Elegant Distractions

Debbie lay in the burn ICU bed, crowded by family and friends in gowns and gloves. She did not suffer from burns but from sores and wounds only the experts in this ward could hope to deal with. Even they lose a fight now and then. This was one of those times.

Everything about our bodies is analogue except for one thing: life itself. You either have it or you don't. On or off.

The nurse added a strong dose of morphine to Debbie's IV, then reduced the breathing rate on the respirator, explaining to Debbie everything she was doing. Debbie had been sedated constantly for at least a month yet the nurses always spoke to her, always told her what they were doing.

As the morphine took effect, the doctor came in and gradually brought down the respiration until the machine was doing nothing. Debbie, flanked by her mother and a cousin who is a nurse, squeezed their hands with a tremendous grip.

Debbie passed on just moments after support was withdrawn, evidence of the weakness of her condition. The cousin, who has worked with cancer patients, said she had never seen anyone go so quickly. I suspect Debbie was more ready than the rest of us.

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"What we would do," said the first female Resident, "is give her plenty of morphine so she won't feel anything then turn off the respirator. She will just drift off."

There it was: the option nobody wanted to speak but all knew was coming and was, in fact, the decision we all knew would result from the meeting. It had to come from the doctor because none of the people around the table in the conference room at Harborview could say the words.

The betrayal was complete. Not by those around the table but by Debbie's own body: a treason that began when she was merely 18 years old and will end in a day or so when we gather around her bed once again to part ways on this earth.

Debbie did nothing to deserve this fate but living and dying seem to have no connection to personal worth. Fifty-three years is far too few and while everyone who knows her will miss her terribly nobody will miss seeing her suffer, seeing her struggle with daily pain, seeing her body break down and unable to perform the simplest tasks. Today she lies in ICU, bloated from the fluids pressed into her system to support her falling blood pressure, fluids that are not exiting because of kidney failure.

And so, when the doctor placed the final option before us Debbie's father, Dwight, managed choke out, "That's what she would want." Heads nodded around the table in uniform agreement. Let her go, let her have some peace at long, long last. That she does deserve.

Posted by director at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: General

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence some people still believe

longer hours == higher productivity

Sigh. My experience is that even managers who profess to understand the issues involved still value and reward the people who put in extraordinary hours over those who do their work then go home. One success guru said, "If you can't get it done in 40 hours, you can't get it done in 60, either."

This part is fascinating:

Studies have shown that being awake for 21 hours impairs drivers as much as having a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08, which is the legal limit for noncommercial drivers in the U.S.

It's ironic. Most software companies will fire an employee who routinely shows up drunk for work. But they don't think twice about putting the fate of this year's silver bullet project into the hands of people who are impaired to the point of legal drunkenness due to lack of sleep. In fact, they will demand that these people work to the point of legal impairment as a condition of continued employment.

The ability to do complex mental tasks degrades faster than physical performance does. Among knowledge workers, the productivity loss due to excessive hours may begin sooner and be greater than it is among soldiers, because our work is more affected by mental fatigue.

The thing that is impossible to explain is why the technology sector continues to ingore data gathered over nearly a century as if it doesn't apply to them. It is still considered a badge of honor (in some circles) to work insane hours and run on as little sleep as possible. Perhaps it is the appearance of productivity that matters more than the reality of it, in some organizations and to some people?

The article doesn't even adress the resentment factor. Missing the significant events in the lives of family members cannot be compensated and everyone who has to put in 'face time' after kids are long asleep has the mental distraction of knowing that an explanation will be due, and this on top of the fatigue of the day. Also, There are no more pots of gold at the end of the technology rainbow for the average worker to justify to some degree the extended work days.

Hey, don't take my word for it. Read the whole thing.

Posted by director at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Productivity

This one caught my eye at the checkout stand:

Heather Locklear Files for Divorce

Heather Locklear and her rock-star husband Richie Sambora are splitting up, the actress's rep, Cece Yorke, tells PEOPLE.

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People who believe the Constitution would break if it didn't change with society are "idiots," U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia says.

I find the tenor of the article akin to "you won't believe what this guy said!" even though I do believe it because I've read some of Scalia's writings, which I doubt Jonathan Ewing has done.

"That's the argument of flexibility and it goes something like this: The Constitution is over 200 years old and societies change. It has to change with society, like a living organism, or it will become brittle and break."

"But you would have to be an idiot to believe that," Scalia said. "The Constitution is not a living organism, it is a legal document. It says something and doesn't say other things."

Radical!

Via Common Sense Junction. Hey, Frank, when did sense become common? Seems pretty scarce around these parts.

Posted by director at 08:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Politics

The video coverage of the Men's Half-Pipe was horrendous. The exposure and the pixelation was so bad it looked like ABC was using webcams instead of their expensive ENG cameras. I don't know who set up the cameras but they clearly didn't account for the extreme variations of bright and dark.

It was by far the worst camera work I've seen on network television. The good news is that it was sorted out in time for the Women's Half-Pipe the next day.

Posted by director at 09:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Sports

No flowers, no chocolates, no following the crowd on this day. Not for my lady. She wants flowers and chocolates but not because of a holiday-card mandate. Like all women, she wants to be cherished and adored yet she finds Valentine's Day a contrivance and unnecessary.

Things she values far more than Valentine's Day: flowers on a Saturday morning, a neck rub in the evening, keeping her laptop running, holding her close, a touch on the cheek, holding hands, and simply being near each other.

I've had seventeen more years with her than expected since she diced with Death and won. Every day her talents become greater and she discovers another ability she didn't know she had. Every day is a bonus.

She is a lady and a little girl, sometimes within seconds. Her joy is irrepressible yet she cries at sad stories. She dances when nobody is looking, loves puppies beyond reason and, most incredible of all, she loves me, which defies explanation.

All I can do is everything I can to deserve her love, to keep the joy in her eyes and the smile on her face when I come through the door at the end of the day.

I would do anything for that, anything for her.

Posted by director at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: General

Initial betting line has Seattle 5-1 favorites to repeat as NFC Champions next season. I have no idea who might be the AFC representative but, as long as it isn't Miami, I feel sorry for that team.

First of all, if Holmgren & Co. do what it takes for a return ticket they will be formidable. Already the offense is a thing of beauty, when the players do their part. Some interesting upgrades could make it nearly unstoppable. The defense matured to an unexpected level and could make the leap to brutal.

Second, Seattle will be the sentimental favorite of NFL fans around the country who will be seeking redress for the injustices of Super Bowl XL. Fan sites across the nation expressed disgust and anger at the officating and will want their pound of flesh -- as long as it doesn't cost their own team, of course. Instead of black & gold in the stands it may well be a sea of blue in support of the 'Hawks.

Hopefully, though, the game won't be one big make-up call for Seattle. Nobody wants to see that, since it would be just as bad as XL. Just be objective, officials. Look up the word, if it has become unfamiliar to you. Here is a magnifying glass to help you see.

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OK, this is so tastelessly funny. WARNING: Not PC safe.

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I was going to write an update to the item below suggesting that if the NFL wished to get back in the good graces of its fans it should fire the head of officiating and the entire Super Bowl crew. Just kick them all to the curb and promise such a performance will never happen again.

Then we get this:

Aiello said Monday the league is satisfied with the performance of its officials during the postseason.

"It was a very well-officiated playoffs, including the Super Bowl," he said.

Either Aiello really believes this or the NFL does, in fact, have another agenda besides overseeing the league.

Via Sports Column. Check out their other posts on the officiating fiasco, including a rundown of fan sites for other teams who are equally (well, maybe not equally) outraged.

Posted by director at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Sports

Paul Tagliaboooo, for some inexplicable reason, has decided the NFL isn't good enough to draw fans based on the quality of the product on the field. Somebody convinced him the NFL should become the NBA.

You remember the NBA? They run that sport you used to watch? The league that wants the star players and star teams to be bigger than the league itself? Right, those guys. That's what the NFL has decided to emulate.

No more objectivity in officiating. No more letting the best team win. The NFL has decided to inject itself into the outcome of games and to favor the teams it wants to win. Its good for the league! Nobody wants Arizona or Houston to win the big games, for crying out loud. Well, except for people in Arizona or Houston, and they don't live in New York, do they? There you go.

The NFL figured out that having a lesser-known team from a smaller market win the big games was bad for business so they can no longer let that happen. Never mind they will kill their own business and drive away life-long fans. They will become arena ball, since that's all the seats they will need to hold the gangsters who will become the new customers.

Brilliant strategy, Napolean!

Posted by director at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Sports

Thanks to Pro Football Talk.

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When I went to sleep Sunday I fully expected to read nothing about the Super Bowl officiating. I thought I was just a frustrated fan and the sports pages would be full of praise for the Steelers and nothing about how they got the trophy.

Was I ever wrong.

Football Outsiders declare Worst... Super Bowl officiating ... ever.

Kevin Hench, an unabashed Steelers fan writes, "This is the space where I get to say, I told ya so. But I won't. I can't.".

Michael Smith of ESPN writes,"Here's what referee Bill Leavy's crew did, point blank: It robbed Seattle. "

This Slate article includes, "Seattle's role as afterthought to the pre-ordained Pittsburgh coronation was confirmed when ABC didn't even bother with the traditional losing-coach interview."

Pro Football Talk says, "The NFL, as we see it, has a problem. A big one. A bigger one, in the bigger picture, than the looming CBA crisis." It also has a great photoshop image that sums up the opinions of most of their readers. Sorry, no permalinks, so just scroll down.

Skip Bayless apologizes to Seattle fans, "And after spending a week in Detroit, I thought the city had cleaned up most of its crime."

Don't think this is just a nation-press issue either. Articles from the Kansas City Star, the Miami Herald, the Chicago Sports Review,
the LA Daily News, and the New York Times all weigh in.

Some fan sites from other teams express their outrage as well. Thanks to the Bills and Pats fans for their good words.

You may get a kick from the irony in this article about NFL officials prior to the game.

And that's just a quick list. More thoughts later.

Posted by director at 09:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Sports

Pittsburg players and fans should be embarrassed by the "win" handed to them by the officials.

UPDATE: Just for the record, apparently some reporters saw the same game Seattle did:

Seattle should have been ahead by a couple of touchdowns, yet found themselves down 7-3 at halftime because the referees blew a call. Roethlisberger's third-down dive into the end zone simply was not a touchdown, though it was called that on the field. Because less than two minutes remained, the call was reviewed in the booth. It was clearly and conclusively not a touchdown. Big Ben didn't get the ball across the goal line. Yet, the call stood.

Another penalty assessed on the Seahawks early in the fourth quarter, which negated a gain that took the Seahawks to the 1, also never happened. A penalty against Hasselbeck for blocking below the waist when, in fact, he was trying to tackle the interceptor, was erroneous. It would be irresponsible to say the officials were intentionally cheating Seattle. But the bad calls hurt Seattle's chances, no doubt.

Also heard Tony Snow complaining about the poor officiating on his syndicated radio show. No, the officiating wasn't bad on his show, he was, oh never mind.

I'm not one to spout conspiracy theories and I have stated often that NFL officials are the best in sports but now I have to rethink that position. Could the NFL have made their wishes known to the refs? Could there be a non-sublte belief on the part of some officials that "those guys" don't deserve to win?

It will be interesting to hear if the NFL makes any statements at all concerning the poor officiating.

Posted by director at 07:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Sports

The Spousal Unit was filling out a survey from the RNC when she came across this question:

"Do you think Social Security needs to be strengthened, or should Congress leave it alone?"

Possible answers: yes, no, no opinion. No place to check off, "Ummm..."

Posted by director at 11:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Politics

Interesting article on gasoline/alcohol mix fuels with a nice explanation on why hydrogen is not feasible.

While the author explains the "power shortage" of hydrogen he does not give a similar comparison to ethanol/methanol, nor does he explain the energy consumption needed to produce these fuels. I'd like to see that topic covered before jumping on the booz-fuel bandwagon.

Also, what happens when alcohol-mixed fuels begin to drive down the price of petroleum? It doesn't take a huge drop before the cost to produce the alcohol becomes impractical.

I'd rather see lots more drilling and fast-tracking of nuclear plants.

Posted by director at 07:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Categories: Technology