Fully Present Post 50

This was a week of rapid changes nationally, personally, and professionally. A trip to several stores to purchase disinfectant wipes or sprays was completely fruitless. I hadn’t thought about additional paper towels or toilet paper until my daughter told me she couldn’t find any. My husband called me at work to say that there was a line inside COSTCO to purchase them and that by the time he got back there, they were sold out. And now public gatherings are being cancelled left and right. Many schools, including my own, have gone to online instruction. In addition, my University cancelled all conference travel, including a conference I was scheduled to attend this week. I wasn’t planning to attend anyway to limit my exposure. A cousin called to ask me about the family reunion I’ve been planning for this summer. My response was to extend the registration deadline because I don’t have a crystal ball.

And that’s kind of the problem. We simply don’t know where the end is. The only thing we do know is that the virus spreads easily among people and that it can be deadly for the elderly and people with underlying health conditions. My husband and I fit both categories and so we are extra careful. Social distancing is essential to slow the progression of the virus. I appreciate that another daughter who usually stays with us when she is working in California decided that she might not do that for a while given that her exposure to others is greater than ours. She isn’t afraid of getting sick, but she fears passing the virus to us. I’m happy to have raised a wise and considerate woman.

But really, this is precisely why schools are suspending operations or going online. It’s why college and professional sports have suspended or postponed events. It’s why theaters have gone dark and conferences have been cancelled. We all want to protect the vulnerable people in our lives. I heard someone jokingly call this disease the “Boomer Doomer”. I made a rather cynical remark to my husband that this is one way to cut the cost of Social Security and Medicare. He grimaced. But it is undeniable that there is a fiscal impact associated with this virus outbreak.

I think about the all the losses to businesses that provide services to sports fans, conference goers, work sites, and tourists. Just this week, I personally cancelled my hotel and travel. None of the restaurants I would have patronized for three meals a day over the course of five days will get my business. My daughter cancelled her flight to New York as all the theaters there went dark and her clients in numerous shows ceased to work. Last night, I picked up Chinese food from the local restaurant we frequent and my husband admonished me for it. We ceased eating out, but he doesn’t even want take-out. Will local businesses survive if we all adopt this behavior? I think of all the businesses that went under during the 2008 financial crisis and I get worried. Many businesses we patronized in our small community never returned.

I don’t have an answer. I just know that priority number one is to physically survive. Second to that is financial survival. I haven’t had the stomach to look at my stock market investments. I will continue to invest because I’m in it for the long run and its possible to view this as stocks being on sale. But it’s not easy. We may well be headed for a recession if the government financial package isn’t smart and adequate enough to assist people whose livelihood is adversely affected by the loss of work.

My immediate plan is to find toilet paper, disinfectant, and canned goods. I’ll only purchase enough for my husband and me. I won’t be a hoarder, recognizing that my fellow human beings are in the same situation and will also need these items should we become house-bound. But what we found in the four stores we visited Saturday was astounding.

First, we arrived at COSTCO 30-minutes before it opened and found the line to enter the store was wrapped around the building and extended far into the parking lot. We left. The grocery stores had many bare shelves with a glaring absence of essentials like milk, bread, and canned goods. We were shocked. I found and bought two cans of disinfectant at Home Depot and purchased two of the three disinfectant wipes that had just been restocked in Target by paying for one of them in a separate line from my husband. We were unsuccessful in purchasing toilet paper anywhere and opted for napkins and facial tissue instead. Thankfully, we already have about 20 rolls in stock.

However, without a crystal ball, I’m not entirely confident that this is enough. I’m just hopeful that we can curtail the spread of this virus and eventually get back to life as we’ve come to appreciate it.

I delayed mailing in my absentee ballot and ended up voting for Joe Biden in the primary. He wasn’t my first choice but he was the only viable choice left to me as a moderate democrat. I’m disappointed in myself and the American people because we don’t seem capable anymore of electing the smartest, most articulate, and temperate person as our leader. In my opinion, towards the end of this particular primary cycle the most capable candidates were Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg. But they pulled out, leaving behind two old white men as the only viable Democratic choices. Yes, Tulsi Gabbard is still in it, but her chances of winning the nomination are slim to none.

How is it that the same American electorate that put Obama in the White House for eight years gave us these dismal choices? Obama represented us around the world with dignity and was well respected. He was intellectually brilliant, thoughtful and articulate, put forth policies that uplifted millions, saved our economy from a depression, kept us safe from another 911 terrorist attack, was scandal free, was empathetic and caring, and was a role model for our children. His wife was beautiful and brilliant and put forth a platform that actually made sense. And then we elected an old white man with none of these admirable characteristics and a wife whose platform is incoherent if not downright hypocritical.

This November, we’ll be choosing among three old white men, each much older and each less capable than Obama. The incumbent is a lying criminal narcissist whose ignorance is on display every day. He has singlehandedly discredited the office of the presidency in the eyes of the world and has become a laughingstock among world leaders. No reasonable parent would point to Trump as a role model. But most importantly, he is a threat to our security, the planet, and our health and general welfare. And our choices now left to replace him are better, but certainly not the best we were offered.

There is Bernie Sanders who is calling for a revolution that will likely result in a government stalemate, getting absolutely nothing accomplished. He isn’t able to compromise and his years in the Senate have shown this. His ideas of socialism go farther than the countries he says he wants to emulate. And he can’t show exactly how he will pay for all these freebies he is offering. While I do believe that healthcare should be a right and I’m for a Medicare for all type of system, I’m not on board with everything he’s promoting. I believe there is dignity in working and investing to earn a living and too much free stuff is a disincentive and causes major shortages of everything. I believe his policies would ultimately bankrupt the country. Besides that, his personality is that of a grumpy old man and his supporters have taken on his nasty personality on social media. At least he is honest, but I don’t believe he is electable in November.

The third old white man is on the ballot is Joe Biden. He is a kind and temperate, empathetic and moderate democrat. His policies are good and less dangerous than both Trump and Sanders. However, he opens his mouth and who knows what will come out. He is likeable, experienced, and just smart enough. He is certainly smarter than Trump and more likeable as a human being than both of his competitors. He might embarrass us on occasion with a gaff here and there, but he won’t be a laughingstock around the world. His belief in science, the reliance on experts rather than his own “hunches” and knowledge of history and the world would make him an acceptable president. I hope that he chooses either Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate. These are smart, capable, and temperate women who would be able to step in as president on day one if necessary.

And who knows, if Biden chooses Klobuchar, Harris, or Warren as his running mate, the next president of the United States in 2024 or sooner might just be a brilliant and capable woman that we can all be proud to call “Madam President”.

My great-grandmother Mary Wilson Carson died in the 1918 Influenza pandemic at age 32 leaving behind her husband and nine young children, including her namesake and my grandmother, 5 year old Mary, also known as “Doll” by family members. Every day we hear the number of Coronavirus infections and deaths, but I am keenly aware that behind each statistic is a family that is in mourning and forever changed. I am worried.

I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am among the most vulnerable populations to succumb to the Coronavirus, being over age 60 and having asthma. It doesn’t help that I constantly work with people who travel around the world. The thought of distancing myself from other humans is depressing, but I can see that as the virus spreads, this will become my norm for the foreseeable future. No more hugs and handshakes. Washing down my desk and doorknobs between appointments and washing my hands frequently. I learned the other day that hand sanitizers break down the PH in the skin and make it more permeable. So, plain old soap and water for 20 seconds is best and hand sanitizers are a backup plan. Breaking the habit of touching my face will take effort.

In my line of work, we have been monitoring the spread of the virus continually. I have students stuck in some of the most affected cities in China. In our office, trips to Asia have been cancelled. Even a K-pop concert scheduled in Los Angeles was cancelled. The economic impact this virus will have on the world is already enormous and we are not immune.

It starts with cancellations of travel plans and spreads to not going out to dinner as my husband announced this past week. It will affect schools, movie theaters, malls, churches, concerts, conferences and numerous public events will be rescheduled if not cancelled altogether. People work at these places and depend on patrons for their livelihood. It is no wonder the stock market is tanking. We could likely be headed for a recession as people are no longer able to afford to buy things and to pay their bills.

In times like these we need to be smart and to rely on the knowledge of the experts. I was disheartened this week when Trump put Pence in charge of the messaging around the Coronavirus and said that the heath experts in the administration must run things through Pence before making public announcements. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? This is scary stuff. Never mind the messaging that the Coronavirus is a hoax drummed up by the Democrats to tank the economy ahead of the election. People will die with this kind of attitude. The first death from the virus in the U.S. was just reported Saturday. Because of the lying narcissist in the White House, I won’t pay attention to our government because they are not a trusted source. And already the shameless profiteers are posting Coronavirus cures on social media. Buyers beware.

I’ll listen instead to the World Health Organization as they are reaching out directly to people instead of governments for this very reason. The politicians we have in place today are more concerned about preserving their power than protecting the lives of their people. The newest pandemic is on its way. The time to educate ourselves and to make smart preparations and to mobilize our resources to save lives, not the stock market, is now. All this will have to take place at the local level given the government we currently have in place.

Social media is here and we’re not quite sure just how to deal with it. The question of what is appropriate to share is being addressed by parents, spouses, friends and employers. Just this week my own workplace released it’s intended social media policy in a draft of the revised employee handbook. The response sparked disagreement among employees as to what amount of influence an employer should be able to exercise over the social media posts of its employees. Not surprisingly, I’ve had conversations with family members and friends about the prudent personal use of social media.

My husband is not on social media at all. He has never signed up for a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any other social media account and he doesn’t look at mine. He is simply disinterested and doesn’t see any advantages to any of it. He has imposed restrictions on my use of it as a spouse who could be impacted by what I post. I don’t talk about him and I don’t talk about travel until we have returned. And I don’t post any items of value. He is rightly afraid of making us a target. He is an extremely private person who is baffled by why others openly share so much of their private lives with strangers.

I have a different viewpoint. I believe we can learn from others and offer support, congratulations and well wishes to people who have been in our lives. For the most part, I consider myself a Facebook voyeur, silently keeping up with the marriages, jobs, movements and births of former students, friends and colleagues. What I myself post is less about my family’s life and more about life issues. I care about social justice, health, politics, the environment, public safety, diversity, economic mobility, and creating a better world. I see social media as a mobilization tool. So, I use social media to engage around these issues. I appreciate reading the opinions of my Facebook friends on social topics that interest them. Others have a different take on the role of social media.

I had a conversation with a younger colleague this week who admitted that she got most of her news from social media. As a person who is fully aware that there are targeted misinformation campaigns on social media, I cautioned her against using Facebook as a reliable news source. It is not a reliable news source with capital N.O.T. The scary part was that she felt certain that she could distinguish between what was legitimate information and what wasn’t. The reality is that even a professor widely shared a false report to her embarrassment because she was fooled into thinking a news article was factual and it wasn’t.

With technology becoming ever more sophisticated it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction. When bad actors can make it appear that an individual is somewhere he is not or that a candidate is saying something she is not saying, the age of misinformation has reached a new high and social media is where this misinformation is finding its home. So, let the reader or consumer beware. I’ve decided that I will not read news nor share articles on social media, period.

Beyond the evils of misinformation, social media has been linked to the rise in depression among young women in particular. It appears that others are living lives that are enviable. Bullies wreck havoc on the psychological well being of others. The number of likes becomes too important. This is a trap that parents are going to have to figure out. I’m grateful that this wasn’t a huge issue when my kids were growing up. I just cautioned that what they put out there is forever a reflection of them and can enhance or damage their reputation. My grown kids use it, but somewhat sparingly. One uses it for business but stays away from controversial topics.

Social media isn’t going away anytime soon. We will all need to figure out what role, if any, it will have in our lives moving forward. I’ve decided that it is good for some things and not for others, especially reliable news.

I opened my mail-in ballot, otherwise known as an absentee ballot, and realized that I wasn’t ready to choose a presidential candidate. Many whose names appear on the ballot have dropped out, the most popular among them were Andrew Yang, Cory Booker, Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet. Thankfully, they have narrowed the field for me, but I’m still in serious deliberation.

First on my mind is electability over the brutal Trump lying and cheating machine as well as the ability to win in battleground states. Second on my mind is where each candidate stands on the issues. And third are personal traits such as health, intelligence and character. There are two candidates whom I am confident can beat Trump. They are Amy Klobuchar and Michel Bloomberg. Although I would enthusiastically support whomever wins the democratic nomination, if it is not one of these two, I would likely have butterflies in my stomach for months because the other front runners have vulnerabilities that frighten me.

First among the scary candidates to me is Bernie Sanders. I think he is too far left and the label democratic “socialist” will scare away too many voters, especially in battleground states. While I agree with him that income inequality has gotten out of hand, I’m not certain that his solutions are the answer. I agree that the wealthy and corporations should pay more in taxes. I agree that access to healthcare is a human right, however I am skeptical of his Medicare for all solution. I don’t agree that college should be free, but I do believe that those who can pay should pay and that government grants should be far more robust for needy students to the point where they do not have to take out student loans. I agree with eliminating student debt. As for his personal traits, he is smart but he also comes off as short-tempered and impatient with people. He had a heart attack and I’m afraid he might not last. I put Warren in the same category as Bernie except I like her temperament a lot more and I don’t worry about her health as much.

If I believed Americans were ready to accept a gay man married to another man, I would readily vote for Pete Buttigieg. While he is an impressive human being, he would be a lightening rod for religious conservatives and would further divide our country over the issue of sexual orientation. I like where he stands on the issues and I greatly admire his intelligence, health, positive energy and character. I enjoy hearing him articulate his ideas. He would make a great vice president and I hope that whomever the nominee is will select him.

And finally, I have given up on Joe Biden for two reasons. The first is that the Republicans successfully tainted his reputation among too many voters because of his son’s business dealings in Ukraine. Although his dealings were not illegal, they look ugly enough to do real damage to him. Innuendos about Hunter’s business deal won’t disappear if Biden is the nominee. And secondly, Biden isn’t performing well enough on the debate stage or in some of the town halls and he isn’t raising enough money. I’m fine with him on the issues and I’m okay with his character, but he isn’t articulating anything particularly well. I like Joe Biden as a person and I was pushing for him early on, but he really looks old and worn out to me. I see him and feel like he has had the stuffing knocked out of him. He looks like the tenacious fighter who just won’t give up. And I just want him to throw in the towel already.

So, I’ve narrowed my choices to Amy Klobuchar and Mike Bloomberg. I do think Mike would beat Trump by a wider margin than Amy though. His adds are impressive and he has the money to fight hard and smart. I heard that he is hiring two experts: one on how to get under the skin of a narcissist and a comic to weaponize that knowledge. I like both Michael and Amy the issues. However, Mike has character baggage with his push for stop and frisk that was a racial profiling nightmare for black and brown men in New York and across the nation. I have to balance that stop and frisk policy with the acknowledgement that the murder rate dropped by 68% during his administration and many of those lives saved were also black and brown. His age is also an issue for me, although he seems healthy, mentally strong, and energetic.

But Amy hits all the boxes for me. I think she can pull off a win against Trump because she is truthful, likeable, and smart. I like her moderate pragmatic policies. And her character, health, energy and presence are refreshing. I wonder if Mike would be willing to throw some of his 68 billion dollars her way if she wins the nomination and lend out those experts? I also believe that a Bloomberg-Klobuchar would be unstoppable and would place Amy in the position of an eventual presidency.

It sounds like I’ve made my choice on paper. But I’m going to wait until the very last minute to fill out my ballot.

This was an incredibly bad week for our nation as the very fabric of who we have actually become was exposed. This week the rule of law, truth, common decency and even our sense of what is fair, good, and right were literally thrown out like garbage. Justice was not served. Even Christian values were openly mocked by a man who is vindictive, volatile, and vulgar. It was difficult to stomach. But at the same time, his approval ratings reached an all time high of 49%. The decision for Americans in 2020 is about what our values will be moving forward. This is our year to decide who we are and what we care about. My revulsion at what I witnessed this week exposed my values as an American.

First, I recognized just how deeply I care about truth and actual facts. I care about accurate facts and truths because they are the foundation upon which consequential decisions should be made. As a rational human being I rely upon what I believe to be factual and truthful information to inform my responses to issues like climate change, my health, and who I vote for. Having a president who perpetually lies and covers up the truth is dangerous to voters and to policy makers. I watched this president lie about wanting to protect pre-existing conditions in his State of the Union speech when at the same time behind the scenes his administration is in court to get rid of it. He said he would forever protect Social Security and Medicare when the week before he said he was considering cuts. He lied about the Obama economy that created more jobs than his economy. He completely ignores a deficit that has reached 23 trillion dollars because of tax cuts and doesn’t mention cuts in food stamps for the poorest among us. But people, believing these lies and never hearing the truth, will vote for him to their own detriment.

The second thing I recognized is how frightened I am for our nation because of a man who is so vindictive and volatile that those around him have to be extraordinarily courageous to expose his corruption. Senator Mitt Romney bravely held onto his convictions by voting to remove Trump from office this past week. He is now being publicly ridiculed not only by Trump, but by the GOP and their media outlets for trying to hold this president accountable for obvious wrongdoing. Colonel Vinmen who testified under oath about what he heard, and even his brother, were fired. And so was the Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sundland, who also testified as to the corruption he witnessed. The failure of the Senate to conduct a fair trial and to hold Trump accountable for what they know were impeachable offenses is frightening for the rule of law moving forward. They allowed him to take away Congressional oversight of the executive branch of government. That leaves our whole nation vulnerable to the corrupt and self-serving whim of this vulgar man.

And finally, I recognized just how dismayed, deeply disappointed, and even disgusted I am by Americans who continue to support this president in the face of his lies, corruption, brutality, volatility and vulgarity. In 2016, some Americans just wanted to blow things up in Washington and so voted for Trump. Well he did blow things up. Like when he separated children from their parents at the border. Like when he pardoned a war criminal. Like when he abandoned the Iran Nuclear Deal. Like when he awarded Rush Limbaugh, a known and outspoken racist, the Medal of Freedom. Like when he openly mocked Christ’ admonition to love your enemies. Like when he says he has never needed to ask for forgiveness. Like when he threw out regulations to protect our water and air. Like when he hid the scientific evidence about climate change. Like when he started tariff wars? Like when he gave tax cuts to the wealthy and corporations who instead of raising wages, bought back stock and blew up the deficit. Like when he cut food stamps for the poor. Like when he referred to poor nations as “shit hole” countries and added more countries to his banned list this week. Like when he keeps appointing barely qualified federal judges who will make life hell for gays, women, immigrants, and minorities moving forward. Like when he mocks people with disabilities.

Americans of good will must really ask themselves if any of us are better off? Is our nation a better place? Are we kinder to each other or meaner? Does the rule of law matter for government leaders? Has the swamp been drained or are the swamp creatures running wild with impunity? Are there fewer mass shootings or more? Are our climate and environmental issues being addressed or ignored to our peril? Do our children and grandchildren have honorable role models in government? Do more people have access to affordable healthcare or fewer? A few people have a lot more money, but most people in this country have less given inflation because wages are growing far too slowly. A few depraved people feel happy that immigrants, religious minorities, gays, and people of color are being targeted and mistreated. A few angry people just want to stick it to anyone and everyone without thought as to how this man is actually hurting them and the nation. Do we want to continue to wake up to a new disaster every morning because of this president’s volatility? Is the fear of vengeance the way we want our lawmakers make decisions? Is vulgarity the norm we want to embrace as our national character?

The 2020 election will reveal who we truly are as a nation. I’ll be voting for anyone who isn’t a lying, corrupt, and depraved human being. My vote will be against vindictiveness, volatility, and vulgarity. So, that means I will definitely not be voting for Donald J. Trump.

It wasn’t enough that our nation had to mourn the sudden passing of basketball legend Koke Bryant, his 13 year old daughter and seven other parents and children in a tragic helicopter crash last Sunday. We also had to endure the passing of fairness, truth, law and order, and a big piece of what makes our nation great: our Constitution and the safety net of the separation of powers. There must be a price to pay for the cowardly and corrupt Republican senators who worship at the feet of partisan politics rather than protect and defend our Constitution. They betrayed us! They shamefully refused to hold Donald Trump accountable for his corruption, specifically his abuse of power and obstruction of justice. In the past four years these were among a host of other crimes that they let slide. No more! I want my country back. These GOP senators no longer deserve to represent this nation and its citizens. And we don’t have to simply throw up our hands in disgust; we can fight.

I was in conversation with a colleague this week who shared his strategy for fighting in 2020. I had one of those light bulb moments when you realize there is a whole new world of opportunity. He simply said that he was going to financially support democratic candidates running against GOP senators across the country. This was a huge eyeopener for me. That strategy hadn’t even occurred to me. It’s sad, but research clearly shows that in this nation money influences elections. It takes money to run a successful campaign. Our collective donations can make the difference in the outcome of the 2020 campaigns against the cowardly GOP senators who proved themselves unworthy to represent us from states other than our own.

There are 16 GOP senators up for re-election this year. Starting at the top, and the worse offender of all, who admitted that he was in lock step with the White House as Senate Majority Leader to get to a swift acquittal of Trump is Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Other offenders are Lindsey Graham of South Carolina who spews so much nonsense in defense of Trump that he is unredeemable. There is Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Martha McSally of Arizona, David Perdue of Georgia, Jim Risch of Idaho, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Cindy Hyde Smith of Mississippi, Steve Daines of Montana, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Tom Tillis of North Carolina, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, Mike Rounds of South Dakota, John Cornyn of Texas, and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia.

In addition to sending funds to their Democrat opponents, if you live one of these states or have friends or family in one, contact those you know and remind them to either register to vote or to check their registration, and to be sure to vote because running against someone with longstanding name recognition is difficult. You can also become a campaign volunteer to canvas, make phone calls, etc. The starting point is to find the name of the GOP senate opponent and provide three good policies they are running on to share with friends and family in that state and on social media.

For example, in Kentucky, Democrat Amy McGrath is running against Mitch McConnell. The two are in a statistical tie right now and money to get her message and name out there in Kentucky will make a huge difference. But so will being able to articulate why she deserves the votes of Kentucky citizens. I would highlight her pro-gun control stance, her fight against climate change stance, and her pro-healthcare stance as reasons to vote for her. I’m donating to her campaign today. And I will donate to Democratic senate races across the nation. I’m going to use my Facebook and Twitter accounts to promote the opponents of every GOP senator who is up for re-election until election day.

That said, we can’t afford to forget to also support the four democrat senators who are up for re-election this year. They also need support. They are Doug Jones of Alabama, Gary Peters of Michigan, Tina Smith of Minnesota, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hamshire.

We flipped the House of Representatives in 2018. Now is the time to flip the Senate and to remove the corrupt and cowardly Republicans from our nations capital. They no longer deserve to be there. Of course, it’s a given that Trump has to go, too. Let’s make it a landslide defeat of the corrupt and cowardly in 2020.

A couple of months ago, while watching my favorite Chinese pop singers, JJ Lin and A-Lin on YouTube, the algorithm inserted into my feed what seemed like a random video of a K-pop South Korean boy group called Astro. I’d never heard of or even seen them before, but I liked their sharp black suits and the stage setting so I watched them perform their hit song, “Baby“, a May 2017 release on their Dream Part 1 mini-album. An obsession was born.

Frankly, up to that point, I had only seen a little of the South Korean group BTS on random shows and thought they are good, but I didn’t think much of them. I knew BTS was a popular K-pop group, indeed they will be at the Grammy’s tonight, but their hard hitting rap and tough guy images weren’t all that attractive to me. Astro was different.

They aren’t tough guys. Instead they project good-looking nice guys with a ton of talent and great personalities. They debuted on February 23, 2016 as school boys and have quickly evolved into men. Their early performances are of cute boys dancing and singing in childish outfits. While their early music appeals to me, the dance moves and outfits are cringe-worthy. That changed in 2017 with their newest mini-albums and especially with their new November 2019 release, “Blue Flame“.

The producers at their production company, Fantagio, know what they are doing. K-pop is big business and serious business with huge pressures on their artists who live together, are in training for a long time before their debut, and who have major restrictions on their behavior and social lives. The producers put together a full sensory package with catchy music, incredible choreography, great visuals in clothes, makeup, hairstyling, production staging, and great effort in promoting the roles and personalities of each group member. The finished product in this case, Astro, is nothing short of amazing and I am a true fan. These six young men work extremely hard as they rehearse, travel, perform, and try to project a positive image 24/7.

My daughters rightly laughed at me this Christmas as I made them watch a few of their video performances. But they liked them too, though not as much as me. Human brains work differently and my responds to their music, dancing, and aesthetics in a way that brings me great pleasure. I’ve even added their arm movements in my favorite videos to my morning treadmill routine. It gets my heart rate up and stimulates my brain and muscle memory. Some of my favorite songs are “Moonwalk”, “All Night”, “Blue Flame” “Always You” and “When the Wind Blows”.

I can talk about each member and his role with ease. There is the beautiful face of the group, Cha Eun-woo, who is an actor as well as a singer and pianist. I’ve enjoyed him in the drama, “My ID is Gangnam Beauty” streaming on Viki and “The Rookie Historian” streaming on Netflix. He’s super handsome, smart, and projects a humble kindness. I enjoy his acting much more than his dancing, although he has mastered all the dance moves, his feet bother me a bit and sometimes he just appears to be going through the motions.

My favorite performer in the group is Moonbin. He is a great singer and incredible dancer whose dancing is always on point and full of feeling. He also plays the piano. He is by far the sexist member in the group and apparently he is also the favorite among fans. In November, he didn’t go on the road with the other members to promote and perform the new release, “Blue Flame” mini-album for health reasons. I sincerely hope he gets better soon.

The most accomplished dancer and choreographer is Rocky. He is amazing. He’s a really good slow rapper and can sing, too, although they don’t promote that much. He has a black belt in Taekwondo which may account for his apparent discipline. He appears to be the most serious of the members personality wise. He has a beautiful smile and I love watching him dance for the passion and precision he brings to every move.

The leader of the group and second in the sexist member category is Jinjin. His deep voice rapping and his true b-boy hip hop lends a great vibe to every song. I love hearing him rap and I enjoy his harder hitting dance moves. He has a nice personality, an easy laugh and he watches over the members, especially Yoon Sanha, the youngest of the group.

Yoon Sanha is the most evolved. He is considered the baby of the group and they don’t seem to want to let him grow up, but I’ve seem his performances evolve from a boy into a more manly performer with all the sexy vibes coming out. His talent extends to the guitar. He is the tallest member now, growing taller than Cha Eun-woo, and he’s very slim and graceful. His dance moves are beautiful to watch and his singing voice is really soothing and pretty. I love listening to him sing. He recently talked about his struggle with depression for which I admire his transparency.

And finally, there’s MJ, the personality of the group who is an incredible belter with the high notes in the songs. I adore MJ. One would never guess that he is the oldest member of the group. He seems to be the most fun-loving and loud. He has the most striking features, especially his mouth and eyes. He’s a good dancer, too, but I especially enjoy his singing.

I’ve downloaded at least three songs from each of their six-mini albums. Besides the dancing videos, they do have a several ballads that I love, including, “I’ll be There” , “Innocent Love” (features Cha Eun-woo accompanying on piano), “Bloom”, “Because it’s You” and “Run”. All I can say is that I’m a true fan girl and that for now they are my brain’s happy place.

Few people believe the Republican led Senate will remove Donald Trump from office even though the emerging evidence clearly points toward his guilt.  I feel like I’m watching a movie unfold that depicts the blatant corruption of powerful government officials. This week called into question the behavior of Attorney General William Barr, Congressman Devin Nunez, former governor Rick Perry, and even Vice President Mike Pence. And to think that these men were elected by Americans to protect and defend the Constitution.  The members of Trump’s circle implicated in multiple corruption scandals since 2016 is nothing short of a betrayal of the public trust. But why is this happening?  Can anyone do anything to stop this train wreck from happening in the next few weeks?

I believe the answer lies in the loud and determined demands of the American people.  We the people are responsible for whether the Senate does its job in a fair and impartial way during this trial.  Yeah, they took an oath, but it means nothing.  Over the years, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly shown us who they are.  It’s our good fortune that journalist have uncovered the fact that they are willing to lie and cheat and overlook sexual harassment and all manner of wrongdoing for the sake of remaining in power so that they can stack the courts.  These Republicans know Trump has broken many laws and has violated the trust of his office and the American people, but none of that matters if they can remain in office. Can it really be that simple and that bad? Maybe.

Whether it is or isn’t that simple, I say we remind them that they will not be re-elected to office if they betray our country and the rule of law by denying us a legitimate trial that brings forth relevant witnesses and documents that either exonerate or convict the president.  Let both sides expose the facts of the case.  No covering up the truth.  No withholding of facts.  No distractions. No moves to dismiss the allegations just to make the whole thing go away because you have a majority. 

This past week, I wrote to Mitch McConnell several times, demanding witnesses and documents and a legitimate trial.  I’ve seen several news reports that polls show that 70% of Americans want to hear from witnesses.  I’m grateful for the relentless journalist who keep digging for information, and for pollsters who keep polling, and for reporters who keep reporting the actual news. The legitimate news outlets (not Facebook; not Fox; not conservative talk radio) are helping to inform us during this crucial time in our nation’s history. We have to support them financially with subscriptions and by watching so that they can continue the important work. With the information they provide, we have a job to do, too.

We, the people have a voice.  We must use it to demand a fair trial so that we are sending a clear message to our government that blatant corruption and criminal behavior will not be tolerated.  Our voice is expressed in marches, letters, emails, phone calls, protests, blogs, and voting. Whichever way makes sense, each American should use her voice to demand what is right.  Silence is a friend of the corrupt.

I don’t understand how a person like Donald Trump got elected. I only know that there are criminal and corrupt elements undergirding his presidency and working diligently to deceive the electorate every minute of every day.  It is evident that he has surrounded himself with criminals.  Even those who turn on him have credibility issues because of their own criminal behavior. But think about the role Trump himself gave to those people are who turned on him? These were people engaged in his schemes. This week Lev Parnas became the newest person to turn over evidence of Trump’s bribery scheme. We know that Trump lies, cheats, steals, bullies and kills innocents with his policies without morality.  He has no regard for people who don’t swear loyalty to him.  How is this man still president of the United States?  I know the world is wondering the same thing.

It is time for we the people to demand that the Senate do the right thing and seriously consider the facts as to whether Trump truly deserves to be our president. 

If I remain healthy enough, I plan to retire in four years at the end of June, 2024.  The days seem to fly by and so I realize that four years will be here in the blink of an eye. On some days, it seems like many of my friends and family members have already retired and that I’m a lone holdout.  But I’m not yet ready. However, I’m seriously thinking about how to spend these last four working years.

There are three high priorities on my list.  They could be considered the three-legged stool upon which my successful and happy retirement will depend.  The first is good health, the second is adequate savings, and the third is a satisfying lifestyle plan. 

It’s only to be expected that aging brings health concerns because these bodies were not designed to last forever.  Everything about this body seems to wear out and to become less effective over time.  Move the wrong way and parts tear, sprang, or break.  Eat and more is stored as fat.  Less muscle, less stamina, slower memory recall.  It becomes harder to see and harder to hear.  These are all the norm.  I’ve heard people ponder how “young me got stuck in this old body”. I can relate. The reality is that we can’t stop the aging process, but we can slow it down with a healthy diet and greatly reduced calorie intake, moderate daily exercise for at least 45 minutes that includes stretching and weights as well as aerobics, adequate sleep, and an active brain.  I’m working to modify my health habits to match these best recommendations.  The challenge will be to find brain activity after I retire that matches the rigorous workout my brain gets every day at work, both socially and intellectually.

The second leg on the stool is having adequate savings.  Thankfully, I’ve been saving for retirement since my twenties.  And according to the financial planner, I’ve met the goal.  However, I’m determined to exceed it by far only because I don’t want to be scrapped for cash and who knows what healthcare costs will be.  So, I’m somewhat obsessed with saving and investing.  I made a decision to stop spending on unnecessary things, trips, restaurant meals and entertainment, and to put that money into additional savings and investments for the next four years.  I love to shop, so this will be difficult for me.  However, I acknowledge that I have more than enough clothes, shoes, and accessories stockpiled to get me to retirement without purchasing one more item. 

And that last stool, lifestyle is the most exciting prospect of what I’ll want retirement to be.  I know a few things.  First, I want to be close to family members so we can reach each other quickly.  Second, I want to trade in my professional wardrobe for a simple, leisurely and comfortable one.  Third, I want to be more active in my sorority, not as an officer, but as a supporter of our activities.  I’ll enjoy what I’ve always enjoyed, writing, reading, gardening, puzzles, good television, and decorating.  And the next house will need a really big kitchen because I plan to cook every day.     

Four years will come quickly and it’s nice to have implemented a plan to help me retire the way I hope to.