Catheter Biopsy, Again, and Hospital Cafeteria

Posted on Wednesday 14 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • The second anniversary of my heart transplant
  • Two different catheter procedures to check the health of my heart
  • The hospital cafeteria, endowed by Williams of Williams and Sonoma

Today I had an appointment at CMPC for the procedure I was scheduled to have done a week ago, but which was derailed by some emergency in the catheter lab, as I wrote about here.

This marked the second anniversary of my heart transplant. I wrote about having the same procedure done a year ago, on the first anniversary, but see now I got some details confused.

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Small-town values vs. Big-city values, and a Conservative Notion of the “Common Good”

Posted on Tuesday 13 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • How big-city values, not small-town values, are better suited for governing the nation;
  • Recalling Robert Reich’s take on urban vs. rural;
  • Heather Cox Richardson on the potential end of a long Republican era;
  • A review of a book by an author who wants to impose conservative rule on the nation for the “common good”.

Why are small town values exalted by politicians? Most Americans are in big cities, where the issues of the 21st century are taking place.

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Donald Trump, Owen Gingerich, Heather Cox Richardson

Posted on Monday 12 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • A neuroscientist on why Trump loyalists are unbreakable;
  • Why the astronomer Owen Gingerich saw God in the Cosmos;
  • How Heather Cox Richardson dismantles the Republican charges that the DOJ is “weaponized” to take down Donald Trump.

So why does a megalomaniac would-be dictator like Trump have so many fans? (Especially so many who consider themselves Christians?) I’m always open to explanations, though I have plenty of provisional ones.

AlterNet, Bobby Azarian, 12 Jun 2023: Opinion | Why loyalty to Donald Trump is often unbreakable: neuroscientist

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The Breakdown of American Law and Order, by Republicans

Posted on Sunday 11 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Several items today about the indictment against Trump for his mishandling of top secret documents, how his fans still support him, and how this affects America’s reputation around the world.

Snopes, 9 Jun 2023: Yes, Trump Said ‘No One Will Be Above the Law’ Regarding Protection of Classified Information, subtitled “This genuine remark from the future president came during an August 2016 campaign rally in Charlotte, North Carolina.”

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America’s Crackpots vs. Its Foundational Strength

Posted on Saturday 10 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today:

  • 12m people support violence to keep Trump in office;
  • Kari Lake threatens violence to keep Trump in office;
  • Florida wants immigrants to stay and work, despite the state’s anti-immigrant policies;
  • Families in Florida who feel unsafe are leaving the state;
  • DeSantis posts fake videos about Trump and Fauci;
  • Heather Cox Richardson quotes Chip Roy about Republican priorities that they are not actually enacting;
  • Obit of Pat Robertson, who lent a looney-tunes, deeply superstition, aspect to the religious right;
  • And in contrast with all of the above, Fareed Zakaria on how American’s foundational strength enables it to withstand such fringe loonies;
  • And concluding thoughts.

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Law vs. Science, Climate Change vs. Insurance

Posted on Friday 9 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Two items about the Supreme Court’s redefinition of “wetlands,” despite the science of hydrology;
  • Two items about the effects of climate change, including how some insurance companies are refusing new homeowner policies.

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George Winston

Posted on Thursday 8 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Died today.

NY Times: George Winston, Pianist With a Popular Soothing Sound, Dies at 74, subtitled “He won a Grammy in the new age category, and his top-selling records helped define the genre. But his interests also included Hawaiian guitar and the Doors.” Continue reading →

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Household and Hospital Matters

Posted on Thursday 8 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • About Donald A. Norman and a mysterious error message on our stove the other evening;
  • About a mysterious message on our TV, another problem solved by Google;
  • About a hospital visit that didn’t go well.

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Einstein, Vigilante Justice, the Gin and Tonic Workout

Posted on Wednesday 7 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly
  • Albert Einstein and what he didn’t say;
  • More on Republican support for vigilante justice;
  • How a drink or two enables an intense workout.

NY Times, Benyamin Cohen (a specialist on Einstein), 4 Jun 2023: Einstein and a Theory of Disinformation

The essay opens:

A decade ago, Ivanka Trump offered her Twitter followers a bit of wisdom from one of the world’s favorite geniuses to impress her legions of Twitter followers. “If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts. — Albert Einstein.”

There was one problem: Einstein never said that.

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Transition

Posted on Tuesday 6 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

I think I am going to switch from posting here from the evenings, to the mornings. I’ll still spend the late afternoon compiling a post, but will wait until the morning, to refine and edit, before posting. Tomorrow’s post will be about Einstein, Republican support for vigilante justice, and those who drink before working out. And an item about Donald A. Norman and my problem this evening turning on my stove.

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