Blog88.org August Issue (The Word, “CRAZY!”) Is Out!

With a few last-minute glitches and a few hours late, the new issue of Blog88.org is online. The theme of this edition is:

The Word, “CRAZY!”

Featured as the lead article, is a powerful, first-person account of the horrendous, routine abuse of human beings in the guise of psychiatric care: CRAZY OR NOT, HERE I COME by Phoebe Sparrow Wagner.


Austrian Terrorists

A few years back, I was attending ski instructor training at Jay Peak and there was no snow, so we had to drive north 20 miles to Mt. Sutton (Quebec) where there was. There was no border patrol either way.

One day, as we re-entered Vermont, a Border Guy WAS sitting in his car checking crossings,

He stopped us and asked the usual questions: What’s your name and where are you from?

The woman in the front seat said she was Canadian. No problem.


Donations Needed for Star Spangled Babies Shower w/ VT National Guard at the VFW

Brattleboro VFW Post #1034 is proud to be a drop off point for Operation Homefront’s Star Spangled Babies Shower. Operation Homefront is a nonprofit that assists low-income military families. The Vermont National Guard is facing its biggest deployment in 15 years, where service members are leaving behind their families for a year or longer. A lot of the family members left behind are new mothers and some are first-time mothers.

The poster below lists the items they are looking to collect and hand out to local families that need assistance. Please come into the VFW and leave your items in the large box that is inside. Deadline for items being accepted in May 30th. If you have any questions, please send a message on Facebook to the VFW Post 1034 Carl Dessaint page, or contact the Post Quartermaster Lisa Lofting at 257-0438


Royal Brush

When I was a wee lad in Chicago, my parents took me to a parade and Prince Philip waved to me. I have no recollection of it, but I now claim it as a close personal connection. I must, then, say goodbye to my close personal friend, the Duke.  : )


Big Sticks

Einstein theorized that Matter and Energy were just two forms of the same thing. However, the numerical value of energy was the equivalent of the numerical value of matter, multiplied by an enormous number (186,000 x 186,000 or nearly 35 Billion times). That’s a lot of energy!

Achieving this quantity of energy in a bomb motivated scientists in the early years of WWII to figure out how to do it. In July of 1945, they achieved this goal.


Kaaba

The Kaaba is an ancient structure In Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that is sacred to Moslems. On pilgrimage, people circumambulate it (walk around it) endlessly.

I am struck by the resemblance of the VT Yankee building to the Kaaba.


Brattleboro Senior Meals Director Retires Update

Attached please find the following. A response to a concern to the article.

Regarding the article “Brattleboro Senior Meals Director Retires”. This article meant only to honor Chris McAvoy for her excellent leadership of the Senior Meals Program. In no way was the article meant to infer that we are not one hundred percent supported by Senior Solutions.

In 2004 a group of seniors, headed by Greg Propster and supported by Chris, determined – after a great deal of reflection – that Brattleboro Senior Meals should become an independent non-profit 501c3 organization. Beyond the program goals of providing area seniors with regular meals and a link to the larger community, the group wanted to keep their long-time kitchen help and keep their meals prepared on site. In addition, becoming a 501c3 allowed Brattleboro Senior Meals the opportunity to apply for grants and other fund-raising opportunities.


Brattleboro Senior Meals Director Retires

With your management and leadership, the program will continue and be even better” The Brattleboro Senior Meals Board

From 1997 to 2020 that what Chris McAvoy has done just that. Brattleboro Senior Meals from 1997 to 2004 the program was under Senior Solutions. In 2004 Senior Solutions decided that they would no longer fund the meals program at this site.

Chris with the help of a group of seniors, headed by Greg Propster, decided to become their own entity and for a non-profit, 501c3. With this accomplished Chris was able move the program with her management and leadership skills.


Vampires versus Zombies

Do you know the difference between Zombies and Vampires?

A Vampire is a person who is not permitted to properly die (usually because of an evil life).
A Vampire still has a soul.


Found Phone

On 19 October about 6:15 PM I found a smart phone on the ground inside the entrance to Aldi’s. I gave it to the cashier guy.


England’s Trump

The English have their own Trump

His name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (AKA Boris or BOJO).

He’s a former journalist who has served as Prime Minister of the UK and Leader of the Conservative Party since 2019.


June 22nd 1984 Police Raid on the Island Pond Community

There are moments in your life and in history that one never can forget. They change the course of your life, of the planet’s history. We are living in such days right now in June of 2020. For me ,as I was watching my carrots grow in Walden, Vermont, a wake up call came to my life on June 22nd 1984. The State of Vermont conducted an early morning raid on a peaceful community of Bible believers. The search and detention order had no names of the children to be seized, no names of accusers and the clear charges that they were making on that day against those parents. When Judge Frank Mahady saw all those parents and children in Orleans County Court, Newport, Vermont that day he is quoted as saying,”In all my years as a family and child judge I have not seen such a close bond between parents and children as I do today! There is something deeply wrong with how these people and the way they choose to live their faith is being viewed by the State of Vermont”.


King Tide at Miami Beach

With tides higher than they have been in decades, many of south Florida’s drainage systems and seawalls are no longer sufficient. Here’s a photo of a King tide at a residential neighborhood in Miami Beach. Some of those cars are “toast”.

Miami has the most to lose in terms of financial assets of any coastal city in the world, just above Guangzhou, China and New York City.


Today is 5 -10- 20

Nothing spectacular, but the date today is 5/10/20, which has a nice doubling to it.

Five times two is ten, ten times two is twenty.

It’s the little things! Happy Mothers Day.


Let Justice Be Done!

When I was a new real estate agent (new kid on the block) a couple of times my ability to stand up for myself was tested. It is a funny thing, but in a big real estate agency the fellow at the next desk — officially your fellow team member — can be your worst adversary.

There was an in-house fee split situation in which my “fellow team member” (Let’s call him Mike) managed to get my check shorted by $100, which was add to Mike’s check. Our managing broker had written the incorrect check amounts after Mike had lied to him about the agreement we had between us.

Although I had correspondence supporting my claim, the managing broker would not do anything to correct it. Warning me about future dealings, the managing broker said: “You’ve got to be strong with Mike.” Taking his advice to heart, I filed a small claims lawsuit against Mike.


Census 2020 – Every Person in your Household Counts!

With the US Census just around the corner, many people have questions as to who they should count on their census form.  With 675 Billion dollars in federal aid programs on the line – the answer is – Everybody!

The US Census Bureau estimates that in 2010, more than 1,000,000 children were undercounted in the Census, and it is important that this does not happen again.  School lunch programs, special education funds, and other benefits that flow to our communities are based on the numbers returned in the 2020 Census.


2020 Creeps Up

Probably because of all the other distractions of the world, 2020 is sort of sneaking up on us. It’s the turn of a decade and the start of our third decade of the 21st century. It has the symmetrical 20’s in there, too. One would think we’d be growing in decade-related hype by now.

2000 ushered in some big changes, and those 20 and under have lived with them just about their entire lives.