Dohiyi Mir

Friday Dogblogging

Yes, we do still have dogs and I've been remiss in posting pics of them.

ntodd

Friday In Bil'in: 248

Happy Eid al-Adha:

Under the slogan, “Towards a Palestine free from settlements, the Wall, Apartheid roads, checkpoints and roadblocks, and for one united Palestine with no islands and cantons”, the residents of Bili’n gathered in a protest after the Friday prayer joined by international and Israeli activists. The protesters raised Palestinian flags and banners calling to hold on to Palestinian rights like Jerusalem, right of return, borders, access to water, the release of all detainees and removing the wall and settlements.

One of the representative leaders of Fatah, Mohammed al-Madaniy, and Leila Ghanam, the Governor of Ramallah and al-Bireh, joined the Bil’in residents in today’s demonstration.

A Greek group participated with the people in Bil’in to give their support.
...
The protesters marched towards the wall built on the land of Bili’n chanting and singing slogans to resist the occupation, hold on to the Palestinian rights, and a national unity among the Palestinians. When the demonstration reached the razor wire placed by Israeli soldiers to block the protesters, the Israeli army announced a closed military zone, but the protest kept moving towards the gate. The Israeli soldiers fired teargas canisters and stun grenades, dozens suffered teargas inhalation.

On the other side of Occupied Palestine, if you're interested in joining the Gaza Freedom March over the New Year, registration closes November 30.  And I'm still game to sponsor somebody to go: thus far I've donated to help send Lizzie and Kelly over there, and I could spring for another "scholarship" if finances are holding you back.

ntodd

Separated At Birth?

We just got back a little while ago from NTodd's Pa's.  Ericka had another migraine come on early this AM and it abated a bit with some Excedrin Migraine, but returned with a vengeance so we headed home earlier than planned.  That said, it was a lovely Thanksgiving--one of the most relaxed and pleasant ever--and Sam finally got to meet Great Grammy.

GG noted that her great-grandson has some typical Pritsky features and reminds her of NTodd's Pa's Pa, Boris.  She also said, though, that his younger brother looked even more like Sam, and I think she's right, though that's not the only similarity.

A few turkeys ago NTodd's Pa's Ma gave me a picture of the family; last December NTodd's Pa gave me a couple of a little stinker who grew up to blog.  And through the magic of Photoshop:

On the right, Samuel Pritsky, 2009.  In the middle, Nathaniel Pritsky, 1970.  On the left...Samuel Pritsky, circa 1922.  We ain't triplets--and we're different ages in pictures of different quality taken at different angles and whatnot--but there is a family resemblance, da?

ntodd

All Good Gifts Around Us

Ericka kicks off Thanksgiving.

ntodd

The Family That Cooks Together Stays Together

After another yummy dinner made from CSA ingredients.

ntodd

Bolt The Door, Mercy

I wanted to follow up on a comment and post from fellow depressive Sinister Spinster in the context of what Ericka wrote yesterday.

HCR has been a big personal and political issue for our family, so we've been as engaged as possible.  Ericka attended a rally outside one of the regional forums back in March, when Sam was still an alien-looking blob, and despite being on bedrest for the last 12 weeks of her pregnancy joined in citizen lobbying of Representative Peter Welch and Senator Bernie Sanders (we've met with Pat Leahy's staff in DC for a variety of things, but the health care person was AWOL).  Together we've written countless letters and made countless phone calls on a persistent basis to our entire Delegation and President Obama, not to mention Members of Congress from other States. 

We're still trying to stay in the game, though admittedly it's a bit difficult as we've been so absorbed by our financial and medical crises, and now of course raising a newborn.  At least with electronic means we can participate in Bloggers Unite Fight For Preemies Day and other such activities even if we can't get back down to DC for a little while.

It's sometimes distressing to see that after so many sad stories like the Facebook lady's, and after so many thousands of people have worked so hard on HCR, the whole quest yet stands on the edge of a knife, but that's the way it all works.  After reading the comments Ericka posted about that poor woman's struggle, I'm more...well, depressed about our fellow citizens who are almost inexplicably invested in the unjust status quo.

I'm especially sensitive to mental health issues having friends and family who have gone through a lot.  And of course there's my own long-term clinical depression.  Because it's "all in your head" most people don't really understand, even if they think they do, how this shit works.  Thus you get ignorant comments and insurance company actions because--GASP!--a depressed person hangs out in a bar, goes to a beach, has a picture of them smiling.

Yes, people in the depths of depression sometimes crack a smile and even laugh at jokes!  We also might be inclined to try fighting our horrible, uncontrollable feelings of despair by going out to be with people or take in sunshine.  And we often self-medicate with alcohol and whatnot.

For some people depression, even with meds, can be debilitating.  I'm fortunate enough to be pretty high-functioning without pills--my work really and other things do suffer, however--and still my citalopram is a miracle (I know because I went off my meds once for a couple weeks).  I don't like to judge anybody's reaction to pain, let alone chemical imbalance, particularly when I don't have all the facts, so I'd caution everybody to not to leap into a situation they really can't appreciate and side with a corporation whose sole motive is to make a profit by denying claims, whether it's the specific incident Ericka blogged about or in general.

I'm sure there's some fraud in our system, really in any system.  That's hardly an excuse to throw compassion and trust out the window while actively working to prevent people from exercising their basic human and civil rights.

It was an interesting experience filling out forms and dealing with the bureaucracy signing up for Vermont's Green Mountain Care.  Applications were extremely short, asked us nothing about medical history, and the only thing we've been challenged on is proof of citizenship (not residency) per Federal requirements.  Quite a contrast to the hoops I've jumped through for corporate health insurance, but not surprising since the goal in this case is to err on the side of providing coverage, not denying it.

I was extremely worried when my COBRA expired and the monthly Rx jumped to 85 dollars.  That's not a lot compared to some people's pharma hit, but for an underemployed family of war tax resisting activists it was a tremendous burden.  This Thanksgiving I am grateful to live in a State that provides us with socialized medical coverage so now I can afford to keep taking the medicine that enables me to be more productive and even pursue a little happiness (I seem to recall seeing a document talking about that being a right or something).

ntodd

Tuesday Skyblogging

Orion rises over our house.

ntodd

This Week Extra Utero: 8

Sam's been around as long as that the young Bulgarian couple in Casablanca were married.  Yeah, weird reference.

Yup, caring for a newborn is an exhausting ("Hello! I'm awake again!") and dirty (um, was that a projectile poop?) job. But the rewards can be pretty, well, rewarding... and one of the best ones is probably showing up right about now: that spectacularly toothless smile! More dazzling developments at the two-month marker may include cooing, laughter, and a new penchant for playtime — plus (and this is a big one), he knows who you are! These days, when your 2-month-old baby sees your face or hears your voice, chances are he'll try to respond by turning toward you and flashing a great big gummy grin. (Hi, Mama!)

If you could peer inside your baby's downy head, you'd see a very busy brain at work. His gray matter is in the midst of a gigantic growth spurt, tackling big concepts like eye-hand coordination and object recognition. Thanks to big strides in how well he uses his senses, he's much more aware of his environment — and more sensitive to changes around him as well. This might mean he may become slightly pickier about just who can cuddle him (though true separation anxiety doesn't usually occur until he's about nine months old).

Your baby's body, too, is catching up to his busy brain by mastering a lot of new physical skills. He's probably getting better at pushing himself up during tummy time, and he can begin to bear some weight on his feet. Try standing him up on your lap and feel how he pushes down. Now that's power! And while he can't yet give a real "bye-bye" wave (that'll happen sometime around his ninth or tenth month), he can move those arms into a satisfying arc (ala John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever). You've got to admit, your baby's got some great moves!

I count this as his 8 Week Birthday and not 2 Months, which will be on the 29th.  But let's not quibble on such a momentous occasion!

Anyway, we've been bonding with Sam quite a bit as he's becoming more aware of his surroundings.  He sleeps less not only at home but in the car, where he just stares at the scenery zipping by with an enraptured look on his face.  No matter what location, he moves his head and eyes all over the place, amazed that there's so much to see in this new world of he finds himself in.

I twittered the other day something really magical for us: when Ericka was holding the boy after nursing, I'd said something and he very deliberately swiveled his head to look at me and smiled.  Devastatingly adorable.

Sam is also very good at reaching out and grabbing things.  Loves to grab his clothes.  He'll often pull my finger (heh) toward him.  He also likes to take hold of my beard.  Sadly, his target also frequently includes my chest hair.  He pulls hard.

One struggle we've had feeding Sam, both with bottle and breast, has been his penchant for shoving his fists into his mouth beforehand, thus preventing his actually getting nourishment.  The last couple nights, however, I've noticed if I hold a baba in front of him, he will after a moment remove his hand and open his mouth.  The boy's a genius and figured out simple physical laws like "two pieces of matter cannot occupy the same space at the same time."

Other fun includes pushing himself off my chest during tummy time, standing and "jumping."  Sadly, increased power in his legs means Sam is now usually moving those chubby thighs so much that diapers changes are a bit more challenging.  Twitter followers and Facebook friends might see more reports of Daddy Diaper Fails going forward...

ntodd

[Update: oh yeah, forgot about all the arm movements.]

Cannot Find The Candle Of Thought To Light Your Name

If insurance corporations are persons, why aren't they all my Facebook friends?

ntodd

Sunday Skyblogging

Moon and Jupiter over one of our barren trees.

ntodd

Sunday Assmussen

The only poll worth paying attention to™:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 29% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-nine percent (39%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -10.

Jeebus, how many weeks in a row can he stay at -10?  Perhaps it would help if the President considered doing some of the things we elected him for...

ntodd

We Have A Baby

Ericka observes that Sam's acting less like a newborn and more like an interactive infant.

ntodd

Friday In Bil'in: 247

Yesterday:

Residents of Bil’in gathered in a demonstration today, commemorating the 21st anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and condemning the ongoing expansion of illegal Israeli settlements.

After the Friday midday prayers, about 150 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists raised dozens of Palestinian flags and posters with the picture of the late Yasser Arafat and chanted slogans calling for the national leadership to keep fighting for the national principles.

In a reaction to recent announcements from the Israeli government regarding plans to continue with the construction of 900 new housing units in the settlement of Gilo, they protested against the expansion of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the threat this expansion poses for the future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The demonstrators marched to the Wall built on Bil’in’s land, where the Israeli army, based on the other side of the fence, responded to their presence by throwing tear gas bombs and shooting tear gas canisters. Dozens suffered from the effects of tear gas inhalation.

And the day before:

Ibrahim Burnat, a resident of Bil’in, who was shot in the thigh with live ammunition during an anti-Wall protest in the village on 13 June 2008, went on hunger strike last Thursday, after he was denied a permit to attend medical treatment in a Tel Aviv hospital.

After being refused a permit to enter Israel for the sake of receiving medical treatment for the First time, Bil’in activist Ibrahim Burnat went on a hunger strike last Thursday, in a desperate attempt to breach bureaucratic indifference.

In Gaza-related efforts, I've shifted sponsorship attention toward sending Kelly to document everything since Lizzie has what she needs to get over there for the Freedom March.  Please help if you can--I know I say that a lot, but you know.

ntodd

Friday Catblogging

Taran sits on the Sam The Cat Memorial Stair.


Looking toward the commotion over by the cat food.

Yeah, it's Saturday. Ericka had an aural migraine--not uncommon post-partum, apparently, but her first--yesterday so I was a bit pre-occupied with tending to the family after we went to the doctor. I'll try to catch up.

ntodd

Wiretapping, Old School

Since I'm a space geek, I think this story via (and partly about) my friend Glenn is pretty damned cool:

In July of 1969 a Louisvillian by the name of Larry Baysinger accomplished an amazing feat.  He independently detected signals from the Apollo 11 astronauts on the lunar surface.  Fortunately, his accomplishments were recorded and promptly published in the Louisville Courier-Journal, by another Louisvillian by the name of Glenn Rutherford, in an article entitled “Lunar Eavesdropping:  Louisvillians hear moon walk talk on homemade equipment”.

...

Baysinger’s lunar eavesdropping is an independent verification that men were on the moon, by a local person who is not part of the scientific establishment.  Had there been more Larry Baysingers eavesdropping on Apollo, or had there been more Glenn Rutherfords to record the work of the Baysingers who did eavesdrop, there would be no Apollo deniers.  I just this semester (Fall 2009) presented a copy of Rutherford’s article to a student who doubted that we went to the moon.  Having the evidence come from the Courier-Journal, from Louisvillians, and not from NASA, was something new, and it obviously had an impact.

Clavius should grab this audio before conspiracy theorists convince Neil Armstrong he never did this...

ntodd

Post Partum

In honor of all the children people talked about at Sam's blog yesterday, we donated $175 to the March of Dimes to help their fight for preterm babies and to reduce preterm births.

Sam obviously hasn't had the same struggles as many preemies, given that he was a late-term boy and only had to spend a couple hours in NICU.  Back in July when the doctors and case managers were talking to us about the Ronald McDonald House and all the other arrangements we'd need to make for our son's almost assured early delivery, we were despondent.  And really through all the months of bedrest and multiple returns to the hospital, we kept wondering how long our luck would hold.

We made it to 36 weeks, which we only had a 50-50 chance of getting to we were told, and we celebrated.  But that's as far as Sam was willing to go.  Now, if we accept our original due date of 10/23 he was born at 36w4d but the high-risk folks had pegged him at 10/27, putting him at 36w exactly.  Whatever, he was early, small and for a while had trouble breathing.

The fact that the boy wasn't eventually admitted to NICU was a great shock and relief.  I only got to visit him once there.  After signing in and going through the required handwashing protocol, I saw teeny Sam resting peacefully in his incubator, then just a little while later they brought him back to us.

One last blip with dangerous bili levels sending us to the ER and spending another couple days in the pediatrics ward, and here we are 7 weeks later with our healthy, growing and increasingly interactive child.  All that other stuff seems a few lifetimes ago.

We're thankful for the great staff at Fletcher Allen and our state's healthcare system.  And thankful that Vermont is doing so well regarding preterm births.  We're also of course extremely thankful for all the support we've gotten online and off, including all the stories people have shared.

Please don't forget to donate to the cause so we can reduce the number of preemie stories and make sure those babies born too soon have a better chance to thrive.

ntodd