Texas’ New Governor

Recently, we inaugurated a new Governor and started a new Legislature (the 84^th) in Texas and the Legislative Session so far has been one thing after another.

We are starting again with new hope. The Republicans have been (once again) given a majority, but as far as we have seen, there are just as many “off beats” as ever in both Houses of the Legislature. One has already requested extra protection for himself and his family. Another wants everybody but members of her own faith to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to be granted an audience within her office. It goes on and on.

My desire is for the Legislature to get down to solving the problems we have and quit creating problems we don’t have—now, is that too much to ask?

*****

Guns on Campus

“We believe what’s called for here is local control. If the Legislature opts to allow guns on college premises, all universities, public and private, should have final say over whether to allow them on their campuses.”

“At the larger campuses, where emergency response timing is more immediate, more guns on campuses would make the job of law enforcement officers more difficult. And the threat of having to identifying the “good guy” from the “bad” sets up the makings of potentially deadly errors.”

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo “warned that introducing weapons into the emotionally charged social atmosphere that sometimes occurs at colleges could expand the potential for violence.”

“No one should be forced to surrender their God-given, constitutional right to self-defense just because they set foot on a college campus,” Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown told the American-Statesman. “This bill is simply about ensuring that licensed, responsible and law-abiding adults have the right to protect themselves on the campuses of public colleges and universities.”

The foregoing is taken from: “Universities should control whether guns are allowed on campus,” the Editorial Board, Austin American-Statesman, 28 Jan 15

*****

In a letter that Chancellor Bill McRaven (Texas University System) sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus:

“McRaven told the American-Statesman this month that he favors tightening, not loosening, the campus-carry law to bar concealed weapons altogether.”

McRaven made three points very clear:

(1)   “the sometimes-fragile emotions of college students could lead to an increase in accidental and self-inflicted wounds,”

(2)   “that campus police might not be able to distinguish between “the bad actor and persons seeking to defend themselves and others when both have guns drawn,” that securing weapons when they aren’t being carried”

(3)   (It) “could be difficult in high-density campus housing and that laboratory chemicals and equipment could create unexpected hazards in the event a firearm is present or is discharged.”

The above quotes come from: “UT chancellor Bill McRaven opposes guns on campuses,” Ralph K.M. Haurwitz, Austin American-Statesman, 29 Jan 15

*****

Would a new school based policy lead to students selecting their college of choice by the school’s “Carry Policy”?

Can’t you just see it? Some guy interviewing an incoming freshman: “I go to Bodacious U. cause I can carry my Gun to class.”

As I read the above comments, I have to ask myself, “Are there currently campuses NOW where there exists a need for the students to be armed? A change to “college option” would most likely lead to a series of back and forth decisions by the college leadership: one WOULD, next WOULD NOT, next WOULD! Where would it stop?

Another question I ask myself: “Where have the proponents of “open carry” (like Mr. Schwertnar of Georgetown) been conducting their business that they so drastically need a gun for protection?” I would think the Legislature’s directed task should be to discover this narley place and get that problem fixed instead of arming the populous to take on the problem. Isn’t that their function and Constitutional Assignment?

I am sorry to say that I searched and could not find anything from Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System John Sharp nor Temporary President of Texas A&M University Mark Hussey.

*****

Here’s where I think we should be headed:

Let’s cut some of the waste and corruption taking place over the past decade or so. Gov. Abbott has mentioned the Emerging Technology Fund as one possible place to start. The management of multiple agencies is another: no bid contracts run amok and appointments made without proper authority are another couple of places to look.

Funding our schools and the transportation infrastructure need to be priorities. Maybe the “war on women” deserves a look.

I don’t know enough of the particulars, but it seems to me that the border is a federal problem and funding should come from the feds to secure the problem. Spending a billion dollars to fortify the border when they can’t get the statistics proven doesn’t seem to be good fiscal policy. It sure will not eliminate the local, state and federal money (which we all contribute to) from being spent on education, health care, etc.

Mr. Abbott, I challenge you to fight the important battles and get the state on the straight and narrow and put aside the social engineering for a later time.

What’s Been Happening? – 23 Jan 15

Hey! I am sorry to report that I have been out of commission for a while and have not been able to post anything due to a shoulder problem—I just have not been able to get my left arm high enough so my hand can work properly on the keyboard. I have tried to do a considerable amount of one handed/finger pecking, but it takes a great deal of effort to maintain a decent frame of mind—forget about the typos and words left out, etc.

My problems begins back in October of 2004 when I had my left shoulder completely replaced—arthritis being the primary culprit. They originally estimated that the fix was good for 15 to 20 years; I gambled that I would be OK with that. A little over a year later (Dec 2005), I had the right shoulder completely replaced. The relief I received from the constant pain was unimaginable. I felt that I had made the correct decision and still do. The thinking on shoulders, knees and hips was pretty much the same at that time—although the physical rehab was significantly longer for shoulders than knees and hips—by a factor of 2X.

Do not get complete replacements confused with rotator cuff surgery—the contrast is like comparing kindergarten to a master’s degree—the incision gives you the best clue: rotator cuff is arthroscopic and a complete shoulder incision runs 9 inches or more.

Well, come to find out, 10 years down the road; shoulder replacements durational length is running about 10 years. I was at 10.2 years when mine began to fail. I have 11 months prior to my right shoulder hitting the average and really hope I am not looking at the same trouble a year from now.

The first week of last December (2014), I began the current trouble. For the first two days, I had zero use of my left arm—none at all—and the pain was so bad that I just sat on the couch and did not move at all. This was typical of problems I had experienced prior to having both shoulders replaced. There were days when I had to be fed, the pain so bad that I could not begin to assist myself. I will say that I still did not miss a day of work during these complications. I do not remember how I managed to get to work, but I did. That was all put behind me after December of 2005 and pretty much forgotten.

After the first two days of my current troubles, I began to be able to move my left hand and after several days, I could use my left forearm and hand. My wife says I favor my shoulder and I guess I must. Having decided that the mind and body working in conjunction with one another, my left arm immobilizes my shoulder and uses the remaining parts to accomplish the minor tasks I manage to accomplish.

I started the rounds of Doctors in mid-December, starting with my primary care physician. At the time, I had not been feeling well at all and figured that the shoulder was just part of the problem. As it turns out, I did have some bronchitis and my Doc gave me some stuff that knocked that out fairly quickly. Not so with the shoulder.

I tried to get in to see my Orthopedic Surgeon (same guy who had fixed the original problems) and could not get an appointment until mid to late January. Well, this wouldn’t do. I finally got them to recommend another comparable doctor and I made an appointment with him for mid-December. His evaluation was that what was happening was more complicated than what he or my other doctor had the skill to fix. He gave me the name of the ONE doctor in the Austin area that had the required skill.

I was still in a frame of mind that told me I still should get into my original surgeon, at least for a second opinion. When I called I found out that he was departing on vacation the next day (this was after Christmas by now) and the first time I could see him was now mid-February—I took the appointment.

Well, yesterday, I saw the PA for the ONE doctor who supposedly has the skill locally. He was grim about the prospects and sounded out several concerns. The surgery is complicated and time consuming. His biggest worry is the amount of bone that will remain when they pull out all of the previous fixtures (plastic cup, titanium ball and shaft) that are there now—this has to be accomplished to be able to insert the “reverse fixtures” that are needed to make the extremity work able again. From a regular complete replacement, the only option is a reverse replacement so all the old has to come out.

The PA’s guess right now, pending the CT-Scan I have yet to get (another week off) and the 14 day culture study they think they need (may be some other problem internal: infection, etc.) is that the lack of remaining bone will require a surgery to place a bone graft into the area where the shortage exists. But that discussion is still over three weeks out in the future. How long a graft takes to med with my internal structure, I have no idea.

Let’s just say this takes 3months That means that, barring any delay between mending and replacement surgery I have 6 more months following that surgery prior to my life and limb getting back to the condition I maintained prior to all this starting.

OK, so assuming that a graft is required, that will probably not happen prior to mid-March (where newest doctor is booked currently; probably even later). Another 3 months for graft to mend; that takes us to June. Assuming there is not a long wait time for the revision reverse replacement surgery, my physical rehab would be complete next December and complete healing would finish up midyear 2016—a full year after surgery and a year and a half (plus) after experiencing the somewhat debilitating problem.

Hard to imagine!

I will try my best to do better with timely postings as my condition gets better.