Gout in Humans and Animals

Here’s an interesting post by a relatively new rheumatologist-blogger. Apparently diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) also known as Voltaren – of the same class as ibuprofen, A.K.A. Motrin and Advil – is toxic in birds. How do birds ingest it? Well obviously they feed on dead cows!

Vulture populations crashed in the nineties and pathologists were able to show that they died of renal failure with secondary visceral gout. Surprisingly, the usual suspects, disease and human encroachment on habitat, were not involved directly. It turns out that the vultures were being poisoned by voltaren, which they ingested while feasting on deceased, voltaren-treated cattle. After their initial investigations, biologists undertook carefully contolled studies and were able to confirm the toxicity of voltaren to these birds, the high prevalence of voltaren in cattle, and that birds feeding on such cattle can easily ingest a lethal dose.

Why are cows fed diclofenac? I have no idea and 3+Speckled (nice one Doc!) doesn’t mention why either. We’ll have to look into it sometime.

A Perspective on Blockbusters

One of my (many) pet peeves is how every summer, the hot new block buster movie breaks all the old records for how much money they earn. And yet, these aren’t inflation-adjusted dollars, so what does this really tell us? Did Spider Man really bring in more money than The Wizard Oz after you’ve adjusted for inflation?

Today I found this article in the New York Times. It’s as I suspected. When you adjust the dollars for inflation, Shrek or some other recent movie is not the big winner it’s made out to be. The winner? Gone with the Wind.

The Worlds of Connie Willis

I find myself, on this Memorial Day weekend, thinking about how I’m going to spend my upcoming vacation. I mean, I know where I’ll be, but I’m wondering what I’ll do with my time. Mrs. C and I and her family will be doing some stuff, but we’ll have lots of time to just sit around too, so I’m really trying to decide what I’m going to bring along to read.

I’m now old enough that I frequently return to authors and books that I know well. The nice thing about re-reading a book is that you already know that it’s worth it. And so my thoughts return to the books of Connie Willis.

She is one of my favorite authors. She has a very simple but very compelling style. She writes with wit. She constructs remarkable plots based on simple ideas.

One of her early stories, ‘Fire Watch’, is an example. The simple idea is that of returning to St. Paul’s Cathedral in London in the middle of the Blitz. With that as a starting point she creates a story that is part suspense, part mystery. It ends poignantly and with a simple message, yet the way she gets there is a great yarn.

How about a book review?

I’ve just decided that I have to put in a plug for Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policemen’s Union. It’s a combination of writing styles that I just love and it works really well.

First, it’s science fiction, of the alternative universe variety. I won’t tell you exactly how because I think it would spoil the fun. Just suffice it to say that there are a lot of Jews in Alaska.

Second, it’s a hard boiled detective thriller. If you’ve looked through this site at all you’ll know how much I love Raymond Chandler and Dashielle Hammett. Well Chabon creates Meyer Landsman, a police detective in Sitka who can stand right up there with the best of them in the hot water he gets into. He’s a hard drinking, lonely, pathetic guy who also happens to be a great detective – most of the time. He’s very appealing.

It’s also comedy. The writing is truly funny. I mean, just the thought of a bunch of Jews in Alaska is enough to make you start chuckling, but what he does with it is hilarious. Meyer is not only hard drinking, lonely, and pathetic, he’s also a first class smart ass. So is his partner. And his ex-wife. And most of the people he hangs around with. And meets. And he gets into funny situations: Have you heard the one about the jew who jumps into a car with the wife of a mafioso rabbi? How about the one about the jew who breaks out of jail in his underwear in the middle of winter? It’s a blast.

Finally, it’s just a plain good story. Chabon writes characters who are appealing and likeable. By the time you finish the book you care about these people and what happens to them. You respect them. And that’s nice.

Anyway, I will be visiting my local library in the near future to pick up more of his books, like The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. I can’t wait.

Where have I been?

Oh, you know. Around.

No, really I’m still here, just been lazy lately. Let me contemplate a spell, and I’ll try to do a little posting soon.

Another great offering, by way of Neatorama.

Such a surprise!

Is anyone out there honestly surprised by this:

Justice Department Says F.B.I. Misused Patriot Act

I mean, just how stupid do you have to be to think that law enforcement would not abuse the powers given to them by the Patriot Act.

The writers of our Constitution really were smart guys and really did know what they were doing.  Why can’t we seem to get it through our heads that giving anyone the power to invade a citizen’s (or non-citizen’s) privacy without due process of law is a bad idea for everyone?

Like Mysteries? (As in books?)

I have to put in a plug for one of my all time favorite book stores. The Sleuth of Baker Street is a mystery book store located in the heart of old Toronto. Actually, that’s a bald-faced lie. Even though it should be in the heart of the old city (does Toronto have an old city?), it’s actually in the East York area of the city, close to the Mount Pleasant Cemetery on Bayview Ave.

What a great book store. If you like mysteries, you’ll find whatever you’re looking for there. If by some chance they don’t have it, they’ll know how to find it. And if you don’t know what you want, they’ll help you figure it out.

The staff are friendly and very knowledgeable. In fact they publish a regular newsletter, which it appears that they all participate in writing, that first gives their recommendations and then details pretty much every new mystery book that’s been published in the last few months.

Looking for the next book in a series? They’ll know when it’s due out and will be happy to pre-order it for you. And if they don’t know, they’ll find out.

And here’s another one …

Also via Neatorama, check out this site.

Fun Pictures

Photoshop strikes again! These are fun pictures, but the one below is definitely the best!

Via Neatorama.