A New Twist on the Battle of the Bulge

I was driving home from the airport the other morning when I noticed a billboard for an alcoholic beverage. Not unusual, for sure. One sees wine, beer, rum, and spirits billboards all the time (except in our nation's 'best' neighborhoods, of course). However, this one reminded me of an emerging trend in alcohol sales and the fight against the broadening of the American waistband. Kind of reminiscent of the battle against underage drinking...?

Anyway, this was a billboard for Guinness, a fine upstanding Irish stout that enjoys worldwide renown. In and of itself, not an oddity. What was strange was the copy for this beer -- the good folks at Guinness want us to know that their beverage only packs a hundred some-odd calories. A veritable weight-loss tool! From the bars to the gyms and slimming centers of America! Guinness sport bottles! Wait a minute, barkeep -- before you pull me that Guinness, I need to know how many "Points" it is!

Since when, I wonder, do we need to know how many calories there are - or aren't - in a glass of beer. Or a shot of rum, for that matter. Not to be outdone, our friends at Bacardi recently aired a TV spot that touted the fact that a mature beverage of Bacardi Light and diet cola pack absolutely no calories! Finally, guilt-free alcohol! A cocktail for the morbidly obese, and for those trying to fit into next season's swimwear!

I ask again -- why do we need to know how many calories there are in a serving of booze? I've never known ANYONE who counts their alcohol by the kilocal (for my British friends). Is counting by the shot or the glass or the keg passe? Or are we finally recognizing alcohol for what it REALLY is -- a food group. One can imagine that folks who are excited about low calorie alcohol beverages were also excited about the opportunities that 'light' cigarettes created for smokers.

In the end, does knowing the number of calories in my stout really matter? Am I not going to drink it if it has 200 calories? Not likely. Unless, of course, it's high in saturated fats...

It's been a long time/Since I left you...

I haven't blogged in a while. Not because I haven't had anything to say...OK, I've had plenty to say (and there's been plenty to talk about), but I guess that I didn't feel like typing.

A lot has happened since January. Popes have come and gone. Games have been won and lost. Family Guy is back on network television. I learned how to ride a real motorcycle.

But mostly, I've been writing offline. About what? Well, I can't give much away, but suffice it to say that I've been reflecting about a relationship that I haven't really had; in many ways, it doesn't exist. So I've been challenging myself to find ways to codify in words a non-existent relationship with a completely existent person. Confused? Me, too. But patience, dear reader. This will make more sense soon.

On another note, I have been doing my part to conserve fossil fuels, so that the prices will drop. What have you done? It might seem silly, but it's true that if you keep the lights off and the computers off and you don't cook and you don't do laundry and you don't drive and you don't heat the house on cold nights, you'll be doing your civic duty to bring petroleum prices down and stick it to the oil cartels. Changing the way I live my life to adapt to aggressive price tactics -- feels like reaction to terrorism to me.

Overwhelmed at work. Overwhelmed at the pump. Overwhelmed at home. Limited access to activities based on fossil fuel consumption. What's left after 10:00 at night? I guess I'll go see what Brian and Stewie are up to...

Time to be counted -- and heard

OK. It's now two months-plus past the presidential election, and about a week past the inauguration. Mr. Bush is once again, and still, President of the United States. I, for one, have taken the time to pause, to think and to breathe, and even to vote. My guy didn't win, and although I wish things had turned out differently, the time for active mourning is over. Time to stop moping and do something.

So what to do? Seems like the rest of the country (except the rest of New England and the some of the mid-Atlantic states, California, Michigan and Minnesota) is happy with who we have. Well, there goes my dream of a drive across country. Anywho, I am left to wonder if they're happy with WHAT we have. Do they even know? Are they concerned about what their children will, or more to the point - WON'T, inherit? Has America gottten so wrapped up in instant gratification and needs fulfillment that we can't see the debt we're racking up? I'm beginning to think I should open a savings account in Euros over dollars, since I have to work at least 35 more years before my Social Security account is even CLOSE to allowing me to retire, as long as I can secure a part-time job as a greeter in my favorite super department store :-)

I'm beginning to wonder if we as a nation have been lobotomized. "Everything's fine." We spend, don't save, and don't seem to care that our govenment isn't saving for or with us. If I buy savings bonds for my kids and my friends' kids, am I just enabling the government? Reminds me of lending money to friends who promise to repay the loan, but never quite get the cash back to you.

So, are you still reading this? Well, if you are, then you should be walking away from the computer and over to the phone (or just pick up the cordless or the cellphone that sitting on the table next to the keyboard). Call you local Representative/Senator's office, and ask them to provide an accounting for the debt that the country has amassed ($427 billion and growing), and what the plan is to reduce it. It's your money; shouldn't you know how it's being spent?

Maybe Uncle Sam should call a credit counseling service.

(http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/26/politics/26deficit.html)

Important Dates in American History

June 14th. June 19th. July 4th. December 7th. September 11th.

Any red-blooded patriotic American should be able to tell you -- without hesitation, mind you -- not only to what each of the above dates refers, but should also be able to tell you the history behind each date. Flag Day - the day that the design of the new American flag was approved by the Continental Congress. Juneteenth - celebration of Emancipation for African Americans (stemming from the proclamation of Union Major General Granger which freed Texan slaves (two and one-half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became law). Independence Day - the day that the United States declared its independence from Britain. Pearl Harbor Day - the 'infamous' day that American naval ships were attacked by Japanese air forces in Hawai'i. Patriot Day - the day when three American sites were attacked by hijacked passenger airliners, killing almost 3,000 people.

OK, so I've proven that my blood is pretty red. And I speak loudly in English when I visit foreign countries. I can name most of our national holidays, say the Pledge of Allegiance, and hop on one foot at the same time. And when I go to baseball games, I realize that most everyone else has the same color blood as I do. AND they can sing America the Beautiful on key.

So what makes me so special? Well, I can tell you the day - and the year - that America took a step back into the past. Yes, I'm speaking about...time travel. Specifically, back to 2003.

March 19th. It's a day that I will remember forever, and not only because it's the day that my son was born. On March 19th, 2003, the Armed Forces of the United States of America invaded Iraq. It was an uniquely American event - the wealth and extensive depth of our nation's military might was broadcast around the world for everyone to witness firsthand. Journalists reported hourly about how the enemy were putting up such little resistance. Iraqi soldiers were hoisting white flags, laying down arms and giving themselves over to the international forces. A quick war; a decisive win. An 18-month occupation. Our soldiers are peacekeepers, police, targets, victims.

During this time, there has been a generous national outpouring of support from everyday American citizens - men, women, and children - for our overseas troops in Afghanistan, and especially Iraq. Boys and girls have sold lemonade and collected calling cards and cell phones to help soldiers keep in touch with loved ones back home. Schools and civic groups have airlifted tons of care packages to keep spirits up. Flag sales have never been higher, but I'm not sure if it's for the homes and cars of America, or for the bodybags coming back from the Middle East.

America has never been so patriotic, so jingoistic. But we've gone past 'duty, honor, country.' We've quickly become a country that developed a 'you're either with us, or against us' attidude. As the Dixie Chicks so quickly learned, to exercise your First Amendment rights to oppose this war is to give up your rights to American free speech. To speak unfavorably of the President or of military action (not the soldiers themselves, mind you, just the act of war) was deemed un-
American. An act of treason, even.

On March 19th, the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States died.

Cheaper Car Insurance?

I live in the nation's smallest state as measured by square miles, but according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org) in 2001, we have the nation's third highest car insurance rate ($1,027/year for annual premium). We're fourth behind NJ, NY and Washington, DC, and "up" from 8th in the nation the previous year. This is in a state with a population of less than one million residents.

So why do we pay so much? Some might say that it has to do with the risk pools to which RI drivers are assigned. Others might say that it has to do with underinsured drivers, or the fact that car insurance has only been mandatory for about a decade. Maybe it has to do with drivers with substandard credit ratings, or no credit history. Maybe we have substantially more car accidents than, say, California.

Certainly, speculation can get us into a conversation about why our insurance is so high, but what can we do to lower it? We have lots of options here: we can be in 'good hands' or secure car insurance from the auto club; we can even buy insurance from an amphibian. Surely, there are things we can do short of comparing rates online.

Here are a few suggestions, courtesy of a minivan-driving chauffeur...

1. Use Turn Signals. Or Blinkers. Or Indicators. Whatever you call the little flashing lights that let other drivers know that you are going off your current street and onto a new and better street, USE THEM. I have learned from a credible authority that the use of turn signals is optional in our fair state. So if I hit someone who turns in front of me without signaling, is it optional for me to pay for the damage to their car?

2. Understand the Rules of the Road. And then follow them. I can't tell you how many times I have been traveling straight on a main road, and a car headed in the opposite direction cuts in front of me to get onto a secondary road. Or when people turn halfway out into the street at a red light to beat oncoming cars who have the right of way. Oh, and have you ever had someone pull into the intersection and stop, waiting for oncoming traffic to stop and allow them to pass? Never? OK, then, it's just me. I guess that around here, "right of way" sounds like "right away" -- which is when these folks decide that it's their turn to go.

3. Stop for Pedestrians. I know that those who travel by foot express are an annoyance, jumping recklessly into oncoming traffic, but not onlyare they smaller the average car, but a Yugo can beat them in a fight. Regardless, it seems only fair that people on foot have a chance to cross the street safely. Remember, this ins't Frogger, and there's already plenty of roadkill.

I could go on, but what's the point of whining ad nauseam? Feel free to post your own thoughts and suggestions about how to lower car insurance.

There's really know excuse for not thinking and driving. Want cheaper car insurance? The next time you get behind the wheel, turn on the common sense before turning on the radio.

Welcome!

I keep telling people I know who are writers to start a blog site so they can get experience writing (and publishing @ the same time). I've decided that it's time I follow my own advice. I harbor no secret designs or desires to be a writer, but I am tired of sharing my thoughts with my car! All in all, I hope that by putting some of my thoughts here from time to time, others may think a little more before acting, or acting out. Feel free to share, respond, and think!