Monday, February 25, 2013
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Brown in a White Land
When I came to Maine to live in the summer of 2009 I was struck by how white Mainers (lack of sunshine?) pun intended) are, and how old they are.
Statistics bear this out. According to an article in the Maine Sunday Telegram of May 20, columnist Bill Nemitz cites US Census Bureau data that reveals that 94.3 percent of the population is non-Hispanic white, thus elevating Maine to the pinnacle of the least colorful state in the nation.
Maine it turns out is also the state with the most old people. US Census data says the median age is 42.7.
Coming, as I did, from the Metropolitan DC area (15 miles west of the city) I had grown very accustomed to mixed race and color combinations that rendered the area a mini United Nations. But most non-Whites I encountered were of Hispanic origin or were African Americans. Come to Maine and many of the few non-Caucasians you'll see hail from places like Somalia or Kenya or Ethiopia, some as refugees from war-torn areas,brought to Maine by Catholic Charities.
I like diversity and am intrigued by the Somalis I see wrapped in their sometimes colorful robes and headdresses. How do they adapt to the not so warm weather of Maine? Surely they must wear warm clothing underneath their apparently light clothing that is geared for a Somali sun and not the cold wind of a Maine winter's day?
Meanwhile, the sight of so many old people frankly filled me with some dismay - not because I am that young. Rather that I may be old by association. For some reason an adage from a friend in Northern Virginia, an avowed Democrat, that Maine was: "Where Republicans come to die," made me feel a little uneasy at first - especially as I know a few Republicans here who are old.
As I ventured out on the roads I was surprised to note how slowly people drove their cars; and a glance into the driver's side window of a car I passed explained why. Old people drive slowly.
Now, three years into my sojourn in Maine, I am growing more accustomed to seeing Somalis on the street and in restaurants. I am realizing that there many good reasons for old people to be in Maine. They can be close to their families many of whom have deep roots in Maine or come to the state because Maine is a great place to raise a family.
Statistics bear this out. According to an article in the Maine Sunday Telegram of May 20, columnist Bill Nemitz cites US Census Bureau data that reveals that 94.3 percent of the population is non-Hispanic white, thus elevating Maine to the pinnacle of the least colorful state in the nation.
Maine it turns out is also the state with the most old people. US Census data says the median age is 42.7.
Coming, as I did, from the Metropolitan DC area (15 miles west of the city) I had grown very accustomed to mixed race and color combinations that rendered the area a mini United Nations. But most non-Whites I encountered were of Hispanic origin or were African Americans. Come to Maine and many of the few non-Caucasians you'll see hail from places like Somalia or Kenya or Ethiopia, some as refugees from war-torn areas,brought to Maine by Catholic Charities.
I like diversity and am intrigued by the Somalis I see wrapped in their sometimes colorful robes and headdresses. How do they adapt to the not so warm weather of Maine? Surely they must wear warm clothing underneath their apparently light clothing that is geared for a Somali sun and not the cold wind of a Maine winter's day?
Meanwhile, the sight of so many old people frankly filled me with some dismay - not because I am that young. Rather that I may be old by association. For some reason an adage from a friend in Northern Virginia, an avowed Democrat, that Maine was: "Where Republicans come to die," made me feel a little uneasy at first - especially as I know a few Republicans here who are old.
As I ventured out on the roads I was surprised to note how slowly people drove their cars; and a glance into the driver's side window of a car I passed explained why. Old people drive slowly.
Now, three years into my sojourn in Maine, I am growing more accustomed to seeing Somalis on the street and in restaurants. I am realizing that there many good reasons for old people to be in Maine. They can be close to their families many of whom have deep roots in Maine or come to the state because Maine is a great place to raise a family.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Wrong Time, Wrong Place
The cold blooded execution style murder of two Britons in Sarasota, Florida is a cautionary tale about alcohol, bad luck, bad neighborhoods and, guns.
The scene could easily have been Washington, DC. and I could have been the victim or the murder could have happened to any unsuspecting traveler in Any City, USA.
Newly arrived in the USA from England in 1993, I was invited to join an acquaintance at a bar in central Washington, famous for its range of beers. He imbibed, I imbibed, and later than intended I (by this time quite inebriated) set off for the Metro intending to take the Orange Line west in the direction of Vienna, Fairfax and thence home.
Except, I took an Orange Line train east instead of west.
Unbeknown to me, the lateness of the hour, near midnight, meant the train journey was to terminate a few stations East of Capitol Hill, which as any Caucasian traveler familiar with the DC area is not a place to be after midnight on a week night, or any night.
Drunk and lost, I innocently stumbled off the terminated train, through the exit, up the escalator and onto a street, the name of which I had not a clue. All I knew was I was East of Eden and there was no going back.
Now I don’t know about the alcohol induced condition of the two young Britons who stumbled disastrously into a housing estate and into the arms of a waiting killer with a gun; but I do relate to the fear and apprehension they must have felt prior to their deaths by shooting.
The saying: “There but for the Grace of God, go I,” comes to mind.
I was fortunate in that I was able to flag down a taxi driver whose passenger was heading West to Arlington, Virginia and safety. He drove my Good Samaritan woman home and then me to my residence also in Arlington, Virginia.
These two young white Britons were not so lucky. Yes they were drunk, and therefore not in command of their faculties. But did they deserve to die at the hands of a black man with a gun whose avowed intent was to rob them?
Yet these young men were found dead execution style with their trousers pulled down to thigh level and their wallets and belongings still on them.
The scene could easily have been Washington, DC. and I could have been the victim or the murder could have happened to any unsuspecting traveler in Any City, USA.
Newly arrived in the USA from England in 1993, I was invited to join an acquaintance at a bar in central Washington, famous for its range of beers. He imbibed, I imbibed, and later than intended I (by this time quite inebriated) set off for the Metro intending to take the Orange Line west in the direction of Vienna, Fairfax and thence home.
Except, I took an Orange Line train east instead of west.
Unbeknown to me, the lateness of the hour, near midnight, meant the train journey was to terminate a few stations East of Capitol Hill, which as any Caucasian traveler familiar with the DC area is not a place to be after midnight on a week night, or any night.
Drunk and lost, I innocently stumbled off the terminated train, through the exit, up the escalator and onto a street, the name of which I had not a clue. All I knew was I was East of Eden and there was no going back.
Now I don’t know about the alcohol induced condition of the two young Britons who stumbled disastrously into a housing estate and into the arms of a waiting killer with a gun; but I do relate to the fear and apprehension they must have felt prior to their deaths by shooting.
The saying: “There but for the Grace of God, go I,” comes to mind.
I was fortunate in that I was able to flag down a taxi driver whose passenger was heading West to Arlington, Virginia and safety. He drove my Good Samaritan woman home and then me to my residence also in Arlington, Virginia.
These two young white Britons were not so lucky. Yes they were drunk, and therefore not in command of their faculties. But did they deserve to die at the hands of a black man with a gun whose avowed intent was to rob them?
Yet these young men were found dead execution style with their trousers pulled down to thigh level and their wallets and belongings still on them.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Lack of Qualified Workers Thwarts Dansko's Aim to Make High-End Shoes in the USA
MAINE-March 17,2012 - For those of us who despair at the US worker's unpreparedness for life in the 21st century, look no further than the cautionary tale of Dansko, the Philadelphia-based manufacturer of expensive clogs and high end shoes.
Under the guidance of Dansko's founders and owners, the company is striving to make the "Made in America" moniker a reality. It is attempting to do what few US shoe companies have been able to do in the last 30 years: that is, to make in America the shoes that it sells to Americans.
According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, that it lifted from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dansko is adding the finishing touches to a plan for a new line of shoes to be made from molds in a stateside factory. Production could begin as early as 2013, that is next year.
According to the article, 80 percent of Dansko's clogs and other ergonomically designed shoes are assembled in China, and 20 percent in Italy.
If all goes well, Dansko hopes to manufacture a new clog from recyclable material in Arkansas next year. A non-recyclable version called Avalon Pippa debuted this spring in stores. It is made in China.
Now, gentle reader, before your chest puffs up with pride at the thought that you, the American consumer, will be able to purchase shoes that are genuinely 'Made in America,' wait a moment!
What this Philadelphia Inquirer article implicitly asks is: Where is the American worker who has the skill and the desire to assemble shoes in this country? Is there such a person?
MusingsintheMaine stream notes that Dansko LLC's owners, Mandy Cabot and husband Peter Kjellerup, have previously tried employing American workers to make their clogs - but abandoned those efforts when those Maine-based workers were unable to produce clogs of a quality that this husband and wife team could stand behind.
They abandoned Maine because their shoemaker employees were not craftsmen (and craftswomen) enough to do the job. And this from a state that not that many years led the world in well made craftsmentlike footwear.
The Philadelphia Inquirer article quotes Cabot as saying that she and her husband would have loved to have continue to making their clogs in Maine, but that "... attrition in the workers and workforce up there (Maine)..." was such that "we simply couldn't continue.
Now, Governor Le Page, whose state is "Open for Business," Dansko is trying again - this time in Arkansas. What, dear Governor, are you going to do to try and bring skilled craftsmen and craftswomen back to Maine and to keep them here?
End
Under the guidance of Dansko's founders and owners, the company is striving to make the "Made in America" moniker a reality. It is attempting to do what few US shoe companies have been able to do in the last 30 years: that is, to make in America the shoes that it sells to Americans.
According to an article in the Portland Press Herald, that it lifted from the Philadelphia Inquirer, Dansko is adding the finishing touches to a plan for a new line of shoes to be made from molds in a stateside factory. Production could begin as early as 2013, that is next year.
According to the article, 80 percent of Dansko's clogs and other ergonomically designed shoes are assembled in China, and 20 percent in Italy.
If all goes well, Dansko hopes to manufacture a new clog from recyclable material in Arkansas next year. A non-recyclable version called Avalon Pippa debuted this spring in stores. It is made in China.
Now, gentle reader, before your chest puffs up with pride at the thought that you, the American consumer, will be able to purchase shoes that are genuinely 'Made in America,' wait a moment!
What this Philadelphia Inquirer article implicitly asks is: Where is the American worker who has the skill and the desire to assemble shoes in this country? Is there such a person?
MusingsintheMaine stream notes that Dansko LLC's owners, Mandy Cabot and husband Peter Kjellerup, have previously tried employing American workers to make their clogs - but abandoned those efforts when those Maine-based workers were unable to produce clogs of a quality that this husband and wife team could stand behind.
They abandoned Maine because their shoemaker employees were not craftsmen (and craftswomen) enough to do the job. And this from a state that not that many years led the world in well made craftsmentlike footwear.
The Philadelphia Inquirer article quotes Cabot as saying that she and her husband would have loved to have continue to making their clogs in Maine, but that "... attrition in the workers and workforce up there (Maine)..." was such that "we simply couldn't continue.
Now, Governor Le Page, whose state is "Open for Business," Dansko is trying again - this time in Arkansas. What, dear Governor, are you going to do to try and bring skilled craftsmen and craftswomen back to Maine and to keep them here?
End
Thursday, February 23, 2012
I Say Tomehto You Say Tomahto
Dear Gentle Reader,
As I close in on nearly 20 years as a resident (and now citizen) of the great United States of America, I am musing on the linguistic differences between American English and that spoken back in the Old Country, England.
For example, the old song "I Say Tomehto and You Say Tomahto; I Say Potehto and You Say Potarto"..comes to mind.
If you say to someone "I am going back to bed for a bit," your friend who speaks American English may inquire "for a bit of what?" whereas the friend who speaks the Queen's English, or some derivative thereof, would understand the expression as meaning "I going back to bed to sleep for a while." So I would advise substituting the word "bit" for "a while."
We've all heard how to avoid the embarrassment of asking your American tennis-playing friend for a "knock up", by substituting the question "shall we hit a few balls before we start scoring games?" The very idea of having a knock up, that is sex, on a tennis court in full view of the public likely may be a deterrent for all but the most brazen of us.
A vest in American English is a waistcoat in English. Suspenders keep your pants up in American English, whereas they keep a woman's hose up in England. Pants are trousers in American English, but are underpants in English English.
And so on.
While comparing England to America, someone (was it George Bernard Shaw?) said something about..."two great peoples divided by a common language."
How true.
My point here is that English, whether spoken in Oxford or in Philadelphia for example, can be a wonderfully facile tongue and is open to many interpretations.
In this global age English is widely spoken. A friend who teaches English and who has taught in China and plans to teach in Japan says that English for a non-speaker is one of THE most difficult languages to learn. What makes it so flexible and open to interpretation and nuance, also makes it harder.
So if the English spoken by an educated Brit differs so much from that spoken by an educated American, imagine the miscommunications that can ensue when slang and colloquialisms are introduced into the equation.
Cheers
As I close in on nearly 20 years as a resident (and now citizen) of the great United States of America, I am musing on the linguistic differences between American English and that spoken back in the Old Country, England.
For example, the old song "I Say Tomehto and You Say Tomahto; I Say Potehto and You Say Potarto"..comes to mind.
If you say to someone "I am going back to bed for a bit," your friend who speaks American English may inquire "for a bit of what?" whereas the friend who speaks the Queen's English, or some derivative thereof, would understand the expression as meaning "I going back to bed to sleep for a while." So I would advise substituting the word "bit" for "a while."
We've all heard how to avoid the embarrassment of asking your American tennis-playing friend for a "knock up", by substituting the question "shall we hit a few balls before we start scoring games?" The very idea of having a knock up, that is sex, on a tennis court in full view of the public likely may be a deterrent for all but the most brazen of us.
A vest in American English is a waistcoat in English. Suspenders keep your pants up in American English, whereas they keep a woman's hose up in England. Pants are trousers in American English, but are underpants in English English.
And so on.
While comparing England to America, someone (was it George Bernard Shaw?) said something about..."two great peoples divided by a common language."
How true.
My point here is that English, whether spoken in Oxford or in Philadelphia for example, can be a wonderfully facile tongue and is open to many interpretations.
In this global age English is widely spoken. A friend who teaches English and who has taught in China and plans to teach in Japan says that English for a non-speaker is one of THE most difficult languages to learn. What makes it so flexible and open to interpretation and nuance, also makes it harder.
So if the English spoken by an educated Brit differs so much from that spoken by an educated American, imagine the miscommunications that can ensue when slang and colloquialisms are introduced into the equation.
Cheers
Monday, May 2, 2011
Osama Bin Laden
Oh Osama Bin Laden
Where U Bin a ‘hidin?
In them tha’r hills
Since you went for the kill(s)
You thought you had u.s. licked
When you bombed out those sticks
That towered above us
In the Land of the Free!
But that was 10 years ago
And who was to know?
That we’d soon track you down
And put you (6 feet) in the ground
You shook u.s. like dust
Back in ‘ole Tora Bora
But you always knew
That night leads to a ‘morrow;
And that one of these days
You’d be caught in a haze
Of bullets and sorrow
There is an old adage,
I’ve heard tell
That if you live by the sword,
You might go to Hell;
I trust that your life
Was pleasantly spent
Blowing up people
‘Til your energy went;
And now that you’ve gone,
We’ll all carry on
In happier ways
Now the ‘battle’ is won
Goodbye!
Where U Bin a ‘hidin?
In them tha’r hills
Since you went for the kill(s)
You thought you had u.s. licked
When you bombed out those sticks
That towered above us
In the Land of the Free!
But that was 10 years ago
And who was to know?
That we’d soon track you down
And put you (6 feet) in the ground
You shook u.s. like dust
Back in ‘ole Tora Bora
But you always knew
That night leads to a ‘morrow;
And that one of these days
You’d be caught in a haze
Of bullets and sorrow
There is an old adage,
I’ve heard tell
That if you live by the sword,
You might go to Hell;
I trust that your life
Was pleasantly spent
Blowing up people
‘Til your energy went;
And now that you’ve gone,
We’ll all carry on
In happier ways
Now the ‘battle’ is won
Goodbye!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Why Doctors are Bad for Your Health - Part III
Well, apparently President Obama agrees!
Agrees with what? you ask.
That doctors, or rather hospitals, CAN be bad for your health!
'One recent study published in the journal Health Affairs estimated that 1 in 3 hospital patients experienced an "adverse event" such as being given the wrong medication, acquiring an infection or receiving the wrong surgical procedure." (McClatchy News Service).
On April 29,2011, the president took an important step toward rectifying this endemic quality of health care issue when he finalized plans to reward hospitals that provide high quality health care. These steps are a by-product of the new health care reform act the president signed into law last year.
In other words, hospitals that reduce that 1-in-3 ratio of mistakes and inappropriate treatment will receive more money from Medicare than those institutions that continue to misdiagnose and fail to take adequate precautions against secondary infections such as Staph and others
We all know of people have gone into hospital for a surgical procedure only to contract pneumonia or some viral infection that delays and complicates recovery from that surgery.
The hope is by hitting hospitals where it hurts, that is in the pocket-book, the Obama administration will gain traction in a bid to improve the quality of health care without sacrificing the many benefits that Medicare confers on Americans.
Agrees with what? you ask.
That doctors, or rather hospitals, CAN be bad for your health!
'One recent study published in the journal Health Affairs estimated that 1 in 3 hospital patients experienced an "adverse event" such as being given the wrong medication, acquiring an infection or receiving the wrong surgical procedure." (McClatchy News Service).
On April 29,2011, the president took an important step toward rectifying this endemic quality of health care issue when he finalized plans to reward hospitals that provide high quality health care. These steps are a by-product of the new health care reform act the president signed into law last year.
In other words, hospitals that reduce that 1-in-3 ratio of mistakes and inappropriate treatment will receive more money from Medicare than those institutions that continue to misdiagnose and fail to take adequate precautions against secondary infections such as Staph and others
We all know of people have gone into hospital for a surgical procedure only to contract pneumonia or some viral infection that delays and complicates recovery from that surgery.
The hope is by hitting hospitals where it hurts, that is in the pocket-book, the Obama administration will gain traction in a bid to improve the quality of health care without sacrificing the many benefits that Medicare confers on Americans.
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