As the 112th Congress begins

Republicans are going to do what over the next few days?

1. Waste a colossal amount of time (thus, wasting taxpayers money)?
   
   
2. Show themselves to be the uncaring souls that they are?
   
   
3. Both?

The correct answer is (3. Both).

House Republicans are planning to force a vote on repealing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as health care reform (HCR), before the President's State of the Union Address.

Rep. Fred Upton (R - Mich) said undoing the law would be "top priority" for the new congress, and he thinks there is enough support to overcome a presidential veto.

It may be a priority for Republicans, but in spite of their claim that support for repeal of HCR is growing, I doubt that Americans want to do away with the gains we have already made. There are no reliable current polls on the matter.

I will review the changes that the bill has allowed later in this post, but when January 1, 2011 rolled around, another set of changes came into effect. Those include the following benefits for seniors and all Americans.

• Offering Prescription Drug Discounts. Seniors who reach the coverage gap will receive a 50 percent discount when buying Medicare Part D covered brand-name prescription drugs.

• Providing Free Preventive Care for Seniors. The law provides certain free preventive services, such as annual wellness visits and personalized prevention plans for seniors on Medicare.

• Improving Health Care Quality and Efficiency. The law establishes a new Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation that will begin testing new ways of delivering care to patients. These methods are expected to improve the quality of care, and reduce the rate of growth in health care costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

• Improving Care for Seniors After They Leave the Hospital. The Community Care Transitions Program will help high risk Medicare beneficiaries who are hospitalized avoid unnecessary re-admissions by coordinating care and connecting patients to services in their communities.

• Bringing Down Health Care Premiums. To ensure premium dollars are spent primarily on health care, the new law generally requires that at least 85% of all premium dollars collected by insurance companies for large employer plans are spent on health care services and health care quality improvement. For plans sold to individuals and small employers, at least 80% of the premium must be spent on benefits and quality improvement. If insurance companies do not meet these goals, because their administrative costs or profits are too high, they must provide rebates to consumers.

• Addressing Overpayments to Big Insurance Companies and Strengthening Medicare Advantage. Today, Medicare pays Medicare Advantage insurance companies over $1,000 more per person on average than is spent per person in Traditional Medicare. This results in increased premiums for all Medicare beneficiaries, including the 77 percent of beneficiaries who are not currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan. The new law levels the playing field by gradually eliminating this discrepancy. People enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan will still receive all guaranteed Medicare benefits, and the law provides bonus payments to Medicare Advantage plans that provide high quality care.

Add to that the thousands of young people and previously uninsured children who have been added to the rolls of insured, and eliminating the lifetime limits on coverage, provisions to crack down on Medicare and other fraud, funding and strengthening community health centers, and more provisions that were enacted in 2010.

These are all significant changes that will strengthen the health care system, improve the way it is delivered, and reduce the costs for all Americans (or at least lower the rate of increases).

As for the grandstanding republicans in the House, even if you pass a repeal, the claim that you have a veto-proof majority (I doubt that) is useless, since repeal would never pass in the Senate, and the bill would never get to the President's desk for the veto.

But go ahead, start the new Congress by showing America that you are unwilling to move forward, that the "new Republican Congress" is no different than the previous Republican minority; uninterested in helping America move through the recession and back to prosperity, instead they are focused on obstructionism and partisanship.

At least we will have one vote from Alabama against the repeal of HCR. Terri Sewell will have replaced our latest embarrassment, Artur Davis, whose previous vote against Health Care Reform cost him the Democratic nomination for governor, and possibly the chance to be our next governor. He can now wander off into obscurity.

People are like snowflakes

In the current issue of the New Yorker is a column (The Talk of the Town) titled "All alike, " about snowflakes.

In elementary school we learned that every snowflake is different. I caught snowflakes on cold microscope slides and tried to examine them with magnifying glasses and maybe a cold microscope, I don't remember, but I do remember seeing for myself that every snowflake that fell from the skies above Vestavia Hills was different, based on the dozens that I saw.

I wonder if that was my first venture into statistical analysis, using "dozens" to draw conclusions about "millions," but I digress.

The New Yorker article mentions a sign in the Starbucks at Forty-second and Sixth, that reads, "Friends are like snowflakes: Beautiful and different."

I don't know if that sign is a Starbucks standard, or unique to that store - in my one venture into a Starbucks during the Holiday Season this year, I was more focused on deciding between my perennial favorite that includes caramel; or my new BCFF (Best Coffee Fave Forever) that includes peppermint and foam.

And while we often watch the snow fall and exclaim about BIG snowflakes we must realize that those huge flakes are really collections of small snowflakes that have stuck to one another on their way to earth.

These big snowflakes falling in front of our entryway are actually plastic replicas from the Dollar Tree, and they are all alike. (Photo by Paul Davis)



Again I have strayed from my chosen theme for this post, but its so easy to stray when speaking, or writing, or pondering, about snow.

Adam Gopnik, the author of the article, did some research, and discovered that snowflakes are really snow crystals and that (gasp!) they are actually all alike at creation.

Gopnik quotes Australian science writer Karl Kruszelnicki, "As a snowflake falls, it tumbles through many different environments. So the snowflake that you see on the ground is deeply affected by the different temperatures, humidities, velocities, turbulences, etc, that it has experienced on the way."

Gopnik also suggest Starbucks change their sign to read, "Friends are like snowflakes; more beautiful each time you cross their paths in common descent."

I would expand that thought a bit. It's not just friends that are more beautiful. Strangers, as well, in fact, all people are beautiful, as this photo of an overpass in Birmingham (by Jennifer West) attests. This is from Magic City Post.com. (The graffiti was recently vandalized and soon after painted over).




Try to remember that as you board the bus, or crowd into an elevator, or fight the crowds at the mall, or battle for position on the interstate. We are all, beautiful.



Here's a video of two snowflakes created with dominoes. And what happens to domino creations?




And here is Enya, "Amid the Falling Snow." The star of the video is Luna, however, a Dutch cat experiencing her first snow.

Doing the Methodist thing

I have volunteered to make some cookies and some slaw for Discovery United Methodist Church for Wednesday night when they are assisting with feeding the homeless at Firehouse Shelter, and Bobby and I will serving that evening as well.

Almost 3000 people are estimated to be homeless in the Birmingham area. Firehouse Shelter can house more than 175 men. More than 90% of their clients leave their programs for permanent or transitional housing, or for needed medical treatment.

Firehouse Shelter is the only agency in the area that serves three hot meals every day to its homeless guests. (There will be hot food - more than just slaw and cookies - Wednesday night).

This is one of those things that the United Methodist Church does; a program to help those less fortunate, whatever the reason, without judgment.

Earlier this month Tea Party founder Judson Phillips posted this on his blog. You can read his entire hateful and misinformed post here.

When I was in Washington this past Friday, I walked by the United Methodist Building, next to the Russell Office Building. The sign in front of the United Methodist Building said, “Pass the DREAM Act.”

I have a DREAM. That is, no more United Methodist Church.

He goes on to label the UMC the "first church of Karl Marx." He criticizes the Methodists for being anti-war, for promoting a healthy nation and for allowing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a "member in good standing".

Never mind that Jesus was a socialist, who advocated for the poor, who was deemed the prince of peace, and who welcomed all.

As United Methodists we do our part to improve the world, to promote peace, and are concerned about those who are less fortunate, and then act on that concern.

Phillips' blog post is just another Teabagger rant that we should read, in order to be informed, but then ignored.

Contact Discovery UMC or me if you want to lend a hand by cooking some food or serving on Wednesday.

Christmas 2011

With Christmas 2010 already a memory* I have my sights set on Christmas 2011.

An idea has sprung up in my mind for a different type of Christmas decor by a visit yesterday from my young niece, up visiting from Florida. She has a memory of a "ghostly experience" from the last time she was here. I can't say anything more, but look forward to something different next December. (Now I just have to figure out a way to remember to do it!)

*Christmas 2010 is not really just a memory, it is still with us. Paper and ribbons still litter the floor. Candies and remnants of cakes are still on the table. Turkey and dressing is still in the refrigerator. And gift cards are still waiting to be redeemed.

Many people experienced their first white Christmas. The National Weather Service said Birmingham did not have a white Christmas, but tell that to all the people who made snowmen and had snowball fights on Christmas day. In Bessemer, we had pretty snowfall on Christmas day, but it didn't stick (or "lay" as they say in east Tennessee where I used to live).

But north of here there is no doubt they had a white Christmas. This picture was taken standing in the road between the house and garden on the farm in Morgan County, on Christmas morning.



"Frost on the pumpkin" is supposed to be heard in October or November when we have our first frost. These pumpkins are left over from Halloween.


Here in Bessemer we had more snow on the day after Christmas than we did on Christmas day.





My niece had never seen snow so this was a treat for her.

A Christmas message

This Bessemer Opinions column was first posted in 2009. It is worth repeating.


In Gardendale a business had written on their sign, “Not Xmas. Keep Christ in Christmas.”
Every year undereducated Christians rant about liberals trying to remove Christ from Christmas. Others defend the use of the word.

Even Martha Stewart got in on the act, as she attempted to educate her readers in an article titled “Traditional Xmas Breads” in the December issue of her magazine. In describing the recipe for Christopsomo, a Greek bread with strips of dough across the top that form a cross, or “X”, she writes, “The Greek letter X, or chi, is the first letter of the Greek word for Christ and was used as an early abbreviation. Hence the word Xmas.”

So, Xmas was not some term dreamed up by solstice worshiping heathens or bottom line worshiping retail moguls. It’s a valid, shortened word with the same meaning as Christmas.
Instead of arguing about words, we should all be thinking about the message of the season, “Peace on Earth. Good will to all.”

It’s really quite simple. Since Jesus was born on that cold morning, the world has had a path it could follow that would lead to peace.

But right now our country is involved in two wars and other skirmishes are occurring across the planet. Arguments can be made both for and against these conflicts.

And we are at war among ourselves as well. Racism, sexism, homophobia and class warfare keep us at odds with our family members and neighbors.

“Let there be peace on earth. And let it begin with me,” a popular Christian song begins.

We have a decorative piece sitting on a mantle, a faux stone with the words “Peace on Earth” inscribed. A metal turtle is crawling up the stone, as if to indicate that peace might be slow in coming, but will get here nevertheless.



As Christmas approaches, remember the lonely soldier in the deserts of Iraq or the cold mountains of Afghanistan. Think about the homeless person who because of unfortunate circumstances, poor judgment, or mental illness has little hope. And consider the young people in our community who may be surrounded by family but feel unloved and lost.

We can spread tidings of comfort and joy by reaching out to these people and in doing so we will bring peace on earth a little closer.

Peace on earth, and merry Xmas to all.

Christmas eve eve

As Christmas approaches a lot of good stuff appears on the internet.

Well, a lot of crappy stuff does too.

Some of you are on Facebook. Here's a graphic where you might find yourself.




Here are a couple of videos that I wouldn't have seen if not for the internet. The first one is "A Social Network Christmas," produced by Igniter Media and portrays how the Christmas story might have played out on Facebook, had it been around back then. Very creative.





Many of us have suffered loss during the past few months. The holiday season is known for being difficult for people who have lost a loved one. My family is dealing with this right now.

Remember the news reports of gay teens taking their own lives after being bullied or harassed that were so prevalent earlier this year? Such deaths are still going on, but the media has tired of that story I guess. But each of those kids represents a family that was shocked to find that their love one was so distraught that they saw no way out. Those families are dealing with the memories and the guilt, and the absence of their loved one right now. Let's not forget that Christmas can be a horrible time for some who previously thought it was the best day of the year.

LeAnn Rimes joined the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles last week, and honored those young people who are no longer with us with this song.



Be nice this Christmas. And be strong.

Peace.

Water sports

First, let me correct something I wrote yesterday.

Regarding the new Dollar General distribution center, the property is on Lakeshore Drive but not at the previously cleared corner I described. The article in the Birmingham News led me to that conclusion. At any rate, it's good for Bessemer. And we still wonder what the corner development will be.

Second, some weather predictions are mentioning the "S" word for Christmas Day. Birmingham has never had a White Christmas. Could be a once in a lifetime event. Or, it could a wet, dreary, "who wants to roller skate in this weather" kind of day.

Remember getting roller skates for Christmas? The kind with a key that has to be used to tighten the skates on your feet? I do. My kids got roller-blades.

One Christmas, after I was grown, and living on Cherokee Lake in east Tennessee, I got a trick ski for Christmas.



That's not the trick ski, and the picture wasn't taken on Christmas, but it's me skiing on Cherokee Lake, one of the few pictures of that activity.

One Christmas break during college a group of us took a trip to Cumberland Island off the coast of Georgia, where we backpacked and camped for several days. Here's a picture (in keeping with the water theme) of one of my friends and me on the ferry going to the island. I'm the woolly one.



And here I am, once again in Georgia, rafting down the Chattooga River, a trip we took more than once during my college days. Remember the movie, Deliverance? That's me in the front of this raft. All of the people in this raft, other than our guide, are veterinarians. This picture wasn't taken at Christmastime.




Here's Brad Paisley. This video, Water, has some scenes of water skiing that bring back some memories of some crazy stunts we tried. Fortunately, no photographic record exists of those antics.