So far, 2016 has not been kind to Your Humble Scribe. January was the Retinal Vein Occlusion; February debuted My First Kidney Stone.
Yay. Let us not ever do that again.
We have, however, learned that I am still a lightweight when it comes to narcotics. 0.5 mg of dihydromorphinone via IV puts me right to sleep.
Hopefully we’re getting all the medical stuff out of the way early in the year.
In other news, Judge Antonin Scalia has Passed On. Since Judge Scalia was 79, had a bad heart, and had spent the previous day hunting quail in West Texas … this is not a surprise.
The surprise, though, was the political donnybrook that immediately broke out. Whoo. Looked a lot like jackals fighting over the corpse of a lion.
And while both sides did absolutely nothing to bring honour upon themselves, I have to say that the level of hypocrisy shown by the Democrats has been awe-inspiring.
And by “awe-inspiring” I mean they managed to gob-smack me on two different levels.
First: Listen, guys. You can’t bawl like a kicked pup when the other team does unto you what you’ve already done unto them. Sauce for the goose really is sauce for the gander. Suck it up.
Second: I’ve never seen the Democrat philosophy regarding the Constitution so clearly displayed. When it comes to gun control, or immigration, or a Supreme Court nomination by a Republican president, the Constitution is “out-dated”, and should be considered a “living document” that provides “guidelines” for government.
Yet, when it comes to this, the Constitution is a “sacred document” which should be “followed to the last jot and tittle”.
Wow.
It’s one or the other, children. Make up your tiny little minds.
I’m off to the retina doctor. See y’all around.
LawDog
The bit that leaves me snarling is that the Repub side indicating an intent to block anything – while obnoxious until we see who the nom actually IS – is still constitutional. Checks and balances are kinda the point. Yes, the President has authority to nominate judges. Yes, the Senate has the authority to confirm or deny. Yes, the people elected Obama with the 'mandate of the people' that goes with that. But that does not mean that the Senate has to do whatever he says, because guess what! They were elected by the people too!
The whole thing just makes me sad.
To be fair, both sides are strict constructionists until being so goes against what they want.
Always annoys me to hear the Constitution referred to as Sacred. Its a secular document, it is very much meant for dealing with the world. It is not making any promise about the next world, and has a clause against religious requirements for office.
Sorry to learn you have met Mr Kidney Stone. Just wait, the gallbladder's next! (Hope not, but it is pretty common.)
That, plus the monkeys flinging poo in the "debate" Saturday. Still hangin' with Cruz, dispite some excrement managing to stick here and there.The others seem more heavily encrusted,IMO.
You wanna borrow a few BP pills? You may need them before this is over… And the hypocrisy and conspiracy nuts are in full song on this mess too… Sigh
Dude. Get with the postmodernist times. We deny objective truth so we can adapt the truth to support the exercise of power du jour.
If there's no such thing as objective truth, why would anyone expect consistency?
The Democrats haven't been much concarned with consistency for some time. Say, since deciding that "States Rights" made a good talking point AFTER they pushed through the Fugitive Slave Act that forced the North to respect slave laws.
My answer to the "living document" babble is always "Yes, it is a livng document. That is because it includes a carefully spelled out process for amendment. If you aren't prepared to USE that process to make the changes you want, kindly f*ck off, you anarchistic scofflaw."
'Dog, I had my first kidney stone last August. It was…memorable. As I told a friend, it got my attention.
My dad had his first kidney stone attack about age 40. Second, and last, about age 48. Lived to 81. No one else in any part of the family has had them. Think positive!
It sounds like your body may be a touched miffed with you for some reason (in some cases, the reason is along the the lines of "you exist"). Hopefully it will settle down and be nice, though with things like this I wouldn't advise holding your breath.
Scalia, R.I.P. The current fertilizer storm is yet another reason I am careful about how much news I take in, particularly in election years; it has a tendency to necessitate Blood pressure meds for me.
Just discovered you're back! Hooray! Sorry about the health probs; hope you're feeling better.
See what happens when you leave off blogging regularly?
You go blind and start peeing blood.
Re: kidney stones
Per the trade news, about 1/3rd are caused by too much calcium in your diet (milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.).
About 2/3rds are caused by GOK (God Only Knows), and for the discoverer of their reason of origin, a Nobel Prize in Medicine and a nice stipend awaits in Oslo.
Best advice purely anecdotally after suffering three of the damned things, is to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. No recurrence since learning that lesson.
Yes, that will necessitate more frequent trips to the urinal, but given the news about Scalia and the resultant oratory and mock outrage, take the newspaper with you into the restroom, the better to provide you with handy photographic targets for all that extra output.
Best wishes for speedy recoveries on all fronts.
I hope the best for you at the retnia doctor.
I have had kidney stones that passed. OUCH!
I also had to have eight removed
Kidney stones… that stabbing stiletto like pain from a 340000v plasma torch.
The cure is beer according to my Dad. He always consumed a quart a day and never had the damn things.
I have found that hydration with rooibos iced tea is the way to go.
Since I have never had kidney stones, I have no opinion on their … "level of discomfort". From all accounts, I really, Really, REALLY don't want to have first-hand experience.
As to the death of Justice Scalia: You're surprised at the yelling, screaming and moaning about a possible nomination? Really?
Look, I know that Bugscuffle is somewhat… insulated from the "Beltway", but really? Viewing with alarm, vituperation, straining at fleas, and swallowing camels is what passes for "normal" inside the beltway, and hyperbole on both sides is also "normal".
So why, Lawdog, are you so surprised?
The most common stones are calcium oxalate. They're actually associated with a diet low in calcium, but the most important mineral to supplement is magnesium with potassium in next place. Use the citrates, titrate the magnesium dose to bowel tolerance (hint: in excessive doses it's laxative.)
Murray and Pizzorno's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine has good and well supported dietary and supplement recommendations for the various types of stones as well as good ideas for other issues.
happy friends day