So, anyone read the news today? Thanks to the idiotic and ill-thought comments of a pope whose mouth is larger than his brain, there are more protests and violence in the Middle East. Already strained relationships among Muslims and the rest of the world have been set back YEARS because of the comments of a white-robed man insulated by gilt walls and luxury.
Back here in the good ole USA, the evangelists and fundamentalists are preaching on the streets and having a field day. They're talking about "the day of atonement" and blah-blah-blah......
The Pope is an irresponsible, pompous ASS, who does not recognize that, like it or not, he is looked upon as a world leader (Goddess, help us). What he says can and will be mis-quoted, misunderstood, or just plain stupid. Pick one of the above, and you will be correct.
Keep an eye on the news, folks. It's gonna get worse before it gets better.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Pope and shoe leather....
Open mouth, insert foot!
Pope Benedict allegedly quoted from a 14th century text, stating that Islam converted by the sword (I apologize for the abbreviation here). Then he issued an apology that he was sorry the quote was misunderstood by the Muslim community.
Result: 2 churches so far have been torched - by Muslims!
To be fair, before one goes casting stones, one should take a good, long, hard look into the mirror of his own soul and his own tradition. Look at the recent news in the Catholic Church! How many young people have been sexually assaulted numerous times and submitted because of something "Father said." The "Church" is still trying to cover this over rather than hand over the known sex offenders to legal authorities so that true justice can be dispensed. Instead, many of them are simply "relieved of priestly duties" and then assigned elsewhere, still supported by the Church - in other words, still the beneficiaries of money coming out of the offering plates, much of it still contributed by the victims!
Okay, while I am NOT defending the Islam belief of jihad, the elephant in the room needs to be acknowledged. What other religion has as its symbol A MAN BEING TORTURED TO DEATH ON A CROSS??? Is this not the symbol of violence and cruelty beyond belief? Remember the Crusades when thousands of children were sent to their death in the name of the Church? Remember the Spanish Inquisition? Remember the WOMEN who have been stoned, drowned, burned, and worse for being single mothers (some at the hands of their local ministers) or being accused (not proven) of being witches. How about the kids in school having to pay a quarter to a "buy a pagan baby out of Purgatory?" Remember the KKK - a lot of good ole church-goin' boys. How hard has the church (all sects) worked to convert the pagans - by the sword or by brain-washing. Sounds like a jihad to me - and it's not all Catholic.
Pope Benedict, please open your eyes beyond the gilt walls of the Vatican and look at reality. Before you pontificate, make sure you know what you're saying and that you've sufficiently cleaned your own home first.
Pope Benedict allegedly quoted from a 14th century text, stating that Islam converted by the sword (I apologize for the abbreviation here). Then he issued an apology that he was sorry the quote was misunderstood by the Muslim community.
Result: 2 churches so far have been torched - by Muslims!
To be fair, before one goes casting stones, one should take a good, long, hard look into the mirror of his own soul and his own tradition. Look at the recent news in the Catholic Church! How many young people have been sexually assaulted numerous times and submitted because of something "Father said." The "Church" is still trying to cover this over rather than hand over the known sex offenders to legal authorities so that true justice can be dispensed. Instead, many of them are simply "relieved of priestly duties" and then assigned elsewhere, still supported by the Church - in other words, still the beneficiaries of money coming out of the offering plates, much of it still contributed by the victims!
Okay, while I am NOT defending the Islam belief of jihad, the elephant in the room needs to be acknowledged. What other religion has as its symbol A MAN BEING TORTURED TO DEATH ON A CROSS??? Is this not the symbol of violence and cruelty beyond belief? Remember the Crusades when thousands of children were sent to their death in the name of the Church? Remember the Spanish Inquisition? Remember the WOMEN who have been stoned, drowned, burned, and worse for being single mothers (some at the hands of their local ministers) or being accused (not proven) of being witches. How about the kids in school having to pay a quarter to a "buy a pagan baby out of Purgatory?" Remember the KKK - a lot of good ole church-goin' boys. How hard has the church (all sects) worked to convert the pagans - by the sword or by brain-washing. Sounds like a jihad to me - and it's not all Catholic.
Pope Benedict, please open your eyes beyond the gilt walls of the Vatican and look at reality. Before you pontificate, make sure you know what you're saying and that you've sufficiently cleaned your own home first.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
M.D. USED to stand for "Medical Doctor."
Am I getting old or just unwilling to accept the new standards of mediocrity running rampant in our medical system?
This is true, folks. Most hospitals and medical practices are now run by MBAs. These are the young, well-dressed manager-types who spent years in school and virtually no time in the real world. They graduate with diplomas and a head-full of textbook rules and plunge right in to managing the hospital or practice who hires them. Hey - an MBA means that this person knows everything about everything!
IMPORTANT: DOCTORS DO NOT RUN THEIR PRACTICES ANY LONGER!!!!!! They are employees with the same status as the receptionist at the front desk. They have quotas to make - a minimum number of procedures to be performed in a given period, a certain number of patients to see.
Case in point. I recently went to a dermatology practice - very efficiently run. The medical assistant ushered me into an exam room and proceeded to ask the usual screening medical questions and enter everything into a computer - no more charts. The doctor came in, read what was on the computer, asked me a couple more questions, gave me a quick "look-over," and started typing (doctors are now medical transcriptionists). He gave me a diagnosis, some samples of cream, and I was outta there. Total time in the room: 6 minutes, time with doctor 2 minutes. Diagnosis: NOT THE RIGHT ONE! But I bet he made his quota!
Return visit: Same scenario. However, I was to have 2 lesions biopsied because they were not the same in appearance. He looked at my diseased arm and pronounced that only one lesion would be biopsied. I pointed out to him that they were different in appearance. He still insisted on 1. Okay - no alcohol prep, injection with lidocaine, no time to numb up, and he does a 10-second punch biopsy, quick stitch, a bandaid. Total time for procedure: 90 seconds! "I'll call you when the results come in, and just come back in a week so we can remove the stich." Another quota met!
Follow-up visit: A more experienced doctor whom I know told me to call to find out whether I would be charged for the stitch removal because it should come under surgical care. HA! This dermatologist documented on his computer that I was to come in for an office visit to "Discuss" the biopsy and further treatment - hence, another charge. I reminded the receptionist what was really said at the time of the visit and told her to cancel the appointment, send me the report, and that I was making other plans. Quota not met!
I called my GP and relayed this saga. He is no longer sending patients to this young cutie. I removed my own stitch. And when I get the biopsy report, my GP and I are going to find a doctor who still understands "M.D." or "D.O." to assume my care.
Message? Stop settling for being railroaded back and forth to the office so that the doctor can bill for more services and office visits and meet his quota. Insist on all of the care you need at one time. If you're not happy, COMPLAIN! Call your own primary doctor and report the problem. Call your insurance company.
And then get a blog and post so that enough of us will get the hint and start to get what we pay for.
This is true, folks. Most hospitals and medical practices are now run by MBAs. These are the young, well-dressed manager-types who spent years in school and virtually no time in the real world. They graduate with diplomas and a head-full of textbook rules and plunge right in to managing the hospital or practice who hires them. Hey - an MBA means that this person knows everything about everything!
IMPORTANT: DOCTORS DO NOT RUN THEIR PRACTICES ANY LONGER!!!!!! They are employees with the same status as the receptionist at the front desk. They have quotas to make - a minimum number of procedures to be performed in a given period, a certain number of patients to see.
Case in point. I recently went to a dermatology practice - very efficiently run. The medical assistant ushered me into an exam room and proceeded to ask the usual screening medical questions and enter everything into a computer - no more charts. The doctor came in, read what was on the computer, asked me a couple more questions, gave me a quick "look-over," and started typing (doctors are now medical transcriptionists). He gave me a diagnosis, some samples of cream, and I was outta there. Total time in the room: 6 minutes, time with doctor 2 minutes. Diagnosis: NOT THE RIGHT ONE! But I bet he made his quota!
Return visit: Same scenario. However, I was to have 2 lesions biopsied because they were not the same in appearance. He looked at my diseased arm and pronounced that only one lesion would be biopsied. I pointed out to him that they were different in appearance. He still insisted on 1. Okay - no alcohol prep, injection with lidocaine, no time to numb up, and he does a 10-second punch biopsy, quick stitch, a bandaid. Total time for procedure: 90 seconds! "I'll call you when the results come in, and just come back in a week so we can remove the stich." Another quota met!
Follow-up visit: A more experienced doctor whom I know told me to call to find out whether I would be charged for the stitch removal because it should come under surgical care. HA! This dermatologist documented on his computer that I was to come in for an office visit to "Discuss" the biopsy and further treatment - hence, another charge. I reminded the receptionist what was really said at the time of the visit and told her to cancel the appointment, send me the report, and that I was making other plans. Quota not met!
I called my GP and relayed this saga. He is no longer sending patients to this young cutie. I removed my own stitch. And when I get the biopsy report, my GP and I are going to find a doctor who still understands "M.D." or "D.O." to assume my care.
Message? Stop settling for being railroaded back and forth to the office so that the doctor can bill for more services and office visits and meet his quota. Insist on all of the care you need at one time. If you're not happy, COMPLAIN! Call your own primary doctor and report the problem. Call your insurance company.
And then get a blog and post so that enough of us will get the hint and start to get what we pay for.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Blog Comments - NO JUNK PLEASE!
I just posted a tribute to the late Steve Irwin and was moved to see two comments within a very short period after this post.
Much to my absolute DISGUST, both comments were from an entity known as "ASKINSTOO," telling me, "Very nice.... and to click here to make money at home!"
While comments to my blogs are greatly appreciated, I WILL NOT ACCEPT SPAM OR ADVERTISING, AND ANY SUCH JUNK WILL BE QUICKLY DELETED AND THE MISCREANT GUILTY OF SUCH POSTS WILL BE REPORTED!
This blog is my own personal space, where all are welcome - except for sales pitches.
Much to my absolute DISGUST, both comments were from an entity known as "ASKINSTOO," telling me, "Very nice.... and to click here to make money at home!"
While comments to my blogs are greatly appreciated, I WILL NOT ACCEPT SPAM OR ADVERTISING, AND ANY SUCH JUNK WILL BE QUICKLY DELETED AND THE MISCREANT GUILTY OF SUCH POSTS WILL BE REPORTED!
This blog is my own personal space, where all are welcome - except for sales pitches.
Steve Irwin
While to date I've not been a fanatic about the Crocodile Hunter, I think it only fitting to pay tribute to what he has done for Mother Earth and for Her creatures. Aside from his seeming wreckless showmanship, when it came to dealing with creatures above water, it seemed that he could read their minds, knowing when to jump out of harm's way (sometimes with only a split-second to spare) and having the ability to reassure a trapped animal that he was there to help. He and his wife founded a refuge and saved numerous animals from greedy trophy hunters. His TV programs, though a bit overly-sensational for my taste, caught the attention of kids and adults and perhaps opened a few eyes to the wonders of nature.
My heart goes out to his wife and family and to his film-crew family, especially those who witnessed his death. He and his colleagues had predicted that if he were to meet with tragedy, it would be under water, an area where he was less familiar and had far less control. Still, he chose to take us on another adventure, which sadly ended his life. He died doing what he loved best - getting up close and personal with Mother Nature and Her creatures.
All I can say is "Crikey! What a ride you took us on." Peace and blessings on your journey.
My heart goes out to his wife and family and to his film-crew family, especially those who witnessed his death. He and his colleagues had predicted that if he were to meet with tragedy, it would be under water, an area where he was less familiar and had far less control. Still, he chose to take us on another adventure, which sadly ended his life. He died doing what he loved best - getting up close and personal with Mother Nature and Her creatures.
All I can say is "Crikey! What a ride you took us on." Peace and blessings on your journey.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
"Hole in the ground or HOLE IN HIS HEAD!
Nagin rides again! A while back, he called the site of the Towers in NY a "...hole in the ground." Then on a recent visit to Ground Zero, he made a pathetic attempt at an apology. If anyone ever doubted his ignorance or came to his defense post-Katrina, that remark alone should be a huge wake-up call. This man is a dangerous idiot!
The World Trade Center site in NY is sacred ground, not only because of the thousands of innocent US citizens who perished because of an all-out act of war against America, but because of the remnants of those souls that no bull-dozer can remove. No amount of digging or re-building can make it anything other than "hallowed ground."
Obviously, the events of September 11th meant nothing to Nagin at the time and mean nothing today. So, to the people of NOLA who voted for him, you get what you pay for.
Is it too late to get our money back from the Louisiana Purchase?
Attn: All takers - one southern state to be auctioned on EBAY. Buy-it-now price: $0.50!
The World Trade Center site in NY is sacred ground, not only because of the thousands of innocent US citizens who perished because of an all-out act of war against America, but because of the remnants of those souls that no bull-dozer can remove. No amount of digging or re-building can make it anything other than "hallowed ground."
Obviously, the events of September 11th meant nothing to Nagin at the time and mean nothing today. So, to the people of NOLA who voted for him, you get what you pay for.
Is it too late to get our money back from the Louisiana Purchase?
Attn: All takers - one southern state to be auctioned on EBAY. Buy-it-now price: $0.50!
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