Today has been a fairly peaceful day. I've spent most of it reading, both online and off. At least the coffee is good!
I was watching Chris Matthews on MSNBC a while ago. What a grinning idiot. He's amused by Blago, and Rush Limbaugh, when he should be serious about the national disgrace. He claims, "the president made a mistake when he took on Rush Limbaugh." Oh, really? The President's not trying to change the mind of the dittoheads; that would be like reanimating zombies and teaching them not to eat brains.
Limbaugh coined the term "Porkulus" for the stimulus package. Really, he was hoisting himself on his own petard. Who better fits the moniker, Porkulus, than the big, fat, drug-addicted pig himself? Porkulus, bend over and grab your ankles, as you're fond of saying, because we're comin' for ya!
In the meantime, tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day. Meeting with Bonni and Stef in the morning, and SD Symphony with my parents that night. I'm looking forward to the fun! I don't get out as often as I'd like anymore, though I'm not as bad as my roommate, who stays inside his chamber 23/7. But then again, those noxious clouds of pungeant smoke emanating from under his door probably explain his lassitude.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Stimulate This!
So, California is destined to receive $32 billion from the Obama stimulus package. A lot of the aid will go towards healthcare, especially our ailing Medicaid system (known as Medi-Cal in California). But, is our illustrious "governator" happy? Not at all. He believes "California should solve its own problems by ouselves." WTF?
In other words, the Shwartzy wants to take a meat axe to the state public heathcare system; it's always been a Republican wet-dream, to kill the poor off. Who needs the poor, the sick, the elderly anyway? In mythic Conan times, they would have just exposed the sick, given hemlock to the old, and driven the poor to be serfs on a noble's estate. Paradoxically, the people who decry evolution as "Darwinism" comprise the largest number of social Darwinists.
This reminds me of Mayor Sanders (of San Diego), another Republican do-nothing. He announced a few weeks ago that he doesn't want to spend any incoming federal infrastructure money on our new downtown library (which was postponed to build a ballpark for one of baseball's most inept teams) because "the rest of the money should come from private donors." Again, WTF? In a time when even millionaires are tightening their belts, where does Mayor Head-in-the-Sanders expect to discover a plethora of private donors?
People who voted for these morons should have their License to Vote revoked.
In other words, the Shwartzy wants to take a meat axe to the state public heathcare system; it's always been a Republican wet-dream, to kill the poor off. Who needs the poor, the sick, the elderly anyway? In mythic Conan times, they would have just exposed the sick, given hemlock to the old, and driven the poor to be serfs on a noble's estate. Paradoxically, the people who decry evolution as "Darwinism" comprise the largest number of social Darwinists.
This reminds me of Mayor Sanders (of San Diego), another Republican do-nothing. He announced a few weeks ago that he doesn't want to spend any incoming federal infrastructure money on our new downtown library (which was postponed to build a ballpark for one of baseball's most inept teams) because "the rest of the money should come from private donors." Again, WTF? In a time when even millionaires are tightening their belts, where does Mayor Head-in-the-Sanders expect to discover a plethora of private donors?
People who voted for these morons should have their License to Vote revoked.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wind Chill Fascism
Well, it's 40 degrees outside, here in lovely Mira Mesa. For San Diego city, that's downright frigid. Although I'm a fan of cool weather, this temperature makes me glad to be inside my cozy apartment, drinking coffee, and reading the news. I expect to miss these nights soon enough--by the end of the week we'll be back to 80-degree Santa Ana winds. "Here come those Santa Ana winds again," Becker and Fagin once wrote.
Other than that, it's been a fairly craptacular day. It started off with the ventilator flashing "HW Fault," and Minda the nurse frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. The problem resolved after a call or three to the respiratory care people, who explained to her how to remove and vacuum out the small, rectangular filter on the side of the vent. These newer style vents, like my LTV 800, run a turbine that pushes air in and out of the circuit (tubing). They are basically a computer with a turbine attached, inside a box about the size of a laptop computer. And like any computer, they are prone to overheating if the fan ducts get clogged. Sigh...
Speaking of computers, my laptop computer is completely hosed for now. Harold evidently caught the "MS Antivirus" malware during one of his late-night porn junkets. Basically, it's a mechanical-electronic STD. Brad, my roommate, spent an hour trying to get an anti-malware program installed on the machine, but evidently the script that runs the malware is smart enough to intercept it and stop the installation. We'll keep trying, but I suspect a reformat and reinstall of Windows is in the works.
This is the second machine that Harold has bollixed up, in three years. I don't know what to do with him. He's almost proud of being computer-ignorant, and I sometims suspect he's got some passive-aggressive need to sabotage the computers. I only wish he'd take out his anger issues on someone else's machines! He screwed himself too, though, because his son's science project is on it, and the whole thing will have to be wiped, I'm pretty sure.
I did buy a neat little WD backup external drive on Saturday. Tonight I'll be backing up my desktop, which is crucial. If H. had waited one more week to screw things up, both the laptop and desktop would have been safeguarded.
Ah, well, what are friends for? Apparently to reinforce the need to counter righteous anger with bouts of Christian forgiveness.
Other than that, it's been a fairly craptacular day. It started off with the ventilator flashing "HW Fault," and Minda the nurse frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. The problem resolved after a call or three to the respiratory care people, who explained to her how to remove and vacuum out the small, rectangular filter on the side of the vent. These newer style vents, like my LTV 800, run a turbine that pushes air in and out of the circuit (tubing). They are basically a computer with a turbine attached, inside a box about the size of a laptop computer. And like any computer, they are prone to overheating if the fan ducts get clogged. Sigh...
Speaking of computers, my laptop computer is completely hosed for now. Harold evidently caught the "MS Antivirus" malware during one of his late-night porn junkets. Basically, it's a mechanical-electronic STD. Brad, my roommate, spent an hour trying to get an anti-malware program installed on the machine, but evidently the script that runs the malware is smart enough to intercept it and stop the installation. We'll keep trying, but I suspect a reformat and reinstall of Windows is in the works.
This is the second machine that Harold has bollixed up, in three years. I don't know what to do with him. He's almost proud of being computer-ignorant, and I sometims suspect he's got some passive-aggressive need to sabotage the computers. I only wish he'd take out his anger issues on someone else's machines! He screwed himself too, though, because his son's science project is on it, and the whole thing will have to be wiped, I'm pretty sure.
I did buy a neat little WD backup external drive on Saturday. Tonight I'll be backing up my desktop, which is crucial. If H. had waited one more week to screw things up, both the laptop and desktop would have been safeguarded.
Ah, well, what are friends for? Apparently to reinforce the need to counter righteous anger with bouts of Christian forgiveness.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Prosecute Bush!
At first, I was against the notion of prosecuting Bush administration officials for high crimes. I believed, as does President Obama, that we should look forward, not back, at that legal proceedings would merely give the wingnuts ammunition for vicious partisan attacks, as well as a bully pulpit to slam Democrats as "traitors".
However, as time has passed, and I see the president's efforts to accomodate the Republicans thrown back in his face (look at McCain's denunciation of the Stimulus Plan today, for example), I have concluded it's high time to draw blood (metaphorically speaking) in the ongoing struggle to retake America from the fascists and Christianists. Remember your words, Mr. President: "I won." Now is the time to act like we WON.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Medical Mystery Tour
Three things have been aggravating me about the world of medicine this week. First of all, I was supposed to go into Sharp Hospital's "Outpatient Pavilion" on Wednesday to have drainage tubes put in my ears.* Yes, it's the same little operation kids have all the time. When I was young, I never had ear infections, so my hearing has always been excellent, and I never needed tubes. However, after my 5-week ordeal, lying on my back in the hospital last summer and fall, I started having hearing problems, like I had cotton in both ears. I can still hear, but get to annoy everyone by blasting my 5.1 surround sound system through the apartment complex whenever Keith Olbermann engages in another diatribe against Bush.
So anyway, my surgeon from last summer recommended an ENT guy to "fix" my ears. After three visits, he resigned himself to having to operate to insert the tubes. Subsequent to scheduling the surgery at the "Pavilion" last week, I got a call today from the hospital's nurse telling me they can't accept me for outpatient surgery. Why? Because they require that outpatients be ambulatory. What the bloody hell? "Fire regulations," the friendly nurse, Dorothy, told me. "You have to be able to transfer yourself and walk in case of an emergency."
Does the above make any sense to you? How can any patient who's just been subject to anesthesia be expected to walk out of the hospital? Wheelchair or not, I feel this is descriminatory treatment, and I may call Protection and Advocacy tomorrow to see what their opinion says. Now I have to wait for a call from the ENT doc's nurse tomorrow, telling me when I have to go to the main hospital. They haven't informed me yet if I'll have to be admitted overnight, or if I can just drop by for a few hours. Whatever the case, I intend to ask for plenty of Dilaudid!
Meanwhile, I was talking over my medications today with Minda, one of my home care nurses. There was some confusion over how much Bactrim I should take each night, because the pill bottle from the pharmacy contradicts what the doctor told me. Well, I tried calling my urologist's office to get the issue straightened out, only to find out his number has been disconnected, "... and there is no new number." Evidently he retired last October, and neglected to inform me. Isn't there some kind of ethical problem here? Or am I just too demanding? What if I'd come down with a UTI and urgently needed my Cipro refilled? Finally, I called 411, and got connected to the doctor's old voice mail. A female operator robotically assured me I can obtain my medical records by sending a check for $20 to the doctor's PO box.
Now, maybe if I had been a brand-new patient, I could understand better the urologist's forgetting to inform me of his retirement, but I have been seeing this guy for 20 years. I always thought professionalism demanded that a doctor retiring would take on a new partner, and refer his old patients to the new guy, or at least find another guy to take the practice. Professionalism, like Chivalry, seems to be taking a dirt nap.
Then, lastly, my nurse was having a hissy fit because the meds on my chart don't always match exactly what I've been taking. The agency and the nurses treat me like a child. I apparently surrendered my right to consult a doctor on my own when I undertook home nursing care. Again, what the bloody HELL?
Years ago, I got an autographed copy of a Dr. Seuss book about being in the hospital. The elderly lady friend who gave me the book was an acquaintance of Ted Geisel. She confessed to me that Geisel had wanted to make the book a lot stronger, but was afraid of "what they'd do to him."
Why does "patient" have to equal "object," or "victim"? Stop with the reification already! I would like to do away with the term "patient" and just have it replaced by "client." A "patient," after all, is (based on the French root word) merely "one who waits." Doctors and nurses should wait on US; we should not be subservient to their convenience.
* Yes, "Pavilion." Doesn't that Newspeak sound so much better than "hospital," or "clinic"? It reminds me of the old Far Side cartoon, where the dog leaned his head out the car window and bragged to the cat on the sidewalk, "Haha! I'm going to the vet's to be tutored!"
So anyway, my surgeon from last summer recommended an ENT guy to "fix" my ears. After three visits, he resigned himself to having to operate to insert the tubes. Subsequent to scheduling the surgery at the "Pavilion" last week, I got a call today from the hospital's nurse telling me they can't accept me for outpatient surgery. Why? Because they require that outpatients be ambulatory. What the bloody hell? "Fire regulations," the friendly nurse, Dorothy, told me. "You have to be able to transfer yourself and walk in case of an emergency."
Does the above make any sense to you? How can any patient who's just been subject to anesthesia be expected to walk out of the hospital? Wheelchair or not, I feel this is descriminatory treatment, and I may call Protection and Advocacy tomorrow to see what their opinion says. Now I have to wait for a call from the ENT doc's nurse tomorrow, telling me when I have to go to the main hospital. They haven't informed me yet if I'll have to be admitted overnight, or if I can just drop by for a few hours. Whatever the case, I intend to ask for plenty of Dilaudid!
Meanwhile, I was talking over my medications today with Minda, one of my home care nurses. There was some confusion over how much Bactrim I should take each night, because the pill bottle from the pharmacy contradicts what the doctor told me. Well, I tried calling my urologist's office to get the issue straightened out, only to find out his number has been disconnected, "... and there is no new number." Evidently he retired last October, and neglected to inform me. Isn't there some kind of ethical problem here? Or am I just too demanding? What if I'd come down with a UTI and urgently needed my Cipro refilled? Finally, I called 411, and got connected to the doctor's old voice mail. A female operator robotically assured me I can obtain my medical records by sending a check for $20 to the doctor's PO box.
Now, maybe if I had been a brand-new patient, I could understand better the urologist's forgetting to inform me of his retirement, but I have been seeing this guy for 20 years. I always thought professionalism demanded that a doctor retiring would take on a new partner, and refer his old patients to the new guy, or at least find another guy to take the practice. Professionalism, like Chivalry, seems to be taking a dirt nap.
Then, lastly, my nurse was having a hissy fit because the meds on my chart don't always match exactly what I've been taking. The agency and the nurses treat me like a child. I apparently surrendered my right to consult a doctor on my own when I undertook home nursing care. Again, what the bloody HELL?
Years ago, I got an autographed copy of a Dr. Seuss book about being in the hospital. The elderly lady friend who gave me the book was an acquaintance of Ted Geisel. She confessed to me that Geisel had wanted to make the book a lot stronger, but was afraid of "what they'd do to him."
Why does "patient" have to equal "object," or "victim"? Stop with the reification already! I would like to do away with the term "patient" and just have it replaced by "client." A "patient," after all, is (based on the French root word) merely "one who waits." Doctors and nurses should wait on US; we should not be subservient to their convenience.
* Yes, "Pavilion." Doesn't that Newspeak sound so much better than "hospital," or "clinic"? It reminds me of the old Far Side cartoon, where the dog leaned his head out the car window and bragged to the cat on the sidewalk, "Haha! I'm going to the vet's to be tutored!"
Friday, January 02, 2009
Another Holiday Passes Us By
Christmas 2008 seemed fairly identical to that of the previous few years. We had dinner at my parents' house, followed by presents, all on Christmas Eve as we traditionally enjoy it. Dorene, Rich, and the boys werre there, as were Alicia, Tien, and their brood of boys. Dorene had two foster boys with us. One was named "Omar," and I can't remember the name of the second one.
My parents are always very generous, and give presents even to the foster kids, who change from Christmas to Christmas. As for myself, presents with a high cool factor were hard to come by. I did get a new red flannel night shirt, a Simpsons Calendar, and a couple of B&N gift cards. Yay! All these things were on my list, so I guess it's a prime example of "be careful what you ask for." ;)
The day after Christmas, Harold and I trundled off to the local Worst Buy. Once inside the store, I made a beeline to the video game section and purchased an XBox 360 Elite. The device comes with two free games, which I haven't even opened yet. I have spent some time playing the latest version of CoD, but don't feel competent enough yet to plunge into online play. I'd rather not look like a total noob!
Meanwhile, I've also played some WOW as Karnakk, my 55 Orc Hunter. I've been trying to get him to 55 so I can start a Death Knight character. Stay tuned! Yes, it's a game-playing time of year. :) The weather outside is cool, and Harold won't relinquish "his" van anyway. I had wanted to go with Corky to the Autoshow, but couldn't do it without transportation. Sigh...
On the other hand, my parents did come over for New Years Eve. My mom brought the new "Mamma Mia" DVD I had bought her for Christmas. Yikes! Gayest film I've ever seen... It makes "Brokeback Mountain" look like "Rooster Cogburn." But more on that later.
Happy New Year to all!
David
My parents are always very generous, and give presents even to the foster kids, who change from Christmas to Christmas. As for myself, presents with a high cool factor were hard to come by. I did get a new red flannel night shirt, a Simpsons Calendar, and a couple of B&N gift cards. Yay! All these things were on my list, so I guess it's a prime example of "be careful what you ask for." ;)
The day after Christmas, Harold and I trundled off to the local Worst Buy. Once inside the store, I made a beeline to the video game section and purchased an XBox 360 Elite. The device comes with two free games, which I haven't even opened yet. I have spent some time playing the latest version of CoD, but don't feel competent enough yet to plunge into online play. I'd rather not look like a total noob!
Meanwhile, I've also played some WOW as Karnakk, my 55 Orc Hunter. I've been trying to get him to 55 so I can start a Death Knight character. Stay tuned! Yes, it's a game-playing time of year. :) The weather outside is cool, and Harold won't relinquish "his" van anyway. I had wanted to go with Corky to the Autoshow, but couldn't do it without transportation. Sigh...
On the other hand, my parents did come over for New Years Eve. My mom brought the new "Mamma Mia" DVD I had bought her for Christmas. Yikes! Gayest film I've ever seen... It makes "Brokeback Mountain" look like "Rooster Cogburn." But more on that later.
Happy New Year to all!
David
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)