Amber waves of grain

Spencer modeling my grandma's amazingly "patriotic" blanket.
Thanks grandma!

Spencer coined this "country mouse, city mouse"

More birthday picnic photos

I think somebody likes me (blush)

Clarification

My dad brought up a point that needed clarified in my previous post. (thanks Dad!) In my cruise ship analogy, it seemed that nationalized health care would always be more expensive. While nationalized health (or a cruise) care can seem expensive up front, it can often be a cost saver in the long run. You MAY be able to figure out a cheaper system on your own, particularly if you have amazingly good health (and luck), but that means taking on a considerable amount of risk if you don't want to spring for good insurance.

Thoughts on socialism

I went to take care of some nightmarish paperwork for my national health care. I'd been putting it off for quite some time. I forgot to change my address back in November, and when I went to the doctor on Monday I finally realized I should probably take care of it in order to get reimbursed for some of my medical expenses.

So I showed up, all manner of papers in tow, and waited . . . 10 minutes. That's right. All that procrastination, and I got right in! They took care of my problems in another 10 minutes, and they didn't even need half of my documents. What a relief.

I guess the trick is to just go to the office. I did the same for my government housing assistance, after months of unsuccessful phone calls and e-mails. The problem was resolved in a manner of weeks.

I was thinking about it, and I think I've found an appropriate analogy. Now mind you, I'm still a good capitalist at heart, but nationalizing certain services necessary for basic care is REALLY great. So here's my analogy. Nationalized health care is like a vacation. You can organize your own trip; this could result in an amazing trip, even on a shoe-string, full of sites you could never see otherwise. Or you could end up getting ripped off, mugged, and bleeding in an ally. The other option: an all-expense paid cruise ship. It may seem more expensive at first, but once you are on that ship, everything is taken care of, which means for certain people, you may be able to enjoy certain aspects of the vacation you would have been loathe to opt for if paying for everything separately (like preventative care). Now, both options can be great, but with the cruise, everyone is guaranteed a minimum of fun. This also means the other passengers don't have to pick up the tab for passengers that dash and dine.

This may not be a perfect analogy, and you may be bored out of your mind right about now. I just needed to share my appreciation for the French health care system and all that it has done for me.

You know you've been in France too long when . . .

The story talks about how we conducted a UN security council simulation involving piracy in Somalia for high school students in Le Mans.

My happy bubble

It always happens. Winter gives me the blues, I grow weary of mundane gray skies and the gloomy blank stares of passersby. Then spring comes, and I fall back in love with Paris. Spring came twice this year. This morning I went for a jog with someone special along the Champ de Mars behind the Eiffel Tower. The fog hung low in the sky creating a surreal bubble around the park. The trees and flowers were in full bloom, and I couldn't help but think that this was a perfect moment.

(Have to give credit where credit's due. The photo is from dailydolores' photostream on flickr.com.)

Paris is burning

I'm back in Paris after a week in Berlin and I'm still in vacation mode. The music video and photos above are supposed to inspire you to faire la fête (since there's a special event coming up this week). Socks don't inspire you? Well, to each his own. Be sure to check out the link below for photos from my trip to Berlin. I've added quite a few to the collection.