• exercise,
• food,
• diet,
• chronic,
• fat,
• weight,
• diseases,
• illness,
• healthy,
• lifestyles,
• self-image

On my daily readings of my blogs, one of my stumble upons:
Are Patients in Universal Healthcare Countries Less Satisfied?
Firstly, one already know that this article is pro-Universal healthcare. Secondly, you got to know me, I am a Canadian, therefore, do receive Universal healthcare. Thirdly, some of the facts are not exactly correct: Canada is single-payer with provinces deciding how health care is spent and strict limits on private care, prescription drugs are heavily subsidized. Single-payer, hmm, not all provinces are prescribed to that and prescription drugs are cheap at all, they are so pricey! arrgh! How we define universal healthcare means ease of access to doctors, which is an universal problem as population grows older. Thats actually a worldwide problem! The schooling for being a doctor or going to the specialties are not cheap in North American colleges/universities. How do we expect, universal access, when doctors are lured away to more profitable jobs? (consulting)
Meanwhile, for the poor folks, access for ID are in a sad state, therefore, there goes universal healthcare. For others, distance could be the barrier, mobility could be an issue, languages or unknown issues to medical staff could be the reasons. In terms of waiting times, it would have to go back to the above issue: training staffs, hiring people and efficiency of the locales.
As a result, money does a lot of talking and bottom line does matter. How sad.
Above blog is the opinion of selected anonymous conversations this blogger had in number of occasions with unnamed medical professionals who used to work in the field. Some were based on Canadian newspaper: GlobeandMail and TheStar.

When children, especially teenage children lost one of their parents due to tragic circumstances such as Michael and Daniel Neeson, Natasha Richardson's sons are now grieving of her passing, we could not imagine how kids can cope with the loss one of their parent.  When Price William said in one interview recently: “Losing a close family member is one of the hardest experiences that anyone can endure,”  “Never being able to say the word ‘mummy’ again in your life sounds like a small thing… However, for many, including me, it’s now really just a word - hollow and evoking memories.”  Somehow these words now can be very difficult for the Richardson, Neeson and Redgrave's families.   I find myself almost daily, even though I find myself my thoughts would be with my parents, not just my mum, with my dad too.  It is important to know how precious mum or dad are.  Life are so fragile, yet moments are tender and at times could be annoying, but finding a place in your heart to unconditionally to love them is all we can do as children no matter what your age is.

As a cellular phone, I would like you to use me and take the uttermost advantage of my vast amount of confusing features without an accompanied manual.  You may need to head to the Internet to find me as a PDF file.  These features aside, before you go and purchase me, did you think about owning me first?  I am an attractive phone with its slick figure, attractive looks, convenient sliding up and down features, shiny screen you can imprint your fingers on and or lightweightness.  You would glance at various styles, looks or variations of me that you would like to have, then there goes an attractive salesperson, hopefully also knowledgeable of us, its features and the plans you're about to get into for the next X amount of years.  We are saying to you, “Buy me, I am sexy or you will be among the hip if you own me.”  Without really listening or vaguely to the sales, you are brought into me and the word, “contract”.  For the X amount of years, you are not quite the owner of the cellular phone, but paying for the plan for the duration of the contract and if you break the contract, ooops, X dollars of penalty plus the actual amount of purchasing me, by the time, in which I am useless and being discarded or better please recycle me.

Morning of January 20, 2009- turn on my second laptop and it is my Windows 7 beta.  I tuned on Fox Channel online, CBC online, BBC International and unfortunately these all went boom!  I do have my main laptop running with Windows Vista Home Premium running with the same online channels running.  I tuned into more channels: Global- Canada online and CNN(it was overloaded).  CBC online could not meet the online demand, as also CNN.  Fortunately, there are also BBC, Fox and Global.  I was trying to tune into more perspectives, but who could keep up after 2 hours of eye soring views of delays from Fox and Global.  If any other viewers note of any live delays when you view your inauguration, post a note and thanks.  The best clips came from BBC (they also covered with PBS).  I wished I could view from CNN, sigh. 

During the inauguration, even one of my cat sat around and view President Obama took the oath.  

After viewing the inauguration, I waited for the parade.  The coverage was suppose to be at 2pm ish EST.  I wondered for a long long while.  Later on, I find out there was delays.  By viewing those live images for 6-7 hours on and off, the people that I could note were in the freezing cold temperatures and enthusiastic for the new President.  At the same time, I was viewing commentaries from BBC and Fox online.  (I only have a pair of ears and I wished I could have more perspective, but I went and read a board from CBC.)  Most of them are rooting for President Obama.  

About 3pm ish, the parade started.  I am certainly glad that I did not head to Washington DC and freeze myself in the subzero temperatures with my bad sore bodies.  I love the excitement that I saw on the live TV streams, but I was very glad I could do it in the comfort of my home.  When President Obama and the motorcade began the route, even from the TV, you could feel the excitement that those people from DC feel.  Some did say, "for one day, you are not a Republican or a Democrat."  Those people in DC or for a matter of fact, USA were all united for their President.  I could feel the cheers that were for the President.  Obama, the president and his wife got off the motorcade and greeted their audiences.  You know that moment on, a new age has begin and we all should allow him a benefit of a doubt.  Congratulations Mr. President Obama. 

Tags: perspective, cnn, washington dc, cold, freeze, inauguration, democratic, live tv …

For the last week or so, the media have discussed about the health of Steve Jobs and put forth about how Jett Travolta passed. Can I put forth that all of us are human beings that would want the best for our own health and well being. When you go to your doctor, you would like them to know what is wrong with you. Then, they would give you an instant answer, right? There is a hard way to find out that there are no one right answer when it comes to your health. You would like your doctor to explore all the possibilities that they can imagine or figure out. Would you want the doctor to tell you the wrong prognosis? As I am going through my search of the correct diagnosis for my problem(s), I note how it can be so difficult even with the medical advances that we have today, doctors need to account for the individual’s unique bodies, genes, and blood types to make the best or accurate diagnosis to our ailments.

What will you look back on from 2008 and laugh the hardest about?

"Chinglish"- Speaking both English and Chinese in one's sentences.
During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chinglish has become my favorite word.  I was not aware until a few years ago when Engrish.com came along with mis-translated English, in which I had been used to for so many years when I went back home to Hong Kong or parts of Asia to visit my family.  The westerners would mis-understand their meanings.  I never took a moment until the Olympics came along to take note how mis-translated some of the signs or some of the products were.  Some of them, they are really funny, without meaning to be.

The Beach

Website- Engrish.com