Sunday, January 31, 2021

Fatigued By COVID Nanny State Mandates

 Yesterday morning after we dropped one of the cars off for servicing at the Honda dealership, Todd and I ventured about 45 miles east to meet friends for brunch in Leesburg. It was farthest I’d been from home in two months except for a trip to the dentist. I hadn’t been in a Wegmans since July! I love Wegmans. I enjoy eating in restaurants. I want independent dining establishments to thrive. I want small businesses to recover. I want to sit at the bar and eat. 


When we got back to Winchester, I dropped Todd off to retrieve the car and went about running a few errands. Then I gave up and bust drove home. Going out isn’t fun anymore. I HATE wearing a mask indoors. It complicates breathing. It is uncomfortable. I have “mask-née” around my chin, mouth and nose. I am fatigued by federal and state governments imposing inconsistent restriction on businesses and people.

I would rather see every restaurant and small business open to full capacity with business owners setting their own guidelines and ‘the people’ deciding whether to patronize an establishment while consider the risk/ benefit analysis. Funny how the mandates are imposed by government officials who still get a paycheck and flout their own rules while crippling America. I fail to see how it is any greater risk to visit a boutique than shop at Walmart, Target, Costco or the ABC store. Why is there less risk going to CVS, the grocery store or protesting during a BLM March than my sitting at a local bar, practicing yoga in a studio or going to church? 

The media hacks somberly reporting deaths and encouraging the perpetuation of lockdowns continue to get paid while supporting teachers unions that pay teachers to stay at home while parents have to give up jobs to look after kids that could and should be in school. Students may never recover what they’ve lost over the last 10 1/2 months. 

The liberal political class has enjoyed playing dictators/ tyrants/ oligarchs/  etc. at the expense of the taxpayers they are sworn to serve. It is time to re- open the economy.


Tuesday, January 26, 2021

The Hypocrisy Of Biden’s Call For Unity

 The inaugural address by President Biden in which he called for “Unity” is akin to Communist China alleging to support the “One Country, Two Systems” deal negotiated by the British when the abandoned Hong Kong to China in July 1, 1997. HOGWASH! 




Merriam Webster defines “unity” in part as “a condition of harmony” or “ the quality or state of being made one”. Forgive me if I guffaw. Biden and the democrats are acting as if the have a mandate via winning by a landslide. LBJ won in a landslide Barry Goldwater in 1964. Nixon won his second term over McGovern by a landslide in 1972. Reagan won in landslides over Jimmy Carter in 1980 and Walter  Mondale in 1984. There hasn’t been a landslide in a presidential election since 1984  when America became again a proud nation. Biden won only because he was not Donald Trump. People who voted for him hope he lives long enough to serve his four years as a placeholder until both parties can find an acceptable, moderate candidate under 70 who is not a socialist. Despite the popularity of “the squad” in socialist enclaves, most of America finds their views offensive. 

If Biden truly believes his own rhetoric ( if he has any clue what he said) he would follow the precedent of Gerald Ford and refuse to continue the charade of a second impeachment for the good of the country. He would stop reversing the positive executive orders made by Donald Trump. He would state categorically that he opposes removal of the filibuster, packing the Supreme Court, allowing open borders, sanctuary cities for illegals, confiscating the firearms of law abiding citizens, and forcing Americans to pay for the dumb ass loans taken out by college students. Sorry, not my problem! 

Instead, President Biden will support the anti American ideology of Citizen Pelosi’s, Chairman Schumer, Herr Schiff, and Comrade AOC to foster even more divisiveness. 

Trump did not lose because of his policies. He lost because he is a brash, unfiltered, self absorbed narcissist. Biden probably can’t spell unity. 


Come on man, 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣



Sunday, January 10, 2021

Wondering if Anybody Supporting Today's Cancel Culture Has Met a Survivor of Re-Education Camps


It is time for reasonable, moderate, centrist thinking Americans to take back control of the political narrative and our government. Democrats and Conservatives share responsibility for the current toxic state of affairs. While Democrats may exhibit glee at taking both houses of Congress and the presidency, they should use discretion in pursuing a leftist agenda. There was no mandate. The country is divided nearly 50/50. More Americans voted against a candidate rather than for a candidate over the last two presidential elections. 

The rhetoric spouting from the mouths of Progressives, ANTIFA, and supporters of socialism in America is eerily reminiscent of Communist Party officials in China, the Soviet Union, North Korea and Vietnam during the Cold War when middle class, educated professors, doctors, writers and opposition politicians, as well as religious "bourgeoisie" who did not accept politically correct doctrine were sent to "re-education camps" to serve as slave labor for the "people". The government then confiscated the personal property of those sent to be indoctrinated in politically correct ideology - purportedly to redistribute to those more worthy such as Communist Party members and peasants. When Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Chuck Schumer and AOC acolytes suggest targeting Conservatives for their political ideology, Americans should be concerned. 

Unlike most Americans living in the 21st Century, during my five years living in Asia I  met several people who survived re-education camps and/or the confiscation of property and/or the loss of a profession because of political connections, the accident of birth, religious affiliation or ideology  during the Cultural Revolution and following the Vietnam following the "conflict".  

https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/19/archives/china-transformed-by-elimination-of-four-olds.html

People like to believe it could never happen here. But then again, until last Wednesday, nobody conceived that American citizens would storm the U.S. Capitol. 

https://www.ft.com/content/3d2ba75c-1fdf-11e3-8861-00144feab7de

The events of January 6, 2021 have been blamed on President Trump. However, the outrageous vitriol, acceptance of burning and looting cities, the encouragement to harass or refuse to serve those with different ideas by partisan politicians contributed to the divisiveness by painting all Conservatives or Libertarians as racist, misogynist,  unintelligent, inarticulate deplorables. Just because an individual or a group of people find burning, looting, assaulting police officers and journalists heinous, unjustifiable activity, does not make him or her deplorable. In fact most middle of the road citizens find those actions deplorable. 


Perhaps if more of the protestors read actual history instead of swallowing the partisan news of CNN, MSNBC, FOX, The WaPo, New York Times or the bull-feathers taught by indoctrinated academics, they might discover the actual facts instead of the revisionist fantasies of such projects such as 1619.



Sunday, January 3, 2021

Beginning 2021 With A Positive Attitude


I am a firm believer that positivity begets positivity. That is why I have tried to keep my mind and attitude firmly in the "glass half full" sector over the past 18 years. It took a lot of work, introspection, journaling, healing, positive affirmations, making healthy choices, and attitude adjustment to "reboot" my former self that had spent too many years in the depths of negativity, unhealthy relationships and just plain misery. I had to heal my psyche, convince myself that I deserved happiness, joy, peace, contentment, success, a great parking space, opportunities for expanding my horizons, and marriage based upon love and mutual respect. 

My concerted effort to maintain an attitude of gratitude helped me navigate the "slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" that we faced in 2020. Having survived that tumultuous year with all of my fingers and toes, a regular paycheck, a full wine refrigerator, most of the cats, only a short period when the Utopia Salon was forcibly closed, and Home Depot correcting the kitchen restoration of 2015 that did not last five years, we have much for which we are grateful. Consequently, with vaccine deployment now underway we can anticipate a return to some semblance of normalcy be the end of 2021. 

To kick off the new year, Todd and I have started working on our "Retirement Visualization" planning. It is amazing how quickly that last 40 years of working life have swept us to this place and time. We met at the right moment and plan to enter the next phase of our lives mindfully with the anticipation of many years of excellent health and opportunities for continued growth, new friendships, and enjoyment. 


Despite the closure of my favorite yoga studio thanks to COVID mandates, I've discovered Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. Adriene is beginning 2021 with a 30 day program titled "Welcome To Breath".  It is FREE. She is inspiring. And I always feel physically and mentally better when I participate her daily practice. If the daily practice isn't what I am looking for - there are hundreds of free Yoga With Adriene YouTube videos available.  I've begun 2021 with the intention to self-motivate to practice more frequently. 


After indulging in Todd's scrumptious buttermilk Christmas  cookies and a little extra wine over the holidays, we are both committed to returning to the low carb diet that previously worked for us. We just avoid bread, white rice, pasta, potatoes, pizza, processed foods,  sugar and that extra glass of wine from Sunday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday are made for indulgence. I actually went a year without pasta and didn't miss it - even though it is among my favorite food groups. 

And tomorrow it is back to work! While I have experienced career disappointments recently, I am now at peace with my role and am committed to transferring the knowledge I have acquired from years of experience to the next generation of high performers. My "spousal unit" referred to me a few weeks ago as a "sage dinosaur". After giving him the "narrow eye" and a bit of a growl, I had to concede that he is right to a degree. I am still relevant in the corporate world because of my institutional knowledge, broad experience, aptitude for learning new things, and willingness to share. My main professional challenge for 2021 is to keep my ego in check and continue my 40 year journey to enhance  my "soft skills"