Tuesday in Mooseville – Speaking of … 3/19/19

March 19, 2019 DoReMI Featured Posts, It Takes a Village 3

A tangled web, AKA the way my brain works.
I had intended to continue exploring unholy alliances, but a bout with flu-like symptoms for the past 48 hours has stripped me of the concentration needed. If headache, fever, and upset stomach are going to render me even more scattered than usual, I decided to leverage that into a positive. It may be a slightly scary look into the way my brain works (hint: don’t expect a linear progression), but I hope I’ve managed to impose enough discipline to keep to political and historical themes.

Speaking of flu, that reminds me of the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.
The pandemic has been called “the forgotten pandemic.” A good many people learned of it for the first time from Downton Abbey, when Matthew Crawley’s fiancee, Lavinia, dies of it in a convenient plot twist. But it was a world-shattering pandemic, possibly forgotten because it was occurring while WWI was still raging. It is estimated that 50-100 million people died from the Spanish flu; 3-5% of the world’s population at the time.

Speaking of Kansas, that reminds me of Kris Kobach and his voter suppression schemes.

Speaking of 12% of voter registration applications blocked, that reminds me of the proposed 12% budget cut to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The White House proposal included suggested cuts of 9 percent for the National Science Foundation and 12 percent for the National Institutes of Health. Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, said those cuts “would begin to cede American strength in science and innovation to our global competitors, slow the search for cures and make it more challenging for students to access higher education and climb the economic ladder.” Trump Seeks Billions in Cuts

Apparently, if you believe you have good genes, the mission statement of the NIH seems like a whole lot of unnecessary work: “NIH’s mission is to seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.” Missions and Goals

Speaking of enhancing health, that reminds me of the Michigander cure for all that ails you: Vernors.


I find it hard to believe that Vernors is just a Michigan thing, but in the event it is, a few details:
1. It’s pop. More specifically, it is, per the label, “the original ginger soda.” But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s pop.
2. It’s Vernors, not to be confused with mere ginger ale. Canada Dry Ginger Ale is a totally different beast; much paler, less sweet, and milder. Vernors is a golden ginger ale; darker, sweeter, and more highly carbonated. It’s probably those bubbles, not the ginger, which explain it being a go-to when one’s stomach is upset.
3. We take our Vernors very seriously. One can argue with a Michigander about almost anything, but slander our Vernors and you risk starting a civil war. 10 Reasons Vernors Ginger Ale Is The Best Drink You’ve Never Heard Of

(And yes, I do have a Vernors at my side as I type this.  The minute I started getting sick to my stomach, I texted the Hubby and asked him to bring some home.)

Speaking of Vernors, that reminds me of Aretha.
She knew…

Speaking of Aretha, I think this is the best possible way to remember her and end this post.

About DoReMI 165 Articles
Now a Michigander, by way of Ohio, Illinois, Scotland, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. Gardener. Sewer. Democrat. Resister.

3 Comments

  1. {{{DoReMI}}} – enjoyed today’s post. Hope you are feeling better. Momma used to swear by Vernors – she was from Indiana. They didn’t carry it in TX when I was a kid and by the time I actually got a chance to taste one they were using HFCS so… I’m not sure you can get it in MI but for something with a really strong ginger punch there’s Q’s Spectacular Ginger Beer. Otherwise “Mexican” Coke – made with sugar – is also very good for tummy troubles. The syrup was first invented for tummy troubles in fact and you can still get the syrup in old-fashioned pharmacies. Sugar-based (rather than HFCS based) Coke is also sold as “Kosher” Coke at least along the Atlantic seaboard. Not sure how they market it in MI.

    moar {{{HUGS}}} and always Healing Energy.

  2. Someone on Facebark suggested adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to Vernors.

    {{{DoReMI}}}

  3. Thanks, DoReMI! Interesting post. I’m so old, I didn’t know that younger people were unaware of the Spanish ‘flu pandemic. It’s practically recent history to me!

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