Despite political differences, I assume that all of us hope each other does well personally. At the least, I would hope that posters here could separate ideology from individual. Just for grins, I thought I'd throw a forum out for people to put out what they want to accomplish in the next year. I tend to be a believer in the idea that if you put your goals on paper, it helps visualize them and motivates/shames you into keeping at them. Here's my list
1) Be a better husband - Always room for improvement here. My wife is a great woman and deserves it.
2) Finish school strong - I have completed a year and one quarter of school, and starting in January, I will begin my clinical work and finish up in December of 2015.
3) Restart and actually finish the Rosetta Stone Spanish program (we all know how much I support giving America to the brown man at the expense of white conservatives)
4) Continue working out and stay in shape and eat better.
5) Spend less time engaging in time wasting political arguments with rigid people
6) Make a solid list of potential places to move and build a good research base
Good luck to everyone with their goals
Mike
A bit late to have ambitions, a feeble hope maybe to live to wish you all a happy new year for 2016, that will mean another year to annoy my friends here. I could start perhaps by quoting a story in the media here this morning whereby a two year old American child has used a hand gun taken from his mother’s purse to shoot and kill her. I accept this was not the fault of the child he "knew not what he did". Why in the name of God was a pistol in the purse? Are your people so lacking in decency and or self confidence that a women considers a gun her only means of survival when in the company of her fellow Americans. These and other such cases make the rest of the world puke when we hear about them.
ReplyDeleteHaving written the above, I remain firm the belief that you are truly a decent people, but that your loyalty to revolutionary concepts blinds you to the facts of modern day living and the advances of the past 200 years. I can dream that perhaps 2015 will mark a change when vested interests are forced to reconsider views no longer appropriate to the modern world.
Cheers from Aussie
One person's perception of annoyance King, may be another person's challenge to open his or her mind to something new and consider a different outlook. With that in mind, this sentence of yours caught my attention
Delete" I remain firm the belief that you are truly a decent people, but that your loyalty to revolutionary concepts blinds you to the facts of modern day living and the advances of the past 200 years."
You probably mean something slightly different, but when I've read your debates with William regarding our founding fathers, I believe I've felt something that is in similar in spirit to what inspired you to write that sentence. This country was born of violence, revolution, suppression of some (Indians, Women and Slaves) and so it goes with most revolutions. I think that many who venerate our FFs are lacking in ability to accept their shortcomings as well as their genius and are also lacking in ability to accept the context of the world then versus the world now.
ReplyDeleteMax
Perhaps you are correct but this would become a debate in which friendships could be destroyed or even families as happened during your civil war. I value my American friends too much to stand on the stump and lecture them, even though they deserve it!
Perhaps I could offer the opinion that as much thought be given to the way forward as is currently given to the way back.
Does anyone deny the greatness of the FFs? How many though have praised the work of Hamilton as Sec Treasury but have neglected or even ignored his influence on Adams the second President. Both were extremely pompous individuals and therefore natural opponents. Hamilton had the support of Washington but not in his prosecution of the idea that war was inevitable. Patriots all, great leaders all but flawed nevertheless.
William often speaks of the Revolutionary birth of your nation and so he should, William on the other hand appears to consider the idea of democratic government unless based on his revolutionary principals as being close to treason.
If the reference mentioned in my post above is validated, surely there can be no further possibility to deny that something is rotten in the state of Denmark. (Apologies to Will Shakespeare and Hamlet)
"Patriots all, great leaders all but flawed nevertheless."
ReplyDeleteThis is the human condition and it's why we should never consider only a slice of the whole.
Max here is mine.
ReplyDeleteOf course we could always improve on the domestic front although my better half tells me I am the best husband ever. Why she feels that way is a whole other thread we won't get into.
In October I had a near heart attack. Pays to know and listen to your body. Since I did I was able to catch the problem before it became a full blown attack and they put in a stent. Being a medical man you will understand this. We all develop plaque in our arteries as we age. At 58 I am sure I have eaten my share of shit that I shouldn't have. Smoked for years although recently I had pretty much reduced that to a few cigs a day, just tired of it. But that was good because I quit any smoking cold turkey the day I went to the doctor. And I have the dreaded genetics, my maternal grandfather died at 62 of heart disease and my mother fought it the last 10 years of her life. Anyway I am fortunate to live in a progressive community that promotes innovation and actually was able to get my catheterization done through my wrist instead of the groin which made it completely painless. Anyway in one of my arteries a section of plaque had torn lose causing a 90% blockage. That was stented everything else was a okay no other blockages over 30%.
So here is my major goal to continue and to complete. Since I am a restaurant manager with highly irregular hours organized cardiac therapy has been a problem. Thankfully the internet gives us some good information and quality programs to assist with these things.
At 5'10' and 230 pounds with a stocky frame I did not look or feel overweight but according to BMI I was actually obese. I am overweight until I get below 180 pounds. That is goal #1. By walking daily changing to a very healthy diet I have already melted off 20 lbs. I need to lose 30 more by April 28th 2015.
Also because I live in a progressive town and area that is not afraid to spend money on worthwhile projects we have a massive greenway system here that I try to get out on aboard my bike that I bought at least 2 or three times a week depending on my schedule and of course the weather. I can ride continuously for 33.5 miles without leaving the bike trail, that's the main one. Along with a boatload of smaller trails there are two others that exceed twenty miles in length. Ok get out your map. Although I am doing the trail in short sections right now (5-7 miles out then looping back to the starting point for a 10-14 mile ride) my goal is to ride this thing in the spring from Falls Lake Dam to my home town of Clayton as I said 33.5 total miles. In two years I want to do it both ways in the same day.....67 mile ride.
With a stent as you know you have to take various drugs. The blood thinner I am on (effient) I have been told I will be taking for at least a year. So my next goal is through healthful living exercise and diet when I get to quit the effient I also want to be in the healthy position that lets me also quit blood pressure medicine and Lipitor. Before this little problem I had never taken any of this shit and I personally believe that none of it is good for you over the long term. I want off of all of it. That is my third goal.
Fourth goal new job. Burned out on the restaurant business. Burned out on the company I have with for 11 years. They still have the best retirement plan in the industry but after 2 sales in 5 years one wonders if that will survive this most recent one. And I am not in agreement with where the current management is headed. We used to be a top line company. get 'em in the door and sell sell sell and the profit will be there. We have now become a bottom line company more concerned with profits and the hell with everything and everyone else including our customers. We don't serve them as well and we certainly don't treat our employees and each other as well. time to move on and that is goal 4.
DeleteOther then that got a big trip planned in May. Bought the misses tickets to the Preakness for Christmas. She is a big follower of the triple crown races although not horse racing in general. And while in the Baltimore/ DC area I also threw in 2 all day passes on the DC metro so we can go to our nation's capital. My wife has never been there but has had it on her bucket list for a while. Should be a good time.
So much for the friendly stuff Max we got a primary to start gearing up for!!!!!! To everyone here I hope you have a happy new year. Now let's sit back and watch the horrifying stupidity that is about to begin in the aforementioned capital of our country
Wow, that's something Rick. Good for you though that you are taking the wakeup call. When I worked ICU, I took care of countless patient's with what you described, stressed, overweight, smoke and with high cholesterol. A lot of times, the procedure is basically routine and the person leaves a few days later with a stent and not too much damage to their heart. I started to think it was a good and bad thing though, it was great we could have someone on a table and stented within an hour of symptoms, but bad in that it gave a false sense of security that the heart attack was really no big deal. In both Chicago and here in Vegas, I saw people who never heeded the warning. It sounds like you have a solid plan there. I hear you on wanting to not be on the meds. Statins are much safer than they used to be and they do an amazing job of lowering bad cholesterol and raising the good stuff. Still, they can give some people some side effects that are uncomfortable. Genetic predispositions are sometimes tough to overcome with diet and exercise, but you hit the right notes there, lower stress, lower weight and exercise. That bike trip sounds perfect.
DeleteI've become less interested in the primary picture. Until redistricting occurs, the entire thing has become almost completely predictable. Good luck on your goals this year! Food for thought, a vegetarian diet can be quite tasty, just saying lol
Can't do the complete vegetarian thing. Don't like leafy veggies. Don't like squash zucchini and the like but I have reduced my meat consumption to fish and chicken with a occasional pot roast that momma might fix on a day off. We never really ate that much meat anyway. But I know what you are saying. I would love to have a different cardiologist for my follow ups, ( the doc who did the procedure evidently does the heavy lifting and his partner does the follow ups). At two weeks I went and he asked me how I felt. I replied like a million dollars. He said no way maybe you feel like a hundred dollars. He really couldn't or didn't give me much concrete information about what is next. he set me up with the rehab people who never called for over a month after telling me that because of my job and irregular hours I probably wouldn't be able to attended the requisite 3 days a week because the hours were not flexible. I ask him to give me the info and I would work on my own. his reply.... your insurance pays for it don't worry about the cost. I thought ok dumbass nobody said anything about the cost it is the time I don't have. Anyway I have developed my own diet program and exercise regimen from doing research online. I also requested a new doc so we'll see in April what happens. I told the practice that I need a partner in getting well not someone to manage my condition until I die. Cause Hey I plan on being around for at least 20 or 25 more years. By looking around the waiting room on that visit you are so right. most of those people just went on with their lives made no changes and were there to be managed until they die.
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ReplyDeleteReposted to correct a couple of errors
ReplyDeleteAh… the gathering of the 3 wise men… delivering gifts of wisdom and New Year’s greeting with just a touch of eye watering myrrh… or is that teargas. I had a wonderful Christmas and whether you are Hindu, Muslim, bow to the majesty of the winter solstice or as some seem to revel in, have no faith whatsoever, I hope you all enjoyed the hospitality, warmth and spirit of giving brought to you by and evolved from the very Christian celebration of Christmas.
As listed above, being a better husband is a constant goal but to restate it as a resolution gives it reoccurring emphasis. Of course I have many regrets in my past from which to draw on and improve.
Continue focus on my personal health and fitness. Trying to separate the political and profit motivated hype from the reality. Such as the new state pontificated food pyramid/plate that focuses on environmental effects of our foods rather than the proper nourishment of our genetic makeup while engaging in the perpetual promotion of wheat products and statins as the natural order to good health and denouncing Eastern, holistic or natural remedies, because they are unpatientable (or unlicensable by the state) or too easy to personally cultivate. Having used body weight exercises for some time, I resolve to add yoga routines to enhance my balance, strength and flexibility as best I can. Very little in life do we have as much control over as our own personal physical and mental behaviour. We have a health crisis in the world perpetuated by the same type of bogus health and medical teachings that have infected our schools of economics. Most overweight people perceive their weight to be OK. We owe that to erroneous education and the political correctness that will not allow us to reject or even criticise people for their personal habits even if it poses a direct detriment to our business and social environment. Only the government has the right to regulate our behaviour… and by default, force the direction of society and individual pursuit of happiness… all while some arm wave about personal responsibilities while parents are being fined because their children drew on sidewalks with chalk and asset forfeiture is used to buy cops new war gear.
I vow to work even harder to talk with people who have minds open to real discussion about the direction of US domestic and world events… about individual freedom, the false security some place in the all-powerful state and the faux rational of ever encroaching ‘pure democracy’. While I love the idea of individuals being able to explore and live anywhere in the world hampered only by their own skills and motivation, the movement to a borderless world is more about power consolidation than individual freedom. Fortunately people learn and as I have said for years and what the movie ‘Selma’ emphasises; black people are starting to come to the realization that the only thing that they are a victim to is unconstitutional government and the Democratic party… The party of victimization realizes this also as they move away from blacks who got smart long before the 200 years that LBJ predicted, to their newest victim of choice… Latinos… I think they will catch on even faster.
I too have come to the conclusion that continued discussion with people so rigid in their desire for more regulation and spoon fed pabulum by government is a complete waste of time. They refuse to talk about the root cause of problems particularly if it comes from government, so what is the point. With laws that forbid people from giving food to the homeless and an FDA attempt to stop breweries from giving spent grain to farmers for cattle feed, these people still cry More… More.
I also hope for you, even those whose desire to bury the very values and traditions that made America a very successful melting pot and long standing representative republic, a prosperous (if you are at all interested in bettering your standard of living even if others aren’t as motivated or less talented) and healthy year ahead.