No Time Like the Present

I don’t plan these posts far ahead of time.  In fact, most are thoughts in the moment combined with ongoing thoughts in my head.  This is the first time I have, actually, been afraid of the November election process.  I have gone on record stating that I voted for Trump in 2016.  I did so because I did not want Hilary in the White House (still don’t).  However, that was, I see now, an unwinnable tenet in voting.  Trump has taken four very long years out of the life of this country and stepped all over it in the name of progress and self-serving ideals.  I was happy when he was elected.  That lasted about 3-4 months when I started seeing what a Frankenstein we had elected.  This devaluation of Democracy, of United States’ social/economical values, as well as the value of the individual has continued for years now.  I have see-sawed on worry about this election.  At times, I felt Democracy and pride in our country was going to win out.  Right now, I am worried.  I still believe that all things work out in the end, but that process, I feel, could be lengthened this November.

I spent this morning catching up on the Conventions a bit.  This one speech I, particularly, enjoyed.  It held hope and elevation of people at it’s heart.  It’s less than 25 mins and I feel it could raise your hopes if you let it.

Obama’s speech 2020 

If you do nothing else, please think about how “Great” America has gotten these last few years.  Job losses, disease deaths, hopelessness, wealthy getting wealthier,…the list does not stop there.

I urge you to get out and vote to get America back on track.

Sincerely.  Namaste,

Scott

How have We Changed; Let Me Count the Ways

I was sitting here this morning going through my last post and checking out the likes.  As I sat there, I saw another post by someone quite some time ago that lent my brain to the thought of “how much we have changed.”  I realized that this pandemic will have repercussions that will last nearly indefinitely in many cases.  I ask for your comments afterward just to confirm my suspicions.

First, I know that our Internet will be changed forever.  I see the slumps in time when many many people are more active.  Work is now being done from home, a lot.  That increases the load on all the carriers and slows us down as individuals.  This will, hopefully, lead to more tolerance as people “get used to” an already slow system.  Also, the vast variety that was already inherent in the Net has increased.  So many people have found so many different ways to get things done from home online and to express themselves more and with more variety in what they do.  We have also kept our friends on hand more through online services and methods.  No longer able always to just jump in our cars and drive to a friend’s house, we connect even more as we have done in the years past – online.  Facebook explodes with new knowledge; Youtube is constantly expanding with both commercial content (movies, etc…) and our personal films to show how we feel and what we are doing.

My biggest surprise during all of this has been that blog posting has dropped.  By myself, yes, but also I read about 1-2 posts a week now and it used to be 7-10+ a day before.  I have speculated on the why this is so, but really, don’t know as it’s not like we don’t have time to write.  I ask myself why I haven’t written a book or many stories in these last 5+ months and I find that I am not as interested in writing now…could this be it all around?  I do miss my other Internet friends. It feels as if I have been cut off from 1/2 my life.

Then there is cooking and groceries.  Mom and I used to go out 1 time or more to Cracker barrel a week.  That is down to zero right now.  Being 62 and Mom almost 86, neither of us has any business joining in on the reopening of restaurants and businesses.  I grocery shop once a week for both of us and I spend more time concerned about getting sick and not being able to take care of Mom than I do on my shopping.  Plus so much buying now for home meals has changed the way I eat.  I went through a horrible last two months trying to settle in and keep my sugar down.  Some drastic steps that will become habit and I am, finally, pleased to say my sugar is now normal and I feel better.

Sleep has changed.  I enjoy my quiet nights on the computer, so my day is up around 1:00p and bed around 2:00a, reading for about 1/2 hour.  My sleep has been drastically affected lately and I am, just now, getting it back somewhat under control.

Work has changed even more than just doing it online.  People are, finally, getting able and becoming comfortable with casual clothing during the day.  I never liked having to wear ties and dress pants every day.  I understand the reasons, but I like this new trend.  Hopefully, it will become more and more available to those going back to work.  I know that many are simply finding they can do more and more from home and, in the long run, this may well save money for employers.  I have my counseling sessions more often now and don’t mind as I get them from home.

The environment is changing.  Our air is getting cleaner.  There are still those who complain about not driving everywhere, but I have heard there are places in China where people can see mountains from their city homes for the first time in decades.  How cool is that!?  If those places are getting better, won’t we all benefit in the years to come, especially if some of these changes stick?

From an entertainment point of view, I watch many more movies, shows, and shorts than I used to (I know hard to believe!).  I am retired and handicapped, but I still have fewer things to do each day or week, allowing me more personal time at home. I am catching up on so much of the videos and shows that I had fallen behind on.  And, I read more!  Each night and most days I read for 1-2 hours.  This feels great as I had lost that in the shuffle of life.

I do play video games, though I find that to be somewhat less than it was.  That would seem strange to me, but I have begun to dabble back into game programming (mods and such) and reading a lot of scientific and how-to videos and writings than before.

Life has slowed down for me.  I take my time (something I have always hoped to do) and look at the world a bit more.  There is no big reason to hurry anymore (what are you hurrying for?)  I get things done in my own time.

Money is changing a bit, too. I am a firm believer in the Law of Attraction (join my Facebook group: at LofA ) and believe that this situation has done my income some help.  I don’t spend much on gas anymore. In fact, my auto insurance has dropped about $12 a month because of this.  I don’t spend as much going out, eat better now, and don’t buy things without thinking about it.  Online buying has helped that.

I am very certain that you can think of more ways that this pandemic situation has changed our lives.  Not all are for the better, of course, and I hope and pray for each and every one of you and your families.  Stay well and stay healthy and stay positive. Let me know what’s going on with you…

Namaste,

Scott

 

And The Learning Continues

I write for Quora.com, which is a kind of Q/A on the Internet.  People write questions, pick some of the people they wish to answer, and anyone else can answer.  It allows a lot of things to be asked and answered in many different ways fairly quickly.  Here is one question I was just asked in the last two weeks:

 

My 12-year-old daughter told me when she gets older she wants to start stripping. What should I tell her?

Scott L. Vannatter

·

Fri

I love open-world games

I would like to give a sort-of controversial answer. It’s only because of a person I know quite well. This person was raised to the value of “use what you have to get ahead”. When she went to college, she chose stripping as a side job. It paid well, if you did it well. And, she did it very well. She did it to earn college money. Later, when she got married, she paid off her spouse’s student loan and her own, and bought their expensive home. She quit stripping when it no longer suited what she was doing. Now, she is a champion surfer, lives in Hawaii with her spouse and two children (adopted), and is debt-free.

Now, this is not to say that stripping is a great choice, especially for a 12yo to be thinking about. It is, merely, to suggest that there are worse choices depending on how you go about it and think of it.

My friend never got into drugs or really alcohol. She did not get into the sex trade at all. She is deaf, helps charities, and is a good person. I am not certain I really have known better. She has a clear head and a good mind.

Simply something to think about. That’s truly all this is.

1.1K views

View Upvoters

Now, if you want to know more about this person, she is a blogger, and goes by: https://aghostdancer.wordpress.com/  Michelle Styles.  She is one of the most wonderful people I can say I know because a good blog tells you about a person; they tell you about themselves.  I have not told her yet that I answered this question with her story.  I think she will be happy (perhaps, I am wrong, but I don’t think so).  I will drop her a note.

Please do with all this what you will.  Question me.  Counter me.  Yell at me.  But, do think….because these types of questions are being asked and need/deserve good answers.

This particular question  has been upvoted by 12 other users (That’s a record for me.  I believe 3-5 was the previous one and I have been writing quite awhile on Quora.com

It was viewed 1,100 times.  Probably another record for me.  But, it’s not about me.  It’s about a 12yo girl’s statement and her mother’s crying out for help/guidance.

Visit Michelle’s blog – I think you will be glad you did.

Namaste,

Scott

Hello Out There!

I am being a bit lazy here, but have not heard from so many of you in so long (my email in-box is very light for the last few months), I am beginning to worry.

Just asking that you drop a comment here and let me know you are all okay.

Miss your smiling thoughts.

Scott

Death by Ignorance

I was trying to play Scrabble online tonight and got caught up browsing FB, then in a discussion about the “possibility” of lifting the bans on social interactions in the US and all people returning to work.  I made comments; I read more; I got upset; I did some quick research; here I am…

Nearly 500,000 military personnel died during the U.S. Civil War. That’s almost half of all Americans who have ever died during wartime, and more than a hundred times more than died during the American Revolution, according to the latest estimates from the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.May 24, 2015

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/many-americans-died-u-s-wars

US deaths in wars

American Revolutionary War 50,000

War of 1812 20,000

Mexican-Anerican War 17,435

WW1 320,518

WW2 1,076,245

Korean War 128,650

Vietnam War 211,454

War in Afghanistan 22,266

Iraq War 36,710

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_military_casualties_of_war

same site

War in Afghanistan killed 0.001% of the US population at that time (2010).

___________________________________________________________________________________

The argument that was posed in this FB talk was that the actual Death rate (according to “early” studies and his observations and understandings of said studies was that the “real” death rate)

is around 0.05% or even 0.001% not 3% not 5%.

My quick research easily concluded that the years spent in the Afghan conflicts gave us  22, 266 deaths or 0.001% of that time’s US population.

COVID-19 in about 2 months has yielded 14,451 deaths in JUST New York City.  That is almost 2/3 of the entire Afghan deaths.  TWO MONTHS.  And, from my readings, we can add 4 things:

1.  We do not know if we have yet hit the high point of the virus here in the US.
2.  We do not Know if this virus is seasonal.
3.  We do not have a vaccine.
4.  All of us (most all) have elderly or immune-compromised loved ones around us.

I do not advocate panic; I do not advocate burying out heads in the sand; I do not advocate being paranoid to the point of never leaving your home.

I DO advocate some sense of an understanding of how serious this is.

I am very sorry that people are inconvenienced by the solid efforts to:

1. protect our loved ones, especially the high-risk ones.
2. not overload our hospitals with the sick so that the highly-ill ones can be taken care of.
3. keep food in a position to be spread out to all.
4. protect people in spite of themselves, at times.

I do have great sorrow for those who are not able to work right now and who are having difficulties making ends meet! 

But, in all seriousness, if you die, or if your spouse or child gets very ill and medications and hospitals are not available, you would wish you had followed the guidelines and stayed home.

I have tried to keep politics out of this, but I have to say that Congress and Upwards Should be even more responsive to the needs of the LIVES of the people. I know that our economy is suffering.  I know it is hard and difficult and all to not keep falling farther and farther behind, but we have a responsibility as adults and as members of this great nation to keep it together through this, not in spite of it.

Again, as always, I love you all.

Stay safe, be smart,

Scott