Mind Boggling Phenomena - Expectorating Too Much From People

I don't know what it is about being in an underground subway station that allows people to lose their decency and intrinsic humanity, but somehow people regress to a primate-like state when they get down there.
Case in point:
It's not uncommon to witness the inhabitants of this city rear back and spit off the platform onto the tracks, like there's something about an electrified rod of steel that says, "Please aim fluids in my general direction." Frankly it's disgusting and a bit curious as to why these individuals can't seem to keep their bodily fluids to themselves...or at least between them and their Dunkin' Donuts napkins. The gravest offenders are the serial spitters. For example, a few days ago I was waiting at the 86th Street station of the R line on my way to work when suddenly the crudest sound in the world hit my ears. Some "gentleman" was repeatedly digging way down deep into his terminal bronchioles to draw up as much sputum as he could physically muster and letting them loose all over the tracks. Over, and over, and over, and over and....well you can imagine.
Seriously? Just because I have to be in proximity to you, must I really be subjected to the sounds of your projectile mucoid secretions. For the love of Obama, just give your airways a break! I'm headed in to work to deal with moans, bones, groans, and stones. I don't need your ronchi at 6 am to wake me up. That's what my Dunkin' Donuts coffee is for!

Simply mind-boggling!

A Few Good Speech Writers

"All of us who have served in this office understand that the office itself transcends the individual."
-- President George W. Bush
(And no chance he wrote nor understands this sentence. Hats off to his writers)



(This post was meant to go up weeks ago....whoops!)

Writing On The Wall meets Medical Code - A Mission Statement Revisited

"'The writing on the wall'... an idiom, is a portent of doom or misfortune."
-- Wikipedia

When I started the "WOTW" feature it was meant to reflect, as do most of my posts, society at it's best, worst, funnniest and ugliest. The mechanism is photographic exhibits of true and literal writing on walls, be it in graffiti form or actual signs that catch my attention. It often serves as the absurd illustrating the absurd. My template for "WOTW" was a regular feature in Sports Illustrated I used to love called "This Week's Sign that the Apocalypse is Upon Us" (I'm not sure if they still do this). The goal is to make the reader stand back, observe the absurd or humorous, and wonder, "Who in their right mind has the time and energy to put this (expelitive) up on the wall?"

Enter today's episode. I was so disheartened to see this advertisement up on the walls of the subway car. Look at the picture and read my response below:



In case you can't read the sign it says:
"Cerebral Palasy $3,750,000"
"Spastic Quadriplegia $5,000,000"
"Seizure Disorder $4,900,000"
"Paralysis & Seizure $3,650,000"

Awards for medical malpractice suits. My reaction to this was pure and utter disgust. Being part of the medical community, obviously, this one hits close to home. I will be the first to acknowledge that medicine does not have all the answers, nor is it perfect. Mistakes are made, and those responsible must be held accountable. Regardless, no one goes into medicine looking to hurt people, and no one is completely immune from making mistakes. It hurts to see these people's misfortune (patient and doctor alike) being used as a means to increase business. It's not like the sign is saying "We specialize in medical malpractice". This sign is actually tantalizing you by the amount of money you can collect, drawing you in, trying to get you to go after those horrible doctors for every stinkin' dime they're worth. Congratulations, a doctor somewhere made a mistake, a family suffered, and your business boomed. This is truly a portent of doom or misfortune.

So Many Updates...

...so little time.

I seriously fell behind this time. Mea culpa. The next few days will see a flood of updates ranging from new episodes of "Medical Code", to "Writing On The Wall", to some general observations. Try to keep up...

Mind Boggling Phenomena - Well, Who Could See This Coming?

The following is a headline to a Reuters article:

"Craze Over Touch-Screen Gadgets Not Shared By The Blind"

Really? REALLY?? REALLY?!?!

Did it really take a team of scientists to pick up on this? Did the iPhone R&D crew have to put out feelers for this one? Did the makers of the Blackberry Storm need focus groups? This kind of hard-hitting journalistic effort will set the precedent for the headlines of the future...

"Deaf Not Enthralled By Noise-Canceling Headphones"
"Double Amputees Won't Enter New York City Marathon This Year, Report Says"
"Medical Students Hate The USMLE"
"Slumping Economy Blamed For 50% Reduction In Mt. Everest Climbs By Anemics"

I mean honestly people is this really what news has come to? Who comes up with this @#$% ?

Lost & Found New York City

I recently had a group of visitors (4 in fact) stay in my apartment. Following their departure and after a bit of tidying on my part I realized my guests had left me some personal belongings for me to remember them by.

Here is the inventory:

1 navy GAP top
1 English Laundry shirt complete with cuff-links
3 separate pairs of men's underwear (2 boxer briefs, 1 boxer)
1 blue towel
2 pairs of socks**
6 individual socks**
1 headphone t-shirt from Generation Records
1 faux Armani Exchange belt
1 faux Louis Vuitton wallet box containing...
1 worn unmarked non-LV wallet

To whom these items belong, please retrieve your items or they will be donated to charity.

**See photo above

Happy Nativity

All as one
Raise your voices!
Raise your voices!
All as one
On this christmas day!

All rejoice
Raise your voices!
Raise your voices!
All rejoice
Anno domine!

Where's Liberty?

Writing On The Wall - IKEA Couldn't Make It Any Simpler

Spontaneous Resolution

First off, I hate New Year's resolutions. For all the hooplah that surrounds this holiday, the reality of the matter is that your life hasn't significantly changed from Dec 31 to Jan 1 just because the number of the year has. So why the sudden life changes...?

Still, the resolution phenomenon is pervasive in our culture, so in keeping with these obsolete traditions, Your Humble Observer has come up with a few resolutions for his blog:

I solemnly resolve to...

1. Not let "too much time" lapse between posts
2. Keep with quality observations and posting
3. Find a way to arrange the photos in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion
3. Keep the commentary as witty as humanly possible
4. Lose 20 pounds

Happy New Year everybody! May the Lord keep and watch over you all through all of 2009.




*Thanks Steph ;)