Archive for June, 2007
Health Care Reform–UPDATE
Friday, June 22nd, 2007Supposedly, after Iraq, health care reform is the most important issue to voters. I’m not sure I buy that premise, but for the sake of this post, I’ll go with it. Todd Zwillich over at WebMD enthuses about the reform possibilities:
Observers are hoping that the debate — along with pressure from voters — leads lawmakers and the next president to get serious about reforming the health care system.
Because, you know, it’s accepted fact that this president and congress don’t take health care seriously because observers like Todd say so. This kind of journalism irritates the stuffing out of me. But I digress.
Here is the mandate on health care reform:
Nearly four in 10 of those surveyed said they want to hear candidates talk about coverage shortages and the uninsured. Close to three in 10 said health costs were their No. 1 concern.
There is no question that health care needs to be addressed in the United States just like there’s no question education should be fixed. President Bush’s plan to get health care back into the hands of the individual by pushing for medical savings accounts was a good start. But like Education, there are so many interests attached to maintaining the status quo, most “solutions” will be bureaucratic and cause more problems.
My evidence for that premise is all our other state run health care “solutions”.
UPDATE: I went and looked at what Dr. Helen had to say, thanks Anon. Here’s a video she linked to. It’s worth taking the ten minutes to watch.
The Buzz Attracts The Thought Fuzz
Thursday, June 21st, 2007Good grief, can’t a blood-thirsty, Nascar lovin’ necon get a moment’s peace–especially when he’s just got the new job of a lifetime? Alas, no. James Lileks is getting a little push back from the smarter-than-thou crowd, evidently. How dare an intellectual “righty” opinionate even when he keeps his politics out of his column? Really, how dare he hold moderate thoughts? Only mouth-foaming p.c.-ism aka leftism is right. I mean correct. Right? He says:
Right, left – the terms are useless nowadays anyway. There are statists, and there are individualists. There are pessimists, and optimists. There are people who look backwards and trust in the West, and those who look forward and trust in The World. Those are the continuums that seem to matter the most right now.
How about this? I’m an optimistic, forward thinking West-trusting individualist. I never thought of myself that way until James brought it up, but since we’re categorizing…..
This makes me think about divisions. The base of the Left are angry as hell that the Democrats won’t do what they want them to do–withhold funding for Iraq, pass a generous amnesty, increase taxes, use aborted fetuses to study stem cells, pass an equal rights amendment, cut back on defense spending, put children into school at three, legislate a green utopia. The Democrats know that the vast majority of the American public would mutiny if they did do any of these, otherwise it would have been done by now.
So, the above 3% of the electorate is enraged. Why are the other 94% so mad?
Let’s see: Fighting a war with our hands tied behind our backs, spending like it’s daddy’s money, refusing to enforce the rule of law at the border, pushing amnesty, serving the powerful, forgetting the little guy.
While everyone agrees the government stinks, a few want solutions that no one else wants. The vast majority disagree. And no one is listening to them either.
But I digress. We’re all reduced to parts and pieces now, I guess. That seems odd considering that the general public is of such one mind when it comes to certain problems facing the country–even when the press is hammering away with the opposite opinion.
These are strange times for our country. America is the most unified divided country ever.
Computer Geeks: Protect Your Spine–Update
Thursday, June 21st, 2007I don’t know why I haven’t wrote about this, I am a chiropractor after all. Glenn Reynolds talks about the need to protect your spine using computers, especially notebooks. Here are some general thoughts, in no particular order.
- It is nearly impossible to sit ergonomically in bed with your lap-top on your lap. Trust me, I’ve tried. Here’s a solution: sit in a comfortable chair and use this computer caddy, if you want to watch TV. Or, if you must, the caddy can also fit over your bed. Make sure your lumbar spine is very supported. The computer caddy has the added benefit of being able to hold a book and a drink or snack.
- Stay hydrated. Over the course of the day, the spine compresses and the intersegmental discs lose water and height. This changes the optimum spine curvature and increases load bearing on specific joints.
- When working out, do exercises that increase core strength. Yoga and Pilates, especially, are very good at this. The muscles to strengthen: abdominals, rhomboids, lats, posterior delts, hamstrings and glutials. Stretch the abdominals as well as strengthen them. This is a fantastic exercise, great for relaxation, too, that you can do at work.
- When working out, stretch these muscles: quads, pects (very important), internal rotators of the shoulder, wrist flexors and extensors, wrist supinators and pronators. There are specific exercises at the links. For the supinators and pronators, you’ll need to modify the flexor/extensor exercises by rotating your wrists while maintaining flexor and/or extensor pressure. This will make sense when you look at the pictures.
- A big problem with prolonged computer use is forward head carriage. This is a posture where your neck or cervical curvature, is lost, the chin juts forward and the upper thoracic spine has a hyperkyphosis. Stretching pects, supporting the lumbar spine and having the computer at the proper level is essential. If you are hunching over your laptop, stop! The long-term damage can mean peripheral nerve damage into the forearms and hands–numbness, tingling, pain and eventually paralysis. An easy stretch is to tuck your chin, and place your hands the crown of the head and gently press your head down, to the left and to the right using your opposite hand.
- Get some whole body movement–swimming is fantastic because you’re forced to use back muscles that get forgotten during computer use. Stretch out and do the back stroke. This swim style uses the exact opposite muscles that are repetitively strained during computer use and will help balance the body. Not to mention, your lungs will get opened up and worked out–an added benefit.
- Consider standing. Some laptop stands can be extended to standing height. This can really relieve the stress on your back and neck. Those with lumbar disc herniations should seriously consider this option because sitting puts more load on the lumbar spine than standing or laying down (on your back–don’t lay on your stomach!). A cheaper alternative is to stand in the kitchen at the bar, if you have one. The problem is that the screen is lower than eye height, forcing the neck into flexion and pushing the arms out in front of the body. This is not a great long-term solution, but it is a way to have the body in another position besides sitting.
There is a temptation when someone is feeling pain to put heat on the joint. Avoid this temptation. If you have neck pain, get a bag of peas or corn and mold it around the neck while your head rests on a pillow. This will bring down the inflammation which is causing the pain. Do this a few times a day for no longer than 10 minutes at a time. Once the inflammation subsides, alternating heat and cold can promote healing.
Sarah Felicity has more recommendations. Her advice to get a good chair is worth noting. We use the Aeron chair both at home and the office and love it. Your butt breathes and you can adjust the chair to perfectly suit your size. If you live in Houston, email me, I have a connection to get them at a fraction of the price.
Oh! I almost forgot! How can I be a chiropractor and not recommend chiropractic? When you get in back trouble, look up a chiropractor who is trained in Applied Kinesiology. They are the best and brightest and specialize in balancing the musculature as well as the skeletal system.
Back injury is the #2 reason people miss work (#1 is the common cold). It is not worthy fooling around with a messed up spine.
More here on back injuries. More here on repetitive stress injuries.
One final note: People who enjoy their job (say those who pull on these all day) have far fewer RSIs. Stressed people are more likely to be injured (this holds more for women.)
Update: Thanks to Glenn for the link. Also, thanks for the idea. Sheesh! Some things are so obvious….
Duke Rape: "This investigation wasn’t a mistake–it was malice."
Thursday, June 21st, 2007Ann Coulter brings ups a great point:
This investigation wasn’t a mistake – it was malice.The media love to drone on about the explosive combination of “race and sex” – and they’ll wait forever for a single non-hoax case to prove it! In fact, the truly explosive combination is “liberal” and “mediocrity.”
Half-bright liberals think Hollywood fantasies are real life. And in Hollywood, conservatives like Rush Limbaugh are never fabulously rich and successful. Conservative Christians like Tom DeLay are never savvy, influential congressmen. And handsome boys from good families are never nice.
Nifong was supposed to look like Gregory Peck – not like Bob Wexler! But it’s the lacrosse players who look like Gregory Peck.
Second-rate liberals who went to mediocre schools and married mediocre women are burning with jealousy from their nondescript, mediocre jobs. So they use their government jobs to attack their betters and sneer about the players’ “daddies.”
Like so much injustice in America, this whole sick spectacle was the revenge of the mediocre against the successful. Stupid and envious is a bad combo platter.
Ever heard of “townies”? I bet it was townies versus Dukies before it was black versus white or woman versus man. And under it all is envy. The Duke players will be something. They’re disciplined. They’re hard working. And they will be successful.
Mike Nifong, Crystal Magnum, and the Duke 88 will be notorious. By Hollywood standards, that beats real accomplishment any day.
For Those Trying To Call And Wish You-Know-Who "Happy Birthday"
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007Our phone line is out until at least tomorrow. See here for more details.
You can reach me at 832- ha ha ha ha! Yeah, right! If you know me, you know where to call.
Harry Reid & Denethor–UPDATE, UPDATED AGAIN
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007
Denethor: “Gondor is lost.”
Harry Reid: “This war is lost.”
Just watched the third LOTR, Return of the King again tonight and thought of Harry Reid as Denethor spiralled into madness.
By the way, we watched the moving using the Samsung DVD-R155 Tunerless DVD Recorder
UPDATE: Sorry about the links. They’re fixed.
UPDATED AGAIN: I’m not the only one thinking about Harry Reid and his delusional antics. Chris Lynch from a Large Regular thinks Reid more resembles Grima Wormtongue:
Grima Wormtongue was supposedly an advisor to King Theoden of Rohan but in instead he was working on behalf of Saruman. Really what Wormtongue was doing was working at feathering his own bed. Harry Reid is supposed to be public servant but other than Congressman William Jefferson no public official is seemingly more adept at making personal financial gains from what is supposed to be public service.
Chris has a point. He puts Reid’s activities squarely in league with the enemy. Is Reid that far gone? Maybe. Or is he so consumed with power hunger and anger that he isn’t, nor will he ever be all-powerful (Denethor was simply a steward, Reid is simply a Senator). In addition, he’s dabbling into things he shouldn’t while getting only part of the information and getting more despairing as he goes.
Hmm….. the more I think of it, the more I see nefarious motives by Reid. Denethor despaired where Grima connived. Would Reid be happy if the Enemy won against America? Maybe…right up until the point where he was under the boot himself, just like Grima.
Ya gotta admit, though, that the resemblance between Denethor and Harry Reid is striking.
H/T Betsy Newmark
Senate Democrats: Giving Power to the Powerful
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007Union bosses continue to lose power. The solution for all predatory beasts? Coercion. By forcing everyone to vote publicly, the evil leadership will know who to bully and worse.
Gotta love those Democrats. They love secrets. And yet they have no problem forcing the little guy to give up his right to voting privacy. So Democrats don’t want transparent government. But they do want transparent voting that empowers the thugs who finance their campaigns.
Once again, it’s not power to the people. It’s power to the powerful. No wonder everyone hates Congress right now.
Pool Party
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007I was thinking that maybe we should get one of these to go with the pool. Whaddya think?
H/T Glenn
Birthdays
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007Ten years ago tonight, like the night before it, my son Harrison woke me at around 2 a.m. insistently kicking me, not letting me rest. His kicking was so uncharacteristic–hard and unrelenting that I remarked to Steve, “Honey, I wonder if Harrison is trying to tell me something. I’ve read about mothers whose babies kick and kick and it’s something wrong.” He was reassuring, but I wasn’t so sure. What did I know? I had never been pregnant before and no one I knew had been pregnant with twins. At twenty-four weeks five days along, my fundal height was 39 cms, I felt huge, I was huge, my back ached and it was happening. It was happening nearly four months too soon.
The next morning, my dog Winston (yes, for that Winston) stayed near me. He wouldn’t leave my side. He knew. I was in denial.
By noon, after telling a friend, “I need to rest”, I should have known. But that’s the thing about denial, you deny. Finally, I groaned into the phone to my husband, “Come home. Now.”
He tried to rub my back and I whispered the three classic words from transition, “Don’t touch me…..please.“(I try to be polite during childbirth–I don’t want to be one of those women.) “Are you okay?” No I was not okay. Maybe you should call the ambulance. He did. As he tried to help me to the bathroom my water broke. And I broke. And I haven’t been whole since. I never really was.
Two little babies were born at 750 and 820 grams. Harrison was the small one. Tough. A breather. And ultimately, a survivor.
He changed my life. He’s still changing my life.
He loves music. He loves opera. He loves dance. Today, he took his first dance class. The steps were hard. He has trouble coordinating his body. He cried. And my heart was filled with pride. He works so hard to do what is easy for everyone else.
Harrison is a miracle. He should be dead. Technically, he died in the hospital. Twice. He should have kidney damage. He should be blind or at least have tunnel vision. He should be brain damaged. He should be unable to eat. He should be in a wheel chair. He should have asthma. He should be anything but what he is: a living, breathing, healthy boy who turns ten tomorrow.
Before bed he said,”Mom, I want to be a superhero.”
They aren’t, real, you know.
“They aren’t?”
No, real people become heroes by doing heroic things–like fireman.
“Well, I want to dress up like Superman, even though he’s not real.”
Okay. Maybe for your birthday you’ll get a superman costume.
For my super little man, I figure that a costume is the least we can do.
Nifong Still Acting Like A Man With Nothing To Lose
Tuesday, June 19th, 2007My daily stop over at KC Johnson’s place left me incredulous. Mike Nifong tendered his resignation effective a month from now:
Instead, in a resignation letter that was publicly released just after noon, Nifong said that he planned to stay on for four more weeks, collecting more than $10,000 in salary and fortifying his pension.
The man acts like he has nothing to lose. He acts like he has lost nothing so far. Maybe he hasn’t lost enough. In fact, I’m quite sure of it. In January, I said this:
Mike Nifong needs to be prosecuted precisely because he’s so inept, corrupt and prideful. So convinced of his superiority or at least so convinced of the states corruptness that he would be allowed to continue his case unmolested, he needs to be on the receiving end of “justice” to understand justice. Some people learn no other way.Mike Nifong had no love of justice, law, fairness or equity as he brought this Duke case, justice for him will be more than he deserves. False mercy mocks justice.
I’m not sure how to feel about Duke University settling with the three victims. Truthfully, I wanted blood, (I wanted to know how much each and every member of the Duke 88 would pay) instead, the university leadership decided to cover the potential liability of all the nefarious actions by the Duke 88. I just wonder how alumni feel about their money being used to cover the liability of ignorant, racist, sexist professors. If ever an institution seemed ripe for a house-cleaning, it is Duke. Doesn’t look like that will happen. And those professors are oh, so uncharacteristically quiet. At least there’s that.
The biggest concern coming out of this case is the power of prosecutors. That is the issue that needs to be addressed in North Carolina and everywhere. From the Charlotte Observer:
And North Carolina prosecutors have too much power. They can set the dates of trials. They can in effect shop for judges. They even can avoid preliminary hearings to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed with charges, by going directly to a grand jury to bring charges.U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Gerald Bard Tjoflat, a Duke Law School graduate, recently explained how N.C. prosecutors’ control of trial dates also means judges are not assigned to cases, but to courtrooms on specific dates. Thus no judge was in control when Mr. Nifong was busy tainting the jury pool and prejudicing the case against the players. Prosecutors, Judge Tjoflat said in a recent speech, “don’t do what he did unless they are absolutely confident that the court will give them free rein.” That must change.
Fortunately, the defendants’ families were wealthy enough to hire the best lawyers. Those lawyers discovered Mr. Nifong had not turned over evidence clearing the players. The State Bar saw this pending miscarriage of justice and filed ethics charges against Mr. Nifong, in effect moving him out of the case and allowing the attorney general to take over.
In this case, the system did not work. It failed the players, the state of North Carolina and the public interest in truth and justice. Legislators must learn from this situation and rein in the power of a prosecutor to run roughshod over justice.
This problem exists everywhere from one extent to another. The whole legal system has come under suspicion. Hopefully, Mike Nifong will be a catalyst for at least some small good.
