News for today's 2018

Hard Cases: Penicillin Allergies Overblown - NYT

5:53 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div></div>The woman with the swollen red leg was selling us one bill of goods after another. She said she had stopped injecting drugs years before; the fresh needle marks on her feet suggested otherwise. She said she had duly taken all the antibiotic pills another hospital had given her, although most people don't finish those prescriptions.But we didn't raise an eyebrow at the least likely claim of all. Instead we wrote it down carefully in our notes and it became a part of her hospital record, highlighted in red on the computer and set off with an exclamation point, permanently molding her medical life and also, in a way, our own.This was her life-threatening allergy to penicillin.About one in 10 Americans reports a serious allergy to the antibiotic penicillin or any of several closely related drugs. Yet in about 90 percent of cases, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12721392" style="text-decoration: none; ">no serious allergy exists</a>.Some people are using the word allergy imprecisely. Antibiotics can have all kinds of dreadful side effects, from diarrhea to nerve damage, but most of these are not formally considered allergies.Some people confuse antibiotics: an older woman once described to me in spine-chilling detail the swollen lips and wheezing that had kept her away from penicillin since before World War II. But penicillin wasn't around then, and she probably had a sulfa allergy instead.A few people — or, more likely, their doctors — mix up the disease and the treatment. Syphilis and Lyme disease can sometimes dramatically worsen in the hours following effective treatment, but that isn't a drug allergy either.Some people may have only a mild allergy. Ampicillin in particular can cause a rash that is annoying but not dangerous.Meanwhile, people with the throat-swelling, heart-stopping immediate reaction to penicillin called anaphylaxis often outgrow it. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=6267115" style="text-decoration: none; ">Fewer than half</a> will remain allergic after five years.In other words, the chances were good that we could have treated that angry infected leg with a penicillin drug without running into problems. It was by far our best and cheapest option.But we routinely sidestep this particular gamble. The odds may be strongly in our favor, more than for most of the risks we routinely take, but it is hard to say who is more terrified by the prospect of overriding a patient's allergy history, the patient or the hospital's lawyers.So a couple of times a week, we briefly consider our options, right and wrong.The right option is not to proceed like a bunch of cowboys, gleefully administering the penicillin ourselves. The right option is to address the matter with the available scientific tools. A system of skin tests can predict with precision whether a person can safely get penicillin and its many relatives.At this point in our discussion, if it gets this far, we always look at each other with some confusion. Are the chemicals needed for a skin test available these days? (The major one was off the market for quite a few years but now is back again). Who does the testing, anyway? (It needs an experienced hand. Is that person still working here?)Somebody should definitely find out the answers, for sure, we say. But at the moment we are in a big hurry. We need to get this woman on treatment so she can get better and vacate that expensive hospital bed for somebody else.Our patient is not one of the rare individuals who absolutely needs penicillin. Plenty of other antibiotics will help her. These days, only certain patients with syphilis have no good treatment alternatives. For them we deploy not only skin tests (which take about an hour in the right hands) but even the painstaking daylong desensitization procedures that can briefly defuse the immune reaction to the drug.For every other patient, we head cheerfully down the wrong path. It takes us less than seven seconds to choose among various other antibiotics. They are more expensive than a penicillin drug would be, and also more powerful. They will kill off a lot of innocent intestinal organisms that our patient would probably be better off keeping. They will let drug-resistant variants thrive and escape into the world.But our patient's leg will get better, and that is our visible focus. The resistant microbial population in her gut, our hospital, our other patients, our community and our very own selves (no man is an island when it comes to microbes) are invisible.She is only one patient in one hospital, but the sum total of all those decisions in all the patients like her in all the hospitals in the country is chilling. Or rather, it would be chilling, if we had the time to sit down and think about it.<div> </div><div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/penicillin-allergies-overblown/?partner=rss&emc=rss">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/09/penicillin-allergies-overblown/?partner=rss&emc=rss</a> </div>

Hard Cases: Penicillin Allergies Overblown - NYT

The woman with the swollen red leg was selling us one bill of goods after another. She said she had stopped injecting drugs years before; th...

Breaking: Right to work struck down in Indiana

4:23 PM Tukiyooo 0

Great news! An Indiana judge just ruled the state's right-to-work-for-less law is unconstitutional!! The <a href="http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/221750001e7a4f4c9cbf53307331c76f/IN--Indiana-Right-to-Work/#.Ui5Xt-CEzww" rel="nofollow">Associated Press</a> has the story: <blockquote class="tr_bq">Lake Superior Court Judge John Sedia found that the law wrongly requires unions to represent workers who do not pay dues. Indiana became the 23rd state in the nation to ban the collection of mandatory fees for representation from unions. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">Since then, union lawyers have gone to the courts to try and overturn the law. Sedia issued an order last Thursday declaring the ban on collections and associated criminal penalties unconstitutional. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">A spokesman for Attorney General Greg Zoeller says the state will appeal the ruling directly to Indiana's Supreme Court.</blockquote>There's no telling whether the judge's ruling will survive the appeal. But for now, it's a victory for workers in Indiana!

Indiana right to work Breaking: Right to work struck down in Indiana

Great news! An Indiana judge just ruled the state's right-to-work-for-less law is unconstitutional!! The Associated Press has the story...

Boyd, Mudcat ... 2013's odd political climate in Virginia

4:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDkvpcnP_zUgC-sz0FJppncvyHrUGP6EQB2OLwsxxuPlXWuSpGE2q7TQDvN5YOE6alY1gmyk67vDLmflHZg1PFCtNmDUzaVtMWDvqtFJ9nlcaCz1y5DnoXyzmux_36QOe2d2ZYG4RXiv/s1600/GOP-Dems.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYyDkvpcnP_zUgC-sz0FJppncvyHrUGP6EQB2OLwsxxuPlXWuSpGE2q7TQDvN5YOE6alY1gmyk67vDLmflHZg1PFCtNmDUzaVtMWDvqtFJ9nlcaCz1y5DnoXyzmux_36QOe2d2ZYG4RXiv/s320/GOP-Dems.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The political climate in Virginia continues to get curiouser and curiouser on an almost daily basis and, today, it clouded yet again. Two weeks ago, that ground shift you felt under your feet was the GOP reacting as longtime veteran Republican strategist Boyd Marcus endorsed and moved over to work for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe for governor. Conservative to the core, Boyd's move had some calling him a RINO, a moderate, and excoriating him for daring to step over the political line even as the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/gop-strategist-boyd-marcus-joins-mcauliffe-campaign/2013/09/08/156158b0-16f8-11e3-a2ec-b47e45e6f8ef_story.html">Washington Post</a> noted, "Democrats and even some Republicans see Marcus’s move as emblematic of a deep rift within the party: Marcus had been aligned with pragmatic establishment figures and repelled by the resolute tea party style...." Interesting, then, that in another twist of this continuing drama, the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/veteran-democratic-strategist-says-hes-pulling-for-cuccinelli-in-virginia-governors-race/2013/09/09/43120b1e-1979-11e3-82ef-a059e54c49d0_story.html">Washington Post </a>reported today that longtime Democratic strategist Mudcat Saunders had sorta-kinda joined the Cuccinelli campaign even though he didn't formally endorse him. Mudcat's reason? He doesn't agree with "corporate" types. That made me wonder if he meant he doesn't agree with capitalism. He was all over the map with thoughts about the campaign but seemed to zero in on southwestern Virginia and the coal industry, something Democrats and liberal environmentalists seem determined to destroy: “Once my party starts caring for the people at the bottom of the mountain as much as they care for the trees at the top of the mountain, I’ll join the conversation." So was Mudcat piqued that McAuliffe didn't turn to him to consult his campaign, perhaps ticked that a Republican was hired instead? Or did the Cuccinelli campaign begin overtures to Mudcat after Boyd went to McAuliffe? Or could it be that the rural-leaning Mudcat just didn't like the globe-trotting McAuliffe who is closely associated with the Clintons? There's no knowing for sure but it certainly adds to the mystique and entertainment of those watching this eclectic campaign season play out. With six weeks left until election day, it will be interesting to see who may next trip over party lines. Cross-posted at <a href="http://www.vapolitics.us/">Virginia Politics On Demand </a>

Boyd, Mudcat ... 2013's odd political climate in Virginia

The political climate in Virginia continues to get curiouser and curiouser on an almost daily basis and, today, it clouded yet again. Two we...

World of Warcraft: Patch 5.4 Siege of Orgrimmar

3:22 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:42c85969-4974-4cac-8590-f6cf4fcd76a7" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px"><div><object height="480" width="853"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/slzQOyS5TqQ?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/slzQOyS5TqQ?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="853" height="480" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div></div>   <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/game/patch-notes/under-dev" target="_blank">Highlights</a> of Patch 5.4: The Siege of Orgrimmar: <ul> <li>Vale of Eternal Blossoms is destroyed.  Taran Zhu warned long ago that the new visitors to Pandaria would permanent change the land and he was right.  The newly opened Vale of Eternal Blossoms will be destroyed with the live implementation of the patch.  The achievement for opening the Vale will become a Feat of Strength and will no longer be obtainable.</li> <ul> <li>ALL water is gone from the Vale</li></ul> <li>A new raid, Siege of Orgrimmar: 14 bosses, including Garrosh Hellscream—> will raiders kill him, dethrone him, or what?  So far, Blizzard has kept that secret but we will all know shortly</li> <li>A new type of raid: <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10175200/A_Raid_for_All_Seasons_Flexible_Raid_Preview-6_6_2013" target="_blank">Flex Raiding</a>: raids are now capable of scaling in difficult based on the number of people in the raid.  Raid sizes of anywhere between 10 to 25 players are available for flex raids.  Flex raids DO NOT replace normal and heroic 10 and 25 man raids, or LFR.  Loot quality will be a step above LFR and a step below Normal.</li> <li>Proving Grounds: just switch specs, just coming back and skills a little rusty?  <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10405142/" target="_blank">Proving Grounds</a> are solo instances in four varying degrees of difficulty designed to test the players skills as tank, healer, or damage.  The four modes are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Endless and the Proving Ground is located at the Temple in Kun-Lai Summit.</li> <li><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10590712/" target="_blank">Timeless Isle</a>: new adventuring zone to be found just off the coast of the Jade Forest.  There will be no new dallies or quest chains to be found.  However, the braver explorer will be rewarded with tokens to allow for faster gearing of alts and gear with an ilvl high enough to get into LFR for the Siege of Orgrimmar raid.</li> <li>Legendary quest chain concludes – lucky you, my poor priest is far behind on this one.</li> <li>Gear that previously cost Valor points, except for Shado Pan Assault gear, will now cost Justice Points and are no longer locked behind a faction reputation grind</li> <li>Valor is not being reset</li> <li>Connected Realms are coming but will not be available when the Patch goes live</li> <li><a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10158897/" target="_blank">Usual number of class changes and balancing changes</a>:</li> <ul> <li>Taunt type abilities all now increase threat generated by 200%</li> <li>Vengeance has multiple changes</li> <li>All area knockback effects share diminishing returns</li> <li>Spinning Crane Kick, Holy Radiance, Light’s Hammer, Holy Word: Sanctuary, and Healing Rain are now smart heals, healing the six lowest health friendly targets in range but will not heal minor guardian type targets (i.e. wild imps, snakes from traps, etc.)</li></ul> <li>Base Resilience increased to 72% up from 65%</li> <li>Conquest Points awarded from winning a Random Battleground or Call to Arms increased to 150 for the first win and 75 points for each subsequent win that day.</li> <li>Balanced Trillium Ingot plans will drop throughout Pandaria, ingots are required to make the new Raid and PvP Blacksmithing plans</li> <li>New cooking recipes have been added</li> <li>New enchanting reagent: Sha  Fragment –> come from disenchanting gear that was previous obtained using Valor Points</li> <ul> <li>Crystals can be combined to make a Sha Crystal</li></ul> <li>Engineers can obtain the plans to craft Jard's Peculiar Energy Source from creatures throughout Pandaria, it is required to make new schematics</li> <li>Blingatron now has a chance to drop a Lil’Blingatron pet</li> <li>All enchantments can now be applied to Heirloom Items but will scale down to a level appropriate for the player</li> <li>Cash shop goes live in game</li></ul> Servers come down at midnight 10 September 2013 Pacific Daylight Time and are anticipated to be live at ten o’clock PDT.  I will post updates if anything major changes. <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:40fc4175-f8f0-4474-b078-ba62ae08e50d" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/World+of+Warcraft" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/WOW" rel="tag">WOW</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Patch+5.4" rel="tag">Patch 5.4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Siege+of+Orgrimmar" rel="tag">Siege of Orgrimmar</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/PvP" rel="tag">PvP</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/cash+shop" rel="tag">cash shop</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/professions" rel="tag">professions</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/valor" rel="tag">valor</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/justice" rel="tag">justice</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/legendary" rel="tag">legendary</a></div>

Blizzard Cash Shop MMO video games World of Warcraft World of Warcraft: Patch 5.4 Siege of Orgrimmar

Highlights of Patch 5.4: The Siege of Orgrimmar: Vale of Eternal Blossoms is destroyed. Taran Zhu warned long ago that the new visi...

Open health innovation | opensource.com

3:12 PM Tukiyooo 0

<h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The future of health is open</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The stories we share here are inspired by health innovation from around the globe. We bring to life how technology, transparency, information-sharing, and community-building are playing a vital role in the ways people are thinking about health.<h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Health transparency</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We are beginning to see greater transparency in healthcare, as a result of efforts to improve  general health around the world. Examples of this include:<ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 2em; list-style-type: disc; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Greater clarity in medical costs</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Better and more prominent nutritional information at restaurants and on food packaging</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Including the patient as a partner in his/her own care</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Improving information-sharing among physicians and medical records systems</li></ul><h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Health is becoming social</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The connectivity we all enjoy today allows for quick and easy sharing of health information. We are building communities and social networks that are focused on health and medicine. Many people—for example, those with chronic conditions that might have previously curtailed their social interaction—are able to go online to find others who share their health concerns.  They—and everyone else—can reach out to peers for health information and advice. And despite the occasional episode of internet-based hypochondria (You probably don't really have a brain tumor. Or a guinea worm.), better informed patients can make better decisions.<p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">These now-forming networks also allow doctors and individuals to connect and share knowledge much more quickly. And smart mobile health apps can further advance the way we communicate with health providers.<h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Participate</h2><p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">You can join the open health conversation.<p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Have you seen transparency, collaboration, and community efforts to improve health where you live? Have you heard about it happening elsewhere? Let us know.<p style="margin: 1em 0px; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Not sure where to start? Check out the list of topic ideas below, and see if something strikes your fancy.<h2 style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3em; margin-top: 0.667em; margin-bottom: 0.667em; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Topic ideas</h2><ul style="margin: 1em 0px; padding-left: 2em; list-style-type: disc; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Transparency in patient health records data</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Who owns the patient data in electronic health records—the software provider, the doctor, or the patient?</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Does meaningful use mean more collaboration in care?</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Ways to collaborate with and better involve patients as active participants in their own care</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Health record exchange - Compelling doctors to collaborate and share records with each other</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">The pharmaceutical industry - collaborative clinical trials, drug patents and exclusivity,  the generic-versus-name-brand dilemma</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">OpenNotes project</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Blue Button project</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Aneesh Chopra's visit to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and opening data</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">New bill advocating transparency in medical insurance rate changes</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Greater cost transparency, i.e., doctor visits, procedures, even simple tests so we can make more informed medical decisions.</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">One procedure can cost one sum in one place and a vastly different sum somewhere else.</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">mHealth and eHealth provide easier access and help shrink the health disparity gap</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Social health (building health networks in social media)</li><li style="margin: 4px 0px; padding: 0px;">Open data in healthcare</li></ul> <a href="http://opensource.com/health">http://opensource.com/health</a>

Open health innovation | opensource.com

The future of health is open The stories we share here are inspired by health innovation from around the globe. We bring to life how technol...

Miracle babies, wounded soldiers, and hurricane victims: Grim and uplifting articles about hospitals. - Slate Magazine

2:59 PM Tukiyooo 0

Miracle babies, wounded soldiers, and hurricane victims: Grim and uplifting articles about hospitals. - Slate Magazine

From the Maternity Ward to the Autopsy Room The Longform guide to hospitals. http://www.slate.com/articles/life/longform/2013/08/miracle_bab...

Cocoa

2:56 PM Tukiyooo 0

Cocoa

Click to enlarge. We have a new pet. She's a 10 pound Shih Tzu and her name is Cocoa.

Peak American Labor per Capita

1:51 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0ICvbeTlVXXr0U2PAlTr_EuYQJDZBHZI1doqfsd7nwRnsIK9d7xcb55lCGOCyKcAjPPNkT0y-kzStbmqVQ9qxlr5c4wb1b-aqOXwgY1YmffmdHVF48nkCiVCOt6x3DHbHP6Gam0h3s0/s1600/Peak+American+Labor.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0ICvbeTlVXXr0U2PAlTr_EuYQJDZBHZI1doqfsd7nwRnsIK9d7xcb55lCGOCyKcAjPPNkT0y-kzStbmqVQ9qxlr5c4wb1b-aqOXwgY1YmffmdHVF48nkCiVCOt6x3DHbHP6Gam0h3s0/s320/Peak+American+Labor.jpg" /></a> Click to enlarge. The record high of 11.03 hours per capita was set in April of 2000. I see very little evidence that a new record will ever be reached. From a long-term perspective, we are currently in the illusion of prosperity's unwinding phase. Put another way, we're in a cyclical bull market within a secular bear market. It's just an opinion of course. Your opinion may vary. September 18, 2007 <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2007/09/suze-orman-vs-warren-buffett.html">Suze Orman vs. Warren Buffett</a> I'm afraid that the people selling are the little investors. - Suze Orman, April 2000 Fabulous economy. Best that we've had in forever, almost. - Suze Orman, April 2000 Speaking of fabulous economies... August 31, 2006 <a href="http://economicsandliberty.blogspot.com/2006/08/why-do-americans-hate-their-fabulous.html">Why Do Americans Hate their Fabulous Economy?</a> <div style="color: #666666;">Polls consistently show that Americans are rather negative about the economy, and many have wondered why that might be considering that our economy is the envy of the world (as well it should be). The source of our pessimism is a bit of a mystery, and it is one that I am going to pursue. For the moment, I'll simply note that I have identified what may be a contributing factor to our unwarranted despair: reporters rarely use charts, and that allows them to wax poetic about the 'jobless recovery,' 'worrisome signs of inflation,' 'record setting deficits,' and other such nonsense. Charts anchor the mind to the raw data, which makes it hard to use bumper-sticker slogans that mislead (and demoralize) more than they clarify. In any story about the economy, there is never an excuse not to use a chart, but reporters almost never do.</div> In hindsight, that's just priceless. It would seem that the <a href="http://engram-backtalk.blogspot.com/2006/08/americans-hate-their-fabulous-economy.html">original source</a> of that quote has been [nearly] permanently deleted. The Internet is not [nearly] so forgiving though. It is very difficult to undo what was once said in public. As for being a reporter, I don't need an excuse to use a chart. I dwell on them. This "fabulous economy" has *so* many trend failures that I can't even begin to keep up. They fascinate me, both in quantity and quality, lol. Sigh. This is not investment advice, but it does lean heavily towards gallows humor. Source Data: <a href="http://www.bls.gov/data/#employment">BLS: Employment</a> <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/POP">St. Louis Fed: Population</a>

Peak American Labor per Capita

Click to enlarge. The record high of 11.03 hours per capita was set in April of 2000 . I see very little evidence that a new record will eve...

Rich, entitled jerks really ARE rich, entitled jerks

1:41 PM Tukiyooo 0

The ultra-wealthy really are self-centered entitled jerks and the U.S. Senate only pays attention to them, not the rest of us. You probably suspected that already, but new studies prove it. Also, BMW drivers are the worst. The <a href="http://psp.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/08/19/0146167213501699.full#aff-1" rel="nofollow">Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</a> reports five new studies show higher social class is associated with increased entitlement and narcissism. Paul Piff of the University of California at Berkeley conducted five experiments that demonstrate the entitlement mentality of people who are wealthier, better educated and have high-status occupations. Joshua Holland at <a href="http://billmoyers.com/2013/08/27/a-plutocracy-ruled-by-self-centered-jerks/">Bill Moyers & Company</a> described our favorite study: <blockquote class="tr_bq">In one telling experiment, the researchers observed a busy intersection, and found that drivers of luxury cars were more likely to cut off other drivers and less likely to stop for pedestrians crossing the street than those behind the wheels of more modest vehicles. “In our crosswalk study, none of the cars in the beater-car category drove through the crosswalk,” Piff told <a href="http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/the-rich-drive-differently-a-study-suggests/?_r=0">The New York Times</a>. “But you see this huge boost in a driver’s likelihood to commit infractions in more expensive cars.” He added: “BMW drivers are the worst.”</blockquote>Other studies showed the ultra-wealthy are more likely to look at themselves in the mirror and to say “I honestly feel I’m just more deserving than others." Another series of experiments showed upper-class individuals are more unethical than lower-class individuals: <blockquote class="tr_bq">This included being more likely to “display unethical decision-making,” steal, lie during a negotiation and cheat in order to win a contest.</blockquote>These are the people U.S. senators pay closest attention to. According to a study to be published in the <a href="http://prq.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/10/04/1065912912459567.abstract?papetoc" rel="nofollow">Political Research Quarterly</a>, they respond almost exclusively to their wealthiest constituents. It's starting to look a lot like oligarchy.

ethics senate wealth Rich, entitled jerks really ARE rich, entitled jerks

The ultra-wealthy really are self-centered entitled jerks and the U.S. Senate only pays attention to them, not the rest of us. You probably...

Monday, Monday

1:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates: This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/high-school-extension-with-crinkled-wall/">High School Extension with "Crinkled Wall"</a> in Kufstein, Austria, by Johannes Wiesflecker and Karl-Heinz Klopf: <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/high-school-extension-with-crinkled-wall/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Sep13-9.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a> The featured past dose is the <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/dose.html">Museum Villa Vauban</a> in Luxembourg by Philippe Schmit Architects: <a href="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/dose.html"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://www.archidose.org/Sep10/20/image02.jpg" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a> This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/building-seagram/">Building Seagram</a> by Phyllis Lambert (L): <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/09/09/building-seagram/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/9780300167672.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/11/07/supercrit-4/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/supercrit4.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> (R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2011/11/07/supercrit-4/">Supercrit #4: Bernard Tschumi, Parc de la Villette</a> edited by Samantha Hardingham and Kester Rattenbury. : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>: <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/42661_Kirkpatrick_Oil_Hennessey">Kirkpatrick Oil Hennessey</a> in Hennessey, Oklahoma, by Elliott + Associates Architects: <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/projects/42661_Kirkpatrick_Oil_Hennessey"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://www.american-architects.com/files/projects/42661/images/KirkpatrickOilHennessey_image2.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features the High School Extension with "Crinkled Wall" in Kufstein,...

What They Said

12:45 PM Tukiyooo 0

What They Said

Hours Worked (Musical Tribute)

12:31 PM Tukiyooo 0

The following chart shows the 24-month moving average of average weekly hours of private production and non-supervisory employees. I have added an exponential trend line in red. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfHIsgveQJWo_j_irmf3fc9cQuVM02TREhCcbPJCXbG9iL4hfTJvR_8O3TQz5RLmKONchP0XoREGtTIuzigaPwYCmKzZd_i4ZnTJx8OGnFWl8b5HvLB6_S2djXo42ETSJhyphenhyphengwFP0tt8s/s1600/Hours+Worked+-+Long-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDfHIsgveQJWo_j_irmf3fc9cQuVM02TREhCcbPJCXbG9iL4hfTJvR_8O3TQz5RLmKONchP0XoREGtTIuzigaPwYCmKzZd_i4ZnTJx8OGnFWl8b5HvLB6_S2djXo42ETSJhyphenhyphengwFP0tt8s/s320/Hours+Worked+-+Long-Term.jpg" /></a> Click to enlarge. The next chart shows the deviation from the long-term trend. I have added recession indicators in blue. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0uVaOJ09oqAnPAypeQ1UxNDqQZleSx-_H7JyVQ-zcferyBDv-JvXX1KDXvxPJo9SZLOfuO7hVZtD60MOjnGC8Np86n-uc5RtVPRRHE1qrqKHFd-zvkTjX2FUO3o9EcLGYva2c51dTmI/s1600/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Long-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0uVaOJ09oqAnPAypeQ1UxNDqQZleSx-_H7JyVQ-zcferyBDv-JvXX1KDXvxPJo9SZLOfuO7hVZtD60MOjnGC8Np86n-uc5RtVPRRHE1qrqKHFd-zvkTjX2FUO3o9EcLGYva2c51dTmI/s320/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Long-Term.jpg" /></a> Click to enlarge. The next two charts provide a short-term look at that same data. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxuGuV2QLA0m19XBulp3qdfidWRgmuXQHA4m_e0OpAinx7P0h13ZbfM0_7n6ijpCDD7-cpAmzH0JSoHjlfxr9OEz1RpaS2ppK-xl2pXfsuLr_FL2hMNkUwLxRO_OeQ5Ze5Tj8i-0LOVg/s1600/Hours+Worked+-+Short-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxuGuV2QLA0m19XBulp3qdfidWRgmuXQHA4m_e0OpAinx7P0h13ZbfM0_7n6ijpCDD7-cpAmzH0JSoHjlfxr9OEz1RpaS2ppK-xl2pXfsuLr_FL2hMNkUwLxRO_OeQ5Ze5Tj8i-0LOVg/s320/Hours+Worked+-+Short-Term.jpg" /></a> Click to enlarge. Note that the 24-month moving average of hours worked is starting to roll over (again). This does not bode well for future employment growth. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lXqst9VLHY7sX9bKpPxAFi5zIxnRmitVu2ZqbMIjCwJ38gvf56hO_qynGDiUxIaLzhv2k2JvW3us0aqdFP1JCc6jFwmWM0zx4WAsAOtP1KoCKPD5tH5GjP2dxUrMqrE_629qHQ3-69c/s1600/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Short-Term.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2lXqst9VLHY7sX9bKpPxAFi5zIxnRmitVu2ZqbMIjCwJ38gvf56hO_qynGDiUxIaLzhv2k2JvW3us0aqdFP1JCc6jFwmWM0zx4WAsAOtP1KoCKPD5tH5GjP2dxUrMqrE_629qHQ3-69c/s320/Deviation+from+Trend+-+Short-Term.jpg" /></a> Click to enlarge. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Yjy-fnsmWR4" width="420"></iframe> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jetsons">The Jetsons</a> <div style="color: #666666;">George Jetson's workweek is typical of his era: an hour a day, two days a week.</div> Source Data: <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/USRECM">St. Louis Fed: NBER based Recession Indicators</a> <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/series/AWHNONAG">St. Louis Fed: Average Weekly Hours Of Production And Nonsupervisory Employees: Total private</a>

Hours Worked (Musical Tribute)

The following chart shows the 24-month moving average of average weekly hours of private production and non-supervisory employees. I have ad...

Augusta County Library offers Geocaching class

12:19 PM Tukiyooo 0

Looking to find out more about Geocaching? Stop by the <a href="http://www.augustacountylibrary.org/2013/09/05/catch-the-geocaching-bug/">Augusta County Library</a> in Fishersville Thursday evening and hear all about it: <blockquote>Do you know that there are tiny treasures hidden all around your community? There are, and you can only find them using the high-tech scavenger hunt called Geocaching. Geocaching.com describes this hobby as a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Sound fun, but don’t know how to get started? Then join us on Thursday, September 12 at 6:00 pm at the Fishersville Main Library. We’ll be hosting Bobbi Simonsen, a local geocaching enthusiast who will share her passion for this outdoor hobby. She’ll teach you the basics, so you’re out logging caches in no time. All ages welcome. For more info, call the Fishersville Main Library at (540)885-3961.</blockquote>

Augusta County Library geocaching high-tech scavenger hunt Augusta County Library offers Geocaching class

Looking to find out more about Geocaching? Stop by the Augusta County Library in Fishersville Thursday evening and hear all about it: Do yo...

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

11:51 AM Tukiyooo 0

This is just too cool. <blockquote>In response to the planned “Million Muslim March” in Washington, D.C., on 9/11, bikers announced their own rival 2 Million Biker Ride. This weekend, news surfaced on blogs and Twitter that<a href="http://twitchy.com/2013/09/08/report-dc-denies-permit-for-911-bikers-planners-move-ahead-anyway/"> D.C. had denied the bikers an event permit.</a> Permit Denied to 2 Million Bikers to DC on 9.11.13 americanlibertyriders.ning.com/forum/topics/p…— NoisyRoom (@terresamonroe) September 08, 2013 Washington DC has DENIED our permit for a no-stop ride through Washington DC. We find this regretful for the residents and businesses of that great city, and humbly offer our apologies. What could have been a one or two hour ride through will now likely be an all day event. We will be obeying all laws. We will be stopping at all stoplights, stop signs, and yielding to all pedestrians. RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF WASHINGTON DC: On behalf of the National “2 Million Bikers to DC” Team, please accept our sincere apologies. We did the right thing and went through the proper channels to secure a no-stop permit to ride through your great city. We wanted to ride an established route, which would have taken us past the Viet Nam Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial, across the bridge into Virginia, and that’s it! We would have been completely out of Washington DC, and your city would have been back to normal. The National Team fully expected our permit to be rejected, and have already drafted a Plan-B.</blockquote> Plan B to include completely clogging the streets of D.C. for hours and hours. Sometimes having a complete dick in the permit office in D.C. has awesome repercussions. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC18n_qMOtolj9hJ0Of-_pz9JbUxgk1cXSFKEvKZOFapmePt5yp46CGg_DrgxxPu1d-P2rFy8kHU7cAICx6uGwvPM5YFLfKCJoocFpqdCNUbXSVFSBwVk34jHkiMtrm1n4wO6XwXK7Qee/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrC18n_qMOtolj9hJ0Of-_pz9JbUxgk1cXSFKEvKZOFapmePt5yp46CGg_DrgxxPu1d-P2rFy8kHU7cAICx6uGwvPM5YFLfKCJoocFpqdCNUbXSVFSBwVk34jHkiMtrm1n4wO6XwXK7Qee/s640/10.jpg" /></a> Our nations capitol is going to be a giant fucking parking lot. Good job Mr. Dick permit denying dude!

BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!!!

This is just too cool. In response to the planned “Million Muslim March” in Washington, D.C., on 9/11, bikers announced their own rival 2 Mi...

City Modern NYC

11:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/">City Modern</a>, a "showcase [of the] the best of New York's design scene with studio tours, panel discussions, cocktail parties, special installations and home tours," takes place from September 27 to October 4. Organized by Dwell and New York magazine, the heart of City Modern is definitely the home tours—five in Manhattan on Saturday the 28th and five in Brooklyn on Sunday the 29th. One of the highlights of the tours is a space I've visited (my photos are below): the <a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/skyhouse.html">Skyhouse</a> by David Hotson Architect and Ghislaine Viñas Interior Design. Details on it and the other tours are at the bottom. <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW12y2rho0bPoFtnIR60JJoJjL0SNa6lcbUeT571evSuChkGIg7XjJVIiROdkemFMehYqz8cpseNLJ8jNBg-F-pGQCjTs17Z3PRMK3dPnCn5kdjcE8IQOY_sBnhW42U1LB01PxFUrmxDKI/s1600/skyhouse14.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKabkiOxxpaoUxrBm3wMCYmmJF71scway4wWl5R5TGf2qTaeKYMIWhCdzBFe4gfeI4R5qZnxIPqkopP-VkdxArkXS0DZPWTpwIwNfrAb0xD6EtcF0C59KcJY1BZXe_74o6enTh4lErPG0/s1600/skyhouse21.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFHpnVBLlg7iIB2svjk5C9g4QPHfCboqHre3GvAFPe7Zpjg8AUDIIWwcrLNFHbL0zZ_R4210Um_x2RlroxFPRoPfS7TMO0cH1xpORQTCu3RUtrnrGPWSGDL2bnXlaRXyq4zl2sTWPhuhYf/s1600/skyhouse8.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuzsZaJZRhqEYyyl5BNTn_Eyingbk0L2_HuWtUlYxGaMJCYEwOkelsDGjNBUVj-jtpwc_31XrTFI5GUJdrht_rthX5iAL5hX78uHYF6RJ8jHEFK-nOEAGb4tYziqxskQxAYJbs_9O0Va1/s1600/skyhouse3.jpg" /> <a href="http://www.eventbrite.com/org/1614821172">Get your tickets</a> to see these homes: Manhattan (9/28, 10am - 4pm) <ul><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/14thSt.html">14th Street Loft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/fractalpad.html">Fractal Pad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/lafayette.html">Lafayette Townhouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/meatpackingloft.html">Meatpacking Loft</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/skyhouse.html">Skyhouse</a></li></ul> Brooklyn (9/29, 10am - 4pm) <ul><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/deanstmodern.html">Dean Street Townhouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/flavorpaper.html">Flavor Paper Pad</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/pacificTrio.html">Pacific Street Trio</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/salleresidence.html">Salle Residence</a></li><li><a href="http://www.citymodernnyc.com/tours/stateStreet.html">State Street Townhouse</a></li></ul>

City Modern NYC

City Modern , a "showcase [of the] the best of New York's design scene with studio tours, panel discussions, cocktail parties, spe...

Pondering thoughts

11:19 AM Tukiyooo 0

And before anybody gets all huffy about this... it's another cathartic post.  I'm sorting thoughts, nothing more.  I'm not looking for a lecture.  I'm confused and know the answer lies within me, not in any comments you may leave.  And it's a conversation I need to have with my husband, I know that too.  But I need to sort out my thoughts first. I'm struggling a bit with right vs wrong and gray areas I didn't know existed. Wrong is easy.  Between the laws and the bible, wrong is well defined.  Pure right, that's pretty easy too. Other things that are right, well that's up for interpretation and the individual.  Lots of the stuff we blog about, heck all of it, can be interpreted as wrong depending on your perspective. People have things in common, things that form the bond between you and your spouse/partner.  The things that drew you into each other's spell and the reasons why you wake up in love each day.  My husband and I are soul mates and best friends.  Even though we drive each other to tears, it still comes down to love. Everybody has personal hobbies or interests outside of the marriage. Things that our spouses don't share an interest in, or perhaps it's just more fun with someone else.  My husband and I certainly do.  It's what makes each person an individual. What happens when one partner wants companionship in an interest?  Either that person remains unfulfilled forever or else that person wants to connect with others who share a similar interest. What happens when an interest is something that probably belongs within the marriage, but it can't?  And what if said interests aren't so vanilla?  Things that would be right and wonderful for the two of us to share but there's always that resounding no... sometimes it's accompanied with concerns about being brainwashed or mentally unstable. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> I'm allowed to have friends, both IRL and online.  I'm allowed to do as I please. I don't announce exactly who my friends are or precisely what we talk about.  I'm always honest if asked and have no reason not to be.  It's just that checking in isn't a part of our relationship. He knows I have a blog, never seen it and he doesn't want to.  He knows y'all get me through tougher times, both directly through the blog and then also more personal communication outside of it.  He knows there are blog friends who eventually permeate the barriers and become more real.  And he knows how deeply personal this is.  He knows I'm sharing things he's not interested in hearing about.  He knows most of you are women, but some are men.  He hasn't expressed any inkling of concern about this, nor have I ever given reason for concern. But herein lies a gray area I didn't know existed.  One side of me is questioning whether it fair or right for me to have close friendships and deep conversations about these interests when I've been told I can't have them at home.  The other side of me says its perfectly innocent (despite subject matter), I'm a grown woman, and I can be friends with who I want.  And these are rhetorical questions by the way.  I'm not sure why I'm even putting this on here.  Probably end up deleting it anyway... <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>

Pondering thoughts

And before anybody gets all huffy about this... it's another cathartic post. I'm sorting thoughts, nothing more. I'm not looki...

Dear Prudence

10:48 AM Tukiyooo 0

This is my ficticious reply to <a href="http://live.washingtonpost.com/dear-prudence-130909.html?hpid=z5">an actual letter</a> to "The Prude". <blockquote>Q. My husband is not invited to my niece's wedding. Dear Prudence, I am one of four siblings, all in their late 50's/early 60's. I am a gay man who legally married my partner of 28 years earlier this year. Two of my sisters are lesbians with one married to her long time partner as well. The remaining sister, the youngest, is married with five children and is a devout Catholic. Her daughter is getting married soon and the invitation arrived the other day, addressed only to me. My other married sister's invitation was addressed only to her. I don't know what to do.</blockquote> My dearest Nancy Boy, "The Prude" called in sick today so I am being forced against my will to respond to stupid questions like yours today. After some lengthy pondering and ball scratching, I think I have the perfect answer to your question. The first thing you need to do is get with your other sisters, The Dykes and charter a bus. Then you should get in your address book and invite about twenty of your most flamboyant friends to a party. You know, the really loud and obnoxious ones. Have your Dyke sisters get a hold of the meanest and ugliest Bull dykes they know and do the same. Find two goats. You might also consider hiring a professional to videotape everything. Then on the appointed day, gather all of your fellow traveler's at the nearest Gay bar and start drinking tequila shots about two hours before the ceremony is scheduled to start. Get good and sloppy drunk but make sure none of your Nancy Boy friends decides to get overly emotional and start causing a scene, yet. Get everyone on the bus, don't forget the goats and go to the wedding chapel. About three minutes after the ceremony starts, crash the wedding.Turn all of your sloppy drunk gay friends and the goats loose on the unexpecting guests. Stagger up directly behind the bride and groom with your "husband",turn around and flip off your straight sister and her husband and then kneel down in front of your "husband" and proceed to go down on him in right in front of that tight assed bitch. Make sure the video recording guy gets all this, especially when the police arrive to break up the ensuing riot. Trust me,this should send her an unmistakable message she will never forget. Sincerely, Phil P.S., Send me a copy of that tape, I'm thinking there are some people who would pay money to see that.

Dear Prudence

This is my ficticious reply to an actual letter to "The Prude". Q. My husband is not invited to my niece's wedding. Dear Prud...

Supreme Court 'a subsidiary of big business,' Warren says

9:18 AM Tukiyooo 0

We're glad someone finally told the truth about our highest court. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, speaking to the AFL-CIO convention yesterday, warned them of "corporate capture of the courts." <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/elizabeth-warren-supreme-court-far-right-96449.html" rel="nofollow">Politico</a> reports, <blockquote class="tr_bq">Warren assailed the court as an instrument of the wealthy that regularly sides with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She cited an academic study that called the current Supreme Court’s five conservative-leaning justices among the “top 10 most pro-corporate justices in half a century.”... </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">“You follow this pro-corporate trend to its logical conclusion, and sooner or later you’ll end up with a Supreme Court that functions as a wholly owned subsidiary of Big Business,” Warren said, drawing murmurs from the crowd.</blockquote>Sadly, it isn't just the U.S. Supreme Court. A report last year by the <a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/StateCourtsReport.pdf" rel="nofollow">Center for American Progress</a> showed the<a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/StateCourtsReport.pdf" rel="nofollow"> influence of corporate interests</a> on state courts as well. Since many states elect their judges, corporate money has poured into campaigns for judges. Here are just three scary examples: <ol><li>Between 2001-03, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's preferred candidates won 21 of 24 state court elections. </li><li>In 2006, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $1 million on just two judges' races.</li><li>In Alabama's most recent election for the state's highest court, 40 percent of all campaign contributions came from the state's chamber of commerce. </li></ol>Be very afraid.

corporate campaign contributions courts Supreme Court 'a subsidiary of big business,' Warren says

We're glad someone finally told the truth about our highest court. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, speaking to the AFL-CIO conventi...

World of Warcraft: Pre-Patch 5.4 Regrets?

6:53 AM Tukiyooo 0

<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-hrsDitoLPtE/Ui3S1iZIa7I/AAAAAAAADGA/d2T2QaU6Umo/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_081513_145206%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="WoWScrnShot_081513_145206" border="0" height="476" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CRahKIXnK6Q/Ui3S2oBIz3I/AAAAAAAADGI/j_ujOLklZTI/WoWScrnShot_081513_145206_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="WoWScrnShot_081513_145206" width="844"></a> As we all know, barring a shocking announcement today, <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/blog/10647181/54_Siege_of_Orgrimmar_Coming_09-10-13-9_5_2013" target="_blank">Patch 5.4</a> lands on <a href="http://us.battle.net/wow/en/" target="_blank">World of Warcraft</a> Live servers tomorrow when maintenance concludes.  As I lay there last night having trouble falling asleep, I began to have the stirrings of regret that I got lazy and didn’t pound out those last eighteen levels so I could experience the opening of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms from the Horde’s perspective.  There is just something about your character experiencing those pivotal moments in game. Don’t misunderstand me, I think <a href="http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Blizzard</a> is taking the right path when the Patch launches tomorrow.  I think the actions of Garrosh and his never ending bloodlust should have a dramatic and lasting, un-phased, impact on the world.  I will also admit I started raiding, although the “hardcore”, elite raiders won’t consider it raiding, using the LFR simply so I could gear up characters to kill Garrosh.  <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EBO09cz4HRM/Ui3S3KjW5kI/AAAAAAAADGQ/YLAoOxsHjTo/s1600-h/WoWScrnShot_081613_100355%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img alt="WoWScrnShot_081613_100355" border="0" height="420" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aOCLdwunBAs/Ui3S3uz_94I/AAAAAAAADGY/a2UdzpSe7lc/WoWScrnShot_081613_100355_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline" title="WoWScrnShot_081613_100355" width="744"></a> My Horde characters will be getting almost equal playtime as my Alliance characters, especially once she hits level 90 and I can get her over to Timeless Isle to gear up.  I’m torn though, between enjoying the Horde story lines in Wrath and Cataclysm to racing to level her.  But, I know myself well, and I won’t race to the end.  It isn’t a play style I enjoy or respect.  I don’t play to sit at max level for months to years on end and then go back and breeze through content because I vastly out level it.  Do you have any regrets for things your characters didn’t accomplish before Patch 5.4 hits?   <div id="scid:0767317B-992E-4b12-91E0-4F059A8CECA8:73c5df6f-9323-40fe-bddb-4287745cea90" class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" style="float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px">Technorati Tags: <a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Blizzard" rel="tag">Blizzard</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/World+of+Warcraft" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/WOW" rel="tag">WOW</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Patch+5.4" rel="tag">Patch 5.4</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Horde" rel="tag">Horde</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Alliance" rel="tag">Alliance</a>,<a href="http://technorati.com/tags/Garrosh+Hellscream" rel="tag">Garrosh Hellscream</a></div>

Blizzard MMO video games World of Warcraft WOW World of Warcraft: Pre-Patch 5.4 Regrets?

As we all know, barring a shocking announcement today, Patch 5.4 lands on World of Warcraft Live servers tomorrow when maintenance concl...

guest post at the green room interiors

5:29 AM Anonymous 0

I'm over at <a href="http://chattafabulous.blogspot.com/2013/09/pimp-my-dollhouse-with-little-black-door.html" target="_blank">The Green Room Interiors</a>  today, pimping Kimberly's dollhouse. <a href="http://chattafabulous.blogspot.com/2013/09/pimp-my-dollhouse-with-little-black-door.html" target="_blank">Check it out</a> and see my boards for her living and dining rooms. There was no budget and she provided some amazing pieces to start with so basically I went hog wild. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFOWk1TX2yGW0XkIzFvwwZYD9bWBZhZSg8vPm2jk-6hTS9v62ecDxmtev83eqs1TnTuWh1iILop6r8SH-XcLXybKGt465CijaZlMIAlztxiKBv8kp6gCgE-rZqcQrl17qDmbMWjtURje7/s1600/20130512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFOWk1TX2yGW0XkIzFvwwZYD9bWBZhZSg8vPm2jk-6hTS9v62ecDxmtev83eqs1TnTuWh1iILop6r8SH-XcLXybKGt465CijaZlMIAlztxiKBv8kp6gCgE-rZqcQrl17qDmbMWjtURje7/s640/20130512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> And don't forget to <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/09/ao-at-home-giveaway.html" target="_blank">enter the AO at Home giveaway</a> for your chance to win a $200 gift card from Target! Happy Monday!

guest post at the green room interiors

I'm over at The Green Room Interiors today, pimping Kimberly's dollhouse. Check it out and see my boards for her living and dinin...