HERBIE1

I'm with Dwayne. I don't know the names of the various brands of angiocaths, but I do know starting an EJ is easier WITHOUT a protective version. Problem is, in many places you have no choice. I'm old school- I simply do not like those protect catheters. That said, it's certainly not impossible, but often trickier simply because of the angle and surrounding anatomy and structures. One thing you should have is a longer catheter- it makes accessing the vein easier

Wow. Perfect season for something like this. Thanks for posting it.

Well, since most men are visually oriented when it comes to stimulation, I gues I think it's a matter of men being more into the visual thing when it comes to arousal, while most women are more subtle, and obtain their arousal on a deeper level. To men, if we are attracted to the nekid female form, then the more, the better. That said, speaking for myself, I certainly would not want to see a porn video of 2 very butch looking women- simply does not do anything for me. Historically, the nude female form has always represented beauty, and there are many examples of it in the art world. I also think women are more evolved emotionally- at least in the sense that even straight women can appreciate the beauty of a nude woman, while having no sexual interest in them. The same cannot be said for most men watching men. Why? Different wiring, I guess. Insecurity? Both? To me- it's simply gross and I cannot watch it. I know I'm generalizing, and I certainly have known a few women who can enjoy porn as much as a guy, but I honestly think it's pretty rare. To be perfectly candid, I do not like the ultra raunchy stuff- simply does nothing for me, and actually makes me uncomfortable.

LOL Yeah, somehow I'm thinking they will end up together in the end. We'll see... I've always loved King-one of my favorite books of all time is The Stand- unabridged version, of course. I've read it at least a dozen times. As for this new book- awesome.

I don't have any data to back this up, but either you do effective CPR, or you do not- the location is irrelevant. I've seen lousy CPR on the street, in the back of an ambulance, and in an ER. I've also seen great CPR in these same places. There is nothing that says you cannot do effective CPR while moving in an apparatus. We generally have the person doing compressions being held by their belt, jacket, etc by another person, so they can concentrate on on doing a good job. Is it the ideal situation? Of course not, but it works.

OK- I'll add this to the string. I'm currently in the middle of Steven King's 11/22/63. It's a story about a guy who found a way to time travel back from 2011 and try to change the events of that day- in other words, stop the assassination of JFK. Along the way he also tries to change a couple other horrible events that happen in his hometown, and come back to the present day to see the impact of his actions. Interesting read-going from present day society to that of the late 50's and early 60's, and all that it entails. The story deals with how one simple change causes the butterflly effect, where many things can be impacted just by your presence. So far there is no trademark King "horror" or ghoulish stuff in the book- just some odd turns, a provocative plot, and a couple graphically described killings. Time travel is not exactly a new concept, but nobody tells a story like this guy- rich details, he has the language and phrases of that era down pat, as well as many things we no longer see- gas station attendants that check your oil and wash your windows, and the prices of everyday items like cars, furniture, and food. He talks about the segregation of that era in the south, what folks were worried about, and the issues of the day. Long book, but worth the read so far.

Jealous of what- walking down a public street, looking like I belong in some alternate universe's version of a porn show? I don't think so. Ever hear of a Leatherman's Convention? I'd like to see you try to equate that with something from the heterosexual community. At least those are events held in hotels, not out in public, parading down the street. I thought this thread was about heterosexual vs gay pride events like parades, not the criminal behavior of every possible criminal act committed by anyone in society.

Dwayne is right on this. Around here, I guess they decided to rename the parade to pass it off as being something it is not. They dropped the "gay" part of the Gay Pride Parade title. They tried to claim it was "family friendly", it's all about inclusion and diversity. BULLSHIT. I don't know of any families who think it's OK to see guys walking around in ass-less leather chaps, or the other disgusting things going on that I have seen at these parades. I have attended and marched in St Patricks Day parades, Irish Parades, Puerto Rican day parades, July 4th parades, Memorial Day parades, Mexican Independence Day parades, Christmas Parades, Thanksgiving Parades, Columbus Day Parades and have NEVER seen anything like what goes on in these gay pride parades. No, not every parade attendee, float or group is R or NC-17 rated, but a great many of them are- more than enough to say these are NOT family friendly events, nor do they promote diversity or acceptance, nor do they promote the idea that gays are just like everyone else. So no, flaming- the straight community does NOT act the same way.

Funny stuff...

I could put on an NHL hockey uniform, but that does not make me a professional hockey player. Yes- gender is subjective, and often deals with self identity. I could put on a dress and announce to the world that I think I am a woman(even though that would be a truly disturbing site), but that still does not make it true,

Yes. As long as we keep this within the realm of reality and not bring in transgenederism or hermaphrodites into the discussion. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sex 1sex noun ˈseks Definition of SEX 1 : either of the two major forms of individuals that occur in many species and that are distinguished respectively as female or male especially on the basis of their reproductive organs and structures

Allegedly Gay pride parades are to help foster acceptance and celebrate "diversity". I say "allegedly" because in most pride parades I have seen on TV- and the many I have seen and worked at in person- they look more like freak shows. Guys dressed in drag, in outlandish/pornographic/cross dressing/ridiculous outfits. How exactly does that promote acceptance of a gay lifestyle? Yes, there are many "normal" floats and marchers for various groups and causes, but I'd guess 75% of the parade folks I have seen are out of their minds and their behavior makes Mardi Gras look like an Amish picnic. Whatever, but doesn't an event like this undermine the argument that there is essentially no difference between gays and straights? Do "straight people" have their share of degenerate/wild events? Sure- see the aforementioned Mardi Gras celebration-, but they also don't pretend they are representative of any particular group other than the lunatics who attend/sponsor that specific event. So would a heterosexual pride day be a good idea? Probably not, because as evidenced by the responses here, "every day" is supposedly heterosexual pride day. Any attempt at such an event would be immediately be labeled as divisive, homophobic, and hateful.

Why am I having visions of a parrot and a Monty Python skit?? It actually sounds like something that might be illegal in a few states...

Interesting. In a way I guess it's kind of sad. It's almost like those long held childhood fantasies that are destroyed when we get older. I imagine it would be particularly devastating for someone who is very devout to learn things that make them doubt- or even reject those beliefs.

You confused me here. Yes- the less educated, the more likely someone is to have a very high degree of faith. I would be interested to find out about religious scholars- ie in a university setting, not in the clergy. If someone is an expert on religion, what degree of faith would they have? I recall reading this somewhere- it's not just something I pulled out of my arse. I think you are right- the more education you have, the harder it becomes to reconcile an unwavering, all encompassing faith with what you learn in school. Add an interesting twist- those who attend universities and colleges that are affiliated with a religious order. I actually teach part time at one, and religion is a required class for all undergrads- regardless of your field of study. I see nothing contradictory about believing in a God and being highly educated- it's just I think we become more skeptical as we amass more knowledge, and education is all about learning how to learn, which means there rarely can be absolutes in anything, right?

I'm going out on a limb here- and will probably get that branch sawed off beneath me, but... I think there is an inversely proportional relationship between education and degree of faith. Yes, it's a generalization, but it seems very often to be the case in my experience.

Don''t you find it ironic that in our profession- one of science, facts, and logic- folks would actually have blind faith? Yes, we see things that defy logic, but I'm sure that if you dug deep enough, we could probably explain away even the occasional "miracle" we may see. Whatever.

No hammering here. I honestly don't know what I believe anymore. After my nephew was killed last year, I actually went to my local church(for the first time in years) and sat in the back for awhile. I was looking for answers, a place for reflection, an epiphany- ANYTHING to help me cope. Didn't work. Not sure what happens after we die, but if there IS a heaven, I think I'm OK- I'm not too horrible of a person. If there's nothing- well, I guess I become worm food like everyone else. It would be nice if we could have just one shred of proof of life after death, but for those with faith, by definition, proof is not necessary.

In college, in our residence hall cafeteria, they had large dispensers with various types of cereal- the ole Capn being one of them. I recall grabbing large bowl fulls to start my day, washed down with about a gallon of lousy coffee. If memory serves, it was also a pretty good antidote for too much weekend fun. Ahh-the good old days...

It sounds like you have a healthy viewpoint on this, Ruff. One thing I do find as odd though is that you believe in God, yet are unsure if there is a heaven or hell. Not busting your balls here, just pointing out something that struck me as I read your post. I cannot imagine what you went through- my only personal exposure is from a close friend who delivered a full term still born baby boy. I almost felt guilty because we had 3 happy, healthy kids. This mom was from a die hard Italian catholic family and her 80+ year old mother still goes to church every day, but she herself did not blame or curse God for what happened either. To me, having God grant us free will isn't really free will. I guess either you believe or you don't, but there are also many shades of "belief". Many(or dare I say MOST?) Catholics think nothing of using birth control, or having premarital sex, so I guess it's the cafeteria catholic- pick which parts of your religious doctrine you choose to abide by. Me- well I am at a crossroads in my faith- or lack there of. Based on what's happened to me in the last couple years, I question EVERYTHING. I am even looking into alternative "faiths" to help me find some answers and gain my center. We'll see how that goes. BTW-Holy thread derail, Batman- how the hell did this topic go from pro gay marriage to THIS? LOL

Sounds like a very reasonable- and rational- policy. Wish we had one that was similar.

Dammit, Richard! All this talk about Captain Crunch has me hankering for some- haven't had that stuff in years. Looks like I may be taking a trip to the grocery store in the near future...

LOL Like him or not, GWB was a business executive as well as a governor. Obama had ZERO executive experience, zero private sector experience, and barely had any legislative experience before he ran for POTUS. He technically fit the bare minimum requirements of age and birthplace(yes, I believe he was born here)- nothing more. This may come as a shock to some, but being a community organizer/activist does not appear to make one qualified to be the leader of the free world- and the last 3 years seems to be proof of that fact.

Excellent point. I completely looked past this. In our system, we cannot bill unless we transport, which means anyone who is treated and released- anything from giving out a bandaid to giving someone an amp of Dextrose- all the way up to a termination of resuscitation in a nursing home- we eat that bill. That is why we are considering implementing a charge for treat/nontransport calls- to capture all that missed revenue. Whether or not the insurance carriers will pay is another story- and I am not aware of those rules. If anyone thinks this is only about patient care and not $$$- they are sadly mistaken. Then again, our system is also very archaic in many ways, so it is about being conservative as well.

Well, most of the set medics I know around here do not use a fraction of their skills. They don't have anywhere near the full range of supplies you would on rig- mostly BLS capabilities. Mostly it's bandaids, wraps, ice, OTC analgesics and antacids(self service since we cannot hand them out), etc. Yes, you would have an AED with first line meds, but generally you are there to know when to escalate the situation and transport someone so it's your knowledge base, and assessment skills they are looking for. This way there's no scope of practice issues to worry about. Yes, some sets also hire rigs to be on standby, but it depends on the budget and the type of film they are shooting.