Super Moon May 5, 2012

My father called me, around 9pm Saturday night, to tell me that I needed to take pictures of the moon. This is odd for him, because he's not really into the whole picture taking thing. I had already planned on going out with a good friend later in the night to get some pictures, but I'm glad I started then with my father. The first two pictures I got while I was outside with him, admiring the sky. The second two I took while on rt 44-55 going toward New Paltz.I have quite a few more.

I took these pictures with my Canon EOS REBEL T3, 28-90mm lens.

I plan on getting some new lenses in the future that are better for zoom, so maybe next time I'll have some better moon pictures.

A little taste of my favorite (and really... only) hobby... photography. If I had more time for it, I'd have a whole lot more to be sharing. I have a lot on my computer, but I could potentially have thousands of photos if I were able to get out and take pictures every day.

The first picture is the sunset. A little more obvious than the second one, which is the Brooklyn bridge, NYC, out of focus.

The heart yearns for love,
My heart yearns.

Yearning is painful,
Heartbreaking.

Should I?
As the lovely Mia Devlin had done?

Cut her heart off from love.
Guard my heart as I've felt I should have.

Keep myself sane,
Burry my passion in success.

Or torture myself,
With a man who cannot please me.

I blame no one,
But myself.

I knew the circumstances,
I know..

I accepted them once,
Yet they burn, as if I'm being punished.

The threefold law is strong,
Unwilling to forgive and forget.

I will keep myself whole,
Attempt at strength.

May one day come,
Where I do not yearn,
I do not struggle,
And my own is mine,
No matter how faltered.

As I lay me down to sleep

As I lay me down to sleep
I know that I will slowly weep
Unsure of what is to come
For me no faith, unlike some

If I die before I wake
Be sure to tell I was never fake
I gave to good and not to bad
If I could, I'd take away the sad
Gave my all, usually too much
Never stopped, as it is such

As I lay me down to sleep
I only pray, others do not weep

And if I die in any way
I pray the world a better day

Please take the time to read the following email I received about Medicaid "Optional" benefits, and my addition afterwards.

Medicaid Mandatory Benefits

Acute care

·      Inpatient hospital care (440.10)

·      Outpatient hospital care (440.20)

·      Rural Health Clinic services (440.20)

·      Federally Qualified Health Center services (SSA, sec. 1905(a)(2) and 1905(1)(2))

·      Laboratory and x-ray services (440.30)

·      Physicians services (440.50)

·      Family planning services and supplies (440.40 and 441.20)

·      Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment services for individuals under age 21 (EPSDT) (440.40)

·      Nurse-midwife services to the extent allowed by state law (440.165 and 441.21)

·      Pediatric and family nurse practitioner services (440.50 and 166)

·      Medical and surgical dental services (440.50)

·      Vaccines for children (SSA, sec. 1928)

·      Early and periodic screening, diagnostic and treatment services (SSA, subsec. 905(r))

Long-term care

·      Nursing facilities for individuals age 21 or older (440.40)

·      Home health services for persons eligible for nursing facility services (440.70 and 441.15)

Medicaid Optional Benefits

·      Licensed practitioners’ services (e.g., podiatrists, psychologists, nurse anesthetists) (440.60)

·      Private duty nursing (440.80)

·      Nurse practitioner (440.166 and 441.22)

·      Clinic services (440.90)

·      Dental services (440.100)

·      Physical therapy (440.10)

·      Occupational therapy (440.10)

·      Speech, hearing and language therapy (440.10)

·      Prescribed drugs (440.120)

·      Prosthetic devices (440.110)

·      Eyeglasses (440.120)

·      Diagnostic services (440.130)

·      Screening services (440.130)

·      Preventive services (440.130)

·      Rehabilitative services (440.130)

·      Transportation (440.170)

·      Abortion (Subpart E)

·      Sterilizations (Subpart F)

·      Optometric services (441.30)

·      End stage renal disease (441.40)

Long-term care

·      Intermediate Care Facility for the Mentally Retarded (ICF/MR) services (440.150 and 483)

·      Inpatient hospital services to individuals age 65 or older in an Institution for Mental Diseases (440.10 and Part 441)

·      Nursing facility services to individuals age 65 or older in an Institution for Mental Diseases (440.140)

·      Inpatient psychiatric services for individuals under age 21 (440.60)

·      Nursing facility services for individuals under age 21 (440.40 and 155)

·      Case management services (SSA, sec. 1915(g))

·      Respiratory care services (440.185)

·      Hospice care services (440.202)

·      Personal care services (440.167)

·      Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Waivers if cost-neutral (440.180 and 441 Subpart G and H)

New York’s Budget Negotiation Should Not Jeopardize Critical Medicaid Services For Vulnerable New Yorkers

Cuts To So-Called Optional Medicaid Services Are Not Optional At All

Albany, NY – Advocates from across the state called upon state elected officials not to pass devastating cuts in the safety-net that will jeopardize New York’s health and safety. Cuts to people and services will cause an immediate skyrocketing of much more intensive and expensive Medicaid hospital and nursing home costs to the State and the counties. In addition, the State will also sacrifice federal dollars that flow into our local communities and create jobs.

Our seniors, people with disabilities and children are being endangered. Children without health care cannot fight H1N1. Adults without wheelchairs will be imprisoned in their homes. Diabetics with no dental care will rapidly develop uncontrolled bacterial and fungal infections that can be life threatening. Children using ventilators at home will be institutionalized and lose their childhoods. Individuals without eyeglasses or hearing aids won’t be safe on the streets. Patients who don’t understand their doctors because they speak a different language will take the wrong dose of medication and need hospital care. Seniors who can’t get help with preparing a meal or shop for the necessities in life will undoubtedly end up in nursing homes that will only cost taxpayers even more money. Families on the edge will break without clinical psychological help.

This is the wrong medicine for New York—our Medicaid program keeps us safe and well. “We’re better than this,” stated many advocates.

What does this mean for us and our future?

If these "Optional" benefits are cut; what does that mean? Well, first consider that the "Medicaid" they are talking about doesn't just include straight Medicaid; it includes Family and Child Health Plus, among other low cost health insurance obtained through the Department of Social Services and other organizations.

Okay, so who is this targeting? Low income individuals and families, the disabled, and the elderly. Who's that? The people that really NEED the help! As our economy continues to be less than desireable, more and more individuals and families are turning to public assistance simply in order to survive.

Let's take the time to go over some of these "optional" benefits:

    Licensed practitioners' services: podiatrists, psychologists... So, mentally disabled individuals are unable to see a psychiatrist and therefore unable to obtain medications in order to become/remain stable.

    Dental Services: Dental problems can be FATAL. Not getting the dental work you need done? This may turn into a hospital visit in the future.

    Speech, Hearing and Language Therapy: Let's just reduce our Education a little more, shall we?

    Prescribed Drugs: Seriously now? "Let's give you health insurance, but that $300 a month prescription you need filled, sorry, you're going to have to cover that."

    Prosthetic Devices: Let's just add some more damper on that leg you lost.

    Preventative Services: Need birth control? Well that sucks doesn't it?

    Abortion Services: Since we don't cover birth control, we're not going to help you with that either. Raped? Nope, we still wont help. We would like to increase the population that we can't afford to help.

    Transportaion: Disabled (mentally and physically) and the elderly who need transportation to appointments are SOL.

    Optometric Services: In addition to putting at risk the young, the old and the disabled, we're going to let people go blind.

    Nursing facility services to individuals age 65 or older in an Institution for Mental Diseases: You mean, the majority of the nursing facility services... gotcha.

    Inpatient Psychiatric Services for individuals under age 21: Individuals under age 21 are most at risk for needing psychiatric services!

    Hospice Care: Come on now! Hospice cares for the elderly who only have months to live, are you really going to start denying them their last possible form of help?!

So, ultimately, ER visits and Hospitalizations are going to increase because of lack of preventative and screening services (including dental and eye care, etc.), children aren't going to get the care and services they need while growing, I'd guess the death rate for all ages would increase, we'd have mentally disabled individuals without medications (ending up in hospitals that they won't be able to pay for anyway, or jail/prison), physcially disabled individuals locked up in their homes (no wheel chair, no limbs, guess who stays home?), all while the population increases and the already growing low income population just keeps increasing!

I really, really question the government, local, state and U.S., this is getting out of control. President Obama is supposedly making health care better. That bill he signed? Wasn't much different than what we had in place, oh and by the way... this year health care benefit costs INCREASED and they suck anyway.

The government is trying to cut costs in the WRONG PLACES! It's about time they buckle down and tax the people who can afford it! How about we try to better the economy instead of worsen it by increasing taxes for the low income population and cutting health care for the low income population. All that is being accomplished by this is increasing the number in the low income population and worsening the economy. But, it doesn't hurt them because they make more than enough. Prices went up recently, not just gas.. I'm talking milk, coffee, etc. I bet you they haven't noticed. Well I sure have.

Instead of protecting the rich with tax breaks, tax them the same. Increase the minimum wage rate from $7.25 an hour (seriously, who can live on that?) to, I don't know... $10? Even $10 an hour is low! Increase wages, keep jobs (BY THE WAY: This proposal to cut "optional" benefits WILL cut jobs.), make jobs (keep companies in the US, cut the imports down... let's start selling OUR stuff).

We need to step up and take control of OUR country for crying out loud.

Anyone know what happened to common sense?

Religion

Ah, the touchy topic that, when brought up in conversation, can turn one of four ways; 1. it can make the conversation go akward and the topic is avoided completely, 2. it can turn into an argument, 3. it can become a deep conversation/learning experience or 4. it can turn into a battle of who's is better/an attempt to convert another into a different religion.

I'd have to say #3 is my favorite and usually how my conversations go, except when I am having this conversation who is clearly not open minded and prefers to argue or try to convert. I like to learn and I don't shoot down others beliefs, ever.

I thought I'd share a good explanation of my beliefs that I expressed to a friend of mine today. I think I explained myself pretty good and I wanted to post it somewhere.

I am a very open minded and free, for lack of a better word, person. I enjoy being able to believe what I want without being told that's what I'm supposed to believe. That being said, I tell people, for the sake of conversation without too much judgement, that I am an Eclectic Wiccan, but really I am just a Witch who chooses my own beliefs and believes that EVERY religion has truth to it. I work with energies, spirituality and the earth in a way that makes sense and feels right to me. Some would say it's a rebellious thing that I got into but it's really not. I guess I chose this path because I am open minded to everyone's beliefs and I enjoy learning and exploring new things.

Crazy

Don't
          Stop

Take a look around

What do you see?

Keep
          Going

The American Dream

Is a joke

Work
          Hard

Don't
          Stop

Life doesn't exist.

So
          Angry

Angry for entertainment

Your crime
          It interests me

Your anger
          It intrigues me

In this crazy world

There is no "normal"

We
          Need
                    Different

Or we get bored

So

Get angry

Tear me up

I'll tear you up

On the outside
          No one knows
                    All the insanity

Who knows
          How fucked up
                    We all really are

Or...

Is this
          just me?

Fight

Fight
     Kick
          Scream

Fight
     Yourself
          Your mind

Fight your thoughts

Fight your demons

Long for your desires

Mind racing
          Head spinning

Stop

Can't

Go

Fight the urge

The urge

Wait

Keep going

Can't
     Stop
          Fighting

Fight for life

Fight for hapiness

Fight for comfort

Work toward dreams

Shot
     Down

Work toward desires

Shot
     Down

Work to live

Barely

Is this life?

Looks more to me
          Like I fight
I work
          I slave

For those who have it easy

Do you fight?

Probably
          If you read this right.

One Choice

Mind racing.
Head screaming.
Don't be a puss.
Just pick one up.

Three options in front of you.
Cut for release.
Shoot to kill.
Call for help.

You want one.
You need one.
Just one.
Which one?

Get angry!
But don't do it!

Argue and scream.
Forget this fucking scene.

Can't talk.
Can't live.
Can't think.
But your mind is always there.
Can't breathe.
And you can't escape.

You pick up the phone.
Because you feel like someone wants you to live.