Day: June 25, 2025

40 Reasons To Smile

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40 Reasons To Smile

40 Reasons To Smile

D. S. Mitchell

Relish Routine

Here at Calamity Politics, a Wednesday is pretty much the same as a Friday, or a Sunday.  I’m not complaining. In fact, I relish it. I am an individual that loves routine. Up at 5:00, in the pool @5:45, walk the dog at 7:30, coffee @8:30. @9:00 I start scanning the internet for breaking news on the Trump fiasco, going on in the White House. I turn on CNN or MSNBC to get their view of the situation. If it’s a big scandal, I’ll turn on FOX to get their spin. I usually leave the TV playing in the background. You get the idea.

Things That Make Me Smile

But, at least once a week, I stop, and consciously think about how blessed I am, and all the things in life that make me happy; those things that never fail to bring a smile to my face.  Here’s 40 Things That Made Me Smile Today:

  1.  Painting old furniture; giving something old a new life
  2.  Danish Brie and California Chardonnay
  3.  New shoes; makes me want to dance
  4.  Nap time
  5.  Visiting the Planetarium
  6.  Palladian style windows, a whisper of elegance
  7.  Flower baskets in bloom
  8.  The Celtic Cross
  9.  My dog, Lily
  10.  Whales and elephants
  11.  A box of old black and white photos, worth more than gold to see my daddy again
  12.  Taking a Community College class and pulling an A
  13.  Towel warmers in the bathroom
  14.   Reading my daily horoscope
  15.   The Bobble-Head toys in the back window of my friend’s car
  16.   The newspaper. A real newspaper, one that I touch, that I unfold, that I read over coffee
  17.   Street musicians
  18.   YSL Black Opium, perfume
  19.   Glass bowl filled with sun bleached shells
  20.   Three-day week-ends
  21.   My new iPhone
  22.   Wall size antique mirrors
  23.   The delicate beauty of Orchids
  24.   Travel magazines
  25.   Roller coasters
  26.   Drawstring sweat pants
  27.   Little boxes of Sunshine raisins
  28.   Hummingbirds feeding in my garden
  29.   Patsy Cline on my play list
  30.   The muted colors of Madras fabric
  31.   Holding a baby in my arms
  32.   Sharing a banana split with a calorie counting friend
  33.   A handmade greeting card
  34.   Author book signings
  35.   Reading scandal magazines at the grocery checkout stand
  36.   Having help with a big job, four hands are always better than two, if you have six, all the better
  37.   My kitchen junk drawer
  38.   Wrist corsage
  39.  Pagodas in the mist
  40.  Fog horns in the night

The  Protests Go On

I’m about to go watch the kids fly their kites. It is just about a perfect day for kite flying; clear sky, great breeze and a strangely lonely beach for this time of year.   Have a great week, and remember we always have time, to smile. I’m hoping that while you are grinning ear-to-ear you are busy planning for the July 17, 2025, “Good Trouble Lives On” protest. Make a new sign, The protest will be the fifth national day of protest against the Trump administration. The protest will also honor Civil Rights activist icon, congressman, John Lewis. Turn out; make your voices heard. No cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, VA benefits, SNAP or Child Tax Credits. Call your congressman/woman tell them to stop the Big Ugly Bill.

Join the New Resistance

Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

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Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

Fireworks At Home Can Burn Big

 

By Wes Hessel

 

Natural Inclinations

When Fourth of July rolls around, the desire for something to light up the night and go boom grows large, as does the temptation to DIY.  It always holds true, fireworks are best left to the professionals, as the consequences can be life changing.

Even Sparklers

The fact is even simple pyrotechnics are potentially quite dangerous.  Sparklers burn at temperatures in the area of 2000 degrees – that is about nine and a half times the boiling point of water, high enough for some metals to melt.  The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has said sparklers account for over ¼ of the ER trips for injuries caused by fireworks, and “For children under 5 years of age, sparklers accounted for nearly half of the total estimated injuries.”

Causing Fires

The NFPA reported in 2017 fireworks led to about 19,500 fires: almost 1 in 10 of those to structures, 500 of them burning vehicles, and 17,100 outdoor or other fire types.  Five years later (2022 – the latest available statistics), these stats skyrocketed (pun intended) to 31,302 blazes – 3,504 structures, 887 vehicles, 26,492 outside, and 418 unclassified. These incidents caused six deaths, 44 injuries to civilians alone, and $109 million of property damage directly connected.

Young Children

Direct fireworks injury numbers are also sobering: three years ago, an estimate of 10,200 ER visits with treatments. Based on the CPSC (the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) report on fireworks for that year, the NFPA stated: “Over half of those injuries were to the extremities (29% hands and fingers, 19% legs, 5% arms) and 35% were to the eyes or other parts of the head. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 28% of the estimated 2022 injuries.”

Triggers

And there are other factors to consider, such as the loud noise-young children cannot only be scared by it, but their hearing can be damaged. People with PTSD often can be triggered by such stimuli, and one isn’t always aware of who is living with this condition. Our pets, also, may not react well to the sound and light effects of fireworks; as a personal example, last year on the 4th I took our puggle for a quick bladder break before we left to watch pro fireworks. Someone in the neighborhood shot off a pyrotechnic and our fur baby turned tail, literally, and practically dragged me to get back in the house. Keeping small, loved ones, be they human or pet, inside will keep them safe from falling fireworks debris and the effects of the strong sounds.

Conclusion

It’s not worth the risk to take fireworks into your own hands – you or someone else could easily get burned in more ways than one.