Blogcritics Author: Mad Cow

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Book Review How to Get the Health Care You Want by Laura Casey

Mad Cow — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 15:52:08 EST

Everyone has been there; frustrated after a visit to the doctor. You got treated like a number, not a sick person in need of compassion. We’ve all dealt with it, but what do you do? Well, thanks to Laura Casey’s How to Get the Health Care You Want, you have the resources you need at your fingertips to take charge of your health care. The basic premise here is pretty simple: it is ultimately the patient’s responsibility to make sure their health care is satisfactory. Most hospitals have a “Patient’s Bill of Rights” that includes liaisons, patient representatives, and ways for patients to express concern or seek assistance. But how many of us have used the tools available to us? Unfortunately, when we’re being mistreated is when we need the care and compassion of a qualified, concerned provider the most. Ms. Casey has been through this and has taken the time to gather all the tools necessary to take control of our own health care. In How to Get the Health Care You Want, Ms. Casey has outlined the basic reasons most people put up with bad and poorly managed care. But she also points out that although we’ve tolerated poor or bad quality in the past, we don’t need to going forward. Even if you don’t want to change doctors, you don’t have to “take it”. With the proper techniques, and documentation, you can request some change out of your doctor’s office. If your doctor is worth their salt, they’ll not only be happy you spoke up, but they’ll seek to rectify any wrongdoing. In How to Get the Health Care You Want, Ms. Casey not only explains up front why we shouldn’t tolerate poor quality when it comes to our care, but she actually manages to explain it all in a very tangible, and measurable means. She has created a way to gauge quality by equating it to “anxiety points” and “lost lifetime”. By tracking anxiety points, you’re able to graph how doctors and their staff either ease their patients’ fears, or stress them more. And by counting your lost lifetime, you’re able to quantify just how much time you’ve wasted on poor and mismanaged health care. When you record all these markers in the ways outlined in the book, you see just how much or how little your provider is really doing to help you. Of course, holding your physician accountable for your time and how much they eased your nerves is only a small portion of the steps you need to take in order to ensure that your care is up to the standards you expect. While it is important to let your doctor know if his/her receptionist kept you on hold for 20 minutes, there is much more to maintaining a healthy relationship with your physician. You’ve got to also make sure that you give your doctor the right information the first time. I know I’ve had several occasions where it’s seemed like I tell two or three different people the same story before I recite the story yet again for the doctor. Or getting frustrated telling the doctor about an iodine allergy after telling every nurse I’ve seen. While the book doesn’t claim to fix all those ills, it does contain the tools to help. Chapter 6 will help you outline your own set of medical records. It’s great for documenting allergies, prior surgeries, etc. I certainly intend to take those with me for my next appointment with my family doctor. The book is also full of information to help you find the appropriate resources should you need to investigate a new doctor, or to report a bad one. While we all hope it’s never necessary, sometimes we do get bad care. And Ms. Casey has taken the time to outline all the local stateside contacts necessary to report a nurse or physician should it be called for. And saving the best for last, How to Get the Health Care You Want also has a chapter dedicated to helping understand insurance and flexible spending accounts. While no one wants to come right out and say it, our insurance companies don’t dictate which doctors we can go to, just the ones they pay. And for those of us not independently wealthy, who our insurance considers a provider is VERY important. So using our insurance doctors, and understanding our plan choices, is vital. This is a must-read for anyone needing health care. We would all like to believe we don’t need to see the doctor, or that all doctors and their staff members are wonderful caregivers incapable of mismanagement. Unfortunately that’s not the case. But with a tool like How to Get the Health Care You Want to help, taking control of our own health care is easier, and more understandable, than ever.

I am a crazy, bohemian mom, wife, deep fried Southern Belle, and hockey nut. I'm also a Mad Cow. In what little spare time I have, I enjoy reading, Sci-Fi books and movies, and everything to do with my family.

Hey, Don't Protest That, You Terrorist!

Mad Cow — Fri, 1 Dec 2006 15:10:40 EST

In another "Smooth move, Exlax" kind of way, President Bush signed into law the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act this past Monday. The AETPA, formerly known as the 1992 Animal Enterprise Protection Act, basically gives federal authorities the power to prosecute animal rights activists that protest as terrorists. That's right, you read it, if you protest a lab, a puppy farm, a puppy store, etc, in the name of animal rights, and the business loses any profit as a result of the protest, you're a terrorist. I have two huge problems with this. Number one, and these are in no particular order, isn't this a country founded on our rights to free speech and protest? Didn't some super old guys once write that, "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government"? As an American, if I believe I see an injustice, don't I have the right to publicly protest in a peaceful, demonstrative manner as a right afforded to me by the First Amendment to the Constitution? Apparently I was wrong.My second problem with this is something I'm not sure who's to blame for. It may be my own fault. How did this ever get passed into law without more media coverage? This is a big deal. More and more of our rights are being chipped away at with every new "Homeland Security" act. I get Google alerts, I watch the local news station out of Memphis and I get the CNN RSS feed. How did I miss this? Where was all the uproar? Was I the only one who didn't get the memo? It just appears to me that more and more often these days this administration is slipping laws like this by us without anyone noticing. When I said before that it may be my own fault, I meant it. As an American, it's my duty to pay attention to what our government is doing. Obviously I haven't been watching closely enough. Like the parent who knows that their child stole a cookie from the cookie jar, but didn't catch them in the act, I'm left to complain after the fact, but the sad truth is, it's my own fault for not watching the child closely enough. I guess what worries me most about this new development is wondering what's next. Telling me I can't protest a puppy mill in the name of animal rights is very, VERY disturbing, but what won't I be allowed to protest next? Next month will it be a terrorist act to protest outside a business treating employees unfairly? How much longer until I can no longer stand on my soapbox and hold a sign outside the White House or congress to voice my displeasure over laws such as this one? In case you're as clueless about this development as I was, you can read more about this insanity at Citizen Press's blog, UPI, and FreeMarketNews. And be sure to check out how some activists in Massachusetts responded to the news.

Shut Up and Smile

Mad Cow — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 19:58:39 EDT

This weekend our local minor league hockey team, the Memphis RiverKings, lost. Twice. I'm still smarting. Upset like I was on the ice. Or that someone owes me a win. That's what fans do. We cheer when the team does great, and pout when they don't. It doesn't matter that these were the first two games of the season, and we still have a very long way to go. All that matters is that we lost. Now, this may start to sound very touchy-feely for a hockey fan. But don't worry, I promise I won't get too sensitive or offer anyone a hug. Hockey players have it rough. All professional athletes do. Except maybe professional dodge ball players. (I'm still not convinced anyone is watching that.) But professional athletes have to do their job in front of everyone. And they hope everyone is watching. Can you imagine? I can't type if just one person is looking over my shoulder. I can't imagine performing in front of hundreds or thousands. But for 64 games this season, our RiverKings will skate hoping that we're all looking. Do they hope for all the criticism that comes with that? I hope they're not all sadists, but I guess it's possible. I know that there are people who say that they don't have real jobs. They get paid to play a game. And it's true. But they've earned that right. If everyone played hockey that well, we wouldn't need the NHL. But they're stars. They're incredible athletes, with amazing talents. And I'm not just saying this because I'm no good at it. I haven't played hockey since the 5th grade, and even then, I was bad. (My mother cringes about that time in my life, if anyone asks. But that's another story.) These guys get paid to play because they deserve it. And they have to do it in front of hundreds of spectators looking for them to mess up, or score the game winning goal. Sometimes we fans are dying to see a hat trick, or the save of the year. Sometimes we're just praying no one falls down. The point is, as fans, we've come to count on something from these men. We pay for our tickets, and then we expect a good game. And we can be remarkably harsh when we don't get it. I know that as professional athletes they live in the public eye, and should anticipate this kind of scrutiny. But at the same time, just because we're a ticket holder, that doesn't give us the right to critique the players like they're our personal whipping boys. They're grown men with families and responsibilities like the rest of us. Now I know some of you are thinking that the good comes with the bad. Professional athletes are treated like gods, and with the cheering and the autographs come the comments good and bad. I've heard from fans that are singing someone's praises one second and then ready to rip his head off the next. It may be true that this goes with the territory and I just don't get it. I just believe in supporting the team, win or lose. Does this mean that I don't yell helpful hints at the players on the ice during the game? Of course not. I'm very vocal. And I think that statistically, I'm due for a profound bit of insight that should be shared while the RiverKings are down by two, on a power play. But what I am most often yelling is "Go 'Kings!" I guess the moral of the story is this: treat athletes like you would like to be treated. My mother told me if I didn't have something nice to say, shut up and smile. In the IT department, I don't work under the same scrutiny as the RiverKings. When I don't finish setting up that printer, or fix someone's email, or figuring out why they're not connecting to the network, I don't get booed. No one spends anytime wondering about what a loser I am, or if I was tired or distracted. What about when I fix someone's mysterious shutdowns, or get their graphics looking beautiful? I get no applause. I would like to. I want to get treated like Hank from that Starbucks commercial. I want my own personal cheerleaders. But with the cheerleaders and fans come the living in a fishbowl feeling, and I know I couldn't deal with that. So as long as these guys are brave enough to get out in front of everyone and play, I'll keep cheering. And on those rare occasions when I'm not thrilled with the way our team played, I'll just smile.

Hockey Season's Back, So Where Are The Real Fans?

Mad Cow — Fri, 6 Oct 2006 19:15:34 EDT

Every year it makes the summer drag on and time stop in July. It makes everything feel too hot, and it can make even the manliest man long for fall colors. Of course I'm talking about hockey mania. Now I'm the first to admit that I am not among the seriously afflicted. Last night was the season opener with my beloved Dallas Stars playing my husband's favorite team, the Colorado Avalanche. In a very un-hockey fan like manner, I didn't plan my entire week around the event. I know, it's shocking. I did occasionally flip over to view the score, but I actually watched South Park. In my defense it was a brand new South Park where they were making fun of World of Warcraft addicts. And I love making fun of WoW junkies. So I was doubly compelled to watch that particular episode. And I did record the game. I know what you're thinking. Any real hockey fan would have recorded the show and watched the game. Or I could have just waited 'til Comedy Central replayed that episode any one of the few million times that they'll show it. But I work with a WoW nut, and I knew he'd be watching and I wanted to tease him. Hey, I've had to give up cigarettes, caffeine and cheese, and I only have one or two good vices left. I happen to thoroughly enjoy making fun of people, and it's really such a small thing, so why not let me enjoy this one simple pleasure?But I digress. I didn't "watch" the game. Meaning I didn't hold my breath between intermissions and leave the kids to fend for themselves while Marty Turco was on the ice. I know, this makes me sound like a horrible hockey fan. But I'm really not! I'm just not a good TV hockey fan. I happen to think -- and this is just my personal opinion, based on no real scientific fact -- that there are three types of sports fans. I think that there's a "live fan," which is the kind of individual that is so gung-ho when they go to a sporting event that they paint their faces, bellies, or other body parts out of solidarity for their team. These are the folks that think the team actually needs their support to win. There are some in this category so convinced of this that they will leave a hospital emergency room for the game, promising to come back as soon as the game is over (in my defense, I wasn't really that sick). There's also a "TV fan," the kind that subscribes to Center Ice and makes sure to watch and record every game available. This type of fan will reschedule an anniversary dinner to watch a playoff game. And the third kind of fan is the "REAL FAN." This is like a TV fan and a live fan mixed together and on steroids. I mean the kind of fan that attends home games, away games, and records the games to watch again later. Now there are situations where REAL FANS are mistaken for TV fans. I'm sure if we lived in Denver, my husband would be an Avalanche season ticket holder. But we live in Mississippi, and we're not independently wealthy, so he watches and records every one of the Avs games and has learned to live with that. While my husband is a REAL FAN, I am definitely not. I am a great live fan, and a pathetic TV fan. We are season ticket holders for our local CHL team, the Memphis RiverKings. I love going to the games. I cheer like crazy, I own jerseys, and I know the players' stats better than my own PIN number. But when they're out of town, I'm hardly a fan at all. My husband makes plans to listen to the game on the radio or a web cast, but not me. Occasionally I will listen, if I don't already have plans, but I'm certainly not going to plan things around a web cast. I want to know the score and of course I want the team to do well, but not being there, it loses something. I need to be there with the team to really get in the game. Maybe it makes me less of a fan. I don't know. I do know that I'm still a hockey fan, day or night, whether it's January or June. So while I may not eat, sleep and bleed hockey, I am very, VERY happy that October is finally here. I can almost smell the ice.

Xbox 360 Review: Lego Star Wars II - The Original Trilogy

Mad Cow — Thu, 5 Oct 2006 11:04:36 EDT

Last weekend we picked up LEGO Star Wars II, for the Xbox 360, and my husband and I took some time to play co-op. Let me tell you, it rocks! At first I thought this game was just for the kiddies, being "LEGO" and all, but I was wrong. It was a lot of fun. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy takes the usual fun of a LEGO game and applies it to the original trilogy, Star Wars Episodes IV, V, and VI, or as some fans refer to it, "The Holy Trinity." Though it's a little strange that this game comes after the first LEGO Star Wars, which focused on Episodes I, II, and III, this game was worth the wait. Being huge Star Wars fans, my husband and I had to give this game a try. And we figured even if the game didn't appeal to us, our kids would love it. But we were pleasantly surprised with how much fun it was! It's funny and cute, without being too cute. There are a few tips and tricks to learn, but the game drops you in the Mos Eisley cantina at the start of the game. This allows you to get the hang of the controls, and to create your profile. Take your time here. Blow up and pick up as much as you can. You'll also find yourself back here when you leave and restart a game. One of the only spots I found annoying was something I dislike about most two-player games: proximity. This one is a real stickler. I found myself being drug all over the place by my husband. He was even dragging me off ledges and bridges and such. So if you play with a partner, stick together! Also, if you play with a friend, be sure to grab up all the LEGO pieces they drop when they die. Every time you fall off of something, or just get shot/hit too often, you die and lose a bunch of LEGO pieces, so if you can, have someone collect them. I loved the rest of the game, especially the humor. If you're a fan of the movies, you'll quickly recognize the parts where this deviates. But hello, it's LEGO. You can't stick too close to the script when you're dealing with LEGOs. Besides, one of my favorite things about this game is playing as Chewbacca and ripping people's arms out of their sockets. Oh, and don't be too shocked to stumble across some Stormtroopers bathing together. It's funny, and a little disturbing.I won't ruin the entire game for you, mostly because I'm still in "Episode V," just leaving Hoth, but I will tell you that no matter how old you are, if you like Star Wars -- and have any kind of sense of humor -- you'll really enjoy this game. Kudos to LEGO Star Wars II for capitalizing on great game play, while having fun with the simple combination of LEGOs and the Star Wars Universe.Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy is rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) by the ERSB for for Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor. This game can also be found on: GBA, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PC, PS2, PSP, and Xbox.