Except for some of the deepest piles, the snow is gone. Maverick, the big Dog and I took a two mile walk in the morning mist and then I dittoed that with Perseus, The Little Guy. Nice to be able to walk around outside without being bundled up like a kid in a snowsuit. (Remember those, older folks?)
It looks like some road gigs may be coming my way, but these are still thoughts and nothing is even close to being written in stone. Based on ongoing discussions my colleagues and I have, it will be a very long time (if ever) that touring returns to pre-2020 levels. That said, what else are we going to do except, well… the best we can.
Well, it’s always warm in the Fur Peace Station, so I hope to ‘see’ you all there tonight.
Stay well!
Proud union member, AFT, Local 9, AFL-CIO; NEA, AEA, VEA; lifetime retired FairfaxEA
Oh you don’t get me I’m part of the union
You don’t get me I’m part of the union
You don’t get me I’m part of the union
Till the day I die, till the day I die.
-Strawbs, 1973
I was a union shop steward for state employees for nearly 20 years. My grandfather was a steward at the Ford Twin Cities plant during the Depression, and you’re right, life wasn’t pleasant for those who organized back then. One of my most inspiring moments with the union was when we held a rally for the striking Pittston coal miners in Athens, and the group Daughters of Mother Jones came up to perform. amazing women! m
One last note on Unions. Like all things in life Unions have there Warts. Power breeds corruption. It happens in ALL walks of Life. I’ll live it at that.
If it were not my Union membership in 1199 way back in the 1970s, I would not be where I am today.
Dug #39. Thank you.
@Jorma
My father and his father were in the printers union and worked in the NY newspapers ,my other grandfather worked in the Shmata trade aka rag trade aka garment trade..I am a retired union set builder of 40 years in NY and can thank the union for a pension and health care..Glad to see all these positive replies..And my favorite movie of all time and a great book..”The Grapes of Wrath”
Gotta take a moment to voice my support for unions, too. The only way those that weren’t born with connections or a silver spoon in hand can make a decent living with decent wages/benefits and job/retirement security. I can’t imagine the laughter and celebrations that took place among the bosses and owners when they realized that they managed to convince a good chunk of the U.S. population that they would not benefit from union membership. A bit like managing to convince fish that they should rethink the importance of this water thing.
As a retired Union Carpenter from New Jersey “35 yrs hard working” glad to hear you have our support. My Grandparents came from Czechoslovakia & Austria in the 1800’s. Settled in the North Eastern Pennsylvania hard coal region.My dad became a union Carpenter & settled in NJ. I followed in his footsteps & moved into the Atlantic City area late ’70’s to build casino’s.Proud to say I over saw the House of Blues job at the Showboat. HT played there.
A side note I would like to honor my cousin Leonard Yurkovic who passed this pass week at the age of 83. Len was a 1961 Grad of the Naval Academy & was stationed in Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis. When he came to visit us one time he went by our school to visit the Catholic Mother Superior who told him years earlier he was a class clown & would be a failure in life. Len went on to be a CEO of international Co. Great Guy from a Great Family.
Glad to hear you talk so good about unions..I personally know all the guys who worked the Palladium back in the day you and Vanessa were talking about. I know I mentioned this once before but one of the stagehands told me a story how at about 5am of a late show that the boss hand pulled the bull switch on the power because all the crew had day jobs to go to working on soap operas..Different people now of course but most of the stagehands in NY are out of work with Broadway shut down with this virus..
Nice to see you keep up your union card still.. UNION YES!!!!
My father’s parents were all about unions in Finland before they came to this country in the late 1800’s. When my grandfather worked in in the mines in the UP, unions were all they had… I know you know what I’m talking about. In the mid 30’s my father was a fingerprint clerk in the FBI. In those days the US government didn’t allow organizing so when he and his co-workers tried to organize, well it didn’t go well for them. My father worked for the government all is life and that union business had him flagged until he retired in the 70’s. These right to work guys can kiss my… oops, I was going to try to avoid a rant. 🙂
Like they say in the song, ‘I’m stickin’ to the union!’
Having had my “I’ve fallen and can’t get up moment” walking the pooches one at a time in the “snirt” is a good move. Back live…..and we love it.
@Brad
Well played, sir.
A cold, dreary, rain washing the snirt (snow-dirt) away here too. Looking forward, again, to tonight!
If I may be so bold, like the used-to-be weekly looking forward to Ozzie and Harriet combined with the Saturday night Grand Old Opry, only different. Or, with the State Farm Insurance jingle in mind…”Like a Good Shepherd Fur Peace is there.”
Thank you, for the 39th time!
All you can do is all you can do, and you all do all well. I be there tonite.
Jorma here is hoping that any future road gigs swing through the Garden State. Stay safe ……….