By Andy Borowitz January 3, 2022 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Ivanka Trump begged Vladimir Putin to command her father to call off the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, new reports indicate. According to evidence collected by the House subcommittee investigating the insurrection, when Trump witnessed the rioting on television, she immediately placed a call to the Russian President. “You’ve got to talk sense to my dad,” Trump reportedly pleaded. “You’re the only one he listens to.” “Not Jared?” the Russian leader inquired. “He thinks Jared’s a joke,” she replied. According to the report, Putin politely declined her request. “If it got out that I was helping save American democracy, that would make me look bad,” he explained. Trump reportedly said that she “understood,” and then placed a call to the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un. Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

By Naomi Serviss / New York City Raise your hand if Christmas or New Year’s great expectations went up in smoke. Whose didn’t? Stress and anxiety over canceled flights, scoring home Covid tests and sheer panic stretched our wafer-slim patience to the nth. Civility took a powder on flights accentuated by slap-happy, duct-taped passengers who forgot their kindergarten lessons. Who could process resolution-making when the sky was falling? Here we go again. And what’s the point of resolutions, anyway? They don’t solve problems– they manufacture agita. Resolution-making couldn’t help thousands quicksanded in transit limbo hell. High hopes of hugging out the garbage year with loved ones? Crushed like harvested wine grapes. How about those loners stuck home, kids too far-flung to gather? The bloom is off the Zoom. We’re Twilight Zone-terrified of contracting or passing Omicron, home Covid tests are a myth (try to find one!) and the infection rate hasn’t even plateaued. Thanks to the past year’s malevolent tornadoes, floods, blizzards, fires, droughts and permafrost melts, maybe we should look up. By the way, climate change deniers: it’s NOT “just weather.” Everything’s a mess. An unusual warm winter spell in Alaska had soaring temperatures (60 degrees Fahrenheit) and torrential rain, during a period when bitter cold and snow had been the norm. Dr. Fauci urged wannabe New Year’s Eve revelers to shelve it. The country has reported 200,000 new Covid cases every day since October 27. That’s the highest seven-day period since January 19, 2021. I’ve never been much of a resolution-person. I don’t schedule self-reflection promptly after winter solstice. It’s a reflex, always on call. Plus, making resolutions gave off religious vibes. Its Babylonian roots were sown 4,000 years ago– The new year began when crops were planted mid-March. Resolutions were cast, pledging loyalty to either the reigning or replacement king. Debts would be settled. Borrowed items would be returned. So it shall be written. Romans were doing likewise or similarly under Julius Caesar, who spun the calendar his way, designated January 1 as the Official New Year. Resolution-making evolved with the times, as should our Constitution. Early Christians held night services to entice the heathens away from partying. Secular humans have tweaked the tradition, vowing to stop smoking, gambling, drinking. AA lite. Some resolutions are well-intended but not viable. Like resolving to dissolve a toxic relationship, only to be sucked back in, mid-April. Or resolving to think before placing my size 11 foot in my mouth (Sagittarian). But there are some– let’s call them goals– to be aware of. (Would have written “mindful” but I am so over that word.) We can resolve to be kinder and compassionate and still demand social justice and corporate responsibility. Let’s prioritize what’s important: *Good health, starting with Mother Earth *Getting the pandemic under control *No more free trial subscriptions Solutions might be long aborning, but let’s dedicate 2022 to restoring faith in, and being grateful for, science. It’s merely a suggestion of intention. Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com

By Bonnie Fishman / San Francisco Bay Area Help! We made it to the finish line of 2021– barely! We all had high hopes for Covid-19 finally leaving so we could return to our regular routines. We had glimpses of gatherings, weddings, going out to eat, shopping without masks, visiting long lost relatives, actually flying in airplanes hither and yon. We felt optimistic, almost normal. I experienced some days when I didn’t even think about the pandemic. It was in the rearview mirror. My circle of friends, family, and neighbors had come through it unscathed unlike many folks who lost livelihoods and lives. Feeling pretty lucky. And then WHAM! Now we are collectively watching Bill Murray in Groundhog Day or should I say actually living groundhog day. My favorite phrase, “It’s enough already!” is an understatement. Are children going to do remote learning again? Are the office buildings all over American going to be empty? Will we get our food delivered, our doctor visits on tele-health, eat strictly at home, cancel weddings, cruises, trips overseas and on and on and on? Sure looks like that’s how 2022 will proceed. At this pivotal time in our calendar, passing from one year to the next, we often reflect on past events before looking forward to the future. This was a very difficult year for me and my family. Despite living my best life in my new home in California, despite enjoying our wonderful weather and beautiful surroundings, living in a compound with my sisters, being retired, and hosting a myriad of family and friends at our Hotel California, I had several challenges that would have put anyone over the edge. I clung on with all ten fingers. 2021 begin as a “typical” pandemic year. (Ha!) We stayed secluded, visited via Zoom, continued not to travel, wore masks, barely went out to eat. Come spring, things seemed to be easing up around the country. So my husband Bob and I decided to chance it and drove from California to Michigan to empty out our home of 35 years, spiff it up and sell the house. Talk about stressful! For those of you who have experienced liquidating the family home, you know what I’m talking about. We rented a 30-yard dumpster and filled it to the brim! That was torturous work, especially going through years of papers, photos, garage stuff and so on. If you have a basement, God help you. We were blessed with a complete wall of closets and shelves hiding junk behind doors. You don’t want to know! Fixing up the house with all of the tradespeople coming and going wasn’t fun either. How about the mold abatement people wearing HAZMAT suits? We did it all. Loading the moving van, sending it west and unpacking it at the other end was a nightmare. First we had to drive back to California, all 2,500 miles of pavement. Putting away 300 boxes of “stuff” was not fun, especially because it was triple digits outside and our brand-new air conditioner wasn’t working. Unpacking boxes in that heat could kill anyone, and it almost did! By late summer, my family faced some serious health issues. I can’t express how difficult getting through it has been. We’re on the other side for the most part. Despite these incredibly stressful challenges, I’ve been able to maintain my grounded nature and happy disposition. My parents must have done something right to teach me such resilience and strength. I continue to look forward to the small joys in my life: family visits, small gatherings, swimming laps daily, cooking, writing, meeting new people in my new community. That said, I hope 2022 will be a year of upswings for our country and my little corner of the world. So let’s lighten up with today’s recipe, Stuffed Baked Apples, shared by my sister Marcia. It’s a delightfully easy, healthy dessert to start off the New Year right. I added some Crème Anglaise for richness. What’s dessert without some guilt, right? To you and yours, Happy New Year, Insiders! Baked Stuffed Apples with Crème Anglaise Yield: 6 servings Stuffing: 3/4 c. toasted slivered almonds 2 oz. melted butter 3 Tbs. honey 6 Tbs. rolled oats 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 6 firm medium-size Honey Crisp apples, peeled and cored melted butter cinnamon sugar Grind the almonds in a food processor until they are fine, but not turned to almond butter. Add honey and melted butter. Whirl together until combined. Put in a medium bowl. Blend in the oats, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well. Divide into six logs. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray the bottom of a casserole with pan release. Barely slice off the bottom of each apple so that they sit level. Stuff each apple with filling. Brush the apples with melted butter. Put some cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the apples in the sugar. Place in the prepared casserole. Cover with foil. Bake the apples for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 10 minutes more. To serve, pour a pool of Crème Anglaise on each plate. Set the warm apple in the center. Spoon some of the pan juices over the top of the apple. Crème Anglaise Yield: 2 cups 1 1/2 c. whole milk 5 egg yolks 1/2 c. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Bring milk to a simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Whisk egg yolks and sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk into yolk mixture. Return to saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard sauce coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in vanilla. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. You will have leftovers to use on ice cream, with pie, or a fresh fruit plate Bonnie Fishman attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London. Later, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Patisserie in Southfield, Mich. and Bonnie’s Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She has taught cooking for over 35 years and created hundreds of recipes. She is now living in Northern California.

One film journalist’s stream-of-consciousness cinematic journey through the pandemic, Part 65 By Laurence Lerman / New York City The high-speed spread of the Omicron variant has been stunning, as the Northeast is once again derailed by the Covid-19 virus. But not astonishing in the least is the fact that the new year is overflowing with cinematic sequels. Another Downton Abbey, another Minions, another Mission: Impossible, another Halloween, another Fantastic Beasts, another Jurassic Park—they’re all on the way this year. Batman, Sonic the Hedgehog, Thor, Puss in Boots, John Wick, Jackass, Spider-Man, Creed and Aquaman are also on deck. Of course, that’s the way the movie business works. And, clearly, these productions have earned their way onto the sequel list, being the franchised progeny of recently released films that have proven their worth at the box office and on streaming services. If only the prospect and arrival of them wasn’t so predictable and…wearying. Another Jurassic Park? Really? Encouragingly, there’s a healthy segment of sequels that offer a more sentimental appeal than merely serving as the latest stanchion in a brand tentpole. Some of this year’s slated sequels are follow-ups to films that were released as long as a decade ago. And in some notable cases, even longer. Here are a half-dozen scheduled sequels for 2022–no Marvel Comics Universe titles, I promise!–that may offer an appealing whiff of nostalgia even as they vie for box office dollars. All are targeted for theatrical release, but that’s subject to change (which at this point you probably assumed, right?). Scream (January 14) The first sequel out of the gate in 2022 is this same-named follow-up to the popular slasher mystery series started in 1996. Though it’s being hyped as a “relaunch,” this fifth entry in the franchise is a direct sequel to 2011’s Scream 4, and the first in the series not directed by Wes Craven, who died in 2015). Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette return to reprise their original Scream roles in this newest entry, and are joined by first-timers Melissa Barrera, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega. Knowing the way the Scream films usually unfold, particularly for the young and beautiful, I wouldn’t get too attached to any of the newcomers. Top Gun: Maverick (May) After more than two years of Covid-related delays, Tom Cruise takes to the skies once again to relive the glories of the Reagan-era character he retired decades ago (or so we thought) in 1986’s Top Gun. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who helmed Cruise’s handsome-looking sci-fi action thriller Oblivion back in 2013, this sequel’s need for speed will hopefully be fulfilled with its complex, real-life flight sequences and a limited reliance on computer-generated effects and enhancements. Hocus Pocus 2 (November) Nearly 30 years after the 1993 original fantasy-comedy, a moderate box office success that has since become a cult favorite, Hocus Pocus returns. Original stars Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are back on their broomsticks to raise some family-friendly hell as the Sanderson sisters, a trio of hijinks-loving witches. Set in modern-day Salem, VEEP veterans Tony Hale and Sam Richardson and Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham hop on board to join the devilish fun. Disenchanted (December) The sequel to 2007’s Enchanted, which served as a splendid homage and affectionate parody of Disney’s animated movies, stars Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Idina Menzel reprising their roles from the original live action/animated musical fantasy romantic comedy. This 15-years-later tale finds almost Princess Giselle (Adams) and her man Robert (Dempsey) joyously living their happily-ever-after in suburbia until villainous suburban queen bee Malvina Monroe (new franchise arrival Maya Rudolph) begins looking for trouble. Super-duper composers Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz also return for music duties, which include seven new songs. Avatar 2 (December) Way back in 2006, filmmaker James Cameron announced that he would like to make sequels to his then-upcoming Avatar (2010) if it was a success. Well, it indeed was, and Cameron quickly announced two sequels that same year, and then two more a couple of years later, slated to be released biannually through 2028. (The filmmaker cited the necessity to develop new technology for each subsequent installment to deliver on the demand for state-of-art effects, including a number of sequences reportedly set underwater.) Well, after years of delay, Avatar 2 is supposed to finally arrive this December, following more than three years of shooting. Will it be worth the wait? Probably. But as for the subsequent three film, we’ll have to see… Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (November) Alright, I lied. I’ve got to include one Marvel movie in the list, and it’s the sequel to 2018’s very fine Black Panther, directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Chadwick Boseman, who died of cancer in 2020 and whose presence will be greatly missed. How Coogler is going to meet this challenge in the sequel is being kept closely under wraps, but we’re assuming that returning Panther co-stars Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira and Letitia Wright are going to be stepping up their roles in this edition, Here’s hoping that the Coogler and Black Panther team bring with them the kind of grace, respect and solemnity that Boseman injected into the original film. Laurence Lerman is a film journalist, former editor of Video Business--Variety's DVD trade publication--and husband to The Insider's own Gwen Cooper. Over the course of his career he has conducted one-on-one interviews with just about every major director working today, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Walter Hill, Spike Lee, and Werner Herzog, among numerous others. Once James Cameron specifically requested an interview with Laurence by name, which his wife still likes to brag about. Most recently, he is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online review site DiscDish.com.

(A pseudonym is being used for professional reasons) The Insider: Hi Carly! Carly Mitchell: Hello! The Insider: Last week, you wrote about being afraid of catching Covid. What happened? Carly Mitchell: On Thursday afternoon I started feeling pretty sick. I was on my lunch period and I knew something was off. I had body aches and was suddenly exhausted. I tried not to think about it, because I was just looking forward to getting home for the holidays. My parents are in Connecticut. I left school, took a quick nap and was feeling a bit better. Then while on the Metro-North train home I received an email from my school at 6 pm that one of my classes had been exposed. The Insider: Oh, no!! Did you get tested at that point? Carly Mitchell: Yes. The next day I got tested. Pharmacies in the area were totally wiped out, but fortunately my mom’s friend had an extra rapid test kit that I was able to use. As soon as the little pink and blue lines appeared (pink indicates a positive result), I texted colleagues whom I had been in contact with and sent an email to my principal and assistant principal. Everyone was very gracious and happy I let them know. I felt terrible, though! The Insider: What a bummer! Had you been vaccinated? Carly Mitchell: Yes, and I received my Moderna booster last week. My principal reported my case to “The Situation Room” at the Department of Education and I am now awaiting an email from them about next steps. I’m frustrated! The school was a Petri dish all week. By Thursday, many students were absent. A lot of parents were scared to send their children to school–understandably. The teacher across the hall from me also tested positive. I think this whole situation was so poorly handled. The Insider: Carly, how’s your health generally? Any underlying conditions? Carly Mitchell: No, fortunately I am healthy. The Insider: And are you in your 20s, right? Carly Mitchell: Yes, I am 28 years old. People my age whom I have spoken wth are generally not too worried about our own reactions to the virus— especially if we are vaxxed— but we worry about others. That’s why I felt the need to let my colleagues know as soon as I found out. The Insider: I assume then that some of your colleagues are older? Carly Mitchell: Yes. Some of them are also immunocompromised or have people at home who are. For example, one of my colleagues lives with her grandmother. I let her know right away. Even though we are masked at work, it still worries me. The Insider: What is the mask situation at school? Do you teach wearing one? Carly Mitchell: Yes, of course. Everyone wears a mask. The only time I take it off is when I am alone in my classroom and eating. I have to constantly remind students to pull their masks up, I feel bad for them, but it is what it is. The Insider: And are the other teachers vaxxed? Is there a work requirement? Carly Mitchell: Yes, there is a requirement that all DOE employees are vaxxed. To my understanding though, this was not a requirement in preschools and daycare centers. I believe that could be changing. The Insider: How old are your students? Are they vaccinated? Carly Mitchell: My students are in the seventh grade. Some are and some are not. Students are not required to be vaccinated—yet. The Insider: Are they contacting your students to say that you’re sick? Could any of them have been exposed? Carly Mitchell: Yes, the school has to email all of the parents of students I taught and let them know that their child was exposed. I’m sure some of them could have been. I hate to think about it! The Insider: But maybe you caught it from one of them. Carly Mitchell: That is certainly possible. The Insider: You said that your school was “a Petri dish,” In what way? Carly Mitchell: All week we were receiving emails about possible exposures, which is the proper protocol. The Insider: So why didn’t they close the school? Carly Mitchell: I wish I had the answer. I’m not sure who it is up to at that point. I’m guessing the superintendent. I had heard of schools closing and teachers whom I work with not sending their own kids to school for the same reason--a spike in cases. But we stayed open. I think a lot of it has to do with childcare. The Insider: That parents aren’t at home? Carly Mitchell: Correct. The Insider: Mayor de Blasio has been very adamant about not closing the schools and going remote. Is he making a mistake? Carly Mitchell: Yes, he sure is. I hate remote teaching and I hate the idea of remote learning for my students, but this is nuts! Many schools I know are closed until mid-January. The Insider: You’re a member of the United Federation of Teachers Union, right? What is their position about this? Carly Mitchell: Correct. We received an email last week from Michael Mulgrew, the Union president and he was furious. He thinks schools are totally ill-equipped to handle this outbreak. He believes that if we do not have an acceptable safety program by January, we shouldn’t open. He is fuming at De Blasio and the current administration. The Insider: Was your school remote at the beginning of the pandemic? For how long? Carly Mitchell: I was not at the school during that time, I believe they were hybrid. The Insider: With hindsight, what do you think your school should have done when Omicron started surging in New York City? Carly Mitchell: I think the schools should have closed a few days early. Thursday was the last day before the break. I do not think we should have been there last week. The Insider: It’s hard to argue with that! Carly Mitchell: Yes, I’d say so! The Insider: Do you assume that your school is going to go remote now, or will they try after the break to keep it open? Carly Mitchell: I think everything is up in the air. I hope we’ll go remote, but I’m not sure that will happen. It’s totally 50/50, a crap shoot! The Insider: In your article last week in The Insider, you were worried about losing some of the kids if the school goes remote. Carly Mitchell: Yes, that is definitely my biggest fear. It’s a pretty confusing time. I hate the thought of people getting sick because we are all in the building, but I also know how damaging remote learning can be. If anything, I think perhaps going remote for two weeks or so might be able to help stop the spread, then we can return. I do not think we should repeat spring 2020. The Insider: Meaning? Carly Mitchell: Meaning we stop for a moment, take stock, and then return when things have cooled down a bit, but maybe that is too idealistic. The Insider: What happened in spring 2020? Carly Mitchell: In spring 2020, my old school went fully remote. It was a disaster. We were totally unprepared. As I said, I am not sure what my current school did- I think hybrid. But that wasn’t great either. There are major learning gaps this year. Many kids are reading far below grade level, and there have been some socialization issues. Many students are not used to being around other people. The Insider: What a rough situation! Meanwhile, you’ve got to get better! How are you feeling today? Carly Mitchell: I’m feeling a lot better than I did on Thursday and Friday. Mostly congested now and pretty tired. Feels like a chest cold. I get winded easily which stinks because I like to exercise. But I feel fortunate to have gotten Covid when I did--all vaxxed! The Insider: What would you say to someone who says vaccines don’t work? Carly Mitchell: I would say I’d be a hell of a lot more scared if I had contracted Covid last year when I had no immunity! I’m thankful to be fully vaxxed. That is for sure. The Insider: You are a real trooper for doing this interview!! We are really grateful. All best wishes and get well soon! Carly Mitchell: Thanks!

By Andy Borowitz January 3, 2022 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Calling it his “solemn duty,” Rand Paul vowed to fill the COVID-misinformation gap created by Twitter’s ban of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene. In an emotional statement, the U.S. senator from Kentucky said that those who have relied on Greene for COVID-19 falsehoods “must not be forgotten.” “Twitter’s ban of Marjorie Taylor Greene left millions without a go-to source for reckless pandemic myths,” he said. “I am here to say, ‘I got this.’ ” Admitting that it would be challenging to mislead as many people about the virus as Greene did, Paul said, “I relish that challenge.” He also addressed what would happen if, like Greene, he is eventually banned from the social-media platform. “I will pass the baton to Matt Gaetz, Ron DeSantis, and Greg Abbott,” Paul said. “Let Twitter be warned: when it comes to misinformation, we Republicans have an extremely deep bench.” Andy Borowitz is a Times best-selling author and a comedian who has written for The New Yorker since 1998. He writes The Borowitz Report, a satirical column on the news.

FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By John Rolfe / Red Hook, NY If 2022 is anything like 2021 (or 2020 for that matter), your sanity will need a cushion or three. Herewith some friendly advice from an Average Joe who has been employing these principles and is (not yet, anyway) pulling the wings off flies while cackling maniacally. Common sense is your best friend Like the flu, Covid is here to stay. New strains, waves of cases, and ever-changing recommendations about masks, vaccines and daily behavior will be coming at you in a bewildering torrent for at least the next year or two. Rather than let your head spin like a weather vane in a typhoon, just do what you would reasonably do when flu season arrives or people around you are battling colds, stomach bugs and other communicable maladies you do not wish to contract. Don’t go to crowded places (especially indoors) unless you have to or really, really want to. Keep your distance if you can. Wear a mask. Get the recommended two doses of vaccine, and a booster. Then relax in the knowledge that you’ve done the best you can do. Second-guessing yourself every day will only stress you out. A reveal: I absolutely loathe and distrust our so-called healthcare system, especially Big Pharma and its profit-and-pill-driven approach to everything. But with Covid, getting vaccinated was the most sensible option. Flirting with this virus is like playing Russian Roulette. You never know how it will hit you or anyone else for that matter. I contracted it at the same time as a co-worker with whom I had been working in close quarters. I suffered eight days of fever, loss of appetite, queasiness and one brutal bout of upchucking. My colleague was hospitalized. Other people I know have lost loved ones. Feel lucky? Well, do ya? It is my understanding that Covid vaccines were not hastily cooked up from scratch. They are based on existing formulas to combat the related SARS and MERS viruses. I got two shots six months ago and have yet to hear Bill Gates’ or Joe Biden’s voices in my head telling me to hop up and down on one foot, flap my arms like a chicken, and stuff ballot boxes on behalf of Democrats. I and none of the many vaccinated people I know have suffered any side effects other than the arm soreness and a day of malaise we were warned about. There’s a risk attached to anything you put in your body, and given the possible consequences of Covid, the vaccine just seems like a risk worth taking. Do I expect to be 100 percent protected? Heck no. No one has ever said I would be. Will I get a booster? Yes. My appointment is January 15. I had Covid before I was vaccinated. So in my mind, I’ve already had three doses (one naturally), but one more to be safe seems sensible. After that, I’m not going to sweat it. I’ll go with the assumption that my protective measures will at least ward off a worst-case scenario: a stay in the meat house. And leave me to dwell on more pleasant things in the New Year. Take care of yourself It only stands to reason that if you’re healthy, you’re better able to ward off bad things, like a severe case of Covid. Eat well (less processed and junk food, more fruits and vegetables are recommended). Get some exercise (walks are fine). Get enough sleep. Steal a nap here and there if you can. Learn relaxation techniques like meditation and deep breathing. All of these basic things will improve your mental state as well as your physical condition. A good outlook is crucial in this mean old world. Take care of your piggy bank Financial security can be tricky to achieve, but there are many simple, easy things you can do to limit unnecessary expenses, save money and avoid the anxiety that comes with a stack of bills you don’t have the fundage to cover. Take a close look at what you are spending your hard-earned doubloons on. Do you really need some things? Are there cheaper alternatives? My wife Victoria frequently writes about the surprisingly ample rewards of a frugal lifestyle for this site and her Bright Future blog. Minimizing all kinds of stress is important in a stressful world. Money woes are a biggie. Limit your exposure to media Assess your life as it actually is, not as you are led to believe it is or will be by what comes to you on your phone, computer, TV or radio. Most of it is negative and downright threatening. Why waste time on futile insult battles on Facebook and Twitter? Go ahead if you enjoy elevating your aggravation levels and blood pressure. There is no need to agonize over every bit of Covid speculation. There will be plenty of it. Or to be aware of every time Donald Trump farts crosswise. Or some venal boob in Congress utters something inflammatory. Or someone goes bonkers in a store or on a plane. Media (social and mainstream) mainly serve to convince you that everyone is nuts and the world is going to Hades in a ribbon-adorned handbasket that has you snug in its confines. Focus, instead, on daily interactions, your family and friends, the people you care about and who care about you, and the things that bring you joy, satisfaction and contentment. You don’t have to play ostrich. Be concerned, certainly, about what is going on in your community, but keep in mind that all any of us can do is take control of ourselves and try to have a positive effect on those around us. Hopefully that positivity will ripple outwards. Besides, it feels good to be kind and patient, to keep your head when those around you are misplacing theirs. Feeling good is crucial when so much that goes on can make you feel bad. Count your blessings An attitude of gratitude is vitally important. It’s too easy to focus on negatives all the time. They never go out of style and it is only human nature to keep your eye on them. But having a roof over your head and good food to eat, and even small, simple enjoyments like a fine cup of coffee or tea, a hot refreshing shower or a pet you love bring positive emotions. Don’t take the good stuff for granted. It’s there. Embrace it and 2022 will be easier to endure. John Rolfe is a former senior editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids, a longtime columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal/USA Today Network, and author of The Goose in the Bathroom: Stirring Tales of Family Life. His school bus drivin’ blog “Hellions, Mayhem and Brake Failure” is parked on his website Celestialchuckle.com (https://celestialchuckle.com) with the meter running.

By Victoria Rolfe / Red Hook, NY Hello again. If you have been a fan of mine in the past year, maybe you have been following my “sage” garden advice in my Weed It and Reap series of articles (and I thank you from the bottom of my heart if you have been). And if you are a superfan, maybe you have even gone back earlier and read a few articles that I have written for The Insider in my capacity as a family budget coach. (Brightfuture2budget4.weebly.com) Well, these two passions of mine (gardening and budgeting/frugal living) do not live in isolation from each other. They are both part of a bigger picture that we all share in common. We are all running our own lives and households (well, unless of course you are still living in your parent’s basement, but that’s quite another topic). Many years ago, when I left the workforce to become an at-home mom, I discovered an affinity for running my own household with maximum efficiency. I found joy in living more on less money. It was, and still is, an exciting challenge for me. This acquired skill has allowed me to not only give my children a very rich upbringing on a shoestring budget, but also to put away a very tidy nest egg for myself and the hubby to see us through our golden years in security and comfort. Of course, growing our own food was a natural outgrowth (as it were) of this efficient living. And this led me to explore and learn all I could on the subject of gardening., as I have been sharing with you. Eating our own homegrown vegetables Is not only economical, but healthful and an environmentally sound practice as well. I must admit that at first this lifestyle was really only for the benefit of me and my own family but, as time went on, I began to see that not only could I reach out beyond my household to help other with these skills but that what I do in my household and each of you do in your own affects much more than just our own individual lives and homes. One person may feel that he or she cannot do much to better the world, but the fact is the world is impacted by the actions of each and every one of us each day, as has certainly been brought home by our current world dilemma. We must not only wear a mask and get vaccinated to save ourselves but to help save others at the same time. And if each of us does our own small part it will have a huge impact on the outcome. This concept goes well beyond just our current Covid situation. With nearly 8 billion people in the world right now, the actions of each and every one of them matters. We can be the change that we want to see happen if we each make some changes for the better. You are all familiar with the necessity for putting the oxygen mask on yourself before you can help others. Well, you need to clean up your own act (i.e., debt, eating habits, spending habits, clutter, unhealthy lifestyle choices, etc.) before you can use your life to impact a positive change in the world. Now when I think about my own lifestyle choices, I consider not only how it is affecting me, but more globally. If everyone were to adopt this particular lifestyle choice, how would it affect everyone else? Whet kind of impact would it have on the environment? Is it causing harm to anyone? I hope you can see the point I am trying to make here. While the at-home life of a “home economist engineer” (or as my husband likes to call me a “domestic goddess”) may seem quaint and homey to you, it really involves more than just sitting around, watching soap operas and baking cookies. You should be running your own home the way you would like to see the world run. In this new column, I would like to invite you to feel right at home as I give you a peek into our little homestead here in upstate New York and the many practices that we employ here to keep our own lives frugal, secure, healthy, happy, and sustainable, and thus do our part to make the world a better place. Now is a great time, with the New Year upon us, to think about what practices you have instituted in your own world and how sustainable they are for your own life, as well as your community, and our Mother Earth. How are your household affairs? Do you have your oxygen mask on? Are you ready to do your part to save the world? When you are making your resolutions this January these are some things to keep in mind. It's a collective effort and we are all responsible. And it all begins right at home. Victoria Rolfe has had a love of gardening all her life, from the time she was a tiny child coveting the daffodils growing in her neighbor’s yard (and wondering why she couldn’t have them in her own), to her teenage years when she took her pot experimentation in a different direction by growing the seeds she extracted from the bag into a beautiful marijuana plant on her bedroom windowsill. She went on in her adult years to feed her family by growing a huge and bountiful vegetable garden, as well as beautifying her three-acre property with an array of ornamental trees, bushes and flowers in the magnificent Hudson Valley region of New York. Victoria learned a great deal in the process of all this plant experimentation. She then added to that knowledge by taking courses with the Cornell Cooperative Extension to become a Master Gardener Volunteer. In her volunteer capacity, she helps to educate the public on gardening through classes and information booths, most notably at the Dutchess County N.Y. Fair each August. Throughout the summer months, Victoria is most likely to be found among the weeds, either in her own garden or those of others who actually pay her to play in their dirt and do the thing she loves best, delight in the magical world of gardening. Victoria is not only a gardening aficionado; she is also passionate about helping people live a better life on less money. Visit her website and blog at brightfuture2budget4.weebly.com, or email her at brightfuture2budget4@gmail.com.

By Emmy Serviss/ Boston Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the holidays. Halloween is my favorite day of the year, it’s true. But after Halloween, I love the entire month of December. I love how the weather goes from crisp to chilled. I love how the flavors turn from pumpkin to peppermint. I love how the decorations change from frightening to festive. And I love buying presents for all my loved ones, if I have the funds to do so, also my liked ones. Memories of holidays in Boston The problem that I run into is that usually around December 23rd, my jolly demeanor melts into winter blues. See, the holidays are usually a time to gather with family and be together and share memories and make new ones. But the rest of my family never really got into holidays the same way I did. (I’ll never forget the year that my Mom asked if she could make a chicken instead of turkey for Thanksgiving…I never fully recovered from that.) So once I graduated college and moved across the country, the holidays sort of fell by the wayside. We would mail each other presents and get on the phone (or Zoom) but since I was the only one who really liked to celebrate holidays, flying back to New York never seemed to make much sense. I always found local friends to share an Orphan Thanksgiving with when I lived in Los Angeles and Boston, but Christmas always hits a little harder. As the days in December tick away, people start traveling to see their families and I start getting a little sad. Not because I can’t see my family, because taking the train to NYC isn’t too hard a trip from Boston. Flying to see my brother in Mississippi is another story, but I digress. No, I get a little sad because my family was never really the type to have big family get-togethers or long-standing traditions or recipes passed down generation-to-generation. Maybe it’s too many movies with picture-perfect holiday festivities, or maybe it was because my extended family all lived across the country. But I always felt a little left out. When I moved to Boston, I met my two best friends: Angela and Andrea. Every year since 2012, I’ve had a standing invitation to join Angela and/or Andrea for the holidays. Occasionally I would travel to see my parents and/or my brother, but most years I stayed in Boston. It wasn’t too bad usually. I’d make matzoh ball soup for my goyim surrogate families, play games with Angela’s daughters and then once they went to bed, I helped wrap presents from “Santa.” (I even took bites out of the cookies and carrots on behalf of Blitzen and Cupid.) Most years it was enough. Christmas 2020, it wasn’t. I had been quarantined with my (now ex) boyfriend for 9 months, unemployed for 8 months and falling deeper and deeper into a depression. But the holidays were a time for love and cheer, dagnabit! And I was determined to make it special for the two of us, even if we couldn’t be with our families. So I cooked a huge meal, decorated his apartment, bought presents, filled stockings, and attempted to convince myself that we were still happy. Did it work? No, not at all. We broke up three months later, and it’s for the best. But now that we’re going into our second Covid Christmas, it’s hard not to feel more alone this year than I did last year. My roommate left for her parents’ house yesterday, so it’s just me and the cats for the next few days. Christmas Eve I’ll partake in the time-honored tradition that my fellow Jews have observed for decades: Chinese food and a movie. Christmas morning, maybe I’ll try to make my sister-in-law’s recipe for Gooey Bottom Rolls. I keep telling myself that I’m not really alone. Andrea is coming over to bake cookies on Christmas Day, and then we’ll join Angela and her girls for dinner later that night. I know I’m not really alone. But it would be nice if I didn’t feel that way. So, for all those who are also feeling alone during our second Covid Christmas, I will share the heartache with you. And we can sit there together, as we wait for the spring to come again.

By Jessie Seigel / Washington, D.C. When President Biden first took office, I had strong hopes for the country’s recovery from Trumpism. Those hopes have been all but dashed by the Biden Administration’s failure to take any serious action against the continuing dangers to our democracy. Biden’s term had not even begun when a mob stormed the Capitol in a violent coup attempt. The coup failed, but the attempt did not end there. It is ongoing, albeit more surreptitiously, through passage of legislation in numerous states that limit voting rights and give Republican-held legislatures the power to install partisan political hacks as election officials. Some of these laws also permit the state legislatures to throw out the majority vote in their states in order to install their own loyal electors for presidential elections. This corruption of our political system should have been challenged throughout the entire past year in every state it has arisen. That has not happened. Thus, with the 2022 midterm elections only 11 months away, immediate strong, decisive measures at the federal level is urgently needed to undo this coordinated fascistic power grab. Without it, democracy is going to die. There are two voting rights bills (the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act), already passed by the House, that could, even at this late date, possibly stop the relentless march toward minority rule—if they were passed by the Senate. But there are two senators—Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona—who are standing implacably in the way. A change in the filibuster rule is necessary to permit a simple majority vote on this legislation. While shedding crocodile tears, pretending they strongly favor protection of voting rights, Manchin and Sinema have been blocking any filibuster reform that would make the passage of the two voting rights bills possible. Yet these two hypocrites managed to vote to carve out an exception to the rule when it suited them—for raising the debt ceiling. But when it comes to the saving of our democratic system of government, they remain unmovable. The country needs a Lyndon Johnson to grab Manchin and Sinema by their lapels (or, metaphorically, by some other less mentionable parts) and make them fall in line to vote to change the Senate’s filibuster rule so these voting rights laws can be passed. Instead, for months, we have had mild Casper Milquetoast Biden, who reportedly has met with these two recalcitrant senators a number of times, but tends to speak softly and carry no stick. The President, who has failed, all year, to produce anything but empty words on the subject, said on December 15: “If we can get the congressional voting rights done, we should do it. If we can’t, we’ve got to keep going. There’s nothing domestically more important than voting rights.” This is far too little, far too late. And again, it is only words. The question is: what are he and his administration willing to do? For a start, what, if anything, has the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice been doing about voting rights or, for that matter, about the investigation and prosecution of those who plotted the January 6 coup attempt? The answer: also far too little, far too late. It was not until quite recently that Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a lawsuit against Texas concerning the state’s redistricting map, claiming it violates Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. But where are the challenges to the gerrymandering in other states? And where are the DOJ challenges to the many laws enabling states to overrule the will of the voting majority to put in office whomever a state legislature wants? If Garland ever plans to bring such suits—now is the time—before these laws are used to usher in a fascist regime. And as far as the January 6 coup is concerned, currently, the only real investigation is being conducted by the House Select Committee. According to the New York Times, the committee has turned up evidence of a coup plot and of heavy involvement in it by Republican Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Andy Biggs of Arizona, Paul Gosar of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, and Louie Gomert of Texas. The committee is subpoenaing main actors and witnesses such as Mark Meadows, Steve Bannon, and others, and referring those who refuse to obey their lawful subpoenas to the DOJ for prosecution. But Congress only has an oversight function. It has no power to prosecute crimes it uncovers. That power belongs to the DOJ. And thus far, there is no indication that the FBI or DOJ are doing their own criminal investigations of those who may have led the plot. No grand jury. No subpoenas. In fact, when the House Committee referred contempt charges for Bannon’s failure to obey his legally issued subpoena, the timid Merrick Garland took a full three weeks to consider it before venturing to indict Bannon. Last week on MSNBC, Elie Mystal, justice correspondent for The Nation, heatedly raised the alarm: “Is the FBI on the case? …I don’t see evidence of that…. What I see is Congress, which has an oversight function, doing with all deliberate speed, as quickly as they can, putting together a case. And I see the FBI doing nothing to go get these people.” Mystal asked why documents are being turned over to the committee rather than the FBI, and subpoenas issued by Congress and not the FBI. He added: “It all comes back to Joe Biden’s decision to appoint Merrick Garland, a slow-moving institutionalist, to the Department of Justice as opposed to …more aggressive choices—like [Adam] Schiff or [Jamie] Raskin or [Sally] Yates [or others] who would have prosecuted more expeditiously than what we’re seeing from Garland.” I agree with Eli Mystal a hundredfold. Merrick Garland served with distinction as chief judge on the prestigious U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. A judicial moderate, he was nominated to the Supreme Court by President Obama in the hope that a moderate could be confirmed. But then Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans refused to schedule a vote or even hold hearings on the nomination. Garland would surely have made a better Supreme Court justice than any of the three justices Donald Trump subsequently appointed. But he is not suitable for the position of attorney general. Whatever his reasons, Garland approaches this job as as if he were still a judge—slow, methodical, and passive. Given his apparent failure to even launch an investigation of the coup plot, it is clear that Garland lacks the aggressive nature a prosecutor needs to doggedly pursue wrongdoing. Appointing him was a grave error on Biden’s part. That position was too important—especially now—to be treated as a consolation prize for losing a Supreme Court justice position. In July, CNN reported that “people close to Garland” believed he “has tried to hold true to his promise to avoid the taint of politics in his decisions.” If Garland continues to avoid conducting an investigation of actual crimes in order to avoid looking political, we could find ourselves living in a dictatorship run by a minority party that sees Putin’s Russia as its model and has no compunctions about bringing prosecutions that actually are politically motivated. If there is no DOJ investigation of who encouraged, orchestrated or led the coup, and no legal punishment for those found to have done so, there will be absolutely no deterrence to doing it again. The cost of Garland not doing his job, or doing it too slowly, will be the loss of our democracy. Someone needs to light a fire under him. If that doesn’t work, and quickly, Biden should replace him with someone who will, as prosecutor, pursue justice more swiftly, both in relation to voting rights and the January 6 coup conspiracy. However, I do not have great faith that Biden will have the courage to buck the criticism he would undoubtedly receive for doing so. That said, there is a glimmer of hope. Last week, Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock gave a rousing yet reasoned speech on the Senate floor, arguing that if the Senate could carve out an exception from the filibuster rule to raise of the debt ceiling, surely it could do so for voting rights, the foundation of our democracy. His speech seems to have stirred some action. On December 16, Biden spoke privately by phone with Warnock and four senators who have been loath to eliminate the filibuster but might be open to reforming it. This was followed on December 17, by a meeting of the full Democratic caucus to discuss how a work-around of the filibuster might be accomplished for the voting rights bills. Regardless of whether this latest effort succeeds, Biden needs to take a lesson, not only from President Johnson, but from President Truman, who called out the Republicans for their obstruction as the “do nothing Congress” of his day. Biden needs to shout from the rooftops—or at least from the Oval Office—that if the public wants to preserve and further build a democracy in which they have a say about their own lives—they need to vote the obstructionists and coup advocates out. He needs to actively rally the public, not only to his legislative policy agendas, but to the fight for democracy. Political columnist Jessie Seigel had a long career as a government attorney in which she honed her analytic skills. She has also twice received an Artist’s Fellowship from the Washington, D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities for her fiction, and has been a finalist for a number of literary awards. In addition, Seigel is an associate editor at the Potomac Review, a reviewer for The Washington Independent Review of Books, and a dabbler in political cartoons at Daily Kos. Of this balance in her work between the analytic and the imaginative, Seigel jokes, “I guess my right and left brains are well-balanced.” More on and from Seigel can be found at The Adventurous Writer, https://www.jessieseigel.com.

By Sienna Beck / New York City Hello, readers, it’s me, Sienna Beck. My last two articles were on school and vaccines, but this one is on the past year and looking into the New Year. The past year has been very busy and confusing for me. I’ve had remote/online school (until June) and in-school-school (since September). I’ve had a birthday (in October), and I’ve met a prime minister (of Barbados). I’ve been on about five trips this year, so I’m worried I’ve forgotten to do a lot of things during my free time which I’ve chosen to use just relaxing and reading. Also, with Covid on my shoulders, I’m kind of confused with what’s going on, and lots of things have been happening while I’m in my daze. First of all, most of the pharmacies, including Rite Aid, near us have closed. And of course, I love some of the party places and arcades such as Chuck E. Cheese, but most of them have closed. And Covid holds me back from having indoor parties and playdates. No offense, but me not getting focused isn’t helping me in life. Neither is homework, nor is the cold. I get distracted whenever I do anything, and then it stays unfinished. Like my stories, for instance. I start a story, decide I don’t want to finish it “at the moment,” set it aside and… never work on it again because I forget. Sorry, I just can’t help it! And during Covid, it’s happening more and more. !! I see in the future just more Covid. *sigh* I hope that Covid calms down, settles itself. Usually, I fall asleep at 10:00 p.m. each night, but every time I try to sleep, I “wake” myself back up with a nightmare about one of my family members getting Covid. This is why I like to clear my mind out somehow, from talking to the wall to singing it out while I’m brushing my teeth. As I look back at 2021, I remember how excited I was for a new year. I hoped it would be a good one (it was, kind of) because everyone was telling me that Covid would be over by then. But it wasn’t, and I’m upset. Even though so many down things are happening in my life, I also have some things to be grateful for. I’m grateful for our food. I’ve been hearing there have been shortages in nearby supermarkets and some families have been suffering but we still have a jam-packed fridge and freezer. I also feel lucky to have water and ice. I’m lucky to be able to afford life resources, and to be able to also enjoy vacations with family. But I hope in 2022, not just my family can do all these things we’re able to do. I hope everybody can have a break in some way. A day off from work, a vacation off in L.A, a visit to a grandparent, anything. Now you know what my life in 2021 was like, and I hope you stay put for another article soon! (Soon as in next month, probably.) I appreciate you taking the time to read this. Happy holidays! Sienna Beck Sienna Beck is a 9-year-old author who loves writing short stories. She goes to a camp called Writopia, and once entered a play contest and was selected to have her play professionally performed by trained actors. Sienna has two sisters, Willa and Olive, and they all go to P.S. 87 in New York City. Sienna likes animals, including pets and mostly dogs. She also wants to be THE PRESIDENT when she grows up.