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Common Sense
The Progress
Editorial
April 15,2021
From the Staff
What’s trending gives peek into
what we are really interested in
Googling what’s trending may seem
like a funny thing to do. But it’s perhaps
the best way to gauge what people across
the United States and the world are really
interested in.
In the past week, seemingly the whole
world, more than 10 million of us, were
interested in the life of Britain’s Prince
Philip. Britain’s longest-serving royal
consort garnered more than 10 million
Google searches following his death at the
age of 99. Whether you are pro-monarchy
or not, people across the globe felt the
need to learn more about his life and 74-
year-long marriage to Queen Elizabeth,
according to Google trends. Who knows
what keeps so many of us curious about
the English royals, but in a BBC article
one person leaving flowers outside of
Buckingham Palace may have summed it
up - “It’s just super sad” because Philip,
represented “the kind of stability that’s so
old-fashioned, it’s difficult to compre
hend. He was a rock who brought in
tegrity.”
Another 10 million of us searched
“DMX,” according to Google trends.
DMX died at the age of 50, half the age
of Prince Philip. The rapper-actor and hip-
hop artist behind songs “Ruff Ryders’An
them” and “Party Up (Up in Here),” died
from a “catastrophic cardiac arrest.” The
rapper, whose birth name was Earl Sim
mons, died after several days on life sup
port. He was a multi-platinum artist who,
according to the Associated Press, “strug
gled with drug addiction and legal prob
lems that repeatedly put him behind bars.”
It’s interesting that two polar-opposites
- Prince Philip and DMX - would gamer
the same amount of interest from around
the world.
Next on the list of top Google searches
last week was Hideki Matsuyama with
over two million queries. If you aren’t a
golf fan, you likely hadn’t heard of Mat
suyama before last week. The 29-year-old
won the Masters on Sunday, becoming the
first Japanese man to do so. The Masters
tournament itself had more than two mil
lion Google searches last week. ‘Phillip
Adams,’ a former NFL player whom po
lice say killed five people before killing
himself also had over two million
searches.
A lot of us are very interested in all
things sports, as ‘Wrestlemania 37,’ ‘Lak
ers,’ ‘Real Madrid vs. Barcelona,’ and
‘Real Madrid’ all had more than a half
million searches last week. Not incredibly
far behind, with over 200,000 queries
each, was ‘UFC’ (Ultimate Fighting’s
Fight Night) and NASCAR. From soccer
and basketball to stock car racing and ul
timate fighting, people love sports.
People apparently love to laugh as
British actress Carey Mulligan garnered
more than 200,000 searches when she
hosted the week’s Saturday Night Live
episode.
‘National Pet Day’ and ‘Ramadan
2021’ hit over 200,000 searches each. Re
ality star Nikki Grahame, who had pub
licly battled anorexia, also hit over
200,000 searches following her death last
week at the age of 38. She was the author
of two books about her eating disorder,
Dying to Be Thin and Fragile.
Our searches reveal our interests and it
seems we are intrigued when celebrities,
both young and old, die. Sports - regard
less of the individual sport - also holds
fascination for us.
While he didn’t hit as many overall
searches, Atlanta Braves star Freddie
Freeman reminded us what a class act he
is - and got 50,000 google searches doing
it. Freeman hits home runs often but when
he hit a home run last week against Philly
and a father and son wearing Phillies gear
caught it, then kindly gave it to a young
Braves fan wearing a Freeman jersey, the
All-Star first baseman took notice. After
the game, Freeman gave the father and
son duo a ball autographed by both he and
Phillies superstar Bryce Harper. Classy.
From a century-old prince, to rappers
and sports celebrities, we can’t wait to see
what catches the world’s attention next
week.
Tell us your thoughts with a letter to the editor. E-mail to news@pickensprogress.com
See letter submission guidelines on the Letters to the Editor page or call us 706-253-2457.
i '■
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Ponderings of a Simple Man
Py Caleb Smith
A Full
Plate
I’m of the mindset that
more is better. Two burgers
are better than one, a biggie
size is better than medium,
jumbo shrimp are preferred
above.. .regular shrimp I sup
pose? In short, I’ve never
been known to have anything
less than a full plate. When it
applies to food, downside is
minimal: obesity, heart dis
ease, diabetes. Nothing to
worry about really. But when
it comes to work, that’s
where it starts to get danger
ous.
Just like I never say no to
a second serving of cake, I’m
incapable of turning down
tasks at work. Need a new ac
count managed? I’m your
guy. Want to increase profits
by 10 percent? Let me dig
through the data. Need some
one to fill in for three people
simultaneously while they
take vacation? Sign me up.
I approach school the
same way. Why take three
classes when I can graduate
30 percent faster by taking
four? Add that on top of
work, garden, social commit
ments, and maintaining a
stellar, world-class column
for the good people of Pick
ens County (Writer’s note:
For some reason my wife
laughed harder at that last
line than she has any of my
articles in a long time. I
would have been flattered if
it weren’t for her mocking
tone) and you could say that
I stay busy.
Normally it’s not a prob
lem. I manage my time, make
lists, and generally plan my
days out. Sometimes, how
ever, life throws a curve ball.
The fella I’m filling in for
didn’t leave me notes on
what needed to be done, my
manager decided that meet
ings are fun and necessary,
and my professor decided
that two days was enough
time to prepare for a surprise
exam.
Which takes us to our cur
rent situation. It is now 12:45
a.m. on a work night. I shuf
fled to bed, mind already try
ing to move on from
persuasive essays written in
passive voice, to the budget
ary meeting I would have to
be at in eight short hours.
Tiredly, I lifted one leg and
dropped it into bed when I
froze.
I had forgotten something.
While some people have an
gels on their shoulders, or
devils, I have my very own
little Jimminy Cricket. A
florid-faced editor who does
n’t brook late articles submis
sions.
“Dam it Clyde!” The two
in figure on my shoulder
shouted, miniature face
inches from my sleep de
prived eyes, “Where is this
week’s ‘Platitudes of a Can-
dyman?”
Even as a hallucination he
couldn’t seem to get my
name right.
Sighing, I lifted my leg
out of bed and stumbled back
into my office. Here I sit
hunched over my laptop,
eyes squinted against the
glare of the unforgiving
screen.
I wonder what I’ll write
about this week?
[Caleb Smith is a long
time, award-winning, colum
nist for the Progress.]
(USPS 431-820)
Published by Pickens County Progress, Inc.
94 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143
(706) 253-2457 FAX (706) 253-9738
www.pickensprogressonline.com
DAN POOL
Publisher/Editor
Published each Thursday at Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia. Entered
at the Post Office at Jasper, Georgia. 30143 as Mail Matter of Second
Class. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE PICKENS
COUNTY PROGRESS, 94 N. Main St., Jasper, GA 30143.
One Year’s Subscription: $39.59 in Pickens County and in Gilmer,
Cherokee, Dawson and Gordon counties; $50.29 in all other Georgia
counties; $59.92 out of state.
School
OTHER VOICES
Protect Plants Against Invasive Pests
Submitted by the USDA
The United States Depart
ment of Agriculture (USDA)
has declared April 2021 as
Invasive Plant Pest and Dis
ease Awareness Month (IPP-
DAM).
The national outreach ini
tiative enlists the public in
the fight against invasive
pests. These damaging in
vaders threaten our nation’s
food crops, forests and natu
ral resources. IPPDAM aims
to raise public awareness
about this threat, which can
devastate agriculture, liveli
hoods and food security.
In celebration of the
United Nations’ International
Year of Plant Health, APHIS
will partner with the North
American Plant Protection
Organization and Niagara
Falls State Park to hold a spe
cial illumination ceremony
April 19-20 (you can watch
it live here:
https://www.cliftonhill.eom/n
iagara-falls/livecam).
The falls will glow with
green light to emphasize the
need to protect plant health
across North America and
around the world.
“In this increasingly inter
connected and mobile soci
ety, it has become even more
important for the community
to help us protect our agricul
tural and natural resources
from the threat of hitchhiking
invasive pests,” said U.S.
Secretary of Agriculture
Thomas J. Vilsack. “We need
your help to stop them before
they pose a significant risk. If
you see a suspicious plant
pest, contact your local
USDA State Plant Health Di
rector. You could save a for
est, farm or vineyard by
making a simple phone call.”
Many invasive plant pests
and diseases are natural
hitchhikers, making it all too
easy for people to uninten
tionally move them to new
areas.
Hungry pests can hide in
untreated firewood, attach
themselves to outdoor gear
and recreational vehicles, and
even take a ride in the mail.
They can also be accidentally
moved to new areas via agri
cultural mediums such as
soil, seeds, produce and
plants. Invasive pests have no
natural predators in their new
environments and are more
likely to throw their ecosys
tem off balance than domes
tic organisms, which have
evolved in their native habi
tats and pose less risk to plant
health.
With your help, we can
contain the threat of invasive
pests and protect American
agriculture and natural re
sources from the pests that
threaten them. Here’s what
you can do:
Familiarize yourself with
the invasive pests already
found in your area, as well as
the tell-tale signs they leave
on wild plants and agricul
ture.
Look for signs of invasive
plant pests and diseases and
report them to your local Ex
tension office, State depart
ment of agriculture or your
USDA State Plant Health Di
rector’s office.
When returning from in
ternational travel, declare all
agricultural items, including
soil, to U.S. Customs and
Border Protection so they can
ensure your items arrive pest-
free.
Explore the top ways
that Hungry Pests
get around. Learn
what you can do
to help stop them.
Don’t move untreated
firewood. Buy certified, heat-
treated firewood or responsi
bly gather wood where you
bum it to avoid unintention
ally spreading tree-killing
beetles that hide inside un
treated firewood.
Be careful about where
you source your plants and
seeds. If you purchase them
online, choose reputable do
mestic suppliers, or import
them legally to ensure you
don’t also accidentally im
port exotic pests and dis
eases.
When in doubt, and before
buying seeds or plants online
from international vendors,
you can contact your local
USDA State Plant Health Di
rector’s office to find out
what you need to do to bring
them into the United States
legally and without pests.
WEATHER
By
William
Dilbeck
HI
LOW
RAIN
April
06
74
47
.00
April
07
61
35
.00
April
08
47
38
.00
April
09
51
28
Trace
April
10
59
36
.24
April
11
68
39
.00
April
12
73
47
.00
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