Venezuela is losing time, two and a half minutes per day.
Friday, February 28, 2003
Thursday, February 27, 2003
"Every time oil spiked in the last 30 years, recession came. Why should this time be different?" CNN and Money Magazine write about impending doom:
"The link between energy costs and the economy are direct. When prices go up, businesses and consumers put more of their money into keeping the lights on and keeping their gas tank filled. That leaves them with less to spend, stifling growth. Most economists think that the economy will be able to stave off recession, but they view the recent jump in crude costs with alarm."
"The link between energy costs and the economy are direct. When prices go up, businesses and consumers put more of their money into keeping the lights on and keeping their gas tank filled. That leaves them with less to spend, stifling growth. Most economists think that the economy will be able to stave off recession, but they view the recent jump in crude costs with alarm."
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
I think I found a road bike. For those of you who don't know, I've been tackling the idea of buying a road bike for a triathlon in May. I don't want anything fancy -- I have no experience with road bikes whatsoever -- but I would really like to get started with road biking and feel this is my chance to do so. I found a discounted road bike (it's a model from two years ago) and the vendor is covering the sales tax. Now I just have to decide if I'm ready to make the commitment to the triathlon.
I had my second volunteer shift in the ER at SF General Hospital last Sunday night. I'm loving it so far, although the thrill may wear off when my body starts to reject the 11pm-5am schedule. Last week's Sunday shift was pretty slow, so I might try a shift on Friday night this week. I expect it to be pretty crazy! SFGH is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Northern California, and the Emergency Department itself sees over 65,000 patients a year. Yes, I took that last line from the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation website.
Next item: what's wrong here? My friend pointed me to an amusing (and slightly scary) article this week. To quote Newsday:
"There was only one problem with President George W. Bush's claim Thursday that the nation's top economists forecast substantial economic growth if Congress passed the president's tax cut: The forecast with that conclusion doesn't exist. Bush and White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer went out of their way Thursday to cite a new survey by "Blue-Chip economists" that the economy would grow 3.3 percent this year if the president's tax cut proposal becomes law.
That was news to the editor who assembles the economic forecast. "I don't know what he was citing," said Randell E. Moore, editor of the monthly Blue Chip Economic Forecast, a newsletter that surveys 53 of the nation's top economists each month. "I was a little upset," said Moore, who said he complained to the White House. "It sounded like the Blue Chip Economic Forecast had endorsed the president's plan. That's simply not the case."
Oops!
I had my second volunteer shift in the ER at SF General Hospital last Sunday night. I'm loving it so far, although the thrill may wear off when my body starts to reject the 11pm-5am schedule. Last week's Sunday shift was pretty slow, so I might try a shift on Friday night this week. I expect it to be pretty crazy! SFGH is the only Level 1 Trauma Center in Northern California, and the Emergency Department itself sees over 65,000 patients a year. Yes, I took that last line from the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation website.
Next item: what's wrong here? My friend pointed me to an amusing (and slightly scary) article this week. To quote Newsday:
"There was only one problem with President George W. Bush's claim Thursday that the nation's top economists forecast substantial economic growth if Congress passed the president's tax cut: The forecast with that conclusion doesn't exist. Bush and White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer went out of their way Thursday to cite a new survey by "Blue-Chip economists" that the economy would grow 3.3 percent this year if the president's tax cut proposal becomes law.
That was news to the editor who assembles the economic forecast. "I don't know what he was citing," said Randell E. Moore, editor of the monthly Blue Chip Economic Forecast, a newsletter that surveys 53 of the nation's top economists each month. "I was a little upset," said Moore, who said he complained to the White House. "It sounded like the Blue Chip Economic Forecast had endorsed the president's plan. That's simply not the case."
Oops!
Thursday, February 20, 2003
On February 26th, every Senate office will receive a call every minute from a constituent, as they receive a simultaneous flood of faxes and e-mail. Hundreds of thousands of people from across the country will send the collective message: Don't Attack Iraq. Every Senate switchboard will be lit up throughout the day with our message -- a powerful reminder of the breadth and depth of opposition to a war in Iraq. And on that day, "antiwar rooms" in Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles will highlight the day's progress for the national media, while local media can visit the "antiwar room" online to monitor this constituent march throughout the day.
I'm calling at 2:37PM Eastern Time.
I'm calling at 2:37PM Eastern Time.
Two things to think about:
1. President Bush's plan for war with Iraq versus the military generals:
"Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, long before he became the commander in chief of U.S. Central, put in two tours as a company commander in Vietnam. He saw action in the Gulf War and Somalia, and has won the Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. On the record, referring to colleagues -- including Brent Scowcroft and Norman Schwarzkopf -- who had urged caution regarding war, Zinni said, '"All the generals see this the same way, and all those that never fired a shot in anger are really hell-bent to go to war.' To Zinni, in the combustible region -- far ahead of Iraq -- "the Middle East peace process, in my mind, has to be a higher priority. ... Winning the war on terrorism has to be a higher priority." Zinni asked, "What are we doing to support and encourage change in Iran?" He sees the United States relying upon a tactical response to terrorism. "We are treating the symptoms. ... You go after the terrorists with your military, your law enforcement agencies, (use) your financial institutions to cut off their resources." Instead, we must ask: "Why are young people flocking to these extremist causes? ... Could disenfranchisement or oppression be what drives them?"
2. President Bush's economic plan versus hundreds of economists:
CNN article: "Bush highlighted a new private-sector "blue chip" economic forecast projecting that the economy would grow in the fourth quarter of this year by 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Bush emphasized a portion of the report suggesting that such a level of growth depended on swift passage of his proposed tax cuts. By contrast, more than 400 economists, including 10 Nobel laureates, said last week that Bush's tax plan wouldn't help the ailing economy immediately. Instead, they predicted that it would create deeper deficits that could drive up long-term interests rates and jeopardize the economy down the road."
EPI: "The Economic Policy Institute on February 10 released a statement endorsed by 10 Nobel Prize winning and 450 other economists from around the United States criticizing President Bush's tax proposals as being fiscally irresponsible and "misdirected." The statement, revealed at a press conference hosted by the EPI and held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., was unveiled by three of the Nobel economists who oppose the Bush proposals: Joseph Stiglitz, Franco Modigliani, and Lawrence Klein. The unusually broad consensus, particularly among the Nobel Laureates, represents a grim picture of the Bush proposals because this is the first time in recent history that a signed statement has been issued by such a large group of noted economists, according to Lawrence Mishel, EPI President. A copy of the statement, along with the names of all signatories, will appear as a full-page add in the February 11, 2003, New York Times." "The top 226,000 tax filers will receive as much as 120 million filers at the bottom of the tax bracket," says Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University. "Fifty percent of tax filers will receive $100 or less, while a few at the top will receive enormous benefits."
1. President Bush's plan for war with Iraq versus the military generals:
"Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, long before he became the commander in chief of U.S. Central, put in two tours as a company commander in Vietnam. He saw action in the Gulf War and Somalia, and has won the Defense Superior Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. On the record, referring to colleagues -- including Brent Scowcroft and Norman Schwarzkopf -- who had urged caution regarding war, Zinni said, '"All the generals see this the same way, and all those that never fired a shot in anger are really hell-bent to go to war.' To Zinni, in the combustible region -- far ahead of Iraq -- "the Middle East peace process, in my mind, has to be a higher priority. ... Winning the war on terrorism has to be a higher priority." Zinni asked, "What are we doing to support and encourage change in Iran?" He sees the United States relying upon a tactical response to terrorism. "We are treating the symptoms. ... You go after the terrorists with your military, your law enforcement agencies, (use) your financial institutions to cut off their resources." Instead, we must ask: "Why are young people flocking to these extremist causes? ... Could disenfranchisement or oppression be what drives them?"
2. President Bush's economic plan versus hundreds of economists:
CNN article: "Bush highlighted a new private-sector "blue chip" economic forecast projecting that the economy would grow in the fourth quarter of this year by 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year. Bush emphasized a portion of the report suggesting that such a level of growth depended on swift passage of his proposed tax cuts. By contrast, more than 400 economists, including 10 Nobel laureates, said last week that Bush's tax plan wouldn't help the ailing economy immediately. Instead, they predicted that it would create deeper deficits that could drive up long-term interests rates and jeopardize the economy down the road."
EPI: "The Economic Policy Institute on February 10 released a statement endorsed by 10 Nobel Prize winning and 450 other economists from around the United States criticizing President Bush's tax proposals as being fiscally irresponsible and "misdirected." The statement, revealed at a press conference hosted by the EPI and held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., was unveiled by three of the Nobel economists who oppose the Bush proposals: Joseph Stiglitz, Franco Modigliani, and Lawrence Klein. The unusually broad consensus, particularly among the Nobel Laureates, represents a grim picture of the Bush proposals because this is the first time in recent history that a signed statement has been issued by such a large group of noted economists, according to Lawrence Mishel, EPI President. A copy of the statement, along with the names of all signatories, will appear as a full-page add in the February 11, 2003, New York Times." "The top 226,000 tax filers will receive as much as 120 million filers at the bottom of the tax bracket," says Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz of Columbia University. "Fifty percent of tax filers will receive $100 or less, while a few at the top will receive enormous benefits."
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Monday, February 17, 2003
6:56am. Just got back from SFGH and my first shift in the ER. What a great time! I'm a little delirious, but I can say for sure that I had a great time. Soooooo much better than my volunteer experience at Stanford Hospital. The nursing staff is very friendly, and they answered all of the questions I had. I even stayed longer than necessary (my shift ended at 4am but I put in a couple more hours) and received a lot of praise for it.
Anyway, off to bed. I'm getting up in a few hours to have brunch. I suspect tomorrow will be an odd day with many, many naps. Happy President's Day!
Anyway, off to bed. I'm getting up in a few hours to have brunch. I suspect tomorrow will be an odd day with many, many naps. Happy President's Day!
Sunday, February 16, 2003
I wonder if I'll ever get into medical school.
Part of me thinks, "Of course you will!" My friends, parents, teachers, and coworkers have all told me that I will get in. All my friends who were premed with me at Stanford have been accepted to med school, so statistically speaking I will probably get in at some point, too.
Probably.
Part of me -- most of me, at times -- thinks that I've missed my chance.
My GPA will be hard to repair. Yes, it's possible, but I don't know if I can afford to take more time (or spend more $1000s) on science classes that will make minimal changes to my GPA. My GRE and MCAT scores show that I have the capacity to think, but it seems like the schools don't care. Getting into an MPH program would be great -- but I certainly can't expect to get in since I've been rejected from at least 30 med schools in the last 24 months. And if I don't get into an MPH program, I really have no idea what I will do. Probably sit down and really figure out some big career plans. But I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Do I really want to become one of those "finally-gets-into-med-school-at-age-32" people? I don't think so. If that's the only option I have left, then I don't really know what I want. Am I so obsessed with being a physician that I would ignore other career paths? No. But do most of those career paths require graduate school or an undergraduate-only recruiting program? Most likely.
To the audience out there in cyberspace: sorry about the whining. I'm just a little terrified of the future.
On an unrelated note, I'm going to spend most of tomorrow night (11pm until at least 4am...proably more like 6am) volunteering in the Emergency Room at San Francisco General Hospital. It's yet another attempt to distract myself from medical school thoughts.
Hmmmmm. Can't think, it's late. Just past 3am. I'm still so frustrated that I'll probably spend hours awake in bed, but I suppose I have to try. I'll probably be back here tomorrow night with some profound thoughts after my ER shift.
Part of me thinks, "Of course you will!" My friends, parents, teachers, and coworkers have all told me that I will get in. All my friends who were premed with me at Stanford have been accepted to med school, so statistically speaking I will probably get in at some point, too.
Probably.
Part of me -- most of me, at times -- thinks that I've missed my chance.
My GPA will be hard to repair. Yes, it's possible, but I don't know if I can afford to take more time (or spend more $1000s) on science classes that will make minimal changes to my GPA. My GRE and MCAT scores show that I have the capacity to think, but it seems like the schools don't care. Getting into an MPH program would be great -- but I certainly can't expect to get in since I've been rejected from at least 30 med schools in the last 24 months. And if I don't get into an MPH program, I really have no idea what I will do. Probably sit down and really figure out some big career plans. But I wouldn't even know where to begin.
Do I really want to become one of those "finally-gets-into-med-school-at-age-32" people? I don't think so. If that's the only option I have left, then I don't really know what I want. Am I so obsessed with being a physician that I would ignore other career paths? No. But do most of those career paths require graduate school or an undergraduate-only recruiting program? Most likely.
To the audience out there in cyberspace: sorry about the whining. I'm just a little terrified of the future.
On an unrelated note, I'm going to spend most of tomorrow night (11pm until at least 4am...proably more like 6am) volunteering in the Emergency Room at San Francisco General Hospital. It's yet another attempt to distract myself from medical school thoughts.
Hmmmmm. Can't think, it's late. Just past 3am. I'm still so frustrated that I'll probably spend hours awake in bed, but I suppose I have to try. I'll probably be back here tomorrow night with some profound thoughts after my ER shift.
Thursday, February 06, 2003
Today is turning around. It started as a stressful day, but it's slowly getting better.
I found a friend who will use the extra Cirque du Soleil ticket. A weekly study at Stanford hospital in which I participate was cancelled, so I will have a little extra time to drive up to San Francisco for the Toad the Wet Sprocket concert.
I did a lot of driving last night. It was good for my psyche. My roommate's car was towed from his fiance's apartment complex, so around 10:30pm I drove him down to the towing company and waited for him to get his car back. After that, I drove up to Stanford and did a 2 hour workout. I have been striving to get back in shape, and the workout habit is starting to stick. I'm also 75% sure that I am going to do a triathlon through Team in Training. Raising $2800 seems like a pretty big challenge, but several people I know who have participated in TNT say it's not as hard as you would think.
I had a moment of pause last night when I was driving home from my workout. I drove past Junipero -- my freshman dorm at Stanford -- and paused for a moment in the parking lot to visually scan the building and find the window that was mine during freshman year. I parked. And thought. Coincidentally, matchbox twenty's "Unwell" was on the radio at the moment. It seemed appropriate:
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell
I found a friend who will use the extra Cirque du Soleil ticket. A weekly study at Stanford hospital in which I participate was cancelled, so I will have a little extra time to drive up to San Francisco for the Toad the Wet Sprocket concert.
I did a lot of driving last night. It was good for my psyche. My roommate's car was towed from his fiance's apartment complex, so around 10:30pm I drove him down to the towing company and waited for him to get his car back. After that, I drove up to Stanford and did a 2 hour workout. I have been striving to get back in shape, and the workout habit is starting to stick. I'm also 75% sure that I am going to do a triathlon through Team in Training. Raising $2800 seems like a pretty big challenge, but several people I know who have participated in TNT say it's not as hard as you would think.
I had a moment of pause last night when I was driving home from my workout. I drove past Junipero -- my freshman dorm at Stanford -- and paused for a moment in the parking lot to visually scan the building and find the window that was mine during freshman year. I parked. And thought. Coincidentally, matchbox twenty's "Unwell" was on the radio at the moment. It seemed appropriate:
But I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Yeah, how I used to be
How I used to be
Well, I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be
I'm just a little unwell
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
Hmmmmm. Here's this week's Moment of Stupidity:
Talk with friends for the 1000th time about going to Cirque du Soleil. Decide to take action and organize a group to go. Ask lots of friends if they can go. Have difficulting finding a day when everyone can go. Finally, this morning, we find a night that everyone can go - tomorrow night. I buy the tickets. Two hours pass. A friend emails me and reminds me that we're going to a concert on that night.
Whoops.
Talk with friends for the 1000th time about going to Cirque du Soleil. Decide to take action and organize a group to go. Ask lots of friends if they can go. Have difficulting finding a day when everyone can go. Finally, this morning, we find a night that everyone can go - tomorrow night. I buy the tickets. Two hours pass. A friend emails me and reminds me that we're going to a concert on that night.
Whoops.
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