Author: docthink

no one of consequence

42

This, of course, is the answer to the question of the universe. It is also the number of posts that I have. Hmmmm, makes you wanna think, no?

The issue, as you may recall, with the answer is that nobody knew the question. Kind of like a game of Jeopardy on steroids. Makes you think that you should be thinking about the question–or at least thinkin’ about somethin’.

Today I was thinking about cancer. We have it on both sides. My 85-year-old Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer this summer. Two weeks ago, his surgeon told him, “John, you are going to die from something, but it won’t be lung cancer.” Dad was blowing the weeds out of his suburban front yard last Friday.

My mother-in-law has advanced colon cancer. She is only 75–everything is relative. She had her info delivered before last Thanksgiving and had surgery followed by chemo. She has been doing miraculously well. She is feeling less better now, though.

A tale of two cancers, of two parents, of two families. My first thought about my Dad wasn’t a thought but a prayer. A prayer that he wouldn’t suffer. My mother-in-law moved in with us for her treatment, and we supplied the chocolate treatment, which was key to her good health.

I hate cancer. It is not a just master. It makes you think that you are in control of your emotions. You aren’t. It tricks you. You mourn when your beloved is told. And you think you have made peace with it. You find yourself lulled into a hopeful state when beloved does well. Then you mourn if beloved takes a turn. You think, again, that you have your feelings in check. You don’t. You can’t.

What was that question again?

Posted on by docthink 0

Hierarchy of Needs

Here’s one for the kooks. As a point of reference, Government Computer News is some geek vanity press weekly that preys on the ga-zillions of dollars that the feds spend on technology. That’s where this came from.

Now here’s the rub. There is this Emergency Interoperability Consortium, that likes to use the acronym EIC. This meaningless acronym primarily signifies a relationship with the government, which–of course–pees all over itself in acronyms. But I digress.

Anyway, this Emergency Interoperability Consortium has this incredibly brilliant idea that what we really need during a catastrophic emergency of biblical proportions is a new flavor of XML, a Common Alerting Protocol. This is key because at a time of extreme emergencies, we expect people in governments that are not functioning because they HAVE NO ELECTRICITY, and, yes, their offices (including computers) were swamped and there’s no place to sit, to somehow enter information into a database so that we can magically get fire-trucks, bomb-sniffing dogs, and helicopters to where they need to be. Shoot, if it were that easy, why didn’t FEMA use XML to set up disaster recovery centers in Pass Christian, Miss.?

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? I love geeks, but are some still unclear that people don’t have water six weeks after the hurricane? There was one voice of sanity in the article. Charles Werner, fire chief in Charlottesville, Va., and a geek himself, thought that it might be better to invest in practical first level stuff. Like investing in the primary systems of communications first. If we know Level 1 doesn’t work, couldn’t we just work on that?

What is better, being able to radio to someone what you need? Or how about a big complex system dependent upon electricity, internet access, trained staff that are missing or evacuated, and sensitive computer equipment?

To hell with meeting basic, physiological needs. The latter is a technology project, so let’s fund it.

Posted on by docthink 1

On Time

I think that I am getting to be obsessed with time. Today’s aspect of this obsession has to do with procrastination.

But I think that I will blog about it at a later time. NO! I really mean it.

Posted on by docthink 0

It’s A Dessert Topping. No, it’s a Floor Wax

It’s a terror threat. No, it’s just terror babble.

It’s both! If you live in New York and are one of the more than 4 million folks who use the subways, you saw a city taking terror talk very seriously with bag searches and undercover officers throughout the public transportation system.

If you are INSIDE the beltway, it’s just business as usual. Be careful, but don’t get all worried about the men actually arrested in Iraq in this terror plot.

It’s not like last year, when there were specific threats in the financial sector without mention of a time frame. We closed down sidewalks around the World Bank here in D.C., as well as protective services keeping people off the sidewalks in front of the Treasury Building. And let’s not forget the NYPD in riot gear on Wall Street.

So some people think that the guys arrested were just blowing smoke–that the threat is just not credible, but the Mayor of New York decided against taking a chance with the lives of his citizens. What would the President have said if this were an election year?

Posted on by docthink 0

It’s Chinatown

It’s not really fair. You have a kid, and he starts off really small, can’t walk or talk, heck, can’t even feed himself, or get himself to bed without you.

Then, before you know it, he is tall. Sings in a register so low that only dogs can hear him. Pulls on size 13 shoes and wears these huge shoulder pads while playing football. Oh, and he eats a lot, but is able to feed himself. And, indeed, he does that with great success. (Q: “What happened to the applesauce?” A: “I drank it after practice.”)

The other thing is that he wants to be independent. And, you want him to be, that’s how he gets to be a man. So, he uses city buses to get to school, washes and irons his own clothes, and reminds you that his teachers expect high school students to manage their own work.

Guess what, though, he’s just barely 14. It doesn’t matter that high-school junior and senior dollies stalk him at dances. He is a newly-minted 14. He is not quite ready to fly without a net. Do you have to let them fall first?

He’s a man. (slap) He’s a boy. (slap) He’s a man. (slap) He’s a boy. (slap) He’s my man AND my boy.

Forget it, Doc Think, it’s Chinatown.

Posted on by docthink 0

What Time Is It?

Spoken into answering machine “Hello, if that’s you, pick up.” — pause — “Listen, camp ended like 3 or 4 hours ago and I want to be picked up.”

muffled voice in background

“Oh — like 45 minutes ago — so come get me.”

I swear that its like I am the only person in my house who can tell time.

ME: “Wednesday’s football game is at 4 p.m., and we need to see Dr. Brown at 4:45.”
OTHER ADULT IN HOUSEHOLD: “So it’s at 5?”

WHAT IS GOING ON? It’s just logistics. And that is what it seems like I do all the time. And all by myself.

KID: “Got points off my report cuz’ I didn’t print it out.”
PARENT: “Hunh?”
KID: “The printer didn’t work.”
PARENT: “Didn’t you ask about the cartridge?”
KID: “Yeah, but I couldn’t find it.”
PARENT TO SELF: “…and you couldn’t figure out what to do next. You just listened to somemore I-Tunes and went to bed? Sheesh!”

I fail on my logistical endeavors, but at least I know that I am late.

Posted on by docthink 0

Alex, I’d Like to Buy a CLUE!

Okay, why does John Kerry think that he represents the Democratic Party? Why does the Democratic Party feature him as a fundraising draw?

It’s morning in America, and Senator Kerry you LOST!!

I am not a political operative like Rove or Carville, but I can say that mostly Americans don’t like losers. Even though we try to hate the Yankees, we can’t. They are winners. We like winners.

So, when the phone rings and the guy on the other end says, “I’m from the DNC and John Kerry wants you to support a bill on education,” I say, “who cares??? The guy isn’t the president, and he doesn’t represent me. He LOST!” Poor guy on the phone was dumbstruck. I continued, “You want money?”

Guy on phone: Yes
Me: Why would I give another penny to the loser?
Guy on phone: Goodbye

Here’s my thing, let’s stop dragging out loser retreads and move toward real conversation and leadership. And let’s not make it anti-bush, how about pro-making America a better place?

Posted on by docthink 4

House As Locker

Today is my first day off in 19 days. Yes, that is 19 days straight working, most days 11 or 12 hours long. (Some longer, a few shorter.) So, you say, “What do you have to THINK about that, Doc?”

Well, here is what has happened. My house has turned into a locker. Not a locker room, mind you. But simply a locker. It is a place that we drop things off, on the way to the next thing. It is not a destination, but a storage spot.

At Target at back-to-school time, you can find mirrors and little storage thing-ees that facilitate using your locker. We don’t use them here. No-SIR-ee.

Our locker is for backpacks, briefcases, clothes (usually plucked from baskets or tossed dirty, willy-nilly), blackberries and phones to recharge, shoes, football uniforms, and piles of mail (which likely include bills). Any food items are to grab and go. One difference is that we sleep in the locker. But it isn’t for comfort, just practicality.

This week included multiple football practices, an evening (okay NIGHT) in the emergency room with a broken hand, big dance, two tests, multiple quizzes, and like a thousand and fifty hours on the telephone and e-mail on Hurricane Katrina, oh, and let’ s not forget the calls not made to check in on the post-lung cancer operative Dad (doing great), and newly jaundiced mom-in-law (TBD). Whew!

Tonight, we had dinner at the table. It was such a treat that the sixth-grader insisted on candles. It was a special occasion.

The same, said, sixth-grader brought up (in a confused movie reference) the John Bloorman movie Hope and Glory. The movie chronicles a young family during the WWII Blitz in London, and how the family (mostly young son) coped most excellently.

So, maybe life with house as locker isn’t as damaging as I thought. Or maybe the plates filled with a meal cooked on the stove in the locker and the candles on the locker table were a welcome relief.

Maybe (I think) the locker might have been transformed back into a home.

Posted on by docthink 2

Whoosza Fault?

Was watching Mayor Nagin this morning on Russert. I’m glad that Russert asked some tough questions. He made Chertoff squirm a bit last Sunday, too.

Here’s a typical exchange.

Russert: “Did you make mistakes?”
Public Official: “Tim, I’m not going to that. We did the best we could. The [insert name of other guy] didn’t…”

Here’s a typical exchange in my house:

Parent: “What was your part in this?”
Kid: “Well, he….”
Parent: [interrupting] “I’m talking about YOU.”

It’s not so much the Blame Game. It’s a lack of personal responsibility. I wish somebody would say, “This is what I did.” The President needs to remember that step one is admitting that you have a problem.

How can you have a role in fixing a problem if you don’t admit your role in it?

Hope my kids get this message, but it looks like it will preclude them from a career in politics.

Posted on by docthink 0

Help-Less

Helping is a good thing. I am not against helping. I like to help, and I certainly can use some help.

That being said, I found myself reflecting on helping recently. People help with different motivation. I am not talking about the obvious quid pro quo. There are some subtle motivations, that I don’t think we normally see. Like my dad is sick, and I see the family trying to help him for different reasons. Not like any of them are bad. In fact, all are based on overflowing love. But sometimes tied around childhood wants, adult needs, or fear of not knowing what’s next.

This doesn’t mean that the help is tainted, or even of any lesser value. It is just coming from different places. I just hadn’t thought of that before.

Posted on by docthink 0