George Bailey

Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life has been one of my favourite movies and a consistent television screening in the United States at this time of year.

In dark moments, I have often contemplated whether there is a counterexample to George Bailey’s experience. At times, such as now when the black dog is barking incessantly, I have frequently thought I was such a counterexample. However, a more obvious candidate is Mr. Potter from the film. His influence casts a long dark shadow throughout the film. Surely, the world would have been better if he had never been born?

On reflection, perhaps there lies a deeper message. There is importance in the multiple encounters positive and negative that form our history. Our scars are as important as our joys. George Bailey would not have reached his epiphany and the film its denouement without the malevolent presence of Mr. Potter across the span of George’s life (as well as the countless life affirming encounters with the common people of Bedford Falls).

Who knows, perhaps George Bailey not only positively influenced his family, friends and acquaintances but he also gave Mr. Potter the opportunity to see mercy, compassion and integrity…

George needed to go through his long dark night of the soul for his guardian angel to appear.

Unlike George Bailey…I sit alone with my thoughts and relive the errors of the past…regret the stress I have imposed on my loved ones…

I desperately seek an unlikely aged, overweight, dottery Clarence type to help me reframe my world.

Merry Christmas to all…peace to all

Crunch

Crunch…onomatopoeia …expressing the termination of an action resulting in compression…a change in momentum…external forces destroying the internal structure, overcoming the static equilibrium…”crunch time”…well it is crunch time.

I have been turning my head from road to road at the metaphorical crossroads for some time now. I have been hoping for the unreasonable and I have  been looking for signs where none can conceivably come from, I have been seeking counsel in the  wrong places…but crunch time comes with an inevitable, unexpected, powerful force upon me.  It has the beauty of finality and clarity but there is extreme sadness…

What happens after the big crunch…a cosmological question for one of many models of the fate of the universe…but really an expression of the uncertainty of the fate of my universe….

I hope all pass a safe, peaceful and joyous holiday period and have time to be energised by the people they love and  who love them…

A stroke of red

There are a number of risk models for stroke in  atrial fibrillation  and bleeding.

I explore two validated models in this post.

The papers are referenced. The source material is very important and instructive with respect:

• definitions of risk factors (different between two models)
• the sample sizes
• the residual uncertainty, limitation of discrimination and explanatory power of models