May 5, 2020

Police: Man Wanted for Accosting Giant Eagle Workers Over COVID-19 Mask Policy

This is a news story local to me, small town western PA. I'm not surprised at all.

http://www.exploreclarion.com/2020/05/04/new-police-man-wanted-for-accosting-giant-eagle-workers-over-covid-19-mask-policy/

This is how most (but not all) residents feel about Covid-19. It hasn't had much of an impact yet on these small communities, yet (other than what you see on the obits page).

April 15, 2020

Documentary Grey Gardens (and Trump)

Has anyone watched the documentary Grey Gardens? It is a documentary from 1975. Here is the wikipeida description:

Grey Gardens is a 1975 American documentary film by Albert and David Maysles. The film depicts the everyday lives of two reclusive, formerly upper class women, a mother and daughter both named Edith Beale, who lived in poverty at Grey Gardens, a derelict mansion at 3 West End Road in the wealthy Georgica Pond neighborhood of East Hampton, New York.

I see so many parallels to our current President. "Big Edie" and "Little Edie", Mother and Daughter, were "Socialtes". Big Edie's husband worked for her father, and purchased the estate, which she kept after the divorce. She continued to pursue her singing career afterwards (that days version of a reality performer). She kept up the lifestyle until in 1971 they found her house "full of litter, rife with the odor of cats and in violation of various local ordinances".

I think that our socialite reality performer President has taken over our estate, and it is now "full of litter, rife with the odor of cats and in violation of various local ordinances".

March 26, 2020

Governor Larry Hogan

I'm a lifelong democrat. I have always been willing to support republicans when it is justified, although that hasn't happened often. I've also been willing to criticize democrats as well (unfortunately too often, but not as often as I criticize those with an R after their name). But that said, I am a partisan. I feel like the best future for our country is a blue future. But now I have a quandary: Governor Larry Hogan.

He has done well in the recent Covid19 press conferences. I agree with how he has handled shutting down businesses and schools. I like him, despite the 'R'. He has done other good things as well, and my impression of him his positive.

Maybe he is the real deal, maybe he is another Rudy 'Mayor of 911' Giuliani, I don't know, so asking our community for thoughts on Hogan?

February 15, 2020

People who Died (Valentines love)

Sending Valentines Love to all who are still with us, and those who aren't.

February 9, 2020

MAGA

Make America Great Again

I saw this in a twitter post. it was for an infant onesie, but damn, I want it. Hats, t-shirts, coffee mugs, bumper stickers that I can put on my friends jacked-up diesel pickups. Even Graffiti art.

https://twitter.com/DonnieSimpson/status/1225833230353522688

January 28, 2020

I Wanna Be Sedated

All that is going on now, makes me wanna Be Sedated

[link:

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November 9, 2019

Indoctrinating Our Children and other thoughts

Yes, a deliberately provocative subject, but bear with me.

The long term strategy of Republicans has been to start at the local level and move up, starting with local politics. Why aren't "The Libs" doing this? Or are they? I don't think so, but convince me ...

I'm a bit young to remember the Nixon impeachment hearings, although I recall being disappointed I couldn't watch Sesame Street on our 12" b/w TV.

Didn't a lot of the hippies from that time run for office? That was my experience, and then the pendulum swung the other way during the Reagan years (Reagan youth, etc.). I remember it hitting around the time I graduated HS, around 1985, but but my perceptions are probably a bit off. I moved from a really hick area to a suburban Christian school at that time (culture shock for sure).

I grew up with politically active parents. I did my homework off to the side of the polling place where my parents were poll workers and judges. They were also leaders in the League of Women Voters and the local Democratic party and local business organizations.

Around that time my neighbor organized a rally across from the courthouse about the Ayatollah Khomeini. I helped him with photocopying flyers, and handing them out at the rally. I did a presentation a few days later in a civics class. I don't think anyone really cared, or worse (I got a bit of mocking, but not as much as expected)

Both my sister and I have been involved in local (very local) politics, and we don't have the stomach for it, although we have done all that we can for just causes, including my sister who still uses her talents to help children instead of making real money.

Another thing I had to do as part of my Christian Education was to attend a trial, and then write an essay on what we saw. Most of my classmates just did traffic court, but my friend and I were able to attend a rare murder trial. While we chose that trial to get a few extra days off school, the joke was on us: We learned a lot more. But this is probably a topic for Restorative Justice.

Where am I going with all of this? Please get yourself and your children involved in local politics. Start with HOAs, Lake associations, townships, school boards, and move up. Even private and parochial schools and your church, if that's your thing. If it isn't your thing (it might be), that's OK. Try something else.

Apologies for the sermon.

October 11, 2019

Nirvana - Territorial Pissings

Territorial Pissings by Nirvana. This seemed relevant to me tonight.

I had some uninteresting crap about where I was when I first hear this, the history, whatever, but let's appreciate it for what it is.

Gotta find a way
A better way

(I may have skipped something)

September 3, 2019

Raw Story - Popup Ad (Raw Story is calling on 2020 candidates ...)

While I understand that RawStory has some well deserved dislike after their latest redesign, the latest infliction on users is enough to make we never go back.

Every time I view an article I get a Popup Ad about how "Raw Story is calling on 2020 candidates to commit to some form of amnesty ... ". Yeah, I got it the first 25+ times you prevented me from reading your content before asking me to pay you. Honestly, you can keep your content hostage, but it really isn't that compelling or important. Good luck.

I got over the disappearance of Gawker.com, so I can live without RawStory.com, and it will be easier (especially since they conditioned us to hate them to begin with).

September 1, 2019

Your consumer behavior based on CEO Statements

I had an interesting discussion recently regarding how a single negative experience can have long term negative impacts on profits and shareholder values. I will use as an example a personal experience:

In 20102, "Papa" John complained that Obamacare would cost as much as 14 cents/pizza to provide health care to all of his pizza chain's uninsured, full-time employees. Later analysis showed that it was actually less than 5 cents.

While I had been a weekly (sometimes more) customer, once I saw what he thought of the employees that gave him his wealth and allowed him to give away millions with the NFL promotions (and finding/restoring his own personal first car), I haven't ordered from that company since, and never will. Schnatter has been kicked out by the board since then, but the damage is done, it doesn't really matter.

Second experience is with Sam Adams beer. I like beer, and I especially liked Sam Adams, but after what founder Jim Koch said after a dinner with Trump (just google it - even local mayors had enough and said no more), I haven't given his company a single penny. While I used to miss Sam Adams, it gave me a reason to try other brands, and I have found what I like. No more Sam Adams, ever. They made themselves irrelevant.

Does anyone else have a similar experience?