Up here in the Northeast, where we didn't have a summer, we are rapidly careening toward a fall - at least, the calendar says we are. However, it is feeling more like the summer we were supposed to have in June, July, and August will come in late July, August and September. We had a pretty nasty winter, as recent winters go, which turned into an eternal rain called Spring, which wandered through what is normally the first month of summer, the afore mentioned June.
Now this is interesting. Growing up, June was the end of spring, not the beginning of summer. Then one summer in the early 1990's, the average temperature in June hovered in the high 80's with similar humidity. Thus was ushered in the change in our Spring, and Summer. Well, about 15 years later, and I hope it is only for this year, June has reclaimed its' place as the last month of Spring. Of course, that threw all the tourist prognosticators off into worrisome articles about damage to the tourist industry, what with the downturn in the economy. What would happen to State Revenue?
We are in the middle of hot, humid weather - the dog days of August, right where they belong. But with the late arrival of summer, one wonders if September will be without it's beloved "Indian Summer" when, for a few days at least, September feels like August. Well, since we haven't really had our typical August until the last week and a half, "Indian Summer" might look pretty strange.
What with all the rain, I'm concerned about the foliage. I'm not a tree expert, so I don't know what an excess amount of rain does to the chlorophyll content of Maple Trees. I DO know that those same tourist prognosticators will have a bird worrying about the brilliance and timing of the great Autumnal forests. You see, if they peak too late (they couldn't peak too soon. They haven't started turning yet in Central Maine)it will be early November, which will push everything right into the early holiday season beginning with Thanksgiving. There needs to be time between foliage season and Thanksgiving for retailers, B&B owners, motel and hoteliers, the State Police, for heaven's sake, to get there breath.
This year, 2009, hasn't been a good one for those who count there livelihood by the weather - or, if "hasn't been a good one" isn't exactly accurate, I'm sure it is safe to say it certainly hasn't been a usual one.
There is an old Maine expression, which I am very sure is claimed by every State in the Union. My Dad, a thoroughly deeply lined native Mainiac (NOT a "Mainer", thank you very much - a term he and I share a disdain for as it is a moniker imported from another State by some flatlander who resettled here to get away from where he came, bringing all the bad he wanted to leave behind, and leaving all the good)taught the expression to me, so in my mind, that gives Maine bragging rights. The expression, particularly apt this year: "If you don't like the weather here, wait a minute".
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Insurance Companies Tepid Power Move
Finally, something to write about besides gay marriage and Perez Hilton. Although I will state for the record that if Mr. Hilton asks a question, he has no right demanding the answer he wants. Praises to Ms. PreJean for following her convictions and not caving to the Politically Correct idiots.
Okay, this blog is about insurance companies, so let's get right to it. Does anyone other than President Obama really believe these profit mongering, pandering gargantuan monoliths have a smidgen of compassion for anyone or anything except their profit margin? Why would any of them be any different than AIG?
Isn't this just a ploy to leverage lobbying position when the real work of Health Care Reform begins - IF it begins. I'm real happy for President Obama that he's buying this sop and trying to excite the American public. He uses big dollar amounts to make it appear like the industry is really opening up their wallets for the currently un and under insured. Spread that money of 10 years, amortize it, cost it out to the insurance industry, and what have you got? 50,000 with substandard, selective, narrowly focused partial health insurance. But, hey, it's a start, right?
Not quite. The industry is desperate that Pres. Obama might be serious about Health Care Reform and the way health insurance is distributed in America. Look how they took on billary in the '90's, when Hillary had a real national health care plan ready to present to Congress. Why should 15 plus years change the attitude of a business that now dictates the triaging of health care in America? The industry is afraid that if the Government turns health insurance into Medicare/Medicaid, they, the industry, will become merely claims payors, not the gods of medical care, dictating who gets what care, and when.
It's a thrilling vision to think about. My Dad was in the insurance business, so I guess I shouldn't be so hard on the industry. It provided our family a decent life style, nothing fancy, but stable financially- that is, until he started seeing his buddies get booted out the door just before they reached retirement. He started looking around at the total picture and realized what was happening. So he retired early, on his terms, before they could screw him.
The point? If they will do it to their own - and long term, faithful employees who built up this particular company in the first place - what do you think they will do to you and me, who provide the premiums that pay their salaries and benefits! So to see the industry reduced to claims clerks would be delightful. To those of you who get freaked at the thought of the Government running our health insurance - Do you want quality health care at an affordable rate, from a provider that is truly not-for=profit, or do you want your health care slowly eroded so the manipulators, Insurance and Pharmaceuticals, continue getting filthy rich of your blood?
Okay, this blog is about insurance companies, so let's get right to it. Does anyone other than President Obama really believe these profit mongering, pandering gargantuan monoliths have a smidgen of compassion for anyone or anything except their profit margin? Why would any of them be any different than AIG?
Isn't this just a ploy to leverage lobbying position when the real work of Health Care Reform begins - IF it begins. I'm real happy for President Obama that he's buying this sop and trying to excite the American public. He uses big dollar amounts to make it appear like the industry is really opening up their wallets for the currently un and under insured. Spread that money of 10 years, amortize it, cost it out to the insurance industry, and what have you got? 50,000 with substandard, selective, narrowly focused partial health insurance. But, hey, it's a start, right?
Not quite. The industry is desperate that Pres. Obama might be serious about Health Care Reform and the way health insurance is distributed in America. Look how they took on billary in the '90's, when Hillary had a real national health care plan ready to present to Congress. Why should 15 plus years change the attitude of a business that now dictates the triaging of health care in America? The industry is afraid that if the Government turns health insurance into Medicare/Medicaid, they, the industry, will become merely claims payors, not the gods of medical care, dictating who gets what care, and when.
It's a thrilling vision to think about. My Dad was in the insurance business, so I guess I shouldn't be so hard on the industry. It provided our family a decent life style, nothing fancy, but stable financially- that is, until he started seeing his buddies get booted out the door just before they reached retirement. He started looking around at the total picture and realized what was happening. So he retired early, on his terms, before they could screw him.
The point? If they will do it to their own - and long term, faithful employees who built up this particular company in the first place - what do you think they will do to you and me, who provide the premiums that pay their salaries and benefits! So to see the industry reduced to claims clerks would be delightful. To those of you who get freaked at the thought of the Government running our health insurance - Do you want quality health care at an affordable rate, from a provider that is truly not-for=profit, or do you want your health care slowly eroded so the manipulators, Insurance and Pharmaceuticals, continue getting filthy rich of your blood?
Monday, May 4, 2009
Same Sex Marriage in Maine
Like a dog returning to its' own vomit, I keep hitting my head against the insanity of postings in Maine online newspapers regarding the issue of same sex marriage.
Christians seem like a good attack target for the pro crowd. Those on the attack like to make references to contents of the Bible. Sadly, nearly all the comments I've read show the incredible lack of understanding of what they are writing. These come from Christians who favor the legislation as well as those who do not state their beliefs, or are outspoken atheists.
We seem to be living in a period of increasing Politically Correctness. Perhaps this fawning to a small group of people with a disproportionate amount of clout, owing to their better than average economic well being, is a backlash meant to correct all the horrible treatment dumped on minorities by those in the majority, or at least, those in power. We can't correct what has happened by doing something incorrect today.
My own personal belief on the issue is irrelevant, but I'm going it share it anyway. Not that anyone really cares, but I'm going to. I have a gay cousin-in-law. My brother-in-law has a son who is gay. I care deeply for my cousin and his companion. If anyone is seeing red here believes me to be a hypocrite on the issue, my cousin knows that my Christianity would shape my opinion on Same Sex marriage. I think we still love each other. I once worked with a man who lost his partner. We wept together in his office. He knew my position on same sex marriage. Guess what? We cared about each other anyway.
Why did Perez Hilton express such outrage at Ms. California for expressing her belief? Doesn't he know that people are allowed to state what they believe? There are places on this planet where he wouldn't be alive because he is gay. What an idiot.
Have I offended anyone? Good, because Gay activism offends me. I'm allowed, and say that only so the activists don't forget offense works both ways. It is interesting that the mouth of dissent is the majority in this case, yet that mouth is being told it should be ashamed of itself for speaking such discrimination and oppressiveness. I never want "political correctness" to become such a monster that only those who believe in the god of relative truth and situational ethics are allowed to voice their beliefs, and the mouth of dissent is shut forever. When that happens, we can kiss this country goodbye. Am I mistaken, or has the revisionist history gone so far already, but - didn't the U.S. become the U.S. because of, among other things, dissent?
It looks at this point like same sex, or gay, marriage may become law in Maine. There will be a campaign for a People's Veto referendum in November. The People's Veto may well overturn the Legislature's vote to legalize same sex marriage. If that happens, I hope the gay community will accept it until they can bring the issue back to the legislature, which, of course, they will. In the same vein, I hope those not in favor of same sex marriage will be gracious in their acceptance of having neighbors of the same gender who are legally "married". Ultimately, we live together in peace, or we live together in disharmony. I would prefer peace, even if my terms aren't politically correct, relatively truthful, or situationally ethical according to the left.
Do not think, though, that little victories like the legal right to marry if one is gay, will lead to the disappearance of evangelical Christianity from America. God is a little larger than that, and we don't go until He says we go.
Christians seem like a good attack target for the pro crowd. Those on the attack like to make references to contents of the Bible. Sadly, nearly all the comments I've read show the incredible lack of understanding of what they are writing. These come from Christians who favor the legislation as well as those who do not state their beliefs, or are outspoken atheists.
We seem to be living in a period of increasing Politically Correctness. Perhaps this fawning to a small group of people with a disproportionate amount of clout, owing to their better than average economic well being, is a backlash meant to correct all the horrible treatment dumped on minorities by those in the majority, or at least, those in power. We can't correct what has happened by doing something incorrect today.
My own personal belief on the issue is irrelevant, but I'm going it share it anyway. Not that anyone really cares, but I'm going to. I have a gay cousin-in-law. My brother-in-law has a son who is gay. I care deeply for my cousin and his companion. If anyone is seeing red here believes me to be a hypocrite on the issue, my cousin knows that my Christianity would shape my opinion on Same Sex marriage. I think we still love each other. I once worked with a man who lost his partner. We wept together in his office. He knew my position on same sex marriage. Guess what? We cared about each other anyway.
Why did Perez Hilton express such outrage at Ms. California for expressing her belief? Doesn't he know that people are allowed to state what they believe? There are places on this planet where he wouldn't be alive because he is gay. What an idiot.
Have I offended anyone? Good, because Gay activism offends me. I'm allowed, and say that only so the activists don't forget offense works both ways. It is interesting that the mouth of dissent is the majority in this case, yet that mouth is being told it should be ashamed of itself for speaking such discrimination and oppressiveness. I never want "political correctness" to become such a monster that only those who believe in the god of relative truth and situational ethics are allowed to voice their beliefs, and the mouth of dissent is shut forever. When that happens, we can kiss this country goodbye. Am I mistaken, or has the revisionist history gone so far already, but - didn't the U.S. become the U.S. because of, among other things, dissent?
It looks at this point like same sex, or gay, marriage may become law in Maine. There will be a campaign for a People's Veto referendum in November. The People's Veto may well overturn the Legislature's vote to legalize same sex marriage. If that happens, I hope the gay community will accept it until they can bring the issue back to the legislature, which, of course, they will. In the same vein, I hope those not in favor of same sex marriage will be gracious in their acceptance of having neighbors of the same gender who are legally "married". Ultimately, we live together in peace, or we live together in disharmony. I would prefer peace, even if my terms aren't politically correct, relatively truthful, or situationally ethical according to the left.
Do not think, though, that little victories like the legal right to marry if one is gay, will lead to the disappearance of evangelical Christianity from America. God is a little larger than that, and we don't go until He says we go.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
What Title Befits Obama?
So it's been a couple of months of hiding in remnants of Maine winter since I initiatied this totally unread rag. All has changed, however. Spring is springing, the Red Sox have opened their season, and President BHO has had his 100 days honeymoon.
It is the last item that deserves attention. The success of failure of the Red Sox will only elevate or deflate the members of Red Sox Nation. Spring will revolve (no, I didn't say evolve) into summer. However, we have a President who apparently isn't above modifying a good deal of the intent of his presidential campaign. Evidently "change" means he will change his attitude now that he has been elected. "Hope" has come to mean that we can hope the public wakes up sometime between now and the next election and votes him out of office.
Why? Let's see. Lies about the contents of his budget, waffling on lobbyists and earmarks, favoritism to the financial industry and dictatorial control of the motor industry, a lukewarm scolding of excessive bonuses to AIG, with a warning as an aside to bonuses paid to other stimulus recipients, an apparently stiff necked administrative staff which broaches NO dissent or questioning of Obama's decisions - oh, and of course, the staff is taking their lead from the Prez himself, who evidently has abandoned his fabled consensus discussion operative style in favor of "my way or the highway, Jack", an insistent display of disrespect to the Vatican when suggesting appointments of ambassadors (evidently this administration is so married to abortion that they have forgotten that the Vatican is sovereign unto itself and is not a sovereignty which accepts the murder of unborn children), assures a ruthless Islamic government in Turkey that has no problems killing Christians that we are not and will not be at war with Islam, while praising all that Islam has done in the world and the U.S. (?), and bowing to the Sheik of Saudi Arabia, which is not the same thing as kissing the Papal Ring - evidently a U.S. President is not required to bow before a sheik of another country - doing so shows obesience to the government of that country- to openly sharing the sentiment of some Supreme Court Justice that transnationalism would be a GOOD thing for the United States. He has evidenced no sense of accounting skills or projections, putting the U.S. in an extremely precarious position of near bankruptcy within two generations, or worse, an indebtidness to China that would render us a Chinese Province.
But that may not matter to this President, who is showing more inclination to abandoning American history, sovereignty, financial stability, and government "of the people, for the people, and by the people" than any other President, even the worst, who has served this country yet.
He was swept into office on very little other than vague platitudes bought by people desperate to free themselves of the shame and embarrassment inflicted on them by Bush the Younger. Yet he is showing promise of being a ruthless, dictatorial despot who will make Bush look like a slightly less bumbling character than Bush the Elder appeared. Given the choices, I'd welcome John McCain and those who would have worked with him into the White House.
Hopefully, "The emporer has new clothes" will die out in the ears of American voters soon, and they will start asking the tough questions that the supportive Left media doesn't want to ask or answer.
It is the last item that deserves attention. The success of failure of the Red Sox will only elevate or deflate the members of Red Sox Nation. Spring will revolve (no, I didn't say evolve) into summer. However, we have a President who apparently isn't above modifying a good deal of the intent of his presidential campaign. Evidently "change" means he will change his attitude now that he has been elected. "Hope" has come to mean that we can hope the public wakes up sometime between now and the next election and votes him out of office.
Why? Let's see. Lies about the contents of his budget, waffling on lobbyists and earmarks, favoritism to the financial industry and dictatorial control of the motor industry, a lukewarm scolding of excessive bonuses to AIG, with a warning as an aside to bonuses paid to other stimulus recipients, an apparently stiff necked administrative staff which broaches NO dissent or questioning of Obama's decisions - oh, and of course, the staff is taking their lead from the Prez himself, who evidently has abandoned his fabled consensus discussion operative style in favor of "my way or the highway, Jack", an insistent display of disrespect to the Vatican when suggesting appointments of ambassadors (evidently this administration is so married to abortion that they have forgotten that the Vatican is sovereign unto itself and is not a sovereignty which accepts the murder of unborn children), assures a ruthless Islamic government in Turkey that has no problems killing Christians that we are not and will not be at war with Islam, while praising all that Islam has done in the world and the U.S. (?), and bowing to the Sheik of Saudi Arabia, which is not the same thing as kissing the Papal Ring - evidently a U.S. President is not required to bow before a sheik of another country - doing so shows obesience to the government of that country- to openly sharing the sentiment of some Supreme Court Justice that transnationalism would be a GOOD thing for the United States. He has evidenced no sense of accounting skills or projections, putting the U.S. in an extremely precarious position of near bankruptcy within two generations, or worse, an indebtidness to China that would render us a Chinese Province.
But that may not matter to this President, who is showing more inclination to abandoning American history, sovereignty, financial stability, and government "of the people, for the people, and by the people" than any other President, even the worst, who has served this country yet.
He was swept into office on very little other than vague platitudes bought by people desperate to free themselves of the shame and embarrassment inflicted on them by Bush the Younger. Yet he is showing promise of being a ruthless, dictatorial despot who will make Bush look like a slightly less bumbling character than Bush the Elder appeared. Given the choices, I'd welcome John McCain and those who would have worked with him into the White House.
Hopefully, "The emporer has new clothes" will die out in the ears of American voters soon, and they will start asking the tough questions that the supportive Left media doesn't want to ask or answer.
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