Justice Marshall and “Justice” Thomas (OFF SUBJECT)

After the Supreme Court rulings yesterday I decided to look up some stuff on Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas.  This caught my eye

Justice Marshall and “Justice” Thomas

RAMBLING: The company you keep

As you may know I have a few godchildren.  My oldest godchild lives with me for now, definitely while he is in college. We will see what happens after school.  He wants a career in computers, video games and/or animae.  Right now his grades in math really suck.  I am trying to give him advice as to how he may want to pursue his dreams.  Like other young folks his age he thinks I have no idea what I am talking about and he does his thing.

I recently thought about something else to tell him.  Hey, I am in a position to share knowledge and experiences.  It's one job I have as a godparent.  The speech had to do with networking.

I still have goals and aspirations.  One day I will have at least one comic book out.  From there I will pitch my idea and create a live action series or cartoon based on my idea.  I have had this dream for years.  And I know I will reach some part of my goal.

School had and has nothing to do with my reaching my goals.  Networking and talent are the keys.  Nowadays it seems like who you know is just as important or even more important than what you know.

The biggest mistake I ever made in my professional life has to be my circle.  I have a decent assortment of friends.  However, the circle of people I should have been associating with is poor.

Over the years I developed a belief and some of you reading may be turned off by it.  You don't always have a say so over the friends you meet.  You have more to say about the circles you form.  Ultimately your circles should be filled with folks moving in your direction with similar goals.  This means chefs should hang out with chefs and not garbage men.  That garbage man is still technically your friend but unless his wife is a chef you have nothing to gain by hanging out with him.

I have spent a good part of my life hanging around people who ultimately did nothing to enhance my life.  They are not bad friends or awful people and I have no regrets in knowing them, but my professional life was not richer by knowing them.  As a writer I had no business hanging with guards, bus drivers, librarians or cashiers.  Not that there is anything wrong with what they do.  We just had nothing to do with helping the other with our goals.

I have decided that artists should hang with artists, writers with writers, etc.

My godson doesn't have much of a circle of any kind.  Nice in that he stays out of trouble.  Not nice when it comes to his future.  Especially if he doesn't have the best grade point average.

For me it feels like I have wasted a lot of time with my life.  As I mentioned it is nice to have friends, but when you are trying to be a musician or an artist or even a writer it helps to connect with folks with similar interests. Had I connected with other writers who knows where I would be now

ELDER TALK Rambling

Had a conversation with a friend going through caregiver issues.  The parent is going past moderate Alzheimer's symptoms.  On this particular night the parent turned on the stove and caused a smoky condition not only in their apartment but on the floor.  Smoke alarms were going off all over the place, according to him.  Thank God all went well.  There were no injuries.  The fire department did show up but all turned out ok. 
The family has been going through this for some time now and even though my friend has other family members in the vicinity for one reason or another he takes on the bulk of caring for the parent.  Unfortunately this was not the first or only incident involving the parent.  The parent has wandered a few times as well.
Thankfully Dad never got to that stage.  He used the microwave.  He only knew to touch three buttons but he was able to heat his food since he was forbidden from using the stove.  Had he gotten to the point where he started turning on the stove I would have seriously considered a nursing home for his own good.  I am waiting for this friend to mention that but as of now he hasn't.  I told him not to try to be Superman (he has his own health concerns).
His situation forced me to consider my own mother and my future health.   As of now my mother's health issues do not include deteriorating mental health.  I am aware of a couple of nursing homes in her area in case it becomes necessary to place her.  As for me, I am slowly changing my diet.  Today I am purchasing a Jack La Lane juicer and I am going to gradually take this weight off while increasing my omega 3 intake.  The point is to add the essentials to my body which should lower the risk of me getting cancer or dementia.  I don't smoke or drink and my blood pressure is normal.  I do have to work on my cholesterol and my weight.  I have heard from a few sources that juicing is an excellent way to go.  I got a couple of dollars from my refund so I will get my juicer and start working on ways to improve my diet.
Next I need to develop a plan now for what I want for my future if I unfortunately develop dementia.  For anyone reading this I strongly urge you to at least think about the scenario from the minute you reach 30 years of age.  Have an idea between ages 30 and 50 and something concrete afterwards.  Granted it can be expensive  but at least put into motion a plan for how you want to be cared for.  And the younger you are gradually eliminate the highly toxic things in your life that may tarnish your golden years.

NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION 2013

I never published my resolutions for 2013 early this year.  Here is an updated list:

 

1.        Deal with sleep apnea issues-as of 6/21...not yet

2.       Make a stronger attempt to change jobs-as of 6/21....little attempt

3.       Try different methods to learn to drive..as of 6/21 nothing

4.       Use that juicer...have one as of 6/21, working on getting a different one

5.       Eat a lot more fruits and vegetables....as of 6/21 I can do better

6.       Try and lose 25 pounds....as of 6/21 maybe one pound

7.       Make a stronger attempt to exercise more...see number six

8.       Clean that apartment...have done a little as of 6/21

9.       Try and make money with secondary income...as of 6/21 nada

10.   Travel to at least one new city or state...as of 6/21 not yet

11.   Focus more on my own inner energies.....not as of 6/21

12.   Work harder on this blog and my photography....yes

13.   Get the bartender license...no

14.   Connect the dots better.....no

15.   Get those books out...no

16.   Read the Bible more (audio is good)....some progress

courtesy Gary Null Blog

As I mentioned I have been hearing the name Gary Null for a minute now.  He is a believer of natural healing and spends a lot of time talking about juicing and changing your diet as a means of preventing and often reversing diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's.    I am leaning towards buying this guy's DVDs.  Yeah, I am still a cynic and I think most people have an angle.  However, I think back to certain experiences in my life.

1.  I was about 20 when a cousin posed a question to me about Wonder Bread and how it never seems to spoil.  I thought about that.  We both spoke about how no matter how long you left that bread out it never seemed to spoil.  Other breads would turn colors and get fuzz on it but not Wonder.  Now I am not telling anyone not to buy Wonder Bread.  Just saying that it may get harder but I never saw it turn colors even after having it on the table for over a month. 

As I have mentioned in past posts, my Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease late 2007.  He was given Aricept and another medication which helped slow down the disease.  He ultimately died from a heart attack in 2011.  I always doubted e actually had Alzheimer's.  When he was younger he spent a lot of time drinking.  I know for a fact he drank heavily from the early 70s through the mid 80s and I was told he drank before that.  He never ate much.  So if for argument sake he was drinking from age 25 through age 60 and was malnourished it could explain his mental state.   I had an aunt who years before drank so bad she was in a vegetative state for months after she was forced to stop because of being hospitalized.  Her mind was gone.  My father not only abused alcohol for years but he was malnourished.  Even though he survived to live into his early 80s who is to say that his past abuses didn't harm him later on.

I mention all of that to say that it is highly possible that there is a lot more to our illnesses and recovery than traditional science is telling us.  It is worth listening to Dr. Null.

courtesy:  http://gna.squarespace.com/home/cause-and-effect-how-to-protect-your-brain-against-degenerat.html


Cause and Effect: How to protect your brain against degeneration

April 21, 2011

By Gary Null

Recent studies suggest that by the year 2050, approximately 30 percent of people living in industrialized countries will be sixty-five years of age or older. That means that there will be an increase in neurodegenerative disorders that may cause considerable cognitive and physical impairment and shortened life span. And when we see someone like Bill Clinton with a coronary triple bypass operation, we must question how is it that none of his doctors noticed his health condition until it reached such a critical stage. The truth is that his health was allowed to deteriorate because the best doctors in America did not pay attention to his health until he had overt signs of heart failure. No one paid attention to Ronald Reagan until he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. The same goes for Charlton Heston, Michael J. Fox, and Janet Reno, celebrities who have made us familiar with the diseases that have afflicted them. But never once did anyone ever say, "Could it have been anything that they did or didn't do that caused them to become sick?" Instead we all assumed they were doomed to their fates by their genes.

What I want to say to you about this is something crucial to the paradigm shift that I am proposing: our genes can only be as healthful as the medium in which we allow them to exist.

I speak with hundreds of people yearly about these concerns, and the one thing I've learned is that the greatest concern for most of the aging baby boomers is not so much the threat of heart disease, cancer, or even diabetes (which all have medical treatments of some kind). Rather, what people fear most is the loss of mental acuity. In particular, they fear that Alzheimer's, dementia, and Parkinson's are in their not too distant futures. As they age, they see a loss in their cognitive function which is the loss in their ability to memorize and recognize. And they fear these early signs are sentences of doom.

Few people ask, "What is the cause of these age-related cognitive dysfunctions?" Were they to genuinely consider such a question, they would find the following causes: chronic inflammation, which damages both central and cerebral blood vessels; bad diet, which leads to nutritional deficiencies; hormone deficiencies; impaired breathing, which leads to decreased oxygen to the brain and impaired circulation; a deficiency in essential fatty acids (EFAs), which every brain cell requires; free radical damage; the adverse effects from prescription medicine; and damage from environmental pollution.

With an intelligent game plan, however, the baby boomers need not live in fear of mental decline. These conditions can be prevented and reversed with lifestyle modifications. It's an exercise in simple cause and effect.
For more information on Brain Health, have a look at Gary's acclaimed film, Mind Power.

RANDOM TALK: Dr. Gary Null

I have heard a bit about Dr. Gary Null.  Most of it good, some bad.  I am not sure I would trust my body to just natural foods if I had cancer but a lot of what he says regarding the prevention of heart attacks, strokes and cancer makes an immense amount of sense. 

HOMELESS NEWS: Food Stamps courtesy pewstates.org

courtesy:  http://www.pewstates.org/projects/stateline/headlines/cuts-to-food-stamps-are-key-in-farm-bill-debate-85899484595#


Cuts to Food Stamps Are Key in Farm Bill Debate

By Jake Grovum, STATELINE Staff Writer

Gracie Shannon-Sanborn, 5, holds a sign as she joins her father Allen Sanborn, left, and other activists in Los Angeles at a protest against proposed food stamp cuts in the House farm bill. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

The U.S. House and Senate have crafted vastly different farm bills, and a well-known program that helps tens of millions of Americans put food on the table is a prominent sticking point between them.
That program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly referred to as food stamps. And after years of recession-driven spending and enrollment growth, lawmakers in Washington are looking to pare it back.
The question is how much to cut, and how to do it. (See infographic) The House is looking to cut $20.5 billion from the program over the next decade, prompting the Obama administration to issue a veto threat. The Senate would cut $3.9 billion in the next 10 years. Both versions of the farm bill would significantly change the way states administer SNAP.
Even though demand for the program remains high—48 million Americans were enrolled in March—spending on the program is already scheduled to be cut later this year. Any reductions from the farm bill would be in addition to those.
SNAP comprises almost three-fourths of the 10-year cost of the nearly $1 trillion farm bill, a measure that touches on everything from U.S. agriculture and crop insurance to food inspections and trade policy.
As Congress struggles to approve its first farm bill since 2008, here’s a closer look at SNAP and what the House and Senate versions might mean for states and the country as whole.

 

HOMELESS NEWS: GOP staffer claims to live on food stamps without problems, suggests cutting more

Sad article I read in connection to the GOP plans to make cuts inthe food stamp program (SNAP) taken from The Daily Caller:

 http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/19/gop-staffer-claims-to-live-on-food-stamps-without-problems-suggests-cutting-more/

ELDERTALK; Caregiver info

courtesy:  http://cas.umkc.edu/casww/rewdstrs.htm




CAREGIVERS: REWARDS AND STRESSORS

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    Caregiving Continuum: Caregiving is a term that is used in the field of aging to describe a wide range of support that is provided those elders who experience limitations in one or more tasks of daily living. At one end of the continuum,
this care may involve a family member providing transportation to and from the doctors' appointments or to do shopping. Care can extend to helping with housecleaning or the provision of occasional meals in situations where elders are still, for the most part, independent and caring for themselves. This caregiving continuum increases as the amount of care provided by family and friends increases. At the other end, care may consist of bathing, feeding, carrying; that is, coping with almost full dependency.

    The family may not be able to provide the quality and/or quantity of care needed. Others simply cannot provide the time and space required to incorporate the elder into their home life. On the other hand, some families will choose not to provide direct care but use professional services, in or out of the home, or there may be a history of poor personal interaction that would prevent the giving or the receiving of care.
 
    Rewards: The time of caring for an older parent or relative can be one of joy and enrichment. It can be a period of increased sharing, a renewal of that special closeness that has perhaps slipped away over the years; a time of rediscovering the family history. It can be a time for the healing of those old wounds left festering from childhood or adolescence. It can be a time for renewing old friendships or gaining wisdom from an elder. The majority of caregivers actually report that providing care makes them feel useful. Many anecdotal reports attest to caregivers' satisfaction knowing that their older relative is receiving help while remaining in the community. For many caregivers the giving of assistance is not a one-way street. Rather, it is part of a mutual aid pact, as approximately one fourth of caregivers report that the older person for whom they care helps financially or with household chores.
 
    It is easy to assume that conflicting roles as worker, wife, mother, for example, always increase stress. However, a study by Stoller and Pugliesi (1989) suggests otherwise. After reviewing the data of a variety of studies they suggest that these various roles can sometimes serve as an emotional resource for the caregiver, sometimes linking them to other social networks.  Results of their study found that occupying multiple roles is associated with better health, lower psychological stress, higher self-esteem and greater well-being. There is a threshold, however, beyond which multiple roles become detrimental.     Not Always Easy: The bulk of present research, however, presents a less positive picture of caregiving. For example, a study conducted by the Benjamin Rose Institute, (Deimling, Bass, & Jensen, 1987) found that four out of five caregivers indicated that some aspect of helping was difficult, tiring, or emotionally upsetting. Six out of ten
said they had no clear idea about what was best to do in the caregiving situation, while more than half said the person they cared for made too many demands on them.
    A pervasive theme is found in the research centers on the burden and the stress of caregiving. The caregiving process can be a time of increased anxiety and difficulty, particularly when the responsibilities of working, marriage, child rearing and parental caregiving collide. When the demands of work, spouses and children are juxtaposed against those of an aging  parent with many needs, severe emotional drain can occur. Some research even reports that although most caregivers feel "close" to their care receivers, an inverse correlation exists between the closeness of kin relationship and the ability to get along without rancor (Cantor, 1983). If there are prior family problems lurking in the background, such as abuse, neglect or denial of emotional or financial support, there can be a potentially dangerous situation because the caregiver who was abused now is in the position of power.
 
    Both Stoller and Pugliesi (1989) and Brody (1985) point out that many of the stress reported issues relate to aspects of either feeling totally responsible for caregiving or feeling guilty that not enough is being done for the care receiver. These aspects are as much related to personality issues as they are to family dynamics. From the literature on helpers, both formal and informal, it appears that some caregivers run a very high risk of stress due to certain personality issues. For example, there may be aspects of control, and need to be identified (by self and others) as the caretaker that are part of the individual's personality. Persons with these traits do not easily allow themselves to be helped. Instead, they may put themselves in the role of super person, not letting others know of needs or allowing others to share in the responsibility. It is important that informal caregivers be or become able to recognize and accept their own limitations and seek assistance when needed.
 
    Dependency of the older person on an adult child is often difficult for both and may reactivate family relationship problems, including reverse dependency issues. Brody (1985) associates this dependency problem to unresolved issues on the adult child's part, regarding his or her own dependency needs, thus relating this situation of caregiving to that of a parent caring for a child. It is Brody's (1985) contention that either case will lead to increasing frustration and guilt for the caregiver.  Is it not surprising that interpersonal problems are frequently reported by caregivers?
 
    Family issues surface in a number of ways in considering the caregiving context. For example, the burden experienced by caregivers appears to be highly related to the number of informal social supports available from other family members. The family can thus be either a potential source of support or a cause for additional stress. Although family members may not share equally in the care of elderly persons, they are part of the decision making network. Family members who are excused from caregiving responsibilities are still considered, by both elderly persons and adult children, to be part of the decision making process regarding care arrangements (Cooper & Sheehan, 1987).
 
    It has been found that family support systems generally operate under the principle of substitution, in which family members are available in "serial order," rather than acting as a "shared functioning unit."  Thus the caregiving experience burns out the first one, then another of the family unit unless they are wise enough to parcel out the tasks and provide one another with relief from the various duties. This assumes, of course, that there are others with whom to share the caregiving function in the first place.
 
    Caregiving demands often conflict with family members' individual perceptions and expectations of life and their respective roles such as future plans, privacy, vacations, money and social life. Relationships among spouses, adult siblings, and across generations are strained as members compete for attention and time, and which occasionally leads to the reactivating of old intra-family rivalries. Even stable family relationships and positive perceptions can become distorted as the demands of caregiving increase.
 
    The financial stress of caregiving may compound the problems of already burdened caregivers. The personal resources of both recipient and provider in a family caregiving situation may be seriously drained or devastated by prolonged need for care. Financial compensation for family caregivers may come from insurance or benefits of organizations the  elder has belonged to, such as the Aid and Attendance Allowance from the Veterans Administration. Federal Child and Dependent Care Credit provides limited tax credit and some state programs reimburse family members for care, again in a very limited fashion. Decreases in services toward private pay clients, making these services even less available to those with low income.
 
Most Stressful Aspects of Caregiving: The most stressful aspects of caregiving reported are caring for an incontinent elder and/or one suffering from dementia.  It is the personal care, such as bathing, that is most burdensome. The level of support given by other informal or formal caregivers is very important. Much of the stress reported relates to becoming time restricted and adjusting to severely limited social interaction. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, feelings of helplessness, lowered morale and emotional exhaustion are quite commonly cited. Caregivers assisting Alzheimer's victims, in particular, reported three times as many emotional stress symptoms as the general population. It is far more difficult and these caregivers are three times more likely than the person in the general population to take psychotropic drugs. People caring for a relative with Alzheimer's disease have particular difficulty with fatigue because one of the effects of the disease is that the older person stays awake at night and wanders. Structuring the environment and time of the older person, and using a support network to give the caregiver a break, can be essential. Twelve percent admitted that they used alcohol as a way of coping with the strain.
 
    Often the caregiver is faced with the clear decline of health and impending death of the person they care for, raising the issue of anticipatory grief.  The closer the bond between caregiver and receiver, the more stressful the specter of death. It is far more difficult to deal with the decline and/or loss of one who is close than one whose state can be seen more objectively, as in an institutional setting. Regardless of how close the relationship, proximity to the death process may be more stressful to the informal caregiver than to one who, by training or experience, is better prepared for this eventuality.
 
Risk Factors: The caregiving role may well be a 24 hour job with unpredictable ups and downs that keep the caregiver in a crisis framework. This in itself is stressful and draining.
 
    The emotional well-being of the caregiver is important due to the effect it has on physical health and on the quality of communication and interaction. Many caregivers have difficulty getting away because they feel guilty or selfish. However, research shows that by caring for themselves the caregiver will provide better care. Breaks and significant periods of respite for the caregiver are most important tools for maintaining the health and well-being of the individual caregiver.
 
    The physical demands of caregiving can be as difficult as the emotional problems. It is important to look at what caregivers can do to support themselves physically, because much stamina and energy are necessary to provide care over a long period. Even in the best of situations, family caregivers need emotional support and occasional relief.
 
     Several risk factors have been identified which may lead to or compound the stress of caring for an elderly adult. For example, gender plays a role because more woman are entering and staying in the work force longer,   delaying childbearing, experiencing escalating divorce rates, and becoming single parents -- leaving them with responsibilities for several generations of caregiving. Relationships can be complicated. Conflict within families often initiates stress. Loss of loved ones, relocation, job/career changes (retirement, no advancement, increased workload), and financial burdens may be stressors. Current events or catastrophic illnesses or accidents will   undoubtedly lead to difficulties. Lack of adequate rest, exercise, diet, recreation, and socialization may cause undue stress.   When the responsibilities of caregiving are combined with the demands of employment, the potential for stress on the individual caregiver can become genuinely dangerous to health and other family relationships. In the worst case scenario the employed caregiver may have to choose between career and family or between care for the elder and responding to the demands of other family members.
 
Signs Of Stress: Stress can take its toll in a number of ways. Signs of stress may be evident at one level -- or all levels -- of human experience.
 
    Physical: One may experience a decline or increase in appetite, gastrointestinal distress, frequency of urination, increased respiration, a pounding heart and dry mouth in reaction to stress. Typically the heart and respiratory rate increase and muscles tighten. Humans react to threatening situations by preparing for "flight or fight." The body   responds by channeling energy and concentration to facilitate this.
 
    Emotional: In stressful situations, one may exhibit emotional instability (crying without cause or laughing inappropriately), anxiety, anger, agitation, irritability, indecision, apathy or fatigue.
 
    Behavioral: One may leave responsibilities unfulfilled either at home with children or on the job. Alcohol abuse or self medication may result.  Neglect of personal hygiene may occur. In general, changes in reactions, habits, and performance may take place as stress increases.
 
Reducing Stress: Fortunately, stress reduction can also take place at the level of thought, feeling, and action. Attention must be directed to one's physical condition through appropriate diet, exercise and rest. Pacing oneself with regard to time and  demanding responsibilities may help. Delegating responsibilities to others during stressful times may be done by directly asking others to do specific chores.  Ventilating feelings can be done through sharing with friends, colleagues or professionals by letter, phone or in person. Keeping a log or journal may be an effective tool for documentation. Inspiration and coping can be gained through educational efforts such as attending classes, workshops or conferences. Planning and organization, essential to effective coping, may then follow this gaining of information. Visits to museums, lunch with friends, shopping, vacations, the theater or even a simple picnic or walk can be innovative ways of treating oneself. Counsel may be sought through friends, colleagues, church or mental health professionals.  During moments of stress one can use relaxation techniques, humor, and reading, as diversions. Individual caregivers must be attuned to their own needs and recognize what causes stress for them, its signs and what can be done to handle it. We all need to take care of ourselves.

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REFERENCES:
 
The above information has been modified from Mental Health and Aging, Bane, S. D., p. 103-107. To order this publication, write to the National Resource Center for Rural Elderly, UMKC, 5215 Rockhill Road, KCMO 64110-4299, or call (816) 235-1747.

Caregiver stress fact sheet | womenshealth.gov

Getting back on topic, information on caregiver stress


Caregiver stress fact sheet | womenshealth.gov

Remembering Troy Davis: Questions Remain over Whether Georgia Executed Innocent Man One Year Ago | Democracy Now!

This is old.  I have been thinking about Troy Davis a for a few days now and I finally decided to"google" him and see if anything new has been posted.  I hate how he was a huge news item until he was executed.  I am still against the death penalty and the Troy Davis case is a strong reason to abolish it.  Whether Mr. Davis was guilty or not, enough of a doubt  was raised to at least put off an execution.


Remembering Troy Davis: Questions Remain over Whether Georgia Executed Innocent Man One Year Ago | Democracy Now!

SIDETALK: Death Penalty

courtesy: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/14/us/florida-death-row-diary/index.html

Death row diary offers a rare glimpse into a morbid world

By Moni Basu, CNN

updated 12:15 PM EDT, Sun June 16, 2013

(CNN) -- Not much is written in the way of obituaries for people who are put to death. They are convicted criminals; many are guilty of unspeakable cruelty.

We hear of death row cases when controversy swirls about a prisoner's guilt, as was the case of Troy Davis, the Georgia man executed in 2011 despite the recanting of numerous witnesses whose testimony helped convict him. Or when a crime is so heinous that it gains notoriety for the perpetrator, such as serial killer Ted Bundy, who confessed to 30 murders.

William Van Poyck's story was known for another reason.

Sentenced for murder in 1988, he spent 25 years in jail before he was declared dead at 7:24 p.m. Wednesday by lethal injection in a Florida prison. But it was not his sordid criminal narrative that drew international attention. It's what he accomplished from his tiny cell.

Death row inmates deal with their demons in different ways. Some clutch their faith. Others draw or paint or read voraciously. Van Poyck chose to write.

He published three books, wrote his own appeals and penned long letters to his sister, Lisa. He mused over many things -- corrupt politicians, hurricanes and movies. He liked "The Aviator," the Howard Hughes biopic.

By no means does that take away from his guilt.

He and an accomplice, Frank Valdes, ambushed a prison van in 1987 outside a West Palm Beach doctor's office. Their intention was to free James O'Brien, an inmate with whom Van Poyck and Valdes had served time.

Their attempt failed but ended in the fatal shooting of prison guard Fred Griffis.

Van Poyck took the stand in his own defense in an attempt to be spared from what was then the mode of execution: the electric chair. He admitted to a lot of things but denied he'd been the trigger man.

He was convicted of first-degree murder and spent time in a Virginia prison -- moved there for his own safety -- before he was brought back to Florida's death row.

Griffis' family and friends said this week that justice had finally been served and voiced frustration that Van Poyck had received so much attention because of the words he penned in prison.

Acknowledgment of that writing does not equal tribute for a man who committed murder. But Van Poyck gave us something rare: an unfettered glimpse into the mind of a man who was scheduled to die.

Recovered Nazi diary gives rare view into Third Reich

In 2005, Lisa Van Poyck began publishing her brother's letters on a blog called "Death Row Diary." Some of the more powerful entries are the last ones, after Van Poyck's death warrant was signed and he learned the date that he would die.

His May 28 letter, his last entry on the blog, begins like this:

Dear Sis:

Tomorrow Elmer will be executed and I'll be next up to bat, with 15 days to live. (Elmer Carrol was executed May 29 for the rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl.)

A situation like this tends to make you reflect on the elusive nature of time itself, which some folks -- physicists and metaphysicists alike -- claim is an illusion anyway. Real or not it sure seems to be going someplace quickly!

I read in a recent newspaper article that the brother and sister of Fred Griffis, the victim in my case, are angry that I'm still alive and eager for my execution. These are understandable human feelings. I have a brother and sister myself and I cannot honestly say how I would deal with it if something happened to you or Jeff at the hands of another. I have thought of Fred many times over the years and grieved over his senseless death.

Read: A killer in the family

He described what happens after a warrant is signed and a prisoner is put on "death watch":

Today my neighbor, Elmer, went on phase II of death watch, which begins seven days prior to execution. They remove all your property from your cell while an officer sits in front of your cell 24/7 recording everything you do. Staff also performs a "dry run" or "mock execution", basically duplicating the procedures that will occur seven days later. This is when you know you're making the final turn off the back stretch, you know your death is imminent, easily within reach, you can count it by hours instead of by days.

He wrote about how everything suddenly became trivial after Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed his warrant, when death became imminent:

I've already thrown or given away 95% of my personal property, the stuff that for years seemed so important. All those great books I'll never get to read; reams and reams of legal work I've been dragging around, and studying, for two decades and which has suddenly lost its relevance.

My magazines and newspapers stack up unread; I have little appetite to waste valuable, irreplaceable hours reading up on current events. Does it really matter to me now what's happening in the Middle East, or on Wall Street, or how my Miami Dolphins are looking for the upcoming new season? What's the point? Ditto the TV; I'm uninterested in wasting time watching programs that now mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

The other day I caught myself reaching for my daily vitamin. Really?, I wondered, as the absurdity hit me. Likewise, after 40 years of working out religiously, that's out the window now. Again, what's the point? Now, every decision about how to spend the next hour reminds me of Elaine in that "Seinfeld" episode where she had to constantly evaluate whether her boyfriends were really "sponge worthy."

He wrote in an almost nonchalant way about how he would go to his death. The number of days remaining and other grim details were accepted as normal by everyone around him on death row:

My cell (one of three) is next to the execution chamber so I won't have far to walk. There's another guy down here with me, his execution is set for two weeks before mine so assuming he doesn't get a stay I'll have a front row seat to how the final days and hours play out. Aren't I lucky?

Van Poyck discussed the practical aspects of his death, though he admitted they were a little disconcerting:

On Tuesday they came and measured me for my execution/burial suit. Sometime soon I'll be given the details on how "the body" will be disposed of following the legally required autopsy (will my cause of death really be a mystery?). I understand the state will pay for a cremation should I choose this form of disposal (I do) and my ashes will be available at a Gainesville funeral home; but don't quote me on that yet.

He pondered the moment of his own death and the people who would bear witness:

I understand there are usually about two dozen witnesses to these executions and I sometimes wonder about those who will be at mine, unknown, faceless men rooting for me to die, happy to see me breathe my last breath. I wonder about men who do not know me, have never met me, never broken bread with me and who know nothing about what's in my heart, who nonetheless are anxious, eager, happy to see me die.

It does not bother me, but I wonder if it will ever bother any of those men (and yes, it's almost always men, with their lust for blood; women seldom indulge in this), perhaps in their sunset years when they reflect back on their youth and wonder about their imperatives. I hope, for their sakes, that one day they will be ashamed -- or at least disappointed -- with their naked blood lust and will determine to henceforth set a better example for those following behind them.

Read: The overwhelming maleness of mass homicide

And what it felt like to find out that a non-death row inmate had hanged himself:

The irony wasn't lost on me that while three of us on death watch are fighting to live, this poor soul, living just 10 feet above us, stripped of all hope, had voluntarily surrendered his life rather than continue his dismal existence. When nothing but a lifetime of suffering lays ahead -- with no hope, no promise, no opportunity to change your fate -- the idea of utter annihilation can come to look appealing in contrast.

He watched as an inmate was scheduled for execution and won a last-minute reprieve:

That's gotta be a hell of a transition; you are hours away from execution, you've had your final visits (imagine how emotional that is), made your peace with the inevitable, perhaps eaten your last meal, then, in a finger snap, you're told you won't be dying after all (at least not that night) and you are back on a regular death row cell talking with the fellas.

I've seen a number of guys go through this over the years, one of whom was just 20 minutes from execution in the electric chair when he got his unexpected stay. They moved him next to me and I was startled to see that his hair had turned almost entirely white during the six weeks he was on death watch.

He died quietly in his sleep from a heart attack about six years later, right here on this floor.

He described what happened when death changed from an abstract idea to an absolute:

I got little sleep the first week, perhaps two hours a night and then I was up and wide awake at 2 a.m., mind racing, thoughts all a-jumble, despite my best breathing and meditation techniques. I'd finally get my mind onto some mundane subject and then, bam, my gut would knot up as the thought suddenly elbowed its way into my mind, these guys are going to take me next door and kill me in x-number of days! This still happens a dozen times a day, and more at night.

Over the years, Van Poyck had contemplated many things about his life. He had all the time in the world to think. Here is what he wrote on Mother's Day this year:

Today is Mother's Day, and as I usually do this time of year I open my photo album and look at those old black and white photos of mom (God, she was beautiful!) and wonder how my life would have turned out differently if she had not died when I was a baby, if I'd had a mother to love me, raise me, guide and nurture me, a mom I could love, look up to, and be determined not to disappoint. These are, for now, unanswerable questions, but when I pass over to the next plane I hope to get some answers. If nothing else I'll be with mom and dad and that is what gives me such peace.

Read: Stolen kids turned into terrifying killers

Thursday, the news of Van Poyck's execution appeared on "Death Row Diary." This time, the entry was the voice of his sister, who'd traveled to Florida to meet her brother for the very last time.

His last words were, "Set me free!" and his soul is indeed free now. Awaiting him were my mother and father with open arms and other family members and friends who went before. William's reunion with his loved ones is a joyous event.

Media reports said Van Poyck declined to make a final statement, but the world has not heard the last of him yet. His sister wrote that she expects two more letters from her brother that have not yet arrived in the mail. She intends to publish what will presumably be William Van Poyck's last words.

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Eldercare Talk, the future of eldercare

The sad thing about this issue is that as a country we can think ahead towards war and money but not human issues.  From the 1960s this country should have been considering the fact that people are living longer. At the very least, as we were planning to extend the lives of American citizens we should have thought about how to care for them in their golden years.  Please watch this video but note, to me this should not be an issue.  We should have figured out a cost effective way of dealing with growing old in this country.

Homeless News: Pastor Andrews

I have been away from this for too long.  I found this very inspirational video on Youtube. 

eldercare news: GOP boycotts health care advisory

 

courtesy:  http://bigstory.ap.org/article/gop-boycotts-health-care-advisory-board

GOP boycotts health care advisory board

By JIM ABRAMS

— May. 9 3:28 PM EDT     

  

 

 

House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, departs a meeting with the news media at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Thursday, May 9, 2013. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

By: JIM ABRAMS (AP)

WASHINGTONCopyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

38.8951-77.0364

WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Republican leaders told President Barack Obama Thursday that they will refuse to nominate candidates to serve on an advisory board that is to play a role in holding down Medicare costs under the new health care act.
House Speaker John Boehner, who joined Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell in boycotting the Independent Payment Advisory Board, also said that the House next week will vote again to repeal the health care act. According to a Democratic count, the House has tried some 36 times to repeal or defund all or part of Obama's landmark health care overhaul since it became law in 2010.
The 15-member advisory board, known as IPAB, would have the power to force payment cuts on insurers, drug companies and other service providers if Medicare costs rise beyond certain levels.
The health care law explicitly forbids the board from rationing care, shifting costs to seniors or cutting their benefits, but Republicans have insisted that it will be a vehicle to deny care to seniors. Former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin referred to "death panels" that would allow the government to withhold life-saving care from the elderly while campaigning in 2008.
While Boehner and McConnell did not go that far, they said in their letter to Obama that reduced payments "will force providers to stop seeing Medicare patients" and "this will lead to access problems, waiting lists and denied care for seniors."
Boehner, at a news conference Thursday, said this "is a board with 15 unelected, unaccountable individuals who have the authority to deny seniors access to care. The American people don't want the federal government making decisions that doctors and patients should be making."
The members of the board, to consist of people nominated by both parties, would be subject to Senate confirmation. Economists have predicted that the board's services might not be needed in the near future because Medicare cost increases appear to be manageable.
White House spokesman Jay Carney, responding to reporter questions about the IPAB boycott, saidliz that "the fact that Republicans have continued to push for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act I believe demonstrates how out of touch they are with the American people, who are tired of efforts by Republicans to refight the political battles of the past."
Asked why the House was voting a 37th time to repeal all or part of what Republicans call "Obamacare," even though GOP leaders know the Democratic-controlled Senate will again ignore the vote, Boehner said there were about 70 new members of the House this year. "Frankly they have been asking for an opportunity to vote on it, and we are going to give it to them."
He said he supports total repeal of the law rather than efforts to amend it as it goes into effect over the next year. "I don't believe there is a way to fix this and make it acceptable to the American people."
Republicans say there have been only two previous votes to eliminate the health care law in its entirety. They say there have been more than 30 votes to partially repeal or defund the law, and several have been signed into law, including one eliminating an unpopular tax-filing requirement that would have affected millions of businesses.
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Follow Jim Abrams on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimabrams3.

Sinus inefction

I am just getting over a sinus infection I have been suffering over for the past week and a half.  In the next few days I will be posting information on natural care.  This will be care for everyday living as well as care for ailments.  It beats going after medications