Did I ever like summer in Arkansas? Right now, I’m not so sure, and it’s not even officially summer yet.

When I was a kid, there were things that made it not seem so bad: Vacation Bible School, July 4ths that usually involved burgers by Shadow Lake with my aunt and uncle and fireworks on the Greenwood square after dark, the occasional trip with friends to go swimming (though it was floating for me since I don’t swim; my cousin Debbie and I were always out in the innertubes on the lake).

Now it’s days when the air conditioner can barely keep up (and fan motors burn up) and the odd trip outside for a few minutes results in me drenched with sweat and being inordinately cranky.

Don’t mistake me: I love Arkansas. I was born and raised here, and will probably be here until I die. But, c’mon, you have to admit that we’re not so hospitable in hot weather. And why does it feel like August already? (August in Arkansas is the worst; someone once suggested a music festival called that, and I think was probably laughed out of the state.) It’s making me actually miss the big freeze we had.

So since I’m cranky already, let’s talk about what makes me crankiest right now.

🥵 Humidity.

Even though my hair is just above my shoulders, it doesn’t take much to make it so frizzy that it could probably be seen from the International Space Station. OK, not really, but it feels like it. Walk outside to get the mail or to pull the trashcan back to its spot, and I might as well have run a marathon.

We all know I’m not running any marathons.

Forget finishing yardwork that really needs to be done, especially after that week of rain that kicked everything into high gear. I think I’ll sit inside in the dark, rewatch “Downton Abbey” (Violet’s retorts are hysterical), and take a cold shower before bed. Outside can swelter without me.

Michael Storey could wring laughs out of humidity, but I can’t. That’s one more reason he’s missed.

📢 Talking points.

Talking points are OK if used sparingly by spokespeople and are veered away from if necessary to provide context. However … for some, talking points (especially the false ones) have become articles of faith from which you cannot divert. I’m assuming this is because information is bad, so we must reduce access to it at all costs, even if it means we look like dolts.

I mean, seriously, why would any show runner book a spokesperson who answers questions with talking points that don’t address what was asked?

Between talking points being blindly adhered to and the zero-sum politics we have now (complete with “fill in the blank” insults to be used for the opposition), it’s nearly impossible for me to get through a day without seeing at least five seriously offensive things (to thinking people) in my emails or social media feeds. You can tell that some people have no real idea who Joe Biden or Kamala Harris are other than the caricatures they’ve been presented. I’d say the same about Donald Trump, but he caricatured himself.

I long for the days when we actually think for ourselves instead of taking the lead of a political party (one more reason I refuse to join a party). When you do that, you have a greater tendency to see the validity in opposing arguments, and to see others as fellow humans rather than animalistic enemies.

And you’re a hell of a lot less likely to spread false talking points and “jokes” that are nothing but schoolyard insults.

🥇 The Pulitzer committee.

Seriously? No editorial cartoon prize this year? Ken Fisher (drawing as Ruben Bolling), Lalo Alcaraz and Marty Two Bulls Sr. are all worthy finalists, and any would be worthy of winning (see their entries here).

I would argue, though, that the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s own John Deering would be worthy of being a finalist as well, if not winner, as he had remarkable cartoons in 2020 (see some here), some of the best of his career, in my humble opinion. (And no, I’m not just saying that because he’s a very dear friend, and my match in weird humor.) Considering the declining ranks of working editorial cartoonists, not giving an award this year seems especially egregious. The last time no award was given for editorial cartooning was 1973.

I’m not the only one flabbergasted by this decision. Several cartoonists, groups and syndicates decried the decision. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists issued a statement Friday after the committee tweeted that no prize would be awarded this year.

“The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists strongly disagrees with the decision by the Pulitzer Board to award no Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Cartooning in 2021,” the statement read. “We are mystified by the pointed rejection of talented finalists as well as the many other artists who have been creating powerful work in these most eventful and challenging of times.

“The medium of editorial cartooning has been evolving for many years now, yet the Pulitzer board remains extremely traditional and narrow-minded in its tastes, apparently uncomfortable with contemporary trends in opinion cartooning and comic art. Last year the board discarded the jurors’ choices and selected its own winner; this year represents a new low in this trend of insularity and institutional hubris.”

To add insult to injury, reportedly entry fees won’t be returned. No one should be surprised next year if there are fewer entrants, and not just because there are fewer cartoonists.

😠 One more thing that makes me cranky: Bullies.

I’ve had it up to here (remember, I’m a very short person) with people who harass and abuse others, especially if it’s because they have nothing better to do. There are more than enough horror stories to make some of us never want to deal with the public again. Why harass a waitress, barista, customer service rep, or anyone else? Why expect special treatment?

You get a lot further when you treat others as humans. Workers are just trying to pay their bills, and don’t deserve to be abused for no good reason (yes, some servers deserve discipline, but leave that to their boss, please; just don’t be a dick, OK?).

And you really should know better than to bully someone who handles your food. Just saying.

It’s not just the bullies who harass service industry workers; there are bullies in every part of our lives today. There are those who insist they have the right to have their every whim met (when at best they have a privilege), and if you don’t do it quickly with a smile on your face, they complain as loudly as they can to everyone they can, when if they just approached without hostility, they might be treated better. Those who serve the public in whatever way shouldn’t be expected to take abuse and say, “Please sir, may I have another?”

Whatever happened to the idea of treating people as you want to be treated? When you’re kind, you’re more likely to be met with kindness. When you’re a jackhole, do you really expect to be treated nicely? If every customer acted that way, how long do you think anyone would stay in business?

Politics has infected so many things, and in the past five years or so, the political bullies have really come out to play. They’ve always been with us, but really seemed to take on new life, first with Joseph McCarthy (Commies are everywhere!), then Newt Gingrich (Don’t get to know the opposition because then you might listen to them without dismissing them out of hand.), Mitch McConnell (I like stacking the courts and dragging my heels.) and Donald Trump (Everyone who doesn’t like me is out to get you.). Want something done? Bully your way through, and make sure you demonize the mere mention of bipartisanship. Because, sure, that will make sure every needed thing will be done.

Once upon a time, we could pass a bill, especially a much-needed one, without so much drama. It wasn’t verboten to solicit and consider ideas from the other side so that a compromise could be crafted and passed because it was the people the members of Congress were working for, not lobbyists, donors or re-election. We need to return to that idea, but I fear it won’t happen again in my lifetime unless changes are made, especially in the Senate.

For now, we’ll have to content ourselves with standing up to the bullies, no matter who they are, from high-ranking officials to the locals whose thuggish behavior has been normalized. The more we accept that behavior, the harder it will be to reclaim kindness.

That is not the kind of world I want to live in. As Bill Moyers said, “Bullies — political bullies, economic bullies, and religious bullies — cannot be appeased; they have to be opposed with courage, clarity, and conviction. This is never easy. These true believers don’t fight fair. Robert’s Rules of Order is not one of their holy texts.”

Courage.