A Shortage of Drivers = A Shortage of Gas

This is truly disgraceful. 

From CNN: "Coming this summer: Gas stations running out of gas"

"New York (CNN Business) Millions of people stuck at home for more than a year are expected to hit the road for much-needed post-pandemic vacations this summer. Good luck finding gas.

Not that there's a looming shortage of crude oil or gasoline. Rather, it's the tanker truck drivers needed to deliver the gas to stations who are in short supply.

According to the National Tank Truck Carriers, the industry's trade group, somewhere between 20% to 25% of tank trucks in the fleet are parked heading into this summer due to a paucity of qualified drivers. At this point in 2019, only 10% of trucks were sitting idle for that reason."

Forget about not being able to take a vacation road trip. What about those of us who work and have to drive to our job every day?  Oh well!  At least the climate-change fanatics will be thrilled that there will be fewer cars on the road.

Apocalypse Now - in India

It's horrible and frightening to see what's happening in India. Here, while people are celebrating as if the virus has ended, hospitals there are desperate to find enough oxygen to save lives, and people are resorting to stealing oxygen tanks. We'd better pray this doesn't happen to us.

From the Times of Israel: "The only real herd immunity is global: Why India’s COVID crisis threatens us all.  While vaccine-makers are confident their shots block the current Indian variant, it’s transforming the country into a potential breeding ground for new, more resistant mutations".

Smart is Good

 It was a relief to read this CNN story today after reading all the articles about dumbing down in the schools and depriving the intelligent kids of advanced courses because it's somehow unfair to others.

"A 12-year-old in North Carolina used the downtime he had during the pandemic to take on a few extra classes in school.
Now, one year later, Mike Wimmer, of Salisbury, is getting ready to graduate high school and college -- in the same week.
Wimmer completed four years of school in one year -- two years of high school and a two-year associate's degree. He will graduate from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College on May 21, and from Concord Academy High School on May 28, where he is valedictorian.
But this wasn't always Wimmer's plan, he said.
The student was taking dual enrollment classes and realized that at the pace he was going, he just needed a few more classes to get his associate's degree by his high school graduation.
He said his GPA at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is 4.0, while his high school GPA is 5.45."

Good for him! Let's hear more stories like this!

"Likely Never"

Chris Cillizza writes about "A number on Covid-19 vaccinations that will leave you shaking your head in wonder". I thought it was going to be the amazing number of vaccinations that have been administered so far: 208.5 million doses. But it's bad news instead.

"There's one way to end the Covid-19 pandemic that has gripped the country (and the world) for the last year-plus: Get vaccinated against it!

Which is why the latest numbers from a Monmouth University national poll about the vaccination -- and peoples' plans (or not) to get it -- is so, so baffling and troubling.

 

Here's the topline: More than half of people polled (51%) reported that they already had at least one shot of the vaccine. Another 14% say they plan to get one of the vaccines as soon as they can. Another 12% said they are waiting and seeing whether to get the vaccine. And finally, 1 in 5 (21%) said they will 'likely never' get the vaccine.

 

It's that last group I want to focus on -- especially because Monmouth broke out the 'nevers' by party. And here's what they found: More than 4 in 10 (43%) of self-identified Republicans said they would 'likely never' get the vaccine. That's up from 1 in 3 (36%) of Republicans who said the same in March. And the GOP number is roughly double the 22% of independents who say they never plan to get the Covid-19 vaccine and more than 8 times higher than the 5% of Democrats who say the same.

 

Take a breath. Go back and read that last paragraph. And consider what it is we are talking about here." 

Sounds like these idiots are cutting off their nose to spite their face and that there will be fewer of them to vote Republican in 2022!

Better Get More Pallets of Cash To Give To Iran!

From the Times of Israel: Natanz incident said to cause huge damage, set back Iran’s program by 9 months

"Israeli and US intelligence officials reportedly confirm Mossad involvement in apparent cyberattack on uranium enrichment facility, which Tehran calls an act of ‘nuclear terrorism’"

Good for Israel, because Biden is another Obama when it comes to Iran!

All The Way With J&J

I agree with this excerpt from a column by Philip Klein on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. He says "Halting J&J's vaccine is a dangerous overreaction. Most immediately, halting the use of Johnson & Johnson will slow U.S. vaccination efforts. Not only was Johnson & Johnson one additional tool in the arsenal, but it also requires only one shot, meaning states can vaccinate twice as many people with the same number of appointments. It means that it’s less of a burden on those who are less eager to get vaccinated. And it means that those who receive the shot are fully vaccinated more quickly, because they don’t have to come back for another appointment three to four weeks later. Furthermore, by blowing a very rare potential side effect out of proportion, the news is likely to provide more fodder to anti-vaxxers to spread fears about the vaccine to those still on the fence. The FDA claims the decision was being made out of an 'abundance of caution.' After the past year, that’s a phrase I really want to see retired."

The Washington Post says "Don't panic" if you got the J&J vaccine.  I did get the J&J vaccine, and I'm not panicking. I'd much rather get A vaccine than NO vaccine right now.  Six blood clot cases out of 7 million shots administered? The odds that you won't get a blood clot sound pretty good to me.

Prince Philip

Like Queen Elizabeth herself, Prince Philip was in our lives for our entire lives. I've always been interested in the Queen and her parents, but I've never had any use for her children and grandchildren.

Prince Philip knew his role and did it without complaint for 73 years. From the AP:  "Philip saw his sole role as providing support for his wife, who began her reign as Britain retreated from empire and steered the monarchy through decades of declining social deference and U.K. power into a modern world where people demand intimacy from their icons. In the 1970s, Michael Parker, an old navy friend and former private secretary of the prince, said of him: 'He told me the first day he offered me my job, that his job — first, second and last — was never to let her down.'"

You can read about his sad childhood here:  "How did Philip's 'turbulent' childhood shape him into the royal consort? According to Eade, it could help to explain a lot about his steadfast approach to his role as the Queen's companion: 'Although he bravely overcame his childhood traumas, the break up of his family and losing the constant loving support of his parents help explain why his emotional reserve became as noticeable as his bluff, controlled, no-nonsense exterior.'"

His mother "is buried in Jerusalem and is counted as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, an honor bestowed by Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial on non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.', and he will be missed by Israel.

Take a look at these wonderful photos of the Queen and her Prince from Vogue.

Google's Perfect Pro-Vaccine Ad

 

What a short, simple, and brilliant ad encouraging everyone to get the COVID vaccine! The Google staff who created it deserve an award.

Make sure you pass this on!

Best Dog Interest Story of the Month

From CNN: "A stray dog kept stealing a stuffed unicorn from a Dollar General, so animal control bought it for him."

 

Cop Killer on Capitol Hill

Despite the heavy police and National Guard presence there, this murderer/terrorist deliberately crashed into a barricade, attacked the Capitol Hill cops, and has killed one of them. I'm glad the cops killed him before he could do even more damage.

Whatever our police force is paid, it's not enough to make up for what they have to put up with. What a terrible year this has been.

Sincere condolences to the victim's family today, on Good Friday.