Merry Christmas!

Christmas season started for me on December 21^st, almost a month after Black Friday and weeks after many already maxed out their credit cards. I went to a big box store. It was late and I already had a long day that started before 4am. The ship and I had been at sea, almost continuously, for a month, and  we quietly pulled into port.   As I made my last Christmas purchases- mostly premeditated with a few impulse decisions, I was bumped into by other weary shoppers hustling like Olympic sprinters. 

They used to say that once the crowd talks about the stock market, it’s time to sell. But the post-election stock market surge kept good times rolling. So much so that one guy told me that his stock market gains were larger than his paycheck. I congratulated him on behalf of Uncle Sam, who appreciates the hard work of passive income by giving a lower tax rate. 

Conspicuous consumption is back, with new products to “solve” the problems of the rich and “mass affluent”. You can see a stream of “Happy Holiday” ads that make you forget the reasons for the season (the Temple in Jerusalem for Jews or Christ’s Birth for Christians), not to mention songs about bigger and better presents. 

The millennials have more enlightened  spending habits; they prefer to spend on priceless and timeless experiences. Plane tickets to visit faraway family?  It’s important. I whipped out a credit card, rented a car, loaded it with my Christmas trinkets, and drove home.  I spent two wonderful days with my family; now it was time to plan for an unforgettable New Year’s. Should I bring the nice secondhand Italian suit; or is that overkill for Norfolk, I thought? As I was driving back to work for a shift on Christmas Day, I heard a song that I haven’t heard before. Amazing, since it played the year I was born. The song was called “The Gift”, by Garth Brooks, and its protagonist is a poor orphan girl named Maria:

“There were diamonds and incense and perfumes in packages fit for a king;

but for one ragged bird in a small cage Maria had nothing to bring...

Just then the midnight bells rang out and the little bird started to sing
A song that no words could recapture, whose beauty was fit for a king”.

Merry, Joyous, Christmas to all.

Vibrant City; Charity Care

The Vibrant City

Friday evening, inbound on the Lincoln Tunnel is jammed with people headed to Midtown and the theater district. I’m starting to see this in DC, whose waterfront and restaurants are alive until 11pm on weekday nights.  The city is coming of age for what used to be a “quaint southern city”.

Enough old architecture remains bearing the marks of gentrification, bricks cleaned and painted jolly colors, new window frames, grout renewed. DC also embarked on a subway maintenance blitz; New York City has done this before, although alternate routings and express tracks have mitigates the effects on commuters. DC could certainly do better with alternate bus service, but this is where private industry is stepping in. Uber and Lyft, once demonized by establishment politicians, earned their right to exist as subway service is ending earlier on weekends. Bridj is operating red-and-white private buses that take those “in-the-know” to work- those with smartphone and credit card required. I have not seen “Google”-style buses yet, but I am not ruling out the possibility as the city proper becomes a hipper place than ever.

Charity Care: Alternative to Medicaid Expansion?

In the 1970’s, each state was required to establish central planning of healthcare, including “certificate of need”, removing the essential services of healthcare from the free market and traditional notions of supply-and-demand. It was argued that the process stifled innovation and competition, and the law was repealed in 1986, and over time, 14 states have abolished the system, and others have reduced the scope of central planning. New York was the first, in 1964, as Ronald Reagan and the American Medical Association railed against socialized medicine and Nixon’s individual mandate proposal. Next year is Virginia’s turn. A result of short legislative sessions, a bill passed by the legislature related to the issue was held over for next year. This was a result of strong bipartisan effort in suburban parts of the state. Balancing free-market ideals with the practical reality of health care access for rural residents. Imaging services like MRI and CAT will likely be the first to be liberated. This would be a boon for health care investors, and the Democratic governor, always looking to turn a buck, has shown support. It would also benefit the urban and suburban poor, who would be able to receive charity care on new healthcare investments, more than ever decentralized from large, regional hospitals. The cost of increased healthcare access would be assumed by private investors, rather than taxpayers under Medicaid. Two questions remain: How will this charity care be coordinated? How will rural access to healthcare be protected?

A New Subway in Manhattan

This year a new subway station opened up on the Hudson River in a newly vibrant west of midtown, formerly home to warehouses and meatpacking outfits. The station was built in the bedrock, and escalators connected from the street to the vaulted station a hundred feet below. One short flight of stairs connected the escalator mezzanine to the platform, a Spartan finish for a city that’s still kind of utilitarian. Soon, as in next year, a new line will serve Second Avenue on the notorious Upper East Side, and the Hudson River station is the builder’s model for sleekness in a subway system known for its grit.  Distinctly to the east of Lexington and Fifth Avenues, and retaining a village-like feel, I knew friends-of-friends who were able to afford apartments in the walk-ups that line the side-streets of Second Avenue. In a place where convenience comes with a price, I’d like to see if Second Avenue can keep its quaint, off-the-path charm.  

My Awesome Church Adventure, Part 1

Just a briefing:

Pop Tarts for those 5-minute lunches are great.
On such a meal, it was a Main House supervictory- undefeated in every qualifying game in volleyball. Well, we did falter on championship game 2, and it was looking sad, "If you don't want to hit the ball, then don't be on the team". The tough love that was used surely secured victory rather than the normal rotation that forces good players out as often as the bad. Main pulled off the 3rd game to be #1.

So Saturday, 2:15 pm. I just got back from orchestra as I ran and packed bags. I siad I would be there at 2:30pm, so I had to rush. Well, I got there at 3pm, but that was fine anyway, as I had the alibi of having to scour the church for the group. Yes, they were already hard at work in the kitchen. After some stop-and-go moments, the kitchen was at full swing for two hours, poaching 220 eggs in six small pots, one at a time.

So the survivability rate rolled around 87%, much better than the previous 50% of 2007, including breeched yolks, and one-eyed monsters that lost their albumin in the pot. The time passed quickly by...

Donkey

Foreword: For the past year-and-a-half, you all have been reading about my superficial life, with some cool stuff in it. Now, I write like I am Truman of the Truman Show. A very popular movie from 1998. For all those who had access to the internet back then, you might be having flashbacks to the good old days when the internet was 'pointless', that is, not worthless. Some cool stuff. Personal accounts w/o much emotion. But then...

This cute little donkey is all the hype in this featured blog, http://donkey-dreams.blogspot.com/. No, it's not internet 1996, and there is a deeper meaning to this blog, like a lot of blogs, than the '90's. This donkey is on a donkey farm that provides emotional support for people who need it- free of charge and supported through the sale of artwork. What a touching story, it puts off my Elvis "in the ghetto" prophecy, but the donkey, and the cause, deserves it.

Un Crepe

Congratulations to the French Club today for hosting the first really successful Crepe Sale at the school. Successful because the buyers enjoyed the crepes (thanks to Alex and Chris), and the line never became excessively long.
Because I did not have to rush out to CUMUNC, I got to eat an Alex crepe. C'etais bon.
The Crepe Sale was also beneficial to the French club, as they are now able to purchase a new DVD set for their meetings. Membership is free, and there is no painful initiation rite.
Exact money count is not able to be disclosed.

Anyway, on the way home I was beseeched by a charity. Unfortunately, I did not have much money, and therefore could not contribute much to his cause. I told him I would call back, and I am not a liar, so I will. I thought that I had to list the guy's name here anyway.

Capital Hill Sports League
202-583-8835
(no website yet)

I did it again

Some people say it's for personal achievement, but I only do it for practical reasons- getting home fast. Maybe it is sort of the former, seeing if I can make it to be with everyone else. Classmates, and friends, if I may be that bold. I know what it is like; looking at the street below from the Fort Totten red line platform, watching anxiously for the next shuttle to drop off the rest of the entourage before the next train came.

I guess it's something to see someone come up the escalator out of apparent nothing.
As I am suggesting, I repeated the B51-passes-you-then-you-run-for-the-80 routine. It worked, again. I must mention, this event somewhat resembles what happened Wednesday, February 6. I avoided a mob and ended up behind the benefactor, making me #15. If I would have counted carefully beforehand, I would have avoided the situation and left him in his #15 place. So I did the aforementioned routine.

It was lucky that the routine worked, particularly today, when there was a train delay (Our train repeatedly malfunctioned), which kept me out of home for half an hour. For that matter, it was so bad that by New York Avenue, I was doubting my ability to get off at Metro Center, therefore requiring me to Farragut North it. I got out fine, and I was mighty glad I had the communal entourage to support me through those hard delays.

Now...about after the successful awards ceremony last afternoon

I zipped over to the Cathedral (the place I spent a miserable night on Dec. 1, 2007) to watch a fellow St. Thomas alumnus sing evensong. Went well, got to boast of my recent part in victory, came home and had a nice pasta dinner. And I worked on the history project.

Hodie christus non natus est.

Kristmas Kounter: 1 day

It was very foggy this morning, especially when I crossed the street into Foggy Bottom. Heeheehee. I felt like going back to sleep. While I was working on Facebook, I came across this link:
http://www.fighthunger.org/en/node/2683
Click on a button and you charge a 19 cent donation from a corporate sponsor. That is apparently enough to feed a hungry kid, and something charitable to do during Christmas"If you have a computer, can you save someone's life with the click of your mouse?"

Target

I enjoyed my first year of Christmas shopping. I enjoy going to the large store and grabbing last-of-stock items off the shelf, the only time one may grab items one after another. But, unlike the news kept on saying, there were no entrancing sales and price cuts that made me feel like I was in heaven. (buy a hot dog griller and get an ice shaver free, eh?)

After that I had a sad time- while I was being nice and filling my daddy's car with gas. I finished and topped the gas off for safety, and pulled the nozzle from the tank, which, brokenly, splurted 39 cents of gas on the side of the car and on my pants. Ick.

In another pair of pants we went to Rodman's and bought about $40 of European imported sweets.

The Redskins are fighting for a Wildcard spot after dominating the Giants. No matter what happens, the inspirational-coach-movie will portray the Redskins winning.