Important read - CNN Health - Parents: Take social distancing seriously and limit playdates, other activities, experts say By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

The declarations of emergencies are an attempt to reduce the spread.

See CNN Health:

Parents: Take social distancing seriously and limit playdates, other activities, experts say

By Sandee LaMotte, CNN

"We're not asking people to be hermits, go home, lock the door and crawl under the bed," said Vanderbilt infectious disease expert Dr. William Schaffner. "We're being asked to do whatever we can to spread some distance between us."

(CNN)Reconsider group playdates, parents. Think twice about letting your kids play soccer with friends. Avoid the local playground jungle gyms and monkey bars.

"There is evidence corona viruses can live on plastic and metal for up to nine days," said Dr. Asaf Bitton, a primary care physician and executive director of Ariadne Labs, a joint health system innovation center at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

CLICK HERE or the headline above to read the entire article.

Our Environment - Interesting & important read – CNN BUSINESS - Coke and Pepsi abandon the plastics lobby, by Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN Business, Tue July 30, 2019

When is participating in a plastic lobby part of recycling effort versus protecting the market for producers and distributors of single use plastics? 

This is important as there is a huge difference between ‘can be recycled’ versus the percentage actually recycled. It could be more than fair to say that recycling has been a well-intentioned, but documented as a failure to date, as  a "whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled." (the National Geographic article source is posted below)

Please read this online article, CNN BUSINESS - Coke and Pepsi abandonthe plastics lobby, by Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN Business, Tue July 30, 2019

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, two major sellers of plastic bottles, have made sweeping sustainability commitments. Now they are stepping away from a plastics lobbying group.

Both soft drink companies are trying to increase the amount of recycled plastic they use in bottles. They want to improve recycling infrastructure and ensure their packages are recyclable.

But the Plastics Industry Association has encouraged states to make plastic bans illegal.

We have seen the impact of such lobbying efforts. Florida municipalities have been at odds with groups such as the Plastics Industry Association, groups that have worked to have our State Legislature preempt and outlaw local municipal rights to pass ordinances on everything from plastic bags as well as plastic straws.

The recent actions of Coca-Cola and PepsiCo should provide pause to everyone concerned with our environment (and this should actually be “everyone”). What are the standards, the established markers or “deliverables” / “measurables” for recycling? Most, but not all, single use plastic bottles are “recyclable”. Miami-Dade County limits plastic recycling to “narrow neck” – specifically:

Plastic containers (bottles only): bottles, milk, water, detergent, soda and shampoo containers (flatten and replace cap) (CLICK HERE).

9 % recycling rate? See National Geographic - PLANET OR PLASTIC? A whopping 91% of plastic isn't recycled - read the article on how "Billions of tons of plastic have been made over the past decades, and much of it is becoming trash and litter, finds the first analysis of the issue."

  

The CNN article reports that “Coca-Cola (KO) produced 3.3 million tons of plastic in 2017, it disclosed in recent report by the Ellen MacArthur foundation. PepsiCo (PEP) did not disclose how much plastic it sells.”

That is a significant amount of single use plastic that is NOT recycled. Further,

Both companies are trying to figure out ways to reduce their use of virgin plastics and increase recycling. They're also exploring alternatives to plastics, like aluminum, that are easier to recycle.

PepsiCo announced recently that its Aquafina-brand water will be sold in aluminum cans at US fast food and restaurant chains as soon as next year. The company is testing out a broader rollout to retail stores.

BLOG EDITOR'S NOTE: Please review these prior, related Blog Posts, including:

May 22, 2019, FAQ - Accommodations in the Plastic Straw ordinance forADA/Medical necessity - other exemptions. I posted FAQs regarding  Council Member Singer’s ordinance, presenting the facts, responding to rumor and incorrect information, and

May 15, 2019, End the delay, the time is now for Palmetto Bay to debateand take action on Council Member David Singer's proposed ordinance to banplastic straws in Palmetto Bay. The point of this blog post was to advocate for the current mayor and council to cease resistance, to stop bottling up, Council Member David Singer's plastic straw ban and let the debate come to the council floor where council members can finally let the public know why they have not seen fit to hear this item. There are no reasons to continue to avoid the issue of banning plastic straws in Palmetto Bay - as, as Gov. DeSantis opined:

"Citizens who oppose plastic straw ordinances can seek recourse by electing people who share their views."

Politics aside - "Say it ain't so..." are they really about to "Can" Coke Zero?

Coke is always in the news when it changes its products - and an example of people resisting and resenting change.  Does anyone remember "New Coke" or Pepsi-Cola's "Pepsi Clear"?  I am a fan of Coke Zero - and sometimes change is good - one such example (in my humble opinion) is Coke Zero. And now it appears that it is nearing the end of its shelf life.  

So I say "stock up"!  How long will cans of soda last? (Am I really calling for a hording run on remaining Coke Zero?)

Here is a very well written article that (again, in my own opinion) captures the angst of someone who hates to see one of their favs go by the wayside:

Coke Zero Is Gone Because We Live in a Grim Dystopia in Which Nothing Good Can Exist, by Jay Willis, published in GQ online.

On this point (actually, on many points) I agree with Palmetto Bay's community catalyst Brian Tannebaum.  who says, and 'I quote': "I could go full Scaramucci about this."  

I agree fully and will join Brian in going "full Scaramucci " about this.

Also see CNN Money: Coca-Cola is replacing Coke Zero with a new drink, by Olivia Chang, CNN Money

A very not Happy ending. Facebook post (texting while driving) lead to fataility

Condolences to all involved. A last moments of a driver's life documented on Facebook. CLICK HERE to view the link to the CNN online story and video.

Please, think of your friends, family - all your loved ones and fellow drivers - do not text or operate your phone while driving. It is not worth the risk.

A little exploring and attention to surroundings yields an interesting find.

See what you may be missing when glued inside to your technology? A 9-year-old Michigan boy stumbled across something -- literally -- that, it turns out, is a mastodon tooth. Read: A prehistoric step: 9-year-old trods on 10,000-year-old mastodon tooth, by Lorenzo Ferrigno, CNN.  

And to think I was proud of finding a locally produced antique Coke bottle while exploring with my daughters in upstate NY a few summers ago. I think we need to look a little harder next time to see what bigger treasures we can find.

Good News pet hero stories of 2013 – CNN.com

Let's start 2014 by looking back at some positive stories where pets saved their owners, trainers, children, even other dogs.  Check out the stories, photos and videos reported in 5 tales of amazing dog heroics, by CNN Staff.  CNN reports in this good news story, include: 

• One sacrificed his eye to save a young girl from a venomous rattlesnake 
• Another alerted a couple that their newborn baby had stopped breathing 
• Dog saves blindfolded trainer from reckless car 
• Dog saves 2-year-old lost in the woods 
• And, for the feline fans out there, there is a bonus: A cat hero! Man says cat helped save his life

Perhaps you can find the next pet hero hanging out at the Palmetto Bay Dog Park

U Miami v the Louisville Cardinals - the build up to Saturday's bowl game

Which team will bring its “A” game to the Russell Athletic Bowl game this Saturday?

This is nothing new, it is always a concern at bowl season.  Which team is hungry for a win versus the team simply ‘happy to be there’ and celebrating its way to a lay down loss.

Read the CNN online Bleacher Report which previews the December 28,2013, game between University of Miami and the Louisville Cardinals.

The CNN Bleacher Report subplots:

A budding rivalry as Louisville moves from the American Athletic Conference to the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014.

Miami backyard recruiting conflicts, which I describe as Cardinals poaching some South Florida talent in what Howard Schnellenburger originally created “The State of Miami.”  Note that Cardinals quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was originally a Hurricanes commit (there is more to this story).

The Miami Herald also details this ongoing backyard tug-of-war for So. Fla talent: Louisvillefootball team builds its squad with South Florida pipeline, noting that the Louisville Head Coach has recruited heavily in South Florida; current results being that 24 players Louisville’s roster are from South Florida.

I also like to read the hometown newspapers for the opposing-local slant on the game.  See The Courier-Journal online, Dec 24: Louisville coach Charlie Strong's sales pitch wins over Florida recruits. The Courier-Journal reports that Louisville has 39 from the state on its roster. Many of them hail from the Miami area and, like Rogers, grew up rooting for Saturday’s Russell Athletic Bowl opponent. 

There's also the coaching factor with Louisville head coach Charlie Strong and defensive line coach Clint Hurtt. Strong was the former defensive coordinator at rival Florida, while Hurtt is a former Miami player and assistant who was eventually implicated in the long-running NCAA investigation.

Read and prepare for the game

See today’s coverage in the Miami Herald for its daily lead up coverage to the big game: Disrupting Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is key for Miami in bowl game, there is a little "ouch factor" here in the coverage as Susan Miller Degan's article lead off with: Trying to fluster one of the nation’s most unflappable quarterbacks when you’ve struggled at times against the garden variety is like tackling the Rubik’s Cube when you haven’t quite mastered the jigsaw puzzle.

Go Canes!

CNN online: 2013 the year in pictures

It is that time of year, when we start looking back on the year, usually best documented in photos. 

CLICK HERE to view the CNN: 2013: The year in pictures.

There are still 2 weeks to go in the 2013; this is just the start.  Let's see what progress we have made or areas that never seem to change.

Comet ISON update: It may be a bad break up. WASHINGTON: Comet dances with sun, death; giving mixed signals

WASHINGTON: Comet dances with sun, death; giving mixed signals - Politics Wires - Miami Herald.com
A 30% chance of survival? Not great odds, but I am still hopeful for a great show. 

The early hours viewing are over until the comet makes its Thanksgiving Day slingshot around the sun.

It is now wait and see time, to determine whether the comet puts on a spectacular show or breaks apart from its close pass to the Sun: CNN reports online that comet ISON make be breaking up and may not survive the trip around the sun: Much anticipated comet may be in trouble.

Experts predict that the comet could put on a spectacular show in the weeks ahead if it survives, exploding in brightness as it releases dust.

Even if the comet dies, the Miami Herald reports that Johns Hopkins University scientist Carey Lisse (LIHS) said there's a good chance that people on Earth will get an interesting cosmic show. The comet's remains could paint the sky with a wide swath of green.

We will wait and see.  I recommend that this holiday weekend will be a great time to take the family away from the city lights and spend family time gazing toward the heavens.

Asteroids, meteors and now 2 upcoming comets. This will be a great year for those interested in astronomy. Next up: Comet Pan-Starrs

Two comets are beginning to make their way into our evening sky. How many of you will take an interest personally observing in these celestial events?  If so, are you ready for the next great evening fireworks show?

This is shaping up to be a very busy year for celestial events. This year has seen the expected close call from a passing asteroid with the unplanned meteor explosion over Russia, injuring thousands. The meteor certainly peaks some interest in many who formerly did not concern themselves with the possibility, or probability of Earth impacts during our lifetime.  See prior post of Feb 16, 2013, Close call documented. Meteor explodes over Russia.

First up is comet Pan-STARRS, which will possibly come into our view beginning March 7.  It will stay close to the horizon, so you'll need to get away from trees and buildings to see it

Comet ISON will pass by this year, but scientist is skeptical of "Comet of Century" predictions.

See CNN online: Welcome to the year of the comet (we hope), by Amanda Barnett, CNN, posted Sat March 2,2013.

More information can also be found at space.com. where you can already find video and photos posted online of comet ISON: NASA Probe Snaps Photos of Potential 'Comet of the Century'

 
Comets are part of our solar system, leftovers from the original creation. Modern astronomers have determined that comets originate from three areas: near Jupiter; the Kuiper belt which is bounded by the orbit of Neptune; or from a surrounding sphere called the Oort Cloud.

Don’t forget, we are blessed with the Southern Cross Astronomical Society (SCAS) Star Gazing - Every Saturday evening from 8 to 10 pm at Miami-Dade County’s Sadowski Park, celestial observing at the free SCAS outdoor observatory where the public is welcome.

This is a great year to get interested in our night sky. It is a great family activity. Enjoy nature's night viewing over the next few months