There're not a lot of things that a hot cup of your favorite beverage can't improve. For example: You might find yourself on an overcast day in an urban "pumpkin patch" inside an otherwise abandoned shopping mall at the top of a hill apparently known only as Hilltop.
Inside a nearby Wal-Mart that has certainly known better times, you pause at the remainders table, where out-of-date items that no known person actually needs are discounted to half-price or less.
Paying half the sticker price for something useless? That sound like a perfect version of the current American dream to this non-consumer.
But wait, there are two floors in this giant store; perhaps the upper level will contain something worth climbing for. The escalator up works but, my, it is a long way up. Alas, not much beyond row after row of supersized items up there that probably will end up in somebody's garage a few months from now when they start working imperfectly.
It can get worse and it does. The down escalator does not work at all; this is like a Bart station. Nor does the elevator work. That's like a Bart station too. Any person who has experienced balance issues knows that discovering this at the top of a stalled escalator is bad news indeed. Going downhill on steps is quite hazardous; much more so that uphill for those prone to falling.
And just like at Bart, it is a *long* way back to that first floor and the remainders table.
Relieved when the security buzzer doesn't activate when you exit this frightful place, once again you confront the endless emptiness of a parking lot with (count it) one car only and the erstwhile pumpkin patch in the distance.
Did you know that pumpkin patches have orange floors?
But in all good time relief comes in the form of a cup of coffee, brought by an angel. Thus, would be a story with a happy ending, except...
...unfortunately the coffee spilled. One big gulp's worth remained however. So the cup was half full, you might say.
***
Top story today from another fine writer in our family, my data scientist son, Peter Weir. He writes with some management advice for those dealing with workers in the post-pandemic business environment. Check it out!
***
In case you doubt it, today's lyrics come from an actual song. I first heard it on a karaoke night recently. It knocks me out.
***
HEADLINES:
* A Most Useless Place -- The pandemic has affected everyone in different ways. (Peter Weir/LinkedIn)
* Delta Surge Recedes, Leaving Winter Challenge Ahead -- Infections, hospitalizations and deaths decline in most states. “We may be at a turning point,” one medical official says. (WSJ)
* In a setback for Black Lives Matter, mayoral campaigns shift to ‘law and order’-- From Buffalo to Seattle, and in Cleveland, Democratic mayoral candidates are backtracking on police budgeting stances or contending with opponents who are hammering them over public safety. (WP)
* What Biden Can’t Do on Student Debt—and What He Won’t Do -- Activists argue that the President could cancel student debt with the stroke of a pen, fulfilling a campaign promise. Newly uncovered documents suggest that Biden has been “reviewing” the issue for months. (New Yorker)
* Here’s Why Uber and Lyft Prices Are Still High--Hailing an Uber or a Lyft ride? You’ll still face elevated prices due to a shortage of drivers—the latest example of how a tight labor market is costing consumers more while also raising pay for workers. (WSJ)
* Inside the effort to pressure Manchin and salvage paid family and medical leave -- With the House set to vote as soon as Tuesday, efforts by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and others marked a new test as to whether Democrats, largely led by women in the House and Senate, could sway Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and deliver the help they long have promised to millions of Americans. (WP)
* Children Drive Britain’s Longest-Running Covid Surge -- The United Kingdom lifted nearly all coronavirus restrictions in July — and has seen an extended wave ever since, with school-age children now making up more than a third of new cases. (NYT)
* Homewrecked: The Great American Real Estate Frenzy (Journal of the Plague Year)
* Covid Shots Are a Go for Children, but Parents Are Reluctant to Consent -- Vaccinating 5- to 11-year-olds could be a big step toward returning to normal life in the U.S., but even parents who got the shot are worried about how it might affect their kids. (NYT)
* World leaders at G-20 formally endorse new global corporate minimum tax (WP)
* When the Soviets Set Off the Biggest Nuclear Bomb, J.F.K. Didn’t Flinch -- A new study offers insights into how the United States reacted to Tsar Bomba, a planet shaker that made the deadly Hiroshima blast look tame. (NYT)
* Trump attorney told Pence team vice president’s inaction caused attack on Capitol (WP)
* VIDEO: Slow-Moving Storm Batters the Mid-Atlantic (Reuters and Storyful)
* Trump looks to 2024, commanding a fundraising juggernaut, as he skirts social media bans (WP)
* Xi Hasn’t Left China in 21 Months. Covid May Be Only Part of the Reason. -- Xi Jinping’s lack of face time with world leaders signals a turn inward on domestic issues and a reluctance to compromise on the global stage. (NYT)
* When Truman is your grandpa: The complicated lives of presidential descendants (WP)
* Exxon, Chevron post biggest profit in years (Reuters)
* ‘Greta Mania’ hits Glasgow as Swedish teen is mobbed upon arrival for COP26 summit (WP)
* Jay-Z, Foo Fighters welcomed into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (AP)
* Rare, ancient Maya canoe found in Mexico's Yucatan (Reuters)
* As countries gather in Glasgow, time is running out to fight global warming (Edit Bd/WP)
* Geologists Uncover Slab Of Amber Containing Perfectly Preserved Adam And Eve (The Onion)
***
"Barbie Girl"
Sung by Aqua
Songwriters: Johnny Mosegaard / Karsten Dahlgaard / Claus Norreen / Soren Rasted / Rene Dif / Lene Nystrom
… Hiya, Barbie
Hi, Ken
You want to go for a ride?
Sure, Ken
Jump in
… I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
… Come on, Barbie, let's go party
… I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
… I'm a blond bimbo girl in a fantasy world
Dress me up, make it tight, I'm your dolly
You're my doll, rock'n'roll, feel the glamour in pink
Kiss me here, touch me there, hanky panky
… You can touch
You can play
If you say, "I'm always yours" (ooh, oh)
… I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
… Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
… Make me walk, make me talk, do whatever you please
I can act like a star, I can beg on my knees
Come jump in, bimbo friend, let us do it again
Hit the town, fool around, let's go party
… You can touch
You can play
If you say, "I'm always yours"
You can touch
You can play
If you say, "I'm always yours"
… Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
… I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
… I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world
Life in plastic, it's fantastic
You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere
Imagination, life is your creation
… Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ah ah ah yeah)
Come on, Barbie, let's go party (ooh oh, ooh oh)
… Oh, I'm having so much fun
Well, Barbie, we are just getting started
Oh, I love you, Ken
1 comment:
nobody comments here
Post a Comment