Hot Showers and Syncope (fainting)--Risks and Triggers

How It Happens

• Vasodilation: Hot water causes blood vessels in your skin and extremities to widen.

• Blood Pooling: Standing up adds gravity, pulling blood into your lower legs. Combined with heat-induced vasodilation, more blood pools away from your core.

• Drop in Blood Pressure: Less blood returns to your heart and brain, causing a temporary drop in blood pressure and reduced cerebral blood flow, which triggers a faint.

Common Triggers & Risk Factors

• Dehydration: Low fluid volume makes blood pressure drops much more likely.

• Prolonged Standing: Locking your knees or standing still in a hot stall increases lower-limb blood pooling.

• Underlying Conditions: Arrhythmias, low blood pressure (hypotension), or certain medications (like diuretics or sedatives) raise your risk.

• Exertion or Post-Workout: Showering immediately after a heavy workout keeps blood vessels dilated longer.

• Underlying Conditions: Arrhythmias, low blood pressure (hypotension), or certain medications (like diuretics or sedatives) raise your risk.

• The Exertion or Post-Workout: Showering immediately after a workout keeps blood vessels dilated longer.

Prevention and Safety Tips

• Lower the Temperature: Use warm or lukewarm water instead of very hot water.

• Stay Hydrated: Drink a glass of water or an electrolyte drink before stepping in.

• Sit Down: Use a shower stool or chair if you are prone to dizziness.

• Keep Moving: Gently shift your weight and avoid locking your knees while standing.

• Cool Down: Finish your shower with a splash of cooler water.

Who is responsible, Biden or the church organizations?

Between January 1 and December 31, 2023, more than 520,000 people crossed the Darién Gap, nearly double the 248,000 who crossed in 2022 and more than triple the 133,000 who crossed in 2021. These were Biden's invaders, invited with promises of money and safety in sanctuary cities despite our laws. It's a horrible trek especially for women and children.

 
But they couldn't have made their way through that treacherous terrain without the help of Christian organizations many paid by our Protestant and Catholic bureaucracies. The organizations that helped them with food and shelter and even rape kits. 

Among Lutherans alone under the Biden administration, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (now renamed Global Refuge) received over $881 million in U.S. government grants for migrant and refugee assistance, with annual amounts in FY 2021 and FY 2022 exceeding $93 million and $182 million respectively. Obviously not all that was spent in Panama or at our border, but that's a lot of salaries and support services and also the creation of small communities that never existed before. When bus loads disgorged in NYC or Washington DC you may have noticed from media coverage or TikTok reels how well dressed the invaders were--good shoes, clothing appropriate for the season, cell phones, etc. Your own congregations may not be as well fed and shod.

Shocking to me, and I asked Chat-gpt several ways, there is no record of or even if the individual congregations of Lutheran or Catholic of Baptists ever gave any money for these "good works."

https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/darien-gap-we-crossed-jungle-looking-better-future-not-our-lives-end

Bernie Sanders

If you ever thought one man or one vote couldn't make a difference, just think of Bernie Sanders. At one time he was the only "Democratic Socialist" in the Democrat Party--in fact, he didn't even call himself a Democrat, just said he was an Independent who ran for office of President as a Democrat. They really walked all over him and didn't accept him then--chose Obama and Hillary--but look at him now! He refers to the Democrat Party as "my party." It's now loaded with Communists and Islamo-Fascists. Biden led an army of 11 million invaders, and Hillary began stealing health care in Bill's first term, allowing AOC and Bernie to take up the call. While Bernie criticizes billionaires who have actually built something and provided jobs for you the people, he is a millionaire and laughs in your faces as you are blinded by an "affordability" crisis, the price of gasoline, so you ask/vote for more of what brought down Venezuela and Cuba. Yes, one man can make a difference,, and it will take a lot of votes to stop his global reach.

PolitiFact | What Bernie Sanders has said about the Democrats over the years

Transgressive poetry

Today I found a poetry term I didn't understand: "Transgressive poetry: Poetry that deliberately violates social, moral, or aesthetic norms; challenges taboos around language, body, or politics; associated with confessional and avant-garde movements." I suspect it must have been 20th century poets.

I tried to imagine what that would be in the 21st century when half the populace believes it's OK to kill preborn humans so the world could have more bats or jungles (but not more cows or cats); and calling a movie star fat when she is and moves to Ireland is equivalent to rape, but calling the President a Nazi or Fascist is just normal speech; or cutting off the breasts of young girls and loading them up with testosterone is compassionate care, but teaching them about Jesus would be violating her freedom and personhood.

The riots in France--not a student protest

My computer screen opened with the amazing Millau Viaduct in southern France built to relieve the tourist traffic in that scenic area and only recently surpassed by China as an engineering wonder. I wondered how it had survived the unrest. No mention. But that put me into the news at "France24." French media are just as naive and dumb as ours--still say it's a student protest. Dumb as U.S. Democrats.

Covid and the Amish--a flawed study exposed

If you ever wish to poke holes in the "peer reviewed" myth of authenticity and excellence in medical studies, you could use the fact of mixing Mennonites in with the Amish in this so-called research on the Amish and Covid. But there are so many other flaws in this (and others in this report) you really should reconsider getting that shot. Protect the researcher, protect the grant money, but most of all protect the producer of the product.

https://brownstone.org/articles/how-a-flawed-covid-study-tried-and-failed-to-discredit-the-amish/

Welcome to Columbus, Ghanan nurses

Columbus , Ohio, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has signed a formal agreement with Ghana to create legal, structured pathways for Ghanaian-trained nurses to work in Ohio’s healthcare system
(theheraldghana.com), BTW we have 4 major health systems here--Trinity, OSU, Nationwide Childrens and OhioHealth with 4 or 5 smaller ones.

 If the mayor did it, then it's tax payer dollars. I looked up the price tag for nurses in general for Columbus metro area and it's already $20,000 below the national median whether entry or higher level. Columbus is Democrat run and locked down, top to bottom, and claiming that they will give mid-Ohio a better deal if we just vote Democrat. Counting Ohio State we already have 9 nursing schools here, and supposedly these immigrants are already trained and ready to go. I'm sure they have family for chain migration (U.S. federal law). If housing is tight for low income and non-whites, how does importing Ghanans help the economy and Columbus people hoping to move up through more education and good job opportunities? Can they really do a better, safer job than our home grown whom we've already paid to educate and acculturate?

The Presidents and Iran

 

Who is Susan Kokinda?

Times of Israel, blogs by Avi Schwartz

"Susan Kokinda is not a typical media pundit. She represents a school of political and economic thought that sees today’s events not as isolated headlines, but as part of a long historical struggle over sovereignty, industry, finance, empire, and national destiny.

Promethean Action describes itself as a movement dedicated to “defying oligarchy” and unleashing human creativity. Promethean Action has spent decades arguing for the revival of the American System: industry, infrastructure, productive labor, scientific progress, tariffs, national banking, and the rebuilding of the real economy."

Maybe the American Revolution isn't over?

The Blogs: Susan Kokinda, the American System, and the Battle Behind the Headline | Avi Schwartz | The Times of Israel

Judith Core Gowdy (Judy) — 1940–2024

When Judy and John and their sweet daughters lived in Upper Arlington, Ohio, they attended Upper Arlington Lutheran Church which is where we met.  We had both attended a Cursillo Week-end and we became members of a small group.  Our church benefitted from her artistic talent. This obituary was in the Seattle Times in 2024.

"Judith Core Gowdy, née Judith Ellen Core, was born May 28, 1940, in southern California to Ed and Margaret Core, and later moved with her family to Portland, Oregon, where she graduated from Lincoln High School. She attended the University of Oregon, joined the Sigma Kappa Sorority, and earned a degree in Interior Architecture.

In 1962, Judy moved to Seattle, starting her career at design firm William L. Davis. She married John in 1967, and together they raised two daughters, Minda (1972) and Carlin (1975). The family lived in Seattle, Upper Arlington, OH, Westfield, NJ, and Bellevue, WA, with a life filled with family traditions, volunteer work, and creative projects.

Her career reached its peak in Bellevue, where she founded her own interior design business, served as President of the local ASID chapter, and later received its lifetime achievement award. She was also active in the Women’s University Club of Seattle. Judy was known for her warmth, creativity, and dedication to family and community, and she passed away on June 12, 2024.

 https://obituaries.seattletimes.com/obituary/judith-gowdy-1090163782?

Watts, Wesley and Winkworth, rev. 2026

The topic covers three faith traditions--Puritan/Congregational, Methodist and Lutheran. I say tradition rather than denominations because there have been many divisions. These divisions and traditions developed during a time of great cultural changes in the arts, technology, and politics over three centuries.

There are many biographies available on the internet, so I've linked to only one site, but after reading several, they don't all agree. And I've added a link to a recording.

Isaac Watts (1674-1748) Nonconformist (non-Anglican), dissenter, English

Known as the "Father of English hymnody," Isaac Watts wrote approximately 600 hymns. He showed literary genius even as a boy. He learned Latin at four, Greek at nine, French at ten, and Hebrew at thirteen. His parents were "Dissenters." That is, they were not Anglicans, which was a treasonous offense in those days. Frustrated with the heartless psalm singing of his time, young Watts sometimes criticized the singing at his church. A dissenter among dissenters, I'd say. Listening to his concerns one day, Watts' father challenged him, "Well then, young man, why don't you give us something better to sing?" He rose to the challenge by writing his first hymn. It was well received by his congregation, and for the next two years, Watts wrote a new hymn for every Sunday. He is known for Christianizing the Psalms.

Isaac Watts - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns

https://youtu.be/iYYXWxDzEmM?si=piM_5tB7KAda78-f O God our help in ages past, paraphrase of Psalm 90, a good hymn for the New Year

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMK9QHaoqpo podcast about Isaac Watts

At The Cross: Isaac Watts, The Father of Hymns

Charles Wesley (1707-1788) Church of England, Methodist, Missionary to Georgia, English

"Charles Wesley wrote over 6500 hymns [some sources say 8,000], which would be writing at least two hymns a week, every week for 50 years, from his conversion in 1738 to his death in 1788. His hymns came out of what he saw as important occasions. His own life inspired hymns: his conversion, his marriage, things he had seen, the death of his friends. Public events inspired hymns: the earthquake panic, rumors of an invasion from France, the defeat of Prince Charles Edward at Culloden, the Gordon riots. He wrote hymns for all the festivals of the Christian faith.

Wesley’s hymns can be generally classified as hymns of Christian experience, invitation hymns, sanctification hymns, funeral hymns, and hymns on the love of God. In his hymns, he referenced all but 4 of the books of the Bible. He used more than 45 different meters. It has been said that Wesley’s hymns clothed Christ in flesh and blood and gave converts a belief that they could easily grasp, embrace with personal faith, and if necessary, even die for."

Charles Wesley - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns (excerpt)

Why Wesley Still Dominates Our Hymnbook - Christianity Today Really good article, but it is 17 pages long

https://youtu.be/9Bwn0k0k8xI?si=pbrUv266Izp907kr "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing," Charles Wesley

Catherine Winkworth (1827-1878) studied with Unitarians, English, best known as translator of 17th century German hymns

"Winkworth was a prolific translator of German hymns She became interested in translating these hymns when Chevelier Bunsen, the German ambassador to England presented her with a copy of Andachtsbuch. This devotional book showed her the treasures in German hymnody. She published two series of Lyra Germanica, in 1855 and 1858. The first had 103 translations from Bunsen's Versuch eines allgemeinen Gesang und Gebetbuchs (1833). The second had 121 more translations from the same book. She also published the Chorale Book for England (1863), which contained some earlier translations with their proper chorale tunes, and Christian Singers of Germany, (1869) biographies of German hymn writers."

Catherine Winkworth - The Center For Church Music, Songs and Hymns

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-now-thank-we-all-our-god Now thank we all our God, Martin Rinkart

Dementia Awareness Week, posted by my cousin Jenny

If I ever get dementia, I’d like my family to hang this wish list up on the wall where I live. I want them to remember these things.

1. Every time you enter the room announce yourself. “Hi- it’s ………...” NEVER ask- Do you know who I am??? That causes anxiety.
2. If I get dementia, I want my friends and family to embrace my reality.  Careers included.
3. If I think my dead friend is still alive, or if I think we’re visiting my parents for dinner, let me believe those things. I’ll be much happier for it.
4. If I get dementia, don’t argue with me about what is true for me versus what is true for you.
5. If I get dementia, and I am not sure who you are, do not take it personally. My timeline is confusing to me.
6. If I get dementia and can no longer use utensils, do not start feeding me. Instead, switch me to a finger-food diet, and see if I can still feed myself.
7. If I get dementia, and I am sad or anxious, hold my hand and listen. Do not tell me that my feelings are unfounded.
8. If I get dementia, I don’t want to be treated like a child. Talk to me like the adult that I am. 
9. If I get dementia, I still want to enjoy the things that I’ve always enjoyed. Help me find a way to exercise, read, and visit with friends. 
10. If I get dementia, ask me to tell you a story from my past.
11. If I get dementia, and I become agitated, take the time to figure out what is bothering me. 
12. If I get dementia, treat me the way that you would want to be treated. 
13. If I get dementia, make sure that there are plenty of snacks for me in the house. Even now if I don’t eat I get angry, and if I have dementia, I may have trouble explaining what I need.
14. If I get dementia, don’t talk about me as if I’m not in the room.
15. If I get dementia, don’t feel guilty if you cannot care for me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It’s not your fault, and you’ve done your best. Find someone who can help you, or choose a great new place for me to live.
16. If I get dementia, and I live in a dementia care community, please visit me often.
17. If I get dementia, don’t act frustrated if I mix up names, events, or places. Take a deep breath. It’s not my fault.
18. If I get dementia, make sure I always have my favorite music playing within earshot.
19. If I get dementia, and I like to pick up items and carry them around, help me return those items to their original place.
20. If I get dementia, don’t exclude me from parties and family gatherings.
21. If I get dementia, know that I still like receiving hugs and plenty of laughing 
22. If I get dementia, remember that I am still the person you know and love.”
In honor of someone you know or knew who has dementia. In Honor of all those I know and love and lost who are fighting Dementia/Alzheimer’s.

Someone once said if you take care of someone with dementia, you lose them more and more every day. When they get the diagnosis, when they go through different stages, when they need treatment, and when they pass away.

 
This is called "the longest goodbye ". As the brain slowly dies, they change physically and eventually forget who their loved ones are. They could end up lying in bed, not moving and not eating or drinking.
There will be people who will scroll past this post because

 
dementia has not touched them. They may not know what it's like to have a loved one who has battled or is still battling dementia.

A special thank you to anyone willing to put this on their timeline for Dementia Awareness Week.

Amiodarone side effects

My husband was diagnosed in January with acute heart failure and was first assigned to an a-fib clinic, and then heart management then to surgery for a pacemaker with defibrillator. Along with a clutch of other drugs including Lasix he was prescribed Amiodarone on January 24.  After that he just got sicker and sicker to the point he can do little other than sleep in a chair and open an eye to watch football. If we have 2 good days in a row, we call it good, but today his vomiting was as bad as I can remember, but mostly dry heaves since he hadn't eaten yet. 

So, let's look at Amiodarone side effects, which seems to be the primary culprit and is for abnormal heart rhythms. He was removed from it about 2 weeks ago. Because he was on it for months, who knows if we can get out of his system. BTW, no one has suggested staying out of the sun or that he might have skin or eye problems from this.

This is AI generated from about 3 sources--something any of the many doctors, RNs or Nurse Practitioners could have looked up or used talk to text. Words like "monitoring" or "immediate attention" are a joke. We could walk to the clinic faster than getting a call back. . .except he can't walk.

"Amiodarone is a potent antiarrhythmic medication known for causing a wide range of side effects that affect multiple organ systems, ranging from common, mild issues to rare, life-threatening toxicities.

Common Side Effects
Most patients experience mild gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, constipation, loss of appetite, dizziness, tremors, and fatigue. Dermatological effects are also frequent, specifically photosensitivity (sun sensitivity) and a reversible blue-gray discoloration of exposed skin. Corneal microdeposits occur in nearly all long-term users, often causing blurred vision or halos around lights, though permanent vision loss is rare.

Serious Adverse Reactions
The most critical risks involve pulmonary toxicity (lung inflammation or fibrosis), hepatotoxicity (liver damage), and thyroid dysfunction (both hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism). Cardiac complications may include bradycardia (slow heart rate), heart block, and QT prolongation, which can paradoxically worsen arrhythmias. Other severe reactions include optic neuropathy (potential blindness), peripheral neuropathy, and severe allergic reactions such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Precautions
Patients must avoid grapefruit and sun exposure while taking this medication. Regular monitoring of lung function, liver enzymes, thyroid levels, and eye exams is required to detect toxicity early. Symptoms such as persistent cough, shortness of breath, yellowing of the skin, or unexplained swelling require immediate medical attention.

The End of Aging articles in National Geographic

When we say/write "media" does that include National Geographic? Yes. I've been trying to read "End of Aging" series in the Sept. 2026 issue. (It's a bit late for me, but never mind.) Here's the quote: "Scientists needed immature stem cells--cells that exist in humans before they begin to differentiate into our organs, nerves, and blood--for much of their research work. BUT THE NATURALLY OCCURRING SOURES, DISCARDED EMBRYOS FROM ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE EFFORTS, were tricky to obtain. The U.S. government, for instance, had all but prohibited their use since 2001."

That's not true. President Bush had stopped government funding for buying fetal material, much of it from abortions and IVF, with our tax money except for lines already in use. Private funding continued. There is no prohibition for venture capital or foundations. "On August 9, 2001, President George W. Bush announced a policy limiting federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research to certain lines already in existence as of that date, subject to ethical conditions described by the administration (including derivation from surplus IVF embryos with consent and without financial inducement). The White House fact sheet preserved in the George W. Bush Presidential Archives captures the official framing of that decision."

This was a good decision because without that, many women could have become cell line producers for money (and there are women who would have done it, too, just as some women are using other women's wombs to bear their kids so they don't have to stop careers or mess up their figures.)

Of course, President Obama who also loved abortion on demand and partial birth abortion, reversed that act in 2009. (I think he announced it at a Catholic university.) Meanwhile, Induced pluripotent stem cells (reprogrammed from adult tissue) and adult stem cells are generally less regulated federally, with fewer ethical hurdles than embryonic stem cells. They still require compliance with human subjects protections if classified as research involving humans.


https://stemcellhistory.com/us-embryonic-stem-cell-policy-dickey-wicker-bush-obama/ (although this link shows its bias toward "progressive" ethics of using human stem cells, it's the best I could find in a few minutes)

Jerusalem, My Happy Home

The morning reading today included the hymn "Jerusalem, my happy home," and I was not familiar with it, so I flipped to the bibliography and found even more I didn't know. The author was listed as FBP, 1583, meter CM (8686) and it's in the public domain (you don't have to have permission to use it). Who is FPB? I asked self. My three little hymn story paperbacks were silent that such a hymn was in use, but I did find the hymn in "Lutheran Book of Worship" which we use in our traditional services (from mid-1970s). It added the tune name American, Land of Rest. So I turned to the internet and after 2 tries with AI which was really out to lunch, I found: "F.B.P. These initials appear over the text of ‘Hierusalem my happie home’ (‘Jerusalem, my happy home’*) in a manuscript book in the British Library (Add. 15,225). The hymn is of 26 4-line stanzas, entitled ‘A Song Mad (i.e. ‘made’) by F:B:P. To the tune of Diana.’ The text is based on a passage from St. Augustine’s Meditations beginning ‘Mater Hierusalem, Civitas sancta Dei’. In the version ascribed to ‘F.B.P.’ the text suggests a Roman Catholic origin (as opposed to a Protestant text by W. Prid, for which see JJ, p. 581). There are references to ‘Our Ladie’ who ‘singes magnificat’, to Saints Augustine and Ambrose, and to Mary Magdalene: ‘There Magdalene hath left her mone’. The initials..." I don't have a subscription to that source, so it's all I got.

Another full source (see link below) added some verses (different than what I was reading) and possible 2nd author. Both Catholics and Protestants use this hymn and there's no doubt that the author was in some danger for writing it.

Jerusalem, My Happy Home: Lyrics, Meaning & Story - Happy Sabbath

Happy Guardian Angel Day, October 2

Guardian Angel Day is today, October 2, when we thank spiritual beings believed to watch over us. This day, also known as the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels, is a time to reflect on divine protection and express gratitude for guidance. Give thanks for the blessings in your life, share stories of miraculous protection, and honor your spiritual companions. Our UALC study group spent about 6 weeks on this a few years back--more than 100 verses. Jews, Muslims and Christians all acknowledge these beings in their sacred scriptures.

ABRACADABRA actually means Father, Son and Holy Spirit using Hebrew words to summon an angel. I think it's being used as a superstition, but that's a fact.

I'm suspicious that my Guardian Angel has been napping or on strike.

There are 9 orders of angels, from highest to lowest, in groups of three. I could only remember 6 so I asked AI. And angels are the bottom rung.

Seraphim – The highest order, closest to God’s presence. They worship Him with burning love and purity, often depicted with six wings (two covering the face, two covering the feet, two for flying)

Cherubim – Beings of great wisdom and knowledge, guardians of sacred spaces (e.g., Eden) and divine mysteries

Thrones – Symbolize God’s justice and power; they serve as intermediaries between the divine and lower orders

Dominions – Oversee cosmic order and divine authority; they govern the lower orders

Virtues – Associated with divine strength and the ability to resist evil; they maintain the harmony of creation

Powers – Guardians of the spiritual realm; they protect the world from chaos and evil

Principalities – Leaders over nations, communities, and major spiritual matters

Archangels – Prominent messengers and leaders (e.g., Michael, Gabriel) who deliver divine messages and guide humanity

Angels – The general class of messengers, sent to guide, protect, and serve individuals and communities

So, Happy Guardian Angel Day.

How the Biden administration became human traffickers.

Easy peasy. Lure immigrants to make the dangerous trek to the U.S. border with help of American NGOs. As you look ahead to whom will receive your donations at Thanksgiving and Christmas, look closely at the NGOs, The so-called non-profits. Even the Christians. Killers with compassion. You may be destroying the cultures and way of life of the subsistence farmers who were able to buy all sorts of modern goodies with the little villages which rose up overnight and responded with housing, clothing and feeding them. A few nights in their new encampments and send them on their way to Arizona or Texas or flights to New England resort towns.

When Trump shut down the illegal trafficking, the abuse and rape of women and children and labor slaves, the money spigot was shut off. The new way of life for the ethnics and locals was shut down. Well paid U.S. CEOs suddenly lost their paycheck. Graduate students in Columbus and Chicago studying on grants had no stipend. So of course, Trump and not Biden-Harris was blamed.

Chinese, Afghans, Haitians, Venezuelans, most young military age men, many women with children, some children "borrowed" to create the look of a family only to be lost and sold in the U,S., sometimes came through in the thousands. I doubt if you saw them if you watched the main stream media, but Fox showed well dressed, clean shaven and well fed immigrants--all taken care of by NGOs' and their thriving businesses run by the locals.

What were the locals to do? Let them starve? We've got wealthy American teens who will kill for fancy shoes or the latest i-phone or do smash and grab just for fun. So, we should expect higher standards from indigenous people living in the Darien Gap?

Then the illegals were dumped in rural areas of the U.S. where they sopped up scarce resources for schools and hospitals and housing--again helped by churches and NGOs preaching pious Bible verses, but with no thought for abortions or poor schools or dropping birth rates.

Wake up Americans. Especially Republicans. Democrats are probably beyond hope.

https://www.fairus.org/issue/panamas-darien-gap

The Long Journey North: How the U.S. Manages Migration through the Darién Gap — International Relations Review