No to St. Paddy's Day

[ChiO]

I graduated high school in 1969. The jury's still out on whether that was the beginning, apex, or end of the American Dream. It sure seemed like the beginning at the time.

[bryce]

No one single event, nor any grouping of events, is why I single out 1969. It was merely the last year of a long decade that began much as it ended, and ended much as it began. I would say the same about 1979, 1989, or, especially, 1999. Those who paid attention to the last decade of the 1900s will understand why: a century that ended much as it began, and began much as it ended. History repeats itself, but so few people bother to figure out how, when and why.

You people seem to think I'm all doom and gloom. Broken promises are only bad if you a) expect people to actually make good on all of them, and b) don't learn anything from them. Hunter S Thompson has an entire bibliography on the subject of broken promises - the '68 Chicago riots, McGovern and Altamont damn near broke the man's heart. He chose not to grow old and bitter like Carlin, though; instead, he chose to embrace a life full of the evils that destroyed his dream and the villainous characters that would forever mar them. There's a man who learnt the ultimate lesson from having ridden the freak power wave until it broke and rolled back on him.

I'm looking at a glass so full it's about to spill over. This depression might be the best damn thing to happen to this country since The Great War! Part Deux. I'll be highly disappointed if Americans don't rise up and spill some blood over this bullshit. At the very least we'll get another rock and roll, punk, hip-hop or grunge out of this. Maybe a New! American New Wave of Cinema, too. Civilization and society never benefit from turmoil; only culture and art.

As for shopping at Wal-Mart to save money on groceries, I've done my own independent study, thank you very much, based on the buying habits of my wife and I and my mother. Buying for three people a decent mixture of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat (if what Wal-Mart stocks can be called "fresh"), boxed and canned food, frozen foods, and other assorted food products, we saved roughly $7 for every $100 we spent. This is in a comparison between Wal-Mart, Safeway brand stores, Albertson brand stores and Kroger brand stores. We spent anywhere between $200-300 a month on groceries between the three of us, so if you figure you save $14-21 a month by shopping at Wal-Mart, that's $168-252 a year. That's comparing Wal-Mart's "always low prices" (many of which were higher than traditional "overpriced" grocery stores) to varied sale/non-sale prices at the other three stores. Sorry to be an insensitive jerk, but if $21 or even $50 a month breaks the bank and you feel the need to "shop at Wal-Mart lest you go hungry", the least of your worries is the cost of food. Try downgrading your cable plan, cutting out any of the luxuries you "need" or, I don't know, buying during the sale periods. Not that I'm trying to tell you how to spend your money, just that you should think twice if you're complaining about this economy while wholly embracing one of the evils that brought it about.

Don't like the high costs of food products? Or energy? Gasoline? Do a bit of research as to why they're so high now compared to fifty years ago. You're not going to like the truth, though. The buck stops with you and me: consumers, voters, American idiots.

[srowley75]

I guess somewhere it should also be stated that, depending upon how you define the "American Dream," many who criticize the concept (the aforementioned Arthur Miller among them) also question the basis of its morality. In large part, that's what Death of a Salesman is all about. Materialism and ego shouldn't lie at the center of your existence. But for many in America, liberal as well as conservative (as my experience with the "open-minded" liberal literati has more than validated), this indeed sums them up.

But I should qualify that this isn't what it's all about for everyone. As Judith indicated, there are those who are content to work a decent job that pays the bills and meets their needs. Unfortunately, avarice (in many forms, not only from the rich) has stifled that ability in this country, for the greedy as well as the frugal.

-Stephen

[Birdy]

Bryce -
I appreciate your comparison of WALMART and that's also what I found when I lived in a city or suburb.
However, here, as in many communities, they're ALL WE'VE GOT. The village grocery store I was referring to really is double the cost.
The nearest Kroger? (Or Shop and Save or whatever): 40 miles. Walmart really does have this country locked up. I try not to use them for anything I don't have to but still. (I don't even hardly eat meat, but there is a butcher about 20 miles from my house, same town as the Walmart).

Luckily, we have tons of fresh produce here and smart people who know how to preserve it. I know a little, but wish I were as self-sustaining as my Grandma. The grid could go down tomorrow and that woman wouldn't blink an eye. (She turned 94 last week.) I don't think she'd relish riding in a horse cart to church like she did in the 30s, though. They had a car, but had to leave it at the end of their lane (a mile) and ride in the horse wagon to the car because of the mud!
The road is a little better now. My dad says a LOT better, but I question it.

B

[movieman1957]

B:

Living in a suburb I sometimes am overwhelmed at the availability of stores/shopping in my area. I have three Walmarts within 15 minutes. Throw in a BJ's, two Costcos and there are about 5 grocery stores within 3 miles and there is nothing you can't find. If I can't then I don't need it. And that is all before you get to Baltimore or Annapolis.

[Hollis]

Good morning again,

Not being full blooded Irish, I don't understand something that to anyone who is Irish is probably common knowledge. If the gentleman's name was St Patrick, how did it somehow morph into St Paddy and not St Patty? Was it an attempt to remain masculine? Can someone please explain it to me? Thanks.

As always (and somewhat naive),

Hollis

[klondike]

Good morning again,

Not being full blooded Irish, I don't understand something that to anyone who is Irish is probably common knowledge. If the gentleman's name was St Patrick, how did it somehow morph into St Paddy and not St Patty? Was it an attempt to remain masculine? Can someone please explain it to me? Thanks.

As always (and somewhat naive),

Hollis

Because in Gaelic, Patrick is by preference rended as Padraig, although that still doesn't yield a lot of linear sense to this conundrum, as the "d" in Padraig is silent; the name is pronounced (depending on which County you're in), like: pah(r)-RAG, or even: par-RAY.
Ah well, when in doubt, just blame the Normans, holler pog mo tho !, and give two big thumbs up.

[Hollis]

Dear Klonnie,

During many PGA tour events, the announcers have always called Mr Harrington "Padraig" (pronouncing the "d") and he's never corrected anyone about it. Is it (or could it be) a matter of his own personal preference? Not being a linguist but having a somewhat uncommon 1st name, I'm always curious about things like this. Thanks again.

As always,

Hollis

[klondike]

Is it (or could it be) a matter of his own personal preference?

Hollis

That could very well be exactly the case, H; it's been one of the critical epiphanies of my life (and from early on), that one of the very few subjects you can never dispute with anyone is how they spell and/or pronounce their name! After your memories, your name is your most intimate possession, and one of the very, very few that no-one else can ever alter, challenge or dispute.
Mr. Harrington might well favor that hard "d" because his parents pronounced it that way, which may have to do with whether his family line still speaks Gaelic (the Republic of Ireland has been adamant in teaching Gaelic to elementary school kids, but the language's life in the home seems to be the pivotal factor; about 70% of all adult Irish Nationals are at least conversive in the Old Tongue).
Or it could be something as arbitrary as Harrington just simply being intolerably sick & tired of having to correct everyone who has ever read his name out loud off paper.
I knew a guy once upon a time whose name is written correctly as Menzies Porter . . the bottleneck there is that his first name was correctly pronounced mings, as it has been in Scotland for over 500 years . . anyway, he got so tired of arguing with anal-compulsive morons about his own name, that by the time he turned 20, he went to civil court and legally changed the spelling of it to "Mings".
Myself, I would've gone on dukin' it out with the pinheads, but I guess it pays to pick your fights and know your limits.

[knitwit45]

Klonnie said:

After your memories, your name is your most intimate possession, and one of the very, very few that no-one else can ever alter, challenge or dispute.

Tell that to an eight year old very shy little girl who is told by her obnoxious teacher that she is pronouncing her own last name incorrectly. "Fraizer" is pronounced Fray-zer, not Fray-shur, but the dunderheaded teacher had me so confused, I was literally afraid to say my own last name out loud. My equally shy mother suddenly grew courage, and told the teacher that if she checked the spelling, she would see what was what. Mom also grew about 20 feet tall that day!