I Told You So: A Work-Related Divergence

Some time in the future there will be a big story in the Press that I was warning everyone about for quite a while already.  Pharmaceutical Companies will be under scrutiny for withholding evidence of major side-effects of very popular drugs.

Not that that is new.  Happens all the time.  Side effects can occur with any medication.  But when evidence of significant side-effects are found, and the companies quadruple advertising for the drugs, something smells very fishy.  The rush to cash in on the incredible R&D costs of blockbuster drugs outweighs the risks of selling risky medications to a blind public.  And blindness may very well be an end result of the fiasco???  But that isn't my field.  I deal with the foot, which is incredibly complicated enough as it is.  And I have seen a substantial increase in the need for amputations in diabetic patients, especially those taking the newer diabetic drugs with their miracle lowering of A1C levels.  You've seen the ads on tv, with catchy songs and happy people...

In the preceding 10 years, I probably did a handful of amputations.  But so far this year I have done 9, with another one tomorrow.  Thare are other factors involved in this, but I feel the most important reason is the explosion in the use of the newer class of diabetic drugs which cause the kidneys to rid the bloodstream of glucose.  Unfortunately, a side effect of this has already been proven with one drug and the ambulance chasers of the world have already begun soliciting clients.

The side effect of these medications is that they thicken the blood, causing reduced blood flow in the "end organs", which happens to be the toes in my profession.  Combine that with the other effects diabetes bestows on patients and the end result is infections, osteomyelitis (bone infection) and the need for amputations in diabetic patients with "good" A1C levels.  Other targets of diabetic vascular problems are the eyes and kidneys.  I am not sure if problems are occurring in these specialties, but I will bet they are.

Here's another scary "end organ" problem with inceasing prevalence in those taking these medications...

Widely Used Diabetes Drug Can Cause Flesh-Eating Genital Infection

The mechanism of action is probably the same thickening in the blood causing sluggish circulation, but the bacteria involved is sometime markedly different!

A "Sneaky" Big Man Continues His Track Season!

It has been noted in Track and Field News that B1GHomie, Darrell Hill, has been sneaking up on Shot Put fields all over the world for quite a while now.  He has generated quite a bit of a resume as someone you better look out for whenever he shows up.

He just did it again in a warm-up to the Diamond League Finals, an event he "snuck up" on to win last year!  This time he prevailed in Warsaw, Poland in the Meeting of the Stars with a toss of 21.50 meters, or 70 ' 6.5" to you and I.

Diamond League Shot Put Qualifiers:

USA

CROUSER, Ryan

22.53

22.65

POL

HARATYK, Michał

22.08

22.08

USA

HILL, Darrell

21.72

22.44

BRA

ROMANI, Darlan

21.95

21.95

CZE

STANĚK, Tomáš

21.52

22.01

GER

STORL, David

21.62

22.20

NZL

WALSH, Tomas

22.67

22.67

USA

WHITING, Ryan

20.99

22.28

Am I A Little Late For National Dog Day?

This is a reprint from yesteryear about my first Spot.  A unique dog who I look forward to biting me in Heaven.

Ten More Things I Learned in More Than 50 Years (Which I Learned From My Dog Spot)

I miss the little fellow.  He was a stray that we adopted into our zoo after he had roamed the streets for a number of years.  It took me 2 years until I could pick him up.  He had more fight in his 5 pounds than most football teams do in the NFL.  We have no idea how old he was, but it must have been ancient.  With his age came wisdom beyond his years and species.

1. Running in circles for the sake of running in circles is pleasurable most times.
2. Having one good meal and a bed of your own is really all you need most times.
3. Having friends around, even if they steal some of your food, is still worth it.
4. Barking for the sake of barking is pleasurable most times.
5. Always listen to "the big dog".
6. Work is a four-letter word ending with the letter k.  Nap is much easier. And it ends with a pee.
7. All trips to the doctor should end with a treat.
8. Never give up, never give up.
9. People are mostly good, but occasionally not. Trust, but verify.
10. Never eat the tinsel on a Christmas tree.

Update On A Senseless Tragedy

It turns out that the death of PSU sprinting recruit Kristian Marche was the result of a botched robbery by two young teens.  I can't even fathom the mindset of someone who would pull the trigger in this situation.  This only adds to my sadness.

Arrests Made In Killing of PSU Track Recruit

Here is a Go Fund Me site for a scholarship fund.  I have given a little.

Finally, Physicists Have Started On The Important Questions Of The Universe!

I have been waiting patiently for a Physics post for a long time.  But it seems the Physicists of today only care about Dark Matter and quarks, not the important things the rest of us care about.

Like how to break spaghetti in half without all those little extra pieces that fall on the floor and cause the dogs to choke and gag.

Our original Official Physicist at the blog with it all never did figure it out, despite trying.  And if Richard Feynman couldn't do it, my money was on no one ever doing it.  But again, I was wrong.  Two guys from the Physics Department at MIT have actually done it!

How To Break Spaghetti In Two

The Lion Is Out Of The Bag

So far, only Greg Fredericks has noticed that I have started on my third career, following podiatry and movie producing.  Now I have maneuvered my way into modeling.  YES, Modeling!  The cat is literally out of the bag, thanks to Greg.



And I am offering a prize to the person who can send me the best photo of my first foray into the field.  The best photo of my first photo shoot will garner someone a trip to the next Reunion and Golf Tourney in May!  Hint: If you are heading to the opening weekend's football game from the south and east, you have a good chance of seeing it.

Sad, Sad News

 

Penn State track prospect shot dead in Philadelphia

An 18-year-old man who died Tuesday after having been shot in the head the night before in Philadelphia’s West Oak Lane section has been identified as a former high school track star who was to report to Pennsylvania State University this week to begin his freshman year.

RIP Kristian Marche.  Update:  I received word from Leon Woolford that Diamond Woolford coached Kristian this past season.  They visited with the family last night.  I asked Leon to relate my condolences to the family and friends on behalf of our entire group.  I already considered Kristian as one of us even though he didn't make it to University Park.  My heart is broken and my prayers are with the family and friends, as well as the Woolfords.

I Stole Another Picture From The Interwebs

"When I wore a younger man’s clothes" (or track spikes). A friend and teammate sent me this picture from an indoor meet 50 years ago when I established a new Penn State indoor record for the 400 – on a tight unbanked track. Record is long gone!

Ken Brinker still looks like he could set some records.  He may need the cushy newfangled, banked indoor track PSU has now, but my money is still on him.  But if you ever find yourself entered in our Alumni Reunion golf tourney, pray Clark assigns you to his team and not mine!

My Movie Producer Career Is Gaining Steam

The third movie that I have helped to produce is coming soon.  And it has a big Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golf) connection.

To be honest, for the last two films, I have only participated in the crowdsourcing to get them made.  In the Bannister: Everest On The Track film, I helped fund the musical score for the film.  In an indirect group link to the movie, Nick K. worked with Roger's son in London.



But I was a full-fledged Associate Producer for the 2015 remake of the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 From Outer Space, from Ed Wood, who was played by Johnny Depp in the movie about him.



You can see my IMDb entry here.  And I am committed to the possible sequel to this science fiction/zombie movie.  In a link to our group, Steve Black appeared in the original trailer for the movie. Plan 9: 2015



Now, the latest of "my film projects" will be coming to the screen.  It stars our group's Hanna Humphreys' father, Joe Humphreys.  We are excited to release the official trailer for Live the Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys - currently an official selection of Breckenridge Film Festival 2018 and Chagrin Documentary Film Festival 2018.


Live The Stream: The Story of Joe Humphreys - Official Trailer from Nomadic Studio on Vimeo.

Still More About That 1968 Olympic Trials Marathon

Our newest member, Joe Head, got to relive the thrill of his amazing achievement of running in the first US Olympic Marathon Trials 50 years ago.  This time, he was an honored guest at the Reunion.  He was even roasted by one of the two Directors of the race, Coach Joe Vigil, who had tried to thwart his efforts the first time.  Now they have mended their differences!

The only way Joe made it into the race (other than his nagging persistence and inability to say "no"!) was to meet up with the other Director of the race on the morning of the event.  That was the great American marathoner, Buddy Edelen.  He was thrilled to allow the undertrained novice marathoner into the race!

I have called Buddy Edelen the John the Baptist of American Marathoning.  His achievements and training are incredible in a time before the "running boom" began after Frank Shorter's 1972 Olympic victory.  Frank was just an unknown wannabe from Yale in that 1968 race, which he did not finish.   Get Buddy Edelen's story "A Cold Clear Day" on Amazon Here.

One of the people at Joe's table at the Reunion was Buddy's son Brent.  Full circle of life.

Brent Edelen and Joe

2018

1968

 

1968

2018

1968

2018

Joe with Pikes Peak Marathon winner, 1966-1971, Steve Gachupin.

Joe Vigil roasts Joe Head.

American Lions in Österreich Essen ein türkisches Mittagessen.

 Google Translate

Gary und Myrna Schwartz halten während ihrer Rhein-Donau-Kreuzfahrt bei Wien zum Mittagessen. Schöne Zeit - es war schön, meinen ehemaligen PSU-Assistenztrainer zu sehen.

Türkisches Restaurant am Donaukanal. Wie ich allen in Amerika auf meinem Urlaub gesagt habe ... immer froh, Gastgeber zu sein. Willkommen in Wien.   -Offizieller Physiker Brian Boyer.

A Full Member Of Our Group

Our previous post on the 50th anniversary of the very first Olympic Trials Marathon got a tremendous response from all over.  The post centered on Joe Head, a Nittany Lion who managed to find his way into the field.  It took great courage and persistence, and even the help of one of my running idols, Buddy Edelen, to make it happen.

Joe ran that race with minimal preparation, but great enthusiasm.  The kind of attributes that our very own Coach Groves would have admired.  This was just as Coach began his tenure at PSU.  Joe was surprised at how easily the Officers of Our Group accepted him into our fold.  At first Joe thought he was just a token member of our Facebook Group, but I corrected him that he is a full member of the Penn State Track and Field Alumni (Golf) Group.  This is in keeping with the tradition that Coach Groves himself  brought to Penn State.  Anyone with Joe's fortitude would have been afforded full team membership by Coach.  All of us can attest to that.  Coach had the patience of a Saint for anyone willing to put in the work to become better.  He even gave liberally of his time for walk-ons.  I can attest to that with a personal breakfast meeting each of my years at PSU.  One of them allowed me to have breakfast with Arthur Lydiard and Coach!

In turn, all of Coach Groves' athletes became better people (look at the excellence of everyone in our group!).  Eventually, all of us live up to Coach's quote at the 2009 Alumni Reunion, "Athletics is for education and recreation, nothing else. Winning is important only in that you learn more."  Turns out that Coach Groves was one of Penn State's greatest educators in its history.

So welcome, Joe Head, into full acceptance into the (soon to be, with everyone's help) largest and most active Track and Field Alumni group in the world.  And come golf with us in May, 2019!

Joe may have some further info on the 50th Anniversary celebration upcoming.  But it must be pointed out that he improved over those 50 years, and finished in the middle of the pack in the 50th Anniversary 8K!  Ahead of Frank Shorter!

    MALE AGE GROUP RESULTS 60 - UP
=============================================================================

Place No.   Name                    Age   Time      
===== ===== ================= === === ========== 
    1    56 Rich Hadley              62   35:16  
    2    36 Benji Durden             66   36:15  
    3    81 Bruce Kirschner          64   37:12  
    4   209 Michael Sandrock         60   39:02  
    5   192 Art Kitze                61   39:17  
    6   153 Pablo Vigil              66   39:41  
    7    73 Jim Johnson              61   41:07  
    8    11 Greg Birk                62   43:32  
    9   191 Chris Trunk              63   44:09  
   10   141 Kevin St.Croix           62   44:23  
   11    28 Robert Davis             61   44:57  
   12   108 Scott McMillen           61   44:57  
   13   196 Jan Frisby               74   46:01  
   14   195 Amby Burfoot             71   46:32  
   15   200 Gary Muhrcke             77   46:41  
   16   143 Darrell Sterns           67   46:44  
   17   199 Rick Moisio              63   46:49  
   18   208 Steve Jones              62   47:04 
   19   180 Joe Lowrey               61   48:11  
   20   185 Doug Ouren               62   48:40 
   21   213 Bob Deines               70   49:04  
   22   142 Will Steinberg           64   54:38  
   23    60 Joe Head                 70   55:10  
   24   207 Tom Heinonen             73   55:10 
   25    72 Alan Johnson             70   55:13  
   26   206 Tim Cronin               68   55:52 
   27    93 Frederick Maas           73   57:11 
   28   138 Ron Shepherd             65   57:54

   30   214 Frank Shorter            72   1:01:42  
   31     4 Dana Anstey              70   1:10:41  
   32    83 Kirk Kritner             64   1:12:50 
   33   202 Bill Clark               74   1:19:31 

Joe, finishing the first Olympic Trials Marathon, 1968.

Joe and Pablo Vigil being photobombed by Frank Shorter.