So 2021 is almost in the books. My son-in-law likes to say that if something is just mediocre, it's like pumpkin pie. You know, most people can take or leave pumpkin pie. It's just not that special. Now if you're a lover of pumpkin pie, don't get all excited. I'm talking the population writ large. And really, you know it's true. Think of something that you don't hate or don't love...pumpkin pie. That was 2021. Better than 2020 but not the best. Not by a long shot.
So what were some of the highlights? Well, if we're going chronologically it'd be difficult to not choose the insurrection at the Capital on January 6th first. I mean, we're still talking about it. Not only are we still talking about it, some are still around the bend about it. There is a Congressional committee investigating it. I read a story today about a Congressman with PTSD because of it. When it happened I wrote a couple of posts laying out my thoughts. You can read them here and here if you're interested. Of course, the media as usual has given it a life of it's own. If you watch MSNBC or CNN it was an event that was equivalent to the Civil War. If you watch Fox it was an unfortunate protest that got out of hand. We'll be hearing and reading about it for quite some time and at the end it will just be an event in history. A terrible, embarrassing, stupid event...but just an event. If it proves to be the undoing of Trump, then I guess it will have been worth it. But he's like a bad penny, he just won't go away. His perseveration on the "rigged election" is nauseating as is the throng of nincompoops he surrounded himself with. I mean, every legitimate investigation into the election discounted his theories. Of course, the My Pillow guy thought he was robbed so there is that. But here's the worst part. I yearn for different leadership but given the craziness from the other side, I'd probably vote for hime again.
The January/February timeframe brought us Trump's second impeachment. Can you believe that? A President of the United States getting impeached TWICE during his four year term. Granted that the first impeachment was bullshit and got nowhere, but still. Many thought his second impeachment was just political theater. I'm of the opposite views on these two sorrowful events. I think the first was theater and the second was legitimate. I know, I know...he didn't actually tell his followers to invade the Capital. But he put in the kindling, wadded up the paper, piled up the wood, poured gas in the pit and lit the fire. If you say he didn't CAUSE it...okay. But he instigated it. No doubt. Anyway, I would have voted guilty. Full stop. Also in January Biden was inaugurated in front of...well...not many folks. I still have trouble believing that a 78 year old, life long Washington insider was elected. I just kept thinking, man Bernie must be pissed. Of course, electing Bernie would have been an epic disaster in itself But that's another story. The other thing about the inauguration that was pure bullshit political theater was the armed camp that the Capital became. It was the classic case of under-reaction followed by over-reaction. I can't help but think that somehow Nancy thought it would make her look strong. It didn't. January also brought widespread availability of vaccines. I got my first one in late Jan and the second in early March. Vaccines also brought immediate debate over whether or not to get vaccinated. That debate has only accelerated with increasing acrimony. It's like an increasing crescendo of noise. So many have turned into experts based on their research on social media. It's really disturbing. As for me, I got the jab. I'm of a certain age where it only made sense. But I also encouraged anyone in my sphere of influence to get it. Luckily my family is fine. And that's really what I care about most. As for the rest of it, I'm an observer. I really don't understand this idea that people are pissed because the vaccines didn't get rid of COVID. I guess some people thought that to get the vaccine meant you'd never get COVID. Why they thought that is perplexing. I guess some vaccines work that way (think Polio) but some don't. This one clearly just reduces symptoms and allows people to weather the storm. But one thing is for sure, the debate rages.
One of the things I like to recite to people when they tell me we have insurmountable problems, that climate change is going to destroy us all, that our country is doomed is that we have a little car driving around on Mars. If we can do that, we can do anything. And we did it in February. When I say we, it was obviously NASA and the Jet Propulsion Lab, but it was we. And it captured the imagination of the world. Think about the brain power, the scientific thinking, the logistics, the cooperation, and yes...the luck to achieve that amazing feat. And it's still there sending back photos. Here's another thing. If you have some time search on the team that did it. Check out their backgrounds, their diversity, their common cause, their pride. February was a good month! Except for the Super Bowl that is. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won it. Tom is the epitome of a guy who has worn out his welcome. Don't get me wrong. He's talented, resilient, cheerful, uniquely successful, and is rich. Very rich. And he's married to Gisele. Like I said, he's worn out his welcome. And the vaccine debate raged.
Biden got right to work after the inaugural and formulated a humongous COVID rescue package that he signed in March. It came in to the tune of $1.9 Trillion. Yes...Trillion. Can you even conceive of a funding package that large? Well...Democrats can. No mention of funding it or what it will do the debt. And more importantly, no dissecting what's actually in it. But here's a guarantee because it is a government program. There is a lot of crap in there that has nothing to do with COVID relief. And you and I are funding it. March also saw the first crack in the Cuomo charade. There emerged allegations of sexual abuse by the obnoxious and corrupt Governor of NY. He fought it for awhile but it was always a losing battle. Not sure what he's doing now but it's not abusing the people of NY. Prince Harry and Meghan sat down for their interview with Oprah in March. I don't know why anyone cares, or why it's headlines, or why I even mentioned it. Maybe I'm as stupid as everyone who cares about the royal family. I just don't know. I do know they seem like spoiled, thankless, ridiculous, woke idiots. And I keep thinking...Harry, you poor bastard, what have you done? Speaking of woke, this seems to be about that time that that term entered our vernacular. Talk about a snowball rolling downhill! Think Dr Seuss, Pepe Lepew, Mr Potato Head, our founding fathers, and any statue or school around the country bearing the name of anyone in our history who at one point was admirable. It would take a long, torturous post to discuss woeness and I'm just not up to it. It was probably about this time that our Southern border started to make news. And it hasn't stopped. The huge dumpster fire that is the Southern border gets sporadic attention, depending on your news source. But even the liberal sources can't deny the disaster that is happening. In fact the only person in the country that doesn't see it as a disaster of epic proportions is Biden...and maybe Kamala when she is coherent. I guess after he appointed Kamala in charge of the border, he thought everything would be okay. If that doesn't prove his senility I don't know what does. It's bad and getting worse. At least under Trump there was some semblance of control. Not perfect, but not a Niagra Falls flood of people. And it's getting worse. And the vaccine debate raged on.
One of my favorite stories of the year occurred in April when Major League Baseball announced that because of Georgia's new voting law, they were moving the All Star Game, which is played in July, out of Atlanta. It was ridiculous sophistry! And in the most beautiful, sweet irony, the Atlanta Braves won the World Series in October. And they played the games in Atlanta. Here's a lesson...keep wokeness the fuck out of sports. In the least surprising verdict in history, the asshole who killed George Floyd was found guilty in April. It was April when Biden announced his $2.8 TRILLION infrastructure bill and his $1.9 TRILLION American Families Plan. You didn't misread...TRILLION. It's become the new normal. Later in the year the infrastructure bill would be passed for about $1.8 TRILLION and the American Families Plan was dealt a fatal blow when 50 Republican Senators and one Democrat (and maybe more) opposed it. Thank God! Oh yeah...there was still a vaccine debate.
May brought a couple of really interesting sports stories. Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby in early May and was then disqualified due to drugs. The horse died later in the year on the track at Santa Anita. Talk about ill-fated. Phil Mickelson won the PGA. Yes, you read that right. Old Lefty won a major. It was an inspiring win. One for the old guys. During this month was also when the condominium in Miami collapsed. About 100 people died. It was a huge story...for about a week. Nothing since. May also saw the vaccine debate raging on.
Biden went Europe in June for the G7 Summit, an Atlantic Alliance meeting in Brussels, and a meeting with Putin in Geneva. Yawn. I think most hoped this was the beginning of a long, hot, boring Summer. Or at least we hoped it would be that way. But no. COVID had other ideas. The Delta variant showed up in mid-Summer in a lot of places. It didn't last long but it wreaked havoc. It brought a whole new level of concern and confusion within the CDC, NIMH, White House, and every other branch of federal and state government dealing with COVID. I think this was about the time that they all began to "lose their shit". The message got muddled, the directions were contradictory and ever changing, and the people just watched in amazement. Fauci became public enemy number one. And you'd think if you were in that position, you might try and do something to overcome it. But he seems to revel in it. But he did contribute to the vaccine debate...which raged on.
In July a couple of the strangest events of the year occurred. Jeff Bezos of Amazon and Richard Branson of Virgin Atlantic, both Billionaires launched rockets with humans in space capsules, from Texas and New Mexico and returned safely to earth. It was surreal. This is not hard. It's been done. I guess that just ordinary folks went make it a big deal. But here's what I find abominable. They called themselves Astronauts. They rode a capsule for about 15 minutes into space and rode down. And they called themselves Astronauts. I don't think so. It's an affront to everyone who's ever been through Astronaut training. It's just bullshit. The U.S. sent a team to the delayed Summer Olympics in Tokyo in July. As always I was mesmerized. Every four.years I am gobsmacked by the dedicated athletes from all over the world that compete in the Olympics. They are just so admirable. The big story was obviously Simone Biles and her withdrawal. Lots to unpack there, but I really tried to just focus on the performances. And they were great. All of them. A couple of sports really captivated me. The first was 3-person, half court basketball. Intense. The other was team tri-athalons. Again...intense. Remember the vaccine debate? It was still here.
I'm sorry to say that August brought about one of the biggest national humiliations in our history. It's painful to recall but the unbelievable incompetence and refusal to take responsibility for the epic clusterfuck that was the ill-fated and poorly executed withdrawal (retreat) from Afghanistan is a stain that many (including me) find difficult to comprehend. I wrote about this sordid experience here and here if you're interested. And they've all just gone on. Nothing to see here, please move along. How they look at themselves in the mirror is beyond me. It makes me think back to a time when leaders took responsibility for their decisions and failures. Of course in this area there have always been people who fell short. But not sure there is a historical parallel to these guys. Maybe General McClellan? For those of us here in California, the nightmare of wildfire came roaring at us in August. The Dixie fire in the Northern part of the state became the biggest fire in state history. Every year these fires rage, and every year people are outraged about state inaction in forest and range management, and next year there will be more fires. California, once the "Golden State" has become the most woke and ineptly run government entity in the country. And that's by any measure. Governor Newsome is a loathsome dork and you'd think someone would mount a recall effort. Stay tuned. The glimmer of good news this month is that other loathsome dork, Cuomo resigned as the Governor of New York. I guess that's good news anyway. Not sure it outweighs the damage he did to his state and the painful long denial that everyone knew would result in him slinking away. And still the vaccine debate was ongoing. Get them? Don't get them? The debate raged on.
Some would say that the biggest thing this year occurred in September and the thing that will reverberate for generations and change the course of history is that Texas enacted the "Heartbeat Act". This is a law that allows citizens to sue other citizens regarding abortion after the presence of a heartbeat. The reactions from the pro-life and pro-choice groups was predictable. Euphoria and Outrage. Many predict that this issue is heading to the Supreme Court and the Roe v. Wade decision is in jeopardy. I'm not sure about that. There are a lot of legal nuances here. So the best we can say is...only time will tell. There was this little hurricane (I'm joking...by definition hurricane's are big) that visited the East coast and did a fair amount of damage as far North as New England. It was weird. And for some a certain indication of the devastation that climate change is having. I can't even argue this point anymore. Whatever. It was in September that Biden issued his vaccine "mandate" that everyone who worked in a company with over 100 employees must be vaccinated. Not smart. Americans and our courts don't do particularly well with government mandates. And that's an understatement. That became obvious throughout the rest of the year as court after court overturned the mandates. It was significant egg on his face. Out here in California we finally had the recall election. Not many believed that they could get enough signatures to force the recall, but then they did. And so the campaigning started in earnest a few weeks before the election. There were three things in Newsom's favor. First, it's difficult to unseat an incumbent. Second, he was running against the Republican primary winner, Larry Elder. Elder is a talk show host and fervent conservative. To think this guy could win in California is a pretty big stretch for me. Third, he ignored Elder and campaigned against the perfect opponent. Trump. It was an easy win. Even though Trump had nothing to do with this election, Newsom proved that campaigning against him is effective. That may become a model for the future. September also brought the no kidding final results of the presidential election in Arizona. So 11 months later and with a massive investment in time and money they figured out...that Biden won. Arizona was one of the biggest controversial states when it came to election results. So this should have put the issue to bed. But did it? No. I guess it never ends. And the My Pillow guy still thinks Trump won! To round out the month, Britney Spears won her freedom. I don't even know what else to say...except that the vaccine debate is still raging.
There wasn't some magic day that it occurred to most people that they were paying more for almost everything, but in October inflation seemed to raise it's ugly head in a big way. All of a sudden people were feeling the economic pinch. Gas continued to skyrocket and prices for almost everything rose. But Biden and his cronies continued to push their legislative agenda that would cost TRILLIONS. They continued to decry use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. They did nothing to get people back to work. October also had the incredibly huge announcement by Facebook that it was changing it's name and the name of all the entities it owns to Meta. And no one cared, let alone understood it. October seems to be the big sports time of the year. The World Series is wrapping up, college football and the NFL are in full throw, and basketball is just around the corner. With COVID there were lots of ups and downs. The big game that I remember from this year was the Illinois-Pen State game. Nine overtimes. Nine! Longest game in NCAA history. And pretty exciting. Oh yeah...Illinois won. And in the least surprising news of all, the vaccine debate raged.
Biden took his second international trip in late October/early November. First he went to Rome for the "Group of 20" summit. Russia, China, and Japan weren't there so I'm not sure what they expected to get done. But it sounds like it was one of those events I used to tell my bosses about when I'd return from some nothing meeting. "The briefs were well received". Blah, blah, blah. Next he went to Glasgow, Scotland and COP-26. Scotland in November. Brilliant planning. This was the big climate conference. 190 nations and 30,000 attendees. Pontificating on an epic scale. Wringing of hands. Gnashing of teeth. Sweating profusely. Predicting doom and gloom in the very near future. Demands to ruin vast sections of the economies of the world. Equivocation by the biggest polluters. Capitulation in theory by the United States and other first world countries. Signing of a watered down Communique that satisfied no one. And most importantly, agreement to meet again next year for COP-27 in Sharm al-Shiekh, Egypt. The smart people have already arranged the best tours, the best hotel suites and the finest wines. Wonder who's paying for all this? Nevermind. Biden came home to the big legislative success of the Infrastructure Bill being passed and he quickly signed it. The big action out of this landmark legislation is Secretary Pete started to work on the most pressing need of our time...racist roads. Hopefully they can be fixed. Of course, most streets in my area still have pot holes. But that's a different story. Probably the biggest story to come along in November was the surprise win of Glenn Youngkin as Governor of Virginia over perpetual political junkie Terry McAuliffe. This sent shock waves through the political intelligentsia (or is that an oxymoron) and predictions of doom and gloom for the Dems a year from now. But a year in political life is unlike a year in normal life. There's probably some dog year correlation. In any case, as Yogi said, "It's not over till it's over". So Republicans need to not count their chickens! This election in an odd way provided an acceleration of the raging debate (we have a lot of them) about Critical Race Theory being taught in schools. Simply put, a lot of parents are pissed. And they let it be known to the local school boards. There are too many stories to recount and wherever you live you've probably seen some of them. Plus it's probably a post unto itself. So the jury is still out on where it's going. Except in many cases it's probably going to court. In an indication that inflation is being taken seriously by Biden and his crack advisors, he released 50 million barrels of oil from the strategic oil reserves. Of course that's about 3 days worth of supply and will make absolutely no difference, but in a not so stunning development, Biden and his crack advisors don't know that. The bit of good news is that all indications are that the holidays were going to return to normal. That is met with joyous feelings as people started to make plans. That lasted as long as the time it took to make airline reservations. Over the holidays the airlines have had epic problems. Lack of staff because they've fired a bunch of employees is the primary culprit. It also was the time that a new variant, Omicron emerged. It came from South Africa and by all accounts it is pretty mild but highly infectious. And as this is written that is proving to be the case. A ton of people are catching it but if they are vaccinated the symptoms are either minor or nonexistent. But there rages a debate about what to do. And it's linked to the raging vaccine debate which continues and in fact is gaining steam.
December began with the media doing what they do best...stoking mass hysteria. They started tracking Omicron cases like they track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Only the headlines were not as nice. And in much larger font. Even though reports of Omicron's presence has been verified as being not so bad, the hysteria has built again. Now I'm not an epidemiologist or an infectious disease expert but I do have some experience with strategy. It just seems to me that if you're executing a strategy and the strategy isn't working, you might want to think about changing your strategy. Here's an idea. Maybe, just maybe Biden and his crack advisors ought to at least listen to those who say we're not going to eradicate the virus and instead need to learn to live with it. Like the flu. Promote vaccines, provide testing, make therapeutics widely available, augment hospital capacity when needed, and educate the population. And prioritize prevention and treatment of the most vulnerable (by now we know who they are) and realize that young and fit people are at minimal danger. But that's just me. In other news, Major League Baseball and it's players couldn't come to agreement and the players were locked out. Hasn't happened since 1990. And it sucks. For us fans, it really sucks. But here's hoping they'll get it resolved before spring training. It'll probably come down to the wire, but that is the nature of labor negotiations. Back to COVID, Biden said last week that there is no "federal solution". Huh? That may have been the most clueless statement I've heard since March, 2020. And there have been a lot off clueless statements. Speaking of Biden, I've noticed some of his media supporters (and there are a lot of them) are starting to quietly and timidly question his...ahem...lucidity. Ya think? If you watch Fox you'd think he's a raving lunatic. If you watch CNN/MSNBC you'd think he might have a few issues. It's hard to imagine him doing this for three more years. But it's even harder to imagine President Harris. Shudder! One of the things that gives me hope is when I see great achievement. We saw such a thing on Christmas Day. The James Webb telescope was launched into space on it's way to a spot about a million miles from earth to explore the cosmos. If it works, it will be an amazing achievement.
Luckily, my family were able to have a somewhat normal and joyous holiday. And I hope the same is true for you. So to end, what do I think we can we expect in 2022? Or rather what are some guesses? :)
- Remote work became the norm in 2021. Expect this to continue and even spread more in 2022.
- I knew that the nature of retail purchases was changing but going to the mall in the Christmas season of 2021 was unlike any I've experienced previously. The behemoth that is Amazon will only grow. I find myself thinking first of ordering something from Amazon rather than looking for it at a store.
- COVID has changed our lives. But as I said above, we've got to change strategy. I fervently hope that someone can come along who will articulate a rationale strategy to deal with it. I'm not optimistic and hope is not a strategy, but I can still hope.
- Media has become something it doesn't want to be. They've lost their way. The only answer is a new generation that focuses on the craft, not self-promotion. Don't think it'll happen in 2022, but someday.
- We'll continue our divisions regarding race. After the George Floyd murder in 2020, I was as ready as anyone to tackle racism. But it's been corrupted. And BLM is the chief culprit. They had a once in a generation chance to make a difference and focused instead on riots and destruction. No thanks. Do a little investigating and see what they've done for their community. You'll be surprised. Or maybe not. The only solution is leadership. The question is will we see it in 2022?
- I think all this wokeness will start to wear thin and eventually die. Hopefully this will happen before I'm forced to proclaim my pronouns. Because that ain't ever gonna happen!
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
