ppp 06-19-06

Quote of the day:

Live neither in the past nor in the future, but let each day's work absorb your entire energies, and satisfy your widest ambition. Sir William Osler (1849 - 1919), to his students

I was at a graduation open house this weekend and the father of the graduate brought out a picture of his first love. His son was not embarrassed…. It was a picture of a 1967 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible with a 390 in it. Funny how every guy I know will get a certain look in his eye and wax philosophical when asked about his first car. One fellow who owned a 1965 and a half Mustang just about melted in a pool of nostalgia and self pity at having sold his first love (Now they are worth about 10 times original sticker price). Mine love, “Herbie”, was a White 1964 Chevy Bisquane with red interior and a little “six banger” in it. (a muscle car it was not!). Back then we could tell cars apart from a block away due to distinctive styling. We even knew the year of the car because designs changed annually. Today’s cars look pretty much the same from make to make.

I began to wonder why these early vehicles hold such power. I think it is because each represented freedom and independence (not driving “daddy car”). This was likely our first attempt at self expression (given our limited automotive resources) and possibly one of the first things for which we took full responsibility (wash it, fill it, change the oil, keep tires on it, etc.). Gas was $0.25 per gallon and a quart of oil might have put us back $0.49 but we were only making about $1.50 per hours doing factory work or mowing lawns. Gas is now 10 times what I paid “back in the day” but my hourly rate has increased considerably more. Instead of griping about the present “high” cost of gasoline you may want to consider how many hours you have to work for a week’s worth of gasoline. Back in 1968 I would have to work about 4 hours… now less than one hour. That $500 auto was a big “investment” but where can you buy a decent car for ten times that amount today. Maybe gas is not so high as we are lead to believe.

This weekend I will be going to a big vintage auto show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (“Back to the Fifties”). I’ll have my eyes peeled for any 1964 Chevys and watch the glaze come over other eyes as they catch a glimpse of their first love again. I’m sure that admission to the event and getting another look at my first love will cost me the price of 3 gallons of gas…….some things are worth it.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "I am doing quite well" a man in an electric wheelchair in the hospital hallway who has lost his lower limbs to diabetes but not his good nature and positive attitude!

pps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience.

Wellbutrin XL is the first drug approved for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which is depression associated with a shortening of the amount of daylight. In one week the days start to become shorter as we finally begin Summer. You have some time yet so get out there and enjoy!

The records (including SSN) of 26.5 million past and present military personnel were stolen. This amounts to about 10% of the population of the US. With an estimated 11 million illegal aliens in the country there would be 2 numbers "available" for each with millions left over. Preposterous?…. I think NOTAMUS. (….and you wonder why HIPPA was instituted….)

Medicare Part-D plans can drop drugs that acquire “black box” warnings during a plan year when formularies may not otherwise be changed. Sounds like a reasonable safety valve.

Many older physicians are not treating diabetes as aggressively as they should be. With the epidemic growing you may wish to find a younger doctor once diagnosed. Of course, if you are single you may already be looking for a young doctor.

AMA is urging that DTC be prohibited on new drugs until the doctors can read up on them. Sounds to me like consumerism now drives physicians to learn about the new drugs. Delay in DTC will just give procrastinators a while longer to put of learning. (Just my opinion… I could be wrong!)

A vaccine against Alzheimer’s has been developed and is being tested in mice. Naybe they will not have to ask “Who moved my cheese?”. Monkeys are next and then humans. Could be available in 7 years. Hope it isn’t too late for me to be vaccinated by then…..

The last flu season was much milder that originally expected. May have had something to do with the number of people who were vaccinated. There was an early scare because the prevalent strain was resistant to some classic antivirals (amantadine). Let’s hope that next season is as mild… get those vaccinations when they become available in November. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you.

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