Point Made

Let's Have Another Cup Of Coffee I have been drinking coffee since I was a teenager. Early morning I would witness my father getting up and brewing coffee in a percolator. This was a stovetop pot with a stem that perched on a concave dish. This allowed the water to bubble up through the stem and disperse across a basket of ground coffee. The time it took to pour a perfect cup from this device? The time it took to shave. He would then pour two cups. One he drank with his breakfast. The other cup would then be cool enough to gulp down as he left the house. No go-cups for him. Later, I attended St Edwards High School in Cleveland Ohio. We took the city bus to school. We usually had plenty of time to go to the cafeteria and drink a cup or two of Joe. It was dispensed out of a huge pot with the cream already mixed in. I think the idea was to provide nutrition while they woke us up before class time. It was Folgers and Economy grind from the...

Be Careful What You Wish For . I know that most of you have heard enough about my current health condition. Let's face it there is no more juice in that orange. No, today I'm switching the emphasis to something else that's I'm kind of tired of. Why are there so many streaming services?  Complete disclosure. A few years ago I was one of those people that lauded Netflix and Amazon for the quality and width of their offerings. What I didn't see coming is all of their competitors following their lead. I hear someone talking about a new series they are streaming. The premise for the series sounds great. I know of some of the actors. The problem is that it's streamed on Acorn or Britbox or some other services that I don't have access.  All of these platforms have a monthly subscription charge. Here's the thing, most of them have an introductory 7-day free offer. If you plan properly and the series you're interested in isn't Game of Thrones o...

Yes, It's cold (Now get over it) If I hear one more bellyaching remark, pathetic tweet or groaning plea about Wisconsin's cold winter, I'm going to apply for a concealed carry permit. It's is abundantly clear that it is cold. Oh, gee the planets rotating. Look it's light out almost every morning and afternoon now. I wonder if everyone feels the cold and other mindblowing certainties. Jonny Carson said three variations of the same joke are enough. How cold is it Johnny? It was so cold you could freeze an egg on your sidewalk. It's so cold the penguins are building fires to stay warm. It's so cold an Eskimo rubbed noses with his wife and their noses shattered. Yeah, I know. I don't think those one-liners are particularly funny either. This weather cycle we are in of extreme cold than voluminous snowfall then back to cold is probably due to a butterfly flapping its wings in some far off location at an inappropriate time. Who knows? I f...

I Can See Clearly Now Jeff Jordan No, I have not fallen into a coma which has rendered me to a semipermanent vegetative state. My malady is a far more serious assault on my cognitive health. I completed the second six-week long treatment of an infection that requires six intravenous applications of antibiotics a day. Because these injections require a nurse to administer them, I’m regulated to be a patient in a skilled nursing home. I could not get a bed at  The Recovery Inn where I received the first six weeks of treatment. I’m currently a patient at Rennes which is both a skilled nursing facility and long term care facility. My problem is not being caused by the infection. I have what might be defined as an environmental issue. The television signal is supplied by cable, (Spectrum). While it does present all of the local stations and the usual suspects like The History Channel, ESPN, and Golf, It does not permit me to DVD any programs, and it doesn’t show the TV schedul...

It's always confounding to see people, who we believe should know better, who slavishly supporting a cause, person, or organization when it doesn't seem to be in their best interest. Liberals shook their heads in dismay as throughout the eighties until today a large part of the Democratic base started voting Republican. This group of mostly white men claimed it was for a number of reasons. Be it prayer in school, abortion, patriotism or gun rights, they sent people into political office that continuously voted for legislation that cut programs that benefitted this group. Be it tax legislation that favored people who were comparatively wealthy or a failure to deliver on the social issues they campaigned on, their record didn't help the disenfranchised white voter, and yet they continued to support them. When President Bill Clinton's affair with a white house intern became the all-encompassing story, conservatives pressed the incident until they...

Someone on Facebook asked their readers what was the most memorable book they read when they were young. I answered with little hesitance with "The Black Stallion" series by Walter Farley. I No doubt Farley was influenced by the worldwide success of Anna Sewels, "Black Beauty". She, unfortunately, passed away five months after she published.  At the age of ten, Farley's tales of his protagonist, Black Beauty's adventures of hardship and triumph influenced me in ways that persist even today. His stories took place when horses were the major form of transportation. Black Beauty and his protege were used and abused in many roles from racing to cart pulling, in city and country and in peace and war. By reading these books, I acquired a love for horses that has stayed with me. No horse could have lived through all of the situations Farly put his through. But I like so many others, loved that horse and couldn't wait until the next book came ou...

I was admitted to The Recovery Inn on October 27th. I was allowed to go home on December 6th. During that period I experienced the finest care one could hope for. The professional staff of nurses and assitents were outstanding. The food, from a varied menu, was excellent. The rehab treatments from both physical and occupational therapy were rigorous but helpful. In other words, if you need to go to rehab post operation, this is the place you want to end up. It was pure luck I got admitted. On the day I was to be released from the hospital there happened to be an opening at The Recovery Inn. This facility services a group of orthopedic doctors who own the hospital and the rehab unit. Many of their patients are replacement knee and hip procedures. Normally patients are in rehab for about three days. With only twelve rooms in the rehab unit, their census goes up and down at a rapid pace. At one point, for one night only, I was the only patient in...