Recently in Social Category

I'm currently on one of the hardest rotations our program offers. I had the day off the other day and I went to pick up my first paycheck. My program director happened to be there at the time.
"How's it going?" he asked, with a look of genuine concern.
"Oh, it's ok. I had eight patients on my first day, so that was a little rough. But everyone's really helpful and I'm getting the hang of things."
"Good, glad to hear it. We do our best but for some of these rotations, we seem to be just perpetually short on personnel. I appreciate you're sticking with it."
I almost forgot to pick up my paycheck as I was preoccupied with picking up my jaw off the floor. I'm still getting used to the idea of being in a residency program where the job that they ask you to do is actually reasonable and where your hard work is appreciated. Especially having come for a program where the job you are asked to do is not only unreasonable, but where you're expected to be grateful for the wonderful experience this unreasonable job is affording you. Let me try and give you and idea of the sharp diction between the two.

QUESTION	RESPONSE
	New Program	Old Program
Are there any more patients for me to see?	Nope, you've reached your cap!	There are 12 more, and you also need to cover the next three c-sections.
My mother died, I have to go to the funeral on Monday.	Ok, we'll have the jeopardy intern fill in for you.	Sorry, we need you to work on Monday. Can you have the funeral when you're on a lighter rotation?
I saw your patient, did the appropriate workup and she's all tucked away.	Great, thank you!	Why did you wait so long to tell me she was here!
Slouching forward, falling asleep in the computer lab	You look tired, why don't you go rest a couple of hours before your night shift starts?	Since you're not being very productive here, why don't you go help out on labor and delivery?

Oh, I'm sure I'm in for all kinds of long, crazy nights on call and run-ins with evil attendings over the next three years. But, so far I'm really feelin' it, here at my new home.

My girlfriend and I went to see Iron Man last night. The new glut of superhero movies that began around 1998 makes me wish that I had picked up a Marvel comic book or two as a kid instead of all those "outdoor activities" my parents made me partake in - which seemed like a good idea at the time.

We both really enjoyed it. One of the most refreshing aspects of the movie, is that it successfully avoids the trap which so many post-cgi revolution comic book movies fall into. That is, they don't rely on the cgi too much. Or maybe they do, but cgi has improved to the point where I can't tell the diferrence. That point is that, with few exceptions, the movie never looks like a cartoon. There are many fantastic close-ups of "Iron Man" (which Downey's character builds in the basement of his house in Malibu) with relatively few fast-paced, out-of-focus, night-time action sequences. And I never get tired of Stan Lee's principle theme, no matter how many different ways he packages it: that with the power and gifts we are given comes the responsibility to use them for good.

It was a good time. And it also brought home another point I think worth mentioning: "why will congress not authorize the funding to provide our young men and women in Iraq with the robotic, armor-plated, bullet-proof, rocket-propelled, weaponized suits they need? So many brave soldiers risk their lives every day in the name of freedom and justice and everything that America stands for. And yet the democrats in congress want to deny our troops in harms way the armored, nuclear-powered rocket-suits that they so desperately require. The world changed on 9/11..."
-Ugh. I'm having flashbacks to the nightmare that was 2004. I probably have a little PTSD.

And not to worry, this movie is fun without being a flag-waver (which doesn't seem as fashionable as it used to be anyhow). The thinly veiled representations of Al-Qeda terrorists turn out to be victims - not innocent victims, but victims nonetheless - pawns in the game of an American rogue arms dealer, played by Jeff Bridges. The real enemy, as it is an all good superhero stories, is hubris. For it is hubris that was ultimately responsible for the downfall of, among others: Doctor Frankenstein, Morbius (Forbidden Planet), the first two Spider-Man villans, and of course, the Bush administration.

I hadn't eaten at McDonald's for several months, I have lost 20lbs in the past seven weeks; I decided yesterday that I had earned myself the privelage of a one cheesburger meal for lunch. Not a two cheeseburger meal, not a big mac + a chocolate shake meal - a ONE cheeseburger meal. My girlfriend and I pull up to the drive thru where we are accosted with a $1 menu that includes a double cheeseburger. "That's cool," I think to myself. "Double cheeseburger only costs $1. Therefore a single cheeseburger must cost..." (scanning menu, scanning menu) "ALSO $1?!"
"(static)Good afternoon, McDonald's. Can I take your order?(static)"
"Hi, I think there might be some mistake on your menu out here. How much is your cheeseburger?"
"(static)$1.(static)"
"And your double cheeseburger is also $1?"
"(static)Cheeseburger and a double cheeseburger are the same price.(static)"
Well, paint me green and call me gumby. A cheeseburger and a double cheeseburger are the same price. I spent a minute or two trying to justify to myself how I might decide to get just a cheeseburger. But, in the end, it simply didn't make economic <groan>cents</groan>. Twice as much meat for the same price? I had no alternative but to go with the doublecheeseburger.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm no economics expert. In fact, econ 101 was the only class in which I received below a 'B' throughout my 4 years of college. But, I really think this warrants some further study. If we could only figure out what economic principle is operating here, we could kick this recession once and for good. Clearly there is something far more complex that just ordinary 'supply and demand' at work. If we could only harness that power - just imagine the newscasts...
"The price of crude oil held steady today at $114 a barrel. However, thanks to the administration's bold, new economic initiatives in recent months, the price of two barrel's of crude oil also held steady at $114 a barrel. As a result, gas prices held steady at $4.09 a gallon or $4.09 for two gallons. While the price of a ton of rice in the third world continues to soar, overall food shortages have been greatly aleviated as the price of two tons of rice is now at an all time low. Gwen Ifill reports..."

I just finished watching Juno for the second time today. Given my former life, I couldn't help but notice the glaring absence of an OBGYN (or any medical personel, for that matter) given that this is a TEEN PREGNANCY MOVIE! The ultrasound tech and the pair of hands holding up Juno's baby are as close as they get. This disappoints me. I think Diablo Cody could've gotten some great comedic mileage out of a scene where Juno visits her OBGYN.

Juno's OB: How many times have you been pregnant?
Juno: Unless someone creamed in my jeans when I wasn't looking, this one would be, well numbero uno, señor.
Juno's OB: How long have you been sexually active?
Juno: What does that even mean? Are you asking, 'when did Juno's vag dot com go live?'
Juno's OB: Ok, now we're going to need to do an internal exam...
Juno: Yeah, I know. Spread my legs so you can use that gunk to open up my junk.

I had originally intended this post to be about something else, entirely. Anyway, here's a pretty funny Olde English parody of Diablo Cody.