EKGwatch

The Age of Empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 22:23:00 -0700

This truly is the Age of Empowerment. Blogs, Podcasts, Vlogs give a voice to those who would be otherwise voiceless. This Podcast is about how us little guys can take on the corporate giants... and win! For the first time in a very long time, perhaps ever, you no longer need deep pockets to be heard.

How not to buy a computer (Part 2 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Thu, 18 Aug 2005 20:29:00 -0700

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My frustration with computers got the best of me and I decided to make a Podcast relating my recent computer problems, what I learned from these experiences, and what I'll do next time. While the example given here is based on my recent experiences with Dell, I’m reasonably sure it is indicative of the industry wide attitude of the corporate giants in the computer business toward their SOHO and small business customers. Part 2 relates to my experiences with tech support and onsite service.

How not to buy a computer (Part 1 of 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 16:59:00 -0700

Click to download audio file (MP3)

My frustration with computers got the best of me and I decided to make a Podcast relating my recent computer problems, what I learned from these experiences, and what I'll do next time. While the example given here is based on my recent experiences with Microsoft, I’m reasonably sure it is indicative of the industry wide attitude of the corporate giants in the computer business toward their SOHO and small business customers. Part 1 relates to my experiences with applications and operating systems.

Timelapse Test #2

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:07:00 -0700

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This is my second experiment with timelapse photography. This time is was done with a digital camera equipped with an interval timer set to 10 minute intervals. The resulting frames were then spliced into a video at 10 fps, resulting in a 1:6000 time compression ratio. My apologies for the flickering light, especially on the background. This shoot was done with a weak on-camera flash and I didn't have any control over the ambient light levels. The flickering you see is due to changes in the room light (artificial and daylight) over time.

Squirl - Up Close and Personal

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Tue, 9 Aug 2005 21:34:00 -0700

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Close-up video of a backyard visitor. This little fellow was searching for sunflower seeds the birds dropped from the bird feeder.

Timelapse Test #1

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 13:49:00 -0700

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My first experiment with Timelapse videography. I cut the test short just to see if it was working. In this clip, 15 frames were shot every 10 minutes for a 1200:1 time compression.

Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Clenching Suppression System - (a patient's report).

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 14:07:00 -0700

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My dentist wanted to try out a new product called the "Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Clenching Suppression System" or NTICSS (referred to as simply NTI in this video). I was "Patient Zero", the first of his patients to be fitted with the device. This video is from a DVD I made for the dentist, reporting my initial findings. This was back in 2002. All of the problems mentioned have since been corrected and I've used the NTI almost daily for the past 2+ years.

Mitral Valve Repair from a Patient's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Thu, 28 Jul 2005 13:30:00 -0700

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As with my previous video "Cardioversion from a Patient's Perspective" my purpose here is to give you some idea of what you might expect, should you have to go through the same procedure I did. If you watched my cardioversion video then you know I'm pretty much a chicken when it comes to invasive medical procedures, and you can't get more invasive than Open Heart Surgery! You might ask yourself: "How did a guy that was petrified at the thought of having Cardioversion done and postponed it for over a year, bring himself to having the surgery?!" Well I can tell you it wasn't easy. Three months passed between the diagnosis and actual surgery and every single day I asked myself: "How do other people do this?" This video is about how I came to terms with what had to be done.

Cardioversion from a Patient's Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Wed, 20 Jul 2005 11:25:00 -0700

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Cardioversion from a Patient's Perspective is from a DVD I made a few years ago for my cardiologist. Many patients (me included) are so afraid of the idea of having cardioversion that they put it off until permanent damage is done to their heart. I put it off for nearly a year and will suffer the consequences for the rest of my life. In fact, the fear and apprehension I was having was baseless. The complete process is painless and over very quickly. Of course this is what the doctor's tell you from the very beginning, but that's not the same thing as hear from a person that's actually been through it... thus this video.

What this blog is about...

noreply@blogger.com (Ron) — Sat, 2 Apr 2005 12:32:00 -0800

I know from personal experience how scary the thought of having Cardioversion or Open-heart Surgery can be. I also know how little information is available on what these things mean from a patient's perspective; i.e. what it's like from the vantage point of someone who's been through it. It is my hope, by sharing my experiences here, that I can help others avoid some of the fear, anxiety and pitfalls I suffered through over the past several years. This site is based on a web site that I put up several years ago, just after my first cardioversion. You can find the site at http://www.ekgwatch.com.

Since the site was started I've received well over a thousand Emails from fellow cardiac patients telling me the information presented there was appreciated. The only problem, was I didn't have a way for them to add their personal experiences. It is my hope, by starting this blog, that I can not only share my experiences, but those of others as well. There will also be a Podcast ( http://EKGwatch.libsyn.com ) where I'll post my take on relevant topics.