Current Issues With Our Healthcare System

My apologies in advance for the tone of this rant - I don't feel well today - and I'm just beyond frustrated with the healthcare in my town and in general. 

(HOWEVER, I just added a PS at the end of this post before publishing it, after speaking with my mom, that gives it a happy ending - because it was only 1 of 2 times in my life my mom said words I've always wanted to hear from her my whole life 💞💞)

 

Let me just start with this - this has nothing to do with the argument about public/socialized healthcare - or I guess it does somewhat, but indirectly?

So ... I'm not sure most of the country is aware, but when Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" went into effect in August, not only did it cut financial aid for my program down to not even covering tuition (much less my materials, and my program was only offered part time), but it also cut financial aid for medical school, advanced  health practitioners like PAC's and APRNs, dental school, veterinary school, law school, and any master's degrees and PhD programs.

(For proof, check out THIS LINK from the American Medical Association - yes, it mentions cuts to public healthcare, but it also goes into detail about cuts to financial aid for medical schools and other advanced-practice healthcare degrees, masters degree, or PhD programs.)

So we already had a drop in medical school enrollment the last few years because no one could afford medical school anymore, even with financial aid, resulting in a doctor shortage causing longer wait times.

Now, after Trump's Big Beautiful Bill went into effect in August, enrollment in medical school and other higher-degree programs is at it's lowest rate in decades, and it consists of not the best students - just those whose families can afford it without financial aid (which aren't many!)

Thus, when people argue against socialized healthcare like in Europe, I roll my eyes and point to the wait times we have now because of the healthcare provider shortage - which is only going to get worse if Congress doesn't do SOMETHING about financial aid and/or healthcare costs.

However, if you DO you approve of these financial aid cuts for medical school, dental school, veterinary school, law school, and any masters degrees or PhD programs ...

... and you also don't approve of socialized healthcare like in Europe (who seem no worse financially overall for it and they are still capitalist overall) ...

Please, do tell us - what do YOU recommend to cover the doctor and provider shortage only getting worse?

Because at this rate, we will quickly go from having among the best and brightest physicians in the world to a small circle of mediocre to poor ones.

Now, on a personal note ...

I've not needed to use healthcare much myself until now, as I've been lucky in that I've enjoyed good health.

However, after this car accident, I have had rude awakening as to how much healthcare has deteriorated in the last 10 years since Mark's stroke - plus I have had a UTI for over a week on top of it with a fever, making everything hurt worse -  and I am now on my second antibiotic, which also doesn't appear to be working!

So the second antibiotic is nitrofurantoin, which I told my urologist's APRN doesn't typically work for me in my visit.

She prescribed it anyway via call in as my second antibiotic.

What I did NOT say, not wanting to act like a Karen and tell her how to do her job is - the AUA guidelines recommend NOT using nitrofurantoin as second-line treatment because it's a fairly weak antibiotic and there is rampant resistance to it now.

So ... why would you ever use a known weak/multi-resistant UTI antibiotic as a second antibiotic, after the first one failed? 

Then to top it off, she wrote me this note when she called in the prescription -  "If this doesn't get it, see your PCP to rule out other causes."

What the ???

That makes no sense.

Because the only symptoms I have are UTI symptoms - and you just proved a UTI with urine culture!

(Though the culture curiously didn't separate between what was first line and second line antibiotic regarding bacteria susceptibility, which it should have/normally does).

AND you're not doing what AUA guidelines say regarding nitrofurantoin use.

But you want to send me back to my PCP  if this antibiotic doesn't cure my culture-proven UTI, though you're a urologist??? 

Why - because you don't want to take the time to investigate it further?

Okay, you can kick that can down the road if you like to my PCP if you want - but all she will do is refer me straight back to you, because urology is YOUR purview - but only after charging me $90 because I'll have to see her to get the referral!

So my mom recommended her urologist at Baptist Health.

I explained that I would love to and tried, but they need 2 positive cultures in a 6-month period or they won't see you.

I had 5 UTIs in 2025.

Then after my current urologist denied my request for estrogen cream as UTI prevention (see story below) that my menopause-certified GYN prescribed - guess what?

No UTIs for a year!

(Until now, after the accident.)

So I don't have 2 in the last 6 months.

But nope, no exceptions/

THIS practice claims this rule is based on "What the AUA guidelines say."

Which brings me to another point about the AUA guidelines ...

So ,,, there's middle ground between not following the guidelines at all and following them too stringently that is even written in the guidelines themselves - because they are guidelines after all, not rules

The AUA guidelines advise to "use your best judgment" on a case-by-case basis, while considering the patient's history and the severity of symptoms.

Did they stutter?

So how about THIS?

How about you at least review the latest guidelines first, before even seeing me, just to make sure you're up to date.

Then, if it makes sense to stringently follow them, do so.

But also do as the guidelines say and consider the patient's history and severity of symptoms first and then "use your best judgment" on a case-by-case basis. 

Or does that make too much sense for you ?

Or perhaps you need it spelled out more explicitly in the guidelines, either because you don't have time/don't want to read them - OR - because there's some sort of reading comprehension issue, in which case, maybe you shouldn't be a healthcare provider at all?

Because making people that have years' worth of cultures proving chronic UTIs have 2 culture-proven only in the last 6 months from other providers before seeing them is just absurd!

It leaves no room for diagnostic or treatment errors from other providers, changes in immunity or health status, or extenuating circumstances like oh, I dunno - blunt force trauma to the lower abdomen from severe car accident?!? 

Thus, because THIS practice goes to far the other way, I have to keep going to the same piss-poor low-rated urologists at Lexington Clinic, who now want to send me back to my PCP despite culture-proven evidence of UTI, because they can't/don't want to figure it out!

Don't get me wrong, out of everyone I've seen since the accident, Baptist Health providers have been the best overall - it's just that rule - which is actually a guideline - is overly stringent and absurd.

Now - the thing is, until now, I've been luckily super healthy in life and still am, I just had a severe car accident (not my fault) that's apparently caused a bunch of crap to go haywire or revealed things I didn't know I had.

Until now, I only saw doctors for routine maintenance like yearly physicals and lab values checks and female stuff, as well as Urology, due to developing chronic UTIs after menopause.

And I already knew there were some issues about doctors not knowing how to treat menopause or post menopause (see JAMA's just-published article acknowledging this problem, - Journal of the American Medical Association), but I just quietly switched to another GYN that was menopause certified, and BOOM, we're done here.

(We actually just had a class discussion about these issues about 3 months ago, so glad they just published this validating thousands of women's complaints about this.)

Thus, though I was aware of the high costs and healthcare becoming a business, as well as lack of information/knowledge about menopause, I wasn't aware of how effed up our actual care in general has become in the last 10 years especially locally, until I really needed them myself!

(Don't get me wrong - like I said, my neurosurgeon and Baptist Health ER- Hamburg have been EXCELLENT.)

But I cannot ignore the series of very severe errors that weren't one-offs - with imaging, medical record/clerical errors, going on hunches rather than further investigation, and generally dismissive/too busy attitudes.

This despite the fact that I rarely go to the doctor except maintenance, and maybe I'm coming in repeatedly now - NOT because I'm a sudden hypochondriac - but because, oh, I don't know - maybe because I had multiple injuries after a severe car accident that didn't all show up the first day of accident due to internal swelling, as is common???

And God forbid that I have a UTI now on top of it that appears to be antibiotic-resistant and more difficult to treat likely because my immune system is overwhelmed!

But hey, let's go with hunches anyway or throwing up our hands and giving up easily, rather than investigating things further! 

Oh, and hey, by the way, Kentucky?

There's this (not so) new-fangled test called a PCR assay that can be done to help with people who seem to have resistance to many UTI antibiotics as well as determine genetic predisposition to help determine which antibiotic is best AND to detect infections masked by uneffective antibiotic use or low-bacteria growth that are still symptomatic?

But hell no, that's too scary and new for Kentucky, and expensive - let's not do THAT claiming it MIGHT be wrong and increase antibiotic resistance - but then make patients go through a series of antibiotics like guinea pigs and rack up their bill anyway with repeat visits, which created the problem in the first place?!?

So you wait 6 weeks for an an appointment due to provider shortages, get there and they seem rushed and busy, spend 15 minutes with you as a new patient, not really listening to you, making hurried decisions - and then when the thing they recommended doesn't work, they throw their hands up - ESPECIALLY if you have more than one issue, God help you, it overwhelms them because they're trying to squeeze in all your issues in about 15-20 minutes.

And we're paying hundreds and thousands out of pocket and with private insurance for THAT???

And you're afraid to say anything because THEY'RE the doctor!

(If this were a new car or TV or iPhone, or like a contractor or plumber, people would raise all kinda hell, but we don't because they're doctors, oooh)

How is any of that any worse than public health insurance, and in fact, it's worse because we pay thousands more out of pocket to get that kind of care? 

Do you have any idea what European countries with socialized healthcare pay for healthcare and prescriptions versus here?

It's literally a difference of thousands of dollars per person!

So you're paying for it anyway, either privately or publicly - just actually more with private healthcare!

Because healthcare has become a business in America -  they literally have a quota of patients to see per day now.

And let's not even start with already overreliance on AI being much of the problem with getting the medical records and imaging results wrong.

And in the end, do you know what all of those errors result in?

Costly second and third visits to the ER or doctors or need for second opinions - which of course begets higher healthcare costs.

Thus, if I DO get a settlement out of this accident, I may be spending most of it on unnecessary medical bills, which had they done their job right the first time, I wouldn't have needed!

I have no idea what to do, don't feel well, and beyond frustrated with healthcare, ESPECIALLY in this overly conservative city.

Yes, we went blue with our US district rep - but that doesn't mean that we don't still have a significant amount of MAGA,or that we are on the forefront of anything either way -  blue OR red - by any means, despite the unwarranted arrogance by our healthcare here!

Lastly, let's talk some more about the sad state of women's healthcare post menopause.

As mentioned earlier, there is a just-published JAMA-proven study and discussion on lack of provider knowledge with women post menopause(see link), 

Do you know what it feels like to be a post-menopausal woman having a health issue, but no one knows how to treat it properly because there are few proper studies on it?

It feels like - "FU, you can't have children anymore, so you have no value - you are not a priority, unimportant now, and we just don't care."

I'm sure it's NOT meant that way - at least I hope it's not conscious - but that's how it feels.

As alluded to above, just 3 years ago, I asked for estrogen cream as UTI prevention after reading a new study on it, but my urologist said it hadn't been proven.

(Um, yes, it had, a few years earlier actually, or I wouldn't have asked - but I didn't want to argue with him).

So I went to my menopause-certified GYN nurse practitioner (there were only 2 in town at that time, now there are 4) and requested it - and lo and behold, it worked to prevent them for over a year, after having 5 in a row the year prior!!!

NOW my urologist prescribes it, trynna act like I never asked for it 2 years ago and it was THEIR idea! 😂

You know, when you are up on the latest studies by years ahead of your doctor, it may be time for a new doctor - and I'm trying!

The problem is, I ran out just before my car accident, and believe me, going to have an annual pelvic exam with back and rib fractures to get a refill was not at the top of my doctor-appointment list, so thank God the urologist is now prescribing this himself/herself - albeit after I already have a UTI again!

Okay, rant over.

*HOP* off my soapbox now, fueled by feeling like sh*t today lol.

_____________________

PS -- My mom and little sister chimed in today. My mom wants to push her urologist to see me anyway and also her PCP.

So ... I may ask for others' input, but I'm not used anyone stepping in to help me fight my battles for me, or even with me, even Mark. 

(Sometimes he's done so without my knowledge and I scold him later when I find out, but I never ask him or anyone to.)

I'm not saying I've never in my life asked for help - only if the situation is really, really bad - and it's been financial, but even that was EXTREMELY rare - but NEVER to actually fight a battle for me - and I wasn't asking for any help now, either, she just offered..

It's feels very "damsel in distress" and icky to me?

So I told my mom I'd think about it.

Not only am I not used to people in general offering and meaning it, I'm especially not used to my mom offering.

So at this particular moment before she says the incredibly meaningful thing she says, I was talking about how I did understand antibiotic resistance very well - but that guinea-pigging with which antibiotic will work even after culture is only making that worse. 

I also was lamenting how doctors used to be, like when my daughter was little, how her pediatrician actually listened to me and it saved her life once - how that was the scariest thing I've ever been through in  my life, including my car accident.

(She contracted antibiotic-resistant Strep pneumonia from another student in daycare, who ended up dying from it despite being on antibiotics - because they didn't realize in time it was resistant to regular penicillin!)

I said it was tough because I was completely alone in it, no help from anyone but her pediatrician and my microbiology professor, pushing me to push past her pediatrician's receptionist and speak directly to the doctor about antibiotic switch, and I stayed up for a full 48 hours straight with an alarm on meningitis watch.

(See, when it was my daughter or Mark or my grandmother, I could do it with encouragement - when it's me, I can't find my inner "Karen" 😂)

Then my mom said "Well, I'd like to be here for you NOW, if you'll let me. "

Wait, what?

My GOD - who are you and what have you done with my mother? 😂

I literally sat down hard on my bed - and started crying, like full-on crying, which I haven't done this whole time since the accident.

NOT because I was sad, but healing tears - because these are words I've hoped to hear my whole life and thought I never would!

Plus, I think I just needed to, as I haven't since the accident, and tears release stress hormones, that's the purpose of tears.  

And I realized it doesn't mean I'm weak or a baby or overreactive or crazy - it means this has gone on a long time, I've handled as much as I could on my own, but now I'm sick with an infection inadequately treated and it's getting worse - and I'm allowing myself to face the reality that maybe this DOES suck a little, but just temporarily, before I go back to pushing forward again.

So as mentioned, we were estranged, before my mom was properly treated for bipolar disorder and other mental illness, because she literally hated me for being the first one in my family to say something else was clearly wrong other than PTSD from my Dad's abuse, when neither she, not anyone else in my family, was ready to accept that.

Now, there's no denying it - and she was actually diagnosed in 1973 with it and has been desperately trying to hide it all these years until she couldn't anymore in 2011.

So ... though she couldn't acknowledge her past behavior, I guess in the end, maybe I don't need her to - all I needed to hear was "Well, I'd like to be here for you now, if you'll let me."

WOW ... just, wow.

Whoever her therapist and shrink are now, they deserve a big 'ole raise! 😂

But I do need some adjustment time?

Because I can't say I trust it completely, either. 

My mom is 1000 times better on regular meds, but she has her moments still.

And yet it's a precious pearl moment I will always remember. 💓

This reminded me of Amy Acton, for some reason.

Amy, your situation was way worse with your mom and though I experienced abuse as a child,  I never experienced sexual abuse - but I can relate to some degree because I had a mentally ill mother that hated me and called me a liar, too, for telling the truth she didn't want to hear, and convinced a lot of other people I was for a very long time until she couldn't anymore and received proper treatment.

But I am living proof that once they are treated, it can change - they may not be able to ever admit or even remember what they did or didn't do, but they recognize it wasn't what they intended and that they want to make up for it now, if you let them.

Then, you get to see all of the best and most beautiful parts of your mom that you remember, however rare they were before treatment, your favorite parts - because very few people are all bad - they're just buried under a lot of mental illness and their own pain. 😊

Lastly, you have just achieved what is extraordinarily rare, if not nearly impossible, for survivors of child abuse of any kind, especially after efforts to intentionally trigger you in such a public way - and we are so proud of you!

Best to you! xo

Ye-e-ES! Dems Control the House and Senate! (Updated)

 

Texas and Kansas went blue?!?

Susan Collins from Maine is ousted?

MAGA's Vivek Ramaswamy's disgusting commercial backfired in Ohio and Amy Acton is now Governor (Go Amy, so proud of you for continuing after that!) - and there's a new Dem senator there as well?

Arizona went back to blue?

And very few races where Republicans won were a landslide - even West Virginia?

Elon Musk lost $300 million in donations in Texas alone? 

(Perhaps he should've given that $300 million out to the people in the form of gas vouchers 😂)

Is it my birthday?!? 

(No, it is not - and yet it feels like it.)

As for us, here in Kentucky, District 6 here in Lexington/Richmond went blue as well, replacing Andy Barr's old seat with Zach Dembo!

Good on ya, Central Kentucky, I'm proud of ya!

As for Andy Barr - yeah, he won McConnell's senate seat - but don't worry about him  - he's weak sauce and WAY out of his depth.

He rides on the coattails of stronger Republicans and sits back and says and does nothing at all, simply benefitting from being a Republican and Trump. 

In fact, we never hear a peep outta him and actually forget about him until election time.  😂

THEN he suddenly pops up in like 15-second ad slots with only 2 commercials versus countless others, and says stuff like "I'll protect you from Muslims" or more recently, literally calls liberal Democrats and DEI "Dumb Evil Indoctrination," The End, Goodbye. 😂

No, really - he really did blatantly and openly appeal just to white voters ... 

Hahaha! 

I'm laughing, not only because it's the language of a third-grader, but because I can't believe people fall for this stuff OR think it's behavior becoming of a federal politician. 

 - AND - 

Because methinks the MAGA smellers are the fellers when it comes to "dumb, evil, indoctrination." 

- AND, worst of all  - 

Openly appealing only to white people!?!

Disgusting. In fact, so disgusting that even some MAGA - particularly those of color - condemned it.

So his second commercial is better and cute, showing his 2 daughters (his wife sadly died of a brain aneurysm a few years ago), trying to catch him up to speed on current lingo - which he should've aired from the beginning!

But like I said, we forget he exists otherwise because he stays so quiet/hides lol.

But Andykins, My Little Sourdough Dumplin'?

A word, please.  

NOBODY ever said it was "a sin to be white"-  in Kentucky or anywhere else. 

In fact, only you and your MAGA cult followers say that -  dishonestly, trying to scare/manipulate voters that WE are saying that -  when we didn't. 

All we're saying is discrimination against non-whites is still a problem, especially in certain regions -  if not in the form of overt racism, then by unconscious racial bias due to our culture focusing only on white culture for so long. 

Thus, we still need some form of protections from discrimination - and if you don't like government regulation or even PRIVATE-BUSINESS DEI policies - got any other ideas?

I'll wait. Because we need something other than continuing to pretend racism doesn't exist anymore OR openly catering only to white people, like you just did in your commercial!?!  

Andykins - my little Butterball Turkey - you may have won the Senate senate, but take note of both state rep and U.S. reps wins in Kentucky.

Not all of us are dumb hillbillies, afraid of outsiders or anything or anyone new and different!

But like I said, don't worry about him, he's way out of his depth and league in this role, and he can't hide and do nothing as a senator, like he could as a U.S. rep. 

And now, he's in a Dem majority - I'm surprised if he'll even show up for votes. 😂

I'm no Mitch McConnell fan, but Mitch McConnell was a famously persuasive powerhouse, who in prior years, negotiated bipartisan deals (less so in later years).

Andy Barr is so ... NOT that.

You'll see - you won't even know he's there until election time when he comes out of his underground bunker long enough to appeal only to white people again. 

(However, I guess it's true that he can't hide and do nothing until election time, like he did as a U.S. rep, so at least we'll find out what he DOES do! 😂)

But wait ... now I'm scared?

What will Trump do?

Well, yesterday, he said he "had the ultimate power - the veto."

Um - no, you idiot - Congress can still override your veto by 2/3 vote.

Because the constitution was designed such that NO ONE had "ultimate power" over anything - which means Congress can still override you with a 2/3 vote!

Then he said late last night he will "work with Democrats" -  and  then apparently someone informed him of what the constitution actually says, so today, he's adjusted this to "I have the power of veto."

Okay, better - but again, Congress can override you with a 2/3 vote, Trump -  and then all you can do is whine to the SCOTUS, but you'd have to use millions in taxpayer money to do so, taking every single congressional bill you vetoed to the SCOTUS, who are less inclined to override congressional vote VS. their regular federal legal cases, as Congress represent the wishes of We the People (in theory).

Plus, do you really want to veto EVERYTHING, just to be spiteful and shitty?

Though rare these days, some bills really are bipartisan and we all agree on and are necessary for the American people.

Regardless, I bet he privately threw fits last night and he and Pete Hegseth are sitting there trying to cook up something as we speak 😂

Hahaha - oh, wait, yikes!

________________________

PS

Trump is uncharacteristically subdued and almost acquiescent. 

I don't like it 😂

 

So you're telling me that after trying to interfere with voting just a few days ago, he's going to just quietly roll over, accept the results without claiming fraud, stolen elections, or "illegal immigrants" like he's done every election he/MAGA loses?!?

Hmm, I dunno - that's quite an about-face and departure from his usual behavior, even just a few days ago?

So though these aren't the only possible scenarios ... 

Best case scenario? 

Someone has explained to him how much deep sh*t he's actually in now, congress being able to override his veto with 2/3 votes being the least of his worries and Alito retiring soon.

However, I doubt this is the reason because the DOJ and FBI still belong to Trump, so we aren't going to get far with any criminal cases yet.

Worst case scenario?

Something big is brewing behind the scenes in MAGA Land that even HE knows he has to keep his big uncontrollable mouth shut about -  maybe even worse than January 6th?

I hope, for our sakes, it's the former rather than the latter?

Update, 11/5/2026:

Oh, okay - Option # 3 is - he's in denial.

Re-emerging by showing off his new White House helipad???

It's kind of the modern-day equivalent of "Let Them Eat Cake."

Um, of course, that's NOT appropriate after his party just lost, well, everything in the midterm elections - or people struggling financially -  but whoever said Trump was appropriate?

There have been rumors that things weren't so serene behind the scenes, but time will tell. 

Also, I'm no JD Vance fan, but Vance clearly broke with Trump when he said they lost because of the war and the economy.

I wholeheartedly agree. 

I ... Really Wish I Had Gone Ahead and Mailed in My Vote ...

 

So ... I have voted in every major election since I was 22 years old.

However, I just heard that there's an 1 to 1.5-hour wait to vote any place you go.

I don't think my still-healing back and rib fractures can take it - even WITH the brace and lidocaine patches on.

Short walks are fine, actually good for me - standing in one place is NOT.

Also, because I was feeling so much better Saturday, once again, I started working on holiday wreaths, cleaning, and cooking normal stuff rather than just quick meals over the weekend - and by last night, I started paying for all that again, and I am definitely hurting already this morning. 

And lastly, for extra fun, I developed a UTI last Thursday, which is only half-better and we're going to need to switch antibiotics once the culture is back.

Regardless, I still got up and got ready to go - then heard about the long wait times.

I considered mailing in my vote after first injured, but didn't for 2 reasons: 

1)  I had hoped, perhaps in fantasy, that I would be healed enough by now.  

2)  Because Trump is trying so hard to interfere with the elections and is especially focused on mail-in votes, I feared it would somehow be nullified - because Trump's track record is to claim things without any proof, just to scare people, and his voters believe it!  

The good news is, thus far, judges have thrown out all of Trump's interference efforts, letting each state's attorney general handle any issues that arise. 

If there's still question after that, THEN federal level authorities step in - but it should never be the president himself!

Can you believe that despite being natural-born U.S. citizens, we now have to fear whether the President of the United States will succeed in his efforts at finding a way to invalidate or nullify our Democrat votes, by claiming things without any proof at all?!?

Also, last night, I spoke to a young neighbor couple who said they weren't going to vote because they just didn't feel their vote mattered and that Trump was trying to hard to interfere, they felt powerless.

This makes me extraordinarily sad that our young people feel like this. 😢

That me be the case - but at least we tried, I thought.

Thus, now I feel extraordinarily guilty that I can't, considering the amount of politics I blab about on here, plus I've never missed a major election since age 22 - but I simply can't do it physically yet.

(Now, if this was a presidential election, I'd get a wheelchair from somebody, hell, whatever I'd need to do it. 😂 I'd hate doing that, but ya gotta do what you gotta do. Not that this election isn't almost as important with both senate and U.S. rep seats up for grabs.)

So I'm sorry folks -  hope you're not too disappointed in me and you can forgive me and let this one slide, considering the circumstances?

I will especially feel like sh*t if it's super close!

Yes, I should've mailed it in, but I was in denial about how long this would take to heal, I guess 😂

The good news?

It's otherwise a record turnout for midterms elections!

Regardless, Dem brothers and sisters, just know I'm with you in spirit!  💞

Thoughts Before Election Day: Voltaire on the Parade of Absurdities And Atrocities/Injustices Before Us

(Editing in progress ...)

By now, you have made your decision already regarding who you are voting for, and you already know my position (liberal/Democrat), so other than the below encouragement for ALL of us to think about more about what and who we are really voting for (whether we realize it or not) and evaluate whether we've allowed ourselves to be distracted/manipulated by more petty side issues - I have nothing else to say, believe it or not!  😆

And to be honest, the constant barrage of flyers, absurd commercials telling half-truths and lies are all beyond absurd regardless of candidate, so I'm thinking "Who really believes this stuff?"

On a positive note, one of our candidates finally started focusing on what he stood for and his family, rather than just standing there calling us Democrats names like "Demrats" and idiots. 

It's like "Well, okay, since we don't know what you stand for or what your platform is or what you plan to do in office, and you have just made it clear you hate us and don't want our votes anyway, that makes it easier just to take our votes elsewhere."

I mean, bullying people to your opinion rarely works anyway.

I'm not sure what DOES work, but bullying them into it never works.😂

Well, on second thought - the current trend seems to be the more outlandish and crazy your accusation is about your opponent, even if you just pulled it out of your ... thin air ... DOES seem to work.

Truth doesn't matter - even if it's NOT true about your opponent, but IS true about YOU - just said to project/deflect attention off yourself! 😂 (Cough, cough, who's in the Epstein files and who isn't.)

This reminds me of a quote by Voltaire.

(Yes, I know, Voltaire can be problematic, wait for my discussion on that later.)

Yes, I posted the quote correctly. Though the most common English quote tossed around says "atrocities" instead of "injustices" - it's  incorrect/mistranslation.

Because the quote is from Voltaire's essay Questions sur les miracles (1765) and goes "Certainement qui est en droit de vous rendre absurde est en droit de vous rendre injuste."

"Injuste" means "injustice" in French.

"Atrocités" means "atrocities" in French.

(I admit, I've never read it nor can I speak French - I just like to make sure the quotes I'm sharing are from the originals. 😂)

Though injustice(s) and atrocities are not far apart in meaning and both can be true, it's still a distinction that should be made.

Because though all injustices should perhaps be considered atrocities, they aren not - but all atrocities are unjust.

(No, this isn't a logic lesson, just saying while we're on the subject, Voltaire would be pleased -  both with using his correct verbiage, as well as the logic I just used, so go me. And the next minute, watch me do or say something only a complete idiot would say or do 😂)

Perhaps they just used "atrocities" because it was better-sounding literary alliteration, who knows?

Speaking of contradictions, I questioned whether or not to post it because Voltaire himself was a walking contradiction.

A brilliant philosopher, public champion of civil rights, separation of church and state, and staunch public critic of both monarchies and slavery - but an absolute sh*t privately, that did not adhere to his own ideals.

For example, he invested in and benefitted from slavery himself, despite publicly opposing it, and when asked about writing about the atrocities of slavery, he explained that he only used it to illustrate that it was a poor economic choice long term.

???

And he actually privately believed in the "natural order" of things, which is a complete contradiction to his anti-monarchy and anti separation of church and state writings - including that women and people with darker skin were inferior by design thus meant to serve.

Yeah, no  - more about that disproven nonsense in a second.

For now, it's enough to say that it was then that I realized that if I were to look for a quote from a single person in history that WASN'T an absolute piece of sh*t privately - like a racist, misogynistic, homophobic philanderer, with like 5 mistresses and still forced himself on his slaves, and/or was a drunk or opium addict, abusive, and/or just plain crazy  - there'd be no one to quote 😂

Because the fact is, most of the people whose words we admire in history failed their own philosophies and religions in one way or another, by writing one thing publicly but living another way privately - especially during colonial times, which ironically was called "The Age of Enlightenment."

Mm hmm. Maybe for math and science and philosophy - not so much on being "enlightened" in terms of how other human beings or even animals were viewed or treated.

Because the same white men waxing poetic against monarchies, advocating for separation of church and state and equality for all, either had blinds spots in their private life or they meant that only for themselves and other white men of their same social class and faith - but everyone else should serve them after being conquered. 

(Either that, or they simply didn't have enough guts to free their slaves in their lifetimes due to social pressure, making them cowards, benefitting from the system they condemned - and worse, in many cases, never saw combat themselves in war that they created with their words, relying on We The People to fight it FOR them ).

Thus, proof that even before the advent of social media, we had people writing revolutionary stuff with a quill and parchment, unable to back that up in real life, with most never serving in the military themselves to include our founding fathers.

People don't realize this but of all our founding fathers and DoI signers, only George Washington, James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton and John Marshall actually engaged in combat in the Revolutionary War.

Brilliant as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Jay, and John and John Q. Adams may have been, though some may or may not have been part of their colony's militia, not a single one them ever saw combat themselves, either during the Revolutionary War or prior to it.

In fact, did you know that even Patrick Henry, who wrote and spoke the words that became the battle cry of the Revolutionary War - "Give me liberty or give me death?" 

Never, EVER fought or saw combat in the Revolutionary War or prior to it.

Makes you think about the difference between people who start revolutions or wars with their words VS who actually ends up fighting, doesn't it?

Well, at least they put their own real name on stuff?  😂

Not like today, where somebody named "Trollbait666" says inflammatory stuff like storm the capitol building again and hang  everyone, from like his mom's basement in Russia or something lol.

(For the record, my real name is on here, too, and whatever I say here, I am prepared to back up/fight for in real life - and I have.)

Lastly, on this note of the same men writing the above and things like "all men created equal with certain unalienable rights; the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" but only really meant for others exactly like themselves (or their own cowardice and implementing this personally in their daily lives)?

Recently, we have seen a concerted effort to go back to a "conquistador" or conquest/colonizing country, forgetting that this is exactly what we were trying to get away from, when we built this country.

And it's being done by propaganda to convince us if we don't make  the enemy whoever "they" say and attack them first, then they'll attack US, though we have no proof of that.

(Your big clue should've been changing the name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War?)

I know that many people still today laud a conquering mentality as something to be admired - and by that, I don't mean lauding people who are naturally gifted with athleticism or strength or strategic prowess in fair competitions - they SHOULD be lauded.

I mean a return to misusing or abusing these gifts in situations that don't require them or for the wrong reasons - like -  overpowering other smaller or more vulnerable groups or even countries (under false pretenses/propaganda) just to steal their resources, just because we can?

Behaving like this is a basketball game instead of an all-out raid on people's lives and livelihoods. 

Others of us like to believe or hope we've evolved or learned from history  - that we have nothing to prove or "conquer" but personal obstacles and insecurities, goals, and fun/fair competitions.

We we would prefer truly seeing ALL men and women with different perspectives being valued as equal in society, allowing them to own their own resources - and if we WANT others' resources, then obtain them the proper and humane way - pay them for them through fair trade.

In fact, fair trade is SUPPOSED to be what a pro-capitalist society is about -  but it somehow devolves into power abuse -  fraud, stealing resources, lack of consumer protection - and of course, invasion/war.

I mean, invasion/war isn't even a last-stitch effort anymore when all else has failed - it's rapidly becoming the go-to method again.

That circles us back to Voltaire's more private philosophy - natural order/selection.

First of all, social Darwinism/natural selection/survival of the fittest  does not exist - because there are factors at play in the human world that do not exist in nature that affect whether or not the "best" or "fittest" representative of our species survived - sometimes the shittiest did, in fact, through pure ruthless shittiness.

Secondly, define "inferior, " please?

If you mean just physical strength, what are you, a Nazi?

Because what is a weakness to some is a strength to others.

As for intellectual strength, that clearly is NOT exclusive to gender or race - but socialization DOES have much to do with it - and there are several different types of intelligence, which is why we have developed "teams" approaches to things rather than single-ruler approach.

Regardless, some of us believe that just because you have greater  "strength" in anything doesn't mean you should use it or wield it as a weapon in situations that don't require it -  particularly against others you deem "weaker" or "divided."

In fact, misusing it in situations that don't require it is akin to being a bully and thus may actually be a sign of insecurity or even jealousy - as those secure in their own strengths have no need to do prove it unnecessarily. 

Secondly, there's nothing "natural" about exploiting other people you merely perceive as weaker for your own gain anyway, and there's natural about it.

Like chimps, we are among the few animal species that becomes violent NOT just to eat, defend territory or survive - but also to also expand our territory for power and more resources than we likely even need compared to others - and in the case of humans, for economic gain.

However, even worse than chimps, we are capable of true deceit, as well as making excuses, trying to convince others that the people we hurt or stole from or cheated deserved it -  but the truth is, we're simply claiming things for ourselves we don't own, didn't earn, and didn't pay or trade for.

Along with that ugly truth is, whenever we overpower anyone through force OR deceit for these things, especially if smaller/less powerful than you - that actually reflects more poorly on YOU than it does on them!

So my only question to you before the election is - which type of person are you?

Are you the sort of person who values "conquest" over others  and their resources without paying for them as some sort of affirmation of your superiority, using any means necessary, excusing it by imagining they deserved it - or it's "survival" for you and your own family, as if we're living in some post-apocalyptic society, though you may already have more than most?

Or are you the sort of person who believes in true, honest fair trade of goods and services with mutual benefit for both parties, as well as that people secure enough in their own strengths don't need to wield them as weapons over others, believe or prove superiority,  AND that we can learn more from others' perspectives with different strengths?

Even more importantly, are you the sort of person who also realizes that We the People are the ones actually paying for these "conquests," but receiving NO benefits from them unless we're in the powerful inner circle already?

And lastly, proponents of this group realize above all else, the more internal turmoil within our own country we have, the more it puts our own country at risk for being divided and conquered, just as the countries we've recently invaded attacked? 

I am proud to be in the latter group that genuinely does view all humans as equal with unalienable rights despite race, faith, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation, and that these rights should be extended to other humans around the world despite citizen status - as our own constitution protects noncitizens with undergoing due process of law in its 5th and 14th amendments clause -  rather than  justice being rendered by brute force by jack-booted thugs in costume in the street!

If you agree with me, thank you, glad to have you aboard.

If you don't agree with me, totally okay - and though I can't find "love" for some of your politicians, I still love YOU as my fellow countrymen and women - -  and I hope you can find it in your heart to do the same for me, though you may disagree with me.

And though I'm totally okay with you disagreeing with me, can't say that I don't pray you'll join me on THIS, if nothing else ...

... that if we don't stop this mentality and so much internal turmoil now, we may find ourselves suffering the same fate as the countries we've just invaded attacked for their resources - being left wide open to other countries for divide-and-conquer conquest invasion ourselves, i.e. Russia or China?

Also, historically, once-great nations/civilizations who lived by the sword, died by the sword -  either directly, by being conquered themselves - OR - a slow, painful death by stagnation/lack of progress due to superiority beliefs and internal conflict (and in some cases, genetic issues due to inbreeding, also caused by false superiority beliefs).

Those who instead learned to trade to gain resources and learned from/valued new perspectives, not only survived, but thrived.

So my question before you vote is - which type of person/mentality are you? 

Regardless, I encourage to just GO VOTE!!!

Ya feel me on that, at least?

Roku Home Page Today, Honoring Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard ...

 

If you stream using a Roku stick, then you know the home page is a moving animation of "Roku City,"  an animated landscape featuring iconic references to our favorite movies and shows, which changes with the seasons, new streaming debuts, and paid commercial ads (like Capital One or Coca-Cola). 

Your job, as the viewer, is to name as many  and it is your job, as the viewer, to name as many as you can.

On the Roku Theater Marquee, though it is usually a premiere of a big box office movie now streaming, when someone in the entertainment world dies, they often give tribute here.

Today's tribute is the most iconic line that Patrick Stewart uttered as Captain Picard from Star Trek - "Make It So." 🥲

This, of course, means "Make it happen."

Thus, with this election week coming up, let's remember Patrick by saying "Let's DO this,  fellow Dems - MAKE … IT … SO!" 

_______________________________________

PS - I have seen the resurfaced clips of him dressing down James Cordon, praising his harshness with Cordon onstage as "owning him."

However, IMO, that wasn't Patrick's finest moment - and the only time I know of where I think he publically acted an ass - and neither came out of that looking well.

Patrick later apologized to James for that, having imbibed too much liquid courage.

I think it was meant to be a sort of humbling of James Cordon, whom we all watched get a little too big for his britches, who became  infamous for being very nice to the biggest celebrities in the room, but snubbing or being rude to the "nobodies." 

I think that's essentially what Patrick was trying to say that night, because you can hear it in his overall message to him. 

Patrick can't stand that sh*t - because he was a very direct, genuine person and can't stand phoniness or arrogance in celebrities, especially the younger ones.

Also, though not public knowledge and his children never spoke on the matter, Patrick himself said his greatest regret was being an absent father for his children, being overly obsessed with work and that he was paying for it now.

I think coming from a household with Domestic Violence, he initially had difficulties with knowing exactly what a father and husband were supposed to be and only knew how to work as escape from home life. 

So ... when we lost Dolly, we could not find a flaw.

With Patrick, though rare flaws appeared, he always apologized for them and took responsbility.

Only the bravest and best of men are capable of that. 

Just As I Hit "Publish" on the New Post Below, I Heard Patrick Stewart Died ...

 

This makes me so SO sad!

In fact, I had just put him in my post about people from the UK I'd like in my neighborhood that I was working on and he was on it already.

Ironic that he died after a "brief battle" with Lewy body dementia - because his character on Star Trek, Captain Picard, struggled with an incurable brain virus that caused a more slowly progressing dementia that they couldn't fix even in the 24th century. 

In fact, in the show "Picard" on Paramount a few years ago, he actually dies from this and heart issues, but his consciousness is transferred to a "golem" or clone body, which also dies in the last season, until Q brings him back.

So all of these years, we thought that Q - played by John de Landis - was an annoying, troublemaking, sometimes cruel superior life form/alien, who just popped up whenever he felt like it just to annoy Picard, just because he could.

Picard seemed to be his favorite toy and he'd invariably show up at the worst possible times - and he had the ability to stop time or create time travel and torture Picard with regrets.

HOWEVER, in the very last episode of Picard, Q finally reveals that although he's not God, he IS a special breed/highest order of "Watcher" (angel) assigned to watch over humanity (though there are other watchers over other alien life forms), who is both in awe of humans and disgusted by them, but can do nothing to them without higher council approval.

He reveals the reason he has done all to Picard all these years is because he has been training Picard to become a Watcher assigned to watch over humanity himself, having been one - as the higher council believed Picard was among the best of us humans and we needed him, but they had to test him during his worst moments, including ridding him of a human's worst fear - death.

So Picard thanks and hugs Q (below) and Q says it has been his privilege to train him and bids him a permanent farewell, he's not likely to see him again - and then Picard becomes a Watcher himself. 🩷

At least that's what I recall, it's been a few years.

Very cool spiritual-esque ending, right?

Very much a departure from Star Trek, which unlike Star Wars, left little to no room for God or spirituality or "magic" - and thus many didn't like the "Picard" series, but I did.

Everything was still explained by science, to include Q himself, basically an energy form that can take whatever shape it wants and use any wormhole to get anywhere, anytime, and can stop, create a ripple in, or reverse time, for the group or just for one individual, like a practical joke, and then heckle humans about their reactions to it, if he likes.

So in the end, Star Trek allows for the intersection of science and spirituality, essentially explaining that it's all just a matter of perspective - in other words, spiritual matters can be explained by science - but does that make them any less spiritual?

Regardless, Picard becomes a Watcher over humanity - how I wish that were true - for both the character and the human playing him, Patrick Stewart, right?

Regardless, thank you, Captain, Godspeed -  watch over us well  - on to new frontiers ...

PS - And yet, God? 

Not sure what's up lately, but it seems like you're taking all the wrong (white) people!?!

They have been the closest thing we've had to angels on earth in one way or another -  we needed them during these trying times -  but okay, have it your way. I guess.

On the other hand, I'll try to remember the entire point of the arc of Picard's story that I just mentioned above -- "some things are blessings in disguise" - either to keep that person from suffering more or to prevent others from suffering, either now or in the future as a result. 

(Not everything, but some things).

Hoping that's true, I know a couple of things in my life has been - I just wish more had been? lol

And it's a cool thought that loved ones watch over us after they pass.

A lovely thought, anyway, right?

Mark's Super Spooky Ghost Story, Just In Time for Halloween! 👻

 

Okay, true story - this just happened last week.

Now, before I tell it, you need to know that when FCPS bought the old Lexmark building, they found black mold and had to clear it before they could move in and it's tested every year no - which very well COULD explain this.

Nevertheless, here's what happened ...

So Mark was working late and went to the 3rd floor to get some supplies, which have to wind through a bunch of cubicles to get to.

He went in the supply closet and was loading a cart, when he hears a woman's laugh/giggle from one of the cubicles - first one on the left outside the supply closet. 

He wasn't scared, he just thought "Oh, someone else is working late, I better step out and let them know I'm here so as not to scare them."

Instead, HE was the one who was scared - because THERE WAS NO ONE THERE.

Not at first, though - he thought they must've gone to get coffee or use the restroom.

So he goes back to loading his cart and then senses that someone is behind him. 

Again, he wasn't scared, thinking whoever it was just returned from the bathroom or getting coffee.

So he turns around, just in time to see a shadow figure of a person, which disappears within seconds!

So then he starts frantically going around the floor looking for somebody, anybody to explain it, going "Hello? Anybody here?"

Nope - there was no one there at all - and he checked the next day to see if anyone worked late!

So he called me just before coming home and goes "Some freaky shit just happened ..." and proceeds tells me. 

He says he's not going to tell anyone else because he hasn't worked in this department all that long and is afraid they'll think he's nuts.

I said "Well, it could be power of suggestion with Halloween, but ya never know, maybe they HAVE experienced something? Halloween is the perfect time to tell these stories, though, so you have a good excuse lol."

He stays for another hour to do his work and nothing else happens.

Today, he decides to tell the coworker that he's closest too, Corey, Halloween being a good excuse to tell spooky stories.

So Corey says he hasn't experienced anything himself, but others have - and they call that area "The Mousetrap."

When asked why, he said he thinks it's because the way the cubicles are arranged like a maze.

Then Corey tells him to tell their boss, S, who has her own story.

They walk to S and Corey says to Mark, "Okay, tell S what you just told me, your building ghost story."

So Mark starts, and S interrupts him and says: 

"Wait, before you start this story, let me guess where you were to prove my own - The Mousetrap on the third floor, right? First cubicle on the left of the closet." (It was.)

"People think we call it that because of the cubicles - and we do -  but there's a second reason - because of what it used to be when Lexmark owned it." 

"After my own experiences there, I did some research on this building. No one has died here, for sure, but the third floor USED to be where Lexmark stored printing and other chemicals. You had to wear a special suit to enter. Some people reportedly did develop cancer later." 

"Also, as you already know, that's where they found the black mold that delayed us moving in 5 years ago." 

"Thus, the REAL reason why some of us call it The Mousetrap - once exposed, you can't leave or what? lol "

"Twice, I could've sworn somebody was standing there, but when I looked up, it was a shadow person that disappeared within seconds. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. Never heard anything though. It must like you lol."

Great, so ... my husband is hallucinating from residual black mold or old chemicals OR some giggly entity not of this world is in that space has a crush on him - and these are my choices?!? 😂

Insert prayers of protection or talisman here.  😂

But mwahahaha, Happy Halloween!?! 👻👻👻