Brian Gonzalez9 said:I’m not entirely sure which category this falls under, since it feels more like deep philosophical inquiry than mere politics 🤷. If I’ve wandered into the wrong corner of the forum, would someone be so kind as to point me toward the right one? Anyway, moving on... regarding my own ideology, I’m still trying to pin it down. I find myself drawn to patriotism—there’s something fundamentally right about respecting one's own country, people, and culture without harboring prejudices against anyone else—yet at the same time, I lean toward socialism (meaning we should all be equal, even if we’re all broke). So, is it actually possible to be both a patriot and a socialist simultaneously?? I would truly appreciate some clarity on this matter. thanks.
Sure, it's possible. If you're a true patriot, then you have to be a socialist too. I guess it depends on how you look at it. Patriotism usually means loving the country itself, not necessarily every single person living in it. If you take the narrow view, maybe you don't need both. But if you take the broader view—where it isn't just about love for the land, but also love for the people—then you kind of have to be a socialist. I mean, someone who wants people to be slaves crushed under a capitalist boot probably doesn't actually love them.
I don't really have the energy for a massive debate here, but all this negativity toward socialism you see in the media, and even on this thread, it just seems like a huge misunderstanding of what socialism actually is. To me, socialism is a historical necessity. You can't have democracy without socialism, and you can't have socialism without democracy. It's either socialism or barbarism.
So, I’m looking into this for my grandmother. She’s 90. About a year ago, she started forgetting things, and honestly, it feels like things are just getting worse, bit by bit. I get that she’s old—obviously—but I still feel like there might be some way to help her out with the right kind of therapy or treatment. I need to know where to take her for an evaluation. I don't want some doctor who’s just going to shrug their shoulders and say, "Well, she's old, that's just what happens," and call it a day. I need someone who will actually dig into the diagnosis and look at therapy options. Should I be looking for a neurologist, a neuropsychiatrist...? Any leads on good specialists?
An 89-year-old patient of ours just started on insulin after dealing with diabetes for years. We're struggling to figure out the right dosage. Is there a reliable resource online for this? I think I heard something about family education programs for diabetics, but I'm not sure if that's actually a thing or where to find it.
The patient ended up in the hospital around age 90 because she suddenly became very weak. Turns out she’d had a heart attack, and her blood sugar was through the roof. After rehab—where they started her on insulin—she was discharged with instructions from the attending internist to give her 28 units in the morning and 10 at night. Then, a few days later, an endocrinologist (who got all her files from the hospital staff) suggested we switch to 32 in the morning and 12 at night. We decided to stick with what the endocrinologist said, since, you know, they're the specialist.
A few days after that, we got a glucose monitor, and the numbers are pretty high. Morning readings are almost always over 10; we saw an 8 once, but it hit 17 at one point. Just now, checking her in the evening, she's at 21.8. Basically 22.
What’s the move here? Should we bump up the dose? I heard somewhere that if levels are high, you should increase by 2 units—which supposedly means anything over 10 in the morning. So, maybe we should be doing 34/14?
I guess I'm wondering what actually drives these numbers. Should insulin and a diet be enough to get things under control, or am I missing other big factors? Is there some kind of standard rule for adjusting insulin based on these readings? Ultimately, is there a way to get some definitive information?
The media is out here manufacturing total paranoia over some harmless bird flu, meanwhile everyone seems to have conveniently forgotten about the shady stuff happening at the NYSE...
I’m looking for links and actual hard data regarding the risks of consuming gelatin.
Kenneth Hernandez67 said:If these kinds of questions bother you, maybe just don't donate blood. It's better than blaming the clinic later for every little health issue you run into. Besides, you're obviously only doing it for the money. Clearly.
That’s not obvious at all. Honestly, that was a pretty messed up and malicious comment. Seems like you're struggling with logic—people on this thread had already pointed out before my post that voluntary blood donation doesn't pay. How do you get from the premise "blood donation isn't paid" and "Casey Campbell is asking about the health implications" to the conclusion "Casey Campbell would only donate for the cash"?
Even if I didn't believe them about the money, why would asking about health risks imply I'm trying to sell my blood? You can't know if I'd actually go through with it, even after getting a positive answer. And even if I backed out, you couldn't assume my intention wasn't altruistic. An altruist might prioritize their own health regardless of any potential payout. I guess.
Anyway, Kenneth Hernandez67, are you even a voluntary blood donor?
So, I was talking to a buddy of mine—he’s a dentist—about my plans to go for some voluntary blood donation. He actually told me it wasn't a healthy move. Caught me off guard, honestly. I told him, based on what I know, that giving blood doesn't really hurt your health. He just argued that you lose a significant amount of blood. I was like, 'Well, blood regenerates.' He countered with, 'Sure, but every single time it regenerates, it requires energy.'
Anyway... is he actually onto something here, or is he just talking nonsense? It kind of shook my confidence since, you know, he's a dentist so he probably knows a thing or two about medicine, but he tends to make all sorts of random claims, so I figured I'd see what everyone else thinks. 😎
Tanning beds vs. natural sunlight—how bad is it really? Does anyone have actual data or links on this?
My bad if this has already been covered here.
Just saw this news item:
California bans tanning beds for anyone under 14.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed off on a law banning kids under 14 from using tanning salons.
In a state like California, where you see tanned people everywhere, dermatologists have been sounding the alarm about how much damage that artificial light does to your skin, specifically regarding cancer risks.
Businesses that break the law could be looking at fines up to $2,500.
Teens between 14 and 18 will need written parental consent just to step foot in a tanning salon.
I used to play back a few years ago, over in Chicago. It was pretty great. I guess we could probably pull a crew together for some local tournaments. 🙂
Since I'm based right around the Austin-Dallas corridor, I'm down for matches in those cities.