250 years ago today, in 1759, a man named Arthur Guinness invented a beer. This beer was thick, stout, and with a hint of bitterness, yet smooth and dark as well. Today, many of us celebrate his contribution to the world, in a beer known as Guinness. We salute you Arthur as you have brought a wonderful product to our world and made those of us who like a good bite to our beer very very satisfied.
Thank you Arthur Guinness, to creating one of my favorite beers in the world!
It's the fall season here, and that means it's time for the MD Renaissance Faire. I decided to make my trip down that way this past weekend, and boy did I have some fun.
This year I finally caved to some insistence from some folks I know who work there and I borrowed some garb to wear. To really do something different, I went dressed in a kilt, peasant shirt, and boots. Did I wear that kilt authentically? Maybe....maybe not ;-)
So I got to the faire and met up with RP, BMc, and MR since we had all decided to meet and hang out together throughout the day. I also knew that RB, DB, and TB were going to be there as well. We got inside and I ran into RB and DB and we talked before they headed off to catch one of the shows. We stayed and watched a play about St. George. Then it was onward to hit a few shops, have some drinks, and catch some more shows. TB called and was unable to make it due to a massive water main break in Dundalk that meant he was going to be working. Tough break for him.
There was one shop I stopped in and the girl there insisted that I needed to try on some of the vests there. I admit I did look good in them, but they were priced out of range for me. There was also this really awesome leather and suede cloak there. Again, if I had money to burn that was one thing, but not at this point. Moving on we eventually got down to where the Lingamore Cellars was doing a wine tasting. I have a list of a few things I want to buy. I must recommend the Mountain White as it was very very tasty.
For lunch it had to be a turkey leg for me. That is just faire tradition. I also was daring to buy a skewer of fried macaroni and cheese and share it with the group. It actually wasn't bad at all, I might have to consider buying it again the next time I am there.
After lunch it was wandering around some more and catching some shows along the way. I also ran into JS and his new BF as well. Then later on I ran into one of my supervisors from work and his family. MR remarked later that it seemed like I knew everyone at faire. It's probably due to the eclectic group of folks that I know ;-) Part of the day was also spent chatting with JG and LB at their respective shops.
Eventually in the later afternoon, after finding a hat and awesome vest at the faire. RP, BM, and MR had to take off from the faire. I went and met up with RB and DB and their group and we hung out at the Whitehart until the faire closed.
After our respective goodbyes, I headed over to Crofton and met up with JG and LB for dinner with other faire workers. It's always fun to show up to a restaurant still dressed in garb, kind of gives the waitresses a start.
Once again, faire was fun, even if my camera croaked in the process, stupid battery. I'll remember to carry the spare next time. At least I got some great pictures.
So I got a request from someone I know to go on a certain trip with them. Normally this would be fine since this would have meant traveling to a new place and hanging out with a good crowd. However, it's not one-hundred percent because he wants me along because he's interested in having me hang with him and/or I would mix well with the others. One of the reasons he wants me along is because needs protection from the horny host who despite getting married, can't keep his hands off of other guys.
Normally if someone would come to me with an issue like this, I would try to help them out by being that sort of protection. Of course, this usually happens to someone when they're out at the bars. This time around, I hear this, and I feel a bit resentful that this would be something that I am asked to do. A big reason for this is that this situation could be avoided. Quite frankly, if you know you've been invited to be in close quarters with a group and that one of the people in the group is trying to get you into their bed, you have no desire to, and they can't seem to take no for an answer, then don't go. If you still feel you must go, then you will just have to make sure to stay busy with other activities, and make sure to keep your wits about you. That means no getting hammered out of your mind on alcohol.
The person who asked me this, while it's a nice gesture, it's for all the wrong reasons. If he still feels he must go, perhaps this can be a lesson in how to deal with people, especially those who are too pushy.
Besides that, events that I have observed over the summer seem to be a sign that right now is not the time for me to really be getting into anything with anyone else. Every time I have really had the dominating thought internally of "I really want someone here" then there has been some drama involving someone I know and their relationship with someone else. Along with that, I've also observed people I've known falling into certain patterns when it comes to their interactions, and they haven't clued in yet on just why it is that things get screwed up for them. I want to distance myself from that as it is, but since that is not always possible, I'm taking the Prime Directive as well, and I am not going to do anything that would be seen as some sort of interference. All I am going to do is sit back and watch what happens and take my own lessons from it on what not to do. It's not even that I feel like I need to swoop in and "save" them in some nice way, it's more like I want to deck them for being so damn stupid when they should know better. I shouldn't have to be the voice of reason when they're supposed to be the ones who are "older and wiser."
But I digress.
Point being here is that I'm just going to do what I feel like at this point, and pay attention to what is going on with me so that I don't fall into a destructive pattern. I think in the long run it's going to make me a hell of a lot happier.
Yesterday I made my second trip to King's Dominion for this season (a third trip will be in the works) partly because I had bought a ticket to attend an after hours party there. I also brought a friend along since he had never been to the park and he wanted to go.
We got to KD after a later start (he's an EMT and needed some extra sleep) and luckily traffic was no major issue. Oddly enough though I had a computer snafu that involved my season pass. When I got to the park my pass refused to scan, saying it was invalid for parking, so I had to pay to get in there. However, when I took my pass to guest services, for some reason it was valid for admission, but not for parking, which was wrong because of the level of pass I had. Luckily I was able to get that parking fee refunded. Still odd though because for the entire summer I've been going into KD and other Cedar Fair parks and not had a problem at the parking gate. However, I do know how databases can screw themselves up and such. Thank god for good customer service. I did also go and renew my season pass for next year, so I will be good and ready for Intimidator 305 (The pieces are already in the parking lot, waiting to be put together).
First ride was on Dominator, which was a blast as usual, then Volcano, Flight of Fear, Back Lot Stunt Coaster, Avalanche, Hurler, Rebel Yell, and Grizzly. All of them had relatively short lines because the park wasn't as busy as it would be on a summer day, and again, the folks are smart enough to keep enough cars running to keep the lines moving. We did watch one guy practically have to be stapled into one of the cars on flight of fear because of how tall he was, though somehow they made him fit. Still, all the rides were fun.
At the end of the regular time at the park, we stepped out and got in the lines to get in for the party. I called up my friends MB and JHs to let them know where we were and made arrangements to meet once inside the park. This was their first time at the park so I basically spent the night playing tour guide. There were probably a few hundred people there when things got started. I don't know what the official numbers were for how many actually showed. Hopefully it was enough to continue justifying doing this.
Along with MB and JHs were K&D as I know them. I had met them in the past but didn't realize we had mutual friends, so they were along as well. All together we rode Dominator, Volcano, Flight of Fear, Anaconda, and Back Lot Stunt Coaster. For some reason it took a few minutes to get the rides going once they started letting people in, but then the lines were rather short, so that meant getting to repeat some coasters that we liked again. Ultimately by the time the rides were over, we had gotten to finish with riding Dominator one more time. It was a lot of fun and I was glad to be able to meet up with friends to do so.
After the rides were over there was a dance party in the center area. I was driving so I didn't do any drinking while there, but I did hang and chat with folks I knew before heading home an hour before the party was to end (1 AM). The reason I did that was because I knew if the parking lot was going to be anything like Carowinds, I would have been in a clusterfuck to get out of there, and I was going to be tired enough as it was.
What else can I say other than I love this park, and with a new coaster coming there and to Carowinds next year, already my season pass will be justified.
8:02 - Michelle Obama has walked in, I see she has sleeves on this time
8:04 - The cabinet is walking in. NBC is chatting about how some of the Republican gang of six is still trying to find common ground.
8:10 - Talking about how name dropping could be rather powerful for this speech, and that Obama is doing this to attempt to calm the political waters.
8:11 - Obama has just been announced, everyone is clapping and cheering. Obama is walking in with Harry Reid behind him. NBC is talking about what they know about the speech, says obama is going to extend a hand rather than clench his fist.
8:13 - Obama makes his way slowly down the aisle, everyone is stopping him to shake his hand, he just hugged Hillary. He just got up to the podium and handed copies of his speech to Biden and Pelosi
8:16 - Pelosi is banging the gavel to try to get everyone to quiet down. She introduces Obama, now everyone is clapping all over again. He's ready to get moving. Starting out talking about how his last speech was during the recession, credit frozen, 700,000 jobs lost, things are getting better, but recovery is still months away, he's not going to stop until people are back to work, credit can thrive, but we have pulled this economy back from the brink.
8:18 - Thanking congress for his support, including taking part in difficult votes, thanking the people for being patient with them to get economy back on track. Not here to clean up messes forever, time to move forward. Here tonight to talk about health care. Vows to be the last to have to talk about health care like this. Nearly a century since Teddy Roosevelt called for health care reform, everyone since then has tried it, but it hasn't happened. John Dingell's father introduced a bill back in 1943, and he continues to introduce that bill every year. Failure to pass reform has brought us to the breaking point. People are going bankrupt from health care, not poor, but middle class. People cannot be covered due to pre-existing conditions. Only advanced democracy to allow such hardship. 1 in 3 don't get insurance or can't get it. Even those who have insurance have less security and stability, afraid to change jobs because they'll lose coverage. Paying insurance but get dropped when they get sick. One man lost his insurance during his chemo because of a previous condition, and he had to stop chemo and died. Another woman had to cancel surgery due to her insurance canceling her policy right before, and it complicated her breast cancer. No one should have to go through that.
8:23 - Rising costs, 1.5 times more than other countries spent on health care, yet we are not healthier. Employees paying more for insurance or being dropped, entrepenurs having trouble starting businesses because of insurance costs like that. People paying $1000 hidden tax every year because of ER visits by uninsured. When HC costs keep growing fast, it puts strain on Medicare and Medicaid and soon more will be spent than taken in. These are the facts, no one disputes them, the system must be reformed, but how? Some support a single-payer option that puts restrictions on private insurance and guarantees health care for all by govt, others support letting private insurance continue. Believes we should build on what works in the current system, rather than trying to build a system from scratch.
Congress has been at its best and its worst, working tirelessly to give ideas on reform. Some ideas have been supported overwhelmingly by health care industry, which usually opposes reform. We are closer to reform, however, there have been the partisan fights and scare tactics that piss people off and mistrust the govt. Lots of confusion now due to bickering and people scoring political points. Now is the time for action and to knock off the fighting, that we can deliver to the american people on health care.
3 Basic Goals - More security and stability to those with health insurance, provide health care to those who don't, and rein in the rise in health costs. It asks for everyone, including employers and individuals to be involved with this.
First, if you already have insurance, or medicare, or medicaid, or VA, nothing in this plan will require you to change your coverage or doctor that you currently have. What it will do is make the insurance you have work better for you. It will be against the law to deny insurance due to pre-existing conditions. It will be against the law to reduce or drop coverage when you get sick. No longer able to put an arbitrary lifetime or yearly cap on coverage. Limit on out of pocket expenses, no one should be unable to afford to get sick. Insurance companies required to cover routine checkups and preventive care at no extra charge, will save money and lives. That's what americans who have insurance can expect, more security and stability.
If you don't have insurance, this plan will offer you quality, affordable choices. Lose or change job, or create own business, you will be able to get coverage. Create exchange marketplace for customers to find insurance. Currently how congress, large companies, and federal employees get insurance, the rest of the people should be able to do the same. If still can't afford it, tax credits provided to help get coverage. Exchange will be created in 4 years. Immediate offer to low cost coverage to those who need it and can't afford to be ill, was a good idea from John McCain.
Even if options provided, some may not want coverage or decide not to do right by their workers. Irresponsible behavior that costs everyone else, especially when they show up in the ER or picking up the tag for their other workers. Businesses and individuals must do their part as well. Basic health insurance must be carried by everyone, just like if you have auto insurance. Businesses must offer coverage, or must chip in to help with costs. Hardship waiver available if it comes down to it, however, large business must chip in, they can't game the system.
These reforms would benefit all americans, and the economy. There is a consensus to do it, but with all the misinformation out there, it's making people nervous. Some people are spreading misinformation because they want no reform at all. Some are talking about the death panels for senior citizens. The death panels are a lie, period (none of the republicans are clapping). The reforms would not apply to illegal immigrants (someone just screamed LIES). No federal dollars not used to fund abortions, all current conscience laws will be left alone. One attack has been on being able to choose a public option offered by the government. He believes that consumers benefit by having competition. Unfortunately in 34 states, health insurance is controlled by 5 or fewer companies, in alabama, 95% of the people covered are covered by one company. This doesnt give incentive to be good or to keep rates reasonable. Insurance folks are encouraged to maximize profits by dropping coverage or watering it down to make more profit. Obama not interested in putting private insurance out of business, but holding them accountable to the people instead of wall street. One way to keep them honest is to create a not-for-profit entity in the insurance exchange market. Only an option for those who do not have insurance, no one will be forced to it. Less than 5% of americans would actually sign up for it. Taxpayers will not be subsidizing it, it would have to be self-sufficient. Wants it to be much like how public and private universities can co-exist.
Not everyone is supporting this, but no one should exaggerate the benefits of reform in order to score political points. The public options is only a means to the end of preventing fraud and corruption in the insurance. Democrats or Republicans should not fear this. Proposals for co-ops, or only providing it to places that no affordable coverage there is. Viable options, but still want to make sure americans have a choice, period. Make sure that no bureaucrat, private or public, will stop an american from getting the insurance they need.
8:46 - How do we pay for this plan? Obama will not sign a plan that will add a dime to the deficit, now or in the future. More spending cuts if the savings do not materialize. One reason why nearly trillion dollar deficit now was due to unfunded initiatives kicking in (Iraq War). Will not make that same mistake again. Waste and abuse must be rooted out of the system to help realize savings. Four decades ago, medicare was created so seniors after working all their lives would not have to spend all their remaining money and years to pay for health care. Not one dime of the medicare treasury will pay for this plan. Rooting out waste and fraud will help pay for this plan and provide better health care to seniors. Will get seniors the benefits they were promised, and ensure medicare will continue for generations, and help pay for the gap in coverage that prevents some seniors from getting their medicines. Don't pay attention to stories that your coverage will be cut. Medicare will be protected by obama, the ones saying those stories are the ones who fight against medicare.
Since medicare is a big part of the system, making it more efficient brings about changes to help fix the rest of the system. Listening to other doctors will help bring forward the best practices to help fix health care. Insurance will benefit because they will get new customers. More preventive care could help bring costs down.
Republicans want to reform malpractice, not a silver bullet, but should be explored. Rein in the cost of defending medicine, and let the doctors practice medicine instead. Directing HHS to explore this. Fixing HC will cost 900 billion over 10 years, way less than what the Iraq war has been costing. Most costs will be paid for by what is already being spent, but is being spent badly now. Make it more efficient and it wil be fine. Deficit reduced by 4 trillion over time. Come to me with serious proposals, and I will listen to you. I will not listen to those whose only goal is to kill reform. I won't stand by while special interests work to keep the status quo. I will call out those who spread misinformation. Status quo is not the solution! Everyone in congress knows what will happen if reform is not passed, more americans will go bankrupt, more will lose coverage when they need it most, more businesses will go out of business because of costs. People are counting on us to pass this.
Received a letter from Ted Kennedy, after being diagnosed, to be opened on his death. Talked about the times of his life with his family, he wanted it to be this year that health care reform is passed. What we face is not just a material issue, but a moral issue as well, it is important to the character of our country. One of the wonderful things about america is our self reliance, healthy skepticism of govt, and our defense of freedom. The skepticism is throughout history as it should be. Those of us who knew Ted Kennedy know that what drove him was people like orrin hatch, john mccain, chuck grassley, all worked together to bring health care to children and people with disabilities. Not because of ideology, but because of a desire to help people. Understood the fear of dealing with major illness and the large heartedness to help people. Hard work and responsibility should be rewarded with security and fair play, sometimes govt should step in to uphold this. 1935, social security created to help those who had lost all their money due to depression, people claimed socialism, but congress stood firm and american has been better for it. 1965, a similar story with Medicare, but yet it was passed. The people then understood that there is a danger of too much govt, but there is also a danger of too little govt. If we lose the ability to debate and to be able to talk about the hard issues and the ability to try something hard, we lose something in ourselves. This moment does not call for kicking the issue down the road again, it is time to act rather than fear the future.
We can still act on the hard issues, and we can meet this moment in history. Thank you and God Bless You.
This past Friday has certainly been an exercise on how doing something different can pay off.
I had the day off on Friday due to having to move my AWS day around from the holiday. I pretty much used it to be lazy, at least until the night time. A group of folks in Baltimore were heading out to the Little Havana restaurant and bar, and I decided I would check it out, as I had done this a few months ago for a similar event at the Bay Cafe. The bar itself is nice, has a nice deck with a view of the harbor. Seriously though, they need to put some fans in that place. With about 100 of us showing up on top of their usual clientèle, it did get hot in there, and there was no breeze coming off of the water to help. Someone I talked to that evening did mention that the place does a good brunch so I might have to consider checking it out some weekend. At least I was also able to find a good parking spot off of the Key Highway, and I lucked out in that the meter maids must not have been bothering with the meters that night because I knew I was pushing my luck with the one I was parked next to.
Anyway, so the main part of the evening for me was to chat it up with a number of folks because I was on my own for this event, so it was an opportunity to meet new people and see what came of it. Luckily when it comes to Baltimore, the people are friendly so it's not difficult to get in on the conversation. I met some great people while I was there, and I was just glad to see that plenty of us showed up, despite the holiday. The payoff would come later that evening in that I got an invite to a pool party on Sunday, yay!
If there was one thing that I would say kind of detracted from the evening, it was having some people who would forget a rather important detail about their own lives. Now I am a friendly person, and I do get flirtatious, and there are people who respond to that. It's one thing if I'm flirting a bit and you tell me that you're attached to someone. I'm not going to get bent out of shape over that because you're being real with me. However, if you're giving off the signals and hints that you're very interested in me, and then I find out through other conversation with you or someone else that you're attached, and you didn't tell me this before, all bets are off motherfucker. If you're willing to conveniently hide something major like that, who knows what else you're not telling me. Yes, I did have that happen last Friday, too bad because he was cute. Hopefully it doesn't reach the point where I have to start asking any cute guy I meet if he's attached because that's just tacky.
Either way though, I had a good time, and I'll definitely be heading to the event next month again, if not just spending more time at the Baltimore bars in general.
