Author Archives: Anton

I can’t be the first to ask

At one point in Blade Runner (not the book by Alan Nourse), Deckard, with two broken fingers on his right hand, clings to a parapet ornament. I wonder whether that was an intentional salute to Harold Lloyd, who made movies … Continue reading

Posted in cinema | 2 Comments

two links about medical policy

blogpost on medical licensing surprisingly sane Atlantic article on the structure of the health biz Update: Twice in 2018, people urged me to improve this page by adding links about addiction and vaping.  If it happens again, I’ll suggest that … Continue reading

Posted in medicine, politics | Leave a comment

I’m melting!

Without serious effort, I seem to have lost a tenth of my peak mass in three years. I think the main change is that I no longer eat rice most days.

Posted in me!me!me!, medicine | 2 Comments

more movies

Les Bas-fonds (The Lower Depths) (1936). Not much coherent plot, but some engaging characters. The director Jean Renoir said he made a point of moving the story to the banks of the Marne, but didn’t say why he kept the … Continue reading

Posted in cinema | 1 Comment

fortuitious garble

I mis-heard “California Department of Boating and Waterways” as “…Voting and Lotteries,” which makes its own kind of sense.

Posted in politics | Leave a comment

why walk when you can stagger?

I got AT&T DSL because it’s a third the price of Comcast. Suddenly things go wrong: I can’t write here, or back up this site; I can’t save my edits to a Wikipedia article; and an article at the New … Continue reading

Posted in neep-neep | 5 Comments

a guilt-trip down memory lane

When I lived in Oakland, I was twice approached after sunset by a panhandler who announced, “I’m black but I’m not a mugger!” Both times I flinched and, of course, felt guilty. It now occurs to me belatedly that, if … Continue reading

Posted in California, psychology, race | Leave a comment