DIABETES KICKS MY BUTT. AGAIN.

Once again, my Type-2 diabetes sneaked up on me and kicked my butt. I can usually keep my condition under control with meds, eating somewhat responsibly, and exercising often-to-daily, if my feet and ankles will allow.

Several times since being diagnosed and beginning Glyburide-Micro I have had episodes of hypoglycemia - low blood sugar; even with the same breakfast and mid-morning snack routine. I say mid-morning because that's when they always happen. The episodes are as if someone flipped a switch. I have very little recognizable bodily warning; the hypoglycemia is on me in a few heartbeats. My blood-sugar level then is at about 90, which, for me, is too low. I can quickly get it back up, but the damage is already done. The results are confusion, headache, bodyache, extreme tiredness, hunger, et al. The rest of the day is shot, as well as the next day. I'm not good for anything except sleeping and eating a bit more. The episodes are lots of emotions all rolled into one hell of a bad day. Scary sums it up.

The most recent episode began INSTANTLY! just as I was about to eat a tasty, charcoal-grilled burger. Just moments before I was chatting with the friend doing the grilling. I did get the burger eaten, though.

DIABETES. IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.

Do You Like to Chat?

I was recently introduced to the new chat web site, Omegle. The site started up in March '09 and has already made some waves. Omegle is a totally anonymous chat venue. Everybody is "Stranger". I don't usually chat. Well, I don't ever chat, but I thought I'd give it a spin.

I clicked "chat" texted "Hello" and within a few seconds another disembodied person said hello and claimed to be in Finland, then I chatted with someone in India who immediately wanted my ASL - age, sex & location. I hit "disconnect". The third chat was with someone who claimed to be a female in university in Guangdong Province, China. She was brushing up on her English.

If you decide to go to http://www.omegle.com/ be prepared. There are lots of assholes, idiots, and lunatics who just want to yank your chain. And then, of course, the trolls.

THE TURD THAT IS WARD CHURCHILL

So, former fire and explosive bomb maker Ward Churchill sticks around to see just how much more damage his ugly ass can do. Of course, U.S. colleges and universities are filled with radicalized socialists like Churchill, William Ayers, a 1969 co-founder of the radical bombing group the Weather Underground, and Ayers girlfriend (not the girlfriend who blew herself up making his bombs) and current spouse, Bernardine Dohrn. And like those other radical "teachers", they have deluded themselves into thinking that they are important and have something relative and enriching to impart to their students. They don't.

Churchill has spent a lifetime stealing the work of others, and then claiming it to be his own, from literary pieces to at least one painting. It's his gig. His persona. It's all he can do because he cannot do anything else; unemployable otherwise. He has also lied about being from American Indian bloodlines. Native American Indian groups have said, 'bullshit'. Ward Churchill masquerades as an Indigenous American in a hate campaign to destroy the U.S.A. He has drawn criticism from real American Indians for exploiting his fraudulent claims of Indian ancestry. This letter (below) posted on the American Indian Movement website sums it up.

“Ward Churchill has been masquerading as an Indian for years behind his dark glasses and beaded headband. He waves around an honorary membership card that at one time was issued to anyone by the Keetoowah Tribe of Oklahoma. Former President Bill Clinton and many others received these cards, but these cards do not qualify the holder a member of any tribe. He has deceitfully and treacherously fooled innocent and naïve Indian community members in Denver, Colorado, as well as many other people worldwide.” Nee Gon Nway Wee Dung, aka, Clyde H. Bellecourt, Ojibwa NationNational Executive DirectorAmerican Indian Movement Dennis J. Banks, Ojibwa NationChairman of the BoardAmerican Indian Movement

But, as he said, he's not claiming to be "Goddamned Sitting Bull", at least not yet. Maybe. Lying piece. Churchill couldn't hold down a productive real job if his life depended on it, which it does not because he has a so-called teaching job. Do you want this murf teaching your grandkids. If he got anywhere near mine I'd wrench that AK-47 from his filthy hands and show him how it's used.

Learn more about the turd that is Ward Churchill here:

http://www.lookingattheleft.com/2009/03/ward-churchill-trial-in-denver/

I usually include a photo or graphic representation of the subject of my posts, but I don't want to sully my blog with scatological photos. However, I will say this: A jury of his like minded peers has now confirmed it.

You can dig up a coprolite, put sunglasses, an ugly gray wig, and clothes on it, give it a job, even paint it. But it’s still a rigid, unyielding, unsightly, and worthless piece of coprolite, aka Ward Churchill.

Hey, Churchill! You know where you can stick your dollar bill.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters

I recently ordered coffee from Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a publicly traded company located in Vermont. It was not my first order, but it may have been my last.

GMCR has a special order/re-order feature called Cafe EXPRESS. After signing up for it you can have coffees sent on a recurring basis. The part that got my attention was saving a dollar on each bag of coffee ordered through Cafe EXPRESS, therefore saving on shipping costs. Another benefit was a free gift and I wanted another excellent (except for the lid) GMCR vacuum travel tumbler. None of this came to pass.

I did the Cafe EXPRESS sign-up, made my coffee choices, and briefly saw a web page saying that I had save two dollars on two bags. Then something happened in their order system; the page quickly shifted to the regular order page, and my sign-up, money saved, and tumbler simply vanished. Gone. No record of a Cafe EXPRESS order. As it happened I had an order alright, just not the one I intended. It went through their regular system. When I got the order confirmation I began a series of emails regarding the order's mistake. The GMCR customer service rep, Jessica, replied, "Because you were not taken directly to the Cafe EXPRESS sign up page, you were not prompted to join the club." Well, yes I was prompted. I SAW THE PAGE SAYING I SAVED TWO DOLLARS! However, Jessica told me how I, and they, could rectify (someone's) mistake, but doing so would be a cluster f. I decided to forget the idea of rectification, but kept in mind the clunky experience that I'd never had with them before.

A week later the coffees arrived. One bag of Lake and Lodge, and one bag of Sumatran Lake Tawar. Mmmm. GMCR uses specially made vented bags that have very narrow seams on the edges, not down the middle of the back. The Sumatran's bag had come apart at one of the narrow seams and had spilled precious and costly coffee into the shipping box. GREAT! Ordering problems, and now this! I fired off another email to Jessica, who kept a calm and cool demeanor as I told her that I wanted a replacement bag at no additional expense or burden on my part. That is, take it on faith because I was not going to spend two dollars in gasoline driving across town to mail back the burst bag. Jessica and Green Mountain handled it with aplomb and agreed to do so. All she wanted was the bar code/production info. I supplied it on the same day I got shipping confirmation on the replacement bag.

It took about three weeks from initial order to getting the replacement bag into my coffee cabinet, and will be another week or two before I get to open it because I had to finish off the Lake and Lodge, which is too light duty for my taste, and a bag of Starbucks Sumatra I already had open.

Yes, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters made good on the burst bag. But, you know what? After all this I never did save the two dollars and didn't get another vacuum tumbler. And the tumbler was what I really wanted!

Ice Storm Trumps All Else

The week of January 25, 2009 was a very humbling experience. A disastrous ice storm ravaged many parts of the Mid-South and Northeast Arkansas was not spared. Power lines and trees were downed by heavy ice that began forming during Monday night, January 26, 2009.

Trees ripping apart under the weight sounded like shotgun blasts...another tree down. And there were many trees. Most were far enough away from our house that when they fell the only damage was to the trees themselves. There was only one large limb that managed to punch a hole in one end of the house. It could have been much worse. And for some people, it was much worse.

The two of us were without electricity in an all-electric house for roughly 48 hours. We stayed in the house and bundled up with multiple layers. Cold food (not hungry but had to eat) but no hot coffee, candles, flashlights, and, for me, lots of sleep as the best way to retain body heat was to stay layered and stay still. Thankfully, we did have running water (cold, not hot). It was probably the worst 48 hours of my life. Mind and body-numbing. And very, very humbling. Thousands of us in the same miserable ass boat. Incredible to think that things could have been even worse (we got power after only 48 hours). For some, their experiences were worse. I hope to not ever have another experience like it. Everything looks surreal and ugly, like a war zone.

I also thought about the weather ruling our lives during this. Before this happened, I had thought that if another ice age or cooling period began that civilization could probably survive quite well, what with all the current technologies. Well, I now think probably not if it happened suddenly. Technology has no match for it. Nothing. Anarchy would quickly take over as shelter, food and fuel supplies, and the all the other things we "need" would dwindle. We'd be killing each other for a bite to eat, a gallon of fuel, whatever: communications, transportation, power... I have noticed how much more anxious in general I've been since last week, thinking...maybe the power's going down again, or, what if it happens again this winter. Just the total lack of any control. I worked in 3-day-old clothes last Thursday just because the office had heat. I'm still shaken by the experience and feel pretty small and insignificant. Most food stores, fast-foods, quick-shops, gas-stations had no power and were closed, and the odd ones that did have power had very long lines. Wednesday night I went out at 1am and bought milk and car gasoline just so I could increase my chances of getting both. It was no problem at that late hour, thankfully. What if the roads had been snow and ice covered ruling out travel, and what if the temps had been much colder for much longer? What if it sleeted and snowed for a week, or more? What if it had been statewide, no, region-wide? What if, what if, what if? This storm kicked my ass out of its comfort zone and made me realize that if some kind of REALLY BIG SHIT (like another weather disaster) hit the fan that the populace would be on our own and we'd living or dying by our wits. It's not impossible. Last week still has my head spinning.

The So-Called War on Drugs (Cannabis)

WHAT A CROCK FULL OF ILLEGAL CRAP!

What Richard Nixon - who was more of a crook than most of us - called the War on Drugs (Cannabis) is really a war on all citizens of the U.S., regardless of whether someone "uses" drugs recreationally or not. Drug use is a victimless act. Prohibition of ingestion of any substance can be viewed as a violation of personal and civil liberties. But the continuing campaign to bring us all in line is much, much more than that. And now with our (your) new President, the Messiah, the Chosen One, the Anti-Christ Muslim, the Giver Away of Our Money, He Who Would Disarm America, who nationalizes banks and insurance companies, and auto makers, bringing us all in line is more of a reality. An ugly one. More than enough grist for another posting on his behavior, but on with the current show.

The most succinct statement I have found regarding the so-called War on Drugs (Cannabis) is this: Richard Lawrence Miller's Drug Warriors and Their Prey draws detailed comparisons of the War on Drugs (Cannabis) in the United States today with events in 1930s Germany that led to Hitler's Third Reich and the attempted destruction of the Jewish people. Miller writes that "authoritarians are manufacturing and manipulating public fears about drug use in order to create a police state where a much broader agenda of social control can be implemented, using government power to determine what movies we may watch, determine who we may love and how we may love them, determine whether we may or must pray to a deity. I believe the war on drug users masks a war on democracy."

And many people have bought into the propaganda, the outright lies spewed forth by our own government. The War on Drugs (Cannabis) has imprisoned a generation who did nothing morally wrong. It's made criminals of millions. It has squandered national treasure, made international enemies, prostituted governments, and perverted law enforcement. Many, many more voices are now saying louder and louder and more often that it's past the time to stop the Marijuana madness that has been pushed by our employees in Washington, D.C.

The gubment claims that Marijuana has no medicinal value. BULLSHIT. IT DOES HAVE.

As medical Marijuana clinics continue to open and people find pain and nausea relief.

The gubment claims that Marijuana leads to Reefer Madness. BULLSHIT. IT DOES NOT.

Otherwise millions of us would try to rob you of your cupcakes and chocolate milk.

The gubment claims that Marijuana is a gateway drug. BULLSHIT. IT IS NOT.

Unless it's also claimed that drinking water is a gateway to alcoholism.

Let's Just Suppose You Have Very Bad Neighbors...

Just roll with this for a moment.

You try to mind your own business, rear your children properly, and just generally be a good and responsible neighbor. Your modest home "estate" is well kept and maintained in a presentable condition, surrounded by a privacy fence since good fences make good neighbors. It's everything you and your family have.

But you happen to live in an area with extreme, dangerous, and very bad neighbors like these two. You cannot just abandon everything you have worked hard for and move away. It's everything you have.

Every so often these very bad neighbors apparently get a burr up their asses and start lobbing grenades over the fence. Or they pretend to be making nice, come over to visit, then explode themselves at your dinner table killing members of your large family. Or equally terrifying, they fire rockets over the fence at your estate.

And when you have had all of this you can stand you retaliate in kind. In fact, you happen to have amassed a better arsenal than they have and you vigorously and decidedly defend your home and family. You can no longer simply turn the other cheek and have it smacked, as well.

Oh, the hew and cry from the very bad neighbors, the same neighbors who started all this, who now claim they are the ones being persecuted for some unknown reason. In my view this is exactly what is happening with Israel and their very bad neighbors next door in the Gaza Strip, Hamas.