Here in the United States, 22 million people have caught the flu, which probably means at least 22 million did not get a flu shot during this flu season.
There have been three flu deaths in New York State. Last week, in Ulster County, 78 people had the flu. If you have not had the flu shot, they are still available. It appears that this year’s flu is benign.
That is not like the measles. It killed almost 300 young people in Samoa. Families that do not vaccinate their child or children for the measles are putting the lives of their children at risk. And the risk could be deadly.

Tech jobs are flocking to New York City

Help wanted. “Tech Jobs Are Flocking to New York City. Can workers snare them.”
That was the headline in the New York Times. I write this to let students and/or their parents know of the availability of these good paying jobs.
New York City and Silicon Valley are the high tech capitals of the country. We had a young family member get one of these jobs and she and her family have no complaints. The help wanted section of the New York Times Sunday Review section lists lots of them.
I showed the section to a recent computer science graduate from SUNY New Paltz. He made a call, was interviewed and got a job. You may be a phone call away from a job.

376-degree days warmer than normal
This is the latest degree-day information. Because of the cumulative nature of Global Warming, it appears there is a possibility this will be a year of weather breaking records, weather it be heat, drought, fires, hurricanes, or flooding.
There will be a time when people, who had retired to Florida, will be moving back here because they have to.

Amazon approved in Orange County

The monster-sized Amazon fulfillment center for the Town of Montgomery, right off Route 84, in Orange County, has received its final approval and now work in developing the site of a massive 1,010,880 square foot building on 190 acres, which will be the biggest in Orange County, will begin.
It will be built by 300 construction workers, 85%, who will come from local construction unions, one of which is Laborers Local 17 out of Newburgh. The fulfillment center will employ 800 workers.
This is good news. This will rank as the number one read story in the local newspapers. People, who will want those jobs will read the story and then want to know where to call to apply for one.
The center should lower property taxes in the Town of Montgomery. Some towns wanted this project for that reason.
The late Bruce Loertscher, when he was the supervisor of the Town of Plattekill, tried his mightiest to bridge the few miles between Plattekill in Ulster County to Route 84 so Plattekill could get some of those big trucking or distribution centers that were being built by Route 84 exits. If Bruce Loertscher were alive today, he would be yelling to Amazon “to come over here.”
This may give L. Todd Diorio of Laborers Local 17 a reason to start some recent high school graduates in the local’s apprentice program and to their start in life on their way to getting married, having children and being homeowners.
Now the wheels will start turning.

Iran 109, USA, 1
In January the word was out from Donald Trump to kill Iranian general, Qassim Suleimani in a drone strike. Suleimani was caught by surprise at a public event in Iraq. One down. The Iranians called for missiles to hit a compound where American troops were staying. One hundred nine were injured by the concussion force of the missiles. Iran 109, the United States 1.
In World I, artillery Captain Harry Truman brought home alive all of the 400 men in his artillery battalion. His reputation laid the foundation of a political career, which ended when he became President of the United States. One hundred nine soldiers under Donald Trump may all eventually have their lives destroyed. Where was Trump when those 109 men needed him?

Both the House and the Senate have voted to rescind the war powers act which since 9/11 gave the President the right to get us into a war without any review by Congress. George W. Bush used it for the United States to invade Iraq in 2003. Trump plans to veto the Congressional action. What experience does he have in a war or in a war zone? None. Would you trust your son’s, or grandson’s life to Donald Trump? I would not. Remember, 109 to 1.

Poll: Trump trails with Women by 32%
A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll has Trump trailing any Democratic candidate for President by 32%, 62% to 30%, among women, and that less and less women support him.
This means he trails Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg, Warren, Sanders, Klobuchar, etal, by 32%. The poll did not say if the women would hold the Trump acquittal vote by the Republican senators against them.
The poll was taken after Trump’s acquittal.