House Health Care Bill

For anyone concerned about what the recently passed H.R.3962, Health care reform, will actually do, it's online. It's long but when we let someone else interpret things for us, we get their slant. This likely won't be what ends up in any actual bill after the Senate gets through ranting over how much they love the American people *tears* but that so many not having health care is not their problem *stern expression*.

What has irked me is all those legislators and right wingers ranting over how this will kill people. Do they possibly pay attention to what is happening right now? Never mind, I know they don't. They talk taxes and half their fans quit thinking. The fact is that these costs are being born now-- one way or another.

Anyway for those who are told the bill isn't there and nobody knows what is in it. Here it is:

Summary: Affordable Health Care

and the full bill: H.R. 3962

Pseudonyms

Perhaps you have been reading the political arguments regarding whether to continue to allow internet users to have pseudonyms. The idea is that when someone comments with a nickname, they might be more irresponsible, more apt to say dishonest or mean things. There has been some discussion about forcing all people with blogs or any space on the internet to use their legal names.

I have followed the discussion because here in the blog I do use a name other than my legal name. When I first went online, which was 1996, most everyone used nicknames. I thought about it and quickly the name Rain seemed the right choice given where I live and my own interest in nature. Sometimes, because someone else had Rain first, I have to add some nnnnnnnn's but I always kept it as close as I could; so that whenever I do anything online, others would know it was me. That is helped by places that give a place to put my blog URL.

Back then I didn't know my actual first name was regarded as a sexy name (since it happens to also be the name of a porn star). When I chose my nickname, I took one that didn't advertise something I wasn't delivering as well as a name both men and women use.

It didn't seem sneaky to me to use the name I adopted. I grew up with writers and movie stars who often didn't use their real names. When I get to knowing someone, then I tell them my 'other' name and even am open to meeting them; but here, not sure how I would feel about being forced to use it.

Because I liked the name Rain so much, I took it for my art and writing. In that world, nobody cares; but I might find eventually that I cannot use it here.

This comes up now because the other day, when I wanted to comment on a blog, I was blocked and the reason given was I was using a nickname. Now that writer has every right to do that; but if I had chosen to use my real name to comment there, it'd not match this blog and although I have no reason to not trust that person, I think it would have become confusing. I opted to not comment.

Although I frequently use photos of myself, the farm, my home, and Farm Boss, I would be hesitant to use my full name wherever strangers could be reading enabling them to find my address and phone number. If the laws do change, I will have to think long and hard whether to continue blogging. It's too late for me to quit using my photos but it might be why many, who might even use their own name, never did.

I don't know how many of you came online during the time of the chat rooms but you learn fast then that there are some weird people out there whether they use their real names or not. Nicknames have a protective aspect, but I understand that they also have that other side which enables people to hide behind them.

Although I allow anonymous comments here, as in I don't require a nickname or real name, most do use nicknames, names that return again and again so that anybody who reads them knows their philosophy. For the ones who use what appear to be real names, I would generally have no way to know if they were real or not.

So what do you think? Should nicknames be blocked online; and do you consider it risky, for those of you who you use photos and information about your life, to put up your full name for whoever might come along?

(The photos are a few of the seven big oak trees that are around the farmhouse. I love them in every season but find them particularly beautiful when they are bare of leaves with their wonderful, gnarly shapes. They are huge, very old trees with a history that has seen much. I hope they last many more years-- even though they give me a lot of exercise every fall when those leaves start to fall.)

The Costs of War

This is going to be a reply to something ingineer said in my previous blog and so to be fair to him, I am putting his comment here first:

"The only common ground that you can find with radical Muslims is for you to be dead. They believe that all infidels should die. So if you do not want to fight them, your only other choice is to be slaughtered by them. If they were a nation that had some logical reason for fighting, then maybe we could negotiate a peace, but these people are crazy and will never negotiate. This is not like the Arab-Israeli conflict where they are fighting over land and economic resources. Our only choice is to destroy them. Or continue to be picked off a few at a time until they are capable of a massive attack and kill of millions of us at a time.

"And this attack shows just how much damage one terrorist can do. Just think how many people the guys that wanted to attack Fort Dix could have done. But at the time they were downplayed as just a few guys with rifles, they couldn't really do much damage to an army base right? Well tell that to the families of the 43 people shot by this whack job at Ft. Hood."

What he said is typical of what is said by the right wing and it's totally wrong on about every level I can imagine. First of all most us thought that the Bush administration had been actively working on protecting us all from terrorist attacks in this country. Is not that what Dick Cheney has told us how much they did to keep us safe? Who guessed that that didn't include our military bases?

Wide Open to Attack.

Who, not in the military, had any idea that our bases would be so unprotected. How many of us knew that on a US base, the soldiers are never armed and have insufficient guards to protect them from entrances by just about anybody. Now this guy could have gotten in anyway because he was in the military. Could they not have had simple metal detectors though to check if someone was coming in with a weapon? They apparently do not.

How would you manage to kill all radical Muslims, ingineer? How would you know who they are when you have a bunch of teabaggers who believe that even Obama is one of them? Your answer to kill all radicals is unrealistic and impossible unless you want to kill all Muslims period which I am sure you don't mean.

So let's get to the guy who actually did this, who clearly was a radical Muslim and was making zero secret of it. He had been given poor reviews on his performance, was transferred to Fort Hood as a second chance, had argued with many people that he was a Muslim first and American second. He is probably the one who posted sympathy with suicide bombers and saw them as heroes. None of that was considered or explored by the military before his cowardly attack on a bunch of unarmed people-- which although most of us didn't know would be the case, he clearly did.

So what was the military doing about this man who sent out the warning signs? Sending him to Iraq or Afghanistan because why? Likely because they are stretched so thin that they could not pay attention to the warnings. They are understaffed and that won't get better if the war in Afghanistan is expanded as people like ingineer apparently (based on his comments regarding how Obama should do what the general demanded) believe should be done.

This killer was a man who proudly declared himself to be a Muslim and who was put in a position of counseling men and women coming back from a Muslim war zone and not every returning soldier but those who suffered post-traumatic stress, so traumatized by what they had seen and done that they needed help. He was put in a position of listening to their stories of what war is really like, about the awful things that happen in war even when people are good at heart. He heard all the things the rest of us would prefer to not imagine and likely his grievances against the United States grew.

This man was not a nutcase. He was a radical Muslim who decided the villains were the military. He said while doing it that he wasn't shooting anyone not in uniform. He saw himself as fighting a war. The fact that these soldiers were unarmed just made it easier. He probably knew plenty of stories where the same thing had happened to Iraqi civilians.

So whose fault is this? I would say it was his superiors but can we blame them if they simply didn't have the staff? I think the blame goes to the people in this country who wanted to fight a war on the cheap and even now resent taxes to cover the true costs. I say his being ignored as a risk is the fault of all the people who favor war as long as it's not their own lives on the line.

After Vietnam, I saw what happened and felt that whenever you fight a war overseas because you think you can spare your own country the spilling of blood, that blood gets spilled back at home in other ways. Call it karma. Call it what you will but war ends up with more violence and you see it time after time. If it is a solution, it's a lousy one and too often innocent people pay the price.

Parapluie put a positive comment into that last blog also which is a good ending here. I don't know that I believe that she is right. She is an idealist and I am not. I am not sure all things can be resolved by negotiations, but I do know we went into Iraq for no reason. What we think we can do in Afghanistan won't happen and in 10 years, we will be more broken, have more dead people on our conscience, have created more terrorists, and likely Afghanistan will go on with the same political and cultural system it has today.

Parapluie's comment:

I think your photos are spectacular. And very comforting during this time of national tragedy. I feel guilty, however, of a part of me saying that my fears were justified. When we first went to war in Afghanistan shortly after 911, I took to heart an article in the University of California Monthly by a professor of Middle Eastern Studies. He said that war was counterproductive and would only create more terrorists abroad and at home. My prayer, in addition to the ones for the families of the victims, is that we will come to our senses and see that war is not the answer.

There are studies on how to conduct conflict resolution. And one area that is most compelling is finding common grounds. One way to find common grounds is through the arts. Photography is one of the arts. The "Small Things" are something we should look at and encourage in times like ours.

Small Things

[I had written this blog before the tragic shootings in Fort Hood, Texas but wanted to say that my sympathies are with those wounded, murdered and their families. It was a horrible tragedy, really beyond imagining, that as so often seems to make no sense to most of us. I think though that small things in life are what have to mean the most. Life, which can end so abruptly, is about the little moments and appreciating them all. This post does fit that feeling.]


When I am at the beach, the big thing are, of course, the ocean waves and sometimes what appear to be monolithic rocks. Even the gulls, when they are gathered together seem big; but small things impress me also. These are a few from Sunday.

Oregon coast

Sunday, the chowder at Mo's, down on Newport's old docks, was delicious as always. We lucked out with a window table where we ate our chowder and drank a small glass of red wine while watching the boats go past, seeing the fish being filleted below, and a gull who kept teasing the filleter into throwing her something tasty. She got bread from the customers but nothing worth flying off for until a woman tossed her a cracker. Hopefully it floats as when she settled back on the water, I didn't see her with it.

In the restaurant, the interesting part was listening to bits of the conversation from a man and woman. Nobody's voice but his seemed to carry in there but we soon knew a lot more about his bank account and travels than either Farm Boss or I wanted to know. I wondered if his voice carried because he was nervous. It looked like this was a first date.

Maybe they were a couple who met through an internet site. This might have been their opportunity to meet in a safe place. Now that could be totally wrong. Maybe she was his daughter who he had not been in contact with for many years; but I am guessing not.

People in restaurants allow a person to make up whatever story they wish. And if strangers don't want others to do that, they should keep their voices down. :)


On the dock the sea lions were sunbathing on their usual lower dock. Their barks (also seeking something good to be tossed down) are one of the main appeals of going over to watch for awhile. One had a nasty slice across his neck which might have come from a boat propeller. The angle of the sun and that sad injury didn't inspire any photos.


Our walks on Uno Beach and at Seal Rock were lovely although whenever the wind blew, my ears reminded me this wasn't summer.


Although the sun shone most of the time, the surf was rough, lots of foam, making for some good wave action.

Profile photos

Maybe because I am a very visual person who loves to take photographs, paint and admire other's painting, the photo I use for a profile is both important to me and always a challenge. It's not that I don't like photos of myself, but more that none ever seem to say the right thing-- for long.

Where others might only see my profile photo once in awhile (if they notice it at all), I see it every time I come which is more often than it used to be since blogger went to an updating blog roll making it easy for me to visit my favorite blogs when they have a new topic.

My profile photo that I liked the longest, which lasted clear through the summer, was black and white, a little fuzzy, with shadows across my face which might be why it lasted so long.

Since seasonally I update them, no sleeveless tops when it's freezing outside, I change them regularly but am rarely satisfied with the results. If the photo is smiling, what about when I don't feel like smiling? If it looks contemplative, someone always thinks that means I am sad. Well sometimes I am but it's more that I don't go around smiling all the time. I want a photo to look like I look-- well not necessarily in harsh unflattering light.

To take a new one for here, one that I like but probably is a bit on the somber side for some people, I lightened up my own mood by having some fun doing it as I took a few other possibilities. To be honest, if you and I were having a conversation, you'd probably see some of them now and then. I know you'd see some if you watched the news with me.

The last one suits well how I feel whenever I read or see anything about Joe Lieberman! You in Connecticut, who want a public option, you have a big responsibility here to lay weight on this guy! And next time he comes up for re-election, can't you send him to the lobbyists where he clearly belongs?



So what do ya think? A, B, C, D, or E?

Samhain

We are now at Samhain, the Day of the Dead, where the veil between the living and the dead thins-- or so some believe-- and communication from the other side would be easier. Of course, this could only happen if a soul survives the body's death.

Now to get technical here, I have been told that the soul is never in the body, that it's the driving force from elsewhere which could be living more than one fleshly life. They would say the spirit is what leaves the body at death. It's a metaphysical concept; but for the purposes of asking what happens after death, it doesn't matter a lot. The question is more about what happens to what we consider us. Disappear or go on, and if go on, go on where?

Most religions claim they know the answers and can assure their adherents of security-- if they properly follow their rules (too bad they don't agree on what those are). Will it be heaven where we sit in heaven with angels singing the praises of a heavenly father, or will it be hell where we roast forever with the devil and lost souls? Or what about reincarnation, where like the wheel of life, we keep coming back until we finally get it right, which could explain why so many here today don't seem to be getting it right.

I don't know the answers, but I am one who believes there is something that comes after the body dies. I don't have the certainty of what it might be like some of those at a recent burial service apparently had. Do they ever allow themselves to doubt? Doubt is a bad word to many believers. Last week, I saw one of those bulletin boards out in front of a church which said (paraphrasing) to pray without expectation was to pray with disbelief. In short, if you didn't get what you prayed for, it was your fault. Doubt got in the way!

As an adult, the feeling of a warm loving presence with me hasn't given me prophetic messages, no burning bushes or speaking out loud although sometimes there have been dreams that helped me solve problems or see insights. Sometimes there have been things that came together in a way that I can only label synchronicity. That didn't mean always as I hoped by the way, but always as I could later see were for the best. Best isn't always easiest or most popular. I tried to put a name to what this might be at one point in my life, but now am content to not name it.

As an adult, when I became a member of churches (two of them and for about 13 years each time), it was to try and understand that spiritual power, what was behind all of this, and to do what would please it. It was never because of fear of dying. Several pastors were much amazed that fear of hell hadn't brought me to our local church. No, I came into religion out of a desire to live my life fully and as close to the truth as I felt I could.

Since leaving organized religion, my truth has encompassed exploration of Tarot cards, astrology, reincarnation, visiting sacred energy sites (which sometimes can be a church), psychics (not sweat lodges), but none of it religiously. Although I follow no religion now and don't know if I ever will be again, I also don't know that I won't. I accept that I have taken a less traveled road which to some would be fallen away or even evil. To me it has been following my truth as far as I can.

I think for as long as I live, I will be a seeker. I still hope someday to find my answer to what it's all about-- although I recognize that might not come while I am alive. I don't spend hours fretting over it but it's part of my personality to think about spiritual questions. I do not believe churches have the answer for me even though I much enjoyed the experience of both of the ones to which I became part. They can be great social communities, with some wonderful people.

Sometimes I dream about those people at night. After all, I was in the nearby church and very much part of its community a lot of years. When I was there, I believed in what it claimed. I left almost 20 years ago because my belief on what was true changed and my presence there would have been a testimony to believing something I no longer did. Worse I (personally) came to believe it not only doesn't get us closer to the truth of life but might be a barrier when it becomes a substitute or teaches things that work against fully living (and religions can do that).

I hope there is more to life than what we can see... and hope it doesn't encompass hell for anyone (even though that's an important part of many religions). I don't put a lot of stock in hope but do stand on what I believe is truth-- convenient or not. There should be no inconsistency between the two.

!Happy Samhain!

(pronounced with many possibilities from my researching but possibly SAH-vin, SOW-in, or shavnah. Until I run across someone with Gaelic language credentials, I have no clue which is correct. Whatever the case, the m is definitely not pronounced... probably) .

By my age, many I have loved have gone on. Someday I will also. I hope that when I do, some of my family and friends, who have gone before me, will be there waiting to help me across-- along with the spirit helpers I have experienced through the years (call them what you will--angels, spirit guides, or god). Perhaps someday I will be the one waiting to help those I love also to cross when their time comes.

The people in this collage, they are the ones whose stories have impacted my life, who I still dream about sometimes, from whom I came and maybe someday to whom I shall return.

"The year is dying," she asks, "am I?" The Hags say it is not her time. She is led to the Altar of the Dead to light candles for her ancestors. She glances beyond the Old Ones and sees her beloved dead gathered on the bridge. They offer gifts: acceptance of her Crone-self, and the slow death of her physical body. She embraces death as a delicious reunion. She weeps with gratitude."

Ffiona Morgan © Mother Tongue Ink 2009