Keith’s autobiography, Life, is fantastic if you haven’t read it. Kinda long but he’s had quite a life. It’s weird to think WWII was going on when Mick and Keith were kids.
I've heard about that, and also there is a documentary on him (netflix, I think) where he discusses life, music, and some of the nifty tricks he did to put down the iconic sounds
In addition to being a sign of mini-strokes, "freezing" like that is one of the first visible manifestations of Alzheimer's. I have seen that in four people I knew (they're gone now) who were later diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Jeez. That is scary. My whole point here is that something seems to be seriously (or at least semi-seriously) wrong with McConnell. And because he has the job he has, we need to know what it is.
Honestly, I cannot stand his politics, but McConnell is an elder man now and needs to retire. I earnestly hope he is okay, but I'm going to agree with TCinLA here about dementia/Alzheimer’s. If this were a second mini-stroke event, he needs to see a doctor immediately.
This is a tragic issue - one in which we should put the politics aside...
This is very sad - when I watched the tape of Senator McConnell freezing earlier today, it appears he not only froze, however, his eyes look empty, and it took him a while to react and respond to his aide. There is a serious health issue.
What is so hard is how difficult it is for the person going through the decline, in this case, Senator McConnell, to be willing to recognize and acknowledge there is an issue. For anyone who has cared for an aging parent or grandparent, or anyone with mental and/or physical impairment, this is all too recognizable. The person suffering does not want to admit they are losing control. Most of us, as we age, fear as much or more than anything, having to give up control of the basic functions which we use to define we are still fully functioning human beings: these may include, without limitation, doing our jobs, driving a car, managing the family finances, being able to cook a meal, etc., etc. I am sure Senator McConnell is afraid of what his life will be like as his abilities decline - as most of us will be when and if these things happen to each of us. One of the hardest things I have had to do in my life was when I had to step in for my Father-in-Law to pay his personal bills. It was the last function he was doing himself, and even though he knew he was making huge mistakes, the act of paying his bills still made him feel he had some element of control, was still able to function, and was still alive. This was a man who had been a Cum Laude graduate from MIT, and had been one of the early programmers/adopters of IBM card-reading computers to manage his business in the 1960's - an extremely smart man. At the time, my Father-in-Law could still sit down at a piano and play from memory every college fight song (seriously, at least 100 well known and obscure college fight songs), however, he had lost the ability to add or subtract any numbers. At the time, it felt to him he was no longer human, and by extension, no longer living.
Senator McConnell is a human being first, and what is happening to him is beyond his control, and most likely frightens him more than anything else! What is critical now is for his family to step in and do what is right for him as a human being, and help him to transition to what will be a challenging time in his life. I feel the same, to be clear, for Senator Feinstein. It is tragic for their families to allow them to go through these kind of health issues so publically, although to be clear, I am sure neither McConnell or Feinstein is willing to admit they need to stop. They both have served their country, their constituents, and their families ablely and honorably for many years. They deserve to be comfortable and out of the public eye as they begin/continue to lose their abilities and capabilities.
As much as I disagree with most of Senator McConnell's positions and policies, I can only wish him well as a human being, and hope he sooner rather than later gets the help and support he clearly needs, and will require more soon.
I agree with much of what you wrote, but the family really needed to lay the groundwork for managing McConnell and/or Feinstein's decline years ago. My Dad was born in the 1920s - Holy F*ck! He'd be closing in on 100 now! - and I remember watching him deal with his father's diminishing capacity. Being of the Greatest Generation, he generally acquiesced to my grandfather's increasingly out-of-the-ordinary requests, but we started discussing how he handled that situation.
Fast forward a bunch of years, I had gradually gotten my father to accept that when he started to falter I'd step in as needed to keep him and my Mom safe. And we worked together though his declining years to see that is what happened. And I've told my family, when you see me starting to think I'm the Queen of England, tell me and I'll loosen my grip on the reins.
Please take Fetterman out of the equation! He has “only” depression, which does not harm one’s faculties to recall or to think. In fact, Abraham Lincoln is said to have been living with depression during his presidency.
As soon as I saw the report, I texted my son about TIAs (as mentioned by Dr. Gupta). Let’s be honest, he’s old and the body just starts to break down. It’s biology. I think there’s a psychological component with these folks (see Feinstein) that to quit means that they have to admit that are really “old.”
Aligns with your other post today about Biden’s age...given McConnell and Feinstein having visible age-related issues functioning at a basic level it makes it more important for Biden to pass the baton ahead of 2024 election to avoid this appearance of decline. He may be fine now but look how quickly it changed for McConnell. Not a good year for the over 80 crowd.
As far as Biden's age is concerned, Matthew Dowd pointed out last night that this is like choosing two old guys to watch your house: "one might occasionally leave the door unlocked and the lights on, but the other one will sell your furniture, steal your dog and refuse to leave when you return."
How come all you people are so focused on Biden and never say anything about Fatso Fatass, the walking massive fatal myocardial infarction?
I am concerned with Biden because he can do something about it and leave a positive legacy and avoid what is tarnishing McConnell and Feinstein’s legacy. Trump is way too old as well, but he will never step aside due to age and look weak. Frankly I believe we need a max age cap for public office. That might be 75 or 80 yes old but it would at least help these elder statesmen (and women) leave office with grace or help those without the common sense to retire before the decline
Agree. I always think of George Washington. Went out at the height of his powers. Obviously it was a loooong time ago but politicians seem to have lost that thread. They now cling to office for as long as they possibly can.
I know this is will be an unpopular analogy, but the Catholic church, at least in the diocese where I live, has a rule that all priests must tender a letter of resignation when they hit 75. Obviously, that didn't apply to Popes, given that John Paul II served until he died at age 84
I just think that is misplaced blame. I didn't tell the poll respondents what to say. I didn't influence them in any way. 77% of them still said Biden is too old to serve another term. I just don't see how that is the media's fault?
And please note that I am not saying that the media is fictional (except for Fox). I am saying that media is a profit seeking enterprise just like every other business and they have to manufacture stories to sell.
An excellent manufacturing technique for media stories is polling. The media polls the public on how it feels about Biden’s age. The public answers that it doesn’t like it. Media reports that the public thinks Biden is too old.
Bingo! Manufactured story. Now repeat the cycle.
And this is why there is cynicism about the media.
The Capitol physician gave McConnell a clean bill of health saying “occasional lightheadedness” is not unusual after a concussion.
If what McConnell experienced on camera, what we all saw, was occasional light headedness, then I’ve got some beachfront property to sell to you in Las Vegas!
I felt sorry for McConnell as well as his aids who, in my opinion, were trying desperately to shield him and get him assistance. I also think that perhaps the time has come to think about stepping down sooner rather than later. Look, none of us older folks necessarily want to stop doing what we love but, there comes a time when common sense has to take the lead.
Of course now Niki Halley et al will begin the comments about how long various politicians can last and that they should step aside for a new breed of politicians with new ideas.
Really? Are she, Ramaswamy, and De Santis examples of new political thinking?
This is the second time he has frozen in PUBLIC. How many times has he done this off camera or at home? TIAs and other stroke-like phenomena are indifferent to cameras. The stress of the poor man’s job must be contributing to his overall rough state of health. Urging him to keep on going may not be a kindness.
I have to think that this has happened more than the twice that we have seen. Nobody around him have seemed alarmed when this has happened, they walk to him nonchalantly to talk to him. You’d think if this is a new thing, they’d seem alarmed and rush to him. There is something going on with McConnell and it sure is not looking like dehydration and/or being lightheaded. McConnell will not step aside as he’s drunk on power. However, there needs to be some transparency with our elected officials. I wouldn’t doubt that things have been going on with McConnell for quite awhile, only now things are apparent to the public. Taxpayers are paying these officials salary, they are elected by the American public. We have a right to know what is happening.
Because it's what he knows and what he's good at (regardless of what you or I think, he's been a sharp opponent). Trust me, the day will come when you are older than what your avatar says you are, and you will discover the same thing.
Our government is run by senile puppets who are bought and paid for. McConnell, Feinstein, and Fetterman are braindead. Biden can't speak without a teleprompter, notes, and pre-selected journalists asking planted softball questions.
So, when Joe is walking up the beach on what Trump calls his "toothpick legs" he stops to talk with reporters at some random place, there is a podium with his speech written for him that he reads from the monitor?
Ever notice that the "tell" for Trump when he's reading off the teleprompter is that he #1 sounds sane and #2 has a rather effeminate sonorance to his vocal range?
Just sayin' since MAGAts complain that when not in a rally and speaking policy, sounds like a "wussy" and makes their heads hurt.
I am sorry I can't paste a picture, but there is a great meme going around:
Mick Jagger is 80. Mitch McConnell is 81. The benefits of a life of sex, drugs, and rock-'n'-roll should not be ignored.
Keith Richards says "Hold my beer"
Keith’s autobiography, Life, is fantastic if you haven’t read it. Kinda long but he’s had quite a life. It’s weird to think WWII was going on when Mick and Keith were kids.
I've heard about that, and also there is a documentary on him (netflix, I think) where he discusses life, music, and some of the nifty tricks he did to put down the iconic sounds
And..."Get me hooked up to that blood replacement machine...like yesterday, Sweetheart!"
In addition to being a sign of mini-strokes, "freezing" like that is one of the first visible manifestations of Alzheimer's. I have seen that in four people I knew (they're gone now) who were later diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
Jeez. That is scary. My whole point here is that something seems to be seriously (or at least semi-seriously) wrong with McConnell. And because he has the job he has, we need to know what it is.
Exactly right. Whether it's mini strokes or Alzheimers.
Honestly, I cannot stand his politics, but McConnell is an elder man now and needs to retire. I earnestly hope he is okay, but I'm going to agree with TCinLA here about dementia/Alzheimer’s. If this were a second mini-stroke event, he needs to see a doctor immediately.
He won't.
Why?
This conniving POS shuffled tradition to deny "the Negra" a Supreme Court appointment.
This is a tragic issue - one in which we should put the politics aside...
This is very sad - when I watched the tape of Senator McConnell freezing earlier today, it appears he not only froze, however, his eyes look empty, and it took him a while to react and respond to his aide. There is a serious health issue.
What is so hard is how difficult it is for the person going through the decline, in this case, Senator McConnell, to be willing to recognize and acknowledge there is an issue. For anyone who has cared for an aging parent or grandparent, or anyone with mental and/or physical impairment, this is all too recognizable. The person suffering does not want to admit they are losing control. Most of us, as we age, fear as much or more than anything, having to give up control of the basic functions which we use to define we are still fully functioning human beings: these may include, without limitation, doing our jobs, driving a car, managing the family finances, being able to cook a meal, etc., etc. I am sure Senator McConnell is afraid of what his life will be like as his abilities decline - as most of us will be when and if these things happen to each of us. One of the hardest things I have had to do in my life was when I had to step in for my Father-in-Law to pay his personal bills. It was the last function he was doing himself, and even though he knew he was making huge mistakes, the act of paying his bills still made him feel he had some element of control, was still able to function, and was still alive. This was a man who had been a Cum Laude graduate from MIT, and had been one of the early programmers/adopters of IBM card-reading computers to manage his business in the 1960's - an extremely smart man. At the time, my Father-in-Law could still sit down at a piano and play from memory every college fight song (seriously, at least 100 well known and obscure college fight songs), however, he had lost the ability to add or subtract any numbers. At the time, it felt to him he was no longer human, and by extension, no longer living.
Senator McConnell is a human being first, and what is happening to him is beyond his control, and most likely frightens him more than anything else! What is critical now is for his family to step in and do what is right for him as a human being, and help him to transition to what will be a challenging time in his life. I feel the same, to be clear, for Senator Feinstein. It is tragic for their families to allow them to go through these kind of health issues so publically, although to be clear, I am sure neither McConnell or Feinstein is willing to admit they need to stop. They both have served their country, their constituents, and their families ablely and honorably for many years. They deserve to be comfortable and out of the public eye as they begin/continue to lose their abilities and capabilities.
As much as I disagree with most of Senator McConnell's positions and policies, I can only wish him well as a human being, and hope he sooner rather than later gets the help and support he clearly needs, and will require more soon.
Thanks for this. I think this is a perspective we can all use -- and a tonic to the partisanship of the debate over McConnell's health.
I agree with much of what you wrote, but the family really needed to lay the groundwork for managing McConnell and/or Feinstein's decline years ago. My Dad was born in the 1920s - Holy F*ck! He'd be closing in on 100 now! - and I remember watching him deal with his father's diminishing capacity. Being of the Greatest Generation, he generally acquiesced to my grandfather's increasingly out-of-the-ordinary requests, but we started discussing how he handled that situation.
Fast forward a bunch of years, I had gradually gotten my father to accept that when he started to falter I'd step in as needed to keep him and my Mom safe. And we worked together though his declining years to see that is what happened. And I've told my family, when you see me starting to think I'm the Queen of England, tell me and I'll loosen my grip on the reins.
So well said. I watched the same with my mother. Thank you for your thoughts and I hope the family appreciates the grace you are showing.
I agree.
I am sure everyone who is in the GOP that has been calling for Feinstein and Fetterman to resign will do so with McConnell as well, right?
Please take Fetterman out of the equation! He has “only” depression, which does not harm one’s faculties to recall or to think. In fact, Abraham Lincoln is said to have been living with depression during his presidency.
Fetterman had a stroke, too. I'm not a doctor, but I believe that's been the reason for his issues--not the depression.
Naw!!!
So, now each party has a Senator who clearly appears physically/mentally incapable of doing their job (McConnell and Feinstein).
I know. It's sad. And no one around them -- at least that I can see who can tell them it's time to step off the stage.
Nope, because in this country, partisan interests come before anything.
He looks like he has lost a lot of weight as well.
Nan, again I am not a doctor but it sure as heck seems like something is going on with him physically.
No doubt and he needs to see a doctor!
I would have hauled his ass to a hospital!
As soon as I saw the report, I texted my son about TIAs (as mentioned by Dr. Gupta). Let’s be honest, he’s old and the body just starts to break down. It’s biology. I think there’s a psychological component with these folks (see Feinstein) that to quit means that they have to admit that are really “old.”
Aligns with your other post today about Biden’s age...given McConnell and Feinstein having visible age-related issues functioning at a basic level it makes it more important for Biden to pass the baton ahead of 2024 election to avoid this appearance of decline. He may be fine now but look how quickly it changed for McConnell. Not a good year for the over 80 crowd.
Age is undefeated, man. I think of it every day.
As far as Biden's age is concerned, Matthew Dowd pointed out last night that this is like choosing two old guys to watch your house: "one might occasionally leave the door unlocked and the lights on, but the other one will sell your furniture, steal your dog and refuse to leave when you return."
How come all you people are so focused on Biden and never say anything about Fatso Fatass, the walking massive fatal myocardial infarction?
I am concerned with Biden because he can do something about it and leave a positive legacy and avoid what is tarnishing McConnell and Feinstein’s legacy. Trump is way too old as well, but he will never step aside due to age and look weak. Frankly I believe we need a max age cap for public office. That might be 75 or 80 yes old but it would at least help these elder statesmen (and women) leave office with grace or help those without the common sense to retire before the decline
Agree. I always think of George Washington. Went out at the height of his powers. Obviously it was a loooong time ago but politicians seem to have lost that thread. They now cling to office for as long as they possibly can.
I know this is will be an unpopular analogy, but the Catholic church, at least in the diocese where I live, has a rule that all priests must tender a letter of resignation when they hit 75. Obviously, that didn't apply to Popes, given that John Paul II served until he died at age 84
I just think that is misplaced blame. I didn't tell the poll respondents what to say. I didn't influence them in any way. 77% of them still said Biden is too old to serve another term. I just don't see how that is the media's fault?
Because the media manufactures stories.
And please note that I am not saying that the media is fictional (except for Fox). I am saying that media is a profit seeking enterprise just like every other business and they have to manufacture stories to sell.
An excellent manufacturing technique for media stories is polling. The media polls the public on how it feels about Biden’s age. The public answers that it doesn’t like it. Media reports that the public thinks Biden is too old.
Bingo! Manufactured story. Now repeat the cycle.
And this is why there is cynicism about the media.
A great year if these arrogant, narcissist, power-hungry pols would just step aside.
Not only has the spotlight been turned-off, the footlights are fading.
The Capitol physician gave McConnell a clean bill of health saying “occasional lightheadedness” is not unusual after a concussion.
If what McConnell experienced on camera, what we all saw, was occasional light headedness, then I’ve got some beachfront property to sell to you in Las Vegas!
Total BS from the Capitol physician!
I felt sorry for McConnell as well as his aids who, in my opinion, were trying desperately to shield him and get him assistance. I also think that perhaps the time has come to think about stepping down sooner rather than later. Look, none of us older folks necessarily want to stop doing what we love but, there comes a time when common sense has to take the lead.
Of course now Niki Halley et al will begin the comments about how long various politicians can last and that they should step aside for a new breed of politicians with new ideas.
Really? Are she, Ramaswamy, and De Santis examples of new political thinking?
This is the second time he has frozen in PUBLIC. How many times has he done this off camera or at home? TIAs and other stroke-like phenomena are indifferent to cameras. The stress of the poor man’s job must be contributing to his overall rough state of health. Urging him to keep on going may not be a kindness.
I have to think that this has happened more than the twice that we have seen. Nobody around him have seemed alarmed when this has happened, they walk to him nonchalantly to talk to him. You’d think if this is a new thing, they’d seem alarmed and rush to him. There is something going on with McConnell and it sure is not looking like dehydration and/or being lightheaded. McConnell will not step aside as he’s drunk on power. However, there needs to be some transparency with our elected officials. I wouldn’t doubt that things have been going on with McConnell for quite awhile, only now things are apparent to the public. Taxpayers are paying these officials salary, they are elected by the American public. We have a right to know what is happening.
The irony is that Republican McConnell's issue will impact Democratic president Biden.
The Defendant-In-Chief will lash out at the "Old Crow" (Mitch) and "Brain-Dead" Biden, pretending he's not Obese and 77 years old.
Why does he want to keep going to work all day?
Agree!
Because it's what he knows and what he's good at (regardless of what you or I think, he's been a sharp opponent). Trust me, the day will come when you are older than what your avatar says you are, and you will discover the same thing.
It's about the power and the control.
Our government is run by senile puppets who are bought and paid for. McConnell, Feinstein, and Fetterman are braindead. Biden can't speak without a teleprompter, notes, and pre-selected journalists asking planted softball questions.
What's life like there on Earth III, where the sky is green and the grass is blue?
TDS in LA
So, when Joe is walking up the beach on what Trump calls his "toothpick legs" he stops to talk with reporters at some random place, there is a podium with his speech written for him that he reads from the monitor?
Ever notice that the "tell" for Trump when he's reading off the teleprompter is that he #1 sounds sane and #2 has a rather effeminate sonorance to his vocal range?
Just sayin' since MAGAts complain that when not in a rally and speaking policy, sounds like a "wussy" and makes their heads hurt.
Fetterman is neither senile nor “braindead”.
And turd45 can't join a couple words together logically - heck, can't even pronounce... Indicted... Moron.
I said nothing about trump, but TDS is when you make it about him.