Worth a read if you or a loved one have AS or Scleroderma.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Getting off Matt
I scared the holy crap out of my poor dog on Saturday. I mean, she thought the end of all things was at hand, and I was the instrument of this end. She'd been nervous all afternoon, because I'd been yelling. A lot. And, poor thing, she doesn't follow sports or watch TV much, so how could she know that I was yelling in excitement and sometimes pure joy that the Seahawks were playing so well, were competing hard, then that they were leading. The moment of Armageddon came in her perception at the same time as it came in reality for the New Orleans Saints, and it came not in the form of a Horseman of the Apocalypse but in the guise of a Beast. Or at least a man, in Beast mode.
I have been one of those dwindling few who felt that two years of mix-and-match offensive lines, countless hurries and knock-downs and sacks had nearly knocked an All-Pro quarterback out. He'd been hurt, hurried, and was stuck throwing forty-five passes a game because the running game was missing. My interpretation of the success Charlie Whitehurst enjoyed - though limited - against the Rams, was that he had played 'within himself, within the game plan', but moreover, he had played behind a line that suddenly was getting healthy and beginning to gel. And I admit that I was eager to see how Matt did behind an improved line that could give him time for his tempo routes and a running game to keep the Saints from blitzing his hand warmer into the turf. I have felt that if only the Hawks could get 100 yards a game rushing, and run the ball 25+ times a game, that would take enormous pressure off Matt (and Whitehurst too). With the O-line finally returning to health, and showing some good signs (rushing for 141 yards on 35 attempts; no sacks allowed and only 4 quarterback hits allowed), I did believe that Matt would play well - maybe even very well. I just never saw his skills tailing off, only his health and the root cause of both ill health and incomplete, intercepted or fumbled balls - lack of offensive line performance.
Against the Saints, Matt had time to throw, and he completed 22 of 35 passes (with four drops and a tip of a ball that was not thrown high, that works out to 27-35) for 272 yards and 4 touchdowns. Why did he have time to throw? The line. They were together again, and they were gelling better by the minute after the momentum from the Rams win. Rushing for 150 yards on 25 carries forced the Saints to honor the run, and even if you took out the long 67 yard run that scared my dog just short or ruining the carpet, the hawks were able to gain enough tough yards on first and second down that it kept the Saints honest. I still believe that Matt has another two or three seasons in him, and I was glad to see that the Hawks will work to re-sign him. If we can keep a healthy line, a Beast, and a veteran All-Pro who has won a Super Bowl (just a nudge to the Steelers fans), the Hawks might break the midpoint in offensive standing in the league next season. And with the defense getting some key takeaways and stops, there is reason for some optimism there, too.
I think perhaps my poor friend Nellie, the black lab, will not be quite so concerned this week when I yell, and I hope the tiny suspicion that niggles at the back of my small mind bears out to be true - that this team is getting healthy, coming together, and peaking at just the right time. The last two weeks sure seemed that way, and though it is a tough hill to climb to beat a Bears club that has also been peaking the past three or four weeks, I sure feel better about climbing hills than I did two weeks ago. At least as a metaphor for the Hawks playing well and perhaps winning as an underdog.
Thanks for the GREAT memory on Saturday, the 12th man induced deafness, the blocking and the throws that Brett Favre would love to have been making this year, but which were coming from Matt...This has been a great two weeks for a Seahawks, and I hope the ride lasts a bit longer!
Striking prevalence of Axial Spondyloarthritis in primary care patients with chronic low back pain; a cross-sectional study
Among the most common causes of chronic pain is low back pain. Recent study data indicates a "strikingly high" correlation between chronic low back pain and Ankylosing Spondylitis. In my case, I had unusual wear on the low back due to a severe knee injury which caused a limp for a number of years - a limp where the low back and hip took on the load bearing for the injured knee, as well as a shearing motion in doing so. This strain could have been a contributor to chronic low back pain. Then there was the osteoarthritis which was more advanced in me than typical in young people as a result of the injury and surgeries such as bone-grafting and other highly invasive interventions. Then there were episodes of lumbar disc herniation requiring surgery. All of these alone or as a group, as well as a chronic pain syndrome wherein the overstimulation of certain neural pathways causes perceived pain in the low back, could be responsible for chronic low back pain in my case (and at least some of these perhaps in your case). Since it on average requires 7-10 years to diagnose AS, and since AS is most successfully treated early in its' development, there is a new push to give primary care physicians better information so that that long period where AS is seldom diagnosed can be brought down to a shorter interval - and hopefully therefore, allow more effective treatment.
Not only does AS turn out to be present in over twenty percent of patients experiencing chronic low back pain, but that number may be significantly under-reported. This abstract, and the full article are worth reading if you, or someone you care about is experiencing chronic low back pain.
Remember this: Just because there is something that MIGHT be causing chronic low back pain (injury, prior surgery, wear and tear arthritis, etc.), don't rely on the fact that your chronic pain COULD be due to one of these other causes, get to an experienced rheumatologist who will carefully look at your status and make a diagnosis of AS if appropriate. In my own case, the first rheumatologist I saw, about four years into the progression of symptoms, noted that I had injury and osteoarthritis and made the assumption that these were the cause. My own outcome from treatment of AS would likely have been far more successful at early days in the development of the disease, than it has been since I saw an excellent rheumatologist about eight years into the situation. If you are referred to a rheumatologist, or have endocrine issues accompanying your chronic lower back pain, see the rheumatologist and by all means get a second opinion. Four or five years lost in fighting AS is a damn shame.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Community - CBSSports.com
CBS Sports.com writer Any Benoit - certainly not the only person who predicted a Saints thrashing of Seattle, but isn't it fun to look at his rather snide and self-assured language and chuckle after the Seahawks beat the Saints. I guess the Hawks don't read Andy's column. Or much else. Thank God they don't! With an offensive line that is whole for the first time since week 1, and the defense finding ways to get half a dozen key stops, plus a reinvigorated (or should I simply say a less hurried, less battered) Matt Hasselbeck, the team looked great. What a win for the Hawks and for Carroll!
Here's some of Andy's best dismissive and bulletin board material:
The 2010 Saints essentially became the first wild card team in history to get a bye when they drew the matchup against the hapless/fruitless/pathetic/laughable/embarrassing NFC West Champion Seahawks. Seattle can obviously play the “nobody believes in us card”. It’s not even a card to play – it’s more just a fact. But it doesn’t matter because nobody believes in their ability to play the “nobody believes in us card” anyway. And nobody cares if the Seahawks have a chip on their shoulder or something to prove or are out for respect or whatever it is bad teams say before big games. So you say nobody thinks you deserve to be here, Seattle? You’re correct. And all the nobodies are correct, too.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Medical News: House Passes One-Month SGR Patch - Avoids Cutting Medicare Physician Payment Rates by 23% for One Month.
For anyone who is on Medicare and reading this post, this article is a good summary of an issue that should be of great concern. If the measure, just postponed for 31 days by the current and Lame Duck Congress, is allowed to take effect next month, a 23% cut will be made to fees Medicare will allow for both physician and facilities. The AMA - not without a horse in this race - has said that such a huge cut will cause a Medicare "meltdown". Less directly impacted people may not have concerns, but perhaps they should, as they will want to be on Medicare when they are older or if they become disabled. One issue is that many analysts believe that a significant number of physicians will stop taking Medicare. So, if you like your doctor, or your clinic for out-patient services, you may have to find another.
Personally, I worry about it because I have a complicated group of issues, and a fifteen year chronology - or history, if you prefer - and I could never replace the diagnostic history, the knowledge of the progression of the several issues I have, and the inputs from various specialists that my physician of fifteen years knows well. I also worry about keeping my rheumatologist - the second rheumatologist I've seen - who finally gave me a diagnosis for my health problems. The average time to diagnosis for people like me with Ankylosing Spondylitis is between 7-10 years, and it wasn't until I got real top-flight specialists that I was diagnosed and given treatment that helped with pain, inflammation, etc. Because I have had numerous injuries (which could cause some of my symptoms), and I have osteoarthritis (which could have caused some of the problems and pain in my joints), and I have developed a number of endocrine issues (low thyroid, ultra low testosterone, high cholesterol, low vitamin D, low HGH...), it has been a long, tough slog through tests and treatments and talking and doctor visits, blood work, PT, etc. Now that I know I have an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation, I have a treatment plan. That's great, but I would dread trying to get a new Primary Physician, Specialist, etc., up to speed on what has happened over fifteen years. In fact, I doubt I could -even if they have my giant medical record, how would they have time to read it through and discuss it with me?
No, I don't want to have to get new docs now that I am at long last being treated for the root cause of the many problems I've experienced over the past fifteen years). I do understand that somehow we as a nation must reduce the cost of medical care, and that may mean some sacrifices for all of us. But on a personal level this possibility causes a fair bit of anxiety in me. And after reading this article, it may give everyone pause for thought.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sightline: Seattleites can expect to live a long time - Seattle Metro, WA Local News - Fwix
This is a wonderful article to read if you're a Seattle resident. The amazing longevity numbers of Seattle would rank us #2 in the WORLD, just a month behind Japan, were Seattle a country.
Sightline: Seattleites can expect to live a long time - Seattle Metro, WA Local News - Fwix
Sunday, December 05, 2010
Shop With A Cop in Pocatello | KIDK CBS 3
This sure seems like a wonderful program to me. It gets needy children (economically disadvantaged kids that tend to have a higher risk of committing crime later in life) together with police officers in a great setting to facilitate not just a happier holiday season for both the kids and the officers, but to potentially setting the stage for a healthier, less adversarial interaction between the kids and the cops later in life.
Over forty Pocatello Police Officers and Bannock County Sheriff's Deputies took the kids shopping for gifts to give to their family members - something the young people would not otherwise have been able to afford. The officers were giving of their time, the kids were buying gifts to give to others. And the giving didn't stop there. The money to buy the gifts was donated by the local community, and the cheerleaders from Highland, Century and Pocatello High School were giving their time and effort to helping with the shopping, and with gift wrapping.
This program works in so many ways - building positive relationships between kids and police officers, providing gifts where otherwise there may not be gifts - or the joy that comes from giving gifts to loved ones, the chance for community members to give to needy families, the cheer squads to perform a community service and the law enforcement professionals the opportunity to not only help needy families and exert a positive influence on the kids, but probably to help prevent some crime that may have resulted in the future from at-risk kids who had not had positive interaction with police officers. A win-win-win-win-win-win deal.
I admire our law enforcement professionals so much, for the work they do day in and day out, and when they give of their personal time to serve their community even further, my admiration only grows. (For another excellent example of a police service program doing amazing things, check out http://sunshinedivision.org/)
Oh, and the cops let the kids run the lights and sirens, and even use the radios. Perfect. Thank you to the Poky police and Bannock County deputies. I may not live in Poky any more (though I was born there and enjoy visits every year), your efforts have even provided me with a benefit 600 miles away: you've encouraged me, and reminded me that there are some wonderful people in this world, and more than an average percent of these are our law enforcement officers. Thank you PPD and BCS, and the great community you serve.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Press - News - 454 - A strong familiality of ankylosing spondylitis through several generations
Spondylitis Association of America
It is known that ankylosing spondylitis has a large genetic component, making it more common among those of the same family when a disease history is present.
A study published in the "Annals of Rheumatology" reinforces the evidence of this, by concluding, "Patients with AS in Iceland are significantly more related to each other than to randomly sampled control subjects. This is in agreement with previous reports on the familiality of AS, but the present study has more power and extends over larger familiar cohorts than previously reported."
Other current research into spondylitis is seeking the genes that cause AS.
Click here to read the abstract >>>
Press - News - 454 - A strong familiality of ankylosing spondylitis through several generations
Monday, November 29, 2010
The Blotter | Killer of celebrity dog trainer to be sentenced Tuesday | Seattle Times Newspaper
Michiel Oakes, who was convicted of murdering Mark Stover, will be sentenced on Tuesday. He had claimed self defense, once enough evidence was presented to show that he was at Stover's home and was seen subsequently in several suspicious circumstances, concluding with comments to his former wife that if police found out what he'd just done he'd go away for life. The jury apparently did not believe his story of self-defense - which would probably have been more believable if he'd called police and an ambulance, filed a report with officers responding, and claimed self-defense from the beginning. Instead, he tried to bleach away the signs of blood, then disposed of the body in an estuary that he knew would likely carry the body out into deeper water, where it may not be found. Though the body was in fact, never found, prosecutors built a strong case building upon witness testimony, some physical evidence and Oakes own comments.
The Blotter | Killer of celebrity dog trainer to be sentenced Tuesday | Seattle Times Newspaper
Monday, November 22, 2010
Bwahahahahaha!
Of course, the graph of who starts the argument probably shows that the man does in an inverse measure - maybe even maxing out over 50% :0
Saturday, November 20, 2010
We Live in a New Age of Touchy/Feely
OMG this is getting out of hand. Why in the hell don't we just get the top people from El Al and take notes? The most targeted airline in the world is also the safest? Maybe we should try some of their screening methods. No, that's crazy, what am I talking about? From the article below: "Anyone who sets off the metal detectors is required to go through a physical pat down, but the TSA says they use a less aggressive touch for children under 12."
Does it bother anyone else that a sentence like that is treated like a normal thing to say, given the actions described in the article - patting the genitals, running the hand between underwear and skin, etc.? Oh, and of course, we only do that to kids over 12. WHAAAAT?????? Would you let some uniformed screener dude or gal stick his or her hands down your 13 year old's pants? Isn't that what damn near bankrupted the Catholic Church? Doesn't that sort of behavior get you sentenced and called a "Registered Sex Offender"? Am I crazy? Sure, there was a guy who tried to make explosive underwear. Is groping every adolescent that wants to fly the only way to make sure he/she is not wearing a dangerous diaper?
Oh, and when did it become okay just because it is after age 12, to grope, pat, touch, etc. adolescent kids? It is just wrong. Oh, and much as I hate to mention it, what about past victims of sexual assault, trauma or rape - no matter what their age? Can you imagine having bad some horrific act done to you and then at some later point, if you want to fly, being forced to submit to what would WITHOUT ANY DOUBT be a SEXUAL ASSAULT were it not being done by TSA at an airport?
Since a guy tried to blow up a plane by putting a bomb in his shoes, will we soon be seeing foot fetishists not only relying on the removal and X-ray of the shoes, but requiring the person being screened to remove their socks and submit to a tongue inspection (to see if the foot tastes like explosives) of the foot?
I flew hundreds of thousands of miles for business and pleasure. I was always polite, and willing to do what was asked of me in the interest of security. I was waiting for a plane the morning of September 11, 2001, and I watched that day unfold convinced that I'd support whatever was needed to keep us safe in the skies and in the country. But now I am second-guessing my blind obedience. Why?
There are better, more effective, less personally intrusive ways to screen passengers and ensure safety than to commit battery and sexual assault. Plain and simple. When my daughter is 13 how can I take her to fly somewhere knowing what I know may very well happen? Will she be subjected to a virtually nude screening X-ray, visible to many? Will it be worse, where she's forced to get molested in order to fly? OMG! How did it come to this?
I think that there ought to be a hue and cry from sea to shining sea, insisting that the BEST and BRIGHTEST security experts available be immediately brought together to develop systems to keep us safe. Without having people putting their hands in people's underwear. Is that too much to ask? To fly without some guy or gal sticking their hand INSIDE your underwear, tapping and patting your junk?
It's time to examine who is making the decisions, writing and training the procedures, choosing the technology and bickering over whether the airlines, airports or TSA should pay for technology to make us safer in the air. All this virtually nude photography - will someone do a statistical analysis showing that a man is 12% more likely to be a terrorist if he "dresses right" (and by that I mean not that he buttons the right button with the right buttonhole, but that his junk rests naturally to the right side of the vertical midline of his body) - all this physical grabbing and groping...is this the best option we have for screening?
In a word: NO. It is not, and the people who can develop screening technology, use the currently available technology, and still keep us safe are out there, and they are willing and able. And it is a dirty secret that there are frequent breaches of the system we use now - both in tests and just when the person next to us says, "Oh man, I forgot to take this out of my briefcase!" and parts the top of the case to show a five or six inch knife.
We can do better, we can do better and be safe. And whether the person being screened is under 12, adolescent or adult, we can do it without battery, assault and sexual molestation. And we should. And though some of this post is amusing and meant to be so, the topic and the practices that caused me to write it are not funny. They are wrong. And a helluva lot of us better stand as tall as we have to and shout "NO! This is not acceptable, not in America."
Saturday, November 13, 2010
101 Pieces of evidence that prove O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole
This is a good summary of the evidence against Simpson in the horrendous murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. He doesn't mention the irregularities in collecting evidence, but in the end, it is damn near impossible to believe that OJ didn't commit the murders,
101 Pieces of evidence that prove O.J. Simpson murdered Nicole
Technorati Tags: OJ Simpson,Nicole Brown Simpson,Ronald Goldrman,Crime,True Crime,Murders,Domestic Violence
Friday, November 12, 2010
Dave Niehaus, 1935-2010
Dave Niehaus, the lead announcer for Mariner radio and television broadcast for the entire history of the club, has passed away of a heart attack at his Bellevue home. He was 75, and is survived by his wife Marilyn, their three children: Andy, Matt and Greta and six grandchildren, Zach, Steven, 
Madeline, Alexa, Audrey and Spencer. He witnessed 5,284 of the 5,385 games played by the Mariners since their inception - only health issues or family weddings and funerals could keep Dave from the booth.
Photo from the Seattle PI
Clearly, God needed an announcer, and he drafted the best. I will never forget all the games I went to with a radio and earphones so I could listen to Mr. Niehaus tell me about the game I was watching. He wrote poetry on the fly, and made even the 100 loss seasons interesting. I was so happy for him when in 1995 Edgar doubled in the winning run in the division series, and he called the play. I was overjoyed as a fan, but I was even more overjoyed that this man, who'd called so many stinkers with good humor, was living a dream with the 95 team and he was calling playoff games at long last. I think that the man who loved calling games and teaching us about the game is the poster boy for life well-lived. He said he'd never worked a day, because if he hadn't been in the broadcast booth he'd have been in the stands. I will miss him every game - though I love Rick and Dave and Mike, I will always be aware that Mr. Niehaus' sonorous voice is now silent.
Indeed, baseball will never be the same for me. Mr. Niehaus was more than a great voice, more than a student of the game, more than a trusted figure in the clubhouse, he was a genuine and grounded man who valued each relationship in his life - even his relationship with the Mariners fans, most of whom he never met.
My memories of Mariner baseball all revolve around Dave, and when I was traveling in the car I'd know instantly when I'd found the Mariners game on the radio dial. From the lowest growl, "strike one", to the most ebullient "and this one will fly,fly, fly away...My, Oh My", Dave's manner and voice were unmistakable. I was at the last three games of Junior's consecutive game homer run, the playoff with California in '95, the playoff win over the Yankees. When Edgar nailed that double and the winning run crossed the plate, I wanted nothing more than to hear what Dave said. After so many years, so many bad teams, it was a moment that I felt was somehow especially his. He called blowout losses in a colorful and never beaten down way. He taught the game to an entire region of fans, play by play, situation by situation. We knew the look on the manager's face, the feel of a breeze when it kicked up, the excitement of every great play, and the greatness of some plays we might not have noticed were great (like the amazing movement on Jeff Nelson's slider when it was really biting, or an at-bat when Edgar fouled off ten or even fifteen pitches, fighting to get one he could drive).
I was lucky enough to grow up in a time when a centerfield seat was $1 and I'd be at the game 30-40 times a season when I was in high school. I went with whatever friends I could round up, and even alone sometimes. I'd have an earphone in one ear and sit at the end of the group of my friends just so I could hear Dave's call of the game and my friends both. Back then, I was a statistics freak, and it got to the point I could calculate batting averages on the fly during a game. I secretly hoped I could somehow be a stat guy for the broadcasts, so I could hear Dave every play of every game (and travel with the team for 162 plus spring training).
I heard Chuck Armstrong say that he wanted to have the number 162 on his headstone. I can't think of a better summation of what Dave was. He was there, almost every game the Mariner's ever played from the first pitch of the first spring training to the conclusion of last season. 35 years of excellence. I know that the first few games I hear next season, though I love Rick and Dave and Mike, I will feel a sadness that Dave's voice is missing. Though he was in the booth and I was in the car, or listening in bed, or listening at the game, I felt somehow that he was speaking to me from the next seat, like a friend I went to the game with. The fans loved him, and I think he returned the sentiment.
Rick will do a great job, and has done for 24 seasons now with the M's, and I am glad we have such a fine announcer to step in. When Pete Gross passed away, it took me a couple of years to get used to the new announcer, and I still miss the sound of Pete saying "Touchdown Seahawks". I know that I will miss Dave's "My, oh my!", too, and more deeply. But I'll miss so much more. It will be a bit like the Mariners will have a new personality, and I know Rick and whomever the team adds to the broadcast booth will do a great job. But it won't be Dave. I love the Mariners and have been at the ballpark hundreds of times since the Opening Day that launched the expansion team. And Dave was my shepherd through the sights, sounds, breezes, brawls, highs and lows of most of those games. Thank you Mr. Niehaus. I'll never forget all those hours we shared over baseball - Mariners baseball.
Godspeed Sir, and may your family be at peace.
Technorati Tags: Dave Niehaus,Mariners Baseball Announcer,Mariners,Seattle Mariners,Baseball Hall of Fame
Sunday, November 07, 2010
Seahawks Pounded Again, Outscored 74-10 in Last Two Games; Fall to 4-4
There isn't a lot to say in the last couple of weeks for the Seahawks, except that those clamoring for Matt Hasselbeck's demise might consider that with the offensive line injuries, retirements and poor play that we've seen these last three seasons, I don't think any big time QB would do much better. I recall being at the Kingdome for a game against the Vikings way back when, and seeing Fran Tarkenton scramble between 30-35 yards backwards and god knows how far laterally before eventually completing a pass. There are very few Fran Tarkentons, and very few quarterbacks who could survive, let alone consistently get points on the board with this line play. I'm not calling out the line, exactly, since it is tough enough to play well when there is unit cohesion and time in a system (this line has had more shuffling in the last three years than most decks at the Muckleshoot Casino, and three systems in the past three years. Matt Hasselbeck has done his best - which is still damn good - and better than most, but there's only so much a guy can do with no seven step drops possible, and two steps protection on a three step drop.
Another indication of O-line play is the half yard a game drop in average yards per carry for Marshawn Lynch since he's arrived from Buffalo. Yep, the Bills winless Buffalo Bills managed to block consistently better for this running back than the Hawks have (each over a four game period). And I have never seen a more ballsy, tough, inspiring run that one particular play Lynch had today. He broke several tackles and then pushed a scrum of at least seven defenders forward another four yards. It was as if he were saying to the rest of the team, and the O-line in particular, "Come ON, guys, let's go!".
When reserve Charlie Whitehurst - playing for the concussed Hasselbeck - made his throws, it is easy to see the arm strength and poise that made Carroll want him. He's reading defenses a little like a QB making his first start, but the man has an arm, and stays calm. There were drops, including the painful bobble but Mike Williams in the end zone that not only killed the touchdown opportunity, but gave the Giants the ball and deprived Seattle of any points. Especially when the QB is under such pressure, the receivers need to make big plays, and damn near every one of them let balls go through their hands, bobbled, dropped and tipped passes that were perfectly catchable.
And while the defense has been pounded, to their credit the Hawks defense has held strong early in games, but with time of possession ratios like sixteen minutes for the opponent and nine for the Hawks, they are bound to wear down.
Luckily, when you play in the NFC West, 4-4 puts you in a first-place tie, and the Vikes OT win over Arizona gives both the Rams and the Hawks a bit of a cushion.
So, halfway through the season, what do I think of the Pete Carroll stewardship? I think that he will build a consistent and tough winning team, given time. His enthusiasm, very good staff, excellent attention to both sides of the ball and the special teams, and most especially the willingness he's shown to let competition decide the starters, and even the roster, and to make as many transactions as it takes to get the best team he can on the field, I believe the Hawks will do very well over the next four or five years. I hope the owner gives him that sort of time. I hope that the QB coach is as good as Holmgren was, and Zorn became (as QB coach under Holmgren), because I'd love to see touch, reading defenses, check-down decision-making and great footwork added to the cannon of Whitehurst. I want Matt to get one more shot at the big one, and that won't happen without an O-line. And when Matt hangs 'em up finally, it would be great to see a guy groomed, practiced and ready to step in (Aaron Rogers style). I actually thought the Hawks would be more like 3-5 at this point, and a few things break right they could just make the playoffs, Even a first round loss would be a good step back toward the great teams the Hawk's have had in the past.
NFL Game Center: New York Giants at Seattle Seahawks - 2010 Week 9
Technorati Tags: Seattle Seahawks,Seahawks,NFL,Matt Hasselbeck,Charlie Whitehurst,Mike Holmgren,Jim Zorn,NFC West
Friday, November 05, 2010
NJ man gets jail for Phillies game vomit-assault - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
Yep. You read it right.
NJ man gets jail for Phillies game vomit-assault - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
How would someone even think of this? He was avenging his friend, who had been ejected for spitting on the same family.
Be Grateful for what One has…
By Derek Andrews
Imagine this scenario.
There are thirty-three of you. All miners, probably all male. And you are trapped after a tunnel collapse in your copper-mine. Your mine in the South American country of Chile.
Normally, and sadly, you would not survive despite frantic attempts by hundreds of people to rescue you, with many millions more praying and holding you in their thoughts.
This is different.
After 18 days rescuers have been able to make contact with you and seen some of your faces on their camera-probe. Those images are shown around the world.There is huge relief that you are all alive and in reasonably good shape. You have air supply from existing air ducts plus some food and fluids. You are in a shelter area the size of a small apartment.
You have been able to pass scribbled notes via the miniature camera-probe, back to the surface. Everyone is cheering and your President is almost in tears. There is no sense of panic and arrangements are being made to pass re-hydration gel tablets, food and basic medicines to you.
But, engineers say that it may take four months to reach you to extricate you and re-unite you with your families.
That's right. FOUR MONTHS. Hopefully you will be out for Christmas.
The moral of this story ?
Be grateful for what you have in life and please keep these brave and probably frightened miners in your thoughts and prayers.
Technorati Tags: Derek Andrews
Accused murderer’s bullet-proof vest had a bullet hole in it.
This is an interesting tidbit from the trial of Michiel Oakes for the murder of Anacortes dog trainer Mark Stover. Oakes was convicted, despite claiming first that he didn't kill Stover, and then that if he did, it was in self-defense.
Skagit County's News and Information Source | goskagit.com
Technorati Tags: Crime
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Vancouver, WA Woman Admits to Throwing Acid on Herself | ThePortlander
Sorry, all, I guess I was wrong about the woman who claimed to have had acid thrown at her face. It turns out that she faked the whole thing. Munchausen. Ugh!
Vancouver, WA Woman Admits to Throwing Acid on Herself | ThePortlander
Technorati Tags: Acid Attack,Portland
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Sunshine on Discovery Bay
As always, the photos we use are either my own, or in the public domain. Please let me know if there are any errors and I'll correct them immediately.
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