Carole Simpson

Too Many Dead Americans

Nov 21, 2020 | Coronavirus, Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Too Many Dead Americans

Hello Everybody:

I have something to say about the more than a quarter of a million Americans who have died after contracting Covid-19. Just think of that. More than 250-thousand people, who were alive in February, are dead and gone in November. Not only lives, but families and dreams and careers, destroyed.

This virus is no respecter of person or status.  It is an equal opportunity killer. Across the whole of the United States the virus has spread its deadly tentacles. The young and old, rich and poor, black and white, urban and rural, have all succumbed to the disease that literally steals your breath away until you die.

What has been the national response? Nothing. Trump hasn’t talked about the dead Americans, nor comforted their survivors. There’s been no flags flying at half-staff. No National Prayer Breakfast.  No day of remembrance. What are we waiting for? Half a million dead?

These folks were our fellow citizens. They were people like you and me. They were victims. They should be mourned by all of us. And most important, all of us should do everything we can to kill the virus and end the dying.

Until next time.

2020 Election Dilemma

Nov 11, 2020 | 2020 Election, Politics, Something. To. Say., Trump | 0 comments

2020 Election Dilemma

Hello, Everybody:

I have something to say about the Presidential Election.

I have personally vilified Donald Trump for his actions, words and deeds, ever since I began this video blog more than a year ago. To me, he was one of the worst things, one of the worst people to ever happen to the United States.

Needless to say, I was overjoyed when Joe Biden was declared president-elect.

Trump may be able to take some comfort in the fact that the race was close, very close.  But that’s what has me stumped. In this election, voter turnout was the highest it has ever been. 75 million votes for Biden, more than 70 million for Trump. How is that possible? Almost half the votes going to Trump?  While everybody I know was celebrating the Biden win—there must have been nearly as many people angry and sad about Trump’s loss.

Who are these people who voted for a president who lied, cheated, was mean and hateful, and incompetent and was INCOMPETENT? Were Trump voters fine with how he handled the pandemic? Please.

The president-elect has one heckuva a job in front of him, bringing the American people together.  All I can say is, “Good luck, Joe. You’re gonna need it.”

See you next time.

Pandemic Fatigue

Oct 31, 2020 | 2020 Election, Coronavirus, Mental Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Pandemic Fatigue

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about pandemic fatigue. 

I didn’t know that’s what it was. All I know is that a couple of weeks ago, my psyche went into a dark place. I was so sad.  I felt little joy in watching the news or a scary movie on Netflix. I started sinking into a pit of self-pity and depression.

Carole, I said to myself, “Get yourself together.” “But I can’t,” I said to my other self. “Everything is so sad.” The virus is soaring again; there’s sickness and death. People are out of work and hungry. Businesses are folding. And some folks are still refusing to wear masks. Thank you, Donald Trump.

But then I was watching the news and I saw all these people in long lines in different states, waiting to vote early. They had chairs, and food and drink. Thousands and thousands of people waiting for as long as 10 hours to cast their ballots. Last I heard nearly 50 million votes have been cast with less than a couple of weeks to Election.

I was like, “WOW.” I became happy. The American people were energized. Are energized. They are making sacrifices to vote; they finally realize that every vote counts. Those of you who haven’t voted, make sure you do. Cuz, after November 3rd, I feel there may be light on the other side of our tunnels, both pandemic and political.

Until next time.

WARNING

Sep 26, 2020 | 2020 Election, Crazy Town, Government, Racism, Republicans, Something. To. Say., Trump | 0 comments

WARNING

No friendly hello this time, my fellow Americans. This is a 5-alarm fire. It’s Defcon 5.  It’s code red. It’s time to scream:  WTF?

       If you haven’t watched the news in the past few days, then you don’t know that Donald Trump is planning to hurl this country into the biggest constitutional crisis the US has ever seen. He would destroy our democracy to avoid losing the election to Joe Biden. He’s so sick and power-hungry that he wants to install himself as the supreme leader for life. An American dictator. To him, rules do not apply.

        So, what is he up to? He’s saying the Democrats are trying to rig the election with mail in ballots. If Biden wins, he will say the election was stolen from him.  He indicates he may not leave office. He’ll just remain president. Never in the 244 years of our history has a president dared to pull such a stunt. Trump can’t do that. The people decide with their votes who will be president.

      Why all the alarms I was setting off? Because some historians say this could lead to America’s Second civil war. The country is so divided. Some of Trump’s supporters are gun-totin’ white nationalists who have been itching for years for a race war. Oh, and would Russian President Putin invade to help his old pal, Trump? And all of this during racial tensions and a pandemic.

       What can you do? On November 3rd, you have got to vote, you and everybody you know. You have got to let your political leaders know that you will vote against them if they don’t denounce Trump’s shenanigans. Folks this is deadly serious. It’s just about as bad as it can get.

See you again.

 

 

 

Feelings – Part 2

Sep 16, 2020 | Coronavirus, Mental Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Feelings – Part 2

Hello Everybody. Last time, I said I would have something to say about how to maintain our mental health during the pandemic. So, I consulted the medical community and here are some tips.

First: Try to keep up with a daily routine—getting up and going to bed at the same times. Don’t wear your pajamas all day. Get dressed. Eat healthy meals and exercise. You know doctors would tell us that.

Second: Keep up your social contacts. You can’t be with loved ones and friends in the flesh, but you can use the phone, Facetime and Zoom to stay in touch and find out how everybody’s doing.

Third: Limit the alcohol you drink or don’t drink it all. You may think it eases the pain, but it can make you more depressed.

Fourth: Limit your time watching news about the coronavirus and stories about other problems in the country and around the world. It’s not good to dwell on the bad.

But I have some of my own tips. Let me tell you about those.

We take any opportunity to celebrate. Like my cat’s birthday or the first day of fall, or National Elephant Appreciation Day. And yes, there is such a day set aside and it’s in September.  It’s an opportunity to make a special meal or bake a cake or have a toast.

Those Amazon deliveries? I open those boxes pretending they’re Christmas presents. I take out what’s inside and say something like, “Oh, batteries. Just what I needed.” You can have fun.

And color. I surround myself with colors. I don’t wear any drab clothes. I wear something like this. Too much color for you? Oh, I love all the colors.

I’m sure you can come up with your own ideas. It’s just so important that we take care of our mental health as we try to protect our physical health. We need to help ourselves and help each other get through what is probably the worst period of our lifetimes.

See you next time.

Feelings – Part 1

Sep 13, 2020 | Coronavirus, Crazy Town, Mental Health, Something. To. Say. | 0 comments

Feelings – Part 1

Hello Everybody. I have been away awhile. It was a bad month. But I come back because I have something to say about feelings. This pandemic has got me bewitched, bothered and bewildered. I always prided myself in my ability to cope with situations. But we never had anything like this, and I can’t. This vicious virus is making me feel helpless and frightened. I can’t be the only person with these feelings. And studies show I’m not.  Nearly half of Americans are developing some kind of mild mental problems, like depression, stress, anxiety, fear, paranoia and even substance abuse…

Look at this. I saw this painting on an online art gallery and I had to have it. It’s called My World Is Falling Apart. Look at it. Muddled colors, an undefined landscape, fuzzy atmosphere. It captures perfectly how I feel about my world falling apart. I don’t know what’s going to happen.  Nobody knows. Is this the beginning of the end of civilization as we once knew it? Or the apocalypse?

Please don’t get me started on Donald Trump, who didn’t want to put us in a panic. We are in a panic because he didn’t tell us the truth and he has done nothing really to stop the spread of the coronavirus. No wonder fear and anxiety are making most of us a little crazy.

I’ll tell you what the experts say we ought to do if we’re to survive this when I see you next time.

The Quarantine 15

Jul 25, 2020 | Coronavirus, Health, Something. To. Say.

The Quarantine 15

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the Quarantine 15.

Have you stepped on the scale lately? I bet in the past four months you’ve been eating stuff you swore off years ago.

Like the so-called Freshman 15 pounds you gain in college, people are putting on the Quarantine 15.  Researchers say that a lot of Americans have packed on from 8 to 15 pounds while we’ve been shut in. I’ll own up to it. I’ve gained 8 pounds. Shameful.

Why the junk food eating? We’re stressed out, worried and frightened about Covid-19, and so we turn to comfort food to relieve the tension. Specifically, we want food that is sweet, salty, fatty and chocolate. The four new food groups for a pandemic. Oh yes, and then there’s the alcohol.

Sales have skyrocketed for pizza, hot dogs, fried chicken, snack foods and…Tequila.

Americans don’t need to get more overweight than we are. So, when those coronavirus curves start flattening out, we need to make our curves flatten out, too.

See you next time.

Time for a Black Female Veep

Jul 10, 2020 | 2020 Election, Being Black, Black Lives Matter, Elections, Feminism, Government, Politics, Something. To. Say.

Time for a Black Female Veep

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about vice presidential candidates. Is it time now for a black woman to be chosen to run? You’re damned right it is.

 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden announced that he will choose a woman as his running mate. But given today’s tense racial climate, many are urging Biden to make the woman he chooses, a black one. 

Lucky for Biden, he has a rich array of smart and experienced black women to choose from:  Look at them. Senator Kamala Harris, former National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms, Stacy Abrams, who ran for governor of Georgia, and Val Demings, a former police chief and now Florida Congresswoman. Impressive women. No Sarah Palin in this group.

Senator Amy Klobuchar, who lost her bid for president and probably wanted that vice-presidential spot, has gone on record saying Biden should pick a woman of color. Black women voters have been among Biden’s strongest supporters and nothing would make them happier than to have one of their own on the presidential ballot in November.

 Biden’s decision will be made soon. Will he, or won’t he? More and more people say he should.

 Until next time.