Things I Think That I Think

I am going to try something different with my blog from time to time.  This week I am going to briefly provide some perspective on some things that are on my mind.  Anyone from Pittsburgh or who follows the Pittsburgh Steelers remembers Myron Cope.  Myron was the color commentator for the Steelers broadcast on WTAE radio, and he also offered commentary throughout each week on that same radio station.  His tidbits of commentary were reflected in “Shirt Pocket Notes” or “Some Things I Think I Think.”  So, my tidbits of commentary are as follows:

This AM, I read in Paul Levy’s blog on the emergence of a new medical device, the iPhone flashlight.  He included an exchange in his blog about one physician who now uses it to look into his patient’s mouth during routine examinations.  Another commented on using it in ICU to identify a bleeding vessel.  That’s a great application for the iPhone, but just think about where you take your iPhone, where you place it and how often you clean it.  Yikes!  I have some significant reservations on the cleanliness of each and every iPhone.

I saw on Friday that the NFL acted to suspend for one game an official who cursed at a Washington Redskin player the weekend before last.  I am glad that they acted as swiftly as they did.  I am sick of officials who are paid to be neutral and unbiased, but make the game more about them than the game itself.  College basketball comes to mind in a big way.  College basketball referees will show their bias toward a coach, a player and a team more often than any other sport.  There is far too much inconsistency with their calls during games; and a lot of times, it seems to be payback.

I would like the popcorn and Milk Dud concession for the next year as we approach the mid-term elections on 2014.  If you think politics are contentious now, the “best” is yet to come.  The Affordable Care Act popularity is at a 33% favorable rating.  No real functioning Health.gov website, cancellations in coverage, security breaches, calls to delay implementation from Democrats and an upcoming “fix” date of November 30 that will come and go still without a fix.   And yet, mid-term elections will happen in early November 2014 with lots of seats up for grabs by either party in both the House and the Senate.  There will be lots of finger pointing on the ACA alone; this is going to be fun if our stomachs can take it.