2 more awards and a funny retro post.

This has been a weird week off as I have done little of note except guard ducks for the other half, no online PS3 access due to Sony allowing hackers to hack them and steal 2.2 million peoples online details, I have painted and made a lot of 20mm WW2 stuff and watched more movies than I care to remember but I have been nominated for two more Stylish Blogger Awards but I already had been so I will not fulfill all the criteria again as that would be boring but I do appreciate the nominations and I will nominate other blogs that deserve to be mentioned and hopefully get more readers and followers, that's what I do if I can and this is another opportuinity.

Also a retro post about the funniest story you will ever read from about my 10th post last year when I had very, very few followers and readers, so take your time and visit the blogs below because they will visit you if you follow and comment and take your time and read the chilli story (you won't regret it).

Now the rules of this award are to:

        1.  A 'thank you' and link back to the nominating blog.

        2.  Share seven things about yourself.

        3.  Nominate 10 or so other blogs you deem worthy of such an award (the chain-mail aspect)

        4.  Let them know of your nominating them for the award.

A big thanks to Docsmith over at http://docsartofwar.blogspot.com/ and a big thanks to Donogh (fellow Irishman) over at Land War in Asia http://donoghmccarthy.blogspot.com/ for the nominations, damn good blogs people so get over there and start reading.

Some other damn good blogs that deserve the attention:

What's next?-The Unemployed Geek http://gettingmyheadonstraight.blogspot.com/

A Beer for the Shower http://abeerfortheshower.blogspot.com/

Tabakskollegium-Mekelnborg http://tabakskollegiummekelnborg.blogspot.com/

 Kicking Rocks http://ggc151.blogspot.com/

Kingsleypar's Wargaming Menagarie http://kingsleypark64.blogspot.com/

Bonjour Tristesse http://specialdoseofsadness.blogspot.com/

Rorschach Redemption http://rorschachredemption.blogspot.com/

Sho3box http://sho3box.wordpress.com/

The Happy Whisk http://thehappywhisk.blogspot.com/

morksminis http://mork6969.blogspot.com/

Chilli Tasting Competition Story

This is a story I came across years ago and lost but found again, I hope you enjoy.

NOTE:

Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third is even better. For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is! They actually have a Chilli cook-off competition about the time the rodeo comes to town. It takes up a major portion of the parking lot at the Astrodome. You will likely want to read this behind closed doors because, if you’re like me, you will be howling loud.

INEXPERIENCED CHILLI TASTER

Notes from an inexperienced Chilli taster named Frank, who was visiting Texas from the West coast:

“Recently I was honoured to be selected as a judge at a Chilli cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment & I just happened to be standing there at the judge’s table asking directions to the beer wagon, when the time cam. I was assured by the other two judges (both native Texans), that the Chilli wouldn’t be that spicy, and besides they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted”

Here are the scorecards from the event:

CHILLI # 1 MIKE’S MANIACMOBSTER CHILLI

JUDGE 1: A little too heavy on tomato. Amusing kick.

JUDGE 2: Nice, smooth tomato flavour. Very mild

FRANK: Holy shit!!!, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that’s the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

CHILLI # 2 ARTHUR’S AFTERBURNER CHILLI

JUDGE 1: Smokey, with a hint of pork, slight jalapeno tang.

JUDGE 2: Exiting BBQ flavour needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

FRANK: Keep this out of the reach of children; I’m not sure what I’m supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich manoeuvre. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

CHILLI # 3 FRED’SFAMOUS BURN DOWN THE BARN CHILLI

JUDGE 1: Excellent firehouse chilli! Great kick. Needs more beans.

JUDGE 2: A beanless chilli, a bit salty, good use of peppers.

FRANK: Call the EPA. I’ve located a Uranium spill, my nose feels like I snorted Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now; get me more beer before I ignite. The barmaid pounded me on the back: now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I’m getting’ shit-faced from all the beer.

CHILLI # 4: BUBBA’S BLACK MAGIC

JUDGE 1: Black bean Chilli with almost no spice. Disappointing.

JUDGE 2: Hint of Lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chilli.

FRANK: I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to tasteit, is it possible to burn your taste buds? Sally the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills: that 300lb bitch is starting to look HOT, just like this nuclear waste I’m eating. Is chilli an aphrodisiac?

CHILLI #5 LINDA’S LEGAL LIP REMOVER

JUDGE 1: Meaty, strong chilli. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

JUDGE 2: Chilli using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers made a strong statement.

FRANK: My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted & four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chilli had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I’m burning my lips off. It really pissed me off when the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks.

CHILLI #6 VERA’S VERY VEGETARIAN VARIETY

JUDGE 1: Thin yet bold vegetarian chilli. Good balance of spices & peppers.

JUDGE 2: The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions & garlic. Superb.

FRANK: My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulphuric flames. ,I shit myself when I farted and am worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand beside me except that slut Sally, she must be kinkier than I thought. Can’t feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my arse with a snow cone”!!!

CHILLI #7 SUSAN’S SCREEMING SENSATION CHILLI

JUDGE 1: A mediocre chilli with too much reliance on canned peppers.

JUDGE 2: Ho Hum, tastes like the chef literally threw in a can of chilli peppers at the last moment. I should take note that I am worried about Judge #3, he appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

FRANK: You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin & I wouldn’t feel a damn thing. I’ve lost the sight in one eye and the world sounds like it is made of rushing water. My shirt is covered with chilli which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava like shit to match my damn shirt. At least during the autopsy they’ll know what killed me. I’ve decided to stop breathing, it’s too painful. Screw it, I’m not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I’ll suck it through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

CHILLI# 8 LESTER’SLAST OF THE RED HOT LOVERS CHILLI

JUDGE 1: A perfect ending, this is a nice blend chilli, safe for all, not too bold but not spicy enough to declare its existence.

JUDGE 2: This final entry is a good balanced chilli. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when judge 3 passes out, fell over & pulled the chilli pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he’s going to make it, poor yank, wonder how he’d have reacted to a really hot chilli.

Community Hospital of Long Beach Officially Becomes Part of The Memorial Care System

I am guessing now as far as medical records they will become part of the Epic system since the current hospitals are either currently using the system or are or will be in the process.  The original front of the hospital is actually a state landmark and over the years has been through some turbulent times, with being closed for a few years and during that time was used for movies and television show sets. When it re-opened employees came back with files, patient files as when it was purchased by the Catholic Healthcare system years ago it was closed down immediately and employees saved the files and took them home for storage and safe keeping as they knew one day they would be needed.  When the hospital re-opened everyone brought the files from home they had stored and most came back to work.   By today’s standards that would not happen of course by we are going back a number of years for a bit of history here. 

It is not too far from Long Beach Memorial which is always busy and have seen patients from time to time when situation over flow would occur.  Last year the merger was announced and it appears now to be final with everything in place.

Community Hospital of Long Beach Becomes a Part of Memorial Care

Last year I did a walk through tour of the brand new children’s hospital at Long Beach which is adjacent to Long Beach Memorial and also part of Memorial Care.

Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach – Brand New Pavilion Carries Focus on Patients and “Green”

Actually a few years ago I consulted at this hospital with providing some data work here with writing custom data base programs and setting up the software and training for their outreach nutrition program working with students from the nearby university to help seniors with better eating and exercise habits and a few other various Health IT projects.   Recently to in the news their independent physician’s association in Terminal Island was assumed by OptumHealth.

OptumHealth (Subsidiary of United Healthcare) Takes Over Memorial IPA in California-Subsidiary Watch

Here’s a nice video showing some of their community outreach programs with Goodwill and you get to see the original building quite a bit here as well.

Press Release:

Fountain Valley, Calif. (April 29, 2011) – Community Hospital Long Beach today joined MemorialCare Health System as its sixth hospital facility in Los Angeles and Orange Counties and third hospital in Long Beach.

“Our ownership of Community Hospital Long Beach will enhance the ability of these remarkable hospitals to continue providing exceptional care for our communities well into the future,” says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., president and CEO of the not-for-profit MemorialCare Health System.

“We are excited to add such a dedicated and talented team of employees, physicians and volunteers to the MemorialCare family. They embody the can-do spirit that has made Community Hospital a provider of choice in East Long Beach,” says Diana Hendel, PharmD, who has led Long Beach Memorial Medical Center and Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach for more than two years and becomes CEO of the three Long Beach hospitals.

With 1,006-licensed beds, the three Long Beach hospitals include 5,900 employees, 1,400 affiliated physicians and 1,000 volunteers.

“Community Hospital Long Beach will continue to benefit East Long Beach for decades to come,” says Nancy Myers, who served as the Community Hospital of Long Beach board chair. “Being part of MemorialCare brings new opportunities for our dedicated physicians, nurses and other professionals to provide the local community with greater health services while maintaining the level of highly personalized care that Community Hospital offers.”

Terms of the transaction include assuming the lease of Community Hospital campus from the City of Long Beach, which includes the hospital and medical office building.

Community Hospital’s leadership team will continue in their roles, reporting to Hendel.  A search for a hospital administrator responsible for overall operations and business development is underway. Current employees of Community Hospital have been encouraged to remain, with most continuing in their roles. Plans to integrate and expand services offered by the Long Beach-based MemorialCare hospitals are in development.

Opened in 1924, the original Community Hospital building is designated as a Long Beach Historic Landmark for its Spanish Colonial Revival Style, its courtyard patio, fountain centerpiece and arcade facade.

As a new member of the MemorialCare family in Long Beach, Community Hospital joins Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children’s Hospital, which rank in the top two in the West in numbers of hospital beds on one campus. With more than a century of caring for the community, Long Beach Memorial and Miller Children’s Hospital have received significant and ongoing accolades, including listings among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals and Top Children’s Hospital rankings. Recently, they were honored with MemorialCare Health System as one of just 29 businesses worldwide to receive the prestigious Gallup Great Workplace Award.

MemorialCare Health System with 1,549 licensed hospital beds is nationally recognized for leadership in best-practice medicine and advanced technologies. The Southern California Health System includes Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Community Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente, plus numerous outpatient facilities and programs.

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Would Doctors Boycott Their DEA License With the Proposed FDA Additional Education Requirements For Prescribing Pain Killers?

I ran across Dr. Doug Farrago’s blog on this topic and it deserves some additional attention in the fact that he is asking all to write to the AAFP and or the AMA even on this this topic.  Doctors already have a number of CME hours each year as part of their continuing education to keep updated and I read the comments where one doctor stated in California his cost was $2000 and of course it’s all done on their own time so nobody gets paid for any of this education time.  There are different ways to accrue CME time and credits and some can be done online but that’s usually only partial credits.  I thought this was kind of dumb myself, even though I am tech person in this business but have spent a lot of time around doctors offices and seen the rest of their work flow and the patient is the one taking the pills.

Why Is the FDA Focusing on Doctors With Painkillers–Focus Education on Patients Who Take The Pills - MDs Went Through Medical School To Learn How to Prescribe Drugs

What if doctors boycotted their DEA license?  As a patient if you let’s say had surgery and the doctor didn’t have his DEA license, it could perhaps require a visit from another doctor to write your prescription?  As he says it’s not like they like writing prescriptions for the drugs.  In addition, as I mentioned above are we looking at numbers in general here or is this lumping all the ones that run pill mills and write high numbers of scripts too?  I think those numbers are all in there so it comes back to interpretation of statistics and algorithmic formulas.  I think focusing on those who are writing exceptionally high numbers of scripts is the way to go. 

They already have their HMOs or IPA breathing down their back when they think patients didn’t fill their prescriptions as maybe the patient did but it didn’t come back through on the data as the patient saved money and paid $4.00 cash instead of using their insurance plan, cheaper than their co-pay.  I’ve been around and heard those comments on evaluations for P4P along with being criticized for not following up on annual breast exams on patients that were no longer alive that the HMO or insurance company had not removed from their records. 

Dr. Doug makes a good point here too as to what would be next as required additional time and added cost.  If one is seeing a demographic group that has a big concentration of seniors as an example, would they be targeted for diabetes for the next round of additional CME required education and it could go on from there.  He asked to spread the word so I’m adding my 2 cents worth.  When he talks about a rapidly demoralizing profession take a look at this trailer for the Vanishing Oath and see what being a doctor’ compensation and time is all about as most are not making big bucks as many still think, that was in the past and why many look for salaried jobs if they can find it versus a private practice.     

Vanishing Oath–MD Pay

Here’s the information from Dr. Doug with his links telling you where to go to add your input.  BD

“I recently emailed everyone about how my parent organization (AAFP) rolled over to a new government initiative that will demand physicians re-train in order to prescribe pain medication. Forget the fact that they are the ones who put out tons of mandates and warnings in the past that we were NOT treating pain adequately. Now they want to add another bureaucratic mandate because it is OUR fault patients are abusing these meds. I recently blogged about this and you can check it out here for more info. Instead of fighting back we are caving in. Enough is enough. I asked people to write in to the AAFP (if they were members) and you can see their responses here .

Thank you all. For those in other specialties, please do the same. Sound the alarm. In fact, a new idea has arisen. If we don't do the "retraining" then we can't prescribe narcotics. Well, that is fine with me and a lot of other docs. Let's BOYCOTT the bastards. It's not like I love giving these drugs anyway. We must stand together on this or they will make us retrain on any new bureaucratic initiative they can think of (diabetes, rectal exams, auscultation, rapid strep, etc). Please spread this around and save what autonomy is left in this rapidly demoralizing profession.”

Placebo Journal Blog: Medical Humor With A Purpose: Boycott Your DEA License

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