Health

Medical discrimination

Posted on by backuphill

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The conspiracy theorists don’t have to say “I told you so”…because that theory isn’t a theory any longer. The requirement for a “vaccine passport” or at least proof of vaccination is here. The idea that you have sovereignty over your body, at least in some situations, apparently doesn’t apply these days. You are going to be told that you can’t live in or participate in society if you don’t comply.

I have heard of some employers actually requiring it too, but I don’t have the support on that yet (So far mine has said it won’t be a requirement…).

But, I think it is safe to say that discrimination based upon your medical/vaccination status is now truly going to be a thing. Thus, a theory becomes fact.

Yet again, higher education has found another way to discriminate against people being able to get an education.

The growing list of colleges who are going require vaccination of students is proof positive that those who said it wasn’t going to be necessary, were freaking lying to you. This was likely the plan all along, as far as vaccinations go.

Weird how colleges and universities are leading this in a very public way.

Vaccination is required; discrimination ensues; rejection for those who don’t comply and admission for those who do; and for those who do comply they will now be subjected further and already epic levels of indoctrination.

It used to be thought that higher education would be the “great equalizer”, but now it seems it will be the great discriminator and limiter.

What do you think? Do you disagree that this is discrimination based on a medical or vaccination status?

Virtue signals?

Posted on by backuphill

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You have probably noticed a weird trend on social media these days. Weird, or is it just empty virtue signaling? There is a lot of virtue signaling going on these days for quite a lot of various subjects. What do you think about people doing things or saying things just so they can appear to be better than you or others? Are you down with that? Are you doing it?

The trend of which I speak has to do with the virtue signaling of posting pictures or videos of getting the COVID vaccination. Surprisingly, people I didn’t expect to see this from are actually doing it too.

Is it that you think by letting people know you have the vaccine that they will somehow think more of you? That you are meeting with their approval? That you are better than me or someone else because you have complied with social demands to do so? Have you succumb to peer pressure and in turn now become the peer pressurer?

Do you post about when you get the flu shot?

Do you post your taking your blood pressure meds?

Do you post about your hepatitis treatments?

Do you post that you were vaccinated against the chicken pox, mumps, measles, diphtheria, rubella, or other childhood vaccinations?

Do you post about other medical issues?

Yes, getting the COVID vaccine is a personal choice, but does that mean we broadcast those medical personal choices to everyone? If not, then why are you doing so with this?

Perhaps you should check your motivations.

What virtue, exactly, are you signaling? By broadcasting it, are you signaling that you actually support the “vaccine passport” that would supposedly allow you to get into public events, other countries, and the like? Isn’t that a sort of medical discrimination? Do you support that too?

I doubt many people actually care whether you have your shot or not. It’s your choice to get it, or not. I don’t care. I don’t care about this one and I don’t care about any of the others.

Keep it to yourself. No one actually has a need to know.

I swear…

Posted on by backuphill

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Ever heard someone else utter those words? Ever heard yourself utter those words? Have you “had it” to the level that you begin muttering under your breath and out comes those words, followed by a definitive statement that you have no intention of following through with?

I have heard that phrase from others in the past. I can distinctly remember my mother saying that phrase several times. The multiple occasions probably probably involved my brother and I (or maybe my sisters). I can’t remember exactly, but I do remember that we all knew it was time to be on our best behavior or something was going to happen that involved the “tanning of our backsides.”

Anyway, I have reached my level.

Only it isn’t with children (though I am sure I have uttered this about them too).

It’s the pets today.

The cat won’t shut up. Meow. Meow. Meow meow meow…seriously! What the heck! I have let him outta the house three times already today. In and out. In and out.

The dog is even worse. Whine and whine and whine….and then there is the whole in and out, in and out, thing with her too. The dog has gone out to the back yard 8 times already. 8! Sure it’s a nice day outside, but heck if I know what the hell she wants.

So, I swear…if I gotta let them outta the house one more time…

Working from home is great, but this is admittedly a downside. The interruptions are incessant.

I swear…

Emotional blindness

Posted on by backuphill

Photo by Ksenia Chernaya on Pexels.com

Let’s just start this whole thing by saying I am not talking about Alexithymia. I am not talking about the inability to express one’s emotions and I am not talking about a person who is “cold” and has no emotion towards something or someone. I am not talking about indifference or a lack of empathy.

I am talking about people who get so caught up in their emotions that it keeps them from rationally thinking about something or someone. I am talking about people who let their emotions dictate their response to almost everything. I am talking about people who refuse to set their emotions aside, causing them to be blind to the way they are thinking and acting. I am talking about people who are controlled nearly completely by their emotions instead of using their head.

I am sure you know what I mean.

Take a look around. Watch the news. Look at either political side. Take any controversial subject.

There are far too many people who have emotional blindness. They simply have allowed their emotions to control them and they refuse to look at the issues in a rational, logical way. They refuse to get to the root of the issue and instead allow the emotions to taint any true thought.

It’s sad. It’s irritating. It’s frustrating.

It’s the state of our world, our country, our time.

Partied out

Posted on by backuphill

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It was a long weekend that started on Thursday night.

It was a weekend filled with food, celebration, and family.

Too much family.

Too much planning.

Too much to do to actually enjoy it.

Anyway, three birthday parties in two days…one on Saturday and two on Sunday.

All at my house.

It was a good time, but it was exhausting.

What’s worse is that there is always some family members that are there that you just rather wouldn’t be there. That’s harsh to say, I know, and I love them and all but they just make anything and everything more work.

Everyone had a good time. At least I think so.

I did and I didn’t.

At least it is over. I am partied out. I could care less if there are any more this year.

Project list

Posted on by backuphill

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Who else has a seemingly never ending project list at work?

I kid you not, every time I finally get to knock a project off my list three more get added. Or, let’s put it this way…every time I get close to the surface and can actually start treading water something grabs me and pulls me farther underwater.

Yes, I know I shouldn’t be complaining – job security and all.

But there is a point where you just feel like if they add one more you are going to break. Luckily, I am still working from the garage-office (or garoffice, if you will) and I can literally scream or yell when I need to. It really does let off steam, and it is slightly more productive than throwing office products.

They just keep piling it on and I am just lining it up. Deadlines? HA! I scoff at deadlines. You can’t keep piling this stuff up and think that deadlines are going to be met. When the work whistle goes off, I go home (well, I am already home so picture me turning off the light and walking out).

Anyway, how are you doing today? Do you have an overwhelming list of things to do, or are you good? Got good balance at work?

Commiserate with me. Spill your tactics for dealing with that overwhelming work load.

Feeling it

Posted on by backuphill

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

Snap, crackle, and pop.

Grunt, groan, sigh.

OH, that hurts!

Wait, why does that hurt? I didn’t do anything! It didn’t hurt earlier in the day when I was shoveling gravel for 30 minutes and climbing in and out of a dump trailer at a 30 degree angle. Why does it hurt now?

All I did was slide into bed…

This getting old thing is not something to shake a stick at. I guess neither is the outta shape thing either. Combined, they make for the perfect pairing of mysterious hurts, aches, and ailments.

Last night I suddenly felt a twinge of pain in the left hip area when I slide into bed. Weird. I didn’t have that before. Needless to say, it woke me up a few times as I shifted positions.

It hasn’t bothered me much today but it was just one of those reminder pains that let’s me know I am getting old.

What reminds you that you are getting old?

Highway robbery

Posted on by backuphill

This is my first foray into the prescription drug market in quite some time. I don’t like what I see, or felt, when I went to pick it up.

This all, of course, stems from the ear infection that I have been dealing with since the Apple Airpods Pro 2 decided to tear up my ear canals. Thanks, Apple. I appreciate finding out that I am now allergic to my expensive earphones’ silicone ear tips. You can read all about that at the link above.

So, the day I went to the doc to confirm what I already knew, they prescribed some ear drops to help with the paid and clear up the ear canal. The prescription was sent to the pharmacy and I waited about four hours before going in to pic it up. It is rarely available immediately, so there was no point in rushing in to get it. I waiting in line for 20 minutes only to find out the prescription wasn’t ready and I would have to go back the following afternoon because they “were out of the product.”

I was a little EAR-itated…but I had already been dealing with it for a couple days so no biggie. I waited 24 hours and went back.

It took the gal a little while to get the whole thing ready to go once I presented my info and insurance card. The pharmacist came over took a look and asked if I had any questions (seriously? They are ear drops. I haven’t forgotten where my ears are!).

Finally the gal says, “That’ll be 150.”

I was like, “1 dollar and fifty cents?”

She replied, “No, $150. It’s kind of an expensive co-pay.”

My reply, “Holy crap! Are there gold flecks in the drops? What makes them so expensive?”

She says, “I am not sure, but probably the brand.”

I debated letting my ears just deal with it. I mean, who really needs ears anyway, right?

I forked over the credit card (don’t get all judgy…the credit card is treated like a debit card for the rewards) and waited patiently for the transaction to be done.

When I got out to the car I opened the paperwork that was in the bag. The picture at the top of the blog is what the ACTUAL cost of the eardrops would have been had I not had insurance. My drug co-pay isn’t that great, so I was prepared to pay some dollars, but not this prepared.

I am a little stunned. Well, actually, not really.

You hear about this stuff all the time, but this is the first time I have experienced it. There is literally no reason for the cost of this tiny little vial of liquid other than because the drug companies have absolutely no checks and balance on they way the industry works.

Sure, I am a proponent of the free-market, capitalist society. But we all know there is a serious issue with the way the medical industry works. Scalping? Gouging? Inflation? Unfair practices? Most certainly all of those.

After I am done using the drops in my ear, I might just drink the rest of the liquid – even though it says it isn’t for internal consumption. I sure as hell and going to get every dollars worth of value out of that thing. One way or another.