Australia, UK, and the US are committed. China is threatening. And France is pissed. It's an international soap opera of epic proportions taking place in one of the most important stretches of water in the world; the South China Sea, home to vital trade routes and a whole lot of oil and gas reserves. China has been creating islands in the region that's become the key (water)front in potential cold war between Beijing and the West. A new alliance, "known as Aukus, was announced by US President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison on Wednesday." US and UK face backlash over Australia defense deal.
+ What's the Auckus ruckus all about? "France will lose a nearly $100 billion deal to build diesel submarines for Australia under the terms of the initiative ... But French and European Union officials went further, saying the agreement calls into question the entire cooperative effort to blunt China's growing influence." Biden angers France, EU with new Australia, UK initiative. "Some have compared Biden's recent actions to those of his predecessor, Donald Trump, under Trump's America First' doctrine." (OK, that's Aukward...)
"In his first public comments on the conversations, Gen. Mark Milley said such calls are 'routine' and were done 'to reassure both allies and adversaries in this case in order to ensure strategic stability.'" Milley: Calls to China were ‘perfectly' within scope of job. On one hand, you don't want the military making decisions on their own. On the other hand, you don't want geopolitical decisions in the hands of a cornered madman who stirred up an attack on our own Capitol.
3
WEEKEND WHATS
What to Doc: A documentary about Doc Gooden, and a lot more notable players from one of the most infamous baseball teams of all time. As a bonus, you get a lot of memories about NYC in the eighties. Check out ESPN's Once Upon a Time in Queens: The Wild Ride of the '86 Mets. The basepaths weren't the only white lines chased by these guys.
+ What to Book: If you're looking to grow a megabusiness, or just learn related management and leadership tips, there's no better guru to follow than Reid Hoffman. As Disney's Bob Iger explains, "Reid Hoffman has a talent for getting right to the heart of a business case and turning it into an unforgettable lesson. If you're scaling a company — or if you just love a well-told story — this is a book to savor." Get the book, Masters of Scale. And if you're looking to scale your own personal success, don't miss Brad Stulberg's latest book: The Practice of Groundedness: A Transformative Path to Success That Feeds--Not Crushes--Your Soul.
+ Then, there is the infuriating group who won't take the life and community saving vaccine because of misinformation. WaPo (gift article for ND readers): A doctor called coronavirus vaccines ‘fake.' Now he sits on an Idaho regional health board. "The Republican commissioners of the county — which encompasses the state capital, Boise — said they welcomed Ryan Cole's 'outsider' perspective and willingness to 'question' established medical guidance." (This is death cult behavior.)
+ The results of the vax sweepstakes are in. Moderna is the champ coming in at 93% effective, followed by Pfizer at 88% (and since my life depended on that one, I will definitely remember who came in second place), and J&J came in at 71%. All of them were much better than putting yourself and your community at increased risk because of something you heard on talk radio.
5
FATAL MISTAKE
"For days after the Aug. 29 strike, Pentagon officials asserted that it had been conducted correctly, despite 10 civilians being killed, including seven children. News organizations later raised doubts about that version of events, reporting that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at an American humanitarian organization and citing an absence of evidence to support the Pentagon's assertion that the vehicle contained explosives." Pentagon reverses itself, calls deadly Kabul strike an error. (This was a terrible mistake. Hiding that mistake would have made matters much worse.)
6
REPEAT PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
"Concerns around this weekend's rally have been amplified by recent statements from former President Donald Trump, including one on Thursday in which he defended the Capitol rioters as 'people being persecuted so unfairly' and continued to perpetuate false claims about the 'Rigged Presidential Election' that security officials have repeatedly warned will almost certainly lead to more violence by domestic extremists." January 6 vs. September 18: How law enforcement hopes to prevent another riot. (This is why the Senate needed to hold Trump accountable. When people aren't punished, they continue their behavior.)
7
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED SQUATTERS
"The vast majority of the estimated 12,000 migrants at the bridge on Friday were Haitian, said Val Verde County Judge Lewis Owens, who is the county's top elected official and whose jurisdiction includes Del Rio. Some families have been under the bridge for as long as six days." Thousands of Haitian migrants converge on Texas border town.
"This month, the brand announced the 'Taco Lover's Pass,' which lets you get exactly one taco every single day for 30 days with a subscription that costs $5 to $10, depending on the store. Right now, Taco Bell is trial-running the service in 17 locations in Tucson, Arizona, and there are lots of caveats: The only way to become a certified Taco Lover is by buying the pass through the Taco Bell app; no, sorry, the Chalupa Supreme is not part of the deal." The Atlantic: It Has Come to Subscription Tacos. (I'll stick with my burrito membership.)
10
BOTTOM OF THE NEWS
"Cunhaporanga's home is a cluster of thatched-roof huts along the river's edge, surrounded by nothing but Amazon jungle. The dozens of residents who live here are fellow members of the Tatuyo people. They paint their faces in bright red, wear elaborate feathered headdresses, live alongside squawking macaws that Cunhaporanga warns should not be mistaken for pets, and survive off whatever they can grow or catch." It's also home to the latest TikTok star. WaPo (Gift Article for ND Readers): Taking Indigenous culture viral.
+ "World War II was more than a decade in the future, the electronic traffic signal was a recent invention and few women were harvesting lobsters." That's when Virginia Oliver started trapping lobster. And she still is.
+ Is it possible to feel good while reading a book about our relationship to media and the year 2020? Yes! I promise. Please Scream Inside Your Heart: IndieBound | Amazon | BookShop.org | Green Apple (signed copies).
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To date in the U.S., pandemic life is just about 18 months old.
If you’re a parent, you’re used to counting things in months like that. If the pandemic was a child, it’d likely be walking independently by now, potentially saying single words and very possibly throwing temper tantrums. If you’re a parent like me, you might be feeling like throwing a temper tantrum too. Oh, the milestones.
This year has not played out like many of us thought it would: the hot vax summer that never was, the highly anticipated back-to-school season that quickly stalled after a positive test or exposure (and the stress for the whole community that comes with that), the breakthrough infection you got even after you rolled up your sleeve.
We’re all still waiting for a vaccine to protect the youngest among us. And whether you’re a parent or not, the current news of rising pediatric COVID cases and children’s hospitals filling up can make you feel pretty powerless -- especially when it feels like everyone is on a different page of pandemic life.
Because a pandemic — like parenthood — is unpredictable. You can do everything you can to prepare, but actually going through it will still often leave you bewildered, scared and exhausted.
We might be down, but if you’re reading this, you’re not out. We can work to see the other side of this fight by doing everything we can to protect ourselves and our families, calling in reinforcements where we can and taking it one baby step at a time. Life Kit can help with that.
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Here’s a quick roundup of helpful health information for facing the next phase of pandemic life:
Have questions about the flu shot? This article will help. If you’re wondering if you need one this year, the answer is yes! (We may still be waiting on a COVID vaccine for kids under 12, but the flu shot is available to kids six months and up!)
Feeling COVID-19 anxiety as we head into the colder months? Here are six tips to help you cope. Hint: connecting with others always helps.
Looking for the latest on long COVID?Research is still underway, but experts agree it’s still important to get vaccinated.
Need a quick practice for self-soothing?This Life Kit episode on mindfulness will teach you how to practice Tara Brach’s RAIN method for working through anxiety.
From one tired parent to the rest — hang in there, friends.
— Beck Harlan, Life Kit engagement editor
Israel Sebastian/Getty Images
Your Advice On Surviving The First Year Of Parenthood
Being a parent can be lonely, especially this year. Even if you’ve got a big support system, when you’re trudging through an endless day, exhausted (and likely unshowered), it’s hard not to feel like you’re doing everything wrong and you’re the only one going through it.
Survival is a team sport. We asked folks to share what helped them through the first year of parenthood. Here are a few of the responses. (You can read the full roundup here.)
“Our son’s cry can quickly escalate to a piercing, banshee-like screech — especially during diaper changes. I know his anguish should only elicit sympathy from me, but it mostly makes my heart race. I eventually bought some cheap Bluetooth earbuds I could pop in before changes. This allowed me to bob along to something catchy while our newborn screamed with the same intensity as someone having their arm sawed off.” — Chris B.
“I wrote raw, emotional, and transparent notes to my daughter Ellie. When I cried because I couldn’t find the joy of pregnancy, I wrote a note to Ellie. In times of self-doubt, low confidence, loss and isolation, I wrote a note to Ellie. And on the days when I discovered light, I shared our joys, our laughter, and my hopes and dreams for her as a note to Ellie. Over 200 notes later, I’m still writing notes to Ellie.”— Carissa H.
“Zoloft. There was a point when I didn’t remember what ‘me’ felt like. I’d always been wary of medicine, but between the hormones, the year-long pandemic leading up to delivery and lack of sleep, I made the choice to try it. It made me feel like myself again.”— Rachel H.
“I had my third child in February of 2020. I was finally mentally prepared enough and experienced enough that I told myself I would enjoy this newborn period. We all know what happened next. Suddenly, I was home with three kids under five. My absolute lifeline during this time period were my friends. We texted every single day. Complaining, griping, laughing. Just texting about all of it. We would drop samples of things we’d been baking in each other’s mailboxes. Those texts and treats were the highlight of those days.”— Margo L.
Thanks for sticking with us! Watch this space for next week's episodes on:
💙 Autism | 🗣️ How To Be Heard | ⛱️ Rethinking Laziness
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