Way back in the murky mists of the Internet (which is to say June), Jaybird flung himself on the mercy of his readers and solicited feedback about how Mindless Diversions was shaping up. It seemed like a good idea, and now feels like as good a time as any to do the same. It’s been a few months and a little over 100 posts, so now’s your chance to tell me what you think.
Are there topics you’d like to see covered in more depth? Is there too much of anything? What might make this space better?
(Almost) all suggestions welcome. (“Please stop blogging,” while technically a suggestion, may not result in the requested outcome.) It’s awfully nice to be here, and I’m sincerely grateful to have any readers at all, so I’d like to know what would make my presence here a more valuable contribution to the community.
I have a stupid question that I think would make for a good guest stupid question but I have nowhere to send it! Could you set up a gmail account for this page that you can check once a fortnight?
Yes, yes I can.
More importantly, I always walk away from your posts talking about the behind the scenes stuff thinking “I never knew that” or “that would never have occurred to me”.
The stuff that I’m sure you find mind-numbingly boring because you do it every Thursday at 10 is stuff that I am certain that I don’t know about.
I’d like to read more about that.
Ditto.
I for one like the stuff that you’re posting, and would prefer you not go too far afield from what you’re already doing. I like that you often post stuff that no one else is talking about. And coming from my background reading, the various healthcare stuff you write about (both the macro and the micro) from the provider point of view is not only interesting, it helps me differently frame issues we are wrestling with at my real job.
I would also ask that you not stop doing the lighter stuff you sometimes do (like the Haggard/Busey thing you brought to my attention yesterday). Those things by nature might not get a lot of conversations going, but they’re fun and entertaining – if anything I don’t think it would bad for more of us to start posting more stuff like that. (This last bit of kudos I would direct at Mindless Diversions as well.)
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on abortion: its legality and morality.
I understand that abortion is the third rail of almost any discussion, and I wouldn’t begrudge you one iota if you opt not to blog on it. But if you are otherwise inclined to post on it, I’d like to hear your opinion.
Perhaps I will share some thoughts on abortion, on a day when I am feeling particularly confident or foolhardy.
Dr Saunders, I hope so. I REALLY hope so, as soon as possible. While being a physician, and a pediatrician at that, I would find your thoughts on abortion extremely interesting. Plus, from your position as a pediatrician, who sees this from just about all fronts, you would have a unique perspective on this endlessly interesting subject./
My guess and my money goes on you being firmly against it with the usual exceptions of rape, incest, and life of the mother. If a woman approaches you with a pregnancy that is days away from birth but she suddenly has a change of mind and decides she can’t afford to have a baby at this stage of her life, well, I’d say she better find another doctor. I understand your are not an Ob/Gyn physician, but nonetheless would have very valuable and interesting thoughts on this subject. I very much look forward to reading them, sir.
One more thing, Doctor. Most of the doctors I’ve known or been friends with, have been, if not musicians, passionate lovers of classical music. I’ll go out on a limb, and say you are also a lover of classical music. If you’re not now, get on the ball cause time’s awaistin’!
I bring this up because that Comet Glenn Gould came blazing in on this planet with ferocious musical intelligence, immaculate articulation, performances that left entire audiences in tears the beauty was so intense. It is widely believed he also had autism, specifically Asperger’s Syndrome. I’m sure you’ve heard many recordings and seen many of his DVDs. What is your opinion on this subject? For a number of reasons, I’m not entirely persuaded. It is also believed he had focal dystonia which again, I’m not entirely sure of. Here’s a great book I just finished–you’ll love it! I’ll even send it to you if you happen to be interested in this subject. Cheers.
“Glenn Gould: The Ecstasy and Tragedy of Genius”
Have you done any posts on the ethics of organ transplants? It’s another quagmire, but with a heck of a lot less heat than abortion. For instance what do think of these new (proposed) rules?
As a parent with a rather excited child, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the prescription of drugs to calm children. Especially given that, as I understand it, these drugs are actually a form of amphetamine which is a stimulant? Am I understanding it correctly? And how much nuance do you find in that debate?
I would like your thoughts on what is causing the spike in autism. The post you wrote a while back was interesting and thought provoking but had little to say about what was the cause. Is it environmental or is the medical establishment better at diagnosing the disease? Is it even a disease or a genetic malfunction?
Also, what Mr. Boggs said.
Dexter, great questions. Looking forward to his responses. I have some pretty good links for you–have to run now–will get back to you when I return.