Guilt

The Seventies.  Nineteen-seventies, that is.  Before the Internet, cell phones, and, to the greatest degree, Velcro  When you ran low on fuel, you pulled into a “service” station.  No, not a “gas” station where you pumped your own, but a “service” station where a young man in a bow tie came to your car and greeted you, then sold you premium gasoline at 35 cents a gallon.  While the gas tank was filling, he washed your front and rear windows, checked your tire pressure, motor oil level, coolant (it was called it “water” back then), and your power steering fluid (maybe your brake fluid too, if you asked), and he did all of this at no charge.  When you paid for your gasoline, he presented you with a receipt, a hand-full of Blue Chip stamps (redeemable for merchandise) and a free steak knife.  If this Service Station Attendant worked 40 hours a week at a buck and a quarter an hour, he could afford rent, groceries, a late model used car, a girlfrien...

Movie notes from the Rust Belt-----Youngstown, Ohio. Via my beloved ROKU box streaming Netflix through my home wireless network into the 46 inch HD wide screen Vizio, my Bride and I recently took in a Tim Allen double bill of our own design.  The Six Wives of Henry LeFay and Crazy on the Outside. There’s never too much plot to get in Tim Allen’s way in his movies (or TV appearances, for that matter)--it’s pretty much always Tim playing Tim, and I approve. Six Wives has, as a story, the Tim Allen character being killed in a Mexico para-sailing accident, then having his many ex-wives, a current wife, a future wife, and his daughter deciding what to do about a funeral.  They are all still in love with him.  Much is told via flash-back.  Hilarity and sweetness ensues.  A dandy story featuring Tim Allen, South Carolina native Andie MacDowell, Barbara Barrie (Barney Miller’s wife), and the wonderful Larry Miller (from A Mighty Wind, among other stuff).  Wo...

I watched a brief news story (on FoxNews, of course) about a newly proposed California law.  Interesting stuff. The state democrats in Sacramento have been in control of California since the 50s.  At this point, they really can do whatever they want, whenever they want.  We also know that California democrats are, in general, anti-big business.....anti-business generally, but anti-big business to a large degree.  In general.  Usually.  Depends on the business, I guess. The newly proposed law (I suppose it’ll pass without much discussion given the make up of the state legislature) prohibits the smoking of tobacco products in your home if you share a wall or a ventilation system with any other place.  So, if you live in an apartment or a condo, you can’t smoke tobacco in your own home. It doesn't really bother me if they do this.  I left California many years ago, and quit smoking even longer ago.    But here’s the rub: ...