Yesterday the nursing got so bad that I called in the Charge Nurse to complain. The straw that broke the TomCat’s back was the nurse’s insistence that I insert my own suppository, when I cannot because of a partially frozen shoulder. I was in pain from severe Republicitis for 5 1/2 hours. The Charge Nurse agreed that she was completely out of line, and promised never to schedule her to care for me again. Today is much better, and I took an extra lap, but, dang it, I’m still too slow to ketch me a nurse. 
Extreme Religious Agony:
Short Takes:
From NY Times: Like millions of people, I’ve been obsessively following the news from Paris, putting aside other things to focus on the horror. It’s the natural human reaction. But let’s be clear: it’s also the reaction the terrorists want. And that’s something not everyone seems to understand.Take, for example, Jeb Bush’s declaration that “this is an organized attempt to destroy Western civilization.” No, it isn’t. It’s an organized attempt to sow panic, which isn’t at all the same thing. And remarks like that, which blur that distinction and make terrorists seem more powerful than they are, just help the jihadists’ cause.
Think, for a moment, about what France is and what it represents. It has its problems — what nation doesn’t? — but it’s a robust democracy with a deep well of popular legitimacy. Its defense budget is small compared with ours, but it nonetheless retains a powerful military, and has the resources to make that military much stronger if it chooses. (France’s economy is around 20 times the size of Syria’s.) France is not going to be conquered by ISIS, now or ever. Destroy Western civilization? Not a chance.
So what was Friday’s attack about? Killing random people in restaurants and at concerts is a strategy that reflects its perpetrators’ fundamental weakness. It isn’t going to establish a caliphate in Paris. What it can do, however, is inspire fear — which is why we call it terrorism, and shouldn’t dignify it with the name of war.
The point is not to minimize the horror. It is, instead, to emphasize that the biggest danger terrorism poses to our society comes not from the direct harm inflicted, but from the wrong-headed responses it can inspire. And it’s crucial to realize that there are multiple ways the response can go wrong.
Click through for the rest of this excellent Paul Krugman editorial. I agree with him. The Daesh is far too small to overthrow even small Western nations, let alone the US. Climate change is a greater threat to the US than the Daesh will ever be. If we let the Daesh dominate our policies, we are handing them a victory over us.
From TPM: Daily fantasy sports sites — like Fan Duel and Draft Kings — arrived on the scene like “a pack of wolves,” according to host John Oliver on Sunday’s episode of “Last Week Tonight.”
“Daily fantasy sports combine everything dudes love: sports, money and a lack of commitment,” Oliver said.
Congress cracked down on online gambling in 2006, but, as Oliver pointed out, the law exempted fantasy sports.
As a lover of old style fantasy football, I have no doubt that daily fantasy sports is gambling. The law needs to be updated,
From Crooks and Liars: At each NFL football game on Sunday, there was a moment of silence for the people of France who suffered an unimaginable terrorist attack.
Unfortunately, some jerk at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, took the opportunity to prove to the world what an ass he is by yelling an anti-Muslim statement. (Said fool either shouted “Muslim sucks” or “F*ck the Muslims,” depending on which account you listen to.
Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who came off the field after losing another heartbreaking (for Packer fans anyway) loss, still had the wherewithal and class to denounce the fan who yelled that:
“I must admit I was very disappointed with whoever the fan was that made a comment that was very inappropriate during the moment of silence,” Rodgers said. “It’s that kind of prejudicial ideology that puts us in the position we’re in today as a world.”
Kudos to Aaron Rogers for a very classy statement.
Cartoon:
17 Responses to “On the Edge–11/16/2015”
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So sorry about the state of nursing yesterday! I don't suppose incompetent people care (and in fact many do not know they are incompetent), but one incompetent in a profession brings down the respect for the entire profession. And, as we know, or should know, nursing is a very honorable profession. Again, so sorry. Apparently it won't be enough to ketch a nurse, you need to ketch a competent one. Probably even harder.
Also sorry about the religious agony. Sad, sad.
NY Times – I keep going back to two articles –
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/9/72151/– from 2004 for heaven's sake, and
http://www.thenation.com/article/14-years-after-911-the-war-on-terror-is-accomplishing-everything-bin-laden-hoped-it-would/ from just last month. The first predicts what will happen if we respond wrong, and the second confirms after 14 years (11 from the date of the first article) that we did and it did.
While I agree with TomCat the whole country is not intentionally complicit in this (and certainly everyone here is doing their best to get the Republican Part OUT of government), non-voters and lazy voters who did not vote for the GOP are still complicit for not having voted, period.
And off topic, but speaking of voting, Edie, I hope you get your investigation and recount on your Governor. As I understand it, the down-ballot Democratic votes were so strong as to imply that many votes for Edwards were not counted. It certainly does look fishy.
TPM – While I know very little about sports, I do know that gambling can create an addiction as real as addiction to alcohol or drugs, but one which it is much harder to get help with rehab for. I actually have a friend in the Portland area who is struggling with this now. And yes, of course, it would be nice to remove all gambling to keep addictions from developing in the first place, I am not totally convinced that it is realistic. In a GOP-dominated nation, it may, of course, be the best we can get.
Crooks and Liars – A very classy statement indeed.
Cartoon – a very un-classy statement, but alas, a true one.
Incidentally, here's a MoveOn petition to support ALL victims of terrorism
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/stand-with-france-lebanon?source=c.em&r_by=1135580
Already signed and I hope your posting leads to more signatures Joanne
Petition signed and shared.
Signed the petition, Joanne. Glad it adressed the other attacks to.
Thanks, Joanne. I am afraid nothing will come of it. None of our local news, tv, radio or press has aired the story. Sad.
NY Times: Great article by Mr. Krugman. Thanks for this one.
Crooks and Liars: Missed the moment of silence, but did watch part of the game. Mr. Rodgers showed class when he called out this guy. A Republican CheeseHead. lol.
TPM: I know a few people who do this, and lose big $$. I don't even do the lottery here, I just don't have the money.
Cartoon: Aww..Can one even imagine the work involved for this elderly gentleman to get across the street?
Yikes! Over 5 hours?? Glad that the Head Nurse took care of that situation, and that your day got better. Hope that the rest of your evening goes well. Rest and take care, TC.
Sadly, a great cartoon!
It would be nice to think of someone giving the nurse a dose of her own suppository!
Jebbie is that nurse's ass. Rather than "He protected us," the truth seems to be, according to George Tenet, that Bush/Cheney showed the wisdom of that nurs'e ass in response to multiple warnings about 9/11!
The "Nurse's ass" metaphor gets one more go arund from me, in the name of the clown at Lambeau Field! Kudos to Rogers.
So glad the charge nurse took charge of your issue and hope the promise lasts as long as you are there. No one should have that kind of issue ever.
Krugman tells us the truth that too many refuse to hear. Relatedly, too many of that ilk are claiming they'll refuse entry to their states of Syrian refugees…related petion which states:
"Congress: Don’t Demagogue Security Vetting of Syrian Refugees
Petition by Robert Naiman
To be delivered to The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate
Members of Congress should publicly acknowledge the fact that the U.S. government has a vigorous process of screening refugees for security risks before they are admitted to the U.S.
Petition Background
Some Republican demagogues are taking advantage of the ISIS-Daesh attacks in Paris to try to scare Americans into thinking that admitting Syrian refugees to the U.S. would threaten our security. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson said Sunday that accepting Syrian refugees is "a suspension of intellect." [1] Senator Marco Rubio told ABC that "We won’t be able to take more refugees…Because there’s no way to background check someone that’s coming from Syria." [2]
But the claim that the U.S. government lacks the ability to screen refugees for security concerns is just not true. As Politifact noted: [3]
"Before a refugee even faces U.S. vetting, he or she must first clear an eligibility hurdle. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees — or occasionally a U.S. embassy or another NGO — determines which refugees (about 1 percent) should be resettled through its own process, which can take four to 10 months."
"As we noted in a previous fact-check, once a case is referred from the UNHCR to the United States, a refugee undergoes a security clearance check that could take several rounds, an in-person interview, approval by the Department of Homeland Security, medical screening, a match with a sponsor agency, ‘cultural orientation’ classes, and one final security clearance. This all happens before a refugee ever gets onto American soil."
"'It can actually take almost three years,’ said Lavinia Limón, the president of the advocacy group, the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. ‘The process for refugees is the most extensive security screening we have for visitors. It’s easier to come in as a tourist, a student, a businessman.’”
“The length and thoroughness of the U.S. vetting system set it apart from the ‘chaotic, dangerous process’ for refugees fleeing into Europe by sea, said Geoffrey Mock, the Syrian country specialist for Amnesty International USA… ‘the population identified by the UN and vetted by both organizations has worked successfully in alleviating crises in dozens of other countries, including Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and the Central African Republic,’ Mock said. ‘There’s no reason to believe Syria will be any different.’”
Urge Members of Congress to tell the truth – that the U.S. government has a vigorous process for screening refugees for security concerns – by signing our petition.
References:
1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-suspicions-of-refugees-grow-in-wake-of-paris-attacks/2015/11/15/ed553664-8baa-11e5-acff-673ae92ddd2b_story.html
2…"
Folks that want to profit from gambling, and related addictions, will create loopholes to use when the loophole didn't exist when the law passed…and when closed, create a new one. Sort of like predatory loan operations…
Aaron does deserve kudos and your depicted deserves and up instead of a kick down.
petition at:
http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/congress-dont-demagogue?source=c.em&r_by=1135580
Petition signed and shared
I am glad you complained. Some people have no business being care givers, she was obviously one of them.
NY Times: This is such a sane article! Fear Mongoring is something our government and press are good at, and we have so many in our country today who rely soley on Faux news that they are completely ignorant. This situation is becoming similar to what happened to Japanese Americans during WW2. They were rounded up and put in camps, lost their jobs, homes, income, all due to fear of the public. Looking back now most reasonable people can see the injustice and cruelty of those actions, but many are screaming for the deportation of all Muslims. Makes no sense.
TPM: I know next to nothing about fantasy sports sites, but it is obvious someone is making lots of money from them.
Crooks and Liars: Good for Aaron Rogers. More people need to speak up to these bombastic air heads.
Cartoon: Sad but true.
This hospital doesn't seem to score very high on care and unfortunately you take the brunt of it, TomCat. Sadly hospitals rarely have heard the word "holistic", don't see a patient as more than one ailment, the one he/she came in for, and then are focused on treating the symptoms of that ailment only. Your frozen shoulder wasn't on your file, so why take it in consideration. I hope your talk with the head nurse has a lasting effect, cause better care means faster healing. Pity your Broncos made it all a bit worse.
NY Times: Excellent article by Krugman. Terrorists can do nothing more than terrorize, i.e. upset a society because it frozen in fear. It can't destroy Western civilization and the Da'esh knows that all too well. However, Krugman forgot to mention one point. France's democracy will not be destroyed by a few terrorist attacks, however horrible they are, but they do add fuel to the fire that is already burning in the shape of Marine le Pen's extreme right, anti migrant Front National. President Hollande has never been very popular and the earlier terrorist attacks in France have given Front National an enormous boost in the departmental elections in March. After the attacks on Friday 13th, Marine's star is rising further and she's already acting like the new president of France. In other European countries extreme right, thriving on fear and Muslim hate, is also on the rise due to these attacks. If these parties take over at the next election I think we can consider this a disaster for democracy and Western civilization. Just makes me wonder what Jeb would say about it then.
TPM: Love the way John Oliver picks the arguments made by some company or other completely to shreds, and his "commercials" are just so much fun. Whether Fantasy Sports are gambling or skill is very easy to determine: in gambling 'the bank' always comes out ahead; always. Now ask yourself why NFL, media enterprises et cetera would "invest" in these Fantasy Sports.
Crooks & Liars: Agreed, Kudos to Aaron Rodgers for his statement and the way he took responsibility for being a role model for many.
Cartoon: Of course the GOP would raise his taxes. Just look at him, hauling all that across the street; he's got far too much.
Held off as long as I could (and sorry for the salt in your wound), but …
YEAH CHIEFS!
Ptuiffffffffffffffffft!
Oh, Tom, So sorry about the suppository thing. In my ___ years of nursing, I would never do that. Look for the older nurses, they know how to take care of a patient. And sorry about the Broncos. This Sunday I get to see my 49ers hopefully beat the Seachickens.
Thanks all. Hugs!
So sorry to hear that you have had problems with your nurses. Or better yet, that one nurse. Sounds like she needs a look from the other side to know how it feels!!!
Those FF betting sites are not as great as they advertise! If you are winning money by people putting money in the kitty, it's gambling. That is just the truth about it. Those ads just trip my trigger every time I see them. And I see a LOT!! All day Saturday and all day Sunday!!! Non stop, every time there is a time-out or an injured player, they roll out those tired ads and UGH!!! I have had enough of them!!
Oh, GEEZ. That game was so terrible! I wish that Peyton would have taken himself out sooner and given the back-up more time on the field! Maybe it wouldn't have been such a blow-out. And on the night that Peyton got his record!!! You could see in his eyes that he didn't want the game stopped right then. It blew their rhythm for the whole ball game!!! That just ticked me off for them to stop the game when Denver had a good fast game going on them and to have it stopped for something like that just blew the scoring possibilities for the whole game. They never got their rhythm back again!!! ARRRRGG!!
The cartoon was GREAT!!!
Take the time to heal, TC. And don't let them nurses mess with ya! Make them do their job RIGHT or they will have a little old hillbilly chick from OK on their butts!!
Much PEACE, LOVE and HUGS to you!