Such a Sellout

I have a Community Health Paper (we call it Commie Health) abstract due today. It is based on public health and how a physician should act in a disaster situation. I thought this was a great time to have some fun so i took this project and ran with it. I created this scenario for my project and did it up right good. Tell me what you think?

"It is the year 2020 and the entrenched William’s Government has signed the most controversial, exclusive and lucrative natural resources deal in the history of Newfoundland. They have sold the rights to all of Newfoundland’s fresh water to China. The world is a different place in 2020 and China has become the largest superpower in the world. However, their population has grown to 3 billion and it’s people are water starved and it’s society can not survive without imported fresh water. Newfoundland is the last remaining resource on earth that is not polluted or already sold. The deal looks good for both sides.

However, there exists an international terrorist organization named Downwithchina (DWC), that wishes to bring the red giant to it’s knees. The DWC has found out about this deal and in tern has poisoned all of Newfoundland’s fresh water resources in a bid to cut off China from obtaining this powerful resource. The water is not drinkable and is unusable in any other way. The act of terrorism is successful as China is no longer able to use any of the water in Newfoundland and has backed out of the deal. However at the same time, this has left all of the inhabitants of Newfoundland with no usable fresh water.

The Williams Government, being wise in their old age, began stockpiling fresh water as soon as the deal with China was signed. However they were only able to store a small amount of fresh drinking water before the attack occurred. There is only enough to last the population a few days. A public health crisis is looming. Newfoundland has been living in isolation form the rest of the world since becoming independent from Canada in 2008. As a result, there has been no influx of new technology to the island country and they have to rely on technology developed in 2007 to help deal with this problem."

However I sent it to my prof and she said it was outside the guidelines for the paper. she said it was interesting but would be hard to get to work in the context of this paper and the lit search would be a bitch. So i coped out. I sold out. I went with Hurricane Katrina. simple and boring. I couldn't get it to work. I didn't have the time to make it work.
I loath myself

AK

PS -IMPORTANT _ Please note that this is a fake scenario taking place in the year 2020. IT IS NOT REAL! DO NOT REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES. NOT REAL! FICTION!

The Idiot List Continues to Grow

Are you offended by this?

If you are you are an idiot. I don't know maybe it is because i am intelligent or something but i see nothing wrong with a mother feeding her baby. If you have a problem with looking at it, GO THE FUCK AWAY! leave the mall, leave the restaurant, leave the church, leave where ever it is that you are. if it is interrupting your supper, do you think i enjoy seeing you stuff your face and wipe the filth from it. no i don't. Plus this picture is on the cover of a pregnancy magazine. who doesn't associate pregnancy with breast feeding? Are we Pod People?

now if you got any time read this article.

If my wife is feeding my baby and someone asks her to leave or better yet, go do it in the bathroom. OH SNAP! would you eat your lunch in a public bathroom. I swear the list of idiots in this world just keeps getting longer and longer, my God it is remarkable that any of these people can get dressed in the morning or better yet descide what is best for me and my family. So unless your first name is preceeded by the words "Stone Cold" keep your opinions to yourself.

honestly offended by breast feeding. yes! you are correct, breasts were invented by cable TV to be shown in a low cut top, or juggled in a low budget movie that "you swear you thought was a documentary" but actually was porn. Idiots.

why are we so scared of the breast. it is soft, mushy, no sharp edges. I don't get it. are we afraid that our minds will be blown away when we catch a looksy at another womans breast. or is it that a person is sucking the juice from another person. if you are nodding your head to that last sentence you are definitely an idiot.

Breasts are not sexual organs. they are there for one reason. feed a baby. now breast feeding is not for everyone. I understand that some women can't or won't breast feed and that is their choice. I suport them as they have their reasons and it is their business. It is not for everyone. But for those that want to, that is their choice as well. just keep your eyes on the road and get back to your business.

If someone asks my wife to leave somewhere because she is breast feeding, the story on the news will not be "local restaurant outrages community by removing breast feeding woman" but "Local man arrested for beating stunned employee"

Think about it. (yes i know i need to do something about the rage, but my God this is annoying)

AK

This is Awesome, sad but Awesome

I do believe that this guy will not be in office anymore. but what do I know. Isnt Russia part of the EU now? With all the crap going on in Russia and all the social problems that they have, you would think that they would just let people be who they are and focus on fixing problems instead of creating them. Maybe they are more like the US then they thought. I got an idea Moscow dood, how about you ban the mafia, or the heroin trade, or child prostitution. they are a little more satanic in my mind. but ya gotta give the old red neck props for sticking to his guns, regardless of how old and outdated they are.

IMHO

AK

The Day is Dark Indeed

What an ominous day. I am sitting here on edge all day. why? is it because i have my OSCE clinical evaluations in the morning, somewhat yes. but mostly it is due to the abstract forecasts we have received about this monster winter storm that is approaching my little island. I have heard everything from 5 cm and rain to 35 cm and blizzard. No one has the stones to take a stand on this one. must be all erratic and shit in its movements. guess thats why you went to college and studied the weather. anyways i have been sitting on edge all day cause there is talk that the storm will cancel my OCSE tomorrow. and if this happens it will not be rescheduled for a long time. couple of weeks. I have spent a lot of time studying and i do not want to have to wait to do these damn OSCE exams again. I go to the window every time i see it to look to see if it has started yet. It is a long calm day today.

However, i just got back from picking Kristi up from school and it was nice then. I went into Tim's for a coffee, when i got out it was a blizzard. WTF? nothing moves like the weather here on the island.

I am gone back to practicing my respiratory Physical exams on my wife. Good to have your own built in patient at home. now if i could teach her to do the Histories i would be set.

AK

You Dont See Me Complaining About the Breasts.

So I did the Firefly personality test. here are my results.


You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)

Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 100% Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 90% Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 80% Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 80% River (Stowaway) 75% Inara Serra (Companion) 70% Wash (Ship Pilot) 70% Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 50% Derrial Book (Shepherd) 45% Alliance 30% A Reaver (Cannibal) 20%

Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other and you are a tough cookie when in a conflict.

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character am I?" quiz...

Put your Brain Peddle to the Metal

Done. done like dinner. done like pasta thrown against the wall. I wish i could throw my brain against the wall. to see if it was done. then i could stop cooking it. That would be a great test. You know you are finished studying when you throw your brain against the wall and it sticks.

I have been walled up in my room for the past few days cramming endocrinology into my brain for the 100% final i have tomorrow. All i can say is thank God Endocrinology is easy (not the subject but this course). if this course was any bit challenging I would be lost. there is a ton of material to get through and if most of it wasn't out of the medicine for dummies text book, I think i would be having some trouble tomorrow.

I would like to take this time to once again congratulate the newfoundland weather office for another great storm prediction. 5 cm of light snow? maybe you should forecast 20 cm all the time and then when you are wrong it wont be so bad. I think we have had 15 so far. my driveway is fully snowed in with a big plow pile for me to shovel in the morning. cant wait.

I would like to introduce you to http://www.dailymotion.com. This is where I shall be wasting all my time in the near future. Yes it is similar to youtube. the big difference here is that you can watch full TV shows, movies streamed directly and easily and in any order you want. it is a portable tv station. there is also http://www.peekvid.com which categorizes the dailymotion site for easier access. Damn the internet, just when you think you have dragged yourself free, it grabs you by the ankles and pulls you back down.

AK

Look the part

I am sitting at a nurses station reading a chart. I have been asked by one of the senior doctors I have been following to go visit a patient, and read his chart before i go see him. i am sitting at this station for about 20 mins reading the miles of scrawl about blood pressures, meds, and mini mental status exams. the record of this poor old man as he slips out of this world. I guess i was there too long when a nurse comes up to me and asks me to write orders for another patient.

Nurse: can you write orders for Mr. Olddood
me: Um, sorry I cant.
Nurse: Why not?
Me: I'm a second year medical student.
Nurse: silently walks away.

She wants his meds changed or something.

Hmmm, interesting.

Was it because I was the only "Man" wearing a tie? I wouldn't want to impose gender roles or anything but this has happened to me a few times. does it happen to any of the women in my class? would she have asked a female sitting at the desk.

AK

ok, apparently not that busy

I just wanted to post this. i was reading a random blog today when i read one of her posts and it struck a note. From what i can gather she is a 30 or 40 something manic depressive with a slew of other problems. She is American. here is the part I thought was interesting

Today I got a letter in the mail. It seems that because of my new job, I may lose my medicaid. I can't afford to lose that. If I do, I won't be able to afford my meds. All together, my meds cost about $1000 a month. I am not sure what to do about all that. I'd rather work, but if I lose my meds, I won't be able to keep a job anyway.


some social system we got working here in the "developed world" we live in. It would be cheaper to quit and go on welfare than to work for a living. This is not a problem that is limited to the US, in Canada, we have free medical services, but most provinces do not cover full costs of medications. There are some outpatient services, but anyone with a job will be required to pay a substantial med bill every month. She loses her coverage because she has a job (making a life for herself) but she will not be able to afford her meds and probably not be able to keep her job off of her meds (bipolar) if she keeps her job and loses her coverage.

life is hard for a lot of people. be happy with who you are and what you have.

AK

Because I am Busy

Here are some random pics I took of my pooches (Toby top, Stewie Bottom). They are always sitting next to me while i study so i take a lot of pictures of them. They tend to stare at me as well. You get these today instead or words, if ya didn't read the title, Its because I am busy.

thanks for dropping by

AK

The Apple Tree Song

As i was driving into school this cold January morning. I had the radio dialed to the local old folks station. Usually there is a talk radio show on (call in) that i love to listen to, but this morning was religious shows. As we all know, the old folk love their religious shows almost as much as their rum. i usually turn off the religious shows, but today i listened as there was a song on that i was interested in. i like listening to preachers tell stories. Not biblical stories, as that is just weak. you are not trying when your sermon is filled with rehashed stories of Jesus and his crew. Seriously, try harder. a good preacher relates the word of God to the common folk in a sense that they can relate to. Using everyday stories about everyday people that have a meaning or a lesson woven into the plot. Now this song I heard this morning had such a story in it so I listened to it. This was a song called “the apple tree song” by the Kingsmen. The story was like this:

A man (a preacher) is traveling on a train. He walks from car to car to look for a seat. He finds one next to a younger man. He sits down and starts to talk to the man. Not for any reason, just to pass the time. So he talks about the weather, sports, just anything to strike up a conversation. After a while he realizes that this man is not responding to him at all. He looks closer and he notices that this man is crying, he can see the tears rolling down his face. He leans closer to the crying man and says, “ Son, I am a preacher, and if there is anything I can do to help you with your sorrow, I will. Please talk to me.”

The young man then tells the preacher that he had a troubled childhood and was terrible to his parents. He had a lot of anger as a child and fought with is parents constantly. It got so bad that he even struck his father in the face with his fist. It was at this time that his parents told him he had to go, that there was nothing they could do with him anymore. So he left. He said
“preacher, I traveled across this country back and forth for many years until a few months ago when I gave my life and soul to Jesus. After that, things have changed. I am a new man. I have written my parents to tell them that I am coming home, This is why I am on this train. You see, my family has lived next to these tracks as long as they have been here, in a big white house. And in the backyard of that house is a big apple tree. So I wrote in my letter that if I was welcome, my daddy should tie a white rag to the top of that tree. I would see it from the train and know I was welcome. Preacher, I want to go home so bad, but I am afraid to look out that window. Would you look out that window for me and tell me what you see. “

The preacher looked and then a huge grin appeared on his face. He said,
“son, you have nothing to worry about, for that apple tree is in full bloom, it is covered in white rags, and standing underneath it are you folks holding a big old white bed sheet”.

It was a song so they started singing again at this point. There was no discussion of the story. I guess the moral of this story was that Jesus guided him home and saved him.

Religion is fun.

AK

Filled With Rage

I am standing in line at the Tims in the hospital (don’t ever try to study 10 feet from a tims) and I am exhausted. I have been going full tilt ever since Christmas break. Not on school but on life stuff. School has been pushed to the side.

Anyways, I am watching the people get served, on the weekends it is mostly patients and their families as most staff are not on. I am most intrigued by the man who is chatting nicely with the server while his 3 year old crawls on the floor under the counter and is playing with the garbage can. I watch him put his hand in something, yank it up sharply, then proceed to lick the spot he was staring at on his palm. Now I am not a parent yet... but I am pretty sure that I don’t want my kid playing with a garbage can (plus the nice pretty shinny items that are lying around it) on the cafeteria floor of a hospital. It just aint right.

Let me tell you another story.

I have been getting these strange text messages for months now. Ever since the first day I had my new phone I have been getting messages from some web site I have never been to telling me that some chick (Asian, 25/F) or some combo of ethnicity/age is looking to talk with me. Please text them back. What would you do at this? I deleted them (annoyed at how junk mail is everywhere) and went on with my day. Theni started getting these 2x a day. I would just delete them. Then I get my first bill and there is 25$ extra on it for premium text messages. WTF!

So I call TELUS (yes it was TELUS, please tell your friends)

Me: Hi , why is there a huge extra charge on my phone this month.

TELUS Girl: (Kate) these messages are your fault Sneakydog cause you signed up for the service.

me: Sorry Kate but I did no such thing:

Kate: I see, well I can get rid of those charges but you will have to text back (at my own expense mind you) the word stop* and they will stop.

me: cool. I will do that. now this bill only goes up to 3 weeks ago and I still get them 2x a day (50 cents a message). what will I do?

Kate: hey just call back when you get your new bill as I cant see it till then and we will fix you all up.

me: thanks Kate. I appreciate the help

kate: no problem, I will put through the adjustment right away.

so I go on thinking I am fixed and everything is fine. I stopped getting the messages after I typed in Stop. now on boxing day I get another message which I text back stop, and it stops again. I have not gotten any more messages since then. However on my December bill there are 25$ more in charges for premium text messages. WTF!

I call TELUS once again to get this straightened out as Kate told me this would be my next step. I get Saleba on the phone this time.

Me: Hi Saleba, I need you to help me get this bill fixed up so I can pay. I need the text messages removed from the bill.

saleba: I am sorry sir, but these charges are the result of your doing and I can not remove them from your account. you or someone you know signed up for them that is why you keep getting them.

Me: I was talking to Kate and she mentioned for me to call back and get them fixed up when my new bill came in. just take a look at the notes on my account.

saleba: I see here that a one time courtesy credit was applied to your account by Kate and you were told to remove the Text messaging. (one time courtesy? Kate never mentioned a one time deal. et tu Kate?).

me: I did that, now i need you to remove the rest of them.

saleba: I am sorry sir i can not do that, these charges are your fault and your responsibility.

Me: Saleba (I am standing in my room now, voice slightly raised) I am not paying for these charges and you are going to credit my account.

Saleba: (Obviously annoyed with me now), Sir I will credit your account up to the date you were talking with kate. After that you will have to pay for the 2$ of charges (The word WHORE comes in to my head).

Me: Fine whatever. (pick your battles i say.) Saleba then puts me on hold for 5 mins while she rags to her coworker about me and adjusts my bill.

saleba: Ok that is done and your new bill is 21$( accidentally quotes me the credit instead of the charges left). Sir let me remind you that this is a one time courtesy credit and you will be responsible for any new...

me: I AM NOT PAYING FOR ANY OF THESE TEXT MESSAGES IF THEY COME IN!. I did not sign up for any service and i will not...

Saleba: sir you will be respo...

Me: don’t interrupt me! I will not pay for these messages. ( Interrupting a caller. OMG fired!)

Saleba: Ok sir (giving into me more out of apathy than out of surrender) if these messages keep coming in call back and we will have to get your number changed. these is a 25$ fee to change your number.

silence. the rage is clouding my thoughts. I am not sure what to say, i want to be polite, be nice, be a human being.

Me: Seleba, let me get this straight (good clinical skills always involves clarifying the situation) i have to get my number changed because you guys recycle them and i get crap on it and now as a result and I have to pay for it as well?!. I am sorry seleba but Telus will be paying for my phone change is this happens. I want you to say that back to me and type it into my notes in my account that TELUS will pay my number change fee if this happens.

Seleba: (now very obvious her apathy towards me and telus) ok sir we will change it free of charge.

Me: Thank you

I hang up and go to pay my bill online. however during my rage i forgot the total. I call telus again.

andy: how can i help you Sneakydog

me: Hi andy, how are you tonight (polite of course) i only need my account balance.

andy quotes me a charge at least 40 bucks higher than i expected.

Me: andy that is quite high seeing that i just had a few credits charged to my account.
andy looks up my account and is taking some time to read the notes. his tone has changed when he returns. it is obvious that saleba has left some inspiring notes about me in there.

Andy: sir it appears you were getting some messages were you.

Me (sigh): yes but i think i got that all fixed up. why is my bill so high. i had 40+ dollars in credits applied.

andy: well sneakydog it appears that those credits were never applied. (there is a loud thumping in my ears now).

me: well Andy lets get those applied so I can pay my bill (I say through clenched teeth).

Andy applied them on the spot and reads me my new balance. Andy was very helpful and polite. I should mention competent as well. I thank him and he wishes me a good night. I pay my bill online and curse TELUS and all its cute green animal mascots to hell.


fuckin TELUS

AK

Think About it

They say that over competitiveness is derived from low self esteem and lack of confidence in ones abilities.
thats right.

Think about it.

AK

Easy Win

Ok lets get something straight. what you and me think is important are two completely different things. How? easy. Lemmie break it down for ya. Maybe i could get a nurse that speaks moron to help translate. what i think is important is important and what you think is important is not important. Got it?

AK

TIMELESS

It is such a simple concept. Seconds, minutes, hours, days. The fourth dimension. then why the hell cant i find any of it.

I got up at 9 this morning to get my shit done. get some research done, follow that with some study and then get some practice for skills done. i ended up spending the day shopping for shit and cleaning my house.

these things needed to be done yes, but i just don't have time to do them anymore. So i have to cut something else out of my life to make time for other crap. what will it be this time. I have already cut out food. Movies are rare these days. Maybe food.

They say you can judge your successes by what you had to sacrifice to get it. Words to live by. I am not complaining, (well, ok, maybe just a little bit) but i did sign up for this and I am not sorry i did and i know there are other sacrifices to come. It just sucks every time something has to be given up to make room for something else. I hear that it only gets better from here on out (insert subtle chortling here).

AK