So Far, The Doctor Is Fine

I am not impressed by doctors... I consider them to be (smart) human body mechanics. And I think my doctor is a little intimidated by me for some reason, perhaps it's because of the exchange we had over how long I would wait to see one.

I make an appointment and I expect the doctor to adhere to it as I do. Therefore, I wait a half hour past the designated time. If I don't get in by then I leave and demand my co-pay (if any) back. I also tell the staff how long I will wait... after 15 minutes... mostly to "light a fire" under them. My first appointment was a touch over 20 minutes late and I let the staff know I would wait another 10 minutes... I was seen a minute later.

I consider my time to be valuable also.

But to get back to my theme: the doctor gave me a prescription for some pills that might help (basically, seasickness treatment), is referring me to an ENT,and for a CT scan.

We might make some progress.

My Life May As Well Be Over

I have had to give up playing golf. Something is wrong with me that's affecting my balance and it has become impossible to play the game. Hopefully, my doctor can figure out the problem and get me the needed treatment.

I suspect it is an inner ear problem but I do not know that for sure. I have been confused and addled more lately than I have ever been, leading me to consider the problem may be neurological.

Sorry

All I could think of for today was political in nature. But I wonder when some news outlet will begin to refer to terror groups as "death cults" since that is what they really seem to be... nothing else seems to fit the mindset of their purpose. And, certainly, the ones attracted to them seem bent on their own deaths and the deaths of others. All a death cult offers is a reason...

And I thought about the picture of the three men in that Brussels airport and how some speculate the third man (on the right) was thought to be part of the group and, possibly, the one who left a suicide belt at the airport. I considered that he might have been there to ensure the other two followed the plan and, when they did, dumped his belt.

Monday

Big things going on today: Obama heads to Cuba... along with a number of (no doubt) connected businessfolks interested in doing business on that island.

Also, Apple is announcing updated versions of the iPad and iPhone. This will be met with awe and wonder by Appleheads (who will form huge lines outside of Apple stores) and indifference by the rest of us. But phone makers all over the world will want to put out updated versions of their own phones to compete with Apple. Apple is, after all, the Big Dog in phones and tablets now.

But not so long ago there were in serious trouble and needed an infusion of cash... which they got from Bill Gates.

Funny how the world works...

Politics

A lot of talking heads on TV are nattering about  "brokered" or "contested" conventions. They seem to be fixated on the Dump Trump campaign.. which is fine. But they don't seem to care about the Democratic campaign and its potential for problems at their convention. I understand the angst of the Republican establishment over the Trump popularity.

Sanders supporters are quite vocal and seemingly unwilling to shift their allegiance to Hillary. I remember the riots at the Democratic convention in Chicago in 1968 and think the Dems are more likely to create havoc at their convention this summer than Reps. Hillary has these "super-delegates" and Sanders has a real uphill battle overcoming them.

I guess we will find out in the summer.

The Bike Thing Is Okay

I wasn't sure the biking to the Y would work okay but it's fine. I am still a little shaky on the bike but no falls and no injuries... so far.

And the 10 minute ride to the Y is working out also. I don't need a warm-up before my exercises since the bike ride does that so I have cut out the warm-up on the elliptical machine and moved right to the exercising.

I'm not bragging since I have not increased the weights on most of the machines as far as I should have by now but that will come. It's not having much effect on my golf game yet but that, too, will come... I hope.

Life is good.

Thinking Back

I was contemplating all the falls, scrapes, and mishaps in my life when I was a young boy in Farmingdale.

There was the time my we (mostly neighborhood kids) took a plank about 10 feet long, put some little red wagon wheels on it and rode it down the hill in front of my house. I might have been 5 or 6 years old and I'm sure it wasn't my idea.

Anyway, my brother and sister were on it and everything went fine until it veered toward the curb... we had no way to steer it and, of course, no brakes so we rammed into the curb and everyone was thrown off and landed in the dirt and tar of the road. Of course we mostly sustained abrasions ("road rash") but no one broke any bones.

My brother, sister, and I ended up getting scrubbed in the family bathtub together and I am sure many of the other kids also ended up in similar situations.

Or the time my brother decided I should fight the youngest boy of the Joyce kids who lived down the block. We ended up fighting in the Joyce's driveway with his brothers and my brother egging us on. My mother broke that up, dragging me by the ear back home. I remember I was winning when Mom showed up.

Or the time my brother pulled me out of the maple tree in front of our house down to the ground.

Or the time he threw a rock at me from behind and hit me in the back of the head. Head wounds bleed profusely, don't they? No stitches, though, that would have meant a trip to the doctor and those cost money.

I only bring these up because I have a new vehicle now. I wanted something to take to the Y where I exercise three days a week. It's not far, about a mile, so I bought a used bicycle. They say you never forget how to ride one but I am very wobbly on it. It does get me there and I don't need a warm-up period anymore now since the ride is sufficient.

I can't help feeling that I am overdue for a mishap that results in more abrasions.

SPAM!

I was going to talk about time and, specifically, about wristwatches but I have already done that... just search this site for "wristwatch" and you'll see.

I get lots of spam. Not for my primary email addy and not for the one linked to this blog but for one that I use only occasionally. It is one I gave to the Mercedes dealer when I purchased that little beauty I no longer own. I won't tell you what it is but suffice it to say it doesn't get put out much.

That's why the spam is so noticeable and it started increasing heavily right after I bought the Mercedes... which likely means they are the purveyers of email address lists, that they sold my email address to spammers.

One of those spammers is called bit.ly and they are scum. All spammers are scum, of course, but bit.ly is the worst. They continue to send spam on the part of various companies (all scum also) and do not hopnor their alleged "unsubscribe" listing.

I finally got angry enough to open a Twitter account just so I could blast bit.ly on it.

I won't go into what I wrote in that tweet but it contained language I would never use on this blog.

I cannot encourage you to do the same but I would hope you would... these scum do not deserve any respect whatsoever.