Lousy cold weather. NIU shootings.
Current mood: crappy
Category: News and Politics
This winter with the bitter cold snaps here has been "killing" me. Cold air induced asthma and the erythrocytosis/polycythemia has been really bad. I had three pints of blood total drained out of me on 01/09, 01/16, and 01/30. Most of you would be enemic with that much blood loss, but me I am still in the high end of normal. What really pisses me off is the blood bank has to throw it away.
Someone infiltrated our computer and put a virus/worm in it. Froze us up! My wife, the computer jock has been cleaning up the mess. That has not made her too happy. She would like to "deep six" the culprit. I don't know what people get out of such behavior. I figure it is a feeble attempt to show their "mental superiority". If they put that energy to something positive they could probably end up millionaires.
The shootings at NIU. I received my graduate degree from there, so it really hurts. In fact, I proctored exams in that very same room/lecture hall. It is so stupid. To commit suicide is bad enough, but to take out innocent others is to deserve the hottest corner in hell.
What really pisses me off is that stuff like this brings out all the anti-gun nuts. All their half-assed schemes to make us "safe". A gun is nothing more than a machine. It can be used for good or evil; as can be a knife, a baseball bat, a screw driver, a car, a rope, duct tape, whatever. None of these ideas:gun registrations, ammunition id stamping, limits to one gun per month purchases, will do a damn thing to make you or I safer. Gun safety education courses will. People are lead to believe that the NRA is some evil group of lunatics. Truth is that if you really surveyed the organization's membership, you would find that they are probably one of the most law abiding group of people that you will ever meet. Places that have strict gun laws like Canada, England, and Australia have some the fastest rising violent crime rates in the world. Gun restrictions have actually made law abiding people less safe, because they have less means of fighting back against a criminal. Did you notice that guys like this "nut case" pick soft targets like universities to shoot up? Why? Because they know that no one there can stop them. If Illinois had conceal and carry, and someone in that room would potentially have had a firearm to shoot back with, I guarantee you that that "butthole" would have thought twice before he did what he did. I know that some of you will stongly disagree with me, but please keep an open mind. If I truely believed that some proposed measure would stop such events, I would be the first in line to pursue such action.
I know that a couple of you have said that you have had guns pointed at you. When I was 21, I ran into a couple of thugs that I crossed the wrong way. They were minor lower level players in an organization that is often portrayed in the movies. They tried to force me off the road once. They shot at me another time hitting a concrete wall about six feet from me. That brought them to the attention of some higher ups in their organization that called them off because they didn't need attention since the higher ups were facing charges in a Federal District Court in Louisianna (They were ultimately convicted on tax evasion, money laundering, selling gambling devices Illegally across state lines, RICO, etc.) So I do know your fears, but they has not changed my views over the years about most of what is passed off as gun safety laws. Point blank, they don't work.
Phishing and life in general
Current mood: tired
Category: Life
Somebody "phished" my account. Tom, caught it and left message to change password, which I have done. I don't get what someone benefits from doing stuff like this. As we know a lot of people have over reacted to the dangers on Myspace. In some ways, Myspace is becoming a pain in the rear. "Cybercops" are getting to be a pain over censorship (way too much pressure from politicians "protecting the children"). See my last blog.
I allow whatever my son wants to read ---- even the Bible can be pornographic-- just read some of the lesser known Psalms. I don't allow him to look at Hustler, etc, but even Larry Flint sometimes has some very interesting political views which I will copy out, remove the dirty jokes/ads, and let my son read the article. He has to learn to cut through all the "crap" if he wants to see how the world really works that he will have to attempt to thrive in.
My "normal" Email address is profiled/established under a different name and identifying data. It is not to deceive anyone but someone who hacks into the info. They can't do identity theft if they can't get your info. My real name is Robert, but on my normal email I come up as "Ron Jones". I am not using it to commit fraud so..... who should really care. My friends/relatives know its me.
Some of these creative folks on Myspace include real birthdays, real names, way too much identifying information for a hacker/id theft artist.
Just an update. Both of my shoulders are doing better. They ache a bit, especially the left one, with the cold weather. We have been in a deep freeze in Northern ILLINOIS. Cold air also causes me to have asthma. So that has kept me in doors more than I like. Lastly, I have a blood disorder where my bone marrow doesn't know when to shut off so I keep producing red blood cells so my blood gets thick and like sludge unless they do a phlebotomy. Cold weather makes my condition that much worse. Well, on Jan 9 and Jan 16, I had a pint of blood taken out of me each day. Sounds crazy but I feel much better. I don't get as cold as quickly when I do go outside since I have better circulation. I am scheduled to get another pint taken out on Jan 30. The hemotology doctor's test shows that all my factors measured are much more normal, but still need some improvement. It could be worse. People with the cancerous form of this disorder die 100% of the time within 5 years and I was diagnosed in Jan 2003.
A lighter note: my son bowled in a tournament on Jan 20. The Kid was kicking butt through the first four games of seven: 242, 268, 220, 211. He kept trading off with another guy for 1st and 2nd place in the field. (He was bowling at a 235 average across the first four games.) Well the oil pattern really starting breaking by the fifth game. He bowled 180, 190, 176 to finish the seven games. The last three scores are not bad; average bowlers would die to get scores like these. But we just couldn't get the right ball and the right line to get around the mess in the oil made by the really high power "cranking"" bowlers. Well he slid to 4th, then 5th, and by the seventh game to 8th place out of a field of about 60 guys (most of whom are a couple of years older than him). He had to be in the top 6 for go to match play where the bulk of the scholarship money is at. How could you be disappointed when he bowled an average of over 212 across seven games, to be nudged out in the very last game? You can't. So we go at it again at another tournament this coming Sunday.
Unclean, unconventional thoughts
Current mood: thoughtful
Category: News and Politics
Sometimes I am afraid anymore to say much on Myspace. did you know that "FOX NEWS" owns Myspace. They have become so politically correct that they have buckled into much of our governments domestic spying. MYspace can also try to claim ownership of any blog, poem, whatever, someone writes since they claim to be the publisher of anything that anyone writes here. DAN (another blogger brought this up once before) felt that it could be fought in court, but who knows....Rupert Murdoch has deep pockets. By the way, what ever happened to DAN???
Also, for an example, Illinois just passed an internet law making it a crime "to have a sexually explicit conversation with someone under 18". Now if my son asks me a question let's say about "clitoral stimulation during mutual masturbation" and I answer his question in person, it would be just a parent giving his child extra "birds and bees" information; but if I answered him via his Myspace, would I be considered a criminal????? The politicians and all their crap about "protecting the children" is just that. I find it incredulous that most countries the age of consent is 14, 15, or 16, But in the old "US of A" most states seem to be stuck on 18. I read recently under the old "Common Law" the age of consent was considered to be 10. Strange but that fits with the fact of something that I have recently read that humans actually go through two puberties: the first one is an adrenal puberty, the second is a gonadal puberty. But just look at the behavior of "kids" before obvious adult sex charactreristics appear, kids do act out sexually. (Recently some 8 and 9 year old boys were arrested for raping an 11 year old girl.) I am not defending predatory pedafils, but I do seek some common sense in our law, and common cultural beliefs about child development.
Also, sexual criminal registries do as much harm as good. For example, young women (Girls Gone Wild?) flashing on Florida beaches have been convicted of "sex crimes" and have had to register. Later, they have found that they are restricted from going to their own kids schools, public parks, etc since they are registered sex criminals. Here they are: middle age soccer moms but because they did something foolish at age 19, they are now restricted in employment, where they can live, social activities. Theses are issues that politicians are afraid to touch in any open way. Stick to the orthodox safe line because America's misguided religious types can't handle it. And they do vote in large numbers.
Enough soapboxing. Sorry if it sounded like a rant. Bob
My life has been heck the past year with two shoulder surgeries and lots of physical rehab. My shoulders are actually stronger than before, minus rotator tear and bone spurs. I actually have gotten back into practicing bowling with my kid. Maybe, just maybe, I can make a comeback.
I am a multi certified bowling coach. Yes, I got my kid to Jr Gold Nationals (in Buffalo NY) last summer. As some of you know, we had MAJOR equipement issues. Incorrect "thumb pitch"(how the balls were drilled) caused the kid lots of problems. Took two months for his thumb to heal up after we finally got it corrected . It was an expensive problem (about $600) to get all the balls drilled the same after we got it corrected. Now the challenge is to get him into a qualifier and have him win to go to Detroit MI this coming summer.
I have not been active on Myspace since my shoulders ached so bad. It was a real effort to try to sit and type stuff out. It never failed that when I tried that something would crash before I posted and I didn't have the energy to retype it. Yes, I am still the "Crazy" Liberal Libertarian that I always have been. I have some real major comments to share with you about BOTH major political parties. 40 years of screwed up Democrat rule followed by 12 years of screwed up Republican rule have really got this country screwed up. This country is in "deep shit" and neither party is offering us much of anybody that has the "balls" to tell us the truth or offer valid solutions.
Rumors have been running that TV commentator Lou Dobbs is considering running as an independent. I don't always agree with him but I would welcome him to the alternatives: Democrats big government socialism and the Republicans big goverment for the benefits of the wealthy. Love to you all. Bob
Nina's reply.. It's good.
Current mood: grateful
Category: Friends
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Feb 27, 2007 10:23 AM
Flag as Spam or Report Abuse [ ? ] My own political orientation is almost identical to Thomas Jefferson's. Jefferson today would probably fall into the "Liberal Libertarian" camp. We would feel like part of the great middle ground that both political parties have ignored as of late.
Nina, dear friend, I love you. You stuck by me and offered comments of hope when others got tired of my not entertaining them. You are special. Thanks! Bob" name=spamBody>
Subject:
RE: hello Good to hear from you.
Body:
Well hello there Bob. I did a quick read through of you blog. I plan on going back to re-read and of course leave you a comment lol.
Although I am a registered Dem. I think they need alot of party reform. lol I really never consider a canidate by party...just who is the better person. Haven't made up my mine yet. But it sure won't be Hillary or Obama.
Sorry to hear you are going to have to have more surgery on your other shoulder. At least you have a little more time to re-coop from this one, and maybe write a few more blogs. I have missed you and glad things are some what better for you. Talk to you soon.
Nina
----------------- Original Message ----------------- From: Bob, Who Writes the Blogs Date: Feb 26, 2007 3:15 PM
Yes, I am alive. I thank Drs. Frankenstein and Kevorkian for a new lease on life.. Between the cyanide and the lightening bolts, I have woke from my stupor to try to catch up with the world around me. At times lately, I feel barely with it, but I am going to try to get somebody somewhere P.O.'d or something with my sarcasms yet.
What did you think of my Obama blurb? I am telling you the guy has NO Business being President. Once someone gets him nailed down on issues, he will bomb. People will find out his feel good speeches that so far can be interpreted anyway anyone wants lack substance. Senator Biden got in trouble for saying it, but he was right a few weeks ago in his criticism of Obama. I got a feeling that Hillary and Obama will chew each other up. So eventually the Democrats will draft Al Gore to run again. It sounds "nuts" but it is highly plausible.
My own political orientation is almost identical to Thomas Jefferson's. Jefferson today would probably fall into the "Liberal Libertarian" camp. We would feel like part of the great middle ground that both political parties have ignored as of late.
Nina, dear friend, I love you. You stuck by me and offered comments of hope when others got tired of my not entertaining them. You are special. Thanks! Bob
LIFE AND a LITTLE POLITICS
Current mood: contemplative
Category: News and Politics
I am going to have my right shoulder operated on in late Spring or early Summer. I have bone spurs in the right one now. If I don't get them cut/ground off, they will tear into my right rotator cuff just like what happened to my left. I DON'T want to go through that again. My God!!!! They give you narcotics to knock you out to sleep and you STILL feel the pain just as if fully awake.
Hey, want to see a good film??? I bought the DVD of "The Butterfly Effect". (I liked the director's cut better than the theatre release version.) I gained one heck of respect for Ashton Kushtner. The kid can act!!!! Sorta sci-fi but not exactly. Our hero discovers that he can will himself back in time to attempt to correct mistakes that happened to make his friends lives turn out better especially for a girl that he is in love with. Every time he does and changes something, consequences occur that he doesn't expect, so he goes back in time again to change things again. The director's cut ending is especially startling. He finally corrects things by doing the last thing that you would expect.
American Idol?? What do you think so far of this season????? I think the "babes" are a lot more talented than the "dudes".
I know that this is light material for me to be writing but Hey, I am trying to get back into things....warming up!!!!!!
One quick note: Barack Obama. Don't be fooled by his "Let's all pour sunshine up our butts speeches". He is a "light weight", NO substance. The little available from his Illinois Senate record has No "mover or shaker" material in it. He did vote on a bill that would require medical treatment to a baby that survived an abortion attempt. He voted "NO". He has clearly allied himself to the Chicago Daley "Machine". For any of you folks that live outside of Illinois, Chicago has a long history of forcing legislation down the throat of the people in the rest of the state of Illlinois. Too many of Chicago's Mayors have thought that they are the Governor. Illinois is a very long state from North to South. The southern tip of Illinois is almost as far south as the northern border of Arizona. It is terrible that one political group in Chicago can tell someone in Taylorville how to live their lives. Chicago is always running short of money for everything (education/transportation/police/etc) and siphoning it from the rest of the state via Springfield.
Lastly, an unscientific phone in poll was run in The Aurora Beacon News a few weeks ago. Aurora is a heavily Democrat city (second largest city in Illinois) right in Obama's backyard. Only 25% of the callers felt that Obama was qualified to run for President. The comments left tell quite a diversity of opinions/reasons, but overall little support was shown for "Mr. Charisma". This in a city that should be packed with Obama supporters. Think about it!!!! Would you go to a restuarant, pay for a 10 ounce steak, and then find out it was actually a soybean burger, and be satisfied with what you got???? I don't think so. Well, that is what you will get with Obama. Bob
Hello! Guten tag! Ola!
Current mood: grateful
Category: Life
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RE: Hi kiddo...how are you?
Body:
Thanks for asking. Life has been a real piece of crap between this shoulder, miserable weather here, and a flare up of probelms related to a blood disorder that I was diagnosed with about five years ago. I make too much blood so my blood gets thick like "sludge" so I have to go in at times to have them draw out 500 cc's to thin it back out. Not as bad as it sounds, considering the alternative!!! If I have had the cancerous form of this I would have been dead about four years ago or so. Cold weather exacerbates the symptoms and makes my life hell at times. Just spend two trips to the E.R. within forty eight hours time and one entire day in the hospital last weekend. It is sorta like blacks that have sickle cell in that there is not much to do about it except get treatment and somehow live with the "inconvenience". I see the oncologist/hematologists next week.
Sorry to hear that you had ankle problems. Anything with bones is a real trip. I basically have my shoulder back except for some aching due to the cold and the bone healing up where they cut of the spurs. The rotator cuff has healed, I just have to real careful NOT to get carried away for another month or two to be sure it really is totallly healed.
Did any of you folks hear about our local tragedy in Oswego, IL. Eight teenagers piled into a car with a 23 year old DUI lady. She wrapped the car around a telephone pole killing 5 of the kids so far and a sixth may not make it. The news made all the Chicago area papers frontpage. Really makes you think!!!!!
iT IS GOOD TO HEAR FROM YOU ALICAT. Everyone be patient with me. Although my blog topics sometimes get out on a limb at times, I think that they can be areas of valid discussion. I am a little upset with Myspace/Fox/Rupert Murdoch for buckling under on limiting contacts with under 18 year olds. I have NO interest in "screwing with kids" but my topics have a political twist to most of them when I get going good. I argue that they are denying theses kids to participate/debate in political speech. So I think that Myspace "whoosied out" to the right wing social control crazies that I have talked about. I think that Myspace violated my free speech rights as well as those of kids that want to particpate in my arguments. Where is the ACLU when you need them?...
Bob ----------------- Original Message ----------------- From: Alicat Date: Feb 11, 2007 7:23 AM
Hi
Haven't heard from you in a while..been busy myself with health problems and family problems..
I have missed your writings and was just wondering how you were doing and if you got a call from the cuvs yet...LOL
I have to have surgery on my ankle soon (as soon as W/C stops fighting it) and it is going to be a long road for me after too...up to twelve months they say..:(
But as far as "the breath of life" goes it is just a hiccup...:)
I am sorry if all of you have been feeling neglected, but I still have be feeling like crap most of the time.
Surgery went real well, but physical therapy has been taking its toll on me. My range of motion is almost normal in my left shoulder, but I am extremely weak in that arm and shoulder. The next day after physical therapy I am really stiff and sore. It is coming back, but they said it would take about six months to get as close to 100% as I could ever hope to be again.
The running joke is that I am going to be a converted-to-lefty 57 year old rookie that is going to try out for the Cubs this Spring in their Mesa, Arizona facility. As bad as the Cubs needed pitching, they might hire me. Ha, ha!
This whole business has really driven up my blood pressure. My blood pressure has been hovering around 180/90 for months now. My doctor has tried new drugs on me, but either they are ineffective or make me sick to my stomach. My resting pulse has averaged in the low 100's, but has gotten as high 139 per minute while at rest. I have had to take some Xanax (Normally for my panic attacks) to bring my heartbeat down. After Xanax, my heartbeat goes down to 80 per minute. Still not my normal 66, but a whole lot better. The blood pressure is probably why I feel as bad as I do.
Sorry if I sound like I am crying in your ear, but I do apologize for appearing to be anti-social. I do wish EVERYONE the best is 2007. I do hope to get back to my usual sarcastic, cocky self when conditions permit me to do so. Bob.
I am alive!!!! Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Current mood: grateful
Category: Life
Well, things here are looking some better. I am out of the shoulder immobilizer and sling. I am actually starting physical therapy. First session was Monday: Tuesday I could hardly move the arm it ached SO BAD! Wednesday session went better. Therapist did a lot of massage on it and had me do a very light workout with it. Well, I do have a four inch scar as a souvenir which I am finding Mederma ointment is really great stuff. EXPENSIVE but really worth it.
My son was in another tournament on November 19th. He took third place this time. It was 250 miles from home so we stayed in a hotel on Saturday night. I think he gained enough season points that he should be first place in the tour standings as of now. "Hopefully, he gets the tour's 2006-2007 "Bowler of the Year". He really wants it But a couple more events are still coming up. So hopefully no more hamstring problems like he went through a year and a half ago. It did annoy him a little bit on Sunday, but he massaged and stretched it out.
My better half went to spend Thanksgiving with her mom. The boy (young man), the dog, and I stayed home. A really nice neighbor brought over a platter of food for me and my son since they knew my Mrs. wasn't going to be here. I could claim that we had a wild and crazy orgy that afternoon, but only in my vivid imagination. Where are all the wild and crazy, horney women on MYspace, when you really need one??????? or two?????? or three????? Now you KNOW the imagination has gone off the deep end!!! Well, I am going to go.... So Happy (late) Thanksgiving everyone!!!! Pray for the ladies and gentlemen in Iraq, "The shit (Shiite???) seems to be really hitting the fan" over there. Bob
The further adventures of Bob, UPDATED!!!!!!
Current mood: restless
Category: Life
Thanks. I am going to bulletin this to all as well. It is REALLY difficult typing with my left arm practically immobile.
My surgery went well! Surgeon said that I tore both muscle and ligament (lucky me!) I also somehow injured the shoulder end of the clavicle (collar bone), so they fixed that too so that I wouldn't get arthritis so bad that my left arm would someday be relatively useless. I have had quite a time. I have been off vicodine completely since last Saturday. I will have a four inch scar as a reminder of this "adventure". They used both general anesthetic and nerve blocks during the 1 hour and twenty minute surgery. Otherwords, I screwed myself up pretty good.
On top of the surgery, I had a filling fall out of a molar on Saturday October 28th. I had to have a root canal on November 3. Real fun with shoulder still swollen up having an endodontist sawing/drillig and digging crap out of the tooth canals.
Today, I go to surgeon to get staples out. Tomorrow morning part two of root canal gets done. But believe it or not, I am starting to feel better. Well I got to go. Hope everyone is doing great!!!! Bob
----------------- Original Message ----------------- From: Pole, Spa & Toys Date: Oct 28 2006 7:55 AM
Hey Bob,
Just wanted to check-in with you and see how you are? Glad to hear you surgery went well. Hope you are well on the road to full recovery.
crappy
tired
thoughtful
cheerful
grateful
contemplative
exhausted
restless