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The gentleman in the picture is one of two hikers on the Appalachian Trail who were using the railings to dry out their gear. They had started their hike in Georgia in the beginning of May.
One of the few remaining open tracts of land in the area which is now also being developed yet the roadways leading to this tract have not been improved or widened nor has the traffic flow. We have repeatedly asked for traffic lights near a hazardous railroad crossing. There has been an enormous amount of dumping by contractors on this particular site for years while the owners of the hospital turned a blind eye to it (it is adjacent to a medical facility, most of which is vacant) and the surrounding area,. There is also a quarry w. slurry ponds across from this site which spews enormous amounts of particulate into the air and they, too, are also required to adhere to standards set which are not enforced or followed. There are 22 cell towers within a 4 mile radius of this site. I've been told now this property is being developed into a Thornton's contact center.
As of Jan. 16, 2025 (9 years from the date of the above post) there are now 62 towers in the 40245 zip code area, which equates to 7 towers per sq mile, per www.celltowermaps.com/cell-towers/near/zip-code/40245
Dr. Beanes being held captive by the British was the incident that led to Francis Scott Key being held offshore of Fort McHenry and writing a poem that became the Star Spangled Banner.
Copy of Email To Raytheon Missile Systems:
To Whom it May Concern:
Being the supposed #1 Missile Defense contractor in the world and one of the top US government subcontractors, may I make a few
suggestions:
1. Set and monitor security practices and proticols set in place or intitate them - and ensure they are
followed for the safety and security of not only your own employees but for the safety and security of
the citizens of the USA.
2. To ensure maximal productivity of your facility ensure employees are using their paid time during work hours
on work projects assigned to them.
3. To prevent backlog of parts and materials that may jeopardize the lives of our servicemen and military,
please ensure your staff is working diligently on said projects rather than external personal priorities.
If external personal priorities become necessary, allocate time off either paid or unpaid as deemed fit.
4. To prevent further burden on the US Federal Government, Veterans and taxpayers please ensure maximum productivity
by your employees and management alike to ensure work is being done during work hours - sober.
5. Please have a QA team regularly monitor your employees email activities, IM activities and texting on personal
phones activities while at work - as you can see here you have a problem, and this particular employee is not the
exception - it is the norm.
6 You have a sexual harassment clause written into your employee handbook. Enforce it. Your workplace must
be a safe environment. Both men and women employees should not fear their workplace or feel the need to provide
sexual favors in order to gain promotions or maintain their jobs, nor should that opportunity be provided. Please
check that.
7. There is obviously a problem with your hiring company, Hire Right - and whomever processes their drug screening. You may want to look into a legitimate company to do this and repeat these testings on a monthly basis as
it is evident there is an on the job alcohol and drug problem at the Louisville facility that is being participated in
by management as well. Some of your employees are Air National Guard pilots - I see a problem with this - do you?
8. You had an employee who'd lost a personal cell phone yet did not deactivate that cell phone until weeks later. Do you see a problem with that yet? And no password on that phone to lock it?
10. Your email system at the Louisville location was sloppy and careless to say the least. Employees were able to mail out
parts lists to personal emails and email personal emails out 20-30 times a day, as well as emailing sensitive
secure information to personal accounts and documents via company emails and personal cell phones with no problems.
I see a massive problem with that. And to this date it is still easily circumvented.
11. Please ensure attendance policies are adhered to and/or provide PTO/ FMLA/ Counseling as needed for employees
needing psychiatric care/substance abuse assistance/medical assistance. If those policies cannot be adhered to across
the board equally to all employees fairly please reconsider fair and equitable treatment of all employees.
Preferential treatment based on whatever reasons needs to be discussed openly by upper management or your hiring /retaining practices need to be examined more closely.
Defend, disrupt, define, dream, deliver. You, my friends, are only at the defend stage. I'm at the define stage. You do this for a living. I don't. Your employees just happened to disrupt the life of the wrong person.
At any rate, please clean up your act if you expect to defend this Nation - as it stands now you're simply draining
"the people" dry. Good Luck.
A little history on this Ohio River, which runs into the Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico: "It is named in Iroquoian or Seneca: Ohi:yó, lit. "Good River" or Shawnee: Pelewathiipi and Spelewathiipi. The river had great significance in the history of the Native Americans, as numerous civilizations formed along its valley." - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohio_River
.....to the tune of Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46 "In The Hall Of The Mountain King" - youtu.be/dRpzxKsSEZg
3745 Diann Marie Road, Louisville, Kentucky 40241
This cozy yet affordable B&B has all the comforts of home situated on the outskirts of Jefferson & Oldham Counties, Kentucky. A cold can of Sunkist Orange soda awaits your arrival along with the comfortable king recliner shown above, free electric & Burger King's Wifi. Walk-ins welcome, this popular hangout for weary travelers is conveniently located near Exit 30 of the Gene Snyder Expressway (I-265) directly adjacent to Class Act Federal Credit Union. Your first stay is on the house.
The title of each photo in this series is a translated line from a poem found in the Chapel of Bones. See the full poem in the original language here en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capela_dos_Ossos#Poem .
From our tour guide - the Franciscan monks who used the bones of approximately 5000 corpses, built this to send a message to the nobles that in death, no one can tell the difference between the rich and the poor, royal or common.
#198 America's Largest Private Companies (July 2016)
Revenue
$2.4 Billion
IndustryConvenience Stores & Gas Stations
Founded1971
CountryUnited States
CEOMatt Thornton
CFOChris Kamer
Websitehttp://www.thorntonsinc.com
Employees2,000
Fiscal Year EndSep 30, 2016
Sales$2.35 B
HeadquartersLouisville, Kentucky Thorntons on Forbes Lists
#198 America's Largest Private Companies
Thorntons’ convenience stores and gas stations operate under the Thorntons QuickCafé and Market brand in six states: Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Through subsidiary Thornton Transportation, the company distributes its own fuel, and operates a river bulk storage terminal and commissary in Louisville, Kentucky.
#198 Thorntons
Revenue
$2.4 Billion
IndustryConvenience Stores & Gas Stations
Founded - 1971
CountryUnited States
CEO Matt Thornton
CFO Chris Kamer
Website www.thorntonsinc.com
Employees - 2,000
Fiscal Year End Sep 30, 2016
Sales $2.35 B
www.forbes.com/companies/thorntons/
From Thornton's website:
"Founded by James H. Thornton in 1971, the company has been recognized as one of the top independent convenience store chains in the nation. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, Thorntons currently operates 192 stores that provide fresh foods, high quality beverages and fuel in six states: Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. Thorntons’ mission is not only to provide top of the line food and beverages, but makes giving back a top priority in every market. Connect with Thorntons on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @ThorntonsInc.
Environmental
Thorntons strives to be among the leaders in the industry when it comes to environmental stewardship and green initiatives.
Environmental Stewardship
As we design new stores and update our current locations, Thorntons carefully considers opportunities to improve our environment.
Some of our efforts include:
LED Lighting
In all of our currently remodeled stores as well as all future renovations, we have installed (or will install) LED cooler lights. We also have selected Beta LED exterior lighting for 39 of our stores and will continue to use them for all future renovations and new stores.
Harvesting Daylight
In an effort to reduce our energy consumption, we make strong use of natural lighting. We use window shades to help keep our stores naturally cooler and use natural lighting to reduce our usage of electric fixtures.
Recycling
We have two dumpsters on most of our premises, one for miscellaneous waste and one for cardboard recycling.
Efficient Appliances
We use Energy Star appliances in all of our locations.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
Our stores are cleaned internally and externally with cleaners that are environmentally safe and friendly.
Eco-Fuels
Many Thorntons locations offer both E85 and Biodiesel for energy-efficient automobiles and trucks. "
If you tickle a mimosa leave it will close - if a sound was played then the mimosa tickled, eventually if only the sound was played would the mimosa close without being tickled?
Spotted between Arby's & Taco Bell - LaGrange Road, Louisville.
Mayor Fischer - "What Happened to Our Trees?"
louisvilleky.gov/news/study-shows-city-losing-54000-trees...
To the tune of CSNY's "Teach Your Children Well" - www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQOaUnSmJr8
DOB: 12/21/1922
Died: 01/04/1999
He was 77 years old.
My Dad's Favorite Quotes:
"You know, Suzie (he called me Suzie) you can be replaced". - (He was right. Unfortunately, you couldn't be, Dad.)
"If you had half a brain you'd be dangerous." (Up for debate)
"Do the right thing" - Huh.
"Do as I say, not as I do".
"How do ya like them apples?"
"I just want you to live an honest life". (Refer to "Do as I say, not as I do".
"You're no prize"
"Eat your heart out"
"You're an accident waiting to happen"
"You don't know when to quit, do you?"
"They broke the mold when they made you". Which mold?
"I forgot more than you know"
"you have a one-track mind" - It's "inherited" (wink-wink)
"Do you know what time it is?" (No - I confuse right and left. It only took 60 years to figure that one out)
"Get your ass in gear"
"Motor Mouth" - His polite way of saying shut-up. He never said shut-up. He always said this with a smile.
"Shit for brains" His name for my brothers.
"Go run around the block" (We did - many times I did not go home).
"Asshole buddies" - (When one of his buddies went somewhere with one of his other buddies other than him.)
"He talks like he's got a paper asshole".
"Don't dish it out if you can't take it" - See "Do as I say, not as I do".
"If you're going to live in my house you live by my rules".
"Every cigarette you smoke is another nail in your coffin".
"Your eyes look like two piss holes in the snow" - (First time wearing makeup.)
"You got band-aids for those mosquito bites?" (First time I'd asked Mom for a bra.)
"You have exactly till 6:00PM to eat those tomatoes (two hours away) or you go to bed *again* without any dinner.". (And?)
"Watch the tips goddammit!" - (Bringing the fishing poles in from the boat).
"You smell like burnt toast".
"I don't trust him/her as far as I can throw him/her". I was a child, remember? Maybe throwing your beer cans, cigarettes, cigars and bottles in the garbage would've been a good start rather than throwing around your kids.
"You know, sometimes I think about suicide." (He said this to me on Christmas Day - 10 days prior to placing a high-powered rifle in his mouth while sitting on the toilet and blew his brains out. With the cooperation of many officials in NJ who scoured their records I was finally able to obtain the police reports and autopsy details in May 2022 after requesting them as I never really believed it was a suicide.
Mom said he'd always stated he was going to commit suicide when he was ready, although I was not aware or told of that one while he was alive. IOW, he always had a plan. "He did it his way" - on his mother-in-law's birthday. He probably didn't even know it was.
He suicided 20 years ago (or so) today - January 4, 1999. Nobody knew my phone number to let me know - my Son was finally able to reach me. Somehow I lost a year at that point. I only know *somebody* put that bullet hole in the bathroom ceiling and his neighbor cleaned up the bathroom. That neighbor developed early dementia as many people do after witnessing such a horrific sight they do not recover from without counseling or talking about it and coming to terms with it. Family trauma and abuse is much the same. That is how people are then labeled with psychiatric terms, unfortunately they were not in fact the "crazy" ones. The true "crazy" ones stay under the radar and appear fully functioning. IOW, "they have jobs" according to today's society. I'd been told my Dad was a "functioning alcoholic".
He tried quitting smoking many times. Once he tried replacing cigarettes with Regal Crown sour cherry & sour lemon drops. No sugar-free options back then. That's when he lost his teeth. After he quit he gained tons of weight.
He sat at the dinner table waving his fork up and down frequently....fair warning to get ready to duck. The five of us always had dinner together every night - that's good for the family structure, it's said. A few times he turned the dinner table over or threw dishes at one of us. I only know he generally missed. I would occasionally lock myself in the bathroom to get away from the violence. He generally knew how to unlock those doors. I ran away from home frequently. I accidentally drove his red Chevy pickup truck into a pond. Someone helped me get it back up on land. I also accidentally set his red Chevy pickup on fire but he wasn't mad. He just laughed. He was a good sport like that. Brother Bob finally totaled it after being broadsided by a UPS truck (malfunctioning traffic light) on the way home from a Grateful Dead concert in Philadelphia. It really was a pretty truck - fire engine red with hand painted gold leaf lettering. It had ladder racks which I'd used as a jungle gym. He mostly put up tin, slate and shingle roofs. The most fun was taking the old shingles, slate and tin he ripped off the old roofs to the landfill in his dump truck which he parked around the corner on Hudson St not far from Gliba's bar (Chambersburg, NJ), dumping it off a cliff along the embankments of the Delaware River - he would back up to the edge as close as he could and hit the gas to attempt to scare us. He didn't. This was also near the huge penicillin and pharmaceutical dump by the Trenton Marine Terminal off Rt. 29 towards White City Lake..
US Navy Veteran. He had one older brother and one older sister. They (Mom & Dad) had three boys (one died - the second one - Russell - his stomach never closed so his guts were exposed and baby Russell only lived a short time, I'm told . I do not know if or where baby Russell was buried) but Mom said he always wanted a girl, anyway. Often I wonder if baby Russell lived and was given up for adoption. I check with 23 and me occasionally to see if any new family surfaced. He told the same stories year after year for over 40 years, yet never spoke about his time in the Navy (the *brotherhood*, code of silence, whatever). He was the baby of his family. He had brown eyes. He said people had brown eyes because they were full of shit up to their forehead. His Mom died when he was 12. He had a severe hearing deficit that was never addressed, as many Veterans do. He was diabetic although it was never addressed. He had metabolic syndrome although it was never addressed. He always kept, cleaned and took great care of his German Ruger which was kept in the headboard of their bed. We learned at an early age where it was and to "respect" it.
He either fished or stayed in his bedroom watching old war movies in his later years and went to flea markets occasionally. His back also started giving out. He refused to go to a doctor. I do not recall that he ever did until his 70's when he developed skin cancer (fisherman's arms). Then he wore a hat like Lawrence of Arabia. They took real good care of him at whichever doctor / hospital he'd gone to. Someone trashed all of his records upon his death as I found only a few after Mom passed away - a statement from CMS Medicare - a summary of claims processed dated 6/13/2003 from a Dr. John W. Petrozzi in Barnegat - $70 for an office visit dated 4/25/03. It was denied. Reason? "a. Our records show that the date of death was before the date of service. b. You do not have to pay this amount., c. The name or Medicare number was incorrect or missing. Ask your provider to use the name or number shown on this notice for future claims." My oldest brother wanted his "Red Dawn" book back. We never found it in the house but we combed through everything looking for it.
He would go meet his buddies for breakfast at a local diner. He was always mad at one of them at any given time. He had a loud, infectious laugh and a loud boisterous voice. He was also a tinsmith and spent a good portion of his Winters melting lead in the basement to make fishing sinkers. He had freezers full of bait (and hundred dollar bills wrapped in tin-foil). He was a phenomenal cook - he loved the typical German/ Polish/ Hungarian meat & potatoes diet. He adored his fatty meats (bacon, pork, Szalolonna, etc....). He never ate anything sugary except for tons of fresh fruit nightly. He only ate Wonder Bread (white) and tons of processed lunch meats (favorite was Lebanon Bologna). He came home for lunch daily for his bread and tomato sandwich w. fresh radishes on the side w. salt, He did like his Navy Bean Soup with ham. He also spent his afternoons at the American Legion drinking beer. The only "ritual" I remember aside from cleaning his gun weekly and going to Church with us once a year (Christmas) was breaking out the Limburger cheese every Sunday. That was the day we would all hold our noses and run out of the house screaming.
He would go fishing twice a week - a 1 1/2 hr. drive from Trenton & Lawrenceville, NJ to Waretown, NJ, where he docked his boat. There was a sharp turn around Cranberry Lake where he would drive 100MPH to try to scare us. It didn't. While smoking his cigars (that was not fun). I did, however, have many, many night terrors most of my younger life about being trapped in a car underwater, among others. Until I learned how to escape one if it indeed happened. My friends all received a glass-break tool for the holidays one year. www.thebugoutbagguide.com/best-car-escape-tool/
He taught me how to shoot guns, ride horses, sail and swim (by throwing me in deep waters without any life vest while he laughed),. I am not sure why so many fathers do this to their daughters....one would think they'd teach them how to swim, first. He taught me how to handle a boat, to navigate through channels, sandbars and the Barnegat Inlet. He taught me how to surf. He taught me to water ski (without knowing how to swim). He taught me to snow ski. He taught me how to drive (while using a quick backhand across the face if I made my turns too wide). He taught me how to shoot bow and arrow. He taught me how to shuffle, deal and play cards. He taught me how to detail a truck. He left me a $2,000 John Hancock Life Insurance policy which allowed me to purchase a Windows Millenium Edition Dell Dimension computer - my first Windows computer which enabled me to go back to school after my aneurysm. He taught me how to "be kind to animals" (after he beat them till they would no longer move) - I skip that part (hurting them). He & Mom hunted wild game (rabbits, pheasants and deer)) with 2 beagles (Tiny and Nellie who was later replaced by Rosie) which were kept outside year long. He had another dog before them - Speck. And another beagle, Queenie. He didn't mind me bringing home as many animals (and amphibians) as I was able. Except for snakes. Mom had a snake phobia and even the tiniest garter snake upset her, so I learned not to bring home snakes after the first one.
He frequently had his drinking buddies at the house till late at night. Mom always loved Frank Sinatra, hence he did his best to emulate him in every way he could. He built a beautiful bar in the basement - I was the family bartender. He got a player piano which was quite fun. He set us up with pinball machines, pool table, juke boxes, bowling machines, arcades, etc....which he'd gotten from his friend, Whitey Bralynski from Browns Novelty, who supplied the arcade, pinball machines & shooting games.to local diners, bowling alleys, etc. - an all cash business.
He & Mom hunted deer with bow and arrow together, also. They beat the shit out of us, whipped my brothers and I frequently (I was the only one to hit back). One of the more favorite methods of "teaching" was total isolation for a day or night or more (locked in a completely dark cellar way). He was not the major disciplinarian (at least not for me). We won't go there. He taught me how to not give a fuck about life although it was against my grain. The medical profession convinced him knee implants (which his body rejected) and various other surgeries would improve his quality of life - while in his 70's. They, as well as Medicare or the V.A. (not sure which), squeezed the last bit of benefits out of him prior to his death. He began getting major headaches. He took shark cartilage which his buddies told him would help with pain. He died a few months after these surgeries after he insisted he did not want a nurse visiting his house to change the packings after they removed a good portion of his colon. Unless of course, his insurance would not cover it. Mom was unable to pack his wounds. His neighbor Bobby LeFebvre would go over and do this. Dad never exercised although climbing up and down a ladder in his younger years qualified for a while. Other than passive sports (bowling) while younger. he did practice his boxing skills on the family although that extended out to cage fighting, MMA and simply total loss of control of his anger (on 3 little kids). Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia attempted to convince him he needed to have an eye surgery - he left there in the middle of the night - Mom and her neighbor, Judy, drove to go get him at 2AM. I had just returned to work after the aneurysm and could not leave my job II was partially blind and was taking the bus) so I was on the phone with Mom throughout the night. The hospital also attempted to convince him he'd had a brain aneurysm (he did not). He did have a small stroke one Thanksgiving Day and refused treatment at that time. But one day a week or two later he walked into a wall, fell, knocked himself out splitting his head open (and one eye went crooked) which concerned them, hence a visit to the hospital. We all do love the holidays, after all. Wills Eye Hospital removed one of my Mother's eyes - she was in her 70's also. They like to take eyes when they can - someone can always use them. He was a Democratic Committeeman in Lawrenceville, NJ, USA. He was also a boxer on his ship, a ship's cook, a roofing contractor, a great singer and comedian, and made friends wherever he went. He could be a very sharp dresser. He was also a die hard fisherman, a Charter Boat captain, and skilled builder, card player, gardener and carpenter. He was also an asshole, bigot and a stubborn fuck all his life. To the best of my knowledge, in spite of his earlier years as a boxer, he was never evaluated for TBI, trauma, hearing loss or any other neurological impairment or injury.
His favorite song was Frank Sinatra's "My Way". He loved to watch Dean Martin, All In The Family and Three's Company. He liked Chrissy. He never liked any of my friends and called all of my girlfriends (since elementary school) whores. He left instructions for Mom on how much to sell his boat, cars and trucks for and what to do with all his fishing stuff (an entire garage full) - that was very considerate, I thought. Once he & Mom were going to get a divorce - Dad said we had to choose who we wanted to live with. Ironically, I chose Dad. Brother Bob (the middle child) went hysterical and could not choose. So they reconciled after counseling with our Church pastor, we became The Brady Bunch and moved to the illustrious suburbs. Both he & Mom had themselves cremated and dumped in the Barnegat Inlet. We took Mom out on a neighbor's boat (Al Casamente, one of his fishing buddies who later was hitting on Mom, she said) - not sure who took Dad - perhaps it was one of his fishing buddies Jimmy McCarty. When their cat, Max died here in Kentucky his ashes were shipped to NJ and his neighbor Bobby again took care of it, so Max should be out there living with the fishes as well. I do not even remember which war Dad was in. - with everyone in our families on both sides generations back in wars, it became impossible to remember whose was whose, mostly because when I'd asked there were many different answers their paperwork disappeared. There was no obituary. No memorial service.
I was told two versions of how his Mom died. One was she was at the "beauty parlor" and died from what was called "beauty parlor stroke syndrome". The other story was she was getting her hair done and there was a mob bombing in which she was killed.
While Mom was sorting out his belongings after he allegedly committed suicide, she said she found a black bra in his closet. This would most likely account for why all of his belongings were disposed of.
RIP, Dad. Thank you for preparing me to deal with senior citizens. I hope I haven't created too much havoc as your Daughter (if I really was).
With Love,
Dysfunctional Veteran's Daughter
Moral of Story: Drinking, drugs, babysitters & kids don't mix. Think about it.
Nobody knows, they said:
The above photo was taken at an "Audubon Sanctuary":
Cell towers can cause arrythmias, neuropathy, nerve demyelination, behavioral changes, autism, interference w. medically implanted devices, etc...
(note the civilian version of the below document is "different") - the RFEF's (radio frequency electromagnetic fields) travel downward much like the letter "A" and outward dependent on the height of the tower, frequencies and the number of transmitters - yet this does not include satellite transmissions from DISH networks, unregistered, unregulated pole & roof transmitters & antennas, etc - and no one in Louisville (and many other municipalities) is inspecting, monitoring, regulating or knows what those standards are as many are hidden or camouflaged. Neither did the FCC when contacted. The recommended standards in the USA are much more lax than Europe's with no accountability or enforcement. Local Governments have zero input as to placement of these towers as of 2014 unless they conflict with certain criterion (which are not being adhered to by looking at the Audubon Sanctuary below) or the Water Tower in a previous photo (there is a tower attached to that which is directly atop a "protected natural area". Yet the average monetary rate to realtors, municipalities and land owners for hosting these towers averages thousands of dollars per month. www.steelintheair.com/new-cell-tower-leases.html
From: IEEE C95.1-2345™-2014
Military Workplaces--Force Health Protection Regarding Personnel Exposure to Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields, 0Hz to 300GHz
"4.2 DRLs for frequencies between 100 kHz and 3 GHz
The whole-body average (WBA) DRLs shown in Table 6 are based on the exposure response reported for
disruption of food-motivated behavior in laboratory animals. The behavioral effect threshold of 4 W/kg is
associated with a rise in core temperature during whole-body exposure of approximately 1 °C (de Lorge
[B8]). This temporary behavioral effect has been demonstrated to be the most sensitive, reproducible,
potentially adverse health effect across animal species and frequencies (IEEE Std C95.1™-2005, Annex
C2). Consistent with the approach used in the prior standards, a traditional safety factor of ten (10) has been
applied to the established adverse effect threshold value for such effects, yielding a DRL of 0.4 W/kg
averaged over the whole body for Zone 1. The Zone 0 ERLs incorporate an additional safety factor of 5.14
Whenever personnel may have access to an environment where the exposure may exceed the Zone 0 ERLs,
a personnel protection program shall be instituted to avoid exposure that exceeds the Zone 1 or Zone 2
ERLs. ".........
Pancake's "Service Dog - I'm Working - Do Not Pet" jacket does work for her somewhat. We have an insane amount of difficulty with people attempting to stroke and grab her while we are out and about, in stores, at the bank, etc.... Yet even with 4 patches saying this and having it embroidered across the back another lady yet again today just walks up and starts petting her while we were attempting to get something done at a place of business.
What perplexes me is when you (once again) ask them to please not do so as she is a working dog, people get angry.
I said today to a woman who attempted to pet her while at Kroger's "M'aam, please do not pet her - she is working" and the woman says indignantly, "Well, you don't have to be rude". What makes people believe they have the right and privilege to touch, grab, and affront whomever they wish? Yet people wonder why things escalate?
If I raise my voice I'm told I'm combative when it is clearly stated to not touch or pet the dog. It's understood children and the elderly or developmentally disabled may not immediately understand and we understand that, but those who are clearly able to understand still want to exert their "privilege" to violate my dog's legal rights which are *supposed* to be protected by Federal Law, the Americans With Disabilities Act and Commonwealth of Kentucky laws. Many times that is a farce here in Kentucky as we did not encounter those issues in other states. To intentionally impede or interfere with a working dog in any way is a criminal offense in some states including Ohio.
Recently while getting ready for a very stressful interview, as I was in the car getting ready to leave and realized I'd forgotten one document. My service dog waited in the car while I'd gone into the house to locate it (it was 40 degrees outside). Next thing I know there was loud banging on my door. I looked out and saw a woman walking toward my car. I opened the door and said, "Can I help you"? She says, "Your dog's in the car". I said, "Maam, I am well aware my dog is in the car". She said, "Well, people steal dogs around here". Of course at that juncture this lady proceeds to walk up in my face. I shut the door. I did contact our local police department who'd said there was nothing they would do - they were not concerned a short, goth-looking woman with a bat-wing cape was walking through our subdevelopment looking inside people's cars and they refused to take a report. That is how statistics get skewered.
We have encountered so many problems here in Kentucky having a medical service dog it defies imagination. We have had TSA agents at Louisville International Airport attempt to completely strip the dog's jacket - I objected - they finally called a Sargent over along with 1/2 dozen other "agents", causing a commotion at the airport. We have had police officers separate me from my dog unlawfully.
We have had numerous store owners and employees flatly refuse her access and refused to allow her to walk through their front doors - threatening to call the police - some did - and my dog and I were "ordered" to leave? I have tried everything to keep people from distracting me and the dog while we are out trying to get things done. I really do not know what it takes to get people out there to understand what it's like with mobility/balance/disequilibrium challenges coupled with PTSD, ADD, vertibrobasilar insufficiency, a malfunctioning VP shunt, hydrocephalus, visual field challenges, herniated discs, TBI and hearing difficulties. Many times it is the same clerks & employees in the same stores (which is why we try to avoid these at all costs). We have tried enlisting the help of management. We have tried writing to and speaking with corporate offices. We have contacted the Department of Justice many times with regard to non-compliance with the ADA here in Kentucky.
A few months ago while in a retail establishment a UPS pilot reaches down and smacks the dog.
Someone just said, "Vicky, people are just assholes - you can't change them". This may be true, but that quote came from someone who's had NA/AA pounded into their heads - I neither drink alcohol or do drugs. Perhaps rather than getting a bigger dog, I carry a bigger stick so they'll leave us alone and let us get things done in life that we need to. We do our best to confront them in hopes to make a "lasting impression" for the sake of others with service dogs who may not be as kind and understanding as I am.
I've just ordered a large patch with a big red "STOP - DO NOT DISTRACT" in hopes people will get it. Or perhaps a can of mace or a stun gun.
I do not think there is anyone in this car. Perhaps someone might want to go check - it's been sitting here an awfully long time in the same spot.
A Kentucky Derby contender this Saturday, May 7.
Dawn at the Downs also tomorrow 7-9AM where you can go down to Churchill Downs to watch the Oaks and Derby contenders get their morning workouts.
They say it's "East vs. West" w. Mohayamen vs. Nyaquist: The racing operation of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, deputy ruler of Dubai, Shadwell has one homebred (Shagaf) and one auction purchase (Mohaymen) in Derby contention. Mohayamen was extremely jittery on the track but once he got going was fast. This horse appears to have had a lot of care with handling however whether he can take the Derby remains to be seen. Not sure of the reason for the boots as he did not appear to have an overreach, but he is indeed a stunning, fast little horse.
Something very serious caught Pancake's attention this evening. I haven't seen her ears go up like this for quite a while. After hiking and swimming for about an hour we went across to another field - lo and behold it was something a little smaller than she was and I am unsure what exactly it was. It may have been a coyote or some type of thinned out Shephard - but in this large field, she finally found a friend to romp with. She chased him (or her) away, then he (or she) came back, closer. They eyed each other at a distance and seemed to inherently know neither was a threat to the other. He (or she) would lay down in the grass to watch her but she then would not approach him (or her). This went on for at least an hour until they both decided they'd had enough excitement for the evening and the coyote disappeared into the darkness. Pancake was exhausted from the excitement and we left. I was only able to get one shot of the other one but it did not turn out well. I need to hone up on my night shooting skills.
Interestingly enough she did not foam at the mouth from anxiety as she generally does when she has interactions with other dogs. Hopefully, we'll see her new friend again.
This is Miss Jane Doxsey serving dinner to her beloved cat, Shadow, with whom she shared a group home for the developmentally disabled and the aged. This nicely constructed and maintained stucco and cedar shake one-story home consisted of approximately 4 units in each building, with four buildings total.
I'd met Jane while working part-time for a telecommunications company/s 24/7 live answering service in Princeton , NJ, USA. while working elsewhere circa 1994. Jane was one of the residents in this facility we took calls for. She would call numerous times during the day and night. My fellow co-workers prepared me during training that Jane was a "frequent" caller on this particular account, and indeed she was.
Our instructions were to listen to her, basically say ok, ok, we'll pass the message on, but in reality placate her as soon as possible in order to take another call. IOW, do nothing, relay no messages and get paid by that account. Those instructions originated from the trainers. I did listen to what she was saying, relayed each message and chose to go visit her. I knew nothing further about Jane except for what she'd relayed in those calls - she was one of the most precious souls I had ever encountered.
In this group home, Jane had a friend and co-resident named John. John was in his 40's, approximately 250 lbs, was diabetic and much taller than Jane. Jane was in her late 70's or so. They loved each other very much and were great companions for each other going shopping together as well as other activities at this residential group home.
Most of the complaints Janie called in were valid.
She and John shared many years together there. One day she called and said John went to the surgery center to have a routine medical procedure performed - a colonoscopy. John did not survive the procedure and passed away. That call was simply, "Vicky, John kicked the bucket".
John came from a very prominent family and memorial services were held in Newark, New Jersey, a two hour drive. She and I went together. She did not like the Celine Dion cassette playing in the car, "she sounds like she's dying", she said.
Upon arriving at the funeral home, Jane was indeed welcomed like royalty by John's family and the facility's employees. Being extremely short in stature (approximately 4'5") Jane could not see over the coffin to view John's face in the casket. as it was set too high for her. She then stood up on the lower casket moulding, leaned over and while giving John his last kiss, said goodbye to her dearest friend and companion, John.
That last kiss was one of the most heart-rendering, touching moments in my lifetime which will never be forgotten.
This may be Jane's family: sites.rootsweb.com/~nynassau/1850hcdf.html