Reaching for the Lambic (my new monomania) bottle at the supermarket, this elderly woman asked me, "Is that good?"
I said yes. That's why I'm getting two.
She checked out the bottle, saw the price, and put it back right away. "I don't plan on spending that much," she said. "I was looking for something fruit flavored. They used to carry one here, but they don't make them anymore. It cost a dollar and 99 cents. My roommate and I would split it. It was so delicious."
I felt a jolt of generosity and thought I should buy her a bottle or I open it now and we split it. But that would be enabling overage drinking.
"It was nice talking to you," I said. "Have a good night."
"Oh, you too."
I walked away, then she called out, "Bryan says good night, too."
I turned to look and saw that she was pointing at a bird in a cage that was sitting atop her grocery cart.
I trusted my judgment then of not even getting her an inexpensive fruity wine cooler.
07 October 2009
06 October 2009
Off
Days off are days gone by.
On the seventh day, God rested.
He did not have to catch up on everything else ...
On the seventh day, God rested.
He did not have to catch up on everything else ...
01 October 2009
Mandate
Get pricked or get fired. Unless you have a demonstrable allergy to eggs.
New York state issued a mandate for all health care workers to be immunized with this year's flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine when it's available.
When you tell people they HAVE to do something, it stirs people to the verge of mutiny.
The swine flu vaccine is a rushed product. It's considered safe based on studies from a small limited sample. My tin foil hat senses government-corporate conspiracy when the new vaccine falls under the PREP Act. That means the vaccine manufacturer(s) has immunity from lawsuits related to the vaccine. So, those who will develop Guillain-Barre, Steven-Johnsons, or anaphylaxis are simply trading one illness for another.
Uncertainty fans fear and I'm throwing in some kindling here. But for a health care model that values patient autonomy, none can be found in this situation. Of course, the state and our employers don't see us as patients, even though we are the receiving end of that needle. They see us as workers and vaccination is like insurance for them. Human subjects in research are lucky. They have informed consent. I don't and I feel like a guinea pig in this process.
New York state issued a mandate for all health care workers to be immunized with this year's flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine when it's available.
When you tell people they HAVE to do something, it stirs people to the verge of mutiny.
"While we encourage nurses to be immunized for the flu, we do not agree that nurses should be required to be immunized every year as a condition of employment.The seasonal flu vaccine is not 100% effective and sometimes is highly ineffective, as it was in 2005 and 2007. There is no guarantee that in any given year, the public will benefit from mandatory immunization of healthcare providers." -New York State Nurses AssociationGive me this year's flu shot, but don't give me the H1N1 shot.
The swine flu vaccine is a rushed product. It's considered safe based on studies from a small limited sample. My tin foil hat senses government-corporate conspiracy when the new vaccine falls under the PREP Act. That means the vaccine manufacturer(s) has immunity from lawsuits related to the vaccine. So, those who will develop Guillain-Barre, Steven-Johnsons, or anaphylaxis are simply trading one illness for another.
Uncertainty fans fear and I'm throwing in some kindling here. But for a health care model that values patient autonomy, none can be found in this situation. Of course, the state and our employers don't see us as patients, even though we are the receiving end of that needle. They see us as workers and vaccination is like insurance for them. Human subjects in research are lucky. They have informed consent. I don't and I feel like a guinea pig in this process.
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