Copenhagen Smokinhagen Part 2

The Copenhagen summit did not meet it's goal of a worldwide agreement to fight "climate change"... maybe because not everyone agrees?? Just found a good article in The Daily Mail about what I mentioned last post. From the article:

The Copenhagen summit, supposed to produce an agreement limiting greenhouse gases, has, according to experts, the same carbon footprint as a medium-sized African country such as Malawi.

There are an amazing 34,000 delegates attending the event, and the grander among them are forced, says my colleague Robert Hardman in Copenhagen, to park their private jets in Norway because Denmark has run out of Tarmac, and to procure their gas-guzzling limousines from Germany.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1236497/STEPHEN-GLOVER-50-days-save-world-I-listen-doomsayers-werent-ludicrous-hypocrites.html#ixzz0aPDgWvVB

So what are we to make of all the fuss? Time to start walking the talk.

Copenhagen Smokinhagen

So the largest ever climate conference finished up, and all they came up with was a document saying "we'll take note" and might do something about it?!???

Let me get this straight. How many days, and how many delegates (and assistants, and assistants to the assistants of the delegates), and private jets, and motorcades, and heated hotel rooms, and purified water in plastic bottles (made thanks to the oil sands, by the way! but they should clean up their act too), and at the end of it all:

"Climate change?"
"Yah."
"Well wha' do ya wanna do?"
"I don't know, wha' do you wanna do?"
"I don't know. Hey, now don't start tha' game again."

(remember the vultures from the Jungle Book cartoon???)

Here's a thought: why don't we start living responsibly?? You know, shut off extra lights, waste less, car pool (or plane-pool for those big wigs), give to charity, and maybe ask for a little corporate responsibility...

Oh, right. We're in a morally relativistic society. I can't tell you what to do, because what's right for me isn't necessarily right for you.

Garbage. A bunch of garbage. And smoke. In Copenhagen. Smokinhagen. Unfortunately, garbage is one thing we're not short of.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

There's a website that tracks (based on customer reviews) the Christmas-friendliness or offensiveness of retail stores during Christmas time. Basically how "politically correct" are they trying to be?? And seriously, what's politically incorrect about saying "Christmas"?? I mean, c'mon, everyone knows it's called Christmas, so what's the big deal?

The site is Stand for Christmas.
Some of the big winners:
- Bass Pro Shops - 98% Christmas friendly
- Cabela's - 95%, never heard of this place... although I'm not the biggest shopper...
- Land's End - 89%

And the big losers:
- the Gap - 82% Christmas-offensive
- Best Buy - 77%, and I think their commercials are ridiculous anyways
- Banana Republic - 75%

Check it out for yourself and read the reviews... then hit those malls!!!
Ha! Better yet, check out Compassion, or World Vision, or your local Pregnancy Care Centre. Gifts can be made "in honor of", and often they'll give you a card to write to the receiver. Those gifts leave a much more lasting impact... seen it first hand. Amazing.

Random Act of Reconciliation

If there was more of this going on, our world would be a much happier place:





Seen on a street near our house a few weeks ago.

The Body is Awesome!

We're going through "The Truth Project" with some people from church... talking about science today, the search for truth, to understand the particulars of the world around us. Following the truth leads me to believe there is a designer. There are so many amazing and awesome things in this world to say it was just chance and randomness and time that gave us the universe as we know it.

Here's one little clip: "The Inner Life of a Cell" by a company called XVIVO, made for Harvard Medical School. Shows some of the cellular processes in just one white blood cell. What you see in 3 minutes goes on millions of times per second in your body. Wow.



The heavens declare the glory of God - Psalm 19:1
The fool says in his heart, "There is no God" - Psalm 53:1
Since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. - Romans 1:20

Cancer sucks.

Been working in the Emergency department these past few weeks. Finished today's shift on a bit of a downer...

A fairly healthy looking guy in his mid-50's came in with sudden blindness in one of his eyes. Sure he had diabetes, but it wouldn't cause vision problems like that. Turns out he had been battling lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes) earlier this year, and had a mass removed in his forehead 9 months ago...

His CT Scan of his head looked a little like this (but not esophageal cancer):


So, how do you tell a middle-aged guy he has cancer in his brain?
How do you tell him his 6 months of chemotherapy didn't work?
How do you tell him his stem-cell transplant didn't work?
How do you tell him his time is limited, he's going to die?

With grace and truth, I hope.

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." -Heb 9:27.

Medispeak Multiple Choice

During my studies and reading, I come across some interesting words. Some medical terms that have a funny ring to them. Here's a few, and this list doesn't even include muscles! Can you guess what they mean?? How many can you use in regular conversation??

1 - Borborygmi
2 - Gubernaculum
3 - Hematochezia
4 - Melena
5 - Uvula
6 - Obstipation
7 - Verruca vulgaris
8 - Astrocytoma
9 - Xanthelasma
10 - Tophus


Possible answers:
A - soft tissue projection from the middle posterior edge of the soft palate, ie: the dangly thing at the back of your throat.
B - cholesterol deposits in the skin, often around the eyelids
C - rumbling or gurgling of the intestines, from movement of fluid and gas; stomach growling
D - dark or black sticky tar-like poop, contains partially digested blood
E - severe or complete constipation, not passing any gas
F - reddish-maroon poop, from bleeding in the colon
G - star-shaped brain tumor
H - folds of peritoneum (abdominal cavity lining) that attach to the gonads during development in the womb
I - large lump of uric acid deposits under the skin, often over the elbow, occuring in people with gout
J - the common wart


Answers:
1-C; 2-H; 3-F; 4-D; 5-A; 6-E; 7-J; 8-G; 9-B; 10-I

Scoring:
0-3 right answers = this quiz gave you obstipation?
4-6 right answers = take care of your borborygmi, then hit the books
7-8 right answers = no xanthelasmas blocking your view
9-10 right answers = genius! you can diagnose astrocytomas

Disappearance of Moral Knowledge

Just found an excellent article, via John Patrick, discussing why there is a lack of morality in society these days, why it has disappeared. This helps to answer what I brought up in my previous post about the absence of morality of doctors and the institution's attempt to fill it with "professionalism and ethics".

So without further adieu, here is an excerpt from Dallas Willard's Beyond Moral Bewilderment:

... There is a steady downward pull on human life, and special counter-forces are required successfully to resist it. In their absence, lives, dynasties, and nations crumble and fall. Many today think that, if our current state of affairs is not quite as Isaiah said, we are steadily moving toward it. Sometimes this is attributed only to enhanced will to evil. But one way of characterizing the condition of North American society at present is to say that moral knowledge—knowledge of good and evil, of what is morally admirable and despicable, of simple right and wrong—is no longer available in our world to people generally. It has disappeared as a reliable resource for living.

Grab a coffee and enjoy the read!!

Doctors and virtue

From "The Hand of God", by Bernard N. Nathanson:

The minimal description of a doctor then is this: a highly trained technician, daily exposed to exceptionally powerful material and spiritual temptations. It has been my experience that only those who have an inflexible inner spiritual column supporting the immense weight of medical obligations and responsibilities survive intact the lure of the worldly temptations in the medical world: the uninterrupted flow of money, the drumfire of flattery, and the inebriating effects of special privilege. It is no accident that great early physicians and scientists were deeply spiritual: Hippocrates swore his oath to his gods; Aristotle (perhaps the greatest empirical scientist of all time) revered the idea of God as the Prime Mover; Claudius Galen, who built upon the work of Aristotle and Hippocrates, early on declared himself a monotheist and was cherished by Arabic and Hebrew physicians who followed in his wake; and Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides), a codifier of the Talmud, was a talented physician to the court of Saladin in Egypt and wrote the Guide for the Perplexed, which strove to marry the elements of spirituality with the science of medicine. William Harvey, the discoverer of the circulation of blood, was convince of the evidence of a Supreme Creative Intelligence and practiced his Protestant religion zealously. Without such an absolute guide to virtue, doctors, exposed as they are to greater temptations than most, are likely to fall further.

So this begs the question... what kind of doctor do you have? What kind of doctor am I?

Medical schools these days are good at selecting smart, even brilliant, students, but they have no way of instilling virtue. Indeed, there is often a bias against anyone with such a foundation, although we seem to get in anyways!

There has been the appearance lately in medical schools across Canada (and I'm guessing the States and elsewhere) of "Professionalism" and "Ethics" classes in an attempt to fill the void left by and increasingly secular and amoral physician body. And of course, we don't take the oath of Hippocrates anymore - it was changed and edited and spit shined in order to cover those that practice the more fringe medicine that we see being forced on society (abortion, assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell use, etc.). But I digress.

The point is, if you have the option, find yourself a doctor with moral integrity and virtue.

September Long Weekend...

If you haven't been, you need to go. Beautiful. Just be ready for the wind.

Abortion in Alberta... time is limited??

This, from Alberta ProLife:

Abortion is something we would like to wish away.

The fact is abortion is a business. You and I, as taxpayers, are on the hook for between $6 and $8 million each year. That’s what it costs to abort over 12,000* little ones in Alberta-each year. The provincial government says it only funds “abortions that are medically necessary.” In fact, it pays for all the abortions performed in the province, whether at hospitals or private clinics.

The truth is abortion is an act of violence that destroys people’s lives. In 2004 almost 40% of all abortions were repeat procedures (performed on women who have obtained a previous abortion). Less than 5% of all abortions are performed to protect the mother’s health or life.

The fact is the majority of Albertans polled over the past 15 years oppose tax-funded abortion.
The time has come to de-fund abortion.
Helpmake it happen.

This is a grassroots campaign to de-fund abortion in Alberta.
Give financially or volunteer your time or expertise.

Campaign to De-fund Abortion in Alberta
Box 11479 Edmonton, AB T5J 3K5
or e-mail apl@albertaprolife.com.
You can call us at 1-877-880-5433.
Donate • Contact yourMLA• CallUs

* Reference: Alberta Reproductive Health: Pregnancies and Births Surveillance Report 2009

Abortion Distortion

The health minister in Quebec recently tried to enact universal standards for cleanliness for surgical procedures... standards that apply to hospitals, smaller public surgical clinics, private clinics... and standards that would apply for any type of surgery - breast cancer surgery, appendectomy, gallbladder removal, wisdom teeth, abortion...

Whoops, did I say abortion? The actual bill didn't mention any specific surgery, just that all sites performing surgeries need to meet the safety requirements. Well, the pro-abortion lobby jumped right on it - this bill (by a pro-choicer, I might add), would shut down 3 abortion clinics until they could renovate! Then how would women get the abortions they need?

Here's the CBC article: Quebec abortion clinics excused...
Not quite accurate in its reporting, but the essentials are there. 2nd paragraph should read: "Bill 34 would have required all surgical clinics to have ventilated operating rooms and surgical clothing for all staff."

Andrea Mrozek and Rebecca Walberg, founders of ProWomanProLife.org, have written an excellent commentary about the whole debacle, published in the National Post August 21: The Abortion Distortion.

Definitely worth the read, even if you don't like the whole abortion debate.

19.19 seconds

Incredible. Absolutely incredible.



(try this if the above doesn't work: Bolt 200m Record... or just look it up on YouTube!)

What can you do in 19.19 seconds??

One Small Step...

From CatholicVote.org

Are you Normal?

From the Summer '09 issue of Geez Magazine:

Normal is getting dressed
in clothes that you buy for work
and driving through traffic in a car
that you are still paying for -
in order to get to the job you need
to pay for the clothes
and the car
and the house
you leave vacant all day
so you can afford to live in it.
- Ellen Goodman

Ouch. Yes, for now, I'm normal. But working on that. And You?

Obama in Notre Dame, Pt 2

Ann Coulter had some strong criticism of President Obama's speech at Notre Dame last week. She also reflects on the illegitimate "constitutional right" of abortion:

Liberals were awestruck by Obama's statesmanlike speech at Notre Dame, but whatever he says about abortion is frothy nonsense because we're not allowed to vote on abortion policy in America. If it's a "constitutional right," we can no more vote on abortion than we could vote on free speech.

With Roe v. Wade, abortion supporters ripped the issue out of the democratic process -- limb from limb, you might say -- and declared their desired outcome a "constitutional right." They have hysterically defended that lawless decision for the last quarter-century.

All of Obama's soothing words about joining hands and not demonizing one another are just blather as long as that legal monstrosity remains the law of the land.

Showing his open-mindedness, Obama asked, "How does each of us remain firm in our principles ... without demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?" (What do I have to do to get you murderers and you non-murderers to shake hands and be friends?)

A good start would be letting us vote.

Wesley J. Smith also offers a short but excellent critique of Obama's speech on the First Things daily blog called First Thoughts. Obama says one thing, but does another. He talks about unity, but his actions and policies do nothing to promote the "middle ground" that he mentions.

As my cousin Chris, and numerous other sources, pointed out last week, recent polls show more Americans consider themselves to be Pro-Life rather than Pro-Choice/Abortion. So if Ann Coulter's vote were to happen (and I'm sure countless millions would gladly go to the polls), the "right to abortion" would be seriously challenged and Roe v. Wade overturned! What a glorious day that will be!

For discussions on other life issues, check out Wesley J. Smith's blog Secondhand Smoke - "Your 24/7 seminar on bioethics and the importance of being human."

O Jesus, You who suffer...

O Jesus,
you who suffer,
grant that, today and every day,
I may be able to see you in the person of your sick ones
and that, by offering them my care,
I may serve you.
Grant that, even if you are hidden under the unattractive disguise of
anger, of crime, or of madness,
I may recognize you and say,
"Jesus, you who suffer, how sweet it is to serve you."

Give me, Lord, this vision of faith,
and my work will never be monotonous,
I will find joy in harboring the small whims and desires
of all the poor who suffer.
Dear sick one, you are still more beloved to me
because you represent Christ.
What a privilege I am granted in being able to take care of you!

O God, since you are Jesus who suffers,
deign to be for me also
a Jesus who is patient, indulgent with my faults,
who looks only at my intentions,
which are to love you and to serve you
in the person of each of these children of yours who suffer.
Lord, increase my faith.
Bless my efforts and my work,
now and forever.

- Mother Teresa of Calcutta, taken from "Mother Teresa: A life for God" by Lavonne Neff.

Obama in Notre Dame

President Obama gave the commencement address at the University of Notre Dame today, and also received an honorary doctor of laws. The decision to honor one of the country's most extreme abortion advocates at one of the country's oldest Catholic institutions was not without some controversy. And rightly so.

CNN showed the address live, and somehow we had full cable and were able to watch it. Obama spoke well (as usual) and talked about some of the controversial issues. To me, he seemed to justify his stance on abortion by saying he'll speak fairly about both sides, and called for more dialogue. And his reasoning for embryonic stem cell research (he omitted the "embryonic"): some people oppose it because of their view on sanctity of life, and some people are for it because they hold on to the sanctity of life of their child with juvenile diabetes who could be helped (by killing tiny unborn humans - my words there). But that's about all he said; no other rationale for his positions. Obama also talked about the economic crisis, climate change, and gave some encouraging words for the grads.

Somehow, Obama got standing ovations for a couple of his controversial points. Curiously, Father Hesburgh wasn't one of them. He's a former president of Notre Dame, and was mentioned several times in Obama's speech as a pioneer in "dialogue" in the sixties for racial justice.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the media. I look forward to the commentary on First Things... Maybe President Obama should read Healing the Culture (see previous post)!! That would do more for dialogue and fair treatment of the issue that all his rhetoric combined.

Healing the Culture

Just started reading "Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom and the Life Issues" by Robert J. Spitzer. Here's a couple quotes from the introduction:

When we ground our culture and public policy in metaphysical materialism, we advocate for not only a radically incomplete view of reality but also a radically incomplete view of human dignity, destiny, and community.

and

our view of the reality and value of the intangibles (anything that is not visible, like love, justice, personhood, etc.) underlies every moral and cultural issue upon which the quality of our individual and communal life depends.

I look forward to exploring these intangibles, and how I can bring healing to the culture and within the medical profession.

He Is Risen!!

Ash, Caleb and I went to see 'Love According to John" at the Jubilee Auditorium last night. I was Caleb's first theatre experience!



The passion play is put on by Alberta Lyric Theatre. They do a fantastic job, really bringing to life the gospel of John. Congrats to them, and thanks for bringing us closer to our Creator, and a greater understanding of our need and His sacrifice.




I found this short reflection on the resurrection on Randy Alcorn's blog:

"Make no mistake: if he rose at all it was as His body; if the cells' dissolution did not reverse, the molecules reknit, the amino acids rekindle, the Church will fail. Let us not mock God with metaphor, analogy, sidestepping transcendence; making of the event a parable, a sign painted in the faded credulity of earlier ages; let us walk through the door."
- John Updike, as quoted by Randy Alcorn on his blog.

As over 500 witnessed firsthand, and countless millions since by His indwelling presence, may we say with confidence with them this Easter: "He is Risen, He is Risen indeed!"

A new Calvin & Hobbes?!?

Is this a new Calvin (a la "Calvin & Hobbes") waiting to happen, or what?!? Just look at that mischievous smile. I think we're in for trouble in a year or two!

Sleeve-Facing

Caleb's been sleeve-facing again! Not bad for a 2-1/2 month old!

Maybe he can even get a Geez promo gig! We'll have to send them the pic...

The Pope and HIV/AIDS

Pope Benedict XVI has taken a ton of criticism over his remarks about condoms while on the way to visit Cameroon and Angola. The Pope said in essence that condoms aren't the solution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and they often make things worse. Well, that created quite the uproar and backlash against the Pope, the Catholic Church, and Christians in general. But are his statements that far off? What is the evidence that condoms solve the HIV/AIDS problem? I haven't done an exhaustive search, but there are an increasing number of articles and research papers suggesting condoms don't help as much as we think.

A brief, but insightful commentary is given by James Shelton in The Lancet in 2007, one of the most prestigious scientific journals. Titled "Ten Myths and One Truth About Generalized HIV Epidemics", here's some misconceptions he identifies (with a few extra comments):

1) HIV spreads like wildfire.
2) Sex work is the problem.
3) Men are the problem.
4) Adolescents are the problem.
5) Poverty and discrimination are the problem. In most countries, HIV/AIDS is more common in the wealthy.
6) Condoms are the answer. Mainly because people don't like them, use is irregular, protection imperfect, and they seem to foster disinhibition, thus increasing risky behaviors more likely to transmit the virus.
7) HIV testing is the answer.
8) Treatment is the answer.
9) New technology is the answer.
10) Sexual behavior will not change. The ABC program in Uganda, focusing on Abstinence, Be faithful (fidelity) and Condoms if you can't do A or B, worked quite well. Homosexuals in North America also changed their behaviors in the '80s. So it can be done!

And the one truth? Partner-limiting behavior (ie: fidelity) works, and we need to focus on that. The full reference is: Shelton, JD. Ten myths and one truth about HIV epidemics. The Lancet. 2007:370, pp 1809-11.

In condemning condoms, the Pope is condemning and calling out the lifestyle choices that are contrary to Biblical teaching (free sexual license, adultery, fornication, etc.). Most people don't like this. And (not) surprisingly, research shows that Christian teaching on sexuality (ie: abstinence and fidelity) usually work, more-so than condoms/testing/antiretroviral/etc. If one is to acknowledge this, one must admit the sexual revolution doesn't quite pan out as promoted, that self-discipline and self-restraint are not such bad ideas, that we are guilty of sin and there are consequences...

Politics... ideology... truth...

Maybe the Pope isn't crazy...

Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana

Found out last week that it was released in paperback a month ago. Finished it last week. So good, so good! Hard to put down! Paints an incredible picture of Christ's humanity, and divinity. Highly recommended!
(apparently 9% off on Chapters website).

Reflections on The Lord's Prayer

From "Names of God and other Bible studies" by Rose Publishing:

How Can I Pray?

How can I pray "our" if I live only for myself?
How can I pray "Father" if I do not act like his child?
How can I pray "who are in Heaven" if I am laying up no treasures there?
How can I pray "hallowed be Thy name" if I don't care about being holy myself?
How can I pray "Thy kingdom come" if I live for my kingdom, power, and wealth?
How can I pray "Thy will be done" if I disobey His word?
How can I pray "on earth as it is in heaven" if I will not serve him here and now?
How can I pray "give us... our daily bread" if I am dishonest or unwilling to share what I have with others?
How can I pray "forgive us our debts" if I nurture resentment against another?
How can I pray "lead us not into temptation" if I willingly place myself in its path?
How can I pray "deliver us from evil" if I refuse to put on all of God's armor?
How can I pray "Thine is the kingdom" if my life does not reflect his lordship?
How can I pray "Thine is the... power" if I fear what people may do?
How can I pray "Thine is the... glory" if I seek honor for myself?
How can I pray "forever" if my life is bounded only by the things of time?

-adapted from "Alone with God" by John MacArthur, Jr.

Hockey - Tradecentre!

The NHL Trade Deadline is 1hr 30min away. I'm watching the live up-to-date coverage on TSN. It's strangely exciting - the potential for big names to be traded as teams prepare for the playoffs. The Oil need a good D-man... can we say Jay Bowmeester? But the "experts" say only Vancouver and Boston are interested. C'mon Tambollini! Let's make a run out of it!!

Theodore Dalrymple's monthly article

Theodore Dalrymple, who wrote "Life at the Bottom" which I just finished, writes a monthly essay for the New English Review. I was pretty excited to find this out. Dr Dalrymple's essays are poignant commentaries on the state of society, healthcare, and the results of intellectual ideas carried out in real life.Click here for the page with his essays, and Enjoy!

Here's the opening paragraph from his latest essay,The Rules of Perspective:

If I were asked, without time to give the question much thought, to name the greatest political virtues, I should reply, ‘Prudence and a sense of proportion.’ A New Jerusalem could not be built of these virtues, of course, but neither could a Hell on Earth; and since Hells on Earth are two a penny in human history, but New Jerusalems are infrequently encountered in it, to say the least, there is much to be said in presumption of those admittedly tepid and unexciting qualities.

Ash Wednesday - beginning of Lent

Today marks the beginning of Lent, a season of fasting, reflection and preparation for the death and resurrection of Christ. Here's a brief explanation from catholic.org:

Lent is about conversion, turning our lives more completely over to Christ and his way of life. That always involves giving up sin in some form. The goal is not just to abstain from sin for the duration of Lent but to root sin out of our lives forever. Conversion means leaving behind an old way of living and acting in order to embrace new life in Christ. For catechumens, Lent is a period intended to bring their initial conversion to completion.

Being brought up in a baptist/protestant tradition, we didn't celebrate lent. I didn't really know what it was until my late teens. Now I see it as a valuable exercise in examining one's life and removing or giving up things that prevent us from knowing Christ more fully... giving up a worldly habit and instead using that time to focus on Christ. Easier said than done, but still a useful practice, any time of year.

So what will I give up this year? Useless TV viewing and Internet usage. (some TV is useful... can we say UEFA Champions League Soccer?). That should save me at least an hour or so each day... more time to reflect, read, pray. Draw near. Lent.

What will you give up?

Attack on Conscience... again

The CBC Edmonton website had a random article today about a pro-life doctor who refuses to provide referrals for abortion. Dr. Johnston was commenting on the upcoming review of standards by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta, where they may require physicians to refer a patient to an abortion center if the patient asks. This would essentially make it illegal for a doctor (myself included) to use our moral judgment in advising and treating our patients. And a brief reading of the comments shows most people do not understand the nature of medicine or the nature of abortion.

Practicing medicine is a moral activity. We, as physicians, recommend to our patients what they ought to do with their bodies/health. It is then up to the patient to proceed. As such, we must use our clinical judgment, but also our moral judgment in recommending what we feel is best for our patients. If we cannot do this, then the autonomy of the doctor is hampered and we become simply automatons of the system. Just because a law is in place does not make it right. And just because a patient demands for a procedure does not make it right, either. Particularly when there are so many negative sequelae to that procedure. See Abort73.com for excellent overviews of the abortion topic.

A fitting quote from Theodore Dalrymple in his book, "Life at the Bottom":

If the doctor has a duty to relieve the suffering of his patients, he must have some idea where that suffering comes from, and this involves the retention of judgment, including moral judgment. And if, as far as he can tell in good faith, the misery of his patients derives from the way they live, he has a duty to tell them so - which often involves a more or less explicit condemnation of their way of life as completely incompatible with a satisfying existence. By avoiding the issue, the doctor is not being kind to his patients; he is being cowardly. Moreover, by refusing to place the onus on the patients to improve their lot, he is likely to mislead them into supposing that he has some purely technical or pharmacological answer to their problems, thus helping to perpetuate them.

Rumors of Transcendence

Philip Yancey has a great article in this month's First Things, titled "What Art Can - and Can't - Do." He reflects on the closing words in Ecclesiastes: "The words of the wise prod us to live well. They're like nails hammered home, holding life together. They are given by God, the one Shepherd" (Ecc 12:11, the Message). He talks about artists spurring on others to action "as a goad", and others as being firmly embedded nails, reaffirming truth. Some points stood out:

Civilization once looked to art as the means of passing on wisdom from one generation to the next. The act of writing was invented, after all, to convey the sacred: Permanent things must be passed on in a permanent way, hence the hieroglyphs on Egyptian tombs. But a civilization that no longer believes in permanent things, one that holds to no objective truths, resorts to deconstruction, no construction.

Our civilization doesn't believe in permanent things, or objective truth. What will that mean to the next generation? Yancey gives the example of Russia and their experience with communism: "A regime that tried harder than any other to kill of God instead ended up committing suicide."

Another quote:

Perhaps the existence of art - its inherent, permanent-seeming worth, as well as its echo of original Creation - can be a pointer to a grand artist, a rumor of transcendence."

I think this should apply to everything in life... are we living in such a way that points to a grand artist. Are we spreading rumors of the transcendent? Yancey suggests that even "writing in the sand" can make a difference; after all, that's the only "art" Jesus ever did... no paintings or books or videos... just some random writing in the sand when the Pharisees came to condemn the woman caught in adultery. In so doing, Jesus created time for reflection, and left rumors of transcendence on the hearts of man.

What is Poverty?

Currently reading "Life at the Bottom: the Worldview that makes the Underclass", by Theodore Dalrymple. He makes some interesting and very honest observations from his perspective as a psychiatrist in England. Here's some food for thought:

What do we mean by poverty? Not what Dickens or Blake or Mayhew meant. Today no one seriously expects to go hungry in England or to live without running water or medical care or even TV. Poverty has been redefined in industrial countries, so that anyone at the lower end of the income distribution is poor ex officio, as it were - poor by virtue of having less than the rich. And of course by this logic, the only way of eliminating poverty is by an egalitarian redistribution of wealth - even if the society as a whole were to become poorer as a result.

Such redistribution was the goal of the welfare state. But it has not eliminated poverty, despite the vast sums expended, and despite the fact that the poor are now substantially richer - indeed are not, by traditional standards, poor at all. As long as the rich exist, so must the poor, as we now define them.

Dr. Dalrymple goes on to talk about the squalor in England and the condition of some of his patients. Their squalor is chosen, since many in similar circumstances were able to overcome it, and it is not material or economic, but a spiritual, moral and cultural poverty, a lack of self-discipline, a life without meaning, without God.

To be sure, poverty in the developed world is different from poverty in the third world where most live on less than a dollar a day and each day survived is an achievement, worthy of self-respect. Rather, Dr. Dalrymple suggests first world poverty is the worst kind - it is poverty of soul. I tend to agree. I can see it spreading deeper and deeper into our culture and society. Movies, music, TV, advertisement, academia, politics... poverty of soul is becoming more evident each day. Just listen to the news. Even in small things, like a young dating couple walking hand in hand, talking and texting on their own cell phones, paying no attention to the flesh and blood person beside them, but rather wasting efforts on their impersonal handheld devices. Ah, young love. Oh, Just wait - I need to text someone.

SuperBowl Ads - eTrade Babies

If you haven't seen the eTrade babies yet, check 'em out on YouTube. They're hilarious! The "Outtakes" video is below. A few of the ads were running during the SuperBowl, and that's how I found out about them - searching for good SuperBowl ads. My favorite is the one that wants to punch the economy in the face!... BUT, my baby's cuter!

Bowzer defeated!

After a several-month hiatus from the Wii, I finally picked the Wii-mote up again and set out to defeat Bowzer and rescue the Princess. Surprisingly, it didn't take too long from my previous saved game. Somehow I skipped a bunch of galaxies and went straight to Bowzer. An hour and one sore thumb later, and Bowzer was humiliated and the Princess escorted safely back to her castle.

I was never big into video games. Although my brother and I always wanted one, our parents never bought us a console; they just told us to go play outside instead. And we (generally) had no trouble complying. So when Ashley won a Wii from work, I was all over it. We played fairly regularly for the first few months, but eventually the novelty faded. The Wii is an incredibly cool system, though. And if one had to play video games, the Wii is probably the better choice (vs. XBox, Playstation) - involves slightly more physical movement (I won't even call it activity), and the games are safer and often family oriented.

There's been a few studies about the Wii. According to one study in the British Medical Journal, one uses more energy playing Wii than XBox or Playstation. But, the Wii has also resulted in some injuries (not to mention broken TV's)... dubbed Wiiitis by this researcher and others.

With all that said, however, outside is where its at! Hey kids, go out and play already!!... I've got some other galaxies to explore.

Caleb's Moods

A morning in the life of a newborn! Fun times!

24

Waaahhhhh! How does this guy survive? How does he do it? Jack Bauer is crazy!

My wife and I just watched 2 hrs of the current "24" season... #7, I believe. Missed the first few episodes, but man, does it pull you in quickly! On the edge of my seat the whole time. So was Ash. Caleb just sat in our laps and looked at us. The shooting and explosions didn't phase him.

This last episode (3pm to 4pm) Jack made an interesting comment: something along the lines of not just doing what's right, but doing what's necessary. The idea of figuring out the rightness or wrongness of an action later, dealing with the consequences later. I suppose an argument could be made for that philosophy in acute crisis-type decisions (like where the president's life is on the line, or in this case, the "first gentleman"), but as an overall philosophy, probably not the best ideology.

In reality, though, that notion has been gaining popularity. For the past few decades, our society has increasingly rejected the idea of absolute truth, or an objectively correct way to act. Relativism is the philosophy of the day. Thus the rightness or wrongness of an action or behavior only depends on the one doing that action. If they deem it necessary, then it is acceptable, with the general caveat that it not infringe on the "rights" or "freedoms" of someone else, or perhaps that there is a greater net happiness in the world due to that action - utilitarianism. Thus Jack Bauer can threaten and torture and kill, and justify himself because his immoral methods help save lives. That's a tricky one. And the worst part is, we're cheering him on.

I think Jack Bauer might need to rethink his ethics in the long term. Meanwhile, he's dealing with a national threat. Tune in next week...

4 deliveries, 1 operation, 1 sleepless night and too many cervixes to count!

Typical night on call last night. Currently doing Obstetrics and Gynecology, and last night was busy. The day was quite slow... watched the Oilers game (boo Nashville), and flipped between the SuperBowl and the replay of Nadal-Federer (next time Feds!), and then it started.

Beep-Beep-Beep.
The sound many have grown to despise.

So, after the third set of Nadal-Federer, the fun began. And it didn't stop until sign-over at 8 the next morning. When all was said and done, the title was the result: 4 deliveries throughout the night, 1 c-section and a whole bunch of pregnant women thinking they're in labor but not really in labor (each requiring one to two checks of their cervix). Speaking of which, what's the plural of that? Cervixi? Cervixes? Cervi?

I think it's time for bed.

Formula 1

As my dear brother Dave keeps pointing out, the 2009 Formula 1 season begins in 60 days. Amazing technology, fast cars, exotic venues. It's gonna be sweet. Vroom, Vroom!

Parenthood #1

Caleb is growing like crazy. And pooping like nobody's business. He's now almost 2 weeks old, and two days ago was 1/2 pound heavier than birth weight! (That's pretty good... normally babies lose up to 10% of their birth weight in the first week, and regain it by 2 weeks if breastfed, or 10 days if formula fed... Caleb's definitely above average!)

What a mystery to behold! A tiny human that is half me and half my wife, and all child of God. What a responsibility, what an adventure! I'm sure I'm about to be schooled in parenting in the days and weeks to come!

I've now delivered 8 babies in the past 2 weeks at work (obstetrics rotation). My total count is now 33 babies in the past 2 years. I can say with 100% certainty that my boy is the cutest, and my wife is a champion! She handled labor and pushed that boy out better than any other I've seen.

Caleb Micah!

How's this for cool?!? I'm a Dad! My son (still feels weird to say that) was born Jan 11 at 6:05pm and weighed 7lbs 1oz. He's the cutest guy around! Ashley did great and is feeling good. And so far, Caleb likes to sleep during the day and get his picture taken. So far so good! Thanks for your prayers.
Caleb = "Faithful"
Micah = "Who is like God?"

The passing of a great man...

A great believer and thinker passed away Friday. Richard John Neuhaus, a catholic priest, was the editor in chief of First Things (www.firstthings.com). I subscribe to the magazine and read their blog when I can. You should too. Fr Neuhaus' insights into current events were always timely, witty, challenging and biblical. He has written many books and essays, appeared on several TV interviews/documentaries, met with Martin Luther King Jr. and Pope John Paul II, shared his wisdom and insight with presidents, all while leading a catholic church in central New York. An amazing man, gone to be with our Lord.

For Chris

Hey. I'm back. Last attempt at blogging lasted 3 posts. So with the heckling encouragement of cousin Chris, I'll try again.
Here's a deep thought to start the year:
My wife and I are expecting a baby, any time now (due Jan 12). Over the past few months we've been doing lots to get ready for baby... reading books about parenting, learning about diapers, getting baby furniture and the baby room ready. Last week we spent $500 on baby stuff. I spent 3 hrs yesterday putting up shelves and blinds in baby's room. We have a baby pool where some family/friends have bids on when baby will come. Everyone's getting ready for baby... expecting baby to come, the advent of our baby...
So with all that said, and all this expectation for a new baby, what about Jesus? What are we doing for His expected coming? He's coming soon, are we ready? What are we doing to help others get ready?