Ploofle

…Add to that list health professionals who totally get bent out of shape when the sanctity of their profession is questioned. In short, we had to read for class a publication concerning uninsurance and the health consequences of it, based on a literature review of that subject. One of the results thrown out included that ER patients without insurance get worse medical care in the ER than others. People began taking this very personally, as they were professionals who worked in the ER, saying things like “no doctor would ever give bad care based on things like insurance!” Or “stop pissing on the poor oft-maligned healthcare providers”, since we totally don’t normally go around appreciating them or anything.

As generalizations irritate me, as well as snow-white clean reputations of professions (say, clergymen are always celibate when they’re supposed to be, judges never have penis pumps under their robes, nurses never deliberately euthanize patients without consent), I responded. And a flurry of posts commenced. Maybe the data is way off - but shouldn’t you check their facts to see if they are valid points? All I’m saying is never questioning your fundamentals - be that of yourself, your career, your profession, your faith - is to entrap yourself in a situation of oblivious comfort and disconnect with your people.

In my little niche of personal professional-land, if you lose touch of that essence - that people in your shoes can and will do what is wrong - you can’t honestly say you’re working as a partner with people in need. Rather, you’re parachuting in to provide them with all the help they’ll need to be better people.

Tags: praxis

There’s this: War on poverty slips from election agenda [again].

I think it’ll be a real shame if in their eagerness to gain some majorities Democrats jettison some of the major issues that have been hanging like a cloud for the past couple of years over the country. It would be a super shame if they also forget the same lesson Republicans did and blithely go on their merry way on their planks and constituents. Government should be about serving the people, and, hard to believe, even those who may not have voted for you. There is such unmet need and inequity that you could argue for the benefits to the businessmen who seem to truly govern in words of economics that they would understand. There’s the human and moral imperative. And then there’s the personal: would you want your momma (even if she’s nuts) to be treated like the poorest of the poor are treated here? With just about every rule and statute taking those few bits that mean so much to her, but proportionally so little to the everyday life of a person who has more than they need to live?

–endrant–

Tags: currents

Far from being a movie of dubious repute, it’s a league system like those other sports fantasy leagues. Check it out - perhaps join my league? It’s called “Casual Observer”

Should help me keep a bit more up to date on politics, as, oddly enough, when you register you can sign up for automatic emails of important dates (I’m guessing elections or what-not).

I wonder if they’ll have brackets too….I always sucked at the NCAA College B-Ball ones, given I picked Duke to always win and otherwise chose advancing teams based on how catchy their name was.

Tags: currents

sooo…my sister really is moving. but I’m helping covering a lot of it - some of her rent, airfare, etc. - until she gets set up here. Anyone have any spare frequent flyer miles or other useful items?

In other news, I hereby am allowed to eat the free food at conferences. It has been granted - woo!

Tags: family, travel

…and invite Hsien to

“Caramel Apple and Pinata Fall Festival”
“Thanksgiving in July”
“Halloween Masquerade Twister”
“Bowling + Waffles + Children’s Party Package”

Tags: party, random