We all know, or should know, it's taught in school, that we're guarranteed the freedom of speech in this country. At least as long as it doesn't violate the laws restricting it, such as to incite violence, to advocate the overthrow of the government, or threaten the President, and so on. We all have the common sense to know when words are dangerous. But these days with blogs, forums, newsgroups, etc., have we lost that over ownership?
Well, to me, yes and no. I make no bones about the fact that I have rules wiht this blog, and I've updated after some discussion about guns. I don't have a problem with the rules and restricting the tone and tune of the conversation. It's simple, if you want to argue and yell, get your own blog.
But what if someone opens a blogs, conducts research and writes a lot on something, including winning awards,invites guest columnists to add their voices, and then invites open and honest discussion to suddenly, and out of nowhere, decide to ban certain views because they personally find them contrary to their personal view? Is it being hypocritical or just the right of ownership? Editorial disagreement or censorship?
And my point or example? Like you can't readily find one almost everywhere anymore? But there's a difference about opinion with open and honest discussion with others and differing opinions, and about opinion with restrictive language to confine or restrict the discussion along the lines of their opinion. These people often follow the old adage, don't mistake opinion for fact.
And don't mistake your language as the standard, not allowing differing uses and meaning. You're not the OED, so never assume you own the definition or rights to words, especially ideas associated with the words. But then I'm not immune here, and have exercised it here. I know I did because I wasn't inviting discussion, just writing my opinion. I'm fully understanding of the range of views on some issues, I just didn't want opposing views here.
If I want to hear opposing views, I'll go to their blogs. An example is guns. I won't argue the right to ownership, I just think it's time this country grew up to have properly regulate and manage ownership and guns for the safety and security of everyone. It's not about individual rights but the rights of the all of us. It's not about just legal ownership, but any ownership. We don't need a country where fear drives everyone is allowed to carry a weapon.
My point is that this is my opinion. I'm opposed to unrestricted ownership and rights of guns. It's dumb and stupid in a modern society. We don't need the sheer number of crimes committed with guns. And despite what the guns-rights advocates argue, it's about all guns. You can't restrict your opinion where there are more violating the very thing you're claiming a given right. But then the NRA and others argue for this view.
That's their right and privilege in this country. So, it also allows me to express an opposing view. And there are other issues. That's who I am. I have some extreme views on issues, like wilderness (more with less or no people), environmental quality (protect our land, forests, air and water at any cost), death penalty (sorry, not against it), family planning (women's health and family planning, should be early, affordable and unrestricted), abortion ("Trust Women", it's their body and their choice), and so on.
Anyway, it's just my opinion, just one, as well all have and have the right to express, free of being restricted or denied the right and the voice. That's what's here, nothing more. Just mine, take it or leave, but it's also my right to limit what others want to say because it's what ownership is about. I'll hear other views, just not here.
And it's the right of others on and with their blogs and forums. But first establish the rules and don't violate them yourself in the censorhip of others. If you invite them, then allow them to express themselves or change the rules, but don't restrict others on a whim or personal dislike, especially without making it known beforehand so they know.
That's being open and honest, anything else isn't, just what you might criticize others for doing to you.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
JMO - When Walmart talks
I wrote about when the AARP talks, you should watch your wallet and checkbook. They're after it. I was reading about that Walmart is now supporting mandated business-funded health insurance for employees. And I'll add the same warning, but with a caveat. When Walmart talks, they don't just want your money as a customer, they want the compettion's money too, as profit for themselves.
Really? Why would Walmart, which has opposed state-backed initiatives and laws mandating employer-funded health insurance, suddenly decided federally-mandated employer-fiunded health insurance is a "good" thing? For one they already meet any minimum standard that would be established, but not because they're pro-employee, quite the opposite, they only provide the barest minimu while employee pay the rest.
They discovered after years of fighting employer-funded health insurance, it's good business and good for the bottom line, their profit. When it comes to money and making money, Walmart has few equals, they're the least interested company in supporting employees and their employment rights and protections. If you read the details in the story about their change, you'll see they're supporting a version of their health insurance.
Like we expect anything different? What Walmart is looking for in the federal mandate is mandatory reduction in health and drug costs, to lower their costs, and maybe tax incentives to companies who do provide health insurance. And by the simple law of economy of scale, they're the biggest hammer in the toolbox to insurance companies to lower costs. They've done that to many small and medium sized business, getting prices below profitability and driving them into bankruptcy or forcing them to move production to China.
You see Walmart doesn't support Americans and American workers. Almost all the products they sell, outside of food, are made in China or other countries where labor is cheap and labor and enviromental laws are minimu at best and non-existent at worst. They're also the company with one of, if not with the, lowest wages and benefits for workers. They're simply profit-motivated, and everyone else, including America and Americans, be damned.
So, when you read Walmart supports some new federal legislation for anything, and especially workers, check your wallet and checkbook. It's your money they want for themselves, and not to share, not even back to the local, state or national economy and environment.
Really? Why would Walmart, which has opposed state-backed initiatives and laws mandating employer-funded health insurance, suddenly decided federally-mandated employer-fiunded health insurance is a "good" thing? For one they already meet any minimum standard that would be established, but not because they're pro-employee, quite the opposite, they only provide the barest minimu while employee pay the rest.
They discovered after years of fighting employer-funded health insurance, it's good business and good for the bottom line, their profit. When it comes to money and making money, Walmart has few equals, they're the least interested company in supporting employees and their employment rights and protections. If you read the details in the story about their change, you'll see they're supporting a version of their health insurance.
Like we expect anything different? What Walmart is looking for in the federal mandate is mandatory reduction in health and drug costs, to lower their costs, and maybe tax incentives to companies who do provide health insurance. And by the simple law of economy of scale, they're the biggest hammer in the toolbox to insurance companies to lower costs. They've done that to many small and medium sized business, getting prices below profitability and driving them into bankruptcy or forcing them to move production to China.
You see Walmart doesn't support Americans and American workers. Almost all the products they sell, outside of food, are made in China or other countries where labor is cheap and labor and enviromental laws are minimu at best and non-existent at worst. They're also the company with one of, if not with the, lowest wages and benefits for workers. They're simply profit-motivated, and everyone else, including America and Americans, be damned.
So, when you read Walmart supports some new federal legislation for anything, and especially workers, check your wallet and checkbook. It's your money they want for themselves, and not to share, not even back to the local, state or national economy and environment.
Monday, June 29, 2009
NPR - Approaching Summer
It's the end of June. While summer has started, even with heat waves in almost every place in the US, it doesn't really start here in western Washington until the second week of July, after the Independence Day holiday. Around the 10th of the month or so. Then it quickly warms to the warmest period of the year, the last two weeks of the month when both the average for the highest high temperature and the highest low temperature peaks, the former around the 20-25th and the latter around the 25-31st.
After that, August 1st, its proverbially down hill. That's not always true but it's consistently true as August sees the greatest drop in average temperatures (highest, lowest, average) for any month of the year. By Labor Day we're back to June weather, only excepted by the occasional indian summer in mid-September to mid-October. In addition we average about 3 periods of 2-3 days a year over 90 degrees and 21 days over 80 degrees.
So living here is about the old adages about living without air conditioning, if you can survive, the last two weeks of July, you're home free for the year, more or less, meaning minus the occasional 2-3 days heat spells in August and early September, but by then the days are shorter and the evenings into night cool off faster, or so it seems. And once by mid-August, you can expect the possibility of cold temperatures, even at or below freezing, in the mountains.
What this also means is the worst time for hiking with pesky insects is mid-July into mid-August. Once the temperatures dip below 40 degrees and especially freezing, the insects are gone, or at least all but the few hardy ones who don't get going to late mornings and aren't much of a bother in the evening. But that also changes with the year.
Some years, the warm temperatures broke records for the temperatures, length of period - sometimes 3-5+ days, and the total number of days for the summer. And in some years we didn't break 80 degrees all summer. The same is similar for rainfall. July and August have about the same average rainfall, the minimium for us which is about one inch per month. In some years, it doubles or triples and the record for consecutive rainless days is 101 days, one entire summer.
So, what does all this mean? I'm a temperate climate person, meaning I thrive best in temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees. Anything colder and my body has issues, like joints. Anything warmer, say above 80 degrees and especially above 85 degrees and it shuts down. It's a rapid progressive fade from the high 70's, which physiologists say is the optimium range for physical activity, into the 90's, like falling off a cliff.
And especially days of 85+ degree days. It's my annual test for the average number of three periods of warm weather. The first one is a an adjustment, the second tolerance and the third impatience. The first hot period is where my body isn't ready and has to learn to just exist after the winter and spring cold and cool temperatures. The second is when my body knows and adjusts to survive through it.
But the third is the body simply being tired of it. Since these periods last 3-5 days, a warmup day followed by 2-3 days of warm to hot weather and then followed by 1-2 days of cooling but still warm weather. We forget during these periods everything gets hot and it takes a few days to cool off everything back to normal.
And those years we have longer periods are the worst. After the third day, my body simply quits altogether and I just get through them until the temperatures drop back below 80 degrees. And the record period we had of two weeks of warm weather and over a week of over 85-90 degree weather was simply what you think. I sat, barely did anything, and took a lot of naps.
This is because, like everyone's body, mine has adapted to the moderate weather. When I lived in Phoenix, yes I did live there for five years too, it took the first year to adjust and adapt and I was fine, even working and being active in 95+ degree weather. I always loved the mornings in the summer when it was 70-75 degrees, but hated it didn't stay there long once the sun rose in the sky.
And I actually learned to work in the remote deserts in the heat. I wasn't happy but I managed. Now approaching 60 this year, it's not the same anymore. The body and mind are slower, less tolerant of heat, and less forgiving of heat spells. It's just easier not to do anything that to do something. In a sense I get through, and occasionally do some things. Or at least try.
Ok, not much point here except venting about hot weather and getting old. Like folks in normally warm and hot places have any thought other than, "Awww." But as I've learned the two-plus decades I've lived there, at least around the summer heat waves, the weather and places is great, and we can go and do anything outdoors without it being too hot.
And why I continue to live there. A few weeks of uncomfortable weather in most years ain't so bad in the face of the rest of the time and place. I'll take it, and yes, even the occasional heat wave. There's not much else to do except accept it as part of life and living. In paradise of course. Mine anyway.
After that, August 1st, its proverbially down hill. That's not always true but it's consistently true as August sees the greatest drop in average temperatures (highest, lowest, average) for any month of the year. By Labor Day we're back to June weather, only excepted by the occasional indian summer in mid-September to mid-October. In addition we average about 3 periods of 2-3 days a year over 90 degrees and 21 days over 80 degrees.
So living here is about the old adages about living without air conditioning, if you can survive, the last two weeks of July, you're home free for the year, more or less, meaning minus the occasional 2-3 days heat spells in August and early September, but by then the days are shorter and the evenings into night cool off faster, or so it seems. And once by mid-August, you can expect the possibility of cold temperatures, even at or below freezing, in the mountains.
What this also means is the worst time for hiking with pesky insects is mid-July into mid-August. Once the temperatures dip below 40 degrees and especially freezing, the insects are gone, or at least all but the few hardy ones who don't get going to late mornings and aren't much of a bother in the evening. But that also changes with the year.
Some years, the warm temperatures broke records for the temperatures, length of period - sometimes 3-5+ days, and the total number of days for the summer. And in some years we didn't break 80 degrees all summer. The same is similar for rainfall. July and August have about the same average rainfall, the minimium for us which is about one inch per month. In some years, it doubles or triples and the record for consecutive rainless days is 101 days, one entire summer.
So, what does all this mean? I'm a temperate climate person, meaning I thrive best in temperatures between 45 and 75 degrees. Anything colder and my body has issues, like joints. Anything warmer, say above 80 degrees and especially above 85 degrees and it shuts down. It's a rapid progressive fade from the high 70's, which physiologists say is the optimium range for physical activity, into the 90's, like falling off a cliff.
And especially days of 85+ degree days. It's my annual test for the average number of three periods of warm weather. The first one is a an adjustment, the second tolerance and the third impatience. The first hot period is where my body isn't ready and has to learn to just exist after the winter and spring cold and cool temperatures. The second is when my body knows and adjusts to survive through it.
But the third is the body simply being tired of it. Since these periods last 3-5 days, a warmup day followed by 2-3 days of warm to hot weather and then followed by 1-2 days of cooling but still warm weather. We forget during these periods everything gets hot and it takes a few days to cool off everything back to normal.
And those years we have longer periods are the worst. After the third day, my body simply quits altogether and I just get through them until the temperatures drop back below 80 degrees. And the record period we had of two weeks of warm weather and over a week of over 85-90 degree weather was simply what you think. I sat, barely did anything, and took a lot of naps.
This is because, like everyone's body, mine has adapted to the moderate weather. When I lived in Phoenix, yes I did live there for five years too, it took the first year to adjust and adapt and I was fine, even working and being active in 95+ degree weather. I always loved the mornings in the summer when it was 70-75 degrees, but hated it didn't stay there long once the sun rose in the sky.
And I actually learned to work in the remote deserts in the heat. I wasn't happy but I managed. Now approaching 60 this year, it's not the same anymore. The body and mind are slower, less tolerant of heat, and less forgiving of heat spells. It's just easier not to do anything that to do something. In a sense I get through, and occasionally do some things. Or at least try.
Ok, not much point here except venting about hot weather and getting old. Like folks in normally warm and hot places have any thought other than, "Awww." But as I've learned the two-plus decades I've lived there, at least around the summer heat waves, the weather and places is great, and we can go and do anything outdoors without it being too hot.
And why I continue to live there. A few weeks of uncomfortable weather in most years ain't so bad in the face of the rest of the time and place. I'll take it, and yes, even the occasional heat wave. There's not much else to do except accept it as part of life and living. In paradise of course. Mine anyway.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
