I'm going to step on some toes, but if you're barefoot and not pregnant you deserve it. Of course, if you're a woman from Idaho and you're not at home barefoot, pregnant and cooking then you might be in violation of state law, if some right wing nut case in that state's legislature gets his way. I can just see it now. 'Hello 911, I need help.' 'What seems to be the problem sir?' 'My wife is pregnant and she's wearing shoes!' The operator gasps, then says, 'I'll send out a patrol car right away.' As far fetched as this seems, there are people in our country with political power who want to force a housewife to stay at home. As you might guess, these people also want to ban Teletubbies. I loathe male bashing feminists, but I support equality, especially in salaries. It should not matter if you have a third leg, pay should be equal for men and women doing the same job in the workplace. Sadly, this isn't true. A recent comparative study showed women only make 76% of what men make for the same job. Is that fair, equal or the so called American way? Where is the justice? It seems our lawmakers have forgotten about equal rights and are more concerned about lobbyists' feasts and passing more and more restrictive laws. In my city, it is now a $50 fine, if you are caught feeding birds. What birdbrain came up with this 'extremely important' law is beyond me. Maybe he was forced to watch Hitchcock's 'Birds' as a child and this is payback for the trauma.
I am a Christian and strongly believe in the power of prayer. However, on Gather it seems like I receive prayer lists from various people in my inbox almost daily. I don't want to sound heartless, but don't you think it a bit much when someone asks you to pray for a page long list of people you don't even know? I'm sure the people making these lists have a good heart. Maybe we should be like Franny in the JD Salinger novel 'Franny & Zooey' and go insane saying the Jesus prayer. Asking us to pray for every Tom, Dick and Harry and sometimes pets is just way over the top. I don't mind personal requests for prayers by people I somewhat know and friends on Gather. These I honor. Prayer in my opinion is very personal. When I pray, I will say a prayer to help those on Gather, but I don't get out a list of people and pray for each person, or pet, separately. If I prayed for each person separately, from the list after list I've received, I would be on my knees so long that I'd be locked in that position and possibly become a tourist attraction, or a place for a pilgrimage. Before I eat, I almost always thank God for the food and ask God to provide for the homeless. Thankfully, I don't get lists of the homeless in my mailbox.
I am so fed up with the drug ads on TV that I've simply quit watching but the lead story on the nightly news. I know, in this era of unmitigated greed, that any report on drugs or vitamins is going to be tarnished because these news organizations are beholden to the money from these drug ads. What bothers me is that most other affluent countries do not have such low minimal rates for blood pressure and cholesterol and they have less disease and lower death rates than we do. Am I missing something, or am I being fed a pack of lies? The USA is drug happy (as in totally bonkers). There's drug for every possible ailment you can imagine. If your little toe hurts, then this must be because you have some possible life threatening disease and you need a drug to stop this from spreading to your other toes, or possibly infecting other people's toes, if they wear your shoes. Yes, the side effects might cause constipation, bouts of diarrhea, and hair loss, but you do want your toe to stop hurting. By the way, if you feel muscle pain contact your doctor immediately, since this could be something serious.
Jack and Jill enjoyed eating beans with most of their supper meals. However, over time Jack started to have more gas than usual and sometimes let go what could only be described as sonic booms that would shake the fine bone china on the shelf. One day his sonic boom carried such a force that the kitchen clock fell off the wall. Luckily, Jill noticed a TV ad that introduced a new drug for Sonicboomitis. She got Jack to go to the doctor and, after spending 30 minutes talking to a drug company representative and booking a flight for his free golf outing to Hawaii, the doctor had Jack sit in a little cubicle for another 30 minutes. After that, the doctor carefully examined Jack's posterior and took measurements. Jill mentioned the drug for Jack's condition she had seen on TV, but the doctor was about to say Jack's condition wasn't that serious when Jack let go a sonic boom. The doctor startled said, 'Oh my! This is serious' and looked at his measurements again, then pulled out a box of corks. He told Jil that these corks would slowly release a drug that would help, but not cure Jack. Jill said, 'You mean he'll have to wear one for the rest of his life.' 'I'm afraid so', the doctor said with a comforting smile as he started fitting Jack with the right cork size. Once Jack agreed to a bearable comfort level, he was given prescription and told he would need to change corks one a month. Jack looked relieved and said, 'I don't think I could remember to change this every week.' The doctor then looked at Jill and said, 'You shouldn't stand behind him when he's bending over. Sometimes there's slippage and a flying cork can cause injury. If this does happen, we have a drug that will take care of such a problem.' So Jack and Jill walked up the hill and went home. All was well for several months until one day Jack forgot to insert his cork and let go a terrific sonic boom. Jill cooly looked at him and said, Put a cork in it.'
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Comments: 50
Jingle.
One item that you mentioned briefly is something that really aggravates me. The low minimum numbers for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugars. Having been a nurse for many years, I have seen the numbers decline a lot. Supposedly, it is in the interests of improving our health but I'm not sure I buy that line. We used to try to have people's blood sugars under 140. Then it became 120. Now in the last year or so, it has become 100. I know good control of blood sugars prevents later problems. However, when some people react at a low sugar of 70, walking such a tight line is very hard.
Also, my own doctor keeps reducing what she wants MY cholesterol to be. After finding my birth family a few years ago, I learned everyone has high cholesterols in the family, so apparently a genetic trait for us. My doctor used to be happy if I was under 210. Then she wanted it under 190. Now she wants it even lower.
I personally feel it's all the drug agencies pushing their own agendas.
I'm not sure this cork solution has been approved by the FDA! The drug companies would prefer a cork that required hourly changing to increase cork sales.
Christmas Glitters
I hope the word "Merry" is not out of order. :}
You forgot to mention all the blood tests, urine samples and x-rays needed before you get your prescription for a cork. We have to keep the lab people busy, or they will all go out and become real estate agents, and then where would we be??
And is the Government of Idaho going to pay those mothers to stay home?
I wouldn't mention it, but what the heck, you can buy knee pads at the sporting goods store or maybe even Wally World for those long prey sessions.
Amazing how many kids and adults now need meds to get by, when I was a kid a good glare from mom and dad stopped kids from bouncing off the walls.
When you need a cork, is usually when you have eaten something healty.
William, thanks for the nice comments on my quote article.
"I laughed, I cried, this was better than Cats!"
Seriously...
I saw the heart doctor a few weeks ago. He said "Your heart has no damage, you blood pressure is good. Come back and see me in 6 months"
I was happy.
Last week I saw the regular MD.
He started talking about my bp---it was a bit high that day.
He tried to put me on a 5th (I am not kidding) blood pressure medicine.
I said no, the heart dr put me on a new one, then you doubled it AND my Lipitor.
Give me some time to straighten this out on my own-- I have been very stressed.
Then he tried to add a 3rd cholesteral medicine because he felt my number was too high. I said, "My number is up from 156 to 177, it is still pretty good"
The dr rolled his eyes and told me I might have a stroke if I don't.
Then he told me he wanted me to have a stent put into my kidney.
I said, "But I went into the hospital for that procedure last spring. One of my dr's insisted, Oh, that's right, it was you. They did an angiogram to place it, and told me my kidney was NOT blocked. " One day, not over night cost 6k without the dr bills.
He rolled his eyes and made statements like if I don't do this I will be sorry.
After I left I was upset for almost a week.
You see, once again, I now have a crisis of confidence.
I thought he was a good dr. Now I don't know what to think about him.
Or who to trust with my health.
But one thing I do know, I pay him for his opinion, not to use scare tatics on me.
I am frightened enough on my own.
Excellent article, thank you.
We're pretty lucky with our doctors - they seem quite reluctant to dole out prescriptions, which suits us fine as we're not overly keen on taking meds.
I think doctors in Ireland are the exact opposite they will not give you drugs even if you need them...apparently gargling salty water or drinking warp 7Up is the cure for most minor and major ailments. :-)
p.s., I brought your blue bird back, He said he missed you.
There are some good doctors out there, the trick is finding one and establishing a positive relationship with them.
at the conclusion of your first paragraph..i wanted to run away with you..the perfect man! Idaho Lawmakers Are Half-Baked....that should be a bumper sticker
at the conclusion of your second paragraph..i was sorry for your annoyance with those mega prayer requests but ...hey..it's all good...the collective power of prayer..i know it works but i am sensitive to your plight of feeling annoyed..so block them.. or just send up a lump prayer..He'll sort it out...
the third paragraph had me nodding affirmatively..i think i sprained my sternocleidomastoid muscles~ so vigorous the nodding..pass me that vial of little white pills *wink*
finally ,I fell off my chair laughing so hard at the conclusion of your fourth paragraph and i broke my coccyx...and being a litigious society and the fact i can rustle up some two bit ambulance chaser to drum up an implausable lawsuit based upon drivvel and hyperbole,you'll be getting a summons for a lawsuit regarding your causing my undue pain from laughing at your article...there are no disclaimers or warnings prior to reading this rant...why this is just as sue-worthy as that hot cup of coffee lawsuit!
what's that? put a cork in it ,you say?:)
Might as well get them educated at an early age.
I am happy to see a man airing a voice relating to equality of genders and all other sorts ...
I think we talk too much of women accomplishments and are just happy to see few faces around ...Except modelling there is no proffession where women are paid better than men ... should we be proud of that ... In my project there are 60 people, 3 women ...and out of 1000 managers in my company I don't see more than 30 females ..though at junior level there are equal number of entants ....
I am proud to be in highest rank after 3 and half years of joining this company , where as most of freinds have changed jobs, quit jobs or compromise on location , project , time slot .... everyone say they are happy in their family ...I think they are not , one of my freind used to cry daily as she didn't get any project for one year because she chose to opt out of one project for marriage ...
I am not against stay home moms...but the way everyone expect you to accomodate is pathetic ...as if its a secondary thing and has no important ..
oh my ! did I just rant !!
Eat your heart out. My doctor is stunningly beautiful. She runs in Marathons locally and abroad. She takes my manuscripts home and reads them.
When I have a problem, we sit down, discuss and come to some common agreement.
And her name is Lilani.
Drool, if you wish. I think that there's a pill for that. *grin*
The characters jump off the screen page and right into your room,acting their roles in 3D living color.
Yeah,and I wish my physician looked like George Clooney,Fred...:) but that would require imbibing more port than any one person has any business imbibing on a weekday....
My Mom had a wonderful doctor. He was funny, caring, always listened to her despite her increasing confusion and was very realistic. Whenever I said, "well she is 90 years old and I don't think she needs that medication", he would support my decision.
Unfortunately, I cannot go to him as he is not on my insurance list.