Subj : Re: Entitled... was: I'm not To : Barry Martin From : Nancy Backus Date : Sat Jan 11 2020 21:39:16 -=> Quoting Barry Martin to Nancy Backus on 05-Jan-2020 09:44 <=- BM> Subject: Entitled... was: I'm not back yet.. BM>>> On this morning's news the chances for a white Christmas went down to BM>>> 2%; was 5% yesterday. NB>>> And you probably ended up like us, with a green Christmas... except NB>>> for the leftover piles here and there.... ;) BM>> And not that many piles except at the business sites. NB>> We still had some in the front yard from Richard's shoveling NB>> before... The huge piles in parking lots managed to not melt even NB>> when we kept having those highs in the 50s.... Now they've got a NB>> new coating of snow from what we got overnight... ;) BM> Yes, those big white piles of snow tend to turn to grayish-black BM> mounds of ice and stick around a while; nice to get a paint job of new BM> snow. True... And now, there's no snow anywhere... I think even those piles melted off... the high today was in the low 60s, and it's been raining... with lots more to come through into tomorrow morning... although the temps have dropped closer to 40s already, I think... BM>> Generally I don't have time to sit and wait at that point so get out BM>> to scrape but do have the defogger on and set to high. There have been BM>> other times when the ice layer is too thin or too thick for the scaper BM>> and I do wait until the defogger has melted the attaching layer. NB>> One has to get out a little earlier to have the necessary time to get NB>> the car cleared... ;) BM> Yes - trying to guess when to go out can be interesting: there were BM> times when went out before breakfast and spent pretty much all the BM> time clearing the driveway and cars and running late so grabbed BM> something to eat when get to the store. Other times 'well that was BM> easy' and have plenty of time. Yup... and best to have budgeted too much time than too little... BM>>> Sort of speaking of Malls, the sister Mall on the Illinois side was BM>>> closed all day Monday due to a fire. Occurred early mid-morning in BM>>> one of the little shop-stores. AFAICT not much fire damage, just a lot BM>>> of smoke. Went on-line to check and no details. NB>>> So apparently easily taken care of, then... BM>> Yes, apparently the initial problem was smoke inside the mall but why BM>> the fire deparment didn't allow or the Mall decided to stay closed all BM>> day I don't know. NB>> Probably a "better safe than sorry" mindset.... Clearing the mall NB>> of all the smoke might take longer than we'd think... BM> May also have been an issue of "can we sell this which may have BM> been exposed to smoke?": odor on clothes, utensils at a food shop, BM> etc. [Just guessing - didn't hear any follow-ups.] True... and they might not have reported any followups anyway.... NB>>> I think I'd refer to that sort of thing more as conspicuous NB>>> consumption... the always wanting bigger and more expensive whether NB>>> or not it is needed... BM>> Yes, I'd agree. :) My thinking on entitlement might be tempered by BM>> acceptance: "OK, so you have eight billion dollars and want to buy a BM>> yacht. You can afford it and not make sacrifices elsewhere. Can I BM>> come someday? I'll bring some snacks!" NB>> That could work, if you happened to actually know someone like NB>> that... generally the billionaires are living in an entirely NB>> different world from us... :) BM> Let's see -- the last time I dressed up in a tuxedo was..... Indeed... that would be never, for either myself or Richard... ;) NB>>> I could probably come up with specific instances that I've seen NB>>> in people I've worked with, but the more general description is NB>>> probably more understandable to someone in our circumstances.... BM>> Probably so: trying to 'self-analyze' it appears I probably would not BM>> get into the understanding the situation because it's just not me. BM>> And can excuse (up to a point) those of the Lifestyles of the Rich and BM>> Famous group because that's the way things are. (OK, some do some BM>> stupid things and should know better, $1 or $1,000,000,000.) NB>> You've had experience with two classes of people, your own, and, NB>> to a lesser and more vicarious extent, with a class of people NB>> beyond your means.... ;) Just not with another class of people NB>> that are well below your standard of living.... BM> Pretty much yes: the different classes tend to isolate amongst BM> themselves. ...Trying to phase diplomatically so I don't come off BM> elitist, condescending, etc. Many middle class don't really rub shoulders much with the poor, unless it's somehow connected with work/profession... or unless said poor were at one time more middle calss... or in some sort of mission setting... NB>>> But it does underscore my point... being not rich, but also not poor, NB>>> we've developed good habits of being reasonably frugal... using our NB>>> resources wisely... But, when poor, there tends to be a different NB>>> sort of mindset... a feeling of "I should be able to get it, even if NB>>> I can't afford it, it just isn't fair otherwise"... which is what I've NB>>> been calling the entitlement syndrome.... If I hadn't come up across NB>>> it in various situations with various people in straitened situations, NB>>> I'd likely not have noticed it quite so clearly.... BM>> Quite probably, and maybe I haven't been in the situation. Right now BM>> I'm thinking back to my college days and we'd sometimes do study BM>> groups at our homes. I lived in a decent apartment, two others live in BM>> trailers (now 'mobile homes').... One guy was reluctant to have us BM>> over because he lived in a semi-rundown apartment building because he BM>> didn't have much money. Essentially he 'broke down' when I said "we're BM>> friends with you, not the apartment". NB>> That probably comes closest to what I've been talking about, except NB>> that college life tends to be a temporary stage of life... usually NB>> after getting out of college, the impoverishment period ends and one NB>> learns to function on a different basis... The people I've been dealing NB>> with are full adults, and probably, barring a miracle or at least some NB>> some significant intervention, not ever going to have enough to live NB>> on, especially to the level they'd like to think they should be able NB>> to.... BM> Right: college is a temporary and transitional phase. Even then BM> segmented: Harvard and Yale generally has the upper echelon, or at BM> least thought to, whereas 'Spizzerinctum U.' probably is more the BM> laundry machine of student societies, and even then still separation of BM> groups -- like laundry delicates, dark, lights, BM> wash-in-cold-water-only.... Harvard and Yale do actually have some interesting scholarship aid for indigent applicants who are otherwise scholastically fit... Dartmouth has scholarships for kids that have at least 1/4 Native American heritage, a friend of mine got his college that way... :) BM>>> but not sure about the federal reminder for passports. BTW, you'll BM>>> probably need a visa to accompany the passport -- seems like that was BM>>> starting in 2021. Two separate items; AFAIK don't need a visa until BM>>> making the trip; get the passport ahead of time. NB>>> Yeah, I heard something about that... That's actually been in effect NB>>> for many decades, at least for some countries... What's changing, I NB>>> guess, is that more countries are going to require visas along with NB>>> the passport... BM>> Right: off-hand don't know which countries but they have required a BM>> visa for decades. (And hence the joke 'but what about my BM>> MasterCard?'.) Not sure why the EU (European Union) will require BM>> visas, though I'd guess may have something to do with immigrants from BM>> the Mediterranean area. NB>> Quite likely.... and possibly also some softening of the NB>> relationship with the US.... BM> Possibly. I didn't see a reasoning, and also didn't much care to BM> delve into why: will be needed, they're not going to make an exception BM> just for me, easier to go with the flow and get a $50 (or whatever the BM> cost) piece of paper. Yup... if one wishes to travel one needs must get the appropriate paperwork and pay the associated costs thereof.... ;) BM>>>> OK, thanks! Haven't heard if their balloon has been found yet -- BM>>>> might be partway to England! NB>>>> Could be.... or went too high and deflated over the ocean.... BM>>> Awwww. ;( NB>>> Probably you'll just never hear anything about it, but if you do, NB>>> tell us... ;) BM>> I'll probably end up like the news reports: vague comment to follow-up BM>> and that's the end. I think I saw a replacement balloon at the BM>> rebroadcast of the (local) Festival of Trees parade. NB>> I guess they probably would have spares... balloons can be pretty NB>> fickle.... ;) BM> Right: probably easy enough to puncture by accidentally blowing BM> against a light; also one place in the route where the balloons have to BM> go under a pedestrian bridge - hope no bolts sticking out! Exactly... :) ttyl neb .... Do vegetarians eat animal crackers? --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452) .