Moving is no good for asthma people

Think about the packing, all the cleaning and carrying boxes. After a full day of moving stuff to my new home, I was completely out of breath. Really frustrating, irritating. I’m just 27 for christ sake ! Next time I’ll use professional movers. Moving is just boring… It’s officially a waste of time and energy. On a side note, my job sent me to Miami last week. It was my first time there and what an experience. Miami’s nightlife is just amazing. Music, crowd, you get the whole package. Compare to that, Vegas is like a church and now I understand why so many stars live there. The only thing I didn’t like was the weather, too humid for my lungs. Anyways… It went well job wise.

WTC Cough part II

Excellent article from AP writer Sara Kugler about the 9/11 health cost here. Thousands of lawsuits have been filed against the city of New York and it’s only the beginning. Emergency workers who put their lives on the line on 9/11 deserve the best treatment the nation can afford. It’s a shame some have died because they couldn’t buy necessary drugs or get proper care. These kind of stories make me sick. It is time we get a health care system worthy of a civilized nation. I hope our presidential candidates will not pass on this issue.

David Palmer is back.

As all of you already know, David Palmer died at the beginning of 24’s season 5. Well everybody, he is now back in real life and is even better. Barack Obama’s candidacy speech this morning will be remembered. There is something of JFK in him, the way he talks, the way he inspires people. The speech blew me away. I had tears in my eyes, watching the son of a man from Kenya and a woman from Kansas quoting the great Abraham Lincoln. He’s gonna go far and Hillary better be watching him very closely. Obama is the living proof that diversity works. Beyond the color of our skin, beyond our faith and various communities, we are one people, united behind one flag. I was so proud to be an American today.
A good site for asthma info.

Skiing or not skiing

Hello guys – I’m back. I’ve been in and out lately, kind of swamped with work. Still, I managed to go skiing in Lake Tahoe. The scenery in LT is just breathtaking although I prefer Mammoth Lakes for the skiing, but that’s not the point. I was really amazed by how I reacted to continuing efforts on the slopes. It’d been a while since my last skiing vacation and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe it was the super dry weather, maybe it was me being surrounded by friends who happened to be super good skiers (and I felt kind of reassured), I don’t know, but my asthma didn’t bother me at all. Is there any kind of study out there, on how people with challenged lungs cope with mountain sports? I guess it must be pretty bad, less oxygen usually means hell for us. Before I leave, I wanted to mention a great blog from Wheezy Boy, you’ll find all kind of info about asthma, or asthma related subjects or just WB’s mood on current topics.

Happy New Year

Back from holidays and a long trip visiting my aunt in Burlington, Vermont. Went also to Montreal for new year’s eve and an unforgettable party with some Canadian buddies. I always enjoy those northern trips, weather wise it’s all good for my challenged lungs. Just wanted to throw a quick word about Saddam’s execution. First of all, I don’t care about him and he certainly deserved the death penalty. However, the way they prosecuted him and eventually hanged him, is outrageous. We should have taken him out of the country and gave him a fair trial, with real judges and (not death threatened) lawyers, something like the Nuremberg trial. It was an opportunity to learn more about a dictator, how he came to power and used to function. Anyway, nothing good will come from that f… place and I hope we get out of there asap. Apart from that, I wish you all a very good year.

Celine

Just learned that the fiancée of a very close friend of mine has cancer. Cancer of the tongue. Prognosis is bleak. She is 26. Makes me feel ridiculous with my little health problems, always whining for nothing. My prayers go out to you Celine. Be strong.

Apocalypto

Apocalypto is a very good movie. When you seat down to watch it you’re in for a wild ride. Gibson does an incredible job at sending us back in time, in a merciless jungle filled with reeeeeally scary locals. And for me that’s what cinema is all about. Seat back, relax, forget about reality and enjoy. It is a moving story, the action is breathtaking, you really feel for the hero, the actors are great, the score perfect and the images mesmerizing. The vision of the Maya city is just haunting. Finally it raises some very interesting questions about the rise and fall of civilizations, what makes them great or evil. For all that I gave a thumb up and I’ll probably go see it twice. BUT, the movie is not perfect, it could have been but it is not. I’m talking about two gore, over the top images (not even scenes) that pull you back into reality. When you’re about to bite your nails to bleeding from anxiety and tension then, you’re suddenly thinking special effects and stunt puppets: there is a jaguar literally tearing off the skull of a guy, and another guy whose head gets slashed and starts spewing blood like a geyser. At that moment, the audience goes beurkkk, ah ah ah. … this is too much, we don’t believe you, you’ve lost us, we didn’t need it. There are more ultra violent moments in the movie but there are “ok”, credible. Those two are not. I recommend this movie, but not for everybody.