Wimbledon: Great Semi-Final I took the afternoon off, yesterday It's 4th of July weekend, and I didn't feel like making the usual 100 mile circuit, with the increasing afternoon traffic, and at least 2 patients not coming for treatment. Lin and I watched the match between Roddick and Murray. It was a great match, and I admit to being torn. Roddick prevailed, deservedly, but Murray, seeded 3, played very well, and carried the burden of the British hope of a first Wimbledon finalist since 1938. I was rooting for who ever played best, and it turned out to be America's Andy, and I won't hold it against him that he is from Lincoln, Nebraska.
Murray will be in the thick of it for years to come, but this may be Roddick's last best chance. As much as I like Federer, I'll be rooting for Roddick on Sunday. There really is nothing like Wimbledon. I'd have loved to see a Britain, and a Scot, at that, win Wimbledon this year, but with Roddick having a near hopeless record against Federer, I'll have my underdog. It would be a great win for Roddick. Murray will be back.
A Real Embarrassment of Riches I'm jealous of those rapid readers who post, "I just finished reading (add your own 1000 page tome)." I'm a slow reader. I don't know how the hell I got through medical school. But then, I couldn't hear the murmurs that the future cardiologists heard, whether they were there or not... you know the Grade 0.3/5 pre-diastolic murmur limited to the apex (when the humidity isn't too high!)
Well today, the ship came in! My friend, John Freeborn, whom I met indirectly via the internet, sent me a new book that was published about him: "Tiger Cub," a 74 Squadron Filghter Pilot in World War II," by Christopher Yeoman and John. John is a surviving Spitfire ace of the Battle of Britain, and this book will be treasured. I hope, but I know I won't, learn more about Barking Creek. I see that another acquaintance, Wilf Critchley, is credited with compiling an extensive list of the planes John flew. In his day, and well beyond his day, he was credited with being quite a lady's man, but those victories will not be recounted. He did not think much of Lana Turner, I will tell you that.
If this wasn't enough, 2 books from Amazon arrived at the same time: "Shattered Sword, " The untold Story of the Battle of Midway, by Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully (2005), and "Beyon Pearl Harbor," the Untold Stories of Japan's Naval Airmen, by Ron Werneth (2008)
So, sometime in 2011, I'll acknowledge having completed all three. I'm almost finished with my book on Midway written by the moderator of the Battle of Midway Roundtable Ronald W. Russell: "No Right to Win". Very Highly recommended with about 30 pages to go. Think of this as a play by play. Ever since I complete Dick and Jane, I've been celebrating the end of every book. Particularly, Grey"s Anatomy.... which I never did read. That's for surgeons!
Porsche Dreaming The tachometer says 168,000+ miles, and 3,000 miles don't show. IIt was delivered in September 1995, as a 1996 911 Turbo. It had a major engine rebuild at 107,000 miles, and it runs like a charm. A very expensive, not very economical, charm. I love it. But that doesn't stop me from wondering about the Cayman S or the GT-3, or, very briefly, the new Panamera. Here is Dan Neil's write up in the Los Angeles Times.
He is my very favorite automotive writer. I love his style, and generally agree with everything he writes. He describes the Panamera handling as "compared with a 911, this thing handles like well-upholstere field artillery."
In fact, because I love my car, named "Torshia" for her 519 foot/pounds, and don't have a spare $200,000 to convert a Cayman S into a RUF or RUF like version, I will be driving my 1996 forever. That isn't really an idle threat as my 1969 911S is now owned by my son, John, so it has had only 2 owners in its life. It was modified, as well, and was a really great machine, in its day. Forget the miles/gallon, and the upkeep. It's in the family.
Obama and Health Care - NYT Thanks to the wonderful feature of the NY Times website, I received this thoughtful article on Obama march through the obstacles to Universal Coverage. Despite being describerd, accurately, as a "marginalized" supporter of Single Payer Health Care, I must admire his politica skills at settling for what is "doable." Worth reading. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/19/us/politics/19reform.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail0=y
Roger 'Bill" Terry, Tuskegee Airman, Bruin Basketballer, Dies at 87 He roomed with Jackie Robinson, and was a Tuskegee Airman who was convicted of "jostling" an officer during an attempt to integrate the officers' club at Freeman Field, Indiana in April, 1945. He was encouraged by Coleman Young, and defended by future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
"On Aug. 2, 1995, the Army pardoned him, restored his rank and refunded his $150 fine. Two years ago, Terry and several other airmen collectively received a Congressional Gold Medal from President George W. Bush in Washington." Los Angeles Times obituary.
Forty five years ago, in Fresno, CA, John Lewin was born. His mom, Sally, and I had been married for 3 years, and he was our first son. We were very, very proud. It was at the end of my first year of residency, and we were about to leave for Oakland, CA where I would be taking my second year of residency, and where Geoffrey would be born 13 months later. Sally and I wanted to have our children close together, so they would have the companionship of a sibling. Little did we know the many consequences of that decision, and that, years later, John and Geoff would be prosecutors, living in the same city, and closer than we could have imagined.
This was the airplane that sunk 3 Japanese carriers in the Battle of Midway, and was the only airplane that was truly superior to the equivalent Japanese aircraft it opposed on June 4, 1942. The Junkers Ju-87 Stuka was the iconic dive bomber of the Luftwaffe, and the "Val," the Aichi D3A was the bomber so successfully employed, in combination with torpedo bombers, at Pearl Harbor.
The featured speaker was Ronald W. Russell, a retired chief warrant officer who is the editor and moderator of the internet based Battle of Midway Roundtable. He summarized the significance of the battle, as follows:
1. The Japanese were overly confident about the security of their naval code, and transmitted coded data by radio, where it was being monitored and translated by American code breakers.
2. Battle damage sustained by the Shokaku, and the air group of the Zuikaku at the Battle of the Coral Sea, one month earlier, made the Japanese force attacking Midway smaller than intended.
3. Despite very significant battle damage in the Coral Sea Battle, the Yorktown was repaired in 3 days and contributed to the Midway victory.
4. VT-8, of the Hornet, flying TBD's and led by John Waldron, defied the instructions given by the air group commander, deviated from the prescribed course, and found the Japanese fleet, making the initial low level torpedo attack and bringing the defending fighters down to sea level.
5. VT-6 of the Enterprise lost 10 of 14 planes, in a second low level attack, as flaming wreckage of VT-8's Devastators marked the location of the Japanese fleet. Again the defending fighters remained at sea level.
6 Yorktown VT-3's TBD's followed the smoke, attacked and met a similar fate, losing 10 of 12 planes to the low level Zeros.
7. Nineteen U.S. submarines were deployed in ambush, including the U.S.S. Nautilus which attracted the attention of the escorting destroyer, Arashi, which detached from the carrier force to deal with the contact. Two dive bomber squadrons from the Enterprise (SBD's), commanded by Wade McClusky followed the direction pointed by the destroyer and found the Japanese carriers with their fighter escort engaged at sea level.
8. Nagumo had twice changed the armaments of his bombers and torpedo planes and the carriers' decks exposed armament and fuel to the aerial attack that ensued.
9. Yorktown's VB-3 SBD's launched one hour earlier arrived over the Japanese carrier fleet at the same time as McClusky's 2 squadrons, so simultaneously 48 dive bombers delivered an attack that was not vigorously opposed by fighters. Within 5 minutes, 3 Japanese carriers were flaming wrecks.
An Open Letter to the Honorable John Campbell, House of Representatives, 48th District, California As a physician in this district, practicing since 1967, offering free care at Clinica La Amistad (St. Joseph Hospital) and SOS Clinic (Costa Mesa, Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian), I know what a lack of health insurance means. I see it every day when I dialyze patients with diabetes, kidney failure, blindness, that could have been prevented, and wasn't, with a major factor being the unavailability of medical care to large segments of our population because they can't afford to buy medical insurance and are not covered by their employers. Sure, when they become disabled, they can apply for Medicare, linked to disability, or when the battle is over,and they go onto dialysis, they get their Medicare! So it has been since 1973, and currently more than 300,000 patients are alive, and on dialysis, and many others are alive and have had kidney transplants.... but how much better and how much cheaper to prevent end stage disease by early treatment.
This is the 21st century, and the United States is not a Third World Country... except when it comes to providing health care for the poorer and less fortunate members of society. They are not the ones who go to fund raisers, and they don't employ lobbyists. But they are there, and I see them every day.
Health care is being rationed today! It is not there for many until it is too late. Please listen to the experiences of those members of the health care profession who think they are more than purveyors of a service, but guardians of the standards of a profession that has been honored in the past for its service to society.
I ask you, as my representative, to think beyond the label of your political party and do something for your community. The President's plan is not my plan! But it is a step forward, toward what is needed, universal, affordable health care. The alternative is to ignore the need beyond the borders of the affluent community that elects you, deny that the problem exists, and leave it to others to put the spine in the pronouncements of concern for the nation's health.
(Submitted by e-mail, to coincide with the push for health care reform.
Planes of Fame - SBD Dauntless and the Battle of Midway I'm going to indulge myself and take this in. Planes of Fame - SBD Dauntless and the Battle of Midway I deserve this break because, for the last 3 days I've served as a speed bump beneath the wheels of a malevolent daughter of a patient, who marked me out as victim #4 in her attempts to hang onto a poor old father with dementia, a mechanical aortic valve requiring anticoagulation, a repaired aortic aneurysm, a non functional arteriovenous fistula and recent MRSA sepsis. She had a somewhat plausible story, so I rode off to the hospital to help the man and take over his care, not realizing that nephrologist #3 was attempting to dump the patient with a story.... his associates couldn't cover the patient in a dialysis unit that the daughter preferred. And, oh yes, "Do I accept MediCal?" Well, I volunteer at 2 free clinics, so ignoring the embarrassment of what the State f California thinks my work is worth, I said sure, and rushed off in the midst of a busy day.... a very busy day, to ride to the rescue. dropped everything, I did, to try to help out this seemingly sincere lady. I called the interventional radiologist, a vascular surgeon for consultation, nephrologist #3, not knowing his role in the conspiracy, and the primary care doctor....all of this uncompensated, even by the paltry MediCal standards, and then explained my opinion of the proper course to the daughter.
I lasted 2 days. This morning, before I could see the patient, but after I had read a couple of reports and checked labs, I got a call from my office to inform me that the daughter would no longer need my services. She had found another nephrologist.
This put me out of my misery, and learning that nephrologist #5 is not a good friend, indeed, much less than not a good friend..... but that is too long a story, and won't appear in this journal. Enough to say, that they certainly deserve each other, and I'm sorry for the old guy, and sincerely searching for some reason to excuse the daughter who can't be realistic about end of life issues, and considers physicians as tools to be manipulated.
I'm off the hook, and I'm going to celebrate. Yeah, Beckster.... saving lives is highly overrated!
Safari West Not wishing to have the moss grow between our toes, we were off to Corte Madera last Thursday, and then for a full Saturday of Safari West, outside of Santa Rosa, returning for a great lunch at La Boulangerie, and off to see "Up," the heartwarming, tear-jerker from Pixar. We loved it, as did Haley and Zach. Home on Sunday, and back to face the new month, with, miraculously, no one in the hospital, until today.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan.
BILL MOYERS: That was State Senator Obama, who said there was just one big obstacle standing in its way.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: We may not get there immediately, because first we've got to take back the White House, and we've got to take back the Senate, and we've got to take back the House.
BILL MOYERS: Fast forward six years. President Obama has everything he said was needed - Democrats in control of the executive and both houses of Congress. So what's happened to single-payer?
For one thing, as President, Obama is now looking for consensus, peace among all the parties. There was a big pow-wow in Washington last week. The president asked representatives of the health care business to reason together with him at the White House. They came, listened and promised to cut health care costs voluntarily over the next ten years.
Some of us looking on at this charm offensive - some of us who'd been around a long time - were scratching our heads. We've heard this call for voluntary restraint before.
Way, way back in the 1970's Americans were riled up over the rising costs of health care. As a presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter started talking about how the government would be clamping down...."
I did hear from my brother-in-law, Bob, and in an e-mail, from a retired radiologist from the University of Washington, who I met on the Crystal Symphony, through the Panama Canal.... they saw the program and heard the message. So logical, so right....so far away. We are asked to wait for evolution, while people die and the debt goes up, because we need consensus, in the face of a greedy seolf-interest that will bankrupt our nation.
What do you think?
I'm going to try to link this to Facebook and My Space.
Sleeepless, After the International Date Line Of course, I should be sleeping. But, I took the afternoon off yesterday because I was just too fatigued to make it through a 12 hour day. I did what I had to do, got home at about 12:45 PM, ate 2 100 calorie yogurts (6 pounds added in my eating onslaught of Asia/17 days!) and went to sleep, awakening at 5 PM. Lin brought home one of those wonderful hot Costco chickens and I ate one chicken breast, 2 tangerines, and faithfully watched Dancing With The Stars, nudging Lin to keep her awake for her favorite show. Then I watched one of the Tivo'd Bill Moyers, on Torture, finding myself in agreement with Bruce Fein, who has undergone some kind of major transformation... or maybe I didn't understand him in the past. After a couple of hours sleep, I went to the computer and that took me to BBC music of Istanbul! There's this old folk strain, buried deep, that occasionally emerges, and tonight I was grabbed, big time by Aynur Dogan.
The connection is Istanbul and our next Crystal Cruise in June 2010! It starts in Venice and ends in Istanbul and I've resolved to do the research on Istanbul, since I know next to nothing, except the Turks are a Moslem nation with more democracy than that part of the world usually contains. Of course it is complex. Profound! 5;00 AM!
Aynur is a Turkish Kurd whose music was once banned. I love her voice and her looks and the instrumental accompaniments, and I've been all over You Tube, Google and Wiki, learning more.
There is one other person on LJ who has an interest in Aynur. Not a Turk. Not a Kurd. An Austrian! LJ in one hell of a place!
I've got 16 patients coming into the office between 10 AM and 12 noon. Hah, hah, hah! Vacations are great fun, particularly for the obsessive compulsive with very limited Spanish fluency, and my demographic.
I'd love to play this music in the waiting room, but H1N1 is just too fresh in Hispanic minds.
This is a wonderful place for refreshment! Coach via Japan Airlines was pleasant but 10:40 PM to 6:35 AM, Singapore to Tokyo, a bit cramped. Fortunately the middle seat in our threesome was empty, so I probably slept for about 2-3 hours. An excellent Japanese breakfast of food that I can't name, Lin was wheeled to a different part of the terminal and most of Narita was still asleep. Gradually, it awakened and she went window shopping while I read "The Age of the Unthinkable," by Joshua Cooper Ramo.... tough reading, but valuable insights.
At 8:00 AM we found the Admiral's Lounge deserted of passengers but loaded with food. We partook! Again! Our flight to LAX doesn't depart until 4:00 PM, and then it's something like 11-12 hours, arriving Sunday at 10:00 AM. A bit odd, because as I write this in Tokyo, it's 09:56 AM. We get the lost day back.
Our Singapore experience was particularly enjoyable with an upgrade to a suite at the Club Level of what was already a 5 star hotel. We met a Puerto Rican lady (Monica) married to an Irish executive chef, and gained further insights from the cab driver on the way to the airport.
Add that to Desmond, our night shopping guide, and Iris, our day tour guide, and I'm looking for an excuse to get back to Singapore and learn more.... and not a single visit to anything related to World War II or aviation. The demography, culture and politics fascinate me. And amid the 4.5 million residents, 360,000 military, 75% Chinese, 14% Malay, ~8% Indian, are 2,000 Jews! They all live together and they're proud of it, caning minor infraction violators, and hanging drug dealers, administering equal justice to all, so they say, and I tend to believe them. This is a country that could teach us a great deal. 90% homeowners with 2.5% 30 year government mortgages. Educational and health care subsidies. Very little corruption, but essentially a one party government, and a reputation as the "little island that could."
Vacation Update from Bangkok It's apparent that I've been a miserable failure at regular journaling, but I've had a wonderful vacation. From Hong Kong to Viet Nam to Bangkok, with only Singapore to come, before the long flight home. I'm enjoying sights and sounds and smells and the cruising experience. We've had cruises aboard Windstar, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland American, Silver Seas and Crystal Cruises, and nothing touches the splendor, service, enrichment lectures of Crystal. I'm afraid we're hopelessly spoiled.
We enjoyed the beauty of Victoria Harbor, Hong Kong, and were duly impressed by the wealth evident in that city. Viet Nam was revealing for its relative underdevelopment, for its pride in securing its independence and for the chaos of its traffic. There is great energy in the country, and it will achieve much as capitalism evolves. Thailand, translated as "The Land of the Free," is probably the most interesting to me, as it has never been conquered, and is a constitutional monarchy. Most intriguing is its enterprise and the role the army has played in stabilizing the country. The politics in each country is more than a non-native speaker can hope to understand in brief visits, but that, the demography, the evolving economic systems and the background of my American view of representative democracy, has made these visits all too brief. I regret not having the time to meet nephrologists in these countries, as they are coping with problems that our wealth makes it so much easier for our nation to cope.
The Crystal cruising experience is second to none. We are very, very fortunate.
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