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Memorial Day Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Mon May 28, 2012 at 12:01:44 PM EST
Tags: Memorial Day (all tags)
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From Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address:

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

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    Memorial Day Open Thread | 83 comments (83 topical)

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    Two items (5.00 / 2) (#2)
    by lentinel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:15:21 PM EST
    in today's NYTimes expose the reality of the way that our nation and our national leadership "honors the sacrifice" of our men and women in uniform:

    Capt. Rachel Odom covers thousands of miles of eastern Afghanistan as the lone physical therapist serving soldiers in a long-deployed infantry division...the only physical therapist attached to the 3,500 men and women of the Fourth Brigade Combat Team of the 25th Infantry Division

    That's ONE PHYSICAL THERAPIST for 3,500 soldiers in a combat zone.

    A second article (link below) is by a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan.
    He outlines the total inadequacy of the V.A. and reveals their deliberate manipulation of numbers to camouflage the fact that over 50% of veterans seeking help, many in desperate need, have to wait an average of 50 days before they are granted appointments.

    Link to NYTimes article by Mike Scotti

    I am reminded of those WWI vets (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:34:22 PM EST
    Who camped out in DC to protest for their promised bennies.  Eisenhower (much to his chagrin, as I recall the story) helped lead the troops that rolled tanks over the camps and dispersed the vets with malice.  My, how far we've come.  

    We're all just widgets.  Soldiers, workers, students, mothers...we're nothing but disposable parts to those in "control."    

    Parent

    I believe you are thinking of ... (5.00 / 3) (#20)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:49:39 PM EST
    ... then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Douglas McArthur, who commanded the troops that dispersed the Bonus Marchers in D.C., and not then-Maj. Dwight Eisenhower, who was serving as one of McArthur's junior aides at the time.

    In fact, Eisenhower had very serious reservations about Pres. Hoover's use of the U.S. Army to evict the Bonus Marchers from Washington, and had strongly advised McArthur to not lead troops into D.C. to confront the war veterans. He was pointedly ignored.

    Needless to say, despite the fact that Eisenhower later wrote the Army's official incident report which upheld McArthur's conduct, Eisenhower made it clear that there was very little love lost between the two. "I told that dumb son of a bitch not to go down there [into Washington with the Army]," Eisenhower later recalled to former Pres. Harry Truman, who had his own issues with McArthur. "I told him this was a political dispute that ought not to involve the Chief of Staff."

    The Bonus March fiasco proved to be the final nail in Herbert Hoover's political coffin. He lost the 1932 presidential election three months later to Franklin Roosevelt.

    Parent

    Yeah, I remember Eisenhower's reservations (none / 0) (#33)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:56:45 PM EST
    As I mentioned remembering he didn't like it.

    Did McArthur's mother even love him?

    Parent

    You know, Hoover was wrong (none / 0) (#57)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 29, 2012 at 12:31:59 PM EST
    But what should McArthur have done?

    If he just refused he would have been dismissed by Hoover and replaced.

    If he refused to give up command there would have been a Constitutional crisis of huge proportions.

    There's no doubt that McArthur had a huge ego. But he was smart enough to develop the "by pass" strategy in the Pacific that isolated many Japanese controlled islands and saved thousands of US soldiers. And his occupation of Japan was brilliant and allowed the founding of a modern day democracy.

    His Korean war strategy was equally brilliant and his end run around the enemy broke their back and if China had not entered the war would have been over.

    Many, as I do, think that we should have used nuclear weapons to stop the Chinese and that had we done so the Cold War would have been greatly shortened and Vietnam would not have happened.

    His public quarrel with Truman, who was convinced that McCarthur wanted to run against him for President, resulted in Truman firing him.

    His farewell address at West Point is one of the greatest in history:

    "The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished, tone and tint. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears, and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen vainly, but with thirsty ears, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll. In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory, always I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country. Today marks my final roll call with you, but I want you to know that when I cross the river my last conscious thoughts will be of The Corps, and The Corps, and The Corps. I bid you farewell."

    Parent

    I see (none / 0) (#35)
    by lentinel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 08:37:29 PM EST
    that it is easier to discuss yesterday's ugly history than today's ugly reality.

    Parent
    So what? It's an open thread. (5.00 / 3) (#38)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 09:17:35 PM EST
    Sometimes, there's really not much to say about something beyond what's already been acknowledged and said, as you did above. Nobody said that life was fair. Reality bites, dude, just as it always has and always will.

    Speaking as the son of someone who was killed in the Vietnam War, I already volunteer out here on the governor's special advisory council on veterans' affairs, trying to cajole Washington to open up the budgetary purse strings to fulfill out nation's professed commitments to our veterans. With state funds, we've already opened up the U.S. Veterans' Center at Kalaeloa (Barber's Point) in West Oahu to get homeless veterans off the streets and into housing, and get them job training if needed.

    The question is really, then, what are YOU personally prepared to do about "today's ugly reality" -- that is, besides constantly complaining here about it?

    If you're truly concerned with the plight of our service members and military veterans, then put some skin in the game, and get involved personally to make a difference. Go b*tch at the Republicans in Congress who are responsible for the current underfunding of the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and not at the rest of us.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    What you said, Donald (5.00 / 0) (#55)
    by christinep on Tue May 29, 2012 at 11:54:49 AM EST
    ...needed to be said.  Thank you very, very much for the statement, and for the reminder of the personal responsibility that we all share.

    Parent
    Well (5.00 / 1) (#64)
    by sj on Tue May 29, 2012 at 04:27:01 PM EST
    you're being your patronizing self and lecturing as if no one here does anything but complain.

    Having said that, you are clearly not trolling.  And don't deserve to be subjected to someone who apparently is.

    Parent

    While I do not condone the response (5.00 / 2) (#65)
    by Anne on Tue May 29, 2012 at 05:27:47 PM EST
    you got from Rojas, ugly in its own way is the assumption you always trot out that what this person or that person expresses on this blog - I believe you usually refer to it as "whining and complaining" - is the sum total of their effort; just because he/she isn't constantly reminding us of his/her activities and accomplishments doesn't mean none have been undertaken.

    It would behoove you to remember that once in a while; not everyone has made or has been able to make public service a career, but it doesn't mean that whatever people can do, and have done, isn't valuable in its own way.  People write, e-mail, fax, knock on doors, call, join advocacy groups, work within their local political organizations - and they are not required to provide proof of these kinds of activities to you or anyone else in order to have their opinions deemed credible.

    Parent

    Then please, share with everyone ... (3.00 / 1) (#73)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:45:07 PM EST
    ... whatever it is that you're doing, so that they're encouraged to emulate your example and do the same. Whether you've written a congressman, or testified at city council hearing, or volunteered to serve on a local school board or water commission, don't be shy about sharing your experiences and suggestions, and asking others to do the same if the issue you're working on requires others to weigh in.

    That's not bragging. Rather, that's exactly how you and lentinel and I and others here can make things happen politically at the grassroots level, by encouraging mass and concerted action.

    I'm sorry, but simply commenting on a website about how awful this person or or that story is -- or how wonderful they are, for that matter -- and then expecting everyone else to chime in with a chorus of amens and hallelujahs, well, that really doesn't amount to much. Very little is going to be accomplished when we're reducing ourselves to the online equivalent of letters to the editor.

    I'd like to believe that, given the generally high caliber of intellect that's present here, that we can perhaps motivate each other to actually do something that can make a real difference. Political complacency is often the general public's own biggest obstacle, and the powers-that-be thrive on such self-induced paralysis.

    It's not that I think I'm special, because I'm obviously not. I just want to show people through my own examples that it's really not as difficult to get involved as they might initially believe it to be. That's why I share what I'm doing and try to offer occasional suggestions regarding political activity, in the hope that others will say, "Hey, you know, I can do that, too."

    Aloha.


    Parent

    I did not know you lost your Dad in Vietnam (5.00 / 0) (#81)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 30, 2012 at 06:21:03 AM EST
    I'm sorry Donald.  I lost my mom when I was young and not to government lies and actions and conflicts.  I don't think that anyone can understand what you grew up without and how much of that you spent on your own, by yourself like it or not.  And it was all taken from you in the Vietnam conflict, something that tore our nation apart because why we were there was not clear and the danger based on lies.

    I used to feel certain that if my husband was killed in Iraq I would lose my mind, I would not know what to tell my children other than a bunch of powerful oil men told a bunch of lies, outed CIA agents to punish those who would not go along, and killed your dad trying to take over an oil rich nation.  I'm so glad I never had to try to figure that all out.  Some children and their families are not so fortunate.  I'm glad they have you in some forms and your input.

    Parent

    That's our Donald (1.00 / 9) (#43)
    by Rojas on Tue May 29, 2012 at 12:12:52 AM EST
    still standing on the corner with his little pecker in his hand.....
    The bigest cock on the walk.

    Parent
    Whatever, dude. (5.00 / 0) (#70)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:08:30 PM EST
    I'm sure 7th graders everywhere are snickering in delight.

    Parent
    True, "how far we've come" (5.00 / 1) (#27)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:12:18 PM EST
    Rather than the Army, led by its Chief of Staff, General Douglas MacArthur (with dissent from Dwight Eisenhower, his aide at the time) to burn the camps and shacks of the World War I Veterans and drive them out with sabers and the cavalry,  we have battle-equipped, paramilitary police  to destroy tents and officers such as NYC's Tony Bologna,  wielding pepper-spray to deal with protestors.

    But, it will take some to top that treatment of veterans: In 1925, Congress voted to award WWI veterans a lump sum bonus for their service, to be paid twenty-years later, in 1945. As the Great Depression worsened, in 1932, veterans groups organized and lobbied Congress for immediate payment. Representative Wright Patman (D. TX) introduced a bill for payment at that time, but House Republicans held it up.

    Veterans around the country converged on DC to directly lobby Congress, getting to DC  by "riding the rails," walking and whatever means possible. They set up camps and shacks.  Patman got the House bill passed but it failed in the Senate.  The "Bonus Marchers" continued to lobby and remained peaceful. When Congress adjourned, the Hoover Administration wanted them to go home, and passed a bill to pay their way back (to be deducted from the bonus coming in 1945).

    The DC police seemed to have the situation under control, but it was an embarrassment to Hoover and fears were fanned for "communists" and that incipient revolution was in the air. So the veterans had to go, and the Army, with MacArthur in the lead, on August 28, 1932, ran about 10,000 veterans out of town, burning their shacks, tear gassing everyone in sight, with the force of tanks in reserve.    

    Parent

    bad judge follies (5.00 / 2) (#6)
    by desmoinesdem on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:47:57 PM EST
    Some jerk Texas judge decided to make an example of a high school student who's been missing too much school. He ordered her jailed overnight. She's not a delinquent, just an exhausted honor student who works a full-time job and a part-time job to help provide for siblings.

    Lunacy. (5.00 / 1) (#7)
    by Angel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:50:04 PM EST


    Parent
    The Road to Hell ... (3.67 / 3) (#23)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 05:10:54 PM EST
    ... is paved with Republicans.

    Parent
    And the road to (1.00 / 3) (#45)
    by lousy1 on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:23:15 AM EST
    hijacking and dishonoring a thread that is dedicated to thanking our veterans is paved by which party?

    This is dishonorable.

    Wonder why one candidate has trouble with veterans?

    Parent

    No hijacking or dishonoring... (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by Angel on Tue May 29, 2012 at 08:09:45 AM EST
    Per Jeralyn:  "This is an open thread, all topics welcome."  (bold is mine)

    Parent
    Ooops (none / 0) (#52)
    by lousy1 on Tue May 29, 2012 at 08:42:45 AM EST
    You are right - sorry

    Parent
    Speaking of hell (none / 0) (#24)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon May 28, 2012 at 05:17:04 PM EST
    How was the Sheraton Waikiki?? I trust you had at least three Blue Hawaiians for me!!

    Parent
    For the most part, it was ... (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:42:25 PM EST
    ... a working weekend for us, as we were cooped up inside the Sheraton Ballroom or various committee meeting rooms. The weather was gorgeous whenever we took a break and went outside, and the evenings were actually quite pleasant.

    I will say, though, that I find the steep markup for Waikiki stores versus the rest of Honolulu to be rather outrageous. I mean, is it really necessary to charge tourists $2.50 for a cup of coffee at Starbuck's down at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and elsewhere in Waikiki, when the rest of us pay only $1.75 for the same cup at those Starbucks' stores located outside the resort district?

    That sort of greedy price-gouging serves only to remind us locals why we don't come down to Waikiki.

    It's hard to ignore Waikiki as a tourist, because that's where 90% of the hotel rooms are on the island, but I do urge our visitors to get outside the resort district and explore the rest of Oahu. For my money, the nicest beach is not Waikiki, but over in Kailua over on the windward side of the island, about 18 miles north of Waikiki. This is where the Obamas stay when they're visiting family and friends during the Christmas holidays, and for good reason.

    (The president's sister Maya lives a couple of miles from us in east Honolulu, and was also a delegate at this weekend's convention.)

    Parent

    My dad lived in Kona for a few years (none / 0) (#50)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:29:43 AM EST
    He says much of the greatness Hawaii offers goes unexperienced.

    Parent
    It is the duty of tourists to present themselves (none / 0) (#56)
    by jimakaPPJ on Tue May 29, 2012 at 12:00:43 PM EST
    for fleecing.

    I was always there on business but even I noticed the high prices.

    My favorite island is Kaui. Spent a lot of time there in the 80's. There was a Sheraton in Kappa that was absolutely fantastic and I never met a local anyplace on the island that was anything but super friendly and nice. Not so true on Oahu.

    If expense money was tight I'd stay at the Holiday Inn near the Oahu airport. We had a warehouse there with great employees and zero problems. They dug this salesman out of many of his self made problems.

    "Those were the days, my friend. We thought they'd never end."

    But they did.

    Parent

    Oahu is only 600 sq. miles, but ... (none / 0) (#76)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue May 29, 2012 at 08:01:12 PM EST
    ... has a population of one million people. The City & County of Honolulu comprises the entire island. We're actually the 12th largest single municipality in the United States, and despite our tropical locale and the best efforts of the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau, we're undoubtedly going to have some of the same problems that afflict big cities everywhere, one of which is the surliness of stressed urbanites.

    The Holiday Inn by the airport is still there, Jim, albeit with a different owner and name. It's now called the Ohana Hotel at Honolulu Airport. The staff there is still super-friendly and courteous, they have good meeting facilities for business travelers, and it's a nice, clean place with reasonable rates.

    I work with the Hawaii Primary Care Association, which represents community health centers, and we frequently schedule meetings and symposiums at the Ohana-Airport because it's very convenient for neighbor islanders, who can practically walk to the hotel from their arrival gate at the interisland terminal, and don't have to rent a car.

    Parent

    And still none of the crooks ... (none / 0) (#30)
    by Robot Porter on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:27:50 PM EST
    responsible for our current economic state have even been indicted.

    The big crimes are being rewarded. And noncriminal behavior is becoming criminalized.

    Parent

    From Abraham Lincoln's ... (5.00 / 1) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 05:07:40 PM EST
    ... Second Inaugural Address, to Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, coming soon to an urban multiplex near you.

    Woo hoo. I can hardly wait.

    Also probably awaiting release: "No freshman at love, John F. Kennedy is The Campus Stud."

    And it's directed by ... (none / 0) (#28)
    by Robot Porter on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:23:49 PM EST
    Timur Bekmambetov who was born in Kazakhstan and rose to prominence in Russia.

    Who would have imagined that thirty years ago?

    BTW, when you type "Abraham Lincoln" into Google the first auto-complete you get is "Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter".

    Parent

    I think it looks like ... (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:49:42 PM EST
    ... an insult to one's intelligence. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter is almost enough to make me long for the comforting days of the Cold War, if only to shield us from Russian-directed claptrap like this.

    Parent
    We also have the Spielberg ... (none / 0) (#37)
    by Robot Porter on Mon May 28, 2012 at 08:56:35 PM EST
    Lincoln movie coming up with Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln.

    Parent
    In my opinion, perhaps the best ... (5.00 / 1) (#39)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 09:33:29 PM EST
    ... fictionalized account of our 16th president is the one authored by Gore Vidal, Lincoln.

    A meticulous researcher and historian, Vidal deftly humanized Abraham Lincoln in three dimensions, while managing to avoid the hagiographical pitfalls that have compromised so much of what has already been written about him.

    Thus, what we get in Lincoln is not a two-dimensional American demigod, but a psychologically complex yet highly sympathetic character with very real human flaws, who rose to the occasion as his times demanded to accomplish some truly extraordinary things for our country.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    I believe it! (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by Robot Porter on Tue May 29, 2012 at 10:50:11 AM EST
    I haven't read that one.  But I'm a huge fan of Vidal's BURR and some of the others in his American history series.  And they do exactly what you suggest.

    Parent
    Oooh, Burr is one of my favorite (5.00 / 2) (#59)
    by ruffian on Tue May 29, 2012 at 03:05:24 PM EST
    books ever...I did a book report on it in 8th grade and still have my tattered copy. You would love Lincoln if you like those other books even a little!

    Parent
    Which is why you should have joined (none / 0) (#60)
    by oculus on Tue May 29, 2012 at 03:06:56 PM EST
    me for Vidal's 1960 play:  The Best Man.  All politics all the time.  

    Parent
    I know, I really hate that I couldn't! (none / 0) (#62)
    by ruffian on Tue May 29, 2012 at 03:14:16 PM EST
    I am such an old Vidal fan. Huge chance missed.

    Parent
    From our "Testicular Fortitude" file: (5.00 / 1) (#36)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 08:38:48 PM EST
    I don't know - maybe it's just me and my innate machoness. But were I this particular paparazzo, I think I'd be too embarrassed to admit publicly that I had just been beaten up by Justin Bieber.

    I said the same thing (none / 0) (#53)
    by jbindc on Tue May 29, 2012 at 08:51:11 AM EST
    when I saw that.

    The Biebs is back!

    Parent

    Who says the DFHs have no sense of humor? (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by caseyOR on Mon May 28, 2012 at 09:56:14 PM EST
    Students and others in Quebec have been protesting for many weeks now. The police and local governments are frantic to stop these protests which garner more public support the longer they go on.

    In one effort to curb the protestors, police demanded that they submit a copy of their parade route. Follow this link and see what the protestors gave the police.  

    Nice job, Quebeciers. i salute you.

    h/t to Digby

    Interesting article about a D.C. study (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by oculus on Tue May 29, 2012 at 01:44:47 PM EST
    of gun fatalities compared to traffic fatalities:  link

    Well, dammit, Doc Watson has died at 89. (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:51:35 PM EST
    He was a virtuoso with the guitar, the best flat-picker that ever played.

    Here is his rendition of the classic Summertime. Nobody played it as well as Doc.

    RIP, Doc.

    Earl Scruggs/Doc Watson (none / 0) (#75)
    by oculus on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:59:59 PM EST
    picking "Cripple Creek":  

    link

    Parent

    Doc was the best. Too bad. (none / 0) (#78)
    by desertswine on Tue May 29, 2012 at 09:52:58 PM EST


    Parent
    How did I miss this? (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by oculus on Wed May 30, 2012 at 12:22:40 AM EST
    AP style guide recognizes "hopefully"

    I am suffering from roof rage (none / 0) (#1)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:03:24 PM EST
    Came down with a case of the shingles.  Man, it blows.  Anyone with experience and secret home remedies, I am all ears (and blisters).

    And to all those who have given their lives while wearing the nation's uniform...R.I.P., your sacrifices are much appreciated.

    No info re home remedies. Just (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by oculus on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:35:06 PM EST
    sympathy.  

    Parent
    Yep, and a little more of that (none / 0) (#44)
    by Rojas on Tue May 29, 2012 at 12:17:59 AM EST


    Parent
    Ugh, feel for you. I had it once - on my face - (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by Angel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 02:45:31 PM EST
    took Zovirax  for a week, but it took that long to get relief.  No home remedies that I'm aware of...  Hope you are better soon.

    Parent
    Got it on my back and side (none / 0) (#9)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:15:31 PM EST
    Swollen lymph node like a garden hose, it's lovely, but I would be despondent if it were on my face.  Ouch.

    Parent
    Unlike its malevolent sister, ... (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:27:25 PM EST
    ... chicken pox, an outbreak of shingles will generally confine itself to one specific band of nerves, usually on one side of the body from front to back. You cannot get shingles unless you've already had chicken pox.

    Because the varicella virus (the mother ship for chicken pox and shingles) inflames nerve endings, the blisters will be very, very painful. Now, I have a high threshold of pain so that when I had shingles ten years ago, I got by on aspirin when needed. However, everybody's body chemistry is different, and if it gets too painful for you to bear, particularly at night, don't be shy about consulting your doctor to get some sort of mild narcotic like Vicodin, which can alleviate the pain and allow you to get some sleep.

    You just have to let shingles run its course, and the painful part is anywhere from ten days to three weeks, from the initial outbreak until when the last blister scabs over. Get plenty of rest, and just like chicken pox, do not scatch the blisters, sores and scabs, because you'll create pock mark scars.

    Further, please don't go out in public while the virus is still in the active breakout stage, because people who have never had chicken pox (or have been vaccinated for it) can actually catch that disease from you during this short window of viral opportunity, while your blisters are still forming and scabbing over. Once you stop breaking out, the contagious period is considered passed.

    The varicella virus is an active airborne contagion, and while its effects upon children can often be relatively mild, chicken pox is potentially deadly to adults because it can severely compromise the mature immune system in a relatively short period of time, leading to attendant complications like pneumonia.

    Hope you feel better soon. Aloha.

    Parent

    Can I be quarantined in Molokai? (none / 0) (#17)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:34:02 PM EST
    Please?  (And no offense, since I realize this as a joke of questionable taste.  I blame the Vicodin.)

    Thanks for the insight.  It's funny, because I actually diagnosed myself a few hours before going into the ER.  Tbere I merely had my diagnosis confirmed.  Only needed the doc for the scripts.  I think my case is fairly mild, thankfully -- at least from some of the pics I saw when I was researching. Still, hurts like hell and just sucks all around.  

    Aloha.  

    Parent

    Forehead and around my eyes, quite scary as well (none / 0) (#11)
    by Angel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:23:02 PM EST
    as very, very painful.  Get some good rest if possible.  I'd also recommend the drugs if you are not already taking them.


    Parent
    oh, i'm on them (none / 0) (#12)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:53:08 PM EST
    and about to dose up again and snooze.  

    Parent
    Take care. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by Angel on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:57:19 PM EST


    Parent
    Shingles is herpes zoster (5.00 / 1) (#15)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:21:25 PM EST
    an inflammation of the nerve endings.

    Had it come on during a business trip to LV. Hit my left arm and neck area I thought I was having a heart attack (pre blisters) and went to the ER.

    There is a salve  you can apply but I can't remember. Ask your Doctor.

    At the time I was told that Shingles is brought on by stress and physical exhaustion so get some rest and remember that this too shall pass.

    Parent

    Shh on the herpes part (none / 0) (#18)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:34:53 PM EST
    I just don't like the sound of it. ;-)

    Parent
    It's a herpes virus that ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:55:08 PM EST
    ... originated in domestic fowl. Be happy you're not a chicken. It kills them.

    Parent
    Owwww..... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by desertswine on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:12:25 PM EST
    Shingles is really nasty. I wish I had some remedy, but I don't.  I was one of those people who had it, and then about 3 yrs later, got it again. They have a vaccine out now, but I don't know if it can shorten an occurance.

    Parent
    I read that the vaccine... (none / 0) (#10)
    by Dadler on Mon May 28, 2012 at 03:18:03 PM EST
    ...is of limited value to people who have already had shingles.  Plus, my insurance company, as a result of this limited value for peeps like me, won't pay for it.  Lucky us.

    Parent
    Yes, the vaccine is likely to be of (none / 0) (#19)
    by KeysDan on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:44:04 PM EST
    limited value to you at this point.  But it is a good idea for adults to get vaccinated (Zostavax) owing to the vulnerability for those who have had chickenpox.  The vaccine is reasonably effective and reduces the painful period if shingles is  contracted.

    Sounds like you are doing everything that there is to be done which is mostly symptomatic treatment--pain and anti-inflamatory medicine (if the pain is not too great, Aleve may work and is easier on the kidneys ).  Acyclovir, the antiviral, is of value now and will help stave off complications, such as post-herpetic neuralgia, which involves pain after blisters leave. The use of steroids should be avoided--at best their use is controversial. Home remedies are as many as there are homes--Calamine Lotion to cut down itching, keep the areas uncovered, open to air.  Probably anything that makes you feel a little better while it runs its course.

    Parent

    Medicare wil pay (none / 0) (#49)
    by fishcamp on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:18:29 AM EST
    for the vaccine after you personally pay the $200 and then send in a claim.  It was actually easy to find and download the form from Medicare.  You need all the paperwork and the actual vaccine sticker from the bottle.  They paid $135.  

    Parent
    Much sympathy (none / 0) (#25)
    by ruffian on Mon May 28, 2012 at 05:43:17 PM EST
    My mother had shingles a long time ago and I will never forget it. That woman bore 8 kids with less pain. Get better soon.

    Wish I had a remedy but we did not find anything that helped much. Maybe corn starch? I think they have better medicine now than they did in 1986.

    Parent

    Oh, I am so sorry to hear this... (none / 0) (#26)
    by Anne on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:09:15 PM EST
    I had a bout maybe 6 or 7 years ago - a small patch on my upper chest and another spot on my back.  I described it as " imagine that your skin is on fire and there are hot needles being poked into it at the same time."

    I got on the Zovirax pretty quickly, and I guess that helped with duration and severity, but it was hell.

    My husband got a case on his face, close enough to his eyes that the VA gave him a thorough going-over, plus meds.

    Feel better soon!

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    Death and Taxes and Zombies (none / 0) (#14)
    by Cylinder on Mon May 28, 2012 at 04:15:26 PM EST
    From the upcoming Iowa Law Review, an article by law professor Adam Chodorow - Death and Taxes and Zombies

    The U.S. stands on the precipice of a financial disaster, and Congress has done nothing but bicker. Of course, I refer to the coming day when the undead walk the earth, feasting on the living. A zombie apocalypse will create an urgent need for significant government revenues to protect the living, while at the same time rendering a large portion of the taxpaying public dead or undead. The government's failure to anticipate or plan for this eventuality could cripple its ability to respond effectively, putting us all at risk.

    This article fills a glaring gap in the academic literature by examining how the estate and income tax laws apply to the undead. Beginning with the critical question whether the undead should be considered dead for estate tax purposes, the  article continues on to address income tax issues the undead are likely to face. In addition to zombies, the article also considers how estate and income tax laws should apply to vampires and ghosts. Given the difficulties identified herein of applying existing tax law to the undead, new legislation may be warranted. However, any new legislation is certain to raise its own set of problems. The point here is not to identify the appropriate approach. Rather, it is to goad Congress and the IRS into action before it is too late.
    A big Thank You to the San Diego Padres, (none / 0) (#29)
    by caseyOR on Mon May 28, 2012 at 06:27:42 PM EST
    who lost to the Cubs today 11-7. That loss by the Padres ended a 12 game losing streak by the Cubs who, until today's win, were well  on their way to breaking their 1997 losing streak of 14 games.

    Thanks for the good news (none / 0) (#34)
    by ruffian on Mon May 28, 2012 at 07:56:41 PM EST
    Sorry oculus- know that the padres went down in a good cause.

    Parent
    This season we have to grab onto whatever (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by caseyOR on Mon May 28, 2012 at 09:47:46 PM EST
    good news we can scrounge up about our dear Cubbies. I'd say that things could be worse, but that would be a lie. The Cubs now own the National League cellar.

    C'mon, Theo Epstein, show  us a little of that baseball magic you worked to get the Red Sox their World Series rings. I am not a young woman, and I would very much like for the Cubs win the WS in my lifetime.

    Surely that is not too much to ask.

    Parent

    It might be too much to ask (none / 0) (#46)
    by ruffian on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:37:47 AM EST
    My dad lived to 82 and he never saw it. I have no reason to believe I will be any different!  I just marvel at people that get to experience it many times over a lifetime, like Yankees fans. Do they take it for granted?  sigh.

    At least the Bears won ONE Superbowl in my lifetime.....

    Parent

    sobbing, sobbing, sobbing. (none / 0) (#47)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:50:23 AM EST
    Just one World Series. That's all I'm asking. Just one.

    sobbing. sobbing. sobbing.

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    The Pads bought a one year wonder (none / 0) (#48)
    by oculus on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:57:27 AM EST
    team to get to WS AND. Get a new ballpark.  

    Parent
    I am do over those pathetic Pads. (none / 0) (#40)
    by oculus on Mon May 28, 2012 at 09:42:58 PM EST


    Parent
    Anyone else see the trailer (none / 0) (#61)
    by CST on Tue May 29, 2012 at 03:14:08 PM EST
    for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter?

    I don't know whether to be horrified by the concept or slightly intrigued.  At least it's something I haven't seen before.  Still, not entirely sold on the concept (also the trailer wasn't helping).

    I'm a vampire lover (5.00 / 1) (#66)
    by Militarytracy on Tue May 29, 2012 at 05:30:18 PM EST
    I'm so going.  Josh and spouse, sort of found the whole idea revolting.

    Parent
    I'm also a vampire lover (5.00 / 1) (#68)
    by CST on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:01:06 PM EST
    still slightly uncomfortable (astonished? not quite revolted?) with this.

    I'll probably just end up netflixing it some day.

    Parent

    I lived through the latest (none / 0) (#82)
    by Militarytracy on Wed May 30, 2012 at 06:29:06 AM EST
    Dark Shadows, I can do anything :)  I miss Blade, I wish he'd pay his taxes and make things simpler to get some more Blade.

    Parent
    My reactions were like Donald's (none / 0) (#63)
    by ruffian on Tue May 29, 2012 at 04:11:04 PM EST
    when I heard about that book - sacrilege!!! But I have friends who have read it and say it is really entertaining. I may have to read it and see the movie. If the trailer does not completely turn me off.

    I am not a fan of the vampire genre as a rule though.

    Parent

    Arnsparger's Syndrome... (none / 0) (#67)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue May 29, 2012 at 05:38:32 PM EST
    anyone know much about it? I've had a crash course from the web, but we know how that can be...

    nothing official for Little Alabama, but suggested today by his therapist as a possibility to check with the psychologist.

    Yep,  I need a bankroll to go to Tunica with brother Jim to pay some bills sure to be coming, hehehe... sigh.  I'll repost in the next OT also to see what folks know.

    As you may know, the American (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 29, 2012 at 08:50:35 PM EST
    Psychiatric Assoc., the people who decide what goes in the DSM, are revising the definition and parameters of autism.

    This is a controversial decision. Those who support the revision say it will provide a more accurate diagnostic tool and eliminate the chance that children who may have, say, a communications problem, get diagnosed as autistic. Aspergers falls on the current autism spectrum, but may not make the cut.

    Currently, if the wee lad does have Aspergers, he falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That means his school district must provide him with the help he needs to be successful in school.

    Even though it is the law, not all schools want to comply. It costs them money to provide for Aspergers kids, as well as others on the autism spectrum.

    You know, Zorba worked with special education kids. She might be a good resource for you. I'd send her an email. Do you still have her email addy?

    Parent

    Can you send it to me? (none / 0) (#79)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue May 29, 2012 at 10:13:30 PM EST
    I don't think she'd mind, since i don't mind acting as keeper of the keys, lol... and I had it once!

    Parent
    Check your email, Jeff. (none / 0) (#83)
    by caseyOR on Wed May 30, 2012 at 10:32:09 AM EST
    Zorba's email awaits.

    Parent
    Do you mean Aspergers Syndrome? (none / 0) (#69)
    by caseyOR on Tue May 29, 2012 at 06:26:50 PM EST
    When I go to google I cannot find anything for Arnspargers, but there is a whole lot on Aspergers.

    Parent
    Yes... i think I (none / 0) (#71)
    by jeffinalabama on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:23:54 PM EST
    put the coach Bill Arnsbarger's name in instead of th doctor who diagnosed it.

    Parent
    You and I suffer from Malapropism! (5.00 / 1) (#72)
    by oculus on Tue May 29, 2012 at 07:44:25 PM EST


    Parent
    Memorial Day Open Thread | 83 comments (83 topical)

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