Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Dear Classmates
Dear classmates of 1957. Erma Bombeck, one of my favorite writers, said this when she found out she was dying of cancer. We’ve made it this far—near or at 80, so enjoy the ride!
If I had my life to live over, by Erma Bombeck
I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day.
I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.
I would have talked less and listened more.
I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.
I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.
I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.
I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.
I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.
I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.
I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.
I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.
Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.
When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you’s” and more “I’m sorry’s.”
But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it…live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!
Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what. Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.
Saturday, September 12, 2026
Are we doomed or is this just another Fauci psyop?
There are several doomer psyop groups and if you use the old term "follow the money" you'll find Bernie--maybe--or according to Mr, Coxon it's too late and the beings will just kill all of you because they are reproducing themselves.
This morning I listened to the Friday edition of All-In, and here's how Friedberg summed up how fear of risk and the "new" are built into our beings:
"Friedberg supplies the historical pattern that makes the panel skeptical of the doomer framing generally. Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth leaned on IPCC forecasts that have since proven overstated (15:45). Public health officials predicted COVID would require total lockdown, with consequences that included the inflation and debt spiral that followed (16:12). After the Three Mile Island accident, the United States effectively stopped building nuclear plants, and the price shows it: producing one gigawatt of nuclear power costs about $15 billion in the US today, versus roughly $1 billion in China (16:36). Each case, Friedberg argues, followed the same shape: an unprovable existential claim, amplified until it became the default social assumption, used to justify centralizing control in the hands of whoever raised the alarm.
"The US will be the tribe in the Amazon that has never seen civilization. 'Cause civilization will evolve all around us." - David Friedberg [20:36]
This summary leaves out a lot, but here is a full podcast https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=cvxjqbfLVk0 If I know anything about technology above e-mail, it's these guys.
Monday, September 07, 2026
I wonder where they find their titles
Ohio Poetry Association.
Founded in Columbus in 1929, the Ohio Poetry Association serves poets and those who appreciate poetry at all levels. We provide a variety of programs and other opportunities for developing and professional poets. Ohio Poetry Association | Facebook
Ohio Poetry Journals & Presses
Looking to submit your work or read the work of another poet? Explore these Ohio poetry publishers.
Antioch Review
Ashland Poetry Press
Bottom Dog Press
Cleveland State University Press
Crisis Chronicles Press
deep cleveland press
Dos Madres Press
Full/Crescent Press
Kattywompus Press
Kenyon Review
Mid-American Review
NightBallet Press
Oberlin College Press
Ohio State University Press
Ohio University Press & Swallow Press
The Orchard Street Press
The Poet's Haven
Slippery Elm
University of Akron Press
Writing Knights Press
You can also explore Ohio's book publishers on the Ohio Center for the Book website here.
Affordability--it's a Democrat hoax
I'm really sick of that word. In 2022 inflation was 8%; today it's 3.36% even with the war in the middle east, it is lower in the Trump administration. All week-end the news has reported on the huge crowds traveling--despite high costs. Duh. So, affordability is OK, because prices aren't keeping people home to picnic in the neighborhood park, right?
In 1962 we bought our first house which we (Bob converted to a duplex) bought for $14,000. The government CPI says $14,000 would now be $140,840, about the same for a low income neighborhood in that town that we paid. 1,000% inflation, so I think only the government creates inflation. Fauci fooled both Trump and Biden and messed up the entire country. And from what I hear among Democrats, some of them still believe Fauci and think we are still virtuous for importing illegals to take jobs from Americas. .
Saturday, September 05, 2026
Canadian retirement woes
But I did talk to one of my neighbors this morning at our independent living residence and complained that I was having a problem with the double verification code with my OSU e-mail password, and would you believe my friend blamed President Trump? And he was serious! His reasoning was that if Trump could rename Lake Ontario then he had messed with my e-mail login. And it's a shame too. He's such a nice guy other than that ugly Trump derangement syndrome.
Wednesday, September 02, 2026
UALC is 70 years old and we've been there 52 years
We raised our hands by decade this past Sunday in worship at Lytham Road UALC. So, I'll repeat the letter from Pastor Joe Valentino (Lytham Road campus) that came in my e-mail, August 27, 2026. I'm pretty sure that Helen sitting in the pew in front of me raised her hand for 70--she's 100+. We began attending in 1974 and joined in 1976--and the next day Bob lost his job.
"This fall, UALC celebrates 70 years of life together, faithful service, and care for our community.In July 1956, a group of men and women came together with a shared hope: to build a community rooted in faith, shaped by grace, and centered on the truth that Jesus is enough. What began as a small Lutheran congregation serving Upper Arlington has grown into a community that reaches across northwest Columbus and supports God’s work far beyond our local neighborhoods.
As we celebrate this milestone, we remember that UALC is more than an organization or a building. UALC is people: families, friends, volunteers, staff, longtime members, new faces, and neighbors who bring their gifts, time, and care to something larger than themselves. By God’s grace, we are part of his ongoing work. UALC is you.
Throughout these 70 years, God has brought together people with many different gifts, skills, and talents. He has grown our faith, knit us together as one body, and used this congregation to draw people to himself.
God is at work in our community, and he has chosen each of us to be part of what he is doing. As we look back with gratitude on the past 70 years, let us ask him to continue using UALC for his glory and for the good of our neighbors."
Monday, August 31, 2026
Lake Ontario
https://youtu.be/bFrpsx3r--Q?si=dYjeUX7-ECU8FIYX
Donald Trump's wardrobe hasn't changed, his beliefs about other countries "Ripping us off" haven't changed but look at that audience. 40 years later we all look like we're dressed for a circus or working in the garden.
Saturday, August 29, 2026
Our poetry group at The Estates
https://www.statista.com/chart/35426/how-americans-want-ai-to-support-them/?
Thursday, August 27, 2026
Syncope in older adults
Syncope in Older Adults - What You Need to Know
Or why are you fainting?
What is syncope?
Syncope is also called fainting or passing out. Syncope is a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness, followed by a fall from a standing or sitting position. A syncope episode is usually short.
What causes or increases my risk for syncope?
Syncope is caused by a decrease in blood flow to the brain. When blood flow to the brain decreases, oxygen to the brain also decreases. Any of the following conditions may cause syncope:
A medical condition such as severe anemia, a nerve disorder, asthma, or hyperventilation (breathing too quickly)
A heart condition, such as a narrow artery or an irregular heartbeat
Dehydration
Problems with the blood vessels of your brain
Bleeding, especially in your stomach or intestines, or a blood clot that passes through your lungs
A rapid drop in blood pressure after a body position change, such as moving from lying to sitting or standing
Straining during bowel movements, a cough or sneeze, or a stressful or fearful situation
What signs and symptoms may occur before syncope?
Fast breathing and a racing, pounding heartbeat
Feeling more tired than usual
Nausea, a warm feeling, sweating, and lightheadedness
A headache or dizziness
Tingling sensation or numbness
Spots in front of your eyes, blurred vision, or double vision
How is the cause of syncope diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider will examine you and ask about your symptoms. Tell your provider everything you know about your syncope episode. Include where you were when you fainted and what you were doing before symptoms started. Your provider will ask about your medical history, including any heart conditions in your family. Ask anyone who saw you faint to come with you to tell the provider details of what happened. Your provider may order the following tests to find out what is causing your symptoms:
Telemetry is continuous monitoring of your heart rhythm. Sticky pads placed on your skin connect to an EKG machine that records your heart rhythm.
An echocardiogram is a type of ultrasound. Sound waves are used to show the structure and function of your heart.
A stress test may show the changes that take place in your heart while it is under stress. Stress may be placed on your heart with exercise or medicine. Ask for more information about this test.
A Holter monitor is also called a portable electrocardiography (EKG) monitor. It shows your heart's electrical activity while you do your usual activities. The monitor is a small battery-operated device that you wear. It will show how fast your heart beats and if it beats in a regular pattern. Your provider may recommend this if you have syncope often over 2 to 3 days.
How is syncope treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of your syncope. To prevent syncope from happening again, you may need any of the following:
Tilt training involves training yourself to stand for 10 to 30 minutes each day against a wall. This helps your body decrease the effects of posture changes and reduces the number of fainting spells.
What can I do to manage syncope?
Sit or lie down when needed. This includes when you feel dizzy, your throat is getting tight, and your vision changes. Raise your legs above the level of your heart. Your provider may also recommend that you keep the head of your bed elevated. This can help keep your blood pressure from dropping too low.
Check your blood pressure often. This is important if you take medicine to lower your blood pressure. Check your blood pressure when you are lying down and when you are standing. Ask how often to check during the day. Keep a record of your blood pressure numbers. Your provider may use the record to help plan your treatment.
Use assistive devices as directed. Your provider may suggest that you use a cane or walker to help you keep your balance. You may need to have grab bars put in your bathroom near the toilet or in the shower.
What can I do to prevent a syncope episode?
Move slowly and let yourself get used to one position before you move to another position. This is very important when you change from a lying or sitting position to a standing position. Take some deep breaths before you stand up from a lying position. Stand up slowly. Sudden movements may cause a fainting spell. Sit on the side of the bed or couch for a few minutes before you stand up. If you are on bedrest, try to be upright for about 2 hours each day, or as directed. Do not lock your legs if you are standing for a long period of time. Move your legs and bend your knees to keep blood flowing.
Follow your healthcare provider's recommendations.
Watch for signs of low blood sugar. These include hunger, nervousness, sweating, and fast or fluttery heartbeats. Talk with your provider about ways to keep your blood sugar level steady.
Do not strain if you are constipated. You may faint if you strain to have a bowel movement. Walking is the best way to get your bowels moving. Eat foods high in fiber to make it easier to have a bowel movement. Good examples are high-fiber cereals, beans, vegetables, and whole-grain breads. Prune juice may help make bowel movements softer.
Saturday, August 22, 2026
Advice about nutrition from Tufts
Advice from the Tufts Health and Nutrition Letter (Aug. 22)
I think these are probably correct--I've known a long time that plant burgers are processed food, and that lunch meat wrapped in anything contains a lot of sodium, and that granola bars are really candy bars, but they are all on our senior living company's recommended diet.
PLANT-BASED BURGERS
Plant-based burgers that look and taste like meat are all the rage. But the truth is these "meat" products are highly-processed foods that bear resemblance to the plant foods from which they come. [These are served in hospitals and retirement and nursing homes and schools.]
TURKEY IN A SPINACH WRAP
Contrary to what you’ve read, turkey in a spinach wrap is not a wise choice. Deli turkey is sky-high in sodium and the wrap typically contains refined grains and only trace amounts of spinach.
GRANOLA BARS
Granola bars seem healthy, but many are just crunchy delivery mechanisms for sugar. Chocolate and other coatings can easily bring the total to 20 grams per bar – the same as a Snicker’s Bar!
BUT, I really wish I could find out what Tufts advised about Covid and what money it took or whose careers were ruined 5 years ago. I haven't been able to dig it out.
Jim Wigtil, a friend met late
About 9 years ago I began chatting with a woman at the gym and we became friends. We started having long talks about our careers at Ohio State, our childhood years (we were the same age,) and faith, and I often went out for coffee with her and her husband, Jim. They had a full and active life. In recent years be had periodic illnesses and JoAnne, his wife, turned her time to care giving. Then we moved a year ago to a senior retirement community, and meeting became difficult. Recently he died and I'll be attending his funeral. We met late, but it was a good friendship.
Should it be so hard to buy Folex?
Are customers so math challenged that they think larger or packaged together is cheaper? And why if I specifically ask the AI whozit "cost of Folex at Lowe's" I first get every imaginable product and size I don't want not in Lowe's and not in the store?
Who is dumb? Customer? Algorithm? AI?
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Although I can't verify each claim, I've read about most in "updated" science articles
1890s: you dose the baby with Bayer's new cough syrup, the non-addictive alternative to morphine, marketed for children. It was heroin. They named it after the German for heroic.
1900s: you rub calomel teething powder on your infant's gums. It is a mercury compound, and it leaves a generation with pink disease. Swollen, peeling hands and feet, screaming for months, and some of them died.
1910s: you cook in Crisco, launched by a soap and candle company, because cottonseed oil is modern and lard is what your mother used. The process that made it solid produced trans fat, banned outright a century later.
1920s: you drink Radithor, certified radioactive water, on prescription. Eben Byers took fourteen hundred bottles for his vitality. His jaw was removed in pieces and he was buried in a lead coffin.
1930s: a chemist dissolves a new sulfa drug in diethylene glycol, which is antifreeze. It kills 107 people, mostly children, and only then does America give the FDA power to demand safety testing.
1940s: your doctor lights a Camel in the surgery. More doctors smoke them than any other brand, and the advert runs in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which sold him the page.
1950s: DDT is sprayed over your kitchen, your garden and your children at school. The man who found its insecticidal properties has already been given a Nobel Prize.
1960s: your wife takes thalidomide for morning sickness because it is remarkably safe. More than ten thousand children are born with missing and shortened limbs.
1970s: the country puts down the butter and picks up the margarine, on the instruction of the American Heart Association. The fat everybody switched to was banned in 2015 as unsafe at any level.
1980s: the fat comes out of everything and sugar goes back in to make it edible. Obesity begins a climb it has never come off.
1990s: your father is prescribed OxyContin, because fewer than one per cent get addicted. The company later pleads guilty to criminal misbranding, and the overdose count runs into hundreds of thousands.
2000s: you take Vioxx for your knee. It is pulled in 2004, and the FDA's own safety officer estimates tens of thousands of excess heart attacks.
Not one of those was fringe. Every one had a professional body, a literature and a man in a white coat standing behind it.
Nobody who followed that advice was stupid. They were obedient, to the most qualified people available.
Settled is a word about money. It means the questions stopped being funded, so they stopped being asked.
So which of today's instructions will your grandchildren read out in disbelief.
The oil washed in hexane and built into every cell you own. The statin that blocks the pathway making your hormones, to prevent one heart attack per hundred people. The injection where a third of the loss is muscle. The infant formula built out of vegetable oil.
All settled. None of it funded to be otherwise.
Monday, August 10, 2026
Women being assaulted by women in WNBA
There are former NBA gentlemen who have decided to step up to demonstrate the silliness of the women, On August 7, 2026, Enes Kanter Freedom announced via X that he is “officially declaring myself a WNBA prospect” for the 2027 draft, saying he has “carefully examined” the WNBA’s eligibility criteria and believes he meets all requirements. They were outdone years ago by Zuby, a professional British weightlifter who entered competition as a female, and no one could stop him. He cleaned house, just to prove a point about "trans." He's an author, podcaster and musician. I adore him. He was born in England, raised in Saudi Arabia and is a graduate of Oxford University. His parents are ethnic Nigerian, and he has an American accent. He's definitely a man.
Sunday, August 09, 2026
Fauci got the rights we didn't
"What we do know, though, is that Anthony Fauci has finally come to see the value in the Bill of Rights, having spent the COVID years routinely trying to trample the First Amendment rights of those who would dare publicly disagree with him.
His ire was routinely on display whenever the Great Barrington Declaration reared its ugly head. The authors of that declaration simply asserted that “Adopting measures to protect the vulnerable should be the central aim of public health responses to COVID-19.” Fauci and his merry band, on the other hand, pushed for and got lockdowns. The healthy and the sick, the strong and the vulnerable, all fell into the same bucket, and that bucket was placed behind a locked door.
Friday, August 07, 2026
Medicare increases for 2027
"Medicare premiums are set to rise again for 2027. The latest Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report (page 207) estimates that Part B premiums will climb 3.5% in 2027, reaching $209.50 per month, up $6.60 from 2026. While another price hike is never good news for retirees, the increase is a relief compared to the almost 10% spike experienced in 2026.
Unlike Part B, Medicare Part D is sold through private insurance companies, either as a standalone drug plan alongside traditional Medicare or as part of a Medicare Advantage policy.
Because individual plan costs vary, the average premium enrollees pay is typically lower than the base beneficiary premium. According to the latest Trustees Report, the Part D base premium is projected to reach $41.33 per month in 2027.
Medicare Part B pays for doctor visits, outpatient care and some home healthcare. When enrolled, you pay both a deductible and a monthly premium. For 2027, the premium is currently projected to rise 3.5% to $209.50, up $6.60 from $202.90 in 2025.
The Part B deductible is projected to reach $292 in 2027, a $9.00 increase from $283.00 in the previous year. On a percentage basis, it's an increase of 3.2%, in line with the estimated increase of the Part B premium.
The projected Part B increase impact on Social Security benefits
The 2027 Social Security COLA is projected to rise 3.8%, after accounting for the June CPI. In terms of dollars, if implemented now, that would translate into an increase of $79.14 per month or $949.68 per year, when using the average Social Security check amount for May 2026 ($2,082.76) as the base amount.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) automatically deducts the Part B premium cost from the Social Security benefits of most Medicare recipients. For 2027, the average Social Security check would fall from $79.14 to $72.54, subtracting the projected Part B increase ($6.60) from the projected COLA raise (79.14). In that scenario, the Part B increase would consume approximately 8.3% of the monthly increase.
Understanding Medicare Part D premiums
Unlike Part B, there isn't a single "standard" Part D premium, as it varies by plan. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) establishes a standardized base premium amount used to calculate late enrollment penalties and to determine Part D IRMAA surcharges. For 2027, the base premium is $41.33.
Most final premium and deductible amounts won't be announced until late October or early November; however, most of the Part D amounts have been finalized.
Annual deductible: The standard Part D deductible will increase to $700 in 2027, up from $615 in 2026. That's a steeper increase than in 2026, when the deductible rose to $615 from $590 in 2025, a $25 increase.
Out-of-pocket spending cap: On a positive note for 2027, Medicare Part D's annual out-of-pocket prescription cap will rise to $2,400, up $300 from the $2,100 limit in 2026. Once beneficiaries reach this cap, they no longer pay out-of-pocket costs for covered prescription drugs for the rest of the year.
Premium protections and stabilization: To shield enrollees from steep rate hikes, the premium stabilization provision of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) caps annual base beneficiary premium (BBP) growth at 6% yearly through 2029, while limiting how much extra cost plan sponsors can pass along.
While an IRA demonstration program previously stabilized average monthly premiums, CMS scaled back that support in 2026, stating in a memo that reducing federal subsidies is meant to help the Part D program "return to operating under regular market conditions."
Saturday, August 01, 2026
Five Star no longer exists; we are now part of Sinceri
"AlerisLife/Five Star was one of the largest senior living community operators in the United States.
In the 2025 ASHA 50 list of largest operators, AlerisLife was listed in eighth place, with 132 properties and a total of 19,056 units as of June 1.
AlerisLife/Five Star also appeared in sixth place on Argentum’s 2025 list of largest senior providers. That list, released in July with data current as of June 30, 2023, reported that AlerisLife/Five Star had 9,836 employees and 19,492 total units across 138 communities, including 10,123 for independent living, 7,539 for assisted living and 1,830 for memory care.
AlerisLife filed a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act notice with the state of Massachusetts on Sept. 3 [2025] indicating that 179 employees would be laid off between Nov. 3 and Dec. 31. In an updated notice filed Sept. 30, the company indicated that the layoffs would take place through March 31, 2026."
News of the acquisition at the beginning of 2023 comes after a news-filled 2022 for AlerisLife:In January 2022, Five Star Senior Living announced a new name, AlerisLife, for a parent company under which the Five Star name would continue to be used for a senior living management services division and the Ageility name would continue to be used for its rehabilitation / fitness services division. AlerisLife also announced plans to expand into active adult management services and home care and concierge services.
In February 2022, AlerisLife announced that it had closed on a $95 million senior secured term loan to obtain “increased liquidity to use at our discretion and additional flexibility for the coming years as we execute on our strategic business plan,” then-President and CEO Katie Potter said at the time.
In May, AlerisLife announced that Potter had resigned and that Chief Financial Officer Jeff Leer had been appointed to succeed her on an interim basis as the company hired a consulting group to review operations.
Leer’s appointment was made permanent in June as the company announced plans to cut costs and make operational changes to try to increase occupancy. In August, Leer said that AlerisLife would reduce costs by approximately $14 million and invest approximately $4 million under recommendations made by the consulting firm it had hired, to “drive efficiencies and standardize processes that will enable us to better serve our residents and customers and stabilize our financial performance.”
In November, Leer said that continuing progress on the company’s restructuring plan had resulted in occupancy gains in the third quarter that were the largest in recent years.
Also in November, AlerisLife reported that it faced possible delisting by Nasdaq because the bid price for shares of the company’s common stock had closed at less than $1 for the past 30 consecutive business days. The company was given until May 8, 2023, to come into compliance with the minimum bid price continued listing standard.
AlerisLife was No. 6 on the 2022 American Seniors Housing Association’s ASHA 50 list of largest senior living operators, falling from No. 5 in 2021 and No. 4 in 2020. But the company moved from No. 5 in 2021 to No. 4 in 2022 on Argentum’s list of largest operators."
Trump's role in the Fauci downfall
Trump was also the godfather of PPP which was to replace incomes during the shutdowns, which was ripe for fraud and even compromised churches and non-profits. Fauci was then a gift to the Democrats from Trump. Children have lost years of schooling, the elderly died alone, people lost jobs and careers for refusing unsafe "vaccines," and millions of people learned the government should take care of them.
Democrats may be dysfunctional, insane and suckers for falling for Communism, but the Republicans during a crisis were just sloppy and disorganized, terrorized by social media and the traditional media and fractured by their own internal problems.
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Growth in senior living communities real estate--demographics and demad
What is an alternative asset manager and how do they work?
Monday, July 27, 2026
Trump's days at war against Obama's years
Afghanistan War (including later counterterrorism campaigns)
Libya intervention (2011 NATO-led bombing campaign)
Syrian Civil War (U.S. support for rebels, later direct strikes)
Counterterrorism operations in multiple countries (Yemen, Somalia, Pakistan, etc.)
Some tallies also include Yemen and Somalia as separate military engagements