My Thoughts on the Salem Hospital Construction

I have had to go to the hospital a couple of times in the past few months. Not for anything serious or anything. Just visiting people or having bloodwork done or walking through the area on a walk.

What I have noticed is that the construction just keeps going and going. I'm sure there must be progress, but just about the time you notice one building looking a little more finished, you notice that they've torn up half of the lobby of another building. Exactly what is it that they are doing over there?

I also noticed that there are a heck of a lot of people coming and going from the hospital area and saw that a large portion of them are workers. Well, I imagine a lot of patients come and go as well, you just don't see them stream out all at once when shift is over. As I thought about it, I realized what a huge employer Salem Hospital is. And not just a huge employer of hospital staff, but of construction staff. Could they be single-handedly holding up our local economy? It sure looks like it when you head over there on a Tuesday afternoon, that's for sure.

So, although I have no love in my heart for the bizzarely expensive medical care in the country, I do see how having one of the major hospitals in the surrounding areas could definitely be a boon for the city that houses it.

Friday Comedy Night at The Space

FUN!
Comedy in Salem in a small venue. What isn't fun about that?

I love seeing live comedy in a small venue and The Space on Broadway and Belmont is definitely small. But the crowd was packed in. Before the show started they had to bring out more chairs and rearrange the existing seating, just to fit everyone inside.

Ed Forman, from Portland, was the comic of the night. He is a crazy, funny, guy with a spoof talk show that makes fun of our society, our media, and even ourselves. Even though he sometimes goes so far that it becomes slightly uncomfortable, amazingly you still find yourself laughing.

I'll definitely go back for more comedy at The Space. And I'm going to try some of their music offerings as well. For a $5 cover charge, you can hardly go wrong.