Tag:health | The Fireside Post health | The Fireside Post
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All Posts Tagged With: "health"

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A Few Thoughts On Tiger Woods Recent DUI

From a friend: A few thoughts on Tiger Woods. Regardless of whether you like him or not and for whatever reason you like him or not, I think the police dodged a bullet on this one. We’ve all seen the videos, some of you may see a drunk, some may see a drug addict, some […]

4Jun2017 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Life After Tuberculosis

As suggested by a good friend and cousin of mine, I will try to shine a light on a personal experience regarding Tuberculosis, the “Curse of King Tut”. The year was 1965 early Autumn. My mother’s estranged husband was taken to Mount Vernon, MO. This was at the time a ‘sanitarium’ for individuals with ‘lung […]

31Oct2015 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Stop Fighting

Most of us do not know how to fight.  Sadly, most of us think we do know.  We are proud of our wit, our sarcasm, our humor at the expense of others.  If not, then we act as if we are in control – proudly and falsely saying that we would not ‘stoop to that […]

9Oct2015 | | Comments Off on Stop Fighting | Continued
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Dead Body Found in Woods

I am cleaning my office.  Stacks of paper, piles of books, new book shelves – there is not enough room.  So I am compelled to throw something away.  This ritual is not done arbitrarily – I have to look at everything and rethink the value.  I came across an old news clipping.  It has no […]

4May2010 | | Comments Off on Dead Body Found in Woods | Continued
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The 2010 U. S. Health Care National Nightmare

Watch this video, please.  Please comment:   Which side of the argument does this video support?  GOP?  Democrats?  Tea Baggers?  The American people? Please watch and comment – warning – there is graphic language. Health Care: Our National Nightmare Atom.com: Funny Videos | Spoofs | President Obama

7Apr2010 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Addicted to Chocolate

I am all about chocolate.  With a desperate last effort to lose weight before my knees collapse from the sheer force of gravity I am coming to the reality that I may be a chocoholic.  Normally I am offended by the ‘oholic’ suffix because it is just so cliche’.  My present medical condition seems to […]

28Mar2010 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Marching for Health Reform

THE     P R E S I D E N T ’ S     P L AN    F O R    HE A L T H    R E F O RM “At this moment, we are being called upon to fulfill our duty to the citizens of this nation and to future generations… I don’t […]

18Mar2010 | | Comments Off on Marching for Health Reform | Continued
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Canadians Have ‘Canadian Style’ Health System

What does it mean to have a Canadian Style Health System.  Steven Colbert has managed to qualify the distinct differences between health care in the United States and health care in Canada. Republican House leader John Boehner would have us believe the Canadians are a bunch of socialists who deny their children their basic human […]

23Feb2010 | | Comments Off on Canadians Have ‘Canadian Style’ Health System | Continued
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The Image of God, Health and Fitness for Seniors

Man was made, we can all agree on that. Man grows old, we can all agree on that. Some say we were made out of a lump of clay, some say we swung down from trees to walk upright. In any case, here we are. What is our image, how do we present ourselves, and […]

14Sep2009 | | Comments Off on The Image of God, Health and Fitness for Seniors | Continued
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Taxing Tobacco

Tobacco taxes our health care system with many chronic ailments. And tobacco is taxed by the government. On Wednesday, April 1, 2009, the federal tobacco tax on a pack of cigarettes will go up $.62, from $.39 to $1.01. This must surely be a good thing, right? Well, like other efforts at social engineering, it cuts two ways.

30Mar2009 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Of Bankruptcies and Health Care

My friend, Frank, has big problems – financial problems. Like so many people today, his youth was consumed with self gratification. I remember those days – living like there is no tomorrow. Now he is fifty years old, has marginal labor skills, and the financial shock of an encounter with modern health care.

1Mar2009 | | Comments Off on Of Bankruptcies and Health Care | Continued
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Caring For An Old Dog

Sadie is almost sixteen years old, her birthday is next July.  She is beginning to show the inevitable signs of aging.  Sadie has moved from the definition of ‘Senior” to something resembling ‘Elderly.’  Watching her age is painful – and presents moral and economic delimas. Sadie is half Schnauzer and half Cocker Spaniel – sort […]

20Feb2009 | | Comments Off on Caring For An Old Dog | Continued
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Republican Peanut Butter

Have you bought any peanut butter lately? If so, perhaps you should check the label for signs of the GOP. The current wide spread salmonella poisoning of peanut butter is a great metaphor for the leadership of the GOP for the past eight years. The Bush administration, supported by the same congressmen who now oppose Obama, had one simple philosophy in domestic affairs: Leave Business Alone!

29Jan2009 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Medicine and Money: Traveling for Health Care

When the debate over providing health care for all citizens arises people often look to other countries, less wealthy, that manage to take care of their citizens. Sometimes the point to Canada or England; and the favorite of the opposition to taking care of children is France. The French are a convenient target for all things not good for America.

19Dec2008 | | Comments Off on Medicine and Money: Traveling for Health Care | Continued
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The Prophecy of Ohg Rea Tone – 2009

Prophecy is only valuable if it presents opportunity for change.  Absolutes are for the cynical, for those who presume their destiny is predetermined.  Free will suggests we have something to say about our life.  In the tradition of ancient Bible Prophets we will offer some conditional prophecy for 2009: If we reward failure, failure will […]

16Dec2008 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Governing from Center Left or Center Right

Americans are finally experiencing rational government.  As the Obama transition progresses we watch, with hope and with fear.  The troubled world is scary and important decisions are at hand.  Nearly every day there is a headline in the news about the transition.  One day the media reports a ‘center-left’ process.  The next day another headline […]

29Nov2008 | | Comments Off on Governing from Center Left or Center Right | Continued
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Obama and Sustainable Solutions

President Elect Obama must govern from the center if he is to have a lasting legacy.  What does this mean?  Simply put, solutions to problems must be sustainable over time.  Solutions which are overturned with changes of political party are not useful or productive.  Legacies are built on centrist resolutions to problems. Let’s look at […]

6Nov2008 | | Comments Off on Obama and Sustainable Solutions | Continued
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Of Courage Undaunted

Mental illness strikes at the soul of man. The insanity degenerates with the ‘righteous’ who are quick to pull the sin card. Meriwether Lewis, that great American icon of exploration, suffered a mental illness that we know of today as depression.

6Nov2008 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Which Came First? Religion or Depression

There’s a cartoon with a chicken and an egg in bed together. The chicken is smoking a cigarette with a very satisfied expression on his face, and the egg is restless and disgruntled. The caption above the egg says, “Well, I guess that answers the question.” That’s how I think of the relationship between depression […]

30Oct2008 | | Comments Off on Which Came First? Religion or Depression | Continued
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The Need for Healthy Children to Fight Our Wars

The marvel of conservative inconsistency continues hacking away at the forest of civilization. The forest has become so important that they have forgotten that it is comprised of individual trees. IN this case the individual trees are our children – our future soldiers. Stop abortion, but don’t offer the newborn health care. Protect the lives […]

22Oct2008 | | Comments Off on The Need for Healthy Children to Fight Our Wars | Continued
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Rednecks for Obama

We live in Missouri, rural Missouri.  Down the road a piece, just over the hill and down through the holler, rests the country store.  The folks like to sit around the pot belly stove and yack a bit.  They only fire up the stove in the winter, but it is a comfort just to have […]

21Oct2008 | | 59 comments | Continued
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The GOP Legacy – Wars, Death, Hatred, Socialism

This is a banner year in American Politics.  This is the year when the people rise up and crucify the self serving, greedy, power and control, mean spirited Republicans.  That was a mouthful, don’t you think.  It is written in the spirit of McCainian Anger.  The American people should be angry.  WARNING to readers – […]

14Oct2008 | | 6 comments | Continued
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McCain’s Health Care TAX

Senator John McCain again figures on the lack of sensibility by 51% of the population.  He may be right.  But we will investigate his Health Care TAX position for laughs. Suppose you are a young family.  The husband makes, say forty thousand dollars a year.  The wife also works and makes twenty-five thousand dollars a […]

12Sep2008 | | 1 comment | Continued
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The mythical nature of a child’s diet

I spent the weekend with fifth and sith grade students on a confirmation retreat. I enjoyed our time together, and we had many good conversations about life and faith. One of the conversations, however, was unexpected and revealed a great deal about the way that our children are learning about nutrition. We were at the […]

6Mar2008 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Irvin Rosenfeld on Medical Marijuana

Son, In an effort to present more information I offer this video from Irvin Rosenfeld testifying on the medical benefits of using Marijuana. Mr. Rosenfeld has some multiple congenital bone disease. This issue is one that has been taken out of the court of reason and placed in the court of politics. As anyone who […]

25Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Irvin Rosenfeld on Medical Marijuana | Continued
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Ron Paul, Marijuana, Government

Son, Ron Paul takes huge leaps of logic. There is a fundamental problem with his libertarian philosophy. That philosophy ignores the inter-dependence of modern society. Centralized government must take a larger role in a world where individuals States can no longer stand alone – Marijuana crosses the State borders like the wind. No one State […]

24Jan2008 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Candidates on Medical Marijuana

Son, How do we reasonably address issues of medication when we don’t understand the illness or the treatments? The candidates for President are asked to take positions on the legalizing of marijuana for medical treatment of a variety of illness. My own position has been that there are better medications to threat the same problem. […]

24Jan2008 | | 6 comments | Continued
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Workplace Etiquette

Son, The last fifty years has seen a great economic shift in this country.  Many of our factories have moved to China.  Technology has proliferated, creating new jobs in the white collar world.  The service industry is expanding, creating jobs.  All of this translates into a fundamentally different culture for many American workers.  A culture […]

10Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Workplace Etiquette | Continued
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Obama – the time has come

Son. The time has come for change in America. The genie is out of the bottle. The magic is in the air. Fresh breezes are blowing. Spring will see new life. How many ways can this be said. Barack Obama has sent a message to the White House. Barack Obama has sent a message to […]

4Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Obama – the time has come | Continued
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Huckabee is a win for John McCain

Son, John McCain is the real winner tonight, this caucus night in Iowa.   Mike Huckabee polled the largest numbers of support- soundly putting Mitt Romney in his appropriate place – way don there somewhere.  But McCain is the real winner because the Republican Party does not want Huckabee. The importance of the Iowa Caucus was […]

4Jan2008 | | Comments Off on Huckabee is a win for John McCain | Continued
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Nebraska Mall Shooting

Son, Another tragedy in America, this time in Nebraska. A nineteen-year-young man walked into a mall with his step-father’s assault rifle and killed eight people before killing himself. The young man had a troubled life; the state estimated that it had invested $265,000 on his previous ‘treatment.’ This is not the first troubled youth to […]

9Dec2007 | | Comments Off on Nebraska Mall Shooting | Continued
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Gays and Aids, A Connection?

Son, The HIV virus is non-discriminatory.  It does not care about your race, creed, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.  Sadly, many people have viewed the result of HIV, AIDS, as largely a phenomenon of gay sex.  Why? When AIDS hit the scene in the early 1980’s it was predominantly in the gay men community – […]

2Dec2007 | | Comments Off on Gays and Aids, A Connection? | Continued
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A letter from Barack Obama…

Dad, I just got this letter from the Obama campaign. I want to share it because it represents why I will vote for him. I believe him. Bryan. ______ Dear Bryan, Six years ago, on a bright and beautiful Tuesday morning, a new kind of enemy came to America’s shores. We will never forget the […]

11Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Same turkey, different flavors

Son, As you are well aware, I like to bake a turkey. Not so much the turkey – but the turkey dinner experience. When I bake a whole turkey I like to prepare my favorite oyster dressing ( my own recipe.) While the turkey cooks I like to make my own bread (I have developed […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Same turkey, different flavors | Continued
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responsible turkeys?

Dad, I am baking a turkey for dinner. Its a lot of work. Do you think that. accounting for the amount of work and the weight of the bones and stuff, that it is a better deal to buy a turkey at a dollar a pound than to buy, say, boneless skinless meats that are […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on responsible turkeys? | Continued
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Mistakes in parenting

Son, I feel a little embarrassed about giving advice on parenting. Your mother and I were talking last week and we both felt that our children turned out pretty well – in spite of us. I talk today about acting out of love – but that was not really my style. I was a parent […]

11Sep2007 | | 1 comment | Continued
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Protecting children from themselves.

Son, Parenting is difficult. Your sister was in the Rainbow Honors Program in elementary school. When she was preparing for middle school she told me that she no longer wanted to be in the honors program. I asked, “Why not.” “Well”, she said in her 12 year old wisdom, “I don’t have enough time to […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Protecting children from themselves. | Continued
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My daughter doesn’t want to go to school…

Dad, My daughter didn’t want to go to school today. She was screaming for me when I left. I was crushed, but I know that she enjoys school. She is discovering that this thing is for good, i think, and she wants to came home and hang out with her brother and I. It is […]

11Sep2007 | | 3 comments | Continued
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Pit Bulls and Republicans

Son, The attack dogs are breeding. The muffling process of the Primaries disguises the Machiavellian mentality of self proclaimed leaders. Only restricted by fear that they might harm their pack, the Republicans are frustrated. They are off stride. The Democrats are well ahead in the money game. An unpopular President George Bush holds the leash […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Pit Bulls and Republicans | Continued
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a virtual fireside chat…

the fireside chat -episode 001 Dad, Hey, it’s our first podcast! I think the reference to the original fireside chats of FDR is apropriate, since the radio was his tool to create a sense of closeness with his audience. It worked, and it seems we have come in a virtual full circle. From writing to […]

11Sep2007 | | Comments Off on a virtual fireside chat… | Continued
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Voting for Republicans…

Son, I voted for one Republican for President – and he quit. I have never voted for another. I was conflicted in 1980. I did not like the choices. I voted for the independent John Anderson. I have difficulty imagining the circumstances that would convince me to vote for any Republican for any national office. […]

10Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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Ike Skelton asks one question…

Son, Ike Skelton states he will ask but one question, calling himself a country lawyer and qualifying that the leadership of Iraq appear “to be sitting on their thumbs…” So, “Mr. Ambassador, why should we expect the next six months to be any different?” Ambassador Crocker, “These are extremely complex endeavors…it is going to be […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ike Skelton asks one question… | Continued
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Ambassador Crocker Continues…

Son, Ambassador Crocker says, “Iraqis are struggling to come to terms with a society that does not punish…I believe that Iraq’s leaders have the will to face the challenges before them…they approach the task with a deep sense of patriotism…The commitment of Iraq’s leaders to work on these issues is encouraging…Iraqi Provincial gains have been […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ambassador Crocker Continues… | Continued
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Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on ‘the surge’

Son, United States Ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, is giving testimony to the Congress. He just said, “Iraq continues to be a traumatized society.” Well, I guess he might be right. Dad

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Ambassador Ryan Crocker, on ‘the surge’ | Continued
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Patreus is calling for a drawdown of troops

Son, General Patreus has just called for a ‘drawdown’ in U.S. Troops in Iraq. He is trying to explain what he means – I am getting confused with all of the details. That is the problem. This is a complicated issue with huge consequences…. Now Patreus is reiterating the dire consequences of a rapid retreat…. […]

10Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Patreus is calling for a drawdown of troops | Continued
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Listening to General Patreus

Son, I am listening to General Patreus right now. The hearing opened with partisan statements by two Democrats and two Republicans. I wish those folks would just keep their faces shut so we can hear what the man has to say. They already threw several protesters out of the hearing – the partisan showmanship should […]

10Sep2007 | | 2 comments | Continued
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The question – What did I learn from my Dad

Son, In an earlier post I recounted an experience with my father. I was robbed, he reacted with anger and violence. I asked in the post, “What did I learn?” The post was titled “1963 – parenting in a tough world.” It is only with forty-five years of processing that I can answer the question. […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on The question – What did I learn from my Dad | Continued
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Enabling Our Children to Fail

Son, Please forgive me. You mentioned in an earlier post that you “…occasionally found myself in trouble.” I share in the fault. I will give you the notion that you were an adolescent, seeking independence and control of your own life. I will give you that adolescents make some bad choices. But I have to […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Enabling Our Children to Fail | Continued
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Parenting, mythology and reality

Son, The Navy finished a job that I was unable to accomplish. You transitioned from an adolescent into a young man. Joseph Campbell might say this was a normal process. The mythology of parenting over the recorded history of man suggests, according to Campbell, that the mother and father each have roles, but the village […]

9Sep2007 | | Comments Off on Parenting, mythology and reality | Continued
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1963 – Parenting in a tough world

Son, I was out collecting money from my paper route patrons. It was the week after John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. I was walking in the 1800 block of Felix Street when three older boys approached me; they were about 19 – I was 13. They told me to give them my money. I […]

8Sep2007 | | Comments Off on 1963 – Parenting in a tough world | Continued