Category Archives: Random

humor, Random, Travel

Fasten your seat belt, across your forehead

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Each red eye flight, I hope for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. My ritual goes like this: I settle (contort) into my cramped coach seat, inflate my lumbar and neck pillows, stuff in ear plugs, pop a pill, lower my eye mask, pull up the flannel blanket and hope to catch a few hours snooze before waking up three time zones ahead. But it never quite works out. Just as I doze off, thunk!, there goes my head, dropping to my chin like a bowling ball from a child’s hand. The ensuing jerk to my spine startles me awake every time.

Half-jokingly I’ve told my travel companions for about the last year that I want to tie my head to the seat, if only to spare my vertebrae the stretch marks. But I’ve never seen anyone do it. But it’s not so crazy; you’re already buckled in at the waist. Why not at the forehead, too?

Any should strap could be used to tie your forehead to the airplane seat
I used this shoulder strap to tether my head to the airplane seat

Continue reading Fasten your seat belt, across your forehead →

Family, Politics, Random

Elderly couple consider divorce to keep health benefits

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A dear friend’s parents have been married for nearly 50 years, but now are considering divorce in order to keep healthcare benefits. Is this status quo really worthy of protecting, as some opponents of healthcare reform advocate?

About 2 months ago Mrs. Jones (name changed at her request) had a sudden, massive stroke. Her brain swelled 15cm, while her doctors prepared her family for the worst. But Mrs. Jones survived the first three critical days. When she regained consciousness, she lost all feeling in and control of her left side. She can’t walk, sit or swallow. It could be 6 months of intensive phsycal therapy before she can take a drink of water.

Mr. Jones retired from a job in aerospace years ago with a full pension and benefits. His insurance will cover 120 days of rehab for his wife. Then Medicare will kick in, since Mrs. Jones is in her 70’s, and cover an additional 65 day of rehab. Each day costs about $2,000 for care and therapy.

But when Mrs. Jones’ doctors and therapists met last week to establish treatment goals, the most they hope to achieve is swallowing within 6 months. By the time her insurance runs out, Mrs. Jones will be lucky to be able to sit up by herself. The rest of the care will have to be paid out-of-pocket, which would bankrupt Mr. Jones in the midst of his retirement.

The couples’ attorney recently suggested the couple divorce to protect assests and allow her to qualify for Medicaid.

Is this really the heathcare system we want?

Random

Happy music from sunny places

Grunge could never have originated in Hawaii, or Rio for that matter. There’s just too much sun and vitamin D making people happy. Likewise, samba or slack-key couldn’t have started in London or Seattle, where rock, punk and trance have found deep followings.

When sun-kissed people are sad or angry, it often comes out sounding at worst melancholy, at best still happy. After all, when you’re surrounded by gorgeous beaches, blessed with abundant rain and blue skies it’s hard to hate life enough to scream into a microphone all night.