For me, it forces me to take time to unplug, send compassion to those in dire circumstances who desperately need the platelets, and nurture deep gratitude for my current state of good health.
You can also volunteer to raise money for a charity. The benefits of giving can be profound.
One group of elementary students was inspired by a wealthy anonymous donor known to give out $100 bills to random strangers every year. They formed a Secret Santa club and raised $8000 (without help from the school or district) from friends, family, and businesses. Then they gave it away.
“I’m just so happy right now,” one student reported after gifting money to a stranger. Said another student, “Their joy — that’s the gift to you.”
With our heavy reliance on online tools (email, video chat, social media, etc.), especially during the years of isolation due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, many have become disconnected from family and friends. Reengaging face-to-face is vital.
Instead of emailing or video chatting, meet a friend or relative for coffee or a shared meal. Meet up with friends for exercise or some team sport. Go shopping together, sing karaoke, meet in the park, try out a new restaurant.
Quality time spent with another person has a big impact on both your and the other person’s mood and feeling of connectedness.
Don’t have the time to meet up? Even a telephone call can provide big benefits, and I bet you can spare 8 minutes for a phone call.
Claudia Glaser-Mussen, a New York psychotherapist says hearing the voice of loved one “is emotionally regulating.”
Think about a friend you haven’t talked to in a while. Some people feel awkward about reaching out to someone they haven’t spoken to in a long time. Trust me, people are really moved knowing you are thinking about them and will welcome the reconnection.
Send them a text and ask them if they’d be up for an 8-minute phone call. Schedule it and see how it goes. I’ll bet you both will feel better immediately.
People are elected to represent us at the local, state, and federal level, and they really do care about what you think. Communicating your wishes is a great way to engage and push for the change (or status quo) you desire.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. It begins with you. Tag, You’re it! – Thom Hartmann
Contacting your elected officials may feel daunting, but it can actually be pretty simple to do. Here’s how:
A. Find your elected officials
You may already know who some of your elected officials are, but maybe not all. This website quickly lists your federal, state, and local elected officials.
Simply enter your home address, and it will show you all your elected officials.
B. Find their contact info
There are many ways to contact your elected officials. Most have websites (which are conveniently listed in the results from webpage above). They also have telephone numbers, social media accounts, email addresses, and sometimes fax numbers (although the latter two may be difficult to find).
C. Individual vs. Group Messaging
If you have a message for a specific elected official, you can send them an individual message via their website, a phone call, and/or social media.
If you choose to call, be courteous to the person who answers the phone — even if the issue you are calling about angers you. It is a tedious and thankless job to answer phone calls and write down your message. Be sure to state your name, where you live, and whether you would like a response.
But what if you want to contact several or all of your elected officials? There are handy tools that make this an easier task to accomplish.
FaxZero.com allows you to send a fax to your Senator, Representative, and/or Governor for free. Not all elected officials accept faxes, but many do. You can type up a message and send it from the FaxZero website for free (you don’t have to own a fax machine). Once sent, look for an email confirmation and be sure to respond to it. After that you will receive more emails confirming your fax was successfully sent.
ResistBot is an even more powerful free tool. It allows you to contact all your elected officials at once. It is available through SMS Text, Apple Messages, Telegram, Instagram, and FB Messenger. Simply send a message to ResistBot (e.g. SMS text 50409) and it will walk you through the process of selecting your recipients, composing, and sending a message to your elected officials.
Some ResistBot communications may require virtual “coins” which can be purchased to pay for postage (for physical letters) and faxes etc.
Whether you call, send a letter, or use FaxZero or ResistBot, let other people know what you did. Many may not know how to share their thoughts and wishes with their elected officials. Showing them how easy it is will make it possible for them to engage and add their voice to yours.
Over 3 billion people use Facebook Meta every month to connect, share ideas and pictures, and engage with each other.
However, if it seems there is more acrimony on your social media, it isn’t in your imagination. Algorithms curate what you see on your social media feeds and send content intended to amuse and delight.
In 2024, approximately 19% of Facebook users’ news feed contained posts from friends. But over 31% were posts completely unrelated to friends, groups, followed pages, etc. And news items rarely included links.
Social media companies know that provoking anger is a potent means to keep people engaged and active on their platform.
This — along with the ever-increasing number of ads I have to wade through — is why I have severely restricted my use of social media and intend to completely deactivate my Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram accounts this month. I’ve written more lengthy explanations here and here.
If you find yourself getting more annoyed and frustrated whenever you pull up Facebook (or another social media platform), why not try reducing the amount of time you spend on it?
One simple way is to bury or remove the shortcut to social media on your mobile device. The extra effort it takes you to find and launch the app will both reduce the time you spend on social media and also make you more aware just how much time you are spending on social media.
You might also consider completely deactivating your social media account like me.
Summary – tl;dr: Reduce how much news you consume and pick your news sources thoughtfully.
Bad News On The Rise
The news offers a seemingly never-ending cavalcade of dumpster fire stories. This is nothing new. How rarely do we see an uplifting and inspiring story — except on shows that specifically cater to providing such news?
The news media leans toward and emphasizes bad news.
For example, studies regularly show how even though crime rates have fallen dramatically, the amount of news coverage, especially for more violent crimes, has increased.
Unsurprisingly, Americans often complain that there is too much emphasis devoted to violent crime in the news. Americans also typically overestimate how bad crime is based on the perception they build watching local news.
Choosing Your News Sources
Personally, I avoid broadcast news. I find the stories reported often to be sensational, and the short time allotted each item prevents the in-depth analysis I prefer. Also, I am annoyed by the interruptions by loud and too frequent advertisements.
I prefer written news. That way I can choose the stories I wish to read, select the news sources, skip the loud advertisements, and limit the news I consume if I start to feel overwhelmed.
It is human nature to gravitate towards people and things we find familiar and comfortable and the same goes for the news. I recommend you examine the news sources you prefer.
All news sources have some form of bias. Being aware of that bias gives you information not only about the potential coloring of each shared story, but also the behind-the-scenes editorial decisions about which stories to investigate and share.
AllSides.com publishes The Media Bias Chart showing Left/Center/Right bias. However, it doesn’t rate factuality, and you have to be a paid subscriber to access the latest version of their chart.
Harvard posted a report with a recent version of the Media Bias Chart including rates for factuality. Unfortunately, it isn’t the easiest site to navigate:
Look for your favorite news sources on the chart. How do they rate?
News Sources I Follow
My most frequently visited news site is DemocracyNow.org. It leans decidedly to the left but consistently rates very high on factuality. DemocracyNow.org is highly rated, award winning, independent, and audience-supported — it receives no corporate funding and is not beholden to corporate or billionaire overlords.
The other site I follow and subscribe to is Ground.News. Subscriptions start at less than US$1 per month, and you are provided with news headlines linking to multiple news sources. Each source is rated Left/Center/Right as well as for factuality.
It also provides The Blindspot, which highlights stories that are disproportionally covered by media sources on one side of the political spectrum. This helps the reader become aware of stories beyond their comfortable bubble.
I have subscribed for to Ground.News for several months now and can recommend it. I receive no compensation for promoting them.
It is currently a bimonthly print newspaper that can be purchased for a donation as little as US$5. It was founded in 2022 by Ralph Nader and contains no advertising. Here is the Wikipedia page on it — which incorrectly states it is a monthly periodical.
Consume some good news!
Just a little good news can really lift your spirits. When I find myself doom-scrolling or just feeling overburdened, I seek out news that is inspiring and uplifting. It’s amazing how big an impact that can have!
You will find stories about heroic actions, scientific breakthroughs, amazing accomplishments by kids and teens, and more. I am confident you will feel better after reading even just a couple stories on this site.
On the Road with Steve Hartman is a regular feature of the CBS Evening News. These are wonderful, heartwarming stories reporter Steve Hartman collects from all around the country.
Conclusion
I try to stay informed with events around the country and the world, but I try to strike the balance between staying engaged and becoming overwhelmed. I recommend you try to find the right balance for you and cut back on the bad news if you find yourself withdrawing and feeling helpless.
Many people I know are dealing with confusion, frustration, sadness, and anger over current events. Social media is awash with people outraged by the latest news. Many express feeling overwhelmed and helpless. People are asking what can be done.
I have studied history but am no historian. I earned my degree in psychology but am no therapist. I follow the news and try to remain engaged, but I am no policy wonk, politician, or activist.
If we believe in America, if we believe in equality and democracy, if we believe in law and justice, then each of us, when we see or believe that errors are being made, has an obligation to make every effort to correct them – Minoru Yasui
I am a U.S. citizen, and I believe we all have a responsibility to do what we can to maintain and improve our society and country. Exercising our right to vote is one action, but I would argue our power and responsibility goes much further than the ballot box.
So, what can one do, especially if one feels overwhelmed, defeated, and/or helpless?
I’ve been thinking a lot about this and am going to share what I am doing in a series of posts. They may or not work for you, and you may have better suggestions — which I welcome!
In no particular order, here are the titles of posts in this series outlining my suggestions for navigating and acting during these times of turmoil.
A friend taught me a cure for hiccups of which I’d never heard. It has worked for me every time I’ve tried it since learning about it.
All the common cures I’ve known (holding your breath, swallowing a spoonful of sugar, drinking upside-down, drinking from the wrong side of the glass, etc., etc.) have never worked for me and I’ve had to patiently wait for the hiccups to go away on their own.
I once had a chronic case of hiccups that lasted for a few weeks. I even went to urgent care. Although I was assured there was little danger, they were unable to offer me a satisfactory cure. My hiccups eventually went away, but they lasted way longer than they should have, were bothersome, and interrupted my sleep.
So what was the amazing and effective hiccup cure I learned recently?
Insert fingers into both ears and slowly drink a glass of water. If you are alone, you can use a straw to drink the water. Alternatively, you can fill your mouth with water and hold it, insert your fingers into your ears, then slowly swallow the water. You might have to repeat the process.
I was very skeptical when I was told of this solution — especially since I had never heard of it before. But I tried it, and it worked and has cured my hiccups every time since for me!
How and why does it work?
Multiple sources indicate the stimulating and overloading the vagus nerve will cure hiccups. The vagus nerve interfaces with the heart, lungs, and digestive tract and happens to be the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system.
Many hiccup remedies stimulate the vagus nerve in some way, and I read a couple scientific studies of extreme methods of vagus nerve stimulation (example 1, example 2) that are supposed to work as well — but neither is convenient or would socially acceptable in public.
Researching this fingers-in-ear-drinking-water solution, I did find a few references to it, but most lists of cures I found did not include it.
Next time or someone you know starts hiccuping, try this solution and let me know if works for you!
Summary: The parallels between video poker and Facebook, how they manipulate engagement and perception, which is why I avoid both
I recently was in Las Vegas to celebrate a family member’s birthday.
I’ve never been lured to gamble, especially by any video poker machine.
If I’m with someone who really wants me to take part, I might insert a bill and play it until it is spent. I don’t expect to win anything and consider it just an expensive video arcade game. On the extremely rare moment where I win something more than my initial investment, I immediately cash out, even if it’s just a few bucks.
Tripoli game mate
When I was a kid, our family enjoyed playing Tripoli, and in the past I’ve enjoyed playing Texas Hold-em with friends (for chips, never for real money). I remember my parents playing Backgammon for years, getting a bit bored with the predictability of their games, but then being reenergized when they discovered the doubling cube (used for betting) and playing for pennies, nickels, and dimes.
I’ve imagined getting into Blackjack. The odds, if you are skilled, are less tilted against the gambler, and there is the human interaction with the dealer and other players. But I’ve never taken the time to really study the game. Furthermore, I’m intimidated to do anything beyond playing for chips with friends since I’m unlikely to find Blackjack games with a nickel or dime ante.
When I see video poker machines, the psychology major in me sees devices designed and programmed to play on the flaws in our brain and perceptions. Whether they are bugs, or evolutionary features that served us in prehistory (but not today), we are primed to be fooled.
For example, if you were to flip a coin, and by chance it landed heads 7 times in a row (a 1 in 128 chance; unlikely, but possible), many people would strongly expect the eighth coin toss to come up tails. But the chances of that individual toss would still be 50-50.
Magicians, too, utilize our perceptions and logic to amaze us with slight of hand and logic that confuses and confounds us.
So do video poker machines. They are programmed to play on our flawed logic and perception. Lose several games in a row, and many expect, “oh, the next game has to be a winner!” Every so often, the game may give you a win, giving you that spurt of adrenaline and dopamine. Win big, and lights flash and sounds blare, catching the attention of those around you, adding to their excitement (and anticipation of their own potential good fortune).
I remember Neil deGrasse Tyson telling a story about a large convention for physicists or some similar scientific discipline that took place in Las Vegas. He alleged that that week was one of Las Vegas’ worst weeks and that the convention was prohibited from coming to Las Vegas again. Apocryphal or not, the message was that people who understand math or human psychology are less likely to be lured by the siren call of video poker machines.
Okay, so what the heck does this have to do with Facebook?!?
For decades, Facebook (now Meta) has been one of the most popular social media platforms worldwide. One recent report claims there are 2.11 billion users who actively use it daily, and over 3 billion who use it monthly.
I remember holding out joining Facebook, but finally caving in late 2008. I became an active user for many years, but in 2019, decided to quit. I wrote my reasons why here. But I kept lurking, and I remained active in some private Facebook groups (for family, classmates, and my karaoke group).
Yes, but what has this to do with video poker?
Facebook/Meta needs people to engage, and has found the best way to grab and hold eyeballs and get people to engage is to provoke them. Its algorithms promote the posts most likely to arouse anger and frustration. That will get people to punch the like/anger reaction buttons, post comments in favor or against, and engage in back-and-forth debates. And Facebook has made the conscious decision to remove the last semblance of fact-checking.
So, video poker machines manipulate us, luring us with flashing lights, animated videos, and sound effects, ensnaring us into engaging with the enticement of possible winnings, whereas Facebook manipulates us into engaging by provoking our righteous anger and indignation, our desire to passionately defend our views and beliefs, and attack those who disagree with us.
I choose not to engage in either. I’ve long avoided video poker gambling, and am now completely removing myself from Facebook Meta. I believe there are better ways to communicate my views and to connect with friends and family, without my posts being manipulated and curated by a for-profit data-collecting entity.
Here is what I posted on 2-20-2025, my last public post on Facebook Meta:
In October 2019, I decided to quit Facebook. I stopped posting, commenting, and reacting publicly. I explained my reasons in a Facebook post (Oct 30, 2019) and in a linked blog post.
I broke my social media fast in 2020 for a couple months at the beginning of the pandemic, posting videos of music and hope during the start of that dark time. It was my valiant attempt to spread hope and light. That lasted only a few months and I went publicly silent again in June, 2020.
This is my first public post since June, 2020, and it will be my last on Meta.
I didn’t completely quit Facebook, however. I continued to host and post in private groups (family, classmate, my karaoke circle). And I continued to use FB Messenger, also used by so many of my friends all over the world.
I silently watched FB, sometimes reaching out privately to friends and family in response to something they posted. And of course I appreciated reminders of friends’ birthdays and other events. I also joined Instagram, enjoying sharing and viewing beautiful and funny images.
But now I am going to completely give up Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and Instagram. All the reasons that pushed me to go silent publicly five and a half years ago have only gotten worse — by a lot.
Meta algorithms continue to foment anger, division, and hatred by pushing and spreading posts that provoke. The previous systems to fact-check, as weak and imperfect as they were, have completely been removed. Posts by family and friends are buried amid advertisements and “promoted” posts, despite my regular hours-long efforts to block and reject unwanted advertisers and unrequested media outlets.
I cannot contribute to this system, which at best, shows my tacit acceptance and support, and at worse, contributes to, promotes, and legitimizes this system.
Socrates is supposed to have instructed us to ask ourselves these questions before speaking: “Is it true; is it kind; or is it necessary?” I try (and frequently fail) to follow this directive. But Facebook Meta, by design, promotes and pushes the exact opposite. This is why I am finally, completely quitting Facebook, FB Messenger, and Instagram.
If you want to follow me, you can read and bookmark my blogs link here:
If you want to communicate with me, contact me through my blog or LinkedIn (as well as email and SMS text). I have no plans to join an alternative social media platform.
Be safe, stay in touch, and be the change you want to see in the world.
Mom and I standing with Rep. Mari Watanabe on the floor of the Oregon State House of Representatives
Mom and I were invited to the Oregon state capitol yesterday as guests of State Representative Mari Watanabe, who represents the 34th district (Bethany, Cedar Mill, Rockcreek, Tanasbourne, etc.). Watanabe is the first Japanese American to serve in the Oregon Legislature.
Rep. Watanabe gives her speech on the floor of the Oregon State House
Representative Watanabe gave a brief speech on the house floor in acknowledgement of Day of Remembrance, which remembers the day when FDR signed Executive Order 9066, which precipitated the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese Americans from their homes and into concentration camps during WWII.
Watanabe’s parents and family were incarcerated in Manzanar, and she invited my mom as a survivor of the camps to bear witness.
After watching the entire session of the house, many house members and their staff greeted us and thanked us for coming. We then retired to Rep. Watanabe’s office and talked over lunch before the representative had to leave for committee meetings.
Watanabe’s chief of staff is the daughter of a classmate with whom I attended kindergarten through most of high school. I even played music for her wedding! She was a great host and tour guide for us.
My workplace hosted a chili and soup cookoff, and the soup I prepared won the soup category! The recipe is below, and it can easily be prepared gluten-free if desired.
Chicken with Wild Rice Soup
Ingredients: 2 quarts chicken stock (store bought or homemade) 1 head of garlic Olive oil Butter 1 cup wild rice cooked in 2 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt 2 cups cooked white rice 1 stalk celery 1 carrot 1/2 medium yellow onion 1 parsnip (optional) 1 teaspoon Marjoram (fresh or dry) 1 teaspoon Thyme (fresh or dry) 1 teaspoon Lemon Thyme (optional) 1/4 cup all-purpose or GF flour 1 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped finely 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (carefully remove any bits of gristle or small bones) Salt Pepper
Directions: Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into small oven-safe dish. Cut head of garlic across the middle/equator. Place cut side down of garlic halves into oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes until garlic is soft. Set aside to cool. Remove garlic cloves from husk.
Chopping the veggies in the food processor
While garlic is baking, chop celery, carrot, medium onion, and optional parsnip finely, or process into small pieces in a food processor.
In large, heavy pot over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of oil olive and 2 tablespoons of butter. Once butter is melted, add chopped vegetables and sauté stirring occasionally. Cook for 5-10 minutes until onions appear translucent. Add marjoram, thyme, optional lemon thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper and stir. Add flour and stir until you cannot see the flour anymore.
Add chicken stock. Stir well. Heat to a simmer (small bubbles), stirring occasionally. Add cooked white rice and stir. Bring back up to a simmer.
Blending garlic, cream, and soup in the blender
Ladle a cup of the soup into a blender. Add the roasted garlic cloves and heavy cream. Blend together until smooth. If you want your soup to be thicker, ladle more soup into the blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended mixture back into the pot.
Once desired thickness is achieved, add the cooked wild rice, chicken, and fresh parsley and mix well. Bring back to a simmer. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Blatant Calm 