Close to home..

[undergroundpanther]

Some conversations..seem to hit so close to home it's beautiful in a hideious way..
Just reading the responses to "Grandpa's" article on Unknown News.... I see the struggles being laid bare..The TEDIUM,the hope and dispair, in the responses,and some recipies for disaster and weird peach salads...So lets go,I put in the article that started it all and one poster's responses..Here is Grandpa's piece for starters..And if you really want to get a slice,go check it at the source..UnknownNews's dialog Page.
(edited to keep context clearer.btw)

Soon I'll be dead

by Grandpa
June 2, 2008
Have I mentioned lately that I'm increasingly glad that I'm old? Soon I'll be dead (nothing fatal, just an actuarial statement -- I'm 70, almost as old as John McCain, so I'm a lot closer to the end
than the beginning).

The country I grew up in has already been killed and buried, and the criminals who killed it are getting away with it.
My father was killed defending America from real enemies in World War II. My older brother was killed in Korea, and they told him he was defending America too, but I never figured out what he was defending America from. I was lucky enough to be a Marine while America was between wars, but my son was killed in Vietnam, and again, you tell me what his death had to do with defending America. Nothing, like the nothing our boys are fighting and dying for in Iraq today and Iran tomorrow.

Shouldn't it at least take a pretty clever criminal
Everything I ever believed in has been completely trashed and the traitors who did this to America are laughing as they get away with it all. But on the bright side pretty soon I'll be dead, and make my way out of here.
I'll get to escape the ugliness they've built where the United States of America used to be. You poor suckers are stuck here.

Shouldn't it at least take a pretty clever criminal mind to sink a nation, loot the treasury, launch outlandish phony wars, and get away with everything? These crooks Bush and Cheney don't seem terribly bright and they did everything in broad daylight... on television... but nobody seems to want them punished except a huge majority of little people like you and me and Helen and Harry. The people in power, people in Congress and in the media who really could punish this gang of low-life thugs, they're just always conveniently looking the other way like little kids told to face the wall. They'll be staring at that wall right up until it crumbles on them.
Everything I ever believed in has been completely trashed and the traitors who did this to America are laughing as they get away with it all. But on the bright side pretty soon I'll be dead, and make my way out of here. I'll get to escape the ugliness they've built where the United States of America used to be. You poor suckers are stuck here.

Grandpa

In reply to Grandpa...
Chronic pancreatitis

by Marlene Mann
Finally! Someone who thinks like me! (Please insert condolences or congratulations here, whichever applies.)
Although you've got a few years on me (I turned 55 in March), I just might have a few things on YOU.

For example, in February of 2006, I suddenly became ill with what turned out to be chronic pancreatitis. One relocation (from Pennsylvania to Colorado to live with my daughter) and six hospitalizations later, it was finally discovered through DNA testing that my pancreatitis is caused by cystic fibrosis. (NO, it is NOT just a disease of babies and young children, and, NO, it does NOT just affect the respiratory system. In fact, the original name for cystic fibrosis was "cystic fibrosis of the pancreas."

As I happily type this, my pancreas is in the process of cannibalizing itself. This results in debilitating pain which is usually relieved with Vicodin. For "hospital-worthy" pain, I have been prescribed the Fentanyl patch which usually knocks me out for three days but takes a few hours to begin working. Once my pancreas is destroyed, I can look forward to developing diabetes. Although lung involvement exists, it is minimal, but my doctor said, barring pancreatic cancer, it will be my respiratory system that eventually kills me.

Did I mention that I was forced to cancel my "employer-provided" health insurance when the monthly premium reached 50% of my gross annual income? I don't really miss the car that was repossessed that much since I only leave my home about twice a month. (I work from home as a medical transcriptionist and haven't been fired so far for not being the very productive employee I once was.)

I've worked two jobs most of my adult life as I raised my daughter as a single mom. I absolutely love my job. Although I was advised a year ago by a physician to apply for Social Security Disability benefits, I was too "proud" and unwilling to believe I could no longer work. When the specialists at the cystic fibrosis center suggested I apply, I caved in and finally did apply two months ago. (Since my income is so low, they also automatically filed an application for SSI benefits (a/k/a welfare), which made me feel ashamed. If I am approved for Social Security disability benefits, I must wait four months from date of approval to receive a check and two YEARS to receive Medicare. If I am approved for SSI, I begin receiving checks upon approval, as well as Medicaid. (SSI, again, is based upon my income, and I have been requested to send pay stubs to the Social Security Administration once a month, which I have been doing.)Either way, by the time they deny my application, I may well already be dead. (I explained the above mostly to educate people regarding cystic fibrosis. While researching the "risk groups"/reasons for pancreatitis, I had always seen cystic fibrosis as a reason but instantly ignored it because I had always thought it involved only lungs and only occurred in babies and young children. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I do not believe this is publicized enough. If you or anyone you know and/or love suddenly develops a chronic GASTROINTESTINAL problem that's labeled "idiopathic" and doesn't improve, please be proactive and talk to your physician about the possibility of CF. However, ONLY do this if you are insured because once you're "officially" diagnosed, that genie is out of the bottle.)

Sorry for the digression.

My father, too, served in World War II. He was a paratrooper and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. (I found his parachute once when I was a little kid and tried to jump off the roof with it. Mom found me in time and almost had a heart attack. She also almost had a heart attack when she found a dead mouse in my underwear drawer that I had placed there, hoping for its reincarnation.)

Again, I digress. Sorry.

Your words may have been written in jest, but in all honesty, I'm also truly waiting for death. I don't fear it. I figure that I don't remember being born, so I'll probably forget my death, as well. (I actually believe in reincarnation; hence, the mouse "incident.") I fear life in the United States, which may lead to the deaths of many. That isn't how I want to die. I realize we don't get choices as to when we will die. I don't recognize my country any more, and it frightens me. I realize that Bush regularly has conversations with God (who has been Bush's most reliable advisor), and I also realize that a part of his base consists of evangelicals who are as eager for the arrival of the "Rapture" as I used to be for the arrival of Santa Claus when I was a kid. (Tom Delay even once quipped that he wished it would come tomorrow.) Some people who live within the realm of reality would consider Bush to be a madman. Others worship him and believe he is the one sent by God to enact this self-fulfilled Rapture prophecy.

I believe the recipe for martial law is as follows: Wage war on a terror group (located in Country A) that allegedly attacked us. Let simmer for approximately 1-1/2 years. Then wage a war and occupation country that did NOT attack us, Country B, (be sure to use heaping tablespoons of money that we don't have), and manipulate the financial markets in order to eliminate the middle class. Bring to a boil until the pot begins to shake strongly. Reduce heat to simmer for two minutes. Then add two heaping tablespoons of saber rattling to shock the financial market. Fold in an attack on Country C and cover. Boil until lid blows off pot. Take true terror attacks that will occur in retribution in the USA and use chaos created by same. Immediately remove pot from stove. While cooking, intersperse ingredients with a placebo presidential race, just for good measure, to make Americans believe their votes actually count and that the long-awaited next president will arrive soon. Your martial law is now ready for consumption.
(Just in case you've cooked it too long and provoked a nuclear attack on the USA, you and your "haves base" can retreat to those fallout shelters that were built around the White House decades ago.)

I might be a bit sarcastic, but I'm truly ready to die from my disease, and I do wish for it from time to time. Ironically, for some of us living in America today, quality of life can only be found in death. If this is life in the United States, then I have reached the point of disgust and have definitely seen enough, so I'm ready to move on to the next one.This all may sound bizarre and cause some to wonder if I'm suicidal. I am NOT. I simply don't have the guts to do anything to cause my own death. Besides, I don't have to. I have cystic fibrosis and President George W. Bush. I just hope the cystic fibrosis wins the war on my demise.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


...Marline Continues in another response that was complimenting her on her toughness humor and resilency..... I

don't feel so tough most of the time; in fact, between my illness and the economy, I feel increasingly helpless and insecure, so I try to use humor as much as I can, since laughter is much better than tears!! Besides, this is a disease I've had all my life but never knew. I've lived a fairly healthy life, so I have nothing to complain about, especially when I think of all the babies and young children who have died of this horrible disease. In fact, I feel quite fortunate.

Actually, I was hoping you might be willing to print it, so please feel free to do so. It's important to me to get the "word" out about cystic fibrosis. I've done a lot of research on pancreatitis, and each time I've read about the "risk groups" and causes, cystic fibrosis was always listed as a cause, but I always ignored it because I didn't think it applied to me because I'm an adult, and I always though CF was a disease of babies and children.

The best part about this all is that they didn't do the DNA testing until my fifth hospitalization, which is when they seemed to begin to take my case seriously. I think the 6.6-cm cyst (half the entire size of my pancreas) helped them to do that. However, nobody TOLD me they were going to take my blood to perform DNA testing. Nobody uttered the words "cystic fibrosis" in my presence. Nobody asked me for "informed consent" or discussed the possible consequences of being diagnosed with a deadly disease while being uninsured or permitted me to ask the multitude of questions I would have asked. On October 3, (after having been discharged almost a month prior on September 6), out of the blue, I received a three-sentence, undated letter in the mail simply saying the test I "had performed" for cystic fibrosis while in the hospital came back positive. I asked for a copy of the DNA test. The test results were faxed to the pulmonologist on the date of my discharge, (September 6), yet they didn't bother to tell me for almost a month. Anger and resentment do not even begin to describe how I felt/still feel, but enough about that!

Actually, speaking of "laughter," I've just finished writing, "What I DIDN'T Think of Hillary's Speech" getting around to reading email at 4:00 a.m.!) This is actually a true account of how I missed Senator Clinton's speech today, and the time line is an accurate one. (Sometimes truth IS stranger than fiction!)

What I DIDN'T Think of Hillary's Speech
By Marlene Mann

Okay. Today was the day Hillary scheduled her big ballyhoo to end her campaign, curiously at high noon. I live in out west, so everything is two hours behind (sometimes even dinner, but I digress).

I had been up most of the night and tuned into MSNBC early, at about 9:45 a.m. (11:45 a.m. Hillary time). Although I was pretty tired, I was very much looking forward to personally assessing the features of Hillary's personality as she spoke and wanted to see if this was going to be another speech that was all about her, complete with bitterness and a sense of entitlement, or if one of her other personalities would emerge, a kinder, gentler one.

Here's the time line:

9:45:00 a.m.: No Hillary yet, but I'm early. Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann (my two favorites) are hosting this historic event. I can listen to these two guys talk all day.

9:50:00 a.m.: I can't listen to these two guys talk all day, so I begin channel surfing. Rachel Ray is cooking what looks to be some GOOD lasagna on the Food Network. I like Rachel Ray, but I can't get too involved because I am waiting for Hillary.

9:55:00 a.m.: Back to MSNBC. Chris and Keith still chatting. Hey, guys. We've got FIVE MINUTES to go here. Shouldn't we be -- what? Senator Clinton hasn't left her house yet? Quick shot to Senator Clinton's house reveals no visible activity. (Whose motorcycle is that, anyway?)

10:00:29 a.m.: Back to the remote. Animal Planet has generously offered "Cracking the Secret Code of Ants," complete with close-up shots of a gazillion ants. Uh, thanks, but no thanks. Whatever happened to that cute little meerkat -- Daisy or Rose or whatever flowery name the gave her -- oh, yeah, that's it: FLOWER! Those ants are just too creepy!

10:00:30 a.m.: History Channel is showing Ax Men. I think not.

10:00:32 a.m.: Back to MSNBC: Clinton still hasn't left house. What the -- I bet she handcuffed herself to a piano, swallowed the key, they're trying to drag her out of the house, and she is refusing to leave.

10:00:35 a.m.: Beginning to feel extreme anxiety and tension. Recall that I was prescribed Xanax for such events. I'll only take a half of one because otherwise, I'll fall asleep, and I can't do that because Hillary's speech is too important!

10:03:00 a.m.: More surfing. Ooooooh. FX is showing Dharma and Greg at 10:00. As I tune in, Dharma is at her in-laws', having dinner and explaining why she sleeps in the nude. Some hot-looking foreign guy declares everyone at the table to be sexy. (Hot-looking foreign guy is Greg's aunt's new boyfriend. Greg's aunt wants a divorce from Greg's uncle and wants Greg to represent her.) As usual, Dharma does her good deed and tries to bring aunt and uncle back together. Greg is angry because Dharma's interference causes him to lose client. I decide Dharma would make a great diplomat to Iran. As you can see from the time line, this show moves very quickly (plus, it's a rerun that I've already seen).

10:07:00 a.m.: Back to surfing. Hit "channel down" button. "Army Wives" is on Lifetime. Like the show, but these are all reruns.

10:08:00 a.m.: Back to the clicker, hitting "channel up" button. Arrive at Animal Planet just in time to be greeted by the words, "...something gripped in ant's jaw." Am reminded to check MSNBC again.

10:08:02 a.m.: MSNBC makes another announcement: "Senator Clinton has not left her house. Endorsement speech delayed." Well, DUH! Am becoming a tad annoyed at this point. I wonder if she'd be late for her own funeral -- oops -- bad example. She already is, politically, "presidentially" speaking. Banner at bottom of screen: "Senator Hillary Clinton to Suspend Campaign and Endorse Obama." Suspend? SUSPEND???!!! Is she still holding out for that bizarre RFK scenario she shared with the entire world the other week? All the other candidates ENDED their campaigns, and she's still SUSPENDING?!!

10:11:00 a.m.: Back to Food Network. Someone's preparing grilled peach salad. Being basically a meat and potatoes kind of person, this is just a little too "busy" for me. (It's really quite simple: Peaches are good either plain or with ice cream, yogurt or cream; burgers, dogs, chicken, ribs and steaks, etc. are grilled; and salad consists of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, onion, and maybe a few other ingredients, but PEACHES ain't one of them.) Thinking how strange this all is triggers my memory to try MSNBC again.

10:13:00 a.m.: No news yet. Annoyance still present but somewhat "soothed."

10:14:00 a.m.: Channel-surf my way to Oxygen. "Snapped" is on. Again reminded of Hillary and tune back in to MSNBC.

10:17:00 a.m.: People still yacking. No Hillary, and the motorcycle outside her house is looking smaller all the time.

10:17:45 a.m.: Remote takes me back to the Food Network. The show is called "Rescue Chef." Acutely aware of my own personal culinary challenges, I pop a tape into the VCR and press "Record."

10:18:15: a.m.: I come to the realization that the show with that weird grilled peach salad IS "Rescue Chef," the show I'm taping. I remove tape from VCR.

10:19:00 a.m.: Back to the clicker. "Dominick Dunne's Power, Privilege and Justice" is on truTV. Again reminded not to take eye off prize and click back on to MSNBC, this time for the duration.

10:26:00 a.m.: People moving about outside Hillary's house. Motorcade leaving. Why does she need a MOTORCADE? Why couldn't she just do all of this, ON TIME, perhaps in the setting of one of her "conversations," sitting on her couch and trying to sound sincere? My annoyance quickly turns to anticipation, though. Finally!!! I yawn. My tension and anxiety have completely abated. I yell, "Hurry, Hillary!! Hurry!!" out loud. Dog stares at me in tilted-head confusion.

7:14:00 P.M.: I suddenly awaken to one of MSNBC's boring prison shows, distressed, sweating profusely and panic-stricken, after having had a nightmare about watching "Snapped," showing Dharma Montgomery in prison, having been convicted of murdering her husband, Army Private Greg Montgomery, after serving him a dinner of lasagna, with grilled peach salad in which she had hidden fire ants that she had killed with an ax. An Army Colonel by the name of Barack Olbermann had discovered Private Montgomery's body in the desert, near a colony of meerkats. Hillary Clinton, Dharma's attorney, is also interviewed. Dharma is sentenced to life in prison without parole.

What I learned today:

1. A half a Xanax works just as well as a full one.

2. Grilled peach salad really IS bad.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ahh what a slice of Life,during this collapse of this psychopathic civilization.A mix of mundane and horrifying.Isn't it?
Read more of this conversation..at

http://www.unknownnews.org/080614-sd.html#10t-AA
http://www.unknownnews.org/080614-sd.html#10t-AA

[otherlander]

1. Wow... thanks for posting this.