A New Low in Demagoguery

So, we have reached a new low in the behavior of the Liar in Chief, and of his supporters who don’t publicly acknowledge that his behavior is disgusting (and may not even think that it is disgusting and reprehensible)and trending more and more to that of a dictator. Mike said back in 2015 that he would make a much better dictator than a president. I still have faith in the strength of the institutions of our great country, and the people of good character who can lead us back to a  functioning democracy where freedom for all is a cardinal principle.

I came home about 4:30 yesterday morning, and Mike was already up getting ready for an early trip to Emory for his chemo. Michelle came over, spent the night, and it was great seeing her. Mike said that chemo was uneventful.  A colleague of his, Dr. Erik, has put Mike in touch with a group of medical geneticists in Houston who may look into his case. This could prove to be very interesting. Stay tuned.

So, yesterday’s Atlanta Journal Constitution ran an article about a group that is combating vaccine fears in the Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn. The author is Lena H. Sun, and it originated in the Washington Post. This is timely because I just posted  “The Measles” a few days ago. I was raging because of the people who, for reasons of their own are manipulating vulnerable groups of people into not vaccinating their children against childhood diseases, measles in particular. This puts not only their own children at risk, but also others in society whose immune systems are not up to par, Mike for instance. Please check the article out.

In another follow up, we just saw an article on line from US News which reported that 40% of doctors are refusing to accept new chronic pain patients into their practices. (See “Ouch, that Hurts”, November 25, 2018.) Many chronic pain patients who have been stable on their opioid pain medication for years are finding themselves abandoned by their pain doctors as an unintended consequence of doctor’s and some regulator’s misinterpretation of the CDC Guidelines for pain management. Furthermore, many doctors in pain management are only interested in performing procedures on patients, injections for which they can bill and be reimbursed hundreds to thousands of dollars by insurance companies. These doctors are dismissing patients who refuse injections, saying they are doing fine without them, as long as they can continue their medication. At the same time, a great many primary care physicians are not accepting these patients, not wanting to load their already busy practices up with pain management patients, or attract the attention of regulators. It’s a damn shame.

So, have you ever heard of Pallas’s cat? Also known as manul, it is a felid that lives in cold Central Asia. They look a lot like domestic cats, and are about the same size. Mike and I have tried to put up a picture, but incompetence rules! Mike and Judy watch a zoo show on TV, and they featured Pallas’s cat recently. I happened to be in the room at the time. Pallas’s cats are endangered because of shrinkage of their habitat, mostly, although their reproductive behavior isn’t conductive to prolific results. The females are fertile for very short periods (up to 42 hours) once per year, and they produce 2-6 kittens. Many zoos around the world are working on preservation of the species, but it is hard work. Go on line and look at some pictures. I think you will find them interesting. By the way, I should be sure to point out that even though I talk about people I think are very destructive to society (even already in this post: liars, dictator wannabes, antivaccination activists), fortunately there are many more people who in their own way, day by day, on a small or a large scale, are spreading love and trying to save our planet and the people and other living things that live on it. Thanks for doing your part.

Mike was up very early again this morning thanks to the dexamethasone that he gets as part of his chemo. He should start hiccoughing soon. On Sunday we are expecting a visit from Jack and Pamela who live in Chicago. Jack and Mike have been best friends since their freshman year at South Shore high school. Jack is a musician, and I wrote about him and the Electronic Valve Instrument that he plays, but I can’t find the post now. I’m sure I could if I tried harder, but after all, I am a cat, and you can look for it yourself if you are interested. He is being promoted as “Grandpa Jack”, and you can find him and listen to his music on Facebook. Absolutely lovely. We also had a visit Wednesday from our neighbors, Diana and Paul, who were acting on their Christian values and visiting the sick. This was the first time in Mike’s life that anyone has ever paid a sick call on him. He was appreciative, but it felt strange, especially since he barely got back from work on time for the visit. Pamela and Jack will be the second. Mike and Judy flew out to Seattle to visit his Cousin Sandy, who had pancreatic cancer about 3 years ago. Mike and Judy both think it was one of the best things they have done in their lives. Sandy was a wonderful fellow. He lived another year, and made the most of his life, especially enjoying his grandbaby, Aaron. We are expecting a visit from Mike’s niece, Sharona, next month, also from Seattle. She is an admirable woman, about whom I will tell you more later.

It’s time to wrap things up. Thanks for visiting my blog. I would write anyway, but it is nice that I do have followers. Be well, be loving, be safe, and so long from Happy Meadows!

Author: Black Magic

Black Magic is a handsome, charming, and self-absorbed cat who lives with Mike and Judy Gordon in Marietta, Georgia. He is about 7 years old, and he will remind you at every opportunity that his grandfather was Black Jack, that famous cat who wrote his own autobiography. Black Magic has a great many opinions, and despite his natural feline arrogance, he seems to be genuinely spiritual. But the reader can decide for him/herself. View all posts by Black Magic