Furlough- The Political Look Good vs The Truth

The Governer of Oregon decided that one way to save money was to have mandatory furlough days for state employees, 14 days for the biennium, which would be approximately 5% savings in wages.
This may be practical in some areas of government but is nothing more than a smoke & mirrors, feel good, look good ploy when it comes to running a facility that requires a certain number of staff per shift, such as a prison, state hospital or juvenile detention facility. A greater amount of money is being spent because overtime staff must be hired, at time and a half, to fill the position of staff that are being forced to take furlough days. So, the savings are really not a great as projected.
I really can't say that I mind a furlough day, because it does give me an extra day off, which I easily make up by working an overtime shift later in the week to cover other staff furloughs. More than anything I simply want to point out how much politicos are into doing things that look good to the public rather than doing that which is truly expedient.
This is merely a reflection of what is going on with government on a much larger scale. Stop the lies!

The Ant and the Grasshopper: Old and Modern Version

This is reposted from an e-mail I received from a friend:


THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

This one is a little different....Two Different Versions! ................. Two Different Morals!

OLD VERSION: The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself

MODERN VERSION:The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving.CBS, NBC , PBS, CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green.'Acorn stages a demonstration in front of the ant 's house where the news stations film the group singing, 'We shall overcome.' Rev. Jeremiah Wright then has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar.The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ants food while the government house he is in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him because he doesn't maintain it.The ant has disappeared in the snow.The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the once peaceful neighborhood.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.

ACORN wants people to complain about the 287g Program but I feel different

ACORN wants people to complain about the 287g Program but I feel different:

Secretary Napolitano,

I appreciate the 287g program. It has raised effective enforcement of Federal immigration laws by allowing federal officials, law enforcement, and community groups to work together to stop the flow of illegal immigrants.
Please continue to give law enforcement the tools needed to enforce laws currently on the books which is the first step in ending the street crimes committed by persons in the US illegally. It has been statistically proven that crimes by persons in the country illegally occurs at a much higher rate than that of the citizenry.
Sincerely,

The Left's Double standard is seen in how they adore Rapo-Polanski

Roman Polanski is finally arrested for the rape of a 13 year old girl some 32 years after the fact and the mainstream media comes running to his defense with the argument of it being so long ago. Is this not the same group of people that continue to rehash all the terrible things the Bush administration did to terrorists..........not victims, TERRORISTS, some 6 years ago.
I hear Whoopi Goldberg making light of it "this wasn't rape rape", alluding to it being statutory only. She should read the facts. This girl was drugged and raped......RAPED....vaginally, orally, anally. She was forced and then Polanski was lucky enough to get a plea bargain because the family did not want to put the girl through a trial. He used that opportunity to abscond from justice.......well, justice is due. He should get new charges for fleeing as well.
I am so tired of these people, Whoopi, Debra Winger and the left leaning loons coming out with their fake morality against attrocities, like waterboarding terrorists, while giving a pass to one of the worst, and one of their own. Check your morals before pointing the finger you loons.

Blessings,
Mike

Can the Government really give affordable healthcare?

As many readers know...... I work in the mental health field at a State Hospital and try to come from that perspective when writing about an issue. Today's issue addresses cost of care in the past and currently, and whether the government can really lower the cost of medical care by becoming more involved. let's look at reality:


One of my new patients received a piece of mail a few days ago that made him instantly angry and caused him to throw it on the floor, say a few obscenities, and become rude with the staff. What was this terrible piece of paper? What evil things did it have to say?..... It was a statement of "cost of care" while he was a patient at the State Hospital. It stated that his cost of care would be approximately $18,000 per month. Yes, that is per month!

I started working at this particular institution in 1986 and remember the cost of care being at approximately $2700 for each individual patient per month. This year I saw a patient's statement and it showed cost of care at approximately $18,000. Can somebody run the numbers for me? What is the percentage of increase in 23 years?

It appears to me, with my basic math, that the increase in the cost of care is approximately 700% over the past 23 years. Gold was between $300 and $400 in 1986 and is currently at About $950....... that is approximatelya 350% increase. To me that means that basic cost of medical care is increasing at a rate that is twice that of currency. Why is cost of care rising at such a fast rate and what can we do to bring the cost down?

I believe that increased government intervention is and will lead to an increase in cost of care with a reduction in care given. All one has to do is look at how other businesses have faired after the federal government took control. I, for one, am not ready to shuttle mother and other 'elderly' loved ones around me off to Hopice when they have a great deal of life to live. All we need to do to see how this will work is to look at other sytems and how they are fairing......My understanding is that Canada, after trying the social experiment, is looking at going back to private health care....... systems in Europe are doing the same thing. Why are we experimenting with a losing proposition when it has already been tried elsewhere and found to be lacking?

We don't have the perfect system.....but, it is the best system. America stands on the cutting edge and the lefties seek to equalize the field by reducing care for most so a small percentage of society will have the same coverage.......

Mr Obama, Senate and House leaders, come to this care you offer America and tell me it will suffice for you as well. I know it won't because you expect more. So do I! Keep your hands off my health care. I trust the free market over you any day!!

Keep your mouth shut, stay in line

Last week I posted a link, in Facebook, to Sara Palin's Op-Ed that was in the Washington post. I thought it was a straight forward look at the Energy Crisis that will be upon us if we continue to move in the "Cap n Tax" direction this country is currently going and pointed out how we can move toward energy independence, rather clearly. When I woke up the next morning and checked my e-mail I found a response to my post that stated "I don't think this needs to turn into a political Facebook". My response was... "Actually, everything we do in life is political. If a person does not like what I have to share they do not need to follow my status or read my wall. I will not be a sheeple".

This person had the audacity to tell me what I could put on my own Facebook wall! Please understand, this was not something I had posted to her on her wall or sent to her as a direct message, this was an article I had placed on my own wall. This person who spent the last 8 years trashing the Republicans and the Bush policy (I'm not big on either myself.... they are not conservative enough) was now telling me that I am supposed to keep my mouth shut, stay in line and not make my Facebook wall political. All this while she gloats about how the libs got Obama in office......not because he was great, but because there is a lack of conservative leadership. We know it's bad........ Can anyone say "Al Frankin'?



I have heard it said over the years...... "I don't talk about politics or religion". Well, my 2 favorite subjects are Politics and Religion. Both of these topics affect peoples lives and are, in my mind, as important as air.

I WILL talk about my political and religious beliefs. I will share with people what God means to me and what needs to be done in this country to best serve it's citizens.

People........WAKE UP! Some, have no problem telling you not to think or feel or say......."Keep your mouth shut, stay in line!!"...... while they continue to espouse their socialistic, anti-God agenda. If we continue to move peacefully down the road, and if we continue to live our own lives, and if we continue to raise our families and believe all is well........... we will, in our lifetime, watch the unraveling destruction of the greatest nation that ever existed, right before our very eyes.

I will not shut up. I will not act like all is well. I will not forget that there are people that seek for a utopia that requires not their own sacrifice, but the sacrifice of others.

conservative what?

I Started looking at conservative political definitions recently to remove some confusion and decided that, even though I definitely know what I believe, I'm not sure what my political view would be defined as. Don't get me wrong... I know that I am a Conservative though I am confused by some of the definitions of politics on the right. So, I thought I would look up some definitions from a few different sources to see what I came up with. The following words have been bantered about by conservative political wonks when talking politics on the right.

New Right - In the United States, the New Right refers to a Conservative political movement that coalesced through grassroots organizing in the years preceding the 1964 presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater. The Goldwater campaign, though failing to unseat incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson, galvanized the formation of a new political movement. In elite think-tanks and local community organizations alike, new policies, marketing strategies, and electoral strategies were crafted over the succeeding decades to promote strongly conservative policies. The New Right got a policy approach and electoral apparatus that brought Ronald Reagan into the White House in the 1980 presidential election. The American New Right is distinct from and opposed to the more moderate tradition of the so-called Rockefeller Republicans. The New Right also differs from the Old Right on issues concerning foreign policy with the New Right being opposed to the non-interventionism of the Old Right. Though mostly ignored by scholars until the late 1980s, the formation of the New Right is now one of the fastest-growing areas of historical research. from wikipedia.com

Old Right - was a faction of American conservatism that opposed both New Deal domestic programs and also the entry of the U.S. into World War II. Many members of this faction were associated with the Republicans of the interwar years led by Robert Taft, but some were Democrats. They were called the "Old Right" to distinguish them from their anti-communist New Right successors. from wikipedia.com

Neoconservatism - a political philosophy that emerged in the United States of America, and which supports using American economic and military power to bring liberalism, democracy, and human rights to other countries. Unlike traditional conservatives, neoconservatives are generally comfortable with a minimally-bureaucratic welfare state; and, while generally supportive of free markets, they are willing to interfere for overriding social purposes. from wikipedia

Paleoconservatism - (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) is a term for an anti-communist and anti-imperialist right-wing political philosophy in the United States stressing tradition, civil society and anti-federalism, along with religious, regional, national and Western identity. Chilton Williamson, Jr. describes paleoconservatism as "the expression of rootedness: a sense of place and of history, a sense of self derived from forebears, kin, and culture—an identity that is both collective and personal." from wikipedia.com

Traditionalist conservatism - is a political philosophy that developed in the United States. It tends to emphasize cultural renewal and is characterized by an adherence to the principles of prescription (law), custom (law), social order, hierarchy, faith, the natural family, ordered liberty, and tradition. It may be said to have affinities with reactionary thought, and some adherents of this movement perhaps embrace that label, defying the stigma that has attached to it in Western culture since the Enlightenment.Traditionalist conservatism as an organized intellectual force emerged after World War II in the writings of a group of university professors (labeled the "New Conservatives" by the popular press of the time) who rejected the notions of individualism, liberalism, modernity, and social progress[1] and revived interest in what T. S. Eliot referred to as "the permanent things" (those perennial institutions that ground society: the church, the family, the state, community life, etc.). from wikipedia.com

Conservative Libertarianism -A form of libertarianism that is not as statist as pure conservatism, but not as socially liberal as "pure" libertarianism. Like libertarians, conservative libertarians believe in a very small government, with only those services needed to protect the citzens from unjust force. They usually also believe in there being more power given to the states (so it can be loosely related to Confederatism). However, they also share many attributes of conservatives; most are pro-life, and against unchecked immigration. The gray area for conservative libertarianism is victimless crimes, such as drug possession and prostitution.
Conservative libertarians usually were either Republicans who thought the party was too statist, or Libertarians (note the capital L) who thought that the party consisted of pimps and potheads who only cared about legalizing drugs and prostitution. from everything2.com

Fiscal conservatism- A political phrase term used in North America to describe a fiscal policy that advocates a reduction in overall government spending. Fiscal conservatives often consider deficit and national debt reduction as well as balancing the federal budget of paramount importance. Free trade, deregulation of the economy, lower taxes, and other economically conservative or neoliberal policies are also often affiliated with fiscal conservatism. From wikipedia.com

Social conservatism - A political or moral ideology that believes government and/or society have a role in encouraging or enforcing traditional values or behaviors based on the belief that these are what keep people civilized and decent. Social conservatives in many countries generally: favor the pro-life position in the abortion controversy and oppose embryonic stem cell research; support the death penalty, oppose same-sex marriage and other marriages social conservatives consider the establishment of to be contrary to traditional marriage, and the nuclear family model as society's foundational unit; oppose expansion of civil marriage and child adoption rights to couples in homosexual relationships; promote public morality and traditional family values; oppose secularism and privatization of religious belief; support the prohibition of drugs, prostitution and euthanasia; and support the censorship of pornography and what they consider to be obscenity or indecency. From wikipedia.com

Reagan Conservative - someone with strong values on fiscal conservatism, strong national defense, strong social values but who understands that those three things fit together and that people may (not) agree with you 100% on all of them. Reagan was able to use what people had in common in order to bring them together rather than using what their disagreements to divide them. from Reagan Society Board Member Merrie Spaeth at reagansociety.org

I found it hard, or apparently did'nt know where to look, to find any single source that had all of the above definitions. wikipedia.com seemed to be the source that contained most but I do have reservations about some of it's definitions because it allows for updates from numerous sources and appears to be left leaning, in my opinion, from looking up items in the past. Please feel free to send me a note with any advice on where to look for a better or different definitions, or for additions to the list.

My Hero, My Aunt

I went quickly, today, to see my Aunt Brenda before she died. I didn't really know her, but I was saddened that she was quickly dying. She was dying of cancer and I wanted to be at her side to tell her that I loved her.......and to be there for her, as well as my grandmother, mom and cousin.

My memories of my Aunt Brenda are few and cloudy, sparce. I remembered things from when I was a child......and she was wild. The story I love to tell is when she told my grandpa that my cousin Don, and I, were pulling bullets apart with plyers so we could make bombs......it didn't work too well and she told on us. What I came to realize is that the lady I had known had become a modern day hero in a world of selfish individuals. I don't know the whole story but I will try to put it together the best that I can.

She had been an abused spouse in her life and started a women's shelter in the mid 90s, this much I knew. What I didn't know is that she had moved on from this to being a servant to her community from that time forward. some quotes from the Hood River News:

Herman organized the assembly of care packages for the troops at two markets during 2007. At that time, she was already sending boxes on her own to military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. She referred to these men and women as her “adopted children.”

In 2008, Herman co-founded the Heroes Club to expand her outreach to the troops. The mission of the group sponsored by Elks Lodge 1507 in Hood River and Lodge 1868 in White Salmon was to support individuals serving in the armed forces from the Mid-Columbia area.

For her efforts on behalf of the troops, Herman was named Elk of the Year for 2008 by the White Salmon lodge.

“I’ve only known Brenda a short time but, in that time, I have found her to have a heart of gold,” said VandenBos.

Jean Hadley, of Parkdale, met Herman while she was volunteering as a Master Gardener at the Hood River market. In addition to serving as board president, Herman made and sold Misty Mountain soaps and lotions.
Hadley said Herman immediately offered help after learning that she served on the survivor walk committee of Relay for Life.
“I had asked her if she would sell me some of her small soaps to be a small gift for the survivors. What Brenda did was make enough soaps to hand every survivor one for the next three years and she would not take a penny,” said Hadley.

“She does what she does for all the right reasons, for whoever needs it. What an inspirational person; her energy has been contagious.”
In 1995, Herman was named Citizen of the Year in White Salmon, where she makes her home. The recognition followed her work to open “Hope’s Place,” a shelter for abused women and children.
One of her personal triumphs was a climb to the summit of Mount Hood in the late 1980s.
“She is a very passionate woman who loves life,” said Mason.
“The things that she could change, she has done to make this world a better place for us all.”

I was further amazed to hear that she was writing thank you notes to hospital staff and loved ones until she was unable to do so any longer.

Sometimes, we are so busy looking for a hero that we miss the hero in our midst. It took too long for me, Aunt Brenda, to notice. Thank you for your selflessness. Truly, you are my hero.

"I have the right"

"I have the right"........ that is what the patient said to me as he ignored my question about his intentions. I'm not trying to be rude, but he is on a constant watch for the protection of himself and others. I state "could you answer the question, please?" with no effect because he is fixated on the fact that he has the right to do whatever the hell he wants. It may not be true, but he believes it, and why not, he has been told that since he was a small, mentally disabled child.

This is but a symptom of the disease eating away at our society. I don't just hear this from patients in a mental institution...... I hear it echoed all around me. I heard it when Obama became President and people praised the fact that he would, finally, take care of there needs, pay off their mortgages, make sure they have healthcare....... you saw that lady say "Obama is going to pay for my house", and I hear it when people at work tell me why they don't have to do their assigned task.......or show up to work. The problem with the socialist utopia is that there are too many trying to get.....because it is their right....because the deserve.

What did John F. Kennedy say? "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country."

It is time again to ask the question "what can I do for my country". It's time to move back to a place of responsibility instead of a selfish desire to get.......because "I have the right".

talking to blogging to action

I have no problem speaking with others. I can share events in my life with gusto, as if I am living them all over again. I can also spin a yarn or share something that was told to me by someone that had been told by someone that had been told by someone. I am guessing that, at times, those around me wonder if I will ever shut up. I find it harder, at least as I start, to post a blog because I want to continually reread and change what I have typed rather than just go with my current thought. I am determined to get to a point that I feel as comfortable sharing in this form as I do when I am sharing one of my life's experiences with those around me. So, bear with me as I get used to this.

I decided to start sharing my thoughts in this form because I believe something needs to be said, and done, as the values that I hold dear come under continuous attack from people and organizations that have far different, or in some instances, no morals or ethics. I am amazed by the lack of interest people have in what is happening in the world around them. Michael Savage has used the term "sheeple" to describe people that follow blindly and unquestioningly. I use the word freely myself as it says so much so easily.

A false sense of security is a free ride to loss of liberty, oppression and control. That is a ride I would rather not take. As Edmond Burke stated "All that's needed for the forces of evil to win in this World is for good men to do nothing". We have seen it numerous times in history and, as we know, history repeats itself.

I do not want to be a fence sitter. I don't want to sit idly by as the world I know passes into a place that is no longer recognizable. I don't want to read the obituary and realize that I have done nothing to stop the plunge. I have been called a pessimist, conspiracy thinker and worrier. Whatever I may be, I cannot allow myself to sit quietly as we move toward a one world socialist oligarchy.

The question I keep asking myself is 'what can I do?'. I am just a guy, working 60 to 80 hours a week and I don't have time to be involved. That is the easy answer.

I must do something. This blog is a start. I welcome input from others as to how I, we, can be involved. I want my country back and I desire to be united with those Patriots that feel the same way.

Deflection as a Tactic: in Mental Health & politics

Working in the mental health field, working with criminals, and raising children, has given me plenty of opportunity to watch different tactics for moving from a discussion point, or point of focus, to a point that has nothing to do with the beginning topic. I am interested in sharing my thoughts about the tactic of deflection because it seems so prevalent in my work, in politics and in the news.


I prefer the smooth deflection over the blatant use of the tactic. It tends to leave a person either wondering what just happened, or moves one to another subject, without realizing that they have been taken for a ride. There are some in the political field that are good at the use of this tool while others appear to stumble over themselves and can't figure out how to get out of the bind they have created for themselves. If a person wants to truly become good at deflection I would suggest following an antisocial, used care dealer, drug addict, thief or longtime politician in mannerism, inflection and general nonchalance.

My interest in this came about quite accidentally when I noticed that I would ask a patient a question, or intervene when I noticed a problematic behavior, and the patient would make a statement that had nothing to do with what I had asked. The best deflections actually blame somebody else for a totally different behavior, hopefully of more consequence, so people will deal with that accusation rather than the current behavior. Example:

Me: "Jimmy, I noticed that you were telling Danny to give his money to you. That is not appropriate behavior and I would ask that you stop doing that"

Jimmy:"I just saw Billy trying to sell his radio to Marvin"

Notice that Jimmy moved very quickly to an offense that someone else was possibly committing in order to deflect the focus from himself. Another possible response would have been to say that another person was strong arming him and making him tell Danny to give him the money. The more that the person can defuse the 'blame" for what is going on the, less likely that person is to have any repercussions for the behavior because, quite honestly, it muddies the waters, confuses the situation and leaves the people dealing with the situation unsure of what the truth is.

Now, let's use a political example of deflection:

Nancy Pelosi was being focused on because she appeared to be lying about whether she had, or had not, been briefed by the CIA about the use of water boarding as technique for getting information from prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. The first thing she did was read (she needs some practice) a statement about what had, or had not, been said to her. Secondly, she insisted that she had never been briefed on the subject (Usually a patient, or criminal, would just say "huh?", "Whaaa?" or "I don't know"). Then, in an amazing show of deflection prowess, Pelosi, the left media and the administration, pointed out how Cheney had not informed them of an assassination program that was never moved into an active phase and that the CIA was not required to report about.

Notice how the fact that Pelosi is lying about the briefings is no longer the focus but, instead, the media is talking about charges against Cheney. luckily, even though Nancy stumbled, she had some help from left-media and the adminstration to deflect her outright lies and make it about Cheney and the previous administration. Though it was not a smooth transition of focus from Nancy to Cheney you can still see that it did, indeed, change the focus and deflect the blame.

Kudos to Nancy Pelosi, the left wing media and the Obama administration for being able to pull the wool over the sheeples eyes. If you need further instruction about how to do a better job at it please feel free to come by a mental hospital, or a prison, near you to learn the true art of deflection. With that you can get a full lesson on 'blaming others' and 'it's not my fault', as well.

Thoughts from a retiring Mental Health Worker

This is from a note sent to employees by a person who is retiring from the Hospital I work at:

The Lighter Side of 45 Years Working in State Hospitals

June 30, 2009

I hope you find these short stories interesting; it was sure fun for me.

The Real Orientation:
I began working at Colorado State Hospital in July of 1964 while in undergraduate school. There was no orientation, just report to ward 77, maximum security for the afternoon shift, my title was nurse attendant and my pay was $1.55 an hour. On the second day, I was standing in the back of the dining room in my white cords and blue suede shoes when a plate of spaghetti flew across the room on to my white pants. Someone yelled “riot”. I didn’t know what to do, so I jumped on the back of a very big patient. He carried me around while he created mayhem. It did not go on for long and when it was over, the patient gently put me down and said “you done good!”
I knew I had a career ahead of me.

Shocking Interview:
One of the first admission interviews I observed was before security was of much concern, in fact, the psychiatrist, started by lighting a cigarette for the patient. Sometime during the interview, the doctor was asking questions and the patient reached in his pocket and pulled out a switchblade and stabbed it into his own leg. The doctor knew the patient had a wooden leg, and just said, “so Mr. Fink” have you ever thought of changing your name?

What Patients Can Teach You:
When out of grad school, I was watching a psychiatric exam. The doctor asked the patient what the phrase meant, “it’s an ill wind that blows no one some good”. I turned to my colleague and asked, I thought quietly, “what the hell does that mean”? The patient turned to me and said, “it means that there is some good in everything”.

The Great Escape:
In maximum security we had two tall fences with razor wire around the top of both. The Security Director decided the hospital should have dogs between the fences so that there would be even greater security. Well, the patients regularly brought food from the dining room to feed the dogs. One night there was a big event, two big holes were cut in the fences and 10 patients escaped. When the patients were found, the dogs were with them.

The HR Caper. What’s with 93?
In Idaho where I was Superintendent of State Hospital South in Blackfoot, we had a very interesting patient on the Geriatric Ward. He was a striking Native American with silver hair and a long braid down his back. He was one of those natural leaders and everyone always relied on him for advice and conversation. His age was 93. He decided to apply to become a direct care staff and so he sent in his application, while he was still in the hospital. When the personnel board in Boise sent him his score, it was 93. He proudly posted it on the door to his room. This got the staff to thinking, what if Blackie applied for a job? Blackie was the program’s Black Lab, and a very nice dog. They filled out the application and were very creative. Under credentials they put – licensed in the city of Blackfoot. Under relationships, they put-excellent, everyone likes me and say I’m underfoot all the time. You guessed it! The dog scored 93. When this came to the light of the Personnel Board, they called me to Boise, and chewed me out for about an hour, even though I didn’t know about it until after-the-fact. They told my boss, the Director of Health and Welfare to deal with me as he saw fit. He called me to his office and told me what he was told to do. So he said “that was great, let me buy you lunch”.

My Favorite Psychologist Story:
This didn’t happen while this psychologist worked at OSH, but I couldn’t stop laughing. This psychologist worked a little late one day and then went home. It was Halloween. When he got home, there was a note from his wife saying that she took the kids to a Halloween party and he could handle the trick-or-treaters. He looked around the house but couldn’t find any candy and then the doorbell rang. He crept along the wall and peeked out to see the neighbor kids, who were good friends, waiting and ringing the bell. He slid down and was crawling across the living room when he realized the kids might see him through the large window to the porch. He lay down behind the furniture, but being a tall man, couldn’t hide completely. The kids looked through the window, and ran home and told their parents that MR. was lying on the floor; it looked like something happened to him. They called 911 and when the paramedics showed up with the neighbors all around, he had some explaining to do.

The Psychiatrist’s Powerful Words:
We had a patient who had a history of traveling around the country on other people’s credit cards. When the doctor was talking with the patient about something, he said “it would be beneficial and theraputic”. When the patient escaped, we started getting post cards from all around the country saying, “the climate here is beneficial and therapeutic”.

The Blind Side Award:
When I lived in Idaho, I had a large ¾ ton pick-up truck, you know, “when in Rome…”. One day I parked to go in a store, a motorcycle parked right behind me. When I was leaving, I backed up and couldn’t see the motorcycle and pretty well crushed it. Sometime later, I was at a statewide Health and Welfare meeting where the Department Director was giving awards to several staff. I got called up and the Director gave me the Blind Side Award. Then said, “that was my son’s motorcycle”.

Shoes – You Will Be Remembered:
When at Dammasch Hospital, the CMO and I had an occasion to visit some group homes. A patient at one of these facilities kept making eye contact with the doctor. He had been discharged for ten years. He finally walked up and said “hi Dr. R. I see you are still wearing the same shoes”. He was. I told his wife this story and she threw the shoes out.

Lawyers:
In Idaho we had a Legal Aid lawyer who’s job description was to cause me grief, and he was good at it. I went up to him and asked, “what is the difference between a dead lawyer in the road and a dead skunk in the road?”
Then I said, “there are skid marks in front of the skunk”. Several months later I was skiing. I’m a shinny-side-up skier and take it easy. Out of the trees a skier shot right atop the front of my skis and, as I was rolling down the hill he yelled back “no skid marks!”

I am sure there are more stories but I have to stop. I have tremendous respect for you and our patients. Thank you for all the support you have given me over the years. I wish you well in the future.

Death of a friend

I work in a environment that comes with a great deal of sadness, illness, violence and, sometimes, death. I work in a psychiatric facility. I say this just to make a point that, though many negative things surround me, it still feels different when it is someone you have a bond with.
A co-worker of mine died yesterday. It wasn't work related and I knew he had been ill recently, but it hit me hard none the less. I had worked with Al on a Maximum Security unit years ago and had gone to watch his band play, at the local bars, a few times. Being a 3 doors down fan made it easy for me to warm to his style of music since I was able to sing right along and Al was always smiling and always friendly whenever we ran into each other.
When things like this happen I can't help wonder why that person? Why not me? I stand firm in my Christian faith and certainly know that the Creator of the Universe is not beholden to explain why life happens to me........ yet, I can't help but try to figure out what makes it all happen. Do we really do things that shorten or prolong our lives or are we simply numbers drawn from a bowl. I know that it serves My God's purpose yet I cannot fathom how. I guess that is where the part about being as little children comes in..........trust God, for he directs our path.
I feel a sense of loss with Al's passing away but, more so, I feel sad for the family that he leaves behind. My prayer is that they will be comforted and that God will use this to His purpose.