Category: Mental Health

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47 Things More Pleasant Than Trump 47

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47 Things More Pleasant Than  Trump 47

47 Things More Pleasant Than Trump 47

Editor: I have been avoiding the TV news recently; because his name, the sound of  his voice, his tweets, his quotes are the rantings of a demented old geezer that ‘otta be in a forensic unit at the Florida State Hospital instead of pretending to run the 21st century government of the United States. Before Trump sank into the depths of a terrifying dementia he was a thieving grifter who had fooled a lot of people for a long time. He has no respect for the law because he has always broken it and gotten away scot free while making huge sums of money. Now he is scamming the United States government for a whole bunch of cash for those who will claim false prosecution. Only in America. Holy fuck, what a terrible epitaph for this once glorious country. So with all that said, here’s Cate again with a few things she would much rather hear about than Donald Trump.

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

47 is the worst excuse for a “president” ever…and I mean E-V-E-R. So with said, here are 47 Things I think are more pleasant than Donald John Trump

  1. A peanut butter and pickle casserole – I will never call “The Donald” president
  2. Stepping on a screw
  3. Gastric disturbance
  4. The fragrance of a garbage truck
  5. Cotton mouth – I will never call “The Donald” president.
  6. Extreme physical pain
  7. A root canal without Novacaine
  8. Cockroachs – I will never call “The Donald” president
  9. Stomach flu
  10. Food poisoning
  11. COVID – I will never call “The Donald” president
  12. Poison Oak and Poison Ivy
  13. Dog poop – I will never call “The Donald” president
  14. Toilet back-up
  15. A sewer back-up
  16. A rectal exam – I will never call “The Donald” president
  17. Sink holes
  18. Razor burn
  19. Rat infestation – I will never call “The Donald” president
  20. Nails on a chalkboard
  21. Cellulite
  22. Stubbing a toe on pointy heavy furniture – I will never call “The Donald” president
  23. Crepie skin
  24. Being mooned by a stranger, or anyone for that matter
  25. A flasher in the produce aisle of the grocery store – I will never call “The Donald” president
  26. A flat tire during a rain storm
  27. Losing water pressure while showering
  28. Black ice – I will never call “The Donald” president
  29. The stirrups, if you are female
  30. Turn your head and cough, if you are male
  31. A kick in the balls – I will never call “The Donald” president
  32. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  33. Cleaning up hairballs from the sofa
  34. Spending the night in a haunted house – I will never call “The Donald” president
  35. A clogged drain
  36. Arriving at the water park to discover someone threw up in the pool
  37. Finding a dog accident the hard way – I will never call “The Donald” president
  38. A can of warm soda or beer
  39. Running out of toilet paper
  40. A dead battery in subzero temperatures – I will never call “The Donald” president
  41. A gas gauge on E when you are running late
  42. A sprained ankle
  43. My in-laws – I will never call “The Donald” president
  44. A traffic citation
  45. Finding a fly in your soup
  46. The laugh of a hyena – I will never call “The Donald” president
  47. Creepy clown with orange hair – oh wait, that IS “The Donald”…

Mom Said

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MOM SAID

Sometimes You Just Gotta Smile

“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today-or tomorrow.“

                             Will Rogers and Margaret Williams

 

My Mom, Margaret Helen Brown (Ruffe, Williams 9/22/1909-9/22/1988), said a lot of really wise and often funny things. So, this morning as I’m scanning the internet for a special quote I saw this from Will Rogers, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” Wow, I think what my Mom said was an improvement on Will Rogers. She would often say, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today- or tomorrow.” I like it; I hope you do to.

 

Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting

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Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting

Let Go of Compulsive Goal Setting. . . and be Happy

By D. S. Mitchell

 

Self Help

The other day, I was pawing through a box of books I had stored in the back of my closet and was trying to decide if they were something I should drop off at The Salvation Army or go to the trouble of pricing them to resell on Amazon. As I debated the question I came upon Stephen Shapiro’s 2006 self-help gem, “Goal Free Living: How To Have The Life You Want Now.”  It has been at least a decade since I read the book, but as I flipped through the pages I remembered it distinctly, and thought it would be a great reminder to pass on to my readers to help them enjoy the closure of 2025. If you’re a compulsive goal setter, burdened by could of’s, should of’s, and would of’s now might be the the right time to put all that baggage aside and take a new look at how we prioritize living our lives.

First Person

Stephen Shapiro is the first person that I can remember that gave me permission to release the religion of goal making that permeates our culture, and try to live without the restrictions  of a set of goals or rules for success. I have been told since I was a kid, that goals of all kinds, big, small, wildly ambitious were all within my reach. I just had to want that dream bad enough. The rule seemed to be,  if you can visualize it, you can have it; if you don’t know what you want  (can’t visualize it), you might as well be lost at sea without a life preserver.

Not So

Shapiro disputes this time worn American myth.  In fact, Shapiro argues that if you want to be happy in its most broad interpretation, you need to throw that “five-year plan,” and the “life-time to do list,” into the garbage can. Originally Shapiro was a motivational researcher.  While doing interviews with business leaders for a book he discovered that after interviewing 150 of the country’s most successful people and traveling over 12,ooo miles the most fulfilled people were also the most spontaneous,  and believe it or not, the least goal oriented. What?  How could that be true?  It goes against everything I’ve ever been taught.

Taking a Detour

After interviewing those 150 successful people in all fields of enterprise, from all parts of the country, Shapiro discovered that most of the successful people had taken a circuitous route to their eventual success, and it seems that the circuitous trip was what made the result, all the more satisfying. Shapiro became convinced that the key to happiness comes from checking out the back roads and detours, both literally and figuratively, without fear of changing course. Shapiro is convinced that following goals may lead a person to financial wealth, but there is a good chance that if you follow the plan unquestioningly you will lose yourself and potential happiness.

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Put Zing In Your Step

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Put Zing In Your Step

Put Zing In Your Step

 

By D.S. Mitchell                                                                       

Hamster on a Wheel

I know somedays are harder than others, but if you’re feeling like that hamster on a wheel and your energy has gotten up and gone-here are a few strategies to put a smile back on your face and the zing in your step.

Start Laughing

In case you didn’t know, laughing increases your body’s intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs, and muscles. Laughing also triggers the release of endorphins, which boost your energy level and mood. A University of Nebraska at Lincoln study, found that people who watched a funny 10 minute long video, such as a cat riding a rumba vacuum around the living room felt energized by the experience. So, look for funny, and laugh loud, and hard.

Small Talk

Brief, pleasant exchanges with people you don’t know or barely know can enhance happiness, mood, energy, and overall satisfaction with life.  A willingness to meet new people (no matter how briefly) and engage in some small conversation is guaranteed to improve both your physical and mental health. So, go ahead, I give you permission to initiate a conversation in the check out line at Walmart. As an older adult female I suggest that you initiate conversations with women with small dogs or small children. I’m not suggesting anything other than you don’t want to give a strange guy the wrong idea. Other than that grandmotherly caution; socialize away.

Get Moving

Exercise fires up the autonomic nervous system. Exercise gets your heart pumping and raises your blood pressure all the while improving blood flow through the brain. You don’t need to hit the gym; a brisk walk around the neighborhood, 20 minutes of light exercise in your living room; a couple sets of wall push ups, a few jumping jacks, some standing crunches. I know when you are tired and feeling fatigued all the time, exercise may be the last thing you think you need, but as is frequently the case, exercise is probably just what you need.

Change It Up

The nucleus accumbens is the part of your brain that is associated with motivation and pleasure, but if it is not stimulated it likes to go to sleep. So, if you’re feeling bored, you are probably feeling tired. Alice Boyes, PhD., author of The Healthy Mind Toolkit, suggests to stimulate the nucleus accumbens, we need to mix things up, rearrange the furniture, buy a new comforter for your bed, pour the milk into the bowl before the cereal. Get the idea?

How About Karaoke?

There is a study for everyone they say; according to one such study at Sam Houston State University, singing and tapping your foot to the music causes an endorphin rush. So if you want to enhance music’s energizing effect start singing and dancing. Sing in the shower, sing in your car, join the local bar crowd for some Karaoke fun, and keep tapping that foot.

Use Imagination

Numerous studies indicate that being out in nature makes us feel more alive and energetic. Getting on that forest trail may be too hard for many of us city dwellers, however some of those same studies indicate that just imagining that you are out in nature delivers a similar effect. You can add a poster of a mountain, a river, or a creek to your office wall. How about a gorgeous photo of the outdoors as your screensaver on your PC? Or, install a beautiful forest scene as your phone’s home screen. Studies have proven this is a great technique to release energy boosting endorphins.

Cold Showers and Big Drinks

Change your usual hot morning shower to a cold shower and you will increase your circulation, heart rate, and oxygen intake, and you will feel more alert and energetic. To keep that refreshed feeling throughout the day all you have to do is head into the bathroom for a cold water face splash. The second part of the water story is a reminder to stay hydrated. When our body is low on fluids one of the first signs of the deficit is fatigue. For the average healthy adult 64 oz or 8 cups of water is a reasonable starting point, but it’s not enough for everyone. Fluid needs vary based on age, sex, activity level, climate, and health status. Official guidelines from the National Academy of Medicine suggest higher daily fluid intakes, including fluid from all sources like food and other beverages. To know if 64 ounces is enough, monitor your body’s signals, such as thirst and urine color (pale yellow indicates good hydration). 

Keep It Up

Hope these tips help to keep you active and engaged in life. Don’t let fatigue and lack of energy rob you of fun filled days.

Suicide Crisis Lineline: Dial 988

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Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

Editor: I missed 9/10/2025 Suicide Prevention Day, but I think this is important information and we don’t need a designated date to inform people about suicide.

D. S. Mitchell

Statistics 

If you are between 15-35, suicide is the second leading cause of death for your age group.  For all age groups, suicide is responsible for more deaths than murder and natural disasters, combined.  Men take their own lives four times as often as women. Many men sadly would rather be dead than appear ‘weak.’

Left Behind

As you can see, suicide is not a rare, or isolated event. It is very real and definitely permanent, and it leaves those who are left behind, in utter despair. For them the suicide event is plagued by stigma, guilt and self-recrimination. The most common question from those left behind is, “what could I have done differently?”

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Let’s Get Up and Get Moving

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Let’s Get Up and Get Moving

Let’s Get Up and Get Moving

Editor: A version of this article was published on 10/17/2017

D. S. Mitchell

 

No News

It’s no news that our society is becoming more sedentary and overweight. Many of us spend hours behind a desk at our jobs and then go home where we spend more hours watching TV and perusing the internet before falling into bed exhausted.  We drive our cars to the McDonald’s drive thru, order  our food and never even get out of our cars.  We use our computers to shop, without ever leaving the house.  With decreased activity people are increasingly complaining of posture related aches and pains, weight gain, depression, joint pain, anxiety, and low self-esteem.

Too Much

Just like we enjoy eating and drinking too much, we enjoy sitting and doing nothing too much. We are surrounded by cars, salty snacks, elevators and escalators, sugary drinks and fast foods. The problem has become serious enough that the World Health Organization has an agenda focused on encouraging physical activity. In other words folks, the world is experiencing a crisis in health, created by being inactive and being too fat for our own good.

Try Vigorous Movement

A “Black Dog Institute” of Australia, in a decades old study, found that 1-2 hours of exercise per week can prevent depression and suicide. In addition to improved mental health multiple world-wide studies have shown that vigorous movement can stave off heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, fatigue, diabetes, and even cancer.

“Sitting Disease”

Our country, and most of the industrialized economies are suffering from chronic “sitting”.  Physical inactivity is one of  the top 10 causes of disease and disability according to a recent UK government study, they in fact have diagnosed 1 in 6 deaths to “sitting disease” which is equal to the number of deaths related to smoking in the UK.

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Murder in Auburn, Alabama

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Murder in Auburn

Murder in Auburn

By D.S. Mitchell

 

How far does the pain of murder travel?

Auburn, Alabama is a town of about 83,000 in the northeastern section of the state. A tight knit community built around Auburn University. Kiesel Park is a sprawling green space, about four miles from the University campus. With its fields and woodlands and 2 plus miles of walking trails the park is a magnet for runners, bikers, and dog walkers, a place of peace and tranquility.

On September 6th, 2025, a beautiful fall morning in Auburn, Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle took her dog for a walk in Kiesel Park. A few minutes past 10:00, Julie a petite 5’2″ woman, was dragged off the walking path into a wooded area of the park where she was stabbed multiple times. After killing Julie, the man robbed her and stole her Ford F-150 truck.

Dr. Julie Gard Schnuelle, 59, was a retired Auburn University professor. A large animal vet, Dr. Schnuelle was a 1996 graduate of the veterinary school and a faculty member from 2003 until her retirement in 2021. She recently served as Area Veterinarian in Charge with the U.S. Department of Agriculture for Alabama and Mississippi. She was according to past students, “a fabulous teacher,” “always an example- forever an inspiration.”

2,598 miles across the country, in Vancouver, WA, the pain of the murder hit just as hard as in Auburn, Alabama. Shocked, horrified, and broken hearted Julie’s father and stepmother are valiantly trying to come to terms with the  violence of her death. Friends, family, anyone hearing this story is devastated.  I’m devastated, as a friend of the family for more than 50 years the pain of Julie’s murder far exceeds miles.

Despite her many important life achievements, “her greatest legacy will be the love she gave so freely to any person or animal that came into her life.”  Julie is survived by her beloved husband Archie Schnuelle; her children, Michael and Natalie Waldrop; her stepchildren, Megan Schnuelle, Tyler (Brandee) Schnuelle, and Sarah Jo (Garret) Truett; parents, Gary (Christina) Gard, and Elizabeth Moody; her siblings, Tim (Lisa) Gard, Dolores (John) Reuther, Jason (Amy) Gard, and stepsister Karla (Shawn) McQuade; along with nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, additional family, and numerous friends who were dear to her.

The Julie Gard Schnuelle Annual Scholarship Fund has been established at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in her honor.

****A suspect, Harold Rashad Dabney III, 28 years old is in custody charged with capital murder. He is being held without bond.

 

How to be a Feminine Feminist

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How to be a Feminine Feminist

How to be a Feminine Feminist

Editor: I love it.

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

I have always been both a girly girl and staunch feminist – a true Elle Woods, from Legally Blonde fame. Below are a few ways to embrace your inner princess without sacrificing your feminist being:

  1. Wear something pearl everyday for Kamala, the woman who should be President.
  2. Read anything written by Gloria Steinem while getting a pedicure.
  3. Suggest a showing of “Legally Blonde” at your local library (next year is the 25th anniversary…).
  4. Invite friends over to watch the “Barbie” movie and everybody wear pink.
  5. Show your Ken some affection and I don’t mean the doll.
  6. Run for office wearing pretty dresses and, if you can walk in them, a pair of Prada pumps.
  7. Always look your best – when you feel confident you are taken seriously.
  8. Remain well groomed at all times.
  9. Encourage other ladies – call each other beautiful, sexy, and sisters.
  10. Know beauty comes from within.
  11. Recognize beauty comes in all shapes, colors, sizes, ages, and ethnicities.
  12. Don’t go after someone else’s significant other – if you can’t keep a love interest, ask yourself why.
  13. A blush and quiet giggle are okay if followed by an intelligent wisecrack.
  14. Never belch or pass gas in public – you don’t have to be rude to sit at the boys table.
  15. Turn the boys table into the women’s table with your intelligence and wit.
  16. If the guys don’t give you a seat at the table, follow the wisdom of the immortal Shirley Chisolm and bring a folding chair (mine is pink).
  17. Nail biters most often don’t win – keep them groomed.
  18. Take a bubble bath while reading law journals.
  19. Remember Adam and Eve both disobeyed God, not just Eve. As a favorite comic of mine would say, “Where’s the dude?”
  20. Channel Geraldine Ferraro.
  21. Watch “Clueless” in celebration of its 30th anniversary – “as if” Trump actually won the election. “My bad” NOT, because I didn’t vote for “The Donald” – I proudly voted Harris-Walz.
  22. Volunteer for a female candidate’s campaign, as long as they’re not a Trump supporter.
  23. Host a tea for a feminist organization, serving cucumber cream cheese sandwiches and lemon scones on floral china.
  24. Never let them see you sweat – hide your tears from those that mean you harm.
  25. Watch a WNBA game.
  26. Join NOW and campaign for girls and women in sports – go to bat for them.
  27. Be a Ms. even if you’re a Miss or a Mrs.
  28. Stand up for yourself and other women – it’s all about internal sisterhood.
  29. God gave us emotions – they are normal. Don’t be afraid to show them, but don’t let anyone use them against you.
  30. Buy some bad ass lipstick and earrings.
  31. Accessorize and put your pretty game face on.
  32. Dance like everyone is watching.
  33. Drink a mocha latte.
  34. Get a facial or do one at home.
  35. Go to a thrift store for some retail therapy and look for some vintage issues of MS magazine, Vogue, Elle, and Glamour, then do a reading swap with friends.
  36. Read “Whiskey in a Teacup” by Reese Witherspoon.
  37. Have a Reese Witherspoon movie marathon and include both “Legally Blonde’s.
  38. Watch reruns of “That Girl” because Marlo Thomas is an empowered feminist.
  39. Watch reruns of “Murder She Wrote” because J.B. Fletcher was a well-dressed, well-mannered bad ass.
  40. Campaign for Kamala Harris to take her rightful place in the Oval Office in 2028.

 

 

Progress Report: The Women’s Collective

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Progress Report:

“Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning To Breathe Free…”

 

Lady Liberty and the 2025 Fourth of July

By Vajra Ma

July 4, 2025, for me was a day of both mourning and celebration. I mourn the accelerating firestorm of Project 2025 (do your research). I celebrate that I spent the day with people who share my view, but also with some who support the acceleration (although I tend to think if they recognized the earmarks of the authoritarian playbook, they wouldn’t). Why do I celebrate that? Because the hope of this nation, indeed the world, is that we came together as human beings across the divide that would conquer us. We shared company, conversation, food, music and laughter across the divide. WE celebrated our common humanity.

But what about the rest of humanity…?

To that end I share this uniting view in “The Women’s Collective”, a pamphlet written in 2017 by my late husband Wolfgang Nebmaier. [excerpt from “The Women’s Collective” by Wolfgang Nebmaier with Vajra Ma, © Shakti Moon Publishing, 2017]

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