Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Point spreads and Bloomberg

A couple things looking at point spreads in the NFL.

The Baltimore Ravens have been beating the spread on average by 13 points!  Pretty much meaning bet AGAINST them in the foreseeable future. WELL - except when they play the 49ers next week!

The 49ers are beating the spread by 10.2 points so bet AGAINST them . . . except when they play the Ravens.

The Packers are losing to the spread my 1.0
The Bears -2.3
Detroit -1.3
Minnesota +3.0  Seems only the vikings are surpassing expectations

Philadelphia -3.0
New England +6.2
Cinci -5.4
Miami -8.0

Bridgejumper is now 15-6 this year and 432-277 lifetime (since 1992)

This week
"C" games (224-175 56.14%)
Cinci +3.5

Only 1 more week after this one.

Did you know Aaron Rodgers has a  lifetime losing record on the road?  40-41 I believe.  I'm starting to think the Vikings are better then the Packers!

Then there is New England - IS IT TIME TO PANIC?  No offense  OMG - they are so doomed (The pats are 10-1) 

here is Bucky's numbers after last nights loss.   The grinder Rating is an analytic I used which combines what a player does off the ball AND with the ball.  I've never used these for Collage Buckets but the higher the better and I'll start having a 5 game moving average for that number so we can see who is hot and who is not.


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99% of all weather forecast originate from the same place  NOAA.  They the talking heads  talking dogs and all other forms of news put their spin in it.  However because weather has become a billion dollar industry more and more private firms are starting up such as AccuWeather, Earth Networks, and the Weather Co ( a spin off from The Weather Channel  . . who purchased Weather Central (WKOW) who purchased software from Creative Software in Madison) (Weather Channel is now owned by IBM).

Soon the Feds might not be the sole provider of all weather data.

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Ohio got rid of the front license plates - this could cause problems for UBER and Lyft.

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Bloomberg - OK OK.  So far the only "bad" thing I have read about him is that he is RICH but spends millions and millions on fixing problems with his own money.  He has actually been putting his money where his mouth is on social issues and other "liberal" visions as opposed to many politicians who talk the talk but do little else.

After trump announced America was pulling out of the Paris  Climate Agreement he gave $15 million to the foundation to make up for what america SHOULD have paid in dues to fight climate change.

He has contributed millions to the following charities


The guy is HUGE on Climate change - I won't way I'm FOR the guy but I'll keep an open mind. 

Progressives won't like him but they are a rabid bunch anyway and don't like anything that takes time. They seem to want everything NOW.

Nuff for today  

Monday, November 25, 2019

Packers Suck? 9er's that good?

WELL - did the Packers suck?   Were the 9er's defense that good?   YES!   Move on!

Packers were a "D" play in Bridgejumper.  Away Dogs of 3 points were 100-91 so not a real play.  The only REAL play was Cinci covering 6.5 over Pittsburgh which they did by 1/2 point a "C" play (108-83). 

This week Cinci over NYJets

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Meanwhile I was doing a little work on the Wisconsin Badger basketball team.  The below is each players totals pro rated to 30 minutes a game.


I used to do this for NBA2K## until I realized the game sucked and I was tired of playing with sliders to get a good game.  I'm not a thumb jockey and just want to coach.  SADLY EA Sports does not LIKE coach mode players and make it impossible for 2 teams to played WITHOUT someone actually controlling a player.

So I dropped it.

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So we all know that I was a HUGE proponent of trees downtown.  They did well in their first year an only one died.   Well . . . . . . a little somethin' I did in my spare time.



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OH - yea - I was sort of kicked out of a Total Knee Replacement Facebook page for talking about  nutrition as I guess I did not have my "expert" badge.  A lot of people have been booted from that HORROR STORY ONLY page it seems.    I'm now on a Positive Total Knee Replacement page - MUCH friendlier.

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I do not believe there is such a thing called an “ independent voter”. More like one that does not pay attention or actually care. If you have not made up your mind about Trump and corruption ( pro or con) by now you are not an independent, you just don’t care.

I USED to say I was an independent.  I WANT to be.  I look at all candidates with an open mind and there are actually a few I do not mind at all.   BUT - I looked at my voting record in the last few decades and . . .  hmmmmmmmm   All democrats.  I am more "into" social issues then economics which seems to be the dividing line.

It seems Republicans are always worried about money and how to get more for themselves and Democrats are more worried about social issues and how to help ALL humans be happier.

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WITH THAT SAID - The Obama rally ( started on his election day on the bottom bottom left) continues and I laugh at Trump supporters who believe the market is all about Trump.  "We"
 can go up or down 15% and still be in the resistant levels.



Nuff said today

Have a great week - weather is coming - RAIN!!   Snow next weekend - about 4 inches

Friday, November 22, 2019

Nutrition after Total Knee Replacement - Part One (healing)

total pages read 1,180,442

 I am not a health food nut by any means but with a TKR coming up I decided to obsess over nutrition for pain control and healing.  So spanning the globe for knowledge this is what I have learned so far.  

I feel none of the below will make or break an individuals recovery time or pain control as there are thousands of things that contribute - HOWEVER - why not do what you can when it's game time.  

I found a couple of very good articles on the net to geek out on. 


and if you really want to know what happens on a cellular level this is a fascinating article 

BEFORE Surgery 

From UW Sports Health  - A well-balanced, nutritious diet will improve your body's ability to heal after surgery. To optimize your nutrition and health, we recommend  

Avoid gas-forming foods in the few days before surgery. These foods include: Apples Avocados Beans Broccoli Brussel Sprouts Cabbage Cantaloupe Cauliflower Corn Cucumber Honeydew Melon Lentils Onions Peas Radishes Sauerkraut Turnips Watermelon

Outpatient keen surgery  Dr. Richard Bergers and a few other TKR sites suggests after the procedure

Water Immediately following surgery, the patient’s body contains anesthesia and medications. These drugs tend to dehydrate the patient, which is why pushing fluids is vital following joint replacement. The more water a patient drinks, the sooner the anesthesia will be flushed out. Hydration also helps decrease constipation, a common side effect of anesthesia and some pain medications.

Electrolytes While hydrating, patients should keep in mind the importance of electrolytes. Drinking too much water without electrolytes can throw off the balance of electrolytes in the body. Any fluid shifts caused by anesthesia during surgery would benefit from electrolyte intake post-operatively. Pedialyte serves as an appropriate source of hydration that does not contain as many added sugars as Gatorade (but this too works as a source of electrolytes).

Chewing Gum While hydrating with electrolytes may be common sense, chewing gum may seem a bit odd. However, studies have shown that chewing gum after surgery can increase gastrointestinal motility. Aiding in digestion, gum-chewing can help prevent constipation, a common effect of anesthesia and postoperative narcotics.

Then there are nutrients that are so important for recovery.

Omega-3s Due to their anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3 fatty acids have been proven to relieve joint pain and swelling.

Ginger Ginger contains a complex mix of compounds, which researchers suspect helps reduce inflammation in several ways. In Eastern Medicine, ginger has long been used to treat musculoskeletal problems. In addition to its inflammation-cooling properties, ginger might have anti-cancer properties as well. There are many ways to get more ginger in your diet, such as using it when cooking or drinking ginger tea.

Magnesium In the body, magnesium works as both a pain reliever and muscle relaxer. Before and after joint replacement surgery, be sure to eat foods rich in magnesium, like leafy green vegetables, or take a magnesium supplement.  Check out the link for much more on Magnesium for sleeping and restless leg syndrome after surgery.

Glucosamine and chondroitin  Glucosamine and chondroitin are precursors to a protein called proteoglycans, the building block for the cartilage that cushions your joints. While glucosamine helps build and repair this cartilage, chondroitin helps keep it from breaking down. Most supplements that contain both glucosamine and chondroitin come from animal sources

Fun Fact - at first your cartilage cells start repairing sort of randomly. This is why the PT people WANT you to get up and move around so the cells start to heal the correct way - up and down as opposed to just willy nilly!   GET UP AND MOVE!! 

Protein: Protein is a key nutrient for healing.  Eating enough protein is essential to help your body heal and fight infection after surgery. Try to eat at least two to three servings per day. Excellent sources of protein include: beef, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, dried beans, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, and protein drinks. Add protein to your diet wherever you can; mix dry milk powder into your regular milk, scrambled eggs, soups, and casseroles. Add ground meats to soups or casseroles. Nibble on nuts or cheese as a snack.

Iron:
Although there is not much blood lost in surgery, iron-rich foods can help patients build up their blood stores. Foods high in iron include red meats, leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale), beans, and dried fruit. Iron is needed to build up hemoglobin in your blood and prevent anemia. Hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout your body. If your hemoglobin level is low, you may feel tired, dizzy and weak, or get short of breath easily. Non-meat iron-containing foods can be better used by your body by eating foods rich in vitamin C with them.

Vitamin C and Zinc  These two substances can help boost your immune system and ward off viruses and infections.  Zinc takes an important role in cell regrowth as well as keeping your immunity up so making sure you get your daily amount (about eleven grams for men and eight grams for women) will help make your recovery a breeze. With meat being the highest source, you’ll find at least 5 grams towards your daily goal in beef and oysters, 3 grams in turkey, pork, and veal, and although the levels are much lower, those living the vegetarian life will rejoice knowing nuts and seeds also contain the zinc they need.

Calcium and Vitamin D - are the two most important nutrients needed for healthy bones. Because calcium is not made in our bodies, we have to eat calcium-rich foods to absorb the nutrient. Calcium serves as a crucial building block of bone tissue. Our bodies need a bit of help absorbing calcium, and that is where vitamin D comes in. Vitamin D helps us effectively absorb calcium from the foods we eat. While there are plenty of foods around us containing calcium, it is more challenging to find foods with significant amounts of vitamin D. For instance, fish is one of the primary foods with a substantial natural level of vitamin D. Many choose to take a supplement to get a little vitamin D into their life.

Calcium helps build and maintain your bones, your muscles move, your blood clot and your nerves send messages. Good sources include milk, yogurt, cheese, canned salmon and sardines (with the bones). Smaller amounts of calcium are also found in beans and lentils, broccoli, kale, bok choy and oranges.

 Vitamin D (normally combined with Calcium) plays an important role in bone health because it helps to increase bone density. It helps your body absorb calcium and strengthens your immune system. Most people need to take a vitamin D supplement because adequate vitamin D is not available from most food, nor is it available from the sun during most months of the year. The good news is that quality vitamin D supplements are inexpensive and readily available.

Fiber helps your body produce regular bowel movements.

Vitamin B12 -and folate/folic acid, are important nutrients to prevent other types of non-iron-related anemia. Good sources of vitamin B12 include fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products. Good sources of folate/folic acid include leafy green vegetable, dry beans and peas, fortified grains and orange juice. When you are older than 50, you do not absorb vitamin B12 as well as when you were younger, so you need to increase your intake B12-rich foods or take a multivitamin with minerals.

I'll be adding to this as I do more research.

Carry on

MY TKR is scheduled January 2. SADLY - no alcohol a few days before that!





Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The Brewers are now a Daffy Duck cartoon team./ The Mandalorian

Let's get one thing straight - I'M FINE . . . now.   Three of my four limbs are 100% and the other is doing well . . .today.   It seems my knee has 5 good days and then takes 2 days off where I lay around the house waiting for Meloxicam to take hold and then it's all good once again.

The polymyalgia rheumatica has left the building hopefully to never come back. It ONLY strikes people 65 or older who have a Scandinavian ancestry and nobody seems to know why it happens.  The only issue is weening me off prednisone before the knee operation January 2.     

I'm putting together a page for diet/supplements for after a TKR and for that matter what your body lacks when you get older.  Calcium and vitamin D is a big thing.  And remember your knees might feel great NOW but all that weight and wear and tear adds up.  Every pound you lose takes 4 pounds of pressure off a knee.

Age WILL catch up to you, you can't hide.  OH - I'm working on a new blog about Total Knee Replacements - My Journey.  I'm much funnier at night when I write for that one.  Well . . . maybe not as grumpy.

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Phillip Rivers throws like a . . . .NOT GONNA SAY IT!  who taught that guy how to throw a football anyway.

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CORRECTION - wrong interlocking logo.  The cartoon logo was in the 70s - STILL - I never ever liked it - just a cartoon team now - not professional.

The Brewers have a new logo and I am not a fan.

It seems to me they took a logo that people were ambivalent over to one that people LOVE or they HATE.  Dividing America.   The Brewers are now a cartoon team.

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"Those who fail to see the truth...deserve the doubt others have for their ability to understand what truth is". 

Ron Johnson, our country bumpkin Senator and Trump groupie has come out and said Lt Colonel Alexander Vindman is a never Trumper and is basically lying and that Johnson personally never heard Trump mention Biden in any way.

AND - presumably the intelligent people in Wisconsin seem to believe this moron.  OF COURSE, he questions the whistle-blowers motivation in this whole process.  What a freaking brown nosing buffoon.

and then there is this whole secretive hospital visit where the hospital was NOT informed Trump was coming for the 1st part of a physical (his last yearly physical was February) and all that was done could have been done in the White House instead.   Then he basically disappears for 2 days with nobody seeing him. 

YET - the amount of covering up on FOX was outstanding. One FOX propaganda News woman said he is basically a superman and our glorious leader is a superior physical specimen.

The REAL news is trump has been having some small strokes it seems and words are not coming easily which is a sign.  WELL DAAAA!

I think he looks run down and did not understand what an impeachment was.  I also believe he will resign in "victory".  I doubt he will reach the election as a President. 

Pence or Nikki Haley will be the rights choice. At least that is what the odds makers are saying if not Trump.

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 Climate change - the average wind speed has increased 7% since 2010 which is good news for wind farms.  Not so great for golfers.

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The Mandalorian - I'm not a a huge Star Wars fan.  Been there Done that.  I'm over it.  But The Mandalorian caught my attention as something different. 

I watched the first meet and greet episode and it was OK.   Then watched the 2nd episode where there was actually a plot and LOVE IT.   Fantastic audio, very very well produced and I think it could be a big hit (for a network many do not have).

It's part western, part space, part GOT with some steam punk thrown in. 

Where does it fit in in the Star Wars Universe?


https://youtu.be/aOC8E8z_ifw

Thursday, November 14, 2019

I can not be angry at republicans - only sad for our country.

What I witnessed yesterday was actually sad.   The Republicans defense was that if the crime attempt failed . . .  there is no crime.  If you attempt to strong arm someone and it does not work . . . it's not a crime at all.  attempt to rob a bank and you don't get the money?  Not a crime. 

Of course this is different then the presidents defense which is there was no attempt for a crime anyway.  It's sad when elected officials are more worried about keeping power then defending the constitution.

Of course if the Republicans say there was no crime because the tactic never worked then there was no crime in firing ambassadors and reaming their names over the coals and no crime in having a secret back channel diplomacy running counter to the intelligence community and no crime in lying to the citizens of the country or the House and Senate saying nothing happened.

Notice how the defense really never even asked questions but just had speeches about outing the whistle blower which is so old news it's embarrassing.

I would be angry at the buffoon Republicans but it just makes me sad how they are acting like spoiled children protecting a literal psychopath President.

I DID love when the asshole complained that if the Dems were serious they should call the whistle blower to testify since he started all of this and the reply was that the Dems WISHED the real person that started this, the President, should be called to testify.  And everybody laughed. 

Then they complained that it was a kangaroo court because all the witnesses were on one side, against the President.  And they were reminded that EVERYBODY that would defend the Presidents actions refused to cooperate and would not testify.  Showing that the President is guilty as sin (otherwise why not defend the Pres . . . because they can't).

It was a bad bad day for defending the President and looking like you actually care about the constitution.  The republicans could not care less about the Constitution.  It's all about power. 

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Meanwhile in Italy it seems wild hogs dug up 22,000 of cocaine.  The police found this out when they were monitoring some drug people and they were complaining about the hogs.   Four were arrested.   No news of the hog.   

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Field Goal kickers are hitting at a 80.5% rate.  Lowest since 2003.

Fourth down a 2 to go?  35% of the time a team will go for it. Fourth and one 53% teams will go for it.  Don't look now but analytics are taking over football . . slowly.  Pretty soon punts will be a thing of the past.

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Jimmy Fallon has seen a 17% drop in ratings (I never really liked him). Colbert is crushing Fallon and Kimmel. 

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SADLY - the cortisone is wearing off on my knee. 



  

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

HERE WE GO! The American Experience - Impeachment

I was watching The American Experience last night about Americas first subway system which happened in Boston. 

In 1888 Boston was CRAZY crowded.  During the day the downtown, which was the size of Columbus would hold 450,000 people.   HOLY CRAP!!  450,000?   I had to replay that to make sure I heard that right!   One square mile and 450,000 people.


Anyway it was a fascinating piece and what struck me was this.

The Wright Brothers invented the airplane.  Ford had the car but one of the most important inventions of all time - the electric motor? the one that allowed street cars, electric railways and elevators   . . know who invented that? Frank Julian Sprague.   The most important person in history when it comes to public transit.

BUT - he was bought out by Edison who erased his name on every product and put his own name on it.

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Then there are the Houston Astros who have been caught cheating twice now.  About 5 years ago the Astros hired a tech person away from the St. Louis Cards and the next year he hacked into the Cards database and stole data. 

Now they were caught stealing signs using a camera in the outfield and banging on a drum to say CURVE BALL to the batter.

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And of course there is some sort of meeting or something on Capitol Hill.    Most of the Republican Senators refuse to even watch the trial what are the polls saying? The say it's all political so . . they refuse to even watch it.  So . . . they are not being political?

Well - nothing new for the most part with polls.  They are basically unchanged from a month ago.  The ONLY change has been among the undecided and there has been a uptick since November 3rd among the non-decided's Also called the non-paying attention group).

It's pretty much down party lines as the FOX Propaganda machine has been working like a charm.  "If you TRY to rob a bank but they don't give you the money . . . is it still a crime?   Republicans say NO.   As FOX Propaganda news says "


"If we tell enough lies then they will no longer recognize the truth".       

OH - sorry - that was the Russians talking about Chernobyl.  Hard to tell the two apart anymore.  

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Hexo Corp, a Quebec-based producer of cannabis is at war with illegal cannabis producers in Canada and will produce a new strain of a sativa blend called Original Stash.   A one ounce package will cost $125.  About half the cost of a current legal ounce and less then an illegal ounce.

If you are wondering. An ounce is a little over 28 grams and you get ABOUT 20+ good "highs" out of one gram (your results may differ).

And for anybody interested in the future.   There is a medical cannabis shop in Rockford about 1 hour away in a upscale area. MedMar  will become a recreational shop January 1st I believe.  Just a little over 1 hour away (depending on road construction). Super easy to get to (I have heard).

And the first shop opened in the UP recently.

A lot of people with Knee Replacements are using CBD oil

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I FINALLY get my locked shoulder looked at Monday - a little late but all is going well.

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CBS will have a new Star Trek that looks GREAT!

  

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Bridgejumper and blood thinners

Remember when I said my NFL system picked some crazy games no one would play and they typically WIN?   Bridgejumper picked Atlanta to easily cover the Saints at +14 and they actually won.  This happens way too often when it picks a BIG dog and the dog actually wins.

The system is 12-5 this year and now 429-276 for 60.85% Against the Spread since I started it in 1996.    Miami and Atlanta were the big winners last week. This week I have Arizona covering +11.5 on the road vs. SF (yuck) and Cincinnati covering +10.5 over Oakland.

With that said the Packers have played the 2nd hardest schedule in the NFL this year so far.  The hardest has been Oakland. San Francisco has played the 29th hardest schedule and New England the 32nd hardest ( or what some would call the EASIEST).   Minnesota has played the 22nd hardest.

Then last night - what a fantastic game.  DJ and I both loved it.  One of the best games we have seen where we really did not care WHO won.

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We have heard about the swine problems in China and the killing of millions of pigs.  The BIG issue is that medical blood thinners come from China and is derived from swine intestines. 12 million people in America are on blood thinners (I will be in January).  80% of blood thinners come from China and America is getting ready for a shortage.

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Tulsi Gabbard is STILL running for President. Her base is 99% male and 1% female.  Well, she hot!  That's about it for her campaign.   

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I'm creating a page for nutrition before and after a Total Knee Replacement.  When something like this happens it's time to go all in . GAME TIME for the body and time to START putting more anti-inflammatory food into my body . . . slowly.  Let's not go crazy. I don't want to put a ton of healthy food all of a sudden into my body.   Too much shock.

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WEATHER - there is HOPE - starting NEXT week we have a good chance to be ABOVE normal - 45-50  WHOO HOOO!!!    Columbus broke a record at 4.7 this morning.  Remember - the AVERAGE LOW is 30 degrees right now.

After today we are in a long slow rise in temps for at least a week.  We will soon have a high above the average low!   There is hope.

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Monday, November 11, 2019

Winner Winner - Armistice Day Storm

So it seems our porch won first place in the National Association of The Remodeling Industry’s (NARI) Contractor of the Year (COTY) award ceremony.    Michael F Simon Builders did the work and the one thing we really appreciated was EVERY changed needed a change order.  The smallest thing needed paper work.

THAT, is how you get things done.  No surprises, now "I wish they would have done  . . yada yada"  events (like the basement from a different contractor).   


Whoever the photographer was did a great job on photos  :-)




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Meanwhile this is now officially the snowiest start of November in recorded history and today and tomorrow the high temp will be BELOW the coldest week in January norms and this will probably be the coldest November ever as this ain't ending anytime soon.

The issue is that the current set up has our area in the bulls-eye for more arctic incursions.  We are like on the conveyor from the arctic.  It's NOT a polar vortex situation where it's one big stalled air mass.  It's many different arctic air masses.  How lucky are we.

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It was awesome watching the Packers yesterday -  I bet warm climates around the world who were watching the game thought the snow was beautiful.

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Big day in the stock market as we are looking at THE GOLDEN CROSS in small cap stocks that have been on a tear.   The Golden Cross is when the 50 day moving average crosses the 200 day moving average and it's happening in small cap stocks, the under performers of late.  Typically when this happens we are in for a good long run in stocks.

Of course a month ago it crossed the other way (The Death Cross)  so . . . .  BUT - we shall see which way Trump manipulates this week.

Meanwhile the 11 year Obama rally continues.


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In case anybody forgot the Armistice Day storm hit this day in 1940.  The temps dropped 60 degrees in a matter of hours.  Many hunters froze to death as temperatures went from the upper 50s to below zero in hours.  Ducks were found frozen in the water.   My mom was rescued by her brother. She were a little dress to school in the morning and made it to one mile from her house and was hiding in a haystack when her brother found her.   The stormed moved  825 miles in 6 hours - FREAKING FAST

 

So many hunters were out because a massive amount of ducks were fleeing ahead of the storm.  80 mph winds and and falling temps trapped many hunters. Snow drifts of 20 feet high swallowed cars trying to get home.

As my mom told me, about mid day a farmer was banging on the schools doors and when the teacher opened it he screamed  GET THE STUDENTS HOME RIGHT NOW!   He had a barometer and either it was broken or something very VERY serious was happening.

The teacher told the students to run home and my mom made it to one mile from her house.   SCARY!!

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And of course

I find in funny how the Republicans are all complaining about the impeachment rules THEY PUT IN PLACE.  NOT FAIR THE LIBERALS USE THE SAME RULES WE USE!

And it being Veterans Day -  What if Obama had stolen a few million from a Veterans Fund to buy things for himself instead INSTEAD of donating the millions to the veterans.  Republicans seem to be OK with it.    Has Trump ever done ANYTHING for veterans besides using them as a tool to get votes from his followers?  NO!




Thursday, November 7, 2019

Stock Market, Scar's, Betsy DeVos going to jail?

Speaking of the markets.  Bonds have a long way to go down (good) for interest rates so that is pretty darn safe and a good choice to put $$. Every time the fed lower rates  ching ching  and there are many times they can lower them.  Meanwhile the DOW is in new high territory and broke some resistance levels but there are a LOT of companies not enjoying the ride so there is lots of icing but the cake is a little weak.

There are plenty of warning signs as the market continues to rise.  It's like riding up a long roller coaster to the top  waiting waiting.

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So I GUESS the thing to do if you are in a Knee Replacement Group is to show your scar!   GOOD LORD WOMAN COVER THAT UP! 

So many questions like  "Is this normal?"  I get a gag reflex!   I  mentioned this in my normal politically correct way and get responses like  "OH, it's good to see what you might go through"  NO IT'S NOT!  Do you think if the solders landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day knew what was going to happen . . . it would HELP?

Hey - if it is on ME I'm fine,  DJ?  . . . probably.  I've seen much worse (I had MOHS Chemo remember) but I want to know just enough but with foggy blinders on.  I can already imagine bone saws in my future.  My son-in-law already warned me NOT to watch any videos!  It's very Neanderthal with saws and hammers.  He said it was one of the worst ops he has had to witness.

Plus now they don't even give you anesthesia.  You are in this colonoscopy state of mind.  You do get a CRAP LOAD of Oxy which everybody need to be careful of.   I'm pretty adult when it comes to prescription drugs in my life.  Well. I guess Dr. Quaalude in Madison in the 70s was prescription but . . . . . different blog :-)

And don't get me started on the anti-sidewalk people who believe sidewalks in a town are a waste.  I guess they do not believe in the science of creating a city that is good for families.  I want good sidewalks so when I have to learn to walk again it won't be in the street.

If anybody ever read the book  BOOMTOWN: The 7.5 Keys To Success In A Small Town. sidewalks are mentioned over and over along with broadband and quality of life. It's not about drawing business to a small town, its about making life as good as possible for families. Sidewalks, bike paths, broadband, things for kids to do and so forth.   

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OMG - two nights ago I was up late with the Minnesota Wild in Anaheim and last night the Bucks in LA.  Life is good, I no longer fear bedtime.

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And then there is Betsy DeVos who a federal judge threatened her with JAIL time for ignoring his direct order  16,000 times.

Seems a group of scam collages cropped up a number of years ago (Trump University was one of them) and when they got done stealing students money the closed.  BAM

Obama made it so their student loans were canceled.   

WELL - Trumps cronies, because Obama did this, reversed the thing and made all these people pay which they did by taking paychecks, income tax, vehicles and so forth.  The Fed Judge said NO!  STOP immediately.  That is against the law, I forbid it BY LAW. 

So what did the Trump administration do? they ignored her.  16,000 times and took the money from the students (most LEGAL immigrants - SURPRISE!) After a letter from the judge threatened DeVos with jail time she was fined $100,000 which will go to the students.

What a bunch of freaking thugs running this country!  The GOP is disgusting. They care absolutely nothing about human rights and it's ALL about money. 

And then there is Roger Stone which basically throws Trump under the bus for lying in his deposition in the Mueller Report - a federal offense.  How many of these guys will lend up in jail for lying under oath.  They will need to build another bigger prison for these mobsters.

And then there is Rudy and his buddy's Tweedledee and Tweedledumb who had 50 bank accounts for money laundering all linked to Russia.

America - the new banana republic run by the spineless GOP. 
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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Sidewalks? again? As God is my Witness . . . . . . . 41

One of the MANY bonuses of retiring is staying up late to watch hockey games . .  and waking up early because your dog does not seem to understand daylight "savings" time. 

I watched "my" Minnesota Wild win yet another game and it was on the road.  They begin the year playing only 5 of their first 18 games at home so wins have been few . . BUT I SAW ONE!! 

The great thing about hockey is they are always ALWAYS about 2.5 hours, a little less actually.

In other news I installed a NEXT Hello Doorbell and am amazed at how much traffic our little circle gets.  Gotta turn off that motion monitor so every time a car drives past we get an alert.  it was fun for the first half hour.

We have had this doorbell for a month but because our ringer is up high and my arms were down low . . . .I could not get to it.  Yesterday I got the ladder out and bing bang boom and a couple swear words later we can watch what is going on outside on our phones, a little boring.  But now we can see who does not pick up their dog poop in our yard.

One thing I did learn was that my PMR (polymyalgia rheumatica)  did not bring on my knee problems.  The school of thought was "why did both of these pop up at once" but after climbing up and down a ladder  . . . yea - my knee got's to go! or it actually it went already but the cortisone is still working.

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I have heard there might be some controversy on the Hibbard Street reconstruction and SIDEWALKS.  Of course there is.   Been there done that and I got a few council members and a few alder persons were pissed at me when I voted NO on a sidewalk vote on one side of a street.

My reasoning for THAT was the houses were way to close to the street and large trees and yada yada and there was a perfectly good sidewalk on the other side.  HOWEVER - I am still 100% pro sidewalk.

OH - I hate shoveling and I HATE having to pay for it because "I" rarely use MY sidewalk - but you don't have a sidewalk for yourself.  You have it for everybody else - socialism!

I tell you what though - I am DAMN glad my neighbors have a sidewalk in January when I'm relearning how to walk again in a flat sidewalk and not a humped road with traffic.     

I drove up and down Hibbard and there is no reason to not have sidewalks. One block will be rough but that is all.  There are FAR FAR greater problems Council has to deal with on that nightmare project.

More on that to come but I give the current council a high 5 on tackling this street.  So brave. 

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Nice to see a 5 time draft dodger lead the Grand Veterans Day Parade. So so proud

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Today is the 41 year anniversary of "As God is My Witness I Thought Turkeys Could Fly"  episode of WKRP.   I remember watching it live and almost pee'd my pants

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The High Roller and I feel GREAT

OH MY GOD - I feel so awesome!!  

What I failed to mention in the last blog was ANOTHER issue that was popping up that SEEMED unrelated but who the F knew!  Last Tuesday I started to lose hearing in my right ear.  Both were deem super clean a month ago by the Doc so this was yet another issue?  This was before I was sort of diagnosed with PMR.  Tried drops and yada yada and figured I'd wait until after the weekend to see if prednisone would do anything.  

SO - I started prednisone Friday morning and things immediately started to get better.  Zero pain, I can lift both arms above my head and after a trip to Urgent Care Monday morning my ear was cleaned and I can now hear again.   I FEEL WONDERFUL!!

Nobody seems to know the exact reason on why and when ear wax comes from except the body makes it and sometimes it gets trapped.  They could not even see my ear drum.  I'm FIXED (but not like a dog . . .well I guess I fixed that way also  DAMN IT).

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OK - let's just stop this "quid pro quo" nonsense.  Let's call if for what it is EXTORTION.  When you tell a President of another country that they will not get the 400 million UNLESS they go on National TV and tell the world you are investigating Trumps political opponent, that is Extortion. 

But Republicans do not believe extortion is a real crime so . . . I guess it's OK.  Just like they do not believe The Lying King is a racists.  Racists do not seem to know what racism is so again it's all good for them.

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But the good news for some of you is that millennial's are about to become the richest generation in American history, so stop your whining  LOL.

Why you ask?  Because right NOW the richest generation in American history are baby boomers and they are getting old and will pass down $68 TRILLION in savings to millennial's in the next 2 decades. And since there are less millennial's then baby boomers the trickle down will be more concentrated. 

And since the Obama rally, which started 3 days after he was elected is still going strong, those baby boomers are still making more in the stock market. Thank you Obama.  If you did not make money in the stock market in the last 10 years perhaps put your money in a 1% bank account.

10 years ago the DOW was at 10,023 and now its 27,844.  How could you lose!  The only problem is that under Trump it's stagnated for the last 2 years.

Many economic indicators are all showing large issues.  BUT - reap the rewards while you can on the sociopaths throw gas on a fire and pretend he built a fire with his borrowed money economy.

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MEANWHILE - November is looking to be the coldest November in recorded history in Wisconsin.  A HUGE arctic cold blast will hit us next week (might not bet above 20 for a few days) and two more JUST like it lined up after that.  Coldest November ever.   11 of the last 12 days have been below average and I do not seen an above average day for at least the next 15 days

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I learned something about the NHL yesterday.  We all know the NHL does not do the normal winning percentage thing for standings.  And we all know a win is 2 points and a loss is 0 points and a tie after regulation is 1 point for each team.

But what I did not know was if a team wins in overtime the losing team STILL gets 1 point and the winning team gets an EXTRA point.  WHO KNEW!!    I could not figure out why MY team the Minnesota Wild got a point  a few nights ago with an OT loss. Surprise.

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The worlds tallest ferris wheel ( at the moment) is in Las Vegas and all the hydraulics come from Columbus's own Enerpac.  In fact anywhere in the world that needs massive world class hydraulics, Enerpac is where they go to get them.

 

Each of those pods holds 40 people with a full bar and takes 1/2 hour for one complete rotation.


NEXT year when I go to LV I want to ride up there at night ($35) 


I also want to play stadium Black Jack!

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Now that fall is over I can raise my hand to my face and take photos - TOO LATE!!!

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Dolemite Is My Name


What a fantastic movie on Netflix - being a white dude I had never heard of the Dolomite phenomenon in the 70s.  Not a clue on this guy but its a true story of the very first rapper and it's a GREAT movie when a super good sound track.    

I need to watch this now that I have both ears!   Dolomite wanted to make movies like SHAFT but funny!
Blaxploitation
 is a term coined in the early 1970s to refer to black action films that were aimed at black audiences. Featuring African-American actors in lead roles and often having anti-establishment plots, the films were frequently condemned for stereotypical characterization and glorification of violence.

LOVED the movie    TURN DOWN THE VOLUME if at work 

https://youtu.be/gLZk03rXpVc

Friday, November 1, 2019

polymyalgia rheumatica and a sink hole

WOW - what a completely horrible and very scary week I had.   As many know I have been going through some heath issues that were getting progressively worse. 

I'm typing this not for entertainment but to get information out IN CASE it happens to anybody else.

The one sure thing was my knee replacement in January - I was prepared for that bit of news but what happened after that was freaking me out.  For any of you medics out there here is what was happening and my attempt to figure things out.

First my shoulder froze up. Not a totally uncommon thing it seems and it's called Adhesive capsulitis. DJ had it a few years ago and we believed this was the issue. I felt it was an injury stemmming from my knee being a large useless piece of meat and I had to use my shoulder 20 times a night to roll over.   I made an appointment which his still 18 days away.  The problem was my left shoulder was COMPLETELY frozen.  A totally useless arm from the elbow up.

OK - I can deal with that for a LITTLE while.  Then my right shoulder started to freeze - VERY VERY painful and if you happen to sleep in a bed, try it without your shoulders touching anything. You can't sleep on your back or either side. 

 I was literally losing the ability to dress myself with my T-rex arms and the pain went from 2 to 8 instantly when I tried to use my arms for ANYTHING - NOT GOOD.

But then my gluts and hamstrings were  started acting up.  I could not get out of a chair and I could only sit for maybe 15 minutes without serious pain in my legs and butt.  This was not just atrophy from not using my leg, this was something different.  I could stand or lay down but when I sat it was like all the blood was being squeezed out of my legs. The act of standing up was horrific pain and I was literally walking around like Tim Conway.   

Googling I assumed this was Inflammatory Myositis.  I contacted my DR and he ordered blood tests.  DJ drove me down to the Clinic (I could not get in or out of a car).  I honestly felt I NEED TO BE IN A HOSPITAL!

A day later I got all the tests back and it all 30+ things seemed fine . . .except one, called C-Reactive Protein which was very elevated, 

That was Wednesday and Wednesday night was the worst yet.  Up all night.  I contacted the shoulder Dr and pleaded for some better pain relief as nothing was working.

and I waited for a reply.

Thursday afternoon I was contacted and Dr Wilson at UW Health Sports Medicine said he had been  looking at my records and going back at ALL that was going on with me had an idea.  The C-Reactive Protein (CRP) was the key.

He believes I have a somewhat rare-ish (200,000 a year in America) issue called polymyalgia rheumatica.   DJ and I looked into this and OMG - we were both sort of laughing as I check off EVERY symptom.  I'm the poster child.

Aches or pain in your shoulders - without a doubt

Aches or pain in your neck, upper arms, buttocks, hips or thighs - check


Stiffness in affected areas, particularly in the morning or after being inactive for a time - yup


Limited range of motion in affected areas - check


Pain or stiffness in your wrists, elbows or knees -
 check

Mild fever 
- check

Fatigue 
- check

A general feeling of not being well (malaise) 
- check

Loss of appetite 
- check

Unintended weight loss (I have lost 14 pounds in 7 weeks)


Depression 
- check

Limits your ability to do your usual activities, such as getting dressed 
- check


Complications
Getting out of bed, standing up from a chair or getting out of a car - YEA

Combing your hair or bathing (hands can not reach my head - I don't comb anyway)


Getting dressed ( I could not put on a shirt or socks)


These difficulties can affect your health, social interactions, physical activity, sleep and general well-being


Looking at other sites I feel like I'm the poster child for polymyalgia rheumatica.   My mom had lupis so there are issues in the family.  In 3rd grade I had Rheumatic fever.

SO - this morning I took my first very low lever dose of prednisone and you will hear results Monday (I hope)

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MEANWHILE - all this is going on it seems a small sink hole happened under our house.

We found this out when plumbers started to work on our plumbing in the basement.  A backward pitch for the toilette needed to be fixed.

WELL - surprise!  They got through the concrete and instead of dirt . . . there was 5 inches of air.  THAT'S NOT RIGHT!  The dirt under the house in one area had sunk!


The trench for the plumbing was great and then sank with the dirt. So there was a 5 inch backward pitch.    


As you can see there should NOT be a gap under the shower.    
 

Of course insurance will not pay for this as there seems to be a "moving earth" clause.  No leaks or anything.  Is it from the gravel pit that lights off explosives once a month shaking the house?  

Now I need to find a company that will insert some sort of slurry into the gap . . . of something. 

and that is my story at the moment - what a week. and HOPEFULLY I'm on the upside . . of ONE of these two things