Donald Trump - Political Suicide Bomber

Last night, Donald Trump strapped on a political suicide vest and pulled the trigger in front of 80 million people on television. There was no glory in Trump’s despicable acts last night. What he did was live out the fantasy of every right-wing conspiracist who has spent the last quarter century with an unremitting hatred for Bill and Hillary Clinton. Trump gave voice to every ugly rumor, innuendo, and debunked theory trafficked in the underbelly of the Internet, on conservative talk radio, and the echo chamber of Fox News. He put the human manifestations of every lurid belief about Bill Clinton in the audience and slashed Hillary Clinton as “the devil,” a woman who had “hatred in her heart” and would be in jail if he were elected (that last one elicited a lusty applause from the audience). 

Trump went after Bill and Hillary Clinton viciously, personally, and often falsely, but that will matter little to people who have been fed a steady diet of Clinton conspiracies for the last 25 years. If you believe that the Clintons ran drugs in Arkansas, faked Vince Foster’s suicide, or sold cattle futures for huge profits there is a direct through line to believing Hillary deleted incriminating emails off her private server, handed out favors to Clinton Foundation donors, and would be in prison but for the good graces of an FBI Director who served as the number two official in the George W. Bush Justice Department.

Trump’s dissection was done with a butcher’s knife not a scalpel, but it mattered little. He stalked the stage ominously and audibly sucked in air as he leveled one false claim after the other, the politics of personal destruction fed to him by his top campaign officials who have made their careers smearing the Clintons and their work. What little he shared in the policy arena was non-sensical. Merely removing barriers to health insurers will magically replace Obamacare, his tax policy won’t blow a massive long-term hole in the deficit (not to mention what it will do to our debt), and beating ISIS will merely require bombing the shit out of them. 

It is tired pablum uttered by someone who knows little about the issues but a lot about how to foment discontent. Trump’s actions will not win him votes but I fear it will harden opposition to Clinton if she becomes President in a way that will make the Tea Party revolt against Obama look mild in comparison. Trump is creating a lynch mob of such radicalism that no Republican will risk running afoul of it for fear of losing their precious seat in Congress. James Carville famously said that “politics ain’t beanbag,” but you would hope it is not whatever we saw on stage in St. Louis either.

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Leigh Day Helli-va Ride

This Thursday evening a group of hardy young lawyers from Leigh Day are going to set out from Hoddesdon in Herts to start a clockwise arc down to Sevenoaks, Kent which will begin the trace of a giant 'H' inside a circle, a heli-pad sign, covering the area that the London Air Ambulance Service serves.

These lawyers are the ones likely to be looking after your financial interests if you are both unlucky enough to be involved in a collision and are a member of British Cycling, so it is nice to know not only that they can cycle but that they are superhuman too.  The ride is just over 300 miles and the team will be riding round the clock aiming to finish in 19 hours.  A remarkable pace given how much of the ride is in congested London.

Not being superhuman - I cannot do 300 miles and I cannot ride through the night and through the following day without being a liability to myself and others - I am planning merely to do the second half.  As dawn breaks on Friday morning I will link up with them just west of Epsom to complete the job.

I am apprehensive about doing half what they are doing.  Even 150 miles is the longest ride I have ever done.   So, as they are doing twice that, they really do deserve support.  So do not sponsor me sponsor them.

Also the cause is a hugely admirable one.  The London Ambulance Service relies upon charitable fund raising of this sort.  They will be there for you if you crash in London.  On a personal note I am extremely lucky they were there for me on 4th January 2014 when I came down very hard during the Imperial Winter Series at Hillingdon.

So do please support, the link is here:

http://ift.tt/2cyaEZW



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Three Weeks That Might Have Cost Hillary The Presidency

If Donald Trump wins the Presidency, we will likely look back at the roughly three week period between late August and September 11th as the reason why. As you will see, a confluence of bad reporting and tactical decisions by both candidates conspired to change a race that was heading in the direction of a Clinton landslide to a coin toss proposition.

The weeks following both parties’ conventions were not good to Donald Trump. His was a four-day spectacle of oddballs and charlatans and party officials conspicuous by their absence. Her’s was a murderer’s row of validators along with ordinary Americans who testified to Hillary’s compassion, hard work, and decency. What had been a neck-and-neck race before the two conventions quickly turned in Hillary’s favor and she opened large leads in national polls and battleground states while edging within the margin of error in reliably red states like Arizona and Georgia. On August 19th, Trump’s campaign chairman was pushed out after revelations about millions in off book payments he received from the pro-Putin former President of Ukraine became public and in his place Trump promoted a pollster named Kellyanne Conway to campaign manager and the editor of the alt-right website Breitbart.com, Steve Bannon, as his campaign “CEO.” This was the second major shake up of Trump’s campaign in just a few months. His chances of winning the Presidency hovered in the 10-15 percent range on Nate Silver’s fivethirtyeight.com website.

But then the worm started to turn. On August 23th, the Associated Press published a “bombshell” report about the number of donors to the Clinton Foundation who were able to get meetings with Hillary Clinton while she was Secretary of State. Never mind that the headline was slanted, the data cherry picked, and some of those donors included Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and U2 singer Bono, this story dominated cable news for days. When emails showed Clinton Foundation staffer Doug Band trying to get various “favors” from the State Department (all of which were denied), the story crystallized - somehow a Foundation getting HIV drugs to poor people in Africa, clean water to Haitians and myriad other philanthropic efforts was being portrayed as some sort of sleazy pay-to-play machine for rich people trying to curry favor with the federal government. 

It would take members of the media a week or more to unwind and fact check these salacious headlines (the AP’s false tweet touting the story was quietly deleted some two weeks later), including one that had to do with Band trying to expedite diplomatic passports for Foundation staffers trying to travel with President Clinton to North Korea to help extricate two Americans being held there. But the damage was already done. Hillary’s schedule was fundraiser-heavy and while she was doing some public events and one-on-one interviews, as the wave of Foundation stories was cresting, reporters started ginning up stories about how long it had been since she had a “formal” press conference. At the exact time the media horde was doubling down on stories that “raised questions” about Hillary’s conduct in public life, she and her team chose not to aggressively knock down the stories. This would prove to be a big mistake.

On the Friday before Labor Day, the FBI released dozens of pages of notes on their interview with Mrs. Clinton regarding her email server. This continued with their highly irregular actions with regard to this investigation that began with a public statement by FBI Director Comey just before the Fourth of July holiday that Clinton would not be prosecuted, but criticizing her actions. Of course, typical procedure is that people who are not indicted for crimes are not publicly excoriated by the FBI, much less have the notes of their interview released publicly, but hey, Hillary, am I right? Another predictable round of media hand wringing ensued and again, she and her team were not nearly as aggressive as they should have been in response. 

The capstone to this was the one-two punch of Hillary calling half of Trump’s supporters a “basket of deplorables” followed two days later by her getting dehydrated and having to be helped to her vehicle at a 9/11 ceremony, resulting in her disclosure that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia a few days earlier. More “questions were raised” about her secretiveness and her alleged “insult” of Trump supporters (never mind that it was arguably a factual statement but at worst a poor choice of words - “half” as opposed to “some” or “many”). The pneumonia story in particular was too perfect for reporters - it reinforced their belief that she is too secretive (because she did not disclose the illness) and the cell phone video of her wobbling was replayed incessantly on cable news channels. 

While all this was happening, Trump was quietly (for him) retooling his message. Luckily for him, a credulous press corps was ready to throw his insults to a Gold Star family, John McCain, Judge Gonzalo Curiel, all Mexicans, all non-American Muslims, and of course, his birtherism down the memory hole because he decided to do some African-American “outreach” in a largely white suburb of Milwaukee. Trump then made a last-minute visit to Mexico City where because he did not throw up on his shoes at a brief media availability with Mexican President Pena Nieto, the press deemed a success (even “Presidential.”) The “basket of deplorables” comment gave Trump the opportunity to feign outrage at an insult to his supporters and after questioning Hillary’s health in the preceding weeks, the video footage of her stumbling into her motorcade needed no embellishment. 

While there was some investigative reporting being done about Trump and his business dealings, the coverage was dwarfed by the tsunami of coverage given to the Clinton Foundation, the FBI notes, and Hillary coming down with pneumonia. To take the most glaring example, while there was no proof the Clinton Foundation engaged in any illegal (or even unethical) conduct, the Trump Foundation was found to have violated federal law by giving $25,000 to Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi - they even paid a fine! But for some reason, this very apparent act of influence peddling (Bondi’s office dropped an investigation into Trump University several days after the donation was received) was not given nearly the attention paid to the Clinton Foundation, where no quid or quo was even remotely shown. Similarly, Trump continued getting a pass on releasing his tax returns, his health records, or information on his Foundation even as the media portrayed Clinton, who had released 40 years of tax returns, the names of all donors to the Clinton Foundation, had 30,000 emails made public, and released detailed medical information, as the one with the transparency problem. 

How did all of this end up impacting the race? Bigly, as Trump might say. On August 25th, Clinton was leading Trump nationally by amounts ranging from four points (right-leaning Rasmussen) to seven points (Reuters-Ipsos) to ten points (Quinnipiac). Six days later, Hillary’s lead had been cut to one in the Reuters poll and the following day, Rasmussen had Trump ahead by one. On August 29th, Nate Silver gave Trump a 19 percent chance of winning. Today, Trump is a slight underdog at 40 percent. In state polls, Trump has gone from high single digit deficits in places like Florida and Ohio to small single digit leads and he has solidified his standing in those red states that just a month ago appeared to be slipping from his grasp.

The after action report of this time period will be interesting. Much of the hysterical reporting on the Clinton Foundation ended up being much ado about nothing, but it allowed the media to reinforce its preferred narrative - that Hillary is untrustworthy, even though she did nothing wrong. They “Swift Boated” a charitable organization and Hillary erred in the same way John Kerry did when the same thing happened to him in 2004 - she did not respond. Of course, in his case, the attacks were coming from the Republicans. Hillary got done by the very media that is supposed to objectively report on the candidates. At the same time, Trump’s mouth was (mostly) under control and because he continues to refuse to release any information about his business dealings, reporters are left to public records requests to try and piece together how he operates. 

These are not small points, particularly because many in the media refuse to take ownership for their part in normalizing Trump, failing to hold him to the same standard they do Clinton (some reporters do not even bother pretending the two candidates are held to the same standard - they readily admit the two are not), or admitting they do much to drive certain stereotypes that are not actually based in fact. This would not be a big deal but for the fact this is happening in a situation where we are picking the person who will take on the most important job in the world.

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End of summer project

With the shortening days my thoughts turn naturally to layers and wool and knitting and the need to make something to keep myself warm. So I'm putting away all the cotton pieces that I didn't get to this summer. They will have another chance next year.

But this weekend is still warm and I am happy that I finished another sleeveless top.

This project started life as a huge man's housecoat. Yes, I am serious! I only wish I had taken a photo but I didn't think of it until it was too late. Thrifted, it was only purchased because it was made of an extremely high quality 100% cotton sateen. The original label is Holt Renfrew. Someone paid a nice amount for that robe. But it wasn't me.

You would think I would have enough to make a garment at least as big. But that isn't how it works. Once I picked off the 4 pockets (all double topstitched with tiny stitches) and realized that it had two-piece sleeves I had enough to comfortably make this sleeveless shirt, including the cut-on front facings, a double yoke in back and bias strips to finish the arm openings.

Look Ma! No raw edges!

At right is a photo of the inside, which I am rather proud of. I even remembered to sew the fusible interfacing to the front facing at the outside edge before fusing. Such a nice finish!

My pattern choice is quirky.

I have a vintage pattern for a sleeveless shirt with a convertible collar, which I rejected. I've made it twice (second effort blogged here). I rejected it because I wanted a slightly less blousey and more modern fit. Specifically, it had too much fabric in the upper chest and shoulder area and was too nipped in at the waist.

Burda Magazine 2010-04-105

I had a blouse with just the fit I wanted in my closet, but the original pattern (line drawing at left) was totally wrong in all the details. It had a stand collar, ruffled front and no front opening for starters. And I wasn't sure how the yoke would work with a convertible collar style.

I had gotten rid of some of those details the first time I made it. (Strangely, that too was a refashioning project.)

This time I also added an overlap and cut-on front facing for a front button closure, extended the front to the top of the shoulder, reduced the back yoke accordingly, and added a convertible collar. I did not completely eliminate the back yoke (even though its existence made for a bit of a sewing puzzle moment when trying to clean finish the inside neckline) because it builds in some very nice back shaping.

The new collar was a bit of a leap in the dark that had me comparing the shoulder and neck shapes of my vintage Simplicity pattern with the modified Burda one (they were amazingly and completely different and my seeming inability to understand how that can be is a little bit terrifying) and puzzling over my pattern drafting books. I decided to just give up and wing it, cut a mock up out of scrap fabric and pinned it in, finding that it was exactly right. I guess I shouldn't overthink these things.

I really like the resulting shirt, which fits just the way I wanted. I wonder how I'll change the pattern the next time I want a sleeveless shirt...




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The Criminal Justice System; How it fails us and how it needs reform

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Who Gets Mesothelioma ?

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the lining of the body's internal organs, a thin layer of cells known as the mesothelium. While very thin, this layer of cells is vitally important to organ function and the health of the inner body structures. There are three recognized types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the pleural lining of the lungs and is the most common form of the disease. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs within the peritoneum, which lines the abdominal cavity and is the second most common form of the disease. Pericardial mesothelioma is the rarest variety of the disease and occurs in the pericardial lining of the heart. The primary cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos, though other factors, such as smoking may increase the likeliness of the disease in certain individuals.

About the Disease

Simply put, mesothelioma which is commonly referred to as asbestos cancer, is an aggressive cancer caused primarily by the inhalation of dangerous asbestos fibers. The disease attacks the mesothelium, a protective, two-layered membrane that covers the internal organs of the body including the lungs, heart and abdominal organs. Between these layers, the cells produce fluid, which allows easy movement of the heart and lungs within the chest cavity. The layer that covers the lungs is called the pleura, and the layer that covers the heart is called the pericardium. The peritoneum lines the abdominal cavity. Mesothelium also lines the male and female reproductive organs. Mesothelioma can affect any of these cells, but is usually seen in the pleural or peritoneal mesothelium. The most commonly diagnosed form of this cancer is pleural mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma takes anywhere from 20 to 50 years to develop, which is why older individuals are usually the victims. However, recent cases involving September 11th World Trade Center first responders and clean-up crews show that high concentrations of asbestos can cause the disease to develop much more rapidly. A few WTC workers have already died of the disease.

Effects of the Disease

The invasion of the mesothelium by cancer cells makes it very difficult for the patient to breathe, resulting in the need for oxygen, especially as the disease progresses. Those with the pleural form of mesothelioma may also suffer from pleural effusions. These effusions prevent the smooth movement of the lungs and other organs in the chest. Peritoneal mesothelioma also affects the stomach area and abdominal cavity, causing nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite, which can result in dangerous weight loss. In addition to breathing difficulties and loss of appetite, mesothelioma victims also complain of excessive coughing, sleeping difficulties, persistent chest pain, fever, and pain in the lower back.

Mesothelioma, in general, is a very painful disease and because it is usually not diagnosed until it's in an advanced stage. For this reason, the symptoms are typically quite serious. Late diagnosis also means that the cancer is more likely to have metastasized, or spread, making successful mesothelioma treatment even more difficult.

Who Gets Mesothelioma?

Statistics show that, because of their work history, the disease most often affects men between the ages of 50 and 70 who were employed in an asbestos-laden environment before asbestos warnings and bans were in place in the 1970s. Though women still have a much lower frequency of the disease, cases of second-hand exposure to asbestos has prompted more diagnoses among women, especially those whose male family members worked with asbestos. The occupations most associated with mesothelioma are shipyard workers, electricians, plumbers, construction industry workers, pipefitters, boilermakers, and anyone subject to heavy exposure to dangerous asbestos and airborne asbestos fibers.

An abundance of cases have also demonstrated that mesothelioma can develop among people who lived in communities where asbestos factories or mines were located. In some instances, entire towns have been adversely affected by the presence of asbestos fibers in the air. For example, in Libby, Montana - site of a former vermiculite asbestos mine - hundreds have already died of mesothelioma.

Though still significantly rarer than other cancers, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Other countries, notably the United Kingdom and Australia, report a much higher incidence of the disease. Nevertheless, the United States - like many other countries - has seen an increase in asbestos-caused cancer as men who worked in U.S. shipyards in the 1940s and 1950s, at the height of production, are now being diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Dealing with Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is most often diagnosed in its late stages, and such a diagnosis is devastating to the individual and his/her family. Though research into the disease has been ongoing, there is currently no cure for mesothelioma. Some patients may be candidates for surgery to remove tumors or even an entire lung, but most are better treated with radiation or chemotherapy. More often than not, these treatments are palliative, serving to lessen the severity of the symptoms of the disease rather than offering a cure.

Medical professionals and research scientists, however, are constantly exploring new ways to combat the disease. For example, doctors know that some combinations of chemotherapy drugs work better than others and tests developed to ascertain earlier diagnosis of the disease or to monitor those most at risk have arrived on the scene.

Who's to Blame?

The reason someone develops mesothelioma is usually the lack of proper protection offered to those who worked with asbestos. Though the dangerous properties of asbestos and asbestos products have been evident for decades, many employers neglected to protect their workers from inhaling asbestos while on the job. It wasn't until public awareness of the dangers of the material were revealed in the 1970s that many employers began offering protective clothing such as respirators, gloves, aprons, and other such items to those working with asbestos on a daily basis.

Due to the negligence of employers, many companies who manufacture asbestos or products that contain asbestos have been subject to literally thousands of lawsuits filed by those who've been harmed by the material. Many of those lawsuits have come from individuals suffering from mesothelioma.

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Mesothelioma Information - 10 Most Asked Q & A

(Apart from|Besides) patients and families, there are many of all of us who {look for|seek out|hunt for} mesothelioma information and have questions we would like answered. {Right here are|In this article are|Below are} 10 of the most often asked questions with answers for those seeking mesothelioma information.

{Exactly|Specifically|Accurately} what is the mesothelium?

The mesothelium is a membrane that completely {addresses|includes|protects} and protects each of the internal organs of {your body|the entire body}. This membrane is made up of two layers of cells, one layer surrounds the {body organ|appendage|body} while the other varieties a sac around it. The mesothelium produces lubricating fluid which is released between these layers, allowing the moving organs {including the} heart and lungs to glide easily against {surrounding|nearby|adjoining} surfaces.

What is mesothelioma cancer?

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that {disorders|hits|moves} the mesothelium membrane, and is caused by {previous|early|prior} exposure to asbestos {contaminants|allergens|debris}. When mesothelioma strikes, {cellular material|skin cells} of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control, and malignant {cellular material|skin cells} develop in the mesothelium which can metastasize from their original site to invade and damage {near by|local} tissues and organs within the body. Typically, mesothelioma cancer will {commence|get started} in the pleura or peritoneum.. the {belly|abs} cavity or {lung area|bronchi}.

How common is mesothelioma cancer?

Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of {malignancy|tumor|cancers}, even though reported {occurrence|prevalence|chance} figures show {a constant|a stable|a regular} increase {in the last|within the last} 20 years or so. Each {12 months|yr|season} approximately 2, 000 new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed in the {Usa|Combined|Unified} States alone. Mesothelioma {influences} men more so than ladies and the risk increases with age, but mesothelioma can occur in either sex and at every age.

What are the causes of mesothelioma cancer?

At least 90% of mesotheliomas can be {connected|associated} to {contact with|experience of} asbestos, although usually the exposure will have taken place many years before the {malignancy|tumor|cancers} becomes apparent. It is known that even very low levels of {contact with|experience of} asbestos can lead to the development of mesothelioma cancer, so it is possible that some patients {may well not|might not exactly} have had any known contact with asbestos but may still have breathed in asbestos fibres without realizing it. Exposure to certain chemicals and {rays|the radiation|light} has also been {connected|associated} to mesothelioma, and {a tiny} number of mesotheliomas have been linked to {a kind of|a form of} radiation called thorium dioxide(thorotast). This was used in some x-rays up until the 1950's. {There is absolutely no|There is not any|You cannot find any} {proof|facts|data} linking mesotheliomas with cigarette smoking

How is mesothelioma cancer diagnosed?

The symptoms of mesothelioma are often difficult to diagnose being very similar to the symptoms displayed in other conditions including asbestosis. The {analysis|medical diagnosis|prognosis} of mesothelioma {will need|will demand|requires} a review of the person's health background, including {previous|earlier} history of asbestos {publicity|direct exposure|coverage}. A complete physical {exam|evaluation|assessment} will be performed and x-rays of the {upper body|torso|breasts} and abdomen obtained. A CT scan or MRI may also prove useful in the diagnosis of mesothelioma.

Can mesothelioma be treated?

Treatment for mesothelioma cancer varies {depending on|with regards to the} precise location of the cancer, to what extent the mesothelioma cancer has developed, and the patient's age and {basic|standard} condition. The options for mesothelioma treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, and radiation treatment.

Is there {a remedy|a treatment|a get rid of} for mesothelioma?

The only treatment offering any {wish|desire|expect} of a cure for mesothelioma is an {procedure} to remove the tumor surgically. Unfortunately because mesothelioma cancer is so difficult to diagnose, it is often too far advanced for surgery to be {transported|taken} out safely.

{Exist|Are available|Is there} new treatments available for mesothelioma cancer?

The National Cancer {Company is|Start is|Commence is} currently sponsoring {medical|scientific|specialized medical} trials {in order to|so that you can} discover new treatments for mesothelioma along with improvement of the way current mesothelioma treatments are implemented. Before any new mesothelioma treatment can be recommended for {basic|standard} use, {intensive|comprehensive} trials must be carried out to show that the mesothelioma cancer treatment is safe for patients {and can|and may|and definitely will} prove effective against the disease. {Involvement|Contribution|Engagement} in these clinical {tests is definitely an|tests is usually an|studies is definitely an|studies is usually an|trial offers is definitely an|trial offers is usually an} important treatment option for many patients {struggling|enduring|battling} from the effects of mesothelioma.

Precisely what is the life expectancy for those diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer?

The life expectancy for patients diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer will vary {depending on|with regards to the} type of cancer, where the tumor is, {how long|what lengths} it has spread and {age group|era|grow older} and general health of {the individual|the sufferer|the person}. Studies show average survival periods of between 8 and 14 {weeks|a few months|several weeks} but {it is far from|it is not necessarily|not necessarily} uncommon for patients to have for a few years {subsequent|next|pursuing} diagnosis of {the problem|the situation|the disorder}.

{Therefore|Thus|And so} what is asbestosis?

Asbestosis is a non-cancerous {persistent|long-term|serious} and potentially lethal other disease affecting the {lung area|bronchi}, and is caused by {contact with|experience of} asbestos. Asbestosis can cause {long lasting|everlasting} lung {harm|ruin|affect}, increased risk of dangerous lung infections, and {center|cardiovascular|cardiovascular system} failure.

So those are the most often asked questions by those seeking mesothelioma information, and it is hoped the above answers have enlightened you.

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The Primary Cause of Mesothelioma

{Exactly|Specifically|Accurately} what is Asbestos?

The product is The insulation is one of the most useful minerals {which is often|that can be} found from rocks {wealthy|abundant} in many countries. {The|Their|It is} tiny fibers are as strong as steel yet can be woven easily. {Probably the most|One of the} sought characteristics of asbestos is that it has high {resistance from|capacity} {chemical substance|chemical type|compound} reaction and heat.

Uses of Asbestos

UK was known to be the {most significant|major} importer of {the product|the insulation}; it is because {the product|the insulation} can be used in construction and household {home appliances|devices|kitchen appliances} like air conditioners, {fridges|freezers|wine bottle coolers}, etc... {It might|It may|It could possibly} also be used in building {boats|cruises|cruise ships} and vehicles.

Furthermore, {the product is|the insulation is} also a good insulator that's why many companies use asbestos to manufacture amosite insulation {planks|panels} and other building materials. Others {put it to use|make use of it} as hardener and come up with the asbestos cement.

Types of Asbestos

Asbestos has only three types; {brownish|dark brown|darkish}, blue and white {the product|the insulation}. Among the list of three, brown and {green|unknown|rare} asbestos are not allowed to be exported to other countries since they are {the most frequent} causes of Mesothelioma cancers. White {the product|the insulation}, on the other {hands|palm|side}, was thought to be harmless until cases of Mesothelioma caused because of it emerged in the early 1980's.

How {The product|The insulation} gets into {your body|the entire body}

{Risks|Hazards|Problems} start when asbestos is damaged because it {produces|emits|launches} very tiny fibers {which is often|that can be} easily breathed in. {These types of|These kinds of} particles will make their way to the {lung area|bronchi} blocking {the little|the tiny} airways. The bad thing is they cannot be coughed away. {Nevertheless ,|Yet ,} the natural {protection|security} mechanism of the body will try {in order to|to be able to} them down which will further result to inflammation of the lung tissues. {Even though|Though}, there are cases which asbestos are taken into the body through {intestinal|digestive :} system but {the most frequent is} through respiratory tracts.

Types of Mesothelioma

There are 3 types of Mesothelioma {that are|which can be|that happen to be} named after the {cells|tissue|flesh} where asbestos fibers {negotiate|decide|reconcile} for {a long time|many years|years} and where the first symptoms can be detected.

Pleural Mesothelioma cancer

When asbestos fibers are breathed in, {they are going to|they may} {pay|resolve|give} down in pleura, the membranes which surround the lungs. There are no immediate effects and symptoms once asbestos is inhaled but over the years, Mesothelioma cancer cells will be developed due to frequent irritation that {the product|the insulation} fibers would create. {Additional|Various other|Different} lung diseases {can be|can even be} expected.

Peritonial Mesothelioma

{Apart from|Besides} being inhaled, asbestos fibers {can be|can even be} swallowed through food and will stick in the {digestive tract|gastrointestinal system|gastrointestinal tract} of the {human being|individual|man} body. Researches showed that the particles will greatly damage the {belly|abs} {walls|filters} called peritoneum; inflammation is the first symptom.

Pericardial Mesothelioma

This is the rare type of Mesothelioma cancer but {additionally it is|it is additionally|also, it is} the type with faster effects since asbestos fibers {may cause|can cause} great damages to pericardium, the membrane which holds the heart. Although experts {avoid|may|no longer} have a clear view {the way the|how a} fibers reached the heart, but it is believed that fibers travel through bloodstream.

Mesothelioma {are not able to|are unable to|simply cannot} be detected immediately. {This|That} will take 20 to 3 decades to experience its first symptoms. That is why people who have been exposed to asbestos are advised to {check with|talk to} a physician at early stage.

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Facts About a Mesothelioma

mesothelioma cancer lawsuit is an adversarial complaint or case {submitted|registered|recorded} in court by any victim of mesothelioma {to ensure that|for|to ensure} him to recover whatever damages he or {the girl|the lady|your woman} may have incurred {because of this|therefore} of a sickness, such as cancer, that may {are suffering from|allow us} due to the side effects of {the product|the insulation}. It helps any {sufferer|patient|person} of mesothelioma in {retrieving|regaining} moral damages, {because of this|therefore} of his suffering and {aches and pains|discomfort|aches}. Also, actual damages in reparation for whatever income he might have lost. This includes hospital {expenses|charges}, medicines and expected {income|revenue|profits}.

The victim, through a mesothelioma lawsuit, may also ask the court to grant him any {alleviation|comfort|pain relief} owed to him as the court may {consider|regard|think} proper.

Precisely what is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a kind of sickness {perilous|airport terminal} to humans. {It is just an effect|It is just an end result|It is just a consequence|This can be an effect|This can be an end result|This can be a consequence} of an exposure to asbestos and may develop into cancer. The mesothelium surrounding the {essential} {internal organs|bodily organs|body organs} of the body is destroyed due to such exposure. It also {influences} the mind, heart and reproductive organs.

Who may be in danger?

{Presently there are|Right now there are|Generally there are} more than 5000 products that can be {made|created} from asbestos. {The product is|The insulation is} a kind of mineral that is added to a certain product such as vehicle {brake systems|tires} and other building materials. People mostly {afflicted are|damaged are} those people working in {building|structure|development} industry, factories, shipyard, train and automotive.

Legal personality of the compliant

{Individuals|People|Folks} who have the legal right arranging a mesothelioma cancer lawsuit are those who are directly {afflicted|damaged} by these toxic products and those who came in close {connection with|exposure to} the {afflicted|damaged} employees such as family members. If the complainant is dead, his or her legal heirs may continue {the situation|the truth}.

Duration of mesothelioma lawsuit

{The situation|The truth} may drag for quite some time due to adversarial counter allegations by either party. The mesothelioma {legal action|suit|court action} may also be reduced if the {legal professionals|legal representatives} on both parties agree on an amicable settlement, which the court will mandatorily require. If either get together does not agree to an amicable settlement, then it {might take|will take} {a much longer|a for a longer time} period towards settlement. {Statements|Promises|Says} must be filed within two years within contestability period from the {analysis|medical diagnosis|prognosis} of {the condition|the illness}, otherwise, the claims will forever be barred.

A mesothelioma {legal action|suit|court action} may be filed where the factory's main office is situated, in the place of employer's {home|house|property} or where the {legal professional} may choose to {document|record} the mesothelioma lawsuit.

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Mesothelioma Treatments and Information

Mesothelioma cancer is a rare {malignancy|tumor|cancers} with a terrifying {loss of life|fatality} rate. Caused by {the product|the insulation} this disease can take 40 to 5 {years|many years} to show up, and then progresses at an alarming pace. Without treatment the prognosis {of the|of any|of your} Mesothelioma cancer patient is approximately {12 months|twelve months|one full year}. Medical science has developed {treatments|treatment plans|therapies} for Mesothelioma. When detected it is important to {commence|get started} with mesothelioma cancer treatments {immediately|at the earliest opportunity} to {increase the} prognosis.

Traditional Mesothelioma {Remedies|Treatment options|Therapies}

Traditional treatments for Mesothelioma cancer patients are much {exactly like|just like|similar to} any other type of cancer treatments. Surgery {eliminates|gets rid of|takes away} the cancerous cells. Radiation treatment uses drugs to {battle|combat|deal with} the cancer and {cure|recover|treat} the cells. Radiation uses high dose x-rays {destroy|eliminate|get rid of} the cells. Many times two or even all three of these are involved in treating a mesothelioma patient. The course of treatment {will depend on|is determined by} several factors, including the patients overall health, the level of the mesothelioma, and the effectiveness {the therapy is|the procedure is|treatments is} {thought|assumed|presumed} to have. {Such as|By way of example|One example is} if a patient is generally {properly|fit and strong} and the {cancer|malignant} cells haven't spread {significantly|substantially|visibly} to other areas, a doctor may operate to remove the mesothelioma and then follow up with radiation to kill any cancerous cells that {experienced|got|acquired} spread. {When|But once|But since} a patient is declining rapidly with a great deal of spreading the surgery would be {omitted|overlooked|ignored} of the treatment options and the doctor would proceed with Chemotherapy and Radiation treatments.

Uncommon Mesothelioma Treatments

{These types of|These kinds of} treatment options aren't as {traditionally used|widespread|trusted} and recognized as the three above, however {depending on|with regards to the} stage of the cancer; doctors {have experienced|have observed} great success in fighting mesothelioma cancer with these treatments.

Photodynamic Therapy is most effective in patients who have a localized area of cancerous cells, and uses light energy to {destroy|eliminate|get rid of} the cells. {The individual is|The sufferer is|The person is} intravenously given a medication which will make cancer {cellular material|skin cells} extremely sensitive to {a specific|a certain} type of light. Among 24 and 72 several hours later the patient is {put|located} under this type of light and the cells which have {assimilated|soaked up|consumed} the medication are {wiped out|murdered|slain}.

Gene Therapy uses {hereditary|innate|anatomical} material to target {malignancy|tumor|cancers} cells and make the more vulnerable to radiation treatment treatments. In this treatment a non-infectious virus is introduced that basically triggers the cancer cells to commit suicide by creating a substance that will cause their death. {Whilst|Although|When} gene {remedy} {indicates|has demonstrated|shows} {encouraging|appealing|good} results it {is merely} available through clinical trials.

Immunotherapy tricks the body's {immune system|resistant|proof} system into killing the cancer cells. This {entails|requires|consists of} introducing a vaccine made from cancerous cells {back to|back in|into} the body. At that time the immune system will recognize the shot {and so} the cancer as being harmful and will naturally fight the {malignancy|tumor|cancers}.

The experts in the medical science field are {continually|consistently} running trials and searching for optional Mesothelioma cancer treatments that will {destroy|eliminate|get rid of} the cancerous cells and remove mesothelioma from {your body|the entire body}. Any patient who has mesothelioma should discuss all {the choices|the alternatives} with their {doctor|medical doctor|medical professional} and fight mesothelioma {strongly|boldy} in order to get {the condition|the illness} out of their body and live a long healthy life.

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Mesothelioma Law - modern treatment

Mesothelioma cancer is an unusual form of cancer of the mesothelial cells that {range|brand|lines} the lungs, heart and the stomach. In recent times, in the Circumstance. S, there has recently been an alarming rise in the occurrence of mesothelioma cancer cases mainly caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma cancer that develops in the lining of the {center is|cardiovascular is|cardiovascular system is} known as pericardium mesothelioma. When found in the sac that lines the chest or {stomach|belly|abdominal}, it is called cancerous mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that produces shortness of {breathing|inhale|breath of air}, coughing and even {long lasting|everlasting} lung damage. Many treatment programs for mesothelioma have been initiated with a purpose of curbing or curing the disease. {There are a variety|There are numerous|There are many} of Web sites that provide {information about|information concerning} various treatments of mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma treatment {will depend on|is determined by} many factors that include the various {phases|levels|periods} of cancer, location, {condition|express|point out} of cancer, appearance of cancer cells and the patient? s age and requirements. {Internet sites|Websites|Sites} on mesothelioma cancer provide information on {the several|different} types of treatments including traditional {take care of|look after|maintain} malignant mesothelioma cancer. This involves surgery that removes the cancer, radiation treatment that uses drugs to fight the cancer, and radiation {remedy} that uses high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to {destroy|eliminate|get rid of} cancer cells.

Certain {Internet|Net|World wide web} sites provide useful articles on experimental therapies for mesothelioma treatments, which include {use|consumption} of the {medication|medicine} Alimta. They feature articles on various clinical {tests|studies|trial offers} and research studies {who promise|that advertise} new or experimental mesothelioma cancer treatments. These Web sites list typical treatment strategies {depending on|based upon} different stages of mesothelioma.

Generally, Web sites of top cancer centers for mesothelioma treatment are listed alphabetically by {condition|express|point out} and are of great convenience to patients. Persons can register themselves online and {check with|talk to} top experts who after verifying their problem through {a set of questions|a customer survey|a list of questions}, advice on appropriate drugs that help to {remedy|get rid of|treat} mesothelioma. Many Web sites also provide information on victims of mesothelioma and their families. Patients of mesothelioma can share their experience with them and get emotional support. {Upon|About|In} the whole, mesothelioma treatment {Internet sites|Websites|Sites} {give you a|give a} great source of information that creates awareness about diverse treatment options available for mesothelioma cancer.

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Book Review - American Heiress

The 1970s were not America’s finest hour. From Watergate to the Iran, stagflation to gas rationing, we suffered a decade-long humiliation where interest rates topped out at 20 percent, New York City nearly went bankrupt, and Sixties idealism curdled into nihilism and random acts of domestic terrorism. The cultural touchstones are familiar - the mood ring. Polyester leisure suits. Disco. The people, however, are a bit cloudy in our collective remembrance. Comes now Jeffrey Toobin, fresh off the success of FX’s adaptation of his book about the O.J. Simpson trial, with American Heiress, a gripping and wonderfully written account of the kidnapping of Patricia Heart, the then twenty-year-old heir to a fortune accumulated in newspapers and real estate. 

For those of a certain age, the broad strokes will quickly be remembered. Hearst was taken by a group called the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) and famously captured in an iconic photo with a machine gun at the ready and the SLA’s seven-headed hydra symbol behind her. After most of her comrades were killed in a standoff with police a few months later, Hearst and the remaining members of the group went underground for more than a year, zig zagging the country before being captured in September 1975. At trial for a bank robbery committed shortly after her kidnapping, the then-famous trial lawyer F. Lee Bailey unsuccessfully attempted to argue that Hearst had been brainwashed by the SLA and thus not culpable for her acts. 

Toobin chose his subject well. He has a jeweler’s eye for the fine details as well as the big picture, zooming in to explore the wide range of characters who are part of the tale while also pulling the lens back to put the kidnapping in the broader context of unrest at the time. While many consider the 1960s as a time when the country nearly unraveled in protest over Vietnam, the following decade is largely forgotten in its extensive incidents of domestic terrorism. This may be because many bombings (which were the preferred method of fear mongering) resulted in injury to property as opposed to person, but as Toobin points out, attacks became so commonplace in California, they ceased making news. 

In Toobin’s telling, the SLA is more myth than reality. The entire group was small enough to be transported in a modern-day SUV and while they did commit an egregious murder (of the Superintendent of the Oakland School District), the bank robbery that made Hearst infamous netted less than $10,000 and five of the eight members, including its leader, died shortly thereafter. The SLA’s outsized impact was largely due to Hearst’s presence, but it was only one of a number of groups that fancied themselves as guerrilla warriors fighting against the government. 

As the story picks up speed with Hearst’s conversion to the SLA cause, the standoff that results in most of the group perishing in an inferno, and Hearst and the two remaining members’ months on the run, it is impossible to read Heiress and not sit in surprise that it took the FBI so long to catch them. Toobin digs into all of it with zeal, introducing bit players and off-hand connections (a cameo by Bill Walton is particularly interesting) to illustrate how Hearst and her two comrades eluded capture. A second crime spree that included a bank robbery where a bystander was murdered highlighted the group’s return to the West Coast, but by then, the three SLA castoffs and a couple of their confederates were less revolutionary and more petty criminal. Whatever political message they were asserting had long since lost its thread. 

It is possible Hearst could have remained at-large for far longer were it not for a tip given to law enforcement by the brother of one of those who helped her while she was on the run. Once a few dots were connected, the walls quickly closed in. Ironically, when she was captured, Hearst had settled into a sort of bizarro version of her previous life - living with a boyfriend in suburban quiet, except instead of home making and going to college classes, she was reading feminist tracts and stashing guns and money in her home.

The final section of the book, which examines Hearst’s trial, conviction, and post-incarceration life is its most frustrating. Not because of any fault of Toobin’s, but rather, the shameful way Hearst and her family manipulated their wealth and good name to game the system. Hearst renounced her comrades, perjured herself (an affidavit she admitted was false along with testimony Toobin makes clear was also fabricated), then flipped against them to garner even greater leniency. She was found guilty of the first bank robbery but had her sentence commuted by President Jimmy Carter, getting her out of prison five months before she was eligible for parole. Toobin makes clear that the Hearsts had successfully whitewashed Patty’s eighteen month journey with the SLA as one that was coercive and not complicit, even though all facts were to the contrary. As if this was not extraordinary enough, Hearst received executive clemency from President Bill Clinton on his last day in office. The grant, largely symbolic at that point, made Hearst the first person in American history to receive leniency from two different Presidents. 

The question begged is whether Hearst’s tale of brainwashing is true. We cannot be inside her head; however, Toobin makes a compelling case that she was a willing participant in much of what the SLA and their successors engaged in. Hearst had ample opportunity to escape or turn herself in, yet over and over, she did not do so. At the time of her capture, there was no one monitoring her comings and goings and she could have surrendered at any time. She did not. She was, if nothing else, a chameleon, adapting herself to her surroundings. She fell for an SLA guerrilla just as easily as she did a San Francisco police officer hired to protect her while out on bail. When she was arrested, she reported her occupation as “urban guerrilla” but was back to being a proper heiress, complete with hair, make up and wardrobe by the time of her trial. Ultimately, like many rich people who commit crimes, Hearst successfully leveraged her fame and money to obtain breaks unavailable to her co-conspirators, many of whom ended up doing far more time for the same crimes.

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Trump Pulls The Trigger

Trump Pulls The Trigger

Donald Trump once famously said he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose his supporters. While he has not gunned anyone down on the streets of Manhattan, his campaign-wide pivot of the last week is the metaphorical equivalent of that.

Trump rose to prominence through stream of consciousness rants, attacks on immigrants, and insults hurled willy nilly at everyone from the Pope to crying babies. He mocked the use of Teleprompters, dismissed competitors who relied on corporate campaign donors, and did not spend a dime on polling. He was going to build a wall on the U.S./Mexico border and deport 11 million undocumented immigrants. He retweeted images posted by anti-semites and feigned ignorance of David Duke.

And all of that was leading him to what was going to be the worst electoral loss in a generation. Trump said he was going to put non-traditional states in play, and it turns out he has – except instead of Democratic strongholds like Wisconsin or Michigan, his singularly awful campaign has given Hillary Clinton openings in Georgia, Arizona, and Missouri.

So Trump has metaphorically taken out that gun and pulled the trigger. His campaign is now run by a pollster who feeds him lines he reads off a Teleprompter. He raises millions of dollars from big ticket contributors at the same closed-door fundraisers who once derided. He has uttered words of conciliation (without specific targets of apology) while claiming sudden interest in the plight of poor African-Americans and Hispanics. Most amazingly, that big wall he was going to build and that deportation force he was going to amass to round up all those awful “illegals” have been replaced with peons to “compassion” and letting people stay in the country if they have been law abiding and tax paying – ideas he once ridiculed.

In short, he is daring his most ardent supporters to rescind their support by disclaiming everything they liked about him and hold dear. He is relying on them to maintain their belief that he is uttering these poll-tested lines because that is what he needs to do to win. That it is ok if he reads off the dreaded Teleprompter. That it does not matter if he is no longer self-funding his campaign and is accepting money from monied interests, because deep down, he still believes Mexicans are rapists and drug dealers, that all Muslims should be banned from visiting America, that Second Amendment people may need to get involved if Hillary appoints Supreme Court justices, and that he alone can make America great again (for white people).  

Donald Trump has become what he once mocked. He has become a politician, and a bad one at that.

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Book Review - How To Be A Person In The World

Heather Havrilesky’s How To Be A Person In The World is a wonderful collection of advice columns she has written under the sobriquet Ask Polly that are equal parts tough love and compassion borne from her own experiences - the child of a parent who passed away when she was in her early 20s, years of hard living and friendships lost along the way. Polly is the cool aunt, the sister who hung with the John Benders of the world in high school but grew up up and figured shit out. Polly may now schedule play dates for her kids, but she still curses like a sailor (Havrilesky is particularly fond of a certain twelve-letter curse word that rhymes with “other ducker”) and is clear-eyed enough to remind you that many people will disappoint you along the way, but for those you care about, a reservoir of good will and kindness is the way to go. 

While many of the letters included in How To Be trend younger and female, Havrilesky’s advice is just as applicable to men and women alike. Much of it has to do with being honest with yourself, being hard but fair in your self-assessment (and others), and finding the silver lining even when you have really stepped in it. She is charitable towards those who admit fault (a married woman in her early 40s largely gets a free pass for her infidelity because she is remorseful while a married man in his late 30s who itemizes the reasons justifying his contemplation of infidelity is put on full blast) and quick to apply the lessons she learned along the way to the situation at hand (dead end jobs in your 20s, staying with the wrong person too long, and, looming in the background like an ominous soundtrack, are low-grade depression, anxiety, and fear). 

I have to admit, in the first few pages of the book, I was not sure if I would like the format - a curated collection of letters to Polly as opposed to a more narrative form of autobiography, but Havrilesky weaves so much of her own personal life and experience into her answers and the letters collected cover so much of the waterfront of what people experience, particularly in their twenties, that the book turned out to be a total page turner - each letter and response being its own short story of a snapshot in that person’s life. The quality of the curation is also found in how many times I found myself saying “been there” or “are there” as anonymous someones spilled their guts out over lost love, wobbly familial relationships, fears of the future, not having enough friends, and what they should do with their lives. 

Polly is not a Pollyanna, but she is pro-you - insisting that her fans avoid gross generalizations about themselves (particularly their shortcomings), goading them into picking apart their own statements to detect both the truth and the bullshit underneath them, and see things from other perspectives. I first read Heather’s work when she was recapping Mad Men episodes many years ago. As I reached the end of How To Be on an essay about growing old and the fear of losing all that you hold dear, I was reminded of something Don Draper said about change, that it can be greeted with “terror or joy.” In the messy and often difficult “thing we call life,” Polly has answered that question simply - with motherfucking joy. 

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Things I Love - Paris 1919

Almost 100 years ago, world leaders met in France at the end of World War I to negotiate the terms of Germany’s surrender and create a new world order. What occurred over the next few months would not just define the order of the day, but redound decades into the future. Indeed, nearly a century after the Treaty of Versailles was signed, we are still living with those fateful decisions. To understand today’s geopolitical challenges, a book I love, Margaret MacMillan’s Paris 1919, is indispensable.

The primary fallout from the treaty negotiations is well known. Germany was saddled with the burden of paying massive reparations that crushed its economy and led to the rise of Hitler, sowing the seeds for the next world war the peace conference was set up to avoid. But what MacMillan does so effectively is suss out the rest of the story. While not wreaking the destruction of World War II, the countries carved out of the destruction of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires have been a source of unending trouble from Serbia to Saudi Arabia. 

Huddled in the background were future leaders like David Ben-Gurion and Ho Chi Minh, who would be the heirs to the decisions made by the Western powers. Countries were created out of whole cloth and spheres of influence adopted with little concern or understanding of their long-term ramifications. It would take decades for the British to reap the whirlwind of their Palestine Mandate, the French to fight a war in Algeria, and America to do whatever the fuck we did in Iraq, but all of these events flowed from the choices made during this fateful event.

Bestriding the Paris negotiations was a giant among men - President Woodrow Wilson. Heralded as a great peacemaker and greeted by adoring throngs when he arrived by ship to lead the U.S. delegation he ended up being the final casualty of the war, shriveled and mute less than a year later. Wilson’s decision to send American troops into the mix had given the Allies a decisive advantage but his cunning and cajoling could only take him so far. Wilson was squeezed in a classic pincers movement; his European partners had their own demands that ran counter to his beliefs and the U.S. Congress knee capped his attempt to form the League of Nations. As a final insult to injury, Wilson suffered the stroke that left him limp and lifeless while on an aggressive whistle-stop train tour of America trying to shame the U.S. Senate into approving the League of Nations.

It is a rare book that so aptly captures historical scope - McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom, Lukas’s Big Trouble, Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem - but MacMillan’s work is in that league. It is an important book if you want to understand our world even if the events she writes about occurred just shy of a century ago.

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Things I Love - Diane Arbus

Portrait photography is an intimate art form. At its best, it is a conversation between photographer and subject where the latter reveals themselves in an honest way that the former is able to capture. It requires an incredible amount of trust and is very difficult to fake. Over the course of a career cut short by her suicide, a well-to-do Manhattan bred woman opened a window into the lives of people who lived on the fringes of society and showed us their humanity. Diane Arbus’s photography is a thing I love.

Arbus was an unlikely guide into this world. She grew up with money, married young to a man who was himself a photographer, and started a family. But lurking beneath what appeared to be the American dream was an artist’s heart that revealed itself as Arbus began seeking out subjects for her own burgeoning career behind the lens. In a city of stunning architecture and great wealth, Arbus went the other way - her haunts were the seamy freak show exhibits in Times Square, the transvestite performers, and societal oddities - the haunting image of two young New Jersey twins, the fragile Jewish giant whose parents gape up in wonder at him. Her photos are intimate and uncomfortable, but instead of mocking her subjects, Arbus’s eye captures their vulnerability and humanity. 

Arbus’s work is so singular because it is so easy to understand how hard it must have been for her subjects to expose themselves in the ways she captured. Anyone who has felt the sting of social rejection, the judgmental eye of a stranger, the feeling of insecurity because you look different, act different, or just are different can see that struggle in Arbus’s photos. Of course, Arbus had her own demons. Her marriage was messy and ended in divorce, she left a trail of lovers in her wake and killed herself at the age of 48. I like to think it was because Arbus understood what a mighty struggle life can be even when it appears you have everything going for you that she was able to create artwork that has influenced everyone from Kubrick to Mapplethorpe. 

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Check out 2015's Things I Love:

Fat Elvis

Richard Nixon

Important Artifacts

The Warriors

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Black shirt jacket

This shirt/jacket is about as hard to photograph as a black hole. I do hope it will be a useful garment in air conditioned offices and the like.

This is McCalls 7365. It was a bit of a slog. There are 88 steps in the instructions, only a few of which are inapplicable to View C which is the one I made.

I fell for the complex lines of this shirt, which are of course all revealed by the sheer white fabric McCalls chose for it. Mine on the other hand is embroidered black linen, very lightweight but still... linen. From deep stash of course.

I made size 10 but think it's a bit too big on me.

Inside

Outside

The pattern calls for French seams throughout, but unaccountably fails to mention finishing the armscye seam. I used the piece intended as binding for the sleeveless version to bind it. The end result is that the inside is as neat and finished as the outside which makes me strangely happy.






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Things I Love - When Harry Met Sally

If it is true that cynics are disappointed romantics, the story of two New Yorkers who meet cute not once, not twice, but three times, become friends, watch the sex ruin the friendship (anticipating a storyline Seinfeld would use several years later), only to have a GRAND GESTURE by the scorned man result in the couple’s marriage, it is no wonder When Harry Met Sally is a thing I love. 

WHMS works for many reasons, but for me, the two primary ones are the outstanding cast and screenplay. Billy Crystal’s Harry and Meg Ryan’s Sally establish their chemistry right out of the gate and the zingers they hurl during the course of the movie cement their bond. He is cynical but vulnerable, she is sensible but independent. The movie’s cultural resonance can be summed up by pondering the innumerable conversations raised by its central conceit: can men and women be friends?

As in life, the answer to that question is not a simple yes or no, and Nora Ephron’s screenplay marinates in the gray area between the two. People may not change, but they mature around the edges. Harry is an obnoxious boor when we meet him fresh out of college, but by his mid-thirties and fresh off a messy divorce, he is both curdled and chastened. He may try to revenge fuck his way through New York (Billy Crystal as a lothario *is* a bit dubious) but it cannot mask the pain he feels when he inevitably runs into his ex-wife. Sally is prim and serious as a college graduate, but that transforms into independence and confidence 10 years later without losing her no-bullshit attitude. 

Instead of growing apart as many couples do who meet young, Harry and Sally grow closer as they age and come to appreciate how they complement one another. They do much of the spade work of a relationship outside the context of dating, providing the emotional support we come to appreciate in a partner without the romantic commitment. While their best friends Jess (Bruno Kirby) and Marie (Carrie Fisher) rejoice when Harry and Sally do consummate their bond, it splits them apart over “what it means.” It is not until they see what life looks like without the other that they realize they should be together. 

Sure, it is neat and pat and Hollywood does love the grand gesture (see, e.g., John Cusack in Say Anything) but don’t we all want that moment too? Of revelation that we have found that person who we want to spend the rest of our lives with and we want that to start RIGHT NOW? Ephron’s unashamed answer, to quote Sally is “Yes! YES! YES!” Not only do Harry and Sally end up together, but Jess and Marie get their own meet cute when they are set up on dates with Harry and Sally but gravitate to each other instead. And if the point is not driven home hard enough, Ephron splices in interviews with aged couples who recount their own courtship and coupling. 

WHMS also avoids one of the more pernicious rom-com tropes of recent vintage - the woman as “hot mess” (See, e.g., any Katherine Heigl or Kate Hudson movie. See also, Trainwreck). Sally is no damsel in distress. She is ballsy enough to spill the beans on faked orgasms but also prideful enough to know that getting under someone to get over someone is a fool’s errand. She sleeps with Harry in a moment of weakness, but kicks his ass to the curb when he makes the encounter sound like a mercy fuck. 

While it is fair to criticize the New York of WHMS as let’s just say, lacking the diversity for which the city is known, it also heralded an era of romantic comedies like Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Pretty Woman among many others along with anticipating the comic stylings of a little show we like to call Seinfeld. It also offers a glimmer of hope for cynics who question whether they will get their own happy ending. Not too shabby for a movie that takes the standard rom-com premise - an opposites attract love story - and does it better than anything that has come out since then. 

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Check out 2015's Things I Love:

Fat Elvis

Richard Nixon

Important Artifacts

The Warriors

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