Category Archives: Uncategorized

Shades of deja vu

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Back in mid-January, McNeil Consumer Healthcare voluntarily recalled some of its over-the-counter Tylenol products after consumers noticed a “moldy, musty, or mildew-like odor” that became associated with “temporary and non-serious gastrointestinal events.”

Something like 70 people had nausea, diarrhea, stomach upsets, vomiting, and all that.

The company attributed the odor to a chemical sometimes applied to wood pallets that transport and store the packaging materials in a Puerto Rican plant.

Really? Today was the first I’d heard of it.

Admittedly, I don’t watch much TV but I do read the papers and the Interwebs, and I didn’t sleep through the last two months.

So I did some research.

A massive earthquake hit Haiti just about that same time.

News rightly focused on that story.

But another Tylenol recall was news too, wasn’t it?

For the past several weeks, I’ve been trying to buy some Tylenol regular strength tablets, but I couldn’t find any.

You’d have thought I’d have been suspicious.

You’d have been wrong.

All I thought was that the shelf stockers were doing a poor job!

This morning, I cornered a not-too-busy pharmacist and learned why.

Yikes!

While this recall isn’t as serious as the 1982 version (when seven people in the Chicago area died after taking Tylenol laced with cyanide), it’s still frightening.

I mean, c’mon, who wants to get sick from something that’s supposed to help you?

But it’s interesting from a marketing point-of-view.

Decades ago, the company took only six days to pull 31 million bottles of Tylenol from store shelves. The move cost $100 million and threatened to ruin the company’s reputation.

People commended it as proof of corporate responsibility.

Tamper-evident packaging came into regular use, and the company fought back to regain the public trust.

Contrast then with now.

The first complaints came in in early 2008 yet it was last November before the company recalled anything — and then, it was only the arthritis pain medication with a red easy-open cap.

A month later, McNeil recalled more arthritis pain medication, finally expanding the recall to a broad variety of its OTC products.

The pharmacist I spoke to said it was doubtful the products would return to the shelves any time soon.

I hope he’s wrong. Tylenol is a good product, especially for those of us who can’t tolerate ibuprofen.

And I’m sorry, but the store brand just doesn’t work as well.

Another Ruined Meal

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Permit me to rant for a few minutes.

I just returned from what was supposed to be a nice, relaxing dinner out on a Friday night. It was anything BUT.

First off, for some reason unknown to me, everybody and his brother chose the same restaurant. After waiting for a table to be cleared, we sat down to find we were surrounded by families with little kids.

Kids who couldn’t sit still. Kids who hollered and tossed food on the floor. Kids whose parents thought they were oh-so-cute.

Then I went to the restroom to wash my hands and found the door locked.

Locked.

This is a restroom with private stalls, not a one-toilet affair.

Who needs to lock the door when others could use the facilities and leave?

So we get our salads and try to eat amid all this confusion — people coming in and going out, busboys pushing cleanup carts down the aisles, loud talking, well, you get the idea.

A madhouse.

Just as our food arrives, a young dad at a table near us announces to everybody within earshot that the two kids with him have strep throat.

Strep throat, mind you.

Not a mere sore throat or cold.

Strep throat.

Now the interwebs say strep throat is contagious and caused by a bacteria. They also say people with strep throat need to be on antibiotics and should STAY HOME.

What part of that didn’t these idiots get??

Needless to say, my dinner was ruined, and we wasted good money for nothing, as I left most of my food untouched on the plate in an effort to get out of there FAST.

And the checkout guy dared to ask me how my dinner was.

Next time, I guess I’ll just stay home and eat kibbles with my Sheltie!

In Praise of Technology

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I’ve been a Web Designer for going-on nine years now, and it never ceases to amaze me when I read statistics on worldwide yearly Internet usage.

A blog by the folks at Royal Pingdom says 47 million Web sites were added last year alone, bringing the total number of Web sites to 234 million. Doesn’t that just boggle your mind??

Compare it to 1997, when there were less than 500,000 Web sites around the world — oh, and Google, YouTube, Facebook, and the iPod didn’t even exist!

We’ve become so used to technology today that it’s hard to imagine our world without it.

We go on vacation, but take our laptops so we can check e-mail. We punch in our destinations on a GPS so we won’t get lost. We use “windshield time” stuck in traffic to call family or friends on our cell phones, and we wouldn’t think of setting a tee-time without checking the Internet for weather conditions.

As of September 2009, there were 1.73 billion Internet users worldwide; in addition, there were 126 million blogs on the Internet, 350 million people on Facebook,  30 billion photos uploaded to Facebook per year, and 90 trillion e-mails sent last year alone!

Now Apple has unveiled an iPad tablet computer, which I’m sure the company hopes will become the coolest thing since sliced bread.

Available beginning in March (for at least $499, depending on which version you get), the iPad comes with a touch screen and is designed so you can play games, read e-books, connect to the Internet, watch movies, and so on.

Wonder what the future will bring?

Computer shopping

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My mom got the bright idea she needs a new computer.

Keep in mind, this is a woman who’d much prefer curling up in bed with a book — not a Kindle, not a Sony Reader — a traditional book, with (preferably!) hard cover and paper pages.

So she started browsing the ads for the best “deal.”

She looked in the stores, too, and talked to some of the sales associates, trying to act as if she knew what they meant when they spoke of RAM, hard drive, hardware, software, wireless routers, and all that.

Here’s the thing — she didn’t have a clue!

Nevertheless, Christmas money was burning a hole in her pocket, and she had to find a way to stop it. Purchasing a computer, she thought, would satisfy her need to spend AND give her something new to learn.

(Everybody knows you have to learn new stuff on a regular basis if you want to ward off Alzheimer’s!)

Finally, after much on again-off again debate, she settled on a PC.

Not a laptop, mind you. A desktop. You see, she already had a monitor she was comfortable with, as well as a keyboard and a mouse, so why not “recycle” them into new life?

We had the tech at the store remove the wireless adapter card from the ancient PC we were recycling, and it became my job to reinstall it on the new PC.

I’m not a computer tech, OK? I’m a Web Designer and while I’ve opened up several computers in my day, that’s not my specialty. Nevertheless, I opened ‘er up and tried to find the right slot for the adapter card.

Three phone calls to the tech later, I admit defeat.

So we hauled the entire thing back to the store, where I watched another tech slip in the card — right where I thought it should go! Reminded to install the corresponding program via CD, we returned home, where I looked — to no avail! — for the disc.

Turns out, mom had tossed it out in one of her cleaning frenzies.

Back to the store goes the PC — only this time, she decided she’d rather have a laptop after all!

You just can’t please some people.

Where would we be without friends?

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One of my writing friends from Cincy suggested I try something called a neti (or netti) pot for my sinuses.

Having never heard of such a thing, I was skeptical. I mean, I use “ocean spray” or saline on a daily basis, as recommended by my doctor, but a neti pot?

Visions of the hookah pipe scene from “Star Wars” flashed before my mind, and I could imagine how everybody in my small town would carry tales if they heard I was into something like that!

But Kathy doesn’t seem the type for extreme weirdness; in fact, she’s a nurse. Never one to leap before looking, I did a bit of research on neti pots and learned nasal cleansing originated thousands of years ago in India.

Wow, I thought, they must be safe, or I’d have read of somebody dying after using one.

Unless there’s a mass neti pot conspiracy, which I doubt!

According to WebMD, research shows neti pots really do work to thin mucus from the nasal passages. And users all over the Web swear by them as a way to lessen congestion and sinus pain.

But how hard is it to learn how to use one?

It’s actually fairly simple. You mix some specially-made neti pot salt with lukewarm tap water. Then you place the end of the neti pot into your upper nostril, lean over your sink, and let the saline flow out the lower one. Repeat on the other side, turning your head in the opposite direction.

Hmm, I could do that.

But where could I find this “miraculous” contraption?

Back to the Internet, which listed a whole bunch of places, including some drug stores we have right here in town!

I went to my Walgreen’s, bought a neti pot (which looks kind of like Aladdin’s lamp), and gave it a try.

Wonder of wonders, it worked!

I can breathe from both nostrils again!

Wow!

Remember, you’re never too old to learn a new trick — thanks, Kathy!

There are some days. . . .

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Sometimes, you’re better off staying in bed.

I went this morning for my routine dental cleaning and checkup, and I learned I have a cavity.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I’m OCD about my teeth. I brush four times a day, floss every day, and see my dentist twice a year.

It’s a schedule indoctrinated in me when I was a kid, and I never really considered rebelling against it.

So it goes without saying that I’m thinking, “Me? A cavity? How can this be?”

Turns out, it was a spot my dentist has been watching for awhile. In all fairness, he did tell me he was watching it; I just never dreamed it would become a problem.

As if that weren’t enough, I finally broke down and scheduled a doctor appointment to check on my “cold.”

I spent half of last night tossing and turning, stumbling between my bed and the Lazy-boy recliner, trying to get some needed sleep — and failing.

With another weekend upon us, I figured I’d better have a professional take a look.

Wouldn’t you know I’ve got a sinus infection, not just a common cold.

I soo like being special!

I begged her NOT to give me antibiotics — the last time I was on them (2006), I was told to take two rounds of antibiotics and developed a condition called c.diff.

For those who don’t know what that is, two words — explosive diarrhea.

Never wanting to see that again, I’ve managed to steer clear of doctors, and I never insist on getting an antibiotic.

But this time, I’m afraid my sinus infection won’t clear up on its own, so I’m stuck with the drugs. I dread the side effects — nausea, etc. — but I’m able to look on the bright side.

At least I succeeded in getting her to only make me take them for 5 days, not the usual 10!


Time to Count my Blessings

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I came back from Christmas vacation with the same cold I had last November — ugh!

So, instead of belaboring my runny nose, stuffy sinuses, coughing, and general misery, I’ve decided to put on my “Little Mary Sunshine” persona and count some of my blessings. Here goes:

1) My Job. I can do Web Design whether I’m sniffling or not. I can schedule client meetings for when I feel less contagious, take care of the drudgery (filing, etc.) that has piled up, and teach myself new tricks — all from the comfort of my sickbed.

2) The Internet. Who says a sick person can’t shop?? Not me!

3) My Novel. Since I’m up to my ears in revisions, I’m not having to come up with new scenes (for the most part), connect the dots between plot lines, make sure my timeline is reasonable, etc. Plus, being sick gives me an “excuse” for foggy-thinking.

4) Beading. Working with many-colored, many-shaped beads is relaxing and offers another creative outlet. And I get to wear or sell some of the stuff I make!

5) My Sheltie. Dogs love you unconditionally. I’m sure they notice when you’ve always got a Kleenex at your nose, but it doesn’t seem to matter. I think what matters to them is the lackluster look in your eyes when they bring you a ball to toss!

6) NoteTabs. This cool product by Avery lets you write, mark, and highlight, right on the tabs! They’re more substantial than “sticky notes,” and they come in more than two dozen styles and colors.

7) January Thaw. Today, it was above 40 degrees!

8) My Family & Friends. They bolster me up, make me laugh, and turn my world into a warmer, cozier place. Thanks, everybody!

9) My Bed. Pity the poor people in Haiti who are suffering through the aftermath of an earthquake. Everything looks like it’s in ruins; kind of reminds me of what the Gulf Coast looked like after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

10) Faith. God never gives us more than He and we can bear. As Scarlett O’Hara said, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Cheating, Part 2

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After yesterday’s post, I got to thinking more about cheating, particularly in college.

I have to admit I never cheated in school, period. I’ve been called a “goody-two-shoe,” but that’s not really it. I just never was tempted. Maybe it has something to do with being Catholic and knowing I’d have to face a priest in Confession!

Still, I wonder if God gives me much credit for honesty, when it’s not really something I have to struggle over.

Statistics indicate only 20 percent of college students in the 1940s admitted cheating in high school; today, that figure has jumped to between 75 and 98 percent.

How many of those students in the 1940s cheated, but knew it was wrong and lied to cover it (skewing statistics)?

Or have morals in our country deteriorated that much?

Today, cheating doesn’t carry the stigma it used to. Kids don’t see it as wrong, having started as early as elementary school; teachers and administrators inflate grades and cheat to meet the No Child Left Behind standards; and statistics show two-thirds of parents believe cheating is OK if it gets a kid good grades and into a better university.

There are more opportunities to cheat, kids are more clever in avoiding “capture,” and penalties are less severe.

And cheating doesn’t stop when a person earns a diploma. Tax evasion, employee fraud, athletes using steroids, resume embellishment, and the list goes on and on.

So what can be done?

I admire parents, colleges, and businesses who refuse to condone cheating. But they face an uphill battle, complicated by the fact that we’re imperfect people living in an imperfect world.

God’s Ten Commandments don’t allow for much “wiggle-room.” Things are either right or wrong, and cheating, like stealing, is wrong. It takes something away from somebody else.

So perhaps the solution begins with recognition that cheating is wrong.

Just because “everyone else is doing it” doesn’t make it right.

Never will.

Cheating? No way!

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I’m miffed that My Favorite Domer can’t come home for Christmas Break until Friday, the last day of Final Exam Week.

Obviously, somebody has to stay and turn the lights out. And upperclassmen have prepared enough schedules so they know which class times will get them home for the holidays early.

Not so First-Years.

They pretty much take “pot luck.” I doubt many, if any, checked to see when finals would be before putting their schedules together with their counselors.

Not that it would have mattered.

When the original exam schedule came out, it looked like MFD, too, would finish early. We were kind of looking forward to “beating the holiday traffic,” doing some last-minute shopping, etc.

Now he says he has to stay until Friday so everybody can take their Chemistry final on the same day.

What?

Yep, apparently they were told the final was moved “so they wouldn’t cheat.”

Cheat? At Notre Dame?

C’mon, really? You’ve got to be kidding!

These kids must complete an Online Honor Code Orientation before they even enroll. Not only that, but they all sign a student pledge that they will adhere to the Academic Code of Honor.

“Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on an exam or quiz” violates the Code.

ALL undergraduates know this.

They also know the penalties for violating the Code (in a repeated offense, the standard punishment is suspension from the University, with no opportunity for readmission).

Tough?

Sure, but like I’ve said before, rules are rules, and without them, we have no orderly society.

In a time when so many kids admit to cheating, at least the University is trying to address the problem.

So it’s not the Code, it’s the knee-jerk reaction that disturbs me.

Granted, I wasn’t privy to the decision (or the reasoning) to move the final, and MFD on occasion has been known to misquote things, but if this is true, I’ve got to ask:

Does it make sense that anybody would be foolish enough to cheat on a final exam?

Really.

Let’s say I take my final on Tuesday and yours isn’t until Thursday. Why would I give you any answers, any help, anything, knowing then you’d get a better grade than I, and in the process, you’d ruin the curve for everybody??

Weathering the winter

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When did I become such a weenie about winter weather?

As a kid, I loved the snow. It was beautiful coming down, and it marked the beginning of the Christmas season. I got to wear sweaters and mittens; Dad made a fire in the fireplace, and Mom gave us kids hot chocolate with marshmallows for our after-school treat.

Some days the snow would drop by the bucket-load, starting at night and blowing into huge drifts next to the house. The administration would cancel school, and everybody would “hunker down” inside for several days. No problem — I’d curl up with a good book and magically be transported to another time and place.

Not so any more.

All those weather casters need to do is hint at snow, and I go into a tailspin! I stock up on supplies — does anybody really need fourteen cans of pork ‘n beans? I gas up the car and make sure I’ve got a thick blanket in the trunk. I dig out the snow shovels and the long underwear; I check to see whether there are flashlights (with batteries) and candles (with matches) just in case we lose electricity.

And I watch the Weather Channel on TV or Accuweather on my computer, examining radar screens, long-range forecasts, and so forth until I, too, am a master of the lingo.

Honestly, I don’t mind the snow so much — it’s the ice. Particularly when I’m driving.

I know enough to leave way before I need to be some place, then creep “old lady style” until I arrive safely. Nobody else seems to have learned that lesson. They zip along, merrily chatting on their cells or balancing a cup of hot coffee or punching buttons on their radio, without even giving a thought to how trecherous the roadways are.

So I’ve just got one teeny request. Slow down, okay? We both want to get where we’re going in one piece, and you riding on my bumper won’t make me go any faster, I promise!