Outsourcing Surgery?

While surfing around on the intratubes I came across this article from last week's New York Times.

It seems that insurance companies are taking a page out of manufacturing's playbook and attempting to outsource certain ....surgeries!

Need a knee replacement? No problem. They[insurance company] will fly you (and a companion) to India you will be operated on by "internationally accredited surgeons" this outsourcing package comes complete with meals, and is provided to you at no cost at all . Zero copay. "Free", if you will. The insurance company can foot the bill for this whole mess and still pay a fraction of the cost of the same procedure done in the United States.

Sweet tap-dancing Jesus!

While I do not think there are going to be lines forming any time soon to fly to India to get medical care (or much else for that matter), it is an interesting development in the whole health care issue.

I wonder what sweeping effect we will see if other insurers start to follow suit- this has the potential to shake up the entire industry.

Unbeluckingfievable!

Never underestimate the stupidity of people in groups!

Just in case you had any doubts about WalMart serving as the gates to hell... or the fact that we are just a couple discounts away from reverting to base depravity....

This story (hat tip to Lou)

I hope they track down and charge every one of those mouth-breathing, scumbag assholes with murder!

Exactly which, piece-o-shit-made-in-China-will-be-broke-or-thrown-away-before-baseball-season-comes-around-and-won't-even-be-appreciated-bit-of-garbage was on sale at such a low price, that it was worth trampling a man to DEATH to make sure you got one?

Today I hate people.

Career in medicine...yeah, great thinking on my part!

Sometimes No Means NO!

A 20 year old man is recovering from injuries sustained when he was attacked by a giant panda in China this past Monday. The man, a 20 year old student named Liu, said he jumped over the fence at the zoo because "Yangyang [the panda] was so cute, I just wanted to cuddle him."

Yangyang apparently: (pick one)

A) had a headache
B) metabolizes Roofies much faster than humans
C) is just not into dudes
D) likes it a little rough and kinky

or

E) is a fraking wild animal who, despite the sultry Come Hither look doesn't enjoy being molested by humans

Because Yangyang( which, incidentally, is Chinese for "Don't cuddle me, asshole") attacked his amorous intruder by biting him about the legs and arms until poor Liu was rescued by zookeepers.

Sheep at the zoo reportedly began laughing and cheering upon hearing what happened, and several of them are now wearing t-shirts in support of the panda.

46 XY !!!!!!!

We got the results of Kathy's amniocentesis yesterday and I am more than a little relieved and excited that this child, to quote The Godfather,

"...will be a masculine child"

My daughters are wonderful, don't get me wrong; but after years of drowning in a sea of estrogen, it will be nice to add some more man-ness 'round here.

Speaking of manliness, Tuesday night my son John surprised me by dropping by and we were able to head out to a cool little bar for some quality father and son time. (there was trivia playing and karaoke involved too!)

Girls are wonderful, but only a son would endure his father signing karaoke!

The Plumage Don't Enter Into It!

It seems there is nothing new under the sun after all!

The classic Monty Python skit Dead Parrot was actually preceded by a similar bit done by the Greeks some 1600 years ago, according to a 4th century joke book. Read full story here.

For the uninitiated:





Great stuff!

Psychiatry Week 1

Psychiatry.

I was actually looking forward to this rotation- mostly because I wanted to be finished with Internal Medicine (also known as Eternal Medicine). Although the first week isn't over until tomorrow, so far so good. The hours are much better, the call schedule is very light and as an added bonus: there is virtually non-stop amusement.

Now before you think ill of me and accuse me of having an over developed Schadenfreude Center in my brain, it's not that I delight in the maladies of others, it's just that... well... they are so damned entertaining sometimes!

This week alone for instance:

• I spoke with a man who has only a passing familiarity with reality and reports having a chip in his tooth (by chip he means "device") that not only hears every thing that is said around him but receives high pitched noise through it. He has tried- unsuccessfully- to remove said chip; but in his defense, I suppose he wants to be as ginger as possible since it is in one of the last 3 teeth he has left.

• I was accosted outside the hospital by an elderly Polish-only speaking woman who was yelling at me through what appeared to be only a triplet of teeth as well (note to self: check Fluoridation policy of NYC) and who was given to wild gesticulating and grabbing at her crotch. Upon further communication it became clear she wanted directions to the subway! (note to self #2: I have GOT to learn Polish, where apparently grabbing at one's LadyBidness translates roughly into: Pardon me goodly sir, canst thou point me to the nearest train depot?)

• And rounding up the pack there are my fellow students. Among the great constants of the universe, it seems that for any collection of medical students, where N>8, there must be at least one among the group who is so full of pathology, so devoid of the slightest remnant of social skills, and so devoid of insight, that it borders on the absurd. This rotation does not fail to disappoint in that regard. Exactly 3 seconds after making initial eye contact with one particular fellow student, I was harangued by this poor soul who obviously hails from a planet country where disclosing your name, rank, serial number, entire academic accomplishments, political views, career aspirations, turn-ons, what you plan on naming your unborn children, favorite color, shoe size, and blood type (in a single breath and delivered within 2 minutes!!) is not only polite, but must be considered charming.
  

Never a dull moment.

Bonus Quote of the Day :

"Men will always be mad, and those who think they can cure them are the maddest of all." -Voltaire

1050 ft. Above 5th Avenue

Since I have been a New Yorker for about 6 months now, the rules state that I must make the pilgrimage to 350 5th Avenue- otherwise known as The Empire State Building. If I did not, I would forfeit my right to use certain New York-Only words like is seen in the (absolutely real) sign below:



Given that steep penalty, I opted to pack the car up with Meagan, Kaitlyn, and Rileigh and head on into Manhattan to make my offering to the gods of Gotham.

The view from the street:



The very Art-Deco lobby:




Views from the Observation Deck (86th floor):












Another 422 feet to the top of the spire:



Full tourist gear:



Forcing a picture out of Kaitlyn:



The wind blowing my hair all around (Rileigh's too):

Tickets for The Empire State Building :
$62.00
Parking :
$26.00
3 (small) drinks at Starbucks:
$ 8.07

Getting to spend the day with
your daughters doing cheesy tourist
things (while they will still let you take them):

PRICELESS!

Halloween 2008

Although this is Rileigh's 2nd halloween, this is the first one she actually got to do the whole trick-or-treat thing. This year she was a bunny:








Venturing out for the candy-gathering:




Little Thumper is headed out:

Doctor Doolittle, I Ain't....

But- I did enjoy conversing with this goat. At the pumpkin patch, they had a petting zoo and this particular goat seemed to speak my language. He started responding to my witty repartee and we got the 3rd time on camera here:

If you have never seen a grown man "talking" to a goat at the petting zoo, well then my friends today is your lucky day....

The Great Pumpkin Patch of 2008

Last week Kathy and I took the girls to Johnson's Farm in Medford, NJ. It is a pretty cool place with lots for kids to do. They had hayrides, pumpkin patches, a petting zoo (without the petting), a playground, and assorted autumnal fun-type stuff. It was a pretty good way to spend a fall afternoon and not at all expensive.


Johnson's Farm:




A sea of Pumpkins:



Rileigh picks her first pumpkin:




And then her second:




Meagan and Kaitlyn displaying their selections:



One of the highlights of the day was this simple slide:





Me and a very friendly (and quite plastic ) cow:




Meagan gets all "artistic" with the camera:

Catching up on Bolg Duties

Once again it seems I have neglected my blog responsibilities and my daughters tell me they are about to disown me for not blogging. So here goes. First some pictures from the girls' homecoming dance:

Kaitlyn and her friend Janie:



Meagan and her friend Katie:



This kid had to buy A LOT of corsages!



Kaitlyn and the girls: