The press and the parties (factions) have in common that they have no official function in U.S. society. So, they have carve out importance for themselves by infiltrating the electoral process. In recent decades their self-importance has been undermined by demographic change. So both have resorted to lying?
This morning I awoke wanting to verify my recollection of a quotation from JBS Haldale, which I found here: [Click]
In a letter to the August 1992 issue of The Linnean, a friend of Haldane's named Kenneth Kermack said that both he and his wife Doris remembered Haldane using the phrase "an inordinate fondness for beetles":
I have checked my memory with Doris, who also knew Haldane well, and what he actually said was: "God has an inordinate fondness for beetles." J.B.S.H. himself had an inordinate fondness for the statement: he repeated it frequently. More often than not it had the addition: "God has an inordinate fondness for stars and beetles." . . . Haldane was making a theological point: God is most likely to take trouble over reproducing his own image, and his 400,000 attempts at the perfect beetle contrast with his slipshod creation of man. When we meet the Almighty face to face he will resemble a beetle (or a star) and not Dr. Carey [the Archbishop of Canterbury].”
Among the many other memorable quotes in the linked compilation were a number related to the supplantation of other forms of power generation by wind power, of which I had not been aware. Haldane cannot be faulted for his ignorance of photoelectric power, or for failing to foresee the rapidity of our progress.
From The Guardian: A hacking attack caused some Russian regional broadcasters to put out a false warning urging people to take shelter from an incoming missile attack, the emergencies ministry said. “As a result of the hacking of servers of radio stations and TV channels, in some regions of the country information about the announcement of an air alert was broadcast. This information is false and does not correspond to reality.” A similar attack caused commercial radio stations in some Russian regions to send air alarm messages on Wednesday last week. ---Alan
So now I have the results of my prostate biopsy. It's cancer. No surprise there. Irt's quite aggressive: Essentially grade 9 on a scale effectively 6-10 (technically 2-10, but scores below 6 are rare). The nomogram tells Dr. Leyland that it has probably spread beyond the pelvic area, even though the MRI suggests the lymph nodes are not involved. But the plan in any case had been to have a PET scan to detect any extra-pelvic metastases. Meanwhile, I have started hormone therapy. Thirty days of the androgen receptor blocker bicalutamatide, starting two weeks ago, with today's injection of leuprolide. Leuprolide stimulates secretion of luetinizing hormone, which suppresses testosterone production. He gave a very detailed and convincing explanation of why he will not immediately continue bicalutamide, as online references sugeest is usual, but may resume it if PSA levles start to rise again. This hormone therapy should halt cancer growth, at least for w ehile, but will not cure it.
If the PET scan shows no extra-pelvic spread, we will talk about radiation therapy and possibly other curative therapies.
Dr. Leyland quoted one very interesting statistic: Of 100 healthy people my age with _untreated_ prostate cancer, the vast majority will die of something else over tne hext decade. A bit more than a handful will die of their cancer, And 13 will live to see 96. Needless to say, I plan to be one of those 13.
Since I was taking the "L" home anyway, I took it one more stop to downtown Oak Park to buy a new pair of shoes. The heels of the old ones had completely worn through. The new ones are very comfortable, if just a bit more flashy than I would have normally preferred. Is $154 a common price for shoes these days? I have no idea. For decades, Penny had bought all my clothes because she liked to shop and I didn't.
Then I went to Khyber Pass, an Indian restaurant I rarely get to these days because there are a half-dozen good restaurants closer to my house. I had oven-roasted spiced vegetables with two classes of wine. Very good. Maybe I should make more of an effort to get there.
Good luck, Bill. I've had PET scans; they are easy for the patient, and good at picking up metastases. If you have a choice, get it done earlier in the day--the tracer just barely lasts for a day. I can vouch for your doctor's statistics on causes of death among men with untreated prostate cancer--most die of something else. Chemoradiation was pretty rough, but cured my rectal adenoma; if I had any incipient prostate tumors they were zapped in the process, so it was a twofer. Also took care of a small skin cancer on my face. ---Alan
Can't opine about shoe prices, but $154 for a good quality pair probably isn't out of line these days. If the heels can be replaced, that helps. ----Alan
Lawrence O’Donnell: Rupert Murdoch's 'temple of lies' at Fox exposed by Dominion lawsuit [Click] Pretty good!
ReplyDelete—Alan
The press and the parties (factions) have in common that they have no official function in U.S. society. So, they have carve out importance for themselves by infiltrating the electoral process. In recent decades their self-importance has been undermined by demographic change. So both have resorted to lying?
ReplyDeleteThis morning I awoke wanting to verify my recollection of a quotation from JBS Haldale, which I found here: [Click]
ReplyDeleteIn a letter to the August 1992 issue of The Linnean, a friend of Haldane's named Kenneth Kermack said that both he and his wife Doris remembered Haldane using the phrase "an inordinate fondness for beetles":
I have checked my memory with Doris, who also knew Haldane well, and what he actually said was: "God has an inordinate fondness for beetles." J.B.S.H. himself had an inordinate fondness for the statement: he repeated it frequently. More often than not it had the addition: "God has an inordinate fondness for stars and beetles." . . . Haldane was making a theological point: God is most likely to take trouble over reproducing his own image, and his 400,000 attempts at the perfect beetle contrast with his slipshod creation of man. When we meet the Almighty face to face he will resemble a beetle (or a star) and not Dr. Carey [the Archbishop of Canterbury].”
Among the many other memorable quotes in the linked compilation were a number related to the supplantation of other forms of power generation by wind power, of which I had not been aware. Haldane cannot be faulted for his ignorance of photoelectric power, or for failing to foresee the rapidity of our progress.
—Alan
‘Scanners are complicated’: why Gen Z faces workplace ‘tech shame’ [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
The statue graveyard where torn down Confederate monuments lie [Click]
ReplyDelete—Alan
From The Guardian: A hacking attack caused some Russian regional broadcasters to put out a false warning urging people to take shelter from an incoming missile attack, the emergencies ministry said. “As a result of the hacking of servers of radio stations and TV channels, in some regions of the country information about the announcement of an air alert was broadcast. This information is false and does not correspond to reality.” A similar attack caused commercial radio stations in some Russian regions to send air alarm messages on Wednesday last week.
ReplyDelete---Alan
Scientists discover fossils of oldest known potential pollinators [Click] Long before the evolution of flowering plants
ReplyDelete—Alan
Crikey examines Rupert Murdoch’s admission that Fox News hosts ‘endorsed’ US election lie [Click] “Lawyers consider implications of patriarch’s testimony as they prepare to fight defamation suit brought by Lachlan Murdoch.” Interesting difference between US and other common law jurisdictions’ standards of defamation.
ReplyDelete—Alan
So now I have the results of my prostate biopsy. It's cancer. No surprise there. Irt's quite aggressive: Essentially grade 9 on a scale effectively 6-10 (technically 2-10, but scores below 6 are rare). The nomogram tells Dr. Leyland that it has probably spread beyond the pelvic area, even though the MRI suggests the lymph nodes are not involved. But the plan in any case had been to have a PET scan to detect any extra-pelvic metastases. Meanwhile, I have started hormone therapy. Thirty days of the androgen receptor blocker bicalutamatide, starting two weeks ago, with today's injection of leuprolide. Leuprolide stimulates secretion of luetinizing hormone, which suppresses testosterone production. He gave a very detailed and convincing explanation of why he will not immediately continue bicalutamide, as online references sugeest is usual, but may resume it if PSA levles start to rise again. This hormone therapy should halt cancer growth, at least for w ehile, but will not cure it.
ReplyDeleteIf the PET scan shows no extra-pelvic spread, we will talk about radiation therapy and possibly other curative therapies.
Dr. Leyland quoted one very interesting statistic: Of 100 healthy people my age with _untreated_ prostate cancer, the vast majority will die of something else over tne hext decade. A bit more than a handful will die of their cancer, And 13 will live to see 96. Needless to say, I plan to be one of those 13.
Since I was taking the "L" home anyway, I took it one more stop to downtown Oak Park to buy a new pair of shoes. The heels of the old ones had completely worn through. The new ones are very comfortable, if just a bit more flashy than I would have normally preferred. Is $154 a common price for shoes these days? I have no idea. For decades, Penny had bought all my clothes because she liked to shop and I didn't.
DeleteThen I went to Khyber Pass, an Indian restaurant I rarely get to these days because there are a half-dozen good restaurants closer to my house. I had oven-roasted spiced vegetables with two classes of wine. Very good. Maybe I should make more of an effort to get there.
Good luck, Bill. I've had PET scans; they are easy for the patient, and good at picking up metastases. If you have a choice, get it done earlier in the day--the tracer just barely lasts for a day. I can vouch for your doctor's statistics on causes of death among men with untreated prostate cancer--most die of something else. Chemoradiation was pretty rough, but cured my rectal adenoma; if I had any incipient prostate tumors they were zapped in the process, so it was a twofer. Also took care of a small skin cancer on my face.
Delete---Alan
Can't opine about shoe prices, but $154 for a good quality pair probably isn't out of line these days. If the heels can be replaced, that helps.
Delete----Alan