DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... Good Things Occurring During the Pandemic

Yeah, it's flooded and not going through.

I do for State, but I always owe Federal and I had already filed for 2019 and paid what I owed. They had already cashed my check before this mess hit with Corona.

I filled that out early yesterday morning before everybody knew about it

I actually thought this thread would be a hit. LOL

I think people like to complain more than come together. Oh well.........

Here is really cool article. I know that just posting the link will lead to fewer people reading it, but there are so many pics and other stuff that I can't copy and paste it.

I promise you that it is a good read. Take a few minutes and investigate. It's okay to share some good news.

Here is the title: Photos and charts show how the natural world is thriving now that humans are staying indoors

And the link: https://www.yahoo.com/news/photos-charts-show-natural-world-112951631.html

Michael Che Will Cover Rent for Residents of His Late Grandmother’s Building

The Saturday Night Live star’s grandmother died from complications due to the coronavirus.

Saturday Night Live cast member Michael Che is the latest celebrity to give back during the coronavirus pandemic. The Weekend Update cohost said he will pay one month’s rent for all 160 apartments in the New York public housing complex where his grandmother lived before she died. Che’s grandmother died earlier this month from complications due to the coronavirus.

“[It’s] crazy to me that residents of public housing are still expected to pay their rent when so many new yorkers can’t even work,” Che wrote on Instagram before calling on New York politicians to act.

“I know that’s just a drop in the bucket,” Che wrote of his plans to pay for 160 renters. “I really hope the city has a better plan for debt forgiveness for all the people in public housing AT THE VERY LEAST.” He then added a postscript to the message, specifically asking for New York mayor Bill de Blasio, New York governor Andrew Cuomo, and rapper Diddy to help.

Thus far, New York has not pursued a rent moratorium on public housing, despite de Blasio’s support for the idea. “We have to figure out how to do some kind of moratorium for both residents and small business,” the embattled mayor said in a radio interview last month. “I’m going to find out if that’s anything within the power of the city or if that can only be done with state law or state action, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”

Last week, de Blasio said he was going to push for a rental freeze as well as the recommendation that renters would be able to pay a month’s rent with their security deposit if needed. “If you look at the facts, [New York] is facing the greatest economic crisis in generations and hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers with no livelihood overnight,” he said. “I think the facts are clear and we need that rent freeze and we need it now. We’ll do it quickly in the coming weeks.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/04/michael-che-snl-coronavirus

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What I am seeing in our neighborhood is more kids riding bikes, people walking outside etc. and talking with all of the neighbors and helping out some of the elderly neighbors with proper social distancing of course.

With our family, we in some ways have become much closer. Having a 17 year old daughter who normally would be on the run all the time with school, band etc. there were times where we all couldn't be together.

Now we are sitting down and having dinner together every night.

In the evenings we are playing Yahtzee, Mexican Train (dominoes) and I set up our ping pong table again and we have been playing lots of marathon sessions while listening to good music.

In a weird way it kind of brings me back to my childhood where we didn't watch much TV as we only had 3 stations and were always outside playing or would be playing games with our family.

Well said! I feel like my family and I have done more talking than ever before.

I really just miss watching sports and being able to go to the gym

Former Astros CF Michael Bourne waives tenants rent

Former Houston Astros (and Cleveland Indians) centerfielder Michael Bourne owns three different apartment complexes in the Houston area, with about 60 tenants in total.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, with so many people out of work, Bourne was concerned about how his residents would be able to pay their rent.

So, he waived it completely — and will likely do the same thing next month.

Former #Astros CF Michael Bourn still lives in his hometown.He owns 3 apartment complexes in Houston w/ about 60 tenants & is concerned w/ how they’re doing during this pandemic. So he’s helping them in a big way. Michael waived their rent in April & expects to do it again in May.

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/sports-good-...-211306589.html

Nice move by Bourne.

I have been reminded of when I was a kid in Michigan. It would get so quiet at night, because almost everything was closed. There were fewer cars in those days, and far fewer on the roads in the evenings. On Sundays, the town just rolled up and closed.

I can usually hear the traffic from the freeway, which is about a block and a half from my house. After 8 or so .... there is almost nothing. It is pretty much absolutely silent after 10.

It's pretty nice. actually.

These are tough times and some folks are getting down. I am just taking the attitude of trying to find light in dark times.

I recognize things for what they are and I sure as hell respect them. I stay home as much as possible. When I go out, I follow all the instructions that the "experts" have laid out for us. I try my best to do things the right way. It's scary.

However, I can't live my life being consumed by fear or allowing dark thoughts to consume me. I've been there and I don't want to go back.

Thus, I try and find the positives in the situations and celebrate them while still maintaining an educated awareness.

I know I have much to be thankful for. I have a beautiful, intelligent wife. I have two intelligent, successful children. I have a home I take pride in. I have the memories of a career that I am proud of. I could go on and on and on...........but, I'll be damned if I succumb mentally or emotionally to some damn virus.

It might take my life. It won't take my spirit.

Check out this video: https://www.yahoo.com/news/teacher-pays-student-visit-noticing-102458231.html

Had a 'drive thru' birthday party for my cousins kids tonight. My first cousin's twin sons. They turned 9.

My cousin said this morning the twins were all depressed and "this is the worst day ever. We can't do anything for our birthday."

Just got a group text from her, thanking the family, for showing up/driving through. Said "The boys now think this was the best birthday ever." (somewhere around 50 vehicles showed up - obviously, not all family)

This is now a thing.
There was a drive-by party for the daughter of a colleague. She just turned 25. I met her when she was 3 weeks old.
3-4PM last Saturday. Ari was blown away. She was on the front porch, jumping up and down like a cheerleader on Fri night.

_______________


We're living through some real "new normal" stuff right now... and I'm not sure how much of the "old normal" might just get left behind. Everything changes over time, but this monster has changed a lot in a very short period of time. It will certainly be interesting to see how we move forward.

I'm certain that we'll get on the other side of this, but I still live with daily (personal) uncertainty, as I know you do. I think one of the most debilitating aspects of this crisis is the relentless low-level feeling of dread that accompanies every passing day. It sort of rumbles in the background of everything I do. That's not going away until a vaccine becomes mainstream.

It's actually pretty cool to see how quickly we've adapted, and how creative we've become, as we attempt to keep all those things that are important to us. As dire as daily life feels, these little stories really do matter. They keep us going.

Thanks for the share.

I don't know if I will be able to adequately explain this, but I think there is a lot of rewards in finding creative ways to persevere during this crisis. arch's story is one example. My cousin's wife receiving an ovation after returning home from work is another. I've been reading about all kinds of generous acts during the pandemic.

I know how my family is dealing w/it. We're a bit nervous due to my wife's profession and advanced age, but we are using gallows humor at home. We text and call w/the kids daily. We are focusing on donating more to charities that help people in need. We spend a lot of time just talking about how thankful we are and trying, bashing the idiots who won't follow the regulations, and trying to find hope.

It's actually very cool. We're not going to freak out. We aren't going to live in fear. We are not going to be depressed. We have a healthy respect for the virus and we will follow the advice because we want to live. But, we're not going to let it get us down.

We have also been bringing food and supplies to people in need. We drop off bags of the stuff at designated locations. We don't talk to the people, but they get the supplies. We also donated a bunch of clothing and supplies to the tornado victims that hit SC last week. It's cool because we are helping them and helping ourselves at the same time because it's like having a sense of worth. Not sure if that is shallow or not, but we don't feel shallow. I think helping others goes a long way in helping your own self.

Day-um! I sure gots some good grammar.

Local news station has been doing a daily live stream with some weather education for the kids.

Meet the 101-year-old who was born on a ship during the 1918 flu pandemic and just beat coronavirus

(CNN)Angelina Friedman survived cancer, miscarriages, internal bleeding, sepsis and now not one, but two pandemics. More than 100 years after living through the 1918 influenza pandemic, the 101-year-old woman just beat coronavirus.

An administrator at the Mohegan Lake, New York, nursing home where Friedman lives said Friedman is back to her old self and celebrating life as if nothing ever happened.

"It also just goes to show how much the world needs hope that you can beat this at 101," Amy Elba told CNN.

Friedman's daughter, Joanne Merola, told CNN affiliate WPIX that her mother is a survivor.

"She and my dad had cancer at the same time. She survived. He didn't," she said.



In 1918, Angelina Sciales (now Friedman) was born on a ship that was transporting immigrants from Italy to New York City. It was in the midst of the 1918 pandemic. It's not believed that the baby contracted the disease.

Her mother died giving birth, and her two sisters helped her survive until they could reunite with their father in New York, where they lived in Brooklyn, Merola told WPIX.

One of 11 children, Friedman is the last surviving.

"She is not human," Merola said. "She has superhuman DNA."

Now a resident of the North Westchester Restorative Therapy & Nursing Center, Friedman battled yet another pandemic.

"She had gone out to the hospital for a procedure and when she returned she had tested positive," Elba told CNN.

Merola told the affiliate her mother isolated in her room and ran a fever on and off for several weeks as she battled the coronavirus until April 20, when she tested negative.

Nurses called Merola and said Friedman was doing great. She was eating again and looking for yarn to crochet with, they told her.

"She is a mover and a shaker," Elba said. "She's a big knitter and she makes all kinds of things and gives them away to visitors."

The staff threw a big birthday party for Friedman's 101st birthday, and last year she was crowned prom queen.



"She's super active. You couldn't believe it for her age," Elba said. "Still doing her leisure activities probably that she's done forever."

Like many other facilities, Elba said, they have set up alternative means for patients to remain in contact with their families.

Due to a back injury, Merola hasn't been able to visit her mother since February, but she doesn't live far from home. Because her mother is nearly deaf, they can't speak on the phone.

As prom season approaches, Elba said that although the schools might not get a dance, Friedman is certainly going to have hers -- and hopes she will be named prom queen for the second year in a row.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/28/us/woman-101-beat-coronavirus-trnd/index.html

Man, thank you for sharing that.

I have been a little disenchanted that not many are interested in celebrating the positives and there is so much focus on the negatives..............so, I truly appreciate you posting that story.

There are so many good stories out there. I actually think a lot can come from personal experiences. How are we effectively dealing w/the issues we are facing? Our family is kicking ass right now in being positive. It's a choice!

If only one thing comes out of all of this in the end, I hope that it is that the world now sees that we all CAN work together to achieve a common goal.

We essentially STOPPED the world for this, we surely can find common ground on other issues, and work in unison to accomplish them.

Local sports talk radio 92.3 The Fan, along with a couple of their sister stations, set a goal of raising enough money to provide for 40,000 meals at the Cleveland Foodbank within 40 hours, between 6AM Monday and 10PM Tuesday. (The Cleveland Foodbank said it is able to provide 4 meals for every dollar raised.) At the end of the 40 hours, the drive raised enough for 130,000+ meals for needy families - more than 3 times the original goal of $10,000 was raised ($32,500). Good job Cleveland - yay us.

On a slightly different, and personal note: Daughter had a 2.9 gpa her first semester in college. Chem 1 was an issue for her, as well as the 200 students in her class. The university put the prof on probation, as 75% of the students had a D, or failed. My daughter got a c.

As I politely, or possibly impolitely informed her in December, a 2.9 gpa will NOT get you in to the school of nursing. You need to buckle down and study. There were plenty of "but dad.........." discussions.

She finished her second semester 2 days ago. Imagine her glee, and pleasure (and mine!) when she found out/told me today she had gotten a 3.68 gpa for the second semester, and an A minus is chem 2. And in her cultural arts class, the prof even e-mailed her and said "of the 70 students in the class, your final paper was definitely in the top 4. Congratulations."

This summer she's taking a statistics class from a community college, then in the fall her 3rd semester of college. If she keeps her grades good enough, she'll get into the nursing program early. She could - COULD graduate in 3 1/2 years.

j/c:

Good things occurring occuring the pandemic? I'm still working! Happy as hell I'm still getting a paycheck.

The remainder of our season was cancelled back on March 13. We live-streamed (to our local PBS/NPR affiliate) our concert to an empty hall that seats 1730. That was the last time I saw My Tribe.

One week after our season was cancelled, we all received an e-mail telling us that our paychecks would continue without break, and that we were applying for PPP.

We missed the window for the first round of PPP, but were green-lighted for the second installment. I'm still employed. I'm still paid. My immediate future is secure.

I miss My Tribe, though.

This activity, for which I'm pretty well paid, has been a staple of my daily existence for more than 40 years. These past 2 months have given me a taste of what retirement must be like.

Retirement sucks rocks through a straw.

Happy for you.

Has your group considered doing some of the zoom performances that other groups have done? The ones where everyone is at home and they all play a song together?

Got a new puppy today. It is a mini aussie shepherd/skipperke mix. Should be around 25 lbs when she is full grown. Named her Lacey, for Lacey Sturm, formerly of Flyleaf.

Congratulations. Sounds like a great dog.

They are really smart dogs, only 8 weeks and 3 days old, and no accidents today peed and pooped outside all day. She whined when she needed to go, very good dog.