It's Flu season...

Thank god we got the little one her first shot of H1N1 vaccine (although her second shot isn’t for another few weeks), the Misses came home with very bad symptoms, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s H1N1 since the people she works with have had it (tested & verified, not from someone who had a little sniffle and ASSumed it was H1N1). I haven’t been sick yet, well not since mid September with the “Back to school” cold (from the little booger eaters), I’m knockin’ on wood all over the place. But alas, it’s only a matter of time I suppose.
I must say though, during my life, I’ve only ever had 1 flu shot. Well, that I can recall anyway. Let’s say ‘during my adult life’ then. Although, 1 flu season I almost died, seriously. Still, I’ve always felt that, it should only be given to individuals at risk, due to health, age (children and the elderly), etc….So….there you have it.
Carry on ladies and gentlemen, and be careful out there.
tn.

It's funny...

It's funny, that on packages of cigarettes, the tobacco companies are stating that they're using recycled paper and designing there packages & cartons to use less paper to help save the environment. Their contribution to help the world go green. Yet, our product will still kill you, if not give you a wide variety of diseases. Smoke up.

It's funny, that a police officer (if so inclined) will cross the street, to give you a j-walking ticket.

It's funny, that as Canadians, we use the metric system for everything else, but your height.

It's funny. yet sad, that when I was a kid, there was no such thing as bottled water. Except for Perrier, which I just thought was a pretentious fad. Tap water was as good as anything.

It's funny, that someone thought Lawn Darts was a good idea.

It's funny, that there are studies stating that alcohol will help save your life.

It's funny, that there are still people out there that believe starting a war helps keep the peace, and saves lives.

It's funny, that anyone actually gives a shit on what celebrities do.

It's funny, that people believe that planting a tree, which takes years to grow to it's 'potential', to replace a tree that takes seconds to cut down, evens out world wide de-forestation.

It's funny, yet unjust, that somebody out there somewhere, watches what you do every day.

It's funny, that the big companies & utilities manipulate you into giving them your hard earned money for bad service, and nobody does anything about it 

It's funny, that Cheez Whiz is one polymer away from being plastic.

It's funny, that it will cost you more to eat healthier, than it would to stuff your face full of garbage.

More to come, eventually...
carry on ...

Time for tea...

Pathetic health care in Cambridge.

Let me just make this brief, instead of dragging it out.
It started about a couple of weeks ago, my wife went into the emergency department at Cambridge Memorial Hospital after having sudden blackouts and passing out/fainting. They looked at her, took some blood, hooked her up to an IV. Five hours later, their diagnosis was "We don't know" (which is commonplace at CMH). My wife was feeling a little better, so they let her go.
Next day, same thing. Maybe a little more frequently. Back we went. And of course, the same old routine...took some blood...checked her blood pressure...her heart rate, which was low, OK, but low. Several hours later, the diagnosis was, of course, "We don't know". But the doctor this time, said "Just to be careful, you know it's going to happen so try and be comfortable." Seriously? He also gave us a printout of her blood levels, etc... and advised to go to her GP. Once again my wife was feeling a little better maybe, but we left having little faith in CMH (as usual).
Next day, you guessed it, same again. Only this time accompanied with seizures, which I personally witnessed. The seizures weren't of the variety that everyone pictures a seizure to be. These were more of the 'Absent' variety (look it up). I called an ambulance since things had apparently gone from bad to worse.
This is where it gets 'good', but in a bad way.
The fire department arrived first, gave her oxygen...then the paramedics came. They looked her over, then the female cougar paramedic pushed my wife's feet of the couch and said "Stop it, get up." They didn't even help her to stand up. They then asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital. My wife, not feeling well and dizzy said 'Yes', to which they responded "Are you sure?." So they 'WALKED' her to the ambulance, they didn't even bring out the stretcher, which is what they are 'REQUIRED' to do. I know this as FACT, straight from 'the Brass'. At the ambulance, my wife blacked out a bit, to which they responded with, "Stop it, this is ridiculous. You're scaring your daughter." Whom I was with and comforting, but seemed to be taking this all rather well. They, the paramedics, then said to my wife, "Get up, stop being so dramatic. You're making a scene in front of your daughter. Get up, I don't want you to hurt my(our) back(s)." The abuse continued to the hospital. Then at the hospital, the female paramedic, advised the triage nurse to "Just let her sit in the waiting area." And then proceeded to tell the nursing staff that she, my wife, was "Just being dramatic" and did a little act pretending to faint with her arms flailing around. (By the way, I myself did not witness all of this fiasco, just what happened at the house and later at the hospital.) So of course, the emerg staff went along with it and just put my wife in a room, and eventually in a bed. The doctor eventually came over to see her, my wife explained everything to him but he didn't believe her and asked if she had a witness (I was still at home at the moment with the little one), he then went to some other emerg patient. They didn't take any blood, didn't take a urine sample, blood pressure, heart rate, NOTHING. Until a few hours later, when I arrived. They also took an x-ray of her head. The doctor eventually came back, I told him of what I had seen. He didn't seem to believe me either. Anyway, a couple hours later he came back with some test results, her thyroid was a tiny bit high but nothing to cause this, everything 'else' seemed OK. The doctor went on to say, "I don't think this was a seizure, it's not like a seizure I've ever seen." Well, apparently this Quack has never heard of 'Absent Seizures' before. This moron needs to go back to med school. And with that, we went home again.
The next day, we went to my wife's GP. Who was MUCH more informative, understanding AND believed this had been happening. She, the GP, explained the different types of seizures and their wide variety of effects, including Absent Seizures. 'She', is the one that has arranged all of the 'Necessary' tests that are needed. So far all is OK, still a couple tests to go though.

Cambridge Memorial Hospital is weak, and quite limited. They have been under investigation for their spending as well.
Health care in Cambridge is very weak as a whole, there are thousands on waiting lists to get a family doctor. You'd be very luck to find a doctor here, and even luckier to find a good one. Most don't really care, and if they don't like you, they'll just cut you loose and tell you to go find someone else.
As for the paramedics, we have made our complaints known and a file has been opened, the incident is being investigated. Or so we've been told. We have NO intention on paying the ambulance fee after receiving such atrocious care.
I've got PLENTY of stories on the pathetic treatment and screw-ups by doctors, nurses, CMH, etc... there in Cambridge, I could go on and on. But I think I'll save them for another time.
My advice, if you're visiting or live in Cambridge, don't get sick there. If you do, God help you. Or go to Kitchener, you might have a better chance there.

A quick rant for January the 25th..

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, just getting out a quickie this morning. Let me grab a java first, mmmmmmmmm smells good.

Are we now going backwards ladies and gentlemen, weren't the 90's and early 2000's about loving who you are, respecting yourself and each other. 'Cool' kids and 'nerds' respecting each other and hanging out together, no more (well, not as much) social separation, giant walls coming down, etc...etc......I happened to see this 'Cover Girl' commercial the other day with Ellen Degeneres............where she states, and I quote, "Inner beauty is important, but NOT as important as Outer Beauty"........Are you serious?! Sooooo........you telling women every where that who you are on the inside is ok, but........what's 'most important' is how you 'Look' to the world? What does this teach young girls? I see 6 and 7 year olds being concerned with what they wear and how they look, and get upset & are afraid to wear something if they think they will get laughed at. Are you fucking serious!? 6 & 7 year olds!? I blame the U.S. to start with (that, and bad parenting as a result of this society) and it's insecurities as a nation, and the utter sewage that comes from it (Brittany Spears, Miley Cyrus, etc...etc...I could go on forever). But I'll get to that another time, since I've noticed a few things on this particular issue recently, and how it's effecting Canadians. Anyway, I also look at the Kids shows, and the young adult shows on the boob tube, and most of it is crap. Even kids shows have female characters that are half dressed in tight clothes, and are made up to be impossibly attractive...WTF? Who also have disrespectful-smart-ass-ed attitudes and are way toooo concerned about fashion. I thought we, as a society, were addressing the self-esteem issues many people have, especially young girls. It's not the fashion & Glamour sheep who are at fault though, they've been programed to be that certain way in order to get the attention and love they're looking for. It's the Fashion & Glamour 'Sheppard's' that are to blame, who in turn, have their own issues. It's these dictators that need to be dealt with, and helped. People, PLEASE, don't be fooled. 'Inside' is MOST important First, the rest comes after. My partner, or girlfriend if you will, knows first hand what all this bullshit does to young impressionable minds, as she deals with young females with these issues (among others) as her job.

Let me try and put this in perspective...............you have your inside self (basically, ALL that you are is in that grey matter between your ears, THAT is YOU). Then, you have your outer self, if you are more concerned with prettying it up to look 'Hot' and neglect the inner you, it'll end up killing you one way or another, and it's not just yourself you'd be hurting. NOW, think of it this way....you have a flashy car (representing the outer you) that you spend stupid amounts of time and $ on to make it look 'Hot' in order to get the attention you think you need. But, you've been neglecting your own health, so much so that you are quite ill and can barely function, but you don't care, the car (outer you) looks hot. You're behind the wheel ('you' represent your inner self [brain] at this point). You're out cruisin' society, 'lookin' good, but barely able to keep it together. But you don't care, nobody can see 'you' in here, the outside looks 'hot'. Finally, it comes to a point were you are too ill from 'inner' neglect, and the strain from trying to keep it all under control (and/or trying to maintain the illusion of you having control) is too much and you crash, totaling the car AND yourself.........nuff said.....................Think of life as a sweet iced cake, you don't ice the cake before you bake it. It's what's inside the cake that makes the cake, the icing is really just a self indulgent filler for that sweet tooth. Treat life like baking a cake and you'll have a sweet life.......Hopefully anyway.

People, please..............don't take steps backward, (which seems to be the current trend) don't hide what's inside. Don't 'Cover up' any self-esteem issues. Build up your self esteem from the inside, it's a much more stable foundation for a successful life. If you need to talk, then do so, find someone to talk to either professionally or not, just do it. There is no shame in it. Take care of what's inside FIRST, then do a little work on the outside 'if' it's actually necessary. Here's another example (I'm getting metaphorical again, but if it helps someone.......) 'You don't fix-up the outside of the house, if the inside is rotting out'.

It's hard enough trying to get the young minds to understand what's most important, when the 'social vanity' disease is everywhere out there. We, as a society, really don't need another pathetic 'beauty' commercial telling the depressed impressionable populace that it's not good enough, or acceptable, being you.

I think I've had, just a little tooooooooooooo much coffee. Well, it's time to head to the supermarket for some goodies. Hopefully we can find more Quinoa, last time we were lucky.

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, be good to each other and be careful out there.
Carry on.
tn.



P.S. I hope at least some of this rant makes sense.