As did my parents, some of my cousins grew up in Shamokin, Pennsylvania, a coal town that looks and feels like The Deer Hunter. Most streets are steep and packed with modest, often aluminum or shingle-sided, late 1800s-early 1900s rowhouses. From the tall hills that surround the “City,” one can see the City’s other house-intensive hills and church steeples rising above the flat downtown that was full of businesses in my youth but now mixes low-end retail and many empty storefronts with two large pharmacy franchises. When Main Streets die, you can still buy Metformin and Ace bandages.
My blood boils every time I’m reminded of how we stood by and let these criminals rob our children of their high school years and their youth. A cousin once told me, ‘Kids are resilient; it’s not that big of a deal.’ To this day, I still want to fistfight that liberal dipshit over such a clueless comment.
"We did the best we could in a difficult situation."
"Covid is real. People died."
"It wasn't that big a deal, you're still here. People DIED from Covid."
"If everybody had just masked up and taken their vaccines it would've been over sooner. And not as many people would've DIED from Covid."
A lot of that from those you bring up the cost of it all. Not much "I/we were wrong."
Their narrative cannot be allowed to become *the* narrative of the pandemic. The narrative that Mark and others who share these stories must become *the* narrative. Or it will surely happen again. Worse. Much worse.
"What sort of life do we think we are protecting? There is more to life than the avoidance of death. Life is a drink with friends. Life is a crowded football match or a live concert. Life is a family celebration with children and grandchildren. Life is companionship, an arm around one’s back, laughter or tears shared at less than two meters. These things are not just optional extras. They are life itself. They are fundamental to our humanity, to our existence as social beings. Of course death is permanent, whereas joy may be temporarily suspended. But the force of that point depends on how temporary it really is.”
I am going to copy that quote ! that is exactly what it is, and what should have been. Thankfully a few friends and some re-found friends kept a bit of this going, and we had a few embraces where needed. Thank you Gwyneth !
I found Lord Sumpton very early in the scamdemic. He was so well spoken and brilliant. I thought more of the UK would listen to him. But no. I was disappointed that he got vaccinated. I hope he will not have any issues from it.
Great writing as usual, Mark, and very interesting to a non-American who's merely visited Florida. My only snit would be your statement that "Time wasted or stolen is gone forever". I would argue that the Scamdemic was actually a time of massive personal growth for many of us, as testing situations so often are. Here in Switzerland, I learned what our government is really like, I learned who my real friends were, and I learned how sheeplike and pathetic most people are. I also did a lot more walking and saw a lot more of this lovely country. I look back on that time and feel a sense of pride that I, an average, rather wimpy guy, stood tall against the psychopaths who lust for power. Stay strong, dear friend, and let's hope the people behind the Scamdemic face justice.
I am still hearing medical professionals (hospital doctors) talk about how they were on the front lines, when the first COVID patients rolled in, and how sick they were, how awful COVID was, how many people struggled and died...... UNTIL the vaccines rolled out! And then, those wonderful vaccines prevented serious illness and death. And this one doctor I spoke with last week waxed about how puzzling it is to him now, how many parents of young children are eschewing vaccines for their kids, and -- "how stupid! Don't they know about polio?!?????" etc. "It's the influence of RFK Jr.!!!!! The anti-vaxxer!!!!!!! (the ruin of us all......)"
Umm...... maybe it's partly because it is so clear that the media lied to the people? "these vaccines are 100% effective, and will stop the spread -- there is NO WAY you can catch COVID or pass COVID on -- it stops with THAT PERSON!!!!" And then, quite quickly, "well it stops serious illness and death......"
Why should anyone believe a single word about ANYTHING that comes out of these talking heads' mouths?
But a hospital medical director who still believes such nonsense? That is truly frightening.
I recently had that exact conversation with a doctor. "RFK is crazy." "He doesn't want people to take the polio vaccine."
I said...I've never heard him say that. I think what he wants is transparency on vaccine safety studies.
How about if we have a hearing and have the pharma companies present the studies and RFK and his team can ask questions. We'll Livestream the whole thing so America can watch. Then everybody knows the truth and we can put this behind us.
Humboldt County, California canceled the 2020 and 2021 Kinetic Grand Championship, a wacky race of human-powered contraptions over road, trail, sand dunes, mud, and water, for the scamdemic, and limited the 2022 race to the jabbed. This means all spectators (which of course they couldn't control) and racers—for an *outdoor event*. Granted, it's mostly old fogies like me out there pedaling, but there have always been high school teams represented, and hundreds of kids would watch and cheer. I will never forgive, and those who made those decisions will likely never apologize.
I love your stories, Mark. I remember taking a drive with my husband and our dog (we took a lot of drives during the Scam to Escape) to Waitsfield, VT, on a beautiful, snowy early-Spring day. There’s a lovely mountain pull-off area we stopped at. In comes a car, doing donuts in the small parking lot and four young guys get out to see the view. We started talking, nice young high-schoolers just happy to be out. We talked about their upcoming graduation that was going to be canceled and how disappointed they were to not be able to participate in this rite, & not being able to play football that year, how much they missed that. I still remember their sadness and how much of their growing up memories were being stolen from them.
As an aside, during college, early-mid 70s, I worked at Reinauer’s truck stop diner in Mahwah, NJ, and we were always busy when the Ford Motor workers changed shifts. Perhaps I waited on your Dad?! A blessed Family Time to you and yours, Mark, today.
Good morning Mark and happy Thanksgiving to all who are here. Finding this in my email at 6 am was just another blessing from you. The house is still quiet and I can give thanks to God that you started this substack to get us through the loneliness of the scam.
Thank you for continuing to write and share the beauty you find and your observations there of. I look forward to our next chat.
That is what a friend I had not seen in 3 years said - she apologized and said, this should have never happened. We missed birthday parties, Christmas gatherings, our weekly out at the diner, and so much more. We missed the comfort of a friend when a brother died, or a cat got lost or killed, or when someone got sick, no one came to help out. Little by little our social network is picking back up, after almost 4 years of dead silence. Our already sleepy town hibernated. The church where I used to go had a choir and about 40 people. I watched a Livestream and there were 13 plus the pastor and the organist. Some have died, yes, but all the rest is no longer coming because of the silly forbidden-for-unjabbed, mask on, mass outside bring your own chair, your mask, your gloves. The sacrament in a plastic bag. Where is God in all this? I too stayed away from church and now go out in the woods, and say my prayer there. I am sure God is there. He made that church himself.
I'd like to believe that in some part the results of this past election are due to a significant number of men and women, including young men and women who cast their first vote in the 2024 election, quietly deciding that the people responsible for the scamdemic needed to be kicked out and not allowed the chance to repeat that travesty.
I appreciate this sentiment. I was never really a big sports guy but we all have our memories and feelings of nostalgia. One of my sons is a huge sports (esp football) fan . I watch and go to games with him and its a great bonding experience. The problem is: during these professional and college football games, there are commercials for the army that are full of shameful vicious propaganda. The message: abandon your family and job and go destroy and murder things for a bunch of asshole dick waving politicians. The there is the constant advertising for fast food , cars , insurance and …. And … DRUGS. Ozempic, flu shots… and on and on.
In a typical football game drawn out agonizingly for 3-4 hours, the ball is in play for maybe 20 minutes.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mark and all those here. I give thanks for Mark and all he did to keep our sanity through the plandemic. Much love and gratitude, Susie
Someone just had to tell you that the boys didn’t play that year. So it goes.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all the readers, but not to those who stole childhood experiences from kids. Well, maybe them too, not just to remind them of what they did, but maybe some kindness would change them from being horrible monsters.
Beautiful illustration of the unrealized and underappreciated negative consequences of the scamdemic. It is always fun to "accompany" you on one of your trips. Your prose always makes me feel like I am right there.
My blood boils every time I’m reminded of how we stood by and let these criminals rob our children of their high school years and their youth. A cousin once told me, ‘Kids are resilient; it’s not that big of a deal.’ To this day, I still want to fistfight that liberal dipshit over such a clueless comment.
On the plus side, it showed many parents what their kids are actually being taught and pushed them into homeschooling.
the guy that said that to you understands nothing.
"It couldn't be helped."
"Mistakes were made."
"We did the best we could in a difficult situation."
"Covid is real. People died."
"It wasn't that big a deal, you're still here. People DIED from Covid."
"If everybody had just masked up and taken their vaccines it would've been over sooner. And not as many people would've DIED from Covid."
A lot of that from those you bring up the cost of it all. Not much "I/we were wrong."
Their narrative cannot be allowed to become *the* narrative of the pandemic. The narrative that Mark and others who share these stories must become *the* narrative. Or it will surely happen again. Worse. Much worse.
So very true.
"What sort of life do we think we are protecting? There is more to life than the avoidance of death. Life is a drink with friends. Life is a crowded football match or a live concert. Life is a family celebration with children and grandchildren. Life is companionship, an arm around one’s back, laughter or tears shared at less than two meters. These things are not just optional extras. They are life itself. They are fundamental to our humanity, to our existence as social beings. Of course death is permanent, whereas joy may be temporarily suspended. But the force of that point depends on how temporary it really is.”
Lord Sumption
I am going to copy that quote ! that is exactly what it is, and what should have been. Thankfully a few friends and some re-found friends kept a bit of this going, and we had a few embraces where needed. Thank you Gwyneth !
I found Lord Sumpton very early in the scamdemic. He was so well spoken and brilliant. I thought more of the UK would listen to him. But no. I was disappointed that he got vaccinated. I hope he will not have any issues from it.
Great writing as usual, Mark, and very interesting to a non-American who's merely visited Florida. My only snit would be your statement that "Time wasted or stolen is gone forever". I would argue that the Scamdemic was actually a time of massive personal growth for many of us, as testing situations so often are. Here in Switzerland, I learned what our government is really like, I learned who my real friends were, and I learned how sheeplike and pathetic most people are. I also did a lot more walking and saw a lot more of this lovely country. I look back on that time and feel a sense of pride that I, an average, rather wimpy guy, stood tall against the psychopaths who lust for power. Stay strong, dear friend, and let's hope the people behind the Scamdemic face justice.
Thanks, Steghorn.
I echo you 100% from 4,000 miles away tonight.
I am still hearing medical professionals (hospital doctors) talk about how they were on the front lines, when the first COVID patients rolled in, and how sick they were, how awful COVID was, how many people struggled and died...... UNTIL the vaccines rolled out! And then, those wonderful vaccines prevented serious illness and death. And this one doctor I spoke with last week waxed about how puzzling it is to him now, how many parents of young children are eschewing vaccines for their kids, and -- "how stupid! Don't they know about polio?!?????" etc. "It's the influence of RFK Jr.!!!!! The anti-vaxxer!!!!!!! (the ruin of us all......)"
Umm...... maybe it's partly because it is so clear that the media lied to the people? "these vaccines are 100% effective, and will stop the spread -- there is NO WAY you can catch COVID or pass COVID on -- it stops with THAT PERSON!!!!" And then, quite quickly, "well it stops serious illness and death......"
Why should anyone believe a single word about ANYTHING that comes out of these talking heads' mouths?
But a hospital medical director who still believes such nonsense? That is truly frightening.
Boy, did the medical profession destroy its reputation during those times. I'll never be overawed by a white coat again.
I recently had that exact conversation with a doctor. "RFK is crazy." "He doesn't want people to take the polio vaccine."
I said...I've never heard him say that. I think what he wants is transparency on vaccine safety studies.
How about if we have a hearing and have the pharma companies present the studies and RFK and his team can ask questions. We'll Livestream the whole thing so America can watch. Then everybody knows the truth and we can put this behind us.
Humboldt County, California canceled the 2020 and 2021 Kinetic Grand Championship, a wacky race of human-powered contraptions over road, trail, sand dunes, mud, and water, for the scamdemic, and limited the 2022 race to the jabbed. This means all spectators (which of course they couldn't control) and racers—for an *outdoor event*. Granted, it's mostly old fogies like me out there pedaling, but there have always been high school teams represented, and hundreds of kids would watch and cheer. I will never forgive, and those who made those decisions will likely never apologize.
I love your stories, Mark. I remember taking a drive with my husband and our dog (we took a lot of drives during the Scam to Escape) to Waitsfield, VT, on a beautiful, snowy early-Spring day. There’s a lovely mountain pull-off area we stopped at. In comes a car, doing donuts in the small parking lot and four young guys get out to see the view. We started talking, nice young high-schoolers just happy to be out. We talked about their upcoming graduation that was going to be canceled and how disappointed they were to not be able to participate in this rite, & not being able to play football that year, how much they missed that. I still remember their sadness and how much of their growing up memories were being stolen from them.
As an aside, during college, early-mid 70s, I worked at Reinauer’s truck stop diner in Mahwah, NJ, and we were always busy when the Ford Motor workers changed shifts. Perhaps I waited on your Dad?! A blessed Family Time to you and yours, Mark, today.
Thanks, Regina.
My father worked much of his life on the shifts, seven days/week.
Was that truck stop next to Pal's Diner?
No,
Good one, thanks— and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Happy Thanksgiving to all and everyone !
Good morning Mark and happy Thanksgiving to all who are here. Finding this in my email at 6 am was just another blessing from you. The house is still quiet and I can give thanks to God that you started this substack to get us through the loneliness of the scam.
Thank you for continuing to write and share the beauty you find and your observations there of. I look forward to our next chat.
Thanks, Karen. I hope you and your family had a great day.
That is what a friend I had not seen in 3 years said - she apologized and said, this should have never happened. We missed birthday parties, Christmas gatherings, our weekly out at the diner, and so much more. We missed the comfort of a friend when a brother died, or a cat got lost or killed, or when someone got sick, no one came to help out. Little by little our social network is picking back up, after almost 4 years of dead silence. Our already sleepy town hibernated. The church where I used to go had a choir and about 40 people. I watched a Livestream and there were 13 plus the pastor and the organist. Some have died, yes, but all the rest is no longer coming because of the silly forbidden-for-unjabbed, mask on, mass outside bring your own chair, your mask, your gloves. The sacrament in a plastic bag. Where is God in all this? I too stayed away from church and now go out in the woods, and say my prayer there. I am sure God is there. He made that church himself.
The churches were pathetic during Covid.
My church here in VT stayed open, often-times police coming because Karen’s called them to stop us. We never stopped.
I'd like to believe that in some part the results of this past election are due to a significant number of men and women, including young men and women who cast their first vote in the 2024 election, quietly deciding that the people responsible for the scamdemic needed to be kicked out and not allowed the chance to repeat that travesty.
I appreciate this sentiment. I was never really a big sports guy but we all have our memories and feelings of nostalgia. One of my sons is a huge sports (esp football) fan . I watch and go to games with him and its a great bonding experience. The problem is: during these professional and college football games, there are commercials for the army that are full of shameful vicious propaganda. The message: abandon your family and job and go destroy and murder things for a bunch of asshole dick waving politicians. The there is the constant advertising for fast food , cars , insurance and …. And … DRUGS. Ozempic, flu shots… and on and on.
In a typical football game drawn out agonizingly for 3-4 hours, the ball is in play for maybe 20 minutes.
Frankly its boring and tortuous to watch
True that the games are full of dubious ads. I only watch a few games on TV and do exercise much of the time. A HS game has no ads.
Thankful this day that many of us are wiser now to the greed and lies of those who want to control.
Happy Thanksgiving to Mark and all those here. I give thanks for Mark and all he did to keep our sanity through the plandemic. Much love and gratitude, Susie
Thanks, Susie.
I give thanks for all those who saw the Scam and resisted it.
28 years
Someone just had to tell you that the boys didn’t play that year. So it goes.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all the readers, but not to those who stole childhood experiences from kids. Well, maybe them too, not just to remind them of what they did, but maybe some kindness would change them from being horrible monsters.
Beautiful illustration of the unrealized and underappreciated negative consequences of the scamdemic. It is always fun to "accompany" you on one of your trips. Your prose always makes me feel like I am right there.
Thanks, Ernest. I went on that trip alone. I had room for you.