Items

• 
  2022-06-10

  From Sourdough to Inflation: How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Eat

  This is a news story from Eater by Jamie Feldmar. This chronicles the changing food habits of people throughout the pandemic. In 2020, there was a wave of panic buying for things like flour, canned soups, and frozen vegetables. The use of grocery store delivery apps also increased that year. Instacart, a grocery delivery app, saw a 229% sales increase. With the panic buying came people looking for ways to use up things like canned goods and dried pasta. Things like sheet pan dinners, salads, and other easy meals became sought after in that time. Another change that occurred was people trying food trends popular during the pandemic. Things such as sourdough and whipped coffee were major food trends of that time. Meal kit delivery rose during the pandemic. Blue Apron had subscriptions to their food service skyrocket. Hello Fresh did as well, and was forced to close down temporarily to hire 3,000 extra workers to tackle the rising demand. In 2021, other food trends occurred while many restaurants and other dining establishments could not operate at full capacity. Things like espresso martinis and the dalgona candy, and candy made popular by the TV show Squid Game, were just some of those food trends. The food trends were not without labor issues though. In October 2021, Kellogg's workers went on strike, which affected the supply chains of that brand. Supply chain issues have become an ongoing problem since the beginning of the pandemic. In February 2022, the US temporarily shut down avocado imports from Mexico, making the food more expensive. With supply chain issues comes rising inflation. According to the USDA, food prices in 2022 were expected to rise between 6.5% to 7.5% increases. The Russian war with Ukraine cited as one of those causes. May 2022 saw a baby formula shortage, where 40% of baby formula was out of stock. Today, the USDA is looking to learn from the pandemic and the food issues that are occurring. One way they are doing this is through "a framework to transform the food system," which has the focus on building a more resilient supply chain while providing for rural and underserved communities. My own prediction is that the supply chain issues will mean more local food and less imported food overall in the United States. This means opening more food processing plants and increasing work domestically within the food industry to meet demands. The global food system is very fragile to things like pandemics and war. If food prices are to ever get lowered as well, it is important that more food gets produced and used locally. It would have the added benefit of being more environmentally friendly too, as the food would not have to be shipped as far away to where it gets used.
• 
  2022-04-22

  The Shanghai Lockdown. Seen from Another Angle

  This is a screenshot of an article from globalresearch.ca about looking at the most recent Shanghai Lockdown. Yet, the article does not talk about the Shanghai lockdown until maybe halfway through the article. It goes on a tirade about how the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak went after the "Chinese race" and how it became an early trial for China before COVID. Then the author states that China has "mastered the disease" and managed to reopen its economy by the end of 2020, which leads to the conclusion that China's economic growth hardly suffered during the newest outbreak. The author asserts that China will surpass the U.S. economy in 3-4 years and then launches into a world history lesson about Cold War politics. The author tends to wander in the article, going from pandemic skepticism on vaccines sterilizing women, being lied to the government, or having HIV ingredients. Then somehow, Ukraine has virus labs...I don't know. Somehow, Russia is involved in this article, but I'm not sure why. I don't know how this is supposed to persuade its audience because the author goes all over the place with his points. I suppose skeptics will like the fact that the vaccine is being questioned here? Personally, I don't even understand why skeptics would want to read this because I think they would lose even more brain cells from just trying to read it. I think this article is just a gigantic mess and it makes my brain hurt. I find myself just not understanding a single thing that is being written in this article. I don't understand why anyone would even understand or like this article. It literally makes absolutely no sense and there are even typos in it. The look of this website and article makes me want to run my virus protection at least three times because I feel like they're going to infect my computer with a Trojan horse.
• 
  2022-04-14

  Biolabs

  This is an Instagram post by dehart_perks. This is a parody of the "I Stand with Ukraine" social media trend that became popular with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It is making fun of people that follow the media narrative, whether it is for which side to support in a war, or getting vaccinated. The extra things that are added, are biolabs, which some believe are responsible for helping create COVID itself.
• 
  2022-04-15

  I Stand With Pfizer

  This is an Instagram post by covid_parent. This is a parody of "I Stand with Ukraine" posts that have become popular over social media since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Instead of saying that they stand with Ukraine, it is saying they stand with Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company. It is mocking the type of people that just follow any trend, whether it is vaccines, or which side to support in a war. The hashtags call the pandemic a "scamdemic" and references the "New World Order." These tags indicate the overall feeling that the pandemic is partly, or completely planned, in order to exert more control over people and limit their freedoms.
• 
  2022-03-03

  And just like that...COVID is over

  This is an Instagram post by roryzacher. This is a meme showing what they think about the virus. This is a popular meme of a guy looking back at a girl in red, with his angry girlfriend in blue to the side of him. This meme became popular in the mid-2010s and has retained its popularity. In this context, it means now that there is a war, the COVID narrative is gone. This is commonly used by pandemic skeptics since they believe many of the COVID restrictions were more political rather than for health reasons. The war this is referencing is the Russian invasion on Ukraine.
• 
  2022-03-26

  Russia spread anti-vax lies in Ukraine. Will it cause a COVID crisis for Europe?

  This is a news story from the Los Angeles Times by Melissa Healy and Emily Baumgaertner. The authors claim that even prior to Russia's invasion of Ukraine that Russia has been working to undermine the confidence of Western vaccines. It says that these messages were encouraged by President Vladimir Putin and shown on Russian TV and social media. In Ukraine, only 35% of residents are fully vaccinated, some of the lowest in all of Europe. This makes the refugee crisis in Ukraine more dire, as people needing to leave will risk spreading COVID more places. The authors assert that with the low vaccination rates of Ukrainian refugees that it will cause another surge in COVID cases throughout Europe. The CDC has advised countries accepting refugees to offer them the vaccine upon entry. This article details that this is not the only vaccine that Ukrainians have not accepted as much compared to the rest of Europe. In 2021, only 53% of Ukrainian babies were vaccinated against polio. That number has now risen to 76% of infants being immunized against polio. Though, the likelihood of these diseases spreading as far as COVID are fairly low. The vaccine hesitancy, the authors say, is rooted in deep distrust of the government. In December 2020, only 14% of Ukrainians reported having trust in their government in a poll.
• 
  2022-03-05

  War and pestilence

  I saw this on facebook. In most people’s minds, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is just a continuation of the rolling crises marked by the pandemic.
• 
  2022-02-25

  Russian invasion of Ukraine Ruins Everything

  I (and many others) am feeling like disasters just keep compounding one another since March 2020. I know a lot of folks around my were anticipating a “return to normal” this summer but it feels really difficult to just celebrate “normal life” when innocent Ukrainians are suffering and the whole world is watching.
• 
  2021-05-26

  Covid: Russia starts vaccinating animals

  Russia has started vaccinating animals against coronavirus, officials say. In March, Russia announced it had registered what it said was the world's first animal-specific jab. Several regions have now started vaccinations at veterinary clinics, Russia's veterinary watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, told local media. Interest has been shown in the Carnivak-Cov vaccine by the EU, Argentina South Korea and Japan, the agency said. While scientists say there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading the disease to humans, infections have been confirmed in various species worldwide. These include dogs, cats, apes and mink.
• 
  2020-04-19

  Home gardening blooms around the world during coronavirus lockdowns

  Gardening and growing one's own food is a major trend resulting from the pandemic. In Russia, the U.S., Singapore, and Great Britain, people are turning to gardening to combat fears of food shortages and going to grocery stores and to provide a fun activity for adults and children who are working or attending school at home.
• 
  2021-04-17

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 110

  VACCINE FEARS, THE TROLLEY PROBLEM
• 
  2021-04-13

  hermit HERALD, ISSUE 109

  Huge problems for Biden
• 2021-03-11

  pandemic reflections

  I wonder if I am being overly optimistic thinking about the end of the pandemic. On one hand, more and more people around the world are receiving vaccines, more and more countries renewed flights in-between them; ASU claimed that instructions will be in-person during the next fall; Moscow authorities lifted the restrictions for the seniors. On the other hand, only a small percentage of people have received the vaccine; new strains of the virus emerge. Some European countries renew lockdowns. Only the time will tell, I guess.
• 
  2021-03-01

  restrictions lifted

  It is an article that tells the story about lifted travel bans between Russia and Georgia.
• 
  2021-02-18

  One-time covid vaccine

  It is an article about an innovative vaccine from COVID that is not two-phased, but one-phased.
• 
  2020

  Russian death rates of 2020 pike due to covid

  It is a newspapers article by a Russian media Medusa that demonstrates that Russia has one of the highest covid-related death rates in the world.
• 
  2021-01-31

  navalny came back to moscow

  the political protests in russia
• 
  2021-01-09

  Twitter hides post about COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theory on Iran supreme leader's account

  Another COVID related regional tension. Interesting to watch geopolitical conflicts play out regionally in relation to COVID. As China, Iran, and Russia strengthen their alliance and control over central Asia.
• 
  2020-05

  May lockdown in Moscow

  It is just a personal experience, and I think they matter.
• 
  2020-12-13

  HERMIT HERALD VOL 1 ISSUE 85

  Fake news from 50 former U.S. intel officers;
• 
  2020-12-03

  新型コロナワクチン　来週から大規模接種へ　ロシア(2020年12月3日) - New corona vaccine to large-scale inoculation from next week Russia (December 3, 2020)

  ロシアのプーチン大統領は、世界で初めて開発に成功した新型コロナウイルスのロシア製ワクチンについて、国民を対象にした大規模な接種を来週から始めると表明しました。 　プーチン大統領は2日、閣僚らとの会議でロシア製ワクチン「スプートニクV」の大規模接種を来週後半から始めるよう指示しました。すでに200万回分のワクチンの生産がほぼ完了しているとも述べ、まずは優先的に医師と教員に接種させるとしています。ロシア国民であれば接種の費用はかからないということです。新型コロナウイルスのワクチンを巡っては、イギリス政府がアメリカの製薬大手「ファイザー」のワクチンを承認して来週から接種を開始すると発表していて、プーチン大統領としてもロシア国内でも接種を始めて対抗する意図があるとみられます。 Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced that he will begin large-scale public vaccination next week for the world's first successful Russian vaccine for the new coronavirus. President Putin instructed at a meeting with ministers on the 2nd to start large-scale inoculation of the Russian vaccine "Sputnik V" from the latter half of next week. He also said that the production of 2 million vaccines has already been completed, and will give priority to doctors and teachers. If you are a Russian citizen, there is no cost for vaccination. Regarding the vaccine for the new corona virus, the British government has announced that it will approve the vaccine of the American pharmaceutical giant "Pfizer" and start vaccination from next week, and President Putin intends to start vaccination in Russia as well. Video translated by Youngbin Noh
• 
  2020-11-24

  Putin Not Allowed To Take Russian Vaccine

  Interesting how Donald Trump was given experimental treatments for his COVID-19 incident but Vladimir Putin is not allowed to take the Russian vaccine. This is not a good look for the vaccine. Understandable though you wouldn't want the head of state taking an experimental drug barring a critical circumstance
• 
  2020-11-11

  Russian-developed COVID-19 Vaccine Interim Trial Reports 92% Success Rate

  Following initial findings of Pfizer's vaccine being effective in preventing COVID-19 infection in more than 90% of people, Russia says its vaccine has 92% efficacy according to preliminary findings in stage three of the clinical trials. The trial results are based on 20 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
• 2020-11-05

  Where’s Some Russian Collusion When You Need It?

  My friends and I were once again on Xbox Live, talking about the election, and I had a sudden thought. Didn’t Trump steal the election in 2016 with help from Vladimir Putin, according to the liberals? Of course he stole the election in 2016. Our voting system is totally rigged and rife with fraud. But, not when Joe Biden wins! When Joe Biden cheats his way into getting 5 states with hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots at 3AM and I point that out, I’m ‘disrespecting the electoral process’ and ‘a fascist.’ Both are hilarious because I never respected representative government in the first place and I’m an anarcho-capitalist. Naturally, I asked my friends at this point: “where’s some Russian collusion you really need some? Putin’s not coming through for the Orange Man this year.” Laughter ensued.
• 
  2020-09-30

  Covid Race, Russia Wins Uzebekistan

  Russia secures a deal with Uzbekistan for 10s of million of vaccines. Another win for Russia. Egypt and Uzbekistan. If the vaccine ends up being dangerous or long term effects due to its rushed process what will be the consequences.
• 
  2020-09-30

  Who Will Win The Vaccine Race?

  Who will win the vaccine race? With so much money on the line. Watching these events unfold live as tensions with United States and Russia are flagarant, have been interesting. The US denounces Russias vaccine yet, Egypt trusts it enought to purchase 25 million doses. Will the vaccine cause problems? Is the race to a vaccine truly about saving people? Perhaps the race for the vaccine is all about monetary gain? As the race for a vaccine continues, it is interesting to watch national debates and alliances crafted and dismantled.
• 
  2020-08-19

  Russian Ballet Returned to the Stage. Then a Covid Outbreak Hit.

  This article discusses the Mariinsky Ballet, one of Russia's premier ballet companies. As Europe is a bit ahead of the United States in reopening their performing arts, they began performing in July, in the middle of the COVID pandemic, only to have to close three weeks later when the virus spread throughout the ballet corps. Since then, the Mariinsky Ballet has been criticized for returning to the stage too early, despite the precautions they made against the virus. This incident has caused several other ballet companies across Europe to rethink their own return to the stage. In spite of these issues, many dancers are also wanting to return to the stage.