Saturday Afternoon San Antonio

~~JD~~

Tuesday Afternoon; Small House, Big City

~~JD~~

Happy Memorial Day!

Since I'm a Nurse, I'm working today (of course). Just a few random juxtapostions to help you through the day.

Remembrance, gratitude, fortitude; By Michelle Malkin



"The object of war is not to die for your country, but to make the other bastard die for his." -- General George S. Patton

And here's the video to accompany that thought:




Finally, my wife's favorite scene from the movie "Independence Day" -- "I could have been at a BARBECUE!!!!"




Which I'm sure i'll hear half-a-dozen times at work tomorrow . . . (sigh)

~~JD~~

Inspiration for 'Family Circus' Mommy dies at 82

A sad note, indeed -- "Mom" Keane was always one of my favorites. From the Northwest Indiana Vidette-Times:

Inspiration for 'Family Circus' Mommy dies at 82

By AMANDA LEE MYERS | Sunday, May 25, 2008

PHOENIX - Thelma Keane, the inspiration for the Mommy character in the long-running "Family Circus" comic created by her husband, Bil Keane, has died. She was 82. She died Friday of Alzheimer's disease, the family said.

"Family Circus," which Keane began drawing in 1960, depicts the good-humored life of two parents and their four children. It is now featured in about 1,500 newspapers. "She was the inspiration for all of my success," Bil Keane, 85, told The Associated Press from his home in Paradise Valley on Sunday. "When the cartoon first appeared, she looked so much like Mommy that if she was in the supermarket pushing her cart around, people would come up to her and say, 'Aren't you the Mommy in 'Family Circus?' and she would admit it."

Bil and Thelma "Thel" Keane met during World War II in the war bond office in Brisbane, Australia. She was a native Australian working as an accounting secretary, and Bil worked next to her as a promotional artist for the U.S. Army. "I had this desk alongside the most beautiful Australian 18-year-old girl with long brown hair," Bil Keane said. "And I got up enough nerve to ask her for a date." The two married in 1948 and moved to Bil Keane's hometown of Philadelphia. They had five children and moved to the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley in 1958.

Not only was Thelma Keane the inspiration for the always-loving and ever-patient comic character also named Thel, but she worked full-time as her husband's business and financial manager. Her family says she was the reason Bil Keane became one of the first syndicated newspaper cartoonists to win back all rights to his comic. "There was nothing that I did in the cartoon world or in the business world that she wasn't the instigator of, and she certainly deserves all the credit that I get credit for," Bil Keane said.

Thelma Keane's Alzheimer's disease was diagnosed about five years ago, and she had been at an assisted-living center near the family home for the last three years, said her daughter, Gayle Keane, 58, of Napa, Calif. Just last month, Gayle Keane said, her mother was singing and dancing as the family visited her and celebrated her birthday. "We all had a time to say goodbye in the end," Gayle Keane said. "I just think she's in a better place, and she's not dealing with that fog and confusion that Alzheimer's brings into your life."

Bil Keane continues to produce "Family Circus" with the help of his youngest son, Jeff. Keane sketches out the ideas, characters and captions and sends them to Jeff for inking. In addition to Bil, Gayle and Jeff Keane, survivors include her sons Neal, Glen and Christopher, and nine grandchildren.

Keane said that although his wife is gone, she is still with him. "The losing of Thel is a heartbreaking thing for me," he said. "However, it makes me realize how important she was to my worldly success, and I know where she is now, I feel that she's still helping me and probably giving me the inspirations you can only get from an angel in heaven."

On the Net:

Family Circus: http://www.familycircus.com/

~~JD~~

Saturday Morning San Antonio, Memorial Day Weekend 2008

~~JD~~

May 23rd, 2008; My Grandmother's 102nd Birthday

And I still miss her -- every single damned day.


Five points if you can identify this post's author in that picture.


I'll be off the grid this weekend as I travel to Dallas for my Dialysis Certification.



~~JD~~

Tuesday Afternoon Chevy, 99 Degrees

~~JD~~

A Bit of Personal News . . .

I have no telephone.

One of the first pieces of advice my parents gave me was to always pay your phone bill on time, because you'll always need a phone, and you don't ever want to be without one. This advice served me well for over 39 years without fail.

Until last week.

Today both my wife and I (as well as our son) have cellphones. Our home phone was rarely used, and never by us -- always by others trying to contact us -- mostly the infrequent bill collectors and more frequent telemarketers -- with the once or twice yearly phone call from my wife's sister overseas. My Dad used to call on our home line all the time, but after he died in August, that was the last phone call we received from anyone in my family to the home number.

So what did we need a home phone for that was costing us $75.00/month?

So if you've been trying to get hold of us, you'll have to e-mail us for our cell numbers. We've graduated into the 21st century. We have no land lines here anymore.

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Ninety One; May 16th, 2008.

Appetizer: What is the nearest big city to your home?

Well, I live in San Antonio; does that count? That's just shy of a million folks. Anything larger than that you'd have to go to Dallas (a seven hour drive.)

Soup: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how well do you keep secrets?

About an eight. Nobody knew I was leaving my last job for my new one until the day I left. And I've got a couple of secrets in my past that are lulu's.





Salad: Describe your hair (color, texture, length).

Come again?



Main Course: What kind of driver are you? Courteous? Aggressive? Slow?

Well, I just saw Speed Racer at the movies today; what does that tell you?

Actually, I'm a pretty safe driver. I haven't had an accident in seven years; I almost always drive the speed limit or a little slower; and I've been know to put people to sleep with my driving (meaning it's so dull, it's safe to an extreme.)

Dessert: When was the last time you had a really bad week?

I don't allow myself to have bad days, let alone bad weeks. Your attitude is very much a product of your own making. God doesn't punish you; he sends challenges to make you stronger. He only chastens those he loves; so some weeks he really, REALLY must be loving on me!

Friday's Feast is a weekly meme brought to us by Susie at http://www.fridaysfeast.com. People sign up for her email alerts and every Friday AM we go to her site to get the week’s questions.

~~JD~~

Belated Cinco de Mayo Wishes!

Choose You Holiday: Cinco De Mayo . . . .



. . . . or Cinco De Pollo . . . .






























. . . . Con Mayo!



















~~JD~~

Another Reason Not To Trust The Media; The Butt-Screwing of the Seville Apartments Fire

When we first moved to San Antonio, we lived at the Seville apartments for the first three years. The had a lovely large bathroom like this:






And a great living room with fireplace like this:



And looked like this from the outside. In fact, these pictures were taken in the model apartment in building 2 -- the building that burned down on Sunday.



So as I was coming home Sunday morning after a night shift that I found Blanco Road in front of my old apartments blocked off with fire trucks and police cars. later that day (after I woke up) Julian and I took a ride through the complex and found an old neighbor. He told us that one of the buildings had caught fire, displacing 18 families. Once the fire had been put out, it rekindled about 17 hours later, requiring the firefighters to re-extinguish their blaze.

And here's the story as it came out on KSAT TV:

Apartment Complex Catches Fire Twice
Seville Apartments Will Likely Be Demolished

SAN ANTONIO -- For the second time in as many days, fire engulfed a north side apartment complex Sunday. No injuries were reported in either blaze at the Seville Apartments at 133330 Blanco Road.

The first fire was reported around noon Saturday. Fire officials said that a lamp that fell onto a pile of clothes was to blame for the blaze.

Then around 5 a.m. Sunday, the building burst into flames again. "Firefighters and police were hitting our windows, telling us we needed to go outside," said Jimmy Elizondo, a resident.

Fire officials said that 16 units at the Seville Apartments will likely have to be demolished.

A fire captain said that it appeared Sunday's fire rekindled in the same area where the first fire originated, but not sure what caused it. He added that it's very unusual for a fire to rekindle after 17 hours.

Not 16 apartments -- 16 UNITS. By the morning newscast, this became 16 buildings, as in "almost the entire complex".

There's a video available by clicking to the page HERE.

And, for the record -- only ONE building was torn down, KSAT. Check your sources; do the legwork.

Yeesh!

~~JD~~

Another Big Difference between Texas and Indiana: We Actually Prosecute Our Molesters

These two articles very succinctly demonstrate one of the BIG differences in Texas Justice and that pale imitation in Indiana:

We actually prosecute our child molesters here, and we don't actually debate the issue. From the Northwest Indiana Vidette-Times
comes this astonishing tale of the worst kind of predicate molester; who got a wrist slap for his rape/ sexual torture /kidnapping case, with my commentary along the way:

Maximum sentence in sex torture case
BY BOB KASARDA; Friday, May 09, 2008

VALPARAISO | Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford said the molestation case involved the most egregious acts of mistreatment he has seen during his nearly 28 years on the bench. The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to four felony counts stemming from accusations he began fondling the girl at the age of 10 when she asked him about sex. The abuse became more aggressive and during the start of her school year in August 2004, police said Parsons bound the girl to a homemade restraining device with ropes, handcuffs, Saran Wrap and velcro straps on at least three or four different occasions while torturing her and performing various sex acts.

On one occasion he reportedly forced her to wear his firefighter gas mask, placing tape over the glass viewing area and sticking a sock in the breathing receptacle, police said. Following each of the incidents with the restraining device, Parsons would handcuff the girl to his bed and force her to have intercourse, police said. The forced sex occurred twice each week and Parsons reportedly took photos and placed them on his home computer. "You used me to fulfill your sick fantasies," the girl told Parsons Friday.

So, this is some pretty sick stuff to do to a ten year old girl, right?

Hold onto your seats; it gets worse:

The judge sentenced former South Haven firefighter Michael Parsons on Friday to the maximum 28 years behind bars for turning an underage girl's questions about sex into five years of abuse that culminated in acts of torture.


Parsons, who could complete the term in 12 years or less with credit for time already served and for good behavior, apologized and told the court he was ashamed of his actions.

So, with any luck at all, the girl will be about 21 years old when her molester gets another crack at her. Lovely.

Parsons pleaded guilty to felony counts of child molesting, sexual misconduct with a minor, child exploitation and criminal confinement. Prosecutors dropped nine other charges for the guilty plea.

Another magnificent plea-bargain by Brian Gensel and the Porter County Prosecutor's Office. How nice for them.

Upon his release from prison, Parsons will be required to register as sex offender. As a result of the maximum sentence, he will not be supervised on probation or undergo treatment, but will have some oversight on parole.

Why - The - Hell Not??????? He's a molester; and the worst kind of molester; one who targets pre-pubescent girls. He's a sexual sadist, and has admitted to this in court.

And the porter County Prosecutor's Office AGREED TO THIS in the plea bargain. Peachy.

And the money quote?

Parson's mother, Penelope Parsons, said she does not condone her son's actions, but told the court he is a caring and helpful person.

Really, Mrs. Parsons? When? When he's not living at home in his mother's basement sexually torturing ten-year-olds?

Now, contrast this with this report from KETK news in Tyler Texas:

Mother that forced her children to have sex with each other - sentenced to life

By Tamara Jolee: May 9, 2008 at 9:06 PM CDT

TYLER - Shauntel Mayo - the woman that organized the "Mineola Swinger's Club" and forced her own children to perform there - was found guilty in a Smith County Courthouse Thursday.

The jury decided 29-year-old Shauntel Mayo's fate in less than five minutes.

She received the maximum sentence of life behind bars and required to pay a $10,000 fine for engaging in organized criminal activity. She will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

"The unthinkable," said Smith County assistant district attorney Joe Murphy. "She had her kids have sex with each other and taught them to masturbate. She taught them how to strip. She withheld food from them. All so she could make money."

The so-called "Mineola Swinger's Club" is a place where Mayo forced her kids to go, if they wanted dinner.

Inside that 'club', which was a rented-out business that ironically once served as a daycare and hospital, Mayo and five others are accused of running an operation that forced young children to dance and perform sexual skits for food.

Five of the children are now in custody and three of them are Mayo's kids.

Texas Ranger Phillip Kemp, the lead investigator in the case, testified Wednesday that he believes that at least 15 more kids 'performed' at the "Mineola Swinger's Club" - but the investigation to locate them continues.

In March and less than 10 minutes after deliberating, a Smith County jury found Mayo's live-in boyfriend, 36-year-old Jaime Pittman, guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child and he was sentenced to life behind bars. Mayo's mother, Sheila Sones, is also charged in connection wtih this case.

At the times the alleged assaults took place in 2005, the defendant's children were a five-year-old girl, six-year-old boy and seven-year-old girl. The sibling's aunt and defendant's sister, who was also six-years- old, also testified she was forced to dance and have sex with the other children.

One after another, the children described in graphic detail of a place they dubbed 'kindergarten.' At 'kindergarten,' they said they learned how to strip, dance and perform sexual acts. First on dolls, then on each other. They also testified about 'silly pills.' Those pills were what each kid described they were given before going on stage. Prosecutors testified that the pills were likely Vicodin.

Upon "graduating" from 'kindergarten' the children said they moved on to "perform" at the club. After patrons paid a fee to get in, the kids say they had sexual contact with other children in front of an audience - including siblings and family members.

Jury members -- six men and four women -- cried as the kids testified. The children would not look at their mother until prosecutors asked them to identify and article of clothing she was wearing.

Another great reason to live in Texas; we protect our kids.

Happy Mothers Day.

~~JD~~

Friday Evening; 1.8 Miles; And Flashbacks to "True Grit"

In case you've been wondering; I'm working the middle of a long stretch of 12+ hour shifts. Twelve hour day shifts (7am to 7pm) at a Long-term Care Facility (LTAC) yesterday and today; and tomorrow is 13 hours at the Dialysis Clinic (4am to 5pm) and then 12 hours at the the LTAC from 7pm Saturday to 7am Sunday morning.

Then church!

So, posting will be abbreviated until Sunday afternoon. My apologies.

So with all this time juggling Julian had to have my car to go to his Junior Prom tonight, so Ariane had to come pick me up after she got out of work downtown at the Dialysis Clinic (15 mile trip). So when I got done, I started walking from the LTAC to the Nursefinders office to drop off my paperwork.

So, I managed to work in a little Walk of 1.8 miles after work -- in 97 degree heat -- mostly uphill. Not a bad workout, really.

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear about halfway there then this:



A snake.

A BIG Goddamned snake!

A big goddamned snake two feet from my feet!

A big goddamned diamondback rattlesnake two feet from my feet!

Eeep!

When those seven rattles on his tail went off I jumped straight up into the air and screamed like a seven-year-old girl!

I took a movie, too:



At the time I thought I was taking a photo -- please excuse my ineptitude as I was busy peeing myself and whimpering to myself. Still, I'm astonished I managed to grow enough of a rudimentary spine to chase down the freakin' snake and take pictures, let alone movies.

The weird part is that this is the SECOND rattlesnake I've seen in two weeks. The first was a two-foot juvenile with no rattles at about 1am last Saturday in our own parking lot. (Julian witnessed that one -- it was too dark for the camera.)

Must be some kind of Texas thing.

I'm going to go lay down and whimper quietly now -- after checking the bed for snakes. . . .

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Ninety: May 9th, 2008.

Appetizer: When someone smiles at you, do you smile back?

Depends on why they're smiling. Not if my fly's down.

Soup: Describe the flooring in your home. Do you have carpet, hardwood, vinyl, a mix?

It's an apartment; carpet and linoleum. The last house we had was all hardwoods and ceramic tile. Our next one will be, too.

Salad: Write a sentence with only 5 words, but all of the words have to start with the first letter of your first name.

My actual name is unpronounceable and has no analogues in english.

Main Course: Do you know anyone whose life has been touched by adoption?

I have to be really drunk to talk about that. Another time.

Dessert: Name 2 blue things.

Blueberries, and my nursing scrubs (which I'm wearing right now.) Summers skies. Oceans. People who aren't breathing. Stained Glass. Pepsi bottles.

~~JD~~

"Angel" Harvey Dies at 92

From Wednesday's Robert Feder column in the Chicago Sun-Times:

Heartfelt condolences to Paul Harvey on the passing of his beloved wife and guiding light, Lynne "Angel" Harvey. More than his astute business partner and producer, she also was a pioneer for women in radio and an influential figure in her own right for decades.

Mrs. Harvey died of leukemia Saturday at their west suburban River Forest home. She was 92.Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Fourth Presbyterian Church of Chicago, 126 E. Chestnut.

This also from The Chicago Sun-Times:

Producer for radio legend husband dies
Hall of Fame inductee credited with Paul Harvey's success, created prototype for today's talk shows

May 4, 2008; BY MONIFA THOMAS Staff Reporter

She was the angel by his side.

That's how legendary radio broadcaster Paul Harvey often described his wife, business partner and producer of more than 60 years, Lynne "Angel" Harvey.

Lynne Harvey died Saturday in the Harveys' River Forest home after a yearlong battle with leukemia.

Mrs. Harvey was the first producer to be inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, in 1997. She is also credited with helping turn her husband into one of the biggest success stories in broadcast history.

"She was to Paul Harvey what Colonel Parker was to Elvis Presley," said Bruce DuMont, founder of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. "She really put him on track to have the phenomenal career that his career has been."
'Love at first sight'

Born Lynne Cooper, Mrs. Harvey was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of St. Louis' Washington University.

She met Paul Harvey while working as an on-air personality at a radio station in St. Louis. He was the station's special events commentator.

"It was love at first sight," DuMont said. "I've never met two people who were as madly in love as they were."

The couple married in 1940 and moved to Chicago in 1945.

Mrs. Harvey became her husband's producer shortly after their marriage, handling the behind-the-scenes responsibilities for the No. 1-rated "Paul Harvey News and Comment" show.

It was her idea in the late 1940s to air Harvey's news broadcasts at 10 p.m. -- now the standard time for evening news. She also developed Harvey's best-known feature, "The Rest of the Story."
Found her own success

While her focus was on nurturing her husband's career, Mrs. Harvey found success in her own right, as well.

For instance, she created a television program called "Dilemma" that became a prototype for today's talk-show genre. And she was one of the nation's first women to run an entire broadcast while working at a CBS affiliate.

In addition to her Hall of Fame honor, Mrs. Harvey was also the first recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago chapter of American Women in Radio and Television.

DuMont said Mrs. Harvey was a generous philanthropist whose death is "a devastating loss to the industry, to Paul Harvey and to people who love Paul Harvey."

Mrs. Harvey is also survived by her son, Paul Harvey Jr., another member of the Radio Hall of Fame.

The Darker and Brighter Sides of Medicine

The very fact that physicians are beginning to consider the triage of of the dead and dying in a pandemic is more than a little frightening. It acknowledges that the idea of a pandemic itself from SARS and other flu-type diseases has begun to enter the zeitgeist of the masses.

Curiously, the article fails to make any connection between a doomsday scenario where "'everybody will be thinking in the same way' when pandemic flu or another widespread health care disaster hits . . . to make sure that scarce resources — including ventilators, medicine and doctors and nurses — are used in a uniform, objective way" and the implications for the socialized medicine that the Democratic Candidates are advocating.

The Associated Press (via Yahoo News) brings us this glimpse of Doomsday:

"If a mass casualty critical care event were to occur tomorrow, many people with clinical conditions that are survivable under usual health care system conditions may have to forgo life-sustaining interventions owing to deficiencies in supply or staffing," the report states.

To prepare, hospitals should designate a triage team with the Godlike task of deciding who will and who won't get lifesaving care, the task force wrote. But the recommendations get much more specific, and include:

_People older than 85.

_Those with severe trauma, which could include critical injuries from car crashes and shootings.

_Severely burned patients older than 60.

_Those with severe mental impairment, which could include advanced Alzheimer's disease.

_Those with a severe chronic disease, such as advanced heart failure, lung disease or poorly controlled diabetes.

Public health law expert Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University called the report an important initiative but also "a political minefield and a legal minefield." The recommendations would probably violate federal laws against age discrimination and disability discrimination, said Gostin, who was not on the task force.

If followed to a tee, such rules could exclude care for the poorest, most disadvantaged citizens who suffer disproportionately from chronic disease and disability, he said.

A "political and legal minefield???" How about Ethical? I'm struck by the similarity of this list to the list of those elegible for Concentration Camps under Nazi rule in WWII. "Mental Defectives?" Those who "present a drain of limited supplies?" I work at a Dialysis Clinic. In case of a pandemic, do we just shut down the dialysis clinics as "a drain of limited supplies" and let millions of people die?

And at what point do these rules kick into play?


At the polar opposite of this scale is Wal-Mart, who has decided to take it's much heralded program to bring inexpensive medications to the masses and expand it!

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, announced Monday it would expand its discounted prescription drug program to offer 90-day supplies for $10 and add several women's medications at a discount. It also said it would lower the price of more than 1,000 over-the-counter drugs.

With the expansion, the company began filling prescriptions Monday for up to 350 generic medications at $10 for a 90-day supply at Wal-Mart, Neighborhood Market and Sam's Club pharmacies in the U.S. Almost all the prescription generics in the company's $4 program were included in the expanded $10 offer, said Wal-Mart senior vice president John Agwunobi.

In addition, the company will add several women's medications to its list of prescriptions available for $9, including drugs to treat breast cancer and hormone deficiency.

The difference here is that these "Pandemic Planners" are anticipating a worst-case scenario with apocalyptic implications. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, believes in the empowerment of the people with reasonably priced medications to do the right thing and take care of their own health.

Which appeals to you more?

(Take THAT, Wal-Mart haters!)

By the Way: If you want more information (such as a List of these inexpensive medications), CLICK HERE.

~~JD~~

Protesting High Gasoline Prices; 55 Miles At A Time

I'm a one-man protest march today.

The price of gasoline is really starting to get to me. When it costs $60.00 to fill up the car and you're starting to choose which bills to pay (and the gasoline cards come FIRST) you know it's starting to get bad.

So I had a little idea which, while it sounds counterproductive and old-fashioned, really makes a ton of sense.

I-just-drive-fifty-five. (With apologies to Sammy Hagar.)

If you're old enough you probably remember when 55 mph was the law of the land -- and nobody obeyed it. Consequently we raised a nation of scofflaws who drove whatever speed they felt like until Congress, seized by a sudden fit of sanity, re-instituted higher traffic speed limits.

So I've started driving 55 mph, for a couple of reasons:



*ONE, I save 20% or more on my mileage -- which is a LOT with $4.00/gallon of gas approaching swiftly, and . . .


*TWO, I'm reducing my emissions when I drive slower. It's green; It's environmental. Plus, . . .

*THREE, IT'S A PROTEST! You should see the line of cars build up behind me, and I mean QUICKLY.
Now, one guy on a crusade like this is a crackpot, of course. (Think "Don Quixote" here.) And whilst two might be a folie a deux, . . .

. . . Three's Company. And Four is a Movement. If those truckers in Washington REALLY want to get the attention of Congress, try slowing down to 55 mph and watch them squeal like stuck pigs.

Feel free to join me, won't you. It's a lot of fun, you're saving money; and you're making a point.

~~JD~~

Unauthorized Human Testing Department: Man Regrows Severed Finger

This story alternately horrifies and fascinates me. A scientist working for the Army on methods of stimulating tissue regeneration offers a highly experimental compound to his brother (who accidentally lost the tip of a finger in a model airplane accident) and has the fingertip regrow, according to the London Daily Mail:

The dust, actually a collagen powder derived from pigs' bladders, appeared to provide a suitable "matrix" or framework, stimulating regrowth of the tissues and division of the cells, to enable Mr Spievack's finger to grow back - in just a month.

And not just a stump - flesh, tendon, skin, fingernail, fingerprints and all.

It is an extraordinary story because, if it can be confirmed, it will point the way to a breakthrough in one of medical science's greatest problems: the inability of humans to regenerate lost tissue.

One organisation with a keen interest in tissue regeneration is the U.S. Army. Military researchers are reported to be working with University of Pittsburgh scientists who developed the pixie dust to find a way to allow injured soldiers to regrow lost fingers, skin, and even whole limbs.

With hundreds of U.S. soldiers coming home injured from Iraq every month, such an advance would be leapt upon by the Pentagon.

Dr Stephen Badylak of the University of Pittsburgh is the scientist who developed the pixie dust. It consists of a mixture of protein and connective tissue which is already used by surgeons to repair tendons.

The U.S. Army has invested millions of dollars in regenerative medicine, and Dr Badylak - and Mr Spievack's brother - could become very rich men.

The powder, he has said, "tells the body to start the process of tissue regrowth".

Odd that this didn't appear in an American paper. Hmmmmm . . . If it's true, it has amazing application for re-designing tissue growth process as we know it. Burn victims, especially, may be saved from a life of deformity and pain.

But I'd still like to know how an experimental compound NOT approved for human testing made it's way out of the lab and onto a hobbyists finger. I smell a security breach.

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast!

Feast One Hundred & Eighty Nine; May 2nd, 2008.

Appetizer: What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child?

Oh, the Warner Brothers stuff, undoubtedly. Bugs Bunny was easily the favorite, although Daffy Duck has a special place in my heart as well. Everything I know about Interpersonal Relations and Anger Management I learned from Bugs Bunny; which is scary when you really think about it.



Soup: Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it?

Very likely a cat; I already have four. Maybe a dog; dogs are pretty cool, too. I'd love to have a Jack Russel Terrier or a Chihuahua; maybe a Beagle. We used to name our cats after emperors and tyrants (Attila, Caligula, Nero, etc.); but lately they're all named after TV characters. Our four cats today re named Ethel, lucy, Otis, and Jeannie -- the do is named Samantha. (Extra points if you can name the 1960's TV references.)



Salad: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion?

Considering that I own absolutely no dress shirts or suits of any kind, I'd say the square root of negative 1.



Main Course: What kind of music do you listen to while you drive?

Oldies sometimes; pop music was much more creative and inventive musically in the 50's and sixties. Gotta love Buddy Holly. Most of the time, though, it's Postive, Encouraging K-Love Christian. Light Years above anything musically being done today.



Dessert: When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

Uhmmmmm . . . wow. You got me there. I think I bought the clock I put in the bathroom last. I needed it to curb me tendency to languish in the john in the morning and be late. That was two, maybe three years ago.

Friday's Feast is a weekly meme brought to us by Susie at http://www.fridaysfeast.com. People sign up for her email alerts and every Friday AM we go to her site to get the week’s questions.

~~JD~~