My hands have shaken or trembled for years. For instance, I used to be able to solder with confidence. Then I had to concentrate and find workarounds because sometimes the soldering pencil would not stay in exactly the position it needed to be, knocking the wires loose. It had gotten worse over the last couple […]
Centr Multi-Gym Review
I have been doing some strength training to maintain fitness and mobility and to stave off osteoporosis. They say that you need weight-bearing exercise for that and neither my bicycle riding nor hoisting tankards of ale seem to count. Thus, I am reduced to mundane exercises like biceps curls, lat pull-downs, chest presses, and so […]
You’re Annoying Me, Art!
Let me start by saying that Art was right, even though he had no idea how right he was. I am “of an age” when my mailbox fills with ads for walk-in tubs, funeral pre-planning, and hearing aids. All such mail goes immediately into the recycle bin. The hearing aid ones in particular have always […]
500 Miles on My Trek Verve+ 2
Lord I’m one, Lord I’m two, Lord I’m three, Lord I’m four,Lord I’m 500 miles from my home.500 miles, 500 miles, 500 miles, 500 milesLord I’m five hundred miles from my home. Traditional On Sunday morning, I passed 500 miles on my new Trek Verve+ 2 bike. I guess that means it is no longer […]
You Pay $0.00
My wife is on Medicare and had cataract surgery. We just got the statement of benefits for the first eye. Total you pay: $0.00 Yay socialized medicine!
How to Safely Visit Friends Indoors
Warm weather has let us keep in touch with family and friends by visiting outdoors. If you are like me, the time spent in parks and on patios has been heaven sent. But with cold weather coming, what do we do now? Maintaining six feet of social distance is good advice for some situations but […]
Know the Risk of Catching Covid-19 in Restaurants, Workplaces, Outdoors, Etc.
This blog post, by microbiologist Erin Bromage, just appeared in my inbox. The author goes into detail, in plain English, about how Covid-19 infection happens and how likely it is to occur in a variety of environments, including restaurants, sanctuaries, stores, and outdoors. The Risks – Know Them – Avoid Them Here is a typical […]
Transgender in the Bathroom
This week included a watershed day for me: the first time that I knowingly used the men’s room with a transgender man. I followed a trans man into the bathroom and guess what happened: Nothing special. I used the urinal. He used a stall. I left. He left later (I presume, since I have seen […]
Prescription Health Insurance Insanity
Excuse me while I vent about the insanity of health insurance here in the USA. I take levothyroxine for a chronic condition (which means that I have taken the same dose for years and will likely continue to do so). I have a couple of choices for buying it: $15.89 for a 30 day supply […]
Comparing Health Insurance (ObamaCare vs. Company Health Plan)
For years, I have offered health insurance to the employees of my company, Hen’s Teeth Network. December 2014 is the last month that HTN will provide health insurance. This blog post explains why and includes the spreadsheet that I used for my analysis. It is all about the numbers; this is not a political rant. Most […]
Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (T.U.R.P.)
So you want the gory details about Transurethral Resection of the Prostate (T.U.R.P.)? OK. I am happy to oblige. Here is the nitty-gritty about how I came to have a T.U.R.P., how it went, and how I feel now that it is done. WARNING: This essay is explicit about symptoms and body parts associated with […]
Goal Achieved: Lost 32 Pounds
I have lost 32 pounds. 🙂 It took a year and I am very pleased. I used the Weight Watchers mobile app and self-discipline. I did not bother with the WW meetings. For the last few weeks, I have maintained my weight without following the WW program, just eating sensibly, so this morning I […]
Prostate: Unintelligent Design at Its Worst
Want a chuckle? No, want a belly aching guffaw? Check out the male urinary plumbing. You got a nice small tube running from the bladder out through the “you know what” to the outside world. Wrapped around that tube is the prostate gland, which grows and hardens over the years, squeezing the tube until nothing flows […]
Thoughts on Boy Scouts and Gays
I have always been ambivalent about the Boy Scouts of America. The programs are tremendous. Boys learn a lot and have a ton of fun. But… the Boy Scouts have traditionally told its members that gay men and boys, ranging from 10% to 20% of the US male population, is not welcome. While not openly criticizing […]
Heads Up, Doc!
Added November 6, 2011: Since sending a copy of this letter to the doctor, I spoke with his office manager and him, receiving both a good explanation and sincere apologies. I have returned to his office for my FAA medical exam and had a delightful experience with everything running on time and like clockwork. Dear […]
Another Boundary
I just realized that I created another boundary in my life and have been happily living with it for quite awhile, maybe a year or more. I like boundaries; they keep me sane and productive. For instance, I have two email addresses and I never use my personal address for business or my business address […]
Are Psycho-Active Drugs Ineffective and Dangerous?
There seems to be mounting evidence that psycho-active drugs are no more effective than placebos; that they may cause real harm; and that the belief that many mental illnesses are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain has never been proven but has been forwarded by the drug manufacturers. I was most persuaded by Irving […]
Upbeat Prostate Cancer Info
We are all aware of breast cancer (who can escape the pink ribbons, pink grocery bags, etc?) but it is pretty easy to ignore prostate cancer. Perhaps this is a sign of better marketing by the breast cancer advocates. Perhaps we are more comfortable thinking about breasts than urinary tracts. Or perhaps we men are […]
Jingle Bell Run 5K
I ran my second 5K this morning, the Jingle Bell Run to benefit the Arthritis Foundation. I signed up for the race with two goals in mind: I wanted to raise over $1,000 for the Arthritis Foundation and I wanted to better my 5K time from the first race that I ran in October. Kudos […]
Help Needed for the Arthritis Foundation
Do you know anybody who has arthritis? I thought so. Me too. I need your help. I am dressing up in green & red, tying bells on my shoes, running the Jingle Bell 5K tomorrow morning, November 21, to support the Arthritis Foundation. So far there are 17 of us the the Cheerful Curmudgeons team. […]
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