Back To Lubbock

For many years I have seen an interesting bit of public art or street art at approximately Broadway and Q, and I think it has some connection to a defunct photography studio, but I do not really know the origins or affiliation. I do not know who is depicted here, although the portrait is of someone who looks vaguely familiar. Yesterday, in 100+ degree heat, my wife and I stopped at this location to take a few pics.

WOW! I tried to upload pics from my wife's computer. She has DSL and it is far too slow to do this! I'll have to use my own computer, which uses a cable modem. I had no idea DSL was now so limiting. Either that, or AT&T is giving her lousy service. I will come back later and edit this post, adding the pics.

 My question is: who is this?

 Alleys in Lubbock are funky.

Finishing Littlefield

The rest of these pics were taken downtown in Littlefield. Lubbock and Littlefield both have semi-decayed downtown areas, with lots of ruins. Littlefield appears to have no tax base to speak of, but what's Lubbock's excuse?

 

Some More Of Littlefield

Is Littlefield thriving or just surviving? For me, I can't see how life in such a town is even tenable. How many doctors are there? How many clinics are there? What are your choices? What if you are single? What kind of social life can you have? In Littlefield? In Lamesa, God forbid? In Tahoka? What is it like to be poor in Slaton? Or Littlefield? 

 

Hospital Blood Pressure Readings/Automated Cuffs

I monitor my BP at home and my readings are never high. When I visit my doctor at the Texas Tech Internal Medicine building, my readings are always high. I've decided that the measurements taken with the automated cuffs are inaccurate. For one thing, the procedures in the typical hospital or clinic setting break all the rules. Your arm is hanging at your side, you are placed in an uncomfortable chair and typically you have just had your weight taken. I find that when you donate blood the rules ARE followed. Whenever I donate blood my BP is very good. Whenever I take my own BP at home using a wrist cuff, following the rules for use, my BP is never high. I just wonder how many people are diagnosed as hypertensive and medicated based on INACCURATE clinic and hospital pressure readings? A lot, I bet. There is a lot of money to be made, treating people for hypertension. I'm cynical enough to believe that the inaccurate readings in clinical settings are deliberate and are intended to increase revenue. But being labeled hypertensive can be the kiss of death as far as insurers are concerned. Once you are labeled hypertensive, you can never escape the stigma. God forbid you should be treated. I strongly urge people to learn to check their own blood pressure. If necessary bring your own cuff with you and check yourself before your BP is taken by the clinic/hospital staff. If your results are lower, dispute their readings. Don't let yourself be victimized by greedy health care providers. Hypertension is serious business. If you are truly hypertensive you need to be treated. But you can easily be misdiagnosed by nurses using sloppy procedures or deliberately labeled as hypertensive by greedy hospitals and doctors using poorly maintained or poorly calibrated automated cuffs. By the way, most doctors are incapable of taking your blood pressure using a cuff and stethoscope. Ask the nurse to NOT use the automated cuff. Have them take your blood pressure the old way, and insist on proper posture and arm position. Don't be a victim!

More From Littlefield, Again

And by the way, we will probably get more rain soon. GOOD!