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Mr. Norton was our college town barber and he was famous for scalping people.  I would get scalped and then no matter how short he cut it, insist it was too long and make him do it over.  That way I only required 1-2 haircuts/year.  Hair that short requires almost no care so I saved valuable time from combing (not to mention the money saved on shampoo).  I studied next to Rocky “the Troll” who went bohemian (with the hair only…well mostly).  He usually fell asleep about 11 pm- just about the time I needed beard crumbs or beard juice (so I didn’t have to rely on my own snack supply).  He used to awaken at midnight for another study session and seemed disappointed that  his snack supply was lower than he thought.  He never figured it out though.    To further save time, I used to squirt toothpaste into my scrambled eggs.  That way I could eat breakfast and brush my teeth at the same time.  When exam time came, I would eat the mixture while showering to multitask even further.  I saved time dressing by rarely wearing shoes and socks. I also saved time by not yawning.  It is usually no problem to find a non-science major (they have a LOT more time) and pay them to do your yawning for you.  It did get expensive but that was a sacrifice I had to make to get into medical school.

Not everyone is aware of the trial in Philadelphia of Kermit Gosnell. He is an abortion provider who is on trial for the murder of a woman and born alive babies. The details are gruesome and can be found here and here. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

There has been limited coverage of this trial for reasons that are not clear to me. This gruesome behavior will, I hope, stir people to refocus on the issue of abortion and honestly answer the question of when does life begin. A famous tenured professor at Princeton University who is a bioethicist sees no problems killing babies up to 30 days after birth. His view of the world is that we should do what’s best for society and not be concerned with what is best for the individual.

James Taranto has written about the Gosnell trial and associated issues. It is worth reading and can be found here.

When I was in the military, I learned a saying.  “Never run when you can walk, never walk when you can stand, never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down.”  Unfortunately college and medical school require a lot of running (in the academic sense).  To get enough time to study, you need to take advantage of a lot of time-saving strategies.  One method is the Bohemian method.  It never appealed to me.  This method involves never taking the time to bathe and even studying while in the bathroom.  Even if the BO and scruffy appearance didn’t warn you, you could tell a bohemian studier from the way they walked after long “leg numbing” study sessions in the john.  “Yep, that problem set was a leg number fer shore.”  Sorry, that was not my style.  I did stop shaving and grew long hair and a beard to see if it would save time but it was too much trouble to comb and push out of my eyes.  However, the one benefit was that if I was hungry or thirsty, I could pick a few crumbs out of the beard or squeeze out some “beard juice” (depending on lunch, water fountain availability,  and ice cream social, could have various combinations of water, soft drinks, ice cream toppings and watermelon juice).  I found it better however to use the Nortonized method.  More on that next time.

One of the toughest parts of parenthood is the transition stage of letting children go. I remember how painful it was to send my son away to college. It was a thirteen hour drive to take him through the West Virginia hills and into Pennsylvania to drop him off. We got him settled in his new room after meeting his roommate. Then there was an awkward silence. There was nothing more that we could do and yet he could not get on with his new life until we left. Leaving was like suddenly ripping a bandage off an old wound. It had to be done but it was best done quickly so we cranked the car and took off, being as stoic as possible. It was one of the most painful times of my life. On the bright side though, we made much better time coming home. Cars just kept pulling to the side to let us pass. It wasn’t until several hours later when my voice gave way that I realized other cars stopped mistaking my wailing for a siren. Still, I couldn’t just abandon my son to the tough world. I eventually sent him advice on how to succeed in college and medical school. More to come…

There are some things that are true. Two plus two is four every single time.

There are some things that are debatable. I think so called “gay marriage” is one of those.

But according to the other national organization, I’m wrong. It “supports civil marriage for same-gender couples.” And then gives several pages of rationale for this decision.

This “discovery” was published just recently (March 21) and just prior to the scheduled Supreme Court hearing on this matter.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette quoted Ellen Perrin, a spokesperson as saying “It is pure coincidence, she added, that the academy’s position comes just days before the Supreme Court on Tuesday will hear oral arguments on two cases that challenge state and federal definitions of marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman.”

If you believe this is a pure coincidence, I’d like to talk to you about buying a bridge for sale in Brooklyn.

The AAP published a policy statement, “Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian,” along with a technical report. The policy statement expresses the Academy’s support for civil marriage for same-gender couples, as well as full adoption and foster care rights for all parents regardless of sexual orientation.

Because of the sensitivity of this issue, the Academy provided members with early access to these documents, as well as talking points.

I’ll be checking their so-called “technical data.” I doubt much of it stands up to scientific standards.

Ten years ago a small group of Pediatricians got together and complained. They complained to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) – the existing professional organization of Pediatricians – because this small group perceived that the AAP was supporting a social agenda without good scientific basis. This group knows that human life begins at conception and should be protected from that moment until the time of natural death – no abortions and no euthanasia. They also are aware that a child is best reared in a home that has both a mother and father who are the biological parents, love each other and love their children.

Who would find that controversial? Many would apparently, including the AAP which once knew these things as well but no longer affirms these facts. Complaints to the AAP were unheeded and as a result the American College of Pediatricians (www.ACPeds.org) was birthed. Please visit the website and let us know what you think. From small beginnings big things can come and we currently have members in 45 states and 11 foreign countries.

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