January 6, Canadian Style Eh!

Enough Already! Time to Get the Truck off the Roads!

Imagine! Canada is on the American networks 24//7 - for the wrong reasons. At least we are on the front page. CNN has featured our trucker blockade/protest for the last few days. I don't watch that other tabloid network.

It even targeted our capital city - Ottawa - as did the American "protest" which targeted  Washington on January 6 last year. Notice the difference. No guns. So far no destruction. No gallows. No death calls. No officers killed. This is after all a Canadian protest - sorry!

There are similarities. This is basically people just itching to protest something - anything about our government(s) and "the system". The truckers protest was just the catalyst. It reminds me of my university days - a bunch of first year students rushed off in a bus to Ottawa to protest - I don't even remember what. I stayed back and studied (true). It was just a chance to make it into the media - TV or newspaper - there was no internet or cell phones.

Our provincial Premier - Doug Ford - is now making a lot of threats and noise. Remember there is an election coming up. I hope he follows through because now it is indeed disrupting the lives of many families and businesses on both sides of the border. He has declared a state of emergency and put in place fines of $100,000 and possible incarceration for up to one year. To any American readers you have to remember after seeing the Mayor of Windsor on TV that in Canada the Mayor does not run the local police department as they often do in America.

I had some sympathy originally for the truckers although NOT those who refused vaccination. They have been non-violent and were even shoveling the walks in downtown Ottawa.

Now guys it is time to pack up and go home. You chose the vocation - nobody forced you and international trips will always bring problems of some sort. Like it or not, you ARE a higher risk to your fellow citizens when you travel and return.

As for those who are protesting everything from animal rights to gasoline tax, take a hike. Yell all you want during the day and carry signs. THAT is peaceful protesting. When you disrupt the daily life of others anywhere in the world, it is not. Too many people have died fighting over the decades to give you this country. How many of them are protesting?

Take note of the Putin / Ukraine situation that is about to explode. Is that what you prefer? Also remember that if you are trying to copy the worst red necks in the States, their leader would probably have sent in the Troops across our border to solve our problem for us. Again - would you be OK with that?

Enjoy what you have or soon you won't have it.

#thebrewsterblock

Ignoring COVID Too Soon

Are We Shooting Ourselves in the Foot With a COVID Gun?

We are all sick of it. Those with more rational temperaments still see the virus as the threat it has always been. Others have become complacent and are taking the "It is what it is" approach. The latter is what is frightening.

We are probably dodging bullets at the moment because of all that has been learned about the virus and the rapid development of vaccines and recently pills to protect most of us. Protocols also help. The deniers can say the world wide numbers are all fake but let them say it to those who really did lose loved ones.

I still think that if we begin to totally ignore the problem as though life were back to normal, we will pay a heavy price. I have received three shots and will get more as available. Thinking that we are all safe is like burying your head in the sand. Not talking about it will not make it go away.

Perhaps what we should be doing is treating pandemics like other natural disasters: hurricanes; tornadoes; floods; tsunamis; fire; drought; asteroids; meteorites. You can't stop them but you can certainly prepare for the worst.

A few thoughts:

1. Build and outfit large VIRAL hospitals. These would only treat patients with epidemiological types of diseases. They would have the most up to date air treatment and critical care units available designed with this in mind. If there were no general surgeries performed most equipment would be for breathing - respirators and intubation. Staff trained to use these should not have to be full MDs or Surgeons. These two limitations should reduce costs over conventional hospitals. PPE would be in large supply and waste disposal highly efficient. Staffing might be a problem initially but pay would be commensurate. These might be empty a lot but so are city halls, public swimming pools, and stadiums to give some analogies.

2. More and more international research is needed into viral diseases and cures including rapid testing. We need tests so quick and accurate that all travelers would have to be tested and pass as part of any boarding procedure for planes, boats, buses and trains. This has to happen before any luggage is surrendered so that denial is possible - no exceptions.

3. International Health Passports are required just like current passports but they must be electronic so validation can be rapid. No passport - no travel. This has to become common practice to eliminate any "I didn't know" excuses. Travel agencies also have to educate and enforce this - no proof, no tickets.

4. Refusing to be vaccinated should be just like refusing to get a drivers license, car ownership, car insurance, or wearing a seatbelt. You may not drive and are punished severely if you do.

5. I understand that mandating someone to have a substance injected into their body will always be an issue. What society can do is make those who refuse pay consequences if they just don't give a damn about the rest of us. If you are a really bad driver with too many serious offences you will have your right to drive removed. Insurance will become prohibitive. If you refuse to properly dispose of your waste and garbage and both you and your property become a threat to those around you society can take action and remove you and that property. The same thing goes for a vicious dog or other dangerous pet. Even America's precious guns can be taken away from individuals who have abused them.

There was a time when face masks and helmets were not mandatory or even conceived for certain sports. Now they are and it is accepted. I believe I am correct in saying that in most public places you can't walk around in the nude. Thank goodness.

I was going to close by saying that masks are no different than sneezing or coughing into a tissue or sleeve, or covering your mouth.  The practice is encouraged but there are still ignorant people who don't comply. 

Some day a VIRUS might kill all of us before its vaccine is developed. If the dinosaurs return in a more intelligent form they will wonder why mankind suddenly disappeared. Maybe Planet of the Apes the sequel will be a reality only the apes will be  wearing masks!

#thebrewsterblock

There is no #Vaccine for Dumb

Beyond Funny 

The other day I saw a clip on one of the networks of a woman being asked about COVID-19. She was an anti-vaxxer. It could just as easily have been a man - let's get that stated up front.

She told the interviewer - and she was dead serious - that after you receive a COVID-19 shot you become magnetic and spoons will adhere to your skin. I was dumbfounded. Whoever told her this must still be laughing. Perhaps they demonstrated it using sweaty skin or a sticky spoon. Perhaps she saw it on FOX.

Was I surprised? Some people - probably her as well - think that Bill Gates is behind all of this and the injections are actually filling your body full of microscopic spies.

You can't actually fix dumb but you have to wonder how such individuals function in society. God forbid that she ever travels to Australia because being upside down, she will fall right off the globe. There again it might be enough incentive for her to receive all of her shots. After all being magnetic, Earth's gravitational pull will keep her from flying off into space.

I hope Santa was good to all of these people and that they left him cookies - or a stiff drink. With any luck she is still waiting for the stork to pay her a visit and never learns the truth.

#thebrewsterblock

New #COVID-19 Conspiracy

COVID is a remnant of the lost City of Atlantis

Most people have read about this utopian city with an advanced civilization like no other. The legend has the city of Atlantis sinking somewhere in the Atlantic never to be seen or heard from again. Some people still search for it.

As with many advanced societies and civilizations of the past they often became so depraved and selfish they eventually self-imploded, were annihilated, or were "punished" by the Gods. New evidence now sheds light on what happened to Atlantis. They were wiped out by what we now call the COVID-19 virus. They didn't name it back then knowing nothing about microbiology.

Whether it was a result of some geothermal explosion or indeed represented the wrath of those on high, the entire city and island sank into the deep.

Unfortunately for us, despite not ever locating the city itself, it is believed that traces of that very same virus survived in the cold of the depths and centuries later traces found their way to the surface. It was first contracted by swimmers over two years ago and they were not in China. No wonder we have never seen the likes of this before!

Are you taking this in? I hope most of you are asking "Where did this guy get all of this crap? FOX news?" It is indeed crap - total bull. I made it up as I wrote. However since many people today can't or don't want to read more than a couple of paragraphs (if they know the term) or a typical Tweet, they will not have reached this point.

You can be sure that some are already sharing this "news" on social media. These people actually believe that Democrats and movie stars are actively eating and sucking the blood out of your children somewhere. Some say that not only are 5G towers making you sick, they are also responsible for COVID-19. QAnon is not worth more than a mention of its name. Hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine (treatments for malaria) will cure COVID-19. On and on they go. People are actually buying treatments and products today which supposedly "de-vaccinate" you.

How can you be rationale with people like this? You can't. What you CAN do is turn out in huge numbers to replace elected representatives who support these individuals and to vote for others who adequately demonstrate they are still sane. When I say huge numbers, I mean REALLY huge numbers. We already know that many states have put the fix in to ignore any further Democratic wins in smaller numbers.

With any luck that other guy will have so many charges up his wazoo he won't be able to run again. 

#thebrewsterblock

COVID 19 Mask of Silence

Some Healthcare Workers are Tarnishing their Medals

Ever since this pandemic was recognized all those who cared for patients from picking them up in an ambulance through checking them out of a hospital - hopefully alive - and everyone in between have been rightly lauded as heroes. This also includes those working in other types of care facilities also.

Now we are finding out that some of these individuals who are in daily contact with patients are not receiving their shots. They are actually refusing.

In the beginning when supplies of masks and other types of PPE were in short supply, these people were rightly number one in the queue. They often went for days with little sleep and seldom saw their loved ones. They have all seen their share of Covid19 deaths.

I was shocked when I heard that some were choosing not to be vaccinated. Last year we heard many of them appealing to the public to wear masks, properly wash their hands, and stay home if possible. So how can anyone in these positions now justify not getting vaccinated? Seriously? Do those few guilty parties still intend to deal with patients on a daily basis when they KNOW they could kill them, the patients' loved ones, or their own?

C'mon guys! This is not acceptable. If anyone should know the importance of these vaccinations it is YOU. Anyone of the guilty here loses their hero status in my books - and probably their job. This is like a police officer who distributes drugs or robs banks.

What a horrible example to set for others. It is a great thing to risk your lives every day to save ours but not to risk ours when you know better.

#thebrewsterblock

Patron or Draft Dodger?

 Would You Report if Conscripted Today? 

There is no conscription today in my country (Canada) or America - at present. I am fortunate that as a baby boomer I missed the mandatory calling to go to war. Millions of citizens around the world were not so fortunate decades ago.

You either responded or were a draft dodger or "conscientious objector." Some said coward. As the world knows hundreds of thousands of soldiers never returned and I am not just talking about Americans. Many, many more returned only to have to live with serious injuries - both physically and mentally.

Would people respond again today? It is unlikely to happen but certainly could. If the answer is yes, then I make only one point which I have made before. You would be responding to a call from your government to possibly lose your life for the sake of your fellow citizens and their future. The highest praise to you! 

Please tell me. Why is the request, or if it comes to it the order to get vaccinated for the sake of your fellow citizens any different? I just realized an irony here. Those wars were caused by somebody TAKING the first shot. This one - and it is a war - is caused by people NOT taking a shot!

If you are not willing to get two or more little jabs in the arm when the government calls then I suspect we would lose the next war and be overrun. Surely those same people who refuse to get the shot would all be draft dodgers for the same reason - governments can't tell them what to do.

For countries whose citizens are willing to go off to war we would be a pushover without a functional military. Yes it would quickly go nuclear but that is missing the point.

So PLEASE get the shot so you don't kill someone else even if you think you will survive yourself. 

That is not a command or a law - we are simply appealing to you if that makes a difference. Just go to the nearest centre or pharmacy with your tattoos in your Volkswagen van with the flowers on it and be vaccinated.

There are plenty of other useless things to protest if you must that do not affect the rest of us.

#thebrewsterblock

Vaccination $50 Incentive

What else Would They Do For $50?

Some authorities in the U.S. are now offering $50 incentives to be vaccinated - gift cards, debit cards, cash, etc.

One man in a wheelchair brushed aside a journalist's recital of the usual statistics and said outright the only reason he was there to get the jab was the gift. It had nothing to do with doing the right thing.

We are not supposed to be insulting the unvaccinated but this is a fact. We have a slang term for people who are willing to be poked for $50 or other cash incentive. It is not flattering.

Don't become a cheap fifty dollar ----er. Do it for the right reasons!

#thebrewsterblock

COVID-19 now the American Virus

Trump's China Virus now belongs to the USA

Trump loves to call COVID the China Virus. Too bad but with the current number of Americans refusing vaccination in the USA, it should inherit the title if it has not already.

Biden and others are now rightly calling it a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Every time I hear one of these never yahoos expounding their views I think how lucky they are to have views and to still be alive and able to express them. We all know their "you can't make me" media cry will be present regarding anything the government proposes. Every one of these dingbats talks immediately about how healthy he/she is and the confidence that they won't get sick. Never do they consider what they might be doing to others.

One of the latest chants is that they won't be guinea pigs (just stubborn pigs I guess.) The number I just saw indicates over 220 countries with the disease. There are almost 200 million cases world wide. Many of them are begging for shots. Millions have been vaccinated and they are just fine so the guinea pig idea is already shot down.

To hell with them. The rest of us have every right to make life as miserable as possible for them, since they are doing the same to us. We lose loved ones because of their pathetic need to make a statement.

So every government, company, and employer everywhere should enforce vaccination and where needed, masks. Here are some obvious ones:

- You can't come to work and you won't get paid

- You can't travel on any public transportation

- You can't enter another country

- If you need treatment in any medical facility for any ailment, even life threatening, you must be vaccinated first and sign an enforceable oath that you will receive a second one later.

- You can not enter any government facility to receive any government service without vaccination. This would include drivers' licenses and plates.

- This will be popular. You can not fill your car at any gas station without proof of vaccination

If these people want to be unreasonable then so should the rest of us.

#thebrewsterblock

Anti-Vax Syndrome JABASSES

COVID Anti-vaxxers

There is now a new syndrome identified by renowned Psychologist Dr. Brewster Block. It has been named the COVID Jab Syndrome. It applies to those who give every excuse in the book and then some, for not getting a COVID shot. The truth is these people are just afraid of needles - big brave protestors too wimpy to get a jab in the arm.

Did you believe that? If not, good for you. It is total bullshit that I invented less than five minutes ago. Why not? Many anti-vaxxers do it all the time

The following is my sincere opinion and only that. I believe that it is true. There are a ton of people - total losers really - who go through life looking for their five minutes - not even an Andy Warhol 15 minutes - of fame by protesting something. Anything will do. Here are some of the common "causes":

1. They get stopped by an officer and refuse to open the window or get out of the car. They "know" their rights. You can't make me.
2. They insist on entering a store with no shirt, bare feet etc.
3. They take parking spots designated for others who need them.
4. They don't have to pay their taxes.
5. Speed limits are just a cash grab so they deliberately violate them.
6. The same people as in 5. refuse to use turn signals or come to a complete stop at signs and intersections. They revert to # 1. above when pulled over.
7. They refuse to wear a mask. Once again, you can't make me.
8. They protest any conflict in which their own military participates.
9. They refuse to line up for anything.
10. They protest everything any government tries to do but still collect their welfare cheques.

The list could go on. Get a life people. Do something useful for a change - like getting a COVID shot. Be brave. Then you might be able to do your protesting in public without harming your kids and relatives, or anyone else's.

#thebrewsterblock

#COVID-19 and People. Go Figure!

 Logic Getting in the Way of Bravado

You can figure out some of the people some of the time but you can't figure out all of the people all of the time. OK, sometimes never fits both groups.

Do you:

• Wear a seatbelt when travelling in a car or plane?
• Wear a helmet when travelling on  a motorcycle?
• Wear a helmet when travelling on a bicycle? For many adults this is a no. Go figure.
• Carry an emergency chute if you parachute?
• Wear a helmet when playing football; hockey; lacrosse?
• Wear a helmet if you are a jockey?
• Wear a lifejacket when waterskiing?
• Carry bear spray when hiking/walking in the mountains?
• Swim in shark infested waters?
• Wear a mask when welding?
• Attach to a safety line when washing windows outside high buildings?
• Attach to a safety line as a high rise steel worker?
• Wear a hard hat and safety boots/glasses as a construction worker?
• Play golf in lightening?
• Use a chain saw without wearing goggles?
• Tell your wife/girlfriend that yes, the dress does make her look fat?

OK the last one was just to see if you were still with me. Let's face it, you know where this is going - so you at least can figure ME out!

So why in God's name don't you wear a mask to protect others, if not yourself? Do you really not care about your kids, family, and friends?

A couple more. Do you pay your taxes? Appear in court when ordered to do so? Go off to fight for your country and take pride in doing so? Same question about the mask because in these cases it is government making you do these things.

Is that what all the protest is about? You can't make me? That must be it. If you are saying that all people who have died across the world are part of a conspiracy then I'm sorry but I hope there is no room or no staff to treat you when you get sick.

The truth is you are already sick and there really is NO vaccination for your condition.

#thebrewsterblock

George Floyd Continued...

Could This Have Saved George?

There is one thing that I have not heard in all of these proceedings which might have saved George Floyd's life - perhaps not but as we have heard many times - what if?

Now that we have all seen the videos, after the first officers arrived to investigate the fake $20 bill, they went to George's vehicle. It seemed pretty obvious to all that he was indeed high on something. He even admits to "hooping".

Why then didn't the officers simply arrest him for driving under the influence? Even though he was not in motion, he had been driving the vehicle and was in control of it when they demanded that he exit the vehicle. Surely this was a more serious charge. Passing a $20 whether intentional or not wasn't going to put others in harms way. Driving that Mercedes while apparently high put many people in danger including himself and other passengers. They could have charged him with both.

It seems to me in most places under these conditions that would have been the first priority - some kind of sobriety test to get him off the road. The first officers would not have seen him in the store but we did and he was acting abnormally. Once in custody they could have addressed the fake bill charge.

I know it is hindsight investigation but this should have been the focus of the first two officers. If George had been informed that he had to get out of the vehicle to demonstrate his sobriety he might have been more inclined to do so since he, like most people, probably thought he was OK to drive. Then Chauvin might not have been called.

Something else to consider...

#thebrewsterblock

Election 2020: One Major Battle won. The War is still on with the Battle of COVID-19

No Generals or Soldiers Needed - Just Common Sense

It is great that there has been a leadership change at the very top in America. It was overdue on many fronts. One of the battles yet to be won however is that against COVID-19. Trump could have won that battle if he chose to but he placed his focus elsewhere. We can all see the results.

The reason he could have won and that Biden could still win is simple. The power lies with the people and not the leaders. A good analogy is the way that ordinary citizens decided many years ago that hey had suffered enough under British rule. They rose up to expel their rulers. They were successful.

That effort cost major suffering and tens of thousands of deaths. Fighting this virus is a piece of cake by comparison. No lives have to be lost because of the battle itself.

Go to YouTube and search for something like "How to avoid COVID 19" or the like. There are dozens of really good videos about this and they are mainly extolling facts we already know. The guidelines of washing hands, social distancing, and wearing a mask work.

To those who claim it is a hoax or exaggerated, do the search. Look at the list. Are all of these independent YouTubers secretly united in pulling off a hoax? Are the citizens of over 150 countries in on it?

Still the Trumpers claim it is all to control them and infringe on their "rights". So was the call to arms at any point in your history including The War of Independence but people enlisted and died as a result - way more than an inconvenience.

Following these guidelines will not kill you. Not doing so will kill thousands of other soldiers in this battle. They are fighting for you. The least you can do is join in the effort.

Forget Trump. He has used you for four years and continues to do so.

He lost the election. There was no fraud other than his own . He lost the battle with the virus. His bone spurs did not protect him from entering the battle zone this time.

Expel this virus the way you did the Brits. No muskets or cannons required. Wear a mask - the simplest uniform in history to identify what side you support. No red or blue.

#thebrewsterblock

Wearing (or NOT) a COVID mask

What else are they covering up?

I am not a psychologist, psychiatrist or any other kind of medical professional - just a mostly rational, unprofessional observer of some recent, really irrational human behaviour - some of it just plain stupid.

You could probably break down the types of these behaviours into as many categories as you dream up. The problem is most of them would not be dreams but nightmares. Here is one attempt:

Lifetime protestors: These people protest speed limits, no smoking laws, seatbelt laws and just about anything else that gives them an opportunity to sound off. Logic is not part of their rationale. Herein also lies the fashion statement makers - hair colour and length, tats, clothes, jewelry, body piercing - anything which might garner what they desperately need - visibility. I suspect few of them wear the pants in their family, if they have one. So they get relief elsewhere.

Civil Rights Automatons: Similar to the previous group, these individuals frame their protests even more passionately around a perceived violation of their rights, even though such rights often don't exist in law. It is a trigger and they actually think they are educating the rest of us thereby doing us all a favour! Both groups probably protested anything they could at college if they made it that far, as long as it got them some press time and provided a diversion to their studies. They have a right not to wear a mask according to them. OK. They also have a right to rock climb the most dangerous sheer cliffs, but most of them don't exercise it, proving that they do possess at least an ounce of common sense. 

Porch Sitters: I'll probably get you on this one - an attempt at diplomacy. I mean that porch we all saw in the movie "Deliverance" and those who lived in that house. These folks have always lived in a world of their own and always will. Knock on their cranium and it will sound hollow. Today we see many of them depicted as those really far out characters shopping at Walmart. Let me acknowledge that I also shop at the big "W" but I hope you know the kind I mean. The very notion of a virus is beyond them. Masks on these people would end up being worn as a thong along with not much else.

Just Plain Stupid: One lady deserves her own category but she is not its only member. She was the one in Florida who actually said that you get a Corona virus from drinking Mexican beer! She probably also thinks that Mexico is paying for the wall. I have to include here those who still believe the pandemic is fake news. Apparently all of the other countries outside the USA (could they even name 3 or 4?) are lying as well.

Macho Men and Women: Some people - the most pathetic of all - think a mask depicts them as cowards or having given in to something. Trump is one of these. OK, Trump has a piece of every category. Do they refuse to wear eyeglasses if needed? Hearing aids? Would they still play hockey without a mask or helmet? Do they unbuckle their seatbelts when unlikely to encounter a cop? Deliver bone crushing handshakes? Give us a break. 

Just Plain Selfish: This one includes all the other groups as well but can also stand alone. When interviewed these people talk all about themselves. They know they are not sick. They are healthy and strong. They can fight it off. Yada, yada, yada. Not once do they mention protecting others including their own family and friends. They would still be smoking in houses, planes, meeting rooms etc. if the law and public shame had not prevailed. This attitude alone is killing Americans and so many others.

Trump Followers: Let me say it up front. Not all of his followers belong here. There are some however - and they share the Stupid membership - who have said on camera that if Donald said to wear a mask they would but since he has not they won't. Literally these people by their own admission do not have minds of their own.

Myself? I wear a mask in public places and when shopping. Every morning I have coffee with friends inside a local McDonald's and unmask when we sit in designated seats. We used to circle our cars in the lot and distance from our car seats with an open window. Today I began unhooking the mask to take a sip and then re-masking to talk. Numbers are spiking and kids are back at school. It is also flu season. The chances of catching IT are higher.

Just think of it as a seatbelt folks - not a white flag. Statistics have proven that they save lives.

Please wear a mask. See? I am asking you, not telling you. You owe it to your relatives and friends.

Thanks

#thebrewsterblock

One Small COVID Event of Note

No Politics Here  - Just a Tough Break in Tradition for 2020

I need a break from DJT and the US elections etc. So here it is.

I was raised in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada - now a suburb of Toronto - as were my colleagues who shared the subject milestone. Most of us are now somewhere north of 70. - probably south of Studs Ville but still north of Viagra Village!

Remember when you were in primary school? For me that was kindergarten to grade 8. High school was grades 9 to 13 - the thirteen requirement was dropped long ago. In those days when you were, for example, 8 years of age, if you had siblings 2-3 years older or younger they were in a different social group altogether. Generally you did not hang out with your older brother's friends or younger sister's. Naturally -  those 2-3 years were 20 - 25% of your life. They were "little" brothers/sisters or "big" brothers/sisters.

Now fast forward 55 to 65 years. That age difference is minimal. So for over 25+ years (we can't really remember how long - sign of the times) a group of some 14-15 plus guys have an annual golf tournament for fun. One of the youngest of the group built a golf course - Spring Creek in Claremont, Ontario. There you go Cork - a free plug. 

We loosely call it the Scarborough Village Public School Open - as traditional as the Masters. The school was long ago demolished but we live on. So far we have only lost one member and toast him every year. I don't think any of our parents are still alive - my own mother being the last whom we lost last year at the ripe age of 100.

Originally it was for students of that school. It happened to have the only shop for the males and home economics room for the females in the area. So we expanded qualifications to include guys who took shop there. The intent of shop was to help males learn a trade or learn how to do basic DIY tasks. The girls learned to cook; look pretty for their men; feed and raise the kids; clean the house; shop; entertain guests; ask her man how his day was and get his slippers so he could crash on the couch and watch whatever HE wanted on the TV! Yes, THOSE days!

Weather permitting, we play 18 holes usually in September - used to be October but ice on the green one year changed that. Then we relax for drinks and a Bar-B-Q and a lot of reminiscing. Those 2-3 years don't matter much any more. We have been rained upon; hailed upon; scorched; frozen; but still we met and played, even for only a few holes.

In our generation we still faced corporal punishment (the strap) whether at school or at home. We joke about that remembering the hard rocks on whom punishment had no effect. But for the rest of us it worked. We learned about consequences and are none the worse for it. Since those days look what has happened - look at a kid the wrong way and he/she shoots you! But that is a subject for another day - one about which I have already written.

We give out a small trophy annually with the names of the four guys lucky enough to win. The game is "Best Ball" so even the worst golfers (like me) have a chance of winning. Overall it is a blast and I think quite unique.

But in this year, 2020, after feedback from all and a vote, the SVPS Open had to be cancelled. We can't joke about those tough guys killed in bar fights or prison. We can't talk about our first experiences with the opposite sex and times when unfortunately standards were so-o-o different in terms of "Me too"; gender preference; racial issues etc. We can't discuss getting drunk or stoned or "scoring" or not. We can't talk about our favourite teachers - usually the tough ones who were then permitted to kick your desk across the room with you in it! We can't talk about who got "the strap" and who didn't.

We will all miss it greatly, brought to a first time halt by some microscopic molecule we will never see with the naked eye. This was my year for an Ace - I could feel it. I don't think any of us have accomplished that yet.

Despite all the events in the world this year, this one is special for a small group of guys. Hopefully we will be drinking and talking about it one year from now. A special Thanks to Dave for all the organizing and to Corky for the course.

#thebrewsterblock

Covid Hypocrites

How far would they go on their own?

When I see these yahoos out there in the parks and in bars and public places with no masks I have to wonder how far they would go in other circumstances.

Would they :

- play catch or soccer on a major highway just to thumb their noses at authority?

- jump off a cliff into the water without knowing the depth?

- play Russian Roulette if the stakes were high enough?

- jump out of a plane with a chute but no training?

- practice sex with strangers and no protection?

In the above the potential harm is only to themselves so they are all probably too gutless to do any of them. With Covid they don't think they are at risk themselves and don't give a damn about anyone else.

If they do catch the virus from not masking up and it can be traced to somebody else unmasked, will they be so hypocritical as to blame that other person? I suspect so.

Wise up.

It is sad to say but you might wish many of them will catch it - not die, but have the fright of their lives in the process. The only problem is that those front line workers would once again be at risk trying to save them.

I just heard someone today say that the total cases in the USA still might reach 60% of the population.

Is that what it will take?

#thebrewsterblock

Novel Solutions for a Novel Virus

Just sayin ...

If The Donald can throw out ideas like inhaling disinfectant or using inner body lights, what about a few more off the same wall ...

1. Make Viagra in an inhaler. Then the little buggers will get hard for up to four hours and we can sneeze them out.

2. Smoke pot. They will probably forget what they are there for or at least start giggling so we know we have them. This could be a new form of testing.

3. Bottle the scent of skunk. Put a little under your nose. We know it doesn't harm us but surely they won't be able to stand it. They might leave voluntarily.

4. Eat a lot of baked beans in a small room. See 3. above.

5. Drink CLR. According to their commercials it can do anything in mere seconds. Should eliminate anything else in your pipes at the same time.

6. Listen to recordings of DJT non-stop. That would send anything or anyone to an early grave. Therefore along with a mask it is strongly suggested that you also wear earplugs.

7. Wrap your mouth around the end of a vacuum cleaner hose, seal it tightly, and then turn it on. Be sure to discard the bag immediately. Then inhale. Hard.

8. Inhale gasoline fumes - just a little. Light a match in front of your mouth and inhale. You won't feel a thing. Practice social distancing when you try this one.

#thebrewsterblock

The True COVID Test Has Yet To Be Seen

An Opportunity for Sainthood

There has probably been more media coverage and speeches made about this pandemic than when man landed on the moon. Experts and politicians - the distinction is deliberate - have been pandering and prognosticating endlessly for months.

It has gotten to the point that you can't be a legitimate CEO without a company commercial featuring you blithering on about being there for us and getting through this together.

We have debated where the virus got its start and whether it was man made. We have lauded the actions of some and lambasted those of others. I think most people agree that this will only be safely over when there is an effective vaccination that can prevent the contraction of the disease or a medication to cure it if you do get it.

The REAL test of human nature will come after such treatment can be manufactured in sufficient quantity to satisfy a massive world need. How much will the developer try to profit from such products? Will some person or corporation try to hold peoples' lives to ransom? I would hope local authorities wherever that might be would do the right thing and force its release to the world AND provide it free. 

All the talk to date will pale by comparison to this. The right choice by the developer or owner would earn them a place right up there with Mother Teresa.

What would you do if it were you - gain entry to paradise or gain entry to the upper crust of society?

We shall see.

#thebrewsterblock

Did COVID-19 Kill COMMON SENSE-101?

Would You Play Russian Roulette for Real?

If playing meant you could get your life back to normal tomorrow, how many of us would put a revolver barrel to our temple, spin the cylinder and pull the trigger knowing there was a 1 in 6 chance of blowing our brains out? I suspect very few would, no matter how many politicians said it would probably be OK.

In a similar manner since the odds are the same for the target, would we point that gun at another person and do the same thing if the same politician said it would be OK? Again I suspect not.

That is exactly what people are doing when they decide to go about their lives as usual, because politicians (not many doctors or scientists) said it will be fine IF they follow recommendations. One might argue that with Roulette the odds are known and so is the worst outcome, whereas with COVID-19 both are unknowns. To me that makes it even worse. What people are really doing by ignoring recommendations is pointing that gun at both themselves and someone else - possibly hundreds of people.

Most of the politicians and the protestors are full of crap.

The politicians who have caved and are ready to "open up" the economy again are all saying the same thing - we have heard it dozens of times from dozens of countries. When all the rhetoric and innuendo are ignored they are really just passing any blame to the people: "If it is done according to the guidelines"; "We can do this in an intelligent and planned manner"; "As long as people still make safety and public health a priority" etc. This is all fine for it is indeed 100% up to the citizens.

The problem is they know damned well that the citizens will not comply. Idiot citizens break every traffic law in the books and kill many in the process. Idiot citizens take all manner of drugs and substances knowing full well how many have died doing the same thing. Idiot citizens go out ice fishing on thin ice every year long after the politicians tell them not to and have to be rescued. Many die.

It is known that you can't rely on the citizens if you leave things up to them. Saying they will do the right thing is pandering to voters to get re-elected. They are protecting their own salaries and pensions. Will they still be here themselves to enjoy either?

The citizens are doing what they always do - looking for somebody to say doing the wrong thing is OK and then doing it. This reminds me of my childhood (maybe that's because too many are acting like children) when one would say "but Johnny is allowed to" or "but Johnny did it". The parents would counter "if Johnny jumped in a lake would you also?" This is what it has come to. When the citizens gather as usual in bars, on beaches, in restaurants, on airplanes etc. too many of them will NOT do the right thing. The others will suffer and maybe die.

Yes, I just don't get it. In the great wars of our time when the politicians said people HAD to go off to war for the country millions went. There was a very good chance they would die and millions did. Only a few protested and left the country. Times and the economic situation were even worse.

Why are they protesting their "lost liberty" now? We are again at war.

Do your duty once again folks or has the good life made non-military people lazy, fun loving, irresponsible SOBs that just care about themselves? If that is true then maybe we need the death toll to parallel those wars if that's the kind of 2x4 to the side of the head it takes to make people wake up.

You are losing this war too America. A bigger bomb won't help.

#thebrewsterblock

COVID-19 for Dummies

Keep Fighting the Fire. The Embers are Still White Hot

Dear America

We know you don't like to be beaten at anything. Sometimes the world has seen a very poor sport attitude from a select number of your athletes and teams. Unfortunately, it is happening again. How about showing us what you do best? Keep on fighting! You can still save face and beat this virus.

But not yet.

"Survival of the fittest" and "look out for number one." Sadly these are a part of human nature.

Many people in both democratic and autocratic societies cheat to get to the top - athletes; politicians; executives; students; perverts; entertainers; very rich people. The list is long.

So to all of those who want to take the easy way out and think the rules are for others, I offer:

IT AIN'T OVER 'TILL IT'S OVER - with Thanks to #YogiBerra

You can cheat on your taxes
You can cheat on your wife
You can cheat on your husband
But you can't cheat on life.

You can lie to get elected
You can lie to get a hug
You can lie to your golf card
But not to this bug.

Break the rules to get to college
Break the rules to win the game
Break the rules to your diet
But these rules aren't the same.

You can scheme to get hired
You can scheme to be free
You can scheme to foil police

But this you can't see.

SO ...

Go - get a haircut
Go - have some fun
Go - see a ballgame
But don't think you've won.

This thing is not smarter
This thing has no will
This thing might be resting
But watch this thing kill.

This battle is only over when the virus shows a white flag. It has not done so yet.

#thebrewsterblock

Deplorables or Les Miserables?

Go Home People. You're Not In College Anymore!

Recently we all saw hundreds if not thousands of people in the State of Washington outside in large crowds "protesting" the stay at home guidelines. This was not the only state.

Just what did they think they were doing? I shudder to think how many people were silent carriers of this virus and how many others will now get sick and maybe die from such totally irresponsible antics. It reminded me of my university days - long ago - when fellow students set off to Ottawa to march and several of them didn't know what they were really protesting. Most are now members of that society and part of the status quo to which they were objecting. I might add they also grew up.

It seems that others are still out there. Whether they are part of the Trump basket of deplorables Hillary Clinton mentioned ("They're racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic"), or will become part of other groups perhaps aptly named "Les Miserables" because of the suffering they themselves or their loved ones will experience, does not matter.

Go home! Nobody wants you out there. We all want things back to normal but we are not there yet. Be part of the solution and not the cause. Maybe analogies will penetrate their thick skulls. I doubt it but it is worth a try.

This is like:

- Fighting a forest fire using firefighting people and resources from several countries. However after one day of progress with the winds subsiding, some lame brain tells them it is now OK to pack their bags. Next day of course, the wind returns and so does the fire.

- During the blitz in London there were wardens who made sure every window in every household was sealed and not emitting any light. One small amount of light could have been a target for German bombers overhead. If one person said "screw it" and opened up their windows they could have killed hundreds of people. Do we really need more wardens to make sure the meatheads follow the guidelines?

- Several people are in a lifeboat with punctures in the sides. The boat is filling up. Many work feverishly to plug the holes. While they sleep it is the job of a few to watch the holes and sound the alarm if they start leaking again. Those people decide they want to sleep as well. They all drown.

What do you think? Is that clear enough? This is not about Trump or Obama or left or right. It is about staying alive. Maybe a theme song would help - let's revive "Staying Alive".

#the brewsterblock