Northern Nomadic Notices

Correcting False Claims about Ayn Rand's Ideas

2013-03-30T14:15:00.000-07:00

Again, I was unable to restrain myself from defending Ayn Rand's ideas against gross misrepresentations. Thankfully, they are the same misrepresentations I see throughout liberal/progressive blogs and media articles. So my response is ready-to-post because I have posted many variants of it. This time, I responded to a comment from an article that criticizes the funding of the Florida Gulf Coast economics department by the Koch brothers. As an aside, despite some misguided decisions (e.g., funding the Romney Presidential campaign), I have every reason to believe the Koch brothers are libertarian and fund organizations that support political and economic liberty.

There were several false claims about her philosophy, but I picked one that seemed to capture most of misrepresentations in one sentence!

The quote: "When an ideology preaches that volunteerism, altruism, charity, generosity, cooperation, etc. are harmful."

My response: If you can find a single quote to prove this claim, you would be lying. This false claim (which appears to be mostly made by liberals/progressives) of Ayn Rand's ideas is widespread on the Internet. When you make these false claims, you are not exhibiting "free thought." When many of you misrepresent Rand's ideas with the same smears, that's called "group think." It also reveals that you did not read Rand (or if you did, you need to review what she actually wrote). What I suspect is happening is that these false claims are being propagated by online "criticisms" of Rand. Again, this is not evidence of "thinking for yourself."

What did Ayn Rand say about "charity?" [From the Ayn Rand Lexicon]. "My views on charity are very simple. I do not consider it a major virtue and, above all, I do not consider it a moral duty. There is nothing wrong in helping other people, if and when they are worthy of the help and you can afford to help them. I regard charity as a marginal issue. What I am fighting is the idea that charity is a moral duty and a primary virtue." How did Rand define altruism? (Hint: She did not define it as "helping others." She used the term as it was originally coined by August Comte. However, today "altruism" practically means "helping others.")

Again, from the Ayn Rand Lexicon: "What is the moral code of altruism? The basic principle of altruism is that man has no right to exist for his own sake, that service to others is the only justification of his existence, and that self-sacrifice is his highest moral duty, virtue and value. Do not confuse altruism with kindness, good will or respect for the rights of others. These are not primaries, but consequences, which, in fact, altruism makes impossible. The irreducible primary of altruism, the basic absolute, is self-sacrifice—which means; self-immolation, self-abnegation, self-denial, self-destruction—which means: the self as a standard of evil, the selfless as a standard of the good...

The fact that a man has no claim on others (i.e., that it is not their moral duty to help him and that he cannot demand their help as his right) does not preclude or prohibit good will among men and does not make it immoral to offer or to accept voluntary, non-sacrificial assistance. It is altruism that has corrupted and perverted human benevolence by regarding the giver as an object of immolation, and the receiver as a helplessly miserable object of pity who holds a mortgage on the lives of others—a doctrine which is extremely offensive to both parties, leaving men no choice but the roles of sacrificial victim or moral cannibal."

To read a scholarly analysis of Ayn Rand's view on altruism and why she opposed it, see this excellent series of essays by George H. Smith.

Did Rand oppose "cooperation" or "volunteerism?" That's simply absurd. She opposed the welfare state, which mandates how money (from taxation) is to redistributed/spent (i.e., no longer the individual's choice). And she opposed involuntary taxation because it was based upon coercion (e.g., imprisonment). But to know this about Rand, you would need to read her first!

Indeed, she was all for voluntary cooperation, namely, promoting that people act freely (without coercion) in their rational self-interest, especially through trade. Whenever you buy something, you are trading. You are coming to a mutual agreement. In short, you are cooperating! I know it's hard for some progressives to not view the free market as a non-coercive mechanism for cooperation (probably thanks to left-leaning indoctrination), but that's a fact of reality and it's time to stop denying it.

Battle with my Belly Bulge

2013-03-27T20:06:00.000-07:00

This blog is a little unusual for me as it is more personal. I gave myself permission to be self-disclosing because many people can relate to this issue. Since 2010, I have tried to lose weight 3 times. To those who have seen me, I know I don't appear fat, but I am what some call "skinny fat." Most of my fat collects around my gut. Based on BMI calculations and gut-check measurement (i.e., how much belly fat I can hold in my hands), I'm about 15 lbs overweight.

I have started my diets well enough. During the first month, I lose weight at a healthy rate (6-8 lbs). But after a month, I tend to lose my discipline for food tracking. I am currently using the Weight Watchers system, which includes online tracking (also an Android app) and weekly meetings. This time I am more determined than ever. 150 lbs is my goal. Going to meetings for the social support and sharing of tips and experiences is new for me. As a psychotherapist who has helped facilitate group therapy sessions, I have seen the benefits of an emotionally supportive group. So going to these weekly meetings can only be helpful in maintaining my motivation. I weighed in yesterday at 159.6 for a loss of 5.4 lbs after 3 weeks. So far, so good!

I have both external and internal incentives (e.g., health, appearance, my pants fitting comfortably). For an external incentive, I want to reach my goal-weight for my honeymoon to Italy (May 5, 2013). During my honeymoon, I suspect I will gain 3-5 pounds, but that's OK. That's only 2 more weeks of dieting. Once I lose all my weight, I'm going to return to regular weight-lifting (twice weekly) and keep tracking my diet so I maintain my weight. At some point, I may decide to increase my protein intake, but that's only if I am consistent with my weight-training. I really don't want to go back to 165 lbs and wear a beer belly. I've been pretty good about regular exercise. Weekly, I play ice hockey and do an interval run on the treadmill (to simulate the high-low aerobic intensity of hockey). And once it warms up, my wife and I will be cycling.

A few points on Ayn Rand's philosophy

2013-03-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

I posted this on a Goodreads thread about the book, Atlas Shrugged and Jesus Wept. I have not read it, but the comment thread was interesting. Whenever I see discussions of Ayn Rand's philosophy, I look for misrepresentations, which is not hard to do, and do my part to correct them. I'm all for criticizing ideas, but at the very least, a critic needs to first understand what they are criticizing. Straw men, after all, are easy to pull apart.

My response was inspired by this comment: "I think it's refreshing to read about a true right wing believer, as opposed to these modern day right-wingers who are more concerned with what others are doing than with themselves."

I think a more accurate description of her political philosophy is libertarian, as opposed to labeling her as a "true right wing believer."

A libertarian can hold liberal views on people's personal lives as well as economic liberal (pro-free market) views. Plus, although many conservatives ("right-wingers") tend to extol the virtues of the free market, they tend not to to practice what they preach. Once in power, they are as guilty as liberal governments for bloating the size of government, intervening in the economy in all kinds of ways, including practicing crony capitalism/corporatism (i.e., privatizing profits, but socializing losses a la bailouts and business subsidies).

As to Rand's notion of rational self-interest, although I don't agree that all moral behaviour needs to be justified by appealing to self-interest, I think there is a lot everyday behaviour in which the self is the primary beneficiary of one's actions. And I believe Rand offered a reasonable humanistic ethical philosophy that can be used as a guide in pursuing one's self-interested actions. Namely, she argued for pursuing values that objectively benefit the self in terms of one's happiness or flourishing. Then she appealed to an Aristotelian virtue ethics by arguing that if we adhere to values such as self-respect, honesty, integrity, rationality, and productiveness, that we do indeed further our happiness and flourishing.

Some of her ethical claims can be testable (e.g., the link between pursuing certain virtues and one's happiness), and that's another reason that makes it a rational philosophy. In my own self-esteem research, I look at whether associating one's self-esteem with the practices of certain virtues (e.g., honesty, accountability, trustworthiness, kindness, effort, discipline), rather than depending on other people to "boost your ego," is a healthier way to maintain one's self-esteem. This idea for this research is, in part, influenced by Rand's ethical philosophy; albeit as refined by Nathaniel Branden's theorizing on self-esteem.

My disagreement with the self-interest justification is that there can be moral beahviour in which the recipient is the primary beneficiary of a moral behaviour. Rand attempts to argue that the self must and always be the primary beneficiary of an action in order for it to be moral. I think a lot of times that is true, but not always. There will be times when you help someone and what they gain far exceeds what you receive (aside from feeling good about yourself). And moreover, that the action is morally good because the recipient has benefited from your actions.

Where I agree with Rand is her opposition to self-sacrifice, or more precisely, that our purpose in life is to exist for others (i.e., the Christian ethic). I view this as logical impossibility because if we were truly selfless all the time, others can make unlimited demands on our time and effort. We couldn't have a life we could call our own. We could have to (guiltily) snuggles some "selfishness." And what about the people making demands of your time and effort? Are they not being selfish?

Atlas Shrugged Movie - Get Involved

2011-02-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

Really looking forward to the Atlas Shrugged (Part 1) movie, which is scheduled for April 15, 2011. If you want it in your city, click here:

Atlas Shrugged Movie - Get Involved: "Visit the Official Atlas Shrugged Movie Web Site!"

ObamaCare: Flight of the Doctors (NY Post)

2010-12-13T19:31:00.000-08:00

Doctors hate obamaCare--Marc K. Siegel - NYPOST.com

This is the beginning of the unintended consequences of socialized medicine in the US. Distort the incentives of a market and this is what you get. When the legislation comes into full force, my prediction is that rationed care and extraordinarily long wait-lists won't be too far behind.

Excerpt:

"The Physicians Foundation asked 2,400 doctors and American Medical Association members what they thought of the new law; a full 67 percent were against it.
More important, it asked how they'd cope with the new rules (which don't fully kick in until 2014). Sixty percent said they feel compelled to "close or significantly restrict their practices to certain categories of patients." And 59 percent said the "reform" would oblige them to spend less time with the patients they do have."

Update: April 5, 2013

Fed Up With Obamacare, Doctors Increasingly Prefer Cash For Care (Forbes)

Excerpt:

"Others are considering a departure from the current system of third-party payment. Instead, they’re exploring direct payment, with patients paying for care on their own.

Nearly two-thirds of doctors say that they or their colleagues will retire earlier than planned over the next few years, according to a survey conducted by consulting firm Deloitte.

Patients should welcome this development. Not only does the move toward direct payment have the potential to reduce health costs — it could also yield higher-quality care.

Even before Obamacare, direct-pay practices were growing in popularity. According to the Center for Studying Health System Change, direct-payment practices increased from 9.2 percent of the market in 2001 to 12.4 percent by 2008.

Nearly 7 percent of doctors say they are planning to change to some form of direct-pay care in the next three years, according to a survey of 13,000 doctors done for the Physicians Foundation."

The Happiness State and Nunavut's Inuit

2010-12-11T08:05:00.000-08:00

The Happiness State coming to Canada?

On the website of the newly created Ludwig Von Mises Institute of Canada (awesome!), George Bragues posted the above blog regarding the possibility of individual happiness becoming a goal of government policy. Brague summarized his main concerns as follows:

"[Because] the wealthy supposedly do not get much additional happiness from all their money, while the less well-to-do can, let’s [through government intervention] redistribute incomes. That will augment the over-all level of happiness. And since, we’ll all be more equal as a result, people won’t be so dissatisfied by how they stand relative to others. Not only that, if people can be encouraged to become less avaricious, they can get off the so-called “hedonic treadmill” and focus instead on their families, friends, and communities."

I posted this response (with some revisions for my blog):

Talking about redistribution of wealth policies, what we need is an empirical analysis of the 'money for nothing' policy of Canada's Inuit people. Several of the communities in Nunavut have had been in a sustained state of welfare (i.e., over 50% on Social Assistance) since at least the 80s, if not longer. When I worked with Gov't of the NWT in the 90s, some communities had welfare rates of 80%.

Interested to see what the current statistics were, the Internet was very obliging. For 2010/11, the estimated transfer payment from the Federal gov't to Nunavut is 1.2 billion, which is $35,000 per person. (The NWT is not much better at $23,000 per person.) From 2001-2004, about 8,000 people per year have received Social Assistance (i.e., welfare payments) in Nunavut. That's about 25% of the population of Nunavut (In 2006, the population of Nunavut was 29,474,with 24,640 people identifying themselves as Inuit.)

Do we see an increase in happiness of the Inuit of Nunavut? Inuit suicide rates are more than 11 times higher than the Canadian rate, according to Health Canada. And 83% of these are people under 30 years of age.

This statistic is probably the tip of the ice berg of the state of well-being of Nunavut people. If anyone at the Ludwig von Mises Institute of Canada wants to do research on how chronic welfare destroys a person's (and culture's!) psychological well-being, Nunavut would be a place to study.

Socialized Medicine is the Problem

2010-12-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Socialized Medicine is the Problem | Psychology Today

by Walter E. Block

Excerpt:

"Why are there long waiting lines that do not dissipate quickly? In economic parlance, this comes about because demand is greatly in excess of supply. There is no other reason; that is it: supply's falling short of demand is a necessary and sufficient cause of long and enduring queues.

But to answer in this manner is only to put off the inevitable question: why does demand continue to exceed supply in some markets but not in others? Again, the answer comes straight out of Economics 101: a permanent shortage arises and endures if and only if prices are pegged at below-equilibrium levels and kept there through force of law.

Some people think there is something special about medical care. There is not. Yes, if we do not avail ourselves of it, we will be in dire straits. But no less can be said for food, clothing, shelter, energy, transportation - you name it. And economic law, just as in the case of chemistry or physics, is no respecter of how important an industry is to human well-being; it works just the same in medical services as for paper clips or rubber bands. Impose artificially lower prices in a market - let alone virtually zero prices as in medicine - and you guarantee a shortage."

Where the Bourgeois Virtues Are Found

2010-11-11T14:28:00.000-08:00

Excerpt from Steven Horowitz's blog on The Freeman:

"Economic historian Deirdre McCloskey has just published the second volume [Bourgeois Dignity] of her multi-volume look at the history of capitalism and its relationship to the “bourgeois virtues.” What she means by the latter are the basic virtues of the middle class, from prudence to love to justice. What makes this approach interesting is that critics of capitalism have long suggested that there were very few virtues associated with the bourgeoisie, mostly because capitalism itself requires and encourages what they saw as the unvirtuous behavior related to greed and self-interest.

In the first volume McCloskey convincingly argues that market relationships civilize us and lead us to treat one another, especially strangers, with openness and kindness, which was previously unknown in history. In the words of economic anthropologist Paul Seabright, markets turn strangers into “honorary kin.”

Markets do this because they encourage us to treat others as equals in that we approach them, especially strangers, most often as traders. They have rights to their property, we have rights to ours, and those rights limit the ways we can interact. But they leave exchange available as a way to get the things we want. The mutuality and reciprocity of exchange both require and encourage us to treat one another humanely, with justice, and as equals. In other words, markets lead us to treat strangers as fully human."

Link to full blog:
Where the Bourgeois Virtues Are Found | The Freeman | Ideas On Liberty:"Economic historian Deirdre McCloskey"

I've just begun reading The Bourgeois Virtues on Amazon's Kindle, which I've had since Christmas 2009, but have only recently begun purchasing volumes and using it. I particularly like the automatic "bookmark" function. Anyway, promoting Kindle aside, McCloskey's writing style is loose and conversational, which is radically different from other economics, philosophy, and history books I've read. Reviews of The Bourgeous Virtues have been mixed. Most giving it high ratings, but don't find her evidence all that compelling and complain that her writing is a bit scattered. Reviewers are hopeful that she will answer their questions in her next 3 volumes in the series, with the 2nd volume, Bourgeous Dignity, soon to be available. Reading the reviews has convinced me to also get Adam Smith's The Theory of Moral Sentiments. McCloskey views her 4 volumes as a modern day version of Smith's work.

I remember Objectivist-friendly philosopher George H. Smith (most known for Atheism: The Case Against God ) recommending The Theory of Moral Sentiments many years ago. Those not familiar with Objectivism, the philosophy attempts to provide a internally consistent framework between the ethics of self-interest, the practice of certain virtues (rationality, pride/self-esteem, benevolence, integrity, justice, purpose/productivity), and the political system of libertarianism (i.e., private property, rule of law, & free markets). Given my affinity for Objectivism, I am hopeful McCloskey's works provide further elaboration for the links between virtue and capitalism, especially in the area of historical evidence. When I'm done, I'll share my thoughts as to whether McCloskey's work accomplishes that.

Rand Paul's Victory Speech

2010-11-05T01:07:00.000-07:00

An outstanding political speech that clearly lays out a libertarian philosophy that he will bring to the US senate. The MSNBC panelists sound a bit afraid! One is afraid that Rand Paul alone will cause a world-wide depression. One of my favorite quotes, "He's not beholden to anybody....this guy is the lead dog in the Tea Party....He came out and almost dictated this how it's going to be!"

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal (Updated Dec. 29/10)

2010-10-20T18:31:00.000-07:00

Glenn Greenwald is a civil rights attorney, a blogger for Salon, and the author of a new Cato Institute policy study called “Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Policies.” The paper examines Portugal’s experiment with decriminalizing possession of drugs for personal use, which began in 2001. Nick Gillespie, editor of reason.com and reason.tv, sat down with Greenwald in April [2009].

Greenwald's policy study can be downloaded at the Cato Institute website:

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal:
Lessons for Creating Fair and Successful Drug Policies

Update (Dec 29, 2010)

The Washington Post is carrying a series of Associated Press stories on the USA's war on drugs. This one examines Portugal's success with decriminalizing drugs.

"By BARRY HATTON and MARTHA MENDOZA
The Associated Press
Monday, December 27, 2010; 12:01 AM

LISBON, Portugal -- These days, Casal Ventoso is an ordinary blue-collar community - mothers push baby strollers, men smoke outside cafes, buses chug up and down the cobbled main street.

Ten years ago, the Lisbon neighborhood was a hellhole, a "drug supermarket" where some 5,000 users lined up every day to buy heroin and sneaked into a hillside honeycomb of derelict housing to shoot up. In dark, stinking corners, addicts - some with maggots squirming under track marks - staggered between the occasional corpse, scavenging used, bloody needles.

At that time, Portugal, like the junkies of Casal Ventoso, had hit rock bottom: An estimated 100,000 people - an astonishing 1 percent of the population - were addicted to illegal drugs. So, like anyone with little to lose, the Portuguese took a risky leap: They decriminalized the use of all drugs in a groundbreaking law in 2000.

Now, the United States, which has waged a 40-year, $1 trillion war on drugs, is looking for answers in tiny Portugal, which is reaping the benefits of what once looked like a dangerous gamble. White House drug czar Gil Kerlikowske visited Portugal in September to learn about its drug reforms, and other countries - including Norway, Denmark, Australia and Peru - have taken interest, too"

(Link to the full article) Portugal's drug policy pays off; US eyes lessons

Being true to yourself: Research on authenticity and virtue

2010-10-14T00:56:00.000-07:00

Below is an interesting set of studies that attempts to empirically demonstrate what "being true to yourself" means. Although the researcher, Fleeson, doesn't state this explicitly, the results suggest to me that acting in accordance with one's virtues leads to feeling your behaviour is "true to yourself." In Fleeson's studies, the virtues the participants adhere to are assertiveness, conscientiousness, and civility. -- WFF
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Being true to yourself: Psychologist publishes new research on being authentic
October 13, 2010
By Cheryl Walker

(PhysOrg.com) -- Staying true to yourself and not changing your personality to fit different situations is highly valued in Western culture. Shakespeare’s famous line "to thine own self be true," has been echoed across the centuries by parents, pop singers and motivational speakers.

But, in a new study published in the Journal of Personality, Wake Forest University psychologist William Fleeson found “being true to yourself” often means acting counter to your own personality traits.
Fleeson discovered that introverts feel more true to themselves or “authentic” when they are acting extroverted. For example, if a shy person attends a party and acts like a social butterfly, he is likely to report that he feels like he is showing his true self at that time in that situation.

Acting out of character in this way, some would say, suggests people are faking it. Fleeson says the study, co-authored by former Wake Forest graduate student Joshua Wilt, shows that is not the case.
“Authenticity is consistently associated with acting highly extraverted, even for those who characterize themselves as introverts,” he says. “Despite the cultural assumption that consistency with one’s traits would predict authenticity, it did not.”

He also found that people who think of themselves as disagreeable and rude feel more true to themselves when they are agreeable, considerate, polite and kind. And, people who consider themselves careless feel more true to themselves when they are conscientious.

In addition, his research showed that authenticity or feeling like you are being the real you, is consistently associated with acting emotionally stable and intellectual, regardless of the actor’s traits.
“Being flexible with who you are is okay,” Fleeson says. “It is not denying or disrespecting who you are. People are often too rigid about how they are and stick with the comfortable and familiar. Adapting to a situation can make you more true to yourself in some circumstances.”

This research can help people see they have so many options and choices for how they behave, he says.
Because authenticity predicts a variety of positive psychological outcomes, Fleeson says one implication of these findings is that “it might be possible for individuals to improve their mental health by acting against their personality traits.”

The multi-part study involved several groups of college-aged students. One hundred-forty three participated in multiple 50-minute sessions in a laboratory setting where they engaged in different activities, such as playing Twister and discussing medical ethics. Researchers recorded observations. The participants evaluated their own behavior and made judgments about whether their current actions expressed their true selves. The researchers then tested their findings with a sample of adults ranging in age from 18 to 51. The participants also filled out questionnaires assessing personality traits.

Link: Being True to Yourself

An Objectivist Individualist: September 2 is Atlas Shrugged Day!

2010-09-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

An Objectivist Individualist: September 2 is Atlas Shrugged Day!

[From Charles Anderson's blog:]

In the opening scene of the novel, a bum asking Eddie Willers for a handout, asks "Who is John Galt?" This and the way it was asked bother Eddie. As he walks through NYC he is also bothered by the gigantic calendar hanging from a public tower and announcing the date as September 2.
On that date, Hank Readen and Dagny Taggart decide to take a vacation together. On that vacation they discover an abandoned motor that should have revolutionized the use of energy in the world.
Francisco D'Anconia makes his speech on money on September 2. He proclaims money to be the tool of free trade and the result of noble effort, not the root of evil. Those who call money evil choose to replace its use with the force of the gun.
D'Anconia Copper is nationalized on 2 September, but the date on the calendar is replaced by "Brother, you asked for it!"

Intransition - Then & Now (Updated Aug. 31, 2011)

2010-08-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

Link to Intransition's website, where you can find lyrics and stuff about the band. The entire album can be downloaded here Intransition for only $2.50 CDN. Individual songs are also available at iTunes. The music ranges from folk-pop (Tidal Wave), to country-pop (Hideaway, Don't Believe We've Met), to pop-rock (Betting to Hold, Mind in Motion), to rock (How's it Going to be) to blues-rock (Liar). Fan favourites tend to be Tidal Wave, How's it Going to be, & Hideaway.

Where is the band now? Our singer, Jennifer Bryan-Ahmed is an emergency room resident doctor in Toronto. Our creative lead guitarist, Scott Crockford, is in Toronto; never quite knew what he did, except that it was computer-related. Our jazzy bassist, Graham Hearn, has finally returned to Canada after years of travel & work in the middle East. He is studying aviation technology. I'm nearly done my doctoral program in clinical psychology. On August 30, 2010, I completed my one-year residency with Alberta Health Services in Edmonton. I learned a lot. At this point, I'm ABD: all-but-defended. In fact, I should be working on my dissertation instead of blogging. ;-)

In terms of new songs, there's a few older ones I've been re-arranging with different chord structures & slight melodic adjustments. These are basically ready to record. I just need singers and musicians! Musicians can now record using their own computer, which I've experimented with in the past. This works fine for sample songs, but it still requires a lot of time. When I have "good enough" recordings of these re-vamped songs, I'll post them.

No Laughing Matter

2007-04-29T19:07:00.000-07:00

Apparently, there is a rule you need to post on your blog regularly or you should shut it down. So from now on I'm going to post random nonsense on a regular basis so as to uphold this rule. Is quantity over quality valued in blog culture?

Anyway, one thing I've been thinking about writing (when life isn't getting in the way) is a post on laughter; my laughter in particular. I think we can agree that each person has a characteristic laugh; it's a unique mannerism which we can use to identify that person. This means a person's laughter is constant over time. There may be variations in their laughter, depending on how hard they are laughing, for example, but even the variations are consistent.

One thing I have noticed about myself, though, is that my laughter has changed over time. Every so often I adopt a particular style of laugh and try it on for size over a few years. For instance, in my late 20s, snorting became of my laughter. This fell away in my early 30s (thankfully). The last noticeable change in my laughter happened this past Christmas. I have adopted a "heh heh" kind of laugh and it's still going strong 4 months later.

What's with that? Why is my laugh changing? What ~is~ my characteristic laugh, or did I ever have one? What does this mean about me and my identity? So many questions. My question for anyone reading this blog: Has your laugh ever changed over time? If so, can you identify why this has happened to you?

Oscar

2007-02-25T17:26:00.000-08:00

I'm about to watch the Oscars tonight. Just watched a Barbara Walters' interview with Jennifer Hudson (nominated for an Oscar for her role in Dream Girls). As a build up to the interview, they showed a key singing scene from the movie in which Hudson was absolutely amazing. During the interview, Barbara asked her to sing, to which she belted out this beautiful, soulful song. I was expecting a soft, pretty song, but she sang like she was auditioning for American Idol and had to give it her everything. She surprised Barbara and probably most viewers. Ironically, Hudson was a top 12 finalist for American Idol and Simon Cowell had criticized her as "lacking depth." Who's laughing now? She sounded really down to earth. Haven't seen Dream Girls, but I plan to now.

For best movie, I have seen "Babel" and "The Departed." They were both very good movies, although the ending for "The Departed was disappointing. Not sure what will win, but I am betting that Helen Mirren will win for "The Queen." She's been winning awards and accolades everywhere else and she has been around for decades, so I'm thinking she's due. (I haven't seen "The Queen," but I plan to watch this as well.)

I hope this satisfies my "fans" who have been complaining I don't blog enough! I'll do my best to prevent blog rot.

'Tis the season?

2006-12-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

Every so often I run into some bad luck. And this year it's just in time for Christmas! A few weeks ago I was a victim of a drive-by egging! It was about 1 AM and the culprits were speeding past me as I was standing to cross the road. The window opened, some punk stuck his upper body out the window & winged an egg at me. At first, I didn't know what hit me, or my book bag to be precise. I saw nothing on the ground, but I looked more closely on my bag I noticed the yolk. They sped away before I could see the licence plate. I then mention this incident to several other people and I find that's not that rare to be egged by cowardly cretins in speeding cars! I even heard of an incident in which a local woman was paint-balled in the face!! She was quite bruised up, but fortunately the scum didn't hit her in the eye.

But as fate would have it, I was to be victimized again, except more discreetly this time. I believe it all started at a Blockbuster. My credit card was copied and within 2 days the criminals racked up about $5,000 worth of purchases!! I guess they had a Merry Christmas. Fortunately, the credit card company is eating the costs and the next step is for me to sign an affidavit and speak with a fraud investigator from the company. The fraud could have only been committed at one of 3 places and I can pretty much rule out the other 2. Apparently, the retailer(i.e., some young punk; probably the same one who egged me) working there had a credit card copier attached to the charge machine; or that's my best guess in any case.

Merry Christmas!

Wait-lists: A symptom of Canada's medical system

2006-12-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting video report on an Ontarian who went to the US, through the medical services broker, Timely Medical Alternatives, to get an MRI and receive surgery because it took too long to receive these services in Canada. As of 2006, Timely Medical Services was suing the government of Ontario on the patient's behalf for the costs incurred ($28,000).

A Short Course in Brain Surgery

Here's some background on the issue:

Lawsuit to challenge Ontario health policy

Toronto, Ontario, November 14, 2006 --– Timely Medical Alternatives Inc., a leading Canadian medical broker, today announced that it intends to launch a lawsuit against the Ontario Provincial government on behalf of a 66-year-old Newmarket resident, Lindsay McCreith.

Seeking damages as well as reimbursement for medical, travel and rehabilitation costs, the decision to launch a lawsuit comes after the Provincial government refused to pay the costs for private magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subsequent surgery to remove a cancerous tumour in Mr. McCreith’s brain at a Buffalo hospital on March 6, 2006. The Ontario Health Insurance Plan informed Mr. McCreith that since he didn’t get pre-approval for his out-of-country procedure, they would not reimburse him for the services he received. The "catch 22" is that the pre-approval process routinely takes significantly longer than the four and half weeks between Mr. McCreith’s initial MRI and his life saving surgery.

McCreith, a retired small business owner, is seeking a larger role for private health care in Canada: “I had hoped that the Government would carefully consider my case. I didn’t feel I had an option to wait for my medical treatment, given the possibility the tumour was malignant, and had to pay out of pocket to have my brain surgery. The health system has let me down and I don’t want to see other individuals go through the pain and anguish I have suffered,” said McCreith.

Timely Medical Alternatives, which will lead fundraising efforts for the court challenge, said that Canadians are still not receiving timely health care despite record levels of health spending and numerous commitments made by provincial and federal governments.

Richard Baker, President of Timely Medical Alternatives, said: “This case is not about creating a second tier of health care. Instead, it’s about the provincial government’s refusal to provide timely medical treatment for Mr. McCreith, as well as the restrictions on private insurance. In Mr. McCreith’s case, it really was a life or death situation.”

In the opinion of Dr. Gary Magee, Mr. McCreith’s family physician of 35 years, Mr. McCreith could not afford to wait to receive treatment: ”Brain surgery needed to be expedited. Lindsay might not have made it if he had to wait the likely eight months it would have taken him to have a MRI, see a specialist and have surgery.”

Timely Medical Alternatives is asking Ontario patients who have been adversely affected by waiting for medically necessary services as well as by restrictions on private insurance and have had to pay for their own medical treatment to contact the Company as soon as possible to be considered as part of the lawsuit.

Like the landmark Chaoulli case in 2005 when Montreal patient George Zeliotis and physician Jacques Chaoulli won a Supreme Court of Canada battle for the right to buy private medical insurance, Timely Medical Alternatives’ lawsuit will argue that the provincial government’s actions violate the Canadian Charter of Rights.

News of the Timely Medical Alternatives lawsuit could ignite a political debate over long waiting times for medically necessary services, a debate which would be welcomed by Ontario patients as a call to action for the government.

Mrs. Mariana Rosero, a 56 year old Ontario patient whose debilitating back pain grew so severe she could no longer walk as she waited to see a specialist, finally chose to have immediate surgery in Buffalo, again with the help of Timely Medical Alternatives. She hopes the lawsuit will generate changes: “This is a David versus Goliath struggle. If filing a lawsuit on behalf of Mr. McCreith is what it takes to get the government’s attention and make timely medical treatment a priority, then I fully support it and hope the government does something to fix the system.”

Timely Medical Alternative President, Richard Baker, added: “The Canada Health Act is arguably responsible for more misery, suffering and even death, than any other domestic legislation in Canadian history. It’s time that Canadians no longer be asked to sacrifice their health in the name of supporting this Act.”

About Timely Medical Alternatives Inc.

Based in Vancouver, B.C., Timely Medical Alternatives is Canada’s original medical brokerage organization, providing Canadians with medical alternatives to waiting for care in the public health care system. Founded in 2003, we have assisted individuals and families across Canada to obtain timely, private surgery as well as diagnostic imaging. We refer 90% of our clients to private health care providers within Canada for services such as knee and hip joint replacement, gall bladder removal, arthroscopic knee and shoulder surgeries, weight loss surgery and cataract surgery. Typical out-of-country procedures that the Company brokers on behalf of its clients include brain surgery, cardiac surgery, spinal neurosurgery, and cardiac intervention (angioplasties). For more information, please visit www.timelymedical.ca.

Background

Lindsay McCreith’s Medical History

- In January 2006, Mr. McCreith suffered his first seizure. The Newmarket Hospital diagnoses his seizure as epileptic and prescribes anti-seizure drugs. Mr. McCreith has a MRI scheduled for May 27, 2006.

- During the month of January 2006, Mr. McCreith continues to suffer from headaches and seizures on an almost daily basis. Mr. McCreith decides to seek a second opinion.

- On February 2, 2006, Mr. McCreith contacts Timely Medical Alternatives and the next day has an MRI in Buffalo and is diagnosed with a brain tumour.

- On February 13, 2006, Mr. McCreith returns to Buffalo for a specialist consultation.

- On March 6, 2006, Mr. McCreith returns again to Buffalo for a scheduled biopsy, during which time doctors decide immediately to perform surgery and remove tumour.

- On March 14, the pathology report concludes that Mr. McCreith’s tumour was malignant.

- On May 23, 2006, OHIP rejects Mr. McCreith’s application for refund of medical costs of $27,600 ($US) that he paid out of pocket to the Buffalo hospital.

- In November 2006, Mr. McCreith is cancer-free and agrees to begin process of filing lawsuit against Ontario provincial government.

Public Shaming

2006-11-22T10:05:00.000-08:00

Recently, I made my long journey from San Antonio to Toronto, which included 2 stopovers in Denver and Minneapolis/St. Paul. The flights and stops were uneventful and surprisingly all my flights were on time! (I flew United & Air Canada.) During my stops, I tried calling my g-f, but no answer. She was home sleeping! Lucky woman.

Anyway, at the Pearson Airport in Toronto, we needed to take a shuttle bus to the terminal. When I got on the bus, I saw this a "I'm-too-cool" teen girl (17 or 18) chatting on her cell & sitting with her feet crossed over the seat next to her. She was implicitly communicating she did not want anyone sitting by her. She was quite pretty, brunette, & thin.

When I walked in the bus, I saw an open seat, but decided to stand. I'd been sitting on my tired ass for 12 hours, so I figure I could do with a little standing. The bus eventually began to fill and the seats were swallowed up, except one. As the bus began to move, I soon heard the girl talking very loudly to a 30-something woman a few feet from her. The teen was defiantly telling the woman, "He can sit here if you wants to. I'm not stopping him." She was referring to this older gentleman, who was at least 70. He looked over toward her (and the seat he desired), but turned away in dismay. I couldn't see clearly because of the people partially blocking my view, but I think the teen still had her knee protruding on the seat next to her. Apparently, this was "preventing" the older gent from sitting on the seat.

This argument went back & forth for a short bit. But then this guy (late 20s/early 30s, short hair, & glasses) who was close to the teen, leaned into her and gave her this "death stare." She was obviously threatened by it. She raised her voice and yelled something like, "Why are you staring at me like that? Are you gonna hit me?!" The young man gently pulled back. The older man again looked at the girl (or was he coveting that seat?), but again turned away in disgust.

This then became the gossip in the terminal. I overhead a few people talk about it in hushed words: "Did you see what happened with that girl?" "Man, she was pissed." My curiosity was also peaked because I had just witnessed something I hadn't seen in a long time: a good old fashioned public shaming. The girl was trying to be nonchalant about the affair. She told her cell-friend, "Actually, I find it [the stare] rather funny." Funny? I wondered.

Well, about 10 minutes later (Customs was surprisingly fast!...I better count my cross-border blessings...it's not always like this), she was pacing the baggage claim area and still chatting on her cell. This time, though, she was saying things like, "That stare...it's really bugging me." Ah yes, the shaming effect of the stare had taken hold. It was interesting to note that her reaction was one of "fight" or dominance rather than submission. Now this behavior may be the expression of a confident & assertive girl, or alternatively, an arrogant & aggressive lass.

At the time of the shaming, I felt myself siding with the older man and the 2 other people confronting the girl. After all, she did take up the 2 seats "as if" they both belonged to her. But after I observed her reaction in the terminal, I started feeling sympathetic toward her. Did she deserve to be shamed like that? Couldn't the old man just have asked her if he could sit next to her? The shuttle bus etiquette, which was written in the bus, is that young people should give up their seats to older people. Perhaps the older man didn't believe he needed to ask. that the responsibility was hers to offer up the seat. It was a difficult situation to ascribe blame and responsibility, but I'm willing to bet if the older man simply said, "May I sit here?", she would have moved her legs from it.

At baggage claim w hen she picked up her rather large suitcase (she prolly went shopping that weekend at the Mall of America), she looked at the people around her with a smile on her face. It was like she was trying to elicit positive responses from others to counteract the shame. When she turned to me, looking out from under by cowboy hat, I smiled weakly. You have to remember, I was dead tired...only 4 hours sleep before my 12-hour ordeal. I felt a small urge to say something positive and encouraging, but my mind was too sluggish to articulate exactly what I would say.

This incident was interesting from a social moral perspective, as well as a psychological viewpoint. It reminded me of the emotional power of being shamed. Paul Gilbert, a evolutionary psychologist and cognitive therapist who teaches compassionate mind therapy, talks about how indelible shaming experiences can be. Even a single shaming experience can have a powerful, long-lasting (or even life-long) impact. Gilbert gives examples of people remembering solitary shaming experiences decades after they happened. He also referenced an article by Baumeister et al. (2001) entitled "Bad is stronger than good," which discusses how we have more processing systems in the brain for handling threats than dealing with positive experiences. (I plan to read it.) Will this girl ever forget this experience? I've blogged it, so I know I won't. :-)