Month: September 2019

Curiouser, Curiouser, And A Very Bad Idea

Back before Trump was even sworn in, Congresscritter Chuckles Schumer made a comment about the intelligence services having multiple ways to get back at Trump for saying bad things about them. Warning or threat, take your pick. Curious.

Jump forward to December of 2018 and Nancy Pelosi quietly changing the rules of the House to exclude Republicans (and others) from participating in the impeachment process. She stood tradition and accepted practices of 200 plus years on their ear. Curiouser.

In August of this year, the intelligence community suddenly revised the form used to document “Disclosure of Urgent Concern” aka the whistleblower form. Minor change? Not hardly. The form was redone to allow submission of hearsay concerns — i.e. the complainant did not have to have first hand knowledge of the alleged problem. Curiouser indeed.

Also in August of this year, it appears that Congresscritter Schitt was given the whistleblower complaint. Or, might he have had it earlier? There is strong evidence that this was not a typical complaint and that whoever filed it had a lot of help. Was that help from a member or members of the committee and/or lawyers associated with them? And yet curiouser again.

Conspiracy or not, what has happened has set a very dangerous precedent. I agree with Mr. Wright on his thoughts, and will add my own.

First, no President from any party can now trust the intelligence community on any level. There were already issues of leaks of Presidential communications, hence the move to a government secure server (as opposed to an unsecure server in a bathroom). The will have to assume from the start an adversarial relationship and consider that any one person in the community can and will act against them.

Second, they will no longer have faith in the intel or the intel analysis provided. As the intelligence community has moved into policy over the last few years, anyone with a brain will have to presume that the intel and analysis is corrupt on some level.

It’s actually not the first time for that, as Reagan came into office having doubts about the analysis (if not the intel) of the Soviet Union from various parts of the intelligence community. In my own biased opinion, he was quite right to do so. His solution was an extensive “kitchen cabinet” that provided input on everything from the Soviet Union to science. Trust but verify was not just for the Soviets.

Finally, no matter what else comes out of this, it will be seen by the public as one more institution that is corrupt. The loss of faith in institutions harms society and the Republic. Given current rhetoric and violence, the loss of faith in the rule of law may well be a crippling blow — particularly when it comes on top of the loss of faith in the FBI and the DOJ.

All we can do now is hang on. If it turns out that this was indeed orchestrated, the results will be to no one’s liking. Even if not as orchestrated as it appears at first glance, the damage to the credibility of the government and the electoral process will still be profound.

There is no way for Pelosi et al to back down now. Well, they could, but they will not. They are throwing the dice on a longshot, and no matter what, it is the Citizens of the United States and the Republic itself that will pay the price.

Twice As Hard Is Not Enough

This is not the type of post I would normally write and post on a Sunday. Sunday is supposed to be my day of rest, a day to think, contemplate, and enjoy.

However, some things can’t wait and for me this is one of them. If you’ve been under a rock, a young man in Iowa made a joke by asking for money to buy beer. He got it.

Being an amazing young man, an example of good (which progressives seem to loathe on sight) that is refreshing and amazing to see, he decided to give the money to a local children’s hospital. Upon making that decision, he got serious about fundraising and got companies, including the beer company named in his joke, involved. Currently, more than one million dollars has been raised for that local children’s hospital.

Of course, this meant he needed to be cancelled and the Des Moines Register was up for the hatchet job. The reporter assigned to the hit dug down to find some posts, put up when the young man was sixteen, quoting a comedian (Tosh something) in not nice ways. Yeah, they were bad but we are talking about a teenage boy (girls aren’t much better), humor, and judgement.

Anheuser-Busch dropped him and his effort like a hot potato. Doing good for kids with cancer? Fuck them seems to be the attitude of the Des Moines Regiser, AB, and others. It’s past time that the cowardice, envy, and general destructiveness of the cancel culture be dealt with. You don’t destroy a cancer like that by punching back twice as hard.

You do it by bringing the pain and making it rain. Until those doing this experience the pain and suffering themselves, it is not going to stop. So, let it rain.

People need to go through the social media history of every employee at the Des Moines Register (and any other organization that doxxes and cancels) and shine a light on them. That is especially true for every reporter, editor, and even the publisher, but do it to all. Make them live up to their rules.

Others need to step up and cancel any advertising they do with the paper. Everyone else needs to encourage those businesses they frequent to stop advertising there. Look into the business dealings of the publisher and others: after all, if due diligence is the excuse being given for the dig, it should apply to their own efforts, no?

No, it’s not nice, it’s not polite, and it’s not a cultured response. It is, however, an effective response. Appeasement has been tried many times in history and it never works. If libertarians, conservatives, and others continue to cede this ground to progressives, it will never stop.

The reporter who did the story has been tossed under the bus (and is already whining about being the “real” victim in all of this). The leadership of the paper has posted a couple of arrogant non-apologies. It’s not enough.

If you want it to stop, it is not even a good start. Bring the pain, let it rain, and let it soak every person that works there.

There are none of us alive who have not said or done stupid or even bad things in our lives. We have all made bad jokes, held flawed positions, and said or done things that our current selves would not do. It’s called growing up. I’m very glad social media was not around when I was growing up.

This needs to end. You can’t make it end by being nice, turning the other cheek, or even by giving them lube as you bend over. Punching back twice as hard, as Obama said to, is for wimps. You punch back as hard as you can, as often as you can, until the other party gets the message. Only then will the cancel culture end.

To Cook Or Not To Cook This Weekend

There is much to say about the Congresscritter Shitt show and more. The relentless focus on Orange Man Bad is ignoring a lot of important news, especially from overseas. That said, I’m not getting into it today. I want to get through the day and relax a bit. Not sure if I will cook this weekend or not, but until then, enjoy a shot from a few years ago when I made up some truly amazing pesto using basil (and possibly even the parsley) out of my garden.

Why Not Replacement?

Given the large number of people who have had successful joint replacements, why not go with the surgeon and have my right shoulder done immediately? Good question.

Unless it is an emergency, I think it always better to take the time to review options, get second (or more) opinions, and make an informed decision about any medical treatment. Remember, the person ultimately responsible for your health is you, and it is incumbent upon any responsible person to be informed and to make informed decisions.

In this case, there are several factors at work.

Back the second time I worked for NASA (as a contractor), I worked commercial space research and as part of that worked with the Center for Commercial Applications of Combustion in Space. The team there was working with partners on advanced bone replacement materials. The problem with the implants then (and it applies to current day as well) is that they are solid chunks of metal or other similar materials. Natural bone may be smooth on the outside, but inside they are quite porous. Thus, you have density and mass differences that can and do affect the system on a mechanical basis. The stem of a replacement has to be glued in place, and that has caused problems on occasion.

The work CCACS was involved with produced a metallic/metallic-ceramic replacement that was smooth where needed, and had a porosity effectively equivalent to natural human bone. The research was focused on how to get the same results on Earth so that custom replacements, as close to identical to what was being replaced as possible, could be produced on Earth in the OR. Since the reaction was exothermic, the replacement parts would be sterile.

The truly advanced work, however, was focused on developing materials that would serve as a scaffold for natural bone to grow. As the patient’s bone grew into it, the replacement would dissolve and pass out of the body until after a period of time the patient was left with natural healthy bone in place.

There is a good bit of research underway (see here for one example) on advanced materials. Such advanced materials are needed because of a different area of medical research: regenerative medicine.

Regenerative medicine uses things such as stem cells, the extra-cellular matrix, and even some genetic manipulation to heal. In fact, using regenerative medicine, it is possible to not simply heal, but to restore a site, organ, limb, etc. to what it was before. Ultimately, they are looking at being able to regenerate limbs, organs, and other structures. To call it an exciting field is an understatement.

While separate, regenerative medicine ties into a variety of anti-aging research. This research focuses on restoring the body to the cellular conditions of youth.

Now, having worked with such research at NASA, and having had the honor of working with the late Leslie A. Geddes at Purdue — who pioneered several fields of biomedical research including regenerative medicine — I’ve been keeping a bit of an eye on such things. As Glenn Reynolds the Instapundit often notes, “Faster, Please.”

And I do want to see it faster, much faster, please. Based on current research, and even allowing for the FDA approval system that seems designed to prevent advances and competition, I believe I have a good twenty to forty years of life ahead of me barring something catastrophic. Which gets back to the current state of joint replacement.

Current materials are not designed to take advantage of future advancements. Nor are they designed for the life of the patient. The sad fact is that for many types of replacement, you can count of having to have the replacement replaced about every fifteen to seventeen years. So, at least two if not three replacements.

I would also note that because of the issues connecting bone with replacement, I would be limited to picking up no more than 15 pounds at a time, not have full range-of-motion restored, and face other limitations on activities. This would include many things I enjoy doing. Add in that at least two people I’ve talked to who have gone this route would not do the replacement over again, well…

So, I could opt for immediate replacement with parts that are close/semi-close to the size of my bones and will limit my activities because of the mechanical and other differences. These parts also are not designed to work with near-term or long-term advances in medical treatment; but, the replacement would reduce (though not necessarily eliminate) the pain in the joint and prevent further damage.

Or, I can opt to wait and experiment. The experimentation is potentially two-fold.

The first part is to try a supplement regimen that could slow, or even stop, damage not just in my shoulders but my entire body. Such a regimen has reportedly resulted in healthy regeneration (to some extent) in some patients. The odds, as I understand them from medical research, are long. I’ve faced some long odds in life before, it’s worth a shot.

The second part is to research clinical trials in regenerative medicine and advanced bone replacement materials. If I qualify for one or more regenerative medicine trials and participate, then I have the potential for at least partial restoration if not full. Add to it the fact that by participating I can help drive things forward faster please, even if it does not help me, then it’s still a win.

If regenerative trials don’t work out for whatever reason, then I will look to advanced bone replacement materials trials. If I have to have a replacement, why not go for one designed to take advantage of advances in medical technology?

Meantime, I’ve lived with chronic pain for years, decades even. I don’t like it, am working on dealing with it, but can handle a bit more. So long as I minimize damage to the shoulders and other joints being attacked by arthritis, I can and will put up with the additional pain.

That’s it in a nutshell, and there are several areas that can, and may be, explored in greater detail later. However, for now, it lays out the base case for my decisions.

He’s Not My Cat

I, however, am his Designated Emergency Human and according to Cappie (short for Capt. Neurotic, my name for him) a permanent state of emergency has been declared. He cries at my door some nights, begging for me to let him in. Usually, he’s waiting for me when I get up. If I get up other than at my normal time, he comes running, which you see here. If it hadn’t been for the light, you would see this odd little thing he does as he turns the corner.

Grrrrr. Not letting me post the movie, will work on it and update later.

So Much Going On

There is so much going on in the world, from the shit show that is media coverage of American politics to the various bits of tawdry sadness that is “news” via celebrities. I pity that hapless teen from Sweden, and fully agree with those who hold her parents and other handlers in complete and fundamental contempt. Against that background, it is easy to let gloom and despair fill our view. It is easy to believe that we are doomed on one or more levels.

It isn’t. The media bubble does not reflect reality. Reality is much more upbeat and happy. When you are out of the bubble, you see people coming together and doing good things. You see stories like this one, or the very definition of sang froid that is Texas Man. Reality is full of stories like this.

Yes, we are in a fight as to the direction of the Republic. It is important. It is also important to realize that outside the media bubble, people still are willing to listen, to help each other, and do those things that have made — and can continue to make — the Republic a success. Discourse is still possible, outside the bubble.

I’m not going to post today about health or anything else. Instead, a quick challenge: go commit a senseless act of beauty. Pay it forward, complement someone, take a photo and share it — just do something positive. As you do so, get outside the bubble for a bit. You will be amazed at how much better you feel and how energizing it is.

What Is Arthritis?

Actually, that’s a very good question. It’s one that I wish I had asked a long time ago.

The term arthritis actually refers to more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. The two most commonly diagnosed types of arthritis are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While arthritis primarily involves joints, certain types can also affect major organs.

The damage to joints can be mild to wild. On the milder side are stiffness and soreness. On the wilder side, the cartilage can be completely destroyed and the bones of the joint damaged both by inflammation and by rubbing against each other.

There are a number of factors that go into arthritis, from family history to injury. Even infections can result in arthritis in joints. In my case, some things I was exposed to as a small child put me at a higher risk of inflammatory problems. Add to that my having done things like jumping out of planes, rappelling, and other activities and you get a good chance of developing arthritis. And bone spurs.

In my case, it would appear that something has caused my osteoarthritis to become very aggressive in my shoulders. So much so, I’m going to be asking the rheumatologist I’m seeing in January if that diagnosis needs to be refined.

The X-ray of my right shoulder shows that the cartilage is gone; the bone ends look like the lunar landscape (with some small bone spurs acting as mountains); and, a chunk of my humerus is missing. That missing piece is most likely the piece of bone seen trying to work it’s way down towards my chest. The left shoulder looks better, but not by a huge amount.

There are a number of treatment options for arthritis. For my “just” osteoarthritis, I’ve been taking a drug called Meloxicam for the past three years off and on, and it has helped with some of the inflammation and related issues. Looks like more may have been needed. In addition to my shoulders, I have symptoms starting in my back and neck.

In the experiment I am starting, my goal is to do all I can to help my body heal itself. The best outcome is that through what I do is to reverse the damage. The middle-case outcome is that I help as much as I can on the shoulders, and slow or stop progression elsewhere in the body. The worst-case outcome is that over the next six months I generate very expensive urine courtesy of the supplements and things continue as they are.

The odds are not good. In fact, I’ve been told that the odds of any one supplement working on my condition (and with my genotype, etc.) is less than ten percent. That said, if I don’t make the effort, I will never know if anything could work. There is also the fact that by taking multiple supplements, I run the risk of side effects. To help reduce that risk, I’m keeping my primary care physician aware of what I’m taking and will be requesting some extra blood tests to be sure I’m not causing problems rather than fixing them. In particular, I want to monitor the amount of calcium so that I don’t spike it.

Then again, I’ve beaten long odds a time or two before. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Getting Back

Yes, I am working on getting back to writing regular posts here. I’m also focusing on getting back in other areas of life.

About five years ago, I was given a mistaken diagnosis of cancer. While I thought it was wrong from the start, I upended my life to deal with it. I stepped down from Mission: VALOR, and stepped away from a number of other things. I thought having a procedure done that proved by biopsy that I did not have cancer was the end of it. However, I just spend the last six or so weeks having to re-prove I did not have cancer because a doctor who diagnosed me by looking at me put it into a major (local at least) medical system that I had cancer.

Add in a botched colonoscopy that resulted in an ER visit, the administration of epi, and a few days in the hospital (and cost me a job), along with some other things that happened, and it’s been quite a time. I’m told that God does not give us more than we can handle, and for all I do believe that I also get the impression that God thinks I’m a bigger badass than I think I am.

Now, I have another challenge that I will be blogging about some each week. I’ve had chronic pain for a few decades now, which is not the issue save that by the time this issue was something I noticed, a lot of damage was done.

A few years back I was diagnosed with “just” osteoarthritis. Just. Well, it has done a number so that three weeks ago it was recommended that I have an immediate replacement of what is left (not a lot) of my right shoulder joint, and that I will probably (according to the surgeon) need the left done soon too. Oh, and a piece of bone that broke off in my right shoulder joint is now trying to work it’s way down into my chest.

I consider a total joint replacement using current tech to be a less-than-optimal solution. In fact, I think it a very bad idea for reasons I will lay out soon.

Instead, I am conducting an experiment on myself to see what can be done with supplements, despite the fact that the best of them work on only about thirty percent of the population and many of the more specialized supplements appear to work on less than ten percent. Again, more to come on this as part is on what can be done for the shoulders and the rest is to see if we can slow, halt, or reverse some of what is going on elsewhere.

I’m also working to see if I can get into some clinical trials involving regenerative medicine; and, if that fails, clinical trials for advanced bone replacement materials. I will share more as I can, as well as trying to get back to commentary on space, national defense, and other issues.

Your patience is appreciated, as is the readership of the couple of you who still show up here.