Heated Argument Ends In Gore

Ashley Sherlinki, of Luzerne County, PA was arrested and charged with simple assault and harassment Sunday night after she allegedly impaled her boyfriend, Eric Dixon, with a meat thermometer. Read More...

Sherlinki threw the thermometer when Dixon opened the door, after she'd been banging on the door. The nature of her beef was not revealed in the article.

I've no doubt that West Wyoming Police grilled Sherlinki in the interrogation room during the investigation.
The media is likely to skewer Sherlinki, as this type of event is rare in Wyoming PA, a town of about 3400.
I'm certain that Sherlinki will express some degree of remorse at her court appearance later this month.
Her goose is cooked!

Tags:  [Ashley Sherlinki]   [Eric Dixon]

[Wyoming, PA]
[Bad Puns]

Science Explains a City's Sport Discord

Through our children's sports teams we have oft had the displeasure of playing against a particular city's teams. Whether it was in boys' hockey, girls' hockey, volleyball, soccer or football; in exhibition, regular season, tournament or playoff action; from Peewee through Bantam to Midget; I have consistently witnessed cheap hits, a higher incidence of fighting and overall poor sportsmanship by players and even some bench staff of teams from this particular city.

After an especially dangerous season, some boys' hockey coaches refused any more exhibition games against teams from this city. Last month, Jessica's hockey team played against a team from this city. There were ejections, suspensions and a ton of penalty minutes. On the drive home, we discussed several possible theories for the agitated intensity displayed despite the high talent of the players.

Thanks to results of a study released by European researchers, we finally have our answer:
Air Traffic Noise Increases Blood Pressure.

It's not the water. It's not a volunteer recruitment program that only accepts coaches willing to standardize dirty play. It's the planes!

It's not just a source of irritation, it's bad for residents' health, said epidemiologist Lars Jarup, leader of the study at Imperial College London.

Brampton is just 4 km from Pearson International Airport, Canada's busiest airport.

The Greater Toronto Airport Authority's noise contour map clearly includes Brampton within its noise operating area (click map to view map of noise estimate).

Explaining it doesn't justify it.

In the name of fair play, send 440,000 pairs of earplugs to City Hall for immediate distribution...before Jess's team draws them in the first round of the playoffs!

Tags: [Air Traffic Noise]  [Blood Pressure]
[Pearson International Airport]  [Brampton]
[Lars Jarup]  [Imperial College London]

Clinic Visit Gives Patient Little Relief

I had to go to the Walk-in Clinic. I needed a prescription refilled. Three of the doctors who serve our local clinic are familiar with my health and treatment plans. Today's doctor-on-duty was new; we'd never met.

I explained that I needed a prescription refill. He asked some screening questions and then read the prescription label. "This indicates that you have 2 repeats left on the order," he said.

"The 2 repeats represents 2 doses," I responded. I explained that I had been to the pharmacy yesterday to get the refill. While the original prescription was for a quantity of 32 boxes, the pharmacy dispenses these by the dose. That meant that the pharmacist translated the 32 boxes as 32 doses. "But the pharmacy doesn't actually dispense less than 5 doses, so I need a new order altogether," I finished.

"This is a narcotic," the doc said. "I'm not comfortable to write such a large order for a narcotic."

"I understand that you're at a disadvantage because we've never met, but my history is all here," I said, pointing to the massive paper chart.
He was clearly overwhelmed by my chart. The stack of papers in the folder is more than 6-inches high. It is, in fact, one of 2 folders that make up my chart.

Ten pages into the paper chart, he lost patience (an echo, labs, more labs, a mammo, ultrasound, a dictation, ultrasound, more labs, a fax...) Eventually, he agreed to a short term refill of the 'scrip and I agreed to see my family doctor for a more complete order.

I stopped at the reception desk to make the appointment.
"The next available appointment is," the clerk paused, "October 22."

Three weeks away, and I've managed to get just one week of my pain relief medication. I caught up with the doctor in the hallway and explained that I will need 3 weeks of meds to make it through to the appointment date.

"I'm just not comfortable writing a long-term order for that class of drugs," he repeated. He suggested I return to the clinic before I reached the end of the prescription to get another short term repeat.

How's that going to look - returning each week for a short term refill on a narcotic-class prescription.


Tags: [Doctor's Office] [Prescription Drug Abuse]
[Rush Limbaugh] [House]

Rash Reaction

"A boy who suffers from a severe nut allergy has been excluded from school because he is considered to be a health and safety hazard."

Read the whole story...

The story, out of Goole, about 170 km east of Liverpool, grabbed attention with its "Allergic Boy Banned From School" headline. According to the Times article, George carries an Epipen and has been taught to use it in case of an allergic reaction. At his previous schools, anaphylaxis wasn't a controversy.

When you read the report, it is clear that the boy is being tutored at home just until a support system is in place at Howden School to protect students who face severe allergies. What has the school been waiting for?

In Ontario, Sabrina's Law was enacted in 2006. The bill ensures that school officials and staff receive training to recognize and give first-response aid in the case of a life-threatening allergic reaction. British Columbia has Bill M210 to protect students in that province.

Before the legislation, students with severe allergies were in the school. Parents trained the staff on identifying a reaction and administering epinephrine to their child. The legislation confirms that all school buildings will have designees who are prepared to give assistance to a student or volunteer or visitor, if it is required, anywhere in the province.

Facts About Food Allergies 1. Anaphylaxis affects 10% of the population. 2. Allergic reactions may occur up to 3-5 hours after exposure. Symptoms may persist for up to 72 hours. 3. Most fatal reactions occur as a result of accidental exposure. 4. The cause or trigger of the anaphylactic reaction isn't always obvious. Source: www.epipen.com	It's really a shame that the banner "Allergy Boy" has emboldened some readers to leave some insensitive comments that only underscore their ignorance of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a serious medical condition. It has nothing to do with how protective one's parents are. People with severe food allergies are not trying to control you, but we have a responsibility to keep ourselves safe.

Tags: [George Hall-Lambert]   [Howden School]   [Anaphylaxis]
[Epipen]   [Twinject Injector]
[Anaphylaxis Canada]   [Sabrina's Law]

Recall by Lexus Will Affect 55,000 Units

Lexus issued its 86th safety recall yesterday. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issues recalls when an investigation concludes that "an auto manufacturer is found to be responsible for a serious safety or mechanical defect".

In the Lexus situation, incidents of accidental acceleration related to the Lexus ES350, Toyota RAV4 and Tacoma truck were reported to the agency in August.

"One driver told the agency the vehicle had hit speeds of 100 m.p.h. over a 6-mile stretch of freeway due to the problem. A Michigan woman said the problem caused her to lose control of her Lexus, triggering a rollover crash on I-75 that totaled her car."

Lexus will replace 55,000 floor mats that, when not properly installed, allow the mat to crowd under the gas pedal, interfering with the safe operation of the accelerator.

Owners of the Prius and Avalon are being asked to check the installation of their floor mats as a precaution.

This isn't about floor mats.
Part of the story is that since 1990, Lexus has issued just 85 recall notices to vehicle owners. That's across its entire line up of vehicles.
Over the same time period, Ford^* announced 1721 recalls; General Motors announced 1142⁺ recalls of its light truck and van lines; and Chrysler recalled the Sebring model alone 72 times since it was introduced in the 1995 model year!

Over 12 years, the Sebring has been recalled almost as many times as the complete product mix of Lexus over the past 17 years! And the Sebring is described by Canadian Driver with the following phrases: "high value", "solid performance", "consistent Chrysler quality".

The floor mat example demonstrates that it needn't require great expense or considerable time to return a vehicle to NHTSA safety standards.
But isn't it just a little embarassing that the #1 luxury car brand issued a recall involving a $25 rubber mat?

^* Refers to Ford branded models only. Does not include Mercury or Lincoln.
⁺ Applies to GMC light-duty trucks, vans, minivans.

Tags:   [Lexus]   [Toyota]
[Automotive Recalls]   [Accidental Acceleration]
[Runaway Audi Scandal]   [Detroit Three]
[Weiss Research]   [Automotive Recall Scoreboard]   [Floor Mats]

Further Reading on North American automotive market:
The Demise of the American Auto Industry and the Rise of Toyota
(Martin Weiss, Money and Markets, March 2007)

If the accelerator is stuck: Hook your toes under the pedal to free it up.
If that doesn't work, downshift into lowest gear (some pros say neutral) and apply the brakes.
Pull off the road once vehicle has slowed.