Tag: common sense

Poverty and the polar vortex

Today I read two very different but still related stories about things that happened in Hammond, Indiana due to the polar vortex.  Both stories emphasize the plight of the working poor in the United States, and how extreme cold affects them in ways that many people may not have even considered.

The first was about a house fire that claimed the lives of three small children and put two others and their father in the hospital.  The second was about a warehouse where workers were forced to continue working – without heat – even after the state had declared an emergency.

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Denial, or where science and belief collide

I try to not rant too often on our blog, because I prefer to talk about things that are interesting and beautiful and even uplifting.  But sometimes I just feel compelled to do so because the absurdity and stupidity of something really gets to me.  This is one of those times.   So I ask your forgiveness as I indulge my anger a bit.

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This IS your Christmas Card

For a whole lot of very good reasons in the last few years, it’s proved impossible to get it together to send out our annual 100+ Christmas cards.  Between the time investment, which requires starting shortly after Thanksgiving, and the cost of the postage, we just haven’t been able to do it.  So, we’re going digital again this year.  Yep, this is your card.

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VICTORY!

There’s been a lot of victory going around in the last few days, not the least of which was a few minutes ago when Geoff and I finally conquered the Massachusetts version of the ACA website.  In the spirit of the season, it’s time to share some good news.

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A few more stores decide to keep Thanksgiving

Both Apple and Radio Shack have decided to not open on Thanksgiving.  Good for them.

Like Kelly had mentioned earlier, too many stores are trying to maximize their profits by extending hours as much as possible on Thanksgiving weekend.  And they are doing it at the expense of their lowest-paid employees.  It’s not like the CEOs are going to pull a late shift themselves that day.  But the CEO class really can’t relate to their employees most of the time anyway.

And the supreme irony of this is that being open longer this Thanksgiving weekend is not likely to make the weekend more profitable.  Things sold on Thanksgiving are generally done at the expense of Black Friday sales, rather than generating new sales.  It’s not like people who avoid shopping that weekend or on Black Friday will suddenly decide to go shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself.

Of course, I don’t see a lot of people asking the question “what would happen if ordinary people had more money to spend?” either.  In fact, there’s no shortage of people who complain about the lack of consumer spending without asking “how are regular people supposed to increase their spending when they are broke?” These same people trash talk the idea of raising the minimum wage while talking about how tough a time the very wealthy have with their taxes.  Actually, not so much – especially when you look at the historical patterns.

As one of the broke people, I can definitely say that yeah, if I had a better paying job (or jobs), I would be able to spend more.  And we’re trying to get that better job or jobs.

-Geoff

 

Thanksgiving: A Guide

In the United States Thanksgiving is a holiday that is supposed to be about celebrating bounty.  The bounty of friends, family, togetherness, and food.  It’s about the end of summer and fall, the harvest, and making one last big get together before the coming winter.  (There are others who celebrate/mourn it differently, that’s not what this post is about.)  It is about giving thanks for what we have before we might lose it to the cold, the dark, and the winter.

While Thanksgiving might be about conspicuous consumption of the food variety, some people choose to celebrate it in other ways.  Some give back at churches, food pantries, and soup kitchens to those without a bounty to celebrate.  Some get together and play football, roast marshmallows around a bonfire, or prepare for Christmas.  Lots of people watch the parade or the dog show after eating too much.  While there may be a lot of conspicuous consumption going on, Thanksgiving is patently not about the shopping variety.  If you’re shopping on Thanksgiving, you’re doing it wrong.

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Welcome, October

Ok, so it’s October 1st.  The Federal Government has effectively shut down.  Open enrollment for the ACA has started, but the website isn’t working.  In fact, until about 11:00am this morning, the MA iteration of the website didn’t even reflect that open enrollment for people looking for ACA healthcare effective 1/1/14 had begun.

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If you need clarification, just ask

In this day and age of food allergies and intolerances, you’d think that being a vegetarian would be pretty straightforward.  Apparently, it’s still not.  I’ve been a vegetarian for 25 years now and I still get people who are completely confused by what it means or who make assumptions about what I eat or don’t eat.  Some of this is cultural, some of this is just dumb, and some of this is people who just aren’t thinking.

So, for those of you who are so inclined, I’ve written up a handy reference chart.  Keep it where you keep the lists you consult when you’re trying to figure out what to make for the kosher vegan with the nut allergy when he comes over to visit.  It’ll make life easier, I promise.

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Big egos and bad economics

The current debate over who should be replacing Ben Bernanke at the Federal Reserve should be a no-brainer, if you base it solely on abilities and sound judgment.  There is no good reason why President Obama shouldn’t appoint Janet Yellen.  But there is a lot of resistance to it anyway, and I imagine a lot of it is from the people who would rather see Larry Summers in the position.

Personally, I can’t believe people still take Larry Summers seriously.

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