Upon hearing the news that Disney is buying Marvel Entertainment, my children, nieces and nephew expressed deep concern about the merger. After all, they said, Disney is about princesses, fairy tales and happy endings and Marvel is about superheroes and the fight for good and evil in the world; Disney will ruin our superheroes. I personally think that Disney will now own too much control of the children's media market; they already own Pixar, a leading producer of children's animated movies.
And, if anyone has really sat down to watch Disney Channel with their children, and they can get past the numbing, dumbed-down shows, they will soon notice that there are no commercials for outside products; it is all Disney, all the time. The "commercial breaks" are used to promote Disney products, Disney movies and Disney shows in addition to promoting the stars of those shows in music videos and upcoming movies.
And, Disney Channel has perfected the art of sucking children in; they are relentless in using teasers to promote the next scheduled show. Furthermore, they go to one of their "commercial breaks" two minutes before the end of the current show so that they can immediately segue into the next show without going to commercial. Their method is very scientific.
Parents should be very careful when their children watch Disney but then again, many parents seem to indulge their child's love of all things Disney and are willing to pay for it. Hannah Montana concert tickets were recently being scalped for hundreds of dollars at a pop. A friend of mine in Pennsylvania just told me that her neighbor has already gone to the guidance counselor at school, before the new school year has even started, to get an excused absence for her child for one week to go to Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Though many believe that no childhood is complete without a trip (and a very expensive trip in my opinion) to a Disney theme park, this family has gone many times before and the counselor told the mother that middle school children generally suffer grade loss when they miss a week of school. This mother thinks it is OK for her middle school child's grades to suffer for a trip to Disney World. There you have it.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Where's the Beach?
Today my jet-setting little brother came in from Germany, where he is currently residing, for a 10 day visit to the good old USA. Well, he does not think of it as good nor old, comparatively speaking. Though he is here for a wedding, he will, of course, be doing the rounds. My turn will be this weekend. The whole family, well those who are residing in New York, will be descending upon Long Island for a giant beach day.
Unfortunately, after hurricane Bill churned up the Atlantic ocean last weekend, there is not much beach left. It is interesting that my area of the south shore did not get one speck of rain but the higher tide and more powerful waves brought the water in, flooding all of the area beaches and submerging all of the sand. Erosion has been a major problem for Long Island beaches over the last few years and Bill did its number, the retreat of the ocean claimed another 25 yards of sand/beach. This undid millions of dollars of dredging efforts by the Army Corps of Engineers in recent years to combat erosion and shore up the beaches.
Today was the first time I'd been to the beach since Bill. I did a quick jaunt to Smith Point, which I may have mentioned is (was?) on my least favorite beach list, for an afternoon dip. First, I must admit that Smith Point has moved up a notch perhaps even redeeming itself. After all, it is nice and close, is an ocean beach and costs me only $5 to park (with my Suffolk County Green Key pass purchased for $24 and is good for 3 years.) What is not to like? Plenty. Though most of my dislike stems from the fact that I am not a big crowd person so I do not appreciate the smoking, the cursing, the amount of garbage carelessly left, the flagrant disregard for nature and my biggest pet peeve, the people who bring their gear in supermarket plastic bags which they then leave on the beach. OK, I will stop complaining now.
Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I was introduced to another side of the beach where there was a fraction of the people. There are no lifeguards on this side but you still have access to all of the amenities coupled with a quiet, idyllic beach outing which cast Smith Point in a whole new light for me. Proximity is useful and a 20 minute drive is a 20 minute drive so Smith Point is back on my list of destinations and, though sand and water quality are not quite of the ilk of beaches further east, that is OK.
Now that I have completely digressed, the sad part is that the lovely beach recently revealed to me is now a figment of its former self. Now, tropical storm Danny is coming this weekend. We will see.
Unfortunately, after hurricane Bill churned up the Atlantic ocean last weekend, there is not much beach left. It is interesting that my area of the south shore did not get one speck of rain but the higher tide and more powerful waves brought the water in, flooding all of the area beaches and submerging all of the sand. Erosion has been a major problem for Long Island beaches over the last few years and Bill did its number, the retreat of the ocean claimed another 25 yards of sand/beach. This undid millions of dollars of dredging efforts by the Army Corps of Engineers in recent years to combat erosion and shore up the beaches.
Today was the first time I'd been to the beach since Bill. I did a quick jaunt to Smith Point, which I may have mentioned is (was?) on my least favorite beach list, for an afternoon dip. First, I must admit that Smith Point has moved up a notch perhaps even redeeming itself. After all, it is nice and close, is an ocean beach and costs me only $5 to park (with my Suffolk County Green Key pass purchased for $24 and is good for 3 years.) What is not to like? Plenty. Though most of my dislike stems from the fact that I am not a big crowd person so I do not appreciate the smoking, the cursing, the amount of garbage carelessly left, the flagrant disregard for nature and my biggest pet peeve, the people who bring their gear in supermarket plastic bags which they then leave on the beach. OK, I will stop complaining now.
Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I was introduced to another side of the beach where there was a fraction of the people. There are no lifeguards on this side but you still have access to all of the amenities coupled with a quiet, idyllic beach outing which cast Smith Point in a whole new light for me. Proximity is useful and a 20 minute drive is a 20 minute drive so Smith Point is back on my list of destinations and, though sand and water quality are not quite of the ilk of beaches further east, that is OK.
Now that I have completely digressed, the sad part is that the lovely beach recently revealed to me is now a figment of its former self. Now, tropical storm Danny is coming this weekend. We will see.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A Moment of Silence
A moment of silence in in order for Senator Edward Kennedy who died today at the age of 77 due to a brain tumor that was diagnosed last year. Massachusetts has lost a tireless crusader and statesman. There will be a gazillion tributes and eulogies so I will skip all of the details and instead stop to acknowledge a few other notable deaths over the last few weeks. Sometimes I try to make note of those who made an impression on my world; people in my personal history book.
John Hughes, filmmaker who encapsulated the 1980s of my youth in film and who had a great sense of comedy. My kids are now fans of his movies because they were innocent, fun and engaging.
Les Paul, legendary guitar inventor and player. If you play guitar then you already appreciate his mastery.
Dominick Dunne, journalist, raconteur and celebrity voyeur. I loved his stories in Vanity Fair. He also played a large role in turning celebrity criminal trials into a spectator sport.
All will be missed and all definitely remind me of my mortality. Live on and try to enjoy life, you only have the one.
John Hughes, filmmaker who encapsulated the 1980s of my youth in film and who had a great sense of comedy. My kids are now fans of his movies because they were innocent, fun and engaging.
Les Paul, legendary guitar inventor and player. If you play guitar then you already appreciate his mastery.
Dominick Dunne, journalist, raconteur and celebrity voyeur. I loved his stories in Vanity Fair. He also played a large role in turning celebrity criminal trials into a spectator sport.
All will be missed and all definitely remind me of my mortality. Live on and try to enjoy life, you only have the one.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
After All, What Has Changed?
I suppose I should get something off of my chest. It is not your typical unburdening by any stretch. I am just becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the re-surged exuberance on Wall Street. It seems the view from the ivory tower is a lot different from what I'm seeing here on the ground. While the bonuses flow once again and bullish investors happily drive up the indices, I am truly concerned for the rest of us. We must remember that all of our money is in the market, pensions, retirement savings, college savings, institutional investments, everything.
Now that billions of taxpayer dollars has been poured into the stock market to stabilize it, instead of gratitude and conciliation on the part of financial institutions and investors, what we are left with is a blatant manipulation of the artificial comfort zone that the taxpayer was asked to create. I would expect that the market should make some gains once it separates the wheat from the chaff; there should still be some companies with good fundamentals even in a down market. But, a market that has risen disproportionally on the premise that the worsening of things has slowed down makes me very uncomfortable. A market should rise on value and fundamentals. If it keeps rising on polished bad news, how are we all to gauge our investments? We don't get to short the market and do all that fancy computer trading where we can make a few dollars each millisecond because we have the technological edge and we own the inside (read Goldman Sachs).
After all, what has changed? The disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street continues to exacerbate while Wall Street cheers and Main Street continues to struggle with financial calamity. I think many of us thought there would a common good that would rise out of this recession but it seems that whatever vestiges of it has been trampled. There has been a lot of negativity being stoked in the media that is very disturbing. People are drawn to drama and nastiness, it all goes hand in hand with the rise of reality television but there it should stay; drama and nastiness should not be the backbone of our news cycle.
Yes, we all could use some economic good news but the joyous news about economic recovery is too much good news to me when I am surrounded by so much unemployment and economic strife. I know that if things sound better and feel better then it should translate into a betterment for all. However, it seems that the benefits keep falling into the laps of the "haves" and not the "have nots."
Now that billions of taxpayer dollars has been poured into the stock market to stabilize it, instead of gratitude and conciliation on the part of financial institutions and investors, what we are left with is a blatant manipulation of the artificial comfort zone that the taxpayer was asked to create. I would expect that the market should make some gains once it separates the wheat from the chaff; there should still be some companies with good fundamentals even in a down market. But, a market that has risen disproportionally on the premise that the worsening of things has slowed down makes me very uncomfortable. A market should rise on value and fundamentals. If it keeps rising on polished bad news, how are we all to gauge our investments? We don't get to short the market and do all that fancy computer trading where we can make a few dollars each millisecond because we have the technological edge and we own the inside (read Goldman Sachs).
After all, what has changed? The disconnect between Main Street and Wall Street continues to exacerbate while Wall Street cheers and Main Street continues to struggle with financial calamity. I think many of us thought there would a common good that would rise out of this recession but it seems that whatever vestiges of it has been trampled. There has been a lot of negativity being stoked in the media that is very disturbing. People are drawn to drama and nastiness, it all goes hand in hand with the rise of reality television but there it should stay; drama and nastiness should not be the backbone of our news cycle.
Yes, we all could use some economic good news but the joyous news about economic recovery is too much good news to me when I am surrounded by so much unemployment and economic strife. I know that if things sound better and feel better then it should translate into a betterment for all. However, it seems that the benefits keep falling into the laps of the "haves" and not the "have nots."
Monday, August 24, 2009
Mad Dash
Next week I return to school and I think back about the last two glorious weeks of true summer weather. You would think that after a wet and cold June and July and the fact that our first 90 degree day occurred just two weeks ago, people would be thrilled that they had some summer to enjoy. Instead, all I've heard are complaints about it being too hot. I don't know where people spend the other 9 months of the year but it seems that they clearly did not get enough sunshine to activate the positive effects of its mood-altering qualities.
Anyhow, in between my mad dash to soak up some summer fun and getting the kids ready for back to school, I have also been madly dashing to the Doctor. Why? Next month we will lose our platinum and very, very expensive PPO healthcare plan, that we continued via COBRA, due to employment. Next month we will be on a catastrophic health plan, our only choice of healthcare with my husband's new company. Unfortunately, COBRA terminates the moment you are eligible for care under another plan otherwise we were willing to keep it and continue to pay the $500 a month for coverage until we exhausted our 9 months of 65% premium abatement courtesy of Federal stimulus funds. Alas.
The new plan will cost us just under $200 per month for which we will receive just the basic preventive care, strictly defined for man, woman and child. Any other healthcare requirements which, for me, are my allergies and my back will have to be paid for out-of-pocket until we reach $10,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. Then, we'll be covered for any health troubles after that. I suppose if you are healthy then it will be cheaper if you never need to see anyone outside of the basics. However, if you have nagging troubles like I do, then it will be a whole other ball game.
Tragically, I can see that my nagging troubles will continue to nag because I won't be paying several hundred dollars just to go to the Doctor, that I am sure about. It is different to have healthcare premiums deducted pre-tax out of your paycheck but it is another to have to pay the Doctor's fee straight up out one's dwindling post tax dollars. Yes, we can contribute to a health savings plan so that we can use pre-tax dollars to pay for some of that out-of-pocket care but it is a crapshoot as to how much you will need for you have to be clairvoyant to avoid leaving unused dollars on the table at the end of the year as they are forfeited.
The yeehas who are blocking the healthcare debate don't know what is coming down the pike. More companies will be turning to catastrophic health plans as health costs increase for all of those traditional plans and people, depending on their age, are not going to like it, believe me. If catastrophic care was desirable even in the slightest, I wouldn't be running around like a banshee trying to get everything done now, would I?
(FYI: I failed to purchase those lottery tickets that I mentioned last Thursday because I was too busy on Friday to remember. Also, I realize I do not frequent lottery selling establishments so I would have to go out of my way to do so. Yup, I failed lottery ticket buying 101.)
Anyhow, in between my mad dash to soak up some summer fun and getting the kids ready for back to school, I have also been madly dashing to the Doctor. Why? Next month we will lose our platinum and very, very expensive PPO healthcare plan, that we continued via COBRA, due to employment. Next month we will be on a catastrophic health plan, our only choice of healthcare with my husband's new company. Unfortunately, COBRA terminates the moment you are eligible for care under another plan otherwise we were willing to keep it and continue to pay the $500 a month for coverage until we exhausted our 9 months of 65% premium abatement courtesy of Federal stimulus funds. Alas.
The new plan will cost us just under $200 per month for which we will receive just the basic preventive care, strictly defined for man, woman and child. Any other healthcare requirements which, for me, are my allergies and my back will have to be paid for out-of-pocket until we reach $10,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. Then, we'll be covered for any health troubles after that. I suppose if you are healthy then it will be cheaper if you never need to see anyone outside of the basics. However, if you have nagging troubles like I do, then it will be a whole other ball game.
Tragically, I can see that my nagging troubles will continue to nag because I won't be paying several hundred dollars just to go to the Doctor, that I am sure about. It is different to have healthcare premiums deducted pre-tax out of your paycheck but it is another to have to pay the Doctor's fee straight up out one's dwindling post tax dollars. Yes, we can contribute to a health savings plan so that we can use pre-tax dollars to pay for some of that out-of-pocket care but it is a crapshoot as to how much you will need for you have to be clairvoyant to avoid leaving unused dollars on the table at the end of the year as they are forfeited.
The yeehas who are blocking the healthcare debate don't know what is coming down the pike. More companies will be turning to catastrophic health plans as health costs increase for all of those traditional plans and people, depending on their age, are not going to like it, believe me. If catastrophic care was desirable even in the slightest, I wouldn't be running around like a banshee trying to get everything done now, would I?
(FYI: I failed to purchase those lottery tickets that I mentioned last Thursday because I was too busy on Friday to remember. Also, I realize I do not frequent lottery selling establishments so I would have to go out of my way to do so. Yup, I failed lottery ticket buying 101.)
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Reversal of Fortune
The LIPA tale continues. Today I came home from the beach (yes, I went again) to find that I had partial electricity, a brown out of sorts. So LIPA dispatched yet another solo guy in a truck to come back and fiddle with what his fleet of compatriots had supposedly fixed on Tuesday morning. In order to fix the problem, I and my seven neighbors had to be blacked out again for a few hours. It seems almost certain that we have entered an electrical twilight zone and this is not the end of it. But, if there are five more trucks here in the morning, I will definitely not be amused.
Anyhow, in a completely unrelated turn of events, the mega million lottery jackpot has hit $207,000,000 so tomorrow I am going out to buy some lottery tickets. I never buy lottery tickets and though I would not recommend this is in the normal course of my world or sensibilities, I am going to throw my hat into the luck pool and see if I get a return. I have spent a few dollars on much more worthless items and perhaps a little hope of winning something may not be so bad.
Some people are lucky and some are not. I am hoping for luck to smile my way in the job market; hoping that I get the opportunity to toil away at a thankless job for a few bucks, and believe me, I would be grateful. There are many of us who could use a reversal of fortune right now and I do hope that mine comes in the form of job but if I win the lottery, this will all be a moot point now, wouldn't it? I know my chances are slim to none and I do not plan to make a habit of buying them, that is truly not my style, but sometimes when you switch things up a bit, it helps to lighten the mood.
Anyhow, in a completely unrelated turn of events, the mega million lottery jackpot has hit $207,000,000 so tomorrow I am going out to buy some lottery tickets. I never buy lottery tickets and though I would not recommend this is in the normal course of my world or sensibilities, I am going to throw my hat into the luck pool and see if I get a return. I have spent a few dollars on much more worthless items and perhaps a little hope of winning something may not be so bad.
Some people are lucky and some are not. I am hoping for luck to smile my way in the job market; hoping that I get the opportunity to toil away at a thankless job for a few bucks, and believe me, I would be grateful. There are many of us who could use a reversal of fortune right now and I do hope that mine comes in the form of job but if I win the lottery, this will all be a moot point now, wouldn't it? I know my chances are slim to none and I do not plan to make a habit of buying them, that is truly not my style, but sometimes when you switch things up a bit, it helps to lighten the mood.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part Four: August has Delivered
All of my lamenting about the weather has been put to rest over the last 10 days. August has delivered. Since our first 90 degree day 10 days ago, the weather has remained warm enough to satisfy my soul. I have been to so many different beaches in the last 10 days, I have no rival.
My husband, whenever he is available to join me and the children on one of our beach excursions, always has the same three questions: "Where are we going? Have we been there before? Why can't you just pick a beach and stick to it? Well, Suffolk County has some of the most beautiful beaches, it is no accident that Suffolk County has two of the top ten beaches in America according to Dr. Beach.
Though Dr. Beach favors ocean beaches which are on the south shore, I must point out that the Long Island sound beaches on the north shore are just as beautiful. The setting reminds me of the Cape with bluffs high above the water overlooking beautiful coves. The water is calm, clear bay water and and the beaches are dazzling white though some complain that they are too rocky, nothing that aqua shoes can't cure though.
When we really feel like swimming we head up north where the Sound feels like one big giant swimming pool and you can pull up your chair to the edge, relax and read while the water gently laps at your feet. Brookhaven Town has a free residents-only beach which just happens to be my favorite north shore beach. The Town has free ocean beaches but they require a boat or a ferry ride across the Great South Bay which can make it cost prohibitive for many, including myself. Thus, I trek further out East to get my ocean fill. It is well worth the trip to run over to Westhampton or Southampton for a glorious day.
My least favorite beaches are those on the Great South Bay which just happens to be the closest to me. In fact, my street dead ends at the bay. The water quality is lacking in my opinion and is loaded with seaweed but the beaches are well utilized because of their proximity. However, it is great for boating and fishing and every advantage is taken in both regards. We go crabbing on the bay and have done quite well this year with our catches; meals have been made. This is a great year for crabbing, the bay is loaded, you feel like you can literally scoop them up as they float by.
See how happy I am now! Like I said, all I need is some sunshine.
My husband, whenever he is available to join me and the children on one of our beach excursions, always has the same three questions: "Where are we going? Have we been there before? Why can't you just pick a beach and stick to it? Well, Suffolk County has some of the most beautiful beaches, it is no accident that Suffolk County has two of the top ten beaches in America according to Dr. Beach.
Though Dr. Beach favors ocean beaches which are on the south shore, I must point out that the Long Island sound beaches on the north shore are just as beautiful. The setting reminds me of the Cape with bluffs high above the water overlooking beautiful coves. The water is calm, clear bay water and and the beaches are dazzling white though some complain that they are too rocky, nothing that aqua shoes can't cure though.
When we really feel like swimming we head up north where the Sound feels like one big giant swimming pool and you can pull up your chair to the edge, relax and read while the water gently laps at your feet. Brookhaven Town has a free residents-only beach which just happens to be my favorite north shore beach. The Town has free ocean beaches but they require a boat or a ferry ride across the Great South Bay which can make it cost prohibitive for many, including myself. Thus, I trek further out East to get my ocean fill. It is well worth the trip to run over to Westhampton or Southampton for a glorious day.
My least favorite beaches are those on the Great South Bay which just happens to be the closest to me. In fact, my street dead ends at the bay. The water quality is lacking in my opinion and is loaded with seaweed but the beaches are well utilized because of their proximity. However, it is great for boating and fishing and every advantage is taken in both regards. We go crabbing on the bay and have done quite well this year with our catches; meals have been made. This is a great year for crabbing, the bay is loaded, you feel like you can literally scoop them up as they float by.
See how happy I am now! Like I said, all I need is some sunshine.
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