A Sense of Doubt blog post #2016 - Fat Moose Boycott

A Sense of Doubt blog post #2016 - Fat Moose Boycott

Dear Fat Moose Bar and Grill of Woodland, Washington,

Though I am not over fond of boycotts and cancel culture, I regret to inform you that I will no longer be a patron of your establishment, a place I have had food (eat in and take out) and drinks since I moved to Woodland in 2017, as you are the food and drink pub closest to my home.

I am no longer your customer, and I urge others to stop patronizing your business because I find your "Welcome to King Inslee's Beer Garden" sign offensive.

The main reason I find your sign offensive is that it demonstrates that you neither care about my business nor the business of fellow Woodland residents who feel as I do that Governor Inselee is simply doing what experts in science and public health advise is best for the safety of the residents of the state of Washington during the worst pandemic of our lifetimes.

Your large sign strikes me as the kind of lowbrow, hostile, and puerile tactic Trump, the individual who occupies the White House, might try as a way to further divide what increasingly is a large gap between so-called conservatives and so-called liberals.

Though Trump can make vitriolic jokes with impunity, Fat Moose is a business and should strive to make ALL customers feel welcome, and I am afraid to tell you that your sign does not make me or anyone who shares my beliefs feel welcome.

I know times have been hard for small businesses like yours since the start of this pandemic with a shut down on on bars and restaurants among other businesses because they are dangerous breeding grounds for the spread of the highly contagious virus, the novel coronavirus and Covid-19 that results from it. I know your business has suffered mightily because though previous to quarantine I would see the dirt parking lot around your tavern stacked full with giant, gas-guzzling, environmentally irresponsible pick-up trucks, I have hardly seen that many vehicle in a week total for months, even since the re-opening of bars such as your for business. Where was the sign you kept out front that changed daily to announce your specials announcing take out options during the shut down? It was not until re-opening began that you advertised your availability.

I can imagine that the control of how your business operates has surely fostered intense resentment and bitterness toward Governor Inselee, especially since he aligns politically with a party that I assume you would see as an enemy, opposite to your beliefs and interests.

And yet alienating many paying customers in the worst public health crisis of our lifetimes is not a way to recover from the loss of income during the state lockdown.


As for casting Governor Inselee pejoratively as “King,” this jibe echoes the letter by James Tejcka to the Reflector on July 8th, to which I considered responding but was happy when someone else provided the same smack down I had intended. Kings are not elected. Inselee is not a tyrant. He is simply following the very same public health recommendations as many other prudent governors across the country.

And if like Tejcka, you would criticize the state’s budget woes, please re-direct the cause of these woes to the federal government, who has offered nothing in the way of national leadership and has failed to renew stimulus money for you and your employees, many of whom rely on tips to make ends meet. Did your small business receive suitable economic stimulus money from the initial bill that was meant to help shutdown businesses like yours? Were your employees relying on the extra $600 a week in unemployment that has expired with no renewal in sight, despite toothless executive orders that cannot be implemeneted.

Inselee is doing the best he can with the resources he has despite not only a lack of leadership from the White House but outright antagonism and insults.

The mask mandate and the re-opening policies are working. After a spike of daily cases at over a thousand on July 15th in Washington state, the numbers have been going down statewide and our Cowlitz county is third from the bottom in lowest numbers of cases (519) and deaths (6) as of the writing of this letter.

It’s not tyranny; it’s public health policy, it’s intelligence, and it’s working.

In closing, I will not comment on why the word “beer” is crossed out in your sign as I don’t understand your joke within a joke. And though I hate boycotting small businesses, I must urge my fellow residents to boycott yours and to re-elect Governor Inselee this fall as he has our health and welfare at heart. Not only don’t you have my health and welfare at heart, you do not seem to care much for yours or your business’, either.

Ivan graduated!

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #337 - Ivan's Graduation


THE YEAR IN NUMBER: 2016

We lost many great people, amazing people. But it was a good year. The first full year of moving on from the death of my mother. And I did. I lived, loved, laughed, enjoyed life as charted through 365 blog posts of just HEY MOM not counting the 76 DAILY BOWIE posts.

Here's a year in my life and my blog, after Vox's year in pop culture.

13 pop culture events that defined 2016 - Vox

We threw Ivan a party, mostly Liesel...

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #333 - Ivan's Graduation Party

Check out Satchel, ready to get any food at all!!

... and we got a new puppy!!! ELLORY QUEEN

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #537 - New family member: Ellory Queen Tower


David Bowie celebrated a birthday and two days later he died...

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #187 - David Bowie Dies 1601.10 at age of 69





I started a DAILY BOWIE feature and ran it about 70 days consecutively before I ran out of steam and time for two posts a day (I still did HEY MOM posts)...

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #197 - The Daily Bowie - Day 0 - "Space Oddity"



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #195 - MLK Day Pistons game with Dad & a Puppy

Satchel cuddling with her Dad 1601.17

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #200 - Two Birthday Celebrations


Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #202 - Dad's birthday remark



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #229 - WMU vs. CMU Basketball Game





Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #254 - My wife is amazing




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #255 - My wife is amazing, pt.2


Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #263 - Indigo Girls Concert

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #276 - Tigers Opening Day 2016

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #289 - RIP Prince - :-(

I continued to do a lot of school...




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #294 - JAVA JAVA JAVA JAVA JAVA JAVA and JAVA ^n

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #311 - - Darwyn Cooke, RIP

I attended GOOGLE IO extended...



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #319 - Google IO part two


Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #348 - Walk with Dad & Dad's Day


Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #357 - Work days with the Big Guy






Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #363 - Memorial Therapy part four - Bike Ride

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #418 - Y&R - 11,000 Episodes




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #420 - Gene Wilder, RIP



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #431 - Star Trek 50th anniversary


Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #446 - José Fernandez, RIP



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #460 - A Trip to the Mall with Mom




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #481 - Lizzie Borden



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #485 - CUBS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I voted, but Trump was "elected"...



Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #491 - The Worst Day Ever - The Day After




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #494 - RIP LEONARD COHEN




Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #540 - Carrie Fisher, RIP, you will be missed
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2008.25 - 10:10

- Days ago = 1880 days ago

- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #830 - They do up Halloween big here in Meriwether

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #830 - They do up Halloween big here in Meriwether

Hi Mom,

There's some impressive Halloween decorations around my new neighborhood.

I am sure someone will comment that the pictures would look better if not in direct sunlight.

But, I can only do what I can do and it's difficult enough taking photos while holding two dogs who want to smell EVERYTHING.

And so I made some pasta with some sausage Liesel bought and whatever else I could find to use up.

Not a ton of content today.

Sometimes, it's just the photos. :-)

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Reflect and connect.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you, Mom.

I miss you so very much, Mom.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = 832 days ago

- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1710.14 - 10:10

NEW (written 1708.27) NOTE on time: I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of your death, Mom, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of your death, Mom. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom.

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #791 - Home - Pictures are hung

Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #791 - Home - Pictures are hung

Hi Mom,

Just a photo collage today of the new home as pictures are hung, the TV and stereo unpacked, the office constructed, the kitchen and dining room table cleaned, and a cool new fern. Plus two puppies sharing the space under my desk. The picture of them tells their story very well.

No, a card table and a box that had held eggs are not the permanent TV stand.

I am typing this post on Wednesday, and I just brought the first of my lamps into my office.

There's still so much to do, but some of the features of home are coming together due to the efforts of our extended family. Piper and Adam helped hang the pictures. Keith helped me with the stereo.

I have been working non-stop to catch up, which is why posts lately have been short or shares.

But I did stop to enjoy some of Labor Day. Rob and Elizabeth came over and we had an all family meal. As my friend Chris Dilley says, I was going 90 miles an hour and had to remind myself to slow down and breathe, to stop and enjoy things, so I did some of that on Monday before I dove back into grading robot mechanoid systems until bed time.

Another short one tomorrow. That's all for now. Thanks for tuning in.

Liesel's fern - bought at Pistil

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Reflect and connect.

Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.

I miss you so very much, Mom.

Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.

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- Days ago = ## days ago

- Bloggery committed by chris tower - date - time

NEW (written 1708.27) NOTE on time: I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of your death, Mom, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of your death, Mom. I know this only matters to me, and to you, Mom.