Media Resources:
I have been trying to curb my reading of COVID19 news from mainstream media web sites. The only benefit I see from traditional media form is local news about the status of Corona virus infection. Nationwide and international news seems to be highly sensationalized, partisan and frankly depressing to read on a regular basis. The reason for this post is to relay some VERY recent podcasts / programs which I found extremely educational and informative. I haven’t seen or heard anything close to these interviews / programs in the mainstream media and I hope you may find them insightful as well:
#The Drive – Peter Attia March 31, 2020
#102–Michael Osterholm, PhD: COVID-19—Challenges ahead & reasons for optimism and concern
Peter Attia has become my Number 1 go-to resource on all things COVID-19. This is “content” and “public service”. In this interview we have two good plain spoken Docs together. It would appear according to Dr Osterholm that COVID-19 will not be contained until more than 60% of the population is infected (immunized) or a Vaccine becomes available, whichever comes first. A vaccine is still at minimum 18 months away. (Listen to entire interview)
#Bloggingheads.tv – Gimme Shelter | Glenn Loury & John McWhorter [The Glenn Show] – March 30, 2020
This podcast debate offers a distinct look at the virus from what one may be accustomed to seeing. These two African American University professors with contrasting political leanings have a robust, but respectful discussion about the state of American politics and leadership as COVID-19 starts to cause widespread mayhem to New York. Their debate about Trump and his administration was particularly informative as it was entertaining. I admire how they used their quarantine restriction to open up to each other other about their individual health and family. It was also really sweet how John McWhorter introduced his 2 lovely daughters on the podcast. (watch entire podcast)
#The Drive – Peter Attia March 31, 2020
#101 – Ryan Holiday: Finding stillness amidst chaos
This podcast was utterly fascinating especially when they delved into Lessons taken from the life of Winston Churchill—stillness, structure, routine, hobbies, empathy, forward thinking, and more. Ryan Holiday, bestselling author and author of Daily Stoic, discusses practical ways to find stillness and apply the insights of stoic philosophy in the midst of COVID-19 chaos. Ryan discusses the importance of taking back a feeling of control, the benefits of structure and routine, and the idea of being prepared for anything. (Listen to entire podcast)
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
Observation Blogger 
Thanks for the recommendation. I am going to check out Loury and McWhorter. I would like to hear two different perspectives of the political divide coming to gather over medicine/COVID-19 and talking informatively, respectfully and humanly.
You’re welcome Pam! I hope you enjoy their good natured discussion.
I’ve listened to Peter Attia and liked it… I’m trying to avoid it as much as possible. I don’t guess that is too responsible…but it got to be an overload…I’m sure soon I’ll start to listen again.
Well there is hardly any other news going on. I hope you and your family are holding up well Max. Oh I watched a ‘It’ s a Wonderful Life’ last night by Capra. I can’t say I wasn’t glassy-eyed by the end.
Oh that movie gets to me Matt. When Zuzu asks about the wings…it gets to me everytime.
I mentioned to you before how I found his movies too saccharine for my tastes, but I can understand for it’s time this movie would have been immense and radical. Since then many other movies have explored this ‘Back to the future’ what if scenarios as seen in the arrival of his guardian angel. But it’s a fantastic movie to make you feel how fortunate we are to have the families / lives we have.
The audiences back then didn’t like it too much…it didn’t get really popular until the 80s. That is hard to believe. It does make you appreciate what you have.
Seriously? They didn’t like it at the time? I didn’t know that. Wow. Why’s that?
The box office was really low….Some of the critics at the time thought it was weak and too sentimental. I always thought all of his movies built up to this one…this one delievered the goods to me.
Actually I could understand it being trashed during post WW2 / McCarthy era, kind of having procommunist sentiments. Perhaps.. I enjoyed his Lost Horizon movie more. He definitely has this Utopian ideal thing happening in his movies, that’s for certain.
Yes he did have that going on…he did have some good ones though. “You Can’t Take It With You” is another one that is funny. Jimmy Stewart is hard to beat.
I might try and have to find that. I loved watching him in Shenandoah and I also loved Dylan’s song by the same name.
I agree with Max. I will come back to it later and listen to the Peter Attia interview. But at the moment the 60% scares the shit out of me and if that’s the case there’s nothing I can do about it – with advanced lung and heart disease I can’t really avoid death at 60% ! Any way, we’re really tired of the main stream news, and are grateful that Joe Biden is providing the only bit of light relief there is. Stay safe Matthew!
Well as you are probably well aware the herd inmunity hypothesis did the rounds early in the UK response, but it was figured it would overrun the health system.
Oh, I don’t think I have seen a single Joe Biden interview in its entirety.
You too Bruce, stay well and look after yourself!
Creo que en todos los países se está sufriendo de lo mismo. Una saturación de información sobre el virus y muchas veces, las entrevistas son muy disparatadas por los consejos que dan.
Manuel
Thanks for offering up other choices people may not have known about.
I enjoyed your convo with badfinger–I was surprised, too, that It’s A Wonderful Life didn’t do that well, ’cause I thought people were totally like that back then and the movie would just be reflecting how they were anyway. But it was “too saccharine”? Wow! How weird! (at least where my mind’s preconceptions about the past, where I’ve never been, are concerned, lol)
Hi Stacey. I try to limit my reading of the news to twice a day, but if I see a podcast by respected professionals on COViD-19, I’ll take a gander and even relay it here if I think it’s important public information.
I too would have thought the sentimentality of ‘It’ s a Wonderful Life’ to have been right up the audience ‘s alley during that era. I loved how everyone dressed back then and their social gatherings and parties had a certain style and sophistication you just don’ t see in todayʼs culture.
Yeah, hubby totally has a “man crush” on the male fashion back then! He loves the loose slacks and tailored jackets and the style in general. We have definitely lost sophistication along with personal boundaries (and not the coronavirus kind!), being polite, and I think we’re definitely all a lot more immature, haha.
A ‘man crush’ lol Leonard Cohen had that man crush too. He was rarely seen out without being dressed in formal attire like that. If I remember rightly he commented about it in the documentary ‘I’m Your Man’. Your husband is in good company. hehe
It says “media not available” but I gotcha.
I’ll stroke hubby’s ego a little by comparing him with Mr. Cohen.
Then when he says, “Who?” I’ll explain it all to him and appear to be well-versed on random topics and a brilliant conversationalist!
My God, I nearly spat my food out laughing. What a bummer the video doesn’t work. Anyway, you get my drift. I’m certain your husband measures up in other ways which Cohen would have been envious.
Hahaha. The grass is always greener somewhere else for somebody, right?! 🙂 🙂 🙂