Adventures in My Mind
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Jul 17, 2001
I've got several topics to get to so let's get started ...
Firstly, our trip to the Allegheny Resevoir was incredible! If you've never been to Northern PA in the summer, then I suggest that you get there as soon as you can. Crystal clear river valleys cut through miles and miles of verdant mountains. It is a place of mom and pop storefronts and small, quaintly named campsites along the rivers and lakes. My family's cabin in President is no longer there, but as we drove on U.S. 62 along the Allegheny River, the memories came rushing back. Vacations, hunting trips, fishing trips, and holiday weekends converged on the moment and I heard distant voices as faces blurred by the weight of years became clear. Tionesta was almost exactly as I remembered it, with the exception of the new golf course along the river just outside of town.
Secondly, you need to write to your congressman. The house is once again attempting to pass a flag burning amendment to The Constitution. Speak out against House bill H.J. Res. 36. While you may not agree with those who desecrate the flag as an act of political protest, you must see the inherent value in protecting it under the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. Difference of opinion does not equate to criminality. The flag is not weakened when protestors seek to destroy it for the furtherance of their message. It is strengthened. When even those who seek to destroy it are themselves guaranteed its protections, the flag truly becomes the symbol of freedom and tolerance that it was intended to be. Say "NO!" to H.J. Res. 36.
Lastly, I hate insurance, any kind of insurance. Life. Home. Auto. Medical. I hate it all. Risk mitigation, adjusted rates, actuarial tables, and the like make me sick to my stomach. The only time you need it is when something bad happens. And then the insurance companies do their damndest to keep from paying the full amount due to you from your policy. Almost without exception you've unknowingly done something that nullifies this clause or violates that subsection. Believe me I understand the practical considerations of not running a business that throws money at every claim, but the deviousness and calculated missteps and traps written into policies is enough to turn one's stomach. I also understand that it is needed, especially with the skyrocketing prices of healthcare and the "death business," but dealing with this den of snakes out of necessity, or in the case of auto insurance because it is legally required, is that much more galling. Everytime I write a check to an insurance company I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil. I'll get what I ask for, but at what price.
0 Comments | Link to this post posted by Teddy 11:09 AM
