Merry Christmas!

Hi all --

Here is the obligatory Christmas post. Merry Christmas! I'm thrilled to be home, rested, well fed, rested, with family, and rested.

Time for another snack!

401 and counting

This is my 401st post. Not bad for a little over 4 years.

When I look back on my 2nd year of medical school, I will probably think of this period. We're hitting on all cylinders -- or at least we're being asked to -- with lectures, class exams, clinical sessions 2-3 days per week, and board preparation....all at the same time. As we get closer to the USMLE, class starts to matter less and less. As it is, I've spent probably half my time in the last two weeks focusing on the boards instead of on class material (endocrinology).

Now I'm off to another Physical Diagnosis session. Another afternoon gone.

Song: Quiet Riot, "Come on Feel the Noise"
Mood: autopilot

24 hours

Just another 24 hours until I have a break. A full week to sleep, read, relax, study, and set my own schedule. Of course, between now and then there is an exam, and I haven't been 100% confident in my studying recently. I'm putting a lot of time, energy, and effort into it...but I'm not sure how much I'm actually learning.

Fortunately, I don't have a choice about the pulm exam. By lunchtime tomorrow it will be over, and I will be packing for my flight back to Portland on Saturday. Hallelujah.

With the exception of 1 or 2 days of federal holiday, I haven't had a break in months. And the sad thing is that I just want to study for the boards. Sure, I want time to sleep and have some fun, but I don't really resent being busy because it distracts from my social life. I signed up for that. I resent being busy because it means I have less time to study for Step 1. And, now that I have scheduled my exam date, I want to study even more. March 9th is rapidly approaching.

Enough whining. Time for more practice tests.

Mood: dug in, so to speak
Song: A set of Baroque pieces, mostly choral, I just bought off iTunes. I just finished Bach's Concerto No. 1 for One Harpsichord. Now listening to Palestrina's "Stabat Mater," performed by the Schola Cantorum of Oxford. It's the perfect music for translating my caffine high into productive work.

Post-election and pre-Thanksgiving

I'm finally returning to normal life after the election. The biggest news around here was that our smoking ban passed (by a wide margin!) and that Ohio citizens were smart enough to reject the smoking "ban" backed by RJ Reynolds. Amazing. Oh, and yes, the Democrats took the House and the Senate. That was pretty exciting too. :-)

Otherwise, I now find myself with three days before an exam. And four days before I go home for a week! Can I push myself to the end of this week?

The Onion: can it predict the future?

GOP Throws All Financial Support Behind One Candidate

SCOTTSDALE, AZ—With just seven days remaining until the mid-term elections, the National Republican Congressional Committee has allocated its remaining $256 million cash-on-hand to Arizona incumbent J. D. Hayworth's campaign, in the hopes of retaining at least one House seat. "Considering Rep. Hayworth's strong stance against terrorism and this infusion of money, we're feeling really good about this race," said White House chief strategist Karl Rove, who is personally managing the remainder of Hayworth's campaign from his Scottsdale office."He's going to be in a very competitive position if he spends just 90 percent of this money attacking [challenger Harry] Mitchell." Hayworth will be joined at campaign events this week by 23 prominent Republicans, including Dick Cheney, John McCain, Bill Frist, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rudolph Giuliani, Ted Nugent, and Rupert Murdoch. In a poll released today, Mitchell leads Hayworth by six points.

T minus 8 days

Although I should be preparing for my upcoming cardio exam, I'm spending most of my time looking at election news. I looks like Ohio is safe in terms of the Senate, and tonight we have some exciting news showing Jim Webb up by 5 points in Virginia. With only 8 days to go, any positive momentum in the VA, MO, or TN senate races is really encouraging. And 5 points in VA is huge.

I'm also hearing encouraging rumors about Ford's internal polling numbers in TN. They're internals, so I won't trust them until I see similar results from Rasumssen, SUSA, etc., but they're encouraging nonetheless.

How am I supposed to study renal vascular hypertension when the fate of the Senate hangs in the balance? C'mon, let's get this exam over with...

Two weeks left

Hi everyone. I'm back...sort of. School is kicking my butt and I'm feeling as busy as ever, but the election is two weeks away. And we all know what I'm most concerned about.

Along those lines, this will be a short post, except for the list below. It's part of a pre-election Google bomb. In short, these are the links that I (and many others) are the best descriptions of the candidates listed below. And, fortunately, we know that Google will pick up on it...

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert

What month is it?

The last time I checked, it was August. Now it's nearly the end of September. And while I now know a substantial amount of information about the nervous system and head/neck anatomy, I seem to have lost a month.

I can't even begin to say what sort of fun things I'm going to do once the exam is over tomorrow. Sleep! Sit! Read anything I don't have to memorize! Leave school before sunset!

Seriously, let's get this over with. 16 hours and counting...

A Reputable Influencer

I'm swamped with neuroanatomy, but I felt the need to post an email I received a few moments ago. Apparently I'm more popular, or at least more reputable (and more influential) than I expected.

Hi,I was just browsing the 'net and found your Hans Zimmer-related blog entry: http://amateurchef.blogspot.com/2006/09/digging-in.html and I think you may be of some help to me. I'm reaching out to you on behalfof M80 & Image Entertainment regarding the release of 'Yanni Live! The ConcertEvent' on DVD and CD. Since you blogged about Hans Zimmer, I thought that youmight be interested in posting the press release or a review of the DVD or CDon your blog? You seem like a reputable influencer, so I think you'd be a bighelp to us. For your help or review, I would be happy to send you a copy of YanniLive! on DVD or CD.Please let me know if you're interested!

Thanks!
Nico, M80
(email and website removed)

Two comments:
1. Who puts an apostrophe on 'net?
2. Anyone want a Yanni Live DVD?

Sincerely,

Your Reputable Influencer

Deadlines

When I get stressed, it's usually about deadlines. I have something to do, I have a limited time in which to do it, and I'm concerned that I won't be able to finish it in time. But if I finish the task or if there is a long time left before the deadline, I don't worry too much.

My next real deadline isn't for two weeks, yet I'm already stressed as if it were tomorrow. And I think I know why: I can't truly finish studying neuro. Not even close. I had this feeling last year at times, but it didn't usually last very long because each committee ("class" as most people say) was only a few weeks long. Now, though, I've been studying and studying and studying for a few weeks...and there are still two weeks to go until the exam.

This committee has completely transformed my daily life. Part of me thinks that I'm actually more stressed because of the changes in my daily routine, but I know deep down that I would be even more panicked if I weren't working so hard.

Everyone around me is similarly stressed, or so it seems, and that certainly doens't help things.

Grrrrrr. I've been trying to limit my caffeine intake so I can avoid the jitters and get to sleep at night, but that's not going so well. And I'm getting sick.

I should go running. That would help. But it has been raining and raining, and I haven't been getting home until relatively late recently. Maybe tomorrow.

Time to eat dinner. While I study at a cafe.

Mood: discouraged
Song: Live, "The Beauty of Gray" and Rusted Root, "Ecstasy"

Digging In

My last post was right -- the next two weeks will be insane. And my entire class knows it. We're not exactly the most cheerful group of people right now.

I'll take a break tonight to catch the primary election results from Rhode Island and Maryland, but otherwise I will be working on neuroanatomy and head/neck anatomy all night. Oh, and yes, my house is still a freaking nightmare.

But otherwise life is wonderful. Woohoo.

Song: Bon Jovi, "Livin' On a Prayer" (acoustic). And Hans Zimmer movie soundtracks. Plus some Mitch Hedberg comedy to lighen it up.
Mood: frustrated/exhausted

Clouds on the Horizon

Neuro is getting hard - and we still have three weeks left. I'm getting worn down already (!), and it seems like everyone around me is anxious most of the time.

Hmmm. We only have classes for 4 days this week, and the first one of those was pretty short, so this week shouldn't be that hard. Let's see how I feel on Friday afternoon...

Mood: anxious
Song: Metallica, "No Leaf Clover" and something else cathartic

Labor Day

While med school can certainly give you an altered perception of reality, one thing it certainly makes you more aware of is holidays. Even those for just 24 hours. To say I'm thankful for this day off doesn't truly capture how important this day has been. Last week was pretty brutal, so having an extra day to sleep and sleep is obviously helpful. Perhaps more importantly, though, is the fact that we don't have to add new material to our To Do lists today. One of the hardest things about this committee so far has been the fact that we're covering new material at an astounding rate. If you're not running at full speed on school days, you'll find yourself getting farther and farther behind.

Friday night was a little bit unpleasant as I realized late in the evening that I needed to do some extra work before meeting with my research advisor on Saturday morning. (I thought my analysis had been finished earlier in the week, but I'd missed an important step.) Anyway, I made my way through the analysis (successfull, mostly) and got to bed sometime in the middle of the night...maybe 4am or so. I had intended to get to bed by 11 that night, so I started the weekend with an unfortunate sleep deficit. Fortuntely, the two subsequent nights of 11-12 hours of sleep helped return me to a mostly-human state. And hopefully this week will be a little bit lighter on the extracurriculars than last week was.

On this labor day, I am simultaneously laboring away and recognizing the labor of those around me. Good enough.

Mood: not really sure. a little bored, a little distracted.
Song: Snow Patrol, "Chocolate" and the King's Singers, "Spem in Alium"

PS. No, I don't think anyone else has ever listened to those two songs back-to-back before. I know, I listen to strange combinations of musical genres...

On A Platter

Two weeks ago, I received an email from the two faculty members who are in charge of my current academic class block (we call them committees, for some reason). They're nice people, but the first few lines of the email set the tone for the course:

Dear Year II Students,

Welcome to the 2006 Nervous System Section of the Nervous System/Mind Committee. This memo may help you navigate the course, and most importantly, focus the use of your valuable time most efficiently.

If you don’t read any of this memo, please understand the following:
• Neuroanatomy is time consuming. Very time consuming. Respect that.
• There is only one exam. If you don’t keep up, your butt will be handed to you on a platter. Did we mention that you are expected to know neuroanatomy on the exam?
• (etc., etc., etc.)

The email continued for a couple pages, but those first few lines really captured the essence of what I'm feeling now: this stuff is hard. Really hard.

Today, after three hours of class and two hours of anatomy dissection lab, I studied straight for 12 hours (exluding some minimal driving time). I read several chapters of a textbook, a few dozen pages of class syllabus, and a few pages of a condensed review book, plus used a "virtual glossary" to understand the 3-dimensional nature of certain brain structures. And a few dozen horizontal, corontal, and sagittal "sections" of brain, mostly on CT or MRI. And I am still having a freakishly hard time understanding the acoustic and vestibular systems.

And, believe it or not, after thinking hard for 95% of my waking hours today, it's hard to concentrate on anything at 2:25am.

Tomorrow is Thursday. Then Friday. Then a three-day weekend.

And the unfortunate part? A three-day weekend just means an extra day to hopefully understand this stuff.

Enough is enough. I'm going to bed.

Mood: semiconscious
Song: "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick (live version)

Olbermann hits it out of the park

Inspiration. I've been studying for nearly 12 hours straight, and I can barely keep my eyes open. But moments ago I found inspiration.

Keith Olbermann's commentary on Countdown tonight was spectacular. Olbermann spoke about Donald Rumsfeld's comments yesterday to an American Legion convention in Salt Lake City. In short, Rumsfeld stated that anyone who disagreed with the administration on Iraq (more than half of US citizens, mind you) suffered from "moral and intellectual confusion" and was willing to appease "a new type of fascism," clearly referring to the appeasement policies of the Chamberlain government toward Hitler and Nazi Germany in the 1930s.

Olbermann's comments tonight highlight so many things I despise about this administration...maybe I'm just thankful to hear them finally expressed by someone in the media. It's refreshing to hear someone comment clearly on a issue that you feel strongly about, especially when you're well past the point of being able to think.

I'll post the commentary below. You can also find the transcript at MSNBC, but the best idea is to watch the video at Crooks and Liars.

Without much further ado...

The man who sees absolutes, where all other men see nuances and shades of meaning, is either a prophet, or a quack.

Donald H. Rumsfeld is not a prophet.

Mr. Rumsfeld’s remarkable speech to the American Legion yesterday demands the deep analysis—and the sober contemplation—of every American.

For it did not merely serve to impugn the morality or intelligence -- indeed, the loyalty -- of the majority of Americans who oppose the transient occupants of the highest offices in the land. Worse, still, it credits those same transient occupants -- our employees -- with a total omniscience; a total omniscience which neither common sense, nor this administration’s track record at home or abroad, suggests they deserve.

Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; and not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as “his” troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq.

It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile it is right and the power to which it speaks, is wrong.

In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld’s speechwriter was adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis. For in their time, there was another government faced with true peril—with a growing evil—powerful and remorseless.

That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld’s, had a monopoly on all the facts. It, too, had the “secret information.” It alone had the true picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in terms like Mr. Rumsfeld’s -- questioning their intellect and their morality.

That government was England’s, in the 1930’s.

It knew Hitler posed no true threat to Europe, let alone England.

It knew Germany was not re-arming, in violation of all treaties and accords.

It knew that the hard evidence it received, which contradicted its own policies, its own conclusions — its own omniscience -- needed to be dismissed.

The English government of Neville Chamberlain already knew the truth.

Most relevant of all — it “knew” that its staunchest critics needed to be marginalized and isolated. In fact, it portrayed the foremost of them as a blood-thirsty war-monger who was, if not truly senile, at best morally or intellectually confused.

That critic’s name was Winston Churchill.

Sadly, we have no Winston Churchills evident among us this evening. We have only Donald Rumsfelds, demonizing disagreement, the way Neville Chamberlain demonized Winston Churchill.

History — and 163 million pounds of Luftwaffe bombs over England — have taught us that all Mr. Chamberlain had was his certainty — and his own confusion. A confusion that suggested that the office can not only make the man, but that the office can also make the facts.

Thus, did Mr. Rumsfeld make an apt historical analogy.

Excepting the fact, that he has the battery plugged in backwards.

His government, absolute -- and exclusive -- in its knowledge, is not the modern version of the one which stood up to the Nazis.

It is the modern version of the government of Neville Chamberlain.

But back to today’s Omniscient ones.

That, about which Mr. Rumsfeld is confused is simply this: This is a Democracy. Still. Sometimes just barely.

And, as such, all voices count -- not just his.

Had he or his president perhaps proven any of their prior claims of omniscience — about Osama Bin Laden’s plans five years ago, about Saddam Hussein’s weapons four years ago, about Hurricane Katrina’s impact one year ago — we all might be able to swallow hard, and accept their “omniscience” as a bearable, even useful recipe, of fact, plus ego.

But, to date, this government has proved little besides its own arrogance, and its own hubris.

Mr. Rumsfeld is also personally confused, morally or intellectually, about his own standing in this matter. From Iraq to Katrina, to the entire “Fog of Fear” which continues to envelop this nation, he, Mr. Bush, Mr. Cheney, and their cronies have — inadvertently or intentionally — profited and benefited, both personally, and politically.

And yet he can stand up, in public, and question the morality and the intellect of those of us who dare ask just for the receipt for the Emporer’s New Clothes?

In what country was Mr. Rumsfeld raised? As a child, of whose heroism did he read? On what side of the battle for freedom did he dream one day to fight? With what country has he confused the United States of America?

The confusion we -- as its citizens— must now address, is stark and forbidding.

But variations of it have faced our forefathers, when men like Nixon and McCarthy and Curtis LeMay have darkened our skies and obscured our flag. Note -- with hope in your heart — that those earlier Americans always found their way to the light, and we can, too.

The confusion is about whether this Secretary of Defense, and this administration, are in fact now accomplishing what they claim the terrorists seek: The destruction of our freedoms, the very ones for which the same veterans Mr. Rumsfeld addressed yesterday in Salt Lake City, so valiantly fought.

And about Mr. Rumsfeld’s other main assertion, that this country faces a “new type of fascism.”

As he was correct to remind us how a government that knew everything could get everything wrong, so too was he right when he said that -- though probably not in the way he thought he meant it.

This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed.

Although I presumptuously use his sign-off each night, in feeble tribute, I have utterly no claim to the words of the exemplary journalist Edward R. Murrow.

But never in the trial of a thousand years of writing could I come close to matching how he phrased a warning to an earlier generation of us, at a time when other politicians thought they (and they alone) knew everything, and branded those who disagreed: “confused” or “immoral.”

Thus, forgive me, for reading Murrow, in full:

“We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty,” he said, in 1954. “We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law.

“We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular.”

And so good night, and good luck.

News from the Rothenberg Political Report

I like what I'm reading:

The national mood remains bleak for Republicans. President George W. Bush’s job performance ratings are terrible, and the public still gives Congress low marks. A majority of Americans continue to tell pollsters that the country is headed in the wrong direction.

That’s a recipe for a GOP disaster, and there is no reason to believe that things will change dramatically between now and Election Day to improve Republican prospects.

At the district level, voters are more critical of Republican incumbents – and supportive of even unknown Democratic candidates – than they usually are at this point in the election cycle. GOP candidates are running behind where they would be in anything approaching a “neutral” year. While some firming of the Republican base is likely over the next ten weeks, that alone may not be enough for the party to retain the House.

Strong fund raising by the DCCC should mean that some Democratic candidates won’t face the huge financial discrepancy that they have in the past, though RNC money should boost the Republican ground game nationally.

To hold the House, Republicans must retain at least a handful of districts that now appear likely to go Democratic, probably by discrediting Democratic challengers and open seat hopefuls. Unlike previous cycles, when the burden was on Democrats to create upsets, the onus is now on the GOP to save at least a handful of seats before Election Day.

Therefore, we are raising our estimate of likely Democratic gains from 8-12 seats to 15-20 seats, which would translate to between 218 and 223 seats – and a majority – in the next House.

With this in mind, I can resume studying neuroanatomy in peace.

For Ze

Scrubbing Bubbles.

They work hard so you don't have to.

(This post is for The Show with Ze Frank. If you don't know what I'm talking about, get with the program!)

I am Neuroanatomy.

Or at least for the next 4 to 6 weeks I am.

I'm cutting out many activities that aren't essential. I'll keep the gym workouts and the Stone Oven trips -- the former for sanity and the latter for studying -- but many other things will have to disappear for a while.

And here we go...

Read Between the Lines

Ralph Horwitz, the dean of my med school, announced yesterday he would resign on September 15th. In December, he will begin a new role as the chair of the department of medicine at Stanford.

Students were decidedly unhappy, especially the first year students who began only weeks ago. I don't blame them -- Dean Horwitz started some pretty major changes here at Case, especially in the curriculum, and many of them started only recently. It's natural for people to feel uncomfortable when a leader makes big promises...and then departs when they're only partially complete. Change is uncomfortable, and change without a leader is even more uncomfortable.

Case has been hit full of drama in the last few months, including the resignation of university president Edward Hundert following increasing deficits (up to $40 million) in the university budget and a vote of no-confidence by the faculty. Horwitz' departure certainly will not help stabilize things around here, at least in the short term.

But I disagree many of the views expressed by other students regarding Horwitz's departure. In the last 24 hours, I've heard students explain that Horwitz left because:

• He was upset with the condition of the university and/or the resources allocated to the School of Medicine.
• He didn't think the new curriculum would work.
• He was sick of hearing people complain about the new curriculum.
• He was sick of being dean, or he wanted to be chair of a department again.
• He wanted a higher salary.
• etc.

Of these ideas, the only one that I think is even somewhat reasonable is the first one. However, there are two reasons why I don't agree with any of these idea. First, when examined individually, the reasons listed above don't make a lot of sense. Second, in the context of Hundert's departure, the recent resignation of several other deans, and comments from Horwitz yesterday afternoon, I think there is a likely alternative reason why Horwitz would leave.

First, let's look at the reasons offered as for Horwitz's departure.

• He was upset with the condition of the university and/or the resources allocated to the School of Medicine. I would say this is probably true, yet I find it doubtful that this would be enough to make Horwitz leave Case. After all, the major budget issues have been resolved, there is a new university president coming in the next few months, etc. And why would he leave right now, just into the start of the academic year, instead of departing in the summer when he wouldn't have to deal with students?
• He didn't think the new curriculum would work. Since the new curriculum was a core piece of Horwitz's plans for the school, it was in his best interest to ensure that it succeeded. If Hortwitz thought the new curriculum wasn't working, it would make sense for him to stay at Case and work on improving it. University administrators, like executives in other industries, gain prestige by and are rewarded for managing complex organizations, making and meeting institutional goals, and successfully developing new projects. Thus, the idea that Horwitz would leave to protect his professional credentials doesn't make any sense. In contrast, departing before the new curriculum is fully in place only dimishes Horwitz's professional standing.
• He was sick of hearing people complain about the new curriculum. Are you serious? Deans of schools work with dozens of different constituencies, and I suspect that most of them are complaining about something at any given time. The idea that a dean would leave his position because of complaints about the curriculum is just ridiculous.
• He was sick of being dean, or he wanted to be chair of a department again. This, too, is a poor reason. It's not like Horwitz took the position of dean without being aware of what the position would entail, and even if this were his reason, I seriously doubt that he would choose to leave at the very start of an academic year. It's possible that Horwitz wants to be a chair again...but why would he take a "demotion" of that sort? After working in that position at Yale for nearly a decade, it's not as if he doesn't have other, more prestigous academic opportunities.
• He's all in it for the money. He wanted a higher salary. You bet. Horwitz leaves his dean position to take a chairmanship position....for the money? I see.

It's clear that I don't believe most of the other reasons for Horwitz's departure. However, his departure marks the fourth resignation of a dean at Case since Hundert's resignation in March.

• On June 21, just two weeks after Hundert resigned, Arts & Sciences dean Mark Turner announced he would resign on July 1. Time as dean: 29 months.
• On July 12, Dean Robert F. Savinell of the Case School of Engineering announced he would resign at the end of the year.
• On July 21, Myron Roomkin announced he would leave the Weatherhead School of Management on August 1. He spent only 21 months as dean.
• Horwitz's announcement came one month later.

It's not unusual for deans to depart when a university president leaves, and this set of resignations seemed to fit that pattern.

Perhaps the thing which most caught my attention, however, was Horwitz's response to my question during his brief Q&A session with students on Monday. When asked to comment on the fact that three deans had resigned since Hundert's departure, he replied "This set of departures will allow the new president of Case to build his or her own leadership team from the ground up." He then added something along the lines of " Sometimes, it's important for a new leader of a university to be allowed to pick individuals who share common goals."

Now, I didn't expect Horwitz to come out and say that the Board of Trustees asked him to resign, but his answer certainly gives the impression that the trustees are trying to clear out top management of the university in preparation for a new president. (Besides, stating publicly that he was asked to resign would merely undercut confidence in the university even more. I was just surprised that Horwitz didn't use the "I want to spend more time with my family" excuse.)

It makes sense from the Board's perspective for two reasons. First, Case has a better chance of getting a recognized, highly qualified president if that individual will have an opportunity to bring in individuals who they prefer to work with. Similarly, after going through two presidents in five years, the Board wants to make sure that the president they select will remain. Any deans who were seen as combative, ineffective, or difficult to work with would therefore make the Board's task of retaining a president even more diffcult (Turner, Roomkin, and Horwitz had all been described as such). And perhaps most importantly, at least from the Board's perspective, they had all been appointed by Hundert. Out with the old, in with the new.

So, on that note, I will add that this blog has once again achieved its intended purpose. I can whine about whatever issue is bothering me, and the only thing that has to listen is the giant anonymous Internet void. No irritated friends, no lengthy arguments, etc.

On a completely unrelated note, I got new contacts today and had my pupils dilated as part of my eye exam. So now I can't focus on anything closer to my face than at least 2 feet. Reading a book is certainly out of the question. So....now what do I do? Maybe a nap is in order.

In the zone

When I started the second year of med school three weeks ago, I was slightly anxious about the return to classes. While first year wasn't exactly easy, I had heard from several people that second year would prove to be a much greater challenge -- specifically, integrating "all" the material I've learned so far.

While I'm not counting my chickens yet, I feel optimistic about this year. I'm being more productive than I was last year, I'm remembering more material, and I'm starting to make connections between concepts in different topic areas. (Yes, there are confounders to this, namely the facts that I'm well rested, our current class block is relatively easy, and we're not required to do dozens of other activities such as CPCP or PD yet.) And even though the boards are only six months away, I feel like I can make it through the academic sprint of the next 180 days.

On that note, I'll end this post and get back to the review books. Another day or two of solid studying and I'll be done with GI.

Mood: calm
Song: Red Hot Chili Peppers, "Snow (Hey Oh)" and Fleetwood Mac, "Never Going Back Again"

An Awkward Conversation

While studying this afternoon at a local cafe, I stood up from my table and walked to the service counter to get a beverage. While the server/employee was getting my drink, I glanced down at the copy of the Plain Dealer. When the person returned, she looked down at the paper and asked I'd heard about that crazy movie "with Samuel L. Jackson on the airplane."

Me: Snakes on a plane?

Cafe Server: Yeah, that one. Did you see this review?

Me: No, I didn't see the review, but I did see it at the theater last night.

**pause**

CS: Really?

Me: Yeah.

CS: How was it?

Me: Entertaining, but in that campy, B-movie style way. I mean, even the movie doens't take itself seriously.

CS: What is it about? I mean, is it like, terrorists on a plane? Is the title just a metaphor for terrorism?

**pause**

Me: Um, no, not at all. The plot, if you can call it that, is based on having hundreds of snakes -- you know, reptiles -- released on a passenger flight over the Pacific.

**pause**

CS: Why?

Me: Supposedly to kill a government witness who is going to testify against some mobster guy.

CS: And why exactly are they using the snake approach?

At this point, two other employees had walked out and were listening to the conversation. While I could have explained the entire plot in another 15 seconds, I offered just a few references to the newspaper review, picked up my drink, and tried to extract myself from the situation. Realizing that they couldn't exactly force the customer to keep talking, they continued the discussion amongst themselves. As I was walking back to my table, though, I heard one of them pick up the paper:

CS: "This review says, quote, 'It is a rare example of a film not just living up to the hype, but surpassing it. And it is the best time you will have at the movies all summer, if not all year.' I still don't know what it's about, but maybe that's part of the fun.

CS #2: "So you're going to see it?"

CS: "Yeah, probably. I just hope it's not too serious...this has been a long week, and I need something fun. Maybe this will do the trick."

Not too serious? I think she's in luck.

SoaP

I just got back from the 10:00pm night-before-the-actual-release showing of Snakes on a Plane.

The verdict? Pure cinematic genius.

I'm not saying the movie is good. But it was the most entertaining event I've been to in many months. And at least 10-15% of my med school class was also in attendance. :-) At least we have fun when we can.

Snakes on a Blog

Snakes on a Plane doesn't technically open until Friday, but apparently there is a 10pm showing at my local theater tonight (Thursday). Since I bought the shirt and sent calls from Samuel L. Jackson to nearly a quarter of my med school classmates, it's not surprising that I'll be going.

Several of my classmates weren't interested in going to the show because they don't think the movie will be very good. To those people I say: yes, you're entirely correct. Others say that the movie didn't make the Top 10 Reviews for the coming weekend. And I say, yes, the movie wasn't even screened for critics. It's not as if there is any pretense about the film's quality. And still others just think it's strange that I'm interested ("in a cult-like way") in this film. And I have to agree with them. I don't really know why I think SoaP is so funny (although my old roommates and their relentless emails might have something to do with it). But starting another year of med school was a little bit depressing and it was nice to have something ridiculous to laugh about.

Mood: focused. On academics, not the movie. Mostly.
Song: David Gray, "Disappearing World"

Updates

I figured it was time for a change, so I switched to a new template, expanded the sidebar, succumbed to Google's AdSense program (see the toolbar), and added a few new links. Nothing fancy, especially compared to Semisimple, but it's nice to try something different.

Lieberman's Lesson

Josh Marshall's article this afternoon was right on target. Lieberman learned his lesson -- and I'm not talking about election results. I'm referring to Lieberman's explanation for his independent run and how it comes straight out of Bush playbook for the Global War On Terror.

The lesson has three steps. First, say that your values reflect those of the "mainstream voters." Second, insist that anyone who disagrees with you is "out of touch" and dangerous to the country. Third, repeat as necessary.

It's like a mini-version of the Iraq War or the War on Terror. You're either with Joe or you're with the extremists. Apparently half of Connecticut Democrats are outside the mainstream.

This is really the attitude that got poor Joe into this bind.

The mainstream is Joe Lieberman, along with possibly Sean Hannity and Bill Kristol. If you disagree with Joe Lieberman, a disagreement about policy is the least of it. It's a major existential crisis for the Democratic party which risks conquest by unreconstructed leftists, extremists and miscellaneous other freaks.

The idea that Ned Lamont is 'outside the mainstream' on any issue I'm aware of is laughable.

Marshall makes another good point. It's not as if Lieberman is merely saying that he's a competent senator who might be favored by 51% of Connecticut voters in a general election. He's attacking his own (former) party for not agreeing with him, and claims that he needs to run as an Independent to save the party from itself. After all, if Joe didn't believe he was the moral barometer of the Democratic party, I'm not sure what else he would have to do.

As a matter of civics, if Joe Lieberman wants to run as an independent, good for him. If 51% of Connecticut voters want to vote for him, that's democracy. As a Democrat, he should get out of the race now. And every Democrat should tell him to.

If he wants to run as an independent he should and could go to Connecticut voters and say, "A lot of people in my own party disagree with me on this or that issue. But I've served all of Connecticut's citizens for 18 years. And I still think I can be the best senator. So vote for me."

I wouldn't agree with that. But I could respect it.

But he's not. It's all about him and stabbing his own party in the back while he disingenuously pleads that he's trying to save it.

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed Josh Marshall's writing. Apparently he has an article in Time this week about the CT primary results. Good stuff.

Back to studying GI pathology...

No Turning Back!

I just bought my tickets for reunion. A roundtrip trip with nonstop flights, between Cleveland and San Francisco, for barely more than $300? I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw this deal. Admittedly, I will miss one more day of school than I had planned for, but I'll save nearly $100 over what I had been expecting and I'll have nearly another full day (arriving at 11am vs. 9pm) of California vacation goodness.

And now it's 2:30 am. And I have class in five and a half hours. It's bedtime. Now.

But at least my plans for reunion are in motion!

Mood: cheerful
Song: David Gray, "Life in Slow Motion"

It's not that much money, really.

April 2003

"Well, in terms of the American taxpayers contribution, this is it. The rest of the rebuilding of Iraq will be done by other countries who have already made pledges, Britain, Germany, Norway, Japan, Canada, and Iraqi oil revenues, eventually, when it's up and running and there's a new government that's been democratically elected, will finish the job with their own revenues. They're going to get in $20 billion a year in oil revenues. But the American part of this will be $1.7 billion. We have no plans for any further-on funding for this."

-- Andrew Natsios, USAID Administrator

vs.

August 2006

The US has spent $437 billion on Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the war on terror since 2001. The Congressional Research Service estimates conservatively that we might spend another $371 billion on these operations through 2016.

It's too bad this whole thing will cost us 475 times more than expected. So much for fiscal responsibility.

Hello Again

A month since my last post? I suppose that's what summer relaxation/inactivity can do. Have no fear, though...I started classes for my second year of med school today, and one of my new year's resolutions (new academic year, ahem) is to take a few moments each week to convey some of my crazy med school stories here. In part to entertain, mostly to maintain my own sanity.

For now, though, it's back to doing what I do best: video games. Eh, strike that. Studying. Yeah, that's what I do. Something about becoming a licensed professional....

Mood: excited, jittery, optimistic, anxious, adjusting to my first caffeine jitters in over 2 months.
Song: Live, "The Beauty of Gray"

Anybody looking for a room in Cleveland?

Because I might have one available. Or, more specifically, my house might have one.

Living here is driving me crazy....and yet I'm bound to another 375 days here.

Anybody? Please?

The Same Script As Before

Are they really going to use the same playbook all over again? Anybody want to be when we'll hear that American troops will be greeted as liberators?

Reuters - yesterday

CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - President George W. Bush said on Friday that Iran has "weeks not months" to respond to a U.S.-backed offer aimed at containing Iran's nuclear ambitions and said Tehran needs to suspend uranium enrichment. At a joint news conference with Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Bush said that if Iran does not suspend enrichment, "there must be a consequence."

The London Guardian - January 30, 2003

The US president, George Bush, has said he would give diplomacy over Iraq "weeks, not months" - but that he would welcome the exile of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. "For the ake of peace, this issue has to be resolved," Mr Bush said, in an effort to increase pressure on a divided international community. Mr Bush was speaking after meeting Italian president Silvio Berlusconi - one of eight European leaders to back the US position in articles in the Times and
the Wall Street Journal today.

I won't even make a joke about Congress being able to keep the president in check. Some things just aren't funny anymore.

30 hours

Just over 1 day until the end of my first year of med school. And, wow, I need a break...but what an amazing year. I never thought I could learn so much in so little time.

Time for sleep. Tomorrow will be a really busy day...doctor's appointment, exam review, studying until late...wish me luck!

"Tax relief for all Americans"

I'm thrilled the president extended the tax cuts today. The sign at his signing ceremony was so inspirational -- "tax relief for all Americans." All Americans!

(ahem)

Let's say I was still in the working world and made, say, $50,000 per year. Bush's tax cuts would save me about $112 per year, or about 0.2% of my income.

Let's say I'm well-paid businessman who makes just over $1 million per year. Bush's tax cuts would save me $42,776, or about 4.2% of my income.

It's a good thing we decreased the top-bracket tax rate. I mean, I want to make more money, but I realize that working hard to earn more money is pointless because the government will increase my taxes! And if I make more money, my taxes will increase! Life is so unfair, especially when you're making over million dollars a year. Rather than trying to advance my career and earn more money, I'm going to just stay in this job, just so the government won't increase my taxes.

Well, if everyone is getting tax cuts, it's a good thing that we have a federal budget surplus. Oh, wait, there isn't a budget surplus! We're spending $350 billion more each year than we bring in. Don't worry, though, we're working hard to make sure that government funds aren't wasted on silly programs such as student loans and health insurance for poor mothers. Congress cut $12.6 billion from these silly programs and raised the cap on student loan rates by about 1.5%. But that doesn't affect real people does it? Not really. I'll only have to pay an extra $25,000-$40,000 in loan interest. Too bad I'm not a millionaire...that $42,776 in tax relief would really help with these student loan payments. And poor mothers? Don't worry, it's not like they can't get health care if the government slashes Medicaid funding. Oh, wait, they can't. Well, it's not like they will actually die if they don't have health insurance. Oh, wait, research shows that's not true either. If we have to sacrifice students and poor mothers just to give tax cuts to the wealthy, then that's what we have to do.

Well, even though there is a budget deficit, it's a good thing we're not that much in debt. Ahhhh, that's right - the president has asked Congress to increase the debt limit four times! Now we only owe $8.3 trillion, and we can borrow up to $9 trillion. I'm glad the president took the approach of starting a war, cutting taxes repeatedly, and just borrowing money to cover the different. I mean, it's not like the current generation of American leaders can really afford to pay down this debt...you know, we're in a war! And multi-millionaires keep having to pay taxes to the government! Every time millionairs have to pay taxes, the terrorist win! Only those people who hate America will be unwilling to make a personal sacrifice during the War On Terror. (Millionaires automatically exempted from this requirement.)

It's a good thing that my generation will be able to afford to pay off the billions of dollars in interest on the national debt. Just keep passing responsibility to the next generation...

Thinking on your feet is an important job skill...

Let's say you're interviewing for a job. A technical job, something relating to database management, at a TV station. You arrive at the office of your prospective employer and are directed to a room -- one of the studio sets -- for your interview. An employee, presumably your interviewer, walks in and introduces herself, then asks if you're ready. You say yes. You become slightly alarmed when another employee appears, clips a microphone on your shirt, and disappears. Before you have time to ask what's going on, bright lights turn on and your "interviewer" begins speaking to the cameras on the other side of the room. And now you're live on TV.

Welcome to the BBC.

As I read about the incident on CNN:

LONDON, England (AP) -- An applicant for a job at the British Broadcasting Corp. who accidentally found himself on live television recalled his moment of fame, returning -- on purpose -- to the program on which he inadvertently appeared.

Guy Goma appeared on the News 24 program after a mix-up led his being mistaken for an expert on Internet music downloads. The network put Goma back on the air after he became a news story unto himself.

"I was very shocked," Goma said after watching a replay of his interview Tuesday on the BBC's all-news channel. "But I think now it is all right."

The confusion occurred on May 8, when Britain's High Court awarded a victory to Apple Computer in a lawsuit against Apple Corps, The Beatles' commercial arm.

The BBC had intended to interview computer expert Guy Kewney, but after a mistake at a reception desk, employees brought Goma to the studio. Goma was waiting in a reception area for his interview.

After BBC News 24 consumer affairs correspondent Karen Bowerman ostensibly welcomed the apparent expert, there was a Kafkaesque moment in which Goma winced and tried to open his mouth as if to explain.

When Bowerman asked if he was surprised by the verdict, a befuddled Goma managed to offer that he was "very surprised."

But his performance later swept the Internet in part because he simply pressed on, offering the best answers he could and growing more confident in his punditry as the interview progressed.

Meanwhile, the real Kewney watched the exchange in shock from outside the studio. During Tuesday's program, the BBC also interviewed him by telephone.

When offered a chance to speak directly to Kewney, Goma shook his head.

"I just want to say to him, sorry," Goma said.

Goma told the BBC that he didn't know yet if he got the tech job he sought.

But Britain's industrious tabloids have already put him to work. The Sun newspaper offered Goma a punditry platform beneath a story headlined the "Big Bluffer."

Goma, who has offered to speak on a variety of subjects, offered snap assessments on Saddam Hussein's trial ("He deserves to face justice"); Prince Harry ("It is difficult for him as everything he does is watched") and Britain's Human Rights Act ("We should treat each other as we wish to be treated.")

Of course, video clips of the incident are also available. And while there were probably a ton of signs that should have alerted this guy as to what was going on, it's hard not to feel bad for him. Watch the video and notice his momentary deer-in-the-headlights look when the host introduces him -- with the wrong name. At least he "recovered" and faked his way through the interview...mostly. Apparently now he is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame in the UK. Of course, the real question is whether he got the job or not.

On an unrelated note, I just finished my Heme/Onc exam. Eight days and one exam left until the end of my first year of medical school.

Time for a nap...

The end of "The West Wing" and talk about tax cuts

Sadly, last night was the final episode of "The West Wing." While I'm getting over my personal loss, I figured it would be appropriate to post something on here to spark some political conversation and debate. Most people who know me wouldn't be too surprised to learn that I think the administration's recent tax cut extensions (along with most of their tax cuts in the last 6 years) have done nothing but transfer the tax burden from the rich to the poor and from their generation to mine. With that in mind, here is Sebastian Mallaby's op-ed from this morning's Washington Post:

"The Return of Voodoo Economics"
By Sebastian Mallaby

Nobody serious believes that tax cuts pay for themselves, as I noted last week. But most senior Republicans flunk this test of seriousness.

In January, George W. Bush declared that, "by cutting the taxes on the American people, this economy is strong, and the overall tax revenues have hit at record levels." Regrettably, this endorsement of what his dad called voodoo economics was not a one-time oversight. The next month, Bush told a New Hampshire audience, "You cut taxes and the tax revenues increase."

Bush is not alone in this. Dick Cheney, allegedly a serious person, asserted in February that the "tax cuts have translated into higher federal revenues."

Bill Frist is sometimes taken seriously, not least by himself. And yet the Republican Senate leader is capable of saying: "Many people in Washington have long known a dirty little secret about tax-cut measures: When done right, they actually result in more money for the government."

Chuck Grassley chairs the Senate Finance Committee and ought to know about this stuff. But he mouths the following nonsense: "There is a mindset in both branches of government that if you reduce taxes you have a net loss, if you increase taxes you have a net gain, and history does not show that relationship."

And just last week Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) celebrated the extension of the Bush tax cuts by saying, "We've put these tax provisions in place and they've raised money."

Okay, so let's review this issue with the help of some experts. I'd like to cite Richard Kogan of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, because his work inspired this column. But to win over reasonable conservatives, I'm going to choose N. Gregory Mankiw of Harvard, a proponent of tax cuts who chaired the Council of Economic Advisers in the Bush White House. Mankiw is a top-notch economist hired by Bush and Cheney to advise them. And last year he published a paper on how far tax cuts pay for themselves, reporting enthusiastically that this self-financing effect is "surprisingly large."

How large, exactly? Mankiw reckons that over the long run (the long run being generous to his argument), cuts on capital taxes generate enough extra growth to pay for half of the lost revenue. Hello, Mr. President, that means that the other half of the lost revenue translates into bigger deficits. Mankiw also calculates that the comparable figure for cuts in taxes on wages is 17 percent. Yes, Mr. President, that means every $1 trillion in tax cuts is going to add $830 billion to the national debt.

Let's engage in what Bush might call the soft bigotry of low expectations and cut Republicans some slack. Hey, maybe they just overlooked that Mankiw paper? Or maybe, despite hiring Mankiw to head the Council of Economic Advisers, they later acquired reasons to doubt his judgment? In that case they should at least have listened to Douglas Holtz-Eakin, another conservative economist who worked in the Bush White House and who went on to run the Congressional Budget Office.

In a study published under Holtz-Eakin's direction last December, the CBO estimated the extent to which a 10 percent reduction in personal taxes might pay for itself. The conclusions confirm that the free-lunch mantra is just plain wrong. On the most optimistic assumptions it could muster, the CBO found that tax cuts would stimulate enough economic growth to replace 22 percent of lost revenue in the first five years and 32 percent in the second five. On pessimistic assumptions, the growth effects of tax cuts did nothing to offset revenue loss.

So Mankiw isn't with them. Holtz-Eakin isn't with them. Which raises a question: When top Republicans go around claiming that tax cuts pay for themselves, which economic authorities are they relying on? None, is the answer. These people's approach to government is to make economics up.

The Republicans' only argument is that tax receipts have boomed in the years since the 2003 tax cut. But the question is whether tax receipts increased because the tax cuts worked some kind of magic or because the economy was headed up anyway after the recession, thanks maybe to low interest rates resulting from the Asian savings glut. Friends, the reason we have economists is so that they can solve these puzzles for us. Ignoring their solutions is like ignoring the judgment of medical science in favor of faith healers and quacks.

Politicians are always speechifying about how the United States must lead the world in research to maintain its edge. But having the world's best economics research isn't particularly helpful if those same politicians are silly enough to tune it out. The truth is that American business excels at turning university research into world-beating products; the paranoia on this score is overdone. But American government is often lousy at turning research into policies. That's what we should fret about.

And now, back to the books. 22 hours until my second-to-last exam of the year.

Mood: cautious
Song: Red Hot Chili Peppers, "By the Way"

I don't like people...

...who don't pay their full portion when settling the bill after group meals.

A breakthrough?

Anatomy and histology have not been my strong point in medical school this year. They're both longitudinal committees (or "classes" as most people say), which seems like a good idea in theory (learn bit by bit instead of having to "master" the subject in just a few weeks), but in reality the longitudinal structure seems to just make it easier to never actually learn the fundmental principles. And, perhaps more importantly, both subjects rely heavily on visual interpretation, a skill which I've never really had to practice in an academic context.

And yet, for some reason, I've made huge strides in both subjects in the last few days. Conceptually, things finally seem to be falling into place. In part it's because we've had a lot of this material before. But that doesn't explain it all. At any rate, it feels good to no longer be paralyzed with frustration on both topics.

Our endo/repro exam is coming up on Friday, so the next 31 hours will consist of either studying or sleeping. And so far I'm loving endocrinology.

I also figured out my summer research plans -- more on that after the exam. Back to the books for now...

Mood: upbeat
Song: Eric Prydz, "Call on Me" (Ministry of Sound)

P.S. Three years from tomorrow I'll be matching for residency. Crazy.

Going home? Returning home?

Last weekend I went to DC for a few days to attend an AMSA Political Leadership Institute. It was basically a weekend seminar on politial skills -- speechwriting and delivery, grassroots organizing, interacting with the media, preparing issue briefs, lobbying, delivering presentations, etc. It was particularly fun to meet other med students from around the country (most of whom were 1st-years) and hear about their experiences. I'm looking forward to seeing most of them at AMSA's national convention at the end of the month.

It was both exciting and unnerving to be back in DC. Living there was a really good experience for me -- good job, fun social scene, lots to do. And the fact that I got into med school while I was there certainly doesn't hurt. And I got to see a lot of my friends while I was there. The strangest part about being there, however, was the feeling that it was home. Or that it had been home. And that I hadn't really recognized it while I was there.

It's an understandable feeling -- I only lived there for a year, but it felt a lot more like home than had Baltimore (which, admittedly, was only my home for 10 months). DC was the place where I established my first real community after leaving California...among coworkers, old college friends, and new friends. It was the first time I'd really forced myself to become more independent by living alone. And unlike Baltimore, I didn't really want to leave.

Anyway, the trip helped me recognize how much life has changed in the last 7 months, in terms of friends, lifestyle/schedule, personal goals, and self image. The fact that is has only been 7 months is pretty scary...but at least I'm able to visit my old home, enjoy it, and come back to a place where I am happy to be.

streams of consciousness

Med school can really screw with your emotions. While Case certainly isn't a cutthroat academic environment, there is always a fair amount of underlying competition that merely reflects the ridiculously large quantity of material to be learned. Even if you're not competing with your classmates, you're nearly always competing with yourself. It's impossible to learn everything that we're supposed to know, let alone learning it all in just a matter of weeks (each academic block is just a few weeks, so you can't put off learning the material for more than a couple days). No matter how hard you work, you will never learn it all. Never. The idea of "catching up" is just a poor excuse for a coping mechanism. "I'm almost caught up" is a common phrase around here...but what does it mean? You've reviewed the absolute bare minimum content for each lecture? Please. I'm just thankful that most of my friends and I have absolutely no clue as to how many times we'll actually need to cover this material until it gains the most meager foothold on our long term memories.

And most of all, I've never been this busy before. Not even close. Maybe during junior year when I was going 60+ hours of extracurricular junk each week and sleeping 4ish hours each weeknight. But that still doesn't compare with this. I've been trying to finish this entry for nearly two weeks, but free time really is a thing of the past. 10 or 15 minutes free here or there? Not really. If you think of walking home from school as free time, then maybe you're right. Tonight I brought a textbook to the gym for the first time, theoretically to read while I was on a stationary bike. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. It reminds me of a book I read a few years ago about students going through medical school. At one point, the author's roommate makes the fantastic discovery that if she puts each of her notecards in a plastic bag, she can study them while she's in the shower. That passage didn't sit well with me at the time, and it still doesn't now...but now I'm starting to understand it. And it seems like a very slippery slope.

State of the Union: 24 hours later

I've been too busy to blog recently, but this article was too good to pass up:

Administration backs off Bush's vow to reduce Mideast oil imports

By Kevin G. Hall
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - One day after President Bush vowed to reduce America's dependence on Middle East oil by cutting imports from there 75 percent by 2025, his energy secretary and national economic adviser said Wednesday that the president didn't mean it literally.

What the president meant, they said in a conference call with reporters, was that alternative fuels could displace an amount of oil imports equivalent to most of what America is expected to import from the Middle East in 2025.

But America still would import oil from the Middle East, because that's where the greatest oil supplies are.

The president's State of the Union reference to Mideast oil made headlines nationwide Wednesday because of his assertion that "America is addicted to oil" and his call to "break this addiction."

Bush vowed to fund research into better batteries for hybrid vehicles and more production of the alternative fuel ethanol, setting a lofty goal of replacing "more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025."

He pledged to "move beyond a petroleum-based economy and make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past."

Not exactly, though, it turns out.

"This was purely an example," Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman said.

He said the broad goal was to displace foreign oil imports, from anywhere, with domestic alternatives. He acknowledged that oil is a freely traded commodity bought and sold globally by private firms. Consequently, it would be very difficult to reduce imports from any single region, especially the most oil-rich region on Earth.

Asked why the president used the words "the Middle East" when he didn't really mean them, one administration official said Bush wanted to dramatize the issue in a way that "every American sitting out there listening to the speech understands." The official spoke only on condition of anonymity because he feared that his remarks might get him in trouble.

Happy 2006

Happy 2006 to everyone! 2005 was a pretty fantastic year for me -- a great time living and working in DC, getting into med school (finally!), and forming a new group of friends in Cleveland. So here's to a great 2006!

I'm still working on resolutions. As usual, one of them is to get back in touch with people I haven't heard from in ages -- usually at least a year or more. Otherwise, I'd like to resolve to stop biting my fingernails, but that has been one of my resolutions since the early 90s and I still haven't succeeded. Perhaps the 14th resolution will finally be the one? :-)