Whatever happened to stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and recover? I was shocked to read about Dr. Charmaine Enns recommending that people who think they might have the flu are encouraged to visit their doctor, pharmacist or local public health. Why would people go to the doctor if they think they might have the flu? Why clog up a doctor's office for the flu and flu-like symptoms? Beside prompting anyone with a runny nose to go to a doctor, she recommends going to see a pharmacist. What can be done there? Purchasing over-the-counter cold and flu medications that may make you feel better or may make you feel worse. For sure they will cost you money and not shorten the duration of your viral illness. Next, go to public health. Not the place to go if you are ill. They are not qualified to deal with serious acute illness but they may want you to come with your sniffles so they can record another "flu-like illness." If you are seriously ill with complications from the flu, you should go to the emergency department. Of course, if you feel your health deteriorating, see your doctor. I hope everyone gets a dose of common sense in their Christmas stockings this year. Rest, eat well and wash your hands! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year. I fear flu paranoia — not the flu!
I had a young man coming into my office, Theo Lemay. He had a birthday party instead of gifts he asked everyone to donate money. He decided to donate $30 to the Dawn to Dawn Action on Homelessness Society. I would like to see this action of kindness mentioned in the newspaper. It was a nice gesture on his part.
Transportation Minister Todd stone is making waves in communities served by BC Ferries. He thinks it's OK for well-paid ferry employees to travel for free, while complaining about taxpayer subsidies for corporate bonuses. He also has a theory that raising traffic speed limits would reduce accidents. Minister Stone may be the bright light in the premier's office, but he really, really needs a reality check. The B.C. Liberals seems to think that photo radar is an exclusive left wing idea that should be buried with the NDP. Minister Stone is wrong on this one, too. He is right about one thing — speed does not kill. Drivers who speed kill. Especially impaired or distracted texting drivers. The pub parking lots are again full after that tough B.C. drinking /driving law scare. Now they may be driving faster on the way to the next party.
Many thanks to the guys at Skyline Tree Service for once again taking care of the big maple in our yard. We appreciate the great service and the cleanup.
Ladies, gentlemen and youth of our valley. There is so much animosity and suffering going on the world, and we, smug in our little valley, criticize how others behave, yet we are often no better. How hard is it to treat others the way you would like to be treated? Oh sure, it is coming out now for the holiday season, but will be quickly tucked away for the rest of the year. Why not try to be nice all of the time? It costs nothing, but is incredibly valuable. To quote Herman Hesse from his essay Christmas, December 1917, “Before we celebrate another Christmas, before we try once again to appease our one eternal and truly important yearning with mass-produced imitation sentiment, let us face up to our wretched situation. No idea or principle is to blame for all our wretchedness, for the nullity, the coarseness, the barrenness of our lives, for war and hunger and everything else that is evil and dismal: We ourselves are to blame. And it is only through ourselves through our insight and our will, that a change can come about. It makes no difference whether we go back to the teachings of Jesus and make them our own again, or whether we seek new forms. Where they strike the eternal core of humanity, the teachings of Jesus and of Lao Tzu, of the Vedas and of Goethe are the same. There is only one doctrine, There is only one religion. There is only one happiness. There are a thousand forms, a thousand heralds, but only one call, one voice. The voice of God does not come from Mount Sinai, it does not come from the Bible. The essence of love, beauty, and holiness does not reside in Christianity or in antiquity or in Goethe or Tolstoy — it resides in you, in you and me, in each one of us.”
At 12:13 PM PST in Courtenay on Island Highway South near the intersection with Marriott Road, the driver of a Petro Canada fuel oil truck travelling south ran me off the clear pavement onto the marbles covering the shoulder of the road. Honking his/her horn while driving at 80 km/h or more while barrelling down on a cyclist who was travelling as far to the right of the road as is safe was not safe driving. His/her decision to force a cyclist onto the dangerous surface shows a total lack of safe driving skills or a total lack of knowledge of rules of the road. Either way, your company is employing a person who is a hazard to others and a liability to your company.
A big smiling, glorious bouquet of ambrosial delights to all the lovely, honourable folks who helped return my backpack, which I had accidentally left on the bus. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
B.C.’s four $100-million-plus contracted air ambulance helicopters were grounded today due to weather! Yet other EMS helicopters, equipped to fly in weather like this could have flown and do so in other parts of Canada. So why don’t we here in B.C. have those types of helicopters? I hope no one died as a result. So what’s next, fire trucks/police cars that can’t drive in snow? Oh, wait, they all have snow tires and can safely operate, yet not all B.C. ambulances have actual snow tires and only six of our 500 road ambulances are 4x4s. Interesting, isn’t it?
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