RECOVERING FROM BOTH RSV AND 2024
Vol. 1, No. 24
In this issue of the Reader, your malaise-ridden correspondent expresses thanks for all the support, ponders the wisdom of self-driving cars, and reflects on Ralph Klein and the 1988 Olympics.
This week: a 5-minute read
PASS THE KLEENEX
Out of the gate, first, let me express my gratitude and that of family members present for the many get-well wishes and supportive comments we received after last week’s newsletter was published. They were heartwarming.
We should let you know it wasn’t Covid. We all fell victim to the RSV virus, which is sweeping through Alberta like a California wildfire. For those who are not familiar, its trademark symptoms include incessant coughing and sneezing, headache and sore throat, fever, fatigue and decreased appetite and energy. Its more extreme stages, for which we all qualified, include more serious coughing and wheezing, even pneumonia.
Mac came down with pneumonia, which he’s had before, but is back at work after 10 days in bed. This wasn’t so much a reflection of his health and stamina. Rather, with Alberta’s gig economy and old-school labour laws, if you don’t show up for work, you don’t get paid. After 12 days, I’m getting close to something approximating normal, though I’m as weak as a newborn puppy and sleep just as much. Poor Vicki is having the worst of it, though as the warrior she is, she soldiers on.
We did get our Covid and flu shots at the local pharmacy back in the fall but took a pass on the RSV vaccine. In Alberta, it’s $300 per shot, which is outside our budget. Wish it wasn’t so. Anyway, it’s time to move on, so again we offer our thanks.
2024 REDUX
Every New Year since before most of us can remember, former Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry has compiled a year-end summary of world events that makes us both laugh at humanity’s foibles and weep for its prospects. The Washington Post published this year’s review, which included these three gems:
- In White House news, CNN, after reviewing documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, reports that President Biden family’s German shepherd, Commander, bit Secret Service personnel in at least 24 incidents, eclipsing the record previously held by Dick Cheney.
- Speaking of comically futile gestures, the Australian Senate passes a law banning children under 16 from social media. This law will be enforced by adults who have to ask their children for technical support when they accidentally lock themselves out of their iPhones.
- And finally, despite multiple instances of property damage, injury and even death, expectant couples continued to insist on revealing the genders of their unborn children by blowing things up instead of simply telling people.
NOT-SO-SMART CARS
We all know Las Vegas is given to superlatives, especially when it comes to all the new and shiny stuff, which goes a long way in explaining the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show which just wrapped up there. Why, every kind of robot was in that show except maybe Rosie, the Jetsons’ maid.
But if you get to thinking robots are about to take over, consider what happened in nearby Phoenix. A tech entrepreneur from Los Angeles is suspecting some robots aren’t so smart after he recently found himself trapped in a self-driving taxi on his way to Sky Harbor Airport. Instead of taking Mike Johns to his destination, the robot car repeatedly kept circling a parking lot. Johns was still able to catch his flight but was left dizzy and frustrated by the experience with the robot taxi from Waymo, the self-driving car arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet. You can watch Mike’s adventure here.
At the other end of the continental U.S., CNN reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into minor crashes it said occurred while Tesla vehicles were operating with a robot parking feature that allows owners to summon their cars from a parking space without anyone being in the vehicle.
The preliminary investigation involves an estimated 2.6 million Tesla vehicles with the “Actually Smart Summon” feature. The agency said that it is aware of multiple crashes where the user was unable to prevent a collision. The Tesla robot vehicles failed to detect posts and other parked vehicles. Puddles also proved to be problematic. Oopsy.
THOUGHT TO PONDER
“Why do driverless cars have steering wheels?”—Question posed to Washington Post columnist Drew Goins. As fun as that is to consider, there was a steering wheel-free self-driving car at the Vegas consumer electronics show.
MORE ‘DEAR TERRY’ LETTERS
Re ‘We’re All Sick,’ Jan. 5. Sorry to hear you are sick, Terry. I just recently signed up to read your stories. I enjoy them. Get better soon. Teresa Doran, Windsor, Ontario
Hi Terry. A few of us had a great back-and-forth about former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein a few weeks back and I thought you might appreciate the attached photo. It seems, the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary aren’t as fond a memory for everyone as you might suspect, as the decision to demolish their evidence brick-by-brick is now underway. Making way for a new structure or park means all those bricks people proudly purchased back then have to go. There was a bit of an uprising from the people wanting to get their bricks back as a memento, yet no real effort was made by the city to allow that. Ralphie’s brick is one of those. (He was Calgary’s mayor at the time.) I can’t help but feel Ralph would have made an effort to get those bricks back to their owners before destroying a piece of Calgary’s history. He really was one of the last good ones. Kimberly Babin, Dundas, Ontario (and once a proud Calgarian)
Hey, Terry. Here’s a thought. My father’s given names were Edward Clive. He went by Clive. Clive? I think there should be a law requiring parents to give their children names they can adapt to suit them. My dad’s parents did that. I could have been the kid with a jet-set Eddie for a father. Or a swashbuckling Eduardo or Duarte. He coulda been a Woody, or an always-reliable Ted or Ned. But Clive? On purpose? Beats B’wana, I suppose. Don Button, Lund, B.C.
If you want to drop me a note (and risk me publishing it here), just reply to this email or, if you prefer send it to mysundayreader@gmail.com.
THIS WEEK’S SHAMELESS PLUG
We are particularly bullish on our book Law & Disorder: Confessions of a District Attorney, co-written with Michael Bradbury, the retired DA for Ventura County, California. We believe it to be a fine read.
Here is what author and screenwriter Jaron Summers had to say about Law & Disorder:
Law & Disorder is a must-read insight into how the criminal justice system works, and why sometimes it doesn’t. Mike Bradbury’s memoir features 20 fascinating crime stories told through the filter of a good guy who never seemed to sleep whenever there were bad guys to catch. Veteran biographer Terry McConnell, with a penchant for editing and a gift for storytelling (Lethbridge), has chosen and honed the perfect stories that bring Bradbury’s legacy to life, making what could have been homespun recollections into 16 terrific chapters that brim with suspense, love, family, murders, hookers, and cunning culprits. Together, these two men have crafted a great read.
Three audio excerpts from Law & Disorder are available at terrymcconnell.com/michaelbradburybook. A link to an excerpt from Chapter Three appears below.
The ebook is available for $4.95 and the hardcover for $19.95 plus shipping. Google Pay and Pay Pal options are available. And I thank you.
AND FINALLY …
Remember, if you want to look through past newsletters, just hit the “Archive” tab at the top of this page. See ya next week. / T.
© Terry McConnell 2025
