Centerfield

In Minnesota, it is Tubby Smith day. It feels like a scene in a movie where the guy/girl picks the average girl/guy over the most popular girl/guy.

Posted by: Todd Pearson at March 23, 2007 10:43 AM

"There ain't no escaping
All the troubles on this Earth"

March 19th my Dad escaped this earth. Columbia graduate (Suma Cum laude), NYU law, first person to use computers in retail cosmetics, appointed chief financial officer of Washington D.C., decorated Captain in the Signal Corp who said his greatest high was the Liberation of Europe, a fighter until the end.

We salute you.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 23, 2007 10:53 AM

I'm sorry to learn of the loss of your father, Max. FWIW, I operate under the assumption that agnosticism does not preclude some future, unearthly reunion.

On a lighter note, I saw "Spamalot" in Philly Wednesday. The Lady of the Lake's spoofing of all the cheesy singing styles embraced by Broadway was brilliant, as was pretty much everything else.

Posted by: WHQ at March 23, 2007 11:18 AM

Ditto. Sorry on your loss. After my dad died years ago, I'd have dreams with my dad in them sometimes. Sort of traumatic at first , but I came to cherish them. He'll stay with you.

Also ditto that Spamalot was well worth the price, my wife and I laughed our butts off. It was a riot from start to finish, and the addition of genuine women as dancing girls was a big plus over the python's penchant for men in drag. All the humor of the pythons, plus generous portions of T and A. Now that's my idea of a good time.

Posted by: bk at March 23, 2007 11:46 AM

Thanks....the following keeps me agnostic: the morning he died, my mom (they were divorced but lived nearby each other in Florida) had a dream that my Dad appeared to her in a white gown and said he was going somewhere. She didn't even know he was in the hospital. How strange. What are the odds? And now I often suddenly remember events from the past, long forgotten. The mind is a mysterious thing.

For C3, caulk another death up on hospital infection. Dialysis over a number of years offers the super-resistant germs a chance to infect a patient with an already lowered immune system. They hide for a time in the liver, pancreas or intestines and then boom. Be very careful with the elderly and the quality of services delivered, even as out patients It is a form of Russian ro*lette. All it takes is one opportunity for such pernicious infections and that's it. An elderly person can't fight it even with antibiotics, before it too late. He survived great obstacles, only to be done in by a lowly germ. There seems a lesson in that.

Again, thanks for the condolences and to others who may leave them as well. I didn't know where else to post this tribute. Blues are appropriate, I think. For one soul, the thrill is gone, unless of course, there is an enchanting afterlife. We shall all know one day.

Now back to the muddy waters of life…….

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 23, 2007 01:00 PM

Condolences, Max.

Posted by: Todd Pearson at March 23, 2007 01:17 PM

Max, I'm sorry for your loss.

For those who have "complication after surgery" or other forms of antibiotic-resistant infections, there is an alternative. Your comment about Russian r*ulette brought it to mind, as it was discovered in France early in the last century but only really developed in the (now) Republic of Georgia for the Soviets. And now starting to appear in the U.S.

It's a form of virus (called phages) that kills specific bacteria -- for example the ones which cause staph infections. Bugs killing bugs, got to love it. Check it out: http://www.phageinternational.com/

Posted by: wj at March 23, 2007 02:23 PM

Condolences, Max. I will be losing my father in the very near future also. I will be traveling down to see him for the last time next month. It is the order of things to live to see our parents deaths. I lost my eldest son to illness 3 years ago. In my entire journey through this veil of tears it was the hardest thing I have had to endure. In part we live on through the generations, father to son. Live well.

Posted by: Dennis at March 23, 2007 03:59 PM

Again, thanks. Dennis, that must have been tough, so very tough. And I imagine all the parents of those fallen heros coming home in boxes (from all wars). My Dad would have enjoyed the people here and your attempt to steady the middle. He even voted for a Republican or two. His comebacks reminded me of Tully's lethality and Pat's calm hammer.

The phageinternational site is interesting. I will look at it more. It makes great sense. Dialysis tends to deplete resistance. One problem would be the time it takes to isolate the bug and create the bullet. Sometimes the elderly don't have so much time.

My thought is that if we took the military budget of the world and directed it towards medical research, we would all live much longer. We are at the cusp of discovery, unable to cooperate enough to push back the veil of tears alittle further. I think one day future generations will marvel at our optimism in the face of death and wonder why we spent so much time killing each other. Ah, those muddy waters again.

I really didn't mean to misdirect this thread Brian, I'm sorry. There was an album my father and I both loved. "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis. It goes with the weather here in NYC.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 23, 2007 05:53 PM

I really didn't mean to misdirect this thread . .

Max, it is impossible to misdirect an open thread.

Posted by: Todd Pearson at March 23, 2007 06:04 PM

Max;
I'm sorry for your loss.

For C3, chalk another death up on hospital infection. Dialysis over a number of years offers the super-resistant germs a chance to infect a patient with an already lowered immune system...

Yes this is a huge problem. Our technology (i.e. permanent venous catheters) and or biotechnology (i.e. broad-spectrum antibiotics) have created some horrible problems. And unfortunately they lie in wait in our most important health care institution, the hospital, and they prey on the most vulnerable, the elderly and the infirm.

For all of us, strongly considering getting out of the hospital as soon as reasonably possible and also consider strongly this question "do I really need that antibiotic for my 'head cold that won't go away'?"

Posted by: c3 at March 23, 2007 07:39 PM

Yeah, but it started with Musical Blues and sped into my blues. It's Friday and I want everyone to be happy and start the weekend right.

I appreciate the empathy. I really do. Funny, how now I feel guilty about hogging an open thread. Remind me of that next week.

I say everyone have a shot for my Dad, Ed. A centrist to the end. I am. He would have wanted it that way. He'll have his military funeral in May when the cemetary opens in Palm Beach.

I think he would have rooted for Georgetown, but put his money on NC. He would have certainly told me, "Son, the thrill ain't gone until the game is over".

So cheers everyone. And then have another round for yourselves. Given the daily crap we read, you all are a very level-headed bunch of bloggees.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 23, 2007 07:51 PM

Thanks Chris,
And consider the flip side. Several weeks ago, he went in and they tried to clear up his infection, which they thought was mixed with colitis of some kind. The problem is they didn't eradicate it all (stealthy buggers are damn hard to spot). It retreated and hid deep inside organs. He SHOULD have STAYED longer given the danger, but the doctors THOUGHT it was gone.. When it reappeared weeks later, it was even more aggressive. So there is another lesson. Do not take your eye off the infected ball. Once you start using antibiotics you have to finish the battle. My Dad so wanted to go home. You have to monitor such germ warfare closely, especially in the elderly, who can slip fast. Such a double-edged sword.

The phage approach above is quite interesting.

My dear ex, who is a nurse, risks exposure every day. I have great respect for these professionals. The extreme stress of ICU at NYU was a major reason for our parting. She was under enormous strain as a nurse out of school. It was insane. As she moves to another field, we already get along much better. Many don't understand what a battle field our medical system is and is becoming. -one reason why I think these professionals deserve every penny they get (the good ones of course). The bad ones ought not to be so protected by the brotherhood. Example: Imagine treating your Father for decades with high blood pressure medicine when the cause was really a benign tumor on the adrenal gland. Eventually the Veterans Hospital in Bethesda spotted it, removed it and the pressure returned to normal. Unfortunately, after 20 plus years, damage had been done to the vascular system. Monitoring patient care is another problem altogether. My Dad never bitched. He said, "Doctors screw up, they're human." He was a lawyer too. Amazing.

I say this for general information. Others may find relatives with similar situations.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 23, 2007 08:28 PM

Max, I'm sorry about your Dad. That's hard.

There are nasty diseases in my family that are beginning to show some hope of curability. I sometimes think, if only they started 10-20 years later, maybe they'd be curable. But life happens as it happens, of course.

Posted by: Jon Kay at March 24, 2007 12:09 AM

So true Jon. And if our immediate families had been born earlier, the reverse might be true. My Dad wouldn't have even made it to his old age. It amazes me that there are many relatives before me that lived 90 plus years on fatty pot roast and heart-wrenching stress. I guess what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Keep on posting dude. There is alot of fight in your bloodline.

Thanks.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 24, 2007 11:59 AM

Sorry about your dad, Max. My own died last year, in May. He once told me that the best tribute we can give to those who have died is to help the living in some way, like this lady is doing.

Posted by: Blue Jean at March 24, 2007 09:43 PM

Jean,
So right. Thanks. Sorry for your loss too. I think we try to remember their best qualities and sacrifices and try to incorporate them. We become the vessel so these good things live on. This is a unique thing about human. We spring a sad hole inside and we try to make it whole again.

Sometime, I think someone should start a thread about longevity and death. Humanity is nearing a historic point when differential reproduction means less to life's survivial than the self-reorganization of our own genome. And I imagine, Life has no problem with that. We humans are the only creatures that could stop a space object, let alone remember the the sacrifices of those before us. and carry on their good.

Posted by: Maxtrue at March 25, 2007 12:59 PM

Just a short note to say that I'm looking for one or more Independents who would be interested in taking over my www.theindependentvoter.com domain and all that goes with it (website and blog). I posted my primary reason over at Indie Castle the other day. It should still be at the top of the page.

I'm mentioning this here because my dream all along... well, except for the first year when the whole point of the site was to support McCain in 2000... has been to model it after y'all here. Sort of as the Independent Wing of the Centrist Coaltion. Which means that my preference would be to find a solidly centrist Indie to turn it over to.

If you know of anyone please refer them.

Thanks!

PS. I intend to remain involved with Preemptive Karma, but only as a backseat driver. Becky is doing a bang-up job as our new lead writer and has yanked the blog back towards the center pretty thoroughly.

Posted by: Kevin at March 26, 2007 12:01 PM