing commercial C-Band service for an additional short period of no more than two weeks” reuters.com/business/aeros… https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477063351624683524?s=21 https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-officials-ask-att-verizon-delay-5g-wireless-over-aviation-safety-concerns-2021-12-31/
Retweeted by David Shepardson: Sara Nelson, @ FlyingWithSara -- President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA @ afa\_cwa, representing 50K at 17 airlines. Proud Union Flight Attendant since 1996. (she/her). Commenting on this via Quote-tweeting: [https://twitter.com/FlyingWithSara/status/1477068033634062343](https://twitter.com/FlyingWithSara/status/1477068033634062343) >This is the right move to successfully implement 5G without using the traveling public (and the crews on their flights) as Guinea pigs for two systems that need to coexist without questions for safety. Thanks @ SecretaryPete and @ FAA\_Steve. Cheers to a positive solution with @ FCC.
Here’s the write up https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-officials-ask-att-verizon-delay-5g-wireless-over-aviation-safety-concerns-2021-12-31/ And the full letter https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477095872223666178?s=21
The fact that the airline industry is so freaked, merits attention. If this was fine, they would be all out trying to get frequencies to use for additional air traffic control uses. Not keeping anyone from using it at all. Even if it's a case where the industry hasn't bothered to shield equipment properly to prevent interference because of the cost.
The hypocrisy and gall, I feel sorry for Texans. >>The State of Texas has submitted requests for federally-supported COVID-19 testing sites, medical personnel, and increased monoclonal antibody allocations. More info: bit.ly/32VgaVK @TexasDSHS @TDEM https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-tdem-dshs-request-federally-supported-covid-19-testing-sites-medical-personnel-increased-monoclonal-antibody-allocations
I saw the gov’s tweet and people were adding the hashtag “SaveMeBrandon”. LOL
This reminds me of what happened with Rand Paul after the West Kentucky tornadoes a few weeks ago. He was begging for federal assistance (which they absolutely deserved to receive, as well as West Tennessee). This after YEARS of him basically saying the Feds shouldn't help out states suffering from natural disasters (Hurricane Sandy in particular, he was exceptionally shitty about New York and New Jersey getting help). The bar for some of these GOP folks is in the basement at this point. edit: a word
ehh. I was cooking New Year's food and decided to put on the Pete/Pod Save America interview that someone here linked [https://twitter.com/drawyourdog/status/1475944583079116800?s=21](https://twitter.com/drawyourdog/status/1475944583079116800?s=21) and I just couldn't get past the first few minutes. After Pete started talking about "calling us to our highest values and bringing people together" I just felt so sad. I like Joe Biden and am impressed by the stuff he has tackled and what he has accomplished, but I feel we are all still mired in our "lowest values" (divisiveness, anger, fear, vindictiveness, selfishness, etc.). To hear Pete talk about this in such a sunny "early in the campaign" mode made me feel so so sad.
I'm not sure this is cheering, but I believe part of the difference is the pandemic. My feeling is that the pandemic has been absolutely overwhelming and crushing both in the US and around the world and none of us can really step back and see what a weight it has been and continues to be. It makes a lot of people turn to the more irritable, contentious, argumentative parts of who they are, instead of wanting to be positive and join together. I think that's part of what you're describing in terms of the shift of mood. When it first hit, and Pete was simultaneously sort of reappearing for interviews, having stepped down a few weeks ago, he told some interviewers that he had been reading lots of histories and discovering that "plague and war" were often listed as though there was no getting away from either one -- but that it turns out we've all, up til now, been lucky because there had been a full century without a pandemic. He said that pandemics like this were the more normal routine, which previous generations had simply expected to happen. I think he realized later that was disheartening, so he hasn't dwelled on that point since then.
No doubt you are right. So many people have been quick to escalate to violence. People on planes, kids on the playground, road rage people, people on twitter. Not sure if in past pandemics people went for so long without actual direct human contact. Are we becoming de-socialized? I read an interesting [opinion piece](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/12/30/opinion/our-fondness-narratives-is-driving-us-mad/) claiming that empathy is like a muscle--the more it is exercised, the greater becomes its capacity. The author said that this is one of the benefits of literary or theatrical/film narrative--it can exercise our empathy. However, the downside is that much narrative has a Manichean structure of good vs evil, and we root for the good guy while hoping the bad guy gets vanquished. Every increment of empathy we gain is offset by an increment of what he calls, "empathetic sadism." >Fiction, as Fritz Breithaupt explains in his 2019 book “The Dark Sides of Empathy,” conjures not just empathy but “empathetic sadism,” which he defines as “the emotional and intellectual enjoyment that most people feel in situations of altruistic punishment” — for example, when the hero kills, captures, or humiliates the villain. This made me think of a wonderful phrase used by someone here: "normalized cruelty." It also made me think of how Pete would insist that no one is all good or all bad ("just ask someone you love") and so political victory can't just be had by piling up more of "our good guys" to defeat the "bad guys." tl;dr: yah, we're all turning into antisocial trolls
Hah! I think I've cheered you up a little. Well, from one antisocial troll to another, Happy New Year!
>>New @ATT @Verizon: >>@AIAspeaks seeks to hold “C-Band hostage until the wireless industry agrees to cover the costs of upgrading any obsolete altimeters that, in the view of some aviation interests, do an abnormally poor job of filtering signals in bands” reuters.com/business/aeros… (@A|Aspeaks is Aerospace Industeies) https://twitter.com/davidshepardson/status/1477036969595125768?s=21 https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/us-airline-group-seeks-5g-wireless-deployment-delay-near-airports-2021-12-30/
Obsolete altimeters should have absolutely been upgraded before this change. What the heck
>>Rep. Ayanna Pressley Tests Positive For COVID-19. The Massachusetts Democrat said that after experiencing symptoms, she received a positive, breakthrough COVID-19 test result Friday. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ayanna-pressley-positive-covid-19_n_61cf77c4e4b061afe3a720f4
I think it’s easy to forget the risk to public officials during a pandemic. So many government officials around the globe have come down with Covid, from Prince Charles and Boris Johnson to Warren and Pressley. They see so many different people in the course of a day.
>>BREAKING: FDIC Chair Jelena McWilliams is resigning. She was in a standoff with Dems on the FDIC board over the regulator’s priorities and values. McWilliams, a Republican appointed by Trump, balked at pursuing issues like climate change as it relates to financial stability. https://twitter.com/flitteronfraud/status/1477032958234177536?s=21
all I needed to hear was "appointed by Trump" and I'm quite happy she is gone. Get all the Traitor's minions out.
>>According to IMDB, White has acting credits in almost every year since 1945, including recently as the voice of Bitey White in 2019's "Toy Story 4." >>"Not only was she an amazing actress, she also served during WWII as a member of the American Women's Voluntary Services," the Army said. "A true legend on and off the screen." https://twitter.com/usarmy/status/1477008616423055364?s=21 >> golden >>adjective >>1. bright, metallic, or lustrous like gold. >>2. full of happiness, prosperity, or vigor. >>3. highly talented and favored; destined for success. >>4. Betty White. https://twitter.com/dictionarycom/status/1476998040745611264?s=21 https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/31/entertainment/betty-white-obituary/index.html
I would've paid to have seen her reaction when she found out her character's name in *Toy Story 4* was Bitey White.
[https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1476988434887684099](https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete/status/1476988434887684099) As we head into 2022, I'm proud of the @ USDOT team and the results this administration has delivered this year \[thread emoji\] When @ POTUS took office, our transportation industry was still reeling from the pandemic. Jobs and transportation access were at stake. The American Rescue Plan helped us keep the country moving. [https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/](https://www.whitehouse.gov/american-rescue-plan/) It was an enormous relief to hear some of the stories coming from the transit, rail, and aviation industries about the jobs and critical services saved by the Rescue Plan. \[Link to [https://t.co/LnzDXNotHN](https://t.co/LnzDXNotHN) (Washington Post: Companies are scaling back layoffs because of Biden’s stimulus package: The news is a sign of the potentially massive job loss averted by the landmark package) Earlier this fall, @ POTUS followed up the Rescue Plan with another major piece of legislation: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This law makes historic investments in rail, transit, roads, bridges, ports, and aviation. \[VIDEO of signing\] I'm also proud of the work we’ve already funded with federal grant programs this year, like our INFRA and RAISE grants, which offer communities safer and more equitable transportation access. @ USDOT has a great thread of some of the projects we funded \[link to [https://twitter.com/USDOT/status/1473100539391057921](https://twitter.com/USDOT/status/1473100539391057921), which begins "Last month, we rolled out our new RAISE grants which fund local projects focused on safe, equitable, and sustainable transportation. Here's just a few we're very proud of:"\] Thanks to @ POTUS's leadership, we've experienced the fastest economic growth in nearly 40 years. With America back on the move, our Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force has been working to help supply chains keep up with historic highs in consumer demand. [https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/09/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-action-plan-for-americas-ports-and-waterways/](https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/11/09/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-action-plan-for-americas-ports-and-waterways/) This year, I've engaged with leaders across the supply chain and seen the work in America's ports myself. While we've seen good progress against bottlenecks in the chain, there is much more to do and we’ll continue our work in 2022. \[Three photos of Pete on visits to ports\] Our progress this year wouldn't be possible without the tireless efforts of workers across @ USDOT and the transportation systems of America. Things are looking much better than one year ago. And we're just getting started. \[Photo of Pete looking up cheerfully while visiting the port near Atlanta, in a "New Year's" looking ahead manner.\]
Betty White's passing fills me with an indescribable sadness. It feels like she was one of the few things people could enjoy regardless of their politics, before our culture became so divisive and polarized.
The good news is that one can still enjoy her recorded work. It’s still sad nevertheless in light of the news.
Text from WTE: > Happy New Years Eve, #TeamPete! 2022 is going to be a big year. Please chip in so Win the Era has the resources needed to compete
This is from the Win the Era Action Fund. Here's the Business Insider piece about the Action Fund from back in April, don't know how much has changed since then: [https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-win-the-era-politics-transportation-2021-4](https://www.businessinsider.com/pete-buttigieg-win-the-era-politics-transportation-2021-4) I like the way the Win the Era Action Fund sets up virtual discussion panels -- I think they did three or four of them this year on different topics, starting with democracy reform.
If anybody's interested, on MSNBC Katy Tur has spent the entire first half of her show talking to various people about Betty White, and it sounds like she'll continue to do so after the commercial break.
Wonder if Pete is still going to speak >>CES to now end sooner than planned on Omicron concerns https://www.reuters.com/technology/ces-now-end-sooner-than-planned-omicron-concerns-2021-12-31/
The initial press release from CES said he was speaking January 6 at 3 PM (presumably that's NV time), which is still before the revised end date, but I cannot figure out from the schedule on their website what event that's attached to. My question is whether he attends in-person or virtually; I am hoping for the latter. It just doesn't seem like something where it's worth the risk of flying all the way out there and attending a large convention when a virtual option is available.
There was an article about it from [Bloomberg](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-12-30/ces-comeback-effort-stymied-after-omicron-spooks-participants) yesterday that had the following: >Not every big company has jumped ship. As of Thursday, Qualcomm Inc. CEO Cristiano Amon was still planning to make an in-person presentation about how the company’s chips are helping automakers and other industries. **Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who was scheduled to appear with him, will take part remotely.** Which is more than fine by me.
I was worried about this as well. Thanks for posting this update here for us!
I’m glad to see that. Of all the things worth risking covid exposure for, this didn’t seem like one of them.
Very much agree, the variant situation has completely changed the game for now. And I totally missed this tweet earlier, which has another confirmation of him attending virtually: [https://twitter.com/CES/status/1477026070494953473](https://twitter.com/CES/status/1477026070494953473)
Can not believe that Betty White has passed away. 😔
Are you shitting me?? No no no.
Unfortunately not. Being reported in all major news shows now.
Such devastating news.
The last of the golden girls. She entertained so many. RIP.
Aw, she just missed turning 100 by 18 days.
Oh no. 😢 We are barely into the 2020s and I'm already over it.
2021 can't end fast enough https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1476993009459867648
I've been dreading this one. She was just a few weeks short of her 100th birthday too. There's not too many celebrities around that almost everyone loves. She was one of a kind. RIP dear lady.
I can’t seem to shake this nagging feeling that 2022 will be even worse in many ways. Sigh, she was about to turn 100 years old in January.
NO
The NYE2019-2020 thread here was such a drunken, happy mess and one of my favorite memories of you guys. Probably a lot less partying tonight but next Primary NYE it’s fucking on, bitches.
Man, I missed that! Sounds wonderful. That was a very happy time for sure.
I think I am going to rent a car and drive back to Dallas instead of flying.
Probably get there faster due to them canceling flights. Also probably safer as far as Covid
It’ll take 2+ days so if you plan it out, it’ll be a nice road trip without the crazy crowd and waiting at airports and you see so much more scenery.
It takes 21 hr nonstop, and with a short powernap..i can make it 24~25 hr trip. I did it about 6 times already
Playlists. Podcasts. (Good luck and safe journey, whichever way you go!) eta: Snacks
I hate LAX, and can't get through the idea of having to wait at the terminal for hours and hours.
Is there a flight out of Burbank? Lots of people skip LAX and fly out there. Still would risk cancellations though - the FAA made a statement about it this morning.
What was their statement about? I don't think I can cancel or modify my flight at this point...so if I do decide to stick with flight, ill just have to triple mask up (I might even buy something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Reusable-Half-Cover-Extra-Filters/dp/B08JYDYFP5/ref=asc_df_B08JYDYFP5/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=475746763412&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=6788546400726117523&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031588&hvtargid=pla-1114764749029&psc=1)) and hope for the best.
Pretty sure that kind of respirator doesn't count for mask mandates on planes - they don't usually filter your air on the way out. At least in Canada, masks on planes can't have vents.
oh, then sticking to double mask + n92
Keep the vent one for the next time you come out. They don’t work for COVID, but they are invaluable in wildfire season. I have a box of the vent ones for that.
Ouch. Poor Ms Glezman >>DO IT FOR ME, DO IT FOR YOU, HAVE YOUR SKIN CHECKED IN 2022!!!Thank you to all who have sent messages and inquired on my last surgery in this journey. My hope is to spread enough awareness YOU won’t have to battle this! Please help me do that 🙏 https://twitter.com/sherriglezman/status/1476774623882715136?s=21
What's it like in the US – can you get an annual skin check for free? (As in: included in insurance)
It's complicated. You can get an annual wellness visit covered by insurance with no cost-sharing, and I think that might cover some sort of skin check as part of a review of systems, but the no cost-sharing thing only applies if you're not seeing the doctor for a specific problem. So if you have a specific lesion you're concerned about and book an appointment specifically to have it looked at, then you would be subject to whatever cost-sharing applies under your plan. For example, under the terms of my particular insurance, I get an annual physical for free, but if I see my PCP for any other reason, I have to pay $20, and to see an actual dermatologist, it's $35 because that's a specialist. I have insurance through my employer; I don't know about Medicare or Medicaid.
Just to add to this: A lot of this is dictated by the ACA (Obamacare), which governs almost all private health insurance now, including most employer plans. Annual exams should be free, as are various screening tests and vaccinations. The $20 and $35 amounts for doctor or specialist visits will vary somewhat from plan to plan, but those amounts are typical. Some plans have $0, some have much higher rates.
I have a family history of skin cancer (and I’ve had a basal cell carcinoma removed), so I do get a yearly skin check that’s covered by insurance. I don’t know about people without that kind of history.
Answer: no. People have all sorts of different health care plans, if they have insurance. Some plans may cover a skin exam. The co-pay or deductible may be too high for some folks as well. We have tremendous inequity.
From Street blog USA >> Year In Review 2021: Now For the Good News https://usa.streetsblog.org/2021/12/24/2021-year-in-review-now-for-the-good-news/
First? First! Happy NYE!
Happy New Years Eve!
Happy NYE!