Disqus - Latest Comments for aabacot

Re: The Human Being Most Likely To Cause Your Violent Death Is You

TT — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:10:28 -0000

Maybe. Perhaps. It depends. I don't know. We're complicated beings. It's an interesting study but I doubt that it can be analyzed as to why it is so.

Re: The Human Being Most Likely To Cause Your Violent Death Is You

TT — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:52:24 -0000

another article was released this year reaching the same conclusion: Psychiatric researchers at the University of Manitoba have established a link, they say, "between a person´s attendance at a religious worship service" and the desire to commit suicide. People who don't attend church or synagogue were twice as likely to have attempted suicide. About 33,000 Americans take their own life each year.

It isn't the 'religiosity' or even 'religion' that they've found a link with but simply attendance at church or synagogue.

Maybe it's that 'no matter how you feel, you get up, dress up and show up'. Maybe it's just doing that, getting up, getting out and showing up. There are also lots of opportunities to help others at a place of worship. My mom always said that if you're feeling down, go out and help someone else, you enter a state of being both giver and receiver, it gets you out of yourself. Maybe that has something to do with it. Maybe not. Maybe it's just being involved. I don't know but I do know that it has helped me over the years and over many dark periods.

Re: Mom And Dad Are Verbs

TT — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 07:19:16 -0000

all true and the question wasn't answered.

Should the child know about his biological father? Because it sounds like, although it may not be the case, that the child believes that he and his dad share a biological connection that doesn't exist and the mother knows this and has not told the child any different. 17 years old is probably not a great age to drop that in someone's lap. This is a sort of basic part of who you are, where you come from, so for some number of years this man/boy has believed something about himself that isn't true.

I completely agree that dad is a verb. Let's think about this for a minute though, how does it sound to a young man/child to say that half his biological makeup is from a 'sperm donor'? How would that feel to have someone tell you, even now at whatever your age is?

complicated isn't it? Perhaps this information should have been shared at a much earlier age rather than springing it at this stage of the game.

Re: Democratic Accountability: A Tale of Two Countries

TT — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:06:21 -0000

@DaMav

I would think that the people that come down on the side of torture are the ones kidding themselves.
The reliability of the information would be continuously suspect and the damage that it would do to the people directly and indirectly participating in torture would not be worth any dubious information that could be gained. What happens when they pick up the wrong person at the airport and spirit them away to a foreign country to be tortured? oops, our mistake we'll just give you a lift home?

It sounds quite dramatic, hidden bomb will kill tens of thousands, clock is ticking, etc. but the reality is, as usual much more mundane. Excellent and reliable information has been gained using non-torture interrogation techniques. The sort of techniques where we get to be the good guys, the ones that *don't* do things like disappearing and torturing people.

Thank you for cherishing my 'like', even if it was a mistake. :)

Re: Democratic Accountability: A Tale of Two Countries

TT — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:37:52 -0000

As to the comment regarding 'how mean we are to terrorists', I would say that your opinion is not shared with the majority of Americans who clearly do not believe that anyone should be tortured.

Secondly the issue with this revealing of intelligence from the US by the UK without permission.
Why won't the US give permission?

I mistakenly hit 'like' when I meant to hit 'reply'. Is there an 'unlike'?

Re: Field Of Frozen Dreams

TT — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 14:52:28 -0000

I love listening to baseball on the radio. If I can't watch in person then I think I'd rather imagine the game then see it on the screen.

The sad part is that it's become so, well, BIG. Actually, I think it's nice to just watch a game even if it's kids.

Re: Eating Ground Beef Is Still A Big Health Gamble

TT — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:32:19 -0000

why is the US importing beef?

Re: Are Health Insurance Profits Really A Problem?

TT — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:36:30 -0000

I suspect the only way to fix this across the board is for the govt to mandate a billing system that all insurers/providers must adhere to.

how much would be saved if this one problem were fixed?

I lived in Australia for about 12 years. The only staff my GP had was a front office/receptionist that also managed the payments and scheduling for the patients. It was a bus practice with several GPs working there. Medical records were kept online and I received a copy of all lab reports/x-rays/etc.

Re: Are Health Insurance Profits Really A Problem?

TT — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:30:36 -0000

The insurance companies COULD make it easier for the doctors/patients to receive their reimbursement or to bill the insurance company. Why don't they? Why have they made it more and more complicated?

Reimbursement is made intentionally complex and difficult to both the doctor and the patient in the hopes that either everyone will give up and go away or a time limit will expire. It costs the doctor in additional staff to manage the insurance claims and the patient in time/money, effort and stress in trying to be reimbursed or to get the insurance company to pay for what they have agreed to pay.

Why do they do this? profit. Why don't they change and fix what their 'customers' and the 'health care providers' have been requesting for years/decades? The insurance companies have absolutely no reason to fix it.

We end up paying for insurance specialists that work with doctors/hospitals as part of our 'health care cost'. They, like the insurance companies, add no value to actual health care.

Re: Of Dr. E., Me, and Dick Cheney

TT — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:26:49 -0000

Cheney said that he supported same-sex marriages back in 2000 at least and maybe before that. His daughter was born in '69. So she would've been 30 in 2000. I guess everyone could be 'more' supportive about things they believe in but honestly I can't see slamming the guy for saying that he supports same-sex marriages. However he came to the decision to support same-sex marriages, because of his daughter or a friend or whatever, he still made the decision so saying that he doesn't *really* care for homosexuals or their issues, isn't really the point.

We all tend to care about other people and support causes where we think or feel that it's the right thing to do.

Re: Fixing Health Care in a Week

TT — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:03:33 -0000

overuse/misuse wouldn't be an issue if costs are shared and people are given choices. There's always going to be some abuse of systems, whatever you put in place. Abuse of systems happens today from all sides. Some insurance companies abuse the system, some drs abuse the system and some patients abuse the system.

We have care rationing today, it's not called that but it amounts to the same thing. If you don't have the money, you either don't get care or you have limited access to care. If you have insurance *and* the insurance company agrees to pay, you might get care. Or if you have access to cash you might get care. Step into some of the discussion groups about illnesses, cancer, amyloidosis, transplants, whatever and one of the biggest topics is INSURANCE (how to get them to pay) or how to pay for treatment in some other way.

Single payer isn't the perfect answer, but it's far better than what we have now. I've lived under single payer for about 12 years with family and it has worked well for us. We actually saw the GP when we went in, I could get appointments, same day when needed. There was only one front office person and paperwork was far less complicated. I took my receipt to the medicaid office and they reimbursed me.
That was it. Cheaper for everyone when it's simple.

Re: http://themoderatevoice.com/39800/39800/

TT — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:59:27 -0000

Thank you for the insight.
Beautiful poster and poem.
Interesting that the way you saw the alphabet at first is how some schools teach the alphabet, as pictures and that's how the written word started, as pictures...

Re: Conservative Website At Center Of Growing Furor Over Attacks On Obama’s Underage Daughter

TT — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:40:32 -0000

Austin is right.
It is disheartening to read these types of things regardless of political leanings, to know that there are people out there, probably walking around on the same streets as the rest of us, riding the buses, shopping for groceries and these people have so much hate for the people around them because? what? politics? skin color? religion? what is it?
It's like poison, just reading about it makes me feel ill.
What is the antidote? For me it's a walk in the woods past the fields of horses and highland cattle I'll feel mostly better, I'll put it out of my mind but what about the people that have so much hate?

I found this site because of Dr Estes and for a long time I only read her posts. I should go back to that.
I'll change my name to head-in-the-sand. No newspapers, no reading of 'comments', no TV...
:/

Re: Michael Jackson: The Black Tribal Funeral

TT — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:56:17 -0000

GallantKnight -

Thank you.
So true.

and

Thank You Dr E.
you brought back so many memories
of so many passings.

Re: A King David for Our Times

TT — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:18:42 -0000

"Plus, God did not consider David's lapses past and gone because he took David and Bathsheba's first-born son, Absalom. The atonement was forced upon David; he did not show any willingness to atone on his own."

Because this is such a interesting story and one of the first uses of parable and because David wrote Psalm 51 in repentance... I'd like to clarify:

David did repent and was forgiven.

Absalom was not David and Bathsheba's first born son. Absalom's mother was Maachah (or Maacah). David and Bathsheba's first born son did die a week after his birth, becoming sick after Nathan left David and died before being named.

Nathan told the story that brought about David's repentance.

David did repent deeply *after* Nathan was sent to him and told the parable (one of the first parables told) about the two men, one rich and one poor and the poor man's only beloved little lamb that was taken by the rich man to feed a traveler. (2 Samuel 12) After hearing Nathan's story, David was angry and said, 'As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb four-fold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.' David didn't realize that the story was about himself. Nathan listens to David's outrage and then Nathan tells David that David is that man and David repents deeply as evidenced by Psalm 51.

Psalm 51 written by King David is a Psalm of Repentance which is introduced and begins:

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

Re: A King David for Our Times

TT — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:18:14 -0000

"...violate those very same principles and virtues, I believe that's called hypocrisy. But I may be wrong..."

you are wrong. Hypocrisy, to quote wikipedia: Hypocrisy is the act of pretending that one has beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities or standards that they do not actually have; this is usually done in order to mask their actual motives or feelings; falseness.

The term hypocrite is widely misused. Many persons state that hypocrisy is the action of 'not practising what you preach'. It is easy to see the resemblance, and completely understandable why there has been widespread confusion. However, this, like many others, is an incorrect definition

so, we may know that something is wrong and say that that thing is wrong but we may still do it. That doesn't make us a hypocrite.

Sanford would only be a hypocrite if he didn't actually believe that adultery was wrong but said that he believed it was wrong. There is no indication that this is the case.

Re: A King David for Our Times

TT — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:09:25 -0000

You know, it would be easier to take this seriously if there was less glee involved.

Re: The Humanity and Hypocrisy of Mark Sanford

TT — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:43:30 -0000

I've thought about this a lot today. Political scandal is not something I usually find interesting, particularly if it involves their private lives. But with the constant cries of hypocrisy I thought I'd look it up the word to see what it actually means.

After reading what wikipedia says about it, I'd have to say that Sanford isn't a hypocrite. He does know that what he did was wrong, he isn't claiming beliefs that he doesn't have. He clearly believes that what he did was wrong since he has apologized and asked for forgiveness and seems quite sincere.

so, there you go - it's not about hypocrisy.

Here's what I found:

from Wikipedia:

Hypocrisy is the act of pretending that one has beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities or standards that they do not actually have; this is usually done in order to mask their actual motives or feelings; falseness.

Father: You know, it's wrong to swear.
Son: You hypocrite!
Father: How so?
Son: You always swear.
Father: That doesn't make me a hypocrite.

The father is correct, as opposed to the son, who isn't. Had the father stated he doesn't swear, (assuming that the son is correct in saying he always swears) he would have been a hypocrite. Had he not actually agree with the statement, again, he would have initiating a hypocritical situation. The possession of the belief is what labels the situation, not the practice of the belief. Self-contradiction is not necessarily synonymous with hypocrisy. As Samuel Johnson remarked in Rambler No. 14:

"Nothing is more unjust, however common, than to charge with hypocrisy him that expresses zeal for those virtues which he neglects to practise; since he may be sincerely convinced of the advantages of conquering his passions, without having yet obtained the victory, as a man may be confident of the advantages of a voyage, or a journey, without having courage or industry to undertake it, and may honestly recommend to others, those attempts which he neglects himself."[1]

(there is more on wikipedia)

Re: Burger King’s New Ad: A New Low In Vulgar Ads Aimed At Young Customers (UPDATED)

TT — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:28:03 -0000

Prudish? You must be joking. Advertising like this, aimed at kids, is simply crude.

Re: David Letterman Apology, Bristol Palin: How To Create A Whore (In Some Minds)

TT — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:52:26 -0000

Comedy doesn't have to be rough to be funny - just think of any number of comedians that are funny without being politically correct and without being 'rough' in the sense that jokes Letterman made were 'rough' or 'ugly'.

Not thinking that something like that is 'funny' does not indicate someone is lacking a sense of humour.
Calling something a joke doesn't mean it's funny. For example, jokes about children being sexually abused is not something I would find 'funny'. Perhaps there are some people that would but I would not draw the conclusion that people that find it funny have 'a sense of humour' and I don't.

Regardless of the situations that children are put in by their parents, the children should be protected by our society and that includes speaking out when they are joked about in this sort of way. It's the same when someone tells you a racist 'joke' at a party. It's not 'just a joke' and we should stand up and say so.

Re: Healthcare: Paying for It

TT — Sun, 31 May 2009 14:04:20 -0000

Since you asked :)...

among other things we could:
implement laws that severely restrict marketing to children period.
restrict marketing in certain areas the same way that cigs/alcohol have restrictions on marketing
and/or
We could out-market the companies who are currently encouraging bad lifestyle choices
also
Local planning councils could permit/encourage/demand walking neighborhoods with neighborhood shops/parks/cafes/etc., rather than clumping the shops/etc into strip malls that have to be driven to and from.
To me the local councils are a key player - and whoever licenses shops. That's where small businesses get stymied.

It's a complex issue isn't it?

Personally we got rid of the TV about 3 years ago - life's too short and I don't like the influence on the small children...

Re: Healthcare: Paying for It

TT — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:09:12 -0000

We don't have to take choices away but we could level the playing field a bit if we could stop the incessant marketing of bad health choices to people via tv/radio/media and in the food stores in particular. The rapidly shrinking produce section is a real concern.

We could market healthy choices instead. No nasty tax disincentives to administrate
We could encourage local neighborhood businesses like fruit and veg shops, butchers, bakers, SMALL grocery stores with some raw ingredients and not so much processed/packaged foods (Trans fats anyone?). Shops that are close enough to walk to (exercise). Instead of marketing/selling pepsi and coke we could sell the idea of kitchen gardens and small farms and living and eating locally. This might also encourage people to slow down and to stop multi-processing (good for mental health as well). While we're at it how about some local cafe's as well? With real chefs cooking real food and *not* brought in from some food industrial complex in handy portion controlled packaging to be warmed up by the staff... This would also provide useful employment and business ownership and people that have a vested interest in the people and the community.

The possibilities are endless (and healthy)! :)

We shouldn't penalize people for being swayed by the marketing machines that assault us everyday that encourage unhealthy choices and lifestyles.

We could even re-employ the marketing people that currently work for Coca-cola/Pepsi/McDonalds/Heinz/etc since they've done such a good job with their current employers.
:)

Re: When A Good Mother Sails From This World

TT — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:45:14 -0000

Thank you.

My mother 'sailed from this world' a little over a year ago and I often feel very much 'a ship who’s lost her riggings;
suddenly come unmoored'...

This past weekend, before I read this article, I attended two workshops: First Steps in Story Telling and Story Telling as Communion by Horst Kornberger. In the introduction we were asked to name one of our favorite stories. One of mine is your beautiful story within a story within a story, 'The Faithful Gardener'. Which lead to me pulling it off the book shelf and reading it again. It is like a conversation with an old friend whom one loves dearly.

My little mama was so much with me while I listened and learned and tried to connect and be with the people listening. Mama was so good at meeting people right where they were and giving them something that they really needed at that particular moment. Although she was not aware of doing this; it was just a part of her.

And the reason I was at the storytelling workshops, the reason I became interested in storytelling and the healing property of story was because of your many influences over the years Dr Estes.

Thank you.
Thank you and Bless you and
May God keep you in the palm of his hand and
May his face shine upon you and bring you peace.

Angela