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Sunday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 09:46:35 AM EST
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In the wee small hours of the morning, the Yankees won:

Sunday football thread coming up.

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    Sunday Morning Open Thread | 37 comments (37 topical)

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    What a difference a primary challanger makes (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by MO Blue on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 10:38:24 AM EST
    Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA), who until late April of this year was a lifelong Republican, castigated his former party this morning on Fox News. Specter ripped the GOP for refusing to be a good-faith negotiator in the health care debate:

    On the Republican side, it's no, no, no. A party of obstructionism. ... You have responsible Republicans who had been in the Senate -- like Howard Baker, Bob Dole, or Bill Frist -- who say Republicans ought to cooperate. Well, they're not cooperating.

    Specter also indicated he would fight hard for the public option. "I'm not prepared to recede at all. I think the public option is gaining momentum," he said. "I am not going to step back a bit. I am going to fight for the best public option."
    Think Progress
    Senior WH official slaps down union (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by MO Blue on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 10:48:08 AM EST
    president for demanding Obama keep his promises on health care. Of course, while McEntee, president of AFSCME is makes his statements publicly, the senior WH official is - surprise - anonymous.

    "We have had just about enough of his gratuitous slaps," said a senior White House official Friday, calling the politically charged language "outrageous and unacceptable" from an ally -- even from one that had, the official noted, devoted substantial resources to health care efforts.

    "He's doing his members a real disservice," said the official, who said that while all other labor leaders had been careful to keep their opposition to elements of health care proposals modulated and largely inside the tent, McEntee was "beyond the pale." FDL

    Wonder if the senior WH official expects union support in 2010 and 2012.

    NWETG? (none / 0) (#5)
    by Fabian on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:06:14 AM EST
    Need a catchier acronym for "nowhere else to go".

    Parent
    IMO the unions need only to sit out one (none / 0) (#7)
    by MO Blue on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:18:42 AM EST
    election cycle to make their point and thereby, increase their political power.

    Parent
    Thank goodness! (none / 0) (#1)
    by Fabian on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 10:11:55 AM EST
    A non sports thread!  Don't sports fans have a life?  I'm really in awe of the sports related economy - there are people with satellite and cable television packages who wouldn't if it wasn't for sports.  Big screen television?  Sports!  And of course all the standard sports products - clothing and stuff.  Licensing and media is where the money is at.

    It's good stuff too - have any franchises folded due to the economy yet?  Sports - that's good stuff!

    I know the Buckeyes got "shellacked" yesterday only because I asked the guy wearing a OSU jersey when I ordered our pizzas.

    I dreamed last night I had an exclusive (none / 0) (#16)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 12:04:51 PM EST
    interview with John Moores, departing owner of the Padres.  He told me he wasn't going to buy a football franchise.  Does this dream stem from moi watching last part of Gators' game and first seven innings of Angels @ Yankees?  Help.

    Parent
    Sports intoxication? n/t (none / 0) (#26)
    by Fabian on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:46:16 PM EST


    Parent
    Tried to shake it off by going to a wonderful (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:48:25 PM EST
    concert by Shanghai Quartet with Lynn Harrell as guest.  

    Parent
    In non sports news. (none / 0) (#2)
    by Fabian on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 10:19:26 AM EST
    The kids and I will head to the Metroparks this afternoon for a fall color hike.  They really seem to like this Metropark and I haven't had to fish them out of any ravines so far.  

    It's been a fantastic season for foliage.  The colors are off though.  The red maples are tending more to orange than their typical brilliant scarlet.  The silver maples are easy to pick out because they are showing an orange-less red.  The sugar maples are really phenomenal this year.

    There's just nothing like . . . (none / 0) (#6)
    by nycstray on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:15:15 AM EST
    a warm pup. The heat she is radiating on the left side of me is really quite nice, especially since my apt is a tad chilly at the moment.

    Glen Beck mocks media (none / 0) (#8)
    by Capt Howdy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:22:28 AM EST
    infatuation with silly things.

    in other news  
    Glen Beck Constructs Giant Helium Balloon

    tragedy or Darwinism at work? (none / 0) (#9)
    by Capt Howdy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:27:24 AM EST
    Is 2012 the end of the world?

    "Two years ago, I got a question a week about it," said NASA scientist David Morrison, who hosts a website called Ask an Astrobiologist. "Now I'm getting a dozen a day. Two teenagers said they didn't want to see the end of the world so they were thinking of ending their lives."
    Floating around the net this morning (none / 0) (#10)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:35:54 AM EST
    looking for other foot options besides removing.  This was how we found those CRAZY titanium rib doctors.  His ankles are fusing, we have ankle replacement already for that only they only think about this in old people.  I don't know you wouldn't think of this for a teenager too and not just a 60 year old, but I'm sure I'll ask the doctors and I'll be given their reasons and opinions.  Arthritis in Joshua's calcaneus that would spread to the rest of his foot which is fine is the second concern.  And the rest of his foot has formed normally because of some idiot named Ponseti, who soft casted all clubfoot babies so that no matter what they faced in adulthood, their foot bones would grow as properly as they could.  Joshua's toes are perfect but I still have doctors tell me that Ponseti is an idiot, yet I have adults with Freeman Sheldon Syndrome who tell me that all the bones in their feet look like stones...nothing is shaped properly.  Guess who has already replaced a calcaneus with an internal prosthetic?  Swiss doctors......and I don't know how they could have developed this and done this with the defective system of paying physicians that they have.  I don't even know how the Swiss can be leading us in this.  How did we lose first place to such a defective healthcare system?  And I'm headed into the weeds of clashing doctors.  The first time I went here it sucked.  I went home crying a lot.  Hopefully this time I will know what to expect...more mean people with I.Q.s.  I wonder how long it will take before one tells me that I'm treating my son like a guinea pig by not just cutting his feet off?  One told me that when I was trying to save his life.

    A friend was advised to postpone having (5.00 / 1) (#17)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 12:24:42 PM EST
    a hip replacement because she was young enough she might need to replace the replacement in 10 yrs.  She got a second opinion, had the hip replaced, and is back to yoga, aerobics, bike riding, hiking, and golf.

    Parent
    It is a balance (none / 0) (#19)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 12:31:06 PM EST
    because if you stop doing what you do, you are not likely to return to doing it 10 years later.  I know exactly the reason why the doctor at Shriners wants Josh to go with prosthetics now.  He could anything after that and his feet would not tire.  But the rest of Joshua tires somewhat easily so do we need to go to such extremes when he isn't ever going to be a distance runner.  He can't really even play sports.  He's full of titanium and a bad crash can really really hurt him. A really hard blow to his neck could kill him.

    Parent
    Trust your instincts and those that (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Inspector Gadget on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 03:13:22 PM EST
    Josh shares with you. Once you have done the prosthetics, there are no options left. They have successfully transplanted hands recently.

    Talk to as many people as you can who have prosthetics and learn everything possible about how it really is to live with them (the doctors don't know the answers to so many questions).

    My dad got his prosthetic arm at 18 (no choice, his arm was a casualty of the Battle of Peleliu) and counted the days until he could throw it away, but an arm is much different than a foot.

    Parent

    Seems to me like they ought (none / 0) (#20)
    by andgarden on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:06:43 PM EST
    to be able to make a replacement that lasts damn near forever. But what do I know. . .?

    Anyway, for a growing kid I don't know what you'd do. A new replacement every year?

    Parent

    And that is something else (none / 0) (#22)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:17:04 PM EST
    to consider because growing is still taking place.  Would we do this after he is done growing?  I don't think you would have to replace it every year though because it isn't involved in growth.  I just realized that with his Tibia welded to his foot, his growth plate has probably been destroyed on that end of his Tibia.  And that may also be the reason why the surgeon didn't shave the end of the Tibia down....because that would have certainly destroyed the growth plate.  He is short though and he always was going to be.  He takes after his dad and techinically I'm about 1/2 an inch taller than my spouse but he's 5'10" even though I'm only a little over 5'7" :)  I will be surprised if Joshua reaches over 5 feet tall.

    Parent
    Will you be reviewing NASCAR event (none / 0) (#29)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:49:19 PM EST
    here?  

    Parent
    The feature race was the pro modifieds (none / 0) (#30)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 02:19:25 PM EST
    It was a 100 lap race.  A driver who came in from Austin TX won it.  A local driver really gave him a run though, then took the lead and when they were lapping the pack he cut in front of one of those in last place and then had to stomp on the brakes, caused the car he just passed to spin out so he went to the back of the pack and 99 from Austin essentially walked away with it then.  I don't know all the drivers yet but Joshua loved it and already has his favorite local driver out of the Street Stock class.  His car number is 11 and his last name is Smith but I can't remember his first name.  We were told that he races every race day though and his family all wears Smith racing shirts.  It was actually too cold last night to be in shirt sleeves. Later on after his race he came into the stands to get his brother.  Someone pointed him out to Josh and Josh yelled at him and he waved back and gave him the thumbs up.  I'm probably going to be going all season now next year.  Number 11 started in the third slot, took the lead midrace, then caused the guy drafting him to spin out.....went to the back of the pack and finished fourth in a 20 lap race.

    Parent
    You are a pretty good sportswriter (none / 0) (#31)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 02:33:45 PM EST
    too.  I can envision you and Josh glad in no. "11" yelling loudly.

    Parent
    We did (5.00 / 1) (#33)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 02:43:09 PM EST


    Parent
    wow (none / 0) (#11)
    by Capt Howdy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:40:55 AM EST
    puts ones problems in perspective

    Parent
    And some brainy person (none / 0) (#18)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 12:26:27 PM EST
    developed a silcone based faux cartilage that is being used in ankle arthritis to replace the nonexistent or damaged cartilage instead of doing a joint replacement. Must be some tough tough stuff!  But we need another da Vinci Dr. at chez MT.

    Parent
    Wellcome Image Awards (none / 0) (#12)
    by Capt Howdy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:41:49 AM EST
    The Wellcome Image Awards recognise the creators of the most informative, striking and technically excellent images among recent acquisitions to the Wellcome Images collection of medical and historical images.

    these get better every year.

    wow...thanks for this link (none / 0) (#14)
    by DFLer on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:51:02 AM EST


    Parent
    DemfromCT (none / 0) (#13)
    by Fabian on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:48:11 AM EST
    has his usual stellar work posted about H1N1 at the big Orange - Front Page.

    Check it out for the latest.

    Kate Hudson for MVP (none / 0) (#15)
    by steviez314 on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 11:56:01 AM EST


    ROMAN POLANSKI is in a medical (none / 0) (#21)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:08:36 PM EST
    center for reasons unknown to his attorney:  LAT

    When the denial slips (none / 0) (#23)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:19:30 PM EST
    other things can slip as well for a bit.

    Parent
    Fact: he has a long list of credits (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:33:05 PM EST
    as an actor:  imdb

    Parent
    hmmmm sounds like something (none / 0) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:36:55 PM EST
    a prosecutor might consider first when something like this goes down.  I still believe in ponies, and people who have damaged children finally realizing what they did :)  But if he was ever going to consider such a thing, it is likely his conscience would have bothered him at some point before jailing huh?

    Parent
    He has been busy doing final of music (none / 0) (#27)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 01:46:54 PM EST
    for new film.  No time for thoughtful reflection.  Or maybe not.

    Parent
    Note to anyone preparing to post (none / 0) (#32)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 02:41:55 PM EST
    a definitive piece on "why I support Obama's policy re Afghanistan":  Glenn Greenwald's column today, although perhaps naive, contains important information.  

    Re Axelrod: does anyone care what (none / 0) (#34)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 02:45:57 PM EST
    he has to say about Fox news?

    Heh..... (none / 0) (#36)
    by Inspector Gadget on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 03:15:12 PM EST
    I don't care what he has to say about anything or anyone.

    Parent
    ROMAN POLANSKI update: (none / 0) (#37)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 18, 2009 at 03:30:02 PM EST
    Reuters

    Sunday Morning Open Thread | 37 comments (37 topical)

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