WTF! No… seriously, W – T – F?

When I created ADignorantium I set a few guidelines for myself. Two of the most important are, I don’t bully and I don’t use language that I’d be embarrassed to let a grandmother read. Don’t get me wrong. I do plenty of cussing at home. Some of my favorite words have only four letters. Lately though, it’s been difficult to maintain the latter. The political climate has devolved into a childish temper tantrum, and I am pissed!

I am so friggin pissed I could spit nails!

I never truly understood that expression until those unbelievably shortsighted tea party republicans decided to put the screws to the United States. I can’t even put thoughts into words, I’m so angry. This is not how America works! We don’t allow a few extremists to shut down the entire government  Do we?

Instead of passing a clean appropriations bill, house republicans attached an ACA rider that doomed it to fail. The unrelated provisions guaranteed the bill would not pass the senate. All they had to do was pass a continuing resolution (CR) that was clean of extraneous nonsense, but they are blinded by their hatred of anything Obama.

Truth be told, I’m not exactly thrilled with every bit of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but it’s a good start. It’s a step in the right direction. When you’re not happy with something, you don’t fix it by killing it. And before you throw “corporate exemptions” at me, those exemptions were concessions to republicans. If you want to get rid of the exemptions, you write a bill, separate from the appropriations bill, and send it to the senate. But that’s not what they want. They want to undo the healthcare law. After trying and failing to repeal the ACA forty two times, they try this stunt!?

Now the government is shut down. National parks, museums, and landmarks are closed to the public. Millions are now without work.

  • Don’t they understand that a government shutdown affects more than government employees?
  • Don’t they know that everyday Americans like hotel staff, bartenders, waiters, and store clerks depend on tourism to make a living?
  • Do they even care that their stubbornness will have a negative effect on the economy?

There is no doubt in my mind that this bullisht is racially motivated. I wasn’t sure at first. I just chalked it up to politics as usual. But after six years of stubborn resistance, there can be no other explanation.

So now I owe some very good friends an apology for all those late night conversations about “race in America” in which I was so certain that things had improved since my father’s generation. Apparently, I was wrong. I was wrong and it sickens me. I am so f*king ashamed of my own country. MY OWN COUNTRY!

I’d like to think we’ll remember. I want to believe we will carry this rage with us to the voting booth. I know I will. But America has a short memory span. We are more worried about Miley, Kim, and Kanye than we are about what our local politicians are up to. More Americans know the names of the Real Housewives than who their representatives are.

So why am I surprised when this isht happens?

~end rant~

Thanks to all for bearing with me. We now return to our regularly scheduled blog.

The 2013 Philadelphia Fringe Festival Sept. 5 – 22

“LEO”

Produced by Y2D Productions in association with Chamäleon Productions

“The audience gets gravity-defying spectacle and the wizard behind the curtain at the same time.”

Claudia La Rocco, The New York Times

In this gleeful combination of circus and theater arts an ordinary man’s world spirals into a gravity-defying performance of acrobatic talent, whimsy, and optical illusions. From confined spaces spring limitless worlds as video animations playfully interact with the live perfomer. All ages.

Tickets and more info »

Sorry, Olivia Dunham and Walter Bishop probably wont be there. :\

The Unsung Heroes of the American Workforce

I posted this to Tumblr the other day, and thought it worthy of a re-post here.

A Labor Day PSA:

The next time you go to a bar, a restaurant, or any other service oriented place of business, please remember to leave a decent tip.

TIPS = To Insure Proper Service

People in the service industry work hard to make sure you have a pleasant experience. They’ve got to keep a smile on their faces even with rude customers.

They are not slaves. Please don’t treat them as such.

The way you treat service personnel will be reflected back to you. If you treat your waiter or bartender with kindness, their gratitude will be evident. As a bartender, I periodically sent complimentary drinks to good customers. The bad ones were often made to wait.

Remember also that there are some things beyond your waiter’s control.

Your waiter is your advocate, and does everything in his/her power to bring you what you ordered. Don’t punish your waiter because the kitchen made a mistake.

Finally. If you don’t have enough money to leave a tip, stay home.

Never, ever stiff your wait staff. If the service is bad, take the waiter aside and calmly explain. Believe me, they do want to know if there was a problem so they can correct it. If you blow your cool, it will be YOU who is wrong. They can refuse you future service.

For more on Tipping, see CNN Money

#July4th and the Approaching Wall of Humidity.

For our nation’s Independence Day, we took an impromptu drive up the coast of New Jersey to sample the offerings of local businesses. It was a nice day for it – if you were in an air conditioned vehicle.

When we got to Long Beach Island we decided to dip our toes in the Atlantic.

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photo: ADignorantium

 

The beach was being replenished, but there were plenty of areas available for anyone willing to brave the chilly ocean.

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photo: ADignorantium

Off in the distance, beyond the dredging equipment, you can see the approaching wall of humidity.

One word of advice though: If you decide to take a romantic stroll along the beach, take a change of clothes.

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photo: ADignorantium

In the above image, you can almost see a rainbow hiding in all that mist. What you don’t see is the effect of those three waves out there. All three waves converged at my feet, soaking my shorts. Needless to say, it was very cold.

As luck would have it, a parade was starting just as we got back to the car. This provided enough of a distraction for me to change my shorts. Thankfully, there was enough room in the back seat to disrobe.

We stopped at a farm stand on the way home. The sweet aroma of fresh produce was intoxicating. They don’t call it “The Garden State” for nothing.

All-in-all, it was good to see people visiting my neighboring state. Though hit hard by Sandy, New Jersey seems to be recuperating fairly well.

Philly Places: Headhouse Square

Headhouse Square

(2nd street between Pine and Lombard streets) Philadelphia, Pa.

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facing south to Lombard St.

Top image taken from under the Headhouse into the shed, which serves as shelter for the Headhouse square Farmers’ Market (Sundays, May through December, 10 am – 2 pm)

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Facing south from under the shed.

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Facing north to Pine St.

photos by ADignorantium

Originally posted on ADignorantium.tumblr.com

Turns out… You don’t have to go to D.C. for a Cherry Blossom Fesival.

We’ve all heard of Washington DC’s famous National Cherry Blossom Festival. It happens each year at the end of March, and runs for a few weeks into April. It’s a beautiful way to welcome the spring. But you don’t need to travel to D.C. to witness Demeter prepareing for Persephone’s return.

Here in Philadelphia, the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom.

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The 2013 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia began yesterday (April 1st) and runs to the 26th, with events throughout the city.

“The festival celebrates the relationship between Japan and Philadelphia and highlights the more 2600 Cherry trees which will spring to life along the Schuylkill river in coming weeks.” – Aaron Dilliplane the Assistant Director for the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia

It’s not just about the flowers. The Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival  also features Martial Arts demonstrations, Dance and Drum performances. and a Cherry Blossom 5K. Some indoor activities on Sakura Sunday (April 14th) include origami, calligraphy, and sending messages to people in areas affected by the 2011 tsunami.

Philadelphia and DC are only two of the many Cherry Blossom Festivals happening all around the world.

Come out and explore the world around you.  It’s a surefire way to get over the “Winter Blahs.” To find out where there’s a Cherry Blossom Festival happening in your part of the globe, click here.