So what is $516,000? That's the debt per household that we're currently carrying thanks to the Bush administration's efforts to bankrupt the country.
Individually, then, for a household of four, that's over $129,000. That number, by the way, takes in most everything. Some estimates say the debt per capita (individually - what you and I would fork over) is $32,000 but that doesn't include full numbers. I also suspect these are both low numbers because I daresay the numbers the public actually hears are the right ones. I don't believe anything the government tells me these days, and that includes its debt figures.
Anyway, whatever the number, do you have thousands just laying around to hand over to pay for poorly planned wars, Wall Street bailouts, and tax breaks to the oil and gas companies?
I didn't think so. If I managed my household like this administration has managed finances, then we'd be declaring bankruptcy. Is that what is happening, do you think?
I don't know. I'm no economics major. I just know I have XX coming in and if I don't have it in the bank I don't spend it. I don't need the latest doohickey or thing-a-ma-bob. So I think the government doesn't really need the big boy toys it buys up either, all those bombs and bombers and tanks and all that other stuff that makes up the Pentagon budget. That's because we don't really need to be out making wars. We just need enough for defense and I think we have plenty for that.
We have 305.4 million people in this country. My calculator won't even go as high as this debt. Neither, apparently, would the national debt clock in New York, which was taken down so they could add another number to the trillions in debt that with which this administration has saddled you and me and our children.
If the people who own this debt (whoever that may be) suddenly said, pay up, I wonder what would happen? Would they come knocking on our doors asking for the pocket change? Would they say, no, I don't care if your mortgage is paid for, we own your house now? We own your roads and everything else. Go on now, there's the soup line.
Is this coup by paper?
Bill Clinton, for all his faults, didn't leave us looking for soup lines. I did well under Clinton. Maybe it was just timing and he had nothing to do with it, but give me the 1990s and Blue Dress Gate over what's happened since 2000 any day.
Here's an interesting note:
"For every dollar a Democratic president has raised the national debt in the past 63 years Republican presidents have raised the debt by $2.84."
Almost triple the debt.
How about this:
"Debt has been on a steady incline ever since the Reagan presidency. The only exception to the steep increase over the last 30 years was during the Clinton presidency, when he brought spending under control and the debt growth down to almost zero."
Or this:
"At no time since 1945 when Republicans have been in total charge of both elected branches of government have they ever reduced spending."
I do not understand how people can vote against their own economic well being. Maybe someone can explain that to me. Are those single issues that emotionally compelling?
I do not believe for one moment that this great country cannot get a hold of its budget. I think with thoughtfulness and prudent use of time, money and resources we can get out of this hole. But will it happen in my lifetime?
I am not so sure.
FDR, where are you?
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Blue Blue Blue
I'm sad tonight.
I just received word that my great aunt is failing fast. Poor Aunt Susie.
She is the last of that generation. When she passes, the aged will be - I suppose they are - my mother's brothers and sister and her cousins.
And then it will be me.
Death is hard and we don't do it well in this country. We don't honor it or accept it as a part of life. We fight it and flail against it. It seems to me we act like it's a dirty bad thing that means someone has done something wrong.
Three days to mourn and then get back to work. What is up with that?
All we do is grow old, or be in a car wreck or a war or do something perfectly normal and there you are, choking on a pickle. And death finds you and takes you, whether you are ready to go or not.
Tomorrow is my parents' wedding anniversary. It is also the anniversary of my first date with my husband. The former ended tragically, with my mother passing away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. She was only days away from divorcing my father when she moved on to the other side. Their last 10 years of marriage were bitter and fraught with angst. I have always thought the stress of it added to her early grave.
Aunt Susie is my mother's aunt, my grandmother's sister. When I visit with her I always think of my mother, who I guess will be waiting to greet Aunt Susie when her times comes.
I suppose it is natural then for me to be thinking of my mother tonight, too.
But I don't want to think morose thoughts, not when I still need to write a column for the paper, and it needs to be something... well, not morose.
So here is my happy thought:
I am so thankful for my husband, who 26 years ago was a single fellow and completely unaware that he was about to meet me and so have his life turned upside down and backwards.
He is such a wonderful man. It brightens my mood just to think of him. He is warm and sweet, caring and kind. And strong and sturdy and everything any princess could ever want in a shining white knight.
I am so grateful.
I just received word that my great aunt is failing fast. Poor Aunt Susie.
She is the last of that generation. When she passes, the aged will be - I suppose they are - my mother's brothers and sister and her cousins.
And then it will be me.
Death is hard and we don't do it well in this country. We don't honor it or accept it as a part of life. We fight it and flail against it. It seems to me we act like it's a dirty bad thing that means someone has done something wrong.
Three days to mourn and then get back to work. What is up with that?
All we do is grow old, or be in a car wreck or a war or do something perfectly normal and there you are, choking on a pickle. And death finds you and takes you, whether you are ready to go or not.
Tomorrow is my parents' wedding anniversary. It is also the anniversary of my first date with my husband. The former ended tragically, with my mother passing away of pancreatic cancer at the age of 56. She was only days away from divorcing my father when she moved on to the other side. Their last 10 years of marriage were bitter and fraught with angst. I have always thought the stress of it added to her early grave.
Aunt Susie is my mother's aunt, my grandmother's sister. When I visit with her I always think of my mother, who I guess will be waiting to greet Aunt Susie when her times comes.
I suppose it is natural then for me to be thinking of my mother tonight, too.
But I don't want to think morose thoughts, not when I still need to write a column for the paper, and it needs to be something... well, not morose.
So here is my happy thought:
I am so thankful for my husband, who 26 years ago was a single fellow and completely unaware that he was about to meet me and so have his life turned upside down and backwards.
He is such a wonderful man. It brightens my mood just to think of him. He is warm and sweet, caring and kind. And strong and sturdy and everything any princess could ever want in a shining white knight.
I am so grateful.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Younge in Roanoke
Remember I told you Gary Younge from the Guardian in the UK is here?
Read this important story on the lengthening bread lines.
Read this important story on the lengthening bread lines.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
1. Autumn is the time of year for change!
2. Most noticeably are the leaves. Brilliant oranges and bright yellows. I wonder if the reds this year will be muted or spectacular?
3. The grass starts dying out, too. Thank goodness we don't have to mow the yard so much!
4. The deer are starting to rut. The bucks are moving from spending time with each other to seeking out the does. The does are busy ignoring them for the moment, as it is still too early in the date...
5. The drop in temperature is also quite noticeable. Nothing like those chilly nights.
6. Those chilly nights mean fires in the fireplace. A glass of wine and time with my baby!
7. The advent of Autumn also means football. Rah! Rah! Go Big Red!
8. It also means the return of school. Classes have been in session since August, of course, but for some reason this time of year I miss being in a classroom. The camaraderie, the smell of pencils and paper, the joy of learning - Fall brings all of that to me in a rush.
9. Autumn also means the return of winter gourds. I like to buy acorn squash and other kinds of squash and see how best to prepare them. Sometimes I cook them up like a sweet potato and put some brown sugar and butter on them. Yum.
10. Autumn also means locally grown apples. Ikenberry Orchards has an apple called Ginger Gold that I think is wonderful. It's like a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Granny Smith. It's a very sweet apple. I bet it would make a really good caramel apple, although it might be too sweet.
11. And then there are pumpkins. My goodness what would we do without the jack-o-lantern to brighten door stoops and to give us pie?
12. This is also the time of ghosties and goblins and flights of fancy and imagination. As the dying leaves blow across the road, aren't you sure you saw horses pulling a stage coach as you shuffled along that dark and foggy road where someone was murdered?
13. And then of course there is HALLOWEEN! Boo!
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
When You Are Allergic
My allergies rule my life.
I am allergic or sensitive to a great many things. I do not react always in an expected manner.
I don't just sneeze and get watery eyes. I wheeze and sometimes end up sick for an entire month.
When I was last tested for allergies, which was two years ago, I tested positive for everything in my environment. Dust. Mold. Mildew. Animal dander. Trees of all kinds (oak, pine, etc.). Every grass except for some kind of Asian stuff.
You know, all the things around us.
Animals bother me a lot. Dogs are bad, cats are even worse. While they may make my eyes water and make me sneeze, the ultimate result can be much worse than that. They also make me wheeze, and then I start getting hoarse. My lymph nodes in my neck swell.
If I'm very unlucky I will get laryngitis for a month and not feel well that entire time. This used to happen to me about three times a year until I figured out I need to stay away from places that have animals.
Milk also makes me wheeze if I have too much of it. I can tolerate it in small doses, like in an occasional piece of cheese, but too much and there it goes. Wheeze. Wheeze.
This time of year it's goldenrod and ragweed that sends me into spasms. We have a lot of goldenrod near the house and if I walk through a stand of it when it blooms, well, there's another round of wheezing and the potential for laryngitis.
Because of my allergies, I had to stop researching a book I was working on back in 1994. I needed to spend a great deal of time in the archives at the university in Charlottesville. Unfortunately every time I went to do my work, my asthma kicked in so badly that I had to leave.
I eventually gave up and abandoned the project.
Old homes often bother me (they may be clean but there is often mold which no one seems to smell but me). I love to do these stories, so I try to do them in the summer, when I can spend more time outside than in (and I must hope they haven't just mowed the yard). This does hamper my work sometimes.
Perfumes are a killer. When I go into a major department store, I literally hold my breath and hurry through the perfume area so I don't have to reach for my inhaler. All of my friends know not to cover themselves in smelly-goods if they're going to ride in my car or spend time in my home. Otherwise they get to watch me cough and wheeze.
And cigarettes? I do my best to avoid smoking restaurants and areas where smokers stand. I have a few friends who smoke but none who do it around me, thankfully.
When I am out and visit someplace where there are smokers or perfumes or animals, I rush home and take a shower, regardless of time of day. That helps, I think, because it opens up my sinuses immediately and gets the cigarette smoke or the animal dander off my body.
My allergies apparently started at birth. My mother did not breast feed and I turned out to be allergic to my formula. And then of course I was allergic to cow's milk.
I ended up being raised on goat's milk. My mother used to tell me I smelled like little nanny goat for the first year of my life.
Baahh. Baahh.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Organizing
Since I write and publish a lot of articles for newspapers(38 last month, 16 already this month and it's only the 7th!), I collect a lot of paper.
I have been doing this off and on since 1985, so as you can imagine this adds up to more than a bit of paper. It is A LOT of paper.
For a long time I collected the papers and plopped them in boxes, the entire edition. Recently I went through about 10 years worth and cut out only the articles I wrote and tossed the rest of the pages.
This cut three storage boxes down to one. But the articles are just tossed into a large plastic storage box and aren't in any order. And of course having cut them out, they are oddly shaped and won't fit into a notebook or anything.
I have plans for some of the items. My columns, for instance, I hope to type back up and eventually create a book to give to family. Once that's done I can throw away the originals, I suppose, although I would like to keep them someway.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to manage such a volume of papers?
I have been doing this off and on since 1985, so as you can imagine this adds up to more than a bit of paper. It is A LOT of paper.
For a long time I collected the papers and plopped them in boxes, the entire edition. Recently I went through about 10 years worth and cut out only the articles I wrote and tossed the rest of the pages.
This cut three storage boxes down to one. But the articles are just tossed into a large plastic storage box and aren't in any order. And of course having cut them out, they are oddly shaped and won't fit into a notebook or anything.
I have plans for some of the items. My columns, for instance, I hope to type back up and eventually create a book to give to family. Once that's done I can throw away the originals, I suppose, although I would like to keep them someway.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to manage such a volume of papers?
Monday, October 06, 2008
Psalm 73
Yesterday morning I went to visit the great aunt. She lives 45 minutes a way, so this tends to be an all-morning jaunt for me. I visit several times a month.
Poor Aunt Susie now resides in an assisted living facility. She is quite unwell and my aunt and uncle, who are caring for her and her affairs, have called in hospice.
She does not always remember who has been to see her or who is in front of her. Some of the relatives she no longer knows if they drop in for a visit, particularly those who do not visit often.
Me, she always knows, though sometimes she'll say, "Oh, it's Anita, ... isn't it?" when I drop by. (Actually she calls me by a childhood nickname which will never be revealed on this blog.)
When I entered her room yesterday she was all wrapped up in a blanket and sweater. It was sweltering in her room, but she stays cold. I can last about a half hour before the heat starts making me wheeze.
Since she cannot hear well and does not always remember, it is difficult to converse. Much of the time is passed in silence. During those times I often wonder what she is thinking or remembering. The days of her youth? Is she missing someone? Is she in pain?
Of all the members of our family, Aunt Susie was the most dedicated church-goer. Members of her congregation drop in to see her often, for which I am grateful.
Yesterday she asked me to read to her from the Bible. The book was old and musty, making my eyes water. I thumbed through it. "Do you have a favorite passage?" I asked.
She said no. "Just open it and read," she advised.
I opened the book to Psalm 73. As I read, I could not help but think of the world today and the perils and issues we face. So I have put the psalm below to see if anyone else sees similarities. Are we indeed a species doomed to continually repeat the same mistakes over and over and over again?
Psalm 73
BOOK III : Psalms 73-89
A psalm of Asaph.
1Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Poor Aunt Susie now resides in an assisted living facility. She is quite unwell and my aunt and uncle, who are caring for her and her affairs, have called in hospice.
She does not always remember who has been to see her or who is in front of her. Some of the relatives she no longer knows if they drop in for a visit, particularly those who do not visit often.
Me, she always knows, though sometimes she'll say, "Oh, it's Anita, ... isn't it?" when I drop by. (Actually she calls me by a childhood nickname which will never be revealed on this blog.)
When I entered her room yesterday she was all wrapped up in a blanket and sweater. It was sweltering in her room, but she stays cold. I can last about a half hour before the heat starts making me wheeze.
Since she cannot hear well and does not always remember, it is difficult to converse. Much of the time is passed in silence. During those times I often wonder what she is thinking or remembering. The days of her youth? Is she missing someone? Is she in pain?
Of all the members of our family, Aunt Susie was the most dedicated church-goer. Members of her congregation drop in to see her often, for which I am grateful.
Yesterday she asked me to read to her from the Bible. The book was old and musty, making my eyes water. I thumbed through it. "Do you have a favorite passage?" I asked.
She said no. "Just open it and read," she advised.
I opened the book to Psalm 73. As I read, I could not help but think of the world today and the perils and issues we face. So I have put the psalm below to see if anyone else sees similarities. Are we indeed a species doomed to continually repeat the same mistakes over and over and over again?
Psalm 73
BOOK III : Psalms 73-89
A psalm of Asaph.
1Surely God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
their bodies are healthy and strong.
5 They are free from the burdens common to man;
they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity;
the evil conceits of their minds know no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
in their arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
and drink up waters in abundance.
11 They say, "How can God know?
Does the Most High have knowledge?"
12 This is what the wicked are like—
always carefree, they increase in wealth.
13 Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure;
in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been plagued;
I have been punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
it was oppressive to me
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors!
20 As a dream when one awakes,
so when you arise, O Lord,
you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge;
I will tell of all your deeds.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
INTP
Under the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator, I am what is known as an INTP.
That's an introverted intuitive thinking perceiving person. It's not the most popular type of personality, with I think about 3 to 5 percent of the population testing as an INTP.
This means that I am of the absented-minded professor variety of people. I'm shy. I like facts. I think things can be made better somehow, if we just think about it hard enough.
I like to work alone.
I prefer details, which is why I am good government writer. I don't miss the small stuff though sometimes I think the entire forest might evade me.
I worry a great deal about being wrong and I worry the same amount about failing. That makes it difficult to move forward sometimes. It's a little like being mired in a mud pit with pythons all around. You know you need to jump but good golly what will you be jumping into?
Some famous INTPs are Socrates, Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Sir Isaac Newton,James Madison, John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, William Harvey (pioneer in human physiology),C. G. Jung, (Freudian defector, author of Psychological Types, etc.), William James, Albert Einstein, Tom Foley (Speaker of the House--U.S. House of Representatives), Henri Mancini, Bob Newhart, Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator (D.--NM), Rick Moranis (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids), Midori Ito (ice skater, Olympic silver medalist), Tiger Woods.
I'm not sure how they figured out some of those, seeing as how a few of those people have been dead a very long time.
Here is information on INTPs:
http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP.html
http://typelogic.com/intp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTP
http://www.intp.org/intprofile.html
And here is a personality quiz if you want to find out what you are:
http://www.personalitytype.com/prequiz.aspx
This one is longer and probably a better indicator, although it puts me on the cusp of an INTJ (j=judging) instead of an INTP:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
That's an introverted intuitive thinking perceiving person. It's not the most popular type of personality, with I think about 3 to 5 percent of the population testing as an INTP.
This means that I am of the absented-minded professor variety of people. I'm shy. I like facts. I think things can be made better somehow, if we just think about it hard enough.
I like to work alone.
I prefer details, which is why I am good government writer. I don't miss the small stuff though sometimes I think the entire forest might evade me.
I worry a great deal about being wrong and I worry the same amount about failing. That makes it difficult to move forward sometimes. It's a little like being mired in a mud pit with pythons all around. You know you need to jump but good golly what will you be jumping into?
Some famous INTPs are Socrates, Rene Descartes, Blaise Pascal, Sir Isaac Newton,James Madison, John Quincy Adams, John Tyler, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, William Harvey (pioneer in human physiology),C. G. Jung, (Freudian defector, author of Psychological Types, etc.), William James, Albert Einstein, Tom Foley (Speaker of the House--U.S. House of Representatives), Henri Mancini, Bob Newhart, Jeff Bingaman, U.S. Senator (D.--NM), Rick Moranis (Honey, I Shrunk The Kids), Midori Ito (ice skater, Olympic silver medalist), Tiger Woods.
I'm not sure how they figured out some of those, seeing as how a few of those people have been dead a very long time.
Here is information on INTPs:
http://www.personalitypage.com/INTP.html
http://typelogic.com/intp.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/INTP
http://www.intp.org/intprofile.html
And here is a personality quiz if you want to find out what you are:
http://www.personalitytype.com/prequiz.aspx
This one is longer and probably a better indicator, although it puts me on the cusp of an INTJ (j=judging) instead of an INTP:
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
Friday, October 03, 2008
Ghost Moon & Kiss Me While I Sleep
Ghost Moon
by Karen Robards
Read by Dean Robertson
Audio
Abridged
This was a long book abridged so I can only imagine how long it was without that.
Olivia and her daughter return to Louisiana for a visit, the first in 11 years after the prodigal daughter left in a huff to hurry into a failed marriage.
Her arrival sets off a tizzy as her grandfather sees her, calls her by her dead mother's name, and collapses. Things go downhill from there.
Olivia tries to remember important details about her mother's death but fails. She also finds herself attracted to Seth, her step-cousin, who is engaged to be married.
Meanwhile, the author takes us into the past as a psycho kills little girls. Turns out he's still around and eventually he will come after Olivia's daughter.
This is a very moody romance mystery book. I had long figured out who the psycho was but even so it was good to have it verified at the end.
Kiss Me While I Sleep
Linda Howard
Read by Joyce Bean & Dick Hill
Audiobook
Abridged
Dick Hill is one of my favorite audiobook readers and I picked this one up simply because he was reading on it.
Lily is a rogue CIA contract agent who is killing for vengeance after the death of two of her friends and their adopted daughter. The daughter was a young girl she rescued and loved until she realized the child needed two parents.
Lily's vengeance extends to killing a mafia-type fellow, and then his family comes after her. She decides she still has complete the job by finding out what caused her friends to be killed in the first place.
The CIA, meanwhile, sends out Swain to take care of Lily. He rescues her during a shoot-out but never reveals that he is CIA. As things turn deadly, he decides to help her and worry about fixing the problem she created later.
They also fall in love with one another.
This is an interesting story of double-crosses and intrigue, some of which is probably very far-fetched. The readers made this a great and enjoyable experience and I applaud Hill and Bean for their efforts on this.
by Karen Robards
Read by Dean Robertson
Audio
Abridged
This was a long book abridged so I can only imagine how long it was without that.
Olivia and her daughter return to Louisiana for a visit, the first in 11 years after the prodigal daughter left in a huff to hurry into a failed marriage.
Her arrival sets off a tizzy as her grandfather sees her, calls her by her dead mother's name, and collapses. Things go downhill from there.
Olivia tries to remember important details about her mother's death but fails. She also finds herself attracted to Seth, her step-cousin, who is engaged to be married.
Meanwhile, the author takes us into the past as a psycho kills little girls. Turns out he's still around and eventually he will come after Olivia's daughter.
This is a very moody romance mystery book. I had long figured out who the psycho was but even so it was good to have it verified at the end.
Kiss Me While I Sleep
Linda Howard
Read by Joyce Bean & Dick Hill
Audiobook
Abridged
Dick Hill is one of my favorite audiobook readers and I picked this one up simply because he was reading on it.
Lily is a rogue CIA contract agent who is killing for vengeance after the death of two of her friends and their adopted daughter. The daughter was a young girl she rescued and loved until she realized the child needed two parents.
Lily's vengeance extends to killing a mafia-type fellow, and then his family comes after her. She decides she still has complete the job by finding out what caused her friends to be killed in the first place.
The CIA, meanwhile, sends out Swain to take care of Lily. He rescues her during a shoot-out but never reveals that he is CIA. As things turn deadly, he decides to help her and worry about fixing the problem she created later.
They also fall in love with one another.
This is an interesting story of double-crosses and intrigue, some of which is probably very far-fetched. The readers made this a great and enjoyable experience and I applaud Hill and Bean for their efforts on this.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
If I had $700 billion dollars to spend on the U.S. economy and I were in charge, here is what I would do with it:
1. Create a work program focusing on infrastructure. This would rebuild failing roads and bridges, shore up and extend water and sewer lines, etc.. This would put some people back to work and help the US stay strong.
2. Add rail lines where necessary under the same program to take vehicles off the road. Same result, some jobs created. Also would help with transportation needs, energy, and pollution reduction once completed.
3. Create a rebate program for homeowners and businesses who added alternative energy items to their buildings. For example, if a homeowner added solar panels to the roof, they could apply for a rebate or reimbursement. It would pertain to things like window replacement, adding insulation, etc. This would also put idle contractors back to work, creating jobs.
4. Put some money into alternative energy to support the above initiative. This would create a new job sector because of demand for solar panels, windmills, etc. This would reduce the dependence on oil and again, create jobs. And clean air.
5. Regulate the banks and a few other pertinent industries. Sorry dudes, but you have proven you're just greedy and unscrupulous - that is to say, human - and you can't be trusted to police yourself.
6. Do whatever is needed to shore up the electric grid, including cleaning up the plants, extending and repairing lines, etc. The utilities would have to become publicly owned and would operate as non-profit. They should do that anyway, you know?
7. Implement a health care system that would include not only coverage but construction. Building more hospitals and then staffing them would be a priority.
8. Rework the welfare system. For one thing, create a network of childcare facilities that operated on a sliding fee scale. This would give jobs to some of the mothers who can't work because they have children to work in these daycares, and the availability of daycare would allow some of the single moms the opportunity to find work.
9. Rework the way we care for our old people. Create a similar kind of care network as number 8 for the elderly so we can take better care of our vulnerable old folks. As part of this as well as number 8 and number 7, there would be lots of assistance for folks who want to go into personal care, nursing or medicine so the hospitals when built would be adequately staffed.
10. Lower the fees to higher educational facilities or offer more grants, whichever would work best. People need to learn stuff.
11. Restaff government programs like the National Park system, which since privatized has become only a shadow of itself. It can't keep up with the Blue Ridge Parkway, which badly needs some trimming, or anything else. This would also put some people back to work.
12. Take the tax exempt status away from churches, then offer financial assistance to the charitable programs that help those in need.
13. Stand back and see how this all worked and then adjust as needed.
I'm sorry that this doesn't sound like our present system. This would be my version of the New Deal, I suppose, which got us out of trouble the last time. It worked before.
Don't we need change? What we've been doing has worked so well, hasn't it? All this angst and agony and constant fear and tribulations. All of these people out of work and who are cold and hungry. Don't you think it's time to try something new? If we have to hand over this kind of money, why shouldn't everyone benefit, and not just a few?
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
1. Create a work program focusing on infrastructure. This would rebuild failing roads and bridges, shore up and extend water and sewer lines, etc.. This would put some people back to work and help the US stay strong.
2. Add rail lines where necessary under the same program to take vehicles off the road. Same result, some jobs created. Also would help with transportation needs, energy, and pollution reduction once completed.
3. Create a rebate program for homeowners and businesses who added alternative energy items to their buildings. For example, if a homeowner added solar panels to the roof, they could apply for a rebate or reimbursement. It would pertain to things like window replacement, adding insulation, etc. This would also put idle contractors back to work, creating jobs.
4. Put some money into alternative energy to support the above initiative. This would create a new job sector because of demand for solar panels, windmills, etc. This would reduce the dependence on oil and again, create jobs. And clean air.
5. Regulate the banks and a few other pertinent industries. Sorry dudes, but you have proven you're just greedy and unscrupulous - that is to say, human - and you can't be trusted to police yourself.
6. Do whatever is needed to shore up the electric grid, including cleaning up the plants, extending and repairing lines, etc. The utilities would have to become publicly owned and would operate as non-profit. They should do that anyway, you know?
7. Implement a health care system that would include not only coverage but construction. Building more hospitals and then staffing them would be a priority.
8. Rework the welfare system. For one thing, create a network of childcare facilities that operated on a sliding fee scale. This would give jobs to some of the mothers who can't work because they have children to work in these daycares, and the availability of daycare would allow some of the single moms the opportunity to find work.
9. Rework the way we care for our old people. Create a similar kind of care network as number 8 for the elderly so we can take better care of our vulnerable old folks. As part of this as well as number 8 and number 7, there would be lots of assistance for folks who want to go into personal care, nursing or medicine so the hospitals when built would be adequately staffed.
10. Lower the fees to higher educational facilities or offer more grants, whichever would work best. People need to learn stuff.
11. Restaff government programs like the National Park system, which since privatized has become only a shadow of itself. It can't keep up with the Blue Ridge Parkway, which badly needs some trimming, or anything else. This would also put some people back to work.
12. Take the tax exempt status away from churches, then offer financial assistance to the charitable programs that help those in need.
13. Stand back and see how this all worked and then adjust as needed.
I'm sorry that this doesn't sound like our present system. This would be my version of the New Deal, I suppose, which got us out of trouble the last time. It worked before.
Don't we need change? What we've been doing has worked so well, hasn't it? All this angst and agony and constant fear and tribulations. All of these people out of work and who are cold and hungry. Don't you think it's time to try something new? If we have to hand over this kind of money, why shouldn't everyone benefit, and not just a few?
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Project Censored
I ran across this article today:
Project Censored
The top 10 stories the US news media missed in the past year.
Some scary stuff in here. I will post a few bits and pieces but I strongly urge everyone to take a look at the entire article.
These are the top unreported stories in the past year. Things that we should know but don't, in other words. The stories generally have to do with war, presidential grab of power, and loss of civil liberties.
The stories are:
1. HOW MANY IRAQIS HAVE DIED?
...even more astounding is that so few journalists have mentioned the issue or cited the top estimate: 1.2 million. ...
2. NAFTA ON STEROIDS
.. the Security and Prosperity Partnership... was formed in secret, without public input...It's a coalition of private companies that are, according to the SPP Web site, "adding high-level business input [that] will assist governments in enhancing North America's competitive position and engage the private sector as partners in finding solutions."
The NACC includes the Chevron Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Merck & Co. Inc., New York Life Insurance Co., Procter & Gamble Co., and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ...
3. INFRAGARD GUARDS ITSELF
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have effectively deputized 23,000 members of the business community, asking them to tip off the feds in exchange for preferential treatment in the event of a crisis....
4. ILEA: TRAINING GROUND FOR ILLEGAL WARS?
5. SEIZING PROTEST
Protesting war could get you into big trouble, according to a critical read of two executive orders recently signed by President Bush....
6. RADICALS = TERRORISTS
On Oct. 23, 2007, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed — by a vote of 404-6 — the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act," designed to root out the causes of radicalization in Americans.... This redefines civil disobedience as terrorism...
7. SLAVERY'S RUNNER-UP
Every year, about 121,000 people legally enter the United States to work with H-2 visas, a program legislators are touting as part of future immigration reform. But Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) called this guest worker program "the closest thing I've ever seen to slavery."...
8. BUSH CHANGES THE RULES
...
According to the three memos:
"There is no constitutional requirement for a President to issue a new executive order whenever he wishes to depart from the terms of a previous executive order. Rather than violate an executive order, the President has instead modified or waived it";
"The President, exercising his constitutional authority under Article II, can determine whether an action is a lawful exercise of the President's authority under Article II," and
"The Department of Justice is bound by the President's legal determinations."...
9. SOLDIERS SPEAK OUT
... in March, when more than 300 veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan convened for four days of public testimony on the war, they were largely ignored by the media....
10. APA HELPS CIA TORTURE
Psychologists have been assisting the CIA and US military with interrogation and torture of Guantánamo detainees — which the American Psychological Association has said is fine,...
***
Like I said, read the entire thing for yourself.
Project Censored
The top 10 stories the US news media missed in the past year.
Some scary stuff in here. I will post a few bits and pieces but I strongly urge everyone to take a look at the entire article.
These are the top unreported stories in the past year. Things that we should know but don't, in other words. The stories generally have to do with war, presidential grab of power, and loss of civil liberties.
The stories are:
1. HOW MANY IRAQIS HAVE DIED?
...even more astounding is that so few journalists have mentioned the issue or cited the top estimate: 1.2 million. ...
2. NAFTA ON STEROIDS
.. the Security and Prosperity Partnership... was formed in secret, without public input...It's a coalition of private companies that are, according to the SPP Web site, "adding high-level business input [that] will assist governments in enhancing North America's competitive position and engage the private sector as partners in finding solutions."
The NACC includes the Chevron Corporation, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Merck & Co. Inc., New York Life Insurance Co., Procter & Gamble Co., and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. ...
3. INFRAGARD GUARDS ITSELF
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have effectively deputized 23,000 members of the business community, asking them to tip off the feds in exchange for preferential treatment in the event of a crisis....
4. ILEA: TRAINING GROUND FOR ILLEGAL WARS?
5. SEIZING PROTEST
Protesting war could get you into big trouble, according to a critical read of two executive orders recently signed by President Bush....
6. RADICALS = TERRORISTS
On Oct. 23, 2007, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed — by a vote of 404-6 — the "Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act," designed to root out the causes of radicalization in Americans.... This redefines civil disobedience as terrorism...
7. SLAVERY'S RUNNER-UP
Every year, about 121,000 people legally enter the United States to work with H-2 visas, a program legislators are touting as part of future immigration reform. But Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) called this guest worker program "the closest thing I've ever seen to slavery."...
8. BUSH CHANGES THE RULES
...
According to the three memos:
"There is no constitutional requirement for a President to issue a new executive order whenever he wishes to depart from the terms of a previous executive order. Rather than violate an executive order, the President has instead modified or waived it";
"The President, exercising his constitutional authority under Article II, can determine whether an action is a lawful exercise of the President's authority under Article II," and
"The Department of Justice is bound by the President's legal determinations."...
9. SOLDIERS SPEAK OUT
... in March, when more than 300 veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan convened for four days of public testimony on the war, they were largely ignored by the media....
10. APA HELPS CIA TORTURE
Psychologists have been assisting the CIA and US military with interrogation and torture of Guantánamo detainees — which the American Psychological Association has said is fine,...
***
Like I said, read the entire thing for yourself.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Guardian in Roanoke
A reporter from The Guardian, a major British paper, is visiting Roanoke to see what the real people of America think about the election.
Check it out:
The Guardian in Roanoke
Check it out:
The Guardian in Roanoke
The Big Game Show
Saturday we woke in Harrisonburg to rain. Many of our plans or potential plans had involved outdoor things, such as perhaps going to Natural Chimneys.
We ditched those plans since the weather was not cooperating. Instead we took a long drive around the countryside.
The Shenandoah Valley has large farms on it. Some of the fields were black with cattle. Other farms specialize in poultry, especially chickens and turkey. Others are dairies.
We were actually looking for a specific event, a Harvest Festival that was supposed to be at a Mennonite and Brethren Heritage facility. However we never found it.
Later we went shopping to see what Harrisonburg had to offer, and then we went back to the motel room.
I watched The Bee Movie, which I found to my consternation had quite a message to share, i.e., the rich need to stay rich and the poor need to stay poor because its better to leave things alone.
Nothing like being beaten over the head with capitalistic ideals in a cartoon movie. Whatever happened to a story for the story's sake?
The next day we rose early and then headed for what was truly the entire reason for this weekend:
The Virginia Big Game Show, Western Region. This is a collection of deer heads, a competition for the hunters.
My husband had no entry this year but he likes to see the racks. I think this puts him in the mood for the upcoming hunting season or something.
I don't really see the point in it but I suppose I do many things that he doesn't understand, either.
We spent time wandering around there and then went to a gun show in Fishersville. It was not the best gun show we've ever been to so we soon headed home.
And boy was I glad to get back in my own little bed in my own little house on my own little hill! Going away is always fun and interesting, but truly there is No Place Like Home.
We ditched those plans since the weather was not cooperating. Instead we took a long drive around the countryside.
The Shenandoah Valley has large farms on it. Some of the fields were black with cattle. Other farms specialize in poultry, especially chickens and turkey. Others are dairies.
We were actually looking for a specific event, a Harvest Festival that was supposed to be at a Mennonite and Brethren Heritage facility. However we never found it.
Later we went shopping to see what Harrisonburg had to offer, and then we went back to the motel room.
I watched The Bee Movie, which I found to my consternation had quite a message to share, i.e., the rich need to stay rich and the poor need to stay poor because its better to leave things alone.
Nothing like being beaten over the head with capitalistic ideals in a cartoon movie. Whatever happened to a story for the story's sake?
The next day we rose early and then headed for what was truly the entire reason for this weekend:
The Virginia Big Game Show, Western Region. This is a collection of deer heads, a competition for the hunters.
My husband had no entry this year but he likes to see the racks. I think this puts him in the mood for the upcoming hunting season or something.
I don't really see the point in it but I suppose I do many things that he doesn't understand, either.
We spent time wandering around there and then went to a gun show in Fishersville. It was not the best gun show we've ever been to so we soon headed home.
And boy was I glad to get back in my own little bed in my own little house on my own little hill! Going away is always fun and interesting, but truly there is No Place Like Home.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Field of Lost Shoes
Friday we left home and headed north. Aside from a four-day weekend in Asheville, we've had no other vacation and this was a trip to help clear our heads.
We had reservations in Harrisonburg, VA even thought that's only a two-hour drive away from home.
Our original plans were to go to Luray and tour the Luray caverns. However, my issues with my heel spur were such that we didn't think caving was a good idea, even if it was a commercial cave. I was afraid I would find it difficult.
Unfortunately for us but fortunately for the soil, it rained, which played a role in our trip.
Friday we traveled up Interstate 81 in downpours. We arrived in Harrisonburg a little after lunch. It was too early to check into the hotel so we decided to go to New Market.
Our destination was the New Market Battlefield Historic State Park. This is an historic civil war battlesite and there are quite a number of these in northern Virginia.
The Hall of Valor museum offered up an hour-long movie about the Battle of New Market with a focus on the cadets from Virginia Military Institute who fought there. VMI is a small piece down the road from New Market, though it would be several days of walking or marching.
As I watched the film I began to recognize names. Earlier this year I had written a book review of The Liberty Hall Volunteers, a reprint of a 1964 book about VMI's efforts in the Civil War.
The book had confirmed for me the horrors of war as it offered a view of the travesty based on letters from soldiers who once were VMI students.
In a chapter titled “Dirty, Ragged and Barefoot” the author uses the letters of Ted Barclay, one of the Liberty Hall soldiers, to great effect. Barclay is hungry, practically naked for want of clothes, and starving for the comforts of home. Barclay is an expressive writer and his situation dire:
“I have had on my clothes for nearly a month, my pants are nearly worn out… I feel lonesome sometimes with the few of us who are left …The rest I suppose are captured. I wish that when you send the clothes that you would send me a small Bible if you can get one. My Testament got wet and is torn all to pieces.”
Later letters complain because he has not received new clothes from his family. “If it is in the range of human exertion I wish you would send me the clothing, you cannot imagine my condition. I have no seat in my pants, the legs are worn out, have had but one pair of socks which are worn out completely, my shirt is literally rotted off me, but I was so fortunate as to get a white shirt and a pair of drawers, which both are now so lousy that I can scarcely bear them.”
The movie emphasized some of this but the New Market battle was rather early in the war so the poverty of battle had not yet crept in.
Instead, there was blood shed as the Confederates swirled around the Bushong farm outside of New Market in order to confront the Union Soldiers.
The date was May 15, 1864 and it was raining. One of the newly-plowed fields became a mire of muck for the Confederate soldiers.
Many lost of their shoes in the mud and went on to fight their battles barefoot. The field became known as the "Field of Lost Shoes" and it is visible today.
The Confederates won this battle.
Because it was pouring, we did not tour the fields or the farmhouse, but even so we spent an interesting couple of hours learning about this small part of our state's history.
We had reservations in Harrisonburg, VA even thought that's only a two-hour drive away from home.
Our original plans were to go to Luray and tour the Luray caverns. However, my issues with my heel spur were such that we didn't think caving was a good idea, even if it was a commercial cave. I was afraid I would find it difficult.
Unfortunately for us but fortunately for the soil, it rained, which played a role in our trip.
Friday we traveled up Interstate 81 in downpours. We arrived in Harrisonburg a little after lunch. It was too early to check into the hotel so we decided to go to New Market.
Our destination was the New Market Battlefield Historic State Park. This is an historic civil war battlesite and there are quite a number of these in northern Virginia.
The Hall of Valor museum offered up an hour-long movie about the Battle of New Market with a focus on the cadets from Virginia Military Institute who fought there. VMI is a small piece down the road from New Market, though it would be several days of walking or marching.
As I watched the film I began to recognize names. Earlier this year I had written a book review of The Liberty Hall Volunteers, a reprint of a 1964 book about VMI's efforts in the Civil War.
The book had confirmed for me the horrors of war as it offered a view of the travesty based on letters from soldiers who once were VMI students.
In a chapter titled “Dirty, Ragged and Barefoot” the author uses the letters of Ted Barclay, one of the Liberty Hall soldiers, to great effect. Barclay is hungry, practically naked for want of clothes, and starving for the comforts of home. Barclay is an expressive writer and his situation dire:
“I have had on my clothes for nearly a month, my pants are nearly worn out… I feel lonesome sometimes with the few of us who are left …The rest I suppose are captured. I wish that when you send the clothes that you would send me a small Bible if you can get one. My Testament got wet and is torn all to pieces.”
Later letters complain because he has not received new clothes from his family. “If it is in the range of human exertion I wish you would send me the clothing, you cannot imagine my condition. I have no seat in my pants, the legs are worn out, have had but one pair of socks which are worn out completely, my shirt is literally rotted off me, but I was so fortunate as to get a white shirt and a pair of drawers, which both are now so lousy that I can scarcely bear them.”
The movie emphasized some of this but the New Market battle was rather early in the war so the poverty of battle had not yet crept in.
Instead, there was blood shed as the Confederates swirled around the Bushong farm outside of New Market in order to confront the Union Soldiers.
The date was May 15, 1864 and it was raining. One of the newly-plowed fields became a mire of muck for the Confederate soldiers.
Many lost of their shoes in the mud and went on to fight their battles barefoot. The field became known as the "Field of Lost Shoes" and it is visible today.
The Confederates won this battle.
Because it was pouring, we did not tour the fields or the farmhouse, but even so we spent an interesting couple of hours learning about this small part of our state's history.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Weekend Getaway
We took off to the upper Shenandoah Valley on Friday, taking a few days to get away from work.
Had it not rained most of the time we might have seen some very interesting sights, but as it was we spent much of our time dodging mudpuddles.
Since we were there to "rest" it didn't really matter.
Hopefully after I've gone through a couple hundred emails and downloaded my photos, etc., I'll have something interesting to post!
Had it not rained most of the time we might have seen some very interesting sights, but as it was we spent much of our time dodging mudpuddles.
Since we were there to "rest" it didn't really matter.
Hopefully after I've gone through a couple hundred emails and downloaded my photos, etc., I'll have something interesting to post!
Friday, September 26, 2008
Greed is Greed
“Rules are rules and greed is greed. What a sad world we live in!”
That’s not my quote. I read it in one of what must be thousands of citizens’ letters to the State Corporation Commission. The writer was opposed to three rate hikes that Appalachian Power Company presently has pending before the SCC.
Only one of the requests presently remains open for public comment.
This particular request asks for a 23.9 percent increase in rates. That means if your light bill is $100 a month now it will go to $123.90 if the rate increase is approved.
I was on the SCC website for an unrelated matter when the sheer numbers of APCO opposition letters caught my eye.
I glanced through several hundred of them. Of those, I saw only one letter in favor of the rate increase, and that was from a physician who worried that he would be in the middle of an important procedure only to have the power go out. I can see where that might be a concern.
Many of the letters are form letters, stating only “I oppose this rate increase.” There are also several petitions, each with hundreds of signatures.
A lot of the opposition comes from far southwestern Virginia. Folks down there appear to have organized against higher electric rates. At least one Board of Supervisors for one of Virginia’s poorer counties has put in a request for no rate increase, too.
Heartfelt letters, some written by hands so shaky the writing is barely legible, caught my eye as I flipped through the documents online.
I’ll let some of these folks speak for themselves:
“If Appalachian Power gets an increase many of us will either stop taking our medication or freeze this winter.”
“I live on a fixed income of $530.60 as do a lot of widows and widowers.”
“I am 81 years old and my wife is 76. We both have been very ill here lately. My wife has really had a tough time of it. With several cancer operations. We are both retired and social security only pays us small checks. We cannot pay any more money for electric power.”
“I am married with 2 children and my husband is disabled... currently we live on 652.00 a month. I can barely afford my normal light bill of $70 a month, let alone have to pay for an increase. My light bill this past month was $102 and I had to forgo my car payment just to be able to cover my light bill... barely surviving now.”
“We are a one income family with two children. With the economic problems everyone is facing we simply cannot afford to pay more for basics such as electricity.”
“My wife and I are both disabled and we are living on a low fixed income. We would like to ask (no beg) you not to approve the increased rate that Appalachian power co. is asking for. Because of the high prices for gas, food and medicine, etc. it is hard for people like us to make ends meet.”
“Me and my husband are 72 and 73 years of age. He has terminal asbestos related cancer. Our income has not let us fill our oil tank for three years. We do not get any assistance. We relied on electric oil filled radiators to get us through the last two winters. We cannot afford the large increases. He will have to have more heat this winter if he survives. I do not know what will happen if you pass this increase on to people like us.”
I wouldn’t want to be an SCC examiner, responsible for reading all of these letters and making a determination that somebody isn’t going to like.
Hard economic times don’t just hit folks who have lost their homes due to nefarious banking methods or who have lost money in the stock market. When the bad hits, it hits everyone, and the folks who have the least often end up on the worst end of hard situations.
They’re also the ones we don’t hear much about, which is why I wanted to share some of these comments with you. The current economic climate is having a terrible effect on the poor, which in this country includes an awful lot of elderly people. I wanted to get that out in the open.
If you are interested in commenting on Appalachian’s proposed 23.9 percent increase, pro or con, any easy way is to visit http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case/PublicComments.aspx and look for case number PUE-2008-00046. The SCC provides a form for easy commentary on cases where it solicits public opinion.
Be aware that the form asks for your name, address and telephone number. This information will be made available to the power company and will also be available on the same part of the SCC website where I found the above comments.
You can also submit written comments to Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218-2118. Be sure to reference the case number PUE-2008-00046 in your comments.
This column originally appeared in the September 24, 2008 edition of The Fincastle Herald.
That’s not my quote. I read it in one of what must be thousands of citizens’ letters to the State Corporation Commission. The writer was opposed to three rate hikes that Appalachian Power Company presently has pending before the SCC.
Only one of the requests presently remains open for public comment.
This particular request asks for a 23.9 percent increase in rates. That means if your light bill is $100 a month now it will go to $123.90 if the rate increase is approved.
I was on the SCC website for an unrelated matter when the sheer numbers of APCO opposition letters caught my eye.
I glanced through several hundred of them. Of those, I saw only one letter in favor of the rate increase, and that was from a physician who worried that he would be in the middle of an important procedure only to have the power go out. I can see where that might be a concern.
Many of the letters are form letters, stating only “I oppose this rate increase.” There are also several petitions, each with hundreds of signatures.
A lot of the opposition comes from far southwestern Virginia. Folks down there appear to have organized against higher electric rates. At least one Board of Supervisors for one of Virginia’s poorer counties has put in a request for no rate increase, too.
Heartfelt letters, some written by hands so shaky the writing is barely legible, caught my eye as I flipped through the documents online.
I’ll let some of these folks speak for themselves:
“If Appalachian Power gets an increase many of us will either stop taking our medication or freeze this winter.”
“I live on a fixed income of $530.60 as do a lot of widows and widowers.”
“I am 81 years old and my wife is 76. We both have been very ill here lately. My wife has really had a tough time of it. With several cancer operations. We are both retired and social security only pays us small checks. We cannot pay any more money for electric power.”
“I am married with 2 children and my husband is disabled... currently we live on 652.00 a month. I can barely afford my normal light bill of $70 a month, let alone have to pay for an increase. My light bill this past month was $102 and I had to forgo my car payment just to be able to cover my light bill... barely surviving now.”
“We are a one income family with two children. With the economic problems everyone is facing we simply cannot afford to pay more for basics such as electricity.”
“My wife and I are both disabled and we are living on a low fixed income. We would like to ask (no beg) you not to approve the increased rate that Appalachian power co. is asking for. Because of the high prices for gas, food and medicine, etc. it is hard for people like us to make ends meet.”
“Me and my husband are 72 and 73 years of age. He has terminal asbestos related cancer. Our income has not let us fill our oil tank for three years. We do not get any assistance. We relied on electric oil filled radiators to get us through the last two winters. We cannot afford the large increases. He will have to have more heat this winter if he survives. I do not know what will happen if you pass this increase on to people like us.”
I wouldn’t want to be an SCC examiner, responsible for reading all of these letters and making a determination that somebody isn’t going to like.
Hard economic times don’t just hit folks who have lost their homes due to nefarious banking methods or who have lost money in the stock market. When the bad hits, it hits everyone, and the folks who have the least often end up on the worst end of hard situations.
They’re also the ones we don’t hear much about, which is why I wanted to share some of these comments with you. The current economic climate is having a terrible effect on the poor, which in this country includes an awful lot of elderly people. I wanted to get that out in the open.
If you are interested in commenting on Appalachian’s proposed 23.9 percent increase, pro or con, any easy way is to visit http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case/PublicComments.aspx and look for case number PUE-2008-00046. The SCC provides a form for easy commentary on cases where it solicits public opinion.
Be aware that the form asks for your name, address and telephone number. This information will be made available to the power company and will also be available on the same part of the SCC website where I found the above comments.
You can also submit written comments to Joel H. Peck, Clerk, State Corporation Commission, Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, VA 23218-2118. Be sure to reference the case number PUE-2008-00046 in your comments.
This column originally appeared in the September 24, 2008 edition of The Fincastle Herald.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday Thirteen
1. spending time with husband
2. blue.
3. reading a book
4. writing an article
5. playing computer games
6. looking out the window
7. taking photographs
8. making up a blog entry
9. eating chocolate
10. spending time with my friends
11. studying history
12. daydreaming
13. relaxing
Do you know me well enough to know what these things are? (This is pretty easy!)
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
2. blue.
3. reading a book
4. writing an article
5. playing computer games
6. looking out the window
7. taking photographs
8. making up a blog entry
9. eating chocolate
10. spending time with my friends
11. studying history
12. daydreaming
13. relaxing
Do you know me well enough to know what these things are? (This is pretty easy!)
Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Some Calm
I need me some calm, ma'am
to take away the pain and the pounding
and the thumpa thumping in my head.
I need me some calm, mister
to ease the whine and the winding
and the twisting turning of my soul.
I need me some calm, daughter
to send me on back and then falling
and onward tumbling into my past.
I need me some calm, son
to give me a desire and a yearning
and the time and the trembling
to move on.
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