MultCloud(https://www.multcloud.com/), a FREE and easy-to-use web app, supports for Managing Files and Transferring Files across Cloud Drives. Free provide 10TB traffic for data transmission.
Thank you for reading this. This is part of the process of upgrading the standard free 2TB of web traffic to 10TB. That should get me through a month!
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Everybody Wants a Piece of My Pie
Anyone who knows me is aware that I am cheap enough that I will try to squeeze six pennies out of nickel. I cruise the net for coupons and rebates. This is free money manufacturers give away when you buy their stuff. Basically, it's an admission on the part of the manufacturer that what they are selling is not really worth what they are charging, and they can still make a healthy profit if you're too busy or too lazy to do the paperwork. At my rate of pay the time to do the paperwork costs nothing.
Rebates are processed through huge clearing houses that do nothing but try to find a way to disqualify your submission and delay fulfillment. Some rebate centers even have a policy that part of the process is that you have to contact the rebate center to find out the status of your rebate. They don't include that in the requirements, they just hope that you've forgotten about it or it's not worth the trouble to follow up for the $10 you're waiting for.
Today I realized that something I had seen once or twice in the past is becoming part of the standard rebate process. When you submit the web portion of the rebate requirements you are allowed to choose an "expedited process" that only takes 5-7 days, or you can wait the 8-10 weeks for standard processing. The expedited process is available for a "small transaction fee". For the rebate I submitted today, that meant $2 or the $20 in the rebate. Inflation is not so rampant that the value of the rebate will diminish by 10% in the next couple of months. I can wait.
Rebates are processed through huge clearing houses that do nothing but try to find a way to disqualify your submission and delay fulfillment. Some rebate centers even have a policy that part of the process is that you have to contact the rebate center to find out the status of your rebate. They don't include that in the requirements, they just hope that you've forgotten about it or it's not worth the trouble to follow up for the $10 you're waiting for.
Today I realized that something I had seen once or twice in the past is becoming part of the standard rebate process. When you submit the web portion of the rebate requirements you are allowed to choose an "expedited process" that only takes 5-7 days, or you can wait the 8-10 weeks for standard processing. The expedited process is available for a "small transaction fee". For the rebate I submitted today, that meant $2 or the $20 in the rebate. Inflation is not so rampant that the value of the rebate will diminish by 10% in the next couple of months. I can wait.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Romance
In our modern world we associate a candle lit dinner as a romantic experience shared in an intimate, expectant atmosphere.
In the middle ages Europeans limited themselves to two meals a day during winter, dinner at about 10 AM and supper about 4 PM. Their meals were so full of vermin they chose not to eat in the dark.
In the middle ages Europeans limited themselves to two meals a day during winter, dinner at about 10 AM and supper about 4 PM. Their meals were so full of vermin they chose not to eat in the dark.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
When You Know You're Right
One of the weaknesses or perceived weaknesses of the philosophical view defined as "liberal" is that you always admit that you may be wrong. Arguments appear soft to some because credit is usually ascribed to the parts of the opposing doctrine that have merit. To those who never had the opportunity for collegiate study where one had to support not just two opposing arguments, but recognize the many possibilities that could be argued these people, who they condescendingly call "pseudo intellectuals" or a "intellectuals" with a pejorative tone appear unsure. Generally, the more education a person has, the more liberal their philosophy as they understand that a dichotomy is usually a losing proposition because it excludes all ideas not part of the reactionary argument.
A great example of this blind zealotry (I was going to use "enthusiasm", but the etymology of that word contradicts its inclusion) was apparent during the McCarthy hearings. I just learned today that they dragged the composer and musician Aaron Copland in front of them for "un-American activities". To get a feel for the intellectual level of committee members, many didn't know who he was. Even at that time he had been acknowledged as the composer who created American classical music. Most of us recognize "Fanfare for the Common Man" and parts of "Appalachian Spring" or the "Billy the Kid Ballet". To be considered culturally literate one would have to be familiar with him.
Nothing he had done, written or played irked the panel. All of his work celebrated a great nation and preached American ideals. The problem was that he was gay and Jewish. Because of what he was, who he was and what he did was insignificant to the panel.
So pay attention Tea Party: Never endorse or reject something that is said or done because of who said it. The veracity of something is not diminished because it is quoted by a disciple instead of the master. And sometimes the prophet may be simply sharing his opinion as a man, not serving as the oracle of God.
You can't prove that anything is absolutely true. All you can do is have faith that it is true until something comes along that explains it better or demonstrates its fallibility. Newtonian physics, for example, were never true even though they work quite well for the world we observe with our senses. Even though we continue to use Newton's calculus it is not absolutely accurate. Einstein (and many others) proved that it was incorrect, but it still works for much of what we do.
The one thing I rely on is that whenever I find someone who feels they are absolutely right, that they are positive and that what they are preaching has been endorsed by the gods of this and other worlds, the more likely that person hasn't investigated enough alternatives.
A great example of this blind zealotry (I was going to use "enthusiasm", but the etymology of that word contradicts its inclusion) was apparent during the McCarthy hearings. I just learned today that they dragged the composer and musician Aaron Copland in front of them for "un-American activities". To get a feel for the intellectual level of committee members, many didn't know who he was. Even at that time he had been acknowledged as the composer who created American classical music. Most of us recognize "Fanfare for the Common Man" and parts of "Appalachian Spring" or the "Billy the Kid Ballet". To be considered culturally literate one would have to be familiar with him.
Nothing he had done, written or played irked the panel. All of his work celebrated a great nation and preached American ideals. The problem was that he was gay and Jewish. Because of what he was, who he was and what he did was insignificant to the panel.
So pay attention Tea Party: Never endorse or reject something that is said or done because of who said it. The veracity of something is not diminished because it is quoted by a disciple instead of the master. And sometimes the prophet may be simply sharing his opinion as a man, not serving as the oracle of God.
You can't prove that anything is absolutely true. All you can do is have faith that it is true until something comes along that explains it better or demonstrates its fallibility. Newtonian physics, for example, were never true even though they work quite well for the world we observe with our senses. Even though we continue to use Newton's calculus it is not absolutely accurate. Einstein (and many others) proved that it was incorrect, but it still works for much of what we do.
The one thing I rely on is that whenever I find someone who feels they are absolutely right, that they are positive and that what they are preaching has been endorsed by the gods of this and other worlds, the more likely that person hasn't investigated enough alternatives.
Friday, June 29, 2012
A Reason NOT to Wear Flip-Flops
I watched a BBC 4 documentary called "Beating Infection" from the series Medical Mavericks. I learned mosquitoes have a preference for the feet and ankles. 19 bites on the feet to every one on the arm. I already knew that they preferred Maria to myself and that if I stood close to her, they would choose her (who wouldn't) over me. This has worked better than OFF. Apparently it's the aroma of the feet that lures them.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Prenatal Rhythm
When the baby in the womb kicks, the kicks are not completely random. Observation has shown that they actually kick a rhythm around the tempo established by the mother's heartbeat.
Now I wonder whether my children with their Cuban-American mother kicked mambos, cha-chas and other salsa or whether my genes suppressed them to a straight 2/4 march.
Now I wonder whether my children with their Cuban-American mother kicked mambos, cha-chas and other salsa or whether my genes suppressed them to a straight 2/4 march.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
My Fitness Pal
With the support of my children and wife I have joined those using the web site "My Fitness Pal" to track my diet and lose some weight. I currently weigh about sixty pounds more than I'd like (it was seventy when I started) and I believe a lot of the symptoms and side effects of my chronic pain would be mitigated by being more healthy. I try to track everything I eat. This is aided by the app that runs on my phone so I catch the little things that I prefer to forget. Like that bite of carrot cake or stolen cookie.
As long as I was going to work on a healthier diet, I looked at what advantages a "vegetarian" or at least "more vegetarian" diet might have. I currently eat very little red meat and not much of chicken or other meat. So I studied the data at the NIH and other sites to see what evidence there was. I found that the studies interpreted by pro-vegetarian sites always had a bit more nice to say about the diet.
In the end, after everything I read, it appears that there may be an advantage of 1.5 to 2 years longevity for the vegetarians (vegans did worse than everyone - attributed to the difficulty in getting enough B vitamins in a strictly vegetable diet!). Still, it was not enough difference that it might not have been the typical higher incomes of vegetarians and the overall heightened health awareness. Vegetarians were much less likely to smoke, drink to excess and exercised regularly. There lies the real secret: exercise. This is the element that significantly impacts longevity and lifestyle. MFP encourages me to exercise and track the aerobic or strength fitness I pursue. The only thing that the NIH was comfortable saying was that Vegetarians had a lower risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease.
In the end the question remains, "Should one pursue a vegetarian diet for health reasons?" Nobel prize winning author Isaac Bashevics Singer replies emphatically, "Yes, for the health of the chicken."
As long as I was going to work on a healthier diet, I looked at what advantages a "vegetarian" or at least "more vegetarian" diet might have. I currently eat very little red meat and not much of chicken or other meat. So I studied the data at the NIH and other sites to see what evidence there was. I found that the studies interpreted by pro-vegetarian sites always had a bit more nice to say about the diet.
In the end, after everything I read, it appears that there may be an advantage of 1.5 to 2 years longevity for the vegetarians (vegans did worse than everyone - attributed to the difficulty in getting enough B vitamins in a strictly vegetable diet!). Still, it was not enough difference that it might not have been the typical higher incomes of vegetarians and the overall heightened health awareness. Vegetarians were much less likely to smoke, drink to excess and exercised regularly. There lies the real secret: exercise. This is the element that significantly impacts longevity and lifestyle. MFP encourages me to exercise and track the aerobic or strength fitness I pursue. The only thing that the NIH was comfortable saying was that Vegetarians had a lower risk of dying from ischaemic heart disease.
In the end the question remains, "Should one pursue a vegetarian diet for health reasons?" Nobel prize winning author Isaac Bashevics Singer replies emphatically, "Yes, for the health of the chicken."
The Idiocy of Racism
I have never been able to understand how rational people become racist. To me, it is the proof that we are enslaved more by our passions and emotions than we are liberated by our knowledge. For example, one is hard pressed to find a smoker who does not believe the usage guidelines on cigarettes that "use as directed will kill you". It's not until they develop an emotional incentive that they are able to finally quit...sometimes.
I have been reading a book by Steve Olson titled Mapping Human History. He traces the history of human kind through the genetic haplotypes it females' mitochondrial DNA and the males' Y chromosome. The first thing I learned is that the Y chromosome can be used to track mutations and is actually more informative than female mitochondrial DNA. At first they thought the Y chromosome was of little value, but now they have identified over 200 locations where mutations occur creating distinct haplotypes.
The real eye-opener was in the area of using biology to determine ethnic or racial origins. I had always known that there is more variation in the DNA of local "homogeneous" group (say all the citizens of a small town) than between one group and another of a different "race" (for example the Hispanics in the city of Bend, Oregon vs. the "White" people of Bend, Oregon). This is because most of DNA identifiers, say skin tone, or eye color vary among "European" people more than they vary between "European" and "Hispanic" people (just accept that some of the Europeans will have the same skin tone as an Hispanic, or if most of the Hispanics have dark brown eyes, at least one of the Europeans will likely have the same eye color).
The other tidbit that is rather well-known and accepted is that when any group is in slavery to another (Egyptians to Romans as much as Africans to Southern Americans) there is a great mixing of the DNA in both men and women. Of course, in the American South it was accepted with a wink that white men were having sexual liaisons (probably very few at the choice of the woman) with African-American women, but the idea of plantation women mixing with African-American was outrageous and would quickly lead to the lynching of any man discovered or accused. Again, what I find beyond comprehension is how the plantation men could so easily see their offspring as an increase in their chattel assets, this being beyond the already outrageous idea than a person of some sort would see a biological superiority to another in chattel slavery.
Here's the most remarkable fact though: among people who pass for "white" within the definitions of the government who can trace their lineage back to the American south, 25% of us have African DNA that matches that of the African West Coast. Among those classified African-American by government definition who trace their lineage to the Antebellum South, 30% have European DNA.
The "Us Vs Them" concept is so strong in humanity that we create "Thems" based on the slightest ideas: it could be language, skin tone (and this has infinite variations), eye shape, or even diet. The choices are random, arbitrary and pretty stupid when you think about it. Once this difference is made it is usually a small step to "WE are superior to THEM" and "WE WILL CLEANSE THE EARTH OF THEM".
In 2010 the US Census Bureau chose to allow the choice of multiple ethnic origins. Three percent of respondents chose this option. I believe as the enthusiasm for genealogy continues to grow, information becomes available and stigma is overcome many more of us will choose some combination. As the DNA evidence is accepted more and more, ALL of us will have to check African.
The serious matter settled, I will indulge in a ridiculous but characteristic observation:
I believe my DNA is dominated by the Scots-Irish immigration. My beautiful wife is Cuban-American tracing her lineage to The Canary Islands, Spain and the Basque country. My children have little resemblance to one another (yes, they all came from the same two parents) but bear resemblance to their parents and forbears in many ways. My oldest, my son Brendan, realizes the absolute proof of this European-Caribbean-American blend: he enjoys both root beer and malta, the characteristic fizzy, sugary beverages of his parents. Trust me, if you have ever tasted both and did not grow up with the presence of both drinks, taste the one that is foreign. You will understand that DNA proves nothing. I think the US Census should recognize a new ethnic category: The Root Beer/Malta (RBM) population.
I have been reading a book by Steve Olson titled Mapping Human History. He traces the history of human kind through the genetic haplotypes it females' mitochondrial DNA and the males' Y chromosome. The first thing I learned is that the Y chromosome can be used to track mutations and is actually more informative than female mitochondrial DNA. At first they thought the Y chromosome was of little value, but now they have identified over 200 locations where mutations occur creating distinct haplotypes.
The real eye-opener was in the area of using biology to determine ethnic or racial origins. I had always known that there is more variation in the DNA of local "homogeneous" group (say all the citizens of a small town) than between one group and another of a different "race" (for example the Hispanics in the city of Bend, Oregon vs. the "White" people of Bend, Oregon). This is because most of DNA identifiers, say skin tone, or eye color vary among "European" people more than they vary between "European" and "Hispanic" people (just accept that some of the Europeans will have the same skin tone as an Hispanic, or if most of the Hispanics have dark brown eyes, at least one of the Europeans will likely have the same eye color).
The other tidbit that is rather well-known and accepted is that when any group is in slavery to another (Egyptians to Romans as much as Africans to Southern Americans) there is a great mixing of the DNA in both men and women. Of course, in the American South it was accepted with a wink that white men were having sexual liaisons (probably very few at the choice of the woman) with African-American women, but the idea of plantation women mixing with African-American was outrageous and would quickly lead to the lynching of any man discovered or accused. Again, what I find beyond comprehension is how the plantation men could so easily see their offspring as an increase in their chattel assets, this being beyond the already outrageous idea than a person of some sort would see a biological superiority to another in chattel slavery.
Here's the most remarkable fact though: among people who pass for "white" within the definitions of the government who can trace their lineage back to the American south, 25% of us have African DNA that matches that of the African West Coast. Among those classified African-American by government definition who trace their lineage to the Antebellum South, 30% have European DNA.
The "Us Vs Them" concept is so strong in humanity that we create "Thems" based on the slightest ideas: it could be language, skin tone (and this has infinite variations), eye shape, or even diet. The choices are random, arbitrary and pretty stupid when you think about it. Once this difference is made it is usually a small step to "WE are superior to THEM" and "WE WILL CLEANSE THE EARTH OF THEM".
In 2010 the US Census Bureau chose to allow the choice of multiple ethnic origins. Three percent of respondents chose this option. I believe as the enthusiasm for genealogy continues to grow, information becomes available and stigma is overcome many more of us will choose some combination. As the DNA evidence is accepted more and more, ALL of us will have to check African.
The serious matter settled, I will indulge in a ridiculous but characteristic observation:
I believe my DNA is dominated by the Scots-Irish immigration. My beautiful wife is Cuban-American tracing her lineage to The Canary Islands, Spain and the Basque country. My children have little resemblance to one another (yes, they all came from the same two parents) but bear resemblance to their parents and forbears in many ways. My oldest, my son Brendan, realizes the absolute proof of this European-Caribbean-American blend: he enjoys both root beer and malta, the characteristic fizzy, sugary beverages of his parents. Trust me, if you have ever tasted both and did not grow up with the presence of both drinks, taste the one that is foreign. You will understand that DNA proves nothing. I think the US Census should recognize a new ethnic category: The Root Beer/Malta (RBM) population.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Sleep Come Free Me
I bought James Taylor's album Flag (on vinyl) when it came out in 1979. The last song is a very bluesy number where Taylor expresses a prisoner's wish for sleep as his only escape from incarceration. Somewhere I read that some people doing time will sleep for as much as 20 hours in a day. Having dealt with some pretty substantial chronic pain issues accompanied depression I understand the only place you are really free is in your dreams.
I am the main caregiver for my 88 year old father in law. His propensity to fall asleep is legend in the family.When I first started watching him I thought it might be a sign that his condition wasn't the best. I was reassured that "he has always been like that", that he falls asleep in an instant and can sleep through just about anything.
The Cubans (my in-laws) turn the TV on before they get out of bed and turn it off sometime after 10. Normally when I would dose them during the day, he would be aware of what was on the TV. It's the only thing they do. They don't read. They don't go outside to sit or walk. They don't listen to music. They watch. And they believe most of the reality shows are true to life. Their favorite, Caso Cerrado, must be on separate channels sever times a day because it seems the people are always screaming at each other, making incredible accusations and calling each other things you couldn't say on English television. Well, maybe on MTV.
Lately, Papi has been asleep every time I see. I've had to wake him up for every medication, for every meal, for a shower or just to change out of his pajamas. And whenever I open the door to go in I hear James Taylor singing Sleep Come Free Me.
I am the main caregiver for my 88 year old father in law. His propensity to fall asleep is legend in the family.When I first started watching him I thought it might be a sign that his condition wasn't the best. I was reassured that "he has always been like that", that he falls asleep in an instant and can sleep through just about anything.
The Cubans (my in-laws) turn the TV on before they get out of bed and turn it off sometime after 10. Normally when I would dose them during the day, he would be aware of what was on the TV. It's the only thing they do. They don't read. They don't go outside to sit or walk. They don't listen to music. They watch. And they believe most of the reality shows are true to life. Their favorite, Caso Cerrado, must be on separate channels sever times a day because it seems the people are always screaming at each other, making incredible accusations and calling each other things you couldn't say on English television. Well, maybe on MTV.
Lately, Papi has been asleep every time I see. I've had to wake him up for every medication, for every meal, for a shower or just to change out of his pajamas. And whenever I open the door to go in I hear James Taylor singing Sleep Come Free Me.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Who's your daddy?
One of the books I'm currently reading is Mapping Human History by Steve Olson. A few pages ago I ran across the statement that according to geneticists almost one in ten of us were fathered by someone other than the name on the birth certificate. If you're a first or a last child, the chance that it is you rises to 25%.
This seems like a perfect case of unintended consequences. Many of us are swabbing our cheeks and sending material off to be sequenced into the Human Genome Project. Scientists are hoping to identify genetic markers or causes to various diseases, characteristics and possibly behaviors. When there is a haploid difference we run into what is called the "non paternity event"; i.e., the genealogy we've recorded doesn't match the genetics in the lab.
Most of us are pretty certain who our mothers are. Most mothers are absolutely sure who are mothers are. It seems that the number of mothers who are absolutely certain who our fathers are may not be as high as we supposed.
This seems like a perfect case of unintended consequences. Many of us are swabbing our cheeks and sending material off to be sequenced into the Human Genome Project. Scientists are hoping to identify genetic markers or causes to various diseases, characteristics and possibly behaviors. When there is a haploid difference we run into what is called the "non paternity event"; i.e., the genealogy we've recorded doesn't match the genetics in the lab.
Most of us are pretty certain who our mothers are. Most mothers are absolutely sure who are mothers are. It seems that the number of mothers who are absolutely certain who our fathers are may not be as high as we supposed.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Cosmetic Surgery
Yesterday I watched a fascinating documentary, Frontline Medicine, which explored some of the amazing breakthroughs that have been made in saving and rebuilding lives. Part of the program followed a young man who had burned his entire face off in an accident. He is one of the few that has received the still very experimental face transplant. Cosmetic surgery has developed incredibly in working with the wounded warriors and others who have suffered horrible disfigurement.
The other side of that coin is the amount of totally elective cosmetic surgery people have sought out to make themselves more attractive. At one end is the use of tools like Botox which I described in a posting called "BroTox". The other side is the use of implants and surgery to make breasts, buttocks and genitalia bigger, smaller or just different. I guess it is sexist on my part that I feel that men pursuing this are more narcissistic than women struggling to fit societies ideals. I find them both equally foolish, but I can understand the pressure on women much more than that on men.
It was just a coincidence that later yesterday evening I ran into another interesting item while reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. During the second and third centuries BC, Hellenism was all the rage in Jerusalem. Those who wanted to be considered erudite and having a certain amount of status pursued and indulged in everything Greek. On of those things was Gymnasium. With a lower case "g" gymnasium in that part of High School that smelled of sweat and athletic energy. With the uppercase "G" Gymnasium was the social practice of working out, something that was done gymnós; meaning "naked". For the up and coming Jew this was a problem. Circumcision was a definite symbol that labeled you un-Greek.
Cosmetic surgery came to the rescue of pride and ego in the form of an operation to stitch on a false foreskin. For those who could not afford the surgery, there were false foreskins one could wear while gymnós.
The other side of that coin is the amount of totally elective cosmetic surgery people have sought out to make themselves more attractive. At one end is the use of tools like Botox which I described in a posting called "BroTox". The other side is the use of implants and surgery to make breasts, buttocks and genitalia bigger, smaller or just different. I guess it is sexist on my part that I feel that men pursuing this are more narcissistic than women struggling to fit societies ideals. I find them both equally foolish, but I can understand the pressure on women much more than that on men.
It was just a coincidence that later yesterday evening I ran into another interesting item while reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. During the second and third centuries BC, Hellenism was all the rage in Jerusalem. Those who wanted to be considered erudite and having a certain amount of status pursued and indulged in everything Greek. On of those things was Gymnasium. With a lower case "g" gymnasium in that part of High School that smelled of sweat and athletic energy. With the uppercase "G" Gymnasium was the social practice of working out, something that was done gymnós; meaning "naked". For the up and coming Jew this was a problem. Circumcision was a definite symbol that labeled you un-Greek.
Cosmetic surgery came to the rescue of pride and ego in the form of an operation to stitch on a false foreskin. For those who could not afford the surgery, there were false foreskins one could wear while gymnós.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Progesterone
I have always thought of progesterone as a female hormone. It is used in oral contraceptives to control ovulation. I also knew that progesterone levels skyrocket in women during their pregnancy. There's a reason for this. The increased levels take place during the period when the brain is rapidly developing in the fetus. Progesterone appears to protect and enhance this development.
Progesterone is actually a neurosteroid. It is the only hormone that is created in the brain itself. It is present in both the male and female brains in equal amounts. It is key to the production of nerve cells and synapses in the brain and enhances the flow of blood to brain tissue.
The main killer of people between 20 and 45 is traumatic brain injury - TBI. It happens in automobile accidents, athletic events and assaults. Research at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta has demonstrated that the use of progesterone in the form of an experimental drug "Protect III" can be tremendously effective in treating brain trauma. Doctors can actually see blood return to parts of the brain which showed up as dead in imaging. Stroke damage is being mitigated. Any amount of the brain that can be saved can make an incredible difference in the capacities, capabilities and emotional lives of TBI victims.
In the war in Afghanistan the most lethal weapons of the insurgents are IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Death is usually the result of either massive blood loss through amputations or traumatic brain injury. The miracle of progesterone appears to be giving those who suffer TBI a chance they have never had before. Having become aware of the testing at Grady, the military is now funding more research at SAMMC.
Progesterone is actually a neurosteroid. It is the only hormone that is created in the brain itself. It is present in both the male and female brains in equal amounts. It is key to the production of nerve cells and synapses in the brain and enhances the flow of blood to brain tissue.
The main killer of people between 20 and 45 is traumatic brain injury - TBI. It happens in automobile accidents, athletic events and assaults. Research at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta has demonstrated that the use of progesterone in the form of an experimental drug "Protect III" can be tremendously effective in treating brain trauma. Doctors can actually see blood return to parts of the brain which showed up as dead in imaging. Stroke damage is being mitigated. Any amount of the brain that can be saved can make an incredible difference in the capacities, capabilities and emotional lives of TBI victims.
In the war in Afghanistan the most lethal weapons of the insurgents are IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) and RPGs (Rocket Propelled Grenades). Death is usually the result of either massive blood loss through amputations or traumatic brain injury. The miracle of progesterone appears to be giving those who suffer TBI a chance they have never had before. Having become aware of the testing at Grady, the military is now funding more research at SAMMC.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Obama Care
Universal Health Care is the ultimate reactionary hot button. There is a considerable opposition to the new Health Care law, but I have seen little to improve on it. I see lots of calls for rescinding the law, but nobody is proposing something to take its place. By calling the law "Obama Care" they are able to tie in an emotional edge attracting others who know absolutely nothing about health care, but don't like their President.
I certainly think the current laws passed on health care will be sufficient to reform the system or support the high level of professional care we expect in this country. We are, however, better off than we were simply by the fact that we are now bankrupting the system a little more slowly, but we're still bankrupting the system.
Interestingly, none of the "business" advocates have addressed our health care system as an incredible disadvantages for businesses that compete globally. We complaints about taxes and the unreasonable demands workers put forth for wages, but nobody has screamed about the health care issue.
Here it is: GM was spending more to provide health care for their employees than they spent on steel to make cars before their bankruptcy. There are many other companies that share this burden. We expect employers to provide health insurance. In many companies it is the cost of providing health care that keeps them from being able to compete. Small and medium businesses are harder hit because they can't negotiate the deals that the large companies demand from their insurer. So individuals, small businesses and medium businesses subsidize large businesses by picking of the tab for the health care breaks that get passed on.
When we talk about the high cost of American workers, we're talking about health care. In the beginning businesses jumped on the deal taking a full deduction for health care costs while offering this to the employee in lieu of higher wages. Well, the higher wages are long gone and the businesses are now trying to put much of the health care burden back onto the employee as they can.Businesses in most developed nations do not have to consider the cost of health care as part of employee compensation.
I don't know what the final solution might be. It certainly won't be what is on the books now, nor will it be what was on the books before.
Do some research. Get with your HR department and find out what percentage health care is of your employer's operating cost. The Kaiser Foundation estimates the annual employer contribution to an employee's family plan to be over $9000. I don't think that figure will be going down any time soon.
I certainly think the current laws passed on health care will be sufficient to reform the system or support the high level of professional care we expect in this country. We are, however, better off than we were simply by the fact that we are now bankrupting the system a little more slowly, but we're still bankrupting the system.
Interestingly, none of the "business" advocates have addressed our health care system as an incredible disadvantages for businesses that compete globally. We complaints about taxes and the unreasonable demands workers put forth for wages, but nobody has screamed about the health care issue.
Here it is: GM was spending more to provide health care for their employees than they spent on steel to make cars before their bankruptcy. There are many other companies that share this burden. We expect employers to provide health insurance. In many companies it is the cost of providing health care that keeps them from being able to compete. Small and medium businesses are harder hit because they can't negotiate the deals that the large companies demand from their insurer. So individuals, small businesses and medium businesses subsidize large businesses by picking of the tab for the health care breaks that get passed on.
When we talk about the high cost of American workers, we're talking about health care. In the beginning businesses jumped on the deal taking a full deduction for health care costs while offering this to the employee in lieu of higher wages. Well, the higher wages are long gone and the businesses are now trying to put much of the health care burden back onto the employee as they can.Businesses in most developed nations do not have to consider the cost of health care as part of employee compensation.
I don't know what the final solution might be. It certainly won't be what is on the books now, nor will it be what was on the books before.
Do some research. Get with your HR department and find out what percentage health care is of your employer's operating cost. The Kaiser Foundation estimates the annual employer contribution to an employee's family plan to be over $9000. I don't think that figure will be going down any time soon.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Progress?
Almost everyone is familiar with Moore's law: The number of transistors that can fit on the same size chip will double every two years. This has meant exponential growth in electronics as now we're dealing with some pretty big numbers, and doubling them creates numbers that require scientific notation because you lose your place in the zeroes following the 1.
Another application of this concept is in our ability to make war. According to P.W. Singer in his book Wired for War a Greek hoplite and 500 of his buddies could just about cover the area of a football field in antiquity. A commander could see his entire army along with the army of the enemy from a good vantage point. By the Civil War our weapons and methods had improved to the point where on twenty men could control the same area. By World War I weapon lethality was at the point that we could kill people we couldn't even see. Two soldiers with a machine gun could control the field. By World War II a single infantryman would be responsible for an area the size of five football fields. In 2008, in Iraq the territory for a single soldier was 780 football fields.
Air war has seen even greater exponential growth. In World War I, the pilots who mostly flew reconnaissance missions would occasionally drop a homemade bomb or hand grenade. On rare occasions it was effective. The entire air force never successfully neutralized a single target without infantry. By World War II we could actually take out a target with 108 planes. In 2008 Afghanistan, the average sortie of one aircraft destroys 4.07 targets. Many of those aircraft are flown by someone sitting in a single wide near Las Vegas.
There is also another sensitivity that has changed. In antiquity the bards reveled in the heroic deaths of the thousands and thousands, who at that time constituted a much larger percent of the population. Civilians were not customarily killed in battle. The losing side were just enslaved, ravished and systematically put to death or sacrificed by the victor. In the Civil War, 30,000 could die in a battle. Civilians might sit in a good spot to catch all the action. Sherman realized the only way to stop the Confederacy was to their supplies and sometimes their suppliers. The First World War saw the death of millions and introduction of the term "collateral damage". Again in the Second World War millions died and the perpetration of civilian casualties was prosecuted by both sides as part of their overall strategy. The First Gulf War introduced a new concept: War where none of the "good guys" died in battle. Today, we go to great lengths to make sure the caskets coming home cannot be seen by camera crews. It took years for as many soldiers to perish in battle as civilians perished in the Twin Towers.
Writing this brought up a few realizations:
Another application of this concept is in our ability to make war. According to P.W. Singer in his book Wired for War a Greek hoplite and 500 of his buddies could just about cover the area of a football field in antiquity. A commander could see his entire army along with the army of the enemy from a good vantage point. By the Civil War our weapons and methods had improved to the point where on twenty men could control the same area. By World War I weapon lethality was at the point that we could kill people we couldn't even see. Two soldiers with a machine gun could control the field. By World War II a single infantryman would be responsible for an area the size of five football fields. In 2008, in Iraq the territory for a single soldier was 780 football fields.
Air war has seen even greater exponential growth. In World War I, the pilots who mostly flew reconnaissance missions would occasionally drop a homemade bomb or hand grenade. On rare occasions it was effective. The entire air force never successfully neutralized a single target without infantry. By World War II we could actually take out a target with 108 planes. In 2008 Afghanistan, the average sortie of one aircraft destroys 4.07 targets. Many of those aircraft are flown by someone sitting in a single wide near Las Vegas.
There is also another sensitivity that has changed. In antiquity the bards reveled in the heroic deaths of the thousands and thousands, who at that time constituted a much larger percent of the population. Civilians were not customarily killed in battle. The losing side were just enslaved, ravished and systematically put to death or sacrificed by the victor. In the Civil War, 30,000 could die in a battle. Civilians might sit in a good spot to catch all the action. Sherman realized the only way to stop the Confederacy was to their supplies and sometimes their suppliers. The First World War saw the death of millions and introduction of the term "collateral damage". Again in the Second World War millions died and the perpetration of civilian casualties was prosecuted by both sides as part of their overall strategy. The First Gulf War introduced a new concept: War where none of the "good guys" died in battle. Today, we go to great lengths to make sure the caskets coming home cannot be seen by camera crews. It took years for as many soldiers to perish in battle as civilians perished in the Twin Towers.
Writing this brought up a few realizations:
- We value efficiency creating both life and death.
- We continue to use sports in our analogies of war. Maybe this is because so many games came from training exercises for warriors and hunters. I can't think of a peaceful application of throwing a javelin. Somehow, seeing "no man's land" and "ground zero" as a football field makes it all seem less hostile.
- There really are no "innocent" civilians any more. The Afghans supply the Taliban, our taxes and grandchildren's debt supply our military and mercenary.
- The Predator drone seems like an effective response to the suicide bomber.
- I had better say my prayers every night, because all it takes is a few empowered people having a bad day to create the post homo sapiens period of earth's history.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Zeroes and III's
Zeroes and I’s
In elementary school I gained a basic understanding of how Roman
Numerals worked. Like many (I think) I struggled to convert the production date
of a movie shown in the credits (always shown in Roman Numerals in my youth) to
the Gregorian Calendar before it disappeared from the screen. I got better as I
picked up that everything started with MCM (1900) and all I really had to
negotiate were the L's, X's, V's and I's. I quickly realized in third grade
math (Mrs. Brown, Memorial School, Medfield, Ma) that doing basic arithmetic
with Roman Numerals was fairly difficult; there was not logical flow using the
position of the numeral as there is in the Arabic system: the ones place, the
tens place, and so on (unless this is base 8). For example if you change CLIV to
XLIV there is not logical progression. In CLIV the C means 100 more than L
which means 50. The I mysteriously subtracts 1 from V which is 5 = 154. Swap
the IV to VI and a change that would be monumental in the "tens"
place but only gives us two more = 156. In other words, if the numeral before
another numeral is less than it, we subtract it from the numeral on
the right, if it is greater we add it. Replacing the C with an X in the fourth
column (using right to left math standards) 154 becomes 44. Now we understand
why the abacus is such a great step forward.
What we call “Arabic” numbers are really Hindu-Arabic, and in
early Eurasian civilization, the Indians led the way in math. They even came up
with a symbol to indicate nothing, the zero (0) around the seventh century CE.
This caused the Romans to dig their feet in with CLIV. Certainly the expression
of a quantity of nothing is a contradiction. How can you have a nothing? The
Catholic Church decided this was certainly a satanic invention and outlawed its
use. About a millennia later the Europeans must have decided they had enough as
the zero and the use of Hindu-Arabic numbers won the argument. Today the zero
sits proudly between -1 and +1.
What I was not taught was that the Spanish conquistadors
encountered a symbol for zero when they arrived in the Americas. The may not
have really known this as the Church also decided everything written in the
Americas was also a product of Satan and systematically destroyed everything
they could. In 1993 an archeologist looking over a stela finally came up with sufficient verbiage to allow linguists
to interpret some of the early writing. These civilizations used three
calendars, the “Long Count” which counts
the days from a fixed date in the past, a sacred “Tzolkin” of 260 days and the secular “Haab” of 365 days. Since these calendars don’t drop a year at the
birth of Christ (year 0), they were suitable for astronomical study. The Long Count worked something like IP
addresses where each group of numbers meant something different. The remarkable
thing is that the stela are inscribed with Long Count dates where zero is used
as a place holder as early as 125 CE. It was definitely in common use by the
third century CE, at least four hundred years before its invention in the old
world.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The Myth of "The Empty Continents"
I've been reading the book 1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann. The indicate great scholarly study in research. Footnotes are excellent and do not seem to have been selectively quoted or included.
I had always known that the effects of European disease on the natives of the Americas were tremendous. What I hadn't realized is how tremendous.
We tend to cringe at the devastation of the bubonic plague in Europe. Generally, 1/3 of the population, 33 of every 100 people were killed in the first wave. The second wave claimed more lives.
European pathogens preceded colonists by about 5 years. An area would be "discovered", mapped and minimally explored. Europeans had been fishing off the east coast of North America for years. Animals that were brought, especially pigs, escaped and carried trans-specific diseases with them (most animal pathogens are not necessarily dangerous to humans, but pigs in particular are a great source of trans-specific infection). Just considering smallpox and malaria millions died from exposure. It seems that native immune systems were extremely susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, but held up much better than Europeans for parasite infection.
The story of Tisquantum (we teach his name as Squanto, but in American History, but that was derogatory nickname given by Massasoit) can illustrate what happened. When he was originally kidnapped and enslaved, Europeans described the coastline as a continuous blaze of camp fires. He was from the Patuxet area (now Rhode Island). At some point, he was able to get transported back with a fishing trip as far as Newfoundland, but wouldn't venture over land for fear of the huge population of unfriendly tribes. The captain was unwilling to sail further south and risk poorer weather on the North Atlantic. Five years later, when he was able to return to Newfoundland again, he decided to take his chances. Where there once had been villages a series of camps, villages and structures that were empty. Great funeral mounds and piles of skeletons were everywhere. Many were left laying down where they awaited their last minutes. Recent art showed people with huge sores all over their bodies, characteristic of smallpox.
It is estimated now that as much as 95% of inhabitants of the Americas were killed by European disease. Coastal natives had moved inland to escape the death, carrying the pathogens with them. In a great many places 100% of the population was killed. Similar histories were written about the Aztecs and the Inca, but are only recently being mentioned if taught at all. The Spanish and English colonists viewed this as God's statement that the Americas were destined to become the property of the Europeans.
In the saga of Guns, Germs and Steel it is the germs that were most powerful and devastating. Imagine a life where in five years 95% or your family, your friends and your neighbors died a horrible, unstoppable death. 95%.
I had always known that the effects of European disease on the natives of the Americas were tremendous. What I hadn't realized is how tremendous.
We tend to cringe at the devastation of the bubonic plague in Europe. Generally, 1/3 of the population, 33 of every 100 people were killed in the first wave. The second wave claimed more lives.
European pathogens preceded colonists by about 5 years. An area would be "discovered", mapped and minimally explored. Europeans had been fishing off the east coast of North America for years. Animals that were brought, especially pigs, escaped and carried trans-specific diseases with them (most animal pathogens are not necessarily dangerous to humans, but pigs in particular are a great source of trans-specific infection). Just considering smallpox and malaria millions died from exposure. It seems that native immune systems were extremely susceptible to bacterial and viral infections, but held up much better than Europeans for parasite infection.
The story of Tisquantum (we teach his name as Squanto, but in American History, but that was derogatory nickname given by Massasoit) can illustrate what happened. When he was originally kidnapped and enslaved, Europeans described the coastline as a continuous blaze of camp fires. He was from the Patuxet area (now Rhode Island). At some point, he was able to get transported back with a fishing trip as far as Newfoundland, but wouldn't venture over land for fear of the huge population of unfriendly tribes. The captain was unwilling to sail further south and risk poorer weather on the North Atlantic. Five years later, when he was able to return to Newfoundland again, he decided to take his chances. Where there once had been villages a series of camps, villages and structures that were empty. Great funeral mounds and piles of skeletons were everywhere. Many were left laying down where they awaited their last minutes. Recent art showed people with huge sores all over their bodies, characteristic of smallpox.
It is estimated now that as much as 95% of inhabitants of the Americas were killed by European disease. Coastal natives had moved inland to escape the death, carrying the pathogens with them. In a great many places 100% of the population was killed. Similar histories were written about the Aztecs and the Inca, but are only recently being mentioned if taught at all. The Spanish and English colonists viewed this as God's statement that the Americas were destined to become the property of the Europeans.
In the saga of Guns, Germs and Steel it is the germs that were most powerful and devastating. Imagine a life where in five years 95% or your family, your friends and your neighbors died a horrible, unstoppable death. 95%.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Bro Tox
Dr. Alan Scott may be the model of the a doctor searching to cure a problem that has plagued the world since creation. He wanted to find a way to treat strabismus which most of us call "crossed eyes". The effect of this more than cancels out the benefits of stereoscopic vision. Society has also tended to mock and demean people with this malady.
In 1980 he found the cure and it was licensed for medicinal use. Produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, botulinum toxin acts a neurotoxin causing a temporary paralysis of the muscles the affected nerves control. This turned out to have a hidden dividend: Botox was also effective at treating certain kinds of tension migraines, giving sufferers back their lives.
All medications come with side effects. Without the stimulation of the nerves treated with Botox, the muscles could no longer contract. The result is that those wrinkles we all acquire as time goes on disappear for a few months until the effects of the Botox wear off. If you Google Botox you will probably see the name of Dr. Jean Caruthers, not the name of Dr. Scott. Dr. Caruthers is credited as being the first person to use Botox for cosmetic purposes.
We live in a world where we constantly declare that "it's what is inside you, not your outsides that is important." We don't really believe this, because if we did we would not spend the money to poison (toxin means poison) ourselves just to lose a few wrinkles. We would also spend our money to enjoy the work of actresses like Meryl Streep. She refuses to Botox so we writer her off as "past her prime" and only suited for "older roles". Her acting is still magnificent. But you will note the number of celebrities and even our everyday friends that invest in Botox to appear younger than we are.
As an aside, I don't understand how a true actor, who uses their face as a tool with enormous impact, can justify paralyzing it. Gone are the little nuances of tension in an eye wink, a raised eyebrow or a concerned forehead. The term for this is "frozen face" and due to the lack of skill of many cosmetic doctors, you can see it everywhere.
It is not just women using Botox, as we still tend to give inordinate priority to their beauty missing much of their other contributions. Men, too, are into the Botox party. It even has its own moniker, "Bro Tox".
Dr. Scott sold the patent on Botox to Allergan for $8 million. Most people laugh at his business ineptitude. His response that I read was, "I already have everything I want with $8 million, what would I do with more?" Allergan has the answer: Make people aware of the terrible effects wrinkles can have on who you are, then sell you something you can buy again, and again, and again....
In 1980 he found the cure and it was licensed for medicinal use. Produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, botulinum toxin acts a neurotoxin causing a temporary paralysis of the muscles the affected nerves control. This turned out to have a hidden dividend: Botox was also effective at treating certain kinds of tension migraines, giving sufferers back their lives.
All medications come with side effects. Without the stimulation of the nerves treated with Botox, the muscles could no longer contract. The result is that those wrinkles we all acquire as time goes on disappear for a few months until the effects of the Botox wear off. If you Google Botox you will probably see the name of Dr. Jean Caruthers, not the name of Dr. Scott. Dr. Caruthers is credited as being the first person to use Botox for cosmetic purposes.
We live in a world where we constantly declare that "it's what is inside you, not your outsides that is important." We don't really believe this, because if we did we would not spend the money to poison (toxin means poison) ourselves just to lose a few wrinkles. We would also spend our money to enjoy the work of actresses like Meryl Streep. She refuses to Botox so we writer her off as "past her prime" and only suited for "older roles". Her acting is still magnificent. But you will note the number of celebrities and even our everyday friends that invest in Botox to appear younger than we are.
As an aside, I don't understand how a true actor, who uses their face as a tool with enormous impact, can justify paralyzing it. Gone are the little nuances of tension in an eye wink, a raised eyebrow or a concerned forehead. The term for this is "frozen face" and due to the lack of skill of many cosmetic doctors, you can see it everywhere.
It is not just women using Botox, as we still tend to give inordinate priority to their beauty missing much of their other contributions. Men, too, are into the Botox party. It even has its own moniker, "Bro Tox".
Dr. Scott sold the patent on Botox to Allergan for $8 million. Most people laugh at his business ineptitude. His response that I read was, "I already have everything I want with $8 million, what would I do with more?" Allergan has the answer: Make people aware of the terrible effects wrinkles can have on who you are, then sell you something you can buy again, and again, and again....
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
The Shroud of Turin
Almost everyone knows the story of the Shroud of Turin. I, for one, am incredibly skeptical about any "holy relics". I have to agree with Mark Twain who said "If you took all the splinters I've seen that claiming to be from the true cross, you could build a city." My standard feeling about "holy relics" is "And...?". I don't think Christ's cup would have any more influence over what you might drink than Ronald Reagan's pen would influence what you might write. Maybe I should compare Hemingway's Remington.
Generally it is accepted that the fabric may be too young, carbon dating from around 1350 CE, but that the pollen and other biological markers found on are definitely from Jerusalem and the chronicled path of the shroud. The weaving of the fabric is consistent with first century Hebrew manufacture. In other words, the consensus appears to be "We're pretty sure from one scientific test that this isn't real, but a lot of other scientific tests support it to be genuine."
One fact that is not contested is that the fabric made a fantastic negative for the photographs taken in the last century. The detail is remarkable. The point made Easter Morning on CBS Sunday Morning by a researcher, Thomas De Wesselow, describing himself as "an agnostic, maybe a skeptic" is that his book has determined that everything on the shroud is absolutely consistent with the method of Roman crucifixion in the first century. Almost all of the paintings created to depict this event are NOT accurate, i.e., they do not depict the crucifixion in the way it was executed. Accepting the carbon dating, my first questions start with, "Who did they crucify in 1350 following exactly the Roman methods and the biblical account to create this hoax? And who was it that traveled the chronicled route of the shroud collecting pollen and other biological determinants to make sure they would later be found on the fabric?"
Then came a theory I had never heard before: The sightings of Jesus after the resurrection were not sightings of his immortal body, but sightings of the shroud. What Mary of Magdalene saw and talked with in the garden was the shroud. What Paul came upon on the road to Damascus was the shroud. The entity that baptized the disciples with the Holy Spirit was the shroud.
I guess if you start from a supposition fraught with superstitious beliefs of miracle-producing relics, it is not a difficult reach to shrouds that walk, talk, bless, eat and invite the touch of a doubting Thomas. For my part, it is easier to conceive of a god reassuming his perfected body than it is to accept animated fabric. And I have to ask this question, "How did they prepare and feed the fish to the shroud?"
One fact that is not contested is that the fabric made a fantastic negative for the photographs taken in the last century. The detail is remarkable. The point made Easter Morning on CBS Sunday Morning by a researcher, Thomas De Wesselow, describing himself as "an agnostic, maybe a skeptic" is that his book has determined that everything on the shroud is absolutely consistent with the method of Roman crucifixion in the first century. Almost all of the paintings created to depict this event are NOT accurate, i.e., they do not depict the crucifixion in the way it was executed. Accepting the carbon dating, my first questions start with, "Who did they crucify in 1350 following exactly the Roman methods and the biblical account to create this hoax? And who was it that traveled the chronicled route of the shroud collecting pollen and other biological determinants to make sure they would later be found on the fabric?"
Then came a theory I had never heard before: The sightings of Jesus after the resurrection were not sightings of his immortal body, but sightings of the shroud. What Mary of Magdalene saw and talked with in the garden was the shroud. What Paul came upon on the road to Damascus was the shroud. The entity that baptized the disciples with the Holy Spirit was the shroud.
I guess if you start from a supposition fraught with superstitious beliefs of miracle-producing relics, it is not a difficult reach to shrouds that walk, talk, bless, eat and invite the touch of a doubting Thomas. For my part, it is easier to conceive of a god reassuming his perfected body than it is to accept animated fabric. And I have to ask this question, "How did they prepare and feed the fish to the shroud?"
Something I Learned Today
I try to learn something new every day. This is not difficult as the number of things I don't know is infinitesimal (like I just learned how to spell infinitesimal). The hard part is realizing what you learned. Then comes the difficult task of remembering what your learned (this is becoming increasingly difficult as my birthdays pile up). Then comes the real challenge, applying what you've learned in a beneficial way.
My definition of "evil" includes the use of knowledge for a selfish or destructive purpose. Next to that is the definition of "folly" which includes using knowledge to do anything that just shouldn't be done. The flip side of that is NOT using knowledge to do what SHOULD be done. This can be more difficult because many of us struggle to find the internal motivation and insight to perceive what needs to be done.
For this blog, these will be my definitions of other words:
I'm publishing this blog, not to show the world what I know, but what I DON'T know. I love to learn which is why I have a life of incredible joy. This, to me, is like wanting you dinner partner to sample the exquisite dessert on your plate instead of hoping she doesn't notice it before you finish it. Think of Lehi and fruit. I just hope that I can digest the fruit properly.
As always, I'm interested in feedback from those that might come upon these words. Please share your dessert with me. I'm always looking for something I have never tasted before!
My definition of "evil" includes the use of knowledge for a selfish or destructive purpose. Next to that is the definition of "folly" which includes using knowledge to do anything that just shouldn't be done. The flip side of that is NOT using knowledge to do what SHOULD be done. This can be more difficult because many of us struggle to find the internal motivation and insight to perceive what needs to be done.
For this blog, these will be my definitions of other words:
- Wisdom is the beneficent application of knowledge.
- Smart is realizing what knowledge is needed.
- Intelligence is the ability to gain that knowledge and greater intelligence is gaining that intelligence is the most painless and efficient way.
I'm publishing this blog, not to show the world what I know, but what I DON'T know. I love to learn which is why I have a life of incredible joy. This, to me, is like wanting you dinner partner to sample the exquisite dessert on your plate instead of hoping she doesn't notice it before you finish it. Think of Lehi and fruit. I just hope that I can digest the fruit properly.
As always, I'm interested in feedback from those that might come upon these words. Please share your dessert with me. I'm always looking for something I have never tasted before!
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