corrente

Here it is. From here, in the Portsmouth Herald, if you want to check.



Look at his nose and ears. They're all red. Is he off the wagon again, or what?

And... On the hand he's got in the air—what's that on his fingers?

Readers?

UPDATE Some readers have commented that Bush's appearance may be affected by rosacea, so I went to MedScape (subscription required) and found an article titled "Diagnosis and Treatment of Rosacea" from the Journal of the American Board of Family Practice:

Rosacea generally involves the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead, with a predilection for the nose in men

A survey by the National Rosacea Society reported that 75% of rosacea patients felt low self-esteem, 70% felt embarrassment, 69% report frustration, 56% felt that they had been "robbed of pleasure or happiness," 60% felt the disorder negatively affected their professional interactions, and 57% believed that it adversely affected their social lives. Much of this suffering is unnecessary, however, because rosacea is a condition that can be easily diagnosed and effectively treated in most patients.

The most important first step in the treatment of rosacea is the avoidance of triggers. Triggers are both exposures and situations that can cause a flare-up of the flushing and skin changes in rosacea. Principal among these is sun exposure. Rosacea patients must be advised always to apply a nonirritating facial sun block when outdoors. Stress, through autonomic activation, can also increase the flushing. Alcohol consumption, while not a cause in itself, can aggravate this condition through peripheral vasodilation. Spicy foods can also aggravate the symptoms of rosacea through autonomic stimulation.

Rosacea responds well to oral antibiotics. Recalcitrant rosacea can respond to oral isotretinoin therapy. Although the exact cause of rosacea is unknown, its progression, signs, and symptoms can be readily alleviated by the primary care physician.

A few thoughts: First, interestingly, the hands (the focus of the post) are not generally involved. Second, there are well-known courses of treatment. This leads me to question whether Bush does in fact suffer from rosacea, since he must have the best of medical care available to him. Third, if Bush does have rosacea, it's very interesting to look at the triggers: they include alchohol, the sun, and stress.

The alchohol trigger: We know Bush has a predeliction for it. 'Nuff said.

The sun trigger: If Bush does in fact have rosacea, we should read somewhere about him always using sunblock, when he's clearing brush on this "ranch," for example. I can't find a reference to this. Readers, can you?

The stress trigger: We all know that telling lies doesn't stress Bush at all. But, just maybe, telling lies and being caught does, which (if Bush does indeed have rosacea) would mean that the Clarke situation may have put him in considerable stress. It will be interesting to see how this possible indication of Bush's mental state plays out in the course of the long, long election.

UPDATE Alert reader Adrienne suggests the following:

If you use self tanner, which I think Bush does, and don't wash your hands after applying it, it leaves stains like those in the picture.

Eew.