Priest Slaves Over Art
29 Nov
The development and preservation of the Underground Railroad was a dangerous undertaking. It was made up of numerous escape routes that started in whatever location there were souls brave enough to reach for freedom. The steps they took played a big part in the freedom many have to walk these now defunct routes. University of Louisville Professor Mark Priest dynamically recreates on paper and canvas the harrowing experiences of Underground Railroad conductor – Harriet Tubman.
In the U. S. many slaves were safely carried to freedom. This monumental undertaking has virtually gone unnoticed. Over the past seven years this has been the subject of Priest’s artwork.
The viewer will find no noted heroes of the traditional kind. Those who play the role of hero and heroine in these works are the men and women who risked their lives and the lives of their families to preserve the UGRR. Each painting helps to memorialize a dangerous occupation that played a crucial role in the advancement of American society. In an ever changing and developing era these artworks are the chronicles of an almost silent part of history.
Priest began his research in 2003 and in May of 2004 he followed the routes Tubman used to take passengers to freedom. Forever etched in his memory are an infinite number of untold stories of individuals who toiled tirelessly to attain freedom. Many events were recounted to him by noted historians, genealogists and descendants while traveling through, Maryland, Delaware, New York, and Canada; retracing the steps of many who went before him on this route to freedom. The wealth of personal experiences and detailed information he obtained is the foundation of over 200 works of art.
Dramatic compositions portray the intensity of times. The life Tubman chose was one of uncertainty. Every moment could have been her last. She carried on undaunted and these are the ideas that Priest portrays. Figures tug, heave, hoist and drag depicting the mental, emotional, and physical prowess needed to succeed on the UGRR. Every muscle is strained to the limit. Vibrant color and light lead the eye through the compositions.
Priest wants the viewer to share both the positive and negative experiences of Tubman, her family, masters and passengers on the UGRR. His aim? To give a candid portrayal of the enormous effort that went into changing the tides of history for the African-American.
Links
The Phone Rang
21 Nov
At times I loathe phones. Every caller wants something.
Last night the phone rang.Who is it now? I rushed to the phone and waited for the caller I.D. display –Kindred Hospital. I paused–my mother and aunt were in the kitchen talking. I looked toward the stairs that lead to the kitchen. I could hear footsteps heading in the direction of the kitchen phone. I needed to answer. I grabbed the basement receiver.
Was the doctor calling again with the same borage of questions? Does he want blood? Does he want to be resusitated in the event his heart stops, I prepared mentally for what now seemed routine. Yes he has a living will. Yes he has a DNR order. Our goal? The best quality of life possible, I was ready.
I picked up the phone- static. Faintly I heard an unfamiliar African male voice.
“Hello Mrs. Neal?”
“Yes.”
I said in an effort to relieve mom from having to deal with the constant stress the doctors and nurses deliver. What were they going to ask now?
“Your husband’s heart rate is 30. If you want to be with him, now is the time to come.”
Thoughts raced through my head. Thirty? How long can a person last with such a low heart rate? Is his breathing labored? When did his heart rate drop? Did he get a dose of Metropolol or Digioxin? Had it been in the 30’s for long? I didn’t ask.
“Thank you for calling. Good-bye.”
Quickly hanging up, my fingers fumbled across the buttons as I anxiously tried to call my husband Mark, then our son Balthus, neither answered.
Dortha, a dear friend, was sitting with Dad reading spiritual literature to him. I needed details. The sound, tick tick tick became louder and louder in my head. Maybe that was my heart. I got on my computer and texted Dortha.
‘What is daddy’s heart rate?’
moments passed before a reply,
‘It was 23 now it’s 12.’
Taking deep deliberate breaths I thought of all the different numbers flashing on all the monitors.
“No that’s the SpO2.What does the monitor say his heart rate is? You will see a little flashing red heart.”
It seemed to take quite some time for her to respond. I needed to know how fast his heart rate was dropping. How much time did we have?
Finally a text, “0,everything says 0”
“Is my daddy dead?” I texted
She felt awkward, how do you respond to such a direct question in a text?
“Oh baby its zero.”
I knew. Rushing back to the phone I called Kindred,
“Can I speak to the nurse for 208?’
“Yes, this is he.”
The nurse replied over the phone static.
I needed confirmation. “Has the patient in 208 died?”
“Yes, are you coming?”
“We are on our way.”
My brother had just sent an email. My reply,
“Daddy died moments ago.”
Next I called my sister, thankfully she picked up the phone on the second ring. Regretfully, I don’t have a gentle lead into tragedy. Well I don’t think I have a gentle lead into any subject.
“Shar, Daddy died.”
I text my son.
His reply,
“Really?”
Finally I told mom. That was the hardest news to share.
Mom and Aunt Audrey only minutes ago had returned home from Kindred hospital.
Later that night mom told me the nurse said that he might not last through the night. But how many times had we been told that he would not live much longer? Optimism is always in the forefront of the mind when you are thinking of loved ones. Dad had not been conscious for 11 days. I am glad she was not there at the moment of death. Seeing his body deteriorate was painful enough.
We arrived at the hospital one by one. My husband arrived first. He loved Dad as much or more than many biological offspring’s. He cared for dad when I was so tired I could barely lift another finger. He always sacrificed whatever was necessary for our father. For his deep love and tenderness toward my dad, I am forever grateful.
He spoke with Dortha who was with daddy when he died and then called to let us know he arrived. She said he died peacefully. The next 4 hours Mark sat in the room where my father’s body lay. His main concern was comforting our mother. Mom stood over daddy then she sat next to him. We looked, we talked, we cried, we recounted memories.
The hallway leading to SCU was cold, dark and uninviting. But we were all their. This would be the last look this system would afford us of a wonderful father, husband, brother, and friend.
DO YOU PUT FAITH IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION?
7 Nov
Many of you may find the discussion of health, medicine and hospitalization totally uninteresting. You may feel that as a young person you will never get sick. But someone you know is sick, someone you know needs healthcare, someday that someone will be you.
Knowledge is power. The more you know now, the better equipped you will be to face health issues head on. Uncertainty reigns supreme when it comes to uninformed individuals facing health challenges. If you are familiar with various procedures and options you can select what you feel to be the best medical direction for you with a sense of confidence.
I encourage you to read these diary inserts and ruminate upon the course of events as they unfold. It will prepare and empower you for the unknown.
MY DIARY: AUGUST 25, 2011
How many have a background in medicine? Do you know the side effects of the medicines that you are currently taking? Many put unreserved trust in the advice of doctors, specialists, and “top professionals in the field”. Do you?
I think it is safe to say most have more often than not put faith in the medical profession. Many blindly put their lives in the hands of strangers. How many you are familiar with their educational training? Have you checked to see if they have been sued for malpractice? These are just a few of the hard-hitting questions you would do well to ponder.
Recently a patient walked into the hospital experiencing extreme neck pain. After tests in the ER it was determined that the problem resulted from a crook in the neck. They walked out of the hospital using their walker. Within 24 hours they could not stay awake. They could not think clearly. They could no longer walk and they experienced pain all over their body, a pain they did not experience 24 hours earlier.
In less than a week they were given a combination of medicines that rendered them helpless. They no longer could walk, talk coherently, find their mouth, or hold an object. They repeated words they heard people in the distance saying. They became incontinent and they could not stay awake. They fell asleep in the middle of taking a bite of food, their appetite diminished. When physicians caring for him finished medicating him and creating this virtually overnight vegetable, they arranged a meeting with the family.
The Blunder Report
6 Nov
BAPTIST EAST HOSPITALIZATION BLUNDER REPORT
My Diary: Everyday I have a story to tell, a fight to be fought and a life to protect from the supposed “protectors.”
EMERGENCY ROOM #8 Oct. 14, 2010
FEVER -102 AND HEARTRATE – 148
12:45PM I requested that the nurse tell the doctor that the patient and their family would like to request that micro sampling be done. Daddy has a low blood count and therefore the more blood that is drawn will only cause his heart rate to decrease. Micro-sampling is the best draw for a patient with a low blood count. Dr. Payne authorized normal amounts of blood be drawn. Micro sampling was denied. The nurse explained that the Dr.’s response was that he needed all the tests run. Maybe the nurse and doctor are unfamiliar with micro-sampling?
1:10 PM NEXT NURSE A WHITE WOMAN WHO TOOK DAD’S EKG SAID THE ER DOES NOT DO MICRO SAMPLING. SO MY REPLY WAS TO TAKE HIM WHEREVER HE NEEDS TO GO TO HAVE THAT DONE
5:00 PM The nurse came in the room and acted as if I new what had transpired over the nearly 4 hour wait in the ER. My father and I had sat there unattended for quite some time. Dad’s fever abated, his heart rate normalized. Why were we still here? Well the nurse came in and told us he would soon be going to the room. I inquired about when the decision was made, what were the test results and what was the room number. He did not answer my questions, no room number and no specifics about the location and type of infection.
6:00 PM The nurse just returned, an hour later, to tell me they are now going to draw the amount of blood I requested in the first place.
Why? All that blood hemalized, as a result of the hemalization they are now doing the type of draw I originally requested, a micro draw, in the ER, can you believe that? FYI, Some call it a pediatric draw.
Now antibiotics starting, for unknown infection in unknown location (sounds like stabs in the dark that may kill off good bacteria for no apparent reason)
6:30PM Admitted and moved to 4th floor
1st nurse Jennifer came down to the ER to transport my father up to the floor, due to not having enough staff for transport. Jennifer was a very nice and a seemingly concerned nurse. Too bad her shift ended at 7:00pm.
Then came Erin. Oh my goodness. She talks extremely loud as if all people she encounters have a hearing deficit. Dad has exceptional hearing, I told her, but she continued to lean over in his face and literally holler at him.
She talked over me when I was explaining his drug list. Then she proceeded to tell me what I need to bring in the future. I tried to complete my explanation of what happened, but she interrupted. When she finally finished I informed her that I had brought the sheet, but it was not given back to me and no one seemed to know its location. She then said it was there fault, but again wanted to inform me of how to have a smooth transition into the hospital environment by bringing documentation and dosages.
I think she did not comprehend what she previously acknowledged.
I fear leaving my father in her care all night. I cringe at the thought of this blaring young disrespectful girl being in charge of my father’s life. I need to stay the night.
What Do You Treasure?
6 Nov
What means the most to you? Your future, your job, your girl, your clothes?
What has and will continue to make the most genuinely positive impact on your life?
We live in a self-consumed world. What seems to be monumentally important today will be trivial next year if remembered at all.
With that said, what has had the most impact on us all are those that had a positive influence on our lives during the formative years.
Take time to let those individuals know you appreciate them. They are special! Never let them forget that precious fact!
Nifty Little Computer Add-on
28 Oct
Have you ever been typing a long paragraph in a text field on the internet and all the sudden your text disappears. There is an app you just might enjoy, it recovers the information you spent hours typing.
Just install Lazarus and you will see a little logo that is saving your text and it will showevery time you are typing in a field. If your work vanishes, no problem, reload the page and click on the icon and it will show your text. Voila! Click and restore all your hard work.
You can also pick and choose when Lazarus is enabled. Under Lazarus:Form Recovery: Options you can require a password to retrieve your text.This is just one of many helpful add-ons that is really useful and free on the internet.
Please let us know what add-ons you have found that are helpful.
LET’S TALK MONEY: MORNING COFFEE JOLT COSTING BIG BUCKS
17 Oct
The university education is designed to give us a well-rounded education. One area most of us begin to excel after a year in college is our familiarity with coffee. We all become “coffee connoisseurs”.
Late night study sessions, early morning wake-me ups and afternoon energy shots, make caffeine a college staple. 
We all need it and want the best. If you are like me, Starbucks makes the pick-me-up irresistible. But at $5 a pop you can spend $20 or more a month. I was so hooked I went twice a day and felt it was worth every penny. Well sometimes our needs and wants need to be re-evaluated. I assessed my habits and started using the single cup coffee maker at home and looked up Starbucks recipes online.
Lets cut cost. How? Make your coffee at home. Use a coffee maker. I have a single cup coffee maker as well as a multiple cup device. Use the single cup coffee maker and save even more. If you are loyal to the Starbucks brand, buy it yourself at your local grocer.
CHA CHING! YOU JUST SAVED $15 OR MORE FOR THE MONTH. YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO SAVING $100 PER MONTH!
Free Printing at UofL?
16 Oct
Inflation has shot through the roof! The cost of higher education is rising faster than healthcare. Everyone is feeling the pinch. I can’t afford to purchase all my books each semester, can you? Is there anyway to save a dime?
I decided to ask random U of L students and employees about free printing on campus. See what Cardcam discovered, you may find some of the answers very informative.
Please share your cost saving tips in the comments area below, we could all use some savvy college saving suggestions right about now.
Money Talk
15 OctLet’s Talk Money! Cut Back Area #2. Food.
Yesterday we talked about what seems to be number one on peoples mind, communication and how you can cut telephone costs.
Eating takes a close second on our priorities list. Ask yourself, what is my food budget? How often do you eat out? For those of you in college I know the university has taken it upon themselves to, “help you out”, by putting aside some of your money for food. Besides that, how often do you eat out? You can easily spend $7-$10 or more per day for lunch. Easily $50 can be depleted monthly.
Have you tried cooking at home? Try it! You will keep more dollars in your wallet. If you tend to buy a lot of snacks like chips, cookies, candy, pops etc
. Prepare some healthy snack alternatives at home. Keep nuts, an apple, raisins, bottled water or other tasty healthy morsels with you to drink and nibble on throughout the day. You will be surprised by the cost savings!
Cha-ching! $50 saved.
Find out more easy cost saving tips tomorrow! You are on your way to saving $100 a month.
Cardcam 
