It's Not Over Because You're Over It.

 

By R. Lee Poole

As I sit here, waiting for the Melatonin to start working, I have been reflecting on the last couple days. Retail is headed into the holiday season and it's supposed to be an exciting time for people to get their loved ones gifts and celebrate. Like everything else this year, it's going to be a weird one.

We're not opening on Thanksgiving night for midnight madness. I've been against opening so overfed, cranky people can fight over sale items since the onset. I just didn't think it would take a pandemic to shut it down. I figured folks getting trampled for bargain televisions would have done the trick. I underestimated the hunger for year-end profits. Tis the season to get back in the black ink and all that stuff.

This season promises to be one unlike any I've seen in the 16 holiday seasons I've worked at the mall. COVID-19 has taken most of the fun out of everything; including shopping. When we reopened in June, most of our customers were okay with complying with the requirements for masks and physical distancing. Lately, I've noticed people are starting to get lazy about protecting themselves and those around them. It started during the back-to-school season and has gotten worse as time goes by. Having a person at the door helped a great deal, but with both doors open, metering accurately is next to impossible. That kid keeping count also reminded people coming in to keep their masks on.

After six months of masking up before going into a business, it should be routine. No such luck. People come in from the food court, masks down and stuffing their faces like it's a normal day. I see masks down around their chins, uncovered noses like it's a normal day and there's nothing to be worried about. When we see them, we politely ask them to pull their masks up and help keep us all safer. Most of the time they get it and comply. Other times, we're met with indignation and contempt. It's like they're over the whole thing.

“It's hard to breathe with this mask on,” a woman told me as she dropped her stuff on my counter to cash out. Could it be the rhinestones all over it blocking the airway? I wonder. It really cracks me up when people complain about having to mask up in an enclosed space where physical distancing can be a challenge. “It's sooooo uncomfortable,” is another one that's getting threadbare with me. I've taken to telling them it's not as bad as a ventilator. “I'm asthmatic and wear a mask for nine hours a day,” I tell them. “If I can do it, you should be able to last twenty minutes in a store.” The complaining usually stops after that.

I see folks trying to get through their business while seemingly weighed down by a small piece of fabric. It makes my think about how today's citizens would have fared during a crisis like World War II or the Great Depression. I can't imagine how the instant gratification generation would cope with resource rationing. The mention of a possible second quarantine last week had people hoarding paper products again. Are they making forts out of toilet tissue and paper towels? Will two-ply stop the 'rona?

Time marches on...

So, it's December now. A couple days before Christmas, and the weight has gotten a little bit heavier on us all I think. Making a merry season while people are getting sick and dying doesn't really seem like the thing to do, does it? Then again, maybe a distraction is what we need from all of the mess of politics, sickness and other misery going on around us.

I managed to get my shopping done last week and the wrapping done today. Now all I'm just waiting for the holiday spirit to kick in. It usually does a day or two before Christmas. I've a feeling it will take until Christmas Eve for my inner elf to finally wake up and have his 12 cups of coffee to finally get working.

Regardless of when it happens, I hope you have to best season possible. Keep smiling and looking to a better tomorrow.

Election Day. Yay!

By R.Lee Poole

So here it is, November 3, 2020. The day Americans vote for the president and many other government officials across the nation.

If you listen to the campaigns, the soul of the country is at stake. The incumbent is making the same promises he made last time. Drain the swamp, put people back to work, remake healthcare, and on. His base is still eating it up like it was free pizza and wing night at the bowling alley. The challenger is bringing his best. He is calling out the lies, the lack of integrity, the leadership failures and all the other presidential flaws.

The back-and-forth has been like a car crash. You don't want to, but you can't help watching. Our national anxiety level is at a fever pitch. Incidents of intimidation have already been reported along the campaign trail. Even here in my home town, I watched a group of MAGA folks buzz through the parking lot of the early voting location with a decorated truck and trailer. They went right along the voter line well within 100 feet of the location. The cool thing was nobody near me got rattled. Folks just shrugged it off and continued waiting to make their voices heard. It was either a sense of solemn duty or the chill in the air. I couldn't tell.

That was last Saturday. Today, I've been putting myself in a limited social media and news blackout. Instead of doom scrolling Twitter and bouncing through the news, I'm keeping occupied to fight the anxiety of the day. I've done some chores, walked my dogs and am watching movies. More chores later and maybe a peek at the news.

I used to keep glued to the television and have multiple screens going on election night. That changed in 2016. I couldn't believe what was happening and feared what the reality show host and failed businessman was going to bring. In retrospect, I had no idea how divisive things would become. I never thought I'd tell people in 2020 that this isn't the country I served. The chaos, disregard for the constitution and rule of law have been mind-blowing.

Then the pandemic happened.

More than 200 thousand souls lost and our president is calling the scientists “idiots” and holding super-spreader events across the nation. This after many of his staff have contracted the virus that his base calls a hoax. We've heard promises it'll all go away, a vaccine is on the horizon and we're “turning the corner” on the virus. What's around the corner? A long, hard winter according to the experts. That means a spike kids. It's going to get worse before it gets better. If the incumbent remains in office, it will get much worse.

What I would like to see: A Biden/Harris victory, a sweep of the senate and retention of the house. It may be a pipe dream, but a kid can dream.

If it happens, there may be civil unrest, but my gut tells me we won't tumble into civil war. After the new administration will bring a feeling of calm back to us. The scientists will be trusted and the Defense Authorization Act will be brought into full action. Healthcare workers will be issued the PPE they need to protect themselves while treating the sick. We may even have a vaccine by the middle of next year. Supply chain issues may crop up, but I have faith we'll have it available to all at a reasonable or no cost.

Faith is what we all need to have. In ourselves, in each other, and in our democracy. If we don't, we're more screwed than we think.

 

Summertime Bummertime

  These are interesting times. Car-crash-interesting. You want to look away but can’t. The world is struggling to contain COVID-19, human rights protests are happening around the globe, and people are once again fighting police brutality. The American government is an unbridled shit show with an election for the soul of the nation happening in November. It’s a time for us all to do some soul searching and learn more about ourselves and the world around us. My eyes have been opened to a few things that have led me to look inward.

  I have been lucky to have had a career in the Navy where the only color people were was blue. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but working with folks of every color and background taught me to respect folks for their character and deeds rather than their race. I made friends and learned more about society in that microcosm than life in the civilian world would’ve taught me. It also set me up for culture shock when I transitioned into retirement. It makes me angry and uncomfortable when people get treated unfairly. We need an angry grandmother to knock some sense back into people with a wooden spoon. 

  COVID-19 is making matters worse all around. It amazes me that people are putting politics over science. People throwing tantrums and getting violent over being asked to wear a mask in a public area leaves me wondering what went wrong. It's no different than putting on a seatbelt when you get in a car. The people throwing infection parties are even more stupid. What's next? Hemlock tasting parties? My only hope is when the dust settles from all of this, more people who believe in science and compassion have survived than the people who don't. 

  My favorite conspiracy theory is that nose wires in mask are 5G antennae that give you the 'rona. Human capacity for stupidity is boundless. This is proof. 
  The pandemic has also made us put a bunch of new procedures in place. We’re metering customers, have health guards up at the registers, hand washing stations at the entrance, and are practicing physical distancing. We disinfect after every transaction. It’s a little bothersome, but better safe than sick. Honestly, I’m happy to have customers back in the store. I missed the social interaction. For the most part, customers have been understanding when it cones to the be sanitation protocols. I’m grateful not to have had a bad situation yet.
  During quarantine, I stayed at home for about six weeks with severely limited trips to make supply runs. Being a natural introvert, isolation didn’t really have much impact. I caught up an binging Netflix and did some heavy gaming. Shopping was a major activity too. The challenge was keeping it limited to what was needed and not impulse buying. The wife and son stayed occupied doing their stuff and things. My son worked from home for a stretch. The dogs and cats did their best to help him every day around the time his video calls were happening. It was an adjustment for all of us. He’s back at his office now, and I’m back at the store. The missus is still waiting to go back to work.
    The one thing I have really mixed emotions about lately is social media. I use Twitter more often than Facebook and Instagram. Lately it seems like any look is a look into the abyss of toxicity people are wallowing in. I’ve been un-following and scrubbing my friends list much more than I ever expected to. I can’t take the craziness some folks are radiating. It’s as if being behind a screen gives them permission to rip apart folks with different opinions. Not having it on my timeline is liberating.
  There are bright spots though. Some folks out in the Twitterverse I’ve never met in the real world, have been helping me stay sane. Katie O’Shaughnessy, @katieshox, is my favorite person on the internet. Her reaction videos for “The Walking Dead” on YouTube are a near perfect blend of character and story analysis and delightfully wicked sarcasm. She’s also taken the time to chat about the state of the world with genuine concern. Give her a follow and a watch. You’ll be happy you did. Katie’s a gem.  Vernon Reid, @vurnt22, isn’t just a brilliant guitarist with Living Color, his knowledge of music and popular culture are unmatched. From movies and comics to music, I enjoy seeing his point of view. Lou Diamond Phillips @LouDPhillips, has turned into the goofy uncle we all need. Always engaging and fun with his followers, he’s quick with a dad joke or a cat photo. The Dollyrots, @theDollyrots, are a family-friendly punk, pop, rocking good time of a band. If you’re not following them or listening to their music, you’re missing out.   
  Since I started writing this about three weeks ago, the mall interior stores have been allowed to open. It's been a learning experience for all involved. Folks don't get why some of the stores aren't open yet. They are opening as their companies allow, and they don’t e-mail me daily updates. I’m just a guy selling shirts and jeans. Oh, and please pull your mask up off your chin. It’s not doing any good down there..
  The “new normal” we hear so much about isn’t better, isn’t worse, it’s just different. I tell myself this so often it’s becoming a mantra.  Until there’s a vaccine, people following safety measures, and a government that shows leadership instead of cans of beans, we’ll be stuck here.  While we’re stuck here, keep hanging tough. Establish a routine, include time for meditation and try to get exercise. You may want to limit the amount of news you watch too. Seeing then death toll from the pandemic, the cesspool of politics, and the unkindness in the world can bring you down. If you’re in bumming, reach out to family and friends. They can give you an emotional lift.
  Most of all, we should all try to be more like Ringo Starr and spread peace and love every chance you get. Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy and love each other.

Save the Last Bite for Us

     A couple nights ago I had a little argument with my dogs. Bonnie and Murphy are brother and sister, Labrador and Golden Retriever mixes. We usually get along fine, but today they set me off pretty good. We usually have dinner at the same time the dogs got their bowls of kibble, I had my sandwich. No sooner than I sat down they were in front of me begging for my food.
     By the time I was halfway finished, I had two dog heads in my lap and a drool-covered knee. I scolded them and gently nudged them away. After talking to them like one would explain why they were angry at a child, I realized I’m an idiot. Disgusted with myself, I finished my sandwich.
     I'd let myself forget dogs are animals. They're driven by instinct and training, not reasoning and explanation. I could've rambled on about it's impolite to mooch while drooling on people until I was blue in the face. The response would've been the same: feed me eyes and more drooling.
     Dogs are pack animals, and I’m part of their pack. The pack shares food and they would’ve had no problem with me taking a handful of kibble from the bowl. It’s crunchy and stays crunchy in milk, or at least I hear it does. Either way, they just wanted their share of the grub.
     Remembering that nugget reminds me we tend to assign human qualities to our pets. It’s worse when our kids are adults and out living their lives.
     For example, I had a customer and her adult daughter come to my counter a few days ago. Mom was pushing a custom stroller with a tiny Yorkshire Terrier onboard. The pooch was wearing a snazzy turtleneck sweater and was pacing around the stroller wanting to get a better view. It was a strain not to question the lady’s sanity. I managed to keep a straight face during our conversation and said hello to the dog.
     That wasn’t the first time we’ve had someone cruise through the store with a tiny dog in some kind of baby-carrying device. Strollers are pretty common, as well as those baby slings that look like an inverted backpack.
     The one that really got me wondering was the young man who had a tiny dog in a carrier that looked like a purse. At first glance, I actually thought it was a purse (“murse”? “manbag”?) until I saw a tiny, terrified face looking through the mesh on the side. I asked him about the pooch, and he pulled the little dog out. It immediately peed on my counter. It was another Yorkie and matched the bag from the bow on top of her head to her painted-pink toenails. When did dogs become fashion accessories? Will he get rid of the dog when the bag goes out of style?
     The folks who are catering to these people are brilliant. A quick look on Amazon.com shows strollers for dogs range from around $50 to over $200! Had I kept digging, I probably would've been able to finde one with climate control and a refrigerated Perrier dispenser.  I'm in the wrong business.      How far is too far? What is the mechanism that makes us go from picking out a nifty collar to pushing them in a stroller? I guess it's all about making the and the pet happy. Nobody's getting hurt by it, it's just a little on the odd side. I'm not judging, I just find it comical.
     No matter how much we think of our dog as our “fur babies”, put clothes on them and assign them other human traits, they’re still dogs. They’re still pack animals, and they’ll still want their share of my damned sandwich. Maybe next time they’ll win.

On Guns

     As I sit here, putting off getting ready for work, I came to a realization. There is too much shouting and not enough listening.
     The shooting in Parkland, FL and its aftermath will hopefully be the watershed event that makes the listening start. The student survivors and families of the fallen have taken up the mantle of gun control advocacy. The movement a week after that horrible day has brought a fresh, pained voice to the chorus of chatter. The difference is kids organizing marches and die-ins are turning into a force to be reckoned with. They have a growing support base. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel even called BS on anyone who thinks we don’t need gun control laws. George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey have thrown in a ton of money and Barack Obama tweets “More Young people have helped lead all our great movements. How inspiring to see it again in so many smart, fearless students standing up for their right to be safe; marching and organizing to remake the world as it should be. We've been waiting for you. And we've got your backs.”,  real change may actually happen.
     The question that comes to my mind is “when?”.  I’m afraid the answer isn’t going to come soon. Not when elected officials are in the hip pocket of organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA).
     NRA CEO and Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre says owning guns is a right “granted by God,” and “an American birthright”, and  NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch says “crying white mothers is rating gold”, to legacy media, it looks pretty hopeless. They are experts at pushing the pro-gun agenda. They are the organization fueled by the Second Amendment. Their pockets run deep and their tentacles reach out with little gems like this one I pulled off my Twitter feed.
 

     This letter looks like a warning to lock step and march with them or get shunned.
     “If you choose not to return a position letter, you may

 be assigned a ‘?’ rating, which can be interpreted by our membership as indifference, if not outright hostility, toward Second Amendment-related issues”. Wow.  You're either with us or against us.
     These are the same folks who have 10 Reasons to Own an AR-15 on their website.  The article talks about how easy it is to modify, how gentle its recoil is, and how great it is for women to shoot. Suggested uses are hunting, predator control for farmers and home defense. The article makes no mention of Aurora, Sandy Hook, San Bernardino, Las Vegas or Parkland. All of the mass shootings in those cities were carried out with an AR-15.
    They also sell concealed carry denim jackets and hoodies as well as a slew of holsters and other gear. The niftiest item though is the Tactical Ballistic Panel -- perfect for a purse of a backpack.
    It’s the one-stop shop for all your gun totin’ needs. Naturally, proceeds from the store go to support their initiatives. So by filling your online cart with your favorite gun stuff, you’re helping pay for them to put pressure on political candidates and elected officials.
     Not all of the NRA’s programs are about political muscle. One of them is National School Shield. The program is designed to help schools protect themselves with a comprehensive plan. I wonder if schools get a deal on those tactical ballistic panels.
     While I disagree with the NRA’s stance on gun control, I’m not against the Second Amendment to our Constitution. For a refresher here it is:
 A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.
     It’s a simple and elegant piece of writing. It’s also 227 years old. In 1791, muskets and flintlock pistols were state of the art. The AR-15 wouldn’t come around until around 1958. Had the writers known about high-capacity magazines and bump stocks, would they have left the amendment so broadly written? I can’t really answer that.
      The idea of citizens taking up arms to face a tyrannical government would be a definitive example of asymmetric warfare. A citizen militia squaring off against the best-trained, best-equipped military in the world would be put down in short order.
     That being said, I still believe in the spirit of the amendment. Citizens should have the right to keep and bear arms. While I choose not to own one, I believe those who want to should be able to. I also believe in a reasonable approach to gun ownership.
     Should a person with a felony conviction be able to buy any type of firearm? No. Should there be a background check for everyone who wants to buy a gun? Absolutely. Should a domestic abuser be allowed to buy a gun? Nope. Should someone be able to go to a gun show and walk out that day with a firearm? No. Should all firearms be registered and owners required to take certification and safety courses? Of course. Should folks with a history of mental illness be allowed to have firearms? No. That last one is a sticky wicket. Privacy laws make it hard to access citizens’ medical records.
     The problem we face is law-abiding citizens aren’t the ones who are the problem. It’s those who are out to commit crimes that are. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. A person determined to get a fun will find one. When we figure out a solution to that problem, the world will be a safer place.
     President Trump was one of the first to call the Parkland shooter mentally ill. There’s a stigma that any mass shooter has to be mentally ill. The mainstream media likes to throw the mental illness card every time there’s a mass shooter. The idea that someone with a rational mind could slaughter a group of innocent victims seems impossible. Here’s what a 2016 American Psychiatric Association study says about it:
     “Mass shootings by people with serious mental illness represents less than 1% of all yearly gun-related homicides. In contrast, death by suicide using firearms account for the majority of yearly gun-related deaths.”
     “Overall contribution of people with serious mental illness to violent crimes is only about 3%. When examined in detail, an even smaller percentage of them are found to involve firearms.”
     I found that here: https://psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.5555/appi.books.9781615371099.
     Should the federal government leave regulating guns to the states? What’s to stop someone from getting a gun at a show in a state where regulation’s lax and bringing it home to their highly-regulated state? Do we put arms inspection checkpoints at every state border? I don’t see it happening. I don’t see an outright ban on firearms happening either.
     How about another ban on weapons like the AR-15. Maybe POTUS could whip up an executive order outlawing them. Oh, wait. He’s leaving himself notes to tell the kids from Parkland he hears them.
     What about television, movies and videogames? Don’t they play a role in shaping violent behavior?  I wonder.
     In 1977, a 15-year-old named Ronny Zamora shot and killed Elinor Haggart as he robbed her Miami home. Ellis Rubin, Zamora’s attorney defended him using “TV intoxication” as the cause. He argued shows like “Kojak” had corrupted Zamora’s mind and desensitized him to violence. Zamora served the minimum 25 years of a life sentence and was deported back to his native Costa Rica. I was unable to find a case where “TV intoxication” or exposure to violence in entertainment was used as a successful defense.
     Since then, the argument about violence in movies, music, television and video games training kids to kill has been brought up every time a mass shooting occurs. The systems of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), National Motion Picture Association of America (NMPAA), Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the Television parental guidelines seem to be useless when it comes to keeping violent content away from kids. It’s a conundrum for the producers. Do they produce stuff that’s kid-friendly and non-violent? Or do they produce stuff that’s going to make them money? It seems there’s little middle ground.
     I think our society’s looking around for someone to blame. Is it the gun manufacturers? Is it the NRA? Is it mental illness? Is it the government? Is it the entertainment industry? Is it video games? Is it the breakdown of the family unit? Is it because God isn’t in our schools anymore? Most likely a little bit of all of the above.
     So what do we do? I’d like to see common sense gun laws enacted nationwide. I’d like to see the gun lobby booted out of Washington. I’d also like to see access to semi-automatic weapons restricted. What I wouldn’t like to see is more teachers toting guns. Trump would like to see trained teachers and coaches as an in-school security force. I’d like to see teachers allowed to teach in well-funded, safe schools. Then again, it’s just my opinion. I could be wrong.
    

Go Home Stella. You're Drunk.

     As I look out the window, the sun shining down on the blanket of snow is a beautiful sight to behold. It would be better if this were December, and not March.
     Winter took its sweet time getting here. Now don't get me wrong, I love good snowfall. What strikes me as funny is how quickly we all seemed to forget it was still Winter. Most of the season was really mild, and actually pretty nice. Nice enough to get us all to let our guard down. Then Stella showed up.
     Stella's the relative nobody wants to have visit. You know the one. The kids love her because she's fun and they get to stay home from school when she visits. She drives you crazy because she blows through your life like a tornado and leaves destruction in her wake. Stella's the one who leaves the bread loaf untied, lipstick on your glasses and a cigarette butt on a plate in the sink. You find her clothes all over the place after she leaves, and the dogs look like they've seen something unmentionable. Yeah. Stella's a hoot to have around.
     What cracked me up about her visit was how folks reacted. Schools and activities closed like they normally did, but businesses seemed unable to get on the same page. Working in retail, I was a little surprised we stayed open while Stella was having her first gin and tonic in the living room. Then again, in the 12 years I've been at the mall, I've seen it close only once or twice. Malls and movie theaters will be the only buildings standing after the apocalypse.
     While Stella was passed out in between rounds of drunken karaoke, the plows ran and cleared the streets. Apparently, it was clear enough for folks to travel and make their way back to their homes after the weekend. We get a lot of customers from Canada, and they didn't seem to think the storm was that bad. Trekking through 24 inches of snow to get a new shirt must be routine in the Great White North. Here it just seems a little silly. It's all good though. That silliness keeps me employed. It helps to live within walking distance of the mall. Yep, we'll be open. Come on in, Stella. Have a drink.

Reset, Reset, Reset

     So here I sit, watching the the screen as the little circle of dots goes through its motions. Somewhere in the time between powering down two nights ago and booting tonight, My computer went brain dead.
     What I found surprising wasn't the crash itself, but there was no blue screen of death. Just a screen announcing Windows has failed to start and offering options. It seemed kind of silly to have and option to continue to Windows when it just crashed. I gave it a click just for grins. Nope. No joy, just another crash.
     Back to the menu of options. Now for someone like me, the advanced options button is like giving a kid a Zippo and telling him not to start a fire. I decided on clicking the reset button and letting it reinstall itself. It's cruising along at a snail's pace, but it'll get there eventually. My hope is it'll actually start and I can just get on with my night. If it doesn't, I may just have to click that advanced button and see what havoc I can unleash while rooting around in this thing's brain.
     It's looking good so far. The actual installation screen is up and it's at cranking away. Dammit! The first unexpected error! The process is restarting. If it fails again, I may have to break out the Windows 8 discs and take a step or two back. I'm cool with that. Win8's stable, simple and gets the job done.
     So far, it's gone from changes, to undoing changes, to redoing changes to, holy shit! A start screen! Nope. Automatic repair now. Pulling the internal network card I added may have caused the crash. Let's see what happens. Yeah, that didn't do much. Hello system restore. Good-bye updates.
   I have a feeling this restoration is just an animation to keep me occupied. Twenty minutes in, and we still have the sliding green bar. And my wife calls me impatient. Right. Oh joy! "Finalizing file restore", and another sliding green bar. I'l be seeing that damned thing in my sleep. So in a little under two hours total time, it's finally finished. Rebooting, and... and... wait for it...wait for it...IT'S ALIVE! MWUAAHAHAHAHAA! Sadly, no lightning or other Frankensteinian stuff.
    Now, let's see why the network adapter's such a bandwidth hog...