Carrie Fisher’s sad, premature death is an occasion to reflect upon the poor job the news media does in reporting medical news. The initial report from TMZ had the headline “Carrie Fisher Massive Heart Attack on Plane.” If one equates “heart attack” to the more precise medical term “myocardial infarction,” as is usually done, then this… Continue reading Massive Heart Attacks
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.
Escape from Escape
During my college days computers were run from teletype machines. These teletypes had a typewriter keyboard layout extended with unfamiliar keys like Control (Ctrl) and Escape (Esc). You could press Ctrl-G and make the teletype ring its bell — ding! You could press Esc when you mistakenly wrote a BASIC program with an infinite loop and make the program… Continue reading Escape from Escape
Geeky Docs
I remember the disdain some of the EHR trainers had for their trainees back when our hospital system “went live” several years ago. Of course this disdain was tempered by their knowledge that if docs weren’t so computer illiterate, or the user interfaces of the EHR systems weren’t so awful, or if the EHR software… Continue reading Geeky Docs
The Last
He was the last. Old and wizened, he counted down his final days, his final hours on Earth. He lay in his bed, the rain drumming monotonously on the window. Night came. He pressed the button to call the aide. The aide appeared at his bedside. Every night the old man had the same request.… Continue reading The Last
More Microsoft Migraines
When I ported the EP Calipers app (an electronic calipers app) to Microsoft Windows, I initially planned to write a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app. The UWP is an initiative by Microsoft to allow developers to have one code base that can run on all Windows platforms, from PCs to phones to Xbox to HoloLens.… Continue reading More Microsoft Migraines
Syberberg’s Parsifal
One thing that bothers me about opera is that the stage directors are constantly getting into the act, injecting their often weird interpretations into productions, often to the point of destroying the intent of the composer and librettist. Certainly interpretation of a score has a place up to a point, but one can’t redo a Beethoven… Continue reading Syberberg’s Parsifal
Relic from Computer History
Sitting on my mantle is a bronze letter M. This M has been in my family as long as I can remember. When I was growing up I didn’t think about where it had come from. I knew it stood for our family name of Mann. Later on I learned the story of the M… Continue reading Relic from Computer History
Reacting to Terrorism in Nice
Every other year Cardiostim, a major international convention for cardiac electrophysiologists, is held in Nice, France. Starting in 2000, and up until I retired, I made it a point to attend this meeting. The sessions were fun, but more fun was the chance to get away from it all and enjoy the sunny ambiance of the… Continue reading Reacting to Terrorism in Nice
Stranger in a Strange Land
Reading about the opening of the Noah’s Ark Theme Park in Kentucky brings to mind the days when I worked as a physician in that state. I had moved from an academic position in Colorado and joined a large group of private practice cardiologists in Louisville. I found that people in Kentucky were different from those… Continue reading Stranger in a Strange Land
I’m a Better Computer Than Any Doctor
[Ed note: I couldn’t resist writing the following after reading this post on KevinMD.com by Dr. Keith Pochick. Please read it first. Apologies in advance.] I’m a Better Computer Than Any Doctor “I love you,” she said as she was leaving the room. “I, I um…” “Not you. Your computer.” She cast my computer, still… Continue reading I’m a Better Computer Than Any Doctor