Friday, August 28, 2009
Emo Phillips
I used to think that the brain was the most wonderful organ in my body. Then I realized who was telling me this.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Health Care Fit for Animals
Health care has been increasingly on my mind as of late and not just for the obvious reason it is in the news and the debate seems to have drawn out every right wing ass hat with an opinion.
Over the past month I've paid (or rather my insurance has paid for) two trips to the ER, several trips to the doctor and specialists. I am thankful that I have medical insurance that covers this but worry every day about what would happen if I didn't have it. Add to that the stories that I am hearing on a daily basis of people in a literal life and death struggle to pay for their own healthcare and I think it has become obvious that things have to change.
This NY Times OpEd piece by Nicholas D Kristof hits the nail on the head and I think final line summarizes my thoughts quite well:
Kristof is referring to an incident that helped lead to the change of heart by Wendell Potter, a former head of corporate communications for Humana and Cygna. While visiting his home town he witnessed a free healthcare care clinic put on at the county fairgrounds. People were treated out in the open in the stalls meant for livestock.
Over the past month I've paid (or rather my insurance has paid for) two trips to the ER, several trips to the doctor and specialists. I am thankful that I have medical insurance that covers this but worry every day about what would happen if I didn't have it. Add to that the stories that I am hearing on a daily basis of people in a literal life and death struggle to pay for their own healthcare and I think it has become obvious that things have to change.
This NY Times OpEd piece by Nicholas D Kristof hits the nail on the head and I think final line summarizes my thoughts quite well:
What’s un-American isn’t a greater government role in health care but an existing system in which Americans without insurance get health care, if at all, in livestock pens.
Kristof is referring to an incident that helped lead to the change of heart by Wendell Potter, a former head of corporate communications for Humana and Cygna. While visiting his home town he witnessed a free healthcare care clinic put on at the county fairgrounds. People were treated out in the open in the stalls meant for livestock.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Barney Frank
Ma'am, trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table. I have no interest in doing it.
Friday, August 07, 2009
Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates a Pentatonic Scale
I guess I'm just in a musical mood today. I just watched this and was struck. I'm not sure if it is because he demonstrates that even though we live a very disconnected existence that we will all remain inherently connected... or if it is just that Bobby McFerrin is so damned cool. Either way, this makes me smile.
World Science Festival 2009: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale from World Science Festival on Vimeo.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Clinical Impression: Chest Pain and SHAAARRKKSSSS!!!!!!
This weekend I made a trip to the ER. On Sunday I was having trouble taking a deep breath and decided to go to a walk in clinic at the local pharmacy. Well, once I finally got to see the physician or nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, they made the determination that I was probably having acid reflux, but weren't willing to bet on it and decided that in order to keep their malpractice insurance they needed to send me to the ER. Well, after 3 hours in the emergency room and and EKG, chest x-ray, heart monitor and blood work, it turns out that I have... Drum-roll please!!!
Nobody knows. The diagnosis was "chest pain".
No shit. I could have saved my self a $200 ER co-pay and a lot of lost chest hair by staying home. While I was there they did manage to ensure that I didn't have something that would kill me immediately and discharged me with a referral to a cardiac specialist group. It is now Wednesday and I've still not heard back from them regarding the referral. I'm glad it wasn't urgent. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the adventure. I didn't upload the one with my shirt off showing all the EKG and heart monitor patches. There were 17 total. They were all stuck on very well. I am hairy. You do the math.
By the way. It is shark week on TV. The monitor cables were too short for me to change the channel in my room at the ER, so I had to watch two hours of people rating which shark is the worst to get ripped to shreds by as well as peoples first hand accounts of getting ripped to shreds by those very same sharks.
For the record, according to the show, the most badass shark of them all is the Bull Shark. Not only will it fuck your shit up in the open ocean, it will swim upriver in fresh water to get your sorry ass. So stay out of the water, they are coming for you.
Nobody knows. The diagnosis was "chest pain".
No shit. I could have saved my self a $200 ER co-pay and a lot of lost chest hair by staying home. While I was there they did manage to ensure that I didn't have something that would kill me immediately and discharged me with a referral to a cardiac specialist group. It is now Wednesday and I've still not heard back from them regarding the referral. I'm glad it wasn't urgent. Anyway, here are a few pictures of the adventure. I didn't upload the one with my shirt off showing all the EKG and heart monitor patches. There were 17 total. They were all stuck on very well. I am hairy. You do the math.
By the way. It is shark week on TV. The monitor cables were too short for me to change the channel in my room at the ER, so I had to watch two hours of people rating which shark is the worst to get ripped to shreds by as well as peoples first hand accounts of getting ripped to shreds by those very same sharks.
For the record, according to the show, the most badass shark of them all is the Bull Shark. Not only will it fuck your shit up in the open ocean, it will swim upriver in fresh water to get your sorry ass. So stay out of the water, they are coming for you.
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