But he is still with us, you know. Those who have touched us never really leave us. He was like a priest or a Boy Scout leader that way.
We’ll keep Yutsano in our thoughts for his surgery tomorrow, and congratulations to J.W. Hammer on the engagement!
And I just remembered my own news–I’m a finalist for a new position in the Regional Operations Center at work, that would be a grade increase to GS-12 and possibly a shift differential if I get selected for the night shift. I’m getting a little old for the night shift, but it’s a 10% differential, and 4x10hr shifts with three days off per week, so I could live with it for a while anyway.
Yutsano
But nowhere near as important as the other two.
Big day tomorrow. Have to get up at 4:30 AM to be at the hospital by 6. Then it all happens. Now I’m feeling a bit more nervous.
Jess
What’s with the Boy Scout reference? Has there been a wave of gay Boy Scout leaders molesting kids–outside of the paranoid imaginations of the homophobic crowd, I mean?
Michael Bersin
Steve Tilley (r), the Speaker of the Missouri House, had a thing or two to say about intolerant liberals at the double secret unveiling of the Rush Limbaugh bust yesterday in the House chamber:
Does anyone think that the general public will ever have direct access to that bust of Rush Limbaugh? Just asking.
patrick II
Somehow Charles Pierce finds time to write about sports. Here he tells the story of a Arizona high school girl second baseman’s baseball team who won a state championship because the other team refused to take the field against her. Arizona is getting to be a very strange place.
Redshift
@Michael Bersin: Yeah, those crazy liberals with their intolerance of hatred and bigotry!
Linda Featheringill
@Yutsano:
I missed out on this story. Hospital? Will you gain some bits? Or lose some bits?
Walker
Caught three cheaters in class today (they ran a decompiler on a sample solution). Worst part of the job.
IrishGirl
@Yutsano: Best wishes in your hospital stay and a speedy recovery.
Soonergrunt, the title of this thread is making me caggle ( half evil cackle and half silly giggle)…. Thank you
To all, Anne Laurie rocks! She helped me find a new home for my kitty, Dusty. The incredibly generous Rome Again and Thymezone will be taking her in. Words cannot express….
Brian S
I needed that laugh. I’ve been working at one job or the other for the last 13 hours on about 4 hours of sleep, and I’ve got another couple at least to go. But grades are about to go in and I’m killing a 22 ounce Green Flash Le Freak IPA straight from the bottle motherfuckers. It’s about to get ugly.
Linda Featheringill
Ooooh, Dusty will have a home. Hooray!
piratedan
@Michael Bersin: nice to know that Missouri saw fit to honor this man for all of his accomplishments…. which were what exactly? Offices held? legislation passed? oh yeah, he was convicted and turned state’s evidence right? what a great American who embodies all of those ideals of our founding fathers.
Kristine
@IrishGirl:
Yea! Great news.
Yutsano
@Linda Featheringill: Extreme short version: microdiscectomy on L4-5 & S1. And a decompression. No fusion thankfully.
piratedan
@Yutsano: but if they tweak the L3 or the S2 do you get a multi vertibrae discount?
Jay C
Bad as our elections and politics are, at least we keep to a simple and rigid 2- and 4-year cycle: they aren’t as “lucky” in Greece: the third party leader in nine days who’s tried to form a government has failed – again – so they’re going to have another election next month.
Great: maybe they can get even more parties into Parliament with even smaller shares of the seats (so the blame for the impending economic maybe-meltdown can be shared around even wider….) !
J.W. Hamner
I don’t think I ever announced that I got engaged last week.
gogol's wife
@IrishGirl:
That is so great. I was looking at that kitty and crying all day. Best of luck to you.
MikeJ
Open thread? I’ll do a book report.
I finally got around to reading Stephenson’s new book, Reamde. Pretty good on the whole, an action packed, fun story. Yes, it relies on implausible coincidences for much of the drama, but there were only a few places where it notably interfered with the enjoyment of the crisp writing.
There were other problems with it though. All of the good guys are exactly alike, and it doesn’t matter if they’re dope smuggling gaming CEOs, Hungarian hackers, or Eritrean fugees. Everyone is a quiet, gun loving, live and let live type who feels naked without a connection to a worldwide communications network yet they actively despise the idea of communicating with other humans.
Stephenson also seems to have lived in Seattle for years without ever meeting a tree hugger type that wasn’t a figment of his imagination. None actually appear in the text, except as scoffed at by our quiet heroes. Does he really think that any of the hikers in Seattle think mountain lions are cute and cuddly and wouldn’t hurt a fly?
Finally, the book ends with a nearly 100 page running gun battle, which is just about the dullest thing I can imagine short of a galtian lecture on moochers. Seriously, I zipped through the preceding 800 pages and took three days to read the last 100 because I would set it down every page or two.
Despite those shortcomings, it really is a fun read. MMORPGs, British spies, jihadis, good guy Chinese hackers, russian mafia … Stephenson just threw everything in and made an entertaining stew.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Walker: CS?
Soonergrunt
@IrishGirl:
You’re welcome. Saying it certainly never gets old.
Walker
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
Yep. Freshman level class. I had a sample solution so they could see what the final product should look like and they clearly decompiled it.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
For those in the DC area: http://www.biketoworkmetrodc.org/
I’m thinking of giving it a go.
Mnemosyne
@Yutsano:
Good luck tomorrow! I’ve only ever had one surgery, but once was more than enough. I had a weird breakdown during the prep where I burst out crying because the nurse announced that the shot of relaxant in her hand had to be done in the tuchus. For some reason, I was mentally prepared to have a shot in the arm, but not one in the butt, so I freaked out and she had to come back 10 minutes later when I calmed down.
@IrishGirl:
Yay! It sounds like Dusty will have a nice comfortable retirement home while you get everything else sorted out. It sucks to have to admit when an animal will be better off with someone else taking care of him/her, but sometimes it has to be done.
Soonergrunt
@Walker: How could they think they wouldn’t get caught?
Jebediah
So glad to hear the kitty found a home, and Yutsano – we (I am including Otto and Juno, naturally) will be sending good thoughts your way tomorrow.
And glad to be reassured that Breitbart is still dead.
Gretchen
@Yutsano: Good luck! Let us know how it goes.
Odie Hugh Manatee
SG, I am a night owl so those hours would be excellent for me. Four tens would be awesome too. Three days off is almost long enough to forget that you have a job! ;)
Now for something new: Some bait and ??? I spotted this Erick, Son of Erick, blurb at Redstate:
So he wants to talk about this at Redstate? Nope. To learn the details you will have to tune into his webcast for a few hours tonight. He’ll discuss it sometime during his show. I kinda feel sorry for the people who prove they have no lives by tuning into his show.
All three of them.
Walker
@Soonergrunt:
Because they are freshmen.
Besides, we give one free pass, and I think it can sometimes make them lax. While I can still fail them for the class, they do not get expelled until the second offense.
SiubhanDuinne
@Yutsano:
Yutsy,
I will be thinking of you and sending white light, good vibes, warm fuzzies, and Dawg images to your anesthetized self. Know all will go well. Won’t ask for live-blogging, but as soon as your mom and the nursing staff say it’s okay, do put up a post.
Me, I’m in El Paso, TX having driven something like 700+ miles today. Just arrived, checked in, and trotted across the street to the only open restaurant in the area, a funky BBQ joint where I am stuffing my face with shredded brisket and pork and washing everything down with miniatures of Frontera merlot. Eat your heart out, jeffreyw.
Sleeping in tomorrow morning, then heading for Phoenix on the last, presumably easy, leg of the trip.
I think I saw a roadrunner today. A very fast bird, running along the road, anyhow. Can that be possible?
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: Best of luck tomorrow. Good thoughts, etc.
Mnemosyne
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
The one for Los Angeles is on Thursday 5/17. Free stuff at the pit stops!
Stuck in the Funhouse
@Yutsano:
Good luck, and may the FSM assist in the operation.
Soonergrunt
@Walker: The guy who honestly fails or comes up with a C or D will always be more valuable to a boss than the cheater with an A.
The honest man can be taught, and helped to produce quality work product.
The cheater will embezzle from you, or mark of an uncompleted safety check as done or some such and screw you every time.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Walker: That sucks. Happen often?
I hope since they’re freshman they learn from this. It’s not like you can decompile your way through upper level courses.
Soonergrunt
Well, I’m not on nights yet, so I have to call it and turn in.
Yutsano–stay well little brother, and I’ll keep you in my thoughts.
Mnemosyne
@SiubhanDuinne:
Roadrunners are native to Texas, so it’s certainly possible. They’re pretty badass predators, too. Their preferred dinner is rattlesnake.
Keith G
@Yutsano: So, no high kicks for a while.
Sooner, what’s up with the V.A.? Shinseki seems to be a bit underwhelming in marshaling resources for our vets in need of mental health care. (If you are free to comment)
Gretchen
@soonergurnt: I’m probably older than you (59) and have been working nights for 18 years. I went back to days for a year, and just couldn’t hack it- I’m only good seeing the sun rise when I’m on my way home to bed. I completely lost my ability to get up in the morning. The crucial thing is to be inflexible about getting your sleep. Some people think “I’m free during the day! I can get all kinds of stuff done!” and don’t get their sleep. Those folks don’t last long. My husband used to school the kids on when it’s ok to wake Mommy. Bleeding? Nope. Dripping blood? Well, ok. There were enough instances of an angry Mommy flying down the stairs in a bathrobe to make them think twice about waking Mommy unnecessarily.
The odd offshoot is that most of my kids are night owls too. When I get a 4am phone call at work, my coworkers ask “Omigod, what’s wrong?” and it’s usually something like a complaint that someone else left dirty dishes in the sink. And we often have good latenight talks.
Good luck on the application.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Mnemosyne: Word, I was just reading about that on the local site. Goodies on the way to work would be nice. Maybe people should start doing that in traffic jams just to spread the love.
PIGL
@Walker: we had to write disassemblers in my day.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne:
I’m in love with the radio on
It helps me from being alone late at night
It helps me from being lonely late at night
I don’t feel so bad now in the car
Don’t feel so alone, got the radio on
Like the roadrunner
That’s right
The Other Chuck
@MikeJ: You can still stand Stephenson? To me, he reads like he fell so head over heels in love with his own cleverness that it got in the way of him writing any kind of story that didn’t center around his incessant techno-hipster preening. Actually he was always like that and only managed to mute it for a book or two, but now he’s dialed the self-indulgent narcissism to eleven and ripped off the knob.
Anne Laurie
@Yutsano: You will be in our thoughts, and prayers.
At least with spine surgery, you don’t have to worry about the surgeons operating on the wrong one. There might be a ‘this side up’ joke lurking somewhere in the vicinity, however…
Yutsano
@Soonergrunt: I can’t speak for the VA, but at the IRS if you’re willing to work the later hours you’ll get them pretty much by asking. My shift is 12-8:30, and I’m doing my damndest to keep that as long as possible. I like having my mornings to get collected. I most likely won’t get blessed with four 10s any time soon but one never knows. Especially if we get the supplemental budget and our hiring freeze evaporates.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@SiubhanDuinne: So, did you do the widest part of Texas from Louisiana to El Paso? I made that run many years ago, the other direction. Took three days to get the whole way across and the only entertainment I had (with no radio) was to sing “Miles and Miles of Texas” out the window at the stinking desert and sagebrush.
srv
W is back, and he has an economic plan, biotches!
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/us/politics/george-w-bush-briefly-visits-washington.html
Damn Roosevelts, ruined America for kings.
Anne Laurie
@IrishGirl:
It’s Rome Again & Thymezone who truly rock, of course. Getting RA’s email made a less-than-stellar day much much better!
Mnemosyne
@Anne Laurie:
My surgery was on my (left) knee, and they made me draw an arrow on it with a sharpie and then initial it before they gave me any drugs.
Since I was hyper with anxiety already, I also drew a universal “no” sign on my right knee, just to be sure.
protected static
@Keith G: Short answer? They’re understaffed. Longer answer? They’re underfunded *and* understaffed. 400+ patient-per-therapist-caseload understaffed.
Kristine
@Yutsano: Here’s to a speedy recovery!
mdblanche
Don’t look now but another GOP establishment Senate candidate’s been defeated, this time in Nebraska:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76356.html
Maybe we’ll be saying hello again to Senator Kerrey after all.
Orrin, Orrin, what’s wrong? You’ve gone white as a sheet and all clammy all of a sudden. Almost like you’re seeing a ghost.
Kristine
@J.W. Hamner: Gorgeous ring! Congratulations!
Spaghetti Lee
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
He’s right, you know. I took a few classes down at the local tech school, and then the online version of Making Reverse Racism Work For You. Al Sharpton was the instructor, of course. Really gets around, that guy.
MikeJ
@The Other Chuck: The techno hipsterism was always his least objectionable quirk.
I never made it all the way through that three book thing he did, but I still give his single book efforts a shot. And as I said, this one was mostly enjoyable.
Yutsy, which hospital? Does the family need muffins or anything? Don’t know how long they’ll keep you in for recoup, but you should swing by a redbox or make sure you’ve got a lot of something downloaded before going in. Good luck!
PIGL
@Omnes Omnibus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMLqp65BNsk
Anne Laurie
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Be fair, liebrul! The proud proprieter of the Redstate Trike Farce has at least seven listeners… plus however many unfortunates are stuck in the back of those listeners’ taxis… plus the interns at Media Matters & the DNC who have to put in their stint because they drew short straw & the winner chose unclogging the mens room toilet.
Mike
@Jay C: As much as the parliamentary system has its faults, I am growing to like it more and more every day over our own extremely dysfunctional system. The ability of multiple parties to compete is a really nice feature. Even thought the parliamentary system is supposedly devoid of checks and balances, it seems that there are much more effective checks and balances in these systems than our own–perhaps the result of multi-party coalitions. Parliamentary governments seem to rarely ram through unpopular legislation, while still having the power to pass laws that are necessary. Perhaps it’s the dilution of power that prevents the tyranny of the majority. I don’t know, but if the government does go too far out of line, they can always cancel it with a no confidence vote and have a quick, cheap election.
I used to really admire the American system, but since a bunch of nihilists have destroyed it’s functionality, I’ve really grown to admire the parliamentary system. It’s designed to prevent excess, while preventing the minority from taking over as well.
Punchy
@SiubhanDuinne: Was there a coyote loaded w/ ACME TNT chasing said bird? If so, youve seen a roadrunner.
Spaghetti Lee
@mdblanche:
Orrin, Orrin, what’s wrong? You’ve gone white as a sheet and all sweaty all of a sudden.
How can they tell?
Anyway, I think Hatch was able to fend off the wolves in April, although it might have been one of those non-binding things. He’s probably pretty cheery about Lugar going down, because that means he’ll get the fancy Pro Tem title if the GOP takes the Senate.
Steeplejack
@J.W. Hamner:
Nice ring. Nice hand, too. Congratulations.
Stuck in the Funhouse
@mdblanche:
I was going to post on this, but screwed it up somehow. I did notice the lady that won the nomination for senator, was endorsed by the Palins, so sounds like she is full tea tard type. And Bruning was pretty wingnutty himself.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Yutsano: Good luck with the surgery.
Michael Bersin
@piratedan:
But, there’s more. Rush Limbaugh had something to add at the end of his remarks:
Projection, with absolutely no sense of irony, in the republican controlled Missouri House chamber.
Mnemosyne
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
The goody giver-outers for my area are one block from my office, so I don’t even have to go out of my way to get free stuff. Score!
(Okay, it’s mostly water bottles and mini energy bars and stuff like that, but, still … free!)
Gretchen
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
My husband announced several years ago that he was sick of spending so much on gas. He was going to get a bike and ride to work. Since he was about 50 pounds overweight and considered the outdoors something he had to endure to get to the next building, I said “sure you are, dear.” But he got the bike, saved money on commuting, lost the 50 pounds, started doing 40 mile rides on the weekend, does multi-day long rides on vacation, and is on the board of the local bike club. This from a guy who’d never been athletic in his life. He never does something when he can overdo.
So go for it. It might surprise you.
mdblanche
@Spaghetti Lee:
He wasn’t. He just missed the threshold needed to avoid a primary. The polls are still in his favor though. Then again, they were in Bruning’s favor too. Also Lugar’s this far out from his primary.
Face
@Michael Bersin: This will be the most defaced bust in the history of busts. Its either guarded or behind glass, unless they want to clean it once a week.
Mnemosyne
Also, too, speaking of bikes, I’m planning a birthday extravaganza for myself that means I will be taking my bike on the Amtrak up to Santa Barbara and visiting three local yarn shops and various other points of interest (like Crushcakes).
I almost punked out last night, so I bought the ticket before I could convince myself that staying home all day and watching TV would be just as fun as playing with yarn and riding alongside the ocean.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Mnemosyne: I am guessing you never played Skyrim.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: Good luck, hon. I’m crossing all my important bits for you, and I’ll be thinking of you throughout the day. Update us when you can!
@J.W. Hamner: Congrats! That ring is exquisite.
@IrishGirl: Awwww, I’m glad TZ and RA came through for you and Dusty during your hard times. I hope things get better for you.
mdblanche
@Stuck in the Funhouse: So is she a witch, or is she me?
Anne Laurie
@J.W. Hamner: Congratulations, and may you have many happy years together!
Yutsano
@MikeJ: Swedish. No projected end date as for release. My mom might appreciate a good muffin or better yet a challah loaf. She loves good bread. No pressure though.
Mnemosyne
@Gretchen:
G is getting ready to buy a bike this week. I kind of suspect he could end up going down the same kind of road your husband did, but I’m trying to stay mum.
This is my second bike — my first one got stolen in January, but I wasn’t riding it as often as I wanted to because it felt so complicated to have to get the right clothes on, adjust everything, etc. My replacement bike is a pseudo Dutch bike, and I love love love it.
Mnemosyne
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
No, but I did play The Sims when I was unemployed. That got a little scary — “wait, did I really just play a videogame for 6 hours?”
Roger Moore
@piratedan:
They can’t tell you. There’s no such thing as a price at an American hospital. Even after you’re done with your treatment, they still don’t know how much it costs. One more reason that it’s impossible for the free market to exert any constraints on medical costs in the US.
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Gretchen: Good for him – that takes a lot of commitment. Envious. Do you join him?
I am just starting down that path. Work is a bit of a hike at 20 miles, but the idea of support on the way sounds good. I just did my first half century three weeks ago and it was… an experience.
PurpleGirl
@Yutsano: I was nervous before I had the hemi-laminectomy. But I woke up in the recovery room and there was no pain. My leg wasn’t burning, the little man holding the blow torch was gone. I went into the hospital on a Monday for tests and such, had the surgery Tuesday morning and was released Wednesday afternoon. Had the staples removed 10 days later.
Sending you best wishes for a great surgery and uneventful recovery. (I’m sure you’ll be fine.)
SiubhanDuinne
@J.W. Hamner:
Wow, congratulations! That’s always happy news!
And @soonergrunt (top), that’s great about being a finalist for a higher-grade job. Good luck! When will you know?
Yutsano
@Mnemosyne:
WANT!!
EDIT: Pre-surgery shower. Back in a few.
Anne Laurie
@Mnemosyne:
Yeah, I thought that was just a sort of reassure-the-nervous-patient routine. But when they told me in the ER that the infected puncture wound on my right hand was going to require surgery under general anesthesia, the prep nurse looked over the grossly swollen injury and said, wow that’s ugly, before starting to attach the IV drip to my right wrist. She was pretty embarrassed when I asked if immobilizing the arm the surgeons wouldn’t be cutting on might be a better idea, but in her defense, it was the end of a 12-hour weekend shift for her. Checklists, they are an excellent idea, because autopilot can make an idiot robot out of the best of us!
Corbin Dallas Multipass
@Mnemosyne: 6 hours is a good amount.
I laughed when I read your knee story because of its coincidence with the Skyrim catchphrase. http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/i-took-an-arrow-in-the-knee
Don’t play Skyrim. Sims:Cigarettes::Skyrim:Heroin
asiangrrlMN
@Jess: Yup. And like the Catholic Church, the BSA covered up the abuse.
@Soonergrunt: Good luck with the job, SG! I’ll keep ya company if you get the nightshift.
My sleep is fucked even more than usual. I need to do something about that. But I probably won’t.
YellowJournalism
Wishing a speedy recovery to my fellow Coug!
Jay in Oregon
@The Other Chuck:
This conversation reminds me of this post at Penny Arcade:
http://penny-arcade.com/2012/05/14
Cryptonomicon was the last book of Stephenson’s I made it through. Which sucks because I loved Snow Crash and The Diamond Age.
I haven’t made it through the first couple of chapters of any China Miéville book I’ve tried to read yet. They just don’t hook me.
Mnemosyne
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
In most cities, public transit is free on Bike to Work Day if you have your bike with you, so don’t discount the possibility of taking the train or bus to a point that seems more reasonable and biking the rest of the way.
My one-way commute is 3 miles. I got the bike because it started to feel stupid to drive that short a distance every day when I could bike it in the same amount of time.
Martin
Good wishes Yutsy. I’ve run into burning buildings and faced people waving a gun around, but I am sooooo not a brave patient. Thinking doesn’t work in my favor. But things are always fine and settle down once things get rolling.
I’m sure Obama has put a good word in with the doctors so they can get you back to the business of making 1%ers cry. Big government is counting on you.
Roger Moore
@Face:
And disinfect it, also, too. Whoever has to clean it had better triple glove, or they’re going to get something nasty.
The Other Chuck
So I get home to play Diablo 3, get to play about a half hour, then of course Blizzard’s servers fall over good and dead.
Have they ever NOT completely botched a launch? Why do I keep giving these clowns my money?
suzanne
@Yutsano: More hugs. I, however, will not FedEx you my Percosets. I have limits to my love. ;)
@J.W. Hamner: CONGRATS! I wish for a lifetime of happiness and a shitload of gravy boats.
RalfW
This WATB is running for Congress from California:
This GOP douche doesn’t seem to grasp that Congress can pass bills without bipartisan support. No doubt, his party fully understands that one party can torpedo legislation. But he’s cryin in his warmed milk that Obamacare got passed w/o a single GOP vote.
Waaaaaaahaaa! Waaahaha!
BonnyAnne
@Yutsano:
wait–spinal surgery at Swedish? HAHAHAHA (note: tears of delight)
I just finished up … eh, stupid student privacy laws. Let’s just say I have recently put in some time there, VERY recently, and you couldn’t have picked a better place. Those ortho nurses are really, really great. Knowledgeable, friendly, and really on their game. You shall be in excellent hands. Not my excellent hands, of course, because that would be weird and because I’ve moved on, but other excellent hands nevertheless.
Enjoy your stay, have a swift recovery, and come back soon to organize another meetup!
suzanne
@J.W. Hamner: Might I also compliment you on the ring? Mr. Suzanne got me a ruby, as I am a big fan of the not-diamond engagement ring. It’s lovely.
Mnemosyne
@asiangrrlMN:
Since I am currently obsessed with my pretty pretty bike, has anyone ever mentioned to you that Minneapolis is the #1 bike city in America? It beat out Portland, the reigning champion.
@Yutsano:
Did I remember to tell you that G and I went to Stella Mare’s last year? It was really good, though I forgot to bring a sweater and it was a little chilly. Frog legs taste like pencil erasers sauteed in garlic and butter.
freelancer
@mdblanche:
Annnnd the Dems keep the Senate. Thank you AM radio zombie wingnut rural hicks! The cosmopolitan, forward thinking members of fake America in Omaha and Lincoln thank you.
Mnemosyne
Gah! Can a front-pager please release me from moderation? That’s what I get for having two replies with two links.
Steeplejack
@Jay in Oregon:
Thank you! I have Perdido Street Station sitting by the bed staring at me and trying to guilt-trip me. I haven’t been able to get more than 60 pages into it after a couple of months of trying.
asiangrrlMN
@Steeplejack: STEEPMAN! How you be? I’ve missed you!
suzanne
@Mnemosyne:
Yanno, about ten years ago, I had surgery on my neck to remove a huge cyst, and I was so paranoid about it that I drew arrows on myself with a Sharpie, having heard all those stories about surgeons accidentally amputating the wrong limb and shit. My friends thought I was a total crackhead. Now that’s standard practice? MUAHAHAHAAAAA.
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
Hey, girl! As I told Yutsy last night, I’ve been running behind on the threads and so mostly lurking, not commenting. Also experiencing sort of blog fatigue on all the outrages du jour. I have only so much rage to expend.
Things going mostly okay for me. I can relate to your sleep challenges, because I have been having regular outbreaks of night-owl syndrome despite experimenting with getting on a semi-“normal” schedule. It’s really hard to let go of the night. (He says as he suddenly notices that it’s 12:38 a.m. and he feels fresh as a daisy.)
SiubhanDuinne
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason:
Pretty much, yes. I spent last night in Tyler, TX, not far from the LA border. Today was all I-20/10 down to EP, and no shit about the lack of radio. Hardly any NPR with a decent signal, and although I brought along a stack of CDs I managed to get a rental car with a defective CD player! So I entertained myself by singing Gilbert and Sullivan operettas straight through, all the parts. (Gondoliers, Yeomen, and Iolanthe, for those who may care. Plus Anna Russell.)
Looking forward to arriving in Phoenix tomorrow and seeing family. My sister has already arrived, and our brother (her twin) I think gets in today or tomorrow. And of course the awesome girl who is graduating and in whose honor we are gathering, my lovely great-niece (I love her dearly but I wish she didn’t live in Arizona. Not her fault, of course.)
freelancer
@SiubhanDuinne:
Make sure the rental has decent A/C. It’s fucking brutal right now without it. Tonight on my way home from work at 7pm, my car’s thermometer was saying it was 103. At sunset.
Yutsano
@Mnemosyne:
That’s disappointing. Frog legs are a classic French dish. They must have cooked them too long or something. Did you feed any ducks?
@BonnyAnne: It’s really funny because my spinal surgeon did his residency at the hospital where I was born. My mom has stories about that place. She’s gonna talk his ear off.
I love the fact that Seattle attracts so many good docs. I wonder what the allure is.
asiangrrlMN
@Steeplejack: I understand. I know peak wingnut is a myth, but peak burnout from outrage is not. I am now sleeping from noon to five or so a day. Maybe I can lap back to midnight – five. Good to see ya! For you.
handsmile
@Yutsano:
I may be in the back of the assembled chorus here, but I do want to add my voice to those singing out all best wishes on your surgery. Look forward to reading you again soon.
As its my heritage I’m probably biased, but I think all things Swedish are great. Skoal!
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Spaghetti Lee:
Was Al standing in for Jesse or was it a separate class?
Heya Yuts, best of luck on the surgery. Been there and done that (neck, three times), just make sure the surgical order doesn’t state “Hysterectomy”.
Now if it says breast enhancement…
SiubhanDuinne
@freelancer: @freelancer:
So far the A/C is working fine, but then it’s been reasonably mild all through GA, AL, MS, LA and TX. Nothing much above low 80s. I did see that Phx was in triple digits but was hoping that was a mistake :-)
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
I had shoulder surgery a few yrs ago and they made me do the same thing. Problem was it was my right shoulder and I’m right handed. Drawing on my right shoulder left handed in a mirror?
I’m lucky they didn’t work on my left knee.
Yutsano
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
I have a lot of Dawgsplaining to do. Rather not go there. :)
@asiangrrlMN: Hi hon. I will check in as soon as I can. My first demand upon awakening will be my Crackberry. And then I might get out a quick note here. The coherence of said note I cannot vouch for.
piratedan
@SiubhanDuinne: nope, make sure u got a gallon of h2o in the trunk, just in case, it’ll be smokin across I-10 tomorrow… it’s 91 now at 10pm
CaseyL
@MikeJ: @Yutsano:
Man, this is what I get for not checking in for a few days! Best of luck, Yutsano, and be glad I wasn’t hanging out here, otherwise I’d have been plotting with MikeJ and other Seattle BJers for a gaggle of us to be at your bedside in the recovery room, singing cheery songs :)
MikeJ
@Yutsano: Is there some way I could recognize your entourage in the waiting room?
Mnemosyne
@Yutsano:
We did not feed any ducks. The frogs’ legs were probably cooked right — I just couldn’t get over the fact that they were legs from FRICKIN’ FROGS! (To be clear, they were actually G’s frogs’ legs — I only had a bite, so I may not be the best judge.)
BonnyAnne
@Yutsano:
I used to know someone who, as part of their job description, was tasked with trying to convince physicians to come and work at Gray’s Harbor Community Hospital in Aberdeen. Talk about a challenge.
I suspect that in order to attract top docs the Seattle hospitals put prospective candidates in a company car, take them for a scenic drive along the waterfront, then sit them down in front of a local microbrew and say “here’s our compensation package. Also: mountains.”
trollhattan
@Yutsano:
Best wishes for a great outcome and pain-free future!
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Yutsano:
Tell him that mix-n-match is in now. ;)
Steve in DC
@suzanne
You aren’t crazy, unless you are in the “good” medical system the doctors can be a mess. There are really three tiers of doctor. The best doctors can afford not to take insurance. they are good enough and high enough in demand it’s a cash business. Top in their field but you pay for the care.
The next group is mostly private insurance. Still pays well, not as much, and you have to pay people to deal with the companies and wait for your payments. It’s a nightmare. My ex works for an insurance company and it’s a nightmare for most doctors.
The last tier are the kind that accept medicare, medicaid, tricare, mostly LOL doctors, you never know what they might do. Those insurance policies pay for shit, the paper work is beyond insane, and it takes forever.
What a doctor accepts is a pretty good indicator of how good he or she is. I sure as fuck wouldn’t go to a doctor that took medicare.
Of course, the only way out of this is single player and majorly slashing doctors salaries so it’s no longer a prestiege job. But I doubt we are ready to do that.
freelancer
@SiubhanDuinne:
Good thing is, it’s really dry. Compared to back home in Nebraska, 103 at dusk here feels like 85 back there. I can actually taste the water in the air if the humidity gets above 10% or so. Coming from the Midwest where there’s no respite from high temps and high humidity, it’s a shift that I definitely prefer for now. I can’t imagine what Georgia is like in the Dog Days.
Ruckus
@Mnemosyne:
Frog legs taste like pencil erasers sauteed in garlic and butter.
Had a chief(that’s an E7 for you military challenged) cook who was great, made frogs legs and they were delish. Looked like chicken, sure didn’t taste like it. Of course he retired about 2 months after I reported on board. Life has been that kind of bumpy road ever since.
Good luck to everyone who needs any, surgeries, cats, marriage, they all work better with it.
I’m still trying to find a home for Mr. Bud the cocker and a job for me. But my friend has finished the building that I just moved into 2 days ago and it is just great. It’s unbelievable that sometimes when the whole world looks at it’s worst along comes something like this. I said it the other day, I may not be the luckiest bastard in the world but I have managed to climb up a couple of notches over the last couple of weeks.
Yutsano
@MikeJ: You might be better off waiting until I’m assigned a room then as soon as I get some outside contact (read: Crackberry) then I can put up my room number. My mom is a blond woman who looks like she’s in her mid 40’s, short hair, most likely will have on a floral print shirt and shorts since that’s her typical summer gear. But to help narrow things down, she’ll be in the Orthopedic center waiting room most likely.
BTW my mom is SS eligible. But she does NOT look it. I got good genes. :)
Villago Delenda Est
@Corbin Dallas Multipass:
Also, stay away away away from the Civilization series.
freelancer
@Yutsano:
Hey bud, good luck tomorrow! You’ll be in my thoughts.
@Steve in DC:
Speaking as someone with extensive experience in an International Surgical Unit with all manner of surgeons and physicians, some private, some clinicians, some who accepted public dollars and some who didn’t, I can say that you might be right about doctors who cater to people who are so rich that they pay cash, but when it comes to those lower two tiers, as usual, YOU DON’T KNOW WTF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT.
Dee Loralei
Congrats to JW Hammer, that’s a gorgeous ring!
Best of luck to you, Yutsano! I’ll keep the right things crossed and send happy, healing thoughts your way.
Jewish Steel
Yutsano! As I may have mentioned, I’ve had this surgery before. It’sa snap and you’ll feel a whole lot better afterwards. Bon Chance, mon ami!
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: That will be hilarious. Do eeeeeet. (Good luck, hon.)
@Jewish Steel: Jewish Steel! It’s like old-home week tonight! How the hell are ya?
Steve in DC
@freelancer
I’m stating what I’ve run into in a family with a long history of cancer, and what my ex has run into working in insurance and my friend has as a doctor. So your annecdotal experience is not the same as mine, oh well.
I also work in global health and have seen much the same there.
There are three tiers, like it or not.
I don’t think you know what the fuck you are talking about.
piratedan
@Villago Delenda Est: i lost a couple of years of my 30’s and 40’s to those games
SiubhanDuinne
@freelancer:
Brutal, is what.
@piratedan: YIKES! Yes, I always have plenty of bottled water with me, but am not looking forward to that final walk from the car to the hotel lobby.
BonnyAnne
@freelancer:
lol and yup. Whenever I think of doctors so goddamn prestigious that they only take cash and turn up their noses at medicare (note this effectively rules out every single doctor who works with a hospital), I think of Michael Jackson’s doctor. I hear he worked for cash.
Calouste
Feel the Mittmentum. 70% in Nebraska with no other candidates officially in the race.
Yutsano
@J.W. Hamner: OMEDETO GOZAIMASU!! I love non-traditional rings like that!
@asiangrrlMN: I’m gonna charge my phone right before I go to sleep, then turn it off until afterwards. I don’t know if I’ll have my power cord in the hospital or not, but I’ll try. But I will WANT!! as soon as I go conscious. Along with food. I had to stop all that twenty minutes ago.
Roger Moore
@BonnyAnne:
I suspect that the key to recruiting anyone to Seattle is to get them there in late June or early July. Who would want to move there after visiting in December?
David Koch
hard 2 believe its been 2 mthhs since Obama killed Breitbart
Yutsano
@David Koch: I hear Generalissimo Franco is still dead too.
Amanda in the South Bay
Soonergrunt: good luck on the job hunt, that sounds like a pretty impressive thing to be that high up on the scale.
Yutsano: good luck with surgery! Don’t break a leg!
freelancer
@Yutsano:
NPO makes you think you’ll want food toot sweet upon waking up, and hopefully your appetite returns sooner, but I remember my ankle surgery from 3 years ago. My brain knew that my body had been through some kind of invasion or trauma and it took awhile for my body to regain its equilibrium enough to focus on hunger. But once it did, it was like OMFG, I want the burger on this Menu by last Easter! STAT!
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
Ah, that never gets old . . .
When I go to bed late–like tonight, apparently–I still get up early in the morning (6:00-8:00), but then I’ll feel the need for a siesta in the late afternoon, even if only for an hour.
But then some days I am able to get to bed at a (relatively) decent hour–anything before midnight or a little after–get up early and stay up and active the whole day.
Right now my issue is that I have little control over the fluctuation between “normal” days and night-owl days. Can’t seem to predict the latter, and they just sort of happen. It’s like I’m in the grip of some macro cycle that I can’t see the shape of. And it’s exacerbated by not having a regular job where I have to be someplace at a set time (or even a variable time) each day. What freelance work I have right now can be done anytime.
Gretchen
@Corbin Dallas Multipass: No, I’ve broken my shoulder twice in falls, and can’t afford to risk another. I’m wishing he’d find an activity not involving risk of falls, but that hasn’t happened yet.
Steve in DC
@BonnyAnne
I’m talking mostly about highly paid specialists, which is where your $$$$ costs go up fast to get fast and quality work done. Hospitals are an entirely different issue. For these doctors cash > private insurance > medicare/medicaid. In terms of amount of money they get, time to get it, and cost of staff to process the work to get their money.
Some hospitals are also the same way to some extent, if you think you’re getting the same surgeons and the same care as rich people out of the same hospital you’re on crack.
Though if you’re convinced that our “healthcare system” is completely agnostic and ethical and we all get the same care once we are in the room and the amount of money we can toss it doesn’t matter you’re free to feel that. Go vote for Mittens then, he thinks it’s all the same as well.
David Koch
@Yutsano: it’s just incredible how obama kills reporters like breitbart and hitchens with impunity.
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
You got me going on YouTube, and I found this. It’s got a great late-night vibe.
Anne Laurie
@Ruckus: Glad to hear things are improving for you, however marginally. Hope the new streak continues, with a sharper upwards curve!
asiangrrlMN
@Steeplejack: Yeah, they have other good songs – though “In Demand” is my fave for obvious reasons. I just…can’t sleep. The impending visit from my parents probably has something to do with it. It’s getting really bad, though, to the point where I notice how bad it is. I hope you can get it worked out – it really sucks.
@Yutsano: Be safe, Yutsy. I hope you’re sleeping now.
@Ruckus: I’m glad things are getting better. Here’s hoping things get even better for you.
YellowJournalism
@BonnyAnne: I know that hospital! You aren’t kidding about that being a challenge.
Mnemosyne
@Steve in DC:
Yeah, you’re full of shit, as usual. G works for a home infusion company and they prefer Medicare/Tricare patients because they actually get paid ON TIME and don’t have to deal with the bullshit that private insurance companies put them through. Everything from private insurance gets denied at least once because that’s how they operate.
They do hate Bush Medicare patients though (aka Medicare Part D) because the Republicans wrote it so it’s much more difficult to get reimbursed for than ordinary Medicare. But even Part D is better than private insurance that may or may not pay, depending on how the asshole working at the insurance company is feeling that day.
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
Actually, my sleep quality is okay, although I suspect that it would be better to get it in one big chunk rather than two smaller ones. Maybe it’s just part of the larger issue I’m grappling with: how to organize my days and weeks for better “productivity” (hate that word). It’s always a concern when you’re self-employed (or unemployed), and I haven’t been in this situation in a long time. So I’m still getting settled into a routine, or figuring out what my preferred routine is. No answers so far.
Anne Laurie
@BonnyAnne:
Wonder what percentage of possible hires bring up Grey’s Anatomy? “On the one hand, I’d spend most of my shift time having sex with my incredibly good-looking fellow doctors in inappropriate places! On the other hand, sooner or later I’d become the victim of an incredibly awful freak accident like delusion-causing skin cancer, or getting speared through the chest by an icicle, or drowning unnoticed at the scene of a ferry collision, or a plane crash involving an entire heart-transplant surgical team… “
Odie Hugh Manatee
@David Koch:
Figures that you would be in here spreading that FUD. Everyone knows that Breitbart sacrificed himself so Cheney could have a heart. What about the time between Breitbart’s death and Cheney’s transplant?
First they had to drop the heart temperature to Cheney’s norm, absolute zero.
That takes time.
asiangrrlMN
@Steeplejack: I actually read something that said it’s natural to sleep in two chunks rather than one. Ah! I Googled it, and here’s the link. Food for thought at the very least.
I’m glad the quality of your sleep is good.
Yutsano
@asiangrrlMN: I go sleep now. Feels like I finally can. I’ll listen to my body. For once. :)
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Okay I LOLed.
freelancer
@Yutsano:
Be well, J. Many wishes for a speedy and anxiety-free recovery.
Steeplejack
@asiangrrlMN:
Really interesting article. I might experiment with this “first sleep” and “second sleep.”
eemom
@Yutsano:
Teh drugs. Keep yer eye on teh drugs. : )
Jewish Steel
@asiangrrlMN: I’m great! A visit to the dentist today revealed that I had some discolored filings and not cavities as I suspected. A small triumph, but hooraw! anyways.
asiangrrlMN
@Yutsano: ::tucks you in:: I’m crossing all my important bits for you, Yutsy.
@Steeplejack: I usually sleep in 4-hr chunks, so it resonated with me.
@Jewish Steel: Wooot! Savor the small victories.
Thor Heyerdahl
All the best Yutso! Best wishes from north of the border.
Amir Khalid
It’s not too late, is it, to wish Yutsano luck with the operation (hope they make everything better, brother) and to hope Soonergrunt wins that promotion?
Also, in case anyone missed it from the last open thread, my laptop is all better now. It was indeed an overheating problem. I got a USB-powered cooling thingy with fans (RM15, or five bucks in US money) to put under it. The laptop now runs cooler and faster, and doesn’t die when video is played.
Insomniac
Hoping everything goes smoothly and uneventfully today Yutsano; and that your recovery is swift and as pain-free as possible. Be well and let us know how you’re doing when you’re able.
Good luck Soonergrunt. Hope you get the position.
@Amir Khalid: Yay! Glad it was an inexpensive fix.
joel hanes
@MikeJ:
anent Stephenson’s REAMDE
It seemed to me that in this book most of Stephenson’s accustomed playful sparkle has disappeared from his sentences, and I couldn’t get myself to care about any of the characters except Sokolov. My least favorite of Stephenson’s work so far, and I say that as one who read all of the Baroque Cycle.
joel hanes
@Jay in Oregon:
> Cryptonomicon
Anathem just seemed weird and static and directionless for the first 125 pages. And then on page 126 or so it suddenly jerked into life, and soon acquired speed and direction, perhaps a bit downhill, but with undeniable forward momentum. I gave it a B-.
the fugitive uterus
@Kristine: that is AWESOME IrishGirl, this positively makes my day! I know exactly what you are going through, I was just lucky to have found a job in the nick of time or I would have had to do the same thing with my 17 year old “baby” and it was killing me. I actually had to do it in my 20’s before with my dog and I was absolutely inconsolable, torn apart inside.
Blessings upon Thymzone and Rome Again, many times over! You are angels.
oops, sorry Kristine, thought I was talking to IrishGirl – will post the news in this morning OT thread
WereBear
@IrishGirl: I’m so glad!
Lojasmo
@Steve in DC:
You’re an idiot. However, since it will keep you away from my hospital, arguably one of the finest medical centers in the world, I’m fine with it. I just wish you’d stop posting here, or that the pie filter worked in IOS.
J R
@Walker:
Isn’t that taking initiative to investigate the problem? I took a BSCS in 1984, I don’t think decompilers were invented yet, so if I had used one I would have been eligible for a CS prize!
Just kidding, I hate cheaters… back in HS my grades in Latin went from C to B to A- and my teacher accused me of cheating: “I don’t know how you’re doing it, but I know you are!” when I sat right in front, not 6 feet away, to stay awake. Really it was that after 3 semesters grammar and vocabulary started to stick, but that was impossible, yes it was!
J R
@SiubhanDuinne:
Sure, anyone can see a roadrunner in the desert!
Phoenix is a long way from El Paso, good luck on the road!
J R
@J.W. Hamner:
That is a nice ring, and a pretty stone! Congratulations!
I’ve been married for 40 years, 41 next week, and wouldn’t change a thing!
J R
@Steve in DC:
I beg to differ with your opinion about insurance and doctors.
My Ms J R was in ICU for 2 weeks plus w/ pneumonia and septic shock from September to November. Our family Dr rounded up the best doctors in the hospital for Ms’s care, and they pulled her through with multiple chest tubes, surgery to remove necrotic lung tissue, etc.
Survival rate for septic shock nationwide is less than 40% and she’s gardening the rocks in the front of the house already. We were at the beach and she said “I don’t feel so good” and we were out of there for home. Then she got confused from lack of O2.
All those Drs took medicare, and it’s a dam good thing! The hospital bill alone was over $300K, and the Dr bills on top of that. We aren’t bankrupt after, just a little more broke than usual.
I don’t think price and quality of care are related, at least here. I have no respect for greed in my doctors!
So hurray for Medicare!
canuckistani
One more REAMDE opinion, speaking of the first Stephenson book I didn’t start to reread the instant I finished it. Maybe it was a parody, but the thing read like some kind of paranoid fantasy where he wanted to convince himself that building a bunker in Montana to be safe from Muslim Terrorists who could come right across the Canadian border was a good idea. It felt like he was losing his grip on the modern world.
protected static
@BonnyAnne: Ding. UW certainly does this (no company car, but close enough). The ‘mountain factor’ is also used to hold raises down.