Holidays are a time of year when you gotta nave heart  There is one person who destroyed his heart by abusing it with heavy drinking and smoking up  to three packs of cigarette's per day. There are lots of  people who used to smoke a lot but not many get the chance to have multiple major heart transplants and special treatments.  Not many people get to keep powerful important decision making jobs either with such a fragile health situation.  There is one who did and wrote a book about it too.  He is Dick Cheney our former Vice-President.

During his life his biggest fight was for his fight for survival. He is now the poster child for good health and wellness. He is so rich and powerful that he has been able to be the recipient of every modern medical breakthrough involving hearts in the past 35 years. He got a heart transplant at the age of 71.  Who gets that? No one. Children with their entire lives in front of them are low on the transplant list but this old man with connections gets a new heart. He has the nerve to even write a book about all the good fortune he has gotten in his life and I am not even talking about how wealthy he has become.

The new book called Heart is a medical story but it is interesting how his health problems intertwined with important times in American history.  This guy was running the country not George Bush by his own account.  He was so sick during his time as Vice-President he had a letter of resignation ready as soon as he needed  to get treatments that would leave him useless at the job.  He should never nave been re-elected in 2001 with such a serious health risk. He knew that there was not a provision in the Constitution to replace a Vice-President who is alive but incompetent  

It was just three years ago he looked and felt frail. Today 20 months after his heart transplant he is vibrant and healthy. He boasts that he feels good enough to fish and hunt. Yes, he likes to kill things for fun. He is a product of modern medicine at it’s best.  He suffered five heart attacks, undergone open heart surgery, multiple cauterization's and angioplasties.  Got a defibrillator implanted and a pump attached directly to his of that before his transplant at age 71. Each time he was on the brink of death, he got the most recent medical breakthrough.   His family had a history of heart trouble and in his younger years he actually abused his heart with smoking and drinking excessively.

He admits that his first smoke was at age twelve.  By the time he was President Ford’s Chief of Staff at age 34, his daily routine included fatty foods, smoke and booze. In the book he boasts how the cigarette companies would donate Presidential Cigarettes made special in a white box with the gold seal on it.  Then to be able to light one up with a pack of matches that said Air Force One on them; well you became the envy of everyone and quite special.  I think this pompous ass is more like special Ed.  After that Cheney returned to Wyoming to run for Congress.  Yes, you should at least live in a state some of the time as long as you expect to represent them in Congress.

 At just age 37, his lifestyle and genetics caught up with him and he suffered his first heart attack  His doctors even then advised him, that he was too sick to take on such a powerful job,  He won that election and five more after that,  His heart disease was always steadily progressing. By the time he took over as the first President Bush Secretary of Defense, he suffered three heart attacks and undergone quadruple bypass surgery.  It was a stressful time in American history and he was in the middle of all the decision making.  It was the collapse of Communism, the uprising in China where the brave protester stood in front of the tank.  and the first Gulf War.  Why are all the Bushes and this Dick always in the middle of global upheaval?  Ya think they had something  to do with it?

In 2000 when George W. Bush asked Cheney to be his running mate, he got a doctor from Texas to lie and say he was in good health.  Even in his own book he claims to not be concerned.  I guess his ever moving forward career was more important than any decision involving the safety of the American people.  I can’t imagine any professional in their field being so self promoting and bold to ignore the obvious. But he did and got away with it and now even has the balls to flaunt and write about it in his book.  He is simply shoving the power of power and  influence in the face of every ordinary citizen in need of a heart who are just dying.

So, just 4 months after his so called clean bill of health, he suffered his 4th heart attack.  Nine months later he was in a bunker given the authority by the President to make key decisions to take down airliners during the 911 Terror attacks.  As the twin towers were going down, he was getting a report from his doctor that his potassium levels were dangerously high and he was in danger from dying that day too.  There are many competent leaders in this country and we had these 2 clown calling the shots.  No wonder terror struck us on our shores. There was even a scene in the  fictional show Homeland where terrorists were able to kill a vice-president by setting off the wires in his pacemaker. We shouldn’t have anyone in important decision making positions wearing devices to keep them alive.

GIVE It is  Christmas Eve, December 24th.  Do not be like your elected Congressman or your Vice-President.  Give a gift to someone.  All the stores are open now to keep us spending money. Anyway,it is nice to receive a gift when it is not your Birthday. Have a happy and a merry and be better than the rich and powerful. Give something to somebody.  Hugs are very valuable to me.