Blow This!

To the conductor of the 3:30AM train that just roared by, I hope you get the foreskin of your willy stuck in the zipper of your trousers!!

“How’d you get the beans above the frank?!” - from the 1998 comedy There’s Something About Mary

Was it really necessary, at that time of night, to lay on the whistle like you did, twice?!

Not only did you blow that darn thing SO flipp’n long to wake up the dead but you also woke up every sleeping dog in the area who are now barking incessantly, GRR

People, Alas

“Reasons I Stay Home”

About sums it up perfectly!

Use Yah Blinkah!

What’s the deal with SO many of these East Tennessee drivers and their refusal or perhaps it’s their inability to use said blinkahs?

I realize that like one out of every five vehicles has a handicap license tags here in Tennessee -

However, I find it had to believe that you can get a handicap tag for the inability to have the basic common curtesy to signal the vehicle’s behind you that you’re making a turn!

So do betta please.

Doggie Land Mines!

Different state, same issue -

I just assumed things would be different here in East Tennessee but I was mistaken.

Different state. Different town. Same lazy, disrespectful dog owners who do NOT pick up after their dogs do their business! They ignore the posted signs AND even though there are “doggie” stations with poop bags and their own trash receptacles, still there are those lazy, entitled POS that refuse to comply.

It was more obvious to me yesterday, as I needed to walk on the grass berm next to the paved walking trail that was flooded out with all the rain we’ve got. So, not only did I need to navigate puddles and mud but also mounds of neglected dog poop. And this is at a seemingly popular walking trail in Greeneville.

I’m not surprised, more so just disappointed.

Me Me Me

Honestly, why are people SO clueless?!

If you were boarding a plane, would you wait until you placed your bag in the overhead compartment and then, while holding up the boarding process, proceed to root around in your bag to find and take out your tablet?! All the while taking your time, as if you’re the only one that exists?

GRRR! Inconsiderate POS!

Phew! Okay, I feel better now. Thanks for listening.

STOP! Enough Already

My USPS delivered mail from yesterday -

(6) pieces and ALL mass mailing junk!

I tear these items up and right into the trash they go, never looking at any of it.

What a waste of resources and the mail carriers time, as each piece need to handled multiple times before even being delivered. Since most of this junk mail is addressed, it forces the carrier to stop at each and every mailbox, thus extending his\her day and why you often see mail carriers out late and well after dark.

The USPS, the whores that they are, luv this junk for the money it generates for them,  They do NOT care about the waste it creates, the mail carriers time and effort to sort and deliver, nor the customers who simply do NOT want to receive this annoying ka-ka, and do as I do and immediately toss it all into the trash.

The USPS mail has become just as annoying and bothersome as email spam and general advertisements!  Whether it be on regular TV, e.g. an NFL game, a paid services, e.g. Netflix or simply accessing the Internet to read an article, e.g. Foxnews!

All incessant, overbearing and unwanted.

I would be interested to see a break down of how much work or responses these solicitations actually generate and if they're even worth the expense.

Clueless and Selfish

Let me ask you all a question...

What are your thoughts on people who bring cups of a beverage, e.g. hot coffee or hot tea, with them when visiting and going to real-estate open houses?!

Yay or Nay?

Personally, I find it VERY presumptuous and 100% unacceptable!

My neighbors house is for sale and they had an open house the other day.  Since my house is also on the market, I kept a close eye on the (few) parties that came.

I watched as one couple unloaded their kids and then each gathered up what looked like takeout hot coffee or hot tea cups as they marched right into the house with these items in hand. Honestly, you're taking a house tour NOT visiting friends\family, which will take what 5, 10, 15 minutes?  Can't you go that long without your coffee or tea, really?! Leave that shit in the car!  What happens if a cup spills; on carpet? on a piece of furniture? on whatever? Who's responsible for cleaning the spill and subsequent costs of on an item that needs professional cleaning?

Yeah, sorry NOT sorry but NO WAY!  I've already reached out to my realtor to let her know that under no circumstances are cretin visitors allowed to enter my open houses with food or beverage. I struggle as it is with just having dirty strangers parading through my house.

C'mon, there's a time and place!

Why not light a cigarette too, use the toilet (EWWW) or lay in my bed (tosses bed out the window after learning this) while you're at it.

Show some respect, common decency and self control, IT'S NOT YOUR PLACE!

It frustrates me to no end having to mention this seemingly obvious thing!

POS

I "Wiped" Out...

Oh boy, did I screw up, UGH!

I inadvertently bought a package, 4-rolls, of "Greg Frye" 1-ply toilet paper earlier this week!

Yes, I'm sure an ideal product for septic systems and waste processing plants, as it begins to disintegrate as soon as you take the rolls out of the plastic wrap. But honestly, it's virtually useless, even if you try to stack it into a multiply, still useless!

I don't believe this product could even be used to "TP" someone's yards this Halloween, it's that bad.

Actually, it "stinks"...

Road Hog

Returning home from my walk the other afternoon I noticed the below grey car stopped in the middle of the street.  No hazard lights on, no blinkahs on and nothing in front of it blocking it's way. It was just stopped and idling.

I stood at the end of my driveway for several minutes just watching this, staring in confusion. At first I thought maybe they need assistance but the more I watched the more it seemed the person was looking down at their phone.

Okay, so perhaps the person is lost or needed to respond to an urgent text, but why would you just stop in the middle of the street like that?! It's dangerous! It's selfish! It's inconsiderate! It's wrong!  

Have the decency, curtesy and respect to do the right thing! If there was an immediate reason and need to stop there, at least pull as close to the curb as you can and put on your hazard lights so everyone is forewarned.  Better yet, drive another 100 yards up the street and you can pull into the side street and out of harms way.

As you can see below, this stunt was causing confusion for other cars coming up behind it - 

And this is another reason why we can't have nice things!

These days most people are selfish and only think about themselves, which is exactly what I was witnessing with the above actions, hence all this entitlement you see all the time now.

I'm awarding this person the following - 

Shame on this POS. Do better!

Hawk Tuah Disgraces!

 This is why we can't have nice things!

Actually, this right here is why I have little desire to watch this upcoming football season and sports in general these days.

Eagles player ejected for spitting on Cowboy's quarterback BEFORE the first play of the season

Where has sportsmanship and professionalism and pride gone?  Today's sports and athletes (not all of them) are cut from a different <cheap> cloth than the ones I watched growing up. 

Many of these athletes are overpaid egotistical, spoiled, entitled, crybaby sore losers

HOLD THE PHONE, this just in -

Not to be out done and less than 24-hours later, a college football player from the Florida Gator's says, "hold my beer" -

 Florida Gator player spits in face of opponent

and does the same disgraceful thing, POS!

Antics like these are not limited to football, it's ALL sports and seems to be happening more and more AND at ALL levels of play! Also, it's all BIG business now with over paid players, over priced tickets and merchandise, as well as commercials and advertisements forced down our throats. My time and money is worth SO much more than to be spent on this foolishness!

I bet you all dollars to donuts, if disciplined at all, it'll be a slap on their wrists.

Sorry, NOT sorry, there should be zero tolerance for this sort of behavior, which is basically assault, and both should be kicked off their teams and out of the league!

Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now, as you were.

Here's an example of the crazy prices for a hotdog at NFL stadiums -

Need I say more?!

This Is An Easy One!

An Audi, DEFINETLY and Audi!

Just my observations of late and it's without question Audi drivers!

Although, there are many, many a-holes on the road today, generally speaking the type of car really doesn't matter but Audi drivers in particular are presumptuous POS!

They're some of the BIGGEST assholes on the road.

Just thought I'd share and, PHEW, do I feel better now!

What I've Come To Expect

I thought I'd post a couple more examples of the shoddy upkeep that the town of Franklin is seemingly fine with.

I used to call the DPW and or the Highway and Grounds Division to lodge a complaint or request issues (I guess issues to me) be addressed, e.g. tall grass, weeds and poison ivy growing out of control along the sidewalks be mowed.  Although, I would get some sort of acknowledgement to my call or email, seldom was anything ever done, at least not within a reasonable time frame.

For the longest time the above departments used COVID as an excuse to justify their incompetency and mismanagement.  However, this excuse has run it's course but the recent failures to pass (2) million dollar town overrides (in a six month period) is now their new excuse - no monies available, budgets have been cut). Town administration mismanagement at it's finest!

The first two pics below is what the elementary school a mile down the road looked like ALL summer long.  Now some might argue why bother with regular maintenance over the summer when school is not in session, however, this school was used as the hub for summer child care\summer camp called "Solutions".  Oodles of kids dropped of there each day as their parents worked, so  A LOT of traffic in and out.  Sorry, NOT sorry but this is just sloppy and sends the wrong message and reflects badly on the town and the above mentioned departments tasked with maintenance and upkeep - in my opinion anyway -

Here is one example that shows grass and weeds growing in the cracks between the street and the sidewalk, as well as the cracks that are running across the sidewalk too.  Why have sidewalks that are hazardous? Here in New England winters are tough, so in an effort to ensure the sidewalks are safe and last for years, perhaps regular maintenance is needed, like sealing the cracks to prevent water from seeping in freezing and causing frost heaves and more damage -

There are fire hydrants along this stretch that have weeds growing around them 4 and 5 feet tall, essentially hiding them.  Storm drains have weeds growing in them, as they've not been cleaned or cleared. Intersections and side roads have weeds growing so tall cars have a difficult time pulling out because they're unable to see oncoming traffic.

These issues are not just limited to my Lincoln street and the stretch I walk, rather they're ALL OVER the town and can be seen as you drive the town.

What and where is my tax money going?!  Which by the way they keep going up!  They're building like crazy in Franklin too, with MANY apartment complexes all over town.  Where is that tax money going?!

A black-eye to the town of Franklin and again an embarrassment in my opinion.

I Can't Make This Stuff Up...

The frontage to the soccer field, at Dacey Field just up the street from me, has been designated as a "Pollinator Pasture" and has been this way for many years now.

Although, there are some flowers in this area, e.g. Black-eyed Susan's, Golden Rod, Queen Anne's Lace and Milkweed to name a few, it honestly fails at it's intended goal.

However, that being said, I'm sure there have been many insects and critters that have called this area home and completed their metamorphosis there.

Typically, the Franklin highway and grounds division mows this area down in the fall, which has been the extent of their maintenance on and to this "Pollinator Pasture".

Well, that was until a week and a half ago, when some Franklin town numbskull worker mowed it down, see below pic -

Honestly, it couldn't have been cut at a worse time in terms of the critters and pollinators using and relying on it.  I'm guessing there were many an insect in the midst of their transformations, e.g. caterpillar to moth, etc. Perhaps, growing praying mantis and SO much more but no longer, GRRR!

I posted these same pictures to the local Facebook Franklin town page and surprisingly someone from the highway and grounds division responded and claims the area was cut in error and that the person who did it "feels terrible".  HAHAHA, what a crock of BS, the feels terrible thing...

The other issue, which you can clearly see in the above picture, and it's one that I've come to expect from the Franklin highway and grounds folks because it's glaringly obvious in their workmanship most of the time, is the shoddy work they do!

The weeds growing along and up through the fence are STILL THERE TODAY a week and a half later!  Weeds around the trees and telephone pole in that area also still have weeds growing around them AND the cuttings from the mowing are STILL littering the sidewalks!

There doesn't seem to be any oversight from management, supervisors or town administrators and if so no one cares. They all seem okay with lazy half-assed workmanship and the message it sends to all and for all to see, ALAS!

Sadly and frustratingly, this is how the town of Franklin spends my tax dollars.

Therefore, I give the Franklin highway and grounds division AND the putz who "accidently" mowed this area the following merit badge.  It's well deserved for this debacle -

Honestly, people SUCK!

** UPDATE **: Here's an update to my posting from Thursday, July 17, 2025 titled, "Press Release - For Immediate Release"

On my walk yesterday afternoon I see that someone moved the trash can lid off the grass and out of the way.  It's still unsightly AND now an ideal breeding ground for mosquitos, of which there are mosquito larva swimming around in the collected water - 

In the picture below, you can also see a fresh BIG pile of dog poop that some selfish, lazy, inconsiderate POS couldn't be bothered to pick up!  It's only a kids ballfield at an elementary school so clearly there no need to remove this -

Dollars to donuts the owner of this dog is one that touts how much of a dog and animal lover they are and one of the first "keyboard warriors" to jump on to defend any negative social media posting about POS dog owners who refuse to clean up after their animal.

May the dog's owner get violent and uncontrollable diarrhea when standing in line at the grocery store check out counter!  Karma's a bitch...

Why?!

Would you ever?!?!?!

I award this person the following merit badge -

That's all.

Penny Wise, Pound Foolish!

Alas, as much as it frustrates me to see how the town of Franklin is spending our tax dollars, it does give me some satisfaction to vent about it here.  I don't have the patients or desire to call or try to reach out to the town directly on this issue, simply because I don't care to hear their excuses...

The parking lot at the grade school a mile down the street recently had the parking lines repainted.  However, as you can see in the few examples below, there was little to NO prep work done to prepare for the repainting or to help extend the life of the pavement itself.

Whomever did the work simple repainted over the old faded lines, weeds, rocks dirt and all!  How shoddy is this?!  Who made this decision?  At the end of the day how much money did they save, in the short term, by not prepping (removing weeds, rocks, dirt, etc.) and sealing the cracks (to prevent the winter freezing from heaving and making the issue BIGGER)?

It's an embarrassment really but what I've come to expect from how the town of Franklin is run and managed.  

Side note to further illustrate how skewed the town priorities are - the Franklin town Administrator has an anticipated - annual salary of $245, 267 for fiscal year 2026!  How is the world can this be justified?! Perhaps a BIG reason why the $3.6 million dollar override failed to pass...

Press Release - For Immediate Release

I alluded, in an earlier post, that the $3.6 million dollar town of Franklin override we voted on back in early June failed; it failed for the second time in a 6-month period.

This override quickly became contentious within the town pitting the "Yeses" against the "Nos" and it played out on social media and in the community. For example, FB posts often times had to have the commenting option disabled by the administrators after people became mean, rude, belligerent, inconsiderate, etc.  Also, people were complaining that both "For" and "Against" yard signs were being stolen and\or vandalized. Sadly, typical behavior in today's world.

Since the override failed, the town is using the failure to justify the town administrations mismanagement and overall shoddy upkeep. At this point they can no longer us Covid as a valid excuse as to why things are not getting down - boy did they wear this excuse out!

Here is one example of a new policy the town has instituted - a "Carry In / Carry Out" Trash and Recycling policy for the towns outdoor spaces, e.g. ball fields, playground, parks, etc. -

 

The item in the picture below is the lid to one of the trash cans that was located at the grade school ball field.  Seems the DPW crew removed the trash can but couldn't be bothered with taking the lid too.  It's SO bad that the town's ground crew, who are supposed to perform the upkeep of the ball fields and common area spaces, literally have mowed around this lid I kid you not!  Heaven forbid the mower operator dismount and put this in his town vehicle or at least move it out of the way in order to mow!

Typical and what I've come to expect from the town workers. UGH -

It's going to be interesting to see how this new policy plays out when the ball fields are actually being used on a regular basis.  From what I've seen, when there was trash cans available, there was ALWAYS trash left littering the sidelines and benches.  Seems parents today don't have the same values I was taught and clearly many of them don't pass said values along to their spoiled, peanut allergy ridden brats.

As Glum from the Hanna-Barbera cartoon said, "We're doomed", alas!

Be Alert At All Times!

The dangers are real, VERY real!

A fellow postal carrier was rear-ended earlier in the week while out delivering mail on his route!

Slammed into by someone driving too fast (some were saying close to 40mph), too impatient and likely not even really paying attention.

Thankfully he was wearing his seatbelt, however, he was severely concussed, severely bruised where the seatbelt was (which not only is a laptop belt but also one that comes down and across your chest) and suffered a broken foot and broken arm.  Although, this happened in Millis, MA, he was rushed to Mass General Hospital in Boston for care!

This is the LLV he was rear-ended in.  The front passenger side is all smashed in too, as he was pushed into a stone wall.  The picture doesn't really show the damage and how bad the truck really is -

This could have been SO much worse too.  We not only deliver USPS mail but also Amazon and UPS packages.  These range in size from small, will fit in the mailbox, to BIG and heavy, which require the mail carriers to dismount the LLV to drop the package at the front door, garage, etc.. We're all super vulnerable as we undo the seatbelt to exit the truck, then climb back in and buckle back up. I can't imagine the outcome had this carrier been unbuckled and in the midst of the above.  Also, not to mention that we have an arm out the LLV most of the day, while placing mail in mailboxes, often times needing to stick more than an arm out in order reach a mailbox. It's scary to think of the scenarios of getting rear-ended when in this vulnerable position.

I see it every day that I'm in the LLV, people are SO impatient, drive too fast, come too close to the truck as they speed by and often times are angry that we're blocking the road by honking and flipping the bird.

I don't know what the answer is to address this but would VERY much like to see the police step up the enforcement of speeders, aggressive drivers and distracted drivers, AND not just in protection of postal carriers but for everyone on the road that has to deal with the selfish POS who think they own the road.

How Dare You!

I had an encounter with a real life "Karen" on my mail route this past Monday, OMG!!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term "Karen", here is the Google machines definition -

Karen is a pejorative slang term typically used to refer to a middle class woman who is perceived as entitled or excessively demanding. The term is often portrayed in memes depicting middle-class white women who "use their white and class privilege to demand their own way".

Seems this person has not been receiving her USPS mail for well over a month now, maybe closer to two months.  She's called the Millis post office several times now to report this issue and spoken to both the supervisor and the post master who have told her that they'd look into it. Admittedly, being relatively new and all, I don't know the process or how such an investigation work, however, there doesn't appear to be any urgency on the post office side, so I understand "Karen's" frustrations.

The route that this "Karen" is a part of has over 500 mailboxes!  There are also (4) carriers, myself included, that rotate and deliver to this route, so one customer not receiving mail is NOT something that would be noticed.  Especially since this "Karen's" mailbox is in a CBU of an apartment complex and one of over 25 mailboxes\slots being delivered to each day.

So, on Monday, as I'm standing in front of the CBUs with their doors opened and an arm full of mail this "Karen" pulls up, gets out of her vehicle and approaches me.  Now I'm an easy going person and ALWAYS greet anyone who approaches me with a smile and an hello, and I'm ready to help in any way and did exactly that!

"Karen" was a bit tempered and calm when she first walked up to me and began her questioning.  Still unaware of what was coming, I remained friendly and helpful, and even offered my sympathies. I told her what I knew, that her issue was being looked into and that we've NOT received a single piece of mail for her (hence why it wasn't being delivered) for months now.

Believe it or not she pooh-poohed everything I said - in one ear and out the other!  She claimed she knew her mail was making it's way to the post office, just not being delivered, then flat out asked me why I, ME, was taking her mail! She was actually standing right in front of me and accusing me of taking her mail, I KID YOU NOT!!! 

Of course I was taken aback at the accusation and honestly in shock at the turn of events going from having a civil conversation to one where I found myself the accused and having to defend myself.  I did my best to remain calm and respectful, perhaps using the "F" word once or twice to stress how I felt about being blindsided and her nerve to confront me and accuse me of such a thing and in such a manner.  I told her I was done talking to her, ignored her and went back to delivering the mail, as she continued ranting and saying she was going to get to the bottom of this to prove I was steeling her mail, UGH!

There is clearly an issue at and with the post office, as her mail is NOT arriving at the Millis PO, and it needs more urgency to figure it all out and to get resolved.  I understand her frustrations, however, IT DOES NOT JUSTIFY HER ACTIONS AND HOW SHE TREATED ME!

Here is the note this "Karen" left inside her CBU mail slot!  This after talking to management at the PO - 

Sadly, this is just another example of people today and where we are as a society.

I hope the issue gets resolved soon AND I also hope this "Karen" gets violent and uncontrollable diarrheas when stuck and sitting in traffic for pulling such a stunt!

I Mean The Nerve

This is SO true!

Matter of fact, some POS pulled into my driveway last night around 7ish and just sat there for a a while, then backed out and went back the way he came.  AND I reacted EXACTLY like Dwight in the picture below, I kid you not!  Honestly, I was about to put my sneakers on and head out there and chase the dickhead off.  The nerve of some people. Piss off somewhere else!

Yup, I'm a grumpy old man!