baerbel

Looks like this is a hit with the Michaels. Thank you both! Regards, Barb :)

...thank you for looking :)

Thank you, Joe. It's fun to play around with photo shop every once in a while. B :)

WOW! This snowstorm just blew me away! Fabulous work.

...another version. Thank you for looking :)

Joe, it took me forever to scroll down to the bottom, and all compliments possible have been made. So I will just add a quick "fabulous" and leave it at that. Warm regards, Barb :)

Shawn, no, I am not in view at all. And I agree, a bit dark - might try and work with it later on. I aim to please. B ;)

Jayme,

 

 

I will try to make this brief and also my last appearance on here. :) Yes, I mostly do agree, federal bureaucracy needs to be limited, but I also think, if we like it or not, much of it is necessary. As a libertarian, you trust the free market more than a central government - as a liberal, I do not. (At least in general, for I do have a real problem with our present administration, but that's beside the point!)

 

 

You hail the 'free market' and 'free enterprise', but obviously business exists solely to make money, as it should. There HAS to be oversight to protect the consumers and the environment. Too many regulations can strangle business, but having none can be even worse. Remember the Savings and Loan scandal? Deregulation at its worst, which cost us, the taxpayers, over 120 billion, and we may be heading for another bank bail-out right now. It is apparent that our free market does not learn from mistakes, it will never regulate itself, profits and greed will always be the dominant factor. And look at history. Coolidge's laizzes fair policies of the 20s was one of the major reasons for the big depression of the 30s. Experiments in Chile and New Zealand also show what happens when there are no regulations and everything is privatized. A few got extremely wealthy, but in the long run the fate of the majority grew much worse: with the social safety net diminished, poverty increased by more than 30%, there was a marked increase in violent crime as well as suicide rates, natural resources were plundered and the environment polluted.

 

 

So your 3 inch shy hallway story is regulation gone awry (ficticiously anyway), but all in all oversight is a good thing and necessary. WITHIN REASON it has to exist for balance, for the protection of the work force, for safety, for the environment, and for he rest of us and those that follow. The federal government CAN be effictive and smart, we - the people - just have to hold it accountable, stay better informed, and not accept the bending of facts and/or outright lies. You say 'throw all the bums out', just getting rid of most of the lobbyists would be a good start already. They yield way too much influence. According to you federalized health care is "just plain wrong, it will not work". I don't agree. Obviously you have never been to Europe or Canada, for it can and it does work. I have been there, I have experienced it. I have friends and aquaintances in many of the European countries and Canada, and they are all quite happy with their health care. No system will ever be perfect, but the negative examples of long waits with Universal Healthcare or other problems as spread by our media and/or our insurance companies, are few and far between, and they could be MORE than matched with horror stories of our own system. Not sure if you saw the 60 minutes special recently about "Remote Area Medical", which set up in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was heartbreaking on one hand and embarrassing on the other. Embarrassing that this is happening in our country.

 

 

Americans spend more on HC, yet are falling behind in overall health and longevity compared to other industrialized countries, the costs keep going up and more and more people forego insurance all together. They just can not afford it. As we all know Hillary's reform plan was shot down 15 years ago, did the conservatives come up with a better one in all those years? If so, I have not heard. Some of your own ideas may be an improvement, but still leave the uninsured uninsured. You mentioned a band-aid cure. This to me would be it.

 

 

 

I realize that the term 'socialized healthcare' makes some people curl up in a fetal position and complain 'this is the USA for crying out loud'. But again: it makes no sense to decide what will and won't work based on its resemblance to a political ideology. Let's judge a thing on it's own merit. Civilizations evolve. If we had not changed and evolved since our inception we would be 3rd world. There is nothing wrong with plucking the more desirable tenets from another discipline and applying them to our own in the name of human progress. Not to do so would be utterly stupid.

 

 

 

As I said before, our health is NOT a commodity like Farberge eggs or flat screen TV, it can NOT be trusted to insurance companies who seek maximum profits, try to influence doctors about which care to give or not to give, and pay bonuses to adjusters who deny valid claims. With healthcare bills being the main reason for bankruptcies right now, with close to 50 million people unsinsured and millions more underinsured, it is obvious there needs to be a change from the status quo. To stay the course would be disastrous. I myself am fine, I have decent coverage, but being a liberal, I do have a social conscience. As the 'richest country on earth' and as a 'Christian nation' we should make health care accessible to all, not just to the more affluent in our society, and we should make it accessible with out bankrupting 2 million people a year. It's the right thing to do.

 

 

 

Okay, 'nuff said. I appreciate you initiating a political discussion on this site. Some may think it is not the right venue, but why not?! We have different political views and will not agree, obviously. Also you are looking at the issue from the viewpoint of the provider, I from that of the consumer, which makes a difference. Let's hope people smarter than us will tackle this issue in the near future and make the right decisions. There are two out there who could. I have hope. With that I am stepping down from this soap box. No "smack, smack" from me, just a friendly good bye. Take care, Barb

 

 

Thanks, Dave. It's a great city to visit. I always try to catch at least one art exhibit when there. This time Lucien Freud - fabulous! It was a cold five days, however, especially for someone coming from Florida. My next trip will be Apr/May, which is the most beautiful up there. Everything will be green and in bloom. Thanks for stopping by. Barb :)

Nice image, GJ! Love the colors and the closeness of the golden cloud in this one. Well done! :)

...not sure if 'humor' is the right category, but didn't know where

else to put it. Thank you for looking.

...this is close to the MOMA in NYC. Thank you for looking :)

Oh wow! Is this real money? And your ice tea on the counter, I suppose. Interesting place. I like your choice of sepia here, though I wonder how it would look like in color. Did you find out why the owner decided to decorate the place in this manner?

Fabulous - a piece of art. One has to wonder, however - the hands - did they drop him in the hole or are they reaching out to help him? Hopefully the latter. B ;)

Absolutely beautiful!!! Composition, light, tones - all perfect, plus there is a wonderful mood. Love it. :)

Dave, the image in the center of the coffee can sure was puzzling. A KKK member robed in black? Little Riding Hood with a sword? I think I finally figured it out. It's someone, who's hair stood up after taking a sip of Dale's coffee.... Am I close? Barb ;)

Jim, good pic, though I would prefer to see more of the surroundings in this case. The little girl reminds me of my own trip through South America and witnessing extreme poverty close-up, especially in Bolivia. I came to the realization then, that many of the poor in this world are given absolutely no chance at all, suppressed forever by those at the top. What I saw on that trip, still haunts me to this day.

Jayme,

 

Okay, so we agree - the cost for uninsured care is mostly shifted over to the rest of us, insurance companies charge way too much, and healtcare providers get too little. However, I don't think Michelle Obama is responsible for all this, and neither are you. And I still doubt that any uninsured person can go to a hospital for ANY kind of care, it has to be pretty serious or emergency care. You may very well be correct about the availability of grants and endowment funds, but I doubt they are handed out as freely as you make it sound. And they certainly would not cover the healthcare costs for 47 million people.

 

Here are two personal stories relating to health care: My daughter visited me in Florida a few years ago. She, husband and small child had insurance for several years to the tune of $1,200 a month (more now). On her last day here we had to take her to a clinic, because of severe stomach pains. The diagnosis was "stomach flu, it's going around". She returned to New York that same evening. In the middle of the night the pains became intolerable and her husband rushed her to a hospital nearby. Emergency operation at 4am - ectopic pregnancy, which had burst - she was told if she had come in a little later she may not have made it. The bill came to $25,000. BUT.....the insurance company denied payment, because "the hospital was not on their approved list". It has not been settled to this day.

 

Other story, an acquaintance, in her own words: "You are wrong about hospitals not being able to garnish your wages and putting a lien on your home!! They can and yes they will. They did it to me! They also affected my credit to the point of being unable to buy a second house.

 

I HAD health insurance, BC/BS. I was diagnosed with cancer, I had to have a hysterectomy and chemo. My insurance company decided to drop me using a lame excuse. The hospital refused to give me chemo and then came after me full force for their money for the hysterectomy. They got a judgement they garnished my wages and put a lien on my existing house. I had to obtain attorneys I had to fight fight fight, not only for my life but for my wordly possesions.

 

This is not an isolated situation. Since my younger sister and I were diagnosed 90 days apart, her insurance company did the same to her. They dropped her, after she got out of ICU the hospital practically threw her out of the hospital. The same as me, she went for chemo was turned away to die. She too had to get attorneys and fight fight fight. I know it shortened her life, she died at the age of 26.

So don't say it can't happen. Yes, it does, and yes, they can destroy your life financially and yes they will!"

 

Fact is most Americans are unhappy with our health care system as is. If health care was equal in importance to faberge eggs or flat screen TV's then it would be ridiculous to assert that everyone is entitled to it. It is on a different level, however, and the health of each and everyone plays a role in the health of our nation as a whole. We are already slipping behind in longevity, yet we are paying much more than people in other countries.

 

Furthermore, it is ridiculous to opine what will and won't work based on its resemblance to a political ideology. Democracies or Democratic Republics, as we fancy ourselves, evolve continuously. The bad ideas are thrown out, the good ideas are kept. If the concept of a Democratic Republic hadn't evolved since the inception of our nation we'd be third world. So what is wrong with plucking the more desirable tenets from another discipline and applying them to our own in the name of human progress? Nothing at all, in my opinion.

 

You say the world is really a frightening place right now. I disagree. There have been much more frightening times in the past. But then again, I never signed on to our administration's fear mongering. Of course there are terrorists, and of course we have to go after them, but not by invading countries which are no threat to us. WMD? I don't think our administration ever seriously thought there were any. $275 million every single day for this war of choice and we are slipping deeper and deeper into debt by the minute! Our next president -Obama - sure will have has work cut out, he is inheriting a total mess. But knowing he will change the tone and the direction I do feel optimism for the first time in years.

 

Barb :)

The negative space on the left gives this image a nice balance. Well done. B ;)

Aaah, another typical Dave Meyer image. Someone used a can of spray paint to tell others not to use a can of spray paint. Hmmm! If this old wall had some interesting and colorful graffiti, it would actually be an improvement, in my opinion, and God would be pleased. But then again, what do I know. I haven't talked to her in a long, long time! B :)

Maria, your charge about David 'spouting communist doctrine' is laughable. Your professor said "read between the lines", not "plant false evidence" there - big difference!

 

Jayme, the claim, that no one is denied treatment at a hospital, no matter his or her ability to pay, is not quite true. It is emergency treatment only, one can NOT get chemo therapy for instance - isn't that correct? Also, most of the cost for that care is shifted to taxpayers by our federal, state and local governments, and to the privately insured by our hospitals, physicians and insurance company. A 2005 study found, that this shift added a hefty 8.5% to our premium. So we do have socialized healthcare in a way, albeit a very lousy version, which still leaves too many out and bankrupts about 2 million Americans every single year! Those, who don't see the need for change must have their heads someplace where the sun does not shine.

 

 

Finally, Jayme, your statement "the USA is & has been the largest threat to peace on this earth for at least the last century" is a shocking one, indeed. A threat yes, even our closest allies, the Brits, expressed this in a recent poll, but the "greatest?!" I can not agree with you here. Hitler's Nazi-Germany still holds the award in that category, sorry.

 

Barb

Dave, every edgy, hippy sympathizing protest marcher is a true romantic deep down someplace. I am sure you know that. But you are right - I am getting more mellow. Not sure if it is my advancing age or the 'hope for change' I am feeling lately.

 

I happen to live in an EXTREMELY conservative neighborhood and have always been the political 'outsider' in the past few years. At parties, when the subject came up, I was the only one that spoke out against Bush and his war. I had more heated arguments about those elusive WMD and our 'war of choice' than I care to remember.

 

But things have been changing. I am actually surprised, that even in my neighborhood there are very few, if any, Bush supporters left. I am pretty certain that either Obama or Hillary will win the next election, unless something unforeseen will happen yet. So yes, the fight is not quite over, but I do feel I can relax a little.

 

Thanks for stopping by. Barb :)

...if I only had the words - so I used my camera instead. Thank you

for looking :)

I like this! Fun composition and well balanced. :)

Nicely done! I like the way you framed the dome in the back ground! B :)