A simplification of my problem

An ongoing problem ...................

Surgery is just hours away .............

3:15 AM, dressed, sitting and waiting for good friend, Craig Young, who is going to drive me to the OSU Medical Center for my Kidney Stone Removal Surgery. Have to be there at 5, apparently going to be admitted, and, I will be the first surgery of the day.

After that, what happens, I have no idea. Hopefully all will go well.

It has been a very long time frame, over a month, since the first stone was detected. A few procedures, to place "stents" in me, one attempt to break one up, which failed, a visit to the Surgeon in Columbus, Dr. Bodo Knudsen, then X-rays and Pre-Op, all additional visits.

I am ready to get this problem resolved and, hopefully, greatly increase my "Quality of Life."

I think these Subaru commercials are some of the best ever done. They must have taken a long time and a lot of patience to shoot.

Here, the driver, is watching a cute Poodle cross at the light,

The other is the reaction he got from his "wife." These are so cleverly done. This one makes me laugh every time I see it. the expressions on the faces, everything is expertly done. The one to the right above, he is getting a low "growl" from the wife.

I will be away from the keyboard for a few days, not going to take the laptop with me, going to stay as quiet as possible, and hopefully, will only be in the hospital overnight and come home the next day. We haven't figured that out yet .

See you in a few days .......................

3/3/15

I am rather sure that my age has much to do with it, and I gave up golf myself, but, recently I have watched NO golf, read nothing about it, and seem to care even less about it.

I miss Arnie and Jack and Gary and Ben and Sam, now, they were golfers, saw them all at least once in tournaments down in Dayton. Sam Snead, probably my favorite. Have bantered a bit back and forth with him at the practice range, and his swing, grace in motion.

I did have a golf revival with the advent of Tiger. I would watch TV if he was entered. He brought an interest renewal back to the game. Now that he is gone, none of the current "flat bellies" are of any interest to me.

Last night, and please don't make an issue out of this, just the first time I had seen it. I was watching dirt track midget cars racing, slipping and sliding, no fins, just roll bars, almost like I used to watch many years ago. They had a couple of preliminary races, and then the final 50 lap, I think it was. I am not even sure which race it was, or even the track, but, It was a BIG race for the midget cars.

The race was over, the driver got a tremendous ovation, seemed to be very popular, he did his laps, a few spins on the track, drove to the pits and, from the top of  the roll cage, sprang in to the arms of his Father. He was very short and slight, his girlfriend was taller than him .... then, he took his helmet off, and, he was ..... a little person ...... or, a midget. Ironic when you think about it ... Please do not take offense, I just thought it was unique, to say the least.

For those interested, I head to OSU hospital, enter at 5 in the morning, 3/3, and, I just found out, will be admitted and stay over night ...........

Like the "clapper" on a bell

I am not complaining, just concerned. I know, I am told, that I will have a surgery/procedure on 3/3. It is now 3/1, and I do not know the time of the surgery/procedure, or when I have to be there.

We live an hour or so away from the OSU campus where the surgery/procedure is to be performed. It is difficult to make arrangements since we know nothing. They often, want you to show up early in the morning, like 4 or 5, which means we leave here around 2--3 or 4. And, after the surgery/procedure do I come home or have a brief stay, we had heard it might even be overnight.

So, how do we plan? There is no way.

We thought of getting a motel for Monday and Tuesday, but 3 or  hundred for such a convenience is not warranted, and all accommodations only afford being a bit closer to the hospital, so driving is still needed.

As many know, my wife is a Cancer Survivor, but has AFib. On one occasion recently, I had a surgical procedure performed, while signing in at the desk, they took one look at my wife and wheeled her down to the Emergency Ward. She was there while I was in Surgery. I don't want a recurrence of that. So, I have mixed emotions. I would prefer her being nearby at the hospital, yet, I am concerned about her. We have taken this 50 year journey together, always been close ... so ...

So, the dilemma will exist until tomorrow ..... whenever THEY call, and, if THEY don't call by 2PM, we are to call them .... reassuring, to say the least.

The faint of heart need not read this next paragraph. Since I had my two stents put in, I "vacate" with a certain amount of .... soreness, pain, hurt, etc. And it varied in intensity, and seems to have done so as the days have passed by. Sometimes four of five times an hour, during the day, and about every two hours at night. Now, this morning I do not "voluntarily" vacate. It takes a great deal of "movement" .... shaking, almost akin to the motion of a "clapper" on a small bell. Bottom line, not vacating like I did yesterday, but still ..... reluctantly  .... doing it. I am not sure what this new development signifies. It has raised concern, however.

No point in calling my Columbus Surgeon Doctor with such news, he will say that he will see me on Tuesday, and I should live till then.

So, I sit here, somewhat in pain, of varying intensities,, watching old movies .... now, only "vacate" about every 2 or 3 hours ..... and then, only with a great deal of "movement."

This is not a very good Sunday subject, but it is the one uppermost in our minds, so I am venting via this blog.

And no local doctors will talk with me since my doctor is now my surgeon in Columbus, and, my guess is, with all the snow on the ground, he is out skiing ... but, right now I am comfortable, so will leave it at that ..............

MYSTERY OF THE DECADE

This has circulated around for a while, many questions that I have, and had. Few ask these, and no one answers them ..... and ..... it seems ...... that no once cares. It is a mystery to me, and to others.

THE UNANSWERED MYSTERY OF THE DECADE

This came from a union guy in Chicago who didn't vote for Obama.

Very, very interesting perspective that I never thought of in this light. -------------------

It will be interesting to see what they put in his "Presidential Library" about his early years when he is out of office. In a country where we take notice of many, many facets of our public figures' lives, doesn't seem odd that there's so little we know about our current president, Barack Obama.

For example, we know that Andrew Jackson 's wife smoked a corn cob pipe and was accused of adultery; Abe Lincoln never went to school; Jack Kennedy wore a back brace; Harry Truman played the piano. As Americans, we enjoy knowing details about our newsmakers, but none of us know one single humanizing fact about the history of our own president.

We are all aware of the lack of uncontestable birth records for Obama; that document managing has been spectacularly successful.

There are however, several additional oddities in Obama's history that appear to be as well managed as the birthing issue. One other interesting thing... There are no birth certificates of his daughters that can be found ?

It's interesting that no one who ever dated him has shown up. The charisma that caused women to be drawn to him so strongly during his campaign, certainly would in the normal course of events, lead some lady to come forward, if only to garner some attention for herself. We all know about JFK's magnetism, that McCain was no monk and quite a few details about Palin's courtship and even her athletic prowess, Joe Biden's aneurisms are no secret; look at Cheney and Clinton, we all know about their heart problems. Certainly Wild Bill Clinton's exploits before and during his White House years, were well known. That's why it's so odd that not one lady has stepped up and said, "He was soooo shy..." or "What a great dancer..."

It's virtually impossible to know anything about this fellow.

Who was the best man at his wedding? Start there. Then check groomsmen.

Then get the footage of the graduation ceremony. Has anyone talked to the professors? It is odd that no one is bragging that they knew him or taught him or lived with him.

When did he meet Michele, and how? Are there photos there? Every president gives to the public all their photos, etc. for their library, etc. What has he released? And who in hell voted for him to be the most popular man in 2010? Doesn't this make you wonder?

Ever wonder why no one ever came forward from President Obama's past saying they knew him, attended school with him, was his friend, etc?? Not one person has ever come forward from his past.
It certainly is very, very strange...

This should be a cause for great concern. To those who voted for him, you may have elected an unqualified, inexperienced shadow man. Have you seen a movie named "The Manchurian Candidate"

As insignificant as each of us might be, someone with whom we went to school will remember our name or face; someone will remember we were the clown or the dork or the brain or the quiet one or the bully or something about us. George Stephanopoulos of ABC News said the same thing during the 2008 campaign. He questions why no one has acknowledged the president was in their classroom or ate in the same cafeteria or made impromptu speeches on campus. Stephanopoulos also was a classmate of Obama at Columbia -- the class of 1984. He says he never had a single class with him.

He is such a great orator; why doesn't anyone in Obama's college class remember him? Why won't he allow Columbia to release his records? Nobody remembers Obama at Columbia University ....

Looking for evidence of Obama's past, Fox News contacted 400 Columbia University students from the period when Obama claims to have been there... but none remembered him.

Wayne Allyn Root was, like Obama, a political science major at Columbia who also graduated in 1983. In 2008, Root says of Obama, "I don't know a  single person at Columbia that knew him, and they all know me. I don't have a classmate who ever knew Barack Obama at Columbia, ever."

Nobody recalls him. Root adds that he was also, like Obama, Class of '83 Political Science, and says, "You don't get more exact or closer than that. Never met him in my life, don't know anyone who ever met him. At  the class reunion, our 20th reunion five years ago, who was asked to be the speaker of the class? Me. No one ever heard of Barack! And five years ago, nobody even knew who he was. The guy who writes the class notes, who's kind of the, as we say in New York, 'the macha' who knows everybody, has yet to find a person, a human who ever met him."

Obama's photograph does not appear in the school's yearbook and Obama consistently declines requests to talk about his years at Columbia, provide school records, or provide the name of any former classmates or friends while at Columbia .
Some other interesting questions:

Why was Obama's law license inactivated in 2002? it is said there is no record of him ever taking the Bar exam.

Why was Michelle's law license inactivated by court order? We understand that was forced to avoid fraud charges.

It is circulating that according to the U.S. Census, there is only one Barack Obama but 27 Social Security numbers and over 80 alias connected to him.

The Social Security number he uses now originated in Connecticut where he is reported to have never lived. And was originally registered to another man  (Thomas Louis Wood) from Connecticut , who died in Hawaii while on vacation there. As we all know Social Security Numbers are only issued 'once, they are not reused' No wonder all his records are sealed...

Printed here for evaluation purposes ...  his library may be many years in the future .... the movement us underway to eliminate barriers tat might keep him from another four or eight or more years in office. Everything he has done so far, "he could not do" ..... but he did, so don't think his continuing on in Washington is not possible........................

Still goin strong ..............

Dubai (AFP) - Roger Federer claimed the 84th title of his legendary career, kept his nose in front in his personal rivalry with Novak Djokovic, and equalled his best achievement at any tournament by winning the Dubai Open for the seventh time on Saturday.

The Grand Slam record-holder from Switzerland beat the world number one from Serbia 6-4, 7-5 in a colourful success which took Federer’s title haul here equal to those of Halle and Wimbledon. It also put him 20-17 up against Djokovic

Federer served superbly, his 12 aces taking his career total past 9,000, something only three other players have done since 1991.

Even more noticable was his risk-taking, the frequency with which he approached the net, and the commitment with which he attacked his ground strokes.

The victory was a fine riposte to those who said after his third round loss to Andreas Seppi in the Australian Open that his good days were now behind him.

"People are often saying how old I am – but who knows how many years I have left. I can still play with the best," the 33-year-old said challengingly

Should President Obama, or any President, be allowed to serve a third term?

Barack Obama - 

President of the United States from 2009 - ?

Here it comes, folks, I predicted it a few years ago ... and, I wonder if this is the start of something .... that will allow HIM ...... more time in office????????? Remember, there was NO WAY he could beat Hillary, there was no way he could win the election, there was no way he could get his ObamaCare passed, and no way he could win a second term ..... I have stated for years, he may be in that office .................... forever ..... SO, don't tell me it could never happen ... I think the "wheels" are slowly turning ..... he has little to nothing to say about his predecessor, maybe he already knows that there may never be one .............. he just sits back, puts his feet upon that gorgeous antique desk, and smiles ....... then ..... "Hey, get my plane ready, I think I'll go golfin."

With the anniversary of the 22nd Amendment on Friday, Constitution Daily looks at two hot-button topics: Should a President be allowed to serve a third term? And should members of Congress and the Supreme Court have term limits like the President?

The 22nd Amendment also bars a President from serving more than 10 years in office, in a case of a President who assumed office as Vice President.

For example, Vice President Gerald Ford took over for President Richard Nixon in 1974 and served more than two years as president. If Ford had defeated Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election, Ford could not have run for re-election.

Long before the 22nd Amendment, George Washington had set an unofficial precedent in 1796 when he decided several months before the election not to seek a third term. But Alexander Hamilton and many Founders wanted a strong executive, and they opposed term limits as a concept. Thomas Jefferson and an equally influential group of Founders supported term limits for the President.

The only person to break from Washington’s precedent was President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with a record-setting four election wins. Before Roosevelt ran for re-election in 1940, most Presidents didn’t try for a third term in office, let alone a third consecutive term.

Roosevelt’s distant cousin, Theodore, came the closest to breaking the precedent in 1912, when he ran for President a second time. Theodore Roosevelt succeeded President William McKinley in 1901 and had served about 7 ½ years in the White House. Theodore Roosevelt passed on running for a third consecutive term in 1908, fully aware of the Washington precedent. But after a fallout with President William Howard Taft, Roosevelt sought a third nonconsecutive term in the 1912 presidential election. He lost the election but came in second ahead of Taft. (Woodrow Wilson and Harry Truman briefly considered seeking a third term but passed.)

After Franklin Roosevelt died in 1945, momentum built for a presidential term-limits amendment. Congress passed it in 1947, and it was ratified by the states in 1951.

Since then, several members of Congress have introduced bills to repeal the 22nd Amendment. The latest was offered by Representative Jose Serrano on January 4, 2013.

In fact, Serrano has offered the same bill since 1997–during the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The bills were tabled each time.

Representative Steny Hoyer offered similar bills in the past and current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sponsored a similar bill in 1995—during the Clinton administration. Barney Frank and Jerry Nadler also presented anti-22nd Amendment bills in the past.

There was no interest among legislators in pursuing a 22nd Amendment repeal, probably because most people are happy with term limits for the President. The odds of getting 38 states to ratify an amendment would be very, very steep.

Water, water, everywhere and not a drop to drink .................

Watching TV, as usual, and is it just my imagination or is EVERYONE drinking WINE on TV?  Every show, it seems, now has a scene or two where someone is drinking wine, or something.

Did the wine industry get to them, I wonder what they offered. I would not be surprised if the wine industry did not make sure that there are cases of wind delivered to ALL sets where TV shows are being produced. 

I have noticed it more, I think, as since my recent Kidney Stone problem, I have found that my present "system" does not seem to work well with alcohol, so, I have given it up for now.

But, almost every show on TV, at sometime, somewhere, someone is sitting and enjoying a drink. Maybe I just never noticed it before .................now, I am craving a glass of wine .....

Phil should be ashamed ...........

I imagine most of you have seen the Enbrel Commercial featuring Phil Mickelson. It has been on for quite a while, and in prime time, so most of us have seen it. He talks, walks through a crowd, slaps hands with fans, touches fists with a little kid, then, goes shopping for gifts to take home.

This is all good and well, whether the products works or not is another thing.

What concerns me, if you check closely, he is in a gift shop, has already purchased something and has it in a little bag, but then, he picks up a car, a van, silver, I think, and walks out of the store with it in hand, and, I don't think he ever paid for it, just walked right out carrying that van and takes it home to give to his boy. The above photograph shows him after leaving the gift shop, van still in his right hand, not in a bag, and no receipt.

Here is the full commercial, don't share with your kids .... it's just a bad example .... HERE IT IS.

A bad example if there ever was one, just pick something up and walk out of the store with it, and, it wasn't even a Walmart .....................

What's cookin ..............

I have had a number of requests to share some "old"...... basic, recipes that I have collected over the years. Some go back a long way, a few generations, many from the turn of the century. Almost all will be basic, no frills, no "food network" seasoning, just basic, good food, easily prepared.

The first I remember preparing for myself, and occasionally our mailman, who I often waited for with a plate of food .... this was in the late 30's. Food was prepared at 319 South Brown Street in Dayton, Ohio, in our old kitchen, on a gas stove, cold foods stored in our old double door Frigidaire. I think it was similar to the one in the above photograph, the timing is right and it was an electric. Many in our neighborhood at the time were still getting ice delivered.

I remember frying bacon, then cutting up some potatoes and chopping some onion to put on top. I wish I still had that old skillet, a thin iron skillet with a covered handle, about a six inch skillet. I learned to "flip" a skillet at an early age.

I remember our poor old mailman, a very gracious person, would stop on his rounds and sample some of my cooking. He did end up retiring after a long and industrious career, so my cooking did not hamper his career.

I have a small collection of old church cook books, PTA cook books and some old recipes that accompanied some old cooking utensils, plus some old family recipes.

I make make a link page out of this so that they are all retained in one place .... still working on it. Pending surgery will cause some breaks in continuity.

Another one leaves us in 2015

Leonard Nimoy, the actor known and loved by generations of "Star Trek" fans as the pointy-eared, purely logical science officer Mr. Spock, has died.

His wife, Susan Bay Nimoy, first confirmed his death to The New York Times.Nimoy's son, Adam Nimoy, said the actor died Friday of end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at his Los Angeles home. He was 83.

Although Leonard Nimoy followed his 1966-69 "Star Trek" run with a notable career as both an actor and director, in the public's mind he would always be Spock. His half-human, half-Vulcan character was the calm counterpoint to William Shatner's often-emotional Captain Kirk on one of television and film's most revered cult series.

Reflections while awaiting the loss of my kidney stones ....

Some more random thoughts. Actually with my Kidney Stones and pending surgery, we are sitting more and talking, occasionally bringing back a memory or two.

I was reflecting on Reno a while ago, and some of those who passed through town, and my life.

Ray Slattery came to mind. We worked together at the Nevada Club, worked similar house, so did breaks together, etc., and clocked out at the same time, which often led us to be seated together at the bar on our way out. Slats was a good dealer, a great personality, and good to party with.

I remember one night a bunch of us were off work, sitting around in a bar, and someone suggested it would be fun to go bowling, so we packed up and headed for a bowling alley. I was not a bowler, as were most of the others. We were all pretty bad at it for a gem or two, and then. slats got lucky, suddenly became a bowler, had one in the 290's I think it was. Just lucky, and then, laughingly, mention he was a PBA member, followed the tour a few years. Bowled in a Reno  tournament, liked the town, and stayed.

Slats decided to leave Reno. I was working up at the lake, he got a ride up, a few of us had a nice breakfast, piled in the car, drove to a spot, over the mountains with a lot of road ahead. Slats thanked us, got out of the car, got his luggage, and started thumbing. Never saw or heard of him again, but, that is how many relationships worked in Reno, a very transient town.

Many people entered my life, briefly out there, working in the clubs seemed to be a stepping stone for many of them. One couple, the names escape me, both worked, saved their money, and he entered the University of Nevada, their goal, he was going to become a Veterinarian and they would spend their lives together.

Many, Reno was just a brief "stop" in their lives. A lot of women came to Reno to get  divorce. They would go to work in the clubs. Many got their divorces and moved on, some stayed.

Bob Bartoli, Jimmy Jones, Doc Ledford, Danny Fagan, Joe Frances, Jerry Havens, Jerry Christianson, met and got to know many good people out there. If they spent much time working in the clubs they became a "breed apart." It was a great "community" I lived and worked in, then.

A few, I knew, I never asked, they never told, just became friends, Reno was like that ..... THEN.

A random thought ...............

Just saw an educational ad on TV, brought back a memory.

In 1950, getting ready to graduate high school, I visited a number of colleges around the area, primarily because we could get out of school to do so. I visited a number of different ones, but one that stood out, Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio.

Veterans of WWII were everywhere, using their GI Bill.

I visited one Freshman English Class, held in a gym crammed with desks and tables, being taught by a professor, from his office, and shown on a screen. I talked with some students. They had been in school almost a year, and some Freshman courses they had never met a professor, their only contact was on that screen, and there were some Associate Professors physically in attendance.

Small classes were few and far between in those days.

I ended up going to The Citadel in South Carolina, a military atmosphere, all spit and polish and uniforms, except ...... for Veterans, who enrolled and attended class in civilian clothes. Some of their continued eligibility depended on their GPA, and their grades in individual courses. They were very competitive, their continued education depended upon it.

Overcrowding of colleges was somewhat of a problem after the war ...............

Oh ..... I see now ....

Our good friend, Jim Madison, who was visiting us from his home in Oklahoma, received a text from his wife, this morning ..... it said, "Windows frozen, won't open."

Jim sent a text back, "Gently pour some lukewarm water over it and gently tap the edges with a hammer." Something he had successfully done in the past.

A few minutes later, he received this text reply, "Computer really messed up now."

2/26/15

The previous article about a "Londoner" being Jihadi John, got me to thinking, how could it happen. After giving it some thought, easy. Look at all that is done here in our country, by our "own" people. Finding "people" to perform atrocities should be a piece of cake, and with the internet "recruiting," with access to millions and millions of people, easily done.

Are there any "cukes" in the world, you bet, do they have computers, right on, are they susceptible to ...... following ..... yep. and that is how it is done.

Someone will start an employment agency, Whackos Only. Fee Paid. I am not even going to list who and what they are looking for, we all know.

'Jihadi John' from Islamic State beheading videos unmasked as Londoner

By Michael Holden and Stephen Addison

LONDON (Reuters) - Investigators believe that The "Jihadi John" masked fighter who fronted Islamic State beheading videos is a British man named Mohammed Emwazi, two U.S. government sources said on Thursday.

He was born in Kuwait and comes from a prosperous family in London, where he grew up and graduated with a computer programming degree, according to the Washington Post.

In videos released by Islamic State (IS), the black-clad militant brandishing a knife and speaking with an English accent appears to have decapitated hostages including Americans, Britons and Syrians.

The Washington Post said Emwazi, who used the videos to threaten the West and taunt leaders such as President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, was believed to have traveled to Syria around 2012 and to have later joined IS.

In each beheading video, he is dressed entirely in black, a balaclava covering all but his eyes and the ridge of his nose. He wears a holster under his left arm.

Hostages gave him the name John as he and other IS Britons had been nicknamed the Beatles. Another was dubbed George.

British government sources and the police refused to confirm or deny the report, citing a live anti-terrorism investigation, a position mirrored by a spokeswoman for Cameron.

Clinton says she would push for inclusive problem-solving

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that if she decides to seek the White House again she would try to bring Republicans from red states and Democrats in blue states into a "nice, warm, purple space" that would encourage problem-solving.

Clinton, the leading Democratic contender should she run, referred to her likely presidential campaign in hypothetical terms during an interview on stage at a women's conference in Silicon Valley. But she said anyone who mounts a campaign for president in 2016 should make economic growth and restoring rising wages top priorities, along with rebuilding trust and cooperation in the nation.

"I'd like to bring people from right and left, red, blue, get them into a nice, warm, purple space where everybody is talking and where we're actually trying to solve problems. That would be my objective," Clinton said at a paid appearance before the Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women.

‘American Sniper’ jury finds ex-Marine guilty of murder

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Erath County District Court Judge Jason Cashon sentenced Eddie Ray Routh to life in prison without the possibility of parole, then turned the floor over to the families of the two men the defendant had just been found guilty of murdering.

Relatives of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle did not speak, but the brother and father of victim Chad Littlefield wanted to have their say. Each stood to somberly and sternly address Routh.

“You took the lives of two heroes — men who tried to be a friend to you,” said Jerry Richardson, Littlefield's brother. “You became an American disgrace.”

Routh, a former Marine and Iraq war veteran, shot the men several times while at a gun range on Feb. 2, 2013. Kyle, a former Navy SEAL and the deadliest sniper in American military history, often took fellow veterans to the shooting range as a form of therapy. Littlefield, 35, did not serve in the military, but often volunteered his time to help veterans, his family said.

During the two-week trial, the defense team tried to convince the jury that mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder triggered Routh to turn on Kyle and Littlefield.

Drones spotted flying over Paris landmarks

Paris (AFP) - At least five drones were spotted flying over central Paris landmarks during the night and police were unable to catch the operators, sources close to the probe said on Tuesday.

The country has been hit by a series of mysterious drone overflights at nuclear plants and more recently over the presidential palace, and the fresh sightings come at a time of heightened security following last month's jihadist attacks that left 17 people dead.

The first drone sighting was near the US embassy in the French capital just after midnight, prompting police to follow the unmanned aircraft which continued on towards the Invalides military museum.

But they soon lost sight of the drone and later in the night, four other pilotless aircraft were spotted at several Paris landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Place de la Concorde and the Montparnasse tower, the tallest skyscraper in the French capital.

"It could be a coordinated action but we don't know for now," said one source, who asked not to be identified.

"We did everything to try and catch the operators but they were not found," another source close to the case said.

One police source, who also wished to remain anonymous, said there had never been so many drones spotted over Paris in one night.

In October and November, around 20 of the unidentified aircraft flew over French nuclear plants and their operators were never found.

Mysterious tunnel found near Canada sports venue

Montreal (AFP) - A sophisticated tunnel has been discovered near a major sporting venue and a university in Toronto, reports said Monday, with Canada on edge over the threat of possible extremist attacks.

A municipal worker was walking through woods near York University and the Rexall Center last month when he spotted a piece of corrugated metal on the ground, lifted it up and found a passageway, the public broadcaster CBC said.

The tunnel was about seven meters (23 feet) long and 2.5 meters tall and was lit by an electric generator. The walls and ceilings had been reinforced and tools had been left inside.

Toronto is hosting the Pan American Games in July and the Rexall Center is one of the venues. The facility also hosts major tennis events.

National security officials have been alerted but there was no immediate suggestion the tunnel posed a threat, CBC said.

Authorities have now filled it in but police were tight-lipped about what its purpose might have been. CBC said authorities had ruled out the possibility of it being a drug lab.

A "tank" job .... by a high school

"Say it ain't so, Murfreesboro."

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) — A pair of Tennessee girls basketball high school teams have been pulled from the postseason for trying to lose a game to avoid the top-ranked team and improve their chances of advancing to the state tournament.

The programs at Riverdale, a state champion in 2013, and Smyrna were fined a total of $1,500 each Monday and also placed on probation for a year by the Tennessee Secondary School athletic Association.

TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress wrote Monday in letters to the schools' principals that the teams "made a mockery" with intentional turnovers off various violations and missed free throws. The referee also reported he stopped play ordering the coaches not to make a travesty of the game with a Smyrna player about to shoot at the wrong basket.

"Now I think Riverdale was the first team to start, 'let's lose the game,' but both teams obviously didn't want to win and it really showed," the referee wrote in his game report that was included in Childress' letters.

Childress said high school athletic programs are meant to teach students ethics, integrity, sportsmanship, morals and values.

Both coaches should be fired, they probably instigated it .............

8 more days of ..... till my "procedure" ...

Say a prayer each night for my Urologist, Bodo Knudsen, M.D. .... give him good judgement and strong steady hands .... and a healing sympathetic attitude, and a tremendous knowledge of the Human Urinary system, and how it all works .... and how to fix, when it doesn't .... and, above all, how to turn BIG Kidney Stones in to little, sub microscopic ... minuscule, easy to pass ... reeeel small pieces ........... Amen.

Other than my Kidney Stones and the constant discomfort from them, which will continue until 3/3, the cord on my laptop has frayed, the battery is old and weak, so the laptop that I have used all these many years is .............. well ................ as Colonel Klink might say, "is Kaput." I am back on my wife's computer, took me almost 30 minutes to sign in, passwords were established many years ago.

I have not checked on the state of the country or the world for a few days, I really don't care. My discomfort supersedes all of that. What little sleep I get, a night, sitting on the couch, covered with three blankets .... however, every two hours .... yep, gotta go. I will not go into detail where the discomfort might be, a "private" matter, very private.

I do not do well during the day on so little sleep, I sit and stare, out the window, at the wall, or the TV. The wall and the TV are about the same, boring. Occasionally a car will go by while looking out the window, and even they are almost boring, they all look alike.

I have noticed on the news, a robbery or an escape of some kind, in a vehicle. It used to me, make, model and color. Now it is only the color, sometimes, your choice of perhaps 5 or 6 makes. "Well, gosh, I think it was a, well, it was blue of some kind, and, yeh, I remember it had tires, and it coulda been a .......... or a .......... or a ........... or a ........... or a .......... or a ............ or a .......... or a????? But, I think it was blue, dark blue, or maybe black .... I know it wasn't white."

I miss my laptop, the cord, just to plug it in is around $35 or so dollars, I refuse to pay that for a plug. It was a charger also, I guess, but that is way too much money for just a cord.

I unfortunately missed the Academy Awards last night, that's 50 or so I have missed. I think Bogart won it the last year I watched ... The African Queen .... great flick. Excuse me, I had to take a "potty" break, about every ten minutes while up and around, every two hours or less at night, while trying to sleep, sitting up in a chair, covered with blankets. One night, three house sleep, it was heavenly.

I am not a song writer, but I am in the process of composing one .... incorporating the word ..... "burning."

2/15/15

I imagine most are tired of hearing about Kidney Stones, but last night, went to bed around one, woke every two hours to "vacate" ..... around 6 this morning, I got up and went to the living room, sat in my chair, pulled up my "Snuggy," turned on the TV and fell asleep. I slept, UNINTERRUPTED, till noon. Heavenly .... continuous or continual, not sure which one, but, anyway, I slept. Been a few weeks now since that happened. Just, a few hours sleep.

The sun is out, I guess it is REALLY cold outside, definitely a Winter day in Ohio.

I haven't even checked the news today, but I can guess what it is, as can you. Weather probably is the top story, more snow in the East. ISIS, I am sure is getting some space. A year or so ago, never heard of ISIS, and now, a threat to the world, and, their people seem to be everywhere. They recruit via the internet ... Social Sites ... that is ironic. I wonder what their message is that makes them such a easy "sell."

Perhaps the world is just ready for such a message. I this country, unrest, terrorism, mass shootings by unlikely, disturbed, individuals, police killings, brutality everywhere. We are led by a president who has never had to prove his qualifications, perhaps should not even hold the office. Politicians whose ethics and actions are questionable, an economy, well, a gigantic portion of our citizens are living .... off of the government. We are a welfare state.

A portion of our population is living opulently, making millions and billions living in luxury like the world has never seen. Billionaires are driving down the street in chauffeured multi million dollar vehicles ... passing people who are homeless, hungry, living on that same street. I have often wondered what goes through the head of someone homeless, hungry, no job, no prospects for the future .... watching a limousine slowly drive by, carrying a few well dressed, well fed passengers, laughing and gay, not wanting to see what is outside the car window.

There a many who live in such squallier, such run down conditions, that anything that could happen in their lives, is a step up. That is why "they" may be offering "greener" grass for those who are looking on the other side ....................... an eeasy sell ......

2/10/15 - UPDATE

Tuesday Morning, nothing new on my health issues, still waiting to hear from OSU Hospital on my next move. I have to go through a Pre-Op process, whatever that may be. Evaluation to survive surgery, I guess. They hate losing patients, makes them look bad.... ring, ring ...... "Dr. Knudsen's office." ... Tomorrow at 10, be there at 9:45 ..... the Pre Op Thing .... that is the start of the whole procedure, which I hope leads to Normal Urinary Conditions. The left stone is relatively easy, a tube already exists for that. The right one, well, he has to go through my back, but I would rather not talk about that right now ..... causes strange "hurts" in various parts of my body ...

Anyone watch that game last night, UConn and Number One, South Carolina. It was close for a short time, and then, a blowout .... Number One is no longer South Carolina, and, I hope they have looked better in previous games .... they did not look like a Number One, far from it.

Politics - and the condition of the world, in general. ISIS has suddenly become the topic of discussion. I admit I do not know who they are, what they stand for, and especially, how they have become such a power to recon with. Not long ago, ISIS was a typo. Years ago, 1944, my brother was in the Navy, in Cuba, and was to come home on leave. We received a telegram from him, "Lost ISWAS, be home Sunday night." It had something to do with navigation. Odd, ISWAS is now ISIS.

I must admit, politics and world conditions are not uppermost on my mind. My two Kidney Stones are uppermost in my thoughts.

Ripley - 2/5

NBC News' Brian Williams admits he wasn't on aircraft in Iraq

NBC News’ Brian Williams was not, as he has previously claimed, aboard a U.S. Air Force helicopter that was hit by two rockets and grounded during the 2003 Iraq invasion.

In what was surely a moment of vindication for those who were actually aboard the grounded aircraft, the Nightly News anchor admitted Wednesday that the harrowing story he and NBC had been perpetuating since 2003 was false.

“I would not have chosen to make this mistake,” Williams told the military publication Stars and Stripes, Wednesday. “I don’t know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another.”

The confession came at a New York Rangers game last week, after Williams reiterated his skewed version of events. The occasion was a tribute to retired Command Sgt. Major Tim Terpak, who’d provided security for the grounded helicopters Williams claimed to have been aboard.

In a comment on NBC Nightly News' Facebook page, under the video of Williams’ coverage of the tribute, Flight Engineer Lance Reynolds wrote “Sorry dude, I don't remember you being on my aircraft. I do remember you walking up about an hour after we had landed to ask me what had happened. Then I remember you guys taking back off in a different flight of Chinooks from another unit and heading to Kuwait to report your 'war story' to the Nightly News. The whole time we were still stuck in Iraq trying to repair the aircraft and pulling our own Security.”

Reynolds told Stars and Stripes, “It was something personal for us that was kind of life-changing for me. I’ve know how lucky I was to survive it. It felt like a personal experience that someone else wanted to participate in and didn’t deserve to participate in.”

Williams responded to Reynold’s comment and apologized.

Hackers Hack ...... again

By Supriya Kurane and Jim Finkle

(Reuters) - Health insurer Anthem Inc , which has nearly 40 million U.S. customers, said late on Wednesday that hackers had breached one of its IT systems and stolen personal information relating to current and former consumers and employees.

The No. 2 health insurer in the United States said the breach did not appear to involve medical information or financial details such as credit card or bank account numbers.

The information accessed during the "very sophisticated attack" did include names, birthdays, social security numbers, street addresses, email addresses and employment information, including income data, the company said.

Anthem said that it immediately made every effort to close the security vulnerability and reported the attack to the FBI. Cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc said it had been hired to help Anthem investigate the attack.

Living with "frequent" potty breaks

I don't like the word "pea" unless used in reference to the vegetable. Never have for some reason. "Pee" also I don't care for. So, I am in a dilemma, I now, thanks to my kidney stone hardware, tubes, etc., do it frequently, sometimes every ten minutes, at night, every two hours.

Not a pleasant subject to write about, but it is something that at this time, dominates my life.

On visits to Walmart, first this I do, use the bathroom. Then, I know, I have about ten minutes to shop, and, then, another visit to the bathroom. I am on a first name basis with the folks in that back department that offers access to the bathroom.

Quality of Life ...... Not sure what my "Quality" is, right now. For nine minutes or so, not too bad, my Quality is interrupted about every ten minutes or so with a visit to .... well, you know. So, it is difficult to attach an overall "quality" to my life at this time. But I see the Doctor in three days, will know more then what can be done with my two BIG stones.

No surprise to me ..............

Well, anyone who saw, or is even aware of the debacle last Sunday, has to hare my opinion on who controls many sports in this world, they are controlled by the world of Television. I have questioned "integrity" in sports for a long time. I forget how many years ago, I think I was at a game with my son, and noticed a man on the sideline with his arm covered with a red sleeve.

When his arm was raised, play stopped. When he took it down, play resumed. He was the TV guy, received his instructions from the "truck" parked outside the stadium. I have started asking myself, "What would be best for television?" I have been pretty accurate in my predictions. I predicted one year early on in the season, the best game, from the standpoint of TV, in the Super Bowl, which is TV's greatest accomplishment, the best would be Brother Against Brother, the Harbaughs, and that is what happened that year.

I thought,, this year, for a number of reasons, that the Patriots should win the Super Bowl. Possibly Tom's last, tie some records. But then, someone let things get out of hand. With minutes to go, all was well, The Patriots were winning, everyone was happy, and then ..... "What are they doing, they may go down and score, that's not the way it's supposed to be. Call down there, see what's wrong."

Desperation hung heavily in the air .... Vegas was upset, bookies all over the world were upset, TV was besides themselves, this was not supposed to happen. The call went down to the field.

"Do not score!"

Thus, the call. "Pass, but do not catch, let it go through your arms, get intercepted, but do not score."

Close, a bit of controversy, "The dumbest call ever." "Why didn't the QB call an audible?"

The best laid plans, etc., etc, but they do work out in the long run .... that one was close, but, it did prove my theory to the world ............... TV RULES

I picked OSU being the first National Champion, even after their first loss .... they wanted an old perennial powerhouse to win, Notre Dame, Michigan .... but they stood no chance. OSU did, and they won. Oregon, who, where, do they play football ............

When in danger or in doubt, just think, what would TV want .............

American Sniper and more

I must admit I have mixed emotions about making a movie about, and making a hero out of a sniper. He kills people, with a high powered rifle, from a great distance. Is that something to glorify. I am sure there are many who deserve such an end, but why glorify the shooter. I thought clandestine activity was kept somewhat of a secret.

If I had shot and killed many people, I am not sure I would want it publicized and glorified. Someone might put a big red target on my back. I thought Seals and other groups strive to remain anonymous.

But to make a movie, seen by millions, and to make a hero out of the shooter, I question.

Snipers have taken on a "hero" quality, "They take out the bad guys." Hidden, concealed, with the aid of a high powered sophisticated rifle, they kill. And then, they make a movie about it, publicize it, glorify it, and probably take in obscene amounts of money, by people, viewing it.

"Hit men," do the same thing for the mob and organized crime,, have not seen a movie about them. I knew one, in Reno, had him out to the house for dinner, sat with him on breaks. He NEVER told me what he did and I knew better than to ask. He was a Manufacturers Rep for a company in New York. He often ate at the Nevada Club, we sat together at the counter a few times, just started talking and a friendship grew from that. Not sure why, just knew better than to ask certain things. He would be gone for a few days, and, a name would be "erased" from a list. The last thing in the world he would ever have wanted, was publicity.

But now, a sniper, can kill, and brag about it, make money from it, just does not seem right to me for some reason.

"Hey, son, what do you want to be when you grow up? A fireman or a football player or a policeman or a teacher?"

"No, I want to be a sniper like Chris Kyle, and kill people."

"Oh!"

A car is born

Marilyn and I got to talking the other day, thought we might look in to getting a different car. Needed a change, had these two for quite some time now. For some reason, getting a different car seemed like a good idea, especially since we are in the Winter "blahs."

I've been seeing those Jetta commercials, and VW's. I had a VW many years ago, an older one, really liked it, so we were leaning toward a German car, or at last a European one.

I did some Googling on European cars, and there were many produced in Europe. We found one, manufactured by a company that grew during WWII producing a variety of war machines, still producing a variety of products, tractors, commercial vehicles, quite a variety of vehicles, but a company with a lesser known name. They were located on the Rhine River near Dusseldorf.

Their head design engineer, Heinrich VonSchlemmer had much to do with a revolutionary design of an eight cylinder engine, unique because of a new design of a Cam Nut Bolt Adjuster, a powered Clever, rather than a manual one, and some other features. It was decided they would use VonSchlemmer's eight cylinder engine in the new car they were going to produce.

The Product Development Department was given the task of promoting and marketing the car, as well as finding a new and unique name for it. Otto Presner was in charge of the Product Development Department. Gorman Schutanner, was the company President and offered Otto a few suggestions that he felt should be incorporated into the naming of the new vehicle. His two main concerns were insuring the public was aware that it was a European car, and also the companies proximity to the Rhine, and keeping the public aware of Heinrich's new eight cylinder engine.

Otto and his crew worked diligently on naming the new vehicle. Euro, somehow had to be in the name, and Rhine also needed mention, and of course Heinrich's engine. EuroRhine came to their attention, Karl Vocker, one of the team felt it was too long. "Let's take out the o and the R, and we must mention the motor."

"How about the EurineEight."

Thus, a car was born, and we are on CarFax trying to locate one. It also seemed appropriate with my Kidney Stone problem.

FDR

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945

He was the first President that I remember. I remember listening to him on the old Philco Radio, often with commentary by my Father, who was not a fan of his.

His, in a way, was a reassuring voice during WWII. I  remember his Fireside Chats.

At my young age, I could not envision or comprehend what or who he was, I did not understand what he did. I realized he was our leader, but, not to what extent. I did not understand ..... President of the United States.

I remember his address in 1941, "A day that will live in infamy," or something to that effect. He declared WAR.

I did not look upon him as a man then, only as the President, a position I did not fully understand.

I have visited his home at Hyde Park in New York, on the Hudson River. I saw the bed he slept in, the elevator he took to the second floor, the bedroom that Winston Churchill stayed in when visiting Hyde Park, I saw the Ford convertible he loved to drive around in.

I have done some studying about the man, read some of his papers. The closest I came to him, and this will sound strange, but on the second floor of his home was a small room, a telephone room, void of many furnishings. As I walked in and looked around. something, distinctly, touched and moved across my arm, it startled me, at first. A Park Ranger was standing outside the room,, and I asked her if any "ghosts" had ever been detected. "Oh,, yes, many times, Franklin's Mother, Sara has been suspected of being in her old homestead. We recently had some workers here after a small fire. Two of them worked one day and refused to come back. They had "experiences" with Sara. A number of others have also had some, and .... you? Something brushed my arm in that room. Others have experienced that also."

Franklin and I have never met, but I did have a run in with his Mother, Sara.

Would never get over this 7 seconds

Supreme Court of Canada ruling on Thursday ended a seven-year legal battle by Joel Ifergan, an accountant, to claim his share of the prize.

Ifergan went to a local convenience store just before 9 p.m. on May 23, 2008, to purchase tickets for that night's "Lotto Super 7" drawing. The store clerk told him to hurry before the 9 p.m. deadline, according to a court summary.

While the clock on the lottery terminal read 8:59 p.m., only one of the two tickets was registered in time. The second ticket, the winning one, was printed and registered on the Loto-Quebec computer at seven seconds after 9 p.m., eligible for the following week's drawing.

The store clerk told Ifergan that only one ticket was registered in time and asked if he still wanted to buy the second ticket. Ifergan said he did, and paid for both.

After he was denied half of the lottery jackpot, which was awarded to another winner, Ifergan sued Loto-Quebec for the processing lag.

The case has been working its way through Canada's courts. The Supreme Court did not comment on the case.

I wonder ...... ???

A lot of ads on TV testing and destroying cars, by a company who claims they can determine how safe a car actually is. They wreck them with a series of tests with a variety of equipment. They take a brand new car, broadside it with a "ram" .... take pictures of it, evaluate it, and produce a list of ..... The Safest Cars. A billion dollar industry.

I have done some research, very few people purchase a car because it is deemed safe. There are a number of reasons people purchase cars, but safety is near the bottom of the list. Many people, who buy a car, admit they are swayed by ads seen on TV. Some buy on an appearance they like, some purchase as a "status: symbol, luxury versus economy. Gas mileage has been one criteria, not so much now that gas prices are down.

Many purchase trucks, there, are Ford People, Chevy  People and Dodge People, period

I'm sure there are some who buy the "safest" car, but no one buys a car that intends to have a wreck. "Oh, yea, I always buy the safest car, I have two or three wrecks a year." Doesn't happen.

No one, who purchases a car intends or thinks they are going to have a wreck, so how and why could it be one of the criteria in purchasing.

"OK, honey, we are going to buy a Honda A-37, two door, gray ... that is the one with the best safety record .... and I know that you will have a wreck this year."

But, an industry was created, one, well, I imagine the manufactures give them the cars, maybe they purchase them, I don't know, but hundreds of new cars are totaled each year, in the name of safety. I wonder how they really pulled that scam off and have been able to perpetuate it. I doubt that any two wrecks are alike ..... so then ..... why ..............?

1/29/15

January is almost gone, but we are building up to Televisions Biggest Day,, their greatest show, the Super Bowl. I remember when it was just a football game. The center of attention was the game, the two teams, and then, television realized its potential and it hasn't been the same since. Little talk about the teams, just the commercials. Four or five million for a brief commercial. It didn't happen over night, it has taken many years for it to grow.

I remember many years ago, not sure which game, but we were visiting out on the farm at my wife's Grandmothers. I was sitting out on the front steps with her Uncle. All of the talk on TV and in the press was about the game, a lot of hype. I asked her Uncle if he was going to be watching the Big Game. "No, our TV went on the fritz a few months ago, and we just ain't had it fixed yet." It put it all in perspective for me, and I have never forgotten his comment.

TV has been able to expand the football season, pre season games in August ...... and now February, and half of a year of football, and all those ads. The games are merely a venue, a vehicle, to carry television ads. They have taken a game, where some guys got together on a Sunday, and played a game of .......... football ........... back in the 20's, and turned it in to the show it is today. Ads, broken occasionally by the game. Most games today, there is a man on the field, colored sleeve, in contact with the TV van. When his arm is raised, the game stops, the ads air. His arm comes down ... let the game begin.

Not to mention .... clothing, logo clothing, billions in sales. Normal, rational people pay a lot of money, to be able to walk around in an over sized football jersey ... with someone elses name on the back ........... saying to the world ...... I am a fan. And, who convinced them they should be a fan and do this ..... television. How great is that ..... perpetual motion.

Well,................

"Hey, Dooley. howya doin?"

This was called out to me at Walmart today, and I answered with a fine. Then, later, as I sit here, his comments came back to me, and I wonder if I should have given him a "true" answer, and, if he would have really been interested, or just been sorry that he had asked.

Actually, for a few weeks now, I urinate about every ten or fifteen minutes, night time, when I try to sleep, which usually ends up in a chair in the living room, every couple of hours or so, it varies. I not only do that a lot, on some occasions, I think I am passing small stones, stones made of hard Uric Acid. As of yet, the pain has only been in the 1 or 2 out of ten range that the hospital likes to use. No real pain, yet, just, well, just, it is hard to explain.

And, no appetite, have lost around 20 pounds, which is good, if that is all I lose.

Sleep, well, I get a few hours a night, generally in a chair. When I lay down, for some reason, a kidney stone makes it presence known, enough to keep me awake. So, sleep is, well, at a premium.le

Sorry for the break there, had to go to the ..... well, you know what.

So, I am 82, have two Kidney Stones, not sure what the outcome will be. I go back over in two weeks, do an Ultrasound, and the Kidney Specialist will determine my future. I have not idea what all the options for me could be.

I did go on CarFax today, I was searching for a car that had been in limited production, not sure where they manufactured the UrineEight, I thought it might be appropriate for my condition.

Follow the NY snow here: http://www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/?cam=tsrobo1

Great IDEA

Hundreds of hats and scarves have been spotted in cities that are experiencing freezing temps this Winter. 

The message attached to one scarf says: "I am not lost! If you are stuck out in the cold, please take this to keep warm!" 

A really neat idea, should spread to every city across the country, and the world.

A simple gesture, but to someone who is cold, a welcome surprise.

Check this out ............. very funny ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArMf6xbMsLI&list=WL&index=2

SMI - 1/24/15

Went to OSU yesterday, for a visit with Kidney Stone expert Doctor Knudsen. Result, I go back in two weeks for an Ultrasound and another visit that is done. Had a real shock yesterday, one consideration concerning what can be done ...... my age .... first time I had heard that, TOO OLD for .

The Renal Ultrasound will be performed in the Stephanie Spielman Center. She was the wife of Chris Spielman, OSU football great, who I have seen play, also played in the pros, and her fight with Breast Cancer was followed by many. I'm sure I will enter her building experiencing some emotions.

I have .... almost .... decided to leave my body to the OSU Medical school. I have had so many surgeries, Appendectomy, Vagotomy, Kidney Stones (3), Cyst in Colon, Triple Bi Pass, more Kidney Stones and Laproscopic Surgery for a Hernia, actually he did 16 holes, rather than the one he was going to do. The hospital got rid of him. I am thinking of getting a tattoo listing all of the above so some student does not miss anything, and knows my medical history.

The first Doctor I saw yesterday, not sure of his name, in doing some research of the staff, the only one from Illinois, which he mentioned to me was a Doctor Chad Gridley, so it may have been him. Anyway, he was wearing a similar pair of shoes. I rarely am attracted to a mans shoes, but these, I thought, were stunning. If I were younger, and, wore something other than $5 tennis shoes from Walmart, would definitely have a pair of these. On second thought, I would have to shop around at other places, these were a bit on the pricey side, real quality, but a bit much for my price range. I think, a tap on the shoe will link you to their site.


GREAT NEWS RECEIVED THIS MORNING - Hi, Unc. Thanks for update....what a long process but they must run their tests! Hang in there!(referring to my Kidney Stones)
Kyle is recovering well from the lumpectomy on Thursday and will get biopsy results and her customized therapy plan next week. She will have radiation for sure, but perhaps no chemo... to be determined... but her spirits are good and hopefully she will finish with an “all clear” in a few months. Love, - Janie

Kyle is my Niece, one the youngest of my brothers three children. She and her sister Jane and her daughter Becca came down for our 50th. first I had seen her in many years, and had never seen her daughter. She is raising two great children. That damnable Cancer

I have been remiss in posting more, but personal health issues combined with major concerns about the health of my wife has taken precedence over everything else. Every waking hour I am concerned about her, Survival and taking the steps necessary for survival dominate our days, and we are probably in much better shape than many are. I have had, in the past, a number of conversations with my Dad about .... Quality versus Quantity .... of life. As a physician, I think he often weighed that dilemma, in his day of practicing medicine, it was much more often in the hands of the physician than it is today. I think today it is Quantity, at all costs.

http://youtu.be/Q37mtdX9BCk

A Health, or lack of it, UPDATE

A few have asked, so here is a health update.

Quality of Life: 50%

Reason: TWO Kidney Stones, one on each side, LARGE ones.

Reason for Quality of Life: Old, for one thing, some sort of a tube sticking out of my left side. Two Stents ... Bathroom break (a nice way of saying it) about every ten minutes, sometimes less. No appetite, lost 20 pounds.

Ambition level: 10%

Problem for the Day: I have a doctors appointment on Friday, in Columbus, Ohio, at the OSU Hospital with one Doctor Knudson, a Kidney Stone Specialist.

The Problem: Getting there. My dear wife, who has Afib, and is a source of great concern, wants to go with me. One time, not long ago, she accompanied me for a test, I was signing in at the Surgery Desk, a nurse took one look at her, put her in a wheelchair, and took her to Emergency. She spent her time there while the tests were performed on me.

I "lose" a little each day, I feel like something is gradually "poisoning" my system, possibly some leakage from all of my plumbing problems. As of today, I am not even sure I am going to be able to, or feel like, going on Friday.

So, I am not confident enough to go by myself, so I need someone to take me there, wait, and bring me home, and someone to babysit my wife while I am away.

Old age is ....... well ..... old age, a problem of its own.

WHO let the air out?

IF, the New England Patriots, did, in fact, purposely not inflate the footballs to the proper psi, and if it could be proven where the source for such a decision was made, and if the coach, the owners, or someone other than the guy with the pump, who had a wild idea, did make such a decision, they should not be allowed to play in the Super Bowl

I don't know for sure how the system works, does each team use their own footballs, I can't imagine that happening, I would think that both teams use the same footballs, if so, what would be an advantage to one would also be an advantage to the other.

That I do not understand. It is inconceivable to me that the coach would tell the "ball boy" to under inflate 11 of the 12 balls used. Did the 12th ball have a "Do Not Use" label on it?

And, why, would anyone think that such a difference would not be detected. The players, the officials, have been handling them for years, Who noticed the difference. I think one official did. Didn't Andrew Luck, the Colts quarterback notice, or he aid and chose not to say anything, like finding gold.

Or, is this just something to add more "fuel" to the Television Show that used to be a football game that was televised? I can just imagine so TV Exec coming up with the idea at a "Drop it in the well and listen to is splash" meeting in some ivory tower. Anything to get people talking. 

I can relate to this ..........

A lady left a meeting several days ago, She couldn't find her keys. She quickly checked all of her pockets, her pocketbook, and looked everywhere.

They weren't in her pockets. Suddenly she realized she must have left them in the car. Frantically, she headed for the parking lot. 

Her husband has scolded her many times for leaving her keys in the car's ignition. 

He's afraid that the car could be stolen. As she looked around the parking lot, she realized he was right. 

The parking lot was empty. she immediately called the police. She gave them her location, confessed that she had left her keys in the car, and that it had been stolen. 

Then she made the most difficult call of all to her husband: "I left my keys in the car and it's been stolen." 

There was a moment of silence. She thought the call had been disconnected, but then she heard his voice. "Are you kidding me?" He barked, "I dropped you off!" 

Now it was her turn to be silent. 

Embarrassed, she said, "Well, come and get me." 

He retorted, "I will, as soon as I convince this cop that I didn't steal your car!"

Truer words ...... never spoken ..

Thanks, Ernie, I missed this one ... my Kidney Stones and all the attachments have held me down a bit .... gettin old.

Best comment of the year so far.

Heard this on Fox News this evening (Mon., 1/12) from Oliver North.

Some one asked why President Obama, Vice President Biden, Eric Holder nor Secretary of State Kerry were NOT at the solidarity March in Paris Sunday. 

Colonel North said

"That's Because "The March was for 'world leaders' "!!!

Predictable ..... You bet

First, let me say I was an Ohio State, or a Buckeye Fan for many years. I was born one, had everything Scarlet and Gray, I even did the Bike ride of New York City, the Five Borough Ride, with a tape player on my bike, playing music by the Ohio State Marching Band. We spent part of our honeymoon, 50 years ago, at an Ohio State game in Columbus.

And then, Woody left, I did not like the way they got rid of Earle Bruce, will never know why they hired John Cooper, and, most of all the FANS became completely arrogant. Obnoxious and arrogant.

I dropped off of the Fan list at Ohio State.

And now, they somehow win a National Championship, against all odds. It has happened, they just could not win the title, now, primarily the fans have to belittle the Oregon team they beat. Facebook and a flood of bumper stickers etc., are flooding the airwaves. "Our Third String Quarterback beat YOUR Heisman trophy winner," is just an example. They could not win, anything, graciously.

I have never heard anyone refer to an Ohio State fan as ..... gracious ..... that is a shame, a great institution .... but such arrogant fans .... many of whom probably could not spell the name of the institution ..... 

Just Wondering

When, where and how, did it become so popular to wear "logo" clothing, now a multi billion dollar industry.

I remember when you gave your sweetheart your letter sweater, or a letter jacket, that one was awarded for prowess in athletics. There was little other logo emblazoned wearing apparel. Occasionally someone would "borrow" a piece of clothing, "Property of" ... I remember in high school I bought an "Oakwood" belt buckle and wore it proudly.

I don't remember when the "fad" started. I am not sure of the history of "Silk Screening" ... but I imagine in coincided with the logo craze. I even remember seeing "Licensed by."

What is it that makes a rational person want to wear a football jersey, with large letters on the back saying .... MANNING, representing a team located thousands of miles away .... that the person actually has no connection with.

I remember one player ran "afoul" of something, they offered to take returns, and thousands were returned, many thousands.

Logo clothing, a billion dollar industry, relying on ...... ????????

Me and Uric Acid

I really don't know a lot about Uric Acid, and I don't know what a Uric is, but, it has ruled my life in many ways.

In '60 or '61, I was working in Elko, Nevada, two jobs, the Ranch Inn and the famous Stockman's Hotel. My ankles started hurting, worse, worse and worse. I was immobile, could not move. Went to the local, well, the one and only one, then, hospital, after a few hours they determined I had .... The Gout. Probably the most painful of all ailments. Uric Acid.

Then, many years later, Kidney Stones, three hospital visits, the last, they laid me open and rebuilt that system, six hours on the table. The stones were Uric Acid.

And Now, 2015, they found a Kidney Stone on my left side, they put in Stents. Then, a week later, they found another Kidney Stone on the right side, and put in more Stents.

All due to too much Uric Acid. We will know on the 23rd of January what they intend to do, at the OSU hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

All, thanks to Uric Acid, and, perhaps other ailments I am not aware of. Perhaps, that Cyst in my Colon was also the result of ...... Uric Acid.

Uric acid is a heterocyclic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen with the formula C5H4N4O3. It forms ions and salts known as urates and acid urates, such as ammonium acid urate. Uric acid is a product of the metabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides. High blood concentrations of uric acid can lead to gout. The chemical is associated with other medical conditions including diabetes and the formation of ammonium acid urate kidney stones.

I can relate to all of that, yes I can.

Federer claims 1,000th win with Brisbane crown

Brisbane (Australia) (AFP) - Roger Federer brought up his 1,000th victory at tour level in style Sunday when he beat Canadian Milos Raonic in three tough sets to win the Brisbane International.

Federer was forced to absorb some superb shotmaking and blistering serves from the 24-year-old before winning 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-4 in two hours and 13 minutes at the Pat Rafter Arena.

Federer's glittering career now includes 83 singles titles, including 17 Grand Slams, since his first victory over Frenchman Guillaume Raoux in Toulouse in 1998.

The 33-year-old is third on the all-time list for matches won, behind Jimmy Connors (1,253) and Ivan Lendl (1,071).

"To get to 1,000 wins in front of you two greats means a lot to me," Federer said, describing it as a "special day".

"I'll never forget this moment," he added as he was presented with his Brisbane International trophy by Roy Emerson, as well as a special award for his 1,000th win by Rod Laver.

"It feels very different to any other match I've ever won, because I never thought about anything reaching 500 or 800.

"All those numbers didn't mean anything to me, but for some reason 1,000 means a lot because it's such a huge number. Just alone to count to 1,000 is going to take a while."

World leaders head Paris march to honor terror victims

PARIS (AP) — More than 40 world leaders, their arms linked, marched through Paris Sunday to rally for unity and freedom of expression and to honor 17 victims of three days of terrorist attacks.

The leaders were heading a demonstration of at least tens of thousands of people who converged on the capital after three gunmen attacked a newspaper office, kosher supermarket and police. Deafening applause rang out over the square as the leaders walked past, amid tight security and an atmosphere of togetherness amid adversity.

Families of the victims, many weeping and embracing, were also at the front of the march along with the world leaders, including French President Francois Hollande, top representatives of Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The aftermath of the attacks remained raw, with video emerging of one of the gunmen killed during police raids pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group and detailing how the attacks were going to unfold. Also, a new shooting was linked to that gunman, Amedy Coulibaly, who was killed Friday along with the brothers behind a massacre at satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in nearly simultaneous raids by security forces.

"Today, Paris is the capital of the world," said French President Francois Hollande . "Our entire country will rise up toward something better."

Rallies were also planned in London, Madrid and New York — all attacked by al-Qaida-linked extremists — as well as Cairo, Sydney, Stockholm, Tokyo and elsewhere.

"We are all Charlie, we are all police, we are all Jews of France," Prime Minister Manuel Valls declared on Saturday.

Tressel, the Boz make for a rare Hall of Fame controversy

Easy, just "Lower the Bar." .... any other school but OSU, this would not happen. Another Travesty.. I wonder what happened to the old "file" from Youngstown State. It is that "Methodist Minister" image that won the NCAA over, and some pressure from OSU.

DALLAS (AP) — Jim Tressel will become a College Football Hall of Famer while he is still being punished by the NCAA.

Tressel won't be the first inductee to the college hall with a black mark on his resume, but the National Football Foundation went outside of its comfort zone when it selected the former Ohio State coach as part of its latest class.

Nominated for the Hall of Fame by Youngstown State, where he won four Division I-AA national titles from 1986-2000, Tressel has two years remaining on the punishment he received from the NCAA for withholding information about an investigation of his players while at Ohio State.

Also among the class announced Friday by the NFF was Brian Bosworth, the outspoken Oklahoma linebacker who was suspended for his last college game for failing a test for performance-enhancing drugs.

NFF chief executive operator Steve Hatchell said Tressel's missteps were carefully considered by the panel that reviews nominees.

"It was not hidden," Hatchell said. "Frankly, the people that are involved know all about the NCAA issues. So it was openly discussed. The feeling was what he had done coaching-wise at Youngstown State was strong enough."

Tressel will enter the hall as part of its Divisional Class, meant to honor players and coaches outside college football's top level, now known as FBS but once called I-A.

Do I Believe ........... You bet I do ......

Ohio State, or, The Ohio State University, will be the First National Champions under the new system. I have somewhat predicted that since the beginning of the season, or, at least after they started winning, after their loss.

When TV decided on this format, their first decision,, who, should be the first to win?

Notre Dame was the first on the list, then Michigan, then Ohio State. These were the oldest, with a tremendous "fan base" that had a chance and were most deserving. Then, OSU lost, Michigan was out and it looked like ND was also out of the running. Their only hope was that OSU could turn their season around, with Urban Meyer and the talent they had, this was a possibility.

The end of the season, the lopsided wins, "YES" ..... move them up, get them in the final four, which happened, and now they are playing ...... ah ..... from out West ....... the Northwest, trees .... Oh, yea, Oregon, and, the cherry on the top of the Sunday, they are the Ducks, and OSU is ..... the Bucks. A match made in heaven, no, not really, it was made in the executive office of some very articulate television executive, who has already received his bonus and is in Antigua, basking in the sun.

In my opinion, this was a "done deal" .... months ago.

And, the Michigan - OSU rivalry was petering out a bit .... that same TV Executive made a call to California, chatted for a while .... and ..... Harbaugh goes to Michigan .... and, the rivalry lives, soon, as bright as when Woody and Bo were at it .... who wins ........... TV, again.

Do I think that TV, who gives BILLIONS of dollars to the academic world has any say in what happens. You bet I do .......... remember that guy down on the field, when his arm is raised ..... the football stops .......... when it comes down ............ the game resumes.

I don't even want to get in to the world of Professional Athletics. I remember years ago, in Tijuana, watching Jai Ali matches .............. during the "warm ups" the participants are watching the tote boards to check out the odds ..... I learned early, money talks.

Bill Cosby jokes woman should be careful drinking near him

He is still out .... free, after all of the allegations, performing, and making a farce of his actions in his show .... THIS IS A DISGRACE .... I walked out on his show once, years ago, and would not even attend one now if the occasions arose .... I always liked Canada ... what is wrong with them? I am astonished that any venue would even consider him making an appearance.

LONDON, Ontario (AP) — Bill Cosby jokingly warned a woman in the audience during a show in Canada Thursday night to be careful drinking around him.

Cosby made the remark at his second performance in a row after a string of cancellations that followed sexual assault allegations from more than 15 women. Some of the women accused Cosby of drugging them by slipping something in their drinks before he assaulted them

A woman who got up from one of the front rows and walked past the stage was asked by Cosby where she was going. When she answered that she was going to the lobby to grab a drink Cosby responded: "You have to be careful about drinking around me." The remark was met with loud applause.

A few minutes later a heckler yelled at Cosby that he was a rapist.

Cosby stood up as the crowd started to boo the man and asked them not to respond. "No, no, stop," he said, waving his hands.

The man was removed from the theater by a police officer while one member of the audience yelled "we love you" to Cosby.

Cosby later addressed the disruption — the first at a show since the allegations surfaced — in a statement.

"Dear Fans: One outburst but over 2600 loyal, patient and courageous fans enjoyed the most wonderful medicine that exist for human-kind. Laughter. I thank you, the theatre staff (Budweiser Gardens), the event organizers and the London, ON Community for your continued honor and support. I'm Far From Finished," Cosby said in the statement issued by his publicist following the show.