As Brea put it, watch me as I do some levitating. :)
I was powering out some school assignments on Tuesday evening when my neighbor Starr came to my door, asking me if I could take her to the ER. She needed a blood transfusion, she said. Whoa. I will spare her privacy and leave out the details, but let’s just say she should not have been walking at all at that point. The doc said she had like 1/3 of the blood that normal folks should have at any given time. They gave her oxygen and saline drip. The blood came later, after a few other procedures and when I had gone.
By the way, I am absolutely fascinated by medical procedures. I love getting blood drawn (or in this case, watching it being done). If I had not made some poor choices made in my past, I would always give blood. Brea, you are so vein! You can give blood for me, ok? Anyway, my curiosity about the ER, coupled by the fact that Starr needed support, kept me hanging out there for about 3 hours. Did I mention that nearly all the staff, esp the men, are totally hot?
The last few times I’ve visited the emergency room has been with friends. I have fortunately never had to go for myself before. Maybe that is partially why I felt completely at ease there. I almost felt like changing careers. Maybe I’ll be a psych nurse. I was especially drawn to the patients. Starr was really nervous, and I was totally calm. She was grateful for the support. I smiled at a woman being cared for in the hall, and felt all warm and fuzzy as she grinned back at me. I took interest in an injured man being guarded by a K9 dog and 2 officers. My curiosity wanted to lead me right over to him and ask what’s up. I held back that urge, as I carefully exited.
Cottage Hospital has free valet parking, which is so foreign to me. Frankly it made me kinda nervous at first. It is convenient though. I waited for what felt like 30 minutes under their canopy in the cold gusty wind. I didn’t eat dinner until 8:30pm. I called Starr’s daughter Tegan, who was staying at her boyfriend’s house for the night. Starr was kept overnight for observation.
Tonight, after a very long day...I helped my other neighbor James jump start his new old 1988 BMW. I was already in PJs and really wanting to settle in with some dinner and a movie. But I helped him first. God knows I’ve had a ton of help pushing my VW back in the day, so I guess I sorta owe. I feel really good being there for others. I also got reminded that sometimes my routine can be shaken up a bit, and I will survive. I talked to my instructor about the paper I had not quite finished, due to the emergency with Starr. He totally understood and is allowing me extra time.
Whew.Now I am ready to take care of Michelle. I am exhausted. Good night.
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community. Show all posts
Friday, April 11, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
There is such a thing as too much research...
I overheard a radio commercial last week for a new item at Wendy’s, called the Spicy Baconator. All I heard that perked my ears was that it had 7 slices of bacon! The spokesperson claimed, "If you can’t count the amount of slices on two hands, it isn’t enough." I am paraphrasing, but you get the point. I was immediately appalled, and frankly, pretty grossed out. I love bacon, don’t get me wrong. But that portion size could feed me for 3 meals!
So, I decided to research this ridiculous burger. I went to the Wendy’s website, where they tell me, "It’s waaaay better than fast food. It’s Wendy’s." Are they actually claiming to NOT be fast food? Come on. Then, I checked out nutrition information for this Spicy Baconator. This fresh not frozen burger with 6 slices of bacon and pepper jack cheese has 1120 calories, fully loaded. The average daily caloric intake is supposed to be around 2000 calories, depending on age and body size. And...the average American is likely to order a combo meal, which includes fries and a soft drink. That makes the total close to 1500 calories. Wow.
The supersizing phenomenon began back in the 1970s, to increase revenue. So not only does the average fast food eater order the fries and drink, they get enough for 2-3 people! Portion control problems have been rising, as the weight and health issues of Americans soar. And we continue to be encouraged to consume MORE by the fast food industry.
Here’s another disturbing fact: Wendy’s and other fast foods contain enormous amounts of additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors, not to mention trans fats and loads of salts and sugars. Some of these chemicals can be found in sunscreen, semiconductors, paint, and food coloring. Ew.
I noticed that salad dressings were filled with the most additives, their ingredients list being a whole paragraph. Lettuce was the only ingredient untouched.
Anyway, whenever I get interested in knowing the facts about something in our world, I rush in like gangbusters to find out everything I can about it. If you are anything like me, you ought to check out what we have been voluntarily consuming and applying for most of our lives. Although I occasionally come off a little fanatical, I do believe it is important to know what we are being served, foods or otherwise, so that we can make conscious, healthy choices. Here are a few websites for ya.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8231.cfm
http://www.wendys.com/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/fastfood032103.cfm
http://www.ewg.org/node/21319
OK, I am now stepping off of my soapbox. Have a happy, healthy evening.
So, I decided to research this ridiculous burger. I went to the Wendy’s website, where they tell me, "It’s waaaay better than fast food. It’s Wendy’s." Are they actually claiming to NOT be fast food? Come on. Then, I checked out nutrition information for this Spicy Baconator. This fresh not frozen burger with 6 slices of bacon and pepper jack cheese has 1120 calories, fully loaded. The average daily caloric intake is supposed to be around 2000 calories, depending on age and body size. And...the average American is likely to order a combo meal, which includes fries and a soft drink. That makes the total close to 1500 calories. Wow.
The supersizing phenomenon began back in the 1970s, to increase revenue. So not only does the average fast food eater order the fries and drink, they get enough for 2-3 people! Portion control problems have been rising, as the weight and health issues of Americans soar. And we continue to be encouraged to consume MORE by the fast food industry.
Here’s another disturbing fact: Wendy’s and other fast foods contain enormous amounts of additives, preservatives, and artificial flavors, not to mention trans fats and loads of salts and sugars. Some of these chemicals can be found in sunscreen, semiconductors, paint, and food coloring. Ew.
I noticed that salad dressings were filled with the most additives, their ingredients list being a whole paragraph. Lettuce was the only ingredient untouched.
Anyway, whenever I get interested in knowing the facts about something in our world, I rush in like gangbusters to find out everything I can about it. If you are anything like me, you ought to check out what we have been voluntarily consuming and applying for most of our lives. Although I occasionally come off a little fanatical, I do believe it is important to know what we are being served, foods or otherwise, so that we can make conscious, healthy choices. Here are a few websites for ya.
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_8231.cfm
http://www.wendys.com/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/foodsafety/fastfood032103.cfm
http://www.ewg.org/node/21319
OK, I am now stepping off of my soapbox. Have a happy, healthy evening.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Oral B Guy is so not a Smooth Operator
OK, so there’s this guy in my social psych class who one day mentioned using no toothpaste and an Oral B electric toothbrush. This was during a discussion on persuasion through advertising and marketing. He swore he was unaffected by advertising. Yet, he mentioned the brand name Oral B. I did not know his name.
After our exam today, about 5-6 of the women from the class gathered to compare answers and grumble about confusing questions. Essentially, we were holding a debriefing in the hallway. He approached and I said, "Oh, hey. You’re the Oral B guy, right? That’s how I remember you, from that day you mentioned using it." He did not clarify by offering his name.
Instead, he offered a kiss! This sounded so ridiculous. He was the only guy in a group of women, and we had amassed to about 8 of us. He said, "So, do you wanna kiss?" No one responded, so it was seemingly overlooked as a nonissue. I personally picked up on the cheesy pick up line, and immediately found enough humor to write about it in a blog.
I have been observing said Oral B guy for a few weeks, ever since he mentioned his dental care practices. He appears awkward and impulsive. He is the guy who will speak out when silence would definitely serve him. He strikes me as a bit socially inept. Mind you, we are all studying psychology to be either therapists or teachers. Oy vay, as my mom would say. I am so glad we are required to have our own therapy sessions before we begin our practice. I could just hear him saying to a client with relationship issues, "So, do you wanna kiss?"
He happened to be parked next to me this evening. He said a cheery "Goodbye, classmate" and took off to wherever life takes him. Thanks Oral B guy, for being our entertainment for the day.
After our exam today, about 5-6 of the women from the class gathered to compare answers and grumble about confusing questions. Essentially, we were holding a debriefing in the hallway. He approached and I said, "Oh, hey. You’re the Oral B guy, right? That’s how I remember you, from that day you mentioned using it." He did not clarify by offering his name.
Instead, he offered a kiss! This sounded so ridiculous. He was the only guy in a group of women, and we had amassed to about 8 of us. He said, "So, do you wanna kiss?" No one responded, so it was seemingly overlooked as a nonissue. I personally picked up on the cheesy pick up line, and immediately found enough humor to write about it in a blog.
I have been observing said Oral B guy for a few weeks, ever since he mentioned his dental care practices. He appears awkward and impulsive. He is the guy who will speak out when silence would definitely serve him. He strikes me as a bit socially inept. Mind you, we are all studying psychology to be either therapists or teachers. Oy vay, as my mom would say. I am so glad we are required to have our own therapy sessions before we begin our practice. I could just hear him saying to a client with relationship issues, "So, do you wanna kiss?"
He happened to be parked next to me this evening. He said a cheery "Goodbye, classmate" and took off to wherever life takes him. Thanks Oral B guy, for being our entertainment for the day.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Information Police in SB?
I went for my walk this morning and noticed a woman tearing down flyers off of power poles. I had actually just been wondering what they might say, as they were across the street too far from view.
I was curious about her reason for doing this. Moreover, I was a little annoyed that she was taking it upon herself to remove what someone obviously wanted others to see. Where does she get off deciding what people should or should not read? Whatever happened to free speech? I eagerly anticipated seeing another flyer. I wanted to know what this was all about. Was she offended? If I were offended by it, would I have removed the flyers too? Perhaps the message was hateful, like a racial epithet.
Then again, freedom of speech includes words we do not all agree with. Hmm.
So, as I walked past Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, I saw a flyer on the ground. This was different (I had seen a graphic of a face on the other ones).
This flyer said the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DOES YOUR FAITH ATTACK OTHER RELIGIONS?
___________________________________________
"In addition to being a lover of young boys and men, Jesus was prone to outbursts of temper and hatred." - L.Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology
___________________________________________
LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY
www.bible.ca/scientology-christianity.compared.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I picked it up, I only glanced at the quote, so I believed this to be particularly offensive. Honestly, I believe it is offensive to spread negativity in general, even when exposing someone like L.Ron Hubbard for the ridiculous cult leader that he is. Anyway, I believed I had just stumbled upon the same kind of offensive material I had suspected this woman may have encountered (assuming she was offended). I burst out laughing, knowing that if I were to stand my ground, I would have to leave the other flyers alone. There were several stapled to trees, which was an additional annoyance. I had even said to myself earlier that I was glad the flyers weren’t attached to a tree.
So I kept the one, and left the rest of them on the trees. I do believe in freedom of speech, whether good, bad or indifferent.
I am grateful that I am able to own my power, use my voice to spread a message of peace, love, and compassion for all sentient beings. Even those who want to suppress it.
PS. I do not endorse nor condemn scientology or the belief in Jesus as the Messiah. However, I have strong leanings toward the teachings I’ve heard throughout my life that include messages of love and patience for all humankind. I am sure you can all guess who that might be. It ain’t Ron.
I was curious about her reason for doing this. Moreover, I was a little annoyed that she was taking it upon herself to remove what someone obviously wanted others to see. Where does she get off deciding what people should or should not read? Whatever happened to free speech? I eagerly anticipated seeing another flyer. I wanted to know what this was all about. Was she offended? If I were offended by it, would I have removed the flyers too? Perhaps the message was hateful, like a racial epithet.
Then again, freedom of speech includes words we do not all agree with. Hmm.
So, as I walked past Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church, I saw a flyer on the ground. This was different (I had seen a graphic of a face on the other ones).
This flyer said the following:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DOES YOUR FAITH ATTACK OTHER RELIGIONS?
___________________________________________
"In addition to being a lover of young boys and men, Jesus was prone to outbursts of temper and hatred." - L.Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology
___________________________________________
LEARN THE TRUTH ABOUT SCIENTOLOGY
www.bible.ca/scientology-christianity.compared.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I picked it up, I only glanced at the quote, so I believed this to be particularly offensive. Honestly, I believe it is offensive to spread negativity in general, even when exposing someone like L.Ron Hubbard for the ridiculous cult leader that he is. Anyway, I believed I had just stumbled upon the same kind of offensive material I had suspected this woman may have encountered (assuming she was offended). I burst out laughing, knowing that if I were to stand my ground, I would have to leave the other flyers alone. There were several stapled to trees, which was an additional annoyance. I had even said to myself earlier that I was glad the flyers weren’t attached to a tree.
So I kept the one, and left the rest of them on the trees. I do believe in freedom of speech, whether good, bad or indifferent.
I am grateful that I am able to own my power, use my voice to spread a message of peace, love, and compassion for all sentient beings. Even those who want to suppress it.
PS. I do not endorse nor condemn scientology or the belief in Jesus as the Messiah. However, I have strong leanings toward the teachings I’ve heard throughout my life that include messages of love and patience for all humankind. I am sure you can all guess who that might be. It ain’t Ron.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Aconsumerism and Abundance
I just made up a new word...at least I think it's new.
ACONSUMERISM: Without consumption...ie, the absence of consuming.
This is meant to take the place of "anti" consumerism, which literally means "against". I am not against consumerism, I just purposely refrain from being a consumer (ie, buying stuff) when I have no need. I prefer to engage in activities that encourage sharing, learning, and a sense of community. That's what aconsumerism does for me.
This is not to say that I do not consume. I just think before I buy. I am purchasing some items to make gifts this year, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on things that may be worthless next year.
I just read in the Independent that we spend an average of $859 on holiday gifts! This is reduced from $907 last year. No wonder so many Americans are in debt. There is no doubt that a majority of the purchases are by credit card, so the money is also being given to large corporations, not just our families and dear friends.
Just imagine other ways this money could be spent...
Money isn't going anywhere...yet. So maybe we could think of it as a useful tool, to bring goodness and equality to our fellow humans in the world. I can live without an ipod, or a brand new pair of jeans. But none of us live well without love.
Peace and love to all. :)
ACONSUMERISM: Without consumption...ie, the absence of consuming.
This is meant to take the place of "anti" consumerism, which literally means "against". I am not against consumerism, I just purposely refrain from being a consumer (ie, buying stuff) when I have no need. I prefer to engage in activities that encourage sharing, learning, and a sense of community. That's what aconsumerism does for me.
This is not to say that I do not consume. I just think before I buy. I am purchasing some items to make gifts this year, instead of spending hundreds of dollars on things that may be worthless next year.
I just read in the Independent that we spend an average of $859 on holiday gifts! This is reduced from $907 last year. No wonder so many Americans are in debt. There is no doubt that a majority of the purchases are by credit card, so the money is also being given to large corporations, not just our families and dear friends.
Just imagine other ways this money could be spent...
Money isn't going anywhere...yet. So maybe we could think of it as a useful tool, to bring goodness and equality to our fellow humans in the world. I can live without an ipod, or a brand new pair of jeans. But none of us live well without love.
Peace and love to all. :)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Come to the Really Really Free Market in SB!
ATTENTION ALL... ANNOUNCING.... The Really Really Free Market!
Sunday December 30th, 2007 11 AM - Dark (about 6pm) at Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens (Same as last time!)
This time featuring: -Workshops! -Free Food and items to take home! -Music! Bring your friends, family, and all your extra STUFF to the REALLY REALLY FREE MARKET! No Money, No Barter, No Trade, Everything is Free. Come, share, and build community. YOU make it happen!
http://www.myspace.com/sbfreemarket
For those of you who want to know more about RRFM and other awesome movements, visit Wikipedia for more info...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Really,_Really_Free_Market
Sunday December 30th, 2007 11 AM - Dark (about 6pm) at Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens (Same as last time!)
This time featuring: -Workshops! -Free Food and items to take home! -Music! Bring your friends, family, and all your extra STUFF to the REALLY REALLY FREE MARKET! No Money, No Barter, No Trade, Everything is Free. Come, share, and build community. YOU make it happen!
http://www.myspace.com/sbfreemarket
For those of you who want to know more about RRFM and other awesome movements, visit Wikipedia for more info...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Really,_Really_Free_Market
Friday, December 7, 2007
Infoshop in Santa Barbara!
This is awesome! This group of kind, compassionate folks are making a difference in the world. Be a part of the community...get involved!
http://www.myspace.com/sbinfoshop
PS. Everyone can do this, in every community. Come together and see the magic happen. :)
http://www.myspace.com/sbinfoshop
PS. Everyone can do this, in every community. Come together and see the magic happen. :)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Free 2 Learn
I see...a fundraiser-Michelle's College fund, in fact. I could help other like me go to school through the kindness of generous folks with enough cash to share. I'll call it the Free 2 Learn Program. EVERYONE should & will be able to attend college-without having to work. Non-profits are possible! I know there is a need & I plan on making this dream a reality. Everyone be free 2 learn! :)
[This was an excerpt from my amazingly optimistic journal on October 10th]
[This was an excerpt from my amazingly optimistic journal on October 10th]
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Feeding the hungry
Want to feed the hungry and expand your vocabulary?
Check this out...
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
PS. Warning: May be habit forming. ;)
Check this out...
http://www.freerice.com/index.php
PS. Warning: May be habit forming. ;)
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