Ann

14 hours ago, Adam said:

it passes, in 8 years ole Joe is gonna have to go out and get a REAL job or Two

Unfortunately, 8 years too long.

When I worked for a local law firm I remember a conversation with one of the attorneys.  He admitted that attorneys, at least locally, want to get on local Boards and government positions for the benefits…period.  At that time the law firm did not provide any benefits except for paid holidays but the attorneys and their families had bennies, especially health insurance and pensions through the State.  
Term limits, absolutely.  I’d go further and advocate no benefits once leaving office.  Service to your community is awesome but not for how it benefits you.

2 minutes ago, Chris said:

No one seems to know anything the CCIDA is doing with this place. Anthony Pucci has some thoughts about that.

I read his views and he makes excellent sense.  Executive Session is an extremely overused option and effectively keeps information from taxpayers.

I remember the eat at counters in Woolworth’s,  I think Newbury’s had one too.  Both stores were on West Water Street in Elmira when there was an actual downtown.

I was never a big fan of the Beatles but I do like this.

3 hours ago, Chris said:

Oh yeah, lots of it. I just can't keep it alive once it's moved indoors. 

Have you thought about starting a pot of basil indoors instead of moving outside to inside?

23 hours ago, Chris said:

So here's what I learned this year:

• Just buy fresh corn. It's far more reliable than trying to grow it unless you have a huge area planted.
• I've gotten better at pruning basil to keep it from getting "leggy." I still can't keep it alive once it's moved inside for winter. 
• Morning glory plants are heavy. Chicken wire stapled to 2x4s aint gonna cut it. 
• I'm also giving up on onions. I can't get them to grow and they take up valuable garden space. 
• Done with tomatoes as well, unless they're in a pot on their own.
• The moment I give away those delicata squash I grew, the wife will find a recipe that calls for them. 
• Plant less zucchini. 
• Potatoes continue to be the best yield for the last amount of work.

Have you tried drying your basil?  

Be careful of what you ask for, you may get it along with the dire consequences of asking.

15 minutes ago, Chris said:

You don't have 8 billion people on a planet with finite resources without constant conflict.

We like to think of ourselves as above the rest of the animals of the world, but we're still animals. And what happens when any other animal surpasses the carrying capacity of any given area? Why would humans be any different?

Doesn't mean it doesn't suck, but it's just the way it is. 

You’re right, it sucks.  
This weird idea popped into my head, remove all the children in the area to safety, let all the men and women duke  it out physically, face to face.  Put your fists (no weapons) where your ideology is, last ones standing wins. Before anyone calls me out, I know this is a ridiculous idea.  War has become so easy when you don’t see who you are killing.  Push a button, drop a bomb, roll your tanks.  Kill and destroy everything in sight and claim victory.  

1 hour ago, Elmira Telegram said:

Let's not derail yet another topic with off-topic chat. Keep the conversation applicable to the situation in Israel. 

I believe there is enough blame to be shared equally by both sides.  I also believe that if left to the every day average Israeli and Palestinian, they would be able to co-exist.  I have to believe they want the same things: live, raise families, worship in their own way.

 The problem is with the radicals, on all sides.  These groups are so wrapped up in their ideology that they even treat their own Muslim countrymen and women badly let alone so called non-believers.  What are you supposed to do when you have these groups and some Arab countries calling for the elimination of another group of people?   Certainly we can pull back aid to Israel and let them take on the radicals themselves.  What happens if Israel is eliminated?  Who will be next on the terrorist hit list?  Do we get involved if it’s another Mediterranean country?  A European country?   Why aren’t the more moderate Arab nations doing more to  try to rein in these groups?

I don’t have the answers.  I do know that I am so angry that after two World Wars we haven’t learned a damn thing.  I am so angry that once again we define ourselves by religion, ethnicity, ideology, politics, power, instead of what we are.  Human beings who just want to live our lives without fear of what will happen next.  The human race has been pretty much a patriarchal society since it’s beginning and how has that worked out for us?    Perhaps it’s time for that to change.  

17 hours ago, Elizabeth Whitehouse said:

One can lead a perfectly acceptable life with friends and interests without much liking the way the country is run. And without much liking a good percentage of the population.

I can agree with your first statement.  I don’t believe there are very many Americans who are happy with the way this Country is run on a National, State or local level.  The good thing is that the people can change things with their votes.

I don’t agree with lumping “a good percentage of the population” together.  Unfortunately, with social media and the need for instant gratification, the loudest voices are the ones heard.   I do not believe the majority of Americans agree with what is shown on the news.  When you can’t have open, honest, respectful discussions without shouting down those whose opinion may differ, no one will learn anything.  I still believe that the majority of Americans are good, hard working, kind and generous people.

America is not perfect but the principles that founded this Country are what makes America a great Nation.  Thousands of men and women since this Nation’s founding have believed enough to serve and sometimes die for this Country and its people.  To denigrate, in any way that service is simply disrespectful but anyone’s right to do so.  We, as a people, are able to express openly our views and opinions, no matter how disagreeable some may find them because of those who were and are willing to serve to protect those rights.  

We have had troubled times in the past and we learned from those mistakes.  We are in troubled times now but I have hope and a strong belief we will learn and do better in the coming years.  

13 hours ago, Chris said:

Well they picked the “best” of a bad lot finally:

“WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, eagerly elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the major seat of U.S. power and ending for now the weeks of political chaos in their majority.

Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with support from all Republicans anxious to put the past weeks of tumult behind and get on with the business of governing. He was quickly sworn into office, second in line to the presidency.”

Source

I hope they reverse the asinine resolution that allowed McCarthy to be ousted.   I saw Gaetz briefly on a radio talk show mouthing off about the danger of this Maga Speaker.   Gaetz kept his mouth shut after McCarthy’s ouster and during these last three weeks.  Now that there’s a Speaker he starts in again.

7 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

Possibly, to some extent. 

But I'm more alarmed at the lack of culpability for trained mental health professionals who "evaluate" dangerous nut jobs and then declare them mentally fit to go on about their delusional lives walking amongst us with weapons.  Like the Buffalo shooter, this guy had already been identified as a threat. 

We will likely not ever know if the "professionals" simply let him go without reporting the danger -- or if they additionally prescribed him meds that exacerbated his violent thoughts. 

If untrained minimum wage bartenders can be held criminally responsible for not recognizing impairment and 'contributing' to DWI fatalities, why aren't those doctors accountable?

I can’t help but wonder, based on recent protests at Universities, if the quality of mental health care professionals has been compromised by the lack of actual education in that field with more focus on “equity” care.  It has become very obvious the the education system in this Country is in serious trouble at all levels.

16 hours ago, Elizabeth Whitehouse said:

Have you been to Israel?  I have, and it is the one country out of 90 I have been to that I will not go back to. I am not an anti-Semite; I am anti-Israeli. Remember that Arabs are also Semites. The Jews who settled in land stolen from Palestine are quite  likely not even Semites.  They tend to be eastern Europeans with absolutely no claim to the so-called Holy Land.

Weren’t Jews there when Rome ruled the area?  When Christ walked the earth and thousands of years before that.  Jews, like other peoples, migrated or were forcibly removed, from their home land.  That doesn’t change the fact that their ancestors walked those same lands and they can not return if they wish.  Eliminate the radicals and I believe the average Jewish and Arab/Muslim/Palestinian, whatever, could live in peace.

10 hours ago, Elizabeth Whitehouse said:

I may have said this before, but I'll say it again. Code enforcement sucks. The City needs to add a budget line to help homeowners keep their homes up to code - at least as far as safety is concerned. Over the past few years, I have climbed many unsafe steps and knocked on many doors that need help.

 

Owning a home includes more than just paying the mortgage, taxes and insurance.  Maintaining the property is also the responsibility of the home owner, not the taxpayer.  Adding a budget line for that purpose is shifting responsibility to taxpayers.

17 minutes ago, Adam said:

I was on a trip down the rabbit hole the other day, saw a clip regarding religions, was interesting so read up on background of the topic: Aramaic, a 3,000 year old language, and was spoken by Jesus. In this language the word "Elah(i)" means God with the "i" added it is "my God". Look familiar? it should, because in Arabic the word is "Allah" and in Hebrew it is " Elohim"

3,00 years, or more( there's lots of reading about the evolution of the word and a whole rabbit hole unto itself) these people have essentially followed, worshipped, fought over and killed and displaced, all in the name of the same God. if greed and seeking of power were taken out of the equation, one could almost hope the current parties would realize that

If they haven’t realized that in 3000+ years I don’t believe they ever will.

1 hour ago, Chris said:

Source

Syria, Lebanon, and took out a couple mosques along the way? Man this could get even more sporty, and that genie won't go back in to the bottle easily. 

And here we are with no competent leadership, no respect as a Nation or self respect as a people.  Trouble doesn’t even begin to describe the world of hurt potentially coming at us.

US leadership on all levels couldn’t find its way out of a carnival fun house.   60 billion to Ukraine, 14 billion to Israel, 7 billion for Taiwan, 10 billion for humanitarian assistance for both conflicts, and finally 14 billion for US border security, none of which will be used to close and secure that border.
Again the American people come in last with this administration.  

Disgusting!

2 hours ago, Chris said:

There's reports that RFK Jr. supports the idea of reparations. That should appeal to the extreme left of the Democratic Party.

Scratch that candidate.

2 hours ago, KarenK said:

It appears the US intelligence has also confirmed that it was launched within Gaza so they bombed their own hospital, whether intentional or not.

That won’t make any difference at all.  The anti-Israel movement is growing, including current protestors inside the U. S. Capital.  

We had this when the boys were small, it drove my husband nuts.  It was also my favorite toy to give on a first birthday 😂

Both articles were very interesting reads, I learned something and that is always a good thing.

17 hours ago, Chris said:

Elmira Telegram reported on this on Sept. 14th, for what it’s worth. Apparently other news outlets are just now hearing about it. 

Sorry I missed that article.

Saw on the local news that Chemung County is receiving a 1.7 million dollar taxpayer funded grant to set up a composting area at the landfill.  This is to helpChemung County residents reduce the amount of material going into the landfill.  At least they got that right this time.  Anything from the government is taxpayer funded.

You want to reduce garbage in the landfill, stop taking garbage from out of the area.