This was an actual sign in Lakewood

OK, first of all, why would people take kids to R movies, and secondly, why after bedtime? I can't believe they actually had to post this sign.

NYTimes.com: Icelander's Campaign Is a Joke, Until He's Elected

What happens when you start a political party as a joke, and then you win? A spiritual awakening to his biggest task ever. TE WORLD | June 26, 2010 The Saturday Profile: Icelander's Campaign Is a Joke, Until He's Elected By SALLY McGRANE A comedian tapped voters' anger over the country's economy, promising free towels and a Disneyland. https://youtu.be/xxBW4mPzv6E?si=ftDoQ0N3blXufYDF

NYTimes: BP Is Pursuing Alaska Drilling That Some Call Risky

"But concerns exist about the project's oversight and critics say the project offers another example of dangerous coziness between industry and regulators "

BP Is Pursuing Alaska Drilling That Some Call Risky

BP is moving ahead with an Alaska project considered "onshore" because it sits on an artificial island built by the company.

http://nyti.ms/cQ6RVn

Eyeglass prescriptions assessed on a cell phone, for the 3rd world

I was amazed at this. A cell phone add-on that can assess refractive index in a few minutes as the user lines up parallel lines. Does it seem like it'd actually work?

The article is called "Cheap, Portable Cell Phone Add-on Allows for Vision Tests Anywhere"
http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-06/cheap-portable-cell-phone-add-allows-vision-tests-anywhere

It reminded me of a similar innovation from an article a few years ago that modified a cell phone into a microscope for blood smears to diagnose infectious diseases in the third world. However, that technology seemed to have less widespread applicability, required technical skill to obtain the smear, and required sending the cell phone photo to a central lab for diagnosis.

http://www.newsweek.com/2009/08/11/dial-d-for-diagnosis.html

NYTimes: Phone Software Takes the Taps Out of Typing

Making text input on touch screens easier.

Phone Software Takes the Taps Out of Typing

Swype allows users to glide a finger across the virtual keyboard to spell words, rather than tapping out letters.

http://nyti.ms/cGLE0r

God Credits Faith As Righteousness

Here is a thorough and clear explanation of why we can't earn our way to heaven.

http://www.biggergod.com/mercy2.html

The 'Seed Cathedral' from the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai is a striking artistic representation of the seed bank of all the world's species of plants, being assembled in the UK.

http://izismile.com/2010/03/17/unique_2010_expo_seed_cathedral_18_pics.html

OK, now you've got to admit this is pretty skillful, if not crazy.

N.Y.U. [opens a campus in] Abu Dhabi Scours Globe for Top Students

"But the N.Y.U. model reflects a very different and thoughtful
approach to what John Sexton and others perceive as the increasing
globalization of higher education and the disappearance of traditional
boundaries."

N.Y.U. Abu Dhabi Scours Globe for Top Students

The new four-year university in Abu Dhabi drew more than 9,000
applicants and has accepted fewer than 200.

http://nyti.ms/bDG0vC

Health Insurer Pays More to Save

How do you decrease hospitalizations by 18%? By paying doctors to
spend longer with sicker patients, and hiring nurses to keep track of
the sicker patients. TE

A Health Insurer Pays More to Save

By paying for nurses to track the sickest patients, Geisinger
experienced a 23 percent drop in hospital admissions.

http://nyti.ms/cr8qHQ

World Class Driving: Supercar Driving Tours | Home of the US Supercar Tour | Drive Ferrari Lamborghini & More

Drive 5 supercars in one day for $1700.

http://worldclassdriving.com/

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NYTimes.com: Fighting PC Delays, Hourglass by Hourglass

A memory-resident program submits info about slow response time that in the aggregate can indicate what's at fault. BUSINESS | June 20, 2010 Novelties: Fighting PC Delays, Hourglass by Hourglass By ANNE EISENBERG Soluto, based in Tel Aviv, is taking aim at computer slowdowns with a new kind of software program.

NYTimes: What Is I.B.M.’s Watson?

A supercomputer fed years worth of web info is willing to take on the
pun-filled quirky questions of a Jeopardy game. This article explains
what a monumental task this is.TE

MAGAZINE PREVIEW | SMARTER THAN YOU THINK: What Is I.B.M.'s Watson?

The category is artificial intelligence. This question-answering
computer system is ready to challenge some flesh-and-blood
"Jeopardy!" champions.

http://nyti.ms/bCs8b6

NYTimes: A Best Friend? You Must Be Kidding

Having a sole best friend may lead to exclusivity and bullying, and
some schools are discouraging it. Parents are getting involved in
their kids' social lives as never before. Are we 'mucking around' with
their normal social development too much? This article explores both
sides. TE

A Best Friend? You Must Be Kidding

School officials intent on discouraging anything that hints of
exclusivity seek to sever traditional best-friend bonds.

http://nyti.ms/9yStgj

NYTimes.com: Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price

TECHNOLOGY | June 07, 2010 Your Brain on Computers: Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price By MATT RICHTEL Scientists say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information from e-mail and other interruptions. "This is your brain on computers. Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information. These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored… these urges can inflict nicks and cuts on creativity and deep thought, interrupting work and family life. While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multitaskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress. And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers."

Testifying Against Your Partner or Colleague: Honor or Betrayal?

Testifying Against Your Partner or Colleague: Honor or Betrayal?
Steven I. Kern, Esq.
Authors and Disclosures
Posted: 04/23/2010
Introduction

It's a physician's second worst nightmare: Your partner, friend, or
colleague has been sued for malpractice, and you've been subpoenaed by
the plaintiff to give testimony. What's worse, you believe your
partner's care did indeed deviate from recognized standards.

While you want to be honest, you're reluctant to say things that could
ruin your friend's career.

Fortunately, the situation may not be as bad as you think.

You can be compelled to testify about what you know and what you did.
But you cannot be subpoenaed to offer an opinion on what your
colleague should have known or should have done. Courts distinguish
between factual testimony -- your knowledge of what you saw, what you
did, and what you said -- and what you think about what someone else
did.

Your beliefs about what someone else may or should have done are for
sale. That's why experts get paid for their testimony. They offer
opinion, not personal knowledge. You have every right to refuse to
sell those beliefs. Expert testimony generally cannot be compelled.
Physicians can offer this service, and when they do, they usually get
paid for it.

As for your factual knowledge, you have a legal obligation to testify
about what you know. Your only compensation will be, in most
instances, reimbursement of your travel costs and, if subpoenaed for a
deposition rather than court, perhaps reimbursement for time lost from
work.
What's Fact and What's Opinion?

Unfortunately, the line between opinion testimony and factual
testimony is not always clear. For example, a question of why you
performed a particular test or why you made a certain diagnosis could
be considered an objective question, not a subjective one -- even
though your answer may be that your decision was based on your opinion
that the patient may have had a specific underlying illness or
condition. This is because you relied on this opinion in your decision-
making. What you relied on is a question of fact, not of opinion.

By contrast, if you are asked your opinion about what your partner
did, you will probably not have to answer. (This is why lawyers go to
law school).

Even your factual testimony could implicate a colleague. For example,
if you ordered an echocardiogram because you suspected heart disease
but your colleague failed to order that same echocardiogram when
confronted with the same symptoms 6 months earlier, your testimony
could be used against your colleague, even though your actions
resulted from your own opinion.

Since the line between opinion and fact can be blurred, you should
consult an attorney before testifying. Chances are that the attorney
will want to accompany you to your testimony. If you contact your
malpractice insurer, it will probably provide counsel to you.

You Can Ask, but Be Cautious

If you do not want to involve your malpractice insurer you may wish to
speak with your colleague's attorney to determine why you are being
called and the scope of the testimony that the plaintiff's lawyers may
want to elicit. Discussions with your colleague's attorney are
considered privileged in many jurisdictions, so you will not need to
worry about what you discussed being disclosed in discovery. Of
course, you should always consider contacting your own healthcare
attorney first for advice.

While you may want to discuss your testimony with your colleague,
these discussions will not be privileged and may compromise your
credibility at trial because you may be required to disclose what was
discussed. It's best to postpone these conversations until after you
have consulted an attorney.

There is nothing to prevent you from offering your opinion, if you
want to. Certainly, if you believe that your opinion will be helpful
to your colleague, or if you feel ethically obligated to a patient,
you may want to offer your assistance.

If you do decide to testify against a colleague, understand that this
may well end the relationship. To reduce this risk, and as a courtesy
if nothing else, you may wish to let your colleague's attorney know
why you have made that decision so that she can convey the reasons to
your colleague in a way that may help him understand your reasons.

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