Recently being a widespread concern around in Alberta, a hospital in Lloydminister, Saskatchewan has been reusing syringes. Dr. Moira McKinnon, the province's chief medical health officer, confirmed that Lloydminister Hospital has been reusing syringes to inject medication into intravenous lines. Lloydminister Hospital serves both patients from Alberta and Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan's Ministry of Health has launched an investigation, searching if other health regions are reusing syringes. The province's Ministry of Health is not sure how long this practice has been going on, nor can they say how many patients may be at risk. Dr. McKinnon expressed that the risk of this practice is extremely low and experts are searching for further details of the risk. As the chief medical health officer, Dr. McKinnon has issued a cautionary alert to the province's health regions about reusing syringes.
Opinion: Regardless of the risk factor, I believe that reusing syringes is unhygienic and a practice which hospitals should not be doing. How do patients have full trust in hospitals if they can't even follow instructions as simple as not reusing syringes. Though the needle is being penetrated through an IV line, there is still a theoretical risk where there can be a back flow of blood. Depending on the patients medical status, this can be very dangerous.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Gun Shop Owner says "Arms Up"
One Washington gun shop owner is experiencing an influx of new business since the November 4th election. Bernie Conaster, a gun retailer in Manassas, Virginia has seen more business in a single day than he has seen all year. In fact, on the Saturday after the election Bernie had more business than he had all week.
"I have been in business for 12 years, and I was here for Y2K, September 11th, Katrina," Conaster commented. "And all of those were big events, and we did notice a spike in business, but nothing on the order of what we are seeing right now." Although Conaster didn't provide explanation for the recent flare in business, many political strategists and gun owners themselves have attributed the spike in sales to the controversy surrounding 2nd Ammendment rights. Most gun owners believe President-Elect Obama will remove the rights of Americans to bear arms. Furthermore, many of those in rural Southern areas within Virginia feel Obama regards their right to bear arms as menial and of little importance. This skepticism still emerges after Democrats --and Obama himself-- have stated the upcoming administration will support gun ownership rights.
In terms of statistics, the FBI has reported 374,000 background checks are being conducted on possible gun owners within a period of just 6 days (November 3-9). These checks are being applied to mainly automatic weapons such as the AR-15 rifle, which many gun owners fear Obama will hit with tougher regulations and penalties.
Opinion: Personally, I find this story to be a perfect example of the type of ignorance and fear mongering that has plagued America for so long. As the rest of the country, are continuing to spread dissension and fear. The reality is that the number one issue on voters minds is the economy as people are continually losing their jobs and pensions, and having a gun in your hand won't guarantee a future for your child or savings for your retirement. To be blunt, I feel that if these same people have the money to stock up on arms, the economic crisis isn't hitting them hard enough.
Unfortunately, the people who are stocking up on arms right now fail to understand that. This type of small minded thinking is exactly what I feel a President Obama will have to conflict with as he pushes for major change in Washington. I just hope that the progressive policies of the Obama administration will overcome the fear mongering of those who still seek to divide America.
"I have been in business for 12 years, and I was here for Y2K, September 11th, Katrina," Conaster commented. "And all of those were big events, and we did notice a spike in business, but nothing on the order of what we are seeing right now." Although Conaster didn't provide explanation for the recent flare in business, many political strategists and gun owners themselves have attributed the spike in sales to the controversy surrounding 2nd Ammendment rights. Most gun owners believe President-Elect Obama will remove the rights of Americans to bear arms. Furthermore, many of those in rural Southern areas within Virginia feel Obama regards their right to bear arms as menial and of little importance. This skepticism still emerges after Democrats --and Obama himself-- have stated the upcoming administration will support gun ownership rights.
In terms of statistics, the FBI has reported 374,000 background checks are being conducted on possible gun owners within a period of just 6 days (November 3-9). These checks are being applied to mainly automatic weapons such as the AR-15 rifle, which many gun owners fear Obama will hit with tougher regulations and penalties.
Opinion: Personally, I find this story to be a perfect example of the type of ignorance and fear mongering that has plagued America for so long. As the rest of the country, are continuing to spread dissension and fear. The reality is that the number one issue on voters minds is the economy as people are continually losing their jobs and pensions, and having a gun in your hand won't guarantee a future for your child or savings for your retirement. To be blunt, I feel that if these same people have the money to stock up on arms, the economic crisis isn't hitting them hard enough.
Unfortunately, the people who are stocking up on arms right now fail to understand that. This type of small minded thinking is exactly what I feel a President Obama will have to conflict with as he pushes for major change in Washington. I just hope that the progressive policies of the Obama administration will overcome the fear mongering of those who still seek to divide America.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
House Passes Humanitarian Bill
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill today that recognizes Israel's right to defend themselves in their recent conflict with Hamas. White House officials say this bill was aimed at raising awareness to the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza. For instance, during this conflict, the World Food Program, is reporting 1 million Palestinians are without food or water.The bill was proposed by Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, and passed by a margin of 390 to 5. This measure passed on the second week of fighting between Israel and Palestine in the Palestinian territory of Gaza. $1.6 million in food and $15,000 in medicine has reached refugees, but an additional $3 million are still awaiting distribution in a U.N. warehouse. Due to the unsafe conditions on the groud, Howard Sumka (the top U.S. aid official for the West Bank and Gaza) says supply deliveries are "not as high as we would like."These concerns bring to light the recent humanitarian problems associated with conflict in Gaza. Just a day ago, The U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees suspended all food deliveries to over 750,000 Palestinian refugees due to Israeli air strikes. One aid worker was killed and another was wounded, despite the fact "they had received Israeli clearance," the agency said.
In addition, Rice says the US will continue to support the Non Governmental Organizations within Gaza and applauds them for their work in such "a very difficult environment."
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Personally, I think the U.S. isn't doing very much to assist Palestinian refugees in Gaza. Condolezza Rice's words about having "tough phone calls" probably don't mean anything to the refugees who are without adequate health care or clean water to drink. On the other hand, I do realise the reality of the situation. There is a war in Gaza right now, and so Israel is taking the measures it sees fit to eliminate all Hamas leaders within Gaza. Also, the U.S. is obviously in support of Israel in this conflict but can't have this fact be made to clear to Hamas if the U.N. is going to be sucessful in any kind of peaceful negotiation. In a way, Condolezza Rice's words are probably the best response to any media right now if the UN wants to reach a peace agreement soon.
All in all, I am very confused about this situation and realise there is no clear cut answer. Even if a peace agreement is reached, will Hamas just use it as a time to restock on weapons? Will Israel really work with the Palestinians? Nobody really knows the answers to these questions, and its definitely not any easier for a grade 10 civics student in Aurora to come up with a response.
In addition, Rice says the US will continue to support the Non Governmental Organizations within Gaza and applauds them for their work in such "a very difficult environment."
********
Personally, I think the U.S. isn't doing very much to assist Palestinian refugees in Gaza. Condolezza Rice's words about having "tough phone calls" probably don't mean anything to the refugees who are without adequate health care or clean water to drink. On the other hand, I do realise the reality of the situation. There is a war in Gaza right now, and so Israel is taking the measures it sees fit to eliminate all Hamas leaders within Gaza. Also, the U.S. is obviously in support of Israel in this conflict but can't have this fact be made to clear to Hamas if the U.N. is going to be sucessful in any kind of peaceful negotiation. In a way, Condolezza Rice's words are probably the best response to any media right now if the UN wants to reach a peace agreement soon.
All in all, I am very confused about this situation and realise there is no clear cut answer. Even if a peace agreement is reached, will Hamas just use it as a time to restock on weapons? Will Israel really work with the Palestinians? Nobody really knows the answers to these questions, and its definitely not any easier for a grade 10 civics student in Aurora to come up with a response.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Reduction of TV fast food Ads
A recent study shows that a reduction of TV fast food ads may cause a significant change in childhood obesity. Researchers of this topic has found that a ban on such fast food ads may decrease the number of young obese children by 18 percent and the number of older teens by 14 percent. Suggestions such as ending advertisement expense tax deductions for fast food restaurants could result in reducing childhood obesity problems. Obesity rate in the U.S. has rose steadily starting from the 1980's. It has just recently leveled off, leaving a third of American children over weight or obese. Though the causes of obesity can vary, for many years now, researchers pondered about the effect of fast food advertisements. Lisa Powell is a researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute For Health Research and Policy. Powell has found that fast food commercials account for 23 percent of food commercials on TV. This means, children see fast food commercials multiple of times a year.
After reading this study, I have understood the strength of TV advertising and why companies spend tens of thousands of dollars on commercials. I believe that ending advertisement expense tax deductions for fast food restaurants is a great way to stop this problem. As many people know, with a higher budget to fill, many fast food franchises will pull back on the amount of commercials produced. Another helpful idea may be to control the regulation of each fast food commercial. By regulating fast food commercials, can limit the amount the commercial can be played.
After reading this study, I have understood the strength of TV advertising and why companies spend tens of thousands of dollars on commercials. I believe that ending advertisement expense tax deductions for fast food restaurants is a great way to stop this problem. As many people know, with a higher budget to fill, many fast food franchises will pull back on the amount of commercials produced. Another helpful idea may be to control the regulation of each fast food commercial. By regulating fast food commercials, can limit the amount the commercial can be played.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Afghanistan's only pig quarantined in flu fear
Reports from Afghanistan have reached the international news world upon learning that
the Kabul Zoo Director, Aziz Gul Saqib, has placed the pig in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm that it could spread the new flu strain. Fortunately there are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico. The pig was a gift to the zoo from China, which itself quarantined some 70 Mexicans, 26 Canadians and four Americans in the past week, but later released them. Visitors expressed their concern for the pigs presence, and because influenza is contagious and it passes between people and animals, it will not hurt to lock the lone pig away. The Kabul Zoo, however, has not been in the best shape as many of the other zoos in the world since it suffered on the front line of Afghanistan's 1992-1994 Civil War, where Mujahideen fighters ate the deer and rabbits, and shot the zoo's lone elephant.
Opinion: It certainly reads like these folks are pandering to the masses and find it easier to lock up the, uh... already caged pig, rather than explain and educate them about how swine flu works. The ignorance shown by the Afghanistan people and the Kabul Zoo show their need of some sort of education that does not involve teaching their children to become child soldiers. Experts have said that you cannot contract the H1N1 virus from direct contact with a pig or pork products, but rather has grown through interpersonal contact rather than animal-person contact. They should be thankful though, that the Afghan-Muslim people do no eat pork products, because this ignorance could carry over to the thought that the influenza can be contracted through pork products, which could cause a real stir, in an already unstable country.
the Kabul Zoo Director, Aziz Gul Saqib, has placed the pig in quarantine since Sunday after visitors expressed alarm that it could spread the new flu strain. Fortunately there are no pig farms in Afghanistan and no direct civilian flights between Kabul and Mexico. The pig was a gift to the zoo from China, which itself quarantined some 70 Mexicans, 26 Canadians and four Americans in the past week, but later released them. Visitors expressed their concern for the pigs presence, and because influenza is contagious and it passes between people and animals, it will not hurt to lock the lone pig away. The Kabul Zoo, however, has not been in the best shape as many of the other zoos in the world since it suffered on the front line of Afghanistan's 1992-1994 Civil War, where Mujahideen fighters ate the deer and rabbits, and shot the zoo's lone elephant.
Opinion: It certainly reads like these folks are pandering to the masses and find it easier to lock up the, uh... already caged pig, rather than explain and educate them about how swine flu works. The ignorance shown by the Afghanistan people and the Kabul Zoo show their need of some sort of education that does not involve teaching their children to become child soldiers. Experts have said that you cannot contract the H1N1 virus from direct contact with a pig or pork products, but rather has grown through interpersonal contact rather than animal-person contact. They should be thankful though, that the Afghan-Muslim people do no eat pork products, because this ignorance could carry over to the thought that the influenza can be contracted through pork products, which could cause a real stir, in an already unstable country.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Mexico Prepares to Lower Alert as Flu Subsides
Citing an ebb in the number of swine flu cases, Mexican officials said Monday that they would lower the public alert against the virus and allow most of the nation’s businesses to reopen this week, even as the outbreak, which appears to have started in Mexico, continued its spread worldwide. Across the country, factories and offices will reopen, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said in a news conference. A decision has not yet been made to reopen schools, which have remained shuttered for well over a week. The number of new cases is declining in Mexico, he said, and no deaths have been reported since April 29.Swine flu is now widespread in the United States, officials said, and continues to spread globally, the World Health Organization reported Monday. There are now 985 laboratory confirmed cases in 20 countries. On Sunday, there were 898 confirmed cases in 18 countries.Colombia and El Salvador were the latest countries to join the W.H.O. list, which is topped by Mexico, with 60 percent of the world’s total confirmed cases, and the United States, with 23 percent of the total.
Spain remains the most affected country in Europe, with the health ministry saying Monday that the number of flu cases there had risen to 54. But there was no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of the flu anywhere in Europe, where all but one of the cases have been mild, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported.The lack of sustained transmission outside of Mexico and the United States, has kept the World Health Organization from declaring a full-scale pandemic, but officials there have warned nations to not let down their guard.
The good news, Dr. Schuchat said, is that most cases in the United States have been mild, and health officials in Mexico said that cases there seemed to be leveling off. But Dr. Schuchat said, “I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.”She said the virus had a number of unusual features that were cause for concern. It has flared up at a time of year when the flu season is normally ending. It is new, so people probably have little or no resistance to it. And unlike the common types of seasonal flu, it appears to infect an unusually high percentage of young people. The median age of patients is 17. Dr. Schuchat said scientists at the C.D.C. were preparing a “seed stock” from virus samples that could be used for a vaccine. The possibility that H1N1 might be passed back and forth between humans and pigs was discussed at a World Health Organization news teleconference from Geneva on Sunday. Canadian officials reported on Saturday that an infected farm worker had spread the virus to pigs in Alberta.
Opinion: I believe that Mexico is taking the correct steps, towards correcting this obvious dangerous epidemic that is affecting many people throughout the World. It is important to create calmness within the public, so that activities can resume in the state of Mexico. Since a major part of the Mexican economy is based off tourism, allowing people to travel back without the fear of contracting the H1N1 virus, is especially important. Mexican President Felipe Calderon had already ordered a economic shutdown of all activities, in hopes of stemming the virus in its tracks. It is steps like these that Mexico should slowly progress on, to rid the world of the virus, especially so that this virus does not progress to be of a danger level such as the SARS virus in 2003.
Spain remains the most affected country in Europe, with the health ministry saying Monday that the number of flu cases there had risen to 54. But there was no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of the flu anywhere in Europe, where all but one of the cases have been mild, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported.The lack of sustained transmission outside of Mexico and the United States, has kept the World Health Organization from declaring a full-scale pandemic, but officials there have warned nations to not let down their guard.
The good news, Dr. Schuchat said, is that most cases in the United States have been mild, and health officials in Mexico said that cases there seemed to be leveling off. But Dr. Schuchat said, “I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.”She said the virus had a number of unusual features that were cause for concern. It has flared up at a time of year when the flu season is normally ending. It is new, so people probably have little or no resistance to it. And unlike the common types of seasonal flu, it appears to infect an unusually high percentage of young people. The median age of patients is 17. Dr. Schuchat said scientists at the C.D.C. were preparing a “seed stock” from virus samples that could be used for a vaccine. The possibility that H1N1 might be passed back and forth between humans and pigs was discussed at a World Health Organization news teleconference from Geneva on Sunday. Canadian officials reported on Saturday that an infected farm worker had spread the virus to pigs in Alberta.
Opinion: I believe that Mexico is taking the correct steps, towards correcting this obvious dangerous epidemic that is affecting many people throughout the World. It is important to create calmness within the public, so that activities can resume in the state of Mexico. Since a major part of the Mexican economy is based off tourism, allowing people to travel back without the fear of contracting the H1N1 virus, is especially important. Mexican President Felipe Calderon had already ordered a economic shutdown of all activities, in hopes of stemming the virus in its tracks. It is steps like these that Mexico should slowly progress on, to rid the world of the virus, especially so that this virus does not progress to be of a danger level such as the SARS virus in 2003.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Stephen Harper Cabinet Changes
Today, Stephen Harper made a change in his cabinet arrangements. The new cabinet includes several new female members who are managing key portfolios, in an attempt to recognize the troubling economic times. John Baird, who was previously Minister of Environment, has now taken the job of Minister of Transport. In addition, Lawrence Cannon has now been assigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Also, Tony Clement will now be responsible for the Industry, in order to address Ontario's crippled auto sector. In light of these recent appointments, Stephen Harper said, "The new cabinet introduced today is composed of an experienced team that's prepared to work on behalf of all Canadians."
However, Deputy Liberal deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff told CBC News that, "Mr. Harper used the word team. The question is, is it a team or a one-man band as before?" Ignatieff is referring to the several allegations of Harper's tight leash on all his ministers and alleged controlling nature. Ignatieff also commented on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty saying, "keeping Mr. Flaherty says our economic policy so far has been good for Canadians. We in the Liberal opposition think it's been bad for Canada, because he made some tax cuts that left us no room to help Canadians in tough times."
Opinion: I feel a change in cabinet will not result in a new policy for Canada. Harper has led this country in the same direction of partisan bickering and division, and I think the same will follow after his cabinet change. Michael Ignatieff is absolutely right in my opinion and I hope he can lead the new Liberal party and defeat Mr. Harper.
However, Deputy Liberal deputy leader, Michael Ignatieff told CBC News that, "Mr. Harper used the word team. The question is, is it a team or a one-man band as before?" Ignatieff is referring to the several allegations of Harper's tight leash on all his ministers and alleged controlling nature. Ignatieff also commented on Finance Minister Jim Flaherty saying, "keeping Mr. Flaherty says our economic policy so far has been good for Canadians. We in the Liberal opposition think it's been bad for Canada, because he made some tax cuts that left us no room to help Canadians in tough times."
Opinion: I feel a change in cabinet will not result in a new policy for Canada. Harper has led this country in the same direction of partisan bickering and division, and I think the same will follow after his cabinet change. Michael Ignatieff is absolutely right in my opinion and I hope he can lead the new Liberal party and defeat Mr. Harper.
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