The Waiting Room

The contrast between the American health care system and the Canadian system is starkly depicted in the documentary The Waiting Room. 

The emergency room of the Highland Hospital in Oakland, California is the setting for the majority of the film. This is a public hospital and most of the patients shown in the movie have little or no insurance, are unemployed or underemployed, or have an addiction.

One of the main people depicted in The Waiting Room is a man in his thirties who has come to Highland after being referred there by another clinic. This man was diagnosed with testicular cancer and was about to undergo surgery at the previous facility, only to have been denied because he didn't have any medical insurance. 

If this man lived in Canada he would not have been denied this critical surgery. As it is stated on Health Canada's website, Canadians are entitled to "universal coverage for medically necessary health care services...on the basis of need, rather than the ability to pay." 

Just before he leaves the hospital this man and his partner discuss his financial options with one of the workers. As he stands outside in the hospital parking lot, the man and his girlfriend are at a loss at how to cover his medical costs.

The actual waiting of patients that’s shown in The Waiting Room gives us another contrast between the American and Canadian health care systems. While there is waiting in Canadian emergency rooms and doctor’s offices, we also have a Patient Wait Times Guarantee, which is an “offer of alternative care options (e.g., referral to another physician or health care facility) to patients whose wait times exceed a defined timeframe when medically necessary health services should be provided.” One man in the film had been waiting for three days to see a doctor after being shot in the leg; it’s very unlikely that something like this would occur in Canada.

The hospital staff who deal with the desperate patients are shown to be remarkably composed for the most part. One nurse in particular is candid and sometimes blunt with the patients that she sees. As she takes the blood pressure of a man, she scolds him for "cussing" at someone else in the hospital. When the man protests, the nurse will have none of it and continues to voice her case against the use of foul language.

A doctor who witnesses death for the first time (of a fifteen year-old boy) is unsure how to handle the aftermath when dealing with the police as well as the boy's family. Another more experienced doctor tells him of the need to inform the family in the clearest possible terms, and not to use any euphemisms like the boy has "gone to a better place", but that he has died or is dead.

The scene of the boy dying is particularly moving and "clinical" at the same time. The boy is wheeled into a room while the paramedics are administering CPR; after a couple of minutes it's determined that the boy has no pulse and he cannot be revived. Immediately, hospital workers record the time of death. We see the boy's motionless hand and then his foot and finally an information tag being attached around his ankle.

Much of the video was taken from directly behind someone's head. For example, when a doctor is entering into the operating room, the viewer is taken right along with him, and we see the scene from his perspective. Conversely, there were also close-ups or head shots of people, deftly depicting their emotions as they confront difficult and stressful situations. One instance is of a man trying, unsuccessfully, to get a discount on his pain medication.

The sound was fairly subtle and sombre in feel. And the music did not unnecessarily exaggerate  any of the emotional or dramatic scenes in the film.

Although The Waiting Room shows only one side of the American health care system (the one for the poor and uninsured), it does so objectively and with little judgment. The stories of the people who work at Highland Hospital, as well as the patients who pass through it are told literally through their own words, as there is no narrator in this documentary. People speak freely and we see them in a “natural” or real life setting, giving the film a feel of authenticity.

Sources: “Canada’s Health Care System,” www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/index-eng.php

“Canada’s Health Care System,” http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/system-regime/2011-hcs-sss/index-eng.php

 

Freedom of Speech

As many of you may have heard, Winnipeg Jets forward Evander Kane sparked some controversy last month when he tweeted a picture of himself holding stacks of cash on the balcony of his Las Vegas hotel room. 

Some people were upset at Kane for flaunting his money and chalked it up as another example of his immaturity. Kane, when asked about the picture, called it a joke and said that people shouldn't get worked up about something so trivial. 

I thought the tweet was pretty funny and not out of line with what a rich young kid (which is essentially what Kane is) would post online.

But it is a departure from what people expect out of professional hockey players in terms of their comments to the media (traditional media and social media). Clichés are the friend of hockey players, and athletes generally, when they deal with the press.  When someone veers out of clichéville, people take notice. And by people, I mean journalists.

A quote that is a non-cliché is a breath of fresh air to beat writers. In a recent column, Winnipeg Free Press sports writer Ed Tait lavished praise on Jets' coach Claude Noel, someone who can be counted on for a candid comment.

Brian Burke, ex-GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs, always speaks his mind. In the news conference following his firing, Burke responded to a question from Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons, who he’d been on the outs with, with this remark: “That’s the best part about today, Steve, is that I probably don’t have ever have to talk to you again.”

Hall of Fame right winger Brett Hull never shied away from a media scrum in his playing days.

And Alex Ovechkin somewhat carries on the tradition of being one of the rare players who speak their minds. Admittedly, Ovechkin's charm comes partly from his weakness with the English language. One memorable quote came a few years ago after Ovechkin had snuck into an opposing team’s practice, which was being conducted by coach John Tortorella. When he was asked by the media what motivated his actions, Ovechkin responded, "Tortorella, pisses off."

Paddock Wood 606 IPA

Paddock Wood is a micro-brewery located in Saskatoon, SK. It brews a variety of beers; my favourite is the Czech Mate Pilsner.

The 606 IPA has a relatively crisp and clean mouth feel for this style of beer. It doesn’t have the intense citrus hop taste and piney scent that many IPAs are known for and that I prefer.

The beer is a touch on the “light” side, at least when put up against other pale ales that clock in at 6% ABV and above. But don’t mistake this for a beer lacking in robustness or complexity because it has plenty of both.

Lockout Shortened Season: A Good Thing?

The NHL season is set to start a week from today. By all accounts, the Winnipeg Jets will be hosting the Ottawa Senators at the MTS Centre on January 19th (the scheduled has not been officially released yet). There will be a 48 game schedule with no inter-conference games; in other words, the Jets will only play against other Eastern Conference teams.

Now, a lot of fans were very frustrated with the lengthy lockout and rightly so. It’s hard to be sympathetic toward millionaires and billionaires and their squabbles over money. But I’m thinking that this shortened season might not be such a bad thing after all.

The standard NHL season length of 82 games is too long. Now, some might say that 48 games is too short, but generally I’d rather have fewer games. It’s unlikely that the NHL will reduce the number of regular season games (in a typical year) purely due to economic reasons, but it would be ideal if they could find a middle ground of, say, 70 games.

A lot of casual hockey fans only really start to follow the NHL once the playoffs start in mid-April. (Last year was likely an exception for a lot of Winnipeggers as they had a true home team to cheer on for the first time in fifteen years, and every game seemed like a celebration of sorts.) But this year the playoffs will be here before we know it and each regular season game will seem much more important. In a normal NHL season, it’s conceivable that a team could go on a ten game losing streak but still bounce back to make the playoffs; the chances of that happening this year are virtually nil.

So, strap on your helmets, fans, this will be a wild race of a season. 

Blog Name Change

Over the past month or so I've been thinking of changing my blog name. The reason for the change is not just the fact that the Bombers haven't been playing, although there is that aspect.

The scope or concept of my blog seems a bit unfocussed and random; I'd like to narrow the focus a little bit, but still leave room for writing about a variety of things.

One name idea that I keep coming back to is Paul's Sports Bar. Now, the name itself might sound a bit pedestrian, but I think it opens up the writing possibilities. For instance, I won't limit myself to just writing about the Blue Bombers. Other sports will get a mention. Also, I won't write solely about beer, but will branch out to discuss other potent potables.

And because discussions in sports bars don't necessarily always focus on sports, I might throw in the odd piece about politics or current affairs.

During the Christmas break I'll work on getting a new and, I hope, improved blog up and running.

Any comments or suggestions as to the kind of content you'd like to see are, of course, always welcome.

St Nick's Oaked Spiced Porter

The recent upsurge of new beers produced by Fort Garry Brewing seems to coincide with the rise in popularity of Half Pints Brewing. In some cases, Fort Garry will come out with a beer that is similar to what its competitor has already released. Case in point is Happy Jack Pumpkin Ale, which I reviewed about a month ago. Its appearance was no doubt precipitated by the widespread love for Punk 'N' Fest, a Half Pints creation.

St Nick's Oaked Spiced Porter is another instance of Fort Garry trying to emulate the success of Half Pints. The latter company's Pothole Porter (usually released in the spring, hence the name) gets the upper hand over St Nick's but this beer has its pluses nonetheless.

The nose is spicy, due to the presence of all-spice and cinnamon. These spices as well as nutmeg give this beer a distinct holiday flavour. I also detect a hint of coffee. The taste is quite smooth and the flavours tend to linger on your tongue for some time after the beer's gone down.

Kudos to Fort Garry for branching out and brewing a bigger variety of beers. This competition should only be a good thing for local beer lovers.

Isolator

This is a brand new doppelbock from Winnipeg's Half Pints Brewing. Although Isolator is described on the label as a "malty bock", the nose is more hoppy than you might expect for a beer with a relatively low IBU of 17. The colour is a dark red. The beer clocks in at a robust 8.6% ABV, so it's not surprising that it has a boozy finish. The taste is quite malty; it's also rich and slightly sweet.

This beer should be served at a warmer temperature (around 10ºC). And you'll want to drink it slowly to savour its complex flavours.  

Isolator was released last Saturday at the Half Pints brewery in St. James and will be available in Liquor Marts this week. Sometimes these special or seasonal releases aren't available at every LC, so it's wise to call ahead and confirm the beer is there before you make the trip.