Richard Nixon’s downfall, a.k.a Watergate — a word whose suffix has become a part of the English language, has always fascinated me. In the summer of 1973, poised between graduation from college and the start of medical school, I spent an inordinate amount of time in front of the television watching the Senate Watergate hearings.… Continue reading All the President’s Tapes
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Update on EP Mobile and Apple
This is an update on my previous post which dealt with Apple’s rejection of an update to the EP Mobile app because it contained drug dose calculators. According to a clause buried in the App Store Review Guidelines (section 22.9, to be precise), 22.9 apps that calculate medicinal dosages must be submitted by the manufacturer of… Continue reading Update on EP Mobile and Apple
Who Can Write a Drug Dosage Calculator?
Several years ago I had an idea for a smartphone app that could be used to calculate doses for drugs that are prescribed frequently to patients with heart rhythm problems. These drugs include antiarrhythmics such as dofetilide and sotalol, and the new oral anticoagulants such as dabigatran and rivaroxaban. These drugs are handled by the… Continue reading Who Can Write a Drug Dosage Calculator?
Memories of Van Cliburn
In the long struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union, from the end of World War II until the end of the Soviet era in 1991, there were intense moments of high drama, like the Berlin Blockade and the Cuban Missile Crisis, intermixed with moments when the icy hostility melted a bit. With… Continue reading Memories of Van Cliburn
Somewhere in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
Just a brief post today (internet service is poor and expensive). Right now I am 3 days out from New York City, nearly halfway to Southamptom, England, on the majestic Queen Mary 2. This is the view out my cabin balcony. The ocean is shrouded with fog. We are moving along at 23 knots, slower… Continue reading Somewhere in the Middle of the Atlantic Ocean
Tips for an Extended Stay In Europe
My wife and I are heading back to Europe again for an extended stay. A year ago we did the same thing, moving to Paris right after we both retired from our medical careers. We are planning another 6 month stay. Prior to this second visit, I was able to think about the things that… Continue reading Tips for an Extended Stay In Europe
Is Medical Board Certification Testing Outdated?
Times change, and, as with Darwinian natural selection, those who adjust survive and those who don’t perish. Henry Ford’s assembly line greatly ramped up the production of automobiles but put many people out of work. The elevator operators of my childhood are long gone. Those who have embraced new technology have usually thrived; those who… Continue reading Is Medical Board Certification Testing Outdated?
Hacking at Dartmouth in 1969
It probably doesn’t say much about my character that when I first encountered the world of computers back in 1969 at Dartmouth College, my thoughts quickly turned to how I could use them for my own subversive goals. Yes, I was an early hacker. This was in the days before Microsoft, before Apple, even before… Continue reading Hacking at Dartmouth in 1969
The Demise of the Desktop
When based in Louisville, Kentucky, my wife and I each had big, bulky, homemade tower desktop computers. These ran versions of Linux and Windows. I also had an Apple Mac Mini to use for developing iOS apps, as it isn’t possible to develop for Apple without an Apple machine. Occasionally I used a laptop (a Lenovo… Continue reading The Demise of the Desktop
EP Studios Status Report
I’ve been a bit lax on the social media front recently. In fact, there are some days that I forget that there is such a thing as social media — that is, if it were not for my phone’s frequent pinging and buzzing to remind me of its existence. Truth is, I’ve been busy with… Continue reading EP Studios Status Report