Today has been a fairly peaceful day. I've spent most of it reading, both online and off. At least the coffee is good!
I was watching Chris Matthews on MSNBC a while ago. What a grinning idiot. He's amused by Blago, and Rush Limbaugh, when he should be serious about the national disgrace. He claims, "the president made a mistake when he took on Rush Limbaugh." Oh, really? The President's not trying to change the mind of the dittoheads; that would be like reanimating zombies and teaching them not to eat brains.
Limbaugh coined the term "Porkulus" for the stimulus package. Really, he was hoisting himself on his own petard. Who better fits the moniker, Porkulus, than the big, fat, drug-addicted pig himself? Porkulus, bend over and grab your ankles, as you're fond of saying, because we're comin' for ya!
In the meantime, tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day. Meeting with Bonni and Stef in the morning, and SD Symphony with my parents that night. I'm looking forward to the fun! I don't get out as often as I'd like anymore, though I'm not as bad as my roommate, who stays inside his chamber 23/7. But then again, those noxious clouds of pungeant smoke emanating from under his door probably explain his lassitude.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Stimulate This!
So, California is destined to receive $32 billion from the Obama stimulus package. A lot of the aid will go towards healthcare, especially our ailing Medicaid system (known as Medi-Cal in California). But, is our illustrious "governator" happy? Not at all. He believes "California should solve its own problems by ouselves." WTF?
In other words, the Shwartzy wants to take a meat axe to the state public heathcare system; it's always been a Republican wet-dream, to kill the poor off. Who needs the poor, the sick, the elderly anyway? In mythic Conan times, they would have just exposed the sick, given hemlock to the old, and driven the poor to be serfs on a noble's estate. Paradoxically, the people who decry evolution as "Darwinism" comprise the largest number of social Darwinists.
This reminds me of Mayor Sanders (of San Diego), another Republican do-nothing. He announced a few weeks ago that he doesn't want to spend any incoming federal infrastructure money on our new downtown library (which was postponed to build a ballpark for one of baseball's most inept teams) because "the rest of the money should come from private donors." Again, WTF? In a time when even millionaires are tightening their belts, where does Mayor Head-in-the-Sanders expect to discover a plethora of private donors?
People who voted for these morons should have their License to Vote revoked.
In other words, the Shwartzy wants to take a meat axe to the state public heathcare system; it's always been a Republican wet-dream, to kill the poor off. Who needs the poor, the sick, the elderly anyway? In mythic Conan times, they would have just exposed the sick, given hemlock to the old, and driven the poor to be serfs on a noble's estate. Paradoxically, the people who decry evolution as "Darwinism" comprise the largest number of social Darwinists.
This reminds me of Mayor Sanders (of San Diego), another Republican do-nothing. He announced a few weeks ago that he doesn't want to spend any incoming federal infrastructure money on our new downtown library (which was postponed to build a ballpark for one of baseball's most inept teams) because "the rest of the money should come from private donors." Again, WTF? In a time when even millionaires are tightening their belts, where does Mayor Head-in-the-Sanders expect to discover a plethora of private donors?
People who voted for these morons should have their License to Vote revoked.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wind Chill Fascism
Well, it's 40 degrees outside, here in lovely Mira Mesa. For San Diego city, that's downright frigid. Although I'm a fan of cool weather, this temperature makes me glad to be inside my cozy apartment, drinking coffee, and reading the news. I expect to miss these nights soon enough--by the end of the week we'll be back to 80-degree Santa Ana winds. "Here come those Santa Ana winds again," Becker and Fagin once wrote.
Other than that, it's been a fairly craptacular day. It started off with the ventilator flashing "HW Fault," and Minda the nurse frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. The problem resolved after a call or three to the respiratory care people, who explained to her how to remove and vacuum out the small, rectangular filter on the side of the vent. These newer style vents, like my LTV 800, run a turbine that pushes air in and out of the circuit (tubing). They are basically a computer with a turbine attached, inside a box about the size of a laptop computer. And like any computer, they are prone to overheating if the fan ducts get clogged. Sigh...
Speaking of computers, my laptop computer is completely hosed for now. Harold evidently caught the "MS Antivirus" malware during one of his late-night porn junkets. Basically, it's a mechanical-electronic STD. Brad, my roommate, spent an hour trying to get an anti-malware program installed on the machine, but evidently the script that runs the malware is smart enough to intercept it and stop the installation. We'll keep trying, but I suspect a reformat and reinstall of Windows is in the works.
This is the second machine that Harold has bollixed up, in three years. I don't know what to do with him. He's almost proud of being computer-ignorant, and I sometims suspect he's got some passive-aggressive need to sabotage the computers. I only wish he'd take out his anger issues on someone else's machines! He screwed himself too, though, because his son's science project is on it, and the whole thing will have to be wiped, I'm pretty sure.
I did buy a neat little WD backup external drive on Saturday. Tonight I'll be backing up my desktop, which is crucial. If H. had waited one more week to screw things up, both the laptop and desktop would have been safeguarded.
Ah, well, what are friends for? Apparently to reinforce the need to counter righteous anger with bouts of Christian forgiveness.
Other than that, it's been a fairly craptacular day. It started off with the ventilator flashing "HW Fault," and Minda the nurse frantically trying to figure out what was wrong. The problem resolved after a call or three to the respiratory care people, who explained to her how to remove and vacuum out the small, rectangular filter on the side of the vent. These newer style vents, like my LTV 800, run a turbine that pushes air in and out of the circuit (tubing). They are basically a computer with a turbine attached, inside a box about the size of a laptop computer. And like any computer, they are prone to overheating if the fan ducts get clogged. Sigh...
Speaking of computers, my laptop computer is completely hosed for now. Harold evidently caught the "MS Antivirus" malware during one of his late-night porn junkets. Basically, it's a mechanical-electronic STD. Brad, my roommate, spent an hour trying to get an anti-malware program installed on the machine, but evidently the script that runs the malware is smart enough to intercept it and stop the installation. We'll keep trying, but I suspect a reformat and reinstall of Windows is in the works.
This is the second machine that Harold has bollixed up, in three years. I don't know what to do with him. He's almost proud of being computer-ignorant, and I sometims suspect he's got some passive-aggressive need to sabotage the computers. I only wish he'd take out his anger issues on someone else's machines! He screwed himself too, though, because his son's science project is on it, and the whole thing will have to be wiped, I'm pretty sure.
I did buy a neat little WD backup external drive on Saturday. Tonight I'll be backing up my desktop, which is crucial. If H. had waited one more week to screw things up, both the laptop and desktop would have been safeguarded.
Ah, well, what are friends for? Apparently to reinforce the need to counter righteous anger with bouts of Christian forgiveness.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Prosecute Bush!
At first, I was against the notion of prosecuting Bush administration officials for high crimes. I believed, as does President Obama, that we should look forward, not back, at that legal proceedings would merely give the wingnuts ammunition for vicious partisan attacks, as well as a bully pulpit to slam Democrats as "traitors".
However, as time has passed, and I see the president's efforts to accomodate the Republicans thrown back in his face (look at McCain's denunciation of the Stimulus Plan today, for example), I have concluded it's high time to draw blood (metaphorically speaking) in the ongoing struggle to retake America from the fascists and Christianists. Remember your words, Mr. President: "I won." Now is the time to act like we WON.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Medical Mystery Tour
Three things have been aggravating me about the world of medicine this week. First of all, I was supposed to go into Sharp Hospital's "Outpatient Pavilion" on Wednesday to have drainage tubes put in my ears.* Yes, it's the same little operation kids have all the time. When I was young, I never had ear infections, so my hearing has always been excellent, and I never needed tubes. However, after my 5-week ordeal, lying on my back in the hospital last summer and fall, I started having hearing problems, like I had cotton in both ears. I can still hear, but get to annoy everyone by blasting my 5.1 surround sound system through the apartment complex whenever Keith Olbermann engages in another diatribe against Bush.
So anyway, my surgeon from last summer recommended an ENT guy to "fix" my ears. After three visits, he resigned himself to having to operate to insert the tubes. Subsequent to scheduling the surgery at the "Pavilion" last week, I got a call today from the hospital's nurse telling me they can't accept me for outpatient surgery. Why? Because they require that outpatients be ambulatory. What the bloody hell? "Fire regulations," the friendly nurse, Dorothy, told me. "You have to be able to transfer yourself and walk in case of an emergency."
Does the above make any sense to you? How can any patient who's just been subject to anesthesia be expected to walk out of the hospital? Wheelchair or not, I feel this is descriminatory treatment, and I may call Protection and Advocacy tomorrow to see what their opinion says. Now I have to wait for a call from the ENT doc's nurse tomorrow, telling me when I have to go to the main hospital. They haven't informed me yet if I'll have to be admitted overnight, or if I can just drop by for a few hours. Whatever the case, I intend to ask for plenty of Dilaudid!
Meanwhile, I was talking over my medications today with Minda, one of my home care nurses. There was some confusion over how much Bactrim I should take each night, because the pill bottle from the pharmacy contradicts what the doctor told me. Well, I tried calling my urologist's office to get the issue straightened out, only to find out his number has been disconnected, "... and there is no new number." Evidently he retired last October, and neglected to inform me. Isn't there some kind of ethical problem here? Or am I just too demanding? What if I'd come down with a UTI and urgently needed my Cipro refilled? Finally, I called 411, and got connected to the doctor's old voice mail. A female operator robotically assured me I can obtain my medical records by sending a check for $20 to the doctor's PO box.
Now, maybe if I had been a brand-new patient, I could understand better the urologist's forgetting to inform me of his retirement, but I have been seeing this guy for 20 years. I always thought professionalism demanded that a doctor retiring would take on a new partner, and refer his old patients to the new guy, or at least find another guy to take the practice. Professionalism, like Chivalry, seems to be taking a dirt nap.
Then, lastly, my nurse was having a hissy fit because the meds on my chart don't always match exactly what I've been taking. The agency and the nurses treat me like a child. I apparently surrendered my right to consult a doctor on my own when I undertook home nursing care. Again, what the bloody HELL?
Years ago, I got an autographed copy of a Dr. Seuss book about being in the hospital. The elderly lady friend who gave me the book was an acquaintance of Ted Geisel. She confessed to me that Geisel had wanted to make the book a lot stronger, but was afraid of "what they'd do to him."
Why does "patient" have to equal "object," or "victim"? Stop with the reification already! I would like to do away with the term "patient" and just have it replaced by "client." A "patient," after all, is (based on the French root word) merely "one who waits." Doctors and nurses should wait on US; we should not be subservient to their convenience.
* Yes, "Pavilion." Doesn't that Newspeak sound so much better than "hospital," or "clinic"? It reminds me of the old Far Side cartoon, where the dog leaned his head out the car window and bragged to the cat on the sidewalk, "Haha! I'm going to the vet's to be tutored!"
So anyway, my surgeon from last summer recommended an ENT guy to "fix" my ears. After three visits, he resigned himself to having to operate to insert the tubes. Subsequent to scheduling the surgery at the "Pavilion" last week, I got a call today from the hospital's nurse telling me they can't accept me for outpatient surgery. Why? Because they require that outpatients be ambulatory. What the bloody hell? "Fire regulations," the friendly nurse, Dorothy, told me. "You have to be able to transfer yourself and walk in case of an emergency."
Does the above make any sense to you? How can any patient who's just been subject to anesthesia be expected to walk out of the hospital? Wheelchair or not, I feel this is descriminatory treatment, and I may call Protection and Advocacy tomorrow to see what their opinion says. Now I have to wait for a call from the ENT doc's nurse tomorrow, telling me when I have to go to the main hospital. They haven't informed me yet if I'll have to be admitted overnight, or if I can just drop by for a few hours. Whatever the case, I intend to ask for plenty of Dilaudid!
Meanwhile, I was talking over my medications today with Minda, one of my home care nurses. There was some confusion over how much Bactrim I should take each night, because the pill bottle from the pharmacy contradicts what the doctor told me. Well, I tried calling my urologist's office to get the issue straightened out, only to find out his number has been disconnected, "... and there is no new number." Evidently he retired last October, and neglected to inform me. Isn't there some kind of ethical problem here? Or am I just too demanding? What if I'd come down with a UTI and urgently needed my Cipro refilled? Finally, I called 411, and got connected to the doctor's old voice mail. A female operator robotically assured me I can obtain my medical records by sending a check for $20 to the doctor's PO box.
Now, maybe if I had been a brand-new patient, I could understand better the urologist's forgetting to inform me of his retirement, but I have been seeing this guy for 20 years. I always thought professionalism demanded that a doctor retiring would take on a new partner, and refer his old patients to the new guy, or at least find another guy to take the practice. Professionalism, like Chivalry, seems to be taking a dirt nap.
Then, lastly, my nurse was having a hissy fit because the meds on my chart don't always match exactly what I've been taking. The agency and the nurses treat me like a child. I apparently surrendered my right to consult a doctor on my own when I undertook home nursing care. Again, what the bloody HELL?
Years ago, I got an autographed copy of a Dr. Seuss book about being in the hospital. The elderly lady friend who gave me the book was an acquaintance of Ted Geisel. She confessed to me that Geisel had wanted to make the book a lot stronger, but was afraid of "what they'd do to him."
Why does "patient" have to equal "object," or "victim"? Stop with the reification already! I would like to do away with the term "patient" and just have it replaced by "client." A "patient," after all, is (based on the French root word) merely "one who waits." Doctors and nurses should wait on US; we should not be subservient to their convenience.
* Yes, "Pavilion." Doesn't that Newspeak sound so much better than "hospital," or "clinic"? It reminds me of the old Far Side cartoon, where the dog leaned his head out the car window and bragged to the cat on the sidewalk, "Haha! I'm going to the vet's to be tutored!"
Friday, January 02, 2009
Another Holiday Passes Us By
Christmas 2008 seemed fairly identical to that of the previous few years. We had dinner at my parents' house, followed by presents, all on Christmas Eve as we traditionally enjoy it. Dorene, Rich, and the boys werre there, as were Alicia, Tien, and their brood of boys. Dorene had two foster boys with us. One was named "Omar," and I can't remember the name of the second one.
My parents are always very generous, and give presents even to the foster kids, who change from Christmas to Christmas. As for myself, presents with a high cool factor were hard to come by. I did get a new red flannel night shirt, a Simpsons Calendar, and a couple of B&N gift cards. Yay! All these things were on my list, so I guess it's a prime example of "be careful what you ask for." ;)
The day after Christmas, Harold and I trundled off to the local Worst Buy. Once inside the store, I made a beeline to the video game section and purchased an XBox 360 Elite. The device comes with two free games, which I haven't even opened yet. I have spent some time playing the latest version of CoD, but don't feel competent enough yet to plunge into online play. I'd rather not look like a total noob!
Meanwhile, I've also played some WOW as Karnakk, my 55 Orc Hunter. I've been trying to get him to 55 so I can start a Death Knight character. Stay tuned! Yes, it's a game-playing time of year. :) The weather outside is cool, and Harold won't relinquish "his" van anyway. I had wanted to go with Corky to the Autoshow, but couldn't do it without transportation. Sigh...
On the other hand, my parents did come over for New Years Eve. My mom brought the new "Mamma Mia" DVD I had bought her for Christmas. Yikes! Gayest film I've ever seen... It makes "Brokeback Mountain" look like "Rooster Cogburn." But more on that later.
Happy New Year to all!
David
My parents are always very generous, and give presents even to the foster kids, who change from Christmas to Christmas. As for myself, presents with a high cool factor were hard to come by. I did get a new red flannel night shirt, a Simpsons Calendar, and a couple of B&N gift cards. Yay! All these things were on my list, so I guess it's a prime example of "be careful what you ask for." ;)
The day after Christmas, Harold and I trundled off to the local Worst Buy. Once inside the store, I made a beeline to the video game section and purchased an XBox 360 Elite. The device comes with two free games, which I haven't even opened yet. I have spent some time playing the latest version of CoD, but don't feel competent enough yet to plunge into online play. I'd rather not look like a total noob!
Meanwhile, I've also played some WOW as Karnakk, my 55 Orc Hunter. I've been trying to get him to 55 so I can start a Death Knight character. Stay tuned! Yes, it's a game-playing time of year. :) The weather outside is cool, and Harold won't relinquish "his" van anyway. I had wanted to go with Corky to the Autoshow, but couldn't do it without transportation. Sigh...
On the other hand, my parents did come over for New Years Eve. My mom brought the new "Mamma Mia" DVD I had bought her for Christmas. Yikes! Gayest film I've ever seen... It makes "Brokeback Mountain" look like "Rooster Cogburn." But more on that later.
Happy New Year to all!
David
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Bush Gets the Shoe!
Iraq's Funniest Home Videos. The Great Misunderestimator takes one for the team!
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Boycott Alabama, and the Republican Traitors
I came across this article (see below) on the Web today. I'm glad to see average US citizens calling for action. These Southern Republican hypocrites want to let Detrot die, all the while lining their pockets with cash from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. These crafty morons rail against government bailouts, failing to report that their own states have given billions in tax rebates and concessions to foreign automakers. They use key words like "free market," but these phrases consist of Orwellian rhetoric.
What they want to do is bust unions, cut benefits, and line the pockets of executives. Destroying the American auto industry is a means to an end. That end is the subjugation of all workers to the corporate state. And you know what corporate statism is? Fascism: the first things Hitler and Mussolini did were to bust unions and patronize the corporations.
The rich prey off the poor and the middle class, all the while plunging the average worker and consumer into a race to the bottom. It's time to stop the Wal-Martization of America. It's time to take our Republic back.
Throw the oligarchs and their publicly paid cronies in prison, like Putin did in Russia, then let's make them squeal and cough up their stolen money.
Local Man Calls For Boycott of Alabama
Huntington Woods (WWJ) -- Joe Babiasz says he's sick of the 'circus of the Senate hearings'--and he wants 49 states and the District of Columbia to boycott the state of Alabama. Why? The Huntington Woods man says he's tired of the criticism of the Big 3 by Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby.
So, he's set up a website to further his cause: www.boycottalabamanow.com
Babiasz, who retired from General Motors after 34 years, told WWJ his boycott is for "any travel into the state, or the purchase of anything that's produced within the state of Alabama."
"It is to show Senator Shelby what it's like when hard-working, innocent people are not helped in the system by the government. Senator Shelby has been the most vocal critic of the Big 3," he said.
Babiasz said he's standing behind the industry that gave him a career. "We build excellent products. We are as good or better than any Japanese or European product on a price-point basis. I'm very proud of that."
What they want to do is bust unions, cut benefits, and line the pockets of executives. Destroying the American auto industry is a means to an end. That end is the subjugation of all workers to the corporate state. And you know what corporate statism is? Fascism: the first things Hitler and Mussolini did were to bust unions and patronize the corporations.
The rich prey off the poor and the middle class, all the while plunging the average worker and consumer into a race to the bottom. It's time to stop the Wal-Martization of America. It's time to take our Republic back.
Throw the oligarchs and their publicly paid cronies in prison, like Putin did in Russia, then let's make them squeal and cough up their stolen money.
Local Man Calls For Boycott of Alabama
Huntington Woods (WWJ) -- Joe Babiasz says he's sick of the 'circus of the Senate hearings'--and he wants 49 states and the District of Columbia to boycott the state of Alabama. Why? The Huntington Woods man says he's tired of the criticism of the Big 3 by Alabama Republican Senator Richard Shelby.
So, he's set up a website to further his cause: www.boycottalabamanow.com
Babiasz, who retired from General Motors after 34 years, told WWJ his boycott is for "any travel into the state, or the purchase of anything that's produced within the state of Alabama."
"It is to show Senator Shelby what it's like when hard-working, innocent people are not helped in the system by the government. Senator Shelby has been the most vocal critic of the Big 3," he said.
Babiasz said he's standing behind the industry that gave him a career. "We build excellent products. We are as good or better than any Japanese or European product on a price-point basis. I'm very proud of that."
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Response to Michael Moore’s Bulletin on Detroit's Failing Auto Industry
On the other hand, I drive a 92 Chevy G10 (full-sized) van and it never breaks down nor needs anything other than regular maintanance. At the time I bought the van, it was one of the few that could handle a power wheelchair and an electric lift.
It's true that the van doesn't get more than 18 mpg with its small block V8, but hey, it's a truck. Am I supposed to haul my disability stuff around in a glorified vegetable cart?
My family used to own Nissans (aka, Datsuns) and they were finicky and expensive to repair. Since the late 80s, my parents have owned Saturns and Chevys, with nary a problem. My parents' two Malibu Maxes get 33 mpg, look great, and don't break down at all.
A friend of mine who works in construction owns a Ford F150--de rigeur equipment for working, middle-class folks in his field. Why should he buy and equally gas-guzzling Nissan Titan or Armada for more money? If anyone has been paying attention, they'd notice the Japanese and Koreans have been falling all over themselves for the past decades to turn out monster SUVs, and they've been selling them to Americans dumb enough to not pay attention to what the Japanese and Koreans actually buy in their own countries.
Besides, aren't the European and Japanese car makers also requesting help from their governments? Don't many of them already receive subsidies? And hasn't Japan been in a recession since the 90s?
This isn't to say that I disagree with the notion of buying the Big 3 and replacing their management. And as a train/mass transit user, I love the idea of putting Detroit to work rebuilding the infrastructure they helped destroy. What I am saying is that not all the blame can be placed on Detroit's "crappy cars." That seems to be part of the public mythology these days, but we can't bet our future on myth-based decision-making. George W. Bush tried that, and look where it got us.
Maybe you shouldn't have bought a Chrysler, Mike, and I say that with all due respect. I'll keep putting gas in my 92 Chevy for years to come.
It's true that the van doesn't get more than 18 mpg with its small block V8, but hey, it's a truck. Am I supposed to haul my disability stuff around in a glorified vegetable cart?
My family used to own Nissans (aka, Datsuns) and they were finicky and expensive to repair. Since the late 80s, my parents have owned Saturns and Chevys, with nary a problem. My parents' two Malibu Maxes get 33 mpg, look great, and don't break down at all.
A friend of mine who works in construction owns a Ford F150--de rigeur equipment for working, middle-class folks in his field. Why should he buy and equally gas-guzzling Nissan Titan or Armada for more money? If anyone has been paying attention, they'd notice the Japanese and Koreans have been falling all over themselves for the past decades to turn out monster SUVs, and they've been selling them to Americans dumb enough to not pay attention to what the Japanese and Koreans actually buy in their own countries.
Besides, aren't the European and Japanese car makers also requesting help from their governments? Don't many of them already receive subsidies? And hasn't Japan been in a recession since the 90s?
This isn't to say that I disagree with the notion of buying the Big 3 and replacing their management. And as a train/mass transit user, I love the idea of putting Detroit to work rebuilding the infrastructure they helped destroy. What I am saying is that not all the blame can be placed on Detroit's "crappy cars." That seems to be part of the public mythology these days, but we can't bet our future on myth-based decision-making. George W. Bush tried that, and look where it got us.
Maybe you shouldn't have bought a Chrysler, Mike, and I say that with all due respect. I'll keep putting gas in my 92 Chevy for years to come.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Episodes of a Lost Life
So what really happened last July?
On the last Sunday of July, I suffered an acute case of diverticulitis, and had to rush to the ER at Sharp Hospital. The ER wasn't as crowded as I expected; my parents and I only had to wait about two hours. Then I was shown one of the small, white and sterile rooms, where i finally got into a bed (I was feeling very tired and sleepy). After running some blood tests, the staff scheduled me for a CT scan. The scan itself wasn't bad, but having to drink a quart of "contrast" fluid about did me in. Why is it hospitals do their best to make you feel worse when you're already feeling terrible?
After the scan, my gurney was wheeled into the main ER ward, where only a privacy curtain separated me from the rest of the patients. After another period of waiting and tests, a nurse told me "the surgeon will operate on you in an hour."
"What?" I asked the pretty blonde nurse. I hadn't realized I was that sick, really. I've had diverticulosis for many years, and never had an infection or admission to a hospital for it before.
"You're a very sick man," one of the ER doctors told me.
"What kind of surgery?"
"A colostomy."
I wasn't happy, but after a shot or two of dilaudid, I ceased to care very much. Then a urologist appeared from behind the white curtain and performed the obligatory catheterization. Modern medicine: If you don't have a hole where they need one, they drill it for you. Medicine is the only profession where you get charged for your own pain and suffering.
Outside the waiting area for the operating room, I finally met the surgeon, Dr. Jackson. He seemed rather cool and abrupt. I asked him to make the colostomy reversible, but he didn't believe that would be possible.
"If you have contractions, we can't get you into the right position for a reversal," he stated. Meanwhile, a young RT hung out with me, and we made bawdy jokes about the cute young nurses passing by. A few raised eyebrows; others just smiled knowingly.
I awoke the next day missing my sigmoide colon and adorned with an open abdominal wound and a colostomy. I say "awoke," but that is using the term generously. Basically, I spent the next week in a sort of waking dream. Faces appeared and hovered over me in a kind of fog. My fancy new bed in the ICU could play nature sounds: birds twittering and water gushing over falls. The time was really rather blissful.
Overall, I spent five weeks in the hospital, and came home in September. Since then, I have been slowly recovering. I am still taking oxycodone for pain, but one benefit is I am on "doctor's orders" to eat anything and everything I want, especially food with protein.
On the last Sunday of July, I suffered an acute case of diverticulitis, and had to rush to the ER at Sharp Hospital. The ER wasn't as crowded as I expected; my parents and I only had to wait about two hours. Then I was shown one of the small, white and sterile rooms, where i finally got into a bed (I was feeling very tired and sleepy). After running some blood tests, the staff scheduled me for a CT scan. The scan itself wasn't bad, but having to drink a quart of "contrast" fluid about did me in. Why is it hospitals do their best to make you feel worse when you're already feeling terrible?
After the scan, my gurney was wheeled into the main ER ward, where only a privacy curtain separated me from the rest of the patients. After another period of waiting and tests, a nurse told me "the surgeon will operate on you in an hour."
"What?" I asked the pretty blonde nurse. I hadn't realized I was that sick, really. I've had diverticulosis for many years, and never had an infection or admission to a hospital for it before.
"You're a very sick man," one of the ER doctors told me.
"What kind of surgery?"
"A colostomy."
I wasn't happy, but after a shot or two of dilaudid, I ceased to care very much. Then a urologist appeared from behind the white curtain and performed the obligatory catheterization. Modern medicine: If you don't have a hole where they need one, they drill it for you. Medicine is the only profession where you get charged for your own pain and suffering.
Outside the waiting area for the operating room, I finally met the surgeon, Dr. Jackson. He seemed rather cool and abrupt. I asked him to make the colostomy reversible, but he didn't believe that would be possible.
"If you have contractions, we can't get you into the right position for a reversal," he stated. Meanwhile, a young RT hung out with me, and we made bawdy jokes about the cute young nurses passing by. A few raised eyebrows; others just smiled knowingly.
I awoke the next day missing my sigmoide colon and adorned with an open abdominal wound and a colostomy. I say "awoke," but that is using the term generously. Basically, I spent the next week in a sort of waking dream. Faces appeared and hovered over me in a kind of fog. My fancy new bed in the ICU could play nature sounds: birds twittering and water gushing over falls. The time was really rather blissful.
Overall, I spent five weeks in the hospital, and came home in September. Since then, I have been slowly recovering. I am still taking oxycodone for pain, but one benefit is I am on "doctor's orders" to eat anything and everything I want, especially food with protein.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
American Voices: It’s Cool to Be Cool Again
Sixty-six million Americans have raised their voices and made themselves heard for a brighter, more optimistic future. Dick Cheney's "Taxi to the Dark Side" has lost a wheel and run into a deep ditch.
Chill out, conservatives (and I use the term lightly--spending $10 billion a month on a foreign war is something a true conservative like Pat Buchanan can't even stomach); you've had 28 years to drag the nation to ruin. Now it's the people's turn to set the ship aright.
Chill out, conservatives (and I use the term lightly--spending $10 billion a month on a foreign war is something a true conservative like Pat Buchanan can't even stomach); you've had 28 years to drag the nation to ruin. Now it's the people's turn to set the ship aright.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
I’m Becoming a Borg
I think I'm becoming a Borg. Remember the Borg from STNG? Part humanoid, part machine. Since the surgery in late July, I've aquired a new "appliance," just the smart and stylish accessory to my 26-year-old life with a ventilator.
I think I'm becoming a Borg. How many more holes can the surgeons drill in me? How many more tubes and bags and "appliances"?
I think I'm becoming a Borg. Captain Picard, where are my superhuman powers? I too want to roam the universe and zap other beings with my phaser arm.
I think I'm becoming a Borg. Repeat after me: "Resistance is futile."
I think I'm becoming a Borg. How many more holes can the surgeons drill in me? How many more tubes and bags and "appliances"?
I think I'm becoming a Borg. Captain Picard, where are my superhuman powers? I too want to roam the universe and zap other beings with my phaser arm.
I think I'm becoming a Borg. Repeat after me: "Resistance is futile."
Friday, April 11, 2008
The Only Thing I Hate Worse than a Dilemma is a Conundrum
Let's see... I spent the week working on 4 different projects. Joe was out sick again and Clarence had to fill in for him. My roommate still owes me $640. My TV is still broken and the repairman hasn't figured out what's wrong with it yet.
I suppose "life" remains better than the alternative, but I can't figure out exactly why.
I suppose "life" remains better than the alternative, but I can't figure out exactly why.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Et tu, Pompeii?
I went to the Pompeii exhibit ("A Day in Pompeii") at the SDNHM yesterday. It was small, but fascinating. I couldn’t help but let my eyes linger over the many small, intricate artifacts. Then the thought occured to me:
In 2000 years, museums will be displaying items dug up for "A Day in San Diego." Sadly, the junk that they put on display (iPods, computers, HDTVs) will all lead the scientists to conclude that our civilization was a backwater colony of China.
In 2000 years, museums will be displaying items dug up for "A Day in San Diego." Sadly, the junk that they put on display (iPods, computers, HDTVs) will all lead the scientists to conclude that our civilization was a backwater colony of China.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Lamest Movie Catch Phrase--EVER
I was just looking at an ad for the new movie, Shutter. The catch phrase at the bottom of the ad said: "The most terrifying images are the ones that are real."
Gee, no kidding? Man, I thought that pointilliste watercolor of a bear eating a man was SO much more frightening than a videotape of the same thing!
Has our society truly hit the rock bottom of banality? Even more ironic and stupid, of course, is the fact that Shutter is a *movie* and nothing depicted in it is real...
*sigh*
And while that crap clogs the collective cloaca of movie theaters, why can’t the Mira Mesa theater host In Bruges? Looks like I have to go to Hillcrest to see it.
Gee, no kidding? Man, I thought that pointilliste watercolor of a bear eating a man was SO much more frightening than a videotape of the same thing!
Has our society truly hit the rock bottom of banality? Even more ironic and stupid, of course, is the fact that Shutter is a *movie* and nothing depicted in it is real...
*sigh*
And while that crap clogs the collective cloaca of movie theaters, why can’t the Mira Mesa theater host In Bruges? Looks like I have to go to Hillcrest to see it.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
New LOST theories
So, I was watching LOST tonight, and suddenly had an epiphany. Here’s some of what I think is going on.
1. There are three groups involved in the battle for control of the island. Group 1: the "Hostiles, aka "Others." These are the aboriginal people, probably descended from the crew of the Black Rock, who remained on the island after the shipwreck. Some of those characters, like Richard, probably ARE members of the Black Rock crew, as is/was Jacob the Invisible.
2. Group 2: The DHARMA Initiative. We now know that the Hanso family, who funded the initiative, are descended from the Hanso who wrote the Black Rock’s log that was auctioned off to Charles Widmore. Alvar Hanso probably knew about the island, and deliberately placed the DHARMA group there to research its phenomena.
3. Charles Widmore. Widmore owns Widmore Pharmaceuticals, and he wants the power of the island for his own profit.
Now, the Losties are Group 4. It seems, from the flash forwards, that many of them stayed behind, and only 6 left for the mainland. My guess: the final episode of LOST will conclude with the Oceanic 6 returning to the island and reuniting with the rest of the castaways.
So anyway, here’s my BIG epiphany, which suddenly dawned on me tonight while watching Jin’s flashback and Sun’s flash forward. EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND is "unstuck" in time. Some, like Desmond, have become aware of it. Others are experiencing the same phenomenon, but are not (yet) self-aware. I’ve always wondered why the writers chose to tell the story via flashbacks (and no flash forwards). Flashbacks are normally static, and don’t propel a story forward. They just backfill. And yet, LOST does progress, because it’s essentially a mystery, and the revelations drive the mystery.
Time passes "differently" on the island. The island is out of synch with the local universe. The passengers on 815 are now experiencing, in each episode, what Star Trek once called Amok Time.
More later.
1. There are three groups involved in the battle for control of the island. Group 1: the "Hostiles, aka "Others." These are the aboriginal people, probably descended from the crew of the Black Rock, who remained on the island after the shipwreck. Some of those characters, like Richard, probably ARE members of the Black Rock crew, as is/was Jacob the Invisible.
2. Group 2: The DHARMA Initiative. We now know that the Hanso family, who funded the initiative, are descended from the Hanso who wrote the Black Rock’s log that was auctioned off to Charles Widmore. Alvar Hanso probably knew about the island, and deliberately placed the DHARMA group there to research its phenomena.
3. Charles Widmore. Widmore owns Widmore Pharmaceuticals, and he wants the power of the island for his own profit.
Now, the Losties are Group 4. It seems, from the flash forwards, that many of them stayed behind, and only 6 left for the mainland. My guess: the final episode of LOST will conclude with the Oceanic 6 returning to the island and reuniting with the rest of the castaways.
So anyway, here’s my BIG epiphany, which suddenly dawned on me tonight while watching Jin’s flashback and Sun’s flash forward. EVERYONE ON THE ISLAND is "unstuck" in time. Some, like Desmond, have become aware of it. Others are experiencing the same phenomenon, but are not (yet) self-aware. I’ve always wondered why the writers chose to tell the story via flashbacks (and no flash forwards). Flashbacks are normally static, and don’t propel a story forward. They just backfill. And yet, LOST does progress, because it’s essentially a mystery, and the revelations drive the mystery.
Time passes "differently" on the island. The island is out of synch with the local universe. The passengers on 815 are now experiencing, in each episode, what Star Trek once called Amok Time.
More later.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
2008 Republican Convention Schedule
6:00 pm Mike Huckabee Salutes Confederate Flag
6:15 pm Group Hug and Cross Burning
6:20 pm Ann Coulter Bares Adam's Apple
7:00 pm OPENING REMARKS: "HONESTY IN GOVERNMENT" - Randy "Duke" Cunningham
7:25 pm Log Cabin Republicans Induct Sen. Larry Craig into Stall of Fame
7:45 pm CEREMONIAL LIGHTING OF COAL FIRED POWER PLANT
7:55 pm Rush Limbaugh Lecture: "Anal Poisoning and John McCain"
8:00 pm John McCain leads convention in rousing chorus of "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran."
8:10 pm "Why All Scientists Are Wrong," Talk Given Posthumously from Hell by Jerry Fallwell and Grand Inquisitor
8:15 pm Rick Santorum Addresses Convention: "The Secret Man on Dog Agenda."
8:35 pm George W. Bush re-ups for the National Guard
8:40 pm Ronald Reagan's corpse re-animated, still can't remember Iran-Contra
9.00 pm MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR BILL OF RIGHTS
10:00 pm WARRENTLESS WIRETAPPING ETIQUETTE – Alberto Gonzales
11:00 pm BILL O'REILLY SALUTES HOMELESS VETS
11:05 pm COLLECTION FOR CHILDREN WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
11:15 pm Keynote Speech: "Why We Fight," by Fred Thompson
11:30 pm National Proclamation by the President: "Nucular Is Now an Official Word"
11:45 pm Glenn Beck Kicks Keith Olbermann onto Subway Tracks
11:50 pm "Abstinence Only Education, Do As I Say, Not As I Do," by David Vitter
12:15 am TRUTH IN BROADCASTING AWARD - Presented to Rush Limbaugh by Animatronic Joseph Goebbels
12:20 am Ceremonial Assassination of Foreign President by Pat "Ninja" Robertson
12:25 am Ann Coulter French Kisses Lynne Cheney in Ladies Room
12:30 am SATELLITE ADDRESS – Dick Cheney, live from Secret Bunker
12:45 am NOMINATION OF JOHN MCCAIN – Swiftboat Veterans
1:00 am Laura Bush Hands Out Free Xanax
1:05 am "Reagan Republicans" Mass Mooning of John McCain
1:30 am Reagan Reanimated Corpse Proposes a Toast: "To the Youth of America"
1:40 am Closing Remarks: "Why Strom Thurmond Was Better than Harry Truman," by Tom "Hammer" Delay
1:50 am George W. Bush Celebrates End of Term in Cloud of Suspicious White Powder
6:15 pm Group Hug and Cross Burning
6:20 pm Ann Coulter Bares Adam's Apple
7:00 pm OPENING REMARKS: "HONESTY IN GOVERNMENT" - Randy "Duke" Cunningham
7:25 pm Log Cabin Republicans Induct Sen. Larry Craig into Stall of Fame
7:45 pm CEREMONIAL LIGHTING OF COAL FIRED POWER PLANT
7:55 pm Rush Limbaugh Lecture: "Anal Poisoning and John McCain"
8:00 pm John McCain leads convention in rousing chorus of "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Bomb Iran."
8:10 pm "Why All Scientists Are Wrong," Talk Given Posthumously from Hell by Jerry Fallwell and Grand Inquisitor
8:15 pm Rick Santorum Addresses Convention: "The Secret Man on Dog Agenda."
8:35 pm George W. Bush re-ups for the National Guard
8:40 pm Ronald Reagan's corpse re-animated, still can't remember Iran-Contra
9.00 pm MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR BILL OF RIGHTS
10:00 pm WARRENTLESS WIRETAPPING ETIQUETTE – Alberto Gonzales
11:00 pm BILL O'REILLY SALUTES HOMELESS VETS
11:05 pm COLLECTION FOR CHILDREN WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
11:15 pm Keynote Speech: "Why We Fight," by Fred Thompson
11:30 pm National Proclamation by the President: "Nucular Is Now an Official Word"
11:45 pm Glenn Beck Kicks Keith Olbermann onto Subway Tracks
11:50 pm "Abstinence Only Education, Do As I Say, Not As I Do," by David Vitter
12:15 am TRUTH IN BROADCASTING AWARD - Presented to Rush Limbaugh by Animatronic Joseph Goebbels
12:20 am Ceremonial Assassination of Foreign President by Pat "Ninja" Robertson
12:25 am Ann Coulter French Kisses Lynne Cheney in Ladies Room
12:30 am SATELLITE ADDRESS – Dick Cheney, live from Secret Bunker
12:45 am NOMINATION OF JOHN MCCAIN – Swiftboat Veterans
1:00 am Laura Bush Hands Out Free Xanax
1:05 am "Reagan Republicans" Mass Mooning of John McCain
1:30 am Reagan Reanimated Corpse Proposes a Toast: "To the Youth of America"
1:40 am Closing Remarks: "Why Strom Thurmond Was Better than Harry Truman," by Tom "Hammer" Delay
1:50 am George W. Bush Celebrates End of Term in Cloud of Suspicious White Powder
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Clobberfield
A few thoughts on the movie, Cloverfield, which I took in at the local Regal Cinema Sunday night.
As is well known by now, the film gives a new take on the classic "monster rampages through Tokyo" motif by changing the setting to New York City and using the device of the first-person Handycam point of view.
The discerning viewer could easily sense the hand of LOST producer JJ Abrams in the characterization, theme, and plot twists. For example, Rob, the protagonist, fit the role of angst-ridden overachiever, much as Jack does in LOST. Likewise, Hud (who operates the camera throughout most of the film) was quite similar to LOST's rotund clown, Hurley.
Another aspect borrowed from LOST was the thematic relationship of the characters to the Unknown--unkown with a capital U. Throughout most of the film, the characters are running around, quite literally "lost," and not knowing who to turn to, where to seek help, or exactly what the thing is that's confronting them.
Much has been made of the similarities to 9/11. This is true, and when you think about it, the device makes sense. What was the most scary aspect of 9/11 (besides the president's rendition of "My Pet Goat" while the country was under attack)? The most frightening thing was fear of the unknown--those first crazy hours when we didn't know what had hit those buildings in New York and Washington, or why. Were more attacks imminent? Who among us did not cast a fearful and watchful eye at the sky that day?
Fleeting glimpses of the monster and buildings falling over seemingly without a force behind them, as well as the bugs skittering in the dark, evoked terror and awe much more effectively than, say, Peter Jackson's inartful clobbering of the viewer with monster after monster in King Kong.
Oddly, the critics summarized the film along the lines of "Godzilla for the Youtube generation." Yet, at the end of the movie, the film was booed by a sizeable number of teenage boys, who apparently couldn't grasp its deeper archetype. Fans of classic horror movies like me appreciated the film's cunning references, which were mentioned during the closing credits, including Them and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
I guess the kiddies got flustered because there was no clear resolution to the film, although resolution came suddenly and agonizingly to its four principal characters. That's another idea related to LOST: in art, as in life, resolution is often shrouded in a fog of ambiguity.
As is well known by now, the film gives a new take on the classic "monster rampages through Tokyo" motif by changing the setting to New York City and using the device of the first-person Handycam point of view.
The discerning viewer could easily sense the hand of LOST producer JJ Abrams in the characterization, theme, and plot twists. For example, Rob, the protagonist, fit the role of angst-ridden overachiever, much as Jack does in LOST. Likewise, Hud (who operates the camera throughout most of the film) was quite similar to LOST's rotund clown, Hurley.
Another aspect borrowed from LOST was the thematic relationship of the characters to the Unknown--unkown with a capital U. Throughout most of the film, the characters are running around, quite literally "lost," and not knowing who to turn to, where to seek help, or exactly what the thing is that's confronting them.
Much has been made of the similarities to 9/11. This is true, and when you think about it, the device makes sense. What was the most scary aspect of 9/11 (besides the president's rendition of "My Pet Goat" while the country was under attack)? The most frightening thing was fear of the unknown--those first crazy hours when we didn't know what had hit those buildings in New York and Washington, or why. Were more attacks imminent? Who among us did not cast a fearful and watchful eye at the sky that day?
Fleeting glimpses of the monster and buildings falling over seemingly without a force behind them, as well as the bugs skittering in the dark, evoked terror and awe much more effectively than, say, Peter Jackson's inartful clobbering of the viewer with monster after monster in King Kong.
Oddly, the critics summarized the film along the lines of "Godzilla for the Youtube generation." Yet, at the end of the movie, the film was booed by a sizeable number of teenage boys, who apparently couldn't grasp its deeper archetype. Fans of classic horror movies like me appreciated the film's cunning references, which were mentioned during the closing credits, including Them and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
I guess the kiddies got flustered because there was no clear resolution to the film, although resolution came suddenly and agonizingly to its four principal characters. That's another idea related to LOST: in art, as in life, resolution is often shrouded in a fog of ambiguity.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Trois choses dont je me rappelle (auprès de toi)
Celle qui sent des roses
quand je la
serre dans mes bras
Les boucles de ses cheveux
couleur de bronze qui touchent doucement ses
épaules au cours de mes caresses ardentes
Le sourire Stellaire qui
fait des étincelles inoubliables dans
le ciel et mon coeur
quand je la
serre dans mes bras
Les boucles de ses cheveux
couleur de bronze qui touchent doucement ses
épaules au cours de mes caresses ardentes
Le sourire Stellaire qui
fait des étincelles inoubliables dans
le ciel et mon coeur
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