"Your Bias Is Showing Sir..."

Senator John McCain was scheduled to appear as a guest last evening on the Tonight Show with David Letterman. Prior to the shows taping Mr. McCain contacted Mr. Letterman to inform him that he was canceling his appearance in order that he might expeditiously depart for Washington D.C. to lend his senatorial leadership to resolving the current economic crisis that is threatening our country's financial solvency. This decision was in conjunction with Senator's McCain earlier announcement that he was also suspending his bid for the Presidency and would not participate in this Friday evening's scheduled Presidential candidates' debate in Mississippi until such time as the crisis had been satisfactorily and successfully addressed. Mr. Letterman's reaction? From his opening monologue, through his follow up bantering session with band leader Paul Shaffer, and his nightly Top 10 feature, Mr. Letterman's sophomoric attempts at topical humor eviscerated Senator McCain with unrelenting voracity. If one is strongly advised not to "fool with Mother Nature," the greater risk to one's reputation is to fool with David Letterman, he of the well known narcissistic ego.

Any devoted viewer of The Tonight Show would quickly discern Mr. Letterman's obvious disdain for conservative viewpoints, as evidenced by his nightly aired feature highlighting President Bush's often humorous missteps in a public forum with the English language, Letterman's thinly veiled attempt to categorize the President as a bumbling, incompetent fool. Letterman takes every gleeful opportunity to broadly paint public personalities who hold opinions contrary to the liberal, Hollywood party line as being intellectual miscreants at best or as country bumpkins that are to be publicly ridiculed and humiliated. Last evening's diatribe of Senator McCain is yet one more glaring example of Letterman's political leftist leanings that may play well in a stand-up comedy routine, but upon closer scrutiny reveal a disturbing lack of decorum and common courtesy to individuals who continue to dedicate their lives to serving honorably our country.

And the number one reason why David Letterman's personal political opinions should be ignored? He's an ass!

"Maybe It's Just Me..."

Few would dispute the inherent truth found in the old adage "All is fair in love and war." And has been increasingly evident in the national elections of the past couple of decades, "and politics " could be inclusively amended to that statement. It is apparent to me, at least, that candidates for elected office are of the opinion that it is "okay," in fact, advisable, to use any tactic that will place them in good stead with certain demographic groups of voters, regardless of the contradictions that are rampant in their shotgun pronouncements, believing, I suppose, that the voters are too stupid or too lazy to see through their veil of inconsistencies.

Case in point... The Barack Obama presidential campaign is in the process of requesting selected radio stations in the larger metropolitan cities of Ohio to run pro-Obama advertisements that attempt to portray their candidate in a more favorable Christian light. The group behind promoting the ads, the "Matthew 25 Network," has designs to position Obama as the candidate who when elected could best bring an end to the economic woes plaguing not only in that state but the entire nation. All well and good. A promise of a "Chicken in every one's pot" has long been a stable of expected electioneering. Where I take personal exception to these particular ads is the narrator's utilization of Biblical scripture, specifically quoting selected verses from Matthew 25. "Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed you?' they (the Disciples) asked. Jesus said, 'Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you have done it to Me.'"

Candidate Barack Obama has made repeated efforts to distant himself from his family's well documented Muslim heritage and to assure potential evangelical protestants and Catholic voters that he is a "believing Christian." Since I again took the time to check out my reflection in the mirror this morning and came away convinced still that I am not God, I'll take Obama at his word and give The Almighty the responsibility to discern Obama's heart on his Christianity claim. Here's the rub...the ad's narrator, a former Democrat congressman and an avowed pro-life (emphasis mine) advocate, is supporting Mr. Obama because he would be a president "who sees those who are suffering and cares for the least of these." A review of Mr. Obama's voting record in the Senate and his many voiced policy statements and personal viewpoints would indicate that he upholds a very narrow definition of who is to be included as eligible to be among the least of these, specifically his voting record that clearly aligns him as being an outspoken proponent of abortion in all its ghastly methodology. If, for the Love of God, the existence of an unborn child does not immediately qualify to be included in the least of these, then there are no other categories that need be placed forward. Maybe it's just me, but I find these latest proposed Obama political ads to be blatantly contradictory and deplorably hypocritical.

One final note... Senator McCain announced that due to the omnipresent economic crisis that is now facing our nation, he has elected to immediately suspend his presidential campaign to return to Washington in order to take a more active leadership role in obtaining a bi-partisan resolution and requested of Mr. Obama to do likewise. Mr. Obama declined, responding that it is his opinion that both he and Mr. McCain could perform their legislative duties effectively while still remaining actively engaged in their respective campaigns. Sounds to me that Mr. Obama is making a claim that he is a professed master at multitasking. His Senatorial voting record would indicate otherwise, he having missed 107 roll call votes during his one and only tenure in office.

In all truthful candor, I hold to the personal opinion that Mr. McCain possesses numerous political opinions that leave me less than enamored with his candidacy. But I do not believe that Mr. McCain entertains the notion that he can walk on water, as I suspect Mr. Obama would like those who ardently support his candidacy to unconditionally attest. Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time." Our current President, George W, further refined Lincoln's quote, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on." Mr. Obama has obviously taken this advice to heart.

"Hurray...Some Good News!!"

I know...I know... I promised not to devote my blog ad nausea to my health issues, but...I made my second and what turned out to be my last visit with the surgeon who performed my heart surgery. After the usual weight, temperature and blood pressure check, all of which were well within acceptable ranges, I was hooked up to an EKG machine. Sure enough my recently discovered "heart flutter" made it's anticipated (but unwanted) appearance. I got to view the screen that was recording my every heart beat and got an explanation as to exactly what all those wiggly lines mean. As a comparison, the analogy offered is not unlike a gasoline engine. Turn the key and the engine starts up, depress the gas pedal and the vehicle is propelled forward with great vigor. However, a noticeably hesitation is detected at speed. Usually means a spark plug has gone afoul. The human heart is not unlike a four cylinder engine and one of my plugs is fouled. Thus the need for a technician to go under the hood and correct the problem. When for me that corrective action is to occur is still up in the air, as I have yet to meet with the physician that will be making that call.

I also had an echo cardiogram this week, the purpose of which is to check to determine whether or not I may have developed any type of blood clots that could break loose when the cauterization is performed. Received a clean bill of health on that issue and a further assurance that my newly reconditioned heart is otherwise functioning well within normal expectations...not withstanding the recently detected "flutter." I told the gentleman administering the echo examination hat it was my beautiful and attentive wife that was causing the occasion irregular heartbeat. He didn't buy that as sufficient reason to avoid the pending cauterization procedure any more than did my cardiologist.

As a personal check on my progress I dragged out a couple of my golf clubs this morning and took at first some very tentative and gingerly swings to gage if such a physical exercise was going to send me immediately to the emergency room. Nope! Of course a half dozen swings of the differing clubs does not a full round make, and I realize that being pain free does not and probably would not equate into having sufficient stamina to endure the rigors of tromping all over God's green earth chasing that little white ball...especially since I am prone to propel occasional errant shots into locations that surveyors would be reluctant to transverse. Still I am encouraged that soon I may with confidence head back out to the links and again engage in the very missed fellowship that always accompanies my golf outings with my buddies.

And to those who have inquired about my re-employment...so far no such luck. I have a couple of prospects, but they look less than promising at best. Unless one has been living under a rock these past several months, and more particularly these past few days, our nation's economy is not exactly to be described as robust. More like in need of life-support. Scanning the "Help Wanted" ads in the local paper offers very little for skilled professional types. If I were looking for employment as a short order cook or chamber maid, I'd have a list to choose from. I can't boil water and I don't have the legs to be a chamber maid. So, I'll just keep net-working and see what God has for me in the way of new opportunities. I could get very use to this retirement way of life. The hours are great but the pay leaves a great deal to be desired. I'm thinking about establishing my own self-directed charity entitled "Help Support My Fallen Arches." Any takers?

"Stupidity Should Be It's Own Reward..."

I had an elderly neighbor lady who was particularly fond of cats that resided just a couple of houses away from my home when I was serving the Danville, Virginia YMCA. To say merely that she was fond of cats grossly understates her obsession. They were treated as though each was a special child...and she allowed her furry children unrestricted permission to run rampant all over the neighborhood. Even though there were always present cats and kittens galore, all appeared to be well taken care of and doted on by her with lavish displays of caring and affection. We citizens who shared the neighborhood with this lady and her entourage of cats more so than less so tolerated the fact that her cats came as part and parcel with our daily existence, being also silently appreciative of the added benefit that there wasn't a rodent of any description within twenty square blocks of our homes.

Nevertheless her obvious affection and concern for her felines would occasionally boarder on the ridiculous if not the inconsiderate, as was the case when one afternoon I arrived home from my office to find a City of Danville fire engine crew dutifully extending an array of ladders up into one of the grand old oaks that lined our street. Standing off to one side was the neighbor lady, wringing her hands and gazing anxiously heavenward toward a ball of white fur that was perched precariously near the very top of the tree.

"Oh my, Mr. Jim, Mr. Eggbert has climbed that tree and can't get down. I've been trying to coax him down all day and he won't come. I tried everything and it will soon be getting dark and I didn't know what else to do but call the fire department to come get him down." "I can see that," was my initial reply followed by a question to her that had an obvious answer, "You being a cat lover for all these many years, tell me, how many dead cats have you seen in trees? Perhaps a poor analogy, but my point to her was that her perceived crisis resulted in an avoidable waste of time, energy, resources and risk to the responders had a little forethought on her part gone into making another more wiser and prudent choice.

Thus was the case all along the Texas and Louisiana gulf coast this past weekend prior to hurricane Ike making landfall. Two million residents heeded the call for mandatory evacuation, having been told repeatedly that failing to comply could have deadly consequence. However, another 140,000 people (two thousand in Galveston alone) decided to tempt fate and ride out the storm. When the winds reached fever pitch and the storm surge poured water into their abodes, thousands found themselves stranded and, in some cases, in need of immediate emergency assistance. Maybe it's just me, but in such instances of stark stupidity and ignorant obstinacy, any resulting calamity that befalls them should be their just and deserved reward.

I realize that in any natural calamity there are mitigating circumstances which preclude individual(s) from taking more prudent courses of self preservation, such as being physically infirmed and perhaps bed-ridden. Even in those circumstances alerting the proper personnel of one's difficulties and physical limitations would have one quickly transported out of harm's way. But for those persons who thought it would be a hoot to throw a hurricane party, or remain at home to be with their pets, or just to spit in the face of danger, I would ask them - if they managed to survive such a stupid decision - after a category 2 hurricane comes ripping through your neighborhood, how many dead people do you see stuck up in trees? My guess is a lot more than wayward neighborhood cats!

The devastation that has been visited upon the good people of these affected regions is untold in yet to be tallied property losses and the accompanying deflation of the human spirit. The recovery in both arenas will take months if not years to overcome. My heart and prayers go out to them. They deserve and need all the assistance that can be quickly mustered on their behalf. For those who were deliberately too stubborn to get out when they were directed to do so... You can go to the back of the line.

"Friends Don't Let Friends..."

Fill in the blank. But in particular, this friend doesn't let my good blogging buddy Coffeypot slide without a stern warning regarding his previously reported "nothing serious" chest pains and sore arm that he has been experiencing for the past three months. Such warning signs are not to be regarded as one would regard a traffic signal that has turned from green to yellow. At the very least you are to proceed with caution and it is far better if you opt to come to a full stop! I am no doctor, but I am speaking from personal experience. Ignore those signs at your own peril. I did so back in 2004 and ended up having a heart attack. So much for being a macho male and telling myself "It'll go away." The result was I almost went away...permanently.

I am putting forth this personal message of concern post Coffeypot's initial blog entry regarding his present health concerns, having been wrapped up in my own efforts to recover from heart issues. I didn't have the mental stamina to sit in front of my computer to check in on all my blogger favorites. When I did get back to catching up, Coffeypot's September 6th post jumped out at me with great alarm. Been there, done that, and have a large T-shirt that proclaims "Lucky Heart Attack Survivor!" I would just as soon my good friend Coffeypot never gets personally fitted for one of these articles of apparel. You sir, have been sternly (and compassionately) warned.

(P.S. For some reason, I am now unable to access your email, Coffeypot, from your profile. I'm receiving a notice that the default mail client is not properly installed. I think the problem is on my end, but I have no idea how to correct the problem. Request... Coffeypot (and Martha) please send me an email to my email address so that I may add you both into my email address book. Thanks guys...)

"What Do You Want To Hear First...

the good news or the less than good news?" That was the question posed to me by my cardiologist early this week during my post-operative visit. Seems my latest EKG is indicating that I have a condition know as Atrial Flutter. In layman's terms, an occasional irregular heartbeat. Seems my new reconditioned plumbing is okay, but my electrical system needs tweaking. Great!

"Okay Doc, what does one do to correct this condition? " We put you on the blood thinner Coumadin for a month in order to thin your blood to the point where we can then perform a Catheter Ablation." (Well, that made perfectly good sense to me!) "Talk down to me Doc. Reduce it to its lowest common denominator." "We go in through your groin (I'm ALREADY not liking what I am hearing), insert a catheter that travels to your heart (It's getting better by the second!), on the end of which there is a probe that will cauterize (BURN!!) the defective nerve that is sending the incorrect signals to that portion of the heart that is beating irregularly. This should correct the problem once and for all." Notice he used the word "should," not "will."

Next question... "What is the downside if I elect not to go forward with this procedure? "Well, it's not going to get any better and most likely will get worse. You could learn to live with the condition or the condition could worsen to the point where you would have a heart attack." "Isn't this where I came in a couple of months ago when you announced that my 'skinny arteries' could lead to a massive heart attack? " I strongly suspect he knew that that was a rhetorical question. He answered "Yes" anyway just to appease me.

So, apparently I'm not quite out of the proverbial woods yet, but hopefully headed more permanently in that direction. My attitude continues to be the same as it was prior to entering the hospital for the by-pass surgery; "It will be what it will be and I will emerge just fine." At least they won't find it necessary to open me up like a can of sardines, although I am thinking seriously about getting a tattoo on my inner left thigh that says "Insert Catheter Here!!" I do know this, I am getting tired if not bored about blogging about my on-going medical condition. I'd much prefer to talk about other more interesting topics...like politics. On second thought...maybe my medical condition IS much more interesting than that mess!!

For now...I'm off to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa to take in this evening's college football game between our home town University of South Florida Bulls and the Kansas University Jayhawks. There's nothing quite like sitting among 65,000 screaming football fans to get the old heart pumpin'. Hum-m-m-m, maybe I ought to give that idea some more careful consideration. Later...

"Punxsutawney Phil...

has nothing on me." Seems I, like this precocious beaver, had grandiose aspirations of coming out of hibernation to embrace a new season of promise only to see his shadow and retreat reluctantly back into the comfort of his burrow for a few additional weeks of solitude. So has it been with me. My desire to pick up once again with regular entries to this blog that was my practice prior to my surgery has been reluctantly curtailed during the past several weeks due to my body's continuing need to stay focused on regaining the strength I need to again burst forth to embrace a new a season of promise and opportunity. I think I am out of my personal burrow this time to stay.

I am still experiencing some lingering discomfort on the left hand side of my chest, in my neck and along the inner portion of my upper left arm, but all is bearable and "to be expected" according to my surgeon. A couple of Advils a couple of times a day seems to address those physical issues. I still find that I tire easily (also "to be expected"), which finds me giving in to the urge to take importune naps throughout the day. Haven't taking these many afternoon siestas since I was in kindergarten! Not un-welcomed believe me, but it sure puts a hole in one's day.

My mental acuity continues to steadily improve. I am thinking more clearly, but there remains still a noticeable lag between the brain and the finger tips. My inner dictionary and thesaurus have suffered little from non-use, but knowing the words and remembering how to spell them are still divided by a rather annoying chasm. Can I get an "Amen" for Spell Check? Practice makes perfect, so the more I continue to engage the old cranium to perform mental gymnastics the quicker I will be back to putting together cogent thoughts verbally and on paper. There's nothing more frustrating than to be engaged in a conversation and to suddenly go blank trying to think of the next series of thoughts that were so crystal clear just a moment ago. Gee...I hope that is related to my surgery recovery and is not to be attributed to my just getting on in years. Oh well...

Hopefully I will continue to find the daily renewal of physical and mental strength to again engage more frequently in this exercise of communicating my random thoughts on random subjects if for no one elses benefit but my own. In the mean time I think I am over due for another afternoon rendezvous with the living room couch. Later...but hopefully not too much later.