Hi,
To continue on my last blog post, we are living in a time where the rules are changing. I know one of the “lost boys of Sudan“, Dak, his Christian name, Paul he doesn’t use much anymore. I’ve seen the terror in his eyes when talking about tigers and how one had eaten his sister and the happiness when he talked about how good elephants taste. He wrote a book Out of the Impossible detailing his experiences. Dak wanted to express his thoughts the way he thinks them didn’t let the editors change his written words and he should have. It’s a little difficult to read, but worth the effort. In one of my blog post I had thought about how happy I am to be living in America. With all our problems, we don’t have to be worried about being eaten by a tiger, or starving to death, or suffering a country wide Ebola outbreak. Though we do have to worry about our church or temple being bombed or a mass shooting. Did you see where that nut case Dylann Roof’s sister, Morgan Roof, was recently arrested on weapons and drug charges. One child being a nutcase is one thing, but when you have two its a different story and maybe we should be looking at their parents? Speaking of new rules, we need to up the ante on gun control. Being a Vet and strong believer in out constitution (that could only have been written by aliens, I don’t understand how anyone in the 1700’s could be as insightful as our founding fathers were to create such an amazing document without being aliens (or in communication with advanced life forms). I strongly believe in the right to bear arms, but really? Who needs an assault rifle to kill a deer? I don’t hunt, but strongly believe in the right to hunt for food and other products. That doctor that paid a fortune to murder a rhino in Africa last year is an abomination and I hope he’s been driven out of practice. When I was a youth, I thought thank god for the youth and I thought us hippies were going to change the world. Once again I am saying thank god for the youth. The hopeful thing about the current youth movement Never Again movement isn’t the number of youths involve, but that they are pushing for voter registration, they are showing they are a force to be reckoned with. You better watch out you entrenched politicians, these kids were amazing when they were lobbying their legislators last week. They were polite and respectful and did not fall for the double speak politicians are so famous for. I listened to one recording where the politician tried to evade the questions about gun control and the kids listened and then said back to our question, would you vote for a ban on assault rifles. 🙂 🙂 that deserves two smileys. Thanx kids.
With this new economy something else we need to think and talk about is “contract workers”. Mike from Energy Saver Window, my contractor, that has done everything from replacing my roof last month, to installing several bathrooms and installing close to 50 new windows is a contractor. He owns his own company, pays liability insurance, workers comp, and is licensed in his trade. The first foray into this that I recall was when the drivers for UPS complained several years ago that they didn’t fit into the description as independent contractor workers as UPS claimed. They drove UPS trucks, wore UPS uniforms and had UPS codes of conduct they needed to adhere to. Now we have Uber, Amazon and others getting into delivery business and they are calling their “employees” contractor workers so they don’t have to pay workers comp as I do, insure them as I do. Strip clubs are also claiming their “dancers” are contractor workers for the same reason. Downtown Blush was sued, a dancer got fed up with their BS. Since the linked article, I believe Blush lost the case, but I’m not finding it on line. You should read that article about how sleazy Blush management is.
Pittsburgh Icon Forward Lanes closed after almost a century of being a gathering place in Squirrel Hill.
Ira Flatow, host of NPR’s Science Fridays will be bringing a live taping to the Carnegie Music Hall Homestead May 19. Tickets on sale now.
Carol Peterson has written the history of many iconic homes in Pittsburgh, she did the history that first got me interested in Joshua Rhodes, the industrialist that build my Inn. (He emigrated here from England with his parents at age of 4 and was orphaned by 10 and became a millionaire!). Back to Carol, she passed away after losing a seven battle with cancer last year after writing 1,940 house histories and co-authoring The History of Allegheny City with Dan Rooney several years ago. Her long time friend Mary Coleman will be showing and selling Carols’ eclectic collection of furniture, art and other memorabilia through April 28. I’m not sure if the items will be at Mary’s studio The Gallery on 43rd Street Lawrenceville or at Carol’s former house. You can contact Mary at here studio (she’s a weaver) to get the details.
That’s it for today, luckily I got the three porches cleaned and hosed off yesterday. It doesn’t mean spring, but at least it’s getting closer and I got rid all that winter yuck (I think that is the technical term for it) :),
ed
