Monday, November 27, 2006
Comparing apples to oranges leads to a Fiesta Fight
This BCS business is crap.
The race for number 2 is between Michigan and USC.
Let's first throw aside the issue of whether Michigan would deserve a rematch with Ohio State.
The question is: who is more deserving of the number 2 ranking?
In my mind, there are two clear points of comparison:
1) They both beat Notre Dame: USC won by 20 points at home in November, Michigan won by 26 points at South Bend in September.
2) Their loss: USC lost by 2 to Oregon State, ranked 24th in the BCS poll with a record of 8-4. Michigan lost by 3 to Ohio State, ranked 1st in the BCS poll with a record of 12-0. Both losses were on the road.
Both of these points would lead a reasonable person to believe that Michigan is a better team. Yet USC is currently ranked ahead of Michigan in the polls.
INCONCEIVABLE!!!
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The race for number 2 is between Michigan and USC.
Let's first throw aside the issue of whether Michigan would deserve a rematch with Ohio State.
The question is: who is more deserving of the number 2 ranking?
In my mind, there are two clear points of comparison:
1) They both beat Notre Dame: USC won by 20 points at home in November, Michigan won by 26 points at South Bend in September.
2) Their loss: USC lost by 2 to Oregon State, ranked 24th in the BCS poll with a record of 8-4. Michigan lost by 3 to Ohio State, ranked 1st in the BCS poll with a record of 12-0. Both losses were on the road.
Both of these points would lead a reasonable person to believe that Michigan is a better team. Yet USC is currently ranked ahead of Michigan in the polls.
INCONCEIVABLE!!!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Black Friday = Loss of perspective
Stuck once again in the hospital on call.
Luckily, it's a slow day, not many admissions and the few patients that are in the hospital are not very sick at the moment. A few things here and there to take care of, but nothing overwhelming for the moment.
It's given me time to read up on the news.
And all of the craziness involved with the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping.
I am one to get excited about a good deal. If something fits my fancy and is a good price, I'll go out and buy it.
But lining up at 9 pm the night before a store opens at 5 am to get a 20-inch flat screen TV for $100? It's just not my cup of tea.
First, let's think about the holiday we just sped through enjoying. I find it difficult to believe that many people were actively giving thanks when they were planning on sitting on a curb for six hours to get 40% off of the newest electronic paraphernelia. Or that they were contemplating the meanings behind the upcoming holidays of Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa.
Perhaps they were contemplating their meanings. That's why they were in line, right? Because the meaning of those holidays are about buying gifts at deep discounts from big-box chain stores to show someone how much you care, right?
I can't comment on the consistency with waiting in line the day after turkey day with events around Chanukah and Kwanzaa. But I do know a little bit about Christmas. And as much as some people may believe it to be true, Black Friday shopping, in my mind, has very little to do with the preparation for the arrival of the Baby Jesus.
Christmas has been about bringing people together. Traveling across far off lands, to the beacon of some unknown force, to celebrate the beginning of something beautiful.
The spirit of Christmas is not about material things. Christmas has humble beginnings, in a manger amongst farm animals because there was no space at an inn. And while the magi did bring gifts for the Christ child, there is not mention of the great price they paid for the discount myrrh they got at the corner store.
I hope that after all the purchasing power has been exercised this weekend, people find time to return to the real reason the holiday season is special. Because we are becoming motivated to become better people. To be generous, forgiving and thoughtful. In preparation for receiving the greatest gift of all.
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Luckily, it's a slow day, not many admissions and the few patients that are in the hospital are not very sick at the moment. A few things here and there to take care of, but nothing overwhelming for the moment.
It's given me time to read up on the news.
And all of the craziness involved with the day-after-Thanksgiving shopping.
I am one to get excited about a good deal. If something fits my fancy and is a good price, I'll go out and buy it.
But lining up at 9 pm the night before a store opens at 5 am to get a 20-inch flat screen TV for $100? It's just not my cup of tea.
First, let's think about the holiday we just sped through enjoying. I find it difficult to believe that many people were actively giving thanks when they were planning on sitting on a curb for six hours to get 40% off of the newest electronic paraphernelia. Or that they were contemplating the meanings behind the upcoming holidays of Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa.
Perhaps they were contemplating their meanings. That's why they were in line, right? Because the meaning of those holidays are about buying gifts at deep discounts from big-box chain stores to show someone how much you care, right?
I can't comment on the consistency with waiting in line the day after turkey day with events around Chanukah and Kwanzaa. But I do know a little bit about Christmas. And as much as some people may believe it to be true, Black Friday shopping, in my mind, has very little to do with the preparation for the arrival of the Baby Jesus.
Christmas has been about bringing people together. Traveling across far off lands, to the beacon of some unknown force, to celebrate the beginning of something beautiful.
The spirit of Christmas is not about material things. Christmas has humble beginnings, in a manger amongst farm animals because there was no space at an inn. And while the magi did bring gifts for the Christ child, there is not mention of the great price they paid for the discount myrrh they got at the corner store.
I hope that after all the purchasing power has been exercised this weekend, people find time to return to the real reason the holiday season is special. Because we are becoming motivated to become better people. To be generous, forgiving and thoughtful. In preparation for receiving the greatest gift of all.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Contextual healing
So I've been in physical therapy for about 8 months now and have probably a couple more months to go to recover from my surgery. I've been through the toughest part- the post surgical recovery and getting back to walking normally.
My physical therapists have been awesome. Very aggressive with developing my treatment plan, making sure to focus on areas where I need strengthening and keeping the exercises interesting.
Despite working with them closely for several months and having a good relationship, it still weirds me out with some of the maneuvers they do for stretching and testing my strength and flexibility. I'm probably tuned into it a little more being in the medical field. It gives me insight into the role of the patient.
In any other context, some of the things my therapists do could be classified as sexual assault. I guess it's appropriate that they're named "therapists" because separating the word spells "the rapists". And the times they either grab my butt or inner thigh, it comes without warning.
In one maneuver, I lay on my back with one leg up for a hamstring stretch. My therapist then proceeds to straddle me to maximize the stretch. Looking from the outside in, it looks like an illustration from the kama sutra. And she really gets into it. The past couple of times, she was stretching me so aggressively that she came out all sweaty. If it were occurring in the evening, I'd feel bad for not having bought dinner earlier.
Nothing to worry about, though. There is no inappropriate shifting going on.
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My physical therapists have been awesome. Very aggressive with developing my treatment plan, making sure to focus on areas where I need strengthening and keeping the exercises interesting.
Despite working with them closely for several months and having a good relationship, it still weirds me out with some of the maneuvers they do for stretching and testing my strength and flexibility. I'm probably tuned into it a little more being in the medical field. It gives me insight into the role of the patient.
In any other context, some of the things my therapists do could be classified as sexual assault. I guess it's appropriate that they're named "therapists" because separating the word spells "the rapists". And the times they either grab my butt or inner thigh, it comes without warning.
In one maneuver, I lay on my back with one leg up for a hamstring stretch. My therapist then proceeds to straddle me to maximize the stretch. Looking from the outside in, it looks like an illustration from the kama sutra. And she really gets into it. The past couple of times, she was stretching me so aggressively that she came out all sweaty. If it were occurring in the evening, I'd feel bad for not having bought dinner earlier.
Nothing to worry about, though. There is no inappropriate shifting going on.
