Our phone service was out for about 12-hours out here at the “end of the string” into the early hours of today. Reason being the local water company had put in some pipe years and years ago, and thanks (probably to all the oil drilling around us) the land has gotten kind of “shifty-like.” Old water lines break. And so they ripped out a particular section about a block-long that has been breaking on a regular basis, and they’ve replaced it with newer stuff. Which will last another hour, or two anyway.
In the process, of course, dig laws and marker flags or not, the local water company managed to tear out phones for a half mile around and – bless him – a CenturyLink fellow named Jim and his crew were up until past 3 AM getting all our phones and internet connections working again. We appreciate that.
It goes to show that what makes a company good is the people, and sometimes that gets overlooked.
And so as things came back on line here? What’s the second email I get? After the :”secret that turns women on” spam?
“Disclaimer is misspelled on top bar – sorry about that, could not help mydelf.”
Once again, we come to the matter of typos around here.
A bit of background to put things into perspective: I worked in my (real) news-gathering life in RADIO. And, since we had to SOUND good, as opposed to WRITE well, I got to the point after 15-years of on air news-reading that you could put the most hacked-up, mis-spelled piece of garbage in front of me and I could read it like it was the authoritative word from On High.
The skill is finely honed when colleagues get ahold of the freshly written copy for the next newscast and write in a few clever lines which land you in trouble if you don’t read ahead.
And example might be something like this… (try reading this aloud as though you were actually on the air…go ahead…good for training the mind…)
“…and in other news from City Hall, the Mayor is schedule to meet with the city council president tomorrow is discuss the budget. And don’t fart. As the city continues to work on solutions to a revenue shortfall which could leave the city millions of dollars short of necessary revenue. You asshole. We’ll keep you posted on what comes out of that meeting.
Jet city weather looks like partial clearing tomorrow and a high of 54, but now before clouds, a 50 percent chance of rain and a low of 43 tonight. Did you fart yet?…”
After a while, the mature news exec learns not to even crack a smile. It requires huge presence of mind to get past these amateurish efforts to derail your presentation. Systematically changing the a trivial point of written English (their to there) isn’t even worth a grin. Nor was changing Vice President Ford to Vice President Plymouth, although it was cute.
Once you get past the limited havoc than can be wrought with a pencil or typewriter (this was old school days), you move into the advanced class: Break up the Newscaster 405:
Someone sneaks in while you’re delivering a complicated story, and sets you news copy on fire. While its burning, you calmly stop as though the transmitter had cut out, kill your mic, drop it on the floor stomp it out and go on with the next story in your pile of 1/2-sheets of paper that radio news was written on. Picking up as those the transmitter has cut out, you say something clever as the mic comes on “…announcement on Thursdays. In other news…”
A colleague steps into the newsroom with an empty metal trash can. And then slowly pours a cup of coffee or a bottle of pop from about 3-feet up so it sounds as they are relieving themselves…
One of my TV friends had the experience of being ping-pong balled while anchoring a newscast.
Yet another was attacked by a hired stripper who crawled onto the set and began to unbutton his clothing below the set, right at the top of a primetime news show…
So you see, if I take the central idea of a story, and manage to get that close enough right that its comprehended, I consider it “job well enough done.” With no one lighting my office on fire during reports lately, my writing really has improved, a bit. But writing on deadline hasn’t changed.
And I’m proud to point out that reader Jonathan doesn’t have to worry anymore. The word Disclaimer is now properly spelled.
But further typos will be along shortly, I can guarantee it. Just pretend that it’s a kind of contextual version of the NY Times Crossword and try to deal with it.
I do. Dealing with it is great practice for your next 15-minutes of fame.
Keeping My Vitamins – & Further Research
Earlier this week I told you I was thinking about giving up my well-studied use of vitamins based on a report that had come out saying they essentially had no value.
Well, it was early, and as usual, when I write before thinking (a lot) I get nailed by more thoughtful readers who say things like this little gem from Natli…
Don’t give the vitamins up so fast, George.
The article states that the morons did a REVIEW of studies already done (presumably earlier, although dates aren’t given). Not once does the article or editorial specify who paid for the research. Rather an important question, don’t you think?
Everything’s a business model :-)
Plenty of other comments on my lack of brainpower….
I wonder if you would consider listening to Michael Savage’s Monday night radio show. He is a scientific fellow, talks about the use of vitamins from time to time, and addressed the original study on which the current vitamins stories are based. I would encourage you to listen. I cannot find an accessible archive on his website so this is how I do it. He broadcasts on KSFO radio out of San Fran. They keep a free show archive available for 1 week. So if you go to www.ksfo560.com and click on the 7 day archive, then go to Monday night (the 16th), pick the 6 pm hour, you should be able to hear it. It is from the beginning of his show. mr
George did you consider the source of the article about vitamins? Did you see the actual test results? My guess is that MSM is up to it’s usual BS, and a correction will be made later. JW
Geo.,
If’n you’re a drug company that wants to increase profits, you need more sick people. Apparently cooking out (pasteurization and canning) a lot of the nutritive value, GMO-ing crops and adding artificial whatever to stuff we stuff into our gobs isn’t making enough people sick enough.
I could find that the first study was done under the auspices of the AHRQ
And we know already how much industry insiders run gov’t offices, let alone who funds the studies in the first place. The other 2 studies lead to
here:
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789247
and here:
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1789246
Which don’t seem to shed any more light on who paid for the studies. But I’d bet a nickel to a dollar who’s behind ’em.
Like you, I know what my vites do for me despite anything mainstream medics say otherwise.
73’s
Walt
I take pretty good – and much larger doses of – vitamins than a wimpy over-the-counter multi-vitamins. And just to give you some starting points on why the much touted study (of studies) doesn’t seem to quite ring true, consider reading through the abstracts of some of these studies in the government’s own www.pubmed.gov database. I’m a big fan of vitamin C and lysine as I’ve mentioned.
One study just out study found:
RESULTS:
During follow-up, we documented 2582 CHD cases in women and 3607 cases in men. In multivariable analyses, after adjustment for dietary and nondietary covariates, those in the highest quintile of fruit and vegetable intake had a 17% lower risk (95% CI: 9%, 24%) of CHD. A higher consumption of citrus fruit, green leafy vegetables, and ?-carotene- and vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables was associated with a lower CHD risk. Conversely, quantity-adjusted variety was not associated with CHD.
While its true that something in addition to the vitamin C could be at work (citrus flavonoids, for example) A couple of grams in my body of buffered C and lysine probably won’t hurt, I’m gambling.
And speaking of interesting medical things, there seems to be some evolving good news about what are called HDAC inhibitors. Here’s a study of their role in restoring “proteolytic function” in diseased myocardium of mouse and humans.” And here’s a study linking HDAC control to getting ahead of asthma and chronic respiratory conditions.
This is not health advice, but rather just keeping with out eye on “hot research” which, in turn can lead us to breakthrough medical advances and damn it! I missed the September conference on “Next Generation Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors” which was held in Boston.
So something to keep an eye on as a coming “hot topic” in medicine will be the HDAC inhibitors which may hold promise in heart health and breathing disorders.
Oh, the clincher from a reader who works for a big name health products company?
Do Not believe the CBS report on Vitamins. One of the professors that was on the panel was also a big Tobacco Smoking doesn’t kill you panel before as well. They are full of crap and want us to eat GMO fruits and Veggies. F them!
Which for now is how I proceed. Continuing my “personal clinical trials” on what vitamins and supplements works with my old body.
As your doctor…yada, yada…. But ask him about what Big Pharma perks he or she gets, too…
Eyes on Space
Our discussion of visual resolution on objects in space has been rolling into the MainStream with stories like this one about how the Defense Minister of Australia says a new telescope will not be used for spying. And the check’s in the mail…
Oh, sure, it could be used for tracking “space junk” but would some of that junque include Chinese satellites?
Then there was the note from fellow Texas Rick who has a wrap-up thought on whether man ever walked on the moon. None too subtle, but like I said, he’s a Texan
“Horse sh*t on the blurring of the atmosphere on the moon (viewing) Just ask Google Maps satellite view if that’s a problem.
Well, except that when you zoom into the maps,if you look at the detail, I think you’ll find many are aerial photos woven into the different layers, it’s not all satellite coverage that you see, best I recollect.
Readers Writes: On Happiness
Remember the article earlier this week about what makes people happy? Reader Bill offers guidance:
“They also noted that “the availability of unbridled power adversely affects the quality of life of those on the receiving end.”
Just think about all the psychopaths running the planet. Now that really makes me happy.
And were it not for the psychopaths being in charge almost everywhere, I guess I’d be happy, too…
More tomorrow…same time, same…unless there’s more water line work. Then no telling…
George george@ure.net
