#211 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Thursday December 2)
Good morning!
THE POETRY OF CREATION
I have been reading lyrics of great songs lately. We often tend primarily to “hear” the melodies, often overlooking the lyrics. A great lyricist (whether it’s John Lennon or Oscar Hammerstein) attaches poetry to song. I commend the works of Stephen Sondheim, whose lyrics and poetry, and ability to articulate the ambiguity of human emotion and experience, to those who want to broaden their horizons.
Samantha Millman noted the following about the poetry of Sondheim (who passed away last week at age 91) and the creation of art:
“I love dissecting Sondheim’s work. His musicality is unmatched. The soaring beauty of Johanna. The frenzy of Not Getting Married. But his words - genius. They are simple and cutting. Nothing is superfluous. This stanza of “Putting it Together” from Sunday in the Park with George, for example, is applicable to much in life and captures Sondheim’s trademark perfectionism:
‘Ounce by ounce, putting in together
Small amounts, adding up to make a work of art
First of all you need a good foundation
Otherwise it's risky from the start
Takes a little cocktail conversation
But without the proper preparation
Having just a vision's no solution
Everything depends on execution
The art of making art
Is putting it together, bit by bit’
CLASSIC MOVIE LINES AND A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS
My cousin Chris suggests two Clint Eastwood favorites. The first is from The Outlaw Josey Wales: "Get ready, little lady. Hell is coming to breakfast." The second is from Magnum Force: "A man has got to know his limitations."
The Outlaw Josie Wales arguably is among the least appreciated great movie epics. It all takes place in the wake of Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War. For another view of the same era and area, there is The Good Lord Bird (book and Showtime mini-series). For another great Western epic, watch Silverado, which boasts Kevin Kline, Danny Glover, Scott Glenn and Kevin Costner as the four heroes.
Paul Kanin suggests from Dr. Strangelove: “We can win this thing. Mr. President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Uh, depending on the breaks.”
Paul’s other choice requires set-up. In The Pink Panther, Inspector Clousseau is getting a room and sees a dog beside him. He asks the German innkeeper whether his dog bites. The man says no. Clousseau bends over to pet the dog. He is, of course, bitten. Clouseau says, “I thought you said your dog didn’t bite.” The innkeeper, in a horrible German accent, responds: “Zat iz not my dog…”
TOO MANY PEOPLE SELLING TOO MANY DRUGS
I mused a while back about the Sacklers and Purdue Pharma, who are the worst offenders, but we should know that much of the medical communication that is consumed on the Internet (or on TV) is information disseminated by the makers of drugs. The constraints on direct-to-consumer medical advertising have been relaxed. Now, patients are advising doctors regarding their desired medication, rather than the expert providing the advice to the patient. Don’t get me wrong—some knowledge will empower a patient to ask better questions and stimulate a better discussion regarding alternatives. I’m not sure, however, that advertising by profit-making corporations is the best way to do that.
In a 2017 study of 2,000 physicians, they reported that fully 20% of their care was unnecessary, largely due to patient pressure. For a great look at this phenomenon, read “Can Patients Decide Their Own Care” from last month’s Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/can-patients-decide-their-own-care-11633618876
Have a great day,
Glenn
Have a great day,
Glenn
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