LaceyLou

Some recent books, in no particular order:

Tightrope

Poverty, By America

They Were Her Property

Send For Me

Forgotten Girls

Sunflower Sisters

Also a bunch of cozy mysteries

Next on my list is The Bookseller of Dachau.

I'm thinking I need to read something light and funny... but I keep saying that and keep ending up with interesting-but depressing- material.

3 hours ago, GoBlue23 said:

 

I was thinking Stepford Wives.

1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

Am I the only one who is wondering how someone born and raised and lived their entire life in Alabama doesn't have an accent? 

Is she a fundamentalist? Women in fundie groups are actually taught to talk like this. 

I recently re-discovered The Stompers on You Tube, and it brought back some good memories. I'm not sure how well known they are outside of the Boston area, but I'd describe them as a cross between Tom Petty and The Stray Cats.

I've had 'interviews' that lasted for a whole day-with different groups of people-as in, a whole day of sitting at a table with 4-5 people at a time sitting across from you. The jobs were for entry/lower level jobs that are relatively easy to learn-I liked to tell people that I take animals from dirty cages and put them into clean cages for most of the day. 

It also seems like an odd way to find somebody to fill a position that works best for people who are a bit on the introverted side. Most of the extreme extroverts I've seen get hired in the field grow bored quite quickly, and find their needs are not being met. 

There's an old joke that goes, "Don't like the weather here? Wait 5 minutes." Seems to describe a lot of the Northern states.

My department definitely encourages time off-well rested, balanced staff makes for a more productive team in the long run that's less likely to make costly mistakes. 

Some people need to be reminded that they can't pour from an empty cup.

20 hours ago, Deleterious said:

The ironic part.  Any type of customer survey you read will list noise as the #1 complaint.  Not bad food, not poor service, noise.  

Two big reasons for noise going up the past 10-15 years are open kitchens and the industrial look.  Everyone always asks us why we don't go those routes with our places.  Well, they are insanely loud.  They dining areas are generally big squares so nothing separates the noise.  Kitchens are extremely loud and an open kitchen dumps that noise into the dining area.  The industrial look is usually brick with exposed HVAC ducts which all reflect noise.

There is a seafood place in Davison named Whiteys that I have gone to my entire life.  Big place, probably seats 250 maybe 275 people.  Very popular and always full and you can hear a pin drop in that place. 

Their kitchen is dead nuts center of the restaurant and closed.  That basically separates the dining area into four different areas to help control noise.  One of the areas has huge windows and glass is bad for sound, so that is a bit louder than the other three areas.  But all soft finishes on the walls otherwise and mostly carpeted floors, so chairs scraping on hard tile.  

The central kitchen also makes things feel very cozy.  They do 1,000+ covers a night and the entire time you are seated its like eating with only 60 other people.  Very well designed place.  

Yup, one of the problems with open kitchens not only in restaurants but in homes. I love separate kitchens for this, and also because it means the smell is less likely to be in the rest of the house.

There could (and probably will be) major cuts to transit, environmental projects and protection, education, research...you get the drill. A lot of damage can be done in four years, and once cuts to funding and regulations have been made, it's difficult to get them back. Here in Boston we've already seen what happens to a transit system that's underfunded and neglected for decades, and I'm pretty sure there's a lot of infrastructure nationwide that was only beginning to be addressed 30+ years after it should have been. 

And it isn't only the poor that will be affected. 

She's running again. At one point I had respect for her, I even met her once and she was well-spoken and well-informed on the issues. Not sure exactly when, but she became one who wanted to tear down the entire system, no matter who got hurt.

PS, while I hope this isn't a large group, I'm seeing some young people who are saying something similar this year. In particular, I follow a young woman on twitter who as a teen supported Markey's election to the Senate, but who has now been radicalized and is a huge supporter not only of Palestine, but of countries like Iran... she was part of what was called the Mapping Project, which identified businesses that had ties with Israel.

Please, somebody tell me this group is tiny?

30 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I’m so done with progressives. Biden gave them what they wanted and they still found something to purity contest over. Time to pivot to winning over some Haley voters. 

I've been done ever since a group of Bernie voters decided they'd rather have Drumpf win to 'blow everything up' than HRC, then stayed home on Election Day that year. I've never been able to tolerate tantrums, especially by so-called adults. 

A lot of weirdness happening between a customer and the owner of a restaurant in Boston's North End on X... just search Table North End and prepare to go down a rabbit hole. 

And last year, one restaurant owner shot at another one in front of a popular pastry place: https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2023/12/07/north-end-cannoli-shooting/

I've always assumed that places do that in order to not-so-gently encourage people to eat their food quickly and leave. This is true whether it's live or not.

20 hours ago, mtutiger said:

Seeing a lot of these sorts of comments from GOP lawmakers... but they really should not have been shocked.

In fact, it was predictable as hell that stuff taken for granted by the general public would eventually be impacted by the decision. 

What's next, contraception?

Contraception has always been a target... it's only just now becoming okay for them to say it out loud (see posts from The Heritage Foundation and comments from the past couple of days). Suddenly people are claiming to be concerned about all of the side effects, as if they care about the health and well-being of women.

I'm pretty sure they want to get rid of voting rights for women, too-I've already seen rumblings in extremist groups.

Just now, Motor City Sonics said:

I thought it was burned down by fire.      Wow,  you okay? 

I'm not sure, but I think I might be in Purgatory....

According to some people I know online, my neighborhood was burned to the ground by BLM and Antifa. I'm glad they let me know, because I was completely unaware of this.

I certainly wouldn't put it past Drumpf to ignore child labor laws, or to put his non-favorite child to work. That said, putting any of his kids to work wouldn't exactly go with the image he was trying to portray to the public.

1 hour ago, CMRivdogs said:

I had a chat pre pandemic with someone who picked up a part time job at one of the big box chains. The way she was jerked around over schedule and hours was outrages.  Not knowing her schedule until the day before, last minute changes, demands that she work on days off, etc. This was a temporary retirement gig, not a career.

I remember reading some time ago that at some chains, schedules are generated by computers, and that a lot of employees often found they'd been scheduled to work until closing (often as late as 1 am), and then to open (often as early as 4 am) the next day. When I was younger I wouldn't have minded doing this once in a while, if there was a great need (and I did a few times), but it's not really something that is good for your health if it's every single week.

I believe workers at one chain referred to this as "clopening."

Bunions. I have a bad feeling I'll need an operation, and I actually don't want to have to take the time off from work. Should I ask for something I can do from home? I haven't decided.

I'm probably not the best person to ask about NH, I grew up there and couldn't wait to get out, LOL. Not enough services, not enough opportunities, and lower pay. If you work in MA, you do still have to pay income tax (though not as much as if you were a resident)-and all of the nice things in NH aren't all that far if you live in MA. 

I guess it depends on what you like. 

On 12/18/2023 at 8:57 AM, Tiger337 said:

A Masshole is a tourist from Massachusetts.  Sometimes they get too comfortable and move to southern, NH.  The latter group tends to like lower taxes, but remains socially liberal.  

LOL. I've heard more than a few people say they want to go to NH for lower taxes, and don't believe me when I warn them to look up the property taxes where they're looking. Those who look up the rates tend to stay in MA and thank me. 

On 12/29/2023 at 9:46 AM, Motor City Sonics said:

As a Democrat who has donated to Democratic candidates and only voted for a Republican once in my entire life (in New Mexico in 1996 because the Democratic candidate was a bad candidate and the Republican was pretty Center - at the time),  I am getting really pissed off that I have never been invited to drink the blood of sacrificed children.   I just turned 59 years old a few days ago and I am tired and I need that to feel young again.    Look, I'm not switching parties or anything extreme, but I have never EVER been invited to their blood-drinking ritual and I want to know why !     

Plus, I got COVID and was not invited to fake my death to live out the rest of my life on the secret giant luxury island that trillionaire George Soros owns, you know the one........the REAL reason that planes don't fly over the south Pacific, so nobody can see it.......yeah, that one.   

 

 

I'm still waiting for payment for being a paid protester!

Man, I hope the new year brings you better things.

On 12/12/2023 at 11:19 AM, CMRivdogs said:

Have you guys checked out what decent rentals are going for these days? However  I agree it might be worth it to check out alternatives compared to repair and upkeep of an older, larger house.  

Agreed. Rents are definitely going up fast, at least where I am. But yes, it might be worth it if you can find a place that is well-maintained, especially if it's in a convenient location. 

It never hurts to ask what you can get for it.