iBrattleboro.com | Grumpy Old Nerd | Activity https://www.ibrattleboro.com/members/grumpyoldnerd/activity/ Activity feed for Grumpy Old Nerd. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 02:25:41 +0000 https://buddypress.org/?v=9.1.1 en-US 30 hourly 2 fae31f38118689dab6b6f6f47934f077 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, South Main Drug Bust? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/police-fire/2026/04/south-main-drug-bust/#comment-24288 Wed, 15 Apr 2026 14:29:19 +0000 Lots of masked cops – apparently this is what they all do now. Maybe some state rep can send a strongly-worded letter?

Low-information Reformer article here (mentions sewage in the cellar of the drug house and […]

]]> ebc0a98455fd0f4a86b76570ad41e477 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Are We Safe? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2026/03/are-we-safe/#comment-24266 Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:58:18 +0000 Iran? Probably. There’s not much they could feasibly do to America. Or from the feds? We’re already being prepped for a false-flag; see all the goofy stories about “Iranian sleeper cells” and “Iranian drone […]

]]> f58a3e65568ed4549ccfb73a4cb8edee Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Beyond I Have a Dream https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2026/02/beyond-i-have-a-dream/#comment-24248 Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:12:52 +0000 Saying this sort of thing gets you called a “racist” and a “class reductionist” today.

“Racial segregation as a way of life did not come about as a natural result of hatred between the races immediately after […]

]]> 2803b34933483624b1c4414f44734487 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, We Need To Stop The Rogue President https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2026/01/we-need-to-stop-the-rogue-president/#comment-24227 Thu, 22 Jan 2026 03:58:56 +0000 > The elected legislators in Washington have not pushed back enough

Why would you expect they would? Our legislators act in the interest of the wealthy people who fund and control them, and those people are […]

]]> 5f8fb704158e4842d147d6f0e3a35b86 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Unrestrained Aggression https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2026/01/unrestrained-aggression/#comment-24224 Mon, 12 Jan 2026 23:14:01 +0000 > If we really had a functional system of checks and balances the legislative branch would have the ability to be guided by a moral and ethical compass.

You’ll be waiting a long time for that. Neither of the […]

]]> a2f1a8c8120183cdd0f05629dd6b593d Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Time for A New Strategy https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2025/12/time-for-a-new-strategy/#comment-24214 Wed, 24 Dec 2025 19:38:12 +0000 Their role is to take energy from the left and direct it somewhere that won’t harm the billionaire class, not oppose the billionaires.

]]> 2b8bfd06c20578287f02f2ab46d90fee Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Fiscal Shock https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/op-ed/2025/10/fiscal-shock/#comment-24121 Tue, 14 Oct 2025 22:16:26 +0000 The apparently-impending doom of BMH is a great example of how constrained our horizons are. Our community’s hospital, like many around the state, is on the brink, a situation that will presumably get worse once […]

]]> 32d8ee2dd36a7eb1c66e0cd23f9f112b Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Genocide in Gaza: Vermont's Members of Congress Can Help Change Course https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/op-ed/2025/09/genocide-in-gaza-vermonts-members-of-congress-can-help-change-course/#comment-24103 Fri, 19 Sep 2025 17:18:13 +0000 None of our delegation deserves congratulation for their response to the Gaza Holocaust. None have exhibited any leadership. All waffled for months and years.

Even Bernie took 2 years (!) to say the word […]

]]> 5b55bf9bfb2be80f1124e1602f96c441 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Deeper Insurance Cuts in Budget Bill https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/health/2025/08/deeper-insurance-cuts-in-budget-bill/#comment-24062 Fri, 08 Aug 2025 22:11:54 +0000 > The only way we can make them accountable is to vote them out of office.

And who should we replace them with? From your posts, I presume you’d say Democrats. But why would we vote for them on the health […]

]]> 3f024d8b144aedce7dd04e8fac9b7b08 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Brattleboro Parking System's Impact On Downtown Business https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/op-ed/2025/06/brattleboro-parking-systems-impact-on-downtown-business/#comment-23977 Wed, 18 Jun 2025 22:02:56 +0000 Just don’t pay. I haven’t for about 9 months, still no ticket. If I got one now, I’d be fine with that, since it would be much cheaper than paying this whole time.

The way the new system works, they get […]

]]> 9e70ebc59832f74d6d1f8266800b9c29 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Pickleball and Parking https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/06/selectboard-meeting-notes-june-3-2025/#comment-23943 Wed, 04 Jun 2025 17:06:34 +0000 A good friend of mine hasn’t paid for parking downtown since the latest stupid kiosks went in.

The new system knows when you overstay your limit, but it doesn’t know when you’ve parked if you never tell it. […]

]]> 613ed1a7174bf4405a9f4c6fa6173306 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Ten Million Lives At Risk https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2025/05/ten-million-lives-at-risk/#comment-23922 Thu, 29 May 2025 20:06:48 +0000 The Democrats are opposed to universal healthcare; it’s hard to imagine them even attempting to reverse Trump’s changes.

]]> bbb7b180155d07c7ea9bacc034b27719 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, My Conscience is a Thought Crime https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/op-ed/2025/05/my-conscience-is-a-thought-crime/#comment-23920 Tue, 27 May 2025 19:15:35 +0000 Here we are, one and a half years into a Genocide, the first one widely publicized, admitted to, and gloated about by its perpetrators, and you’re a bad guy for even mentioning it.

Israel’s leaders say the new […]

]]> 27bca3af62d314613b76d4bed8803b6b Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Chair Encourages Civility For Herself; Loses It Over Rescue Comment; Budget Passes https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/05/selectboard-meeting-notes-chair-encourages-civility-for-herself-loses-it-over-rescue-comment/#comment-23859 Fri, 02 May 2025 15:29:29 +0000 Thank you, as always, for writing these up cgrotke. It’s a very valuable community service.

]]> d7a8477bd056ec0eece2721765b716f1 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Chair Encourages Civility For Herself; Loses It Over Rescue Comment; Budget Passes https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/05/selectboard-meeting-notes-chair-encourages-civility-for-herself-loses-it-over-rescue-comment/#comment-23858 Fri, 02 May 2025 15:23:17 +0000 Clearly Liz has had it in for Rescue for years, and it sure looks like the town running its own EMS is significantly more expensive. I remember posts on this site during the original Rescue brouhaha predicting […]

]]> ba0508861882a42730be86735ee35445 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Fire Department Suggests Hiring More Staff To Lower Costs; No Major Changes To Safety Budgets https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/04/selectboard-meeting-notes-april-22-2025/#comment-23847 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:38:26 +0000 These transcripts – while an invaluable public service – are condensed and approximate.

]]> 7fd7b77fd81b5a95f3c210ca90d20d8d Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Special Meeting Notes - Board Reacts To Revised FY26 Budget Up By $420,000 https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/04/selectboard-special-meeting-notes-board-reacts-to-revised-fy26-budget-up-by-420000/#comment-23846 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:52:32 +0000 At a minimum, somebody didn’t tell us the whole truth. How quickly it happened, and how the lack of bids was presented as a fait accompli (like many other town changes, the last 2 parking meter “updates”, for […]

]]> eaf1b1294f4882dc0f86a7dc70b90d46 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Special Meeting Notes - Board Reacts To Revised FY26 Budget Up By $420,000 https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/04/selectboard-special-meeting-notes-board-reacts-to-revised-fy26-budget-up-by-420000/#comment-23845 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 16:49:05 +0000 It puts cats who slip out (or out of their collars) at risk of animal control, and there is zero chance even half as many people will pay as they think. I would never pay to license my cat.

]]> 099219889f47129358b5e304aa6c8a69 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Fire Department Suggests Hiring More Staff To Lower Costs; No Major Changes To Safety Budgets https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/04/selectboard-meeting-notes-april-22-2025/#comment-23841 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 04:08:59 +0000 He’s not my favorite, but after about 5 hours, it’s pretty easy to understand his frustration with Isaac’s word-salad. Isaac comes out of the NGO-industrial-complex, where that manner of speaking is the norm, but […]

]]> d5dfd843ded5a63910067ff84e9336a0 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Vermont Delegation Statement on Mahdawi Arrest in Colchester https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/state-news/2025/04/vermont-delegation-statement-on-mahdawi-arrest-in-colchester/#comment-23815 Mon, 14 Apr 2025 22:06:33 +0000 Poor guy:

Betar is psychotic. Even the ADL says they’re a hate group.

]]> 2196c67832c2f3fd9714306b950c8b10 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - New Board Thinks About New Budget https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/04/selectboard-meeting-notes-april-1-2025/#comment-23787 Wed, 02 Apr 2025 15:29:23 +0000 Far be it from me to defend a doofus landlord, but the guy suggesting the selectboard come down and help clean up the poop and needles left by junkies breaking in was hilarious. I guarantee that if the people in […]

]]> 0023440c69f69e0c005286e05ffa8b51 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, More Buildings Open for Occupancy at SIT in Brattleboro https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2025/03/more-buildings-open-for-occupancy-at-sit-in-brattleboro/#comment-23770 Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:43:56 +0000 > Not suspicious! : )

Seriously, lol. I gleaned from the Reformer’s article yesterday that there were 5 fires that started almost at the same time. There was also electrical work going on across the campus, […]

]]> d03992a0a2f307bca9e64270571b2be3 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Death By Medicaid Cuts https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2025/03/death-by-medicaid-cuts/#comment-23736 Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:39:42 +0000 Red team is doing what they’ve said they’re going to do for decades. Blue team isn’t really opposing them, and won’t un-do any of these cuts, much less do anything bigger like Medicare for All. (Blue team was […]

]]> 82fcdf42685a800164734b24143a7e96 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, A Bigger Prize https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2025/02/a-bigger-prize/#comment-23699 Fri, 14 Feb 2025 22:29:55 +0000 It’s been so long since we’ve seen any official or party actually wield power that we’ve forgotten what it looks like. Imagine if we had a democratic president pushing half as hard for Medicare for All as red […]

]]> 49a7ff7e5da90975b649b113cdd19ba8 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Do Voters Voting as a Group Support Democracy? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2025/01/do-voters-voting-as-a-group-support-democracy/#comment-23673 Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:28:59 +0000 People are always going to coordinate their votes. My beefs with RTM are along the lines of cgrotke’s: it doesn’t feel very representative at all. When I do know who my reps are, I have no way to know how they […]

]]> 5673e1a856207bbbfa3b06b3eff9e1f0 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Oscar Heller: Why I'm Running for the Selectboard https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2025/01/oscar-heller-why-im-running-for-the-selectboard/#comment-23663 Wed, 22 Jan 2025 04:51:44 +0000 > I have a practical, straightforward plan that uses proven strategies to stabilize our finances and put our town on a more secure path.

So what’s the plan? I’m not optimistic we’ll hear details: I met you […]

]]> 7bbd067b1aa51c72e3866b418831cce3 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, How To Beat Insurance Companies, Legally https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/health/2024/12/how-to-beat-insurance-companies-legally/#comment-23611 Fri, 20 Dec 2024 16:50:08 +0000 Don’t get angry, don’t do anything to try to change our singularly evil system, just meekly play along with the ghouls’ game, obeying the rules they crafted to fuck you over.

]]> 3760bbe63842cc890410ee8a5aaaceb2 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Deep Budget Cuts To Everything Except Personnel, Roads, Police...etc. https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2024/12/selectboard-meeting-notes-december-17-2024/#comment-23610 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 19:16:56 +0000 Thank you very much for the summary, and for the tremendous public service you do by writing up these meetings.

]]> f2d071681f6cdd5b163b9e40805a183a Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Deep Budget Cuts To Everything Except Personnel, Roads, Police...etc. https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2024/12/selectboard-meeting-notes-december-17-2024/#comment-23608 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 18:25:14 +0000 cgrotke, can you catch us readers up on the state of PAYT? I heard that the bags – and bag fees – were going away with the new, more expensive trash collection, but then that the bag manufacturers (!) buttonholed […]

]]> e3797db5f34700cc1e04b86585410dad Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Brattleboro Announces Free Parking for Last Two Weekends of 2024 https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2024/12/brattleboro-announces-free-parking-for-last-two-weekends-of-2024/#comment-23607 Thu, 19 Dec 2024 17:55:00 +0000 I haven’t paid for parking downtown since the intention to switch to the new meters was announced earlier this year. No tickets so far! The increased prices and no more free Sundays, all pushed out with almost […]

]]> 26085ec78249a4495948c17e8af719f7 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Free Luigi https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2024/12/free-luigi/#comment-23578 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:20:05 +0000 Surely we just have to vote! Voting will stop these predatory health insurers!!1!

]]> 7dbedd2384b9cc4c1656683920b132ef Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Dear Governor Scott: Protect Our Books and Librarians https://www.ibrattleboro.com/culture/books/2024/12/dear-governor-scott-protect-our-books-and-librarians/#comment-23577 Tue, 10 Dec 2024 21:16:56 +0000 This protects against the red-team form of this issue. Hopefully any law will be crafted to also prevent the blue-team version: librarians “weeding” books, often classics, on ideological grounds, or because they […]

]]> 8ff79dcbcf246d198c39c401cb2596e4 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Are You Comfortable With President Joe Biden's Pardon of His Son? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/12/are-you-comfortable-with-president-joe-bidens-pardon-of-his-son/#comment-23560 Tue, 03 Dec 2024 23:22:33 +0000 There were spreadsheets on the laptop showing payments from corrupt Ukrainian officials to Hunter with comments like “with an extra 10% for the old man”. It’s hilarious that Hunter Biden smokes crack, but […]

]]> 806a7f10828c8c98374d6ee55d11702e Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Israel's Own Leaders Incite Anti-Semitism by  Ordering Jewish Pilots to Murder Thousands of Children https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/op-ed/2024/11/israels-own-leaders-incite-anti-semitism-by-ordering-jewish-pilots-to-murder-thousands-of-children/#comment-23536 Wed, 20 Nov 2024 23:17:15 +0000 Israeli politicians have said several times over the last few decades that they see antisemitism abroad – real or imagined – as good for Israel, as it drives immigration.

And Israel has a history of antisemitic […]

]]> b3d98daeae9ea19f16ccd6933843c169 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Canal Street Fire https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/police-fire/2024/11/canal-street-fire-2/#comment-23498 Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:27:34 +0000 > It seems clear there were several people sleeping in the basement who got out unscathed and unidentified. Perhaps the explosion was due to their negligence, perhaps not. I for one will not be quick to blame […]

]]> e7f8d5f318da29b7e0755175117eb2a6 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Canal Street Fire https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/police-fire/2024/11/canal-street-fire-2/#comment-23493 Thu, 07 Nov 2024 20:48:47 +0000 That place was a festering den of junkies for a while.

]]> 57f88cb8c135b69fc4248b8b437bc765 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Bill Clinton on the Failure of the Oslo Accords https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/11/bill-clinton-on-the-failure-of-the-oslo-accords/#comment-23485 Tue, 05 Nov 2024 22:18:40 +0000 Is this the one where he made the deranged comments to Muslim voters in Michigan that “I understand why young Palestinian and Arab Americans in Michigan think too many people have died — I get that, but … Ham […]

]]> 2c444db08d38e3dc906942b78af4b834 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, What's Next? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/10/whats-next-2/#comment-23444 Mon, 28 Oct 2024 18:29:15 +0000 > This election is like no other in American history and that means that voting is the most important thing any of us can do right now.

I’ve heard this about every single election for as long as I’ve been an […]

]]> 327aa3989f6c3a6b7b4481b514635393 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, No End In Sight https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/10/no-end-in-sight/#comment-23392 Thu, 10 Oct 2024 21:33:05 +0000 Who’s scamming who? I have no idea what “scamadvisor” is, but here are their highlighted “negatives”:
> The identity of the owner of the website is hidden on WHOIS
> This website seems popular but is also […]

]]> e3057603502b8b2112228de1d20c37fb Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, No End In Sight https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/10/no-end-in-sight/#comment-23383 Wed, 09 Oct 2024 02:44:00 +0000 > The spark that started the conflagration happened when Hamas killed 1200 Jews in a bold and ruthless attack.

The “spark” is the deliberate genocide of the Palestinians, which has been going on since long […]

]]> 1f3717aeb2d3938f8b51289872000c7f Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Unacceptable Health Care Reform? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/health/2024/09/unacceptable-health-care-reform/#comment-23366 Tue, 01 Oct 2024 03:44:16 +0000 The D/P supermajority will do anything to prevent universal healthcare.

]]> 6f80601b6ac6ebbe7bffaadf78399686 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Perverse Incentives https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/health/2024/09/perverse-incentives/#comment-23335 Fri, 13 Sep 2024 15:48:29 +0000 > In order to have a health care system that makes sense financially and that does not have to fight perverse incentives, states and/or the federal government have to become the only insurers, as is done with […]

]]> cb8fe415e006fc0c2c6c66260be19b05 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Will Jail Time Be A Deterrent? https://www.ibrattleboro.com/living/activism/2024/08/will-jail-time-be-a-deterrent/#comment-23307 Wed, 21 Aug 2024 19:36:44 +0000 I agree broadly with many of the earlier comments, but it seems we’re getting at a few orthogonal issues.

Will arrests and jail time get people off drugs? Maybe, but most likely not.

Will arrests and jail […]

]]> db996b25abfec9b35f1568ffcc6c9a56 Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Brattleboro Official Primary Election Results 2024 https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/08/brattleboro-official-primary-election-results-2024/#comment-23291 Fri, 16 Aug 2024 16:18:33 +0000 I routinely write in people, or just uncommitted. Voting has always been a suckers’ game, but I’ve always done it since it feels bad not to. Stuff like this makes it harder to keep up the habit, which, I […]

]]> fd77b9fd315b296a664dbaf9752cccff Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Public Says Downtown Brattleboro Has Never Been This Bad https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2024/08/selectboard-meeting-notes-august-6-2024/#comment-23279 Sat, 10 Aug 2024 02:46:19 +0000 Watch more meetings than just this one.

They took lots of public comments and answered lots of questions from the public the meeting before last. The police will be at the next meeting. It does not appear – […]

]]> 2c22a00b82281ed325a1ace6fc61824e Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Selectboard Meeting Notes - Public Says Downtown Brattleboro Has Never Been This Bad https://www.ibrattleboro.com/news-information/town-news/2024/08/selectboard-meeting-notes-august-6-2024/#comment-23275 Thu, 08 Aug 2024 20:24:37 +0000 They were at the selectboard meeting a couple of weeks ago and gave a presentation about where they’re getting called to and how often. It’s worth checkout out on BCTV, as it was the first week I can remember […]

]]> 81296f2980d6f2833ea7730aa4feb26a Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, "Social Media" Vicious Attacking Rooster Block-Block-Blocking Me! https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/07/social-media-vicious-attacking-rooster-block-block-blocking-me/#comment-23241 Mon, 29 Jul 2024 04:01:26 +0000 Chris, we love you baby gurl!

]]> d54c7caa8941e7b698b737a9f9127d6a Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Ian Goodnow for District 9 State Rep https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/07/ian-goodnow-for-district-9-state-rep/#comment-23234 Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:45:00 +0000 > Context: He ran against one person – Rikki Risatti – for a three year seat and got re-elected. : )

Pwnt (I’m bringing it back)

]]> 397df253a3e4764086e321051315abdd Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Hope Restored https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/07/hope-restored/#comment-23230 Tue, 23 Jul 2024 19:13:18 +0000 > The fact that Harris was a prosecutor, serving as a District Attorney and Attorney General in California, gives her a great deal of credibility

(Hilariously?) Her record here may help her with Republicans: […]

]]> 6c10e4d2dabd412940cb5885d6c4ce3f Grumpy Old Nerd commented on the post, Hope Restored https://www.ibrattleboro.com/opinion/politics/2024/07/hope-restored/#comment-23228 Tue, 23 Jul 2024 18:56:45 +0000 The Dems selected Biden not because they thought he had the best chance against Trump, but because he was best positioned to crush Bernie Sanders. [1] They knew his brain was mush back then, as did anyone who […]

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