Retiring Guy's Digest: 2020-02-09

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Greetings from Trump's America: Dickenson County, Virginia, where the decline of coal has hit hard

Decline of coal hitting Southwest Virginia hard. (WCYB, 12/24/2015)

While the population of Virginia is up 4.1 percent, census data shows, its seven coal producing counties are seeing a steady decline. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, each is down at least 3% from 2010 to 2014; Buchanan County -4.1 percent, Wise County -3.7 percent, Dickenson County -3.7 percent, Tazewell County -3.6 percent, Scott County -3.4 percent, Russell County -3.0 percent, and Lee County -2.5 percent.

Source: Wikipedia (Dickenson County, Clintwood)

Clintwood is the county seat of Dickenson County.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts

% of population 25 and older with bachelor's degree:

10.0% - Dickenson County
38.2% - Virginia
30.9% - U.S.

% of population 65 and older:

22.0% - Dickenson County
15.4% - Virginia
16.0% - U.S.

% of population living in poverty:

25.2% - Dickenson County
10.7% - Virginia
11.8% - U.S.

Very white, older, less educated, poor, rural.

Source: Wikipedia

3rd party votes: 9% in 1992, 10.6% in 1996. 2.7% in 2016

(George Wallace received 8.7% of the vote in 1968)

Jonnie B. Deal Memorial Library, Clintwood

Other Trump's America posts:
Alabama
Autauga County. (6/29/2017)
Bibb County. (11/10/2017)
Covington County. (11/11/2017)
Dale County. (12/12/2017)
Geneva County. (11/11/2017)
Marion County. (11/11/2017)

Arizona
Mohave County. (1/3/2020)
8th congressional district.  (4/25/2018)

Arkansas
Faulkner County. (3/20/2018)
Mississippi County. (3/19/2018)
Woodruff County. (3/26/2018)

California
Mesa County. (7/20/2017)
Shasta County. (7/4/2017

Colorado
Morgan County. (4/25/2017)

Connecticut
Windham County. (1/13/2020)

Florida
Citrus County. (11/9/2019)
DeSoto County,. (9/9/2017)
Pinellas County. (3/14/2019)

Idaho
Kootenai County. (9/25/2017)

Illinois
Effingham County. (2/15/2018)
Franklin County. (2/27/2017)
Jersey County. (5/12/2019)
Jo Daviess County. (5/13/2018)
Knox County. (5/13/2018)
Macon County. (1/22/2020)
McHenry County. (2/5/2017)
Perry County.  (5/8/2017)
Scott County. (11/7/2019)
Stephenson County. (5/13/2018)
Whiteside County. (5/13/2018)
16th Congressional District. (3/26/2017)

Indiana
Dearborn County. (3/16/2019)
Franklin County. (3/16/2019)
Granger.  (3/26/2017)
Hendricks County. (10/1/2017)
Howard County. (3/19/2019)
Huntington County. (4/27/2017)
Jefferson County. (3/10/2018)
Madison County. (3/16/2019)
Posey County. (10/21/2017)
Scott County,. (10/21/2017)
Union County. (3/16/2019)
Vigo County. (3/15/2019)
Wayne County. (3/16/2019)

Iowa
Adair County. (9/16/2018)
Adams County. (9/16/2018)
Allamakee County. (7/31/2018)
Appanoose County. (8/4/2018)
Audubon County. (4/26/2019)
Benton County. (8/2/2018)
Boone County.  (1/15/2017)
Bremer County. (8/2/2018)
Buchanan County. (8/2/2018)
Butler County. (8/6/2018)
Calhoun County. (9/6/2018)
Cass County. (4/3/2018)
Cedar County. (7/31/2018)
Cerro Gordo County. (8/6/2018)
Cherokee County. (4/29/2019)
Chickasaw County. (8/2/2018)
Clarke County. (8/8/2018)
Clayton County. (7/31/2018)
Clinton County. (10/15/2017)
Davis County. (8/3/2018)
Decatur County. ( 7/5/2018)
Delaware County. (7/31/2018)
Des Moines County. (8/1/2018)
Emmet County. (8/19/2018)
Fayette County. (8/2/2018)
Floyd County. (9/25/2018 update)
Franklin County, (8/14/2017)
Fremont County. (3/24/2019)
Greene County. (9/6/2018)
Guthrie County. (9/16/2018)
Hamilton County. (4/2/2018)
Hancock County. (8/7/2018)
Hardin County. (4/2/2018)
Henry County. (7/9/2018)
Howard County. (1/16/2020 update)
Ida County. (4/28/2019)
Iowa County. (8/2/2018)
Jasper County. (8/5/2018)
Jefferson County. (8/1/2018)
Keokuk County. (8/2/2018)
Kossuth County. (8/18/2018)
Lee County. (8/1/2018)
Louisa County. (8/1/2018)
Lucas County. (8/5/2018)
Lyon County. (4/2/2018)
Madison County. (8/8/2018)
Marion County. (5/23/2017)
Mitchell County. (8/7/2018)
Monona County. (4/27/2019)
Monticello County. (1/13/2017)
Muscatine County. (8/1/2018)
Palo Alto County. (9/6/2018)
Pocahontas County. (9/6/2018)
Poweshiek and Webster counties. (2/7/2017)
Ringgold County. (8/8/2018)
Sac County. (4/28/2019)
Sioux County. (8/26/2018 update)
Tama County. (7/6/2018)
Taylor County. (9/16/2018)
Union County.  (9/10/2017)
Van Buren County. (4/25/2019)
Wapello County. (8/3/2018)
Washington County. (4/2/2018)
Wayne County. (8/5/2018)
Webster County. (8/9/2018)
Winnebago County. (12/17/2017)
Winneshiek County. (8/2/2018)
Worth County. (8/7/2018)
Wright County. (6/3/2019 update)

Kansas
Bourbon County. (1/3/2020)
Clark County. (3/21/2017)
Comanche County. (12/22/2018)
Doniphan County. (3/27/2019)
Mitchell County.  (1/29/2017)
Sumner County. (10/1/2017)

Kentucky
Bell County. (6/4/2018)
Carter County. (1/4/2020)
Elliott County. (7/18/2019)
Hancock County,. (10/21/2017)
Henderson County. (1/22/2020)
Jackson County. (12/9/2017)
Knott County. (1/5/2020)
Knox and Whitley counties. (2/17/2017)
Lee County. (12/9/2017)
Letcher County.  (6/29/2017)
Martin County. (3/22/2018)
Perry County. (10/10/2017)
Pike County. (11/1/2019)
Rowan County. (6/4/2018)

Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish,. (5/22/2017)
St. Martin Parish. (4/26/2017)

Maine
Piscataquis County. (7/3/2017)

Michigan
Alcona County. (1/27/2020)
Alpena County. (1/28/2020)
Bay County. (7/4/2019)
Cheboygan County. (1/31/2020)
Crawford County. (1/30/2020)
Eaton County. (6/26/2019)
Huron County. (1/27/2020)
Iosco County. (1/27/2020)
Lake County. (9/16/2018)
Lapeer County. (7/5/2019)
Macomb County. (11/29/2017)
Monroe County. (3/9/2019)
Montmorency County. (1/29/2020)
Ogemaw County. (1/30/2020)
Oscoda County. (1/30/2020)
Otsego County. (1/30/2020)
Presque Isle County. (1/209/2020)
Roscommon County. (1/30/2020)
St. Joseph County. (6/5/2017)
Saginaw County. (7/4/2019)
Tuscola County. (7/5/2019)

Minnesota
Chisago County. (6/20/2018)
Clay County. (11/14/2019)
Itasca County. (5/12/2018)
Jackson County. (1/20/2020)
Lac qui Parle County.  (7/2/2017)
Mower County. (5/12/2018)
Nobles County. (1/26/2018)
Stearns County. (6/21/2019)
Steele County. (6/9/2019)

Mississippi
Pontotoc County.  (7/19/2017)

Missouri
Atchison County. (3/25/2019)
Butler County. (7/22/2018)
Holt County. (3/25/2019)
Livingston County. (1/12/2020)
New Madrid County. (4/23/2019)
Newton County. (1/18/2020)
Pike County/Bowling Green. (5/23/2019)

Montana
Valley County/Opheim. (5/27/2019)

Nebraska
Boyd County. (4/14/2019)
Burt County. (3/27/2019)
Keya Paha. (4/14/2019)
Knox County. (3/28/2019)
Nemaha County. (3/27/2019)
Richardson County. (3/27/2019)
Sioux County. (12/22/2018)

New Jersey
Sussex County. (12/1/2019)
7th Congressional District. (4/14/2017)

New York
Broome County. (2/14/2019)
Cayuga County. (2/13/2019)
Cortland County. (2/14/2019)
Essex County. (11/29/2017 update)
Franklin County. (2/9/2019)
Fulton County. (2/10/2019)
Herkimer County. (2/10/2019)
Orange County. (2/15/2019)
Oswego County. (2/11/2019)
Otsego County. (2/12/2019)
Putnam County. (2/27/2018)
Renssalaer County. (2/13/2019)
St. Lawrrence County. (2/8/2019)
Seneca County. (2/14/2019)
Sullivan County. (2/15/2019)
Warren County. (2/11/2019)
Washington County. (2/11/2019)
19th Congressional District. (3/26/2017)

North Carolina
Hyde County. (11/10/2019)
Robeson County. (12/1/2017)
Union County. (3/9/2017)

North Dakota
Burleigh County. (12/6/2019)
Sargent County. (10/22/2017)

Ohio
Adams County. (12/9/2017)
Ashtabula County. (2/18/2019)
Belmont County. (7/17/2018)
Columbiana County, (12/11/2017)
Coshocton County. (3/6/2019)
Defiance County. (3/21/2017)
Erie County. (3/5/2019)
Gallia County. (2/23/2019)
Guernsey County. (2/27/2019)
Highland County. (3/19/2017)
Huron County. (6/19/2017)
Jackson County. (6/6/2017)
Jefferson County. (2/20/2019)
Lawrence County. (2/25/2018)
Marion County. (7/14/2018)
Meigs County. (2/22/2019)
Mercer County. (12/8/2019)
Morgan County. (10/10/2017)
Muskingum County. (2/26/2019)
Ottawa County. (3/5/2019)
Portage County. (3/7/2019)
Sandusky County. (3/5/2019)
Shelby County. (3/2/2018)
Trumbull County. (4/3/2017)
Tuscarawas County. (1/25/2019)
Van Wert County.  (4/12/2017)
Wayne County. (5/6/2018)

Williams County. (3/21/2017)
Wood County. (3/6/2019)
Wyandot County. (5/4/2018)

Oklahoma

Bryan County. (5/5/2017)
Nowata County. (5/5/2018)
Osage County/Fairfax. (5/12/2019)

Oregon

Douglas County. (5/17/2017)

Pennsylvania

Beaver County. (2/8/2019)
Blair County/Altoona. (4/28/2019)
Cambria County/Johnstown. (6/3/2017)

Dauphin County. (4/22/2017)
Elk County. (3/24/2019)

Erie County. (10/11/2018 update)
Fayette County. (7/25/2018)

Greene County. (5/3/2017)
Lawrence County. (2/5/2019)

UPDATE. Luzerne County. (1/14/2017)
Lycoming County. (1/28/2020)
Mercer County. (2/9/2019)

Northampton County. (7/20/2017)
Old Forge (Lackawanna County). 3/18/2019)
Warren County. (6/30/2019)
Wayne County. (3/1/2018)

Williamsport. (1/24/2017)

8th Congressional District. (4/18/2017)

South Carolina

Spartanburg County. (6/5/2017)

South Dakota

Charles Mix County. (11/11/2019)
Lawrence County,. (4/27/2017)

Tennessee
Campbell County. (12/10/2017)
Lake County. (12/22/2018)
Marion County. (4/1/2017)
Maury County. (10/31/2017)
Roane County. (5/1/2018)
Union County.  (5/30/2017)

Texas
Gaines County. (4/26/2017)
Shackelford County. (2/26/2018)

Virginia
Buchanan County. (12/13/2019)
Frederick County. (2/15/2020)
Lee County. (2/15/2020)
Wise County. (11/9/2019)

Washington
Grays Harbor County. (8/20/2017)

West Virginia
Berkeley County. (3/25/2018)
Boone County. (3/23/2018)
Brooke County. (3/17/2019)
Cabell County.  (8/4/2017)
Doddridge County. (3/19/2019)
Fayette County.  (1/24/2017)
Greenbrief County. (12/14/2018)
Hancock County. (3/17/2019)
Hardy County. (2/15/2020)
Harrison County. (3/19/2019)
Jackson County. (6/18/2017)
Lincoln County. (3/21/2019)
Logan County. (3/21/2019)
Marion County. (3/18/2019)
Marshall County. (2/7/2018)
Mason County. (12/16/2017)
McDowell County. (7/10/2017)
Mercer County. (3/20/2019)
Mingo County. (3/25/2018)
Summers County. (3/25/2018)
Wayne County. (3/24/2018)
Wetzel County. (3/19/2019)
Wood County. (1/15/2019)
Wyoming County. (3/20/2019)

Wisconsin
6th congressional district. (1/27/2018)
Adams County. (2/6/2017)
Barron County. (1/3/2020)
Buffalo County. (3/19/2017)
Burnett County. (2/24/2018)
Clark County,. (8/13/2018)
Crawford County. (5/14/2018)
Florence County. (11/13/2019)
Fond du Lac County. (3/7/2018)
Forest County. (6/16/2019)
Grant County. (5/16/2018)
Green Lake County. (1/26/2018)
Jackson County. (3/8/2018)
Johnson Creek. (1/21/2017)
Juneau County. (2/23/2017)
Lafayette County. (5/16/2018)
Langlade County,. (6/9/2019)
Lincoln County. (1/14/2020)
Manitowoc County. (8/10/2017)
Monroe County. (3/8/2018)
Oconto County. (7/24/2018)
Oneida County. (4/24/2017)
Pepin County. (12/21/2017)
Price County. (12/23/2018 update)
Richland County. (11/10/2017)
Rusk County. (6/30/2019)
Sauk County. (5/14/2018)
Sawyer County. (3/20/2017)
Taylor County.  (12/23/2018 update)
Trempealeau County. (5/28/2019)
Vernon County. (5/14/2018)
Waushara County. (2/6/2017)
Winnebago County. (11/27/2017)
Wood County. (3/8/2018)

CES2020: Groceries (TM) by MasterCard Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator

It's a $3500 fridge

A tour of your futuristic smart home at CES 2020. (Telstra Exchange, 2/14/2020)

It lets you know what you’re running out of, makes suggestions based on what you have and helps you reorder stuff when you’re out thanks to the big screen on the front. You don’t even need to add stuff to your shopping list anymore!

Other CES2020 posts:
November 2019
SmartyPans. (11/11/2019)
Warming up for CES2020 with a modern version of "Play Misty for Me". (11/29/2019)

January 1-15, 2020
Pizza served up by Picnic(TM) robot. (1/3/2020)
FutureLight files the Waydoo Flyer under 'bizarre'. (1/3/2020)
Townew automated garbage can, a discomposing sign of the times. (1/8/2020)
When it comes to useless consumer technology products, Charmin Rollbot wipes the competition! (1/8/2020)
LG encourages you to grow your own with its indoor garden appliance. (1/9/2020)
And the promise of a flying car just keeps on floating. (1/10/2020)
Qoobo and Petit Qoobo, robot pillows in two sizes. (1/11/2020)
Meet Samsung's Ballie, who looks like a yellow softball and will follow you everywhere. (1/11/2020)
U by Moen smart faucet. (1/11/2020)
Scary future brought to you by Samsung Neon. (1/11/2020)
Climate360 smart bed. (1/11/2020)
MamaRoo Sleep Bassinet keeps parents in dreamland. (1/12/2020)
Segway S-Pod. (1/12/2020)
Stick-up, highway robbery, case of grand larceny: Core meditation trainer. (1/13/2020)
One-wheel Yeti cooler. (1/13/2020)
Cubii Go compact seated elliptical device. (1/14/2020)

January 16-31, 2020
LG ThinkQ smart door. (1/17/2020)
BMW 13 Urban Suite concept car. (1/20/2020)
Sing along with the Kohler Moxie shower head. (1/21/2020)
Clean your teeth 10 seconds with the Y-Brush toothbrush. (1/22/2020)
The Narwal: It mops and vacuums! (1/25/2020)
Ampere Tech Side Pocket Wireless fanny pack. (1/26/2020)
NeuraSpud, the smart potato. (1/28/2020)
Baby Brezza Formula Pro Advanced. (1/29/2020)
The Bartesian (think Keurig bartender). (1/30/2020)
Hello, my name is BellaBot, and I'll be your server tonight. (1/31/2020)

February 2020
Wavee toothbruch speaker. (2/1/2020)
Robosen T9 Robot. (2/2/2020)
MedWand remote office visits. (2/3/2020)
Scoocase, the electric scotter suitcase. (2/4/2020)
Lua, the smart flower pot. (2/5/2020)
Robo-shark. (2/6/2020)
PocketDrum. (2/7/2020)
Lulupet smart litter box. (2/8/2020)
Juno drink chiller. (2/9/2020)
CoPilot Automatic Alert System for car seats. (2/10/2020)
Welt Smart Belt Pro. (2/11/2020)
Hydraloop water recycler. (2/12/2020)
Umay thermal meditation eye mask. (2/13/2020)
Bosch Home Connect Refrigerator. (2/14/2020)

The archives:
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015

Climate change as a matter of fact (rising seas edition: managed retreat)

Reported in A Crisis Right Now: San Francisco and Manila Face Rising Seas. (The New York Times, 2/13/2020)

Other rising seas posts:
Rising sea levels in the Florida Keys. (11/29/2019)
Rising seas threaten Scottish heritage. (9/29/2018)
Military prepares for reality of climate change, rising seas. (8/11/2018)
Rising seas + draining underground aquifers = Jakarta disaster. (12/22/2017)

Other editions:
Africa
Arctic/Antarctic
Birds/bees/flowers/trees
Business and finance
Oceans
Worldwide

Other Climate Change as a Matter of Fact posts

Then and Now: Babcock Hall, University of Wisconsin-Madison

From Retiring Guy's postcard collection

A more recent view from a different perspective

Photo by Retiring Guy

Babcock Hall was built in 1951 and enlarged in 1990. It is currently undergoing a major renovation and expansion.

Retiring Guy attended Jefferson Elementary School in Warren PA from 1957 to 1962. The school replaced an older biulding on the same site in the early 1950s. Note the similar use of red brick and glass blocks, the horizontal lines.

Photo by Retiring Guy (2012)

In a building consolidation move to save money, all elementeary school in Warrebn closed in the late 1990s. Jefferson remain vacant and is now in a state of disrepair. The view below is from my bedroom window during the time I attended Jefferson.

Photo by Retiring Guy (2018)

Related reading:

Former Jefferson St. School sold to Tom, Sally Pellegrino. (Warren Times Observer, 8/14/2013)

According to court documents, Thomas and Sally Pellegrino of Warren purchased the property on July 26 for the price of $102,000, from Goshen Choi and Juyoung Joanna Choi representing the New York Seokwang Korean Presbyterian Church of Sunnyside, N.Y. The church acquired the property in January 2008 with the goal of setting up a seminary. Neighbors report that the building was used as a seminary for “five days.”

Greetings from Trump's America: Lee County, Virginia, the tail end of the state, a nearly 500-mile drive Virginia Beach

A Nun, a Doctor and a Lawyer — and Deep Regret Over the Nation’s Handling of Opioids. (The New York Times, 8/18/2019)

Pennington Gap, VA. In the late 1990s, patient after patient addicted to a new prescription painkiller called OxyContin began walking into the substance abuse clinic she ran in this worn Appalachian town. A local physician, Dr. Art Van Zee, sensed the gathering storm, too, as teenagers overdosed on the drug. His wife, Sue Ella Kobak, a lawyer, saw the danger signs in a growing wave of robberies and other crimes that all had links to OxyContin.