DR-February 23, 2009

Subject: I hate being deceived!

Issue: I am from Maine. I love Maine. I am all about local - before it was COOL to support local. So when the battle cry came out late last summer to buy lobsters from Maine lobsterman - we did. We like lobster, but we started having it more often and served it to more people, made it in many different ways. Here is a little html file to give you an idea of the situation of the lobstermen. Later on, there were a bunch of other late adopters started talking about the price of lobster being in the $3/# range, (while diesel prices were through the roof). But getting this word out was good. So again, we were reminded to continue to eat Maine lobster as part of the weekly meal routine.

New Year's Eve 2008. We decide to make lobster- it seemed perfect. The price had climbed up to $4.50/#. When I was at the Deli Counter looking into the lobster tank, I saw a sign over it stating as follows:

"insert store name here, is a long-time supporter of communities where we operate. In Maine, the lobster industry is faced with tough times. insert store name here, is doing it's part to lower our lobster prices for our customers to enjoy."

So I proudly ordered the guys up and I even bought a few extra to make a lobster stew after. I felt so patriotic, I practically whistled the Maine State Song on my way out the door. (Here are the lyrics, I am not kidding!)

I got home and started cooking the lobster. They need to be cooked LIVE , (if you didn't know, they look green when they are ALIVE), so I started right away, the water boiling and dropped them into the pot. We ate them- they were tasty.

Lobsters are banded to protect them from going after each other, pinching you and also for ID purposes. I noticed the bands that came off of more that a couple of the lobsters, read "PRODUCT OF CANADA."

I was dumbfounded.

Let the record show, I love Canada and I love Canadians. They are our neighbors after all, and I have great friends from there. If you want Maine Lobsters and they are truly Maine lobsters, go here or here. Just in case there is a shortage of Maine lobsters, or if you want to make sure the ones you are getting are from the Gulf of Maine, they both will help get you what you order.

BUT - I felt duped, used, betrayed, whatever you call it. I feel even worse for the Maine Lobsterman. I went back to the insert store name here, to take a photo of the sign I had read and if I hadn't done it quickly, they were not going to let me take the photo in the first place. I needed permission - apparently. Now oddly enough, I have tried to upload the photo I took of the sign to this blog and the insert photo option on blogger doesn't seem to be working either!

What I said in my head: I have to ask permission to take a photo of a sign in a public place? You don't have to ask permission to screw me in a public place?

What a country! (Perhaps I should start singing Oh Canada! (I even know the words) when I leave insert store name here...but I won't be going back.

DR-February 3. 2009

Issue: Our Government certainly knows how to gather information from us, by tapping phones, poising cameras in places no one knows about, etc. but they are so provincial when it comes to THEIR information...excuse me, we paid for it, it is OURS! Isn't this all in the name of protecting Americans?

The Spy Factory- I came home from teaching tonight to watch the only thing that was worth my time to watch. If I could give you an exact link I would, only the MPBN website has some pathetic pop-up and I cannot pass it on to you.

We all expect for our tax dollars that we get certain things. Here in lies the thesis of the story. The idea that we (the American public) doesn't REQUIRE these agencies to TALK to each other and collaborate in order to PROTECT us is truly a mystery to me.

What I say in my head - what is the deal that NSA/CIA/FBI dont share information because of their egos? We lost 3000 + people, in the World Trade Center who really is to blame?

DR-January 28, 2009

Subject: "Look out for that TRUCK!"

Issue: PEDESTRIANS, crosswalks, snowbanks & cell phones!

In Maine we have a law like many other states that Pedestrians in crosswalks have the right of way. In my city (Bangor), we have a downtown that has a few roads that are particularly hazardous with people just walking across the road aimlessly. Let's pick on Harlow Street for example, the post office, the federal courthouse, the library and a "pay to park" lot all in about a block.

Many times folks appear out of no where, not on a crosswalk, sneaking out between 2 SUV's so you don't see them until they are RIGHT in front of you. Most of us try to avoid the street all together, but sometimes you just cannot. And now we have snowbanks on other streets that are creating, what Justin in my office refers to as "snowbank peek-a-boo" on top of it all.

Monday I was crawling through there and this guy wanders out into the street, with his cell phone up to his ear into the path of a truck - I don't know how he didn't get hit. The driver jammed on his breaks and hit the horn.

Guess what happened then? YEP! The pedestrian flipped the driver off!

What I say in my head:
WTF?

DR-November 20, 2008

Subject: "I don't have time to play on the computer ALL day?"

Issue: People claim to not have time to try social media.

I am never sure why or what context that makes people say "I am not good with computers..." or "I cannot do myspace, twitter, Linked-In it's a waste of time "or whatever software it is they haven't even tried.

Have they REALLY tried? Have they bothered? One of the reasons people use these things is so you can learn new ways to communicate with people. Learn new technology and oh, btw it is FREE. No pay out to learn and have others help you learn.

I come from an era where learning something new almost always comes with pain. You fall off your bike, you fall down on skis, your math teacher makes the class boring, you get the drill. But this can be fun and I know what you are saying, "Then I cannot be learning."

If you are in business today, we all need to know how to communicate differently and the further out in the countryside your business is, the more vital learning these tools.

People don't bother to make the phone call to visit. And hell, if they call you at work, "telemarketers" get hung up on and sales people get voice mail. The daily newspapers get thinner and thinner - so you know that NOBODY is reading them.

But when politicians have myspace, Facebook and Twitter accounts as well as have debates on YOU TUBE, what the HELL do you think THAT means?

You reach people, maybe?

I had a myspace party at my office last Fall and we had a great time! I am learning to use these tools myself. I had a couple friends (was actually about 10) that came over that wanted to learn. And I had a wonderful friend who is brought someone that KNEW what they were doing, and we put it on the flat screen monitor and LEARNED about it.

From that little workshop most all have active Facebook & Linked In accounts. They found those things work for them. Some are participating in blogs and some have blogs. So we did make some headway!

What I say in my head: In this economy, do you want to make ANY money? Reach out to new business? AND btw it isnt "PLAYING" it is about your business it is WORKING!

DR-September 12, 2008

Subject: Middle of the night suicide thoughts- battles of Cathy Mitchell vs. Billy Mays.

Issue: It is bad enough when you wake up in the wee hours of the night and you cannot sleep, but to turn on the TV and find NOTHING but someone selling you the next way to make millions, or SPEND millions is really a drag. I MEAN EVERY channel! Opportunities for me are everywhere. I can buy a foreclosed property, clean out my colon, get rich with SMC, need a power wheelchair that I can get for free (FREE?) the list goes on and on. And seeing a sweaty Chuck Norris in his cut off T-shirt doesn't work for me either - incidentally.

Over the winter, I wrote on my MySpace page a nightly chronicle of the various crap that was FOR SALE channel by channel. People thought I was crazy, but am I?

BUT the BIG WEINERS in the annoying category goes to:

• Cathy Mitchell and her GT Xpress 100 (I found out I wasn't the only person that found her annoying), I found a post from Paul Lucas on his blog that felt the same way! Do you really need an appliance to flip over a sandwich? Her website now says you can get one FREE with everyone you buy, so evidently not everyone does need one. AND the Lucille Ball hairdo has got to go along with the dragon press-on nails that are tacky not to mention unsanitary.

• AND then there is Billy Mays, who will sell anything to anybody. AND it is the best thing he has EVER seen in his whole life. He has a shrieky, annoying voice that will elevate you off your chair if you mistakenly switch to his channel while he sells Oxi-Clean, Handy Switch, Orange-Glo and who knows what else. If you must, go to this blog where you can see how "believing in him" can set you back some serious dough! And can all that stuff he sells be THAT earth shattering, THAT good? I think it is the paycheck that he likes most of all.
  

What I say in my head: The scary thing is some people must be responding because they wouldn't be on TV night after night if they weren't making money.

DR-August 26, 2008

Subject: Is everything ALL about YOU ALL the time?

Issue: There are 100,00+ people in a place at a Festival and YOU choose NOT to notice! Certainly there are so many distractions, we all succumb to the heat and the energy of the moment. Random "braking" is one that is forgivable - what I mean is you are walking along and the person or group of people in front of you stops dead in their tracks because they are walking by a music tent and they are overcome with interest they stop walking and you do everything but pile into them. Usually a sheepish shrug from the person happens and an "I'm Sorry" reminds you that you probably did that earlier or WILL do it later in the day. So yes, it is okay to be lost in all of it and apologizing for it is the recognition that others are occupying the world with you - Thanks for that.

Here are things that are NOT OK. Here are 5 things that should allow us to publicly flog you, because you are are NOT playing well with others!

1. Bringing dogs to the festival. It is not only against the rules of our festival, it is abusive to the animal. We all know your dog is cute, but we do not need to see you dragging the poor thing in the heat by a string where all he can see are knees and ankles getting shoved around absorbing the heat from the ground that you don't feel.
2. NOT donating to the festival. The American Folk Festival is free to attend. People have the opportunity to hear many bands all for free. None of us could afford to go to all those concerts. But throwing a 10 or a 20 dollar bill would be a great thing. The City (that means the taxpayer), 850 volunteers and countless of other business donations make this happen. NEWSFLASH - It is NOT FREE to put on. It is NOT FREE to get bands here, it is NOT FREE to set up and clean up and the list goes on. Put a few bucks in the bucket and be thankful we have a wonderful Festival Staff that knows how BEST to make the least amount of money work for the most of our enjoyment.
3. Lawn Chairs ARE NOT weapons-but they may as well be. Please be aware that you have them. We all carry them over our shoulders and they are easy to forget, BUT they can poke some kids eye out .
4. That stroller is NOT a snowplow. I think this is the newest weapon in the war on terror at any festival or crowd situation. "It isn't ME that is pushing you out of the way (in a crowd where no on can move-by the way), it is the STROLLER whacking at your ankles. You turn around ready to say "EXCUSE ME!" and there you are looking down at some sweet kid that is the rider in this TANK stroller, meanwhile Mommy is looking to the left and plowing away!
5. You are sitting in the audience in front of the stage - the music is playing and you are getting into it, some other people - those that decide to PARK themselves - STANDING IN FRONT of you and talk to their friends or they are texting on their cell phones. Now you are looking at their butts and not the stage. SWEET!
   

What I say in my head: When you get all these people in one place, you're bound to see it all and you cannot let the wonder of the event ruin it for you. Note to self: Take a moment and do something nice - but mostly put money in the bucket!

DR-July 31, 2008

Subject: Stupid, Stupid boneheaded - driving

Issue: Yesterday I was volunteering for our Convention and Visitors Bureau. I was parking cars at the State Fair. If you have ever been to a festival or a fair then you know, there are people and kids walking everywhere and most of them not paying close attention to traffic. But this is a given. Kids are excited to get in or are having a sugar rush on the way out.

There are 2 parking lots with money going to charities on each side of the street (ours being one of them) The street is a thruway and there are 4 things happening:

1. Cars slowing down and queuing up to park in one parking lot, (Ours)
   
2. Cars slowing down and queuing up to park in the other parking lot
3. Groups of people constantly crossing the street going in both directions
4. Cars not wanting to park, just wanting to use the road to get through.
   

That is the reality, tho one could argue the above situation is set up to be stupid from the "get-go." So for the sake this blog discussion, the stupid part here is that the cars trying to get through and not park, are rounding the queued up traffic and finding surprised and terrified people & kids trying to cross the street.

As these cars are rounding the line of cars, they often nail the gas pedal because they are impatient. The other impatient maneuver is the U TURN that also happens in the middle of all this mayhem. There is one more week of this fair and tho my parking stint is through I fear a follow-up of a story about someone piling into people with a car and taking them out.

What I say in my head: I would be cheering if the it were a case of "natural selection" those people driving stupid are the ones getting hurt, but it never is.