October 11, 2004

• News and Notes

  
  

  1. Aches and Pains

  
  

  I started the weekend Friday morning when I called in sick to work because of stomach problems. I could have probably gone in, but as I age, something akin to wisdom tells me my health is more important than anything on my desk that can wait a day or two, and if anything important needs to be discussed, my boss has my phone number. So I stayed home. The symptoms were long periods in the bathroom, and they didn’t last into the afternoon. Thursday morning I had just spent at my doctor’s office, another visit prompted by my “pinched nerve”. I put the “problem” in parentheses because this latest series of visits is reminding me almost too much of the series of visits 10 years ago prior to having my hip replacement. It begins with a trip to tell my physician I’m in pain, I’m prescribed pain killers, referred to other doctors, months pass, the pain continues, and eventually (in the case of my left hip anyway) some doctor like the orthopedic surgeon I was finally referred to tells me there is nothing they can do except remove the hip and put in a replacement. Now, to be honest, in Thursday’s appointment, I did tell my doc that the pain in my left shoulder is gone, but the feeling that my left hand is “asleep” and the lack of strength in that hand is still evident, and this is bothering me. He asked if I had received (another) referral to a neurologist, or nerve specialist, and I told him I hadn’t yet. Seems like he forgot to completely fill out the form, and the referral had been floating around in bueracratic bulls**t for two weeks. He apologized profusely, and told me I should be getting a call from the specialist in a few days to make an appointment. On my way out of the Medical Building, I stopped by my optometrist’s and picked up my new progressive spectacles. I can see a lot better with the new prescription, so at least over the weekend I didn’t feel like I ‘m going blind. In the middle of the night last night I woke up with what feels like kidney pain in my lower back. It’s still there this morning, but hopefully is nothing (more) to worry about. Good news however, I am still losing weight, and am down to 164 this morning, if I can trust the scale.

  
  

  2. McDonald’s

  
  

  I rented one of those films I recommend that everybody should see. I feel some films, like Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine”, for instance, should be given away as free rentals by Blockbuster and Hollywood Video because the message in the film is so important.  The documentary I watched last night is “Super-Size Me” by Morgan Spurlock. The filmmaker’s premise is that “fast food” companies like McDonald’s are to blame for the fact that so many people in America are obese. He eats nothing but McDonald’s food for a month, and the results are frightening. At the beginning of the “experiment”, he consults with three doctors and a nutritionist. The doctors seem to think nothing out of the ordinary will happen. One tells him, “The human body has an amazing ability to adapt.” 20 days into the month, his cholesterol zooms up, he gains nearly 20 pounds, and puts his liver at risk of cirrhocis. Even the doctors are surprised. I used to go to Mickey D’s every so often for the french fries, which I’ve always loved, but when I had to adjust my diet to lower my cholesterol last year, I cut out fried foods, and rarely make it into the place anymore. I wasn’t surprised, though, to find out from the film that many people do eat at McDonald’s over three times a week. The DVD includes an interview not in the film with  Eric Schlosser, author of “Fast Food Nation” who cites some amazing statistics about just what goes into the average “burger” and “shake” at McD’s. I won’t say anything more than to say it almost makes me want to become a vegan.

  
  

  3. Still No Camera

  
  

  I haven’t received my camera back from Sony yet, but I have already begun my plans for my next “photo expedition”. One of the movies I watched this weekend was the old Charlton Heston movie “The Omega Man” from 1971, one of the series of science fiction films Chuck made after the popularity of “Planet of the Apes”, which revitalized his career. In the film, set in Los Angeles after germ warfare wipes out most of the people on the planet, there are lots of sweeping vistas of the “skyline” of L.A. in which the City Hall is still one of the visual reference points. That was a long time ago, and now City Hall is “buried” beneath the high rise skyscrapers. Sometime after I get my camera back, I’m thinking of taking a blue line train from Long Beach into “The City” and take some photos of “downtown”. Like a lot of Angelenos who don’t have to, I never venture into L.A. proper. It might be interesting to take some “tourist photos” of the place. I haven’t even seen the Disney Hall or the new cathedral yet, so there are lots of  “opportunites”.

  
  

  4. The Weather

  
  

  Is it just me or does it seem like “global warming” is finally really starting to mess up the planet somewhat? Were there “more” hurricanes than usual this year in the southeast? Not only is Mt. St. Helens in the news again, but I just saw a photo in LA Opinion yesterday about a volcano erupting in Mexico over the weekend. There were lots of earthquakes in Northern California last week. Each week I seem to be reading more and more about what could be deemed as “extreme weather conditions” all over the globe. One night a couple of weeks ago, while driving home, I seemed to sense “earthquake weather” in the air, but as the years go on, nothing really seems to be “unusual” in the extreme. However, something tells me the “tide has turned” somewhat when we hear of polar glaciers  melting which have been around for thousands of years. Perhaps Gaia is really peeved at what mankind has been doing to her for ages and ages, and is about ready to “strike back”. Something else to think about.

  • 8:19 am
  • 4 Comments