’twas the afternoon of Christmas

Posted on by under Holiday Drama, Starbucks, Union negotiations

The first of family arrive…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year 

With the kids jingle belling

All of them telling me, 

SANTA CLAUSE ISN’T REAL!!!!!

It’s just a lie parents tell 

The children to bribe them 

To be of good cheer

Or else!!!!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… 

To begin…

Act I

A comment on the amount of fecal matter likely on my shoes was gifted to me. 

Research!!!!

The average human foot likely has a small amount of fecal matter present, primarily on the soles of the shoes. Studies have shown a high percentage of shoes test positive for fecal bacteria.

There is no doubt that the research is sound and removal of shoes at the door is warranted…

However, (Opinion to follow) this admonishment, coming from a pet owner, did not go unnoticed. 

Pets in the home can transmit fecal matter, containing harmful bacteria and parasites to humans.

https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/about/cleaning-and-disinfecting-pet-supplies.html

Some people find debating to be a sport. 

I equate the sport of debate to “Play fighting”, which, from my experience as a youth, often led to the real thing. 

I “typically” choose not to participate and walk away from potential conflict. 

I concede… 

You are more intelligent than me. 

Congratulations! You win…

Act II

Later…

A news story came up in discussion. The murder of United Healthcare’s CEO…the copycat targets being painted on the backs of CEOs in the news.

I mentioned the most recent news story of newly appointed Starbuck CEO, “earning” 113 million per year and the striking employees of Starbucks in several areas and perhaps a connection to the public discord. (Correction…CEO Brian Niccol’s will receive a sign-on package worth up to $113m. His annual salary is only $1.6m.)

(Research shows that 300 Starbucks locations were affected by this strike_NPR.org_ Starbucks offered a different figure, telling NPR that only around 170 Starbucks stores did not open because of the strike.) 

Trivial facts: Starbucks Reports Q3 Fiscal 2024 results net revenues of $9.1 Billion. (investor.starbucks.com)

Stock Quotes 

Price $91.53        

52 week high_$103.32       

52 week low_$71.55  

            Employees_361,000 as of September 29,2024 (stockanalysis.com)

Over the past couple of days I have watched videos.  https://youtu.be/wWq1RXRRA4E?si=TY6m9pPouRJ5izTy

 In this video, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway Chair and CEO, describes several company founders who started out with relatively small investments, grew incredibly successful companies by focusing “One Key Principle” …….Customer Satisfaction. 

Opinion:  

I can see that the finances to create and maintain any company of any size can and, as is the case with Starbucks, be a huge investment. Starbucks is and hopefully will always be successful and ready to take our order.

Opinion: The business model…the “customer experience” is the face-to-face employees that interact with everyday people, eager to have their coffee, latte or whatever they prefer…made to order.

The human element IS the key to this business model.

NPR December 24, 2024 reports, “Workers regularly struggle to receive the hours we need to qualify for benefits and pay our bills. Starbucks need to invest in the workers who run the stores.”

Workers United disputes Starbucks’ characterization of its wage increase proposals — bargaining delegate Michelle Eisen, a 14-year Starbucks barista in Buffalo, N.Y., called it “false and misleading and they know it.”

“We are ready to finalize a framework that includes new investments in baristas in the first year of contracts,” Eisen told NPR.

The union is asking for a base wage of at least $20 an hour for all baristas with annual 5% raises and cost of living adjustments, enrollment in a Starbucks-sponsored retirement plan, more consistent schedules, enhanced paid leave protocols and better healthcare, among other initiatives.

In the final stretch of the four-day strike, it is calling on Starbucks to present a “serious economic offer at the bargaining table.”_NPR December 24, 2024

Act III

I tried to remove myself from conflict.

I was detained. 

There was drama.

My guest was on a quest to set me straight 

on the petty squabbles of a union’s dispute.

What a hoot…

I made my escape

I fled the scene

To the outdoors

Quiet and serene

It didn’t end there

I’m afraid to say

Apologies were met with disdain

Without a doubt, I acted out

Dare to say 

I ruined the day

Dinner was awkwardly quiet

My guest had uninvited himself

His lovely wife stayed

It’s the most wonderful time 

Yes, the most wonderful time

Oh, the most wonderful time

of the year… 

“The end”

Mentors…

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Throughout our lives we encounter influential people whose life lessons help define who we become as adults.

An elderly friend. A favorite teacher.

An incredibly intelligent co-worker who shares their knowledge.

All of these encounters become a part of our reflection.

Those who were kind enough to share…mentors in passing…leave indelible signatures on our lives.

Lessons we then…pass on.

As a sophomore in high school I enrolled in choir.

I was a fledgling guitar player and needed more music in my life. And with no prior educational background in music, I took the leap.

Those years in high school were the greatest. Our Choir Director, Mr. Bryan Dunn was mentor to our collective voices. One of the first songs we learned, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” became an anthem that lasts to this day.

At the drop of a hat…for no other reason than to feel that spine tingling chill…vocal harmonies embracing every part of your soul…hair on the back of your neck standing at attention feeling.

That feeling.

Gifted to all of us by Mr. Bryan Dunn

And now gifted to you…

May the Lord bless you and keep you Mr. Dunn.

“The Lord Bless You and Keep You”

performed by

The York College Concert Choir

So, how are you doing?

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Just yesterday, I watched a TED talk video that was incredible. It featured Nadia Drake, an American Science Journalist interviewing a Heidi Hammel, a Planetary Astronomer about her work on the James Webb Space Telescope.

A photograph was shown that was taken in a field of space she described the size of this field as small as a grain of sand on your thumbnail at arms length.

In this photograph were untold numbers of galaxies in a field as small as a grain of sand..at arms length.

Now imagine us. Humanity.

Earth.

Alone in our Solar System

Seemingly alone in our galaxy.

Just us…

…as far as we know.

How can we…humanity, not care enough about our own little piece of real estate and be so busy working at that, that we have time to seek more of what we are unable to perfect.

Fix what you got…

Repair this. Repair that. Modify this plan for a better plan. This corruption needs to be addressed. That system needs to be perfected until it works for everybody. There is too much going on right here to worry about what’s going on over there.

Can we say, without hesitation, that citizens of our little piece of real estate have been provided for? Cared for? They are perfectly happy? Have all of the healthcare they need? Comfortable homes? Food on the table? Able to fulfill life’s dreams?

If I an unable to comfortably support my little piece of real estate, should I seek more? No!!!

How did we get to a point of such divisiveness…in our City…State…Country…World?

As vast as our universe is, how can we not greet one another and take comfort in knowing that we are not alone.

How can one human insist on winning the race or no one gets to play?

So, how are you doing?

Just so you know,

You’re not alone…

Christmas time is here…

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On Christmas of 2020 I received a simple gift that represented SpaceX’s Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station.

During that flight, a toy dinosaur named “Tremor” floated about the cabin as the crew approached to dock with ISS

So…later that morning, with lots of time on my hands and a little creativity floating about the cabin,

I created this short video to share with my Grandchildren…and you

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas 2021…

Lay Me Down

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Lay me down

Let clouds fill the sky

Rains fall from heaven

Stars fall from the sky

Hope it seems at first

Is never far away

But years go fast and days are few

I’ve nothing left to say 

But…

Goodbye

I’m going home

Side Note

A side note…this was a short song that I wrote in the late seventies.

My younger brother and I had gone to visit our father, who had been languishing in a nursing home for a number of years.

It was a sad day.

This simple short poem expresses the melancholy of that day.

Guitar Lesson_D Major

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I started this project to help a friend restart his earlier attempts at learning how to play the guitar. My intent is to add additional lessons, in similar fashion, to continue this journey. I too…will always be a student

Fretboard Lesson 1Download
Fretboard Lesson 2Download
Fretboard Lesson 3Download
Fretboard Lesson 4Download
Fretboard Lesson 5Download
Fretboard Lesson 6Download
Fretboard Lesson 7Download
Fretboard Lesson 8Download
Fretboard Lesson 9Download
Fretboard Lesson 10Download
Fretboard Lesson 11Download
Fretboard Lesson 12Download
Fretboard Lesson 13Download

32°42’38.8″N 96°59’49.3″W

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Lakeview Drive

Late 1950’s

 For the majority of my life, a peculiar memory has remained a mystery…

Our family had moved to the southernmost part of town…very rural.

 West of Beltline Rd_ North of Lakeview Drive. 

The acreage just south of our neighborhood was farmland. 

Cotton grew in those fields.

 Vivid images…people of color picking cotton. 

…a crop duster spraying the field as I looked on, from likely…a less than safe distance. 

I can’t imagine that being a healthy choice.

Regardless…this mysterious memory took place between 1957 and 1960. 

In the middle of the night our mother took us children outdoors. We stood on the porch looking at the night sky.  

An oddly greenish hue…very bright

Highly unusual…

…for our mother to take us outside to witness this event was clearly seared into my less than adequate biological database.

That event remains a mystery. 

Fast forward to the present…

I am a fan of SYSK: Stuff You Should Know, a podcast hosted by Josh Clark and Charles W. “Chuck” Bryant. While bingeing past episodes during the Covid-19 lockdown, I stumbled upon SYSK (Season 17 Episode 38 “How the Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis Work”). That might explain the phenomenon I witnessed as a child. 

Of course I have been aware of this phenomenon and actually witnessed the aurora borealis years ago while on a trip to Iowa of all places…but this episode sparked my interest and set me on a path to research the possibility that perhaps this was the answer to the mystery.    

On November 28, 1959, the Aurora Borealis was seen as far South as Houston, Texas. 

SYSK’s story brought great comfort to me while I listened. It was a perfect explanation for what I had witnessed. The greenish hue lighting up the night sky…well documented. 

Below I have listed all of the Aurora Borealis phenomena that took place between 1957 and 1960. 

This wasn’t a vague memory of some alien abduction scenario. Whew!!!

Thanks Josh & Chuck…  

In the immortal words of “Invader Zim’s Garbage-issue Information Retrieval Unit, GIR”…

 “I Love This Show”

__________________________________________________________________SYSK

January 25, 1957 – Uranium and aurora blamed in plane crash. [Chicago Daily Tribune, January 25, 1957, p. 7].

March 4, 1957 – New awesome lights hang in north skies [Chicago Daily Tribune, March 4, 1957, p. 11].

April 17, 1957 – World radio signals fade [New York Times, April 18, 1956 p. 25]

September 5, 1957 – Aurora borealis stages sky show in Chicago area [Chicago Daily Tribune, September 5, 1957, p. 1].

September 13, 1957 – Rare northern lights display in southland [Los Angeles Times, September 13, 1957, p. 1].

September 23, 1957 – Aurora lights northern sky in city region [Chicago Daily Tribune, September 23, 1957, p. 2].

November 6, 1957 – Radio and TV, Sunspots in high gear. Sound of BBC video fills US homes [New York Times, November 6, 1957 p. 71]

February 11, 1958 – Radio blackout cuts US off from the rest of the world. Aurora visible in Los Angeles, Tulsa, Boston, Seattle, Canada and Newfoundland. Voltages in electrical telegraph circuits exceeded 320 volts in Newfoundland. Intense red glow gave way to curtains and shimmering draperies. [New York Times, February 11, 1958, p. 62]. Although not seen over New York, it was so intense over Europe that people wondered about fires and warfare. [New York Times, February 12, 1958, p. 16]. Aurora puts on display in northern skies [Chicago Daily Tribune, February 11, 1958, p. 4]. Skies brilliant in northern lights display [Los Angeles Times, February 11, 1958, p.1]. Aurora borealis again seen here [The Washington Post, February 11, 1958, p. A1].

March 29, 1959 – Aurora seen on Long island, 2 hour display observed, radio disruption goes on [New York Times, March 29, 1959, p. 33]

July 16, 1959 – Radio upset by magnetic disturbance [Chicago Daily Tribune, July 16, 1959, p. C9]

November 29, 1959 – Aurora borealis seen in Houston [Los Angeles Times, November 29, 1959, p. A4].

April 1, 1960 – Aurora borealis viewed here [The Washington Post, April 1, 1960, p. A1].

October 7, 1960 – Sky in area is colered by northern lights [New York Times, October 7, 1960, p. 68].

November 13, 1960 – Type 3 solar flare gives North America a rare auroral display. [New York Times, November 14, 1960 p. 14]. Display of northern lights here creates glow [New York Times, November 13, 1960, p. 3]. Solar explosion causes show of northern lights [Chicago Daily Tribune, November 14, 1960, p.1]. Blasts on sun roil earth’s radio waves [Chicago Daily Tribune, November 16, 1960, p. 16]. Aurora borealis proves thriller [The Washington Post, November 13, 1960, p. A1]. AUrora borealis lights up D.C. Area; Resultant calls light switchboards [The Washington Post, November 14, 1960, p. A3].

References: Solar Storms.org  

Review

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As a fledgling guitarist for the majority of my life, studying songs, scales and the fretboard are the norm…

Every guitarist who grew up in the days of Long Play analog records will recall the tedious task of placing the needle in just the right groove to listen to a particular part of a song that held their interest…until it became so tedious, impatience took over and you moved on…or…persevered, learned the lick and danced the happy dance.

YouTube came along and made a lot of dreams come true in providing a platform for guitarist from every “Walk of Life”1 teaching guitar lessons in a video format that allow the viewer to slow the playback speed. 

Genius!!!

I recently heard about Vidami’s foot controller. Finally!!! 

Utility Design created the ultimate tool for guitar players to control… handsfree…the playback speed…capture a segment of video and loop it endlessly. 

Brilliant!!!

I would say this is one of the best tools available for anyone interested in learning to play guitar. 

I will tell you this, in my humble opinion, the downside…up front. 

It is not compatible with IOS devices such as iPad. My music workstation, up until this device arrived a week ago, consist of IOS devices.

I purchased an inexpensive Chromebook, compatible with the Vidami software and set it up at my music workstation. 

Lightning-fast licks are now slowed to speeds that allow the user to better understand the mechanics…working up to and possibly achieving some of those trademark licks we’ve all dreamed of playing. There’s still a lot of work to do and scales to practice, but…we all know that.

And remember…Study a song, study scales or your fretboard and then just noodle along with your favorite playlist and have fun.

If you can’t have a little fun…why bother. 

  1. Mark Knopfler, famed guitarist for Dire Straits, teaches guitar lessons on YouTube and wrote the song “Walk of Life” if you didn’t already know that bit of trivia.