EXISTENTIAL IS BIDEN’S FAVORITE WORD

Lawyers and politicians are often accused of “blowing smoke.” Which means they talk in circles or use words that sound erudite, but no one really understands. All with the hope of diverting the listeners attention away from a serious concern. Sometimes, they like to explain away difficult situations by saying something is an “existential” crisis. Existential is Biden’s favorite word. But does anyone know what it actually means ?

Why couldn’t he simply say, “The Afghan people are scared to death they’re going to get killed by the Taliban? ” Yeah, they’ve got an existential crisis, all right. Many of us have existential problems. Like, when your house goes up in flames, or you get hit by a train. You start to wonder if you’re going to keep on living. If you survive, someone may ask how you’re doing. Would you say you’re going through hell? Or simply respond that you’re having an existential crisis?

Actually, I think Biden copied the expression from Obama. As an example, in a 2014 speech to West Point Graduates. Obama said “We don’t face an existential crisis, We don’t face a civil war. We don’t face a Soviet Union that is trying to rally a bloc of countries that could threaten our way of life.”

That sounded fairly impressive. Very intellectual –calm, cool and collected. It must have been reassuring to the people in the audience. . Only things didn’t turn out so well, since our country has been on the brink of a civil war for the past few years.

Overall, I think the expression is used in an effort to gloss things over. We unenlightened human beings are admonished not to worry—it’s just an existential crisis. Which means there’s nothing can be done. The ultimate cop out.

Existential is a pretty hi-falutin word . If you look it up on the internet, you’ll see it has different meanings. While it’s defined as a concern about existence, it’s also described as: ” a chiefly 20th century philosophical movement embracing diverse doctrines but centering on analysis of individual existence in an unfathomable universe, and the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad.”

Confused? No wonder existential is Biden’s favorite word.

August 16, 2021August 16, 2021

CROSS COUNTRY MEET INSPIRES HOPE

According to recent polls, nearly 80% of Americans are feeling fearful and angry. The issues that provoke these feelings are the coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn, the Afghanistan retreat, and civil unrest spreading across America’s cities. Last year at this time, we thought things would be better by the summer of 2021. But they’re not. We thought the vaccine would take us back to normal. Trouble is, half of our citizens refuse to get vaccinated, so we’re back to the crisis level. Hospitals are filling up once again with cases of the delta strain. After a year and a half of misery, we’re discouraged, and worried how it’s all going to affect our grandkids . But yesterday, I felt an emotion I hadn’t experienced for a long time. Seeing my grandsons running their hearts out at cross country filled me with optimism. Attending a state wide cross country meet inspires hope.

These boys and girls have been in lockdown at a time when they should have been going to class, attending parties, seeing their friends and having a carefree teenage life. The only thing I can compare it to is my own teenage years following World War II. Although we weren’t so isolated, we grew up scared. I remember waking up at night, hearing the sound of a distant train, worried that the Germans were coming. Our brothers, fathers, uncles and cousins went to war and often didn’t come back.. Some of them endured torture in Japanese prison camps. No wonder we became the “silent generation.”

Silent generation characteristics included interpersonal respect, self sacrifice, determination and most importantly, resilience. Those same characteristics are required to participate in cross country.

Cross Country Meet Inspires Hope. Our children are resilient. — Cross Country Meet Inspires Hope. Our children are emerging from the pandemic strong and resilient.

Yesterday, thousands of boys and girls throughout Indiana raced across the grass , and returned covered with sweat. Some of them did very well and came in close to the top. However, others came in toward the end. But here’s the thing. I was in a place where I could watch them returning from the race. There was an incredible camaraderie and affection in the air. Slower runners congratulated those who’d made better time. There didn’t seem to be many winners or losers. Kids walked with their arms around each other. Parents and grandparents glowed with pride. The sun was shining, It was a beautiful day filled with the joy, love, and hope.

I predict the “covid” generation will share some of the same characteristics of the silent generation. The previous “me” generations had everything handed to them, and didn’t have to worry about going to war. Generally speaking, they were spoiled and unappreciative of what they had. My grandchildren know that life is unpredictable, and they have learned to deal with that. In some ways, they are more mature than their parents were at the same age. These are the children who will grow up to lead our country in the years to come. And the lessons they have learned will serve this nation well.

Want to feel hopeful again? Come out for a high school cross country meet.

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021

MASKS MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR WOMEN

Most everyone complained about wearing masks for a year. Masks are hot and sweaty once you’ve been walking around for awhile—even during cold weather outside. But they’re worse in hot weather. All of us breathed a sigh of relief when the mask mandate ended and we could go back to being our old selves. Wearing makeup and styling our hair again was a treat. And yet, when the delta strain of covid-19 cases surged this week, it was deja vu. Back to the dark days of mask wearing, before the vaccine was available. But a funny thing happened as I prepared to go shopping. I realized I didn’t need to fool around with eyebrow pencil, blush, foundation or lipstick. Didn’t even have to worry about my hair. I could drive to the store and walk around incognito. I hate to admit it, but masks make life easier for women.

Have you ever observed the cosmetics section of a pharmacy, and marveled at all the products available? Entire walls of lipsticks, eye liner, blush, foundation, mascara—it’ staggering. Then on to the next aisle with rows of fancy shampoos, conditioners, hair treatments and hair sprays. No wonder Revlon and Loreal are so profitable. With a lot of time, effort, and expensive products, plain Jenny can become Jennifer Lawrence or Lopez.

Cosmetic manufacturing profit margins must have dived during the pandemic, although they didn’t make any public statements to that effect. All I know is that I didn’t buy a single new tube of lipstick. Or any other cosmetics, for that matter. And I learned to cut my own hair.

The pursuit of beauty has become a bigger business than I can ever remember back in the fifties and sixties. Yes, there were ” beauty parlors” where affluent women could get their hair done and nails manicured. But there were no nail salons, eyebrow threading kiosks, false eyelashes, botox bars, skin treatment parlors.. Those were the stuff of Hollywood stars, not real women. And yet, with the help of a little lipstick, we still attracted boyfriends. And it was a lot less work getting ready for a date.

Let’s face it. Masks makes life easier for women. And save money, too.

August 9, 2021August 9, 2021

BACK TO SUNDAY BRUNCH POTS & PANS

Who doesn’t love Sunday Brunch? Bacon, eggs, pancakes, waffles, hash browns….all delicious, but also labor intensive. Not to mention the clean up. Soon after we retired, my husband decided we should go out for Sunday brunch. In our working years, we’d both had high pressure jobs, and hunkered down on weekends at home to recoup. (See sidebar of our books available on Amazon: Chasing Their Losses, and A Preacher Called Sinn.) But now, it was a pleasant way to have brunch without all the mess. And then, Covid-19 brought our Sunday morning outings to a screeching halt for over a year. Finally, we got vaccinated, and could enjoy going to I-Hop, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other local restaurants once again. But Covid-19 cases are surging in our city, and we’ve decided to stick around home. It’s back to Sunday Brunch Pots and Pans for me.

Back to Sunday Brunch pots and pans again. — Back to Sunday Brunch pots & pans again. Covid-19 cases are surging , so we can’t go out to restaurants.

Let’s say we decide to replicate a restaurant menu. First, peel an orange or other fresh fruit. Then, warm 2 plates in oven and set the table. . Next, Pan #1: Fry bacon and sausage. Fry eggs. Pan #2.: Waffles or pancakes: Pan #3: Make toast and keep it warm in the oven. Pan #4: Hash browns(maybe) Cup # 1 Hot Chocolate: Cup #2 Coffee for me: Wow! I’m almost too tired to sit down and eat. My husband enjoys every morsel, so that makes it worth the effort. Almost. However, when he get up from the table, my job really begins. Cleaning up all the mess, scrubbing the pots and pans, loading the dishwasher. My husband would help, but like most women, I’d rather have the kitchen to myself.

I miss all the cooks, servers, bus boys and managers who brought us those memorable Sunday Brunches throughout the years. Problem is, most restaurants are now short of help. Even if you’re brave enough to venture out, you could wait a long time before being served. And if more people start eating at home again, the few people who do have jobs could lose them. The vicious cycle of Covid-19 lockdowns and unemployment may start all over again.

And so, like it or not, it’s back to Sunday Brunch Pots & Pans.

August 7, 2021August 7, 2021

IS BIDEN A MODERN CHARLEMAGNE?

We usually think of early European kings as men who started wars, collected taxes and had people beheaded. Rarely do we think of them as venturing into healthcare. But Charlemagne was different. In the eighth century, he enacted a law requiring that all of his subjects must consume flaxseed. Considering he founded the Holy Roman Empire, that meant a whole lot of people were under his command. In the USA, the president of the United States is about as close you can get to a king. Trouble is, we’re a democracy. Presidents can’t make laws on their own. But sometimes, they come pretty close. Is Biden a modern Charlemagne?

Charlemagne may have been onto something. Many nutritionists call flaxseed one of the most powerful plant foods on the planet. There’s some evidence it may help reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes.

But I suspect Charlemagne might have had the same problem as Biden. People don’t always do what’s best for them. They might have kept flaxseed in their homes, just to comply with the law, but that doesn’t mean that they always consumed it. It would have pretty easy to throw the seeds out the window on a windy day. And I’ll bet you that about 50% of his subjects did just that.

Biden is going pretty far with executive orders during this covid-19 crisis. He mandated last week that all federal employees and on-site contractors will have to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be required to wear masks and undergo repeated testing. This order that will affect millions of workers and is designed to be a model for other employers.

Next, he asked the Pentagon to look at adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the military’s mandatory shots. That idea isn’t going over too well. A lot of the military don’t want to get vaccinated. They think the vaccine is unsafe and untested. But in the end, Biden will probably get what he wants.

Is Biden a modern Charlemagne?

August 4, 2021August 4, 2021

TV COMMERICALS HAVE HIT A NEW LOW

You may find this hard to believe, but television commercials used to be entertaining. I’m old enough to remember the sexy, sultry Julie London singing the Marlboro song. That was when smoking was considered glamorous, not dangerous. But there were other great commercials. Better Buy Buick. The Pillsbury Doughboy. Even the soap ads were fun to watch. But now, the network news hours are filled with depressing pharmaceutical commercials that scare you to death. First, you’re afraid you may have whatever disease they’re talking about. Next, you’re terrified when they list possible side effects. The dire things that may happen if your doctor prescribes the drug you saw on television. It’s gotten even worse. TV commercials have hit a new low with acne medication ads. Does anyone really want to watch people squeezing their puss-filled zits, before or after you’re having dinner?

TV commercials have hit a new low. They used to be fun, but now they're all about disease and death. — Remember the Pillsbury Doughboy? He was fun to watch. But now, TV commercials have hit a new low; they’re all about disease and zits..

Honestly, I don’t know what product is being advertised in these commercials. It may be some salve or a pill you take for acne. All I know is that I’m calmly watching the news, and suddenly, I’m seeing not just one, but three or four people squeezing their disgusting pimples right before our very eyes. Unfortunately, it must pay off, because they keep running the ads over and over and over again.

If that’s not bad enough, just wait. The next commercial shows a horribly disfigured woman who has undergone treatment for lung cancer. If it makes someone quit smoking, I guess it’s worth it to show these macabre scenes. But for those of us who quit smoking years ago, it’s a downer. Something you really don’t care to see after all the depressing news about people getting sick and dying from Covid-19 virus.

So here’s what happens with me and lots of other people. The moment I see liquid being squeezed from a zit, I get up and walk away. My husband can watch the rest of the news if he wants to, but I’m just trying to get over the nausea backing up in my throat.

TV commercials have hit a new low. What’s next? Will we soon be watching people poop?

July 30, 2021July 30, 2021

PLEASE DON’T BRUSH TEETH IN LIBRARY

Everyone is getting upset about the new cases of covid-19 surging in our once-safe city. The governor is not going to enforce mask wearing, but it looks like we’ll have to be extra careful about handwashing and other sanitary habits. Yesterday, I saw a woman brushing her teeth at the restroom sink in the public library. She didn’t appear to be homeless. Nicely dressed, fairly well groomed. Maybe she was going to a meeting and didn’t want to have bad breath. All I know is that she was spitting in the sink, and saliva can spread the coronavirus. Perhaps they should post a sign: Please don’t brush teeth in library.

Please don't brush teeth in the library. It's not sanitara. — Please don’t brush teeth in library. Spitting in the sink can spread the virus.

Etiquette wise, it’s considered acceptable for a person to brush their teeth in a public restroom. But do you want to wash your hands in a sink where someone has spit their food, saliva and germs? In fact, someone with the virus may have contaminated the entire area where you’re turning on water, and reaching for the soap dispenser.

Let’s go back and assume this person actually was homeless. Maybe she had nice clothes, and was well groomed, because she wasn’t always homeless. Perhaps she began living in her car just a couple of days ago. Anything is possible. I just know she was creating a health hazard not only for herself, but for anyone who used the sink after she did. .

It’s hard to know how to handle a situation like this. I’m not into confrontations with strangers, so I didn’t say a word. However, I didn’t care to wash my hands in that sink. So I left the restroom without doing so. Found some sanitizer at one of the desks. Wiped my hands with a Kleenex (they don’t have paper towels) as best I could and tried to avoid touching anything except the books I was checking out. Luckily, I’ve been vaccinated, so I’m not as vulnerable as some. But still. Please don’t brush your teeth in the library–or any public restroom..