Summer Food Fun and Drink Chapter 16 No Normal · Friday July 30, 2010 by colin newell
An updated edition of a mental health journal for doctors may include diagnoses for “disorders” such as child rage, binge eating and internet addiction. Experts observe, “This could mean that, soon, no-one will be classed as normal.
(I) Could have told you that. For free…
The new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is being tuned now for release in 2013, could devalue the seriousness of mental illness and label almost everyone as having some kind of disorder.
Like obsessive compulsive blogging or hummingbird speed twitter.
Many people previously seen as perfectly healthy could, in the future, be told they are ill.
The DSM, published by the American Psychiatric Association, contains descriptions, symptoms, and other criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. I imagine there should be something, perhaps a chapter on Facebook. At least a chapter.
The criteria are designed to provide clear definitions for professionals who treat patients with mental disorders, and for researchers and pharmaceutical drug companies seeking to develop new ways of treating them.
Members of the psychiatric community worry that the further the guidelines are expanded, the more likely it will become that nobody will be classed as normal any more. Worried? This is job security!
With the classification of so many new disorders, we will all have disorders.
Comforting.
There was a time that the phrase “If you have 9 friends and they are all normal… then you are messed up…” would give me a chuckle.
Now, it seems, we all have a screw loose.
So. The Earth is one great big asylum.
Also comforting. Anyway. Enjoy your neurosis – who knows… like coffee, at some point this new normal might be considered healthy…
Summer Food Fun and Drink 13 Thirteen is bad luck - get insurance · Tuesday July 27, 2010 by colin newell
Sometimes a little gamble is a good thing. It’s a fun thing. Like rolling the dice on a $1 lottery ticket or 15 minutes in a local casino with a roll of quarters. No harm right?
But who would venture South of the border to the U.S. without any personal health insurance or supplemental insurance for a loved one – particularly an elderly or at risk person?
But we Canadians roll the dice with extended health benefits. Lots apparently.
A recent survey by Ipsos Reid found 42% of Canadians always purchase travel insurance for leisure trips to the United States. The risks are somewhat higher for the other 58%. So what are they thinking?
A two-day stay in a hospital in the United States to deal with chest pain will cost you around $11,000, with only US$400 covered by your Canadian provincial health plan. Have an auto accident putting you in an ICU for 7 to 10 days and you can expect a sweet tab of around 100 grand! And your Provincial plan will cover about 6000 of that.
Doing the math?
A dear friend of mine went down to “The Islands” for a mere 4 hours last week. The “Islands” being a spot in the N.W. – in the U.S. of A.
She went with her sparky old mom – age 82.
And she had no extended health care beyond her basic Provincial coverage…
Risky? Maybe not if you are, like me, young healthy tall and generally awesome.
And even with my irrepressible awesomeness I still like to cover my back – with extended health coverage from Blue Cross – and trust me folks, that little card opens doors at virtually any first class hospital in the continental USA – and the Hawaiian Islands. And not only the doors, but the corridors to the private rooms!
Anyway – sparky old mom was minutes away from getting on the Ferry to Vancouver Island-Land and fell… hitting her head, ending up being helicoptered to a suitable American hospital with an ICU. Ka-Ching. Sparky’s daughter had to charter a flight of her own to catch up with Mom. Ka-Ching Ka-ching.
Mom was in American ICU for three days before being stabilized and moved into the general hospital population. Ka-ching, Ka-ching, Ka-ching, ka-ching!
And all of this impending financial pain could have been eliminated with about $40 of insurance for the duration.
Sparky is going to be OK. She is on her way back to Victoria and we will all celebrate with her… and her daughter. And maybe throw a benefit concert when we get around to it.
So bottom line folks – save your quarters for the slot machine and put a few dollars into prevention. Travel insurance will treat you right – and spare your pocket book a debilitating whack if you don’t.
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Summer Fun Food Drink Chapter 3 My New Canada · Sunday June 27, 2010 by colin newell
Yup. Pretty much sums up the New Canada.
A gentle reminder for those folks who will be celebrating Canada Day in the Victoria area – and leaving their vehicles at home – and doing the right thing by taking cab or B.C. Transit to their destinations…
You do not have to consent to a search of your person or belongings while celebrating Canada Day. You have every right to move from place to place in the Capital region with sealed wine, beer or liquor on your person. Open liquor is obviously another matter.
If you are unsure about this, read the 2008 report within the Commission for public complaints against the R.C.M.P.
This applies to the Victoria police, the transit authority as well as other regional and community law enforcement agencies.
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Rites of Spring #37 - Most stupid story I have heard this month · Saturday June 19, 2010 by colin newell
Part of my morning ritual – listening to Gregor Craigie of CBC on the Island while he interviews folks, delivers the news and coaxes the weather and sports out of his cheery colleagues at 90.5 Mhz
My part of staying informed obviously.
Particularly on Monday’s when there is no paper because the Times Colonist is eliminating papers to serve us better.
Anyway.
The CBC story this morning ( in June I think…) was Gregor interviewing one of Thrifty Foods brightest executives explaining why Thrifty Foods was shipping Island produce to the mainland for storage and inevitable shipping back to Vancouver Island.
Right.
Smarty pants Thrifty Foods exec explains… We were bringing over fruit and vegetables and stock from around North America… and (get this) sending empty trucks back over to the mainland!
Gregor bit his lip and girded his loins and replied…
“Wouldn’t it be better to have a cold storage facility on Vancouver Island for produce destined for Vancouver Island?”
Good digging there Gregor!
Reply.
It did not make sense for Thrifty Foods to send empty trucks back to the mainland when we have perfectly good cold storage facilities over in the Vancouver area.
Jesus. Of course. Psyche. Why didn’t I get that? (bashing my head against wall like Dobbie of Harry Potter)
For the record, our Island proud company, Thrifty Foods, is now owned and operated by Sobey Foods of Ontario.
Which explains the wizard like thinking above.
Good journalism Gregor! You really held that exec dudes toes to the fire.
This reminds me of the local hospital society that sends their dirty laundry to Calgary, Alberta for scrubbing… as opposed to using a local laundry – which simply would not make sense… would it?
No. Of course not.
Website issues are temporary - stay tuned. · Tuesday June 8, 2010 by colin newell
I am currently bouncing web requests for dxer.ca and coffeecrew.com over here because of technical issues at my ISP – things should fix themselves by morning…
hopefully… and they are.
Thanks for your patience.
