Hi folks, You never want to start an arms race, or you end up like Alice and the Red Queen, moving faster but getting nowhere. I think I might have started such a race in the form of an undercurrent of hostility in a comment stream in response to a blog post I wrote a while ago. In fact, I have clearly irritated some people by countering arguments made by Shane Ellison about the 'drug industry.' If you want the ... Read more
Grief Is An Interesting Phenomenon And One That You Will Encounter So Be Prepared If You Can
"A rich man asked a Zen master to write something down that might encourage the prosperity of his family for years to come. It could be something the family would cherish for generations. On a large piece of paper, the master wrote, "Father dies, son dies, grandson dies." The rich man was angry when he saw the master's work. "I asked you to write something down that could bring happiness and ... Read more
Ask Not For Whom The Bell Tolls Just Fail Better Instead By Doing Something
"Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." Samuel Beckett, cited by a student of Tim Ferriss, in 'The 4-Hour Work Week.' Hi folks, It is great to be back in Lake Placid for the 2012 Ironman race, having survived abdominal aortic surgery. It was in 2010 that this Ironman race saved my life from a huge aortic aneurysm, of which I was blithely unaware at the time. So I ... Read more
Hopes, Dreams, Worry, Sleep, And The Joy Of Fresh Peaches with Hoop Cheese At Three AM In New Jersey
Hi folks, Books and peaches seem to have something in common, in that sometimes they have to ripen before they are really digestible. There are three books that took a while to grow on me, and now I refer to them all the time. They are like the peaches that I bought at a farm stall three or four days ago, at which time they were as hard as bullets. I was assured by the farmer, who also made the hoop ... Read more
Why Is FitOldDog Competing In The Lake Placid Ironman Again With His Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Stent Graft?
Hi folks, You might think that after going through abdominal aortic surgery that your days as an athlete, especially an older Ironman competitor, would be over. Benjamin Carey of Heartosaurus fame demonstrated in his great book, 'Barefoot in November, that this is not the case for thoracic aortic aneurysm surgery in a younger person. So, as FitOldDog, I'm pushing the boundaries for abdominal aortic ... Read more
Blogging As Graffiti With Punctuation Or Love Letters To The Biosphere
Hi folks, I was riding my bike the other day, and my focus was relaxation, so what happens? My right calf tightens up. So what do I do? I ask Rebecca to fix it! We love to pass our problems onto other people, but then again, outsourcing can be the road to a happy life - just read 'The Four Hour Work Week,' by Tim Ferriss. In response to my request for assistance our conversation ranged through tight ... Read more
Generosity Of Spirit Is Important For The Endurance Athlete And For A Happy Life
Hi folks, The biggest enemy of charity or generosity is fear - someone famous said something like that, but I don't remember who (or is it whom?). I most certainly consider this statement to be true. Think about it! If you become short on money, are you more or less likely to give money away? Generally not, but this is a big mistake as a general rule. Remember the old Widow's Mite story in the ... Read more
FitOldDog Discovers The Difference Between Marketing And Sales As He Works To Find His Target Customers For A Great Aortic Surgery Recovery Guide
Hi folks, This blog has been a real boon to me, as it has brought me closer to my family of origin. For instance, my 'Bro' Trevor, was always a mystery to me, but now I understand that he sees the World in a different way. I live my life, largely, via logic circuits, whilst Trevor seems to understand how people feel. I have had a number of uncomplimentary names in my life, one of which was Genghis Khan, and I ... Read more
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