I decided to attempt a dual-boot install of Linux over the weekend.  Yes, I am that big of a geek.  Installing an OS sounds like fun. Alas, I was not met with success, and conferencing with a Linux using friend were eventually fruitless (though I am extremely grateful to him for sacrificing precious board-prep time to assist!).  As it ended up I had a copy of Linux installed that eventually got me into KDE, but the computer didn't recognize there was a copy of Windows to boot i...

I have been putting this off for a while now. As I look back it is at least a month or more in coming. But I just wanted to let those friends I have made here know that I can't help but feel it is time to step away for a while. There isn't any specific reason, I just have felt I needed to force anything I have written, and I don't care for that. I would like to chalk it up to RL, but I simply am not enjoying this at the present. And that alone tells me I need to take a break. So I a...

Perhaps it is the joy of having our new son with us now. Perhaps I just mellowed out. Perhaps I grew up a bit (I certainly hope so). Whatever it is I just wanted to say that, as of today, I am starting with a clean slate. There have been bloggers here who have pissed me off, to be sure. But today I just want to forget all that. My blacklist is empty, and I hope it will stay that way. Here is too a new life in our house, and a new start for me here.

I recall reading the book "Grendel" and being introduced to stream of consciousness writing.  It was interesting, unsettling, and difficult to wade through.  I always wondered if my stream of consciousness was that random, that jumpy, that incomplete.  Consciously, I tend to think in pretty complete sentences.  But am I just making myself think that way?  Or do I suppress real stream of consciousness by forcing my thoughts in a particular direction?  I wonder. So...

Multi-tasking can be quite a pain With windows all open it becomes a real strain Chatting in one, homework in another Composing an email, perhaps to my brother? Update my system, snag the latest file The desktop is crowded, ain't seen my wall in a while These programs must go, far too many I say! Click the upper-right corner, make them all go away Then, like a brick, the thought enters my mind One of those windows had a blog, at least a few lines But alas, it is gone now, I closed i...

Untitled I have a confession to make. I don't relish doing this, but I must be honest. I am narcissistic. Did you catch that? Yes, it is true. I am narcissistic. Hopefully not to a terrible degree, but I have realized that I do like who I am and my writing, and won't complain about a little attention now and then. What brought me to this epiphany? Good question. Well, the category is blogging, so it has to do with that. I have, on occasion, seen folks recommend other ...

Suddenly it hit me.  I had just written my 201st article. It was interesting to realize that.  I recall quite vividly my planning out carefully just what I was going to write for my 100th article.  It seemed like such a landmark for me.  Interesting that 200 was a nonissue.  I have been wondering what changed over the course of the last hundred articles, and I think I have it figured out. It took me a good portion of my first 100 articles to feel like I was "settli...

We have all done it.  We have all cussed out those who are doing it.  And yet that doesn't stop us from doing it ourselves, once again, the next time. We rubberneck . There is a perverse attraction in observing wrecks.  For whatever the reason, we all want to see what happened.  Perhaps we have delusions of being helpful (because, yeah, by the time we actually get there, they have been just waiting for us and our special talents, right?), perhaps we are curious, or may...

I survived. In fact, it wasn't that bad.  Of course, I am lucky enough to start on a pretty light service.  Oh, and I haven't had call yet.  You know, that time when you are the first line call for a full half of the surgical patients in the hospital.  That's Thursday. Nope, not too bad at all.  I ran around the floors, a truly confused animal.  Part chicken-with-its-head-cut-off and part deer-in-the-headlights, I was both aimless and frozen with fear.  B...

Maybe I'm tired.  Maybe I'm just in a bad mood.  Either way, I have to ask the following: What the hell is the deal with people who feel the need to forum bump every damn article they write? Are you just so damn impatient you can't wait the minute or two it takes for the forum database to update and your article to show up?  I have never forum bumped one of my own articles, yet when I head to the forums I find every single one there, even if they have zero replies. ...

My most recent album review, Free by OSI, was also published over at Blogcritics.org , where I am a writer.  I found out today though, that it was picked up and has been posted in the Music Reviews section of Cleveland.com . Needless to say, I was surprised to see it, but pleasantly so. It is fun to see your writing get recognized and published at other sites. You can see the review (and others) here .

My amazingly talented wife is singing in Carnegie Hall at this very moment. She is up there with some members of the choral group she is a part of.  She was able to attend a Broadway show last night, went jogging this morning in Central Park, and looks like she will be able to go sailing tomorrow.  Hopefully she is having a great time.  We figured this was a once in a lifetime experience, so we were glad she was able to go.  So it is just me and the kids.  And we ...

I had such grand designs.  At least one article a day, finally catching up on article ideas I have had for a while now, regular participation here at JU.  But fate conspired against me.  I awoke last week, the day after I had taken my final board exam (at least during medical school, plenty still to come in residency) and my muse had wandered off. No where to be found, I have been searching high and low for that elusive little devil.  Oh, ideas have come, but when I ac...

Anyone trashing the classic synth-rock tune from the 80's will be swiftly e-kicked in the teeth.  Europe rocks (yes, rocks, not rocked-they are still alive and kicking), "The Final Countdown" is one of the greatest cheese-fests of all time, and anyone who disagrees can bite me. Now that I have made the rules of the game clear, let's start playing. What game?  I don't know, but I feel like blogging about something this fine Friday evening.  It is nearing midnight, I will hope...

30 hour call is a fascinating thing (fortunately it wasn't quite a full 30!).  It does weird things to your head.  I walk into the unit in the morning, talk to the nurses who are approaching the end of their 12 hour shift.  They leave and a new batch comes on.  You then spend the next 12 hours working with them.  That is not an insignificant amount of time.  But then they go home. And you are still there.  Wearing the same scrubs you had on 15 hours ago....