Three former Boeing CEOs at Seattle U provide insights

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Marilyn W

Three former Boeing Commercial Airline CEOs kicked off the Albers Executive Speaker Series for 2018-19.  Frank Shrontz, Alan Mulally, and Ray Conner collectively provided the leadership for Boeing’s work in commercial airlines for over two decades, spanning from the mid-1980’s to 2016.  Mulally also went on to serve as President and CEO of the Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2014.

When moderator, Marilyn Gist, Associate Dean in the Albers School, led off with the question of what challenge they faced that particularly stands out for them, Frank Shrontz recalled the Boeing acquisition of de Havilland Canada.  While they were enthralled with the marketing possibilities of the acquisition, they did not pay sufficient attention to other issues such as relations with the Canadian government, and the move ended up being a failure.

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Posted in Business, Essays, History, Science and Technology, Transportation | Comments Off on Three former Boeing CEOs at Seattle U provide insights

New single dose drug for the flu

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Jim deMaine

From the NYT: “The first new flu drug in 20 years won approval Wednesday from the Food and Drug Administration.

The new antiviral, generically known as baloxavir marboxil but sold under the brand name Xofluza, is a single dose treatment. It is for use only in those aged 12 or more, the F.D.A. said, and should be taken only in the first two days after symptoms like fever, aches and sniffles appear.

The pill will cost $150, according to a spokeswoman for Genentech, which will sell Xofluza in this country. Genentech will offer coupons that lower the price to $30 for patients with health insurance and to about $90 for the uninsured.

Flu season has already begun, and last year’s was one of the most lethal in decades; about 80,000 Americans died of flu or its consequences, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said earlier this month.

The new drug is no miracle cure and it is not approved for young children, who are one of the most vulnerable groups, so the C.D.C. still strongly recommends that every American over the age of six months get a flu shot as soon as possible.

Several other anti-flu drugs exist — the best-known of which is oseltamivir, sold as Tamiflu — but none cure the illness quickly.

Also, the influenza virus mutates very rapidly and has split into many strains that circulate simultaneously each winter, and several have evolved resistance to older drugs.

“Having safe and effective treatment alternatives is critical,” said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the F.D.A. commissioner, in a statement. “This novel drug provides an important additional treatment option.”

Xofluza works in a new way, by blocking an enzyme the virus needs to copy itself. So, at least in theory, circulating flu strains resistant to earlier drugs should not have any resistance to it.

It has been shown to work against both A and B strains, which circulate each year, and it is expected to work against dangerous bird flus known to occasionally infect humans, such as the A strains of both H5N1 and A H7N9.

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First foods for the Scandinavian baby

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for gerber lutefisk

Thanks to Basil F

Or for your average American, try this!

Related image

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They came in the night – the all-female bomber regiment of the Soviet Air Force

Posted on October 27, 2018 by Jim deMaine

From Aeon: “During the Second World War, the Soviet Air Force initially barred women from serving in combat. That was until October 1941 when the pilot Marina Raskova personally convinced Joseph Stalin to deploy the world’s first all-female air force units to fight against Axis powers. Primarily made up of volunteers in their late teens and early 20s, these regiments flew wood-and-canvas Polikarpov U-2 biplanes, aircraft originally intended for crop-dusting and hardly equipped for warfare, lacking guns, radio, radar and even parachutes. In this short animated documentary, the US filmmaker Alison Klayman recounts the story of Nadezhda Popova (1921-2013), a pilot in the notorious 588th Night Bomber Regiment – known by fearful German soldiers as ‘Nachthexen’ (‘night witches’), for their sudden, nearly soundless approaches before devastating bombardments. In The Night Witch, Popova’s experiences – from her childhood to old age – represent the complex intersection of 20th-century warfare with women’s growing empowerment.”

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Safeguarding Health and Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: The Washington State Physicians for Social Responsibility *WPSR) is sponsoring the presentation. The concerns have become even more relevant as nuclear rhetoric heats up: “The US national security adviser, John Bolton, has confirmed that the US will withdrawal from the landmark intermediate-range nuclear forces treaty (INF) after meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin and senior Russian officials.”

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Support our Skyline Residents’ Association with AmazonSmile!

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Download [38.94 KB]

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Can we laugh at ourselves?

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Jim deMaine

 

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The nomadic life of London piano tuner who values freedom over possessions

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: Have you ever in your life wanted to simplify like this? Or after reading Walden in college decided to follow his ways, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Watch the video below to find an “impractical” lifestyle fulfill one man’s dreams. Click on the picture below which will take you to the short video documentary.

Richard, A Documentary about a London Piano Tuner Who Chooses to be Homeless

 

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Twin tower update – what’s up next at the big dig?

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: Thanks to Joan H. we’ve found the web site for updates for the construction of the twin towers between Skyline and the Frye Museum: http://www.707terryproject.com/. We’ll try to post their updates as they occur on their website.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Two 34-story residential towers located across the street from the Frye Art Museum. The three-level podium will include space for a restaurant, café and other retail uses, as well as artwork displayed in the lobby.  The tower will also have six floors of underground parking for both residential and commercial use.

General Contractor: Graham Construction

Owner:  Project Terry LLC
Architect:  Perkins + Will

Start Date:  July 2018
Completion Date: September of 2021

 

Construction Bulletins:

Friday, October 19, 2018 UPDATE

  • Earthwork activities will continue during select Saturdays in an effort to expedite the mass excavation scope and to minimize overall night hauling durations.
  • Saturday October 20th will have the extension of the conveyor arrive and install.  This will not cause any long term traffic issues or road closures.
  • Excavation and Shoring is at approximately 50% with completion of mass excavation projected to be the middle of November.
  • Night hauling is still continuing and is projected to carry on until the end of the excavation – scheduled to complete in November.
  • Daytime earthworks on select Saturdays
  • Shoring Equipment Demobilization is currently scheduled for mid to late November. This work will require road closures on Terry and Columbia.
  • Conveyor Demobilization is currently scheduled for the later part of November. This work will require road closures on Terry and Columbia.
  • Tower Crane Mobilization and Erection is scheduled for late November or Early December. This will occur on a Saturday. This work will require road closures on Terry and Columbia.

October Activities

  • Mass excavation is still underway.  As of today, approximately 30% of the dirt has been removed from site
  • Piling has been completed and the large drilling equipment has been moved off site. A smaller rig has been mobilized to perform soil nailing operations.
  • Soil Nails are being installed with shot-crete facing. This work is about two lifts or 20 feet below grade
  • Two trailers for field personnel have been mobilized and are currently being set up to house Graham staff
  • Night hauling of dirt will continue this next week and will be maintained for the following 7-8 weeks
  • October 6th is the confirmed date to mobilize and install the earthwork conveyor. This will require a shut down of Terry Ave and Columbia Street during the morning hours of 12:00a.m. through 12:00p.m. Terry Avenue will then be opened up to the public with some earthwork activities still occurring on the street in order to test and calibrate the conveyor.
  • Ongoing survey activities on site as well as survey monitoring of neighboring properties continues.
  • Trailers will be installed up on the scaffolding along Columbia within the next month.
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Walking to Little Saigon

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Walking south on 9th past Harborview and following it downhill across Yesler last Sunday, I found the new park quite lively situated among all the construction going on. There were lots of young families with kids on the well laid out playground improvising a downhill slide using cardboard over the smooth artificial grass. The picture on the right shows the nifty downhill path (disabled accessible) or steps all the way to Little Saigon on Jackson. This could be a nice excursion for you walkers and Pho lovers. Then if you want to avoid the return uphill climb, just hop on the trolley.

Litlle Saigon 2 Little Saigon 3

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The Medicare insurance annual choices

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: We are in our annual confusing months of thinking about our health insurance coverage. Below is a very useful essay posted on the Morningstar site. It does some comparisons between traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage . From discussions with Terraces staff in the past, they felt that Traditional Medicare gave them the most flexibility in handling lengths of stay and costs in Skilled Nursing. Read, go to the talks, and consult your advisors before making any changes!

From Morningstar: “This is the time of year when seniors get some key numbers that will affect their pocketbooks in 2019: Social Security announces its cost-of-living adjustment, and Medicare releases key information about premiums and plan choices.

It’s also the time of year when seniors can do something about the cost of healthcare. The annual Medicare fall enrollment began on Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. During this period, you can make money-saving changes to your Medicare coverage and make sure your insurance coverage provides the best match of healthcare providers.

So far, the numbers don’t look bad. Earlier this month, the federal government announced a 2.8% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2019; seniors will see the raise in their January benefit payment. That is the largest increase since 2012, when the COLA was 3.6%.

Even better, most seniors will get to keep most of the COLA after it is adjusted for any dollar amount increase in the Medicare Part B premium. The premium typically is deducted from Social Security benefits; while the official number won’t be released until later this year, the Medicare trustees forecast last summer that the standard premium will rise just $1.50 to $135.50. If that forecast holds up, most beneficiaries will keep most of the COLA (the math varies among beneficiaries due to the quirky recent history of the “hold harmless” rule, but roughly 70% of beneficiaries will get the full COLA next year minus whatever dollars increase is announced for the standard Part B premium, probably in November).

Shopping for Plans
Even if you like your current coverage, it can pay to take a careful look during open enrollment. The design of your prescription drug plan coverage can change annually, and Advantage plans can make changes to their networks of healthcare providers at any time.

Start your shopping process by reviewing the Annual Notice of Change letter that arrives each autumn from your Medicare prescription drug or Advantage plan provider. The Annual Notice of Change details any changes in rules for cost-sharing, coverage of specific medications–and even whether a specific drug will be covered.

For drug plans, the average Medicare prescription drug plan premium is projected to rise 2% to $42.21, according to analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation–a weighted figure reflecting actual enrollment in the most popular plans. Importantly, that figure assumes that current enrollees don’t switch plans.

But premiums for specific plans can fluctuate widely from year to year, so pay attention to whatever rate is announced in your Annual Notice of Change. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, among the top 10 plans, average premiums will range from a low of $28 per month (Humana Walmart) to $76 (Humana Enhanced). Among the top 10, premiums will increase for five plans, fall for three, and remain unchanged for two plans, based on current enrollment, the foundation reports (see table below). And a larger share of plans will charge a deductible than in 2018–71% of plans vs. 63% in 2018.

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Trick or Treat? Phantom on the deck

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Phantom on the deck 2

Fun photo by Diane S

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When a dog becomes too small

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for new yorker cartoons

Posted in Humor | 1 Comment

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Haven’t checked out Vito’s – have you?

Join us for
Live music at Vito’s.

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Advice From Health Care’s Power Users

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: The article below has some pretty good suggestions but I’ll add a few of my own and would like you to know that some help will be coming in finding local resources. When I established with a new doctor a few years ago I wrote out my complete medical history: 1) Current problems and questions; 2) complete list of medications including all over-the counter meds; 3) all prior surgeries and hospitalizations with dates and place; 4) names and location of prior doctors; 5) smoking and alcohol history; 6) family history of illness; 7) occupational history. This is pretty much how we learned to take histories in medical school. My doctor was surprised and she said it really saved time.

Next, I brought an advocate with me to listen and be there the whole time. And finally I wrote down all the advice and clarified it with the doctor, including a specific plan for what’s next, how to contact her, and how to get information.

Finally, questions for us all. How can we find the right doctor? What resources are locally available? How and where can we get urgent care after hours when it’s not a true emergency (urinary infection, sprained ankle, etc.)? Your health care committee has been working with a local UW MD geriatrician to develop a Directory to Health Care. The SRA has stepped up to fund the very modest cost and hopefully the project will be complete by the first of the year. Stay tuned!

From the NYT: “If the health care system seems confusing to you, you are not alone. In a large recent survey of the most seriously ill people in America, we learned that they, too, find it difficult to navigate. But they have developed a few strategies for getting through. Here are some tips and pitfalls about how to be sick from a group with lived experience.

Among the seriously ill people we surveyed with the Commonwealth Fund and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health — those who had been hospitalized twice and seen three or more doctors in recent years — bringing documents with them to doctor’s appointments was common. Seventy-eight percent of them carried a list of medications. Seventy percent brought a list of questions.

Tools That the Seriously Ill Use

AMONG ALL SERIOUSLY ILL
Show your doctor a list of medications you are taking 78%
Bring a list of things to discuss with your doctor 70%
Bring a family member, friend or someone else to all of your medical appointments 55%
Seek advice or help from a family member or friend who is a doctor, nurse or other health professional 34%
Seek advice or help from a former patient who had a similar health condition 23%

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Posted in Health | 3 Comments

WHY I LOVE GETTING OLDER

Posted on October 20, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Thanks to Marilyn Di B.

1. My goal for 2018 was to lose 10 pounds.  Only 15 to go!

2. I ate salad for dinner.  Mostly croutons & tomatoes. Really just one big
round crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese.  FINE, it was a pizza.
I ate a pizza.

3. How to prepare Tofu:
a. Throw it in the trash
b. Grill some meat

4. I just did a week’s worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.

5. I don’t mean to brag, but I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hours and
20 minutes.

6. A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live
longer than men who mention it.

7. Kids today don’t know how easy they have it. When I was young, I had to
walk 9 feet through shag carpet to change the TV channel.

8. Senility has been a smooth transition for me.

9. Remember back when we were kids and every time it was below zero outside
they closed school? Me neither.

10. I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or
talented.   I forgot where I was going with this.

11. I love being over 65.   I learn something new every day and forget 5
others.

12. A thief broke into my house last night. He started searching for money
so I woke up and searched with him.

13. I think I’ll just put an “Out of Order” sticker on my forehead and call
it a day.

14. November 3, 2018 is the end of Daylight Savings Time. Don’t forget to
set your bathroom scale back 10 pounds Saturday night.

15. Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

Posted in Humor | 1 Comment

Mumbling, Thumbling & Stumbling – the new normal

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jim deMaine

crosswalk

Thanks to Gordon G

 

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WACCRA meets at Skyline

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed note: Yesterday we had an excellent overview of the Ombuds Bill which WACCRA has sponsored in the upcoming legislative year in Olympia. Nicole Macri our Representative from the 43 District spoke about her sponsorship and support for the bill. Thanks to Rick Baugh, Allan Affleck, Barb Williams and all the volunteers for making this a very informative event. If you haven’t joined WACCRA please consider doing so. It is a very needed voice for our rights as residents in a CCRC. Below are the slides presented by Allan and Rick. Please contact Allan, Rick or Barb with any questions.

Download [965.66 KB]

 

 

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Your kids could only stare at this one

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Jim deMaine

rotary cell phone

Thanks Ann M

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What happened to the rotary phone and other things of the past?

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for new yorker cartoons

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Fall Lantern Festival Freeway Park – October 26th

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Jim deMaine

“Join us in celebrating the installation of the Community Lanterns, and the changing seasons in Freeway Park! The lanterns, created by the Freeway Park community, will bring color, light and movement into the Park throughout the Fall and Winter. Festivities will include:
-live music
-cider and sausages
-games
-Fall photo booth
-Lantern crafts”

–Alex Zeiler, Program and Engagement Coordinator

Click here for the Fall Festival Poster

 

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Soon you may need that Happy Light for SAD

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Aura® Day Light Therapy Lamp, 10,000 Lux of Bright Light White with Adjustable Lux Dial And Timer- 100% UV Free{2 Year Warranty Includes Bulb and Lamp}

Sleep specialists recommend the use of a 10,000 lux “happy light” for 15-30 minutes each morning during the dark days in northern climates like ours. Choose one carefully because they are not FDA regulated. Here is one reviewer’s selection. The morning light signals that hit our retina travel via the optic nerve which crosses to the opposite side of the brain. At that crossing site called the optic chiasm, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) sends a signal to the pineal gland to regulate its secretion of melatonin which is robust at night. Light is key to our sense of well-being. This is just one of the things that regulate our circadian rhythms – a fascinating subject that science continues to study.

Last year author and sleep specialist Dr. Brandon Peters gave a great presentation about sleep disorders – particularly about insomnia. Being at nearby Virginia Mason, a number of us have been helped by him. His website is www.InsomniaSolved.com. The paperback book with that title is available on Amazon.

Here are his tips for Insomnia Therapy

  1. Maintain a fixed wake time every day by setting an alarm clock and get morning sunlight (or light box) exposure for 15-30 minutes on awakening.
  2. Spend time relaxing for 1 hour prior to bedtime to transition to sleep. Go to bed feeling sleepy with a regular bedtime. It is okay to go to bed later. Reserve the bed for sleep and sex.
  3. If awake for more than 15 minutes in bed, by estimate, get up and go to another room and do a relaxing activity until feeling sleepy. Then return to the bed to sleep. If waking toward morning, just get up and start the day. Do not check the clock at night.
  4. If persistent difficulty falling, staying, or returning to sleep, delay bedtime to allow only 6-7 hours of time in bed. As sleep improves, gradually move bedtime earlier in 15-minute increments one week at a time until sleep needs are met.
  5. If sleeping well, keep a consistent bedtime and wake time to allow about 7-8 hours of rest. Do not take naps.
  6. As needed, use relaxation techniques(breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or guided imagery) and scheduled worry time to calm your mind at night.
  7. If symptoms persist, consider evaluation by a board-certified sleep physician to ensure other sleep disorders such as sleep apnea are not contributing to the insomnia.

 

Posted in Education, Health, sleep | 1 Comment

Every Older Patient Has a Story. Medical Students Need to Hear It.

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Ed Note: The lecture I remember most from medical school was by an aging senior professor who interviewed a patient in front of our entire class saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to present a very interesting case.” Then he paused and said, “Now I’ve just made two mistakes, what were they?” After some discussion he noted that the term “case” depersonalizes the individual. And by calling the case interesting he was, in a sense, allying himself more with the disease than the patient! We all have a story. We are all human. We are still living, striving and changing. Some medical schools are trying to relearn that truth.

From the NYT: By Paula Span

Whatever the cluster of second-year students at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York expected to hear from an 82-year-old woman — this probably wasn’t it.

At first, Elizabeth Shepherd, one of several seniors invited to meet with future doctors in an anti-ageism program called “Introduction to the Geriatric Patient,” largely followed the script.

As student Zachary Myslinski, 24, read off questions from a standard assessment tool, she responded in matter-of-fact tones.

Health conditions?

Macular degeneration, replied Ms. Shepherd, a working actor who also teaches Shakespeare at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. But she was getting treatment.

Recent falls?

Just one, when she missed a bottom step. “In the subway! In public! That was no fun.”

Weight loss?

“Unfortunately not.”

Ms. Shepherd, elegant in an animal-print tunic and dangly earrings, easily tucked her hands behind her head, displaying good range of motion. She remembered three words — “pineapple, blue, honesty” — when asked to recall them several minutes later in a cognitive test.

But after telling her rapt audience that she’d raised a son born “out of wedlock” in 1964 and had divorced twice, she added, “I emigrated to Lesbianland for a little while in my 50s.”

Eventually returning to heterosexual relationships, she continued, she met a 90-year-old online and had “the most wonderful summer with this man.” She’s now involved with a 65-year-old, she added. But “he’s in Afghanistan at the moment, so my sex life is not as active as I’d like.”

Dr. Ronnie LoFaso, the faculty geriatrician guiding the session, said, “This is taking an interesting turn.”

But that was the point, really.

“It’s important that they don’t think life stops as you get older,” Ms. Shepherd told me afterward. “So I decided I would be frank with them.”

Dr. Ronald Adelman, co-chief of geriatrics at Weill Cornell, developed this annual program — which includes a theater piece and is required for all second-year students — after he realized that medical students were getting a distorted view of older adults.

Continue reading →

Posted in Aging Sites, Essays, Health | Comments Off on Every Older Patient Has a Story. Medical Students Need to Hear It.

Cost effective care

Posted on October 14, 2018 by Jim deMaine

Image result for peanuts cartoons

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Cost effective care