Happy New Year

I am always amazed by the things that trigger a long distant memory. 

I was watching television one evening recently, and not paying any attention to the endless barrage of commercials. But I did catch a glimpse of a Coca-Cola commercial. Coke seems to advertise a lot over the holidays. 

That brief glimpse of a bottle of Coke - - the real Coke, not the newer version and not Coke Zero- was enough to bring back an instant memory.

 was a serious Coke drinker for decades. I would start my day at work with a can of Coke. To this day, I think there is nothing better than a real Coke. 

When my blood sugar started climbing too high, my doctor recommended that I cut out my daily Coke. I always considered a can of real Coke to be my one real guilty pleasure. But reluctantly, I cut back on how much Coke I would drink. I never had more than one can each day, but after my doctor's recommendation, I would drink about half the can of Coke and reluctantly pour the rest down the drain. 

I've never liked diet Coke, but when Coke Zero came on the market, I was hooked. I think it is the closest sugar-free drink to classic Coke. 

So the memory that that commercial brought to mind was of me as a kid and as a young person, spending New Year's Eve having a Coke, potato chips made for dipping, and french onion dip. I've never been one to go out and celebrate on New Year's Eve. I much prefer to spend the evening at home. And for me, the evening meant Coke, potato chips and french onion dip

I'm sure this sounds extremely boring and very lame, but that's how I chose to celebrate. I still love potato chips, but I have substituted Coke Zero for classic Coke.

However you choose to celebrate, or even whether you choose to celebrate. I wish you a healthy and happy new year 2026.

So This Is Christmas

I don't know why the title of this John Lennon song popped into my head on Christmas Eve afternoon, but it did. 

The title seems so appropriate this year. Americans are facing record high prices for groceries and many other items. The cost of electricity has increased significantly. People are struggling. And at a time when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who preached about kindness and concern for others, including immigrants, we have a president who is responsible for the abduction and deportation of thousands upon thousands of brown-skinned people. 

War continues to rage in Ukraine, while the president prepares for an unprovoked war in Venezuela.We have a president and political party who held hostage food assistance hostage for nearly six weeks and treated those who rely on such food assistance hostage for their cruel political goals. 

We have a political party in charge of the US government that absolutely refuses to act, despite its promises to do so, to prevent millions of Americans from being unable to afford their health care premiums. 

So yes, this is Christmas 2025. Congratulations America. You have hit a new high in cruelty.

This Is What I Want For Christmas

Every year, advertisers bombard us with ads for things they think we should want. How about a fancy new car? Maybe a big diamond? 

When my daughter asked me this year what she could get me for Christmas, I told her 'nothing.' There is nothing I need or want. I have all I need. In fact, I am trying to get rid of things. She told me she would like a slow cooker or a set of good knives. So I ordered those things, one each for her December birthday and for Christmas> These things aren't exciting or glamorous, but they are things she needs and wants. So I believe each of these kitchen items is, in fact, 'the perfect gift.'

I have everything I want and everything I need. So here is my new, grown up Christmas wish list. 

l want people who are sick with horrible illnesses to be cured. 

I want children with no families to be adopted. 

I want people to never have to worry about food and shelter and heat. 

I want people in nursing homes to feel wanted and loved. 

I want an end to war and to discrimination and to murder. I want people to live in peace. Sadly, the world remains at war, in Ukraine, in Gaza, and most probably, in Venezuela..

I want people to wake up and realize that planet Earth is our only home, and we need to start taking care of it. 

I want an end to child abuse, to domestic violence, to animal abuse and to elder abuse. 

I want the homeless to have a safe place to live. 

I want all the homeless and unwanted animals to become part of families that will cherish, love and care for them.

 I want a government that actually works for the benefit of the people it is supposed to serve, rather than serving billionaires. 

I want a return to civility and concern for others regardless of their race, ethnicity or religion. 

I want people to care.

This, friends, is my grown-up Christmas wish.

Why

 I never knew Rob Reiner. In fact, I didn't follow his career or the movies he produced. The last time I saw him on television was when he co-starred on the Archie Bunker sitcom All in the Family. 

I didn't know any of the people celebrating the first night of Hanukkah on a beach in Australia. 

I didn't know either of the students shot and killed, or any of the students who were injured, in the shooting in Rhode Island's Brown University. 

I didn't know any of these people. Rob Reiner was the only name I had ever heard. Nevertheless, three senseless attacks on innocent people in two days and in two countries many thousands of miles apart has left me feeling nauseous. I feel tense. I feel tearful. I feel hopeless.

And I keep returning to the same question: why? Why is there so much violence in this world? Why are shootings nearly a daily event in the United States? 

I am not a sociologist, nor am I a psychologist or a psychiatrist. But I have to believe that the constant violent rhetoric spewing from the dictator currently occupying the White House is at least in part to blame for the violence in America. Just look at the statement he issued about the murders of producer/director/actor Rob Reiner and his wife. Rather than expressing sympathy about more senseless deaths, he chose to call him names and denigrate his talent.

Former President Barack Obama issued a statement filled with concern and compassion. Former vice president Kamala Harris issued a similar statement. But the current president? Insults and of course he made it all about himself.

Anti-Semitism has been on the rise for a while, and I doubt if the two shooters in Australia were motivated by the rantings and ramblings of the American president. No, they appear to have been followers of ISIS.

Nothing has been released about the university shootings, and a suspect is still at large. So we have no idea what motivated him. And the shooter is almost certainly a male, most likely a young male. Most shooters in the US are young males. 

The murderer of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle was none other than their son. Apparently he had struggled with substance abuse for many years. And he used a knife, not a gun, to murder his parents. So this killing didn't fit the mold of so many others in this country. 

People of all ages are victims of gun violence. The shooting victims in Rhode Island were college students in their twenties. The Reinersiners were senior citizens. One of the victims in Australia was a 10-year-old girl. Another was a rabbi. Still another was a Holocaust survivor in his 80s.

Now we have three tragedies with apparently three different causes, but one common outcome. 

So again I ask, why? Why is there so much mental illness in this world? Why is there so much anger? Why is there so much hatred? It doesn't matter the socio-economic status of the killer. The race of the killer and the religion of the killer don't seem to make a difference.

Some killings are personal, as in the case of the Reiners. Some may be retaliation against a co-worker or former wife or girlfriend. Others are completely random, such as theattacks on elementary school children in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. 

But why are there so many killings? If guns aren't readily available, the killers use knives. Or they build explosive devices. 

I have never been able to wrap my head around the proliferation of mass killings. And sadly, I bet I never will.

The Passing of Legends.

Yesterday I learned of the passing of a giant in the world of conservation.

Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton died in Nairobi at the age of 83. Iain had spent 60 years studying and protecting African elephants in Kenya and Tanzania. It was Iain who alerted the world to the massive slaughter of elephants in the 1970s and 1980s. It was Iani who helped the world understand the intelligence, emotions and family bonds of African elephants. Iani founded the Save the Elephants and Elephant Crisis Fund in Kenya. Iain memtored the next generation of elephant scientists.

I had the honor of meeting Iani during two trips to Kenya. He joined those of use staying at Elephant Watch Camp for dinner one evening. Iain's wife had founded Elephant Watch Camp in the Samburu region of Kenya. I don't remember what all we discussed, but I do recall that he talked to us about, and showed us, an app that allowed him and his team to follow elephants that had been fitted with tracking collars. This is important as it allowed researchers to know when elephants were getting too close to local villages and farms, where the pachyderms liked to enjoy the farmers' crops as an all-you-can-eat buffett. It also warned when the elephants were are risk of leaving the Samburu preserve.

The other time I met Iain was when my friend and I happened to visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphange in Nairobi. Although he may not have remembered us, he graciously spent a few minutes talking with us and posing for a quick photo.

Iain's conservation legacy will continue through the efforts of daughter Saba Douglas-Hamilton, who has appeared in several BBC series about animals. Saba for a time worked with a rhinoceros rescue group in Namibia, and her annual speaking tour in the United Kingdom frequently sells out. 

It isn't often that one person can have such a massive and widespread impact on the world. Along with Dr. Jane Goodall, Iain changed human understanding of two iconic African species. They raised awareness and I believe, made people care about chimpanzees and African elephants. They inspired young people to follow in their footsteps and continue their work. 

What an amazing legacy these pioneers have left.

Thanksgiving 2025

 Today is Thanksgiving, and a good time to pause and consider all for which I am thankful.

I

This year, like most, has been a mixed bag of good and bad. I got to visit the beautiful countries of Switzerland and western Canada. I am looking forward to next year's travels, including a trip to Kenya with two friends from the UK..

I am grateful for my friend who continues to provide transportation home after surgery and after trips to the retina specialist who monitors my vision. She is bringing a couple of items for my Thanksgiving dinner. And her neighbor, who loves to bake, is sending me a batch of homemade cinnamon rolls.. 

I am thankful for the retired physician I sat next to on a flight from Calgary to Salt Lake City, who encouraged me to talk to my primary medical provider about starting a medication to bring my glucose level down.

I am grateful for my good health and for being able to walk 4 miles every day. When so many my age face serious and debilitating health problems, I am still active and healthy. I don't need a walker or a cane, and I don't need supplemental oxygen as do so many.

I am thankful that my daughter got engaged this year to a wonderful man. After so many jerks in her life, including the father of her 4-year-old son, it's nice to see her happy and in a good relationship.

As the weather turns cold, I am grateful for my wonderful, warm house with its beautiful views of the mountains. I am grateful for my two dogs that keep me on my toes every day and love me beyond words. I am grateful to have adopted a senior dog so he can live his life in comfort.

Unlike so many, I have more than enough to eat, I have warm clothes, a reliable car and good health insurance. I have money to cover any emergencies that pop up.

I am grateful to live in a free country where people are allowed to vote without fear of repercussions, although the recent spate of laws and executive orders designed to suppress the vote of millions of people concerns me greatly. I value our ability to peacefully protest. I am grateful for the members of our military who keep us safe and free, and for the first responders who daily risk their lives in service to others. I am particularly grateful for all those who are fighting back against our unhinged, despotic president and his cult followers. I am gratedul for those who are standing up against his constant illegal and unconstitutional actions.

I will prepare a Thanksgiving meal this year for the first time in a few years. I have bought a smoked turkey, and although I will dine alone, I will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I won't have sweet potatoes or cranberries, neither of which I like. But the essence of the meal will be there.  My daugher and her fiance have decided to prepare sloppy joes and deviled eggs, with a homemade cobbler for desert. It isn't the food that matters, but the gathering with loved ones.

I will spend a quiet day at home, knowing I have plenty to eat and thinking about the many blessings in my life. Because in the end, regardless of our troubles, we in this country still do have much for which to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

We Need Much Less Than We Think We Need

We need much less than we think we need. 

I love this quote from the late poet, civil rights activist and author Maya Angelou. It seems especially pertinent at this time of year, now that the endless ads and commercials for "the perfect gift" have overtaken the airwaves. 

Stores set up their Christmas displays in August. The pressure to spend...spend...spend is on despite a faltering economy and sky high prices. Food pantries are seeing record numbers of people seeking help to feed themselves and their families.

So I think Angelou's words should be a timelyreminder to Americans that as a nation, we are relatively well off. Still, times are really tough right now, and far too many of us are struggling to pay for groceries and housing. My cost of living increase for 2026 will be 2 percent, while the inflation rate is 3 percent. I guess I am lucky to get a cost of living ajustment at all.

I have finished my Christmas shopping. My daughter requested a slow cooker and a set of good knives. I bought a couple of toys (including an educational tablet) for my grandson. And that's it. I have been sending modest donations to my favorite charites over the past month or so. I took three bags of groceries to drop off at the police department's annual food drive. 

I did buy a new coat for myself recently. Cold weather really makes me suffer, so although I have a couple of winter coats, the one I bought yesterfay is particularly warm. It was on sale, and I had a 30 percent off coupon. So how could I resist? I seldom treat myself to new things, and I will wear this coat this when I set out on the first dog walk of the morning. Winter is just beginning, and I know I will gete a lot of use from this coat. So I don't feel bad about my purchase.

I live in a modest house that has no mortgage. My car is a 2021 model, and it is paid for. My refrigerator and my pantry are stuffed. My dogs are happy and healthy. I have good medical insurance and a decent retirement income.

So I have all I need. And that is a pretty good feeling.

 

World Kindness Day

Today is World Kindness Day, celebrated every year on this day since 1998.

This year this country needs a daily dose of kindness more than ever.

I believe all of us should practice kindness every day, not just on a single day. But this is a good reminder of the importance of kindness every day. Being kind doesn't take massive amounts of money or materials. It can be as simple as a smile or a warm 'hello'. It can mean paying for the coffee drink of the person behind us in line. I like to complement people I see walking their dogs in my neighborhood by calling our "What a beautiful dog" or "Your dog has a gorgeous coat." I have yet to meet someone walking a dog who doesn't appreciate a complement. 

Complements should be sincere and they should be specific. I once told a cashier at the grocery store where I shop that I really liked her Native American style jacket. Her response was a joking "You can't have it!"

I have three T-shirts that say "Be kind to everyone" on the front. I'm not much of a T-shirt person, but I think these shirts are a simple reminder to be kind. Sometimes "I like that color or that jacket or whatever on you' is all it takes to brighten someone's mood.

We live in a nation where political leaders are quick to hurl insults to anyone who challenges them or their statements. People are insulted as being stupid or dumb or communists. Women and members of minority groups are singled out for attack.

I believe each of us has the ability to be kind and to make kindness a part of our daily lives.

I Dream of The Day

 I dream of the day when I won't get up in the morning and wonder what the demented president of the United States has done or said overnight that is embarrassing or insulting. 

I dream of the day when I can check my social media and not see a post or a photo about the bloated orange tyrant filling my pages. 

I dream of the day when Americans will be treated with respect and honesty by members of their government. 

I dream of the day when we don't have to rely on the courts to force the government to do the right thing, such as providing food and healthcare and other rights to citizens in need.

I dream of the day when both major political parties will set aside their differences, negotiate and work for the benefit of the American people, not for themselves, not for their political party.

I dream of the day when the American president seeks peace throughout the world, rather than picking fights with other nations.

I dream of the day when the American government and its top officials actually follow and defend the US Constitution.

I dream of the day when the United States is no longer the laughing stock of the world.

I dream of the day when people around the globe once again view the United States as a country to be admired  and as a symbol of hope.

I dream of the day when visitors to the US, whether here legally or not, no longer fear for their safety.

I dream of the day when public lands are no longer for sale, and when the office of the president is above reproach and not for sale to the highest bidder.

I just hope I live long enough to see these things some true again.

Staying Sane In An Insane World

It's not easy to remain sane in this crazy country that is teetering on the edge of dictatorship.

It's a daily, sometimes hourly, struggle to maintain my sanity. Luckily I have a few things that keep me from going over the edge. 

Exercise is important. I walk each of my dogs a mile every morning. Sometimes I go for a walk by myself as well. I usually walk between 4 and 5 miles each day.

Photography is a great release. Yesterday afternoon the clouds in the beautiful New Mexico sky were fascinating, so I grabbed my camera and took a walk in the neighborhood. Looking at images of beautiful places I have visited is a wonderful escape as well. This morning I enjoyed looking at gorgeous images of Yosemite National Park.

Reading is something I have enjoyed since I was a young child. I still read a lot, particularly biographies and historical fiction.

I spent my career working with the news media as a public affairs specialist for a non-profit organization and for a federal agency. So I am a bit of a news junkie. But today's news is too distressing, so I limit my consumption to one local news broadcast and one national news broadcast each day. I follow up with something that won't distress me.

I recently started working on improving my diet, eating less and consuming more healthful foods. It's too early to tell the impact of this self-improvement project, but I have dropped a couple of pounds.

What things do you do to maintain your sanity?

There Is No Common Ground.

For years, Democrats have tried to find common ground with their Republican opponents.

But increasingly, Republicans have made it abundantly clear that there is no common ground. The recently uncovered group chat by a bunch of young Republicans made it abundantly clear that Republicans are nothing more than a bunch of racist, misogynist, hateful, sexist, anti-gay bigots.why are television reporters always looking at their phones during their reports

What kind of common ground is there with people like this? Short answer: none. There is no common ground. 

I have nothing in common with anybody who treats women like second class citizens, who is anti-gay, who is racist, who believes in taking rights away from women. I also find no common ground with anybody who supports a would be dictator. What possible common ground could there be?

Today No Kings marches were held in more than 2,500 locations across the United States, everywhere from huge cities to small towns. Many people are unhappy with the current regime and its disregard of our Constitution and our laws. 

I am not optimistic that's a current regime will do anything other than criticize and mock those who took part in these marches. I do, however, believe that today's March shows that the sleeping giant of Americans who love their country is beginning to awaken.

Sticks and Stones

Let's talk about words. 

As a writer, I love words. I love finding just the right word for the situation. I love seeing how changing a single word can change the meaning and sense of a paragraph or sentence. 

I once had an argument with a guy on a trip about the use, and usefulness, of the Oxford comma. If you're not familiar with the Oxford comma, look it up. He would not let it go. At one point he wold me "Why don't you just admit that you're wrong?" I told him I wasn't wrong and I wasn't going to admit to being wrong. 

The argument continued for two days in our van. What this guy apparently didn't understand, or wouldn't admit, is this: There isn't really a right or wrong answer. It's a matter of interpretation, preference and training. As a professional public affairs officer for the federal govenment, I followed the guidance of the AP Stylebook. We did not use the Oxford comma. There is no right or wrong answer. It depends on which style guide the writer is following. As long as it is used or not used consistently, everything is fine.

Now back to words: Here are some words that too often are missing in our country:

Respect. Kindness. Empathy. Generosity. Honesty. Helpfulness. Morality. Compassion. Thoughtfulness. Community. Serenity. Gratitude. Generosity.

Aren't these great words? Aren't these attributes those to which we should aspire? 

Apparently not. Our society as a whole is sorely lacking in these 13 attributes. Instead, we live in a society marked by division, selfishness, immorality, greed, hatred and many other negative attributes. We live in a country where the highest elected officials in the nation use their words in negative, hurtful ways. Name-calling and using hateful, insulting words are the hallmark of far too many so-called leaders.

There have always been Americans who personify the worst human traits. But today's America is awash with the worst among us. Why is this? Why do members of the ruling party not only fail to work to help those they ostensibly represent, but actively work to hurt them by slashing programs that provide affordable health care and life-sustaining food? Why do they take glee in shutting down the government and threatening the jobs of tens of thousands of federal employees? Why? If there is money for a new, unnecessary ballroom in the White House, why is there no money for food or for education?

Why do people celebrate attacks on Jews or on people with skin darker than that of the white men who rule this country like a fiefdom? How can self-professed Christians act in so many ways antithetical to the teachings of the Christ they pretend to worship?   

Remember the old adage that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?" That's just not true. Words can and they do hurt people. They can and they do hurt nations. Words can inflect significant emotional pain, as anybody who has been bullied will agree.

How about if we all pledge to regrain from using words that hurt?

Time To Stop The Killing

Two years ago today, the Palestinian terror group Hamas carried out a horrendous and unwarranted attack on a music festival in Israel. 

Some 1,200 innocent people, ranging from children to senior citizens, were slaughtered. The terrorists chased people down, either murdering or kidnapping them. They snatched local villagers from their houses. Countless people were taken hostage. Although many of the hostages either died in captivity or were killed by Hamas, several are still believed to be alive.

There is blame for the ongoing killing on both sides. Hamas continues to kill Jews, while Israel continues to bomb hospitals and refugee camps as it searches for Hamas fighters. Caught in the middle are the innocent people on both sides of the war.

Some hostages have been released, with Hamas getting hundreds of its imprisoned fighters returned in exchange for a handful of hostages. Surviving hostages report being abused, starved and kept in dark tunnels. Palestinians were told to evacuate their homes, and are now facing a second winter living in tents. Food is very scarce, with starvation a real possibility.

There are no winners in this war. Certainly the attacks were, and are, not justified.  Muslims live peacefully in Israel. There is no need for the slaughter. Israel has every right to defind itself. But Israeli forces seem not to care about the innocent people of Gaza they have killed.

So many innocent lives have been lost. It is past time for the killing to stop.

This Country Is A Mess

 ... and the mess is inflected by the so-called leaders of the nation.

People are hurting. They feel abandoned and ignored by their government. The regime is sending armed troops into cities run by Democrats, so now people are being attacked by masked military and law enforcement.

The country's federal government has shut down, and nobody knows how long it will remain that way. Federal employees, of which I was one for 23 years, are facing fuloughs, unpaid work status and possibly firings (although the president has no power to fire them). Millions of Americans face the very real prospect of losing their health insurance or of it becoming too expensive to afford. Millions of others face the loss of supplemental food. Citizens are incredibly divided and angry. I am extremely stressed.

But I read something online that made me think.

I don't know the author of the piece, but it inspired me and prompted me to write this blog post. The piece essentially calls on people to change things: to hold the door for someone, to spread kindness, to offer a smile, to be nice to others, to be patient, to pay for the coffee of the person in line behind them, and to let another driver go ahead in traffic.

You might wonder why you should go out of your way to do these smal things. What difference will a smile or a bit of kindness make, you might ask. 

Let me give you an example. A friend of mine is currently visiting Australia, a country where she lived for more than a decade, and a country she loves. Her husband is making the trip miserable. He is a native of Australia whom she helped get US citizenship. 

She messaged me recently about his behavior. I sent a message to her, expressing my sadness that he is spoiling her long-anticipated vacation. She replied that she appreciated my reaching out. And again, she thanked me for caring.

Did my brief messages salvage her vacation? Did they change her husband's attitude and behavior? Sadly, they did not. But we never know who really needs that smile, that word of encouragement, that complement, that bit of sympathy.

I am a very private person. I'm not particularly friendly to those I don't know. I'm not good at small talk. But these things I have mentioned are easy for most anyone to do. Tell a woman you like her jacket. Tell someone she looks good in the color she is wearing. Pay for the groceries of the person in line behind you. (I did that with a Native American woman in a wheelchair once, and she -- and the cashier -- were stunned by this small act of kindness. The Native woman had just a couple of items, so I asked the cashier to add her total to my groceries). 

Random acts of kindness can brighten the day of the giver as well as the recipient. Please join me in sharing kindness. Join me in looking for opportunities to be kind and supportive. Our broken world needs more kindness and more compassion. Practice being full of grace and patience and umderstanding. These things cost nothing. 

But their value and their impact can be incalculable.

Tired of Peopling

 I am tired of peopling.

I am tired of adulting.

I am tired of dealing with bots.

I'm tired of people. I'm tired of idiots who don't even know which side of the road to walk on as pedestrians when there are no sidewalks. I'm tired of people who think it's perfectly fine to toss their unwanted cans, bottles, mattresses and fast food trash along the road. I'm tired of people who blindly follow a lying, cheating, money-grubbing pedophile and believe every lie he tells them without bothering to fact check his claims. 

I read somewhere that AI believes that people who are tired of adulting are feeling overwhelmed by the burdens and responsibilitis, the monotony of routines and the pressure to conform. When my daughter was a teenager, she couldn't wait to be an adult, not have to go to school or have a mom set limits, etc. Now that she is a single mother of a 4-year-old son, she really knows that adulting isn't what she once thought it would be.

Being an adult comes with incredible responsibilities for most of us: having a job, worrying about money, taking care of a family, saving for the future, and dealing with the emergencies that invariably appear.

I have been retired for 15 years, and I'm still tired of adulting. Within the past month I have had to have my roof repaired ($2000) and have two large trees trimmed to prevent future roof damage ($1600). Estimated income taxes were just paid. I spent dozens of hours battling with an insurance company. There are three recall notices on my car, so it's going to spend time at the dealership next week to get those things taken care of.

I recently returned from a great trip to the Canadian Rockis national parks. I got to take lots of photos, and the weather was beautiful. But being part of a group of 24 travelers on a bunch, at meals, etc., really strained my limits. I skipped the group dinners two or three times so I could get a break from the noise and the crowd.  I had to do that for my mental health. The people were fine. There were just too many of them.

So yes, I am tired of adulting. I would love to sell my house and buy a place not too far away, on a couple of fenced acres where my dogs (plus a couple more) could run and play without the need for a daily walk. My dogs don't like other dogs, so having a safe place for them to run and explore would be wonderful.

Clinging To Life

I came across this image while going through thousands of photos on my laptop in search of good images that have been overlooked.

I posted it to my social media page with the title Clinging to Life. And this is precisely what this small pine tree is doing. It somehow managed to put down roots surronded by rocks somewhere in the red rocks of Utah.

Clinging to life is precisely what I and many other non-cult members are doing these days as we watch our democratic republic be turned into a country we no longer recognize. It is a country where all three branches of government -- executive, legislative and judicial -- have surrendered their authority to the whims of one person who is steadily marching us down the road to becoming a fascist nation.

We are holding on and trying to figure out how to navigate this new country as our fundamental rights are stripped away. We are trying to come up with money to buy groceries as prices seem to increase each week. We stand by as we watch our country pick fights with other, smaller nations as a prelude to a declaration of a national emergency.  

Life is stressful in this country for those who understand and reject what is happening. We don't want war. We don't want to stand by and watch Russia escalate its unwarranted war against Ukraine. We don't want to watch as Israel starves innocent people in Gaza as retribution for the actions of Hamas. We won't stand by as women's rights are stripped away, and as members of the LGBTQ community face still more discrimination. We are horrified as the dictator in the Whie House continues with his illegal power grab with the consent of the Congress and Supreme Court.

I Will Not

No, I will not 'chip in' some money because I signed a petition.

No, I will not review my visit to a physician.

No, I will not review my purchase of a package of dish cloths.

No, I will not sign a petition so the company or the nonprofit can then bombard me with emails. 

No, I will not donate to a GoFundMe for some random person.

No, I do not, and I will not, create an account.

No, I will not donate to any politician regardless of party.

No, I will not provide my e-mail address so I can get pricing information online.

What’s with all the requests for me to review a visit or a purchase? These things are always worded in such a way that negative responses are very difficult to make and very rare to add. I really doubt that my review of a package of dishcloths made in India is going to add value to anybody's shopping experience.

So please, stop bombarding me and everybody else with countless requests for money or reviews. Enough already.

Life Without

 I saw something online this morning, one day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was murdered, that struck a chord.

The poster prayed that Kirk's death will serve as a wake-up call so that no more spouses, children, parents, relatives and friends will have to experience life without a loved one.

Just imagine if this prayer becomes reality. What if people didn't have to live life without .. food, shelter, education, security, personal safety, recognition (the kind we all need, not the kind celebrities crave), positivity and hope.

The only things people should be forced to live life without are scarity, fear, abuse, hunger, persecution and all the other things that we should no longer have to fear.

What a world devoid of life without wouold be. We can't create a world in which no one is forced to live a life without, but shouldn't we at least try?

Let Us Never Forget

 On this 24th  anniversary of worst terror attack in American history, I believe that Sept. 11 should be a national holiday. 

It should be a day to remember all those who died that day while going about their daily lives. September 11 should join other days of remembrance such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day. We should cancel Columbus Day, which is a minor holiday celebrated by the federal government, but not by anyone else. And it is an insult to Native Americans who resent having to honor a man who enslaved and killed so many of their ancestors.

Let us instead honor the nearly 3,000 innocent people who died on that beautiful September day in 2001. Let us also honor those first responders -- police, firefighters and paramedics -- who rushed in to help the victims. Sone 343 New York firefighters and paramedics died that day. An equal number later died of 911-related illnesses.  

Seventy two peace officers died in the line of duty on September 11, with an additional 229 who died of related illnesses.

These attacks killed people of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. They killed US citizens and immigrants. They killed men and women, people of all races, ethnicities and , religions. 

And let us honor the survivors who will forever carry the physical and emotional scars of that day. Let us honor all who were forever scarred by the memories of Sept. 11, 2001. 

Let us remember how Americans came together in the aftermath of that terrible day, in love and support of each other and of this great nation. It didn't matter the gender or nationality or economic status of the victims. We came together as one nation, united in grief. People lined up to donate blood. Other nations, including our adversaries, offered their condolences and their assistance. Our race, out ethnicity, our religion, our political beliefs, ididn't matter. What did matter was that our country had been viciously attacked, and our fellow Americans had died.

Now, more than two decades later, our country bears no resemblance to the united nation we became on that horrible day. Politians go out of their way to attack colleagues of the other party. People feel emboldened to murder those with whom they disagree. Despite the dangers of forcing a religion on others, Republicans are trying to force the United States to become a Christian nation.

Seeing what our country has become and what is happening to our freedoms and rights literally makes my stomach churn.

Let us work to regain the sense of a common humanity, a nation united, that we experienced in the aftermath of this horrible day. Wei need to work on rekindling that sense of unity, that sense of togetherness.

As NBC News anchor Lester Holt commented at the conclusion of a story looking back on the aftermath of 9/11, "What has happened to us?"

Above all, let us never forget.

Our Country Is Broken

It's been obvious for a while that our country is broken. 

There aren't just tears in the fabric of our country. There are gigantic chasms in our country. The chasms are so large that I wonder whether we will survive.

If you don't like somebody, grab a gun and shoot them. If you don't agree with someone's politics, grab a gun and shoot them. If somebody cuts you off in traffic, grab a gun and shoot them. If you disagree with someone's religion, just grab a gun and shoot them. If you want to add a bit of excitement to your life, grab a gun and shoot somebody for fun. This is the world in which we live.

It doesn't matter whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, a socialist or whatever. Gun violence is not the answer.

I have been around for some seven decades. I have never seen the country where I was born, the country in which I grew up and was educated and worked, the country I love, in such a mess.

Reasoned political discussions are non-existent. We live in a world of threats and insults, starting with the highest political positions in the land. Everything, including our beloved national parks and lands, are for sale to the highest bidder. Political appointments go not to the most qualified, but to those with the most money offered and to those who put loyalty to politcs above loyalty to the Constitution. The rule of law means nothing. There is one set of laws for the wealthy and well connected, another for the middle and working classes, and still another for immigrants.

Can the fabric of our country and of our society be repaired? If it can be, what is it going to take to start the repair process? To start the healing process? 

Welcome to America 2025.

Let’s Do Better on This and Future National Dog Days

Why are we still killing millions of dogs and cats every year?

I today, on National Dog Day, seems an appropriate, if somber day to talk about this. I worked for a large California humane society from 1980 to 1988. Although I didn't work with animals directly, I was nevertheless impacted by the constant influx of dogs and cats. I wrote and published the humane society's quarterly magazine, I provided the photos for the magazine, and I photographed cruelty cases to document them for prosecurtion. 

Now, some 35-plus years later, we are still slaughtering dogs and cats at a rate of between 2.7 million and 4 million every year. Sure, some of these animals are unadoptable due to to illness, injury or behavioral issues. But the vast majority of these companion animals is adoptable, if only someone wanted them.

I have adopted 15 dogs over the course of my adult life. Most came from animal shelters or humane societies, although a few were from rescue groups or were adopted directly from their previous families. Several were purebred dogs, but all were rescues. None were purchased from breeders.

Animal shelters require that adopted animals be spayed or neutered. My Jenny was spayed by her rescue group when she was just a few months old -- too young in my opinion. But clearly far too many people don't have their animal companions spayed or neutered. And clearly far too many don't take the steps necessary to prevent their animals from breeding.

Low cost clinics are available in most areas, so the cost of the procedure isn't the real reason for the population boom. Letting a female dog or cat "have just one litter" so the kids "can experience the miracle of birth" is BS. If people want their kids to experience the miracle of birth, they should also experience the miracle of death on a mass scale.

I had one dog who never got neutered. I was advised to wait until he was at least 2 years old to give the growth plates in his bones time to close. He died of meningitis when he was 2 years and 3 months old. Had he lived, he would have been neutered. Likewise, my daughter's golden retriever will be neutered when he turns 2 in October. She already has made the appointment. 

Dogs bring so much to our lives. They give us unconditional love. They serve as eyes for the blind and ears for the hearing impaired. Some can detect epileptic seizures and diabetic shock before anything bad happens. They can track and apprehend criminals. They can detect hidden narcotics and cash and weapons with amazing accuracy and efficiency. Some dogs can detect cancer and Covid. They are our alert system and our guardians. And they’re joyful, happy and often playful.

Dogs give so much more than they receive. And they deserve so much better.

Being Woke

The far right uses the word woke as a slur or an insult.

I don't see it that way. I hope I live up to the ideals of being woke. If being woke means I am kind, that I wish the best for others regardless of where they are from, where they live or whom they love, then I will wear this description with pride. Being woke doesn't mean I am a communist or a fascist. It means simply that I strive to be a good human.

To quote the late Pope Francis, "Who am I to judge?"

 

 

Do You Like to Eat?

So, do you like to eat?

Then think about this: No farmers, no food.

No bees, no food.

No field workers, no food.

No water, no food.

This brief and simple statement is terrifying. I don't know about you, but I enjoy eating. And now with the roundup of farm workers - - you know, the folks who toil in the hot sun harvesting our fruits and vegetables - - either being deported or being too scared to go to work for fear of being deported, who is going to do the hot, dirty, backbreaking work on which our food supply depends? 

One member of the regime has suggested that once the work requirment for recipients of Medicaid kicks in, there will be lots of people to do the dirty agricultural work. Sure, that 65-year-old granny will be a great field worker, right? 

And now, thanks to the current regime in Washington, farmers have lost valuable markets for their crops. Food is rotting in the fields. Grocery prices are skyrocketing.

And now that our longstanding environmental protections are either under attack or have been removed completely, bees and water are ar risk. Without bees to pollinate crops, and without adequate unpollueted water to irrigate plants, we will have no food.

I am not a big eater, especially since I lost my ability to smell or taste food as a result of a respiratory infection (long before covid came on the scene). But I still must eat. I love fresh fruit, the summer fruits in particular. So while I have a stockpile of non-perishable foods, i cannot stockpile fresh fruits and vegetables. 

With the threat of climate change, increasing temperatures and drought, the lack of field workers to harvest our produce and the destruction of environmental protections by the current regime, our food supply is increasingly at risk. We know that higher prices due to tariffs (the Trump tax) on imported foods are already showing up. Expect prices to go even higher. And there may be shortages down the road as well.

So, all you people who enjoy a fresh salad or a good steak (many slaughterhouse workers are brown-skinned immigrants), enjoy it while you can.

So Much Evil

Why is there so much evil in this world? 

Are humans inherently evil, or is there something that makes many become evil? 

And more to the point, why is there so much evil in the United States these days?

If, as some believe, humans are born with both good and evil tendencies, why is it that the evil ones seem much more common?

What prompted me to think about this was a three-part National Geographic television series about the Oklahoma City bombing of April 1995, which took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. Countless others were injured. Add in the increasing number of acts of evil being perpetrated by the current regime in power in the White House and in the halls of Congress, and it seems that evil is taking over. Evil is winning 

If it isn't evil, what is causing the government, our government, to slash education, to slash programs that research deadly diseases, that provide food to those in need, not just in the US, but around the world? Programs that provide assistance to victims of natural disaster and that provide warnings of impending life-threatening weather events have been canceled. 

Evil is evident in the rejection of vaccines that have been proven to safely prevent deadly diseases such as covid. Even measles, declared not a danger in the US some 20 years ago, is once again sickening both children and adults, and taking at least one life. Evil is removing safeguards that protect our food supply. Evil is removing regulations that protect our air and water from industrial pollution. Evil is celebrating the murder of two people in Minnesota and the wounding of two others simply because they were Democrats. Evil is sending National Guard troops to take over the nations capital. Evil is asking the Supreme Court to ban gay marriage. Evil is snatching people off the streets of America and sending them off to some godforsaken place in another country simply because their skin is brown.

Evil has always existed in the world. Adolf Hitler and his followers are the epitome of evil. So were Josef Stalin and this followers. The history books are filled with stories of evil people, nearly always men. 

Now the United States is home to great evil. Homegrown eveil is the worst. But this time much of that evil is cloaked in Christian nationalism. How these so-called Christians can call themselves followers of Jesus Crist while at the same time condoning murder, while taking rights from women and demanding that women subjugate themselves to men, while removing equal rights from members of the LGBTQ community, while snatching people off the streets simply because of the color of their skin, is incomprehensible.

I find it particularly distressing to watch a country known for its support of the downtrodden turn into a country that celebrates cruelty for the sake of cruelty. Of course, there still are many Americans who retain their goodness and willingness to stand up for those being oppressed. But it is unfathomable that so many Americans voted to elect members of a party that is openly racist and sexist, and that support pedophiles.  

It's also distressing that so many people are totally lacking in the ability to see through the constant lies. I have seen interviews of voters who are finally seeing what that party actually stands for and explain in dismay "that's not what I voted for."  Yes, this is precisely what you voted for. The candidates' own words told you, and their actions showed you, what you would get if you voted for those people. 

Racism and sexism are not new to America. But that our government wholeheartedly embraces these things, and tries to rewrite history, is appalling. Just yesterday the president demanded that the Smithsonian change some of its exhibits because, according to him, they point out the horrors of slaverly. Spoken like true racist indeed.

I can only hope that those or us who are resisting the rush to fascism and the country's embrace of evil will prevail. May America defeat the evil that has taken over our federal executive, legislative and judicial systems before it is too late.

Make Good Trouble

The late member of Congress and civil rights activist John Lewis encouraged people to make good trouble. 

"Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America" is his most famous, and most inspiring, quote.

I believe, as do so many others, that now is the time for us to get in good trouble. Our country is being turned into a fascist nation. Our rights are being stripped away. Our government institutions are being destroyed. The most vulnerable among us are having their health care and their sources of food taken from them, all to provide funding for a big tax cut for the countrys billionaires and large corporations. Immigrants, even those in this country legally and those who are citizens, are being rounded up simply because of the color of their skin. Once they are snatched off the streets, they are shipped off to a detention facility hundreds of miles from where they live, or even to another country with which they have no relationship. Our institutions of higher education are under attack. Women's rights are being rolled back. Our LGBTQ brothers and sisters are being marginalized.

Lewis believed in non-violent protests. As private citizzens we can join peaceful marches and protests. We can call and write to our elected members of Congress. We can stand up for those unfairly targeted by the government's nameless masked goons. We must understand that the attacks will eventually turn on us.

So yes, this is the time to make good trouble.

I Stand With Them

I am not part of the LGBTQ community. But I stand with those who are. 

I am not Hispanic, but I stand with those who are.

I am not Jewish, but I stand with those who are.

I am not Ukrainian, but I stand with those who are. 

I do not live in Gaza, but I stand with those innocents who do.

There is little I can do to help the five groups mentioned above with their current world struggles. I have no power. I have no influence. I don't have a great deal of money. I'm not a politician.

And realistically, my standing with these groups of people won't make any difference to them and to the challenges they face. But just maybe, knowing that one senior citizen cares about them and is appalled by the way they are being treated will help them understand they are not alone.

And maybe knowing that I stand up with the oppressed will show the world that each of us can and should stand up for others. For me, it’s a matter of self-respect. I refuse to side with the tyrants. I refuse to stand with the oppressors.

Where Is Our Common Humanity?

I recently watched a three-part program on National Geographic television about the 1995 terrorist attack on the federal building in Oklahoma City. 

Toward the end of the program, former President Bill Clinton talked about what happens when we lose our common humanity. It has become abundantly clear to me that the United States has in fact lost its common humanity. I think we have been losing our common humanity for a while, but the current regime has made it more obvious that our common humanity has become very, very endangered.

This country is incredibly divided along political lines. There appears to be no effort to, as the saying goes, work across the aisle. I blame one party, and one party in particular for this. Followers of this party think it's okay for them to assassinate or attempt to assassinate representatives of the other party?  I clearly remember when both Democratic and Republican members of the US Congress set aside their differences, came together and worked for the good of the American people.  Where is the common humanity now?

We are now controlled by a regime -- executive, judicial and legislative -- that thinks it's okay to terrorize immigrants in this country simply because they happen to have brown skin. They are tased. They are kidnapped off the streets. They are shipped off to what some have described as concentration camps before being deported to countries with which they have absolutely no affiliation. Where is our common humanity? 

We have one political party that is doing everything in its power, whether legal or illegal, to protect the leader of the regime from serious charges that he was involved in a child sex abuse operation. The ongoing attempts to deflect the American public’s attention from this issue are so far being met with failure. Where is our common humanity for the girls who were induced or tricked into this ring of sex abusers and perverts?

The current regime in power has, apparently with no concern for those impacted,  canceled life-saving programs that have provided food and medicine to the poorest of the poor overseas. This same regime will eliminate health care for some 10 million to 12 million Americans. Where is our common humanity?

The fact that this regime is cutting food support to hungry people, including children, the fact it is costing women's lives with its draconian rulings that prohibit pregnanet women from getting live-saving care simply because they are unmarried or because their fetus died in utero, is unconscionable. Where is our common humanity?

Thousands of people in Gaza are being starved while the world stands by and watches. Tons of food supplies are waiting, undelivered, as people starve. A 4-year-old-girl died this week of malnutrition and starvation. Where is our common humanity?

Russia continues to target apartment buildings and other non-military buildings in Ukraine. Where is our common humanity?

Maybe some day we humans, allegedly a superior species, will wake up and find our common humanity.

Some Thoughts About Words

There are certain words and phrases I simply dislike.

Here are the first to come to mind: 

Sales event 

Moderate to severe 

Terms and conditions 

Cookies (the computer kind, not the edible kind)

Travel consideration

Snacks

Why is every car sale advertised as a 'sales event'? First of all, I don't believe that cars ever go on sale. And what makes it an event?

The term moderate to severe is heard numerous times every day in every commercial for every prescription medication. Is every disease moderate to severe?

Terms and conditions is another phrase used everywhere, from Web sites to online. "You must read the terms and conditions." "Terms and conditions apply." The terms and conditions always include multiple pages of small type, or they are repeated verbally by someone who must be an auctioneer.

Cookies. Why are these things called cookies? Real cookies are good. These electronic cookies, small bits of text placed on any website I visit, store information about my Web browsing activities. How does this benefit me? I'm not sure that it does. I routinely reject cookies on various sites, and I have seen no change in my browsing experience. 

What does travel consideration even mean?

And snacks is a word I have always disliked. There is simply something irritating about the sound of the word. 

This is true for several words that end in -y-or -ies. For example, the word patty, as in sausage patty. And what's wrong with using the word underwear rather than panties. I understand that panties is a diminuative of pants, but it is such an annoying word, especially when used to refer to women's, not children's, underwear. To me, it infantilizes women. 

As you probably can tell, the proper use of the English language is important to me. And it's more than spelling and grammar. It's also the sound of the words we use.

How Much Is Enough?

How much money does one person need?

Really, how much wealth is enough? 

When you have enough money to buy absolutely everything you want, be it houses or airplanes or yachts or private islands, or even a presidential election, how much money do you need? 

Based on America's richest people, I guess that number has no limit. A million dollars? $10 million? $100 million? A billion dollars? 100 billion dollars? There seems to be no upper limit to what these people want.

Just look at how excited they are about getting their 2017 income tax cuts permanently extended. Other people, including the lower and middle classes, pay their fair share of taxes. And they will pay even more under the recently enacted tax legislation. Meanwhile, the uberwealthy pay nothing or next to nothing in taxes.

Some billionaires, including Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, leave most of the money to charities. Others, such as the current resident of the White House, are so greedy they even steal money from a children's cancer charity.

Singer/songwriter Taylor Swift is a multibillionaire, but she does a lot of good with her wealth. She makes a substantial donation to the food bank of every city where she performs. She gives large bonuses to her stage crew. She has contributed to disaster relief, education, cancer research, women's rights and LBGTQ rights.

Dolly Parton is another person who does a lot of good with her millions. Her charitable works focus on childhood literacy (the Imagination Library, for example), disaster relief, college scholarships, medical research and other causes. 

There are millionaires and billionaires who do good things with their immense wealth. Sadly, many do nothing but hoard money and do everything possible to get more, regardless of who gets hurt in the process.

I am not wealthy, but I believe that those who can afford to help are morally obligated to help.

Not Celebrating This Year

 

America's Independence Day is just one day away.

But this is not a day to celebrate our traditional freedoms, which are rapidly being stolen by a Republican regime hellbent on remaking our democratic republic into a theocratic cult of personality where anyone who isn't white straight and male doesn't matter.

Women continue to lose the freedom to choose when or whether to bear a child. A woman who suffers a miscarriage can face criminal charges. Women will die when unable to get the medical treatment they urgently need because physicians fear being criminally charged. The far right zealots want women to know their place, stay home and have multiple children.

I saw something online recently that said that the 4th of July has been canceled due to a shortage of independence for women.

Deark-skinned people -- whether US citizens, legal immigrants or immigrants here illegally -- risk being rounded up and shippted off to other countries where the unforunate people have no history, no knowledge of the culture and don't speak the language. This is not deportation.

Now the regime is considering revoking visas and the citizenship of naturalized citizens. Cruelty, it seems, is the point.

Trans people are being forced out of the military, and those who recently completed training at a US military academy will never be allowed to serve. How is this making America great again?

Voting rights are at risk, as are the rights of asylum seekers and immigrants.

The right to peaceful assembly and protest, as guaranteed in the US Constitution, is at risk. Congress and the legislatures of 19 states have introduced 52 bills that would limit the right to protest.

Freedom of speech is at risk, with the regime demanding the firing of those who speak against the regime.

The right to due process is being violated daily when immigrants are snatched off the street, shoved into a vehicle by unidentified masked men, and deported to a prison somewhere in the world without an arrest warrant, criminal charges or appearance before a judge.

Freedom of religion, as well as freedom from religion, is a joke as the regime and its allies push to make this country a Christian nation. Actually, make that a christo-fascist nation. Courts have consistently shot down state requirements to require that the Ten Commandments be posted prominantly in school classrooms and in courtrooms.

The regime has caused the firing of tens of thousands of federal employees for no real reason.

The regime is slashing international, life-saving food and medicine. The regime is throwing millions of Americans, many of them children and the elderly, off Medicaid. The regime is sladhing food progams millions rely on for their survival.

The president continues to be an embarrassment to this country (those who aren't cult members). He continues to grift and to lie about everything.

So, while I love my country, I do not love what it has become. America has been, and should be, so much better. 

What Kind of Person Are You?

I ran across this question in a book I read recently, a biography, of notorious Nazi concentration camp guard Maria Mandl.

The question was asked of the author of the book by a survivor of the notorious Nazi concentration camps. She was not interested in the author's credentials, but rather in knowing what kind of person she was. At the heart of the question is whether someone would be the kind of person to hide a Jewish person from the Nazis, at the risk of losing their own life.

I think this is a wonderful question, something each of us should ask ourselves every so often. Not the part about hiding a Jew from Nazis, but more widely. What kind of person am I?

I'd guess that most of us consider ourselves to be good, caring people. But are we really? From my point of view, far too many Americans are anything but good and kind.

I once was Facebook friends with a woman who commented that she had health insurance, so why should she care about those who don't? I ended our 'friendship' at that point. Should I state that I have access to plenty of food, so why should I care that some people in the US, and even more around the world, don't have enough to eat? That's not the kind of person I am. And that is why I support organizations such as Meals on Wheels, World Central Kitchen and Roadrunner Food Bank, which provide food to those who cannot afford food. 

We're not talking about luxuries; I don't care if someone can't afford a luxury car or a mansion. I'm talking about health care, housing, food and other necessities. How can I not care?

Would I, had I lived during World War II, risked my life to hide a Jewish person? I have asked myself that question. And honestly, I don't know the answer. I like to think I would have, but I don't know whether I would have been brave enough to take that risk. Fortunately, I am not likely to ever find myself in that position.

But I do think I am a good, kind person. I have adopted 16 dogs. I adopted my daughter from an orphanage in Siberia. I donate to a variety of charities throughout the year. I care about the environment. I pick up trash in my neighborhood, I drive a hybrid vehicle, I recycle everything that is recyclable where I live. I donate to a variety of non-profit organizations in the US and internationally. 

I think this world would be a much better place if more of us took a close look at ourselves and asked, "What kind of person am I?"

Whatever Happened?

Is this how we make America great?

Do we make America great -- and that's assuming America isn't already great -- by attacking our closest allies, cozying up to tyrants, upending the world's economic system by imposing tariffs on imported goods, and by sending troops to attack Americans protesting the removal of immigrants with no due process? Is America made greater by removing freedom of choice from women, and by trying to impose Christian nationalism on the populace? 

Is America made great by cutting taxes on billionaires while at the same time removing several million low-income Americans from health insurance? Are we made great by refusing to allow one of the world's best universities to admit international students, thereby depriving our country of some of the best and brightest minds?

Are we made great by raining insults and retribution on anyone who dares to disagree with the wanna-be dictator in the White House? Are we greater after transfender members of our military are summarily kicked out of the service they have willingly agreed to join?  Does threatening to arrest the governor of the state of California -- the world's fifth largest economy -- make America great?

That isn't my idea of greatness. Whatever happened to due process that is supposed to be applied to everyone in the US, regardless of immigration status? Whatever happened to the rule of law? to defending the US Constitution? to respecting the rulings of courts of all levels?

I Just Don’t Care Anymore

I am quickly reaching, or perhaps I have already reached, the point where I just don't care.

Everything is overwhelming, especially things that are most important to me. I care about the environment, which is at grave risk of being destroyed by the current regime in Washington, DC. I care deeply about animals, both wild and domestic. Species protected by the Endangered Species Act are about to lose protection. I care about children, and I am saddened to learn that the Head Start program is about to be canceled. I am furious that the current regime has seen fit to deport several young children suffering from cancer. What kind of society are we living in?

I care about peace, and I just learned that the so-called leader of the free world is about to commit American troops to fight in Yemen. That’s not our war. And of course, the young men and women who will be sent to fight are not the children of the super wealthy. The Republicans love war as long as they can stand on the sidelines and watch. Oh, and as long as they can make big bucks from the war. 

The dictator-in-waiting is threatening to "walk away" from efforts to end Russia's war on Ukraine unless an agreement is reached soon. The only way Putin will agree to end the war is if Ukraine capitulates to Moscow's demands.

I am constantly bombarded with appeals for money, online and in snail mail. My charitable donations dropped by probably 75 percent last year. No matter how much I donate, it's never enough. I donated $500 to one non-profit, and was quickly asked to donate $1500. I made an annual donation to another group, and was then asked to donate for three consecutive months. I am always asked to "cover the cost of my donation," something that really annoys me. What's next -- covering the cost of the computers that process my donation, or the cost of electricity? I refuse to pay for the privilege of making a donation.

So I just don't care any more. Not when the super wealthy in this country don't pay their fair share of taxes. Not when they spend ridiculous amounts of money on superfluous, wasteful spending. Not when the president of the United States spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on his never-ending golf trips. Not when multimillionaires have millions of dollars to spare for a 10 minute ride into space.

I refuse to give up. I will remain hopeful that things will get better, as difficult as that may be. I will continue to do things that bring me pleasure. But it sure isn't easy.

It’s Just Too Much

I don't know about you, but the constant chaos, lies and pandemonium that we Americans, at least those of us who aren't members of the cult, are forced to live through are taking a toll on my mind and body.

It's exhausting. Reading day after day after day after day about the incessant babbling of the president of this once great country. Watching him travel at taxpayer expense to Middle Eastern countries where he is treated like the king he wants to be as he sets up deals that benefit not our country, but himself. It's all about him being feted by very wealthy people. Watching how his government prosecutes people who dare to speak out against him after he has insulted them repeatedly is extremely distressing. Watching the courts refuse to do anything to try to reign him in is very discouraging.

They're taking my enthusiasm away. They're taking my will to do anything except sit home and read or watch television. They're taking my energy away. All I want to do after the sun goes down is to crawl into bed. Fortunately, my dogs keep me up and moving. Each gets a 1-mile walk every early morning.

I have lost many hours of sleep, worrying about this country and what is being done to dismantle it. One recent night found me awake for 4 hours as I stared at the ceiling in the darkness. I thought about getting up, but if I got up, my dogs would get up. And their routine indicates that after they get up and go outside for a potty break, they have breakfast. That wasn't going to happen at 1:00 a.m.

I am looking forward to some travel this year that should provide not only a respite from the terrible news, but also offer opportunities for some great photography. I have reduced the amount of time I spend on social media, and the only news I watch is a 30-minute local news program followed by a 30-minute national news broadcast. 

I read a lot, but sometimes I get tired of reading. I exercise every day. And most of the television I watch is historical or archaeological or science-based. I cannot deal with the inanity of sitcoms with their canned laughter. 

A break from the insanity of American politics will be a welcome respite, especially when I am overseas. Of course, for the first time in my life, I have to worry about whether I will be thrown in jail as I return to the US because of something I may have posted somewhere online. So much for freedom of speech. So much for the Fourth Amendment. So much for our democracy.

What Takes Your Breath Away?

I follow a number of photography pages online. 

Recently I got a friend request from a retired physician who is also an amazing wildlife photographer. He has been posting photos of leopards and other wildlife from his recent travels. To mark World Leopard Day recently, he posted a breathtaking photo of a male leopard walking directly down the road toward him. 

That is the kind of image that takes my breath away. It's also the kind of image I dream of capturing. Sadly, that leopard was killed by lions, a fate that happened to my most favorite Kenyan leopard named Fig. Fig is pictured to the right, the first time I saw her in Kenya. She had a daughter named Figlet who is still thriving in Kenya. Figlet has raised several beautiful cubs.

Lions and leopards hate each other. So I'm not surprised when I hear about lions killing a leopard. But it still always saddens me.

Another thing that has taken my breath away is viewing (and photographing) some of Mother Nature's handiwork -- landscapes. I confess, however, that as beautiful as some landscapes are, nothing can compare with the amazing wildlife I have been fortunate enough to photograph.

My preference for landscape photography is mountains, the bigger the better. Pictured here is Shiprock, the remains of an ancient volcano on the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. This monadnock is a mountain that rises abruptly from a flat or gently sloping plain.

Finally, certain singers and music take my breath away. Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand come to mind immediately. I recently saw a video of three sopranos singing with Andre Rieu's orchestra. The song, Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen, is such a moving song. And one of the sopranos, whose name I don't know, has an incredibly beautiful voice. 

When I was in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, at the conclusion of walking the Camino de Compostela pilgrimage route, a soprano known as the 'soprano of the arches' was singing outdoors. I bought her CD so I could enjoy her incredible voice at home. That was the first time I had heard Cohen's masterpiece, and I was hooked.

I hope you find, and enjoy, things that take your breath away.