I would like to post about how the President's tax plan is nothing more than a tax-break for the filthy rich.
I would like to post about how even George Bush wrapped up all other pending business in the wake of Katrina so that he could focus on disaster.
I would like to criticize those who asked "Where was Obama during Katrina." In Chicago, you morons. He wasn't President.
Instead, I'd like to point you to a charity I believe in, the J.J. Watt Foundation.
Sometimes professional sports players exceed all expectations. Michael Strahan used to build playgrounds for kids in need on HGTV before he left the Giants for his Fox/GMA career. Brandon Marshall started Project Borderline to support people with personality disorders. Jay Cutler's foundation helps treat children with Type 1 Diabetes. The Drew Brees Foundation helps children with pediatric cancer. And J.J. Watt's Foundation was to help develop life skills for middle-school students in athletic programs. That was, until Harvey.
Now J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans has set up a Houston Flood Relief Fund through YouCaring.org. Initially, he was looking to crowd-fund $1 million. When they hit that, he asked for $5 million. The Houston Texans jumped in with a $1 Million contribution, making the $5 seem like it was possible. They blew by the $5 million mark, so they raised the stakes to $6. Blew by that number, and then Ellen DeGeneres and Walmart dumped another Million into the bucket. The goal is now up to $10,000,000...and in a matter of hours, they will hit that number as well.
As of this writing, they're up to $9,982,673.
The thing is, with this President and his bluster, you don't know if he means it when he promises aid to Texas and Louisiana. The man is filled with empty promises and bravado. As his overall budget plans to gut FEMA and other flood-response agencies, it's hard to believe that adequate help will come to the people who need it most. And these people can't wait.
You don't need to donate to the J.J. Watt foundation to make an impact. There are plenty of other charities that will try to help get the victims of Harvey back on their feet. Find one. Donate. The people on the ground, the volunteers and the professionals helping, all need to eat. Food isn't free. Medicine isn't free. Transporting livestock and pets out of the flood area isn't free. Gas isn't free.
$10 million will be a drop in the bucket, and like Ike and Katrina before it, Harvey will have extremely long-lasting effects on the communities it's ruined. Please consider contributing, and if you have the time, visit Houston and Louisiana to help those communities that need it most.
https://www.youcaring.com/victimsofhurricaneharvey-915053
P.S. Since starting to write this, they blew past the $10,000,000 mark. Do your part to help them shatter the next goal.
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Pipe Dreams and Nightmares
It's easy to pick on our President. Lately, it's been his white-supremacy undertones (overtones?) that we've been able to easily key in on. But, I'd like to remind you that before he was being anti-Semitic and racist...he was bashing the indigenous peoples of North Dakota.
“I’m pleased to announce that the Dakota Access Pipeline … is now officially open for business, a $3.8 billion investment in American infrastructure that was stalled and nobody thought any politician would have the guts to approve that final leg,” President Dump said.
“I just close my eyes and said ‘do it.'”
The action (and description of the action) was moronic on many levels. First, as previously explained, this was less an action of Trump and more of U.S. environmental process in action. The Army Corps of Engineers did an environmental analysis with several alternatives and chose a route which had the fewest impacts to cultural and environmental resources...AND, Obama's EPA approved it.
However, for those of us paying attention, a judge, on June 14 of this year, "has ruled that permits authorized by the Trump administration to fast-track the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline violated the law." In a 91-page ruling, the court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers “did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipeline’s effects are likely to be highly controversial.”
Duh, that's what the peaceful protesters said. You remember them, right? The Native Americans who rallied on Federal land without firearms (albeit without permits) to bring to light the potential consequences of a spill on cultural (read: people, fishing, etc.) and environmental resources down-stream.
This is a bit after the fact, though, as pumping had begun several weeks before this decision. A request by the Tribes to halt pumping while this was being considered was denied. To make things more bitter, a counter-suit was filed in Federal court against the protesters. Shooting them with rubber bullets and water canons wasn't enough. "Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas, Texas, listed the lawsuit's defendants as Greenpeace International, Earth First!, BankTrack, and other organizations and individuals." They're claiming eco-terrorism. To say the suit is punitive is an understatement. Regardless of the outcome, Energy Transfer Partners wasn't being held back for completion by the protestors...it was held back by Obama. Secondly, they got their wish through Trump and completed the pipeline, and began pumping oil into it. Third, who paid for the enforcement (i.e. shooting innocent people) at Standing Rock? Why, the good people of North Dakota did, to the tune of $38 million...and, according to their whining to the Feds, they're only asking that they be reimbursed $14 million by the Federal Government. Trump's administration approved $10 million, to make them go away. We'll see if that works.
What's next? Based on the judge's decision, there needs to be public input/comments into the allegations that President Small Hands' maneuver was, in fact, illegal and didn't consider the down-stream impacts of a spill. That public meeting has already been delayed at the request of Energy Transfer Partners who may or may not have also removed too many trees and improperly handled contaminated soil, thereby violating State Law. Also, at issue is another security firm is being sued for providing "security services" (read: mercenary enforcement against protesters). They're looking to get it thrown out claiming that they only provided consulting. B.S. There's video everywhere, and this time it is the State of North Dakota bringing the charges against a firm not licensed to do business of that sort in the State.
So, a muddy picture of how this moves forward. It's possible and likely that all of this is frivolous and that the pipeline will continue to pump oil until a severe accident occurs, which will likely get swept under the carpet by an administration who picks and chooses the environmental facts that best suit its purpose. It will impact some of the poorest people in the United States, practically confined to the Reservation. The only black and white outcome from this is that, if DAPL continues to operate, there's only one real winner, and that's Kelcy Warren, chief executive of Energy Transfer who tripled his net worth at the stroke of Trump's pen.
I'm beginning to feel like I need to keep a list akin to Arya's from Game of Thrones, of things we have to remember to undo once Agent Orange has left the building. But, it's clear that we need to pay attention to the successes and failures of opposing this project along with the President's apparent bigotry, the raping our National Monuments for fossil fuel reclamation, climate change, and, of course Russian interference in our political processes. I realize that equates to many sticks in the fire, but if we don't mind them all, our culture, our environment and our democracy may burn down around us.
“I’m pleased to announce that the Dakota Access Pipeline … is now officially open for business, a $3.8 billion investment in American infrastructure that was stalled and nobody thought any politician would have the guts to approve that final leg,” President Dump said.
“I just close my eyes and said ‘do it.'”
The action (and description of the action) was moronic on many levels. First, as previously explained, this was less an action of Trump and more of U.S. environmental process in action. The Army Corps of Engineers did an environmental analysis with several alternatives and chose a route which had the fewest impacts to cultural and environmental resources...AND, Obama's EPA approved it.
However, for those of us paying attention, a judge, on June 14 of this year, "has ruled that permits authorized by the Trump administration to fast-track the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline violated the law." In a 91-page ruling, the court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers “did not adequately consider the impacts of an oil spill on fishing rights, hunting rights, or environmental justice, or the degree to which the pipeline’s effects are likely to be highly controversial.”
Duh, that's what the peaceful protesters said. You remember them, right? The Native Americans who rallied on Federal land without firearms (albeit without permits) to bring to light the potential consequences of a spill on cultural (read: people, fishing, etc.) and environmental resources down-stream.
This is a bit after the fact, though, as pumping had begun several weeks before this decision. A request by the Tribes to halt pumping while this was being considered was denied. To make things more bitter, a counter-suit was filed in Federal court against the protesters. Shooting them with rubber bullets and water canons wasn't enough. "Energy Transfer Partners of Dallas, Texas, listed the lawsuit's defendants as Greenpeace International, Earth First!, BankTrack, and other organizations and individuals." They're claiming eco-terrorism. To say the suit is punitive is an understatement. Regardless of the outcome, Energy Transfer Partners wasn't being held back for completion by the protestors...it was held back by Obama. Secondly, they got their wish through Trump and completed the pipeline, and began pumping oil into it. Third, who paid for the enforcement (i.e. shooting innocent people) at Standing Rock? Why, the good people of North Dakota did, to the tune of $38 million...and, according to their whining to the Feds, they're only asking that they be reimbursed $14 million by the Federal Government. Trump's administration approved $10 million, to make them go away. We'll see if that works.
What's next? Based on the judge's decision, there needs to be public input/comments into the allegations that President Small Hands' maneuver was, in fact, illegal and didn't consider the down-stream impacts of a spill. That public meeting has already been delayed at the request of Energy Transfer Partners who may or may not have also removed too many trees and improperly handled contaminated soil, thereby violating State Law. Also, at issue is another security firm is being sued for providing "security services" (read: mercenary enforcement against protesters). They're looking to get it thrown out claiming that they only provided consulting. B.S. There's video everywhere, and this time it is the State of North Dakota bringing the charges against a firm not licensed to do business of that sort in the State.
So, a muddy picture of how this moves forward. It's possible and likely that all of this is frivolous and that the pipeline will continue to pump oil until a severe accident occurs, which will likely get swept under the carpet by an administration who picks and chooses the environmental facts that best suit its purpose. It will impact some of the poorest people in the United States, practically confined to the Reservation. The only black and white outcome from this is that, if DAPL continues to operate, there's only one real winner, and that's Kelcy Warren, chief executive of Energy Transfer who tripled his net worth at the stroke of Trump's pen.
I'm beginning to feel like I need to keep a list akin to Arya's from Game of Thrones, of things we have to remember to undo once Agent Orange has left the building. But, it's clear that we need to pay attention to the successes and failures of opposing this project along with the President's apparent bigotry, the raping our National Monuments for fossil fuel reclamation, climate change, and, of course Russian interference in our political processes. I realize that equates to many sticks in the fire, but if we don't mind them all, our culture, our environment and our democracy may burn down around us.
Thursday, August 17, 2017
Charity and Action
To be fair, I didn't want to go.
My wife's father co-organizes a group from his synagogue to go, each month, to staff and supply a soup kitchen using donations from congregants. They go the second Saturday of each month, and he had asked Sara to go and to bring Jude. At the time, we didn't have any conflicts, and she was set to go. That was, until she all of a sudden had a conflict and asked me to step in, bring Jude and go.
In our relationship, it's my job to temper expectations of all we can get done in one Saturday and one Sunday. Mentally, I had filled the time she and Jude were expected to be away with quiet alone time with Johanna. Maybe, based on the weather, a trip to the playground, but super low-key. Now she was taking Jojo to an event and I was thrust into taking Jude to a parish in Orange, NJ to help out.
Needless to say, after much griping, I got over my bullshit laziness quickly. It was clearly the right thing to do, which didn't matter because I was irritated at having my weekend dictated to me. We don't volunteer as much as we should (but we talk a big game), and it would be great for Jude, as my father-in-law reminded us, to see and help people who needed help.
As soon as we got there around 11am we started helping in the kitchen, getting desserts plated and making sure hot food was warm, being warmed, or being cooked. Slowly, more and more congregants from the synagogue showed up to help, and a line started forming outside by those people looking to come and eat. The congregation prepared quite a spread of (mostly) healthy foods including some lovely salads, rotisserie chicken, meatballs, veggie medley, pasta, bread and a light dessert comprised of cookies.
When the doors opened at noon, we had a steady stream for about an hour and a half of people of all ages and nationalities. It was mostly single adults, but occasionally, there would be a mom and her kids, dad and his kids, or just a teenager alone. I was on chicken duty and Jude was in charge of bread. As I watched him, he did his job like a champ and with no adult help. He didn't flinch away from people, even those with fewer teeth than him, or those who smelled differently. He greeted everyone, and allowed them to tell him what it was they wanted...and then he gave it to them.
He and I estimated that we served more than 100 people that morning. He never questioned why we were giving them food. He understood that this is what we do: they were hungry and we helped with feeding them. That was it. This is what you do. There was no talk about race. There was no talk about why they were less fortunate or why they needed to come to the church. They were hungry so we fed them. I wish my mind was so accepting. I have prejudice. As I saw them, I insisted that the mother with twin little girls take more food because the three of them were thin. While they weren't necessarily supposed to come back for seconds, we had more than enough, and I definitely doubled up on portions for those who asked, even some who didn't. A girl, who came by herself and couldn't have been older than 11 or 12 came without the voucher to eat. When we asked for it, she turned around as if to leave. We quickly called after her and insisted she make a plate. That's why we were there. She came back again to make a plate to take with her, and we made sure she had enough before we let her go. It's just the right thing to do.
After we were all done, my father-in-law, sister-in-law, Jude and I went out to get a bite to eat at the Millburn Deli, just 20 minutes away from Orange. It couldn't have been a more stark contrast to what we had just been doing. I don't think it hit Jude as much as it hit me, but we had just gone from the extreme have-nots to the extreme haves in the blink of an eye. How many of these people donate...anything? Who thinks about the fact that we are so geographically close to such poverty, yet we hardly ever see it.
I am a privileged white male who grew up in an middle-class house with food always on my table, clothes to wear and luxury items like CDs and stereo equipment and computers and the Internet...and books. Yet, I'm no different than the people we helped. I know some of them work, maybe most of them. I know they're trying because they made a conscious decision to get help that morning.
The bigger question is, are we trying? Are you trying? It cost my family $15 in vegetables and 3 hours of time. Do you have that? What have you donated last? When was that? Could you do a little more? My excuse for not wanting to go was complete and utter laziness. Facebook this week is filled with posts about racial equality and denouncing hate. Posts don't do shit. Praying doesn't do shit. Put your time and money where your mouth is, and donate the clothes that don't fit. Go give blood. Go help at a soup kitchen. Volunteer at an animal shelter or rehab. Become a better steward of this earth and its inhabitants...and do it at a meager $15 and/or 3 hours per month.
If you're reading this on FaceBook, I know you have time to burn and money to blow. Why not do it responsibly. While I don't know if we'll go every second Saturday, I'm fairly certain that we'll go again. There is no shortage of people who need help, and we (you included) are uniquely capable of helping.
My wife's father co-organizes a group from his synagogue to go, each month, to staff and supply a soup kitchen using donations from congregants. They go the second Saturday of each month, and he had asked Sara to go and to bring Jude. At the time, we didn't have any conflicts, and she was set to go. That was, until she all of a sudden had a conflict and asked me to step in, bring Jude and go.
In our relationship, it's my job to temper expectations of all we can get done in one Saturday and one Sunday. Mentally, I had filled the time she and Jude were expected to be away with quiet alone time with Johanna. Maybe, based on the weather, a trip to the playground, but super low-key. Now she was taking Jojo to an event and I was thrust into taking Jude to a parish in Orange, NJ to help out.
Needless to say, after much griping, I got over my bullshit laziness quickly. It was clearly the right thing to do, which didn't matter because I was irritated at having my weekend dictated to me. We don't volunteer as much as we should (but we talk a big game), and it would be great for Jude, as my father-in-law reminded us, to see and help people who needed help.
As soon as we got there around 11am we started helping in the kitchen, getting desserts plated and making sure hot food was warm, being warmed, or being cooked. Slowly, more and more congregants from the synagogue showed up to help, and a line started forming outside by those people looking to come and eat. The congregation prepared quite a spread of (mostly) healthy foods including some lovely salads, rotisserie chicken, meatballs, veggie medley, pasta, bread and a light dessert comprised of cookies.
When the doors opened at noon, we had a steady stream for about an hour and a half of people of all ages and nationalities. It was mostly single adults, but occasionally, there would be a mom and her kids, dad and his kids, or just a teenager alone. I was on chicken duty and Jude was in charge of bread. As I watched him, he did his job like a champ and with no adult help. He didn't flinch away from people, even those with fewer teeth than him, or those who smelled differently. He greeted everyone, and allowed them to tell him what it was they wanted...and then he gave it to them.
He and I estimated that we served more than 100 people that morning. He never questioned why we were giving them food. He understood that this is what we do: they were hungry and we helped with feeding them. That was it. This is what you do. There was no talk about race. There was no talk about why they were less fortunate or why they needed to come to the church. They were hungry so we fed them. I wish my mind was so accepting. I have prejudice. As I saw them, I insisted that the mother with twin little girls take more food because the three of them were thin. While they weren't necessarily supposed to come back for seconds, we had more than enough, and I definitely doubled up on portions for those who asked, even some who didn't. A girl, who came by herself and couldn't have been older than 11 or 12 came without the voucher to eat. When we asked for it, she turned around as if to leave. We quickly called after her and insisted she make a plate. That's why we were there. She came back again to make a plate to take with her, and we made sure she had enough before we let her go. It's just the right thing to do.
After we were all done, my father-in-law, sister-in-law, Jude and I went out to get a bite to eat at the Millburn Deli, just 20 minutes away from Orange. It couldn't have been a more stark contrast to what we had just been doing. I don't think it hit Jude as much as it hit me, but we had just gone from the extreme have-nots to the extreme haves in the blink of an eye. How many of these people donate...anything? Who thinks about the fact that we are so geographically close to such poverty, yet we hardly ever see it.
I am a privileged white male who grew up in an middle-class house with food always on my table, clothes to wear and luxury items like CDs and stereo equipment and computers and the Internet...and books. Yet, I'm no different than the people we helped. I know some of them work, maybe most of them. I know they're trying because they made a conscious decision to get help that morning.
The bigger question is, are we trying? Are you trying? It cost my family $15 in vegetables and 3 hours of time. Do you have that? What have you donated last? When was that? Could you do a little more? My excuse for not wanting to go was complete and utter laziness. Facebook this week is filled with posts about racial equality and denouncing hate. Posts don't do shit. Praying doesn't do shit. Put your time and money where your mouth is, and donate the clothes that don't fit. Go give blood. Go help at a soup kitchen. Volunteer at an animal shelter or rehab. Become a better steward of this earth and its inhabitants...and do it at a meager $15 and/or 3 hours per month.
If you're reading this on FaceBook, I know you have time to burn and money to blow. Why not do it responsibly. While I don't know if we'll go every second Saturday, I'm fairly certain that we'll go again. There is no shortage of people who need help, and we (you included) are uniquely capable of helping.
Friday, August 11, 2017
Simply Orange
Another short blog today, this one about the President. And, I think I have him figured out. This week, unless you live in a cave, you've heard the President threaten (multiple times) North Korea. It's been a literal war of words between the Trump White House and Pyongyang.
“They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
Questions by the media in subsequent interviews, from Bedminster, NJ, yielded nearly no specifics or definitive answers. What does he mean? "You'll see," was the response. "North Korea better get their act together or they're going to be in trouble, like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world."
Really? Are you scolding Barron or Eric or Donald Jr.? Is North Korea going to have to go to their room to think about what they did, and they're definitely not getting dessert tonight.
Sorry, mom, when I was 9, you threatened me much like the President is doing to grown-ups of a foreign nation.
And that's what I understand. NPR is in Iowa at their State Fair this week, interviewing citizens about their appreciation for the President now that he's done nothing but sign legislation penalizing Russia, something that I'm sure pained him greatly.
"I support him still. He's doing everything he says he'd do. He's definitely a common-man president."
Add to the previous statement a slight mid-west/southern accent, and there you have it: the reason why Trump is still polling well in the mid-US. He's like them. Say what you want about his level of intelligence, he's speaking in such layman's terms, that it's laughable, but he's understood universally. Why? His use of language is so "very very" basic and without imagination. He rants seem childish. His use of short words goes beyond his affinity for Twitter. He throws in statements about "bad hombres" and "they're going to be sorry" and phrases you wouldn't even belittle your kids with, or use in a middle-school term paper.
In short, the man is simple, which also, if you were sick of the old regime, is refreshing. Here's a guy, who's just trying to do his job, and the bad media is making it hard for him. He talks like us. All he wants to do is work, and they keep digging up stories about what he may have done. Can't they just let him be?
We on the coasts (including the Great Lakes) frequently forget that, in addition to the highest costs of living, we are also some of the most educated citizens, including those who don't have a degree. Why? Due to ports, not only do we live at a higher density (more people), but also greater ethnic diversity. Our world views are bigger. Even if that just means that you overheard someone speaking another language on the subway platform, its a global awareness that someone without a similar living environment doesn't have.
And ignorance breeds fear. And Trump is still selling that fear. And he has buyers of his rhetoric. How do you combat that? Not with fancy graphics or detailed reports about how climate change is real, or how mexicans aren't stealing your jobs (Want to pick crops? You're desperately needed in California). I don't have the answer, but if we want to be able to reach certain Trump voters, we need to start at the lowest common denominator, which he is lowering daily, and try to make connections with the people who sympathize with him most.
“They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”
Questions by the media in subsequent interviews, from Bedminster, NJ, yielded nearly no specifics or definitive answers. What does he mean? "You'll see," was the response. "North Korea better get their act together or they're going to be in trouble, like few nations have ever been in trouble in this world."
Really? Are you scolding Barron or Eric or Donald Jr.? Is North Korea going to have to go to their room to think about what they did, and they're definitely not getting dessert tonight.
Sorry, mom, when I was 9, you threatened me much like the President is doing to grown-ups of a foreign nation.
And that's what I understand. NPR is in Iowa at their State Fair this week, interviewing citizens about their appreciation for the President now that he's done nothing but sign legislation penalizing Russia, something that I'm sure pained him greatly.
"I support him still. He's doing everything he says he'd do. He's definitely a common-man president."
Add to the previous statement a slight mid-west/southern accent, and there you have it: the reason why Trump is still polling well in the mid-US. He's like them. Say what you want about his level of intelligence, he's speaking in such layman's terms, that it's laughable, but he's understood universally. Why? His use of language is so "very very" basic and without imagination. He rants seem childish. His use of short words goes beyond his affinity for Twitter. He throws in statements about "bad hombres" and "they're going to be sorry" and phrases you wouldn't even belittle your kids with, or use in a middle-school term paper.
In short, the man is simple, which also, if you were sick of the old regime, is refreshing. Here's a guy, who's just trying to do his job, and the bad media is making it hard for him. He talks like us. All he wants to do is work, and they keep digging up stories about what he may have done. Can't they just let him be?
We on the coasts (including the Great Lakes) frequently forget that, in addition to the highest costs of living, we are also some of the most educated citizens, including those who don't have a degree. Why? Due to ports, not only do we live at a higher density (more people), but also greater ethnic diversity. Our world views are bigger. Even if that just means that you overheard someone speaking another language on the subway platform, its a global awareness that someone without a similar living environment doesn't have.
And ignorance breeds fear. And Trump is still selling that fear. And he has buyers of his rhetoric. How do you combat that? Not with fancy graphics or detailed reports about how climate change is real, or how mexicans aren't stealing your jobs (Want to pick crops? You're desperately needed in California). I don't have the answer, but if we want to be able to reach certain Trump voters, we need to start at the lowest common denominator, which he is lowering daily, and try to make connections with the people who sympathize with him most.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Just a meme before I go
Next week, unless something spectacular happens, I'll be taking a week off from blogging. I know this isn't necessarily earth-shattering news, but I've been religiously blogging weekly since September 2013. If you've been following since then, you know a couple of things: I'm obsessive about my coffee, I believe in common sense gun control, I'm in love with our National Parks and photographing them, music is the best, and I'm not a fan of the bombastic, loud-mouthed stylings of the NJ's governor.
It's that last point that I'll quickly touch upon. If you're following NJ politics, even remotely, you'll know that our Governor was slated to be the resident 'loud-mouth' of the Republican candidates for President before Agent Orange tossed his hate into the ring (not a typo). Trump took Christie's rhetoric to epically insane proportion, and out Christie'd Christie. The result: a bitter (mentally) deflated governor who immediately took it out on a populace that hates him. Currently, he enjoys a 15% approval rating, according to Politico, and "doesn't care."
“You guys care much more about that stuff than I do. I’ve said to you over and over and over again: Poll numbers matter when you’re running for something. When you’re not running for something, they don’t matter a bit. And I don’t care.”
Fine.
What does he care about? His kids, and he's claiming that they are terribly hurt by the criticisms that have erupted by his insistence of using a State beach when he closed them off to everyone else during the government's early July shut-down. According to NJ.Com, he is quoted as saying: "They [the kids] came to me and said, 'It's our fault [the criticism], we should have just told you that we would have just told all of our friends to go away.' And I said to them, no, this was my decision. You're not the adult. I am."
Can't someone please think of the children???
I call bullshit. It's much easier to say "I'm not offended at all by the criticism, but my kids..." than it is to take ownership of a really bad execution of a worse idea. Governor, have you never been to the beach before? Did you not realize that advertisers/people/photographers can charter a plane? Are you so stupid and unaware that telephoto lenses exist?
And, so, with that, here is a small collection of my favorite Christie Beach Memes. Is it fair to keep making fun of the Love Gov? Yes. His political career is defined by his bombastic loud speaking style where he not only talks over constituents with opposing views, but engages in name-calling and taunting rhetoric. He's been dishing it out to the State's citizens since day one in office, it's time for him to grow a thick skin, stop throwing his kids under the bus, and take it, like an adult.
Dude, you're gonna need a bigger boat.
It's that last point that I'll quickly touch upon. If you're following NJ politics, even remotely, you'll know that our Governor was slated to be the resident 'loud-mouth' of the Republican candidates for President before Agent Orange tossed his hate into the ring (not a typo). Trump took Christie's rhetoric to epically insane proportion, and out Christie'd Christie. The result: a bitter (mentally) deflated governor who immediately took it out on a populace that hates him. Currently, he enjoys a 15% approval rating, according to Politico, and "doesn't care."
“You guys care much more about that stuff than I do. I’ve said to you over and over and over again: Poll numbers matter when you’re running for something. When you’re not running for something, they don’t matter a bit. And I don’t care.”
Fine.
What does he care about? His kids, and he's claiming that they are terribly hurt by the criticisms that have erupted by his insistence of using a State beach when he closed them off to everyone else during the government's early July shut-down. According to NJ.Com, he is quoted as saying: "They [the kids] came to me and said, 'It's our fault [the criticism], we should have just told you that we would have just told all of our friends to go away.' And I said to them, no, this was my decision. You're not the adult. I am."
Can't someone please think of the children???I call bullshit. It's much easier to say "I'm not offended at all by the criticism, but my kids..." than it is to take ownership of a really bad execution of a worse idea. Governor, have you never been to the beach before? Did you not realize that advertisers/people/photographers can charter a plane? Are you so stupid and unaware that telephoto lenses exist?
And, so, with that, here is a small collection of my favorite Christie Beach Memes. Is it fair to keep making fun of the Love Gov? Yes. His political career is defined by his bombastic loud speaking style where he not only talks over constituents with opposing views, but engages in name-calling and taunting rhetoric. He's been dishing it out to the State's citizens since day one in office, it's time for him to grow a thick skin, stop throwing his kids under the bus, and take it, like an adult.
Dude, you're gonna need a bigger boat.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Noro Reason to Bail?
This week, it was widely reported that 13 customers of the Sterling, VA Chipotle store exhibited symptoms of food poisoning. And, in fact, one tested positively for norovirus. What is norovirus?
"Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines. As a result, symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and fever. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms usually come on between 12 and 48 hours after exposure to the virus and last between one and three days. While contagion is low after a couple of days, you could continue to shed the virus for up to eight weeks."
Thanks Time Magazine. That sounds great! In short, it's bad...really bad food poisoning. You may need medical attention, if for no other reason than to rehydrate yourself. As you could probably imagine, it would likely be most dangerous to those in our population with compromised or under-developed immune systems: young children and our senior population. And, what's worse is that it's easily transmitted. In addition to eating tainted foods, you can also catch it by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. Frequent hand-washing, with soap, is the answer, as it is for many of these preventable diseases. In the case of the Sterling location, it's extremely likely that a carrier for the virus (employee?) touched something that 13 people ordered and it just spread.
That doesn't mean that you should stop eating at Chipotle restaurants all across the United States. Actually, they're one of the better "fast food" chains as they have made it a mission to use locally sourced ingredients. CNBC reported in December of 2015 that locally sourced produce accounts for around 10% of the total produce used at Chipotle locations. That's hard to do. Why? Because in order to run a successful national chain, you need to provide customers with identical dining experiences between franchises. Introduce a variable like multiple local suppliers and then you have a massive added cost in order to maintain consistency and safety practices. In turn, it increases prices somewhat for these added steps, but customers seem to have embraced it. The Harvard Business Review describes it this way:
"Number one: If you are doing local sourcing, you have to bake into your cost structure a higher percentage of sales allowance for food safety and ingredient testing than if you are sourcing nationally from a few big suppliers. Obviously, that can have a bearing on your retail price, but, in general, consumers expect to pay more for locally-sourced products, particularly if they have other attributes, such as being organic or natural."
While not specifically noted, this may be one of the reasons McDonald's parted ways with their holdings in Chipotle. Business Insider reported in 2015 "The chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, said Chipotle was a distraction." It's also the reason why Taco Bell's 2006 e coli outbreak was far, far worse. It led to 71 cases in 5 states. The distribution of contaminated lettuce from a single supplier located in the "western United States" (read: California) was the culprit.
The lesson, eat more locally. The other take-away, this outbreak at Chipotle was very well geographically contained. Your favorite Chipotle wasn't affected. So, go, order a burrito today with confidence. Actually, the reason not to eat Chipotle was never because of what you could catch, but more about watching what you eat. A ton of "healthy" ingredients in obscene portions still makes for bad habits. Examples of single 2,000 calorie meals at fast food chains can be found here and here. And, yes, Chipotle makes the list.
Bon Appétit
"Norovirus is a stomach bug that causes inflammation of the stomach or intestines. As a result, symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and fever. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms usually come on between 12 and 48 hours after exposure to the virus and last between one and three days. While contagion is low after a couple of days, you could continue to shed the virus for up to eight weeks."
Thanks Time Magazine. That sounds great! In short, it's bad...really bad food poisoning. You may need medical attention, if for no other reason than to rehydrate yourself. As you could probably imagine, it would likely be most dangerous to those in our population with compromised or under-developed immune systems: young children and our senior population. And, what's worse is that it's easily transmitted. In addition to eating tainted foods, you can also catch it by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. Frequent hand-washing, with soap, is the answer, as it is for many of these preventable diseases. In the case of the Sterling location, it's extremely likely that a carrier for the virus (employee?) touched something that 13 people ordered and it just spread.
That doesn't mean that you should stop eating at Chipotle restaurants all across the United States. Actually, they're one of the better "fast food" chains as they have made it a mission to use locally sourced ingredients. CNBC reported in December of 2015 that locally sourced produce accounts for around 10% of the total produce used at Chipotle locations. That's hard to do. Why? Because in order to run a successful national chain, you need to provide customers with identical dining experiences between franchises. Introduce a variable like multiple local suppliers and then you have a massive added cost in order to maintain consistency and safety practices. In turn, it increases prices somewhat for these added steps, but customers seem to have embraced it. The Harvard Business Review describes it this way:
"Number one: If you are doing local sourcing, you have to bake into your cost structure a higher percentage of sales allowance for food safety and ingredient testing than if you are sourcing nationally from a few big suppliers. Obviously, that can have a bearing on your retail price, but, in general, consumers expect to pay more for locally-sourced products, particularly if they have other attributes, such as being organic or natural."
While not specifically noted, this may be one of the reasons McDonald's parted ways with their holdings in Chipotle. Business Insider reported in 2015 "The chief executive, Steve Easterbrook, said Chipotle was a distraction." It's also the reason why Taco Bell's 2006 e coli outbreak was far, far worse. It led to 71 cases in 5 states. The distribution of contaminated lettuce from a single supplier located in the "western United States" (read: California) was the culprit.
The lesson, eat more locally. The other take-away, this outbreak at Chipotle was very well geographically contained. Your favorite Chipotle wasn't affected. So, go, order a burrito today with confidence. Actually, the reason not to eat Chipotle was never because of what you could catch, but more about watching what you eat. A ton of "healthy" ingredients in obscene portions still makes for bad habits. Examples of single 2,000 calorie meals at fast food chains can be found here and here. And, yes, Chipotle makes the list.
Bon Appétit
Thursday, July 13, 2017
Fuji-sized bargains
The wife and me were having a conversation last week. As you may know, my passion is wildlife photography, specifically in our National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges. I try to train myself to see things other people might miss. Countless times, while hiking with my "full rig," I encounter other photogs, and when asked "anything good today?" they respond with "nothing special." Those are usually my most productive days. I don't know if it's because they're only looking for large meaningful animals or if they're only interested in shooting wildflowers. But, I take that answer and transform it into a challenge: what am I going to see today that most will not. I'm rarely disappointed.
It has become obvious in my house that Daddy likes to go to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge quite a bit. On more than one occasion, I've taken the kids. In its most popular part of the refuge, trails are extremely limited, quite typical of a place that is supposed to be an unmanaged, unspoilt preserve. Keep people on the paths. To do so, they've constructed a series of boardwalks and trails that lead to bird blinds at their ends meant to keep you on the path. I know firsthand that waterfowl spook easily, so this makes sense in a swamp. What's most difficult is explaining to my kids, when we go, why they can't just take my camera and take pictures. The answer is an economic one: it would be economically challenging replacing components of my camera system if all were simultaneously lost, damaged, dumped into the swamp, etc. The solution is simple: why don't we buy the kids a camera they can use while I'm doing my thing.
The wife agreed and hello Amazon. I looked and used keywords "child's camera" and was extremely dissatisfied with their suggested results. It was largely the Fisher Price line (and their imitators) which are meant for abuse from toddlers. Arguably, the included 2-megapixel sensor isn't taking "real" photos. So, those were out. I changed the criteria. What did I really want the camera to do? Like the Fisher Price options, I wanted it to be sturdy enough to take a drop, possibly water resistant, and if it does get dropped, not to be forever damaged from dust or cold. Enter the category of Tough Point-And-Shoot Cameras.
I admit that I wasn't surprised at the number of available cameras. Every major photography company has an offering that fits our perceived needs: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Fuji (and others). But, I'm looking for a bargain. I'm not willing to drop $200 on a camera destined to be lost in a lake or buried under 3 feet of sand at the beach. A quick search of last year's, now price-reduced, models and I found what I was looking for: the Fuji FinePix XP90. It's got a 16Mp sensor, USB rechargeable battery so I won't have to constantly buy AAs, it will take underwater shots to a depth of 50 feet and is drop-proof to about 6 feet. It's freeze proof and dust proof and...it's out of stock. However, it says that I can buy one from Amazon Warehouse (Amazon's home for misfit toys), certified to work and comes with its own dented box, for only $14.80.
Wait, what?
Right, it was listed as an Amazon-approved device at less than $15. Prime. I think you know what happened next. It then said it was on back-order, which I took to mean, we've got it in our Siberia warehouse and it'll just take a bit to get to you. Four days later, it's on my doorstep. I opened it up. Battery was charged. No scratches or marks on the camera. It came complete with manuals and registration information, power cords and wrist strap. And, it took pictures, could be dropped into a tub/lake/river, and generally take a beating.
The cons? There are none. Hello, $15 camera! Go buy one new and you're spending $220 for last year's model? Hells no.
The moral is, I don't know what the moral is. I bought a $200+ camera for $15 and you need to know that those deals are out there. Buy from Amazon Warehouse and you may stand to save a bundle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go fill my tub so I can take some creative underwater shots of my rubber duckie. Right, camera is for the kids. Right.
It has become obvious in my house that Daddy likes to go to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge quite a bit. On more than one occasion, I've taken the kids. In its most popular part of the refuge, trails are extremely limited, quite typical of a place that is supposed to be an unmanaged, unspoilt preserve. Keep people on the paths. To do so, they've constructed a series of boardwalks and trails that lead to bird blinds at their ends meant to keep you on the path. I know firsthand that waterfowl spook easily, so this makes sense in a swamp. What's most difficult is explaining to my kids, when we go, why they can't just take my camera and take pictures. The answer is an economic one: it would be economically challenging replacing components of my camera system if all were simultaneously lost, damaged, dumped into the swamp, etc. The solution is simple: why don't we buy the kids a camera they can use while I'm doing my thing.
The wife agreed and hello Amazon. I looked and used keywords "child's camera" and was extremely dissatisfied with their suggested results. It was largely the Fisher Price line (and their imitators) which are meant for abuse from toddlers. Arguably, the included 2-megapixel sensor isn't taking "real" photos. So, those were out. I changed the criteria. What did I really want the camera to do? Like the Fisher Price options, I wanted it to be sturdy enough to take a drop, possibly water resistant, and if it does get dropped, not to be forever damaged from dust or cold. Enter the category of Tough Point-And-Shoot Cameras.
I admit that I wasn't surprised at the number of available cameras. Every major photography company has an offering that fits our perceived needs: Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus and Fuji (and others). But, I'm looking for a bargain. I'm not willing to drop $200 on a camera destined to be lost in a lake or buried under 3 feet of sand at the beach. A quick search of last year's, now price-reduced, models and I found what I was looking for: the Fuji FinePix XP90. It's got a 16Mp sensor, USB rechargeable battery so I won't have to constantly buy AAs, it will take underwater shots to a depth of 50 feet and is drop-proof to about 6 feet. It's freeze proof and dust proof and...it's out of stock. However, it says that I can buy one from Amazon Warehouse (Amazon's home for misfit toys), certified to work and comes with its own dented box, for only $14.80.
Wait, what?
Right, it was listed as an Amazon-approved device at less than $15. Prime. I think you know what happened next. It then said it was on back-order, which I took to mean, we've got it in our Siberia warehouse and it'll just take a bit to get to you. Four days later, it's on my doorstep. I opened it up. Battery was charged. No scratches or marks on the camera. It came complete with manuals and registration information, power cords and wrist strap. And, it took pictures, could be dropped into a tub/lake/river, and generally take a beating.
The cons? There are none. Hello, $15 camera! Go buy one new and you're spending $220 for last year's model? Hells no.
The moral is, I don't know what the moral is. I bought a $200+ camera for $15 and you need to know that those deals are out there. Buy from Amazon Warehouse and you may stand to save a bundle. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go fill my tub so I can take some creative underwater shots of my rubber duckie. Right, camera is for the kids. Right.
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