Blogs in a Row #2

First, I Do understand that I'm Incredibly Fortunate to be able to see a Dr. at all.  Honestly, after these last three weeks which will be written a bit about below, I understand that in certain situations I could end up hg  HOMELESS (sorry for the mistake Blogger won't allow me to correct) or locked away in a mental hospital or forced into a group home, (horrors of group living as a teen at blind school are not Too far away) instead of functioning Well most of the time with a garden, new art coming to Abilitieslive.com soon, friends, learning a new language, ASL (really TASL. for me) etc., oh yah, and Trying to take and intelligent part in politics, even if I'm not always right and Can't always spell correctly.

That rant done, not the posts.

     

Blogs in a Row #2.

Germany Has No Minimum Wage, an Interesting Comment About U.S.

Late Friday or Sat. night I was listening to BBC, as I often do when cannot sleep.  They were interviewing "experts" about the upcoming German election.

The BBC reporter went to the town where Volkswagen cars are made and the opulence of management lifestyles and homes was clear to see. 

In the same town he went to what he called a "Bread Line" and a charity giving food to pets, as they are the first to be sacrificed, (dumped, put down,) when a family can't feed it's own children.

At this charity were many people who worked for Volkswagen and other "working poor."

It was pointed out that Germany has no minimum wage and that this was one reason that economy could produce quality products cheaply.  The way a lack of minimum wage is made up for (in theory) is that there Is a significant social safety net, medical care, and the rich pay a fairly high tax rate with the understanding that they are subsidizing the working and other poor. 

But if the system works, what were all of those people Doing at the Catholic charity which handed out food?  Germany has the lowest unemployment rate in Europe.

One woman commented that if Germany's Government and corporations continued to ignore the poor then the poor would cease to vote and Germany would become more like "America."  Interesting yes?  I didn't know these things before hearing that report.

New Post: Sunday, Sept. 22^nd.

Doll Talk

Last night while I wasn't sleeping I went through the box which held the dolls who used to live in the factory Ann and I made them.  Turtle allowed his turtle to be placed on a closet shelf nearby in his house, (he suggested it) where he could get to it but this was a big step for him.  He no longer has it squished into his sleeping bag, always sitting over his heart and tummy.

I took a Power Ranger Out of the house.  Her name is Tomi, a Japanese girl's name.  She used to carry a gun and be a protector in the house.  But she acted like a girl who had been emptied out.  She wouldn't carry a gun, wouldn't do anything.  So either she needs to wake up, rest from being surrounded by all of those little kids, or go dormant, meaning to stop existing as a separated part of our mind.  I do not know what she needs, but I think the latter choice is probably right.  Anyway, she is moved and can leave or wake, only is she needs to.

New Post: Monday Sept. 23^rd.

Fundamentalists

To me, a Fundamentalist is someone who goes around telling others that they are evil and wrong if they choose a different life Than the Fundamentalist has.

I know that in truth, fear plays a big part in this kind of thinking and that the problems which spawn it are complex.  I knew a wonderful family from Iran and the lady was a university professor.  She did a careful analysis of extreme fundamentalist groups in differing religions and came up with the conclusion that a Fundamentalist is a Fundamentalist, no matter what their particular ideology or religion.

It is not a compassionate thought on my part.  But sometimes I wish that somewhere, on some planet or in some Highly isolated part of this abused Earth, we could create a United States of Fundamentalism.

  We could have the state of Tea Party, (no abortion even if the mother dies and leaves hungry children behind, it's God's will). Homosexuality would be against the law and punished severely.  There would be  almost no Government, except for the enforcement of State laws.   No healthcare for those who can't afford it would be available and harsh punishments for small infractions would be swiftly carried out.   Only those people of color who Are fundamentalists would be allowed there.   Should they live in a restricted part of the state of Tea Party?  No belief in climate change, lots of guns, (A state Requirement that each household have several?) Bible as required reading and Biblical studies required in schools.  The State flag and any Biblical quotation someone wants to post in public. No evolution taught in schools.  Prayer time each day in school in Jesus name.  A board of State censors to control art displayed publicly.

 "Stand your ground" law always in vorce, should there be birth control?  Women and girls must always adhere to State dress code of modesty or face public humiliation or punishment.   All of the fosil fuel use possible, and alliances politically with whoever furthers their goals. 

Then we could have the State of Wahabi, all women at home, should they be allowed to drive?  Covered with dull fabric from head to toe in public and Only allowed out of the house with a male relative.  No abortion or birth control and no alcohol.  No public smoking in some state counties. No pork permitted.   Honor killing permitted, killing or deporting of homosexuals permitted, female homosexuals killed to spare the family.   No female education, Koranic studies in every male school, (the only kind.)  Verses from the Qran posted publicly  and no graven images allowed in art, only Islamic designs, preferably only those most influenced by Arabic cultures.   Of course, no evolution taught in schools.   Alliances politically with whoever furthers their political ambitions.  Certainly implementation of Sharea Law. No male Christians or Jews allowed, though a man may marry a Christian or even a Jewish wife.

 There could be a state for Fundamentalist Buddhists.  Those who murder Muslims in Myanmar, (Burma) , those monks  who blessed the tanks going out to kill Tamil people during the Sri Lankan Civil War, might like to live there. Women would feed the monks each day, (men Work!) no Tibetan statues permitted, No Tamil Buddhists either.  No birth control or abortion, and if a wife displeases you she may be beaten or encouraged to kill herself.  Only the version of Buddhism agreed upon by the state taught in school and quotations of the Buddhas words everywhere, just Not in Pali, the Tamil language in which some of the first Buddhist scriptures were written.  Homosexuals killed or deported.  Agreed upon Buddhist scriptures taught in school, None of that Wrong teaching from Mahayana or Vajrayana Buddhism, dress code enforcement and reverence for monks enforced by law.  Nuns can sit in the back of the teaching hall and do other hard work.

A Hindu state outlawing circumcision, allowing the abuse of women, abortion of Girl babies encouraged, required Enforcement of the Caste system, attendance at All festivals and Holy Days required.  No beef eaten.  Cows the state mascot, on the state flag. Rape allowed as punishment for lower caste men, rape their wives and daughters.  Vedas and Upanishads required study in all schools.  Political alliances with, you guessed it.

What other states could there be?  Thank all that is, and who Are GOOD that most of us, of All faiths or none, would NOT WISH to  belong to such states!  Can't you see certain Key features in All of them? 

Repression of women and LBGT people.  Religious teaching and law with a strict interpretation required.  No science allowed to contradict the Facts, as they are perceived by the particular state in question. (Even when someone rich gets sick?)   Control of the arts and oddly enough, Private Lives (I thought Tea Party activists were Against Government Intervention into Private Lives! But maybe That only has to do with providing services for people.)  A Disinterest in change.  A willingness to harm others in the name of religion and the requirement of absolute obedience. Also, NO Welfare.  Dying permitted, begging permitted, or the belief that one's suffering is God's will or karma or kismet. Anyway, no one Else's problem.

    I remembered the Professor's book when a shopping mall in Nairobi was taken over by terrorists.

I get Very unhappy about the Overuse of the word "terrorist" to describe anyone a government doesn't like.  But there Are Real acts of Terrorism and this was certainly one!

New Post Sept. 24, Tuesday. Sick!

Had a horrible day yesterday due to med. Change!  Don't know what to call it, I'm no Dr. and the Dr. never returned my call either yesterday Or today.  But I'd get a funny feeling, like a very brief pain in a certain spot in my head then just blank out.  I didn't shake but wondered if it was some kind of petite mal seizure.  Sometimes it took thirty minutes to remember what I Had been doing, sometimes four hours.  The more I moved around and the more I tried to do, the more often it happened.  Very Frightening and Not a safe way for a blind person to live.  I was so scared I was hyper, which only made my lack of focus worse. 

Luckily, I know someone with a Huge knowledge of chemistry of the human body, nutrition, and medications.  They told me it was a withdrawal symptom of the med.s I was no longer taking and said they thought my electrolytes were out of balance.

Don't have any lights, electro or otherwise.  But I got to thinking about electrolytes and minerals.  What could I do?  Gatoraid was designed to Balance electrolytes for athletes, and I have a mineral supplement at home.  Since I heard Nothing from Dr. I doubled up on mineral supplements for two or three days, starting yesterday, and before bed slowly drank a glass of Gaitoraid.  I don't like drinking so much sugar, but the combination of actions helped.  I'm Very tired, my head still hurts, but I'm not blanking out anymore, not today anyhow.

Time for bed.  Today was better, though I don't feel great.

New Post Wednesday Sept. 25^th.  New medication?

Still having that weird thing happening in my head.  The more jumpy or afraid I get, or the faster I move, the worse it is.  But not blanking out each time today.  I skipped ASL. Class, Bummer!  Begged my Buddhist friend tonight to be expecially gentle in sounding the bell, and he was.  Tomorrow I'm supposed to go shopping for groceries.  If the bell makes me jump how the Hell am I supposed to deal with That?  I do not know!

Today called Doc' and basically told a nurse, "I don't bother the Doc' for a runny nose or a stubbed toe.  If I can't get help when I Might be having tiny seizures of some kind and I called Monday and This is Wednesday afternoon, I might have to switch Doctors, even though I like working with this Doc' very much."  Got a call saying start the new med. A week early.  I said I would do this but wanted to make  it clear that I wasn't demanding anything in particular.  If the answer had just been, "These are withdrawal symptoms you will have to live with" that was fine.  I just Needed to know what was happening to me.

Started low dose of new med. Tonight, but Not before asking how hard it usually was for patients to withdraw from.  Instead of my month it usually takes two weeks.  I've already done three. So I feel scared but took the new med.  Wish me Luck!

Please forgive all mistakes in these posts.  Hope I haven't bored you terribly.