Devil babies help get us through January

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I also recommend the Evian Life Young video, found on YouTube, which shows a seemingly random group of people walking by a reflective storefront and seeing images of themselves as babies, but dressed just the way they are as adults, dancing and preening. It scans better than I can describe it. Guarantee: It will put a smile on your face, and that’s big in late January.

The other must-see deep-in-the-heart-of-winter video is a classic I happened to catch live on Florida television. The weatherman was standing at a map, delivering his weather report, when he saw a giant cockroach creeping up his pant leg. He screamed and ran off the set. Then, after a few minutes of “filler,” he came back, nice and composed, and was apologizing to the viewing audience when he let loose a maniacal shriek. “It’s back!” he said, and the camera panned to the big bug on the floor heading his way. It wasn’t a prank; it was real. You can see it for yourself if you search YouTube or Google with the words “weatherman and cockroach.”

I know, we have big problems in America: gaping economic disparities, decaying infrastructure, inept lawmakers and wildly erratic weather patterns. We all have friends battling diseases and negotiating family conflicts. But in late January we need to give ourselves a break, have a laugh, listen to a funny story or see a silly movie (not “Inside Llewyn Davis,” for pity’s sake!).

Perhaps the edgy Baby Devil video appeals to me because I generally have a devil baby sitting next to me on every flight I take, and I fly a lot. I have pretty much perfected the art of discouraging discussion and interaction with fellow adult passengers. As soon as I sit down, I put on headphones and open a book. On night flights, I put on eye shades.

But these tactics have no effect on babies. So, despite my best precautions, last week, on a red-eye from San Francisco, I found myself seated next to a cranky, wailing 1-year-old who had awful green things trailing out of his nose. I realized in that moment that the airlines have their policies all wrong. Babies over 20 pounds should have to fly in the hold, and dogs over 20 pounds should be given seats. Overall, the dogs are better behaved, rarely whine and often smell better.

Copyright ©2014 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.

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