Milton Supman 1926 - 2009

R.I.P. Milton Supman, a.k.a. Soupy Sales, children's television show host from the late 1950's through the mid-1960's. Although I was never a huge fan, I certainly recall watching his show from time-to-time. I pegged him as a dope, but his memorial in the Washington Post this morning notes that Soupy was occasionally in trouble with the authorities for his on camera hi jinx including this gem:

With one minute of airtime to fill at the end of his show, he told his young viewers to sneak into their parents' bedrooms, find their wallets and "take some of those green pieces of paper with pictures of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Lincoln and Jefferson on them." "Send them to me," he said, "and I'll send you a postcard from Puerto Rico."

In other news, I had a busy day yesterday getting mom cleared for surgery next Friday. We paid a visit to her regular doc and then to the hospital for some lab work and a pre-op briefing. No show stoppers so far.

I spoke briefly to Leah on Thursday to wish her a happy birthday. She was getting ready to go to dinner with Chris. Sounds like her job is kinda dicey - this past week she's been working a public health swine flu hotline - not a lot of fun when your message is "We're out of vaccine."

Sounds like the immunization effort is a bit of a cock-up nationwide and the public health folks have their work cut-out for them. First the shortage of vaccine. And now the whack-jobs and flim-flammers are getting into the act big time. The internet is full of scary nonsense about the lack of effectiveness and danger of the vaccine and the patent medicine quacks are further muddying the waters hocking a plethora of homeopathic remedies and prophylactics.

If this winter turns into the 'perfect storm' of influenza and our health care system (particularly our hospital system) is overwhelmed by seasonal and H1N1 flu - something that is very possible - one can, of course, then expect the mullah's to weigh-in with the customary "I told you so's" of the "This is God's retribution for [INSERT YOUR PET PEEVE HERE]" variety.

At times I wonder if this country is governable...