Campanastan

Campanastan Update: Doctor, My Eyes

Some of are no doubt wondering if this post's title is a ploy to get a Jackson Browne song into Campanastan.

Yes, it is.

 Seriously, about a month ago I posted about my difficulty in reading (and writing blog posts) caused by a condition known as retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and consequent macular edema (swelling of the macula, the central part of the retina that is responsible for detail vision), in my right eye. As befits a hydrogeologist, I have fluid leakage that is causing the swelling. 

Many of you have wished me well (thanks!) so I just wanted to give you an update.

My ophthalmologist,Dr. Gary Servais, has been injecting my retina with Avastin, a cancer drug that is also effective at relieving retinal swelling. After the first injection the corrected (I wear prescription lenses) vision in my right eye went from 20-60 to 20-40. That improvement was quite significant, and the swelling had subsided dramatically. That has not really translated into greatly-improved detail vision, for reasons that I don't need to explain, but my detail vision is somewhat better. As Dr. Servais said, if the swelling keeps subsiding, my detail vision will return quite dramatically, just as it departed (literally overnight).

Upshot: I received a second Avastin injection and am scheduled for a another one in a few weeks. This condition apparently cannot be cured, just managed, so should the treatment work I will need to get injections at some as-yet undetermined frequency for the rest of my life. I'll gladly take that. The odd thing is that RVO is usually associated with hypertension and diabetes, neither of which I have.

Regarding the fluid flow aspects: as part of my testing I underwent fluorescein angiography, where I was injected with fluorescein dye, whose circulation in the retina was observed to assess blockages. Pretty neat stuff; the images looked like a fracture-flow network. I explained to the medical staff that I had used the same dye for water tracing. They were quite amazed when I explained why I did it and what it told me.

Okay, enough of the medical report. The usual stuff will return shortly.

Thanks for your indulgence.

"Doctor, my eyes
Tell me what is wrong
Was I unwise to leave them open for so long."
  -- Doctor, My Eyes written by Jackson Browne

Education: The Times They Have A-Changed

Afraid this is all too true, even in Campanastan, but we have ways of dealing with this.

I can attest to the veracity of the 1960 depiction.

 Thanks to David Zetland, Campanastan's Economist-in-Residence.

 

"The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts." -- C.S. Lewis

Lewis actually had it wrong; the task of the modern educator is to teach children to be crap detectors.

Glenn Beck Gets It Right on Shirley Sherrod; 'Breitbart' Becomes a Verb

For the second time in a couple of months I need to give a shout-out to Glenn Beck. Yep, Beck was one of the first to get it right on Shirley Sherrod. Even the New York Times said so in an editorial:

The administration’s haste to fire Ms. Sherrod was unfair and unseemly. She told of how an agriculture under secretary phoned her to demand she resign instantly via her BlackBerry. The official anxiously cited the likelihood the furor would “be on Glenn Beck tonight.”

By the time the conservative commentator took up the issue, the full transcript of the speech was out and Mr. Beck was citing Ms. Sherrod — but as a victim of administration recklessness. This time, he was right.

You go, Glenn!

The Obama administration seems to be in a contest with Dubya's to see whose is populated with more idiots.

Wonder if we can expect Andrew Breitbart to undergo the same kind of conversion as did Shirley Sherrod. Somehow I doubt it.

But he now has been immortalized in the language:

Breitbart v. - To intentionally make something appear to be its opposite for political ends. The pundit breitbarted Shirley Sherrod. (from Robert Creamer)

Go Bork yourself, Breitbart!

“She’s a good friend. She helped us save our farm.” -- Eloise Spooner, referring to Shirley Sherrod.

How Much is Kyron Horman Worth?

A provocative question for sure, but one that Op-Ed guest columnist David Appell posed in The Oregonian on 21 July 2010.

Kyron Horman, for those of you who have been off-planet for the last two months, is the seven-year-old boy who was last seen at his school in Multnomah County (suburban Portland, OR) about seven weeks ago. If you go to The Oregonian's WWW site and search on 'Kyron Horman' you'll see a plethora of articles. The picture at left is from one of those articles.

The search has cost the county about $365,000 so far; another $196,000 has been approved.  An additional $240,000 request was tabled.

If you're a family member of a missing child I suspect I know the answer to that question. Appell is just wondering, 'How much is enough?' It is a rhetorical question, so he doesn't provide an asnwer. I certainly cannot answer it. But it is one worth asking.

The column wanders a bit, as Appell brings in issues of race and starving children in the developing world. Would such a big effort be made if Kyron had been a child of color, or the son of poor white people? Don't know the answer to that.

I encourage you to read Appell's column and the 145 or so comments. I admire him for writing it and The Oregonian for publishing it. Both had to have cojones.

 I only hope that Appell has not condemned himself to a spate of vitriol for speaking about the unspeakable. It's something we need to hear.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." -- Plato

Enjoy Campanastan's National Dessert: 'Better Than Sex' Cake!

Since I'm baking a cake for a potluck dinner tonight I thought I might as well post something useful - the recipe. My late younger sister Ann Judge gave me this recipe about 30 years ago, with the following note:

This sounds and looks like a stupid cake but everyone loves it. Very moist and keeps a long time. Good to make ahead of time and freeze.

It is simple to make.

Thoroughly mix the following ingredients:

1 package Duncan Hines butter cake mix (disregard box directions, execpt for high altitude)
4 eggs
half cup cooking oil
quarter cup water
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces sour cream (can use 'light' sour cream)

Then stir in 6 ounces chocolate chips and a half cup chopped walnuts. Grease and flour a Bundt pan and pour mix in. Bake for about one hour at c. 350 degrees F. I always check it after about 50 minutes. When you insert a toothpick to test doneness, the cake should be moist but not mushy. After the cake cools, sprinkle with powdered sugar. That's it!

My sister noted that she added the chips and nuts to the mix in the Bundt pan, so as to keep too many of them from sinking to the bottom. But I have not done that and have not had any problems. Besides, no one seems to care.

Enjoy!

"Here's a dessert even you can make. It's called the 'Better Than Sex' cake. It isn't, but you probably don't remember." -- Ann Judge, upon presenting me with the aforementioned recipe, 1981.

General James Mattis: Plain Talk From a Straight Shooter

Gen. James Mattis is President Obama's nominee to become commander of CENTCOM.

Some of his quotes:

It's quite fun to fight 'em, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up front with you, I like brawling.

You are part of the world's most feared and trusted force. Engage your brain before you enagge your weapon.

Our fight is not with the Iraqi people, nor is it with members of the Iraqi army who choose to surrender. While we will move swiftly and aggressively against those who resist, we will treat all others with decency, demonstrating chivalry and soldierly compassion for people who have endured a lifetime under Saddam's oppression.

My favorite:

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap around women  for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway, so it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." (2005)

No diplomat, he! Kinda guy you want watching your back.

Who Needs Turtle Wax? Just a Toothbrush for This Turtle!

Looks like a turtle obsessed with cleanliness. But at least it's not violent!

Thanks to SportsNation.

 "Behold the lowly turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out." -- Unknown

Sarah Palin Opines on Immigration

My high-school 'buddy' Bill O'Reilly grills Sarah Palin on immigration.

Betcha she'd keep the Russkies from coming across the Bering Strait. And don't forget about those Frostbacks!

"It's time for Americans across this great country to stand up and say, 'We're all Arizonans now.'" --Sarah Palin

Kitties, Tasers, Birds, and Cow Poop

I think the First Lady sent these to me.

"Never take life too seriously; remember, no one gets out alive." -- Unknown

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir 'Lux Aurumque'

185 voices. 243 tracks. 12 countries. A choir unlike any other. What started as a simple social media experiment, has become a poetic metaphor of our shared humanity and the power of connection.

Acclaimed composer and conductor Eric Whitacre offered the sheet music of his original composition, "Lux Aurumque" ['Light and Gold' in Latin], as a free download and invited singers to submit a video of themselves performing one part (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass). These rather ordinary videos of solo performances were then pieced together to form a choir of singers who have never met each other...but have unwittingly created music in perfect harmony together.

Here is the link.

Thanks to Santa Falcone for sending me this.

"Music is what feelings sound like." -- Unknown

The King Is Dead. Long Live the Clown Prince and Thankless Child.

I'll be glad to contribute my two cents on 'The Decision' by LeBron James, the self-styled 'King' or 'The Chosen One.' I suspect he had trouble choosing which moniker for his recently-opened Twitter account (he selected King James).

The picture is from Fox Sports.

1) James, of course, had the right to go to the Miami Heat or any other team he chose.This is business; he owed no 'loyalty' to the Cleveland Cavaliers or his home area, greater Cleveland. It was a business decision and I am not qualified to judge how sound it was. But if he and his advisors thought it was in his best interests, then that's fine with me. It should be noted that by going to Miami, he left money on the table in Cleveland. Ask yourself this: imagine it's 2020, and James is still with the Cavaliers and his skills have eroded terribly. Would the team and its fans show 'loyalty' to him?

2) It's worth recalling what James meant to the Cavaliers and Cleveland. In the seven years he played in Cleveland, home attendance had averaged about 50% more than before the James era: 20,000 vs. 13,000. One wag estimated that he meant about $48M per year to the area. And that does not include 'emotional income' or loss thereof, and that loss will mean more to a city sometimes thought of as being the 'Mistake on the Lake.' It's a tough sell to get young, wealthy athletes to come there, unlike Miami, which is a warm-weather city and party town. Clevelanders, I suspect, will recover. They deserve better. 

3) James' one-hour 'made for TV' special, 'The Decision,' was tacky and classless. Those are about the nicest words I can use. Just announce it and be done with it.  And it might have been nice to call your employer and tell them of your decision before you announced it to the world. I felt bad for Cleveland, being subjected to this. Nice touch, having the children from the Greenwich Boys and Girls Club. Wonderful props. James tarnished his image with that 'special'.

4) Did ESPN appear to cave into James by running the special? Of course! So? If ESPN had refused, some other network would have carried it. Besides, ESPN had so much invested in James. The network and its presenters (they are not journalists) have been James' main media enablers. Should ESPN be vilified for carrying the show? No. It was entertainment. What do you think the 'E' in 'ESPN' signifies? Look it up - it's 'entertainment.' But a problem arises when ESPN attempts to mix entertainment with journalism (even sports journalism).

5) Cavaliers' majority owner Dan Gilbert's open letter to fans, while understandable (the man just saw the value of his franchise tank) was classless as well. After I read it, I thought of two things. First - a parent who had given his petulant, spoiled brat everything he wanted for seven years, then feels rage when the child does something he doesn't like. Second - a line from Shakespeare's King Lear:  "How sharper than a serpent's tooth is an ungrateful child." Earth to Dan: you were one of those who created 'The Chosen One' and he made a lot of money for you.  But there is no doubt than Gilbert has endeared himself to most Clevelanders.

6) It's amusing to see some media types - those who did the most in building James' legend and his ego -  turn on him (see number 5 above). 

7) This whole thing has been orchestrated for some time. It was not some spur-of-the-moment thing, but conceived to look somewhat spontaneous.

8) James is not, nor was he ever, 'The King.' Kings wear crowns; James has not won a crown (NBA title) in his seven years, and that's what pro athletes crave. If there is a king among current NBA players, it's Kobe Bryant. Sorry LeBron - you're abut five rings too short. Maybe your buddies D-Wade and Chris Bosh can help you get there.

That's it. Time to see the World Cup final.

"ESPN has gone to bed with more athletes than a groupie." -- Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports

No Fly, No Way, No Place, No Reason

From Leonard Pitts, Jr., I learned today what really happens when your name is  one of the 8,000 on the USA's  'no-fly' list:

They won't let you fly.

They won't tell you why.

They won't show you the list.

They won't take your name off the list.

They won't give you any way to appeal.

Franz Kafka himself could not have imagined such a scheme.

As Pitts says, "You're too dangerous to fly, but too harmless to arrest."

Listen to yesterday's OPB show,Think Out Loud, on the ACLU's suit on behalf of ten people on the list.

There is nothing wrong with having a no-fly list. But there is something terribly wrong when the government won't tell you if you're on it but denies you the right to fly without any recourse. 

The government can make mistakes. Consider the FBI, which maintains the list. If some of the FBI headquarters people had been on the ball, 9/11/2001 might still be just the 11th day of September 2001.

“The government announced today that they’re making big changes to the No-Fly list. Apparently, asking terrorists to be on the honor system has not been working.” — Jay Leno

David Zetland: Why I Quit Facebook

One of my favorite bloggers is David Zetland, a thoughtful economist who blogs at Aguanomics, just posted Why I Quit Facebook.

Zetland has posted on Facebook before, including a discussion on its 'broken business model and shallow ethics.'

It's worth your time. Give it a read.

"FB does not serve my social needs, so I go back to what works. Drinks anyone?" -- David Zetland

Remember the Fourth and Celebrate Five Freedoms: RAPPS

In between the fireworks, auto and furniture sales, and barbecues, take a few minutes today to read the Declaration of Independence and the remarkable Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, which came along 11 years later:

Download const-dec.pdf

If you are an American citizen, thank your lucky stars for those 56 guys who signed the Declaration in Philadelphia in 1776 and started this thing rolling.

While you are at it, give extra thanks for the First Amendment, which guarantees five fundamental rights, which you can remember with the mnemonic RAPPS: religion, assembly, press, petition, and speech.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, two giants in American history - friends, then opponents, and finally friends again - both died on this day in 1826. As I get older, I think less of Jefferson and more of Adams. Both were great men, but the former 'talked the talk' and didn't always 'walk the walk' (e.g., slavery) whereas the latter tried to do both.

Enjoy the day, and enjoy RAPPS!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence

Is 'The Last Airbender' Lights Out for M. Night?

Okay. I loved The Sixth Sense. I even enjoyed Signs. But I haven't seen one of M. Night Shyamalan's films since those two and I doubt I'll be seeing his current film, The Last Airbender. For one thing, it's not the kind of film that interests me, and I'm also tired of seeing the tie-ins with World Cup soccer on ESPN. For a while I thought the flick might be a paean to washed-up footballer David Beckham.

But it seems as though M. Night might have a bomb on his hands; here are some of the reviews and more here

Reviews aside, Shyamalan and the studio, Paramount Pictures, are facing charges of racism, since the film is based on a Japanese cartoon that was animated by Nickelodeon. The charaaters were primarily Asian; in the movie, they are mainly white.

And check out the difference between villains and heroes in the cartoon vs. the film:

Funny thing about the casting (thanks to this source for the graphic).

But at least the movie has great dialogue.

"Water teaches us acceptance." -- Admiral Zhao, Aasif Mandvi's character in The Last Airbender

World Cup Fever: Buddy vs. Bambi

Buddy and Bambi play a little 'futbol' in the backyard. Check out the two cats on the right, wondering 'WTF?'

Thanks to Marty Ennis.

 "The dog is the only animal that has seen his god."-- Unknown