I was a life time smoker. Like most smokers, I quit dozens of times until the nicotine devil laughed at me as it grabbed me by the throat once more. Years ago, I quit for 5 solid years until one night setting with a smoking friend listening to music and relaxing. I asked him if I might have just one puff for old times sake and BOOM. Went straight to the store first thing in the morning and bought a pack of those delicious, scrumptious, satisfying to the soul darlings and down the yellow (teeth?) brick road we went again.
Well, after all these years and dozens of tries it finally happened. I'll talk about how later but I finally was able to quit for good. After just a few days or weeks, I was amazed at how much time I had without having to stop and smoke about once an hour. That's when this wild thought came into my feeble brain.
LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN CIGARETTES!!!
Let me prove that fact for all of you reading this right now. OK, I want to go shopping down at the mall or Trader Joe's or wherever on a Sunday. Wake up in the morning and it's time to have a smoke, take a shower and get dressed and it's time to have a smoke. Have breakfast and it's time to have a smoke. The drive to go shopping is going to take about a half hour at least so right before I leave, it's time to have a smoke. Then when I arrive at the store, I'll be shopping for a while so now I'm out in the damn hot parking lot standing under this little bitty tree panting like a banshee having a smoke. In the store to shop for a while and now back to the parking lot under that little puny tree having another smoke, sweating like a pig. Guess I'll have lunch on the way home, so drive there and guess what folks? Before I go in, again standing out in the parking lot like a damn idiot having a smoke I am. After eating is one of the best cigs of all, so it's time for another smoke. Of course as soon as I get home, it's time to have another smoke now isn't it?
So, lets go back over what I did that day just up to the point of getting back home from a simple shopping trip BETWEEN CIGARETTES. I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, drove down to the store, went shopping, drove to the lunch place, and drove back home. Lets count the cigarettes. How about 10 just up to that point and it's only about 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon.
LIFE IS WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN CIGARETTES!!!
Now each cigarette takes about 10 minutes out of ones time, so that's about 120 minutes out of the total shopping trip up to the point of arriving back home. Man that's a pretty good chunk of wasted time out of my life, now isn't it? After quiting, I could not believe how much more time I had in each day. The time factor is kind of misleading though because even other than actually smoking, your mind is always close to working out the details of the next cigarette.
What finally happened to make me quit was a potential health issue that came up in a medical exam in our family. That scared me beyond belief. All of the sudden the idea of actually dying over the stupid things became a real reality instead of just a far away thought. So that did it. I finally totally decided to quit. That's probably the most important and useful thing to happen to someone wanting to quit. To finally make the decision and mean it.
Now a few negative realities about quiting. Did I gain weight? Yup, no doubt. Probably something in the neighborhood of at least 20 pounds, which I am still struggling with after around 5 years have gone by. The fact is one's sense of taste comes back big time after quiting which makes food taste sooooooooo much better. This is a great thing and a crappy thing at the same time huh?
Do I feel better? Not really.....I guess I can breath a little better now and also don't have that little smokers cough I used to make excuses for. By the way, that little noisy, gurgling thing in my lungs that caused me to clear my throat every night several times when I first laid down in bed before sleep went completely away after only about a week. I was making excuses for that also. Oh.......I'm just clearing my throat...
Lets talk about the money.........HOLY CRAP!!! Do you realize that the damn things cost about $6.00 a pack now or around $60.00 a carton. When a couple both smoke around a carton or so a week EACH, that is about $5700.00 A YEAR!!!! What could most of us do with that kind of extra money just setting around?
OK, now my learned advice............DO NOT USE GUM or anything like lozenges, where you just pop one in your mouth every time you feel the need. I know a guy who has been hooked on gum now for FIFTEEN YEARS!!!!! The only thing I would recommend that worked for me and lots of other folks is the patch. One each morning, starting with the "Step #1 patch" for a few months, then stepping down to "Step #2 patch" which has less nicotine, then finally "Step 3 patch", which has very little nicotine.
OK, I'm done with my tirade about smoking now. One final note though. I thought for sure that I would die with a cigarette in my hand. There was no doubt in my mind. The only thing that saved me was that one important medical scare and my making up my mind to choose life over that fat obnoxious idiot, the nicotine devil himself.
I'm sure you've heard this lots of times but here goes again.
IF I COULD DO IT..........ANYONE CAN!!!!!
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Friday, June 18, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
The Student becomes the Master
Life sure is funny most times now isn't it? We start out alone, eventually if we're lucky, we find our mates. Then we have that magic moment of becoming parents. That's when the hard work, effort and sacrifice becomes a reality. Our whole life changes with that little demanding bundle of joy, noise and smelliness. We just thought life could be kind of tough, unfair and difficult up to that point. Oh boy!.....nothing compares to the abrupt changes one goes through when children enter the picture.
Everything changes. We go from carefree, happy lovers of life with backpacking, camping, long leisurely hikes, candlelight and wine dinners with our mates. Loving moments that seem to last forever into the night to...........WHOA!..........what happened dear? Sleep....What's that? Quietude.....What's that?....Loving moments?....What's that?
So........for the next dozen or so years, our whole lives are caught up in teaching the little punks how to not kill themselves with every innocent thing in the house and yard. Everything is a danger just waiting to take them out and it's up to us to teach them all the facts of life. The funny part is we just barely grew up ourselves and all this teaching comes without any handbook, manual or "parenting for Dummies" book to tell us how to do that. So we just stumble along doing the best we can.
If we're lucky our own parents can at least advise us on what not to do. You see, the only things they learned in the process of raising us is what didn't work so well, using how we turned out as examples. They tell us that the whippings they got as children didn't seem to hurt them too much but why don't you try something else since the law tends looks down of that method of instruction nowadays? So we go with the "quiet time" routine for better or worse.
Then the lessons start. Dance, music, sports, gun safety....oh wait!.... Not nowadays, unfortunately. We deliver and pick them up several times a week for years on end. We spend a fortune on costumes and uniforms. For what purpose? To teach them responsibility, sticking to the task at hand, working with others... All of this because we love them and want them to do the best they can in life.
Then without warning the dreaded teenage hood rears it's weird convoluted head. All of the sudden us parents don't know anything. We are no longer their special friends, we are their secret enemies. The ones who refuse to let them do everything they think they need to do. "All the kids are doing this" they say about some of the most idiotic things they think they have to do. "All the cool people have tattoos and rings through their noses" they assure us, when explaining the monster standing at the door waiting to take her out on the first date.
HOLY CRAP!!!! Now it's time to learn to drive a car. Look out world, now we have our little darling barreling down the road in a machine that weighs thousands of pounds heading straight for our neighbors and family out on the roads. "I can not and refuse to drive that ugly Honda civic. I need at least a corvette to be cool". In high school years, to be cool is EVERYTHING, you see.
After all the schooling is done, now it's time for them to find a mate. Maybe get married, or more likely just live together in sin for 13 or so years. "I don't know what went wrong Grandma, we thought we taught him/her better than that". Their mate has a good job and seems to wear clean underware so we just except their lack of morals and let it go at that.
OK, now is when that bum father time puts his interfering nose into our reality and of all the dumb things turns our hair white. What could possibly be the logical reason for that turn of events? Then comes all the aches and pains that appear out of nowhere. Add to that we have all these weird, rude noises our bodies make when we first get out of bed or simply stand up from a chair. HOLY CRAP!!! What happened to our youth, energy and stamina? When and how did that faucet get turned off? We find ourselves saying time and again. "Is this fair"?
The great thing about this time of life though is it's our turn! Now we get paid back for unpinning and removing that dirty diaper, cleaning unmentionable places on their bodies and replacing their clean diapers. Cleaning blood off of cuts and applying bandages so they won't get infections and have limbs fall off. Wash up and clean the vomit off of them and everywhere around them they so pleasantly leave laying around special for us to attend to when they're sick.
If we haven't completely blown our relationship with our children up to this point, they do appreciate all the hard work, effort and sacrifices we made through the years for them and help us in our later years. If we're lucky enough to have them close by in their adulthood, they help us physically. If they live far away, those hour long phone calls with emotional and physic help are unimaginably important and vital for us.
So after a lifetime of doing our best to teach them how to live a good productive life, it all comes back full circle.......right?
The Student becomes the Master......
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Everything changes. We go from carefree, happy lovers of life with backpacking, camping, long leisurely hikes, candlelight and wine dinners with our mates. Loving moments that seem to last forever into the night to...........WHOA!..........what happened dear? Sleep....What's that? Quietude.....What's that?....Loving moments?....What's that?
So........for the next dozen or so years, our whole lives are caught up in teaching the little punks how to not kill themselves with every innocent thing in the house and yard. Everything is a danger just waiting to take them out and it's up to us to teach them all the facts of life. The funny part is we just barely grew up ourselves and all this teaching comes without any handbook, manual or "parenting for Dummies" book to tell us how to do that. So we just stumble along doing the best we can.
If we're lucky our own parents can at least advise us on what not to do. You see, the only things they learned in the process of raising us is what didn't work so well, using how we turned out as examples. They tell us that the whippings they got as children didn't seem to hurt them too much but why don't you try something else since the law tends looks down of that method of instruction nowadays? So we go with the "quiet time" routine for better or worse.
Then the lessons start. Dance, music, sports, gun safety....oh wait!.... Not nowadays, unfortunately. We deliver and pick them up several times a week for years on end. We spend a fortune on costumes and uniforms. For what purpose? To teach them responsibility, sticking to the task at hand, working with others... All of this because we love them and want them to do the best they can in life.
Then without warning the dreaded teenage hood rears it's weird convoluted head. All of the sudden us parents don't know anything. We are no longer their special friends, we are their secret enemies. The ones who refuse to let them do everything they think they need to do. "All the kids are doing this" they say about some of the most idiotic things they think they have to do. "All the cool people have tattoos and rings through their noses" they assure us, when explaining the monster standing at the door waiting to take her out on the first date.
HOLY CRAP!!!! Now it's time to learn to drive a car. Look out world, now we have our little darling barreling down the road in a machine that weighs thousands of pounds heading straight for our neighbors and family out on the roads. "I can not and refuse to drive that ugly Honda civic. I need at least a corvette to be cool". In high school years, to be cool is EVERYTHING, you see.
After all the schooling is done, now it's time for them to find a mate. Maybe get married, or more likely just live together in sin for 13 or so years. "I don't know what went wrong Grandma, we thought we taught him/her better than that". Their mate has a good job and seems to wear clean underware so we just except their lack of morals and let it go at that.
OK, now is when that bum father time puts his interfering nose into our reality and of all the dumb things turns our hair white. What could possibly be the logical reason for that turn of events? Then comes all the aches and pains that appear out of nowhere. Add to that we have all these weird, rude noises our bodies make when we first get out of bed or simply stand up from a chair. HOLY CRAP!!! What happened to our youth, energy and stamina? When and how did that faucet get turned off? We find ourselves saying time and again. "Is this fair"?
The great thing about this time of life though is it's our turn! Now we get paid back for unpinning and removing that dirty diaper, cleaning unmentionable places on their bodies and replacing their clean diapers. Cleaning blood off of cuts and applying bandages so they won't get infections and have limbs fall off. Wash up and clean the vomit off of them and everywhere around them they so pleasantly leave laying around special for us to attend to when they're sick.
If we haven't completely blown our relationship with our children up to this point, they do appreciate all the hard work, effort and sacrifices we made through the years for them and help us in our later years. If we're lucky enough to have them close by in their adulthood, they help us physically. If they live far away, those hour long phone calls with emotional and physic help are unimaginably important and vital for us.
So after a lifetime of doing our best to teach them how to live a good productive life, it all comes back full circle.......right?
The Student becomes the Master......
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Soul food..........
Ah........Gardening. When I was a small boy growing up on a small working farm, my Mother always had a garden. Out of that garden, she canned everything we needed for an entire year. In those wonderful days, buying a can or jar of anything was a novel and weird thing to do. Everyone canned their own supplies from their gardens. We also had cows for milk. My Mom would squirt fresh, warm milk straight from the cows teet into a metal cup for me to drink. From the cows came the ingredients for my Mom to make cheese. Ah....I remember the cheese balls hanging from the rafters of our dark, cool, damp cellar when I was sent down for another jar of canned vegetables or fruit.
So, vegetables from the ground and fruit and nuts from the trees. All in their own season and all put away with loving care with skills passed down through the generations of my family and the families of most people of those times. The only food type items that one bought from the store were salt, sugar, flower and maybe spices. She even made most of our clothes with material she bought. One pair of Levy's and one pair of shoes each year right about the time of the county fair and beginning of school. The rest my family was basically self sufficient with using things we grew or raised. Chickens were for meat and eggs. BY the way, real fresh laid eggs are supposed to have a dark orange yolk, not the pail yellow crap you get at McDennys or at most stores. Pigs, chickens and butcher cows were our meat supply.
To this day, what's for dinner usually revolves around what's in season, ripe and ready to go out in the garden and what we bought and store in the freezer from the local butcher shop. Lets get something perfectly clear here. There is no comparison between ANYTHING one buys at the store to what you grow yourself and pick fresh straight from the ground. Also none of the butcher departments of the major grocery stores has anything to compare with finding a local butcher store, with the whole carcase hanging right there in plain sight for you to see. Real butchers know exactly where the cow was raised, slaughtered and how and what it was raised on.
Our daughter when young asked one day in the middle of winter why I bought those "so called" tomatoes. She said they were nothing more than pale yellow cardboard things and we should not buy them from a store ever. Also one time at a Denny's (probably one of the last times we have ever eaten there, thank the goddesses above!) we were just served out breakfast and was starting to dig in when we noticed her just setting there staring at her plate. We asked her what was the matter. She said "What are those"? Pointing at the eggs. "Eggs", we said. "no they're not, eggs are orange, these are pale yellow". You see, she was raised her whole life with fresh eggs straight from the chickens butt and had hardly ever even seen a store or restaurant egg until then.
OK, back to gardening......
It's actually quite simple really. Just add something organic back to the soil every year in the winter to make up for what your plants that year took out to grow and your good to go. As everyone knows by now, the only way to go is with raised beds. That way whatever you put in your beds stays there. Also, the weeds tend to be less and easier to deal with.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that it's just easier and cheaper to buy everything at the store. Money has nothing to do with the subject of great, freshly picked and eaten food. What you grow yourself comes with unbelievable taste and soul and you're not going to come close to that with store bought anything.
One more cool thing. Even if your children are not required to work in the garden, they will see how important it is to you and see you doing it. They will also learn how great the food that their parents grew tasted. That will stay with them for the rest of their lives and they too will have gardens when they're adults. Then their children will get to experience it also. So pass it on for the next generations of your family...
To this day, our daughter has these tubs she bought at the hardware store, along with pay dirt and plants and has a little garden in the backyard of her condo.
YEA!!! IT WORKED!
As we all know, there are lots of city kids who think eggs, vegetables and meat come from the cabinets at the supermarket. They have no idea they too can do this in the backyard or patio of their apartments.
and to me, that's a pretty sad thing indeed..........
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
So, vegetables from the ground and fruit and nuts from the trees. All in their own season and all put away with loving care with skills passed down through the generations of my family and the families of most people of those times. The only food type items that one bought from the store were salt, sugar, flower and maybe spices. She even made most of our clothes with material she bought. One pair of Levy's and one pair of shoes each year right about the time of the county fair and beginning of school. The rest my family was basically self sufficient with using things we grew or raised. Chickens were for meat and eggs. BY the way, real fresh laid eggs are supposed to have a dark orange yolk, not the pail yellow crap you get at McDennys or at most stores. Pigs, chickens and butcher cows were our meat supply.
To this day, what's for dinner usually revolves around what's in season, ripe and ready to go out in the garden and what we bought and store in the freezer from the local butcher shop. Lets get something perfectly clear here. There is no comparison between ANYTHING one buys at the store to what you grow yourself and pick fresh straight from the ground. Also none of the butcher departments of the major grocery stores has anything to compare with finding a local butcher store, with the whole carcase hanging right there in plain sight for you to see. Real butchers know exactly where the cow was raised, slaughtered and how and what it was raised on.
Our daughter when young asked one day in the middle of winter why I bought those "so called" tomatoes. She said they were nothing more than pale yellow cardboard things and we should not buy them from a store ever. Also one time at a Denny's (probably one of the last times we have ever eaten there, thank the goddesses above!) we were just served out breakfast and was starting to dig in when we noticed her just setting there staring at her plate. We asked her what was the matter. She said "What are those"? Pointing at the eggs. "Eggs", we said. "no they're not, eggs are orange, these are pale yellow". You see, she was raised her whole life with fresh eggs straight from the chickens butt and had hardly ever even seen a store or restaurant egg until then.
OK, back to gardening......
It's actually quite simple really. Just add something organic back to the soil every year in the winter to make up for what your plants that year took out to grow and your good to go. As everyone knows by now, the only way to go is with raised beds. That way whatever you put in your beds stays there. Also, the weeds tend to be less and easier to deal with.
Don't ever let anyone tell you that it's just easier and cheaper to buy everything at the store. Money has nothing to do with the subject of great, freshly picked and eaten food. What you grow yourself comes with unbelievable taste and soul and you're not going to come close to that with store bought anything.
One more cool thing. Even if your children are not required to work in the garden, they will see how important it is to you and see you doing it. They will also learn how great the food that their parents grew tasted. That will stay with them for the rest of their lives and they too will have gardens when they're adults. Then their children will get to experience it also. So pass it on for the next generations of your family...
To this day, our daughter has these tubs she bought at the hardware store, along with pay dirt and plants and has a little garden in the backyard of her condo.
YEA!!! IT WORKED!
As we all know, there are lots of city kids who think eggs, vegetables and meat come from the cabinets at the supermarket. They have no idea they too can do this in the backyard or patio of their apartments.
and to me, that's a pretty sad thing indeed..........
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Monday, June 7, 2010
The big rip off in America
The news just made this amazing pronouncement that should be nothing but a miracle for millions of people all over the world.
Two novel anti-cancer therapies -- one that targets a type of lung cancer, the other a drug that trains the body's immune system to fight off melanoma -- created a stir at a major cancer meeting this weekend. Both therapies are still in their experimental phases; however, physicians at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 's annual conference in Chicago were hopeful that the different approaches could change the way doctors treat cancer.
For one thing, he said, the study demonstrates the speed with which discoveries can be translated to clinical testing. The protein that the therapy targets was first reported in 2007, and that finding is now starting to show results in clinical trials.
"In just three short years we've gone from a description of [a cancer gene] to a therapy," he said.
He also said that patients with the mutation that leads to the protein "can expect a dramatic benefit."
Indeed, in the study of 82 patients with advanced disease, Bang and colleagues found that the patients had a 72 percent probability of halting the progress of cancer at six months after starting the therapy. The majority of these patients saw their tumors shrink by more than 30 percent, he said, and some saw their cancers disappear.
Now all this is clearly the most important and wonderful news perhaps in my lifetime for those poor souls suffering from these cancers plaguing humans all this time.
At the end of the announcement, they threw the proverbial rock into the glass wall. The same rock that always ruins everything to do with our pharmaceutical system here in America. That would be the cost. I just heard them say on the news that these wonderful new miracle drugs could and probably will save countless lives very soon BUT the damn thing at this point will cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars PER PILL".
WHAT THE HELL!!!!! What are they made out of, pure gold and diamond dust?
How in the hell could that be? I'll tell you what I and others think. The same thing that drives almost everything humans can't live without. GREED! Our financial system has these cool words for this. "Whatever the market will bear". "Supply and Demand". So lets get this straight. These idiots will set their prices not by how much each little pill cost them to make but the highest possible price the most amount of money people can scrounge up. Also if they keep the supply very low and the demand is huge, which of course they will, they can charge whatever the hell they feel like.
Okay okay, I know they tell us it costs a lot of money to do the "Research and Development" stuff. I'm sure it does but that's what they're in business to do, isn't it? How about instead of trying to make all their research money back in just a year or two, they make the damn things affordable to the masses and get their return in however long it takes under those logical and humane conditions?
Another aspect we should look carefully at is how much money does the owners and management of these zillion dollar companies personally make on the backs of the masses? Millions and millions? Do they drive Rolls Royce's and live in mansions? Do they have personal jets to travel? If the answer to these questions puts them anywhere near super rich, then they can just live closer to the normal people they are claiming to care about. Isn't that the ultimate, real reason for these pharmaceutical companies to exist? Or are they in business to become super rich and the hell with everyone else?
I also see on the box ads for drugs to help us with the cancer drugs. They say "Our new drug makes cancer a much more comfortable problem". I ALWAYS say "Yea, if your rich! Otherwise suffer and die fool".
One more thing. We've all heard that the cost of meds in Canada and Mexico is pennies on the dollar. I know people who go to these countries once or twice a year and get all their prescriptions for incredibly low and reasonable prices. For prices that normal working stiffs can handle without going without food.
What should this tell us about the pharmaceutical companies operating in America?
Indeed what?
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Two novel anti-cancer therapies -- one that targets a type of lung cancer, the other a drug that trains the body's immune system to fight off melanoma -- created a stir at a major cancer meeting this weekend. Both therapies are still in their experimental phases; however, physicians at the American Society of Clinical Oncology 's annual conference in Chicago were hopeful that the different approaches could change the way doctors treat cancer.
For one thing, he said, the study demonstrates the speed with which discoveries can be translated to clinical testing. The protein that the therapy targets was first reported in 2007, and that finding is now starting to show results in clinical trials.
"In just three short years we've gone from a description of [a cancer gene] to a therapy," he said.
He also said that patients with the mutation that leads to the protein "can expect a dramatic benefit."
Indeed, in the study of 82 patients with advanced disease, Bang and colleagues found that the patients had a 72 percent probability of halting the progress of cancer at six months after starting the therapy. The majority of these patients saw their tumors shrink by more than 30 percent, he said, and some saw their cancers disappear.
Now all this is clearly the most important and wonderful news perhaps in my lifetime for those poor souls suffering from these cancers plaguing humans all this time.
At the end of the announcement, they threw the proverbial rock into the glass wall. The same rock that always ruins everything to do with our pharmaceutical system here in America. That would be the cost. I just heard them say on the news that these wonderful new miracle drugs could and probably will save countless lives very soon BUT the damn thing at this point will cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars PER PILL".
WHAT THE HELL!!!!! What are they made out of, pure gold and diamond dust?
How in the hell could that be? I'll tell you what I and others think. The same thing that drives almost everything humans can't live without. GREED! Our financial system has these cool words for this. "Whatever the market will bear". "Supply and Demand". So lets get this straight. These idiots will set their prices not by how much each little pill cost them to make but the highest possible price the most amount of money people can scrounge up. Also if they keep the supply very low and the demand is huge, which of course they will, they can charge whatever the hell they feel like.
Okay okay, I know they tell us it costs a lot of money to do the "Research and Development" stuff. I'm sure it does but that's what they're in business to do, isn't it? How about instead of trying to make all their research money back in just a year or two, they make the damn things affordable to the masses and get their return in however long it takes under those logical and humane conditions?
Another aspect we should look carefully at is how much money does the owners and management of these zillion dollar companies personally make on the backs of the masses? Millions and millions? Do they drive Rolls Royce's and live in mansions? Do they have personal jets to travel? If the answer to these questions puts them anywhere near super rich, then they can just live closer to the normal people they are claiming to care about. Isn't that the ultimate, real reason for these pharmaceutical companies to exist? Or are they in business to become super rich and the hell with everyone else?
I also see on the box ads for drugs to help us with the cancer drugs. They say "Our new drug makes cancer a much more comfortable problem". I ALWAYS say "Yea, if your rich! Otherwise suffer and die fool".
One more thing. We've all heard that the cost of meds in Canada and Mexico is pennies on the dollar. I know people who go to these countries once or twice a year and get all their prescriptions for incredibly low and reasonable prices. For prices that normal working stiffs can handle without going without food.
What should this tell us about the pharmaceutical companies operating in America?
Indeed what?
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The History of the Art of Barbering
The word "barber" comes from the Latin word "barba," meaning beard. It may surprise you to know that the earliest records of barbers show that they were the foremost men of their tribe (Damn, I was right all along!). They were the medicine men and the priests. Wherever there were legends and superstitions about the hair, the barbers flourished. To this day in India, the veneration of the hair continues and those who cut and dress the hair are important characters. In Egypt, many centuries before Christ, barbers were prosperous and highly respected.
In Greece, barbers came into prominence as early as the fifth century, BC. These wise men of Athens rivaled each other in the excellence of their beards. Beard trimming became an art and barbers became leading citizens. Statesmen, poets and philosophers, who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed or curled and scented with costly essences, frequented their shops. And, incidentally, they came to discuss the news of the day, because the barber shops of ancient Greece were the headquarters for social, political, and sporting news.
The earliest known organization of barbers was formed in 1096 in France when William, archbishop of Rouen, prohibited the wearing of a beard. The barber-surgeon, or chirurgeons, began to thrive all over Europe. They were the doctors of the times and the royalty as well as the common people came to the barbers to have their ills treated as well as for shaving and haircutting. The barbers embraced dentistry as well as surgery and this brought down on them the enmity of the dentists of the times.
Up to the year 1416, the barbers were not interfered with in the practice of surgery and dentistry. But it was soon evident that they were attempting too much. It was impossible to expect ordinary human beings to competently practice surgery, dentistry and the various tonsorial operations. People began to complain that the barber-surgeons were making them sick instead of well. Many barber-surgeons resorted to quackery in order to cover up their ignorance of medicine and anatomy. Some of the McHaircut places pretending to be Barbers, when they are actually beauticians trained in beauty collages still do to this day........."^)
ORIGIN OF BARBER POLE
The modern barber pole originated in the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent the two long bandages, one twisted around the arm before bleeding and the other used to bind is afterward. Originally, when not in use, the pole with a bandage wound around it, so that both might be together when needed, was hung at the door as a sign. But later, for convenience, instead of hanging out the original pole, another one was painted in imitation of it and given a permanent place on the outside of the shop. This was the beginning of the modern barber pole. The blue stripe was added in recent times as a political gesture.
In these modern times the Barber Shop still is the place where men and some women come to relax, hang their worries on the hat rack for a bit, kick back and enjoy some humor and have some intelligent conversation with like minded souls. Also a place to get a great naturaly cut, long lasting haircut without a gallon of overpriced product capable of holding the hair in place in a full blown hurricane. I also think it's one of the last bastions of a completely free speech arena. A place where you can talk about anything and say anything you want without the bullshit of political correctness unfortunately so prevalent in these times.
So wherever you get your haircut, if it's at a regular Barber Shop by a real Barber trained at a Barber Collage, thank the guy or gal cutting your hair. They probably are a dying breed of professionals. They started out on the forefront of the art of cutting hair and are now slipping into the past with a lot of other wonderful things we all will come to miss. Like the rest of the world the McHaircut places located in McWallmart will probably eventually win the contest.
Until then frequent your local Barber Shop, keep them in business for as long as possible and give them a huge THANK YOU!, along with a giant tip........."^)
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
In Greece, barbers came into prominence as early as the fifth century, BC. These wise men of Athens rivaled each other in the excellence of their beards. Beard trimming became an art and barbers became leading citizens. Statesmen, poets and philosophers, who came to have their hair cut or their beards trimmed or curled and scented with costly essences, frequented their shops. And, incidentally, they came to discuss the news of the day, because the barber shops of ancient Greece were the headquarters for social, political, and sporting news.
The earliest known organization of barbers was formed in 1096 in France when William, archbishop of Rouen, prohibited the wearing of a beard. The barber-surgeon, or chirurgeons, began to thrive all over Europe. They were the doctors of the times and the royalty as well as the common people came to the barbers to have their ills treated as well as for shaving and haircutting. The barbers embraced dentistry as well as surgery and this brought down on them the enmity of the dentists of the times.
Up to the year 1416, the barbers were not interfered with in the practice of surgery and dentistry. But it was soon evident that they were attempting too much. It was impossible to expect ordinary human beings to competently practice surgery, dentistry and the various tonsorial operations. People began to complain that the barber-surgeons were making them sick instead of well. Many barber-surgeons resorted to quackery in order to cover up their ignorance of medicine and anatomy. Some of the McHaircut places pretending to be Barbers, when they are actually beauticians trained in beauty collages still do to this day........."^)
ORIGIN OF BARBER POLE
The modern barber pole originated in the days when bloodletting was one of the principal duties of the barber. The two spiral ribbons painted around the pole represent the two long bandages, one twisted around the arm before bleeding and the other used to bind is afterward. Originally, when not in use, the pole with a bandage wound around it, so that both might be together when needed, was hung at the door as a sign. But later, for convenience, instead of hanging out the original pole, another one was painted in imitation of it and given a permanent place on the outside of the shop. This was the beginning of the modern barber pole. The blue stripe was added in recent times as a political gesture.
In these modern times the Barber Shop still is the place where men and some women come to relax, hang their worries on the hat rack for a bit, kick back and enjoy some humor and have some intelligent conversation with like minded souls. Also a place to get a great naturaly cut, long lasting haircut without a gallon of overpriced product capable of holding the hair in place in a full blown hurricane. I also think it's one of the last bastions of a completely free speech arena. A place where you can talk about anything and say anything you want without the bullshit of political correctness unfortunately so prevalent in these times.
So wherever you get your haircut, if it's at a regular Barber Shop by a real Barber trained at a Barber Collage, thank the guy or gal cutting your hair. They probably are a dying breed of professionals. They started out on the forefront of the art of cutting hair and are now slipping into the past with a lot of other wonderful things we all will come to miss. Like the rest of the world the McHaircut places located in McWallmart will probably eventually win the contest.
Until then frequent your local Barber Shop, keep them in business for as long as possible and give them a huge THANK YOU!, along with a giant tip........."^)
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Upcoming bullshit...er, I mean elections
Every election I go through this ridiculous, frustrating and worthless endeavor to try and understand the issues I'm asked to vote on. On top of that, I give it my best shot to try to get a grip on all the candidate's stands on things I care about. Which ones would best represent my views on what the government should or should not do with all the incredibly complex but worthy causes we encounter in life.
That is after all the reason most democratic countries have these things called elections. Supposedly we pion's get the chance to vote for people we think are way smarter than us to represent our wishes. Although at this time in our history a whole bunch of pion's seem to think they know what's best for the country and are making a bunch of noise to try and talk the majority into forcing our representatives into agreeing with their agendas. But that's a whole other blog for later.......heh.....heh.....
My main frustration for years now is how in the hell am I supposed to get unbiased information and knowledge about these things to help me make intelligent, responsible decisions at the voting booth? Don't EVEN suggest I find those answers on the internet. If you believe ANYTHING you see in there, I've got some swamp land for you to buy. I don't know about where you live but I can only talk right now about California. Being the 5th largest economy in the world, makes our problems huge indeed. I've even been told our problems effect the entire United States, if not the world. So, if you live elsewhere, you can't just write us off as "those crazy, hippy dippy left wing radicals". It's just not true in the first place and if our problems do effect the whole country, everyone everywhere better pay attention.
To get to my point (Holy crap, what a blabbermouth), I watch the political ads on the box and what do I get? We have three people running for the Governor of California right now. On the Republican side is a lady with a Gazillion dollars in her front pocket she made running some high tech company, then a career politician who is also at least a several times over millionaire. On the Democratic side we have this old as the hills, skinny, malnourished forever politician who was the damn Governor of California back in the cave man days, for craps sake.
Now what does the gazillionaire lady tell us with her ads? Every four minutes, for months on end (remember, she is a gazillionaire) she just pours on every negative spin she can find, make up or create about the career guy who is running against her, including accusing him of being one of those dreaded liberals in disguise. Does she tell us anything at all about how she would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the other guy is. I was at first infatuated with a successful businesswomen running the state but now just see her as a bitch.
Now what does the career politician tell us with his ads? Well, lets see here. That the gazillionaire is actually one of those dreaded liberals in disguise. On top of that his latest discovery is she has never voted in an election in her life. Holy crap Mr. career politician, I'll bet you screamed right out loud and wet your pants when you found that one out huh? Does he tell us anything at all about how he would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the lady is. I see him as this invisible nothing with a suit on, with nothing whatsoever to offer anyone, much less the state of California.
What does the one old fart Democrat tell us in his three or four ads thus far (He is only a millionaire after all). That his running mates (has a nice ring doesn't it?) are a bunch of nut cases, completely out of touch with reality. Does he tell us anything at all about how he would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the other two are. What I think about him is about as insignificant as can be imagined.
So after watching all the ads, reading all the political pamphlets and listening to everyone tell me who and what to vote for, do I have the slightest idea on how to do this very important and vital thing called voting with any intelligence or wisdom?
Nope!
Do you?
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
That is after all the reason most democratic countries have these things called elections. Supposedly we pion's get the chance to vote for people we think are way smarter than us to represent our wishes. Although at this time in our history a whole bunch of pion's seem to think they know what's best for the country and are making a bunch of noise to try and talk the majority into forcing our representatives into agreeing with their agendas. But that's a whole other blog for later.......heh.....heh.....
My main frustration for years now is how in the hell am I supposed to get unbiased information and knowledge about these things to help me make intelligent, responsible decisions at the voting booth? Don't EVEN suggest I find those answers on the internet. If you believe ANYTHING you see in there, I've got some swamp land for you to buy. I don't know about where you live but I can only talk right now about California. Being the 5th largest economy in the world, makes our problems huge indeed. I've even been told our problems effect the entire United States, if not the world. So, if you live elsewhere, you can't just write us off as "those crazy, hippy dippy left wing radicals". It's just not true in the first place and if our problems do effect the whole country, everyone everywhere better pay attention.
To get to my point (Holy crap, what a blabbermouth), I watch the political ads on the box and what do I get? We have three people running for the Governor of California right now. On the Republican side is a lady with a Gazillion dollars in her front pocket she made running some high tech company, then a career politician who is also at least a several times over millionaire. On the Democratic side we have this old as the hills, skinny, malnourished forever politician who was the damn Governor of California back in the cave man days, for craps sake.
Now what does the gazillionaire lady tell us with her ads? Every four minutes, for months on end (remember, she is a gazillionaire) she just pours on every negative spin she can find, make up or create about the career guy who is running against her, including accusing him of being one of those dreaded liberals in disguise. Does she tell us anything at all about how she would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the other guy is. I was at first infatuated with a successful businesswomen running the state but now just see her as a bitch.
Now what does the career politician tell us with his ads? Well, lets see here. That the gazillionaire is actually one of those dreaded liberals in disguise. On top of that his latest discovery is she has never voted in an election in her life. Holy crap Mr. career politician, I'll bet you screamed right out loud and wet your pants when you found that one out huh? Does he tell us anything at all about how he would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the lady is. I see him as this invisible nothing with a suit on, with nothing whatsoever to offer anyone, much less the state of California.
What does the one old fart Democrat tell us in his three or four ads thus far (He is only a millionaire after all). That his running mates (has a nice ring doesn't it?) are a bunch of nut cases, completely out of touch with reality. Does he tell us anything at all about how he would handle the many problems we have. Nope. Just how crappy the other two are. What I think about him is about as insignificant as can be imagined.
So after watching all the ads, reading all the political pamphlets and listening to everyone tell me who and what to vote for, do I have the slightest idea on how to do this very important and vital thing called voting with any intelligence or wisdom?
Nope!
Do you?
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Is speeding worth it?
I've lived in a little mountain town called Foresthill for around 23 years now. It's about 17 miles up a relatively windy mountain road from the main local freeway. Several years ago, the state did a major revamping and straightening out project on our road. The funding was provided on the basis of safety because so many terrible accidents were happening on our humble road through the years.
I remember at our little 4th of July celebration at the local park right before authorization of the project, people had a booth there asking us to sign petitions asking the state to do something about our horribly dangerous road. Even then I remember thinking what the hell does the road have to do with anything dangerous? It's just a road isn't it? In fact a beautiful mountain road with gorgeous views to enjoy on the way down the hill. Isn't that like blaming guns instead of the human finger? In my mind there are actually very few truly dangerous roads that I know of. Now there are plenty of complete idiots that drive too damn fast though isn't there? They are the ones causing all the danger to say the least.
I came to the conclusion years ago while driving about 30 miles on the freeway from Placer County to Sacramento for a job that driving like a mindless maniac or driving completely relaxed and safely made very little difference in time saved. Would you believe maybe 5 or so minutes in a 30 mile stretch? On Foresthill road almost every day I drive around 60 miles an hour on the straightaways in a 55 mile zone (just kidding Mr. Highway Patrolman Sir). Every day cars wiz past me going at least 65 approaching 75 miles an hour on these little passing lanes we have there. The truth as we all should know is the time saved driving fast on the 15 or so miles of foresthill road is probably in the few minutes range, at the most.
So the obvious question we all need to ask is this. Is this few minutes saved worth the look on the faces of our friends and loved ones standing there looking down at our coffin during the funeral? How about living with the fact that our stupidity killed a whole family of neighbors/friends living on the hill?
I know this will get me in trouble but here goes anyway......No science involved here but in my own personal experience 90% of those cars have one young to middle aged well dressed women apparently on her way to work. The other 10% are young male idiots looking to get their thrills killing someone with their sports cars/motorcycles or construction workers in their gigantic 4 wheel drive stupendous monsters they think they need for some reason.
So if you are one of those women or guys who think you need to speed and hurry everywhere you go, how important really is a couple of minutes in the grand scheme of things. Are the lives of your children, your friends, your neighbors worth so little to you that you would hold a loaded gun to their heads while drunk out of your mind? Of course not!
So for all our sakes, the next time you get in your car to start the drive down the hill to go to work, take a moment to reflect on your mood right at that moment. Grab your coffee, set back for just a moment and do some deep breathing exercises to get you in the right mood to not be stupid today.
In the case of speeding cars, stupid=DEATH!
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
I remember at our little 4th of July celebration at the local park right before authorization of the project, people had a booth there asking us to sign petitions asking the state to do something about our horribly dangerous road. Even then I remember thinking what the hell does the road have to do with anything dangerous? It's just a road isn't it? In fact a beautiful mountain road with gorgeous views to enjoy on the way down the hill. Isn't that like blaming guns instead of the human finger? In my mind there are actually very few truly dangerous roads that I know of. Now there are plenty of complete idiots that drive too damn fast though isn't there? They are the ones causing all the danger to say the least.
I came to the conclusion years ago while driving about 30 miles on the freeway from Placer County to Sacramento for a job that driving like a mindless maniac or driving completely relaxed and safely made very little difference in time saved. Would you believe maybe 5 or so minutes in a 30 mile stretch? On Foresthill road almost every day I drive around 60 miles an hour on the straightaways in a 55 mile zone (just kidding Mr. Highway Patrolman Sir). Every day cars wiz past me going at least 65 approaching 75 miles an hour on these little passing lanes we have there. The truth as we all should know is the time saved driving fast on the 15 or so miles of foresthill road is probably in the few minutes range, at the most.
So the obvious question we all need to ask is this. Is this few minutes saved worth the look on the faces of our friends and loved ones standing there looking down at our coffin during the funeral? How about living with the fact that our stupidity killed a whole family of neighbors/friends living on the hill?
I know this will get me in trouble but here goes anyway......No science involved here but in my own personal experience 90% of those cars have one young to middle aged well dressed women apparently on her way to work. The other 10% are young male idiots looking to get their thrills killing someone with their sports cars/motorcycles or construction workers in their gigantic 4 wheel drive stupendous monsters they think they need for some reason.
So if you are one of those women or guys who think you need to speed and hurry everywhere you go, how important really is a couple of minutes in the grand scheme of things. Are the lives of your children, your friends, your neighbors worth so little to you that you would hold a loaded gun to their heads while drunk out of your mind? Of course not!
So for all our sakes, the next time you get in your car to start the drive down the hill to go to work, take a moment to reflect on your mood right at that moment. Grab your coffee, set back for just a moment and do some deep breathing exercises to get you in the right mood to not be stupid today.
In the case of speeding cars, stupid=DEATH!
READ THESE INSTRUCTION VERY CAREFULLY AND FOLLOW THEM EXACTLY!!!
Right at the bottom of this posting is a "Comments" link. Click on it, follow the instructions and leave a comment about this post. You can use your name or make up one, BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Name/URL".
Or just leave your comment anonymously BY CLICKING INSIDE THE CIRCLE beside "Anonymous".
I will receive an e-mail, OK it and then it will appear for others to view after they click on the comments link.
Come on.......DO IT!
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