What are your favorite Presidents Day traditions?
Some federal holidays have little meaning. Some are quite meaningful. People may have different feelings about each one. How you felt in the third grade may be different from how you feel now.
Original blog post:
Most And Least Meaningful Federal Holidays
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Update: Reviewing credit card statement on 9/25/2020 and found mystery charge for $5.95 posted on 7/29/20.
Description of charge on credit card statement: “PARTS 07936”, a 1 800 number was also posted in the description on the statement. Went to the web and looked up the phone number. It belongs to Sears.
Wife called Sears Hometown store to ask about $5.95 mystery charge. She is told that it is a shipping charge for the return of the original part. Not sure why Sears does not notify customers of shipping return fee. Not sure why Sears did not describe shipping charge for return of item on the credit card statement.
Sears says they will send a check to refund our original purchase plus the $5.95 return shipping fee.
Update: 7/31/2020 Refund to credit card posted on 7/30/2020.
Refund amount is less than order total and does not add up Re: charge for shipping or charge for tax. Not sure why.
Update: 7/30/2020 After requesting cancelation of order and refund to credit card twice (on 7/9/2020 and 7/13/2020) item was shipped and arrived at our home on 7/17/2020.
On 7/25/2020 unopened package containing part was taken back to local Sears store.
On 7/28/2020 Sears sent an e-mail saying refund has been processed. Refund amount is less than order total and does not add up Re: charge for shipping or charge for tax. Not sure why.
Refund has not posted as of 7/30/2020.
Update: 7/16/2020 Refund to credit card has not been posted.
An e-mail from sears arrived on 7/14/2020 saying order has shipped.
An e-mail from sears arrived on 7/15/2020:
We have received a request to cancel the parts on your order #XXX. Per our records, the order is shipped with tracking # XXX.
Once you have received the parts, please visit our website to return the parts. Please follow the following steps to return. 8 steps are listed.
Update: 7/13/2020
When I spoke on the phone to person #3 on 7/9/2020 (Delivery Day) I requested cancellation of order and refund to credit card.
I have been checking and have not seen a refund. No problem, as long as it gets done.
7/13/2020 First thing Monday morning, an e-mail from sears saying order will be delayed. Found a link to cancel order in e-mail. Following that link took me around in circles. Finally found form to fill out to cancel order. Filled in all info and red box pops up saying order cannot be located. Wife calls local store to request cancelation of order.
Original post:
Went to a small town store to order a dryer part on 7/6.
The people who work in the store are friendly and efficient.
Ordered the part and paid with a credit card. Left the store with a 7/9 delivery date in writing.
Came home and had an e-mail saying the order is being processed and the next step is to get a shipping confirmation/tracking number sent by e-mail.
Delivery day is here and no shipping confirmation.
Called 1-800 Sears.
Spoke to person #1 who said the parts dept. would need to look into the order status.
Was given the parts dept. phone number in case the call dropped off.
Placed on hold for parts dept. Parts dept. came on the line to help. Placed on permanent hold by parts dept. No way to tell if call was still active, no hold music/message.
Called back to parts dept. Was told by person #3 that part was on back order. No estimate on arrival time.
When was Sears going to notify me on this?
Each person on the line can only answer for their part of the job. Customer must deal with entire process.
Recommendation to those who work in Sears tall office buildings out of state:
Be honest and keep it simple.
Do not tell me of a 7/9 delivery date if part may not be available.
Notify me immediately if part is on back order.
Major purchases need to take place on occasion. Will not plan to make a purchase if Sears ordering/processing/status updates and customer service is a tortuous process.
My parent’s generation were loyal to Sears. I’m good with that.
As the decades went by, Sears could have looked over the fence and noticed that maybe they are doing something to make customers happy over at Costco, Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, FedEx, UPS, etc.
Whatever these other companies were doing to get things going were not business secrets. Sears could have taken the best of what was going on in the world of customer service and made it their own.
Good with the idea of buying local, buying American and supporting local businesses. It needs to be a two-way street.
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What else has changed?
Some businesses are now setting aside parking for veterans. The designated spots we are talking about here are for all veterans- no requirement Re: earning the Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, having any physical disability, etc.
Hey veterans- do you get special parking spots on base? Why move to divide people up into groups of first & second-class citizens away from the base?
As I have mentioned before, I think it is strange that modern American culture sees veterans as separate & different from the rest of society.
Growing up in the 60s & 70s- veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Where are the veterans who don’t want free meals, discounts, head of the line privileges at the airport, etc.
I think little old ladies should get the best parking spots over at the grocery store. There is no possibility that I would use one of these spots.
This may all be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards shutting down failed wars that never end.
These days, WWII veterans are sought out to be guests of honor at ball games, parades, etc.
0:12 the man is barely conscious when greeted by team owner Jerry Jones:
The US Army is reverting to WWII uniforms.
Love to see the press get out & away from the special occasions and marketing events to interview WWII veterans on what they think of undeclared/unwon wars that never end.
The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
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For two years, back in the 70s I had a paper route. Seattle Times, and later the Bremerton Sun. Seven days a week, in the afternoon. This wasn’t some kind of special accomplishment. It was just an average thing for kids in those days.
The winter weather was probably in the low 40s. Sometimes drizzly. I don’t remember any big storms.
It was seen as completely appropriate, not unsafe or controversial to be out alone for hours each week riding around.
Also seen as uncontroversial:
Walking to school or walking back and forth from the school bus stop unaccompanied by parents.
Halloween too.
What else has changed?
I feel like maybe newspeople were better at asking questions back then.
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Extinct ferry – Kitsap County
Attended an occasion for a small child recently. Several gifts were unwrapped. One of them was a toy TV remote. Unlike big people remotes, this one comes with sounds and flashing lights, as if you are working the slots over at the local casino.
We attended a different family event several years ago. A child had a toy cell phone. None of my business.
Get ’em started early on that TV habit folks:
“Tv remote toy is for children 6 months to 3 years old…”
From comments:
“This toy works great if brainwashing your toddler to watch endless TV is your goal.”
One of the children at the party the other day pointed the remote at an adult and pressed the button in an attempt to mute them.
“It plays little recorded encouragements like “Let’s change the channel!” when the child hasn’t pushed any buttons in a few seconds. This defeats the entire purpose of a toy like this, which should be teaching cause and effect (push button, hear noise; push different button, hear different noise). Plus it’s just annoying as all get out.”
TV remotes were available in the 1950s, so they have been around for a while. I don’t remember them showing up as kid’s toys back in the 60s.
Children have always enjoyed pretending. In the real world, times have changed.
It feels sad to know that these kids are entering a world where it is seen as unsafe or controversial to walk back and forth from the school bus stop. Today we see parents waiting at the bus stop to pick up their children each afternoon. Driving them home from the bus stop seems to be a popular option here, in a neighborhood not known for crime, gang activity, sex offenders, etc.
Similar concerns probably have moved traditional Halloween activities on towards extinction.
It’s clear the WWII generation is mostly gone now.
A message to teach you and your family how to put candy into a bowl so you can pass it out to trick or treaters:
Sad to know that today, some schools are doing away with student lockers because they might be used for storage of unsafe or illegal items. Banning the use of lockers means teaching students that good citizens and troublemakers are to be treated the same, thereby removing consequences and incentives for individual behavior.
Good citizens enjoy privileges and responsibilities like the use of school lockers. Should good citizens give up their privileges because of the actions or potential actions of troublemakers?
Times have changed.
I’m always happy to see moms and dads out with their kids on the local trails enjoying some reality-based entertainment. Away from the TV remote and maybe the smart phone for a little quality time. This stuff was good a hundred years ago.
See you out there.
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I think of myself and others as individuals, not as members of a group. You can find good and bad people in any group.
The world we live in can get caught up in emotion and misunderstandings. Less name calling, less bumper sticker slogans, less us vs. them, and more honest discussion, please.
The various issues I blog about are not specific to any political party, personality or group identity.
Know that some of those born between 1946 and 1964 showed up:
In 2010 and 2011 to collect signatures for legal marijuana in Washington State. These initiatives never made it to the ballot. Calling to remove all penalties for adults age 18 and up was a much simpler version of dealing with marijuana than what we have today.
Yes, some of those born between 1946 and 1964 are against the idea of treating 18 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Related blog: Liberty And Justice For All?
In Seattle to protest undeclared/unwon wars that never end.
Photo courtesy of The Vigilant Lens
To protest when the US Border Patrol came to Jefferson County, WA and set up suspicionless checkpoints and bus boardings- away from border crossings and ports of entry.
Back to emotion, misunderstandings and the need for more honest discussion:
Maybe there’d be less tension out there if more people were to reach for an honest understanding of various issues. It can be tricky, because the family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Various issues cry out for more discussion.
Freedom
“…the men and women of the armed forces guarantee our freedom…”
Congressman Derek Kilmer:
Wars are for freedom and democracy.
We are frequently told that wars in distant lands are somehow linked to American rights and freedoms. This idea does not stand up to questioning and mostly will not be questioned by traditional veterans groups, public school teachers, moms, dads, students or the press.
Local press:
“For the past couple of years, the Whidbey News-Times paid the insurance for the Veterans Day Parade, about $200, because it was a small way of saying thank you to the men and women who sacrificed so that we may have our liberties, including our Freedom of Speech.”
Were US troops sent to Vietnam so that Americans could be free to send letters to the editor?
Is there any case in which the US Armed Forces have been sent to distant lands on a mission to protect freedom of speech?
Is protecting freedom of speech even part of training scenarios?
Related blogs:
Military Town – Hometown Pride
Freedom Comes And Goes – Joint Chiefs of Staff Play No Part
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
What stays the same no matter what political party or personality is in power?
Do we really get to vote on this?
No Matter What Political Party Or Personality Is In Office
Related:
How Do The Troops Defend The Constitution?
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
Speaking of various generations, the WWII generation generally seemed better at running a modern society. Less homelessness, less heroin and meth addiction, less in the way of undeclared/unwon wars, less money wasted on Homeland Security, less people haunted by health care concerns, less student loan debt. The world was safe enough for children to walk to the bus stop, ride bikes to school, and plan to go out and have fun on Halloween.
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Oak Bay Starfish
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
Halloween 2019
In the news:
Gallipolis, Ohio
Local authorities dictate a one hour window for trick-or-treat time 2019. For some reason, Halloween will be observed exactly one week in advance of October 31st.
Your family will start at 5:30 and be done for the year at 6:30 p.m.
“The Gallipolis Police Department recently announced times for Trick-or-Treat set for the Gallipolis.”
“The annual event will be from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 24. All drivers are reminded to be cautious and drive slowly throughout the community.”
Much of the article above includes detailed safety tips such as dressing the kids up in reflective gear so they look like a county road maintenance crew. It’s clear that most of the WWII generation is gone now.
For more about safety, please visit our safety tips page:
Ashville, Ohio Trick-or-Treat date and time:
Campbellsport, Wisconsin
Saturday, Oct. 26
East Canton Ohio trick or treat time:
Rochester, Wisconsin
Sunday, Oct. 27
New Middletown, Ohio
Trick or Treat: Oct. 31, from 6-7 p.m.
Reedsville, Ohio
Trick or Treat: Thursday October 24, 6 – 7 p.m.
Bayside, Wisconsin
Halloween 2019: Milwaukee area trick-or-treat times
Bayside: Sunday, Oct. 27, 1-4 p.m.
When I was a child in the 1970s, local authorities and elected officials played no role in telling families when trick or treating would begin or end.
Related:
Local Authorities Work to Crush Halloween
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Oak Bay Starfish
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
Veterans Day 2018: All the places vets can get free food and meal deals Sunday and Monday
Growing up in the 60s & 70s– veterans were all around- church, school, Boy Scout leaders, family, the neighborhood, etc. It was all just an average thing. These folks weren’t seen as a separate part of American society.
People weren’t stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
These guys weren’t lining up for free dinner promotions marketed by major restaurant chains.
Do school teachers still teach lessons about the more meaningful Armistice Day?
This may all be some sort of post-Vietnam guilt at work. The guilt doesn’t seem to work towards ending decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas. The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
Various examples of this new tradition here:
Goodbye Armistice Day – Free Meals, Deals and Discounts
More here: Is A Free Society An Honest Society?
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Oak Bay Starfish
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
Back in the 60s and 70s it was considered safe to walk or ride a bike to school. Today we see parents waiting at the bus stop to pick up their children each afternoon. Driving them home from the bus stop seems to be a popular option here in the neighborhood.
Too bad our culture has changed so much since the 60s and 70s. Back then, we really had fun with Halloween. Today, Halloween is seen as somewhat controversial or unsafe. Each year it dies a little bit.
We had lockers at school. Today some schools are doing away with lockers because they might be used for storage of unsafe or illegal items. Banning the use of lockers means teaching students that good citizens and troublemakers are to be treated the same– thereby removing consequences and incentives for individual behavior.
Good citizens enjoy privileges and responsibilities like the use of school lockers. Should good citizens give up their privileges because of the actions or potential actions of troublemakers?
I remember seeing ads for cigarettes on TV. I never started smoking.
I remember seeing rifles on racks in the back of pickup trucks out in public. There were plenty of guns around, but we seemed to have less in the way of school shootings.
Washington State Constitution:
SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.
What powers are granted to the federal government here?
Young adults today live with undeclared/unwon wars that never end. Today we’re told that The Troops are in distant lands protecting American rights and freedoms. As a child, I have no memory of people stepping over to say “Thanks for your service” to my Dad- who did time in the Navy in the 50s- but looked just like anyone else out in public.
If there is an honest reason to send people away into decades of undeclared/unwon wars overseas (The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949) let’s hear all about it.
Why do we pretend that the US Armed Forces function as some sort of giant civil rights organization?
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our physical security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
Any talk of shutting down undeclared/unwon wars that never end?
If bad people do bad things- should good people have their choices restricted?
Post-911 military base security protocols update:
‘Unauthorized Vehicle’ Crashes, Driver Dies, on Travis AFB
“Ragan said five propane tanks were found inside the vehicle, along with three phones, three plastic one-gallon gas cans, several lighters, and a gym bag with personal items.”
Any plans for restrictions on obtaining propane tanks for BBQ grills?
How about gas for lawn mowers?
Don’t miss our companion blog- found here: Oak Bay Starfish
Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/yeomalt
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About this time of year – Skagit Valley
Hey school teachers– it took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal prohibition of marijuana?
In the news: Pennsylvania MMJ Patients Face Choice: Cannabis or Guns?
Guns or marijuana? Firearm-owning pot fans face a choice
“William Bryson, chairman of the Delaware Police Chiefs’ Council, told state lawmakers in December that people who use marijuana for medical or recreational purposes should be required to have a designation on their driver’s licenses.”
“That would make it easier, he said, for police to enforce the ban.”
Medical marijuana came to Washington State in 1998.
What have our US Senators and Congresspeople done to resolve the federal conflict here?
Local history:
In 2008, Washington was one of several legal medical marijuana states.
Olympic Peninsula immigration checkpoint:
At a checkpoint- away from any border crossing or port of…
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