Strawberries

It's strawberry season, but it seems we live in a world where "bigger must be better".  I was surprised at the size of the strawberries available at the supermarket.

That's a dollar coin for comparison

Frankly, I can't discern any difference in the taste (for better or for worse), but I am worried what has been done to achieve strawberries of this size.

In the meantime, more conventionally-sized strawberries are around for as little as 99¢ (for 250g).

The Winter breakfast

I attended Prahran Mission's Winter Breakfast launch.  It wasn't quite as slick as the Salvo's appeal launch, and it was down to earth in a number of ways. One of the main areas that Prahran Mission works in is mental health, and they were up-front about the issues.  Mention was made of the new mental health legislation and some good aspects were described (more "one on one" programs) but that this comes at a cost (no funding for "drop-in centres).   We were told about some approaches to (and an experience of) treatment. It was also said that the rate of use of "ice" in Prahran and St Kilda is the highest in the world!  (Not sure how they work this out, but still.....)

Heath Black spoke of his personal journey through AFL football, and the serious issues that weren't being addressed in the recent past (mental health and drinking, with the drinking obscuring the depression and panic issues that some players had).   The audience was certainly captivated. We were left hoping that more attention is now being paid to these matters - but we still see media reports about "incidents".

I'm sure both Prahran Mission and the Salvos are doing vital work, but it seemed to me that they are approaching things in slightly different ways.  The Salvos, even with their corporate sponsorships and neat uniforms, are, no doubt, getting their "hands dirty", but it appeared to me that the Mission is getting fully immersed in the issues they deal with.

Allergy?

I was in a restaurant with family members when, within a few minutes of eating part of a pizza shared with the table, I suffered some stomach discomfort, and then faintness to the extent that I was verging on unconsciousness.   I was rushed off to the hospital emergency department where with some reluctance on my part (but in hindsight, I suppose correctly) I was hooked up to a variety of wires.  They don't take any risks with "senior males" who present with chest/abdominal issues!    After a less-than-comfortable night (it's hard to sleep when you can't roll around because of the wires), I was released in the morning with the conclusion, "it was probably something you ate" (influenced, I think, by the fact that I eventually threw up in the middle of the night).

I can only conclude that I've got an allergy to goat's milk, and cheese made from it (the only slightly unusual ingredient in the pizza).    My limited research with google shows that while such an allergy is not unheard of in isolation from  allergies to other forms of milk, it has been reported (there again, with the aid of google, virtually every ailment is "heard of").  However, I can't see avoiding this type of food will require me to make big changes to my lifestyle, so no goat's milk cheese from now on.

Personal responsibility (2)

I've previously commented on the High Court's decision in Kakavas v Crown Melbourne Limited  which made the point that a "high roller" gambler was responsible for his actions.   Now I see the High Court has refused to hear an appeal where an obese man lost his case (on appeal) against a GP who didn't refer him for specific treatment for his obesity.

I wondered how such a case could make it to a court of first instance, let alone to the High Court, so I had a skim of the decision of the New South Wales Court of Appeal.   This left me even more flabbergasted.  While of course the "devil is in the detail", it does seems that  the patient was referred to a number of specialists, including to an obesity clinic (although not by the GP), and  was cautioned by several of them about his obesity.  It is clearly evident that it was his decision not to take steps to do anything about it.  But somehow he won at first instance and only lost on appeal.

Yes, obesity is an issue is an issue in today's society, and for some people it's very hard.  Certainly, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise often seem to be factors.  But whatever the issue, it hardly seems appropriate to sue the doctor when a person fails to heed the advice of the medical profession.  It's reassuring to see that the High Court has (in effect) again stood up for personal responsibility.

A Booming Industry?

We're seeing a number of new medical practice developments in our area!    Perhaps some will be occupied by existing health professionals moving into upgraded accommodation, but taken overall, it certainly seems that there's an increasing number of medical and related practitioners in the area. 

New here, although it may have relocated

Is the demand around here really growing to an extent that warrants so many new practices?   Of course, I can't say, but the thought crosses my mind that there may be an issue about the appropriate allocation of resources.
 

Under construction, but advertised as having vacancies for dental specialists