6 Questions to Use in Avoiding Lyme Disease
I guess, as I go to the woods, like Antler or that dude at Walden, I am reminded that laptops, no matter how cool, matter little in the woods. That a good blackberry, while cool to the kids on twitter, means little when you have leaves for pillows and might just occasionally need to poop outside.
- I reject the concept or belief that Wausau is just another Mayberry. That being said, do you think the recent scandals, is that even the correct term, have diminished the role of Mayor Tipple, Mike Morrissey, Bill Nagle or the City Council? While many people in town look at local politics even more apathetically than national politics, does this seem to be a time where this is not the case? Does a Core Value seminar matter?
- Have you been to the Filmor? What did you think?
- Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? I ask this, as I have grown up here, and I like it here, but so many folks just seem to want to complain and complain about everything, that everything everywhere else is better, that the great ideas are all someplace else. I often think, no one is holding you hostage. Just go.
- What will you do this long weekend?
- Have you ever returned to work after a long period off, say for childbirth or you saved up to travel the world sort of thing? What was that like?
- When you look back on your life, what was your best day? A friend told me her story of childbirth recently, and it moved me.
That is all I have. I have been ill, and am still pretty sick. Make due.
Shawn Sullivan said:
1. I still don’t think I have a good handle on everything that shook out at City Hall. I know some guy dated some gal, and they worked together in a supervisor/subordinate role. I don’t think that’s a good idea. It just opens the door to questions, and I think government needs to be more transparent than that.
2. Not yet. Perhaps if Pat McCurdy shows up, I may check it out. That seems like a Pat McCurdy venue.
3. I grew up here and couldn’t wait to leave. I left, and the first place I wanted to go when I had children of my own was Wausau. There’s something about this place that’s magical for families. That being said, Emma and Owen will want to leave here, they will, and then they’ll realize how good they really had it. Circle of life stuff, I guess.
4. Family, food, fun…and a little relaxation.
5. Never, but I’m not good at taking long time off. After a couple of days, I’m miserable to be around, because I’m always thinking of work. I need to work on this.
6. There isn’t one. The birth of my children are at the top and there isn’t one better than the other. My wedding day is 1a. The rest is just gravy.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:58 am #
Boogenstein said:
D: all of the above. Get well soon.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:41 pm #
Insert Name said:
1. Mayberry? Heh.
2. No, it will fail.
3. Everywhere is cool, briefly.
4. Did a little fishing, taking an expensive trip out of state that I am not thrilled about.
5. That’s funny.
6. It was a winter day in 1990, after a Wausau Community Theatre production of Damn Yankees in which I performed. A girl named Penny was there. I must note that my operational definition of ‘best’ day, was one in which ‘best’ day was the single day to date that I felt the best, period. I imagine I could search the archives of the WCT but it was a Saturday. Good enough.
Bonus: Oh, there wasn’t one. Lame.
May 24th, 2008 at 7:40 pm #
Melissa Sullivan said:
1. Like Shawn, I only have a vague idea of what’s happening in City Hall. Since we live in Rib Mountain, we don’t get to vote for Wausau officials and it’s hard to stay interested.
2. No.
3. Yes, the grass is always greener. I like it here, though. I just wish it wasn’t so darn far from everywhere else. All the big cities are 3 hours away, which makes day trips a pain.
4. Food, fun, and family. And cleaning.
5. Took 7 months off after Emma was born because I thought I was going to be a stay at home mom. Turns out, I’m the worst stay at home mom ever. My old employer wanted me back and let me work from home, so it turned out from the best. Now I’m at home, but I still get the mental challenge of working. (Oh, and in response to Shawn’s answer for #5: Yeah, no kidding. He only took 4 days off after Emma was born, people! Dude has a serious problem).
6. As a mother, I think I’m supposed to say that my best days were when my children were born. But I’m going to be bold and say that it was our wedding day. Cuz that’s when this whole crazy family of ours got started. And then the day we found out I was pregnant for the first time, because that turned our world inside out and backwards. In a good way. It was our second anniversary, so that was pretty cool. My kids’ birthdays were pretty miraculous, but there was too much pain and too little personal dignity to call it “my best day.” All the days following have been much more enjoyable than the actual day of birth.
Thanks for the questions, Dino. Keep them coming!
May 25th, 2008 at 8:45 am #
janeal said:
1. There is no Mayberry here, but it is more like that than where I came from (without the Barney Fife, I think). I don’t like discussing religion or politics on public forums, not even local politics.
2. Yes, it displeased me.
3. Yes, except when there is a lot of snow.
4. As little as possible.
5. Yes, once after a long trip, everything was different. But once, after quitting and then coming back, it was just the same, “Welcome to the Hotel California.”
6. I try not to look back.
May 26th, 2008 at 1:10 pm #
Tom Neal said:
1. re: Wausau is just another Mayberry / recent scandals … I think we’ve been witnessing a wakeup call for local government.
2. re: Fillmor … Yes, nothing like what I expected it to be. Lots of potential, but it needs to address its brand personality … soon, or it may encounter massive disinterest.
3. re: grass greener on the other side … I don’t like the “love it or leave it” sentiment. If I have a negative attitude about some aspect of where I live, it doesn’t follow that I should “Just go.” There are a lot of cool things about Wausau; but there are a lot of things it lacks (Indian restaurant, real waterfront/riverfront, more summer festivals, vibrant music scene, alternative cinema, 4-year college, varied nightlife). It’s getting better.
4. re: this long weekend … putter, burn, shake, dwell.
5. r: returned after a long period off … Never happened.
6. re: best day … Way too many to choose. Yesterday was real nice.
May 27th, 2008 at 6:07 am #
Dino Corvino said:
You are right, the love it or leave it is in response to a pretty specific thing, and it boggles my mind.
In regards to the janeal idea that one does not like to discuss politics or religion. I think that it is an interesting idea that we would limit the topics of discussion, especially internally.
I find that to be the quintessential Wausau thing. More than fish fries or blues fest, the unwillingness to speak out seems very much to be our cultural stripe.
Even those in our media seem to be averse to speaking. As if we all do not want to have the discussion.
janeal, I asked because I am interested in your perspective on the issue. I think rejecting answering the question reflects badly on my asking it. As if my asking it was somehow improper.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:08 am #
Tom Neal said:
Obviously, some people absolutely love discussing religion and politics on Web forums. They appear to live for it. Others might feel it’s pointless, because people are typically solidified in their positions and rarely is any change or compromise achieved … just a lot of polar ranting. On the other hand, I expect people are much more circumspect about frankly discussing controversial topics face to face (which is more germane to your question, I think). That’s probably not a Wausau thing. Just a thing. Anonymous confrontation is much more appealing to many people. And, I didn’t see anything in janeal’s comment connoting that you asked anything improper, Dino. Don’t feel rejected.
May 27th, 2008 at 10:52 am #
Dino Corvino said:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv0aDhqxiHg
~ SPEECH (in it’s original) ~
In case you hadn’t realized,
it has somehow become uncool
to sound like you know what you’re talking about?
Or believe strongly in what you’re saying?
Invisible question marks and parenthetical (you know?)’s
have been attaching themselves to the ends of our sentences?
Even when those sentences aren’t, like, questions? You know?
Declarative sentences - so-called
because they used to, like, DECLARE things to be true
as opposed to other things which were, like, not -
have been infected by a totally hip
and tragically cool interrogative tone? You know?
Like, don’t think I’m uncool just because I’ve noticed this;
this is just like the word on the street, you know?
It’s like what I’ve heard?
I have nothing personally invested in my own opinions, okay?
I’m just inviting you to join me in my uncertainty?
What has happened to our conviction?
Where are the limbs out on which we once walked?
Have they been, like, chopped down
with the rest of the rain forest?
Or do we have, like, nothing to say?
Has society become so, like, totally . . .
I mean absolutely . . . You know?
That we’ve just gotten to the point where it’s just, like . . .
whatever!
And so actually our disarticulation . . . ness
is just a clever sort of . . . thing
to disguise the fact that we’ve become
the most aggressively inarticulate generation
to come along since . . .
you know, a long, long time ago!
I entreat you, I implore you, I exhort you,
I challenge you: To speak with conviction.
To say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks
the determination with which you believe it.
Because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker,
it is not enough these days to simply QUESTION AUTHORITY.
You have to speak with it, too.
May 27th, 2008 at 1:50 pm #
Tom Neal said:
xlent post, Dino. I like to see people being encouraged to dare to declare.
But, I think you’re not in sync with demonstrated reality in characterizing our local Web forum habitués or fellow citizens in general as reluctant to declare. The WDH forum has long been a veritable free-for-all of very strong-minded and vocal “authorities” on a variety of subjects: morality, religion, local and national politics, restaurants, you name it. Same goes for the op-ed page in the paper where all sorts of unique observations are heaped upon us.
How would you characterize our own City Pages? As an alternative weekly, do you think it treads lightly or is assertive and declarative in its editorial style?
CitizenWausau has seen some occasions where the heat was turned up, but it seems more apt to be sort of sedate at this stage in its evolution. This may change.
But, be careful about getting after people for being interrogatory instead of declarative … that’s how this thread got started in the first place … with questions.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:47 pm #
Dino Corvino said:
I am sorry janeal. None of that was directed at you.
I am sorry.
May 27th, 2008 at 2:55 pm #
Tom Neal said:
Alright, who stuck a pin in Dino?
May 27th, 2008 at 3:11 pm #
Barry Liss said:
This has been a very good discussion…I’ve been out of the loop for like 2 months trying to finish up the semester with a bit of dignity…
Barry
May 28th, 2008 at 7:35 am #
Tom Neal said:
Barry,
missing in action
lissing in action
lissing inaction
good to have you back.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:56 am #
janeal said:
First, let me say, “I love you, Dino.” And apology unnecessary but accepted.
Frequently on these question pages, particularly the longer ones with lots of questions, people will pick and choose, answering a select few. No one ever says, “Hey Bob, why didn’t you answer #4?”. While I choose not to answer the question, I did at least explain why.
In my experience, when it comes to discussion of religion and/or politics, typically one of two things happen:
1. You find yourself with like-minded people. There is much back patting and complimenting. “You think like me! You are so wise!”
2. You find yourself in a heated debate and things often escalate as each person tries unsuccessfully to sway someone from their deeply held beliefs. I have seldom seen anyone swayed by these discussions, yet I have often seen things get unpleasant and ugly. I have seen friendships crumble.
As an example, I have tried for over 8 years (I lived in Texas when he was governor) to persuade “W” lovers that he is, in fact, an idiot. Despite what I see as an ever-increasing amount of evidence, I have yet to have one person say, “Gee, you are so right! He IS an idiot.” I have, however, been personally attacked for these attempts. (And of course, I’ve had lots of compliments from people who already agreed with me!)
Personally, I have better things to do with my time than argue with walls.
The world is full of stupid people. Many of them lurk on forums and discussion boards. (Present company and anyone who ever reads my posts excepted, of course.)
My spiritual and political beliefs are personal and I think I have the right to share them only when and where I choose.
I do agree that there may be a general lack of interest or concerted attention paid to local issues and happenings in our civic government and agencies. Anyone who has facts or an inside perspective could be a big help and resource to the rest of us. But, with that comes some risk to “the reporter”. Sometimes the messenger still gets shot.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:20 am #
oldwoodchair said:
I believe Janeal just spoke with great authority & conviction in defense of her decision to not discuss politics or religion. That was great!
May 28th, 2008 at 8:14 pm #
oldwoodchair said:
I try to resist answering these questions, but I just can’t…so here goes….
1. Wausau a Mayberry?…no way…maybe years ago, but we’ve grown into Mount Pilot in the last several years. I dislike the word “scandal”. And core values will only work if all involved take them seriously and commit to them.
2. Stopped in…not impressed…expected more. There was no “feel” to the place…no particular vibe…just vanilla. Also, the bartender never smiled…in fact, looked a little put-out that he had to get us something. I’m hoping they get their sea legs cause I’d love to see them thrive.
3. I think folks just like to complain, and this is just where they happen to be. As for me…I think this is the greatest place on earth.
4. Dug in the dirt & mulch, mulch, mulch.
5. Never took an extended period off…which is really sad & pathetic. I need to rethink my life.
6. I like to the believe the absolute best is still in my future.
Hope you’re feeling better, Dino. Thanks for the questions from the sickbed.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:43 pm #
Barry Liss said:
Jane - look at the bright side, those who supported the Bush agenda have had their reigning narrative shattered by reality and now have to pick up the pieces and make due with a fragmented world-view. It’s a situation ripe for comedic criticism…now we just have to be vigilant against the incoming tidal wave of value-neutral pragmatic liberalism!
Barry
June 12th, 2008 at 7:32 am #