Today in Brooklyn (and Manhattan)

Sure wish I could bring my big coffee in from 711 to the shelter. I usually like to get a big coffee and then I can reheat it as necessary throughout the morning. At least when it is not raining, I can sit near the 7-11/gas station in Brooklyn and go back into the store and reheat my coffee when it gets cold.

The only spot I have found where they let you sit outside in Manhattan is the library where there are no books and the parks.. but they make you sit on benches in the park and won't let you just sit on the sidewalk in a little sliver of sunlight and enjoy eating a salad. At least the 7-11 isn't too far from the library so I guess I can just walk the few blocks back and hopefully they would let me reheat my coffee.

I am not sure why the shelters here don't have coffee on all day. Coffee is not actually that expensive. Starbucks throws theirs out every 15 minutes. I wonder why none of the Starbucks here donates their day old packaged sandwiches and pastries to the shelters like they do in Kamloops. For that matter, I am sure there's lots of restaurants and grocery stores and fast food places that have almost "expired" food—that is absolutely still good to eat—I grew up eating food, including bread, that was day-old stuff. Also, even as an adult, I generally have always bought the cheap food that is on sale and nearing its best before date or just beyond it. You can get super cheap fruits and veggies this way. If I was allowed to bring that stuff into the shelter, I would buy more of it.

The biggest thing your shelter and homeless services lack to provide all of the residents is protein. Real protein. Not your plant based crap. That is OK for some people and it's a good alternative for those who have dietary restrictions or issues. For instance, some people eat Halal & some people eat Kosher—you have the 1st amendment, right? Do you value your constitutional rights USA?? Or is it just your precious 2nd amendment that y'all love? What about the rest of your constitution and amendments? Do any of those matter or does it only matter when the rich and/or well-connected folks need protection? Or the ones who get extra protection from their status in certain professions... I don't think I have to name those jobs now, do I?

Not saying those professions aren't necessary, valuable, or worthwhile, but there's definitely some extra perks and massive benefits/pension plans available in certain professions, including government and city jobs, and things like working for the post office. Also it is generally quite easy to garner community support and generate way more funds than required/requested due to your elevated status in certain communities, including the general public—often due to support and media reporting—which I am sure is well funded from and in both directions.

Both wings belong to the same bird, and both have fringes that ultimately want the same thing —authoritarianism and segregation to create chaotic anarchy so they can sweep in with martial law for "citizen safety and protection". All must obey the law. Now, stop using paper money and put all your money in the bank and use our digital currency so we can keep everything safe for you. Wouldn't want to be swindled by the criminals on the street.. oh wait, we forgot to tell you who the real criminals are... oh, whoops, did we forget to tell you that we want control of all your money so we can decide who lives and dies and who gets to buy things and be a part of the community?

Yeah, B-DIE or die. I will never submit to your system of lies.


Notes I wrote on my shared favorites list today while doing my own laundry at the Wash Club on Broadway near the McDonald's in Brooklyn:


All of the people who work here are super polite and kind—and very hardworking! A lot of people treat front line service workers like they're stupid and assume that working at a fast food place is "easy" and doesn't require any skills, but that is not the case at all! Most everyone here is likely super intelligent and could likely do most of the fancy-pants jobs that require "superior education" that provides them with "extra-special skills" that can only be learned in brick and mortar institutions that require big fees to attend and "good enough" SAT scores and other costly and mostly bullshit admission requirements.

I've worked in many food service establishments from fast food (including Starbucks) to casual/family dining to pubs/casinos to upscale/fine dining. It requires a lot of skill and patience that many people who have spent their lives in academia and cushy government/administrative type jobs wouldn't be able to handle. I speak from experience as I have worked in basically every industry out there—including the BC government aka BCPSA aka the the corporate/government partnership collective. Food service workers definitely deserve tips. And they should be able to keep their own tips—not "tip pool" and share with the rest of the employees. If I tip someone, it's because I want to appreciate them and give them something extra directly for what they are doing. If they give a percentage to the kitchen, I am totally cool with that—especially restaurants as kitchen staff typically make more money, receive benefits, uniforms provided and laundered fornthem, and get their food 100% comped which front end service workers typically do not get.

Most people are clueless about what it's like to work during the "rush periods" where people flood in for food all hangrey—often with irritable kids in tow and in a rush to get to whatever extra-curricular activities they got going on next. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and especially the after bar rush/after drinking alcohol rush are super challenging periods to work in food service. The after bar rush especially generates a lot of people who are rude and don't give a fuck. Often drunk people start fights and make huge disgusting messes in the restrooms and just don't care. ***Special note*** if you guys had marijuana bars instead, you would note less of this behavior. Stoners very rarely want to fight and be assholes. Weed smokers typically just get high and want to chill out and eat (depending on the strain of weed). I have never, not once in my entire life of being around large amounts of wwed smokers, at concerts and festivals and otherwise, seen a big fight erupt between people who are high on weed—and only weed. If any of you in the USA and beyond still believe that marijuana makes people crazy and jump out of windows, then y'all are truly fuckin' morons, lol!

<note, re: rushing around to extra-curricular activities>

I am not saying that extra-curricular activities are not good for kids (and adults of all ages) to participate in—as they provide many excellent benefits—but why are so many of us in a goddamn rush all the time? It's so not beneficial to society, community, human interaction, and encouraging communication and new friendships.One more thing!!! I am extremely grateful that McDonald's allows me to use their washroom. I don't understand how all these coffee places give you beverages with caffeine which are stimulants/diuretics and don't let you use the washroom/bathroom/restroom/toilet. We aren't an army of robots walking around this city, eh? We are human beings who eat and drink and have to urinate/defecate aka pee/poo aka go #1 and #2.

And what the fuck y'all expect tourists to do when they come here to enjoy the city? You have an awesome set-up and lay-out for pedestrians and it's relatively easy to get around without a vehicle (not sure why anyone owns vehicles in most circumstances—unless it's a work truck for hauling construction and landscaping stuff).

Addendum: 1242

Boy oh boy, I just love kids!!! They're so sweet and wonderful and awesome. I never think about just booting one of them in the ass like my uncle John used to kick his kids in the ass when they were growing up. I wonder if they are traumatized from getting kicked when they were being shitheads... I know I sure as fuck am not traumatized from getting the wooden spoon across my shins when I wouldn't get in the bathtub... or from getting smacked across the face once by my grandfather when I wouldn't listen to my grandmother telling me to not sit so close to the TV. Not endorsing child abuse and out and out beating children with things, but nothing wrong with the odd smack on the ass when they aren't listened and being fucking assholes. Not all kids are going to benefit from Dr Spock's "gentle ways".

Please note, this only is applicable to children who are literally being assholes and do not respond to other forms of "punishment". This is never appropriate for adults. And neither is your stupid fucking death penalty—fucking hypocrite pro-lifers—who are mostly Christians and Catholics. I got lots to say about your religions being fronts for all sorts of fucking shit. Not all churches are full of pedophilia and fronts for all sorts of criminal activities, but a lot of them sure as fuck are! Prove me wrong, oh great and holy Pope... oh great and purely angelic God of the Mafia, et al.