#5SmartReads - September 2, 2022

Hitha on boosters, the missing piece in scaling electric vehicles, and the legacy of the People's Princess

September 02, 2022

It still pains me that the public health strategy against COVID is a vaccine-first-and-only approach and personal responsibility.

But in the case of the former, the bivalent boosters that protect against several Omicron strains will be available soon - and I sincerely hope you get yours as soon as you can. I’ll be making my appointment as soon as I can (and for my flu vaccine as well).

This article does a nice job of explaining the differences between these boosters and the original vaccine (both have a combined BA.4/BA.5 antigen as well as the antigen from the original COVID strain), how they were able to gain authorization without human clinical studies (it’s the same pathway that authorizes our annual flu shot with just animal studies and the wide safety database from the previous vaccines), and why it’s important (only half of eligible residents in this country got the booster when it was first offered last year).

Please get boosted when you’re able, as soon as you’re able to.

We moved to the UK just before Princess Diana died in that tragic car accident. And while I was only 13, I distinctly recalled how vicious the tabloids were towards her and Dodi al-Fayed the days before the car accident, and the rapid about face when her death was confirmed.

So what has the Royal Family - and the British tabloids - learned from their treatment of the People’s Princess?

“In the royal bubble, the memory of Diana’s life has been edited and perfectly curated to suit the Firm. Any evidence of the grim reality of her royal existence or the mistakes made that lead to her tragic end are impossible to find.”

“Sanitised history, if you will,” a former aide tells me. “To the institution, Diana will always be remembered in a way that is safe for them – a safe distance kept from everything else. It’s why you never see Charles acknowledge the anniversary of her death. Quite simply, they can't afford to remind people of his role in her pain.”

It’s been 25 years since Diana’s tragic death, and it’s sad that The Firm failed to evolve as much as they could’ve, that the British tabloids are only more emboldened in their attacks on any royal who dares to be different, and how control - not evolution - continues to be the M.O for the royal family in a rapidly changing world.

I wish we were as focused on bridging technologies or solutions to a more renewable future as we were on the endgame.

Plug-in hybrid vehicles are a great example of that. The OG Prius - an electric/gas hybrid that was all the rage when it was introduced - was predominantly used as a gas only vehicle with people failing to plug them in as much as they could or should.

But with battery production still not at scale to meet the demand, these hybrids would be the wisest choice for consumers. Manufacturers are still making these vehicles, people.

"Using the same 300-mile EV battery, you could have six plug-in hybrids with 50 miles of electric range for daily driving and a gasoline engine for those rarer road trips, or many, many more e-bikes."

Here I am, once again, asking you to add Abbott Elementary to your comfort watch (and re-watch) series because it is pure excellence.

Quinta Brunson is brilliant, empathetic, and so so smart. I loved learning more about her clarity that Abbott be a network show, her inspiration for the show (her own mother and teacher), and how much work it takes to produce something that feels effortless and real for the viewer.

“I think that I have the ability to translate my humor to any room, and I think that’s what network TV is for. Being able to reach a 14-year-old and a 74-year-old is a skill I have. There are other people with that skill out there. I hope that networks continue to work with younger people. I’m 32, and I rarely meet someone my age in the network TV world. If we’re making those connections, I think there will be more shows like Abbott.”

The new season of Abbott Elementary airs on September 21. Plenty of time to watch (or in my case, re-watch) before season 2 begins!

Victor Edalia and his farm are thriving, thank you very much.

The hydroponic system is growing enough vegetables to about 250 families a month, and the farm has partnerships with the World Food Programme and Nairobi City County to expand distribution and sales of the produce, and those in need continue to stop by and receive whatever food they need for their families.

"You know times are tough, my friend, and having someone like Victor here, we call him 'olum' meaning the blessed one," she says in the Luo language, "He is truly blessing us indeed."

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