The other day I had an interesting discussion with a friend about doctors. I realized something that may be related to seeing a Naturopath instead of an MD, but I think ultimately affects all medical practices. When you, as the patient, are paying for services out of your pocket instead of through insurance (or there are a large percentage of people who do), you tend to get better customer service. The receptionist, nurses and doctors know that you can and will go elsewhere if you are not happy, so they go out of their way to work with you.
There is also the nice little thing about smaller offices knowing their patients, and therefore being more courteous (like calling you when your appt is cancelled instead of letting you fall through the cracks - I have never experienced this, but my friend recently did). When dealing with an HMO that has many doctors in the practice and strict regulations about how many patients an hour they must see, patients are the ones who suffer. You don't get the time you need and you don't get to develop a relationship with your doctor.
Having said that, we recently found a doctor who is on my husband's HMO who takes his time with patients and warns them that you will not be seen on-time because of this. I have been very impressed with him so far, and Jeff goes to see him again on Monday.
With all the talk of government-run health care, I have been more aware of the power of choices in medical care. I don't want to see any entity, whether a big insurance company or our government, step in and tell us how we should receive health care. I like the idea of a health insurance plan that you shop around for on your own and get to deduct the premiums. This puts the power back into the hands of you, the consumer. With that kind of responsibility, you are more likely to watch how much you are charged and maybe even demand things like tort reform! It is amazing how much of a difference there is in one's behavior when you have to be responsible.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saint Quotes
I'm working on a project and really liked these quotes from http://www.catholictradition.org/Saints/saintly-quotes2.htm.
"You say you see no reason why we should pray to the Saints since God can hear us and help us just as well, and will do so gladly, as any Saint in Heaven. Well, then, what need, I ask, do you have to ask any physician to help your fever, or to ask and pay any surgeon to heal your sore leg? For God can both hear you and help you as well as the best of doctors. He loves you more than they do, and He can help you sooner. Besides-----His poultices are cheaper and He will give you more for your words alone than they will for your money!"
-------- St. Thomas More
"Never read books you aren't sure about . . . even supposing that these bad books are very well written from a literary point of view. Let me ask you this: Would you drink something you knew was poisoned just because it was offered to you in a golden cup?"
--------St. John Bosco
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
--------St. John of the Cross
When tempted, invoke your Angel. he is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.
--------St. John Bosco
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ.
--------St. Ambrose of Milan
Just as in one man there is one soul and one body, yet many members;
even so the Catholic Church is one body, having many members. The soul that quickens this body is the Holy Spirit; and therefore in the Creed after confessing our belief in the Holy Spirit, we are bid to believe in the Holy Catholic Church.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God Himself.
--------St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church
grew more and more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing. . . .
Again, errors have assailed her; but in fact, the greater the number of errors that have arisen, the more has the truth been made manifest. . . . Nor has the Church failed before the assaults of demons: for she is like a tower of refuge to all who fight against the Devil.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
If it is "daily bread," why do you take it once a year? . . . Take daily what is to profit you daily. Live in such a way that you may deserve to receive it daily. He who does not deserve to receive it daily, does not deserve to receive it once a year.
--------St. Ambrose of Milan
Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.
--------St. John of the Cross
"You say you see no reason why we should pray to the Saints since God can hear us and help us just as well, and will do so gladly, as any Saint in Heaven. Well, then, what need, I ask, do you have to ask any physician to help your fever, or to ask and pay any surgeon to heal your sore leg? For God can both hear you and help you as well as the best of doctors. He loves you more than they do, and He can help you sooner. Besides-----His poultices are cheaper and He will give you more for your words alone than they will for your money!"
-------- St. Thomas More
"Never read books you aren't sure about . . . even supposing that these bad books are very well written from a literary point of view. Let me ask you this: Would you drink something you knew was poisoned just because it was offered to you in a golden cup?"
--------St. John Bosco
"Whenever anything disagreeable or displeasing happens to you, remember Christ crucified and be silent."
--------St. John of the Cross
When tempted, invoke your Angel. he is more eager to help you than you are to be helped! Ignore the devil and do not be afraid of him: He trembles and flees at the sight of your Guardian Angel.
--------St. John Bosco
We can't have full knowledge all at once. We must start by believing; then afterwards we may be led on to master the evidence for ourselves.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
When we speak about wisdom, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about virtue, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about justice, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about peace, we are speaking of Christ. When we speak about truth and life and redemption, we are speaking of Christ.
--------St. Ambrose of Milan
Just as in one man there is one soul and one body, yet many members;
even so the Catholic Church is one body, having many members. The soul that quickens this body is the Holy Spirit; and therefore in the Creed after confessing our belief in the Holy Spirit, we are bid to believe in the Holy Catholic Church.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
I will go peaceably and firmly to the Catholic Church: for if Faith is so important to our salvation, I will seek it where true Faith first began, seek it among those who received it from God Himself.
--------St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
The Church has ever proved indestructible. Her persecutors have failed to destroy her; in fact, it was during times of persecution that the Church
grew more and more; while the persecutors themselves, and those whom the Church would destroy, are the very ones who came to nothing. . . .
Again, errors have assailed her; but in fact, the greater the number of errors that have arisen, the more has the truth been made manifest. . . . Nor has the Church failed before the assaults of demons: for she is like a tower of refuge to all who fight against the Devil.
--------St. Thomas Aquinas
If it is "daily bread," why do you take it once a year? . . . Take daily what is to profit you daily. Live in such a way that you may deserve to receive it daily. He who does not deserve to receive it daily, does not deserve to receive it once a year.
--------St. Ambrose of Milan
Whoever does not seek the cross of Christ doesn't seek the glory of Christ.
--------St. John of the Cross
Thursday, October 1, 2009
"Large Arachnid" Bugs the Pope
Apparently this is a big deal in the secular media - at least radio stations according to Jeff.
OK, first of all that is not a "large arachnid". I have bigger spiders in my house! Yes they creep me out, and I don't like to run across them, but seriously people, lets not take the exaggeration too far!
I can't decide if the distraction made it so very few listened to the speech, or if overall more people will hear the message because of the publicity. What I heard of Benedict XVI's talk sounded interesting, and it is sad that people (myself included!) can be so easily distracted. I suppose that would be an argument in favor of the spider being there for bad reasons. Having a budding entomologist, I am aware that there are actually very few poisonous spiders in any given area, and the spiders want nothing more than to be left alone, so the chances that the Pope was in any kind of danger were very slim.
I went on to read the comments, and the number of anti-Catholic and anti-Pope sentiments was not surprising, but the one person claiming to be Catholic who commented that Catholics worship the Pope kinda got to me. I wish Catholics knew their faith better, but I suppose trying to stand up for your faith when it is criticized is better than saying nothing...well, maybe not. You know, finding answers to questions like that just isn't very hard, and then you can sound like you know what you are talking about instead of further confusing a group of anti-Catholics.
I do find it interesting that Pope Benedict XVI is looked at with such vehement hatred from Atheists and Secularists. He's doing something right because they feel it necessary to try and tear him down instead of ignoring him!
OK, first of all that is not a "large arachnid". I have bigger spiders in my house! Yes they creep me out, and I don't like to run across them, but seriously people, lets not take the exaggeration too far!
I can't decide if the distraction made it so very few listened to the speech, or if overall more people will hear the message because of the publicity. What I heard of Benedict XVI's talk sounded interesting, and it is sad that people (myself included!) can be so easily distracted. I suppose that would be an argument in favor of the spider being there for bad reasons. Having a budding entomologist, I am aware that there are actually very few poisonous spiders in any given area, and the spiders want nothing more than to be left alone, so the chances that the Pope was in any kind of danger were very slim.
I went on to read the comments, and the number of anti-Catholic and anti-Pope sentiments was not surprising, but the one person claiming to be Catholic who commented that Catholics worship the Pope kinda got to me. I wish Catholics knew their faith better, but I suppose trying to stand up for your faith when it is criticized is better than saying nothing...well, maybe not. You know, finding answers to questions like that just isn't very hard, and then you can sound like you know what you are talking about instead of further confusing a group of anti-Catholics.
I do find it interesting that Pope Benedict XVI is looked at with such vehement hatred from Atheists and Secularists. He's doing something right because they feel it necessary to try and tear him down instead of ignoring him!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
I just had a terrible dream (if I don't wake up on the verge of screaming it isn't a nightmare), and it got me thinking.
Should 'we' as parents, educators, etc be teaching our girls to be comfortable with saying "No" at the same time as protecting them from potentially bad situations? You don't have to tell a girl all the horrible aweful things that can happen to her in order to get her comfortable with saying "No." My boys are very good at it, and they use it frequently. However, I hear it much less from my girls. I have a friend whose husband wrestles with both of their young kids in part to teach their daughter that it is ok to say "Stop" or "No" and that whatever is going on should and will end when she says it. Back in the 60s, a step-relative who was a teenager got her first job and a certain boss was known to come by and grope all the girls standing in a line working, when he touched my relative, she, without thinking (to use her own words), dug her nails into his hand and scratched him rather deeply. She was then so terrified that she ran home, which led to having to explain to her parents what happened. Being a large Catholic Italian family led by a strong Dad, I don't know what happened to the boss, but I'm sure it was not pretty.
In my own experience, there are times where saying "No" would have helped, and times where it could have made things worse. I don't know what is better. At least with being comfortable saying "No" there is a chance that it will work. I suppose making sure the kids are not in situations where they are faced with that kind of choice is the best solution, but they do have to go out eventually. I am not proposing that 6 year olds need to start working on 'saying No curriculum', and I think my 12 year old daughter understands enough to know how to protect herself. I just still have visions in my head of the kind of attitude my sister had where it is "no big deal" and it "doesn't matter" because it was the only way she could cope with what happened to her. It is scary to think about how little we have control over in life. I wouldn't trade it though. Free will is worth the pain and suffering.
I suppose my dream convinced me that volunteering is still a few years off - which was something I was debating about. Though certain supervised groups we are in would be ok.
Should 'we' as parents, educators, etc be teaching our girls to be comfortable with saying "No" at the same time as protecting them from potentially bad situations? You don't have to tell a girl all the horrible aweful things that can happen to her in order to get her comfortable with saying "No." My boys are very good at it, and they use it frequently. However, I hear it much less from my girls. I have a friend whose husband wrestles with both of their young kids in part to teach their daughter that it is ok to say "Stop" or "No" and that whatever is going on should and will end when she says it. Back in the 60s, a step-relative who was a teenager got her first job and a certain boss was known to come by and grope all the girls standing in a line working, when he touched my relative, she, without thinking (to use her own words), dug her nails into his hand and scratched him rather deeply. She was then so terrified that she ran home, which led to having to explain to her parents what happened. Being a large Catholic Italian family led by a strong Dad, I don't know what happened to the boss, but I'm sure it was not pretty.
In my own experience, there are times where saying "No" would have helped, and times where it could have made things worse. I don't know what is better. At least with being comfortable saying "No" there is a chance that it will work. I suppose making sure the kids are not in situations where they are faced with that kind of choice is the best solution, but they do have to go out eventually. I am not proposing that 6 year olds need to start working on 'saying No curriculum', and I think my 12 year old daughter understands enough to know how to protect herself. I just still have visions in my head of the kind of attitude my sister had where it is "no big deal" and it "doesn't matter" because it was the only way she could cope with what happened to her. It is scary to think about how little we have control over in life. I wouldn't trade it though. Free will is worth the pain and suffering.
I suppose my dream convinced me that volunteering is still a few years off - which was something I was debating about. Though certain supervised groups we are in would be ok.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Obama Education Speech
Oh where, oh where to even begin after the nausea settles (I could hear his voice in my head as I read it, yuck!). The contradictions astound me! First of all the Founding Fathers did NOT sit in classrooms like we have today - being particularly touchy on the issue of forced schooling and dumbing down kids I find it insulting to pretend our flawed education system has been around that long or was that successful at producing intelligent adults with critical thinking skills. But here is the real cincher, it takes hard work, dedication and perseverance to be successful (I didn't want to torture myself or you with the long winded quotes it would have taken to put that down) no matter what your circumstance, but "I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn." So, lay out goals and work hard and make sure the government is able to give the schools more money so that kids can have what they need to learn and everyone will be successful.
One more little thing, isn't it interesting that he feels it necessary to let kids know chances are they will not be sucessful "through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star." How sad that the President thinks we have fallen so far that those are the kind of goals kids look to - being entertainers. Kids don't want to be doctors or lawyers or police officers or teachers (they must be encouraged by the president to pursue those goals), they want to be entertainers. Hmm, either the President is out of touch with the majority of kids in our country who actually want to have careers out of the entertainment industry or he is telling kids they should want to be entertainers or at least pay attention to them because "not everyone can be successful" at such careers. I am rather out of touch with the tv watching majority, so maybe kids are that bad, but by acknowledging entertainment as a valid career option in the same speech in which he is calling for new leaders and inventors is insulting. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it was just...yuck!
Don't even get me started on him asking God to bless America, although from his point of view I'm sure it was more like Sincerely at the bottom of a letter. Though I don't think that makes things better.
Yeah, there are no hidden messages here, it is just flowers and rainbows and holding hands.
One more little thing, isn't it interesting that he feels it necessary to let kids know chances are they will not be sucessful "through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star." How sad that the President thinks we have fallen so far that those are the kind of goals kids look to - being entertainers. Kids don't want to be doctors or lawyers or police officers or teachers (they must be encouraged by the president to pursue those goals), they want to be entertainers. Hmm, either the President is out of touch with the majority of kids in our country who actually want to have careers out of the entertainment industry or he is telling kids they should want to be entertainers or at least pay attention to them because "not everyone can be successful" at such careers. I am rather out of touch with the tv watching majority, so maybe kids are that bad, but by acknowledging entertainment as a valid career option in the same speech in which he is calling for new leaders and inventors is insulting. Maybe I am reading too much into it, but it was just...yuck!
Don't even get me started on him asking God to bless America, although from his point of view I'm sure it was more like Sincerely at the bottom of a letter. Though I don't think that makes things better.
Yeah, there are no hidden messages here, it is just flowers and rainbows and holding hands.
Friday, August 28, 2009
I Love My Husband
Over the last 2 nights Jeff has engaged me in almost debates. While I love to debate, he has always hated it, so I have learned to take my debating skills elsewhere. The topics were not ones he cares much about, so it wasn't heated debate (except on my end a bit), it was more hilarious to see him arguing the topics. Jeff and I rarely fight anyway, so this wasn't something ominous, more entertaining.
Two nights ago Jeff was talking about the upcoming concert he is going to with a guy from work. It was his favorite band 10 years ago and they are having a reunion tour, so he is really looking forward to it. He made some goofy comment about how I used to be 'cool' and now I am part of the institution instead of fighting against it. He has a very sarcastic sense of humor, so this was not said in a mean way, it was just Jeff. Anyway, I replied that the band, by having a reunion tour undoubtedly to just make money, is actually showing that they are 'part of the problem'. I am about as counter-cultural as you can get. I stay at home with the kids, home school them in a style that shocks most people even more than the school-at-home style, take the kids to a Naturopath instead of a Pediatrician, have babies at home instead of a hospital, set my own immunization schedule and am an Independent politically. He feigned indignation that I would call his band sell-outs, and argued that you must be in the mainstream in order to swim against it. So that means our children cannot be 'cool' and counter-cultural because they are not fighting against 'the system' daily like the 'cool' kids are. I commented that there is always the risk that if you have kids in the 'mainstream' that they will like it and not retaliate, but Jeffrey said he has more confidence in the kids than that. It was very funny, and you know, I can live with being called 'part of the system' if it means I can keep doing things the way I am.
Then last night we were discussing whether we should fix his car or not (in addition to the front end damage, the alternator has now gone out), and I went online to check alternator prices at a few stores and the main page Explorer opened to had the headline "Madonna Jeered and Booed at Concert." Jeff asked why she was booed so I clicked the link and read the article about a concert in Romania where Madonna commented to the attendees something along the lines of "discrimination is bad, and the way the Romies and Gypsies have been treated here is wrong." This got her a lot of boos and jeers, so she went on to say something about Romanians that was less offensive which got her cheers, then she followed up with something like, "homosexuals are also discriminated against and that is bad." She was then booed and jeered more. A couple concert attendees commented afterward that Madonna had no business saying what she did and that she has no idea how people live in Romania (a really good point I think). Jeff threw out that people shouldn't criticize Madonna because she makes more money in a single night than they make in a month (they being everyone at the concert). I laughed and we went back and forth a little on it mostly tongue-in-cheek - it was definitely entertaining (though I got a bit upset in the beginning before I realized he was goofing off).
These were just two small scraps of conversation over two evenings, but it definitely lightened the mood. I love it when he reminds me to not take things too seriously, which I have a tendency to do.
Two nights ago Jeff was talking about the upcoming concert he is going to with a guy from work. It was his favorite band 10 years ago and they are having a reunion tour, so he is really looking forward to it. He made some goofy comment about how I used to be 'cool' and now I am part of the institution instead of fighting against it. He has a very sarcastic sense of humor, so this was not said in a mean way, it was just Jeff. Anyway, I replied that the band, by having a reunion tour undoubtedly to just make money, is actually showing that they are 'part of the problem'. I am about as counter-cultural as you can get. I stay at home with the kids, home school them in a style that shocks most people even more than the school-at-home style, take the kids to a Naturopath instead of a Pediatrician, have babies at home instead of a hospital, set my own immunization schedule and am an Independent politically. He feigned indignation that I would call his band sell-outs, and argued that you must be in the mainstream in order to swim against it. So that means our children cannot be 'cool' and counter-cultural because they are not fighting against 'the system' daily like the 'cool' kids are. I commented that there is always the risk that if you have kids in the 'mainstream' that they will like it and not retaliate, but Jeffrey said he has more confidence in the kids than that. It was very funny, and you know, I can live with being called 'part of the system' if it means I can keep doing things the way I am.
Then last night we were discussing whether we should fix his car or not (in addition to the front end damage, the alternator has now gone out), and I went online to check alternator prices at a few stores and the main page Explorer opened to had the headline "Madonna Jeered and Booed at Concert." Jeff asked why she was booed so I clicked the link and read the article about a concert in Romania where Madonna commented to the attendees something along the lines of "discrimination is bad, and the way the Romies and Gypsies have been treated here is wrong." This got her a lot of boos and jeers, so she went on to say something about Romanians that was less offensive which got her cheers, then she followed up with something like, "homosexuals are also discriminated against and that is bad." She was then booed and jeered more. A couple concert attendees commented afterward that Madonna had no business saying what she did and that she has no idea how people live in Romania (a really good point I think). Jeff threw out that people shouldn't criticize Madonna because she makes more money in a single night than they make in a month (they being everyone at the concert). I laughed and we went back and forth a little on it mostly tongue-in-cheek - it was definitely entertaining (though I got a bit upset in the beginning before I realized he was goofing off).
These were just two small scraps of conversation over two evenings, but it definitely lightened the mood. I love it when he reminds me to not take things too seriously, which I have a tendency to do.
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