I can remember when plastic grocery bags first came to be! You see, I was a "bag boy" at a local supermarket...
Supposedly, this was better for the environment, as we weren't cutting down trees to make the paper bags anymore! Oh how times and arguments have changed!
We went from, "Do you need a double bag, ma'am?" to "Paper or plastic, please?" to "Did you bring your own bags!?" You know, I actually recall people bringing those brown paper bags back into the store to be reused... and when we went to plastic, they still brought them in and had us bag into them first, then set into the plastic...
There was a time that the only thing put into plastic bags was your ice cream and other frozen foods... just so as it melted on the way home and the condensation formed, it wouldn't affect the integrity of the paper bag and cause it to rip/fail/disintegrate as you carried it in to your house...
So as the plastic bags fill our landfills... I think back and wonder...
Who pushed for those damn plastic bags over the paper ones anyways!? And as our forests are overgrown, causing fire hazards now, the whole fire suppression mismanagement issue is another blog...
I guess the whole recycle thing failed. I can send a paper bag to the landfill, and it is degraded, absorbed, gone, reduced to its essential parts in a few years. Heck, as an organic source of nutrients, it might even feed a tree someday... I send a plastic bag there... it's there for supposedly hundreds or even thousands of years?! Try leaving one of those plastic bags out in the sun for a few months... turns to dust!
And those "green" bags... most made outside of America... check the lead levels in them! More toxic to the environment than even the CFL's with all the mercury, which are also mostly made outside of America too!
I guess as hard as we humans try to screw up this world...
As hard as we try to influence things, change things, and make things better...
We are up against a bigger power and force!
Maybe we should just leave things alone, as they are, and just do what we do. Let the balance return.
That's a concept that won't be accepted anytime soon...
Peace!
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Green Thing
I got this in an email today, not one to cut and paste, I make the exception!
Subject: The Green Thing
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."
He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Subject: The Green Thing
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."
He was right, that generation didn't have the green thing in its day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back in that customer's day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she was right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because they didn't have the green thing back then?
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Psychosis
Last night, I walked over to another area of our ED where we hold patient's that have been admitted and are waiting for inpatient bed assignments or are waiting for transfers to other facilities, to give report on a patient that I was about to move into this unit.
There was a patient that was already there, awaiting a transfer to another facility... who literally, just as I got there, right as I walked in, had a violent, psychotic break. The patient body slammed a Security Officer, was yelling at and threatening everyone, swinging at (and hitting) and kicking at (and connecting) at a Nurse and Nursing Assistant.
I watched as the patient swung at the Nurse, the Nurse blocked and grabbed the patient's arm in an attempt to control the patient, and the patient proceeded to lunge at and bite the Nurse's wrist, breaking skin. Not withstanding the Employee Exposure that just occurred, this patient had now committed a felony with the assault & battery against a healthcare worker... but that is a different story.
This all occurred in less than 10 seconds... but it seemed to take on that weird, slow-motion, as it was happening time slows down kind of thing...
The Security Officer recovered and had regained physical control of the patient's upper extremities, but now the patient was wildly kicking at anyone in the immediate vicinity. The Nurse and Nursing Assistant had taken a step back. I set down the paperwork I had in my hand and walked over and into this situation.
I'm not the gung-ho, ninja, get into the fray, kind of Nurse... nor was this a male thing, watching my female co-workers getting hurt... this was a crisis for everyone involved; both the patient and my co-workers! This situation needed to end quickly to prevent escalation and further injury to all, the patient and my co-workers.
Too make a long story short, I side stepped towards the patient, the kick came at me, I blocked and grabbed the ankle, held the leg up, crossed the knee over the patient's other leg, looked at the Security Officer, said "floor now!" The Security Officer started to go down, I went down, and suddenly this patient was one the floor, injury free, under physical control, and was able to receive an emergent injection of an anti-psychotic medication intramuscularly. Within 5 minutes we were able to safely transfer this patient back into their bed.
These things don't happen that often. And rarely, as dramatic as this situation played out.
I won't get into the felony thing, as a patient's offense has to be truly egregious for a healthcare worker to even consider pressing charges...
Yet here again, I found myself somehow being right where I needed to be, right when I needed to be there.
The point of my ramblings? I don't know, maybe just to share and decompress? Maybe to educate that when I don't get to your request immediately, I might have been busy with something more pressing? Maybe it's just to give you a glimpse into what I do? Who knows... take from it what you will...
I took some Ibuprofen about an hour later, as I felt a little twinge in my back... about to take some more before sleep time!
Peace!
There was a patient that was already there, awaiting a transfer to another facility... who literally, just as I got there, right as I walked in, had a violent, psychotic break. The patient body slammed a Security Officer, was yelling at and threatening everyone, swinging at (and hitting) and kicking at (and connecting) at a Nurse and Nursing Assistant.
I watched as the patient swung at the Nurse, the Nurse blocked and grabbed the patient's arm in an attempt to control the patient, and the patient proceeded to lunge at and bite the Nurse's wrist, breaking skin. Not withstanding the Employee Exposure that just occurred, this patient had now committed a felony with the assault & battery against a healthcare worker... but that is a different story.
This all occurred in less than 10 seconds... but it seemed to take on that weird, slow-motion, as it was happening time slows down kind of thing...
The Security Officer recovered and had regained physical control of the patient's upper extremities, but now the patient was wildly kicking at anyone in the immediate vicinity. The Nurse and Nursing Assistant had taken a step back. I set down the paperwork I had in my hand and walked over and into this situation.
I'm not the gung-ho, ninja, get into the fray, kind of Nurse... nor was this a male thing, watching my female co-workers getting hurt... this was a crisis for everyone involved; both the patient and my co-workers! This situation needed to end quickly to prevent escalation and further injury to all, the patient and my co-workers.
Too make a long story short, I side stepped towards the patient, the kick came at me, I blocked and grabbed the ankle, held the leg up, crossed the knee over the patient's other leg, looked at the Security Officer, said "floor now!" The Security Officer started to go down, I went down, and suddenly this patient was one the floor, injury free, under physical control, and was able to receive an emergent injection of an anti-psychotic medication intramuscularly. Within 5 minutes we were able to safely transfer this patient back into their bed.
These things don't happen that often. And rarely, as dramatic as this situation played out.
I won't get into the felony thing, as a patient's offense has to be truly egregious for a healthcare worker to even consider pressing charges...
Yet here again, I found myself somehow being right where I needed to be, right when I needed to be there.
The point of my ramblings? I don't know, maybe just to share and decompress? Maybe to educate that when I don't get to your request immediately, I might have been busy with something more pressing? Maybe it's just to give you a glimpse into what I do? Who knows... take from it what you will...
I took some Ibuprofen about an hour later, as I felt a little twinge in my back... about to take some more before sleep time!
Peace!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Christos Anesti!
I guess that's the beauty of a foreign language! You gotta figure it out and translate it!
Alithos Anesti!
Alithos Anesti!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
I want to be an Air Traffic Controller!
Then I could work a really long shift, and as the ATC Union is advocating, be able to take a nap too!
Oh... and I would make $160K a year!
What union in there right mind would advocate any employee working more than 8 hours a day, for no more than 5 days a week? OK, maybe 12 hours a day for 3 days a week, or 10 hours for 4...
I get that it is a stressful job. After all, the ATC's are responsible for thousands of lives every minute! Wouldn't that make you want to advocate for shorter shifts first?
I work three 12-hour shifts... and that is stressful. I can't crash an airplane, but my inattentiveness can crash a patient! So hundreds of lives are more important than one...
Maybe I should ask my employer for a nap period... Guess I should start looking to flip burgers!
Oh... and I would make $160K a year!
What union in there right mind would advocate any employee working more than 8 hours a day, for no more than 5 days a week? OK, maybe 12 hours a day for 3 days a week, or 10 hours for 4...
I get that it is a stressful job. After all, the ATC's are responsible for thousands of lives every minute! Wouldn't that make you want to advocate for shorter shifts first?
I work three 12-hour shifts... and that is stressful. I can't crash an airplane, but my inattentiveness can crash a patient! So hundreds of lives are more important than one...
Maybe I should ask my employer for a nap period... Guess I should start looking to flip burgers!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Spending vs. Revenue
Why is this debate being framed around the "revenue" side? Tax more, tax the rich, bring more revenue in...
Has this entity we call the Federal Government taken on a life of it's own?
How about framing it on the "spending" side? Spend less, cut budgets, reduce the size of government...
Wouldn't need to raise taxes then! As the government wouldn't need more revenue...
Hmm... could my taxes go down?
I am all for supporting and helping those truly in need. But is that the Federal Government's job or is it the local community's job? As Hillary Clinton reiterated, "It takes a village to raise a child." Note, she didn't say "nation!"
I had someone ask me for money the other day because they were out of gas. I offered to pay for there gas and asked where there car was... of course, it was "down the road." I'll fill your tank if you truly need it... but I am admittedly cynical when you want my cash instead!
So how is that different when the government takes my money in the form of taxes? They are better at spending my money where it is needed than I am?
As the most generous Nation on this Earth, I think people should be left to spend, and more importantly give, there earned money where they feel it is best used.
And if you are on welfare...
I have always said, I will get a minimum wage job flipping burgers before I become unemployed!
After all... a minimum wage is a government guarantee that you are above the poverty level!
Has this entity we call the Federal Government taken on a life of it's own?
How about framing it on the "spending" side? Spend less, cut budgets, reduce the size of government...
Wouldn't need to raise taxes then! As the government wouldn't need more revenue...
Hmm... could my taxes go down?
I am all for supporting and helping those truly in need. But is that the Federal Government's job or is it the local community's job? As Hillary Clinton reiterated, "It takes a village to raise a child." Note, she didn't say "nation!"
I had someone ask me for money the other day because they were out of gas. I offered to pay for there gas and asked where there car was... of course, it was "down the road." I'll fill your tank if you truly need it... but I am admittedly cynical when you want my cash instead!
So how is that different when the government takes my money in the form of taxes? They are better at spending my money where it is needed than I am?
As the most generous Nation on this Earth, I think people should be left to spend, and more importantly give, there earned money where they feel it is best used.
And if you are on welfare...
I have always said, I will get a minimum wage job flipping burgers before I become unemployed!
After all... a minimum wage is a government guarantee that you are above the poverty level!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Medicare
So...
If I have seen them, I know everyone else has too, so I will ask the question!
If Medicare is the end all, perfect, don't mess with it, insurance, why then are there so many companies offering those "supplementals?"
Obviously there are only three conclusions.
1) There are quite a number of companies that are scamming those on Medicare, offering them "gap" coverage, in an effort to get rich.
2) Medicare is not all that it purports to be. Necessitating people on Medicare to seek help outside of the government.
3) ...
There is always a different answer. I wonder what the thoughts and answers are...
So?
If I have seen them, I know everyone else has too, so I will ask the question!
If Medicare is the end all, perfect, don't mess with it, insurance, why then are there so many companies offering those "supplementals?"
Obviously there are only three conclusions.
1) There are quite a number of companies that are scamming those on Medicare, offering them "gap" coverage, in an effort to get rich.
2) Medicare is not all that it purports to be. Necessitating people on Medicare to seek help outside of the government.
3) ...
There is always a different answer. I wonder what the thoughts and answers are...
So?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Tomatos, peppers, and taxes!
They have survived... they are growing... Updates and photos later!
But more importantly... I am a bit mad!
You see...
I get a refund this year, both from the Fed and the State! Now most people would be happy, but I beg to differ!
If I had underpaid my taxes, owed a certain amount, I would be penalized! That is, I would get an "Underpayment Penalty" and could potentially have to pay interest on the amount I owe, that I did not pay...
Now here I am. I overpaid my taxes, am I rewarded?! That is, am I eligible for an "Overpayment Award" and will I be paid interest on the amount I loaned to the government, that they didn't immediately refund/refuse to accept...
And if you think the current tax system is unfair...
I beg you, I plead, I just ask... read the current Tax Code... Read through the current tax laws, page by page... Please explain it to me! I don't expect an answer for at least 3 years, but by then, it will have changed again...
Hmm....
But more importantly... I am a bit mad!
You see...
I get a refund this year, both from the Fed and the State! Now most people would be happy, but I beg to differ!
If I had underpaid my taxes, owed a certain amount, I would be penalized! That is, I would get an "Underpayment Penalty" and could potentially have to pay interest on the amount I owe, that I did not pay...
Now here I am. I overpaid my taxes, am I rewarded?! That is, am I eligible for an "Overpayment Award" and will I be paid interest on the amount I loaned to the government, that they didn't immediately refund/refuse to accept...
And if you think the current tax system is unfair...
I beg you, I plead, I just ask... read the current Tax Code... Read through the current tax laws, page by page... Please explain it to me! I don't expect an answer for at least 3 years, but by then, it will have changed again...
Hmm....
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Beefsteaks and Jalapenos!
I thought about commenting about the current news cycle. But I figure anyone can go back and read my views on that, so why write anymore about it.
So, I heard my niece today having a temper-tantrum. Seems she was upset that her parents didn't take her with, when they went to the store. She was left in the care of her 18 year old sister, and the defacto resident uncle. Now being the kind, compassionate, nurturing uncle that I am, I went downstairs and just asked what all the fuss was about? Seems just by me asking, the tantrum stopped. I fulfilled my uncle duties today.
After this, I went out to a local establishment that has a garden section. Bought a pot, some soil, and two plants: a tomato and a pepper. When I got back, I walked in and my niece looked at me. I told her she better put on her shoes. I can not adequately describe in words the look on her face... even if I had a camera, the 2-dimensional image would pale...
For the next 30 minutes we decided where the pot would go, moved other pots around, filled the new pot with soil, decided where the plants should be in the pot, and then got our hands dirty digging.
So if they grow, survive, produce... I might get around to posting a picture or two...
So, I heard my niece today having a temper-tantrum. Seems she was upset that her parents didn't take her with, when they went to the store. She was left in the care of her 18 year old sister, and the defacto resident uncle. Now being the kind, compassionate, nurturing uncle that I am, I went downstairs and just asked what all the fuss was about? Seems just by me asking, the tantrum stopped. I fulfilled my uncle duties today.
After this, I went out to a local establishment that has a garden section. Bought a pot, some soil, and two plants: a tomato and a pepper. When I got back, I walked in and my niece looked at me. I told her she better put on her shoes. I can not adequately describe in words the look on her face... even if I had a camera, the 2-dimensional image would pale...
For the next 30 minutes we decided where the pot would go, moved other pots around, filled the new pot with soil, decided where the plants should be in the pot, and then got our hands dirty digging.
So if they grow, survive, produce... I might get around to posting a picture or two...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Race, creed, color...
"...without discrimination, based on race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or veteran status..."
"An equal opportunity employer to all regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation."
See the subtle change? And this one is my favorite!
"...is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and will not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran, marital or citizen status or sexual orientation or any other status or category protected by law..."
Guess they got tired of changing the disclaimer...
I promised to not step onto this soapbox again, so I won't... sorry I kicked at it...
"An equal opportunity employer to all regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation."
See the subtle change? And this one is my favorite!
"...is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and will not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran, marital or citizen status or sexual orientation or any other status or category protected by law..."
Guess they got tired of changing the disclaimer...
I promised to not step onto this soapbox again, so I won't... sorry I kicked at it...
And regardless of what your answer was... it is yours!
That's what I think is most important...
Each of us are quick to comment, quick to judge, quick to post links to opposing viewpoints...
I admit, I didn't commit to a full retreat... I even left the door open. But in my defense, there are pics that other people might still want access to, and they are in my albums, on my profile. Although I think that by me posting them, and I verified that I have the exclusive rights to them, they are somehow there forever, I must have agreed to sign my rights away in that 3 page, 2000+ word agreement I didn't read and just clicked on the "I Agree" button... after all, I can't delete any of them now!
Do you really want to know what I am doing? Do you want to know where I am? Do you want to know what I am thinking right now? I hardly know myself moment to moment! So how can I update everyone?
And how can I change your viewpoint? I obviously failed at that more than once! People are so entrenched in the here and now, and when it becomes passe they move on to the next thing. I am guilty of that myself... heck, I enabled text messaging and finally got a text message friendly phone 2 years ago... and recently I was thinking/talking about getting a "smart" phone... I know... way late!
So here's my update... I might update it later, after all, I'm obviously blogging this, so I haven't completely rejected technology...
I want a house, with a porch. And on the porch is a swing. And there is a handmade afghan that I can grab to keep me warm if needed. And the porch is situated so that if there is a river, or a stream, or a lake nearby, it faces it it!
And I want to walk out to my mailbox. There will be a barrel right next to it too... might get lit every now and then!
And there is a garden, that I grow all of those veggies that my former neighbors thought I was crazy to do in my front yard, but were first in line to ask if they could have some!
And I will wait.
Because one day, my true love will open the gate and walk up onto the porch, sit down on that swing, pull the afghan over, look out to the water...
and say "I missed you!"
That's what I think is most important...
Each of us are quick to comment, quick to judge, quick to post links to opposing viewpoints...
I admit, I didn't commit to a full retreat... I even left the door open. But in my defense, there are pics that other people might still want access to, and they are in my albums, on my profile. Although I think that by me posting them, and I verified that I have the exclusive rights to them, they are somehow there forever, I must have agreed to sign my rights away in that 3 page, 2000+ word agreement I didn't read and just clicked on the "I Agree" button... after all, I can't delete any of them now!
Do you really want to know what I am doing? Do you want to know where I am? Do you want to know what I am thinking right now? I hardly know myself moment to moment! So how can I update everyone?
And how can I change your viewpoint? I obviously failed at that more than once! People are so entrenched in the here and now, and when it becomes passe they move on to the next thing. I am guilty of that myself... heck, I enabled text messaging and finally got a text message friendly phone 2 years ago... and recently I was thinking/talking about getting a "smart" phone... I know... way late!
So here's my update... I might update it later, after all, I'm obviously blogging this, so I haven't completely rejected technology...
I want a house, with a porch. And on the porch is a swing. And there is a handmade afghan that I can grab to keep me warm if needed. And the porch is situated so that if there is a river, or a stream, or a lake nearby, it faces it it!
And I want to walk out to my mailbox. There will be a barrel right next to it too... might get lit every now and then!
And there is a garden, that I grow all of those veggies that my former neighbors thought I was crazy to do in my front yard, but were first in line to ask if they could have some!
And I will wait.
Because one day, my true love will open the gate and walk up onto the porch, sit down on that swing, pull the afghan over, look out to the water...
and say "I missed you!"
A question.
What is the most important thing you have done in your life?
No quick answers... you need to think about this for a minute!
No quick answers... you need to think about this for a minute!
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Wow!
The other day, I was at local gas station/convenience store...
As I stood there waiting for my tank to fill, I noticed this big, non-descript truck.
As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed these two guys moving a pallet that was filled with bags of ice. Two guys, one pulling the pallet jack, the other pushing the pallet... obviously it was heavy. Heck, probably was a ton of ice! 200 bags, 10 pounds each!
But these two guys got within 10 feet of the outside freezer and stopped. They then both walked back to the non-descript truck and got a cart, wheeled it over to the pallet, and began transferring the ice from the pallet onto the cart.
I don't know why, but I was so intrigued that after my tank was full, I pulled my truck up to a parking space near where these guys were working.
I sat there and watched them throw bags of ice from the pallet to the cart. Then, when the cart was full, they wheeled it over a mere 10 feet to the outside freezer and began to offload the ice into the freezer. One of the bags fell off, and broke open... they just kicked it out into the parking lot to apparently melt down.
I'm thinking to myself, I want this job!
As I stood there waiting for my tank to fill, I noticed this big, non-descript truck.
As I scanned my surroundings, I noticed these two guys moving a pallet that was filled with bags of ice. Two guys, one pulling the pallet jack, the other pushing the pallet... obviously it was heavy. Heck, probably was a ton of ice! 200 bags, 10 pounds each!
But these two guys got within 10 feet of the outside freezer and stopped. They then both walked back to the non-descript truck and got a cart, wheeled it over to the pallet, and began transferring the ice from the pallet onto the cart.
I don't know why, but I was so intrigued that after my tank was full, I pulled my truck up to a parking space near where these guys were working.
I sat there and watched them throw bags of ice from the pallet to the cart. Then, when the cart was full, they wheeled it over a mere 10 feet to the outside freezer and began to offload the ice into the freezer. One of the bags fell off, and broke open... they just kicked it out into the parking lot to apparently melt down.
I'm thinking to myself, I want this job!
Friday, April 08, 2011
This is the scary thing...
I am a inclined to open a business, one that picks up garbage, recyclables, etc...
I don't care really if you separate it all out. Heck, you don't even need to rinse out the cans of tomato sauce! Just throw it all out there, into that one bin!
I would only charge you $10.00 a month to come pick up your trash... the things you are throwing away... heck, I would even come around once a month and haul off the big things that won't fit into the bin!
I would hire employees to drive the trucks, drive the front loaders, sort through it all... and the impact of me building the processing plant! Oh my! The temporary construction jobs, the engineers, the architects, the scientists...
Oh wait! Here's a better idea! Snow Removal! Imagine if there was someone that would come in and front-load all of the snow in your town...
Pile it into trucks, haul it away! I could move snow from the NE to the SW! It would melt, but it would affect the drought in certain areas! Imagine all of the water redistributed! Major melting plants, gigantic concrete holding tanks, of course there would need to be treatment plants as well...
I need to consider these ideas...
Oh well, it is just some thoughts...
I don't care really if you separate it all out. Heck, you don't even need to rinse out the cans of tomato sauce! Just throw it all out there, into that one bin!
I would only charge you $10.00 a month to come pick up your trash... the things you are throwing away... heck, I would even come around once a month and haul off the big things that won't fit into the bin!
I would hire employees to drive the trucks, drive the front loaders, sort through it all... and the impact of me building the processing plant! Oh my! The temporary construction jobs, the engineers, the architects, the scientists...
Oh wait! Here's a better idea! Snow Removal! Imagine if there was someone that would come in and front-load all of the snow in your town...
Pile it into trucks, haul it away! I could move snow from the NE to the SW! It would melt, but it would affect the drought in certain areas! Imagine all of the water redistributed! Major melting plants, gigantic concrete holding tanks, of course there would need to be treatment plants as well...
I need to consider these ideas...
Oh well, it is just some thoughts...
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Just Stop!
Just stop!
Want to fix the US Deficit/Debt? Here's a solution...
STOP SPENDING MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE!!!
Either stop spending or raise my income taxes! But be prepared...
Raise my taxes too high, and it will eventually become not profitable for me to work and contribute to my society! Then I will stop working, have no taxable income; therefore no longer contributing, and will be potentially drawing upon government benefits! I don't pay into the system, but I can collect from it!!!
Then you will have to increase taxes on those that are willing to try... even more! How much? 45, 55, 75... 100%
See the problem?
For all of my friends that want it for free, or to give it out for free... give it! Give it all!
If you truly consider yourself a Democrat, a Liberal, a Progressive... why do you enjoy anything? Shouldn't you give it all up? Sell your house, give everything you earn, have absolutely no "net" income?
See the problem now?
Heck! Michael Moore can help reduce the deficit! Sell off his shares of Halliburton (owns 2,000+ shares) Capital Gains alone might actually impact the deficit! Oh... did I mention he is one of the "ultra-wealthy?" I wonder how much his income taxes are? After all.. he makes more than $200K a year... Oh wait... he has loopholes...
Still don't see it?
Well, then I wont comment anymore...
Want to fix the US Deficit/Debt? Here's a solution...
STOP SPENDING MONEY YOU DON'T HAVE!!!
Either stop spending or raise my income taxes! But be prepared...
Raise my taxes too high, and it will eventually become not profitable for me to work and contribute to my society! Then I will stop working, have no taxable income; therefore no longer contributing, and will be potentially drawing upon government benefits! I don't pay into the system, but I can collect from it!!!
Then you will have to increase taxes on those that are willing to try... even more! How much? 45, 55, 75... 100%
See the problem?
For all of my friends that want it for free, or to give it out for free... give it! Give it all!
If you truly consider yourself a Democrat, a Liberal, a Progressive... why do you enjoy anything? Shouldn't you give it all up? Sell your house, give everything you earn, have absolutely no "net" income?
See the problem now?
Heck! Michael Moore can help reduce the deficit! Sell off his shares of Halliburton (owns 2,000+ shares) Capital Gains alone might actually impact the deficit! Oh... did I mention he is one of the "ultra-wealthy?" I wonder how much his income taxes are? After all.. he makes more than $200K a year... Oh wait... he has loopholes...
Still don't see it?
Well, then I wont comment anymore...
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
"I love you to death! But, my ultimate goal is to get rid of you!"
Ah... the smiles, the laughs, and the "Whats!?!?"
You see, that is my "tag-line."
Many people that might have heard that from an ED Nurse or others... well, I am proud to say I helped pass it on to many others! I don't remember where or when I first heard it, but it struck and stuck with me as the perfect metaphor for what I do!
Again, I am not the first to say it, and I don't know how many have picked it up, and I am sure many, many more have said it also! So... if you find yourself in the situation that you had to go to the ED, and you happen to hear or even overhear a Nurse say that... speak up! And say, "Excuse me! I know a nurse in Phoenix, Arizona that frequently says that!" Now, you will have to quickly explain that you heard or read from me, or know someone who knows me who reported I said that... or else a certain cynicism might be reared... but eventually in 50 to 100 years... through FB, MSp, email, and whatever is to come, I just might be referenced!!! ;)
You see, I will advocate for you, do everything that I can for you, and make sure you get what you need, if you are a patient of mine in the ED. You and I will not always agree on the priority status of said need... but due to HIPPA regulations, I can only tell you that you are one of X number of patients that I am caring for, or you are currently are one of X number of patients in the ED at the time...
As I said, it is the perfect metaphor!
You see as an ED Nurse, I want to help you and get you through the acute interventions/treatment/diagnostics/disposition process as quickly as I can. I will admit, this is both a professional and personal goal...
Most people don't want to spend hours in the ED. Likewise, I as a Nurse don't want you here either! There are a bunch of really sick/ill people that come to the ED... sometimes they have problems that I want to minimize my other patients exposure to! So it is a two-fold process... get them through, and get you through! Part of me "rushing you through the process" is that you are OK and will be fine! Who really wants to be in a place that they really could be exposed in/to and get sick from just being there? This really boggles some of my younger parents, who bring their baby in for a fever... tests are done, and we quickly discharge them often. They seem upset, but when I explain that your baby has a cold, a viral illness, etc... you really don't want to be here with all of these contagious diseases around... they are quick to want to leave. Don't get me wrong, we do the tests, the diagnostics, we confirm quickly... a kid with a cold next to a kid with CAP (community acquired pneumonia) or RSV... needs to get out of the ED and home ASAP!
I really don't make an effort to make anyone wait for things, especially a discharge to home! Your good... OK... nothing life-threatening, I want you to be able to get home as quickly as I you can before you are exposed to some contagious disease or other process/problem that might make you sick! But if you are sick/ill and require admission, I want to get you to where you will best be cared for and taken care of as quickly as possible.
So last night I had all three, well maybe 2.5 ...
I got a smile, and a thank you as I wheeled my patient to their inpatient room...
A laugh, this is the 0.5, as it was really a chuckle and a question as to why I wasn't going to be their nurse overnight... this patient had been somewhat heavily medicated for their condition/problem!
And a "What!" Your discharging me!?" Apparently this patient did not receive the treatment that they expected... nor the diagnosis... nor the expected prescriptions! ;) Even though... ___
Well, fill in the blank... even a non-nurse, non-ED HCW can probably fill it in!
Remember!
I love you to death! But my ultimate goal is to get rid of you! My job is to get you were you need to go/be!
You see, that is my "tag-line."
Many people that might have heard that from an ED Nurse or others... well, I am proud to say I helped pass it on to many others! I don't remember where or when I first heard it, but it struck and stuck with me as the perfect metaphor for what I do!
Again, I am not the first to say it, and I don't know how many have picked it up, and I am sure many, many more have said it also! So... if you find yourself in the situation that you had to go to the ED, and you happen to hear or even overhear a Nurse say that... speak up! And say, "Excuse me! I know a nurse in Phoenix, Arizona that frequently says that!" Now, you will have to quickly explain that you heard or read from me, or know someone who knows me who reported I said that... or else a certain cynicism might be reared... but eventually in 50 to 100 years... through FB, MSp, email, and whatever is to come, I just might be referenced!!! ;)
You see, I will advocate for you, do everything that I can for you, and make sure you get what you need, if you are a patient of mine in the ED. You and I will not always agree on the priority status of said need... but due to HIPPA regulations, I can only tell you that you are one of X number of patients that I am caring for, or you are currently are one of X number of patients in the ED at the time...
As I said, it is the perfect metaphor!
You see as an ED Nurse, I want to help you and get you through the acute interventions/treatment/diagnostics/disposition process as quickly as I can. I will admit, this is both a professional and personal goal...
Most people don't want to spend hours in the ED. Likewise, I as a Nurse don't want you here either! There are a bunch of really sick/ill people that come to the ED... sometimes they have problems that I want to minimize my other patients exposure to! So it is a two-fold process... get them through, and get you through! Part of me "rushing you through the process" is that you are OK and will be fine! Who really wants to be in a place that they really could be exposed in/to and get sick from just being there? This really boggles some of my younger parents, who bring their baby in for a fever... tests are done, and we quickly discharge them often. They seem upset, but when I explain that your baby has a cold, a viral illness, etc... you really don't want to be here with all of these contagious diseases around... they are quick to want to leave. Don't get me wrong, we do the tests, the diagnostics, we confirm quickly... a kid with a cold next to a kid with CAP (community acquired pneumonia) or RSV... needs to get out of the ED and home ASAP!
I really don't make an effort to make anyone wait for things, especially a discharge to home! Your good... OK... nothing life-threatening, I want you to be able to get home as quickly as I you can before you are exposed to some contagious disease or other process/problem that might make you sick! But if you are sick/ill and require admission, I want to get you to where you will best be cared for and taken care of as quickly as possible.
So last night I had all three, well maybe 2.5 ...
I got a smile, and a thank you as I wheeled my patient to their inpatient room...
A laugh, this is the 0.5, as it was really a chuckle and a question as to why I wasn't going to be their nurse overnight... this patient had been somewhat heavily medicated for their condition/problem!
And a "What!" Your discharging me!?" Apparently this patient did not receive the treatment that they expected... nor the diagnosis... nor the expected prescriptions! ;) Even though... ___
Well, fill in the blank... even a non-nurse, non-ED HCW can probably fill it in!
Remember!
I love you to death! But my ultimate goal is to get rid of you! My job is to get you were you need to go/be!
Professionalism vs. Realism
A few years ago (1998) the IOM released a report/White Paper on patient safety, titled "To Err is Human." Detailing how bad the health care system was in America... how up to 98,000 preventable patient deaths a year, were associated with poor processes, medical errors, etc.
How far have we come?
There have been billions, if not even trillions of dollars spent on the creation of new Organizations, Governmental and Quasi-Governmental Agencies, mandatory reporting databases, Consultants to help health care providers comply; the list goes on and on!
I am still looking for a good, critical research paper that outlines and details the changes and progress that has been made. What the "best demonstrated practice" is. What works and doesn't work.
What I would like the most, is for the original researchers, or new researchers using the same method, sample size, data stream, etc., to repeat the study! Let's compare oranges to oranges, as best we can! Although I fear it will be oranges to tangerines at best, maybe citrus to citrus...
Please don't get me wrong! There have been substantial improvements! Massive changes! Heck, I hardly recognize the profession I am in from when I started 15 years ago. There are so many variables involved in providing health care services; the training and education, the technology, the care models, the collaborative team models, the drugs, the interventions, staff mix, patient acuity, patient demographics, insurance reimbursements, medical malpractice... all of it has changed! I don't think the original study could even be correctly, that is scientifically, reproduced!
What worries me the most is that health care services, are de-evolving into a consumer-driven industry... Door to Doctor time, Average Wait time, Patient Flow, Patient Throughput time... about the only thing I can agree with is the Insult to Intervention time! At least that has some science behind it! The old mantra of "time is muscle" for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)... that made sense! And it makes sense in quite a few other conditions too!
And believe me! You come to the ED and you have a true emergency or even a potentially true emergency... you don't wait! You are brought straight back, and multiple health care workers are at your bedside and are doing multiple things, almost simultaneously, to determine if it is real, potential, or not happening.
My patient is "dissatisfied" because they had to wait in the ED lobby for 2 hours to see a Doctor for a non-emergent condition? Or they were "rushed back but ended up waiting hours!"? Or perhaps it took me 15 minutes to answer there call/request for something to drink, pain medicine, a warm blanket, or the best... the ultimate question: "how much longer is 'this' going to take?"
How does that reflect on my overall patient care? So I should leave the patient that I am doing critical interventions on, giving IV fluids, blood products and vasopressors to... due to a blood pressure of 60/40, an H&H of 5.6/14, a Platelet count of 2, and a raging sepsis... to get a Percocet for someone who is complaining of back pain that has been chronic for three months and suddenly became an emergency tonight?
And I am not even to the number of patients that get admitted to a hospital for obviously very legitimate reasons, that spend a day or more in the ED, due to lack of available inpatient hospital beds!
I am probably one of the most compassionate and caring people you will ever meet. That's part of what makes me a good nurse!
Another part is that I will strongly, even forcefully, advocate on your behalf if I feel you need something. I have "literally" stood toe to toe, face to face, with other health care team members, to make sure that the patient I was caring for got what they needed, when they needed it! And there were sometimes red faces, loud voices, and elevated blood pressures involved too!
I now must apologize.
I am sorry I went on this diatribe, stepped up on this soapbox. In a way, it might even be considered a tad unprofessional.
I had more than a few taxing moments these past few shifts. I wonder how I can overcome, deal with, find solutions for, and prevent future occurrences?
I just hope and pray I made a difference, an impact, and helped save those three lives just this last night...
One last thing, and this will make some people upset, mad, even outraged...
I am an ED Nurse... I save your ass! I don't have to kiss it.
Peace!
How far have we come?
There have been billions, if not even trillions of dollars spent on the creation of new Organizations, Governmental and Quasi-Governmental Agencies, mandatory reporting databases, Consultants to help health care providers comply; the list goes on and on!
I am still looking for a good, critical research paper that outlines and details the changes and progress that has been made. What the "best demonstrated practice" is. What works and doesn't work.
What I would like the most, is for the original researchers, or new researchers using the same method, sample size, data stream, etc., to repeat the study! Let's compare oranges to oranges, as best we can! Although I fear it will be oranges to tangerines at best, maybe citrus to citrus...
Please don't get me wrong! There have been substantial improvements! Massive changes! Heck, I hardly recognize the profession I am in from when I started 15 years ago. There are so many variables involved in providing health care services; the training and education, the technology, the care models, the collaborative team models, the drugs, the interventions, staff mix, patient acuity, patient demographics, insurance reimbursements, medical malpractice... all of it has changed! I don't think the original study could even be correctly, that is scientifically, reproduced!
What worries me the most is that health care services, are de-evolving into a consumer-driven industry... Door to Doctor time, Average Wait time, Patient Flow, Patient Throughput time... about the only thing I can agree with is the Insult to Intervention time! At least that has some science behind it! The old mantra of "time is muscle" for an acute myocardial infarction (AMI)... that made sense! And it makes sense in quite a few other conditions too!
And believe me! You come to the ED and you have a true emergency or even a potentially true emergency... you don't wait! You are brought straight back, and multiple health care workers are at your bedside and are doing multiple things, almost simultaneously, to determine if it is real, potential, or not happening.
My patient is "dissatisfied" because they had to wait in the ED lobby for 2 hours to see a Doctor for a non-emergent condition? Or they were "rushed back but ended up waiting hours!"? Or perhaps it took me 15 minutes to answer there call/request for something to drink, pain medicine, a warm blanket, or the best... the ultimate question: "how much longer is 'this' going to take?"
How does that reflect on my overall patient care? So I should leave the patient that I am doing critical interventions on, giving IV fluids, blood products and vasopressors to... due to a blood pressure of 60/40, an H&H of 5.6/14, a Platelet count of 2, and a raging sepsis... to get a Percocet for someone who is complaining of back pain that has been chronic for three months and suddenly became an emergency tonight?
And I am not even to the number of patients that get admitted to a hospital for obviously very legitimate reasons, that spend a day or more in the ED, due to lack of available inpatient hospital beds!
I am probably one of the most compassionate and caring people you will ever meet. That's part of what makes me a good nurse!
Another part is that I will strongly, even forcefully, advocate on your behalf if I feel you need something. I have "literally" stood toe to toe, face to face, with other health care team members, to make sure that the patient I was caring for got what they needed, when they needed it! And there were sometimes red faces, loud voices, and elevated blood pressures involved too!
I now must apologize.
I am sorry I went on this diatribe, stepped up on this soapbox. In a way, it might even be considered a tad unprofessional.
I had more than a few taxing moments these past few shifts. I wonder how I can overcome, deal with, find solutions for, and prevent future occurrences?
I just hope and pray I made a difference, an impact, and helped save those three lives just this last night...
One last thing, and this will make some people upset, mad, even outraged...
I am an ED Nurse... I save your ass! I don't have to kiss it.
Peace!
Monday, April 04, 2011
I am "officially" old!!!
I was drawn back to my youth... remembering things... and I realized I am old!
I grew up in an age that didn't have cable or satellite TV; we knew who our garbage man, mail man, milk man (yes... milk was once delivered to your doorstep every morning!), even the Charly's Chip man! There were no cellphones and when we finally got cable... I watched the launch of MTV!
Isn't it a bit sad?
I grew up in an age that didn't have cable or satellite TV; we knew who our garbage man, mail man, milk man (yes... milk was once delivered to your doorstep every morning!), even the Charly's Chip man! There were no cellphones and when we finally got cable... I watched the launch of MTV!
Isn't it a bit sad?
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Really?
A nut job does something in the US a frickin week ago... and that is an excuse for people half a world away to kill people!?!?
And yet I read on FB people trying to defend this!?!?
I'm sorry... really? Seriously?
I revert back to some science I learned in HS...
"for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"
I guess this ultimately reverts to the ultimate question! Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
And yet I read on FB people trying to defend this!?!?
I'm sorry... really? Seriously?
I revert back to some science I learned in HS...
"for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction"
I guess this ultimately reverts to the ultimate question! Which came first? The chicken or the egg?
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Wow! It's been over a year since I have been here!
As spring is in full swing and it feels like summer is already here... I remember one winter I pulled out a winter coat because it was snowing one morning in Flagstaff as I went to work. I hadn't worn that particular coat since the previous winter. Imagine my surprise when I reached into the pocket and pulled out a $20.00 bill!
It almost felt like I had won the lottery!
Here I had a hidden, albeit forgotten, mini-savings account! I had an extra $20.00! I bought my lunch that day, rather than making it and bringing it!
I had a similar experience the other day...
I recently posted some status updates on FaceBook, actually more a rant... trying to express and vent some frustrations... and a high school friend commented and mentioned I should have a blog. What happened next was the classic forehead slap, uttering a duh!, and me trying to recover passwords to be able to access this blog and reinstate it!
A hidden, albeit forgotten, account! I have another outlet! So here is where I will post, comment, make observations, do all of the blogger-like things, to hopefully free up some bandwith on FB!
So...
A lot has happened in the past year!
I have now been to Haiti a total of 3 times, I've moved back to PHX and obviously changed employers, I have re-entered/returned to my area of expertise: Emergency Medicine.
Not to overwhelm or scare anyone, but, oh boy! Do I have stories, anecdotes, observations, comments, and things to share/post/blab about! But I will ease into it... I promise not to post here more than once every 24 hours, unless something really pressing or important happens, and then I promise it will be short!
Thanks for visiting! Thanks for reading! (only 23 hours 59 minutes left till I post again! LOL)
It almost felt like I had won the lottery!
Here I had a hidden, albeit forgotten, mini-savings account! I had an extra $20.00! I bought my lunch that day, rather than making it and bringing it!
I had a similar experience the other day...
I recently posted some status updates on FaceBook, actually more a rant... trying to express and vent some frustrations... and a high school friend commented and mentioned I should have a blog. What happened next was the classic forehead slap, uttering a duh!, and me trying to recover passwords to be able to access this blog and reinstate it!
A hidden, albeit forgotten, account! I have another outlet! So here is where I will post, comment, make observations, do all of the blogger-like things, to hopefully free up some bandwith on FB!
So...
A lot has happened in the past year!
I have now been to Haiti a total of 3 times, I've moved back to PHX and obviously changed employers, I have re-entered/returned to my area of expertise: Emergency Medicine.
Not to overwhelm or scare anyone, but, oh boy! Do I have stories, anecdotes, observations, comments, and things to share/post/blab about! But I will ease into it... I promise not to post here more than once every 24 hours, unless something really pressing or important happens, and then I promise it will be short!
Thanks for visiting! Thanks for reading! (only 23 hours 59 minutes left till I post again! LOL)
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