short notes:
will brady's ruminations
will brady's ruminations
2004-12-16
QUALITY OF LIFE
Face to Face with Mortality | Sylvester had to be put to sleep today. Euthanized, that is …why resort to euphemism? About a month and a half ago he’d been diagnosed with diabetes. Then hope was that he’d be able to adapt to twice daily shots of insulin and a more regulated diet and love for at least a couple more years | Sadly, this wasn’t to be the case |
Last week, Sylvester's health took a dramatic turn for the worse | His blood sugar levels was way through the roof; he seemed almost comatose | We took him to the vet | Although we'd asked "no heroic measures" the vets thought they could stabilize 'Vester' and he'd be able to live a couple of years longer |
And while it did not seem they were doing anything out of the ordinary in their interventions, by last night it was apparent that anything was an "heroic measure" | The ketone stick test showed brown | This morning, it was back to the vets and to put him down | Bill stayed home; good thing | I would not have been able to get him back home afterwards | Went right from there to work | Returning later to pick him up for burial ~ Bill's not keen on cremation |
Now, one would think the death of a small animal wouldn't do much to affect me | He wasn't even my cat | But I had cared for him when Bill was in the hospital for almost 10 months, and we'd gotten close as it were | After being there to hold him with getting a lethal injection [it took almost no time to take effect], then spending may 30 minutes talking with the doc, the ride to work was entirely spent releasing just sheer mental exhaustion | ¶ 22:13 0 comments
Face to Face with Mortality | Sylvester had to be put to sleep today. Euthanized, that is …why resort to euphemism? About a month and a half ago he’d been diagnosed with diabetes. Then hope was that he’d be able to adapt to twice daily shots of insulin and a more regulated diet and love for at least a couple more years | Sadly, this wasn’t to be the case |
Last week, Sylvester's health took a dramatic turn for the worse | His blood sugar levels was way through the roof; he seemed almost comatose | We took him to the vet | Although we'd asked "no heroic measures" the vets thought they could stabilize 'Vester' and he'd be able to live a couple of years longer |
And while it did not seem they were doing anything out of the ordinary in their interventions, by last night it was apparent that anything was an "heroic measure" | The ketone stick test showed brown | This morning, it was back to the vets and to put him down | Bill stayed home; good thing | I would not have been able to get him back home afterwards | Went right from there to work | Returning later to pick him up for burial ~ Bill's not keen on cremation |
Now, one would think the death of a small animal wouldn't do much to affect me | He wasn't even my cat | But I had cared for him when Bill was in the hospital for almost 10 months, and we'd gotten close as it were | After being there to hold him with getting a lethal injection [it took almost no time to take effect], then spending may 30 minutes talking with the doc, the ride to work was entirely spent releasing just sheer mental exhaustion | ¶ 22:13 0 comments
URBAN PLANNING
Although I live in the hinterlands [well, about as far as one could go in Connecticut] my concern about cities and urban environments is keen | For without thriving urban settings, the preservation of pristine open spaces is all the more at risk |
So it was with pleasure that I found City Comforts Blog recently | It's a thoughtful, well written and information packed site ~ indeed, a generous resource for those looking for more about community planning, livable space and our relationship with the planet | Worth the visit and study |
Although I live in the hinterlands [well, about as far as one could go in Connecticut] my concern about cities and urban environments is keen | For without thriving urban settings, the preservation of pristine open spaces is all the more at risk |
So it was with pleasure that I found City Comforts Blog recently | It's a thoughtful, well written and information packed site ~ indeed, a generous resource for those looking for more about community planning, livable space and our relationship with the planet | Worth the visit and study |
ANOTHER INTERESTING SITE: Urban Cartography and an article about the wrong way to do urban planning, The Destruction of Paris
¶ 08:16 0 comments
2004-12-14
CLIMATE CHANGE
RealClimate "...is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science."
I find it altogether troubling that parties in power run about denying the links between abrupt climate change and unfettered pollution of the atmosphere | Troubling, though not surprising | For when we are ruled by folks of mediocre intellect yet incalculable ambition, it should be expected that such individuals would disparage and truths that contradict their perceptions of the world | Taking this into consideration, the rest of us need to bear this intentional ignorance in mind yet remain determined to work around it |
No group remains in power forever | When this bunch are hauled out [in whatever manner] we need to be prepared to mop up the damage they've done | One aspect of this is to remain educated about information that is essential to know in order to combat those gaffes committed |
Dealing with dramatic climate change is one area that needs attention | This website provides a portal on directly communicating with others equally interested in knowing the "whats, hows, and whys" of global climate change | We'll need this interchange of ideas and information to be rady to clean up afterwards | RealClimate | ¶ 22:08 0 comments
RealClimate "...is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science."
I find it altogether troubling that parties in power run about denying the links between abrupt climate change and unfettered pollution of the atmosphere | Troubling, though not surprising | For when we are ruled by folks of mediocre intellect yet incalculable ambition, it should be expected that such individuals would disparage and truths that contradict their perceptions of the world | Taking this into consideration, the rest of us need to bear this intentional ignorance in mind yet remain determined to work around it |
No group remains in power forever | When this bunch are hauled out [in whatever manner] we need to be prepared to mop up the damage they've done | One aspect of this is to remain educated about information that is essential to know in order to combat those gaffes committed |
Dealing with dramatic climate change is one area that needs attention | This website provides a portal on directly communicating with others equally interested in knowing the "whats, hows, and whys" of global climate change | We'll need this interchange of ideas and information to be rady to clean up afterwards | RealClimate | ¶ 22:08 0 comments
2004-12-13
2004-12-12
OTHER VOICES
A World without borders? |
| Why not, asks "just an inkling" who is only freshly cutting his weblog wings [apparently his first month journaling online]
In a recent missive he provides some food for thought:
A World without borders? |
| Why not, asks "just an inkling" who is only freshly cutting his weblog wings [apparently his first month journaling online]
In a recent missive he provides some food for thought:
"What we need is a world without national borders! ...In the future people will look back at the way we currently place and police borders around nations the same way that we now look back and reflect on who ridiculous placing and policing boarders around villages was in the Middle Ages.I look forward reading his missives in the future | ¶ 23:38 1 comments
But won’t removing borders make everyone from poor counties move to rich ones? Won’t people in Somalia who have no food will start trekking to Europe where there is so much food that it is used as fertilizer? Won’t people in Indonesia being paid pennies an hour in Nike factories move to North America where they can earn enough in an hour feed their family at home for a month? Won’t the entire world order break down if we do away with borders?
Well yes – and that is exactly why we should do it!If people being paid pennies in Indonesia start making their way to the USA, Nike may have to increase wages in Indonesia so there is an incentive to stay.If people from Somalia start trekking to Paris and London, Europe might not only see the importance of doing more about getting food to Somalia, but also might start doing a lot more to help that nation develop a viable economy and infrastructure. Of course this will cost the developed nations – but why not – remember the underdeveloped world is poor because we are rich."
INSTITUTIONAL CHRISTMAS
51 boys of various ages slept in three rooms | Each got a foot locker and a storage cubby for personal belongings | Clothing ~ outside of special personal items, were found in dresser drawers according to item and sizes |
We nevertheless did not feel uncared for | There were plenty of Counselors around to speak to; lots of other kids to keep one company |
The Counselors cautioned us to be wary of townfolks | Told us they distrusted "...the kids from the home..." | For those of us who attended the public school, this was no surprise | We frequently got accused of stealing or causing other problems, or being told that we were "slow" in that tone literally dripping with an edge |
But the townfolk were different at Christmas | During the holidays, there were events even on school nights | Extra venison got donated to the Home so we feasted | A plethora of public-spirited organizations hosted parties; some in the main cafeteria in Stoddard Hall | Others were held at the Elks Club, Oddfellows, Lions and Masonic Lodges ~ even at the Catholic Church in town ~ some five miles up the road | After each party, we'd all come home with our own gift stockings, which the Counselors let us keep | I remember when Walter, my next door bunkmate, got sick from eating all the candy in his gifts in a single sitting |
Once the holiday season was over, things got back to normal again | No more invitations until the Fourth of July | The other school kids make sure we knew we were pariah | And village shopkeepers resumed watching us closer when we walked up the aisles unattended, just in case we were in the mood to shoplift | So much for Christmas Spirit |
Point being, it isn't celebrating the holidays with us that's as important as the Gift of getting to know one another as human beings | A gift that ~ all too often ~ never gets unwrapped |
51 boys of various ages slept in three rooms | Each got a foot locker and a storage cubby for personal belongings | Clothing ~ outside of special personal items, were found in dresser drawers according to item and sizes |
We nevertheless did not feel uncared for | There were plenty of Counselors around to speak to; lots of other kids to keep one company |
The Counselors cautioned us to be wary of townfolks | Told us they distrusted "...the kids from the home..." | For those of us who attended the public school, this was no surprise | We frequently got accused of stealing or causing other problems, or being told that we were "slow" in that tone literally dripping with an edge |
But the townfolk were different at Christmas | During the holidays, there were events even on school nights | Extra venison got donated to the Home so we feasted | A plethora of public-spirited organizations hosted parties; some in the main cafeteria in Stoddard Hall | Others were held at the Elks Club, Oddfellows, Lions and Masonic Lodges ~ even at the Catholic Church in town ~ some five miles up the road | After each party, we'd all come home with our own gift stockings, which the Counselors let us keep | I remember when Walter, my next door bunkmate, got sick from eating all the candy in his gifts in a single sitting |
Once the holiday season was over, things got back to normal again | No more invitations until the Fourth of July | The other school kids make sure we knew we were pariah | And village shopkeepers resumed watching us closer when we walked up the aisles unattended, just in case we were in the mood to shoplift | So much for Christmas Spirit |
Point being, it isn't celebrating the holidays with us that's as important as the Gift of getting to know one another as human beings | A gift that ~ all too often ~ never gets unwrapped |
DISCLOSURE: [1] The altered images are based on archival photos of a real place where I lived when I was a kid [2] Names and some specifics have been altered to mask the instiution's actual identity [3] The kids in the color picture are not, as far as I know, actually institutionalized souls | I found the image off the internet, and it seemed to evince what I was looking for; a gaggle of teen-aged kids in a group that some would find threatening, even if they are not |
¶ 16:35 0 comments
FITNESS
Back to the Gym | Finally!
I do miss my old trainer, Angelo | He's no long training or working out where I've got a membership | Management canned him after he got into a big arguement with a slutty patron ~ they ought to have banned her a well-to-do married woman with a jealous husband, but she's hitting on just about every guy with blood in his veins |
Angelo's knowledge and personality are really missed, though probably appreciated at the gym where he now works out |
Can't say I think much abut the new exercise / supplements promotion at the gym, either | All the adverts on the walls [however well designed they are typographically] make me feel like I'm in a grocery store | BUT...I need the gym right now to get back into the discipline of the thing, and this gym has a wide assortment of equipment to use | Once I'm back and exercising regularly, I can re-evaluate my membership options | ¶ 08:32 0 comments
Back to the Gym | Finally!
I do miss my old trainer, Angelo | He's no long training or working out where I've got a membership | Management canned him after he got into a big arguement with a slutty patron ~ they ought to have banned her a well-to-do married woman with a jealous husband, but she's hitting on just about every guy with blood in his veins |
Angelo's knowledge and personality are really missed, though probably appreciated at the gym where he now works out |
Can't say I think much abut the new exercise / supplements promotion at the gym, either | All the adverts on the walls [however well designed they are typographically] make me feel like I'm in a grocery store | BUT...I need the gym right now to get back into the discipline of the thing, and this gym has a wide assortment of equipment to use | Once I'm back and exercising regularly, I can re-evaluate my membership options | ¶ 08:32 0 comments
