What I Heard This Week! 06-03-2021
In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein died in prison after being found unresponsive, hanging in his jail cell about a month after his arrest on sex-trafficking charges. Now two prison guards have admitted they did not make the required checks, and falsified records to make it seem as if they had conducted the required checks, when in fact video coverage showed that Epstein had been left unwatched for eight hours, just 15 feet away from his cell. On that night, the guards shopped for furniture and motorcycles online, then napped. Both guards have cut a deal to avoid jail time, will undergo supervised release, and will be required to complete 100 hours of community service. Wow. That sounds like how they penalize teenagers when they drive too fast. There is still speculation that Epstein died due to strangulation instead of suicidal hanging, and since the two cameras in front of Epstein’s cell reportedly malfunctioned on the night of his death, we may not ever know.
First day of summer is June 20th. Yikes.
Royal Caribbean is the first cruise line to receive CDC approval for a test sailing in US waters. The cruise line’s Freedom of the Seas ship will be allowed to sail with volunteer passengers. “All volunteers for test cruises must be 18 years of age or older, but passengers aren’t required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, though if they aren’t, they must have written documentation from a health care provider or must self-certify that they aren’t at a heightened risk for COVID-19, according to the CDC. And all must agree to be evaluated for COVID-19 symptoms before embarking, and after disembarking along with an agreement to be tested for COVID-19 three to five days following the cruise.” Sometimes it is simply hard to be a volunteer.
“In this country we have two kinds of people: Those who don’t need masks but wear them, and those who need masks but don’t wear them.” Binyamin Appelbaum The New York Times
The Most Magical Place on Earth is Disney World, isn’t it? Have you ever wondered why there are no mosquitoes there? It is, after all, in the middle of a swamp in Florida. They have a mosquito surveillance program that set carbon dioxide traps everywhere (that is one reason they like you, they are attracted to your breath, aka carbon dioxide), then freeze and analyze the insects, so they can determine the best way to eradicate them. Chickens. There are chickens living in coops all over Disney World. If they pick up the West Nile virus, the Disney team knows exactly where in the park it came from so they can get on it. Disney World. Another word for utopia.
Even though there are days I wish I could change some things that happened in the past, there is a reason the rearview mirror is so small, and the windshield is so big… where you’re headed is much more important than what you’ve left behind.
Mexico’s Andrea Meza was recently crowned Miss Universe, with Miss Brazil as first runner-up and Miss Peru as second runner-up. The contest was delayed last year due to Covid. Postage is going up to 58cents. Before you start screaming and hollering about it, just think about the fact that it costs ONLY 58 cents to mail something from here to New York or Seattle, or even California. That still seems cheap to me. Would you deliver something to even Angleton or Pearland for 58 cents? No, you would not. Darwin’s Arch, the famous natural rock formation off the coast of the Galapagos Islands, has taken on a new shape as two pillars, when the arch collapsed into the sea due to erosion. Texas Gulf Bank is excited to announce their recent groundbreaking for a brand-new building at 1400 Brazosport Boulevard, Freeport location. Completion for the branch is expected by year-end and Irene Ocañas, that we all know and love, will remain as Branch Manager and Lender.
Why are iPhone chargers not called apple juice??
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Singer Tom Jones is 81. Guitarist Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones is 74. Country singer Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn is 68. Actor Tristan Rogers of General Hospital is 75. Actor Bruce Dern is 85. Actor Parker Stevenson is 69. Actor Stacy Keach is 80. Actor Bassist Too Slim of Riders in the Sky is 73. Singer-songwriter Gary “U.S.” Bonds is 81. Actor Robert Englund is 73. Freddie Krueger. Playwright-actor Harvey Fierstein is 67. Hairspray. Actress-comedian Sandra Bernhard is 66.
Actor James Darren is 85. Moondoggie in Gidget. Singer Nancy Sinatra is 81. These Boots are Made for Walking. Singer Chuck Negron of Three Dog Night is 79. Singer Boz Scaggs is 77.Look What You’ve Done to Me& Lido Shuffle. Singer Bonnie Tyler is 70. Holding out for a Hero, Total eclipse of the Heart. Actor Michael J. Fox is 60. Actor Roscoe Orman is 77.Played Gordon Robinson on Sesame Street. Drummer Frank Beard of ZZ Top is 72. Actor Malcolm McDowell is 78. Actress Adrienne Barbeau of Maude is 76.Talk show host Dr. Mehmet Oz is 61.Actor Richard Thomas is 70.
Singer B.J. Thomas, 78, died of lung cancer. I remember watching the scene on the bike in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, with the stunning Katherine Ross, and Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head playing in the background, thinking what a truly, perfect scene it was. What beautiful songs he left for us. Gavin MacLeod, the actor who starred in The Mary Tyler Moore Show and captained The Love Boat, has died at the age of 90.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has reportedly banned Chinese-made medicines at major hospitals in the country’s capital. This follows the death of a top-ranking government official who died earlier this month after receiving a dose of cocarboxylase, a Chinese-produced medicine typically used to treat fatigue. The ban includes all Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines with research activities now focusing on producing the country’s own coronavirus vaccine.
The one-child policy was a program that was implemented nationwide by the Chinese government in 1979, in order to limit most Chinese families to one child each. The policy was enacted to address the growth rate of China ’s population, which government viewed as being too high. Couples who violated the one-child policy faced a variety of punishments; fines and the loss of employment, to forced abortions. In 2015, China ended the decades-long one-child policy, allowing couples to have two children. Now confronted with aging population, China is now allowing couples to have three children. It sounds like most couples have not responded to this offer in a positive way.
Food: There is a Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger at Wendy’s now. The flyer has been staring at me from my desk for the past week. Oh, my, it looks good. Add a Dr. Pepper and you would have a feast. Wendy’s also has something called Frosty-Ccino. It is an iced coffee with Frosty creamer. Vanilla or Chocolate. A better idea would have been to offer a coffee-flavored Frosty. Just saying. Burger King is now offering frozen strawberry lemonade for $1.00. Ends on June 20, or while supplies last. There is a new Mexican restaurant close by, so one evening I ordered a Campechana (Mexican seafood cocktail) but was disappointed to find that they do not serve theirs with shrimp. One morning, my daughter and I tried Bodega downtown LJ. We had been told by many that the French toast was the best. We had four, right off the grill, pieces of the best… brioche bread lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, a pile of cinnamon whipped cream, two slices of bacon cooked to perfection, fruit salad that tasted like someone actually cut up the fruit, slices of fresh banana, and a handful of walnuts, all beautifully placed on a paper lined tray, along with a little side of maple syrup. The avocado toast is yummy too. Their sandwiches are beauties, wine, and craft beer selection outstanding, and killer Crème Brulee. Plus, it is a market, so don’t forget to pick up toilet paper when you go shop for beer. 5 Circle Way.
It’s official. 50% of American adults are now vaccinated. Companies are still finding new ways to reward vaccinated customers. Krispy Kreme– a free glazed doughnut to anyone who flashes their vaccine card. Maine –L.L. Bean gift certificates, and free fishing and hunting licenses. Now United Airlines is offering customers a chance to win free flights for a whole year. And they serve alcohol on flights. See below.
Airlines have reported around 2,500 incidents of bad behavior to the FAA so far this year. Most of the complaints involved unruly passengers that do not want to wear a mask, but not all. A Southwest Airlines passenger on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego was arrested and charged with assault, after she punched a flight attendant that resulted in injuries to her face and a loss of two teeth. A passenger on a Delta Air Lines flight from Honolulu to Seattle who tried to open the cockpit door and assaulted a flight attendant was fined $52,000. A JetBlue passenger traveling from Ft. Lauderdale to Las Vegas who brought his own alcohol onboard, refused to stop drinking it, and kept removing a facemask, also faced an FAA fine: $18,500. So, it may be difficult to find alcohol on Southwest and American Airlines flights now because they are holding off on resuming alcoholic beverage services right now because of this situation, but if you just cannot fly without alcohol, then try Delta or United.
Coronavirus variants will now be referred to by letters of the Greek alphabet instead of where they were first discovered, in an effort to prevent the stigmatization of entire communities.
The woman who falsely told police that a bird-watcher threatened her in NYC Central Park, has sued her former employer, saying they fired her without doing a fair investigation, therefore falsely portraying her as racist. She also said that their actions after the encounter substantially harmed her career and caused such severe emotional distress that she became suicidal. The video of the incident showing her calling the police saying, “There’s an African-American man threatening my life.” He was actually asking her to follow park rules and leash her dog, so he could bird watch. The video has been seen on Twitter more than 45 million times. She was dubbed the Central Park Karen which was not a compliment. Evidently there is an ongoing feud between dog owners that do not leash, and birdwatchers in the park.
Not to brag, but I used hand soap before it was trending.
Lake Jackson Historical Museum: Attention all chefs, caterers, grillers, family cooks, and wannabees. Apron Strings: Ties to the Past is coming to the History Museum June 16th – Aug. 11th. In this exhibit, aprons dating back to the early 1900s through present day will be on display. As a group, they chronicle changing attitudes toward women and domestic work. A wide range of design and craft techniques are highlighted. The exhibit is organized into thematic groups focusing on design, historical context, use, decoration, and materials. Come visit, select one to try on, and take a selfie. I like it.
With India’s health care system failing because of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak, illegal markets for hospital beds, oxygen, funeral services, and more have emerged. One article called them pandemic profiteers, preying on desperation and grief of families with members literally gasping for air. One scam showed a company repainting fire extinguishers and selling them as oxygen canisters. The less-sturdy fire extinguishers will explode if filled with high-pressure oxygen. One group was stealing used funeral shrouds from bodies and selling them as new. Sad.
A Michigan man said a store clerk had to talk him into buying the scratch-off lottery ticket that earned him a $300,000 jackpot. The clerk suggested a certain game because it was pretty simple to play and had been lucky lately. He told her that he didn’t play often. Sigh. Thanks for reading us this week. If you want this paper delivered to your inbox each Thursday, please call us.
LISA
