Before Driving Your Smart Car to Vermont
Thinking about driving your smart car to Vermont (or moving to Vermont with a Smart Fortwo)?
- Premium gasoline is available everywhere. Ethanol-free premium is more prevalent than in many other states, with the number of stations selling ethanol free in the state coincidentally similar to the number of covered bridges in the state. (Pure-Gas.org/Vermont) (Vermont Covered Bridge Club)
- For driving on plowed roads, in snow and ice, switch between winter snow tires (non-studded) and all-season tires, mid-November and mid-May. Snow tires can be ordered/installed at several major retail tire shops. (Vermont Tire and Service)
- Due to smart's low undercarriage clearance, it is recommended not driving when snow falls, or is expected to fall, faster than ½ inch (1.25cm) an hour for more than five consecutive hours.
- After major blizzards subside (Vermont averages 4 or 5 significant snow storms a year) all business parking lots are professionally plowed within hours. And, the Vermont Agency of Transportation is exceptionally proficient at plowing all major and most minor roadways inside of 12 hours (the only roads not plowed, or plowed last, are dirt and gravel, Class 4 roads). (VTrans Winter Weather Central)
- Significant potholes, irregular pavement, and semi-repaired asphalt is the rule in almost every city and on portions of almost every secondary road or two-lane highway. Interstate highways and many "high-traffic secondary roads" have recently been/are currently being/will soon be repaved. Drive your stiff-suspension-smart with care.
- Parking is rarely free. Even in small non-tourist towns meters are prevalent and their hours are extensive. In winter months, parking bans can prohibit parking on select or all city streets. In large cities and select towns parking in residential neighborhoods can require a resident parking pass. (Burlington Parking App)
- Because of tourism, Vermont charging stations are becoming more prevalent. (Public Charging Map - Vermont)
- Vermont drivers over-adhere to one never-enforced-unless-in-an-accident "law": left lane is for passing; right lane is for travel.
- As in almost every state, when traveling on four-lane highways, motorists are required to indicate their intent to change lanes with their turning signal.
- Following too closely or "crowding" is as prohibited in Vermont as it is in the "down states," however, it is never enforced and never obeyed.
- Routinely, Vermonters will indicate their intent to pass with their turn signal, pass in the correct manner, and then—as soon as their rear bumper passes your front bumper—immediately cut in front of your car. All Vermonters are incapable of gradually merging back across the center line and over into the right lane of travel after they are a few hundred safe feet ahead of your car (in a slow manner).
- The most extreme example witnessed: Driving the speed limit on an empty four-lane highway at night (no other headlights in sight); a car with Vermont plates caught up (they were going about 15 mph over the speed limit), tailgated for a few miles, so-close their headlights were hidden (less than 20 feet away) then they indicated with their signal, passed, and cut so close in front that their bumper was not visible (less than 6 feet). [If it weren't so prevalent, I would have thought the driver was acting with malice and I would have called 911.]
- At least 25% of Vermont drivers seem to be unaware they are dangerous drivers.
- When "turning-in" after passing (which is the crux of the issue: learn to merge and stop veering) many Vermonters will over-correct, cross the right white line with their tires and/or hit the rumble strip and throw up dust and sand.
There is (still) nothing to see or hear except what is not here to see
Decades ago, within a few short months, I stopped working as an investigator and stopped husbanding (after twenty years and nine years of service, respectfully). That was the year I let my hair down for the first time in my life—literally as well as figuratively.
Before retiring, my latter years as a military investigator were spent supervising (an essential element of which was inspecting case files). One way to review closed criminal cases is to look for what first-echelon investigators and supervisors overlooked.
Example criminal case: Accident or suicide. After ingesting a relatively large quantity of intoxicants (legal and illegal) a soldier apparently disrobed, placed his folded clothes on the hallway floor outside his hotel room, opened the hallway window, and stepped out (or fell, or jumped, or was pushed). This scene (in Amsterdam, Holland, The Netherlands) was described, sketched, and photographed in detail. Witnesses were interviewed thoroughly. Autopsy, check. Toxicology, check.
The only thing of importance, which I discovered missing: the height of his fall. Nowhere in the file was there a measurement of the distance from the second floor windowsill to the sidewalk. Added confusion: European second floors are US third floors (the ground floor in Amsterdam is 0). The investigators and their immediate supervisors failed to determine how far the victim/subject fell. [Based on examination of crime scene photographs, I estimated it was over thirty feet—because "ground floor" was, maybe, half a flight of steps above "street level" and ceiling-heights appeared about three meters high—but, guessing is not investigating. I directed the investigators to go back and measure.]
"Why drive three hours to measure that distance, Chief? Seems like a extreme waste of time and money for a closed accidental-fatality case."
I looked sternly at the investigator while I "air typed" with my fingers and said, "Dear Senator Helpmeout, my son's death is listed under 'accidental means' and the file, which I obtained under a FOIA request, says he 'stepped or jumped' out of a 'second-story window.' My son was a good boy and I don't think he would have voluntarily taken all the drugs listed in the toxicology report, but, even if he did, how's it possible for him to have died falling from a second story window? I could jump outta my bedroom window—on the second story of our house—and the worse thing that would happen is I might sprain an ankle."
◫
Most people let their hair down when they first move out of their parent's house. I didn't.
With never a pause, I morphed from overly responsible teenager putting himself through college, to young soldier taking care of an unplanned family, to adult with two cats in the yard and we'll get-together then, son, you know we'll have a good time then.
So...when I found myself retired and single in Prescott, Arizona at the age of 42...I dove head-first into a auto-didactic double major of meditative self-awareness and immersion in nature. During which, I experimented with—among other things (some foolish, others less-so)—automatic writing.
With my eyes closed, in a "light meditative state," I spoke questions aloud and my hand scribbled answers on a large sheet of paper. After much-of-nothing-memorable the following happened:
Me: How old will I be when I die?
Right hand (eyes closed): Fifty three.
Me: What day of the year will I die?
Right hand (eyes still closed): 31 December.
Even at the time I never paid much heed to it. Over the past decade, I mentioned it, jokingly, a few times when a conversation topic turned to "weird experiences."
Around 2007, when the 21 December 2012 Myan-apocalypse began to hit fringe people's radar, I - again - recalled my own faux-ominous date o' death based on nothing but my own foolishness. One which was supposed to be 31 Dec 2012.
That was a week ago, and all of our heads, including my own, are still snapping.
I'm fine.
How you doin?
◫
What I am attempting to point out with this essay, is that we all rarely pay attention to the obvious, staring-us-in-the-face, always present thing-at-the-back-of-our-conciousness—which we are in the habit of not bringing forward to our mind's worktable very often.
We would-maybe-kinda like to know how much longer we have and when we are going to die.
We tell ourselves, it will happen sometime in the future. And not just the future. The distant future. Ten years from now. At least. We assume that it will happen when we are old. And we never think we are old. Even when we know we are old, we tell ourselves, we are still not old enough to die of old age.
We always assume: 'tomorrow will be another day'.
We rarely consider that
Even as we are falling thirty-five feet to our seconds-away demise, sure hope I don't sprain my ankle jumping out this second-floor window is our la...
(Original essay written 5 Jan 2013. Updated/edited March 2020.)
More how to think about death philosophy:
Errantly Without Tether
errantly without tether | attentively phaseout dither | contently overflout blather
currently about whether | cogently sickout bellwether | petulantly doubt weather
evidently indevout neither | nocently freakout swither | redolently rout forgather
virulently spout mouther | patiently waitout bother | puriently pout-out together
(if) ⇒ changing direction in an aimless manner with no physical restraint [then] politely attend to the wishes of others by gradually discontinuing to behave in an indecisive manner [and then] in a peaceful state, openly disregard long pointless verbose rants
(because) ⇒ at present the topic under discussion is requesting a decision between these alternatives [either] think in a clear and logical manner and participate in an organized period of unwarranted sick leave as a leader [or] in a childish bad-tempered manner, question the factual information about current visible atmospheric conditions
(also) ⇒ it is obvious to all, those lacking in religious conviction do not [cause] intentional harm, react in a irrational manner, vacillate between [nor] act in a manner reminiscent of forcing a disorganized retreat from a peaceful assembly
(instead) ⇒ in a bitterly hostile manner, declaim for all to hear, those who give "lip service" [and] without becoming annoyed, hunker down and stay in place during the difficult time [until OK to resume] acting in an overtly sexual manner, holding lips to appear sexually attractive while in public spaces, with one or more other people
additional collections of stanzas structured to instruct:
SQUARESPACE Business Model: Kill Golden Geese Daily
- Impress geese (who have an ability to lay small golden eggs for life) with high-end ubiquitous marketing and impressively up-to-date, shiny, shit.
- Kill geese while removing gold egg.
- Discard goose carcass.
- Wash hands.
- Rinse.
- Repeat.
I sent squarespace this email and have not received a response.
Want to know why some fantastic computer games fail? Because their designers are “too innovative.” This is a lesson you at squarespace need to heed. I am three steps away from taking my sites to a more user-friendly home and requesting a refund for my year (before ever going live).
I just spent ten minutes trying to FIND OUT HOW to change my credit card info (my old card got hacked the day I used it to pay for squarespace - just a correlation, not a causation). It is not under my Profile; Accounts & Security. Also, there's no explanation where to find it at Accounts & Security.
I feel, at this point, you—squarespace-email-reader/responder—might need to have this explanation provided, because you are stuck in your paradigm - and you think “your way is a better way”. Every other company, which I pay a subscription to, puts payment in a prominent place in my account or profile - or - they tell you where it is placed. You hide yours.
Related: Your FAQ works fine. Type update credit card; answer is available.
Related: Your CONTACT US works like a computer game that wants to test your temerity and willingness to solve the puzzle. It took me another ten minutes to find a way to send you this email.
The end of every subject tree ended with another branch of sentences, and a “Do you still want to contact us? take a screenshot and ...” WTF squarespace - you need to get out of your own way.
All this does is tell me you hate emails from customers. You despise reading complaints. And, you do not intend to ever peek out at what the industry is doing differently / more efficiently / gaining customer satisfaction better at, than you.
You need to hire “secret shopper type” users to crawl around inside your over-designed sleek and impressive rabbits warren of a site and make things better or you are going to lose to Wix or Wave or whatever other new site is making things fun and simple, instead of more complicated, on the user end.
-Veach Glines
I am not surprised they did not respond. Are you?
Semalt SEO Scam - a Blogger's Perspective
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Hire An Older Worker (Covid19 meme)
This flyer was posted on the bulletin board at my office (temporary job with the US Census Bureau). It is a legitimate form published by the US Department of Labor - Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) encouraging employers to Hire An Older Worker.
Obviously, I added the parenthetical phrase containing too much punctuation and too many capitalized words (because the actual form is humorously over punctuated/capitalized). The form is about the size of a large book-marker, probably designed by a retired grammar teacher who idolized Ben Franklin (200 years and still not a more appropriate poster-codger?), and they had no training in visual design.
If you think my attempt at humor is insensitive, cool your jets high-speed and consider the number of elderly who will not get tested by a doctor because the Medicare program they are enrolled in has a deductible or a co-pay (or both) and a $100 doctor bill means a week without groceries.
Medicare-For-All is not the gold standard (no matter what Bernie Sanders says). Most elderly people I know (or have known) carry an additional insurance policy to cover the 20% Medicare does not cover, or to bridge the gap between the exponentially large cost of prescription medications (not covered by Medicare or Medicaid) or to pay for anything over Medicare's annual cap.
Veterans-Health-Care-For-All is the tarnished-gold standard. With all the flaws of a VA hospital or clinic, they do not send you a bill, or cover only 80% or have a cap on annual services.
Obviously, I added the parenthetical phrase containing too much punctuation and too many capitalized words (because the actual form is humorously over punctuated/capitalized). The form is about the size of a large book-marker, probably designed by a retired grammar teacher who idolized Ben Franklin (200 years and still not a more appropriate poster-codger?), and they had no training in visual design.
If you think my attempt at humor is insensitive, cool your jets high-speed and consider the number of elderly who will not get tested by a doctor because the Medicare program they are enrolled in has a deductible or a co-pay (or both) and a $100 doctor bill means a week without groceries.
Medicare-For-All is not the gold standard (no matter what Bernie Sanders says). Most elderly people I know (or have known) carry an additional insurance policy to cover the 20% Medicare does not cover, or to bridge the gap between the exponentially large cost of prescription medications (not covered by Medicare or Medicaid) or to pay for anything over Medicare's annual cap.
Veterans-Health-Care-For-All is the tarnished-gold standard. With all the flaws of a VA hospital or clinic, they do not send you a bill, or cover only 80% or have a cap on annual services.
Sommerzeit's Mailbox
other mailbox art:
AULDLANGSYNE's Mailbox
Avril Poisson's Mailbox
Avril Poisson's Mailbox
ÔSTARA's Mailbox
Serling's Mailbox
some image excerpts by Chad Abromovich at Obscure Vermont and by Jamie Wheeler
Serling's Mailbox
some image excerpts by Chad Abromovich at Obscure Vermont and by Jamie Wheeler
trichotillomania or alopecia or scabies (oh-my)
"Nah. Tray full-a pumpkin bread. That'z zit."
"Paws. How many brightcycles has it been GerAld? Feels like more than two full paws!"
"RanDal, dere'z corn-grease in-a cage up here. Also, the tallones up-next-over-there still haz thiztle seedz. But GerAld don mind sweet bread here. Not like da-normal brown stuff. Kind-a niz. Muz-a gave tithe thiz mornin cauze not hard yet."
"Yea. Saw tallone with colors ontop placing the tithe two naps ago. Went down to mine because sand-colored-quiet-predator was out at the same time. Then forgot. Yea."
"Smell anythin down low? Whoah. Da-spook goin on wid your tail RanDal! You tryin-a look zactly like GerAld?"
"Oh this? Yea. Well. No. RahNee said. After over visiting yours after last-longsleep. RahNee especially appreciated how LouAnn has used all GerAld's tailshed as lining. Said it was shit-hole amazing how much warmer and more comfortable Ger-Ann's is. So. RahNee pulled some of RanDal's. To line Ran-Nee's. Oh."
"Old-silent-owlz up-da-moonz-azz dat muz-a hurt! Mine fallz out on itz own. Know all bout dat? Right RanDal? Bout all my rattailz GerAld hairz?"
"Yea. Well. No. LouAnn told RahNee. Last greencycle. Tailshed runs in GerAld kin, yea."
"That'z waz laz-greencyclez story. Now. But, fore last bright moon. Went spookin. Round-acroz danger-stone river. Near the widewater crossin?"
"Wow. Scary. Never been that far. Scary-wow, wow."
"Saw DelMar wid samez tailshedz."
"Thought DelMar sqasked by machine on rocky-stone river. Cackel-black-owl food. Thought?"
"Dat waz DalMar. Iz not Dall. Dell. DelMar?"
"Yea. Well. No. New name. Yea."
"DelMar'z no kin of GerAld. DelMar iz tuftearz-kin. Not obviouz. Have-ta look close. Now. DelMar iz startin kin with ShaLoo. RanDal knowz bout ShaLoo? RanDal liztenin?"
"Yea. Well. No. Hear loud-black-clumx-predator. Claws on wall. Might need to climb. If tall one opens wall. Listen. Know little about ShaLoo from other-talk. Yea."
"ShaLoo haz bezt tailhair lined kin den. Ever. Bezt bezt. Get me?"
"Yea. Well. No. You nap with DelMar in, in Del-Loo? Yea?"
"No! Shitz-bath RanDal. Lizten. Two greencyclez back. GerAld waz spookin and ShaLoo wanted ta spook. GerAld spent almoz entire floodz-cycle in ShaLoo'z. Next moon I lose a patch of tailhair. Also. DelMar never had tailshed before now. And he tells me..."
"Oh. ShaLoo is giving it away. Oh."
"Atz right. RanDal? Maybez not tell RahNee? LouAnn might chaze me outta the much warmer and more comfortable tailshed-lined Ger-Ann's. Maybe wait til coldcyclez overz an mudcyclez started ta tellz RahNee?"
"Sure. One condition. Nap together for a few paws, until a patch falls out of mine. The old three-hole-skunk-burrow lost smell but is much-still-axoided, sure."
"Whatz da fox-bat-spook ..?!"
"Nap GerAld. Not spook. RanDal and GerAld are kin. Does RanDal remember GarAnn's sister was RayDol's nan? Remember RanDal? Nap."
"Who knowz kin back seven nanz?"
"RahNee knows kin back twenty nanz. RahNee talks. RanDal listens. Want to start kin with RahNee and never spook again. Tailshed is a prize RahNee will cherish. No more plucking pain for RanDal and RanNee's will be warm and comfy."
"Okz. Napz it iz, cuzin RanDal, GerAld'z rattailed kin. Napz it iz. And. GerAld'z gonna borrow comfy from RanDal. Warm and comfy. Nize."
Haiku 装飾 舗装 5-7-5 俳句 Asfault Ernate
snow on asphalt – trees
pertness – nude ’tween neck and knees
fingers – rule of threes
image excerpt by Craig Morey at MoreyStudio
All the Albans
o that quiet closeout dimming pretty wonderful February day
as we carefully creep, using don’t-fall-shins, in St Albans Bay
not a-top the crack-solid homonymous bay of Lake Champlain
but on its shore in the village bafflingly bearing its samename
as we slush thru a concentrated current of babypoo sewer gas
I must wonder why St Albans Town surrounds with all its mass
fools following foolish footsteps — severe imagination-dearth
or, did Albans Town gouge Albans City from mid-self in mirth
Albans: Point, Bays, Shire, Town, City & English protomartyr
lost their mind and their head (summer add a boating harbor)
guillotine blade St Albans Town, jurisd-enclave St Albans City
taxservice puzzle-zones: could smell a source of winter shitty
other Vermont uniquenesses:
ÔSTARA's Mailbox
Santa Claus' Mailbox
Serling's Mailbox
some image excerpts by Jamie Wheeler, SALLY MANN, Caroline Jensen, and muyestillo
Serling's Mailbox
some image excerpts by Jamie Wheeler, SALLY MANN, Caroline Jensen, and muyestillo
modicum of self-awareness
Normal is everyone.
NEFND is actively not recruiting.
Consider yourself a nonmember of the nonexistent fellowship of the neurodiverse? Then, I have your nonmembership card. Tell me where to send it.
When you pushed the button to power the object, which you are currently looking at, you were thinking concretely. This is me—as writer—drawing attention to the fact that you—as reader—are touching tangible objects (even if you are floating in space's micro-gravity, without clothing, listening to a galactic podcast of these words, your entire body is touching the nitrogen-oxygen compound, which you are breathing in). The objects you are touching exist. Time is passing as you read. All this is your individual empirical reality.
(Even if someone ink-on-paper-ized this essay for an unfortunate someone with no electric-power)—everyone's brain gathers information from their senses. All empirical knowledge is gained from our senses. Time may pass at different speeds for different people (a scientific fact for the hypothetical person in space compared to the hypothetical person reading by candlelight) but that fact is not empirical. That fact is an abstract concept.
If you can think abstractly, when you were reading the two previous parenthetical phrases (which both began with the word even) you briefly pictured—in your mind’s eye—a naked person floating in space, breathing Nitrox, and a person on earth reading by candlelight.
If your mind’s eye did not engage—there may be another way to determine if you are capable of abstract thought.
Think about what makes up the person who is you. Consider your past thoughts and actions as well as your plans for your future self. If what you visibly 'look like' to others / in a mirror / on social media, intrudes into your thoughts, push those images into the background. Where do "you fit" into the following characteristics:
- What are some of your personal values? How important are they? List five in order of importance.
- Specifically: If you value honesty in yourself (and others) how often do you catch yourself being dishonest? Do you force yourself to tell hard truths or do you slip into easy white lies? Do you apologize when you have been untruthful or do you find excuses for continuing to be dishonest?
- Some examples of values: trustworthiness, work ethic, punctuality, empathy, spacial-awareness, quality of your listening and observing, health awareness, spend-thriftiness, forthrightness, selfishness vs selflessness, mettle.
- Think about a few pass-times or hobbies which are important to you. Do you set time aside for yourself and the mental/physical endeavors you enjoy or are you a "people pleaser" who prefers to participate in the pass-times of others? Are there any changes you might prefer to make when considering your current dynamic?
- Are you happy? Content? What is your well-being most connected to or influenced by? (e.g. wealth, education, love, creativity, career, self-awareness, geographic location)
- What is it about yourself that most pleases you?
- When / where / with whom are you most content?
- What (within your control) could you change to improve your situation?
- Future planning plays how important a role to your present self?
- How often have you accomplished previous plans you made?
- If you think planning for your future is important, but rarely accomplished previous plans, are you Ok with this conflict between desire and outcome? Is there something you could do to alter this pattern of behavior?
- What habit(s) or routine(s) do you least admire in yourself?
- Examples: procrastination, addiction, ability/inability to "say no", ability/inability to confront or accept confrontation, openness to praise and criticism, laziness, gluttony.
In my previous article on Asperger's I stated, '...NEFND only requests its nonmembers strive to possess a modicum of self-awareness...', By considering the above characteristics you have not only thought abstractly about yourself, you began the process of becoming self-aware. The next step involves focusing on details.
Everyone's characteristics (like in my analogy of a Venn-diagram) change when they are viewed as a whole—one on top of the other. Some characteristics are completely covered by others (e.g. nobody knows your flavor of sexual fetish unless you share it). Other characteristics are at-times hidden and other-times not-hidden because of timing and opportunity (the only people who know you suck at Karaoke are the other bar patrons).
Your examination of the gestalt that is you requires a willingness to determine what part(s) of your behavior(s) could be causing friction with people around you (or, within yourself). Improving your own well-being is not simple. But the first step is becoming aware that you have the power to improve you.
Final point: When a human resources employer asks you to, "Tell them a recent challenge that you have overcome," they do not want to hear another applicant explain their struggles with being a perfectionist; they are just trying to determine if you are self-aware. They want to hire people who are open to criticism, can apologize when they make a mistake, and are capable of empathizing with co-workers. Become self-aware. Then your answer to that question can be a brief explanation on how you overcame that challenge.
more values and abstract thought observations:
NEFND
In a prior article about my Asperger's traits I explain the impetus behind the design of the nefnd emblem. At the risk of redundancy, the acronym NEFND—approximately the word for named or for committee in Icelandic (Íslenska)—only requests its nonmembers strive to possess a modicum of self-awareness, humor, and a functioning conscience. There are millions of proud qualified-nonmembers; I am one.
The nonexistent fellowship of the neurodiverse (NEFND) recommends—to qualified and unqualified alike—that the engendered behaviors, resulting from the differently-wired neurons of qualified-nonmembers, be considered prima facie routinely accepted. Normal is everyone. Qualified-nonmembers should not be coerced to conform to the behaviors of unqualified-nonmembers, nor should attempts be made to fix, repair, or cure their (our) non-pathological behaviors.
At the risk of being crudely re-redundant: normal is everyone. Nefnd is actively not recruiting. If you consider yourself a nonmember, you are. Non-membership cards are a cut-paste-print away (albeit, the clear plastic 2.5 inch squares will require you to contact me - I am giving them away - I will mail you one).
more nefnd details:
fanart
my idiom du jour : off beaten path – local hidden gem
Rec Area DeForge : off river road – nearby an old dam
thine idiot (yours) : part match DeForge – haw an hem
cause now I’m tore : will it lose – now empty of 'them'
je ne sais quality-lore : with an over-full tiny lot – when
off⇡path⇣app explore : Bolton Falls – a picnic idyllic glen
distant from : Bolton VT – an' Duxbury dislikes this poem
from last October : I share – my best friend's leaf spectrum
other seasonal art-poems
Haiku 小道 5-7-5 俳句 Path
hey there below | moiaq ajayf hau
D’Abord Stalactite de Glace
Winterfall
other seasonal art-poems
Haiku 小道 5-7-5 俳句 Path
hey there below | moiaq ajayf hau
D’Abord Stalactite de Glace
Winterfall
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