New Year, New Woes. The Tragedy in Tucson was a gut puncher for the first week in the New Year. What concerns me is that after the crazy man’s rampage, one-day sales of handguns in Arizona jumped 60 percent over the previous year. Instead of curbing sales, the tragedy has sent the shooter’s “Glock” semi-automatic flying off the shelves! Here’s my 2 cents: 1) Why does anyone need a semi-automatic that can fire hundreds of shots in a minute? 2) The heroes in this episode should remind us all of what this country stands for.
15 minutes. Happily, the first week of the year also brought us the Golden Voiced homeless man, Ted Williams. We cheered him on and celebrated his story. Sadly, he was picked up this week by the LAPD after a heated, raised voice, altercation with this daughter. He claims his daughter got violent. She says, “oh, no I didn’t” (in a voice she obviously got from her mother.) Neither wanted to press charges. He was released and immediately headed to rehab.
Political rumblings. Donald Trump was so bothered by President Obama wearing flip-flops that he’s tossing his hair into the 2012 presidential race. “I don’t like it. I don’t think that is what the president is supposed to be representing. You will not see me wearing flip-flops.” He will, however, be wearing that hair on the Republican.
Weiner dog alert! According to the Doxie Lovers Club, the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association (who knew?!) is looking for 400 dachshunds for a study on common back/spinal problems. A dachshund getting his back cracked?! That’s wacked!
Icky poo. A new British study has found that ATM keypads have as much illness-causing bacteria as a public toilet. Oh, great! Something else to worry about. Since I need cash as much as I do toilet paper, forget the gun. I’m packin’ Purell!
Now, eat your dinner and stay warm!
Every winter as the snow piles up, we all start getting what I call “wacky shacky” (bug-eyed hysteria from being holed up in the house.) I’m sitting here right now day-dreaming about working in my garden! So, I thought I’d share a few of my Life 101 ideas to beat back the doldrums of the cold, dark months:
I had a great time playing in the snow this weekend wearing my fishing waders. I bought them for $69 at Gander Mountain sporting good store to wear while cleaning out my koi pond. Who knew they’d be the perfect snow suit? I was out for hours and stayed warm and dry as a bone. Did you know that today’s kids spend only 4 to 7 minutes outdoors per day? That’s a huge difference from when I grew up and was outside until called in for dinner. The proven benefits of interacting with nature include better eyesight, better fitness (and less fatness), better grades, and lower levels of stress and depression. Go play outside and enjoy 2011! 
Honk! Everywhere I turn someone is sniffling, sneezing, coughing, and aching. Enough already with the nasal New Year.
