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If You’re Going To Be Angry, Do It For The Right Things

Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world, even after giving his ex-wife 36 billion dollars in a divorce settlement. He must have big stacks of large bills filling his living room. Actually, no, he doesn’t. Most of his wealth is paper profits, unrealized gains on his stock holdings of Amazon.com Inc. As that stock price goes, so goes his wealth. Bezos founded the company in 1994, working at a computer sitting in a bare office. The company went public during the dotcom wars of the late 1990s and survived the subsequent bubble crash. As the founder, he is the largest shareholder, ...

Cashing In On Contact Tracing

Look out. An “army of contact tracers” is about to be unleashed on America. Corporations, political lobbyists and government bureaucracies all win. Privacy, freedom and family autonomy all lose. Big time. You may have already heard of the aptly named House Bill 6666, sponsored by Illinois Dem. Bobby Rush. Known as the Testing, Reaching and Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act, the legislation would allocate $100 billion in public funding to “eligible entities” to “conduct diagnostic testing for COVID-19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units ...

The Disinformation Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages across the world, there is another quieter pandemic creeping across the country: the disinformation pandemic. And a pandemic it is, because this is a global problem. Insidious actors outside of the United States who want to increase their nefarious influence on our country are using bots and other technology to spread lies and attack America’s democracy. Given that America is the leader of the free world, these attacks should be seen as no less than a brazen attempt to seize global control and weaken our standing as a superpower. It should come as no ...

Love For The Iconic Corner Store

I like old things — things that have stood the test of time, surviving because of their charm, or because they are still needed. The authenticity of a place is important to me. And say what you want, but we are surrounded by authenticity in Chautauqua County. Whether you’re driving by acres of grapes, or up and down old country roads, or stopping by farm stands that have been there forever, or watching the summer sunset at a park by the lake ... this is about as real as it gets in the world. And as someone who has been fortunate to see a lot of pockets of the world, I feel like ...

A Wedding To Remember — Mine

A year ago, I was preparing for a wedding — my own. I could never have imagined what was in store in the near future. I am so thankful that it is not this year. Of course, when you marry you need a dress. I thought I had that covered. There was a dress in my closet that I purchased for a cruise but never worn. My daughter-in-law helped me into it. While it was alright, it was not really a good color for me. Beige and I do not exactly get along. I am too pale. I had seen a dress on the Internet that I really liked. It was a lovely shade of blue. My children told me to order the ...

Those Who Pave The Way

In my days of teaching history, part of the curriculum dealt with those who trail-blazed, so to speak. It focused on those who came before us and discovered, invented, recorded and taught those who came after them, hoping to make better lives for them, and then to pass along what they learned and added to so future generations could do the same. I was fortunate, more accurately, blessed, with many opportunities in my life. I’ve been able to be a part of many amazing challenges and events too. Having been able to experience these opportunities, challenges and events, though, ...