Ron & Jen’s Great Escape, May 10, 2023 – Ron St. Pierre and Jen Brien

by Ron St. Pierre & Jen Brien, contributing writers, commentary

This story is almost unbelievable. ALMOST.

Hitting the front page yesterday we found out about a woman from UTAH who murdered her husband with fentanyl, wrote a bereavement children’s book about it, and then cried on talked shows promoting it. Wow. JUST WOW.

It got me thinking about the lack of moral repudiation we have in society on so many levels about so many things these days. It’s ok now to openly shoplift, harm police officers, steal women’s sports, rig elections, push child mutilation, take responsible people’s money away to pay the mortgage for fiscally irrresponsible people, call all white people racist when we used to say “white supremacists are small groups of crazy people who want to eradicate every race except their own”… It’s crazy. It’s confusing, and I ask myself “how did we get here”?

Here’s how, the macro situation is a reflection of the micro. Which means, how we choose to live in our personal circles influences the bigger picture. So how do you live in your personal circle? Are you a hardworking American or hustle the system knowing you’ll be rewarded. Do you take 20 million selfies and focus on yourself all day or are you active in the community getting dirty to solve problems? Are you that person on the highway that never YIELDS and then gives someone the finger for having the right of way? Listen, I’m no angel and I piss people off regularly, but mostly I try not to be part of the problem, but rather the solution. 

Just something to think about because I’ve been thinking about it a lot. The majority of us are decent people trying, but that’s definitely not what we see when we see our reflection staring back at us in this country right now.

Just my 3 cents.

Till next week.

Jen

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I WEEP FOR THE FUTURE

National test results for eighth graders show a significant decline in their knowledge of history and civics. The results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress are known as the Nation’s Report Card Scores. Call them whatever you want, the fact of the matter is – they stink. Scores on math and reading were even worse. The results are causing great concern about the impact of pandemic shutdowns on student learning which, quite frankly, sounds like a cop-out. Comparisons with pre-pandemic scores actually show the decline in scores began quite a while ago.

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WHAT’S IN AN ACRONYM?

Depending on the source, the acronym TIP stands for TO INSURE PROMPT SERVICE or TO INSURE PERFORMANCE. Either way, it’s a gratuity. The Wall Street Journal reports the rise of digital, self checkout kiosks hitting customers with a tip prompt at the end of their transactions. The prompt is actually asking you to tip workers with whom you’ve had ZERO interaction. The report says most customers are flat out confused, many wondering where the money was going… gee, ya’ think? The subject of tipping has been an increasingly controversial topic with many Americans experiencing “tipping fatigue.” We’re getting asked for tips at more places these days in the face of overwhelming inflation. Now we’re expected to tip on self-serve? Well, if YOU provided YOURSELF the service, shouldn’t YOU get the tip?

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TAKE A CELL PHONE BREAK

European Health Journal reports the more you talk on a cell phone, the higher your risk of high blood pressure. The study was done on individuals ages 37 to 73 and the findings suggest talking on a cell phone may NOT affect the risk of developing high blood pressure as long as weekly call time is kept below half an hour. WEEKLY? Most people spend 30 minutes on their cell phone in a third of  day.

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DON’T FORGET MOM

Remember, Sunday is Mothers Day. If you’re lucky enough to still have mom around, make sure you give her some love. Happy Mother’s Day from Ron & Jen’s Great Escape!

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Ron St. Pierre is a veteran broadcaster whose career has spanned over four decades. Ron has programmed, performed on and managed WHJJ, WPRO, WWRX, 790 The Score in Providence, as well as WBZT and WKGR in West Palm Beach and WABC in New York City. Ron also anchored sports on WPRI Ch 12 in Providence. He is a member of both the Rhode Island Radio and Television and the City of Pawtucket Halls of Fame. He was born and raised in Pawtucket.

Jen Brien has over 20 years of radio broadcast experience having hosted shows on WPRO and WHJJ with Ron as well as her own shows on WRKO and WBZ in Boston, WXTK on Cape Cod and WHAM in Rochester, New York. Jen was born and raised in Woonsocket and served six years in the Army MP Canine Unit.

Hazel, Ron’s dog, makes regular appearances.

“Ron and Jen’s Great Escape” podcast, a more lighthearted look at the events happening around us, can be found on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts, with new episodes premiering each Wednesday and listen to Ron and Jen’s Great Escape on NewsRadio 920 and 104-7 FM, Saturday morning, 7am!