Imagine my surprise
I went to the VA for my stress treadmill test and to my great surprise and pleasure, it wasn't a test of my heart on the treadmill. It was a test of heart and pulmonary function, done on a stationary bike. Now I can't walk all that far without getting out of breath but I had a hunch I could ride a bike for a much longer period of time. My hunch was correct. It was actually fun to ride the stationary bike, even with the breathing test mouthpiece in my mouth the whole time, and wearing the stupid headgear.
The strange thing was that as my heart rate increased, my blood pressure decreased. That had the doctor scratching her head. But my pulmonary function is pretty close to what it was at the last test, so I haven't lost much in that area. That was the good news.
Better news was the even more pleasant surprise to discover that all of my work pedaling that bicycle was counted by my new pedometer. Weird, but good.
* * *
We played Buzztime trivia last night. The good news is that we won the Spotlight game (that's the evening's premium game) on the West Coast feed. In fact we had the best bar score and individual score in the nation for that game. I suspect a lot of the other sites out there were bothered by the final question, which had to do with what kind of car did Ron Howard's character drive in the film "American Graffiti."
Afterward I tried experimenting with my speed on the freeway. I drove slower than I had been driving when coming home at night from trivia. It took a little longer but I'm guessing the difference will show up in better fuel economy. Time will tell.
* * *
There was a plane crash at the San Francisco airport today. An Asiana flight coming from Seoul, Korea crashed as it landed. Loss of life appears to be limited. There are injuries.
That is horrific news and any loss of life is tragic. But the news that almost all of the passengers and crew survived is a good thing.
I'm bothered by something else. I'm sick and tired of all the useless speculating that goes on in the aftermath of these things before the investigators can get to the bottom of the real cause. As a former reporter I also really hate stupid questions that reporters ask at a time like this.
At a news conference held about 4 hours after the crash, some reporter insisted on asking a NTSB official "is there any chance of pilot error." Really? Is it possible the pilot might have made an error is a question you're asking at that moment? Ridiculous.
I remember the crash of an F-4 fighter jet when I was stationed at Homestead AFB in Florida. The pilot was the acting chief of maintenance at the time, going up for his quarterly proficiency hours. The plane flamed out on take-off. He caused a major flap by hitchhiking from the crash site to the base hospital. He was supposed to stay there and wait for the rescue team to arrive by chopper.
Immediately afterward, everyone was talking about a problem with contaminated fuel, or some other maintenance problem having caused the flameout. No one said a word about pilot error. The flight safety investigation team determined it was indeed an error on the part of the pilot.
So let's wait until the NTSB does at least a preliminary investigation before casting aspersions on the flight crew.
* * *
Not only did the Obama administration punt by delaying implementation of the requirements for employers of 50 or more to provide health insurance or pay a penalty, for one year, they're doing something else that isn't getting much publicity.
They're going to put people who want the subsidies for health insurance that are offered to low-income people who can't get healthcare through employment on the "honor system". Say what?
Yes. Now the IRS can verify that a person qualifies for subsidies based on income level, but because employers won't be reporting who does and doesn't have coverage, there's no way to ensure someone applying for a subsidy doesn't have access to healthcare from their employer.
What a dumb idea.
* * *
Random ponderings today:
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg was supposed to be on Asiana Flight 214 but switched to United to use frequent flyer miles for the tickets. Does that mean my father should get credit for saving her life? He did invent the frequent flyer program in general, and was the creator of United's Mileage Plus specifically.
How classy was it of Kobe Bryant to post the simple photo he put up on Instagram? (very). He said nothing else about Dwight Howard's departure, just posted a pic of Pau Gasol and him arm in arm.
Do you care where Edward Snowden ends up? Does it really matter which country gives him asylum? Unless he comes back to the U.S., it doesn't make a difference.
Is it pretty amazing that 25 years after the "Rainman" talked about how safe Qantas is to fly, they still haven't had an accident involving a fatality?
Will Yasiel Puig make it to the MLB All-Star game? He's on the NL ballot of five for the final spot on the roster. Should he be there? I think he belongs on the ballot and he'll get my votes.
Should the media have released the suicide note of Iraq veteran Daniel Somers, or withheld it because it might encourage others to follow his example?
Was it too much to ask an Ohio woman to remove the feces left by two pot-bellied pigs living in her backyard at least once every 24 hours? (I don't think so). She ended up having to give the pigs away because she didn't comply with that order from the judge about regular feces removal.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1189, Richard the Lionheart accedes to the English throne.
On this date in 1253, Mindaugus was crowned King of Lithuania.
On this date in 1348, Pope Clement VI issued a papal bull protecting Jews accused of having caused the "Black Death."
On this date in 1483, Richard III is crowned King of England.
On this date in 1535, Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII.
On this date in 1785, the dollar is chosen at the monetary unit for the United States.
On this date in 1854, the first convention of the Republican Party takes place in Jackson, Michigan.
On this date in 1917, Arab troops led by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) captured Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire.
On this date in 1939, the last Jewish-owned businesses in Germany were closed.
On this date in 1944, Lt. Jackie Robinson refused to move to the back of a bus, resulting in his court-martial.
On this date in 1947, production began on the AK-47 rifle in the Soviet Union.
On this date in 1957, Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win a championship at Wimbledon.
Also on this date in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were introduced to one another.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Daniel Morgan
John Paul Jones
Adolf Anderssen
Maximilian I of Mexico
Ernst Busch
Frida Kahlo
Vince McMahon Sr.
Nancy Reagan
Bill Haley
Janet Leigh
Alan Freeman
Pat Paulsen (wish he were around to run for President in 2016)
Della Reese
Candy Barr
14th Dalai Lama
Ned Beatty
Burt Ward
Fred Dryer
Sylvester Stallone
Shelley Hack
John Byrne
Pau Gasol
Today's movie quotes come from 1972's "Deliverance" since it is Ned Beatty's birthday:
Mountain Man: I bet you can squeal like a pig. Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee!
Mountain Man: Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee!
#2
Ed: Look, what is it that you require of us?
Mountain Man: What we, uh, "re-quire" is that you get your god-damn asses up in them woods.
#3
Doctor: Explain this to me again. I didn't know somebody could shoot themself with their own arrow.
The strange thing was that as my heart rate increased, my blood pressure decreased. That had the doctor scratching her head. But my pulmonary function is pretty close to what it was at the last test, so I haven't lost much in that area. That was the good news.
Better news was the even more pleasant surprise to discover that all of my work pedaling that bicycle was counted by my new pedometer. Weird, but good.
* * *
We played Buzztime trivia last night. The good news is that we won the Spotlight game (that's the evening's premium game) on the West Coast feed. In fact we had the best bar score and individual score in the nation for that game. I suspect a lot of the other sites out there were bothered by the final question, which had to do with what kind of car did Ron Howard's character drive in the film "American Graffiti."
Afterward I tried experimenting with my speed on the freeway. I drove slower than I had been driving when coming home at night from trivia. It took a little longer but I'm guessing the difference will show up in better fuel economy. Time will tell.
* * *
There was a plane crash at the San Francisco airport today. An Asiana flight coming from Seoul, Korea crashed as it landed. Loss of life appears to be limited. There are injuries.
That is horrific news and any loss of life is tragic. But the news that almost all of the passengers and crew survived is a good thing.
I'm bothered by something else. I'm sick and tired of all the useless speculating that goes on in the aftermath of these things before the investigators can get to the bottom of the real cause. As a former reporter I also really hate stupid questions that reporters ask at a time like this.
At a news conference held about 4 hours after the crash, some reporter insisted on asking a NTSB official "is there any chance of pilot error." Really? Is it possible the pilot might have made an error is a question you're asking at that moment? Ridiculous.
I remember the crash of an F-4 fighter jet when I was stationed at Homestead AFB in Florida. The pilot was the acting chief of maintenance at the time, going up for his quarterly proficiency hours. The plane flamed out on take-off. He caused a major flap by hitchhiking from the crash site to the base hospital. He was supposed to stay there and wait for the rescue team to arrive by chopper.
Immediately afterward, everyone was talking about a problem with contaminated fuel, or some other maintenance problem having caused the flameout. No one said a word about pilot error. The flight safety investigation team determined it was indeed an error on the part of the pilot.
So let's wait until the NTSB does at least a preliminary investigation before casting aspersions on the flight crew.
* * *
Not only did the Obama administration punt by delaying implementation of the requirements for employers of 50 or more to provide health insurance or pay a penalty, for one year, they're doing something else that isn't getting much publicity.
They're going to put people who want the subsidies for health insurance that are offered to low-income people who can't get healthcare through employment on the "honor system". Say what?
Yes. Now the IRS can verify that a person qualifies for subsidies based on income level, but because employers won't be reporting who does and doesn't have coverage, there's no way to ensure someone applying for a subsidy doesn't have access to healthcare from their employer.
What a dumb idea.
* * *
Random ponderings today:
Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg was supposed to be on Asiana Flight 214 but switched to United to use frequent flyer miles for the tickets. Does that mean my father should get credit for saving her life? He did invent the frequent flyer program in general, and was the creator of United's Mileage Plus specifically.
How classy was it of Kobe Bryant to post the simple photo he put up on Instagram? (very). He said nothing else about Dwight Howard's departure, just posted a pic of Pau Gasol and him arm in arm.
Do you care where Edward Snowden ends up? Does it really matter which country gives him asylum? Unless he comes back to the U.S., it doesn't make a difference.
Is it pretty amazing that 25 years after the "Rainman" talked about how safe Qantas is to fly, they still haven't had an accident involving a fatality?
Will Yasiel Puig make it to the MLB All-Star game? He's on the NL ballot of five for the final spot on the roster. Should he be there? I think he belongs on the ballot and he'll get my votes.
Should the media have released the suicide note of Iraq veteran Daniel Somers, or withheld it because it might encourage others to follow his example?
Was it too much to ask an Ohio woman to remove the feces left by two pot-bellied pigs living in her backyard at least once every 24 hours? (I don't think so). She ended up having to give the pigs away because she didn't comply with that order from the judge about regular feces removal.
* * *
This Date in History:
On this date in 1189, Richard the Lionheart accedes to the English throne.
On this date in 1253, Mindaugus was crowned King of Lithuania.
On this date in 1348, Pope Clement VI issued a papal bull protecting Jews accused of having caused the "Black Death."
On this date in 1483, Richard III is crowned King of England.
On this date in 1535, Sir Thomas More is executed for treason against King Henry VIII.
On this date in 1785, the dollar is chosen at the monetary unit for the United States.
On this date in 1854, the first convention of the Republican Party takes place in Jackson, Michigan.
On this date in 1917, Arab troops led by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) captured Aqaba from the Ottoman Empire.
On this date in 1939, the last Jewish-owned businesses in Germany were closed.
On this date in 1944, Lt. Jackie Robinson refused to move to the back of a bus, resulting in his court-martial.
On this date in 1947, production began on the AK-47 rifle in the Soviet Union.
On this date in 1957, Althea Gibson becomes the first black to win a championship at Wimbledon.
Also on this date in 1957, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were introduced to one another.
Famous Folk Born On This Date:
Daniel Morgan
John Paul Jones
Adolf Anderssen
Maximilian I of Mexico
Ernst Busch
Frida Kahlo
Vince McMahon Sr.
Nancy Reagan
Bill Haley
Janet Leigh
Alan Freeman
Pat Paulsen (wish he were around to run for President in 2016)
Della Reese
Candy Barr
14th Dalai Lama
Ned Beatty
Burt Ward
Fred Dryer
Sylvester Stallone
Shelley Hack
John Byrne
Pau Gasol
Today's movie quotes come from 1972's "Deliverance" since it is Ned Beatty's birthday:
Mountain Man: I bet you can squeal like a pig. Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee!
Mountain Man: Weeeeeeee!
Bobby: Weee!
#2
Ed: Look, what is it that you require of us?
Mountain Man: What we, uh, "re-quire" is that you get your god-damn asses up in them woods.
#3
Doctor: Explain this to me again. I didn't know somebody could shoot themself with their own arrow.
posted by me at 6:17 PM
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