emtannie

I'm not certain that it had as much to do with the Conservatives making promises, but more that the Liberals and Bloc were trying to hard to get the Conservatives out of power. I think Canadians were so tired of having an election every couple of years, and having a minority government that couldn't make any big changes because the other parties would always interfere. I suspect many voted Conservative, hoping for a majority government so we wouldn't have to deal with election threats again in the near future. Personally, I am glad that the Bloc is down to 4 seats. I feel that they should have never been allowed to have a federal party, as the entire basis of their party is treasonous. Their entire goal is separation from Canada, but with an attempt to retain Canadian infrastructure - a parasitic approach. We have coddled the "Quebec Nation" far too long.

A man walks into a restaurant with a full-grown ostrich behind him. The waitress asks for their orders. The man says, "A hamburger, fries and a coke," and turns to the ostrich, "What's yours?" "I'll have the same,"says the ostrich. A short time later the waitress returns with the order. "That will be $9.40 please," and the man reaches into his pocket and pulls out the exact change for payment. The next day, the man and the ostrich come again and the man says, "A hamburger, fries, and a coke." The ostrich says, "I'll have the same." Again the man reaches into his pocket and pays with exact change. This becomes routine until, the two enter again. "The usual?" asks the waitress. "No, this is Friday night, so I will have a steak, baked potato, and salad," says the man. "Same," says the ostrich. Shortly the waitress brings the order and says, "That will be $32.62." Once again the man pulls the exact change out of his pocket and places it on the table. The waitress can't hold back her curiosity any longer. "Excuse me, sir. How do you manage to always come up with the exact change out of your pocket every time?" "Well," says the man, "several years ago I was cleaning the attic and found an old lamp. When I rubbed it a Genie appeared and offered me two wishes. My first wish was that if I ever had to pay for anything, I would just put my hand in my pocket and the right amount of money would always be there." "That's brilliant!" says the waitress. "Most people would wish for a million dollars or something, but you'll always be as rich as you want for as long as you live!" "That's right. Whether it's a gallon of milk or a Rolls Royce, the exact money is always there," says the man. The waitress asks, "But, sir, what's with the ostrich?" The man sighs, pauses, and answers, "My second wish was for a tall chick with a big ass and long legs who agrees with everything I say."

I went to that site, and wandered a bit - there is some good information there. FOr those who don't want to spend the time, here is a clip I found: "Literature overview and discussion A moderate amount of literature exists demonstrating that intranasal glucagon is effective in treating hypoglycemia. Most of this literature suggests that nasal glucagon is optimally absorbed if mixed with a surfactant additive (such as sodium glycocholate rather than the sterile water diluent that comes with the package) to enhance absorption. The literature is also fairly clear in showing that intramuscular or subcutaneous glucagon leads to more rapid rises in blood glucose with longer effect.[3, 4] Pontiroli and colleagues have published the majority of data on this topic.[4-7] Other authors have also confirmed the effectiveness of IN glucagon when mixed with absorptive enhancers." (http://www.intranasal.net/Glucagon/default.htm#Literature_overview_and_discussion) I can see where IN would have advantages, especially in combative patients, or patients with very poor vascular access. I'm not convinced it should be "the standard" for glucagon administration, as the research shows that it is not as rapid as IM injection, and the goal is to improve glucose levels as fast as possible.

I, as others who have already posted, am also a proponent of AED's in any public place. (OK, I sell them too, so I am biased). That being said, given the scenario of the OP, one in the lobby would probably not be enough, due to the lag times of the elevators in some highrise buildings. It may take 4 minutes to get to the lobby, and another 4 to get back upstairs. One on every floor would be a much better idea. Convincing the building owner that the cost of one AED per floor is worth the risks will be the biggest hurdle. As well as the issues already raised by other posters regarding seniors residences, we have a significant problem where I work. Apartment complexes for unassisted living and minimally assisted living (they can page a personal care assistant - not a nurse) in our area are monstrous buildings, with multiple entrances, and the majority of the elevators do not fit a full stretcher. Our response time is supposed to be less than 8:59 minutes, 95% of the time. There are many situations where we can be curbside in 4 minutes, but from the curb to the apartment can take as much as 12 minutes, by the time we get the elevator, go to the designated floor, and make our way through the maze to the apartment we are supposed to get to. One facility we get called to has parking almost a 4 minute walk to the front door! There is no way to park closer than that, as it is raised wall landscaping on a slope to the entrance - very nice for seniors (rolls eyes). The people who design these buildings should have to ride for a month with EMS, to see what we have to deal with to get to the residents. (I feel the same way about community developments where every street is named something similar - we have a section of town with 12 streets starting with "Rossland" and 16 streets starting with "Somerset." - the developer should be slapped) Malls are another story - the biggest mall in our city has a seniors walking program every morning.... and no AED.. To the OP - your thoughts are headed in the right direction - we need WAYYYY more access to AED's than what is currently available. The biggest step we can take is education - teaching people that those first few minutes are what makes the difference, and that they can be the ones to make that difference. High rise buildings are just one small part of where we need to put more public access defibrillators.

Wow - I am gone for 24 hours, and I am 5 pages behind on this thread. Johnboy, twice I have asked you for specific references to show that glucagon intranasally is a superior option. Twice I have asked you to provide your protocol so that we can review it. Twice, you have ignored me. I see that since I was away, you have posted "references" without actually citing the sources. THis is not just bad form, it will get you a zero grade if you tried this on any paper you tried to hand in in your medic class. Rather than have intelligent debate, you have resorted to namecalling, rather than citing medical sources to prove your point. Medscape is a good site, but when you can't even attach the link to the information you provide, your post is useless. So, again, I will ask: 1. Please provide recent medical journal references that specifically refer to glucagon IN as an appropriate intervention, and shows that is has a faster response than glucagon IM. 2. Please provide your local protocol which shows the hypoglycemia algorithm allowing you to use IN glucagon and under what circumstances 3. Can you tell me if you reconstitute the glucagon when you administer it IN, and if you also add a surfactant to it? I am curious. You have called all of us here "idiots" and stated that "this is not a site for learning." Johnboy, I am trying to learn - I, and others, have researched glucagon IN and haven't been able to find where it is the "current standard" as you have stated, so we are asking you to educate us in this. How can you say that this is not a site for learning? We have asked for the information, you have refused to provide it' therefore, you are the one who is preventing learning, not us. Johnboy, please note - Dwayne has never stated that he didn't deserve to be fired. In fact, in his first post in this thread, he cautioned Bieber about working outside of protocol, so your continued attacks on him are completely invalid. Again, until you can provide a post with accurate information, and refrain from name-calling, I will consider you a troll and nothing more.

I think I am going to ask admin to check your IP address.... your actions are very similar to another member here who tends to throw out supposed facts and then cannot support them with actual references. Your continued attacks on Dwayne are childish and unprofessional. Did Dwayne act outside of protocol? Probably.... did he have justification for it? Absolutely. Did he do more harm to the patient? Absolutely not. Did he get fired? Yup. Was the firing justified? Not in my opinion, as he had valid reasons for his actions. He didn't use the IO to be a cowboy... he did it because it was the right thing to do for that patient. If I or a member of my family were sick or injured, I would want a practitioner like Dwayne to respond, because he is NOT a cookbook medic who can't think outside the box, and who puts the care of his patient first. Dwayne has been very open about the fact that his care was aggressive. I would like you to explain how his actions were "wrong." Did he do more harm to the patient? Your comments of "you people" and "people like you" are emotionally based, not factually based, and show that you cannot support your claims with more than emotion. If you continue to post on this site, you will continue to be asked to back your claims with something factual. Twice I have asked you to provide references, and twice you have ignored my request and responded with replies that are completely opinion, not fact. I cannot treat your posts with the respect you think they should earn, when you cannot provide information to back up your claims. Based on your posts thus far, until I see an intelligent post from you, backed with actual evidence, I will assume you are a troll here for the sole purpose of annoying others. I am open-minded enough to change my opinion if I am shown evidence to prove me wrong.

Johnboy, This is what I have found so far (yes, Google is my friend): "Glucagon administered intranasally has been proven to raise blood glucose levels in volunteers. The effect of intranasal glucagon on blood glucose is similar to that seen after intramuscular administration for the first 15 minutes following administration." (Carstens, S. and I. Andersen (1994). "[intranasal glucagon in the treatment of hypoglycemia. A therapeutic possibility in the future]." Ugeskr Laeger 156(30): 4339-42.) "Glucagon in solution with a surfactant (deoxycholic acid 1% w/v) was administered by intranasal spray to 6 healthy fasting subjects and 6 insulin-dependent diabetics with insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. In the normal subjects, intranasal glucagon increased plasma glucose levels, with a dose-response effect. In the diabetic patients, plasma glucose levels showed a mean increase of 100% above nadir values in approximately 26 min in response to 7.5 mg intranasal glucagon; hypoglycaemic symptoms were relieved within about 7 min. These results suggest that intranasal glucagon is effective and may represent an alternative to parenteral glucagon or glucose or to oral sugar as the first-line treatment of hypoglycaemic episodes in insulin-dependent diabetics." (Freychet, L., S. W. Rizkalla, et al. (1988). "Effect of intranasal glucagon on blood glucose levels in healthy subjects and hypoglycaemic patients with insulin-dependent diabetes." Lancet 1(8599): 1364-6.) "We conclude that glucose recovery was significantly better after i.m. administration of glucagon than after intranasal administration. However, the differences between the incremental plasma glucose and the time for incremental plasma glucose to exceed 3 mmol.l-1 were not considered of major clinical importance." (Hvidberg, A., R. Djurup, et al. (1994). "Glucose recovery after intranasal glucagon during hypoglycaemia in man." Eur J Clin Pharmacol 46(1): 15-7.) "Intranasal glucagon raised blood glucose levels in patients with hypoglycemic episodes, although less effectively than intramuscular glucagon." (Pontiroli, A. E., A. Calderara, et al. (1989). "Intranasal glucagon as remedy for hypoglycemia. Studies in healthy subjects and type I diabetic patients." Diabetes Care 12(9): 604-8.) "There was no difference between nasal treatment with 2 mg ( and i.m. treatment ©, both being more effective than 1 mg (A) nasal treatment, P less than 0.1. BG continued to increase up to 10 mmol/l 90 min after i.m. glucagon administration, whereas it stabilized at a level of 4.6-6 mmol/l, 30-45 min after nasal administration. Eighty percent of the patients had side-effects to nasal administration - local irritation, rhinitis or sneezing." (Rosenfalck, A. M., I. Bendtson, et al. (1992). "Nasal glucagon in the treatment of hypoglycaemia in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients." Diabetes Res Clin Pract 17(1): 43-50.) A 2006 article in EMSWorld calles nasal administration a milestone yet the references cited do not support it (http://www.emsworld.com/print/EMS-World/A-Milestone-Change-in-Practice/1$5165) and are based on versed and narcan intranasally, not glucagon. I have not found any research articles or studies dated in the past 5 years, even after reviewing more than 10 pages of Google hits. If it is the new standard, one would think that I should have found a recent study, or references to services using it in their protocols. So, again I will ask you, as I did in my previous post: Could you tell me a little more about using Glucagon IN, and what your protocol dosages and recommendations are? Please provide the references so I can follow up. If you are going to make the comment it is the standard now please provide the evidence to support it. I would love to read the research that supports this, and be able to bring it to my medical director. (Edited to bold segments only)

I was thinking the same as Fixnat... Glucagon generally takes at least 20 minutes to take effect, and my concern with this patient is that given her current situation, are we prepared to wait that 20 minutes, as that window for thrombolytic treatment closes if she is in fact having a CVA? Was Dwayne's treatment aggressive? Absolutely. Did he think outside the box? Absolutely! Did he do more harm to the patient? Absolutely not! This was a rare situation, which most of us will never encounter. Would I have done the same thing? I don't know, because I am not as smart as Dwayne is, and I may not have considered that option. In our protocols, thatg is a bit of a grey area, where using the IO would have been an option as long as I could have explained it to my medical director. Johnboy, I have never heard of using Glucagon IN (which I am assuming means intranasdally). So, tonight at work, I thought I would research it a bit. I looked in the 2010 CPS, and there is no mention of using Glucagon IN. The only recommendations are IM and in lower doses, IV. A direct quote from the CPS is "It is important that the patient be aroused as quickly as possible, because prolonged hypoglycemic reactions may result in cortical damage." I believe that in Dwayne's situation, he did exactly that. Could you tell me a little more about using Glucagon IN, and what your protocol dosages and recommendations are? Thanks!

It sounds more like this is a technique issue. I don't know what kind of catheters you use... but it really doesn't matter... take a piece of IV tubing, tape it to a table, get a catheter, and practice starting the IV into the tubing, until you are comfortable with how you want. You need the muscle memory so you are comfortable with your technique. It sounds screwy, but it works! I know initially, a lot of instructors tell their students to go for the big veins because they are supposedly easier. As you get more comfortable and more confident, as island stated, you may want to consider smaller veins in the arm or the hand. Yes, we may need IV access on a patient.... but not all those patients require large volume boluses into large veins. We may only need to give a medication, or draw blood, or give a small amount of fluid... and, if they are going to be in the hospital for a while, and are mobile enough to move on their own, it may be more comfortable for them in the long run to have the IV in the hand or forearm, so it doesn't constantly cause issues whenever they bend their arm. Don't feel bad about missing some IV's... everybody has their misses..

My godson is 6, and plays in a “Timbits” soccer program (the Canadians will get that…). He was playing an indoor game this evening, and one of the players on his team fell to the ground (this player is a bit of a whiner, and tends to fall and cry often)…. My godson ran over to him, laid his head on his chest for a moment, then looked up, gave 2 thumbs up to his coach, and hollered “It’s ok, we have a heartbeat!” then ran back to join the play…. The crowd roared….

A friend sent me this - enjoy! ************************* Dear Noah, We could have sworn you said the ark wasn't leaving till 5. Sincerely, Unicorns Dear Twilight fans, Please realize that because vampires are dead and have no blood pumping through them, they can never get an erection. Enjoy fantasizing about that. Sincerely, Logic Dear Icebergs, Sorry to hear about the global warming. Karma's a bitch. Sincerely, The Titanic Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic.. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Dear America, You produced Miley Cyrus. Bieber is your punishment. Sincerely, Canada Dear Yahoo, I've never heard anyone say, "I don't know, let's Yahoo! it..." just saying... Sincerely, Google Dear 2010, So I hear the best rapper is white and the president is black? WTF happened?! Sincerely, 1985 Dear Windshield Wipers, Can't touch this. Sincerely, That Little Triangle Dear Rose, There was definitely room on that Door for the both of us. Sincerely, Jack PS, you let go Dear girls who have been dumped, There are plenty of fish in the sea... Just kidding! They're all dead. Sincerely, BP Dear Saturn, I liked it, so I put a ring on it. Sincerely, God Dear Fox News, So far, no news about foxes. Sincerely, Unimpressed Dear jf;ldsfa/kvsmmklnn, Please lknvfdmv.xvn. Sincerely, Stevie Wonder Dear Nickleback, That's enough. Sincerely, The World Dear Skin-Colored Band Aids, Please make one for every skin color. Sincerely, Black people Dear Scissors, I feel your pain.....no one wants to run with me either. Sincerely, Sarah Palin Dear Mary, Just admit that you slept with someone else. This is getting out of hand. Sincerely, Joseph Dear Osama Bin Laden, Marco.... Sincerely, United States Dear World of Warcraft, Thank you for ensuring my son's virginity. Sincerely, Parents Everywhere Dear Anne Frank, Two can play this game.... Sincerely, Waldo Dear Batman, What was your power again? Sincerely, Superman Dear Customers, Yes, we ARE making fun of you in Vietnamese. Sincerely, Nail Salon Ladies Dear Global Warming, You're the best imaginary friend ever! Sincerely, Al Gore Dear Ugly People, You're welcome. Sincerely, Alcohol Dear Mr. Gump WTF are you talking about? There's a little diagram on the lid that tells you EXACTLY what you're gonna get.... Sincerely, Jenny Dear Katy Perry, I liked the kiss too. Sincerely, Justin Beiber Dear Haiti, Is it too early to ask what's shakin'? Sincerely, Seriously Going To Hell Dear Martin Luther King Jr. I have a dream within a dream within a dream within another dream.... What now? Sincerely, Leonardo Di Caprio Dear World, Please stop freaking out about 2012. Our calendars ends there because some Spanish d-bags invaded our country and we got a little busy ok? Sincerely, The Mayans Dear Snooki, GET BACK TO WORK! Sincerely, Willy Wonka Dear White People, Don't you just hate immigrants? Sincerely, Native Americans Dear iPhone, Please stop spellchecking all of my rude words into nice words. You piece of shut. Sincerely, Every iPhone User Dear Giant Spider on the Wall, Please die. Please die. Please die. Please die. CRAP! Where did you go? Sincerely, Terrified Dear Trash, At least you get picked up... Sincerely, The Girls of Jersey Shore Dear Man, It's cute, but can you pick up peanuts with it? Sincerely, Elephant Dear Dr. Phil, Look man, there's only room for one fake doctor in this world and I was here first. Sincerely, Dr. Pepper Dear Women, I can't read your mind so just tell me what's wrong or I am going to "Pretend" everything is fine Sincerely, Men Dear Women, Your shopping experience is of absolutely no interest to me! Sincerely, Men

Has anyone else noticed that crotchity posts something derogatory, but when directly asked to defend it, he disappears? Just sayin.... Wendy, you bring up valid points. Unfortunately, there are some instructors who still have that "I am the instructor and my word is law" mentality, and it sounds like you are coming face to face with that in this class. Sometimes, you have to pass a class despite the instructor. If this is a case where this instructor presentrs incorrect information on a regular basis, make sure that you doecument each case. As others have said, do your research, and bring that information to the instructor - it may be beneficial to not do this in front of the rest of the class, as your instructor (unfortunately) may be more worried about their ego, than providing you with the correct information. If this instructo9r continues to dismiss your concerns, it may be worth going to the department head with your information. Unfortunately, some instructors see their role more as "I am the boss" rather than being that of mentor and guide. Early on as an instructor, I found that students respect you far more when you are willing to say "I was wrong... let's review this and make sure we are all on the same page and get it right" than to give the high-and-mighty attitude. The goal should be to ensure students get the best information possible.

Well, I think some of the posters jumped the gun a little. The OP said “she…would not talk to me” not “we didn’t talk to each other.” A couple things though - have you worked with this partner in the past? Has she acted this way in the past? I ask, because if this is her general method of handling conflict, there are some huge issues with her maturity level. Are there things you could have done differently? Oh yeah, but you probably know that, so beating you over the head with it isn’t going to make a difference. Going forward, I would sit her down and talk to her. I would tell her that I didn’t appreciate her throwing my stuff on the floor so she could have that spot, and that she could have asked, or even said “you aren’t here, so I am taking it.” I would also tell her that from here on in, if I work with her, we will decide on sleeping arrangements at the beginning of the shift, so that this conflict doesn’t happen again. AND, I would tell her that I wasn’t pleased that she chose not to get ready for a transport, and instead chose to have a tantrum, and that if that happens again, it won’t be tolerated and will be reported to the supervisor. Then, I would ask her if she has anything to say about it. If she decides to argue the point, I would ask if she would like to sit down with the supervisor together to discuss it, so that it doesn’t become a “he said, she said, they said” thing. Ensure that you document the incident of that night, and your conversation, so that if and when you do have to discuss it with a supervisor, the details are retained. As an “almost over the hill” provider, I think one of your roles is to guide younger, newer employees in how to act professionally. I wouldn’t let her get away with her actions, but I wouldn’t stoop to her level either. Outline your expectations up front, and then maintain those expectations. She needs to respect others’ property and learn to play well with others. Your job is to teach her how she can do that without the tantrums and silent treatment. (edited to correct grammar only)

I agree with the other posters - do not rush out and buy an expensive stethoscope right off the bat. Initially, a Sprague will do you well, as a starter stethoscope. I started with one, and I still have it, and use it. I also have a Littman and a Prestige, and anotehr one that I can't remember the name of right now. THe only problem I have with my Sprague, is I have to remember to hold it very still, as the double lumen does cause some extra noise when the tubes move against each other. I like my Prestige - a good quality stethoscope, that was $48. The reason I bought that one (and yes, this is a very girly reason) is because a nurse that I know had a red one, and I wanted a red stetho. I asked her about hers, and she let me try it. I also have a Littman. Put it on your Christmas list - you never know who may be silly enough to spend that much money on one for you (my husband bought mine). Ask the people you work with what they like about their stetho's and what they don't. You said you have borrowed from the nurses - what did you like about their stethoscopes, and what didn't you like?

Crotchity, I am still awaiting your pm. I see that you have logged in several times and posted to this and other threads. I do think you are ignoring me.

Crotchity, I was raped by a black man. Could you please pm me with your real name and address, and my lawyer will contact you, as I expect compensation from you, and your family, to cover all my living, medical, and education expenses for me and my family. As I am certain that this will affect my grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, I expect that a fund will be set up to cover all of their living and educational expenses too. That seems fair. I expect your pm shortly.

Unfortunately, we will never be able to convince Crotchity that his view is racist, uneducated and completely flawed, due to the following reasons: 1. Crotchity refuses to acknowledge that any other race or culture was harmed in slavery other than blacks 2. Crotchity fails to see that his stance is every bit as racist as that which he is attempting to argue; his belief that other races have every advantage while blacks do not is the core of this racism 3. Crotchity has made it very clear that he feels the current woes of the black population are not their own fault, but still uses slavery as an excuse for lack of achievement 4. Crotchity refuses to acknowledge that life is just not fair, and it is impossible to make it 100% fair for every individual Based on these reasons, further discussion with Crotchity is not going to yield any new results. We can continue to provide historical evidence, current statistics, and personal experience to show the flaws his beliefs, but until he is willing to let go of the victim mentality, where he is letting emotion rule over fact, we cannot change him. So, Crotchity, as you feel that white people are currently at fault for the woes of the black population, what is your solution? I don’t want to see “make the playing field fair.” I want to see specific ideas, specific plans, and concrete guidelines. I don’t want to see “it can’t be fair because we don’t have bootstraps.” From this point forward, what would you do? Don’t focus on the past – solve the problem that is right here, right now. I don’t want to hear that you can’t solve the problem because white people won’t let you – this is your chance to explain how you would improve the world.

I would respect your opinion if you would be open-minded enough to realize that blacks weren't the only people ever enslaved in the world. Get over it - blacks are not the only people ever mistreated or held as slaves; they were not the only people who ever ever forced to leave their homes, their countries, and had everything taken away from them. This has been brought up in numerous other threads, and not once have I ever seen you acknowledge that other races have also been mistreated, sometimes for centuries. If you would like, I could prepare a lengthy response, including numerous references to support this. The whole "put yourself in a slave's shoes" comment - I get very very tired of your position that only blacks suffered in this fashion. I have my grandparent's wedding photo when they were escaping from Russia - no shoes, and my grandmother's head was shaved as she supposedly had lice. They were slaves in Russia... they were beaten, my grandmother was raped, they had family members beaten and killed in front of them. I have relatives who escaped Russia when The Wall came down, who told horrendous stories of having family members dragged out of their homes in the middle of the night, never to bee seen again, of rapes and beatings, of children being taken from their homes, of having all their belongings destroyed... and all these things were happening less than 40 years ago, in far more recent history than black slavery in the US. Get over your self-righteous anger, as you are using it as an excuse for people to get more than they deserve through their own merit. Of course, I know that my reply here will not change your opinion, as I cannot carry on an open discussion with someone who refuses to look at a bigger picture than the one that he currently holds.

I agree, Ruff…. But if we can’t hold parents responsible, how can we hold anyone else responsible? I didn’t have that child – why should the majority of the responsibility fall to me? I do believe that part of the problem is that it has become too easy to fall into the “the government will bail me out” mentality. If it wasn’t so easy to get handouts for being a 16 year old single mom, maybe instead of becoming the 22 year old with 4 kids, that person will look for other options. I’m not saying that people don’t need assistance. I am saying that I see too much of that assistance being chosen as the first option, not the last option. You are right – how do we penalize parents? We can’t penalize the child – they are the innocent victim in the situation. I think as a society, we do have to be more vocal about what is best for children, and part of that is not promoting dreck like “Teen Moms” or “Who Da Baby Daddy (Maury Povich)” on television. We need to change social services funding so that low or no income parents don’t just receive money to care for their children – perhaps they can get free daycare so they can go to school to gain better employment, or some other method of giving them a hand up, not just a handout. Really? As you know, I am not a parent (not by choice), but do the majority of parents really not care if their kids succeed? Or am I just reading too much into this? How can it not affect the parent? Is there no pride in ensuring that your children, your family, is successful? Maybe that is the root of the problem – a complete lack of personal pride in success and a job well done. Let`s go back to the OP….. I think the same thing applies in that situation. Rather than blaming race, or “I didn’t get the same benefits as someone else,” I do think people need to be more responsible for their own actions, and their own success, instead of blaming their failures on someone or something else. Take some pride in overcoming adversity and succeed despite the odds; be a positive example to others, rather than using excuses to justify failure.

I can see where you are going with this, but….. how do you then explain the immigrants to the USA and Canada who arrived here with nothing? The Irish, Chinese, Scottish, Russian, and others, who fled their countries, who did not speak English, who had no education, and who were met at every turn with “Irish Need Not Apply” signs, and blatant discrimination? How many of those ethnic backgrounds are still crying over the horrible misdeeds their ancestors were forced to endure, and using that as an excuse not to achieve? I agree with this wholeheartedly! I always wanted to be a brain surgeon, but I can’t pass the testing…. I don’t believe I should jump up and down and cry that because my grandparents were forced out of the country of their birth with nothing but the clothes on their back, and not even the hair on their heads (they had to shave their heads in order to board the ship, as they were not considered high class enough to not have lice), and because they weren’t given the same advantages as others, that now I can claim that life is so unfair that the world is against me in achieving my dream. DEFINITELY the home! To the people who gave birth/spawned/hatched those children, they are your responsibility first, someone else’s responsibility second. You had that child, it is your responsibility to raise that child to be a responsible member of society. In the first years of a child’s life, before they get to school, they are already learning social interactions, dealing with emotions and right and wrong. To leave this education to the schools is a recipe for disaster. Consider a schoolroom environment… anywhere from 20 – 35 or more children, 1 teacher, possibly an assistant or two… of those children, there is possibly one or more with learning disabilities, one or two who do not have English as their first language, one or two who did not have breakfast, one or two who did not have supper last night, one or two who have been physically or sexually abused in the last week…. And for some reason, we expect a single teacher to meet the needs of all of these students and turn them into responsible adults? That isn’t reasonable. To an extent, teachers can be held responsible. They need to control the classroom environment enough to encourage learning; however, there is usually no checkmark for “genetics” to explain why some children will never meet the minimum standard set. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide the best opportunity for learning – they cannot force that learning into a child’s brain. Absolutely we should hold the students responsible! At what point did we lose sight of consequences for actions? We have become a nation of blame. “It isn’t Johnny’s fault he isn’t successful – his teacher/friends/life in general is to blame.” Unfortunately, the reasons behind a child who is unwilling to learn are numerous, and may be difficult to find. The current educational system is quagmired in “can’t hold them back, can’t pass them either.” Children are falling through the cracks of the school system due to a combination of lack of funding, resources, direction, and control. Again, parents are needed to fill the gaps that the school cannot provide, and by working together, the student has a better chance. What are the basic problems? 1. Parental responsibility in child raising is diminishing – we need to educate people that they are responsible for their children’s success first, and not assume the school system will do it for them. 2. Schools are under-funded, under-staffed, over-crowded, and ill-equipped to handle the multiple needs of students. 3. We have become a nation of blame – it isn’t my fault I failed – it must be someone else’s fault. And, attached to this, we are the nation of no consequences – instead of me being responsible for my failures, and working to fix those, I can blame someone else, and not bear the consequences myself. Solutions? How do we teach people to be parents? Honestly, I am stumped there. Do we really need shows like “Teen Moms” to show us how poor parents people really are? Why do we give those parents their 15 minutes of fame, and not the skills to actually be effective parents? We can fund schools more appropriately, but if we don’t meet the first issue, I don’t think we are truly solving the problem. There are discussions on holding teachers and students accountable… how about holding parents responsible? But back to the first post... racism? I think we need to get past the "blacks didn't score as well" and find out WHY blacks didn't score as well. Is there truly a discrepancy in the testing, or is it a case of people knowing they don't have to put in the same effort, to still get the job? I don't agree with anyone getting a job or promotion based on other than their qualifications. (Edited to correct grammar only)

There are several things that make this horrendous... This employee has again shown that high moral standards and professionalism are completely lacking in her world. Let's hope that this time, she is terminated, and no one else hires her. Unfortunately, these are the stories about EMS that tend to make the headlines, rather than the thousands of calls across the country that go well, and the calls where EMS goes above and beyond each day. I hope that when people read about this person, they realize that she is the exception to EMS, not the rule.

Ashes, I can SO relate to your pain… we too, get the “go down the Black and White trail” (which isn’t marked by that name on any map), when you get to this little town, take the second left, drive until you see the white house with the green car in the driveway – it isn’t that house, it is the one next to it…” We are lucky, that the County has put up rural address signs, based on the Township and range road, and every farm has one of these signs at their main driveway… Yet, people still don’t realize how important it is to know their land location and their rural address. Our dispatch does have ANIALI but not all the locations are correct. I teach a lot of first aid classes in rural areas, and I spend quite a bit of time on this in my classes, explaining why it is so important to know the address so we can find them. It isn’t enough though, because I only reach a small number of people compared to the number of rural residences. You are right - public education is the key. Is there any way you can work with the county where you are at, and maybe they could send something out with their tax notices? Maybe you could put together an informational page, with that magnet, and it could be included in the tax mailout. And, to offset the costs, maybe the county, or a group like FCSS (Family and Community Support Services) could assist with some of the funds for it. What are the agricultural businesses in your area? Maybe the UFA, a bulk fuel retailer, equipment dealership, or other business would be willing to hand out informational packages, and sponsor the program too… Just a few thoughts....

IDIOT SIGHTING I handed the teller @ my bank a withdrawal slip for $400.00 I said "May I have large bills, please" She looked at me and said "I'm sorry sir, all the bills are the same size." When I got up off the floor I explained it to her.... IDIOT SIGHTING When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. 'Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'it's open!' His reply: 'I know. I already got that side.' This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, MS IDIOT SIGHTING We had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, 'Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower.' I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, 'NO, it's not.. Four is larger than two.' We haven't used Sears repair since. IDIOT SIGHTING My daughter and I went through the McDonald's take-out window and I gave the clerk a $5 bill. Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her a quarter. She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar bill back. She sighed and went to get the manager, who asked me to repeat my request. I did so, and he handed me back the quarter, and said 'We're sorry but we could not do that kind of thing.' The clerk then proceeded to give me back $1 and 75 cents in change. Do not confuse the clerks at McD's. IDIOT SIGHTING I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office To request the removal of the DEER CROSSING sign on our road. The reason: 'Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.' From Kingman , KS IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.' He said he was sorry, but they only had iceburg lettuce. -- From Kansas City IDIOT SIGHTING I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, 'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?' To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?' He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.' Happened in Birmingham , Ala. IDIOT SIGHTING The stoplight on the corner buzzes when it's safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, 'What on earth are blind people doing driving?!' She was a probation officer in Wichita , KS IDIOT SIGHTING At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker who was leaving the company due to 'downsizing,' Our manager commented cheerfully, 'This is fun. We should do this more often.' Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare. This was a lunch at Texas Instruments. IDIOT SIGHTING I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself And for the sake of her life, couldn't understand why her system would not turn on. A deputy with the Dallas County Sheriffs office, no less. IDIOT SIGHTING How would you pronounce this child's name? "Le-a" Leah?? NO Lee - A?? NOPE Lay - a?? NO Lei?? Guess Again. This child attends a school in Kansas City, Mo. Her mother is irate because everyone is getting her name wrong. It's pronounced "Ledasha". When the Mother was asked about the pronunciation of the name, she said, "the dash don't be silent." SO, if you see something come across your desk like this please remember to pronounce the dash. If dey axe you why, tell dem de dash don't be silent. STAY ALERT! They walk among us......and they VOTE