Indubitable

Faust in his arrogance, as Mephistopheles patiently waits.An etching from page 4 by Harry Clarke inFaust – by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (translated by Bayard Taylor) I’m stuck on and struck by many nuanced messages that fell out of the tragedy of Faust, which I just finished reading (here for quick a summary of the story). For example, in what seems to be an unimportant filler scene from Act IV, Faust leaves Mephistopheles (the devil) alone in his study. A young student comes to Faust…

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Justifying the Means“Faust Painter“ I just finished reading Faust, by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.  It is touted as one of the greatest works in German literature, and is full of themes about heaven and hell. I liked it, but knew very little about what I was getting in to.  This play puts the “T” in tragedy. Here’s a quick overview: In heaven, God agrees* to allow Mephistopheles (the devil) to try and foil Faust, a brilliant physician that was restlessly searching for inner…

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I have always been puzzled as to why two people can witness the same seemingly divine manifestations and one walk away changed forever while the other remains completely un-phased.  The miracles of Jesus are one example, but there are so many more, including this classic scene from The Princess Bride. I you haven’t seen seen the movie, then put this blog aside and go watch it. Better yet watch it for your next FHE because it’s that good!  If you have seen…

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Turret Arch – Arches National ParkAugust 2013 Perspective: A 180-degree view of Turret Arch and the adjacent Windows Arches Arches National Park – August 2013 M is an eccentric 72 year old Russian lady that spent her life working as a stripper. She’s one of my favorite patients, and recently came to see me. She never had children and has lived alone for as long as I’ve known her. Many years ago she had pituitary surgery for a large tumor and now sees me for…

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I caught myself saying it this week, and I was very disappointed in myself. A moment’s indiscretion and it was out: “It is what it is.” It’s a phrase I dislike greatly. I was talking with a patient about a benign medical problem that couldn’t be prevented or reversed and I said “IIWII”. I don’t want to make excuses for myself. I’ll do my Hollywood mea culpa right now: I deeply regret the incident and take full responsibility for my actions. It just goes to show what happens when you…

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8th InkblotRorschach Inkblot TestHermann Rorschach – 1921 I came across an acronym the other day which I had to look up: YOLO. It means you only live once. Reading the definition was a veritable Rorschach Inkblot* which caused me to immediately associate YOLO with the stupidity of the generation to which my kids belong.* Invariably, it seems that YOLO is the final words uttered before someone throws caution the wind and does something very regrettable at best–or disastrous at worst….

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Dan Martin of Ireland & Team Garmin Sharp100th TDF – Stage 9 What a great stage win for Dan Martin today. Such a nice guy who had a big win in Liege-Bastogne-Liege this year as well. He attacked the peloton on the last of 4 big mountains today.  He was then joined by Jakob Fuglsang and, by working together, they stayed off the front on a harrowing 30 km descent down the mountain.  At the end of the day, it’s just…

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“The Subway” in Zion National Park – 2006Nothing exemplifies the power of persistence like the slot canyons of the Southwest. “The Subway” is a very hard hike, but undoubtedly my favorite. This place makes you feel small and insignificant as you stand below 800 foot cliffs that rise up vertically on both sides.  My last post (here) about beginner’s luck has me thinking about persistence as useful remedy for life’s challenges. In doing so I came across a fantastic talk by Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on perseverance.* To make things…

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The St. Albans coin hoard I’ve had a soft spot for stories about Roman coin hoards for a long time (here and here for my old posts; links to this story here and here).  I often thought about how awesome it would be to uncover a two thousand year-old coin. I can’t fathom the thrill of finding the life’s savings of a Roman Legionary carefully stashed away before he suited up to battle hoards of barbarians that simply weren’t buying into the Pax Romana.  The story…

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fighting off the charging peloton Is this really happening? Woo Hoo! I hate that I still love watching the Tour de France given the last year of doping scandals.  I just can’t help it.  It is such a great sport.  Stage 2 of the Tour was set in Corsica, and had some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen in a long time. It’s finish was the stuff that fairy tales are made of. Jan Bakelants is a 26-year old Belgian…

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