Whackinthehead's Weblog

Medical Malpractice

whackinthehead — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:57:44 +0000

There’s not much to say about medical malpractice. The facts you will read talk for themselves, so I’ll just list them here.

Here are some quick facts:

A recent study by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that as many as 98,000 patients may be killed each year in hospitals alone as a result of medical errors.

Harvard researchers found that 1% of a representative sample of patients treated in New York state hospitals in 1984 were injured, and one-quarter of those died, because of medical negligence.

Sexual abuse of or sexual misconduct with a patient is also a serious issue. Six to ten percent of psychiatrists surveyed confessed to having engaged in sexual contact with a patient and in a longitudinal study.

Between 44,000 and 98,000 people die in hospitals annually each year due to preventable medical errors, the Institute of Medicine found.

Read more here

Medical malpractice actions have been significantly affected by “tort reform.” Malpractice cases are very expensive to litigate, and your recovery of damages may be limited by statute.

If the patient is not harmed by the physician’s error, the patient cannot recover damages as the result of the error. For example, if a doctor misdiagnoses stomach pain as caused by appendicitis, and surgery discloses that it resulted from a perforated ulcer, if the patient would have required the surgery to repair the ulcer the patient will probably be unable to bring a lawsuit – the surgery was necessary even with the correct diagnosis.

Read more here

If you were a victim of medical malpractice, you can find some legal information about the laws in your state.

Medical Malpractice Law – A State-By-State Overview

What About Table Manners?

whackinthehead — Thu, 22 May 2008 11:15:50 +0000

Why are table manners important? Because it’s one of the things that separates us from animals. OK. I admit that some table manners are exaggerated, it’s not like you have to do everything as it’s written but there’s a limit.

Here are some basic table manners:

It is inappropriate to ask for a doggy bag when you are a guest. Save the doggy bag for informal dining situations.

It is best to order foods that can be eaten with a knife and fork. Finger foods can be messy and are best left for informal dining.

Do not order alcoholic beverages. Drinking too much when dining out is one of the most disliked behaviors.

Do not smoke while dining out.

Soy And Skin Problems – Fact Or Fiction?

whackinthehead — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:02:01 +0000

Is soy healthy or not?

There are a few interesting articles on this topic, but for now I’ll only write about the effects soy has on your skin. To be totally fair, we have to look at the problem from both sides.

Here are some interesting articles:

Many people may experience a soy reaction when they first start eating soy foods and as a result sometimes acne or skin rashes may occur. This is a natural reaction in people’s bodies and must not be confused with soy actually causing acne; just the contrary.

Read more

In a year’s time I did lose 40 pounds with these diets and exercise and felt I was on the road to good health. Not so, for I began to substitute soy protein in the form of tofu, soy milk, soy powder, soy “nutrition” bars, tempeh, soy burgers, soy sausage and so on. For three years I foolishly ate more and more soy products, thinking I was doing something good for myself, convinced by not only the media hype about soy but with my doctor’s blessing. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia along with my autoimmune thyroid disease.

Read more

Soy consumption may support healthier-looking skin, hair and nails by supplying high-quality protein and antioxidants needed for building and maintaining the appearance of such tissues.1-4 Multiple studies demonstrate a “diversity” of soy antioxidant properties.3 And many Revival customers have reported better connective tissue support after months of daily use.

Read more

Brain Facts – Difference Between The Male And The Female Brain

whackinthehead — Mon, 19 May 2008 12:01:41 +0000

Some say that men are thinking with ‘ two brains’ but this post is not based on that ‘theory’. It has been scientifically proven that there are differences between the male and female brains.

New research shows that men and women use different parts of their brains while they perform the same tasks.

Read more here

A good place to look for answers is WikiAnswers. Here’s the answer to the following question:

Is a woman’s brain different from a man’s brain?

You can also read some funny facts here about the differences between men and women. (BBC News)

20 Funny Laws We Should Be Proud Of

whackinthehead — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:50:19 +0000

In some states there are laws that are so old that we can actually have a good time reading them. In most of the cases these laws are funny, in other cases, they’re just ridiculous.

Here are a few examples:

Alabama:

It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
You cannot chain your alligator to a fire hydrant

Alaska:

Kangaroos are not allowed in barber shops at any time.
It is an offence to push a live moose out of a moving aeroplane.

Arkansas:

It is illegal to mispronounce Arkansas while in Arkansas (I sure wonder how much it costs you to mispronounce…:) )

Connecticut:

You are not allowed to walk across a street on your hands. Really?

Florida:

A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.
In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal

Georgia:

This one’s the best of all: It is illegal to tie a giraffe to a lamp post.
In Peachtree City, it is illegal to be homeless.

Illinois:

It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animal kept as pets. Wow
It is illegal to eat in a restaurant if it is on fire.

And there are more…these are just a few taken from this site.

You can find others here, here and here ( on the last site just press the ‘‘ button to read the next law)

Vinegar Can Save Your Life!

whackinthehead — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:47:22 +0000

I admit that it sound kind of exaggerating but in some cases it’s true. Especially if you live close to a beach or if you travel a lot to places where you can encounter jellyfish. In most of the case the sting of the jellyfish is harmless (you won’t die) but there are some extreme cases when your life might be in danger.

When the box jellyfish stings , it does not release all of it,s venom at once. However the venom will continue to be discharged even if the tentacles have been broken off from the jellyfish.

But, according to the report in New Scientist, July 10, 1993, if 2 liters of vinegar are applied over the skin for over 30 seconds, the discharge of the venom will cease. So, if the person can receive this treatment quick enough, it may prevent the victim from receiving a fatal dose of the box jellyfish venom.

Read the rest of the article here

Or other related articles here and here

Fruit Doesn’t Make You Fat

whackinthehead — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:09:34 +0000

This article is mostly for people who have obesity problems. Some would say that too much fruit juice can cause obesity…this is not true. If you have difficulties leaving food aside, the best thing is to eat fruits. Why? Because fruits not only have positive effects on your health, fruits are good for your figure too.

In case you’re having doubts believing what I say, here are some articles worth reading:)

Will Too Much Fruit Juice Make You Fat?

Fat Burning Fruit …..

Fruit and Fat Loss

Does Fruit Make You Fat?

Fruit Will NOT Make You Fat!

10 Sites About The Medical Effects Of Alcohol

whackinthehead — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:09:24 +0000

Both the long term and the short term effects of alcohol are dangerous and worth studying because more and more people don’t have the necessary knowledge to see how bad this substance can be.

Here are a few sites on this topic. Chose which one you like the most, but the best would be to read all the content on these sites:

greater dallas council on alcohol & drug abuse

Alcoholism is a disease — a chronic, progressive, fatal disease if not treated.

What this site is about:

Short Term Effects

Long Term Effects

Federal Classification

Additional Online Resources

Another very good site is potsdam.edu which has a long ‘Fact Or Fiction’ list with very interesting information for those who want to learn some quick facts. All the facts are short and to the pont with enough explanation.

Tips for Teens: The Truth About Alcohol

Some facts:

Alcohol affects your brain
Alcohol affects your body
Alcohol affects your self-control
Alcohol can kill you
Alcohol can hurt you–even if you’re not the one drinking

My opinion is that this site is a bit exaggerated but some good facts can be found here too.

Some Interesting Random Facts About The Planet We Live On

whackinthehead — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:14:39 +0000

I came across these facts on this site and I had to share. Here are some very interesting facts about the Earth.

The name Earth originates from the 8th century Anglo-Saxon word erda, which means ground or soil. In Old English the word became eorthe, then erthe in Middle English. Earth was first used as the name of the sphere of the Earth around 1400. It is the only planet whose name in English is not derived from Greco-Roman mythology.

Ozone layer together with Earth’s magnetic field, blocks harmful radiation, permitting life on land.

Outgassing and volcanic activity produced the primordial atmosphere of the Earth.

The highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago, and half a billion years later, the last common ancestor of all life existed.

Earth was first photographed from space by Explorer 6 in 1959.

The Earth is the densest major body in our solar system.

Here you can find more interesting facts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Top Ten Chuck Norris Facts Presented By Who Else Then Chuck Norris Himself

whackinthehead — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:09:34 +0000

Everyone knows about Chuck Norris facts (THIS is a very good site for those of you who haven’t read these facts) but we never knew what he actually thinks about these facts…well, here’s our chance to find out because there’s a video, on youtube.com of course, that shows Chuck reading the top ten Chuck Norris facts.

Here’s the video: