It’s a celebration of good news this morning.
First of all, for the first time since last Wednesday, I have HEAT! We finally hit 50 PSI and the boiler was able to fire. No more wearing sweatshirts and long underwear to bed!
I also have drinkable water… we all do, because the Boil Water notice has been lifted!
Plus, I woke up to this piece of good news:
I scored a Top Writer tag on Medium in Creativity! That’ll help get me noticed on that platform, increasing my articles’ read time, and therefore, my earnings. It’s my second Top Writer tag on there, having scored one in Ideas at the end of last month. I want Top Writer in Writing and Self, but those are super-competitive and the very best writers operate in those spaces. That’s OK, I’m in it for the long haul.
As an added bonus, I hit the 3000 follower mark on Medium overnight too.
Popping some popcorn… looks like the “public health experts” on Facebook who think we should be in lockdown until 2023 have turned on County Mayor Lee Harris. I have to agree with them on that point. He’s on the COVID-19 task force, but I notice he only turns up at the Tuesday-Thursday noon press conferences when there’s a PR opportunity, when there’s a new grant program to announce. I can’t remember a single time since May when he has shown leadership with respect to the pandemic.
We also now have a City Council member, Chase Carlisle, calling for Health Deparment Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter’s firing. Poor Dr. H. I really do feel bad for the position she’s in… yeah, I wouldn’t exactly give her an A+ on vaccine distribution. However, it’s not like she had a textbook. We last saw a pandemic of this magnitude 102-103 years ago. With the city having taken over vaccine custody and distribution, it seems like we’re good now. I don’t see the point in firing either her or county health officer Dr. Bruce Randolph.
The person I do want to get rid of is the COVID-19 task force member who came up with the INCREDIBLY POINTLESS, RIDICULOUSLY STUPID rule that bartenders must wear a face shield as well as a mask if customers sit at the bar area. I don’t have proof, but this sounds like an idea that has Dr. Jeff Warren written all over it. Following his other resolution reducing the default speed limit in the city from 30 to 25, I’m ’bout ready for him to go.
Drs. Haushalter and Randolph appear before the County Commission today. It will be a repeat of a Health Department presentation to a closed Commission meeting earlier this week that may have violated sunshine laws.
The big pump truck with giant hoses was parked outside of Downtown Walgreens again yesterday. There’s a door boarded up except with space for a hose to fit through. Based on my past knowledge of businesses that have faced water damage, I can tell you that those of us who live in the northern half of the Downtown core may be making the long trek to DGX for quite some time. Which I am fine with, considering DGX has the same items as Walgreens for 15-25% less in many cases.
The Central Station trolley stop on Main south of G.E. Patterson opens this weekend. Hopefully this’ll be big not only for the hotel and movie theater, but smaller businesses like Walking Pants Curiosities, South Main Book Juggler, and Little Italy.
Craft Axe Throwing’s grand opening is today. They’re out in The Edge at 344 Floyd Alley.
Make your appointment to donate blood at Vitalant’s blood drive at FedExForum tomorrow 8 to 3. COVID-19 has increased the need for blood and you can help out. Donors are informed of their COVID-19 antibody status, so if you’re curious whether you’ve had it, this is a way to find out, and if you have had it, you’ll have a unique opportunity to further help coronavirus patients.
Support locally-owned Black businesses tomorrow 3-7 PM with a special Black History Month edition of Grizz Shop Local. RSVP here
Speaking of the Grizzlies, they rolled to a 122-94 win over the L.A. Clippers last night.
The first episode of the new podcast by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen has dropped. In the episode they discuss how they met, and how they both felt like outsiders growing up.
Working from home and miss the sounds of the office? Work at Dunder Mifflin can help with that.
Today is For Pete’s Sake Day.
Back tomorrow with more news.