Farm Talk (A Bit Earthy) - Briana

So, it's true.  I grew up on a farm.  We had cows and stuff like that.  And in my early wanderings around the place, I happened to notice certain - er, differences, shall we say - among the animals.  I lay no claim to being particularly sharp-eyed, because these differences were more or less at eye level to me at that age.  You couldn't miss 'em if you tried.

Of course, this led to certain awkward questions, and in turn I received this memo under my cereal bowl one morning because Mom was a little bashful.

________________________________

TO:  Briana

FROM:  Mother

SUBJECT:  Cajones

DATE:  June 17, 19__ (redacted so I don't have to think about my age)

Briana:

With regard to your questions concerning the presence or absence of the above-named items on various animals on the farm, and particularly with regard to their absence upon your own person, you will recall that this item on the agenda was tabled at the Family Meeting when Joshua threw up.

In lieu of that discussion, I trust that the following four (4) points will adequately address your questions in this regard:

1.  Boys gots them.

2.  Girls don't gots them.

3.  Men gots them.

4.  Women don't gots them.

If this answer is unsatisfactory in any way, kindly refer the matter to your father.

_____________________________________

Now, the problem with children is that they take everything so literally.  Being unable to appreciate nuances and subtleties in a complex world, they reduce everything to absolutes, and sometimes these absolutes stick with them well into adulthood.  (I'll still run a mile in tight shoes before I'll use a "gas station bathroom".)

What it took me quite awhile to figure out regarding this memo is that the memo was talking biologics, not psychologics.  And biologically, absent some fancy surgery and fee-splitting, it's still true.

Psychologically, however, it's completely bogus.  In fact, I would contend that not only can women "grow a pair", as they say, but that we MUST do so if we hope to survive in this world.  These, of course, reside in the cranium rather than in the nether regions, and it wouldn't at all be a bad thing if they filled up the cavity and bulged out of our ears.  I'm not talkin' some little shriveled up dried out grapes.

And of what, you may well ask, is this apropos vis-a-vis medical transcribing?  I'm glad you asked.

Here's what I'm talking about:  Absolutely every argument (or "reason") that the transcription companies have floated to explain paying half-line rates for VR editing can be exploded as easily as running a hot knife through the butter that won't melt in our mouths.

Let's take one.  "Thanks to SR, you can edit twice as many lines per hour and so we should pay you half as much per line."  Holy moley, girlfriends!!  We rolled over for THIS ONE?

So here's what the MTSO is saying: 

1.  The client can benefit from this technology.

2.  Our balance sheet can benefit from this technology.

3.  But YOU, the MT, CANNOT benefit from this technology.  You get to run in place with regard to your earnings.

Despite the fact that WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE BRING TO THE SR DOCUMENT, THIS TECHNOLOGY COULD NOT EVEN BE IMPLEMENTED IN ITS CURRENT STATE, WE ARE NOT TO BENEFIT??!!

And not only that, but the presumption itself - that you can edit twice as many lines - so often proves to be pathetically INCORRECT.

I think it's just about time we made some room inside our craniums for some cajones.  Don't imagine in your wildest dreams that a concerted action in this regard would result in job loss.  In fact, the MTSOs have put themselves in a position where they absolutely cannot survive without VR editors.

The whole thing has become ridiculous and it's past time to put a stop to it.

The next time I see you, I hope to ask "Hey, girlfriend - what's that bulging out of your ears?"