Posts by Adam Wells5

dustycanyon6 said:I have to jump in here because some of these posts are totally missing the point—looking at you, Charles Young. We’ve touched on this before, but it's worth repeating.

Everyone deserves equal rights and freedoms. Part of that is the right not to be poisoned against your will. My freedom ends where yours begins. If you think about it, smoking in a non-smoking area (or even just around others) is unethical because you're infringing on their space and health. The law might not strictly forbid it everywhere yet, but that doesn't make it okay. Just because something isn't illegal doesn't mean it's right. If there were any real justice in this world, smoking wouldn't be allowed in public spaces, or we'd have properly separated areas for smokers and non-smokers.

And I'll say it again: this isn't about banning smoking. It's about not allowing people to infringe on the freedom of non-smokers. By restricting smoking in public spaces, we actually gain more freedom in America—it makes us a slightly more democratic and free society than we are now.

I hope people see the distinction between a ban and simply not allowing something. Signs should really say "Smoking is not permitted" instead of "Smoking is prohibited," because the default state should be no smoking in public. Some people just need things spelled out explicitly. It's like the whole debate over marijuana—we aren't talking about legalization, we're talking about decriminalization.

Yep, I'm with you on this. 👍

Charles Young said:Regarding people actually paying fines... nobody would ever pay them.$167 They’d honestly rather go to jail or do community service.
Prisons are already packed with traffic offenders, and if this ban actually happened, the system would just collapse. From what I hear, there are 80k people waiting to serve time for minor stuff. Now, multiply that by five, and you get an idea of how many people will be caught smoking at bars or clubs over the weekend. Seriously, there wouldn't be room in any US prison for anyone except smokers (lol?). Then people would start speeding everywhere to avoid getting caught, leading to more accidents because they know their court date isn't for another ten years.

Nobody said this would be fixed overnight. We need new prisons regardless of this law. So, we should be building them right now just to handle the current situation.

Charles Young said:Smoking gives me pleasure, so when you say it provides nothing, you need to respect my personal enjoyment.[/B]

Madness:

I respect your enjoyment, so please respect my decision to stay away from smoke, whether active or passive.

Quote:

Charles Young says: [B]In bars and clubs... don't you realize how many spots there are in a city like this? You can't regulate that legally. You'd need millions of honest cops out there enforcing it (see 😁 above). It's simply never going to happen here, and even if it does, it'll just be a dead letter on a page. You don't need a million cops; you just need inspectors circling the bars. If you catch someone smoking, you fine both the smoker and the manager—there's nothing better than peer pressure to get things done. Problem solved, and hey, new jobs created. Anyway, we're here to talk about health, not law enforcement. What I want to know is why smokers don't feel any guilt toward non-smokers—like a parent smoking right next to their own kids?

Charles Young said:Hold up, why does it have to be every single public space?

I don't think I'm poisoning anyone if I light up on the street,
in a park, or whatever.

It’s not all public spaces, it’s specifically indoor public areas—like waiting rooms, bars, restaurants, clubs, etc. Nobody is going to stop you from smoking on the street or in a park or any other outdoor spot.

Charles Young said:I'm not against a ban, I'm just for segregation.

We already have segregation: this section is smoke-free, that section is for smokers, there's a one-meter gap between tables. It's a mess...

Charles Young said:Anyway, there are too many smokers in America for them to ban it
in bars, clubs, and stuff.

I'm not a fan of that logic—just because a majority of people do something bad doesn't mean it shouldn't be banned. If anything, it's precisely because there are so many smokers that we need to regulate it.

Charles Young said:I get that non-smokers find the smoke annoying and feel like we're poisoning them,
but you guys should show some consideration by
providing designated smoking rooms at the workplace and such.

A dedicated smoking room at work. 👍

Charles Young said:Now you want to ban smoking everywhere, how extreme. Bans never
actually achieve anything.

And smoking hasn't done anyone any good anyway (except those profiting from it)...

Charles Young said:Comparing us to places like Ireland or the USA isn't really fair
because they actually have a functioning state, whereas here everyone would smoke regardless
of any ban.

Comparing ourselves to places like Ireland or the USA is necessary if we want to move forward (at least regarding this law). If everyone actually paid$167 for a cigarette where they aren't supposed to, then everyone would follow the law.

David Harris44 said:I’d ban you from driving a car myself.
Why would you want to poison me with your exhaust fumes? 🙄

Interesting analogy, and pretty much what I expected. But it just doesn't hold up. 🙂

Mary Shriver spent seven years breathing in secondhand smoke from her colleagues in a cramped government office. She eventually passed away from lung cancer. Now, a court in Washington, D.C. has awarded her estate $400,000 in damages. This payout to her family is being hailed as the largest settlement ever granted in the US for passive smoking and marks the first major legal win against the federal government.
- "This sets a massive precedent that could open the floodgates for hundreds, if not thousands, of similar cases," noted Marco Rubio from a consumer advocacy group supporting the ruling.
The late Mary often complained about her workspace, but since there were no regulations banning smoking at the time, she was stuck. She passed away from lung cancer in February 2000 at age 57. The court allocated $260,000 for physical suffering and $130,000 for emotional distress. This case serves as fresh ammunition for the recently passed anti-smoking laws that prohibit smoking in larger offices, restaurants, bars, and factories. The goal is to end secondhand smoke exposure and curb a habit that statistics show kills 90,000 Americans every year.

Speaking of smoking bans, I have to admit—even though I’m usually not one for strict bans—I’d be totally on board with smoking being allowed to be prohibited tomorrow.

I don't smoke myself, but I've been a passive smoker for years, whether at work or out at bars. Honestly, the thought that my health could suffer because of someone else's habit really weighs on me. It's especially frustrating because you can't exactly avoid smokers while still trying to live a normal social life.

😠

I know we’ve probably touched on tanning beds before, but I figured I’d ask again.

So, I’ve been using them for about two years now—basically just for a month and a half every seven months—and it's that time of year again.

The thing is, I have quite a few moles. Most are tiny and flat, but I have two or three larger ones that make me pretty nervous about sun exposure. Is there any way to protect those specific spots in a tanning bed, or is applying sunscreen to just the moles actually worth anything?

Also, is anyone else here super pale with light eyes and blonde hair, prone to getting small moles, yet still uses tanning beds?

BTW, whenever I hit the beach, I always stick to SPF 60.

swiftscout8 said:I read everything and got the point. Grammatically speaking, your post was just a standard list. If that wasn't your intention, then you wrote it that way, which means you don't have a clue about American language and grammar.

Hey there, swiftscout8.

I think you missed the mark. If you only read my post—the one you actually quoted—you couldn't have possibly understood what I meant. So, let me clear things up for you.

nimbleskipper13 shared the Hippocratic Oath to show me that it doesn't mention anything about being polite (which apparently means doctors don't need manners), to which I replied that plenty of other stuff isn't in that oath either, yet doctors still follow it.

As for all this talk about grammar, lists, and how I supposedly don't know anything about language and grammar—where on earth did you get the idea to bring grammar into a debate like this?

But, since you really want to play teacher and lecture me on literacy:

the word "american" shouldn't be capitalized in this context.

nimbleskipper13 said:If you don't get it, just grab a dictionary and translate it yourself... or go ask someone who actually knows what they're talking about. 😈

I get it perfectly fine without a dictionary—you just shouldn't go hunting for nationalists where there aren't any. Since you're coming at me (and by extension, all of us) as if we've never even heard of the Hippocratic Oath, I'm expecting a version you actually read yourself before the rest of us, not just some copy-paste job from the first page of Google. 😬

nimbleskipper13 said:Anyway, my point was basically this: a smart person uses their eyes to send an image to the brain, which then processes and "gets" it, whereas even God can't help a fool...
🙂

But didn't you say you were quoting the Hippocratic Oath because you're "convinced most people have never even heard of or seen the original text"?

You really need a wild imagination to interpret your posts that way. 😎

nimbleskipper13 said:It doesn't say anywhere that you're supposed to wipe or flush after using the toilet, right? 😈
You're probably actually doing it, unlike all that empty talk you keep spewing.

Man, just don't be a jerk. 🙂 That’s just not cool. 😉

I'm glad you pointed that out—you don't need to explicitly state that you use paper after using a WCA, just like you don't have to write about basic manners in the Hippocratic Oath to make them mandatory.

Alright, let's go.

Michael Cox40 said:And just how much time and effort did you actually put into your training to become a preschool teacher?

Just read the post above.

swiftscout8 said:I hope someone breaks the news to you soon with a grin, letting you know you won't be seeing a paycheck this month. Then you'll suddenly remember all the nonsense you've been posting on this forum.

Chill out. My point about the paychecks, white coat privilege, and healthcare automation was just an analogy—basically saying doctors don't have to be polite or smile just because it isn't explicitly written in the Hippocratic Oath.

Read the whole thing before you start jumping to conclusions. 🙂

nimbleskipper13 said:As you can see from what’s above, there’s absolutely nothing stating that doctors have to be anyone's servants, nor does it say they need to act subservient or flash fake smiles like models in a toothpaste commercial.🙂

Just because a patient wants something doesn't mean it's actually good for them. 😈

Sure, nobody mentioned being polite or acting professional.
But nowhere does it say they have to wear white coats or that we’re required to call them "doctor." There’s nothing in there about digitizing healthcare to make things run smoother, either. And honestly, it doesn't even mention that they should get paid for doing their jobs.

I mean... 🙄

nimbleskipper13 said:Since everyone here—and everywhere else, really—keeps bringing up the Hippocratic Oath while I'm pretty sure most haven't even laid eyes on the actual text 😈
here it is..

THE HIPPOCRATIC OATH

Upon entering the medical profession
I solemnly swear to dedicate my life to the service of humanity.
I will maintain due gratitude and respect toward my teachers.
I will practice my calling conscientiously and with dignity.
The health of my patient will be my primary concern.
I will protect the secrets of those who entrust themselves to me.
I will uphold with all my strength the honor and noble traditions of the medical profession.
My colleagues will be my brothers.
In performing my duties to the patient, I will not be influenced by any considerations,
be they faith, nationality, race, political affiliation, or social class.

I will absolutely respect human life from its very beginning.
And even under threat, I will not allow my medical knowledge to be used
contrary to the laws of humanity.
I make this solemn pledge, freely invoking my honor.

Hehe... But where's the American version? When I Googled "Hippocratic Oath," all I found were outdated sites from old government archives.
Why don't you post the American version since you've seen it. 😈

And once you're done, explain what you actually meant by all that.

The second my colleagues and I start getting paid even half of what our peers overseas make, everyone’s going to have the right—and the obligation—to hold us accountable and demand penalties. Until then, dear policyholders, you're getting way more than your money's worth, purely because our work accounts for maybe one percent of the total cost of treatment... and so on, and so forth.

Dr. Robert
This is the letter he sent to The New York Times, published on August 10, 2004.

So, there you have it...

mistyhound2 said:A doctor isn't some kind of servant🙄. If you're that bitter about it, then just don't see a doctor—it's that simple. Nobody is forcing you to go to medical professionals.

And being smiley isn't actually part of their professional duties. 🙄

Sorry, but what kind of job do you have and how do you act when you're on the clock? Who are you working for, and is anyone going to complain if you show up visibly pissed off?
Professionalism covers a whole range of behaviors, including being polite and not dumping your personal mood onto patients or customers (like being grumpy or acting annoyed). So, if being kind is part of being professional, explain to me how you can be kind while scowling at someone. I wouldn't say my Aunt was being "polite" if she just brushed me off with an attitude. Obviously, there's a human element here; we aren't robots meant to smile 24/7, but certain things are just unacceptable.

I'm not bitter toward doctors. I'm bitter toward anyone who does their job with the mindset of: "if you don't like how I act, leave."

Also, when I wrote that doctors are "servants" to patients, I didn't mean it literally.
BUT, doctors are here to work for the patients, not the other way around. Go read the Hippocratic Oath, if nothing else...

Kevin White5 said:And honestly, he wasn't out there herding sheep with her just so she'd call him "uncle."
How would it look if I called my college professor "buddy" or "pal" or something?

Or if I used "hey you" with people way older than me who actually deserve some respect.

She told him this: 'Uncle, you're heading back inside with those papers again, we'll have to wait more...'
So, she didn't use "you" casually. I'm not making excuses for her, but I'm saying what she said isn't actually rude or a provocation at all.
Besides, if she had said "Sir, you're going back inside..." he probably would've been polite. But yeah, that "uncle" thing clearly really rubbed him the wrong way.... 🙄

Kevin White5 said:And I agree that him swearing at her was wrong and he should've kept his cool... but you find all kinds of stuff in any profession. People swear left and right because we're just primitive Americans... that's why the country is failing. I don't get why one doctor is being singled out on the news when 90 percent of Americans are like that.

The only reason this is a thing is because she tried reporting it to the director first, and when that failed, she went to the press. Go ahead and put it in the news yourself once that famous 90 percent sends you straight to hell, then maybe we'll feel bad for you.

and

Kevin White5 said:If anyone calls me "Aunt" after I become a professor, I'll tell them to go find another Aunt.
He could have also told her what an "uncle" does.

Exactly. When I'm a teacher one day, I'll send all the kids to another teacher so they can call her "ma'am," and any parent who tries calling me "ma'am" or "sweetie" is getting sent packing. I'm a professional, not some random lady. 🙄

I have my own thoughts on people obsessed with titles.

and

Kevin White5 said:We also need to show respect to people who have actually achieved something in life.

True. Before I decide whether to be polite to you or anyone else, I'll be checking their resume for achievements. Otherwise...
🙄

maristella69 said:So, your main criteria for picking a specialist is just whether they're nice, friendly, and kind?

At that rate, why don't you just go see Santa Claus for a checkup?!😕

No. That’s exactly the point.

Think about it. You walk into a shop and the clerk is super rude to you. Maybe they even snap at you. You're probably walking out empty-handed and deciding to spend your money somewhere else. Why? Because you have a million other options. It's the same thing if a waiter is obnoxious, or the lady at the bank counter, or even a daycare teacher who's being rude to your kid. You've got choices.

But a specialist doctor? That's different. They might be the best in Washington, D.C. If they're rude? Whatever. They have a high-stress job, blah blah blah—as long as they cure my ailment or help my kid get healthy, who cares what their attitude is like?

If a waiter takes over 15 minutes to serve you, you aren't going back. Same goes for the cashier who isn't at the register when you need them. You might even skip a store during rush hour if there's only one person working because you just don't feel like waiting.

With a specialist, though, you'll happily wait three hours past your appointment time because you actually need them and they happen to be the best in town.

That's how perception shifts. And doctors know it. That's why they can afford to charge more than most people in other professions.

But honestly, being professional is PART OF EVERY JOB. Being polite and helpful—and mostly smiling—is standard, because a DOCTOR IS A SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE PATIENTS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

Instead, we treat doctors like little gods. I guess it makes sense when they help us start a family or perform life-saving surgery, but all that success goes straight to their heads like they're some rock star.

Maybe we actually deserve to be looked down upon by half of them if we keep letting it happen.

Paul said:I work as a waiter at a local diner, and if I told a customer "I don't give a damn" when they asked how much longer their food would be, I could quit on the spot and find a new gig tomorrow. I don't see why we should hold doctors to a different standard. Tons of people have high-stress jobs, and while I'm free to have my own opinion on that, I'm not going to take it out on the customers. I handle it professionally, and if things get too heavy, I seek counseling—which is exactly what that doctor needs to do, too...

I'm with you on this one.

verica said:I honestly don't get why people are attacking doctors again. One specific doctor mentioned here was just being rude and unprofessional. That doesn't reflect on the entire medical profession or doctors as a whole. 😛 My old boss used to swear and yell all the time, but I'm certainly not going to label every electrical engineer a caveman. 😉

You hit the nail on the head. Not every doctor is an arrogant jerk.

But... I feel like most doctors think their job is more important than anyone else's, and they act like it. Everything in hospitals and clinics screams that attitude—from the way the corners are painted to classify you instantly, down to the strict hierarchy of ranks.

Sure, there are decent doctors who haven't let it go to their heads.

But... if you ask a nurse or anyone working a lower-level role in a hospital how most doctors treat them and their patients, you'll hear the truth. I know, because I've been there. And it wasn't just doctors; I’ve seen the exact same thing from licensed educators and psychologists working in hospitals. The experience is almost identical.

Who wouldn't get a bit of an ego when they're out there saving lives?

"I don't give a damn what you're waiting for. I'm a doctor to you folks, not some pervert," the physician snapped. And when he was asked about his medical credentials? He grabbed his crotch and said, "Right here."

The whole thing went down Tuesday around 3 PM at the Mayo Clinic. According to news reports, gynecologist Dr. Petar Jukić told a packed waiting room that he couldn't care less how long patients have to wait.

One patient there, Ivančica Devčić, told reporters that after waiting forever to see Dr. Josip žmiriti, she noticed Dr. Petar Jukić popping in and out of the office repeatedly. "I jokingly said, 'Hey, mister, going back in again with more paperwork? We're still waiting over here...'" she recalled.

"I don't give a damn what you're waiting for. I'm a doctor to you folks, not some pervert," Dr. Petar Jukić shot back. The women watching the scene were absolutely stunned. Even Ivančica Devčić's husband stepped in, asking the doctor where his professionalism went and if he even had any accreditation.

When that question was thrown at him, witnesses say the doctor reached down toward his groin and replied, "Here it is."

The patient tried to report the behavior to the clinic director, but he refused to see her because she didn't have an appointment. She ended up filing a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services, which apparently already has a file of complaints against Dr. Petar Jukić.

Dr. Petar Jukić isn't denying the incident happened, but he isn't apologizing either. He claims he was just stepping into a colleague's office to grab patient results—strictly business—and denies grabbing himself. "It's true I said those things. Why should she care how many times I walk in and out? I was provoked. We aren't buddies; she shouldn't be calling me a pervert. Why mess with me? Calling a 55-year-old man a pervert!" Dr. Petar Jukić told reporters.

Why do doctors think they're God's gift to us? Just because they deal with low pay and tough shifts doesn't mean they can stop treating us like actual human beings.