I read today about the upcoming release of a sanitized version of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn in which the “N-word,” as it is known in the media, is replaced by the word “Slave.” So, instead of “Nigger Jim,” there will be, presumably “Slave Jim.” Never mind that Mark Twain makes Jim the hero of the… Continue reading PC or Not PC, That is the Question
Author: mannd
I am a retired cardiac electrophysiologist who has worked both in private practice in Louisville, Kentucky and as a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado in Denver. I am interested not only in medicine, but also in computer programming, music, science fiction, fantasy, 30s pulp literature, and a whole lot more.
2011 — The Year In Review
A whole day of 2011 has gone by. So far 2011 has been very similar to 2010. Shortly after midnight I went to sleep, after my daughter texted me a happy new year text. I was awakened about 2 in the morning by the answering service, chastising me for not answering my pages. I have… Continue reading 2011 — The Year In Review
Voyage Season 4 Part 2 Is Coming!
I’ve posted before about the DVD releases of the 60s TV series, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Although without a doubt the first 2 seasons (especially the black and white first season) were the best, there is something great or at least nostalgic to the true Voyage fan in all of the shows. … Continue reading Voyage Season 4 Part 2 Is Coming!
Medicare Witch Hunt
One of the local hospitals is undergoing a Medicare audit of Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) implants, and, in order to avoid fines, is preemptively paying back the government for “questionable” implants. ICD implant guidelines are quite strict and are based on the results of randomized controlled multi-center studies. Each hospital has a checklist that the… Continue reading Medicare Witch Hunt
Converting EP Studios Website to a WordPress Site
For quite some time I have been bothered by the EP Studios website. Although created in 2004, it had an amateurish, out-dated, 90s-website appearance from the get-go. I was initially proud of it anyway, because I had to learn on my own how to set up an Apache server, write the HTML, set the file… Continue reading Converting EP Studios Website to a WordPress Site
The C++ Way. Part 1. Constructor Tips and Traps
This is actually part 2 of the series. C++, like most programming languages, starts counting at zero. Part 0 of the series is here . I had intended to make Part 1 about serialization of objects, but that can wait. If you can’t get past constructors in C++, you won’t get very far. I have… Continue reading The C++ Way. Part 1. Constructor Tips and Traps
Reflections on Leonard Bernstein
In olden times, perhaps a hundred years ago, there were still uncharted corners of the Earth to explore, so that a great fantasy author like Edgar Rice Burroughs could tuck away a half-dozen unknown civilizations in the midst of “darkest Africa” for Tarzan to discover, or claim that large polar openings exist by which the… Continue reading Reflections on Leonard Bernstein
What's It All About?
No, this entry is not the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything (we already know that answer is 42). I’ve noted (using awstats, a free web site statistics program), a bump in the number of hits on this blog site since my last entry which my friend and colleague, “Dr.… Continue reading What's It All About?
Shame On Us
It is difficult to imagine a human being who would not be deeply saddened by the story of Tyler Clementi. The young college student, a promising musician, was gay and was “outed” in the most malicious and humiliating manner. As a result he ended his life, jumping from the George Washington Bridge. I wonder what… Continue reading Shame On Us
A Sound Card Adventure
Keeping the computers humming along at EP Studios, where there are more computers per cubic foot than the average Google data cluster, is a continual challenge. A few days ago the TV sound died on MediumHeadBoy. All other sounds from the computer were fine. I should mention that MediumHeadBoy is our kitchen computer and is… Continue reading A Sound Card Adventure