My family is well aware of my fondness for books and each Christmas indulges me with a stack of eclectic reading material that always provides me with food for thought through the long winter months.
An early discovery from the current selections is a gem of a gentle, sweet, short novel by Ray Bradbury titled, "Farewell Summer". Bradbury, ever the master of the metaphor, builds a haunting tale of the eternal friction between the eagerness and exuberance of youth and the resentful decline of their aging elders culminating in a wondering acceptance by all involved of the changes that time imposes.
One might be inclined to view Spring as the most appropriate agent of change rather than the early days of a dark, cold Winter, but our culture celebrates the birth of a New Year, ceremoniously ushering out ancient Father Time and embracing his infant replacement.
Rather than spending time on constructing New Year's Resolutions that almost certainly will be forthrightly ignored, I instead have invested in hopes for this imminent, if somewhat unrealistic, new beginning.
I sincerely hope that:
Our leadership, Federal, State and local, will develop economic prudence and restrain their inherent urge to further control our lives through random fiat.
Rewards and accolades will be bestowed upon those who prove successful , honest and ethical and those who practice dishonesty, greed and deceit will receive their just reward of failure and distrust.
America will persevere and grow stronger in our battle against those who have shown their intent to destroy us in their quest for world domination.
Our country will restore its economic strength through hard work, diligence and creativity and will reject the false security proffered by the advocates of socialism.
Our country will regain its national identity and pride, continuing to offer a haven for those who want to enjoy our freedom and prosperity, but standing firm against the demands for "diversity" that preclude a cohesive common front.
We, as a people, can become more civil in our manner, more accepting of our differences, willing to debate other points of view rather than launch personal attacks and follow more closely the virtues outlined for us through religion and philosophy.
Whatever the coming "change" in America produces, it will be for the betterment of our people.
Or perhaps I should carefully store this "Wish List" and save it for next Christmas?
Through our personal choices, not through government intervention and decree, we shape the world around us. We are indeed the keepers of our own destiny.
Abundant guidance is available to us if we choose to seek it through the printed word, customs and traditions. Successful "renewal" is dependent upon what has worked previously, as well as innovation for the future.
"The best time to win customer loyalty is when you make a mistake". I heard this comment years ago in an address by an IBM executive, and I keep finding examples of it again and again.
The most common positive example in Maine is probably L.L. Bean. I never forgot that pair of Bean boots that sat in my closet for years because they didn't fit right. Finally, about eight years later, I got up my courage, brought them back and exchanged them for a pair that didn't chafe at my feet.
The IBM exec called attention to two costs: transaction and opportunity. The transaction cost was what it cost Bean to replace my boots -- years after most retailers would have said my chance had past. That was probably about half the retail cost of the boots. The opportunity cost was the sales volume since then -- generated both by me and by those I've told about this story. L.L. Bean made money by replacing my boots!
I've never forgotten a restaurant in Maine (since closed) that made a mistake and served me not the wine I had ordered, but one that was slightly more expensive. They tried to charge me for the more expensive wine. When I protested they charged me even more, saying that they had undercharged me for the wine I had been served. I can't tell you how many people I steered away from that restaurant.
Not long ago Siano's Pizza made up a large pizza when I had ordered a small. I didn't have to ask -- they served it to me, and charged me for what I had ordered. Yes, I got a bargain, but they did the right thing. I'll not forget.
The French casement windows, and one of the expensive doors, that we bought from Kolbe-Kolbe have never worked properly. Most don't fully close, and one is stuck and won't open. Kolbe-Kolbe gave us many excuses for why they weren't going to fix the windows, except at our (huge) expense. I'd advise anybody to stay clear of Kolbe Kolbe. The cost of having windows that don't work, and for which responsible support is not available, is much too great.
But I shouldn't dwell on the negative. That lobster I bought at Harbor Fish that turned out to be bad. . . It was replaced without question or hassle, and with a profuse apology. I could have bought my bad lobster at any (unsuspecting) dealer; luckily I went to a place that had integrity and heart. Note that this is not a story about a bad lobster, but about a good business.
PC Connection once sold me a computer with some added components that were not the premium brand I had ordered. Rather than spend time getting replacements, I asked for a partial refund. They asked what I thought was fair, and then immediately said 'yes' to my reasonable request. No hassle, no need for manager's approval.
Maine Laser Tech once failed to fix an intermittent problem in my printer. I don't believe I could fault them, but it was frustrating ... having lugged the big heavy unit into town from Peaks, and then back again. Their response was brilliant. They sent out a young new employee to fix the printer at our summer cottage. He had clearly been given specific instructions of what might be needed on our printer, and he succeeded. I assume that the owner of Maine Laser Tech spent more on our repair than we paid him ... but I've sung their praises ever since. They remain my vendor of choice for laser cartridges, or for repair of laser printers.
What leads a company like Maine Laser Tech to put customers first, while Kolbe-Kolbe leaves them behind I don't know. I'd like to believe that in the market place, those who offer the best service will rise to the top. However, it's not at all clear that this really is true.
Now, in the days after Christmas, and after Christmas presents have been exchanged, if you need customer service, remember that you're giving the merchant an opportunity to win your loyalty. Let's see if they understand.
Harold Pinter, the English playwright, died on Wednesday at the age of 78.
In 2005, Pinter won the Nobel Prize for literature, and the individual making the Swedish Academy's presentation noted of Pinter: "In your works, seductively accessible and frighteningly mysterious, the curtain rises on dense life-landscapes and harrowing confinement. In poetic images, you illuminate an existence where fantasy and the nightmare of reality clash."
Printer's genius was to break away from the customary genteel, sitting room English plays of the first half of the century and to create intense, claustrophobia dramatic environments in which words had the ability to sear the heart and the soul, stripping away any pretense, and, at times, one's very humanity.
In America, Pinter is perhaps best known for "The Birthday Party," "The Caretaker," "The Homecoming," and "Betrayal." The American playwright, David Mamet, owes much to Printer for his delicate balance between intense words and silence which Mamet used to his own advantage in his Pulitzer Prize winning play "Glengarry Glen Ross."
I had the fortune to meet Harold Pinter in 1970 at a the The Bat & Ball pub on Old Dover Road in Canterbury, England, which was directly across the road from the Canterbury Cricket ground.
I had been living on Old Dover Road near the The Bat and Ball for a year, first studying at the University of Kent and then teaching.
Pinter was avid follower of cricket, and although somewhat of a private person, he loved British County cricket and frequently traveled to matches at many of the county cricket grounds.
On that day, he had been in the stands at Canterbury's St Lawrence Ground watching one match in Kent's long march to the 1970 Country Championship.
After the day's play, my flat mate and University colleague, Martin and I entered the pub, ordered pints and sat in two comfortable arm chairs next to a thin man with a East London accent. Martin had played cricket in school, and he quickly struck up a conversation with the man who turned out to be incredibly knowledgeable about first class first class county Cricket and international Test Cricket.
When Pinter learned that Martin and I had recently earned our Master's degrees in English Literature at the University of Kent, he probed us deeply on our interpretations of themes in works by Samuel Beckett and Franz Kafka.
Pinter had not introduced himself to us, but the playwright's appearance was well known to those interested in modern English literature, and in no time, we found ourselves referring to him as Mr. Pinter, and he was calling us Marty and Peter.
After we gave our analysis, Pinter held forth for more than 45 minutes on what he called the "themes of tension and anger" in Beckett's and Kafka's works.
It was immediately clear from the extended dissertation Pinter delivered that Martin and I had failed the playwright's literary test, but now, almost four decades years later, I think back on that hour or so we spend with Pinter as the most intense intellectual experience I have ever had.
This time of year my wife takes to calling me Scrooge. I pretty much have the Bah Humbug when it comes to giving people things they don't want or need just so I can say that I gave them something for Christmas. This goes strongly against her grain as she feels that if you didn't give everyone you can think of at least something, then you aren't doing your job.
As our extended families grow, with in laws and nieces etc., I have gradually whittled it down so that we do a Chinese Auction of round house gifting with her side and don't have to purchase something for each member on the list. Even this sticks in my craw a little because each person already has whatever they really need and it comes down to getting something that will sit on the shelf and maybe be regifted next year to another group that won't recognize the gift.
I have finally discovered a way to feel good about this annual rite of gifting and I want to share it with you.
At this years Chinese Auction I intend to take the nice cardboard wrap from an Olive Garden gift card and insert my own card informing the winner that a donation will be made in their name to the Good Shepherd Food Bank to help feed the hungry for Christmas. I will do this by visiting their web site at www.gsfb.org and making a virtual donation.
The Good Shepherd Food Bank has teamed with industry and other organizations throughout Maine to multiply your gift to feed the hungry. Through the strength of Partnerships with the Food Industry, Community Leaders, Businesses, and Individuals combined with the efficiencies of Food Banking... enables them to turn a $10 gift into $125 worth of food to be distributed throughout Maine, wherever it is needed.
Christmas has to be about something other than piling up more stuff. I ask you to join me in multiplying your giving by visiting www.gsfb.org and making a donation in the name of someone on your gift list.
As I write this on Sunday afternoon, I am looking out the window at swirling snow and thinking we are going to enjoy a traditional White Christmas this year, despite global warming.
November and December are strong contenders for the month containing the most traditions, featuring Thanksgiving and Christmas. These two holidays incorporate so many of the traditions that have helped define our nation.
Family gatherings, for instance: I am delighted that this year both of my sons will be home for Christmas. They will have a real, fragrant Christmas tree to enjoy, plus home cooking and the companionship of their parents and friends.
When I was in the military I spent many holiday seasons away from home and that made the few occasions when I could return to Maine a true delight. Having a permanent place to call home, no matter how far away and in what dire situations you may find yourself, is a true blessing. I remember well what it is like to be in distant, difficult and sometimes hostile surroundings on a day which otherwise can so often can be filled with love and companionship.
To all of the young men and women of the armed services - and their loved ones - I send my most heartfelt thanks for your courage and devotion and your willingness to sacrifice for the welfare of us all. God bless you.
Our military has its own traditions and many of them are based upon past incidences of bravery, devotion and strength both physical and mental. Lt. Col. Oliver North's marvelous book, "American Heroes (In the Fight Against Radical Islam)", paints an enlightening portrait of just how special our troops are and what a magnificent job they have done in the Middle East.
I am so very thankful for my blessings of home and family, for the opportunity to live in America and enjoy the many rights and privileges that our country provides and to be free to take advantage of chances to make a good living. I have lived in other places in the world where creature comforts such as electricity on demand, clean water supplies, safe and comfortable housing are sparse and for many not available at all. And for many, there is no work available at all, let alone any opportunity for a better job .
And I have seen places where freedom as we Americans know it is only a dream and one that is strongly suppressed.
Many of our traditions have roots in other cultures, the United States being the "melting pot" that it is. And yet, for such a comparatively young country, we have developed our own unique traditions that have contributed to forming our strengths as a nation.
During this holiday season I hope that we take time to honor those traditions that remind us to help others less fortunate, to remember and cherish old friendships and to nurture new ones, to honor the beliefs that espouse faith, hope and charity and to regard the passing of each year as an new opportunity to make the choices that will improve our lives.
I hope that all of you will have joyous family gatherings that will provide a strengthening of the bonds of love and commitment.
And may I indulge in an appropriate tradition for this time of year: Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year to all.
On 12/22, I was informed by management of the Press Herald Online version that I erred in quoting reader comments that used punctuation to suggest profanity.
Those offending comments were removed from the web comments sections of the Portland Press Herald and the Waterville Morning Sentinel comments after my blog was published.
Today, I have removed the offending comments from the blog, but as the rest of the comments below remain on the newspapers' websites I have kept the comments in this blog.
(It has been suggested to me that I am "unhappy" with the Press Herald and that it be understood if I chose to stop writing my blogs. To date, I have published 25 blogs and only two have concerned matters at the Press Herald.)
My objection in the blog below, in the 11/20 blog referenced, and in a Letter to the Edior published in the PPH in the fall on the subject of vicious reader comments hardly means I am "unhappy" with the Press Herald.
As I noted in my PPH blog bio, one of the six interests listed there is "the move of readers and viewers away from traditional media." As users of the traditional media become increasingly polarized, faith in the value of the traditional media has declined. If the coin of the traditional media is debased, further move will occur.
So, rather me being somehow "unhappy" with the Press Herald, I was and remain astonished and bothered by the hateful tone allowed in the online comments -- comments that would NEVER be allowed in the print Letters to the Editor pages of the Press Herald or the Morning Sentinel.
The hateful comments that are allowed remain to appear in the online versions stay on the web for a year where the venom can be read by our Iraqi transplants in Maine, nationally and worldwide (and perhaps also be read by others thinking about coming to our State.
Call me old fashioned, but I believe that unless the papers' online comment sections are to be turned over to bullies for their personal sandbox, hateful comments that would NOT be allowed to appear as Letters to the Editor, should not appear under a newspaper's imprint online.
Based on history of online comments, I have come to the conclusion that the comments section should be closed to articles concerning
1) violent death
2) suicide
3) rape
4) abuse
5) people on welfare, handicapped, etc.
6) people of color
7) immigrants
If comments continue to be allowed, the resulting comments are totally predictable.
It is to be noted that, to their credit, the Press Herald and the Morning Sentinel made the the decision to deny reader comments on the Sandra May McIntyre/Paula Goodspeed story in November.
PBH 12/23 3:40 PM
****
12/18 as edited on 12/23
Sometimes the best blog entries are simply the words of others.
"According to the US census, Vermont and Maine are tied as the
"Whitest State" in the nation with about 96% in each state self
identifying themselves as white.
"Perhaps as a result, some of us have developed a not so
subtle form of racism that finds an outlet in the online comment
columns of the Portland Press Herald, the Waterville Morning
Sentinel, The Augusta Kennebec Journal, and the Bangor
Daily News.
"When a person of color or an immigrant is in the news,
the columns are often full of the most vile, bigoted comments.
In some cases, readers report these comments are
"inappropriate," in some cases the newspapers themselves
monitor these columns, in other cases the comments remain
for hours or even days and months in the archives...
The great irony is that these newspapers would never allow
these vile comments to appear in their paper editions as
comments (Letters to the Editor), but allow the filth to appear
under their Corporate logos [in the online versions].
On December 17th, the Portland Press Herald and the Waterville Morning Sentinel published articles concerning the relocation of Iraqi refugees to Maine.
The following quotes have been taken unedited from the articles' comments sections:
standup of skowhegan, ME
Dec 18, 2008 12:30 AM
[Comment removed by the newspaper's comment column for punctuation suggesting profanity]
dennis arsenault of rumford, ME
Dec 17, 2008 8:32 PM
[Removed by the newspaper's comment column for punctuation suggesting profanity]
Denny of Portland, ME
Dec 17, 2008 9:59 AM
First it was 200, now it's 300. Soon it will be 1,000 and more. If these people cared about their own country and took the action necessary to change it, they wouldn't have to come here to live off our welfare. Our country went through a devastating civil war to cement our values and principles that remain to this day; the Iraquis need to do the same... take charge of their own sorry country (yes, I've been there), fix it and stay there, rather than bailing out and living a good life at our expense.
Here's a question: Why don't they move to New Hampshire? The answer: Because New Hampshire does not give away the store to freeloaders. The message: As long as Maine continues to be excessively generous to those who won't carry their own weight, we will continue to import them from less generous states. If the Iraquis (and Somalis, etc.) were truly sincere about becoming productive residents, they would stay where the U.S. Government settles them and make the most of the benefits that are provided in those locations. Their migration to the states with better benefits is nothing more than a money grab, and we're paying for it.
CRD of Southern, ME
Dec 17, 2008 9:46 AM
Should we erect a huge statue of Baldacci in Portland harbor with an inscription that says send us your poor, unemployed, criminals, single moms, drug addicts, etc. ...............
SL of SP, ME
Dec 17, 2008 9:46 AM
How many of you bleeding hearts actually believe the stories? The first one...they would have shot the males first, not a girl... The nightmares comment guarantees a PTSD diagnosis for the wife and kids, this makes them disabled and gathers more hand-outs. Then the tale of being a sunni..sunni's did the same thing to shiites.. Great movies he is watching and exposing his young kids to...this is how you do things in America..I have an idea, they are called adult ed english classes...id you take any in Atlanta?
These stories are coached to many of the refugees because they hold the buzz words that will give them status over others trying to get a free ride to America or Europe.
You applied to 30 jobs in Atlanta, how many have you applied for here, it's been a few months? Soon enough we will see what happens when you bring a large sectarian group of people to a foriegn place...you should see how they treat females in the work place, I have seen this first hand...you're fired!
Back to work so I can pay for the next 300...
tax payer77 of kingfield, ME
Dec 17, 2008 9:08 AM
I have spent considerable time in the mid east. Plain and simple...they truly hate us and they do not support most of what we value. They kill women and children to make a religious point. If things are going so well back in Iraq, why not send these folks home. If welfare bennies are not so good in other states then we can expect to see a continous flow of the welfare savy arriving in Maine until we stop this madness.
Anti Liberal of Taxland, ME
Dec 17, 2008 8:58 AM
"After four months in Georgia, the family had seen a sharp cut in local benefits, he said, so that they couldn't afford rent."
Well...let mainers pay your rent, food, clothing, education, medical bills, take care of your kids, and while we are at it...what the hell, let us give you a new car and a plasma tv!!!
If there is anything else your little heart desires, please let us know, baldi, the governor just slashed some spending so we need to waste,ahhh spend, it elsewhere.
Welcome to Maine!
Biddy of Arundel, ME
Dec 17, 2008 7:08 AM
Merry Christmas people! We're in the good 'ol US of A! If you're born here you get to struggle to survive and get the third degree if misfortune strikes and you need help. If you're a refugee you get red carpet treatment and help with everything.
I think it's absolutely appalling that we have 50 million plus Americans without health insurance yet can offer health care to non Americans.
Look at the food this lady is preparing. How many Americans can afford fruit and vegetables? Some of our Seniors eat cat and dog food so they can afford their medicines and heat.
Of course we shouldn't turn our anger toward the refugees. They are just taking advantage of what is offered them by OUR OWN KIND!! They are looking to make a better life like we are.
My anger is directed at those who bring these people here and provide them with everything. We should know WHO they are. My bet is they are the same people who refuse to help their own American citizens who need help. HOW can we do this considering the state and Federal budget cuts that are hurting so many?
Ford1600 of Canaan, ME
Dec 17, 2008 5:44 AM
Where are these jobs coming from that this group is going to get these people.
Why hasn't this group gotten jobs for the people here in Maine that are out of fuel and food for their kids???.
Is this group blind to deaths of their own neighbors kids deaths due to crime here in their own country,,,,.
Send all of them back to their own countries to tuff it out just as we do!!!.
THAT GOES FOR ALL IMMAGRANTS
Jack of nowhere, ME
Dec 17, 2008 6:49 AM
You guys are pathetic. Spoiled rotten brats, even. You're whining about 200-300 people moving to your state because you might have to shell out a couple of extra bucks in taxes, and want to see these people sent back to be raped, shot, forced to see family members killed, have acid thrown on them.... You people disgust me. You don't know what hardship is.
It's always a joy to find a new restaurant in Portland that is small, quiet, pleasant to be in, has great food, and is also a good value. The Merry Table (43 Wharf Street) is just such a place.
Following a friend's recommendation, I wandered in today for lunch, and took advantage of their $7.50 lunch combo special: Ham and Cheese crepe, French onion soup, and a small salad. It was excellent. I chose not to take advantage of the special price for Allagash White (only $3.50) because today is a work day.
I should note that specials on the other days are a bit more expensive, but I'd not mind paying for quality.
My only complaint about the place is that the name "Merry Table" sounds like it belongs to anything but this tiny European style eaterie, and I want small places like this to succeed. Maybe if enough of you go (and once you've been once, you'll be back), it will.
Just after writing the previous entry to this blog about the 7 Billion Dollar oops, I surfed over to the Chrysler web site through a link at Cerberus. Chrysler definitely is applying the spin to say that it isn't a bailout but is instead a loan to help them succeed - as if the billions already spent by Daimler then Cerberus as well as regular loans to Chrysler have had any effect to help them succeed. There is a very interesting blog that spells out half the problems at Chrysler. I keep harping on bad management at Chrysler. Good management is something that cannot be legislated but must be trickled down from the top and Chrysler simply doesn't possess it. A blog entry says that Chrysler Employees tell America why they should care then tells the world just who works at Chrysler as shown in this quote from their web site.
"After all, we thought that in all the coverage of the bridge loans, many have forgotten about the thousands of hard-working Chrysler employees - the engineers, designers, finance staff and even bloggers - whose working future depends on help to get through this financial crisis.
What I miss in this statement is any mention at all of production employees. It seems that Chrysler either doesn't have any production employees or isn't aware of them or simply doesn't want to admit that they exist. If Chrysler itself forgets about the thousands of hard-working Chrysler employees then why should anyone else remember them?
What manager thinks that he (or she) can turn around Chrysler without acknowledging that production employees exist? This strikes me as the pinnacle of arrogance and is a large reason why Chrysler cannot get their act together.
Shame on you Chrysler for such a blatant display of gross mismanagement.
Reading an article in the USA Today recently and it comes up that Cerberus Capital Management is asking Daimler to refund their approximately 7 billion dollar purchase price of Dodge because - get this now - they didn't know what bad shape Dodge was in when they bought it.
I don't know about you, but I have known for several years what bad shape Dodge was in and I don't get paid several million dollars a year or have an MBA in business or even have access to the internal papers that list out the finances of Dodge. These are all things that Cerberus DOES have access to and somehow they have missed the fact that Dodge is in bad shape.
Daimler bought Dodge (Chrysler) several years ago and seemingly never made a buck off the outfit despite close management and a substantial outlay of cash to modernize cars and physical plant. All this was reported in the press many times over the years and anyone who read the financial news would know this. Daimler finally unloaded 80% of their dead horse to Cerberus who put Bob Nardelli in charge. Bob is the guy who ran Home Depot almost into the ground before being ousted but I can't blame him for Dodge because they were on their last legs before Bob got there. Why Cerberus thought a proven bad manager like Bob could turn Dodge around is the question but then why they thought Dodge could be saved is really the bigger question.
Now we come to the bailout. Cerberus is not only asking the taxpayers of the USA to lend them billions but is also trying to get Daimler to refund billions. Hey, if you can't actually run the business then you have to come up with some other way to get a return on your investment.
Bob Nardelli is proven incompetent. Cerberus has now proven themselves incompetent as well. Daimler was at least competent enough to dump this pig while they could. Let's see if the Congress will prove themselves incompetent by dumping more money into this sinking ship.
While the debate runs on about a bailout, I hear some thoughts of forcing one or more of the Big 3 into bankruptcy. I put forth Dodge as a shining example of a company that truly deserves to go bankrupt. It would be terribly unfortunate to put all the workers out on the street but there comes a time in the life of some companies where you simply have to say "enough" and that time is now for Dodge.
I really like my Dodge truck and will truly miss not being able to replace it with another one when the time is right. Maybe there will be a good Toyota truck in the showrooms then and perhaps some of the Dodge workers will be on the Toyota production line. This is called Capitalism.
The "handout line" in Washington continues to grow. In addition to "bailing out" financial institutions, Congress and the Administration now seem to be in favor of coming to the rescue of the automotive industry. And although there is still no definitive relief for mortgage-holders there are a several plans under discussion.
All of this "vital aid" will of course be financed by the taxpayers (one way or another) and will come complete with newly-appointed "czars" and a massive increase in the bureaucracy to draft, apply and oversee the myriad new regulations that will be crafted to protect the public interest.
I find itiInteresting that the Democrats and their leadership, who have historically insisted that they are on the side of the "little guy", are now falling all over themselves in their eagerness to provide endless funds for those "evil corporations" that they have been so quick to vilify.
This government assault does not bode well for the free market system. Indeed, many of the same people responsible for our current financial woes appear to be on the verge of being tapped to supply the solutions to the problems that they took part in creating. Hello? And I cannot fathom why auto executives are so eager to hand over control of their businesses to a government that is unable to responsibility manage our country's financial affairs, let alone bring order and profitability to a massive, world-wide industry.
Is America on the verge of abandoning our history of capitalism and free enterprise and resorting to the socialism engineered through government economic and social intervention that has constricted the growth of European nations for decades?
There has finally been an admission that we are firmly in the grip of a recession. But is the solution to follow the inclinations of a fiscally irresponsible government and increase our national and personal debt to "spend our way out" of this financial mess? Please keep in mind that those advocating this path are the same people who coerced lending institutions into providing mortgage loans to home owners and buyers who had little means to repay the borrowed money, the same members of our government who saddled auto makers with ever-increasing environmental protection requirements that added thousands of dollars to the price of every vehicle produced.
Despite a recession that is now touted as being the worst in decades, our government (and government-to-be) is suggesting new "economic stimulus plans" to inspire us to purchase more goods than ever - but since many of these items are no longer produced in America, little of that money will find its way into our national economy.
Instead, what if the public - and government, State and Federal - cut borrowing and spending, paid down debt, began living within our means and determined and initiated some necessary sacrifices?
For decades, local and Federal governments have funded their expansion through ceaseless bond issues which allowed other nations, such as China, to amass much of our debt. This is no time for massive new spending programs that will have to be funded through additional borrowing (bonds), onerous new taxes (further hampering economic recovery) or simply printing more money (resulting in the further weakening of the dollar and accompanying inflation).
"The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance" ---Cicero, 55 BC
Do we have the willpower, as a people, to force ourselves and our government to make the decisions, despite the discomfort, that will allow America to regain its financial strength?
A story in yesterday's Portland Press Herald notes that Catholic Charities of Maine is assisting in the relocation of 200 Iraqi refugees to the Portland area.
Let's hope that Catholic Charities learned a lesson from the fiasco that they helped perpetuate in Lewiston a couple of years ago. Most Press Herald readers are only vaguely aware of the controversy surrounding the 2006 Somali relocation; but in Lewiston, it's a topic that will generate hard feelings for generations to come.
Honestly - I respect the good intentions that prompted CCM to aggressively relocate 3,000 refugees to a town of 35,000. But I contend that it was socially irresponsible to expect a relatively small town to shoulder so much responsibility. When you consider that Lewiston - or anyplace in Maine - is just about the whitest spot on the planet, it's hard to understand how CCM failed to predict the disastrous social upheaval that resulted from the deluge of immigrants. My sense is that Lewiston was basically chosen for the Somali relocation because - unlike Portland - it lacked the means to aggressively lobby against the huge Somali influx until the relocation was already well underway.
Just to be clear: I'm not defending the ignorant, racist acts and words that occurred - and are still occurring - in the aftermath of the Lewiston relocation. I'm saying that somebody should have foreseen the results and taken steps to steer the migration in way that would have had a less dramatic effect on the host communities.
Now, you ask, why December 28, and not right now, in time for Christmas?
My answer in that blog:
"Perhaps just in time for the after Christmas sales?
$150 anyone?
$125 anyone?..."
Well, I think we may well have our answer.
Just like the CIA watches for heightened "chatter" on the "network" in its efforts to thwart terrorism, I monitor blogs, lots of them, and since Tuesday, December 2nd, the chatter has become a shout.
So my prediction based on the chatter:
Within the next 30 days, Apple will introduce a $99 4GB IPhone.
At the original IPhone launch, the 4GB and the 8GB IPhones came out together, but Apple stopped selling the 4 GB version a little bit later and the price of the 8GB was dropped.
The word now is that Apple has the ability to juice up the original 4GB design and lauch it again for $99.
While you cannot drive a lot of applications or store a lot of songs or videos with just 4GB, you will still get to carry around one cool looking phone -- and anyway, who asks IPhone users how many horses they have under the hood?
Just think of it, you just came from Walmart and you are sitting at Borders with your latte or at Panera with your smoky Chipotle Chicken flatbread sandwich, and your IPhone is in front of you for all to admire.
They certainly don't need to know it is the $99 4GB version.
The chatter?
On October 27, Apple Insider quoted Analyst Charlie Wolf of Needham Research as saying that since Apple has 2 million IPhones in inventory, Apple could well introduce a $99 IPhone.
Friday, the same site quoted analyst Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros saying ""While we are not sure of exact timing, we think a $99 Apple-branded cell phone is inevitable... As we mentioned in our initiation report, we believe one of the key things Apple needs to do to drive broader iPhone adoption is to build a more complete product line like it has done with the iPod."
The same day, Eric Zeman of Information Week noted that 300 million IPhone applications have been downloaded from the Apps Store and that suggests that a $99 IPhone could serve as a low end or entry phone, the 8GB as a midrange IPhone, and the 16GB IPhone could be positioned as a high end IPhone with a greater megapixel camera, flash, video and maybe even a memory boost to 32GB.
The definative site on all things Iphone is the Boy Genius Report which had long predicted that Walmart would sell the Iphone. The BGR was the site I quoted in the earlier blog when the news broke that Walmart had reached an agreement to sell Iphones on December 28.
On December 4 the BGR ran a piece suggesting that Walmart could be introducing the anticipated $99 4GB IPhone. BGR did not, however, give complete credence to the tip noting that BGR's tipster was not completely proven as solid and added "Don't hate us if this doesn't happen."
Not surprisingly, according to the Beta News Walmart refused to either confirm or deny the rumor, but with analysts all in agreement that the evolution toward differentiated IPhones is inevitable and that a $99 IPhone will come at some point, the only question is whether it will come on December 28 at Walmart, or whether it will be announced at MacWorld January 6-9 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
My $1099 bet: there will be a $99 IPhone introduced in the next month, but it will not launch at Walmart on December 28.
Walmart has positioned itself, trained its staff, and will be ready to pump out the $99 4GB IPhones the moment the iconic Steve Jobs announces it with his typical aplomb. (Assuming, of course, he doesn't shrink away to nothing before then.)
I could imagine Jobs on stage in his turtleneck, the screen is illuminated, the number $99 appears, and at that very moment, Walmart employees begin pushing out crates of $99 IPhones to the floor.
The Dublin, New Hampshire based publishers of the Old Farmer's Almanac have placed on their website a full year forecast for New England and eastern New York from November 2008 to October 2009:
In contrast, the Farmer's Almanac, located since 1955 in Lewiston, Maine, provides only a December and January forecast on its website for an area that runs from Maine to New York to Virginia.
The predictions of the two are prepared as much as two years in advance and each uses different, secret calculations that take into consideration such factors as the position of the earth and the other planets in space, solar conditions (sun spots, etc.), past weather patterns, tidal action, and the condition of the atmosphere.
Many people swear by the long range forecasts of the almanacs while others point to inaccuracies in past forecasts as evidence that long range forecasts are worthless. Some base this opinion on the fact that even the government's NOAA five day forecasts are often inaccurate.
For more than 50 years, my paternal grandfather, a skeptic in many matters, would purchase a copy of both almanacs, copy the forecasts of each to paper, and then write the actual weather beside the prediction. He gained much amusement from this, and told me that, for Portland, the forecasts where no better what he termed "using a finger in the wind in December for July weather."
By contrast, I talked last week to a man in central Maine who has done the same comparison since the 1980s and swears by the accuracy of the long range predictions.
For me, I take my weather day by day, and hour by hour.
If it looks like rain, I prepare accordingly; if it is hot, I wear fewer clothes; if we are on our boat, I keep NOAA marine weather on the VHF at all times since what NOAA said this morning may not be what is happening now.
Yesterday's Portland Press Herald contained a story about the recent sale of the building that formerly housed the Portland Public Market. In one section of the story, PPH staff writer Tux Turkel states
"The market closed in 2006, after Libra decided the building had achieved its goals for Bayside and that the strong real estate market made it a good time to sell properties in Portland."
Huh? Achieved its goals?
This is either a typo, or it's the most egregious case of double-speak I've ever encountered. Back when the Libra Foundation sale took place, the Portland Public Market was widely regarded as a notorious money-pit that had never approached self-sufficiency, despite constant infusions of cash from Libra.
So the goal of the Libra Foundation is to create failed businesses? That seems pretty achievable, especially in the current economy!
In case you missed it, you can read the complete PPH story here
"Media are increasingly pervasive in the lives of children
and adolescents # the average kid today spends nearly
45 hours per week with media, compared with 17 hours
with parents and 30 hours in school. However, until
now there has been very little comprehensive analysis of
the different research tracking the impact of media on
children's health."
Thus begins the executive summary of a metatstudy on the relationship between use of media and adolescent health. The research results were published December 2nd by the advocacy group Common Sense Media.
The study was undertaken by the National Institutes of Health, the Yale University School of Medicine, and the California Pacific Medical Center, and analyzed the "best [research] studies" undertaken since 1980 on this topic. One hundred seventy three "best studies" were identified.
Of specific interest was the impact of increased media usage on:
- obesity
- tobacco use
- drug use
- alcohol use
- low academic achievement
- sexual behavior
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Although the researchers attempted to assess studies related to the usage of all media (the internet, magazines, movies, music, television, and video games), the researchers found that "most of the quality studies" investigated only the impact on adolescenthealth of movies, television and music.
Of the "best studies," 127 evaluated the relationship between the hours adolescents spent on media usage and health outcome. Seventy five percent of these 127 studies demonstrated an increase number of hours were associated with a "negative health outcome" and 20% showed no statistically significant relationship. Seven studies (6%) showed a positive relationship between media usage and some measure health outcome.
In the findings below, statistically significant means the results were unlikely to have occurred by chance.
Obesity: increased media usage was associated with increased incidence of obesity and increased weight gain over time. (Of 73 studies, 63 (86%) showed this association as statically significant.) A single longitudinal study begun with 5,493 three year old children found that children watching more than 8 hours of television "were significantly more likely to be obese at age seven."
Tobacco usage: increased media usage was associated with increased smoking, which was defined as ""children trying smoking, or beginning to smoke at an earlier age." (Of 24 studies, 21 (88%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Drug Usage: increased media usage was associated with increased drug usage, defined as "past or current use of specific recreational drugs including cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamines, and ecstasy." (Of 8 studies, 6 (75%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Alcohol Usage: increased media usage was associated with increased alcohol usage. (Of 10 studies, 8 (80%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Low academic achievement: increased media usage was shown to have a negative impact on academic achievement "measured through standardized test scores or school grades." (Of 31 studies, 20 (65%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Sexual behavior: increased media usage was associated with "a more rapid progression of initiation of sexual behavior.' (Of the 14 studies, 13 (93%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): increased media usage was associated with "increased attention problems." (Of the 13 studies, 9 studies (69%) showed this association as statically significant.)
Too often, a single research study can fall victim to the "umbrella/rain" correlation fallacy. Technically known as "Post hoc ergo propter hoc" or Post hoc thinking, it can be reduced to "X happened, Y happened, therefore X caused Y to happen."
The fallacy lies in the assumed directionality. On days that it rains, we see many people with umbrellas. Did the increased number of people with umbrellas cause the rain to fall, or did the impending rain cause people to carry umbrellas? Does increased media usage lead to obesity, or are obese people more likely to watch more television?
By rigorous analysis of a large number of "best studies," a metastudy can avoid the correlation or Post Hoc fallacy.
Of the advantages of a metastudy, one is that it pulls together all printed research on a subject, in contrast to the single studies which often make the news.
In gathering the research studies for a quality metastudy, typically a panel independent of the reviewers ranks each of the collected studies as to quality of research methodology and quantity of subjects in each study. A quality metastudy can control for study variation and can utilize statistical methods such as regression techniques which may not be appropriate in small N studies.
Unless well defined and unless the input is independently evaluated and controlled, a metastudy can have the disadvantage of investigator bias or weak study bias.
A further disadvantage of metastudies of published research is that unpublished results are ignored, thus skewing the results (Studies which result in a null (no) relationship between two variables are seldom published. Thus if there are 1,000 studies of media and health outcomes which find no relationship, these are "lost" as the researchers collect the studies which show a relationship.)
Last Wednesday, November 26, A.J. Higgins of Maine Public Radio posted a story about Maine Attorney General candidate Sean Faircloth and a host of discrepancies that appear on his resume. In the intervening six days, I can't find a single mention of these allegations in any of Maine's print newspapers # this despite the fact that every one of those papers carried a major story today regarding the imminent AG selection.
A recent PPH story provided the news that Maine is fifth in the nation in "numbers of people short on food". The story used statistics from a U.S. Department of Agriculture study of "food insecurity" covering the period 2005-207, proclaiming that 13.3 percent of Maine families had "hunger issues".
Worse still, if the term "very low food security" was employed, Maine ranks second in the nation, trailing only Mississippi.
During the previous three-year study, 2002-2004, 9.8 percent of Maine families met such criteria. Information from those involved in social agencies in Portland that offer food assistance serves to bolster the indications of increasing problems for our state.
There is much speculation over why a significant number of Mainers are having problems feeding their families. Studies indicate that for many families even having two working members is not enough to meet the rising costs of food, fuel and other costs of living facing Maine residents.
Once again, during the past election, an opportunity to increase good paying jobs was rejected by Maine voters - by a narrow margin - when a familiar pattern of distortions and untruths was engineered by a small portion of the business community against casino employment in any form.
In the near future, the closing of Brunswick Naval Air Station will result in the loss of more good jobs and an economic ripple effect in the surrounding communities with the concurrent reduction of revenues from such sources as rental fees, professional services and the retail sector. Plus, a few more years of reduced fishing days mandated by State and Federal agencies will leave the Maine coast in the same pitiful condition as the once-thriving fishing villages of the Canadian Maritimes that now are filled with welfare recipients. A few new call centers are not going to make up the difference, nor will the meager number of jobs provided by expanded "research and development" facilities.
We are all kept informed (ad nauseam) of the current budget woes the state suffers and the heroic efforts of the Augusta overlords to protect the needy citizens of Maine by scrupulously paring away unneeded expense - buried in one recent story was the important fact that this "bare-bones" effort includes the projected increases in the cost of heat, electricity, construction materials and (surprise!) additional personnel.
Much is made of the Governor's demands on the state government to reduce operating expenses. Little or nothing is reported about the fact that many of the "cuts" apply only to already projected budget departmental increases.
It is a truly scandalous turn of events when so many people are "short on food" in a state that spends upwards of $3.5 billion yearly (not counting matching Federal funds). What makes it even worse is that under Democratic control for the past decade, Maine has lost and failed to replace so many jobs that once enabled its citizens to at least make a living.
When I was growing up in Maine, much fun was poked at "Taxachucetts" and the endemic corruption that our southern neighbors endured. Guess What! Thanks to a one-party system that is joined at the hip to a "good-old-boy" controlling clique in Augusta, Maine is now on the receiving end of such ridicule.
I was delighted to read this morning that Obama has chosen our own Susan Rice as Ambassador to the UN, and that he is elevating that position to cabinet level.
When Susan Rice spoke at the Martin Luther King breakfast last year, I was keenly interested. I knew that I supported him, and she was one of his key foreign policy advisors. As she began her speech I said to my, "Yes -- I know that, but she says it so clearly, so strongly". But then she went deeper and deeper, helping tie together so many aspects of justice, liberation, security, democracy, and struggle. And as I left that breakfast, I felt even more strongly that any candidate who would surround himself with such advisers needed my strong support.
Well, he's not a candidate any longer, and this morning I read that she will be our Ambassador to the UN. I can't think of a better person for the job. And by elevating her position to cabinet level, Obama is signaling that acting as part of the world community -- and not as a power force outside that community -- is really important.
Congratulations to Susan Rice, and to all of us. We've all won.
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