Sunday, October 31, 2010

Health care is a HOT subject.

Health care is a HOT subject. Continuing Thoughts About Health Care.......

Who should have it?

I believe everyone should have quality health care. I also believe despite lack of insurance coverage that the majority of Americans have health care available to them. But the red tape, waiting, pre authorization system is discouraging. The planned Health Care system will not eleviate this problem.

Regarding ill, injured people going without...... I happen to be aware of many foundations, organizations, and charities. I have told more than one person, show me somebody going without and I will help them. And I do. People are kind, people want to help. But I am ernest in telling people there is help available. But I must agree unless you have a college education it is nearly impossible to read and answer most of those forms given by agencies.

Should a person be forced to accept "authorized" health care for themselves and their children?

The multi-culture, multi-religious, multi-health care practices make it difficult to provide everyone with "quality" care if you are limited on your approved authorized treatments, medicines, and care for a patient.

What is good Quality health care? and who is authorized to say what is quality health care. Pelosi? (I pick on her because of her adamant support of the health care program; in actuality I mean all those "good hearted people" trying to do the right thing). Is chiropractor care necessary?

Should children be forced to receive vaccinations?

Observation:
As in everything, life is not fair. Of course if Life is good to you and feel you have been lucky, as in my case. You say Life is not fair--- Thank Goodness! No matter the attempts to service all citizens of a society fairly it is unrealistic. at the government level.

Obstacles:
No matter the small percentage of actual violators -- everyone suspects there is welfare fraud, misused administrative costs, and general chaos with the social services of our country.

The triage system at all hospitals should be looked at more closely. The emergency room should be for emergencies.

We are not staged to accept and deliver "quality care" across the board to all citizens. So do we (like in our schools) aim for the average person? or the mean?

Our "fore mothers" set up our school and hospital systems. I realize the fore fathers get the credit. But history teaches The Progressive Movement was an effort to educate and provide health care to American society in the last quarter of the 19th century but not all citizens shared in the new wealth, prestige, and optimism.

A major push for change, the First Reform Era, occurred in the years before the Civil War and included efforts of social activists to reform working conditions and humanize the treatment of ill people and prisoners.

This new Peloisi Progressivism is imbued with strong political overtones, and it rejects the church. Specific goals included:

The desire to remove corruption and undue influence from government through the taming of bosses and political machines

the effort to include more people, more opinions, more outside influence in the political process

the conviction that government must play a role to solve social problems and establish fairness in economic matters. Do the Pelosi's of the world think they can truly do it better than GOD?

The success of progressivism owes much to publicity generated by the muckrakers, writers who detailed the horrors of poverty, failed school systems, no national insurance coverage,

The Solution in Ruthism:


Having a very ill husband, I hear doctors talking about establishing private elite physician systems--- not affiliated with the government ran system and paying the penalties that will be applied to them.

Then and Now people remove themselves from society and attempted to establish utopian communities in which reforms were limited to their participants. The focal point of new found societies include individual government.

In my truest capitalistic heart: If we truly want a national system to work--- we do what Americans do best; Start the infrastructure to have the best darn medical system in the world. I have said it before --- As China, India, third world countries grow and become self sufficient. We need to learn from our own history; Establish the best schools, hospitals in the world. I have seen it first hand. Other countries want to care for their families in the same way America cares for their families. America still has one of the longest life spans in the world.

Send all capable youth to medical school. encourage medical research, continue space programs so we can manufacture in a truly "clean environment". Build more, clean hospitals. The hospitals are dirty!!! and disgusting!

Get the prisoners to work on chemicals--- I have seen a meth-lab!! Some of those prisoners are so anal attentive to details (you would love them to clean your refrigerator) those meth labs put most hospitals to shame.

Visit a hospital---- gross!! Inspire our education programs, give America a BOOST IN THE ARM!!! Pun intended........


Some people are lucky, some are unfortunately very unlucky.
I have heard tell we make our own luck sometimes.

Thank God in Heaven we were not under the National Health Care Plan and subjected to their rules.

Ok I am going to get in trouble here. But this is a Ruth Truth.

My husband had a quadruple bypass last week.
Thank God in Heaven we were not under the National Health Care Plan and subjected to their rules.

My husband and I pay a lot for health insurance. Because it is a very high priority for us. We chose to budget for very high medical insurance. We have never been referred to another hospital, doctor, or facilities because of our insurance. We are referred to "the best in town" when we need it. We never wait for pre-authorizations, or change our medications because the medicine is not covered by our insurance. The doctors order whatever they want to order, when they want, the doctors are free to try new drugs on Tony and able to provide Tony with equipment in the prototype phases of production.

It is not that I want others to receive "no health care".
The truth is I want everyone to receive the same care as Tony is receiving now. Or in other words "the same care as our President and Congress receive".


It is common knowledge that there is "special blood" for blood transfusions that is donated by doctors. The blood is stored and replaced to be as pristine as possible. Doctors, dignitaries do not get blood transfusions from blood banks.

This distribution of health care reminds me of a school assignment:

There is a school assignment that most children are assigned about junior high level of school. It is one of those assignments that makes you think for a long time.
The assignment is to allow only a portion of patients to receive a life saving medical treatment. I can not think what the treatment was then; heart transplants were not performed yet. Maybe an iron lung? lol
The population of these patients were a pregnant woman, a rich old man willing to buy a new wing for the hospital, an artist, a child, a skill worker providing for a family. etc.
The assignment was to decide who received the medical treatment.

The students were to work in teams, devise a criteria and explain their choices. So first criteria would be which candidate was most likely to survive the operation, be able to provide after care, these two criteria are PRACTICAL. The desire to use the resource in the most PRACTICAL manner. ........but then conversation would start.

The students being 12 or 13 years of age would sympathize with the pregnant woman and the child. All of a sudden the pregnant woman was the most important person to save. So the first criteria gets changed to the ability to save two lives instead of just one life. She is at the top of the list.
Next criteria to trump (likely to survive the operation, be able to provide after care,) is the years left in one's life and the child is moved to the top of the list. These two criteria are based on the belief of HOPE. HOPE for a new life to do good and become the best person possible.


In retrospect ... this is very Biblical. It is written we are to care for the women and children.

But then if we are taking in account of most man/years does it not make sense to save the man with the money for the new hospital wing? That added facilities could save hundreds of lives.

This is getting to be a long blog...... and I want to continue this in my next blog......

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Why did June vacuum with pearls?



http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/arts/television/17billingsley.html?_r=1


June Cleaver past last week and we all flashed back to sitting at the television set watching the episodes of LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.

One comment associated with many people including journalist was that they often described
June Cleaver as the woman who vacuumed with high heels and pearls
. To my critical ear, this often was followed by a judgement call of the journalist by me. I would think this person is not educated of semi-precious gems.

Why did June vacuum with pearls? To me it is interesting that the 1950s could be considered a culture. A social history buff, I would like to explain this culture phenomenon.

Truly precious pearls were quite expensive. They were usually given at special occasions such as a 16th birthday, wedding, anniversary, college graduation, etc. They usually were not only an expensive gift but also a gift of much sentimental value.

Today when there are so many "fake" pearls available, it is not well known the proper care and treatment of a genuine string of pearls.

The pearl were individually knotted after each pearl, to prevent the event of breaking a string of pearls and having all the individual pearls roll away. A rather stiff multi-stranded cotton necklace would be twisted together for the pearls. Then after each pearl was added a very small tight knot by hand to secure each pearl. If the necklace did break, the pearls would not then roll all over the floor.

A recently finished pearl necklace is not a beautiful flowing necklace but is stiff and awkward looking. The key to caring for your pearl necklace is to wear your necklace and the warmth of your body would gradually loosen the stiff string and soften the knots in the necklace.

If you received your relatives pearl necklace, you knew you did not just receive a piece of jewelry but that beloveds own body was instrumental in treating that necklace.

So to whom ever June willed her pearls to (i.e. a granddaughter) the granddaughter would have known her grandmother had worn the necklace many hours.


So every time I hear or read this statement I reflect on the uncultured (pun was intended) education of the observer.

Monday, August 30, 2010

True Story written August 30, 2010

I am delirious with genealogical finds including newly found family photos, family letters, stories to transcribe etc.

Last month's combination genealogy, family visit trip extended from 3-4 days to about 3 weeks. I went to San Jose to visit family and research the Martin Luther King Jr. Library next to SJSU, then to the Santa Clara Library on Homestead Road. I copied newspaper article after newspaper article, I met an author writing a series of books on Auto racing in San Jose, California. I plan to collaborate with him on his next book. I am gathering photos and stories regarding my father's days in auto racing. A very productive trip with bunches and bunches of data.


But I no sooner arrived home but Now I am compiling new data, surnames, dates, locations ready for yet another genealogical research trip, These tasks were proving to be overwhelming as more and more contacts and data started flowing into my emails and phone calls.

Yikes! I started making piles in different corners of my spare bedroom. My spare room started to get to overflowing. I was contacted about a person needing a place to stay and work. So I hired this genealogical interested person for 3-4 hours clerical work a day. I worked a full 10 hour day sorting and packing photos and data. Changing and laundering the bed, dust, vacuum, sanitize the spare bathroom. I was so ready to get down to a wonderful full week of devoted genealogy work.

I had my prioritises. First, send photos to a publisher I am collaborating with for the San Jose Auto Racing History. Then get corrected transcript for a second book and sent to the publisher.
Next prepare for my 22 day genealogy trip through Kansas, Tenn, Missouri. Compile all data in nice indexed binder for series of cities and contact people I will visit starting Sept 9.

My new clerk and I tried a few tasks. According to my new clerk, Scanning was too boring, phone calling became confusing, filing was just too much data to be done. So after 2 days the clerk asked "How did you get so far behind?"

I explained I had been on a long trip and was planning another long trip. I also explained I spent two days sorting through photos for scanning, boxing data, and preparing a room for their stay at my home.

Then the hired clerk said "This is a lot of work".

......and because I was really interested I asked --- "Well, What do you suggest I do?"

and I kid you not!! She said "Hire a clerk to help you." huh? I answered, "I did --- I hired you."

She then explained she was leaving, very busy and had lots of things to do.

What now? Here I want to post photo of my living room!!!! Tomorrow I will laundry spare room, sanitize bathroom, cry, try to scan photos needed for book collaboration, gather and file illustrations for second book. put mom's book on hold, start my indexed binder for my trip, stress through my actual life paying job , decide which Bible studies, Genealogy meetings I will skip, pray Tony will go on a fast (so I can skip daily cooking, cleaning routines)to eliminate some of my housework. But alas! Tony is fond of three meals a day......

Today I called my dad to get some data for my genealogy and all of a sudden I just started crying. It was a stress reliever for me. But I felt so bad to put that on my dad. and that my friends was my Ruth Truth day on August 30, 2010.


I waited until Oct 4, 2010 to post this blog. I did skip some Bible studies and genealogy meetings, I did have troubles with vertigo for a few days, Tony did cook and clean up after all our meals for the rest of the week.

No, I did not get the photos sent for the Auto Racing Book. No, I did not get the book transcripts sent. Yes, I traveled with only a portion of the data I needed.

But today is a new month, and I will prioritize and start again. ahhhhhhhhhh

Sunday, August 22, 2010

A New Ruth Truth

A New Ruth Truth that I am going to have to practice.


My NEW RUTH TRUTH: ALWAYS ALWAYS GREET AND LEAVE AN ENCOUNTER ON A HIGH NOTE.

Never leave a conversation, meeting with your head not fully engaged in the greeting and the leaving.

Some of you may have already figured out I am rather outgoing, multi-tasking, out- spoken little bundle of energy. I am usually very energetic and love people, ideas, travel, and learning.

Well maybe I do not always enjoy the learning but I am always thankful for insight as to how to make myself a better person.

Is your life a mess? Great!! you are getting a message! STOP! LOOK! and LISTEN!

One good thing about getting older --- you realize you are in a mess sooner than you use to be able to do. Therefore it is a shorter path to try to turn back! LOL

In very recent history I have offended and put-off two very important people to me. So much so they erased me from their friendship circles. In both cases I thought our relationship was strong and could not have been shattered by a minor misunderstanding.

Here was my problem: Two very important people in my social network crossed me off their list as a friend.

At first I was devastated; beyond comprehension, could not figure it out.

But being the detective, scientific mind that I am: I looked for clues.

OBSERVATIONS

HERE I AM ENTERING MY DISCLAIMER!! ok readers, observations are just that --- not necessarily a variable, sometimes bias by the researcher, but in brain storming there are no wrong thoughts, so I did not censor my observations for bias--- I am just stating them for scientific research at this time. Having said that:

My first observation is they are both men.
They are both men of at least 60 years of age.
They are intelligent, interesting, multi- talented, highly community-involved men.

They both find it difficult to multi-task more than about 3-4 things at once.
or carry on three conversations at once.

I actually enjoy carrying on multi-topic conversations with some of my very quick minded women friends. We can talk along, for literally hours quipping along at a rather quick rate -- jumping from subject to subject without a missed step and actually think we had a great time. It is a guilty pleasure of mine.

I have heard men do it naming players, teams, events easily seamlessly jumping from team to team, decade to decade. But that is the only time I have heard men do it --- and it is usually limited to one sport at a time. unless they start debating the greatest athlete of all time.

So slowly my eyes open to the possible root cause of my discord with these men I admire.

Being the BOLD little soul that I am: I examined with the men what was it that set their opinions against me. In both cases, I was not engaged in my saying good-bye, nice to see you, thank you for your help, let's see each other again, etc.

In one case, I was cleaning bathrooms with another lady. The lady and I were discussing past relationships that went bad. I actually think, by talking about the hurt, anger, we start scrubbing harder, and get some of that frustration out. Cleaning bathrooms is an excellent activity to do while sharing with other women bad relationships. My own kind of Gestalt therapy.

Well, then we finished the bathrooms and were discussing some of the ideals for future cleaning. And somehow I said to the other woman in ear shot of this man. And when I shut the door on a relationship; I SHUT THE DOOR and never return.

Then for several weeks I was gone with travel and then illness.

Next scenario (scientific observation searching for my RUTH TRUTH)
I belong to an organization with a body of officers that show the typical embodiment of most organizations. Some members want to try everything, do everything, While some members want all procedures, policies, activities to stay the same, to take little risks. The majority of the members listen leaning this way or that way depending on the subject. This is rather balanced and typical of most board ran activities.

Well, not my primary job but I offered to help with a project. The meetings are once a month. In order to accomplish a particular deadline expressed by some, I felt the project should be expedited this month.

So I asked permission to send an email to members concerned to see if we could get an agreement before the organizations meeting so that the approval process could go through smoothly.

In the past I have been accused of over stepping my "position" as a member to suggest, ask pertinent questions.

I was told yes but warned to make it clear this is a one time logistic job, and to keep careful notes, so happily I went on my way. EXCEPT!!!! I said before I left. "I believe this being a rather easy tasks for all to agree to unless someone digs in their heels and just refuses to approve the project." and I added "in that case we will just have to fore go our deadline and leave it for another time next year to complete."

By "someone" (digging in their heels)To whom I was referring were members that may question why I would write the email, suggest the project needed more examination, or need a committee report.

So I went home wrote and sent my email......

I started off with "I am not a chairperson or in charge of anything.....I am a clerk asking for input to this project to be presented at the September meeting....."

OH WOW!!! the backlash has been almost unbearable.......the "cold shoulder" ..... the threats ..I was accused of being ANGRY and in a MIFF.

In both cases; other members stated their opinions and things just grew and grew to be A MESS but Bless those Messes Because they usually carry a Message.

All because instead of staying in the moment and reassuring all was well---- I let my thoughts wonder to a made up possible problems that has not even happened with a proposal.

ERGO RUTH'S NEW TRUTH do not allow my head to drift around to other people other situations when I am greeting or taking leave of someone. I must stay focus, make eye contact, and be genuine to the moment.


In the first case I believe the damage has been restored and will be fine.

In the second case. I am asking for prayer. God is a good and merciful God. He has resolved and brought me through my mistakes (messes) before many times. I live only because of the Mercy and Grace of God.

Oh another Ruth Truth : GOD WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU LESSONS IN HUMILITY

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Ruth's TRUTH : The difference between Family History and Genealogy

In this blog I will explain what I surmised to be the difference in family history and genealogy. This definitions come from the words themselves. Geneaolgy; "Gene" and study of; "ology". Therefore this is the study of genetics, ergo the charts being labeled as "pedigree charts". More the DNA composition of a person that makes you uniquely you--- in genetics.

Then the "family history" the word "Family" and the word hi "STORY". George Geder recently observed that he had difficulties with genealogy software explaining "family histories", Multiple marriages, step brothers and sisters, same sex marriages etc. There are also those numerous GOD parents, and "Aunts" and "Uncles" who were just close friends and at every holiday gathering. And of course our beloved pets, houses we lived in, influential and essential teachers and church families who again made us uniquely us --- environmentally.


Car racing is a part of my Family History, I am finding writting about the races and my families participation in auto racing to be good family attention bait. One nephew already printed and framed my blog on Wild Bill.

Interesting observation -- someone mentioned my write ups on this subject as "excellent work on family history". So I reflected what could be the difference between genealogy and family history?

And this what I concluded (for the time being, until I change my mind.

Family History is stories of your family. Genealogy follows the "genes" of that family. Therefore whereas Car Racing can and is catagorized a "Family History" the fact that my father's IRISH gene of being a little (cough cough) hard headed and contrite is the Genealogy of the sharing of these "WILD BILL" newspaper clippings.

Just my Ruth thoughts, Ruth


BTW: I am repeating this blog in my GRWM blogspot

Friday, August 13, 2010

Kitchen Cupboards via the Ruthism way

Ruthisms are thoughts, compromises, and quirky mannerisms contrived by me to help me cope in this life. Ruthisms are also filled with household hints. My housekeeping philosophy lies somewhere between Martha Stewart and MAXINE (of MAXINE cartoon fame). I also give Erma Bombeck and Roseann Barr credit to contributing to my household philosophy.

An example of my compromise between Martha Stewart, MAXINE and my own family practice.

My family would purchase beautiful shelf paper, use the graph lines on the back of the adhesive, cut perfect squared corners and lay shelf paper expertly on the surfaces of the cupboard. No folds, perfectly aligned, and without patches this shelf paper would serve as a reminder of how conscientious we keep our cupboards, clean and neat. Before 1970, the paper could also be seen folded neatly over the front of the shelf. This was visually appealing to admire the shelf paper design from afar. Thus you usually had a theme whereas your shelf paper matched your pot holders, dish towels, and resting spoon.

This method although tried in the beginning of my marriage was followed to the T (T as in the square guide used to perfectly align the paper) did not fare well in my home. For one thing, I worked full time. To shelf a kitchen usually took the better part of a day. My seven children would place or remove dishes from the cupboards in such a way that the paper would become ripped. The ripped self-adhered paper would then attract dirt and this became visually disgusting. Placing a drinking glass lip side down on this filthy adhesive surface made my skin crawl. Therefore I was forced to change shelf paper 3-4 times a year. Using excato knives, scrappers, I would crawl into my cupboards and remove the squared corners of the carefully placed shelf paper.

So ergo my Ruthism: I place clean dish towels on my kitchen shelves. Therefore my dishes, glasses, utensils rest on a clean surface. But because my family is not careful with the cupboards, dirt, crumbs, dishevel happens frequently. Once a month I sanitize my home, my husband suffers from diabetes and "germs" are our enemy. I gather up the dish towels from the cupboards, place new dishtowels in the cupboards and use the "used" towels for the subsequent housecleaning. I will use the used towels, to wipe the refrigerator, stove, rest of the cupboards, bathtub and sinks, dust and remove marks from the walls. The soiled towels will go in the hot, whiting wash and be folded to replace soiled towels the following month.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

MY FAVORITE RUTH TRUTH:

MY FAVORITE RUTH TRUTH:

"My cup is not half empty nor half full--My cup is always overflowing


"My cup is not half empty nor half full--My cup is always overflowing with that which you see (liquid) and that which you do not see (air).
Unless the cup is collapsed with a vacuum I KNOW my cup runnth over.
Faith is the Knowing." Ruth


When asked if I see my cup half full or half empty. I KNOW my cup is completely filled and overflowing at all times. This is true even if I see just a drop of anything in the cup.

This truth is based on That which you see with your own eyes is not necessarily all that is contained within the cup. The other is the presence of something unseen. In this case of the unseen substance many times, this unseen substance would be air.

It is just a simple university law of displacement, vacuums and suction:

This absence of anything, truly empty cup of any level, would cause a vacuum and the cup would collapse within it's self.

In my case my cup is filled with "what I can see", friends, opportunity, hope, material things, support networks.

But if it was all taken away from me --- no friends, no opportunity, no hope, no material things, no support network.

I would still know my cup continues to be overflowing --- with that which I can not see!! Filled with all things believed and not seen = FAITH

and the BEST PART OF THIS TRUTH even if I do not "see" the faith -- unless the cup is collapsed ---- THE CUP IS FILLED TO OVERFLOWING!!

Explanation of Ruth's Truth is the application of simple university laws of displacement, vacuums and suction:


vacuum
, theoretically, space without matter in it. A perfect vacuum has never been obtained; the best man-made vacuums contain less than 100,000 gas molecules per cc, compared to about 30 billion billion (30×1018) molecules for air at sea level. The most nearly perfect vacuum exists in intergalactic space, where it is estimated that on the average there is less than one molecule per cubic meter. In ancient times the belief that "nature abhors a vacuum" was held widely and persisted without serious question until the late 16th and early 17th cent., when the experimental observations of Galileo and the Italian physicist Evangelista Torricelli demonstrated its essential fallacy. Torricelli obtained a nearly perfect vacuum (Torricellian vacuum) in his mercury barometer. A common but incorrect belief is that a vacuum causes "suction." Actually the apparent suction caused by a vacuum is the pressure of the atmosphere tending to rush in and fill the unoccupied space.


A space in which there is a low pressure (of gas) , i.e. relatively few atoms or molecules. A perfect vacuum would contain no atoms or molecules, but this is unobtainable as all the materials that surround such a space have a finite vapour pressure. In a soft (or low) vacuum the pressure is reduced to about 10−2 pascal, whereas a hard (or high) vacuum has a pressure of 10−2–10−7 pascal. Below 10−7 pascal is known as an ultrahigh vacuum.


This low pressure (of gas)creates a force known as suction:
Suction is A Force that causes a fluid or solid to be drawn into an interior space or to adhere to a surface because of the difference between the external and internal pressures.

Thus the cup would collapse within itself under this pressure.


I am so glad you came by to read my favorite Ruth Truth. Maybe your answer to the age old question is that your cup is half full or half empty. Yet I know with scientific proof that yours, mine and everyone else (who in fact have a cup), has a cup overflowing. :-).

Ruth Truths and Ruthisms

I have started yet another bolg. Over the years, I have made many mistakes, some sucesses, and been blessed with numerous mentors. I have gained wisdom in what I call Ruth Truths and Ruthisms. Sources for these Ruth Truths, Ruthisms, and Ruth Thoughts come from Bible Study groups, being a daughter, being a wife, being a mother, being a grandmother, being a grandchild, Gardening, Gold Mining, Sports (participating, organizing, spectating), Volunteering (at church, at schools, in interest groups), Community Politics Involvement, Child Rearing, Corporate World, Friends and Friends Experiences.

Oh and I guess some from attending and participating in higher level education classes. Which brings me to my first Ruth Truth. Attending and Participating in an educational class, sports organization, event, family/friend gathering are very different experiences, with very special skills to hone in as you practice more and more.

Ruth Truth Number 1----Attending, Participating, Organizing, and Developing events (events meaning anything, from a walk in the park to life-changing activities) are all skills to be practiced and improved upon.

Another Ruth Truth: a walk in a park can and does sometimes out weighs the preceived life changing event itself. An example of this would be a walk in the park as I strolled and came to the realization that I KNEW I wanted to marry my husband versus the actual wedding.

Ruth Truth Number 2----Learning never stops.

Ruth Truth Number 3----You are never as good the first time doing something as you will be as you practice more. Many times I will see a craft, heard a lecture, attended an activity and will state "Oh, I can do that!!" The more skilled, more prepared the person in presenting this skill equals the more likely you will do a poor job. Unfortunately you may not even realize you did a poor job ever.