Life in the fast lane--where's the on ramp?

By Pat_B - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Journal

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

GRANDMA'S MATCHBOX

From my very early childhood, my mother had a tin match holder hung on the kitchen wall. It was also near the wood-burning stove in Salkum, where it held a full-sized box of kitchen matches. It was a decorated metal box, open at the top and closed at the bottom, just the right size to hold a box of... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 30, 2023

ABOUT TIME

ABOUT TIME At sixteen you count your years: with neither clue nor hint how soon they'll add up and take you from invincibility to decrepitude. You perceive an old man’s shuffling steps as lack of the will to stride, never guessing he was you not so long ago. You force a temporary gate through a... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, January 29, 2023

BUT, MAMA... I DON'T WANNA _____

(Fill in the blank) I had another blast from the past idea simmering in my not-quite-caffienated brain this morning. It was going to appear here in all its naked glory. But then I noticed it wasn't the least bit cheerful or optimistic. TV brings us all the gloom and doom we need - in fact they bring... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, January 28, 2023

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY

Last night as I watched the news, the announcer reminded viewers it was holocaust remembrance day, a time to remember and mourn the deaths of six million souls - mostly Jewish - in the Nazi death camps in WWII. This is a reminder to thinking people: be alert. Resist the hate speech and paranoia of... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, January 27, 2023

LIES, DAMN LIES AND SICK JOKES

Have you heard George Santos signed on to Truth Social and has 10 million followers? (me neither) Did you hear Kevin McCarthy will be appearing in drag as a concession to Santos at the first session of the GOP controlled House? As Marie Antoinette, no less. The keynote speech is to be titled "Let... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, January 26, 2023

ABOUT THE INCOME TAX THING THE GOP WANTS TO DO

HEY, GOP! HERE'S AN IDEA - instead of eliminating the IRS and letting all the One Percenters (who own 99% of America's wealth) off the hook, how about changing the tax code so EVERYBODY pays a 30% flat rate on income from wages, investments, stock market profits, or any other source of income except... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, January 25, 2023

FROM THE ARCHIVE

LABOR DAY WEEKEND 1955 It was the town’s homecoming festival, held annually on Labor Day weekend. I had moved to the Midwest from Seattle when my new husband finished his two-year hitch in the Army a few months earlier. Everything in my life had become subject to his preferences – where we lived – a... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

DON'T SHOOT!

America's become a third-world, dangerous country where people are hostile toward their neighbors, rebellious toward all government and especially law enforcement. Prior to the candidacy and election of that narcissistic con man, real estate tycoon/reality TV star who used stirring up trouble in... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 23, 2023

THE INITIATIVE

It was some time ago - 1983. I worked at SIUE's Office of Area Development. It was a public service/outreach branch of the geography department. We worked with various city and county governments on economic development. Each Tuesday morning our director - Dr. K - held a staff meeting to bring our... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, January 22, 2023

THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG

Here’s the thing: the price of eggs at the supermarket has gone way up, even doubled. This is a supply and demand issue partly caused by a die-off after bird flu spread from wild birds to domestic flocks. Some ticked-off consumers are talking about buying a couple chickens and producing their own... Sign in to see full entry.

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