My Strong Medicine

The adventures of a male nurse navigating through life, staying fit, surviving the journey.

Archive for January, 2010

The Media CONTINUES To Give Nurses A Bad Name And Bad Image

Posted by Sean on January 29, 2010

 

Come on! Seriously Mariah??

I’m having a hard time not losing my cool over this recent (attempt) music video by Mariah Carey. Yeah, yeah I know it’s a music video. Yeah, I know it’s all in fun and for entertainment. BUT, when is society and the media going to put a stop to the ‘sexy nurse’?

Gee. Maybe I should put one of those outfits on? What do you think? White skirt with my high heels, pretty lil white cap and of course the over-the-top red lipstick?

I’m a nurse.. so it should elicit the same response right? It’s sexy right?

Listen up people!

This persona and fantasy only makes my job tougher. It degrades and denounces the very fabric of our job and our careers. I  am in the business of saving and impacting lives. When I have a bad day – someone gets hurt. We don’t wear those outfits. We don’t saunter to our patients’ room. We SURE don’t wear high heels!

It really angers me to the point of exhaustion when we keep allowing the media to bash and abuse this old, and frankly disgusting portrayal of nurses.

Yeah, I’m fully aware of the difference between fantasy and reality. I have a firm grasp on fact versus fiction.

But, I’m not the rest of society.

Grr.Angry

Posted in health, opinion | Tagged: | 15 Comments »

Does Perception = Reality?

Posted by Sean on January 26, 2010

reflection Image source: Brick Artist

 

Sometimes every once and a while you stumble upon something during your travels on the internet that just strikes you. This struck me hard. Maybe struck is not a good enough word.

How about flabbergasted?? People’s perception can be, and IS there reality. What happens when you’re perception is distorted by someone else. What happens to your reality when your perception is manipulated and/or influenced by the media in such a way to make you believe something that isn’t there?

Take this for instance:

Media-Manipulation-Optical-Illusion1

This image was taken from a website called: Mighty Optical Illusions. It discusses the media’s influence on our perception of a picture. The original picture is in the middle (colorized). To the left would depict the soldiers as having no mercy. To the right shows the soldiers oozing with mercy.

All because the picture was manipulated.

Is our perception really our reality. Just who’s reality we talking about here?

Posted in opinion | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Maybe Being Cheesy Makes Things Easy??

Posted by Sean on January 24, 2010

IMG00084-20100124-1625

I just read Who Moved My Cheese? I think I read this book wayyy back when I was in management for a certain retail business – whew I can’t believe that was over a decade ago!

I loved the book then, and I still love it now! It delivers such a great message, in such a simple and basic way. It’s almost rudimentary how simple the story is. It’s child-like, but the message is so great.

Change. It’s the ONLY constant thing in our lives.

People and their lives are ruled by this one very important rule. You either embrace the idea, ignore the idea, or fight the idea. Each instance will elicit a different result.

It truly amazes me how the happiness in my life is so reflective of me and my battle with change.

How about you?

Posted in health, words of wisdom | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Being A Nurse And Paying Your Taxes

Posted by Sean on January 24, 2010

Yeah, I know, not two concepts that are normally in one sentence. As a nurse, I can’t say my taxes are on the forefront of my mind. Not even during ‘tax time’.

I can vaguely remember learning how to do my own taxes as a high school senior. I even DID my own taxes for a number of years. Then as my work and work-related experience became more complex, coupled with the horribly confusing school, school loans, and differing tax forms I deferred doing my taxes to the professionals. More specifically, I handed it over to those wonderful tax preparation specialist – I won’t name any names, but you only know their names because of the dooms-day April deadline every year.

Since then, every year I simply gather all that is necessary, shovel it over to my professional tax preparing service and…….

….hope for the best.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s not what you would call a very proactive attitude. I for one hate anything and everything that has to do with taxes – even though I’ve been paying them since I was eligible.

So taxes and nurses? Do we nurses have special needs when concerned with qualifying for deductions and maximizing our return?

Heck yeah!

I for one have learned over the past couple years that we as a work force spend A LOT of money for our job. Expenses that go unnoticed. Everything from work-related supplies like scrubs and shoes, to our journal subscriptions  and our memberships to national organizations. Apparently they qualify for a tax deduction.

They are all cost expenses we always forget when divvying up yearly actions. I don’t know about you, but over a year’s time – that money spent can get quite high.

Wouldn’t you like to be reimbursed for all that you spend?

If anything how about making us aware of what qualifies and what doesn’t when it comes to taxes and tax preparation?

Well it seems someone has that very thing.

The first and only online tax preparation service specifically for nurses, TaxReturnsForNurses.com uses a customized approach and recognizes the unique tax needs of these professionals.


clip_image002[4]

New Online Tax Preparation Service – www.TaxReturnsForNurses.com – Fills Need for Customized Tax Return Preparation among Nursing Community

www.TaxReturnsForNurses.com is First and Only Service Designed for Unique Needs of Nurses, Helps Nurses Get the Highest Return they Deserve

Nurses throughout the United States now have the opportunity to file their personal tax return online through www.TaxReturnsForNurses.com. This is the first and only online tax preparation resource developed to meet the unique needs of nurses.  Most tax preparation services use a “one-size-fits-all” approach; however this approach does not always address a nurse’s specific tax issues.

Through a customized approach to tax return preparation, www.TaxReturnsForNurses.com helps nurses get the largest tax refund they are eligible for.   The service considers potential tax deductible expenses associated with nursing, such as mandated dues, continuing education fees and uniform.

Costs will be $14.95 to complete a state tax return and will range from $14.95 – $49.95 for federal filing.

The service management team has significant experience in the tax preparation, and financial and consumer products industries.  www.TaxReturnsForNurses.com utilizes world-class software, featuring a calculation engine supported by CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business, a tax business leader since the inception of the federal income tax in 1913.


I was contacted by a representative for this new service in hopes of passing on the word. It definitely has sparked my interest.

I for one don’t want to abuse or manipulate the tax system, but if I can maximize my deductions and increase my tax return – heck I’m game!

Check it out folks. Tell me what you think?

Posted in health | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

The Crazy Things On Twitter

Posted by Sean on January 24, 2010

So Twitter can be fun, but the mass-following of people by automation still slays me sometimes.

I got a request to follow this Twitter user:

hairloss 

Hair Loss Advice (HairSite) on Twitter

Hmm.

Lets see. You want me to follow you why? Because you think I’m losing my hair and you have a solution to my hair-loss??

Uhh – I shave my head. I shave my head ON PURPOSE. I don’t want hair on my head.

You just gotta luv the crazy things on Twitter.

Hee hee.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , | 7 Comments »

Change of Shift | CoS

Posted by Sean on January 24, 2010

CoS 

The latest installment of Change of Shift is up over at Emergiblog.

There are a lot of great submissions as always. Be sure to check out the latest edition of our beloved blog carnival.

Yep, I am realllly slacking with submissions.

As always a BIG THANK YOU to Kim over at Emergiblog for getting the CoS party started, and keeping the fire going!

Carpe Diem

Posted in health | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

It's Been A While

Posted by Sean on January 20, 2010

I haven’t seen our dear ole’ ‘Fail Whale’ in quite some time.

First thing in the morning… LOVE IT.

I haven’t seen our dear ole’ ‘Fail Whale’ in quite some time.

First thing in the morning… LOVE IT.

Posted in random | 1 Comment »

Project 365 – FAIL

Posted by Sean on January 19, 2010

If you haven’t noticed my lil’ project :2010 – Project 365 FAILED. I failed to keep up with it as of the weekend. It lasted 2 weeks. Crying

I thought about starting over.. but I’m willing to bet I won’t keep up with it. It’s just too hard to take a picture everyday and blog about it – yes that’s sad. It’s just my schedule is not what you would call ‘regular’ or ‘consistent’. I work shifts, which vary by time and day. I’m also in school – which is an animal all by itself.

In the end, I could restart the ‘Picture-a-day’ project, but sooner or later a day without taking a picture would get away from me. Then I’d be right back where I started. Heh heh.

Ahh well. It was a nice pipe dream.

Posted in random | 1 Comment »

Weight Loss In A Pill – BE CAREFUL

Posted by Sean on January 19, 2010

It seems there is no limit to the almighty dollar these days. Anything to make a buck – even if it means selling a fake product. As if FAKE was not enough, the ‘fake’ replacement product can be hazardous to some populations!

The over the counter weight loss product Alli is being subjected to a harmful scam. Buyers beware!

The FDA has cracked down on the case, be sure to visit the link below and visit the FDA’s information!

Disturbing.

FDA Warns of Fake OTC Weight-Loss Drug -from MedPage Today

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Night Night project 365 Day 15

Posted by Sean on January 15, 2010

Almost forgot to take a picture. Goin to bed now
Sent from my Verizon BlackBerry Storm2

Posted in random | Leave a Comment »

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.