ShowMeBlog

Update on Jim

This post is from Dick in Kansas City - a long time friend of Jim's from his Belton/Kansas City.  I spoke with Jim this afternoon, Saturday  Feb 9th, 2008 and wanted to let readers of ShomMeBlog know what's going on.

You've all read of his aches and pains - shortness of breath - and attempts to keep blood pressure under control. Yesterday, Friday the 8th of Feb, Jim had a scheduled visit with his new general practice physician - following a change in health care plan.   

The doctor performed an EKG and found enough abnormalities and signs of either a prior heart attack or possibly one in progress that he sent Jim to the Emergency Room for further exams.  He's in the hospital now - feeling "fair" and undergoing tests on his heart - he's had more EKGs, I believe they'll to the echo cardiogram later today and he's also slated to have heart catheterization  - all diagnostic work to find what his stauts is now and what needs to be done to remedy.

He's in good hands - the cardiology group he'd wanted to see before the insurance change is on his case and he'll find out for the first time what's at the bottom of the symptoms he's had and has written about for the past couple of years. 

Jim's in room 4317 at Baptist Hospital of Miami,  8900 North Kendall Drive,   Miami, Florida 33176

Now that raises a sort of question - the product of a Catholic education in the hands of the Baptists - I hope the Baptists are up to the challenge.

Anyway, no diagnosis yet - maybe tomorrow or Monday.  I'd bet if Jim's in for long he'll find a way to post to the this blog but for now he's not able to. In the meantime I'll post updates as I learn more.

I don't believe I can see or approve comments posted to this blog so if you'd like to sent a comment for Jim you're welcome to email them to me - I'll post them and/or relay them by phone to Jim when I speak to him.  You're welcome to post comments also but I don''t think they'll get moderator's approval till Jim's able to log in with owner privileges. 

We all wish you well Jim - hoping you get the fix you've needed for some time and good luck.  Not sure they serve chili dogs and pizza in the cardiac care unit so we'll place a Dominos order for you in a day or two. 

Best wishes

Dick in Kansas City
rjw at kcsky dot net

High Blood Pressure

  I see my new doctor tomorrow.  I now have AvMed insurance.  You have to pick your plan doctor and he has to refer you to other doctors if you need to see a doctor.  Right now I am wishing that I had kept my old plan.  With the old plan I could pick any doctor and did not need  to have the doctor refer me.
  I just took my blood pressure and it is 163/79.  That is not good.  That is "Stage 2 Hypertension" and with the high blood pressure medications I am taking now it should not be over 140. 
  Since 2003 the medical people have lowered the BP standard.  People over 18 years of age should not have a Systolic of over 120.  Diastolic (the lower number) should be less than 80. 

 

Senior Citizens and Military Veterans!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- "The Senate, ending a contentious and partisan debate, voted 81 to 16 on Thursday to approve an amended version of a $150 billion House plan to spur the economy.

The Senate bill would pay one-time rebates to 117 million low- and middle-income households, 20 million senior citizens living off of Social Security and 250,000 disabled veterans..."

  The bill is going back to the House tonight and it is expected that the house will pass it as early as tonight.  President Bush may get it Friday to sign.

"...Here's a breakdown of the main provisions:

Tax rebates to 137 million people. Rebates of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 to couples would go to single filers making less than $75,000 and joint filers making less than $150,000. In addition, parents would receive $300 rebates per child.

Those who do not owe income taxes but have at least $3,000 in income would get a $300 rebate..."

  I guess that means that I will get a $300.00 rebate.  I live on my Social Security and I did not have to pay taxes last year. 
  Another site says that the Senate bill would allow rebates to go to retirees on Social Security and disabled veterans.  It does not mention an amount.

  Now you all are going to make a donation to ShowMeBlog with your rebates right?
  Smile

John McCain's Temper II

  Here is a little I found on the Internet about John McCain's temper.
 
  McCain's Tempter May Become an Issue - by Scott Thomsen AP Writer 10/31/1999

  John McCain's Tempter Preceded Vietnam - Ronald Kessler  08/30/2006

  Sen. John McCain: I Don't Have a Temper

  Famed McCain temper is tamed - by Michael Kranish of The Boston Globe 01/27/2008

  There is a lot more on the Internet.  So you can check it out and decide yourself.
 

  I am not voting for any Republican.  I never have voted for a Republican and I never will vote for one.  So John McCain is not losing my vote because of his temper.  He losing my vote because he belongs the party of big business, Wall Street and is owned by major corporations.  (John McCain is not "owned" by anyone, I don't think, but his party is owned by Wall Street.

John McCain's Awful Temper

  I have commented here before that I admire and respect John McCain a great deal.  He served this nation in the military.  He was a POW for five years.  He is a true American hero.
  Now having said that...
  I have commented here also that I think he has some issues.
  AMERICAblog has a post about John McCain's temper.

  Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss) said of John McCain recently;  "He is erratic.  He is hotheaded.  He loses his temper and he worries me." 
  Sen. McCain list his temper and screamed at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); "Fuck You!"
  Sen. McCain repeatedly called Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM); an "Ass hole."
  Sen McCain had a heated exchange with Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and called him a "Fucking Jerk."
  You can read more at the AMERICAblog site.

  With John McCain being 71 years of age and with the stress and pressure of running for President of the United States I think the American people will see this and I do not think they are going to vote for him.
  I think he had problems and issues all his life but his five years as a POW did not help.  I feel bad that maybe because of his service to the nation that he has had mental effects that would keep him from being president. 
  But we do not need someone as president that going to loss it at a time of danger and stress.

  Let me point out that AMERICAblog is not pro-Republican.  They are liberal.
  I have not checked any of the above events.

Big Winter Storm in Midwest

  I saw on TV this morning about the big storm hitting Chicago.
I lived in Kansas City MO for most of my life and I have seen those sort of storms.  It is no fun to have to get out and go to work and drive on icy roads and then turn and drive home on those same roads.

 

  I just walked over to the little store a few blocks from here.  This is a view of the Indian golf course.  Photo was taken at about 1800 hours on 02/06/2008.  No snow.  No ice.  Just nice warm weather and the sun going down in the West.
  I miss my friends in the Kansas City area  but I do not miss the weather.
  Photo was taken with my new Casio Exilim EX-Z1080. 

Referring and Searches

  I am not the only person that does a web site that checks and looks to see what did the person that visited the site use to search and find the blog.  I am not the only one that checks and sees how many visitor came to the site today.
  I saw on a blog a funny post about it. I lost the link or I would put it here for you.

Ex-Wife's Long Distance Tech Support

  I do not fear death because I know when I die I will go right to heaven and skip purgatory because I am my ex-wife's tech support person.  I do not think I could be a tech support person on the telephone.  My God in heaven what suffering.
  Darlene, my ex-wife, lives in Texas.  Yes yes.. all my ex-wifes, well the one, live in Texas.  I bet that would make a good song.
  Darlene has been living on the edge of the computer world since our son moved to CA.  She knows nothing about computers.  She is one of those people that thinks that a computer should be like a radio or something..you turn it on and it works. 
  Any problem and she goes nuts and thinks that "they" are out to get her and it is a personal vendetta to make her life a living hell.  After all she was married to me for 12 years.  She sometimes says that she never met a good man or all men have "shit" on her.  Yes she says that when talking to me.
  Darlene lives in her own little world.  I have no idea what color the sky is in her world.
  Over the years I have tried my best to  help her out when I can do it. 
  But being her computer tech person on the telephone ...God I should have a lot of credits in the big book in heaven. 
  A friend gave her a used computer yesterday.  It is two years old and has 2 GB of memory.  She needed a new computer. The friend also gave her a printer.  So today she wanted to print out some shipping labels from the USPO site. 
  Of course at first she did not have Adobe reader installed.  We got that fixed. 
  Then she attempted to print out two shipping labels.  Well they did not print out and she was charged for them ($3.80 each). She was almost in tears and acted like dark forces with black helicopters had picked her to hurt her.
  I got her to re-boot the computer and take a break.
  We will attack this problem later today or tomorrow.
  Jesus, Mary and Joseph have mercy on me.
  Jesus, Mary and Joseph pray for me at the hour of my death.
  I have seen hell and it is trying to help Darlene with a computer problem.

Super Tuesday 2008

  McCain has half of the delegates he needs to win.  Clinton and Obama are just about tied in delegates and they have a long fight ahead of them. 
  My guess is that the Republicans are going to run McCain and Huckabee.  Right wing Republicans do not like McCain but they love Huckabee.  Most of the time people do not pay much attention to the vice president but this time if it is Huckabee the bible beaters and home schooling people may turn out just because one of their own (Huckabee) is on the  ticket.
  Keep in mind that John McCain is 71 years old.  Huckabee might end up as President of the United States.
  I think John McCain and Mike Huckabee are good decent men but we do not want the Republicans to hold the office of President of the United States.  We sure don't want their kind fucking up our system any more.  We have had enough of it.

  There have been a lot of Democrats that have liked John McCain.  I worry a little about them. 
  But I think in the race for President of the United States we all are going to get a look at John McCain and many of us are not going to like that side of him that we see.  If you read his life story you will see that all his life he has done things his way and he does not like anyone telling him what he has to do...It maybe what made him a hero.  But we do not need that in a president.  Plus to be that way all your life is one thing but when your 71 years old well then you become the sort of person that shoots someone that walk across your yard or the sort of old man that hits you with his cane.

Everyone seems to be going nuts over Obama.  My question is the same.  What if he were a white man running for President of the United States would you feel the same about him?
I can live with Obama or Clinton as president.  God we need a Democrat elected.
Right now I think Hillary Clinton can win if she is running.  I am not sure that Obama can win if it is him vs John McCain war hero.

Once

   

I just watched "Once" a nice little movie.
   "An (unnamed) Guy is a Dublin guitarist/singer-songwriter who makes a living by fixing vacuum cleaners in his Dad's Hoover repair shop by day, and singing and playing for money on the Dublin streets by night. An (unnamed) Girl is a Czech who plays piano when she gets a chance, and does odd jobs by day and takes care of her mom and her daughter by night. Guy meets Girl, and they get to know each other as the Girl helps the Guy to put together a demo disc that he can take to London in hope of landing a music contract. During the same several day period, the Guy and the Girl work through their past loves, and reveal their budding love for one another, through their songs. Written by Charles Delacroix"
  It is just a sweet little movie.  Check out the IMDB link for an interesting fact or two about the movie.