For those interested go to

September 10 2012

Good Morning All

For those interested in my blog on coma and surviving go to archives located on side panel and click Sunday October 12th, 2008 scroll down and start there...

I am not sure why but some people have found this a comfort when a loved one ends up in a coma or keeps trying to die but is not ready...

Problems

Shows the world that the U S is still a country where problems are solved and not used to divide!

Chain of Command Clear and Defined

President Obama understands chain of command
Andrew Bacevich, a diplomatic and military historian at Boston University, agreed. "Without commenting on the personalities, there is a great need to clarify the chain of command, which currently is too crowded and too complex," .

Chain of Command Clear and Defined

"This mission demands unity of effort across our alliance and across my national security team." President Obama went on to say that "I told my national security team that now is the time for all of us to come together. Doing so is not an option, but an obligation. I welcome debate among my team, but I won't tolerate division."

Enough Said, Any Questions?

President Who Refused

President Obama, in my opinion, has made few mistakes, why won't he defend himself or his administration to the perceived all powerful media. He won't take the time to play the game, it looks at first glance that he is hurting what he is trying to do for the people of this country. Not true? Since I stated to write this post the radio was on in the background and the hourly news was on (4 pm 6/24/2010 CBS radio WJBC) after listening to the story about job improvements  but it is going very slowly (with emphasis on slowly, it's not what you say its how you say it, remember that last fight with your spouse) Why not report the story, that for the last 5 months the number of people employed has been going up have been slowly and consistently going up. It was interesting to here the pundits claim that the only reason the numbers went up was because of the hiring of the census workers but the numbers keep going up as most of those jobs have run their course. Didn't here that story today! What President Obama is doing, very effectively, is taking back the power that belongs with our elected officials from the media Moguls (read press) who use and abuse there place in the system these last years. I voted for President Barack Obama and my respective Senators and Congressman not Rupert Murdoch.** By the way in answer to Mr Murdock's question, in relation to our President and Commander in Chief, "OK but can he walk the walk?"  Mr. Murdoch, my President can walk the walk and all of the disrespect, innuendo and back stabbing you and your billions of dollars have done has not stopped him. (If you have been living in a cave and haven't noticed the spin on the news just listen to a broadcast from Fox or CBS or Wall Street Journal or any of the other scores of Radio, Newspaper, Television Cabal ,etc that he and his minions own or control.) You beat a bully by being yourself, doing what you say, and getting the job done. Instead of trying to destroy and discredit our President Obama maybe you should have tried to hire him. (wait, maybe you know what you would of heard)

** The Murdoch Empire faces tough times. It has responded with an attempt to develop a business model which has the features of creative destruction, and may change all ideas of freedom of information*

*Leaders We Deserve blog archives for the day Thursday, August 6th, 2009.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/nov/09/murdochgoogle 

Murdoch threatens to sue BBC

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2009/nov/10/rupert-murdoch-bbc

http://www.freewilliamsburg.com/rupert-murdoch-mark-burnett-to-launch-search-for-an-independent-presidential-candidate/

Mr Murdoch would have given a million dollars to the independent of his choice (No, Mr Murdoch you can't buy a President maybe over in England or Australia or what ever country you are trying to own and run, just not this one.)

My Space owner Rupert Murdoch & Mark Burnett

From HuffingtonPost

Well I have vented, our President Obama chooses not to, amazingly I agree with that.

He is smarter than the average bear. Just ask former U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal
Keep up the good fight!

Celebration of Life

My wife's older sister Judy Lohmeyer, the one with a artificial heart, was riding in a pickup truck with a friend as they went around the corner in downtown Bloomington, in front of the Pantograph Newspaper building, the door came open, Judy and all of the power packs, hoses, etc fell out of the truck from the passengers side. Landed hard but did not seem hurt outside of road rash and a bump on the head. Judy was taken to Bromen Hospital here in Bloomington where the decision was made to send her to St Francis Hospital in Peoria our Regional Trauma Center. Cindy and I were at the emergency room with her and thankfully it appeared every thing would be all right. She seemed fine and was asking for M&Ms and a Coke. When the arrived at St Francis they put her in ICU for observation only, after 1/2 hour she began to complain of a headache, things went downhill from there, to make a long story short, she slipped into a COMA in a matter of minutes, in less than an hour she was a flat line EEG . She officially passed away Monday night at midnight.

She was on the waiting list for a heart transplant, obviously she believed in the program and had in her living will that anything that could be used should be used. According to the transplant team she impacted ninety two lives with her gift of life.

There will be a celebration of life next weekend, although this was a tragedy and broke Cindy's heart, it brings a bittersweet feeling that people unknown: would see again, have kidneys, corneas, tissue and skin for grafting to burn patients.

In Illinois we sign the Back of our Drivers License indicating that one would be a donor. Mine was already signed and also in my living will. Take time to consider if you would give the gift of life and do something about it.

You never know what the next day will bring.

Thinking of my family

Field of Vision

Everyman Takes The Limits of His Field of Vision For the Limits of the World

Arthur Schopenhauser

I am daily bombarded by rhetoric both verbal and written about the evils of the current administration. I hear people saying they are angry (a strong emotion; a feeling that is oriented toward some real or supposed grievance)  and we wont take it anymore. They are.....

 Take What Anymore?

"They" are changing our country "willy nilly"

"They" are turning us into a Communist country.

"They" are turning us into a Socialist country.

"They" are turning us into a Marxist country.

"They" are passing legislation that does not "benefit" the American people. "They" are putting our children and grandchildren in debt for decades.

"They" are cutting the medicare coverage for the aged.
"They" are setting up death panels for the aged. 

"They" are helping the rest of the World, we now hear, (Haiti, Indonesia, Thailand,

India, Sri Lanka , etc)  and not our own suffering people here at home.

"They" are taking over the major businesses all over the United States.

"They" are bailing out the Banks

"They" are seizing and closing the Banks

"They" are bailing out Wall Street

"They" are bailing out U S car companies

"They" are forcing car makers to manufacture vehicles that are energy efficient

"They" are forcing car makers to manufacture and sell vehicles that are  safe.

"They" are setting standards for fair credit

"They" are setting fair standards for collection companies

"They" are taking over the airlines

"They" are for the giant corporations

"They" are maintaining some companies are to big to fail

"They" are for the mom and pop businesses

"They" are stopping the space program

"They" are limiting and leading non proliferation of the Nuclear arsenal

"They" are abandoning our "Good and Just Wars"

"They" are eliminating our ability to torture prisoners

"They" are eliminating Guantanamo Prison

"They" are loosing jobs to the rest of the World

"They" are causing companies to cut back and slim down.

"They" are causing the dollar to devalue

"They" are Breaking the backs of Unions.

"They" are selling us to China.

"They" are trying to gag Palin

"They" are after Fox News unbalanced reporting

"They" are not eligible to be President

"They" are not born in the United States

"They" are bowing and scraping to other countries and cultures

"They" are trying to scrap 22nd amendment

"They" are trying to outlaw guns

"They" are abandoning the Nations borders to get more votes from "wetbacks"

"They" are allowing openly gays into the military

"They" are making us toe the line if we receive Federal financial help

"They" are working to eliminate obesity

"They" are putting a Hispanic women on the supreme court for life

"They" are putting a Conservative Jewish woman on the supreme court for life

"They" are ruining my United States of America

"They" are asking people to work for no pay (volunteerism)

"They" are asking citizens to go back to school to retrain for a better life.

"They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They" "They"

"They" have been busy and we will vote the "Curs" (shouldn't use the word "bastards" as this is a PG rated page) out next election.

Who are "They"?

• 
  
  They are Democratic President Obama
• 
  
  They are Democratic Vice President Biden
• 
  
  They are First Lady Michelle Obama
• 
  
  They are the 255 Democrats in the House
• 
  
  They are the 57 Democrats in the Senate

God Bless Them and Keep Them Safe

 Another pithy saying:

Cutting Off Your Nose To Spite*Your Face

*Quick word and thought on the word "SPITE"

With apologies to, John Heywood's A Dialogue Conteynyng Prouerbes and Epigrammes, 1562 list this entry under "Of Spite": At this point

If there be any, as I hope there be none,

That would loose both his eyes to loose his foe one,

Then fear I there be many, as the current world go'th,

That would loose one eye to loose their foes both.

In a more contemporary definition, with credit to Marc Hauser, Cognitive Evolution Laboratory, of Harvard University 

Why is it that humans are able to act in ways that create significant cost to others even at their own expense? In most cases where an individual does something to impose costs on another, the underlying motivation for such behaviour is selfish. Given that there are so many other ways other than spite to increase one's relative fitness, the costs of spite should rarely be favoured.

18 months ago we voted for change, major change, (careful what you ask for you may get it) and luckily we got what we wanted. We found a leader that says very simply: "You must be responsible for your self and must participate in your own well being". Unfortunately most people do not understand what our President Obama is doing, he is creating a level playing field and if you want help you have to help yourself first. He is not for more government rather he is demanding you get involved in your Country and basic financial and social responsibilities. 

To the members of the House and Senate who have done nothing, you should be ashamed of your self's,is this why you wanted to serve?

Tea Party and all of its hate and ignorance, remember you reap what you sow!

Death, Dieing and Platonic Realism*

Abstract Thought

When we are born we start to die. To die is a part of life. Fear is the predominate emotion in those rare instances that we allow our selves to contemplate the actual event. Humans have adapted many stratagems to handle the fear of dying. We have created or at least accepted abstract postulates such as , religion, heaven, hell, reincarnation, universal mind etc. These are comforting postulates but they can only be accepted on faith. (Unfortunately all faith can be disseminated by close examination and skilfully or emotionally discussed to the point of abandonment.) Since afterlife can not be guaranteed absolutely. How we handle this basic truth, successively defines the type of person that we are. Death is the end of an accumulation of experiences, actions and remembrances. How we live are life for good or bad (none of us are all virtuous or all immoral) is how we accept the inevitable.

Death should not be feared (after all fear is an emotion like laughing or crying, if we accept this premise then we can control the emotion) it should be only a stepping stone to the next level of knowledge. This makes more sense to me than gossamer wings or burning torment. I believe that god is a absolute and that he is neither loving or vengeful. That we are placed on earth for a reason and that it is not merely random selection. The reason is neither good nor bad but rather an attempt to take progression of knowledge to the next step. God maybe the summation of all souls or the absolute essence of spark of life.(did you know that we can duplicate a cell chemically and structurally, but for all of this we cannot give it life, spark of life may be a misnomer, spark of life may be the definition of God.)

We have bad things happen to us and ask, “why me Lord why me”. What you are really saying is “Why not someone else Lord why not someone else”. You invite and/or attract what happens to you for good or bad. As I grow older, hopefully a wee bit wiser, I have found this to be a quintessential truth without equal.

When we pray we do not change Gods mind or even influence him to take notice. God doesn’t change his mind, we do.

Prayer is powerful, there are too many documented examples to simply dismiss it as a crutch of the masses. My best advice is, “don’t save prayer as a last resort”.

Belief in God is a fundamental building block of the person we think we are. It makes no difference what you call him: Allah, Almighty, Deus, Divine Being, God, Heavenly Father, Hosanna, Jehovah, Supreme Brahman, whose three primary incarnations are Vishnu, Shiva, and Brahma, Lord, Master Of The Universe, Omnipotent Being, Supreme Being, The Creator, Etc. The name is only semantics’ for the intelligence we define as God. Even the Atheist believe in God. How can you disbelieve or deny something that you don’t believe exists.

Practical Advice

We all die eventually and so will I strange how that sentence completely changes in emotional content when you add "so will I". Some of us accept it as parts of living others see it as fearful or try not to think about it at all. What ever your view points, you should consider making your own funeral arrangements. Look at it as a gift to your family at a time they need a gift. If you can't afford to make pre-arrangements and pay cash. Many funeral homes have time pay so that you can pay it off before you die. This insures that you will have the type of wake and funeral you want. Why ask your family to spend $5,000 to $10,000 to put you in the ground. Unfortunately, in are societies the bigger the funeral (more money spent) the more you were respected in your community and loved by your family. That’s a lot of horse hockey, and you know it. You wouldn’t want to spend money to the point of borrowing (in your secret heart of hearts) and neither would they. Of course they would, but why ask.

Pre-arrangements are simple you go to the funeral home of your choice. Tell them you would like to make pre-arrangements they will show you different packages organized by cost. Do not make any decisions right away. Tell them you would like to think about it.

I see this as a personal choice and it should be kept private. Inform your family that you have made pre-arrangements and at what funeral home. Do not tell the details this seems to help the family if they don’t know what to expect. Be creative, and have some fun with it. It is a good way to be remembered. If you can't bring yourself to think or act about this subject, you need to be less selfish and grow up. This may seem a hard line but you know I’m right.

Addendum

I wrote this before I wound up in a coma for a month and then months of recovery, hospitalized again, more recovery and finally to where I am back or at least 85% back.

Knowing what I know now and what I have experienced does the truth of my previous writings ring true? Short answer yes, with a caveat, my belief in the here after is no longer something I have to take on faith. If someone tries to tell you there is nothing after this they are, very simply,  mistaken. I have glimpsed the other side it is as real as this keyboard I am typing on. Fear of dieing has gone, now it is sadness of leaving the people and things that I love and have become used to, but it is with curious contemplation that I look forward to different plane of existence. TL

Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away

Philip K. Dick

*Platonic Realism: Thought process includes the thesis that mathematics and all scientific truths are not created but waiting to be discovered.