Missing: Has Anyone Seen My Credit Card?

I confess to having an estranged relationship with a credit card. More often than not it disappears for days, weeks or more.  These times of separation fill me with angst. It carries my name but doesn't answer when I call.  When I pine for the sensation of its raised plastic numbers, the card avoids me.

This dysfunctional relationship is the result of my thought process. My mind meanders down a stream of consciousness that avoids the present.  Credit cards never float in that mental body of water. Therefore, it is not really my fault cards go missing.  I blame the president.  Isn't it the American way?  

I have read that 7 out of 10 Americans own credit cards. If my experience is normal, then five of those 10 have no idea where their Master Card is at this moment. It may be difficult to fathom, but credit cards have been known to leap out of my wallet, dive into crevices and sneak under a sofa cushion.

Whenever I call a credit card company to report a lost card, they immediately recognize my telephone number.  Before I explain my dilemma, the service rep, located somewhere in India, will coo softly: "Hi, Mr. Roy.  Should I send your replacement credit card to the same address?"  It is humiliating. 

Once my bride and I chauffeured my Mom to lunch at her favorite Italian restaurant in San Antonio.  When the check arrived, I explored my pants pocket for my American Express. (I am only allowed to lug around a single credit card as a precaution against losing an entire wallet full of plastic.)

My face blushed bright red after I came up empty handed. My bride, who has dealt with my peccadillo for more than a half-century, reflexly ticked off a list of possible places I could have left my card. "Perhaps it's in your car," she suggested with a hint of exasperation. 

I returned to the car and strip searched my vehicle.  Nothing.  As I was returning to the restaurant, I spotted a shiny object in the parking lot.  I fetched it. Viola!  It was my wandering credit card. However, it looked like it had been crushed by a road grader. Another call to India.  

Days later a new American Express appeared in the mail.  I decided to make a copy of the card, since the folks in India always insist I provide the numbers on the misplaced card. Smart, huh?  About a week later, I searched my wallet for the AE rectangular object.  It had gone MIA.

For weeks, I explored every drawer, sofa, chair, vehicle and pair of pants. Panic set in.  This would be so humbling to admit to Dianna that I lost a card before I ever used it.  I refused to dial India.  My alibi always is the card isn't lost, it is just hiding in plain view.  Denial is the first sign of senility.

One day, I went to my copier-fax-printer and lifted the lid to copy a document.  Sitting on the glass plate was a silver American Express card.  When I had made the copy weeks ago, I had forgotten to retrieve the card.  All of India was celebrating my good fortune. AE likely declared an employee holiday.

These tales of lost cards are only the most egregious ones.  Recently, I was stuck in a long line at the Costco gas pumps. Finally, I inched my car to the gas pumps.  I reached in my wallet.  No Costco Visa. I was hemmed in with no ability to maneuver my car.  I steamed until I was able to exit the queue.

Back home, I alerted Dianna, always the most diplomatic of conversations.  "Could I borrow your Costco Visa?" I pleaded, praying for a sympathetic response.  "Where's your card?" she persisted.  I shrugged and flashed a pitiful look.  She handed over her card with a shake of her beautiful head.  

I conducted an investigation with all the determination of an FBI manhunt.  Weeks passed.  One day, while vacuuming my car, I stuck the hose underneath the back of the driver's seat.  The hose hit something.  I levered the seat forward.  There was my Costco Visa. And also my American Express.

I had been unaware the AE card had taken leave of my wallet. The only good news was Dianna just knew about the AWOL Visa card. Sometimes the god of Credit Cards feels empathy for me. But it is usually a temporary reprieve.  

Years ago, we dined with friends Wayne and Barb Alexander.  When the check arrived, we agreed to split the bill.  We handed over our credit cards to the waiter, who returned shortly with receipts to sign. We scrawled our signatures, picked up our cards and both returned home.

A day later, Dianna and I flew to Atlanta for a trip to The Masters golf tournament in Augusta, Georgia. We stayed at a resort about halfway between Atlanta and Augusta.  As we were preparing to drive to Augusta, my wireless phone trilled.  It was Wayne calling.

"Hey, Drewski," Wayne greeted.  "I think you have my Master Card."  I fumbled for my wallet and withdrew my Master Card.  Clearly printed on the front of the plate was Wayne Alexander.  "Uh, yeah, I have you card. Do you have mine?"  "Yes," Wayne replied.  I was relieved.

My reprieve was temporary.  "You haven't used my card, have you?" Wayne inquired.  A moment of silence ensued to collect my fleeting thoughts.  "Hmm, I guess I did a few times," I sheepishly admitted. Turns out I had charged hundreds of dollars and signed my name.  No one had noticed, including me.

My only solace was my Master Card was NOT lost.  I knew exactly where it was.  At Wayne's house in San Antonio. The rest of the trip Dianna assumed the credit card responsibilities.  Do you blame her? Poor lady must get tired of hearing me ask: "Have you seen my credit card?"

I am chagrined that credit cards aren't the only items dispatched to a lost and found department.  Golf clubs, reading glasses, cameras, a shirt or two, a couple of Crosses on a gold chains are among the dearly departed. Thankfully I can report I have never lost a pair of underwear.  Not yet anyway.

My son Derek and daughter-in-law Erika took notice of my flawed persona and one Christmas gifted me  a Tile, a bluetooth tracker designed to locate your possessions.  I put the plastic device in the case where I kept my reading glasses.  I had this regrettable habit of leaving the glasses on airplanes.

Over time, the Tile proved useful in locating my glasses: in my car, in my house, at a restaurant.  But even the Tile could not protect me forever.  After a trip to Hawaii, I was homebound on a flight to Dallas. When I reached the airport, I frantically searched my traveling case for my glasses.

No glasses.  Ah, but I had my tracker, which was linked to my wireless device. I pulled out my iPhone and checked the Tile app.  My glasses were at the airport in Maui.  Great!  I immediately dialed lost and found at the Maui airport and reported my glass case was in the lounge area.

Days droned without a word.  I called several times over the next few weeks only to be greeted with the same news that my glasses had not been located.  It was a crushing defeat when I learned not even technology could bail me out.  I solved the glass problem by having cataract surgery in both eyes.

I just wish there was a surgical procedure to cure my credit card blues. That's it, I need an implant. (Not that kind, you awful people!) Credit Card chips inserted in both hands.  If you have a name of an implant surgeon, please forward it to me. The call centers in India will be grateful.    

America Must Decide Between Unity and Revenge

Joe Biden has plucked "unity" from a thicket of possible themes as the thrust of his inauguration as the 46th president of the United States. Although a commendable choice, it hardly reflects the rhetoric or actions of his party's leaders.  Will Biden's plea make any difference for a divided citizenry?

That questions lingers as Democrats led by a revengeful Nancy Pelosi impeached the president for "inciting violence" during his January 6 speech. The Speaker of the House inflamed partisan emotions with her second impeachment of Mr. Trump, a parting middle finger to the president.

Put aside your feelings about whether President Trump deserves this ignominy for his impassioned speech near the Capitol. Is the Speaker's action designed to knit the country or segregate it further?  Why impeach a president with less than a week left on his term?  

Constitutional scholar and former Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz labeled the impeachment "unconstitutional," pointing out the president did not incite the crowd but advocated his position. Here is how Dershowitz framed the issue:

"You can condemn, you can attack, you can refuse to vote for, you can do all those things which are politically available to you.  But the one thing you can't do is use the law, which is impeachment, on something that is protected by the First Amendment."

Will an unconstitutional act unite all Americans?

According to the Associated Press Mr. Biden's inauguration speech will be a "show of bipartisanship at a time when the national divide is on stark display."  This surely must apply to Biden's own party.  Or does healing require Republicans to suffer retribution and revenge at the hands of the victors?  

Pelosi's impeachment tactic was not just aimed at President Trump but also his supporters.  There is a movement afoot in the Democrat Party, corporate American and the media to punish anyone associated with Mr. Trump, including his 74 million voters.  Evidence abounds to validate this contention.

Rich Klein, the political director for ABC News, took to social media with this mencacing message: "The fact is getting rid of Trump is the easy part.  Cleansing the movement he commands is going to be something else."  Chastised and fearing for his career, Klein deleted the Tweet.

CNN anchor Don Lemon linked those who supported Mr. Trump to Nazis and Ku Klux Klan members.  "Principled people, conservative or liberal, are never on the Klan side. Principled people, conservative or liberal, are never on the Nazi side," he said on air in a reference to those who voted for Mr. Trump.

A PBS (Public Broadcasting Corporation) attorney Michael Beller was recorded saying the children of Republicans should be shunted to "reeducation camps." He didn't stop there.  "Homeland Security should take their children away." PBS subsequently fired  Beller from the taxpayer supported network.

During the impeachment proceeding, Democrat Rep. Jason Crow took the floor to denounce Rep. Taylor Green, a Republican who contested the election results.  "There are unfortunately a handful of members of Congress, Mrs. Taylor Green is just one, who are morally bankrupt," Crow bellowed.

"They are depraved and frankly dangerous individuals," he added. Green joined 147 of her GOP colleagues in questioning the results of the presidential contest.  Olive branches were nowhere in sight. The time was ripe to unleash the hounds of heckling to besmirch those who sidled with Trump.

Rep. Green suffers from convenient amnesia.  Members of his  party challenged the 2016 election results when the Electoral College votes were certified in the House. Speaker Pelosi tweeted: "Our election was hijacked.  There is no question. Congress has a duty to #ProtectOur Democracy."

Do you recall the hue and cry about the blasphemy of suggesting the election was stolen?  Crickets.

Corporate America is piling on too as a growing list of firms vowing to punish those who did not support the certification of the Electoral College results.  Among the first were Wall Street giants Goldman Sachs Group and JP Morgan Chase along with Citigroup and Marriott International.

"We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election," a Marriott spokesperson said.

Titans of business are locking arms with Democrats to seek retribution for the grievances aired by the party.  These capitalist proponents have adopted the socialist tactic of becoming nothing more than an extension of the ruling party, raising antitrust and Constitutional issues.

In the midst of the boiling cauldron of reprisal, the two major social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook, reacted.  Twitter banned the president and Facebook suspended his account.  Many foreign leaders, including the Australian government,  condemned the ban as an act of "censorship."  

In Russia, the opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, cautioned that this precedent will be "exploited by the enemies of freedom of speech around the world. In Russian as well." Startling to hear a Russian lecture America about its Constitutionally guaranteed protection of free speech.

Then Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the ad-hoc leader of the Democrat progressive wing, unexpectedly, and likely inadvertently, revealed what Democrats are plotting.  Her chilling comment:

..."I do think that several members of Congress, in some of my discussions, have brought up media literacy because that is part of what happened here and we're going to have to figure out how we rein in our media environment so that you can't just spew disinformation and misinformation."

Will censorship cure what ails America?  Or will people be left with no choice other than to make their voices heard in the streets?

Let's hope President-elect Biden's plea for unity is sincere.  However, unless his party's leaders and revenge-minded Democrats show restraint, America will descend into chaos and anarchy.  There will be no healing of volcanic passions unless both parties appeal to the greater good in us.

Unity does not mean everyone must agree on Mr. Biden's policies. Critics should not be silenced in the name of unity.  This Unity refers to our oneness as a nation.  We are united by the Constitution which guarantees freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the press. 

If America turns its back on those freedoms, we will plummet into the abyss of failed democracies.   

January 6: The Day Americans Wept For Our Nation

The saddest day in American history is seared into our memories. Angry insurrectionists, waving a flag that symbolizes freedom, committed anarchy.  Thousands breached America's capitol, invading the halls of Congress as the world watched in horror.  Mob behavior is unAmerican.  It is shameful. Unacceptable.

What happened January 6 can never be repeated.  Not if America wants to survive as the shining beacon of democracy.  Americans feel ashamed.  We want swift justice for those who perpetrated this despicable act. There can be no excuse for a full scale incursion that left five dead, 52 arrested and 14 police injured.

Passions were ignited by President Trump who gave a fiery speech to about 200,000 supporters.  As the rally was ending, frenzied thousands rushed toward the Capitol, tearing down security fencing. The scenes were broadcast around the globe.  A collective gasp arose from stunned world leaders.

A peaceful transition to a new administration was shattered in those moments.  President Trump was condemned by lawmakers, his own party leaders and the media. Even staunch supporters piled on. He will live with this ignominy for the remainder of his days.  The nightmare will haunt him and the nation.

Assigning blame, will not heal America. We need soul searching.  We need to hold up a mirror and force ourselves to confront realities many have ignored.  This nation is hopelessly divided by politics, certainly.  But that masks what really bugs many Americans.  It has nothing to do with political parties.

Our divisions are caused by evil.  This evil goes by many names. Hatred. Arrogance.  Intolerance. Pride. Injustice. Ridicule. Hypocrisy. Incivility. We no longer respect each other.  We don't honor our institutions.  We are a country of US versus THEM.  Unity has become a fleeting aspiration.

Today we cry out for a truly United States.  Realistically, we will not find national peace when fissures exist in our families and friendships over politics. No one should be shocked there is a yawning chasm in our country when even our closest relationships are bisected over what candidate we support.  

Confronted with the most challenging health crisis in nearly a century, America choose division.  Politicians from both sides of the aisle refused to work together yet seem shocked when ordinary citizens developed polarized views on the outbreak. 

This could have been a unifying moment.  All Americans, all politicians, the media coming together as one nation to confront this ugly Coronavirus.  That never happened.  Why?  The answers are myriad but the most obvious is that our leaders never sought solidarity.  They chose political gamesmanship.  

Throughout 2020, America was roiled by looting, burning and anarchy in our streets.  Many refused to condemn the mob violence because it was rooted in an idea that Black Lives Matter.  Did anyone believe allowing lawlessness by one group would not give tacit permission for more rebellious conduct?

How many political leaders and media outlets denounced summer's mob violence? Businesses were destroyed.  Police were killed and injured.  Looting was endorsed by politicians as acceptable because the people were disenfranchised.  Anarchists controlled entire parts of cities.  Many applauded. 

Do we excuse violence in some cases and castigate it in other situations?  Violence is wrong no matter the circumstances.  Anarchy is misguided no matter the cause.  Killing other human beings is a sinful act, if they are police prisoners or babies in the womb.  What we condone as a nation we will reap.

When unruly activists took over parts of a Senate office building to protest the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh, they were celebrated.  Political leaders defended their indefensible behavior as patriotic support of women's rights.  Why was this condoned? What message did it send?

Let me make this clear.  None of these incidents rise to the level of January 6.  I do not cite these to excuse the ugliness of the Capitol rampage.  But Americans can no longer deny we are living in a age of violence and anarchy.  Examples abound.  Ignore them at your own peril. 

The root cause is Hatred.  There is so much seething in this country that tranquility is impossible.  We mock people for their political and social views.  We demonize those who disagree with us.  We hate a president, a speaker of the house, a class of people and the symbols of our shared history.  

Instead of solving our differences peacefully we yell at each other. We choose sides and ignore solutions. The nation resembles a schoolyard playground, one flashpoint away from a brawl.  Blame politicians or the media.  The truth is WE are responsible for upholding American values.

What is occurring in America is a battle for its soul.  Some want to rewrite America's past.  They are contemptuous of our founders, our flag, our statues, our national anthem.  Just as many Americans cherish our history, even with all its flaws.  Our values and ideals are no longer common. 

Politicians recognize this national conflict and are using it to tear us asunder.  You and I don't have to take the bait.  We have a choice. Learn why others think differently than you; respect their viewpoints; remain civil in communications (including emails) with everyone. That's on US.  Not THEM.

Finally, we need to turn to God in our darkness.  It may sound trite but I make no apology.  America will not find the answer in our political class no matter how noble the politician.  Only God can heal what is broken. Let's not waste this opportunity to put our faith in Him.

Probably Accurate Top 12 Predictions For 2021

2020 is now officially a four-number, vulgarism.  People refer to their Congressional representative as a 2020 hole.  The neighbors dog deposited a pile of 2020 in your yard.  Preachers warn congregants they will go to 2020 unless they mend their ways.  2020 was such $%#@!  Good 2020 riddance.   

Fortunately, the calendar now reads 2021.  It's a New Year.  But will it be any better than 2020?  That's the question your favorite prognosticator ponders as he makes his annual predictions.  Some readers chide your journalist for gazing into the future when so often he has been slightly, occasionally wrong.

However, I would point out many celebrated economists, Wall Street wizards, respected scientists, data modelers and captains of industry flubbed 2020.  Every one of them still hold their jobs despite their record of failed forecasts.  Cut me some slack.  I deserve at least an opportunity to match their ineptitude. 

Normally, your forecast analyst offers ten predictions.  But, if you haven't heard, 2020 was an unusual year.  A break from tradition seemed appropriate to remove the stench of 2020. With that introduction and without further 2020, here are the Top 12 Predictions for 2021:

1.  Churches will continue to be the target of forced closures and limited attendance until at least the summer.  When churches and synagogues finally are able to welcome back flocks, attendance will hover around 70% of pre-pandemic rates as believers settle into a comfortable routine of online worship.  

2.  Only 60% of Americans eligible to receive the new Coronavirus vaccines will get the shot.  As a result, businesses and state governments will require all employees to be vaccinated. The new administration will issue an order mandating all Americans be vaccinated, but it will be overturned in court.  

3. Government certificates proving you have been vaccinated will be required to travel, go to college, dine inside restaurants, visit hospitals and attend movies.  A cottage industry will spring up offering fake certificates and schemes will emerge offering Americans a way to jump ahead of others for a vaccination.    

4.  Big movie theaters will become rare after months of closures and empty seats force the entertainment industry to shutdown 65% of its facilities.  In their place, smaller theaters that serve food will arise from the lockdown ashes.  Most movies and even some Broadway plays will debut on streaming services. 

5.  Hollowed out office buildings and malls will become permanent symbols of the wreckage of the Coronavirus.  Leased space buildings will face vacancy rates of more than 32%. Work-from-home will become the norm, fueling skyrocketing sales of office furnishing and remodeling for residences. 

6. Local and national retail businesses will remain permanently crippled as online retailers Amazon, Walmart and others gobble up most of that segment of the economy.  Online sales will rise from 16.1% to 27.4% of all retail sales in 2021, the largest annual increase in a decade. 

7. President Biden, citing the rise of a new super-spreader COVID variant, will order strict nationwide lockdowns in January as cases and deaths continue to spiral.  The president will mandate masks, initiate invasive contact tracing and demand Americans shelter in place for the duration of a "dark" winter. 

8. Lockdowns and the issuance of more government stimulus checks will drive unemployment into double digits.  The Dow will decline by 16.9%; the S&P will fall 11%; the NASDAQ will increase 19% as big tech reaps the benefits of restrictions.  The annual Gross Domestic Product for 2021 will be 2.9%.  

9.  Prosecutors in the cases against Hunter Biden, who is charged with tax evasion and money laundering, will be replaced by the incoming president.  Hunter will pay a $5 million fine to settle the charges, which mostly stem from his dealings with China. The media will drop the matter to protect President Biden.

10.  An already throttled travel industry slumbers as big cruise ships are dry docked, international flights are scuttled and hotels operate with 60% vacancies.  Airbnb will double its revenues.  Domestic travel returns in summer, however, airlines slash flight schedules. Travel industry recovery stalls until 2022.  

11. Schools in most Democrat-run states and cities will remain closed except for virtual learning for the remainder of the year as powerful teachers unions balk at reopening without pay raises and the requirement of vaccinations of all children.  Enrollment in private schools will leap 22% during the year.

12. Independent restaurants, which comprise 70% of all eateries, will suffer losses as restrictions limit indoor dining.  A staggering 75% of all independent restaurants will shutdown by the end of 2021. Those that remain will have a tough time rehiring furloughed staff receiving unemployment benefits.

Some of you are already shaking your heads in doubt.  You may be thinking 2021 will be the dawning of a new era of prosperity as the economy reopens, the virus is reeled under control and the nation breathes a sigh of relief with a new administration in Washington. Your vision may indeed be 2020.

I have no desire for another year of crisis.  I honestly hope my forecasts are spectacularly wrong.  However, that dusty old crystal ball of mine follows the mists of the future wherever it leads.  Don't blame me.  I believe in the science of forecasting and I donned a mask to protect myself from a computer virus.

That makes me above reproach.  

Santa: Forget the Ferrari; Bring Us Tolerance

Dear Santa Claus:

Despite my semi-exemplary behavior, last year you ignored my Christmas wish for a  661-horsepower Ferrari with a turbo charged, naturally aspirated V8 engine. A red one, to match Rudolf's nose. Perhaps, you couldn't lug it down the chimney.  Maybe elves drive Porches and refuse to make Italian cars.   

I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.  Unlike Virginia, I still believe in you Santa. But I admit you are on shaky ground at the Roy residence.  Don't expect wine and cheese this year.  And if you are not wearing a mask, don't show up unless you want Dr. Fauci to place you on his naughty list.  

This year I am surrendering my selfish lust for a shiny red Ferrari.  I wish for something every American needs, especially me.  I am requesting Tolerance.  Note the capital T for emphasis.  We are becoming increasingly unwilling to respect other opinions or beliefs contrary to our own. Our minds are shuttered.

We lash out at those with whom we disagree.  We judge people based on their politics instead of their character. The undercurrent of narrow-mindedness is dividing families.  We ostracize friends who don't support our candidate.  We huddle in social silos, limiting our circle to those who nod in agreement.

People who share our dogmatism are our tribal nation.  Civil discussions are no longer possible between those with differing ideas. We condemn expressions we consider foreign to established norms. Once we were open minded. No belief was considered too eccentric because we valued freedom of thought.

I recall visiting the North Pole one year and being privy to a class on mutual respect taught by Prancer.  I was struck by how all the other reindeer asked thoughtful questions and received sensible answers. There was no paw wagging.  Not one reindeer tore down a statue or looted a North Pole Nike store.

Santa we need the Readers Digest version of that class in every stocking hung by the fireplace.  We don't respect those who view the world through a lens that deviates from someone's idea of mainstream.  We mock and criticize our friends and turn them into enemies over their political choices. 

Freedom of speech has been disfigured to mean freedom from speech we don't like.  There are safe places at our universities where disagreement with the prevailing Woke doctrine is prohibited.  Ideas cannot be challenged because dissent labels the objector as racist, homophobic, misogynist or jingoistic.

We find it hard to trust people who hold contrary perspectives.  If they believe that whacky theory, then their intellect is missing a neuron or two. How can seemingly astute adults fall for an outlandish conjectural theory?  Our fallback position is to mistrust them and their motives for their views. 

Worst of all, Santa, there is a growing tide of censorship in America.  I know you run the North Pole like it was Venezuela.  But for centuries in our country it was considered treason not to allow the free exchange of ideas, even bad ones.  Now our news media and tech firms quash speech they don't like.

I am beginning to ramble. But hear me out.  This censorship is a reflection of our intolerance.  There is an acceptable view, as sanctioned by the elite, that we all must endorse or face searing rejection.  Some even lose their jobs over it.  Can you imagine firing Blizten over his views on reindeer resettlement?

I don't know about you Santa, but I don't want to live in a world where everyone thinks alike.  It would be boring, unchallenging and plainly unAmerican.  I enjoy the repartee of a good old fashioned disagreement.  We learn when our biases are contested.  It provides an opportunity to reexamine our justifications.

Oh, and one more thing.  I wish we could just argue over facts and not squishy feelings.  We are each entitled to our own feelings.  But these emotions should not outweigh facts.  If we make everything about our selfish sensations then all hope of honest dialogue will vanish.

I know folks are now calling for unity. But I am afraid that is code for group think.  This country, despite what many think, has been divided since its founding.  What unites us is our belief in freedom not politics. That includes the freedom of speech.  Freedom of religion. Liberty for all.  Justice and American values. 

Santa, I am over the whole red Ferrari incident.  Tell Virginia I think she is a complete idiot for not believing in you.  That's my opinion and I am not changing my mind.  Geez!  I just remembered I wished for Tolerance.  Hurry, Santa.  As you can tell, I need that gift more than anyone this Christmas.

Your Semi-Naughty But Never Wavering Believer,

Drew Roy 

Scurrilous Media Raises Fears About Vaccine

Coronavirus is the first disease to kindle a anti-vaccine flrestorm even before the immunization is publicly available.  Surveys show disturbing numbers of Americans will refuse to be vaccinated, despite the endorsement of public health officials.  A dishonest media is guilty of swaying public opinion. 

Ever since President Trump spearheaded Operation Warp Speed to jumpstart research into developing a vaccine, a politically motivated media has deliberately draped ominous clouds of suspicion over the effort.  The scientists are being rushed.  Protocols are being skirted to benefit the president, the media insisted.  

This insidious effort, aided by Democrats, inflamed an anti-vaccine sentiment even before the results of immunization trials were publicly disclosed. A responsible media should be educating the public about the benefits rather than twisting the vaccine into a partisan or ideological issue.  It is disgustingly perverted.

Unfortunately, the unethical media has succeeded.  The non-partisan Pew Research Center unveiled a study documenting the propaganda's impact.  In May, 72% of Americans surveyed said they would get the vaccine.  By September, the percentage plummeted to 51%.  That is a precipitous attitudinal shift.

The research discovered that three-quarters of Americans think it is likely that a COVID-19 vaccine will be approved in our country before its safety and effectiveness are fully understood.  Another 78% are concerned the approval process is moving too fast.  That tracks will the media's coverage of the vaccine.

In this climate, the Federal Food and Drug Administration on December 11 authorized the emergency use of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech to turn the tide in the battle against the Coronavirus. Vaccine shipments are underway today.  It won't matter if Americans don't get the shot.  

The media and the incoming administration do not want President Trump to get one iota of credit for delivering a knockout punch to the spread of the virus.  They will do whatever is necessary, even deceive the public, to ensure Americans will be skeptical of the Trump-led campaign.

If you doubt the premise, you have not be reading the New York Times, Washington Post or watching the major network news.  No opportunity has been wasted to quote scientists, professors, immunologists and health officials, who have what the media terms "grave doubts" about the vaccine.

Here is just one sample from Alison Buttenheim, an associate professor of nursing and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, who referred to the situation as a perfect storm of "justified distrust." "I've heard people say, 'I'll get the European one,'" she said, adding others want Anthony Fauci to get it first. 

The naysayers are the grist of the media propaganda mill.  But most experts in the field are excited about the prospect of a vaccine to help arrest the surge of Coronavirus cases.

Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2009 to 2017, cites the results of the trials as good news for Americans.  "The most obvious is the striking efficacy of the vaccines being produced by Moderna, Inc. and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech. "

He points out that the vaccines are game changers with efficacy levels of 90% or higher.  "A 70% uptake (people who voluntarily take the shot) vaccination could end the explosive spread of the virus," he noted in a piece he authored for The Wall Street Journal.  Endorsements like this are rare.

The injustice of the media cries of wolf is this: it preys on the increasing public apprehension about all vaccines, including those for children.  A study in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics  cited the "parental refusal of vaccines" for children as a reason preventable diseases are more prevalent.

The research included a study that found 77% of parents reported having concerns about one or more childhood vaccinations.  Reasons cited are religious beliefs, personal or philosophical reasons, and safety concerns.  The report mentions public education as the key factor in gaining parental acceptance and trust.

Adults are just as nervous about vaccinations for themselves. Estimates from the CDC conclude in the last 10 years less than half of American adults received a flu shot.  It reached a high of 43.6% in 2014 and a low of 37.1% in 2017.  Those are worrisome statistics with the COVID vaccine arriving soon.

As the nation's hospitals, pharmacies and doctors are poised to begin vaccinations, the bureaucrats are still playing politics with Americans' health.  New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo has already signaled that racial preferences will be considered in decisions about who gets vaccinated first.

This flies in the face of commitments by Cuomo and other health officials that those in nursing homes would be a top priority, since they have suffered disproportionately from the virus.  There are 2.1 million adults in nursing homes, less than 1% of the population, but they represent 40% of all COVID deaths. 

In San Antonio and Bexar County, health officials are lobbying to make the vaccine available to teachers in the first wave, despite earlier assurances nursing home staff and patients would get preference. This stunning reversal is nothing more than a blatant political move to placate the teachers union.  

It is unconscionable for nursing home staff and their patients not to be prioritized for the vaccine.  Shame on those who continue to politicize this virus. The attitude of politicians and cultural elites is that old people are going to die soon anyway, so why waste the vaccine on them?  It reeks of a culture of death.

Politicians are not heeding the advice of an independent advisory panel of infectious disease experts, doctors and scientists. The group, known as the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, recommended parcelling out the vaccine to healthcare workers and nursing homes first.

FDA approval lagged behind the United Kingdom and Canada, which green-lighted COVID vaccines two weeks before the U.S.  The UK rolled out its vaccination program last week, giving the first injection to a 90-year old woman. However, the U.S. media focused on a single negative to hike fears.

Big media hyperventilated over two Britons who suffered significant allergic reactions to the Pfizer vaccine.  Most overlooked the fact both individuals recovered. Of course, there will be those who endure allergic reactions to the COVID vaccine, as there are with even the most common vaccines.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the odds you will have a severe allergic reaction to a vaccine are about 1 in 760,000. To put that into perspective, your chances of being struck by lightening are a little higher: 1 in 700,000.  Don't expect those facts to appear in any American media.

A respectable media would be celebrating the arrival of vaccines that are 90% effective, not unnecessarily raising the specter of health-threatening outcomes.  The prediction here is that the media is setting the stage for the Biden Administration to halt vaccinations for more study to guarantee its safety.

It may sound outlandish but the media's unhinged hatred of all things Trump allows for such dire predictions.  Democrats cannot abide a Trump triumph.  Why else would the media be fostering an environment of distrust for a life-saving vaccine?

Electric Cars Failing To Energize Buyers

A decade ago, a spunky startup company named Tesla unveiled the first all electric automobile.  Despite the media hoopla, major car manufacturers sniffed in skepticism.  Now virtually every major auto maker has debuted its own electric car.  Despite the array of choices, consumers are energetically unimpressed. 

For all the media electricity surrounding the industry, gasoline powered light trucks remain the top selling model in the U.S. with sales of 12.2  million units in 2019.  By comparison, consumers purchased 2.1 million electric powered cars the same year.  Forecasts are for a modest uptick to 2.3 million this year.

Pioneering Tesla is far and away the consumer choice for electric cars. The California-based firm racked up sales of 381,190 vehicles in 2019. Nissan's electric car, Leaf, was a distant second with 130,000 units. Tesla's sales last year eclipsed the entire U.S. electric auto market of 361,000 cars in 2018.

Electric boosters point out that today's market is quadruple the 2015 U.S. sales. Since 2012, the average growth rate of electrics is 25% per annum.  There are an estimated 1.1 million electric cars purring along on streets and highways in America.  

Worldwide, Global EV Outlook estimates that sales in the first seven months of this year topped 2.1 million plug-in electric units.  There are about 7.2 million electric cars operating around the globe. However, it represents about 1% of the total fleet of an estimated 1.4 billion vehicles on the planet.

China has the largest number of electric vehicles in operation: 2.3 million. However, Norway lays claim to the title of Electric Champion. Nearly eight-out-of-every-ten (79%) of vehicles sold in October in this European country was electric.  In total, about 60% of autos driven in Norway are electric.   

The Norwegian government offers generous sale incentives, including eliminating taxes and road fees along with discounts for parking and tolls. Incentives are driving the American market too.  California, home to 46% of the nation's electric vehicles, shells out sales rebates, subsidies and other perks.

Electric supporters bemoan the obstacles to charging up sales: restricted supply, limited geographic availability, lack of consumer knowledge as well as perennial issues of cost, range and charging times.  They insist without these barriers, gasoline-powered cars would become extinct.  

Tesla, the global electric market leader with a 17% share, has a unfortunate history of missing production goals, which limits availability.  The issue of cost, however, is still a factor as new gasoline car prices average $38,000, while the average cost of an electric vehicle is $55,000, according to Car and Driver.  

But averages can be misleading.  A long-range Tesla Model S retails for $81,190, while its top brand scales upward of $100,000.  Tesla has introduced a smaller car, the Model 3, but the price tag is $50,190 for the long-range battery. Interested in an SUV? The Audi E-Tron carries a $75,000 sticker price.   

That is a tough sell when the median household income income in the U.S. is $64,000. 

One positive, despite the price tag, is the range of electric cars is expanding.  Tesla's newest long range battery powers its car for 322 miles, Nissan's long-range Leaf has a range of 226 miles, while the plug-in electric Hyundai can travel 258 miles on a single charge.  

A more pressing issue is the lack of charging stations in the country. Unlike gasoline stations, it can be difficult to find an electric charger unit.  Statista estimates there are about 13,093 charging outlets at grocery and retail stores, and 20,000 stand alone stations. China has 400,000 charging stations.  

Home charging equipment is not inexpensive.  The average cost nationwide to install an electric vehicle charger at home is $1,200, but it may be as much as $4,500, depending on your auto's battery range.  An electrician is normally required to install a 240-outlet, charger and wall-mounted system.  

For most electric models, fully recharging an average  lithium-ion battery will cost $9 in electricity.  Even with today's low gasoline prices, electrics are still cheaper to operate. Industry figures estimate a plug-in electric will cost about $421 annually, compared to $l,500 for a standard gasoline automobile.  

Electric cars are up to three times as efficient as their gasoline-powered cousins. The difference in performance can be attributed by the fact that electric motors are 90% more efficient at converting energy into motion.  And, of course, electric cars run without creating CO2 carbon dioxide emissions.

Achieving the world mantra of "net zero carbon emission by 2050" argues for embracing electric vehicles to save the planet.  But there are some "dirty" secrets about producing clean running electric cars. Hardly any attention has been paid to critical mineral commodities relied on to manufacture lithium-ion batteries.

Cobalt, graphite, lithium and manganese are the raw materials that are used to build the batteries.  These elements are concentrated in a small number of Third World countries where environmental and labor regulations are lax or nonexistent, according to a U.N. report.  Many of the mines employ child labor.

Mining for these minerals creates a trail of pollution from the source as well as the processing upstream.  A United Kingdom study estimated that acquiring the raw materials to fuel the next generation batteries would require doubling the annual production in 2018.

When a new EV appears in a Tesla dealership, it already has produced 30,000 pounds of carbon-dioxide emission during manufacturing.  The equivalent amounts for manufacturing a conventional gasoline powered automobile is 14,000 pounds, Forbes magazine reported this year.

There is also the issue of generating electricity to recharge the EV batteries.  Assuming a fleet of 261 million electric vehicles in the U.S., it would trigger a 29% increase in power generation by the nation's grid and spark a 44% hike in installed electricity capacity at a price tag estimated at $1.4 trillion. 

Most consumers are blind to these consequences and environmentalists are loathe to come clean.  Wider adoption of electric cars biggest hurdle, however, may be convincing consumers to part with their money for a car that does not fit their needs.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, Americans are taller, larger and their appetite for SUV's and trucks is nearly insatiable.  Buyers are looking for extra room, more horsepower, fuel efficiency and lots of gadgets that make their driving experience safer.  Even with hefty subsidies, consumers prefer space and power.

Small electric vehicles are a mismatch for today's auto consumer. Tesla and the other auto manufacturers need to reassess, redesign and reengineer a new generation of electric vehicles that hit the sweet spot with buyers at a price they can afford.  Until then, electrics will be stuck in sales purgatory.