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The 7 Mountains of Influence In Culture and Why You Should Be Concerned

Here you go Khirad. I know you were kidding, but since I’m into this stuff…

Kabbalistically, we have Lilith as the counterpart (in the lower world of Asiyah) to the Shekinah (at the level of Malkut). We also have Babylon as the spiritual counterpart to “Jerusalem above” (at the level of Binah). These are the “two females” or “upper and lower mothers” that seek to be connected via the tzaddik (the vav, Messiah ben Joseph, Metatron, Sefirah of Yesod, etc.), or in the case of the Sitra Achra, the false-messiah/tzaddik, who causes separation between the upper “Hay” and lower “Hay.”

Note that the same or similar angel introduces “Jerusalem above” in Revelation 21:9. Lilith/Babylon is “bride” as Shekinah/New Jerusalem is the bride to Mashiach. When Lilith “replaces” the Shekinah (i.e., Malkut) as the “lower” female (nukveh) then God’s blessings are cut off and in place comes disease, famine, death, etc.

This is the hidden meaning behind the “women’s hair” of the demons (whom Lilith oversees) mentioned in an earlier chapter.

LOL–Is that clear?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 7:51 pm

I loved those music nights too– just such a perfect rebellion, right? And it really brought people together.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 7:33 pm

That is a really interesting take on outrage. I am certain you are on to something there.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 7:29 pm

I just had a thought — not original, but still— about what’s going on with that. I think that the normal cycle of outrage, then acceptance, is overtaken when the site they live on (HP)is constantly whipping up their outrage. I bet that given a minute or two to breathe and THINK, many people would realize that their outrage is misplaced. They could listen to other views. But when new outrage is recycled every hour, they never get past their initial reaction and getr to a place where they can listen. Did that make any sense, or is it time to “step away for the computer?”

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 6:54 pm

Senate Reaches Health Care Reform Agreement

Sorry– nevermind– back to the dweeb way.

This first one, from Alternet,

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 6:39 pm

Two more interesting takes on the process. (And please bear with me as I try the new linking jazz.)

This first one, from Alternet, “Why Health Care ‘Deform’ Might Help Elect a Few Real Progressives” starts out whiny but gets somewhere with some new and unusual poll results. a/http://newstrust.net/stories/525015/toolbar

Another is Richard Trumka– head of the AFL/CIO who echoes something ChoiceLAdy states, that the bill will chnage one in committee. Here’s the link /ahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/17/trumka-senate-bill-as-is_n_396542.html

THIS IS MY FIRST ATTEMPT! If I flail, I’ll re-post.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 6:36 pm

Thanks, Patsy! And which coast– I mean, is that 8 pm PST?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 5:03 pm

Yikes! You ARE in great shape!!I’d have a heart attack for sure. But that’s what living in LA will do to you. You would have rightfully scoffed last week, when all the news was warning, “STORM WATCH!” and it rained lightly for 2 days.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 5:01 pm

Hey, KK! How you be?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:31 pm

Same here, Sweetheart, same here. Oh, and BTW, I posted earlier how to contact reps that are not your own.

In the far right (bad terminology!) column, under authors, find my name. Click it and you’ll see something with the word “NOW” in the title– I can’t remember what it’s titled. That gives an easy, foolproof way to contact all Senators and House members, even if you are not a constituent.

And thank you, again, for your kind words.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:19 pm

Scher, that article expresses my feelings exactly. It does not allay my all my fears, but it does offer some hope that my worst fears have a slim chance of being eliminated. Thank you!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:11 pm

Thanks, Scher– I needed that more than I knew!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 3:43 pm

Nellie, we’ll just have to agree to disagree on this one. :~)

I does cover more people who desperately need help. It probably helps reduce the deficit. Those are improvements. But it also cements health care via the private sector.

To me, it is akin to that time after WW II when Great Britain went with a National Health Care delivery system, and the US went with employer coverage of insurance. It forever made our insurance tied to employers– and that had devastating implications.

I believe this bill will tie us into private insurance with similar disastrous implications in the future.

Remember when Obama said he’d prefer single payer, but because we were so far down the road with employer coverage, it was impractical to re-do our entire system? That’s what I am afraid of with this bill; that at some point, as they gouge us unbearably, instead of getting Medicare for all, a future President will say, “Yes, that would be better, but we are so far down the road with private coverage, we can’t re-do they entire system.”

Of course, I would be very happy to be proven incorrect– thrilled in fact. If anyone can point me to an article that disproves Howard Dean on this, please, I’m begging you, show it to us.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 3:42 pm

Abbreviated from Health Care for America Now:

Here’s what must be fixed:

1. Make health care affordable

The Senate bill does not make health care affordable at work, and would encourage employers to hire part-time workers and offer bare-bones benefits. We need the final legislation to do what the House bill does – require all but the smallest employers to contribute a fair amount to good coverage for their workers.

And for those people who are self-employed or in between jobs, both bills need improvement on affordability. The Senate bill doesn’t do enough to make coverage affordable for low-and-moderate income families and the House falls short for middle-income families. The final bill should combine the best of both.

2. Hold insurance companies accountable

The final bill must include strong consumer protections and insurance regulations for all consumers, and give the federal government responsibility for running the new insurance marketplaces. Generally, the House bill is better, but we need Congress to pick the strongest provisions from both bills to be sure that everyone with insurance benefits from strong consumer protections.

The final bill should also give us the choice of a national public health insurance option that’s available on day one.

3. Fairly finance health care reform

The Senate bill taxes the health care benefits of millions of workers to pay for health reform. There’s a better way to pay for health reform that won’t raise premiums and out of pocket costs. By contrast, the House bill asks those who can most afford to pay their fair share to finance reform, as President Obama promised during his campaign.

The final bill should ask the richest to pay their fair share for reform, instead of taxing our health care benefits.

What’s next?

The reason that conservative Democrats like Ben Nelson and Independent Joe Lieberman have been able to hold the bill hostage to their demands is that Republicans have insisted on filibustering the bill every step of the way, requiring all 60 Senators who are part of the Democratic caucus to agree. That will continue this week, with the next 60-vote motion happening on Monday and perhaps two more 60-votes motions occurring during the week.

After the Senate passes their health care bill, it will head into “conference” with the House bill.

Conference is an opportunity to stand up for the three priorities listed above. The legislation that comes out of the conference will be sent to both houses of Congress for a final vote, and will require a majority in the House and 60 votes one more time in the Senate.

What can be done?

Let your Senators, member of Congress and President Obama hear from you.

It’s been a tough week for health care reformers, there’s no question. But we need to get ready, because it’s not over yet.

As President Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, and difficulty.” This last week has been painful and difficult, and there’s a lot of effort ahead. We’ll all be taking this time over the holidays to recharge for the coming fight.

As long as you’re fighting with us, we’ve got a chance to win this thing and finish reform right.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 3:26 pm

See, what Dean said is the big problem. There is a difference between progress and moving in the wrong direction! All movement does not equal progress. This bill is moving towards more private insurance, not towards a public option. It sets us down the wrong path, in the wrong direction.

It is so hard to articulate this. People say it is incremental progress, that it is a first step. But you see, that first step is backwards, away from where we want to end up. As long as we further strengthen the insurance companies’ grip on our health care access, the harder it will be to reverse that later! If we had even a weak PO, we could build upon that. Now what do we build on?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 3:00 pm

While not as demoralized as I have been lately, my gut is speaking to me and it’s saying, “America is a backward country!” Yes, the country as a whole, where I was born and where I live. And that is hard to reckon with. The last time I felt this way was 1969, but I was so young then and the world was my oyster, so it didn’t hurt as much to say it.

But my gut is also very vocal about what the passage of this bill means politically. It means Jim DeMint can’t stand in front of the cameras and declare that Obama has met his Waterloo. It means that the Dems can remain motivated to pass other, better legislation. It may even mean less of a defeat in 2010 and even victory in Congress in 2012.

So while I remain an UN-proud American, I am also relieved that the Dems won’t be saddled with complete defeat and will live to fight another day. That’s the best I can muster.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 12:59 pm

Does Anyone Feel the Same as I?

Being blessed is NEVER corny, my friend. Thank you!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 19, 2009 @ 1:56 pm

Are you kidding? OF COURSE I feel the same! Lovely post BTW. My son’s perceptions are so different than mine, yet over time I’ve come to see why it is that way. As a small example, when he was a kid he always used to say I yelled at him, but I KNEW I rarely did. I made a point of not yelling. But in a sense he was right, because even though my voice was quiet, he knew I was indeed “yelling.”

On one hand, I have so many regrets as a parent. But on the other, I know my motives were good, and, bottom line, we love each other. He’s OK and I am “good enough.” I wish I was better, I wish he were too. But we love each other, and for that I am grateful.

And yes, Boomer, you are so right– we are all in the same boat.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 19, 2009 @ 1:41 pm

MORALE

Also, Nellie, i think it is important to look at the objections individually. Some just can’t be answered– like mine about going in the wrong direction– but most objections are about the fact that this bill is too weak and that can always be countered by the “first step” argument and how we need to keep Dems in control to build on the bill. Several blogs linked to by yourself and Scher do that rather well.

I think the most important thing is to keep people engaged and– as I have no doubt about you– to remain respectful. I can’t tell you how many times at Huff people would thank me for that, and from there dialogue grew. Honestly, that’s something that I see comes naturally to you, but not for very many there.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 5:28 pm

There are some who are lost. But look what Bito said. That’s a valid argument.

Here’s my personal story: I was almost one of those who for a brief time thought I’d give up on the Dems. Over time, a poster at Huffpo, HumeSkeptic, was always the voice of reason. He’d say things like most of us here– Where are the votes? What is the alternative– all the arguments we make here. Not just about HCR but the bailout especially. But over a period of about a week, I came to my senses. Maybe I just needed the space to vent, to express my frustration. Anyway, I soon realized how ridiculous I was being. I saw the world as it is without being cynical. It made me understand that I had to continue to WORK for change. Other posters helped with that meme too. Most people can come around, and they have to. When all else fails, I like to mention President Palin. ;~)

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 5:18 pm

Yes, Nellie– thanks for clarifying that. And Nelson too, and it could have been any Conservadem. It IS a failure of structure, and I really get that– there was no way we could have gotten votes for a robust PO let alone single payer. But you know what else? The lobby money has also been really exposed for how it perverts Democracy.

And here’s a true bright spot: I have never seen it mentioned as offhandedly and as often as recently. Did you notice on that Howard Dean video posted by Scher(?), how he mentioned that? Almost as if everyone knew that the Senators were bribed. And I’ve heard those sentiments repeatedly. That tells me the time is ripening for campaign and lobby reform.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 5:10 pm

Can’t– this Congress can barely wipe its ass. You are preaching to the choir on that one. But I ask you, are you happy with this bill? If you are, I won’t argue. If you are not, that’s understandable too, isn’t it?

But my main point is this: Use your reasoning on those who are probably not going to vote. I’m going to vote, and so is everyone else on this site. We are not who I want to deal with. It does no good to write off half the registered Dems and basically say, “Nuts to you, ya dreamers.” We need them, don’t we?

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:58 pm

Absolutely too high– from the start.

But remember how this all played out? The PO was declared DOA, but then, we got one from Baucus Committee, of all places! And one from the House, and then it seemed inevitable. Then, the PO was dead, but there was Medicare expansion– so I for one, was mollified. Then– rather, now, no PO, but the mandate stayed. So although we wanted too much, we weren’t crazy for thinking it possible, when on three occasions, we had a PO! Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory…

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:51 pm

What can I say? I just believe that we have to see the side of those who feel demoralized, and, instead of just disagreeing, and saying they are being unreasonable (which I think they are being in many cases), we need to deal with them. They won’t vote unless we can reach them.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 4:28 pm

Bito, did you read my entire post? If so, I guess I did a pretty poor job of conveying my points, or you and I are just different people, and I have found the health care reform process demoralizing. But that’s OK!

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 3:59 pm

That is a very apt analogy. The sense of wonder and magic is great, but not the everyday, mundane that we experience. We need our myths but we live in the now, the world where the daily grind of work dims those ideals. But the work goes on– what did Teddy Kennedy say?–the dream will never die.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 1:27 pm

Wow– Fabulous, Kes, just a wonderful post. Thank you. What you wrote is so morale BOOSTING! And yes, that song resonated more now than ever. Thanks again.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 1:22 pm

Thank you, Khirad, for your really thoughtful reply. I want to talk a little more about those Dems who say they will stay home and not vote. Based on what I am reading and on what I hear, they WILL stay home, unless something very impressive happens before 2010-12, like a real jobs turnaround or even something unforeseen.

It’s not just about the puny health care reform, it’s cumulative. It about the bailout and the ensuing bonuses, about the escalation in Af/Pak, about DADT, the non-prosecution of torture, and of course, about the jobless recovery. And about the impression among many Dems–not just on the Left– that Obama is too “weak,” too conciliatory. (I happen to believe he is actually stronger than he’s given credit for– bombastic cowboys are weak IMO.)

But the fact remains: The perception, however unfair, is that he “caves.” And I have heard it said many times, that Americans forgive anything but weakness. That’s the characteristic of this country– we admire the appearance of strength, not real strength. Too many Democrats are unhappy and will stay home, unless we can reach them.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 1:20 pm

Hi KQ. I am of two minds about how Obama presented himself– he certainly was upfront about his centrist tendencies, but he was also a transformative figure. He was a combination of FDR AND Clinton, and I can easily see how many voters thought he was more FDR. Actually, I see him as unique in his mixed ideologies.

But the main thing for me is to stay engaged with all but the most ridiculous on the Left. I think most can be reasoned with. I know this because I was almost like them– and it took more reasoned voices to talk me down to the place where I am more realistic.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 12:29 pm

AdLib, that’s great– Demoralized Anonymous! And while I, too, am annoyed at those who claim Obama is Bush-lite (Are they kidding me?!), I am seriously annoyed with my Party! It astounds me that they KNOW what will really save money (single payer), they KNOW what the public really wants (yep– single payer) and still they pretend otherwise. It’s become a farce.

» Posted By Chernynkaya On December 20, 2009 @ 12:23 pm