One
of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at
politeness.
- Josh Billings
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Finishing up projects . . .
I've been going through my stack of projects that have gone by the wayside for one reason or the other. I'm trying to catch up all the ones with possibilites. Sometimes, my inspirations don't always work out entirely. I discovered the above fabric squares, last week. Suddenly, I realized that I had two fabrics that would work as contrasting borders and actually got them sewn on this afternoon.
Modern Conveniences . . .
Many of us probably have one, working dishwasher in the kitchen. As you can see, I have two . . . and no need for an extension cord to plug them in, either. I'd venture to say they are less expensive to run then a dishwashing appliance but when you add up the food bill, clothing, college . . .
Abortion clinics - modern day death camps?
My son and I were blessed to have visited many of the sites of World War II battles last summer. One of the battles that wasn't fought fairly could be found in the concentration camps. We had an extensive tour of the infamous Dachau Concentration Camp outside of Munich, Germany. There was something haunting about going through the crematoriums, actually standing in the gas chamber, and walking down a hallway flanked with doors on each side . . . torture chambers.
One of the horrors among many horrors of these camps, besides the murder of countless Jews, was the use of the gas chambers to rid the world of the handicapped, mentally challenged, and misfits - according to the dictates of the Nazi Party. I don't think a single one of us could read or view the places where this happened without a shudder of distaste about the waste of life in search of the 'perfect race'. I guess no one stopped to think that perfection cannot be bred into existence when it is orchastrated by men of such standards. One of the banners we saw on our visit said, "Never Again!"
"Never Again!" values haven't lasted the test of time. Right now, one of our president's czars is in favor of 'aborting' a child up to the age of two. No one in the media has seen fit to protest this in the headlines. Some doctors in Australia are advocating the right to kill infants after they are born to weed out the deformed, mentally challenged, medically expensive infants that will cost the state money and the parents too much heartbreak. A single, lethal injection and convenience over morality wins again.
While the thought of this being ever possible is bouncing off our brains, it turns out that infanticide is already 'legal' in the Netherlands.
Right now, Christians of all faiths are protesting the president's mandate on forcing everyone to pay for abortions and the various pills and formulas related to killing babies in the womb. If the government wins this round and is in charge of how we spend our money based on having medical insurance, can the rest of the evils be far behind? Now that the government wants to control reproductive rights, how much further can they go? Will they decide we don't need more than two children? What kind of police state will evolve as they try and hunt out expectant mothers who would defy such a rule?
How can we shudder over the horrific death camps of World War II when we have taken the abuse and death of babies and, possibly soon, even the rights of our elderly to such depths of depravity? What are the general reasons for abortion other than convenience? Gender selection . . . Compromised health of the baby . . . A Down's Child . . . Too young for a baby . . . Too old to bear a child . . . I've always considered a baby a genuine gift from God because they won't be conceived unless He Wills it to be so. Yes, sometimes, the conception of the child results through sin but the baby is always innocent.
One of the horrors among many horrors of these camps, besides the murder of countless Jews, was the use of the gas chambers to rid the world of the handicapped, mentally challenged, and misfits - according to the dictates of the Nazi Party. I don't think a single one of us could read or view the places where this happened without a shudder of distaste about the waste of life in search of the 'perfect race'. I guess no one stopped to think that perfection cannot be bred into existence when it is orchastrated by men of such standards. One of the banners we saw on our visit said, "Never Again!"
"Never Again!" values haven't lasted the test of time. Right now, one of our president's czars is in favor of 'aborting' a child up to the age of two. No one in the media has seen fit to protest this in the headlines. Some doctors in Australia are advocating the right to kill infants after they are born to weed out the deformed, mentally challenged, medically expensive infants that will cost the state money and the parents too much heartbreak. A single, lethal injection and convenience over morality wins again.
While the thought of this being ever possible is bouncing off our brains, it turns out that infanticide is already 'legal' in the Netherlands.
Right now, Christians of all faiths are protesting the president's mandate on forcing everyone to pay for abortions and the various pills and formulas related to killing babies in the womb. If the government wins this round and is in charge of how we spend our money based on having medical insurance, can the rest of the evils be far behind? Now that the government wants to control reproductive rights, how much further can they go? Will they decide we don't need more than two children? What kind of police state will evolve as they try and hunt out expectant mothers who would defy such a rule?
How can we shudder over the horrific death camps of World War II when we have taken the abuse and death of babies and, possibly soon, even the rights of our elderly to such depths of depravity? What are the general reasons for abortion other than convenience? Gender selection . . . Compromised health of the baby . . . A Down's Child . . . Too young for a baby . . . Too old to bear a child . . . I've always considered a baby a genuine gift from God because they won't be conceived unless He Wills it to be so. Yes, sometimes, the conception of the child results through sin but the baby is always innocent.
On a lighter note . . .
"It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty
of work to do."
-- Jerome K. Jerome
-- Jerome K. Jerome
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity,
and I'm not sure about the former."
-- Albert Einstein
-- Albert Einstein
Nothing is ever what it seems on the surface . . . Organ transplants . . .
This article came in my e-mail this morning and I find it disturbing in that it provides information not always available regarding being a transplant donor. Something to read and definitely think about when either writing your WILL or leaving end-of-life instructions.
The last time I renewed my driver's license, the clerk at the DMV asked if she should check me off as an organ donor. I said no. She looked at me and asked again. I said, "No. Just check the box that says, 'I am a heartless, selfish bastard.'"
Becoming an organ donor seems like a win-win situation. Some 3.3 people on the transplant waiting list will have their lives extended by your gift (3.3 is the average yield of solid organs per donor). You're a hero, and at no real cost, apparently.
..But what are you giving up when you check the donor box on your license? Your organs, of course—but much more. You're also giving up your right to informed consent. Doctors don't have to tell you or your relatives what they will do to your body during an organ harvest operation because you'll be dead, with no legal rights.
The most likely donors are victims of head trauma (from, say, a car or motorcycle accident), spontaneous bleeding in the head, or an aneurysm—patients who can be ruled dead based on brain-death criteria. But brain deaths are estimated to be just around 1% of the total. Everyone else dies from failure of the heart, circulation and breathing, which leads the organs to deteriorate quickly.
The current criteria on brain death were set by a Harvard Medical School committee in 1968, at a time when organ transplantation was making great strides. In 1981, the Uniform Determination of Death Act made brain death a legal form of death in all 50 states.
.The exam for brain death is simple. A doctor splashes ice water in your ears (to look for shivering in the eyes), pokes your eyes with a cotton swab and checks for any gag reflex, among other rudimentary tests. It takes less time than a standard eye exam. Finally, in what's called the apnea test, the ventilator is disconnected to see if you can breathe unassisted. If not, you are brain dead. (Some or all of the above tests are repeated hours later for confirmation.)
Here's the weird part. If you fail the apnea test, your respirator is reconnected. You will begin to breathe again, your heart pumping blood, keeping the organs fresh. Doctors like to say that, at this point, the "person" has departed the body. You will now be called a BHC, or beating-heart cadaver.
Still, you will have more in common biologically with a living person than with a person whose heart has stopped. Your vital organs will function, you'll maintain your body temperature, and your wounds will continue to heal. You can still get bedsores, have heart attacks and get fever from infections.
"I like my dead people cold, stiff, gray and not breathing," says Dr. Michael A. DeVita of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "The brain dead are warm, pink and breathing."
You might also be emitting brainwaves. Most people are surprised to learn that many people who are declared brain dead are never actually tested for higher-brain activity. The 1968 Harvard committee recommended that doctors use electroencephalography (EEG) to make sure the patient has flat brain waves. Today's tests concentrate on the stalk-like brain stem, in charge of basics such as breathing, sleeping and waking. The EEG would alert doctors if the cortex, the thinking part of your brain, is still active.
But various researchers decided that this test was unnecessary, so it was eliminated from the mandatory criteria in 1971. They reasoned that, if the brain stem is dead, the higher centers of the brain are also probably dead.
But in at least two studies before the 1981 Uniform Determination of Death Act, some "brain-dead" patients were found to be emitting brain waves. One, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the 1970s, found that out of 503 patients who met the usual criteria of brain death, 17 showed activity in an EEG.
Even some of the sharpest critics of the brain-death criteria argue that there is no possibility that donors will be in pain during the harvesting of their organs. One, Robert Truog, professor of medical ethics, anesthesia and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, compared the topic of pain in an organ donor to an argument over "whether it is OK to kick a rock."
But BHCs—who don't receive anesthetics during an organ harvest operation—react to the scalpel like inadequately anesthetized live patients, exhibiting high blood pressure and sometimes soaring heart rates. Doctors say these are simply reflexes.
What if there is sound evidence that you are alive after being declared brain dead? In a 1999 article in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesiology, Gail A. Van Norman, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Washington, reported a case in which a 30-year-old patient with severe head trauma began breathing spontaneously after being declared brain dead. The physicians said that, because there was no chance of recovery, he could still be considered dead. The harvest proceeded over the objections of the anesthesiologist, who saw the donor move, and then react to the scalpel with hypertension.
Organ transplantation—from procurement of organs to transplant to the first year of postoperative care—is a $20 billion per year business. Average recipients are charged $750,000 for a transplant, and at an average 3.3 organs, that is more than $2 million per body. Neither donors nor their families can be paid for organs.
It is possible that not being a donor on your license can give you more bargaining power. If you leave instructions with your next of kin, they can perhaps negotiate a better deal. Instead of just the usual icewater-in-the-ears, why not ask for a blood-flow study to make sure your cortex is truly out of commission?
And how about some anesthetic? Although he doesn't believe the brain dead feel pain, Dr. Truog has used two light anesthetics, high-dose fentanyl and sufentanil, which won't harm organs, to quell high blood pressure or heart rate during harvesting operations. "If it were my family," he said, "I'd request them."
—Mr. Teresi is the author of "The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers—How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death."
A version of this article appeared Mar. 10, 2012, on page C3 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: What You Lose When You Sign That Donor Card.
The last time I renewed my driver's license, the clerk at the DMV asked if she should check me off as an organ donor. I said no. She looked at me and asked again. I said, "No. Just check the box that says, 'I am a heartless, selfish bastard.'"
Becoming an organ donor seems like a win-win situation. Some 3.3 people on the transplant waiting list will have their lives extended by your gift (3.3 is the average yield of solid organs per donor). You're a hero, and at no real cost, apparently.
..But what are you giving up when you check the donor box on your license? Your organs, of course—but much more. You're also giving up your right to informed consent. Doctors don't have to tell you or your relatives what they will do to your body during an organ harvest operation because you'll be dead, with no legal rights.
The most likely donors are victims of head trauma (from, say, a car or motorcycle accident), spontaneous bleeding in the head, or an aneurysm—patients who can be ruled dead based on brain-death criteria. But brain deaths are estimated to be just around 1% of the total. Everyone else dies from failure of the heart, circulation and breathing, which leads the organs to deteriorate quickly.
The current criteria on brain death were set by a Harvard Medical School committee in 1968, at a time when organ transplantation was making great strides. In 1981, the Uniform Determination of Death Act made brain death a legal form of death in all 50 states.
.The exam for brain death is simple. A doctor splashes ice water in your ears (to look for shivering in the eyes), pokes your eyes with a cotton swab and checks for any gag reflex, among other rudimentary tests. It takes less time than a standard eye exam. Finally, in what's called the apnea test, the ventilator is disconnected to see if you can breathe unassisted. If not, you are brain dead. (Some or all of the above tests are repeated hours later for confirmation.)
Here's the weird part. If you fail the apnea test, your respirator is reconnected. You will begin to breathe again, your heart pumping blood, keeping the organs fresh. Doctors like to say that, at this point, the "person" has departed the body. You will now be called a BHC, or beating-heart cadaver.
Still, you will have more in common biologically with a living person than with a person whose heart has stopped. Your vital organs will function, you'll maintain your body temperature, and your wounds will continue to heal. You can still get bedsores, have heart attacks and get fever from infections.
"I like my dead people cold, stiff, gray and not breathing," says Dr. Michael A. DeVita of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "The brain dead are warm, pink and breathing."
You might also be emitting brainwaves. Most people are surprised to learn that many people who are declared brain dead are never actually tested for higher-brain activity. The 1968 Harvard committee recommended that doctors use electroencephalography (EEG) to make sure the patient has flat brain waves. Today's tests concentrate on the stalk-like brain stem, in charge of basics such as breathing, sleeping and waking. The EEG would alert doctors if the cortex, the thinking part of your brain, is still active.
But various researchers decided that this test was unnecessary, so it was eliminated from the mandatory criteria in 1971. They reasoned that, if the brain stem is dead, the higher centers of the brain are also probably dead.
But in at least two studies before the 1981 Uniform Determination of Death Act, some "brain-dead" patients were found to be emitting brain waves. One, from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke in the 1970s, found that out of 503 patients who met the usual criteria of brain death, 17 showed activity in an EEG.
Even some of the sharpest critics of the brain-death criteria argue that there is no possibility that donors will be in pain during the harvesting of their organs. One, Robert Truog, professor of medical ethics, anesthesia and pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, compared the topic of pain in an organ donor to an argument over "whether it is OK to kick a rock."
But BHCs—who don't receive anesthetics during an organ harvest operation—react to the scalpel like inadequately anesthetized live patients, exhibiting high blood pressure and sometimes soaring heart rates. Doctors say these are simply reflexes.
What if there is sound evidence that you are alive after being declared brain dead? In a 1999 article in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesiology, Gail A. Van Norman, a professor of anesthesiology at the University of Washington, reported a case in which a 30-year-old patient with severe head trauma began breathing spontaneously after being declared brain dead. The physicians said that, because there was no chance of recovery, he could still be considered dead. The harvest proceeded over the objections of the anesthesiologist, who saw the donor move, and then react to the scalpel with hypertension.
Organ transplantation—from procurement of organs to transplant to the first year of postoperative care—is a $20 billion per year business. Average recipients are charged $750,000 for a transplant, and at an average 3.3 organs, that is more than $2 million per body. Neither donors nor their families can be paid for organs.
It is possible that not being a donor on your license can give you more bargaining power. If you leave instructions with your next of kin, they can perhaps negotiate a better deal. Instead of just the usual icewater-in-the-ears, why not ask for a blood-flow study to make sure your cortex is truly out of commission?
And how about some anesthetic? Although he doesn't believe the brain dead feel pain, Dr. Truog has used two light anesthetics, high-dose fentanyl and sufentanil, which won't harm organs, to quell high blood pressure or heart rate during harvesting operations. "If it were my family," he said, "I'd request them."
—Mr. Teresi is the author of "The Undead: Organ Harvesting, the Ice-Water Test, Beating-Heart Cadavers—How Medicine Is Blurring the Line Between Life and Death."
A version of this article appeared Mar. 10, 2012, on page C3 in some U.S. editions of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: What You Lose When You Sign That Donor Card.
Using leftover mashed potatoes . . .
For my daughter's birthday, she wanted beef with garlic/onion mashed potatoes. I had about two and a half cups of the potatoes leftover and wondered what I could do with them. I don't like to waste food but leftover potatoes . . .
I realized that since they were already flavored and spiced, I could easily fake out some potato soup! I reheated the mashed potatoes in a large pot. I added about four cups of milk. I kept it on a gentle simmer and tasted it for flavor. Since the original potatoes had bacon, onion, and garlic in them, I just needed to add some more black pepper, some garlic powder, and a generous dash of ground caraway. Simmering on low for about 30 minutes reduced the liquid and thickened the soup nicely. Since they had been mashed not whipped potatoes, there was plenty of texture to the soup. I did add 1/2 cup of frozen corn to the soup.
I was happy how it turned out. My husband immediately laid claim to the leftovers for his work lunch and those pesky leftovers have now left the house!
You could also serve the soup with a grating of cheddar and minced parsley, too. Garlic bread goes great with this! You could also put out a basket of warmed tortilla chips for crumbling over or dipping in the soup.
I realized that since they were already flavored and spiced, I could easily fake out some potato soup! I reheated the mashed potatoes in a large pot. I added about four cups of milk. I kept it on a gentle simmer and tasted it for flavor. Since the original potatoes had bacon, onion, and garlic in them, I just needed to add some more black pepper, some garlic powder, and a generous dash of ground caraway. Simmering on low for about 30 minutes reduced the liquid and thickened the soup nicely. Since they had been mashed not whipped potatoes, there was plenty of texture to the soup. I did add 1/2 cup of frozen corn to the soup.
I was happy how it turned out. My husband immediately laid claim to the leftovers for his work lunch and those pesky leftovers have now left the house!
You could also serve the soup with a grating of cheddar and minced parsley, too. Garlic bread goes great with this! You could also put out a basket of warmed tortilla chips for crumbling over or dipping in the soup.
Twice-Baked Potatoes . . .
Lent is always a good time to not only sacrifice the ease of fixing meals with meat but doing extra thinking in providing meatless meals. I noticed that baking potatoes are going for good prices at the store and it reminded me of twice-baked potatoes. Providing each person in the family with a big potato along side a hearty salad makes you forget there isn't any meat on the plate.
My way of making twice-baked potatoes is pretty basic. You scrub a large, baking potato for each person in the family. Pierce the potato several times to allow the steam to escape during baking. They will explode if you don't and please, let's not ask me how I know this! Bake them at 350 degrees for approximately 40-60 minutes depending on the weight of the potatoes.
When the potatoes are baked through, remove from oven and cup off the lengthwise top of each one. You don't want to cut the potato in half, just sort of provide a 'lid'. Carefully scoop out the potato being sure to leave about a quarter of an inch or so to hold the shell together. Now, you get to be creative!
Mash the potato 'insides' together in a large bowl. Add some warmed milk/cream, butter, salt, and pepper. This is your empty canvas and now you create your entree!
1. We like cheddar potatoes so I add some grated, sharp cheddar, a few chili flakes, and dried dill which seems to enhance the cheddar's tang.
2. You can grill some onions and mix that in with some diced chilies and Monteray Jack cheese. Diced, black olives are a nice touch, too.
3. Add some freshly diced tomato with Provolone cheese, and Italian spices. You can sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano over the top of each potato when you bake it.
4. Tuna works with some diced celery which will add some crunch. I like a bit of caraway mixed into the filling.
5. Canned salmon will elevate the lowly potato to new standards! Finely diced, red onion adds a tang to the dish.
Once you have decided on your filling creation, restuff your potatoes with the mixture. You can even top with with some buttered bread crumbs, if you like! Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until they are piping hot. Serve along side a big, colorful salad with some garlic bread and you have a feast.
My way of making twice-baked potatoes is pretty basic. You scrub a large, baking potato for each person in the family. Pierce the potato several times to allow the steam to escape during baking. They will explode if you don't and please, let's not ask me how I know this! Bake them at 350 degrees for approximately 40-60 minutes depending on the weight of the potatoes.
When the potatoes are baked through, remove from oven and cup off the lengthwise top of each one. You don't want to cut the potato in half, just sort of provide a 'lid'. Carefully scoop out the potato being sure to leave about a quarter of an inch or so to hold the shell together. Now, you get to be creative!
Mash the potato 'insides' together in a large bowl. Add some warmed milk/cream, butter, salt, and pepper. This is your empty canvas and now you create your entree!
1. We like cheddar potatoes so I add some grated, sharp cheddar, a few chili flakes, and dried dill which seems to enhance the cheddar's tang.
2. You can grill some onions and mix that in with some diced chilies and Monteray Jack cheese. Diced, black olives are a nice touch, too.
3. Add some freshly diced tomato with Provolone cheese, and Italian spices. You can sprinkle some grated Parmesan or Romano over the top of each potato when you bake it.
4. Tuna works with some diced celery which will add some crunch. I like a bit of caraway mixed into the filling.
5. Canned salmon will elevate the lowly potato to new standards! Finely diced, red onion adds a tang to the dish.
Once you have decided on your filling creation, restuff your potatoes with the mixture. You can even top with with some buttered bread crumbs, if you like! Place them on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until they are piping hot. Serve along side a big, colorful salad with some garlic bread and you have a feast.
And you wonder why . . .
We met up for breakfast with some friends, years ago. We were talking about our children, sharing stories, and such. We were homeschooling and our friends were adamantly not of the home schooling mind set. In fact, you could see it was all the wife could do to not jump all over us about our arrogance and stupidity in taking this route. No one in our own family approved of our move so I have learned to cope with opposition to home schooling - I change the subject! There are some battles that aren't worth getting up in the morning to fight about. We didn't plan to change our minds and all the shouting and chastisement in the world wasn't going to alter our decided course.
We kept to safe topics and talked about our children. Being of a conservative bent, I mentioned my concerns over the current lack of morality among young people, the lack of modesty, their early sexual awareness, etc. My friend basically stated that she felt she had to let her children evolve as they grew up and make their own choices. She said the 'key' was to let them know that no matter what they did, they could always come to her and there would never be any adverse comments about what they might have done, only help in resolving whatever needed resolution for their actions. She didn't want to mold them with her ideas but rather let them grow and become strong.
I found that rather sad. Yes, my children have been out in the world but, from the time they were born, they were taught right from wrong. Even in our sexualized world, they were informed that purity of heart and soul was important. Yes, mine know they can come to me when they make mistakes but my husband and I have done our best to instill in them that many mistakes can be circumvented if they live moral lives. Yes, we will help them with whatever life throws at them. They know, however, that no matter their age, they will get a reprimand for anything they might do that lands them into trouble. Are we molding them with our ideas and values? You better believe it!
Another friend told me that when her son started realizing there were girls in the world, she sat him down and said that when decides to get married, she and his dad would do everything they could to help with a splendid wedding . . . But, if he has been living an immoral life, he can expect a very private wedding without all the pomp and splendor. A wedding/marriage is a sacrament and a bride dressed in white still has meaning.
As for my first friend, who didn't want to instill values into her children . . . Her daughter joined us at breakfast wearing skin tight jeans and a low-cut crop topped shirt. Her mother just sighed, smiled, and shrugged her shoulders.
We kept to safe topics and talked about our children. Being of a conservative bent, I mentioned my concerns over the current lack of morality among young people, the lack of modesty, their early sexual awareness, etc. My friend basically stated that she felt she had to let her children evolve as they grew up and make their own choices. She said the 'key' was to let them know that no matter what they did, they could always come to her and there would never be any adverse comments about what they might have done, only help in resolving whatever needed resolution for their actions. She didn't want to mold them with her ideas but rather let them grow and become strong.
I found that rather sad. Yes, my children have been out in the world but, from the time they were born, they were taught right from wrong. Even in our sexualized world, they were informed that purity of heart and soul was important. Yes, mine know they can come to me when they make mistakes but my husband and I have done our best to instill in them that many mistakes can be circumvented if they live moral lives. Yes, we will help them with whatever life throws at them. They know, however, that no matter their age, they will get a reprimand for anything they might do that lands them into trouble. Are we molding them with our ideas and values? You better believe it!
Another friend told me that when her son started realizing there were girls in the world, she sat him down and said that when decides to get married, she and his dad would do everything they could to help with a splendid wedding . . . But, if he has been living an immoral life, he can expect a very private wedding without all the pomp and splendor. A wedding/marriage is a sacrament and a bride dressed in white still has meaning.
As for my first friend, who didn't want to instill values into her children . . . Her daughter joined us at breakfast wearing skin tight jeans and a low-cut crop topped shirt. Her mother just sighed, smiled, and shrugged her shoulders.
A great reminder . . .
It's
good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to
check up once in a while and make sure you haven't lost the things money can't
buy.
- George Horace
Lorimer
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