Hi,
Last night I watched a program called "Dirty Jobs, with Mike Rowe" I like this program a hell of a lot, mostly because Mike is so likable, but last night I was more horrified than most.
Mike was in New Orleans, helping a bunch of people clean up after hurricane Katrina. He was with a demolition crew gutting hoses for refurbishment, with a rodent control crew and finally Mosquito eradication.
Now the area Mike was visiting were a mess. No they were more than a mess, they were cockroach and mouse infested stinking pile of wood and mud and these guys were making them habitable. What stuck me was that these were not slums, these houses were good homes, in good areas with garages and swimming pools.
What struck me was that this is nearly 2 years post Katrina.
After the second world war, Europe was reconstructed in around 5-7 years by the Marshall plan. A brilliant piece of statesmanship by Harry Truman where the USA paid for the reconstruction of Europe.
Now the money was loaned, (In fact, the UK made the last repayment last year!) and the majority of the money was spent on American goods and services. The USA benefited greatly from this plan, not only directly in goods and trade bought by Marshal plan money, but in the creation of markets for US goods, and most of all, in political capital.
But that is the point. Everyone benefited. There were no losers.
In comparison to the second world war, Katrina was a sneeze, a minor hiccough. The US spends trillions of dollars on a pointless war, and your own citizens wait over 2 years to have the filth washed from their homes from a natural disaster.
Why was there no Marshall plan for Louisiana? Doesn't the Government owe a debt of honour to keep the citizens of the South protected? Is it because no one cares? I just want to know how the people of California feel, if there is another huge Earthquake, do you have faith in your Politicians?
Of course, ultimately its the people who are responsible for the actions of your politicians. If they are not doing their job, make them. If you can't be bothered. well prey you never suffer a Katrina in your area.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
What do you know?
Hi,
Its been a while I know, I haven't had the inclination or the time to write, and this has been because my life has been, well, interesting.
When I became a Radiographer in 1990, the life wasn't interesting really. Oh don't get me wrong, the day to day stuff is always stimulating, and get me in the right mood, and I have got a million stories of the heart stopping stupidity and brilliance of the people I share the planet with, but basically we take x-rays.
That is basically it.
Well, not any more. You see over the last 15 years, Radiology has got all "high tech" and "computery". We no longer use film, we image using magnetic fields of mind blowing power, we image using radioactive indictable materials, and we use ultrasound. We also use all of these things together in interesting and varied ways. Also, we now produce literally thousand's of images per exam. These are all stored electronically.
Which brings me to my job.
I am the PACS Administrator for Hawkes Bay District Health Board. I was stepped down from the Charge Radiographer role in favour of my new boss, who I call "Boss" or Paula, (I am convinced this was the right choice, having worked with her for the last month), and now I do all the "techy" stuff. Which I love, being Aspergers (and capable of concentrating on a task without a break for 6+hours) I am suited for it.
But the thing with hi tech equipment, is it costs a lot of money. Someone has to choose the gear we buy, and that is me (supported by my clinical team, who I have a sneaking feeling actually do all the work whilst I take the glory). In order to choose new gear, I have to see it, which means I go to where it is installed and operating.
Which means next month I am going (with 2 other clinical team members) on an expenses paid trip to Melbourne, Adelaide and (drum roll) Rochester, in upstate New York!!!!!!!
To say I am excited about this trip is a bit of an understatement!! I have never been to the USA, and to be taken there, business class to a hospital 60 miles from Niagara Falls is a bit of a fantastic stroke of luck.
I haven't been to Oz either, but I am not so excited about that one. They have spiders and snakes and things....Ewwww!
Oh, it will be work, and it will be knackering, and I will be an ambassador for my employer and everything..
But I still am counting the days. Watch out America! The Redcoats are coming!! (Actually my coat is brown suede leather, but that hasn't got such a ring to it)
Be Good
Its been a while I know, I haven't had the inclination or the time to write, and this has been because my life has been, well, interesting.
When I became a Radiographer in 1990, the life wasn't interesting really. Oh don't get me wrong, the day to day stuff is always stimulating, and get me in the right mood, and I have got a million stories of the heart stopping stupidity and brilliance of the people I share the planet with, but basically we take x-rays.
That is basically it.
Well, not any more. You see over the last 15 years, Radiology has got all "high tech" and "computery". We no longer use film, we image using magnetic fields of mind blowing power, we image using radioactive indictable materials, and we use ultrasound. We also use all of these things together in interesting and varied ways. Also, we now produce literally thousand's of images per exam. These are all stored electronically.
Which brings me to my job.
I am the PACS Administrator for Hawkes Bay District Health Board. I was stepped down from the Charge Radiographer role in favour of my new boss, who I call "Boss" or Paula, (I am convinced this was the right choice, having worked with her for the last month), and now I do all the "techy" stuff. Which I love, being Aspergers (and capable of concentrating on a task without a break for 6+hours) I am suited for it.
But the thing with hi tech equipment, is it costs a lot of money. Someone has to choose the gear we buy, and that is me (supported by my clinical team, who I have a sneaking feeling actually do all the work whilst I take the glory). In order to choose new gear, I have to see it, which means I go to where it is installed and operating.
Which means next month I am going (with 2 other clinical team members) on an expenses paid trip to Melbourne, Adelaide and (drum roll) Rochester, in upstate New York!!!!!!!
To say I am excited about this trip is a bit of an understatement!! I have never been to the USA, and to be taken there, business class to a hospital 60 miles from Niagara Falls is a bit of a fantastic stroke of luck.
I haven't been to Oz either, but I am not so excited about that one. They have spiders and snakes and things....Ewwww!
Oh, it will be work, and it will be knackering, and I will be an ambassador for my employer and everything..
But I still am counting the days. Watch out America! The Redcoats are coming!! (Actually my coat is brown suede leather, but that hasn't got such a ring to it)
Be Good
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