Firstly, a bit of disclosure here as for all intents and purposes the word on the street is that we live in a certain state.  Then if we start talking further with someone, we mention that we live at the “stateline,” between the two states.  Not really getting into specifics and leaving the details open to interpretation.  To be honest, we claim statehood on both sides of the line as it becomes necessary.  We usually fall on the northern side as, in our hearts, we believe it to be the cooler side.  That being said, I was quickly perusing the news this morning on my trusty Mac and came across a little gem, that, to be honest, I’d seen a couple of weeks ago, but decided to ignore.  Someone (who has the time to do things like this???) decided to figure out the top most “googled” subjects per state for 2015.  And the results are quite hilarious let me tell you.

(http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2015/12/heres-what-each-state-googled-more-any-other-2015)

Here’s the rub.  The state to the south searched “is there water on Mars?”  A sane, logical, scientific, rational, mature, intelligent, mentally-challenging and stimulating question, to be sure.  The state to the north searched for “Blake Shelton & Gwen Stefani.”   ???!?!??

Mmmmfgghhpthhmmm….WHAT?

WHO?

WHY?

Not something cerebral like “how does Ebola virus emerge” or “how does a virus such as Ebola spillover into the human population” or “can life survive on the Red Planet” or “is this El Nino year going to impact the hay yield” or “what on earth are people thinking supporting a gasbag with constant bad hair days?”  (Sorry, couldn’t help myself and had to throw that last one in there.  Only South Carolina did that.)

Regardless, with everything going on in today’s world, this state is going to search the internet for news on celebrities?  Oy flipping vey.

Well, not to be outdone, Texas, great big ol’ Texas, searched “Miranda Lambert’s divorce.” Now that should say something about our southern compadres.

Anyway.  This time we’re claiming statehood to the south.  Good grief.

Second, I had seen a blurb about the following topic yesterday and thought it was a spoof.  As in, not real, fabricated, just for fun…to explain the current coterie of candidates for the highest office in the land (on the Republican side mind you) and quite possibly, the reason for the rabid support of the afore-mentioned coiffure-challenged gasbag.

But then this morning I read a short article published from http://www.newscientist.com regarding a virus carried by mosquitoes that has been slowly emerging.  By slow I mean it was first documented in 1947 in Uganda and has slowly been marching on in Africa and Asia until arriving in Brazil last May.

So what?  A new virus?  What’s the big deal?  Well, said virus, the Zika virus, has been shown to cause fetal brain damage.  As in causing babies to be born with smaller brains.  Not kidding here.  Go read the article.  In adults, it can cause an annoying skin rash.  It’s on the move, carried by mosquitoes, and is in South America now.  Never seen there before.  It’s also been documented in a few United States citizens who traveled south and brought it home.

Here’s my question?  Do you think that current coterie of candidates I mentioned above might have somehow been infected with a super-size dose of the Zika virus which would account for the obvious micro-sized brains they all seem to be carrying around?

I’m just sayin’.

Food for thought anyway.