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We got a tradition down here on the South End that when we want to purge our bounty, clear out our closets or empty our sheds, we drag the unwanted possessions down to the highway, slap a FREE sign on the treasures and let the passing motorists fight for the spoils.  Usually only takes half a day before someone slams on their brakes, jumps out of their pickup, does a cursory investigation, then grabs what items would fit in their closets or their sheds.

Sure, we could haul the stuff down to the thrift stores up north but they would charge money selling them to pay for their overhead and rental so why not skip the middleman and reach out directly to our fellow indigents?  I carried out two nice maple colonial chairs circa 1950, cushions reupholstered, mint condition (okay, pretty good condition), set them at the end of the driveway with a woman’s Schwinn bicycle and a rug.  The rug was gone in an hour, the bike in a day and the chairs — well, I suspect the new owner needed to find a truck or van, but they disappeared today, two days later.  Saved me that hellish trip into town, saved the scroungers mucho bucks, probably saved the planet too although I don’t want to get overly carried away here, just doing our part, no need to thank us or even throw a good review on Yelp or whatever social media you still think is worth the End of Democracy and Civilization as You Know It.

All I’m saying: down here on the island’s Banana Belt, capitalism has evolved.  The barter system still works, garage sales outpace the mercantiles now that Tyee Store is ancient history, non-fungible tokens have taken root at the History of the World Gallery … and roadside thrift stores bypass the backlogged goods waiting in ports from San Diego to Vancouver.   Future economists, no doubt, will study us.  Meanwhile, anyone need a perfectly good microwave, come on down tomorrow.  Satisfaction guaranteed!

The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

So you don’t like your job, probably hate your boss, think you should be paid more for all the hard work and overtime you put in, maybe your co-workers look like mindless drones these days and retirement seems a lifetime away (it is!) … but quitting isn’t an option, not when you would lose your health care and your apartment, the apartment that already costs more than you can believe.  What’s a person to do?

Well, apparently, quit in place.  Stop killing yourself.  Stop sucking up to your boss.  Refuse to take overtime.  Slow down, relax, daydream a bit, take a long lunch break, sneak a joint in the john.  It’s a brand new workplace.  The go-go years have gone gone gone, good riddance.  The company treats you like a robot, act like one.  One pace, steady and slow as she goes. Do as little as possible, same as they would do for you.  They’re no longer loyal to you employees, why be loyal to them?  This is the New Work Ethic.  Congratulations and welcome to your new cubicle.

Personally, I always believed in Quitting.  Seemed like a good strategy.  Course, apartments didn’t cost an arm and a leg back then and health insurance wasn’t in the cards.  Pensions, 401-K’s, fergettaboutit.  I was part of the gig economy decades before it had a name and by the time it did, I was self-exiled to the South End where employment was marginal to non-existent.  So I did what the rest of us layabouts did down here, worked for myself.  Sure, the boss was a jerk, but that’s the joy of self-employment, you can look him in the eye and tell him to go to hell.  Won’t affect your wages one iota.  And end of the day you can have a beer or two together, gripe about the same issues, maybe decide neither of you will work the next day.

I recommend it.  But quitting in place.  I dunno.  Seems like the days would just be interminable, slowing down, dragging feet, avoiding work.  You like that kind of job, maybe be a traffic sign holder, SLOW, STOP, for a construction company.  Hours like years, days like a lifetime.  Personally I like to work if I’m going to work, put a back into it, feel like it was worth the effort.  Time flies even when it’s not much fun.  But … don’t say you heard it from me.  And whatever you do, don’t tell my boss.

The Skeeter Daddle Diaries

It's not often that one stops to think about how infrastructure impacts the community. Yet, the outdoor spaces in which we find ourselves can have a significant impact on the way we approach life and can even impact how we interact with each other. Here's how.

Infrastructure can help promote societal interactions

The way a city or town is designed can help to promote societal interactions. Furthermore, the more architectural developments there are, the greater likelihood for people to be outdoors, which enhances the potential of relationships being formed organically, whether it be at the park, the library, community centers, etc.

Speaking of building relationships, one can also use the accessibility of public spaces to network for business purposes. For example, meeting with others at a convention center can help to boost potential prospects if you're looking to network. But suppose you're not that experienced at meet and greets or you feel that it's not your strong suit because you are naturally introverted, then be
sure to practice your pitch on friends and family first. Or, why not get networking tips from your most extroverted friend to help give you that extra confidence boost you need when meeting new people?

Infrastructure can help promote the public's wellbeing When there is the necessary infrastructure in place, people are often more willing to partake in outdoor activities that are good for their health. For example, when parks, subways, and other confined spaces are well lit, people feel safer engaging in healthier outdoor activities such as jogging or cycling to get more fit.

Lighting as a key design feature

As far as design features go, lighting comes out on top as a must-have, especially if it is a place that people use often. For example, parking garages should be one of the safest places there are because there tends to be a lot of traffic in and through here daily. Not only is lighting needed for walkways or stairways leading to parking garages for safety as well as visibility reasons, but these LED lights for parking areas and structures also help to boost visibility for drivers in underground parking spaces too.

Examples of design infrastructures that benefit the public

Housing infrastructure

Housing infrastructure that is accessible and financially affordable to all, no matter your income status, race, or background.

Transportation

There should be sufficient transportation routes in terms of accessible and convenient roads and highways, as well as a variety of public transportation that is available to the masses.

Recreational spaces

There should also be ample recreational spaces for the public to enjoy the outdoors, such as parks and botanical gardens, and access to cultural places such as community and arts and culture centers. For instance, if you’re in the Washington area, then why not make a pit stop at Bellevue Downtown Park to take in its beautiful waterfall, picnic area, and playground for the kids? Or, if you’re a beach fan, what about the Meydenbauer Bay Park to have a glimpse of scenic beach views and hiking trails?

Ways to facilitate communication with one another

In today's digital world, there has to be provision for internet services and a sufficient signal when it comes to mobile, not forgetting utility poles when it comes to landlines and your computer.

Certainly, infrastructure plays an important role in how we go about our daily lives. So if you are choosing to move to a new town, it would be wise to look at the infrastructure in place there to determine if it is going to be easy and enjoyable to live there or not. Furthermore, safety should be a big consideration also; hence, why lighting plays such a critical role in the infrastructure of most major cities.

Comment below If you have something to say that you feel would benefit your community or browse Kudos 365 for other items that may be of interest to you

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Ever since I was young, competing to earn a spot on my high school’s freshman track team, I have regularly exercised. So much so that when I was 35, I even competed in the New York City Marathon. I say I “competed” because that sounds much more impressive than “I jogged and walked” and gives the impression I might have stood a chance of winning. Alas, I came in 5,217th – barely overtaken by the other 5,216 runners ahead of me..... Read more

I had completed what I hoped was my final draft of my newest humor book, The Secret to Success and Happiness,  I was using Amazon’s publishing division called Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). I had compiled a list of questions to which I needed answers in order to fix several book formatting issues their online system had flagged. I decided I needed to call their tech support team for help..... Read more

“I’ve been a humor writer for 13 years – a source of unceasing embarrassment for my wife and daughters. Over the years, I’ve routinely received suggestions for what readers think would be a funny article for me to write about in my column. I’m grateful to the scores of people who have unselfishly submitted their ideas. I distinctly remember this one time when the suggestion was almost usable”.... Continue reading

"Techno Tom was morosely stirring half a pint of sugar into his coffee, no doubt figuring the sugar blast would quadruple the jolt from the Diner’s caffeine.  Freddie Fairlane, one table over with the other Flatheads, the vintage car guyz, watched for awhile then moseyed over to sit at Tom’s table.  “You seem a little down in the mouth, amigo,” he said.  “Lose your best friend?” .... Read more

To serve my country day by day
At any humble post I may;
To honor and respect her Flag,
To live the traits of which I brag;
To be American in deed
As well as in my printed creed.

To stand for truth and honest toil,
To till my little patch of soil
And keep in mind the debt I owe
To them who died that I might know
My country, prosperous and free,
And passed this heritage to me.

I must always in trouble’s hour
Be guided by the men in power;
For God and country I must live,
My best for God and country give;
No act of mine that men may scan
Must shame the name American.

To do my best and play my part,
American in mind and heart;
To serve the flag and bravely stand
To guard the glory of my land;
To be American in deed,
God grant me strength to keep this creed.

Edgar Albert Guest (1881 – 1959) was a British-born American poet who became known as the People's Poet. His family moved from England to Detroit, Michigan when he was ten years old and he lived there the rest of his life. He worked for the Detroit Free Press for 64 years. He published more than twenty volumes of poetry and was thought to have written over 12,000 poems. His poems often had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life. Of his poems he said, "I take simple everyday things that happen to me and I figure it happens to a lot of other people and I make simple rhymes out of them. "His popularity led NBC to produce a weekly 15-minute radio program, “Guest in Your Home,” which ran from 1931 to 1942.
The Globe editorialized his passing by quoting Philip Coldren, the late editorial page editor who wrote that the key to Guest’s greatness was “that among the thousands of Guest poems, ‘there has not been a single one that has promoted wickedness or meanness or anything else but kindness and gentleness and peace and hope" 

On July 4, 1776, a new nation was brought into the world, as the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence to announce the colonies' separation from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Congress had voted in favor of independence from Great Britain on July 2 but did not actually complete the process of revising the Declaration of Independence which was originally drafted by Thomas Jefferson in consultation with fellow committee members John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and William Livingston and submitted to Congress on June 28th 1776.

Most of us red blooded freedom loving Americans hate to take a vacation, not because we are fun-averse, but because when we come back to the Job, we have to work doubly hard to catch up with all the unfinished bizness we left behind.  I should know, having just returned from a three week road trip cross country to find all the backlog waiting open jawed. Read more 

Cat lovers do all sorts of crazy things for their cats. They talk to them, dress them up in costumes, install 7-foot-tall cat towers in the living room, even put them in a backpack and take them for a hike. Can you believe the things people will do for their furry companions.
I would never do anything so ridiculous as these with our three cats. No, instead, I do something much more mature. I make up silly songs and serenade them, like any normal adult. They must enjoy my songs because they never seem to complain. Read more