The Butterfly Isn't Effecting

We seem to be losing celebrities at a fast pace these days. For one reason or another, the people we know and love on the big screen are leaving us for a different plane. The tragedy is then further exacerbated when we find out that they were secretly battling cancer, ALS, or some other sickness or disease that they did not want everyone to know about. However, the light comes when we find out that a large portion of their estate gets donated to a cause they believed in, usually a cure for what ailed them. Then, usually within a few years, the organization behind a cure for the ailment makes progress. So, the question begins to develop in my head, if celebrities did not die, would we make as quick as progress on curing sickness as we have? In other words, is there a Butterfly Effect between people with a chunk of money and fixing human problems? I know this is probably an oversimplification, but it stands to reason: a celebrity gets sick and then cures for their sickness gets pushed. Alex Trebek passed a few years ago from pancreatic cancer. Patrick Swayze was before him. Donations for research for the particular form of cancer have poured in, and, recently, they have made progress on cures for the disease. It does not just affect dying celebrities though. Look at all the work Michael J. Fox has done for Parkinson’s Disease. I don’t think the research on that disease would have progressed near as far with Mr. Fox’s contributions. Moreover, I think if celebrities, with all their reach, did not put it out there that you can, in fact, donate to help with the research, that any progress would be made. Least of all, with the word of how dangerous these ailments are, we understand that cures need to be found. I am not saying that all celebrities need to take a platform on one disease or another, but if losing our beloved Tinseltown residents leads to cures for most cancers and things like diabetes, then at least the universe is trying to balance a scale. Maybe if we all worked a little harder at pushing the cure agenda, maybe we would not lose our loved ones even if they do play on the big screen. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

The News Is Irrelevant

Before it is even brought up, the title of this ramble is not referring to “fake news.” That is a buzz phrase that I wish would exit the zeitgeist. News is not “fake” at any time. It may be uninformed, it may be misguided, but it cannot be “fake.” The fact that someone took the time to gather any information and spread it makes it real. However, news can be irrelevant. It can be completely unrelated to anything anyone wants to know, and it can also be something that is completely useless to tell. In the old days these sorts of news stories were referred to as “puff pieces.” Bits of news or even entire stories that were simply used to fill the airtime as there was not enough relevant news to talk about. It was “fluff” in between important stories. Things like a dog learning to ride a skateboard, or a child hugging their mailman. This was all well and nice to have a feel-good moment when most of the other news was probably either weather or crisis. Currently, this is exactly the way news works. There is great drama and danger and negativity, then a “puff piece,” and then back to more drama and negative news. What ends up making news irrelevant is when there is so much fluff because news stations want to spread positivity that it is more like watching an episode of America’s Funniest Videos than it is watching the news. There is so much unimportant rabble in the news that we end up only watching the weather section. By no means am I saying this is a bad thing inherently, but there is a point where the viewers want actual news that means something to our day to day lives so that we can be informed. Otherwise, we will ask Google what happened yesterday and then tune over and watch our sitcoms while the news tries to be one. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.

By Your Powers Combined

Gooooo Planet!!! That is what I think of every year at this time. April is usually a humdrum sort of month, but we do have Earth Day we can celebrate. What better way to appreciate the planet by just doing so eco-friendly and green things to better the world. Instead, most people forget this is even a holiday and become some of the most un-productive members of society by continuing their nasty ways by littering, driving everywhere they can, and jacking up their AC in their homes. I am by no means an eco-nut, but I do believe that we should all have the capability to come together for one day and appreciate our planet by doing as much as we can to make it better. So this Earth Day turn off the electronics, stay at home if you can, and enjoy life on the Amish side a little. Also recycle if you are able. We only have one Earth, and I like living here so I ask nicely. Captain Planet on the other hand will hunt you down and use his powers to make you comply, regardless of what the 5 kids tell him. But that is just one man’s opinion. Thanks for listening to me ramble. I appreciate it. See you next time.