Review: Uncontrolled Spread

From Uncontrolled Spread by Scott Gottlieb, MD:

Watching the scenes unfold—of Elmhurst Hospital being overrun with COVID patients, of refrigerator trucks parked outside, and of doctors and nurses describing their harrowing experiences—was hard to bear. It was stunning, and it was shocking. But above all, it was terrifying."
	Amazon

Book Review: Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic. A former FDA Commissioner and Trump White House advisor gives us his view of COVID-19. A balanced, neutral look at the things we did right and the things we got wrong. A-

POTD: Saying Goodbye to Egypt

From 2019 11 23 Luxor

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Egypt. It's a look at the sun setting behind the Valley of the Kings across the Nile River from Luxor, Egypt. It's also my last photo-of-the-day from Egypt. Egypt was such a treat that photos from there kept the blog's pages full all during the pandemic, when travel to new places was on hold. The world is open for business again.

POTD: A Museum That's Fit for a Museum

From 2019 11 24 Egyptian Museum

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. It's where antiquities have been on display for a hundred years. It's not the new "Grand Egyptian Museum" where all the antiquities have been moved since our visit to Cairo in 2019. That wasn't open yet when we visited. I'm glad. The old museum has the look and feel, even the musty smell of what a history museum should have. It's a museum that belongs in a museum. It's full of treasures like this, cabinets with stacks of mummies, more than even the British Museum, which looted the ancient world in the 1800s and has never returned the stolen treasures. So, sure, visit the British Museum, but don't let it keep you from visiting Cairo, too. There are still enough treasures there to keep you occupied strolling through the museum's galleries for hours. But unfortunately, you will have to see the treasures in Cairo's new museum, not this treasure in itself.

Bonus photos after the jump.

The Monuments Men (2014)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Monuments Men (2014): Dramatization of real-life frantic effort to recover stolen artwork during the last days of WWII. Watched this on a vacation in Europe, which added some interest to this otherwise predictable march to a known end. Cast of stars distracts from story. C+

#VeryTardyReview

Loot (TV 2022)

Rotten Tomatoes

Loot (TV 2022): Maya Rudolph plays a snobbish billionaire looking to fill her days after her husband cheats. She volunteers at her own charitable foundation. Does it change her? Do we care? Her problem is not money. A one-note sitcom that can't even get that one note right. C-