American Idol top 9 - "and I thought these were good singers" edition

Noop Dogg - just okay, partly due to crappy backup singers. 6
Megan - hot mess. 2
Danny - crap. 4
Allison - utter rubbish. 3
Scott - a little off key at times, but nice. 6
Matt - stupid song, mediocre perfomance. 5
Lil - too nasal then too shouty and overall too boring. 4
Adam - he just can't resist being stupid on stage. 3
Kris - good. Not great. Stupid end note. 7

Predictions: bottom 3: Megan, Allison, Matt.  Megan goes home

On an aside, although I have almost universally hated Adam's performances, I have quite enjoyed - or at least solidly tolerated - his studio versions, with Ring of Fire being one of my favorite studio versions so far this year (though not as good as Anoop's Always On My Mind).

Testing

I just installed this app for my iPhone to be able to post to my blog (yes, that means I got the iPhone and I love it - but more on that later).

So testing testing one two three... Oh and hello from the hospital parking lot.

Just Surviving

Have you ever had one of those days where you feel like you are just surviving?

That pretty much describes the last month or so for me.  My whole family has been sick on and off, and sleep has somehow become an alarmingly precious commodity, and when I go to work, somehow I just manage to survive the day only to get home for a couple hours with the family and crash.

Please don't give up on me, though.  I've continued to collect stories and thoughts that will eventually become posts, but right now, I'm just surviving.

American Idol Top 10 - Mediocre Motown

I like these quick reviews.

1. Matt - He was aiiight, but the song didn't really go anywhere. 6/10
2. Kris - Not terrible, but he's no James Taylor.  5/10
3. Scott - My wife said, "I'm officially sick of his voice."  Me too. 4/10
4. Megan- Trainwreck.  Goodbye. 3/10
5. Fact: Anoop's voice can melt steel, but I could think of several better song choices for him. 7/10
6. Michael - How is he still in this? 4/10
7. Ground Rounds - Shouty. 4/10
8. Elvis Lambert - Good job, but way too high and mousy for me. 6/10
9. Danny - He wasn't finishing his words, and why would you say that Smokey knows best, and then not take his suggestions? 6/10
10. Allison - Good, but not as good as David Hernandez last year. 6/10

All in all, kind of a boring night.

My predictions:  Megan, Scott, and Michael in the bottom three.  Michael goes home.

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

Dizzy, Vomitting, Diahreah, CHILLS, abdominal ache

I guess he just really wanted to be sure I knew about the chills.  He was also apparently a little bit upset about having to be around his wife Diahreah.  I can't see another reason for putting her name on the list of problems.

My New Band

Okay, so just for fun, I found this little game on a relative's blog, and thought it would kill a few minutes, so off I went.  I don't have photoshop on this computer, so I did what I could with Microsoft Paint (which is not very much).  Also, I didn't use the first Wikipedia article, because it made no sense whatsoever, and the second one just happened to already be a band.  That's fine, though, because I never follow the arbitrary rules in these memes anyway.

CREATE YOUR OWN BAND AND DEBUT ALBUM!

To Do This

1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”

or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random

The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to “Random quotations”

or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3

The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”

or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days

Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together. (I don't have photoshop and didn’t spend a ton of time on mine)

And here is the result:

I Can't Afford It

Happy has a post up about patients telling him that they want to quit smoking because it is too expensive.  I've seen some of that, but more, I've seen stories like this one from a month or two ago:

Patient's Significant Other: "Oh, can we get a prescription for neosporin for this tiny little abrasion to her cheek?  We can't afford the medication."
Me: "um... I think your best bet is to go to the dollar store and buy some.  That's cheaper than any copay and works just as good."
Patient's SO: "I don't even have a dollar."
Me: "so then how are you going to pay the copay on the Vicodin and Flexeril?"
Patient's SO: "My insurance doesn't have copays."

So I walk over to the provider and ask her if I can get her to add bacitracin to the prescription for the poor packaday smoker who can't afford her meds.  With said prescription in hand, and my wallet hurting from the tax hike I'm about to get for buying meds for someone who refuses to take personal responsibility for their own health, I walk back in the room just as the patient is handing some kind of receipt to her SO.  The only problem is that the receipt is being pulled from on top of a pile of money that she pulled from her pocket.

Yeah, you don't have a dollar... you have 40.

And this is why even good hearted idealists like me get jaded.

Improving the ER - Idea 426432

Install a CT scanner in the ambulance entrance.  The medic stretchers can just roll right through and get the CT scan out of the way on the way in the door, because we all know that these days the docs are all going to order one anyway to avoid the ever-present lawsuit threat.

Bonus: An Ativan spritzer could be included in the CT scan, so that you don't have to do any of that messy IV stuff.

American Idol Top 11

I'll be even quicker tonight:

1. Michael - Really bad song to try to show off vocals with.  4/10
2. Allison - Was that a sheep up there?  5/10
3. Kris - Nice, but it felt just a little like he had to force some of those notes.  7/10
4. Lil - Big song makes Lil's voice seem little.  5/10
5. Adam - Weird.  Just weird.  2/10
6. Scott - Nice, but a little weak.  6/10
7. Alexis - Is it just me or did she just sing the word "Jolene" over and over?  Brooke did this song better.  5/10
8. Danny - I listened a second time and didn't like it as much.  7/10
9. Anoop - I listened to this one five times and I'll listen many more.  Perhaps the first song of the year that I will probably go and buy the studio version.  Did I ever mention that Anoop is my homey?  9/10
10. Megan - I'm officially sick of her voice.  5/10
11. Matt - It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.  6/10

So there you have it.  Once again, you could kick off all the girls tonight (Alexis, Allison, Adam, Megan, Lil) and the show would be none the worse for it.

My predictions:  Megan, Allison, and Michael in the bottom three, with a chance of Alexis sneaking in there if her fan base isn't loyal.  Megan goes home.

Calling All iPhone Users and Critics

I have been using a pocket PC since 2003 when they were big and klunky.  A few years ago I switched to a phone version to avoid carrying around both my PDA and my cell.  Most recently I have been using the XV6800, which is a competent phone but which has some frustrating features.  As I have been looking at the options for upgrade, I've been drawn to the iPhone, but my loathing for all things Apple have had me very much doubting any decision to support the company of all things rotting fruit.

Nevertheless, my interest has constantly been piqued when I have seen others using it, and a couple times I've had a chance to play with one.  I've also tried to play with the Google phone and a few other, newer Windows Mobile phones as well as the Blackberry Storm.  Then the other day while walking around the new mall in our area, we walked past an Apple Store, and so I decided it would be fun to go tinker with the iPhone.  Thanks to some inexplicable rule that says that nobody in an Apple Store can be comfortable, we were required to tinker while standing next to unnaturally high tables, and after just 15 minutes or so, we left with slightly kinked necks and sore feet.  And yet the joy of simplicity and the power of the phone's capability lingered.  So yesterday when I had a chance to go out on a Daddy-Daddy date (that's personal time and not an obtuse reference to some kind of gay liason), I went back to the mall and sacrificed my body by spending three hours playing with every app I could and toying around with all the features.

By the time I was done with all that biz, I definitely had iPhone lust.  And yet the problem remained: do I really want to pay all the extra money that it would cost to upgrade to the AT&T plan and leave my month-to-month plan with Verizon?  So I went over and talked to the peeps at the kiosk and the (surprisingly) easy-going and non-pushy saleswoman walked me through what it would entail and how I could get a plan to fit my needs.  In the end, it turns out that my wife (who is not into the whole computer-in-your-pocket type of phone) can get a simple phone with mp3 ability but not much more and I can get my iPhone with all the bells and whistles and accompanying data plan, and the net effect on our monthly statement will be... nothing.  It will be the same cost, so the only difference will be the price of the phone itself and, unfortunately, the 2 year commitment.

So after looking around and talking to people I know (including one person who works for Microsoft), nobody has yet said anything to talk me out of taking the plunge and betraying my very being by purchasing and actually using an Apple product.

That is where you come in.

What I need from you, faithful reader, is to talk some sense into me... or further my resolve to go ahead with the iPhone.

And while you are at it, answer me a few questions if you can:

* How well does Outlook sync with the iPhone?
* From what I have read, there is no way to get my mobipocket ebooks that I have purchased to switch over to the iPhone.  Is that true?
* One of my favorite programs on my pocket PC is kidcolor, which is a little drawing program that locks down the operating system so that I can let my daughter scribble to her hearts content, which is great for waiting rooms and church meetings.  Is there anything like that on the iPhone?
* For anyone else who has made the plunge to iPhone, is there anything that you didn't expect you would miss but now you do?
* I use skyscape and epocrates on my pocket pc.  What are the best medical programs on the iPhone, and is it true that skyscape on the iPhone requires you to re-purchase each program annually?
* That sucks.
* Does anybody have any experience using AT&T navigator?  Is it any different than Verizon's Navigator?
* Other questions that aren't coming to mind right now.

So there you have it, faithful readers.  Convince away.  Talk me into it.  Talk me out of it.  Laugh quietly to yourself and move on with your lives, but remember, a young man's very soul hangs in the balance, and you will have to live with your decision for eternities to come.

You may now speak your mind.

How to fix the Backyardigans

Do you have children?  Then you probably know about the backyardigans.  My daughter loves this show.  I want to pull my toenails up through my intestines and out my left ear when it is on.

So it was with great interest that I came across this post by Jay Black about some ideas on how to make the show more current.  I hope that the show's producers are paying attention.

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

heR thing is hurting

This one comes courtesy of a mother of a little toddler who was complaining of pain on urination.  In case you were wondering where the pain was, it was in... you know... her thing.  This, of course, is not to be confused with little miss thing*.


* I just put "little miss thing" in google, and it gave me this.  I can only imagine the psychological trauma that girl in the picture will go through when she is 16 and realizes that her mother made her wear that headband.  I'm just saying...

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit: (Today I present to you a double shot)

theeth
Swooling thorat sore

Everybody makes spelling mistakes sometimes, even me, in my state of near-perfection can maike mistaykes, but every once in a while you get one that just makes you wonder if English is a person's first (or second or third) language.  In both cases above, the answer is a sad yes.  Particularly in the second example, where she must have realised that she was spelling swelling wrong and so she crossed it out only to murder her next attempt also.

And theeth just leaves me dumbfounded.  I keep trying to come up with something clever to say about it, and words fail me, so I'll just let you look at it one more time and marvel.

theeth

American Idol Top 13

I'll be quick tonight:

1. Lil - I can see why people like her, but to me, she is a one-trick pony, and I don't like her trick.  5/10
2. Scott - He is just so darn likeable.  7/10
3. Danny - He took a crappy song and blew it out the box.  9/10
4. Michael - He beat my expectations, but then again, my expectations weren't very high.  4/10
5. Speaking of low expectations, Jasmine gets a 7/10 - the best female performance of the night.
6. Kris - My wife thinks he is cute.  I think his wife is cute.  7/10
7. Allison - Another one-trick pony.  She's good in her niche, but you can only pull songs into your niche for so long.  5/10
8. Anoop is my homey, and the judges are stupid.  9/10
9. Jorge - Boring.  4/10
10. Megan - She has a spicy, unique voice, but like any spice, I can only stand so much of it.  5/10
11. Adam - I was enjoying the toned-down beginning and was looking forward to getting behind it.  Then it got bad.  Then it got terrible.  Kara said he was singing notes she didn't even know existed.  That's right, Kara, because they don't exist.  It is called screeching, and it is usually what animals do as they are dying.  3/10
12. Matt - I couldn't really understand him.  Not bad.  Not good.  6/10
13. Alexis - She swallowed so many words, she's going to need some Tums.  Way overdone.  5/10

So there you have it.  You could kick all six girls off tonight (Alexis, Allison, Adam, Megan, Jasmine, Lil) and the show would be none the worse for it.

My predictions:  Jorge and Michael go home.  Maybe Allison or Megan instead.

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

Neck, shoulders, Back

Oh, and by the way, I FELL FROM THE TOP OF A BUNKBED, but why bother putting the actual reason for your visit on the line that says reason for your visit?

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

Back pain and Leg

As it turned out, not only did she have a Leg, but, in fact, she had two.  Needless to say, I rushed her right back.

Sick

I don't know which is worse:

• Being sick
• The feeling of letting down your co-workers by not coming in
• The knowledge that Big Brother is in the background somewhere notching another mark against you
• Having to get up so @#$%$ early in the morning to decide if you are sick enough to call in so that they don't send a small detachment of assassins to your house.
• Not being able to get back to sleep

And then there is the trying to stumble through the actual sick call itself:

"Um, hi, this is Braden, and I'm calling... oh, um, it's Braden Nurseykindaguy and I'm calling... oh, um, from the ER... yeah, RN.  Um, what was I saying?  Oh yeah, I'm *mindstartsracingtotrytofigureouthowtosaythiswithoutsoundinglikeatotalhoserwimploser* um, not coming in today.  Oh, why? um, because I'm not feeling well... I mean, I've got a fever and chills and my stomach is hurting and I feel like I may throw up and when I went to the bathroom just a minute ago... what?  Oh, you don't want details?  Okay, just let the ER know please.  Okay.  Don't hate me.  Mmmbye."

Okay, I'm going to go lay back down and pretend like I'll be able to get back to sleep.  We'll see how long that lasts.  Mmmbye.

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

Remove Stin

She actually meant, "Remove Stitches".  At least I think that's what she meant, because that's what I did.  Hopefully I wont get a lawsuit across my desk in the next few days asking me why this lovely young lady is still walking around with all of her Stin still in place, and where, perchance, I may have placed her precious stitches.

Here's to keeping my fingers crossed.

Anoop

Yay!

American Idol Results - Anoop Anoop Where Have You Been All My Life Edition

My TV came dangerously close to having a remote control flung through its innards as wildcard pick after wildcard pick after... wait a minute... is that Tatifreakinana?  Whatevs, peeps.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, as they got ready to call the last pick, my arm was cocked (can I say that on live television?) and ready to fling away, but luckily, my TV was spared a mild disembowelment when Anoop's beautiful name was squirted off the tongue of my dear friend Simon.

Now the important question:  of these 8 singers, who will the judges pick?  And the choices are:

Tatifreakin - No prayer of making it.  She is back to bring in the same types of people who slow down to see how much blood there is at the rollover accident.  Fodder.
Megan Corkrey - The judges sure seem to love her, and man does she have a cute smile.  I think she has a very good chance to make it through.  In fact, dare I say it, one spot is hers to lose.
Jasmine Murray - The weirdly cute teenager who the judges brought back even though she was horridly horrible in her top 36 performance would need to knock it out of the park while the other singers all puked on Simon's shoes during their performances in order to get a ticket to ride the top 12 express.
Jesse Langseth - I think that the judges are more wild on her than her voice supports, but that said, I really like that she seems to be an intelligent contestant who does more than just blindly do whatever anyone wants.  Because she breaks the typical mold, I think she has an outside chance.
Von Smith - No way.  They picked him because they needed an easy person to eliminate.  Fodder.
Matt Giraud - I really like his potential, but when he sang that trainwreck of a song last week and then said that it represented the style of music he wants to sing, he lost a lot of my support, and I think the judges felt similarly.  He has a chance if he can really get out there and bring it, but I see the judges picking Ricky or Megan over him.
Ricky Brady - We didn't get to know him at all before the top 36, and I think that the reason is perhaps that they want to grant him the title of dark horse, because a "suprise" success brings in ratings.  He has a good chance to make it through.  If you've never heard anything from him, check him out in this youtube clip of some song called "Love Me Like LA."  Not brilliant, and the song is missing something, but he certainly can sing, and even more than that, can emote with his voice, which I appreciate.
Anoop Dog - Dear American Idol, I know where you live.  Sincerely, Me.  Seriously, though, I think he is the most likely to get through, if for no other reason than that Simon said he was the easiest pick to bring back.  I want him to sing My Prerogative.  We only got to hear 5 seconds of it in Hollywood Week and it sounded like he really nailed it.

My prediction: Anoop, Ricky and Megan make it through, although if the producers want to avoid an 8-4 guys/girls split, they may sneak Jesse in over Ricky.  Matt would be the other one that might just sneak through.

Oh yeah, and Scott Macintyre, Flank Steak, and Jorge Nunez made it through from this week.  I think Scott may be able to win me over, I hate Lil Tritips style of music, and I could maybe enjoy Jorge as a Latin artist if he would lighten up a bit.  Nobody I'm really excited about, though.

Today's "Reason For Your Visit"

When a patient checks in at our ER, they are asked to fill out a half-sheet of paper with name, phone, SSN, birth date, and "reason for your visit".

Whenever I work triage, I write down the interesting ones and have been building up a list.  Some are funny, some embarrassing, and some just tickle my warped sense of humor.  I try to give the benefit of the doubt.  I know that these people are hurting and just want to be seen, but it still makes me shake my head to see some of the things that patients can come up with.

Thus, my regular (as in whenever I feel like it) series, "Reason For Your Visit."  Please keep in mind that spelling, punctuation, and capitalization are copied directly from the original paper.

So let's get to today's Reason For Your Visit:

Bad tooth ache on Right side Bottem

I'm not sure how I was lucky enough to triage one of those rare cases of Dentobuttia, but the book royalties should be enormous.

American Idol Top 36 Week 3

So the last 12 of the top 36 are up this week and ho-diddly-hum who cares.  I look down this list of singers and I couldn't care less if they all got in a plane crash tonight.  As long as it wasn't next to my hospital.

1. Von Smith - You're All I Need To Get By (Marvin Gaye)

Dear Von,

You are not Marvin Gaye.

Sincerely,

Me

5/10.  Okay, in retrospect, it got better as he went on.  I'll make that a 6/10. (But he is still not Marvin Gaye)

2. Taylor Vaifanua - If I Ain't Got You (Alicia Keys)

I wish she would enunciate, because I like her voice, but I can't understand a lot of what she is singing.  Once she hit the chorus, she nailed it, but I think the shaky beginning hurt her a lot. 6/10

3. Alex Wagner-Schmagner - I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (Elton John)

Yes, he's dorky, but he's funny.  Before he even starts singing, I like this kid.  Then he starts singing.  When he's not trying too hard, he sounds okay, but unfortunately for him, he's trying too hard for most of the song.  Simon nailed it:  "You are like a little hamster trying to be a tiger."  He shouldn't go through, but I could see him getting the "lovable guy" vote.  5/10

4. Arianna Afsar - The Winner Takes It All (Abba)

Very shaky performance coupled with boring song = too much for her big voice to overcome.  4/10

5. Junot Joyner - Hey There Delila (Plain White T's)

Didn't he sing this in Hollywood week?  I wonder if it is possible to sing this song any slower?  He has a nice roughness to his voice, but so does Danny, and he's no Danny. 6/10

6. Kristin McNamara - Give Me One Reason (Tracy Chapman)

I can't put words to why I didn't like that performance, because if I have to rate her vocal performance, it would be at least an 8 or a 9, but in the end, I was left feeling cold.  6/10

7. Little Girl Marshall - I Will Do Anything For Love (Turkeyloaf)

That was the most boring exciting performance I've seen.  The music got big and the words got fast, but the boring stayed steady.  4/10

8. Felicia Barton - No One (Alicia Keys)

Kind of opposite of Kristin, I don't know why I liked this performance given the pitch problems, the timing being off from the backup singers, and the horrendous haircut.  That said, I liked it.  7/10

9. Scott MacIntyre - Mandolin Rain (Bruce Hornsby)

A few weak points, but overall a good job.  He's got a lot of potential.  7/10

10. Kendall Beard - This One's For the Girls (Martina McBride)

She's cute.  This song is dumb.  She sounds just like every other wannabe female country singer who has tried this song.  Paula says she gets the prize for the best outfit.  I say she gets the prize for the best burlap bag.  5/10

11. Jorge Nunez - Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me (Elton John)

What's up with the eyebrows, homey?  This is a credible performance, but he's got David Archuleta's shoes to fill, and Jorge, you are no David Archuleta.  6/10

12. Lil Rounds - Be Without You (Mary J. Blige)

She loves her name.  I think it sounds like a cut of beef.  She's a good singer but like Kendall, she seems kind of generic for her genre.  Also, she was really eating her words at the beginning.  6/10

My predictions: Scott, Lil and Jorge make it to the top 12.

Who should make it: I don't really care, because I can't get excited about any of these singers.  I just hope Drama Queen doesn't make it.

Live With the Consequences of Your Actions

Scalpel or Sword is one of my favorite ER blogs, and I usually find myself agreeing whole-heartedly with what he has to say, but today, I found a post I couldn't support.  His premise was that it is okay to not be completely accurate on the medical record so that a patient doesn't risk losing their insurance plan.  Go read the post.  Here is the comment that I left for him:

I'm also scared of socialized medicine, and wouldn't vote for Obama even if he offered me a 13 dollar per week tax cut, but the principle of accepting the consequences of your actions are solid conservative principles.

If you don't want to find yourself down on the list of kidney transplant patients, then here's some advice: STOP DOING DRUGS!

The idea that people can do whatever they want and get away with it is a solidly liberal principle, and quite frankly, I'm a little shocked that you would go along with it.  You don't have to go tell the cops, but if a patient comes in with a very real health problem (even if it isn't the reason they gave for their visit) and you ignore it, are you really doing them a service?

When they come in with a near-fatal overdose in a month and the attending doc has no history to go by, will you have done her a favor?  When she is living on the street thanks to a habit that could have been broken early on with some help will you have done her a favor?  When she needs a liver transplant due to the alcoholism that so often accompanies drug use, will you have done her a favor?

I'm not trying to say that you will be responsible for any possible downfall that she may take, but when you seek to cover the sins of another, you are certainly not doing them any favors.

What do you think?