TV Medical Dramas vs. Real Life Medical Crises

I think we all grew up on television medical dramas of one era or another. When I was really young, the tales of Dr. Kildare and Dr. Ben Casey were huge hits. Over the years, we moved onto ER, Mercy, and Grey's Anatomy. Then there were the ambulance-related shows like Emergency! (remember that one? I had a Randolph Mantooth crush for a bit there) and the paramedic side of Third Watch.

However, no amount of drama or crises we've seen on those shows can compete with some of the real life issues going on today. With the lack of funding, hospitals are shutting down. It happened here in Plainfield, New Jersey, when the only hospital in the city -- Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center shut down to become solely a satellite emergency room. It just happened in lower Manhattan with the announcement that St. Vincent's will go the same route as Muhlenberg.

But it's not only the hospitals in a crisis -- local emergency squads are going under as well. Can you imagine waiting a half-hour for an ambulance in a life-threatening situation? Or, worse yet, not having an ambulance available in a city of 50,000 residents?

I'm stepping a bit away from my usual television or photo-rambling to pass the word that the Plainfield Rescue Squad is having a fund drive ... and these funds are desperately needed to continue their valuable operations. Not to worry, I won't be posting about every cause on earth for y'all. Someone reached out to me on this one and it's something that I feel strongly about. I live here. I'm not elderly, but I'm no spring chicken either. My mother died very young of a heart attack. While I hope my biggest health issues continue to be knee surgery related or "I have a cat on me and I can't get up," I have to be realistic. One day my own life might depend on the local ambulance. As it stands, the lives of others are depending on them daily.

This blog has a mix of local readers and those from across the country. No matter who you are or where you live, if you wish to help the fund drive, here's how:

1. Donations can be mailed to the Plainfield Rescue Squad, 700 West 7th Street, PO Box 707, Plainfield, NJ 07060.
2. You can also drop off donations at The Pillars Bed and Breakfast, 922 Central Ave; Graphix One, 321 Park Ave; and Dairy Queen, 1367 South Ave.
3. Online donations can also be made through Paypal at www.paypal.com , the id is plainfieldrescuesquad@yahoo.com. Go to "Send Money," enter the amount, click "Personal" then "gift" and send.
Donations may be tax deductible. Consult your tax advisor for details.

Lost - "Happily Ever After"

I'm glad I didn't try to write about Lost while watching it last night. I can barely handle it today wide awake and alert. The episode was Desmond-centric, something I thought would be very interesting as he's one of the most intriguing characters on the show. Instead of being entitled "Happily Ever After," it might be construed as "Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places."

Most of the episode took place in the sideways world. We found out that Eloise, the mother of Daniel Farragut, is actually Charles Widmore's wife and Daniel is his son. Penny, Desmond's love, is Daniel's half-sister. Desmond, after landing from Australia on Flight 815 was assigned the task of taking Charlie (who had been arrested on the flight for his heroin possession) to do a concert for Mrs. Widmore and her loving son Daniel.

Then all kinds of love connections happened with Charlie (of all people) being the prophet. His drowning hand with "Not Penny's boat" reenacted as he forced Desmond to crash into water. Desmond began his search for true love ... for Penny. Apparently the message is that love is more important than anything else, I guess.

On the island, I was thrown into my own state of confusion by the befuddled Fiber One grocery clerk being in a position of intelligence and authority of some type. I kept expecting him to call his manager to tell them there are no nuts or twigs. Desmond was tested in a killing electromagnetic force and survived as only he could. Widmore has a mission for him. But then Sayid appeared at the end and Desmond went off with him. Oh, now I'm all Lost again! How about you?

My Watership Down theory may still be viable. There was a rabbit.

Talking Lost ...

I won't be getting my Lost post up until tomorrow. I'm totally exhausted and will end up totally lost if I write about the episode while watching it tonight. My apologies ...

The Amazing Race 4/04/10 Episode Blog Party Post

The show is actually starting on time here on the East Coast! As it airs, I'll update this entry with major events including the Pit Stop order and Philimination. My actual show review will be posted late tonight over on TV Squad. But the real fun (and most information) will be right here in the comments area. Everyone is invited to join in with your thoughts!

Pit Stop
1. Jet and Cord -- won a trip to Maui
2. Carol and Brandy
3. Louie and Michael
4. Brent and Caite
5. Dan and Jordan
6. Steve and Allie -- Philiminated

Off Topic - That Was the Week It Was - 04/04/10

I hope everyone is having a great Easter! Zoetawny created the holiday tag for us ... she does always rock, right? It's Sunday, time to take my weekly off topic trip reflecting on the week gone by in photographs and words. This week's big news is that we had no flooding this week! While the week started off rainy, it all changed and we're in for actual spring days.

I love living where the seasons actually change. I did a couple of years in California as a child and it just wasn't the same. Each season has its own particular beauty. Winter's snow and ice are often a spectacular sight. In autumn, the trees go out in a blaze of glory for their winter nap. Summer is my least favorite season these days, especially late summer when everything just looks worn and burnt. Then there's spring, a time when everything begins anew. The changes happen so fast that if you miss a day, you miss a bloom. So I tend to go a little camera crazy. Bless digital!

Other than catching nature all around me, it's been a bit uneventful this week. On Tuesday morning, in a vicious evil rainstorm, I managed to sort of half-trip and aggravate my knee. I think it's safe to say that before (or during) the next winter, my knee will be full of titanium and plastic like the other one.

This week's Sunday Seven Songs randomly picked from my not-an-iPod --
"Rock the Casbah" by The Clash
"Let's Go Crazy" by Prince
"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor
"Without Me" by Eminem
"Expressway to Your Heart" by The Soul Survivors
"Way Down in the Hole" by The Five Blind Boys of Alabama
"Geek in the Pink" by Jason Mraz

What's on your MP3 player?

Onto the photos -- clicking on an image will open it larger in a new window.

Yay, spring!

I "posterized" this shot of leaves coming to life on a small tree. Don't ask me what kind of tree it is. I'm lucky to be able to tell a conifer from a deciduous.

Holding up the railing ...

... at the Plainfield NJ Transit Train Station

Spring is in the air!

A man walks down East Front Street in Plainfield dressed for the season. I edited the shot to leave him in color, the background black and white and posterized.

Pretty Police

The trees and bushes are in bloom and the lawn is a lush green at the Plainfield Police Station. Well, the lawn is a lush after drinking all that rain the past few weeks!

Church Street (Plainfield) lined with blossoms

Again, don't ask me what the trees are. This is before the peak Saturday morning. By Monday, they'll all be in full bloom or blowing in the wind.

Church Street blossoms a bit closer

The Heard One complex is in the background.

Even closer

These are what they are. What are they? ;-)

Then there's this yellow stuff

On Church Street, but in my yard and everywhere else, too.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane?

Nope. It's a fancy-schmancy digital antenna gleaming in the early morning sun. North Street in Plainfield (adjacent to a gaping hole on the left).

Yet another tree awakening

Whatever this one is, it blooms in red and white. At the Bridgewater Train Station.

Is it? Could it be? Have I encountered the Easter Bunny?

Our conversation went like this:
Rabbit - "There's a human in my way."
Me - "There's a rabbit in my way."
Staredown ensued while I grabbed my camera. The rabbit backed down and ran away.
Bridgewater Train Station.

Downtown Cat

I've spotted this small cat twice near the Watchung Avenue and East Fourth Street intersection in Plainfield. He seems street-savvy and fed well enough, but it's really not a good location for a cat.

Is this what a thorny snit looks like?

Distracting the enemy

Throw the pigeons crumbs and run for your lives! The birds are gathering!

More trees in bloom

This one is outside the Methodist Church on East Front Street in Plainfield. It's blooming oddly this year. Every other year, it bloomed evenly. This year one side is lagging after the other.

Close-up

This is a closer shot of the blossoms from the previous shot.

Berckman Street, Plainfield

I messed with the editing, posterizing it, cartooning it, bumping up the contrast ... just having a grand old time with it.

My Landlord's Landscaping

Oh, what pretty flowers!

Odd Subject Matter

Okay, it's a restroom. But it's the restroom at Five Guys Hamburgers and Fries in Westfield. Why? First, it's so shiny and clean. Second, it matches the red and white checkered scheme of the restaurant itself. It also has a super most powerful on earth electric hand dryer which all but blows the skin off your hands. My shots of that in action didn't work out.

Old Reiss Tavern Sign

This is near the south side of the Plainfield Train Station. I wonder how long it's been since there was a bar there to match the sign?

Reiss Tavern, the other side

I edited this shot leaving the sign as is while posterizing and making the background black and white.

Pre-Dawn deli

North Street in Plainfield.

Pre-dawn bar windows

I messed with the colors and posterizing, leaving the Miller signs as they really are. My, isn't that the champagne of bottled beers?

Mouse Killer at rest

Trust me ... if he hears anything, he springs to life.

In closing, I took an abbreviated video of my daily NJ Transit Train commute. Of interest to folks who follow the blog -- look for scarf lady! The ride to work (although I didn't record the last station where I get off) was Good Friday and the train was fairly deserted and kind of quiet. The clip heading to Plainfield was that evening with NJ Devils fans, tourists, and loud children. No, I didn't film them, but you can hear them. Enjoy!



How was your week?