It's becoming more of a cliche on the island when the local police department has been actively campaigning for a "Don't Drink and Drive" in the CNMI.
Yes. You should take this seriously now.
Why? Because, the buzz around town is that physicians at the Commonwealth Health Center have been telling people that they should avoid driving when they are intoxicated from now on.
Again, why? Because there are no doctors left on the island to treat victims of road mishaps or tragic accidents.
T'all boils down to lacking of staff due to several reasons that concerned healthcare professional "John Livingston" wrote and sent to the papers recently, entitled "What ails our CHC?"
So, the doctors say if you can prevent and at least not to drink way too much, that'd be good for you. If you're too drunk, let somebody drive for you.
The Reveler
184 comments:
(noni) It's called population control... "culling the herd" if you will. We are too overprotective. The world is already overpopulated... we don't need to be throwing up too many counters to the process of natural selection. The stupid die so that the smart and strong can live on to propogate the species... to many stupid ones put the species at risk.
So I say... drink on, be merry and then drive if you think you'll be okay.
...great one noni. and what about when your kid gets run over by a drunk driver while jogging the beach path?
if you're jogging on the path at 2:15am...you are one of the ones who need "weeding out" :)
(noni)...Let's talk about a more life-threating CHC issue... that is the upfront payment CHC is requiring. While this may seem reasonable, on two occasions I've witnessed CHC personnel explaining to non-resident workers the fact that they need to pay upfront. In one case the woman looked like she was a factory worker, in the second it was a Filipino man bringing in his teenage son. On both occasions the individuals left without seeking any medical attention. Just imagine yourself in the place of that factory worker or even in the place of any non-resident worker who is turned away and then has to go and get their employer to front them money for care... any reasonable person here would know that this just ain't happening. The accounting department at whatever factory is not doling out money for the upfront payments needed to cover ill workers who go to CHC.
Posted at CHC are notices instructing folks to approach their employers for the upfront payment. This is Ludicrous!
Do you know how many people are not seeking necessary or preventative medical care because of this? Alot.
Instead of beefing up collections... all they do is keep sick people from getting needed care.
Now this is a travesty, and one that noone in the community has seemed to want to discuss.
half-assed? the point is people are not receiving needed medical care. and yes... if they collected on the bills, they'd be doing alot better financially. do you know how much CHC is owed? i'm not going to quote a figure as I can't recall exactly...but it is a very significant amount.
and the reality is... as if you haven't resided here or something...is that the chances a local resident can pay up front are FAR FAR greater than that of a factory worker. if you want to argue otherwise...you're in lala land.
...and with regard to the dui accidents... use some common sense. how many accidents do you come across on a saturday or sunday morning as compared to 3:00pm on a wednesday? alot more. so now utilizing that common sense will tell you that most dui accidents happen in the late or wee hours. doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.
p.s.- i'm not advocating "drinking drunk"...whatever that means.
...does not knowing my name negate the discussion? i think not.
CH! ?
...are you really a principal?
I dont think anyone should be refused emergency care, regardless of who you are or what nationality you may be and regardless of if you can afford it or not...its just not right! I recently had an experience where I was sent to CHC from another clinic for an emergency Ultra-sound, I was told to proceed IMMEDIATELY to CHC's ultrasound area and my doctor even called ahead of time to make sure they could take me right away..it was that urgent...infact, i was in a situation that could have possibly killed me...When I arrived at CHC I went straight to the window at ultrasound only to be told by the lady there, that I would have to go make my co-payment at the cashiers window first before I could be seen...WTF? I was sent there for an emergency..i need an ultrasound right away..I wasn't even suppose to be standing up and moving, let alone stand in a long line waiting to make a co-payment!??!! But I had no choice...they refused to do anything till I made my co-payment...so I stood in line, made my payment and then went back for my ultrasound..all the time thinking what would happen if I had rushed out without my purse or wallet seeing that I was having an emergency situation??? Or what if I had to rush one of my kids to the hospital and for some reason didn't have the $5 copayment on me??? It's absolutely scary!
Anyway, on a ligher note..boy am I glad im not "anonymous" anymore..he he
(noni)- that's exactly what i mean... how f#kn stupid is that?
i make a fair salary, but with a family of six there are many times that i don't have $20 in my pocket.
it's stupid, it's dumb and it's wrong. but wait...half-assed will be back on later to update. and i sincerely apologize for bringing the issue up anonymously. i know that because i did do this anonymously, it carries no weight. (i was enlightened by half-as...i mean "boni")
...and please don't take credit for my posts ms. tamara... i am the noni
" Anonymous said...
...and with regard to the dui accidents... use some common sense. how many accidents do you come across on a saturday or sunday morning as compared to 3:00pm on a wednesday? alot more. so now utilizing that common sense will tell you that most dui accidents happen in the late or wee hours. doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out."
guess how many sober drivers are out after the super bowl. what time is that locally?
how many people work the graveyard shift and drink in the mornings?
how many alcoholics are "functionally" drunk all day?
people drive drunk at all hours of the day. make light of the issue if you like, but you're being a clown if you wish to blame accidents on the victims, regardless of the hour.
"So I say... drink on, be merry and then drive if you think you'll be okay."
the crux of my argument revolves around this statement. when you "think you'll be okay" you're not just putting your own personal safety at risk.
i could've easily replaced "...great one noni. and what about when your kid gets run over by a drunk driver while jogging the beach path?" with:
...great one noni. and what about when your kid gets run over by a drunk driver while:
--walking back to the car in the parking lot?"
--running from the barbecue to the car at American Memorial Park?"
--crossing the street from kristo rai church to Jollibee after mass?"
--crossing the street from mhs to the kilili beach during lunch at school?"
it could be at any time day or night.
hell, some guy could veer off the road and crash into your house.
anyway, as for what's going on at chc...
what an effin joke of a system. Ridiculous policies like that are why everyone's leaving the hospital.
billing is usually handled after the procedures are carried out. my guess is that too many people haven't been paying and the chc is forced to break out some drastic measures.
on that note, isn't it against the hippocratic oath that doctors take to not treat people in need of care?
read below:
"To consider dear to me as my parents him who taught me this art; to live in common with him and if necessary to share my goods with him; to look upon his children as my own brothers, to teach them this art if they so desire without fee or written promise; to impart to my sons and the sons of the master who taught me and the disciples who have enrolled themselves and have agreed to the rules of the profession, but to these alone the precepts and the instruction. I will prescribe regimen for the good of my patients according to my ability and my judgement and never do harm to anyone. To please no one will I prescribe a deadly drug nor give advice which may cause his death. Nor will I give a woman a pessary to procure abortion. But I will preserve the purity of my life and my art. I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners, specialists in this art. In every house where I come I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction and especially from the pleasures of love with women or with men, be they free or slaves. All that may come to my knowledge in the exercise of my profession or in daily commerce with men, which ought not to be spread abroad, I will keep secret and will never reveal. If I keep this oath faithfully, may I enjoy my life and practice my art, respected by all men and in all times; but if I swerve from it or violate it, may the reverse be my lot."
well, i guess you could read into it that way. i'd like to think so. anyway, on with the haves v. have nots...
local workers are paid less than their counterparts in the factories because the factories are paying for the off-island workers' medical coverage, food and housing.
local workers have to pay for their own housing, food and health coverage. i know because i am one (but not one working at a factory).
using that standard, it's pretty non-lala land that the medical payments are an easier obstacle to overcome for the contract workers. the same cannot be said for the illegals though. they're in the same boat or in worse shape than the locals.
that's not to say that the wealthy locals are worse off. those with cash can receive care without fail.
an apples to apples comparison is clearly in favor of the guest workers when it comes to having the means to obtain treatment at the hospital. it's not something a majority of them have to save up for because they already have it written into their contracts.
i am sure that some don't, but my experience with my coworkers was that all of them had free health care.
omg... #1-the reality is ms. half as#...a much larger percentage of local residents are in a financial position more condusive to paying that upfront payment. if you don't think this is the case...you are in lala land... or another planet.
#2- we're talking any given day sand...not "superbowl sunday".
give me a break. quit sticking up for stupidity.
I know the conversation hasn't gone this way yet, but the CNMI is very lucky to have a government run hospital. In 24 years in the mainland, I never went to a single government run clinic, hospital, or whatever. I always went to a private practice.
There is nothing that says the CNMI has to have a hospital.
oh wow. what a discussion! getting back from work and reading all these, whew.
noni, please be gentle, i implore you. ;-) what matters is to get your thoughts through, right?
i am special... and i love the sandbox :) okay rev... you know I'm just trying to "blow up" your site:) told you i'd make it the most reviewed and commented on... well, i continue to work.
...and just for the record... i was on the up and up until ms. borego, aka boni, used some inflamatory language (i.e.-my "half-assed" ideas).
just throwin' it back at her.
it's funny how a fair number of commentors here don't seem to realize that non-resident workers are not paid nearly as much as the "average" (that's for you sand) local/stateside worker, the average non-resident worker isn't granted the same respect or have the same latitude as the "average" local/stateside worker, and the average non-resident worker doesn't enjoy nearly all of the protections that the "average" (for you again sand) local/stateside/us citizen worker enjoys. how can you have lived here for any amount of time and not see it? so when ms. boni suggests we are all in the same boat when it comes to upfront payments and sand goes on with how he doesn't get housing and gets the same low wage... it gets under my skin. She is very wrong... and he obviously isn't the "average" stateside/local/us citizen employee here.
thanks rev... your site makes my day. :)especially when it is active.
...and by the way... how many of you read that story on the stripper from the US who worked for that club for two years and wasn't allowed to leave her residence, wasn't allowed to go to church and wasn't paid overtime for all those hours she was kept in after her job was over?
...you didn't because the likelihood of such a thing happening to a local/us citizen/statesider is nil, nada, none.
...there was also that story about the 300 workers from illinois that were brought here to work at a factory, their employer took off and left them all stranded, unpaid for 6 months and without any means to return to illinois...
...oops! that one didn't happen either.
oh gimme a break... you called my innocent comment about CHC needing to improve their collections, rather than force folks to pay up front "half assed"... i didn't belittle you or make any disparaging remarks about you or your opinions before that...
i didn't address you... i made a broad comment... you decided to unpolitely disparage that comment... so grow up and take a little of what you dish out.
as much as an honor it would be for you to consider yourself "used" by me... i actually haven't extended you that honor.
... and as much as you don't want to believe the "culling of the herd" statement... it is a fact... it is the natural order of things. sad... maybe, but true it is.
...and you noticed i didn't say "Chamorro"... i used local/stateside/us citizen.
This is insane. You both agree that our health-care system has some serious problems and yet you are at each others throats.
Now you did take the first swing Boni, and gave an arguably insincere apology. But you Anony came down pretty hard, I would say somewhat harsh as well.
Now why don't you two make up and have a civil conversation about points you both agree on.
One love.
Another round for Boni and Nony, it's my treat...
cheers!!
as in a boxing round or round of drinks?:)
with regards to starfish... i made a civil comment, two in fact... and had one disparaged in a rude manner. i never say or do anything i may feel i have to apologize for later.
as in a boxing round or round of drinks?:)
with regards to starfish... i made a civil comment, two in fact... and had one disparaged in a rude manner. i never say or do anything i may feel i have to apologize for later.
...and with regards to boni, borego, hope, half...
i will make sure when i am in a conversation from now on, or when someone says something i don't wholly agree with, to use the following terms to disagree with their positions:
1) half assed (e.g.- "your rezoning plan is half assed")
2) dumb
3) stupid
4) idiotic
5) moronic
6) bean headed
7) retarded
8) fu#ked up
... don't you teach your kids not to belittle peoples ideas with terms such as these?
...stop trying to dig yourself out of your own hole.
“it's funny how a fair number of commentors here don't seem to realize that non-resident workers are not paid nearly as much as the "average" (that's for you sand) local/stateside worker, the average non-resident worker isn't granted the same respect or have the same latitude as the "average" local/stateside worker, and the average non-resident worker doesn't enjoy nearly all of the protections that the "average" (for you again sand) local/stateside/us citizen worker enjoys.”
so what exactly is the amount of money that the “average local/stateside worker” makes? any figures on that? since you’re dealing in generalities, maybe you can whip up some sort of a ballpark figure.
i can tell you that a dollar for dollar comparison that two folks (one being a contract worker and the other being a local) doing the same job for the same company aren’t being compensated equally.
when both people receive the same paycheck but only one of them has to provide housing, meals and health care coverage for himself, then it’s clearly an injustice. that’s the case for local workers.
that goes for reporters, bush cutters, garment workers, gas station attendants, waitresses, mechanics, and more.
so how is it easier for a contract worker, whose healthcare benefits are paid for by his company as written into his contract, to pay for medical treatment? it isn’t. are you talking about the co-pay? well then it’s still harder for the local guy in the same job at the same company (stay apples to apples on this one) because he has a lot less cash after paying for his housing, meals and medical coverage premiums.
these facts are self-evident and undisputable. of course, if you take someone like a worthless lobbyist and compare him to a hand sewer there’s no comparison at all.
as for “the average non-resident worker” not being granted “the same respect” or having the same latitude as the "average local/stateside worker,” i guess that depends on who is doing the respecting.
either way, that has nothing to do with the benefits packages…
i greatly respect anyone who travels overseas in an effort to find more money to support their family back home. how noble is that? it’s an incredible sacrifice. as far as having “the same latitude as the ‘average’ local/stateside worker,” that’s not because of anything but having a backbone.
when i was with the trib i was the only one who stood up for my coworkers during our meetings with management and human resources, but clearly anyone could have. instead, people sat there quietly at the table only to pat me on the back outside of the meeting.
everyone had the same opportunity to voice their opinions, but for the most part nobody did.
why?
probably because they were afraid of not getting their contracts renewed if they brought attention to themselves. understandable, but not inexcusable. if you let yourself be like dirt people will feel free to walk all over you.
the company could have fired me at any time and would have been completely within their right to because i was an “at will” hire. they didn’t. is that because they respected me more because i am a “local/stateside worker?”
no, it’s because i did my job everyday of the week and stood up for what i believed was wrong with regard to some of our policies. if i wasn’t there our coworker would have been on the receiving end of a 25-percent pay cut and sucked it up like champs—regardless of what their contracts said.
i called management out on their bullshit and it didn’t happen. why? because i called the department of labor and started asking questions about it. oh and i let my employers know i was speaking with labor about it and later presented the company with facts about what they were doing and what wasn’t legal.
because i am a “local/stateside worker” i was actually at a disadvantage because I didn’t have a contract to dispute. all i had was my offer letter. at the trib could have picked up the phone and asked questions of their government sources. did they? nope. it’s not because we’re treated differently, it’s because we simply operate differently.
and for your statement that “the average non-resident worker doesn't enjoy nearly all of the protections that the ‘average’ local/stateside/us citizen worker enjoys,” perhaps you can clarify.
that's a whole different can of worms but , but if the laws were enforced, the contract workers have plenty of advantages in the system. my advice to the contract workers is to organize, learn the laws and take advantage of your knowledge by hammering the people who hold you back.
shit, advocate for yourself. advocate for each other. if not then there’s nothing to complain about. instead they waste too much time arguing about who should be in charge of the organizations and petty in-house issues to get anything accomplished.
what ever happened to “people power?”
“so when ms. boni suggests we are all in the same boat when it comes to upfront payments and sand goes on with how he doesn't get housing and gets the same low wage... it gets under my skin. She is very wrong... and he obviously isn't the ‘average’ stateside/local/us citizen employee here.”
so what about that exactly gets under your skin on this one? she’s not wrong, and no, I’m not “average.” according to this site, http://wwwu.edu.uni-klu.ac.at/amiklaut/dr_nick/answer19.htm, I am above average. thanks for pointing that out.
...you are ignorant sand... i hesitate to even waste anymore time on you.
how many barracks full of statesiders/locals do you see, how many instances of gross employee abuse are perpetrated against locals/statesiders...etc. etc. etc.
take your head out of the sand.
boni, noni and i are not the same person. what made you think it was me? seriously. he's not me so don't accuse me of something i didnt say. u should read between the lines. u more or less know how my style of writing. i guess that's a product of angelo's idea that anonymous comments are from the writers of this blog. well, he's not. period. i apologize for what that caused you. i have my take on this issues and i intend to keep it to my lover and to my friends. please...
like i said people, you don't have to read this blog if you think it's "way too much" to handle. We also respect your blogs for being your personal journals, about how you want others to get to know you personally...
yes. same here. the reason why i posted the drunk driving or should i say "drunk drinking" on our blog. i even got personal emails telling me that what's written here is disgusting and many more. well, in our profession we do put up to such emails, threats, angsts etc but we overcome those everyday. thanks for reading on our blog. These issues are what beleaguering the island right now and at least the hundred(s) of bloggers, i believe, have to know these.
Hold on a minute. I never accused you of being the anonymous commenter. I accused you of writing about me and a certain politician in the hopes of generating comments, many of which said some pretty disgusting things.
Get your accusations of my accusations straight!
"how many barracks full of statesiders/locals do you see, how many instances of gross employee abuse are perpetrated against locals/statesiders...etc. etc. etc."
what does that have to do with people paying their bill at the hospitals?
what's the average compensation for "statesiders/locals?"
no answer = no clue= ignorant.
i am in "the know" because i am living it everyday.
lol. sorry sblogger.
On the topic of the poor having access to medical care:
1. U.S. citizens have an advantage over aliens--they can get Medicaid.
2. Contract workers are supposed to be covered in all medical expenses by their employer. They're obviously not. This is another failure of enforcing laws designed to protect them.
3. Citizens from the freely associated states (FSM, Palau, Marshall Islands) cannot get Medicaid, but can get MIAP. (Perhaps aliens can qualify for this, too? I don't know.) MIAP is a local program designed to help with the cost of medical care.
4. CHC is not supposed to turn away anyone for lack of funds. At least, I think that's the law. It relates to care, not medicine and other similar costs, though.
5. CHC needs much better financial management as to its consumer collection policies. They do need to collect more systematically for their services (with prompt billings). They should stay away from collectors like Reliable Collection Agency, imho. An up-front payment policy for non-emergencies is not a bad policy, but there must be rules and protocols for helping those without funds.
It's a messy situation and needs improvement. But CHC has saved lives and needs our support, too.
Brad Ruszala. Living the dream. Every. Day.
errors on payroll at CHC. WTH? (what the hell?) this was admitted by the Medical Affairs director. Aint that crazy? oh well...
"2. Contract workers are supposed to be covered in all medical expenses by their employer. They're obviously not. This is another failure of enforcing laws designed to protect them."
obviously? to whom? who's complaining about not getting care from the contract worker side? not that i don't doubt that some of the shitty companies screw over their workers. i just haven't heard any overwhelming cry from the off-island community about employers failing to pay their medical bills.
and yet still no figures from generalisimo of generalities...
...and living the dream is the only way to live. it's like "drinking drunk" all the time!
So lets get back to drunk driving. Or at least to accusations tht one might be driving drunk:
While I agree that irresponsible drinking and driving can cause unexpected and sometimes horrendous consequences, I think the whole MADD thing has taken America, and by default, the CNMI in the wrong direction.
The reaction to this problem several years ago has led to a distinct and frightening break from Constitutional protections.
A person can now be stopped on the road with no probable cause whatsoever and have their persons and their property rights violated simply because they were driving at a certain place and a certain time. This precedent can and will be used as time goes on to further intrude on the individual freedoms supposedly held so dear by Americans. Freedoms once lost are not often regained without bloodshed.
A far better solution is to prosecute heavily and attach stringent but appropriate punishments to those who actually cause damage to others or their property.
What we have now is a witch hunt designed to harass and persecute those who have committed no crime at all. Crime categories have been invented to generate huge confiscatory and cash windfalls in the US, and to a lesser extent thankfully, here. All based on a crime that a person MIGHT have committed if he had not been stopped and harassed thusly.
How far down this slope to totalitarian slavery are we willing to go? "But officer I wasn't going to actually catch that fish out of season, I just wrote about it." "Sorry son, we'll have to take you in for thought crimes against the State". "I'm just doing my job". (I believe that last is a quote from Herman Goering).
cheers! clink clink.
you're right on bruce...
...and as far as half goes... won't return any of her comments (she seems to enjoy throwing feces...but not catching it)
...as far as sand goes... you are hopelessly lost in your own little world, clouded by eurocentric thought processes, unable or unwilling to step out of your own obviously inexperienced shoes.
but on a positive note... you roll with the punches you throw... i like that:) kudos!
...and to rev... BIBA! Your blog stimulates me... oooooooooh! (maybe that was a little more than just mere stimulation)
hush hush noni. i guess, stimulation is an overrated word for you noni. hmm...i still do thank you for your comments....
...i'm not european and you still didn't give me any numbers to back up your argument.
my perspective is that of a local guy living on the mean streets of sah-ee-pan ;)
on a positive note, at least your conversation is plenty pika.
btw, i'm having a party at my place tomorrow evening and you're all invited. see my blog for details.
http://www.beachboyinparadise.blogspot.com/
57 comments????
DRINKING and DRIVING is just stupid. Especially because it is dangerous to sober drivers or pedestrians on or around the roadways. I propose legislation that would require every car to be equipped by a breathalizer behind the wheel.
At .05 BAC (blood alcohol content) the vehicle automatically engages its hazard lights in a specific flashing pattern to alert others to a DUI candidate while driving.
At .08 BAC the vehicle automatically beeps its horn intermittently every 20 seconds upon ignition while driving.
At .12 BAC the vehicle gas line disengages after 500 feet prompting the car to come to a crawl.
At .15 BAC the airbags deploy upon ignition.
At .20 BAC the vehicle violently implodes upon ignition.
I actually don't know anything about BAC and physiological effects but so those numbers could fluctuate.
Japan just launched a car with a breathalizer technology, but in the CNMI? hmm...
You guys give me a great idea for a carnival ride.
We set up a bumper car ride with breathalizer technology; it won't go until you register a .8. It goes 20% faster if you can muster a 1.0 and has optional sideways steering past 1.2. Drinks could be served at the ticket booth.
Those of legal drinking age could indulge themselves and bash around harmlessly with the sparky metal thing zinging ozone into the air on contact with the metal roof.
Sounds fun Bruce. Only if this ride was on a closed course right?
breathalizers courtesy of Porky's Bar. now that's a plus from the bar.
Yep, Dominic, bumper cars are contained in a closed area.
Me too, Boni.
We could have all the fuun we wanted then we could get our designated driver to take us home....in the Chicken Bus!!!
Yeah Rev, our motto could be "If you don't blow, you can't go!"
All right, no corny jokes.
speaking of "drinking drunk" which do you prefer breathalizer or the dui "dummy dumb-dumb" dance test? Do we have a choice here? Can we actually tell the local police, "i pweferrr zhe vreathlizzher, offisherrr (hiccup)"
You can refuse the 'dance' test aka roadside sobriety test and should do so by all means. It is designed for only one purpose...to convict you whether you are drunk or not.
You can refuse the breathalyzer too but that is a separate offence.
Best bet; force them to take you to get a blood test and a back up as well. The breath test is often uncalibrated and wrong.
I sat on two juries and watched the slam-dunk prosecutors use to try to convict. I learned the above lessons from those trials. I also watched as the defense atty forced the arresting officer to perform the same roadside test in front of the jury...he failed like a big dog. We acquitted.
(noni) yeah, the automatic auto breathalizer test is a great idea! next thing you know you'll have to give a hair sample every morning upon arrival at work.
this type of crap (autobreathalyzers, adult seatbelt laws, helmets) is invasive and unamerican... their will come a time when we'll all be forced to around in full-bodied padded safety suits, living michelin-men if you will. Our kids will no longer no the freedom of riding a bike without shin guards, knee pads, elbow pads, chest guard, helmet, safety gloves and regulation biking shoes...
and that brings us back to the topic.
(noni)... sorry that is "know"...not "no"
question: how about when you're intoxicated and accidentally run over people and kill them, is that unamerican?
:)if you're intoxicated... it isn't an accident. you made a bad decision and you are prosecuted for it. that is or should be the american way. you don't legislate every behavior... you punish bad behavior.
If Noni rides with Boni on a horse in the shade would it be a Boni Noni pony awning?
lol!
please half...stop now... don't come provoking me and then run cryin' to rev afterwards... please?
as much as i wanna respond... i am going to take the higher ground and not.
let's all "drink drunk" and be merry eh?
you never take the high road because you launch unsubstantiated attacks from the bushes of noni-land.
no matter what you say, it's all your opinion and that's fine. you just cannot simply back it up with facts.
anonymous mudslingers can never take the high road because that means you'd have to move out of the shadows and expose yourself.
and not in the trench coat way of exposition either.
while you're making nice now, your argument still lacks merit until you add a little meat to it.
it's like the folks at the paper who never write the whole story, just the part that gets faxed into them.
no sand... i simply don't have the time to waste to go gather facts for you...
my argument is my argument and you can make of it anything you will...
really doesn't matter to me.
...and with regards to "whole stories"... you comment alot on the CNMI with very little information or experience with regards to the "whole story". in fact you know relatively little about the story. as i suggested before, you should speak to more people who have lived the story... not the fish who've been swimming in the pond for only a few springs.
...a good "scrap" is always fun half...but not when you send your sparring partner running home crying. that is not my intention.
i don't "duel" with an unarmed individual... and you seem wholly "unarmed". (and frazzled i might add).
i'd suggest a spa...not a debate.
you don't have the time to gather the facts? well, that's not saying an awful lot for you, sweetheart.
your argument is your argument? well, then you haven't got one in the first place.
you're just argumentative.
“it's funny how a fair number of commentors here don't seem to realize that non-resident workers are not paid nearly as much as the ’average’ (that's for you sand) local/stateside worker…’
if you are so sure of this "fact" and it’s so well know to everyone, perhaps you can provide something that backs this up. think of it as an education process. if you bust out the numbers and i’m wrong, then i'll gladly admit it.
who knows, you might find out that you are wrong. you could have an epiphany and realize that you don’t know everything.
instead you’re stating this as a matter of fact and expecting the readers to believe that a nameless individual is the be all and end all of labor figures.
hey, maybe you are, but i doubt it. if you don’t have time to verify the facts you obviously don’t care enough about the subject or about how you look when you’re proved wrong.
and why would any self-respecting person throw out baseless claims? they wouldn’t. that’s reserved for anonymous posters who never have to answer for their words.
do you expect to be taken seriously? nope, i doubt it. you just want to stir the pot. that’s cool. but it’s eff’d up that you try to get on a high horse and preach from the saddle while we, the responsible members of the community, voice our opinions openly in an effort to better our home.
funny thing is that we probably have the same goals.
let me ask you this: who’s braver - the guy who stood in front of the tank in tianamen square or the snipers who pick off enemy troops from a mile away? while the latter is more skilled, he’s packing up an heading out of dodge before the shot reaches the target. that guy in china stood unarmed in front of a tank letting all of communist china see his identity because he believed in his cause.
you're a sniper, but you lack the skills. why not reload with some facts the next time before you recklessly fire away.
either way, the guy in china and a sniper could easily be on the same side.
i don't claim to be either one, but i'm not moving in shadows lobbing insults from behind a cloak of deception.
...and any comment i make on the cnmi that I try to push as a fact is researched. while i've only lived here for about five years, all of my comments are based in what's been published, personal interviews and my understanding of things--and i preface my opinions as such.
it's not that i'm saying that i'm always right, because nobody's perfect.
you smack on me for not being here and talking to enough people. how ridiculous is that? i worked as a reporter for three and a half years. i hung out with lawyers, bush cutters, doctors, mechanics, government officials, security guards, ceo’s, taxi drivers, police chiefs, firemen, olympians and gas station attendants.
you're right. i am hardly the average “local/stateside worker” because i have moved through the community and call people from all walks of life my friends. they’ve told me plenty about the cnmi. sure, i'll never be able to say that i was born and raised here, but i’ve picked up a few tips along the way.
one of the most interesting things i've heard out here was about four years ago when i gave a drunk guy, whom i've previously never met, a ride home from the cowtown raceway following the annual motocross championships.
as we cruised down middle road (appropriate for this blog) he said that the roads on saipan used to be much narrower and that the cars passed much closer to each other than they do today.
he continued saying that the people of saipan used to be much closer as well, with everyone more or less know each other in every village. as time passed, he became saddened to see that people began to move farther apart from each other in much the same way as the roads.
i've spoken to many people about many things. i'm not an expert on anything and that’s why i respect the readers’ intelligence by supporting my claims with facts.
and you? you called out boni's intelligence. what a joke. one of the brightest and most creative people out here who makes ges run smoothly on a shoestring budget has to be brilliant.
what are your accomplishments?
maybe you’re the drunk guy i gave a ride home years ago. unfortunately, i doubt it. he was by far deeper and more willing to help me understand the cnmi rather than throw my inexperience in my face to shame me out of here.
Brad, please don't feed the trolls.
I would recommend not commenting on anonymous comments. Take anonymous comments off of your blog.
This argument has slipped into the ridiculous.
it has... half decided to try to "provoke" me...again. i took the high-road and didn't take the bait, then sand chimed in. give me a flippin' break...
whiners...
you're right sblogger... don't comment on anonymous comments.
...and with regard to the inclusion of "facts" you've researched in your incredibly lengthy and nearly unreadable (zzzzz) comments... your facts always seem to be incomplete, lacking and selective (of course in favor of making your point).
...and as i stated...i've neither the time nor motivation to post a humpload of facts, let alone read word for word your novel-like comments.
...i guess that's what i get for taking the "high-road" this time... an attack from sandinbrad. another medal to pin on :)
not an attack, a rebuttal.
and name an incomplete fact i've presented. puhleese! again, you won't because you can't.
btw, backing out of a discussion because you've lost the interest is not the high road.
hope this one isn't too long for you.
we will take any comments here. it's not our problem anymore, if you don't like anonymous comments...
brad, great comments btw.
nope...that one was just about right...pithy if you will.
and i won't name one fact because i am just too plain lazy to go back and weed through your overly-lengthy comments. but as recollection serves me... just about all of them were lacking and selective.
i know how you hate responding to "anonymous" comments, so it suprises me how aggresive you are now in your efforts to get me to respond to you.
if you keep your comments of some reasonable length, like your last one... your chances of getting a response from me will greatly improve.
but alas... mr. sandman calls (sleep not brad). so i bid thee goodnight...
You think noni is Tina? hmm...hate this guessing game. ;-)
(noni) i would not want to do tina such a diservice. i am pretty sure tina has better things to do than post as a nony here.
i post because i have an opinion, i post because i see wrongs, i post because i see the need to correct some of the comments posted here, i post because i am "noni" :)
...and i post because i love the forum. it is a great tool for debate, discussion, argument, bickering...etc.
(alright...maybe i post because i also like to get a rise outta sand)
Let's get back to the topic. Not enough doctors - don't drive drunk. That was it right?
A remedy to this would be the reprogramming of 25% of the PSS budget to CHC.
We can live with 45 kids in a classroom, but not without the surgeon.
Let's discuss...
and you have a point there, actually....
Scrap the surgeon and thin the herd.
Instead, drop the department of betelnut chewing while avoiding all work. DOBCWAAW
How can you suggest cutting PSS when we are paying lobbyists $30,000 plus expensese every single month?
(noni)...that "scrap the surgeon and thin the herd" comment was not from me. "thinning the herd" doesn't mean indiscriminate death or not providing basic medical care. in fact, if you advocate not providing medical care you should be included in the "thinning".
with regard to the lobbyists... i agree...it's too late for lobbyists. so i'll revise my suggestion... 25% out of the PSS budget and 100% of any lobbyist funds. How about that?
(sblogger) and you have a great point there too. why do we pay lobbyists more money or publicists for that matter when you're children are in need of quality education, right?
(noni) Those teachers just probably show up drunk anyway. Maybe that herd needs to be thinned. Make it 50, it doesn't matter, they're drunk anyway.
wow...so now i'm "ridiculous and ignorant" (and half-assed). keep going principal.
...there are alot of "hardworking" people out there making ends meet with very little. we're all in the sinking boat together... it is PSS that is starting to get under peoples skin for their ignorance (and whining. but we see that might be endemic to the system).
we all want our kids to have the best education. but when there aren't the resources, there aren't the resources. pss will be incredibly worse off should this place become a total economic basketcase.
pss is in an enviable position as everyone treats them with kid gloves. noone wants to hurt the kids after all. but pss should not be the only entity that doesn't suffer. the suffering should be spread around.
besides, all this talk about 19 to 24 kids in a classroom is questionable. the highest quality doctors, engineers and technicians today are being produced in india, the philippines, malaysia, etc. and they have relatively little compared to cnmi and stateside schools. what has the US been producing the last couple of decades... not a whole lot.
p.s.-now don't go cryin' to rev again...okay?
(noni)...just wanted to be the 100th poster!!!!!!! :)
oh calm down now folks.
regarding PSS, the education system in the CNMI has been doing its best to be as enduring with limited resources. the CNMI is just following a federal standards to keep up with its increasing reliance to federal grants. much as it wants to be more resourceful on student teacher ratio, the officials just feel that it's not right and very unAmerican.
we know that the CNMI can pull through with the current economic downturn, but it's just not right. this is an American soil, so it's not right to leave the kids behind.
please don't deprive the kids, the CNMI community of quality education, excellent health service they truly deserve....
Boni said...
"The government not staffing the hospital adequately, forcing the CHC to ask potential patients to 'not get hurt' because there aren't enough doctors is ridiculous. Maybe I should send a warning out to families and students warning them not to develop any learning disabilities and difficulties because we don't have enough teachers. Shame on this administration! Shame, shame, shame!"
And even greater shame on those who espouse the politics of blame, division and intolerance, or are otherwise severely lacking in charity. What do we expect the Governor to do, print money?!
If you haven't noticed, there is a huge resource shortfall throughout the Government. Angelo was right that we're lucky to have a public hospital at all. Would it make anyone happy to shut it down?
All the money spent on lobbyists would cover what, three or four doctors? The only way to address the resource shortfalls is to fix the economy.
While many of us differ, arguably the best way to grow the economy is through lobbying to maintain the right to use the same tools that worked in the 1980s -- smart use of foreign labor (but without the abuse this time) and capital investment.
A good start would be 99-year leases of public lands for cash investment infusions of $50 million or more.
They should close PSS entirely and require home schooling. That what save 35 million, and they could give that money to MVA to boost tourism and save the save garment factories. We're in an economic crisis. Or they could make the schools for indigenous only.
They should close PSS entirely and require home schooling. That what save 35 million, and they could give that money to MVA to boost tourism and save the save garment factories. We're in an economic crisis. Or they could make the schools for indigenous only.
If we close PSS, we could put those kids in the garment factories. Since they don't have a family to support, we can pay them less than $3.55. Teach them about the real world. They have parents so they don't need medical care or barracks, either.
i would to agree that the previous post re closing PSS is indeed ridiculous.
cmon noni, even developing countries are not shutting down schools, you know more or less why.
Jack Abramoff saved this economy, sblogger. We need more lobbyists, and if that meens PSS needs to clothes for a while, or be indigenous only, than do it. Save the garments and fix our economy first. The main problem wiht PSS is it's principles wine to much.
The schools here sucks, specially GES, what difference does it make? Save the economy first. Garments and no federaliazation.
(noni)... in case you haven't noticed... NOT A WHOLE LOT HAS BEEN FUNDED PROPERLY.
the previous anonymous poster does have a point (unbelievably)...
tourism should be the governments number one concern right now. period. if we don't fix this now... pss won't have a pot to piss in in two years.
again... that should mean everybody sacrifices, including the "untouchable" pss.
i don't want to simply be a complainer, so here are some suggested cuts to start the planning -
1)no more board travel. period. none.
2)remove airconditioners from schools (open the windows)
3)central office should consist of a commissioner, a secretary and program heads that are fully federally funded only.
4)no more summers off or long holidays for teachers (or superbowl development days)
5)no more armies of parapros (what is a parapro?)
6)nix the bilingual program
7)nix home economy programs
8)one gov't vehicle per school (a pickup truck)
9)no more school construction projects
10)no more off-island conferences or "teacher development" programs
etc. etc.
...it's time for pss to join the real world.
5)
And squeeze in some more students in the classroom. 30 plus is too easy.
I repeat:
Please do not feed the trolls. This conversation became ridiculous about 60 comments ago.
The anonymous posters are just writing things to piss people off.
This blog is dead to me.
Your just jealous this blog gets more attention sblogger. Go pick up some garbage and chill out.
...you've made my point...
you have alot of excuses for most of the points... e.g.-"i guess we could use our vta equipment"
NO...you can use your "vta" equipment...better yet...sell the "vta" equipment and meet via phone.
"(parapros) aren't a necessity for elementary..."... NO... they aren't a necessity period.
on and on.
again... i made good points and you, supposedly an upstanding citizen, a principal decide to take the very very low road and call me full of Sh!+.
all that does is highlight the quality of our principles. something else that should be "looked into".
(noni)...sblogger...just about every one of your "comments" are "ridiculous"...so who are you to throw that judgement around?
gimme a break... if you're not interested...don't comment.
(noni)
...and principals
Hey! where did all the posts go? Vanished into thin air. Darn.
way to go boni and noni. sblogger thinks this blog is dead for him. is he the president of the Java Joe's Bloggers Association and can direct his minions around?
wow. cool.
Dead? This is the liveliest joint on this block. Keep up the good work!
(noni)...told you she was going to run off and cry. why does she do it? starts dishing it, but refuses to eat from her own dish?
There will come a day when The Saipan Blog is not the most popular and highly read blog in Saipan, but that day is not today.
Deal.
...maybe the most read... not the liveliest. definitely not the liveliest. parlor tricks of search engine placement and scandals involving miss USA contestants to drum up hits does not a great blog make. not to disparage your blog in any way...it's just not as relevent as middleroad.
(i see dead blogs)
(noni) <---the real one. rev...the quote before the last one is not from me (as you might realize through the ipaddress). It is someone trying to play themselves off as me (noni). albeit our comments run along similar lines.
sorry noni, had to delete your comment. we don't tolerate homophobes here...
here's the message, i just deleted the last line...
"(noni)...Didn't Harry win? A few soft core pervert visitors doesn't make your blog popular or widely read sblogger. This is the blog that gets the attention and makes you just whine..."
(noni)<---again, the usual one. thanks rev. i'm not a homophobe and to the contrary, gays in general make communities much better places. power to the people (all of them)!
The most read blog, you've got to be kidding saipanblogger. You have some self congratulatory stuff about cleaning up, though at least you work unlike most government workers. You post some dull pictures and some amateur porn. At least HArry Blaylock has good pictures, Turbit can actually write and Rev, most of all, can stir up a good debate. Your blog is dull and gutless, so stop acting like you run this island and your blog is so great.
I have never worked for the government.
..and I have more local readers in a single day that any other blog in the CNMI has readers, regardless of location.
So go ahead and call me boring and call me talentless. I'm still more popular and reach more readers than any blog out here.
...and since you can comment on my blog, I guess that makes you a reader.
Thanks for reading!
...and I love how my one comment elicited six more from all of you.
Again, thanks for reading!
(noni) do you sit around and brood over these things? you came back a little over one hour to do an addendum to a previous comment...
your site is well-read...yaaaay
my blog can beat up your blog...
yey. whatev...WTH.
going back the track, with 163 million in the bank, what can the CNMI do with that...
i can just feel the necks twisting, brows meeting, eyes squinting of the finance officers on how to spend it...
You have the only Saipan blog that stoops so low to have porn links, sblogger. People seeking out porn from Chile or something doesn't make your Saipan blog all that special in Saipan. This is the blog that gets a hundred plus comments regularly, not your blog of porn links.
Yes, but Brad and I usually account for about 40 of those comments.
Brad, care to make a 100+ comment post on one of our blogs? I recommend having a fight over the best place to get a haircut on Saipan.
new poll?
porn links or hot links?
40 of those comments? do i write that much? man, i need a life.
...41
and i vote hot links. they're only $3.99 and they're good at any bbq
yeah. seriously sblogger, you shouldn't be wasting your energy in our blog anymore. you called it dead and we still see your comments.
Holy Shit! I haven't seen this much bullshit and hot air spewed out since George Bush gave the last State of the Union.
Brad, you should put 1/4 the effort you put here into your own slack ass blog.
Angelo, if there's a brown out, let's just use you as a lightning rod.
This has got to be the new comment record. The award I gave this blog needs to be on a plaque or something.
and brad, you are always welcome to comment. it's what incites and excites you that makes you post comments, and we love it. makes sense all the time. kudos to you, whatever noni says.
i just can't believe how many of us are up doing this right now...
See here for the award:
http://turbittj.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-envelope-please.html
thanks writers...
mucho appreciated.
time for me to hit the hay. it's hard to leave the ol' laptop though knowing that all of us are still writing...
(noni) i did actually give sand "kudos" in an earlier post.
150!
(noni)...comeon now jeff...spread the love. don't commentors get awards? comments didn't exceed 100 until i got on here... check the records. (i just wanna plaque gosh darn it!)
well...off to see the wizard.
see ya adam and heidi
You get the Brad and Angelo agitator of the year award, though Brad doesn't really seem all that agitated, but then again, if I got as many hot women as Brad, it would take more than this blog to agitate me. If Cyn see this I'm dead.
Nobody is going to read all of these comments. You could write whatever you wanted here and it would just get lost.
It must have taken Boni an hour just to remove all that stuff.
there you go again sblogger. this blog is dead to you, so should your comments.
It's amazing how the comments evolve from doctors and drunk driving, to whose getting blog awards and how long it took a particular commentor to remove all of their comments.
Don't go on a boat ride during a baptism Rev.
Boni deleted her comments and that's her prerogative, but personally disappointing. Most of them were excellently written.
That's worse than posting anonymously. You come on with a bunch of "charged" comments, and then in regret, go back and erase everything you wrote. It's like running at someone, hitting them in the face and then taking off.
:) A drive by posting?
i don't think it's worse than anonymous posting because the person you sun up and hit at least gets to see your face (so to speak).
anyway lil_hammerhead, removing posts is so easy, even a caveman could do it...
That's not funny!
folks, enough about anonymous posting..I can create a million aliases and have names assigned to every post, but technically their still anonymous.. and if my name was James from the Agrihan, what difference would that make with any issue being discussed because none of you would no me anyways.. heck, I can even swing by the Shell gas station and pick up a phone from PTI with a number and give that number out with an alias name. so don't look at the person who is posting...address the issue at hand.. problem is so many people want to lower the debates down to the person and not the issue. attack issues not people.... I think the problem is you guys are tabloid monkeys and are too caught up into other peoples lives..focus on the issues daniel-san..
mr. miyagi
lol Brad! :)
I'd rather just wax on and wax off.
yeah g (i'm guessing), but when an anonymous commenter calls people out about their jobs and lob insults they're straying from the issue and shining the spotlight on their intended victims.
that's the real part that gets me. i mean, i can take it, but it sucks to have the stones to say something only to have an anonymous detractor throw rocks at you.
by the way, you could go and get go phones from saipancell too. let's be fair.
brad,
again, you assume.
i have no reason to attack people personally. you and i have discussed this whole "anonymous" thing in the past.
i do feel if everyone just posted with an alias and anonymously then the issues with where you work and who your dating won't play into it (as has been directed at me by many bloggers int he past). you now assuming i posted those anonymous comments attests to the fact that associating your name on these blogs only does harm and moves the focus away from the actual issue.
wish i had more time to ramble but got to run.
i only thought you were the last one. because of the wording. my bad. you know what i think about you so don't sweat it.
...but i agree. either all anonymous or all out there is the best way to go.
everyone must've had a big lunch because we really slowed down...
g,
btw, your sister is hot ;)
...but not as hot as tina!
I was one of those people who mistakenly accused Glen of being an anonymous commenter.
That was wrong of me.
It was his sister.
http://seaweedsandandsunsets.blogspot.com/2007/09/inspired-by-other-saipan-bloggers.html
I was way off the mark.
I am sorry.
thanks brad. i think they are equally beautiful (i am biased on both fronts).
there we go again.. talking about people instead issues.. you tabloid monkeys need to stick to the issues.
would you like to subscribe to a couple of issues of tabloid monkey magazine?
where do i subscribe? better yet please send a copy to:
Anonymous
1234 Anonymous blvd.
Apt. 1234
Anonymous, AN 12345
on the way...
if you're not satisfied with out copy, please send them back to:
Tabloid Monkey Magazine
0000 Simian St.
Suite 000
Ape-alachia, MP 00000-0000
(zeros to be read 'oo, oo')
Sunsets and Seaweed? That doesn't sound too pleasant. Is there anywhere you can find a nearly complete listing of all of the "CNMI-based" blogs?
I was actually being sarcastic when I joked about being the "anonymous" poster and taking the spotlight away from my bro..
Im pretty sure everyone knew that..but I just wanted to post a comment so I can add to the nearly 200 on this blog already... :)
Have a Beautiful evening everyone!
tamara i think your blog is excellent enough to stand on its own and not be listed as g'mans sister on the master list... i heard about it from a friend and could not find it on the master list that the saipan blogger compiled.. please ask the Saipan Blogger to list it properly. thank you, rt
(noni) well, it looks like this post is winding down. just wanted to chime in one more time and say thanks to the facilitators and to all of the commentors. As usual, I had a blast! Looking forward to "blowing up" the next provocative post ;)
Yeah, thanks Adam
haha ur welcome noni.
DPH is asking if you know medical professionals who would want to practice on an island paradise such as Saipan, give them the lead and they'd contact them. contact the doctors who'd work to serve not actually for the pay....
(noni) okay...one last comment.
after spending several hundred thousand dollars on medical school, i sincerely doubt that you are going to find a whole lot of doctors out there who are going to work without fair compensation. you need only look to the medical industry to realize they don't do the work only out of the goodness of their hearts.
that's not to say they don't make small donations of service and time here and there... that's also not to say they aren't good people... they have loans, bills and aspirations like everyone else.
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