The Best Burger?

I’ve been craving a cheeseburger for the longest time, so when this video popped up in my YouTube feed, I was like, hello there, lover!

I can’t believe that Fuddruckers hamburgers only got an honorable mention. I’ve tried most of the hamburgers on this list, and Fuddruckers has the best, mostly due to the awesomeness of their fresh-baked buns.

The walls of Fuddruckers have been saturated every day with the scent of baking bread, which you can smell before you even walk in. Everything is fresh, unlike at most of the fast-food places on this list.

And don’t get me started on their spicy fries and onion rings…

I think my neighbor is cooking hamburgers for dinner tonight…

Can you smell it? Because I can smell it. 🙂

Yo From New Mexico

Repealing opioids when there are no replacements is ignorant and barbaric

http://www.centralmaine.com/2017/01/21/central-maine-patients-fear-medication-weaning-as-they-struggle-with-chronic-pain/

(January 21, 2017) Central Maine patients fear weaning off opioids as they struggle with chronic pain

And while patients concerned about medication limits may be able to qualify for exceptions, two of the people interviewed weren’t aware of exceptions and already were being tapered off their medications by doctors. Another said there’s scant information available about how to apply and qualify…

New patients are limited to a dosage amount of less than 100 morphine milligram equivalents, or MME, of opiates, and those already taking medications above the limit must taper to less than 100 MME by July 1…

About 16,000 patients in Maine are prescribed more than 100 morphine milligram equivalents, according to Gordon Smith, executive vice president of the Maine Medical Association. About 1,300 Maine patients are prescribed more than 300 MME.

“Even at 200 morphine milligram equivalents, you have a 1 in 32 chance of dying within the next two-and-a-half years,” Smith said. “That’s a mortality rate that’s very, very high.” …

This sounds like something drummed up by statistics, which the medical industry is relying on more and more. I’m always amazed at how easy it is to bend statistics to your own belief system. Thing is, patients are not statistics, and to think of us that way is a huge mistake.

“I hate having medicine legislated,” said Steve Diaz, chief medical officer for MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta. “I believe as a profession we physicians should be policing ourselves and have the wherewithal to provide guidelines. But I think the issue here is the opioid epidemic was getting worse, and there was no national or state medical response to rein it in.”

No national or state medical response? Like, the opioid war? Where the fuck have you been, Mr. Diaz?

Smith, of the Maine Medical Association, said that “help is coming” for those who are tapering off. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants can prescribe suboxone, a narcotic that is used to treat addiction to pain relievers, beginning in February. The Maine Department of Health and Human Services also announced $2.4 million in funding used to create 359 additional medication-assisted treatment slots across the state that began Jan. 1…

Here you see the government’s answer to the epidemic of chronic pain — treat us all like drug addicts. (The stock price for the maker of Suboxone is currently up 13 points. How many of those involved in advocating for the opioid war own stocks in addiction treatments?)

While the use of opioid medication for chronic pain may be common, it’s not necessarily the best form of treatment. A growing body of evidence shows that long-term opioid use actually worsens chronic pain, as well as depression, ability to function and overall quality of life, said Dr. Stephen Hull, director of medical pain management at the Mercy Pain Center in Portland.

“They work very well for dampening down activity of the nervous system in relationship to pain,” Hull said. But the drugs also activate the immune system within the brain and spinal cord, making the brain more sensitive to pain. So although opioid patients experience short-term pain relief, the activation of the immune system results in even higher pain levels as the drug leaves the bloodstream. At the same time, as patients build up tolerance to the drugs, they require higher and higher dosages to feel the positive effects and stave off the heightened pain levels that come with withdrawal…

Dear Dr. Stephen Hull: You’re a dickhead who makes no sense. Are you a graduate of Trump University?

“What we’ve seen at the Mercy Pain Center is that those folks who are willing to come off these medicines succeed at high rates and report not only that their pain is better but that their cognitive functioning is much better,” Hull said. “We’ve come to feel that not only is it appropriate to get under that 100 milligram equivalents of morphine, we are telling our patients that it’s appropriate to get them off opioids altogether.”

Are we in a doctor’s office or a church? Are you a doctor, a priest, or a judge? I feel sorry for your patients, Mr. Hull. How many have left your practice?

Physicians can prescribe opioid medication above the new legal limit for pain related to cancer treatment, end-of-life care, treatment for substance abuse and palliative care. Palliative care, as defined by state law, is patient-centered care that aims to optimize quality of life by anticipating and treating “suffering caused by a medical illness or physical injury or condition.” …

Well, this is new. An exception for the treatment of substance abuse. Is that a nice term for addiction or does the government now consider every chronic pain patient on opioids to be suffering from substance abuse? Does that also mean that every chronic pain patient is also entitled to palliative care? I’ve never been to a palliative doctor, but I’ve heard they exist.

My comment:

Isn’t it funny how doctors say one thing, then patients come along to prove them wrong? After about 10 years on prescription medications to treat intractable pain, I was forced into a cold-turkey detox. That was over 5 years ago. Tell me, Dr. Hull, when will my pain get “better”? Because I’m still waiting.

Since you claim to be an expert in treating intractable pain, your clinic must be having a hard time keeping up with demand. Tell us, Dr. Hull, how many patients have you lost or abandoned since you decided that opioids are not appropriate to treat chronic pain? What’s the annual suicide rate for your patients and how much has it increased within the last 5 years?

Just like it’s stupid and cruel (willfully causing pain or suffering to others) to repeal Obamacare without an adequate replacement, it’s likewise ignorant and barbaric to repeal the use of opioids to treat chronic pain without having adequate replacements. Of course, there’s always a gun, which is now easier to buy than pain medication.

Might as well use the opioid war to start the conversation on the right to die. If doctors refuse to treat my pain, I should have the right to humanely end my suffering. Animals get that right, so should humans.

Thanks to the men who support women

I scanned the faces of the crowds at the women’s marches and I saw plenty of men combining their voices with ours. And I just wanted to say thanks. We appreciate you. 🙂

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/25/famous-male-feminists-men-support-women_n_5564005.html

At a 2006 Equality Now event, “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” creator and “The Avengers” writer [Joss Whedon] took a creative and impactful approach to his speech. He discussed the frustrations of always being asked the question, “Why do you create strong female characters?” In the speech he gave numerous responses, including:

“Because, equality is not a concept. It’s not something we should be striving for. It’s a necessity. Equality is like gravity. We need it to stand on this earth as men and women, and the misogyny that is in every culture is not a true part of the human condition.”

Having witnessed his father physically abuse his mother as a child, Patrick Stewart gave a riveting speech for Amnesty International UK in October 2009. Remembering the impact the abuse had on him as a boy, he spoke to the responsibility men have to end this violence: “Even if she had [done something to provoke my father to hit her], violence is a choice. And it’s a choice that a man makes. We can choose to stop it.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-01-21/on-the-march-in-trump-s-capital

More signs from the women’s march:

“You’re orange, you’re gross, you lost the popular vote!”

“I’m not usually a sign guy but geez.”

Will exercise decrease your pain?

I recently looked up POTS, a medical condition that I’m unfamiliar with:

Wikipedia: Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS, also known as postural tachycardia syndrome) is a condition in which a change from the supine position to an upright position causes an abnormally large increase in heart rate, called tachycardia… A variety of treatments, including exercise and medications, can improve symptoms for the majority of people with POTS…

Okay, so while your heart is doing jumping jacks in your chest, it’s time to exercise? It seems like doctors suggest exercise for almost every medical condition. And it’s true, we don’t get enough exercise, but…

http://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2017/1/22/even-a-little-exercise-is-better-than-none

They measured the physical activity of 1,600 adults with osteoarthritis in their hips, knees or feet; and found that just 45 minutes of moderate physical activity a week improved their function and reduced pain…

Osteoarthritis is a specific medical condition that can cause varying levels of pain and disability, but I don’t think that every chronic pain condition will respond the same to light physical activity.

In a study of 131 older adults who have osteoarthritis, participants attended 45-minute chair yoga sessions twice a week for 8 weeks.

Researchers measured their pain, pain interference (how it affects one’s life), balance, gait speed, fatigue and functional ability; before, during and after the sessions.

Compared to a control group enrolled in a health education program, the chair yoga group showed a greater reduction in pain, pain interference and fatigue during the sessions, as well as an improved gait. The reduction in pain interference lasted for about three months after the chair yoga program was completed…

When I lived in Houston, it was too hot and humid to take walks. I only started taking walks after I moved to New Mexico (and got a camera). At first, I lost some weight, which was a good thing. But the weight didn’t stay off. Part of the reason for that was my inability to find and afford quality medical cannabis. I’ve gone through periods of stability that have lasted for months — both in the legal and underground markets — but they always come to an end, interrupting any progress I might make.

Since I moved here over 3 years ago, I’ve been more physically active than I have been in the past. I’ve also taken up baking (which includes more cleaning), and that’s also increased my physical activity levels.

So, has all this increased physical activity helped to decrease my overall pain levels? It seems logical that it would. Maybe in a group of patients who suffer from osteoarthritis, you would see the majority of them achieving benefits from exercise, including a decrease in pain levels. Would the same be true of a group of patients who suffer from TMJ or Trigeminal Neuralgia?

I hate to go against logic, but as I sit here thinking about the connection between my level of physical activity and my pain levels, I can’t say that the increased physical activity has made any difference in my pain levels. Sure, sometimes a walk can increase my pain levels, but usually, my level of physical activity doesn’t appear to be related to my pain levels. I know that doesn’t make sense, but there you have it.

Celebrating the anniversary of Roe v. Wade

“In New York and cities across the country, women marched.”

This is a quote from “Makers: Women Who Make America,” a 3-part documentary that I just watched on YouTube. I highly recommend it. The quote is from the 1970s.

Let’s look at how long the battle for women’s right has been going on, shall we?

On October 11, 1972, Sarah Weddington, a 26-year-old lawyer from Texas with very little experience, argued Roe v. Wade before the Supreme Court. At that time, the Supreme Court was made up of nine white men.

Forty-four years ago today, on January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade was decided. I celebrate that day.

The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed in 1923. It wasn’t until 1972 that it passed both houses of Congress. But in the end, the states wouldn’t ratify the ERA, partially due to the advocacy work of white, religious women. It was a backlash against Roe v. Wade and the women’s movement. And then Reagan was elected president. Reagan used his high-profile, government position to advocate against abortion, helping to stop the women’s movement in its tracks.

I don’t know why anyone would think that the potential life of a fetus is more important than the life of the mother. That’s like saying that the woman’s life doesn’t matter. That she’s not allowed to make her own health care decisions. That her body is not her own. That the most important purpose of a woman’s body is reproduction.

I wonder how men would feel if we treated their bodies in the exact same way. Where every single sperm was considered potential life, and men had to constantly fight for the right to control their reproductive health care.

There is nothing more important for a woman than to have control over her own body. Men have total control over their reproductive organs, and so should women. And when I talk about control, I’m not just talking about reproductive rights. I’m talking about all kinds of health care.

Male or female, as adults, we should have complete control over our own bodies, including the choice of medical treatments. Our own health care decisions should not be taken away from us by the government, insurance companies, or doctors.

I should not have to experiment with one drug just because it’s cheaper, when more successful drugs are available. My access to certain drugs should not be restricted just because I see one doctor over another. Just because one doctor believes that certain reproductive health care options (or treatments for pain or addiction) are sinful and against their beliefs. That’s not practicing medicine. That’s forcing your beliefs on your patients.

One of the reasons I watched this documentary was in the hope of finding some clues on how pain patients can fight for their rights. Media attention was important back then, just as important as it is today. It appears that pain patients have lost the media war. But I was just wondering… Have we already lost the opioid war?

Because Butter

Sometimes, all you need is butter. 🙂

#signsfrom #womensmarch

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/womens-march-signs_us_5883c27ee4b0e3a735698332?whdq5iq1kf2gvcayvi

Under comments:

Rose McMillan
My favorite one I saw was. IF I WANTED THE GOVERNMENT IN MY UTERUS I WOULD HAVE SCREWED A SENATOR!

Paige Harriott · Delivery Driver at Domino’s Pizza
I just saw a sign that reads “Melania if you need help blink twice.” 😅😅😅 I lost it!!

Caitlin McGurk Gardner · Physical Therapist (PT) at CPRS Physical Therapy
“Trump’s so vain, he probly thinks this March is about him…”

Melissa Ayres · Architect at U.S. Forest Service
A poster w Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia that says, “A woman’s place is in the resistance.”

Christy Taylor Goff · Works at Parkwood Hill Intermediate School
Fort Worth Texas represent: If you think we are mad now, just wait ’til we synch our cycles!”

Sharon Borror · Kindergarten Teacher at USD 470
My favorite: “65 million sn❄ wflakes coming at you is called an avalanche!”

Anna Finlayson
Vulva la resistance is fantastic. I think there is something everyone could take from “tweet others how you wish to be tweeted”. A certain president could perhaps think about that one too.

Teresa Zieminski-Myers · Office Manager at Gabel Associates, LLC
most impactful on me: “My assaulter has more in common with my President than I do.” -Women’s March, Oakland, CA

Corinne Wong
My favorite was, “Sexual predators are not allowed to live in government housing.”

Colleen Hannasch Haas
In Raleigh, NC: Vaginas brought you in to this world, vaginas will vote you out!

Jeannie West Jenkins · Owner at Lost Cypress Farm
In DC. VAG AGAINST THE MACHINE

Ryan Mercy · Camarillo High
I still love the sign from a PP rally that said “if I make my uterus a corporation, will you stop trying to regulate it”

Darlyne Miller · University of Southern California
Favorite from Napa CA: I wish my uterus shot bullets so the government would not regulate it.

Maria Costello · New York University
No you can’t take my rights, I’m still using them

Tina Mahan Antiorangesubhumanwalla
My favorite was….This is the only way Trump can make women come!!!!

Allie Rocheleau · Legal Secretary at Epstein Patierno, P.C.
“I know signs. I’m really good at making signs. I make amazing signs. Everybody says so.”

Krystalynn Kado
There was a little girl holding a sign here in Hawaii that said “Sugar and spice and deserving of rights.” That was probably my favorite.

Melissa Hymel
“I’m a girl, what’s your superpower?”

Heidi Hilliard · Senior Project Coordinator at Michigan Public Health Institute
Legalize Empathy

Valerie Fore · William B. Travis High School
I saw one that said “Trump can’t read!” I don’t know if I get the joke, but it cracked me up!

Kimberley Rose · Film Fellow at One Common Unity
We will trade you 1 trump for 10,000 immigrants.

Gretchen Whitworth
Colorado Springs: SO BAD EVEN THE INTROVERTS ARE HERE. I’m not an introvert, but some of my best friends are…

Mary Marceau · Registered Nurse at RRMC
Montpelier,Vermont, Does this ASS (picture of Trump) Make our country look smaller?

Constance Hanna · University of Pittsburgh
My favorite: White Supremacy is so 1933

Christine Tyrrell Harris · Highland High School
When they go low, we MARCH.

Maria Ballard · Graduate Researcher at Community Psychology
I will not be sent quietly back to the 1950’s

Joyce Vastola · Psychologist at Bronxville School
A Woman’s Place Is In Your Face!

Devonee Hendrix · Colorado Mountain
“If you take my birth control, I’ll make more feminists”

Virginia Slavin · Organizational Quality Engineer at Hewlett-Packard
I liked the one that said “Don’t MAKE me take my bra off!”

#WeAreTheStorm

I’m sad that I couldn’t be a part of the women’s march today, but thanks to the internet, I can still participate. As reported by Bloomberg, “The march is expected to be the largest grassroots inauguration-related protest in U.S. history.” These are some of my favorite photos (found at the links below):

http://www.kob.com/albuquerque-news/thousands-gather-for-washington-womens-march-in-albuquerque-and-santa-fe/4377490/

http://www.yahoo.com/news/womens-march-washington-d-c-slideshow-wp-182247458.html

http://www.mic.com/articles/166254/9-aerial-photos-show-just-how-big-women-s-marches-were-around-the-world#.Hm4Xerctq

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/photo-essays/2017-01-21/the-women-s-march-in-pictures-from-washington-to-antarctica

http://www.mic.com/articles/166190/whitehousegov-scrubs-climate-change-lgbtq-more-issues-from-official-site-after-trump-takes-office#.O6bQJigv2

The website’s transformation, from former-President Barack Obama’s administration to Trump’s administration demonstrated the stark differences between the two.

The website went from offering 27 topics under the “issues” tabs to just six: energy, foreign policy, jobs, military, law enforcement and trade deals.

While the Obama administration’s White House page offered “criminal justice reform,” Trump’s offered “standing up for our law enforcement community.”

While Obama’s White House website included “climate change,” Trump’s offered an “America first energy plan.”

Where there was “women,” there is now nothing.

JD Davids
on Friday
National HIV/AIDS Strategy already removed from White House website.

Hugh Merwin ✔ @hughmerwin
‘Disabilities’ isn’t accessible anymore at http://whitehouse.gov , and is no longer listed under ‘Issues.’

Please Join Me For Dessert

Sometimes my whipped cream icing is a little runny. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m having trouble getting it to form peaks.

Along with heavy whipping cream, sugar, powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla, I melt some chocolate chips with butter and add it to the icing. Because the other ingredients are so cold, the chocolate becomes tiny little chunks.

Sometimes I add a little cinnamon to the cocoa, or coffee grinds to the butter and chocolate chip mixture (before heating). The chocolate cake is made with mayonnaise instead of butter, along with hot coffee. It’s super moist.

I was using a chilled metal bowl to whip the icing, but today, I used a chilled glass bowl.

And the consistency turned out a little better.

Fluffier.

Still tastes the same. Like chocolate mousse icing.

I think I’m in love. 🙂

All Things Are Possible #3

The Inauguration of a Dictator With a Heart of Stone

WASHINGTON, DC (APP) — For the first time in America’s history, inauguration day brought rain — cold rain, sleet, and snow flurries, to be exact. It was like the dark, stormy sky was a giant mirror reflecting the grief of millions, if not billions, of people.

As reported by Seth Meyers, the sun was just another star that refused to perform at Trump’s inauguration. But the White House was ready, as we watched Governor Chris Christie marching next to President Trump to a song entitled “Heart of Stone,” protecting Trump’s hair from Mother Nature with a very large umbrella. An aerial shot of the umbrella uncovered Trump’s 2020 campaign slogan imprinted on it in bright red letters: “Keep America Great. Exclamation Point.”

Even though President Trump has vowed to slash government spending, that did not stop him from ordering a wall to be built around the inauguration dais to keep out the wind. Reporters were unable to discover the cost of the wind wall, but can at least report that it was paid for by taxpayers. Unfortunately for Trump (but fortunately for the internet), we discovered that even billionaires cannot control Mother Nature.

The argument over whether President Trump sports a toupee or a comb-over is finally over, thanks to a tiny bluebird that had the courage and audacity to fly past security. Some speculate that it’s the same bird that landed on the lectern in front of Bernie Sanders during a campaign speech last year, so the internet is calling it #BerniesBird. Trending on Twitter are hashtags that include #BBSavesTheDay, #BBImpeachedTrump, and #BB4President.

This enterprising bluebird first entertained the crowd by landing on the Bible during the swearing-in part of the ceremony, with undisclosed sources claiming it pooped on the book, while others reported that the bird actually pooped on President Trump’s hand.

Then, in a scene that appeared to be from the animated movie Snow White, friends of the bluebird flew into a circle around President Trump’s head, inspected his nest of hair, and proceeded to lift it completely off his head. It’s rumored that the Secret Service is still diligently looking for Trump’s expensive hairpiece.

After much consideration, we have decided not to publish photos of a bald President Trump. We do not wish to cause our readers any fear or anxiety, although the photos are easily found on the internet. We also discussed the fear that causes people to cover up the fact that they’re going bald. Even though stars like Patrick Stewart celebrate the natural look, we can only imagine the level of insecurities which would cause the opposite reaction. In other words, as reporters, we’re trying to find a little bit of sympathy for President Trump (even though he’s just a bald, bullying asshole, who oozes ego out of every pore and is surrounded by sycophants and uneducated idiots).

Immediately after the inauguration, President Trump’s lawyers filed a lawsuit against Mother Nature and Hillary Clinton, calling the inauguration debacle a staged event. At one point in the lawsuit, Trump suggests the bluebirds were actually drones that were sent, of course, to make him look like a fool during the inauguration. In response to the lawsuit, Hillary Clinton tweeted, “Trump doesn’t need any help to look foolish. How long is this bald billionaire baby going to keep playing the blame game? Sad!”

As we watched President Trump’s fake blonde toupee fly away into the moody skies above, it sailed past an airplane with a sign that said, “WTF?” Further investigation discovered that a group calling itself #WomenEverywhere rented the plane and sign for the inauguration. When asked to clarify the message, a spokesperson for the group said it wanted to express, in one word, what women all over the world were feeling today.

When asked about the inauguration debacle, President Trump said he was looking forward to the military parades scheduled for next month. “I’m thinking about having a gold throne made, so our soldiers can marvel at my awesomeness as they march by and salute my awesomeness. Think of all the jobs that will create!”

The only good news we have to report is that the internet rumor about free weed being passed out at the inauguration appears to be true. BuzzFeed reports that a group called DCMJ passed out 4,200 free joints during Trump’s speech. The latest internet meme shows some poor pothead accidentally lighting up Trump’s toupee, resulting in a hospital visit and a near-death experience.

On board I’m the captain
so climb aboard
We’ll search for tomorrow
on every shore
And I’ll try
oh Lord I’ll try
to carry on

All Things Are Possible #2

All Things Are Possible #1

Farewell, Obamas

I admit that I cried when Obama was first elected. (And I admit that I like Michelle Obama more than I like her husband.) As the first black president, Obama had to face a mountain of difficulties, yet he did it with reason, intelligence, style, and humor. He was a calm voice in the storm, as I hope he will continue to be. He will go down in history as the coolest president ever.

But more than all of that, I admired the love story between the president and First Lady. They are strong and proud individuals, made stronger together by their obvious love for each other. Good luck, First Family. We’ll miss ya.

http://www.mic.com/articles/150562/because-we-want-you-to-cry-here-is-a-catalogue-of-beautiful-obama-moments#.4HNIkEOv0

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/best-white-house-photos-2016_us_5866889ce4b0de3a08f814d9

Aml Maine · University of Houston
Likely Mrs. Obama will find ways to continue doing public good. I teach college courses to adult students, many of whom are veterans on the GI Bill. Many were enlisteds (not officers) who grew up in families with few options and joined the military for careers, then make the best of it with education. They RAVE about Mrs. Obama and her volunteer efforts to marshall corporate and nonprofit organizations to help military families with services like relocation assistance, family assistance while the enlisteds are deployed overseas, etc. I believe that history will show her to be one of the most admired First Ladies ever.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/obama-legacy-womens-health_us_58595b7ce4b08debb78b2c47?st5cmmty1czy0t3xr

Obama’s signature health care law saved women $1.4 billion on birth control pills alone in 2013, the year after it went into effect. More than 55 million women now get their contraception and well-woman visits for free, and unintended pregnancy in the United States is at a 30-year low…

WASHINGTON, DC (Rueters) — For his last act in office, President Obama has ended the drug war. He signed a law that makes all drugs legal. The law includes dismantling the DEA. And now he leaves it all to President Trump…