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Hmmm, did you know you can now get a prescription for the calming whisper of Mother Nature?

Those of us who immerse ourselves in nature have known for a long time the health benefits of doing so. It is a vital component or our mental and physical wellbeing. Research shows that spending as little as two hours in nature each week can improve physical and mental health.

Now the healthcare profession is getting on board with the idea. It may sound too good to be true. But it is a reality. Licensed healthcare professionals, such as physicians, nurses and therapists, can now provide a free nature prescription in areas where the local conservation authority or equivalent is a participating body.

Park Prescriptions began as grassroots movement in the United States and has now spread to Canada. PaRx Canada’s Nature Prescription, an initiative of BC Parks Foundation, is catching on here in Ontario.

Healthcare professionals participating in this program can quite literally prescribe time outdoors as part of everyday health. These professionals receive a PaRx custom prescription file and a unique provider code. They can provide a prescription that entitles their patients to a free, time-specific pass to local conservation areas or national parks.

Here in Hamilton where I live, these healthcare professionals can prescribe free 30-day membership passes to Hamilton Conservation Authority areas such as Dundas Valley Conservation Area, Christie Lake Conservation Area and Valens Lake Conservation Area.

Other participating bodies in Ontario include: Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, Conservation Halton, Kawartha Conservation, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Credit Valley Conservation Authority. Parks Canada is also a participating body.

The three pillars of health – sleep, nutrition and exercise – are a long established principle. Now enlightened healthcare professionals are adding nature as a fourth pillar. The documented health benefits of communing with nature are numerous and include:

Reduced stress and anxiety: Natural settings help calm the nervous system lowering cortisol levels and easing feelings of stress and anxiety.

Pain reduction: Being in natural environments has been shown to lower perceived pain levels by reducing stress and promoting relaxation.

Better mood: Time spent in nature can reduce symptoms of depression helping to improve mood and emotional balance.

Living longer: Spending time in nature is linked to lower mortality rates.

Nature’s calming whisper has long been a source of solace to me and a means of distancing myself from the pressures of modern life. I am a self-prescribed nature worshiper. Now you can get your own very real and free prescription to the healing effects of Mother Nature.

My personal testimonial: Time spent communing with nature will far exceed the benefits of any medications that come from a pharmacy.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Mother Nature · Nature · PaRx Your Nature PrescriptionNo Comments.

Hmmm, can Tiger Woods conquer his personal demons now that his second chances are running out?

I debated whether or not to comment on Tiger Wood’s latest automobile accident. I do not want to add to all the media noise he is once again attracting. But it occurs to me that Tiger Woods is becoming a case study in the high cost of fame.

A quick summary of his car accidents in case you have not heard of the details:

Last week in Jupiter, Florida, Woods’ Land Rover glanced off the trailer of a truck and rolled onto its side. He exhibited signs of being impaired. Woods passed a roadside breathalyzer test but refused a urinalysis test and was charged with DUI. The assumption is that his faculties were diminished by the effects of prescription medications taken for his numerous injuries.

In November of 2009, Woods crashed into a fire hydrant in his neighbour’s yard near Orlando, Florida. Woods was transported to the hospital and released later that morning. No charges were pressed after that accident.

In May of 2017, Woods passed out while driving on a major road in Jupiter, Florida. He was arrested and found to have five prescription drugs in his system. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and agreed to a plea deal that kept him out of jail.

In February of 2021, the SUV Woods was driving drifted across a median, struck a sign, drifted back to the right and across the road. His SUV then rolled down a steep embankment and flipped onto its side. Police suspected excessive speed was the cause but no charges were laid. Woods suffered serious leg injuries in the accident.

In the interest of fairness, I will also list Woods’ legendary accomplishments in the game of professional golf:

• 82 official PTA Tour victories which ties him with Sam Snead for the most all time.
• 15 major championship wins which is second only to Jack Nicklaus who has 18.
• In 2000 alone, he won nine tournaments.

Tiger Woods has pushed his body to the limit and beyond to reach these heights. He has had at least seven back surgeries and at least five knee surgeries. In addition, he reportedly has had more than 20 operations on his right leg as a result of the serious injuries sustained in the major accident in 2021. It is no wonder that he requires multiple prescription painkillers.

A well-known show biz celebrity once described fame as rocket fuel– intense and combustible, capable of propelling one forward but dangerous if uncontrolled. This would certainly seem to be the case for Tiger Woods.

Elite level talent combined with a burning desire to be the very best can take an athlete to great heights. But rocket-fueled fame, and the weight of expectation that comes with phenomenal success, can take a heavy toll on an athlete’s body and psyche.

I sincerely hope Tiger conquers his personal demons… before they cost him his life or, God forbid, result in the death of an innocent bystander.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   fame · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · personal demons · PGA · Tiger WoodsNo Comments.

Hmmm, have you found your life compass and made your peace with it?

Many, many years ago (40 plus to be more precise) after graduating from a Community College, I worked for about 18 months as a reporter-photographer for a weekly, community newspaper. I was a one-man band working six or seven days a week and covering a lot of miles to generate enough content to fill each week’s edition. It was a young person’s job to be certain.

Ultimately I decided that journalism was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Part of that decision was a feeling that I was not satisfied with my education. I enrolled in university, completed an Honours BA and came out feeling more well-rounded.

There was a secondary but also important motivator for my decision that came out of the nature of the job of a journalist. A tornado went through the rural area in the region I covered. Bill Davis, Premier of Ontario at the time, and one of his Cabinet Ministers went on a helicopter tour of the affected areas to get a sense of what help was needed.

A bevy of journalists including myself hooked up with Bill Davis and his cabinet minister where their helicopter landed in a school yard. We became part of their entourage while they drove through the area and talked to people affected by the tornado.

At one of their stops on this tour, I was fortunate to position myself in the right spot to get a close-up photograph of Bill Davis, his Cabinet Minister, the local County Reeve and a husband and wife whose farm had been devastated by the tornado.

That photograph ultimately ran on the front page of the next edition of the community newspaper for which I worked. It was a very good photograph from a journalism perspective. The distraught expression on the faces of the couple told the human side of the tragedy better than any words could.

But to very honest, I felt guilty about that couple’s agony being splashed across the front page of the newspaper. They had suffered enough in the tragedy and did not need to have their suffering showcased for all to see.

I realized at that point that if I was going to be a career journalist, I would have to take that kind of photograph on a regular basis. Furthermore, I would have to interview people at some of the worst times in their life when answering questions was the last thing they felt like doing. I could not see myself becoming that person.

Let me say that I have great respect for journalists who ply their trade diligently, witness human tragedy on an ongoing basis and are able to report on it with empathy. I have no respect for journalists who are only interested in earning a spot on the front page, or the lead story on the evening news, and view the people involved as just a means to an end to advance their career.

The 18 months I spent as a journalist was a defining experience in my life. Finding your compass, from the perspective of values and of what gives your life purpose, is perhaps the most important step in becoming the person you are meant to be.

It was not an easy balance to achieve 40 years ago and is infinitely more difficult in the crazy, chaotic and unpredictable world in which we live. I am so very happy to be retired! Kudos to those of you who are in the midst of that struggle and being purposeful about finding the right balance.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   life compass · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetNo Comments.

Hmmm, is blocking the strait the newest political dance?

We have been hearing a lot about the Strait of Hormuz lately in relation to the U.S. and Israel war with Iran. In case you have tuned out any Trump-related news, the Strait of Hormuz is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

At the narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman’s territorial waters. About 20% of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz. To no one’s surprise, Iran is blocking the Strait to prevent oil tankers from passing through it. It is the one leverage point they have in the war. As a result, oil prices are skyrocketing.

Trump, is his infinite tunnel vision, has asked other major countries to help with keeping the Strait open to keep oil shipments moving. The response has been entirely predictable: You impose tariffs on us to make the U.S. rich at our expense. And now you want us to help you solve the problem you have created? Dream on, Donald. Not going to happen.

Excuse me for this intellectual leap, but I cannot resist comparing this situation to what I am calling the Strait of Doug Ford. Ontario Premier Doug Ford is jamming through legislation to change the rules around Freedom of Information – essentially gutting that fundamental liberty.

The new legislation would exempt the premier and cabinet ministers from Freedom of Information requests and do so retroactively. The rational provided is to modernize cybersecurity and privacy rules to bring them into line with other provinces as well as the federal government. But we all know that is total B.S.

What Ford is really aiming to do is block access to documents and cell phone messages relating to his various scandals: the Greenbelt scandal, the Ontario Place private spa scandal, the Skills Development Fund scandal.

Ford is using his government’s majority status to blatantly and shamelessly block the Strait of Doug Ford – the channel through which information should flow to air his government’s dirty laundry and hold them accountable for their shady dealings.

And in case blocking the Strait is not enough, he is doing everything he can to deflect attention away from his misdeeds.

Easier access to booze has always been one of his lowest common denominator policies to please the populace. His latest smokescreen is expanding alcohol rules to allow people to bring their own drinks to outdoor community events. The rationale: Happily inebriated people are less likely to notice or care about his scandalous activities.

In an even more blatant attempt at misdirection, he has gone public praising a homeowner who shot and injured an alleged home invader. Congratulations for shooting this guy — should have shot him a couple more times as far as I’m concerned. Not exactly the kind of public statement you want to hear coming from the Premier of Ontario!

Trump and the Strait of Hormuz. Ford and the Strait of Doug Ford. There are growing similarities emerging between the actions and attitude of these two politicians. Trump and mini-Trump. There, I said it.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Donald Trump · Doug Ford · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Strait of Hormuz · War in IranNo Comments.

Hmmm, will the road continue to rise to meet me in my senior years?

In about a week, the calendar will turn on another year of my life. I will be 68. There is nothing particularly significant about that age. Turning 65 was a landmark age because I could retire from the world of work. Turning 70 will be a minor landmark as it will mark the start of the seventh decade of my life. But 68 is just 68.

So why am I raising the topic? Only because the passage of the years becomes a reason for reflection when we have more years behind us than ahead of us. The bloom of my youth is long, long past. My middle-aged years are in my rearview mirror. I am a senior now although that designation is somewhat arbitrary.

Does time pass more slowly or more quickly now? Has my perception of the passage of time changed in that respect? It has to some degree. The winter months seem to drag on longer. The warmer months of spring, summer and fall slip through my hands much too quickly.

I now recognize time as a commodity – something of intrinsic value that needs to be used wisely. However, that does not by definition mean squeezing as much as I can into every day. It means achieving a balance between meaningful activity and purposeful leisure. But there is no predetermined balance point. It shifts from day to day.

I am active in my retirement. I hold several volunteer leadership roles in the church to which I belong. I continue to practice my vocation as a fiction writer. In the warmer months, I spend as much time as possible outdoors indulging my love for nature and its wonders. Some of my time is devoted to caregiver responsibilities for an aging parent.

I am restful in my retirement. I spend a considerable amount of time reading novels. I allow myself the idle entertainment of watching the handful of television programs I enjoy. I rest if I need to rest and let the time slide away uneventfully if I so desire.

I will not claim to have the active / restful equation perfectly balanced. Modern life, with its unexpected demands, shifting circumstances and troubling developments on the world stage, does not lend itself to such precision. Balance is more of a range than a precise point on a scale.

There are various metaphors for time. In this particular case, the metaphor of time as a road along which we travel is the most accurate. The road is by no means straight. It has curves, roundabouts and occasional steep hills which we have to consciously navigate – recalibrating as we go along.

I am on the senior version of that road and learning to navigate its unique obstacles. I do sometimes yearn for the days when I had more energy and my body was more resilient. But we can only travel one way on the road of life. So I keep moving forward as best I can hoping that the curves will not be too sharp and the hills not too steep.

68 years (almost) and counting. Hopefully the road will continue to rise to meet me.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   aging · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · retirement · senior · the road of lifeComments Off on Reflections on the Senior Road

Hmmm, did you know that Weevils are Ecological Engineers?

Unless you count yourself a member of the community of nature geeks like me, you probably have never seen a Weevil unless you found one in an expired bag of flour or grain or munching on your farm crop. Weevils get a bad name for these reasons. But only a handful of the 97,000 species of Weevils found around the world are a nuisance.

Weevils are an integral part of the balance of nature. There are around 960 species of Weevils in Canada although I have only spotted about 20 of them.

What is so special about Weevils?

The first thing you need to know is that Weevils are tiny critters – most are ¼” or less in size. They are devilishly difficult to photograph unless you have high-end macro photography equipment which I do not have. However, I have managed to capture reasonable quality images of them on occasion.

Most Weevils have the ability to fly although some are flightless. Some species can jump. Female Weevils can lay over 150 eggs in their brief lifetime. The larvae are voracious feeders.

What do Weevils look like?

Weevils are shaped like tiny pears or lightbulbs. They have long and slender snouts, six legs and folded antennae. Weevils are usually coloured reddish-brown or black although the Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil common in this area is an eye-catching shade of green. They have hard-shelled bodies with tiny holes or pits.

How long do they live and where?

Weevils are found in gardens, fields and on trees. I usually spot them on plant leaves when they are engaged in feeding on the leaf. A few are found in agricultural fields where they feed on crops including seeds and nuts. Their lifespan is quite short ranging from two to eight months.

Where do they fit in the quilt of nature?

Weevils are sometimes referred to as Ecological Engineers. They play a critical role as pollinators and help regulate plant populations. They are important contributors to nutrient recycling and soil health – for example, facilitating the breakdown of wood and creating habitats for other organisms. They are also a food source for animals like birds and reptiles.

Weevils – misunderstood little critters that are one more, fascinating patch in the quilt of nature stitched together by threads of interdependence and natural balance.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · WeevilsComments Off on Nature as a Quilt: The Wonder of Weevils

Will metaphorical hissing serpents be the way the world ultimately ends?

Lately I have watched a number episodes of TV law enforcement series built around the illicit use of Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs). I thought it was science fiction the first time around. But after several episodes, I felt compelled to look into the idea. I learned, to my dismay, that DEWs are real.

In simple terms, DEWs are ranged weapons that damage targets with highly focused energy without a solid projectile. They come in several forms:

High Energy Lasers which have the ability to engage targets at the speed of light and with pinpoint accuracy although adversely effected by rain, fog or other weather conditions.

High Power Microwaves which have a shorter range but are not affected by weather and can impact targets over a wider area.

Millimeter Waves which are non-lethal but can cause significant injuries.

Particle Beams which have strong penetration ability, high speed, high energy and can operate in all weather conditions.

All the major world powers are in the development stage with DEWs including the U.S., China, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, United Kingdom, Iran and Turkey. In the U.S., this includes the Pentagon, DARPA, the Air Force Research Laboratory, United States Army Armament Research Development and Engineering Centre and the Naval Research Laboratory.

Are DEWs actually legal for use? Apparently, yes. They are considered legal under international law provided they comply with the principles of distinction and proportionality which forbid causing unnecessary suffering. That vague definition has loopholes in it big enough to fly a Boeing 747 through.  

Fortunately DEWs have not been utilized yet. Oh wait, it seems that is not true. Turkey claims to have used an AKLA directed-energy weapon in August 2019 against Libya. China is suspected of using ground-based laser weapons against satellites and to disrupt soldiers on contested borders with neighbouring countries.

DEWs being developed by the U.S., in principle to counter ballistic missiles, hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles, are expected to come online in the next few years. (Please, please, please not before Trump is impeached!)

Quite frankly, the whole idea of DEWs scares the hell out of me. It is the new frontier in the quest to find ever more powerful and sophisticated ways of killing or maiming people and establishing military dominance. The spectre of these weapons falling into the wrong hands is terrifying to contemplate.

There are several metaphors for weapons of destruction. The most appropriate one when it comes to DEWs is hissing serpents. Will this be the way the world ends? A catastrophic battle of biblical proportions of hissing serpents that obliterates everyone and everything?

 ~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   DEWs · Directed Energy Weapons · hissing serpents · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetComments Off on Directed Energy Weapons: Hissing Serpents

Hmmm, can we learn a lesson in harmony from creatures so small they may be overlooked?

The photograph at the head of this post is not one of the better ones I have taken in terms of the quality of the image. But it caught my eye as I was scrolling through some insect photos from last year. It is not often that I manage to capture two different insects in one shot.

The insect on the left is a Transverse-banded Flower Fly. The insect on the right is a Spotted Cucumber Beetle. Both are relatively common although so small they are easily overlooked except by those of us who search for them. But consider this: Their presence side by side is a lesson in peaceful coexistence from which we have much to learn.

We live in a very divisive time from a societal perspective. Many countries do not get along with each other as they strive for dominance. World leaders try in principle to work together but all too often are unwilling to compromise beyond superficial issues. Individuals, even in families, find themselves at odds all to frequently over rather insignificant matters.

Far too often in these troubling times the me-first, better-me-than-you (or better-you-than-me where misfortune is concerned) and I win – You lose mentalities prevail.

I believe that we know intuitively, as the Book of Ecclesiastes tells us, that “two people can lift each other up if they fall, provide warmth and withstand threats better than one”. And yet, many times the choice is made to go it alone and try to get the better of the person next to us.

A Flower Fly and a Cucumber Beetle sharing the beauty and the resources of a humble host flower – a random act of metaphor to remind us that there is more to be gained from peaceful coexistence than from selfishness and claiming the prize for ourself alone.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Ecclesiastes · harmony · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Spotted Cucumber Beetle · Transverse-banded Flower FlyComments Off on Random Act of Metaphor: A Flower Fly and a Cucumber Beetle

Hmmm, how long will it be before the toy spinning top spins completely off the edge of reason?

The 2026 Winter Olympics are in progress in Northern Italy. The Olympics at its best is a celebration of athletic excellence and global unity that steers clear of political commentary. But that has not been the case this time around thanks to the influence of increasingly unstable U.S. President Donald Trump.

Although I dislike political overtones creeping into the Olympics, I salute the U.S. athletes who have spoken out against their president. These include to date: Curler Rich Ruohonen; Snowboarders Chloe Kim and Stacy Gaskill; Skiers Hunter Hess, Chriss Lillis and Jessie Diggins; Figure Skater Amber Glenn; Hockey Player Kelly Pannek.

These high performance athletes know that criticizing Trump will draw viscous counter attacks. But they have shown courage and integrity by adding their voices to the growing outcry against the worst U.S. President in history. A couple of examples:

Nick Goepper, Olympian Skier: Our country’s been having issues for 250 years. I’m here to uphold classic American values of respect, opportunity and freedom and equality and project those to the world.

Snowboarder Chloe Kim: In moments like these it’s really important for us to unite. We are allowed to voice our opinions on what’s going on. I think we need to lead with love and compassion.

Skier Hunter Hess: I think it brings up mixed emotions to represent the U.S. right now. There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of and I think a lot of people aren’t. Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.

Trump has responded, in what has become his typical 5-year-old-in-the sandbox temper tantrum, to any criticism leveled against him or any disagreement with his actions. Case in point – his response to the comments by Hunter Hess whose photo heads this post:

U.S. Olympic Skier, Hunter Hess, a real Loser, says he doesn’t represent his Country in the current Winter Olympics. If that’s the case, he shouldn’t have tried out for the Team, and it’s too bad he’s on it. Very hard to root for someone like this.

People’s Republic of China double Olympic Champion Eileen Gu summed up so elegantly what the Olympics should be about:

The whole point of sport is to bring people together. One of the very few common languages, that of the human body, that of the human spirit, the competitive spirit, the capacity to break not only records, but especially in our sport, literally the human limit. How wonderful is that?

Unfortunately, the Trump influence has put a stain on these Olympic Games. With every passing day, he becomes more of a madly spinning toy top. Spinning ever faster and ever more out of control, ever more crude and self-centred, propped up by the excessive powers vested in the position of U.S. President and the unprincipled deputies riding his mad coattails.

Trump is the antithesis of the principles by which the Olympics are guided. Now more than ever it is clear that America will not be great again until he is impeached.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Tags:   Chloe Kim · Donald Trump · Eileen Gu · Hunter Hess · metaphor · Michael Robert Dyet · Nick Geopper · winter olympicsComments Off on Trump: A Stain on the Olympics

Hmmm, how many Executive Orders will Trump sign in his quest to be King?

It feels as if Trump issues another Executive Order every other day. He has issued 225 of them in his current term as President – surpassing the 220 he issued during his first term in office. This mechanism has become his delusional magic wand for transforming the country into his warped view of what he thinks it should be.

The subject of these Executive Orders stray further and further from any semblance of reason. Nevertheless, I am bolding predicting what his next moves will be with his personal magic wand.

Breaking News: President Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order today asserting full U.S. ownership of the iconic Niagara Falls. The renowned world wonder is comprised of three waterfalls: The Horseshoe Falls, which is the largest and mostly Canadian, along with the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls which are American. Trump’s Executive Order asserts full ownership of The Horseshoe Falls.

“Canada has been stealing our water for years! I won’t allow it to happen any longer. The Horseshoe Falls is ours and Canada can’t play with it without my permission. As of today, it will be renamed Donald Trump Falls.” The irony-impaired president seemed unaware of the inherent fall from grace implied in the name.

Breaking News: President Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order today proclaiming that his wife Melania will be awarded the Best Actress Oscar for her role in the movie Melania. When advised that she would not be eligible for the award given that the movie is a documentary, Trump replied:

“I don’t care! Her performance in the movie was brilliant and Oscar-worthy. If they try to give the award to someone else, I’ll take over control of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and appoint JD Vance as its President. The name of the award will be changed from The Oscar to The Trump.”

Breaking News: Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order asserting full U.S. ownership of the Great Lakes that border Canada and the U.S.

“We need the Great Lakes for strategic defense purposes. We have intelligence that indicates Chinese Submarines have infiltrated the Great Lakes through the St Lawrence River disguised as Beluga Whales! All three Great Lakes are now U.S. owned and controlled and hereby renamed The Great American Lakes.”

When advised that there are in fact five Great Lakes, Trump replied: “Are not!”.

Breaking News: Donald Trump issued a new Executive Order asserting ownership of the planet Mars. When asked what he based this claim of ownership on, he answered:

“Matt Damon, he’s American you know, grew potatoes in his own shit on Mars. That means he colonized the planet so we own it! The U.S. will be establishing a colony there within the next five years. I will be appointing my son Barron as Grand Poobah of the planet.”

As Trump slides deeper and deeper into his mad view of his own power, I predict that he will use the Executive Order mechanism more and more to get his way. His shameful legacy will demonstrate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he came to believe this mechanism was his own personal magic wand to wave at every passing fancy.

~  Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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Tags:   Donald Trump · Executive Order · Melania Trump · metaphor · Michael Robert DyetComments Off on Trump’s Delusional Magic Wand