(no subject)
Apr. 6th, 2013 03:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gwydion* In Burma an entire community of Rohinger has been burned and more than 40 people including school boys were murdered. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22023830
* Two teenagers in Hebron have been shot by Israeli forces during protests in response to the death of a prisoner of cancer in Israeli jail. It is alleged he was not given appropriate medical care. Other prisoners are hunger striking. I wrote this last night, so things may be worse when you read this.
* There is a brutal flood in Argentina and more than 50 have drowned in homes or cars.
* Republicans are outright telling lies about the social security/disability system in the hopes of dismantling the social safety net. After all, why not demon people with disabilities as we have so little political power already? If you have no empathy or interest in the truth there really is no downside.
* After all, why not demonize people with disabilities as we have so little political power already? If you have no empathy or interest in the truth there really is no downside.
Remember, it takes 2-4 years to get your disability adjudicated during which you must live on $330.00 a month. You need a lawyer and a massive amount of documentation, and if you are under 55, they try very hard not to let you get any benefits. This is not easy. Trust me on this. It's as if people who are claiming it's easy have never tried it. Keep in mind too that the process is exhausting and requires a huge amount of paperwork, all of which is incredibly difficult to accomplish when you are sick. The obstacle course is nightmarish and designed to weed people out even though they do need benefits. My issues are physical to the point you can see some of the spinal damage with the naked eye if you know what to look for. My genetic markers, my x-rays, my lung deterioration are all easily measurable, so easy to prove. My mind is sharp and I still found the paperwork challenging (which is why everyone needs legal aid). I keep thinking of the poor bastards with serious brain injuries from accidents or combat trying to navigate this system, especially with physical challenges on top of it.
We should be making this easier, not harder. Yes, an occasional person will slip through, as with any system, but with the standards so high and the system rigged against people, you end up with a lot of seriously sick and injured people homeless through no fault of their own. It would be better to err on the side of compassion, both as a civilized society doing the right thing and from an economic perspective, as the homeless are way more expensive in terms of services than a disabled person with social security, medicare, and a housing subsidy, and the housed person with benefits is worth 1.30-1.50 cents in economic activity for every dollar spent. In this case the humane solution is better for society as a whole. People can live in dignity and still be prt of society and the economic system. I realize that the Republican Party rejects the concept of the greater good in favour of the ideal of a Hunger Games like Dystopia where only the whims of those born rich should be the focus of the whole government and economy, but there is no reason that the rest of us should accept that.
* The real human misery caused by the Sequester republicans insisted on continues to spread. Remember all this sacrifice is in service of doing deliberate harm to the economy and insulating the very rich from paying their share.
* Let's repeat this: cancer patients are going to literally die because Republicans want to "drown government in a bath tub." Elderly folks are going to literally starve. Small children are being kicked out of Head Start. Even though austerity is destroying our economy and the sequestration is cutting 750 thousand jobs out of the economy on top of the 88 thousand we already lost to the Republican required pay roll tax hike, in the hopes of kicking us back into Recession, the White House is offering the Republicans yet more economy killing austerity.
* Competitive Lock Picking and the gun extremist illogic about gun laws:
* Exxon is too big to care about he massive damage the Pegasus leak is doing:
* A round up of incredibly intrusive Republican Big Government attacks on basic civil liberties this week:
This is where the Republican Mainstream is now. They are trying to do things like ban straight people having oral sex, and deny kids in foster care basic sex ed..
* Yet more Gun Extremists send death threats for a Congress woman because she sponsored a bill to require them to have insurance: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/carolyn-maloney-death-threats.php?ref=fpa
* "Black Trans Woman Killed In Florida And Subsequently Misgendered By The Media:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/black-trans-woman-killed-in-florida-and.html
* "What Would 50 Days Of Nonviolence Look Like For A Trans Person?" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-would-50-days-of-nonviolence-look.html
* "Using Shakespeare in Schools to Address Violence:" http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/american-graduate/jan-june13/shakespeare_04-03.html
* "In Defense Of Slave Leia:" http://www.oliviawaite.com/blog/2011/08/in-defense-of-slave-leia/
* Everything would be easier if I could just get some uninterrupted sleep. Hector is still escalating. Tonight we crossed into the thing where he not only objects to me sleeping, but spends all evening complaining about how hungry he is while refusing to eat. He finally crashed a little after midnight. It turns out my arthritis drugs are now $80.00 for a months supply. Good thing I've been rationing the last couple weeks to give my stomach a rest. Of course it means I wake up feeling like I've been worked over with baseball bats, and the pain never really drops to reasonable, but I have an appetite again.
* Fug Madness musing: I have mentioned on a number of occasions that my interest in the royal family is entirely limited to the silly hats. When it comes to modern high fashion generally, I am pretty much in to for the visual drama. (Historial fashion is a whole other thing.) Sometimes, there is some stunning art. Most of the time it amounts to the fully body equivalent of silly hats. I am I it for that mix of the sublime and the over the top WTFery of it. It's all Halloween Costumes and silly hats to me. This is why I with fug madness, I am fundamentally more interested in the outfits where the person swung for the bleachers and missed than in people who went for a string of boring or who look frumpy for whatever reason (comfort, personal taste, etc.).
* Just a heads up for Evil Dead. It's not funny like the originals, which means it's a lot more like standard slasher films. If that isn't your taste and you aren't big on gore, best to avoid. If you do go stay for the full credits.
My roommate loved it; I rather wish I'd waited for cable.
* This haunts me: http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=953
* Two teenagers in Hebron have been shot by Israeli forces during protests in response to the death of a prisoner of cancer in Israeli jail. It is alleged he was not given appropriate medical care. Other prisoners are hunger striking. I wrote this last night, so things may be worse when you read this.
* There is a brutal flood in Argentina and more than 50 have drowned in homes or cars.
* Republicans are outright telling lies about the social security/disability system in the hopes of dismantling the social safety net. After all, why not demon people with disabilities as we have so little political power already? If you have no empathy or interest in the truth there really is no downside.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* After all, why not demonize people with disabilities as we have so little political power already? If you have no empathy or interest in the truth there really is no downside.
Remember, it takes 2-4 years to get your disability adjudicated during which you must live on $330.00 a month. You need a lawyer and a massive amount of documentation, and if you are under 55, they try very hard not to let you get any benefits. This is not easy. Trust me on this. It's as if people who are claiming it's easy have never tried it. Keep in mind too that the process is exhausting and requires a huge amount of paperwork, all of which is incredibly difficult to accomplish when you are sick. The obstacle course is nightmarish and designed to weed people out even though they do need benefits. My issues are physical to the point you can see some of the spinal damage with the naked eye if you know what to look for. My genetic markers, my x-rays, my lung deterioration are all easily measurable, so easy to prove. My mind is sharp and I still found the paperwork challenging (which is why everyone needs legal aid). I keep thinking of the poor bastards with serious brain injuries from accidents or combat trying to navigate this system, especially with physical challenges on top of it.
We should be making this easier, not harder. Yes, an occasional person will slip through, as with any system, but with the standards so high and the system rigged against people, you end up with a lot of seriously sick and injured people homeless through no fault of their own. It would be better to err on the side of compassion, both as a civilized society doing the right thing and from an economic perspective, as the homeless are way more expensive in terms of services than a disabled person with social security, medicare, and a housing subsidy, and the housed person with benefits is worth 1.30-1.50 cents in economic activity for every dollar spent. In this case the humane solution is better for society as a whole. People can live in dignity and still be prt of society and the economic system. I realize that the Republican Party rejects the concept of the greater good in favour of the ideal of a Hunger Games like Dystopia where only the whims of those born rich should be the focus of the whole government and economy, but there is no reason that the rest of us should accept that.
* The real human misery caused by the Sequester republicans insisted on continues to spread. Remember all this sacrifice is in service of doing deliberate harm to the economy and insulating the very rich from paying their share.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Let's repeat this: cancer patients are going to literally die because Republicans want to "drown government in a bath tub." Elderly folks are going to literally starve. Small children are being kicked out of Head Start. Even though austerity is destroying our economy and the sequestration is cutting 750 thousand jobs out of the economy on top of the 88 thousand we already lost to the Republican required pay roll tax hike, in the hopes of kicking us back into Recession, the White House is offering the Republicans yet more economy killing austerity.
* Competitive Lock Picking and the gun extremist illogic about gun laws:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* Exxon is too big to care about he massive damage the Pegasus leak is doing:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
* A round up of incredibly intrusive Republican Big Government attacks on basic civil liberties this week:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
This is where the Republican Mainstream is now. They are trying to do things like ban straight people having oral sex, and deny kids in foster care basic sex ed..
* Yet more Gun Extremists send death threats for a Congress woman because she sponsored a bill to require them to have insurance: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/04/carolyn-maloney-death-threats.php?ref=fpa
* "Black Trans Woman Killed In Florida And Subsequently Misgendered By The Media:" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/black-trans-woman-killed-in-florida-and.html
* "What Would 50 Days Of Nonviolence Look Like For A Trans Person?" http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2013/04/what-would-50-days-of-nonviolence-look.html
* "Using Shakespeare in Schools to Address Violence:" http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/american-graduate/jan-june13/shakespeare_04-03.html
* "In Defense Of Slave Leia:" http://www.oliviawaite.com/blog/2011/08/in-defense-of-slave-leia/
* Everything would be easier if I could just get some uninterrupted sleep. Hector is still escalating. Tonight we crossed into the thing where he not only objects to me sleeping, but spends all evening complaining about how hungry he is while refusing to eat. He finally crashed a little after midnight. It turns out my arthritis drugs are now $80.00 for a months supply. Good thing I've been rationing the last couple weeks to give my stomach a rest. Of course it means I wake up feeling like I've been worked over with baseball bats, and the pain never really drops to reasonable, but I have an appetite again.
* Fug Madness musing: I have mentioned on a number of occasions that my interest in the royal family is entirely limited to the silly hats. When it comes to modern high fashion generally, I am pretty much in to for the visual drama. (Historial fashion is a whole other thing.) Sometimes, there is some stunning art. Most of the time it amounts to the fully body equivalent of silly hats. I am I it for that mix of the sublime and the over the top WTFery of it. It's all Halloween Costumes and silly hats to me. This is why I with fug madness, I am fundamentally more interested in the outfits where the person swung for the bleachers and missed than in people who went for a string of boring or who look frumpy for whatever reason (comfort, personal taste, etc.).
* Just a heads up for Evil Dead. It's not funny like the originals, which means it's a lot more like standard slasher films. If that isn't your taste and you aren't big on gore, best to avoid. If you do go stay for the full credits.
My roommate loved it; I rather wish I'd waited for cable.
* This haunts me: http://www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=953
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-06 01:33 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-07 03:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-06 05:11 pm (UTC)Benefits are a touchy subject for me at the moment. The conservative government's changing everything. I hate them. We didn't even vote for them up here in Scotland but we're still stuck with the laws they implement. They've been saying a lot of ridiculous things. We had one Conservative MP parking in disabled parking which he is not entitled to do so. Another on a salary of £160,000 claiming he could live off £50 a week. There's sneaky taxes they've implemented that will penalise the disabled and try to push them out of their homes. And at the same time they're ensuring that the rich are better off.
We're made to feel like criminals. I hate going for my benefits reviews. It's one of the most harrowing experiences I've been through. I don't actually claim all the benefits I'm entitled to because I feel a sense of dread at the very idea of applying. I'm forced to attend a medical interview, in a completely strange location, with a highly paid doctor that I don't know, who specialises in getting people off of the benefits system, who quite likely gets a bonus for people he manages to catch 'cheating the system'. Or they did get bonuses in the past, I'm not sure about now. And this person I've never met, who doesn't specialise in psychiatry, has to ask me a lot of deeply personal questions about my medical situation and I have to hope that my answers in the interview will be enough that they won't remove my benefits.
I can't understand why anyone would be willing to go through that if they didn't need to? Why they'd be willing to jump through the hoops of filling in so many forms filled with intensely personal information, the anxiety of waiting for a response only to discover that they've lost your forms and you need to get new ones and fill them in all over again.
The benefits system we have here has saved my life. However it's not pleasant. I barely scrape by moneywise and a lot of luxuries people take for granted are things I could never dream of. Yet we're told over and over again that people choose to live on benefits, that they choose to cheat the system stealing all of the tax-payers hard earned money. That we're a waste. That we're as good as criminals. It just makes me feel sick. People get to judge me.
But at least it's not as bad as it is for you. We do at least have a working system for all that the government's trying to destroy it.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-07 03:46 am (UTC)