Debate #1

Watched a part of the debate last night after returning from Octoberfest at the Capital Ale House -- thought that Obama came across as more confident and knowledgable. This should help at least partly answer the questions about his lack of foreign policy experiece -- he's proved he has a handle on the issues.

Songs of the Day (two of my favorite songs of all time):

Days Of Wine And Roses - McCoy Tyner

Always With Me, Always With You - Joe Satriani

Quote of the Day: "The first panacea for a mismanaged nation is inflation of the currency; the second is war. Both bring a temporary prosperity; both bring a permanent ruin. But both are the refuge of political and economic opportunists." --Ernest Hemingway

Thought of the Day: The Germans know how to celebrate: with beer, good food, dancing, and music. Happy Octoberfest!

Professor Satchafunkalis

Sweewawa, Hartwell and I will be going to hear Joe Satriani on Nov. 24th @ The National in Richmond, VA. I'm excited. This next month I'll highlight a few of my favorite Satch tunes each week.

Song of the Day: Day At The Beach (New Rays From An Ancient Sun) - Joe Satriani (from Flying in a Blue Dream)

Quote of the Day: "Autobiography is only to be trusted when it reveals something disgraceful. A man who gives a good account of himself is probably lying, since any life when viewed from the inside is simply a series of defeats." -- a good thing to consider when maintaining an online blog . . .

Thought of the Day:

Dictionary: moxie (mŏk'sē)

1. The ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage.
2. Aggressive energy; initiative: “His prose has moxie, though it rushes and stumbles from a pent-up surge” (Patricia Hampl).
3. Skill; know-how.

Especially in the field of medicine, this is an important personality trait to have in your bag of tricks. Start by cultivating bullshit, then see if you can nurture it into moxie.

Cheers, Dr. Kowawa

Sweewawa Calligraphy

Some beautiful calligraphy done by sweewawa this evening:

Live Young

Song of the Day: One Of These Days - Neil Young -- my experience with recently joining Facebook made me think of this old Neil Young tune . . .

Quote of the Day: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau

Thought of the Day: My plan to keep stress levels a little lower with regular exercise and doing something relaxing (e.g. listening to music) each day seems to be working pretty well . . . now I gotta work on getting enough sleep too.

Pluggin' away

Song of the Day: Michelle - Ben Harper (from This Bird Has Flown, Beatles tribute album)

Quote of the Day: "The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism." --Sir William Osler

Thought of the Day: Keep pluggin' away, it's worth it.

Radiation Oncology

Today started a month long Radiation Oncology elective. So far it looks prettty interesting.

Songs of the Day:

It Was A Very Good Year - Frank Sinatra

Body And Soul - Frank Sinatra

My Way - Frank Sinatra



Quote of the Day: "By medicine life may be prolong'd, yet death
Will seize the doctor too." --William Shakespeare

Thought of the Day: Ain't no day bad enough that a good helping of tiramisu can't make it better.

Lewis Ginter

Song of the Day: Everybody Here Wants You - Jeff Buckley

Quote of the Day: "The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home." --Confucius

Thought of the Day: Today Sweewawa and I headed to the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for a stroll in the cool afternoon sunlight. This was the first time we had visited the gardens, and we were both blown away by the beauty.

 

 

 

 

Belding Principle memories

For some reason this song popped in my head . . . from my old Charlottesville, VA band The Belding Principle. Found a recorded version from 6/28/02 at Miller's bar in C-ville. The song is called MB 3000, and we wrote this free-form tune on a brainstorm based on a popular magazine found on a coffee table, some snacks lying around, and an electronic children's toy . . . here's the lyrics and the tune:

MB 3000

Thanks for the fun
Let's try again
Try me
Turn off switch includes
Anything but jealosy

That's all you need to know
Love sounds that animals make
I asked for the bird
But I got the cow
That's all you need to know
Love sounds that animals make
I asked for the cow
But I got the bird

Libido, copious like the cheetos
Cheetos of the world
The dipping kind is time
Oh wait, those are fritos

That's all you need to know
Love sounds that animals make
I asked for the bird
But I got the cow
That's all you need to know
Love sounds that animals make
I asked for the cow
But I got the bird

MB 3000 -- The Belding Principle

Cheers, Dr. Kowawa

Catchin' up

Song of the Day: Red Shoes - Rene Marie -- heard this track a couple of years ago on NPR while driving. I became an instant Rene fan and later that year the missus and I had the good fortune to see her live at the University of Richmond.

Quote of the Day: "Beware of the young doctor and the old barber." --Benjamin Franklin

Thought of the Day: So the ankle is still swollen up quite a bit from my run-in with the tree root last Sunday. But I plan to get back into exercise anyway starting this weekend. 4th year of med school has turned out so far to be quite stress-inducing, with balancing electives & applying for Internal Medicine internship & Radiology residency simultaneously. I think the key to staying sane and chill during this time is: exercise every day, try to get a reasonable amount of sleep, and listen to some music or do something else relaxing every day. Let's see how it goes . . .

Thinking of You

Thinking Of You - Joe Satriani

Exam tomorrow . . .

Seems like taking tests is all I do lately. This one is in Diagnostic Radiology, so it's important that I do well.

Song of the Day: So What / Impressions - Herbie Hancock -- from Directions in Music, Live at Massey Hall, also features Roy Hargrove (t), Michael Brecker (s), John Patitucci (b)

Quote of the Day: "Art is a jealous mistress." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thought of the Day: Life is a lot like a turkey. Anyway you slice it it's still a turkey.

Cheers,

Dr. Kowawa

Smartphone

So excited just got my new Smartphone, a Samsung SCH-i760. It's I think the coolest one offered on Verizon. I like it because it acts like a Windows PDA, and has a handy slide-out horizontal keypad for sending emails on the go. This baby should help ease the residency interview process . . .

Here's what she looks like.

Song of the Day: Just What I Needed - The Cars

Quote of the Day: "Time is generally the best doctor." --Ovid (BC 43-AD 18)

Thought of the Day: I find the day usually goes better if I try to smile pretty frequently, make jokes and have an infectiously positive attitude. Having said that, I also find it's very difficult to do that on the sleep deficit I'm usually running . . . hence the scowl.

Nerding it

Song of the Day: Cryin' - Joe Satriani -- this one goes out to th'pupu.

video form:



Quote of the Day:



Thought of the Day: I like to turn mine to 11.

Cutest video ever

Google Chrome

Dr. Kowawa has tested and likes Google Chrome, Google's new web browser application.

Sunny Monday

Songs of the Day: The Maids Of Cadiz - Miles Davis / Gil Evans

My Ship - Miles Davis / Gil Evans

Quote of the Day:

"Do.
Or do not.
There is no try." --Yoda

Thought of the Day: Silence is an entity that can be both like a golden ray of sunshine and like a silver dagger.

Blues for Pablo

Check out this neat find on Youtube, Gil Evans & Miles Davis recording of Blues for Pablo:



Cheers, Dr. Kowawa

Sprained ankle

Around 1 PM I set out for a fun run, had my iPod ready with some Del McCoury band tunes and went to Deep Run Park. When running through the woods I stupidly stepped funny on a root, and my right ankle bent about 90 degrees until the top of my foot was perpendicular to the ground. Ouch. There goes running for a few weeks, today I'm studying Radiology on my laptop and periodically breaking to ice and NSAID the damaged limb. Hope a recovery won't take too long . . .

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Song of the Day: Out Of The Woods - Nickel Creek

Quote of the Day: "To be brief is to be wise" --Sir James Paget, a surgeon and pathologist in London during the late 19th century. Paget's disease (osteotitis deformans) is named after him.

Thought of the Day: Just joined Facebook over the weekend. So far it looks pretty cool, like it'll be an easy way to stay in touch with my peeps.

Message in a Bottle

Song of the Day: Message In A Bottle - The Police

Quote of the Day: "Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. --George Washington

Thought of the Day: Hadn't realized that our first president was a libertarian at heart! As of right now I'm undecided as to whether to vote for Obama, McCain, or the libertarian candidate . . . we'll see how it unfolds over the next couple months.

Radiology

Have spent the last weeks working hard on my applications for Internal Medicine internship and Radiology residency. Also have been busy trying to learn as much as I can about Radiology during my Diagnostic Radiology elective. It's been quite a challenge balancing all these tasks at once! Sometime soon may post my Personal Statement, the essay about myself which I send to all potential internship and residency programs.

Song of the Day: No Ordinary Love - Sade
-- one of my favorite songs I used to play with Ezra Hamilton in our weekly duo gig at the Blue Moon Cafe in Charlottesville, VA (back in the day before medical school when I wasn't a boring nerd). Check out the awesome riff that begins at 4:37. I learned it note for note and still get chills in my spine listening to it.

Quote of the Day: "Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity." -- Charles Mingus (great jazz bass player)

Thought of the Day: Confidence goes a long way in all endeavors. No matter how much you prepare for any situation, when it comes down to it you have to just be in the moment and do the best you can with what you have. This is especially true in medical school when you are constantly surrounded by residents and attending physicians who know much more than you do. Each day I try to know my strengths, be cognizant of my weaknesses, and put my best foot forward. And I strive to keep learning more . . .

USMLE Step 2 CK

All the time I spent studying for this important exam actually ended up paying off, as I received a 238/99. The two-number score is the highest one can get (the three-number score does have a bit higher range). So I thought I'd share for medical readers my approximate study plan for this exam:

Day 1

morning:

First Aid for Step 2 (Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Epidemiology, Ethics, GI)

afternoon:

usmleworld 64%

Day 2

morning:

First Aid for Step 2 (Hem/Onc, ID, MSK, Neurology, OB)

afternoon:

Kaplan 71%

Day 3

morning:

First Aid for Step 2 (Gyn, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Pulmonary, Renal / GU, Emergency, Rapid Review)

afternoon:

usmleworld 65%

Day 4

morning: Crush (IM, Cardio, Pulmonary, GI, Endocrine, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Hematology, Oncology)

afternoon:

Kaplan 72%

Day 5

morning: Crush (ID, Dermatology, Neurology, Immunology, Genetics, Geriatrics, Preventative, Psychiatry, Gyn, OB)

afternoon:

usmelworld 66%

Day 6

morning: Crush (General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Ortho, Neurosurg, ENT, Vacular, Urology, ER, Peds, Pharm, Radiology, Lab, Ethics, Etc)

afternoon:

Kaplan 73%

Day 7

morning: Secrets 1st half

afternoon:

NBME 1 (3 weeks before) 650

Day 8

morning: Secrets 2nd half

afternoon:

usmleworld 67%

Day 9

morning: Deja 1st half

afternoon:

Kaplan 75%

Day 10

morning: Deja 2nd half

afternoon:

USMLE CD 44, 43, 45

Day 11

morning: Internal Medicine Case Files

afternoon:

usmleworld 68%

Day 12

morning: First Aid for Step 2 (Cardiovascular, Dermatology, Endocrinology, Epidemiology, Ethics, GI)

afternoon:

Kaplan 77%

Day 13

morning: First Aid for Step 2 (Hem/Onc, ID, MSK, Neurology, OB)

afternoon: usmleworld 69%

Day 14

morning: First Aid for Step 2 (Gyn, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Pulmonary, Renal / GU, Emergency, Rapid Review)

afternoon: Kaplan 79%

Day 15

morning: Crush (IM, Cardio, Pulmonary, GI, Endocrine, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Hematology, Oncology)

afternoon:

USMLE CD 44, 43, 45

Day 16

morning: Crush (ID, Dermatology, Neurology, Immunology, Genetics, Geriatrics, Preventative, Psychiatry, Gyn, OB)

afternoon: usmleworld 70%

Day 17

morning: Crush (General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Ortho, Neurosurg, ENT, Vacular, Urology, ER, Peds, Pharm, Radiology, Lab, Ethics, Etc)

afternoon: Kaplan 81%

Day 18

morning: Secrets 1st half

afternoon: usmleworld 72%

Day 19

morning: Secrets 2nd half

afternoon:

NBME 2 (1 week before) 800

Day 20

morning: Deja 1st half

afternoon: Kaplan 83%

Day 21

morning: Deja 2nd half

afternoon: usmleworld 74%

Day 22

morning: First Aid with notations

afternoon:

USMLE CD 44, 43, 45

Day 23

morning: first Aid with notations

afternoon: Kaplan 84%

Day 24

morning: First Aid with Notations

afternoon: usmleworld 74%

Day 25

take exam

general goals:

- take notes in the margins of your First Aid for Step II, review this book before the exam

study BOTH usmleword and Kaplan (do it in 46 question blocks, timed, THEN read ALL answers)

Autumn is approaching

Wanted to commend my wife Sweewawa on her excellent translations. Her project reminds me of a neat phenomenon in music. Lots of great jazz musicians spend lots of time "shedding" (practicing) by learning note-by-note the solos of famous jazz musicians that preceded them. You learn the "licks" and then when it is your time to improvize on stage you draw from your experience of having "translated" previous solos. Sweewawa is doing the same thing now with her translations, made all the more cool since these are not truly "note-for-note" but instead require her to create brand new wordings (like musical phrases) from the original Chinese. Love the last translation, it's beautiful!

Song of the Day: Autumn Leaves - Cannonball Adderley -- Autumn is fast approaching, I can feel it in the air today as we experience the deluge of Storm Hannah and the cooler temps. What a better way to celebrate it than with this classic jazz standard featuring Miles Davis on trumpet and Cannonball Adderley on sax. My favorite version of this tune.

Quote of the Day: "I always tell the truth. Even when I lie." --Tony Montana (Scarface)

Thought of the Day: Was recently being "pimped" by some radiologists on some obscure knowledge, and was asked "How did you know that?" when I got the answer right. Made me think of something from my childhood. When I was very young and I would come up with some miscellaneous fact that surprised my parents they would also ask "Where did you learn that?". My response: "My brain told me."

Lord Li's Lyrical Poems, #5

Evening makeup is ever so fresh,

when the lipstick gives her a rosy kiss.

Slightly shown is the clovelike little tongue,

as the cherry pops open,

with a spell of sweet, ripe song.


Wine stained the sleeve a crimson hue,

Grapes left the cup a mellow fume.

Chewing a scarlet puff of thread,

the languorous beauty has been leaning there for a while,

yet she suddenly spat out the pulp to her Tanlang,

with such a naughty smile.



Another love poem for his charming wife: Empress Zhou.

Among the millions of poems for beautiful women in Chinese literature, this one probably picked a most unique angle —— instead of describing her eyes, her face, her body or her dress, Lord Li’s pen simply followed the beauty’s mouth —— not a word more about anything else.

This poem is a great example of his rhetorical talent: for example, he described the tip of the beauty’s tongue as a slightly shown clove. This analogy not only left the reader a flirtatious image in such a graceful way, but also unnoticeably transcended your visual appreciation to smell —— you are not only seeing her alluring lips now, you are also smelling the aroma of fresh cloves, as the scent comes out with her sweet words.

Yet the most impressing thing is, the poet managed to capture a moving sense of beauty from the lady’s lips ——

Instead of putting her lipstick on, the lipstick gives her a rosy kiss;

Instead of opening her mouth and sing a song, her mouth, like a ripe cherry, burst open with a spell of song;

And the wine dyed her sleeve crimson, and the grape lent her cup fume… It is those details that had brought movements and life to the poem.

While a mediocre poet does his best to adorn the reality, a genius poet creates his reality. He touches scenes that would’ve appeared so lame in our eyes with a magic wand, and turn them into living beauty.

The last scene is so charming —— the beauty, languidly leaning against her bed, suddenly spat out the chewed up thread in her mouth towards her lover, referred to as Tanlang.

Tanlang is the nickname of a famous poet and calligrapher in Chinese history. Legend says that the young poet was so handsome, that when he went out hunting, thousands of young ladies in the entire city would gather around following his horse, tossing cherries and other fruits towards his carriage in hope to get one glance from him. (…the 2000 years ago version of Beatlemania, I guess…)

Another talented poet decided to be the copy cat, and rode around the city dressed like he was going for hunting as well. Unfortunately, this dude was an ugly fellow, and merely attracted a bunch of laughing kids throwing eggs and rocks to his head…(^_^)

From then on, the word “Tanlang” has been used by girls to address their lovers, or dreamlovers. Lord Li here used “Tanlang” to refer to himself. He did not use this reference just once either. In fact, this very reference appeared a few more times in his latter works. As we know, narcissistism exists among most artists.

—— “yet she suddenly spat out the pulp to her Tanlang, with such a naughty smile.”

This last line captured all the cuteness of the young Empress when she was tipsy and naughty, as while as lending you a vivid glimpse of their ten-year long sweet, lovie-dovie marriage.


(The painting above was done to depict the night life of one of Lord Li's ministers: Han Xizai. After Han had repeatedly missed early-morning audiences with the emperor, Lord Li was curious about what he was up to and sent some court painters to "spy" on him. Thus came the famous painting: Night Revels of Han Xizai, stored now in the Forbidden Palace Museum in Beijing.)

Jeff Buckley

Song of the Day: What Will You Say - Jeff Buckley -- What would he have said and done had he lived longer . . . . we lost a great artist too early

Quote of the Day: "The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them away." --Ronald Reagan

Thought of the Day: When you build a fence I take offence.

Cheers, Dr. Kowawa

"Lazy" Monday

Having "fun" today writing my personal statement for residency applications. It's tough to strike a balance between singing your own praises and not coming off sounding pompous.

Song of the Day: Love's In Need Of Love Today - Stevie Wonder -- this whole album (Songs in the Key of Life) is one of my favorites. Heard Stevie was one of the featured speakers at the Denver Obama event.

Quote of the Day: "Ya gots to work with what you gots to work with." --Stevie Wonder

Thought of the Day: Haven't closed my mind to the possibility of voting for Obama in this election, even though I am more on the conservative end of the spectrum. Maybe I'll just vote Democrat until the Republicans start acting like Republicans.