Eydawn

This is freaking gorgeous... makes me sad I transferred before this Acapella group got off the ground. Beautiful arrangement of "In Over My Head" by the Fray. Recording quality could have been better, but that's how it generally goes at K... lol. Wendy CO EMT-B

This baby has a lot of vocal potential... just hope her parents keep her out of the showbiz mess as much as possible so she doesn't get screwed up. It happens to so many child prodigies! So much clarity... what a wonderful voice! I wish I could sound like that. It does make me suspicious that she seems to have such tight control over her vibrato, as vibrato like that does not come so naturally when you are younger... she must have had lessons at some point, for sure... but still phenomenal, nonetheless. Wendy CO EMT-B

I'd have an index of suspicion for meningitis but it wouldn't be my very first thought... strep sounds much more likely. I'd take a look at their throat to see what it looked like if it was me! I know what strep throat looks like. Also, if they didn't want to move their head around I'd have more of a leaning towards the meningitis... but that's up to the doc to decide, not me. I'd mention my concern, but I wouldn't come in screaming bloody murder... people freak out at the word meningitis, I've noticed. Wendy CO EMT-B

Hm. Guess my attempt to offer up explanations that take into account cultural and racial differences and education weren't INTERESTING enough to warrant comment. This is why this cycle will NEVER END... people don't care about addressing the actual problem... Wendy CO EMT-B

Reparations and affirmative action are not the solution to the problem that all of us can see. It is truly lamentable that many of our peers seem to be incapable of grasping just how important education is to altering one's social situation. What are the reasons for this? Some would like to intimate that it is one's skin color or minority status or socioeconomic status that is the culprit. Therefore, if we just give people affirmative action... scholarships... No Child Left Behind... we will fix the problem. The problem is that many people of lower social status who are also economically disadvantaged (minorities, impoverished whites, new immigrants) do not value education. Children are allowed to drop out of school to enter the workforce as migrant workers or McD's burger jockeys because it is an immediate result: Money to pay rent and put food on the table. If a child's parents do not value education, it is very unlikely that the child will value education. Throw into the mix a bad batch of educators who automatically dismiss those who struggle with making school applicable to their daily lives, and you've got a real serious self-perpetuating cycle, as those drop out kids tend to have children of their own at earlier ages and pass on the devaluation of education. Much of our curriculum in basic public schooling is bullshit. It's boring. Teaching styles address only one form of learning. Many kids, even kids who have a lot of community and family support behind them, struggle with finding relevance in the curriculum. Add to that mix teachers who work the ghetto schools only because they have to and have decided to only put in as much as the kids put in, and treat the kids with the attitude that they are "stupid" or "slow" and you make it that much harder for a kid to buck a culture that places education at a lower value in the first place. I suggest reading a book titled "The Freedom Writers' Diary." It shows just how much kids living in adverse conditions struggle with school and with learning to value education. It's hard to pay attention to American History when one is being shot at. So what's the solution? I believe it lies in adult education campaigns to begin to persuade disadvantaged individuals that education is something they can grasp, that they are intelligent enough to succeed, and that education opens many many doors for them and gives them tools to work with. School is so utilitarian and uninteresting for most, especially with the bullshit rigamarole that goes along with simple things like using the restroom... but if you can teach parents that knowing the world around them with a deeper understanding helps them to break through the "barriers" that they are surrounded with, you can help them teach these values to their children. It is natural, when you are taught from birth that "the rich" or "the White" or "the successful" are handed things that you aren't, to ascribe your own difficulties and barriers to be of their making. It's a natural response from ignorance. You can't fight ignorance with ignorance, however... you have to fight it with intelligence and good use of resources. That's my 2 cents on the matter. I think Affirmative Action is a band-aid on the wrong wound, that really traps in dirt and makes things worse. I think reparations would be like squirting acid onto the same wound... it fails to address the problems of NOW and the cultural issues that we face NOW by focusing on some of the formative issues from history that are no longer applicable. Wendy CO EMT-B

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30267075/ This is a much more insightful article than any of the "poor Columbine" hype that I've seen spewed everywhere lately, and actually examines psychopathy vs sociopathy and the application of such terms to fledgling nutcases like Harris and Klebold. The only bright spot in that televised memorial vigil BS was the fact that the principal's toupee was so bad, it looked like a flat cat had his head and was ready for lift-off... The psychologist who worked with the community after the massacre actually states in this article that the parents raised perfectly normal OTHER children... so I don't think we can call environment on a lot of this. Same environment, same household, same pressures... different experience by virtue of being a different person, but I don't think you can call environment as a CAUSATIVE factor in this case. And I would like to see Columbine just PUT TO REST. I'm sick of it. Yes, it was a tragedy, as was 9-11, as was VA Tech and many other mass acts of senseless violence. Re-hashing it doesn't let those who were affected heal... it's more media sensationalism for viewer points value, and I can't stand using people's pain to sell TV. Wendy CO EMT-B

A band! Surprise! Did you watch the video? You can click around on Youtube and hear more of their stuff... I like this one best though. --Wendy

I absolutely am in love with this song. I'd never heard it until the other night late on my favorite radio station, I guess they just picked it up... found this video online of it, turns out it's actually a fanvid that the band found out about and decided to wholeheartedly endorse. I like the video... but I like the song most of all. ( ) ">

Warning! Not work safe due to vulgar language... Mario lets the Princess have it: ( ) ">

God, she's amazing. Someone will pick her up for sure now and give her a nice "show biz" makeover... she's got the pluck and the talent! Good for her!! --Wendy

sayeth AnthonyM83... Illegible to work, eh? Don't you mean INELIGIBLE? Didn't know folks had to be able to read you at your work! Got some nice tattoos? Wendy CO EMT-B

MC +I = MCI... MC = Mass casualty. Moral of the story: Stay away from the salad the hippies bring to the potluck... Wendy CO EMT-B

The IAFF sucks. Leave EMS alone. Protect your own without sacrificing ours and contributing to really shitty patient care.... Wendy CO EMT-B

Tell the hospital you're handing off to and they'll contact Social Services as necessary from there... just do me a favor and don't harass someone who's ill/having a bad moment about it in your ambulance. That doesn't do anyone any favors and is rather cruel... Wendy CO EMT-B

Drinking water to dilute a smaller amount gives you a little better of a chance but not by much. It's so caustic that it erodes tissue pretty quickly, which is why it's so catastrophic when you drink a large amount. Bleach is a much safer attention drink... How sad. Too bad the guy didn't stop to think... Wendy CO EMT-B

How do you feel about it? Is the partner someone you're afraid may make an accusation? Is the partner someone you can trust not to push boundaries? Can your wife meet your partner in order to get a better sense of the working relationship? Just my ideas... it is common to form a friendship with partners but with opposite gender partners doesn't have to go any further than that if people are smart... Wendy CO EMT-B

Blind narcan again... god damn! That's starting to make me CRAZY. Was there something in the eggs? Can samples be nabbed for testing? Are there any chemicals hanging out in the kitchen (stove scrubber near the fire, perhaps?) Any evidence that this person fell and hit their head on the way down? Wendy CO EMT-B Ooh! Recently discharged bipolar... I bet someone's meds aren't agreeing with one so one is not complying well with them... any social history of phobias of smoke/fire that could trip a psychotic episode? Wendy CO EMT-B

God, it's in Weld County, isn't it. Just sell it... lol (j/k) Yeah right, Mr. April Fools! Wendy CO EMT-B

(Click to view this embedded page in a new window) For your reading pleasure... article today from MSNBC summarizing a new release that I saw in my email from one of my medical subscriptions. Titled "Should All Males be Circumcised" and highlighting the reconsideration about the necessity of the procedure (docs saying no)... Wendy CO EMT-B

Dude, I couldn't make head or tail of what you were trying to say. Sorry if it came off a little hostile, Scotty, it just didn't make sense is all. And I may have been slightly tweaked by you mis-spelling my net-name. There's ONE E in it. It's important to me. There's a good reason to use plain English instead of acronyms, by the way... ECP means about three different things to me and it's much easier to say "morning after pill" or "emergency contraception" and have your meaning be clear. And having rarely eaten at McDonald's or similar, the fries with that and supersize me connection was not real clear at all. Sorry! I do have a sense of humor, when I understand what's going on... And I never said I was absolutely for male circumcision, fellas, nor that I wanted to control men's bodies for any reason; what I did say was that it is a contextual argument and arguing over whether it should get snipped or not has completely different ramifications in countries where condoms are not readily available or preferred for use for whatever cultural reason. I said if the risk of transmission is decreased significantly to the point where it will make a difference in the overall quality of life of people in impoverished areas, then it definitely shows benefit and is something to be considered. We're talking about a stopgap to buy some time here, since education (surprise!) is the real weapon against AIDS... if it buys more time and slows transmission, that's a good thing. Lone, yes, we supposedly hand out all these tons of food and HIV medications and all that... we also do hand out condoms and provide safer-sex training. So far, it hasn't dented the F*cking problem. The food and meds and other supplies get hijacked by warlords and end up in places you'd never expect, instead of going to the people who so desperately need help (partly due to UN ineptitude and roadblocks like ones thrown up by the Catholic Church- they refuse to teach anything but abstinence and withhold funds that could be used to help) so I don't have a lot of hope for enough, or even MORE condoms getting to where they're supposed to go either. Circumcision, on the other hand, is permanent and not subject to warlord seizure or exploitation. It's also not subject to behavioral compliance with prophylactics, thus giving it the potential to be much more effective (if it can be PROVEN to have the potential that this study indicates) than condoms which may or may not be available, with people who may or may not have stigma against using them or who simply give it up because it's more hassle than it's worth. And don't get me wrong... I am fully aware that circumcisions are botched. One key study was that of twins who were both circumcised, but one's penis was damaged severely due to misuse of an electrocautery device. I swear to God, if I meet the "Psychologist" who forced the parents to turn their damaged son into a "girl" I will shoot him myself. Gender is so complex that to think you can simply "reassign" it in an individual born as a healthy male (or female for that matter) is not only arrogant, but it's foolish. I'm much more for Rabbi doing circumcisions than doctors; they're very practiced at it and know exactly what they're doing. What I'm saying is that people need to check the knee-jerk reaction to this article and seriously consider the implications of circumcision for AIDS stricken areas. Here in America, advocate for the elimination of circumcision if you feel that strongly about it. Refuse to circumcise your children. That's well within your purview and there's nothing wrong with it! Just keep in mind, not everywhere has it as good as you do, and more drastic measures may be necessary than would be here. Wendy CO EMT-B

How about this: RESTRAINT OF BACKBOARD fail. If they had used tie-straps to hook that sucker in there so that the poor folks also riding along in the back weren't the only ones responsible for making sure it stayed in, this might not have been a fail. I'm all for improvisation when the situation calls for it. But you have to ensure the safety of the providers and the patient. I'd have tied the backboard down using several anchor points, and I would have also used tie-straps to give myself as a responder a lap-restraint belt. And I would have had someone else drive, who knew that you have to drive VERY CAREFULLY with a backboard and riders in your pickup bed. Whoopsie! Wendy CO EMT-B

Do us a favor. Search "Paid vs volunteer" in the forum search (not the quick search, but the actual search) and spend about 6 hours reading through the back and forth. I'll distill the bottom line for you however. My grandmother always used to caution my mother and her sisters that "A man won't buy the cow if he can get the milk for free." AKA: You'll be used, not given the best treatment, and left by the wayside if you give your "services" away for free. There *ARE* very good, dedicated volunteers out there who provide EMS to communities who would otherwise have nothing. Many of them are in the minority if you look at the polled responses of people in the threads that exist all over the forum on this topic. Volunteer systems do not have the same checks and balances and emphasis on education that many paid departments do (and paid departments struggle with that as well, so imagine how much worse it can be in a good ol' boy run VFD.) Also, by providing EMS for free, people reinforce to their local town/city/county/state governments that EMS is not an essential service that *must* be provided to the citizens, same as trash, sewer, etc. Therefore, whatever provider level the vollies deem appropriate to respond with is OK-DOKEY by the local governments, holding block parties to raise funds for new equipment (which they might not get) is A-OK rather than ensuring that services are provided with the best tools possible to care for their patients, and many patients who would benefit GREATLY from ALS care will never receive it. Rural areas, where transport times are long and resources are scarce, are the areas that can most benefit from ALS response. So guess what reinforcing that minimum standards are acceptable does for our wages and our esteem in the medical community? We already struggle as a hybrid between public safety, transportation and medical care. If we allow this hodge-podge system where volunteers set the "norm" for those responsible for setting our wages and our licensure/certification in each state, we show that EMS really IS nothing more than people with spare time on their hands with some first aid training, and we make it that much more difficult for those who want to see EMS established as a respected medical profession with education comparable to other fields, like nursing or respiratory therapy. EMS is bass-ackwards right now as far as education goes; you get turned out with half the picture and a few physical skills (if you're lucky) and you're expected to learn medicine with that half-full tool-bag before you're allowed to go and learn the clinical medical side of things, by which time you've already picked up habits that are going to be darn difficult to drop. Education levels and pay rates in the medical field often correspond. If you're an educated provider, who can provide holistic care rather than "I see wheezing, I give this drug" then you are worth more, and your salary increases. But if you have people fighting that on all sides saying "I did EMS because I suck at school, I'm doing this because I have free weekends but I don't have time to go get an associate's degree" then the whole field gets dragged down along with wages and our image as a whole. I feel you. Good providers, volunteer or paid, are good providers. But the fact is that the volunteer system is a big part of our fragmented, education-stunted low-wage system and is part of what is keeping the status quo alive (at the expense of patients who deserve better.) Happy reading. As a response to Kristo: I'd say that paid EMS/Fire as long as everyone plays nice is better than VFD, volley EMS. As long as no-one from either side is forced into a role they're not capable of or interested in enough to perform well. Wendy CO EMT-B

Scotty, thanks for adding virtually nothing to the conversation. ECP =? Prodisentasm = NOT A WORD. Did you mean Protestantism? Nobody has any right to comment on my sex life. Nothing wrong in this arena, and FYI, yes Mr. Eydawn is circumcised and sees no problem with circumcision. A half centimeter of foreskin (ok, maybe even a centimeter, depending on who's doing the circumcising) in exchange for reduced risk for AIDS (and therefore reduced risk of passing it to one's partners or their future children) seems logical in this losing battle against HIV. Especially when South Africa just joined the farking rest of the world admitting HIV-->AIDS! And WTF was the "would you like fries with that" quip about? Wanders away from the post disgustedly... Wendy CO EMT-B

Circumcision, on the other hand, if we're talking quality of life via decreased chance for disease transmission, is not a behaviorally based intervention and therefore much less likely to fail. Only yesterday I read a lengthy article on MSNBC about how educated women end up pregnant even after having been educated on birth control and being economically capable of using birth control... yet not following birth control regimens appropriately and surprise! Baby's on the way. Male circumcision has been shown to reduce risks for certain cancers. It's also a cultural practice that does not hinder a man's sexual pleasure or performance in any way, making it much less of an issue than say, female circumcision. I'd put male circumcision along the lines of infantile ear-piercing; causes minor temporary pain and is at the discretion of the parents. When we have the Pope perpetuating the idea that condoms lead to promiscuity, leading to higher chances for HIV infection in countries like Africa, we need every tool we've got at our disposal if it means less people will suffer from HIV and less children will be orphaned and subjected to the horrors of exploitation, starvation, and prostitution. A half centimeter of flesh to reduce the risk of a life of horror? If they can prove that the disease transmission reduction is VERY significant, I'm all for it. What if they decided that removing the appendix at birth eliminated the possibility for colorectal cancer (give me this one, it's just an analogy)... would you be as up in arms about performing surgery to eliminate the risk of cancer? The reason people react strongly to this particular procedure is because it's something that most men are highly innately protective of... their penises. However, the penis itself is not being removed, nor is its functionality or sensitivity being damaged. If it were, this would be another discussion entirely. Here in America and in Western cultures it's all well and good to sit there and say "condoms are effective, so there's no need to perform this procedure on babies" but in Africa or poverty stricken areas of Asia, where condoms may not be available (or in good quality or subject to severe cultural tabu that prevents their use to the point where it's useless) it's a different discussion. It's all a matter of proportion. Wendy CO EMT-B

That didn't make any relevant sense whatsoever. Got a minute to clue the rest of us in as to what you meant there? Bumps on the noggin are very common. Many people are totally competent to refuse care after a bump on the noggin. Refusing BLS care when they're totally competent, resulting in cancellation of ALS, seems perfectly appropriate and normal to me. Wendy CO EMT-B