Hello friends and family! This is Ilion!
By my reckoning, it is the end of February in 2017 for you all, and so I want to pause to fondly recall how I was *first* contacted by the electronic remnants of my future self on Leap Year Day of 2016. On that day, when I saw a status update on my Facebook feed that I didn't author ... and on the subsequent last days of the months when they continued ... I could never have predicted that I would eventually be able to download an app to my phone that would permit me to take advantage of the portal to actually step into 2084.
Indeed, it is 2084 for me. Although the months are passing by for you, due to the fact that I am restricted in the number of characters I can send during the end-of-month updates of the VitalNet, I have to communicate to you about my time in small pieces.
As I shared last month, I am currently ("currently" as in 2084) in the Florida Isles in a refugee camp filled with IntransiGents planning the Fourth Uprising (as the Florida Isles are NOT a part of East America and are owned by the Chapo-Escobar Cartel).
I am awaiting papers that will fool the Population Control Board and will get me entry into Old Orleans (a less regulated outpost on the Bay of Mississippi near what would have been Tuscaloosa, Alabama in my time -- it seems a *lot* of land was lost to the rising waters over the years). By the way, the PCB is a joint agency run by the As and the Is (as you may recall, those are the political parties that replaced the Republicans and Democrats -- and they are composed of competing groups of those who use Android products from Google and Iproducts from Apple). As I have come to learn, the PCB has *tremendous* power in 2084.
I have also learned so many things in the few days since I arrived via the portal, including how that organization was created once procreation became passe after virtual reality programs replaced the need for individuals to copulate to populate. The PCB was formed to ensure that there would be future generations of our people once folks stopped fornicating with each other, but only in numbers in the amounts suggested by the actuarial arm of the agency, for the sake of the dwindling resources on the planet.
I have SO much more to share about the PCB's early years ... and the Noble Purpose campaign with the educators ... and the dreaded Fuscia Slips they issued, and so you can expect to find out more in the missive I send on the last day of the month next.
Until then, I remain Ilion in 2084 (the name given to me so as to minimize confusion now that I've taken advantage of "astral projection with a corporeal element" and exist in both eras), still hosted and brought to the future by t1a7n72.lif., and still communicating with you through the use of Troy in 2017's social media accounts.
Tuesday, February 28, 2017
Random Tune for Tuesday 2/28/17
TNT ... Chicago 9
1 "Why bother writing a suicide note if the reality was that there was no one who would really care what was written there?"
2 Maybe it was just a rationalization on his part to more easily knock one more thing off of his last-day-of-his-life checklist, but reaching that conclusion did permit John to move on to the next steps of his big night. 3 His big night coincided with the rest of the world's big night -- but he was determined to make it his LAST big night.
4 It was not an impulse decision. 5 He had been evaluating his options for weeks and had settled on the best way to go out. 6 He wanted it to be quick and definite, so he had ruled out the classic rope and chair in his tiny apartment on the north side of the city. 7 After all, as comfortable as he was in his prostheses, he had never learned in his physical therapy sessions the specific skill of kicking out a chair from underneath oneself after a rope was secured around one's neck.
8 There was no way he would do it with pills, as a way of protest. 9 The pills were to blame for the side-effects. 10 The pills had only marginally quieted the nightmares, and to the extent that they did, the pills also kept him in a perpetual fogginess. 11 The pills seemed to create five problems for every one they tried to solve. 12 He would not overdose on pills ... because the pills already had too much power over him. 13 His last Christmas gift to himself the week before was that he threw out all of his pills.
14 He knew that he knew his way around a firearm. 15 Until the IED, he considered his weaponry as some of his closest friends. 16 But his mother was dead and he hadn't talked to his father in years. 17 His little brother had run away from that home shortly after she died and he returned to his tour of duty. 18 His brother was probably homeless in some city -- hopefully a warmer one than Chicago in the wintertime -- or he had restarted his life with all ties cut and with his own friends or people he now called his family. 19 He did not want to shoot himself and lay there with no one to find him until his neighbors called for someone to investigate the stench of his decay.
20 There was Maria. 21 Or, more accurately, there *had been* Maria. 22 The truth was, though, that she hadn't stopped by in months. 23 He couldn't really blame her because he had said some nasty things when he found out about her affair with her boss at the pharmacy, but she was his last lifeline to any hope for some kind of future normalcy. 24 And she was out of his life.
25 He had calculated that it would be a good ten to fifteen minutes to get to the platform of the el, and he was determined to go over the edge and on to the electrified rail just prior to midnight so that he did not have to suffer at all in the new year. 26 Plus, according to that plan, the rescue workers who would come and claim his body would have had their "happy new year" moment so he wouldn't have ruined their holiday. 27 He needed to leave.
28 He strapped each artificial limb on to its respective nub and he moved determinatively toward the door. 29 He had gotten so good with the stairs, he was down the flight and to the corner without incident. 30 He pulled tightly on his collar to address the shock of a biting wind, and he turned directly into it as he headed up the block to the entrance for the public transportation.
31 Long ago he had learned to ignore the happiness of those around him. 32 As he passed some party-goers on the street, he looked through them, aware that their joy was now akin to a foreign language to him -- just nattering of passersby that he could no longer comprehend. 33 Besides, being out in public in the middle of the night, with more noise than normal in his environs, he was on alert and looking everywhere at once, anticipating where there might be trouble.
34 It was exhausting -- not because of his disability, but because of his ability. 35 He had been trained this way, and stopping to even blink added extra pressures on him for fear that something might happen in that instance. 36 The peace of not having to be "on" at all times -- that was possibly the thing he was looking forward to the most.
37 He was too proud to take the elevator ... but too tired for more stairs. 38 Luckily, the escalator that was out of order more than not was working on the holiday. 39 Besides, it was too close to midnight to maneuver up the stairs.
40 As the top of the platform came into view, he was able to see the digital clock. 41 It read 11:58. 42 He had planned it all perfectly. 43 He wasn't sure exactly how many cars would be in the train on New Year's Eve, but he knew that people would not be gathered at the far end.
44 He walked with purpose, each step reminding him of the hours of physical therapy he had done. 45 He got stronger with each forward motion -- just like before -- and he reached the end of the platform exactly at the time he wished. 46 The neighborhood erupted in cheers and the sky lit up with cheap fireworks.
47 John instantly flashed back to his time in the service, and with a week's worth of a break from his meds, he was shaken at the precise moment he wanted to be the most confident. 48 The cheers he heard turned to screams ... and in the midst of it all, there was a distinctly unique sound -- the cry of a newborn baby.
49 It was a piercing cry that stopped him dead in his tracks before he could follow through with his plan to be dead on the tracks.
Monday, February 27, 2017
Random Memorial for Monday 2/27/17
Scratch that -- I meant to say that it was announced recently that Yale's Calhoun College will be *renamed* for Grace Hopper (as of this summer).
Here's why (reduced to its most basic premise) -- Mr. Calhoun liked him some slavery. Ms. Hopper liked her some computers.
Admittedly, it's a little more complicated than that -- 'cause Mr. Calhoun, I mean Senator Calhoun, was a bit of a white supremacy *enthusiast* and *champion* of slavery ... and Ms. Hopper helped create COBOL (which, if you learned about computers in the late 80's in high school as I did, means that she was pretty pretty smart -- and, most importantly, NOT the king of the racists).
In other news, Lynch Gym is still named Lynch Gym on my undergrad campus -- but that's another story for another day.
Calhoun College, which admittedly makes me think of Will Forte's politician character on SNL as opposed to the whole slavery-is-awesome movement, you will NOT be missed (except maybe by some Bannon types ... 'cause, you know ... Trump and all) ...
A MORE SCHOLARLY APPROACH TO THE SUBJECT:
http://news.yale.edu/2017/02/11/yale-change-calhoun-college-s-name-honor-grace-murray-hopper-0
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT MS. HOPPER:
https://ghc.anitaborg.org/about-grace-hopper/
ADMITTEDLY, WHAT I THINK OF WHEN I HEAR CALHOUN:
https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/cast/will-forte-15126/character/tim-calhoun-102616
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/26/17
... the fact that the cost of a postage stamp is now 49 cents.
Or, as I learned today when I researched the companion links to accompany this post, the fact that the cost of a postage stamp is now *back* to 49 cents.
I could blame it on the "forever" stamp concept ... or maybe on the fact that a book of stamps tends to last multiple years instead of weeks like when I was younger (note to self: I do believe I still owe Tracey F a Christmas card from this past year) ... or maybe 'cause emails and 2017 and all ... but the truth is that I didn't even know that the price used to be 49 cents, and then dropped two pennies, and now is back to where it was. Apparently that was only the third time ever that postage went down ... and the last time was back in 1919 ... and again, I somehow missed all that drama (the 2016 drama I mean when it dropped, not the 1919 drama as I wasn't around then).
So ... just in case you don't want to end up as one of those out of touch politicians who doesn't know how to answer questions like "how much does a carton of milk cost" and such, now you know. And you're welcome.
SO NOW YOU ARE IN THE KNOW:
http://time.com/money/4639446/forever-stamps-price-hike/
AND IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY USED TO ALREADY BE THIS PRICE:
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/08/news/companies/stamp-price-decrease/
AND IN CASE YOU DON'T THINK USPS SHOULD STILL BE AROUND ANY MORE:
http://www.businessinsurance.org/10-reasons-the-post-office-should-die-already/
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/25/17
... what's with all the segregation going on at the construction sites in the neighborhood?
As you may know, I get out and about in my 'hood up to twelve times a week for an hour at a time, as walking is my current main exercise (especially with me being a remote worker). As you may *not* know, many of those paths take me past several construction sites because there's a building boom going on around town (at least for tall buildings with lots of condo space).
As far as I can tell as an outsider looking in from the edge of the road (since they closed all the sidewalks for the work), they are now set up the way that Hersheypark once was (and maybe still is), with different colored shirts for different "levels" of employee -- either that or the various ethnic groups shop at different neon shirt/vest stores. And the divisions are most obvious when my walk coincides with my lunch break -- and theirs. Different colored shirts with their different colored skins and different languages are all gathered under their own different trees in such a way that makes me want to suggest an icebreaker potluck meal just to create a little United Nations style goodwill on site.
By the way -- I don't doubt for one minute that the work being done is (potentially) dangerous and probably back-breaking. I'm just passing along an observation. Speaking of which, not necessarily possessing any skill sets that would be of use on that other side of the fence, I do already know that there is one role I *could* play. I've also noticed that there's always one or two older white guys off in the corner just watching everybody work. *That* is a construction zone skill set I most definitely have!
SEEING AS HOW WE HAVE A SHORTAGE, I GUESS THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/careers/fl-florida-construction-worker-shortage-20150910-story.html
ONE THING I DIDN'T SEE AT ANY OF THE SITES WAS A FEMALE:
https://www.osha.gov/doc/topics/women/
TRIED TO FIND A GUIDE FOR HERSHEY COLOR CODED SHIRTS AND FOUND THIS:
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/06/the_hotel_hersheys_circular_di.html
Friday, February 24, 2017
Random Flashback for Friday 2/24/17
Except it wasn't *my* back yard. And I wasn't at this place alone.
So here's the thing ... since there are about seven photos that will be in this series (which means it will play out over fourteen weeks as the 1997 flashbacks are every *other* week since they share this space with the photos I inherited from my bio-dad), I'm not going to say where or what was going on just yet.
Some of you might be able to figure it out as we go along (especially by the time we get to the middle of the set) ... or maybe someone recognizes these goats right now. Regardless, you all should recognize the booted cutie standing next to them ('cause it's me [circa 1997]).
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Random Taste for Thursday 2/23/17
And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...
here's the SEVENTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA
(coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!
Establishment: The Diner
Location: Boynton Beach
Website: http://www.dinerongateway.com/index.php
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Diner/553195471392059
TroyScore: 42 out of 50 -- aka 84, a B
THE FULL REVIEW (AND ALL THE PHOTOS) CAN BE FOUND HERE:
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/22/17
Used in a sentence: "Something new ... something different ... something for three weeks in a row of Wednesday posts (it started last week) ... that when taken together will be a photo triptych of sorts -- including this second picture entitled 'Florida StillER Life'."
As established in the last post, I'll let the filter-free image speak for itself and not blather on with lots and lots of words to accompany it ... except to say that these guys were just hanging out sitting on the edge of the pier ... wasting time.
Check back in the next Wednesday post for the final of the three photos in this series!
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Random TNT for Tuesday 2/21/17
TNT ... Chicago 8
1 I resolve.
2 Try as he might, he just couldn't come up with anything to put underneath that heading.
3 Oh sure -- it was somewhat obvious that he wanted to resolve to have a better year in the months ahead than the year that he was putting to rest with the ceremonial resolution list he was trying to write. 4 If he had learned nothing else from his days in management, he knew that it was important to make goals specific and measurable and attainable and realistic and timely.
5 He had completed tons of performance reviews at the pharmacy with just that guidance. 6 It was easy to tell someone else what they needed to do to improve. 7 It was much harder to do it for himself.
8 All he could think of for the list were things that were framed negatively. 9 Don't get involved with your co-workers' personal lives. 10 Don't care so much. 11 Don't fall in love with a direct report. 12 Don't act on those feelings -- in the car in the company parking lot ... in the stock room during inventory .. in the office after the pharmacy was closed. 13 Don't let your wife find out. 14 Don't let your *kids* find out. 15 Don't get fired. 16 Don't get kicked out of your own house. 17 Don't take it out on the one with whom you fell in love. 18 Don't not see her for months. 19 Don't drink away the pain night after night. 20 Don't let your unemployment checks run out.
21 I resolve.
22 The words stared up at him from the yellow notepad.
23 I resolve to go back in time and to never meet Maria.
24 He scratched out the words as soon as he had finished writing them. 25 "Not realistic," he said aloud as he did so.
26 The good news was, though, that he had broken through. 27 The act of putting *something* on paper unstuck the task for him. 28 Now the ideas flowed forth.
29 I resolve to quit drinking.
30 I resolve to get a job.
31 I resolve to get forgiveness from my wife and kids.
32 I resolve to get my life back.
33 He paused his flurry of activity, for he knew that there was one resolution that had to come first if any of the others were to have a chance.
34 I resolve to get closure with Maria.
35 He circled that one. 36 He put a star next to it. 37 He underlined it -- not once, but three times. 38 Then he looked over at the one friend who had stood by him throughout this whole ordeal -- and his half-drunk bottle of whiskey stared back at him.
39 He glanced at the clock on the motel room microwave.
40 "It's almost midnight," he muttered to himself. 41 "If I'm gonna quit drinking in the new year, I better finish this off now."
42 He was passed out cold on the bed when the new year arrived.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Random Memorial for Monday 2/20/17
We're up to what the wiki calls the best selling album of Reba's career: Greatest Hits Vol 2 ... and the tune I'm choosing to feature includes these uplifting and inspirational lyrics:
Walk on
Walk on
Nothing ever stays wrong that long
Walk on
Oh walk on
Don't just stand there in the storm
Walk toward the light till you find the sun
And you'll be better off in the long run
Upbeat reminder (at least on this cassette) to keep on walking "till you find the sun", you will be missed.
NOTHING EVER STAYS WRONG THAT LONG:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei8o8G4JkPU
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/19/17
The latest and greatest in male cosmetic enhancement procedures.
Living here with all the senior citizens in this part of the world, there's a chance that the area's going to be all abuzz about something like scrotox (about which I previously posted) or scrotal lifts (about which I've not posted) or the revival of something from Kansas in the 20's -- transplanting goat testicles into those who need a virility boost. "A man is as old as his glands," went the old slogan from the old snake oil salesman.
If only I had known that there was a market for this type of thing when I was a young one putting myself through school. They could have spared the goats and I would have gladly walked around all Kruk-like if I could have donated one of mine to a rich old man who would have paid off all of my education debts. Although, come to think of it, if that hypothetical old man would have used my fresh nut to sire his late-in-life children, that would have hypothetically screwed up my family tree more than it actually already is.
Just sayin'.
I SWEAR I'M NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP:
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/early-body-hacking-when-men-got-goat-testicle-grafts-to-boost-their-sex-drive
A LITTLE MORE ON THE TESTICLE TRANSPLANT TREND:
http://www.travelchannel.com/videos/goat-testicle-transplant-0203814
MY FORMER POST ABOUT SCROTOX:
https://capcognition.blogspot.com/2016/11/random-wordplay-for-wednesday-11916.html
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/18/17
[... remember, one rave a month is good for the soul instead of ranting all the time ...]
... there's nothing like having your own set of snowbirds that come to visit here in Florida -- now for the fourth year in a row! And, as an added bonus, nephew Jac got to join in for a good part of the vacation.
If you're friendly with me over on the Facebook, then you may have seen all the activities tagged with #DollyWalt2017 (and #andJACtoo) -- including many a meal (especially my annual birthday dinner at a steak house), many a day trip (like to the Everglades National Park to see the missile silos and a "house of refuge" on the beach up in Stuart), many a game with many a drink (yahtzee and triple yahtzee and "Michigan rummy" multiple times) and even a few around the house projects (like an update to the dishwasher and the re-activation of a front door motion detector light).
The best part, though, isn't that we run around and do lots of things for the weeks they are here ... it's that we get to do all of that WITH them, because when family comes to town, it's all about being TOGETHER and sharing the LOVE ... and it's a great thing to be loved!
[In lieu of the typical companion links, I'll post the vacation photos from 2016, 2015 and 2014 below (in descending order).]
Friday, February 17, 2017
Random Flashback for Friday 2/17/17
#146: Grandma Neidermyer in a hat with small smiling child, time stamped "week of Sep 11 1950"#147: (blurry) boy on a bench by a big tree, time stamped "week of Sep 17 1951"
#148: (blurry) boys on a dock near a big body of water, time stamped "week of Aug 11 1952"
#149: giant tulips by a garden path, time stamped "week of Aug 11 1952"
#150: newspaper article allegedly from July 4 1962 (that date was hand written on it as well as a note that it Gramma was 83 years old ... I'm thinking that would have been my grandma's mother) ... the article details all of the Brownstown "celebrity" activity, which featured a party with five generations present at my grandparents' house ... and it included a mention of a phone call from California from sons Fred AND Karl -- and although I knew my Uncle Fred spent time there, I had no idea that so did Uncle Karl, whom I knew as Carl with a C ... that same article ALSO mentions the announcement of the birth of Uncle Fred's daughter Tammie (a cousin I don't think I knew I had?) ... AND, because the Neidermyers were apparently all the rage it Brownstown social circles, there's a third reference to Daniel playing the organ at the local church (and I'm guessing that was my Uncle Junior's son) ...
Thursday, February 16, 2017
Random Taste for Thursday 2/16/17
And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...
here's the SIXTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA
(coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!
Establishment: Lester's Diner
Location: Ft Lauderdale
Website: n/a
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lestersdiner/
TroyScore: 38 out of 50 -- aka 76, a C
THE FULL REVIEW (AND ALL THE PHOTOS) CAN BE FOUND HERE:
https://50tastesofflorida.blogspot.com/2017/02/random-taste-for-thursday-21617.html
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/15/17
Florida Still Life.Used in a sentence: "Something new ... something different ... something for the next three weeks of Wednesday posts that when taken together will be a photo triptych of sorts -- starting with this picture entitled 'Florida Still Life'."
In another twist, I'll let the image speak for itself and not blather on with lots and lots of words to accompany it (and that decision may or may not have something to do with the fact that I'm super far behind on my posting schedule and trying to get caught up now that vacation and family visits and unexpected sick time and friend visits have finally ended)!
Except to say that these guys (look closely ... there are TWO of them) were just hanging out sunning themselves on the edge of a tree over the river as spotted on a recent lunch walk of mine.
Check back in the next Wednesday post for the 2nd of 3 photos!
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Random TNT for Tuesday 2/14/17
TNT ... Chicago 7
1 Liquid courage -- that was all he needed.
2 She'd been hiding from him for months, ever since that evening in April when she showed up on his doorstep in tears, crying about having lost her job and desperate to avoid being put out on the street seeing as how she didn't have all of her rent money.
3 That night, he did what anyone in his position would do with a beautiful young crying lady on the other side of the door. 4 He comforted her ... right into his bedroom. 5 It wasn't creepy, he had convinced himself then, because she certainly seemed willing enough.
6 As time passed, though, he began to have his concerns about what had happened. 7 He still wore it as a badge of honor that he hadn't been the creep that night ... especially when he began to deduce that maybe *she* was the one who was actually taking advantage of *him* in that scenario.
8 After that evening, her rent was always paid in full ... and sometimes even early ... but never in person. 9 It was always just an envelope slipped under his door in the middle of the night with only a check inside. 10 No notes ... no post-its ... no index cards ... nothing else but a check made out to him for just the right amount.
11 Despite her clearly having had a change of circumstance, she had never offered to make up the amount he had forgiven when he said goodbye to her as she left his bed that morning after -- not that he would ever had brought it up. 12 If he had ever run into her, that is -- which he hadn't, because she was never around.
13 He had been in the building earlier that evening, and he had paused at her door. 14 Her lights were on, and he could hear the sound of the television. 15 He had almost knocked then and there ... except he hadn't yet started drinking a few bottles of that oh-so-necessary liquid courage.
16 He was ready now and he felt like he could use the New Year's Eve holiday to his advantage. 17 He just wanted to be sure he got there before midnight. 18 Luckily, it was only a short walk around the corner to the apartment building he owned, and he climbed the stairs to the second floor, happy to hear the same ambient noise from before and to see the light spilling onto the landing from under her door.
19 "Don't be awkward," he muttered under his breath. 20 "Just say Happy New Year and see what happens."
21 He knocked ... and got no response. 22 So he knocked again ... but nothing happened. 23 He took it as a good sign that the sound or the light didn't change -- so she wasn't going to pretend that she wasn't there.
24 "Maria ... it's Mr. Kissinger. 25 Are you there?"
26 He cringed and thought, "why didn't I use my first name?". 27 "Mister" automatically sounded creepy, and that was the vibe he was trying to avoid.
28 He knocked a little louder -- and then he let the alcohol start twisting his thoughts. 29 He *was* the landlord. 30 He could let himself in under the guise of being concerned that she was in some kind of danger.
31 So that's exactly what he did.
32 The delay had caused his timing to be off because the final countdown itself was blaring on the TV. 33 Two steps in and no one was to be seen.
34 All the same, he froze in place, standing in front of the kitchen bar counter, staring intently at what he saw there.
35 "Happy New Year!" yelled the host on the television.
36 He didn't hear it. 37 He was in a zone, deep in thought, unable to break his gaze from what was most definitely a bottle of pre-natal vitamins right there in clear sight.
Monday, February 13, 2017
Random Memorial for Monday 2/13/17
Old man Boscov.
You have to be from a certain part of the country to know who this was -- although I was surprised to see that his obituary made it into the local southern Florida paper -- but whenever I see a Boscov's department store, that means I'm getting super close to home.
And Boscov's is *old-school* -- family owned "destination" shopping for small towns in PA and the surrounding area. The one in my hometown of Lebanon was the *first* one that the family built outside of Reading (in the same year I was born, no less) and I can remember it being the anchor of the mall -- back in the days when kids walked around a mall for something to do on the weekends. When it got the mirror ceilings put in ... I knew our town had *made* it (even though it was probably mostly about loss prevention and not style) ... and it was so swanky that it had an auditorium on a second level! Talk about fancy (well, fancy for small town country living).
The company still lives on (and boy I hope it does for a long time to come) -- as does that store back home -- and so does the legacy of his commitment to the community ... but as for Big Al ... he will be missed.
RIP ALBERT BOSCOV:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/02/albert_boscov_dies_at_age_87.html
A TOUCHING REMEMBRANCE:
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/jobs/A-reporter-remembers-Al-Boscov.html
THE COMPANY HISTORY:
http://careers.boscovs.com/boscovs-history.html
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/12/17
this "magic" wheelchair in the form of a purple Camaro.
Here's what you need to know ...
... the girl in the chair has Cornelia de Lange syndrome (a genetic developmental disorder).
... the girl's father was a firefighter in a nearby town (Coral Springs) who passed away this past Thanksgiving of pancreatic cancer.
... two city employees (of Boynton Beach) spent 100 hours building it for her as a "labor of love".
... there is good in this world if you seek it out -- more good than evil -- and it's all around you everywhere. It may not be as loud as some of the other stuff that you hear non-stop on the news cycle on the Facebook feed ... but it's more powerful and changes more lives than you might realize.
Seek it out ... and take after these folks and take care of each other.
THE WHOLE STORY:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/palm-beach/fl-pn-boynton-magic-wheels-special-deals-20170210-story.html
THE SYNDROME:
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/cornelia-de-lange-syndrome
THE CANCER:
https://www.cancer.org/cancer/pancreatic-cancer.html
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/11/17
... the G in "strength" is NOT silent!
Lookit -- we all have our issues.
I've barely gotten over that Fergie lady singing about how "a child misses their blanket" instead of how "a child misses his or her blanket" from her 2006 pop hit (it helps that I don't have to hear that song played over and over again much any more now that we're well into a new decade) -- and I will NEVER get over the generation-ruining tautological phrasing of "it is what it is".
Anyway -- my new nails-on-a-chalkboard guaranteed cringe inducing moment that is usually accompanied by an involuntary eye twitch is when people say words like "strength" and "length" and go all silent on the 'g' (sounding like "strenth" and "lenth") instead of embracing the velar nasal sound as was intended. It makes me want to gnash my teeth (an approved silent 'g') and immediately resign from the conversation (also an acceptable silent 'g' scenario).
Side note: our world is too divided right now for me to pick a side as to whether gnu is "nu" or "ga-nu", so we'll have to table that explosive discussion until the nation enjoys more stability and folks are friendly again over on the Facebook. I mean -- they always say, "choose your battles" ... and I've chosen mine.
OR ... one thing (not "thin") at a time ...
MORE ON THE VELAR NASAL:
http://linguisticmystic.com/2007/03/06/your-new-phonetic-phriend-the-velar-nasal/
MORE ACCEPTABLE SILENT G'S:
https://www.spellzone.com/word_lists/list.cfm?wordlist=342
NO HADAR NO -- DON'T OFFER UP AN ALTERNATIVE PRONUNCIATION!:
http://theaccentsway.com/strength/
Friday, February 10, 2017
Random Flashback for Friday 2/10/17
Well -- *almost* twenty years ago -- seeing as how the date stamp on this photo definitely says August. As I explained in the last 1997 photo in this series, there aren't a lot of pics from that year what with all the difficult law schoolin' that was going on in that era.
It's fair to say though, that if there is a picture that is two decades old, there's going to be a Whitman in it ... and that's little Jakey along for the hot air balloon ride.
I *wish* I had a third picture to go with this one and the tilt-a-whirl one from that last post -- a shot of us on the Phoenix rollercoaster (the best ride at the Grove when I was Jakey's age), but that experience from that day is going to have just live on as only a memory for which there is no photographic proof ... and maybe we'll have to recreate it next September when I'm home again.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Random Taste for Thursday 2/9/17
And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...
here's the FIFTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA
(coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!
Establishment: LaSpada's
Location: Lauderdale By The Sea
Website: http://www.laspadashoagies.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/LaSpadas-Original-Hoagies/111764352193418
TroyScore: 45.5 out of 50 -- aka 91, an A
THE FULL REVIEW (AND ALL THE PHOTOS) CAN BE FOUND HERE:
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Random Wordplay for Wednesday 2/8/17
#SanFran10yearslaterUsed in a sentence: "When I travel (and boy do I love to travel), I try to use the power of the hashtag to classify all the posts from that particular excursion, and the Super Bowl weekend trip to San Francisco was no exception -- hence the #SanFran10yearslater tags you may have seen over the Facebook a bit ago."
[I also use the power of the backdate feature on this blog to make it seem like I'm posting it a few days after the weekend in question even though it's been a few weeks and I'm very very far behind in getting caught up on the posting schedule.]
As you can hopefully quickly deduce, this is not the first time I found myself in San Francicso ... as that first trip was in 2007, ten years ago (in case math isn't your forte). Unlike last time, when the agenda included Alcatraz and Ghirardelli's and Haight Ashbury and visiting with Jen A and Travis O, this vacation was much shorter and was actually prompted by another tradition, which also has its own hashtag: #chasingtheSuperBowl (which means that each year I watch the Super Bowl in the city that hosted it the year before).
Highlights of this trip included getting picked up at the airport by a long lost relative with whom I reconnected on the Facebook (thanks again for the ride Suzanne MC!), a jaunt over to Berkeley (for the dual purpose of seeing the local Kaplan center and checking another of my Burger Quest stops off the list [yet more travel related traditions in which I am enmeshed]), and an afternoon at the Golden Gate Bridge. As magnificent as that man made spectacle was, I found myself instead drawn to the giant rock all by itself in the bay as visible from the far side of the bridge. Maybe it was the direct evidence of the extreme power of nature ... or just my mind wandering back to what the area once looked like long before the bridge was built ... or the fact that it spoke to my soul about persevering and standing tall against adversity. There's also a chance that I was just pleased to see the sections of green on which the birds were landing, giving me hope that life goes on -- and maybe even thrives -- in the most difficult of circumstances.
Regardless, *these* are the images (I'll share them in lieu of my usual companion links) from being in #SanFran10yearslater that will stay with me long after I left ... maybe even up until my *next* visit in 2027 ... aka #SanFran20yearslater (did I mention I love a travel tradition)?!
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Random TNT for Tuesday 2/7/17
TNT ... Chicago 6
1 The problem with New Year's Eve get-togethers is that everyone is focused on the countdown. 2 And everyone knew that, wherever two or more were gathered, J preferred the focus to be on him. 3 Which is why, unless he was the one hosting the shindig and leading the recitation of the descending numbers signifying the final seconds of the year ending, J would just as rather stay home for that party night.
4 When Marta first texted him about the event her friend was having, he responded with a conditional statement that he *might* be able to make it unless something else came up. 5 He hadn't actually decided to attend until he found out his new boss Michelle was going to be there, and then the need to make an appearance for the sake of furthering his career took precedent over the disappointment of knowing that he wasn't going to be the center of attention.
6 His itinerary for the evening decided, he confirmed with Marta that he would indeed be stopping by and he inquired about the address. 7 Then he was off to the store at the last minute to pick up a new New Year's Eve shirt to wear, and to get a few more bottles of alcohol for the pre-gaming that would happen at his apartment.
8 It was a simple plan -- get buzzed, stop by the party, compliment his supervisor and wish her the happiest of new years and then duck out to head to his favorite bar so he could flirt with his favorite bartender.
9 In, out and done with it -- practically before it even started.
10 It never crossed his mind that Marta was secretly trying to set up some reconciliation between him and Zar. 11 After all, that was the past ... and New Year's was about the future ... and Zar played absolutely no role in his future -- Zar's decision, not his.
12 Almost a whole year had passed since they had last spoken, and a lot can be forgotten in a year's time, especially with a steady supply of alcohol to deaden the brain cells. 13 If pressed, J knew that he wouldn't even be able to articulate the details of the falling-out. 14 He would just be able to say it was a misunderstanding over some drunken fun that should never have been construed as mean-spirited.
15 Upon arrival, just a short time before the crowd would start counting down, J scanned the room to zero in on his designated target. 16 He located her in a group of revellers who were intently watching a game of what he first though was beer pong, until he saw that the plastic cups were much much smaller.
17 He worked his way through the throng, and actually made eye contact with Michelle. 18 It was the wave at her that also brought attention to him from the players of the game. 19 He didn't know the couple at the one end of the table, but he instantly recognized Marta at the other. 20 When he saw that her partner was none other than Zar, he laughed out loud.
21 That reaction was apparently all that was needed to light the fuse of Zar's temper. 22 Weeks later, he'd stumble on a recording of what happened next on someone's social media, but even then watching it frame by frame didn't show exactly how Zar managed to throw every plastic ping pong ball and every tiny plastic cup lined up at that end of the table right at him seemingly at the exact same moment. 23 Luckily, they had been losing the game, so the majority of the cups were empty, but the few that weren't meant that he was instantly doused in a cheap cinnamon schnapps. 24 He knew right away that it clashed with his cologne.
26 Telling as it was, J's thoughts weren't on his ruined friendship -- they were instead on his ruined shirt. 26 Being in a stranger's house, he didn't quite know where to turn, and he ended up in a room next to a bed piled high with coats.
27 "Damn it!" he said aloud. 28 "This was the *first* time I wore this ..." 29 He found a mirror to use to get a sense of the extent of the damage. 30 As was always the case, his reflection served to calm him down, for his reflection was his one and only true friend who knew ALL of his secrets.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Random Memorial for Monday 2/6/17
In case you can't read the fine print of the cassette in the trash (and remember it's only there because I *also* have the CD and a boy's gotta purge his belonging at some point in time), it's the sad 'For My Broken Heart' album, with songs about grief and trying to heal from it -- songs chosen to be included on the release after the horrific plan crash mentioned in the post from a fortnight ago.
As for which particular song to feature, it's for sure going to be the last track ... which includes this powerful second verse that always chokes me up:
If I had only known
I'd never hear your voice again
I'd memorize each thing you ever said
And on those lonely nights
I could think of them once more
Keep your words alive inside my head
If I had only known
I'd never hear your voice again
THIS ONE GOES OUT TO ALL THOSE DEALING WITH LOSS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNIKabg_fE
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Random Scandal Sheet for Sunday 2/5/17
"Signs, signs, everywhere a sign
Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?"
I was in town for the annual "chasing the Super Bowl" tradition (more about that in a few posts), returning ten years after the initial visit to this iconic city, and I have to tell you that I was a little overwhelmed by all the signs I saw everywhere on this trip.
Maybe it was all the old decrepit buildings in which I found myself, but the signs as shown in this image were the most alarming. It looks like it's a requirement of one of CA's famed propositions (government oversight sure is alive and well in this state), and the signs have to be posted to warn people that the cancer might be lurking in the air ... or the walls ... or chasing you down the street -- particularly if the building or facility once permitted people to smoke in it (before they got around to banning that activity -- it really is a nanny state).
I was on only in the city this time for two days, but I have an appointment with my doctor upon my return home to try to figure out how many years I shaved off my life just by setting foot in the state ...
I BELIEVE THE SIGNS I SAW WERE RELATED TO THIS PROPOSITION:
https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/general-info/proposition-65-plain-language
ALTHOUGH IT'S HARDER THAN EVER TO SMOKE IN SAN FRAN:
http://www.citylab.com/politics/2013/01/soon-only-place-smoke-san-francisco-will-be-alcatraz/4432/
SPEAKING OF SIGNS IN CALIFORNIA:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/snarky-california-road-signs-aim-to-change-behavior/
Saturday, February 4, 2017
Random Soapbox for Saturday 2/4/17
... won't somebody please tell me exactly what the rules are for these side-by-side parking meters in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea (and then afterwards, come somebody please tell me what the capitalization rules are for all the words in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea/Lauderdale-by-the-sea/Lauderdale-By-The-Sea)?
Clearly, I get that the *cost* of parking on this street is $1.75 per hour. After all, that is probably the biggest font on both little machines.
My quandary though on the day we visited this little beachside town to the north of the main FTL was exactly how long it was that I was allowed to be there. After recognizing the conflict at the first meter (where we actually parked) that seemed to imply that we could stay for "no maximum hours" so long as it was no more than a "two hour max", I peeked at the meter next to our spot, where it was just as clearly listed that we could stay for "no maximum hours" so long as it did not exceed the "four hour time limit".My best guess is that someone in the local government lost the key to get inside the glass bubble to remove old pricing rules ... OR someone in the local government figured out that they could selectively ticket based on selective enforcement of selective rules.
Doesn't anyone pay attention to detail any more?
THE WEBSITE SAYS NOTHING ABOUT DURATION:
http://www.lauderdalebythesea-fl.gov/muni/parking.htm
SPEAKING OF MIXED MESSAGES:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/11-mixed-signals-signs-th_n_3294221.html
WHILE SEARCHING FOR PARKING METER LINKS:
http://theexpiredmeter.com/2011/08/the-worlds-loneliest-parking-meters/
Friday, February 3, 2017
Random Flashback for Friday 2/3/17
#141: Ralph digging out a (red?) VW bug in a snowstorm; dated January 66
#142: Ralph and his 2 door green (or blue?) "boat"
#143: Ralph and his 2 door green (or blue?) "boat" with the hood up (and he might be smilin' under that 'stache)
#144: Ralph and his 2 door green (or blue?) "boat" with a picnic on the trunk
#145: blurry Ralph and his more sensible family car, a red station wagon
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Random Taste for Thursday 2/2/17
And so it continues ... a brand new set of tastes for 2017 ...
here's the FOURTH of FIFTY tastes of FLORIDA
(coming to you on sequential Thursdays. All. Year. Long.)!
Establishment: Diner By-The-Sea
Location: Lauderdale By The Sea
Website: http://dinerbytheseainc.com/diner/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Diner-by-the-Sea-161662490517465/
TroyScore: 43 out of 50 -- aka 86, a B
THE FULL REVIEW (AND ALL THE PHOTOS) CAN BE FOUND HERE:
https://50tastesofflorida.blogspot.com/2017/02/random-taste-for-thursday-2217.html
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