A leaked NSA memo indicates that the US government plans to bug phones and emails of key Security Council members in order to learn their plans for the upcoming Iraq resolution. Whoops!

Apparently there is a "bad bunch of speed" for sale on the streets of San Francisco, or at least that's what the police said at the ER last night. We had at least six patients brought in last night, all very much high on amphetamines. It was quite a sight. Despite the fact that they were in restraints and weren't moving much, most of them had heart rates of 140-160 beats per minute for 2-3 hours. To put that in perspective, that is the same rate I aim for during hard running workouts.

"Accused of irrelevance and deeply divided over Iraq, the United Nations has never mattered more."

Venezuela is losing time, two and a half minutes per day.

"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."

Thank goodness for Enya. Some days, it is the perfect thing for me.

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!