Saturday, July 28, 2012

Victims of Colorado massacre not covered by health insurance!

This is one of those times when I do not want to believe the words I am writing. I have read a report in the NZ Sunday Herald today about how some of the victims of the cruel massacre in Colorado may face huge medical bills. If this is true, because hospitals in the USA are only obliged to ‘stabilize’ victims of accidents or other  ‘foul play,’ then I say shame on a nation that espouses lofty ideals about freedom and fair play to the rest of the world.
I communicate with some very humane and intelligent people in the USA and from time to time they express views very close to my own. On this issue I will be looking forward to their comments.
It is inconceivable to me that any nation purporting to be ‘developed’ and boasting high standards of living for the majority of its citizens, along with strong laws on taxation so that Government can guarantee a minimum life standard for those who are not able to look after themselves, through no fault of their own can be so remiss in situations like this.
I guess my views would be labelled naïve and left of centre for large sections of the population in the USA and indeed here in NZ too, but I propose that any decent society at least aims for the goal of taking a role in caring for its people. Yes, that means higher taxation, but for me, that means I can sleep at night knowing that the vast majority of my fellow citizens have at least the basics of life and would certainly be well cared for in situations like those we have sadly witnessed yet again in Colorado.

Is it womens' beachball or is it something else/

I was watching women’s’ beach ball (delayed) this morning---the game itself is great but I had to wonder at the difference in costumes between the men and the women. If it was about comfort, ease of playing, then wouldn’t you expect the uniforms to be similar? Now before you start accusing me of perving, anyone who knows me well, knows that is not what I was doing.
Let’s just say that if they wore much less, we would be verging on ‘soft porn.’ All things being equal, but they’re not, then the men would be wearing speedos! So what’s this all about? Is it about marketing and TV audience size?
Of course it is, because I cannot see any other reason for the ‘disparity.’ OK, OK---- I’m not about to rain on your parade(s) so just go for it. I guess it just makes it most unlikely that we will see teams from some of the more ‘extreme’ Islamist Republics eh! ---or from very religious Christian communities.
Here endith my musings.
I suppose I better take perdy for a walk in the rain and leave you guys to your 'viewing.'

Two weeks ago, I couldn't have given a stuff about the Olympics---

It’s true---two weeks ago I really didn’t give a toss about the Olympics. I mean---all the hype was pissing me off big time. Why—the usual reasons: the financial input---what the hell---I’ll just leave it and fill you in about what’s happened to change that. I remember saying to my sister that I wasn’t going to take advantage of the extra channels that ‘My Sky has on---- there are about 8 of them. I was actually thinking of getting rid of Mysky because believe me it costs heaps (I think it’s about NZ$120 a month on the plan I’m on) and if any of you have read my DIJAC series of blogs (Damn---It’s Just Around the Corner---referring to the need to get real about a reduced income once one hits that ‘magic age,’) you would wonder at such an expense.
All of those ‘words’ have gone out the window and my former protestations have been whipped aside as I have become addicted to the large screen at the end of my lounge. The two weeks ahead of me are going to be ‘taken over by the events on the other side of the world in ‘Mother Britain.’
‘Sacrilege!’ you shout. ‘How could you?’
Well, once I started watching the Opening Ceremony---live for the first part and then the recorded version. Something snapped in me to let loose a plethora of thoughts and feelings. Was it something in my heritage that evoked deep feelings of past lives in the Isles of my origin? I found myself feeling ‘proud.’ Where the hell did that come from? Am I just an emotionally imprisoned individual who is prone to these types of psychic takeovers?’
Whatever it was, I found myself absolutely and irreversibly captured by the scenes from that magnificent stadium. I found myself on the verge of tear-jerking madness, especially as I observed the totally wonderful sequence that led up to the ‘Queen’ jumping out of a helicopter with her loyal lieutenant, James Bond---wonderfully funny and imaginative. Therein lay the key for me for the whole ceremony.
The Britts hit the mark like no one else can, no matter how many millions they throw at the event. The combinations of culture, history, music and sheer pageantry blew me away. If anything was going to draw me in, that was it.
Now on Sunday Morning, New Zealand time, I am able to navigate through the channels, catching up on the day’s events whilst wondering if I am going to be able to escape the box and take Perdy for her walk (or manic run) and visit the supermarket to purchase the means of earthly sustenance I shall need for the following week Then there is work--- Ooops I better attend to that responsibility--- they don’t have Mysky there though.