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- April 11, 2018
- World Parkinson's Day 2018
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Parkinson's disease is a widespread affliction marked by a progressive course of nervous system tremor with rigidity of the musculature and slow imprecise movements.
It affects all manner of people and the tragedy is that though there are management courses which include drugs there is no cure. However, it is the subject of intense study by the research community and this could change at any time.
It is named for one James Parkinson FGS (Fellow of the Geological Society of London) (April 11, 1755 – December 21, 1824) who was a British surgeon, apothecary, geologist, palaeontologist, and political activist.
He is best known for An Essay on the Shaking Palsy which he wrote in 1817. This paper was the first description of "paralysis agitans" which is the condition which ultimately became Parkinson's disease as named by Jean-Martin Charcot about 60 years later.
Parkinson describeed six individuals with symptoms of the disease in great detail reporting on three of his own patients and three others he saw in the street. He referred to the disease at that time as paralysis agitans, or "shaking palsy".
His observations distinguished between resting tremors and the tremors with motion.
He indicated that the tremors in these patients were caused by lesions in the cervical spinal cord but this finding was in error.
It usually affects those in middle age through the elderly and is associated with degeneration of the basal ganglia of the brain and deficiency in the neurotransmitter dopamine.
World Parkinson's Day is held each year on the anniversary of James Parkinson's birth, April 11.
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- April 10, 2018
- Siblings Day 2018
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I'm afraid that my relationships with siblings could be better.
While I admit to being quite the social pain in the butt myself some of them simply fill me with angst and despair over their lifestyles — and some of their propensities and worse — attractions good God Almighty.
I'm historically pretty much of a 'loner' if you will; however being immersed in the presence of innumerable others during my 60 hour or so work week hardly qualifies me for the hermitage I must say.
So in that vein of interpersonal tolerance, I mark today which is Siblings Day (aka National Siblings Day or National Sibling Day) that annual observance in the United States on April 10 honoring the relationships of siblings.
Lacking the federal recognition of Mother's Day and Father's Day, it is held under the auspices of the Siblings Day Foundation and governors of 49 states have officially issued proclamations to recognize Siblings Day in their states.
So it's time to overlook the marginal hygiene, dismal health maintenance, and bad spousal choices with resultant gene pool pollution ... If only for a day.
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- April 9, 2018
- National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day
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April the 9th finds us paying homage to those service people who found themselves captives of the enemy as the result of armed conflict defending the interests of the United States of America.
Among those hardships endured by these as iterated by President Donald Trump were "loneliness, torture, hardship, separation from loved ones, and uncertainty about the future" and we as a nation owe them a debt of gratitude beyond measure.
Perseverence and endurance were the themes of each day of captivity until they were finally returned home to their loved ones. A number of prisoners of war died in captivity making the rememberance more poignant.
The fallen and the unaccounted for are remembered this day along with those warriors who returned. As stated by POTUS:
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 9, 2018, as National Former Prisoner of War Recognition Day. I call upon Americans to observe this day by honoring the service and sacrifice of all our former prisoners of war and to express our Nation’s eternal gratitude for their sacrifice. I also call upon Federal, State, and local government officials and organizations to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
God Bless America and God Bless the former prisoners of war.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-second.
DONALD J. TRUMP
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- April 8, 2018
- Draw A Bird Day 2018
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Today is another Draw a Bird Day. "DAB Day" as it has become known is the result of soldiers memorializing a little ten year old girl from England named Dorie Cooper who died tragically.
That story is on the official site www.dabday.com and is a touching piece of prose if ever there was one.
Seeing how I don't indulge drawing like I used to so often as a child; I substitute my painting and vector graphic modern day alternatives instead.
For today's Draw A Bird day I give you "Bald Eagle in Pencil and Ink".
It was a brief effort but I hope you like it.
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- April 7, 2018
- The Dreaded Typo
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I am a perpetrator of the misprint. Some mistake in printed matter resulting from mechanical failures "originating somewhere" ... such as my fat fingers. Alas, being a computer guy by trade and a programmer by salary the misfire of a finger does nothing except complicate my life.
At work I get to see the errors generated by typos. I shudder to think how many times a transposed couple of letters have made some compiler whine or some interpreter go 'crayzee' (sic).
Then there is this thing. Today I found not ONE but TWO typos in a piece I wrote on the fourth. Seems that eyes as well as fingers seem to fail periodically. Given the nature of accuracy I'm just glad I don't write this to submit the visitor to a bunch of ads because then I'd really feel cheap and money grubbing given my inability to adequately spell check prior to posting ...
But the real tragedy is that I notice that both my eyesight and my fingers grow weaker over the years. I know I have cataracts and my prescription spectacles could use an update.
However, I am leaning towards trying to find a set of dime store reading glasses with frames that will fit on my enormous melon. This too has proven challenging given the many times I've stopped to look in the past year or so.
So whatever may be, I must deal with those things I cannot change ... or choose not too -- or "have to wait on" because I'm supposedly too young for cataract surgery. I suppose LASIK might be a good alternative to glasses anyway.
Suffice it to say were I a cyborg it would be time to upgrade.
Ta ta!
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- April 6, 2018
- Tartan Day 2018
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Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage on April 6, the date upon which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. Tartan Days typically have parades of pipe bands, Highland dancing and other Scottish-themed events.
We have local events celebrating Tartan Day and the celebration grows each year. They have highland games, demonstrations and a lot in the way of celtic lore and wonder. Some day I hope to attend, but the scheduling conflicts with those duties which provide for my need to eat and live indoors.
Being of Scottish and British descent I have been interested in that heritage from about the time I watched the young girl Murron give a Scottish thistle bloom to the young boy William Wallace at the funeral of his father Malcolm, who was slain in battle in the movie Braveheart ... because the profound poignancy of that moment touched me.
Even though I miss those festivities at the speedway each year I have subsequently tried to observe National Tartan Day each time it comes around in an effort to both honor and connect with my legacy. While it's not my habit to be sentimental; I do sustain a few moments therein from time to time as a function of who I am and where I've been.
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- April 5, 2018
- Poor Hillary simply can't face the facts
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So Hillary Clinton is back on her bandwagon of blame where everyone caused her loss of the presidential election besides her and that company she keeps.
Yes, denial isn't just a river in Egypt and Mrs Clinton is in it up to her crooked neck.
Misogyny didn't lose her the election. Those tales of alleged sexual encounters with all manner of participants filtering down through multiple outlets did.
As for the FBI, they were on her gd side in the matter with operatives pursuing their own anti Trump agendas and those increasingly disturbing matters continuing to come to light.
Sexism didn't lose her the election her continual need for a crutch such as calling the masses "a basket of deplorables" pissed off both sexes in that admixture called the electorate.
The NRA didn't lose Hillary the election nor did it win the election for Trump. They simply seek to protect that second ammendment in the bill of rights despite the desperation of the left to take them away.
Russia ... I think the entire role of Russia is exaggerated and they are being blamed for the faulty social media running rampant which needs to be grabbed by the neck and choked until dead.
Yes, Hillary has blame to spare that she's passing around instead of the monetization of public office "pay for play" schemata characterized by the Clinton Foundation.
The sexual exploits of Bill Clinton, largely ignored by the main stream media are also incongruent with the treatment afforded to Mr Trump. Mr Trump may have treated women terribly but that treatment pales in comparison to the antics of Mr Clinton who persons have publicly stated he left bite marks upon in pursuit of that pleasure which obviously must have been all his.
America is doing great with Mr Trump in the White House and Hillary not running things for her personal profit and gain. Whereas Mr Trump has stated that he preferred not to pursue Hillary and her husband I personally think they should be chained and locked in a dungeon far beneath the surface of the Earth, fed swill, and left never again to see the light of day.
This woman has broken the law at every turn. She was instrumental in the losses of Benghazi. Citizens who were depending on her to both do the right thing and protect them in a hostile and deadly environment.
She is part and parcel of the liberals who would globalize the nation and allow other countries to take us over and place UN forces in control. No Hillary. The United states can do quite nicely with you out of the picture permanently.
Go back to your mentor George Soros. Peddle your influence there and monetize him instead of public office for a change.
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- April 4, 2018
- Vitamin C Day
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Today is a day set aside to tout the benefits of vitamin C.
Throughout the relevant literature you will primarily see references to acorbic acid which is the water soluble form. However there are variants on that such as esters like the fat soluble ascorbyl palmitate.
The primary value of acorbates lay in the free radical scavenging of other molecules to remove or deactivate them ensuring they will not cause any untoward metabolic reactions. As it would happen, one of the most common free radicals is oxygen itself. Essential, but potentially harmful if left to bond with anything and everything in the metabolic pathways.
According to some, vitamin C is also a potent immune stimulant but others I've read feel that the jury is still out on vitamin C and it's effect upon the immune system. Most studies I have read weren't very well designed and the conclusions point toward ascorbates as cofactors more than standalones as an immunostimulant.
Regardless, I view vitamin C and the herb echinacea purpurea as effective as anything for warding off winter illnesses and have long standing personal testing with which to back up those opinions.
Be all of this as it may, moderation in all things and I am not a proponent of "megadose" in any nutraceutical and/or herbal supplementation. Regardless, I am not a big fan of "RDAs" either because I don't believe dietary intake of most water soluble vitamins is adequate ... I suppose I may simply prefer to make expensive urine.
I am also a proponent of frank discussions with medical practitioners prior to engaging any immunostimulant regimen on your own; particularly in the case of an "enthusiast" who may lack sufficient expertise and/or experience — the point being that vast difference between "enthusiast" and "expert".
Barring any allergies to (typically synthetic) ascorbates a little extra vitamin C every day can't hurt and can go a long way towards health maintenance ... as long as you don't get carried away.
When I'm feeling 'less healthy' on occasion there are typically upwards of 6 grams (that's 6000 milligrams) of vitamin C a day taken with copious amounts of water. In severe illness I have been known to pop 10 grams or more in a day.
Tablets of vitamin C are pretty stable whereas solutions of vitamin C are considerably less so from a storage perspective. I model my intake after the late Dr Linus Pauling whose work I studied a lot in the begining of my career in the oldy but goody medical database administrator days.
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- April 3, 2018
- The concept of GRAS
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GRAS, aka Generally Recognized As Safe. It is an FDA designation under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
It refers to any substance that is intentionally added to food is defined as a food additive, and is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA unless considered to be generally recognized as safe (for the intended use) "among qualified experts" (oh brother) WHEREBY it is excepted from the definition as a "food additive".
Like the main stream media, facebook, google, and youtube; governmental agencies such as the FDA, and the DEA in particular have fallen under scrutiny for having agenda outside their purview resulting in incidents of the persecution of individual citizens who have really done no harm to themselves or society.
Therefore, GRAS, non FDA approved uses of existing pharmaceuticals, and other federal agency and deep state skullduggery which persists into now unabated should be continually scrutinized by the average citizen who would just as soon not be bothered from what I gather in my reading. That oblivion which is ignorance surely must be bliss for these individuals.
The consequences for all of this personally is the expenditure I recently made for distilled water manufacture at home and containers scientifically evaulated for safety with the resulting discoveries being the most disturbing of all ...
In the bottom of the boil container (prior to copious scrubbing with dish soap and apple cider vinegar) have revealed a residue which resembles cigarette ashes which remain after the distillation process.
The most disturbing thing for me is the fact that I indeed shower in this water and I am most curious as to what the consituents of this residue are in reality.
Needless to say, the plastic particulates in the water bottling process has caused me to give up buying distilled water in favor of making my own and using BPA free plastic and glass containers for storage.
GRAS my ASS. The FDA appears to be primarily interested in control. I no longer feel that safety enters the picture much at all.
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- April 2, 2018
- International Children's Book Day 2018
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My childhood was filled with books.
There were many sets of encylopedias along with various works of fact and fiction and all in all I think that they contributed greatly toward my ability to engage in critical thinking — and more so to understand the world from a real time vantage.
International Children's Book Day is an annual observance held under the auspices of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). Held around the birthday of Hans Christian Andersen it celebrates writing and children's literature.
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- April 1, 2018
- Christ the Lord has Arisen Today
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Hallelujah !
Matthew 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 28:7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 28:8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 28:10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
Holy Bible, King James Version
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- March 31, 2018
- Christ's Spirit while dead
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The subject of Christ's whereabouts and activities during that time from his death to his resurrection are the subject of protracted debate.
While pure speculation, scripture gives hints into what transpired during the time He was in spirit as his body lay in the tomb purchased for Him by his uncle, Joseph of Aramathea.
Classical teachings tell of Christ preaching to those who had not heard The Word (died prior to His ministry).
Other scripture based hints include his confronting of the demons of Hell that he had indeed triumphed over Death and that the payment for everlasting life had been received by His Father, the one true God YHVH — whose name means "I am" (and NOT "i was").
All in all the correlatory spread across both the old and new testaments of the Holy Bible are compelling in these references.
My personal favorite is that of the Prophet Isaiah who foretold the coming and crucifixion centuries beforehand:
Isaiah 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
Holy Bible, King James Version
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- March 30, 2018
- Good Friday
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I am not the Christian I was as a child. As a child I was without doubts and readily professed my adherence to the One True God, YHVH; whose name means "I Am".
Over the years there have been innumerable distractions from 'the path of righteousness' and alas; I have fallen short ... even for me.
There are even developments of late which have caused me to reevaluate my entire notion of spirituality and through all of this I continue to pray and ask for guidance that I may figure out just what is in this world of illusion.
Today is Good Friday. The Friday prior to Easter Sunday. It is a Christian holiday marking the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. Traditionally Christian individuals fast and the confession of sins. Today is one of those days when I can only seek to find myself worthy. That worthiness is not a facet of my corporal mortal existence so much as my faith.
Luke 23:50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 23:51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them;) he was of Arimathaea, a city of the Jews: who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 23:52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 23:53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 23:54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 23:55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 23:56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath day according to the commandment.
Holy Bible, King James Version
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- March 29, 2018
- The Easter Connundrum
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Well ... we have a 3 day weekend coming up, attributed to "Easter" and it leaves me thoughtful. The word Easter is a reference to a pagan ritual of spring where circles of initiates would go to the woods and fornicate.
Now, the holiday for me is called "Passover" because therein lay the true meaning of the day.
The crucifixion of Christ resulted in him becoming our Passover and bought for us with his blood eternal life.
I'm not one to engage in great debates regarding religious philosphy. I pretty much have decided a few years back that people were going to believe what they will and I would need to accept that.
However, I afford myself the same courtesy and choose to also believe what I believe and it's made for a far more satisfied existence from a personal standpoint.
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 3:22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
Holy Bible, King James Version
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