The Talking Toilet Paper Fiasco

Like most retirement communities there is no tipping allowed to servers, cooks, maintenance people, the people who clean our apartments, the bus driver, or the entertainment coordinator.  In fact, the rule applies to all hourly personnel  who work at our abode.

There is, however, one time of the year set aside for residents to show their appreciation to our staff for the services they perform for us.  For a period of approximately 30 days, tenants and other interested parties (friends, relatives, etc.) are allowed to give money to a fund that will be divided among the non-management staff after it is collected.  The money is collected and dispersed by a resident committee made up of approximately four people.  This year J and Y from Table 54 volunteered as well as D and M.  J was the nominal head of the committee.

Would You Buy a Bushmaster AR-15 for Your Kid?

Want to know where the NRA and gun manufacturers are targeting their firearms this year?  How about to your children!  Imagine a full color ad in the October issue of your favorite magazine showing a beautiful Christmas tree and three young kids pulling the wrapping paper off their new assault rifles.  The ad reads: 

"Maybe you'll find a Bushmaster AR-15 under your tree some frosty Christmas morning!"

God, Children, and Abortion

Tuesday, January 22nd was the 40th anniversary of  landmark Supreme Court case known as Roe v Wade. We at Table 54 haven't discussed the public's reaction to this yet but today seemed like a good time to air facts and feelings.

The main objection to legalized abortion seems to be the Christian belief that God condemns the killing of children (if, indeed, you believe that a fetus is somehow a living child - an argument for another time and place).

This is nothing less than an outright LIE.  God not only hasn't condemned infanticide, in the past he has actually ordered it to take place:

Just In Case...

Well folks, the flu/virus hysteria has hit our retirement community big time.  Two residents have called in sick and management is falling over each other with ideas to nip the problem in the bud.  It all goes back to last year when we did have a virus sweep through the community causing a lock down for thirteen days.  This is how it works here.  If the number of sick cases reaches ten, the home goes into quarantine.  This means that residents can't come out of their apartments and visitors can't come into the building.  All activities cease.  Meals are brought to your room by servers wearing latex gloves and surgical masks.  The largest threat to the spreading of a virus is residents touching things that other residents have touched.  This happens frequently in the dining room.

Does God Pick and Choose?

John W. Loftus published a set of articles by various authors under the title of The Christian Delusion.  One of these articles was authored by Valerie Tarcia, PhD called Christian Belief Through the Lens of Cognitive Science.  In case you're wondering, Wikipedia describes cognitive science as, "the interdisciplinary scientific study of the mind and its processes."  Under the heading, "So You Think You're Rational," Valerie asks the question, "How can tourists who've escaped a hurricane or plane crash believe that a god intervened while letting others drown or burn?"

The Cat Came Back

J brought us a New York Times press clipping today about Holly, a four year old housecat who was lost in Daytona Beach in early November.  She turned up a mile from her owners home on December 31.  Happy New Year.

A Day In Our Retirement Community

One of the questions frequently asked is what's a typical day like in your retirement community?  Well, we'll try and answer that for you.

People wake up at all different hours.  They go through the same morning routines that they've practiced all their lives - not that much different from yourself, I would imagine.  They shower, shave, dress, fix their hair, take out the dogs, watch a little TV, dose their insulin plus their other meds and then, around 7:50, they head down the hall to the dining room for breakfast.