831st Friday Blog Roundup

The Guardian had a good article about COVID-19 mistakes, which mostly comes down to the difference between can and should. There are plenty of things we’re allowed to do under CDC guidance. Depending on where you live, you are allowed to gather with ten people. You are allowed to eat indoors. But should you? That’s where we drop into the chasm. We mistake the fact that we’re allowed and end up believing that means it’s “safe.” Or, at the very least, “safer.” When, in reality, those parameters are often given to balance other factors such as mental health or the economy.

Anyway, I thought it was a good article. I especially thought this made things clear: “If you can smell someone’s garlic or alcohol breath, or cigarette smoke, you’re inhaling air carrying not just the smell of the garlic, alcohol or smoke, but any virus that’s leaving their nose or mouth if they’re infected.”

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Stop procrastinating. Go make your backups. Don’t have regrets.

Seriously. Stop what you’re doing for a moment. It will take you fifteen minutes, tops. But you will have peace of mind for days and days. It’s the gift to yourself that keeps on giving.

As always, add any new thoughts to the Friday Backup post and peruse new comments in order to find out about methods, plug-ins, and devices that help you quickly back up your data and accounts.

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And now the blogs…

But first, second helpings of the posts that appeared in the open comment thread last week. In order to read the description before clicking over, please return to the open thread:

• None… sniff.

Okay, now my choices this week.

In Quest of a Binky Moongee has a roundup of good news, made even lovelier because it’s other people’s good donor egg/surrogacy pregnancy news. Plus, I love the story of the Honolulu friendship.

Movable Type has a heartbreaking post about COVID-19 loss. It’s a tiny post, containing a profound thought. “‘Cover your loved ones in death,’ because that will cause you to live your love for them, daily. To be present to their presence. Listen to their beating hearts and love them.” Go read it in context.

Lastly, By the Brooke writes about her book. She explains her feelings about its release: “The truth is that people will read it or they won’t and whatever happens, the stakes are actually not that high? I want to honor Eliza and how much I love her and how much she means to me. But also I could never write something good enough to do her justice, you know?” That just may be the best reason I’ve heard to write a book as well as the limitations of words.

The roundup to the Roundup: A good article about COVID-19 mistakes. Your weekly backup nudge. And lots of great posts to read. So what did you find this week? Please use a permalink to the blog post (written between Jan 29 – Feb 5) and not the blog’s main url. Not understanding why I’m asking you what you found this week? Read the original open thread post here.