[fingpilot]

I am, as we type, at Glendale Adventist in LaLaLand maintaining a vigil for a friend with a brain bleed. Have been here for two 10-day stints for the last three weeks. The peniultimate slow passage of time.

See a lot of grief here as other people pass thru. A microcosm of everything that is wrong with healthcare in this country.

The finest cardio-vascular hospital in this part of the world. Reduced to taking what all the other places 'reject' for lack of insurance. Several families (more than 30 people each) all cramed into the waiting room (for maybe 10 people max cap) staying 24/7 because of the free TV and AirCon, long after whoever they were originally here for has 'moved on', one way or another. Not a word of English among them.

NGAS. Security couldn't be bothered, charge nurses are blind, deaf and dumb, and fire and safety (medical and otherwise) rules are blatantly ignored.

Rumor is, there is a big 'inspection' tomorrow. Will be interesting to see what happens.

I suspect it will be NGAS.