TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XV

passover

fortunately for me i escaped the passover service which was supposed to last a half hour before dinnertime.

this night was different from other nights because i ate in another section of the dining room that did not disturb those attending the service. i sat down, ate, and left before the leader got through describing about half the plagues.

there are several questions that i have of this annual service, which should not be of any comfort to any other religion considering their defects which i will not discuss here.

1. the plague descriptions are horrendous and should not be embraced by a civilized and peace loving religion.
2. where was god when the religion really needed him/her (whatever) in mid 20th century?

currently the service is sorta' designed to be a didactic (hate that word. only phonies use it) and fun experience. in the old days it was a long drawn out ritual and dinner was not served for many hours. after one passover dinner my father and uncle in their mid-teens ran away from home and started working in detroit

on the otherhand many families overlooking the nonsensical religious part find that the holiday is a unifying event. many people can recall fondly dinners involving many, many friends and relatives seated and eating together at long tables sometimes stretching into the next room. underneath all the pretense is a celebration of freedom. freedom in this case from slavery.

anyway at the rehab center i was told that i did the right thing. i ate, heard a few words of the service, and left the area.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT: DOCTORS.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XIV

MURPHY'S LAW PLUS

this is my faith based religion. anyone with another faith based religion - good luck with it.

my take on murphy's law is anything that can go wrong will go wrong and anything that can go right will go right except they occur at random probably inappropriate times.

how does this relate to healthcare? well its like this. while at the hospital no one could define what was wrong with me. every few minutes it seemed blood samples were taken and a variety of drugs, medicines, whatever were injected into me, and i think some needles were stuck into me for the entertainment of the staff or not. i'm sure some made me worse and some made me better. my faith and belief in murphy's law plus decided like in a crap shoot to allow a recovery.

the simplest example of murphy's law in action is the plastic container i used for urination. some of the things that can go wrong with what appears to be the simplest of devices especially at 3 am:
1. failure to remove plastic cap.
2. tipping the container accidentally and emptying it into your bed.
3. thinking you are aiming into the container but you are outside the container.
4. aiming at the side and spraying the area.
5. failure to hold while searching for the device which has disappeared.
i'm sure there are other failure modes that i have not discovered.

my desription and experience with murphy's law plus can also explain what other people claim is impossible. awhile back my ipod earphone cord through absolutely no help from myself became intricately knotted. so knotted that it is not comprehensible to me how it occurred naturally which it did.

now isaac bashevis singer related his belief that life could not have started by itself because the right chemicals were present and they accidentally combined into a life form. his example (my interpretation) was that if you dump all the parts of a clock on a table they will never assemble themselves into a clock thus clearly disproving the scientific explanation of the beginnings of life on earth. using murphy's law plus and my experience with my ipod earphone cord, and my hospital and rehab experience i can positively say that all the pieces of the clock will eventually assemble themselves into a working clock. no doubt about it.

then there is the sorta' murphy's law description of a thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters eventually typing out the complete works of shakespeare. of course this is ridiculous. some dorky phd who got it from some other dorky phd probably thinks he is so smart explaining the laws of probability - snore -zzzz. 200 college credits sitting on your butt will not make you smart only delusional. its just stupid and would never happen. just give it up. actually murphy's law plus does not apply here. i just wanted to say this.

TO BE CONTINUED. PASSOXER DINNER AND STUFF

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XIII

the BATTLE OF THE BULGE war hero, the perfessor, sophie (ginger and mary ann rolled into one)and jor-el superman's father and mr. unknown.

the greatest person i have ever met was among those at my mealtime table, ed, a purple heart paratrooper of wwii. while i was in elementary school he was killing bastard germans during their last counterattack during wwii, the battle of the bulge. he saved my life and yours. the battle was, " ... the costliest battle in terms of casualties for the United States ... ". i mentioned ed's contribution in wwii to one of the teenage volunteers helping out at our table. it drew a blank as she fixed her hair. i suspect she thought being injured in the battle of the bulge was some sort of gym accident. I SALUTE YOU, ED.

sophie was our resident mealtime 93 year old female interest who rarely spoke. we did have one discussion the night i had my first shower in three weeeks and wore a fresh shirt.
"you're all dressed up. do you have a date?
"don't tell my wife".
"that's kind of fresh".
her daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter showed up occasionally.

the perfessor who i suspect misrepresented me and stole my private room. this would be the conclusion using occam's razor (why do academic's make simple things so complicated) or my grandma's principle. the evidence is all circumstantial but he's the only beneficiary of the private room. on the other hand this facility is basically a stepping stone to the nursing facility so almost anything could have happennd. he has a great reputation as an intellect and religious person. what the hell do i know? as they say, "can sixty million frenchmen be wrong?". ummm .. maybe.

joel, obviously a nom de plume of jor-el, superman's father. even superman and his father can get old. as you recall the planet krypton exploded but there is no definitive proof that jor-el and lara perished. i'm sure he managed to save himself and his wife before the terrible event. joel the person at our table is a highly intelligent person who must have had great strength before infirmity and age caught up with him. he did not deny that he actually was jor-el. his wife going under a different name now was also strong and intelligent.

i suspect that when jor-el and lara landed on earth they had no idea where his son's craft had landed. later they were afraid that superman would hold a grudge because of his abandonment. so sad.

mr. unknown in the second week attended our table for awhile. seemed like he wanted to prove something. forget it, at this point your life is over. any residuals you may receive are just lucky breaks. ed's wife mentioned that last year almost 70 years after the battle of the bulge the french government awarded ed a medal for his service. a residual well deserved.

my only dialogue i had with mr. nobody was while i was talking to jor-el,
me: i was lucky that no one expected much of me while growing up.
mr. nobody: and they weren't disappointed.
me: absolutely correct.

that was the last time he talked to me. where did his anger and hostility come from? do i care? no.

can't get angry at these people knowing first hand the pain and suffering they're going through.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT: MURPHY'S LAW PLUS.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XII

LAYMAN ECONOMICS


most of the rehab people i came in contact with didn't seem concerned about the actual costs they were running up. they were concerned about medicare, their supplemental insurance, perhaps even medicaid and other tax payer funded benefits, and the number of days of rehab eligibility. when i mentioned that the full retail value of the goods and services i received over the past 3 months must have amounted to half million dollars i was met more or less by blank stares. no wonder old people become entitled republicans without any empathy for anyone else when they blind themselves to the expenses they incur.

there is no understanding that their life is over. unless they are dick cheney they no longer hold any power that they imagined they had when competitive in the world.

as an example of the disconnect between their peresent condition and reality: i was trying to assemble a 300 piece jigsaw puzzle for my amusement and the dissipation of my boredom. reruns of gilligan's island on the tv were starting to get boring. anyway one of the residents looked over my shoulder and said, "even idiots can do jigsaw puzzles". in the competitive world which this is not it would be sorta' insulting. in this world of elderly cripples it is funny. whatever position or strata this guy is from it is over. he no longer has any power or relevance. a house cat has more relevance. amazingly he does not realize that he is pathetic and just about everyone will just walk away from him.

paul ryan please note that i was in the hospital a week and in rehab two weeks. never once did i have to reach for my wallet or credit card. it was a bit annoying that i could not buy a coke or snack since i had no money.

thanks, paul.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT:the war hero, the perfessor, ginger and mary ann and jor-el superman's father

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE XI

THEY'RE CALLED MEALS

"meals" is the nom de plume of the three eating periods allocated in a dining area. my sympathies and congratulations to the dining staff who managed to perform their duties under severe pressures from not having menu items to just being overworked. for a wait staff that got few or no tips (i suspect the better meals went to the tippers) they had to put up with wheelchairs, walkers, cranky people and people who needed assistance in eating.

at any rate i settled in to a table of competent eaters and talkers. by the time i was discharged it was apparent that we could write each other's bio. additional benefits included visiting relatives from spouses to great grandchildren showing up.

although tis facility is well rated the actual food served was not quite up to the caliber of mcdonald's but it was sorta' ok for my peasant tastes. at breakfast some juice, hot cereal and two hard boiled eggs was good. i'm a simple guy with simple tastes not a sophisticated gourmet like you.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT: LAYMAN ECONOMICS

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE X

THERAPY

much to my surpise i had to learn to walk again. how could i become so weak and helpless in just one week of hospitalization? i don't know and i don't want to appear really stupid by asking.

usually a therapist would call on me and escort me to the workout area. i was in great condition compared to most at this facility as i was only using a walker not a wheel chair. yes, super-geezer - thats me. lindsay lohan, or justin bieber were not at this rehab center. i'm sure lindsay would have speeded up my recovery significantly especially since i was one of the younger looking and healthier than most here. everything is relative. i think they triaged the residents here. one third went home; one third went to assisted living; and one third went to a nursing home - poor souls.

btw - you can't tell a person's mental clarity by their appearance. i've known energetic engineers that cannot compare with many people here who appear totally wiped out but have all their faculties while the young engineer is a total moron. his getting through college is a mystery.

how the physical therapy coincided with my lowest energy level of the day i do not know? they must have scientifically determined that. i stupidly said i'll be ready to go home in two days. ten days later i was walking pretty good (like a 3 year old) without a walker and three days after that managed to get my release to the real world.

at present i have progressed to the point where the other day i was driving, got a haircut after four months looking like hagar's grandfather, went to teeter, shoppers, and giant and bought stuff. that was a good workout but i can see that it was at the limit of my ability. kinda sad. since i'm only an octogenarian and in my prime.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT: THEY'RE CALLED MEALS.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE IX

MY ROOM OR RATHER OUR ROOM

had to share a room. early on i decided i'm not sharing a toilet and bathroom with some old incontinent, geezer person. i'm carrying enough deadly germs with me. other people here are carrying other deadly germs ffrom other facilities. stay away from them.

my first roommate teaches at georgetown and so was entitled to the best of everything. you can't deny anyone anything who appers so ill unless you are a republican or nazi. i was scheduled for a private room. admissions told me the next day i had turned it down. the only suspect who had any interest in a private room was the georgetown teacher. of course admissions didn't believe me when i denied turning it down because many people here have hearing, comprehension, and other problems so their responses vary from one hour to the next. nevermind. he got the private room and i didn't.

another entitled, very sick, deaf, incontinent, 93 year old person was moved in. in additionto recovering from pneumonia (the old man's friend - they say) he had a broken collar bone. sorta' noisy between his pain, coughing and arguing with the staff because he didn't hear them. i apologize for occasionally laughing at the misunderstandings.

there were three toilets that i was aware of in the hallway on my floor. i would use these. the second week of my luxurious stay at the facility i discovered the cleanest toilet tucked away on the first floor. the problem with this one was that a notice told the user to lock the door. not a good idea and safety hazard at this time for me. i left the walker i was using at the time outside the door to indicate it was in use. i suspect no one but me was using it anyway. during the last few days of my stay i did lock the door at great risk maybe. who would hear or find me?????????

the dr. mengele furniture company (since 1946) must have manufactured the bed. the bed was designed with machinery that could give you an infinite number of positions. every one of them exquisitely designed to maximize discomfort in a unique way. the staff madeup the bed with extra padding and protective sheet probably to make it easier to cleanup if the patient soiled it. this of course made it even more uncomfortable. the first thing i would do was pull out the extra stuff and toss it on the floor. during the first week i was getting at most 3-4 hours a night sleep.

the truth is that you never want to be in a situation where other people rule your life but this is america. they only put down cats and dogs and shoot horses. you gotta live 'til you blissfully die no matter what the cost to you or the taxpayer.

TO BE CONTINUED. THERAPY.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE VIII

THE FANTASTIC AMBULANCE RIDE TO THE OLD AGE HOME - OOPS - I MEAN REHAB CENTER..

waiting, waiting , waiting - get used to it. no matter what your condition you must wait until other people you are dependent on show up and do their thing. do not pretend that you are in charge. just wait even if you are in a fetal position waiting for the relief of death. sorry.

at about 8 pm the ambulance people arrived. "yes, soon, soon". there were two people who were straight out of hollywood casting for a zany, funny movie about ambulance escapades. one was a very energetic and robust young woman who also drove the vehicle. the other was a very large, young, and strong guy who you want to be agreeable with at all times for fear he will lose it.

strapped onto a litter on a hospital cart i was whisked away - yea - finally installed into the small cubicle of the ambulance. the rehab facility was about 40 miles away. we hit every pothole on the road. the driver was a solid republican bigot. her choice. she would say such things as, "the black man in the white house", "the bumpy ride was not due to the old shock absorbers on the ambulance it was due to the potholes in the road". i mentioned that if some money was allocated for infrastructure the potholes would be fixed. at which point i was lucky i was a patient so she wouldn't hit me. another republican in denial.

finally arriving at the rehab facility i was quickly admitted and wheeled on a cart to my room.

the facility is run by a jewish organization. the two ambulance staff seemed to be surprised that it appeared so well maintained. "golly gee, these jews are well off. it is so well maintained and it doesn't smell at all. i don't see anyone with horns. how can that be?.

unloading my body at about 10 pm in a room i was asked if i needed any thing?
"a beer".
she, "that sounds good".
the guy, "let's go to a bar {maybe i can get some}".
she unenthusiastically, "sorry i have to get up at 5 am {you'll never get any}".
me, "thank you {get the hell outof here}".

attention hollywood casting people, "you are missing out on a great movie by letting these people go".

TO BE CONTINUED. MY ROOM.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE VII

DISCHARGE DAY

i was moved out of icu believing that i didn't belong there in the first place (ho, ho). starting to feel pretty good (relative to my admission day). almost wanting to live again (sorta') and thinking it will be only a few days before i'll be able to join the marines if i wanted to. i know you're thinking men always over estimate their competence and ability by at least 200% unless they are engineers when the over estmate is 300%.other reality based people seemed to think a one year old was stronger than i was. what do they know? who you gonna believe me or a million witnesses?

amazingly i was able to eat, drink, and breathe normally after huge doses of antibiotics, and assorted poisons. my discharge papers sorta' said they didn't know what i had but they cured me of it.

in the afternoon i was informed that i had to go to a rehab facility for awhile before i could reclaim my freedom. sure, sure, i thought. i'll break out in a few days. after all i am so strong nothing could restrain my bursting health since its restoration.

three rehab facilities reasonably close to my home were selected for contact for admission. the first was full up. the second associated with assisted care and a nursing home was available. i went for it.

they said an ambulance would transport me to the facility.

TO BE CONTINUED: THE FANTASTIC AMBULANCE RIDE TO THE OLD AGE HOME.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE VI

DEATH IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

they told me that they're transferring me to the icu only because a bed was available there. do they tell that to everyone? i believed it. asking one of the doctor's to just shoot me he responded that it wasn't on his treatment list and he walked off.


maintenance cleaned the area in the next bay. the space was now available for the next person.

the next person in the adjoining bay who been admitted was in an accident. relatives were present and one of them was inconsolable. later i heard one of the staff talk about the blood that was present. i checked myself of course to make sure they weren't talking about me. nope - no blood - i think. over the next two days there was a constant stream of visitors to the next bay ending in more visitors, a private service and more tears.

maintenance cleaned the area. the space was now available for the next person.


the hospital is full up and only the lucky or dying can get a bed. in my case i believe that the kidney transplant of almost three months earlier gave me a leg up. they had a major interest in the procedure being successful as the total retail value of the kidney, medical staff, and services must be at least $200,000. too big to fail. like the banks and gm there was too much to lose and it would screw up their statistics. they are proud of their outstanding record. he cannot die!!!!!!!!

i must live for other octogenarians. don't worry folks us old geezers get second tier kidneys. they are called expanded criteria donor kidneys which means the organs are from cadavers and are not top notch. the medical people remove the organ from the deceased donor, put it in an iced container (i think), ship it to the transplant site, clean it up, check blood type and other blood factors, other stuff, roll the selected recipient into the operating room, and (simplifying) do the deed.

so far the one i got is working - i think.

TO BE CONTINUED. DISCHARGE DAY, YEA.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE V

ESCAPE

in the middle of the night i planned my escape from the hospital. teleportation -- of course. it would be easy to just teleport myself to my hometown and make my way to my house and so it was done. yes, i did it with my bed and all the accoutrements.

my only problem was to release all the bonds holding me to the bed from my iv tube to the plastic shackles that bound my feet. hunt and peck monkey style i released all my bonds. now i could make my way home. when i pulled the foot shackles free the bed sounded an alarm. a nurse came in. apparently something went wrong with the teleportation and my overall plan. must rethink. what could have gone wrong with the teleportation?

now that i was caught i became obsessed thinking only of the huge trouble i was in now. escaping from a hospital is close to a capitol offense. i said to the nurse, "how much did she want not to say anything about this". she responded that she was obligated to report this incident. fearing the worst possible consequeces i tried talking to the next two staff members that visited me. much to my surprise no one knew what i was talking about and knew nothing about my major crime. looking around i saw that through all my anguish and turmoil my bed and i had not moved an inch. slowly i realized that it was a dream and no one cared. probably happens all the time.

i guess there are a lot of crazy people at the hospital. at the time i had no idea that it was mostly a dream but it was such a good plan.

TO BE CONTINUED. NEXT ADVENTURE: DEATH IN THE INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE IV

GETTING BETTER?????????????

after about (i know not exactly when) four days i started to improve and actually communicated with the world around me. up to that time i lay there in a pile not even willing or able to move my lips to say something. if i had something to say it would have been, "get the hell out of here and let me die you bastards" or something similar. actually i hadn't the energy or inclination to even think or say that.

i was continually visited by staff: doctors, nurses, assistants, social workers, bookkeepers, maintenance workers, and lost visitors. it seemed that everyone wanted to know my name and where i thought i was? at one point i said, "i'm abraham lincoln and this is ford's theater". i'm sure some of the people actually didn't know who i was or where they were.

the most annoying aspect of my stay was all the wiring and tubes on me, under me, over me. at least one intravenous (IV) medication thingum attached, a device attached to my ear, a litlle lighted device attachd to a finger appwearing to be an extraterrestrial communication device, plastic cables attached to me and my bed making escape at least difficult and serving a faux purpose of massaging my legs. these devices seemed to have the sole purpose that kathy bates had imprisoning james caan in the movie misery.

TO BE CONTINUED. DON'T MISS EPISODE V, "ESCAPE"

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE III

after about three days with my throat closed w/o food or drink except for the slow drip of poisonous substances going into my arm they managed to decrease the swelling so that i could eat and drink again. a very important essential characteristic for the maintenance of human life. its in a book.

every five minutes some nurse comes in and wants you to drop your pants. i have no idea as to why? to see my transplant scar; to squeeze my transplant; my personal attractiveness; to check my you-know-what; size matters; i'm adorable; to check the tube running into a urinal (since i couldn't move); whatever?

finally after about a week the horde of doctors, nurses, and king's men declared me cured even though it was not known what was wrong with me in the first place. unfortunately the cure although not killing me left me as weak as a one year old.

completely unaware as to how weak i had become i thought (heh, heh) i would bouce back in a day or two. of course this was a typical male overestimate of ability. a total mismatch of reality to actuality. having worked with engineers i know that many of them can't put a plug into an electrical outlet but are great authorities on the physical universe. yes, i'm guilty too except i can put a plug into an outlet most of the time.

TO BE CONTINUED.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE II

crumpled up in a ball of pain and illness i entered the hospital as best i could. the first words you hear tell you they'll be right with you and you should have a seat. sitting there for an eternity of suffering someone calls your name. the processing interrogation gives you hope that help will be on the way. soon you wil hear the bugle of the cavalry riding in to save you.

eventually you wind up in a bed in a gown with your butt end visible to all. not too bad considering that i was present when a theatre group in the dc area mooned the audience. i never want to see another show by that stupid group again. i guess that was art. my butt is not art.

somehow i know not how i got through that day but the next day i was on oxycodone, rush limbaugh's favorite med, all day.

the highlight of my stay was when my throat closed up. i could still breathe - fortunate or unfortunate depending on your point of view. no food or fluid could be swallowed. somehow the procedure for entering my stomach was easy for the medical staff but not so easy for the patient. anyway all they had to do (a piece of cake) was run a tube up my nose, have it bend down into my throat and eventually into my stomach. nothing to it. unfortunately the remaining space in my throat was not large enough to accomodate the tube. i can assure you that jesus, mohammed, buddha, and moses together were totally useless. you can imagine whatever you want but the spirits are of no use to me. yup, my fault.

three fun attempts at placing the life saving death tube failed which only made the nurses angry at me. eventually an eent doctor ran a tube with light and viewer into my throat and proclaimed the remaining space was not large enough to run the tube. yea, the staff was exonerated. they did their job. not their fault. the good news was that the part of my throat which was swollen was the best part of any that could swell. yea - i may live - or boo - depending.

TO BE CONTINUED. I KNOW YOU ARE EXCITED OVER THIS.

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TRUTH IN HEALTHCARE I

doing literally undercover investigative reporting work concerning tghe healthcare system over the past month.

these are just a few of the things i have observed:

1. there are absolutely no life altering events: if you are a bastard going into an experience, you will come out a bastard at the end of the experience. perhaps for some wishful thinking if you think that in dickens' christmas carol, scrooge has changed after his dream experiences you are very (har, har, har) sadly mistaken. from what i saw people become even more self centered and selfish than they were before.

2. a person next door to me at the hospital died. some relatives and friends took it badly. others did not. they had a brief service at the person's bedside. the room was cleaned and the next ill person was moved in. the world goes on.

3. at a rehab facility: a person and his relatives who make the most noise and demand the best service can get the best attention and perks. there's nothing better than having a feeling of entitlement. a patients' visitors seemed to think nothing of helping themselves to some of my (trivial) stuff like bottled water when i wasn't around. trivial but very annoying. the patient obviously pained one night told the staff they'll be fired in the morning. most of the staff present seemed to think that was a good idea. the next day the event appeared to be totally forgotten.

4. i salute most of the brave healthcare workers who put up with all the crap that many sick and helpless people can deliver. if the patients weren't so pathetic there would be a bounty on their heads.

5. bizzarely most of these sick old people sponging on the tax payer don't want any one else to have healthcare. no wonder they are republicans and believe all the made up gossip on fox news. they want the truth on benghazi!!!

5. while in the hospital and feeling really terrible i asked the doctor to just have a gun loaded and put one shot in the right spot on my head. he replied that that treatment was not on his list of possible treatmens so he could not comply with my request. its interesting that we shoot horses and put cats and dogs away but people must suffer outrageous demeaning and painful procedures, "we saved your remaining meaningless and useless life at incredible cost.

TO BE CONTINUED IN A MORE LIGHT HEARTED VEIN.

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THE PLANE -- THE PLANE

everyone is trying to explain the maylasian planes disappearance in the context of a flight taking off from let's say jfk or lax. this cannot be further from reality. having flown aeroflot in a civilized (sorry for the racism) area where a dog was allowed aboard and a piece of equipment was stored against an exit door. another time i was sharing a taxi ride in mexico with chickens and people carrying stuff. my point is that southeast asian airlines could be carrying anything and overlooking any basic safety rules. you cannot know that the plane had an 800 pound gorilla in the cabin or poisonous snakes in a suitcase or lethal chemicals innocently wrapped in a package or some passenger deciding to innocenly test and light up some hazardous material (as what happenned with a chinese-american engineer while i worked at the ... umm ... DEFENSE DEPT. funny that guy disappeared a few days later. i don't recall anyone ever asking about him.)

anyway any speculation at this time especially from the likes of john mccain or other delusional hawkish politicians is pure bs. you just can't make this stuff up.

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ODDS AND ENDS

so sad that john mccain on jimmy fallon last night said the lost malaysia plane was the work of jihadists. a totally tunnel vision view. i thought he is supposed to be intelligent. there are many possible scenarios. earlier a media person said who would want to blow up a plane with chinese people? sorta' racist but may be correct.

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the news that the cia has spied on our congress people sounds outrageous but having worked for the govt. in the defense dept. i know that every minor twit thinks he is the center of the universe and controls it. my advice to these people is to go back to the officer's club and stay alcoholic.

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bridgegate seems to be entering another stage of ho-hum b. s. as bridget kelly goes to court (yawn).

we gotta check her blue dress.
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i can only feel irritated having heard some of the outrageous, anti-democracy, bizarre statements from cpac speakers. the wealthy backers of these people obviously have no life and wish to ruin yours also. the best moment was nitch mcconnell raising a long gun above his head. funny..... i also loved the performance of sarah palin. i didn't know she was such a talented actress.

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i see marijuana is the new industry republicans have waited for: much taxes, many jobs and so far not outsourced.

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no comment on climate change or pipeline malfunctions. i'm sure the exhausts from factories and vehicles is really good for you and the atmosphere. i guess wealthy people have their own sources of air and water.

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THE ANGELICA MOVIE THEATER IN NYC

i was elated to read in kevin smith's book that he too was thrilled when he first visited the angelica in nyc in 1991 at which time he began his film career. he wanted to become a film maker. his sister told him you are a film maker but just haven't made a film yet.

i am going on record here to proclaim that the angelica is my favorite movie house in all the world. while you're down on houston street you might as well get a real deli sandwich at katz's. better bring at least a few 20s with you.

other interesting theater's i like are the lincoln center movie theater, and two on b'way within a few streets away. i think the movie house in the basement around the corner from the plaza hotel on central park south is no longer open. sorry about that one.

i confess that i haven't been in nyc in many years ................
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COLLEGE DELUSION REVISITED

once upon a time over 61 years ago i was dating a young woman. lets call her betty co-ed. now betty co-ed had a friend who married a cinder block manufscturer and distributor and had to live in a big house in a great neighborhood with this person. betty co-ed thought this was an awful settling her friend made. she was really happy that she was dating me.

i could see her point. actually my position was a little different. i had no skills. i had no money. i did hold a part time job while an undergaraduate paying one dollar an hour. i could look forward to being drafted to be sent to the meat grinder in korea. i slept on a day bed in my parents living room and ate their food. on the upside i was young and good looking. who could ask for anything more.

now lets enter my time machine to 2014.........................

WOW, HOW GREAT IT WOULD BE TO MANUFACTURE CINDERBLOCK AND DISTRIBUTE IT. THIS GUY WOULD BE THE RICHEST AND MOST REVERED PERSON IN MY NEW JERSEY TOWN. AFTER ALL THE RICHEST MAN IN TOWN NOW MOWS LAWNS AND SELLS LAWN MOWERS, THE PREVIOUS RICHESTMAN IN TOWN HAD AN AUTOMATED FACTORY WHICH PLACED SCREWS IN PLASTIC PACKAGES. I WOULD BE SO PROUD TO BE IN THE CINDERBLOCK BUSINESS.

NOW I'M SURE BETTY CO-ED WHEREEVER SHE IS IF SHE EVER THINKS OF THIS CONVERSATION WOULD NOW SAY, "HOW FOOLISH".

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179TH AND VYSE, BRONX, NY (PART LX): LIFE BEFORE DEATH IN (ugh) NEW JERSEY --- BRONX DREAMIN'

the older i get the more i reminisce and replay the old days on 179th st. from 1940 to the day i finished college when my life ended in 1953. from the jap bastards bombing pearl harbor 'til the bastard north koreans and the bastard harry truman sent me off to war.

overall i have obfuscated the boring and bad teenager times but have enhanced my memories of good times. sledding on the empty lot on bryant ave (now city housing); touch football in the churchyard behind the lot; roasting mickies in the wall separating the churchyard from the lot; basketball at p. s. 6 schoolyard; basketball at p. s. 67 schoolyard and in their 1st floor gym with the low ceiling so only a line drive shot would go in and on their rooftop gym; the young pretty and overrated girls in my elementary school classes; clinton h. s. winning the city championship on a last minute scoring spree; clinton football games at rall's island stadium; the boy-girl parties on saturday night after a full day; marcia i's sweet sixteen party; marcia ii's sweet sixteen party; esther's sweet sixteen party (she was 2 years older than me at that time but when she got married 10 years later she was the same age as me, hmmmm..); cousin rita's sweet sixteen party; taking the ccny entrance exam; being awed and amazed at the adult looking college students on campus; entering the greatest college ccny and being amazed at my own ignorance. struggling through classes without doing any readings(i still have to complete my 1st week's history i reading); college parties - girls, girls, girls - unfortunately in the old days i had no idea what they were for.

just scratching the surface of this period. finally walking out of school on my last day and realizing the vacation is over. what the hell do i do now?

anyway the next 60 years are a blur. nevermind.

i am not editing this. it is what it is.

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YES, THERE ARE MANY GREAT SPIRITS

there are many unexplained events that we see and ignore every day proving that there are unseen spirits around us.

my proof today is my earphone cable to my ipod. clearly no knots of such intricacy could possibly have occurred naturally. not one, not two but three bizarre knots now showing on the cable have either naturally occurred or certain spirits have created them. it is so obvious that spirits must have been involved. just putting aside my ipod w/cable could not have twisted, knotted, and pulled the cable in this manner. if this were true then darwin's theory of evolution can be accepted (har, har). the cable evolved (har, har) into this condition. do you think i'm stupid or something?

another intesting mystery is the internet. don't tell me that supposedly coded instructions with only zeros and ones called binary code can evolve into the internet and amazon shopping. something is doing all this. its a mystery.

i'm sure there are many great spirits in the universe. just having one goes against the natural universe as we know it.

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THE REAL DEAL: EXPLAINING NTV (NITWIT TELEVISION)

today i will explain ntv programming as described yesterday:

1. creationism -- darwin was a total fraud, atheist, communist to expect us to believe his bizarre theory of (ugh) evolution. the beauty and simplicity of god's work is undeniable. ntv cannot abide by bizarre and convoluted theories from the big bang (har, har) to so called evolution.

2. tinkerbell exists -- just recently tinkerbell and elvis were seen together at friendly's at the mall in dover, nj proving how unreliable hollywood's so called fictional movies are. a panel discussion will give many eyewitness reports from a local officer's club.

3. santa claus' workshop -- this episode will incorporate an actual trip to the north pole with interviews with elves and mr. and mrs, claus at their workshop.

4. the easter bunny -- this episode will illuminate how the easter bunny collects chicken eggs, cooks them, stores them, and distributes them to desrving non-homosexual people.

5. the virgin mary revisited -- new information discovered in a cave written by authorities from ancient times who were wandering in the desert without water or food for many days with mary and joseph claim no one had enough energy to approach mary at the appropriate time. obviously it was a virgin birth that only god could explain.


6. flat earth -- clearly everthing around us is flat. the bermuda triangle is the edge of the earth. things disappear there. don't they? do you think we're stupid or something?


7. our circling universe -- this is mainly a panel discussion with video clips of the universe circling our lands.



DON'T LET THEM WEAR YOU DOWN. YOUR GUT KNOWS IT ALL.

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CREATIONISM

ntv (nitwit television network) is promoting their series concerning favorite beliefs of american people. this week is the undeniable creationism documentary. it will be followed weekly with tinkerbell facts; santa claus episode; the easter bunny strikes back; the virgin mary who has no idea what happened; flat earth cannot be denied; and the sun really revolves around the earth.

college credit may be obtained by writing to adult education, morris college, new jersey. then again maybe not.

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SARDINE FLU?

eating a lot of sardines lately. think that sardines might be a healthier breakfast protein than eggs. maybe?

anyway, i'm thinkin' that fisherman scoop up millions of sardines. they are cooked, sauced and canned. many if not all probably have some sardine disease or parasite. after all they're swimming around in cold water all day. how healthy is that?

you're eating sick or old - at death's door - sardines. meat is inspected- sorta' but sardines are not. it would be hygienic and healthy if every sardine were given a physical exam prior to canning.

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LONGEVITY

every time i see my age on some piece of paper i jump. how did that happen and how long will my life continue???

then i recall that some of my ancestors lived in transylvania for awhile. i am usually restless at night and nap during the day. i crave rare, bloody meat ... mmmm....

you never know .... heh, heh, heh, heh ....

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SUPERBOWL 2015

sorry seattle the new york giants are waiting in the wings for next year. giants in 2015. GO GIANTS.


steve kornacki of msnbc had the closest predictive score when he said it would be 40 - love.

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ITS NOT GERRYMANDERING

NOBODY ASKED ME BUT THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES PUT UP AGAINST REPUBLICANS IN SO CALLED GERYMANDERED DISTRICTS ARE EXTREMELY WEAK. IN MY DISTRICT IN NEW JERSEY FOR EXAMPLE A FRESH, WET BEHIND THE EARS COLLEGE GRAD WAS PUT UP FOR OFFICE. NO EXPERIENCE, COULDN'T GET A JOB, LIVED WITH PARENTS AND PROBABLY PLAYED A LOT OF COMPUTER GAMES. OF COURSE HE FELL ON HIS FACE. NO AMOUNT OF MONEY OR SUPPORT COULD MAKE THIS PERSON A COMPETITIVE CANDIDATE FOR AN OFFICE. EVEN DOG-CATCHER NEEDS ENERGY AND INTEREST IN THE JOB.

OTHER DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES WITH SOME EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE IN THIS DISTRICT ARE BASICALLY SHALL WE SAY SELF-SERVING AND FULL-A-CRAP.

ITS NOT THE GERRYMANDERING OR YOUR STARS BUT YOURSELVES.

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CHRISTIE: RICH ENOUGH

by now gov. christie may have - i guess - siphoned off sufficient public money to never work again. it might be his best choice at this time to move to some caribbean/atlantic island paradise and just enjoy the rest of his life. just sayin'.

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METLIFE STADIUM

NOT--------------

its the meadowlands stadium not metlife. it is new jersey not new york. apparently money can buy anything.

and don't let artsy-fartsy new yorkers tell you that the statue of liberty and ellis island is theirs. they are mostly in new jersey.

plenty to see in new jersey. gated white alcoholic communities where you have to be whiter than a used kleenex. hessians who won't go home since the revolutionary war. people in the woods who jumped ship from axis nations in wwii. and still home to the german-american (nazi) bund. they still think they won the war.

and people like me who can't afford new york city pretending we like to mow lawns and fix our cars.

what a country!!!!!

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COLUMBIA, MD: THE PERFECT COMMUNITY

seems that aside from all the hype columbia, md is just another suburban community. besides the shootings yesterday they have had other problems. so much for paradise.

at least in new jersey from which i escaped the gun toters only shoot out store windows and frogs.

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HUCKABEE

i'm sure huckabee's experience with women is unique. he must be irresistably attractive to southern women. the rest of us guys i can assure you do not have his problem.

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J. D. SALINGER

WATCHED THE INTERESTING DOCUMENTARY, SALIGER, ON NETFLIX. AN INTERESTING PERSON BUT ALL MESSED UP. IN MYTH HIS, CATCHER IN THE RYE, CHANGES PEOPLE'S LIVES. ACTUALLY BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE READ IT PROBABLY ABOUT 60 YEARS AGO. I DO NOT RECALL HAVING BEEN CHANGED IN ANY WAY. IT WAS OK.

HIS MAIN WEAKNESS WAS YOUNG, BEAUTIFUL, INTELLECTUAL WOMEN. I CAN UNDERSTAND THIS BUT I AM NOT REALLY CLEAR AS TO HOW HIS WOMEN DIFFER FROM THE AVERAGE BAR SKANK. BUT OK, YOU CAN DISAGREE. THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF SMARTS AND MOST PEOPLE AVERAGE OUT TO NORMAL.

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DITCHING CHRIS CHRISTIE

after a thorough review of christies' eventful political career i have decided to remove any support and condemn his self serving republican insanity. although he presents a different image from other obviously meaner republicans he is much too anxious to destroy traditional america and promote greed and profit - the devil's work.

he just doesn't get it. his soul is deeply flawed. goodbye CC.

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CHRIS CHRISTIE STEPS IN IT

superbowl, superbowl, superbowl.... it doesn't get any better than that. the freaky olympics in .. sochi .. wherever .. cannot compete with new jersey sights. you're not in kansas anymore.

from the hudson river to the delaware you can feel the fecundity of america. it is america. from the gated, white alcoholic communities in the northwest (christie himself would not be allowed to own a home there) to the slums in camden; from the delaware watergap to the fabulous amusements on the jersey shore; from the great swamp to the morris canal; from atlantic city to cape may; from george washington's headquarters in morristown to the crossing of the delaware where he captured the hessians (and we haven.t gotten rid of them yet); from the oil tanks off the jersey turnpike to the presumptive gravesite of jimmy hoffa in the end zone of met life stadium. chris christie will be fuehrer of the world on feb. 2.

if you can't take all the excitement in new jersey you can get ripped off by a broadway show ticket seller. your choice.

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IN DEFENSE OF CHRIS CHRISTIE

all of a sudden thinking for yourself in america has become a bad thing. of course if you overstep the bounds you'll have trouble. the pundits are now complaining i guess that christie does not kiss enough ass and he actually dealt with obama. what else do these morons want to complain about. they said that romney and the koch brothers were upset over christie's independence. pardon me. just get lost.

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NEW JERSEY, NEW JERSEY, NEW JERSEY

why are they doing this to new jersey? what about the blue dress and paula jones? what about really important stuff like - corporations are people and that ketchup is a vegetable.

us republicans know what's important. stay on subject america.

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SUBWAY DREAMIN'

at grand central station in nyc.

going home.

heading towards the subway entrance.

where is it.

must be downstairs.

over there by that small tunnel

walking the narrow tiled staircase.

entering a large underground area with token booths, gates and a variety of entrances and exits.

getting token at a booth.

which entrance?

over there.

go through a small tunnel to the platform.

there's a long triangular platform.

trains stop and go on both sides and both ends both ways of this platform.

the screeching of the converging trains at the station is loud.

there are flashes and arcing of the electrified rails and trains.

must go to the end of the platform.

get on train.

yea traveling toward bronx.

i'm on the wrong train.

train becomes elevated in bronx.

train travels on tracks running parallel to 3rd ave. L.

not my subway line.

it rattles along and makes a stop north of 149th street.

i don't know this line.

it should make a stop at fordham road.




i'll never know as sunshine strams into my bedroom.

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HOME AGAIN

just sayin'

this week proved once again that a little luck never hurts - bye.

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WASINGTON HEIGHTS DREAMIN'

entering the movie house in washington heights.

that was a good movie - i think.

its very dark out.

the movie crowd disperses and disappears.

sort of confusing walking in the narrow crooked streets between the tall apartment buildings.

think i'll cut through this building to get to the next street.

in the hallway i see an exit on the otherside.

it leads into a garden courtyard area.

there is a door on the other side.

another hallway.

no outlet here.

many apartment doors here.

finally an exit door to the other dark street.

which way to the bronx?

over the bridge of course.

i can walk this.

this is a hilly area.

many terraced steps.

some buildings are L shaped.

i get turned around.

which way to go.

that way - i think.

really lost.

think that way is east.

keep going in the lamplit streets.

more hills.




where's my coffee?

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NSA: THEY CAN BE USED FOR SOMETHING!!!!

its time to put the nsa to work doing something useful. since they obviously have access to everyone in the country, something like our next door neighbor, they are a perfect vehicle for sending important messages to everyone. they can help with your appointment schedule; wedding invitations; doctor's appointments; garbage pickup dates; etc.

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UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE: THE PERFECT EXPLOITATIVE SYSTEM

in the 19th century british traders exported opium to china which resulted in widespread addiction. this was one way to keep a population under your thumb and exploit them.

another way is to give them healthcare 24/7. you can camouflage and obscure your sleazy activities by insuring they are perpetually busy.

they can be kept fully occupied with: internet glitches; specialty doctors - cardiologist, urologist, psychologist, gynocologist, proctologist, eye, ear, nose, throat, podiatrist, etc., etc.; testing - assorted blood tests, tissue samples, bodily fluid samples, biopsies, stress tests, allergy tests, etc., etc.; probing every aperture in their bodies; prescribing a myriad of drugs to make them high, low, comatose, and useless; implanting catheters and other devices for control; keep their minds and bodies busy with diversions such as special diets and exercise regimens and timing of medications and a myriad of cures that will make them sick or sicker.

after all is said and done the system will be using all their time and they will be enslaved. a perfect capitalist ploy.

with a universal healthcare system it is easy having the public running from one medical person to another. you don't have to give them opium like the brits did.

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ON STUBBORNESS AND PRINCIPLES

someone said my father was stupid not to take unemployment benefits way back about 60 years ago. for him it was a matter of principle. people have principles.

y'know there were some very smart kamikaze pilots. they had principles.

y'know there are some very smart martyrs and fanatics. they have principles.

y'know there are some very smart atheists. they have principles.

republicans and democrats may have principles.

nevermind.

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SUPER BOWL: WHATS THAT??

it was a great football year. both giants and jets won their last two games. yea! it doesn't get any better than that.

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NEW YEARS EVE: WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

fortunately i'll go to sleep tonight around 8 pm. no longer am i obligated to attend mind deadening parties dying slowly in my chair with other married zombies losing iq points and brain cells and absorbing quantities of old wives tales and other misinformation.

haven't figured out what we're supposed to be celebrating on new year's eve: the end of another disastrous year; the beginning of a new disastrous year; that we are still alive for no reason at all; that when we subtract our birth year we are a year older; that your unemployment benefits have run out; that we are with friends who would sell you out for a cold potato.

for young people there are other new years eve events: its a good night for breakups; for a more ...ummm... physical relationship; for a less physical relationship; looking forward to college graduation and the end of your good life.

and my favorite - for the media and financial news for next year; continue making up your own facts; telling lies repeatedly for lesser intellects to believe; distorting events for kickbacks and payoffs.

and for small business: continue not paying collected sales or other taxes; may next year be the end of paying anything for hired help. they should be happy for the rainbow.

lets hope we can accomplish all we desire.

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JOHN GRISHAM MEETS ROBERT CRAIS

always trying to improve literature: i think that john grisham's the firm can be improved if he and robert crais would hook up. if mitch and abby mcdeere had been in touch with (crais') joe pike and elvis cole grisham's book would be half as long. certainly the takedown of the partners and the moroltos crime family would be more efficient and quicker by joe pike, elvis cole and their acquaintences. the fumbling self serving fbi of course would be embarassed again.

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MORE FINAL EXAM

final exam at 10 am today.

i don't remember that.

its in contracts.

can't remember the last time i attended class.yes, i remember now - i think.

i should have prepared.

i'm on campus now.

students and staff are walking this way and that. what building, and room is it in?

i'd better go over to the administration building and find out.

yikes, its 9:30 already.

pushing my way through crowds on the hill heading towards the building.

there's a sign on the door.

it says the admnistration building has been moved to the other campus.

i'm on the subway heading towards the other campus.

no i'm not. this train is going into the borough of queens.

the train is now traveling above ground.

all that can be seen is the shrubbery along the countryside.

i'll get off at the next stop and crossover to the otherside to get back to the city.

at the next stop there is a bus waiting that goes into the bronx over the whitestone bridge.

the bus ia a local and makes many stops.

finally arriving at west farms square.


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home at last.

seems that thats where i wanted to be in the first place.

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FINAL EXAMS

in addition to dreaming of term papers due the next morning i also dream of final exams that i have not prepared for. having gone through life on the wing and not prepared for anything, i have managed to survive. no wonder i have bad dreams about final exams and term papers.

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TERM PAPER

i lay down in bed last night.

realizing that a term paper was due this morning i knew that i needed my computer, paper, and pen to prepare my hand written paper.

pondering this revelation, it occurred to me that i may be dreaming.

if i weren't dreaming what was the worst thing that could happen to an old man if i didn't do the paper?

then a miracle happened i had to get out of bed to answer nature's call.

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THE CURSE OF GERONIMO

washington redskins' fans are are wondering why their team has been losing consistently in the most painful ways. the reason is the curse of geronimo. because the history of this nation's destruction and oppression of indians and their culture has been so offensive the great indian leader and warrior finds the name redskins is the last straw. he has arisen to make sure the washington nfl team will change its name or perish.

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great weekend for ny and nj football fans. both jets and giants won. yea!

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CHARITY AND DOING THE RIGHT THING

while my wife and i were having a snack at one of the port authority fast food places in nyc i noticed that one customer seemingly of indian descent was approached by a pan handler. without hesitation he reached into his pocket and gave him a dollar. no big deal.

in some parts of this universe there are people who follow the better instincts of our kind. do not confuse religious ritual and nonsense with doing the right thing.

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