My opinions on American tourist traps

 

Have recently been perusing an article in Timeout listing America's tourist traps. Due to a life of sin, surprisingly I have been to many of these places. I have decided to comment on the choices mentioned in the article perhaps with the chance of enlightening the future traveler. 

For one thing, tourist traps can be swell places to visit. For example, I loved the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

1. South of the Border | Hamer, SC

I fully enjoyed South of the Border. Great food, cheap cigarettes and fireworks. What's not to love. I still have my souvenir from the place. 

Time Out US

This over-the-top rest area in South Carolina sits just below the North Carolina border (hence the name) and marled the halfway point between Florida and New York back when people drove between these two cities. It’s still fun for kids who marvel at the massive sombrero and can sneak in a ride at the amusement park, but most adults grumble at the thought of stopping here for a photo underneath the giant Mexican hat or a souvenir.

2. The original Starbucks | Seattle, WA

The first Starbucks store along the cobblestone street near Pike Place Market is a mecca for coffee lovers patient enough to wait in line for basically the same coffee they could have at any other Starbucks. In fairness, this one carries limited merchandise available for purchase and serves pour-over coffee of a special proprietary roast. But, there’s still the issue of the line, which can snake around the block during peak hours.

Never been there, have gone to Starbucks when I needed to use the bathroom.

3. Plymouth Rock | Plymouth, Massachusetts

One of the more disappointing monuments on this list, Plymouth Rock is nothing more than a disenchanting boulder, says one Reddit user. The supposed site of the disembarkation of the Mayflower is a popular tourist attraction and is also frequented by nearby students on field trips. Apparently, feeling totally let down by this historical landmark is a rite of passage for most elementary school kids in New England.

Our family liked to travel. We saw Plymouth Rock and it was small but I'm glad I got to see it. 

4. Southernmost Point | Key West, FL

The southernmost point in the continental U.S. is an unimpressive concrete buoy overlooking the ocean. It’s a necessary photo opp if you’re in Key West, but not worth seeking out if you’re in the Upper Keys. You’ll also see “90 miles to Cuba” written on it; the southernmost point is closer to Cuba than to mainland Florida.

Key West is definitely worth the trip, just to see the roosters on the streets and Hemingway's cats. I saw but was not impressed by the Southernmost Point. 

 Corn Palace | Mitchell, SD

The world’s only corn palace gets a new look with every crop season, decked out in corn and grains from the area and themed murals. The agricultural landmark showcasing the region’s bounty is also one of the finest basketball auditoriums in the country.

Never seen, probably never will. 

6. Navy Pier | Chicago, IL

Perhaps this is worth visiting after you’ve seen and done absolutely everything there is to see and do in Chicago. There’s nothing of note, says one Reddit user, citing similar places like Fisherman’s Wharf at least have sea lions and other wildlife to redeem them.

I liked Chicago but have not seen the Navy Pier. 

7. The Alamo | San Antonio, TX

Complaints about The Alamo compare to most bad reviews of places you’ve already seen on TV: it’s much smaller than expected. The historic Spanish mission is where the 1836 battle between Texas revolutionary forces and the Mexican army occurred. A significant site that some Reddit users still consider a tourist trap.

Went on a family trip. Actually glad I got to see it. 

8. Mount Rushmore | South Dakota, SD

People visit the South Dakota site for its massive sculpture depicting U.S. presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The roughly 60-foot-high granite faces are a sight to behold…but also something you can Google. You might want to think this one through.

Never seen it. Probably never will, but it might be worth it.

9. Times Square | NY, NY

This one was up for debate as some defended the overrun region of New York City for its incredible theater and twinkling lights—quite a spectacle to behold at night. Sure, the souvenir shops are crap and the street performers can be shady, but there’s definite magic to the Great White Way.

You haven't been to New York unless you've ridden the subway and walked through Times Square. 

Photograph: Shutterstock

10. Bourbon Street | New Orleans, LA

The debacharous strip is not for everyone, and several Reddit users consider it filthy and overrated. Still, if you’re looking for an epic party scene year-round—and on a grand scale come Mardi Gras—and massive frozen cocktails, there’s no better place than Bourbon Street.

It's been awhile but I did enjoy Bourbon Street and having a hurricane there. Love what Chuck Berry said about the place in his autobiography. 

Another tourist trap I went to and enjoyed was Groman's Chinese Theatre with the handprints. Great place. 

Lunch at the vineyards

Yesterday, I went to a vineyard for lunch. Driving in, I could see the vineyards from the road and once inside, I was presented with a choice of wines produced on the premise, pizza, salads and more. There was a band playing music from the sixties and a pleasant time was had by all. 

Some cynics may say that vineyard events are just an excuse for people who think they are too good to hang out in bars can sit in a public setting, drink, eat, and get hay fever. Perhaps it is true but vineyards do get city people into the country and allow them to take a brief look at the farms of our land. And try out their Zyrtecs. 

How to open a garbage bag

 

For years I never bought a garbage bag. I simply re used the plastic bags I got from the store. These bags also could be used for my work lunches. Now, with the environmental policy in New Jersey forbidding supermarkets from giving out these things I have to buy garbage bags. 

To solve the problem of work lunch bags I retired. Easy peasy. My problem is that I have trouble opening up the store bought garbage bags. By putting a small piece of tape on each side of the recalcitrant bag and pulling, I can now open the garbage bags. 

Far From Heaven

 

Recently I watched Far From Heaven on Turner Classic Movies. It brought back memories of the time they spent a week filming the art gallery scene at the Bloomfield Public Library (for a three minute scene). At the time I didn't know Todd Haynes, Julianne Moore, Viola Davis or even Dennis Haysbert from Adam. Still it was exciting when the library director said the library had been offered a nice sum of money and new ceiling lights in the reference area in exchange for allowing them to film in the library. Actually, I was not supposed to be there at all as I had long planned a trip to Scandinavia and whenever the library director asked me a question I would say, "I'm sorry but I'll be in Copenhagen".  

I did disconnect the public Internet computers and safely stored them but I was gone on the day the film crew arrived. Coming home after my trip I first noticed something unexpected on the windowsill. It was a six-foot-long submarine sandwich with the label of a 9th Avenue shop. Oh yes, I was reminded, "must be from the film crew".

I went out to lunch and coming back I walked behind two ladies and overheard them. One lady asked, "Where have you been?"

The other lady replied, "I had to take care of a few things. I'm pregnant."

The first lady said, "Congratulations!"  The second lady was Julianne Moore. The filming had been delayed because their lead had maternity issues. 

From the harried maintenance man I learned that Julianne Moore only drank coffee from Starbucks and he had the job of keeping her and the crew supplied with coffee from the Montclair store on Bloomfield Avenue.  

There was this man seated who spoke in a very soft voice. That man was Todd Haynes. Once we were scolded because we were talking too loud, presumably from the esteemed director. The library was kept open at this time and I sat at the reference desk. One actress put her pocketbook on the desk and I warned her the desk was not secure. "Don't put anything on this desk or it might be stolen," I admonished. 

The sound man complained that he could detect a hum. This did not stop production. After the crew had left I noticed that the microfilm printer had been left on, probably accounting for the hum. 

On the penultimate day, the library director whispered to me that a few of us could watch them film a scene from the balcony. We sat up there quiet as mice.  

On the last day, as a reward for our cooperation, the staff of the library was invited to a lunch at a nearby church where we ate the leftovers from the crew. All the California and New York cars left the area. Life was returning to normal.

Early the next morning, before 9am, I reconnected all the Internet computers so the public could have at em when the day began. A workman from the town asked me if I was getting overtime. "Yes I'm getting overtime, Chinese overtime." 

Editor's note: The orange orb is a lamp filter which the crew threw out and I retrieved. My souvenir from Far From Heaven. 

Lent

 

It started with the mite boxes. The Sunday before the start of lent the nun gave every kid in Sunday school a little container where you were supposed to put dimes in from your allowance. Then on Easter the mite box, full of dimes, was supposed to be turned into the collection box at church. On Ash Wednesday you were supposed to go to church after school to get ashes. When I was young, the priest put this ugly circle of ash on your forehead. Nowadays they have a gizmo that puts a black cross above your eyes. 

For a kid, the biggest thing was that you had to give up something for lent. You knew your father would want to know what you gave up.  It should appear to be significant. It couldn't be something too easy but then again you wouldn't want it to be too hard. If you hated garlic you couldn't give up garlic for lent. Then again you didn't want to do something too painful like giving up listening to rock and roll. Ideally, it would be something that seemed like a sacrifice but really wasn't. For example with my poor record on cavities Mother had banned chocolate from the house. Hence giving up chocolate would be an easy choice. As an adult giving up hanging out in bars would be too painful but perhaps giving up artichokes or eggplant would be a better choice.  

The nice part about lent is that you could go back to your evil ways on Sundays and on Holy Saturday at noon. This did make Easter a more significant day since you could go back to gorging yourself on chocolate or artichokes again. Lent shows us how much we can enjoy things after having denied ourselves. Like shore leave or having pizza and beer after a blood test we are happy to again enjoy the evil pleasures of life. 

Witty traffic signs

 Driving on New Jersey interstates and the Turnpike, I notice that there are witty highway signs. It reminds me of when I was a tot and we read the Burma Shave signs out loud in the family Fairlane. 

They don't really bother me but I can see that they are a distraction. While trying to read the sign and perhaps "get" the joke a cat could run out on the road, unnoticed until too late. Apparently, the federal highway administration is none too pleased. 

It's supposed to snow tomorrow

 

After a year without snow of any sort there is a special excitement in the air today. The store is overloaded with people, banging into each other's carts or blocking traffic with a horizontal cart in the vegetable section. I have located my snow shovel and found my heavy-duty gloves. Turns out the heavy-duty gloves, after seeing many hours of combat, have a scar that I neatly mended with duct tape. 

The news outlets are having a field day. Since Saturday we have been inundated with news about the upcoming snow event. I told the cashier at the liquor store (I had to stock up for the emergency) that I hope we don't get too much snow. "Oh crabapples, it's not going to snow, they're only trying to scare us!"

Perhaps we are exaggerating the upcoming storm. Still, it's exhilarating to think that tomorrow I'll be wearing those gloves and shoveling out the Honda along with the other neighbors. Not as much fun as being a kid who gets the day off school. No, I'm not wearing my pajamas backwards. 

Saying goodbye to the holidays

 

Now it's time to start throwing out Christmas effluvia. As well as finding space on my limited table tops and cabinets for my new possessions. As a kid I remember taking down the Christmas tree while singing Christmas carols backwards. Anyhoo, here is a link to a stirring and moving poem I wrote about the end of the season. 

How will 2024 work out

A year ago, I prognosticated a moderate increase in the market. I was far too pessimistic compared to what actually happened.  

My predictions for December 31, 2023:

Dow Jones           36000

S and P                4500

NASDAQ           10800

Unemployed         5%

Microsoft             300

Texas Crude Oil    90

CPI                       5%

Here are the end of year numbers for 2023:

Dow Jones           37690

S and P                4770

NASDAQ           15011

Unemployed         3.7%

Microsoft             376

Texas Crude Oil    71.32

CPI                       3.1%

Here are my predictions for the end of year 2024:

Dow Jones           40000

S and P                4850

NASDAQ           17800

Unemployed         5%

Microsoft             400

Texas Crude Oil    90

CPI                       3%

Recommendation: Small cap mutual funds 

In 2024 the Eagles will get killed off in the playoffs, Biden will be re-elected, the media will tire of AI but reference librarians will be nervous about their jobs. Russia will sign a treaty giving them Crimea and some land in eastern Ukraine, but NATO type troops will sit at the hard border guaranteeing most of that country relative security. 

Christmas grumbling

&nbsp

From a few years back, an oldie but goodie. This blog talks about the pleasure of giving cruel Christmas gifts.

&nbsp

Being on the receiving end of present giving, I would like to grumble about food baskets. They are fine in the corporate world but should not be hoisted on unsuspecting family members. The basket is too big and I never know what to do with them. They are filled with crummy confetti (comprising 90% of the volume of the basket) and the the sizes of the packages make an airline look generous.

Editor's note: Friday evening we will have the end of year stock numbers. Probably have my predictions out early Saturday. I know a lot of money managers rely on them. 😉

Christmas letters I still send out Christmas cards and having no spouse or children I am at a loss on what to say. Thankfully I travel and my travels at least give me something to recount on my Christmas card notes.

the Day After Thanksgiving

The day after Thanksgiving, now called "Black Friday," is one of America's half holidays. Some people get it off, some people don't get it off. The schools are off, some, but not all, businesses are off. Retail is open and most stores, at least the places I went to today, were extremely busy. The mall was jammed with people. Not just with lookey loos either, there were long lines to buy things at J.C. Penneys. J.C. Penneys! I thought it had died!

At the mall, I bought a couple of calendars, an easy holiday gift for people who are hard to buy for. And I got the second one for half price. The Chinese food was good and luckily, I found the last empty table in the food court.

I have many memories of this day. It was the day my mother took my brother and me to Radio City Music Hall on a bus where we saw a movie and the Rockettes Christmas Show. At my first job in a library I was put on the periodical desk where I was extremely busy pulling magazines. This day used to be very busy one in public libraries. The kids, home from university, would gather there and in the stores downtown and regale each other with college stories.

For families, the day after Thanksgiving can be a disjointed day. The kids are off, Daddy is off, but Mommy can be chained to her desk at the office.

In Denver I worked in an office where the fathers all came around on this day to collect Mommy's paycheck and the family had a quick lunch together in the cafeteria. I was entrusted with writing a column for the Denver branch in the house organ, Title Data Deeds I wrote in my little column how nice it was to meet all the fathers and children on the day after Thanksgiving. Quietly the next year the staff got that day off. I always attributed this change in the schedule to my witticism.

Editor's note: I never understood why libraries are now closed on this day.

Oh to have children

The other day I had a morning doctor appointment and I had to use the ice scraper to get my windshield clean. "Oh", I said, "To have a daughter. She would pick me up at home and whisk me to the doctor's and sit dutifully with me at the office. She would impress the other patients with her daughterly helpfulness. Last summer I looked out on my backyard and said, "Oh to have a son to mow the lawn".

As I stand in the kitchen cutting onions and peppers I say, "Oh I wish I had a daughter. She would have me over for dinner and fill my refigerator with leftovers for the next week." As I check the air in my tires I say "Oh, to have a son to do this for me!"

I talked to someone who has children. She hears, "Oh Mom can you help me with the rent? The dentist bill was higher than I thought." From her son she hears, "Oh Mom, Little Mary has her heart set on dancing lessons and could you help us out a little with this one? You'll be invited to her recitals."

I asked my friend if they helped with the lawn and the car. She asked me on what planet did I live on.

This morning I was woken up by the neighbor's barking Fox terrier. Oh to have a dog!

The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are back

I see that Paul is making more money. Calling back George and John from the dead to add to the discography Okay, the track isn’t bad by I suspect the two of them would not be happy.

The Stones have really gone hog wild on promoting their new album. It’s so weird to see them all over the tv. And they’re so nice! Personally, I like the old image of them pissing in gas stations and getting arrested. Even in the 70s there was a black curtain over their personal lives. Now Keith sounds like a retired fireman.

Have only heard album in bits and pieces. Sounds okay. Nice to have Bill Wyman’s bass adding to the band. Thought the gospel thing with Lady Gaga is nice. At what you think is the end you get a “let’s just let the tape stay on” three minutes of coda. Picture is of the Stones new drummer, Steve Jordan. He was on David Letterman and SNL. Who knew?

Of smoke detectors, crickets, and fire codes

 Last night I heard a beeping noise in my condo. It sounded like a smoke detector needing a battery but I was certain it wasn't since my smoke detector was now wired to the electricity and it was not beeping. I went to the source of the noise and decided I must have a cricket. I had a cricket in my place years ago so I sprayed my home office with roach spray and assumed by the morning I would have a dead, but quiet, cricket. 

The following morning I heard the beeping sound again. I did a closer inspection of my home office and discovered an old smoke detector on a shelf that was making all of the noise. I had a spare battery and I installed it and it should be quiet again for another year.

A year ago I got a notice that I was due for an inspection from a representative of the state to test my smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. I have received these visitations in the past and the man would push the buttons on the things, they would beep loudly, and I would be home free for another five years.

This time, the man informed me that I was not in compliance since battery operated smoke detectors were no longer permissible in condos in New Jersey. They had to be hard wired to the electricity. Turns out there was wiring right above the smoke detector, but previous tenants had taken the easy way out and just put a battery-operated smoke detector in its place. 

I went to Home Depot and bought a wired smoke detector. Coming into my place with a package containing my new smoke detector the inspector took pity on me and helped set up my new smoke detector. I put the old one on a shelf in my home office but kept the battery in. I completely forgot that it was there until it started beeping. I need to air my home office now because it smells like insect repellant. 

Guy Fawkes Day

I just came back from a Day of the Dead celebration in Princeton. Before that there was Halloween. Fun in their own way, After looking at a couple You Tube videos I have decided that I would like to attend a celebration of Guy Fawke Day. November 5. 

Apparently in small towns throughout Britain people march through the streets with lit broomsticks. There is a huge bonfire and revelry. I suspect a bit of alcohol consumption also. Perhaps in a British pub in New York there might be some commemorative? 

Thoughts on David Byrne

The Talking Heads and David Byrne have been getting a lot of media attention lately, inspiring me to listen to all my recordings and to recap my own recollections of the band and band leader. I first heard of the Talking Heads when I was living in Denver. Saturday nights on KGNU Boulder there was a series on the history of punk rock and new wave music. There I learned about Pere Ubu, Devo, the Ramones, and Talking Heads. There was also a record store I went to, Wax Trax, where you could listen to and buy singles by various new wave type artists. 

The Talking Heads evolved into incorporating a funky world music sound, influenced by Brian Eno.  It was when I saw the MTV video of Once in a Lifetime that I was first impressed by the band. Over the years I bought LPs Fear of Music, Little Creatures and at some point bought a bootleg of a live 1977 performance, In the mid-nineties I went to a party and Stop Making Sense was playing on the tv, I guess from a DVD. If the party got dull you could walk into the Talking Heads Room and then gravitate back to the kitchen for beer and potato chips. 

My next exposure to David Byrne was in 2008 when I saw the exhibit Playing the Building in New York. I bought a poster then but I can't find it. It was sort of fun. There was a piano and everyone, including myself, got to play a few notes. After Covid, I saw American Utopia on Broadway and it was a great show. 

I also bought the cd's Rei Momo and I found Feelings in a bargain bin somewhere. I also recently discovered in my collection a home made CD of Grown Backwards that I probably got as a gift. Not bad. One Christmas I got the Here Lies Love box set. It came with two cd's, one DVD and a book. It featured Florence (without the Machine), Steve Earle, Cyndi Lauper and lots of others. Now Here Lies Love is on Broadway. This project has always been a mystery to me. I don't care for the songs, except for the title number, and I never understood why anyone would care about Imelda Marcos. Old news.

I suppose the Latin influenced Rei Mono is my favorite David Byrne credited record. I also got the soundtrack of Stop Making Sense. Okay but the songs sound a lot like the studio recordings. At some point I acquired a Tom Tom Club record. The Tom Tom Club was hip for a brief period. 

Now the critics are raving about the re mastering of the Stop Making Sense movie. It might be fun to see it in a theatre but I'm too lazy to go the places where it is showing. He was on Colbert recently and taught the tv host how to dance. For an autistic guy he seems to have developed his public social skills. He didn't mention the Stop Making Sence movie. Yesterday I turned on the tv and there was the entire Talking Heads also on Colbert. They didn't play although they were coerced to attempt it. Maybe it was because they haven't played together in eons and didn't want to embarrass themselves. Instead, they plugged the Stop Making Sense movie. Yesterday I noticed he plays the doctor in season two of Amy Schumer's Hulu show.  

I almost forgot the book.  Talking Heads by David Gans is a nice history and discography of the band as of 1985. You can get it used on Amazon. I probably bought it in a used bookstore. So those are my thoughts on David Byrne.

Dress codes

 

After the recent story on the dress code in the Senate. John Fetterman is again in the news. You may remember when I predicted he would eventually become our president. I am starting to see him as more as the eccentric in the Senate rather than presidential timber. I can remember saying Gary Hart was presidential timber back in the day. 

Perhaps the Senate is not yet ready for hoodies  after all. Reminds me of when they instituted a dress code at the government office I worked in. For years people came to work in jeans, boat pants, halter dresses and the like. Then when a Republican entered the governorship, we were given a dress code. no more halters, blood stained chinos, flip flops, or beach ware. We were to dress in business attire. The first week I noticed that the women wore old dresses they must have borrowed from their grandmothers. After a few weeks, people started to buy new clothes in keeping with the spirit of things. We were allowed to revert to our old ways on "casual Fridays". The joke was that "casual Fridays" had never existed before the dress code. 

Spaghetti models

 

We have a new hurricane watch this week with Hurricane Lee. I was reading about the storm and kept coming across the word spaghetti model. Apparently, the lines that trace the storm resemble strands of spaghetti. I'm looking for tornados to be tracked with ravioli models and perhaps typhoons could be tracked with macaroni models. 

Editor's note: With the writer's strike still ongoing, I will attempt to include jokes in future blogs as a means to ameliorate the lack of new humor on tv. 

Not when I was a kid

 

Yesterday, I noticed the school buses in my town were emptying out after 1 PM. I guess the schools closed early because of the hot weather. This led me to a trip down memory lane of those happy days of my childhood.

Did my school dismiss kids early because of heat?

No.

Did my school have air conditioning?

For the most part no.

Did my mother drive me to school because it was too hot?

No.

Did my mother drive me to school because it was too cold?

No.

Did my mother drive me to the school bus because it was raining?

No. 

Did my mother drive me to the library?

No.

After I was twelve I had to take the bus to the dentist. 

Why in my day......

I hope I'm not becoming a curmudgeon.

Should a man open the car door for a woman

 

Recently I read on the Internet that a man who is about to transport a woman in his car has the obligation of getting out of the car, walking to the passenger side, opening the door, helping the woman with her bags and negotiating her into the car seat. This was a surprise to me. I have always believed  that the gallant man pushes the button on the car, thus unlocking the passenger door. Then the lady has to negotiate her way into the vehicle. This way the man affirms his belief in the equality of the sexes. 

U by the Incredible String Band

 U is an album I bought in 1970 when some college friends were huge fans of the Incredible String Band and I got caught up in the fun. It has laid around in my record collection for eons, for thirty years never played. As part of my "rediscovering my albums" phase I recently listened to it from start to finish. Surprisingly I like it. It is a bit amateurish and some of the songs go on too long, but I find playing the album makes for a nice backround to reading or cleaning the floor. It has an eclectic blend of music, some of it influenced by Irish string bands. For some reason it can be listened to in its entirety on You Tube. One of the bad things about boomers is that they have enough old stuff that they don't really need to listen to the new stuff that is out today. 

Editor's note: I talk about the Incredible String Band in my post on WBAI. 

Being a hiking curmudgeon

 I am lucky to have some nice parks nearby. Not just parks with swings and baseball diamonds but parks with wilderness trails. I can walk on the macadam trails but I prefer the wooded areas. They are more scenic, I get to see deer and chipmunks and I get to avoid listening to babies cry, fathers yellling at their sons and ladies complaining about their boyfriends and bosses. 

The problem, at least in the summer, is that gnats follow me on the trail, and they are worse in the more rustic parts of the park. I read that they are attracted to baseball hats. I took off my baseball cap but soon discovered that they will come around my eyes if I'm hatless. Today I tried putting a permethrin spray on my hat. It didn't seem to help much. Going back to the Internet I found that the combination of a large hat and sunglasses may do the trick. I'll try that next. 

Fourth of July in Colorado

 Here is an oldie but goody. Happy Fourth of July

Editor's note: Apparently they are still having these. 

A man for our time

The commotion led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, has been dominating the news since the weekend. We all know the basic story by now and nobody in the media knows any more than we do about what is going on behind the scenes. Yevgeny seems to be quite the character. We have needed a face to attach to the war. A con man or a Russian patriot? He looks like he came out of central casting to play the rogue general. A man who would cut off a man's balls for the fun of it but who may be useful to the West. Perhaps some of the freed soldiers defected to the Ukranian army? Nobody knows.

This whole story should make a good movie. However, they should do something about his name. It may be hard to fit on the cover of Time's Man of the Year issue. 

Editor's note: A tragic accident.

Help Sally find a liver

 

I came home from the store yesterday and found stuffed in my mailbox a one page flyer. On it read " Help Sally Find a Liver". I'd have to say that this was a new one. I've been asked for money so a man can ride a bus home, feed his sick mother, keep America well, and keep America well informed, but no one has ever asked me for a liver before.

I thought about it. I have become accustomed to my liver. It has served me well and I have not been an ideal partner. I like to drink and I'm sure beer, white wine and Jack has not been kind to my liver over the years. I'm afraid my liver might not even be that serviceable. Sorry but if you need a liver you will have to look elsewhere. 

the chair

In honor of Father's Day, I have a new post in my Sixties blog. 

the Phoenix Economy

I have gotten into the routine of listening to Slate Money every Saturday morning. Last week, the host, Felix Salmon, was promoting his new book.  I find the show fun and informative and thought I'd take a chance on it and bought it on Amazon for my Kindle. 

I have been expecting a series of books to start coming out on the pandemic. "September 11" and Afghanistan have produced a few good books, as well as a few forgettable coffee table dust collectors. This is the first book on covid, at least that I have noticed, that comprehensively deals with   the economic, social and political ramifications of the disease. 

The book is an easy read and has some information that I did not know. However, oftentimes, what is presented as fact is often closer to opinion. This book is full of Salmon's points of view. Although it tries to be somewhat encyclopedic in its breadth, I feel it shortchanges covid's effect on education. I also suspect some eyebrows were raised when he talks about the babysitting aspects of teaching.

Editor's note:  Librarians also become unwilling babysitters.

Prince Andrew

First we had the Trump presidency, then we had covid, soon we might have the US defaulting on its debt. But the news most of us are  concerned about involves Prince Andrew. Apparently the king wants to move him and his family (they are divorced but still...) out of the Royal Lodge and into Frogmore Castle. Frogmore Castle looks like a nice place from its website. Still it is making money now as a museum. Having Andrew there  might be an added attraction. Tourists will be able to spy on a pregnant Eugenie sunbathing in the garden or the prince entertaining a group of Americans on their junior year in Europe. 

Ron DeSantis and the battle of trans rights

 

Recently I went to my old job to attend a retirement buffet for my old boss. At some point I had to answer nature's call. I mentioned it and got giggles. I was warned that the bathrooms were all cross gender. I.E., there were no men's rooms or women's rooms. There were only rooms. Upon entering, I noticed that there was no difference in the facility since I worked there. Of course, the sign on the door was different. It said, "all gender restroom." I wonder how women navigate the urinals? 

It is this type of politically correct activism that the governor of Florida wants to save us from. He would not allow such travesties in Florida or the USA. Ron DeSantis has discovered the weakness in political correctness that he can exploit. In the old days he could fight against gay marriage. Unfortunately, gay marriage has entered the mainstream even in red states. Of course, there is women's rights. Again, equality for working women is now generally accepted. Cash poor states are allowing legal marijuana. That issue again waning. interracial marriage? Again, becoming mainstream.                 

The next frontier of liberalism that might scare the behooves out of suburban housewives?  Trans sexualism. He reads about a school in Philadelphia that has a drag queen story hour for kids. Trans gender rights. Here is a topic that is entering the political conversation. And one that people are ambivalent about. Most people never thought about this topic until recently, but Ron has instilled the fear in parents of girls who will have to compete in sports with boys who have sex change operations. There goes that scholarship. 

One of the great arts in politics is teaching the public to fear things that they never thought about before. It should be an interesting two years. 

He was brought down by a woman

 

"History repeats itself, first as a tragedy then as a farce" Karl Marx

We are now entering the farce stage of the Trump saga. Brought down by a woman, Donald Trump will forever be linked in history to

Stormy Daniels. The next stage is beginning. I predicted riots on this day. I think I will be wrong. There will be some excitement, staged for the television cameras, but I suspect the Donald like the Harry is starting to wear on the short attention span of Americans. People are getting tired of the soap opera of Donald and Stormy like they are tiring of Harry and Meghan. 

Cock fighting

One of the well-worn stories I've told at parties is the time I was taken to a cock fight as a kid. Looking back, it was an opportunity to experience a bit of Americana, now lost to the passage of time. It was also something most people from the Northeast haven't experienced, at least in this country. 

As a kid (I was about 12) my mother flew us to visit her kinfolk in Texas. Her people lived in rural Texas and at least some of them were entrepreneurs. Aunt Willy owned a dairy farm left by her late husband and a washateria where local women came to wash their clothes. 

Up the street was Harold &^*&*, Aunt Bug's husband. He owned an insurance company in a small city in East Texas and would later be known as the man who brought liquor to the county. At that time him and his son were persuing fighting chickens as a hobby. I remember walking by the pens full of roosters who were getting primed for the big day. On Saturday, a chosen few were put on a truck and hauled to Oklahoma where cockfighting was legal. 

They had to ask my mother if I could go. She said okay, even though she worried that a sensitive boy like myself might get upset at the gruesome antics I was going to witness. Saturday came, and after breakfast of a sausage on a biscuit and some sweet milk I was in the truck with my cousin and his dad. 

I remember this small but round building that had the meets. Inside there was seating for maybe 200 people and in the ring were two proud chickens. They had spurs attached to their legs. The chickens would fight, and men would yell bets. "I'll take a dollar on old blue".  Some of the fights were ferocious. They could rise up several feet in the air at times. 

Walking around the arena I saw "loosies" for sale, cokes and hot dogs. Finally, the formal program ended and the men had impromptu contests. Some of the chickens died.  I was told the meat was tough but could be turned into a passable chicken with dumplings.  

Later my mother told me she was disappointed with my enjoyment of the day. I turned out to be just as cruel as the rest of them. 

Oh wow, UFOs

We've all been so excited. Aliens from outer space have been flying over Alaska and Canada. Different than the movies, though, they have been shot down before they could land. No scenes like when the alien comes out of the spaceship in The Day the Earth Stood Still. At least not yet. Biden claims they are neither Chinese spy vehicles nor aliens from outer space.     Quien sabe. 

Happy Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day.