Back

Hi folks, sorry for the blogging hiatus as of the past few weeks. I know I have a limited readership, so I can't say I was too sorry. For some reason or another, I have not been in the blogging mood lately. Plus, I've had to expend nearly all of my blogging creativity on the class "blog" for my Theories of Conflict course. If anyone wants to hear my opinions on the information age and how that relates to perspectivism, just let me know.

Life-wise, I've had a rather eventful 10 or so days. First off, my grandma passed away last weekend. But I'm not going to talk about that here.

Second off, as some may have noticed, I purchased a new car last week. It's a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, which basically means it is diesel. It is "blue graphite metallic" in hue. I must say, it is fantastic. Of course, all cars are essentially only modes of transportation, they provide a very utilitarian function. It's fair to say though, that this Jetta provides more significantly more utiles of enjoyment per utilitarian function than my Oldsmobile Intrigue. Bottom line, it's fun to drive, and I could probably spend days dicking around with the power seats and the satellite radio.

Although the car doesn't produce the "smug" that a Toyota Prius would, it certainly produces some sort of pretentious emissions, thanks to the insane gas mileage. I need to get some sort of eco-friendly sticker to put in the window, so I can draw attention to that, and thus boost my middle class, urban, white person street-cred. A sticker of a smiling Earth giving a terrorist fist jab to Barack Obama would do.

Third off, along with a few friends, I put down a deposit for a season ticket plan at Target Field for next season. I think my enthusiasm for this should be made quite clear by this photo...



Yes folks, that is real grass. I know this is shocking to any baseball fan born in Minnesota in the last 28 years or so, but it's not plastic.

Before anyone gets too excited and starts soliciting me for tickets, be mindful that we're only purchasing a 20 game plan. And although first row seats behind home plate or club level seats would be nice, ours will be in the baseline wings of the upper deck. However, if all goes according to plan, we should have a fantastic view of the Minneapolis skyline...



That's all I've got.

Read.

Please read. I promise it's not political.

New Car

2L

Hello folks, sorry for the lack of content the past week or so. The last fleeting moments of summer consumed my spare time.

And just like that, the second year of law school has begun. Wednesday is a long day, actually my longest day, so it was only appropriate to start the year with a marathon. Evidence, two hours of Theories of Conflict, Constitutional Law II, and International Law. Fittingly, following my escapades abroad this summer, I had the distinct honor of being the first person called on in International Law. We are all now so much more informed on the principles of natural law. Great.

I actually don't have much of a problem with starting school again. I enjoy law school, and I'd have to say that my classes are quite interesting to me. Which is good, since I picked them all. So yes, good times will be had.



In other news, I am purchasing a new car. It is a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The "TDI" means it has a clean diesel engine; apparently, it is the 2009 Green Car of the Year. I'm excited to pick it up tomorrow. It has a sunroof, manual transmission, and an iPod hookup, plus the little added benefit of somewhere around 40 mpg with lower emissions. When the heat shield of my Intrigue literally fell off in the middle of the street last spring, I used my reason to determine that maybe it was on its way out. It will be nice to (presumably) not have to worry about parts falling off my car for a few years. Oh yes, and best of all, it's a kind of blue.

Get it?

Jazz puns aside, a final good luck and bon voyage to one of my Luther friends from Notts, who is shipping out tomorrow to teach English/drama in Kuwait for two years!

The Health Care "Debate"

Recently, I've been following, with equal parts distaste, horror, and amusement, the town hall "debates" over the proposed heath care reform. I really think its shocking.

A couple observations

First off, I think the faux-opposition to health care reform is being extremely disingenuous, if not downright dangerous. I think maybe the best example of this is courtesy of ex-Gov. Sarah Palin. She writes...

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

First off, any literate person with a brain inside of their head, will realize that this is incorrect, dishonest, and not grounded in any basis of reality. Read the bills. Of course, the problem is that many of the "average Americans" appearing at these town halls have little need for logic. They simply need a claim to spew their vitriol at.

What really is most frightening is this. Health care reform is arguably the most important social legislation since the 1960's. It deserves to have a healthy debate. However, it has been reduced to ranting, on both sides, due to the debate's devolution into nonexistent talking points. In order to help this, let me quickly dispel many of the outlandish rumors.

Rumor #1 - Obama is setting up a death panel

Aaron's Logical Response #1 - See above. This is insane. If we're talking about "death panels," and some bureaucrat controlling health care, how do you interpret insurance prior authorizations? A bureaucrat is authorizing your doctor to perform a procedure or prescribe a certain medicine. That sounds a lot more like a "death panel" than a non-mandatory counseling session about end of life care.

Rumor #2 - Obama is socializing health care

Aaron's Logical Response #2 - Health care is already socialized. It's called Medicare and Medicaid, and millions of retired Americans utilize it. Furthermore, there's this notion that Congress is turning the US health system into a version of Britain's NHS. This also, is untrue and unfounded. None of the current bills under consideration contain anything like this, being a one-payor system. The public option being discussed would only be another plan within the existing free-market system.

Rumor #3 - Obama will take away my insurance plan

Aaron's Logical Response #3 - I don't know how many times the dude can say it, but if you like your current plan, it can be kept. However, insurance companies will have to comply with new federal standards which will prohibit them from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions. What a terrible idea that is.

What I think is the true shame of this "debate," is the fact that lost in all the craziness, is the fact that approximately 50 million Americans remain uninsured. That's 50 million people uninsured, in the wealthiest country in the world, where supposedly, we hold life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as self-evident truths. And of course, if you watch cable news, or the town halls, they conveniently fail to adequately explore this plight. Oddly enough, it seems the loudest opponents of health care reform are those with nothing to lose either way - people with preexisting insurance. Now, I find it strange that people who already have coverage would be protesting against something that will in the end, help reduce their overall costs. It seems that ridiculous claims and fear-mongering will just do that to people.

Anyways, yes, 50 million uninsured people. People seem to be very concerned that now, taxpayers will be on the hook to pay for the public option. No one bothers to talk about how taxpayers are already subsidizing care for the uninsured. And as my nurse cousin-in-law pointed out to me tonight, the burden of caring for the uninsured is more costly than a hidden tax. He and my cousin (who, btw, recently gave birth to a baby boy), have already had to take a pay cut due to hospital expenses in caring for uninsured patients who cannot afford to pay their bills. The cost of caring for the uninsured also results in the closing of hospitals. Perversely, these hospitals are being forced to close for the simple act of caring for people.

Health care reform is not an option, it is a necessity. No one benefits from its devolution to comedy. So why are we doing this to ourselves? If I were a cynic, I would say the opposition is so vociferous for the simple reason that a defeat would deal a significant political blow to Pres. Obama and the Democratic majority. I suppose it makes sense, the Republican Party is in shambles, has lower approval ratings than the Democrats, and is faced with a competent and still reasonably well-liked president. It only makes sense politically to fervently oppose any Democratic initiative. Political sense maybe, but common sense? Is it actually reasonable to think that health care can continue as it is? I think not. Conveniently enough, aside from the aforementioned opposition, I haven't heard any Republican counter-proposal for health care reform, which leads me to infer that they have none. Which results in preservation of the status quo.

Let's do ourselves a favor, and demand an actual debate, not a masquerade filled with bullshit accusations, hyperbole, and misinformation. Furthermore, the central aspect of this debate should be those 50 million uninsured persons and the current unsustainable costs of health care. Anything less is a disservice.

Notice/Change of Direction

Hello folks. I am back in Minnesota now, with no upcoming trips to speak of to Seattle, England, or any other foreign place.

What that means for you, the remaining reader, is that this blog will transition from one reflecting my thoughts on living in a foreign country to one reflecting my thoughts on living in the USA. Any political/cultural/social objectivity that may have previously existed for the benefit of illuminating English quirks will now go by the wayside, so please be forewarned.

To emphasize that point, this blog will now reflect my own personal viewpoints, musings, philosophizing, and reviews. Just be aware.

For readers of my previous blog, be on the lookout for the ever popular "Album of the Week" feature!

Norwegian Thoughts

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT SOME FANTASTIC IMAGES FROM NORWAY ON THE PHOTO SITE

Well folks, my return to the United States is looming. I thought I should probably wrap up my Norwegian adventure.

As a preliminary confession, I've listened to "Norwegian Wood" by The Beatles about 50 times in the past few days. That's on top of a Beatles heavy playlist in London.

I did have these delusions of grandeur that I would go into the Norwegian wilds to find myself and my heritage. That was admittedly grandiose, and I probably said it more for shock value than anything else. But legitimately, I did want to get a better sense of where I came from. I think I can at least say I accomplished that.

I didn't visit any long lost family, like many of the Minnesotans I've met were doing. I apparently wasn't even close to my ancestral lands, which I guess lie up near Trondheim in the north. However, I did get to see what the Norwegian landscape is like, so I think I got a good idea of what emigrants must have faced 150 years ago, when they decided to sail across the ocean. Like I mentioned before, I'm amazed at the shock they must have felt upon reaching the Plains. So I can at least appreciate that, among any other existential things I picked up.

Anything else I'd mention would be kind of pointless. As a final point, I'm glad I came here, and I think I found what I was looking for, whatever that was. Plus I'm coming home with a badass Norwegian hat and a new jacket. Seriously, this is the most glorious knitted hat you'll ever see.

Hope any readers have enjoyed following my English/Belgian/Norwegian adventures, I had a good time writing about them. It's always nice to be in Europe, I'll look forward to coming back, but on the other hand, it's going to be extremely satisfying to be back in the land of the free. It'll be great to have resealable packages, Summit EPA, baseball, and slightly less socialist government again.

That, and I'd kill for an American breakfast.

Oslo

Last night, I boarded a train in Bergen to travel through the night to the Norwegian capital. Let me just say, that night trains are probably fantastic, if you have a bed. It makes perfect sense, since you can both sleep and travel for the same price. However, if you simply have a regular seat, like I did, they are hellish. Especially if like me, you can't sleep in moving vehicles. In any event, I stumbled off the train this morning drooling with insomnia, weighed down by the three sacks of shit I've been lugging with me since Tuesday. I suppose I should take solace in the fact that if an emergency situation to arbitrate arose, I could immediately change into a full business suit, but right now that seems like a hollow victory. Thankfully, my hotel was close, and the receptionist took mercy on me, letting me check in 9 hours early. I promptly fell into a coma.

Maybe two hours later, I came back to life, and was on my way. If anyone wants a cheap (relatively) and centrally located hotel in Oslo, I would recommend the Thon Astoria, mainly because they have a free coffee machine.

Oslo is pretty much like every other big European city, distinguishable by the fact that it is in Norway, and not any other place. Which means a couple of things. It is expensive, it is consumed with shops selling crappy moose sweaters for far more than they're worth, everyone is multilingual, and hidden amongst the generic trappings of any big city, there are some really fantastic places.

I'm happy to say that I explored Oslo via every major channel of public transit - ferry, tram, bus, and underground. First off, I took the ferry to the Bygdøy peninsula. I got off at the wrong stop because I'm an idiot, so I had to take a local bus to get to the Vikingskipshuset (Viking Ship Museum). But I got there, and it was incredible.

The museum houses two almost perfectly preserved Viking ships built during the 9th century. That's right, two pristine wooden boats that are around 1,200 years old. I was just kind of floored by that. One of the ships was more of a royal pleasure craft, so it had the cliché serpent design at both ends of the bow, along with some incredible carvings. The other ship was an actual ocean going ship, so it was a bit larger and sturdier. In any event, it was really something. Kind of like the fjords, I can't really describe it. They have such intricate design, it's unbelievable to think they're so old. Needless to say, if I was a defenseless Anglo-Saxon and I saw one of those things sailing toward me, I would be scared shitless. Even as they are now, housed in a museum, the ships have a menacing tone about them.

The other highlights of my day included seeing all the Edvard Munch paintings at the Nasjonalmuseet-kunst, checking out a museum about the Norwegian Resistance during WWII, wandering the royal park, and finally making my way to the Vigelandsparken. The Vigelandsparken is pretty wild, it's this giant city park filled with sculptures by the Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. I'll post some photos eventually, they describe it better than I could in words. It was a little out there, but Norwegians seem to like that sort of thing.

After I got done at the Vigelandsparken, it was getting late, and I was about to die of hunger. So I did it. I went to McDonald's. I ate that damn burger and threw down that Coke faster than I think I've eaten anything in my life. I don't know if it was because I was starving, because I craved grade F beef, the fact that I wanted at least one photo for my McDonald's slideshow, or just because I was comforted by the familiarity, but there you have it. And as always, I walked out with this disgusting feeling about myself and battered pride. But at least I have the photo for my slideshow. That's all that matters.

I had planned to spend a leisurely evening in my hotel, packing, and having a beer or two. But as I quite awkwardly and quite publicly learned while attempting to check out at a grocery store, you can't buy booze past 6:00 PM on Saturday. Slightly dejected, I came back to the hotel, and have been availing myself of said free coffee machine all night. I thought about going to a café to have a beer, but I didn't really feel like dropping the requisite 60kr (approximately $9). That's okay though, coffee isn't bad.

So yes, Oslo. I would recommend a day, maybe a day and a half. This place is swarming with obese cruise ship tourists, so I've already felt a bit constricted on account of that. I'm glad I'm here, but if I was staying longer, I would get the hell out of here, and into the country first thing tomorrow morning...