The Life and Times of Me

Hi everyone and welcome back to Friday. I hope you're doing well like me. Good. As previously stated, yesterday was my first colonoscopy. I won't talk about the prep because that part didn't go so well. I'll just say that it turned out rather nasty. I was at my parents' place at the time, and it's a good thing too. As for the procedure itself, absolutely no complaints on my end. It was quick and painless, and everyone was very friendly. They found one polyp, which was dealt with accordingly. Then my mother brought me back to their place and made me a nice breakfast. On the way back from the hospital, she asked if I wanted something from McDonalds. I would've obliged since their stuff is so freakin' tasty but I didn't want to deal with all the grease right after a colonoscopy, not to mention my first one. I took a nap after breakfast, which felt great. Then my mother brought me back here and we went our separate ways.





Yesterday was also the 12th annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day, colloquially known as GAAD. I probably don't have time to wax lyrical with my personal accessibility journey again, but there's something which I would like to discuss. That is, accessibility to medical information. I've recently been reading a lot about this, and specifically about how "the majority" of visually impaired people cannot gain access to this information either due to an additional physical disability or due to inaccessibility of online websites/portals and mobile apps. I for one don't particularly like it when people claim that "most people who have disabilities can do this" or "most people who are blind/visually impaired can't do that". Please understand that I am in no way implying that we live in a barrier-free society. To say that would be an outright lie. What I am saying is simply this: please do not lump everybody into one category. The world is not just black and white. It was never like that, nor will it ever be like that. I have recently been reading that a lot of visually impaired people have had issues with their respective healthcare providers. I'm not saying we shouldn't feel sorry for those people, but what I am saying is that not every single visually impaired or otherwise person with a disability has had those negative experiences.





I for one, couldn't be happier with the healthcare experiences which I've had, both here and when I lived in another state. For one thing, the online portal and accompanying iOS app which my local healthcare provider uses are very accessible with VoiceOver when using speech. Editor's note: I am not currently familiar with how these things perform in Braille, but will hopefully soon find out. But back to our regularly-scheduled entry. In addition, my healthcare team is wonderful and this was true where I previously resided as well. I've always been treated with the utmost respect and dignity, and all information has been given to me in a timely fashion. There may be others who are as fortunate as I am in this respect, and hopefully this is the case.





I would like to close out this entry with a blog post by former house speaker Newt Gingrich, on the subject of disability. This was co-authored by Tony Coelho, who helped pass the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990. Follow this link to read their eloquent and thought-provoking post. https://www.gingrich360.com/2023/05/18/the-internet-should-be-accessible-and-usable-for-americans-with-disabilities/ .

Hey everyone and welcome one and all back to Friday. I hope y'all are keeping warm, if you're like me and are headed into Winter. Just about the only thing I like about Winter is the holiday season. Next week is Thanksgiving, and I cannot wait to be with family once again. I'll pretty much be flying solo next week, because my neighbor across the hall will be visiting family in another state. The state where he's going happens to be one with a low vaccination rate against COVID-19, but I won't discuss that here.





Tomorrow evening my parents and I are attending another fundraiser for Center for Independent Futures, and this will be in-person. The new executive director is slated to be there. I've already met him and am impressed.





Finally, I'd like to talk a bit about the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse. If you're like me and have been paying any attention to the news lately, you already know about this young man. First off, I think his trial was too long. In my view this was a clear-cut thing and like the entry title says I am not surprised but disheartened at the final verdict. If this young man was going to put out fires, what the hell was he doing with a rifle or whatever type of weapon he had? I don't know about others, but I would absolutely not want him for a nurse, EMT, or any healthcare professional for that matter. End of story. I'm closing up shop and heading to the land of sleep. I'll tag this thing in due course.

Hi everyone and welcome to yet another Friday morning. I hope the week has been good to ya. It's been good to me. I'm just about to hop into the shower. I'm currently sharing my bathroom with a neighbor, as his toilet seat fell off last week. That's right, I heard a big bang over there exactly a week ago.





Moving on...I did of course hear about the Chauvin verdict and I'm happy about it. I wasn't able to hear the whole decision. Said neighbor and I were on a walk and when we returned, another neighbor came over and told us about it. I am of course so happy that Mr. Chauvin is on his way to jail. The practice of racism needs to be abolished, just as slavery was abolished. The practice of hatred in general needs to be abolished. We can disagree amongst one another, but racism and other forms of hatred are not the answer. A counterfeit bill here and there is absolutely no reason for somebody to be killed or even injured, and definitely not the way Mr. Floyd was treated. Mr. Chauvin and others should've sought the proper assistance at the very first plea of "I can't breathe." But as a result of the lawlessness, one more human being is dead and that is not good. I'd much rather hear music by Mr. Chaupin, or even Mr. Chapin, than Mr. Chauvin any day!





But anyhows, right after that I jumped on a Zoom meeting. I will save a discussion of that meeting for later, due to time constraints. But for now I'd like to sincerely thank the Zoom people for making it a viable option for me and others who choose to host/attend virtual gatherings! I think that's a wrap for today. As always please be kind and take it easy.

That's right folks, I got a bit side-tracked again yesterday in the form of wi-fi having yet another senior moment. But anyways, here I am. I hope y'all had a good week just like I did. My tutor and I went shopping yesterday. I honestly thought grocery shopping in the age of COVID would look different. While this has been true for some people, I've not found it to be the case. One day shortly after the apocalypse began, my tutor and I had to use hand sanitizer upon leaving the grocery store but that was the only time we had to do it. We of course have been wearing masks while shopping. Fortunately we've not had to endure snide remarks from people refusing to wear masks. I'm honestly curious as to whether or not this has happened to anybody. Another question I have is this: If and when I'm ever around a non-masker or a group of non-maskers, would they accept the fact that I am a high-risk person and make an exception to their stupidity? This is something which has peeked my curiosity ever since I found out that certain people just don't find it necessary to wear masks for this purpose. I'm of course referring to supporters of our former president. Perhaps there are even supporters of the current President who aren't mask-wearers, but I somehow doubt it. But then again, all those protective health measures will one day become a thing of the past. I for one, expect to receive my first vaccine shot within a few weeks or so. I registered with my city's health department to be vaccinated, and received a confirmation email last week. I'm well aware that these are a bit limited at this time due to supply-and-demand, but my local elected officials have been doing their part. President Biden and his administration are also doing their part to ensure timely vaccine distribution.





I'm happy to report that my birthday was very nice. I spent part of it with my neighbor from across the hall, then I received a call from one of my uncles. I was glad to hear from him, and he's doing very well after his sudden stroke several years ago. Then I and some neighbors and my tutor celebrated as a group. We ordered Chinese carry-out, and had cake and ice cream. I am currently at my parents' place for a family celebration this evening. I'm going to spend tonight and tomorrow night here, due to the inclement weather and a dentist appointment on Monday morning. So until next week, please stay safe and sound.

Yes indeed, it's almost here. I hope everyone's doing well and staying safe. Good, I'm doing that too. This week has once again been very good and productive. I have been consumed by the latest news, and I've no doubt I'm alone there.





Speaking of staying safe, I just found out that I will be vaccinated soon. It has come to my attention that my state has started to roll out the COVID-19 vaccines for people. This is being done in phases. Earlier this week a neighbor read me a letter from the mayor of our city, and forwarded it to me upon request. The email contained a short questionnaire to fill out. I did so the very next day, and hopefully I'll be hearing back from somebody within the next couple of weeks or so. Since I'm in a high-risk category due to immunosuppression, it looks like I will be vaccinated sooner rather than later which is awesome. But will I continue to take all health precautions? You betcha!





I've also of course been keeping up on the latest political news. I was originally pretty much dead-set on a second impeachment for our dear president, but based on what I've been hearing I'm wondering if invoking the 25th Amendment is the better option. To tell the truth I'm a bit confused on the difference between this Amendment, censure and impeachment. There's also the fact that the first impeachment didn't actually go through. This president's second and final term in office is set to expire next week anyway. But I'm sure a final decision will be made in a matter of days. Like I said last week, he needs to be gotten rid of somehow. I'd prefer he'd be stripped naked and then yanked out by his hairy balls, but I guess I just don't have the final say on that one.





Well...I think that's a wrap for today. As always, please stay safe. That includes no violent protests. Or if violent protests are happening in your area, please don't participate.

Hi all and welcome once again to Friday. I don't know about you, but I'm not that superstitious. But who knows: perhaps something bad will happen today. No negative thoughts here though. We'll just have to wait and see.





The Mac users among us got a major update yesterday, in the form of OS 11 which Apple is calling Big Sur. I'm planning to update my machine tonight into tomorrow morning, and I will of course post my thoughts here once I have gotten a general lay of the land. But as always, please have a look at AppleVis for more on the initial release from a blindness/visual impairment perspective.





In other news for this week...I've been tuned into all the latest political news, as has recently been the case. It seems we just cannot get rid of the Donald and his Mafia friends but hopefully someday. Joe and Kamala certainly have their work cut out for them, but if this week's news of a new coronavirus advisory board and task force is any indication, good times lie ahead. I don't have COVID-19, but I want this to just be over and done and I know I ain't alone there. So with that I'll close for the day. Take care, mask up, wash up, and all that good stuff.

Hi everyone. Yes indeed, that is the question I--and most probably others--have right now. The majority of this week has been spent focusing on Tuesday's election. A neighbor and I have been watching the news a lot, and talking about it. I've also been discussing it with my tutor, and I've found some reliable stuff online about it. Therefore, I'm featuring thisfinecrew again today. Thanks for keeping it real Dreamwidth!





I think I can honestly say that this election has been a real nail-biter. Okay, I don't bite my nails. Maybe occasionally to loosen up something, but that's it. I still simply cannot for the most part? fathom any votes for the incumbent. I think the past 4 years have made that crystal-clear, in more ways than one. But apparently some people felt the need to sink low enough and vote the thug into office. I hope and pray that won't be the case again. If he does win, I say we Americans should all pack our bags and move to Canada. That may include all the Trump supporters, but I think that remains to be seen. I admit though, that all this election coverage both online and on land has been fun to watch.





That's all for this week. As always, please take care and stay safe.

Yes I did, and not for T&P! That is, Trump and Pence. I think I have enough toothpaste and toilet paper for now. I went back to my parents' place following a great time at a long-time friend's birthday party, and my mom helped me fill out a mail-in ballot. I wish nothing but the worst for the current administration and their boss. I don't think I'm alone there either. Some friends and I have recently started talking about it. I for one don't wish death even on my worst enemy, but I would seriously like to see the Don and his buddies suffer endlessly for what they've inflicted on this great nation since they invaded 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I honestly cannot help but ask the following question: is there *really an alternate society? One in which there is little if any regard for humankind? I now believe the answer is yes in all capital letters, and we are living in it. Don't get me wrong: there are a lot of very caring people among us, and I should know because of my 2 kidney transplants and other hospital visits. But there are also people in this world who just don't give a damn about others, and I think they're proud of it too. Perhaps giving a damn is a spectrum, like disability and some other things. As a matter of fact, why don't we just separate the hard-core Republicans into their own society? I think that would be a really smart move.

Good day to everyone and happy Friday! I'm getting this out early primarily because the wi-fi here seems to be acting up again. But I'm going to be moving stuff around in my apartment, so perhaps that'll help at least somewhat. But we shall see. Other than that....it's been yet another nice week for me. I'm adjusting fine to being back at the pad, and everybody's happy to have me back in action. We're getting some new neighbors. One of those potential new neighbors is scheduled to come next week for a backyard BBQ. Something tells me I might have met him before, or at least heard of him. I guess I'll find out next Wednesday whether or not this is the case.





This week was the Democratic National Convention, as y'all are hopefully aware. My neighbor across the hall had me over both last night and the night before to listen on TV, and Alexa provided some of the coverage as well. Alexa's still slumbering, so she can't hear me writing this entry. Perhaps I should write something nasty about her, lol! I'm keeping comments turned on, so have at it. Anyways....my opinion is that Joe Biden probably picked the perfect running mate for VP when he chose Kamala Harris but I fully recognize that everybody's got their own opinions on that. Btw, audio description for this convention is available on YouTube but I'm still sorting that one out. So that's why I'm highlighting thisfinecrew . That is a Dreamwidth comm which I only joined recently. As seasoned readers know by now, I do not like the current political situation at all. We've had enough of the Don and his cronies, but only time will tell whether that message has been received at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I highly encourage those who haven't yet done so, to register to vote absentee, and vote "no" for Donald Trump and Mike Pence. I filled out a vote-by-mail application last month, and surprisingly it was very accessible with my screen reader. It doesn't take long at all, and is the right thing to do if you want real change in this country. That's right folks, I'm officially dipping my big toe into politics. Not that I'm running for office, although maybe one of these years that will be the case. But I digress. I for one am sick and tired of all the systemic racism, xenophobia, and everything else that has happened in this nation in recent years. And while we're on the subject, fuck COVID-19! You're not welcome here ever again!





I think that does it for this week. Take care everybody, stay safe, and we shall talk again on the flip side.

Hi everyone and welcome back to Friday. As you're hopefully aware by now, today is Juneteenth. I'm attending part of a program this evening commemorating the events of this day. It is being hosted on Zoom, which should give me some practice using the platform with my screen reader. I'm only attending part of it though because a sibling and I have our book club. But I'm not saying any more. I think y'all know by now where I stand with regard to the news etc. and so on and so forth. But #blacklivesmatter indeed, despite what some claim.





Anyway....Onto this week's featured Dreamwidth comm. I chose omnomnom again, because I had a deliciously tasty treat yesterday. I met with one of my tutors in person, for the first time since the lock-down began. He and I walked to a local ice-cream shop. It was great to catch up with him and not have to worry about dropping calls, and the ice cream was awesome on a hot day. We waited in line, since only a small number of people were allowed inside at a time. When our turn came, we went in and placed our orders. They were ready right away, and we headed back outside to some chairs to eat and talk.





Earlier this week a sibling and I drove with our mom to get sucked by a vampire. We had our COVID-19 screening upon entering the hospital, and everything went well. So my state is starting to reopen, and I think that's a good thing. I of course still have a mask, as does the rest of my immediate family. Never mind the advice by some to abandon mask-wearing and/or other health and safety precautions. Ignoring these precautions, in my books, is just plain irresponsible. Perhaps masks and other garb will not be required eventually, but that remains to be seen indeed. But anyhow, that's all I've got for today. Everyone please stay healthy and safe. I want to save enough juice for this evening's Zoom event, so goodbye and please stay out of trouble!