Say It Isn’t So!
The other day as I was surfing through the amazing amount of insignificant minutiae on the Internet, I happened upon an item that caught my eye and gave me pause to consider. It seems that a number of products we have taken for granted for years are on their way out. The following are just a few examples of items that may get the axe. Wheaties “the breakfast of champions” is on its way out because of dwindling sales. It seems that people now would prefer a breakfast burrito to the famous cereal. Guess what is no longer the “king of beers.” Yep. Budweiser has fallen all the way to fourth place among domestic beers. Surely they won’t mess with those magnificent horses. What is going to be for lunch when Chef Boyardee and Campbell Soups are gone. This just can’t happen because Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup is the basic ingredient in hundreds of casseroles, and Chef Boyardee is a staple for lunch. Finally, how will children grow up without Jell-O in their lives. Every child should have the chance to know that those big red letters stand for the Jell-O family. This is just a sampling of products that soon may disappear. Things just won’t be the same without them!
A Grim Thought
Even though the pandemic continues to rage across the country and around the world undeterred football fans flocked to stadiums on Saturdays and Sundays to cheer on their favorite teams all the while eschewing masks and social distancing. Meanwhile the hospitals are overflowing, and unfortunately it looks as if we may be gearing up for a long, hard winter unless more people will get their vaccinations. If that doesn’t eventuate, I fear COVID-19 will be with us forever. What a grim thought that is!
He’s Not Used to Losing
I sometimes wonder why they do it. I’m talking about very successful retired football coaches who give up high-paying jobs as commentators to go back into coaching. Urban Meyer immediately comes to mind. After winning two national championships at Florida and one at Ohio State (He also posted a record of 7-0 against Michigan, something no other Ohio State coach ever accomplished.), he retired. Following stints in the athletic department at Ohio State and as a commentator for Fox, he decided to try his coaching skills among the professional ranks as the head coach of the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars, who won just one game last year, and whose record thus far stands at 0-2. After a recent loss, Meyer said, “Playing in the NFL is like playing Alabama every week.” Perhaps another retirement is looking good!
Not For Me
Last Tuesday was the publication date of “Peril,” the final volume of Bob Woodward’s trilogy about the Trump presidency; the first two were “Fear” and “Rage.” I think I may have read parts or even all of them, but I honestly don’t remember, probably because I find politics so infinitely detestable. Woodward wrote “Peril” with Robert Costa, his colleague at The Washington Post, and I am certain it’s quite good because Woodward represents the epitome of excellent reporting. But from the advance material about the book I’ve read, I’ve decided not to subject myself to reading about the horror of Jan. 6. I watched it live, and since then news outlets have run videos of it ad nauseum. I’ve had enough, and so I’m going to skip this revisitation of the Trump presidency. I have much better ways to spend my time.
Not a Source of Pride
The following information is at once sad, frightening, and embarrassing. Last Thursday evening statistics revealed that West Virginia has the dubious distinction of being one of the most dangerous states in the country for COVID-19. When you look at the numbers, it’s quite obvious why this is so. Considering that the national vaccination rate stands at 55 percent, West Virginia’s rate stands at a lowly 48 percent. Unfortunately, West Virginia also ranked next to highest in overall death rate. The numbers came from a study conducted by WalletHub, which rated the 50 states and the District of Columbia in five categories: 1. Vaccination rate; 2. Positive Testing Rate; 3. Hospitalization Rate; 4.Death rate; and 5. Transmission rate. West Virginia was at or near the bottom in every category. Come on, people! Bare those arms and get a vaccination!
Ponder This:
I love to sleep. Do you? Isn’t it great? It really is the best of both worlds. You get to be alive and unconscious.
~ Rita Rudner
