Everything secret degenerates, even the administration of justice; nothing is safe that does not show how it can bear discussion and publicity. - Lord Acton
I'm not sure if I believe it, and if I do, I don't know how to incorporate it (into a money making business). I'm all for keeping things on the up and up. But absolute transparency sacrifices an awful lot of efficiency. To say nothing about organizations or governments, I would find such an open policy to be cumbersome on a personal level. And so while the saying has a nice ring to it, it might only be as true as something like "Ultimate power corrupts ultimately." (A lengthy discussion on this topic is not suitable for my present level of wakefulness. But if pressed, my quick and easy cop out answer is that I haven't seen overwhelming evidence for either side)
The thing I like about allusion and metaphor is uncertainty of the boundaries. I've gotten myself into trouble before by saying "as you wish" to people who've watched The Princess Bride more than I have. And so that would be a misinterpretation. Similarly (but oppositely), I might say "Good night, good night," but the "parting is such sweet sorrow" might be lost on someone not looking for it, and therefore they might not recognize that in repeating my farewell I'm expressing just how much I appreciated our time together. Or, they might take the allusion to an unreasonable extreme and deduce that I plan, in the next few hours, to kill myself with a dagger. All I'm saying is that allusion leaves a lot of room for user error. But, I still like it. It does such a good job compressing a lot of meaning.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
extraordinothing
my phone vibrates a little bit longer when a call is coming in than it does when i'm getting a text, and that extra buzzing always makes me think, 'dammit,' because usually i'd much rather respond to a text than pick up the phone. i mention this because it's ringing right now, and i'm very sure i wont be answering it.
i had something really neat and clever that i was gonna write. it wasn't mine at all, and i would have stolen it word for word (or at least thought for thought) from a book, but i'm 99% sure that you haven't read it (or, i'm sure 99% of you haven't read it), and the other 3% would just be impressed by my extensive interests (and mathematical calculations). but i've forgotten what it is/was.
my brain could use a little synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV). i know i'm learning about this stuff so that i can treat patients with ARDS, but i think there are real life lessons in here as well.
sometimes my mind is a balloon whose string has been let go. sometimes i pop the balloon just so it wont get away from me. probably i should just ask someone to fasten it to my wrist, at least until i perfect my one-handed ties.
one of the guys on my team asked me today if i was married or had kids. i said, 'not to my knowledge' and laughed. i always wonder how seriously people take answers like that. of course, i know myself well enough that the absurdity of such a suggestion makes a good joke.
it's kinda like when people ask me what i want to do. of course i know they're really asking what sort of residency i'm trying for, but it still amuses me to answer them 'to graduate.' as if that would be an accomplishment.
the funny thing is, i've actually stumbled upon something i think i could like. this isn't really good news. i've spent the last 5 or so years trying to rid myself of any strong personal desires. fortunately, this thing is well-aligned with the ideals i've tried to adopt. unfortunately, it seems impossible. and i still hate the idea of failure. or maybe it's being alone when i fail that i'm afraid of. failing isn't so bad. it's trying to pick myself up afterwards that is exhausting. i'm surprisingly heavy for my weight, and it can be tough to find point with good leverage.
well, not really. you just need to make me think that you have some insight into my situation, which is as easy as asking, 'don't you just hate clinic?'
i had something really neat and clever that i was gonna write. it wasn't mine at all, and i would have stolen it word for word (or at least thought for thought) from a book, but i'm 99% sure that you haven't read it (or, i'm sure 99% of you haven't read it), and the other 3% would just be impressed by my extensive interests (and mathematical calculations). but i've forgotten what it is/was.
my brain could use a little synchronized intermittent mandatory ventilation (SIMV). i know i'm learning about this stuff so that i can treat patients with ARDS, but i think there are real life lessons in here as well.
sometimes my mind is a balloon whose string has been let go. sometimes i pop the balloon just so it wont get away from me. probably i should just ask someone to fasten it to my wrist, at least until i perfect my one-handed ties.
one of the guys on my team asked me today if i was married or had kids. i said, 'not to my knowledge' and laughed. i always wonder how seriously people take answers like that. of course, i know myself well enough that the absurdity of such a suggestion makes a good joke.
it's kinda like when people ask me what i want to do. of course i know they're really asking what sort of residency i'm trying for, but it still amuses me to answer them 'to graduate.' as if that would be an accomplishment.
the funny thing is, i've actually stumbled upon something i think i could like. this isn't really good news. i've spent the last 5 or so years trying to rid myself of any strong personal desires. fortunately, this thing is well-aligned with the ideals i've tried to adopt. unfortunately, it seems impossible. and i still hate the idea of failure. or maybe it's being alone when i fail that i'm afraid of. failing isn't so bad. it's trying to pick myself up afterwards that is exhausting. i'm surprisingly heavy for my weight, and it can be tough to find point with good leverage.
well, not really. you just need to make me think that you have some insight into my situation, which is as easy as asking, 'don't you just hate clinic?'
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