We often under appreciate the simple things in life. I found this to be so true this past weekend at my home. My family, especially my children, learned what it is to really go “old school” when our air conditioning unit went on the fritz.
Talk about two grumpy people – my two daughters.
It really did not bother me that we were inconvenienced for a brief time while parts were obtained to repair our air conditioner. For the most part, we were not even at home for the first two days that the unit was in disrepair.
The days were a little uncomfortable, but the nights were actually quite pleasant. We simply opened a couple of windows and used a couple of electric fans to circulate the cooler air from outside around the house. What a genius I am to think of such a solution.
Well, to tell the truth, my father taught me this trick long ago. You see, as a child, I lived in a home without the luxury of the modern air conditioner. Our home in Asbury Park was built – can you believe it – without a central air conditioning unit. In fact, most of the homes in Asbury Park lacked this luxury at that time in Phenix City’s history.
To make life bearable in summer time, my father simply installed a window fan at one end of the house and opened the windows at the other end of the house. He would set the fan to pull the air out of the house and, in doing so, it pulled air into the house at the other end. We left our doors open to our rooms so that everyone could take advantage of the air flowing through the house.
I tried to explain this concept to my children, but they were not true believers. They decided to spend the weekend, at least most of it, at their grandmother’s house, which had air conditioning. My daughters even took my two dogs, Chief and Copper, with them. They abandoned their parents in this time of trouble. Can you imagine that?
Of course, my children have never lived in a home without air conditioning. They have been conditioned to air conditioning from birth. I doubt they will ever spend much time in their futures without this wonderful device invented by Willis Carrier. If they do, it will be because the units in their future homes go on the fritz.
My daughters demanded that I get the air conditioner repaired immediately – on the weekend. I tried to explain that even the air conditioning fixers took the weekend off. Thankfully, and with much appreciation, Al Brewer dropped by to try to ease our pain. He tried, almost had it fixed, but to no avail. The unit just would not cooperate. He had the parts on hand to repair a portion of the unit. Unfortunately, once that part was repaired, it only allowed Al to see the more serious problem. That repair had to wait until Monday morning when he could obtain the needed part.
In a matter of minutes upon his return on Monday, our home was cool again. My children decided to return to their home with one of the dogs – Chief. Copper remained with their grandmother because of his delicate condition – he’s a small puppy. They decided he should remain with their grandmother until they were sure the air conditioner was repaired and working properly. I suspect there is more to this decision than concern for Copper’s health. I think, and this is just my thought on the matter, that Copper decided to stay a little longer because he enjoys the pampering he is receiving – the same pampering my daughters receive when they go to their grandmother’s home.
But, this past weekend, they did get a taste of “old school” life in America. It was better than a trip to Westville, Ga., to see how things were done in the “old days.” I hope they chalk it up as a great life experience. I hope they can share their experience in the future with their children – maybe even with their great grandchildren. I bet their children and great grandchildren will react in the same manner that they did last weekend – with disbelief that anything so valuable to their lives would dare break down without notice. They learned it does happen. I hope they know it will happen again. It’s the cycle of life – and of air conditioning.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I recommend only one therapy listed by Rukovets
While googling for information on insulin, I ran across an article by Olga Rukovets concerning strange medical practices – very strange medical practices. I thought I would share some of the information from the article with you this week. I think you will find the procedures just as strange as I did.
I have diabetes and often search the Internet for information concerning the use of the medicine in dealing with my disease. I will not, however, use insulin in the manner described by Rukovets in her article.
Rukovets lists nine strange medical practices and No. 9 is “insulin coma therapy.” This procedure was discovered in 1927 by a Viennese physician named Manfred Sakel who accidentally gave one of his diabetic patients an insulin overdose, which sent her into a coma. Once she recovered from the mistake, the woman claimed she was no longer addicted to morphine. Sakel made the mistake again with another patient and had the same result.
Sakel began “intentionally” testing what became known as insulin coma therapy on drug addicts and patients who suffered from schizophrenia and psychosis. Sakel reported a 90 percent recovery rate. According to Rukovets’ article, “some experts believe that the hefty dose of insulin causes blood sugar levels to plummet, which starves the brain of food and sends the patient into a coma.” The reason this form of therapy was a successful medical procedure for drug addicts and psychiatric patients was unclear.
John Nash, the mathematician and inspiration for the film “A Beautiful Mind,” was given insulin coma therapy as a treatment for his schizophrenia. The therapy was finally determined to be dangerous. About two percent of patients died from the procedure and it was eventually done away with as a medical treatment – thank goodness.The first procedure Rukovets discussed in her article was one I had heard of and one that might have contributed to the death of our first president, George Washington. The procedure is bloodletting. Bloodletting was a common practice in ancient times and lasted until into the 1800s. The procedure called for the removal of large amounts of blood from a patient and was used to treat a variety of illnesses.
Next on Rukovets’ list was hirudotherapy. This treatment was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 and utilizes leeches to remove excess blood and reduce swelling of tissues in a particular area. This procedure is said to allow fresh blood to reach the area to promote healing. Rukovet goes on to discuss the benefits of leech saliva and leech bacterium. Those would not be major topics of discussion for me anyway. And I certainly will not dicuss the possibility of using hirudotherapy in any way, shape or form.
If hirudotherapy isn’t bad enough as a topic of discussion, much less as a procedure, then maggot debridement therapy would be. Maggots may be good at healing wounds, but I will avoid this therapy. The maggots consume the dead flesh and leave live flesh alone. Like leeches for hirudotherpy, the FDA approved the use of maggots in 2004.
Fire cupping was mentioned in the article and it is what it says it is. A vacuum is created by air heated by fire in glass cups that are placed in rows on a patient’s back. This process is described as a “practice of Chinese medicine” and is used to cure bronchial congestion, arthritis and pain. I would think it creates pain rather than relieves pain. According to Rukovets, “available science does not support claims that fire cupping has any health benefits.”
Other strange medical procedures discussed by Rukovets in the article were trepanation, malaria therapy and seizure therapy. Trepanation is drilling a hole in a patient’s skull in order to treat a variety of health problems. Advocates of the procedure believe it is a means to a healthier and longer life. Malaria therapy is not for treating malaria. Instead, it is using the disease to treat other diseases – among them syphilis. Malaria infected blood is injected into a patient to cause a high fever which destroys the syphilis bacteria. I think I would prefer penicillin. Seizure therapy was used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Seizures were induced by injecting coma patients with a mixture of camphor and oil. It was considered too dangerous and discontinued as a therapy.
Finally, the ninth medical procedure Rukovets writes about was laugher therapy. Many people believe in the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.” This procedure is the use of humor to promote overall health, says Rukovet. According to Rukovet, the therapy has been used by doctors as early as the 13th century to distract patients from pain and modern research shows that laughter may have therapeutic value. Norman Cousins, who wrote the book “Anatomy of an Illness” back in 1979, claims to have healed himself from serious illness with laughter combined with vitamins. Some hospitals, according to Rukovets article, provide laughter therapy programs as a complimentary treatment to illness.
I am sure all of these therapies held some value over the years. I would discourage my doctor from proposing the use of any of them except the last one. Laughing always makes people feel better. It sure beats the heck out of leeches , maggots, seizures, fire and malaria. Take some advice from this non-doctor and laugh – laugh a lot.
I have diabetes and often search the Internet for information concerning the use of the medicine in dealing with my disease. I will not, however, use insulin in the manner described by Rukovets in her article.
Rukovets lists nine strange medical practices and No. 9 is “insulin coma therapy.” This procedure was discovered in 1927 by a Viennese physician named Manfred Sakel who accidentally gave one of his diabetic patients an insulin overdose, which sent her into a coma. Once she recovered from the mistake, the woman claimed she was no longer addicted to morphine. Sakel made the mistake again with another patient and had the same result.
Sakel began “intentionally” testing what became known as insulin coma therapy on drug addicts and patients who suffered from schizophrenia and psychosis. Sakel reported a 90 percent recovery rate. According to Rukovets’ article, “some experts believe that the hefty dose of insulin causes blood sugar levels to plummet, which starves the brain of food and sends the patient into a coma.” The reason this form of therapy was a successful medical procedure for drug addicts and psychiatric patients was unclear.
John Nash, the mathematician and inspiration for the film “A Beautiful Mind,” was given insulin coma therapy as a treatment for his schizophrenia. The therapy was finally determined to be dangerous. About two percent of patients died from the procedure and it was eventually done away with as a medical treatment – thank goodness.The first procedure Rukovets discussed in her article was one I had heard of and one that might have contributed to the death of our first president, George Washington. The procedure is bloodletting. Bloodletting was a common practice in ancient times and lasted until into the 1800s. The procedure called for the removal of large amounts of blood from a patient and was used to treat a variety of illnesses.
Next on Rukovets’ list was hirudotherapy. This treatment was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004 and utilizes leeches to remove excess blood and reduce swelling of tissues in a particular area. This procedure is said to allow fresh blood to reach the area to promote healing. Rukovet goes on to discuss the benefits of leech saliva and leech bacterium. Those would not be major topics of discussion for me anyway. And I certainly will not dicuss the possibility of using hirudotherapy in any way, shape or form.
If hirudotherapy isn’t bad enough as a topic of discussion, much less as a procedure, then maggot debridement therapy would be. Maggots may be good at healing wounds, but I will avoid this therapy. The maggots consume the dead flesh and leave live flesh alone. Like leeches for hirudotherpy, the FDA approved the use of maggots in 2004.
Fire cupping was mentioned in the article and it is what it says it is. A vacuum is created by air heated by fire in glass cups that are placed in rows on a patient’s back. This process is described as a “practice of Chinese medicine” and is used to cure bronchial congestion, arthritis and pain. I would think it creates pain rather than relieves pain. According to Rukovets, “available science does not support claims that fire cupping has any health benefits.”
Other strange medical procedures discussed by Rukovets in the article were trepanation, malaria therapy and seizure therapy. Trepanation is drilling a hole in a patient’s skull in order to treat a variety of health problems. Advocates of the procedure believe it is a means to a healthier and longer life. Malaria therapy is not for treating malaria. Instead, it is using the disease to treat other diseases – among them syphilis. Malaria infected blood is injected into a patient to cause a high fever which destroys the syphilis bacteria. I think I would prefer penicillin. Seizure therapy was used in the treatment of schizophrenia. Seizures were induced by injecting coma patients with a mixture of camphor and oil. It was considered too dangerous and discontinued as a therapy.
Finally, the ninth medical procedure Rukovets writes about was laugher therapy. Many people believe in the old adage, “Laughter is the best medicine.” This procedure is the use of humor to promote overall health, says Rukovet. According to Rukovet, the therapy has been used by doctors as early as the 13th century to distract patients from pain and modern research shows that laughter may have therapeutic value. Norman Cousins, who wrote the book “Anatomy of an Illness” back in 1979, claims to have healed himself from serious illness with laughter combined with vitamins. Some hospitals, according to Rukovets article, provide laughter therapy programs as a complimentary treatment to illness.
I am sure all of these therapies held some value over the years. I would discourage my doctor from proposing the use of any of them except the last one. Laughing always makes people feel better. It sure beats the heck out of leeches , maggots, seizures, fire and malaria. Take some advice from this non-doctor and laugh – laugh a lot.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Vampires just aren't the same
Just what is it about vampires that piques our interest?
It is beyond my comprehension, but I have to admit I am right in there with the rest of you when it comes to a good vampire story. Last weekend, I spent time to finish reading “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Then I watched the movie of the same name. It was a strange interpretation of the “creatures of the dark.”
In fact, the creatures do not stay in the dark anymore. They blend right in with the rest of us as long as it is overcast outside. If it is not, they stay inside and tell people they have gone hiking and communing with nature. At least that is what Meyer says in her first book about the vampire family – the “Cullens” – who live in Forks, Wash.
She’s written four books in the series already and had started a fifth. Had started, that is, because it is now on hold. It seems a copy of the draft was released on the internet – something that should not have been done. A writer’s work is his or her own property to control. Anyone involved with the release of the document should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Meyer has released a portion of the story herself for her fans in hopes of giving them a chance to retain a semblance of honesty. I would not have even done that. I would just shelve the project and finish it later. After all, it is not that important to the series. The fifth book is the first book rehashed from the perspective of Edward Cullen – the star vampire of the first book - and I assume the other books as well.
I don’t know whether I will read the other books in the series. I did enjoy the first one. And, I enjoyed the first chapter of the second book that was a tease at the end of the first book. I would not have even read the first book if one of my daughter’s students – Bryce Mickelson – had not sent it to me to read. I do not usually read vampire stories though I will read Kay Hooper books. Hooper’s books are about a special division of the FBI filled with agents with special spooky powers. Usually, I read Lee Child, John Grisham, Stuart Woods, Clive Cussler and James Patterson. I have read just about all of their books and am anxiously awaiting their new releases.
But, I will admit to having an infatuation with vampires – just like the rest of you. I am, however, a traditionalist when it comes to vampires for the most part. I don’t know if I can ever fully accept vampires that can ramble around in the light, that have skin that shines like diamonds in the sun, that have a reflection in mirrors or in photographs or that can live off the blood of animals instead of humans. It does not make a lot of sense to abandon all the traditions of the past that have defined vampires. Vampires are evil.
I have a group of books I received as a present for Christmas – the “Southern Vampire Series” by Charlaine Harris – that I have not started to read. I plan to read them when I get time. I became interested in the books when I started watching the HBO series “True Blood.” The series is set in Louisiana. Now, that is a place where vampires could hide out without notice even if they only came out at night. There are a lot stranger things in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans, than vampires.
But, like Meyer’s vampire stories, Harris’ have some strange twists. The vampires drink synthetic blood developed by Japanese scientist to quench their thirsts and if people inject themselves with vampire blood they trip out like they have just taken some LSD. Harris also includes werewolves, witches and weretigers in her books.
Vampire books are supposed to be filled with horror stories, not new traits. Vampires are not supposed to evolve into super stars. Vampire stories are not supposed to be love stories. I used to understand vampires and knew they were bad creatures. Now, they may be the heroes of the stories. I do not understand them like I once did.
Reading vampire stories has become like watching professional wrestling. You cannot tell the good guys from the bad guys. You can no longer know when a finishing move is really a finishing move. In the earlier days of my youth, wrestlers never escaped the sleeper hold or the figure four leg lock. I blame Hulk Hogan for ruining the sleeper hold as a finishing move. I don’t remember the first wrestler I saw “reverse” a figure four leg lock, but I blame him too.
Now, I guess I will blame Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris for ruining vampires. What’s next? Will the Frankenstein Monster do a song and dance. No, wait, “Young Frankenstein” ruined that already.
It is beyond my comprehension, but I have to admit I am right in there with the rest of you when it comes to a good vampire story. Last weekend, I spent time to finish reading “Twilight” by Stephenie Meyer. Then I watched the movie of the same name. It was a strange interpretation of the “creatures of the dark.”
In fact, the creatures do not stay in the dark anymore. They blend right in with the rest of us as long as it is overcast outside. If it is not, they stay inside and tell people they have gone hiking and communing with nature. At least that is what Meyer says in her first book about the vampire family – the “Cullens” – who live in Forks, Wash.
She’s written four books in the series already and had started a fifth. Had started, that is, because it is now on hold. It seems a copy of the draft was released on the internet – something that should not have been done. A writer’s work is his or her own property to control. Anyone involved with the release of the document should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.
Meyer has released a portion of the story herself for her fans in hopes of giving them a chance to retain a semblance of honesty. I would not have even done that. I would just shelve the project and finish it later. After all, it is not that important to the series. The fifth book is the first book rehashed from the perspective of Edward Cullen – the star vampire of the first book - and I assume the other books as well.
I don’t know whether I will read the other books in the series. I did enjoy the first one. And, I enjoyed the first chapter of the second book that was a tease at the end of the first book. I would not have even read the first book if one of my daughter’s students – Bryce Mickelson – had not sent it to me to read. I do not usually read vampire stories though I will read Kay Hooper books. Hooper’s books are about a special division of the FBI filled with agents with special spooky powers. Usually, I read Lee Child, John Grisham, Stuart Woods, Clive Cussler and James Patterson. I have read just about all of their books and am anxiously awaiting their new releases.
But, I will admit to having an infatuation with vampires – just like the rest of you. I am, however, a traditionalist when it comes to vampires for the most part. I don’t know if I can ever fully accept vampires that can ramble around in the light, that have skin that shines like diamonds in the sun, that have a reflection in mirrors or in photographs or that can live off the blood of animals instead of humans. It does not make a lot of sense to abandon all the traditions of the past that have defined vampires. Vampires are evil.
I have a group of books I received as a present for Christmas – the “Southern Vampire Series” by Charlaine Harris – that I have not started to read. I plan to read them when I get time. I became interested in the books when I started watching the HBO series “True Blood.” The series is set in Louisiana. Now, that is a place where vampires could hide out without notice even if they only came out at night. There are a lot stranger things in Louisiana, especially in New Orleans, than vampires.
But, like Meyer’s vampire stories, Harris’ have some strange twists. The vampires drink synthetic blood developed by Japanese scientist to quench their thirsts and if people inject themselves with vampire blood they trip out like they have just taken some LSD. Harris also includes werewolves, witches and weretigers in her books.
Vampire books are supposed to be filled with horror stories, not new traits. Vampires are not supposed to evolve into super stars. Vampire stories are not supposed to be love stories. I used to understand vampires and knew they were bad creatures. Now, they may be the heroes of the stories. I do not understand them like I once did.
Reading vampire stories has become like watching professional wrestling. You cannot tell the good guys from the bad guys. You can no longer know when a finishing move is really a finishing move. In the earlier days of my youth, wrestlers never escaped the sleeper hold or the figure four leg lock. I blame Hulk Hogan for ruining the sleeper hold as a finishing move. I don’t remember the first wrestler I saw “reverse” a figure four leg lock, but I blame him too.
Now, I guess I will blame Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris for ruining vampires. What’s next? Will the Frankenstein Monster do a song and dance. No, wait, “Young Frankenstein” ruined that already.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Old way or new, it's just bingo
It will never happen here – at least not for a while. It is still a sore subject. But, just what is wrong with electronic bingo?
The subject has caused quite a stir around the state recently with Governor Bob Riley appointing a task force on “illegal gambling.” This group recently made a raid on the White Hall bingo hall – carrying away over $500,000 in cash and about 100 machines. Why? Isn’t bingo legal in Lowndes County? Didn’t we vote on a constitutional amendment not too long ago to make it legal in White Hall?
Gov. Riley said, “yes” that we voted and “no” that it is not legal.
What?
Gov. Riley says the machines are illegal because they are “slot machines.”
Well, I have to agree that they do resemble “slot machines.” However, they sure do not work like any “slot machines” I have seen.
If you have ever been to VictoryLand in Shorter, you understand the difference. Or if you have been to any of the Creek Indian bingo halls you understand the difference. The machines Gov. Riley is trying to get declared illegal are just electronic bingo machines. They are tied to bingo cards that are in the upper corner of each machine. You may choose to play the video-like or spinning reel games the machines have or you can touch the card in the corner and bore yourself to death watching balls drop and spots darkened on the card.
You still do not understand?
Well, let me tell you this . . . get three triple diamonds or sizzling sevens in a row and see what happens. Many people may think they have just won the jackpot – the progressive jackpot with the tons of dollars that come with it. In most cases, that is wrong. You could win anywhere from $1 to a million dollar jackpot. Why? Because it is bingo. You have to get the correct winning bingo on the card that is at the top of the machine. Simply getting a straight line of numbers covered will not give you the big jackpot. Getting four corners will not do it. Getting a small cross bingo isn’t the right one either. In most cases, it requires that you get a “K” bingo – that’s a straight bingo down the first column and diagonal numbers from the center to the top right and bottom right corners.
I’ve seen people get excited when they did not pay attention to the card they were playing and when they saw the triple diamonds or whatever the high dollar symbol is on the machine fall in place. They screamed loud enough to wake the dead and bust the eardrums of anyone close by. Then they found out they didn’t win the big money and were disappointed.
But, that’s bingo. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
Gov. Riley says there is no such thing as “electronic bingo.” He says bingo has to be played with paper sheets, a marking pen of some nature and a guy, or gal, sitting on a stage reading out numbers from balls blown or tumbled through some other device. How boring is that? Apparently, Gov. Riley has not been introduced into modern society where we play Wii. We can play football, baseball, basketball, bowling, tennis, golf and many other games with a Wii – even bingo may be played on many electronic games. Oh, you say that’s okay because it is free? Well, apparently you haven’t purchased on of those electronic game devices, like Wii, that allow you to play all of those games.
Gov. Riley cannot even get Alabama Attorney General Troy King to agree with him about electronic bingo. King believes it is legal to play “electronic versions” of bingo. He says, in his view, the games must include a bingo grid, competition against other players and a winner for every game. That sounds like the machines I’ve seen in Shorter. Some of the machines even tell you when there are not enough people to play the game – though that is rare.
The best thing the governor can do is to quit worrying about people playing bingo on electronic devices and just tax the devices and the money the people win. Our state is in bad need of money. Ask our school systems, Medicaid programs and transportation department if there is enough tax money coming in.
Georgia, Tennessee and Florida surround us to the north, south and east and all have lotteries. Mississippi borders us to the west and it has casino gambling. Guess what? Those states collect taxes from those ventures. They aren’t out paying a couple of lawyers $450,000 to act as deputy attorney generals outside of King’s office, and control, to represent the state in court against electronic bingo during a time of proration.
Gov. Riley, there are just too many other things to worry about instead of whether folks are playing bingo – either old-style or the modern way.
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