“A federal advisory panel voted narrowly on Tuesday to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin, two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world, because of their effects on the liver.”
Acetaminophen is the culprit. Smaller dosages recommended for Tylenol, etc., too. The New York Times has the details.
A mid-afternoon thunderstorm just passed, dropping some rain but almost as exciting, lowering the temperature more than 20 degrees in a few minutes. It’s 67º F right now (just after 3PM). It’s monsoon season!
Monsoon is an Arabic term for a seasonal shift in the prevailing wind.
Both the Southwest USA, including Arizona and New Mexico, and Southeast Asia, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, experience the monsoon each summer. The Asian monsoon often brings heavy, flooding rains to the area, while the Southwest monsoon brings scattered strong thunderstorms to dry desert regions. The Southwest monsoon is caused by two meteorological changes during the summer:
–The northerly movement of the Bermuda High (a strong area of high pressure) into the central USA
–Intense heating of the Mohave Desert to the west, which creates low pressure over the areaSince air rotates counterclockwise around low pressure and clockwise around high pressure, the positioning of these systems allows for a strong southerly flow over the Southwest. (Prevailing winds in the winter are from the west and northwest …) These south winds bring in moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and Pacific Ocean, increasing the chance of rain and thunderstorms.
On average, survey respondents said old age begins at 68. But few people over 65 agreed; they said old age begins at 75.
Respondents under 30 said 60 marks the beginning of old age.
How Old Do You Feel? It Depends on Your Age
Most adults over age 50 feel at least 10 years younger than their actual age, the survey found. One-third of those between 65 and 74 said they felt 10 to 19 years younger, and one-sixth of people 75 and older said they felt 20 years younger.
“And I noticed that all players in MLB were paying tribute to Michael Jackson by wearing one glove.”
Flip Flop Fly Ball, which is a great site, full of odd, but interesting graphics about baseball.
The site has a decidedly historical bent, as you might expect, including dailiy “On this day in history” features. There’s a fair amount of cultural commentary – including the iPhone, Paris, Ratatouille (the movie), Harry Potter, and so on. There’s comparatively little, and fairly brief, political commentary. The writer has a great voice and a charming personality, and the commentary is very thoughtful.”
Wow, don’t you wish I was still good? The review by MyDD was written two years ago.
Today we honor two venerable American institutions.
On this date in 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the land grant preserving Yosemite Valley.
According to the Library of Congress:
The legislation provided California with 39,000 acres of the Yosemite Valley and the nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.”
The newly-appointed Yosemite Board of Park Commissioners confronted the dual task of preserving the magnificent landscape while providing for public recreation. With amazing foresight, board member and landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted noted these goals could conflict. In his August 9, 1865 Draft of Preliminary Report upon the Yosemite and Big Tree Grove, Olmsted warns “the slight harm which the few hundred visitors of this year might do, if no care were taken to prevent it, would not be slight, if it should be repeated by millions.”
And Lena Horne is 92.
Even in her eighties, the legendary Lena Horne has a quality of timelessness about her. Elegant and wise, she personifies both the glamour of Hollywood and the reality of a lifetime spent battling racial and social injustice. Pushed by an ambitious mother into the chorus line of the Cotton Club when she was sixteen, and maneuvered into a film career by the N.A.A.C.P., she was the first African American signed to a long-term studio contract. In her rise beyond Hollywood’s racial stereotypes of maids, butlers, and African natives, she achieved true stardom on the silver screen, and became a catalyst for change even beyond the glittery fringes of studio life.
Elsewhere —
Vincent D’Onofrio is 50.
Deirdre Lovejoy — Rhonda Pearlman of The Wire — is 47.
Mike Tyson is 43.
Michael Phelps is 24.
38 years ago today the 26th amendment was ratified by Ohio, the required 38th state. The amendment lowered the voting age to 18.
“The boys are so immature.”
The 16-year-old niece of my friend Donna
Hold that thought about the other sex for about 70 years dear, it will serve you well.
Nearly every week I could recommend the fiction that appears in The New Yorker — and from time-to-time I do.
I thought this story by Jonathan Franzen from an issue a few weeks back was particularly worth mentioning.
The New Yorker BTW has a website configured for the iPhone.
I was busy over the weekend reading two novels by Rennie Airth — River of Darkness and The Blood-Dimmed Tide.
Both are set in England after World War I — one in 1921, the other in 1932 — and both are detective stories dealing with serial killers. They’re what I’d call literary, mystery novels. Good stuff.
Airth has a third John Madden mystery coming out in a few weeks.
Last week I read Michael McGarrity’s Nothing But Trouble, the 2006 addition to his series of Kevin Kerney mysteries. This one was really two stories — Kearney taking leave of his duties as Santa Fe Police Chief to work on a movie being made in the New Mexico Bootheel, and Kearney’s Army officer wife looking for a fugitive in Dublin. There’s almost no overlap. Odd.
McGarrity’s Kerney books are interesting to New Mexicans because of the local settings and I’ve enjoyed several of the series, especially those after he got his formula well-honed and before he got bored with it. Nothing special about this one.
Also recently, I’ve read my first two Nevada Barr Anna Pigeon mysteries, the first and the fifteenth (and latest) of the series featuring the National Park ranger. The two are Track of the Cat, set in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Borderline
I read Borderline on my iPhone.
The penultimate day of June and so far this year we’ve had just nine days (4 in May, 5 in June) where the maximum official temperature has reached 90º F; 92º (twice) is the highest temp this summer so far.
My electric bill for the month ending June 25th was $25.02.
“Wiser and older people tell you that the passions of your youth will dry up and that a more sere and autumnal condition will overtake you as maturity advances, but the thought of the Nixon gang in the White House still infuses me with a pure and undiluted hatred and makes me consider throwing up things that I don’t even remember having eaten.”
Why do celebrity deaths matter? Why the outpouring of grief for a person we’ve never truly known?
Anthropologists tell us that so-called primitive societies — wherever in the world — had a few near constants. One of these was the identification of self — of their particular tribe or clan — as “the people.” Everyone else was “the other.”
This human trait continues to the present. We may belong to multiple clans now — family, friends, school, work, church, community, nation, sports teams, whatever. But we still belong — and to some extent everyone who doesn’t belong to our clan is still “the other.”
Celebrities, however, transcend clan. They are the others that we welcome into our lives because they touch it in unique and exciting ways — their humor, their style, their music.
Much too simple I know, but that’s what I think both makes them celebrities, and causes us to grieve for them when they go.
If it be your will
That a voice be true
From this broken hill
I will sing to you
From this broken hill
All your praises they shall ring
If it be your will
To let me sing
Leonard Cohen, “If It Be Your Will”
Five teenagers were riding in this Subaru early this morning near Santa Fe. Four were killed. The driver of the other vehicle has been arrested. Charges include four counts of vehicular homicide. Alcohol suspected, of course.
I’m sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can’t stand the scene.
And I’m neither left or right
I’m just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I’m stubborn as those garbage bags
that time cannot decay,
I’m junk but I’m still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
Leonard Cohen, “Democracy”
Ben Fong-Torres sums it up. You should read the entire, brief article, but here is the key:
Which helps answer the second question: With the J5 and the Jacksons (their name after they left Motown in 1975 and had their first personnel changes), and as a solo artist, Jackson shattered the categories that have always been part of popular music.
The J5 were the first crossover act, attracting fans of all ages, getting airplay on both Top 40 and FM “progressive rock” stations, and selling to blacks, whites – all colors. With the Motown machine behind them, they pumped out music that might be labeled “bubblegum,” but blended solid R&B, funk and rock, executed perfectly by the guys and fronted by a cute, miniature version of James Brown and Jackie Wilson.
As they grew, the spotlight stayed on Michael, who remained loyal to his brothers but scored big hits on his own – never more than with “Thriller,” whose sales have reportedly hit 100 million units since its release in 1982. With his “moonwalk” on Motown’s 25th anniversary special, he galvanized a nation.
Suddenly, he was a dancer in a league with Astaire and Kelly; he was a mainstream show-business superstar – the biggest force in pop music. Once again, colors and categories meant nothing.
“The new Porsche Panamera is the best-handling big sedan in the world, which I grant is a little like being the smartest kid on the Arizona State football team or the most chaste governor of South Carolina.”
Dan Neil reviews the 4-door Porsche
“What is a Porsche? If you’ve spent much time in a Boxster, Cayman or 911 Carrera, new or old, you know the feeling of these cars: cold-rolled and heat-tempered, hard and light, nap of the Earth, edgy and reactive, ineffably masculine, a disposition that is to other sports cars what Dexedrine is to Geritol.”
He doesn’t really like it, but he did get it up to 180 mph.
“The tension was palatable.”
I’m thinking palpable.
From an interesting and well-done article in the Santa Fe New Mexican about the 38th national gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light. This year it’s near Cuba, New Mexico; between 10,000 and 12,000 people are expected.
“The Rainbow Family calls July 4 interdependence day.”
Despite my jab, a very good article.
“I had to take an oath, and part of the oath was that I couldn’t eat Mexican food. That’s when red flags went up all over for me. That seemed like prejudice.”
Merrill Metzger, formerly of Minuteman American Defense
UPDATE: Debby, official sister of NewMexiKen, and one-time resident of Arivaca, reports after reading the article:
Junior was not a drug dealer and did not traffic in “narcotics” as those people imagined. He had an arrest for pot when he was 19, which hardly qualifies. He was a dad, though, so he quit any of that activity years ago. Yes, he had nice vehicles and money, which may have given the killers the impression that he must be a dealer. But, just because a Mexican on the border has money, doesn’t mean he’s running drugs. (They never mention in the articles that the people didn’t find any drugs or money. I imagine the cops looked, too, as long as they were in there.) In reality, Junior ran a feed store in a small agricultural town, so he did well enough, especially considering that he lived in the same family place his whole life, and there was no big mortgage to pay or anything. His money was his own, not spent on high monthly bills, so he could afford nice vehicles. I actually knew his grandfather, the one in the article who is a good soul, and [my son] went to elementary school with Junior. [My son’s fiancée] even knew the murdered daughter from activities at the community center. It’s rocked the town, but it’s hardly the first occasion of violence down there–just the the one with the most national coverage because of the lunatics who perpetrated the violence.
STOP whatever you are doing and go enjoy.
… if it’s the last thing we ever do.
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in
Leonard Cohen, “Anthem”
Four Five banks taken over by the FDIC today. That’s 44 45 failed banks in 25 weeks so far this year.
Astronauts (and Cosmonauts) get to look down on everybody.
