23andMe

Senator Elizabeth Warren

You’ve all heard of Senator Elizabeth Warren, a front runner for the Democratic presidential nomination and an unswattable black fly inside Donald Trump’s shorts.  Trump refers to her as Pocahontas, because she once claimed Native American heritage to qualify for some political/academic/financial advantage.  All goes to show that even Progressive icons can have feet of clay; if Senator Warren is part Native American than I am a full-blooded Maori.  Maybe a Mohawk chief once kissed her great aunt on the forehead, but that’s as far as it goes.

I bring this up because the FDA has just approved 23andMe as a reliable source of genetic testing for BRCA mutations.  The cost seems to be a bit less than $200, but as the web article (below) indicates their analysis may not be of much use.  Other sources of genetic information are described.  Your best bet: a genetics counselor. 

   

Oh, why Elizabeth Warren?  Well, it is being suggested that she take a genetics test to verify her Native American heritage.  She refuses.

https://www.acsh.org/news/2018/03/12/fda-approves-23andme-cancer-test-brca-genes-12686

'Tis a Puzzlement

Okay, now, all you young and aggressively liberal folks, no yelling at me, or even indulging in private tut tutting and shaking of heads.  This is just a FOF confronting the modern world – and getting a chuckle out of it.’

Two days ago I had reason to seek assistance from the local (Borrego Springs) medical clinic.  Oblivious to the fact that they have dealt with me every year for at least 12 years, they required me to fill out new-patient forms, which ran on for five pages.  I was particularly taken by two questions.

Gender: My choices were Male, Female, Male to female transgender, Female to male transgender, Male trans man, Female trans woman (these last two I don’t understand), Genderqueer, and Other (please specify)

Sexual orientation: Straight, Lesbian, Gay or homosexual, bisexual, Refused to reply, Unknown, and, of course, Other (please specify).

All I can say is that the world is a much more complicated place today than when I was a kid.

Genderqueer?

ALL HAIL THOSE THIN, DOUR, SERIOUS NORWEGIANS!

I know you have been waiting for my Winter Olympics analysis.  Well, here it is (top five, only.)

                Total medals: Norway (39); Germany (31); Canada (29); U.S.A. (23); Netherlands (20)

When you weight the medals – 3 for gold, 2 for silver, 1 for bronze – the ranking is identical, BUT

If you consider populations and calculate total points per million residence the table looks like this:

                Norway (15.48); Switzerland (3.70); Sweden (3.43); Austria (3.09); Netherlands

The U.S.?  Somewhere south of Japan.  We have too many people.  But we can beat most of ‘em in surfing!

So all hail Norway: Lots of mountains, lots of snow, and a tiny population!

By the way:  I am in the process of moving here in Roadrunner, so the avalanche of blogs will be interrupted.

THE ARC OF HUMAN EXISTENCE

This is not me

The arc of human existence, as exemplified by our means of locomotion:

                Baby carriage

                Tricycle

                Bicycle

                Automobile

                Motorcycle

                Automobile

                Bicycle

                Adult tricycle

                Wheelchair

                Ambulance

                And we will let it go at that.

This to inform you that I am shopping for an adult tricycle right now.

My Sturdy Little Jeep is in Love

 

 

Carolyn and Fine Feathered Friend

 

Linda’s sister Carolyn has been visiting me here in Borrego Springs.  While she was here she did all the driving, including an enjoyable long visit to Joshua Tree National Park.  She managed the cranky 6-gear transmission of my jeep wrangler amazingly well; in fact, she tamed the difficult lower gears as well or better than any former jeep jockey of my acquaintance.  And she did some off-roading!  Come back, Carolyn, and stay awhile.  I’ll even let you drive up Rainbow Canyon!   



CODGER CONFRONTS TCM

Amazing what you stumble over skimming the NCI (National Cancer Institute) bulletin.  The latest

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/16107f1b6790155d

has all sorts of meaty discussions of Western science as applied to disease, especially cancer. 

However, it also has a brief but enlightening description of acupuncture.  I found it very engrossing.

 

I always have regarded acupuncture as one part voodoo, one part faith-healing, with an unknown amount of medical mystery stirred in.  All I knew was that in acupuncture they jabbed you with needles to make you feel better.  Boy, was I wrong!

I still have trouble with the concept that there exist within us channels (called  meridians), along which our vital energies (Qi) flows.  The proper distribution of female (yin) and male (yang) attributes (?) is necessary for the efficient functioning of the body.  Acupuncture – far more than just needles – is used to correct imbalances in yin and yang.

I am still skeptical, but a bit intrigued.  I doubt if I will go to an acupuncturist any time soon.  I need to see a picture of a meridian, or a functional Qi meter.  But I’m curious.

Here is the article: (Well, hell, I'll have to put it in a Comment.)

TRAVEL ADVICE

One cutie pie, one ham-bone, one terrified toddler - and one FOF

You sort them out

How to travel during your 9^th decade - and enjoy it.

Most of these suggestions come from personal experience, usually discomfort caused by doing the opposite.

1)      Do nothing to diminish your appearance of aged helplessness.  Strive to look even more decrepit than you actually are, if that is possible.

2)      Carry and conspicuously rely on a stout wooden cane or walking stick.  You will walk easier and if, by chance, someone attempts a mugging you can kill them..

3)      Do not travel by bus, ever.  Trains might work, but airplanes are best because they minimize the time spent travelling and maximize the time actually being there. having fun.

4)      If possible visit friends and relatives with washing machines.  That way you can get by with a tiny, light suitcase.

5)      Even if you ran a triathlon last Tuesday, tell the airline that you need wheelchair assistance.  It’s quick, easy, and free.  (But have generous tip money at hand.)

6)      When you arrange your airline schedule (actually, let an agent do it for you), pay no attention to cost.  The object is to get from HERE to THERE and back again with the least possible discomfort.  This entails minimizing both time and plane-changes.  Money is nearly irrelevant; after all, you are in your 9^th decade – and you can’t take it with you.  If you did extraordinarily well the previous eight decades or so you might even consider 1^st Class.  For the rest of us, though, go Coach – for a few hours anybody can stand a 14-inch seat between two sweaty 300 pounders.  Right?

7)      When you get home, prepare to be very tired.