Welcome To 2021

 I am so glad to be over the cold that I dealt with for almost two weeks. As we begin a new year, I wish you the best.

My first meal of 2021: Stouffers Macaroni And Cheese

My first beverage of 2021: Mexican Coca-Cola in a glass bottle

First record listened to: "Living In America" by James Brown

And that's how my first 35 minutes have gone.

I'm Sick

 I've been dealing with a bad cold all week and haven't done much of anything, on-line or in real life. I've slept a lot, and drank a lot of water. Between being sick, and the fact that we here in Binghamton got hit by a record snowstorm, taking things easy has been the best thing I can do for myself.

Well, That Didn't Take Long

 The nine justices of the United States Supreme Court declined to hear the lawsuit that the Texas State Attorney General filed. 

The reaction to this has been swift, and quite honestly, not entirely expected by yours truly. I thought that conservatives, having failed at their last, desperate effort, might finally give in.

I was so very wrong about that. 

Yesterday, Texas Republican Chairman Allen West released the following statement:

“The Supreme Court, in tossing the Texas lawsuit that was joined by seventeen states and 106 US congressman, has decreed that a state can take unconstitutional actions and violate its own election law. Resulting in damaging effects on other states that abide by the law, while the guilty state suffers no consequences. This decision establishes a precedent that says states can violate the US constitution and not be held accountable. This decision will have far-reaching ramifications for the future of our constitutional republic. Perhaps law-abiding states should bond together and form a Union of states that will abide by the constitution.”

And there, dear reader, you have it. The first, but not, I fear, the last call for secession by Republican controlled states. 

I Told You He Was A Dictator

 It has been thirty-seven days since Joe Biden was elected as the next President of the United States of America. I was watching MSNBC when the NBC election desk called the election for Biden. I was in a hotel room, enjoying a well deserved micro-vacation. I said these words out loud, "Please let it be real".

Though I was very tired, I stayed up to watch the speeches that Biden and Kamala Harris gave that night. I was on cloud nine, as the expression goes, at seeing how many people came out to attend in person and how jubilant they were. 

I was jubilant that night, but I'm not anymore.

Because, over the last thirty-seven days, Donald Trump has refused to concede defeat. He has, rather, pulled every single dirty political stunt and trick that he and his minions can think of. As they have suffered defeat after defeat in the courts (what is it now, forty of them?), they have grown increasingly desperate.

They have cast their proverbial net ever wider, embracing nutcases and fringe lunatics who, in a saner and more decent society, would be limited in their scope of influence to perhaps a few thousand people. Their rantings and ravings would be restricted, for the most part, to newsletters and mailing lists.

And now, in what can only be called an attempted coup, the Republicans have gone nuclear on us.

The Texas State Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has filed a lawsuit seeking to have the United States Supreme Court overturn the election results in Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.

This effort, if successful, would allow the state legislatures in those four states to appoint a slate of electors for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. 

Seventeen state Attorneys General have filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit. They are from these states:

Missouri

Arkansas

South Dakota

Florida 

Indiana

Kansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Montana

Nebraska

North Dakota

Oklahoma

South Carolina 

Utah

West Virginia

Tennessee

Alabama

Also, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has filed formally a separate brief  "respecting" the Texas suit.

So, there you have it, dear reader. Government officials in eighteen states that have gone on the record as supporting an attempted coup here in our country.

I'd love to be able to say that I feel 100% confident that this lawsuit will fail. But, with Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett all seated on the Supreme Court bench, anything is possible.

We are dangerously close to being totally f***ed. 

Here's Where Things Stand

 I'm back.

I have gone back and forth more times than I care to think about as regards the future of this blog. My readership is nowhere near what it once was, but those of you still with me deserve to at least know what's going on.

I've been going through a rough patch in life (but then again, who hasn't?) and the end is nowhere in sight. If you're even half way decently informed, then you probably know just as well as I do how bad the Covid-19 situation has become here in the United States of America.

If you haven't suffered at all, then all I can say is "wow". Because everyone I know has suffered. My mother, who loves to socialize at her local senior center, hasn't gone there in a long time. My brother, who is at high risk, as am I and as is our mother, are on edge. 

I go out only when I absolutely have to. Most days, I either don't go anywhere at all, or I go just one block up to the convenience store. I've walked two blocks to the heart of downtown Binghamton once in the last fourteen days, and I've gone to Wal-Mart for groceries just three times in the last six weeks.

I've been through this kind of isolation more than once before in my life, so I'm better equipped to handle it than most of us are. But that doesn't make it easy, it just makes it tolerable.

This is the first post of at least two posts I'll be putting up today. The next one is in draft status, and I'll be finishing it in a little while.

I'm On A Break

 Hello. I am dealing with a lot right now, and this blog just can't be much of a priority at this time.

Wishing you health and happiness.

I Am So About To Blow A Gasket

 Dear reader, greetings.

I haven't posted anything recently because I've been, as the expression goes, in a "bad place". I have a new neighbor across the hallway from me who is a complete so-and-so. I need to talk to the head of Residential Housing about him.

Among other things, there was Monday, when he woke me up three times in one hour by slamming his door loudly. And then, there is the fact that he has been using his cell phone to either record, live stream, or do both of all activity in the hallway. 

And this building is getting to me. I've spent almost six and a half years between my two stays. I am so tired of being crammed into this little s**thole of a room. Tonight, I came up from the kitchen with a freshly prepared meal of pulled pork, green beans and salt potatoes. The green beans and the salt potatoes I cooked myself. When I was putting everything on my television tray, I lost my balance when I turned to reach for something.

I knocked the tray over. One serving of potatoes went all over the floor I had cleaned less than an hour earlier. Butter went all over my blue jeans. I cleaned the mess up, mopped the floor, and quickly threw together a small load of laundry that included the jeans.

Down to the laundry room, I went. Where one of the washing machines is malfunctioning for what must now be the fifth or sixth time. Of course, this was the machine I put my clothes in. I lost one dollar and had to move everything to another machine (the first one isn't spinning the clothes properly, so everything was soaking wet).

Coming back up to the fourth floor, I then went down to the kitchen to reheat the green beans and the second serving of potatoes. Of course, Mister Moron across the hallway had his cell phone on the floor, watching everything.

There are so many things wrong in this building that upper management just flat out doesn't care about. It really is getting to me. Of course, here in my area, a lot of what used to be clean and affordable housing has been converted to student housing, complete with jacked up rents that working people just can't afford. 

The last time I looked on Craigslist, I saw six, count them, six buildings that used to be affordable. One of them I actually lived in, several years ago. The rent then was $300 a month for a decent sized apartment. The current owner is now asking $750 a month and rents to students.

The good news, if there is any, is that four months from now, I will turn 55 years old and several buildings that are for seniors only will become viable options. These are all owned by local municipalities and various non-profit agencies. 

I just have to hang in there a little longer.

Tell Me This Isn't A Dictator

When Donald Trump was elected President of the United States of America, I and a lot of other people predicted that he would become a dictator. If you can honestly disagree with me when I say that has happened, so be it.

Setting aside everything he's done already, these are three things that he has done just in the last five days.

He has had his campaign sue the Governor of Montana to stop counties in that state to allow voting by mail.

He has openly encouraged voters in North Carolina to illegally vote twice (by mail and then again, in person) to prove or disprove that the mail in procedures function properly.

He has ordered that "Stars And Stripes",  a military newspaper that has published continuously for almost 159 years, be shut down completely by September 15th.

For the record, that's two attacks on free and fair elections along with one attack on a free press.

This Has So Not Been A Good Week

It's been a bad week for me thus far. I was sick with something from Monday afternoon until early this morning. I had an upset stomach with chills and a mild fever so I spent a lot of time in bed sleeping. At one point I spent nineteen straight hours in bed.

This morning I started to feel normal, for which I'm grateful.

Of course, things have gotten even worse on a national basis. The unjustified shooting of Jacob Blake in front of his three sons, a shooting that may leave him paralyzed for life, set off a fresh wave of protests.

At which point, a white seventeen year old male named Kyle Rittenhouse drove across a state line, and wound up shooting three protesters. Two were shot fatally and the third survived. Rittenhouse then attempted to surrender to the Kenosha police officers that were present.

While rushing to investigate, those officers allowed Rittenhouse to leave the scene. He drove twenty miles back to his home. He was arrested by local police the next day on charges of first degree manslaughter.

Rittenhouse, of course, is a Donald Trump supporter, one who attended a Trump rally in January of this year. And to no one's surprise, his actions are being defended and praised by right wing figures such as Ann Coulter and Tucker Carlson.

In response to all this, the Milwaukee Bucks chose to not play their playoff game last night. The other scheduled games were postponed as well. The remainder of the NBA season may be cancelled outright, with no champion crowned or declared. The Milwaukee Brewers baseball team also chose to not play their scheduled game, in protest of the Blake shooting.

The athletes in question may come in for a lot of criticism but I support them 100%. To act as things are perfectly fine, perfectly normal, when they are not, is foolish at best and dangerous at worst.

To take a public stand in defense of ones beliefs is admirable and courageous.

This year has been anything but fine, or normal. It's one thing after another. COVID-19, and economic collapse, and the rapid dismantling of the United States Postal Service, and brutal attacks on innocent civilians and brutal attacks on peaceful protesters, and my god will it ever stop?

If we somehow reelect Donald Trump, it's going to be game over for America. We can not hope to survive four more years of what he's done to us.

Convenience Stores

Let's talk about convenience stores. Once upon a time, just about every gas station sold gas,k and not much more. Most of them would have a soda machine and a small display case for candy and nothing else. These days, most gas stations sell a limited but decent line of groceries. Many offer food of some kind.

The convenience store closest to me is just one block away. It's open from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. and it never closes for any holiday. I spend, on average, anywhere from $100 to $150 a week there.

But that may be about to change. A few months ago, someone new started working there. This guy is very rude to customers. He berates us if he thinks we're taking too long to remove items from our basket and place them on the counter. He often talks to me like I'm stupid or something. He yells at customers who dare call him on it when he gives incorrect change or charges the wrong price for an item.

God forbid you should ask him to make a sandwich for you. He gets a real attitude if he has to make one. I feel like saying, "You know, it is part of the job.".

Here's what he did tonight that made me so upset that I walked out without buying anything.
He took a winning scratch off ticket that I had bought last night and checked it, then put it in the register drawer. He first complained that I hadn't completely scratched off the UPC code on the ticket.

Doing so took him probably all of five seconds. Then, he said, "You won five dollars, yes?".

To which I replied, "No, it was ten dollars."

Now, here's the thing. When I worked for a convenience store (actually, it was this one but long ago, under different ownership) it was standard procedure to pay out on tickets before putting the ticket in the drawer. That way, no one could claim to be short changed on their payout.

Now this guy, he just had to mess with me. Not once, not twice, but three times, he insisted it was five dollars.

For the record, it really was ten dollars.

Then, after I raised my voice and said "Sir, it was ten dollars.", he sneers at me, hands me a ten dollar bill  out of the register drawer and has the nerve to say "Why are you crying, little baby?".

That's when I put the bill in my wallet, put my wallet in my left pants pocket and walked out of the store. I am going to go back early tomorrow and tell whoever is working there that I have had it with this guy. I will also politely point out how much business I give them and that I have, in almost three and a half years, never complained about anything.

Then I'm going to say that just one more incident with this employee will cause me to never, ever buy so much as a pack of gum there, again.

Because, as the expression goes, they're not the only game in town.

Okay, Maybe I Am A Little Bit Weird

Am I a little bit weird?

I know, it's not exactly the kind of question that's easily answered. But I'm definitely something. Offbeat? Quirky?

Here's one example of the kinds of things I do. Several years ago, my late wife would watch a live telecast of the Grand Ole Opry on the now long defunct Nashville Network. Most weeks, I'd watch it with her.

But one Saturday night, when she asked me to come out into the living room to watch it, I said I didn't need to. I was, I explained, listening to it on the radio.

Now, that got Michelle's attention, for sure. She asked me how I could possibly be doing that?

Which is when I had to give a short explanation of how AM radio signals can bounce around at night time, like crazy. Listening to radio stations, in hopes of picking up signals from far away, is called "DX-ing".

It's something I discovered purely by accident one night. I began doing it every time I had the chance to do so. I kept very detailed logs of what stations I listened to, where they were located, what time I heard them, and how long I was able to listen to them.

I really wish I still had those logs. But all that is decades in the past.

Anyhow, once I explained how I was doing it, Michelle asked why I was doing it. To which I replied, "Because it's authentic."

I don't for one minute think she understood. But to me, sitting at the kitchen table with a radio, listening to the broadcast on radio, as countless listeners had been doing for decades, just seemed authentic to me. Watching it on television just wasn't the same.

Michelle accepted what I had said and was fine with it.

This Week In Review

I'd like to review the week we're close to ending, and what a week it's been.

The Senate continues to fail us, as Senators took a three day weekend this week. Nearly three months after the House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act, the act still has yet to come to a vote in the Senate.

Accounts of increasing delays in mail delivery are becoming more common. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy just fired or reassigned twenty-three senior executives last night. DeJoy and his wife, it appears, have substantial financial interests in businesses that compete with the Postal Service. Also, the Postal Service has announced that mail-in ballots must have first class postage of 55 cents, as opposed to the former rate, which is the bulk  mailing rate of twenty cents. This, of course, will make it more difficult for state governments to send such ballots to voters.

It's worth noting that all this has taken place in just one month, as DeJoy took over in early July. He's wasting no time in destroying the Postal Service, is he?

Of course, Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to mount daily.

On a personal note, my week so far has been good, for the most part. Monday I ran a few quick errands that took about 45 minutes. Tuesday, I went nowhere at all as it rained heavily all day with thunder and lightning. Wednesday, I went to Wal-Mart and got some very nice clothes on clearance.

Thursday was a repeat of Tuesday, with bad weather and my going nowhere. Yesterday and today, I just went one block up to the gas station and convenience store to get a few things.

Wishing you the best, dear reader.

Rest In Peace, America

This is the saddest thing I've ever had to write. As I've been doing the research all week, I have come to one single, inescapable conclusion.

The United States of America is no longer a functioning nation. It is now a failed state. Covid-19 cases continue to rise with 150,000 deaths in just five months, a number that may very well double by the end of the year.

Second quarter Gross Domestic Product contracted by 32.9%, which makes the months of April, May, and June the worst three months on record, ever. Thirty million Americans, of which I am one, are collecting unemployment benefits. Our extra $600 a week will cease to be paid unless Congress takes action by the end of the day tomorrow.

Some estimates peg the number of Americans facing possible eviction in August at 40%.

Republicans in the Senate continue to argue among themselves and have yet to take any action after taking every possible chance to delay doing so.

A U.S. passport is barely worth the paper it's printed on, as several nations across the planet continue to bar Americans from entering their countries.

Yesterday, President Trump tweeted the following.

"I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low-income housing built in your neighborhood," he said in the first tweet.

He then continued with "Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down. I have rescinded the Obama-Biden AFFH Rule. Enjoy!"

That's loaded with so much racism, I don't know where to begin detailing it all. But let me try to do so.

Poverty affects all of us, but the simple and painful truth is that poverty is highest among people of color. That low income housing lowers property values is unproven. That people who live in such housing commit more crime than others is proven to be false. But it sure is easy to blame them for everything, isn't it?

And then, just a few hours ago, came this tweet.

"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"

Let me take that one and break it down. First off, it's an attempt to de-legitimize the coming election. Then, as you can see, it proposes delaying the election. And finally, it tries to legitimize doing so by invoking three different issues.  Properly voting,  I think we can agree, means allowing every citizen to register, to vote, and to have that vote counted. Securely voting means not having elections tampered with in any way. Safely voting means not having to risk your life standing in line for up to twelve hours because the number of polling stations have been decreased.

All three of those are things that Republican governors, lawmakers and election officials have been viciously attacking for decades.

America is now a nation where the government can not or will not provide for basic standards of safety and well being. And if things keep going the way they are, there won't be an America by the end of this decade, I predict. The nation will splinter into smaller pieces, each struggling to survive in the darkest of times.

Please Vote For Joe Biden

It's time for another politically related post. Covid-19 deaths continue to mount at the rate of over 1,000 a day. The HEROES act continues to sit languishing in the Senate. Enhanced unemployment benefits have expired. Millions of people face eviction through no fault of their own. 

I am asking you, dear reader, to vote for Joe Biden and for Democratic congressional candidates.

I am asking you to stand up against fascism in this country. What has been named "Operation Diligent Valor" is immoral. It is unconstitutional in the extreme. Unarmed non-violent protesters
are being arrested. They are being tear gassed. They are being violently attacked. They are being ridiculed by the President of the United States of America.

This is not the America for which my father served honorably. He and countless other men and women have stood vigilant to defend our freedom. 

Have we no sense of decency anymore?

I have to believe we do, tattered though it may be.

July 27, 1999

Today would be our twenty-first wedding anniversary if my late wife Michelle were still alive.

We met in person for the first time on the 26th of July. I'll be honest in telling you that we spent the night together. We woke up early that morning of the 27th and were discussing what we might do that day when Michelle said "Let's get married".

I said "Okay" and she then said she was just kidding. I said that I wasn't. We sat and talked things over for several minutes, and then agreed to do it. She called City Hall in Scranton to see what we had to do. We got all the details and called a local magistrate to arrange things. Then we waited until it was time to go.

We then went to City Hall, filled out all the necessary forms, and paid the fees. I actually did get down on one knee, right there in front of several other people. I  had no ring to use other than my high school class ring, so Michelle put that on a chain to wear around her neck.

We went to the magistrate court, and the magistrate performed the ceremony. His wife served as our witness and played "Here Comes The Bride" on a radio that had a cassette deck. We were pronounced man and wife at 1:58 Eastern Daylight Time. The magistrate shook my hand and his wife hugged Michelle, then they both wished us good luck.

We stopped at a McDonald's for lunch. Michelle barely touched her food while I ate all of mine. From there back to our hotel room was a short drive.

Later that afternoon, Michelle called her mother and informed her of what we'd done. I then called my father and told him the same news. We then each called several other people, including her best friend, her sisters, and my brother.

It was decided that everyone would gather for a family meal. That, to be honest, was a bit overwhelming for me. Everyone from her family was nice to me, but still, I was glad when it was over.

That was all twenty-one years ago, now.

Your Week In Review

Well, here we are. It's Friday, and what a week it's been.

The Senate is in recess for the weekend, despite having taken no action on the HEROES act. All sorts of different numbers are being tossed around by the Republicans. We're hearing $100 a week extra in unemployment benefits, or maybe $400 a week, or maybe the full $600, or maybe nothing at all.

Covid-19 cases and deaths continue to rise, primarily in places that reopened too soon.

Much of the country has been dealing with severe heat. It was so bad out yesterday in Binghamton that I went nowhere. I left the building just for the few minutes it took me to take out my trash. I timed that just right, because ten minutes later a bad thunderstorm passed through.

Today, thankfully, it's a bit cooler so I was able to take a short walk.

Which is good because I had a very bad migraine overnight and had to get some kind of medicine. It was so bad that it made me slightly dizzy and nauseous. I took two Advil Migraine gel caps and I'm waiting now for them to kick in.

I've had some good food this week. My order from Domino's was good. I made myself a nice breakfast yesterday consisting of toast, a three egg omelette, and corned beef hash.

Wishing you a safe and happy weekend, dear reader.

Good Food Delivered

Today I took a nap, after doing the things that needed to be done.

While sleeping, I had a dream that I was eating chicken wings. For me to dream about food is a common occurrence. But it's usually about food I eat on a regular basis.

I honestly can't remember the last time I ate chicken wings. I did, however, read an article a few days ago about Domino's having recently changed the recipe on their wings. So when I woke up from the dream, I turned my computer on and went to their website.

The store closest to me is just a few minutes away. I order food from it once a week, on average. Their delivery drivers are always courteous. All deliveries are contact free, these days.
I usually use the two items for $5.99 each online coupon, and did so tonight. I added a 20 ounce soda to my order, so with tax, delivery fee and tip, my total came to just under $25.

From the time I placed my order until the time the driver arrived with my wings and pizza was twenty-three minutes. The estimate was twenty-three to twenty-eight minutes, so that was all good.

The driver was properly wearing a face mask, and kept the delivery process contact free.

The wings were delicious. I wanted to see what they taste like with no sauces on them, so I ordered them plain, with one side of honey barbecue sauce. The one side of sauce comes free with the wings and was just enough for the eight pieces in my order. They're baked, and not at all greasy. Whatever is used to marinate them gave them a really nice flavor that enhanced but didn't overpower the chicken.

The pizza was my usual order. No garlic in the crust, topped with sausage and mushrooms. It was baked to perfection and I had one slice of it. The rest will be tomorrow's breakfast and lunch.

I am a professional chef. A lot of my fellow chefs hold chain restaurants in disregard. But personally, I feel that some chains do offer good food at good prices. The food I got tonight was reasonably priced and of good quality.

As always, dear reader, wishing you the best in these times of uncertainty.

The Next Day

Okay, so now it's Monday morning, July 19, 1999. I've been home about 45 minutes or so.

I turned on my WebTV unit, logged in, and checked my e-mail. Then I went into one of the rooms
at Talk City. I had been there just a few minutes when I got a private message from another chatter.

The exchange went like this:

"Hi."

"Hi."

"ASL?"

"33/M/NY"

"33/F/PA"

"I'm in Binghamton."

"I'm in Scranton."

"My name's Kevin."

"My name is Michelle."

Yes, that's how my late wife and I met. In a chat room twenty-one years ago today.

After chatting for about fifteen minutes or so, she asked if I wanted to call her. I said I did, and she
gave me her home phone number. We talked for about a half hour more.

When we said good night to each other, she asked if I would ever call again. I said I would, at whatever time was best for her. We talked every night that week. And I decided to meet here in person, on Monday the 26th.

We got married the next day.

The Day Before Everything Changed

The year is 1999. The date is Sunday, July 18th. I was working part-time at WBGH-TV, which at that time, was owned by our sister station in Elmira. I was a Master Control Operator, and I was very good at the job. We still dubbed all our local spots to video tape and I could get an entire day's worth of them done in a single shift.

At that time, B.C. Transit still had yet to add service on Sundays. My dad, may he rest in peace, always offered to pay for my cab ride to and from work that day. So I called the cab at my normal time, went into work and had an uneventful shift.

Sundays, after running the news at 11 p.m., from our sister station in Elmira, WBGH ran "The George Michael Sports Machine" from 11:30 till midnight. The show was always fun to watch, and easy to run. The half hour always went by pretty quickly.

What was not easy, was what I had to do when the show ended. I had to run our last local break, punch into our sister station's feed, and start taping "The People's Court" from a satellite feed.

And I had to get all three things done in just thirty seconds. Once it was done, so was my shift. I would sign off on the official log book, turn out the lights, and call the cab for my ride home.
I'd then walk out of our office, and lock the door behind me.

I usually had a short wait for the cab and that night was no different. I got home around 12:15 or so Monday morning. I ate a light meal, watched a little television, and fed my cat.

To be continued...

We Are Living In A Fascist State

The article to which I am linking covers things in better detail than I am able to. The city of Portland, Oregon is under occupation by federal agents in defiance of an order issued by the Governor of Oregon. 

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/17/trump-condemned-authoritarian-abuse-power-secret-federal-police-snatch-protesters

I do have a much more pleasant post that I will put up later today. But right now, this is far more important.

This Is Just Too Much

As deaths from Covid-19 continue to increase and as 30 million Americans draw perilously close to losing their enhanced unemployment benefits (full disclosure: I'm one of them), what critical issue or issues did the President deal with today?

None, as far as anyone can tell. What the President of the United States of America did see fit to use his time for was posting a photo to his Instagram account. The photo shows him holding his thumbs up with an assortment of Goya products arrayed on his desk.

Okay, you may be asking, what's up with that?

Last Thursday, Goya CEO Robert Unanue, while attending a press conference in the Rose Garden at the White House, said “We are all truly blessed … to have a leader like President Trump who is a builder.”

Robert Unanue is a private citizen. Goya, the family owned company that he heads up, is privately owned. Mister Unanue has every right to say what he said.

And we who now boycott his company have every right to do that, as well. But as so often happens, a backlash to such actions occurs, and occurs soon after such actions begin.

First, Mister Unanue accused boycott supporters of violating his First Amendment right to free speech. This is patently absurd. When I choose to no longer buy his company's products, I am exercising my right to do business with his company's competitors. I am not issuing a court order forbidding him to make any statements regarding the situation. I am not issuing an order forbidding newspapers from running paid advertisements for the company.

But it didn't end there, of course. Yesterday, Ivanka Trump posted an image of herself holding a can of Goya black beans to her Twitter account. This may be a violation of government regulations concerning "the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise" by executive branch employees.

The President is exempt from those regulations.

But even though what Donald Trump did today is legal, that doesn't change the fact that he wasted his time doing it. This country is on the edge of collapsing economically, politically, and socially.

And this is what our leader chooses to care about.

My Week Thus Far

As we find ourselves closing in on the weekend, I'd like to just talk a bit about how my week has gone, so far.

It's been hot, much hotter than normal for our area. A heat warning was issued yesterday afternoon. I get my weather information from MSN. Their site is easy to use and the information is always accurate. At 4 in the afternoon, they listed a temperature in Binghamton of ninety-five degrees. I checked the current temperature just a few minutes ago and it's much too warm for the 1 a.m. hour at seventy-six degrees. I've had my air conditioner running around the clock for four days now.

I know better than to go anywhere in such weather so the only times I left the building all day were to take out my trash, at about 4:30, and to go one block up to the convenience store, just before 8 o'clock. I really wanted to cook a nice dinner but just couldn't bring myself to do it. I ordered two pizzas and a garden salad from the Domino's just across the river on Vestal Avenue.

I left a note with one pizza telling my fellow residents to enjoy it. I ate two slices of the other pizza along with the salad for dinner.

That covers Thursday.

Wednesday I needed several things from Wal-Mart so I went to their store in Vestal. I was appalled at the number of customers not wearing face masks. Several people also ignored the color codes for which way to enter the various aisles. I got everything I needed in just twenty minutes. I should have had more time to work with, but the #57 bus got there behind schedule. I left myself ten minutes in which to check out before the next #57 was due to arrive.

No problem, right? Wrong. The self checkout stations were only handling debit and credit card transactions. I normally use one of them to check out, but the smallest bill I had on me was a $20 bill and the bus costs just $2. I found a regular register with just three other people in line, two of whom were together.

I should have been checked out with a few minutes to spare, but the first person, whom I've been in line with before, at other stores, took much too long, as usual. The other two people were nice enough to let me get ahead of them. I thanked them when they did that. But I still missed my bus by a few minutes.

No problem, right? Wrong, again. The #47 which would have gotten me to a transfer point with the #5 inbound (which has its stop closest to me just a few hundred feet from home) was behind schedule and I missed the transfer. Long story, short, I sat in the heat for forty minutes before the next #57 came through. That's the one that, had I taken it all the way downtown, would have had me sitting another half hour or so before taking the #5 the other way.

By that time, I was miserable from the heat. I was so relieved when the driver said that if anyone needed to transfer at Binghamton University, she would radio ahead and ask those drivers to wait for us if need be. We made it there with a few minutes to spare.

Tuesday, all I did was walk to the main branch of my credit union to get some cash. The ATM was out of service, but thank goodness, the lobby was open. I walked home and stopped to get a sub for dinner.

Monday, I didn't even leave downtown. I went a short distance, to get a sub and came home.

Today is expected to be a bit cooler, with a high temperature of eighty-two or so. There's nothing I need to do, or nowhere I need to go, so I'm going to take things easy. I'll leave the building just for the two minutes or so it takes me to take out my trash.

I am so bored these days. But I'm safe, which is the important thing. Chances are, dear reader, that you've seen the most recent numbers on Covid-19 by now. I want to write more about all that, but I just don't know if I have it in me to do so.

Wishing you a pleasant and safe weekend.

I Like Candy

Earlier today, I went one block up the street to a convenience store that I get a lot of things from. They sell bread, milk and other basics at reasonable prices. The guys who work there make good subs, as well. I got one today for lunch.

The first thing I did after placing my order for the sub was go to the aisle where they have all the snacks. Now, please bear in mind, I'm fifty-four years old. But sometimes, when I'm trying to decide what snack to get, I'm still like a kid.

It's "Oh, that looks good" and "Wow, I haven't had that in a long time", and other things I say to myself as I consider my choices. Today I got a pack of "Chuckles". If you've never had this, let me explain. These are flavored jelly candies that have been on the market since they were first sold in 1921.

The standard is five pieces to a pack, and has been for as long as I can remember. I like all five flavors but my favorite is the licorice.

I'll probably eat them while watching a movie on DVD later tonight.

Wishing you a safe and fun Independence Day, dear reader.

I Get Things Done

One of the things I pride myself on is being a highly efficient person. Being one isn't easy, and getting to be one wasn't exactly a walk in the park, either.

Just how efficient am I? Let's take today as an example. I woke up at 8:30 this morning and got out of bed right then. In the first two hours and forty-five minutes of my day, I did the following.

1- Turned on my computer, logged into Gmail, and checked my messages.

2- Checked my news feed for overnight news headlines.

3- Ate breakfast.

4- Washed my face, shaved, brushed my teeth, showered and washed my hair, then put on clean clothes.

5. Cleaned my room here at the Y.M.C.A., daily cleaning includes light dusting, sweeping and mopping of the floor, and taking out the trash. Made my bed and sprayed it lightly with fabric freshener.

6. Walked to my credit union to make a deposit. It's a twenty minute walk each way, so the round trip and waiting to get into the lobby took 45 minutes altogether.

7. Walked home, stopping at a Family Dollar store to pick up a few basic items.

8. Put those items away when I got home.

9. Started writing this blog post.

Not bad, if I do say so myself.

It Was Thirty-Six Years Ago?

Really?

It indeed was thirty-six years ago that the Class of 1984 graduated from Whitney Point High School. We all gathered together for the very last time in the school gymnasium. While we were lined up to go in, my guidance counselor went into the teacher's lounge one last time to get me a Coke from the vending machine.

To this day, I have no idea how the order in which we went up on stage was determined. A friend of mine and myself, whose last names are almost the same (Johnson and Johnston, respectively), were the last two to receive our diplomas.

Well, a cover to store it in, actually. The diplomas were all laid out on tables in the cafeteria, so we had to go back there to get them after the ceremony was concluded.

My dad, may he rest in peace, decided that if we couldn't leave early, that we'd then be the last to leave. He, my brother and I sat in our car until every other car had left the parking lot we were parked in.

That upset me a little, because I had money that my grandmother had given me as a graduation present and I wanted to stop on our way home to get a few things before the supermarket closed.
We did get there in time, so I got a pizza, soda, and whatever else was on my list.

If I recall correctly, there were 122 of us in the Class of 1984. I was not invited to any graduation parties. I did try to throw a party of my own. Two people accepted my invitation, and one of them had to cancel due to a death in the family. So my friend and I just hung out together the next night at my home.

That was, as I say, thirty-six years ago, now.

This Is America 2020

America. A nation where a pandemic rages, having killed close to 120,000 people with an estimate for the end of summer of 250,000. A nation where the President defies sound medical advice and just plain common sense by staging large rallies for his reelection campaign.

A nation where armed protesters openly defying governmental orders are allowed to threaten violence against elected officials. A nation where unarmed protesters standing up for their rights are beaten, teargassed, threatened and arrested.

A nation that put men on the moon but won't spend the money needed to keep grass from growing in cracked sections of sidewalks in cities and towns across the country.

A nation that has 4% of the overall global population and 25% of its prison population.

A nation in which most of us continue to tolerate and many of us support the inhumane and evil "detention" of children in concentration camps.

A nation whose constitutionally mandated postal service is being deliberately driven into bankruptcy by powerful men and women, including the President.

A nation in which we've been told for far too long that we no longer need make sacrifices for the common good. Where has that gotten us?

A nation in which armed militias patrol town and city streets. They have taken to the streets because some media outlets and even some government officials have stirred up a panic about "Antifa" mobs coming in from out of state to burn down buildings. Of course, there have been no such attacks, anywhere.

I'm truly sorry to have to write all of this. But it's all true and if I don't share it with even just one person, then I am just as much to blame for it all as anyone else. I do what I can to fight it all, too. I sign petitions. I write to elected officials. I donate money to worthwhile charities that are doing
fine work to take things head on.

Still, I wish I could do more. I wish I could give more money. I wish I could volunteer my time (sadly, to do so would threaten my unemployment benefits here in New York). Therefore, I ask of you, dear reader, at least this one thing.

After you read what I've written, take time to consider what you can do.

I Warned You

If you go back into the older posts, you'll see that back in 2016 and 2017, I stated several times
just how much of a threat that the Trump presidency poses for America.

Or, you can just take my word for it that I did so. Either way, as this year rolls along its way,
things are bad.

Confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the U.S.A. now number over two million. Confirmed deaths number 116,000. Twenty-one states are seeing increases. Too many states and cities reopened much too soon, I believe.

Yet, with all this going on, the United States Senate has done nothing with the most recent relief bill that passed in the House Of Representatives several weeks ago. Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says that the earliest anything might be done is in the third week of next month. 

People are dying. People are being evicted. People are losing their employer based health care.

People are laying it all on the line to protest things that have been allowed to go far too long. That's a good thing. 

Of course, the president responded by trying to intimidate us with threats of armed troops patrolling our streets. That failed, miserably, thank goodness. But if he was willing to put soldiers on the streets now, do you really think he won't try again, after he loses the election?

And what will he do if he wins? 

Places I Grew Up With

One of the nice things about having spent most of my life in the same area is having places that I remember going to as a child, that are still in business.

One of those places is the Nirchi's on Court Street in Binghamton, where I got a submarine sandwich and a slice of pizza for lunch today. Several years ago (late 2013, early 2014, somewhere along in there), the building next to it was damaged severely in a fire. Nirchi's was saved, due to the hard work of local firefighters, but the building did sustain considerable smoke and water damage.

The restaurant opened in 1967 and is something of a local landmark. During the several months that it was closed for repairs and extensive remodeling, there was no place in downtown Binghamton to get pizza. When it reopened, looking better than it ever had before, long time customers such as myself were happy to see it come back.

The food I got there today was very good and reasonably priced. The young lady that waited on me was friendly and did her job very well.

A second place is somewhere I haven't been recently, but actually plan on visiting sometime this week coming up. It too, is a pizza place, but is much smaller than Nirchi's and also, much older.
Brozzetti's Pizza in Johnson City, New York opened in 1949. To this day, it's been owned by several different members of the same family. To this day, it's still cash only, and take out only.

It was the place where I would get a pizza and a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi for my late wife and I to eat while watching Sunday Night Football. I've never had a slice from there that was anything but delicious.

And yet a third restaurant is another place I've been going to for a long time. This one is a classic
burger joint named The Original Lupo's Char Pit. This is not affiliated in any way with Lupo's S&S Char Pit in Binghamton. The two restaurants were opened by two cousins, independently of each other.

The only time I ever ate at the one in Binghamton, the food was good. It was, however, expensive and the service was poor. The one in Endwell, the one I've eaten at more times than I can begin to count, has never disappointed me.

The food has never been anything but first rate, the prices have always been reasonable, and the service has always been excellent. This too, is carry out only and cash only. The space in which you stand to place your order is tiny. On a hot summer day when people don't want to cook, you can count on the line extending out the door.

According to the information on their Facebook page, the place opened in 1966. The first time I ate there, if I recall correctly, was in 1985, on a double date with my girlfriend, her cousin and her cousin's boyfriend. For several years, I lived about a half mile away from it. I could get my food and still have it be fresh when I got home with it.

For most of its history, it had no dining area of any kind, but some years ago, a permanent awning with picnic benches was erected. It's nice to be able to eat the food right there in a nicely shaded area.

I have wonderful memories associated with all three of these places and I'm so glad they're still around, and just as good as ever.





 

15 Years Ago, My Michelle.

Oh, my God. It was just about this time of day fifteen years ago today, that my wife, myself, and her parents left for the hospital where her surgery was scheduled for 8 or so, if I recall correctly.

The drive to the hospital? A short one, five minutes or so. No one spoke in the car. My father-in-law was not the smartest man ever, but he was honest, hard working and no-nonsense. He dropped the three of us off at the main entrance then went to park the car.

The admittance processing went smoothly, with a lot of papers to be read and signed. We were escorted to the floor where the surgery would be done. We were put in a tiny room down the corridor.

There was a small television set but none of us were in any mood to watch television. We made very uncomfortable small talk until the doctor came in to talk to us. He had performed the initial surgery on Michelle's ankle a year and a half before. That procedure had gone well, as Michelle eventually was able to walk on her own for short distances.

In one of life's true ironies, she then re-injured the same ankle, the same exact way. She was getting out of an electric powered cart when we were coming out of Wal-Mart. She tried desperately to get a power chair for herself. No doctor would deem it necessary for her, therefore, Medicaid would not cover the cost of one.

Buying one on our own was simply out of the question. I pushed her everywhere in a manual
wheelchair. Her doctor agreed to do a second surgery if and when she was medically cleared. On June 2, 2005, her primary care physician refused to issue a final clearance.

Michelle being Michelle, she refused to take no for an answer and talked her way into an exam with a doctor she had never seen before. He gave her what she wanted, we called the doctor's office, and so we went to the hospital the next morning, as I've detailed here.

When her oldest and closest friend arrived, we were already behind schedule. Her presence brightened our collective mood considerably.

I can close my eyes and remember Michelle taking her copy of something.

She took it and folded it into a paper airplane. She smiled at me when she was done.

She flew it across the room several times, with myself retrieving it for her each time.

Eventually, of course, the medical team came to get her. I let her parents go with her down the corridor. I and her friend relocated to a larger waiting area.

The surgery took longer than expected but when it was done, we were all glad to hear it had gone well. I told my mother and father in law that they could go home, and they did. Her friend stayed a bit longer but then had to leave.

By that time, a few members of my family had arrived. My cousin went into Michelle's room
with me when she came out of recovery. She stayed a few minutes then gave us the privacy we needed.

Michelle was weak and tired but in a good mood. She would not eat her lunch until I went down to the cafeteria to get something for myself and came back with it. We ate together and then I called my cousin, who had gone to McDonalds, just a few minutes away.

By that time, Michelle was starting to fall asleep. She ever so gently asked me to go home, to feed our pets, to get the rent money out of the bank and pay the rent, to get some groceries.

I kissed her and promised I would call as soon as I possibly could. My cousin, who lived in the same building as we did, drove the two of us home. When she had taken care of a few things, she called me and asked if I was ready to run my errands.

I said I was, so she drove me to the bank, the supermarket, and our land lord's office, then home again.

I was very tired, so I took a restful nap. I woke up refreshed, cooked dinner and watched television for a little bit. I walked our two dogs one last time for the day. I was just about to call Michelle when the phone rang.

It was her, calling me, of course. She was still tired, so we talked for just a few minutes. I promised her I would come to see her as soon as visiting hours began. As I've written here before, the last three words I ever said to her were "I love you".

She died at 9:45 the next morning, while I was on my way to the hospital on foot.

America Is Collapsing

Brooklyn - New York Police Department officers drive their SUV cruisers into a crowd of protesters.

Minneapolis - Paint gun rounds fired at people standing on their own front porch.

Dallas - Tear gas and rubber bullets fired at protesters.

Covid-19 deaths now officially listed at close to 103,000.

Unemployment rates that are still rising, and could be as high as 40% by the end of summer.

The President hides in his secured bunker as protesters gather in front of the White House.

Things just get worse by the day. Pandemic, economic collapse, and senseless violence.
Death, destruction, and despair on a scale this nation has never seen before.

White protesters, armed and threatening violence, are allowed to threaten elected officials. 
Police officers stand and watch in complicit silence.

Black protesters, unarmed and defenseless, are attacked by police units that are military units in all but name.

Things are going to get much worse, mark my words. The elections in November will be threatened and may not ever take place. The President, if he loses, will almost certainly refuse to leave office peacefully. Civil war is something we might see by the end of this year.

If you voted for Donald Trump in 2016, you share part of the responsibility for all of it. 

I Am So Angry

What an absolute fucking nightmare this day has been. The power went off in this part of Binghamton at 7 o'clock this morning. The initial estimate for restoration of service was 9:45 a.m. and as of 10:30 p.m, power has not yet been restored.

I'm using what little power is left on my computer's battery and the battery for my modem to write this. When they go, I'll be off line until power is restored for this building.

I'm angry because this has not only ruined my day, it's cost me about $40 in fresh and frozen food that is now spoiled. I'm angry because no one here at the YMCA has done anything for us. No one has made an effort to see if any of us have eaten. No one has made an effort to get us cold, bottled water. Per MSN's website, the temperature downtown as of 10:15 p.m. was 71 degrees. It's eighty-two degrees in my room.

Neither the city of Binghamton nor NYSEG has done anything for us either.

My mental state wasn't exactly the best coming into today, to begin with. Last Monday would have been my late wife's birthday if she were still alive. Next Thursday will mark the 15th anniversary of her death.

Okay, it's 10:37 and the damned power is back on. But I'm still angry, about all of this. I'm also upset with a local mental health crisis line, because I called there twenty minutes ago just wanting, needing, to talk to someone. The person I spoke to was rude and dismissive of my situation. The call lasted four minutes.

I don't talk about it much, and never have really discussed it here, but my mental health is less than perfect under the best of circumstances. I suffer from depression, I experience anxiety attacks, and I also have post-traumatic stress disorder. You can just imagine what a day like today has done to me.

I mean, I have to go out to the dumpster in a few minutes to dispose of several items. Melted ice cream (2 full pints), hot dogs that were warm to the touch, lunch meat that smells bad, cheese that smells bad, frozen green beans that I'm not about to take a chance on, mayonnaise, eggs, four small frozen pizzas, a partial bag of frozen french fries and a half carton of milk.

Wasted, every bit of it. All I have that I can safely eat right now are four breakfast bars and a can of Chef Boyardee ravioli. Yummy. (Sarcasm levels at 100%, Captain, according to our sensors).

Like I said, what an absolute fucking nightmare.

Yes, This Is Another Covid-19 Post

The ongoing debate as how to best handle the Corona Virus pandemic is far from being settled.
Where I live, in the region officially designated as the "Southern Tier" of New York, the stay in place order was lifted a week and a half ago. The number of new cases in the region has dropped considerably over the last few weeks.

That's a good thing, of course. But it's no guarantee of ongoing reductions, nor is it a guarantee
of economic recovery. Some restaurants have reopened here in the Binghamton area.

A few closed permanently, and at least one new one has opened. I know, because I walked past it last Tuesday. But many businesses are still closed, including most hair salons and barber shops. My most recent haircut was in the second week of March, and boy, do I need one now.

But if even if I could find a place to get one, I'm not doing that anytime soon. Not after two hair stylists in Arkansas have just recently triggered an outbreak of at least 100 new cases. Both stylists were experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 but didn't let that stop them from going back to work.

No thank you, I will not take that risk. I'll cut my hair myself when the grooming kit I ordered from
Amazon arrives later this week.

What bothers me about things in this area is that over half of the people I see on the street are no longer wearing protective masks, nor are they practicing social distancing.

I get it, people. If someone has to go back to work, so be it. I may well be in that situation myself by the end of next month.

But this whole situation is far from over.  If we stop doing what we know works, we're just setting
ourselves up for an even worse situation down the road, as it were. Not wearing a mask or not keeping an acceptable distance in non-work situations, to me, is simply unacceptable.

The local economy in Broome County was decent before all this started. Now it's hurting, badly. But what trade off do we consider to be acceptable? How many deaths equals what level of economic growth? Personally, I'm inclined to consider the human cost as being much more important than the economic one.

But I'm just one person, one who has no say in how things are to be handled.

Sorry for the real downer of a post, but that's just where I'm at right now.

Two Fun Saturdays In The 1980s

During the almost five years I worked as a closer at a Wendy's, I put in a lot of nights. In 1988 I worked 323 nights out of 366 (1988 was a leap year). The next year, it was 324 nights out of 365.

Of the eighty-four nights I didn't work in those two years, very few of them were on a Saturday night.

I do remember taking January 23rd, 1988 off to celebrate my birthday with three of my co-workers.

My birthday is the 22nd of that month but I chose to work on it so I could spend the next night with the other three guys. We went bowling at a local alley. We played video games and shot a few games of pool while we were waiting for our reservation time for the two lanes I had booked.

We had a lot of fun that night.

Then, on another rare Saturday night off, I had no plans and wound up going to the same alley, which was about a fifteen minute walk from where I lived at the time. I had no lane reservation so I made one when I got there and was playing pool when I felt someone tap me on my shoulder.

It was my dad. He too, had reserved a lane but when he saw me, we decided to share one lane so he went back to the front desk and cancelled his reservation. When my name was called over the intercom, we racked the balls on the pool table for the next player and started bowling.

The first game was a friendly competition and I won it.

The second game was just the same, and Dad won it.

When we began the third game, any loving kindness of a father-son nature was out the window,
as the expression goes. There were no shared smiles, and no compliments for making a good throw.

I took an early lead, lost it and then regained it. In the final frame, I held a one pin lead. Dad
found himself looking at the dreaded 7-10 split, the hardest throw to make in bowling.

He made a perfect throw and won the game by one pin. I congratulated him and after I
took care of the bill at the front desk, I called a cab from a pay phone.

Dad, at the time, lived about five minutes away from me with his girlfriend, so we decided
to share the cab. What was supposed to be a fifteen minute wait stretched out for more than an hour.

During that time, we had one of the very best father-son talks we ever had.

I had paid for the lane and both shoe rentals, so Dad offered to pay for the cab.

The driver dropped me off at my apartment. I had a light dinner after showering and changing into clean clothes. I checked the TV Guide and there really wasn't anything on television that night
that I was interested in watching.

I decided to go see a movie.

I checked the listings in the newspaper and saw that the film playing at the theater just a few minutes away from my apartment was one that I wanted to see. The other theater, which was about a mile and a half away, was showing a film I had no interest in.

As I arrived at the movie theater, sure enough, Dad was in line.

His girlfriend had gone out to dinner with her brother and his wife so Dad had decided to go out again, just as I had. We sat together, of course. He paid for the tickets and I paid for the snacks.

When the film was over, we walked up Washington Avenue and crossed Main Street to get
a snack. We spent a half hour or so at Dunkin' Donuts and then said our goodbyes for the night.

That was just about thirty-one years ago, now, and it still stands as one of the best days I've ever had.

The Spring That Hasn't Been

In the Northern Hemisphere, spring began on March 19th of this year. But this spring, just as two years ago, has been harsh here in the Binghamton, NY area. We've seen most days have daytime high temperatures anywhere from ten to thirty degrees below normal. We have had a few truly nice days, but they've been few and far in between.

Right now, it's snowing here in Binghamton. When I left my building to go to Wal-Mart, at 5 in the afternoon, it was fifty degrees and raining. It's now thirty degrees with a predicted overnight low of twenty-six and a predicted high of just thirty-eight degrees tomorrow.

The temperature dropped twenty degrees in just a little over two hours. I was looking forward
to having a nice chef salad for dinner today but now, it's going to be soup and a sandwich. There
have been days I've used my air conditioner but right now I have my portable ceramic heater running.

This is just so damned depressing. I mean, it's not like we don't have enough to deal with already.

Wishing you the best, dear reader.

Most Recent Covid-19 Numbers

This first set of numbers are from the CDC, and are therefore considered to be official.

As of May 6, 2020, total cases of Covid-19 in the USA number 1,171,510 and deaths
number 68,279.

There are varying estimates on deaths per day. I haven't been able to find anything official, other
than the CDC report of 823 deaths yesterday. Of course, an internal and unpublished report
from within the White House predicts that daily deaths could average 3000 by August.

That assumes that all states will be fully reopened, which, sad to say, is pretty realistic at this point.

Three thousand deaths per day? That's a horrifying thought to any sane and rational person.

If you can honestly and openly admit to being comfortable with that, shame on you.

I am in something of a unique position, I must admit.

I have no close friends with whom I socialize. The last time I did anything with a friend was over two years ago and that person I am not in contact with.  My dad is dead, my brother lives several hundred miles away, my cousins don't speak to me at all, and so, that just leaves my mom. I broke up with my most recent girlfriend about three years ago, as well.

In other words, I'm quite used to being alone. And most weeks, before all of this started, I usually went out just once a week, in terms of going any farther than one mile away on foot.

Staying at home and not being around others, other than going to work, is something I'm used to.

In other words, I'm having a much easier time of things than most of us are. My bills are all paid for this month and I have almost two weeks worth of food on hand.

But I'm also terrified, because my age and health issues place me at high risk. I wear a protective
face mask anytime I leave my room. I sanitize the living daylights out of everything. Still, it's anything but a sure thing that I'll come through this safely.

And even if I remain safe, far too many of us are dying, with far too many government officials
not caring at all.

Someone Died While Doing His Job

This is what things have come to.

Forty-three year old Calvin Munerlyn, working as a security guard in a Family Dollar store in Michigan, is dead because he got into an argument with a customer.

He told her she had to leave the store because she was not wearing a face mask, in defiance of a state issued order.

The customer was the daughter of Sharmel  Lash Teague, age forty-five. Teague became involved in a verbal altercation with Munerlyn, who ordered her to leave the store.

She left the store in a sport utility vehicle but returned twenty minutes later. Her son, Ramonyea Travon Bishop, age twenty-three, and her husband Larry Edward Teague, age forty-four, entered the store. Teague then began yelling about his wife having been disrespected.

It was at that point that Bishop allegedly shot and killed Munerlyn.

All three have been charged with first-degree premeditated murder.

In accordance with our legal system, all three are presumed innocent until proven guilty. That is as it should be.

But the fact remains, either way, that Calvin Munerlyn is dead.

Yet another senseless Covid-19 related tragedy in a nation filled with them.

Updated Numbers

As of today, these are the most current figures from the Covid-19 pandemic:

Deaths in the U.S.A. - 62,000

Confirmed cases in the U.S.A. - 1 million

Number of unemployment claims filed in the last six weeks - 30 million

Number of unemployment claims filed last week - 3.8 million

Those number speak for themselves, I think. So I'll leave it at that.

Of Pandemic and Procedures

Would someone please wake me up from this horrific nightmare?

Even as confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in the U.S.A. now sit at 52,000 and twenty-six million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits (with perhaps ten to twelve million more who qualify but haven't been even able to start the process of filing), the federal government continues to fail us.

The President has openly talked of imposing restrictions on aid to states and cities based on their policies, including cities that are sanctuary cities. The Attorney General is actively pursuing
the taking of legal action against states that refuse to end lock down orders. A ten billion dollar
loan to the Postal Service that was authorized by Congress almost a month ago has yet to be released by the Treasury Department. 

Need I go on? Shall I go on?

Congress continues to do nothing more for we, the people. The scheduled return of our Senators and Representatives, which was set for next week, has now been delayed indefinitely.

We continue to deal with an unprecedented crisis on a state-by-state basis.

Some states have lifted their lock down orders. Five states never put such an order into place to begin with. Others have continued to extend them, as New York has done several times now.

The Vice-President visited the Mayo Clinic earlier this week, and to just about no one's surprise, didn't wear a mask.

What's so sad about all this is that lock down orders have worked. Using masks has worked.
Social distancing has worked. Yet, our so-called leaders not only discourage what works,
they have insisted, and continue to insist on actively shutting it all down.

We, the people, have already sacrificed far more than we ever should have had to.

When will those we elected to govern us rise up and meet the challenge they face?

Kicking It Old School

So, here I sit in my room, listening to a locally owned and operated radio station. One whose on air staff includes two announcers I've been listening to for over forty years. And I'm listening on
a 1970s era transistor radio with a pair of very good sounding vintage headphones.

Life is good.

Where Is Spring?

This will be a very short post. I have some errands to run and want to get them done before the snow fall gets to be too heavy.

Yes, you read that correctly. We are almost five weeks into spring and for the second time in the last six days, the Binghamton, New York area is experiencing snow fall. Last Friday, it was just light flurries but right now, it's coming down fairly hard.

I'm going to sigh, now.

Because on top of everything else we have to deal with right now, the weather
locally has been bad for the last few weeks. Temperatures in the day time have been anywhere from ten to thirty degrees below average.

We did have one nice day sixteen days ago, when it was sunny and 70 degrees.

But one day is not enough, not for me, at least.

And as I look out my window, the snow fall has intensified just in the few minutes I've been writing this.

So I'd better get out there and get things done quickly.

Wishing you the best, dear reader.

Pastors And Protests

I am so saddened to have to write this post. In a better America, a saner America, there would be no need for me to do so. But we live in an America where far too many of us are ignorant and proud of it. An America where far too many of us, down deep inside care only about ourselves and no one else.

I was raised up in Baptist churches. The first two my family belonged to were fairly progressive

in their beliefs and actions. More importantly, most of their members practiced what they preached.

They truly did unto others as they would have others do unto them. 

The third church was much more old line. Very conservative and headed up by a pastor

who was in his late sixties and wanted things to be just the way they had always been in his younger years. He was an unpleasant and bad person. He retired not that long after my family joined his church and was replaced by a much younger, much nicer man. 

This man quickly became a very good friend to my late father. A friend who gently helped my dad, for an all too brief period of time, become a much better person. 

When that second pastor left, Dad found it all too easy to regress. He had lost a very good friend, and that hurt him a lot. 

When my parents separated, Dad and my brother stopped attending church services. I joined a

church that was very good and continued attending it until I moved several miles away.

Why am I telling you this?

I am telling you this because over the last few weeks, I've seen just about every church, mosque

and synagogue in my area suspend services or move them online. I am glad to see that. 

Also, I thought it'd be nice to give you a little background information on myself.

And also, because I want to, need to, express my disgust at those ministers who insist

on holding services in person. It comes to no surprise for me that every single one of them I've

read about remind me of that much older pastor who was, as I say, not a nice person. 

In other words, I know their type, all too well. They are among the worst of the worst. 

If one is to know them by their deeds rather than their words, consider carefully for 

those deeds speak clearly and loudly. 

For they choose to break the law by placing themselves and those around them at great

risk. 

They rant and rave about being persecuted, which is one of the sickest, saddest things I have ever witnessed. This is not the former U.S.S.R. where preaching the Gospel could easily get you thrown into prison or committed to a psychiatric ward.

This is the U.S.A., where state and local governments have shown a remarkable measure of restraint when dealing with flagrant and repeated violations of stay-in-place and social distancing orders.

Orders which are under attack by well organized groups. Those attacks have been sanctioned, and sadly, even praised, by the President. 

One such group even has ties to the Devos family and may have received funding from it. That's Devos, as in Secretary of Education Betsy Devos. That group staged a protest in front of the Michigan Capitol building where many of those present were openly carrying loaded firearms.

I honestly believe it's just a matter of time until these protests turn violent and some idiot
opens fire on a police officer or unarmed bystander. That will make for a defining moment in
terms of just how open insurrection will be dealt with.

More Thoughts On Our Current Crisis

As we continue to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, a few things have become clear to me.

The federal government failed to act in a timely fashion because Donald Trump ignored
the warnings he was given. As the death toll mounts, let us keep that in mind.

The American economy is taking a hard hit and a full recovery will neither be easily accomplished
nor happen quickly. Though neither has been officially declared, I consider the economy to be in recession and headed for a depression.

For as bad as things are, they'd be much worse if not for the stimulus checks and enhanced unemployment benefits. I will state, for the record, that I have received my $1200 payment. I will also state, again, for the record, that I am currently receiving unemployment benefits.

State and local governments have been starved for cash for decades. Now, when their actions are needed desperately, they simply can't get the job done.  I applied for SNAP benefits fifteen days ago.

Broome County Department of Social Services finally mailed paperwork to me two days ago that I received yesterday. It was the landlord form and nothing else. So, once they get that back, I'm looking at another week at least, to have a decision made on my application.

By that time, I'll quite possibly have enough cash coming in that I won't qualify for benefits. But in the meanwhile, those benefits would have helped me out a lot had I received them. I've had to apply for benefits a few times over the years, and the entire process never took more than three days.

I'm sure that the people who work for the DSS are doing the best they can. It's not their fault that
the number of applications has far outpaced their capabilities.

I'm just relieved that I am in good financial shape and will be for the next few months, at least.

And to you, dear reader, I wish safety and happiness.

The Times We Live In (Part 3)

So, here we are, in the middle of a crisis that is worsening every day. I'm doing fairly well, myself, but I know that far too many of us are not. Too many of us are looking into empty refrigerators and empty cupboards. Reliable data indicates that one out of every three people who have been to a food bank to get food this month have never done so before.

Right now, unemployment is sitting near 10%. Industry estimates peg the number of restaurants that will close permanently at anywhere from 15% to 25%.

The response to the situation is a patchwork of actions taken by local and state governments. Some governors have done a great job while some others have failed miserably. Even those who have done very well have come up short in various ways. I, personally, would like to see Governor Cuomo take action to do more for those of us who are out of work.

Due to his extension of his "New York State On Pause" order, which was set to expire on April 20th, but will now remain in place until at least the 29th, I will be out of work for several weeks.

I applied for unemployment insurance twenty-three days ago and no decision on my claim has been made as of today.  The New York State Department of Labor said they needed more information from me; forms that were dated March 26th and March 30th were mailed to me on April 6th, which is the main reason for the delay. The forms came in yesterday's mail.

I am very grateful to one of the staff members in the housing program here at the Binghamton YMCA. She took the time to fax the completed forms on my behalf, and also attached a cover
letter explaining why I had not completed and submitted them any earlier.

Earlier this year, when we had three paychecks in January and I received both of my income tax refunds in February, I took all my extra cash (which totaled just over $1200) and put it into my savings account.

As of today, all of that is gone. I used it to pay my bills for March. I used it to
buy a few things I needed (no lie, I had three pairs of headphones all stop working in the same week, which was a real "you've got to be kidding me" experience). I stockpiled several weeks worth of food, dry goods, shaving cream and other necessities.

I used some of it to buy music, because I need music, now more than ever. There is just one compact disc that has the full mono version of "Leader Of The Pack" on it, so I spent $20
for a copy of it. It's titled "The Best Of Tragedy" and still shows as having copies for sale
on Amazon. It was worth the money I spent on it, for that song and a few others also on the disc.

A week ago, I applied for SNAP benefits, and as of this afternoon, Broome County DSS has yet to assign a case worker to my case. So, I'm waiting for someone to do something, because I do qualify for benefits.

I have not ordered any food to be delivered as I simply can't justify the expense right now.
I have, to be honest, purchased a few meals from restaurants as take-out orders, because some
of the dishes I love the most I can't prepare at home. So once or twice a week, I treat myself
to something nice like fried chicken or lamb over rice with a side salad.

I ran into Lauren today, while we were both waiting for the #5 bus. I miss Lauren, and I miss Mike, as well. Both are very capable and good co-workers. Lauren said that without us being there and without the cafe side being open that things are very boring for her.

The daily count for the daycare program has taken a real hit, as expected.

She has very little work to do in terms of actual cooking. She told me that she has done a lot of extra cleaning she really never had time to do before.

I told her that I miss working with her, because I really, truly, do. It was nice to just see her for the short time we waited for and rode the bus together.

As always, dear reader, wishing you the best.

I Just Need To Do Something Normal

As we all continue to deal with the current crisis, I feel a great need to think about something else. Something more pleasant and enjoyable.

So, I'm going to reminisce about what it was like going to summer camp for me from the year 1979 to the year 1983. All of those years, I attended a camp in Smithville Flats, New York that is named Camp Bayouca. The camp is still there, and still active, though goodness only knows if there will be a camp season this summer.

The first year I went I was thirteen years old. It was just the second time I had been away from my family for several days. The counselor whose cabin I was assigned to was nice, and every year after that I also had good counselors. That first week I learned two things. One was how to scale a wall. The other was how to use a bow and arrow. 

Another thing that happened that week was when my counselor got permission to take all of us in his cabin to play miniature golf at a nearby course.

To my surprise and joy, his car was the one my father had just sold the year before. I looked at the service record on the left front door to be sure, and there I saw where Dad had recorded oil changes with his initials and the dates. The man my dad had sold the car to had given it to his son, my counselor, as a college graduation gift. So I got to ride in it two more times, which was a real blast for me. That car was a 1962 Ford Fairlane that was white with red trim and red interior.

The next year, in 1980, I learned how to use a trampoline and I met two guys my own age who were friends from the Syracuse area. We were reunited the next year, and the two years after that, for the full week. We also got to see each other two other times, over Labor Day Weekend when the camp had its annual 2-day retreat for older campers in high school.

I remember that every year I had a fair amount of spending money while neither of them had any money. They were always so grateful when I would buy sodas for all three of us.

The third year, the trampoline was gone because the premiums on the insurance policy for it had become too expensive. But that week was still fun, because I hung out a lot with those two guys, and I also spent a lot of free time with a very sweet girl that I had developed a crush on. We played a lot of what was then called "Frisbee" golf that week.

Now, let me talk about this before I forget to do so. I am grateful to the two churches I attended because in three of those five years, my fees were paid by those churches. In fact, the fifth and final year, I thought I wouldn't get to go. The fourth year was the year my Dad was able to pay for everything.

But our youth pastor and his wife came up with the money out of their own pockets that fifth and final year. He surprised me by coming to our home a few hours after Sunday services to tell me. He even took a half day off from work at his second job to drive me to camp, and gave me spending money, again, out of his own pocket.

One of the other things I remember are the first time I was allowed to be the one to ring the bell that rested in a tree in the middle of the campgrounds. I remember playing softball and scoring the winning run in one game. I remember the female counselor who took a risk while we were playing "Frisbee" golf by ourselves. She kissed me (she was 19, I was 17) and told me I was the nicest guy she had ever met.

I remember a few nights when it was warm enough to have night time sessions down at the lake we used. I never learned how to swim, but the lighting was adequate that we were allowed
to canoe short distances with a counselor in the canoe. I remember making a few small donations to help the camp build a swimming pool.

Some of the other activities were classics, like seeing how many people we could fit into a 1960s era VW Beetle. Some were more 1980s oriented, like doing a trust fall.

I would have gone one last week in the summer of 1984, as the age limit was eighteen, but I had graduated high school, which made me ineligible to attend.

I had fun every week I went. The food was actually quite good and the facilities were clean and well maintained. The camp had a nurse's office that I only had to use once for a sprained ankle.

Good memories.

The Times We Live In (Part 2)

So, this is a quick update on things. The relief bill that should be passed soon by Congress is still not perfect, by any means. But in its final form, it's much better than it was initially. Stimulus checks are set at $1200 per individual and $2400 per married couple with $500 more for every child under the age of 17 living at home. Individuals whose 2019 income was $75,000 or less will qualify for payments.

The $500 billion fund that the Treasury Department will set up will have Congressional oversight. It was initially proposed that the department be allowed to do as it wished with those funds, while
not releasing any information on how money was to be spent for six months.

A flat increase of $600 per week to last four months and 13 weeks of extended unemployment insurance is also part of the final bill. This is just amazing and I'm so glad that Senator Schumer of New York fought so hard for this. I've already phoned his office and left a message thanking him as one of his constituents that will be helped immensely by this.

It's not perfect, as I say. But it's a good start.

As always, dear reader, wishing you the best.

The Times We Live In (Part 1)

Hello, dear reader. My absence from this blog is one I really don't want to talk about very much. Suffice it to say, I'm back. I'm currently out of work and will be for some time, I fear. There are more hours to fill than I can handle, and this will help pass the time.

As I write this, Congress is on the verge of passing a Coronavirus relief bill that needs a lot of work.

It's a gift to corporate America that doesn't do enough for the people of this nation. It appears

that cash payments to citizens will be one-time payments ranging from $600 to $1200. These payments will not be universal in nature. They will be means-tested and honestly, I have no idea

if I meet the criteria to get a payment. 

The cafe at the Y.M.C.A. closed last Monday, March 16th. 

I had the day off because I was scheduled to work a double shift on Wednesday. I did work two hours on Tuesday, which consisted of cleaning, putting away the food order, and panning up seventy meals that were given to my fellow residents.

At the end of those two hours, I thought that was that, as the saying goes. But I instead received

an offer to assist Lauren with the day care food service. 

I accepted that offer and thanked Tania (Lauren's supervisor who was mine as well, originally) for the offer. 

That lasted all of three days, during which I worked nine hours in total. 

On Monday of this week, I was informed that I was no longer needed, due to the low count of kids in the class rooms. I took this news as graciously as I possibly could, I believe.

I then wished Lauren good luck, and I said that I hope to see her back on the job when this is all over.

Yesterday, I filed for unemployment benefits. Getting through to someone in Albany was not easy.

But I did manage to get to talk to someone, and if my claim is approved, my first check will be for this week. 

I also went to a branch of my credit union, to do a couple of needed transactions. The lobby is closed, but tellers are on the job to process deposits made using the ATM. 

For the time being, Broome County Transit is still running most of its routes and allowing passengers to ride for free. Riders are being asked to board using the back door and police tape has been used to block anyone from getting near the driver. So I took the #57 bus to the Campus Plaza where my credit union branch is located, and then took the #47 to Wal-Mart.

And what an experience being in Wal-Mart was. I have never seen it be so empty on a weekday afternoon. The shelves were partially stocked with requests posted asking customers to not buy excessive amounts.

Some items, such as toilet paper and napkins, were sold out. All of the cleaning supplies were sold out, as were disinfectant sprays and wipes. I bought only what food I needed to last one week. 

I took great care to not purchase any WIC-approved items, because that's the right thing to do.

Parents and young children who rely upon the WIC program are in no position to improvise the way I can.

Everyone I passed in the aisles gave everyone else a wide berth. 

I am going to apply for food stamps later today. I will qualify, according to the benefits calculator

on the official New York state website. Being able to pay for food won't be the issue for me;

finding food to buy will be.

I mean, a lot of the things I normally buy just weren't on the shelves when I looked for them.

I normally buy a lot of all natural and organic products, but yesterday, I put into my cart whatever I could find that looked even halfway decent. 

Ramen noodles? Check. Knorr pasta side dishes? Check. Pop Tarts? Check (the new

all-natural variety that use no artificial colors or flavors). I "scored" a pint of Haagen Daz ice cream, and a submarine sandwich that was reduced in price because it had to be sold by the end of the day. 

Such are my victories, these days. Small ones that I still take pride in.

I am free of the virus, as far as I can tell. I am limiting my personal contact with other people

at all times. I have Netflix, Disney Plus and Amazon Video as my online streaming services.

I am, in summary, fairly well equipped to ride things out (with the exception of my credit card payments, which are just going to have to wait). But most of us aren't. Most of us are stuck at home, worrying about the next mortgage payment, or how to keep the kids from going stir crazy, or how to put food on the table.

Right now, our government is failing us. If we are able to vote in November, let's make everyone pay for that.