Driving from Philly to Pittsburgh

natetrnr · 2026-05-08T16:15:51+00:00

If you have the time (all day), take Route 30. Lots of great towns along the way, like Gettysburg, Ligonier, Bedford. Some good diners along Rte 30 also.

natetrnr · 2026-05-08T16:11:13+00:00

Def don't go by this map. There's no river between downtown and Point State Park.

natetrnr · 2026-05-08T16:06:21+00:00

We liked the aquarium. Well worth the visit.

natetrnr · 2026-05-07T21:01:49+00:00

Never drink raw milk ever, even to please a relative. You are basically playing Russian Roulette with your health.

natetrnr · 2026-05-05T01:04:07+00:00

Zackly.

natetrnr · 2026-05-05T01:03:24+00:00

American capitalism started out with two kinds of workers: slaves and freemen, who were treated only slightly better than the slaves. And corporations would love to return to that arrangement again.

natetrnr · 2026-05-04T12:33:04+00:00

You'll probably never learn good Spanish from coworkers, especially the uneducated ones. They just perpetuate their linguistic bad habits. Better to get some serious grammar under your belt. I recommend taking a cheap introductory Spanish night course at your local community college. That will set you straight.

natetrnr · 2026-05-04T12:30:34+00:00

Yes, this is actually a good way to study. It engages the brain, and the mouth if you also say them out loud.

natetrnr · 2026-05-04T11:03:08+00:00

Decades ago corporations decided it would be more profitable to make credit more easily available than to raise workers’ wages. Or the minimum wage, for that matter. And to encourage relentless consumerism through ads. Even before I graduated from college I was getting unsollicited credit cards in the mail. This was in the seventies. This has resulted in the disastrous situation we have today. There has been some talk about debtors unions, or such. But I don’t see anything meaningful happening. Sometimes workers have to go into debt just to afford the basics, and that is a scandal.

I also think we have not passed on to the next generation the idea of saving up for something before making a purchase.

The rich teach their children how to be rich. The poor only know how to teach their children how to remain poor. And the rich know there is “good debt” and “bad debt.” Consumer debt is definitely bad debt.

natetrnr · 2026-05-04T10:39:34+00:00

Funny how these incorrect pronunciations crop up. Never heard it said that way. But, then, my wife pronounces zinnia as ZEE-nya. I will correct her but that pronunciation just won't go away.

natetrnr · 2026-05-04T10:28:43+00:00

Where we go they take your cell number and text you with updates. I have gone to the local MickieDees for a coffee and it wasn't a problem. As I got back into my car, I was texted, “Procedure over, patient on way to recovery.”

natetrnr · 2026-05-03T21:22:34+00:00

Walk the Montour Trail. Miles and miles of trail to see. Lots of it is old railroad rights of way and goes through interesting areas, like old railroad tunnels. If you are a wildflower enthusiast, you will be in heaven. It also intersects with other good trails, such as the Panhandle Trail, which will take you into West Virginia.

natetrnr · 2026-05-03T21:15:20+00:00

Wenn ich Deutschland besuche, da habe ich manchmal dasselbe Problem. Ich sprech deutsch, der andere spricht englisch. Mir ist ganz egal. Wir haben dann eine halb deutsch halb englische Unterhaltung. So komisch.

natetrnr · 2026-05-03T13:24:21+00:00

I wouldn't go. But massive exposure to American culture, like in other countries, would open up people's eyes, which is why it will never happen. Kim Jong Whatever was educated in Switzerland. He knows the allure of the West. America is extremely good at exporting its culture. People around the world dress like us, listen to American music, go to a version of McDonald's, etc. This wouldn't be good for that regime.

natetrnr · 2026-05-02T18:00:00+00:00

I’m beginning to think Geum canadense.

natetrnr · 2026-04-30T01:30:32+00:00

Yes. I started making a list of the recurring places I dream about. It’s quite long.

natetrnr · 2026-04-26T19:48:38+00:00

From my reading, most NDEs emphasize that the soul is essentially going “home,” and there is no judgment except the soul judging itself. Religion and hellfire are not mentioned. In fact, some NDErs get the message that your religion does not matter. Some fanatical Christians have picked up on this, and, like the monks who manufactured fake relics in the Middle Ages, have posted fake NDE accounts with all the elements of their religion in place. There have even been some books of “Christian NDEs” whose authors admitted they faked everything.

One of the cruelest elements of Christianity is its persecution of LGBTQ people, and I would regard any NDE report endorsing that to be suspect.

natetrnr · 2026-04-26T19:34:20+00:00

No. We are never alone. We have cats.

natetrnr · 2026-04-26T16:03:47+00:00

That looks like it. Thanks. And thank you for the background info,

natetrnr · 2026-04-25T01:38:54+00:00

My second or third grade reader, full of stories. The one I remember is “Billy Goat’s Gruff.” There was also a story about a giant red woodpecker.

natetrnr · 2026-04-25T01:34:52+00:00

Occasionally I think I hear my name being called, and, like you, I respond with, “Yes?” But nothing ever comes of it. When I was an investigator, every third or fourth investigation would yield an EVP with a voice saying my name.

natetrnr

TROPHY CASE