This Medication Can Kill You

This is difficult for me to write.  Occasionally, I’ve written about health issues, such as sinus infections.  This time things are more serious.

Last week, my ENT specialist prescribed a different medication for an ear infection that appeared in December and doesn’t want to leave.  I picked it up the prescription from the pharmacy and after getting home, began reading the 9 pages; 5 titled “Medicine Information Sheet” and 4 titled “Medication Guide”.

In the third paragraph of the “Medication Guide”, in bold letters it says, “Some of these serious side effects can happen at the same time and could result in death.”

I’ve not started taking this medication and honestly, don’t know if I will.  Only, it doesn’t stop there.

Yesterday, I got the frightening news from a diagnostic surgeon that I might have malignant cancer.

Now, out comes the soapbox.  I miss the old days when there were neighborhood physicians who took care of mostly everything.  Back then there was only hospitalization insurance.  Doctor visits costs $20 to $50.  If the neighborhood physician decided surgery was needed or tests, he would admit you into the hospital so the insurance would pay for it.  All providers would be together, and staff made sure that you received the proper diet and medication on time.

Now, patients might have several doctors.  Indeed, I have 6, and if we count the nurses who take vitals and asks questions, that doubles the number of times that I have to repeat the same thing.  Shall I add in the physician assistants who I see me more than the actual physicians?

Taking a Break

Hello everyone.   There are no words sufficient to express my appreciation for followers, old and new.   Will you accept flowers instead?

 

As most if not all of us know, things are hectic in the United States.  Everyday, Trump has said or done something that stresses the masses.   Remember to vote. 

Assortment of Information and Open Discussion

Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, a certain roach, visitors and friends,

First, a million thanks to all followers and participants.

 

I’ve not written many blog posts lately because my eye doctor has instructed me to decrease the amount of time I spend looking at the computer screen.  This open discussion will probably be the most current post until the end of next week, and then I might reblog as I return to being able to read more online.

I did see a fantastic movie and when I’m back writing, I want to share it with you.

There have been some cases and other news that I’ve been following.  Here are summaries:

Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt has offered to pay funeral expenses for the 10 victims killed in the Sante Fe High School shooting in Texas, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports. The family of one victim, Shana Fisher, said they accepted his offer.  CBS News has the story. Autopsies are to reveal whether any of the victims were killed by law enforcement or resource officers in the crossfire between them and Dimitrios Pagourtzis, the identified shooter.  More on USA Today.

This Week’s Stress Relief

I thought I would post something to give us a break or a balance to the stress that some, if not most of us, are under due to the situations in Washington, D.C.

My plate is pretty full for this week so I don’t plan on writing a blog post, (although it might still happen), and my visits to other blogs will be minimal.   Hopefully, next week will be better.

Feb. 5, 2018 Open Discussion Until The End of The Week

Caterpillars, moths, butterflies, visitors, friends and neighbors,

I’m still following the trial of Hugh Barry, the police officer who killed 66-year old Deborah Danner when she was having a mental health episode.  You can follow along at this link.

There are some personal matters that need my attention so other than following the trial, I don’t think it will leave me much time to write blog posts.   This open discussion is intended for sharing news, information, opinions or anything else you might want to share and/or discuss in the comment section below.  I might add to it as time allows.

Pending Matters and Open Discussion

Dear friends and visitors,

Here’s heartfelt appreciation to all followers and participants.  Words cannot express my appreciation.

Here are some things happening;

Mesa Police Department officer Philip Brailsford is on trial for the killing of Daniel Shaver.   I’ll post on it when the jury hands in a verdict.

The jury is deliberating in the federal trial of three Boynton Beach police officers accused of violating the civil rights of a passenger in a vehicle.   If they reach a verdict tomorrow, I’ll blog it on Monday.

Charleston, West Virginia officer Stephen Doss plead guilty to failing to use his lights and sirens in a crash that killed 80-year old Dora Clarke.  Doss initially faced a charge of negligent homicide which carries a one year prison sentence and $100 fine.  His plea carries a maximum sentence of 10 days in jail.  Sentencing is scheduled for December 7, 2017.  Last week, the Charleston City Council approved a $675,000 settlement for a wrongful death claim that followed Doss’ accident.

Have A Joyous Sunday

What I Did During Break

Hello friends and visitors.

The blog has undergone some re-organization.  If you go to the top menu and hover over Cases/Victims, a drop-down menu appears.  You can use the center wheel of your mouse to scroll down the drop-down menu.  The names are in alphabetical order by first name.  There are a few names not on that list.  That’s because they were mentioned in an Open Discussion or other post.

There are over a hundred names.  If you don’t find the name of a person on the drop-down menu but think that there is information on this blog, please use the search engine box on the right-hand border.

While going over the cases, I did some follow-up.  There are so many cases where no one was charged.  Rather than do separate blog posts, I’m thinking about doing one to cover a number of cases and possibly continuing that on a monthly basis.

Documents

Documents are barely visited.  There are also documents that are embedded in blog posts, but not on the list on the right-side border.  I’m thinking about preparing a table with links and posting it under a menu heading for “documents” on the top border, but that will take time.  Once I do get that completed, the list will be removed from the right-side border.  I might add my tweeter feed in that place instead.

Another Change For Comments

The other week, someone submitted a slew of debating comments to posts that were published in 2014.  Some of those they commented to have retired from the internet since then.  Therefore, I have changed the option so that comments cannot be submitted to posts that over a year old.

Thanks to all new and old followers.  I’m still running behind in catching-up on blog posts for those blogs I follow.  Please forgive me.  I’m so far behind that I’m considering starting a new slate beginning with tomorrow.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful week.

 

Sunday, September 17, 2017 – Taking A Week’s Break

Friends and visitors,

Thanks to all for following, visiting and participating.

For several months now, I’ve pondered changing the theme of the blog so people can find posts on cases more conveniently.   I just learned how to add drop-down in the top menu and am currently working under the menu heading “Cases.”  If you hover over “Cases” a drop-down will appear with the names of victims.

There’s about 4 years of names, (I’ve counted 33 and am not yet finished) to add to the drop-down, so it’s going to take me some time to complete this project. If you’re looking for a specific case and it’s not on the drop-down, you can still use the search bar on the right-side border.

While working on that, I must put some time into visiting the blogs of new subscribers.   You are important to me and I want to pay it forward.  If you’re on Twitter, please let me know your handle so I can follow you.  You can do that by either posting a comment below, or following me @XenaBb7.

Along with blog redesigning, there are those things that take up time in life, such as making telephone calls where you listen to 3 minutes of pre-recordings with instructions on what number to press for your issue.  Don’t you just love doing that to end up hearing another recording telling you that all representatives are busy, followed with loud music played for your holding pleasure? And, what about when you get disconnected and have to start all over again?

Technology is good, and it is bad.  It is convenient for businesses, but I find it inconvenient for consumers and clients.  I prefer the old days when a live person answered calls and knew exactly who to transfer you to.

Enough of the soap box for now.

Feel free to use this thread for open discussion.

Have a wonderful week.  I’ll see you soon.

 

Hurricane Harvey In Texas

“Catastrophic flooding is now underway and expected to continue for days.”

via National Weather Service: We’ve never seen rain like this — WTVR.com

Posted using Press This.

Flooding from Tropical Storm Harvey is overburdening resources as authorities in and around Houston scramble to save those trapped by the high waters.

Hopes for an immediate respite from Harvey’s wrath seem unlikely as the National Weather Service calls the flooding “unprecedented” and warns things may become more dire if a record-breaking 50 inches of rain falls on parts of Texas in coming days.

The rainfall threatens to exacerbate an already dangerous situation, as Harvey’s rains have left many east Texas rivers and bayous swollen to their banks or beyond.

“The breadth and intensity of this rainfall are beyond anything experienced before,” the weather service said. “Catastrophic flooding is now underway and expected to continue for days.”

The storm killed two people in Texas, authorities said, and the death toll will likely rise. More than 1,000 people were rescued overnight, and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that some 911 calls are going unanswered as operators “give preference to life-threatening calls.”

Here are the latest developments:

Proposed Bill In The U.S. Congress Will Make Doxing A Federal Crime

In case you’re unfamiliar with doxing, it is term that describes using the internet to search for and obtain the personal information of others, and to post it publicly on the internet with the intent to threaten, intimidate, harass or incite the commission of a crime of violence against a person or a member of the immediate family of that person.

Some states consider doxing to fall under stalking laws and include an intent to cause the person doxed extreme emotional distress.  In fact, in some prosecuted cases of cyberstalking, the victim’s personal information can be the personal knowledge of the perpetrator who posts it publicly on the internet for a malicious purpose.

The personal information that is publicly posted does not have to be accurate.  In fact, it can be for someone totally different, which can then lead to civil lawsuits for defamation and identity theft. Doxing has become a serious problem in the United States.

There is a current federal statute for protecting individuals performing certain official duties from having their personal information and that of their families made publicly available.  The statute is 18 U.S.C. § 119.  It makes it a federal crime to make publicly available the Social Security number, home address, home phone number, mobile phone number, personal email, or home fax number of, and identifiable to, restricted personnel.

The federal statute defines restricted personnel as a grand or petit juror, witness, officer in or of any court of the United States, or an officer who may be, or was, serving at any examination or other proceeding before any United States magistrate judge or other committing magistrate; an informant or witness in a Federal criminal investigation or prosecution; or a State or local officer or employee whose restricted personal information is made publicly available because of the participation in, or assistance provided to, a Federal criminal investigation by that officer or employee.  Family members are also protected under the statute.

I’ve often wondered why our federal government does not seem to believe that all citizens want the same protection and the right to be let alone.  Maybe that will change soon.

A Huge Thank You, Changes, Embedding Videos From Youtube, and Open Discussion

Thanks to all followers new and old, and to visitors.

We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident is approaching its fifth anniversary.  I’m working on changing the top menu to make it more convenient to find posts based on topic.  Since we’ve reported on so many trials, I might change themes so the top menu will have a pull-down section to see the names of defendants and/or victims.  The same is true for the border, particularly for documents.   I do hesitate changing the theme because we’ve had the same theme since this blog opened in 2012.  Let me know what you think.

We are following the bench trial of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley who killed Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. Stockley was charged last year.  The judge has ordered no electronic communication devices, nor cameras in the courtroom.

I’ve Been Cited In Two Professional Publications And Other Stuff About Blogging

Thanks so much to all followers new and old.  There has been such an increase in subscribed followers lately that I’ve not had time to keep up visiting their blogs.  Please forgive me.  Rather than clicking like and moving on,  I prefer reading posts and if there is something I would like to say, to leave comments.  Time does not always allow me to leave comments.  I’m hoping to set aside at least one hour on the weekends to visit and catch-up on the blogs I follow.  Here’s hoping that it works.

Now for a couple of things ….

It’s a humbling experience to discover that things you have written have been cited in professional publications.

In October 2016, blogger Supabutterfly wrote a post honoring me.  I was already humbled and honored by his handle.  For those who might not know, in July 2014, I made a decision to use the option that a Word Press account would be needed to submit comments to this blog.    It was because since mid-2013, I was bombarded with harassing comments submitted through proxy IP addresses.  For over 6 months, I blacklisted the IP addresses, but one proxy IP address service might have hundreds of proxy IP addresses.  It was a never-ending battle.

There were people who had participated on this blog since it opened in August 2012.  They opened Word Press accounts and many of them incorporated the word “butterfly” into their new handles.   One did not consider himself a butterfly so chose a handle that includes “moth.”  What they did was honorable and a blessing to me. None of them had to go through opening a Word Press account to continue posting comments here, but they did and I am forever grateful.

Open Discussion June 6, 2017

Friends, visitors, caterpillars, moths, butterflies, and a certain roach,

Sunday evening, a bug hit my household.  Even the dog vomited.  Although I’m feeling better now, my appetite has not returned and I’m still weak.  This open discussion is because there are two trials currently taking place, and I’m not sure if I can keep up with separate posts about other news.

• I knew jury selection was taking place for two trials; that of Jeronimo Yanez for the shooting death of Philando Castile.  Yanez is charged with second-degree manslaugher.   Jury selection is underway for Ray Tensing’s retrial, who is charged with the shooting death of Samuel Dubose.   The jury deadlocked at Tensing’s first trial, which we followed at this link.

Yanez’s trial is not livestreamed.  Tensing’s trial is scheduled to be livestreamed.   I will publish separate posts to follow each trial.

Manchester: Explosion in Ariana Grande’s Concert Leaves 22 Dead, Over 50 Injured

Thanks for the details. My condolences to the family and friends of those who passed, and prayers for healing to the injured.

As We Approach The Weekend – Open Discussion

There is so much happening.

We have gotten through the Betty Shelby trial.   Again, a jury looked at video but decided the verdict in favor of Shelby.

There’s daily news and new revelations regarding the White House.

I wanted to write something different today.  Then I remembered that Word Press made some changes to its Reader.  So, here’s a question for Word Press bloggers.  Did you know that if you publish more than one blog post the same day in succession, that the posts no longer appear separately in the Reader?  The titles are listed in a box and there is no summary. 

Taking a Break – Open Discussion

Dear friends and visitors,

The time has arrived for me to take a break.  There’s Spring cleaning, and that includes the yards. There are also some doctor appointments coming up and a pending surgery.  I probably won’t write any new posts for the next two weeks.

The last two days have been pretty busy on my other blog.   The most recent post there is about living in peace with others who have different views or ideologies.  The discussion is interesting.  Because I moderate all comments for that blog,  I’ll check-in on both blogs for comments in moderation while I’m on a break from writing.

Feel free to post in the comment section anything that’s on your mind or any topic you want to discuss with each other.

Here’s something that will hopefully lift our spirit.

 

War is the Unfolding of Miscalculations… Assad, Trump, Putin, and Syria 2017

In his Executive Order, this is the country where Trump does not want refugees to enter the U.S. Now suddenly he cares about the people?

The Inglorius Padre Steve's World

Friends of Padre Steve’s World,

The die has been cast. Last week the Trump administration signaled that the regime of Bashir Al Assad was not a priority for American policy in the Middle East. The comment was perplexing as the Assad regime has worked with the Iranians, and Hezbollah, both enemies of the United States to crush a revolt against his regime that began during the Arab Spring. Assad’s methods included the use of Sarin nerve agent and relentless attacks on civilians and were condemned by much of the world. In 2013 President Obama attempted to gain political support for military action against the Assad regime but was rebuffed by congressional Republicans as well as anti-war Democrats. The Syrian rebels were joined by radical Sunni Muslims of various Al Qaeda affiliates and later joined by the so called Islamic State. The Syrian army was on the point of collapse when…

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Open Discussion – March 20, 2017

Dear friends, visitors, caterpillars, butterflies, crusty moths and a certain roach,

I had out-patient surgery this morning, so am not feeling 100 percent.   There is lots going on, so feel free to post whatever you want to discuss or express in the comment section.

 

10 things you need to know today: January 14, 2017

The Fifth Column

Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

THE WEEK

1. Trump may lift Russia sanctions ‘if we get along’ President-elect Donald Trump may lift U.S. sanctions against Russia if relations between the two countries improve during his time in office, he indicated in an interview published by The Wall Street JournalFriday. “If you get along and if Russia is really helping us, why would anybody have sanctions if somebody’s doing some really great things?” Trump asked, though he noted he will not make any major changes “at least for a period of time.” He also suggested possible diplomatic shakeup with China, announcing that “Everything is under negotiation including ‘One China,'” the long-time U.S. policy of formally accepting Beijing’s claim that Taiwan is not a separate nation. Still, the president-elect made a point to highlight the holiday greeting he received from Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying, “I have a beautiful card from…

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