Sunday, September 06, 2009

Life By To-Do List



I start and end every day with a to-do list. Unfortunately, it rarely gets shorter. It just gets messier until I have to rewrite it, getting rid of the crossed out items and giving the ones I've jotted down in the margins their own line.

If something has been on a few to-do lists without getting done I put it on the "long term" list - a separate list that contains things I think are good ideas but that I just can't get to right now.

I'm always amazed at people who don't keep lists. How do they ever remember what they need to do? Are you one of those people? If so, please tell me what the secret is.

Senator Keith Ellison of Minnesota Speaks Truth

Senator Keith Ellison of Minnesota has become one of my favorite representatives this morning after seeing him on CNN with John King. He was talking about health care reform and he's the first person I've seen, on either side of the issue, who just spoke the truth. Not the politically appropriate truth, just the truth. Hallelujah. Finally, someone who will just speak the truth.

I won't try to summarize all he said, but I encourage you to find it online and watch it. It's a brief interview and Senator Ellison speaks truth.

The truth is that insurance companies have a monopoly in many places, particularly in large cities and small states. For example, in Vermont, about 98% of people are insured by Blue Cross. What possible motivation would they have to price themselves competitively? It's ridiculous to believe they would.

We need options so insurance companies have to compete. What that looks like is up for debate, but we need options and the "free" market has not offered that. The free market has organized itself into discrete monopolies.

Two things Sen. Ellison mentioned, that I'm paraphrasing, that I liked were:
Government is good. I got here on a government funded road. I went to a university supported by the government.
Why must liberals always cave? Everyone needs to compromise some so we get to a workable solution.

I know nothing about Sen. Ellison, but as of a few minutes ago I am dubbing him an "up and comer" to be watched. If he can survive in the political climate actually speaking truth, he could do some wonderful things.
________________

Subscribe for free to Patsy's Ponderings in email or your choice of a reader.

Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, cooking and more. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and other social media sites of your choosing.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.


Where Everybody Knows Your Name



When I go to my favorite burger spot here - Skaets - I always order a moon burger. It's really a bacon-cheeseburger, but they starting calling it the moon burger in 1969 and it has stuck. As with most things, there's a certain way I like it prepared and they're so good to me.

Lisa, who's section we always try to sit in, told me she just wrote "Patsy" on the ticket if it was the normal crew, because they all know I want it extra well done, with no red left in the meat, grilled onions, extra pickles, and extra crispy fries. The other night I took a photo of the ticket to share..

There's something comforting in being a regular. Cheers made a whole TV series off the concept. While that was fictional, the idea is a solid one we can all relate to. Of course, smart people in any service industry make it a point to learn about their customers. It's part human nature and part business.

There's a reason we're attracted to the idea of being known. We want to feel connected and going into a restaurant where people know what you want gives that sense. Are we really connected? Probably not in a deep, meaningful way. We're connected on this one thread and by and large that exists in a vacuum.

But it gives us that feeling of "everybody knows your name" and it's warm and comfortable. Who doesn't want more of that in your life?
________________

Subscribe for free to Patsy's Ponderings in email or your choice of a reader.

Check www.patsyterrell.com for the blog, art, cooking and more. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, Plurk and other social media sites of your choosing.

All text and photos on this website are copyright Patsy Terrell, unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. None are to be used without permission. Thank you.