$6,000

That's what this $700,000,000,000 bailout is going to cost you as a taxpayer, and thats just the $700,000,000,000. All told, the tab is $1,500,000,000,000 we've flat out given to Bear Sterns and the like... Of course we don't have much of a choice, if we don't keep them afloat and able to lend money, I'll never finish med school, no one will able to buy cars or homes, or school supplies for their kids, etc. It's rewarding greedy, irresponsible, reckless, horrible people and companies. But I guess its a sad fact of life that we're all in bed with these people, because we have to be in order to live the sort of life we've gotten used to.

Then again, maybe we should let them crumble and let the U.S. go to chaos, at least if we climb our way back - the same mistakes won't be made again. (for a few decades at least, until it becomes an abstract idea like the Great Depression is, to kids born in the 1990's) I think that bailing out these companies who lent money to people they KNEW would not be able to pay it back, shows poor judgment. Now they know they have a safety net - that if they screw up and get themselves into trouble that mom and dad will come and make things "allll better."

The core of business is that good ideas, smart decisions, quality products, and good service are rewarded with profits, high stocks, and longevity in the market. If you take that concept away by rewarding idiotic lending and reckless investment, then what is the incentive for these companies to do the right thing? There is nothing. They can screw over investors, trade in your 401k for "magic beans," and throw your life savings down on a bad hand of blackjack and never be held accountable.

These CEO's need to be thrown in jail just like the heads of Enron, the mortgage brokers need to be fined and stopped from ever working in the financial sector again, the companies need to be stripped from the top down and rehire all new management with very strict oversight most of all - people need to stop borrowing what they are not SURE they can pay back. If you haven't been taking the news too seriously, just think about these people taking $6,000 out of your pocket or having to work 600 extra hours at work or 75 extra days a year at $10 an hour to pay for their mistakes - because that's exactly what you're doing.

Continuing on my rant - these thetruth.com anti-smoking ads have got to go. The ones with the terrible, shallow, sophomoric sarcasm and cartoon characters... As someone who only smokes on occasion if I'm at a pub, I've considered smoking full time and telling kids it will make them cool - simply out of spite and disdain for these annoying commercials. And I think you should do the same.

On a personal note, I've finished my first week of clinicals. The hours weren't so bad - 7:30 to 4 on average with on call until 9pm every 4th night. The learning curve is steep for me still, just learning the technical things on the floor, but I'm getting it and I actually feel satisfied when I come home at night. I've also learned that old people are the best patients, they are genuinely grateful that you're trying to help them, they're agreeable and they like having someone to talk to. These of course are my favorite patients, because they are, well, patient. It can be difficult as a patient to understand why test results take so long to get back or why it may sometimes seem that there isn't enough attention being paid to them. From the other side of the situation though, I can tell you that the resident in charge of your case is very much involved and invested in the patient, overworked, and severly underpaid. The most rewarding thing for me so far has just been being trusted, and liked, and respected by patients - doing histories and physicals, getting on the phone and communicating via a translator with a Hispanic patient, things like that that are new and exciting for me. I'm sure some of this idealism will wear off as I become more and more pressed for time, but for now I'm going to enjoy it.

We went to Turtle Bay pub in Manhattan this weekend, its the official LSU alumni meeting spot in NYC, there were also quite a few AUC'ers there (we're such jet-setters, I know...) It was weird to see 150 or so LSU grads all in the same place so far away from home. We drank, a lot, and ate, and went to another bar, and drank some more. I was going to stay with some friends on the upper east side, but it was late and sometimes nothing but your own bed will do at night. So I searched in the rain for the LIRR station on 34th street and waited for almost 2 hours with several other nocturnal types, homeless people, musicians, etc. for the train to take me back to Hicksville. I think that next time I'll graciously accept the offer on the sofa-bed...



Me watching the game praying that there would not be an upset. Adam watching the game praying there would be an upset.