Sometimes I wonder about the herd mentality, especially in consideration of the current "economic crisis". I also wonder how families are getting through this period of time. I also wonder how much of it is contrived, and how much of it is real.
Let me explain: I'm OK, I'm not really at risk of losing my job at any time, and I'm still earning the same salary that I was earning before this "global meltdown" occurred (note that I am "" those terms, as I am not entirely convinced of these euphemisms). However, in running regular errands over the past few weeks, namely, Drive Clean tests, plate renewals (along with that dastardly new tax Miller's introduced!), prescription renewals (no drug plan), insurance payments, dental visits (no dental plan), etc etc etc, add up to a lot of cash-ola!
I actually verged on starting to get a bit worried that I wouldn't have enough to cover all these payments this month. Then, I wondered whether I was lacking in faith, thinking that just because my balance sheet didn't look like it was evening out this month, that God wouldn't eventually make it all work out. Then, I also wondered whether I even dared worry in the first place because the media told me I should be freaking out. Then, I thought about everybody else who is not in my position, that is, regular families, and I thought, dear goodness, how are these families with no benefits covering for their children's dental visits, their medications, their vehicle registrations and insurance payments, their mortgages, etc themselves? Then, I thought about families where one parent had recently lost a job, and how they were going to do. Then, I thought, how did we drive our society to such a position where two parents MUST work in order to be able to earn enough to house and feed their family? Then, I started thinking about a few other ethical issues that have popped up internationally, and thinking about sex slaves and child soldiers, and then I thought, gosh, God, we are a sinful and stiff-necked people, and of all the things I should worry about, the least should be whether or not I can cover my bicycle repair fees...
Then, I repented of all that, am not worrying about money anymore (for now, at least), and thinking about how broken and impoverished our poor souls are...
Friday, March 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
A VERY scary picture!
I realized, after putting this picture up, that it's almost illegible, so I will also post the website address:
https://www.msu.edu/~howardp/organicindustry.html
Animal testing
My life rarely intersects that of the medical world as a patient. However, when it does, the dazzling array of options is mind-boggling, yet also adds a layer of anxiety; if I need this many tests/ medical professionals/ investigations, how sick am I?
Resolving this year to actually try to see my doctor, my optometrist and my dentist at least once every two years results in not just seeing the person themselves, but, for some reason, also involves additional visits, call-backs, X-rays, other tests, bloodwork, and more investigations! Today, I feel like there must be something wrong with me, as I was booking follow-ups, testing appointments, etc.
I half-wonder if that's supposed to be a sign of aging; the older you get, the more that your life is consumed with a never-ending cycle of going in to see medical professionals. If so, this sucks; I have better things to do with my life.
I kind of understand why some of my patients don't come to see me all that often - I imagine coming in to see me reminds them that they are aging, that they are breaking down, and that ultimately, their mortality will inevitably catch up with them. However, for the regulars, who come in every few weeks, I wonder what that does for them. Does that make them feel more secure that there is another set of eyes watching their crumbling mortality? Do they feel that, under my careful watch, that they will somehow defeat illness just by basking in my glow? If so, they are sadly mistaken; the additional poking and prodding, the investigations and interventions that we provide do not add glorious years of life. I think they rather shrivel the soul, causing us to rely on technology to keep us, barely breathing, barely alive...
Resolving this year to actually try to see my doctor, my optometrist and my dentist at least once every two years results in not just seeing the person themselves, but, for some reason, also involves additional visits, call-backs, X-rays, other tests, bloodwork, and more investigations! Today, I feel like there must be something wrong with me, as I was booking follow-ups, testing appointments, etc.
I half-wonder if that's supposed to be a sign of aging; the older you get, the more that your life is consumed with a never-ending cycle of going in to see medical professionals. If so, this sucks; I have better things to do with my life.
I kind of understand why some of my patients don't come to see me all that often - I imagine coming in to see me reminds them that they are aging, that they are breaking down, and that ultimately, their mortality will inevitably catch up with them. However, for the regulars, who come in every few weeks, I wonder what that does for them. Does that make them feel more secure that there is another set of eyes watching their crumbling mortality? Do they feel that, under my careful watch, that they will somehow defeat illness just by basking in my glow? If so, they are sadly mistaken; the additional poking and prodding, the investigations and interventions that we provide do not add glorious years of life. I think they rather shrivel the soul, causing us to rely on technology to keep us, barely breathing, barely alive...
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Yikes!
This is just a warning shot over the heads of those of you who read this blog regularly - I am seriously considering making this blog a private one, that is to say, that readers need to sign in to read my blog.
This has only come to mind in that I've been getting more and more readers from geographical locales of which I am quite sure I don't actually know anyone. And they're reading a lot, rather than just coming to the website and then leaving right away.
It kind of makes you feel naked, really, when people you don't know, and will never meet can read so much about you. I didn't mind so much when I could identify most of all the readership, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do this, so I think I may have to privatize it.
If you would like to get in on this before I change over, please do let me know!
This has only come to mind in that I've been getting more and more readers from geographical locales of which I am quite sure I don't actually know anyone. And they're reading a lot, rather than just coming to the website and then leaving right away.
It kind of makes you feel naked, really, when people you don't know, and will never meet can read so much about you. I didn't mind so much when I could identify most of all the readership, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do this, so I think I may have to privatize it.
If you would like to get in on this before I change over, please do let me know!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Too good to be true
I've been very interested in how people have reacted to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. There was a newscast on the radio yesterday that noted that people applauded when he was found guilty of all of his swindling and scheming.
Now, I admit, it's rough when you lose your entire life savings, and in the case of charitable foundations, losing all of your capital. For those who were living off of their investment returns, now to find they have nothing, and having to return to work well past their prime, it is a very scary and bleak time.
However, on the radio, some of his "victims" were stating that he didn't "deserve" to be put into a white-collar prison, that what he did deserved to be put in with the murderers and the rapists and the pedophiles. Excuse me?
I think this demonstrates two very disturbing tendencies in our society. 1. Listening to people's commentaries about how Mr. Madoff should burn in hell, etc etc, shows me that people care very very much about money. We seem to care more about money than we do about people. I think this is demonstrated in the equivalency that some people have made that the loss of their money is equally as bad as sexually assaulting a small child. 2. That when we are gullible fools, we will immediately turn around and blame as many other people as possible. Come on now, how many times have we heard if an opportunity to make money sounds too good to be true, it likely is? Apparently people who invested with Madoff had consistent returns, year after year, irrespective of how the rest of the economy was going, irrespective of how banks were posting their prime rates, irrespective of how markets were going. Somehow that didn't trigger with anybody that it wouldn't make sense to make the exact same return every year, despite market fluctuations. So, if you're dumb enough to fall for that, frankly, the adage that 'a fool and his money are soon parted' fits the part well...
Now, I admit, it's rough when you lose your entire life savings, and in the case of charitable foundations, losing all of your capital. For those who were living off of their investment returns, now to find they have nothing, and having to return to work well past their prime, it is a very scary and bleak time.
However, on the radio, some of his "victims" were stating that he didn't "deserve" to be put into a white-collar prison, that what he did deserved to be put in with the murderers and the rapists and the pedophiles. Excuse me?
I think this demonstrates two very disturbing tendencies in our society. 1. Listening to people's commentaries about how Mr. Madoff should burn in hell, etc etc, shows me that people care very very much about money. We seem to care more about money than we do about people. I think this is demonstrated in the equivalency that some people have made that the loss of their money is equally as bad as sexually assaulting a small child. 2. That when we are gullible fools, we will immediately turn around and blame as many other people as possible. Come on now, how many times have we heard if an opportunity to make money sounds too good to be true, it likely is? Apparently people who invested with Madoff had consistent returns, year after year, irrespective of how the rest of the economy was going, irrespective of how banks were posting their prime rates, irrespective of how markets were going. Somehow that didn't trigger with anybody that it wouldn't make sense to make the exact same return every year, despite market fluctuations. So, if you're dumb enough to fall for that, frankly, the adage that 'a fool and his money are soon parted' fits the part well...
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Running to Stand Still
No, I am certainly not saying that I'm a heroin addict, if that is the automatic connection that came to mind with this blog post. However, I think there is something about the irresistible, addictive nature of being busy, or at least being perceived that way.
I know many people think I'm relatively lazy, when they compare some of my work weeks to their own. Or they assume that I must have heaps of free time to sit and daydream. Or they wonder why I don't have time to watch TV every night, like themselves.
Maybe I am very inefficient at my tasks, that I don't know. Maybe I have way too many different things on my plate. That, I think is also a definite possibility. The reality is that on average, I actually work more than the usual 40 hour-work week. There, I said it. My choice to seemingly work less hours than you think a physician should work actually leaves me with working just a bit more than the average worker. If I did work "full time" (whatever the heck that means), I suspect my work schedule would look similar to as it did when I was a resident, and that is an untenable situation.
Carrying much on one's plate inevitably gives one indigestion. In my spare brain moments, I'm thinking briefly about what items on my plate are so important to me that I still want to keep nibbling at them. Problem is, like a really good potluck, you actually want to make sure you keep a bit of everything on your plate. Sigh. Perhaps if I did become a heroin addict, picking and choosing would become rapidly a moot point...
I know many people think I'm relatively lazy, when they compare some of my work weeks to their own. Or they assume that I must have heaps of free time to sit and daydream. Or they wonder why I don't have time to watch TV every night, like themselves.
Maybe I am very inefficient at my tasks, that I don't know. Maybe I have way too many different things on my plate. That, I think is also a definite possibility. The reality is that on average, I actually work more than the usual 40 hour-work week. There, I said it. My choice to seemingly work less hours than you think a physician should work actually leaves me with working just a bit more than the average worker. If I did work "full time" (whatever the heck that means), I suspect my work schedule would look similar to as it did when I was a resident, and that is an untenable situation.
Carrying much on one's plate inevitably gives one indigestion. In my spare brain moments, I'm thinking briefly about what items on my plate are so important to me that I still want to keep nibbling at them. Problem is, like a really good potluck, you actually want to make sure you keep a bit of everything on your plate. Sigh. Perhaps if I did become a heroin addict, picking and choosing would become rapidly a moot point...
Monday, March 02, 2009
No repeating last year's travesty!
One of the surest signs of spring, to me, is the Seedy Saturday phenomenon. It's been crossing the country over the past few weeks, with people busily exchanging or buying seeds, and learning from others about various aspects of growing food. It's fabulous! This year was even nicer, with knowing quite a lot of people from the booths, so it took me a good 1 1/2 hours just to go around, chit-chatting with everyone!
But what's even more promising is the fact that I have started my winter seedlings. Yes, indeed, they are incubating on top of my refrigerator, waiting for spring. They've been given the very best start (yum! worm casings!), and will hopefully germinate, and do much better than last year.
This year, I've resolved to start everything myself from seed. No seedlings from people I don't know, as that got me into great trouble last summer. But, I am going to vary my crop a bit: a few beans, a few peas, a bit of kale, different lettuces, better canning tomatoes than what I grew last year. I think I'm looking forward to entertaining people this summer with the tasty goodies coming from my garden!
Now, I must admit, I am dreaming of a backyard, or a certain plot of land in merry 'ol England (you know who you are!) that would let me grow corn and onions and house a few chickens. As that is not my lot (literally), I will have to make do with my balcony. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming of all the farming I could do...
But what's even more promising is the fact that I have started my winter seedlings. Yes, indeed, they are incubating on top of my refrigerator, waiting for spring. They've been given the very best start (yum! worm casings!), and will hopefully germinate, and do much better than last year.
This year, I've resolved to start everything myself from seed. No seedlings from people I don't know, as that got me into great trouble last summer. But, I am going to vary my crop a bit: a few beans, a few peas, a bit of kale, different lettuces, better canning tomatoes than what I grew last year. I think I'm looking forward to entertaining people this summer with the tasty goodies coming from my garden!
Now, I must admit, I am dreaming of a backyard, or a certain plot of land in merry 'ol England (you know who you are!) that would let me grow corn and onions and house a few chickens. As that is not my lot (literally), I will have to make do with my balcony. But that doesn't stop me from dreaming of all the farming I could do...
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