A Turn for the Worse......

 The doctors put my Mother back in the CICU yesterday because she was having respiratory problems.  A normal respiratory rate is around 15-16 on their scale of measurement.  My Mother's respiratory rate was running 45-50.  They dosed here with morphine and were going to try to get her respiratory rate down.  At the rate she was breathing when I left the hospital to go to work, she could very well wear herself out.  If that were to happen it could trigger a cardio event like the one that got her in here in the first place.  They ran a test  to see how well the blood was oxygenating while I was there.  The results were sufficient enough to forego intubation and attachment to a breathing machine for now.  I will call here in a while to see how she made it through the night.  

My eldest niece is a RN in the Oncology Department at Children's Hospital in Dallas.  I was speaking with here by phone and she is "really worried about her" but it was good news that the intubation was avoided.  She understands all this medical stuff better than I and can usually explain it to me in terms I can understand.  Of course, if she is worried, then so am I.  There were a couple of mentions of "what would Mother want done" if this turns out be her last hurrah.  

When I was growing up, My Mother was a florist and wedding consultant, and so floral life and beauty were always something I associated with her.  Some  of her favorites include the yellow rose like in the header photo.  So in a tribute to my Mother, and to keep a positive spin on her condition, the header photo every day this week will feature a floral theme as recently published on Photography Magazine's website.  Let's hope these photographs serve as reminders of the good things about my Mother and will keep my thoughts of her in the positive column. 

Your musical interlude for today is the Violin Concerto in C Major, Opus 30 by Moritz Moszkowski.  Your performance today is by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christian Simonis and featuring Thomas Christian on Solo Violin.  Then, lounging about the page below the video, is this sizzling selection of muscular men, more or less covered by their Monday's Undies.  All of them on display for your visual stimulation and examination.  Thanks for spending some time with me today.  See you again on the morrow.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!

Best of the Web This Week

Welcome to the weekend and this week's photographic review of the Best of the Web This Week.  With the exception of the horrid deaths of the US Ambassador to Libya and 3 of his Aides de Camp, it has been a fairly slow news week.  The Events in Libya were a direct result of an scurrilous Internet video which enraged a great many Muslims.  However, as it turns out, the video was not made by the Americans but by an Coptic Christian Egyptian national for the express purpose of inciting the violence which ensued.  The video has been strongly denounced by both the Secretary of State and the President.  My sincere condolences go out to the families of those who gave their lives in the service of their country.  The only other news item that struck a chord with me was the interview with Mitt Romney about his preparations for the upcoming Presidential debates.  He said he was preparing to defend himself because the President was going to lie in the debates.  This coming from the man who, along with his running mate Paul Ryan, have run their campaign with the express philosophy of lies, innuendo, non-disclosure, cover up and obfuscation.  As one succinct comment said: "Pot, Meet Kettle".  Need I say more? 

Moving on to the good stuff you come here for, I have a whole bag full of goodies into which you can delve.  To conclude this week's exploration of the music of Joachim Raff, I have chosen two symphonies which are ambitious and a revelation of the depth of his feelings for both the German people and the land of his youth, Switzerland. "The Symphony No. 1 in D major, Opus 96, carries the title "An das Vaterland" and was started in 1859, after the Peace of Villafranca and completed in 1861 for which he received an award from the Vienna Philharmonic Society...Raff sets out to depict various aspects of the German character, from the opening optimism to depth of thought, decency and triumphant endurance." Then in the conclusion to our exploration, "his Op.201, the Symphony No.7 in B flat In den Alpen (In the Alps) is unusual. He wrote it from the start as his musical homage to the country of his birth and childhood - Switzerland. Into it he poured his memories of the landscapes and people of his youth in Lachen, by the side of Lake Zürich." Today's selections are beautifully performed by the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Hans Stadlmair.

This week's photographic review contains  a select 65 photos out of the more than 900 that I collected during my web wanderings.  Each of this week's photos are evocative on their own and seem to draw the viewer into a shared intimacy with the subject without being unnecessarily explicit in its portrayal of the beauty of the male form.  That wraps up another great week of music and men here at Nichevo, thank you for taking the time to let me share these moments with you.  We will see you again on Monday.  Until next time as always, Enjoy!