My dog is asleep at the foot of my bed. Having doggy dreams. That cause him to thrash a bit. Sometimes I feel like he's going to have a heart attack, he is 11 years old, and sometimes I want to kick him for waking me. But I do love the old bugger.
I've been having imaginary conversations in my head for as long as I can remember. Mostly to people that I never have the courage to say the things I really want to say. For example, I had a roommate a few years back who I was close with and chose to trust despite her shady demeanor. By the end of the year, she had stolen from me and our other roommate, spilled her own blood on my tennis shoes, demeaned me for trying to help her during one of the worst times of anyone's life, and then skipped out on the last month's rent while I was out of the country. I now owe a debt collector $145, which I consider lucky.
But oh, the conversations I would have with her if she ever has the guts to face me again. I imagine I am completely cool, collected, but above all cruel. I know just the right jabs, her buttons to push and all the sensetive information that would make a CIA agent cry. I would tell her how I found her to take her to small claims court for a start. Well, actually I'd start by punching her in the face. Slapping is too good for her. Then I would lay into her, quietly and with dignity, what a low, foul dirty little tart she is. She would have no reply; I would have shocked her to silence.
However, not so sound full of myself, the girl is not the brightest bulb and I'm glad she's not around. There's someone else I have imaginary conversations with. Things that I want to say, but somehow, even though we're not friends anymore, I don't want to hurt this person. The relationship got to hard, they hold grudges, and that was that. I like friendship over romance because it's easier to fix, its more simple. But with this person, nothing is simple. And while there were mistakes on my part, my conversations always start with, 'you had something to do with it too! it wasn't all my fault!'
Have you ever had that person? Where you just wanted to be rid of them, of the toxic bits, but in general, you find yourself missing them? Even when you knew you were being manipulated, or felt less respected than how much you respected them, you still remember some of the best nights of your life were just sitting around, drinking shitty wine, watching shitty TV, but laughing all the way?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Palin is wrong again
We've been hearing about healthcare reform for more than a decade now. Reform in any respect is difficult, especially in the United States which has stuck steadfastly in it's ways since the early 19th century.
In the recent debates, confusion, misinformation and just plain smear tactics have gotten in the way of the facts.
Somehow socialism gets mucked, as we regress to the 1950s, and conservative politicians and especially media pundits use fear tactics to confuse the American people about another Domino Effect. Didn't work the first time by the way.
Let's get some facts and definitions straight. Socialism is not communism. First, it is an economic system opposite of capitalism, where access to resources are more equally distributed among all. Socialism also provides plenty of room for private enterprise, although with regulation of the markets. Communism begins when the state has ownership of all resources and access is allowed on an equal basis. Note the difference: the state, the government, ownes property and resources in a communist state; socialism mearly allows more equal distribution of goods and services with the help of all.
Now, back to healthcare. The United States is the only industrialized nation not to have universal healthcare. Universal healthcare is not a code word for 'enslaving citizens into socialized medicine.' It means the government guarantees accessibility of medical, dental and mental healthcare. This does not necessarily means the government provides the healthcare, such as in Canada and Germany.
A 'socialized' form of healthcare, which it tax-funded and government regulated can be seen in France. Citizens are refunded 85% of their healthcare bill, and the World Health Organization proclaimed it to be the world's best system in terms of responsible providers and patient health. It is also one of the least expensive systems to pay per capita (already half what Americans pay).
Now, you probably knew this from Michael Moore's film Sicko.
(Also see Salud about Cuba's booming healthcare.)
What President Obama is proposing now is not socialism, although it is a form of universal. In simplist terms, and straight from what Obama has been trying to get across, this reform would create a system so that no American would be turned away for lack of payment, but if one was happy with their health insurance, they would be able to keep it.
So as sprung from the widely-publicized town hall meetings, the issue seems to be: if I'm paying for my own health insurance, why should I pay for someone else's?
The short answer: you already are. Where do you think Medicare and veteran's programs come from?
The mean answer: get over yourself. Healthcare reform in the United States is long overdue, mostly because we never set up a proper system. We did as we always do: we let the private sector take care of the messy details, and now we are being gouged out the rear end for their profits.
Let's take a look at what the bill intends to do. It will start to regulate private insurance businesses, which is long overdue for an overhall.
"The issuer cannot vary the percentage increase in the premium for a risk group of enrollees in specific grandfathered health insurance coverage without changing the premium for all enrollees in the same risk group at the same rate, as specified by the Commissioner."
i.e. they have to stop jacking up premiums because you're sick.
The bill also guarantees essential benefits in all plans, including hospitalizations, emergency transportation, prescription drugs and maternal care, among many others.
This bill will come at a cost. The bottom line has always been where this reform will hit America's pocketbook. But people can't be afraid to help out their neighbors. Maybe if this reform had come at a time when the economy was not crippled, things would be different. But probably not. America has a long history of being proud to stand on its own, be independent. That is no longer possible; isolationism doesn't work.
I understand this comes to a fundamental issue between conservatives and liberals: hard-working Americans don't want to pay for some hippie's dental because hey, they should be able to do it themselves. But I think we've seen in the past, and in our contemporary's countries, that is not how the world works. To keep the world together, we have to work together.
And I think it's a little sad when money makes fools of us all.
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c1110TsKhu:e21210:
In the recent debates, confusion, misinformation and just plain smear tactics have gotten in the way of the facts.
Somehow socialism gets mucked, as we regress to the 1950s, and conservative politicians and especially media pundits use fear tactics to confuse the American people about another Domino Effect. Didn't work the first time by the way.
Let's get some facts and definitions straight. Socialism is not communism. First, it is an economic system opposite of capitalism, where access to resources are more equally distributed among all. Socialism also provides plenty of room for private enterprise, although with regulation of the markets. Communism begins when the state has ownership of all resources and access is allowed on an equal basis. Note the difference: the state, the government, ownes property and resources in a communist state; socialism mearly allows more equal distribution of goods and services with the help of all.
Now, back to healthcare. The United States is the only industrialized nation not to have universal healthcare. Universal healthcare is not a code word for 'enslaving citizens into socialized medicine.' It means the government guarantees accessibility of medical, dental and mental healthcare. This does not necessarily means the government provides the healthcare, such as in Canada and Germany.
A 'socialized' form of healthcare, which it tax-funded and government regulated can be seen in France. Citizens are refunded 85% of their healthcare bill, and the World Health Organization proclaimed it to be the world's best system in terms of responsible providers and patient health. It is also one of the least expensive systems to pay per capita (already half what Americans pay).
Now, you probably knew this from Michael Moore's film Sicko.
(Also see Salud about Cuba's booming healthcare.)
What President Obama is proposing now is not socialism, although it is a form of universal. In simplist terms, and straight from what Obama has been trying to get across, this reform would create a system so that no American would be turned away for lack of payment, but if one was happy with their health insurance, they would be able to keep it.
So as sprung from the widely-publicized town hall meetings, the issue seems to be: if I'm paying for my own health insurance, why should I pay for someone else's?
The short answer: you already are. Where do you think Medicare and veteran's programs come from?
The mean answer: get over yourself. Healthcare reform in the United States is long overdue, mostly because we never set up a proper system. We did as we always do: we let the private sector take care of the messy details, and now we are being gouged out the rear end for their profits.
Let's take a look at what the bill intends to do. It will start to regulate private insurance businesses, which is long overdue for an overhall.
"The issuer cannot vary the percentage increase in the premium for a risk group of enrollees in specific grandfathered health insurance coverage without changing the premium for all enrollees in the same risk group at the same rate, as specified by the Commissioner."
i.e. they have to stop jacking up premiums because you're sick.
The bill also guarantees essential benefits in all plans, including hospitalizations, emergency transportation, prescription drugs and maternal care, among many others.
This bill will come at a cost. The bottom line has always been where this reform will hit America's pocketbook. But people can't be afraid to help out their neighbors. Maybe if this reform had come at a time when the economy was not crippled, things would be different. But probably not. America has a long history of being proud to stand on its own, be independent. That is no longer possible; isolationism doesn't work.
I understand this comes to a fundamental issue between conservatives and liberals: hard-working Americans don't want to pay for some hippie's dental because hey, they should be able to do it themselves. But I think we've seen in the past, and in our contemporary's countries, that is not how the world works. To keep the world together, we have to work together.
And I think it's a little sad when money makes fools of us all.
America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/F?c111:1:./temp/~c1110TsKhu:e21210:
Thursday, August 6, 2009
It's like plastic surgery for a mummy
Today, I made a list. First, wake up in time for the new dryer to arrive. Failed. Second, have a healthy breakfast. Success! Third through whatever, get out of the house and do something. But as I find my new blogging endeavor important, items three-? will wait. (However, the farmer's market starts at 2pm, so I'm on a deadline!)
While eating my breakfast of banana-nut Cheerios and coffee, I read the news. I came across an article, more of a commentary by the reporter, in London's Telegraph. He wrote of newly released proposals to add 'enhancements' to India's biggest tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal. A development company thinks that by adding ropewalks, a suspension bridge, cable cars and a Ferris wheel, not only will more tourists come -- but just in case they were bored looking at a 300-year-old monument to love that three million people visit a year, a Ferris wheel will cure them!
I thought this a ridiculous notion, that I can only hope some historical commission or the World Heritage people can put a stop to it. However, included in the article was a reference to another ridiculous plan to 'enhance' the experience of tourists at the Grand Canyon. Not even a plan, it was done! They actually added a suspension walkway to the Grand Canyon for better viewing! Complete with a cafe and gift shop. How did I not know about this!? Completed in 2007, the glass-viewing walkway is in Arizona, and provides panoramic views of the canyon. Since when did the Grand Canyon not provide panoramic views? Why was this blight on such a fragile environment allowed? I am amazed at some people's ideas to 'improve' upon nature; or in the Taj Mahal's case, upon 300-year-old celebrated architecture.
Leave historical monuments and achievements and natural phenomenon to their eternal tenaciousness. Otherwise next we'll see an artificial island created to hold a hotel/resort so visitors can better view the Great Barrier Reef.
the original article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/5976407/Taj-Mahal-doesnt-need-a-theme-park-India.html
While eating my breakfast of banana-nut Cheerios and coffee, I read the news. I came across an article, more of a commentary by the reporter, in London's Telegraph. He wrote of newly released proposals to add 'enhancements' to India's biggest tourist attraction, the Taj Mahal. A development company thinks that by adding ropewalks, a suspension bridge, cable cars and a Ferris wheel, not only will more tourists come -- but just in case they were bored looking at a 300-year-old monument to love that three million people visit a year, a Ferris wheel will cure them!
I thought this a ridiculous notion, that I can only hope some historical commission or the World Heritage people can put a stop to it. However, included in the article was a reference to another ridiculous plan to 'enhance' the experience of tourists at the Grand Canyon. Not even a plan, it was done! They actually added a suspension walkway to the Grand Canyon for better viewing! Complete with a cafe and gift shop. How did I not know about this!? Completed in 2007, the glass-viewing walkway is in Arizona, and provides panoramic views of the canyon. Since when did the Grand Canyon not provide panoramic views? Why was this blight on such a fragile environment allowed? I am amazed at some people's ideas to 'improve' upon nature; or in the Taj Mahal's case, upon 300-year-old celebrated architecture.
Leave historical monuments and achievements and natural phenomenon to their eternal tenaciousness. Otherwise next we'll see an artificial island created to hold a hotel/resort so visitors can better view the Great Barrier Reef.
the original article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/5976407/Taj-Mahal-doesnt-need-a-theme-park-India.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
