You read the idea brought forth by our newest columnist Guy Speckman (Ponder the Thought, page 3) a couple weeks ago. When this stay at home stuff is over, Speckman says we should have a party.
The longer this goes on, the more convinced I am that Speckman is right. We’ll have some kind of gathering. I don’t know what or when or where. Maybe we’ll pick a public spot to do a very public Landmark Live where we walk around with the camera rolling, gathering impromptu thoughts about quarantines and stay at home orders and other random thoughts from random people there.
I don’t know whether we’ll be able to get real close, maybe the government will still be recommending we stay six feet from each other. If so, this eliminates the possibility of a group hug. This is probably okay with Speckman, who doesn’t strike me as a hugger. Chris Kamler and I are not necessarily huggers but we’re not anti-huggers either, in particular if it makes good theatre. We never close the door on anything for Landmark Live.
Anyway, if we’re allowed to do a group hug let’s try not to make it weird. None of those long, awkward embraces and nothing too touchy-feely.
By the way, Speckman’s column has been a hit with Landmark readers. If you haven’t yet become a member of the Ponder the Thought fan club, which is something like a cult without the Kool-Aid, scoot on over to the upper left corner of page 3 each week and he’ll reel you in.
For the first time in years–make that many years–I slept with the windows open last night. And I lived to talk about it.
Normally this is not me. At all. In the past, sleeping with the windows open has meant one thing–waking up with a crippling sinus headache. So typically when the weather turns warm enough that others are opening their windows and letting in the fresh air, I’m turning on the air conditioner for the first time and likely not shutting it down till the end of October.
But these are strange times, so last night I tossed caution to the wind and threw the bedroom windows wide open. I employed a cheat code, though, taking a Claritin-D before going to bed.
Had a little struggle getting to sleep initially, thanks to a neighbor across the way sitting outside talking on his cell phone. Not quietly. But after eavesdropping for a short time I soon figured out my neighbor is extremely uninteresting. He’s gonna have to step it up in the drama department or I’m done listening to his conversations.
Maybe that’s why he talks loud. Maybe he has trouble getting people to pay attention to him so he figures more volume in his voice will solve that. Pretty sure that’s not how it works.
Anyway, when I woke up about 6 a.m. I was surprised to be headache free. Took a gamble and it paid off.
Today (Wednesday) the temperature is supposed to hit the low 80s. Do I try another night of having the windows open or do I crank on the air conditioner for the first time?
I’m leaning air conditioner. I mean, the whole ‘experience the sounds and feel of nature’ thing was cute and adorable for a night, but I don’t want to press my luck. Not worth it.
Non-essential businesses are closed but I’m treading dangerously close to a hair emergency.
Shout out to the barbers and hair stylists of the world. Didn’t realize how much I’d miss you. I’m starting to look like Jack Nicholson in The Shining.
If things don’t get back to normal soon I’ll be searching for a haircut on the black market.
Here’s a story to keep your eye on. And this won’t be the only time this topic gets mentioned in Between the Lines in the coming weeks and months.
Platte County Commission on Monday voted to spend up to $48,816 to do ‘targeted education’ of voters about its two tax questions that will be on the ballot later this year.
Whenever public entities start spending taxpayer money on ballot issues my mind goes on alert. Sure, they’re saying the efforts–which could include multiple phone calls and multiple direct mail pieces to a targeted list of residents who have voted in recent primary elections in the county–will be about educating the public and voters, not influencing them. That’s a bit of a slippery slope, and to avoid the pitfalls that have hit other entities who used taxpayer resources to promote its ballot issues (remember Park Hill several years ago, where an ethics violation was found to have been committed) the county will have to be extremely careful how its ‘educational’ mail pieces and robocalls are worded.
If the goal is to truly educate, why not try to educate everyone instead of doing ‘targeted education’ to a list of voters generated by political consultants?
Just one of the many questions that might jump out at folks.
Not to mention the county commission apparently thinks it’s a good time spend about $50,000 to promote ‘education’ on ballot issues at a time when county revenues are about to take a major hit. County sales/use tax revenue was already running $600,000 less than last year at this time, and that was before the pandemic and resulting stay at home orders were issued.
The next couple of months of revenue reports for the county are not going to be pretty.
(You can find Ivan Foley resisting the urge to cut his own hair. Talk him through it by email to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com or shoot him your comments during Landmark Live at Platte County Landmark on Facebook)