ed traisman died last week. i'd never heard of him until today, but if it weren't for him, i suspect i wouldn't be the indulged eldest son of a cardiologist that i am now.
ed traisman worked for kraft foods and is credited as the inventor of cheez whiz. (he was also instrumental in developing the modern mcdonald's french fry, which should qualify him for sainthood.)
my dad kept himself going through medical school on a steady diet of cheez whiz on white bread and cigarettes. i could only imagine if dad had to actually leave his room to scrounge up a snack, he might have missed out on a valuable hour or two of study that could have cost him a grade in his exams.
he would have never graduated med school, never left the philippines and never become the only heart specialist in beckley. and i'd be some overprivileged rice farmer's son doing nothing in the philippine boondocks instead of living the life of an overprivileged wannabe journalist doing nothing in west virginia.
so thank you, edwin traisman, from the bottom of my heart (and its somewhat damaged arteries).
