Hot and Hotter
The world is barreling toward a relentless increase in global warming that, within just a few years, will be impossible to come back from, according to a new study. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa calculate that by approximately 2047, the coolest year from then on will be warmer than it was in 2005, which is when the world as a whole had its hottest year on record. Writing in the journal Nature, study author Camilo Mora says that Kingston, Jamaica, will, in about a decade, become among the first to be off-the-charts hot. He says it soon will be followed by Singapore in 2028, Mexico City in 2031, Cario in 2036 and Phoenix and Honolulu in 2043. Mora says U.S. cities like New York and Washington will get there by 2046.
Disappearing Moose
From British Columbia to New Hampshire, North America's moose are disappearing. One of Minnestoa's two distinct populations of the lumbering animals has dropped from about 4,000 to 100 since the 1990s. The other population is down to fewer than 3,000 from 8,000 over the same period. Wildlife experts say manmade climate change appears to be behind most of the decline. They point to the increased number of winter ticks in New Hampshire, which have thrived due to a longer fall and less snow on average. Brain worms and liver flukes, which thrive in moist environments, have ravaged the moose populations in Minnestoa. And the loss of forest in British Columbia due to an epidemic of pine bark beetles, which thrive in warmer weather, has left the moose exposed to hunters and other predators. Since moose shape the landscape as they graze, their loss could have a ripple effect through the environment.
Deadly Blizzard
A freak autumn blizzard killed tens of thousands of cattle in South Dakota during early October as the animals were still in their summer pastures and had not yet grown their winter coats. Freezing rain was followed by up to 4 feet of snow, which was blown around with near-hurricane force and became lodged in some of the animals' lungs, suffocating them. "I've been in this business 50 years and I've never seen anything like this," rancher Kathy Jobgen told Reuters.
How Mountains Fall
Scientists have discovered that lightening plays a major role in shaping the world's mountains ----- with bolts that explode their stony summits. Researcheres from South Africa's University of Witwatersrand found that lightning can partially melt the rocks they shatter at the summit. This allows the rocks to take on the orientation of today's magnetic field rather than the one from millions of years ago when the rock was originally formed and the continents were aligned differently. Geographer Jasper Knight says this lets researchers use compasses to accurately map out where lightning has struck. After observing how nearby rocks and boulders have been dislodged by the lightning. Knight says it's clear that mountains can be altered very quickly.
Earthquakes
A powerful temblor killed at least 161 in the southern Philippines when it unleashed landslides that buried homes and wrecked colonialera churches.
* Earth movements were also felt in southwestern Pakistan, southern Greece, Trinidad and southern New Hampshire.
Tropical Cyclones
Cyclone Phailin became the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded to make landfall over India when it struck the Bay of Bengal state of Odisha with maximum sustained winds of nearly a million coastal residents is being credited for the relatively low death toll of only 43.
* At least 11 people were killed in central Vietnam when former Category-3 Typhoon Nari slammed into the coast near the major port of Danang.
* Typhoon Wipha killed 18 on Japan's main island of Honshu and drenched metropolitan Tokyo as the center of the storm grazed the coast.
* Tropical Storm Octave brought rains to northwestern Mexico while Priscilla formed briefly just to the west of Baja California.
Pointed Discovery
Elephants have been found to be the only animal other than humans to instinctively understand pointing gestures. While responding to someone pointing comes naturally to even very young humans, dogs and chimpanzees have to be trained to do so. But elephants seem to "get it" right away. Researchers from Scotland's University of St. Andrews tested captive animals in Zimbabwe by presenting them with two buckets ----- one containing food. When the bucket with food was pointed to, the test elephants chose the correct bucket about 68 percent of the time. That's about the same performance level as a 1-year-old human, who typically chooses correctly 73 percent of the time. Researchers think elephants use their trucks to point as acts of communication, and they plan to study it.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Driving course steers kids toward more safe behavior
More than 20 teens and their parents from across the county gathered at Fred Beans in Plumstead on Sunday to learn about the dangers of distracted driving as part of the second "Survive Your Drive" teen driving safety program.
New drivers ages 16 to 18 with a valid driving permit or license were invited to learn safe skills behind the wheel and get information and demonstrations from police officers and emergency personnel. The goal : Give teen drivers the lowdown on responsible behind-the-wheel behavior.
"The inaugural launch last May gave 18 teen drivers and their parents a focused look into the consequences of distracted driving and tips on how to steer clear of distractions and other behaviors that take the lives of so many of our young people every year," said Rachel Mauer, executive community director for the YMCA.
Teens were accompanied by their parents or guardians to the event, and watched several presentations and videos on the dangers of distracted driving. "Teens are more likely to get in accidents at nighttime, on rainy days or in adverse weather. What we talked about today was the distractions kid will come across," said Doylestown police Officer Dave Carlsen.
He noted that distractions include passengers in the car, radios blaring, texting, cellphone use, eating and other "common distractions kids are ready for."
"They're still learning how to drive, they get to see and hear from other people that have been through issues with teens driving. The easiest way to fix it is just not do the stuff they're doing," he said.
Kids and parents also were invited to partake in a golf cart driving course while wearing "beer" goggles and nighttime driving goggles, or goggles that when worn, impair the driver's vision in various ways.
A service member with Fred Beans was also on scene to demonstrate how to change a tire, check oil levels and answer other maintenance-related questions.
"I was excited about the drunk-driving goggles, I want to see what those look like," said Jake Slominski, 16, of New Hope, who has his driving permit.
"After seeing all the things I never really noticed before, that really makes a big difference in how I'm going to drive after this."
Amy O'Brien of Riegelsville came to the event with her 15-year-old son, who was the exception when it came to teen drivers required to have a permit to attend the event.
"I felt that it was more important to do this course sooner rather than wait until he'd been out on the road a bit more," she said.
"I think I've learned a lot, I haven't been in driverws education or had to take a driving test in a long time, I felt like this is just good for me to learn more about some of the new rules."
F. Y. I.
Celebrate This
Today is National Nut Day.
Still on the Books
In Myrtle Creek, Ore., boxing with a kangaroo is prohibited.
Migrant Marvel
The Arctic tern flies 22,000 miles round-trip between the Antarctic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean each year.
Quotable
by Wendell Berry, farmer, poet and environmental activist
"The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
Measure for Measure
It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
State Stats
With 31 covered bridges, historic Parke County in Indiana is the Covered Bridge Capital of the World.
Today is National Nut Day.
Still on the Books
In Myrtle Creek, Ore., boxing with a kangaroo is prohibited.
Migrant Marvel
The Arctic tern flies 22,000 miles round-trip between the Antarctic Ocean and the Arctic Ocean each year.
Quotable
by Wendell Berry, farmer, poet and environmental activist
"The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."
Measure for Measure
It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
State Stats
With 31 covered bridges, historic Parke County in Indiana is the Covered Bridge Capital of the World.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (Oct. 11, 2013)
Acidic Threats
The world's oceans are now more acidic than they have been for at least 300 million years, which scientists who made the discovery warn poses a threat of mass extinction of marine species. The change in the ocean's chemistry is said to be due to carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels. This, combined with overfishing and pollution, imperils marine life on which billions of people depend for food and jobs. That warning by the International Program on the State of the Ocean came after an international audit of the health of the oceans revealed the magnitude of the man-made threats. Program officials caution that Earth's next mass extinction may have already begun in the oceans.
Stink Trap
Countless millions of malodorous insects are currently sneaking into houses across the United States for the winter, but one New Jersey inventor says he has found a way to keep them out. Brown marmorated stink-bugs are alien invaders ----- accidentally introduced to Allentown, Pa., in the 1990s, probably in shipping containers from their native Taiwan or South Korea. They have since exploded in numbers and spread across America. While they don't bite, they consume fruit and vegetables, making them an agricultural pest. They also give off a noisome scent when threathened or squashed. But Jody Williams of New Jersey's Delaware Township tells the Hunterdon County Democrat that he is trying to patent a new simple device he claims can keep the stinkers out of your home. He has an online video showing how to build it with wood shims, cardboard, a staple or glue gun, Velcro, two box fans and garbage bags.
Dissolving Starfish
Experts at Canada's Vancouver Aquarium say they are puzzled by what is causing thousands of sunflower starfish, or sea stars, to die in the waters of Vancouver Harbor and Howe Sound. What is even more starrling is the way the creatures perish ----- by quickly dissolving in a phenomenon the aquarium has dubbed Sea Star Wasting Syndrome. "They have disintegrated, and now there is just goo left," says research diver and taxonomist Donna Gibbs. A similar string of starfish deaths was reported during July in the North Atlantic from New Jersey to Maine.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Fitow stormed into China's Fujian province with wind's of up to 93 mph. At least 10 people died in flash floods and mudslides in neighboring Zhejiang province.
* Southern parts of Japan and South Korea were lashed by passing Typhoon Danas.
* Tropical Storm Karen dissipated before reaching the U.S. Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm Narda formed between Mexico and Hawaii.
Earthquakes
Romania's most powerful temblor in four years awakened residents before dawn on Oct. 6 in the east of the country as well as in neighboring Moldova. It punctuated two weeks in which a swarm of tremors farther to the east crackled walls and the ground, accompanied by the sound of "boiling water" and the smell of sulfur.
* Earth movements were also felt in eastern Afghanistan and northers Pakistan, northeastern Iran, southeastern New Zealand, southwestern Mexico and north-central Oklahoma.
Friend and Food
The Japanese fishing town notorious for its savage slaughter of dolphins each year now says it wants to open a marine park that will also feature whale cutlet burgers and dolphin meat as snacks for visitors. Taiji and its bloody dolphin kill were highlighted in the 2009 documentary "The Cove." Organizers there want to fence off a portion of the cove to create the park in which people can swim and kayak alongside small whales and dolphins. Town official Masaki Wada assures critics that the dolphin slaughter, carried out by stabbing the marine mammals with stakes, will fleet, which carries out the slaughter, as well as the capture of dolphins later sold to marine parks around the world.
Disco Poles
Motorists on some Norwegian highways are being protected from hitting stray elk with a device some are calling a "disco pole". The country's Public Roads Administration has installed the units, which emit high-pitch sounds and flash LED lights into the forest when cars are approaching. Norway's The Local reports the poles will be positioned about every 165 feet along four selected highways. It's similar to equipment being used in Austria to prevent autos from colliding with deer. "If the system works, we hope to put them up on all routes where elk collisions occur. It is considerably less expensive than (installing) game fences." Henrik Wildenschild of the Public Roads Administration told the Fremover newspaper.
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is?
1. In Greek mythology, Calliope and Terpsichore were members of what group of goddesses who represented the arts?
2. Paul Lynde and Whoopi Goldberg were longtime "center" panelists on what game show?
3. "The Council of Elrond" and "The Bridge of Khazad-Dum" are chapters in what 1954 novel, the first of a trilogy?
4. Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., who was 90 when he retired, is the oldest person ever to serve on what body?
5. Baseball games are divided up into what units?
Bonus : What's the "Kennections" between all five answers?
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Answers : 1. The Muses
2. Hollywood Squares
3. The Fellowship of the Ring
4. The U.S. Supreme Court
5. Innings
Bonus : All are groups of nine
POP QUIZ ( The Sneezin' Season)
How to avoid getting sick this winter ----- and what to do if you do get bugged.
Each year in the United States, there are 1 billion cases of the common cold, and more than 200,000 people are Hospitalized due to flu complications ----- a figure that continues to climb.
What are the best ways to avoid winter ills?
Test your knowledge by deciding whether the following statements are True or False.
1. You can avoid colds and flu by staying away from people who are coughing and sneezing.
2. Feed a cold, starve a fever.
3. Going out in icy weather leads to colds.
4. Getting a flu vaccine can give you the flu.
5. You're more susceptible to colds and flu if you're under stress.
6. If you do get the flu, the only treatment is fluids and bed rest.
7. If you were vaccinated or had the flu last year, you're still immune.
8. When you sneeze or cough, you should cover your mouth and nose with your hands.
9. Chicken soup can help relieve cold symptoms.
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Answers : 1. False ; 2. False ; 3. False ; 4. False ; 5. True ; 6. False ; 7. False ; 8. False ; 9. True
F. Y. I.
Small Wonders
Dragonflies have six legs but can't walk.
By Measure
It takes more than 34 gallons of water to produce the beans for one cup of coffee.
Back Then
Urine was once used ------- and preferred over soap by many launderers ------ for cleaning and whitening clothes.
Quotable
by Lyle Lovett, singer-songwriter
"I've always thought that writing isn't really that hard. It's having a good idea that's hard."
Strange Praise
The "cat's pajamas" and "bee's knees" were among a handful of phrases, including the "canary's tusk" and "flea's eyebrows," coined in the 1920s to describe remarkable people or things.
Still on the Books
In Vail, Colo., it is illegal to crash into obstacles on a ski slope.
Distracted Driving: Is It Worth The Risk
At any given moment in the United States, 660,000 people are driving distracted.
Whether it be handling a cellphone or operating a GPS, distracted driving comes in many different shapes and forms.
Casey Feldman was a victim of one of those 660,000 people.
She was just like any other 21-year-old college student. She had a job. She was earning her degree at Fordham. She had family, friends and people who loved and cared for her. She had her entire future, her entire life, ahead of her.
Unfortunately, Casey lost her life in 2009 because of an accident. An accident that was caused by distracted driving. She was struck and killed as a pedestrian.
Joel Feldman, Casey's father, decided he would change the way people viewed distracted driving after his daughter passed away.
Instead of watching the world around him continue to drive dangerously under certain conditions, he utilized the incident as an opportunity to educate others.
Today, he travels the country in hopes of sharing the terrible disasters that often result from distracted driving with teenagers, adults and businesses.
On, Oct. 2, Feldman visited Pennsbury High School to preach to the students, teachers and staff what distracted driving has the power to take away, what is has the power to ruin.
"People think they are multitasking, but they are not," Feldman said. "They're just switching their attention to something else."
Since Casey's death, Feldman has devoted his time and effort to carrying out the mission of End Distracted Driving, or EDD. This organization hopes to educate drivers of all ages about the dangers of driving distracted, stressing the importance of being alert and focused at all times.
Feldman's presentation includes videos, live demos and an interactive question-and-answer session, and it has been viewed by nearly 125,000 students across the nation.
A mock field sobriety test was also performed with Pennsbury students who volunteered to wear googles that distorted their stability while walking, swaying most of the students into believing distracted driving is a growing issue on the roads.
Throughout the presentation, Feldman stressed various ways distracted driving could easily be avoided.
Pull over to a safe location to check texts, listen to voice mails or call someone. Have a passenger in the car? Even better! Designate that person as the one to make calls or answer texts.
If you know you will be driving for a long period of time, let family and friends know you will be driving. Even when driving alone, it's not a terrible idea to turn off your cellphone and wait until you reach your destination to turn it back on.
Fortunately for Pennsbury and the surrounding communities, the United Way of Bucks County, Falls Township and the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, Feldman's presentation at Pennsbury High School could most definitely be considered a success.
Living in the 21st century, it can be difficult to stress enough to teenagers, and even adults, just how harmful it is to drive without 100 percent focus.
But by having the students interactively involved within the presentation, Feldman was able to convey his point : Distracted driving will never be worth it.
Whether it be handling a cellphone or operating a GPS, distracted driving comes in many different shapes and forms.
Casey Feldman was a victim of one of those 660,000 people.
She was just like any other 21-year-old college student. She had a job. She was earning her degree at Fordham. She had family, friends and people who loved and cared for her. She had her entire future, her entire life, ahead of her.
Unfortunately, Casey lost her life in 2009 because of an accident. An accident that was caused by distracted driving. She was struck and killed as a pedestrian.
Joel Feldman, Casey's father, decided he would change the way people viewed distracted driving after his daughter passed away.
Instead of watching the world around him continue to drive dangerously under certain conditions, he utilized the incident as an opportunity to educate others.
Today, he travels the country in hopes of sharing the terrible disasters that often result from distracted driving with teenagers, adults and businesses.
On, Oct. 2, Feldman visited Pennsbury High School to preach to the students, teachers and staff what distracted driving has the power to take away, what is has the power to ruin.
"People think they are multitasking, but they are not," Feldman said. "They're just switching their attention to something else."
Since Casey's death, Feldman has devoted his time and effort to carrying out the mission of End Distracted Driving, or EDD. This organization hopes to educate drivers of all ages about the dangers of driving distracted, stressing the importance of being alert and focused at all times.
Feldman's presentation includes videos, live demos and an interactive question-and-answer session, and it has been viewed by nearly 125,000 students across the nation.
A mock field sobriety test was also performed with Pennsbury students who volunteered to wear googles that distorted their stability while walking, swaying most of the students into believing distracted driving is a growing issue on the roads.
Throughout the presentation, Feldman stressed various ways distracted driving could easily be avoided.
Pull over to a safe location to check texts, listen to voice mails or call someone. Have a passenger in the car? Even better! Designate that person as the one to make calls or answer texts.
If you know you will be driving for a long period of time, let family and friends know you will be driving. Even when driving alone, it's not a terrible idea to turn off your cellphone and wait until you reach your destination to turn it back on.
Fortunately for Pennsbury and the surrounding communities, the United Way of Bucks County, Falls Township and the Lower Makefield Township Police Department, Feldman's presentation at Pennsbury High School could most definitely be considered a success.
Living in the 21st century, it can be difficult to stress enough to teenagers, and even adults, just how harmful it is to drive without 100 percent focus.
But by having the students interactively involved within the presentation, Feldman was able to convey his point : Distracted driving will never be worth it.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Google Glass
Progress at a cost
Picture yourself sitting in a restaurant having a private conversation with a business client or an intimate chat with a romantic partner, paying no attention to the person at the next table wearing spectacles and who seems, at times, to be staring at you.
A few hours or days later, you realize he must have been doing more than staring when details of your conversation and a photo of you engaged in it have been transmitted for who knows how many to see.
You'd be correct if you instantly suspected the device attached to the earpiece of the spectator's lens-less glasses can record and transmit information as capably as your iPad or iPhone.
Called Google Glass, the miniature intruder may be the latest and most insidious nail in the privacy coffin. Even though the device is just being tested, this newest advance already has been banned in some locations, including parts of Las Vegas and in some bars, and has drawn concern about its use while driving. In West Virginia, where driver texting is prohibited unless hands-free, legislators are expected to move to try to include Google Glass in the ban, according to recent press reports.
The invention takes eavesdropping to a whole new level. How long before our every utterance or move is so restricted by fear of exposure that we become almost paralyzed? According to The New York Times, that probably won't be too far off. It reported that test versions have been released to 2,000 developers and that Google has handpicked 8,000 "explorers" to receive a pair soon. From there, it is but a short step into mass distribution of a product that strains our freedom.
But progress can't be stopped and technology marches on, adding to our convenience but often at a high cost. Already we are on the verge of being under constant surveillance once we step outside our front doors with cameras watching us from nearly every street corner ------- not counting those in the hands of every Tom, Dick and Mary. That can be a good thing as it was in the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon and in trying to prevent crime. Most of us are willing to put up with the official variety placed there for our safety.
But the potential for abuse always is present, and Big Brother but a step away. However, Google Glass is over the top with a possiblity for intrusion that makes those ubiquitous telephone cameras and recorders seem benign.
The Times quoted a Los Angeles lawyer as saying, "We are all now going to be both the paparazzi and the paparazzi's target." That seems spot on to me, and it doesn't make it less intrusive because one has to touch the device or speak to activate it and look directly at his or her target. Refiners of this tech wonder already have begun to find ways to activate it that are less obvious.........like just winking.
Those defending this latest wizardry contend no one should have anything to hide. Are they nuts? No. They're just mad scientists.
How about when you reprimand your kid for being disruptive or refusing to mind while in public? Should that be recorded and given to the authorities as evidence you are abusive? Do you really want all your personal business and problems, no matter how minor, recorded for posterity? If you do, you belongin Silicon Valley with the rest of the "geniuses."
A wise man once told me that too much progress can be a bad thing. He explained that just because it is possible to do something doesn't mean you should do it, especially if it doesn't necessarily enhance your life or carries the potential of being disruptive or destructive to someone else.
What is the value of privacy? If we haven't learned that by now, we are lost, and the Merlins of our Brave New World will leave us shredded and bleeding on the altar of technology. Am I hysterical? When it comesto this subject, you bet I am. Everyone should be. Keep your nose and your Google Glass out of our business.
Words keep on flowing
Ed Galing cannot get enough.
Enough attention. Enough praise. Enough love. Enough life.
And if he hasn't had his fill at 96, he is unlikely to ever feel competely sated.
"I love publicity," Galing said, with characteristic candor. "I'm famous!"
In June, the mayor of Hatboro gave Galing a lifetime achievement award for his more than 16 years as poet laureate of the Montgomery County town.
"It's like being in the Kennedy Center, and the president puts a medal around their neck," Galing said in his gravelly voice. "Lifetime achievement!" he marveled. "Not everybody gets that. You have to earn it."
These days, Galing does not get many visitors. His sons, both in their 70s, live too far away to make the trip very often to the family's brick Colonial, where Galing still lives. And the grandchildren and great-grandchildren? "They're just too busy," Galing said.
Since his wife, Esther, died six years ago, he spends most days in his own still-plucky company. Alone, that is, except for an aide, who comes for a few hours a day, and his most loyal companion: a seafoam-green IBM Selectric typewriter.
Every morning at 5, he wakes up, gets out of the hospital bed in his first-floor office, transfers himself into his motorized wheelchair, and hums over to the desk to write for an hour or two.
"I write whatever comes into my head," he said. "Then I put it away and look at it the next day to see if I still like it. If I don't, I throw it away."
That rarely happens.
"I'm a good man, and I know how to write," he said. "Can I read you a poem?" Without waiting for an answer, he pushes his thick thumb against the joystick of his wheelchair, so well-used that the black vinyl is as cracked and wrinkled as old skin. The chair catches on the threshold to the living room, and he coaxes it onward ----- "Go! Go!" ------- then bursts through into the living room.
The tchotchkes, vases, and family photographs remain exactly the way Esther left them, except for a new couch and armchair --------- gifts from one of their sons.
"He told me he's going to take care of me the best he can," said Galing. He told me he loved me."
Galing reaches into a bookcase and pulls out one of the many collections of his work.
The World War II veteran graduated from South Philadelphia High School and worked in a variety of jobs, first at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station and, in his later years, processing sales documents for a car dealer. His last job, when he was 80, was custodial work at a restaurant.
That was the year he began writing in earnest, for personal expression, yes, but always, too, in the hope that his work would be recognized.
"Now, I'm in more than 400 publications," he said. "It's like George Bush's Mission Accomplished! Except this is real." Real enough, in any case, to fill the deeply human need to feel significant. Especially at this far end of the trail. Hard of hearing and crippled by arthritis, Galing writes to be heard. To resist fading into his own shadow.
If I was 60 right now," he reminisced in a recent letter, "I would be driving a car, going on vacation, making love with my wife, enjoying family picnics ........ and all of us would be young, and laughing, and so very happy."
Describing his life now, he continued : "My fingers are curled, and I live in my wheelchair all the time. However, I can still write."
Galing's poems have appeared in a few small literary magazines, like Red Wheel-barrow and Rattle, and he is a regular contributor to a newspaper for the homeless in Nashville. Much of his work is self-published, such as Pushcarts and Peddlers, a collection of pieces about his childhood in the early 1900s among other poor Jewish immigrants on the Lower East Side of New York.
When is a Holiday a Holy Day ?
Back in 2005 Fox News Channel anchor John Gibson wrote a book "The War on Christmas" --------- the subtitle was : "How the liberal plot to ban the sacred Christian holiday is worse than you thought." The book is filled with 186 pages ofstory-after-story of how long-held community Christmas customs all of a sudden seemed to offend people. No more Christmas trees at school, no pageants either. Of course, the liberals went nuts because people weren't suppose to notice the assault.
Fast forward to 2013 and the trend continues. As the new school year begins a glance at several area school calendars ----- just about every public school district where this column is read ------ started out with a day on Sept. 5 for the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. That's followed by a few with a notation re. Yom Kippur (which actually falls on a Saturday this year).
Back when I went to Cheltenham High we never had the Jewish holidays off, but the Jewish kids did. That was sort of annoying to us because they also got our Christian holidays off as well. Of course there was no way that teachers were going to stay at school for the Jewish kids while the Christian kids got Christmas and Easter off.
Then we get to Thanksgiving and pretty much everyone agrees with that one. But Dec. 23 in Abington heralds the start of "The Holiday vacation," and Cheltenham calls it Holiday dismissal and winter break. No mention of the big day on Dec. 25 (Christmas, in case you have forgotten because people are trying to hide it). Central Bucks mentions Christmas, but also mentions Hanukah and the ever-popular Winter recess. Upper Dublin gives us Hanukah, a winter break and even lists Kwanzaa (but no Christmas).
Rolling along into 2014 along comes "Spring Vacation" which, of course, used to be Easter vacation back in the day. They all use a variation on the spring break theme but Upper Dublin, not wanting to miss a beat, does acknowledge Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter. They also list Passover. Central Bucks skips Palm Sunday but acknowledges Good Friday, Easter and Passover.
You don't have to look too hard to find examples of states where the ACLU has actually forced school districts to remove Christmas from their calendars. Whose civil liberties are they looking out for? Not mine, that's for sure.
I trotted this notion out on Facebook a week or so ago and mentioned I was considering a column on the subject and boy did it stir up a response. The fuss was about how the Christians just kind of roll over and play dead because they don't want to offend anyone ------and the people sticking Christmas and other Christian holidays in the closet know that full well and don't ever expect any push back.
Among the Facebook feedback I got was Linda L. who said, "It's just another way to take God out of our country and our lives." Sharon S. said, "It just doesn't seem right, somehow." Marian D. said, "There is no consistency." Dan D. said, "I'd like to see an explanation from the schools." Brett T. said, "When I was a kid it was Christmas vacation and Easter vacation. I guess somebody complained because they were offended ."
Driving and Parking
The red sports car, gleaming like a candy apple, beckoned at the curb in front of our house. As a boy approaching his mid-teens, 16 couldn't arrive fast enough for me. I pleaded for the minimum age to obtain a learner's permit to arrive in a blistering sprint; it limped toward me on geriatric knees.
I desperately needed to become old enough to learn to drive. As a high school sophomore, my wings were unfurled, but there was no way to fly. A car would represent another snip at the parental umbilical cord. Windows down, Doobies on the eight-track, the road and possiblities in front of me, rockin' down the highway. I dreamed. Ah yes, a car. I needed to learn to drive for many reasons. Making out at Inspiration Point on a two-wheeler was hardly an option.
So, I sat on our front porch drooling over that four-wheeled beauty as if it were a glistening pig on a spit, impatiently awaiting the dinner bell.
Mine was not exclusive yearning. No, this interminable wait for wheels was a chorus among my friends. However, according to independent studies released this summer by the Federal Highway Administration, the Census Bureau and the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, the song among today's teens doesn't remain the same.
That teens today are waiting longer to get a driver's license than those in the 1980s came as a shock. The FHA's study showed that, in 2010, about 28 percent of 16-year-olds nationally had a driver's license, compared with about 46 percent in 1983. The AAA's study showed only 44 percent of 16-year-olds are licensed to drive within a year, and just more than half of teens had a license by 18.
In Pennsylvania, the number of 16-and 17-year-olds licensed to drive in 1999 was 153,984. Last year, it fell to 79,383, a reduction of 48 percent.
Why the drastic change?
The reduction in teenage drivers ----- and many believe this is a good thing, given the fatal crash rate for drivers ages 16 to 19 is four times higher than for drivers ages 25 to 69 ----- is tied to many theories. Some believe the high cost of gas and auto insurance during a tough economy is responsible for the recent drop. When I was salivating on the porch, gas cost about 50 cents a gallon. Total cost to fill up our sports car : $8.50.
Others feel that, unlike those rotary phone days of the 1970s, teens today don't need to rely on a vehicle to stay connected with their friends. Electronic devices on which teens text and connect with social networking sites like Instagram serve as their umbilical cord.
By the time I reached driving age, my parents seemed as eager as I was to get me behind the wheel. I'm sure they'd grown weary of driving me to and from sporting events, the mall and friends' homes. Now, they believed, it was time not only to drive myself to those events, but also my younger brother. Liberation Day had arrived for my mom and dad.
I couldn't wait to learn to drive. Teens today feel differently, many believing the keys to staying connected don't hang from an ignition. They feel if they need to be somewhere, mom and dad will drive them.
I can't tell them they're wrong, but I can tell them this : Inspiration Point isn't nearly as inspiring with your parents in the front seat.
I desperately needed to become old enough to learn to drive. As a high school sophomore, my wings were unfurled, but there was no way to fly. A car would represent another snip at the parental umbilical cord. Windows down, Doobies on the eight-track, the road and possiblities in front of me, rockin' down the highway. I dreamed. Ah yes, a car. I needed to learn to drive for many reasons. Making out at Inspiration Point on a two-wheeler was hardly an option.
So, I sat on our front porch drooling over that four-wheeled beauty as if it were a glistening pig on a spit, impatiently awaiting the dinner bell.
Mine was not exclusive yearning. No, this interminable wait for wheels was a chorus among my friends. However, according to independent studies released this summer by the Federal Highway Administration, the Census Bureau and the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, the song among today's teens doesn't remain the same.
That teens today are waiting longer to get a driver's license than those in the 1980s came as a shock. The FHA's study showed that, in 2010, about 28 percent of 16-year-olds nationally had a driver's license, compared with about 46 percent in 1983. The AAA's study showed only 44 percent of 16-year-olds are licensed to drive within a year, and just more than half of teens had a license by 18.
In Pennsylvania, the number of 16-and 17-year-olds licensed to drive in 1999 was 153,984. Last year, it fell to 79,383, a reduction of 48 percent.
Why the drastic change?
The reduction in teenage drivers ----- and many believe this is a good thing, given the fatal crash rate for drivers ages 16 to 19 is four times higher than for drivers ages 25 to 69 ----- is tied to many theories. Some believe the high cost of gas and auto insurance during a tough economy is responsible for the recent drop. When I was salivating on the porch, gas cost about 50 cents a gallon. Total cost to fill up our sports car : $8.50.
Others feel that, unlike those rotary phone days of the 1970s, teens today don't need to rely on a vehicle to stay connected with their friends. Electronic devices on which teens text and connect with social networking sites like Instagram serve as their umbilical cord.
By the time I reached driving age, my parents seemed as eager as I was to get me behind the wheel. I'm sure they'd grown weary of driving me to and from sporting events, the mall and friends' homes. Now, they believed, it was time not only to drive myself to those events, but also my younger brother. Liberation Day had arrived for my mom and dad.
I couldn't wait to learn to drive. Teens today feel differently, many believing the keys to staying connected don't hang from an ignition. They feel if they need to be somewhere, mom and dad will drive them.
I can't tell them they're wrong, but I can tell them this : Inspiration Point isn't nearly as inspiring with your parents in the front seat.
The Benefits of Old Age
Friends raised their glasses last month to toast my 56th birthday.
Less than two weeks later, I couldn't raise my left arm. Didn't fall on it. Didn't wrench it. Didn't throw batting practice with it. Didn't turn it the wrong way. Didn't repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with it. Other than shouldering the weight of family responsibility ------- just kidding; the wife handles the bulk of that ------- the reason for my pain remained a mystery, kind of like the unexplained reason Mickey Mouse wears pants but no shirt and Donald Duck wears a shirt but no pants. The root of my pain was one big pain to me.
But not to one of my close friends.
"It's not that you turned it the wrong way, buddy," he explained. "It's that you turned 56."
With friends like those......
Two weeks after a cortisone injection from an orthopedist, who diagnosed an inflamed rotator cuff and tendinitis, I'm well-armed again. I've been assured a few weeks of physical therapy will place the cherry on top of this sundae of recovery. The problem should go away.
Aging, however, will not.
Thirty-one years ago, as I was about to begin my first day at a daily newspaper, my father offered me a bit of sage advice: "Resist wanting to sit next to the prettiest woman in the newsroom," he said. "Find a desk next to the oldest reporter and soak in everything he tells you. Nothing beats experience."
On my 56th birthday, I wrote a column about growing old, asking when exactly you become old. Many readers weighed in with opinions about age.
But the best may have come from the oldest guy in the room.
Walter Thomas is an 89-year-old resident at Ann's Choice in Warminster. He realizes he's old. But that wasn't the case 20yearsago, he said, when he mowed his lawn, cleared his driveway with snow blower and bowled.
"Then old age crept up on me," said Thompson, who delightfully addresses himself as The Old Codger. "I found I was doing more resting than mowing. I was paying some youngster to clear my driveway. I quit bowling because of a pulled muscle in my right biceps. I discovered aches and pains I couldn't explain. I walked less than I liked. I was taking pills to control blood pressure and cholesterol."
Aside from the aches and pains that come out of nowhere, the oldest guy in the room says aging isn't all that bad.
"People don't expect much from you," he said. "You're not called upon to volunteer for committees anymore. No one asks you to help them move. Young fellows and girls hold the door for you. No one gets upset if you can't remember their name."
The oldest guy in the room offered me advice on how to deal with aging: Ignore it as long as you can. Don't retire early; he still misses going to meetings and coming up with answers to problems. Continue thinking young. Accept new things, like smartphones and iPads.
"And learn from the youngsters," Thompson said. "They think they know it all, but they do know a lot. Do The New York Times crossword puzzles. I still solve them at times. And enjoy as much chocolate as you can."
Thompson says even when you get very old, and aches and pains become a daily companion, the world is still a great place.
"Enjoy life," Thompson said.
Less than two weeks later, I couldn't raise my left arm. Didn't fall on it. Didn't wrench it. Didn't throw batting practice with it. Didn't turn it the wrong way. Didn't repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with it. Other than shouldering the weight of family responsibility ------- just kidding; the wife handles the bulk of that ------- the reason for my pain remained a mystery, kind of like the unexplained reason Mickey Mouse wears pants but no shirt and Donald Duck wears a shirt but no pants. The root of my pain was one big pain to me.
But not to one of my close friends.
"It's not that you turned it the wrong way, buddy," he explained. "It's that you turned 56."
With friends like those......
Two weeks after a cortisone injection from an orthopedist, who diagnosed an inflamed rotator cuff and tendinitis, I'm well-armed again. I've been assured a few weeks of physical therapy will place the cherry on top of this sundae of recovery. The problem should go away.
Aging, however, will not.
Thirty-one years ago, as I was about to begin my first day at a daily newspaper, my father offered me a bit of sage advice: "Resist wanting to sit next to the prettiest woman in the newsroom," he said. "Find a desk next to the oldest reporter and soak in everything he tells you. Nothing beats experience."
On my 56th birthday, I wrote a column about growing old, asking when exactly you become old. Many readers weighed in with opinions about age.
But the best may have come from the oldest guy in the room.
Walter Thomas is an 89-year-old resident at Ann's Choice in Warminster. He realizes he's old. But that wasn't the case 20yearsago, he said, when he mowed his lawn, cleared his driveway with snow blower and bowled.
"Then old age crept up on me," said Thompson, who delightfully addresses himself as The Old Codger. "I found I was doing more resting than mowing. I was paying some youngster to clear my driveway. I quit bowling because of a pulled muscle in my right biceps. I discovered aches and pains I couldn't explain. I walked less than I liked. I was taking pills to control blood pressure and cholesterol."
Aside from the aches and pains that come out of nowhere, the oldest guy in the room says aging isn't all that bad.
"People don't expect much from you," he said. "You're not called upon to volunteer for committees anymore. No one asks you to help them move. Young fellows and girls hold the door for you. No one gets upset if you can't remember their name."
The oldest guy in the room offered me advice on how to deal with aging: Ignore it as long as you can. Don't retire early; he still misses going to meetings and coming up with answers to problems. Continue thinking young. Accept new things, like smartphones and iPads.
"And learn from the youngsters," Thompson said. "They think they know it all, but they do know a lot. Do The New York Times crossword puzzles. I still solve them at times. And enjoy as much chocolate as you can."
Thompson says even when you get very old, and aches and pains become a daily companion, the world is still a great place.
"Enjoy life," Thompson said.
"You only get one chance at it."
Saturday, October 12, 2013
F. Y. I.
No Kidding!
Nicolas Winding Refn, director of the 2011 film "Drive," failed his driving test eight times.
Of Note
The first country to use postcards was Austria.
Quotable
by Marilyn Monroe, actress and model (1926-1962)
"Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together."
As Translated
"Disco" means "I learn" in Latin.
Celebrate This
Today is Moldy Cheese Day
Miles and Miles
The Library of Congress has 600 miles of shelves.
Still on the Books
In Lee County, Ala., it is illegal to sell peanuts after sundown on Wednesday.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. What injuries are classified as "second-degree" if they include blistering?
2. Which of Barney the Dinosaur's friends is a 7-year-old yellow protoceratops who wears a baseball cap?
3. Which Connecticut firearm company made the "Model 1873" rifle that's been called "the gun that won the West"?
4. The "Doppler" type of what technology is commonly used by traffic cops and TV meteorologists?
5. What's the code name of sharpshooter Clint Barton, played by Jeremy Renner in The Avengers?
Bonus : What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Burns
2. B. J.
3. Winchester
4. Radar
5. Hawkeye
Bonus : All are M*A*S*H Characters
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (Oct. 4, 2013)
Ice-Free Shortcut
A Danish-owned cargo ship carried a 73,500-ton load of coal through northern Canada's Northwest Passage in September, making it the first such bulk carrier in history to navigate the Arctic route. The Nordic Orion left Vancouver on Sept. 17 enroute to Finland on a shortcut that saved the owners nearly $200,000 in costs and trimmed about 1,000 nautical miles off the voyage. The ship was also able to carry about 25 percent more coal since the depth of the Panama Canal, through which it normally would have sailed, is too shallow for such a bulky load. Despite this past summer's more limited Arctic sea ice melt, a growing number of shippers are looking to use the Northwest Passage in the years ahead as the Arctic becomes more ice-free.
Climate Refugees
The greater summertime melt of Arctic sea ice due to recent climate change has forced thousands of walrus onto a remote barrier island in northwestern Alaska. Residents of the Inupiat Eskimo village of Point Lay, about 700 miles northwest of Anchorage, alerted officials to the approximately 10,000 walrus left without their usual sea ice habitat. Villagers and aircraft are asked to avoid frightening the animals into deadly stampedes. Similar desperate strandings have occurred in all but two years since 2007, when Arctic sea ice began to dramatically disappear during summer. Walrus breed on the floating ice and use it as a diving platform to reach and feed on small bottom-dwelling animals such as worms and clams on the shallow continental shelf below. But the ice has retreated northward during recent summers to where the Arctic is 10,000 feet deep, making it impossible for the walrus to reach the bottom.
Killer Hornets
Swarms of the world's largest hornets killed at least 41 people and injured 1,630 others in central China's Shaanxi province. Some victims said they were chased for hundreds of yards by the insects. One woman says she was left incontinent after receiving more than 200 stings. Xinhua reports 206 other victims are still being treated in hospitals, with 37 reported in critical condition. Warmer weather is being blamed for the hornets breeding more successfully, and people are moving into formerly wild areas where they are disturbing nests. The Asian giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia, can reach 2 inches in length and can fly up to 60 miles in a single day at speeds of up to 25 mph.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Wutip drenched central and northern parts of Vietnam as well as Laos and northeastern Thailand. After leaving 60 Chinese fishermen missing when their vessels were sunk in the tempest, the tropical cyclone killed three others on land.
* Tropical Storm Sepat passed off eastern Japan while Typhoon Fitow lashed Okinawa late in the week.
* Tropical Storm Karen approached the Gulf Coast as Jerry churned the central Atlantic.
Earthquakes
Southwestern Pakistan was jolted by another deadly quake just four days after a more powerful one devastated parts of the region. At least 22 new fatalities brought the combined death toll to more than 600 in Baluchistan province.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Australia, two areas of New Zealand, eastern India's Sikkim state and northeastern Spain.
Jellyfish Jam
One of the world's largest nuclear power reactors was forced to shut down after masses of jellyfish clogged pipes carrying seawater that cools the plant's three reactors and turbine generators. Officials at Sweeden's Oskarshamn nuclear power station scrambled to shut down reactor No.3 after tons of the common moon jellyfish became caught in the pipes. Spokesman Anders Osterberg said the jellyfish entered the pipes at about 60 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea. But he said they had not gotten through the plant's filters or come anywhere near the reactors. All of Oskarshamn's reactors are boiling-water types, like those at Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Rat Detectives
Dutch police are training a unit of rats to help the force take a bite out of crime. The relatively low cost of about $13 to purchase and train each of the rodents make them competitive with police dogs. The canines can cost hundreds of dollars more to obtain and be readied for duty. "They (rats) need barely 10 to 15 days to learn to distinguish a certain smell," the policewoman in charge of the project, Monique Hamerslag, told Agence France Presse. The rat detectives might be called upon as early as next year. But unlike dogs, rats are shy and don't do well working at crime scenes, such as finding where bodies are located or sniffing out drugs in shipping containers. However, they do well in identifying evidence brought to them in a controlled and quiet setting.
A Danish-owned cargo ship carried a 73,500-ton load of coal through northern Canada's Northwest Passage in September, making it the first such bulk carrier in history to navigate the Arctic route. The Nordic Orion left Vancouver on Sept. 17 enroute to Finland on a shortcut that saved the owners nearly $200,000 in costs and trimmed about 1,000 nautical miles off the voyage. The ship was also able to carry about 25 percent more coal since the depth of the Panama Canal, through which it normally would have sailed, is too shallow for such a bulky load. Despite this past summer's more limited Arctic sea ice melt, a growing number of shippers are looking to use the Northwest Passage in the years ahead as the Arctic becomes more ice-free.
Climate Refugees
The greater summertime melt of Arctic sea ice due to recent climate change has forced thousands of walrus onto a remote barrier island in northwestern Alaska. Residents of the Inupiat Eskimo village of Point Lay, about 700 miles northwest of Anchorage, alerted officials to the approximately 10,000 walrus left without their usual sea ice habitat. Villagers and aircraft are asked to avoid frightening the animals into deadly stampedes. Similar desperate strandings have occurred in all but two years since 2007, when Arctic sea ice began to dramatically disappear during summer. Walrus breed on the floating ice and use it as a diving platform to reach and feed on small bottom-dwelling animals such as worms and clams on the shallow continental shelf below. But the ice has retreated northward during recent summers to where the Arctic is 10,000 feet deep, making it impossible for the walrus to reach the bottom.
Killer Hornets
Swarms of the world's largest hornets killed at least 41 people and injured 1,630 others in central China's Shaanxi province. Some victims said they were chased for hundreds of yards by the insects. One woman says she was left incontinent after receiving more than 200 stings. Xinhua reports 206 other victims are still being treated in hospitals, with 37 reported in critical condition. Warmer weather is being blamed for the hornets breeding more successfully, and people are moving into formerly wild areas where they are disturbing nests. The Asian giant hornet, or Vespa mandarinia, can reach 2 inches in length and can fly up to 60 miles in a single day at speeds of up to 25 mph.
Tropical Cyclones
Typhoon Wutip drenched central and northern parts of Vietnam as well as Laos and northeastern Thailand. After leaving 60 Chinese fishermen missing when their vessels were sunk in the tempest, the tropical cyclone killed three others on land.
* Tropical Storm Sepat passed off eastern Japan while Typhoon Fitow lashed Okinawa late in the week.
* Tropical Storm Karen approached the Gulf Coast as Jerry churned the central Atlantic.
Earthquakes
Southwestern Pakistan was jolted by another deadly quake just four days after a more powerful one devastated parts of the region. At least 22 new fatalities brought the combined death toll to more than 600 in Baluchistan province.
* Earth movements were also felt in western Australia, two areas of New Zealand, eastern India's Sikkim state and northeastern Spain.
Jellyfish Jam
One of the world's largest nuclear power reactors was forced to shut down after masses of jellyfish clogged pipes carrying seawater that cools the plant's three reactors and turbine generators. Officials at Sweeden's Oskarshamn nuclear power station scrambled to shut down reactor No.3 after tons of the common moon jellyfish became caught in the pipes. Spokesman Anders Osterberg said the jellyfish entered the pipes at about 60 feet below the surface of the Baltic Sea. But he said they had not gotten through the plant's filters or come anywhere near the reactors. All of Oskarshamn's reactors are boiling-water types, like those at Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant, which suffered meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Rat Detectives
Dutch police are training a unit of rats to help the force take a bite out of crime. The relatively low cost of about $13 to purchase and train each of the rodents make them competitive with police dogs. The canines can cost hundreds of dollars more to obtain and be readied for duty. "They (rats) need barely 10 to 15 days to learn to distinguish a certain smell," the policewoman in charge of the project, Monique Hamerslag, told Agence France Presse. The rat detectives might be called upon as early as next year. But unlike dogs, rats are shy and don't do well working at crime scenes, such as finding where bodies are located or sniffing out drugs in shipping containers. However, they do well in identifying evidence brought to them in a controlled and quiet setting.
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Sign of the Times
by Phil Gianficaro
"Obama Sucks."
There's every reason to believe the intention of the person who posted signs with that message on a tall tree on the property of Blair's Tree and Lawn Service on Cat Hill Road in West Rockhill Township wasn't trying to inform Americans the president drinks his milk through a straw.
An economy slow to recover from the downturn, the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare" and possible U.S. military intervention in Syria are but a few reasons some Americans are down on Barack Obama. However, most of them aren't climbing trees to erect signs some interpret as vulgar and offensive.
After receiving an email from a reader who lives in the area and objects to the public display of crudeness, I drove up to investigate.
I parked in front of Blair's office building and walked to the tree near the roadside to take a few photos of the signs. The orange-and-black messages are printed on the back of speed limit signs and attached 20 feet or so up the tree's trunk.
As I was about to knock on Blair's front door, a woman appeared. I asked to speak to the owner, Marty Blair, about the signs. She said he wasn't there. I asked if he erected the signs. She told me I'd have to speak to him. I gave her my business card and cell number, asked if she'd please have the owner call me, and thanked her for her time.
Then I spoke to a few locals about the signs.
As her two toddling sons enjoyed playing on the slides at nearby Druckenmiller Playground, Amber Groesbeck said she didn't particularly care for the crudeness of the sign.
"I also think it's irresponsible for a company to put up a sign like that," said Groesbeck, who lives in nearby Sellersville. "As a company, I'd want to protect my standing with all my customers, stay noble, not put up a sign that might deter business from people who disagree with the sign."
Greg Lippincott, West Rockhill Township manager and zoning officer, said the tree is on land owned by Bair and there is no township rule forbidding the use of the word "sucks" in a public place.
"Legally, the tree is his," Lippincott said Thursday. "The state reserves the right of way with the tree, but legally it's his. And he has a First Amendment right to express himself that way."
Has the township received complaints from residents about the signs? "We've only received two complaints," Lippincott said. "We can't do anything about the signs."
When I returned to Blair's to take one last photo of the signs, a person identifying herself as an employee of Bair's stood in front of the building smoking a cigarette. I told her I was writing a story about the signs.
"Obama Sucks."
There's every reason to believe the intention of the person who posted signs with that message on a tall tree on the property of Blair's Tree and Lawn Service on Cat Hill Road in West Rockhill Township wasn't trying to inform Americans the president drinks his milk through a straw.
An economy slow to recover from the downturn, the Affordable Care Act, aka "Obamacare" and possible U.S. military intervention in Syria are but a few reasons some Americans are down on Barack Obama. However, most of them aren't climbing trees to erect signs some interpret as vulgar and offensive.
After receiving an email from a reader who lives in the area and objects to the public display of crudeness, I drove up to investigate.
I parked in front of Blair's office building and walked to the tree near the roadside to take a few photos of the signs. The orange-and-black messages are printed on the back of speed limit signs and attached 20 feet or so up the tree's trunk.
As I was about to knock on Blair's front door, a woman appeared. I asked to speak to the owner, Marty Blair, about the signs. She said he wasn't there. I asked if he erected the signs. She told me I'd have to speak to him. I gave her my business card and cell number, asked if she'd please have the owner call me, and thanked her for her time.
Then I spoke to a few locals about the signs.
As her two toddling sons enjoyed playing on the slides at nearby Druckenmiller Playground, Amber Groesbeck said she didn't particularly care for the crudeness of the sign.
"I also think it's irresponsible for a company to put up a sign like that," said Groesbeck, who lives in nearby Sellersville. "As a company, I'd want to protect my standing with all my customers, stay noble, not put up a sign that might deter business from people who disagree with the sign."
Greg Lippincott, West Rockhill Township manager and zoning officer, said the tree is on land owned by Bair and there is no township rule forbidding the use of the word "sucks" in a public place.
"Legally, the tree is his," Lippincott said Thursday. "The state reserves the right of way with the tree, but legally it's his. And he has a First Amendment right to express himself that way."
Has the township received complaints from residents about the signs? "We've only received two complaints," Lippincott said. "We can't do anything about the signs."
When I returned to Blair's to take one last photo of the signs, a person identifying herself as an employee of Bair's stood in front of the building smoking a cigarette. I told her I was writing a story about the signs.
What's Your Obamacare IQ ?
Polls show that most Americans are still confused about the Afordable Care Act.
How about you? Think you understand it?
This quiz has 15 questions; each one correct answer.
1. Starting in 2014, if you go for three consecutive months or more without having health insurance.
a) Time in jail.
b) Lose the right to get coverage in the future.
c) A financial penalty when you file you annual income tax return.
d) No consequences at all.
2. If you are covered by Medicare, which of the following will change under health reform?
a) The gap in prescription drug coverage known as the "doughnut hole" will gradually disappear.
b) If you want to buy a Medicare supplement policy, you will have to do it through an exchange.
c) Your coverage will no longer include copayts and deductibles.
d) Your physician will be paid less for treating you.
3. A new government panel now does which of the following?
a) Decides which Medicare patients can get end-of-life care.
b) Decides which tests and treatments your doctor can order.
c) Sponsors research to compare the effectiveness of treatments.
d) Advises the Medicare program on which new treatments are too expensive to be covered.
4. If you try to buy a policy on the new marketplace and have a serious chronic medical condition:
a) Insurance companies can charge you up to three times more for coverage than someone who is in perfect health.
b) All insurers must offer to sell you coverage.
c) The government will cover the entire cost of your policy regardless of your income.
d) You will only be allowed to buy coverage if you earn less than four times the federal poverty level.
5. If you have been receiving health insurance through your employer, starting in 2014:
a) You must obtain coverage through an exchange, instead.
b) Your insurance will cover fewer services.
c) Your employer can stop covering you, if you have a preexisting medical condition.
d) Your employer can continue to offer you insurance, as in the past, as long as the coverage meets or exceeds minimum standards.
6. If you earn less than four times the federal poverty level, which of the following benefits can you receive under the health law?
a) You are exempt from the mandate requiring Americans to have health insurance.
b) You are automatically eligible for Medicaid.
c) You are automatically eligible to receive a subsidy to help cover the cost of coverage, if you buy it on an insurance exchange.
d) Your health insurance is free, if you buy it on an exchange.
7. What is the difference between insurance policies designated platinum, gold, silver, and bronze?
a) The portion of your health expenses the policy will cover.
b) The color of the ink with which the policy is printed.
c) The quality of the policy as rated by consumer groups.
d) The financial stability of the insurer that offers the policy.
8. What is a "navigator" ?
a) Someone who gives you directions to the nearest insurance office.
b) Someone who advises insurers on how much to charge for plans.
c) Someone who tells you what coverage you must buy.
d) Someone who can advise you on how to find and evaluate insurance options on an exchange.
9. Young adults up to age 26 receive which of the following benefits under the health law?
a) They are exempt from the mandate that requires every American to have health insurance.
b) They can remain on their parents' coverage, if they can't get it from an employer on their own.
c) They can automatically receive a subsidy to cover the cost of health insurance.
d) They can qualify for Medicaid regardless of their income.
10. You will not be allowed to purchase coverage through an insurance exchange if you:
a) Are self-employed.
b) Are unemployed but have a large amount of savings.
c) Are an illegal immigrant.
d) Are a smoker.
True or False
11. Insurers can charge older people more than younger people for the same coverage on an exchange.
12. Government inspectors can enter your house to check for health hazards.
13. You will not have to pay an annual deductible, if you buy your policy on an insurance exchange.
14. A government panel can prohibit your plan from covering services it considers too expensive.
15. If you buy a policy on an exchange, it must include coverage for mental health services.
How did you do ?
If you got 12 to 15 answers correct, consider yourself an expert.
If you got 9 to 12 answers correct, consider yourself above average. You know the basics.
If you got 7 to 9 answers correct, considered yourself about average.
If you got fewer than 7 answers correct, you still have a lot to learn.
But you have lots of company. And as the rollout of the law continues, its intricacies should start to become clearer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. c ; 2. a ; 3. c ; 4. b ; 5. d ; 6. c ; 7. a ; 8. d ; 9. b ; 10. c ; 11. True ; 12. False ; 13. False ; 14. False ; 15. True.
How about you? Think you understand it?
This quiz has 15 questions; each one correct answer.
1. Starting in 2014, if you go for three consecutive months or more without having health insurance.
a) Time in jail.
b) Lose the right to get coverage in the future.
c) A financial penalty when you file you annual income tax return.
d) No consequences at all.
2. If you are covered by Medicare, which of the following will change under health reform?
a) The gap in prescription drug coverage known as the "doughnut hole" will gradually disappear.
b) If you want to buy a Medicare supplement policy, you will have to do it through an exchange.
c) Your coverage will no longer include copayts and deductibles.
d) Your physician will be paid less for treating you.
3. A new government panel now does which of the following?
a) Decides which Medicare patients can get end-of-life care.
b) Decides which tests and treatments your doctor can order.
c) Sponsors research to compare the effectiveness of treatments.
d) Advises the Medicare program on which new treatments are too expensive to be covered.
4. If you try to buy a policy on the new marketplace and have a serious chronic medical condition:
a) Insurance companies can charge you up to three times more for coverage than someone who is in perfect health.
b) All insurers must offer to sell you coverage.
c) The government will cover the entire cost of your policy regardless of your income.
d) You will only be allowed to buy coverage if you earn less than four times the federal poverty level.
5. If you have been receiving health insurance through your employer, starting in 2014:
a) You must obtain coverage through an exchange, instead.
b) Your insurance will cover fewer services.
c) Your employer can stop covering you, if you have a preexisting medical condition.
d) Your employer can continue to offer you insurance, as in the past, as long as the coverage meets or exceeds minimum standards.
6. If you earn less than four times the federal poverty level, which of the following benefits can you receive under the health law?
a) You are exempt from the mandate requiring Americans to have health insurance.
b) You are automatically eligible for Medicaid.
c) You are automatically eligible to receive a subsidy to help cover the cost of coverage, if you buy it on an insurance exchange.
d) Your health insurance is free, if you buy it on an exchange.
7. What is the difference between insurance policies designated platinum, gold, silver, and bronze?
a) The portion of your health expenses the policy will cover.
b) The color of the ink with which the policy is printed.
c) The quality of the policy as rated by consumer groups.
d) The financial stability of the insurer that offers the policy.
8. What is a "navigator" ?
a) Someone who gives you directions to the nearest insurance office.
b) Someone who advises insurers on how much to charge for plans.
c) Someone who tells you what coverage you must buy.
d) Someone who can advise you on how to find and evaluate insurance options on an exchange.
9. Young adults up to age 26 receive which of the following benefits under the health law?
a) They are exempt from the mandate that requires every American to have health insurance.
b) They can remain on their parents' coverage, if they can't get it from an employer on their own.
c) They can automatically receive a subsidy to cover the cost of health insurance.
d) They can qualify for Medicaid regardless of their income.
10. You will not be allowed to purchase coverage through an insurance exchange if you:
a) Are self-employed.
b) Are unemployed but have a large amount of savings.
c) Are an illegal immigrant.
d) Are a smoker.
True or False
11. Insurers can charge older people more than younger people for the same coverage on an exchange.
12. Government inspectors can enter your house to check for health hazards.
13. You will not have to pay an annual deductible, if you buy your policy on an insurance exchange.
14. A government panel can prohibit your plan from covering services it considers too expensive.
15. If you buy a policy on an exchange, it must include coverage for mental health services.
How did you do ?
If you got 12 to 15 answers correct, consider yourself an expert.
If you got 9 to 12 answers correct, consider yourself above average. You know the basics.
If you got 7 to 9 answers correct, considered yourself about average.
If you got fewer than 7 answers correct, you still have a lot to learn.
But you have lots of company. And as the rollout of the law continues, its intricacies should start to become clearer.
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Answers : 1. c ; 2. a ; 3. c ; 4. b ; 5. d ; 6. c ; 7. a ; 8. d ; 9. b ; 10. c ; 11. True ; 12. False ; 13. False ; 14. False ; 15. True.
Kennections
All five correct answers have something in common.
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. Which season of the year begins on the vernal equinox?
2. In Muslim countries, what symbol replaces the cross in the name of International Red Cross societies?
3. What U.S. state has the most national parks (nine), including Joshua Tree, Lassen, and Yosemite?
4. Wilhelm II was the last German leader to use what title, meaning "Emperor"?
5. In what movie does Dustin Hoffman play Michael Dorsey ------ and the character's alter ego, Dorothy Michaels?
Bonus: What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Spring
2. Crescent
3. California
4. Kaiser
5. Tootsie
Bonus : All are types of rolls
Can you figure out what it is ?
1. Which season of the year begins on the vernal equinox?
2. In Muslim countries, what symbol replaces the cross in the name of International Red Cross societies?
3. What U.S. state has the most national parks (nine), including Joshua Tree, Lassen, and Yosemite?
4. Wilhelm II was the last German leader to use what title, meaning "Emperor"?
5. In what movie does Dustin Hoffman play Michael Dorsey ------ and the character's alter ego, Dorothy Michaels?
Bonus: What's the "Kennection" between all five answers?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Answers : 1. Spring
2. Crescent
3. California
4. Kaiser
5. Tootsie
Bonus : All are types of rolls
F. Y. I.
By Any Other Name
Composer Giuseppe Verdi's original birth certificate is French with his name registered as Joseph Fortunin Francois.
Actually Said
by Terry Bradshaw, former NFL football player
"I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid."
Tricks That Tie
Besides humans, elephants are the only animals that can be taught to stand on their head.
Chomp!
An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.
Famous First
The world's first escalator was built in Coney Island, N.Y., in 1896.
Still on the Books
It is against the law to use "The Star Spangled Banner" as dance music in Massachusetts.
Composer Giuseppe Verdi's original birth certificate is French with his name registered as Joseph Fortunin Francois.
Actually Said
by Terry Bradshaw, former NFL football player
"I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid."
Tricks That Tie
Besides humans, elephants are the only animals that can be taught to stand on their head.
Chomp!
An alligator can go through 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.
Famous First
The world's first escalator was built in Coney Island, N.Y., in 1896.
Still on the Books
It is against the law to use "The Star Spangled Banner" as dance music in Massachusetts.
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