Carl Clark's Blog

Feeling Better

2009-12-14T14:58:00.001-05:00

Things are much better with Linda and I. She saw the dentist again today. He said she was healing well but there will be a lot of pain because the teeth he pulled were deeply embedded. I am feeling better. I am still on antibiotics for my Pneumonia. However, much of symptoms have been reduced. I hope to go the Gym this Wednesday. I miss going out and feeling the pulse of the world. Perhaps when I am better I will start leaving the house more.

I got quite a scare on the 12^th. My brother’s grandchild, Lakshmi, called and said my brother, Sidney, was in the hospital. He had passed out and needed a pace maker installed. We called the hospital and discovered that they had already installed it and Sidney was doing fine. He should be home today. Sidney is 82 and my sister is 79. Both are not young their time and mine is almost over. Its ok but if anything happens to them I will miss them terribly and will morn my loss forever.

Health and Jeff

2009-12-09T12:41:00.003-05:00

My prayer was answered. I have much less pain and I am able to manage it. However I am still sick. I saw Dr. Purcell yesterday. She found another bad spot on my lungs. She prescribed a stronger and wider spectrum antibiotic with more bed rest. I am very tired of being sick. I have had this lung infection since the day before thanksgiving. I hope I get better soon. Or at least before I am overwhelmed by despair.

Linda is planning for us to go to Atlanta for Christmas. I really hate the thought of traveling. I always end up sick or sicker then I was. The actual trip is always very stressful and uncomfortable. But I will be happy to see Atlanta family members I have not seen in a year or more.

Oops! Linda changed her mind. We are not going to Atlanta for Christmas. This makes me happy as well as sad. Sad because I know how much she wanted to go. Happy because I hated the thought of that long trip. Right now things are not going well between Linda and I. Perhaps I have been sick too long and the stress is wearing on her. Additional Linda is not feeling that well herself and on top of everything else she had two wisdom teeth pulled today.

I just read my trainer’s newsletter. He told me it would feature me but I had no idea it would make me feel this good. Jeff Brandes my trainer has done wonders for my health and quality of life. I am blessed to have him.

HELP

2009-11-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

The intense pain began on Thanksgiving and gotten worst since then. Today I can hardly move or think. The pain, centered on back, is incredibly intense. It is there when I sit stand or lay down. There is no let up. . The pain pills do not help. I feel like crying and screaming. I try not to be short or cranky but it is difficult. I would do anything for a second of no pain.

Linda

2009-11-27T14:34:00.002-05:00

Nature's Duplication

2009-11-27T10:15:00.001-05:00

Images for Nolie

2009-11-27T10:11:00.002-05:00

Flowers For Those I Killed

2009-11-27T10:07:00.002-05:00

Flowers for Doctor Gotlieb

2009-11-13T18:09:00.002-05:00

Mood

2009-11-04T13:00:00.000-05:00

more mood

2009-11-03T13:08:00.003-05:00

More Mood

2009-11-03T13:03:00.001-05:00

Salvation

2009-11-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

More Salvation

2009-11-03T12:06:00.001-05:00

Hurry Up

2009-11-02T18:52:00.005-05:00

I go to my doctors appointments, listen to my Buddhist Monk, hear my children voices and see my therapist weekly yet I still think the best solution is my death. I just wish it would happen without my help. If it does my wife and children get no guilty feelings and I have not sinned. However it better hurry up. I am so very tired of living with pain, illness and guilt.

Roy DeCarava 1919-2009

2009-11-01T11:06:00.002-05:00

Roy DeCarava 1919-2009

Roy passed to another place October 2009. He was my friend, my mentor, my teacher and a beacon of strength, courage, artistic integrity and one the greatest artist of all times. His exquisite subtlety of tones has never been duplicated. Like his saxophone playing his images are in the lower register. He played these low notes so marvelously that you did not think there could be that many shades of grey, white and black. He was a master print maker. Knowing him and working with him made me a better man and photographer. The world will miss you Roy. Even though my wife and I have lost special friend we can still see Roy’s beacon of love, strength and integrity guiding me and showing us the way.

One of the important things Roy taught me was the importance of the artist’s vision. He said, before picking up your camera you must know what vision you want to create. Once you have mastered the vision the photographic object becomes almost immaterial. Because it is transformed into your vision.

I have noticed that in almost all the obituaries published, including the New York Times, that not mention Roy DeCarava’s wife Sherry Turner DeCarava. Sherry was the glue and comfort that kept Roy on track and focus. An accomplished Art Historian and writer she wrote many of the articles and book forwards that celebrated or chronicled Roy’s life and work. She, in all the right ways, was lovely and profoundly protected of Roy.

Anger

2009-09-22T12:57:00.002-04:00

I have been trying to find the root of the anger and passion that the Health Care bill has managed to generate. I am not talking about normal discourse, debate and disagreement Rather I am referring to the unbridled horrific anger and passion that has been causing certain individuals and groups to threaten violence and assassinations. I was close to reaching a conclusion. However a Jerome Miller has beaten me to the punch. Here is quote from Mr. Miller. The full comment can be found at http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.reason21sep21,0,5381115.story

“…If Mr. Obama has become the focus of rage and fear, it is because he has come to symbolize what deeply angers and frightens many Americans: the complexities that make us feel impotent, the profound changes that are altering our world. It is hard, for example, for many of us to imagine a world in which white is not the dominant color and Christianity is just one of many respected creeds. The anger and fear that such change provokes are understandable. This does not make them any less irrational.

There is little that the president or his administration can do to allay this irrationality. Those who respond to him with visceral anger and fear are right to see him as the embodiment of the changes that enrage and terrify them. As he is the agent of change, he can do little to disarm the irrational response it often provokes. What is missing from our present political culture is an opposition that responds to the president's history-making administration with thoughtful conversation, an opposition that has the courage to eschew and explicitly criticize the rhetoric of hate and oversimplification.

Only conservatives and Republicans can provide such an opposition. The need for it is fast becoming desperate. For the vacuum created by the absence of such an opposition will not continue for long. There is a maelstrom waiting to fill it.

Astute Republican thinkers such as The New York Times' David Brooks have emphasized that the party needs to rethink itself to renew its identity. But there is already available to the Republican Party and the conservative movement an indispensable role in these historic times: They can stand up for reason and work to delegitimize the demagogy and malice that are betraying their deeply thoughtful and venerable traditions. Doing so may cost them votes; it may cost them primary elections. But it will earn them the gratitude of history.

We now need, perhaps more urgently than ever before, an opposition that is loyal, above all, to reason, as it was exercised by our founders.

Jerome Miller is professor emeritus of philosophy at Salisbury University. His e-mail is jamiller@salisbury.edu.
Copyright © 2009, The Baltimore Sun”

So What’s to complain?

2009-09-12T18:12:00.002-04:00

I still go to he gym 2 to 3 times a week. My upper body is much stronger. My legs are worst than before. The VA says there is no hope. My Hopkins neurologist says there is nothing he can do. They will continue to deteriorate so I am doing the best I can. My personnel trainer tries to get responses from my legs and has had some success. I am able to use my thigh muscles more now and they are strong enough to pick me up. But the rest of the legs are still very slow to respond. Hover, overall I feel pretty good and energetic. My family is well there is love in me for all so what’s to complain?

A Partial List of My Interest

2009-09-07T12:20:00.000-04:00

Here is a partial list of my interest.

Giving love, being kind, learning to love my enemies, Poets, poetry, astronomy, parenting, child rearing, my children, my wife, balance, beautiful thinking, beauty, ice cold beer, wise old men, breast, carnal knowledge, chivalry, coffee, music, constant randomness, cooking, crunchy, studying cultures, Dali, dancing, delusions of grandeur, dreaming, eloquence, emotions, estrogen, eye locks, freedom, fresh expensive sheets, geeks, getting mail, imperfections, joint laughter, kissing, lovers, laughter, touching skin, letters, life, lips, lucid dreams, hugging, metaphysics, modest and undiscovered greatnesses, open windows, family, outsider art, art, people watching, people who love, philosophy, sociology, photography, psychology, quirky features, politics, health care for all, rhythm, travel, romance, self-improvement, serendipity, sex, sharing experiences with strangers, showering in twos or more, sharing visions, silence, protests against the war, ending all wars, hips, solitude, spoken word, spontaneity, spooning, subtle sexuality, testosterone, the way night smells, smelling warm rain, uncontrollable giggle fits, used book stores, unaided laughter, vintage, wandering aimlessly, weather, Buddhism, bonding with men, good health, mental clarity, Hitchhikers Guide To the Galaxy, 42.

Zhongshan--Real Honk Kong style Chinese Food

2009-09-06T10:38:00.000-04:00

Wow real Chinese food in Baltimore and it’s delicious. Be forewarned this is not your overly sweet more American than Chinese food sold in most so-called Chinese restaurants/carry outs in Baltimore. This is real Hong Kong Style Chinese food and it knocks your socks off. Zhongshan at 323 Park Ave in the old china Town is producing real Hong Kong style food that is simply wonderful. Linda and I have been there 3 times and each time it has been just incredible food. It is the only restaurant besides the Charleston that each mouthful is a symphony of taste pleasures. But Zhongshan’s prices are amazingly affordable. Linda and I ate till full and still took home a doggy bag for only $42,00. Just try every thing on the menu you can’t go wrong. I recommend the “Whole Crispy Fish with Spicy Sauce, the Chinese Broccoli with Garlic sauce, the House special Lo Mein and any of the House specials served at Lunch time. Of course if you go for lunch you must have Dim Sum. Dim Sum is served from 1030 am to 2:30am. They also have delicious set platters for 6 to 8 persons and 3-5 persons. The service is warm, friendly, prompt and attentive. They are extremely helpful in understanding the authentic menu items.

Zhongshan ‘s hours are 1000hrs to 2230hrs on Sunday trough Thursday and 1000hrs to 2330hrs on Friday and Saturday. 410-233-1882 Fax 410-223-1880

Health Care and Us

2009-08-16T14:31:00.001-04:00

There are no death panels. Nobody is going to kill your grandmother. The New York Times and other print media have been trying to tell the people there are no death panels. But many would rather listen to hate mongers and others who “Hope the Obama president term fails,” Or “If we can beat health care reform it will be the Democrat’s waterloo.” In each of these statements there is no concern for the health of the nation but only a chance to get in power again. Anyone who reads the bill knows there are no “death Panels” If you take the time to read the bill you will know you are being lied to by Insurance/drug cartels and certain Republican “spokesmen”.

The health care reform bill is infinitely better than what we have now. We now have a system were the working poor, the poor and much of our middle class have no health insurance. I had two relatives who were laid off and could not afford COBRA. So they were without medical care. One has Parkinson, and a wife and baby. His one-month supply of medication is over $275.00. He was going to give up the medication to care for his wife and child. The family stepped in. Although they could not afford it, the family helped to support them with food and medication. Health insurance companies do not want to and will not insure people who have pre-existing chronic diseases. The most common killers, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are almost uninsurable. Insurance companies will not insure if there are pre-existing diseases. So if you are sick even deadly sick you will not get insurance unless it is through government programs like Medicare, Medicaid or VA. Did you know our nation health is the worst of all industrialized nations, yes including Canada? A baby born in El Salvador has a better chance of living the first year than a baby born here. Yes our care system is screwed up it works only for the well to do and insurance and drug companies.

The new healthcare bill will stop all of that. In addition all will be able to afford health insurance even COBRA. If you have insurance and are happy with it you do not have to change and things will still improve for you. You will not get a 50% hike in premiums like you do now. There will be no increase in premiums because you or a family member becomes seriously ill. Nor will they be allowed to drop you because you become ill. Another great aspect of the bill is that folks who currently have no insurance will have insurance. Businesses, large and small, will be able to take better care of their employees because of more emphasis on preventive care health care premiums will be cheaper. There will be improved programs to produce more doctor and nurses. And most of all family Doctors would be rewarded at the same level as specialist doctors. The bill will not create a huge deficit. Most if not all the cost will be absorbed by the lower heath insurance, lower drug cost and improved health.

So write your representatives and tell them to vote for the people’s health insurance and not for the rich insurance/drug cartel or others who are just looking for a chance to regain power at the cost of the nations health.

We Are Home

2009-08-03T13:51:00.002-04:00

We are home and happy to be here. Providence Town was great. We were walking down the street and bumped into no other than John Waters. P-Town is the place. Great food great entertainment great cross dressers, vibrant personalities and ocean everywhere. Our room was right on the beach we woke each morning with he blue ocean and sky filling our large bay window. The vacation was just great overall. Sure there were some bad spots, bad heath, constant rain. We loved what beach time we had and Linda’s long walks along the beach and causeways gave her lots of joy. Both of us made images. Some we loved others are good tourist pictures. Barbara, Harry and Sidney are all doing as fine as age will allow. It is always a pleasure to be with them. However we are glad to back among family and friends and big city/small town Baltimore.

P.S. I hated all the bills and “to-do” stuff that was in the pile of mail when we got home. Very special thanks to Keith, Jameel, Michele, Paula and Jr. for looking after the house and our cat Lala. I have a couple of great new places to eat in Cape Cod. I will write about them later.

P-Town

2009-07-29T13:08:00.002-04:00

I am mentally better and so is Linda. My health is still on the edge. I still have a terrible headache. I had a small seizure this morning and I am still having trouble walking. I tried swimming today. I was doing find until I had a severe asthma attack from the cold water. I am so tired of my health stopping me from enjoying myself. No wonder depression is Major problem among the elderly.

We are in P-Town and are having fun dispite my depression. The drive here was great we turned a 40 min. drive into a 6 hour drive by taking the back roads and visiting beaches and eating joints. We loved the many towns that were so small they did not have chain stores or fast food joints. It was a great experience. On the returned trip we use different back roads. It will be great.

House In Onset Village

2009-07-27T21:07:00.000-04:00

Down Town Onset Village

2009-07-27T20:41:00.000-04:00

I Feel Like This Old House Looks

2009-07-27T11:02:00.002-04:00