253 Dark Side

The Dark Side of 
Five Popular Nursery Rhymes

“Ring around a rosy, a pocket full of poseys…we all fall down.” 

As a young teacher I found this rhyme to be a simple game, a memory device, and a way to teach rhyming words. The whole class participates by holding hands and moving in a circle until the 

words “we all fall down.” Lots of
laughter and then get up and do it again. Even easier than “Duck, Duck, Goose” with its chasing on one person as goose chasing a poor duck.

It seems from a number of sources (cited at the end) that this nursery rhyme is about the black plague of London in the 1660s. One of the first symptoms of the plague was red welts around one’s mouth. The poseys (herbs and flowers) were stuffed in the children’s pockets to cover the smell of their oozing pustules. Falling down meant one died from the plague. Seems hard to believe that this was a game in the 1660s.

Another rhyme from the dark side “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” Again, back in the mid-1660s at a women’s prison, the women were exercised by holding hands and circling a mulberry tree until they were so tired that they would willingly go to bed. Not only that but the toxin in mulberry is said to cause nerve damage and hallucinations. Again, another strange story.

Let’s look at “Rock-a-bye Baby.” I wondered why anyone would put a baby in a treetop. It seems that so many babies were born dead or not breathing well, the babies were tied to a tree branch in hopes that the swaying of the branch would make the baby breathe. 

Again, back in the 1600s, it seems the song was in hopes the James II’s (1685-1688) child would die so there would not be a Catholic heir to the throne. Okay, so now we are into politics to sing our babes to sleep.

And why did “Jack and Jill” go up the hill? It seems King Charles I (1645-1649) wanted to change the taxes on liquid measures. Parliament was not happy with their king and this was a particularly easy law to veto. 

By falling down with the bucket of water, Jack had very little water and the tax would be lower. Of course, we all remember our elementary days of wondering if Jill pushed Jack down the hill because of his “behavior.”

Finally, “Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary” and her garden. I was shocked to learn that contrary in the 1500s meant what we now call a psychopath. Although the rhyme sounds like a gardening handbook, it was originally directed at Queen Mary I (“Bloody Mary) who executed many non-Catholics.  The flower names supposedly referred to torture methods. Cockleshells removed private parts on men and silver bells were thumbscrews. The pretty maids were all those invited to the executions.

Do we thank Mother Goose for cleaning these rhymes up and putting them to tunes? I like to think the old dark meanings are gone and these are sweet ditties for our babes.

(information from wonderopolis.org, mentalfloss.com/article #55035, commons.Wikipedia.org (May 29, 2021) and Google answers to inquiry of dates of reigning monarchs)

Enjoy your Memorial Day and stay safe. 

                                                     Glenne

282 My dirty little secret

My Dirty Little Secret

It’s almost raining outside. It’s gray and humid, and I am pretending it is a snow day. I have been a slug most of the day. I did make the bed and finished a mystery book. That’s it so far today and it’s four p.m. My phone weather app says it will be raining in two hours and 35 minutes. Okay, good to know. 

Now--this is my dirty little secret. I don’t really care that it is after four o’clock and I have done nothing useful. This is what the pandemic has done for OR to me.

The old me made a to-do list and felt responsible to get everything checked off. I don’t feel that pressure right now. Unless it is an important appointment or a promise I have made, the “to-do” will get done when I doggone feel like doing it or maybe never at all.

Part two of the dirty little secret is that I do not think I am ready to go back to normal with meetings face-to-face. I do not want to regularly feel I have to go to the grocery store for virtuous healthy food. Isn’t pizza just easier? Add a few carrot and pepper slices, and I feel good about dinner. And licking the spoon after you stick it in the peanut butter jar makes a great lunch. I have gotten incredibly lazy.

Rarely do I bother to check social media. Maybe once a week now instead of every day, likely it was several times a day. I love my sweat pants and t-shirts. I do still use lipstick because I don’t like dry lips, but I do not bother to look in the mirror when it is applied. I do need to moisturize because I have dry skin, and, as the kids say, I look ashy. That’s the beauty routine.

Let me say that I do think this past year has been one of unspeakable tragedy and who will know for years what collective physical and mental health problems may arise from COVID -19. We are supposedly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but some people, besides me, may not be too eager to return to life as it was before the pandemic. I think more people are keeping that to themselves. I thought it might be wise to be brave and print it out there for anyone to see.

Old social habits still seem disconcerting. I am not willing to go back to being around maskless people in close quarters. I have NOT really missed being hugged or kissed on the cheek or patted on the shoulder in greeting or saying goodbye. 

I like social distancing. I think it is smart. I have had one mild runny nose/cold in the past thirteen months. Usually, I have two or three a year. 

I didn’t miss Thanksgiving or Christmas gatherings. I can keep up with the relatives with whom I have connection with a couple of emails or phone calls. Even Zoom. A lot of Zoom this past year!

I wonder: Can you lose your social skills in one year? I fear my skills will be rusty. A good conversation? Hmm? Can I do that anymore? On the phone is different from in-person. I believe man is meant to socialize, to have interactions. None of us separately is as great as the whole. But I have anxiety about it. 

I have put off my teeth cleaning for three months. The poor receptionist finally said: “Call us when you feel ready to come in.” I hope I don’t get some awful gum disease, but I am not ready for someone to put instruments and hands in my face and month. I feel a tiny bit guilty, but not enough to really keep an appointment.

One other thing I learned about myself this year is that I was exhausted trying to keep up with everything I said I would do or should do. I hope we can all emerge from this pandemic gently, not asking too much of ourselves or of each other. I like naps and watching movies late at night.

If you, too, are feeling anxious about returning to normal, take solace in the fact that you are not the only one. COVID-19 affected us all.

Be well, be kind to yourself, and don’t let the world overwhelm you.

                                         Glenne

P.S, Cute joke: Will all the babies conceived this past year be known as Coronials? (Oh, well, I thought it was clever.)

281 TV commercials miss the mark

 

TV commercials miss the mark

When did TV commercials become so much more tedious and uninspiring! Some of them are so annoying that I vow every time I see them to never buy that product if I can figure out what they are truly selling. 

Sometimes it is difficult to figure out what is being advertised.  They are so subtle I wonder what it is they want me to buy or think.  Probably because I am viewing through rather bored eyes as I wish for the actual program I want to watch to start or continue.

The history of TV commercials dates back to the 1940s. The NBC-owned station WNBT in New York aired the first legal commercial on July 1, 1941.  This commercial was a short spot called the “Bulova Time Check” during a Brooklyn Dodgers-Philadelphia Phillies game at Ebbets Field Watch this ad, hit control and a click to access link   https://youtu.be/lsjc2uDi1OI 

Bulova paid $4 for air fees plus $5 for station fees which was a steal at that time, according to businessinsider.com and Slate. WNBT was the only station to air an ad on that day. That commercial was quick, to the point, and interesting.

And from that date, TV viewers have been bombarded with ads about everything imaginable from foods to insurance, drugs, and services. 

One area that is especially prevalent is the pushing of pills and drug hawking. I can definitely tell what they want me to do--hassle my doctors to give me a prescription for those wonder drugs that cure just about any ailments. Plus, these ads seem to go on forever or at least several minutes.  I have never timed them but they seem to never end. 

I know repetition is the way we all learn but please give it a break.  Sometimes the same commercial will run again in less than a two- to three-minute cycle.  Not sure what the thinking is but again I vow to never buy that product.  A recent commercial with a cow and a very cute little girl urging viewers to buy ice cream was shown twice almost back-to-back.  Therefore, I wrote them off my grocery list.

I am not mentioning any brand names in this blog, but a couple of commercials have to be called out including one where a man is part motorcycle and an emu that is run all over the country trying to convince viewers about whatever!

Insurance advertising has taken on a whole new level that viewers cannot watch for any amount of time without being berated on what one should buy.  I wonder if insurance companies could save the ad money to give clients a break on rates.

There also has been a rise of topics advertised of late with sports betting adding to the competition.  At first, I was briefly tempted but then reason took over, and I decided to forego the temptation. The fat-shrinking service still peaks my attention, but I am sure the price is over the moon.  One can still dream.

The most unbelievable claim is the pointing to get rid of junk or unwanted items.  Several companies promise that this will happen.  I would love to see this, but we all know it takes more than pointing.

Please spare us the bodily function product ads that promise earth-shattering change.  Maybe these products do accomplish what they preach, but I cannot imagine!

It really seems to get even worse after 10 p.m. as ads are repeated constantly. Witness statements fill the airwaves about how companies will buy dilapidated houses. I bet those prices are very low. There should be a warning before these ads!

To counteract the time these commercials absorb of a program, we record most shows so we can fast forward through the hype of advertisers. We mute if we haven’t recorded the program -- this at least keeps us a little bit saner as we can’t hear the information.

But we would love to see a clever ad that might draw us in, but that seems to be improbable. The Super Bowl ads seem to be the only ones that ever reach the mark.  Of course, that is once a year, and the cost is exorbitant.

If the intent of these commercials is to turn the viewers away from the products, then they are highly successful. I wouldn’t touch most of them with a 10-foot pole!

Frances

280 What is it about those doggos?

 

What is it about those Doggos?

Since My pup Tootsie is a Jack Russell, naturally I follow a Facebook page devoted to the JRT. It has 5.6K followers worldwide and is one of several Facebook groups devoted to the breed.

Some folks post frequently while others add something infrequently-- as I do. A week ago, I posted a photo of Tootsie with her poor little face swollen after having five teeth pulled.

She was sitting on my lap, which she did for about six days until she started feeling better and was off the pain pills.

As you can see, Tootsie received many many comments and likes-- more than I ever have.

So with six days of being a lap, I spend much time on Facebook, looking at everything but watching many dog videos. That sent me on a search about the pupularity of dog videos on the Internet.

This also brought up many articles about whether dog or cat videos are more popular. The consensus was the dogs have edged out cats but no one is really sure. My theory is the dog owners like dog videos and cat owners the cat ones. Since there are about 94.2 million or so cats as pets in the U.S. and 8.l7 million dog pets, I think cat videos win. But have you seen the cute ones where big dogs adopt and bring up kittens?

I looked for best doggo sites and went down the rabbit hole (whoops mixed metaphor)--went down the pupper hole! Anyway, the number of sites promoting dog pictures and dog videos seems endless. I guess my addiction isn't too bad because I had not heard of most of them.

And the language! Why are all the captions a mix of baby talk and variants of the words dogs and pups and so on? I am sort of used to it but it is weird. And are all those dog owners named Karen or is that some kind of an inside joke?

Well, this has been heckin pawsome but, Tootsie is fully recovered from her dental surgery so my obsession with dog videos is laid to rest! I hope!

                                                        Trish

279 A Book for Pandemic Questions

A Book for Your PANDEMIC Questions

OH! NO! You just rolled your eyes. Yet another blog about the pandemic. Yes, but I promise you it’s a little different. I have found the book for us all to read. 

It should be required reading as dictated by someone with more authority and clout than I have. Maybe Dr. Fauci? It’s one of those books that makes you say: “YOU GOTTA READ THIS!” If not word for word, read this for reasoning, for research, and for explanations of how it is all entwined.

Goodness. Amazon loves me. My indulgence just for me is buying books online. Two days, usually, and I have the ordered books at my door. I have read lots and lots of mysteries. Caught up with all the J.D. Robb and Stuart Woods books. Bought a couple of Wooster and Jeeves anthologies and now I am reading the romance series of the Bridgerton family because we don’t get this on DIRECTV. [No, we don’t have Netflix anymore. We had a billing issue with them and we already had Amazon Prime anyway.]

Along with these “light reading” books, I am attempting to catch up with Civil War Virginians (many of whose thoughts now appall me), Black History, the Vietnam War, and the Chicago 7 (one member went to high school with me). I am also absolutely entranced by Henry Louis Gates and his books as well as his TV show “Finding Your Roots.” He’s delightful and smart, and he grew up in Keyser, WV and has taught at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Duke among others, and has won oodles of awards. (skim the Wikipedia article for further details.) Watch his show for amazing stories.

BUT THIS IS THE BOOK! My new focus for the “heavy reading” is the history of pandemics. Epidemics and Society: from the Black Death to the Present, by Frank M. Snowden, Yale University Press, 2020. Yes, it is thick and scholarly-looking but he writes well and it reads quickly. I stay up far too late for just one more chapter! It has a thirty-page bibliography (he’s done his research) and an extraordinarily detailed index. It is fascinating. I recommend it. 

Snowden says in his preface: “The goal is not to reach specialists in relevant fields, but rather to encourage discussion among general readers and students with an interest in the history of epidemic diseases and a concern about our preparedness as a society to meet new microbial challenges.” (Snowden, xiii) Starting with the bubonic plague--I think perhaps everyone’s worst case scenario--and ending with the Coronavirus, Snowden moves with fascinating details from the fourteenth century to 2021.

I believe that these two anecdotes sold me. During the Napoleonic period, Bonaparte sent a great military force to the Caribbean colony of Saint-Dominique in 1802. He wanted to “restore slavery” and impose French rule in the colony. However, Napoleon’s forces were destroyed, literally, by a virulent epidemic of yellow fever. The army’s devastation led to a historical chain of events. Haiti gained its foothold and independence.  

The French losses in men and political power ultimately led to the Louisiana Purchase. Well, this was surely a learning curve for me! Let’s stay with Napoleon just for a sentence or two more. By 1812, Bonaparte thought he had amassed the greatest military force ever to invade Russia. However, the troops were annihilated not by men and guns but by typhus and dysentery, and weather. Napoleon‘s army was essentially destroyed and the geopolitical balance of power was forever changed. After losing over 300,000 men, 70,000 in one day at the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon could no longer expect to march from a victory in Russia across Europe. The emperor found himself exiled to Elba.

Now, I may gross out a few of you, but I found cholera fascinating. Cholera has had seven pandemics all by itself starting in 1817 in Asia, in the 1830s through 1875 in Europe and North America, in the 1880s to 1923 in Asia and Europe, and finally from 1961 to the present in various places in Asia, South America, and Africa. British colonialism as troops and trade moved, then a Haj to Mecca, and most importantly the transport revolution of railroads, steamships, and the Suez Canal caused the various outbreaks. Cholera thrived in the unplanned urbanizations and crowded slums with poor water supplies and no sewers. The epidemics that arose caused people to say “The Plague has returned.” 

There was such fear that Snowden lists the reactions: “mass flight, riots, social hysteria, scapegoating, and economic disruption.” (p. 235) Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? But cholera has a fearsome description: pneumonia, meningitis, uremia, and gangrene of the extremities. Blood is so dense it no longer circulates, acid enemas were tried, sulfur bonfires, and the list goes on. Surprisingly, governmental policies helped: the distribution of blankets, food, and medicines along with isolation facilities for the ill and the banning of group gatherings. Again, sounding familiar. (pp. 233 – 238)

If I keep on with all the gory details, you will never finish this blog or read my blog again. It will not be long before Trish and Frances will tell me to “get a grip.” Often, we compare this siege of COVID with the flu of 1918. Check out this graph; it tells enough.

WashPostArchives and ohiohistory.org/Googleimages

Since most of us were alive for the polio and HIV/AIDS pandemics, I will now race to the present. According to Snowden: “Unpreparedness to face the challenges of epidemic diseases despite the warnings” and “treatment of health as a commodity in the market rather than a human right” are the causes of our downfalls. (p. 502) Thus, COVID.

For those seriously concerned about our health system and its geopolitical ramifications, I really (and rarely) exclaim over a book, but this one is so far-reaching and so readable, it’s worth buying. It has been chosen, by the way, for the Open Yale Courses Series. (Amazon has it on sale for $17.51!)

Winchester Star photo

And applause to all our medical heroes and frontline essential workers and to Valley Health, Lord Fairfax Health District, and Shenandoah University for bringing the COVID vaccine to our hometown.

Stay well! Glenne

278 Hunt for Vaccine

On the hunt for a vaccine!

In this most unusual of times, we found ourselves going after something we never imagined--a vaccine for Covid-19. There we were lining up not for concert tickets or hot commodities but for a shot in the arm.

As soon as the first distribution was announced, those who qualified started a texting and calling chain to let others know. It was like the hottest gossip in town. We sent the information to all our friends who met the criteria. They were excited and ready to embark on a vaccination hunt.

The first eligible group was 75 and over. Would you believe I turned 75 on the actual day of the first distribution in the community – Jan. 11. My husband lacked two months of reaching the coveted 75, but since he lives with me, he was eligible. How lucky he was.

I never thought I would spend my 75th birthday in line waiting for my first vaccine shot. It takes two to be completely vaccinated so this was the start of the expedition.

At first, we weren’t sure we would stay. We drove by the first time that morning and thought the line was too long. But then when we turned around and came back by, we decided to do it. What else did we have to do as the pandemic had curtailed all activities!

The only car parking we could find was about a half a mile away, but we were prepared with comfortable, warm clothes. It was a typical January-type day but luckily no precipitation or wind.

The line snaked around the parking lot of the fire hall and most everyone had on a mask. A friend who had arrived before us gave us the lay of the land. Numbers were being distributed at the door for entry into the hall where vaccinations were being given.

After standing in line for at least an hour, one of the health department officials started giving out numbers to those in line before reaching the door. That way once we got the number we could move around and stay warm. Our number was in the 500s and the 300s were being served. That day more than 900 were given, and the officials kept saying that they had plenty for everyone. That was such a relief!

As I said before, where else did we have to go since the pandemic had stalled almost all activities, so it was not an imposition. Time went by slowly but we were determined. Finally, we arrived at the door and entered the hall to be shot. 

The staff was amazing. We both got our vaccinations from the same nurse who was very kind and considerate. Then we waited for 15 minutes to make sure we had no side effects.

Those that got vaccinated that day made vows to each other to share information when we got word of the second shot. We would be eligible Feb. 8.

So happy birthday to me!! Never could I have imagined that the best gift I could get was a Covid-19 vaccination. Also, we had no side effects except sore arms where the shot was given.

More and more distributions were scheduled in the area. We kept waiting to hear about our second. Another friend found out the location had been changed, but the date was the same. Then another friend was called for an appointment and was told to tell others, so the vaccination hotline began again to make sure everyone knew. Waiting for the call was nerve-wracking so some of us called and got through, and others kept trying until successful. We stayed vigilant and appointments for the second shot were made at the new location at the health department in our area.

I can’t tell you the relief when we went through those doors and got the second shot. It was like old home week as we saw friends and acquaintances. Again, we had sore arms, but this time we were a little tired for a couple of hours but nothing major.

As the weeks have unfolded, many friends have had trouble getting appointments so we have all shared information as best we can. Conversations throughout the elderly population continue to be laced with vaccination comments, such as how to get an appointment, where to get a shot, are there side effects, etc.

My sisters in other states have had similar experiences and are close to getting the second shot. One of them recently exclaimed how nice it will be when all of us old vaccinated folks can get together!

We are cautioned to continue wearing masks, social distance, and avoid large gatherings. We could still get the virus, but it shouldn’t be as severe. So please get vaccinated when it is your turn to help stop the spread. It will help us all to live in a safer, vaccinated country and world. This pandemic can’t end soon enough!

                                  Vaccine-Savvy Frances

277 Super Bowl Ads vs. Puppy Bowl

 

Super Bowl Ads vs. Puppy Bowl

As I compose this blog, the Super Bowl is days away. I half-heartedly follow pro football but rooted for other teams in the playoffs so I don't care that much about this game.

However, I would like Bruce Arians, the Tampa Bay Bucs head coach, to win. Arians played

quarterback for Virginia Tech in 1974; his first coaching job was as a graduate assistant at Tech; and he seems to be a nice person when not coaching!

I would be happy to read after the game that he had won. But there are those commercials. I generally read a book during the games and look up to see replays of exciting moments. For this game, I will have to interrupt my book for commercials too.

There are many lists of the best game advertisements. I like the Budweiser frogs and the Clydesdales. The 1984 Apple commercial was just weird--to me. I liked Mean Joe Greene too.

This year a 30-second Super Bowl commercial will cost at least $5.5 million or so. The research says that these ads do result in increased sales. Some companies are skipping this year--Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Budweiser--to give funds to more needy causes. But Anheuser-Busch commercials (Bud's parent company) will air, and Pepsi is sponsoring the halftime show. Also sitting out sponsorship are Audi, Avocados from Mexico, and Hyundai.

The Puppy Bowl is an attractive alternative. I wonder how those $5.5-million sponsors feel when a game gets boring, and we lackluster fans switch to the Animal Planet.

This will be the 17th year of the Puppy Bowl. The concept started out as a joke at Animal Planet but grew into a real program. Now it draws about 10 million viewers over its 12-hour block--110 million for the Super Bowl. What is great is that all 90 participating pups are from rescues, and all get adopted! The Puppy Bowl is filmed over two days with seventeen cameras.

The plan is to watch the Puppy Bowl after the game since the pupper show is repeated several times--I don't want to miss those commercials. Unless the game goes south, then I will join the 10 million at Animal Planet!

Not-Super-Bowl-Savvy Trish

276 Highlights of a boomer's life

Highlights of a Boomer's Life

Well, Savvy Readers, 2020 was a heck of a year and 2021 does not seem to be shaping up without being fraught with its share of scary events. It is only January! 

I am feeling a bit claustrophobic after nearly a year of isolation and a whole lot fearful for our country. I wanted to see if, perhaps, I was making too much of the “now” and minimizing my memories of “then.”

 I have done a timeline of events that I remember having some sort of impact on my life or stuck in my memory in the past seventy years. I am the quintessential “boomer” – born in 1946 and graduated high school in 1964. (Wow! How did I get so old?) 

Don’t feel an obligation to read every item but I was indeed struck by how much has happened in my lifetime. It might be interesting to see how much you remember and what events you think I forgot! Some are just interesting, but much of it is sad and a bit scary. Seems like every new and exciting event has an equal number of sad or catastrophic ones. Maybe we just get used to what is happening without thinking too far in the future as we go about our daily routines. Maybe every generation feels this way? Maybe?

1946: ENIAC--the first computer; AT&T car phones; Dr. Spock’s Common Sense Baby and Child Care; I am born.

1948: Supreme Court rules religious education in schools is unconstitutional (most schools ignored for a long time).

1950: The first TV remote was called the “Lazy Bones.”

1953: The CIA uses LSD in human research trials. 

1954: Polio vaccine; Disneyland breaks ground in California. 

1956: Elvis appears on Ed Sullivan’s show; American Bandstand with Dick Clark begins.

1958: Khrushchev becomes Russian premier.

1959: I am 13 and have to watch the news every evening (yep, whole family): Big Year, though: NASA selects seven astronauts; first Barbie dolls; international flights on Pan Am; Khrushchev not allowed into Disneyland (no idea why I remembered this).

1960: Another big year: Civil Rights Sit-In at Woolworth’s in N.C.; Civil Rights Bill passed; first contraceptive pills on the market; JFK elected 35th President.

1961: Berlin Wall built; Alan Sheperd first American in space; Bay of Pigs near catastrophe.

1962: Marilyn Monroe found dead in bed; first Wal-Mart opens. 

1963: MLK delivers “I Have A Dream” in front of Lincoln memorial; JFK assassinated; census = U.S. 190 million (2020 listed at 331 million); Equal Pay Act (whatever happened to it?); March on Washington. 

1964: MLK receives Nobel Peace Prize; Beetles appear on Ed Sullivan show; World’s Fair in NY; Head Start education program for young children; Gulf of Tonkin Resolution allowed President Johnson actively into Vietnam; I graduate from high school.

1965: Voting Rights Act (still a bit of trouble with this one); Watts Riots in L.A.

1966: Huey Newton and Bobby Seale start the Black Panther Party.

1968: Vietnam – remember Mi Lai? MLK assassinated; I graduate from William & Mary; Chicago Seven at Democratic Convention (I went to school with Rennie Davis’s brother and sister.). 

1971: Kent State students protest Vietnam and National Guard opens fire; Nixon visits China. 

1972: Roe v. Wade (and it’s still an issue!); Watergate scandal; Munich Olympics--Palestinians attack Israeli athletes.

1974: Nixon resigns over Watergate; Ford becomes President and pardons Nixon.

1975: End of U.S. in Vietnam War--Saigon falls, becomes Ho Chi Minh City. 

1979: Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident.

1980: Ronald Reagan elected President. 

1981: Sandra Day O’Connor--first woman on Supreme Court; AIDS diagnosed.

1985: Gorbachev becomes Russian leader. 

1986: Space shuttle Challenger explodes--seen live on TV (we were on a ski trip taking a break in snack bar and saw it on TV); Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes in Ukraine.

1987: Stock market drops over 500 points – worst in history – Black Monday (which I still don’t understand). 

1988: Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda; George Bush elected President; Libyans blow up plane over Scotland. 

1989: (a volatile year!): Exxon Valdez spills 11 million gallons oil off Alaska; Tiananmen Square; Berliners continue tearing down wall; U.S. invades Panama to get rid of Noriega.

1991: Rodney King beaten; Soviet Union dissolved. 

1993: NAFTA--free trade agreement U.S./Canada/Mexico; NYC bombing of World Trade Center; Toni Morrison first Black to receive Nobel Prize for Literature. 

1994: Nelson Mandela sworn in as President of S. Africa; Oklahoma bombing.

1995: O.J. Simpson trial--not guilty. 

1996: Dolly the sheep is cloned. 

1998: President Clinton impeached. 

1999: Clinton acquitted; Panama Canal transferred to Panama. 

2000: No clear winner between Bush and Gore--Bush wins due to Supreme Court ruling. 

2001: 9/11 bombing of World Trade Center and later Pentagon. 

2003: U.S. and Britain wage war against Iraq; Columbia space shuttle explodes on re-entry. 

2004: Four hurricanes devastate south coast. 

2005: Hurricane Katrina wrecks Mississippi and Louisiana; Justice Rehnquist dies, O’Connor resigns, John Roberts becomes Chief Justice.

2007: Nancy Pelosi becomes first woman speaker of the House of Representatives; mass shootings at Virginia Tech. 

2008: Barack Obama elected first Black President. 

2010: Instagram founded. 

2011: Osama Bin Laden killed by Navy Seals. 

2012: Obama re-elected; Sandy Hook Elementary School killings; Hurricane Sandy ravages east coast.

2013: Black Lives Matter emerges as a political movement; Boston Marathon killings; Supreme Court strikes down “defense of marriage” act. 

2015: Same-sex marriage allowed in all 50 states. 

2016: Donald Trump elected President over Hillary Clinton. 

2017: White supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia; three more devastating hurricanes--Maria, Irma, and Harvey; film producer Harvey Weinstein accused of sexual harassment and #ME TOO MOVEMENT begins.

2018: Steven Hawking dies; Stan Lee dies; George H.W. Bush dies. 

2019: Government shutdown (seems partly due to Trump wanting money for Mexican border wall); first photo of a black hole; shootings continue: Virginia Beach, Dallas, South California, El Paso, Dayton, Ohio; Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein found dead in prison cell; impeachment against Trump for presidential abuses of power.

2020: Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic and global shut-down; a Black man, George Floyd, killed during police arrest – protests and riots follow; Biden and Harris elected with Harris being first woman and first Black to hold v-p office; first COVID-19 vaccines given; two of my heroes die: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Alex Trebek. 

2021: Trump supporters storm and enter Capital with riots and looting; Trump second impeachment– “high crimes and misdemeanors”; Biden/Harris inauguration.

And What Is Next?

(The information was collected from various websites: digitalhistory.uh.edu, pbs.org/americanmasters, historynewsnetwork.org, Infoplease.com/history, Wikipedia.org/u.s.history and a variety of google searches which give one/two sentence descriptors)

Here’s to better times! 

                               Glenne

P.S. We got a Christmas card today that was mailed December 18.