So when the mood hits me … I will tweet. Follow at twitter.com/jimvicevich or @jimvicevich.

As many of you may know I have Lupus. Lupus (SLE, CLE, SCLE) is a debilitating autoimmune disease, and while it’s affects on each individual can vary widely, left unchecked, it can cause permanent damage to skin, kidneys, lungs, heart and the central nervous system. I asked someone once how she would describe Lupus, she responded, “It’s your body kicking it’s own butt”, and in fact that describes Lupus as good as anything I’ve heard. For reasons the medical community still has not determined (although it’s trying), a person’s immune system turns on itself attacking skin, kidneys, lungs, heart … even the central nervous system. (To learn more about Lupus click here.)

Most of the people who suffer from this disease are women, and unfortunately it can strike at a very early age. In mild forms most people will tell you their lives have not changed. But for the many with severe SLE, it requires major changes in lifestyle.

Because there is no cure, much of controlling Lupus is up to the patient her/himself, That means, among other things, avoiding direct sunlight (speedos and bikinis at the beach are out, heh), eating certain foods (ugh), avoiding others, scheduling long consecutive hours of sleep and/or rest to allow the body to recover and keep the immune system in check.

For people in the midst of a flare (when the disease is active, and mine has lasted more than two years) it can also be incredibly painful. Joint pain, muscle aches and intense headaches. In short … everything hurts … a lot.

A regimen of drugs, borrowed from other diseases, keeps Lupus in check for most,  although not all people. Unfortunately, in rare cases, Lupus can still be fatal. And that is why we are having this special show.

We will be raising money for Lupus research that is being conducted right here in Connecticut and we are hoping that the breakthrough Lupus patients have been waiting 50 years for, will happen here.

So click on the logo and make a contribution … please. You will see “DONATE NOW” on the left side of the page under he heading “visitors”.

Then go here to learn more about Lupus … Lupus Foundation of America.

And don’t forget to join us starting at 10AM and hear the stories of people who deal with this disease every day.

From my heart, thank you.

Jim Vicevich

I am thankful of course for my family, my mom and her support, listening on line every day, and my brothers who participate through texts and e-mails and offer good commentary … of course the Sound Off Sister who has done so much for the show and all of us through her meticulous examination of all of the health care bills, and then offering her commentary, even as she suffered through the personal loss of her husband, Rip.

But I want to make special mention of three people who changed my life. My longtime friend, one time boss, Liz Godbout and my son, who together helped save my life in January. Even though I tried to convince them all I was fine, both Liz and Chris knew better and on that Thursday night scrambled to get me help. Without the two of them, this blog might have a different ending.

It was Liz who ultimately called her brother, Dr. Mike Grey, chief of medicine at The Hospital of Central Connecticut, and, as only a sister can do, convinced him to get to my house that night. But it was Dr Grey’s immediate care and concern, not to mention his amazing knowledge (thanks Harvard) that has pulled me through and kept me going. I guess, in a way, I am most thankful for him. He is an amazing Doctor and I am forever indebted. Oh yes, and his Mom, for bringing him and his sister into this world.

I leave you with George Washington’s Thanksgiving Day proclamation delivered in 1789.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to “recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:”

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

UPDATE: Go ahead and leave your comments for what you are thankful for, and let your friends know you are thinking of them. God Bless you all. Amen.

9:10- Scott Ott- Pajamas Media.

10:00- Mike Walsh, Author, Screenwriter and commentator at National Review

10:35- Brian Sullivan- FOX Business

11:10-Jim Geraghty and Kathryn Jean Lopez

11:35- Ed Morrissey- Hot Air.com

Plus I expect a visit at some point from former Asst US Attorney and Law Professor Barbara Vicevich, the SOS

Every year more than 30 of the state’s top High School students with various disabilities gather on the campus of the University of Connecticut for the Connecticut Youth Leadership Forum.  It is a mind expanding and physically demanding experience that like the 11 classes before them, will turn them into leaders in the disability community and the community in general.

This is my 11th year with the group. It was only supposed to be 1 year. But the people who actually run this camp are very persuasive. And the kids, are just amazing. Enjoy. Then go here to the Connecticut Youth Leadership Project to learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZQq5Dg5Nr0

BTW, October is National Disability Empowerment Awareness Month.

As for trust … why wouldn’t we trust a government that spends a trillion dollars to revive the economy and unemployment goes to 9.7%, or spends a trillion dollars on health care to lower the deficit, while even their members are on not sure what’s in the bill (pre-existing conditions, children under 26 coverage, IRS penalty but no enforcement, breast feeding room mandates)

Make sure you tune in, OK? And Click here to participate in the chat from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET.

Update (Steve): 61 Seconds video from this morning.

We’ll be using the Blog Talk Radio infrastructure to deliver the show live from 10 a.m. to noon ET. Of course, the phone lines will be open for you to call into the show, and Jim will have guests through out the week.

Although we’ve been doing some private shows as a test, we’re certain Jim and the staff will be working out a few bugs in the system during the next week or so. The sound quality should be better than you expect – at least it was for me – and you’ll be able to hear sound bites, callers and guests easily.

So, head over to the Live page just before 10 a.m. to get warmed up. Jim’s really looking forward to talking to callers from around the country again.

The call in number – (347) 850-8472 – is not toll free (sorry about that), but you can call for free if you have a Skype account or if you have an unlimited cell phone or land line calling plan. Calls will be screened as normal, but we have a lot of lines, so if you call in and it keeps ringing, hang on, we’ll get you as soon as possible.

If you want to call in using Skype, simply head over to the Jim Vicevich show page on Blog Talk Radio and you’ll see a Click To Talk Skype button, but it will only display during the show. You can download Skype here.

Click here to head over to the Live page, listen in, join the chat room and take the poll.

The original request was approved, but the State Capital Police reversed their decision early this afternoon. Jim was also chatting online about the flag and other topics between 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. ET during the show. Catch the replay of the chat here.

Here’s the link to the ctnow.com. Click to go and then you will see a link to the chat room as the top item. I am told it is the same link as before.

I am so sorry to inform you, my loyal listeners and friends, that, as of this morning at 8:30, I am no longer employed by WTIC 1080. Over the course of four months, we were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

I want you to know I would never think of leaving you without saying good bye, especially in turbulent times like this, but the station made the decision to keep me off the air for the final day of my contract. So this will have to be my way of saying thank you. You are the most loyal and as the SOS says, brightest, well informed audience that any talker could have.

Please be assured that I wish this were not so, but this is still America, where the individual, and business for that matter, can decide their worth for work. On that point we could not agree.

Now the good news. Radioviceonline.com will continue without interruption, with the chat room and live video so we can continue our conversations that started here a year and a half ago. I will be live chatting tonight at 7PM and hope you will join me then as we continue to talk politics, health care, taxes, deficit … yada, yada. Ha!

PLUS, I will be on Fox 61 news tomorrow at 6AM, and there will be a web chat there at 7 AM as well. I hope you will be able to join me then. It will be great to have some friendly chatters. Details to follow.

God bless all of you. I am so blessed to have you all over the years, especially in January when it was your prayers that not only saw me through a health crisis, but has led to my remission. True.  It is my prayer now that we can continue the conversation and the relationship.

Your friend,

Jim

Update (Steve): Jim will be on the air during the 6 a.m. ET hour on Fox61 in Hartford. At 7 a.m. ET, he’ll be doing a special live chat on the Fox61 CTNow.com Web site. The link will take you directly to the live chat.

Update 2 (Steve): I’ve now turned off the comments for this post. There were enough posts that were pretty bad (using profanity, suggesting others go sit on an IED…) that I was not going to spend the time cleaning them up. You’ll note I left up the comments suggesting Jim’s show sucked and such … I’m not putting up with those same idiots who have zero class at all and take it to the next level. It would soon get to the point where law enforcement would get contacted.

So, let’s just use the trolls as examples of lefty hate speech.

Go ahead and complain to yourself (or send an e-mail) about being censored … when you do, you prove you are clueless.