3/28/2010

Thoughts On A Sunday

After the lengthy spell of late-spring-like weather reality reasserted itself as colder temps returned to New Hampshire, being a little below normal. Only a few days after the official Ice Out declaration for Lake Winnipesaukee a skim of ice has reappeared on one or two of the bays that were entirely ice free this past week, showing how cold it's been the past few days and nights.

The cold temps have also required us to fire up the Official Weekend Pundit Woodstove again, particularly in light of the trouble we had with the Official Weekend Pundit Propane Furnace the other day. (It's not like we use it all that often and that might be why we had a problem. And, yes, we will be having it serviced by a qualified service technician.)

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Also in regards to Lake Winnipesaukee and Ice Out, during our travels late this morning BeezleBub and I saw one boat out on Alton Bay and another being launched at the public boat ramp.

Neither of these boats were the first out on the lake, however. At least one boater was out last Thursday, checking out the ice damage to the dock at his island camp.

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Our local CongressCritter, Carol Shea-Porter, is holding a town hall meeting later this week right here in the Lakes Region. That might seem like a gutsy move considering the widespread anger at her vote for ObamaCare. But it isn't as gutsy as it sounds.

As Skip notes in his post linked above, there's a certain irony involved.

Here's the rub: I bet that she sent out HUNDREDS if not THOUSANDS of those cards shown above.

You know how many people can fit in the City Council chamber ????

60.

Yup, sixty. And if it works out like last time, I'm betting that a lot of Purple Shirted SEIU goons from outside the district will be there early, let in by a side door, and take up most of the seats.

Potemkin Town Hall, redux?

Her previous town hall meetings have been anything but open forums, with very limited time to ask questions and what questions asked were vetted ahead of time to make sure CSP didn't have to take any questions she didn't want to answer. Unlike her predecessor, Jeb Bradley, she doesn't believe in open and free discussion, particularly with people that disagree with her world view. But then she doesn't believe in free speech...unless it's her speech.

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Speaking of Carol Shea-Porter and the SEIU, a TV ad paid for by the SEIU has been running on the local station, praising CSP's vote for ObamaCare. The ad closes with the line “We thank Carol Shea-Porter for supporting us.” The irony? Almost everyone I've talked to - Left, Center, and Right – understood it to mean her support of the union and not her constituents in the First Congressional District of New Hampshire.

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Two accomplishments the Obama Administration can claim as all its own?

The destruction of the special relationship between the US and Great Britain and the purposeful alienation of Israel.

Obama did promise change by his administration. Little did we realize that the change would be the insulting of both the Prime Minister of the UK and the Queen of England as well as tongue-lashing of the Prime Minister of Israel when he visited the White House.

Obama promised smart diplomacy as part of his administration. So far he and his Secretary of State have a failing grade in this regard, pissing off our allies and cozying up to our sworn enemies.

(H/T Instapundit)

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Andrew Klavan tells us A Tale of Two Cities - Washington, DC and Hollywood, both of which are so out of touch with the rest of America that they are like totally alien cities, where every day sensibilities are sorely lacking.

Washington, D.C. and Hollywood are two cities suffering from the same condition: they’ve not only become completely alienated from the people they’re meant to serve, they’re bizarrely blind to the fact of that alienation. Like deranged narcissists in a hall of mirrors, both our lawmakers and our culture-makers blow kisses at their own reflections, see a million kisses coming back their way, and think, “Oh, look, they love me—love me!”

This would certainly explain a few things, none of it unexpected.

(H/T Maggie's Farm)

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An unexpected down side to one of the provisions of ObamaCare deals with seasonal businesses that hire workers for only a few months of the year. Here in New Hampshire one of the businesses that will be most affected by the provisions is the ski industry. Under ObamaCare, any seasonal business hiring on employees for more than 120 days must provide health insurance or pay a $2000 per employee fine.

The bill signed into law on Tuesday by President Barack Obama fines businesses that do not provide health insurance to full-time employees who work more than 120 days a year. The assessment is $2,000 per employee, which, according to SkiNH lobbyist Bruce Berke and group president Alice Pearce, could mean as much as $1 million in fines to the big ski resorts, some of which hire as many as 500 seasonal workers.

Pearce said the original Senate health care bill contained only a $750-per-employee fine, which kicked in after a worker was employed 150 days. That exempted most ski areas, she said.

But the House tightened it to $2,000 and 120 days.

If this can't be fixed what are the ski areas likely to do?

Either they will hire fewer workers or stagger their hiring and firing such that no employee will be on the books for more than 120 days, which means many seasonal employees will enjoy 30 days less employment and pay. Either way it will likely mean wait lines will be longer, lift ticket prices will be higher, and the skiing experience will be less enjoyable.

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Bogie reports her 7-year old TV has bit it, refusing to turn on any more. Considering the shakiness of the economy (and the stability of her Wonderful Spouse's job situation), replacing the failed TV any time in the near future is not likely.

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Tom Bowler gets into the reality of supply and demand under ObamaCare, and it's not good.

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As reported throughout the blogosphere, it appears CNN has problems with math, particularly when it comes to Tea party rallies.

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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where boating has already begun, thoughts of summer have started too intrude, and where the firewood pile is getting smaller.