Our medical students and new residents are awesome but sometimes I have to cut off their patient presentations. They want to describe and report all the normal stuff like blood pressure, HR, number of toes and rectal tone. I have to try to get them to go to the pertinent findings like blood in the abdomen or a C6 fracture. I wish we could do the same with the news! Today the headlines were John Edwards affair, Caylee missing in Orlando, the Olympics and Starbucks closing a few shops and offering a refill on a double latte. Oh, by the way, if you looked for the pertinent stuff, Russia has just invaded Georgia, it looks like Iran already has enough fissable uranium for bombs and oil is plummenting as speculators are worried that we might drill. This stuff is at the end of the hour and almost not even mentioned.
I know our news is all about the ratings, but isn't it also how we get info to decide on who and how to vote for? I know that facts tend to not be sexy, but then again, they are facts and they tend to be good things to know. I sometimes wonder if our national politics and congress are part of a big soap opera that is scripted by the media. I had a wonderful opportunity to live overseas where the news was just people reading what happened that day. There was no editorials, there was no fancy commentary. It was just what happened. They did have a comedy segment, it was usually about US politics.
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Hi Throckmorton-your points are well taken. Btw... "number of toes and rectal tone" -very funny. :) Also encouraging to see you think the students are awesome in view of the scary descriptions one reads in med blogdom about the students when they get on board in July.
I confess that I have not been following the news other than a headline that may pass before me as I turn the computer on (it's set to MSN page), a quick scan of the local paper or something I hear in passing that my husband it watching.
I did see the Edwards headline but didn't read because I don't care, don't know about Caylee-that is frightening and sad,nor did I know about the rest.
I agree with you and do think we should hear about the more important things. The Olympics is interesting and will be at the forefront barring a catastrophe. But at least that is about excellence, hard work, triumphs, etc. i caught a little of it last night and this morning.
We just had a Starbucks open near by but I haven't gone yet because I've heard it is expensive and I am a boring coffee drinker in that I don't like extras and sweet things in it. I suppose I could be convinced to try an Irish coffee sometime. ;) Of course they don't sell coffee with liquor in it.
That whole Iranian thing is frightening. The middle east is a ticking time bomb.
The oils story sounds interesting and so I will go research that. I am so worried about home heating oil this winter! I don't know how little elderly people on low fixed incomes are managing. The ones that fall in between the cracks because they aren't poor enough to qualify for assistance and yet income is too low to keep up with skyrocketing prices. :( I've said it before but I do think things will get better and I think there will be another energy source that no one realizes yet. I wouldn't be surprised if someday we don't even need the middle east oil. It's just a matter of WHEN. Ever the optimist. :)
I fully expect that as the presidential campaign intensifies I will revert back to my political junkie ways. ;) During the last campaign... I was ADDICTED to talk radio and the talking heads on TV. Fortunately (or not) with one of my jobs I was able to listen to talk radio On my way to clients or other hospitals, in between them and after... AND if I got stuck in major traffic on 80 or where ever...no big deal... I had talk radio. I even had a little portable radio I turned on when I was staying in the office, but was careful to keep it very low so others wouldn't get offended if they didn't agree with it. And at home... I had the radio on all the time, even in the shower and took a portable with me from room to room and like guys like to watch the picture in picture on tvs for sports...I'd be listening to the talking heads on TV my husband was watching and talk radio simultaneously while cooking or cleaning in the kitchen! I wouldn't get out of the car when I got home until a commercial break. And I dreamt about politics!!! That's bad. I could answer anything political. I also read the Drudge report on line and other news sites. I honestly didn't even listen to music until after the campaign. Then it was back to normal things. I would've loved to be at campaign headquarters and politically active!
I still listened to talk radio a lot when driving etc... but after I got really sick with the urology things, I actually made a conscious decision to limit news, I rarely listened to talk radio, etc. because I began to think how negative and frustrating things are and maybe I was tensing internally and closing my ureter. I know it was from scarring but thought that all these bad vibes can't be good and so I did a 180 away from most of the news and have maintained that. I know I'll be hooked in the fall though... like a moth to bug zapper. ;)
If you don't mind answering...where did you have an opportunity to live and are you fluent in the language?
That does sound like a wonderful experience. :)
I've never been overseas but would love to see Scotland and Germany (relatives from there)and I would especially love to see Paris and the French country side and Italy. I would be thrilled to learn to speak French from the people. It would be neat to try to survive on the little French skills I have. :)
I enjoyed your post-thought provoking! :)
long comment-delete if u want. :)
BTW-your life sounds quite interesting...living overseas, missions helping 3rd world people, Katrina victims, teaching the new med residents and your own career and all that brings. Pretty awesome stuff! :)
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