Looking For Laughter in the Waning Days of 2020

Laughter has become a rare commodity in 2020.

The reason, as we all know, is the worst pandemic to hit America in over 100 years, a crippled economy, and a president that's completely out of control.

It's tough getting guffaws when people are wondering where their next meal is coming from, or if they'll be evicted from their homes. 

Despite the massive wave of challenges there are still people who manage to laugh. My theory is humor is in our DNA.

I got a good laugh today after reading about some guy back east - where the snow is coming down like a solid white blanket - who gave his neighbors (and social media) something to laugh about.

He used a flame thrower - I'm not making this up - to melt the snow on his driveway. The kicker was he dressed up like cousin Eddie in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

What a hilarious sight - seeing your neighbor wearing a white bathroom and snow cap with flaps swinging a flamethrower from side-to-side by his curb.

Classic

The point is, I'm always looking for a good laugh. In the Era of Trump this is almost Mission Impossible, unless you make an effort to turn away from all the shiny objects Trump waves every day.

If you can't find anything to laugh about around you, don't be afraid to look for comedians on TV and social media. I consider them First Responders for people who are bummed out.

Laughter is a balm for the suffering soul. It's a power that shouldn't be underestimated. Especially when times are dark.

I take heart with poet Robert Frost's quote; "If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane."

Now Is Not The Time To T-P Houses

Public Service Announcement:

"Due to the cost and scarcity of toilet paper T-Ping trees in peoples yards is illegal for the foreseeable future."

Of all the challenges that this pandemic has poised, the weirdest has to be our obsession with having enough toilet paper.

Store shelves have been devoid of toilet paper off and on since March. Every now and then there's a sudden panic (like during the current surge), and retailers like Costco and Walmart have to limit purchases to one package per customer.

The burning question is why TOILET PAPER?

I can see why Lysol and other cleaning products are highly desirable... but toilet paper?

According to experts who study weird shit like this, toilet paper has become a symbol of safety and preparedness during the pandemic.

Cases of hoarding toilet paper have been reported throughout the country since March. 

At one point early on, toilet paper was so hard to get (when retailers were caught off guard without enough supplies) it was selling on the black market for $ 3.50 a roll.

One crazy incident that comes to mind (in April) happened in a Costco in Seattle, as employees were unloading a pallet of toilet paper. It was as if the neat stacks of white rolls was hit by a swarm of piranhas! 

Enough!

What's the matter with people? Everyone just needs to take a deep breath. I assure you there's more important items to hoard than toilet paper - take any food for instance.

Look at it this way; people have managed to wipe their bums for thousands of years - without a roll of toilet paper.

A 'Fake' President Determined to End Year and Term on a Low(er) Note

Trump retreated to his lair in Florida several days ago to golf and tweet lies while the nation was reeling under a pandemic and economic disaster.

Since Trump lost the election he ceased to pretend to be a president for the people. His wrath and grief know no bounds.

While unemployment benefits end tomorrow for millions of cash-strapped Americans, Trump was complaining last night that glossy US magazines have not featured his former pole-dancer, and wife Melania, once in four years.

As Americans hunkered down at home enduring a holiday diminished by the pandemic, an imminent government shutdown looms.

Hope for a relief bill has been repeatedly dashed by a grieving Trump who wants to punish the world for getting legally kicked out of office by a majority of voters.

Trump's revenge is punishing all Americans. Even his supporters. That should come as no surprise to anyone; he only cares about himself and has demonstrated that throughout his disastrous presidency.

As Trump played golf on Christmas Day at his resort, over 3,000 people died from the coronavirus. As he chatted with his buddy Lindsey Graham on the links, the total number of COVID-19 cases exceeded 78 million.

To make sure Trump ends the year on the lowest note in his pathetic term, he's refusing to pass a bipartisan $900 billion COVID relief package to bail the country out.

As Trump huddles with his cronies plotting how to overturn the election at Mar-a-Lago today, a five day count down towards evicting millions of Americans from the homes begins. Without help they'll start off the New Year homeless.

After four years of Trump's fake presidency relief is in sight next month when Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20th.

Until then, the country will have to endure Trump's remaining days as he leaves behind a nation crippled from his ineptitude, corruption, and division.

Wishing You a Merry Christmas

                       Merry Christmas!

Wishing all my visitors a special Christmas this season.

Regardless of the pandemic the spirit of Christmas lives in our hearts.

May your day be full of grace and love.

                             Above all

Peace on Earth and goodwill to all!

'Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus and He's Still Coming Tonight'

This Christmas Eve is unlike any other in our lifetime.

Traditional large family gatherings are discouraged by the CDC as more than 325,000 people in the nation have died from COVID-19.

There's at least 19 million cases of the coronavirus is surging during this winter of our discontent.

Christmas dinner at most homes will have at least one empty chair, a result of the deadliest virus to hit the U.S. in a 100 years.

While some children will sleep tonight and dream about Santa Claus, others will dream about food, warm clothing, and a home where Santa can find them.

In spite of the challenges the pandemic brings, millions of Americans will make the best of it and will carry on with the spirit of Christmas to guide them.

Sadly, many families are ignoring the CDC recommendations not to travel and have large family gatherings. The result will be more empty chairs at the table next Christmas.

In spite of everything:

"Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus (wearing a face mask) and he will be making his appointed rounds tonight."

A Cookie Competition That's Gone National To Bake For Essential Workers

I don't know about you, but I needed some inspiration today.

When I read about two dad's (Photo-Jeremy Uhrich and Scott McKenzie) who had a friendly cookie competition that turned into a nationwide movement to bake for essential workers, it rang the bell!

Good news. Something positive.

Their story has been featured by CBS (link to entire story) 

I found the story interesting at  several levels.

1. It was two men who started the cookie cook-off

2. Their story launched a movement honoring essential workers

3. They formed a FaceBook Page - Cookies for Caregivers and there's even international interest in their charitable movement.

Sometimes it's hard to find inspiration with so many challenges facing us all. When we do, we should celebrate humanity and remember we're all in this pandemic together.

People Are Getting Numb as The Grim Reaper Walks Among Us

                         I saw it in Vietnam

People who treated thousands of deaths like an ordinary occurrence, reducing all the pain and suffering into a military data bank to study.

Now, in the face of the biggest mass casualty event in American history, COVID-19 stalks the streets yet many people ignore the virulent virus and try to go on like nothing is happening.

Despite warnings from the CDC, people are still making holiday plans, ignoring face masks, or debating how seriously to take the virus, or whether it's all a hoax.

How to explain this? 

I just don't get it. 

Psychologists who have studied genocides and mass disasters claim something happens to the brain when fatalities reach high numbers.

What happens, according to experts, is that the deaths have been hidden from sight, even from family and friends. 

The causalities become a mountain of corpses and people find it hard to focus on individual bodies.

As we track the virus's progress in daily bar graphs people begin to dehumanize the victims in apparent apathy.

Another explanation for ignoring the Grim Reaper; instead of a single discrete event - like the twin towers collapsing on Sept. 11, 2001, the pandemic has unfolded as an invisible, slow creeping, chronic hazard.

Over time, our brains gradually tune out the danger. 

This is a time when empathy is crucial to helping others cope with the challenges from COVID-19 and a crippled economy. 

All Americans have a duty to recognize science if they want to save our society, our friends, and family. Let's not pave the way for the Grim Reaper any longer.

Litigation Nation: Ready To Sue No Matter How Stupid

Our society is lawsuit happy

Always has been, but in the era of Trump frivolous and malicious lawsuits are filed every second.

You need look no further than our presidential election this year. Over 80 lawsuits filed in swing states shows Trump lawyers didn't win one. Not one. All thrown out with scorn from the judges.

The lawsuits weren't just frivolous in the normal sense of the word... they were malicious and without a shred of evidence in every case. They all sought to disenfranchise voters.

The definition of stupid is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result each time. That's been the case with the Trump minions still clinging to his lies about a rigged election.

Trump has spent a lifetime weaponizing lawsuits; most frivolous and only a tactic to stall his accusers in court hoping they'll give up eventually.

3 more quick examples

1. A man sued the Kardashians and Kanye West for conspiring with Al-Qaeda. A Montana judge tossed the lawsuit with distain.

2. Talking about judges; Roy Pearson, a D.C. judge filed a lawsuit against a small dry cleaner over a pair of wet pants for $67 million dollars.

Long story short, the lawsuit was tossed and so was the judge who wasn't reappointed to his position.

3. A guy named Webster Lucas sued McDonald's over a napkin incident so stupid I won't repeat here. The kicker is he's seeking $1.5 million for undue mental anguish. The case is still in the courts.

Cutting in Line: Only Bullies, Dweebs and the Wealthy Do It

It starts early in our lives

Learning line etiquette in grade school is one of our many introductions on how to behave in a civilized society.

You don't cut in line. Clear as crystal right?

Not so fast 

I can remember a bully in our third grade class who always made a big show of cutting in front of lines. It seemed like he had this power to elude a teacher's attention while being a shithead.

Karma caught up with him one day when he cut in line right in front of the tallest girl in school. The bully got his ass kicked by a GIRL and swore off cutting before she released him from a stranglehold.

Sometimes, in the course of shopping or waiting in lines at theatres dweebs try to cut in front of you and pretend they don't know what they just did.

Called on it, they try to laugh it off as a mistake and slink away.

Some lines are more important than others.

Some lines can be a matter of life and death.

As a limited amount of vaccine to fight COVID-19 is available right now it needs to go to front line workers in hospitals and emergency services (fire and ambulance).

There are some exceptions however. Politicians high up on the political hierarchy are getting the vaccine for national security purposes.

Each state decides who will be prioritized to get the this first batch of vaccine.

While the nation continues to see record levels of new coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and deaths, wealthy patients in Southern California are offering to pay top dollar to cut the line and be among the first to get vaccinated. 

Doctors are reporting wealthy patients offering to donate up to $25,000 to the hospital in exchange for an early shot. Who knows how many celebs got away with this scheme to cheat average Americans?

I don't like bullies. I scorn dweebs, but when it comes to entitled assholes with money who think they can buy their way through life, I get real disgusted. Some things never change.

Where in the Real World is Trump?

Raise your hand if you remember the "Where in the World is Waldo?" game.

Guess what? It's back... with a twist. Everyone is asking "Where in the real world is Trump?"

Since Trump lost the election he has checked out from his duties as president and has been spending every waking moment trying to subvert democracy and overturn a fair election.

Where is Trump after the announcement of one of the biggest security hacks against America's vital infrastructure by Russia?

Where is Trump on the coronavirus surge across the nation?

Where is Trump on a relief bill for hard hit Americans?

Where is Trump as the government gets ready to shut down tonight?

Where is Trump hiding in the White House? The bunker?

The only clues we have are Trump's around- the-clock grievance tweets coming from an alternate universe.

In this version of Where's Waldo there are no rules, and few clues. 

Trump just pops up out of nowhere and spreads conspiracies' like a deadly virus.

It's like the movie Groundhog Day where every day repeats itself, but with a Trumpian twist of chaos. He peeks out of his bunker daily long enough to repeat the same grievances verbatim.

Unlike the original game where there's an ending when you find Waldo, the Trumpian version has NO ENDING.

But you already knew that, didn't you?

People Who Deny Reality: What's Really Motivating Them?

Denialism: "In the psychology of human behavior, denialism is a person's choice to avoid a psychologically uncomfortable truth."

I've always enjoyed reading and watching science fiction stories, and stories of fantasy worlds and movies.

I started young, but seldom got confused between reality and alternate realities, regardless of the story or movie, because I could ask an adult if they were real, or not. 

Adults, from my parents to teachers, made sure we lived in the real world where opinions and fiction are not facts. The sky was blue, and the grass was green. End of story.

Until Trump was elected president.

By now, Americans and the world have discovered that Trump not only lives in his own universe he brings in his supporters like sheep bleating any lie he advances.

How did a con man brainwash so many Americans? We may never know the full answer.

By offering alternatives to facts many people can live in a comfortable bubble of denial against anything they don't like.

What I'm trying to understand is how people I know and love got caught up in the chaos created during the Trump regime.

It's tough watching those who you care about take an abrupt turn against reality because of poison politics and Trump's war on the mainstream media - which he casts as Fake News. Dictators around the world have since followed his example.

Thus far I've only mentioned Trumpies, but there's other Americans who have been denying reality with regularity lately.

The Anti-Face Mask mob, and the No Vaccination crowd.

Both of these groups have something in common - they do not believe in science. Their influence has been amplified by Trump's bully pulpit of science denial.

One last thought; fear is a motivating factor for anyone... to a point. You don't have to fit in any of the above categories to deny reality.

People with mental health problems struggle with reality throughout their lives. 

It's difficult to pinpoint why people decide to go off track and deny reality. I'm sure there's more examples, but the bottom line is the brain is a fragile thing.