• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

Signs you're getting old(er)

8/18/2021

3 Comments

 
 Like you, I’ve been getting older for a long time. In fact, since my day of birth in 1950. Lord, am I getting older.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m very happy that I’m getting older and I hope I get older for many years to come. But, every now and then I think about what's changed in my life over the years.

For example, yesterday I had my Annual Medicare Wellness Visit.

Annual. Medicare. Wellness. Visit.

(And I hope that appointment is on my calendar for many annuals to come.)


Talking about that appointment, without getting into many details (not because  my medical info is private but some just aren't really up for gentile discussion) I just got back from the hospital where I went for X-rays ordered by my nurse practitioner (NP) yesterday. Was for my hands which for a few months now have felt very tight, especially in the mornings, especially the index fingers and wrists.

Originally, I thought it was related to my golf swing and I was swinging wrong. But, no, that is my real swing.


And, no, I didn’t fall or get into a fight with an anti-vaxxer. Actually I was pretty sure I knew what it was before I raised it with my NP. At my age you sense these things. Arthritis. 99 percent positive but the X-rays will confirm. Arthritis, another blessing you get that says, yes, you are getting older.

Parts are wearing out.


Now, that pain doesn’t stop me from playing golf. Or affect it in any way, shape or firm. I played the same before the presumed arthritis arrived. And  I can sum up my golf game in three words (golf technical jargon but you'll understand): I’m not good.
​
I play with several guys in and out of our foursome who are peers, age wise. And, like any older person, I enjoy the camaraderie more than I would playing well. (Okay, that last sentence is a lie. I would  trade them for a better game in a nanosecond!)


As I’ve gotten older I have collected a broad array of medical experts, too. And not just a Nurse Practitioner, which didn’t exist back then. Thirty years ago I had a general practitioner and an ophthalmologist because I’ve worn glass since before kindergarten. They served me well.

Along the years, though, I’ve added a neurologist, a dermatologist, a podiatrist, a urologist, a gastroenterologist, a surgeon, and, soon, a pulmonologist. I think that’s it. So far.
 
My wife’s birthday is today. She is a year younger than I am. So we  get to experience the wonders of getting older together.


Not only does she provide all the advantages a good partner brings, but she (up until the pandemic anyway) came with me to important doctor appointments because (and I don’t think this is a function of age, just a function of who I am) she listens and remembers what the doctors say.

For example, yesterday my NP looked at a six-month old test ordered by a different doc and said. this says you have (one of those details you don’t really need to know). I said, hmm, I wonder why he never told me that. Seems he should have. Then I got home and my wife (whose birthday is today and who, among other gifts, I gave a T-shirt that says, “Wicked Smaht.” People from Massachusetts (Massachusettsians? Massachusites? Massachusettsans? Bay Staters? will understand that) remembered exactly what he said.


Which is all a long way of saying, getting older ain’t so bad. And I hope we all get older for a long time.
3 Comments

Oys! and Yos!

8/4/2021

2 Comments

 
Picture
(The Screaming Moderate occasionally hands out awards to those who have done good -- Yos! -- and those who have done bad -- Oys. The committee on Yos! and Oys! meets whenever it feels like it.)

The first-ever Potential Yo! goes to former President Donald J. Trump. If Trump were to put out a statement, make a speech or video tape a message urging people to get a vaccination, we would see an additional boost given to the current surge of vaccinations. The political upsides to Trump  (typically the way to encourage him to do something): The vaccine was developed on his watch and even Biden gave him a backhanded credit when he recently said the vaccine was developed under a Republican  Administration. Trump speaks directly to many  of the states far behind in vaccinating their people because they typically are "Trump states." If one wanted to be cynical one might say that there is no doubt Trump would earn some credit even if his speech had no impact because vaccinations are surging as people understand they actually could get very sick or die and as cities, like New York, are instituting bans on those not vaccinated from eating indoors at restaurants, going to to the theater, etc. This would be an easy way for Trump to earn and take credit for even if he had effect at all for a major increase. It would be a win-win. As he once said to a bloc of voters, "what have you got to lose?"

Oy! for being a hypocrite to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. For years Cuomo prided himself on his support for women and changing of laws to strengthen sexual harassment laws. Yesterday, New York Attorney Genera Leticia James issued results of an investigation requested by Cuomo into allegations of sexual harassment against him. The blistering report documents the accounts of 11 women who alleged sexual harassment against Cuomo. Cuomo liked to go around saying "believe the women" when claims of sexual harassment were lodged. Apparently he meant "believe the women except these 11 women."

Oy! to Republicans in Congress. Whatever happened to spending like a drunken sailor? During the Trump years Republicans in Congress shelved their decades-long dedication to not vote for spending increases to please Trump. Now, though, since there's a Democrat in the White House, Republican congressmen and senators are against increasing spending. They are giving one to Biden on infrastructure knowing they'll get much credit back home for improvements that will be made to bridges, roads, etc. Red ink apparently in their minds is a thing of the past as they now revert to what was a Republican long-time value.

Oy! to cancel culure.  I gotta tell ya, I'd never heard of cancel culture until recent months when Republicans especially have been complaining about it. Is there a Committee to Cancel Culture? Who's in charge of it? Some think it's the media that gets together secretly among themselves to decide what to cancel today. Conservative talking heads popularized the phrase when things like Mr. Potato Head and some Dr. Seuess books were cancelled. (Want to know where the prhase comes from? It comes for the song "Your Love is cancelled" that appeared on an album in 1981 by Chic, a group that hit it big during the disco era. They prided themselves on songs with double meetings such as "Le Freak." According to Wikipedia, the song original lyrics had a refrain that said "ahh fuck off"  after they failed to meet with Grace Jones. The refrain later became "ahh freak out" and a Number One disco song.) I'd love to cancel the phrase Cancel Culture.

A final Oy! to the Committee on Oys! and Yos! for not issuing a single Oh!










2 Comments

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com