Blog Entry

Pulmonary Embolism Surprise

~ Tim ~ Leave a comment

A week ago I had no idea what a Pulmonary Embolism is. I also didn’t know until yesterday that I had not just one, but several on both of my lungs. Apparently the smaller ones paled in size comparison to the HUGE one on my left—approx 3″ in diameter—so no one bothered to mention the extra’s. That’s fine. I saved a weeks time of extra fretting about those.

A Pulmonary Embolism is a blood clot situated in ones lung. The clot often starts somewhere in the legs but then all or part of it decides to do some travelling, making it’s way in my case to my lungs where it set up camp, pitched a tent in my veins, blocking them, effectively shutting down 75% of the blood supply to the left side. I don’t know what it did to the right. My doctor couldn’t find the CT Scan image yesterday to show me (she just set up her practice and is not completely organized just yet).

Blood clots that do their vacation travelling can opt for a couple other destination campgrounds. They also enjoy visiting the heart where they like to cause heart attacks. Another popular spot is the brain, where they enjoy causing strokes.

But thank God we live in age where Medical Science can effectively treat these things! The two most common drugs used to treat these little buggers are called “Heparin” (Brand named Coumadin) and “Warfarin”. Technically called “anticoagulants” they thin the blood so that existing clots can’t get any bigger and help to prevent the formation of new clots. Then, it’s up to the body to naturally dissolve the clots over time, which can take months. That’s the route the doctors are taking with me, but for those who have especially life-threatening clots they may elect to administer another more potent drug that instantly dissolves the clot, or they may even do surgery. Both of these procedures come with additional risks and complications, known especially to cause stokes, although in a very small percentage (approx 1%) of cases. I was very lucky, then, to have only needed the initial treatment with Heparin and now with Warfarin, which I will be taking for the next 3 to 6 months.

So thanks to my lung clots, I’m told I also now have “Pulmonary Hypertension” which is is an increase in blood pressure in the artery or veins that supply blood from the heart to the lungs. This causes shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, and other symptoms, all of which are exacerbated by exertion. There goes my Triathlon training!

So that’s the background of what happened to me last week, landing me in the hospital for 5 wonderful days. I’ll talk about that next time.

The Irony of Life

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There was a very beautiful blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, ‘If I could only see all the world, I will marry you!!!’

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”. The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked and, although would never admit to another, repulsed her—she hadn’t expected that. The thought of looking at him for the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him…and secretly in her heart she knew there must be someone “better”.

Her boyfriend left in tears….and a few weeks later wrote a note to her saying: “Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.”

This is how the human brain often works when our status in life changes. Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.

As for this “One Man”…I remember and am very grateful for those who remain beside me. Thank you all…may God bless you.

Israeli Child-seeking Bombs Discovered!

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On January 6th, UN Officials uncovered one of the most devious plots against humanity! As we all saw on television during that time….in all important newscasts, it appeared that only children were targeted in the Israeli war against the Hamas. In fact, Israeli scientists, contracted years ago shortly after the US-Russian cold-war, somehow harnessed the technological ability to aim and successfully target and kill only children under the age of 13!

As the news reported,  a SCHOOL was targeted. Thankfully, there were no children in the school at the time. There was only a coincidental gathering of Hamas insurgents with their weapons and bombs temporarily staying there. They were purportedly enjoying and sharing a peacefull meal of Stouffers Salisbury Steak frozen dinners along with numerous innocent Palastinian residents who had also gone to the school for a Parent-Teacher’s meeting (but were really there hoping not to be killed by the Israeli bombing). Some wondered what the men with all their guns were doing there at the same time….but were calmed when told and assured that the Holiday Inn down the street was full for the night.

As the news has recently clearly shown, this sick, devious Israeli technology was harnessed and ruthlessly unleashed in the recent Israeli attacks against the Hamas people. Children (at least one or two who, sadly, also enjoy Salisbury Steak Dinners) under the age of 13 were mercilessly, sadistically killed in retaliation for the Hamas shooting off a few simple home-made rockets (only a FEW THOUSAND or so) into Israel.

Authors Commentary:

I can’t believe how modern day people could be so horribly cold-hearted. The Israeli’s probably stole millions of dollars from donations to their “Wailing Wall'” in Jerusalem to aid in their research….research which has led to the horrible deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands of innocent children living in the Gaza strip…especially those who enjoy Stouffers Salisbury Steak Dinners. Meanwhile…the Hamas continue to shoot endless missiles into Israel in protest against this horrible technological advance. “Shoot more missiles”, they have been heard to say chanting in the streets…”and maybe Israel will get the message….that we know about their devious plot to kill our Salisbury Steak-loving children!!!” Some have even been heard to add, mouths frothing— “Continue to kill our children and we will cut your heads off with Starfish Tuna can lids!”.

Let us all hope and pray that the war between Israel and the Hamas never extends to such horrific means!

Yes, of course I am being totally satirical here, and am not at all serious. Clearly, the media, who seem to be biased towards the Hamas, have made the conflict appear horrible, by focusing their cameras on children casualties. But the media have also indicated that the Hamas have been purposely hiding themselves amongst the civilian population, miskenly assuming that the Israeli army would not attack those locations where civilian casualities, like children, are located!?

Meanwhile, yes, innocent civilian children and adults are being killed. The Hamas leadership must have considered such loses as calculated, “Collateral damage”. Such things deemed morally “acceptable” during war. Most likely the Hamas continue to shoot their misiles into Israel…not to further their ideological cause, but to revenge the death of their loved ones. Revenge is a human trait and emotion that is very potent, it can last for years, even centuries, until it is satisfied, and can in the end cause a blurring or even complete forgetfulness of the original purpose.

I “suspect” that Israel and the Hamas both have some revenge issues at play here… 

Mysterious Burst of Light in Space….

~ Tim ~ 2 Comments

This pair of NASA Hubble Space Telescope pictures shows the appearance of a mysterious burst of light that was detected on February 21, 2006, brightened over 100 days, and then faded into oblivion after another 100 days. The source of the outburst remains unidentified….

Click on this link to read the full story from the Hubblesite Newscenter:  Full Story

Optical Transient SCP 06F6

Alzheimer’s Breakthrough?

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Cold Sore Virus Linked To Alzheimer’s Disease: New Treatment, Or Even Vaccine Possible

ScienceDaily (2008-12-07) — The virus behind cold sores is a major cause of the insoluble protein plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease sufferers, researchers have revealed. They believe the herpes simplex virus is a significant factor in developing the debilitating disease and could be treated by antiviral agents such as acyclovir, which is already used to treat cold sores and other diseases caused by the herpes virus. Another future possibility is vaccination against the virus to prevent the development of the disease in the first place. … > read full article

This is great news. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the research proves fruitful…

My late Mother suffered from this disease. True to the definition of the word, “Disease”, watching my Mother go through this caused much “dis-ease” in our entire family at the same time. By the time she left us, “Mom” was hardly “Mom” anymore. Until then we savoured–I certainly lived for, the all too infrequent “Lucid moments”, those rare times that she did seem to recognize us, to know who we were, as her children.

Though her memories were fading, or gone, Mom’s disease only sharpened my own memories, recollection of those times with Mom when I was still her son, her child, and she my Mom, the parent. For me, losing that relationship due to her disease counts as one of life’s greatest tragedies and loses. So many other people have experienced the same.

Let’s hope this new “Breakthrough” becomes truly, just that.

Sex with Robots

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This topic seems to be all over the Internet these days. They say that by 2050 robots will be so life-like, so human-like, that we’ll not only be having sex with them, but we’ll also be marrying them! The sex part they say could happen within only FIVE years, available as the ultimate “Sex Toy”.

Eventually, robots will be so life-like we will have trouble distinguishing them from real human-beings. This is inevitable.

Imagine that, having sex with a robot. No foreplay required. Instant gratification. Right there, ready and willing any time we want it. Almost every man’s dream come true–boom-boom, roll over, go to sleep.  Is this a good thing or a bad thing? It is an inevitable thing. They will sell like hot-cakes, by the millions.  At first only the rich will be able to afford them, but eventually, market forces will make them affordable to most, who want them.

 

Sure, lot’s of ethical issues will surround the use of robots for sex, like will a pedophiles thirst for “more” extend beyond the use of his child robot to go after “real” children? Some countries will ban them because of issues like that. But the black market will still take care of the desperate.

 

Our sex-drive is very powerful. It stem’s, of course, from our instinctual drive to reproduce. We basically exist from one orgasm to the next—it’s a simple biological fact—fulfilling our “Biological Imperative” to reproduce, to replicate our species. It’s very similar to a thunder storm full of lightening.

 

Lightening occurs when electrical energy in storm clouds builds up to a point that it just HAS to be released. Once it reaches a high level of “particle excitation”—boom—it streaks down to the ground (or nearby clouds), releasing its built up energy. A few minutes later the electrical energy builds up again…until—boom—the process repeats itself, streaking to the ground for another “release”.

 

 

Lightening demonstration 

 

 

Orgasm is like the lightening—boom—in an instant, its built up energy is released. Right after orgasm, our desire for more sex vanishes. Why? Because, like a car battery that has lost its charge, there is practically no energy left-over to fire things up. That’s why some men (and, yes, some women even)roll over and go to sleep after having sex! Their sexual energy has simply been depleted (ok, satisfied) and needs to be recharged.

 

But that sexual energy is released for only a little while, because over the next 24 hours or so (depending upon the individual) , the instinctual energy (desire) to reproduce gradually recharges and builds up again. Our desire for sex is directly proportional to that level of built up energy we have within us. When the energy/desire is high, we seek out release—we go looking for a way to release that lightening! Again, I’m not just talking about men!

 

This same cycle of tension-resolution repeats itself, over and over again for most of our lifetimes. Not surprisingly, we create all sorts of special ways, and utilize almost any means, to find a way to release our built-up—our pent-up—sexual energy; to releash that biological lightening, including things…..LIKE MAKING ROBOTS!

 

At the very root of all this, however, another dynamic is also at work, and that is our desire for the repetition of pleasure. Sex is something that most people find VERY pleasurable. A lot of our motivation for “doing it” stems from our interest in repeating that pleasure, over and over again. I talk more about this idea in the essay entitled, “On Sex“. Read that, if you dare!

 

Thanks for visiting!

Tim

Nationalism

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Today is “July the 4th”, or “Independence Day” in the United States, celebrating their independence from Britain in 1776, when they established themselves as a totally separate country and “Nation”.

A couple of days ago here in Canada we celebrated something quite similar, “Canada Day” which also involved Britain historically, back in 1867, when we became an official “Federation”. Unlike the United States, however, we remained a part of Britain, but were officially recognized as being a separate “Dominion” of theirs, and then in 1947 as a separate “Nation”. That was reason enough for us to celebrate, but the reason why the American’s make such a huge celebration out of their Independence compared to ours is because they severed their ties with the British in one dramatic fell swoop back in 1776, whereas Canada didn’t reach the same level of independence from Britain until 1982!

Both holidays celebrate the concept of “Nationalism”, and that’s what I want to talk about.

Nationalism is a political term, which basically means devotion to one’s country. Dictionaries define it more precisely, emphasizing that it most often means excessive devotion, loyalty or patriotism to one’s country, where citizens see and pride themselves on being unique and separate from other nations or all nations entirely, and will valiantly defend their right to be so (independent).

So now we have a whole world full of countries, full of people who celebrate and pride themselves on being part of a separate and unique nation!? Each country is cleanly divided from other countries, physically with borders and intellectually with political ideas, and various social customs. So, that makes you and me different than Americans, Americans different from Brazilians, Brazilians different from Iranian’s, Iranian’s different from Iraqis’ (yes, they are quite different), Iraqis’ different from Saudi Arabians, Saudi Arabians different from Germans, Germans different from Britains and so on and so on and so on.

Is this not a whole lot of division? And what does division and Nationalism cause between people—no, between human beings? Division creates strife, disagreement (my country is better than your country etc., etc), discord and even war. Is this division—nationalism and all that goes along with it, something truly good? Does it help to create unity between human beings? Does it foster humanities most valued character-quality: love? Should we celebrate something that separates and divides us—you from me if you live in another country—that divides us even to the point of killing one another in the name of this precious thing called “Nationalism”? I think NOT, but, I welcome your opinion.

 I discuss some ideas related to this in my essay’s, “On Belief” and “On Opinion”.