North by Northwest

While walking out on the Ventura Pier, I was rather surprised about how empty the beaches were in the middle of summer – until I remembered it was a weekday. Here, the beaches seldom get swamped like you see in some pictures, with people stumbling over each other, but usually there are more people at play. The coronavirus has reached the shores of the Pacific!

Here, looking up the coast as it curves around and heads toward the Rincon and Santa Barbara. There is a boardwalk and bike path that lead to the outlet of the Ventura River. Surfers usually gather at the point where the buildings end, but the tide was out and the sea quiet.

There Were Three Jolly Fishermen

It was a bright day out on the Ventura Pier, soon after the heavy stay-at-home ban had been lifted.  Lots of people out and about, enjoying the sun and a sense of freedom.  These guys were really fascinated by my camera – a Yashica Mat D TLR – and were willing to pose when asked.  Not a bad catch, so to speak!

Yashica Mat D, Kodak Portra 400.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Children of the Thalidomide Epidemic

This is a documentary about the children of mothers who were prescribed Thalidomide from the 1950s to the 1960s. Today, Thalidomide-based drugs are used to treat leprosy (Hansen’s Disease) and multiple myeloma. It is also still manufactured today and used, quite unregulated, today in various parts of South America and Asia, where usage leads to birth defects.

This opens up to questions of medical ethics. Today, with the coronavirus, vaccinations against it are being explored, but will they be safe? That is a tough question for medical ethicists. Today, because of herd immunity, we don’t see the diseases killing our friends or family or children as they did up to the 1940s. As a result, we see those who do not believe in the validity of vaccinations. Scares such as Thalidomide give cause for worry – when drugs are pushed without adequate research.

Thalidomide leaves visible damage. DES (diethylstilbestrol) left generational genetic damage and increased risk for cancer. The Salk polio vaccine saved millions from infantile paralysis. The list of good and bad drugs and vaccines is too long to mention. Will a coronavirus vaccine be safe, cause birth defects, or lead to generational mutations? Here, we need to think individually and collectively, as well as to think about future generations. Cost vs. benefit. There are times when society shifts to the beauty of the dollar and the $600.00 epi-pen as more important than the good that can be done. For-profit medical care at what cost? Here, again, a question for the medical ethicist. Money helps to fund research, but money for the pure point of money?

Today’s pandemic is bringing out the best and worst in people. I hope that the good guys will prevail.