Merry Christmas!
May you enjoy your day with those closest to you.
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Mending The Broken Hearted
A short two years and nine months ago I sat in the little library of Brooklyn Hospital and stared at the computer. I'm sure an attending physician was wondering about my whereabouts, but there I sat and stared. March 15, 2010. One of those career-defining days filled with enough of an adrenergic drive to send a junkie into ACS. Match Day 2010. It was that fateful day that would set a course that would shape my future.
And now, 997 days later I was faced with the same sympathetic overdrive as I patiently awaited to find out what kismet had in store. With one brief mouse click my future came into sharp focus - Congratulations, you have matched! Cardiovascular Disease - SUNY HSC Brooklyn, NY.
And thus, I committed to another three years in my beloved Brooklyn in training to become a Cardiologist - a dream from my elementary school days, since the first time I ran into my father's room to show him my drawing of the heart and to explain to him how the blood moved from atrium to ventricle.
In accordance with one of my life motto's that nothing happens in a vacuum, I must take a moment to thank all those who stood by me since those first lonely days in a foreign land, namely my beautiful wife HOKIS, without whom I would have slipped off the frayed ends of sanity. My parents and brothers who always believe in everything I do. The whole family - old and new - who are the single best cheering section anyone could ever ask for. The island Council, my colleagues in the trenches with me on a day to day basis, and you, the readership, who understand what this blog means to me and keep checking here despite it looking like I've fallen off the Earth from time to time.
So bring me your CHF, your a-fib, your in-stent restenosis! We're staying in sunny SUNY Brooklyn!
And now, 997 days later I was faced with the same sympathetic overdrive as I patiently awaited to find out what kismet had in store. With one brief mouse click my future came into sharp focus - Congratulations, you have matched! Cardiovascular Disease - SUNY HSC Brooklyn, NY.
And thus, I committed to another three years in my beloved Brooklyn in training to become a Cardiologist - a dream from my elementary school days, since the first time I ran into my father's room to show him my drawing of the heart and to explain to him how the blood moved from atrium to ventricle.
In accordance with one of my life motto's that nothing happens in a vacuum, I must take a moment to thank all those who stood by me since those first lonely days in a foreign land, namely my beautiful wife HOKIS, without whom I would have slipped off the frayed ends of sanity. My parents and brothers who always believe in everything I do. The whole family - old and new - who are the single best cheering section anyone could ever ask for. The island Council, my colleagues in the trenches with me on a day to day basis, and you, the readership, who understand what this blog means to me and keep checking here despite it looking like I've fallen off the Earth from time to time.
So bring me your CHF, your a-fib, your in-stent restenosis! We're staying in sunny SUNY Brooklyn!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Veteran's Day
Thank you to all who served.
"Because they stand on a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.
-Lieutenant Commander Galloway
--A Few Good Men
"Because they stand on a wall and say, "Nothing's going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.
-Lieutenant Commander Galloway
--A Few Good Men
Monday, November 5, 2012
A Plea
As a matter of trying to keep the dialogue civil on "Keeping An Eye...", Your Humble Observer made a conscious decision to avoid delving into the political battle brewing just outside his Brooklyn apartment window. I've engaged in political topics in the past, as the loyal readership will remember. It was fun. It was mind-numbing. It was mind-boggling. And we're over it. So in 2012, we refrained from explicitly exploring the exciting world of Decision 2012.
However, as I sit here in the apartment in my cold empty apartment, I am a man personally torn. For years I refused to engage in the act of voting, much to the chagrin of many around me. I simply refused to play the stupid game. It began as an act of political rebellion (although I'm not exactly sure how... you'll have to ask 2000 YHO) and continued as a figurative waving of the flag of apathy. After years of this hard-line stance, in 2012 YHO finally gave in to the political game and registered to vote. And yet I sit, as torn as the first sentence of this paragraph.
I can't decide. I'll admit, I'm not exactly the best-informed political consumer. I know some things, but I'm not as politically well-versed (or Versed?) as I or any American should be. I can't decide. I don't have a candidate and I simply don't know.
Fortunately, the founders of the country didn't make any provisions about the ability to vote based on level of information that I have.
STOP!!!!!
I know there is a certain percentage of you who just had the thought, "Ya, well, there SHOULD be a provision on stupid people voting." Anyone who thought that can just stop reading right now, because there is no way in hell I can have an intelligent discussion with you. The right to vote, the ability to vote, the obligation to vote is not and should never be based on intelligence, education, or level of information.
Ya, I know it pains you elitists out there to hear those words, but there are so very few things that offend me more than hearing how "stupid people" should simply not be allowed to vote. It is so intellectually offensive to make the claim - and I know it's out there. I've heard it since 2000 Bush v. Gore.
So here I sit. An educated man. Unsure. Undecided. Fortunately for an idiot like me, there is Mr. Jeff Greenfield. Mr. Greenfield is a veteran of the news industry, and I'm sure very good at what he does. He wrote a wonderful piece called "My Plea To The Undecided: Stay Home!". Well, needless to say, this perked my ears up. Let's see what he thinks, shall we?
Interesting. Well, at least the title wasn't misleading. He goes on to explain that for 6 years both major candidates' lives, policies, proposed policies, and even their magic underwear have been thoroughly explored and made available to the public. His conclusion? If you don't know by now,
"You have the reasoning power of a baked potato."
You know, considering how stupid I am, I always fancied myself a tater-tot. We continue. Next is the disclaimer that there is a small minority who are actually well informed but still undecided. I thought he might be referring to me, but he proceeds to discount that this may actually apply to YHO.
"So it strikes me as a sound, honest statement for a prospective voter to say: “Look, I haven’t given this election a minute’s thought, and it’s just not fair for me to cancel out the vote of someone who actually gives a damn.”
Indeed, it’s not just sound and honest—it’s the ethically responsible thing to do...
Allow me a Family Feud moment here as I give Mr. Greenfield a big giant:
"So if you’re one of those folks who have stayed utterly disengaged through all of this, do the honorable thing: Honor those for whom the vote really matters by staying home.
You’ll be doing yourself—and the country—a favor."
Apparently, party-line and single issue voters who literally haven't given a second thought about voting for the candidate they've been sure of are more eligible voters than myself, someone actually torn by the issues at hand. I shouldn't in good conscience cancel out their vote (PERISH THE THOUGHT!) by actually exercising my right, uninformed as I am.
I don't know if Mr. Greenfield knew my situation and was using some reverse-psychology mumbo-jumbo to get me to go rock the vote tomorrow. What I do know, is that I am SO thankful he has weighed in on the undecided voters such as myself. Now I can go back to my 3 recorded football games and worry more about my fantasy picks. Apparently, that will do less harm to this country than casting my ballot.
I'm glad Mr. Greenfield's opinion has been voiced. I don't know if I was able to illustrate what a dangerous line of thinking this is. Maybe I haven't. I don't have the writing skills or political acumen as a 5-time Emmy winner. What I do know, is that discouraging voters under the premise of "Leave the voting to those who know best" is utterly elitist, unethical, and disgusting based on the founding principles of this country.
So I say go cast your ignorant votes tomorrow. Otherwise, you may be standing in line behind me at the "License To Breed Bureau".
Read the article and tell me where I went wrong.
Stay Home
However, as I sit here in the apartment in my cold empty apartment, I am a man personally torn. For years I refused to engage in the act of voting, much to the chagrin of many around me. I simply refused to play the stupid game. It began as an act of political rebellion (although I'm not exactly sure how... you'll have to ask 2000 YHO) and continued as a figurative waving of the flag of apathy. After years of this hard-line stance, in 2012 YHO finally gave in to the political game and registered to vote. And yet I sit, as torn as the first sentence of this paragraph.
I can't decide. I'll admit, I'm not exactly the best-informed political consumer. I know some things, but I'm not as politically well-versed (or Versed?) as I or any American should be. I can't decide. I don't have a candidate and I simply don't know.
Fortunately, the founders of the country didn't make any provisions about the ability to vote based on level of information that I have.
STOP!!!!!
I know there is a certain percentage of you who just had the thought, "Ya, well, there SHOULD be a provision on stupid people voting." Anyone who thought that can just stop reading right now, because there is no way in hell I can have an intelligent discussion with you. The right to vote, the ability to vote, the obligation to vote is not and should never be based on intelligence, education, or level of information.
Ya, I know it pains you elitists out there to hear those words, but there are so very few things that offend me more than hearing how "stupid people" should simply not be allowed to vote. It is so intellectually offensive to make the claim - and I know it's out there. I've heard it since 2000 Bush v. Gore.
So here I sit. An educated man. Unsure. Undecided. Fortunately for an idiot like me, there is Mr. Jeff Greenfield. Mr. Greenfield is a veteran of the news industry, and I'm sure very good at what he does. He wrote a wonderful piece called "My Plea To The Undecided: Stay Home!". Well, needless to say, this perked my ears up. Let's see what he thinks, shall we?
"As the momentous day approaches, with epochal consequences for an anxiously awaiting world, I take pen in hand—make that apply fingertips to keypad—to renew a traditional plea I first made more than 30 years ago...
It’s a plea directed to those of you who are still uncertain about which way to vote. And it’s as simple as it is heartfelt: Stay home."
Interesting. Well, at least the title wasn't misleading. He goes on to explain that for 6 years both major candidates' lives, policies, proposed policies, and even their magic underwear have been thoroughly explored and made available to the public. His conclusion? If you don't know by now,
"You have the reasoning power of a baked potato."
You know, considering how stupid I am, I always fancied myself a tater-tot. We continue. Next is the disclaimer that there is a small minority who are actually well informed but still undecided. I thought he might be referring to me, but he proceeds to discount that this may actually apply to YHO.
"So it strikes me as a sound, honest statement for a prospective voter to say: “Look, I haven’t given this election a minute’s thought, and it’s just not fair for me to cancel out the vote of someone who actually gives a damn.”
Indeed, it’s not just sound and honest—it’s the ethically responsible thing to do...
Allow me a Family Feud moment here as I give Mr. Greenfield a big giant:
X
"So if you’re one of those folks who have stayed utterly disengaged through all of this, do the honorable thing: Honor those for whom the vote really matters by staying home.
You’ll be doing yourself—and the country—a favor."
Apparently, party-line and single issue voters who literally haven't given a second thought about voting for the candidate they've been sure of are more eligible voters than myself, someone actually torn by the issues at hand. I shouldn't in good conscience cancel out their vote (PERISH THE THOUGHT!) by actually exercising my right, uninformed as I am.
I don't know if Mr. Greenfield knew my situation and was using some reverse-psychology mumbo-jumbo to get me to go rock the vote tomorrow. What I do know, is that I am SO thankful he has weighed in on the undecided voters such as myself. Now I can go back to my 3 recorded football games and worry more about my fantasy picks. Apparently, that will do less harm to this country than casting my ballot.
I'm glad Mr. Greenfield's opinion has been voiced. I don't know if I was able to illustrate what a dangerous line of thinking this is. Maybe I haven't. I don't have the writing skills or political acumen as a 5-time Emmy winner. What I do know, is that discouraging voters under the premise of "Leave the voting to those who know best" is utterly elitist, unethical, and disgusting based on the founding principles of this country.
So I say go cast your ignorant votes tomorrow. Otherwise, you may be standing in line behind me at the "License To Breed Bureau".
Read the article and tell me where I went wrong.
Stay Home
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Writing On The Wall - Word On The Street
Apparently, enough people are staring down at their iPhondroids and getting hit by the B63 that the City of New York feels the need to provide this friendly reminder.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Keeping An Eye On The Storm Going By - Hurricane Watch 2012 vol 5.378
The worst of Sandy has come and gone and left a good bit of destruction in her path for residents of the tri-state area. Fortunately, the New Yorker's spirit remains unbeatable. Here is a photo of one of my borough-mates, in a show of utter defiance against mother nature's forces, using his leaf blower before Sandy made landfall. YA! YOU SHOW THEM!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Keeping An Eye On The Storm Going By - Hurricane Watch 2012 vol 4.serious
Much of our "coverage" of Hurricane Sandy has been an attempt to approach a very real natural disaster with a modicum of humor. We here at Keeping An Eye... are very aware of the human tragedies occurring in a radius of less than 20 miles around us. Our approach to these situations is as follows: we do not believe that any human suffering is humorous in any way and we feel for those who are suffering from the effects of the storm. At the writing of this post, CNN is reporting 11 deaths, 3 million without power, all NYC area airports shut down, and water entering the subway system. Obviously, Sandy is having a massive effect on the region.
Nonetheless, we also believe that we need to live our lives as we know how and we must cope with these events in the way we know how. For us here at KAEOTWGB (ya, I don't think I can use that acronym anymore) we deal with events such as Hurricane Sandy with a sarcastic look, particularly as a reflection of the sensationalism and overreaction that bombards us via the media and the general public. We understand that our political leaders and civil servants need to exercise an excess of caution in times like these. However, when one weighs the excess level of concern exhibited by our loved ones who are observing Sandy from a distance versus the actual level of imposition into our lives and direct danger that we face it becomes quite clear that the information being provided - nay - the manner in which the information is being provided is not accurately reflecting what we at Keeping An Eye... are experiencing.
We appreciate the concern of our friends, family, and loved ones. Please know that at this time, HOKIS and I are doing quite well, in fact, it's like any other Monday night in Brooklyn save for the occasional noisy wind gust and flickering of the lights. Of course we pray that it stays this way for us and the rest. We continue to pray for those who are unfortunately experiencing a much more drastic manifestation of Hurricane Sandy. We wish you all God's speed and comfort in these times. Please know that our humor is our coping mechanism, and not intended to be a slap in the face. We hope that some day you may see the humor and, maybe, let out a chuckle.
~YHO
Keeping An Eye On The Storm Going By - Hurricane Watch 2012 vol 3.1
And now, back to NK for another update...
Keeping An Eye On The Storm Going By - Hurricane Watch 2012 vol 3.0
...and now, we throw it to our roving reporter, NK, for coverage from inside the hurricane.
Stay safe, NK!
Stay safe, NK!
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