Spudtater's Journal

While I was a medical student, I saw a young guy with a bad knee. After the patient left, the consultant explained that the surgeon who had carried out the operation had got it badly wrong, and this was the cause of the patient's disability. He would never walk properly again. I asked the consultant why no one had informed the patient. He answered that you don't blow the whistle on colleagues and they don't on you. [...]

I was part of a chain of errors that led to the death of a patient [...] and I confessed it to my consultant. I was overcome with remorse. I wanted to apologise to the relatives and stand up at the inquest and say it was all my fault and I deserved to be struck off. He counselled me to brazen it out. Another colleague helped me buff the notes (to "buff the notes" is to make entries in the patient's records which don't actually lie but contain only the helpful elements of the truth).

— 'We all kill a few patients as we learn', Jed Mercurio, The Guardian, 18 May 2004

Someone linked to this on the Bad Science blog. Quite terrifying, in a way. But it's hard to see what can be done; people simply refuse to accept that mistakes do happen in hospitals, and when they do, it's not always appropriate for heads to roll.

According to BBC News:

• Terrorists (alleged)
• Not a terrorist

I have nothing against the X-Factor — it's easily-watchable, throwaway reality television that can prove an amusing distraction for a while. However, I also believe that it has very little to do with real music, and dislike the hijacking of the Christmas number 1 spot by said TV show.

A lot of people feel likewise. They've set up a Facebook group to promote the idea of Rage Against the Machine's 'Killing in the Name' being number 1 at Christmas. Links to download the track are given on that page.

It's a bit of a silly protest, but I find it amusing, and will do my bit to help it along.
It seems to be doing quite well so far

A less silly aspect of the movement is the collection for Shelter that downloaders are urged to donate to. It's an appropriate charity for the Christmas season, and I'd urge a donation whether or not you're also downloading the Rage Against the Machine track. So far, they've raised £37,648 — nice work!

Edit: Thanks to bracknellexile for this: X-Factor – Killing in the Name Of (YouTube)

Edit 2: Tom Morello (of RATM) is donating his profits from the song to a charity that supports young musicians

The Press Complaints Commission has launched an investigation after the Scottish edition of the Sunday Express ran a front page story alleging survivors of the Dunblane massacre "shamed" the memory of their dead friends by boasting about drunken nights out on social networking websites.

— "PCC targets Sunday Express over Dunblane allegations", Oliver Luft, The Guardian, 16 March 2009

The Scottish Sunday Express has recently been slated – and rightly so – for running a horrifying story about the survivors of the Dunblane Massacre. The story, and the reaction to it, is a great example of the good ways and the very bad ways people are using the web to spread information.

— "Web takes revenge after Express story", Nicole Kobie, IT Pro, 19 March 2009
(includes link to scan of original article, with victims [re-]anonymized)

We, the undersigned, wish to express our deep offense at the article published in the Sunday Express on March 8th 2009 about the survivors of the Dunblane massacre. [...] We demand a swift and proportionate response to the widespread disgust caused by this article, beginning with a front page apology. We would also like to see appropriate disciplinary action taken against Paula Murray, the author of the piece, and her editor at the Scottish Sunday Express, Derek Lambie.

— "Sunday Express "Dunblane shame" article", iPetitions, 8 March 2009
(5,700 signatures so far; donation not neccessary)

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So, The Daily Express are getting their arses handed to them, it seems. Serves them right.

spudtater presents: Scenes From The Future™

Today: Amy Winehouse reaches middle age.

"They tried to make me switch to decaff, I said no, no, no..."

So I was on the bus the other day, with an asian-looking young man sitting a few rows in front of me. Suddenly he jumps up and runs downstairs, leaving a largish backpack on the seat.

I look at it for a few moments.

Niggling fears are starting to form at the back of my mind. Should I take it downstairs, hope the guy's still on the bus, and give it to him? Should I tell the driver? Should I chuck it out the window? (No, of course not, don't be silly.)

Then, half a minute later, the guy comes back upstairs with his mate, who he'd obviously spotted getting on the bus. False alarm — I'm moderately relieved.

Now, I'm quite significanly anti-racist, and avoid tabloids alarmist publications like the plague, and yet still fear, uncertainty and doubt presented themselves in my mind. Would I have thought these thoughts if he had been white, or chinese? Probably not. "Mud sticks", it's said, and it does seem true that our subconsciousnesses are quick to stereotype, and quick to attach negative attributes to categories of people.

In conclusion: Beh.   8^P

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In other news:

Answers up for the book-guessing meme! Based on a scoring system wot I just invented, the top scores are:

sigmonster, 200 points
xquiq, 125 points
zotz, 110 points
digitalraven, 108 points

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Finally, I'd like to point and laugh at a spam email I received today, purporting to be from "fascist regimes". Yes, I receive lots of email from such entities — how did you know?

...in BHS.

A woman's voice admonishing her son: "No, sweetie, that's pink. That's for girls. Come over here and I'll find you something for boys." And as they appeared from behind the shelf they were previously hidden behind, I notice two things:

1. The item in question was a box of biscuits
2. The kid was dressed in jungle-camouflage trousers and a kiddie-sized bomber jacket.

I really hope that kid doesn't turn out to be gay, because he will never be able to come out to his family.

How did I not hear about this?

• Student shot with Taser by UCPD officers — Daily Bruin (student paper)
• “Here’s your Patriot Act.” — Making Light
• Americans To Be Tortured For Refusing To Show ID? — Prison Planet
• Grauniad comment

For the attention of those planning weddings. Errr... possibly just batswing, then...   8^]

( Bride delays brain op for her wedding )

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Work: as you may know, I work at a charity, on a voluntary basis. My boss has proposed employing me part-time, at minimum wage (£5.05/hr) for 16 hours a week. I would still get council tax and housing benefit, but no Jobseeker's allowance. So far so good; it works out to about £35 extra a week. However, my getting paid this is contingent on me getting in to work at 10:30 every morning, and on continuing to do my current voluntary job alongside this new one. In other words, it's a loophole to employ me for 32.5 hours a week, while only paying me for 16 of those hours — which works out to an effective wage of £2.49/hr.

One side of me feels a little insulted. My more logical side says that it's still more than zero pounds, which is what he pays me at the moment. My lazy side just doesn't want to get out of bed any earlier in the mornings. In conclusion... I'm a mutant three-sided freak.   8^)

'The police are looting. This has been confirmed by several independent sources. Some of the looting might be "legitimate" in as much as that word has any meaning in this context. They have broken into ATMs and safes: confirmed. We have eyewitnesses to this. They have taken dozens of SUVs from dealerships ostensibly for official use. They have also looted gun stores and pawn shops for all the small arms, supposedly to prevent "criminals" from doing so. But who knows their true intentions. We have an inside source in the NOPD who says that command and control is in chaos. He reports that command lapses more than 24 hours between check-ins, and that most of the force are "like deer in the headlights." NOPD already had a reputation for corruption, but I am telling you now that the people we've been talking to say they are not recognizing the NOPD as a legitimate authority anymore, since cops have been seen looting in Walmarts and forcing people out of stores so they could back up SUVs and loot them. Don't shoot the messenger....'

From interdictor's blog from New Orleans.