Gas Station - U.S. Petroleum or Preminum

On Saturday..I had an encounter that I was truly greatful for. I was walking by the U.S. Premium Gas Station and a customer was livid. She had just filled up her tank and was soooo mad, she said to the older gentleman. "I have never paid so much for a tank of gas", she was pissed she paid $11.00 more than at any other gas station. She noticed what I have been noticing all along. You have to read the sign...."Economy" $2.55. Regular $3.19. Is this price gouging or what. I asked her what was the problem and she said..I asked for regular and didn't realize that the regular was the higher price. This is pure deception. Something has to be done. She said she was going to call a radio station and complain.

I walked by today and the sign and prices are still the same.....Your comments please.

OPINION: 7 Groups Of People The Media Pretends Don’t Exist

By Ashton Lattimore August 25, 2009 12:31 pm

Writing about Black people is hard. There are more than 40 million  in the United States alone, each running around with different ideals, interests, occupations, and income levels. With all of that going on, things are bound to get complicated. So how can the American news media—not renowned for its ability to cover nuance and complexity—engage with all of that?

Well, the short answer is that they can’t. Or perhaps won’t. Instead, the vast majority of coverage of Black people sticks to easily digestible narrative themes: Overcoming adversity, committing violent crime, engaging in secret elitism, complaining of real or imagined victimization by The Man, allowing the family unit to disintegrate, and so on—these are the types of Black people stories we’ve come to know and love.

And when some subset of people doesn’t fit into one of these pre-set narratives? Well, they get the Loch Ness monster treatment: Some kooky blog or other disreputable source might rant and rave about their existence and importance, but you won’t find CNN or the New York Times taking much notice. But we true believers, we know they’re out there. And so I present without further ado, 7 Groups Of People The Media Pretends Don’t Exist:

The Black Middle Class
Before anyone pipes up with a reference to The Cosby Show, try to remember that it ended more than 15 years ago. And the Obamas don’t count either—there’s nothing “middle class” about being the President of the United States. So what we’re ultimately left with is a case study in the coverage of extremes. CNN’s Black in America 2 offered a prime example of this in its choices of subjects: They showed the obligatory uplifting story of poor inner-city children being inspired to achieve their dreams, and later shifted gears to offer a peek into the world of the Black elite—mansions and debutante balls for all. Black families that fall squarely in between these two ends of the spectrum remain invisible.

Gay Black People

Did you hear? Bible-thumping, Obama-loving, and gay-hating blacks put the nail in the coffin of gay marriage in California. Yes sirree, according to coverage of Proposition 8 in several mainstream media outlets, all these black folks are very socially conservative and don’t hold with that same-sex relationship nonsense. Oh, unless they’re closeted gangsters on the down low or something, creeping behind the backs of their wives. Other than that, nope—no healthy, happy, non-dysfunctional gay or lesbian relationships among African-Americans. Move it along folks, nothing to see here.

Missing Persons Who Aren’t White And Female

Because only little white girls disappear, apparently. If you’re male, or a person of color—or to be honest, even just a brunette—and you have the misfortune of being kidnapped or otherwise going missing, good luck ever being seen or heard from again.

Non-Christian Black People

To hear the mainstream media tell it, black people are all just a-wavin’ our fans and catchin’ the Holy Ghost in the pews, like extras in a Tyler Perry movie. That’s why any politician who wants the black vote must give adequate attention to The Black Church by showing up at a Christian service or two. There are, of course, Black adherents to other faiths, not to mention (horrors!) Black atheists and agnostics. In fact, a CBS survey found that at least one-third of American Muslims are Black! But as usual, the compulsion to paint Black people as a monolith, combined with a dash of historical nostalgia—(The Civil Rights movement was centered in churches! Their strong faith in Jesus carried them through slavery!)—keeps coverage of Black people and religion safely insulated from such nuance.

Educated, Married Black Women

If the constant hysterical repetition of the scary statistics is to be believed, you’re about as likely to run into a happily married, educated Black woman with children as you are to be handed a pot of tax-free gold by a leprechaun riding on the back of a unicorn. The most recent incarnation of the “Black women with degrees are condemned to spinsterhood” article appeared on MSNBC earlier this month. It helpfully explained that “many” Black women with advanced degrees remain unmarried—no specific number, just the ominous “many.” The piece then went on to tell that 38 percent of highly educated Black women born between 1961 to 1970 are childless. The other way to say that statistic, of course, is that 62 percent of those highly educated Black women do have children. But I’m guessing a headline like “A Solid Majority Of Highly Educated Black Women Will Marry and Have Children” just wouldn’t get as many clicks, or be as fun to recycle and reprint several times a year.

Africans Who Are Not Poor, Starving, and Living in Small Villages

Did you know that nearly 40 percent of people on the African continent live in urban areas? That means cities, like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. No? Of course you didn’t. How could you, when most American news coverage of African countries looks like a bunch of extended “Save the Children” commercials?

Black Police Officers

No surprise here—the existence of black police officers is simply inconvenient, from a narrative standpoint. How else but by ignoring the existence of minority law enforcement officials could media outlets continue to crank out new spins on the old classic “Black Folks Have Historically Fraught Relationship With The (Racist) Cops” story? Don’t believe me? Take a look at the photo, from the recent racial dust-up surrounding the arrest of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.:

This is for the Kiddo's

Southwick's Zoo is open Daily 10am - 5 pm, 7 days a week, Including Holidays! Dondi and Family's Elephant Fun Facts Show takes place Daily at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm (weather permitting and 60 degrees or warmer). Records and Burpee's Family of Performing animals show, Daily at 12:00 pm and 3:30 pm. Bird Talk is Daily 1pm till 3pm (ongoing 2 hour presentation). Earth Discovery Center Presentations take place at 1:00, 2:00, & 3:00 pm daily! All Rides and Shows are weather permitting and are subject to change without notice.
Two New Bearded Pigs were born on May 22, Marmoset Monkeys born May 29, Piglets born May 28, Fallow & Sika Deer May 30th, Elk born on June 10th & a lot of Baby Goats in the petting zoo!

8/16/09 Family with Multiples Day on August 23, 2009!
Families with Twins, Triplets, Quadruplets, and more!! Parents and their multiples receive 1/2 priced admission on August 23rd (Sunday). Beat the heat! We have a walk through Mist Tent to cool you down on those hot summer days!!

For more information click here:http://www.southwickszoo.com/homePage.html

Hip Hip Hooray!!!

At the Governor′s direction, all future public workshops on any potential fare increase or service cuts have been suspended.”

“The Governor has been very clear that we will not allow a fare increase of any kind to come before the Board until an extensive top to bottom review is completed of the T finances and operations, and we can be confident that each and every cost saving and efficiency has been exhausted — we do not think that is yet the case. Our priority is to focus on the real issues facing the MBTA and its riders — safety, customer service and affordability

Ewwww Rats!!!!

Everybody listen up. I hear we have a serious rat problem. I heard these rats are real bold too. They are showing up in broad daylight and are really not afraid of humans. Please if you see any in your area call rodent control at 617-349-4899.

What's with all the empty commercial space?

I was walking down Mass. Ave. coming from Central Sq. I looked to my left I looked to my right and all I see is empty commercial space. The Heartwood Furniture Store, gone, Bowl and Board who used to be on Mass. Ave., for well over 20 years gone. I can't believe that the recession has had an impact on the People's Republic..LOL. How dare this happen to a city where the Mayor is elected by the City Council and not the people. I wonder why the City Manager who is not elected by the people has the most power, something is just not adding up, and the city where they recycle Mayor's. Well yanno something, it's not all that bad, we could of ended up with somebody like Mumbles Menino, you got to love this city. I wouldn't live in no other.

Comments appreciated....

The Price of Gas……Don’t be Fooled

I have been looking at gas prices in the area. I’ve noticed at Sunoco their price is $2.59 a gal. for regular self service. Shell gas station going down Concord Ave. heading towards Belmont is $2.69 a gal., Fresh Pond Gas, which takes cash only, is $2.54 a gal. I am trying to figure out why does U.S. Petroleum at the corner of Concord and Walden have such high gas prices and are not in-line with everybody else in the neighborhood. I don’t know if you have noticed, but they have economy, regular and premium. Don’t let the price of $2.55 a gal fool you, that is economy and not regular. You know how you go into a gas station and say fill it up with regular; well their regular is $3.19. They have a big sign with $2.55 a gal at the top and you just assume it’s regular, because that is the way all the other gas stations advertise, but don’t be fooled.

I hope this was helpful…..Your comments are welcome.

The Bus Stop…..blah blah blah

If you are one of the many people that have to wait at the bus stop on Concord Ave, like myself, it’s one of the longest waits in the world. Waiting for the 74 and the 78 is not one of the most enjoyable times to spend your morning, but you know you have to go to work and want to be there on time. What I have been noticing lately is that one particular driver likes the old style of bus, the one that you have to lift you leg at least five feet to get onboard.

I was wondering to myself, did he pick that bus, because he doesn’t want to deal with the baby carriages, this is just a thought…..hooray for him LOL. I remember back in the day if you were bringing your toddler on the bus and you had a stroller you would fold it up, carry your child on the bus and make room for the passengers. Nowadays, it seems like we just don’t get any respect. I love children, I have one of my own, but I think baby carriages should be folded up and people should be courteous and make room for others. This is just my humble opinion.

Now it’s not just the baby carriages. There is one particular older gentleman that sits on the bus and reads his newspaper and I think he thinks he’s sitting in his own living room. He sprawls on the seat and looks at you and dares you to sit down. I haven’t taken the plunge yet, but when I do I will let you know. The trials and tribulations of riding the 74&78.

Don’t you just dread waiting for the bus in the Underground Railroad platform in Harvard Sq. It’s hot, stuffy and you can’t even get any cellphone service to past the time. Guess what I heard the reason there are so many 71’s and 73’s, is because the planner of the bus schedules lives on that route, how enlightening. I heard she retired, but it’s amazing how often they come and the very low ridership. There were plenty of times I have seen those buses come into the tunnel with one or two people and sometimes they are completely empty, but whatcha gonna do blah, blah blah….

I’m to the point that I catch the first thing smoking to get home and that is usually the 72, where you can get off at the corner of Huron and Concord and walk down. Hey I got a tidbit for you. If you get out in Central Sq., what I usually do to beat the Underground Railroad fiasco, I take the 83, which stops on Rindge Ave and you can walk down Sherman and easily walk to your destination, it’s better than waiting in Harvard Sq. Just thought I’d share that with you.

I betcha didn't know that the 78 is one the the possible buses slated for elimination and the 72, which they consider one of the buses that overlap on another route will be eliminated too. The schedule for the 74 is going to be adjusted and who knows what that means. They are reducing all weekday evening bus service by 50% after 8:00 P.M. and reducing all weekend bus service by 50%.

There will be a hearing on Thursday, August 13th at the Somerville High School Auditorium, 81 Highland Ave - 5:30 - 7:30 P.M. I cant make, but if you can let me know and I will post it on the blog.

What have been some of your experiences riding the bus, please do share. Your comments are welcome.....

The Dry Cleaner’s

It's funny, but one of my quirky issues is the price of dry cleaning and who gives the best prices and service. I use to use Sparkle Cleaners at the corner of Concord and Walden, but I was finding that I always needed something the same day and they don't provide that service. So I tried the Crimson cleaners on Huron Ave, they would get it back to you, if you came when they opened, but it is a small hike from where I live, but the customer service is great.

My dry cleaners experience resulted in my settling for Imperial Cleaners at the corner of Huron and Concord Ave. Lynn and her husband are always a breathe of fresh air in the morning. The prices are great and they do an excellent service in cleaning your clothes. Just remember if you want creases in your pants let them know, because it's not automatic. Oops! the customer service is also great.

Guess what I almost forgot about Royal White Cleaner’s, they pick-up and deliver and they are f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s.

Let me know your favorite merchants, all comments are welcome......

Who Are You and What Do We Have in Common

You know you always wonder who are these new people in the area and it's really nice to know who are your neighbors, what you have in common and where they come from. It seems like their is always a condo up for sale a house being renovated or a yard sale. It would be nice if people would just introduce themselves. Let's try to create a community that is really unique.

If I see somebody new in the area I always introduce myself and ask them where they are from. I usually see them with a dog and I always tell them about Danehy Park, where they can walk their dog and meet a lot of people from the neighborhood.

Who have you met lately in the neighborhood?

Your comments are welcome....