Karma

Does it really exist? The new show on NBC called "Earl" got me to thinking about Karma. I guess the basic concept has been around since time began, that of "what goes around, comes around" or something to that effect. Essentially, Karma is life evening things out, right? I also used to feel that all things were happening around me in the world in more or less random fashion, ie, "odds" were that something would or would not happen to you today. But with age, oops, I mean with "experience", I have kind of come to see that in the big scheme of things, we each have a destiny to fulfill and that the more "bad" things we do, the more "bad" things are likely to happen to us. Over the past 2 or so years, I have modified my thought process and behavior to better reflect how I was raised, in a Christian home with God fearing parents. Losing my Mom last fall really put a cap on it for me. Beginning in when I was around 38, 39 or 40, I had this feeling that I was invincible, that I was above normal laws and bounds that the lesser around me were supposed to abide by. I wasn't evil or crooked or anything, but I just felt that I could do basically anything anytime and not have to worry about "karma" etc. Of course, I was wrong. By the time I was 48, I had gone through a lot of bad crap, personally, emotionally, financially and job related. I now know that God (karma?) led me out of the US to the Caribbean for a reason and that experience helped me get back to the basics, get a good job and end up in Memphis!

I guess we all feel, at some point in our lives, that we are invincible, but at 50, with a recurring bad need, bad back and receding hairline, I understand now that my behavior in my 40's hurt a lot of folks and "karma" had to even things out. I feel as if I have done my "Earl", gotten even with karma and now I want to get ahead! Live right, be gentler and kinder and hopefully really enjoy the time that I have left. How does that sound?

Get to work idiot! (I meant me)

Good day

Whew squared!

I expect the heat is a 'hot' topic of conversation (pun intended) all around the US these days. It is surely hot in Memphis, hitting the century mark several days this week. They say(who the heck are they?)that some rain showers this weekend should bring the daily high temp down to 90ish. Wow, a cold front eh? But, the way we have polluted the air, we should expect no less that this time of major shift in normal temps. Scientists have been bemoaning the build-up of "greenhouse" gases for a couple decades now at least and I feel as if those predictions are coming to past. In essence, the combustible engine and the output of gases from industrial activities have created a 'shield' in our atmosphere that traps IR rays and keeps them from bouncing harmlessly back into space after they warm the earth. As the price of oil/gas continues to rise, maybe folks will actually have to drive a bit less and we won't continue to dump huge quantities of CO2 Etc into the air. The heat also puts a tremendous strain on the electric generating capabilities of larger cities and brown outs are now popping up here and there. I feel blessed that we have not been without electricity yet. My wife and daughter are at home all day and they would really be miserable with AC. And I just cannot tolerate sitting around in a hot humid house. I had that experience in Nevis and in conjunction with mosquitoes and ants, I was fairly miserable there most of the time. Other than being at my office with great AC, the best times were sitting on my front porch with my small fan on me and a cold Carib or Rum/coke in hand watching life in Charlestown crawl by... at dusk, the mosquitoes would get so bad, I was forced inside, where the holes in the screens slowed down the critters only slightly.. but, I digress...

API (7:30 am) is going well. Meeting daily makes the time seem to crawl by, but we had the first of 3 exams already and the scores were pretty good (76 avg). I have a few students whom I suspect are not ready for college level work and likely will fail, but I have several really good students too.

Patho exam 3 is this week. My Tue class did fairly well and my night class takes it at 6 pm. I am sure that whichever class takes it first relates some info to the other, since I use the same exam, but so far, the averages have been pretty close for both classes. Such is life in higher ed, right?

Must go now and get some actual professorial work done..

Ta Ta and Good day

whew

Week 1 of 7:30 am daily lectures is over! I get up at 5 am, leave around 6:15, so it is a longish day, particulary on Wed, when I have a 6 pm patho lecture. Listen to me complain...lots of folks would love to have my job: good pay, great benefits, come and go as I please (as long as I meet my classes and pretend to have 10 office hours each week)! Good gig, right? I do enjoy it and I don't even mind getting up early (once I get back into the routine).

Word aroung campus is that I am a "hard" professor in patho. I really don't get that, but I do have expectations of what a student should do and learn to pass the course and I don't waiver on that. I explain the materials, give analogies and make things as practical as possible, so if I am considered hard, so be it! I would rather have a rep as a "hard" prof than that as a "pushover" easy A prof!

Looking a lot like a thunderstorm here in midtown Memphis, moving toward my house. I have not had to mow the grass in almost two weeks, so I expect that a decent shower out our way will make it pop right up and begged to be mowed!

To kill time this morning, I was looking at some pics on the SGA MUA (Medical U. of the Americas) site and saw some of my ex-students in the photos. There were some really good kids there and I miss most of them... I hope all are doing well and progressing through nicely. Sirhan Abdullah was the most recent contact I had.. he IM'd me a while back from Miami and was heading back to Jersey after his boards. I still don't know how he did, but I am sure he passed. Sirhan was a great friend while I was on Nevis... lent me his rental jeep so I wouldn't have to stoop to riding a bus.. then let me take over the lease and found himself another one. A great thing about Sirhan was that he knew how to work people, wheel and deal, so to speak. Hacker and Chopra were in one pic and I saw a several other of my API students whose names I can no longer recall...oh, well, enough reminicing.. got to get on the road home to relax. TGIF tomorrow.. I can't wait to sleep in on Sat morning (until at least 9am!)

Good day

Odds n ends

Started my daily 7:30 am API class 3 days ago and already miss the 4 day weekends! Even though I knew they were ending, they are still sorely missed. Are we into the 'dog days' of summer yet? July seems to be off to a very hot and muggy start in Memphis. We have a threat of rain for a few days, but it doesn't seem to be raining much here this summer. A few clouds will go over, drop a bit of rain and then the HEAT hits again. Our electric bill went from $53 to $100 this past month! I hope that is as high as it goes, but can't do without AC in the house. How did folks make it years ago w/out AC? I guess it wasn't as hot back then, but it probably seemed hot to them, right? The lake by our house is dropping daily. I guess the fish and turtles will survive, as least some of them.

Haven't heard back from MUA concerning the faculty appointment there. I guess I have already decided not to take it if offered, but a part of me would like to pack up the family and head to paradise! I am sure that I would really miss the US of A a lot, but now that my Mom is passed, I don't have as strong a connection or need to be here, but I just feel much safer and more secure in the US than I did while on Nevis. My son is 15 now and my brother is wrapped up in his world and family back in Eastern KY. My Dad and I talk on the phone some, but we haven't spent any real time together in years. He came to my Mom's funeral, which really suprised me, but it was a very nice jesture on his part.

If my second installment of my Mom's meager estate comes through, I might just splurge and take my family on a St.Kitts/Nevis vacation. I still want them to experience the Caribbean, though not as long as I did. I miss parts of it, but I can't shake the trapped and completely isolated feelings I had while there. I guess if I weren't so introverted and avoided folks as much as I did, it might have been different, but at that time in my life, God needed for me to go through some stuff and I feel as if I came out of it a new and improved me, which makes the entire ordeal worth it, right? And, I am still introverted and avoid people, but I am much happier and secure in my position here than I have ever been.

Stop rambling DrG and get to work. Ok.

Good day

IRS Needs Cash!

Hope everyone had a great 4th weekend. We saw a fireworks display over the mighty Mississippi River on Monday night, sponsored by the city of Memphis and it was really outstanding. Otherwise, we just chilled, grilled some burgers and had a few brews (followed by a few more)...

I guess Uncle Sam (G.W.) is desparate for money to pay for the 'dirty little war', because they are apparently going to try to take everything I make. I had a couple of issues back in 2001, 2002, did an amended form, but they continue to say I owe about 4 K. Now, this might by a few guns, some ammo and a few MRE's for the boys in Iraq, but that is a lot of money to us! I have to call them on the 12th and try to get things settled. You would think they had bigger fish to fry than trying to get money from me... I am going to try an appeal option and get some help in dealing with this. I have paid over 7 K back in the last 3 years and they still want more.... oh well, that is one of the perks of living in the good ol' US of A, right?

Good day.