A woman and a man are involved in a car accident; it's a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them are hurt.
After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says,"So you're a man; that's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow,just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but fortunately we are unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days."
Flattered, the man replied, "Oh yes, I agree with you completely!" "This must be a sign from God!"
The woman continued, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune."
Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle, immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.
The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"
The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police..."
OMC
Friday, October 31, 2008
Syndrome of the week
Marchiafava-Bignami disease.
A progressive neurological disease most frequently seen in middle-aged or elderly alcoholic males but also affecting some nonalcoholic subjects.
The main symptoms are fits, stupor, coma and dementia. Due to demyelination of the corpus callosum and cortical laminar necrosis involving the frontal and temporal lobes. It has been attributed to drinking "rough" red wine.
It was first described in an Italian Chianti drinker.
Death usually occurs 4 to 6 years after onset. The first case was observed by Marchiafava in 1897 and published in a doctoral dissertation (Carducci) in 1898.
OMC
A progressive neurological disease most frequently seen in middle-aged or elderly alcoholic males but also affecting some nonalcoholic subjects.
The main symptoms are fits, stupor, coma and dementia. Due to demyelination of the corpus callosum and cortical laminar necrosis involving the frontal and temporal lobes. It has been attributed to drinking "rough" red wine.
It was first described in an Italian Chianti drinker.
Death usually occurs 4 to 6 years after onset. The first case was observed by Marchiafava in 1897 and published in a doctoral dissertation (Carducci) in 1898.
OMC
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
The Audacity of Inevitability
I got my Obama/Biden bumper sticker in the mail last night.That gives me about a week to publicly demonstrate my support for Senator Barack Obama's movement.
This had never really been a campaign.Since that snowy day in February '07 in Abraham Lincoln's hometown of Springsfield IL,it had become common knowledge that Obama was not just mounting a political campaign,but a genuine philosophical and paradigm shift in mainland America.
There is a palpable feeling among an increasing volume of savvy political watchers that the battle on 11/04 will be a straight fight between old and new America.Between 20th century and 21st century America.
There are the very vocal older generation Americans who are predominantly evangelical right wing ultra-conservatives who have always voted solely on the social issues of abortion/pro-life/pro-choice or gay marriage/family sanctity etc.This same block just have the cynicism of uncertainty about Obama.
They are weary of how far left this minority liberal candidate will take the liberty of leading the country.Most of these folks are genuinely scared but not racist.Obama's task is to prove them wrong beyond 11/04/08.
There are also the more open-minded recent college grads/current seniors/young professionals etc who have been bitterly disenfranchised by the way the country had been run for the past 8 years.This generation are more receptive of people very different than themselves.They studied with all colors,shapes and sizes of people while in College.Several are actively dating and marrying inter-racially.
Nothing more vividly illustrates this divides than the recently reported effort by younger jewish voters to change the votes of their more conservative and older parents.In the same house,under the same roof,all over America tonight, families are involved in very spirited and heated debates to settle this generational contest. And it seems to be working.For the first time since this race began,Obama is leading among older voters 55-75 years old.
Yesterday,I had the unfortunate privilege(catch the deliberate oxymoron) of taking care of a 94 year old lady in ICU who suffered a cardio-pulmonary arrest while waiting 3 hours in line to vote early for Barack Obama.All over the battle ground states,voters are availing themselves of the opportunity to vote early or mail in their absentee ballots.Most of my friends have already voted.They all voted for Barack(no surprises there).
The choice couldn't be clearer between these two tickets from a generational point of view.Obama is at least a quarter of a century younger than his opponent.This may have forced McCain's hand a bit in the choice of the enigmatic Sarah Palin.
But there are other stark differences in policies.The purpose of this article is not to draw out those differences.My audience could log on to the official campaign websites for those details .
Just yesterday, news broke of cross-border air strikes by the US into Syria.The McCain campaign quickly pounced on that, wishing to change the conversation from issue number one(the economy).
As expected,however,the Obama Campaign isn't taking the bait!
Talking of the economy,many of my savvy investor friends are currently re-infusing their cash back into the beleaguered American stock market.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why.
Next week, America will have a new president.All the polls seem to indicate that the harbinger of new hope for the future will win by a blow-out.This can only take the beat down Dow into unprecedented territories.There is only one direction stocks will go on Wednesday,and that is up.
Finally,I've heard the same things as you have.We've been told that McCain will criss-cross OH and PA for the remainder of this campaign.
Going by how many honks,winks and thumbs-up i received on my daytime drive back home from work today,I believe he shouldn't waste his time.
And no,the honks and winks were not because I suddenly became hotter than I was(though my wife is convinced I am),it's because all the drivers behind me saw my brand new Obama-Biden bumper sticker and wanted to show their solidarity.They were male,female,black,Asian and whites.
Wake me up on 11/04/08.
OMC
This had never really been a campaign.Since that snowy day in February '07 in Abraham Lincoln's hometown of Springsfield IL,it had become common knowledge that Obama was not just mounting a political campaign,but a genuine philosophical and paradigm shift in mainland America.
There is a palpable feeling among an increasing volume of savvy political watchers that the battle on 11/04 will be a straight fight between old and new America.Between 20th century and 21st century America.
There are the very vocal older generation Americans who are predominantly evangelical right wing ultra-conservatives who have always voted solely on the social issues of abortion/pro-life/pro-choice or gay marriage/family sanctity etc.This same block just have the cynicism of uncertainty about Obama.
They are weary of how far left this minority liberal candidate will take the liberty of leading the country.Most of these folks are genuinely scared but not racist.Obama's task is to prove them wrong beyond 11/04/08.
There are also the more open-minded recent college grads/current seniors/young professionals etc who have been bitterly disenfranchised by the way the country had been run for the past 8 years.This generation are more receptive of people very different than themselves.They studied with all colors,shapes and sizes of people while in College.Several are actively dating and marrying inter-racially.
Nothing more vividly illustrates this divides than the recently reported effort by younger jewish voters to change the votes of their more conservative and older parents.In the same house,under the same roof,all over America tonight, families are involved in very spirited and heated debates to settle this generational contest. And it seems to be working.For the first time since this race began,Obama is leading among older voters 55-75 years old.
Yesterday,I had the unfortunate privilege(catch the deliberate oxymoron) of taking care of a 94 year old lady in ICU who suffered a cardio-pulmonary arrest while waiting 3 hours in line to vote early for Barack Obama.All over the battle ground states,voters are availing themselves of the opportunity to vote early or mail in their absentee ballots.Most of my friends have already voted.They all voted for Barack(no surprises there).
The choice couldn't be clearer between these two tickets from a generational point of view.Obama is at least a quarter of a century younger than his opponent.This may have forced McCain's hand a bit in the choice of the enigmatic Sarah Palin.
But there are other stark differences in policies.The purpose of this article is not to draw out those differences.My audience could log on to the official campaign websites for those details .
Just yesterday, news broke of cross-border air strikes by the US into Syria.The McCain campaign quickly pounced on that, wishing to change the conversation from issue number one(the economy).
As expected,however,the Obama Campaign isn't taking the bait!
Talking of the economy,many of my savvy investor friends are currently re-infusing their cash back into the beleaguered American stock market.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out why.
Next week, America will have a new president.All the polls seem to indicate that the harbinger of new hope for the future will win by a blow-out.This can only take the beat down Dow into unprecedented territories.There is only one direction stocks will go on Wednesday,and that is up.
Finally,I've heard the same things as you have.We've been told that McCain will criss-cross OH and PA for the remainder of this campaign.
Going by how many honks,winks and thumbs-up i received on my daytime drive back home from work today,I believe he shouldn't waste his time.
And no,the honks and winks were not because I suddenly became hotter than I was(though my wife is convinced I am),it's because all the drivers behind me saw my brand new Obama-Biden bumper sticker and wanted to show their solidarity.They were male,female,black,Asian and whites.
Wake me up on 11/04/08.
OMC
Friday, October 10, 2008
Giggle
The Importance Of "Correct Punctuation"
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?
Gloria
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Gloria
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will you let me be yours?
Gloria
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Gloria
Syndrome of the week
Lemierre's syndrome (or Lemierre's disease) is a disease usually caused by the bacterium Fusobacterium necrophorum, and occasionally by other members of the genus Fusobacterium (F. nucleatum, F. mortiferum and F. varium etc.) and usually affects young, healthy adults.
Lemierre syndrome develops most often after a strep sore throat has created a peritonsillar abscess, a crater filled with pus and bacteria near the tonsils. Deep in the abscess, anaerobic bacteria (microbes that do not require oxygen) like Fusobacterium necrophorum can flourish.
The bacteria penetrate from the abscess into the neighboring jugular vein in the neck and there they cause an infected clot (thrombosis) to form, from which bacteria are seeded throughout the body by the bloodstream (bacteremia). Pieces of the infected clot break off and travel to the lungs as emboli blocking branches of the pulmonary artery bringing the heart's blood to the lungs. This causes shortness of breath, chest pain and severe pneumonia. Fusobacteria are normal inhabitants of the oropharyngeal flora.
This is a very rare disease with only approximately 160 cases in the last 100 years.
Sepsis following from a throat infection was described by Scottmuller in 1918. However it was Andre Lemierre, in 1936, who published a series of 20 cases where throat infections were followed by identified anaerobic septicemia, of whom 18 patients died.
Lemierre syndrome develops most often after a strep sore throat has created a peritonsillar abscess, a crater filled with pus and bacteria near the tonsils. Deep in the abscess, anaerobic bacteria (microbes that do not require oxygen) like Fusobacterium necrophorum can flourish.
The bacteria penetrate from the abscess into the neighboring jugular vein in the neck and there they cause an infected clot (thrombosis) to form, from which bacteria are seeded throughout the body by the bloodstream (bacteremia). Pieces of the infected clot break off and travel to the lungs as emboli blocking branches of the pulmonary artery bringing the heart's blood to the lungs. This causes shortness of breath, chest pain and severe pneumonia. Fusobacteria are normal inhabitants of the oropharyngeal flora.
This is a very rare disease with only approximately 160 cases in the last 100 years.
Sepsis following from a throat infection was described by Scottmuller in 1918. However it was Andre Lemierre, in 1936, who published a series of 20 cases where throat infections were followed by identified anaerobic septicemia, of whom 18 patients died.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Election '08
I must say that i feel a mixture of emotions living in the US at this time.Gone are the really juicy gists my cousins freely render of the good ol' days of the 80's and 90's since they arrived here as teenagers and twenty somethings.They understand more than most what catastrophic effect 12 cumulative years of Bush republicanism has had on the american economy.The 1st Herbert Bush was not allowed to fully reck the healthy reagan-omics..thanks to the Clintonian interregnum.
However,it seems the younger Walker Bush was determined to spell out exactly what a Bush clan was capable of doing to a healthy economy.8 straight years won on the back of a dubious war on the pretences of avenging a true injustice coupled with some 2nd term swift-boatism have now ensured whatever this president does in the remaining 4 months in office will not change how posterity judges his tenure.Inheriting billions in budget surplus and leaving your successor with trillions in national debt and $50b trade deficit with your arch-rival for world dominance isn't exactly how to court history.
The democrats learnt a bitter lesson in 2000(Gore) and 2004(Kerry) that playing mummy's boy never really scores with the American people.Scare tactics mixed with an unhealthy dose of war-mongering including the filthiest campaign gimmicks are all fair game..and have worked for republicans historically to no end.It is no coincidence that America has had more republican presidents than democrats.
If Al Gore and John Kerry were allowed to return and run their respective campaigns all over again,each knows exactly what to do differently in order to change the course of history as it now stands.It would be overly simplistic to simply prescribe that Barack sits down with these beacons of Democratic woulda beens to avert suffering a similar fate against McPalin.The problem is that the Republican attack machine is akin to the Influenza virus,it utilizes antigenic shift as well as it does antigenic drift....and no vaccine actually protects 100%.
As the clintons found out however,appearances are patently deceptive when it comes to the Obama campaign.This campaign is run by some of the most insightful and innovative political operatives in modern political history.Everyone concentrates on Barack's charm and appeal without really looking behind the dark curtains..read up on David Axelrod for example(Barack's campaign manager).
I live in Ohio....and we are a battleground state.In 2000 and 2004,Gore and Kerry easily lost the state by ceding the heavily republican suburbs and small towns to Bush and concentrating on the heavily democratic metropolitan cities like Cleveland,Columbus,Cincinnati,Toledo and Akron.What strikes me this year is that Obama has appeared more at smaller towns like Mansfield,Oberlin,Canton and Youngstown than he has at any of the bigger cities.He is fighting McCain bare-knuckle on his own terrace.
What is more worrying,(or at least should be for the McCain campaign) is that those towns are actually very receptive to democrats this year unlike previously.They are the ones that drive the farthest and burn the most gasoline...and $4/gallon is not a joke...what it means these days is if you drive like me to work >10 miles one way daily,you easily equal the value of your monthly car note on gas expences...so the farmers have traded in their ford expeditions and only keep the Tundras because they need the HP for heavy farm work.
The degree of interest in younger voters and college students who overwhelmingly volunteer for Barack also far outweighs anything the republicans can muster.These determined young people have been harrased,abused,even beaten in some racist Ohio enclaves but still keep going back.The direct result of this resilience is the numerous Obama-for-president banners lining residential streets in all nooks and cranies of previously republican safe-bet towns all over rural Ohio.Barack has double the number of overall campaign offices than McCain has in Ohio today.
Those polls you all see on the internet and every night on TV after work (for those of you in Queens country and Bertie's republic) have several pitfalls.The 1st pitfall kinda works against Obama and concerns hidden racial prejudices.However,talking to several Ohioians who traditionally vote republican but plan to vote barack this year,it's pretty clear that though Americans may often be dumb,they are not always as dumb as we think they are.It is pretty clear to anyone living in yankee at this most perilious times that carrying on this way for 4 more months(never mind 4 more years) is simply not an option...so despite themselves,many are having to vote democrat...but only just!
Events of this week have only served to cement that decision if ever there were any doubts.It is a straight forward choice between your racial prejudices and your tattered pockets(plus your home,car,children college tuition,healthcare costs,401k etc).
The second pitfall is in Barack's favor.That is that most existing polls simply don't sample enough of the youtube/myspace/facebook/twitter-addicted Barack voters who overwhelmingly rely solely on cell phones.I fear seriously for McCain after seeing the hordes of Cleveland state University students filing out today to register and vote early on the prompting of the Obama campaign.This was made possible by a late court decision in favor of the democratic Ohio secretary of state despite the protestations of the Republicans.
I don't think even McCain is under any illusions who all those CSU college students are voting for...and they will continue voting all week until voter registration closes on 10/06.Thereafter,everyone will have to wait until 11/04 when millions more around the world will be watching on CNN as the votes are tallied.
As we speak,the incumbent in Canada,Stephen Harper,a staunch Bush paddy,has called emergency elections in that country out of fear that a Barack victory in the south may mean a backlash on him and his chances. Their elections will now hold late October;well before history is made in the U.S. I only wish Gordon Brown had the same prerogative....but it's looking more than likely that he will suffer Thatcher's fate since the rebellion within the Labor party currently shows no sign of a let-off.
Finally,since y'all like polls so much,it might interest you to cast a glance at the yahoonews election '08 political dashboard which is today projecting a winner for the 1st time since this race began.Barack has just crossed the treshold of 270 electoral votes based on all the amalgamated polls across all states.
As far as Palin is concerned,I won't even dignify this former beauty queen wannabe with a whole paragraph...she is dim.This is all I need to envision how a McCain presidency might look like.Belligerent,off-the-cuff,impulsive and unguarded.Everything that Barack isn't.
OMC
However,it seems the younger Walker Bush was determined to spell out exactly what a Bush clan was capable of doing to a healthy economy.8 straight years won on the back of a dubious war on the pretences of avenging a true injustice coupled with some 2nd term swift-boatism have now ensured whatever this president does in the remaining 4 months in office will not change how posterity judges his tenure.Inheriting billions in budget surplus and leaving your successor with trillions in national debt and $50b trade deficit with your arch-rival for world dominance isn't exactly how to court history.
The democrats learnt a bitter lesson in 2000(Gore) and 2004(Kerry) that playing mummy's boy never really scores with the American people.Scare tactics mixed with an unhealthy dose of war-mongering including the filthiest campaign gimmicks are all fair game..and have worked for republicans historically to no end.It is no coincidence that America has had more republican presidents than democrats.
If Al Gore and John Kerry were allowed to return and run their respective campaigns all over again,each knows exactly what to do differently in order to change the course of history as it now stands.It would be overly simplistic to simply prescribe that Barack sits down with these beacons of Democratic woulda beens to avert suffering a similar fate against McPalin.The problem is that the Republican attack machine is akin to the Influenza virus,it utilizes antigenic shift as well as it does antigenic drift....and no vaccine actually protects 100%.
As the clintons found out however,appearances are patently deceptive when it comes to the Obama campaign.This campaign is run by some of the most insightful and innovative political operatives in modern political history.Everyone concentrates on Barack's charm and appeal without really looking behind the dark curtains..read up on David Axelrod for example(Barack's campaign manager).
I live in Ohio....and we are a battleground state.In 2000 and 2004,Gore and Kerry easily lost the state by ceding the heavily republican suburbs and small towns to Bush and concentrating on the heavily democratic metropolitan cities like Cleveland,Columbus,Cincinnati,Toledo and Akron.What strikes me this year is that Obama has appeared more at smaller towns like Mansfield,Oberlin,Canton and Youngstown than he has at any of the bigger cities.He is fighting McCain bare-knuckle on his own terrace.
What is more worrying,(or at least should be for the McCain campaign) is that those towns are actually very receptive to democrats this year unlike previously.They are the ones that drive the farthest and burn the most gasoline...and $4/gallon is not a joke...what it means these days is if you drive like me to work >10 miles one way daily,you easily equal the value of your monthly car note on gas expences...so the farmers have traded in their ford expeditions and only keep the Tundras because they need the HP for heavy farm work.
The degree of interest in younger voters and college students who overwhelmingly volunteer for Barack also far outweighs anything the republicans can muster.These determined young people have been harrased,abused,even beaten in some racist Ohio enclaves but still keep going back.The direct result of this resilience is the numerous Obama-for-president banners lining residential streets in all nooks and cranies of previously republican safe-bet towns all over rural Ohio.Barack has double the number of overall campaign offices than McCain has in Ohio today.
Those polls you all see on the internet and every night on TV after work (for those of you in Queens country and Bertie's republic) have several pitfalls.The 1st pitfall kinda works against Obama and concerns hidden racial prejudices.However,talking to several Ohioians who traditionally vote republican but plan to vote barack this year,it's pretty clear that though Americans may often be dumb,they are not always as dumb as we think they are.It is pretty clear to anyone living in yankee at this most perilious times that carrying on this way for 4 more months(never mind 4 more years) is simply not an option...so despite themselves,many are having to vote democrat...but only just!
Events of this week have only served to cement that decision if ever there were any doubts.It is a straight forward choice between your racial prejudices and your tattered pockets(plus your home,car,children college tuition,healthcare costs,401k etc).
The second pitfall is in Barack's favor.That is that most existing polls simply don't sample enough of the youtube/myspace/facebook/twitter-addicted Barack voters who overwhelmingly rely solely on cell phones.I fear seriously for McCain after seeing the hordes of Cleveland state University students filing out today to register and vote early on the prompting of the Obama campaign.This was made possible by a late court decision in favor of the democratic Ohio secretary of state despite the protestations of the Republicans.
I don't think even McCain is under any illusions who all those CSU college students are voting for...and they will continue voting all week until voter registration closes on 10/06.Thereafter,everyone will have to wait until 11/04 when millions more around the world will be watching on CNN as the votes are tallied.
As we speak,the incumbent in Canada,Stephen Harper,a staunch Bush paddy,has called emergency elections in that country out of fear that a Barack victory in the south may mean a backlash on him and his chances. Their elections will now hold late October;well before history is made in the U.S. I only wish Gordon Brown had the same prerogative....but it's looking more than likely that he will suffer Thatcher's fate since the rebellion within the Labor party currently shows no sign of a let-off.
Finally,since y'all like polls so much,it might interest you to cast a glance at the yahoonews election '08 political dashboard which is today projecting a winner for the 1st time since this race began.Barack has just crossed the treshold of 270 electoral votes based on all the amalgamated polls across all states.
As far as Palin is concerned,I won't even dignify this former beauty queen wannabe with a whole paragraph...she is dim.This is all I need to envision how a McCain presidency might look like.Belligerent,off-the-cuff,impulsive and unguarded.Everything that Barack isn't.
OMC
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