I Am Done

I am done. 

Done. I am done trying to convince people who refuse to be vaccinated out of ignorance, politics, conspiracy theories or for whatever reason. I’m done. 

And don’t give me this BS about 'medical freedom.' Your medical freedom ends when it impacts and threatens the lives of others. I also don’t want to hear about how the vaccines don’t work because there are breakthrough infections of Covid and because even vaccinated people can still transmit the disease even when they have no symptoms. Tell me a vaccine that is 100% effective in absolutely everybody who receives it. What’s that? There isn’t one? Wow, you must be a freaking genius. I’m so tired of having these arguments.

Your refusal to get vaccinated is the main reason we are now entering year three of this pandemic. You are keeping the virus circulating among populations around the world. You are giving the virus opportunity after opportunity to mutate. So I don’t want to hear about medical freedom. Your medical freedom gives you the right not to get vaccinated against tetanus. It gives you the right not to be vaccinated against other diseases such as pneumonia and shingles. It does not give you the right to put my life at risk by refusing to take the simple step of getting vaccinated against a highly contagious disease. 

Do we not, as members of a society of a supposedly advanced species, have certain obligations to that society?

Am I angry? You’re damn right I am angry. And I’m tired of being held hostage by the anti-vaxxers who refuse to get vaccinated. I’m not talking about those people who have a legitimate medical reason not to take the vaccine. I’m talking about those whose allegiance to the former president, or who think they are “owning the Libs” by refusing to get vaccinated, or whatever other other reason they have. 

And please spare me the "I've done the research" argument. Doing a Google search and finding crackpots who support your ill-informed beliefs is not research. Show me some peer-reviewed scientific research and I will consider it. Saying that one nurse in one hospital said that all hospitalized patients with Covid have been vaccinated is proof of only one thing -- your gullibility. Telling me that one surgeon who is not an infectious disease specialist or a virologist said that vaccines don't work is not a valid reason not to get vaccinated. Would you want an allergy specialist to perform brain surgery on you? Just being a physician does not make anybody an expert on the coronavirus.

Facts, real, unadulterated facts, have proven time and again that 85 percent or more of hospitalized Covid patients are unvaccinated. They also show that the unvaccinated are 11 times as likely to die of Covid.

i believe in science. I believe in facts. I do not believe that Bill Gates arranged to have microchips implanted in every American who received a Covid vaccination. I do not believe that the vaccines are part of some evil plot. funded by George Soros and the evil Democrats. I do not believe in conspiracy theories. I do not believe in drinking bleach or Lysol to kill the virus.

If we reach the point where health care must be rationed -- and we are getting close due to the influx of unvaccinated Covid patients-- those who have refused to be vaccinated should go to the end of the list for treatment. Let those with cancer, horrible injuries or other non=preventable medical issues be given top priority. If you choose to risk your life, and the lives of others through your ignorance, you, not others, should face the consequences. In some countries, the unvaccinated who are hospitalized must pay for treatment themselves. In others, including some in western Europe, if you can't how proof of vaccination, you cannot enter restaurants, bars, gyms, hair salons, shopping malls, and other businesses.

It's past time to hold those responsible for keeping this pandemic alive to pay the consequences. 

Sunday Morning

When I was a child, I disliked Sundays.

Sunday morning meant being dragged out of bed and taken to Sunday school. My family lived on the west side of town, and the church we attended was on the east side of town. So I didn't know any of the kids in my Sunday school class. As an introvert, I never made friends with any of them. Sunday was also the day I did my homework that was due on Monday.

Now, I enjoy Sunday mornings. Today, for example, I got up just after 5 a.m. I fed my dogs, took them outside a couple of times, and enjoyed a cup of hot tea. After eating breakfast and getting dressed, I read for a few minutes, then walked the dogs once the sun was up. Walking early almost guarantees we will have the neighborhood to ourselves.  

I replaced the batteries in the final two smoke detectors in the house, a chore I always dread. Then I moved a few pieces of furniture around in the living room.

Now I am finishing a book as I sit in my office, one dog snoozing quietly as the other one chews on a bone. Even though I have been retired for close to a dozen years, I still relish the quiet time I allow myself on Sunday mornings.

I think a bit of quiet time is so important to our well-being, both mental and physical. We need a bit of time to ourselves, to relax and reflect and simply do nothing. Regardless of the day of the week, I wish each of you a peaceful morning at least once a week.

Traitors Among Us

Today marks a sad day in American history.

One year ago today, a violent mob of supporters of the impeached, outgoing president of the United States stormed the US Capitol building in an attempt to stop the count of electoral votes that would confirm that Joe Biden had won the election.

As did millions of other Americans that day, I watched in horror and disbelief as our Capitol building, the seat of the legislative branch of our government, was invaded, vandalized and looted. We watched in horror as police officers were beaten and sprayed with caustic sprays.

The former president, unwilling to accept defeat, called his supporters to action — and may well have plotted with the mob's leaders. He told a crowd that morning to "fight like hell." While the extent of his involvement is still being uncovered by the congressional committee investigating the insurrection, it is obvious that at the very least he incited the mob and then did absolutely nothing to stop the insurrection, which resulted in the deaths of five people and the suicides of four responding Capitol police officers.

This mob of thousands of "patriots" called for the lynching of Vice President Mike Pence and Rep. Nancy Pelosi. They injured 140 police officers and did $30 million in damage to the US Capitol building. The outgoing president delayed sending in the National Guard for several hours. The Capitol police were overwhelmed, unprepared and suffered from inept leadership and lack of communication with other law enforcement agencies. He continued to assert the lie that the election had been stolen from him through voter fraud. He reportedly watched the events at the capital, which was severely damaged and offices looted, with a great deal of glee, doing nothing to try to stop the insurrection.

This mob was not a bunch of patriots, as they consider themselves. They are thugs and domestic terrorists. More than 725 participants have been charged with a variety of crimes for their roles in the insurrection.. Sadly, the ringleaders like Trump have yet to face charges. He is clearly frightened, as he is throwing roadblock after roadblock in a so-far failed attempt to keep the committee -- and the American public -- from getting a clearer picture of his involvement in the insurrection. Legal challenges have so far been dismissed by the courts. His claim of executive privilege -- a right that can be invoked only by the sitting president -- has been rejected by Joe Biden.

The pace of the investigation has been extremely slow. People who refused to respond to subpoenas have faced no punishment. You'd better believe that if I or any other non-privileged person refused to respond to a subpoena, we would immediately be hauled off to jail in handcuffs. And yet, members of Congress who have been implicated in the insurrection have faced no charges. What about those who gave tours to some of the terrorists on January 5? What about those who stood by and did nothing other than hide on January 6 despite being 'in' on the plot?

Faith in our justice system, which in many cases is a total joke, will not be restored until the instigators, perpetrators and colluders of the insurrection are brought to justice. In some countries, what these people did would be considered treason. And the biggest traitor of all is the former president.

I know that the FBI has already investigated hundreds of those who were part of the mob. But Congress needs to proceed with its investigation so the Department of Justice an go about charging of all implicated in the attempted insurrection forthwith. Those who took part in the insurrection, as well as all those who aided and abetted the insurrection, including members of Congress and those up to and including the former president, need to be held accountable. 

The American people who believe in the US Constitution and the rule of law —  the overwhelming majority of Americans -- demand justice. We were lucky that the insurrection failed -- this time.

Why I Hate Winter

Anybody who knows me knows how much I hate winter. 

Even as a child, I hated winter. Sure, I would go sledding or play outside in the snow, but I never liked it. I remember watching the Rose Parade in Pasadena and being so envious of the spectators in their short sleeves.

I have traveled to some very cold places in the winter: Yellowstone National Park, Russia (including to western Siberia) and far northern Canada -- but only for short periods of time and for good reasons. I can tolerate the cold when I know I can leave in a few days or a week. There’s no way I could ever live in a place that has extremely cold weather and tons of snow.

Why do I hate winter so much?

It's the cold.

It's the lack of daylight.

It's the heavy coat.

It's the hat.

It's the gloves.

It's the low angle of the sun that blinds me.

It's the fogged up eyeglasses.

It's sunset at 4:30 p.m.

It's the boots.

It's the ice.

It's the frozen water pipes.

It's the snow.

It's the laziness I feel.

It’s the desire to eat constantly.

It’s the lethargy.

It’s the sound of the furnace running and running and running incessantly.

It's the static electricity that zaps me every time I touch something, including my dogs

It's the increased chance of getting the flu or a cold.

It's the cold fingers and toes as I take my dogs for a walk.

The only good thing about winter where I live is that we get lots and lots of sunshine. The skies are generally blue, and the sun is usually shining brightly. I am fortunate to live in a place with 278 days of sunshine every year. And while that helps me cope with the winter, the sunshine doesn’t make it any warmer. Snow also help the desert get needed precipitation to fill the rivers and lakes. And that's about it.

So yes, I really do hate winter. I see nothing to recommend it whatsoever.

Planting Flowers

I recently saw a meme of two characters discussing the new year. One was wondering what 2022 will bring. The other predicted that 2022 will bring flowers. When asked why, the second character replied, "Because I am planting flowers."

This is a wonderful attitude to have. What if each of us decided to plant flowers, figuratively, if not actually?

I had a   2-/12 hour phone conversation with a dear friend yesterday, in which she told me that 2022 will be a good year for both of us. and that she has decided to think only positive thoughts. 

She has decided to finally act on her desire to move to the central coast of California, a place she loves, in 2022. She has started by getting rid of things she no longer wants or needs. 

I isn't always easy to 'plant flowers' when our lives get turned upside down by life events or circumstances if living in a stressed-out world. It may seem pollyanna-ish to some. But I believe it is a goal worth pursuing. And even in the depth of winter, when it is too cold to literally plant flowers outside, we can still plant some flowers in our minds.

What kind of flowers will you plant this year?

How Can I Help?

I saw a post on Facebook recently about a deadly vehicle accident involving some of the Bushbabies staff, part of the Black Mambas, a South African all -female organization that works tirelessly to protect rhinoceros in that country and to educate future generations about the importance of protecting the country's (and all) wildlife. The Bushbabies staff is the education component of the Mambas.

One person died, several were injured, and one remains hospitalized. The group is reaching out to its followers for financial help to cover medical bills. My first thought was, "How can I help?" 

My credit card bill is quite high right now, but I will pay it in full before the due date. Still, I have enough money to be able to help. I can donate securely online. 

I have never met any of the Black Mambas, but I admire the work these young women do. They do everything from removing lethal snares to chasing poachers away, despite the fact the Mambas are unarmed. The Bushbabies staff that were injured were picking up lunch for a group of day campers attending a nature program when the terrible accident, which flipped the vehicle upside down, occurred.

I could easily scroll past the plea for money. After all, I don't know any of the Mambas. They live on the other side of the world, on a different continent.  I am bombarded with appeals for money multiple times every day, on Facebook, in my e-mail and by snail mail. 

Years ago, I probably would have felt a momentary sadness after reading about the accident, and then scrolled past the post. I think I have become more compassionate with age. Does it really matter that the injured aren't like me? Should I not help despite my ability to do so? Regardless of race, nationality or location, they need help. They do amazing, difficult work. They are educating the future leaders of wildlife conservation. The bottom line is, another human being needs help.

Clearly I can’t make a financial donation to every organization that wants one from me. But if I can help in some small way an organization or an individual involved in causes I support, why not? 

I understand that many people are not able to donate money. But I believe there is something each of us can do to the best of our abilities. If we can’t donate money, perhaps we can volunteer, or buy an extra can of vegetables or soup or cat food to donate to a local cause. Let us be inspired by the late actress, comedian and philanthropist Betty white. and as a recent meme I saw online said, “In a world of Karens, be a Betty. “

So the question must be, "How can I help?" 

A Fierce Advocate for Animals

Betty White died yesterday, just a few days shy of her 100th birthday.

For some reason, her passing has had a large impact on me. I didn't follow her career, although I enjoyed her roles as Sue Ann Nivens in the Mary Tyler Moore Show and particularly as the simple but sweet Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls.

I don't get hung up on celebrities. The death of an actor or musician may cause sadness, but it doesn't have a great impact on me. But Betty White? Her passing brought tears to my eyes.

I think what saddens me the most is the loss of a good, kind, decent, generous and caring human being. She was never involved in scandals. She never remarried after losing Allen Ludden, the love of her life, in 1981. She didn't speak ill of others, and others didn't speak ill of her. 

She was a fierce advocate for animals. She served as a trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation for 42 years, as vice president of the Canine Division for four years, and as board president for three years. She personally funded several Morris Animal Foundation studies in animal diseases. She also served on the board of trustees of the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. As she once said, “I stayed in show business to pay for my animal business.”

Betty White loved dogs, especially golden retrievers, which makes her even more special in my eyes. I like to believe that she was greeted at the Rainbow Bridge by all her beloved dogs, and of course, that she has been reunited with her beloved husband, Allen Ludden.

Welcome home, Betty. Thank you for your presence, which made this hateful, cruel, divided world a whole lot better. Thanks for your humor, for making us laugh, for your compassion and most of all for being a good person. Your work on planet Earth  is done.

In Betty's memory, I have made a donation to the Morris Animal Foundation.

Foregiveness

Forgiveness is a priceless gift.

It is a gift that should be given freely, both to others and to ourselves. It can be difficult to give, but not forgiving harms only us, not the person we should forgive. 

I know this from personal experience. It took a very long time for me to forgive someone very close to me who hurt me beyond words. But this person was unaware, and probably didn't care, how much I hated him. Eventually I was able to forgive him. He still has no idea, and that's OK. The important thing is that I forgave him, an act that made a difference in how I felt, and still feel. 

Likewise, we need to forgive ourselves for things we regret doing or saying, or not doing or saying, whether the object of our pain forgives us or not. 

So let's start this new year by forgiving others, whether they deserve it or not, and especially by forgiving ourselves. Let's start the year with a clean slate