January 30

Dad blame it! As I sat down here I had a flash of what I thought would be an entertaining subject to type about but you know how long a flash lasts.

I did have the TV on the Discovery channel and discovered who is assured to always come out ahead on a slot machine. The program was, 'How it's Made', and showed the putting together of a slot machine. What a complicated mass! I bet the skilled employees make good wages because it isn't a hit or miss kind of operation. Must not be too dangerous either because one of the hands I watched installing some components had a ring with a big wad of diamonds on the third finger of her left hand and fingernail polish on all of the fingers. That was one of my clues as to their being paid well too.

A winter watch for tomorrow with a 90% chance of precipitation has Dory calling to change her appointment that was scheduled for tomorrow with the thyroid doctor. There isn't a problem with the thyroid as far as we know but it is one of the things the doctors want to keep a watch on.

I read a little about the thyroid and noted that it didn't look to be as complicated as a slot machine but after reading just a little I changed my mind and began to understand why a skilled doctor is worth many times more than a skilled slot machine worker.

Even the most simple sounding part doesn't seem simple at all. The primary function of the thyroid is production of the hormones thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and calcitonin. Up to 80% of the T4 is converted to T3 by peripheral organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen. T3 is about ten times more active than T4. Woweee!

"Doctors are men who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less, in human beings of whom they know nothing." - Voltaire