Calgon

I took a class called "History of the World Since 1945" taught by Dr. Katya Vladmirov from Moscow. Much of the information I needed was contained in a book which, conveniently, was the same name as the class. I also had a group project, a report with a Powerpoint presentation about a genocide. Pick a genocide, any genocide, except The Jewish Holocaust. We ended up with Belgian Congo.

 Long story short: Things could be a whole hell of a lot worse. Like way way worse.

When I watch or read the news, which I do reluctantly, it worries me. What doesn't worry me is Jeopardy, Family Feud, Entertainment Tonight (unless another one of my childhood stars succumbs to something), and PBS documentaries. Last Night it was Johnny Carson.  I understand why people like to watch Real Housewives, Jersey Shore, HGTV, Antiques Roadshow, Young and the Restless... YouTube and World Star Hip Hop is full of crazy stuff people do that I probably shouldn't laugh at, but a lot of it makes me laugh. I look at babies and puppies because they make me feel better. I like people's vacation photos, or their celebrity sighting photos. It means my friends are smiling.

A smiling friend is much easier to digest than a picture of a 15 year old Black girl with a little dimple in her cheek, accompanied by the headline "Murdered".

I can't begrudge a person who analyzed data, taught children, dealt with customers, or otherwise did whatever they did all day, then sat in traffic or rode a bus or train back home, had to stop at the store, had to pick up, feed, bath one or several children, help with homework....... breath...... I can't begrudge that person an hour or two of mindless entertainment. Football, Basketball, Olympics coverage, and award shows also provide an escape from reality.

It's not that people aren't conscious of what is going on, it is that their immediate situation requires enough worriment and brain power to warrant not bothering about politics. Sure, they are concerned, as it affects their families, but it does not warrant constant discussion. They'd rather talk about their kids, or what happened on Grey's or Scandal.

So don't be so critical of the people who would rather talk about Michelle Obama's coat than Barack Obama's speech... like Beyonce... watch games, then Sports Center, then Sports Center, another game, then Sports Center... know every house wife in every city of every hip hop artist, basketballer, baseballer, mafia dude, and all the Kardashians...

Even the people who stay woke go to sleep at night.