I wonder if we gave the opposition to the wishes of 65 percent of the American public some squid to eat, they might find their way clear to passing what is more important than fighting terrorists overseas–a healthy American society. After all, squid is high in protein, low in fat and so chewy that it satisfies even the most delicate of palates. So eat up members of the Senate finance committee! Some Cape Cod squid is coming your way… Peace, M
This “polar bear” that has been a frequent guest on my blogs, is actually one of my clients and is, of course, a standard poodle. On a crisp, early fall day here on the Cape, I hope all is well where you are…The beach, and in this instance, Dowses Beach, here in Osterville, is home to many of our four legged friends, as Osterville is a dog friendly kind of place. I have always seemed to live in dog friendly environments, and that would stand to reason as I love dogs and all animals, as they are an important link to our responsibility in this world we all share. Osterville has more dogs than any other small town that I can think of, and they are a model on how we should all treat animals of all varieties. In fact, most dogs have better manners, etiquette, moral fiber, and courage, than our friends in Washington and the lobbyists who pay their bills. Have a nice Tuesday! Peace, M
The “faraway island” that the American Indians, the original inhabitants and “owners” of the land in and around Nantucket, was the name they gave this tiny island 30 miles south, southeast of Hyannis Harbor on Cape Cod. The rolling dunes, the cobblestone streets, the centuries old gas lamps that line the quaint, grey and white architectural landscape, cannot be ignored. Whaling was the industry that made Nantucket world famous, as settlers from Europe forged a new source of energy that created a boon for this isolated creation of the Last Great Ice Age. Fortunately, whaling has gone by the wayside, opening up the island for tourism and very expensive vacation homes that leave little to the imagination of what kind of transformation this famous island has made from the days of the Revolutionary War. Perhaps, the most spectaculor sight on Nantucket comes at Christmas time, when the “Christmas Stroll” lights up the town with decorated Christmas trees and festivities for the whole family to enjoy. Have a nice Monday! Peace, M
“Imagine”, a house in Chatham, reminds me of the words John Lennon wrote years ago.,, “Imagine all the people, living for today… you may say I’m a dreamer…but I’m not the only one…I hope someday your join us…and the world can live as one…” I pray that you have a wonderful week end, with many blessings coming your way. Peace, M
“Our country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountain side, let freedom ring…” The wind tattered flag that sits atop a high sand dune in Chatham says it all. The struggles that this country has gone through, starting with the fight against tyranny from our “overlord”, moving swiftly through the tragedy of the Civil War, to the first World War, to the Great Depression, to World War II, to civil rights unrest, to the energy crisis of the 70’s, to the savings and loan debacle of the 80’s, the increasing polarization of political interests of the 90’s, to the internet revolution of the 00’s, and finally to a breakdown in social values, namely the impersonal relationship that the people of this country have with the corporate milieu and subsequent takeover of the average man’s wallet by the health care and banking industries that have effectively created an oligarchy that keeps the typical citizen struggling to buy an illusion of happiness. How have we come from the high choir of the afore mentioned song to this? Perhaps the question is not whether or not our compass is off, but the fact that so many Americans have been duped into believing the mouth pieces of television and other outlets, stating with arrogance, that their compass has some other kind of magnetic pull. The American people are the finest human beings on the planet, giving of themselves to the point of fault, and it is high time we start taking stock in that! Have a nice Thursday! Peace, M
On a starry dawn here in Osterville, I bid you a good morning. It is hard to tell what is going to happen next in Washington D.C., as the pressure to get something meaningful done in regard to something as critical as health care rages on, it may be wise to allow the American public to get up to speed with the truth. The truth is a funny thing, as it shines light indiscriminately on everything and anything. “The truth shall set you free”, Shakespeare wrote over 500 years ago and those words could not be more accurate than right here, right NOW. Is it true that the “Blue Dog” democrats have destroyed any possiblity of a public option, that is the only viable answer to curbing inflationary premiums that are bankrupting the working class in this country? YES. Is it true that a government mandate will insure new business for said insurance companies, increasing premiums, say robbing Peter to pay Paul? YES. Is it true that this system is broken and is hurting the very fabric of our nation, i.e. the American public? YES. Can it be rectified? YES. Is there a little magic left in the moonlight for this great nation? YES! Have a great Wednesday! Peace M
On a stunning morning here in Osterville, with temperatures expected in the upper 70’s today with brilliant sunshine, the developments in Washington D.C. continue to amaze me. The health care debate, now being sidelined for what Eisenhower warned of in 1960, namely the “industrial military complex”, is being stripped for parts in the senate finance committee. The latest tweak that you can twitter about is the “mandate” for every American to buy their own health insurance. This is a boon for the insurance industry, as it will have a plethora of new clients, with the government subsidizing any costs incurred by said insurers to the tune of billions of dollars, effectively taking the American people hostage. It is just wrong. Not only have the lobbyists won in regard to the public option, the only viable solution to reducing the insurance companies strangle hold on it’s customers by introducing fair competition, but are now focused on stream lining the profit margins for the great middle man of our time. What is even more amazing is the manipulation that is going on with strategists who are directly employed by the insurance industry. From creating anger at town hall meetings, to the point of inciting a riot, to the disrespectful signs that degrade our President, the office of President and the nation as a whole. When does the insanity end? When does the voice of reason come in? I have said it before and I’ll say it again, is our compass that far off? When the average American citizen is paying 40 or 50 percent of their take home wages on “health care”, or more to the point, paying the mortgage on some executive’s home on the Cayman islands, while people are dying because they lack decent medical CARE, there is something seriously wrong with our nation. Moreover, is the lack of TRUE media coverage that spells out the ABC’s of how health care insurance really works and who benefits from a system that is not only broken, but crooked to the core. There is nothing wrong with a capitalist society, as long as it IS a true form of the free market, with consistent anti-trust laws that punish aggressive companies that profit and monopolize the process at the expense of the very people it is in business for to begin with. Every other industry that does business in the United States of America has some responsibility to conduct itself under the same rules as everyone else. Why the disconnect with health care? I think we all know the answer to that one…have a nice Tuesday! Peace M
Houston we have lift off! Chamois, one of my clients, is a standard poodle with an extraordinary lift or spring, as it were, from the sandy bottom of the kettle pond next to my house called Mike’s. On one of the most beautiful days of the year thus far, I thought you might like to see what a domesticated Polar Bear looks like in the wild. It is difficult not to be a little disappointed with our congress, and the state of affairs when it comes to “launching” some kind of health care reform. It seems to me, that “reform” is the whole problem. Perhaps, the problem is the “form” itself. When we start seeing patients as just that, human beings with real problems that need human compassion and love, when we start to really understand that, what is REALLY IMPORTANT, then we might get somewhere. I pray that happens soon. Have a wonderful Monday. Peace M
On an incredible early fall day here on Cape Cod, I wish you a pleasant evening. I hope that your Sunday was peaceful and joyous. Here’s to a great week ahead, as nothing combats hate like forgiveness. Peace M
Sitting at home on a beautiful evening here in Osterville, with the temperatures dipping down into the lower 50’s, maybe even the upper 40’s! There is nothing like the Fall in New England, either in the Green Mountains of Vermont, or the sandy shores of Cape Cod…you just can’t beat it. Take some time to enjoy the week end and say a prayer for Mother Earth, as a summit for her well being and our own takes place soon in Copenhagen. Have a great week end! Peace M
I wonder if the powers that be, at the moment, in Washington D.C., would consider a metaphor, assuming they know what that is. What if the entire nation was a adrift, in a tumultuous sea, with raging winds and heavy surf, and the only way to save it, was to throw a life preserver into the water, pulling it’s people to safety…forgetting the u boat at port and the lobbyist at starboard. Forget the hate, forget the greed, forget the power. Remembering only the words that were written on a piece of paper long ago, when this infant nation was facing down tyranny that looks eerily similar to the neon signs that represent a newer, more subtle foe to our freedom as a nation, “the corporation”, a nameless, faceless entity that has a much rights as a real live, breathing person, whose only mission is to the bottom line and it’s stockholders…”By the people and for the people”, “Bring me your huddled masses”, “Four score and seven years ago today”, “Ask not what this country can do for you, but what you can do for your country”….. are these just words, or have they a deeper meaning, a meaning so deep that to ignore them is to ignore the very fabric of this great country of ours, a country where so many young men and women died in service of. Have we lost our way? Is our compass that far off? When it comes down to it, a bully is nothing more than a scared child, who uses his muscle to stuff the fear that exists within his own heart. Facing down a bully, such as our situation in the capitol is, with the representatives of large, multi-national corporate entities who are polluting the earth, stealing from the poor and sadistically coming back for more is easily combatted with TRUTH. Stand up and fight. Let your voice be heard! Engage the problem and work through it, and I can assure you, it will be a better dawn. Peace M
Woods Hole, a village 7 miles from the island of Martha’s Vineyard, is the home to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, a place of higher learning. Marine biologists from around the world teach at this prestigious university, with it’s west coast counterpart being the University of California, or Scripts Institute, in La Jolla just outside of San Diego. With global warming, or as the politically correct would say, “climate change”, the fundamental threat to our species, on the march, I thought you might like a water view of one of the most important research facilities our country has to offer. With the debate raging in Washington regarding the insurance industry profit protection enhancement act about to be passed by our “elected” officials and the fact that we have done nothing, thus far, to restructure a banking system that rewards the few on the people’s dime, it is not surprising that our planet has taken a back seat to a real problem facing us all. What is the misconnect? The “Northeast Passage”, the term now used to describe the channel that is open due to the melting of the polar ice caps, allowing free sailing from New York to China and creating even more tension between nations already paranoid and full of fear, will gain more attention in the coming years. We have to comprehend the problem, as opposed to denying it, address it, and fix it if we have any hope to mend our beautiful world…I pray someone is listening…God Bless you all and have a wonderful Wednesday! Peace M
Another spectacular day here on the Cape and Islands, as it will be in the lower 70’s today with abudant sunshine. This shot, taken in Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard, represents the power of the bicycle and the fact that everyone who lives and visits this part of the world, loves to spin around the dunes, marshes, ocean and feel serenity that just IS. You cannot help but be transported back in time, whatever “time” you wish, floating on two tires, with just your pedal power to move you from one place to the next. In fact “time” seems to vanish, like the fog evaporating with the warming of the sun. Hope you have a pleasant Tuesday! Peace M
One of the best schools in the country is Dartmouth College, in Hanover, New Hampshire. This schooner, as seen here off the coast of Vineyard Haven in Martha’s Vineyard, resembles the “tall ships” of yesteryear. On this Monday morning in New England, I hope you had a nice week end. The leaves are beginning to turn their brilliant red and yellow, orange and crimson, and the view outside of my window here in Osterville, promises a beautiful sun splashed hint of Autumn. Kids going back to school always brings a warm feeling in my heart, as the change in seasons brings out a sense of purpose and drive that we all leave behind during the summer. Football, apple picking, trick or treaters…the whole season is alive and well, with nothing but open sandy beaches to walk my dogs, as September 15th is the day you can bring your four legged friends once again to the ocean’s edge. Have a great week! Peace M
As the cool air picks up today around the Cape, so too does the hot air in Washington D.C. surrounding President Obama’s speech 2 days ago…I’m confused, was the speech on health care designed for the 5 year olds or the other way around? Have a great week end. Peace M
Ted Kennedy’s book, “True Compass”, is a work that I will be reading soon as I sit quietly this morning and reflect on President Obama’s speech to the joint session of Congress last night. Much of the night’s electricity could be summed up by the emotion that was stirred when the President spoke of the late Senator from Massachusetts. He spoke of the passion that the “Last Lion” of the Senate brought to the table when he championed the disenfranchised of this great country. Moreover, his embrace of the ideal that Ted Kennedy fought for his whole life, namely the INCLUSION of our most valuable asset, our people, in the health care fold, check that, patient care fold. This is a simple question, do we want to continue to subsidize the insurance industry at the expense of our people, or do we want TRUE reform that propels this nation into the 21st century, where all of our allies already are? Have a nice Thursday! Peace M
Perhaps the coolest place to be on Martha’s Vineyard is David Ryan’s Cafe in Edgartown. This small, elegant watering hole nestled in the narrow, gray and white lined streets of a New England historical gem, offers the “low key” atmosphere that many, who you might not think of as famous, actually are and frequent on a regular basis. So if you are looking to meet George Clooney or Meryl Streep, you might just find them here, dodging paparazzi, and absorbing the breath taking beauty that embodies this incredible island off the Massachusetts coast. Have a nice Wednesday! Peace M
The “Black Dog” opened it’s doors for business in 1971 in the little town of Vineyard Haven, initially as a bakery, evolving into a restaurant and extremely successful symbol to many of the island Martha’s Vineyard itself. From California to Maine, the profile of a black Labrador Retriever that adorns everything from sweatshirts and tee-shirts to coffee mugs and stuffed animals brings the fabled island home and reminds us all of the simplicity of just BEING. Who doesn’t like a black lab? How can you not? Of course, 1971 was a simpler time and America was not as fractured as it is today. Maybe, that is the central reason for it’s success, bringing us back to a time when everything was not on a 24 hour news cycle and we had the opportunity to relax and just watch a black lab wander through the marsh and sea, seeking only what he, or she, can see, smell, taste, hear and feel. Have a great Tuesday! Peace M
As the summer winds down on Cape Cod, and the cool Fall weather returns, it is good to just relax and take it all in without the enormous amount of people who visit this beautiful part of the country during a typical summer of sun, sand and surf. Don’t sweat the small stuff, because it is all just small stuff anyway. Again, have a wonderful week end! Peace M
Sweden, England, Canada, Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Belgium, Holland, Lichtenstein, Spain, Portugal and several other advanced countries that compete with the United States for trade, you know GDP, or the life blood of our economy, our gross domestic product, i.e. manufacturing, technology, innovation, etc., have one thing in common, some form of REAL health care provided to it’s citizens as a right and not a privilege. Why is this relevant to the topic of fundamental? Because without a healthy population, productivity is bound to suffer, it just follows logically like a river to the sea. If study after study, from people with no polictical agenda, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that REAL health care reform would not only cut costs in the long run, but create a healthier general population and thus, a more productive and satisfied society, why on God’s green earth would we all not want what our “forefathers” in Europe and elsewhere already enjoy. Food for thought, just thought I would “throw that out there”…Have a great week end! Peace M
Powered by WordPress