Tumgik
#Joseph X. Flaherty
glimeres · 16 days
Text
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
New York City Center 2024/2025 Season:
Annual Gala Presentation
RAGTIME - Oct 30 – Nov 10, 2024
RAGTIME is a sweeping, powerful musical with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally that follows three fictional families in pursuit of the American Dream at the turn of the 20th century.
This gala production is led by Tony-nominated Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and features Joshua Henry (Coalhouse Walker Jr.), Caissie Levy (Mother), and Brandon Uranowitz (Tateh).
Encores!
URINETOWN - Feb 5 – 16, 2025
In this side-splitting satire directed by Teddy Bergman (KPOP), a young hero fights to create change in a dystopian world where water is scarce and “Hope” is even scarcer. This three-time Tony-winning musical by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis breaks the fourth wall to examine humanity’s darkest dilemmas, all while being “audacious and exhilarating” (The New York Times).
LOVE LIFE - Mar 26 – 30, 2025
LOVE LIFE the only collaboration between Kurt Weill and Alan Jay Lerner, depicts a love story that takes place over 200 years of American history, through the eyes of a family who never ages. This rarely staged production directed by Tony winner Victoria Clark (KIMBERLY AKIMBO) is considered by some to be the first concept musical, an inspiration for musical theater favorites such as CABARET, CHICAGO, and COMPANY.
THE WILD PARTY - Apr 30 – May 11, 2025
Directed by Saheem Ali (FAT HAM), THE WILD PARTY is a jazz-age tragedy about a gin-soaked party. What happens when a night of debauchery leads to a morning of sobering truths? Michael John LaChiusa (THE GARDENS OF ANUNCIA) and George C. Wolfe (JELLY’S LAST JAM) bring Joseph Moncure March’s notorious narrative poem to life in their “dangerous, seedy, fantastic” (The Observer) musical adaptation.
(x)
20 notes · View notes
robronotics · 6 years
Text
Post Ep Ponderings Weekly Round-Up July 30 - Aug 3
I hope Lydia doesn’t have cancer, or if she does it’s minor and removing the mole does it. I like how they’ve used to to let Samson know what happened to Alice and how it’s bringing them all closer together as a family, but they’re all also right, Sam doesn’t need to go through all that and neither he nor Samson need to lose anyone else. Besides, Lydia is awesome. Samson is pretty great too. I haven’t really known him until recently, but how he’s been with Sarah and how he got Sam to not give up on Lydia we’re both great.
Ever since I found out that Bex is still alive I’ve been thinking this story is going to pick up the pace (not that I’ve found it to be super slow or anything, just that it feels like it’s coming to a head), but now I’m starting to second guess that. He really could keep her locked up for a long time. It’s not like anyone is looking for her. I know something is going to happen with Lachlan being away longer than he knows, I just can’t quite figure out what. My best guess is someone will accidentally stumble upon her days after she’s run out of food and water and is in a really bad way. That’s pretty typical though and in situations like this, Emmerdale has surprised me before so I have my fingers crossed about something crazy happening.
I can’t express how much I enjoyed finding out more about Graham. And also about Graham and Joe. It’s funny how everyone who knows what happened with Graham getting drunk and Joe kicking him out seems to know that they need each other. It’s going to take a lot for Joe to forgive him though. Really, this has been the one time where I’ve seen Joe upset and seemingly cold where I think it’s reasonable. He’s not plotting insane revenge, but I can see a similarity between how he’s acting with Graham now and how he was with Charity in the beginning. Only this time, he’s upset with the right person.
On the other side of this, I’m curious to see how this all goes with Priya. She’ll definitely be a badass at the job and I love that she won’t put up with his shit (of course she won’t shine his shoes lol), but I think it could be an interesting dynamic. I also think it might lead to Graham being actually more father than butler when this whole thing gets worked out.
Ross may not be going down for selling Larry’s cars, but all this getting back into the game and getting back on drugs I’m sure will be the end of him. I kind of hope he finds out that Bex didn’t actually leave him before his exit. I also hope they don’t kill him off, though that is likely the more dramatic and entertaining. I guess I’m just a softie. I suppose it could mean an interesting if not sad story for Pete too. He will have lost his entire immediate family in about a year, no matter how Ross leaves.
I so love that Liv is going to be Aaron’s best person AND godmother to Margarita.
As for this party, Faith is definitely going to make it too big, right? I mean, of course she is, I’m just curious to see how far she goes.
One final thought. Did anyone else notice there seemed to be a theme of communication this week? Pretty much every story line involved someone telling someone else “you should just talk to them.” It can’t be the first time, but it really stuck out for me this week.
3 notes · View notes
doomonfilm · 3 years
Text
Review : The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Tumblr media
From a very young age, the Vietnam war, and all of the events generated from its fallout, has been a major point of interest.  So much of the modern-day American cultural landscape was shaped from the friction caused between the 1950′s old-fashioned mindset and the vast array of counter-cultural voices looking for a chance at equal footing within the American diaspora.  A key flash point in these turbulent times was the Chicago Democratic Convention of 1968, where the figureheads of Richard Nixon for the Right and Hubert Humphrey from the Left presented such a bleak outlook for America at large that many groups of disenfranchised voices felt on the ground protesting and direct action was needed.  The ensuing trial read like America versus a who’s who of the aforementioned counter-cultural voices, dubbed the Chicago 7 despite an initial attempt to try 8 individuals, and with 2020 being quite the politically turbulent time in its own right, it felt an appropriate atmosphere for Aaron Sorkin to create and release The Trial of the Chicago 7. 
With the Vietnam war ramping up, an increase in the drafting of American soldiers, and a looming Presidential election that seemingly did not serve the interest of the American public at large, a key group of individuals leading and representing several different factions of the counter-culture made plans to attend the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention with the intent to make their voices heard by America in particular, and the world at large.  A year removed from the protests and ensuing riots in Chicago, Judge Julius Hoffman (Frank Langella) prepares to hear State Attorneys Richard Schulz (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Tom Foran (J.C. MacKenzie) try their case against Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and the group of defendants who would later come to be known as the Chicago 7 : Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) of the Yippie movement, Tom Hayden (Eddie Edmayne) of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), David Dellenger (John Carroll Lynch) and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp) of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (MOBE), and SDS members Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) and Daniel Flaherty (John Friones).  The group, who are defended by Attorneys William Kunstler (Mark Rylance) and Leonard Weinglass (Ben Shenkman), find themselves facing travesty after travesty of justice, not to mention numerous outside influence, in their quest to expose the hypocrisy of the political trial they are facing.
While the storytelling found in The Trial of the Chicago 7 is vibrant and efficient in its balance of education and entertainment, it is best ingested outside the context of other Aaron Sorkin work.  This, however, is not a negative or a meant to be a slight on the film… in my opinion, the gravity of the story he is telling, and the fact that it is not only completely true, but relatively recent history, inherently yields Sorkin from applying the trademark snark that provides the snap found in his mastery of dialogue.  That being said, this film (and the spirit in which it was created) would serve as an outstanding entry point for anyone interested in 1960s counter-culture, political unrest and protests against the Vietnam war in general, and the Yippie Party, the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and the Black Panther Party specifically.  The foundation on which revolution is based helps ground the film, but not at the expense of weighing down entertainment.
At the risk of sounding contradictory, for all of the importance of the Chicago Democratic Convention that makes it a bit more serious than something I’d like Aaron Sorkin to handle, the trial portion of the film is actually perfectly suited for him to handle.  The dialogue may not necessarily be in the complete spirit of his trademark banter, but his panache for balance shines through in his direction of the actors with the material.  Lots of ideas are moving in concert at any given time, and each gets a moment in the spotlight without causing detriment to the others, which is very similar to the nature of the seven different real life defendants.  The behavior exhibited in the courtroom is quite often shocking, with the lion’s share of the shock originating from the judicial side of things.  In many ways, a generation was being put on trial at the time, and Sorkin clearly knows this, but he is also smart enough to know that the generation supposedly ‘on trial’ was not one harmonious voice.  Even a viewer like me, who is coming to the table with an affinity for the Black Panthers and the Yippies specifically, can respect the portrayal and stance of Tom Hayden simply because he, like everyone else in the film, is given an equal voice and a chance to humanize their side of the struggle.
Eddie Redmayne serves as the audience surrogate, with his nervous tension and sense of danger demanding attention, regardless of whom he shares the frame with… his performance is one of the more powerful I’ve seen that did not rely on dialogue, which is rare for an Aaron Sorkin affair.  Sacha Baron Cohen is allowed to do a refined and precise version of his very intelligent comedy, all while paying ode to a man that likely inspired him in turn.  His energy plays off of the aggressive awareness of Jeremy Strong, whose assured weight behind his words matches the sense of pride in the side his character has chosen.  Alex Sharp encapsulates the quiet revolutionary, with a measured release of clearly heightened awareness that is shielded by his resolve.  John Carroll Lynch takes the observational approach, choosing his words wisely and making sure that their impact is felt.  Noah Robbins and Daniel Flaherty bring supporting presence to the original seven, often espousing dressed up exposition like a tour guide for the viewer.  Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a lightning rod of emotionally charged intelligence wielded in the hopes of freedom, with every bit of the sense of urgency that entails popping off the screen.
Mark Rylance uses a sly and cunning propped up with the confidence that experience brings, as well as the frustration that comes when one is forced to confront the absence of logic.  Ben Shenkman brings a youthful sharpness and exuberance that matches the energy of the so-called radicals that he is defending.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt makes the most of placing a good-hearted character between a rock and a hard place, sounding logical counterpoints while presenting an acceptance of fact.  Frank Langella is fabulously frustrating, wearing the trope of the outdated old-timer trope in the parallel fashion of both a badge of honor and a war trophy.  Kelvin Harrison Jr. amplifies the frustration that Abdul-Mateen II brings to the table while continuing the positively powerful portrayal of the Black Panthers.  Caitlin FitzGerald, Michael Keaton, John Doman, Wayne Duvall, Damian Young and others fill out a powerful ensemble cast.
Much like Malcolm X, a movie like The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a film whose educational aspects do not get in the way of educating people on a piece of history that is often swept under the rug.  I’ve never had aspirations of being a teacher, but if I ever end up in that role and happen to teach history, I will certainly try my best to put this film in the curriculum.  Otherwise, it can serve as a good bar-setter for whether or not someone can take in the work of Aaron Sorkin, which would make a follow-up like Molly’s Game or The Social Network easier to digest if the entry point is well-received.  
0 notes
gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years
Text
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.
On Board With Snubbing Smokers?
Regarding U-Haul, good for them (“Smokers Need Not Apply: Fairness Of No-Nicotine Hiring Policies Questioned,” Jan. 13). I don’t like being around smokers. I have asthma, and the smoke also gives me a headache. I would like to see stronger efforts to get people to quit. I realize that poor people are more likely to smoke and will sometimes tell them, “You can’t afford the effects of your habit.” I also nag people smoking around me until they stop or go away.
— Therese Shellabarger, North Hollywood, California
The argument has always been that smokers use more in healthcare than nonsmoking peers… when in truth because they die earlier they actually use less… let people do what they want
— Matt Neumann (@neumann58) January 15, 2020
— Matt Neumann, LaGrange, Ohio
From my observations working in the insurance industry for 30 years, smokers are less productive workers. Low-level employees sometimes used their breaks — including bathroom and lunch breaks — to smoke. Salaried employees took more than the authorized number of breaks whenever they felt the urge to smoke, reasoning that as long as they got their work done, they didn’t have to abide by the rule hourly employees adhered to.
Co-workers who smoked often seemed less attentive to detail and couldn’t cope with work stress as well as nonsmokers. Their preoccupation with when they could go outside and smoke a cigarette took priority over work, and it often took longer for them to get their work done. Employees were offered free smoking-cessation programs, but few succeeded in quitting the habit.
If employees drank alcohol on the job during their breaks, they would get fired. With marijuana legalization, are companies going to treat marijuana smokers the same as cigarette smokers? Of course not.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.
Sign Up
Please confirm your email address below:
Sign Up
Smoking is bad for our health, and that’s a fact. It’s not discrimination to not hire smokers, and vaping should be included in the smoking category. Many employers do drug testing occasionally to make sure their employees are not smoking weed or other illicit drugs, and they could be terminated if the drug test is positive.
Sure, some people might ask: What about employees who refuse to eat well to lose weight and prevent diabetes? Employers cannot control their employees’ diet habits or smoking or drug use habits. I can see why smokers cried foul that U-Haul refused to hire smokers.
The other thing is, cigarettes are so expensive to buy. Why do low-income people continue to smoke? Because it’s addictive, and they can’t quit. So they’d rather starve or skimp on medication than quit smoking — whether cigarettes or vaping or marijuana.
If all employers started to set standards about hiring, perhaps more people would work harder to quit the nasty habits that will kill them and affect the people around them. Our society respects democracy and personal freedom, but we are paying for it in health costs.
— Lena Conway, Naperville, Illinois
Playing Catch-Up On Healthy Living
I find it most amusing that articles such as “Extending ‘Healthspan’: Brain Scientists Tap Into The Secrets Of Living Well Longer” (Jan. 2) are — over the past 18 months — in the news regularly. More than three decades ago, when I was a chiropractic student, exercise and healthy eating — wellness and well-being — were promoted and taught. However, it not being from the God-Almighty, know-all “medical” profession, it was ignored or even dismissed.
Amusing. Most amusing. At least for a wellness-based chiropractor with 30 years in practice and certified with the Athletic and Fitness Association of America, practicing for 23 years, who has walked the talk of healthy living since learning about it in chiropractic school. Especially as I watch those in my age (59) group who have until recently been sedentary and engaging in sloth and gluttony now scramble to “get healthy” … most with little success as they experience the effort and time (they are still unwilling to make) to exercise daily and eliminate the junk they eat for a healthier diet.
— David Robinson, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Get outside, in the light, move and stay connected mentally. Hey, isn’t that synonymous with living? https://t.co/KwwLzphe7N
— David Voran, MD (@dvoran) January 2, 2020
— Dr. David Voran, Kansas City, Missouri
Lead Aprons And Sticky Labels
I’m writing to draw your attention to a term used in your story “No Shield From X-Rays: How Science Is Rethinking Lead Aprons” (Jan. 15).
In the first line of the piece, the term “technician” is used to refer to the practitioners who perform X-ray procedures. As a clarification, we advise using the term “technologist” when referring to medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Radiologic technologists are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care. The medical community and American Society of Radiologic Technologists use the term “technologist,” which accurately reflects the educational level, responsibilities and skill set of registered and certified radiologic technologists.
As the professional society that represents the country’s radiologic technologists, we reach out to news outlets and request that they use the term “technologists” when referring to medical imaging professionals. As reported in the story, Drs. Feinstein and Marsh refer to their staff medical imaging professionals as “technologists.” We’re confident that the terminology more accurately represents the profession and is the standard usage among health care providers, educators and the broader medical community.
— Greg Crutcher, public relations manager, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Albuquerque, New Mexico
I am going to follow this! We have been digital since we opened in 2008, so this hasn't applied as much to us. Digital films offer up to 70% less radiation.https://t.co/2sZJasVi9h
— Sheila Samaddar (@DrSheSam) January 16, 2020
— Dr. Sheila Samadarr, Washington, D.C.
In The Media Dance, Misleading Missteps
The interview with Seema Verma (“One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma,” Jan. 3) was notable for its lack of clarity on Verma’s part. She danced around so much that she could have been on “Dancing With the Stars,” but never directly answered questions such as what the Trump administration would do if the ACA were abolished via the courts as she and the administration want. She also misled the reader about Medicare, one of our most popular programs.
Medicare is not disliked by participants. In fact, it is rated higher in satisfaction than private-sector insurance. Verma’s free-market ideology appears to be causing her to misstate the facts, a frequent issue in this administration.
— Jack Bernard, former director of Georgia’s Office of Health Planning, Peachtree City, Georgia
⁦@SeemaCMS⁩ masterclass in avoiding every single question: One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma | Kaiser Health News https://t.co/4q6fovJyvw
— Richard James (@pennnursinglib) January 3, 2020
— Richard James, Philadelphia
‘Nurturing’ Takes Time
The title of the piece “Reduce Health Costs By Nurturing The Sickest? A Much-Touted Idea Disappoints” (Jan. 8) is inaccurate. The article reports on how a 90-day intervention to reduce costs in the sickest patients did not show any benefit. However, truly nurturing the sickest is not something that can be done successfully in 90 days. I think it suggests how degenerate American health care has become when such a short intervention can be referred to as “nurturing.” Perhaps a better title might be “Putting a Band-Aid on a Chronic Ulcer Is Useless.”
— Dr. Joseph P. Arpaia, Eugene, Oregon
#HealthCare is a #HumanRight, but it's not #community and it's not safe and affordable #housing. I do appreciate what the Camden Coalition was trying to do, but this research shows that w/out all of these things, a healthy life is real hard to achieve. https://t.co/ZPV3rXCVjn
— (((Leah Ida Harris))) 🌹 (@leahida) January 10, 2020
— Leah Harris, Arlington, Virginia
Shedding Light On Violent Patients
I want to thank Heidi De Marco for her great article about violence in hospitals (“Postcard From San Diego: Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence,” Dec. 6). I am an occupational therapist who used to work in a hospital. Once an 87-year-old woman with dementia grabbed me by the neck, lifted me off the floor and was getting ready to punch me with her other hand. As a former victim of domestic assault, I knew the best strategy when being choked is to try to relax as much as possible. I had orders to walk the woman, but she thought I was trying to rob her. Found out she needed four security guards when she was in the ER. I ended up going to the ER myself.
The situation was especially difficult because: 1) I didn’t feel I could fight back for fear of losing my job. 2) I didn’t feel right pressing charges against her, also for fear of retaliation, and it’s not as if the woman was in her right mind. But because I didn’t press charges, the incident went unreported. I am not even sure what the answer is, but I am glad your article is bringing this to light. Thank you!
— Stephanie Blossomgame, Villa Park, Illinois
Have seen a lot of coverage lately of the issue of violence in the workplace as experienced by health care workers. We need to have a conversation about this. NO ONE deserves to be hurt on the job. No one. Everyone deserves a safe workplace. But…(thread) https://t.co/rIZcegjn84
— Kathy Flaherty (@ConnConnection) December 8, 2019
— Kathy Flaherty, Newington, Connecticut
Launch A Broad Investigation Abroad?
I am an American who works as a health economics researcher in Japan. I wanted to let KHN know how important this journalism project is: exposing health care billing that drives up the cost of insurance — even if insurance “covers” some charges upfront (“Bill of the Month: For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865,” Dec. 23). The fact that this overly complex and inefficient system is tolerated is baffling to me. I was in very deep with the U.S. system when I returned from Japan to the U.S. for emergency chemo and stem-cell transplant for leukemia (thank goodness I still had U.S. insurance!). While I received excellent care at that time, I now continue to receive follow-up care in Japan, which is just as advanced in terms of tech and more so for systematic efficiency. I use the national health insurance, and — even in another language — testing, billing, wait times, cost are all a breeze.
I wonder if KHN/NPR could compare the U.S. with health care systems of other high-income countries (Singapore, Finland, etc.), using real-world patient experiences? I think there is a common misconception that the U.S. way is the only way. Anyway, thank you very much for your hard work on this important topic.
— Russell Miller, San Diego and Tokyo
It should be considered malpractice for these doctors that concoct these dreadful schemes with shady business people. This fleecing activity needs to be called out just as much as that of hospitals, insurance companies, pharma and benefit consultants. https://t.co/V5Or5XbsbB
— Dr. Christopher Crow (@DrCCrow) December 23, 2019
— Dr. Christopher Crow, Plano, Texas
Doctor in this case should be charged with FRAUD. What a crook. https://t.co/nqnzVg4Hd8
— Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) December 24, 2019
— Wayne Allyn Root, Las Vegas
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/
0 notes
dinafbrownil · 4 years
Text
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.
On Board With Snubbing Smokers?
Regarding U-Haul, good for them (“Smokers Need Not Apply: Fairness Of No-Nicotine Hiring Policies Questioned,” Jan. 13). I don’t like being around smokers. I have asthma, and the smoke also gives me a headache. I would like to see stronger efforts to get people to quit. I realize that poor people are more likely to smoke and will sometimes tell them, “You can’t afford the effects of your habit.” I also nag people smoking around me until they stop or go away.
— Therese Shellabarger, North Hollywood, California
The argument has always been that smokers use more in healthcare than nonsmoking peers… when in truth because they die earlier they actually use less… let people do what they want
— Matt Neumann (@neumann58) January 15, 2020
— Matt Neumann, LaGrange, Ohio
From my observations working in the insurance industry for 30 years, smokers are less productive workers. Low-level employees sometimes used their breaks — including bathroom and lunch breaks — to smoke. Salaried employees took more than the authorized number of breaks whenever they felt the urge to smoke, reasoning that as long as they got their work done, they didn’t have to abide by the rule hourly employees adhered to.
Co-workers who smoked often seemed less attentive to detail and couldn’t cope with work stress as well as nonsmokers. Their preoccupation with when they could go outside and smoke a cigarette took priority over work, and it often took longer for them to get their work done. Employees were offered free smoking-cessation programs, but few succeeded in quitting the habit.
If employees drank alcohol on the job during their breaks, they would get fired. With marijuana legalization, are companies going to treat marijuana smokers the same as cigarette smokers? Of course not.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.
Sign Up
Please confirm your email address below:
Sign Up
Smoking is bad for our health, and that’s a fact. It’s not discrimination to not hire smokers, and vaping should be included in the smoking category. Many employers do drug testing occasionally to make sure their employees are not smoking weed or other illicit drugs, and they could be terminated if the drug test is positive.
Sure, some people might ask: What about employees who refuse to eat well to lose weight and prevent diabetes? Employers cannot control their employees’ diet habits or smoking or drug use habits. I can see why smokers cried foul that U-Haul refused to hire smokers.
The other thing is, cigarettes are so expensive to buy. Why do low-income people continue to smoke? Because it’s addictive, and they can’t quit. So they’d rather starve or skimp on medication than quit smoking — whether cigarettes or vaping or marijuana.
If all employers started to set standards about hiring, perhaps more people would work harder to quit the nasty habits that will kill them and affect the people around them. Our society respects democracy and personal freedom, but we are paying for it in health costs.
— Lena Conway, Naperville, Illinois
Playing Catch-Up On Healthy Living
I find it most amusing that articles such as “Extending ‘Healthspan’: Brain Scientists Tap Into The Secrets Of Living Well Longer” (Jan. 2) are — over the past 18 months — in the news regularly. More than three decades ago, when I was a chiropractic student, exercise and healthy eating — wellness and well-being — were promoted and taught. However, it not being from the God-Almighty, know-all “medical” profession, it was ignored or even dismissed.
Amusing. Most amusing. At least for a wellness-based chiropractor with 30 years in practice and certified with the Athletic and Fitness Association of America, practicing for 23 years, who has walked the talk of healthy living since learning about it in chiropractic school. Especially as I watch those in my age (59) group who have until recently been sedentary and engaging in sloth and gluttony now scramble to “get healthy” … most with little success as they experience the effort and time (they are still unwilling to make) to exercise daily and eliminate the junk they eat for a healthier diet.
— David Robinson, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Get outside, in the light, move and stay connected mentally. Hey, isn’t that synonymous with living? https://t.co/KwwLzphe7N
— David Voran, MD (@dvoran) January 2, 2020
— Dr. David Voran, Kansas City, Missouri
Lead Aprons And Sticky Labels
I’m writing to draw your attention to a term used in your story “No Shield From X-Rays: How Science Is Rethinking Lead Aprons” (Jan. 15).
In the first line of the piece, the term “technician” is used to refer to the practitioners who perform X-ray procedures. As a clarification, we advise using the term “technologist” when referring to medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Radiologic technologists are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care. The medical community and American Society of Radiologic Technologists use the term “technologist,” which accurately reflects the educational level, responsibilities and skill set of registered and certified radiologic technologists.
As the professional society that represents the country’s radiologic technologists, we reach out to news outlets and request that they use the term “technologists” when referring to medical imaging professionals. As reported in the story, Drs. Feinstein and Marsh refer to their staff medical imaging professionals as “technologists.” We’re confident that the terminology more accurately represents the profession and is the standard usage among health care providers, educators and the broader medical community.
— Greg Crutcher, public relations manager, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Albuquerque, New Mexico
I am going to follow this! We have been digital since we opened in 2008, so this hasn't applied as much to us. Digital films offer up to 70% less radiation.https://t.co/2sZJasVi9h
— Sheila Samaddar (@DrSheSam) January 16, 2020
— Dr. Sheila Samadarr, Washington, D.C.
In The Media Dance, Misleading Missteps
The interview with Seema Verma (“One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma,” Jan. 3) was notable for its lack of clarity on Verma’s part. She danced around so much that she could have been on “Dancing With the Stars,” but never directly answered questions such as what the Trump administration would do if the ACA were abolished via the courts as she and the administration want. She also misled the reader about Medicare, one of our most popular programs.
Medicare is not disliked by participants. In fact, it is rated higher in satisfaction than private-sector insurance. Verma’s free-market ideology appears to be causing her to misstate the facts, a frequent issue in this administration.
— Jack Bernard, former director of Georgia’s Office of Health Planning, Peachtree City, Georgia
⁦@SeemaCMS⁩ masterclass in avoiding every single question: One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma | Kaiser Health News https://t.co/4q6fovJyvw
— Richard James (@pennnursinglib) January 3, 2020
— Richard James, Philadelphia
‘Nurturing’ Takes Time
The title of the piece “Reduce Health Costs By Nurturing The Sickest? A Much-Touted Idea Disappoints” (Jan. 8) is inaccurate. The article reports on how a 90-day intervention to reduce costs in the sickest patients did not show any benefit. However, truly nurturing the sickest is not something that can be done successfully in 90 days. I think it suggests how degenerate American health care has become when such a short intervention can be referred to as “nurturing.” Perhaps a better title might be “Putting a Band-Aid on a Chronic Ulcer Is Useless.”
— Dr. Joseph P. Arpaia, Eugene, Oregon
#HealthCare is a #HumanRight, but it's not #community and it's not safe and affordable #housing. I do appreciate what the Camden Coalition was trying to do, but this research shows that w/out all of these things, a healthy life is real hard to achieve. https://t.co/ZPV3rXCVjn
— (((Leah Ida Harris))) 🌹 (@leahida) January 10, 2020
— Leah Harris, Arlington, Virginia
Shedding Light On Violent Patients
I want to thank Heidi De Marco for her great article about violence in hospitals (“Postcard From San Diego: Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence,” Dec. 6). I am an occupational therapist who used to work in a hospital. Once an 87-year-old woman with dementia grabbed me by the neck, lifted me off the floor and was getting ready to punch me with her other hand. As a former victim of domestic assault, I knew the best strategy when being choked is to try to relax as much as possible. I had orders to walk the woman, but she thought I was trying to rob her. Found out she needed four security guards when she was in the ER. I ended up going to the ER myself.
The situation was especially difficult because: 1) I didn’t feel I could fight back for fear of losing my job. 2) I didn’t feel right pressing charges against her, also for fear of retaliation, and it’s not as if the woman was in her right mind. But because I didn’t press charges, the incident went unreported. I am not even sure what the answer is, but I am glad your article is bringing this to light. Thank you!
— Stephanie Blossomgame, Villa Park, Illinois
Have seen a lot of coverage lately of the issue of violence in the workplace as experienced by health care workers. We need to have a conversation about this. NO ONE deserves to be hurt on the job. No one. Everyone deserves a safe workplace. But…(thread) https://t.co/rIZcegjn84
— Kathy Flaherty (@ConnConnection) December 8, 2019
— Kathy Flaherty, Newington, Connecticut
Launch A Broad Investigation Abroad?
I am an American who works as a health economics researcher in Japan. I wanted to let KHN know how important this journalism project is: exposing health care billing that drives up the cost of insurance — even if insurance “covers” some charges upfront (“Bill of the Month: For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865,” Dec. 23). The fact that this overly complex and inefficient system is tolerated is baffling to me. I was in very deep with the U.S. system when I returned from Japan to the U.S. for emergency chemo and stem-cell transplant for leukemia (thank goodness I still had U.S. insurance!). While I received excellent care at that time, I now continue to receive follow-up care in Japan, which is just as advanced in terms of tech and more so for systematic efficiency. I use the national health insurance, and — even in another language — testing, billing, wait times, cost are all a breeze.
I wonder if KHN/NPR could compare the U.S. with health care systems of other high-income countries (Singapore, Finland, etc.), using real-world patient experiences? I think there is a common misconception that the U.S. way is the only way. Anyway, thank you very much for your hard work on this important topic.
— Russell Miller, San Diego and Tokyo
It should be considered malpractice for these doctors that concoct these dreadful schemes with shady business people. This fleecing activity needs to be called out just as much as that of hospitals, insurance companies, pharma and benefit consultants. https://t.co/V5Or5XbsbB
— Dr. Christopher Crow (@DrCCrow) December 23, 2019
— Dr. Christopher Crow, Plano, Texas
Doctor in this case should be charged with FRAUD. What a crook. https://t.co/nqnzVg4Hd8
— Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) December 24, 2019
— Wayne Allyn Root, Las Vegas
from Updates By Dina https://khn.org/news/letters-to-editor-january-readers-and-tweeters-no-nicotine-hiring-policy/
0 notes
stephenmccull · 4 years
Text
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy
Letters to the Editor is a periodic feature. We welcome all comments and will publish a selection. We edit for length and clarity and require full names.
On Board With Snubbing Smokers?
Regarding U-Haul, good for them (“Smokers Need Not Apply: Fairness Of No-Nicotine Hiring Policies Questioned,” Jan. 13). I don’t like being around smokers. I have asthma, and the smoke also gives me a headache. I would like to see stronger efforts to get people to quit. I realize that poor people are more likely to smoke and will sometimes tell them, “You can’t afford the effects of your habit.” I also nag people smoking around me until they stop or go away.
— Therese Shellabarger, North Hollywood, California
The argument has always been that smokers use more in healthcare than nonsmoking peers… when in truth because they die earlier they actually use less… let people do what they want
— Matt Neumann (@neumann58) January 15, 2020
— Matt Neumann, LaGrange, Ohio
From my observations working in the insurance industry for 30 years, smokers are less productive workers. Low-level employees sometimes used their breaks — including bathroom and lunch breaks — to smoke. Salaried employees took more than the authorized number of breaks whenever they felt the urge to smoke, reasoning that as long as they got their work done, they didn’t have to abide by the rule hourly employees adhered to.
Co-workers who smoked often seemed less attentive to detail and couldn’t cope with work stress as well as nonsmokers. Their preoccupation with when they could go outside and smoke a cigarette took priority over work, and it often took longer for them to get their work done. Employees were offered free smoking-cessation programs, but few succeeded in quitting the habit.
If employees drank alcohol on the job during their breaks, they would get fired. With marijuana legalization, are companies going to treat marijuana smokers the same as cigarette smokers? Of course not.
Email Sign-Up
Subscribe to KHN’s free Morning Briefing.
Sign Up
Please confirm your email address below:
Sign Up
Smoking is bad for our health, and that’s a fact. It’s not discrimination to not hire smokers, and vaping should be included in the smoking category. Many employers do drug testing occasionally to make sure their employees are not smoking weed or other illicit drugs, and they could be terminated if the drug test is positive.
Sure, some people might ask: What about employees who refuse to eat well to lose weight and prevent diabetes? Employers cannot control their employees’ diet habits or smoking or drug use habits. I can see why smokers cried foul that U-Haul refused to hire smokers.
The other thing is, cigarettes are so expensive to buy. Why do low-income people continue to smoke? Because it’s addictive, and they can’t quit. So they’d rather starve or skimp on medication than quit smoking — whether cigarettes or vaping or marijuana.
If all employers started to set standards about hiring, perhaps more people would work harder to quit the nasty habits that will kill them and affect the people around them. Our society respects democracy and personal freedom, but we are paying for it in health costs.
— Lena Conway, Naperville, Illinois
Playing Catch-Up On Healthy Living
I find it most amusing that articles such as “Extending ‘Healthspan’: Brain Scientists Tap Into The Secrets Of Living Well Longer” (Jan. 2) are — over the past 18 months — in the news regularly. More than three decades ago, when I was a chiropractic student, exercise and healthy eating — wellness and well-being — were promoted and taught. However, it not being from the God-Almighty, know-all “medical” profession, it was ignored or even dismissed.
Amusing. Most amusing. At least for a wellness-based chiropractor with 30 years in practice and certified with the Athletic and Fitness Association of America, practicing for 23 years, who has walked the talk of healthy living since learning about it in chiropractic school. Especially as I watch those in my age (59) group who have until recently been sedentary and engaging in sloth and gluttony now scramble to “get healthy” … most with little success as they experience the effort and time (they are still unwilling to make) to exercise daily and eliminate the junk they eat for a healthier diet.
— David Robinson, New Bedford, Massachusetts
Get outside, in the light, move and stay connected mentally. Hey, isn’t that synonymous with living? https://t.co/KwwLzphe7N
— David Voran, MD (@dvoran) January 2, 2020
— Dr. David Voran, Kansas City, Missouri
Lead Aprons And Sticky Labels
I’m writing to draw your attention to a term used in your story “No Shield From X-Rays: How Science Is Rethinking Lead Aprons” (Jan. 15).
In the first line of the piece, the term “technician” is used to refer to the practitioners who perform X-ray procedures. As a clarification, we advise using the term “technologist” when referring to medical imaging and radiation therapy professionals. Radiologic technologists are educated in anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, radiation protection and basic patient care. The medical community and American Society of Radiologic Technologists use the term “technologist,” which accurately reflects the educational level, responsibilities and skill set of registered and certified radiologic technologists.
As the professional society that represents the country’s radiologic technologists, we reach out to news outlets and request that they use the term “technologists” when referring to medical imaging professionals. As reported in the story, Drs. Feinstein and Marsh refer to their staff medical imaging professionals as “technologists.” We’re confident that the terminology more accurately represents the profession and is the standard usage among health care providers, educators and the broader medical community.
— Greg Crutcher, public relations manager, American Society of Radiologic Technologists, Albuquerque, New Mexico
I am going to follow this! We have been digital since we opened in 2008, so this hasn't applied as much to us. Digital films offer up to 70% less radiation.https://t.co/2sZJasVi9h
— Sheila Samaddar (@DrSheSam) January 16, 2020
— Dr. Sheila Samadarr, Washington, D.C.
In The Media Dance, Misleading Missteps
The interview with Seema Verma (“One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma,” Jan. 3) was notable for its lack of clarity on Verma’s part. She danced around so much that she could have been on “Dancing With the Stars,” but never directly answered questions such as what the Trump administration would do if the ACA were abolished via the courts as she and the administration want. She also misled the reader about Medicare, one of our most popular programs.
Medicare is not disliked by participants. In fact, it is rated higher in satisfaction than private-sector insurance. Verma’s free-market ideology appears to be causing her to misstate the facts, a frequent issue in this administration.
— Jack Bernard, former director of Georgia’s Office of Health Planning, Peachtree City, Georgia
⁦@SeemaCMS⁩ masterclass in avoiding every single question: One-On-One With Trump’s Medicare And Medicaid Chief: Seema Verma | Kaiser Health News https://t.co/4q6fovJyvw
— Richard James (@pennnursinglib) January 3, 2020
— Richard James, Philadelphia
‘Nurturing’ Takes Time
The title of the piece “Reduce Health Costs By Nurturing The Sickest? A Much-Touted Idea Disappoints” (Jan. 8) is inaccurate. The article reports on how a 90-day intervention to reduce costs in the sickest patients did not show any benefit. However, truly nurturing the sickest is not something that can be done successfully in 90 days. I think it suggests how degenerate American health care has become when such a short intervention can be referred to as “nurturing.” Perhaps a better title might be “Putting a Band-Aid on a Chronic Ulcer Is Useless.”
— Dr. Joseph P. Arpaia, Eugene, Oregon
#HealthCare is a #HumanRight, but it's not #community and it's not safe and affordable #housing. I do appreciate what the Camden Coalition was trying to do, but this research shows that w/out all of these things, a healthy life is real hard to achieve. https://t.co/ZPV3rXCVjn
— (((Leah Ida Harris))) 🌹 (@leahida) January 10, 2020
— Leah Harris, Arlington, Virginia
Shedding Light On Violent Patients
I want to thank Heidi De Marco for her great article about violence in hospitals (“Postcard From San Diego: Patient-Induced Trauma: Hospitals Learn To Defuse Violence,” Dec. 6). I am an occupational therapist who used to work in a hospital. Once an 87-year-old woman with dementia grabbed me by the neck, lifted me off the floor and was getting ready to punch me with her other hand. As a former victim of domestic assault, I knew the best strategy when being choked is to try to relax as much as possible. I had orders to walk the woman, but she thought I was trying to rob her. Found out she needed four security guards when she was in the ER. I ended up going to the ER myself.
The situation was especially difficult because: 1) I didn’t feel I could fight back for fear of losing my job. 2) I didn’t feel right pressing charges against her, also for fear of retaliation, and it’s not as if the woman was in her right mind. But because I didn’t press charges, the incident went unreported. I am not even sure what the answer is, but I am glad your article is bringing this to light. Thank you!
— Stephanie Blossomgame, Villa Park, Illinois
Have seen a lot of coverage lately of the issue of violence in the workplace as experienced by health care workers. We need to have a conversation about this. NO ONE deserves to be hurt on the job. No one. Everyone deserves a safe workplace. But…(thread) https://t.co/rIZcegjn84
— Kathy Flaherty (@ConnConnection) December 8, 2019
— Kathy Flaherty, Newington, Connecticut
Launch A Broad Investigation Abroad?
I am an American who works as a health economics researcher in Japan. I wanted to let KHN know how important this journalism project is: exposing health care billing that drives up the cost of insurance — even if insurance “covers” some charges upfront (“Bill of the Month: For Her Head Cold, Insurer Coughed Up $25,865,” Dec. 23). The fact that this overly complex and inefficient system is tolerated is baffling to me. I was in very deep with the U.S. system when I returned from Japan to the U.S. for emergency chemo and stem-cell transplant for leukemia (thank goodness I still had U.S. insurance!). While I received excellent care at that time, I now continue to receive follow-up care in Japan, which is just as advanced in terms of tech and more so for systematic efficiency. I use the national health insurance, and — even in another language — testing, billing, wait times, cost are all a breeze.
I wonder if KHN/NPR could compare the U.S. with health care systems of other high-income countries (Singapore, Finland, etc.), using real-world patient experiences? I think there is a common misconception that the U.S. way is the only way. Anyway, thank you very much for your hard work on this important topic.
— Russell Miller, San Diego and Tokyo
It should be considered malpractice for these doctors that concoct these dreadful schemes with shady business people. This fleecing activity needs to be called out just as much as that of hospitals, insurance companies, pharma and benefit consultants. https://t.co/V5Or5XbsbB
— Dr. Christopher Crow (@DrCCrow) December 23, 2019
— Dr. Christopher Crow, Plano, Texas
Doctor in this case should be charged with FRAUD. What a crook. https://t.co/nqnzVg4Hd8
— Wayne Allyn Root (@RealWayneRoot) December 24, 2019
— Wayne Allyn Root, Las Vegas
Readers And Tweeters Fired Up Over Employer’s No-Nicotine Policy published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/
0 notes