When one has an addiction and they recognize it, he or she generally will go for counseling. The federal government, however, has an addiction, recognizes it, doesn't have a desire to overcome it, has many enablers, and refuses to use the services of a qualified counselor.
The addiction is debt. The enablers are non-elected governmental employes and many elected representatives of equally addicted people. Here are some observations I've made over the years.
Education: The government has made addicts of our youth by guarantees of "Student Loans". The loans are vast sums of money given to so-called institutions of higher education. The loans incurred over a 4-6 year period are so much money that it takes many graduates dozens of years to repay them causing interest to accumulate on interest. Some of these loans are never repaid, so they are paid with tax dollars. I remember my father telling me that he worked two full time jobs and went to school to get his education. He paid as he went. I guess the students of today are not as capable as the students of yesteryear.
Because of federal and state and union intervention in our education system we now have 1:1 ratios of educators actually working in the classroom to administrators and "staff". And we are concerned with student-teacher ratios? I'd rather have more teachers and drastically reduce administrators and staff.
Health: Government intrusion into individual lives has cost the taxpayers untold billions of dollars. The result is that many treatments for chronic cases go unused because the FDA has yet to give its blessing. Many traditional treatments, which are effective, are condemned by the Department of Health because they haven't been developed using its own funded researchers. Medical usage of natural substances are illegal only because the feds cannot tax them.
Transportation: How much money is wasted by government in regulating that which it doesn't understand? How long will we put up with wasteful regulations, costly procedures, expensive and ineffective tracking devices, and invasive and unneeded investigations.
Energy: I might be very uninformed, but it seems to me that the Department of Energy produces nothing but regulations.
EPA: What a waste of human intelligence! The conclusions reached in the name of environmental protection are ludicrous. And then when they are proven to be incorrect, the answer is, "but it ought to be right."
Homeland Security: Divisive, invasive, overbearing, quasi-nazi, and racist. I can think of nothing good to say about this Department of Insecurity.
Foreign Aid: Why do we continue to support nations that don't like us, abuse our people, and support terrorists that want to kill us.
I say defund them all. Budget is balanced without any additional taxes.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Another visit with my doctor
I went back to see my doctor today. I can't seem to get my blood pressure under control and while I was there I got some report back on the tests that have thus far been done.
1. I have nothing but ideas growing in my head.
2. I have sharp brainwave activity. I'm not real sure what "sharp" brainwaves are, but that's what I'm told.
3. I have no clots or restrictions or abnormalities in my blood vessels in my head.
4. I still don 't know what is causing my "episodes".
I guess that's why they call it practice.
1. I have nothing but ideas growing in my head.
2. I have sharp brainwave activity. I'm not real sure what "sharp" brainwaves are, but that's what I'm told.
3. I have no clots or restrictions or abnormalities in my blood vessels in my head.
4. I still don 't know what is causing my "episodes".
I guess that's why they call it practice.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Family Conference
We are having a wonderful weekend. My family has gathered together, at one time or another, to enjoy our good times. All 6 of my living children will have participated by the time we are finished as well as an adopted daughter.
On Friday we enjoyed some time with our "'tweens and teens" grandchildren. My princess bride and I spoke of our love for them and then gave them some advise regarding their lives. We read from the scriptures and talked about the things that mean most. Honesty, integrity, honoring parents and grandparents were some of the topics we discussed. We talked about our heritage; that we are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. We spoke of our responsibility, as given by God, to teach the children repentance, respect for deity and each other. We spoke of the responsibilities children have to honor their parents (and grandparents). We seem to have a lack of respect in our 2nd generation of descendants, so we felt it imperative to speak to them.
Tonight (saturday), we spoke to our children and their children about our love for each of them. We spoke about some memories that each has locked away, but haven't talked about for some time. Many wonderful stories came about our family's time together when our children were little. Wonderful memories were told. We barbeque'd and enjoyed each other's company for way too late.
In total we have had 7 children, and 10 grand children here. We played in the lake, we ate nearly nonstop today.
I'll post more later.
On Friday we enjoyed some time with our "'tweens and teens" grandchildren. My princess bride and I spoke of our love for them and then gave them some advise regarding their lives. We read from the scriptures and talked about the things that mean most. Honesty, integrity, honoring parents and grandparents were some of the topics we discussed. We talked about our heritage; that we are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father. We spoke of our responsibility, as given by God, to teach the children repentance, respect for deity and each other. We spoke of the responsibilities children have to honor their parents (and grandparents). We seem to have a lack of respect in our 2nd generation of descendants, so we felt it imperative to speak to them.
Tonight (saturday), we spoke to our children and their children about our love for each of them. We spoke about some memories that each has locked away, but haven't talked about for some time. Many wonderful stories came about our family's time together when our children were little. Wonderful memories were told. We barbeque'd and enjoyed each other's company for way too late.
In total we have had 7 children, and 10 grand children here. We played in the lake, we ate nearly nonstop today.
I'll post more later.
Friday, July 22, 2011
The torture tube (part 2)
So since we didn't get all the torture done the first time I confronted the torture tube, the doctor decided I needed to go back for some more. Evidently I didn't howl long or hard enough because I had to go back. This time I was sent to a different facility to engage the enemy. The doctor must have known my situation because he ordered 15 mg of Valium instead of the normal 5 mg.
I was nervous about taking that much Valium, so I only took two 5 mg tabs about 1'15" before going to face the dragon. About 30 minutes later I was floating above the ground pretty well and my adopted daughter insisted she drive me to the hospital. When I got there I thought I was pretty funny.
Receptionist: "Could you give me your name?"
Me: "I'm just me."
Receptionist: "Would you tell me exactly who 'me' is?"
Me: "Mrs. Black's son."
Receptionist (who was beginning to seem a little grim): "I need your name and birthday!"
Me: "Oh"
and then I gave her what she wanted. In the mean time, I was laughing hysterically because I thought I was so funny.
Then they took me into a little room and told me to change out of my clothing into that modest gown that hospitals use so I could get into the MRI machine. By this time I was pretty much out in space mentally. I did get changed and went out into the waiting area. The tech came and got me. When we got into the room where the machine is, he told me: "this machine is a little smaller than the one you used last week".
"WHAT?" I exclaimed. "You have got to be kidding!"
"Nope," he said. "Not only that, it is much louder too."
Oh boy. This was going to be a disaster. Even though I was in drug induced flight, I knew this was not going to be good.
I got on the sled and went into the machine without too much trouble, but it was kind of like trying to stuff 3 lbs of hamburger into a 1 lb package. I was only inside for 13 minutes, so it wasn't real bad.
After it was all over and the tech sent me back to the dressing room, it took quite a while for me to find which way to put my trousers on. I couldn't find the waist so I could put my legs in. Then my shirt was upside down and I had trouble getting it on. I did wind up getting dressed, but after looking in the mirror, I noticed that my shirt buttons were in the wrong holes, so had to do it over again.
When I finally got myself together and out into the waiting room again, I called my adopted daughter to come fetch me. I sat there waiting for her. A few minutes later I heard this AWFUL noise. I looked around to see from whence it came and didn't see any obvious source so I asked the receptionist what was making that terrible noise.
She looked at me incredulously and said........."YOU WERE SNORING!"
I had to leave the area because I was so embarrassed.
I was nervous about taking that much Valium, so I only took two 5 mg tabs about 1'15" before going to face the dragon. About 30 minutes later I was floating above the ground pretty well and my adopted daughter insisted she drive me to the hospital. When I got there I thought I was pretty funny.
Receptionist: "Could you give me your name?"
Me: "I'm just me."
Receptionist: "Would you tell me exactly who 'me' is?"
Me: "Mrs. Black's son."
Receptionist (who was beginning to seem a little grim): "I need your name and birthday!"
Me: "Oh"
and then I gave her what she wanted. In the mean time, I was laughing hysterically because I thought I was so funny.
Then they took me into a little room and told me to change out of my clothing into that modest gown that hospitals use so I could get into the MRI machine. By this time I was pretty much out in space mentally. I did get changed and went out into the waiting area. The tech came and got me. When we got into the room where the machine is, he told me: "this machine is a little smaller than the one you used last week".
"WHAT?" I exclaimed. "You have got to be kidding!"
"Nope," he said. "Not only that, it is much louder too."
Oh boy. This was going to be a disaster. Even though I was in drug induced flight, I knew this was not going to be good.
I got on the sled and went into the machine without too much trouble, but it was kind of like trying to stuff 3 lbs of hamburger into a 1 lb package. I was only inside for 13 minutes, so it wasn't real bad.
After it was all over and the tech sent me back to the dressing room, it took quite a while for me to find which way to put my trousers on. I couldn't find the waist so I could put my legs in. Then my shirt was upside down and I had trouble getting it on. I did wind up getting dressed, but after looking in the mirror, I noticed that my shirt buttons were in the wrong holes, so had to do it over again.
When I finally got myself together and out into the waiting room again, I called my adopted daughter to come fetch me. I sat there waiting for her. A few minutes later I heard this AWFUL noise. I looked around to see from whence it came and didn't see any obvious source so I asked the receptionist what was making that terrible noise.
She looked at me incredulously and said........."YOU WERE SNORING!"
I had to leave the area because I was so embarrassed.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Time to put some controls on the US Senate
It is time to let the US Senate feel the same pain that we showed the House last year. We need to vote out this bunch of self-inflated, overbearing, overspending, knuckleheads that want to increase spending.
We finally got it across to the majority of the House of Representatives that we want responsible government. Most of those whom we collectively installed understand the mood of the American people, but evidently the Senate hasn't yet received the message. It is already understood that the Ayatollah Barry Obama doesn't get it, but I, at least, thought our representatives in both houses of the legislative branch did.
Vote the bums out of office. The Mitch McConnell proposal will destroy this nation. He knows it, the Democrats know it, Mr. Obama know it and we know it. If they progress it, we need to find out who voted for it and get them out.
We need the plan the House put forward today. It has some warts, but it is the best plan so far presented. I have said how I'd do it if I were given the opportunity, but I'm just a lowly taxpayer. I'm not one of the elites who know better than anyone else.
Slim down the government, slim down foreign payments. Stop supporting the UN, Close departments not specifically mentioned in our founding documents. Promote domestic oil exploration and exploitation. Promote coal. Promote founding small business without such heavy regulation and licensing. Stop the citizen harassment and be leaders and not nazi storm troopers.
We finally got it across to the majority of the House of Representatives that we want responsible government. Most of those whom we collectively installed understand the mood of the American people, but evidently the Senate hasn't yet received the message. It is already understood that the Ayatollah Barry Obama doesn't get it, but I, at least, thought our representatives in both houses of the legislative branch did.
Vote the bums out of office. The Mitch McConnell proposal will destroy this nation. He knows it, the Democrats know it, Mr. Obama know it and we know it. If they progress it, we need to find out who voted for it and get them out.
We need the plan the House put forward today. It has some warts, but it is the best plan so far presented. I have said how I'd do it if I were given the opportunity, but I'm just a lowly taxpayer. I'm not one of the elites who know better than anyone else.
Slim down the government, slim down foreign payments. Stop supporting the UN, Close departments not specifically mentioned in our founding documents. Promote domestic oil exploration and exploitation. Promote coal. Promote founding small business without such heavy regulation and licensing. Stop the citizen harassment and be leaders and not nazi storm troopers.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
The National Budget Mess
So the Ayatollah Barry Obama said this week that 80% of Americans WANT more taxes. I'm wondering where that poll came from. I don't know anyone that thinks more taxes will resolve this debt issue. I agree with many who have opined that this is not a revenue issue, but rather a spending issue.
Here is the thing. Mr. Obama wants to tax upper income individuals. I remember back when it was decided the way to increase revenue is to tax personal yacht purchases. The problem was that it put yacht makers out of business because people were simply purchasing their yachts overseas. Today a similar situation exists. Taxing higher income folks will damage the livelyhood of those who can least afford it.
Example 1. Citizen earns $300,000.00 per year. He purchases an estate and hires people to care for it. If Citizen pays more taxes, the likely hood is that he will not purchase the estate and will not hire help. Therefore, the builder of the estate is out of work along with his workers, and the domestic help that would have been hired are also out of work.
Exampls 2. Citizen earns $1.3M, and decides to open a business. Along come new taxes and he decides perhaps he will bank the money rather than just give it to government through higher employment taxes and increased regulation, and more personal income tax. He decides that he will open his business in Mexico or India, because they are more business friendly. Therefore, the building he would use is not rented, the employees he would have hired are still out of work and the economy for many people stagnates.
Money is like water. In order for it to remain fresh it must circulate. Unfortunately, when money is given to the Government, much of it winds up in the pockets of undesirables.
Government must learn to live less large. I have said many time how that should be done. The crises could be resolved THIS YEAR if the knuckleheads in Washington would just do what they were sent to do.
Our representatives were not sent to Washington the make laws, but rather to protect us from unrighteous government. However, these representatives get perverted by the power they perceive themselves to have. They think they just HAVE to make laws, because they are in congress. I say now they must repent and be about OUR business and not about their own.
Mr. Obama also needs to understand. He is becoming the American Hitler. Oppression of the masses will foster revolt. The tea party started it, but the populace will finish it if government can't get itself under control.
Here is the thing. Mr. Obama wants to tax upper income individuals. I remember back when it was decided the way to increase revenue is to tax personal yacht purchases. The problem was that it put yacht makers out of business because people were simply purchasing their yachts overseas. Today a similar situation exists. Taxing higher income folks will damage the livelyhood of those who can least afford it.
Example 1. Citizen earns $300,000.00 per year. He purchases an estate and hires people to care for it. If Citizen pays more taxes, the likely hood is that he will not purchase the estate and will not hire help. Therefore, the builder of the estate is out of work along with his workers, and the domestic help that would have been hired are also out of work.
Exampls 2. Citizen earns $1.3M, and decides to open a business. Along come new taxes and he decides perhaps he will bank the money rather than just give it to government through higher employment taxes and increased regulation, and more personal income tax. He decides that he will open his business in Mexico or India, because they are more business friendly. Therefore, the building he would use is not rented, the employees he would have hired are still out of work and the economy for many people stagnates.
Money is like water. In order for it to remain fresh it must circulate. Unfortunately, when money is given to the Government, much of it winds up in the pockets of undesirables.
Government must learn to live less large. I have said many time how that should be done. The crises could be resolved THIS YEAR if the knuckleheads in Washington would just do what they were sent to do.
Our representatives were not sent to Washington the make laws, but rather to protect us from unrighteous government. However, these representatives get perverted by the power they perceive themselves to have. They think they just HAVE to make laws, because they are in congress. I say now they must repent and be about OUR business and not about their own.
Mr. Obama also needs to understand. He is becoming the American Hitler. Oppression of the masses will foster revolt. The tea party started it, but the populace will finish it if government can't get itself under control.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Back to the Torture Tube
So when the tests are not definitive, you get to do more tests. I had MRI/MRA this week, but I get to enjoy MRV now. We're going to see if I have anything running around in the veins of my brain.
My doctor called yesterday to tell me the results of MRI/MRA. He said they could see my ears, but didn't notice anything between them. I'm pretty sure he meant nothing unusual beween them.
I saw the Neurologist today. I will undergo EEG, Nerve Conduction Study, the MRV, and then we'll talk some more. He suspects that I had a seizure instead of a mini-stroke. So here we go.
More when I know something...
My doctor called yesterday to tell me the results of MRI/MRA. He said they could see my ears, but didn't notice anything between them. I'm pretty sure he meant nothing unusual beween them.
I saw the Neurologist today. I will undergo EEG, Nerve Conduction Study, the MRV, and then we'll talk some more. He suspects that I had a seizure instead of a mini-stroke. So here we go.
More when I know something...
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
MRI /MRA - Torture in a tube
I wonder who invented the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine. He/She must be a sadistic individual. Why would one purposely put himself through such a nightmare? In my case it was to see what is going on with my brain.
It was an interesting experience. I am mildly claustrophobic, so I requested a sedative before I underwent the procedure. It was a good thing. I'm rather large. 6'2" and well over 300 lbs. The insurance carrier I have wouldn't permit a so-called open MRI, so I had to use the conventional machine. They put me on this flimsy sled devise, put a helmet over my head and told me not to move my head. Then they said, "this will take about 12 minutes. Here's some ear plugs because it will get pretty noisy." The sled wouldn't take me inside the machine, so they had two gorillas shove me into a tiny little tube. My arms were pressed against my belly, my elbows ground against the wall of the tube, and my belly rubbed against the top of the tube if I took a deep breath.
Pretty noisy? WOW! Jet engines with afterburners lit don't make that much noise. After about 2 weeks inside the infernal thing it stopped, and I slid out. They said they had kept me a little longer than planned. I was in there 14 minutes. I thought I was done. Silly me.
I was done with the MRI....but...The doctor had also ordered MRA, whatever that is. AND ordered with and without contrast. So...The two gorillas that shoved me into the machine the first time, did so again. The thing began to blast like a flock of jack hammers going all at once and then the jet engine began to roar again. Nearly a month later it all got quiet, and the sled pulled me back out of the machine. 15 minutes that time. Done? Nope.
They had to inject some kind of dye in my veins so they could begin the torture again. I was ready to tell them all the secrets I had. I began to wonder if water boarding could be any worse than this. The gorillas shoved me back into the machine again and told me that this would be the longest one. It was a little different though. No jack hammers, no jet engine. HOWEVER. someone with a little tack hammer beat on the left side 6 times and then someone on the right side rang a little bell 5 times, back and forth and over and over. I lost count of how many times. THEN started the jet engine.
Finally it was quiet again and out I came. I was only in this time for 12 minutes.
Maybe in a couple of days I'll be sane again and will learn what the torturers found.
It was an interesting experience. I am mildly claustrophobic, so I requested a sedative before I underwent the procedure. It was a good thing. I'm rather large. 6'2" and well over 300 lbs. The insurance carrier I have wouldn't permit a so-called open MRI, so I had to use the conventional machine. They put me on this flimsy sled devise, put a helmet over my head and told me not to move my head. Then they said, "this will take about 12 minutes. Here's some ear plugs because it will get pretty noisy." The sled wouldn't take me inside the machine, so they had two gorillas shove me into a tiny little tube. My arms were pressed against my belly, my elbows ground against the wall of the tube, and my belly rubbed against the top of the tube if I took a deep breath.
Pretty noisy? WOW! Jet engines with afterburners lit don't make that much noise. After about 2 weeks inside the infernal thing it stopped, and I slid out. They said they had kept me a little longer than planned. I was in there 14 minutes. I thought I was done. Silly me.
I was done with the MRI....but...The doctor had also ordered MRA, whatever that is. AND ordered with and without contrast. So...The two gorillas that shoved me into the machine the first time, did so again. The thing began to blast like a flock of jack hammers going all at once and then the jet engine began to roar again. Nearly a month later it all got quiet, and the sled pulled me back out of the machine. 15 minutes that time. Done? Nope.
They had to inject some kind of dye in my veins so they could begin the torture again. I was ready to tell them all the secrets I had. I began to wonder if water boarding could be any worse than this. The gorillas shoved me back into the machine again and told me that this would be the longest one. It was a little different though. No jack hammers, no jet engine. HOWEVER. someone with a little tack hammer beat on the left side 6 times and then someone on the right side rang a little bell 5 times, back and forth and over and over. I lost count of how many times. THEN started the jet engine.
Finally it was quiet again and out I came. I was only in this time for 12 minutes.
Maybe in a couple of days I'll be sane again and will learn what the torturers found.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
"We all have to sacrifice"
The Ayatollah-in-chief, Mr. Obama, says that we all need to tighten our belts and "sacrifice". Now I wonder exactly what he means. He just gave his staffers a raise. I haven't seen a raise in over 6 years. The cost of living increases conveniently do not count the cost of gasoline for the little people, but evidently for the elitists, every little penny counts.
So these people, who should be working as interns because of the very high salaries they will gain when they leave government service, make 3 times the national average. They are not 3 times as smart. They are not 3 times as educated. They ARE 3 times as ignorant of conditions in the USA today.
I guess when we are in a budget crunch, the thing to do is raise government salaries. I wonder if my company would go for that. When we struggle for existence, we should raise salaries. However, that isn't the way the real world works. We, in the real world, take pay cuts so that our company can stay viable. We take benefit reductions so our company can stay fluid. We increase our work load so that our company can continue to employ us. We work longer hours because it is needed to complete our work load.
Those in government service sacrifice by working less and receiving more compensation each year. Why does it take all of those people to run government? I forgot....It take all those regulators to keep the sheeple in line. To snap the whip so that we can continue to pay and pay so they can reap and reap.
Years ago I saw a cartoon depicting the new Federal Tax form. There are just two lines.
Line one: How much money did you make?
Line two: Send it in.
That's kind of the way it feels already.
Those in power will never take my suggestions, even though they could balance the budget THIS YEAR if they would only use them.
Makes too much sense.
So these people, who should be working as interns because of the very high salaries they will gain when they leave government service, make 3 times the national average. They are not 3 times as smart. They are not 3 times as educated. They ARE 3 times as ignorant of conditions in the USA today.
I guess when we are in a budget crunch, the thing to do is raise government salaries. I wonder if my company would go for that. When we struggle for existence, we should raise salaries. However, that isn't the way the real world works. We, in the real world, take pay cuts so that our company can stay viable. We take benefit reductions so our company can stay fluid. We increase our work load so that our company can continue to employ us. We work longer hours because it is needed to complete our work load.
Those in government service sacrifice by working less and receiving more compensation each year. Why does it take all of those people to run government? I forgot....It take all those regulators to keep the sheeple in line. To snap the whip so that we can continue to pay and pay so they can reap and reap.
Years ago I saw a cartoon depicting the new Federal Tax form. There are just two lines.
Line one: How much money did you make?
Line two: Send it in.
That's kind of the way it feels already.
Those in power will never take my suggestions, even though they could balance the budget THIS YEAR if they would only use them.
Makes too much sense.
News I can use
Well.....Thangs ain't always what they seem, I guess.
When I went to the Doctor on Wednesday, the nurse took 6 vials of blood. The tests to be done were cholesterol, minerals, hormones, and other things. My Doctor called me yesterday to give me the results.
Mildly high cholesterol
marginal on several minerals, but..
Low on thyroid.
The light came on! Hypo-thyroid can cause obesity (that'd be me), fatigue (that'd me me too), dry brittle nails (another one), thought process problems, bowel problems, depression, irritability, among other things. All are symptoms I've been having.
It doesn't explain my painful lower extremities or the headaches, or the muscular problems in my hands, though, so there is more going on.
When I went to the Doctor on Wednesday, the nurse took 6 vials of blood. The tests to be done were cholesterol, minerals, hormones, and other things. My Doctor called me yesterday to give me the results.
Mildly high cholesterol
marginal on several minerals, but..
Low on thyroid.
The light came on! Hypo-thyroid can cause obesity (that'd be me), fatigue (that'd me me too), dry brittle nails (another one), thought process problems, bowel problems, depression, irritability, among other things. All are symptoms I've been having.
It doesn't explain my painful lower extremities or the headaches, or the muscular problems in my hands, though, so there is more going on.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
A better day
I have had a better day today, although I've struggled through it. I still have trouble focusing on my chores, but I've been able to speak cogently and hear most of what is going on around me. My voice is still gravelly except when I raise it. My hands continue to let things slip out of them. I find my typing to be more tedious than normal though. I have to watch pretty close or I wind up typing things that don't make sense. My brain sees the problems, but my fingers don't follow instructions well.
I believe I will post my progress for the next few days. I'm doing this mostly so I have a record of my thoughts and actions, but also so my family and friends will know what is happening. I believe my political rant will have to take a back seat to these events that have the potential of changing my very life.
I want you to know that I know that God lives and that He cares for each of us. I have experienced sacred and awesome things of which I don't speak. While that is the case, I still worry about my station in this life and the life to follow.
enough for now.
I believe I will post my progress for the next few days. I'm doing this mostly so I have a record of my thoughts and actions, but also so my family and friends will know what is happening. I believe my political rant will have to take a back seat to these events that have the potential of changing my very life.
I want you to know that I know that God lives and that He cares for each of us. I have experienced sacred and awesome things of which I don't speak. While that is the case, I still worry about my station in this life and the life to follow.
enough for now.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Personal News
I hope my readers will indulge me a few lines of personal news.
Many of you know that I've had some medical problems over the past few years. I enjoyed a heart attack two and a half years ago, had knee replacement surgery a year ago, and have not really felt well at all over the past few weeks.
There are many symptoms that have presented themselves. I've noticed over the past few months that my voice has become a little bit gravelly. I occasionally have trouble focusing my eyes. My feet and lower legs are becoming numb. I noticed that I sometimes get confused and can't understand what is going on around me. I noted last Sunday that sometimes the words I hear are gibberish. I have trouble grasping small objects. I lose grip on things like coins, pens, and the like. My speech is slurred and harder to understand, even by me. I thought this must be just because I'm getting a little older. But yesterday I was in melt-down mode. My blood pressure spiked. My hands began to shake, my left cheek tingled into partial numbness, my head ached horribly. I was terrified, and I still am terrified. I worried that I might be experiencing a "mini-stroke". The symptoms soon subsided, but my supervisor advised me to go home and I did. I didn't think it was anything REAL serious, but when I began to research the symptoms I began to be terrified again. I was pretty sure I had experienced a mini-stroke.
I went to my personal physician today. He ran a bunch of motor tests, and talked to me for quite some time. At the end of our time together he advised me to see a neurologist and to get an MRI on my brain. He indicated that it may well have been a mini-stroke. He didn't, however, tell me not to work (although I didn't ask either). I went back to work and finished out the day today.
I will undergo MRI on Monday, and then I have to wait for 2 weeks for my appointment to see the neurologist. We don't have that many of them in St. George.
I notice that I am slower today than normal. I can't get my body to respond well. I have trouble balancing. Some of the tests my doctor gave me to do were: balance on one foot, balance on tip toes, balance on heels, walk as if on a line, heal to toe. I had trouble with all of those tests.
I am prescribed a blood pressure medicine, but I suspect that is not a cure for whatever is going on.
Through it all my princess bride has been stalwart. I love her, and I know she loves me. She must for all I've put her through over the past few years.
I apologize for the deviation from my normal rant. Perhaps I'll return to it later in the week.
Many of you know that I've had some medical problems over the past few years. I enjoyed a heart attack two and a half years ago, had knee replacement surgery a year ago, and have not really felt well at all over the past few weeks.
There are many symptoms that have presented themselves. I've noticed over the past few months that my voice has become a little bit gravelly. I occasionally have trouble focusing my eyes. My feet and lower legs are becoming numb. I noticed that I sometimes get confused and can't understand what is going on around me. I noted last Sunday that sometimes the words I hear are gibberish. I have trouble grasping small objects. I lose grip on things like coins, pens, and the like. My speech is slurred and harder to understand, even by me. I thought this must be just because I'm getting a little older. But yesterday I was in melt-down mode. My blood pressure spiked. My hands began to shake, my left cheek tingled into partial numbness, my head ached horribly. I was terrified, and I still am terrified. I worried that I might be experiencing a "mini-stroke". The symptoms soon subsided, but my supervisor advised me to go home and I did. I didn't think it was anything REAL serious, but when I began to research the symptoms I began to be terrified again. I was pretty sure I had experienced a mini-stroke.
I went to my personal physician today. He ran a bunch of motor tests, and talked to me for quite some time. At the end of our time together he advised me to see a neurologist and to get an MRI on my brain. He indicated that it may well have been a mini-stroke. He didn't, however, tell me not to work (although I didn't ask either). I went back to work and finished out the day today.
I will undergo MRI on Monday, and then I have to wait for 2 weeks for my appointment to see the neurologist. We don't have that many of them in St. George.
I notice that I am slower today than normal. I can't get my body to respond well. I have trouble balancing. Some of the tests my doctor gave me to do were: balance on one foot, balance on tip toes, balance on heels, walk as if on a line, heal to toe. I had trouble with all of those tests.
I am prescribed a blood pressure medicine, but I suspect that is not a cure for whatever is going on.
Through it all my princess bride has been stalwart. I love her, and I know she loves me. She must for all I've put her through over the past few years.
I apologize for the deviation from my normal rant. Perhaps I'll return to it later in the week.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Independence Day 2011
235 years ago the American colonies declared independence from its oppressor. The political conditions then are much like those of today, except now we must resist our own government's oppression. When the Declaration of Independence was written, our people only wanted self governance. They were distressed because of regulation without representation. Today we send our representatives to Washington, but they don't represent us. Instead they only represent their own interests. They ignore the will of the people, and pervert government. They build their own little empires and then are indignant when someone calls them on their actions.
Why can we not return to the values established by the framers of our nation? Why can we no longer trust our governmental leaders? It appears to me that our elective leaders think that we send them to Washington so that they can "adjust" government. What we really need is representatives that will go to Washington and RESIST temptation to make laws that are oppressive. We need representatives that will go to Washington with the idea in mind that they will work to repeal laws that are not in the best interests of the masses. There are many. We need honesty, integrity, maturity, thriftiness, and quality in our elective leaders.
We need to return to our Christian roots. We need to worship Almighty God. We need to accept the atonement and remember it is freely given if we will freely accept. We need to remember that this life is only a step in the eternal plan of happiness. We need to know that our actions here will affect our status when this life is over. We need to return to brotherly kindness. Small town America generally has it right. The people are protective of each other. They watch out for one another and work together.
We need to be Americans instead of Irish-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans or any other kind. We are all simply Americans and should act that way.
Enough for today.
Why can we not return to the values established by the framers of our nation? Why can we no longer trust our governmental leaders? It appears to me that our elective leaders think that we send them to Washington so that they can "adjust" government. What we really need is representatives that will go to Washington and RESIST temptation to make laws that are oppressive. We need representatives that will go to Washington with the idea in mind that they will work to repeal laws that are not in the best interests of the masses. There are many. We need honesty, integrity, maturity, thriftiness, and quality in our elective leaders.
We need to return to our Christian roots. We need to worship Almighty God. We need to accept the atonement and remember it is freely given if we will freely accept. We need to remember that this life is only a step in the eternal plan of happiness. We need to know that our actions here will affect our status when this life is over. We need to return to brotherly kindness. Small town America generally has it right. The people are protective of each other. They watch out for one another and work together.
We need to be Americans instead of Irish-Americans, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Asian-Americans or any other kind. We are all simply Americans and should act that way.
Enough for today.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Political unrest in the good ol' USA
Our friends in federal elective office just don't understand the tensions that are running so high here in the normal regular world.
We sent them to Washington to represent us. We didn't send them to ignore our calls, emails, snail mails or personal pleas. Here is what I expect our elective representatives to do:
1. Stop spending money we don't have. The tax well is dry. Just cut off the faucet.
2. Stop supporting nations that don't like us. Money will not buy their allegiance, friendship, or help.
3. Close departments not supported by the constitution, i.e. Education, Energy, Transportation, Health, Agriculture, HUD, Homeland Security.
4. Consolidate ALL armed law enforcement into the justice department. No other department should have armed agents. Consolidate Defense and Homeland Security into one Department.
5. Return welfare to the churches. They know best how to deal with their neighbors and congregations. Those who don't attend churches ought to consider doing so.
6. Consolidate NSA, CIA, MI. Put all intelligence gathering into one single department. Take special ops out of CIA and put it back into Defense where it belongs.
7. Defund the "Czars"
8. Defund use of National Defense resources for congressional/executive personal use. They want to fly? Pay commercial carriers at their own expense.
Create volunteer committees to oversee expenditures. I'll bet there are many ways to cut the bleeding.
We sent them to Washington to represent us. We didn't send them to ignore our calls, emails, snail mails or personal pleas. Here is what I expect our elective representatives to do:
1. Stop spending money we don't have. The tax well is dry. Just cut off the faucet.
2. Stop supporting nations that don't like us. Money will not buy their allegiance, friendship, or help.
3. Close departments not supported by the constitution, i.e. Education, Energy, Transportation, Health, Agriculture, HUD, Homeland Security.
4. Consolidate ALL armed law enforcement into the justice department. No other department should have armed agents. Consolidate Defense and Homeland Security into one Department.
5. Return welfare to the churches. They know best how to deal with their neighbors and congregations. Those who don't attend churches ought to consider doing so.
6. Consolidate NSA, CIA, MI. Put all intelligence gathering into one single department. Take special ops out of CIA and put it back into Defense where it belongs.
7. Defund the "Czars"
8. Defund use of National Defense resources for congressional/executive personal use. They want to fly? Pay commercial carriers at their own expense.
Create volunteer committees to oversee expenditures. I'll bet there are many ways to cut the bleeding.
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