----- Merry Christmas -----

Lost

What ever changes Google has made recently, has changed my ability to have the widgets I want on my iGoogle page and this blog. I am too lazy to investigate, even though I am irritated that I can only use widgets that are for Gen X,Y or whomever Google thinks are their followers (zombies).

The Harvest Feast

The first Thanksgiving a creation myth of America, reinvented in many ways. One to suit each century. The myths change and Thanksgiving is looked upon as the bountiful feast celebrating the appreciation of life, love and family. Thank goodness for that.

Happy Thanksgiving

What to do

When I was a preteen I wanted to be a test pilot. I got my first pair of glasses at 12. Pilot dream died and the next best thing was to be Nuclear Physicist. Going to a piss poor high school ended that dream in my freshman year. I did take music lessons all through school, learn to play piano, sax and oboe. Tried out for college orchestra, not good enough. Thought I could get a cush job in the Army when they had tryouts for the WAC band, too bad, three days before they remove a wisdom tooth and I couldn't blow a note. No second chances in the military. Such as my life as been all failed dreams, my last, getting a degree and it not counting for anything; no new job or promotion. People are always comfortable with the way you were.

So now I am retired, the media says it time for me to reinvent myself. The question is how. I am not one who is fortunate to say 60 is the new 40. My body rebels against that. I'm alive without dialysis, but being a kidney transplant patient is still not without its problems. It also takes resources, which I have little for the first year and with utility cost doubling almost every year, inflation and my drug cost; additional income will get sucked up.

Volunteer? No! I given too much out of duty, not for emotional reward. I get nothing out of it. I was intrigued for a while and thought I might enter into a teaching program. My application was accepted, but I bailed out, because it was really designed for young teachers. I would have had to complete a masters in three years while teaching, full time. Too much work to be retired.

I can't stare at the wall, but what to do?

Wedding

Salto de Sete Quedas - Brasil
Creative Commons Some rights reserved

mario cesar mendonça gomes' photostream

Oft times I live my life in daydreams, which I learned never come true, but somehow they make me happy during the moments I create them.

I fell in love at first sight. True. I am not sure I will ever see him again. True.

During our first encounter I told him I had wanted to see the largest waterfalls of the world during my retirement. During that conversation he told me of a waterfall in South America, which he thought was a most beautiful place. I thought then if our relationship developed, perhaps I could ask him to take me there. I don't remember where, only the visualization of the place. All true.

I have not been able to do very much this past month, so I am left to the internet and the roaming of my mind. True.

He comes to be my lover, we laze around, get our houses together, and travel locally a bit. Finally I ask, can we visit that water fall. He a bit reluctant, but says will we do it.

We are at this waterfall. Its awesome, quite different than Niagara. Our vantage point is high as I imagine with the waterfall somewhat lower elevation parting a very wide gorge through the mountain. Its devoid of the rushing voices of tourist, only the thunder of the falls. As we watch and listen to the falls I feel so joyous that tears come to my eyes. He holding me close, I don't hear the words, but see the ring. I want this. Say yes.

First conversation, made it very clear he had no intention of ever getting married again. True.

I want to get married at this place. we find a way to hook us up to a webcast so friends and family could be present. Then upload to YouTube later for those that missed it. He finds some old acquaintances to be witnesses.

He has a suit and shirt, no tie. He looks fabulous. He cuts quite a figure, still has a tight body. Me? I have little hair, totally gray now, covered with a flower garland and a gauze like shapeless summer dress. I'm wondering, if I'm too old for the dress.

The wedding vows take place at sunset, with our silhouette in the camera. then as we kiss, a song sung in the native language of love, only the female voice. A haunting sound again the backdrop of the falls. We then turn to the camera an tell every one we will visit soon, then good bye. I can't stop smiling.

The day dream not long enough. My retelling may seem trite, but it is a way for me to replay the dream and momentarily have hope. I've been in so much pain the last few weeks. He tells me he is on the road working, that he thinks of me and is looking forward for some time together; that is when he writes. True.

The only true thing that I know is that I fell in love at first sight.

Been sick

Still having health problems. Haven't been able to form any kind of post, although there have been a few things on my mind. I have made short comments on others blogs, because it didn't require the same thought process. Hopefully my mind and body will be back soon.

Tomorrow

Of unknown purpose

I'd embark on the journey

Lead by your heart sound

 

A few good men

In some places there are calls for discussions among groups to discuss how to stop the violence in the community. The latest calls have been sparked by the death of Derrion Albert. His death has even gotten the attention of the Obama administration. The Attorney General and the Education Secretary are in Chicago this week to meet with the Chicago's Mayor and officials to develop strategies to combat the violence.

There has to be a way that we can solve problems without commissions, round-tables or summits. I think by now studies, talk, statistics and research have covered all the causes and solutions. One big problem is implementation. I do not mean there has to be no organization, but I do think there should be direct confrontation with the young people who engage in violence by adults that are not law enforcement. However, these adults should not be easily intimidated. It would be advantageous if someone from the military would volunteer.

Laissez le Bon temp rouler

History and Culture of New Orleans. Aired tonight in my city on PBS. Try to find a broadcast in your area. I think you may also learn something new.

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

The conundrum

I was describing the circumstances, in which I received a kidney transplant. The person I was talking to had a hard time saying the word cadaver. You see, I had a transplant from a cadaver or dead person rather than from a living donor. The person also realized that the persons body may have been kept "alive" until the kidney was removed. My donor did not die an accidental death, but from some disease. I was not told from what. I was also told that the kidney was put on a pump to lengthen it's viability. After I had the transplant, cell death, Necrosis did occur at point the ureter was attached to my bladder. I had to have another surgery ten days later to have it removed and replaced with my own.

I took high school biology in 1959. One of the dissections we had to do was to remove the heart of a gold fish. We had to dissect in such a way that the heart remain beating in order to get a grade. We had discussions about the nervous system, voluntary and involuntary muscle movement. At this time there had not been the first heart transplant, but the fact that you could remove a heart still beating was significant.

The first kidney transplant had been from a live donor and from an identical twin several years before the first heart transplant. The heart transplant patient has no choice but to have a cadaver donor. It still makes many uncomfortable talking about transplants, because for most transplants, someone has to die. Among other reasons, to make transplants possible, there had to be an acceptable point in which the person is living or dead, not if the persons cells are alive and healthy. When death of the brain determined death of the person, rather than when the heart stopped beating and breathing stopped certainly helped in accessing more viable organs for transplantation. The notorious case of Terri Schiavo demonstrated the problems some still have with the definition of life. Cases like this make some of the public fear being transplant donors.

Perhaps it seems that I am presenting slightly disconnected facts, but I think these are relevant to the thinking of what is life and death. Science and technology advances have created new ethical problems that our society has to cope with.

Postmillennial

Many thought that the major disaster of 2001 would be January 1, but instead it became September 11. In these years after the turn of the century's pivotal event, the world seems to be in a time warp. I feel like I am living in my childhood during the fifties. The odd behavior of this nation, for the first time having to deal with erratic behavior of terrorist, has reverted to old habits. The suspicion, fear, which have led to witch hunts, and the comfort in xenophobia and racism has grasps many of our citizens. The war on terror has once again lost sight of its purpose, while many tire of it and eight years later there is no justice for the victims from the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers.

We should have burned down this sucka in 1968.

Calmer voices eventually prevailed.

I'm at my last nerve. I feel as I did then. There has been a line crossed, the consequences are unknown.

Glen Beck and his forces have successfully destroyed one of President Obama's advisers, because the Color of Change was waging a successful campaign to boycott Beck advertisers. What is unusual, that person had not been affiliated with the group for two years, but no matter, any proxy for Obama is good enough. In their minds it doubly justifies their righteousness, since Obama's intention is to poison the minds of children. I guess it is not right for Black folk to boycott like the folks who boycotted Whole Foods. The response to that, was to create a buycott; not destroy the organizer life. You know different standards for different folks.

This concerted effort to portray Obama as a stealth agent of Al Queada , Lenin and Trotsky, Hitler and Goering, and Chairman Mau and giving credence to every nut case and encouraging them to "take back the country" is making me believe that passive resistance and civil discourse will not be a solution next time.

I am at my last nerve.
I am close to lighting a match.

Oboe da Caccia

As I get older I learn about things that I thought I should have when I was younger. In high school I played Oboe. I knew of the English Horn, and a B-flat version, but never heard of the Oboe da Caccia. I just learned of this instrument watching a YouTube upload of Bach's St.Matthews Passion. It looks as if someone is playing a goose. The two instruments come in about three minutes into the video with the soloist.

Here is the Koopman - Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Soloists playing:

Bach - Matthaeus Passion - 58-59-60-61

Economics is not science

I had two survey courses in Economics, maybe not enough to make this statement, but I have been immersed in math at times and feel that economics is more closely related; a cross between math and psychology. I had never been able to argue why it is not science. I cannot say that he thinks as I, but a fellow blogger, Emil Jung has wrote a post which perfectly describe my thoughts. I can not adequately paraphrase his post, Proof, not truth . It is written so that I would have to quote the whole post. Follow the link.

There are those that follow a specific theory of economics as if it is the absolute truth and think that the unfettered free market will solve all problems of society. It is interesting that when the markets failed recently there was never a question that somehow they could not rely on their economic theory, only that there were variables that kept it from being a true market. Okay lets look at the variable, a mathematical term. They can prove a specific outcome if every variable is known and when it applies to science, experiment has to define these variables. In a sentient world where there is consciousness outside of the natural world, those variables can change in an instant following no particular pattern. Human behavior is not like Quantum Physics. The best predictor of human behavior is another human not mathematics. In the PBS series, The Ascent of Money, Niall Ferguson interviews a top hedge fund CEO Ken Griffin. He describes how mathematics and intuition plays a role in assessing risk. Here is the interview, it is within the first three minutes of this video.

Risky Business(A Financial History Of The World)

To protest what?

If it is legal to openly carry an assault weapon in public, then why is it a protest to do so. I see it as a threat, not a protest, to do so in the line of site of the President.

As they say, gun don't kill people, people do. Well, I think some of those people would.

Why is this?

It seems that even the mention of President Obama in any context evokes seizures and spastic utterings. These were the White House Choices of the Medal of Freedom, as with any administration's.

I was surprised at the comments.

Patient No.5

Patient No. 5 - I am here for my 2 o'clock appointment.
Receptionist - Sign in and have a seat.

5 minutes later

Receptionist - Patient No.5!... I need your referral and Insurance ID.

Patient No.5 - My referral should be in the system.

Gives receptionist ID and she says, " Sir, you will need to call your doctor, because it is not in the system and have them fax the referral to us.

Patient No.5 calls his doctor and his receptionist tells Patient No.5 that their last submission has been rejected, because his insurance has been canceled. He tries not to lose his cool and ask that his records be checked again. Again the same answer. He is seeing the doctor for a test, he'll see if he can be billed for the test until he straightens his insurance out. The receptionist tells him they cannot bill but he could use his credit card. Wishing not to use his card, he cancels this appointment and reschedules, with the hope that everything will be OK by the time of the next appointment.

When he arrives home and listens to his voice mail. He had missed his doctor's call. He knew that his employer had change their coverage, didn't change insurances, though. How did he fall through the cracks? It must be that the stars had converged to create this bad karma.

Patient NO.5 calls insurance company and tells the representative what has happened. The rep gets his personal information, pulls up the account and tells him that he's been dropped because of a pre-existing condition,

Patient No.5 - That can't be, I have not changed companies, there is a law.

Ins. Rep - Sir, that has not been the case since 2012, regulation governing health insurance had been rescinded. We sent you that info, when we sent your statement of benefits.

Patient No.5 - I want to speak to No. 1.

No.2 - May I help you, Sir.

Patient No.5 - Are you No.1?

No.2 - No! ...

Patient No.5 thinks to himself that he fairly well off, he will do some shopping and after all there is Medicare. Hangs up, downloads a list and proceeds to call the first. The list is rather short, since in the last decade there has been much consolidation. After he's interviewed by the last on his list, he realizes that he can not afford the coverage to include his precondition or he cannot be insured. Since he is 65, and he thinks that program has to take him, although he abhors public insurance, but he has no choice, that test is essential. He calls and finds out that the age he would be eligible had been raised to 70. He had not been paying attention, since what he favored, free market health care with no government influence to skew the system, lower to no taxes on his income and the government he longed for was in power.

Hospital Clerk - PATIENT NO.5!

Patient No.5 - YO!

Shouting is necessary to be heard over the crowd.

Urban Renewal

In recent years "Urban Renewal" had been tagged "Black Removal," because most neighborhoods that were effected were Black, usually mixed income. When I was young most black people hadn't caught on to the gimmick. We truly believed we would get a fair price for our property and that when the highway was built there would be new homes built and low income and moderate housing would be in the mix. This was supposed to improve the neighborhood. In my home town, there were a few apartments built and homes for the aged, but no invigorated neighborhood; that didn't happen until 40 years later when gentrification came. In order to fill in the highway for over 50 miles, not only were homes razed, but two hills. The terrain was totally changed, so the 8 square block area in which I lived disappeared. I can not drive or walk by the old house, show my son where I went to elementary school or walk around the river where one hill was cliff like. I think the pictures that my father had taken years earlier in the thirties were thrown out when my parents had to move to assisted living. There may be one surviving picture of my younger sister and bother with our cousin in front of the house. Not only did that change the neighborhood, the highway changed the city from a walking city to a city like the suburbs. It also disperse black people and created new neighborhoods that would further isolate the poor and create instability. Over time even those neighborhoods became gentrified and the poor Black folks seem to disappear.

I can not go home.

A reader had sent me an e-mail to tell me about a neighbor who had suffered form being displaced from New Orleans and recommends that I read this article, Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans. The author William River Pitt, describes the feeling of missing his home and describes the events surrounding hurricane Katrina, then laments the hole left in the Ninth Ward and how New Orleans has changed since this catastrophe.

What does it mean to miss New Orleans? It means knowing that one of the most golden citadels of our shared history - a cradle of multiculturalism, the birthplace of jazz, seed corn of so much that is America - was allowed to die of neglect, disdain, racism, greed and simple stupidity right before our eyes. A city stands where New Orleans once was, but it is not New Orleans, not really.

After Katrina there were many blog voices bashing the poor with all the trite, racist and ignorant assumptions. There was no understanding of the make up of the population of New Orleans, it was seen as a Southern Disneyland, albeit a salacious one. They didn't see any middle class folk as victims of the storm or how most could not rebuild, because insurance companies reneged. They were also blind to folks that were working class or working poor who owned and lost property to the hurricane. They projected the whole of the city as dependent and helpless, because they have been coddled by the government. Their code words implied black folk on welfare, undeserving of any help. This prevented many from seeing victims as they were. This was done while some were saying donate to the Salvation Army or Red Cross. The survivalist came out of the woodwork convinced they would have been heroes. These were such strange messages. I am not saying that there not any bloggers who were speaking the truth about the victims, but it was far too much Katrina victim bashing. I think it had a great impact on how the city was treated and the ineffective governing and policy making could always be shifted to the moral failure of the citizens of New Orleans. I have seen this theme reoccur over four years and expect to see more of it as the anniversary gets close.

William River Pitt said: "All that was the city, all that it gave this country, and so many of the people who lived there, are gone forever. " His city has disappeared. In time, I think sooner than forty years it will become gentrified and the folk who lived in the Ninth Ward will have disappeared and been fogotten. A highway will not have caused Urban Renewal, but a Cat 5 hurricane.

HT JK

As the day goes on, the angrier I get

Salvidor Dali. Crucifixion or Corpus Hypercubicus.1954

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

This morning a white blogger whom I know and a white co-worker were upset over the President's words. I guess many white people were offended or felt embarrassed. This afternoon the President had smoothed over his words.

12 hours they were upset. You know I been upset by racism since I was four. Sixty years and when I have a tendency to forget, there is always something, someone or some incident to remind me.

There was nothing to smooth over. Apparently they didn't understand that the president qualified his statement or the difference between an adverb and a adjective. This is not Jim Crow or slavery where we always, in fear of harsh repercussions, had to make sure white folks were never slighted or even slightly offended.

Black folks are often told that we are way too sensitive. White folks should practice what they preach.

Intuition

noun
the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning.
Concise Oxford English Dictionary

This is not a paranormal ability, the understanding comes from experience. From the day we are born our minds are learning, creating connections, and storing important survival knowledge. Our eye give us cues that we are getting close to an edge of a precipice, our noses tell us where there is smoke there's fire and we feel heat as we approach something hot.

We usually don't think of emotion as a sense, but we learn from our reactions to words and deeds, a way to avoid the unpleasant actions. The caustic intonation, the contortion of a face and an aggressive body movement have been learned as a source of distress.

When everyone has been hardwired, so to speak, why do some people have to be smacked in the face with an action, to believe what others have been intuitively saying?

Imagine Today

Draft of the Declaration of Independence
More about draft

This document was written on this desk in 1776.

Portable Writing Desk

Imagine Today

Bamboo Laptop

HT: The Strange Death of Liberal America

Michael Jackson August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

Keyboard
destitute_films
Creative Commons Some rights reserved

Let his light never be extinguished.

Be careful for what you wish for.

I have read some information about the election in Iran and the protest that have followed. Granted that I don't believe the elections were fair and I am upset about those murdered, but I would be cautious in supporting their cause.

There are many blogger who see this as a call to democracy and freedom, the Green Revolution. They see the government's repression as naturally giving the protesters righteousness. I have no problem of those who give the protesters the means to speak, but outside of understanding that they think they have been robbed of an election, I have no idea what kind of government they want.

I question who is this reformer; is he indeed a reformer or the lesser of two evils who would give only superficial appearances? I remember the fervor in which the young people and women embraced the Ayatollah Khomeini after the repressive regime of the Shah. What followed was a disaster in my eyes, something I could not support. The cause just replaced one form of oppression with another. It was another set of people being murdered, not so much of the old political dissidents, but women.

A more rigorous examination.

And your point is?

After the shooting at the Holocaust Museum and the murder of one of the guards, Stephen Tyrone Jonhs, I see responses from bloggers like this and this.

A man is murdered and their response is blame the Negro.

I'm Cold

Today was rainy and warm. At times a heavy downpour. It was the kind of rain one could enjoy sitting on a screened-in porch. The rain was not the kind I wanted to drive in, but none the less I had too.

When I entered my building it was cool and soon as I walked back to my workstation the cold temperature and dampness hit me. A few hours latter, my legs were achy. Later that afternoon I noticed the temperature, 69 degrees F. For me this is cold. It isn't like being outside with the sun shining, generating a little warmth on my skin. It is like being in a cold rain, soaked to the skin.

All day I kept thinking about retirement and that soon I can be warm or be able to keep warm. I was seriously thinking about going to personnel and signing the papers to retire, although I have three months to go. The nineteen years I have work at this place I have hardly ever been comfortable. I am cold all year long. The older I get the less I can tolerate the coldness. I have always tolerated a lot of heat as long as the humidity was low. I grew up without air conditioning and remember the Five and Dime had only ceiling fans in the summer. Now everywhere seems super cold in summer. As for work, I'm sick and tired of being sick and cold.

They could have gone to Paris.

The President and his wife had a date in New York City. Michelle and Barack Obama have had dates as a married couple before he became president. Perhaps this has help keep their marriage sound. So why is the RNC, with many of their spokesmen known for serial monogomy, complaining?

UPDATE: I spoke too soon.

Memorial Day

Twenty-three sets of helmets, rifles, boots, and dog tags represent 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade Marines killed during the Iraqi war. A Memorial Day service honoring those Marines was held on the flight deck of the USS Kearsarge. The Kearsarge is currently returning home after deploying Jan. 12, and is expected to arrive at her homeport in Norfolk, Va., in late June. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Alicia Tasz

Defend America Photo Essay - Tribute to Fallen Comrades

May 2003

Reasoned Rebuttal

Colin Powell answers Dick Cheney on his political party affiliation and the state of the Republican Party.

Colin Powell On Face The Nation Part 1 Of 2 May 24, 2009



Colin Powell On Face The Nation Part 2 Of 2 May.24, 2009





UPDATE: I replaced the CBS video with these from YouTube, because it started play when blog opened. I thought it would be distracting when other post added.

The New Race Hustlers

These are people who comment on black blogs, that change the subject to race, no matter the subject of the post. That subject on race must not discuss racism either, but must always speak of the problems of the black community as if they are the messengers sent by a higher power. They also see themselves as having the greater authority, than any one else. This is the case, when their only experience with the black community is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. You can not tell them that you live in a neighborhood with other black people and it is stable, clean, quite and crime isn't entrenched. You can not tell them that there are single parents who have children who aren't thugs, go to school, well mannered and well behaved. Or that blacks don't commit a higher percentage of crimes, but they are not as likely to get probation as someone who is not black.

These new race hustlers are intent on everyone staying on target that blacks are some aberration of society. This is in the guise of wanting to be helpful and concerned. They will not acknowledge our humanity and become distraught if our lives move outside their prejudices. Black life can not be more than what they define it to be.

A Bunch of Wires

I could document the post and comments I see on blogs, but I think those who would agree with me already know this and those that don't, wouldn't believe me anyway.

I do think the most paranoid people on earth are bloggers. Has the internet provided validation to many conspiracy theories and the incubator for more? Maybe the geek mentality dominates, in that they think their ideas are always suspect to others outside of their sphere?

Thoughts

Sometimes I think about things that I know, but don't think of often. Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day, the Andromeda Galaxy, is about 2 million light years from us. I was thinking that Star Trek never traveled to Andromeda or ever outside our galaxy, The Milky Way.

FYI

President Bush's FY09 Budget doesn't end until September 30, 2009, with the expectation of a 1.75 trillion dollar deficit.

ENVY

What do you do, when you don't have a grass roots movement or a young charismatic leader and your persons of color have failed you?

TEA PARTIES

`Have some wine,' the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.

Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. `I don't see any wine,' she remarked.

`There isn't any,' said the March Hare.

`Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily.

`It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Hare.

`I didn't know it was YOUR table,' said Alice; `it's laid for a great many more than three.'

`Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.

`You should learn not to make personal remarks,' Alice said with some severity; `it's very rude.'

The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he SAID was, `Why is a raven like a writing-desk?'

`Come, we shall have some fun now!' thought Alice. `I'm glad they've begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,' she added aloud.

`Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?' said the March Hare.

`Exactly so,' said Alice.

`Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.

`I do,' Alice hastily replied; `at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know.'

`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. `You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the March Hare, `that "I like what I get" is the same thing as "I get what I like"!'

`You might just as well say,' added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, `that "I breathe when I sleep" is the same thing as "I sleep when I breathe"!'

`It IS the same thing with you,' said the Hatter, and here the conversation dropped, and the party sat silent for a minute, while Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn't much. (an excerpt)

Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. by Lewis Carroll. Chapter VII: A Mad Tea Party

TAX DAY

Tax Man

Miracle Medicine

Today I have run into yet another comment about sugar being better than corn syrup . I think it is replacing the premise that honey is better sugar. Each claiming the other to be poison or unhealthful. It is the same pseudo science that makes natural better than chemicals. When I hear this, I want to say that snake venom is natural. Some people do not seem to know that every thing is made from chemicals and that something that does not naturally occur may not be harmful. It is not a given than chemical compounds made by humans are always harmful. The types of sugars that human ingest, are different only in how we may use them in food, which may hide calories (degree of sweetness per calorie) or taste differently, but not how we metabolize sugar. I am not saying that we should not be concerned about how food is processed or something like why whole grain is better nutritionally or metabolized more slowly, but I do think we need to know more about the science. I also know that those old home remedies work for illnesses. What bothers me is when people give advice about serious health problems to others based on the popular pseudo science of the day. The role of placebo may have had a positive effect upon them, but I have seen where their belief didn't jive with the outcome. I once overheard a patient's vitals being taken and the nurse telling the patient that their blood pressure was extremely high. The patient was protesting that this couldn't be the case, because of the herbs being taken. The nurse took the blood pressure several times to double check. The patients pressure so high, the nurses proceeded to admit the patient to the hospital. As most of my consistent readers know I have a kidney transplant and before that I was on Dialysis. At one Dialysis unit we had patient meeting, to talk about diet, other health problems and type of care we were getting at the Dialysis unit. When one has kidney failure, a lot of functions stop, beside the kidneys filtering the blood, it controls the calcium, potassium and produces a hormone which tells the bone marrow when to produce red blood cells. To minimize the effects, one has to control their diet and fluid intake. Diet is essential, especially if you are diabetic too. At one of the meeting, I hear one dialysis patient, say that he was replacing parts of his diet by taking herbs. I was disturbed by this , because what you ate created a delicate balancing act to maintain proper level of sodium, potassium, calcium and phosphorous, otherwise dialysis could not be effective. Since I have had the transplant I have become diabetic and once again diet is number one. Carbohydrates and sugar have to be watched, instead of counting calories I have to count carbohydrates(includes sugar); so many grams each meal. Since carbohydrates break down into sugar, it really doesn't matter what flavor it is. Corn syrup, honey, white sugar, brown sugar, refined or not, doesn't matter. I can't have more whole grain carbs; the only reason to eat whole grain carbs is because they don't dump sugar in your system as fast, but the total sugar is the same. You see our bodies are not as conflicted as our brain. It uses biochemistry to keep our stuff straight, when it sees a molecule of sugar, it reacts with it, without knowledge of origin. That comment's premise; that if one's blood sugar was increasing that using sugar instead of corn syrup would be helpful. This was just one substitute, there were other sugar sources that were suppose to be better, corn syrup was poison. This really disturbed me, because there are many people who are predisposed to diabetes are caught up in the pop science of the day and will jeopardize their health, because they will not get the proper medical advice or treatment.

A point of view

25 years later Julian Bond wrote this in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/special/mlk/perspectives/reflections/bond.html

You would think

Edward W. Brooke III would be the elder statesman of the Republican Party. But do they think?

Take It Back

Let all bloggers who lean to the left, consider themselves liberal or progressive, add Liberty to their name for at least one post.

Liberty Hathor

My take on what happened - I think easy to believe;)

Since I have not been posting very often, mostly because of new back problems and a cold virus which kept me off my feet for over a week, I want to catch up a little with thoughts that have been running through my head. I have been making some comments at other blogs, but haven't mustered the energy to post here. This post consist of comments I made on other blogs.

This comment I made at Gypsy Scholar in response to this post, Professor Jasper Kim on the Financial Crisis, is my take on the financial crisis.

I think it was the speculators that got over their heads, more so than the immigrants and poor people, but blaming those people is so gauche. That did not create the financial crisis, it was that funny paper that banks bought and sold, formerly known as MBS', CDO's, CDS' and other derivatives. People made money hand over fist on these sales and the banks and other financial institutions were stuck with the bad paper, most of it far removed from the original mortgages. Even if every mortgage had been paid, eventually the worthlessness of some paper would have caused failure. No one will say it but Bernard Madoff was not the only one running scams. This is my view of the financial crisis, which I think is as true as anyone else's. I came to this conclusion based on listening to what the economist, bankers and pundits have said, not on any knowledge of economics.

For those not familiar with the acronyms MBS = mortgage backed securities, CDO = collateralized debt obligations, and CDS = credit default swaps .

At another blog, ResurrectionSong, I commented yet again where most think they know what will work to solve the financial crisis. This is a response to another comment.

"I’ve yet to hear one piece of regulation that was axed that contributed to the mess, and I’ve yet to hear one plausible alternate history where this mess wouldn’t have happened. (Emphasis on plausible.) “

You see I have read another blogger who says the opposite, whom should I believe? My common sense tells me that I don’t have enough knowledge to discern that. It also tells me that anything said here as a solution, has a high probability of being as right as the President’s proposals. Its all ideology, because you have no proof as to what will work. We have never seen in our history the exact same problem with opposite solutions. Many say what FDR did prolonged the depression, but there isn’t any proof, just a best guess that fits into a particular ideology.

We live in an era of bullshit, because we do fear the unknown, that outlier.

I also would say this also is an era of financial ignorance. We all have our take on what happened, like me, but like most, I can't propose any solutions. There may be some who know enough to provide a real solution, but we would not recognize it if we saw it? For some that would be because of ignorance and others, because it went contrary to their ideological beliefs. I really wish we could have an unbiased scientific approach to this financial crisis.

Terrorist attack a transformational act?

I was reminded of Ron Silver's death last week and thought of a tribute of another blogger. This said by R. G. Combs.

But after the 9/11 attacks, Silver had the courage and wisdom to rethink his own long-held beliefs, and — despite the hostility of the Hollywood community to which he belonged — he clearly, articulately, and passionately defended his new view of the world time and time again. For that, I greatly admired him. And I'm very sorry that he's gone.

I am thinking why would the attacks of September 11, 2001 push someone to change their political beliefs. There was no label when Al Qaeda claimed the attacks. In all of their messages, I have clearly understood their purpose is to kill Americans. A message also more religious than political. I didn't think infidel meant Democrat or Republican. Osama bin Laden's views of America had been shaped by both Democratic and Republican administrations and policies. Since the Republicans were in charge of the government, who else was going to lead the response, but George W. Bush. His leadership in this could not be compared; for no other president had had the same circumstances. If one admired Bush's response, it could only be to his response as a man, not of his party.

There were a few liberal voices, blaming terrorism on America's policies, but the majority of Democrats gave Bush everything he asked for, until his re-election and much afterward. The world view of the Republican party could not have changed the event, because it was under their administration with their world view that escalated their assistance and armed Osama bin Laden in his fight against the Soviets. Their only concern was to fight the Evil Empire, not the democratization of Afghanistan. If one thought of the Republicans as the only ones with neo-con sensibilities, there were Democrats that were complicit in arming the rebels and osculating the Afghan war with the soviets.

I have given my reasons why I think that one would not have had reason to change their political beliefs, so I can only assume that emotions cause by the attacks on September 11, were so strong that fear became their guiding force. I am one that also believes that neither war in Afghanistan nor Iraq has made us any safer; considering how few people it took to bomb the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19,1995 and those people did it for totally different reasons than Al Qaeda.

If beliefs have been held and molded most of ones life, terrorism becomes a transformational act when your intellect has been disturbed, such that your ideas change suddenly; I would say that the terrorist have achieved their purpose.

Optical Illusion

The Second Amendment

Grubs and Mushrooms

If you view the Astronomy Picture of the Day, everyday, on my sidebar, you eventually get to realize how vast the size of the universe. Man's ego cannot make us small, even though we are. In a religious sense some of us see an end, but that also includes the universe, not just the end of man. The rest of us do not see the end of man as a species. We think our technology, our humanness, that our ability to adapt will kept our species from becoming extinct or at least marginal.

Technology whether simple or complicated require resources. The simple tools of farming; plow, pitchfork, shovel, wagon, and a working animal, can not produce any crop if the soil is spent. When there is virtually little fuel left, it would more likely to use it to keep us warm and for cooking, than for reprocessing or reclamation. Machines will wear out and lie dormant, when parts can't be made to repair them. Innovation can also lie dormant for centuries. We have seen where in certain religious or political climates, innovation has been stifled on purpose.

We never think that this will happen. We think we can change the environment, slow global warning or we don't think of it at all. We hardly ever think of slowing ourselves down. As we grow in population we will pave over topsoil and move our food supply to each country until there is none left. Only in a crisis do we think grow locally. So far the crisis hasn't lasted long to influence all of us. We will shift out energy resources for oil, but when that happens, our use will be as great. Not to worry, there is plenty of wind; not thinking that the transmission of energy still takes its toll on resources, the copper, the fiber, the machines.

There will be creatures that will adapt without technology, that will live in the niches of the environment humans have left. We have to learn that innovation and technology can not always save us or we may fall into that niche, where we will be eating grubs and mushrooms.

If there were no other debt since September 30, 2008

There would be a little over 10 trillion dollars in Public Debt for the U.S. and as they say now, our grand children will be paying for that The budget deficit last year was $455,000,000,000.(page 7 of this GAO report) From Federal fiscal year 2000 to 2008, the public debt has nearly doubled.

Did a cat have the Republican's tongues the past eight years? Will our grand children notice the increase from the Obama administration?

Congratulations, Mr. President!

It is at the end of a long day. I remained mostly unemotional through the ceremonies, until an Italian American co-worker told me that he was proud to be an American today. Then the tears started to come, but I held them back with a smile. I watched most of the day and had to see the First Lady's gown. I, like most people who voted have no expectation that President Obama will walk on water, contrary to those who are without understanding. I only wish the President the best.

Post Racial?

Recently much has been made of the progress from Martin Luther King Jr. 's time and Barack Hussein Obama's inauguration tomorrow.

Last year reading, seeing and hearing these kinds of comments, I wonder.

Hatred at Palin Rally in Johnstown, PA

This reminded me of the kind of anger and taunts experienced when desegregating lunch counter, schools, and during peaceful protest marches.

The last words of M. L. King's, March on Washington speech are not yet self evident.

When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

I Have a Dream - Address at March on Washington

The Party of Lincoln - The Betrayal

Quite often the question to Black folk asks why we support the Democratic party when there have been racist among them. Mostly asked by folk who are Republican, as if there were no racist among them, especially in the south. Perhaps a reasonable question, since the first party of Black folk was the party of Lincoln. As I see it, there are two answers to this question; after the Great Depression, Black folk who could vote, voted their self interest and the betrayal by the Republicans.

Weighing in cotton. Pulaski County, Arkansas. Oct. 1935.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

What Republican forget, is during the Great Depression most Blacks lived in the south. Their jobs were mostly dependent upon service in middle class and rich white homes, share cropping and picking cotton. For the most part, they were poorer than the poorer whites. Most of their destiny was dependent upon white people's fortunes. People without, can not depend upon ideology to provide for them and the programs of FDR offered, appeared to them a better way than do nothing market theory. Still there were many Blacks who remained, quite a few because they were comfortable with the changes that had occurred since Reconstruction. They believed in self determination and the free market model, but they also were aware of the inequality of Black people and the need to be your brother's keeper at times.

The March to Montgomery
March 25, 1965

There is no doubt from the sign in the picture, that "States Rights" is synonymous to "Racial Integrity". It is very clear that it is a code word meaning to keep segregation. That was the Republican Party's stance on desegregation "States Rights." Trying to take the high road with ideology, when every southerner knew what that meant. The liturgy of the racist Democrats, Dixiecrats, who had tainted the Republican Party when they moved their party affiliation. When they were accepted with open arms, that was the final betrayal of Black folks after it became too hard for Republicans to support Black folk after Reconstruction. More recently they have perfected Black bashing, as part of their fight in the cultural wars. It is interesting that those asking the question don't see this or realize that even though some blacks may be conservative, their reaction to racism trumps any other ideology.

When I'm Sixty Four

It will be thirteen days.

When I'm Sixty-Four - with Lyrics

I will be 64 in a few weeks. I am amazed how fast I have gotten here in spite of the fact that many horrific years seemed to have moved so slowly. The Beatles song When I'm Sixty Four poses the questions of love, when time has changed us. When you are young, you might have thought the mind ages with the body. By the time I was forty I knew this was not true, becoming mature is not the same as aging. I still have the same intellect, curiosity, desires and needs as I did at 25. Unfortunately, the body does age and changes so much. Since I have not grown old with someone, I wonder if anyone can love, need and feed me.

2009

Happy New Year,Y'all

No resolutions. No predictions. Only one wish for the world. Quite and Peace!