Viral Vicissitudes

Range of Motion, Freedom of Movement: Shaping Our Nation (and World!) Infringing: If the legislation and associated spending bills he announced in his speech to the joint session last evening does not infringe on my rights, if all the infrastructure building that he wants to bring to fruition does not infringe on my space, then the actual content of President Biden's speech risks infringing on my copyright(s). I'm not sure if the president has been glancing at my blog throughout his 'young' tenure, or perhaps it was just his speech writer who tore a page from it...but the messages, themes, and quotes sure ring familiar, don't they? That is, messages and exhortations regarding the importance of being a body in motion, getting into shape, America! Just a few tantalizing quotes to convince you that he's been listening to me, that I'm at least getting through to someone. First, on the domestic front: "America's moving. Moving forward...Do not let up now...

Pandemic Plentiful...too Little, too Late (?)        Familiar themes to us all. We have all found ourselves on either side of the equation. Themes that take on a greater significance depending on the gravity of the situation, of which there have been too many  to enumerate here, from the past year in particular. Earlier in the pandemic, we witnessed shortages in PPE's, ventilators, and other lifesaving devices in ICU's and ER's and, while less acutely life threatening, a shortage of TP and other household goods on the shelves. Partly due to supply issues, partly to hoarding. In the case of PPE's, while the supply to health care workers eventually 'stabilized' (still way less than perfect), it was only after they had endured a surge, during which they had to get creative, stretch the life of a PPE way beyond its design, and otherwise expose themselves to more risk than they ever imagined.  Actions, Inactions: By the government officials, NGO's (as frequently...

Terms of Enfearment: Don't be afraid of the Circus (Circuits) !         No, it's not  a typo, I do  mean "enfearment", a slight modification of "endearment" -- slight change of one letter but quite a bit difference in meaning. Let me explain...As you know (if you're a loyal reader, if not, you'll just have to take my word for it or wander back through past posts), I've written many times here about one of my favorite topics, anxiety , which also answers to the name of fear , which has redemptive value for our well-being, especially when 'calibrated' (see April 19th post, among others). And, of course, I've actively encouraged you to consider the value to your well-being of (rigorous) exercise, including but not exclusive to the pandemic period. Finally, if you're even an occasional reader of this blog you 've grown accustomed to my penchant not only for alliterations, but also mash-ups, of mixing metaphors. 5-19-14, Life's...

Cigs, Paddles, Pens, Jelly Beans, M&M's, beer!, vaccinations, and finally...(chocolate chip) cookies! Mr. Smith and Mrs. Fields go to Washington:  The lighter, sweet side of current events includes how the Bidens, upon re-entering the White House, have brought with them a new recipe for (at least domestic) diplomacy. Distributing chocolate chip cookies, that is. Right from the start, right out of the oven, as the new first lady saw the wisdom and sweet intuition to know that just about everyone has a soft spot in their 'constitution' for these scrumptious staples, whether they prefer them soft or slightly burnt and crunchy, whether with milk or let them stand alone on their own merits...when she distributed them to the National Guard as a tender "Thank You" for keeping everyone safe throughout the inauguration of her husband. And now, still fairly early in his tenure as diplomat-in-chief, President Biden has started using CCC's to leverage his oral argumen...

College  (and other clubs) - Submissions, Admissions, Omissions: "We're off to see the Wizard..." That time of year again: For college applicants, it's the time they start finding out their fate, whether all the tears and toil pay off, or whether they get a letter encouraging reapplication after gaining some additional experiences ('gap year'?), get 'wait listed' (sort of a purgatory status), or get an outright rejection letter (not too many colleges send such straightforward "You shouldn't even think about re-applying..." as they seem, at least at first glance, to be protecting the aspirants self-esteem...more on this later). And even among the legion of people who never think about applying to college, but have applied instead to a club membership of some sort (even those philanthropic in nature..."why wouldn't they accept everyone, they need all the help they can get, don't they?"), or otherwise just simply applied fo...

Things are Looking Up Again...Sputnik, 2.0, 3.0.... From/to Russia with Love, here they come again: The Germans, that is. This time invited. What a difference 8 decades can make...for there are few Russians alive that can readily recall "Operation Barbarossa", the invasion of Russia by Nazi Germany in June of 1941. Involving over three million troops in 3 parallel offenses, in what is known as the most powerful force in history. While the number of Germans who are now being welcome across the border, even invited to take a "vaccination vacation" abroad, won't quite resemble a blitzkrieg, there will nevertheless be a temporary strain on Russian accommodations as an increasing number of German citizens have temporarily forsaken their homeland as they have become impatient with their administration's vaccine distribution, and headed east in search of Sputnik...So, here we are with yet another chapter in vaxing and vexing...a sequel to November 28th/29th and Dec...

Calibrating Cortisol, Enjoying Endorphins, Co-opting Cannabinoids...Endo Dude! Time for a Tune-Up: Whether you are tempting to transfer gas from a snow blower to a lawn mower (around here, but not too  soon, as you'll tempt Mother Nature to bring one last dusting of snow), getting that boat or convertible out of storage, or just trying to kick start a physical fitness program about which you made a resolution a few months back, we can all relate to the call for a tune-up. This particular year, this spring time rite is more 'pandemic plenty', as more people have definitely experienced the cumulative effects of what otherwise are normal, healthy, functional bodily responses to...STRESS! An example of such a condition that we otherwise refer to as BURN OUT is more technically experienced as adrenal fatigue or, more medically termed, "adrenal insufficiency". Oh, so THAT'S what we've all been going through these past dreadful months, eh?! Well, maybe, but this ...

 For GIVEN but...        You know the old saying, "forgiven but not forgotten". All of us can relate to this from both sides: asking for and granting forgiveness, and hoping that another will forget our trespassing, while we have difficulty forgetting the wrongs others have done to us, even after we have openly (and internally) forgiven. Well, 'current' events of considerable magnitude (at least considerable to those directly affected) allow me to write about these powerful psychological constructs and associated interpersonal dynamics. While the frequency with which we encounter these matters of the heart and mind (e.g., "My heart forgives you but my mind remains vigilant") may trivialize the profound impact they have on our instrumental relationships, the impact on both parties goes way below the surface to a depth approaching...well, even the Suez Canal! Grounded, then Impounded...Insult to Injury (?)  The "Ever Given", the HUGE cargo ship that ...

T Minus 100...and counting...torched (?) On your mark... Mark your calendars, for this represents the day from which we count down 100 days until the (postponed) '2020' Olympics to be held in Tokyo, Japan. I've written about the significance of the postponement as well as the Olympics in general in previous posts, but this is an important update, highlighting the significance for those of us in these parts of of our globe, Japan in particular, as well as the world at large. Social, financial, and psychological implications of Olympic proportions (groan!). T is for... in countdown lingo, the sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is to occur. NASA employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the launch prep, and even "E-minus for events that involve craft already in space...where "T" stands for  "Test" or "Time". In our case, I am taking editorial license and being even more incl...

  It's 'High Time' to Celebrate: Happy NLAD! An Electrifying Event: "National Lineworker Appreciation Day", that is. Today, April 12th, according to a monthly magazine from a rural energy co-op I receive. Whereas other 'National' calendars that keep us apprised of important dates to acknowledge designate it as April 18th. What the heck, let's just make it NLA week--they deserve it, these unheralded men (and now between 4-7% women, which is partly why its now "lineworker" rather than "lineman"). These people who we tend to only notice when they are NOT present, when we look for them to show up in a power outage. Well, they are out there proactively as well, maintaining the lines so we can maintain a steady supply of power. And, according to the "Occupational Outlook Handbook" (the national weather forecast for occupations for the near future), the overall employment of line installers and repairers is projected to show litt...

AOM, MOM: Know Your Rights, Stand Up Age Of Majority, Rites, Rights: "Coming of age" is a term we hear frequently around here (not just in my office as a psychologist), referring to the gradual transition from childhood to adulthood.  When I entered the field of professional psychology, there were many popular ways to delineate the main developmental stages in our society which, for today's post, include those of adolescence (the stage of "identity"), young adulthood and (full) adulthood. It was early in my career that "young adulthood" started getting more press, due to some changes in our society, including more people delaying marriage until their later 20's, more living with their parents for many different reasons (not just 'basement dwellers'), and a few other educational/career trends. More recently, especially throughout the past year, there have been speculations abound regarding the developmental affects of the pandemic on 'th...

4/5 Rotten Tomatoes Mash-Up (Literally): Catch-up with Ketchup - 'Signs' of the Pandemic Complimentary Condiments, no more:  We got used to seeing the sign "one per customer" in the isle where the hand sanitizer and other PPE products (abbreviations and products heretofore not part of our daily usage) were located, then TP, but has now been moved to the...condiment section, specifically KETCHUP! And now a second sign indicating "ketchup only upon request and only one per burger" as there is a run on ketchup, the newest 'essential product' whose supply line has been stretched to the point where, well, ketchup has been found to be a bit 'runny' (remember the commercials featuring the dreaded runny type versus the one that is so thick it only comes out with a few strong taps, which became the name brand)... Falling beHeinz the Demand: Heinz and other ketchup makers have openly acknowledged they are currently having a hard time keeping up with de...

Assault on Our Senses (and Sensibilities): Don't look now, close your ears, hold your nose... Following Foolery: Come again?! Did April Fools Day converge with Groundhogs Day?! Was this for real or surreal this morning?! If I had not heard the following trifecta of too-tough-to-digest tidbits thrice in one hour, if I had not followed up by reading them with my own eyes (reading glasses assisted so as to ensure accuracy) over and over and over again, I would have thought I was being played a fool. Certainly none of them passed the smell test! But, based on the prosaic press presentation, maybe it is just me...you judge for yourself. But first, a quick set up... Conspicuous by Their Absence: Loud voices of reporters, that is. Prior to the first official Q & A of the current presidential administration (punctuated not by rancor but by reading of questions the president apparently screened a bit prior), we became aware that the white house press as well as the national news, had ex...

  The New "Once in a Generation" Math Head of the Class, Buy the Numbers: The president, leaders of Congress, and others involved in passing yet anther (wasn't the first) "stimulus rescue" plan, climbed all over each other in taking credit for this "once in a generation" colossal cash care package. Also referred to now (but not later, as I will explain) as the COVID-19 Stimulus Package, or the American Rescue Plan, the 'stimulus' bill, involving 1.9 trillion dollars, was passed by the 117th United States Congress (535 members) and signed into law by the 46th President of the United States on March 11, 2021...remember these numbers, commit them to memory, perhaps via a super duper lottery number...for these same members of Congress and others involved may, by future generations, not be viewed as the heads of the class, as geniuses, but something far less intelligent, at least in character. Let me illuminate some mathematical realities...some rea...

Semi-Serene Suez Scenes: All Jammed Up...Moored and Bored...Under Way... Nautical Memes from the Scene: The optics of the moment, of the past week, from the traffic jam at the southern end of the Suez canal, offer so many opportunities for application to our recent/current circumstances, they were....well, 'too big for me to pass up' (dad joke!). I offer you just a few and hope they will prompt you to come up with you own, perhaps from the 'depths of your imaginations'...ugh! I can hardly 'contain' myself ...double ugh! This is gonna' be fun, because we can all relate to being: Forced to Moor: Early in the pandemic, when we were told to "stay in place", many took it as an opportunity to get extra rest and others to clean out 'clogged' spaces of our own, which gave way to boredom and restlessness...to blame casting and accusations as to whose fault it is for us having to be in such a congested condition (even though most of us were in the co...

My Last Post for this Blog...JK! April Fools! Biblical Proportions: And an edict went out on that day: "We will change the calendar so that the first day of the year will now be in January, rather than having festivals celebrating this annual rite later March through early April...anyone caught celebrating on any day other than January 1st, where the Big Ball will drop in Times Square will be deemed a FOOL!" Well, Pope  Gregory XIII said something of the sort back in 1582, when he and a few papal pals collectively brought about the change from the Julian calendar (in my mind he had something against a dude back then of the same name and, given his papal authority...perhaps I'm being a bit foolish here...). Some other historians attribute acts of foolishness back even farther, to the time of Genesis and another biblical figure--namely Noah, who allegedly made the mistake of letting a dove out of the ark before the floods subsided on or about April 1st (did he have a calend...