Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day Safely

By Darlene Mitchell March 15, 2022 March 15, 2022 Holidays, Positive Vibes, St. Patrick's Day

Celebrating St. Paddy’s Day Safely

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day Safely

Editor: Pray for the victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine. Donate to UNICEF relief services.

By D. S. Mitchell

For The Irish

St. Patrick’s Day is a big day for the Irish. In fact, more than 30 million Americans brag about their Irish roots, which means there will be a lot of beer drinking on March 17th. Early reports suggest more than 57% of those questioned have plans to celebrate the holiday. Statistics indicate the average party goer will spend $40 on celebrating, which adds up to over $6 billion in green.

Legal Limits

March 17th encourages us to dress in green and lift a brew or two. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always stop with one or two. Beer sales jump 175%, and liquor sales rise 153%. 32% of men report binge-drinking on the holiday. Most revelers admit to drinking no less than 4.2 drinks on the holiday, which should propel any drinker over the .08 BAC national intoxication level.

Alcohol Soaked

Only Mardi Gras and New Year’s Eve are more alcohol soaked or dangerously combustible than St. Paddy’s Day. As such, it should be no surprise that driving might be dangerous. Of all fatal auto crashes on St. Patrick’s Day in 2018, fully 62% involved a drunk driver. Every year close to a 100 folks, nationwide lose their lives in alcohol related accidents on the holiday.

Have A Plan

No one wants to see holiday celebrations turn tragic, so if you are planning on having a brew or two come with a plan. I do not believe the average celebrant sets out to drive drunk, but once we start drinking we make bad decisions. People lose track (big surprise) of how many drinks they’ve had, or somehow ingest a couple more than intended. Here is where the problem starts, once intoxicated they assume they are sober enough to drive home, somehow. This error in judgement is often deadly.

Corn Beef And Cabbage

The plan for the evening (afternoon) may include identifying and enlisting a trusted “designated” driver to take responsibility for getting everyone home safe at the end of the night. Or, my personal favorite, take a taxi to and from your destination. That way, with no car on site, there will be no temptation to hop behind the wheel; no matter how twisted your judgement may have become. Or, consider spending the holiday at home with a six pack, or forego the beer altogether, and enjoy the corned beef and cabbage.

Last Word

However you choose to celebrate, please do it safely and responsibly.

The Benefits Of Spring Cleaning

By Darlene Mitchell March 13, 2022 March 13, 2022 Anxiety, Depression, Happiness, Health/Fitness, Household Hints, Spring

The Benefits Of Spring Cleaning

By D. S. Mitchell

The first day of spring, is March 20, which means it is time for spring cleaning. Washing windows, moving furniture, organizing the pantry are all big projects, but such annual tasks provide big benefits. Spring cleaning is more than just picking up your space, or tidying up a bit; it is about improving overall well-being. Organization and cleanliness can provide unexpected health benefits; read on.

Turn On The Feel Good Hormones

There is a proven connection between cleanliness, organization, and mental health. Studies have shown that a clean home and tidy surroundings are directly correlated to happiness, and the all important ability to focus. Clutter causes anxiety to spike. Laundry piling up in the corner, papers, and mail, strewn carelessly about on the floor and various surfaces can be overwhelming. If you want a boost in your mood, clean up. Cleaning the clutter will turn on those hormones that improve mood, and general attitude.

Send Germs Packing

Cleaning items that are touched frequently is a good place to start. Cleaning and sanitizing on a regular basis, not just as spring arrives, is a proven way to reduce the spread of germs. Keeping household surfaces clean can help reduce the spread of viruses and illnesses. Doorknobs, refrigerator handles, light switches, countertops, and TV remotes, are all places that germs are hanging out waiting to spread infection. Wipe it down and stay healthy.

Breathe Better

I’ve suffered with asthma all my life. Dust and pollen can trigger an attack; causing me to cough, wheeze and struggle to breathe. With spring comes pollen that aggravates such allergies. Pollen, however, isn’t the only thing floating about causing breathing problems. The build up of dust and pet dander can also cause respiratory problems, particularly for the vulnerable. Spring is the time for ‘deep-cleaning’. Changing out your air filters, furnace filters, and vents will go a long way to improving your overall health.

Get Moving

Get up off the couch and get to work. Just running the vacuum and picking up the surface clutter will make you feel better. With that goal in mind here are a few tips from the internet to help you with the spring cleaning tradition.

Room by Room: Skip the areas that you clean regularly and focus on areas that are generally ignored or neglected. Create a cleaning checklist for each room to help you stay on track and remind you what areas need special attention.

Seasonal Projects: Many tasks are seasonal, such as boxing and storing winter clothing, bedding, skis, sleds, and decor. As you are putting away the memories of winter you will be preparing for summer activities. Clean the grill, sweep the patio, wash exterior windows. Unpack summer linens, open the drapes and invite the sunshine in.

Clear And Organize: Focus on getting rid of clutter. Leticia Almeida, on her website, suggested a 4-step approach. “Identify problem areas, analyze reasons for the clutter, determine solutions and implement them. Sorting your belongings into four categories-trash, give away, store, or put away. . . ” is highly effective. Her number one suggestion is “move the clutter as soon as possible, whether it’s bringing a donation box to a charity or having a garage sale.” (www.thespruce.com)

Enlist The Family: Make the Spring Cleaning project, a family affair. Young kids can be fun and imaginative, and excellent helpers. Assign tasks, and make everyone feel included. Turn on the tunes and plan a dinner at your favorite restaurant as a reward when the work is done.

My Take

Several of the experts suggest you break up the spring cleaning tasks in to multiple days to ‘establish cleaning habits’ that will last the rest of the year, encouraging you to spend 10-15 minutes a day straightening up and de-cluttering year round. Sorry, experts, I cannot deal with the mess that comes with cleaning, to want to extend it into several weeks; enjoying it in small doses. For me, it is all or nothing. Plus. it is easier to get help for a full eight hours, one day, or maybe a second day, but never a dozen days for half an hour a shot. So, figure out what you want done and when you want it done and get on the phone and ask for help if you need it.

Putin’s War On Humanity

By Darlene Mitchell March 12, 2022 March 12, 2022 Lies and Corruption, Russia, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin

Putin’s War On Humanity

By Anonymous

No Words

Empathy is a word that gets tossed around a lot. And yet, when we put it to use in times of tragedy, it does little to solve the matters at hand—except, perhaps, to stay that hand from causing further destruction.

I Can Imagine

Right now, I’m mother of one with another on the way. I could be one of those terrified Ukrainians running from bombs, one hand holding my child’s and the other clutching my belly. For a moment, I can place myself there: terror, frustration, and determination all coursing through my veins as I fear for my family’s wellbeing, wondering if my husband would be running with us or staying behind to defend our country and our democratic way of life.

Loud and Ugly

There is much at stake, and although it doesn’t always feel real to us, as we’re scrolling through the news on our phones and sipping our coffee, the reality of injury and death is a stark possibility for those simply living in any war torn region of the world. Now, Ukraine has become a war zone due to the madness of one man, Vladimir Putin. Putin’s ilk is nothing new. Sadly, such strongmen take over countries and strip citizens of self determination, someplace in the world on a nearly daily basis. Some countries fall quietly. Such is not the case with Ukraine, the fight there is loud and ugly, as Ukrainian civilians take up arms to fight back against the Russian invaders.

Women’s Day Celebrates Women

By Darlene Mitchell March 7, 2022 March 7, 2022 Holidays, International Women's Dau, International Women's Day, Poetry, Quotes, Update

30 Quotes Celebrating Women

30 Quotes Celebrating Women:

International Women’s Day

D. S. Mitchell

March 8th marks a wartime strike in 1917, when Russian women demanded “bread and peace”. Within four days of the strike’s start, the tsar was forced to abdicate and the provisional government granted women the right to vote. That is how and why March 8 became the date we celebrate Women’s Day.

The date is recognized world wide as International Women’s Day; a day to recognize the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. It is also a day to raise awareness of women’s equality and lobby for accelerated gender parity. I thought it might be fun to look at some famous quotes celebrating women, so here goes, be inspired:

3o Quotes Honoring Women

1.) “Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.” –Unknown

2.) “To tell a woman everything she cannot do is to tell her what she can.” –Spanish Proverb

3.) “Well-behaved women rarely make history.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

4.) “The best protection any woman can have is courage.” –Elizabeth Cady Stanton

5.) “Where there is a woman, there is magic.” –Ntozake Shange

6.) “You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.” –Unknown

7.) “Women are the largest untapped reservoir of talent in the world.” –Hilary Clinton

8.) “Feminism is for everyone.”-Bell Hooks

9.) “There’s nothing a man can do that I can’t do better and in heels.” –Ginger Rogers

10.) “Above all, be the heroine of your life. Not the victim.” –Nora Ephron

11.) “Girls should never be afraid to be smart.” –Emma Watson

12.) “Life is tough, my darling, but so are you.” –Stephanie Bennett-Henry

13.) “A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.” –Gina Carey

14.) “She wasn’t looking for a knight. She was looking for a sword.” –Atticus

15.) “A strong woman stands up for herself. A stronger woman stands up for everyone else.” –Unknown

16.) “Feminism isn’t about making women strong. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” –G.D. Anderson

17.) “You can always tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” –Unknown

18.) “The question isn’t who’s going to let me; it’s who’s going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand

19.) “I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” –Madonna

20.) “A woman is like a tea bag: You can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.” –Eleanor Roosevelt

21.) “A woman should be like a single flower—not a whole bouquet.” –Anna Held

22.) “I know what I bring to the table… So trust me when I say I’m not afraid to eat alone.” –Unknown

23.) “Women are the real architects of society.” –Cher

24.) “When women wake, mountains move.” Chinese Proverb

25.) “She’s a strong cup of black coffee in a world that is drunk on the cheap wine of shallow love.” –Unknown

26.) “Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.” –Unknown

27.) “I expect woman will be the last thing civilized by man.” –George Meredith

28.) “Women are made to be loved, not understood.” –Oscar Wilde

29.) “The age of a woman doesn’t mean a thing. The best tunes are played on the oldest fiddles.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson

30.) “In our society, the women who break down barriers are those who ignore limits” –Arnold Schwarzenegger

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2017/03/29/quotes-on-courage/

John “Jack” Addison Babcock

By Darlene Mitchell March 6, 2022 March 13, 2022 Arts & Entertainment, Humor, Jack Babcock, Poetry, Schizophrenia

Jack Babcock 6/7/1948-2/21/2022

“. . .And may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.” Rest in peace dear friend, you will be missed.

Editor: It is with deep sadness that Calamity News and Politics announces the death of our dear friend and contributor, Jack Babcock. Jack was a passionate and prolific writer and poet. He had a wonderful sense of humor that drew people to him and he had a very rich social life with many interests and hobbies. He loved birds and animals. He enjoyed playing the guitar, and reading T. S. Eliot. If you’ve visited CNP before you have probably seen some of his postings. Although Jack passed in late February his Memorial Service was held yesterday, 3/5/2022. So today is a good day to laugh a bit and look for the bright side of the situation; that was Jack’s way. You can find Jack Babcock’s books of poems on his Amazon site at this link:

You can find him at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=jack+babcock&ref=nb_sb_noss

POETRY MORSELS

By Jack Babcock

the bird

the birds
wings cut the sky
another bird proud
has his own
way to fly
cutting the sky
hovering over his nest
as if to say
I am the best
His wings cut the sky
Amazing you and I

********

Bed

I saw on the tube
An ad for a bed
King sized

I’m single bed Jack

It would be nice to do things in two

doing things in one tho is nice
no petty quarrels
no intrigue no spice

one is just fine for now
two is too many maybe

my uncle used to say
that he was a lone angel

so be it. I’m an angel.

********

living

what’s the point of living
if you can’t
smoke a cigarette
drink a beer
blow some dope
or
drop some acid
what’s the point
Author’s note:
14 years of sobriety

********

baseball

illness

I have 3 illnesses

Schizophrenia
Diabetes
Acute kidney disease

3 strikes 3 strikes and you’re out

But I feel pretty well

Jack lived in suburban NE Portland, Oregon. In 2020 his suburban neighborhood was threatened by wildfires. They were on a standing Fire Evacuation Alert (Red Alert Level 3) for a week. It was pretty scary times here on the west coast. I remember the sky was a sallow yellow and the smoke was blinding. Totally unprecedented devastation. I thought readers might enjoy Jack’s quirky take on that very dangerous situation.

fire

the red sun

peers thru the smoke

the news is near doom

I haven’t had asparagus in years

or a banana split

the president waves a flag

I hope for one last good meal

Red Alert Level 3.

Jack graduated from U of O with a degree in English and he went on to Lewis and Clark law school. Although his grades had been good enough to get him into law school, he became too sick with Schizophrenia to continue after his first year. Please enjoy Jack’s quirky take on life, and the deep pain of his mental illness. Being smart and doing all the right things doesn’t protect you from mental illness.

Brown Door

the brown door is shut……

I’m mentally ill. I smash the door, howl and scream.

Let me out of this madhouse quoth I.

and behind the brown door are lunatics.

drooling, sneezing, coughing, playing

with themselves.

what do they need?

just not to be put behind the brown door.

they need sunshine and music, laughter.

but, the brown door is shut.

********

Sweet Julia

i compared you

to a movie star

you balked

said you weren’t that attractive

is it possible

you don’t know how pretty you are

Julia

i told someone

i write you letters, poems

they thought that was sweet and kind

nothing of the sort

i do what i have to do

i feel i must write to you

looking at things

my aunt left me

an utrillo print

a few rings

a spode china set

all so pretty

so real, i love them, i loved my aunt

and there is you

my dear

i think i love you too.

********

Well

yotta yotta yata

so it goes

pornography or poetry

yadda yadda ya

whats the diff

it seems important to smile

death has no

yadda yatta

freedom and obscurity

yotta yotta ya

what now my love?

yotta ya.

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2019/02/13/mental-illness-i-m-prism-by-jack-babcock/

https://www.calamitypolitics.com/2020/09/14/fire-by-jack-babcock/

What’s In A Name

By Darlene Mitchell March 6, 2022 March 6, 2022 Adoption, DNA, Humor, Positive Vibes

What’s In A Name

By Anna Hessel

A New Beginning…

As one of my milestone birthdays quickly approaches, my thoughts have wandered to my birth. I was privately adopted as a newborn by an older couple that were never meant to be parents. Through DNA testing and the state of Pennsylvania finally opening original birth certificate availability to adoptees a few years ago, I have been blessed with finding my biological family. So far I am in contact with two lovely sisters, a beautiful niece, and a couple of cousins and their families, one of whom has become one of my dearest friends. She has encouraged me to reach out to my other siblings and maintains our family tree with the accuracy of a brain surgeon – a truly amazing lady.

Oh Yeah, I Blend…

My adopted family was abusive and ashamed of my multi racial ethnicities. I, on the other hand, am thrilled to be an Irish, Italian, Hispanic, Iraqi Jewish Christian. I was cheated out of growing up with sibling camaraderie and arguments, but I do have dear friends that have become my family. My spouse and I are truly blessed.

Choose Carefully

When I was adopted, my birth name was changed. This angered me; a name at birth should remain through a lifetime. Hopefully parents will take this into account before choosing overly unusual names. Names are special, and should be treated with reverence. When we adopted our most recent lovable Puggle, we kept her beautiful name Sasha. In Hebrew it means defender of mankind. I will admit we changed our younger cat’s name from Nala to Brioche when we brought her home, to go with our older kitty’s name Latte. Now Nala is now her middle cat name. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Engineered Immune Cells Offer Promise

By Darlene Mitchell March 6, 2022 March 6, 2022 Cancer, Health Care, Science & Technology

Engineered Immune Cells Offer Promise

By D. S. Mitchell

Sending Signals

Scientists have genetically engineered immune cells cable of delivering anticancer-signals to organs where cancer may spread. Immunotherapy is a pillar of cancer treatment; strengthening the patient’s immune system and then directing the bolstered immune system to attack tumors. In this effort, Adoptive Cell Transfer is proving successful. With this immunotherapy treatment a patient’s immune cells are collected, engineered for the patient’s specific cancer and then reintroduced into the patient to treat their cancer. There are numerous types of Adoptive Cell Transfer and the most prominent one is called CAR T Cell Therapy.

Cancer Fighting Immune Cells

In 2010 two blood cancer patients received an experimental immunotherapy, and their disease went into remission. The cancer fighting immune cells used in the treatment were still circulating in their bodies, ten years after the experimental dosing. It indicates that the treatment can be long lasting. Doug Olsen, a native Californian, was one of the patients, “From a patient’s viewpoint, when you are told you are pretty much out of options, the important thing is always to maintain hope. And certainly, I hoped this was going to work”, said Doug Olsen at a news briefing. The CAR T Cell Therapy used the patients’ genetically engineered immune cells to track down and destroy cells that cause cancer.

OPINION: DeJoy Is No Joy

By Darlene Mitchell March 3, 2022 March 4, 2022 Donald J. Trump, Louis DeJoy, United States Postal Service

OPINION: DeJoy Is No Joy

By Anna & Wes Hessel

Not Swift

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” But what about Post Master Louis DeJoy? We know our mail is being delivered slower and later in the day. Some people are not receiving mail delivery for days. I’m sure you can relate to this one; I received last month’s power bill in the same mail delivery as this month’s power bill. That has never happened to me before. So why, now? The U.S. Post Office has been delivering mail for over two hundred thirty years, they are better than this. What do we really know about this Republican Trump appointee?

Something We Should Have Never Contracted

First, Louis DeJoy was CEO, as well as founder, of New Breed Logistics. In 2014 New Breed merged into XPO Logistics. DeJoy became chief executive over XPO’s contract logistics unit. A year later he left this post to take a prominent position on XPO’s board, where he continued through 2018. New Breed was a United States Postal Service contractor, and still is as XPO. Louis is also known to be a major Republican fundraiser and contributor.

Black History Is Everyone’s History

By Darlene Mitchell February 27, 2022 February 27, 2022 Africa, Bigotry, Black and Brown Issues, Black Lives Matter, Demonstrations and Protests, Domestic Terrorism, Human Rights, Race/Ethnicity, Women's Rights

Black History Is Everyone’s History

Editor: As 2022 Black History Month ends it is important to acknowledge the contribution of black Americans to the arts, sports, science, technology, and innovation. Let’s celebrate their amazing contribution to our country and support the rights of all citizens to participate in the American Dream in all its promised dimensions.

By Wes & Anna Hessel

A Black Mark Not On Our History

As Black History Month comes to a close, let us acknowledge those African Americans that have made a positive impact on the United States and the world. We all recall as children eating peanut butter spread on crackers as we learned about George Washington Carver, but little other significant Black history has been taught in our schools. African-American contributions to our society remain mostly hidden; not celebrated, or taught in schools. Black history has little representation in curriculums, what a shame; it should be an integral part of our education, just as it has been an integral part of life and history. History and culture of African-Americans needs to be taught, alongside other cultures, including the typical Western European WASP and Greco-Roman past. Nothing is done in isolation, certainly not improving the world.

Black History Is More Than A Month…

Founded by historian Carter G. Woodson to honor the attainments of black men and women, it originally began as a week-long celebration known as “Negro History Week” in February of 1926, a week in which the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass occurred. Dr. Woodson was himself the son of a slave and although he did not begin his high school education until the age of 20, delayed by his need to earn a living in West Virginia coal mines, he went on to study at Berea College, the Sorbonne, and the University of Chicago. He eventually earned his PhD at Harvard, only the second African American to achieve this, his predecessor being none other than W. E. B. Du Bois.

Dems Face Tough Battle in 2022 Mid-terms

By Darlene Mitchell February 21, 2022 March 4, 2022 2022, Democrats, Economics, Financial News, Government, Opinion, Primary Elections

OPINION:

Democrats Face Tough Battle In 2022 Mid-terms

OPINION:

Democrats Face Tough Battle In 2022 Mid-terms

The U.S. mid-term elections are less than nine months away. According to experts, painful political fallout is coming for the Democrats. Currently, the Democrats have a very small majority in the House, control the presidency, while a “fluid” position exists in the Senate. The 2022 midterm elections are crucial, because they’ll determine if Mitch McConnell “gridlock politics’ returns or not.

By D. S. Mitchell

Poll Ratings Drop

Presidential approval ratings have dipped to dismal levels. The causes are many. The slow, painful, public assassination of the social portion of the Build Back Better by enemy insiders, Sinema and Manchin was painful to watch on cable news. Biden’s persistent claim that he is a uniter, a consensus builder, blew up in his face when he and his team could not deliver their own caucus; a terrible embarrassment.

COVID Hysteria

The on-going COVID pandemic is driving normal people insane. You see it everywhere, in interactions between customers and clerks, between cops and citizens, between voters and officials. The anger is palpable. Besides anger; there is depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, rage-on-a-plane-madness, and of course, homicide, and suicide.

Desperate Means

I think there is growing proof that the fabric of civil society, worldwide, is coming apart. The isolation, the restrictions, mask mandates, no mask mandate, vaccinate, don’t vax, the misinformation, the fear, the death, social media experts in white coats criminalizing their profession, have overwhelmed us all. People are ready to blame anyone for their troubles, all they need is someone with a megaphone to incite the crowd. A dangerous situation.