Carole Simpson

Can The Coronavirus Be Funny?

Mar 27, 2020 | Health, Mental Health, Something. To. Say.

Can The Coronavirus Be Funny?

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the amazing capacity of Americans to find humor in the face of adversity. I ‘m in the third week of my self-imposed quarantine from the coronavirus. I have been feeling depressed and isolated. But recently, I happened upon some You Tube videos that finally gave me a smile. Take a look:

[Music Medley]

“Don’t let the corona get on ya.” Love that. Go to You Tube to see the entire videos and some I couldn’t include. We deserve a little laughter.

See you next time.

Coronavirus Part Deux

Mar 13, 2020 | Health, Something. To. Say.

Coronavirus Part Deux

Hello Everybody:

       I have some more things to say about the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic

       I told you I was afraid a week ago?  Well, now I am 6 times as afraid. So scared, I got out of Dodge. Well, I actually got out of Boston and my high-rise condo, with its 35 floors and crowded elevators. I am now hunkered down in our summer home off the Atlantic Ocean. 

       Now I didn’t do this on my own. My daughter, Doctor Mallika Marshall was hounding me leave Downtown Boston and come here. There are no crowds this time of year and little to do. Mallika said she doesn’t want me coming back home until she decides it’s safe for me. Isn’t it funny how the children become the parents.

       Although otherwise healthy, it’s my age. Dr. Marshall said when we get older, we lose our reserves to ward off disease. I have a 79-year-old, heart, old lungs, old kidneys…you get the picture. So, elderly people are the most likely to die from the coronavirus.

        So here I will stay—quarantining myself. I have my pets with me, my iPhone, the Internet, my television, some books on tape, jigsaw puzzles and plenty of food. I’m blessed, I know, to have this option. And I pray that you will be safe. Just take all the precautions and know that “this too will pass.”

Until next time.

Coronavirus Anxiety

Mar 7, 2020 | Health, Something. To. Say.

Coronavirus Anxiety

        Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the coronavirus pandemic. To be honest with you, I am afraid. I’m very afraid. I’m in the elderly high-risk group. I’ve been living on this earth for seventy years and I can’t ever remember anything sweeping half the countries on the planet bringing with it, disease and death. And to make matters worse, our government seems ill-prepared to handle the crisis that is already changing American life as we knew it just six weeks ago.

         We were in a Costco last weekend to do what the experts say we should do. Stock up on paper goods, hand sanitizers, medicines and other necessities, in case we have to be quarantined. You’ve been in a Costco and you know the check-out lines are in the front and the food is way in the back. Well the lines at every checkout station stretched all the way back to the meat. People pushed baskets overflowing with toilet paper and bottled water and wine and candy. Whatever your necessities are.

        I couldn’t wait in those lines. I went somewhere else, but I did stock up. And I’m washing my hands feverishly, and I’m afraid to touch my face and scared to turn a doorknob. Trump continues to minimize the danger, but scientists warn things will get worse before they get better.

        So, as silly as I feel with all my provisions, I think we all should heed, “Better safe than sorry.” People, get ready.

 

I hope to see you next time.

Old White Men

Feb 27, 2020 | 2020 Election, Democrats, Elections, Something. To. Say.

Old White Men

Hello everybody. I have something to say about the majority of candidates for president. They are old, white men. I can say this because I’m an old black woman.

I watched the Democratic debate in South Carolina and looked at the array of candidates and they were mostly men, who were old, with white or gray hair and wrinkled white skin.

You had 78-year-old Bernie Sanders; Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg are both 77, Tom Steyer, a mere 62. Pete Buttigieg looked like a young boy, though he doesn’t talk like one, he looks like one at age 38. On the Republican side, Donald Trump wants a second term and he will be 74 in June. The race seems to be all about the old, white men. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar are now, pretty much the also-rans. Most pundits don’t think either woman has a snowball’s chance in hell of becoming the Democratic nominee or beating Donald Trump.

So, the country has taken a big step backwards. No women or people of color are in the presidential mix. It may as well be 1960… or 1791 when the prerequisite for becoming president was being an old, white man…and being rich didn’t hurt, not one bit. I hate to say it, but “Goodbye, Ladies.”

 See you next time.

Bloomberg Botches It

Feb 22, 2020 | 2020 Election, Something. To. Say.

Bloomberg Botches It

Hello Everybody:        

        I have something to say about Michael Bloomberg. He made his first appearance in a presidential debate in Las Vegas. And that debate was a humdinger… the most explosive and entertaining I have ever seen. Talk about reality television.

        They say Bloomberg had been prepared ahead of time for the questions he might get and answers to give. But you could not tell that. He stumbled, he stuttered, he searched for words, but they weren’t sufficient. He was reduced to non-answers and non-reactions. We saw his resting bitch face. Not a good look. Not a good performance. Not a good night.

      His Democratic rivals rolled all over him. Didn’t he know he would be asked about charges of racism for stop and frisk and charges of sexism from women? Mike, come on. This was his chance to show America that he was more than a multi, multi billionaire.

       It has been reported that the black vote has been shifting away from Joe Biden and toward Michael Bloomberg. But after his debate performance, Bloomberg is going to have to do more than spend his millions, if he is to become the great “black” hope and the great white hope, too.

Until next time.

​

Government for The People, Not for Trump

Feb 18, 2020 | Education, Government, Something. To. Say.

Government for The People, Not for Trump

Hello Everybody.  I have something to say about Trump’s assault on our democratic form of government. I want to prove my case and in order to do that, I must put on my Civics professor hat.

      The Founders of our country established a government with three equal branches. The first is the legislative branch, the Congress made up of the House and Senate. As representatives of the people, the legislators make the laws and appropriate the money needed to pay for the government’s expenses.

       The second branch is the Executive Branch, made up of the President and his Cabinet and all the government apparatus and 5 million employees needed to enforce the laws that Congress passes.

       The third branch is the judicial branch which is made up of the federal court system and the Supreme Court. They interpret the laws based on what the Constitution says or implies.

       No branch is more important than the others. The system was designed to create a balance of powers.

       But we have a situation today, where for the first time in history, we have an executive, a president, who would be king of the United States. He is usurping the powers of the other branches. He wants to be the Supreme Power like his old pal, Russian President Putin.

        For example, Trump took 3.8 billion dollars, money Congress approved for the defense department, and is using it to his border wall. Congress wanted his tax returns and subpoenaed his staff to interview about White House scandals, and he just said “No.” He dismisses Congress as if it was nothing.  And recently he’s been intruding into the judicial branch claiming his good buddy, Roger Stone, who was convicted of lying and jury tampering, should not go to jail for 7 years as recommended by the courts. It’s expected his Justice Department will reduce the sentence.

       This is dangerous, folks. Trump is trying to take over all three branches of the government. And he’s got a lot of help. The Republicans and his executive branch cronies.  Lincoln said our government was created of the people, by the people, and for the people. Don’t let Donald Trump destroy it.

Snoop Dogg vs. Gayle King

Feb 13, 2020 | Bad Behavior, Being Black, Something. To. Say., The Media

Snoop Dogg vs. Gayle King

Hello Everybody. I have something to say about the Snoop Dogg/Gayle King controversy.

Although, I don’t know Gayle King, I consider her a sister because we were both black female TV journalists. As a host of CBS This Morning, Gayle is one of the highest-ranking women in network television. But the tragic death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant made the worlds of Gayle King and rapper Snoop Dogg, collide.

 Gayle did her job and asked a guest on her show, all kinds of questions about Kobe, including one about sexual assault charges that were dropped against him in 2003. It’s a question I would have asked.  Well, Snoop Dogg, who was Kobe’s friend, saw that part of the interview and he went off.

 He made a profane video, calling Gayle a “funky dog-head bitch,” for hurting Kobe’s reputation. He warned her to back off, and said, “before we come and get you.”  Social media was flooded with posts supporting Snoop and hating on Gayle.

Gayle had a rough time. She fears for her life and has been traveling with bodyguards. A journalist viciously attacked by a rapper for simply doing her job.

A week after Snoop Dogg left Gayle blowing in the wind, he apologized, saying he over-reacted and didn’t mean to disrespect her. But the damage had been done. But I’m not so sure he’s really sorry for what he did.

He says after they had a talk, his Momma made him do it.

See you next time. 

A Vicious White House Celebration

Feb 7, 2020 | Bad Behavior, Something. To. Say., Trump

A Vicious White House Celebration

Hello Everybody…I have something to say about Trump’s acquittal celebration at the White House.

I told you he wouldn’t be found guilty of abusing his power and obstructing Congress. I told you. Senate Republicans saw to that, and even though some of them said after the trial that Trump had done something bad, it wasn’t bad enough to remove him from office. Oh, really. I believe many Senate Republicans think Trump was guilty but they wouldn’t vote that way. They’re scared to death of Trump.

At the White House, did the president show the slightest remorse for putting the country through the nightmare of his impeachment? Hell, no. He spent an hour giving a rambling, dissembled and hate-filled speech. It wasn’t a speech, it was just words, random paragraphs about all kinds of things.  Like how he was a victim and yet, the best president we ever who did so much for the country. But most of the time was used to viciously attack Nancy Pelosi, the House Democrats who impeached him, oh, and the FBI.

Folks, I have great fear that Donald Trump feels that he can now do whatever he wants, whenever he wants without impunity. We may have created a dictator, a monster.

Until next time.