I've funded an experiment by providing some equipment. I may provide more for the experiment as well, this remains to be determined. I turned this equipment over to someone yesterday. Initially this someone carried the descriptor 'minion' for this post. Incorrectly, however, as they are quite as interested in the particular experiment as I am for their own purposes as well. In need of an alternate desriptor, the word 'Ally' is selected. Indubitably, this seems a much better choice.

This paragraph brought to you by the letter "I".

Five Thirty AM. Cold nose in the ear. 'Boss. I really need to go out.'

Yesterday being Independence Day here in my neck of the woods in North Central Baja Jorja, one of my neighbors threw a party. They also did small fireworks, nothing bright and skyward and fancy. Enough though to cause a Border Collie who is afraid of thunder and gunfire to hike up anxiety levels. So Houdini got to spend time indoors. Calmed down fairly quickly once inside, even being able to hear the occasional kaboom. Stayed in overnight, woke me this morning.

His plan, I'm quite sure, included going outside and relieving himself, then going back inside. however, the Kittehs wanted breakfast and I wasn't awake enough to monitor dog behaviour to maintain Good Dog status. So he's waiting for me out by his den; we'll make rounds in a bit.

Today is a Laundry Day. Doesn't that sound exciting?

Just right now I am debating about more coffee.

Worked up a half dozen or so bits to take to my local printer, Flair Lab. They offer some nice prices on photograph business cards, meaning you provide the photographs and information, they'll work them up into business cards. Or, if you provide the files ready to go, they'll print them at a slightly lower rate (since the prep work is done). Business cards are like candy or gum. Give them away. Maybe, possibly, 10% of what you give away will result in something coming back to you. It's worth it. It's networking.

And that could be a Pic'oThe'Workday posting as well. These are the new business cards: Pick 3. Because I don't think I'll get all six designs printed. Not to mention I'm still contemplating designs.

I've now seen at least one episode of two different new Televideo shows about Registered Nurses: Nurse Jackie and HawthoRNe. Interestingly enough, within the past three days slave2tehtink passed me a link to a piece published, at least on-line, by the New York Times (link follows http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/01/nurses-helpers-angels-or-something-more/ and I didn't need a login to view it...), that discussed the image of Nurses in the media. I'm not sure if this is going to be a rant. It will contain elements of being a review. No major spoilers, I'm sure, if you happen to be someone interested in either show.

( But it might get long... )
So.

Nursing, according to that NYT article, hasn't fared well in most medical dramas. None of them, to date, truly show what it is that Registered Nurses do for you when you need them. Gather data about your problems. Analyze and assess that data into information that leads to a Plan, to correct those problems to the best of the patient's ability. Implement that plan, which involves both direct Nursing actions and a whole lot of other people called the Health Care Team. Then do it again, to be sure it worked. Change as needed. Rinse and repeat. It's not Medical Diagnosis and Treatment; that's what Medical Doctors do. Yes, they order treatments and medications and then RN's administer those treatments or medications. That is, if something else in the patient's condition doesn't contraindicate it. Or change suddenly, which your M.D. won't see as they aren't at or near the patient bedside 24/7.

All that said, the two shows remain programmed for the DVR to record. Another one of my very good friends told me in the last 12 month, 'You're non-judgemental. That's a very good thing in your profession.' Yes, it is. Fixing those problems rather requires that non-judgemental aspect, and that is one reason why the two shows remain on the DVR schedule. Also Herself rather likes at least one of them. Still, won't be many more of the first one discussed that I'll watch if things don't change rather quickly. Only saw the one of the second one discussed, so there's at least two more viewings in my future.

And that said, I'm not hopeful.

Sold a goat this morning. He will be the center attraction at an Independence Day party.

Along with that, put a collar on another young buckling. Herself purchases these collars periodically; they're dog collars. We use them to mark the goats we are not going to sell, generally young bucklings who will grow up to replace the breeder bucks in the herd. This morning the collar went onto Shiners, one of our group of six who used the Bucket'o'Nipples. Got his name because the dark brown markings around his eyes make him appear to have two black eyes. Took the collar quite calmly. Bit part of this is we did feed him as a kid; all the 'bottle babies' become quite people-fied and any doelings who grow up from that status are easy to deal with as adults (as are the bucklings, a good reason they often become breeders). People who want to purchase goats as 'yard pets' usually get one of the bottle babies.

Shiners, as I said, took the collar well. I doubt he actually thought this, but enjoyed the thought (as he did preen a bit in front of the other bucklings...) of him LOL-Speaking to the other youngsters there: I can haz be working blue-collar goatz.

We finished off feeding the rest of them right after, even though Herself had only been up for about a quarter hour when the customers showed up. Now I'm contemplating a Dump Run, which means Houdini may get a ride in Forrest NissanPickup. Even though it's going to be hot today, Forrest will be in motion for most of that drive. The short period we'll be stopped (off loading and dumping) won't be too bad, then in motion. And after... a game of Hose!

It's a news article about a new sight-seeing feature in the Sears Tower, Chicago.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/us_sears_tower_ledge

As the header says, Not For Acrophobes. However, I should like to photograph Chitown from there, should I get back to Chitown again.

Hippie Birdbaths to inkbabies! Hippie Birdbath!

::Does the Hippie Birdbath for inkbabies

The 'Writer's Block' wee stimulus package today is this: 'Have you ever performed CPR, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or the Heimleich maneuver on someone in an emergency?'

Heh.

Heheh.

HehehehBWAHaHaHaHa.

Excuse me. Hello, 37 years in acute health care, 12 of those in ICU (various guises) and 20 in the Surgical Theatre. Um, Yea-ah!

Getting to be time for Evening Rounds here on teh Ranch. Need to wake a lazy Border Collie up.

Houdini is sacked out at my feet. This, despite that we got up and out to make Morning Rounds by 08:00 before the heat truly set in. Humidity still made the heat index feel about 10 degrees F hotter than the thermometer said. However, the Ranch is fed.

I've done some work on one of the current projects. Not much, and in the category of "Notes" though visual. I might post to Deviant Art as sketchbook. We'll see, not likely today anyway. Need to work on another bit of pieces shortly.

I attended a class this past week at Hospital on Setting Smart Goals. Smart in this case turns out to be an acronym for the process. I'm not sure I'm doing that yet, though.

Earlier in the week, after reading some things on-line about Robert Mitchum (the actor) I noticed the movie Farewell, My Lovely on the schedule for later in the week, so I set it up to record. Yesterday evening I watched it, with much curiosity. Philip Marlowe, Raymond Chandler, hard boiled detectives, film noir... well, maybe noir, as this one, made in 1975 is in colour. Found it enjoyable, and will return to it sometime again in future. Deleted the recording, though. If' I'm going to feel that strongly about it, I'll dig up the DVD.

In '75 I still had a year to go as a Federally Subsidised Tourist.

Other than that, the only thing I felt particularly remarkable about the film (it's entertaining, and being a fan of Mr. Mitchum, and film noir even in colour, and such) is the degree of nudity in one scene. Stipulate first of all, it's a period piece, set in 1941, before the U.S. entry to the War. In fact, there's one scene where Marlowe is talking to a friend, a newsstand owner. Comments about Hitler invading Russia. Later, in the scene in question Marlowe is searching through a brothel for the madam. As he opens doors to various bedrooms, he sees prostitutes in various stages of undress doing ... brothel kinds of things, nothing blatant, though. We are brought to understanding that there is sexual activity going on, in fact, by sound from one room rather than vision.

After finding and confronting the madam, that specific scene is finished up when another of the girls runs into the madam's office and tells her 'Johnnie is with' and yeah, I don't remember the young prostitutes name. Madam jumps up runs in and starts slapping the young prostitute about; there is a very brief flash of full-frontal nudity. Just before Johnnie (played by Sylvester Stallone, no less, in what is obviously one of his earliest bit parts) shoots the madam.

Who knows, maybe the name of the young prostitute is Frankie.

Hippie Birdbaths in transition
Hippie Birdbaths expedition
Hippie Birdbaths maybe on the road
Hippie Birdbaths to a non-toad.

Even though, yanno, toads are interesting too.

Hippie Birdbaths, ihgreenman! May yours and singingnettle's cross-country journey be a safe one, and fruitful.

Up not terribly early, when Madame Queen Mary Kitteh decided I'd slept quite enough and breakfast time NAO PLZ KTHZ arrived. Herself is off to another SCA weekend, something Arts and Sciences but not Art/Sci for those who are familiar with SCA. She's teaching classes. I've got Forrest NissanPickup and she is with Sydney SubaruOutback as he is much better for the highway running.

( Ah, the joys of multiple vehicles no longer with car payments... )

I finished up a re-read of Turn Coat, the newest Dresden last night( Really, No Spoilers... )