X-mas Story: Sometimes Things Work Out

Lets flash back to late August to our trip to nicaragua. This wonderful, wild dog was following us all around the island on our kayaking, biking, and hiking adventures. On our last day in ometempe, a big dog came out of nowhere and mauled him. Just about to leave a a remote island without a vet -- we werent sure he was going to make it. Our best shot was a team of doctors who were coming the following week to do volunteer work on the island..

Hello volunteer vet brigade,
I was at the hacienda merida with my girlfriend on Saturday when one of the friendly dogs who had been following us around for a couple days got attacked/ mauled in front of us by another dog while walking around. He had a big gash on his forehead - all the way to the bone-- and another one on his eye. We left that day, upset that immediate assistance was unavailable on the island, but we became somewhat comforted when Alvaro, the hotel owner, told us about your team and the work that you were going to be doing on the island starting on tuesday. I understand that you are treating many animals on the island and that in the animal heirarchy, the livestock is more important to the lives of the community, but we would still love to know if you have any info on this dog. If your team was able to treat that dog let me know how everything worked out.

Thanks 410E9th





Dear 410E9th,

Thank you for your support of our cause! Here are some of the photos of the dog you helped - We named him Dex( he sat beneath a portion of our pharmacy near a drug called dexametrazone") He hung out with us all week. I think he would have climbed into bed with us if we let him. His head wound healed nicely, and we were able to treat his cough. I also left one of the hotel staff with dewormer and flea and tick medicine for him for the rest of the year. You can keep posted on our new developmentts from our 2010 trip on our website:

oregonstate.edu/groups/IVSA/Index.htm

thanks again!!

The IVSA team.

100 hrs post-op

Slept better, much better. Still tired and full of lethargy. trouble breathing through nose leads to anxiety and lack of sleep. Staying in today. Maybe tomorrow to work. maybe.

take care all. happy holidays

54 hours in..

and not feeling great. Only 3 hours of sleep last night. Hopefully tonight is better. I forgot how difficult the Nasal splint makes it to breathe through my nose. Admittedly, it is much better than the packing. Still, the splint and congestion with bloody mucus leads to the lack of sound sleep. I am pretty beat.

Appointment tomorrow at 10 but I don't think the splint will come out til later in the week. A little depressing. I told work I wouldn't be in until Thursday at the earliest. I wasn't planning on feeling so bad.

oh well hope for better news tomorrow.

30 hrs in... and now the storm of the century

Didnt Sleep well last night. Nose is too congested for nose breathing sleep. Very cranky today. Mean to jackie. Not my finest hour. Taking oxycotin, like RUSH; not really helping.

We had a columbia MBA student come check out the third bedroom for the remainder of out time here, January through May. I am not sure they were impressed with my bloody bandaged face, or my dazed attitude. I dont know he seemed fine. We will see. two more people around Tomorrow.

Cant decide which to watch March of the Wooden Soldiers or Elf.

Another Sinus Surgery

Recovering, unfortunately had a cold going in. Not feeling very pleasant right now, going to hunker down for the winter weather. I will update more later.

The stupidest good idea ever

Louisiana Senator David Vitter (R) is speaking on the floor of the Senate right now in favor of Byron Dorgan's amendment allowing the "reimportation" of drugs from, among others, Canada. "This amendment gives Americans immediate relief from high prescription drug prices," he promised.

The case for drug reimportation, as Vitter says, proceeds from the recognition that residents of other countries get much, much lower prices on drugs than Americans do. Many of these drugs were invented by American companies and produced in American factories. But Canada gets them at a discount. Why?

Well, Canada's government bargains its prices down. So does the French government, and the German government, and the British government. The results of this strategy are not in doubt: These countries pay far less than we do for the exact same drugs. Our solution? We will go to these countries and buy these drugs!

....

In closing, Vitter urged the Senate to "take this step and do what we all say should be a top priority and actually lower health-care costs. I urge all my colleagues to come together and do this in a bipartisan way." Boiled down to its essentials, Vitter just made a case for a bipartisan embrace of a single-payer system.

Best use of the word Huge AS a sentence.

"Hey, it's Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and may be calling you. So if you can, please take your name off that. Just have it as a number on the voicemail. Just have it as your telephone number. You got to do this for me. Huge. Quickly. Bye."

The year in (watching) movies.

Or a year in netflix(mostly)

New Moon was Ok; not very much different than the original. i wouldn't reccommend it. After all the buildup Tsotsi wasnt that good. The Narrows was bad, and that is taking into consideration I have a D'Onofrio thing.

Irreversible, a french flick starring Cassel and Belucci was above average but extremely disturbing. It is ranked on many lists as one of the top 10 disturbing films of all time. Precious was good but extremely disturbing; a whole differt type of disturbing. Star Trek(2009) was good. bruno was not good. Drag Me To Hell was not good; too bad for sam raimi. Pelham 123(2009) was ok; exceeded my weak expectations. Wings of Desire was ok but too long. I am not sure it needs to be on so many critics must see lists.

The Proposal was ok. The Best Years of Our Lives(1941) was boring. Grey Gardens (2009) was boring. Lost Horizon (1940?) was not good. I liked Run for your life; it is a documentary about NYC running clubs. Inglorious basards (1974) was bad.Grace is Gone is just Ok; blah, blah, melancholy melancholy.

Rabbit-proof fence was good; an interesting film on aboriginal resettlement in australia in the 1940s. duplicity was ok. Sin Nombre(El Salvador) was very good; extra points for being very good. Blood Diamond was good. Sugar (2008) was OK; a film about dominican baseball player coming trying to get in the major leagues.

Angel-A (German)was above average Religulous was Ok; expected more. Watchmen was OK; expected less Ty son(2008) was good. Paradise Now(Palestinian) was good; A good suicide bomb tale. The Tunnel(2001 German) was good but too long, way too long.

The International was OK. Repulsion(1965) was boring; I expected more. Encounters at the end of the World was very good; I guess I am getting more into herzog. Waltz with Bashir was good; animated israeli flick about 1980s war. Army of Shadows is good but too long; long subtitled dramas have to be exceptional for me to stay interested.
Shotgun Stories is just bad - and I usually get into to this type of stuff.La Haine was Ok. Vicky Cristina Barcelona was good. Coraline was very good; exceptional for fantasy flick, though, not for children.

Into the Wild was good. Taken is likeable garbage. The Happening is just garbage. I've Loved you so Long (french) is very Good. Rachel Getting Married is good; lead singer of TV on the radio is male lead. Defiance was mediocre.Zacha and Miri Make was not good. Nich and Norah was ok. Tropic Thunder was good. Frost/Nixon was good. Doubt was excellent; that meryl streep can act. Changeling was bad Frozen river was very good; highly reccommend it.

Tell No One (french) was good; extra points for foriegn. Daughter of Keltoum (algreria) was good. Miracle at St Anna was not good. Valker rie was disappointing. The Reader was ok. The Happening was crap. Nashville was interesting but not very good. Righteous Kill was as bad as everybody said Run Fatboy Run was not that funny. W was OK. Body of Lies was below average. Let the Right One( norway) was Ok but disappointing

Oldboy (Japan) was good and disturbing.
The Savages was good. Traitor was bad. Towelhead was OK. I am Trying to Break Your Heart was not Good. An Inconvenient Truth was good. He is Just Not That Into You was OK. Gran Torino was overrated and long. Lions for Lambs was boring and a waste of talent-- I usually like this type of dialogue driven script.