Questions For You:

So here it is, Saturday evening -- the sun hasn't quite set yet but, from the window of my second floor where the computer sits on its huge antique rolltop desk, I gaze south through the thinning branches of the adjacent cherry tree and out onto the massive pines and firs on my property, I can see that the few deciduous trees have their leaves beginning to yellow and drop.

It's the fall season, clearly here now. Time to reorganize the shed, take down the umbrella and chairs from my deck, stack more wood inside, make way for the rains that are apparently coming in a day or two. Information indicates these rains won't be just a few drops; they'll be consequential. And to that I say: fabulous. We can use the rain. In torrents.

Further, people up in the mountains where I live are saying this winter will be much wetter than normal and, in response, I say once again: fabulous. Send lots of rain. We need it. I won't flood. It all runs downhill.

At my "new" job, getting days off is an Act of God. I don't have sufficient juice to acquire all the holidays this year. At 30+ years in service I'll be working Thanksgiving. I got Christmas day off, and the next day. I'll be working New Years' Eve, day, and the following day.

My Dad isn't here, so Thanksgiving doesn't mean that much to me. Christmas will be likewise diminished. I almost don't want to acknowledge their existence this year. It won't kill me to work the Holidays. It will just remind me of my rookie days on the department when I worked for the senior officers.

I decided to take some "hits" so that other supervisors with families could enjoy themselves.

Additionally, there are rumors flying about that all "discretionary" days off are about to be canceled; that is to say, if you hadn't originally made your request for your union-guaranteed annual leave, any and all other requests for days off would not be granted -- indefinitely. Essentially: all days off canceled.

What that means to me as an individual and as a supervisor: employees will always "manage" their leave. They'll just call in "sick." You can demand note after doctors note -- but, of course, the employees know that the requirement for a note necessitates another visit to a doctor and another day in order to accomplish that.

Our morale will also tank, obviously. I've seen this all before.

While at work a few days ago, however, one of the facility nurses asked if I would like to take a flu shot for this year. I declined. It was quite the odd timing because, just the day before, I'd been to my chiropractor (Dr. Robert Graykowski, whom I would highly recommend) for an adjustment. All about him were signs indicating that flu shots were worse than the flu, as they contained thimerosal. Mercury is used as a preservative in thimerosal.

When I've had flu shots, I can't specifically recall that I'd remained flu-free those specific years. One year in particular I recall I acquired flu-like symptoms about two weeks after my acquiring a flu shot. A reaction? Anomaly? Who knows?

CVS and Walgreen are already running out of seasonal flu shots -- which, one must understand, are not the H1N1 vaccines.

Again, some people think the H1N1 vaccine "cure" is worse than the illness. The CDC remarks on H1N1 here.

You might want to read about some H1N1 vaccine risks here.

CBS News records a video of the H1N1 risks here.

Another point here.

So, my final two questions:

1. Will YOU be acquiring a standard flu shot this year?

2. Will YOU be acquiring an H1N1 shot this year?

BZ