Meteoric depression

[altivo]

Still down in the dumps, maybe farther than yesterday. This is so unlike me I don't know what to make of it. Read Kyell Gold's latest story posted on FA, which didn't help. It's not porn, which pleased me as I think he's a really fine writer when he talks about feelings, hopes and fears of his characters rather than describing every "unf" in graphic detail. But it ties into the stuff I'm already feeling down about, so it doesn't help with that.

The screeching, irrational fights over health care reform are no help either. I am absolutely appalled that so many Americans, who ought to be educated and rational, are willing to believe the total made up fictions being circulated about the bills in Congress.

Frankly, I think those bills are a disaster because they don't do nearly enough. They will fail to help even if they pass, which now seems unlikely since the profit sector has started breeding mass hysteria with lies and distortions.

Oh, and last night's "peak" in the meteor shower was a dud, at least here. Apparently counts have been rising across Asia today, and there should still be plenty to see tonight if you have a clear dark sky. I'll go look again in a few minutes.

Comments

[hgryphon.livejournal.com]

I agree with the sentiments you express about the rumors and fear mongering surrounding the health care reform. Having not read any of the proposals, I don't know if they will or won't do enough. And naturally the insurance companies are going to do what they can to protect "their" territory, including lie, cheat, steal, and kill, but then that's kind of old hat to them, isn't it?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's business as usual for the US. Company thugs hired to keep control of the masses and the government. No different from 50, 100, or 150 years ago. It never seems to change, and most people never seem to catch on.

[hrrunka]

Perseids were washed out here last night; horizon-to-horizon cloud and steady drizzle. The night before one member of my local astronomicl society left a webcam running and managed to catch at least one.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

For all the hype about how magnificent this meteor shower was going to be, it seems like quite a dud to me. I've seen better in years when there was no advance warning at all. We had unusually clear skies last night, and before moonrise I could even see the Milky Way. In 30 minutes' time I managed to see just one meteor trail.

[hrrunka]

In recent years (mainly since the recent apparition of comet Swift-Tuttle, which is responsible for them) there've been a few short sharp peaks from the Perseids which have, apparently, been quite spectacular. They're also not easy to predict. The news media leaps on the "spectacular" but tends to ignore the detail..

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I've been relying not on popular media, but on academic astronomers like Guy Ottwell, and on government agencies like NOAA. Of course I should know better. The weather service is part of NOAA and the quality of their work has been declining rather than improving.

[bariki.livejournal.com]

Chin up, pony. *noses*

As for health care reform, even with the best of intentions and a super-majority, the chances of a decent health-care package making it onto the president's desk are slim. There are just too many vested interests for it to be otherwise. I'm not saying I like it - it just sucks: you'd think America, that spends the most per capita on health care of any country, would have the best care in the world for its citizens. It's sad that this isn't the case, and terrible for those left out.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The problem is Americans, who are so very proud of their own ignorance, narrow mindedness, and lack of foresight. I had hopes that we'd see real change after the last election, but it's all business and corruption as usual.

[equattraction.livejournal.com]

Here is a Canadian health care story.

A while back I was exercising my stallion in the sand ring when I experienced a severely torn retina in my left eye ... big black blobs.

I phoned my doctor, and an hour later I was in his office. Fifteen minutes later I was being examined by the ophthalmologist down the hall. The next morning at six a.m. I was in the nearby hospital for cryosurgery (painful but fast). During the following months I was examined often by the surgeon. My eye is now perfectly healed, and I am back chasing my stallion around the arena.

The entire procedure was free except for $25.00 for some eye drops. My taxes are a bit higher than they might be if I was living in the USA, but it is worth it.

If you folks want a universal health care program, you need to write to your representatives as often as you can, and to support your president. He is trying as hard as he can, and he wants to hear from you. Good luck!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I agree. I'd very much favor a plan like Canada has. Unfortunately, the commercial interests in the US have a stranglehold on the government. They are also able to panic and chase people around like lemmings by spreading misinformation and doubts, which they are doing now at a high intensity.

The truth is, a complete reworking into a Canadian style system would not likely raise taxes significantly, and even if it did, that increase would be offset by the reduction in out of pocket expenses we now pay for health coverage if we can get it. The people screaming the loudest would probably end up paying less, taxes included. But one of their big complaints is that they don't want to "pay for other people." This is disgustingly selfish, but the truth, which they refuse to see, is that they pay for other people all the time. Medical costs are raised to absorb the price of charity care and low income care at fixed prices. That would stop.

This "let them eat cake" attitude among some folks just sickens me, it really does.

[hrrunka]

total made up fictions

The Register picked up on one of those fictions...

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, and that one is still circulating and being believed. It's just incredible how ignorant people are, and how stubbornly they refuse to surrender that ignorance and see reality.

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

Perseids were a no-show here as well. Typical England, overcast.
I'll second you on the health care hysteria, too. It's like even the mention of it disconnects rational thinking. According to the conservatives, you're going to have a panel of bureaucrats deciding what, if any, care you get. Like having an HMO do that is any better. They screech about "rationing" and people actually believe that they're they're going to break their arm building a treefort, and call 911 only to hear that they've used up all the ambulance services for that month.
"Sorry, we're unable to help you, due to heath care rationing."
And they -believe- it! Or they think that the rest of the first world suffers in agony for months because of "long waits", yet they've never experienced any other heath care system, ever.
It makes me sad to see the supposedly smart, well educated citizens of my country so easily bamboozled by hearsay and lies.
It makes me sad when I hear them say "I don't want to have to pay for other people!", unable to think that maybe "other people" might suddenly be their friends or even themselves hit with a a catastrophic emergency.
I hope things do get better though, but it's going to be a hard sell.
*hugs*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It looks like a lost cause to me. Obama was a big talker, but now he's backing down and his proposals are just chaff. Between this failure and his unwillingness to lend real support to the rights of gay citizens, he's lost what little support he had from me. As far as I'm concerned, he's just another power drunk, corrupt politician.

You're right of course. All the hysterical screaming about "death boards" and "long waits" and "bureaucrats deciding treatment" completely ignores the same powers being wielded now by the MBA bureaucrats who run HMOs and insurance companies. The ones who control health care now are largely concerned with their own profits, to hell with the patient. How is that any different from a government agency making a decision? We've seen that government agencies are willing to waste money on ridiculous and pointless wars. At least they aren't worried about "profitability."

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Oh dear pony doesn't sound too good, our public health care isn't the best but at least we still have it.

It sounds like the whole system needs a shake down.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The system needs to be completely dissolved and started over with a single payer plan. Canada did it 40+ years ago and none of the terrible predictions came true. We could do it too, and we really need to, but it's not going to happen. The whole thing will be an utter sham designed to protect the vested interests and profit making corporations who already own too much of our health care. The US is a fake democracy, in which all the real control is held by the boards and CEOs of capitalist corporations.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

*hugs gently* I'm sorry you're feeling so down in the dumps, hon. I hope things get brighter for you soon. *nuzzle*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*clings* I haven't felt this depressed in decades, I think. I was right back in 2005 when I said the US was absolutely hopeless.

[corelog.livejournal.com]

*snugnuzzles* Well, the endless health care debate has been alternately depressing and irritating me, too. Haven't been able to avoid it, since I've been in the US for the last two weeks.

Still. You have my thoughts and my support both now and should you ever decide to emigrate. :)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, I'm probably too old now to emigrate to Canada unless some major disaster here caused Canadians to loosen the rules. As things stand, they'd let me live there as an alien, maybe, but not as a landed immigrant. I ran the preliminaries four years ago and barely squeaked by then.

[aerofox.livejournal.com]

*hugs his equine friend tightly*

I'm fed up of the health care crap too.

Come down to Ohio with Casey and we will have a great time!

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*hugs back*

I hope we can work that out. I'd love to see you and Loriana. I'll be seeing Casey on Sunday and I'm sure we'll discuss it.

Soul edge

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

First off, kudos for admitting you're not happy. Second, although it may take time and be rather unpleasent, I encourage you to go into whatever is the matter on your own & not hide from things you'd rather not look at in depth. The only person I cannot respect is one who doesn't self-examine and would rather play games or evasive tactics, mainly because these do NOt work.

Re: Soul edge

[altivo.livejournal.com]

The problem is things over which I have no actual control. It's just that I had hopes for better outcomes.

Re: ControlEdge

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

A problem not at all universal with humans... tell me though, what do you have "actual control" over? Now, that's an answer I seriously look forward to you answering ;)

Re: ControlEdge

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I have pretty good control over how I, personally, earn and spend money. I have control over what I eat, what I do, and where I go. I can choose, for the most part, how I make my living, and refuse to do things of which I disapprove merely for the sake of keeping my job. In fact, I've quit good paying jobs at least four times in my life over that sort of issue.

What I can't do is make other people care about what I believe in. I can't make them do what I think is right, or even think about it. And I can't make politicians listen to their conscience or their constituents, either.

Re: ControlEdge

[gabrielhorse.livejournal.com]

Are the former any concillation for the latter?

Also- what do you believe in that you want others to "care" about?

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Just some thoughts.

About the healthcare debates...

Who cares? Okay, I do, and you do, probably
with great passion and erudite arguments, but
there are times when I just want it to all go
away. While I care lots about the bigger issues
it sometimes adds too much when I'm dealing with
/me/ and /mine/. Ya know?

Also, you may just be tired. I know that sounds
simple but it is sometimes hard to know the
difference between depressed and overworked.

Finally, as much as I hated my father, as bad
as he was, as hatefully alike I've discovered I
am to the man now that I'm old enough to have
some perspective and some "wisdom" there was
one saying of his that I still hang on too:

"This too shall pass"

*hugs*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VShyqHcWjPY

(I've always liked Poulenc. Unlike Fitzgerald
or the whole "moveable feast" crowd, he didn't
spend life after the first industrial war
(WWI) getting, "lit up six days out of seven"
but by making music angels weep over. I've
always thought that if a man can see his
world reduced to a moonscape, and then make
music like this...I need to get a grip.)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, someone else, I think it was Kaysho, said this week that his father would say "In a thousand years, it won't matter anyway."

Passion is a factor, of course. There was a possibility of getting closer to something I passionately believe in, but it has been dashed largely by greed and hack politicians (yet again.)

Tired? Yes, I am. I'm tired of the same old crap. This country is a fake democracy. It is actually run by the boards of capitalist corporations, for largely their own personal financial gain, and secondarily for the gain of their supporters (stockholders, secondary officers, corrupt politicians.) The needs and hopes of the rest of us matter not one whit to them, as we have seen amply demonstrated over the past year, and no matter how we vote in elections, they still get what they want, by whatever means they choose.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

Stop it, stop ruminating on the big picture.

*his inner self gasps, since he's usually ALL
about the big picture*

Turn the ring on the scope and focus down, focus
on one small bit of one small planet...

You.

*makes soup*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Someone has to think about the big picture. It's obvious that most Americans, and certainly not their leaders, are failing to do so.

[felder.livejournal.com]

Hugs you tight and nuzzles softly

Hope you get to feeling peakier yourself hon. Wish I could hug you for real.

We had cloud so we couldn't see any meteors either.

Ah well *snuggles*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It *would* be nice to share a snuggle in person. :) Thanks.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

*hugs ya tight* As you know, I've been fighting a pretty bad case of depression for a while now, so can commiserate.

I missed the meteors..mostly because I didn't want to get up at 3AM, but we had clouds anyway. I have seen the usual satellites whizzing around the nice dark sky the last couple of nights, but no meteors. Phooey. Too bad I can only see a very tiny patch of sky due to being in the woods.

The health care thing make me angry. We can't truly have a good national system because Obama has to dodge all the people who are making tons and tons of money (doctors, big pharma, insurance companies) and whatever is the result will be something that allows these people to keep raking in the bucks. It's also easy to scream "hands off our health care" as long as you have some, and as usual the people screaming the loudest already have good private plans and certainly don't want to end up paying $1 towards the health of their fellow man (even though we do anyway through hospital cost shifting..it's just buried).

People in general are just stupid and selfish, and just want their own pockets full of gold coins, neglecting the fact that all the money in the world does you no good when you're dead or dying of some disease.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

*hugs back* Mmm, hugs.

You and I see the same things in the health care mess, yes.

"I've got mine, to hell with everyone else" has become the American way. And then people wonder why the rest of the world resents Americans so much.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

"People in general are just stupid and selfish, and just want their own pockets full of gold coins, neglecting the fact that all the money in the world does you no good when you're dead or dying of some disease."

Distressing but true. My tack is to try and be a postive
force that says "Yes We Can"

*hugs and fixes your toilets*

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

*hugs ya back*

That is the attitude I like.

8)

[schnee.livejournal.com]

*gives you a warm wolfhug* I know it's probably too late to make a difference either way, but I hope you're feeling better again.

And yeah, I agree about the screechiness and irrationality; I'm seeing that a lot in politics here as well. Hardly anyone seems to be interested in actually informing people (as opposed to feeding them lies and propaganda), neither politicians nor the media nor anyone else, and hardly anyone among the people seems to be interested in learning the truth (generally speaking), being skeptical and not accepting everything fed to them at face value, and - finally - listening to reason and looking at things objectively, with an open mind.

People ought to be educated and rational, but hardly anyone ever is, it seems.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I've been ignoring the news. That helps temporarily, but isn't really very satisfactory.

[schnee.livejournal.com]

True.