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Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Common Sense

In the emergency room of the local hospital last night, where Danny had taken me for a moderately severe asthma attack in conjunction with bronchitis, we overheard the doctor discussing the status of a young patient who had been brought in by her parents. No more than 2 years old, this girl had suffered a severe allergic reaction, necessitating medical intervention to prevent suffocation.

The parents knew that this toddler was allergic to fish; they had taken her to be tested some time ago. Someone, whom they claimed to be a doctor, advised them to feed the child small amounts of fish, to increase her resistance to the allergy. As a result, life of their child was endangered that night, necessitating a trip to the ER.

Don't get me wrong, I am not against herbal or historical cultural medicine. If a treatment is safe, and makes the patient feel better, then I am all for it. But by blindly following the advice of this quack, who was absolutely not a medical doctor, the parents placed their child in grave danger. No medical doctor would advocate this. They had followed the advice of someone who was not trained to give such direction.

What is wrong with people ? What ever happened to common sense ? The child was allergic to fish. The parents had to know that feeding it to her would cause a reaction, but they fed it to her anyway. Regardless of who gives advice, it is up to the parents to apply common sense when dealing with the health of their dependent child.

Danny and I simply looked at each other in disbelief as we heard this conversation through the curtained walls of my hospital bed. All we could say was, "How could they be so stupid ?" The doctor set them straight with the instruction to never feed the child fish again, and to only take medical advice from a certified doctor. They were fortunate to be taking her home that night.

As I read on CNN today, there is a study being done that preliminarily shows that kids may be able to build up a tolerance towards allergens. This article discusses the details, but is very clear in stating that this should not be attempted by anyone not a part of the study. During the experiment, children are given allergenic substances in specific amounts, in a controlled environment, with medical standby in case of a severe reaction.

Perhaps there is hope to increase kids' tolerance to allergies. But an answer can be 5 or more years away; and even so, should never be attempted by anyone in their homes.

Young children are precious, and completely dependent on their parents to provide a safe and healthy environment to them.

I can only hope that the couple in the curtained room next door learned their lesson.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Goodbye, Roo

Last night marked the end of an era. A 3 1/2 year stretch of my life, during which I spent 100,000 miles behind the wheel of my beloved 2003 Cavalier, named Roo.

Roo was a good car. Never an ounce of trouble. The only mark on her otherwise perfect service record was the replacement of the fuel pump this past summer. She was smooth, zippy, great on gas and reliable.

Roo saw me through the good times and the difficult times. The 120-mile round-trip daily commute. Several trips to Los Angeles, Redding and Reno. My rebirth and founding of a new life in the South Bay. The myriad of emergency calls at work, speeding off to my destination, first aid bag on the back seat, ready for action. And through it all, the car never complained.

I knew I couldn't keep her. My dream car, now named Breeze, had arrived, necessitating a sale.

Coincidentally, or perhaps by fate, a good friend of mine's girlfriend had been thinking about buying a car. Stricken with a severe case of carpal tunnel syndrome, and possessing of a car with manual shift and without power steering, she was rendered reliant on others and public transit some time ago. In that, she had lost a piece of her freedom. Still fiercely independent and motivated, she needed another way of getting around. Roo was a perfect match.

Last night, as I watched the new owner drive away, I realized that my old car wasn't just a car to her. It was her independence, her freedom, and the restoration of a part of her life that she had previously lost.

My old car was able to give that to her.

In my daily routine, I strive to make others' lives better, whether through friendship, comfort, business matters or emergency response. Selling Roo didn't just take a car off my hands, it enhanced the life of another person.

Such is always my goal. And last night, that goal was achieved.

I couldn't have asked for anything better.

Monday, December 18, 2006

More Fun with Stickshift

I have discovered that the simple action of eating an apple while driving stickshift is a near-impossible feat until one reaches cruising speeds, as in on a freeway.

My sister gleefully photographed my creative way of holding onto my partially-eaten fruit while navigating the parking lot at my complex.



I'm just so cool. NOT !

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

I'm a Real Chick

I saw an awesome license plate frame on an old Mustang on the 280 this morning. It said:

REAL CHICKS

DRIVE STICK !


Aw yeah. :)

Friday, December 08, 2006

Bimmer or Beemer ?

Ask this question to any BMW enthusiast, and you will be met with a staunch, and somewhat irritated response. According to the Boston chapter of the BMW Car Club of America, Bimmer refers to cars, whereas Beemer refers to motorcycles. Sounds easy, right ? Not quite.

Every person I have talked to, both in Canada and here in California, has referred to my car, and others like it, as Beemers. It just has a nicer ring to it. Bimmer, as in BIM-mer, just doesn't sound right. Nobody uses it, and it sounds, well, dim. Bimmer. Dimmer. Not something to be proud of.

However, according to Wikipedia, most people, to the chagrin of the Boston folks, still use the term "beemer" to refer to the BMW cars. And here's the kicker: in the German language, the common pronunciation of the term "Bimmer" is "Beemer."

The Germans have to be right. They built the car after all. I must bow to their will, and their custom. The Germans are king. I am their servant.

So, if anyone from Boston asks, I will call my car a "Bimmer" like I'm supposed to. But I will pronounce it like Beemer. It's the right thing to do.

Sorry Boston. The Germans won this one.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Public Service Announcement

Lighting matches on a plane to cover up the smell of your farts is really not a good idea.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/12/06/plane.passing.gas.ap/index.html

Monday, December 04, 2006

What ?!

The BMW dealership wants $145 for a set of floor mats.

$145. For floor mats.

Uhh.. no.
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