THE STEEL DEAL

Where in the world?

Yeah, I know, could be anywhere. Tell you what, I'll give you a clue -  it is NOT here.
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    I've started a new category - OPEN ROAD. I love it so. And I miss it so much more. Images like this make my soul sing and my heart hurt just a little. If you have or find an image of the open road that moves you, send it along and we can share. Once I get enough of them- I'll put 'em all together in some fashion. Might make a nice book, don't you think?

Remind me to tell you the story about my idea for a 'road book'.

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The Great Depression depression - WWJBD?

 

From the BBC ...

 British concern, Norwich Union Healthcare polled 200 GPs, 200 business leaders and 1,000 employees for its Health of the Workplace survey. Half the workers admitted to being stressed, while one in five is suffering depression. A leading GP said people now had better access to talking therapies. The annual Norwich Union healthcare study found workers are putting increasing amounts of time and effort into their jobs.

 About half are going into work when they are ill and working longer hours, while just over a third are not taking lunch breaks. And 33% of the employees questioned said they were offering to take on more responsibility. When the workers were asked about their illness, half said they were suffering from insomnia while a third said they were having migraines and 21% had anxiety attacks and palpitations.

 Almost a third said they were drinking more and a fifth were smoking more. A third said they were comfort eating, and 11% said they were self-medicating with over-the-counter medicines. Of the GPs questioned, almost half said they have seen their patients' use of alcohol and drug increase, and 89% expect levels of depression and requests for anti-depressants to dramatically increase this year.

 Dr Douglas Wright, head of clinical governance at Norwich Union Healthcare, said: "On top of the adverse mental effects of stress itself, an unhealthy diet, limited exercise and increased levels of smoking and drinking could have far-reaching and long-term effects on both the nation's health and the UK economy."

 Professor Steve Field, president of the Royal College of GPs, said: "We are seeing an increase in anxiety and stress due to the economic situation. "But we are very pleased that the Department of Health has invested in increasing access to talking psychological therapies because that means we'll be able to help patients more than ever before."

   I'm sure people got real depressed during the Great Depression. But back then, they didn't have so many people telling them just how depressed they were all the damned time. They were also too damned busy trying to find their way out of whatever hole they were in instead of complaining nobody was helping them. Between victimhood and clinicians whose livelihood depend on that victimhood - it takes some real grit and guts to weather a real bad time. That was true then, it is true now and these times ain't nearly as bad as they were then.

Just have to keep looking forward with something other than a jaundiced eye ... or a troubled soul.


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¡Pegue esto donde el Sun no brilla!

From EurekAlert!

Surprisingly few pharmacies in the U.S. are able to translate prescription medication instructions into Spanish, making it difficult for patients who speak only Spanish to understand how to take their medications properly, according to a new study from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. The first multi-state study investigating the ability of pharmacies to translate prescription labels found more than half of the pharmacies were unable to translate any labels or could do only a limited number of translations. The study looked at pharmacies in states with a large existing Latino population (Texas and Colorado) and in states with a rapid growth in Latino population (Georgia and North Carolina). These states -- because of their large Latino populations -- are likely to have the greatest demand and capability for translation. Other states may be further behind, researchers said.

"The lack of translation for prescription medication instructions is a major problem," said lead author Stacy Cooper Bailey, clinical research associate and director of the Health Literacy and Learning Program at Northwestern's Feinberg School. "If you don't know how to take your medications correctly, it is going to be difficult for you to manage your medical condition. Taking medications incorrectly could cause serious problems or even death." The data also showed that 44 percent of pharmacies located in counties where the Latino population exceeds a quarter of the population were unable to provide comprehensive Spanish medication instructions. "The numbers are much worse than I anticipated," Bailey said. "A lot of effort has gone into improving language services in hospitals, but pharmacies have been overlooked," Bailey said. "That is unfortunate because a lot of people take medications. It's one of the most common health tasks that you have to perform. Knowing how to take your medications correctly is essential."

Bailey said some pharmacists report being afraid to use translations because they don't know what the Spanish translations mean. "They worry they are giving an incorrect instruction and they will be liable for it," Bailey said. "Pharmacies also may not be aware of software programs that offer translations," she added. Availability of translations is likely to be even worse for people who speak a language other than Spanish, Bailey said. "We have to be able to provide medication instructions in multiple languages, even beyond Spanish. More laws need to be passed to guide and enforce language services in pharmacies. We also need to come up with innovative ways of helping pharmacies provide these services. There are ways to overcome this obstacle."

 

   I was very pissed off when I read this. All I could see was pharmacies being forced to provide translators somehow and that it would be regulated and sanctioned by the State. Livid I was. El toro enragio. Then my little sister came by and came up with the perfect solution. Simply have a toll free phone number for the druggists and customers to use for translation. She also figured out how to pay for it - publish the availibility of that service everywhere. The pharmacies would get free advertising, the customers would get the help they need and the lawyers looking for malpractice or civil rights class action suits could go fuck themselves and it wouldn't cost the taxpayer a dime. Which is why the idea will never see the light of day.

Hard to see good ideas - or anything else for that matter -  when your head is where the Sun don't shine.

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Science - providing solutions today for the problems of tomorrow!

From AFP ...

 A US weapons lab on Friday pulled back the curtain on a super laser with the power to burn as hot as a star. The National Ignition Facility's main purpose is to serve as a tool for gauging the reliability and safety of the US nuclear weapons arsenal but scientists say it could deliver breakthroughs in safe fusion power. "We have invented the world's largest laser system," actor-turned-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said during a dedication ceremony attended by thousands including state and national officials.  "We can create the stars right here on earth. And I can see already my friends in Hollywood being very upset that their stuff that they show on the big screen is obsolete. We have the real stuff right here."

 NIF is touted as the world's highest-energy laser system. It is located inside the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory about an hour's drive from San Francisco. Equipment connected to a house-sized sphere can focus 192 laser beams on a small point, generating temperatures and pressures that exist at cores of stars or giant planets. NIF will be able to create conditions and conduct experiments never before possible on Earth, according to the laboratory. A fusion reaction triggered by the super laser hitting hydrogen atoms will produce more energy than was required to prompt "ignition," according to NIF director Edward Moses. "This is the long-sought goal of 'energy gain' that has been the goal of fusion researchers for more than half a century," Moses said. "NIF's success will be a scientific breakthrough of historic significance; the first demonstration of fusion ignition in a laboratory setting, duplicating on Earth the processes that power the stars."

 Construction of the NIF began in 1997, funded by the US Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). "NIF, a cornerstone of the National Nuclear Security Administration's effort to maintain our nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing, will play a vital role in reshaping national security in the 21st century," said NNSA administrator Tom D'Agostino. Scientists say that NIF also promises groundbreaking discoveries in planetary science and astrophysics by recreating conditions that exist in supernovas, black holes, and in the cores of giant planets.

 Electricity derived from fusion reactions similar to what takes place in the sun could help sate humanity's growing appetite for green energy, according to lab officials. "Very shortly we will engage in what many believe to be this nation's greatest challenge thus far, one that confronts not only the nation but all of mankind - energy independence," said lab director George Miller. The lab was founded in 1952 and describes itself as a research institution for science and technology applied to national security. "This laser system is an incredible success not just for California, but for our country and our world," Schwarzenegger said. "NIF has the potential to revolutionize our energy system, teaching us a new way to harness the energy of the sun to power our cars and homes."

    'Big as a house'? So was the first computer, lo those 50 years ago and if Moore's Law holds true, this device will fit in a shoebox in a decade. Or on a rifle stock. I heard a physicist say the other day that the only thing standing in the way of Star Trek-like phaser weapons was the power source - we simply don't have the battery technology yet. We will and soon. Imagine if this kind of power were in the hands of individuals like guns are today. I don't think that's too much of a stretch in say ... another generation or so. Sure would change things.

It'd make being a scumbag politician a bit more ... challenging.

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Video in video in video ....

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There's a reason it's known as the lowest form of humor.

 After Quasimodo's death, the Archbishop  of Paris sent word through all of France that a new bellringer was needed. His Eminence decided that he would conduct the interviews personally and went up into the belfry to begin the screening process.

 After observing two hundred and forty three applicants demonstrate their skills, he had decided to call it a day - when an armless man approached him and announced that he was there to apply for the bell ringer's job. The Archbishop was incredulous. "You have no arms!" "No matter," said the man, "observe!" He then began striking the bells with his face, producing a beautiful melody on the carillon.

 The bishop listened in astonishment, convinced that he had finally found a suitable replacement for Quasimodo. Suddenly, rushing forward to strike a bell, the armless man tripped and plunged headlong out of the belfry window to his death in the street below.

 The stunned Archishop rushed to his side. When he reached the street, a crowd had gathered around the fallen figure, drawn by the beautiful music they had heard only moments before. As they silently parted to let the bishop through, one of them asked, "Your Eminence, who was this man?"

"I don't know his name," the Archbishop sadly replied, "but his face sure rings a bell."

That, I must tell you, is not the punch line.......

Why not a blonde skeet match? PULL! DUCK!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!

From the BBC ...

An association of blonde women in Latvia says it hopes to dispel some of the Baltic state's economic gloom with a parade and ball in the capital, Riga. It hopes to field 500 fair-haired women for a weekend of events, including a concert, a fashion show and "blonde golf", said organiser Marika Gidere. "People are depressed, they don't have enough positive emotions," she added.

Latvia, home to 2.3 million people, is going through one of the most severe recessions in the European Union. Unemployment is rising and public sector salaries are being cut. "The economic situation is such that society needs these types of events," Ms Gidere, head of Latvia's Blondes' Association, told  AFP. "And this is something very positive and fun. And we know that blondes have more fun."

Sunday's blonde parade, to be held under the motto "Make the world a brighter place," will involve an orchestra composed of fair-haired women, she told the Russian news agency Ria Novosti. The parade will be followed by a ball and contests to find the best "blonde lawyer", "blonde journalist" and others.

This is probably one of those events best viewed from the relative safety of one's own home ... or France.

Here's a photo taken at the last 'blondes only' event - a road rally held in support of world peace.

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One scatter-brained hypocritical lying bitch

Click image for link

 "I do see this opportunity for climate change to be ... a game-changer," she said at Tsinghua. "It's a place where human rights - looking out for the needs of the poor in terms of climate change and healthy environment - are a human right."

 To achieve this, Pelosi said governments would have to make decisions and choices based on science. "They also have to do it with openness, transparency and accountability to the people," she said. "Everyone has to have their situation improved by it."

"We have so much room for improvement," she said. "Every aspect of our lives must be subjected to an inventory ... of how we are taking responsibility."

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Why, it's easy as pie!

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From the Independent ...

A man died today after coming into contact with a "noxious substance" on a farm. Seven police officers were also taken to hospital for observation after emergency services were called to Burpham Court Farm, in Guildford, Surrey, this morning. Investigations were taking place to establish what the substance was, Surrey Police said. The dead man was in his 50s. A Surrey Police spokesman said emergency services were unable to revive the victim at the scene.

The spokesman said: "Following a call to Surrey Police during the early hours of 28 May, officers arrived at Burpham Court Farm, Guildford, regarding a concern to safety. "One person - a man in his 50s - was found at the premises and it was apparent some sort of noxious substance was present at the scene which is currently being investigated." Officers alerted ambulance and fire services to the scene but the man died before he could be taken to hospital. Seven officers were under observation at hospital, the spokesman added.

The former dairy farm is understood to have been transformed into a conservation center and tourist attraction in recent years. Recent owners were the Duke of Sutherland and Paul Getty, but it is now tenanted by Bob and Margaret Dearnley, according to the farm's website. There was no one immediately available for comment at the site. Parts of the 76-acre site, which boasts a variety of rare breeds of animals and wildlife set in a riverside habitat, date back to the 1600s.

'Noxious substance'? I've driven by feedlots that would kill ya if ya weren't doing at least 70 mph.

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