by Jonathan Reisman

Last week I got my Chinese Communist Party Virus Vaccine shot and listened to President Biden take credit for it while suggesting he might let families celebrate the Fourth of July if we obeyed him and Dr. Fauci. At least the President remembered Dr. Fauci’s name, did not stumble over his teleprompter too much, or need to be backed up by Dr. Jill and/or Cassius Kamala. It is probably a good thing that he does not take questions or hold a press conference- as the old saying goes, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."

The vaccineapalooza that Calais Regional Hospital (CRH soon to be Calais Community Hospital or CCH) put on at the Washington County Community College Gym was an impressive enterprise, and the CRH health care providers, administrators, and community volunteers should take a well-deserved bow, with a nod of appreciation to global warming for providing a sunny and warm early March day overlooking the St. Croix river. Organizing and delivering four to five hundred socially distanced vaccination reservations, parking, screening, shots, recovery, and discharge is quite the logistical challenge, and it was pulled off professionally and smoothly. I might like to use it as a case study in project management for my business students. Credit can be given to President Trump (for Operation Warp Speed developing the vaccines in record time) and President Biden (for accelerating deliveries and not getting in the way), but most of it goes to our local health care providers, with a nod to the Maine CDC, Dr. Shah, and Governor Mills. (Please close your drooping jaws, yes I did say something nice about the Governor — maybe it is an adverse reaction to the shot.)

My wife and I saw quite a few gray-haired friends and acquaintances in the WCCC parking lot waiting for our shots in the arm. It was a beautiful relatively warm sunny day, and after a year of mostly solitary hibernation, it was a pleasure to bask in the sunshine and catch up. My near shoulder-length hair caused some laughter and incredulity amongst a few — my columns may seem more suggestive of a buzz cut than a proto ponytail, but never fear- I will not be sporting a man bun. My hair has not been this long since college, although with the bald spot on top I often see Dilbert’s pointy-haired boss in the morning mirror.

We were able to get the Johnson and Johnson one and done vaccination. The initial stick was painless, but the injection was not. A little sore for a day, but no other noticeable side effects, except for an unexplainable empathy and appreciation towards both Governor Mills and President Biden. That will probably evaporate when the social engineering non-COVID-related inflationary details of the $1.9 Trillion Pelosi wish list become more widely known. Representative Golden joined Senator Collins in opposing it and earned some unaccustomed plaudits from me for his lonely protest vote.

A year after the country was locked down (remember 30 days to flatten the curve?), there is light at the end of the tunnel. New York Governor/Senior slayer and lockdown Lothario Andrew Cuomo will be gone soon, and the same fate probably awaits California’s Gavin Newsom, he of the French Laundry Rules for thee but not for me. Michigan Governor/Dictator Gretchen (No seeds for you!) Whitmer is under federal investigation. Freedom Reigns Governors Kristi Noem (South Dakota) and Ron DeSantis (Florida) have emerged as early possibilities to challenge Kamala Harris in 2024. It seems unlikely that the “winner” of the election that shall not be questioned will be in the Oval Office appeasing the Iranians and Chinese by the Ides of March 2022; like Caesar, he should keep his eye on Cassius Kamala, who has a lean and hungry look.