Another reminder that there are still too many lewks in this messed up country
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/us/phi...ons/index.html
Another reminder that there are still too many lewks in this messed up country
http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/14/us/phi...ons/index.html
"In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."
My brother who is only 18 (I was 17 when he was born so still think of him as my baby brother) has been told he needs open heart surgery which has a 50% survival rate. He's been having difficulty playing football which was mistakenly diagnosed as asthma (We now know it's the heart issue and he doesn't have asthma). He was taken to hospital after having heart problems and this was discovered. Instead it appears a vein and an artery in his heart are switched around and going to the wrong chamber respectively.
Separately a teenage girl in his college (high school) was murdered over the weekend. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...ester-40338253
Hope the surgery goes well and that he has a speedy recovery.
Keep on keepin' the beat alive!
Good luck with the surgery.
Congratulations America
Thanks for the well wishes. My brother seems to be in good spirits all things considered. The specialist who will be doing his surgery is moving things along pretty quickly too. They want to do the operation in the summer before he returns to college to minimise the impact on his A Levels.
Based on the limited information RB provided, it's likely he's referring to L-TGA which, while certainly concerning and (sometimes) in need of surgical correction, is generally not an emergent issue. It can lead to problems like CHF, so in certain circumstances a repair is indicated, but a modest delay is unlikely to be problematic. In such a circumstance, it makes sense to schedule the surgery so as to minimize the potential impact on the patient's life if at all possible. The recovery period from such double switch (or similar) surgeries is not insignificant, and if a small delay of minimal clinical significance can result in a substantial advantage for the patient (for example, by not missing A levels) it is probably worth it.
"When I meet God, I am going to ask him two questions: Why relativity? And why turbulence? I really believe he will have an answer for the first." - Werner Heisenberg (maybe)
Wiggin is right in the logic. Though it's not that they're delaying treatment due to A-Levels, they're bringing it forward from what it might otherwise have been. They're bumping him up the waiting list a bit so that instead of treating him (and thus starting the recovery period) in a few months once college has re-started, they're looking to do the surgery ASAP so that the recovery period can start during the summer.
This will cause minimal stress during his A-Levels which will be good for his studies but I would assume would also be good for his recovery too.
Hope everything goes well Rand.
Carthāgō dēlenda est
Down-sizing is harder than I thought. The hand-sewn baby pillows and blankets I've been hanging onto for my kids are now in the donation pile, with their Lincoln Logs, Lego toys and action figures. It's funny the things they don't want to hang onto, that I've been saving for years
Conversely, it's almost perverse that I have boxes of my mother's baby clothes, and stuff from the 1930's (like cigarette lighters, hat pins, leather wallets, paper weights) that are difficult to give away
Last edited by GGT; 06-27-2017 at 07:29 AM.
Sorry to repeat myself, but down-sizing is really hard, so forgive my rant. I really don't want to get a storage unit, but there's just too many things that won't fit in a smaller or mobile life style. But once I give way to that idea, it's too easy to hang onto things that should probably go. Before ya know it I'm saying 'put that in the storage unit', and the pile doesn't get any smaller.
I found my parents' declaration of marriage in one of my boxes; it was a small bound book with handwritten dates and signatures. It doesn't really matter to anyone but them, but I couldn't throw it away. Same for their high school year books, and college year books.....all sorts of history that's been carried around for decades and passed down to generations for "posterity" for who knows what?
I have a bunch of swimming trophies, couldn't get rid of them, but once I'm gone why would my kids keep them, and who else would want them? Why do we hang onto so much STUFF and why is storage a multi-billion dollar industry?
It doesn't help that I'm reminded of a William Morris quote that anything meaningful should be beautiful or useful, and most of my stuff is neither. Or that if I faced a flood or wildfire one small box or go-bag should have all the important stuff worth saving.
Last edited by GGT; 07-09-2017 at 06:37 AM.
Something that may work in the selection of the stuff that relates to your parents; don't select on the basis what you think is something you should keep but what they would think is important to keep.
When Ronald and I moved home last year and were faced with a pretty fierce deadline, selection became funnily easy. Even my books (thousands) didn't make the cut. With the result that we now live in an appartment that feels wonderfully uncluttered. I will admit that this is also a little bit due to the fact that we ddin't downsize and now have a living room that sees hardly any use at all so always looks neat and clean, but mostly to the fact that we realised we REALLY didn't need a lot of stuff.
Congratulations America
hmm, that means if I had a hoarder parent I should continue their behavior?
I saved my first Speedo swimsuit, because that was the beginning of my swimming history. It's incredibly small (hard to remember my 8 yr old body). But it's not like my kids should keep it, or my trophies or medals, or even news clippings.
I could take pictures and put them on a thumb drive. But in all honesty, I got a kick out of the boxes from my parents' and grandparents' boxes of things that wouldn't translate well on a computer stick.
I suppose that explains our multi billion dollar storage industry (?)
On another note: I can't believe how fucked up our PA property taxes are, which funds our school districts. Our state legislature hasn't been able to change things, even tho most got elected on the promise to change things.
I suspect it's because we're a Commonwealth, that gives preference to townships. A throwback to provincial control? Well, it's not working in the 21st century. Even though I live in "Trump country", I don't think most people understand they elected a president based on false promises. And our state can't fill the void.
Combo: upper income people who'd use a "food kit" also expect a high-end kitchen. That doesn't make any sense.
School starts tomorrow
"In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."
The story for the next installment of Half Life was released by its ex-writer and while it gives an amazing premise, it shows why the game never came out. Story revolves a ship that was almost able to teleport in space and time, and you can see where the game would have pushed boundaries by creating a linear story that was also unique with high replay value. But it would have meant creating at least two (story easily suggests 4+) almost full size games. Valve was overly ambitious, and learned its easier to sell hats.
"In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."
Florida is under a state of emergency and local emergency activations have begun. I've been told to prep for 12 hour shifts starting Thursday.
The stores are out of water, snacks, and canned food. Its only Tuesday.
"In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."
Me, today:
"Hey, it's snowing! ...in 80 degree weather...that's not snow, is it?"
Everything here is covered in a thin layer of ash and my eyes sting a bit whenever I go outside. On the plus side, at least today's red sun means temporary safety from a rogue Superman.
Soap down your car, especially before it rains. Water and Ash mixed will eat the paint, and dusting it will scratch the paint.
"In a field where an overlooked bug could cost millions, you want people who will speak their minds, even if they’re sometimes obnoxious about it."
I'll do that. I didn't even know that was a risk. My plan was just to hose it down after it stops ashing. Thanks.
Massive forest fire.
Good luck guys, don't let any cannibals in.
"One day, we shall die. All the other days, we shall live."