Is That You?

Starting sometime last year, I became aware of a strange new sensation that recurs periodically, no matter where I am or what I am doing.

When in this state, I find myself questioning whether this is really me..

It is as if one part of myself is doing the questioning and another part struggles to answer. 

Most of the time, there is no question what is going on and I can prove it to myself. I can recite my name, DoB, social security number, current address and voter registration. I've even memorized my driver's license number, to cite one random piece of data retained by my brain that rarely serves any useful purpose.

On the rare occasion that it is useful to know my driver's license number, an alternative option is to reach into my pocket, pull out my wallet, and confirm that it is right next to my photograph.

"Is that really you?" According to Wikipedia, out of the body experiences can be induced by traumatic brain injuries, sensory deprivation, near-death experiences, dissociative and psychedelic drugs, dehydration, sleep disorders and dreaming and electrical stimulation of the brain, among others.

I've never been a fan of this sort of thing, though I have read the recollections of some of my fellow survivors of near-death experiences. And I'm starting to alter my point of view.

I just had another one of these sensations today, so I'll file it away and concentrate instead on the news. *That* will surely pull me back toward reality!

* Immigrant ‘Dreamers’ in Search of a Job Are Being Turned Away -- President Trump hopes to end DACA, which has granted employment authorization to thousands of young immigrants. Already, some large employers are refusing to hire them. (New York Times)

* In raising the idea of law enforcement at polls, Trump invokes tactics of voter intimidation -- Civil rights advocates said even the threat of encountering law enforcement officials at the polls could be frightening to some voters, particularly in communities of color where residents distrust the police. Washington Post)

* Heat is turbocharging fires, drought and tropical storms this summer--At least 140 western weather stations notched record highs in the last 10 days. More than 35 wildfires are raging in California. Parts of the country are suffering drought conditions. And in the Atlantic Ocean, a marine heat wave is fueling what is becoming an unusually active storm season (Washington Post)

* Young voters prefer Biden by a large margin, but they may not vote (CNN)

* Oh, great: NASA says an asteroid is headed our way right before Election Day. Good news is there's little chance it will hit us. (CNN)

* Three Calif. fires are now the state’s largest ever, and they keep growing--More than 100,000 evacuations have taken place, and more lightning is on the way as officials seek help from other states, as well as Canada and Australia. (Washington Post)

* Maryanne Trump Barry bitterly criticized her brother, President Donald Trump, saying, "Donald's out for Donald," and appeared to confirm her niece Mary Trump's previous allegations that he had a friend take his SATs to get into college, according to audio excerpts obtained by CNN.

* Biden is favored to win the election--We simulate the election 40,000 times to see who wins most often. Biden wins 73 percent of the time; Trump 27. (FiveThirtyEight)

***

Somewhere I heard this story: A hungry bear was chasing a priest. When he came to the edge of a cliff, the priest jumped over. There was no chance of survival, but partway down his fall was broken by a branch sticking out of the cliff. The priest grabbed the branch, which started to loosen. As he was hanging there, he noticed a flower growing out of the side of the cliff.

"What a beautiful flower," he thought.

***

Smile.

A polar bear walks into a bar and gets up on a barstool. The bartender comes over and asks "What'll it be?"

"I'll have a gin..........and...........tonic," said the bear.

The bartender answered, "Why the big pause?"

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