Uncle Dick is a machine without a (functioning) heart.
http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/7706221.php
Dick Cheney Without a Pulse, Must Be Plugged In
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) -- Former Vice President Dick Cheney now has no pulse and needs to be plugged in at night.
Cheney had a ventricular assist device connected to his heart last week at Inova Fairfax Heart and Vascular Institute in Washington's Northern Virginia suburbs.
Dr. Allen Stewart, head of aortic surgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital, told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow that Cheney now has no pulse. His heart valves are still closed and the device is now providing a continuous flow of blood.
Even more fascinating is that the device runs on batteries and Cheney is supposed to carry extras with him, and, at night, it has to be plugged into a power adapter in the wall.
Cheney is fully conscious and hopes to resume his active lifestyle. He has suffered five heart attacks since age 37