Points of Interest #29

It’s here again and back on schedule.  This week I’ve got emotion, fear and stigmatization on the mind, parables, heaven and hell and success for the soul and whoopee cushions, spleens and lots and lots of protein for the body, to name just a few.  So without further delay I present especially for you, the reader, the creme de la creme of the internet I happened to have stumbled across surfing the internets-

Regarding the Mind-

At World of Psychology, psychologist John Grohol reveals that other people and events do not cause our emotions, with some excellent advice on how we can take control of our own feelings.

Sticking with World of Psychology and John Grohol, here is another fantastic post reflecting on the stigmatization of mental illness by the newsmedia by linking it with violent crime in a manner that doesn’t hold up to reality.

At Reverse Thinking, John Eaton shares the profound truth that what causes our fears to mushroom out of control is the simple act of giving in to them. I know from experience that this is very true, and yet I continue grapple with the same fears over and over.  Here’s hoping one day we all may learn.

Regarding the Soul-

At By Common Consent, Kevin Barney brings to life the parable of the one whom the shepherd leaving the ninety and nine to save the one by sharing a testimony given in his ward by parents of the one lost and then found.

At Mormon Matters, Andrew Ainsworth shares his journey from a literal and concrete understanding of Heaven and Hell, to a much more powerful and transcendant vision of what they really are, states of being brought about by aligning ourselves with eternal principles.

At One Broken Off, Dallan shares some profound thoughts about defining success in a culture of perfection in a manner that is much more healthy.  He takes a look at the Lion within all of us with some very wise words.

Regarding the Body-

Dr.Rob at Musings of a Distractible Mind shares part 2 of his hilarious, informative and entertaining overview of heart sounds and physical examination in which the heart is likened to a whoopee cushion.

At Health Skills Weblog, Amiedus Free shares some nifty tidbits of health and science trivia, explaining us what the spleen is, how smoking makes back pain worse, and how sleep deprived hallucination are actually waking dreams.

At Brainblogger, Jennifer Green shares the story of the ketogenic diet, a nutritional and therefore “alternative” treatment for epilepsy that the scientific evidence supported and took right into mainstream medicine.  Researching these ideas is clearly not always the waste of money some claim it is.

or All the Above-

In the Deseret News, Doug Robinson has renewed my faith in the power of compassion with the story of Mindy Carter-Shaw, who is fighting to keep the man whose stupid decision maimed her child, out of prison.

Edwin Leap, MD reflects on how the problems that arrive at the ER reveal to him the failures of the social revolutions of the past fifty or so years in an insightful post.

At the Splintered Mind, Eric Schwitzgebel shares a profound and deep essay on what makes the love between husband and wife so powerful that it is the very foundation of life, society, and family, with excellent ideas on what can make enduring and unbreakable, in spite of the fact that it is necessarily conditional.

At Depressed (But not Unhappy) Mormon Mommy, Laura shares some powerful personal experiences and reflections on the incredibly complex, uncomfortable, and yet dreadfully important subject of suicide.

and just because I Liked it-

At Vitum Medicinus, a tongue in cheek job description for your basic medical student is posted. It would be more funny if only it weren’t so true, there’s pain in that laughter.

At Dr. Gwenn is in, the good doctor shares a very cool way to earn money for your favorite charities simply by surfing the internet, whether its hunger, child health, fighting breast cancer, literacty, saving the rain forest, or pet rescue that suits your fancy.

At Mind Hacks, Vaughan relates the fascinating history of the motorcycle helmet, which it turns out owes itself to sir Lawrence of Arabia and his untimely death.

That’s all I got this week, but you know me.  I’ll keep scouring the internet tirelessly and fearlessly and will not rest until the link is right here on my blog. Until then, happy surfing.

The Best Doctor Blogs

    I am continuing my review of the best blogs mind, body, and soul at least from my perspective.  Doctor blogs have been the subject of controversy with the AMA lately.  There are privacy concerns and concerns about the professionalism of ranting about colleagues or patients in such a public forum.  While these concerns may be valid, this isn’t what I generally see in the blogs, at least not the ones I end up following anyway.  Many, many blogs focus on healthcare and its shortcomings and problems with the system.  These have their place, but for me the very best blogs share the highs and the lows of medicine.  I think the blog format is ideal for sharing the unique experience and point of view that we physicians have.  I think the best blogs humanize the doctor, the patients and in so doing feed the soul.  Here are a few of my favorites-

Points of Interest #28

Welcome, one and all to my wrap up of all the best posts to be found on-line in my adventures in cyberspace.  This time we have no worries, the importance of intelligences, the fine line between creativity and madness, wet bugs and so much more, so dig in.

Blogging the Brain

The internet is full of a veritable flood of information and it can be a lot to wade through.  I thought I would take an occasion or two to share some of the blogs I’ve found that really keep me going back for more, which are featured on my sidebar, starting with the more outstanding (IMHO) neuroscience blogs out there.  Here’s my top five.

Minority vs. Majority

    “ We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.”

            Doctrine & Covenants 121:39

      Few things in life distort the relationship of communities and society more than power and politics.  The American revolution and the revolution in France introduced democracy to both America and Europe in roughly the same time period.  The French revolution ended up much more violent and tumultuous than the former, described by Charles Dickens as “the best of times” and “the worst of times” simultaneously.  The French revolution was an extremely violent and intolerant uprising.  It led to mass beheading and guillotining of the aristocracy.  It led to the rise of the first of the modern despots in Napoleon, who enthralled the recently empowered majority, was voted into power which he refused to release and unleashed upon the rest of Europe, as the revolution ran off its rails.

The Storming of the Bastille in 1789

 

Points of Interest #27

It’s back, the feature in where I share all that is virtuous, lovely or of good report in my wandering to cyberspace.  I may have complained that I am sick of it in my last post but I am over that now.  Please disregard it, which I leave only as a reminder to me and warning to others about what happens when certain medications are stopped or skipped.   Instead, turn yourself to the very best of the past week in the Internet-

The Voice

(A note- Please don’t worry, I am not psychotic, not really hearing voices.  I am just referring to the automatic thoughts and inward conversation we all have, even when we are unaware that we are doing it.)

I am starting to feel it now.  I am tired.

I am tired of politics.  I am tired of people talking at other people.  I am tired of trying to reach the unreachable.  I am tired of doing things I usually enjoy.  This is the world of depression and I fear it is creeping back. I am tired of blog shouting matches.  I am tired of others condemning others who condemn them back.  I am tired of man’s inhumanity to man.  I am tired of writing.  I even sucked the joy out of the Olympics in my last post.  I am tired of fear and its ugly effect on people.  I am tired of writing.  I am tired of trying to wrestle out the beautiful, praiseworthy, and good report out of what I find, what I read, and what I write. 

   The voice is getting loud.  The voice is a pessimist.  It finds fault with anything I do.  I can’t write anything because it will not be good enough.  There is nothing worth writing.  There is just weariness.   A while back John D. at storied mind wrote about how creativity has at times burst him out of depression.  All I feel right now is depression stamping out creativity. 

 

Points of Interest #26

Well, well, well, welcome to Mind, Soul and Body’s 100th post.  I guess that makes my collection of gems found surfing the internet just over a quarter of my posts.  Most blogs have about a three month lifespan and I am happy to have surpassed that.  I wonder if that means I am in this for the long haul, at least for the rest of residency, which is coming up on the end of one long, long road.  This week was a very strong one on the medicine, brain, and soul internet and I had to leave out an unusual number of posts.  Without futher delay I present only the best of the blogosphere (IMHO)-