Spectre's Sayings

Two interesting stories about a new theory about the formation of the Earth’s moon from Yahoo! News:
Earth Had Two Moons That Crashed to Form One, Study Suggests
and
Earth’s two moons? It’s not lunacy, but new theory

My cousin has a specialty cake business, and I think she does a really great job. For example, I think this is an interesting cake for a baby boy:

So check out her website: Cakes By Kim.

So, Obama’s campaign is digging for dirt on potential GOP rivals. I think this is a smart move. I mean, when unemployment is at the highest level since the Great Depression, inflation is at Jimmy Carter levels, and gas is over $4 a gallon; when you’ve embarked on a program to alienate American’s best allies, when you’ve sent our already overstretched military to fight a third unpopular war in the Middle East, and when a majority of Americans think that legislation that is the centerpiece of your domestic agenda should be repealed …. then it’s probably not a really good idea to campaign on your record. So, you go with a negative campaign.

ObamaCare is back in the news, inasmuch as they’re reporting that 20% of new waivers are for businesses in Nancy Pelosi’s district. Never mind that the need for waivers – and the granting of them – stands as evidence that ObamaCare is not the great bill of goods that some made it out to be. Others will offer their opinions on that subject. Instead, since it is back in the news, let me offer some thoughts I had – but neglected to put down on paper – when the original “Health Care Reform” debate was taking place.

First, let me preface my comments by saying that I do not think a multi-party system is a particularly good answer to the problems facing the U.S. I think it would cause more problems than it would solve. That said, a two-party system is not perfect, and there is no crime in identifying the problems inherent in such a system.

One such problem with a two-party system is that both sides so focus on “beating the other side” that they inevitably frame issues as “either/or” propositions, when they often could be “both/and” and even more frequently, “neither this, nor that, but instead this.”

ObamaCare is a major case in point of this situation. Liberals looked at polls and came to the conclusion that the American people wanted a reform of the health care system. Conservatives looked at the defeat of HillaryCare and the enormous unpopularity of the ObamaCare law, and concluded that the American people are opposed to healthcare reform.

Well, who is right?

Answer: both, and neither.

Both liberals and conservatives are drawing the wrong conclusions from what the American people have been telling them. It is true that ObamaCare is massively unpopular (and, in my opinion, should be repealed forthwith). But conservatives should not thereby conclude that the American people do not want our healthcare system to be reformed. In actual fact, ObamaCare is unpopular precisely because it is the wrong kind of reform.

Liberals did read the polls correctly in that Americans supported Health Care Reform of some kind. But which kind? The conclusion that the Democrats in Congress drew was that the American people supported “universal health care” or “single payer health care” similar to what might be found in Canada or many European nations. The problem was that they came to the wrong conclusion.

Put simply, the Democrats that controlled Congress and the White House put together a bill whose purpose was to expand coverage of health insurance. (Needless to say, I think the mechanisms they put in place to achieve this goal were the result of highly – um – questionable assumptions. But I digress.) This, however is not what the majority of Americans desired in a reform. Instead, Americans wanted a reform that would reduce the cost of healthcare. (This would, perhaps not-so-paradoxically, expand coverage for the simple reason that more people would be able to afford health insurance.)

One of the left’s favorite bogeymen (bogeywoman?), Ann Coulter, had an idea to reduce costs of health insurance. That was to remove the legal barriers to competition. I, for one, loved this idea. But then, I’m opposed to efforts by large corporations to leverage the government to stifle competition from the little guys. I think that the marketplace works best when there is a level playing field and all the players have to compete fairly.

In ObamaCare, the health insurance companies’ lobbyists got the healthcare “reform” they were seeking. They got more customers, since everyone is now required to have insurance. This will mean worse service, since there is now less incentive for them to offer value for their money. And of course, this will mean less competition as the big companies leverage this federal law to muscle the small companies out of the marketplace. Big business and big government won. The losers were small business, the consumers, and of course, taxpayers.

I thought I’d share a photograph of one of my homebrewed beers. This is my Belgian “Redhead.” I was going for something between a Belgian Blonde and a Belgian Dubbel. I think I succeeded.

Belgian Redhead

How Beer Saved The World from College Curb on Vimeo.

Corsendonk Christmas Ale Bottle

Late in 2010, a couple of beer bloggers whom I read regulary posted their lists of top 100 rated beers. Both of these enthusiasts included Corsendonk Christmas Ale on their lists. Now, I had seen this beer at my local adult beverage superstore, so when it was time to buy beers to share with some of my relatives on Christmas Eve, I included a bottle of it with my purchases. Well, with all the food and drink being passed around that night, we didn’t get to sample it at Christmas. So, I left it in my parents’ refrigerator for another time.

That time was tonight. I was invited to dinner at my parents’ house, and suggested that my dad and I share that bottle. Oh, am I glad I did!

Corsendonk Christmas Ale is an imported Belgian Ale that pours an opaque, somewhat cloudy, reddish-brown color. The cream-colored head was somewhat subdued in this sample – even with a vigorous pour. The aroma was of raisins and dark fruit, and there seemed to be a hint of figs included with the fruity flavor. It had a full body without being too thick. This is a beer with a big malty flavor – but not cloyingly sweet! – and a subdued hop profile.

This is definitely going to be one of my favorites!

Interesting: Something about the Name Mary?

Here you go, Bill:

Cowboys and Aliens