Health & Music Minnesota

Live With Me

2011-05-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

It is coming up on almost a year since my last blog. I have a sneaking suspicion that no one ever read anything I ever wrote. Then I ended up putting stuff on Facebook. Then not so much. Since my last posting, I am with yet another company. This one is more customer focused and innovative.

I like the people here, they are a dynamite bunch so far. Listening to a lot of Lissy and Adele. In the time between then and now, I have had to count my blessings. AGI was struggling and maybe still is in this economy. Nova hired me none too soon.

Kelly has made a major career change and I hope she is enormously successful. Her writing is really good (scripts). She worked the Film festival with MN Film Arts and it was a success, biggest year ever for them. She played a big role in the high turn-outs. Well done my angel.

I have listened to sporadically, an older Massive Attack song. "Live with Me." I believe the meaning is very different than the video of the young girl who is drinking herself out of some misery (and onto a different one).

Kelly got resourceful and found some excellent bikes for the boys. They are slightly used, but very nice for kid bikes. I hope Brando and Krishnan have something they will love doing together.

I wish anyone who takes the time to read my ramblings a great week... maybe a great year too.

Massive Attack and Doves

2010-06-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Frankly since the last blog that I doubt anyone is actually reading, I have listened to dozens of superb CDs. The most recent have been a bit latent. Heligoland from Massive Attack and Kingdom of Rust from Doves. Both incredibly good.

Now, Massive Attack is like one of my all time favorite bands and yes I have virtually all their CDs and some vinyl too. I am in a word biased. But my 9 year old son told me today he loved this music too. He appreciated how each song felt like a different band than the one before. The guest singers list was quite good.

The other side is Kingdom of Rust. A very familiar same vocalist from one to the next song. Still exceptional. Get them or youtube this stuff. So dang good.

In health.... well the Nurses Strike is on in MN. I cannot wait to share the story with you as it unfolds. I have lab workers who will not be able to move forward on anything until this subsides. Of course the nurses have their own focus as well. Here is hoping we get "there" soon.

Son Brandon (Brando) had unscheduled surgery. As a follow up to a recent surgery that did not all go as well as we all hoped. He had 2 plates and 4 pins put in back the end of April. We realized that there was some discomfort and we went in to have it looked at (there was a n area that just was not healing).

A pin came loose on one of the plates and had to be taken out. He is doing much better now. He should be up and about with his new leg. He used it a bit today at festivities in Minnetonka.

Excitement At ASCO 2010

2010-06-05T20:44:00.000-07:00

I am in Chicago for one of the larger medical shows in the country. It is called ASCO. Short for American Society of Oncology Physicians. Upon entering I had to walk amongst the sea of attendees that reminded me of being in the ocean more than Disney. It was a wall of people as far as the eye could see. The Rolling Stomes would have been proud.

There are several thousand attendees and vendors here. Your favorite drug companies are pushing major chemo meds from booths that cost more than mansions on the lake. Merck has a 3 D tv the size of a movie theater screen that shows a graphical presentation of how certain types of cancer cells can be halted with their drug. Quite cool. Genentech, Amgen, and many others were in a similar vein displaying some very high tech and ultra cool stuff.

But does that help your dying relative? Does spending this much money to get specialty Docs to take a look the only way to do these shows? I think maybe it is. My company had a small booth with few frills and we got maybe 5% of the traffic they did.

I will try to snap a few pics and post here. On a musical note... there is even more great tunes from more obscure bands that I have enjoyed courtesy of Pandora and the Current. Will post some recommendations soon.

Grinning for no Reason

2010-02-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

I was walking from one meeting to another when I was in training at my corporate office over a year back. I make a habit of smiling at people when I see them. I find it is easier to look at a smiling face than one with a dour expression.

A senior manager after seen me with a grin on my face after every break inquired what was making me be in such a good mood. Was the training funny? Now keep in mind he is a native Brooklyn guy.

Always polite to me but doesn't really know me. After two weeks of a smiling face he is worried I'm cracking jokes with the trainers and playing my usual Jedi mind tricks (that's probably how I got the job).

I explained i typically smile for no reason. In fact in the absence of any reason not to, I will just smile, in fact grin. I especially have a happy expression just as I see someone I like.

Before he new it, he was grinning too. When I was leaving, a secretary commented to me she would be missing my smiling face and my funny but inoffensive jokes.

I work on the road and from account to account (I am in medical sales). I love what I do. I guess after doing this for years, a big smile and a bigger grin are the one thing that folks remember.

No matter how bad the world seems. No matter how tough tomorrow may end up being. Keep smiling. Being in America, we have a lot to smile about. Maybe when we roll up our sleeves to fix what corrupt politicians, greedy bankers, opportunistic oil companies CEOs, foul insurance company executives and crooked ____________ (fill in the blank) have done to us and our country, we can do even more with a big smile.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T23:06:00.000-08:00

It came as fast as any before it and left even faster. It is of course Christmas I speak of and so many folks this year found themselves wondering what more could I ask for. Well except for cash to pay off all the crap we owe money on of course.

I have told my wife and relatives buy me CDs and Vinyl records, books. I still get socks and things I may have asked for 5 years ago.

Kelly did an amazing job on the kids. She always does. I am happy to see them happy. The tunes of this year were Grizzly Bear, Nina Simone, Pearl Jam, Sarah Vaughn and Prince.

I will keep you tuned in. I am not sure anyone reads this, I do more on Facebook. Well, see you soon. Brandon's birthday is coming soon. My wish is to still have a job for the whole of the coming year with the company I am with. I really want them to be enormously successful. Well cross your fingers and let's see what happens.

Peace.

New Genome Technology May Actually be of Value

2009-11-03T09:47:00.000-08:00

I was amused and not amused. I read in an article in BusinesWeek how the financial folks were shocked to find that genome research products have value in determining health and predictive value for patients. This from the Voodoo monkeys on Wall Street? Seriously?

I have yet to see them honestly explain what they do. I figured it out, it just is not commensurate with the press releases they post. An example is "Earnings were up, but analysts expected that and stocks take a tumble."

The truth? Yeah, a lot of folks bet on the revenue being up, but that meant the long bet would be on it going down. The options traders came out ahead by betting on it going down and the 70% who think earnings and stock value are related got spanked.

Get it? It's betting, but you need to know the spread, no different than Football, Basketball or any sport where the spread is important. Know the time on your options both covered calls and puts and you may come out ahead.

On genomics, the issue is how does what we determine today relate to health tomorrow? We find these things out as we get more information. The end result is we do not know for sure today but will definitely use this info to move forward. That is a winning bet any time.

H1N1 and Where are we Going?

2009-10-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Epidemiology and Impact

Updated Influenza Data for United States, Based on CDC Surveillance Data

(CDC, Influenza Division. FluView. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ Accessed September 16, 2009.)

The week of September 7-12, 2009 showed that outpatient visits for influenza-like illness (ILI) were increased and that 1378 of 7569 (18%) tested specimens were positive for influenza. Of 685 influenza strains that were subtyped, 679 (99.6%) were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses, 4 were type B, and 2 were seasonal H1N1.
Testing of 562 2009 H1N1 strains showed that all were related to the A/California/07/2009 reference virus used in the vaccine.
Sensitivity tests done on 1148 2009 H1N1 isolates showed 8 (0.6%) to be resistant to oseltamivir; review of these cases showed that all 8 patients had documented prior exposure to oseltamivir.
During the week of September 7-12, pneumonia and influenza accounted for 6% of US deaths. This is below the epidemic threshold of 6.3%.

Schools. The CDC reported that about 25,000 students were dismissed from secondary schools on September 2, 2009. (McKay B, Simpson C. Fighting flu without big gun. Wall Street Journal. September 9, 2009. Available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125245538175894251.html Accessed September 16, 2009.)

Colleges. During the week of September 12-19, 2009, US colleges and universities reported 6432 cases of influenza at 253 schools enrolled in the American College Health Association. A University of Michigan study indicated a 50% reduction in cases with hand hygiene and facemasks. (Steenhuysen J. Flu on campus: What works, what doesn't. Reuters. September 18, 2009.)

USA Today reports that 73% of US colleges and universities are declaring ILIs. Highest rates are in the Southeast and Midwest. Most cases are mild, but Tom Skinner of the CDC noted that some people "may feel like a train hit them." The most common symptoms are fever to 101-102° F, headache, aches, chills, sore throat, and cough. Students are told to rest in their rooms, take fluids, and not to go out. (Weise E. Most US campuses already reporting flu-like sicknesses. USA Today. September 9, 2009. Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-09-09-swine-flu-college_N.htm Accessed September 16, 2009.)

Washington State University reported the largest outbreak of ILI, with an estimated 5400-9000 cases among 18,000 students, as well as several thousand staff. The illness is reported to be mild and last 3-5 days. Approximately 2600 students have contacted the University Health Service and about 500 have seen physicians. No tests for 2009 H1N1 are being done. One reason given for the early epidemic at this university may be the early start of classes -- August 24.(Geranios NK. Swine flu hits Washington State Univ. The Associated Press, Washington Post, September 8, 2009. Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/08/AR2009090802899.html Accessed September 16, 2009.)

Businesses. A national survey of 1057 randomly selected businesses in 6 categories (small, medium, large; critical or noncritical) was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security and the Harvard School of Public Health The study was funded by the CDC and took place between July 16 and August 12, 2009. Key findings from the survey of businesses (Harvard Opinion Research Program, Harvard School of Public Health. Business Preparedness: Novel Influenza A (H1N1). July 16-August 12, 2009. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/2009-releases/businesses-problems-maintaining-operations-significant-h1n1-flu-outbreak.html Accessed September 16, 2009.):

74% provide paid sick leave; 34% offer leave to care for others; 21% provide sick leave to care for children;
67% would note operational problems if 50% of workforce was off more than 2 weeks;
Paid sick leave is offered by 74% and 35% allow paid sick leave to care for family members;
A doctor's note is required for sick leave by 43%, and 69% that offer sick leave require a doctor's note to return after a contagious illness (relevance is concern about physician access in a pandemic);
Strategies to decrease person-person contact (like staggered shifts) could be implemented by 50% for 1-2 weeks.

Click here for information about business planning for influenza.

Nursing homes. No outbreaks of the 2009 H1N1 virus have been reported to the CDC. This is attributed to the advanced ages of most persons in chronic care facilities, which is a reduced risk for this virus.

Hospitals. Many anticipate a surge of H1N1 influenza cases in the coming influenza season based on the experience in the Southern hemisphere. The President's Advisors estimate that there will be a 30%-50% attack rate this winter with 1.8 million hospitalizations, which will pose extreme challenges for hospitals. A 2006 Institute of Medicine report indicated that emergency medicine nationwide was "at the breaking point" in both finances and capacity. (Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the United States Health System, Institute of Medicine. Emergency Medical Services: At the Crossroads. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2007.)

An analysis by the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center estimated that a severe pandemic would require 4.6-fold more ICU beds and 2-fold more hospital beds. (Bartlett JG, Borio L. Healthcare epidemiology: the current status of planning for pandemic influenza and implications for health care planning in the United States. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:919-925.)

These concerns are compounded by the lack of a vaccine for the 2009 H1N1 virus before mid-October and the fact that there may be only enough vaccine for 25% of the target population (assuming that a single dose is required).

Social conventions in France. French companies and schools are discouraging the common greeting of a cheek kiss or hug. Others are also discouraging the handshake and the "high five." (Schipoliansky C, Cox L. Swine flu cuts the kiss in Europe. ABC News, September 9, 2009. Available at: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFluNews/swine-flu-cuts-kiss-europe/story?id=8520227 Accessed September 16, 2009.)

To Prevent Heart Attack, First Get Fat.. Then Loose a bit of Weight?!!

2009-06-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

This article is a CME certified activity. To earn credit for this activity visit:
http://cme.medscape.com/viewarticle/703966

From Heartwire CME

Obesity Paradox Probed in New Review CME

News Author: Shelley Wood
CME Author: Laurie Barclay, MD

CME Released: 06/05/2009; Valid for credit through 06/05/2010

June 05, 2009 — Despite being a key cause of heart disease, obesity appears to be protective in a range of cardiovascular problems, a new review concludes [1]. But that doesn't mean people shouldn't try to lose weight, lead author on the paper, Dr Carl J Lavie (Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans, LA), told heartwire . Indeed, patients who fare the best seem to be obese patients who manage to lose some weight, he said.

"First, obesity is a very strong risk factor and increases all types of heart disease, but second, once you get heart disease, the obese patients do better, so their prognosis is not doomsday," Lavie explained. "In fact, if you have obese patients with congestive heart failure or coronary heart disease or other heart disorders, those patients actually have a pretty good prognosis if they are treated well. But third, the ones who lose weight do even better."

According to Lavie, there is solid evidence to suggest that being overweight or obese may improve survival, not just in heart failure, but also in diseases like hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral artery disease.

"There are a large number of cardiologists who don't even recognize that this is the case, and they are confused about it, too. It is honestly a confusing topic because if obesity is so bad, and it contributes to all cardiovascular risk factors and markedly increases the prevalence of developing heart disease of almost every type, then why, once they get it, do obese patients do better?"

The new review appears in the May 26, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) [1].

Obesity Likely Protects Through Various Mechanisms

The protective effects of excess weight have been best documented in heart-failure patients, where patients with higher body weight or percent body fat have demonstrated better event-free survival. In this setting, says Lavie, extra weight may function much the same way it does with cancer and other chronic diseases, by providing the body with additional fuel to help fight the disease.

Less well known is the relationship between obesity and hypertension, Lavie et al note. While people who are obese do have more hypertension, five papers spanning almost 20 years also point to the fact that obese people with hypertension seem to have lower mortality and/or lower stroke risk, despite less effective blood-pressure control, than do normal-weight people. In this setting, obese patients "may have a better prognosis in part because of having lower systemic vascular resistance and plasma renin activity compared with more lean hypertensive patients," Lavie et al write.

Also incompletely understood is the paradoxical relationship of obesity and coronary and peripheral artery diseases. Obesity is believed to play a causal role in the development of a number of major risk factors for arterial disease, among them hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, and is believed to be, in and of itself, a risk factor for atherosclerosis. But according to the JACC authors, there is also literature to suggest that overweight and obese coronary heart disease patients have a lower risk for mortality compared with under- and normal-weight coronary heart disease patients who have undergone revascularization procedures. A similar contradictory relationship has been seen in patients with peripheral artery disease.

Speaking with heartwire , Lavie emphasized that the protective effects of excess weight and excess fat likely function in different ways in different diseases. "We know that fat cells do a lot of bad things, but it's certainly conceivable that in advanced disease, the fat cell could have some beneficial effects. There's still a lot that needs to be known about this process."

Weight Loss Still Key

A key new piece of the puzzle that emerged in Lavie et al's review, however, is that weight loss, often touted as a way to reduce cardiovascular risk, appears to be a good thing in spite of the protective effects of extra weight.

"For people who follow this field, these kinds of findings have led them to question whether weight loss is good for heart-disease patients. . . . We found that the patients who do the best are the obese patients who lose weight."

This additional contradiction may be explained in part by the theory that heart disease in obese patients is likely "a different disease" than heart disease in lean people, in whom genetic factors are probably more important. "It may be that the obese person wouldn't have even gotten blocked arteries if [he] hadn't gained 70 pounds over a 30-year period," Lavie said. "The thin person who gets blocked arteries or congestive heart failure or high blood pressure is probably different from the obese patient who got the disease from becoming obese."

For now, he says, it's important particularly for the general public to appreciate that the "protective" effects of obesity in no way provide a rationale for weight gain. "Very clearly," he said, "if no one in our country became overweight or obese, heart-disease rates would go down dramatically."

For physicians, the data today are sufficiently comprehensive for them to encourage their overweight and obese patients to stay motivated to reduce their risk factors. That wasn't always the case, he added. "When people were finding this in their data, five and six years ago, they probably had some trouble getting their papers published, because it didn't make any sense."

The authors do not list any disclosures.

References

Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Ventura HO. Obesity and cardiovascular disease. Risk factor, paradox, and impact of weight loss. J Am Coll Cardiol 2009; 53:1925–1932.

Clinical Context

The prevalence of obesity in US adults increased by nearly 50% during the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in nearly 70% of adults being classified as overweight or obese vs fewer than 25% 4 decades ago. Compared with the increase in the proportion of the population with overweight and mild obesity, the proportion with morbid obesity has increased by an even greater extent.

The morbidity attributable to obesity is even greater vs smoking, alcoholism, and poverty. Based on current projections, obesity may soon become the leading cause of preventable death in the United States (which is now cigarette abuse).

Study Highlights

Overweight in adults is defined as body mass index of 25 to 29.9 kg/m² and obesity as body mass index of 30 kg/m² or more.
Indices of obesity that may have more predictive power vs body mass index include body fatness, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and weight-to-height ratio.
In both adults and children, obesity has reached global epidemic proportions, which may result in an end to the steady increase in life expectancy.
Many comorbid conditions have been linked to obesity, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia.
In addition to type 2 diabetes, obesity may contribute to other increases in insulin resistance such as glucose intolerance and metabolic syndrome.
Dyslipidemias linked with obesity include elevated total cholesterol; triglycerides; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; apolipoprotein-B; and small, dense low-density lipoprotein cholesterol particles; and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-1 levels.
Obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular abnormalities, including left ventricular concentric remodeling or hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction, increased systemic inflammation and prothrombotic state, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction.
Obesity is linked to increased prevalence and severity of cardiovascular diseases including heart failure, coronary heart disease, sudden cardiac death, and atrial fibrillation.
Noncardiovascular diseases associated with obesity include obstructive sleep apnea, sleep-disordered breathing, albuminuria, osteoarthritis, and specific cancers.
The importance of obesity in the pathogenesis and progression of cardiovascular disease is confirmed by overwhelming evidence.
Overall survival duration is decreased in obese patients.
The obesity paradox refers to the unexpectedly better short- and long-term prognosis, confirmed by evidence from clinical cohorts of patients with established cardiovascular diseases (eg, hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease) of overweight and obese vs nonoverweight/nonobese people with these diseases.
Reasons for the obesity paradox are unclear.
Obese patients with hypertension may have a better prognosis vs those who are lean, possibly because of lower systemic vascular resistance and plasma renin activity.
Excess body weight may offer some protection against heart failure mortality, perhaps because of more metabolic reserve and protective cytokines and neuroendocrine profiles.
The review also describes current understanding of the role of weight reduction in preventing and treating cardiovascular disease.
Despite the obesity paradox, the bulk of evidence still supports voluntary weight loss for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Lifestyle interventions (exercise training and energy restriction resulting in mild weight loss) may reduce risk for type 2 diabetes by nearly 60%.
Patients with hypertension who lose weight have significant decreases in arterial pressure.
In heart failure, weight loss may be associated with improvements in left ventricular mass and in systolic and diastolic ventricular function.
Bariatric surgery in obese patients is associated with short- and long-term reductions in major morbidity and all-cause mortality, particularly related to cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and long-term lowering of cardiovascular risk.
More research is needed in the metabolic consequences of obesity, the pathophysiologic effects of obesity on cardiovascular risk factors and disease, and the potential risks and benefits of purposeful weight loss.

Clinical Implications

Many comorbid conditions have been linked to obesity, including cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Cardiovascular abnormalities associated with obesity include left ventricular concentric remodeling or hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction, increased systemic inflammation and prothrombotic state, and systolic and diastolic dysfunction.
Reasons for the obesity paradox, or the unexpectedly better prognosis of obese vs nonobese patients with established cardiovascular diseases, are unclear. Despite the obesity paradox, the bulk of evidence still supports voluntary weight loss for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Feed the Kids?

2009-06-03T19:07:00.001-07:00

I was sitting listening to MPR with only half my brain into it. Multi-tasking as life seems to find a regular occurrence with so many of us. No one should think of beaming us up, there is a part of us multi-tasking somewhere else and god knows what would happen in this world. A voice pierced through my haze and said something I had never paid much attention to. But I had been witness to just moments before. My two boys were at their Cub Scout "Graduation Picnic." We as usual made a lot more food than needed. we had the party at Bryn Mawr park, not far from the church where the den considers it's hang-out to-be. Children who had no parents watching them kept eyeing the food we had. One of the parents said the picnic was for the scout kids. Something told me this was not what we thought it was. I asked the outside kids to come and join us, plenty of food for all. These kids grabbed and ran, as if I might change my mind if they stuck around too long. I wondered where were mom and or dad. only I knew the answer. when Kelly and I rented apartments a few years ago, we regularly had to get food and drinks for little people. their parents often nowhere to be seen. too poor, too stoned, too something that prevented these kids from experiencing life the way American kids hould experience it. Thoughts in their heads, fun in heir hearts and food in the belly. I left after it was over, the picnic that is. When I got home I turned on the radio and heard something I hadn't thought of before. Maybe I was somewhat intellectually off the mark, if not quite lazy, per-se. MPR was mentioning that many kids get their only decent meals through the school lunch program. Once summer arrives, they do not get regular meals. What can I do? Man I know I can do something. My boys and I regularly volunteer to feed the homeless. We could connect the dots. these kids may not show up at any church for food. but.. what if we took the meals on wheels concept and got food for kids. but to keep their dignity, we would pretend they won the lottery. Steve, I ask for your guidance. we can do this. Kari, I am a little slow to the draw, so help me figure this out with friends at our next meeting. Erica, David, anyone and everyone, please share your ideas. We can kick this damn thing and help a few kids out. Maybe get other groups to share in the idea. Help me with this one.

New Music (for me)

2009-04-23T21:56:00.000-07:00

Yes I love it list:
Kings o Convenience "Riot on an Empty Street"
the Black Kids "Partie Traumatic"
Decemberists "the Hazards of Love" What can I say, they are just awesome damn it-
U2 "No Line on the Horizon"
Supreme Beings of Leisure "S2"
Morrissey "Years of Refusal"
Fleet Foxes Self Titled and the EP
Niko Case "Middle Cyclone"
Yeasayer "All Hour Cymbals"
Seal "Soul"
Cat Power "The Greatest"
DeVotchka "Curse Your Little Heart"
Robbie Williams "Intensive Care"
Tricky "Knowle West Boy" This one is a classic. Just phenomenal. I am anxious for the new Massive Attack one comming out soon.

Not as much as I hoped (still ok though)
Depeche Mode "Sounds of the Universe" (Hoped for something as good as "Playing the Angel" but alas, let down. Maybe I will change my mind down the road).
Bad Plus "For All I Care"

Roaches Inspire (the Artificial) Heart

2009-04-14T18:27:00.001-07:00

Inspired by roaches, Indian scientists develop artificial heart

19/03/2009 14:48 NEW DELHI, March 19 (RIA Novosti) - A group of scientists from the Indian city of Kharagpur have created a unique artificial human heart similar to the heart of a cockroach, the supervisor of the project told RIA Novosti.

Unlike humans, who die of cardiac arrest when one of their four heart chambers fails, cockroaches easily survive in a similar situation because their hearts have 13 chambers, Sujoy Guha said.

He said the Indian researchers' 13-chamber design will make their total artificial heart (TAH) more resilient than the models currently in use. The device will be made of metal and plastic and cost about $2,000 - one-thirtieth of the price of standard TAHs.

It took the research team of the Indian Institute of Technology three years to complete the first prototype of their artificial heart. It was successfully tested on frogs, and tests on goats are scheduled to begin in May.

Tests on animals are scheduled to be completed in a year. If the tests are successful, the first Indian TAH could be implanted into a human patient in three years.

Trains In Vain

2009-04-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

The Clash had a song called Train in Vain (you didnt stand by me). A great song and my apologies for stealing the title.

This is not about the clash. I am ranting about the fact that we lack a high speed rail system in Mid America. Part of life for me includes driving pretty regularly to place like Fargo and Bismarck, ND, Sioux Falls, SD, Omaha and Lincoln, NE, St Cloud, Rochester and Duluth MN, as well as Des Moines, IA.

As I drive these exciting stretches of land I keep thinking about how cool would it be if my car could drive for me. I could sit in the passenger seat and get a lot of stuff done. Use the internet and be productive. Get reports done, make phone calls to customers and avoid accidents.

That is already available in Europe. they are called high speed rails. Japan has them too. Of course, they have more people.

What spurred this rant that I am prone to having so often? Well glad you asked.

When I was in Europe, especially in Germany, I got to use the rail system and learned to be efficient an dare I say fellin love with it. It was smooth and it was pretty quick and it worked very well.

In the midwest we can choose a few options. Car, which takes time. Bus which takes time. Limited rail without much amenities, which takes time. Planes which cost money and often are not that fast. They still plug up the sky and the tarmac as well.

I was listening to NPR and the discussion was the airline industry. They are, like always, suffering. They are competitive, they suffer. fuel prices are high they suffer. Now the fuel prices are low and the economy is down...they are suffering.

High speed rail that is integrated with the airports can help. They could do package deals and draw on a large auddience of folks who could not consider air travel in the past for short jaunts.

I would love it because I can get work done, it could be energy efficient and the air would e safer with less planes fighting for the same space.

2008-11-26T06:41:00.001-08:00

Gosh what's new? Well on the tunes end of town, I have been listening to "Hercules and Love Affair" quite a bit lately. Please check them (him and his helpers) out on You Tube. The songs "Blind," "Time Will," "You Belong to Me" just have a nice feel to them.

As fate would have it, there are some really enjoyable jazz vocalists in town. I am waiting to get some tunes listed on the blog.

Have a Great Thanksgiving, Christmas and whatever family traditions that go with those holidays for you.

I am doing a lot more on facebook, feel free to stay up to date with friends on there.

Happy 40

2008-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

A quick moment to say thank you to Tom Ernst, his lovely wife Michelle and sons Basil and Max. For what? For inviting Kelly and myself and 30 other folks who had a connection to either being at Kennedy High School or married to someone who went there.

No talk about the economic bail-out, etc. Just time for ourselves.

Great times great friends and what a great home. The catering was awesome and to be honest with you, I have gone to big events put together by big company budgets and they were never this good. The home on Summit Ave was incredible. Tom makes everyone feel very important and special.

And the attendees were old friends who reminded me that I had it really good. I am truly grateful for the great friends who I was fortunate enough to have been with during my all to brief time at school. These folks were truly great.

I only wish we could do more. I still have a hard time believing that time has left us so quickly. It waits for no one. No not even you (or certainly, not me).

Please enjoy life. You never know where and when it will be tomorrow-

Personalized Medicine

2008-08-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

Diagnostics in the medical field is all about determining disease. There are related aspects which help with determining the best course of action (immuno-histo-chemistry for instance).

In the last two weeks I have seen the rise of companies who are focusing on issues like determining the biodiversity issues of individuals. I have an uncle in Creighton, who is the head of Pharmacy there. He had interestingly enough, discussed at length with me the topic of Cytochrome P450 metabolism. The various pathways, why different folks are not affected by the same drugs.

It lead to the issue of so many drug companies who are in trouble because they hid evidence that their drugs can hurt and even kill people. Not every one, just a few specific folks. Who are these people? They die and screw up the results of the next miracle drug testing.

Interestingly enough, these diagnostic companies that make tests to help determine who the folks likely to die from these drugs are small fish. The pharmaceutical companies are on the other hand huge.

Why do they not support the diagnostics companies who could help prevent adverse drug reactions? Well, that would mean that not everyone would be on anti-cholesterol meds, proton pump inhibitors (Prilosec), antihistamines, blood pressure meds, arthritis and diabetes meds while they take aspirin to lower the risk of heart attacks.

A cigarette anyone? American roulette, stake your life upon it....

The Decemberists are releasing three 12" vinyl double sided singles. The first is called Valerie Plame. Out mid October. The next in November and it wraps up in December. You can of course listen in digital download and cd formats if being groovy is not your thing.

A whole new album without these singles will be available next year. they are in the studio now. The Crane Wife is and will always be one of my favorite albums. Colin Meloy is a genius. There, I said it.

Check it out at: http://www.decemberistsshop.com/zencart/

Last few things of greatness: Minus the Bear's Planet of Ice still is quite awesome. Deathcab's new album is awesome on long rides. The new Coldplay is full of a few good ones and a whole bunch of forgettable stuff, but still worth it. Viva la Vida (not Livin the Vida Loca) is full of awesome song writing and is great ear candy.

Hard Fi deserves some time. Stars of CCTV. The whole thing is awesome. From Cash Machine and stand-outs like Tied up Too Tight and Hard to Beat (that song is pure music addiction), you will be hammering anything in sight like a cool quick, relentless beat.

If Crosby Stills and Nash is more your style, but you want to take baby steps to coolness... check out Fleet Foxes new one (self titled). Oh yeah, the single, Mykonos, is on the preceding EP. i assumed it would be on the full length. Not true, boo-hoo. I am going to grab that later, because that song is rather incredible.

Kelly and I saw Emo Phillips a few weeks back. If you go to see him live be warned. You may literally die laughing. I have to say thank you to Acme, for consistently great headliners. You guys are saints. This ties us full circle.

If the economy is the disease that leads us to feeling sick... live humor is the medicine. I will make sure AutoGenomics has a test to verify my theory. Until that day comes, drop a few bucks and enjoy.

Thanks for reading my blather.

Goodbye to a Good Friend

2008-04-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

In not too long, I will turn 40 as will two of my closeset friends who are twins, born on the same day as I am. Now 40 looks old to you when you are 20 or so, but young when you are in your 60's. What really makes me feel old is some ad about an anti-wrinkle cream where the host is a gal who is asking you to look a little closer because she is 43. But she looks so young. Hey what's going on? I expect you to look young without the cream. Just smile a lot. People will think you are young.

Why am I ranting (if you knew me, you would obviously expect this). I have felt old from about my 30th birthday or before. My brother is 136 months younger than I am. his youthfulness and his friends always remind me, hey I might be old. I am not in denial.

The reason I touch on age, also is the inevitability of when life stops being of the flesh and reaches into the next world. If anyone passes away before they reach their 90's I just feel like they died young. If I knew and loved them, I am rather tormented about their loss.

One of the friends Kelly and I had from as far back as Oak Grove Jr. High just passed away. He was a brilliant guy who always felt most comfortable making everyone else laugh. He was not a class clown kind of guy. He suffered from a disabling disorder that is called Friedrich's Ataxia. It is a disorder that started by making his arms and legs work similar to Woody from Toy Story. The creator of Woody, Peter Doctor, was a friend of David Lewis. The friend who passed away.

Dave Lewis was just happy to make everyone smile and laugh. His writings and thoughts were filled with the dualities of every day life. His perspectives significantly more pervasive. Eventually, Dave became wheel-chair ridden. This after the years of braces and scoliosis and loss of muscle functions. Eventually, he became harder to speak with because Ataxia also goes after muscles that allow us to speak.

I made an entry in his obituary. If you can read the entries, please do so. Below is mine.

I had known Dave as had my wife Kelly from Junior High. We did not stay in touch with Dave as often as we wanted to for most of the last two decades. Something happened last year. Jeff, one of his very good buddies whom we would get occasional emails and updates from, asked us to hook up for a holiday get-together. It was a moment everyone there that cold December Evening will remember and cherish. Dave made us all laugh and smile and remember great moments in life. His humor was somewhat more difficult to understand since I had not spoke with him in a while. Kari, Jeff, Jerome Kristen all helped us with the occasional moment of not understanding. Having had this moment with him, I like the rest of us planned on having many more. The happiness derived at that event was enormous. It helps balance the tears of missing Dave, a truly incredible friend whom we all wish would be on earth with us for just several more decades. I will remember being with Dave at the hospital the day before he died. All the photos I took of him with those who love him there with him. It is amazing he could not speak. We were all filled with tears. But he secretly reached into all of our hearts and made us share stories about him that made us all laugh. I look forward to his 40th birthday. I will think of you often. I will always miss you. Smiles trying to swim above all the tears.

What Happened In Nebraska?

2008-04-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

I am in Omaha and Lincoln right now, with a fellow rep, Chris. Today the two of us hit the streets hard. We had so many accounts to hit and were nailing really big stuff, new accounts, new equipment and impressing so many folks...we were on fire.

Everything was going great. We were so busy we could not get lunch until 3.15 pm and that was a to-go. We are headed up Dodge and Chris says his truck just died, the momentum fading as we go up just past 42nd. He tries to re-crank it.

We have a big account to hit, with big equipment!

Truck will not turn! Trucks behind us and traffic is buzzing (on both sides). Hey let's push up a few feet and turn... we cannot do it. Chris is pretty healthy, but my flab is showing it's ugly side. You know the side that looks like Archie Bunker leaning on a car, more ready to sleep than be useful.

Chris being respectful and seeing myself in a suit and dress shoes, says, let's just let the hill do it's thing. Steer into the parking lot (a McDonald's no less).

I swing it as I avoid hitting any oncomming traffic, Chris pushing the truck while I steer.

The best laid plans. We sat forever in a Mc Donald's lot. Practically blocking the driveway. eating jambalaya and chicken we picked up at another restaurant.

We may not have been able to make it to our last account, but we were dressed well. The Bruegger's next door had enough signal so we could send emails.

77 degrees and sunny. The day could be good or bad. But that moment is one that makes memories.

Have a good one yourself.

Can You Eat A Healthy Meal....and Make it Quick?

2008-03-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Sure you can. I am going to give you some tips. In fact, I will give you some guidelines that will allow you to change the items and you can make several dishes along the week.

As a few of you have found out, when you control the ingredients, you control your health. The recipe below is based on a chicken or turkey dish. I will tell you about variations down the road.

First, you will need a pressure cooker. Second, the ingredients. Chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch wide julienne slices no more than 3/8 inch thick. I reccomend no longer than 4 inches in length. One lb feeds three people. Set this aside.

Cut potatoes, cut into one inch cubes, clean the skin and leave it on. You will want 1.25 lbs potatoes. Rinse the starchiness under cool water in a colander. Set aside.

Next cutAdd 1/2 lb onions minced. Crush 7 cloves garlic. Put these and 1 lb carrots aside.

Put your burner on med hi heat and put 1.5 tblspns peanut oil. Add the chicken after the oil swirls easily, and is quite hot, not a second before. Two minutes into it, turn or mix the chicken around. If the skin is slightly golden, reduce heat slightly and potatoes, do the same for a two-three minutes. Now add Tony Chacheres Cajun mix (2.5 tspns-1 tblspns, depending on your nerves), 1/2 tspn parsly, two tspn basil, 1 spn oregano, 1/4 tspn ginger.

Pour in onions and garlic and turn up heat to high, while mixing for two minutes. Add three cups water and carrots. Once its all boiling aggressively, add the lid and tighten. Once the pressure is rocking, turn heat to a medium, so only light puffs are coming out. Sert a timer to 10 minutes. At the end of the timer, turn off heat and let it cool gradually.

In 3 minutes, let the jigler valve release steam by going up to slight release (do not take off!).

Dinner is done.

Want more let me know. As far as I can figure no one reads this stuff anyway. Cheers.

Life During Wartime

2008-01-02T08:11:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a great New Years. I know we have all been fortunate this year. I had the good fortune of seeing some old friends who have done a great job of keeping up with each other. A friend named Kari asked me to send an email to someone I had not seen since high school.

This brave soul is in Kuwait right now and shipping off to Iraq soon. Please check out his blog at http://jeff.jls2.com/ and send him comments feed back and support.

An uncle of mine helped in the first Iraq (Army Medical) war during dessert storm and vowed to never go through that again. He retired when it was official Bush 2 was the new President elect. He was 2 years shy of 25 years service.

All politics aside, how has the war affected us directly? I do not believe we as Americans are in touch with the day-to-day events in the lives of these soldiers. Both set-backs and triumphs. I have not been involved at any length to do very much about the soldiers. I am not pointing fingers.

Congress will be giving themselves yet another raise. Our soldiers had their pay package increase (.5-3.% range) vetoed. Let your congressfolk know, we can help in a small way, right?

Peace-
Thanks to Jeff and the thousands of others soldiers out there doing what I and most the rest of us have been avoiding.

Minus The Bear

2007-12-27T13:45:00.000-08:00

If you want to hear some really great music that is reminescent of all that was good from the 60's-80's, check out "My New Favorite Band" Minus the Bear. I am finaly ordering (on vinyl) Planet of Ice. I will likely get their predecessor piece Menos El Oso. Which is another great piece. My last rave was a band called Sound Team. And yes yummy music there, the CD is movie monster. Song that is absolutely ear candy good the track Born to Please. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. Kelly and I are going to see some friends we have not seen in two decades. It should be fun. Take care and have a great New Years.

Simpleology: The Science of Getting What You Want

2007-12-21T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Happy Holidays

2007-12-21T09:04:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone. Raj, the Minnesota Madman wishes all of you a safe and enjoyable holidays. I will keep postings on Health, Medical and Music topics. If you have an area of expertise you want to share with me, please do so. If you have some questions, I may be able to help or at least know some health and medical experts to help out. The music.. that is ear candy tips, please share your favorites!