April Fool's Day is a good day to consider life from a virus's perspective. Our tiny friends have many positive attributes.
Have you ever considered a pandemic from a virus's perspective? I suspect you haven't. Today is a good day to start.
Those virus just want to use a few of your cells to reproduce. Why should we be inhospitable? They might be selfish, but that is their genetic nature. Imagine how viruses feel when we reject them.
At least, give these little guys and gals credit. They certainly punch above their weight! Per micro-gram, they have more impact on the world than any other living or semi-living creature: they have shut down polluting industries, reduced dangerous and dirty activities, forced overly-busy people to take a holiday, and created lots of at-home family time! We are now enjoying a long-needed global sabbatical.
How do we express our appreciation? We abuse them with anti-viral attitudes. All too often our response is eradication, which is just another word for extinction! Poor bubonic plague. Poor smallpox. Poor polio. Poor COVID-19. It's unfair! Shouldn't viruses have rights? It's time to establish virus advocacy organizations to promote the interests of our tiny friends.
At least lets appreciate pandemic humor. How about, "Every disaster movie begins with the government ignoring a scientist" (perhaps that strikes too close to reality), or "A man walks into a bar and says to the bartender, 'I'll have a Corona, hold the virus please'."
There is lots of anti-COVID propaganda, including this pop song produced by the Vietnamese Health Department, Masaka Kids Africana Dancing Let's Fight COVID-19, and Ugandan singer Bobi Wine's catchy Corona Virus Alert. Fortunately, not everybody is so anti-viral. Henrik Widegren sings, I am Corona. The Tiny Microbes Company produces COVID-19 plush toys; the perfect gift for younger humans living in quarantine. Hug a virus today!
What do you think? Today is a terrific day to celebrate human-virus relationships. Thanks, COVID-19, for all you've done for humanity!
After Omicron
Don't count on Omicron ending the pandemic, cautioned America's top infectious disease expert on Jan. 17. "Get ready to learn new Greek letters," warned the Associated Press as daily COVID deaths topped the peak set in the Delta wave.
Omicron Breaks Another Pandemic Record: Hospitalizations
The highly infectious Omicron variant is contributing to a record number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the U.S. The record set in last winter's surge fell on Tuesday as hospitals suffer from massive labor shortages caused by the variant.
How COVID-19 and Skyrocketing Housing Costs Accelerated Sprawl
In search of space and affordability, American families are increasingly moving to suburbs and exurbs.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
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Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060
Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.
LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks
Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.
Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code
The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
