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Matois

Always a favorite of mine, and fondly called the El Whoretez (she'll take your money but definitely show you a good time!), this is precisely the reason they have survived so long and doing surprisingly well when others are struggling. Jackie knew how to hand pick his underlings and taught THEM how to hand pick their underlings. The result is a well run, creative and customer oriented business much loved by locals and tourists alike. Save for the F&B department, which has a ways to go to re-learn the 70 year old philosophy of good service outweighs portion control, the EC is usually my first choice to play whether I'm in residence or visiting.

All during my life, I had never really been ill and only needed doctors occasionally. Shortly after I was transferred to Las Vegas with my company, I became very seriously ill. That was in 2004. For five years I had many stays at Valley, UMC and Sunrise, saw many different physicians, and only seemed to get progressively worse. I wasn't happy with my care but I truly didn't know how bad it was. A friend convinced me to come to visit her in Phoenix and just see on doctor who specialized in my type of illness.

I gathered my medical records and headed to Phoenix. I wasn't in the doctor's office for an hour before he bundled me off to a local hospital. The next day he sat with me for nearly 2 hours and discussed my previous care. The short of it is that I should have never suffered as I did for 5 years. The long of it is that the substandard care (even with top notch insurance) caused me greater harm.

I now live in Phoenix and have great doctors, great facilities and am well on my way to regaining my quality of life. I'm not saying that what they have here is perfect, but it is night and day compared to Vegas. My first stay in the Phoenix hospital blew my mind - a nurse or an aide actually came to attend me when I rang for assistance. Doctors actually took the time to talk to me and answer questions. Nurses and staff didn't seem as harried and hurried. The word care actually comes before profit in the dictionaries here. I am an educated woman, but I don't have a medical degree. I did my research on my illness, but there is only so much a lay person can comprehend when it comes to medicine without that more specialized education.

Not only is the care bad in Vegas, but it's also a lack of education on the part of the patient - part of which we can be faulted for, part of which we can't be expected to know or there would be no need for the doctors or facilities.

I really have no suggestions on how to fix the problems in Vegas, and my story probably will do nothing to effect change. If anything, this series of articles helps me a bit to feel some validation about what I experienced. I wish I knew the answers but I always seem to come back to one - money. I can't seem to pinpoint what they do differently here, but whatever it is should be bottled or packaged and given to the medical facilities and practitioners in Vegas.

Dipstick, they may not compare on a wholly political level, but it was an event that shaped history. Elvis paved the way for musicians of color into the mainstream and that in itself changed history. When you think of the contribution - both good and bad - that the music industry has had on society, it's mindboggling. If you look simply at the amount of money the music industry has raised for charity, the numbers are staggering. And they learned that from Elvis, one of the most silent and humble but great philanthropists of his time as well as one of the most patriotic people you could want to meet. Despite his lifestyle, he was true to his fans and followers and always wanted to help others - either by bringing them happiness through his talent, or helping someone to have a better life through his philanthropy. Did you know he is the reason the USS Arizona Memorial exists today? Without his benefit concert, that project would have never been finished and those soldiers never honored as they are. Gives one pause to think.

Guys, leave mamabear alone - she's just not herself until she's had those first couple of beers in the morning and then puts her teeth in.

Colin says "Health care for all Americans that is fair, affordable and an inalienable right, not a privilege."

Would you point me to the section of the Constitution that contains the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Amendment? I can find the ones on free speech and religion and women's right to vote, but nothing about the right to healthcare. Maybe my copy of the constitution is missing a page or two.

As well, are you aware there was no social welfare in this country until well after this country was 110 years old? We didn't need it then, and for FDRs good hearted intentions, he's created generations of welfare families and entitlement mentalities such as yours.

Suck it up, put on your big boy panties, take care of yourself and your family, give a little to charity if you have extra and quit eyeballing my tax dollars.