Becky Payne (Shockley)

Laura: Thanks for sharing the sad news about WHHS during the pandemic. I hope things will somehow improve once the US gets serious about controlling this virus and reducing the spread (after January 20) but in the meantime I feel very sorry for the students (current and formera0 and teachers at WHHS.

Paul Simons

Two things. First in response to several previous posts I'd like to agree with what Dr. King said, paraphrasing 19th Century Unitarian pastor Theodore Parker, that "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice". If that's true, I wish it didn't always take so long, and that while waiting for the arc to bend there wasn't so much suffering. In this case justice would be for those who discourage what would control this pandemic and encourage what spreads it, to experience it themselves. But they don't - usually if they get it at all it's a mild case, even asymptomatic. It tears me up that the enormous load is on the doctors and nurses, many of whom have died. I'd like to see justice and that isn't it. Bend, arc, bend!!

Second for anyone still interested there's now a complete tune from the set that Stan Hertzman and I worked up in tribute to Buddy Holly. It's called "Real Wild Child" and it is real wild.

The link is https://phsra8.wixsite.com/cd-electro

I wish everyone a healthy Thanksgiving.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Hi Paul: You asked me so many questions that I was hard to come up with succinct answers. So I also consulted with my sons. This is what the three of us say about Israeli positions on global warming:

GW per se is not an issue as far as we three see it. One son said, and I qquote "Beats me". That said, GW is a specific subset of environmental issues, and we are very much into that. What is of urgent concern to us is water. One daughter-in-law is so conscious of water that she recycles some water, and they do not flush their toilet every time it's used. When I wash my hands (and I've been doing this long before COVID hygiene), I turn the water off while I soap my hands. Small things, but multiply these acts by thousands, and water is saved.

We're also very concerned about energy. We are pioneers in solar energy measures. My son Micha said that he took a tour of a solar installation in Yokneam that was huge, and so as not to take up land (also a very limited commodity here), it was constructed over a lake. He sent me cool pictures. My other son Joel chose as his leased work car a hybrid Corolla. I bought my car, a Toyota Yaris that I adore, in 2004. It still runs beautifully, ffft ffftt fftt.

Enough for now.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Hi Jerry: According to Worldometer (!??) Japan is in a good place among the countries reporting Corona. Israel not so much. We had 328,613 cases when I looked today, and 2,757 deaths. Our high caseload brings out bad things in me, so I'd rather not get hooked into that anger now.... Israel's population is a bit over 9 million.

However, when I looked at Canada, right below Israel with 327,245 cases, I saw something strange and disturbing. Canada reported 11,420 deaths. More than 4 times that of Israel. Israel used to be a very young (age of its population) country, but after the huge immigration of Russians in the 90s, that changed. Now, while I'm very proud of our hospitals and brilliant doctors and nurses, Canada isn't some backwater. What's going on there? Everyone in the world was unprepared for this pandemic, and nobody seems to have a brilliant plan for treating this disease or get their people to comply. I hope that someone in Canada sees that chart, and compares its numbers with Israel.... Ah well, not really my problem, but still, it niggles.

Jerry Ochs

Judy,

There are many ways to present statistics and to understand them.  I just read that regarding deaths per million population, Israel has the 27th highest number and Canada has the 28th.  In addition, some countries have superior treatment methods and facilities, so fewer deaths despite more infections.  Instead of answering your question I fear I have made the situation even more confusing.  

Paul Simons

Thanks for your reply Judy. Do you and yours feel that the kind of effects we get from hurricanes here don't occur there because the Mediterranean Sea is not the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico and so weather events are different?

Jerry Ochs

My understanding of climate change is your local weather patterns don't change but the droughts, hurricanes, floods, and other natural disaster become more and more intense.  A lot of places depend on seasonal rains and if they fail to appear, the people starve.  If they appear but stay too long and drop too much moisture, the fields are flooded and the people starve.  That's why it is common practice to throw a politician into a volcano to appease the weather gods.

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

Paul, I would imagine so, yes. Israel's overall weather and environment issues are not similar to those of the States. So we get desperate about water, while you get riled by the ozone layer.  Just the way it is....

Jerry, apparently there are several different sources for data. The one I looked at for "daily deaths per million population" had Israel at 5.66 (which sounds quite high to me. Even as an average...) and Canada at 1.3. I'm starting to get a bit cross-eyed by statistics (and wanted to make a cake this week), but would like to see the same event on different websites.....

Larry Klein

Hello Classmates!

I haven't had much to say on here lately, but I wanted to take this opportunity to convey some precautionary advice from our admin team to everyone who enjoys our little forum.  Recently, a couple of classmates have had some difficulties opening or closing the website. It seems that some folks are not "logging out" when they close their browser page.  This can be a security issue as well as a functional issue, so please note the "LOG OUT" button on the blue menu list at the left of the page.  It's about halfway down the page under "MEMBER FUNCTIONS".  Most current browsers have a log-in storage file and will auto-fill your user ID and p'word each time you sign on.

Thanks everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to all despite these most trying times in our country's history.  Sursum ad summum!

Steven Levinson

Jerry, regarding weather patterns, it's my understanding that average air temperatures have been rising around the world for the last 50 years or so.  Anecdotally, it's my experience that air temperatures in Hawaii have risen 4 to 6 degrees since I moved here 49+ years ago.

Paul Simons

Thanks Jerry - I think you figured it out! But - where’s the volcano? How do the people, the indigenous people (which we are at this point) get the politician to the volcano? Does it work if some type of subterfuge is used, like putting a very attractive golf course around the volcano? Or does the politician have to know what he’s going to be experiencing? Does the good old throw-him-out-of-the-helicopter trick work?

Sorry for all the questions. I took God Appeasement 101 but couldn’t pass it. Took it again - summer school at Woodward - failed again. I’m lucky they let me graduate!

Judy - the ozone layer was in danger some years ago due to the use of hydrofluorocarbons in aerosols and refrigerants and their release into the atmosphere. The whole world came together to confront and head off the threat. That was at a time before science and true facts had been declared the enemy by certain retrograde elements in various countries. Lately the opposite of “sursum ad summum” - “inferos descendere” - has become the order of the day, worldwide.

Gail Weintraub (Stern)

Our Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund sponsored the recording of Hamlet. The play can be Streamed On Demand through December. See my Post #5227 for purchase information.

This is the first review that we have received:

"We watched WHHS Hamlet last night. These kids are talented and worked very hard to put on an excellent performance. The staging, costuming, lighting and acting were all well done. Having it filmed professionally became a tribute to the cast and crew. Their hard work deserved this expert filming. Thank you to the Class of 1964 Performing Arts Fund for making it possible."

Philip Spiess

And now a bulletin from the world (perhaps) of Findlay Market, certainly from "Over-the-Rhine":

The German government has just issued a decree, namely, that all German citizens are to henceforth start stocking both sausage and cheese, in response to the pandemic.

This is viewed as a "Wurst-Kase" scenario.

Jerry Ochs

Bummer.  Running low.  Just stems and seeds.

Jerry Ochs

CORRECTION:  Just seeds

Laura Reid (Pease)

Paul, thanks for posting those sound tracks for me.....unfortunately I couldn't open them....probably my error.  but I did love the post by Stan.

Judy, thanks for your reply about our alma mater.  It is concerning, but so many things to be concerned about now, aren't there??  so happy you are doing well.

Larry, thanks for the info about logging out; I wasn't aware.

Paul Simons

First Larry I know I know you're an expert golfer so tell me - if the volcano trick doesn't work what club - iron? driver? - would be best for let's say swinging at a pinata? I'm only about 5'6" and the pinata is at about 6'4" height.

Then Laura I'm sorry if some links didn't work. Try them with various devices - your desktop and/or laptop computer, your tablet, your phone - please let me know what happens.

Then Phil I am not usually given to wordplay but I'll give it a try - that was the wurst pun!! It was the WURST! I demand immunity from your impunity before my ears have to herd such language into my already overstuffed head again. But seriously with Thanksgiving in a couple of days and no big family gatherings this year I recommend Putenwurst. No it has nothing to do with our dear friend Vladimir Putin and everything to do with turkey sausage.

Jerry Ochs

Phil' loves puns and other word play, so this one's for you, mate.

Philip Spiess

You forgot one of Cincinnati's biggest companies -- MILACRON.

Paul Simons

Besides beer, bratwurst, and Ivory soap...

Jerry Ochs

Autumn flowers always warm my heart.  I wish they had the same effect on my feet.

Nancy Messer

Chuckle for the Day

My neighbor Pam, who helps me with everything, fosters cats and kittens.  She's currently making little blankets for cats for Christmas and asked if she could borrow some straight pins.  When she came over I handed her this very old pin cushion.  I told her I've had the pin cushion and the pins in it since seventh grade home ec class!  We both had a nice laugh.

Stephen (Steve) Dixon

Jerry,

The Macron-to-Mickey Rooney is hilarious. Hahaha...

I'm going to steal that and look very clever in other circles.

Jerry Ochs

Judy Holtzer (Knopf)

For a mesmerizing experience, look up the amazing 3D motion graphic sculptures of Andreas Wannerstedt. Hypnotising....