406 replies to this topic

[AllseeingEye]

I think you two are a couple of old fuds.

Aha...a Jack Knox fan, I knew it . What can I say - speaking for myself I'm still in my Red Hot Chili Peppers phase......

[todd]

I’d stick up for the Times Colonist if I did not fear being ostracized(as I am an octopus).

[Bob Fugger]

As you note Knox has an annoying tendency, in this series, and in his writing generally, to somehow come across as overly pleased with his own (perceived) witticisms....

 

I do feel about disliking Jack so much - I took a continuing studies writing class a few years back at Camosun and he came in to talk to us.  Very nice guy who kudos to him, gave up his time on a school night to come talk to us.  I just think his humour is not humourous.  Point of order: this series isn't being written by Knox, but rather someone younger, more pleased with himself and arguably much, much worse at being funny: David Sovka.

 

Here's another fetid morsel:

 

 

 

There are three kinds of heart attacks: bad, really bad and permanent. The first two require immediate intervention such as angioplasty and stents, and then ongoing treatment such as medication and lying awake into the wee hours, worrying. The third kind is not a problem for you to worry about, which is not necessarily a good thing.

 

OHHHHH, BECUZ YOU DEAD. HA. HA.

[todd]

What can I say - speaking for myself I'm still in my Red Hot Chili Peppers phase......

You might want to get a colonoscopy at your age I do shoeshining as well.

[jonny]

My father in law has had like six heart attacks. I don't see the big deal. 

[todd]

No stranger to heart/etc problems myself octopuses have three hearts. Little humour often helps with medical problems, definitely don’t want to get too uptight about a simple colonoscopy.

[AllseeingEye]

No stranger to heart/etc problems myself octopuses have three hearts. Little humour often helps with medical problems, definitely don’t want to get too uptight about a simple colonoscopy.

Me either but that was the point of the article - millions of men do get hyper nervous about the procedure. And for their own sake, not to mention their families and loved ones, they need to push through those feelings and get 'er done.

 

Unfortunately for some people and men in particular doctor/dentists are the source of irrational (to us) fears, but all very real to them. Not sure where the number stands as of now but at one point my own brother in law hadn't been to a GP in well over a decade. IMO he's playing with fire, but that's just my opinion....

 

In some ways its fortunate that I've been in and out of hospitals so many times for various sports and other injures, surgeries and "procedures" that especially when it comes to preventative treatments I just automatically put up and wave my hand to volunteer at the front of the line. I've been in RJH-Emerg so many times I now qualify for a 25% discount on tongue depressors....

[LJ]

The colonoscopy procedure I had at RJH was one of the more pleasant, relaxing days of my life. The two days before it, not so much. Mixing a measured amount of vodka to the prep liquid helped.

[todd]

Have you ever met a proctologist? Well, they usually have a very good sense of humor. You meet a proctologist at a party, don't walk away. Plant yourself there, because you will hear the funniest stories you've ever heard. See, no one wants to admit to them that they stuck something up there. Never! It's always an accident. Every proctologist story ends in the same way: ‘It was a million to one shot, Doc. Million to one.

[Rob Randall]

^I thought we established a few posts back that health issues are no laughing matter. Unless it's Dave Barry who is actually  semi-retired and no longer produces a weekly column so that means no laughing by anyone at all.

[AllseeingEye]

The colonoscopy procedure I had at RJH was one of the more pleasant, relaxing days of my life. The two days before it, not so much. Mixing a measured amount of vodka to the prep liquid helped.

Yeah that is a trip and a half. Good way to lose weight.....

[todd]

^I thought we established a few posts back that health issues are no laughing matter. Unless it's Dave Barry who is actually  semi-retired and no longer produces a weekly column so that means no laughing by anyone at all.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

[DustMagnet]

The colonoscopy procedure I had at RJH was one of the more pleasant, relaxing days of my life. The two days before it, not so much. Mixing a measured amount of vodka to the prep liquid helped.

 

Same experience.  The prep is a bit rough, but the procedure is not.  Well actually I don't really know what the procedure is like - they put something in my IV to "relax" me and I slept soundly through it.

 

EDIT: That makes it sound like I was roofied.  It was mostly consensual.

Edited by DustMagnet, 21 February 2019 - 10:58 AM.

[Arnold]

 

I have not posted for a while but I am so pissed off about this article that I can't breath. This Lawrie McFarland so called reporter needs to look up the definition of journalism and read it carefully. This is not journalism, it is a personal rant. Let's have a look at this in detail. He starts off by putting his name first in the headline and then refers to waste and excess. The topic is about a raise in salary for elected officials in Saanich. If there is waste and excess involved then he should put forth his facts and then let the reader decide for himself.

Here are some of his facts.

Saanich council has voted itself a whopping salary increase.

Struggling to explain, Coun. Judy Brownoff gave two excuses

First, she implied, council’s hands were tied.

It didn’t fall as a gift from heaven.

Then again, I suspect taxpayers would be surprised to learn that the mayor of a relatively small jurisdiction is making 116 grand.

So that means if other councils behave like pigs at the trough, it’s OK for Saanich to play along? Asked and answered.

Brownoff’s second excuse was that the salary increases were justified by a change in federal tax law.

Saanich turned around and granted themselves a salary increase to make up the lost benefit in full

This is completely scandalous

After they’ve been paid in full for what might have been imaginary expenses, they are now allowed to claim actual expenses on top.

I don’t think it’s an accident this scam was introduced after last October’s municipal elections were safely over.

This is wasteful and ridiculous excess.

 

I am not saying whether the raise is justified or not. That is a separate discussion. I am just flabbergasted that this so called journalist thinks he should be the judge and jury and is tainting the news with his narrow minded opinion instead of reporting it.

Edited by Arnold, 01 April 2019 - 07:37 PM.

[lanforod]

It's paywalled, so I'm not sure about this - is it in the news section or the op-ed section?

[Rob Randall]

DOES NO-ONE HERE UNDERSTAND THE CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN NEWS AND OPINION

[Victoria Watcher]

mcfarlane is an opinion writer only. not a reporter.

[Victoria Watcher]

listing of his pieces here:

 

https://muckrack.com...arlane/articles

[AllseeingEye]

Yup, he is paid to opine, not report the news. Apples and Oranges.

[VIResident]

A good opinion piece, nails it, bang on.  This reached the far corners of the regions on the island, rate-payers are not happy at all, most are not bothering to holler about it and will have their say next election.