I've seen a lot more people wearing masks on the street again, instead of just in stores and buses

‘We've Never Seen This Before in NYC': COVID Positivity Rate Doubles in 3 Days on Omicron Spread

NYC offers 500,000 free rapid Covid tests, 1 million masks amid case surge (One million masks sounds like a lot until you remember that the population of NYC is over eight million....)

As COVID-19 cases climb in NYC, so do classroom closures

Several NYC Restaurants Temporarily Close Due to COVID Spike

Records fall and borders close as world races to get control of Omicron

The Omicron variant advances at an incredible rate

Omicron infects 70 times faster than previous COVID strains: study (Though it appears to be less severe - at least in the short term, nobody *knows* the long term effects of this variation yet - the gains there could be wiped out with greater transmission, especially as greater transmission = more cases = more chances for mutations = greater odds of a future mutation that evades the vaccine. We have got to take the issue of immunizing all those other, poorer countries seriously. I'm not saying don't get your booster, but it's more important to get a first shot in more arms over there than a third shot in people's arms over here.)

Two middle grade books

So, I think I might hate the first one, Love, Ish. This isn't entirely the book's fault - ( Read more... )

I also read Born Behind Bars. I've read stuff from this author before, mostly her YA. This is definitely geared at a younger group and honestly, it resolves very neatly. Almost too neatly and quickly - but do I really want these kids to suffer for the sake of gritty realism? Enough kids suffer in real life! It's better that there are happy endings all around.

Now I'm in the middle of Josephine Against the Sea, and I must be getting old. Josephine is sneaking around trying to gather evidence that her father's girlfriend is a mystical spirit who may or may not be out to harm him but, either way, surely is very dangerous, and I keep thinking "Listen, have you tried just talking to her? I am certain that's a better plan than whatever you're thinking of."