News Of The Week Roundup: Week 46, 2021

Boy howdy it felt like a long week. Maybe because the holiday season is coming or that most of my coworkers were out of the office. At any rate, it was just... long. The weekend has been pretty boring and today I've had a crazy bad headache/earache combo, so that's always fun.

Axl Rose lost his sweet kitty this week. Dexter was 14 according to a photo posted on Twitter. I think Axl was a little surprised at the outpouring of support. It seems that no matter how divided people are, everyone can come together over the shared love of pets. Losing them is the worst.

pic.twitter.com/Xnz3ehqKuy

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) November 17, 2021

Thank you to everyone for all the kind words n’ support w/Dexy’s passing, it means a lot. N’ thank you to all the animal lovers who shared their stories of losing a friend/family member. Good friends r hard to find n’ we’re all lucky when we find them (or they find us!)🐾👑

— Axl Rose (@axlrose) November 20, 2021

The Kyle Rittenhouse trial came to an end and he was acquitted as most people expected. My husband watched the entire trial on Court TV. He finds trials fascinating and they typically bore me to tears. Regardless of the verdict, Rittenhouse still killed two people and maimed a third. Maybe people should pump the breaks on lauding him a hero and offering him fancy congressional internships? This is sort of an interesting take on the whole situation. I never thought of this until I saw it pass by my Twitter feed:

Am I the only person who wants every woman who is in prison for killing her abuser and/or rapist in self-defense released based on the #KyleRittenhouse verdict?

— Victoria Brownworth (@VABVOX) November 21, 2021

This article from Scientific American is fascinating. It points out that many COVID-19 sufferers have early symptoms that impact the eyes and ears.

More than 10 percent of people who get COVID develop some type of eye or ear symptom, and they can persist for a long time. The first signs of illness might include irritated eyes, hearing problems or balance issues. https://t.co/arcZPjV1Da

— Scientific American (@sciam) November 21, 2021

People are traveling in the highest numbers since the pandemic began - just in time for Thanksgiving.

2.2 million people went through airport security in the U.S. on Friday, the highest since the pandemic began - TSA

— BNO Newsroom (@BNODesk) November 20, 2021

Protests in Europe over new vaccine mandates and lockdown measures, too:

Belgian riot policemen disperse protesters as clashes erupt during a demonstration against COVID-19 measures. https://t.co/ymJ6Y55kNV pic.twitter.com/XoW9UqOeun

— ABC News (@ABC) November 21, 2021

The House passed the Build Back Better act - it now goes to the Senate to be passed around for a zillion months. The act is one of Joe Biden's signature pieces of legislation.

.@SpeakerPelosi: "The Build Back Better Bill is passed."

The House of Representatives passes President Biden's Social Spending Plan. The bill goes now to the U.S. Senate. pic.twitter.com/zxTxPCPz70

— CSPAN (@cspan) November 19, 2021

and 90 percent of chattering class said Biden could never get this done.

— Jennifer 'pro-voting' Rubin (@JRubinBlogger) November 19, 2021

One of my bucket list items is to go on a hot air balloon ride. Here's an interesting article about the first such balloon.

The first crewed hot air balloon flight was completed #OTD in 1783. But the promise of ballooning had some issues: Maintaining altitude was difficult. Impossible to steer & vulnerable to strong winds. Open flames and fabric were a bad combination. https://t.co/cJD3eShQ4w

— JSTOR Daily (@JSTOR_Daily) November 21, 2021

And I leave you with this on football Sunday:

Self-Conscious NFL Referee Practices Raising Both Arms In Front Of Bathroom Mirror Before Game https://t.co/Sm4Kian5Vr pic.twitter.com/lHxeXx8pJ2

— The Onion (@TheOnion) November 21, 2021