Last week I posted a snarky photoblog entitledNo Hope for the Human Race! but promised a counter-blog this week. Here it is. In the world of rhetoric, anecdotes are not considered sufficiently pursuasive to prove a point — unless there are enough to show a trend. Is there hope for the human race? Hard to say. Just to be sure, we should probably start a trend!

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2020: The year we laughed until we cried. No, wait, make that cried until we laughed. Because, whatever else 2020 may have taught us, it taught us how to laugh in the face of absurdity–together, or, well, six feet apart, but together in spirit. So, Happy New Year, everybody. And if 2021 is anything like 2020, Happy New Weird!

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“First time in history we can save the human race by laying in front of the TV and doing nothing. Let’s not screw this up.” ~Unknown

“Coronavirus has turned us all into dogs: We roam the house looking for food, we’re told ‘no’ if we get too close to strangers, and we get really excited about car rides and walks.” ~Unknown

“After all the stupid things I’ve done in my life, if I die because I touched…

This is my flower bed (or will be once I actually plant some flowers).

This is my backyard deck (yes, hello, I know it needs refinishing).

And this is my lawn (I mowed it yesterday, I swear).

Quick Quiz: What do all three of these have in common? If you answered, “They contain organic, carbon-based substances grown on Earth,” you’re wrong—the deck is coated in non-organic polyurethane (well, OK, it used to be). Also, those spiky little balls (did you notice them?) are not from Earth. They are the cell-pods of an attractive and otherwise harmless-looking alien vegetation called a Sweet Gum tree. Its perfidious pods are commonly referred to as “gum balls” or “spiky balls.” But their correct name is COVID 18.

Note the resemblance to their sister organism, commonly called “*%$#@!-ing virus!”

How to determine if you’ve been infected by COVID 18:

• You can no longer actually see…