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The California Office of the Patient Advocate rated GEMCare, one of the largest HMOs in Kern County, as fair. Not the highest of ratings.
That doesn't come as a big surprise in my household.
My wife who had a persistent hearing and dizziness problem was delayed for precious weeks in being referred to a specialist because her physician's assistant didn't properly report what treatment she already had undergone.
When we got the rejection, we informed GEMCare of the correct treatment,...
Schools go both ways on this.
Some ban cell phones all together. Some restrict them to recess or lunch hours.
All prohibit interference with classes, especially "electronic bullying" in which intimidating text messages are sent during English and math classes. Schools also frown on drug dealing via the phones.
A story by AP business writer Bruce Meyerson outlined the issues involved in cell phone policies.
School-age children are a key source of growth in the cell phone...
The officer involved shooting that wounded an unintended victim at a southwest condominium could have been so much worse.
A sleeping Henry Parson, 51, was shot in the ankle as a police bullet penetrated his building. That he or someone else could have been killed is a distinct possibility.
Sgt. Jon Scott, thinking he was chasing armed robbery suspects, fired the shots at the driver of a car that wouldn't stop and then tried to run away when the car hit another car in the condo parking...
P.F. Chang's China Bistro on Stockdale Highway will open to the public on Monday, but people at my wife's work were invited today (Friday) to help the staff get used to real people.
What a treat!
I didn't start eating Chinese food until I was 29, but this place was superb.
Two pretty women greeters out front advised me to try the Chang's chicken in soothing lettuce wraps. I do pretty much everything pretty women tell me, so I did.
This is an appetizer which could easily be a...
Earlier this week, my stepdaughter got an e-mail on her My Space site from a friend she hadn't seen since she was in grade school near Pomona.
She spent some time getting reacquainted.
But the experience highlights what reporter Stephanie Shapiro of the Baltimore Sun wrote about in a story on how today's technological society can produce an overload of friends.
Which make demands on your time.
It used to be that to stay in contact with your friends, you had to go see them, call...
I'll bet I have more tan lines than you do.
I have wristwatch, ankle socks and wedding ring tan lines in addition to the usual redneck, shirt sleeves and shorts tan lines that make me quite the colorful mosiac.
This subject comes up because a story in today's paper abut a lotion that darkens the skin without sunlight and helps protect against cancer.
Or so goes the research on mice.
But it raises the issue of how people get tans.
I do it the old fashioned way. I go out...
There is an issue in every couple relationship, whether or not it is ever talked about, on who does the kitchen work.
You know, cooking, cleaning the dishes and cleaning appliances and gadgets.
Some men think that with the exception of barbecuing, this type of work is beneath them.
That, of course, is a shamefully sexist attitude and those men deserve the lack of positive attention they get from their mate.
The practice (it's not a rule) in our house is whoever does...
Reporter Karen Fernau of The Arizona Republic has written a story about more people bringing their lunch to work.
The story says bringing your lunch to work can save money, time and calories.
The report says leftovers are okay, but there's more interesting food than can be prepared.
Such as a seared ahi tuna or smoked turkey and cranberry sauce wrap, the story says. Perk up ordinary sandwiches with a smear of sophisticated condiments such as sun-dried tomato pesto, cranberry...
The E. coli outbreak linked to spinach was a pointed discussion in our household.
I cannot tell you how many times my bride told me to wash the packaged salad before I ate it, and I replied the package says it is thoroughly washed and I will take my chances.
Last night, I washed the salad for the first time.
The current food-poisoning episode — one death, 113 sick in 21 states — is the 20th such episode linked to spinach or lettuce since 1995.
So wash the damn salad,...
The Kern County Fair, which opens Wednesday for a 12-day stretch, attracts about 400,000 people during that run.
That's a lot. It's because there is a lot going on.
Entertainment, animals, carnival rides and games, food, exhibits and auctions are among the features that draw people in.
Do you plan on going to the fair this year? What do you like best about it?
Posted by Steve E. Swenson
I like to read stories about how what happens in my household is happening in many households.
Washington Post reporter Ylan Q. Mui wrote about debts college graduates have that are sending them back home.
One of my kids came back home for awhile, but they both have debts which make day to day living a financial struggle.
College loans are chief on the list, but debts for other necessities — cars, work equipment, furniture and more — have made savings a fantasy.
...
Associated Press reporter Jennifer Peltz has written a story about the increasing bans of birthday cake at school birthday parties.
Birthdays are becoming
lessons in counting calories along with candles for
thousands of kids who’ve gone back to school this year.
A growing number of schools nationwide are curtailing or cutting out birthday sweets in the name of nutrition and weight control. Others are concerned about food allergies and contamination. Some also argue that birthday...
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — A state employee who was suspended from his job for making unfavorable comments online about a struggling community in rural Virginia has been awarded back pay.
Will Vehrs, a business services manager for the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, was suspended without pay for 10 days in May for “excessive casual use of the Internet.”
While at work in April, he had contributed to an online contest in which bloggers write their own captions for...
Right off the top, let me say I'm not proposing a speed limit on the bike path.
It is a "bike" path and I think within reason, bicyclists ought to be able to go any speed they want.
The within reason part is when they come upon pedestrians who may have no idea what to do when a bicyclist is approaching. Then the bicyclist for his own safety needs to slow down.
All this stems from a story by reporter Steven Mayer about a woman and two bicyclists crashing on the bike path...
Dru Sefton of Newhouse News Service wrote a story about the problems of two people sleeping in the same bed.
Well, there can be good things about that arrangement, but that's not what this blog is about.
It's about stealing the covers, snoring like a road grader, smacking your bedmate in the nose, tossing and turning, or other incompatible sleeping habits.
The National Sleep Foundation in a 2005 poll found that 35 percent of adults attribute relationship problems to troublesome...
Reporter Stephanie Armour of USA Today wrote a story about how sleep-deprived people get groggy at work.
The story says only about 26 percent of people get eight or more hours a night of sleep, down from 38 percent in 2001, according to the National Sleep Foundation.
Some companies recognize the problem and either have places for naps or provide coffee and energy drinks to help people remain alert during the work day.
A couple businesses in New York charge $14 and up for...
Reporter Peter Carlson of The Washington Post has written the pre-eminent story about warning labels, including one that says Tide laundry detergent is not a good food source.
Well, okay, but how about Cheer?
Some warning labels sound silly. Sleeping pills, for example, can cause drowsiness, labels warn. (Well, I hope so!)
Back in 1992 after a lawsuit, McDonald's warned people that hot coffee is, well, hot.
A label on a baby stroller warns, "Remove child before...
A second person drowned Monday night at the Park at River Walk.
The Kern County coroner identified him as Juan Manuel Ramirez-Calderon, 31, of Bakersfield. The first drowning victim was Jasmine Korin, 8, in early July.
The park opened in April.
Following the girl's drowning, the city put up signs warning people to enter the water at their own risk and supervise children at all times.
City Councilman David Couch said in response to the second drowning that short of filling up the...
Californian reporter Jessica Logan wrote about a prayer gathering at Calvary Chapel Westbrook to promote young women remaining virgins until they marry.
A primary organizer was Sherrill Gould whose own daughter, Danielle, had that goal until she tragically died in a car crash at age 17.
About 180 mothers and daughters turned out for the event in late August.
The question is whether the goal is attainable in today's society? Desirable? And what about young men?
Posted by Steve E....
Californian reporter Danielle Belton wrote a comprehensive story about radio stations in Kern County.
It featured subplots of which radio personality gets the most attention and how Spanish-language radio stations are among the most popular in the county.
The question here is which radio station(s) do you listen to? Are you a talk radio kind of person or a music listener?
I am one of those which help KUZZ be number one. But I also listen to KGFM soft rock. Same reason, I like to...
Reporter Jenny Shearer wrote about people who don't stop for flashing red lights on school buses.
Seems that people don't always do that and Bakersfield resident Jill Furtado wants to make school bus stops safer for kids.
California Highway Patrol officer Greg Williams said he believes people knowingly violate the rules to avoid delays in their trip.
The story says some enforcement action may be on the way. And the graphic below explains the law.
What has been your experience...
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