The song Auld Lang Syne is traditionally sung by most of us on the stroke of midnight each New Year's Eve, however, in Scotland, where Auld Lang Syne originates it is also sung on Burns Night, January 25th, to celebrate the life of the author and famous poet Robert Burns. The words 'Auld Lang Syne' literally translates from old Scottish dialect meaning 'Old Long Ago' and is about love and friendship in times past. The Auld Lang Syne lyrics referring to 'We'll take a Cup of Kindness yet' relate to a drink shared by men and women to symbolize friendship. The 'Auld Lang Syne' lyrics and words were first published in 1787 and the song has now become a tradition as we celebrate a Happy New Year!
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Photographs & Memories
A very old picture of my father and maternal grandmother, Maria. This is one of my favorite pictures of my grandmother - she is looking down at us.
On September 23rd, as I was being prepped for surgery, I was looking up at her as my eyes grew weary.
I have carried the memory of my grandmother with me always. I think of her often. She is my inspiration.
My paternal grandmother, Ourania, with my father ... She outlived a few of her sons. Every time I went to Razata in Kefalonia to visit her and my grandfather Nikola, I would find her on all fours (literally!) picking up olives from the fields in the back of the house.
And this gem! My father holding (or at least trying to hold) me!
Every time I see myself in this obligatory 'let's stand in front of the Christmas tree' picture ... I bust a gut! I even remember the camera and my Uncle Steve taking this shot.
The old camera had a cone where bulbs would be screwed in (the flash) - we would see stars in front of our eyes after every shot. As you can see, I'm still seeing stars in this picture.
I can't stop laughing!
My Uncle Steve and my mom in front of the Chinese Theater. I really miss my uncle ever since he moved out to California. On this particular day, we took the 'typical' bus tour of Hollywood.
I love this picture of my mom and sister. We stayed in Santa Monica during our visit.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
Pasadena ...
Can't wait to go back and see my Uncle Steve again. We laughed so hard with him our stomachs hurt. And to think his nephew Vaki who lives in Seattle doesn't call him. His loser sister Georgia doesn't call him from Greece. And I was shocked to find out that his niece Aleka doesn't call him from Greece - last I heard she was living on the island of Crete. My Uncle Steve helped his sister when she came to the US and her kids - he practically financed their education ... and these fucktarded users don't even keep in touch with him. (See prior post for more on fucktards and fucktardedness).
I must tone down my sarcasm a bit, I must tone down my sarcasm a bit, I must ... fuck 'em!
Happy New Year Stelio!
On September 23rd, as I was being prepped for surgery, I was looking up at her as my eyes grew weary.
I have carried the memory of my grandmother with me always. I think of her often. She is my inspiration.
She was always proud of all of her grandchildren. I am truly blessed to have been able to get to know her, my grandfather Gerasimo, and my paternal grandparents (Nikola and Ourania) up close. My dear father has no regrets about moving to Greece and coming back to the US. I have always been very grateful that we lived there during the time that we did. I have many fond memories of that time period that bring a smile to my face.
My paternal grandmother, Ourania, with my father ... She outlived a few of her sons. Every time I went to Razata in Kefalonia to visit her and my grandfather Nikola, I would find her on all fours (literally!) picking up olives from the fields in the back of the house.
And this gem! My father holding (or at least trying to hold) me!
I love my father big time. He is the steady hand in our family, the rock so-to-speak, when the shit hits the fan.
Every time I see myself in this obligatory 'let's stand in front of the Christmas tree' picture ... I bust a gut! I even remember the camera and my Uncle Steve taking this shot.
The old camera had a cone where bulbs would be screwed in (the flash) - we would see stars in front of our eyes after every shot. As you can see, I'm still seeing stars in this picture.
I can't stop laughing!
My Uncle Steve and my mom in front of the Chinese Theater. I really miss my uncle ever since he moved out to California. On this particular day, we took the 'typical' bus tour of Hollywood.
I love this picture of my mom and sister. We stayed in Santa Monica during our visit.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
Pasadena ...
Can't wait to go back and see my Uncle Steve again. We laughed so hard with him our stomachs hurt. And to think his nephew Vaki who lives in Seattle doesn't call him. His loser sister Georgia doesn't call him from Greece. And I was shocked to find out that his niece Aleka doesn't call him from Greece - last I heard she was living on the island of Crete. My Uncle Steve helped his sister when she came to the US and her kids - he practically financed their education ... and these fucktarded users don't even keep in touch with him. (See prior post for more on fucktards and fucktardedness).
I must tone down my sarcasm a bit, I must tone down my sarcasm a bit, I must ... fuck 'em!
Happy New Year Stelio!
All I Want ... happy new year!
Out with the old and in with the new!
I am so ready to ring in the new year. I would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. I have been watching TCM and saw this year's "TCM Remembers" tribute. Fans of the band Kodaline will appreciate this montage. Their song, All I Want, does justice to this year's tribute.
One of my all-time favorite actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, passed away ... and I cried. Oh, how I cried. My sister, my cousin Nicole and Maria (my cousin Nick's wife) saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway. You could hear a pin drop at the end when Willy Loman crashes his car to save his family. What a performance! And who directed the play? Mike Nichols who also passed away this year.
I struggled to hold back my tears when I saw Philip Seymour Hoffman crying in this clip.
One of my all-time favorite actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman, passed away ... and I cried. Oh, how I cried. My sister, my cousin Nicole and Maria (my cousin Nick's wife) saw Death of a Salesman on Broadway. You could hear a pin drop at the end when Willy Loman crashes his car to save his family. What a performance! And who directed the play? Mike Nichols who also passed away this year.
I struggled to hold back my tears when I saw Philip Seymour Hoffman crying in this clip.
Enjoy!
TCM Remembers 2014 - (TCM Original)
Turner Classic Movies' annual remembrance of film industry contributors who passed away in 2014, by producer Andrew Alonso, edited by Scott Lansing, and filmed at the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center.
Music by Kodaline - "All I Want"
Andrew Garfield and Finn Wittrock (who is brilliant in American Horror Story this year as a psycho killer) played the sons of Philip Seymour Hoffman and Linda Edmond ...
Robin Williams, Lauren Bacall, James Garner, Mickey Rooney, Eli Wallach, Maximilian Schell, Sir Donald Sinden, Donatas Banionis, Bob Hoskins, Joan Rivers, Jacques Bergerac, Ralph Waite, Gotfried John, Juanita Moore, Sid Ceasar, Ruby Dee, Shirley Temple ...
Shirley Temple sings "Auld Lang Syne"
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mine
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Space station flying by the moon
Watch the Space Station fly by the moon at over 17,000 mph (December 30, 2014 1:31 PM)
It’s not something you’d ever be able to spot with your naked eyes, but thanks to a new video, we’re now able to say we’ve seen the International Space Station (ISS) flying by the moon at high speed.
In the video, shot in Ganot, Israel by Gadi Eidelheit, we see the moon, quiet and majestic, on a pitch-black night. Suddenly, a silver-colored object streaks by. It was, of course, the ISS, transiting the moon at its normal speed of 17,100 miles an hour.
According to Universe Today, Eidelheit found the best spot to shoot the video using an application called Heavens-Above, which lets you visualize where the ISS will pass over various spots on Earth, and shot two clips, the first using a Canon 700D and the second with a Canon SX50HS.
It’s not something you’d ever be able to spot with your naked eyes, but thanks to a new video, we’re now able to say we’ve seen the International Space Station (ISS) flying by the moon at high speed.
In the video, shot in Ganot, Israel by Gadi Eidelheit, we see the moon, quiet and majestic, on a pitch-black night. Suddenly, a silver-colored object streaks by. It was, of course, the ISS, transiting the moon at its normal speed of 17,100 miles an hour.
According to Universe Today, Eidelheit found the best spot to shoot the video using an application called Heavens-Above, which lets you visualize where the ISS will pass over various spots on Earth, and shot two clips, the first using a Canon 700D and the second with a Canon SX50HS.
Topkapi
I watched Topkaki (1964) on TCM, an amusing film directed by Jules Dassin. Melina Mercouri, Maximilian Schell, Robert Morley, Peter Ustinov, and Robert Morley star in this 60s glamorous suspense caper. This group of jewel thieves get together to steal an emerald dagger from an Instanbul palace museum.
Topkapi is based on Eric Ambler’s novel, The Light of Day, and inspired countless imitations. Ustinov won an Oscar for his role.
My two favorite films of Melina Mercouri are Stella and Never on Sunday.
Melina Mercouri was born in Athens, Greece, in 1923. Her first film, Stella, was a hit at the Cannes Film Festival, and it was there that she met Jules Dassin. In 1960, she shared a Best Actress Award at Cannes for her role as the exuberant prostitute in Never On Sunday, a role for which she was also Oscar nominated. The film became an international hit, popularizing Greek bouzouki music, thanks to its popular theme song.
Mercouri became quite devoted to her character. 'I loved her independence, her sense of friendship, her intense need for people to be happy. I loved her Sundays at home. We had done some research in Notaras Street, the red light district of Piraeus. The girls received us graciously and in the most bourgeois manner. There was tea, little cakes and polite conversation. They liked me ... for portraying their profession (prostitution) with dignity.'
Mercouri became an ardent anti-fascist, and lost her Greek citizenship in 1967, after campaigning against the ruling junta in Greece. She spent most of her exile in Paris, returning to Greece after the fall of the government she had protested against. In 1977 she became a Parliament member, ironically from Piraeus, the city of her greatest cinematic triumph in Never on Sunday. She later became culture minister, although she was defeated in her bid to become the mayor of Athens. Dassin and Mercouri remained married until her death on March 6, 1994 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, from lung cancer. She received a state funeral with Prime Minister's honors at the First Cemetery of Athens four days later.
Elizabeth Lipp may very well be the first female criminal mastermind of the movies. The Light of Day was narrated by Arthur Simpson, but Topkapi is Elizabeth Lipp’s story. She speaks directly to the camera, and swoons over her passion, emeralds. They are 'dazzling, flawless and warm' which might be used to describe her, as well. She is always in charge of the operation, because she knows how to delegate, and she knows how to use her charms. And nobody questions her authority, as she seems the natural leader of this group of criminals, although amateur criminals, with the exception of her colleague, mentor and lover, Mr. Harper.
She calls herself a nymphomaniac and her powers of persuasion are used on every character actor, as well as the other half of the romantic couple, played by Maximillian Schell. He seems a little less interested in sex than the robbery, unless Miss Lipp really focuses on him. Mercouri, with her deep voice yields to no man. A passion for jewels is well within the acceptable female sphere of desire, although, these, threateningly, are embedded in a curved dagger, a symbol of both wealth and (male) power. She doesn’t want a man to give her jewels, she will take them for herself, with the aid of her crack team of thieves.
Ain't Got No (I Got Life)
Eleni, wishing you Vageli, Ari and Anna-Maria a happy and healthy new year. I'm setting up a karaoke night with some friends and will post some pics. I usually pick songs from the Carpenters and Let the Sun Shine In from the musical Hair.
I will never forget the all-nighter at the 'plateia' in 'Agia Paraskevi' ...
Hope Ari is getting better. Love ya lots!
When the shit hits the fan and I'm feeling down, nothing like a little Nina Simone to put it all back into perspective for me.
Ain't Got No (I Got Life)
I got life, I got my freedom, I got life!
I will never forget the all-nighter at the 'plateia' in 'Agia Paraskevi' ...
Hope Ari is getting better. Love ya lots!
When the shit hits the fan and I'm feeling down, nothing like a little Nina Simone to put it all back into perspective for me.
Ain't Got No (I Got Life)
I got life, I got my freedom, I got life!
Mutation rhymes
Mutation. Genetic mutation.
I'm trying to find words that rhyme with the word mutation.
Dislocation, caucasion, isolation, malaysian, revelation, temptation, occasion, titration, persuasion, abrasion, capsaicin, emblazon, equation, invasion, evasion, contagion ...
I'm trying to find words that rhyme with the word mutation.
Dislocation, caucasion, isolation, malaysian, revelation, temptation, occasion, titration, persuasion, abrasion, capsaicin, emblazon, equation, invasion, evasion, contagion ...
CancerNext
Yesterday, at 11:00, I saw my gynecologist, Dr. Hyett, for my annual visit. Had my PAP test. After my exam, we talked in his office for about 15 minutes.
Both my gynecologist and oncologist were in agreement that I have the Oragene-Dx DNA test done due to cancer on both sides of my family.
Dr. Hyett gave me the kit, filled out the necessary paperwork, and told me he would call me as soon as he receives the report from Ambry Genetics located in California.
This morning I spit into two vials until the amount reached the fill line, closed the lids (the liquid in the lids fell into the tubes and mixed with my saliva). I removed the funnels, put the caps on, shook both vials, packed the vials in the kit and then sealed same in the FedEx bag provided with the kit.
It's amazing how parched I felt this morning. I had the hardest time forming saliva in my mouth.
I drove to Wynnewood and dropped off my FedEx package.
Once my samples arrive at Ambry, 28 genes known to be involved with hereditary cancer will be analyzed. Everyone has these genes - they each have a specific role in our body. The genetic test looks for any changes ('mutations').
Dr. Hyett explained the possible results (positive, negative or inconclusive). Should any of the 28 genes test positive, there is an increased risk for cancer specific to the gene mutation. Cancer screening and prevention recommendations will be provided to my doctors based on the results.
Because my sister and I are identical twins, we share the same genes. Any 'positive' results on my test will also affect my sister and her kids. Basically, if there are any red flags, at least my sister, Denise and Manoli will be aware of same.
Dr. Hyett asked how my mom and sister are doing. With the exception of returning home to find my mom crying in the family room, I told him they are fine. We've been through a lot so it's to be expected.
Both my gynecologist and oncologist were in agreement that I have the Oragene-Dx DNA test done due to cancer on both sides of my family.
Dr. Hyett gave me the kit, filled out the necessary paperwork, and told me he would call me as soon as he receives the report from Ambry Genetics located in California.
This morning I spit into two vials until the amount reached the fill line, closed the lids (the liquid in the lids fell into the tubes and mixed with my saliva). I removed the funnels, put the caps on, shook both vials, packed the vials in the kit and then sealed same in the FedEx bag provided with the kit.
It's amazing how parched I felt this morning. I had the hardest time forming saliva in my mouth.
I drove to Wynnewood and dropped off my FedEx package.
Once my samples arrive at Ambry, 28 genes known to be involved with hereditary cancer will be analyzed. Everyone has these genes - they each have a specific role in our body. The genetic test looks for any changes ('mutations').
Dr. Hyett explained the possible results (positive, negative or inconclusive). Should any of the 28 genes test positive, there is an increased risk for cancer specific to the gene mutation. Cancer screening and prevention recommendations will be provided to my doctors based on the results.
Because my sister and I are identical twins, we share the same genes. Any 'positive' results on my test will also affect my sister and her kids. Basically, if there are any red flags, at least my sister, Denise and Manoli will be aware of same.
Dr. Hyett asked how my mom and sister are doing. With the exception of returning home to find my mom crying in the family room, I told him they are fine. We've been through a lot so it's to be expected.
Here comes Syriza ...
Alexis Tsipras, to paraphrase Lloyd Bentson during his vice presidential debate with Dan Quale (when Dan Quale compared himself to John F. Kennedy) ... Alexis, you are no Che Guevara!)
I am Greek and I can't stand to see Greece fall again into the hands of a political opportunist who uses Greeks' suffering for his own potical gain.
Psst, psst, another frappe please!
With polls pointing to a Syriza win, the fear of Greece leaving the Eurozone remains a possibility.
63% of Greeks are in favor of staying in the EU according to a recent poll. The Greeks who voted in the corrupt politicians (not just the present coalition government but past ones as well) were a corrupt and morally debased population. Corruption is a way of life ...
2008. Think back to Greece's version of 'Dubya' ... Only George Papandreou could confront the fundamental economic structure of the modern Greek state, since his father Andreas did more than anyone else to build it. Andreas' experiment with socialism failed. Greece joined the EEC in 1981, the same year that he became prime minister, and subsequently the Greek government created a state in which direct subsidies and transfers from the EEC were supplemented by easy loans from Western European banks. Money poured into Greece, and was used to fund a huge boom in public-sector jobs, most of them linked to political patronage. Various forms of corruption permeated the system, where cash gifts in 'little envelopes' (fakelakia) were a fact of life, and where the rich regarded paying taxes as an 'American' stupidity.
Greece was a country without a functioning version of the 'social' contract. To outside observers, all this was largely familiar, but the younger Papandreou, on becoming prime minister, was the first Greek politician to admit it and promise to challenge it.
George came out and told his electorate:
'Corruption, cronyism, clientelistic politics; a lot of money was wasted basically through these types of practices.'
Everyone, everyone in Greece knew this was true but refused to admit it.
What happened?
The EU lent Greece money with the understanding that Papandreou would institute 'cuts' in the hopes that Greece's deficit would narrow.
Because of rampant corruption & tax evasion the gap between what Greece was spending and what it was raising in taxes didn't work. Was anyone surprised?
I have always been against harsh austerity measures (key word: harsh). You can't cut your way to growth.
YOU CAN'T CUT SPENDING AND EXPECT THE ECONOMY TO GROW.
The Greek cuts led to a worsening of the economic crisis: the economy kept tanking, and unemployment hit a record high. At the same time, tax evasion continued ...
What was supposed to happen?
Greece borrows another €120 billion, the bondholders allow their debt to be rolled over, Papandreou’s government introduces more austerity measures and privatizations, Greeks start paying their taxes, the Greek economy recovers, and by the time the next debt repayments are due - mid-2012 - Greece can afford to pay back its lenders and the crisis is over.
(Key word above: 'supposed')
Did anyone with half a brain truly believe this would happen?
I lived in Greece and witnessed strikes. Protests are a part of Greek life. They have a 'can't pay - won't pay' attitude. One vote on one round of austerity measures took place in the middle of a 48-hour fucking general strike!
What the protesters fail to realize is that we're not talking about 'bailouts' ... Taxpayer-funded capital injections into otherwise bankrupt banks are bailouts. (Obama had to 'bailout' AIG, the American auto makers, and quite a few banks.) Greece's 'bailouts' are loans pure and simple. The money will have to be repaid regardless of who wins the election in January.
Greeks are unwilling to accept a decade or so of misery. They want the Greek government to default, and the banks to accept losses for loans they shouldn’t have made in the first place. Who owns the Greek debt? French and German banks.
If Greece leaves the Euro, every Greek in the country will run, walk or crawl to the nearest bank and withdraw all their Euros. Who wants to see their Euros turn into Drachmas which would be worth half as much. The mass withdrawal would make every bank in Greece go broke. The government will have to freeze all bank accounts, as the first step towards starting a new currency. The Greek government would have no choice but to declare all its debts void.
Greece had 800,000 public-sector employees when their economy tanked. Approximately 150,000 lost their jobs. Corruption and cronyism ruled. Unfortunately, corruption and cronyism still rules. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Tsipras believes he can renege on Greece's debt obligations? He believes, as do the majority of Greeks, this will bring an end to austerity? Who will pay for their spending beyond their means if they isolate all their creditors?
I don't have a problem with wanting 'to have your cake and eat it too' but you have to pay for the cake ... You would think at some point - the excessive amount of caffeine in their bloodstream - would trigger their fucking sense of smell. When will public sector Greeks wake up and smell the coffee?
It's a travesty they were ever let into the EU in the first place - they didn't meet the criteria but got in due to some old fashioned bankster book fudging.
Governments running a deficit during a recession is not new. It happens more often than not. But governments can't be permanent economic growth engines. Greece has to deregulate its economy, allowing free enterprise to thrive. Greek socialists want to do the exact opposite. I'm optimistic but Greece is basically right back where she started from ...
A radical-left socialist? Good luck Greece. Nothing like increasing political uncertainty again by destabilizing the government and strengthening the arguments of an untried Syriza. If and when Syriza takes over power, Greece's creditors will have a field day.
I feel sorry for the honest, hard-working Greeks caught in the middle of yet again another imminent economic crisis.
I can't wait to see how the lazy ass private sector reacts when they find out that all of Tsipras' promises turn out to be empty promises. After hundreds of strikes, protests, etc. they will have to earn money the old fashioned way: 'I owe, I owe, so off to work I go ...'
A little less 'psst, psst, another frappe please' and a little more 'can't - have too much work to get done' is how Greece will lift itself out of the 'laughingstock' of the west.
--------
(For my PASOK readers, please note, I respect and admire Venizelos. He has a brilliant mind and understands economics. To this day, when George Papandreou speaks, I have to turn the tv channel. I'm sorry but he reminds me of Dubya.
For my KKE readers, I can't wait to get a visa now that Obama lifted sanctions against Cuba - I always wanted a 1950 Chevy! Or maybe I can take a trip to Russia. I always wanted to see Moscow up close. They do have the finest caviar in the world.
For my Nea Dimokratia readers, don't fret should Syriza win. Be patient as I was for 8 years when Dubya ruled the US. Nothing is permanent. Shit, if anything, you can turn around and say I told you so to all those lazy asses when the shit hits the fan.)
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Arf! Arf!
Evelyn, a modified dog viewed the quivering fringe of a special doily,
draped across the piano with some surprise ...
In the darkened room, where the chairs were displayed, and the horrible curtains muffled the rain, she could hardly believe her eyes ...
A curious breeze, a garlic breath, which sounded like a snore, somewhere near the steinway, or even from within, had caused the doily fringe to waft and tremble in the gloom ...
Evelyn, a modified dog having undergone further modification, ponders the significance of short person behavior in pedal depressed panchromatic resonance, and other highly ambient domains,
arf, she said.
Arf, arf!
Facts about Depression
I found the following facts on depression interesting. Leta, I think you will too.
The main risk factors of depression include past abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), certain medications (drugs that treat high blood pressure), conflict with family members or friends, death or loss, chronic or major illness, and a family history of depression.
Even positive events such as graduating, getting married, a new job can lead to depression.
Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also suffer from depression.
More than 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression in a given year.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. Women may be at a higher risk for depression due in part to estrogen, which may alter the activity of neurotransmitters that contribute to depression.
At some point in their lives, about one in four Americans will experience depression.
Once men hit midlife, they may face an increased risk of depression due to the decrease of testosterone.
Men typically experience depression differently from women and use different means to cope. For example, while women may feel hopeless, men may feel irritable. Women may crave a listening ear, while men may became socially withdrawn or become violent or abusive.
Researchers have recently found that those who suffer from depression are at risk for low bone mineral density.
Abraham Lincoln first fell into a deep depression after Ann Rutledge, his first love, died. Lincoln reportedly suffered from chronic depression his entire life.
In established market economies such as the United States, depression is the leading form of mental illness.
As many as 15% of those who suffer from some form of depression take their lives each year.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), more than 6% of children suffer from depression and 4.9% of them have major depression.
Self-mutilation (cutting or burning) is one way in which individuals show they are depressed.
Because the brains of older people are more vulnerable to chemical abnormalities, they are more likely than young people to suffer depression.
Depressed people get colds more frequently than non-depressed people.
Sufferers of depression are more likely to have a heart attack than those who are not depressed. Additionally, people who have heart attacks or heart surgery are more at risk for depression.
During the Middle Ages, mentally ill people were seen to be under the influence of the devil or other evil spirits.
The first mental asylum in the U.S opened in 1773 in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Freud, who revolutionized the practice of psychiatry with his theories of the unconscious, postulated that depression comes from anger turned against oneself.
Children without adequate nurturing can suffer from severe depression
Approximately 80% sufferers of depression are not receiving treatment.
Recent research suggests that depression can shorten the lives of people with cancer by years.
A kind of depression called hospitalism (anaclitic depression) can be seen in institutions where children did not receive enough emotional care. These children become apathetic and withdrawn, even though they may be cared for physically.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, affects nearly 6 million American adults in a given year.
Researchers have found a direct relationship between depression and the thickening of the lining of the carotid artery in women, a major risk factor for stroke.
The high rate of home foreclosures have plunged many homeowners into depression. Researchers suggest that the foreclosure crisis is, consequently, a health crisis.
When children have both asthma and depression, their asthma typically is worse than that of asthmatic children who are not depressed.
The average video gamer is typically 35-year-old male who is most likely depressed, overweight, and introverted.
Depression may aggravate inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
An August 2009 report by the U.S. FDA suggests that the risk of suicide in people younger than 25 increased with antidepressant medicine, had no effect in those age 25-64, and decreased in those 65 and older.
Sufferers of depression may experience more cognitive impairment on less sunny days than on sunny days.
A depressed woman is more likely to give birth early, increasing health risks for both the woman and the baby. Between 14 and 23% of pregnant women experience some sort of depressive disorder.
Eating seafood rich in Omega-3 may help pregnant women with depression.
Overweight children feel more lonely and anxious than their normal-weight peers as early as kindergarten. Both boys and girls who felt depressed in kindergarten got worse over time.
A recent Dutch study suggests that depressed dads are twice as likely to have an infant who cries excessively than dads who are not depressed.
Postpartum depression affects about 10% of new mothers, according to the National Women’s Health Information.
Fifty-eight percent of caregivers for an elderly relative experience symptoms of depression.
Perimenopause (menopause transition) and the resulting reduced and fluctuating hormone levels can trigger depression.
Long-term use of marijuana leads to changes in dopamine production and has been implicated in the onset of depressive symptoms.
Mental Health America reports that over 5.5 million adults in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder, or manic depression, in a given year. This illness tends to run in families.
People with depression are five times more likely to have a breathing-related sleep disorder than non-depressed people.
William Styron wrote about his experiences with major depression in the book Darkness Visible. He described depression as 'a howling tempest in the brain,' 'dreadful, pouncing seizures of anxiety,' a 'kind of numbness, an enervation, an odd fragility - as if my body had actually become frail, hypersensitive, and somehow disjointed ...'
Author Sylvia Plath described her depression in terms of a bell jar, which is a glass dome placed over fragile items to protect them. Her metaphor catches the terrifying sense of feeling both disconnected and suffocated; she can’t join with others and others can’t reach her.
Patients with depression may develop agoraphobia, or a fear of going out in public.
The earliest medical description of depression dates back to Hippocrates, the Greek 'father of medicine,' who attributed depression, or melancholy, to an imbalance of the body’s four humors. The theory was that too much black bile created a melancholic temperament - literally melanin (black) and cholia (bile). To overcome depression, Hippocrates recommended rebalancing body systems using relaxation and healthy living strategies as well as blood-letting and leeches.
The World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the second highest medical cause of disability by the year 2030, second only to HIV/AIDS.
The lifetime risk of developing depression in those born in the decades after WWII is increasing. The age of depression onset is becoming increasingly younger.
Today the average age for the onset of depression varies between 24-35 years of age, with a mean age of 27.
Many creative individuals have experienced depression, including Robert Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven, Peter Tchaikovsky, John Lennon, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sylvia Plath.
On a worldwide basis, depression ranks fourth as a cause of disability and early death according to the Global Burden of Disease Study.
Depression often presents itself in four ways: mood changes, cognitive (memory and thought process) changes, physical changes, and behavioral changes.
Long-term use of some prescription medications may cause depressive symptoms, such as corticosteroids (Deltasone, Orasone), the anti-inflammatory Interferon (Avonex, Rebetron), bronchodilators (Slo-phyllin, Theo-Dur), stimulants (e.g., diet pills), sleeping and anti-anxiety pills (Valium, Librium), acne medications (Accutane), some blood pressure and heart medications, oral contraceptives, and anticancer drugs (tamoxifen).
Some diseases are interconnected with depression, such as thyroid problems, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic pain.
Researchers have found that the most troubling and disabling factor among Parkinson’s patients was depression rather than the physical limitations caused by the disease or the effects of the medicine.
Depression is common among those with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
The total cost of depression in the United States is estimated to be $44 billion: $12 billion in direct costs of treatment, $8 billion in premature death, and $24 billion in absenteeism and reduced productivity at work. These do not include out-of-pocket family expenses, costs of minor and untreated depression, excessive hospitalization, general medical services, and diagnostic tests.
Depressed individuals have two times greater overall mortality risk than the general population due to direct (e.g., suicide) and indirect (medical illness) causes.
Brain-imaging research suggests that the elderly who suffer brain tissue damage due to high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol are more likely to develop depression. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regulatory, and getting appropriate and timely medical care reduces the risk of developing depression in older age.
Types of depression include major depression, dysthymia, adjustment disorders, and bipolar disorders. Within each of these main categories are several subtypes.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is the term for depressive periods that are related to a change of season. SAD is four times more common in women than in men.
Depression may occur in as many as 1 in 33 children and 1 in 8 teenagers in the United States. Once a child or teenage has an episode of depression, he or she has a greater than 50% chance of experiencing another episode in the next five years.
The main risk factors of depression include past abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), certain medications (drugs that treat high blood pressure), conflict with family members or friends, death or loss, chronic or major illness, and a family history of depression.
Even positive events such as graduating, getting married, a new job can lead to depression.
Nearly 30% of people with substance abuse problems also suffer from depression.
More than 20 million people in the United States suffer from depression in a given year.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression than men. Women may be at a higher risk for depression due in part to estrogen, which may alter the activity of neurotransmitters that contribute to depression.
At some point in their lives, about one in four Americans will experience depression.
Once men hit midlife, they may face an increased risk of depression due to the decrease of testosterone.
Men typically experience depression differently from women and use different means to cope. For example, while women may feel hopeless, men may feel irritable. Women may crave a listening ear, while men may became socially withdrawn or become violent or abusive.
Researchers have recently found that those who suffer from depression are at risk for low bone mineral density.
Abraham Lincoln first fell into a deep depression after Ann Rutledge, his first love, died. Lincoln reportedly suffered from chronic depression his entire life.
In established market economies such as the United States, depression is the leading form of mental illness.
As many as 15% of those who suffer from some form of depression take their lives each year.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), more than 6% of children suffer from depression and 4.9% of them have major depression.
Self-mutilation (cutting or burning) is one way in which individuals show they are depressed.
Because the brains of older people are more vulnerable to chemical abnormalities, they are more likely than young people to suffer depression.
Depressed people get colds more frequently than non-depressed people.
Sufferers of depression are more likely to have a heart attack than those who are not depressed. Additionally, people who have heart attacks or heart surgery are more at risk for depression.
During the Middle Ages, mentally ill people were seen to be under the influence of the devil or other evil spirits.
The first mental asylum in the U.S opened in 1773 in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Freud, who revolutionized the practice of psychiatry with his theories of the unconscious, postulated that depression comes from anger turned against oneself.
Children without adequate nurturing can suffer from severe depression
Approximately 80% sufferers of depression are not receiving treatment.
Recent research suggests that depression can shorten the lives of people with cancer by years.
A kind of depression called hospitalism (anaclitic depression) can be seen in institutions where children did not receive enough emotional care. These children become apathetic and withdrawn, even though they may be cared for physically.
Bipolar disorder, or manic depression, affects nearly 6 million American adults in a given year.
Researchers have found a direct relationship between depression and the thickening of the lining of the carotid artery in women, a major risk factor for stroke.
The high rate of home foreclosures have plunged many homeowners into depression. Researchers suggest that the foreclosure crisis is, consequently, a health crisis.
When children have both asthma and depression, their asthma typically is worse than that of asthmatic children who are not depressed.
The average video gamer is typically 35-year-old male who is most likely depressed, overweight, and introverted.
Depression may aggravate inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
An August 2009 report by the U.S. FDA suggests that the risk of suicide in people younger than 25 increased with antidepressant medicine, had no effect in those age 25-64, and decreased in those 65 and older.
Sufferers of depression may experience more cognitive impairment on less sunny days than on sunny days.
A depressed woman is more likely to give birth early, increasing health risks for both the woman and the baby. Between 14 and 23% of pregnant women experience some sort of depressive disorder.
Eating seafood rich in Omega-3 may help pregnant women with depression.
Overweight children feel more lonely and anxious than their normal-weight peers as early as kindergarten. Both boys and girls who felt depressed in kindergarten got worse over time.
A recent Dutch study suggests that depressed dads are twice as likely to have an infant who cries excessively than dads who are not depressed.
Postpartum depression affects about 10% of new mothers, according to the National Women’s Health Information.
Fifty-eight percent of caregivers for an elderly relative experience symptoms of depression.
Perimenopause (menopause transition) and the resulting reduced and fluctuating hormone levels can trigger depression.
Long-term use of marijuana leads to changes in dopamine production and has been implicated in the onset of depressive symptoms.
Mental Health America reports that over 5.5 million adults in the United States suffer from bipolar disorder, or manic depression, in a given year. This illness tends to run in families.
People with depression are five times more likely to have a breathing-related sleep disorder than non-depressed people.
William Styron wrote about his experiences with major depression in the book Darkness Visible. He described depression as 'a howling tempest in the brain,' 'dreadful, pouncing seizures of anxiety,' a 'kind of numbness, an enervation, an odd fragility - as if my body had actually become frail, hypersensitive, and somehow disjointed ...'
Author Sylvia Plath described her depression in terms of a bell jar, which is a glass dome placed over fragile items to protect them. Her metaphor catches the terrifying sense of feeling both disconnected and suffocated; she can’t join with others and others can’t reach her.
Patients with depression may develop agoraphobia, or a fear of going out in public.
The earliest medical description of depression dates back to Hippocrates, the Greek 'father of medicine,' who attributed depression, or melancholy, to an imbalance of the body’s four humors. The theory was that too much black bile created a melancholic temperament - literally melanin (black) and cholia (bile). To overcome depression, Hippocrates recommended rebalancing body systems using relaxation and healthy living strategies as well as blood-letting and leeches.
The World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the second highest medical cause of disability by the year 2030, second only to HIV/AIDS.
The lifetime risk of developing depression in those born in the decades after WWII is increasing. The age of depression onset is becoming increasingly younger.
Today the average age for the onset of depression varies between 24-35 years of age, with a mean age of 27.
Many creative individuals have experienced depression, including Robert Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven, Peter Tchaikovsky, John Lennon, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Georgia O’Keefe, Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemmingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Sylvia Plath.
On a worldwide basis, depression ranks fourth as a cause of disability and early death according to the Global Burden of Disease Study.
Depression often presents itself in four ways: mood changes, cognitive (memory and thought process) changes, physical changes, and behavioral changes.
Long-term use of some prescription medications may cause depressive symptoms, such as corticosteroids (Deltasone, Orasone), the anti-inflammatory Interferon (Avonex, Rebetron), bronchodilators (Slo-phyllin, Theo-Dur), stimulants (e.g., diet pills), sleeping and anti-anxiety pills (Valium, Librium), acne medications (Accutane), some blood pressure and heart medications, oral contraceptives, and anticancer drugs (tamoxifen).
Some diseases are interconnected with depression, such as thyroid problems, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and chronic pain.
Researchers have found that the most troubling and disabling factor among Parkinson’s patients was depression rather than the physical limitations caused by the disease or the effects of the medicine.
Depression is common among those with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
The total cost of depression in the United States is estimated to be $44 billion: $12 billion in direct costs of treatment, $8 billion in premature death, and $24 billion in absenteeism and reduced productivity at work. These do not include out-of-pocket family expenses, costs of minor and untreated depression, excessive hospitalization, general medical services, and diagnostic tests.
Depressed individuals have two times greater overall mortality risk than the general population due to direct (e.g., suicide) and indirect (medical illness) causes.
Brain-imaging research suggests that the elderly who suffer brain tissue damage due to high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol are more likely to develop depression. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regulatory, and getting appropriate and timely medical care reduces the risk of developing depression in older age.
Types of depression include major depression, dysthymia, adjustment disorders, and bipolar disorders. Within each of these main categories are several subtypes.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is the term for depressive periods that are related to a change of season. SAD is four times more common in women than in men.
Depression may occur in as many as 1 in 33 children and 1 in 8 teenagers in the United States. Once a child or teenage has an episode of depression, he or she has a greater than 50% chance of experiencing another episode in the next five years.
AirAsia flight missing
An AirAsia flight from Indonesia to Singapore is missing, the airline said in a statement.
"AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 hrs this morning," the airline said in a statement.
There are 162 people aboard the Airbus A320-200, Hadi Mustofa, an official of the transportation ministry told Indonesia's MetroTV, according to The Associated Press.
The flight was scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m. local time, a spokesman with Singapore's Changi Airport said. AirAsia announced the flight's disappearance on its Facebook page about three hours after the plane was scheduled to arrive.
"At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available," the airline said.
"At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service," the statement said.
Changi Airport set up a relatives' holding area to provide assistance to family of passengers on the flight, the airport said.
The Airbus 320-200 can carry up to 246 passengers, according to the company's website.
The loss of contact with the AirAsia flight comes nine months after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard on March 8. It has never been found.
"AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 hrs this morning," the airline said in a statement.
There are 162 people aboard the Airbus A320-200, Hadi Mustofa, an official of the transportation ministry told Indonesia's MetroTV, according to The Associated Press.
The flight was scheduled to land at 8:30 a.m. local time, a spokesman with Singapore's Changi Airport said. AirAsia announced the flight's disappearance on its Facebook page about three hours after the plane was scheduled to arrive.
"At the present time we unfortunately have no further information regarding the status of the passengers and crew members on board, but we will keep all parties informed as more information becomes available," the airline said.
"At this time, search and rescue operations are in progress and AirAsia is cooperating fully and assisting the rescue service," the statement said.
Changi Airport set up a relatives' holding area to provide assistance to family of passengers on the flight, the airport said.
The Airbus 320-200 can carry up to 246 passengers, according to the company's website.
The loss of contact with the AirAsia flight comes nine months after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard on March 8. It has never been found.
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Exodus, Noah, and The Interview
'Exodus: Gods and Kings' has been banned in Egypt.
The Ministry of Culture banned the film 'Gods and Kings' for historical inaccuracies.
The movie, which stars Christian Bale as Moses, is a re-enactment of the biblical story of the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, during the time of the pharaohs. Australian actor Joel Hedgerton plays the Pharaoh Ramses in the 20th Century Fox production.
Wanna bust a gut?!
In 1956, the same biblical story was told in 'The Ten Commandments' starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses. That version was filmed on location in Egypt.
'Exodus' is the latest in Hollywood's string of religious-themed movies released this year.
In March, several Muslim countries banned the blockbuster 'Noah,' saying the depiction of Noah - whom Muslims revere as a prophet - is forbidden in Islam.
News of the ban comes on the heels of the limited release of 'The Interview,' the movie that provoked North Korea to vow 'merciless' action against the United States over its lampooning of leader Kim Jong Un. On Saturday, North Korea called U.S. President Barack Obama the 'chief culprit' who forced Sony to 'indiscriminately distribute' the picture.
No fucktard, our supreme leader (pun intended) President Obama had nothing to do with Sony's release of 'The Interview.'
We have freedom of speech in our country asshole! Now go back to gorging yourself Kim Jong Un while your citizens starve to death. What's that? Putin invited you to a visit in Moscow? Oh that's nice ... lots of caviar and vodka. But while you're there take a good look at the ruble - it has lost half its value.
Hollywood makes fun of our Presidents ('W', 'Wag the Dog', 'Being There', etc.) - why would we not make a satire about a bloated dictator who suffers from severe gout. The ancient Romans used to gorge themselves, throw up, and then continue eating.
Keep gorging yourself Kim while the rest of your country starves to death.
The Ministry of Culture banned the film 'Gods and Kings' for historical inaccuracies.
The movie, which stars Christian Bale as Moses, is a re-enactment of the biblical story of the Jews' escape from slavery in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago, during the time of the pharaohs. Australian actor Joel Hedgerton plays the Pharaoh Ramses in the 20th Century Fox production.
Wanna bust a gut?!
In 1956, the same biblical story was told in 'The Ten Commandments' starring Charlton Heston as Moses and Yul Brynner as Ramses. That version was filmed on location in Egypt.
'Exodus' is the latest in Hollywood's string of religious-themed movies released this year.
In March, several Muslim countries banned the blockbuster 'Noah,' saying the depiction of Noah - whom Muslims revere as a prophet - is forbidden in Islam.
News of the ban comes on the heels of the limited release of 'The Interview,' the movie that provoked North Korea to vow 'merciless' action against the United States over its lampooning of leader Kim Jong Un. On Saturday, North Korea called U.S. President Barack Obama the 'chief culprit' who forced Sony to 'indiscriminately distribute' the picture.
No fucktard, our supreme leader (pun intended) President Obama had nothing to do with Sony's release of 'The Interview.'
We have freedom of speech in our country asshole! Now go back to gorging yourself Kim Jong Un while your citizens starve to death. What's that? Putin invited you to a visit in Moscow? Oh that's nice ... lots of caviar and vodka. But while you're there take a good look at the ruble - it has lost half its value.
Hollywood makes fun of our Presidents ('W', 'Wag the Dog', 'Being There', etc.) - why would we not make a satire about a bloated dictator who suffers from severe gout. The ancient Romans used to gorge themselves, throw up, and then continue eating.
Keep gorging yourself Kim while the rest of your country starves to death.
Fuck 'em mom
I have a very difficult time dealing with shit. I have an even more difficult time when it comes to the shit my mom has to deal with ...
Some shit went down telepathically between my mom and her childhood friend (a friend of my mom's and my aunt Zoi - a 'mutual' friend.)
My mom called her friend up to wish her a happy holiday and she sounded uncomfortable on the phone. Dear readers my mom and sister do not talk to each other (a little background info). My mom asked her friend, 'you sound uncomfortable, is my sister also there playing cards with you and your guests?'
My mom's friend's response, 'no, if she were here I would have hung up.'
My response to my mom, fuck 'em ... with friends like that who needs enemies.
If I were on the phone with her, I would have said:
I love to hear you talk - the white noise is very relaxing.
What, is she afraid to talk to my mom if my Aunt Zoi is at her house? I don't get it.
The new year is approaching. My new year's resolution:
To be less sarcastic ...
Actually, my new year's resolution is the same every year: to not make a new year's resolution.
I have no regrets about reestablishing communication with my Aunt Zoi, Uncle John, and my cousins Maria and George. Occasionally, I'll get an email from my aunt asking how I am feeling since my mastectomy and I write back with updates. I am very grateful that my cousin Maria and I email each other often and when I go to Greece she will be one of the first people I will visit.
I sent my cousin George some pictures of Denise and Manoli from their trip to Denmark and Norway. We spoke on the phone for about 20 minutes on Christmas eve. I laughed so hard, as did George, when I reminded him how our Aunt Antigone would not eat or drink anything when she would visit our grandmother (her sister). I told George about an incident that happened when I was at my grandmother's house one summer. I was visiting my grandmother and her sister stopped by ... It was an incredibly hot day. The heat was stifling and I kept hopping in my grandmothers tub to wet myself with cold water. Everyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I don't tolerate heat well.
I walked into the kitchen to find my grandmother offering her sister a cold glass of water. My Aunt Antigone declined to drink the water despite the fact that she had sweat trickling down her neck and was obviously uncomfortable from the heat. My grandmother offered her a cup of coffee and again my aunt declined the offer. After my aunt left, I asked my grandmother why her sister never ate or drank anything during her visits. My grandmother proceeded to tell me the reason: 'my sister is afraid of catching my cancer.'
'But yiayia, she can't become infected with cancer by drinking out of your cups or glasses.'
I reminded George and we both literally busted a gut!
Christo came up, my Theia Bella's son-in-law, who is battling colon cancer.
My esteemed readers, were it not for my breast cancer, my family and I would have never found out about Christo's cancer. It was only after my mom told her cousin Bella about my breast cancer that she mentioned to my mom that her son-in-law had surgery for colon cancer. It's cool - some people have a hard time when it comes to discussing cancer. I'm fine with that ...
Every time my Aunt Bella would call my mom up she would ask, 'how is Ourania?' but would never mention Christo or her daughter Olympia. So the last time my aunt called and asked my mom, 'how is Ourania?' my mom answered her question with a question, 'how is Christo?'
Can you tell I get my sarcasm from my dear mom?!
My cousin Katerina called me to wish me a Merry Christmas. It was nice of her ... I'm closer to her than I am to her siblings. I never really hung around with Mano or Olympia. Katerina and I are closer in age. She sent a bunch of icons and religious literature with my sister. She's really religious - I'm not knocking religion - it works for her.
I'm back from brewing Starbuck's Christmas blend, which is the only blend that Starbucks makes that I really like. Why they don't offer this blend all year long is a mystery to me. I know people who stock up on their Christmas blend and enjoy it all year long. I'm not one to buy 30 bags of coffee and store it in my freezer.
So then my conversation with George took a turn to Mano. We both agreed he is a 'good' kid (kalo paidi). George mentioned he is a good doctor and helps a lot of needy (poor) patients. I was glad to hear that he helps the poor.
Getting back to my mom's conversations with my Aunt Bella, and my conversations with my Aunt Bella - I have talked to my aunt many times - I got the impression that she was in awe as to how quickly I was operated on. Dr. Frazier told me my tumor was cancerous on September 8th ... and 15 days later, on the 23rd, I had my mastectomy. My aunt was surprised. I told her things are different here - you don't wait around languishing, you don't have to 'butter' any doctor's hand to get decent care and treatment, bribery in the US is not tolerated.
The corruption and cronyism in Greece is pathetic. You know things are bad when the patient has to bring their own rubbing alcohol and bandages to the hospital. This, according to my Aunt Bella (from the horse's mouth so-to-speak) whose son is a doctor.
If a general election is called, my cousin Mano will be forced to help many more poor patients.
With its fierce anti-austerity rhetoric, Syriza has revived fears of Athens being forced to leave the Eurozone if it does assume office and will refuse to enforce tough austerity measures in return for aid.
Yeah, right?!
I can't wait to see how the MPs vote on Monday. Will Greece stay the course, albeit a slow and painful economic recovery ... or will Greece leave the EU, declare bankruptcy, and say 'fuck 'em' to all the creditors.
And my Aunt Bella is amazed at our efficiency here in the US! A typical doctor here in the US sees on average 21 patients a day. Does Mano see 21 patients every day? I don't think so.
Alexis Tsipras (Syriza) is my Aunt Evangelia's sister's daughter's husband. My Aunt Evangelia's son, my cousin Nick, works at a 'public' hospital in Athens.
I have another cousin Nick, my Uncle Antoni's son, who worked as a doctor in Greece. He left Greece and has been working in England the past two years. He was telling my uncle that he sees about 16 patients a day. In Greece, he saw about 3 to 4 a day.
It is the public sector that ruined Greece. Syriza is promising these lazy asses their cushiony jobs back with a lifetime guarantee of employment.
Syriza and Alexis Tsipras are pitting the citizens of one country against those of others, with the more financially prudent and honest expected to further support - under duress - the least financially prudent and honest.
In all fairness to Greece, it is the banksters who helped Greece 'fudge' their books in order to get Greece in the EU.
If you want to play with the big boys you can't have a half-hearted mentality. You're either in or you're out.
I remember walking to the bank near my aunt's house to exchange dollars into drachmas. After a long wait in line, I would be handed a piece of paper by one teller, and after another long wait in a second line (to get the piece of paper stamped), I would have to wait in a third line ... a bank! (The transactions that were handled by three tellers in this bank would have been handled by one teller here.)
While people huffed and puffed in line, and looked at their wrist watches, the bank employees enjoyed their coffee, cigarettes & small talk.
It is not those Greeks, or the lazy ass public sector employees I feel sorry for - it's the hard-working, private sector, honest Greeks I feel for. They are suffering as a result of years of corruption.
Greece has had many years to reform but it will take many more years to reform:
900 different jobs requiring a government permit (are you fucking kidding me!)
Non-existent tax compliance (on a SNL Weekend Update a couple years ago, Tina Fey, who is Greek, said she asked her mother in Greece what was the Greek word for 'taxes'. Her mother replied, 'We don't have one.' Priceless when you consider the old saying 'The Greeks have a word for everything.')
A bust pension system (shit, my cousin Katerina retired in her 50's!)
Corruption with impunity ...
Greece's loss of GDP is misleading. Greece's main exports were the suckers who were willing to buy it's bonds and thus allow the country to give the appearance of rising GDP which was in reality illusory.
If you’ve read one of those lurid exposés of Greek working life that have been churned out by western journalists over the last couple of years, I’m sure you’ll have a hard time keeping your lunch down. Or at least your laughter.
Almost every sector of the Greek labor market is breathtakingly bloated, crooked, or purposefully inefficient in some way, and it’s the country’s elevation of pointless pseudo-work to a form of high art that has now almost single-handedly poisoned the future of the EU.
Greek workers who work in some form of government employment enjoy paychecks that eclipse the private sector workers by nearly three-to-one. Almost all are unionized, and few - until emergency austerity laws kicked in - could ever be fired. Routine bonuses included perks for arduous tasks such as showing up on time, and in exchange, laborers perpetuate a byzantine web of regulation over all aspects of society and commerce that rarely benefit the life of the average Greek.
Can you imagine receiving a bonus for showing up on time?!
Vital services such as education, transportation, and health care are run largely from a mindset that favors generous compensation before literally everything else, resulting in monstrous paradoxes like the best-paid teachers generating the dumbest students, the best-paid engineers driving the most ramshackle trains, and the best-paid doctors having to be bribed by patients for service.
Even in the Greek private sector, rigged laws have made absurdly early retirements - sometimes as early as 45 - possible within even the most laid-back professions, and wide scale tax evasion and non-enforcement guarantees that subsidizing the perks of the bureaucratic class isn’t actually that painful. Unless you consider bankrupting rates of national debt painful ...
Greeks will argue they work longer hours than Germans or Swedes, etc., but stated hours of work don’t necessarily mean much in a corrupt culture; a large number of Greeks are self-employed or otherwise entrusted to document their own hours, and Greece’s comparatively low rate of labor force participation - itself another symptom of the country’s dysfunction - will naturally necessitate longer hours for those who have chosen to opt-in. It’s also clear that not all forms of government work are created equal; if one’s job is so cushy and brainless that it’s easy to surf the net, chat on the phone, or even work a second job while performing it, then why not put in some overtime?
There is one silver lining: the Greeks happily volunteered themselves when asked to name their continent’s 'most corrupt' nation. If the first step towards resolution is admitting you have a problem, then the country’s at least halfway there.
Fuck 'em!
Some shit went down telepathically between my mom and her childhood friend (a friend of my mom's and my aunt Zoi - a 'mutual' friend.)
My mom called her friend up to wish her a happy holiday and she sounded uncomfortable on the phone. Dear readers my mom and sister do not talk to each other (a little background info). My mom asked her friend, 'you sound uncomfortable, is my sister also there playing cards with you and your guests?'
My mom's friend's response, 'no, if she were here I would have hung up.'
My response to my mom, fuck 'em ... with friends like that who needs enemies.
If I were on the phone with her, I would have said:
I love to hear you talk - the white noise is very relaxing.
What, is she afraid to talk to my mom if my Aunt Zoi is at her house? I don't get it.
The new year is approaching. My new year's resolution:
To be less sarcastic ...
Actually, my new year's resolution is the same every year: to not make a new year's resolution.
I have no regrets about reestablishing communication with my Aunt Zoi, Uncle John, and my cousins Maria and George. Occasionally, I'll get an email from my aunt asking how I am feeling since my mastectomy and I write back with updates. I am very grateful that my cousin Maria and I email each other often and when I go to Greece she will be one of the first people I will visit.
I sent my cousin George some pictures of Denise and Manoli from their trip to Denmark and Norway. We spoke on the phone for about 20 minutes on Christmas eve. I laughed so hard, as did George, when I reminded him how our Aunt Antigone would not eat or drink anything when she would visit our grandmother (her sister). I told George about an incident that happened when I was at my grandmother's house one summer. I was visiting my grandmother and her sister stopped by ... It was an incredibly hot day. The heat was stifling and I kept hopping in my grandmothers tub to wet myself with cold water. Everyone who knows me is aware of the fact that I don't tolerate heat well.
I walked into the kitchen to find my grandmother offering her sister a cold glass of water. My Aunt Antigone declined to drink the water despite the fact that she had sweat trickling down her neck and was obviously uncomfortable from the heat. My grandmother offered her a cup of coffee and again my aunt declined the offer. After my aunt left, I asked my grandmother why her sister never ate or drank anything during her visits. My grandmother proceeded to tell me the reason: 'my sister is afraid of catching my cancer.'
'But yiayia, she can't become infected with cancer by drinking out of your cups or glasses.'
I reminded George and we both literally busted a gut!
Christo came up, my Theia Bella's son-in-law, who is battling colon cancer.
My esteemed readers, were it not for my breast cancer, my family and I would have never found out about Christo's cancer. It was only after my mom told her cousin Bella about my breast cancer that she mentioned to my mom that her son-in-law had surgery for colon cancer. It's cool - some people have a hard time when it comes to discussing cancer. I'm fine with that ...
Every time my Aunt Bella would call my mom up she would ask, 'how is Ourania?' but would never mention Christo or her daughter Olympia. So the last time my aunt called and asked my mom, 'how is Ourania?' my mom answered her question with a question, 'how is Christo?'
Can you tell I get my sarcasm from my dear mom?!
My cousin Katerina called me to wish me a Merry Christmas. It was nice of her ... I'm closer to her than I am to her siblings. I never really hung around with Mano or Olympia. Katerina and I are closer in age. She sent a bunch of icons and religious literature with my sister. She's really religious - I'm not knocking religion - it works for her.
I'm back from brewing Starbuck's Christmas blend, which is the only blend that Starbucks makes that I really like. Why they don't offer this blend all year long is a mystery to me. I know people who stock up on their Christmas blend and enjoy it all year long. I'm not one to buy 30 bags of coffee and store it in my freezer.
So then my conversation with George took a turn to Mano. We both agreed he is a 'good' kid (kalo paidi). George mentioned he is a good doctor and helps a lot of needy (poor) patients. I was glad to hear that he helps the poor.
Getting back to my mom's conversations with my Aunt Bella, and my conversations with my Aunt Bella - I have talked to my aunt many times - I got the impression that she was in awe as to how quickly I was operated on. Dr. Frazier told me my tumor was cancerous on September 8th ... and 15 days later, on the 23rd, I had my mastectomy. My aunt was surprised. I told her things are different here - you don't wait around languishing, you don't have to 'butter' any doctor's hand to get decent care and treatment, bribery in the US is not tolerated.
The corruption and cronyism in Greece is pathetic. You know things are bad when the patient has to bring their own rubbing alcohol and bandages to the hospital. This, according to my Aunt Bella (from the horse's mouth so-to-speak) whose son is a doctor.
If a general election is called, my cousin Mano will be forced to help many more poor patients.
With its fierce anti-austerity rhetoric, Syriza has revived fears of Athens being forced to leave the Eurozone if it does assume office and will refuse to enforce tough austerity measures in return for aid.
Yeah, right?!
I can't wait to see how the MPs vote on Monday. Will Greece stay the course, albeit a slow and painful economic recovery ... or will Greece leave the EU, declare bankruptcy, and say 'fuck 'em' to all the creditors.
And my Aunt Bella is amazed at our efficiency here in the US! A typical doctor here in the US sees on average 21 patients a day. Does Mano see 21 patients every day? I don't think so.
Alexis Tsipras (Syriza) is my Aunt Evangelia's sister's daughter's husband. My Aunt Evangelia's son, my cousin Nick, works at a 'public' hospital in Athens.
I have another cousin Nick, my Uncle Antoni's son, who worked as a doctor in Greece. He left Greece and has been working in England the past two years. He was telling my uncle that he sees about 16 patients a day. In Greece, he saw about 3 to 4 a day.
It is the public sector that ruined Greece. Syriza is promising these lazy asses their cushiony jobs back with a lifetime guarantee of employment.
Syriza and Alexis Tsipras are pitting the citizens of one country against those of others, with the more financially prudent and honest expected to further support - under duress - the least financially prudent and honest.
In all fairness to Greece, it is the banksters who helped Greece 'fudge' their books in order to get Greece in the EU.
If you want to play with the big boys you can't have a half-hearted mentality. You're either in or you're out.
I remember walking to the bank near my aunt's house to exchange dollars into drachmas. After a long wait in line, I would be handed a piece of paper by one teller, and after another long wait in a second line (to get the piece of paper stamped), I would have to wait in a third line ... a bank! (The transactions that were handled by three tellers in this bank would have been handled by one teller here.)
While people huffed and puffed in line, and looked at their wrist watches, the bank employees enjoyed their coffee, cigarettes & small talk.
It is not those Greeks, or the lazy ass public sector employees I feel sorry for - it's the hard-working, private sector, honest Greeks I feel for. They are suffering as a result of years of corruption.
Greece has had many years to reform but it will take many more years to reform:
900 different jobs requiring a government permit (are you fucking kidding me!)
Non-existent tax compliance (on a SNL Weekend Update a couple years ago, Tina Fey, who is Greek, said she asked her mother in Greece what was the Greek word for 'taxes'. Her mother replied, 'We don't have one.' Priceless when you consider the old saying 'The Greeks have a word for everything.')
A bust pension system (shit, my cousin Katerina retired in her 50's!)
Corruption with impunity ...
Greece's loss of GDP is misleading. Greece's main exports were the suckers who were willing to buy it's bonds and thus allow the country to give the appearance of rising GDP which was in reality illusory.
If you’ve read one of those lurid exposés of Greek working life that have been churned out by western journalists over the last couple of years, I’m sure you’ll have a hard time keeping your lunch down. Or at least your laughter.
Almost every sector of the Greek labor market is breathtakingly bloated, crooked, or purposefully inefficient in some way, and it’s the country’s elevation of pointless pseudo-work to a form of high art that has now almost single-handedly poisoned the future of the EU.
Greek workers who work in some form of government employment enjoy paychecks that eclipse the private sector workers by nearly three-to-one. Almost all are unionized, and few - until emergency austerity laws kicked in - could ever be fired. Routine bonuses included perks for arduous tasks such as showing up on time, and in exchange, laborers perpetuate a byzantine web of regulation over all aspects of society and commerce that rarely benefit the life of the average Greek.
Can you imagine receiving a bonus for showing up on time?!
Vital services such as education, transportation, and health care are run largely from a mindset that favors generous compensation before literally everything else, resulting in monstrous paradoxes like the best-paid teachers generating the dumbest students, the best-paid engineers driving the most ramshackle trains, and the best-paid doctors having to be bribed by patients for service.
Even in the Greek private sector, rigged laws have made absurdly early retirements - sometimes as early as 45 - possible within even the most laid-back professions, and wide scale tax evasion and non-enforcement guarantees that subsidizing the perks of the bureaucratic class isn’t actually that painful. Unless you consider bankrupting rates of national debt painful ...
Greeks will argue they work longer hours than Germans or Swedes, etc., but stated hours of work don’t necessarily mean much in a corrupt culture; a large number of Greeks are self-employed or otherwise entrusted to document their own hours, and Greece’s comparatively low rate of labor force participation - itself another symptom of the country’s dysfunction - will naturally necessitate longer hours for those who have chosen to opt-in. It’s also clear that not all forms of government work are created equal; if one’s job is so cushy and brainless that it’s easy to surf the net, chat on the phone, or even work a second job while performing it, then why not put in some overtime?
There is one silver lining: the Greeks happily volunteered themselves when asked to name their continent’s 'most corrupt' nation. If the first step towards resolution is admitting you have a problem, then the country’s at least halfway there.
Fuck 'em!
Erdogan - thieving owner ... busting a gut!
A 16 year old boy has been released from prison in Turkey for 'insulting' Erdogan. (I couldn't make this shit up if I tried!)
'Thieving owner'...
The boy was arrested at school on Wednesday and taken for questioning.
His speech, given to commemorate the killing of a Turkish soldier by Islamists in the 1920s, was recorded on video and broadcast by Dogan News Agency.
The PM has said the influential cleric Fethullah Gulen and his supporters are trying to oust him.
In it, he defended secularism and the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.
He reportedly called Mr Erdogan the 'thieving owner of the illegal palace', referring to a controversial 1,150-room palace inaugurated by the president in October.
Speaking to prosecutors, the boy said: 'I've made the statement in question. I have no intent to insult.'
He denied being linked to any political movement.
His release came after dozens of lawyers had signed a petition on his behalf. He was met by his parents at the courthouse.
The arrest sparked fierce criticism of Mr. Erdogan, with Attila Kart, a member of the opposition party CHP, saying the president was creating 'an environment of fear, oppression and threat.'
Mr. Erdogan, who was elected president in August after serving as prime minister for 11 years, has faced several corruption allegations in recent years.
He insists they are baseless and part of a 'dark plot' to oust him from power by influential cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the US.
Earlier this month, police arrested more than 20 journalists working for media outlets thought to be sympathetic to the Gulen movement.
And Turkey wants to join the EU!
'Thieving owner'...
The boy was arrested at school on Wednesday and taken for questioning.
His speech, given to commemorate the killing of a Turkish soldier by Islamists in the 1920s, was recorded on video and broadcast by Dogan News Agency.
The PM has said the influential cleric Fethullah Gulen and his supporters are trying to oust him.
In it, he defended secularism and the principles of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the modern Turkish republic.
He reportedly called Mr Erdogan the 'thieving owner of the illegal palace', referring to a controversial 1,150-room palace inaugurated by the president in October.
Speaking to prosecutors, the boy said: 'I've made the statement in question. I have no intent to insult.'
He denied being linked to any political movement.
His release came after dozens of lawyers had signed a petition on his behalf. He was met by his parents at the courthouse.
The arrest sparked fierce criticism of Mr. Erdogan, with Attila Kart, a member of the opposition party CHP, saying the president was creating 'an environment of fear, oppression and threat.'
Mr. Erdogan, who was elected president in August after serving as prime minister for 11 years, has faced several corruption allegations in recent years.
He insists they are baseless and part of a 'dark plot' to oust him from power by influential cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is in self-imposed exile in the US.
Earlier this month, police arrested more than 20 journalists working for media outlets thought to be sympathetic to the Gulen movement.
And Turkey wants to join the EU!
Vitamin D2 1.25 mg (50,000 unit)
I picked up my prescription for Vitamin D. I have to take one capsule (50,000 IU) once a week for 8 weeks. Added a reminder to my calendar for yet another pill.
My blood test showed my Vitamin D to be very low which is not surprising. It's very common when you are on Arimidex.
After 8 weeks, I will have another blood test. If my D has gone back to normal, I can take 2,000 IU's a day.
My Dexa Scan results revealed I have osteopenia which is not surprising. It's a combination of the Arimidex and age. I'm 50. After you hit 50 your bones start to weaken.
Could be why my ankle swelled up as much as it did after I sprained it. My right ankle. It's always my right side (forearm, wrist, shoulder, breast, etc.)
My blood test showed my Vitamin D to be very low which is not surprising. It's very common when you are on Arimidex.
After 8 weeks, I will have another blood test. If my D has gone back to normal, I can take 2,000 IU's a day.
My Dexa Scan results revealed I have osteopenia which is not surprising. It's a combination of the Arimidex and age. I'm 50. After you hit 50 your bones start to weaken.
Could be why my ankle swelled up as much as it did after I sprained it. My right ankle. It's always my right side (forearm, wrist, shoulder, breast, etc.)
Winter
Every winter, at least one septillion (that’s 1 followed by 24 zeros) snow crystals fall from the sky.
Winter cold kills more than twice as many Americans as summer heat does.
The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has less land and a more maritime climate.
While it seems counterintuitive, Earth is actually closest to the sun in December, even though winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.
According to the Guinness World Records, on January 28, 1887, a snowflake 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, making it the largest snowflake ever observed.
Chionophobia is the persistent fear of snow, especially becoming trapped by snow. The term is derived from the Greek words chion and phobos, meaning 'snow' and 'fear' respectively.
A New Zealand insect called the Weta freezes completely solid when temperatures drop during the winter. However, when temperatures warm back up, the insect unfreezes, thaws, and resumes its activities.
The onset of menopause is significantly higher in winter than in spring or autumn, with a smaller peak in summer.
Winter road maintenance accounts for approximately 20% of state DOT maintenance each year. Each year, state and local agencies spend over $2.3 billion on snow and ice-control operations.
The average snowflake falls at about 3 mph.
One inch of snow will produce just less than 1/10 of an inch of water when melted. Ten inches of snow will melt down to only 1 inch of water.
The largest recorded snowman ever built was in Bethel, Maine, in February 1999. The 113-foot, 7-inch snowman broke the previous record held by Yamagata, Japan, at 96 feet and 7 inches.
Bismarck, North Dakota, holds the record for the most snow angels at one time. On February 17, 2007, several schools joined forced to create 8,962 snow angels.
Even today, the Kwakiut Indians of British Columbia change their names and take on the names of their ancestors at the beginning of winter. They believe this will protect them from the spirits of the dead who return at this time of year.
While the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, seasonal lag means that the coldest period usually follows the solstice by a few weeks.
A single snowstorm can drop 39 million tons of snow.
Snow appears white because snow is a bunch of individual ice crystals arranged together. When light hits snow, it bounces all around the ice crystals and the 'color' of all the frequencies in the visible spectrum combined in equal measure is white. While white is the color we see in snow, individual ice crystals are actually translucent.
The most snow ever recorded in 24 hours in the United States was at Silver Lake, Colorado, in 1921 at 76 inches. Coming in second is Georgetown, Colorado, in December 4, 1913, at 63 inches.
Mt. Baker ski area in Washington state holds the world record for snowfall at 1,140 inches of snow during the 1998–1999 winter season.
From 2006–2010, about 2,000 U.S. residents died each year from weather-related causes. About 63% of these deaths were in the winter, while about 31% were in the summer. Only about 6% were attributed to floods, severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightening. These statistics do not include weather-related traffic accidents, which kill more than 7,000 Americans each year.
The worst death toll in the United States for a winter storm occurred in The Great Blizzard of 1888 in the Northeast. Over March 11–14, the blizzard dropped between 40–50 inches of snow in parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. It blocked roads and wiped out telephone, telegraph, and rail service for days. It was responsible for over 400 deaths (200 in New York alone) and sank 200 ships. New York and Boston created the first underground subway system partly in response to the massive 1888 storm and the gridlock it created.
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. No country in the Southern Hemisphere has hosted, or even been an applicant to host the Winter Olympics.
Millions of monarch butterflies fly to Mexico for the winter. They are the only insect that migrates to a warmer climate that is 2,500 miles away each year. Additionally, they like to hibernate in the same trees every year.
Known as 'The Storm of the Century' a blizzard and a cyclone swept destruction from Cuba to Canada on March 12, 1993, a week before spring. The storm was responsible for 310 deaths and $6.6 billion in damage, and it shut down the southern part of the U.S. for three days.
Around 12% of Earth’s land surface is covered in snow and ice.
The Children’s Blizzard ravaged the U.S. Great Plains states on January 12, 1888. The unexpected blizzard approached suddenly on an otherwise warm day, catching many people, including many school children, unaware. The death toll was 235 people, of which 213 were children.
The Armistice Day Blizzard exploded over the Midwest on November 11, 1940, when cold northern air collided with warm Gulf Coast moisture. The blizzard created 20-foot snowdrifts and was responsible for 145 deaths, including 25 duck hunters who were not prepared for the sudden cold.
President Barack Obama popularized the phrase 'Snowmagddon' when two blizzards in 2010 struck during the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting. The blizzards broke snowfall records in the mid-Atlantic region, and after the second snowstorm, 68.1% of the U.S. was blanketed by snow.
Winter in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is caused by Earth’s axis in that hemisphere being tilted away from the sun.
Meteorologists often define winter as the three calendar months with the lowest average temperatures. For the Northern Hemisphere, this is December, January, and February. For the Southern Hemisphere, it is June, July, and August.
The coldest temperature ever recorded was -123° C at Vostok Station in Antarctica in 1983.
Many insects prepare for winter by creating their own antifreeze. During the fall, insects produce more glycerol, which gives their body a 'super-cooling ability' by allowing bodily fluids to drop below freezing without causing ice damage. Glycerol also lowers the freezing point, which makes insects more cold tolerant and protects their tissue and cells from ice damage. Their glycerol levels drop again during the spring.
The definition of a blizzard is when visibility is reduced to ¼ of a mile and the winds are 35 mph or more. The storm also must last at least 3 hours. If any of these specific conditions is not met, then it is a snowstorm instead.
There is an average of 105 snow-producing storms in the United States in a typical year. An average storm will last 2–5 days and carry snow to several states.
All snowflakes have 6 sides.
The coldest winter on Earth occurs at the Polar Plateau in Antarctica. The average mean annual temperature is -72.9° Fahrenheit.
Winters in Russia are so harsh that they are a natural defense during war. For example, rather than entering into peace negotiations with Napoleon Bonaparte, Tsar Alexander I decided to let Russia’s cold winter deal with the French invaders.
In 1974, Russia hit -96° Fahrenheit in Siberia during winter, making Russia the coldest country in the world. Canada, Mongolia, Finland, and Iceland round out the top five.
Most weather-related crashes in the U.S. happen on wet pavement and during rainfall. Specifically, 74% occur on wet pavement and 46% during rainfall. About 17% occur during snow or sleet, 12% on icy pavement, and 14% take place on snowy or slushy pavement. Only 3% happen in the presence of fog.
To survive winters, many animals have developed various survival techniques, such as migrating, hibernating, storing food, changing colors, or growing thicker fur.
Winter cold increases a person’s appetite - which can, in turn, lower libido. Unfortunately, weight gain decreases libido and makes both men and women less sexually adventurous.
Couples are more than twice as likely to think about splitting up between the year-end holidays and Valentine’s Day. The two major reasons are that 1) the holidays are stressful and 2) energy levels are lower during cold weather and people tend to be moodier.
The most common birthday in the United States is September 16th, which means that most babies are conceived during the early winter holiday season. August has the lowest amount of conceptions - not necessarily because people aren’t having sex, but because summer heat might hurt sperm. Additionally, the length of the day may have an impact on ovary function.
More than twice as many condoms are sold in the week before Christmas than the week after. The period between Christmas and New Year is associated with increased opportunities for socializing and more hedonist approach to life.
Researchers note a seasonal trend to females’ onset of menstruation, which peaks both in the summer and winter. They cite factors such as day length, ambient temperatures, reduced stress, and increased relaxation during school vacation as possible explanations.
Some animals possess the amazing ability to turn white during the winter: the arctic fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan, barren-ground caribou, and ermine all change colors.
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period. That lasted from about 1350–1850. Scientists suggest this was due to several reasons, including cyclical lows in solar radiation, increased volcanic activity, changes in ocean circulation, variability in global climate, and a decrease in human population.
Chicago experienced its coldest winter in 2013–2014 since records began in 1872. Although it was the coldest winter overall, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago was on January 25, 1985.
Industry experts note that a colder-than-usual winter probably would not reduce the number of insects for the following spring and summer. What would have more of an impact on their numbers would be an out-of-season cold snap because insects have not yet adapted to environmental change.
Many mosquito species live through the winter as adults. In the fall, mosquitos mate, but only the male dies. The females spend the cold months hidden in a protected place, such as an animal borrow or hollow log.
Some plants, both annual and perennials, require 'vernalization' (from Latin vernus, meaning 'of the spring') to flower. This means that a plant needs to experience a period of low winter temperature to initiate or increase the flowering process. Researchers believe this ensures that seed production begins in spring and summer rather than in autumn and winter.
The Chinese plum is one of the very few plants that bloom in the winter. It is one of the most beloved blossoms in Chinese art and poetry. Because its fragrance can be noticed even in the winter, it came to symbolize hope, perseverance, beauty, and purity as well as the transitoriness of life.
Winter is a major character in several movies, including The Thing (1982, 2011), Whiteout (2009), The Day after Tomorrow (2004), The Colony (2013), Alive (1993), Wind Chill (2007), Frozen (2010, 2013), and The Grey (2011).
The Disney movie Frozen (2013) is the highest-grossing animated musical film of all time and the 9th highest-grossing film of all time with a worldwide box office gross of $1.097 billion.
In the winter-based movie Frozen (2013), there is a scene where two townsmen debate whether to stack firewood bark up or bark down. This refers to an actual debate in Finland that was sparked in 2013 after a 12-hour TV program aired.
Winter cold kills more than twice as many Americans as summer heat does.
The Southern Hemisphere typically has milder winters than the Northern Hemisphere. This is because the Southern Hemisphere has less land and a more maritime climate.
While it seems counterintuitive, Earth is actually closest to the sun in December, even though winter solstice is the shortest day of the year.
According to the Guinness World Records, on January 28, 1887, a snowflake 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick fell in Fort Keogh, Montana, making it the largest snowflake ever observed.
Chionophobia is the persistent fear of snow, especially becoming trapped by snow. The term is derived from the Greek words chion and phobos, meaning 'snow' and 'fear' respectively.
A New Zealand insect called the Weta freezes completely solid when temperatures drop during the winter. However, when temperatures warm back up, the insect unfreezes, thaws, and resumes its activities.
The onset of menopause is significantly higher in winter than in spring or autumn, with a smaller peak in summer.
Winter road maintenance accounts for approximately 20% of state DOT maintenance each year. Each year, state and local agencies spend over $2.3 billion on snow and ice-control operations.
The average snowflake falls at about 3 mph.
One inch of snow will produce just less than 1/10 of an inch of water when melted. Ten inches of snow will melt down to only 1 inch of water.
The largest recorded snowman ever built was in Bethel, Maine, in February 1999. The 113-foot, 7-inch snowman broke the previous record held by Yamagata, Japan, at 96 feet and 7 inches.
Bismarck, North Dakota, holds the record for the most snow angels at one time. On February 17, 2007, several schools joined forced to create 8,962 snow angels.
Even today, the Kwakiut Indians of British Columbia change their names and take on the names of their ancestors at the beginning of winter. They believe this will protect them from the spirits of the dead who return at this time of year.
While the winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, seasonal lag means that the coldest period usually follows the solstice by a few weeks.
A single snowstorm can drop 39 million tons of snow.
Snow appears white because snow is a bunch of individual ice crystals arranged together. When light hits snow, it bounces all around the ice crystals and the 'color' of all the frequencies in the visible spectrum combined in equal measure is white. While white is the color we see in snow, individual ice crystals are actually translucent.
The most snow ever recorded in 24 hours in the United States was at Silver Lake, Colorado, in 1921 at 76 inches. Coming in second is Georgetown, Colorado, in December 4, 1913, at 63 inches.
Mt. Baker ski area in Washington state holds the world record for snowfall at 1,140 inches of snow during the 1998–1999 winter season.
From 2006–2010, about 2,000 U.S. residents died each year from weather-related causes. About 63% of these deaths were in the winter, while about 31% were in the summer. Only about 6% were attributed to floods, severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, or lightening. These statistics do not include weather-related traffic accidents, which kill more than 7,000 Americans each year.
The worst death toll in the United States for a winter storm occurred in The Great Blizzard of 1888 in the Northeast. Over March 11–14, the blizzard dropped between 40–50 inches of snow in parts of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. It blocked roads and wiped out telephone, telegraph, and rail service for days. It was responsible for over 400 deaths (200 in New York alone) and sank 200 ships. New York and Boston created the first underground subway system partly in response to the massive 1888 storm and the gridlock it created.
The first Winter Olympics were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. No country in the Southern Hemisphere has hosted, or even been an applicant to host the Winter Olympics.
Millions of monarch butterflies fly to Mexico for the winter. They are the only insect that migrates to a warmer climate that is 2,500 miles away each year. Additionally, they like to hibernate in the same trees every year.
Known as 'The Storm of the Century' a blizzard and a cyclone swept destruction from Cuba to Canada on March 12, 1993, a week before spring. The storm was responsible for 310 deaths and $6.6 billion in damage, and it shut down the southern part of the U.S. for three days.
Around 12% of Earth’s land surface is covered in snow and ice.
The Children’s Blizzard ravaged the U.S. Great Plains states on January 12, 1888. The unexpected blizzard approached suddenly on an otherwise warm day, catching many people, including many school children, unaware. The death toll was 235 people, of which 213 were children.
The Armistice Day Blizzard exploded over the Midwest on November 11, 1940, when cold northern air collided with warm Gulf Coast moisture. The blizzard created 20-foot snowdrifts and was responsible for 145 deaths, including 25 duck hunters who were not prepared for the sudden cold.
President Barack Obama popularized the phrase 'Snowmagddon' when two blizzards in 2010 struck during the Democratic National Committee’s winter meeting. The blizzards broke snowfall records in the mid-Atlantic region, and after the second snowstorm, 68.1% of the U.S. was blanketed by snow.
Winter in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres is caused by Earth’s axis in that hemisphere being tilted away from the sun.
Meteorologists often define winter as the three calendar months with the lowest average temperatures. For the Northern Hemisphere, this is December, January, and February. For the Southern Hemisphere, it is June, July, and August.
The coldest temperature ever recorded was -123° C at Vostok Station in Antarctica in 1983.
Many insects prepare for winter by creating their own antifreeze. During the fall, insects produce more glycerol, which gives their body a 'super-cooling ability' by allowing bodily fluids to drop below freezing without causing ice damage. Glycerol also lowers the freezing point, which makes insects more cold tolerant and protects their tissue and cells from ice damage. Their glycerol levels drop again during the spring.
The definition of a blizzard is when visibility is reduced to ¼ of a mile and the winds are 35 mph or more. The storm also must last at least 3 hours. If any of these specific conditions is not met, then it is a snowstorm instead.
There is an average of 105 snow-producing storms in the United States in a typical year. An average storm will last 2–5 days and carry snow to several states.
All snowflakes have 6 sides.
The coldest winter on Earth occurs at the Polar Plateau in Antarctica. The average mean annual temperature is -72.9° Fahrenheit.
Winters in Russia are so harsh that they are a natural defense during war. For example, rather than entering into peace negotiations with Napoleon Bonaparte, Tsar Alexander I decided to let Russia’s cold winter deal with the French invaders.
In 1974, Russia hit -96° Fahrenheit in Siberia during winter, making Russia the coldest country in the world. Canada, Mongolia, Finland, and Iceland round out the top five.
Most weather-related crashes in the U.S. happen on wet pavement and during rainfall. Specifically, 74% occur on wet pavement and 46% during rainfall. About 17% occur during snow or sleet, 12% on icy pavement, and 14% take place on snowy or slushy pavement. Only 3% happen in the presence of fog.
To survive winters, many animals have developed various survival techniques, such as migrating, hibernating, storing food, changing colors, or growing thicker fur.
Winter cold increases a person’s appetite - which can, in turn, lower libido. Unfortunately, weight gain decreases libido and makes both men and women less sexually adventurous.
Couples are more than twice as likely to think about splitting up between the year-end holidays and Valentine’s Day. The two major reasons are that 1) the holidays are stressful and 2) energy levels are lower during cold weather and people tend to be moodier.
The most common birthday in the United States is September 16th, which means that most babies are conceived during the early winter holiday season. August has the lowest amount of conceptions - not necessarily because people aren’t having sex, but because summer heat might hurt sperm. Additionally, the length of the day may have an impact on ovary function.
More than twice as many condoms are sold in the week before Christmas than the week after. The period between Christmas and New Year is associated with increased opportunities for socializing and more hedonist approach to life.
Researchers note a seasonal trend to females’ onset of menstruation, which peaks both in the summer and winter. They cite factors such as day length, ambient temperatures, reduced stress, and increased relaxation during school vacation as possible explanations.
Some animals possess the amazing ability to turn white during the winter: the arctic fox, arctic hare, ptarmigan, barren-ground caribou, and ermine all change colors.
The Little Ice Age was a period of cooling that occurred after the Medieval Warm Period. That lasted from about 1350–1850. Scientists suggest this was due to several reasons, including cyclical lows in solar radiation, increased volcanic activity, changes in ocean circulation, variability in global climate, and a decrease in human population.
Chicago experienced its coldest winter in 2013–2014 since records began in 1872. Although it was the coldest winter overall, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago was on January 25, 1985.
Industry experts note that a colder-than-usual winter probably would not reduce the number of insects for the following spring and summer. What would have more of an impact on their numbers would be an out-of-season cold snap because insects have not yet adapted to environmental change.
Many mosquito species live through the winter as adults. In the fall, mosquitos mate, but only the male dies. The females spend the cold months hidden in a protected place, such as an animal borrow or hollow log.
Some plants, both annual and perennials, require 'vernalization' (from Latin vernus, meaning 'of the spring') to flower. This means that a plant needs to experience a period of low winter temperature to initiate or increase the flowering process. Researchers believe this ensures that seed production begins in spring and summer rather than in autumn and winter.
The Chinese plum is one of the very few plants that bloom in the winter. It is one of the most beloved blossoms in Chinese art and poetry. Because its fragrance can be noticed even in the winter, it came to symbolize hope, perseverance, beauty, and purity as well as the transitoriness of life.
Winter is a major character in several movies, including The Thing (1982, 2011), Whiteout (2009), The Day after Tomorrow (2004), The Colony (2013), Alive (1993), Wind Chill (2007), Frozen (2010, 2013), and The Grey (2011).
The Disney movie Frozen (2013) is the highest-grossing animated musical film of all time and the 9th highest-grossing film of all time with a worldwide box office gross of $1.097 billion.
In the winter-based movie Frozen (2013), there is a scene where two townsmen debate whether to stack firewood bark up or bark down. This refers to an actual debate in Finland that was sparked in 2013 after a 12-hour TV program aired.
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Thanks Greg Delimitros & Mike McCord!
Greg Delimitros, the Eagles Equipment Manager, gave Denise a bag of Cowboys hats, shirts, shorts, etc. he got from the Cowboys Equipment Manager, Mike McCord.
Needless to say I started jumping up and down!
I had to change into my team's clothes.
Thanks to Greg for asking Mike for some Dallas goodies, and a big thanks to Greg for getting me 4 great tickets to the Cowboys / Eagles game here in Philly. I had a great time.
Thanks to Mike for the shirts, hats, shorts, etc.
I have waited 5 years for my boys to win the Division. Here's hoping Dallas does well in the playoffs.
Go Big D!!!
CA 27.29 tumor marker / blood test
I saw Dr. Gupta Monday morning. I'm doing good with my range of motion and my scar has healed well. I mentioned the aches in my joints.
I had a Dexa Scan on the same day at 11:00. While I waited to have my scan, Dr. Gupta gave me a script for a CBC / blood test to include a tumor marker screening - CA 27.29. I went to the Rheumo Dept. and had that blood test done.
A tumor marker is a substance that is produced by the body in response to cancer, or is produced by the cancer itself. Some of these markers are specific to one cancer, while others are seen in several types of cancer. These markers are generally used to evaluate the patient's response to treatment or to monitor for recurrence (return of the cancer after treatment). There are non-cancerous conditions that can cause markers to be elevated, so these must also be considered when interpreting the test results. Tumor markers can be used in conjunction with other tests (scans, biopsies, etc.) to help diagnose a patient who has symptoms suspicious for cancer. Some markers can help physicians to determine prognosis and treatment.
The CA 27.29 is a tumor marker that is most often used in people with breast cancer. In general, the number is not elevated in people with early stage cancers. If someone had an isolated recurrence that resulted in an elevated level and the tumor was surgically removed, the CA 27.29 could go to zero, or within normal range, after surgery.
Elevated CA 27.29 levels can also result from benign breast problems. It can take 1-3 months after starting a new treatment for results to begin to decrease, so typically the wait is 2-3 months to recheck CA 27.29.
Dr. Gupta will monitor me closely three ways:
1) Physical examination every 4 months
2) Blood tests to check on my CA 27.29 number
3) Mammograms and MRIs
His nurse practitioner, Lori, will have Stacy contact me. Stacy holds a support group once a month at the Cancer Center in Newtown Square. Both Dr. Gupta and Lori feel that my attending a support group will help me with regard to my anxiety. It's perfectly normal to feel anxious after a cancer diagnosis, surgery, etc.
I had a Dexa Scan on the same day at 11:00. While I waited to have my scan, Dr. Gupta gave me a script for a CBC / blood test to include a tumor marker screening - CA 27.29. I went to the Rheumo Dept. and had that blood test done.
A tumor marker is a substance that is produced by the body in response to cancer, or is produced by the cancer itself. Some of these markers are specific to one cancer, while others are seen in several types of cancer. These markers are generally used to evaluate the patient's response to treatment or to monitor for recurrence (return of the cancer after treatment). There are non-cancerous conditions that can cause markers to be elevated, so these must also be considered when interpreting the test results. Tumor markers can be used in conjunction with other tests (scans, biopsies, etc.) to help diagnose a patient who has symptoms suspicious for cancer. Some markers can help physicians to determine prognosis and treatment.
The CA 27.29 is a tumor marker that is most often used in people with breast cancer. In general, the number is not elevated in people with early stage cancers. If someone had an isolated recurrence that resulted in an elevated level and the tumor was surgically removed, the CA 27.29 could go to zero, or within normal range, after surgery.
Elevated CA 27.29 levels can also result from benign breast problems. It can take 1-3 months after starting a new treatment for results to begin to decrease, so typically the wait is 2-3 months to recheck CA 27.29.
Dr. Gupta will monitor me closely three ways:
1) Physical examination every 4 months
2) Blood tests to check on my CA 27.29 number
3) Mammograms and MRIs
His nurse practitioner, Lori, will have Stacy contact me. Stacy holds a support group once a month at the Cancer Center in Newtown Square. Both Dr. Gupta and Lori feel that my attending a support group will help me with regard to my anxiety. It's perfectly normal to feel anxious after a cancer diagnosis, surgery, etc.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Survivorship
When you experience the physical pain of surgery, clicking the morphine button brings fast relief. But how do you escape pain in your heart, soul, and mind? Laughter. Friendship. Meditation. The steady march of time – which does, in the end, heal. The farther you get from your last day of active treatment following a mastectomy, the less intrusive the pain. Until, finally, pain – all types of cancer pain – is just a memory, fading away like summer’s flowers after autumn’s first frost. Pain. Trust me, unless you’re facing a stage IV diagnosis, it does go away. And it’s replaced by a new appreciation for so many things you used to take for granted: a full night’s sleep, a normal day at work, driving to work and actually remembering how you got there. The silver lining? You’ll find it. It’s there – right beyond the pain.
But survivorship comes at a psychological price. It's the Damocles Syndrome ...
According to Greek legend, once Damocles realized that a sword was dangling precariously over his head, he could no longer enjoy the banquet spread in front of him.
In the same way, the specter of cancer hangs over some cancer survivors. They can become emotionally paralyzed and have a hard time adjusting with the fear of a recurrence.
Given cancer’s potential to lay dormant for a while and then spread (metastasize), cancer survivors often experience ongoing fear of recurrence. Follow-up medical visits, unexplained pain, or even sights and sounds they associate with treatment can trigger bouts of anxiety and fear that are as debilitating as those that occurred during cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Survivor guilt. Although happy to be alive, cancer survivors may feel guilty that they survived while fellow patients they became friendly with during treatment or as part of a support group did not. (Early after a diagnosis of cancer, people first ask, 'Why me?' When survivors think about those who have died, they tend to ask, 'Why not me?')
Given that one in three Americans will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives, living with cancer is a topic that touches all of us. If you are a survivor, you can probably relate to the anxiety cancer has introduced to your life.
There’s a sense of relief that comes with a mastectomy. The tumor is removed and it’s the first day of survivorship.
Gone are the endless doctor’s appointments. At least they won’t be as frequent now.
Life after cancer treatment is supposed to be the time of your life right? If so, then why do some cancer survivors feel so anxious about the future?
In reality, you may feel self-conscious about how treatment changed your body, nervous about follow up appointments and unsure how to restart your life since it’s been on hold. Most importantly, you may live with constant anxiety about whether the cancer will come back.
As a cancer survivor, you need encouragement while you transition back into your old life.
You are now a cancer survivor and you should be proud about that. You faced a horrific illness and while you had some difficult days, you are now able to get back to life.
After cancer, you may have a new sense of self, new ideas that you want to pursue and a better idea as to what types of things you want for your life. Maybe you took life and those around you for granted, but now you know better.
When embarking on new goals following cancer treatment, start off small and then expand on your goals. This allows you to pace yourself and set priorities easily.
Mistakes and setbacks will come whenever you’re pursuing a goal. Except them and learn from them.
Have a positive attitude and share your aspirations with supportive friends and family. Again, only the supportive ones. Not those who will discourage you.
Reward yourself as you become more and more successful. Always remember to enjoy the process.
I have learned so much as a result of my cancer diagnosis and treatment. Life is about learning. With every experience, you learn something new about yourself that you’ll use in the future.
I definitely learned some medical jargon and how to navigate the hospital. I have also learned how to navigate symptoms.
I've learned that walking helps me with my anxiety.
I've learned that talking about my experience helps others who are battling breast cancer.
I've learned so much about life in a shorter time than I did in the years before having cancer.
No longer do I fall apart at small, unimportant issues.
I may have a horrendous scar to show for it, but in the end I'm stronger.
Most importantly, I've learned just because I am a survivor doesn’t mean I don’t still need support. This can help on days when I'm feeling anxious.
To my family and friends - thank you for your support and encouragement. It means the world to me.
But survivorship comes at a psychological price. It's the Damocles Syndrome ...
According to Greek legend, once Damocles realized that a sword was dangling precariously over his head, he could no longer enjoy the banquet spread in front of him.
In the same way, the specter of cancer hangs over some cancer survivors. They can become emotionally paralyzed and have a hard time adjusting with the fear of a recurrence.
Given cancer’s potential to lay dormant for a while and then spread (metastasize), cancer survivors often experience ongoing fear of recurrence. Follow-up medical visits, unexplained pain, or even sights and sounds they associate with treatment can trigger bouts of anxiety and fear that are as debilitating as those that occurred during cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Survivor guilt. Although happy to be alive, cancer survivors may feel guilty that they survived while fellow patients they became friendly with during treatment or as part of a support group did not. (Early after a diagnosis of cancer, people first ask, 'Why me?' When survivors think about those who have died, they tend to ask, 'Why not me?')
Given that one in three Americans will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lives, living with cancer is a topic that touches all of us. If you are a survivor, you can probably relate to the anxiety cancer has introduced to your life.
There’s a sense of relief that comes with a mastectomy. The tumor is removed and it’s the first day of survivorship.
Gone are the endless doctor’s appointments. At least they won’t be as frequent now.
Life after cancer treatment is supposed to be the time of your life right? If so, then why do some cancer survivors feel so anxious about the future?
In reality, you may feel self-conscious about how treatment changed your body, nervous about follow up appointments and unsure how to restart your life since it’s been on hold. Most importantly, you may live with constant anxiety about whether the cancer will come back.
As a cancer survivor, you need encouragement while you transition back into your old life.
You are now a cancer survivor and you should be proud about that. You faced a horrific illness and while you had some difficult days, you are now able to get back to life.
After cancer, you may have a new sense of self, new ideas that you want to pursue and a better idea as to what types of things you want for your life. Maybe you took life and those around you for granted, but now you know better.
When embarking on new goals following cancer treatment, start off small and then expand on your goals. This allows you to pace yourself and set priorities easily.
Mistakes and setbacks will come whenever you’re pursuing a goal. Except them and learn from them.
Have a positive attitude and share your aspirations with supportive friends and family. Again, only the supportive ones. Not those who will discourage you.
Reward yourself as you become more and more successful. Always remember to enjoy the process.
I have learned so much as a result of my cancer diagnosis and treatment. Life is about learning. With every experience, you learn something new about yourself that you’ll use in the future.
I definitely learned some medical jargon and how to navigate the hospital. I have also learned how to navigate symptoms.
I've learned that walking helps me with my anxiety.
I've learned that talking about my experience helps others who are battling breast cancer.
I've learned so much about life in a shorter time than I did in the years before having cancer.
No longer do I fall apart at small, unimportant issues.
I may have a horrendous scar to show for it, but in the end I'm stronger.
Most importantly, I've learned just because I am a survivor doesn’t mean I don’t still need support. This can help on days when I'm feeling anxious.
To my family and friends - thank you for your support and encouragement. It means the world to me.
Sleep
Whenever I am able to fall asleep, I am grateful - it is a suspension. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that I twitch and roll, on a few occasions I have fallen off my bed. A great combat takes place during the night - my covers and pillows are displaced.
Everywhere, after the storm of another restless night, there is emotional devastation. Acquaintances are put aside, faith withers, and painful thoughts come to the surface. Harmony, illusion, equilibrium are annihilated.
The storms of doubt, the quick clouding of hypersensitivity, the stiffness of my movements, leave many echoes of despair in my mood. I look in the mirror, at my scars and I can't help but extract an ever unsatisfactory image of myself.
This too shall pass I remind myself. Nothing is permanent.
My hair is as unruly as my whole self; no comb can improve the mess. No shirt will cling and mould me, but every inch of my shirt will stand out like a ruffled feathered.
Everywhere, after the storm of another restless night, there is emotional devastation. Acquaintances are put aside, faith withers, and painful thoughts come to the surface. Harmony, illusion, equilibrium are annihilated.
The storms of doubt, the quick clouding of hypersensitivity, the stiffness of my movements, leave many echoes of despair in my mood. I look in the mirror, at my scars and I can't help but extract an ever unsatisfactory image of myself.
This too shall pass I remind myself. Nothing is permanent.
My hair is as unruly as my whole self; no comb can improve the mess. No shirt will cling and mould me, but every inch of my shirt will stand out like a ruffled feathered.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)