More Randomness
For some reason, I have a lot to say today. So I'm going to go for it, and post more than one blog. Maybe tomorrow I'll wake up and look at my computer with complete abhorrence. But just for today, it is my friend. Kind of like a relationship, isn't it? One minute adoration, and then, wham, out of nowhere: "I hate you." Isn't being human wonderful?
I started out my day in what is now my routine--morning prayer upon waking, bathroom, call to sponsor, prayer and quiet time, breakfast, then checking email and other interesting things on the web. I wandered over to Neil Gaiman's journal, and read what he had to say about health care in this country from the perspective of someone raised in the U.K., and the precarious nature of having health benefits for people who write for a living:
"I was born and spent the first 2/3rds of my life in the UK, in a world in which health care was simply a human right. You got it, like an education, by virtue of being alive. And then I came to America and simply it isn't that way here, and, even after 16 years, that still keeps surprising me. (Every now and again I've told people who can't understand why from time to time I write movies, who say things like "You don't need to, you're a best-selling writer, you get paid more for a novel than for a film script," that it keeps my Writers Guild health insurance current, and I'm at least half serious.)
It's always hard to put up medical appeals, but Caitlín R. Kiernan needs financial help -- you can read about it at her journal, over at http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428785.html."
(Hey blogspot, what happened to block quotes, italics, different font colors, and other neat tools that make blogging a lot more fun? I have to improvise now, darn you!)
This is so relevant to where I am today. I actually had to STOP WORKING so I can continue getting medical benefits. As a permanently disabled person with a history of medical problems, I can't afford to be without medical coverage. It's a shame that so many people in this country are in the same situation. Where is all the money for medical care going? Why do people have to pay sky high premiums and deductibles for their coverage, while others can not afford to work, pay rent, bills and medical insurance all at the same time? Should a person have to be destitute in order to see a doctor? By the time a truly destitute person or the working poor finally goes in to see a doctor, it's usually because of an emergency. Sometimes it's an accident that causes the medical emergency, but more than likely it's because the patient had medical issues that were untreated due to the lack of health insurance. Then the health care providers have to charge an exorbitant amount of money to treat the person, who goes back out into life without any follow-up care. Bottom-line: It's not about politics, Democrat, Republican, or whatever. It's about caring about people! There's a lot of money changing hands in the health care profession, yet people can't get the insurance they need. SOMEONE is getting stupid rich off the pain and misery of others.
"The Bahá'í approach to the problem of extreme poverty is based on the application of spiritual principles. The economic relationships of a society reflect the values of its members. Therefore, to transform those relationships man's character must be transformed. Until justice is valued over greed, the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen, and the dream of sustainable economic growth, peace and prosperity will elude our grasp. Sensitizing mankind to the vital role of spiritual values in solving economic problems will, we are convinced, create a new impetus for change."
(Baha'i International Community, 1994 Aug 17, Human Rights Extreme Poverty)
I am praying for Caitlin R. Kiernan, and that she receives the financial assistance she needs. My son suffered from grand mal seizures that came on nearly everyday when he was a teenager. I remember how desperately helpless I felt during that time because there's almost nothing a mother, or even doctors, can to do to stop a seizure once it starts. And the unfortunate result is often broken and chipped teeth, which is something else my son had to endure, just like Ms. Kiernan. My heart goes out to her, along with my prayers. I hope someone reading this blog can purchase something from the on-line auction that has been set up to assist her.
From Neil Gaiman's journal I clicked on several links to see what I've been missing in the world of grahic novels and comic book writing. A lot, of course, since I've been rather preoccupied of late. But in the course of link cruising, I saw a banner New York Times banner ad for Kathleen Turner, who is now directing the Pulitzer Prize winning play, "Crimes of the Heart" on Broadway. I did something I rarely do when I see a banner ad. I clicked on it.
I love theater. I'm not very enamored with musicals, the exceptions being "Dreamgirls", "The Wiz", "The Gospel at Colonus", and a few others.(My daughters love "Rent", but I was only mildly interested. I don't know why; it deserves another viewing, I think.) Anyway, I wanted to see and hear the Kathleen Turner interview, and I liked it. That voice of hers! It's dropped an octave or two since she's gotten older (like mine), but I think she's an example of someone who decided that playing a siren in the movies would create a short acting career. Once the lines in the face start appearing, and the "package" starts going south, Hollywood's casting directors give summary dismissals at auditions, and directors say things like, "She's too old; give me Lindsay Lohan." (Lord,....) Broadway apparently provides more opportunities for actors to practice their craft, and I say good for them. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than the magic of live theater. If you would to hear Ms. Turner and see slides of her latest work, copy and paste this URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20080203_TURNER_FEATURE/index.html
I'm giving my recovery saga a rest today because my Gemini moon is restlessly anxious to stir up a little devilment. I have to indulge her. :)
I started out my day in what is now my routine--morning prayer upon waking, bathroom, call to sponsor, prayer and quiet time, breakfast, then checking email and other interesting things on the web. I wandered over to Neil Gaiman's journal, and read what he had to say about health care in this country from the perspective of someone raised in the U.K., and the precarious nature of having health benefits for people who write for a living:
"I was born and spent the first 2/3rds of my life in the UK, in a world in which health care was simply a human right. You got it, like an education, by virtue of being alive. And then I came to America and simply it isn't that way here, and, even after 16 years, that still keeps surprising me. (Every now and again I've told people who can't understand why from time to time I write movies, who say things like "You don't need to, you're a best-selling writer, you get paid more for a novel than for a film script," that it keeps my Writers Guild health insurance current, and I'm at least half serious.)
It's always hard to put up medical appeals, but Caitlín R. Kiernan needs financial help -- you can read about it at her journal, over at http://greygirlbeast.livejournal.com/428785.html."
(Hey blogspot, what happened to block quotes, italics, different font colors, and other neat tools that make blogging a lot more fun? I have to improvise now, darn you!)
This is so relevant to where I am today. I actually had to STOP WORKING so I can continue getting medical benefits. As a permanently disabled person with a history of medical problems, I can't afford to be without medical coverage. It's a shame that so many people in this country are in the same situation. Where is all the money for medical care going? Why do people have to pay sky high premiums and deductibles for their coverage, while others can not afford to work, pay rent, bills and medical insurance all at the same time? Should a person have to be destitute in order to see a doctor? By the time a truly destitute person or the working poor finally goes in to see a doctor, it's usually because of an emergency. Sometimes it's an accident that causes the medical emergency, but more than likely it's because the patient had medical issues that were untreated due to the lack of health insurance. Then the health care providers have to charge an exorbitant amount of money to treat the person, who goes back out into life without any follow-up care. Bottom-line: It's not about politics, Democrat, Republican, or whatever. It's about caring about people! There's a lot of money changing hands in the health care profession, yet people can't get the insurance they need. SOMEONE is getting stupid rich off the pain and misery of others.
"The Bahá'í approach to the problem of extreme poverty is based on the application of spiritual principles. The economic relationships of a society reflect the values of its members. Therefore, to transform those relationships man's character must be transformed. Until justice is valued over greed, the gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen, and the dream of sustainable economic growth, peace and prosperity will elude our grasp. Sensitizing mankind to the vital role of spiritual values in solving economic problems will, we are convinced, create a new impetus for change."
(Baha'i International Community, 1994 Aug 17, Human Rights Extreme Poverty)
I am praying for Caitlin R. Kiernan, and that she receives the financial assistance she needs. My son suffered from grand mal seizures that came on nearly everyday when he was a teenager. I remember how desperately helpless I felt during that time because there's almost nothing a mother, or even doctors, can to do to stop a seizure once it starts. And the unfortunate result is often broken and chipped teeth, which is something else my son had to endure, just like Ms. Kiernan. My heart goes out to her, along with my prayers. I hope someone reading this blog can purchase something from the on-line auction that has been set up to assist her.
From Neil Gaiman's journal I clicked on several links to see what I've been missing in the world of grahic novels and comic book writing. A lot, of course, since I've been rather preoccupied of late. But in the course of link cruising, I saw a banner New York Times banner ad for Kathleen Turner, who is now directing the Pulitzer Prize winning play, "Crimes of the Heart" on Broadway. I did something I rarely do when I see a banner ad. I clicked on it.
I love theater. I'm not very enamored with musicals, the exceptions being "Dreamgirls", "The Wiz", "The Gospel at Colonus", and a few others.(My daughters love "Rent", but I was only mildly interested. I don't know why; it deserves another viewing, I think.) Anyway, I wanted to see and hear the Kathleen Turner interview, and I liked it. That voice of hers! It's dropped an octave or two since she's gotten older (like mine), but I think she's an example of someone who decided that playing a siren in the movies would create a short acting career. Once the lines in the face start appearing, and the "package" starts going south, Hollywood's casting directors give summary dismissals at auditions, and directors say things like, "She's too old; give me Lindsay Lohan." (Lord,....) Broadway apparently provides more opportunities for actors to practice their craft, and I say good for them. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than the magic of live theater. If you would to hear Ms. Turner and see slides of her latest work, copy and paste this URL:
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/arts/20080203_TURNER_FEATURE/index.html
I'm giving my recovery saga a rest today because my Gemini moon is restlessly anxious to stir up a little devilment. I have to indulge her. :)
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