The rest of the interview

Well, the rest of the day was pretty interesting. I talked to several people from different departments and liked most of what I saw. As for the group questioning, that went well too. The interviewers actually gave longer introductions than they intended. This took up some of the questioning time. When they did get to the questions it was very easy to answer because I was different from everyone else; they did seem to realize this fact.

Now I just wait until March, decide how much I really like the program or if I like it at all.

What do you think?

Other blogs have played this game. I want to join. What do you make of this message?

1 small step for them, 1 giant step me!

Well readers, today is the day. I am interviewing for ‘the next phase’. Actually I am currently in the middle of my interview day. Now some of you may be saying, "Hopper, why are you on the internet when you are at an interview?” There is a perfectly logical explanation to be revealed henseforth.

In my line of business the completion of training does not necessarily complete one’s training. Further training may be desired/required. I am applying for a PGY1/fellowship possition (PGY1=post graduate year 1). The thing is, the institution at which I am applying typically only accepts PGY2 applicants. Infact I am the only one here today that is applying for the PGY1/fellowship spot. The interviewing agenda includes going around to several departments and talking with many individuals. I am only applying to one, single program within the large instutitution. I really only need to impress one individual.

So, why I am blogging. Because I am the only one interviewing today for this spot, I get a break because some of the PGY2 ‘questioning’ does not apply to me. In a short while, I will reunite with the other interviewees and engage in the most strengent ‘questioning’ of the day. This is a rapid fire, group session ordeal.

I will be interested to see if the interviewers realize that I am seeking a PGY1 and not PGY2. If they do not…It will be fun to see how I answer their questions!!

Sing A Song

Sometimes, as I am minding my own business throughout the day, songs pop into my head. Sometimes the songs are goofy and really have no meaning. Other times the songs ‘inadvertently’ remind me of the good things in life.

If you are reading my blog, chances are that you have nothing better to do. I greatly appreciate your time in checking for an update in “Intellectually Honest” and I hope that the remainder of your blog time allotment for today will afford you the opportunity to check out these great songs.

Above All Else
You Are The One
Everlasting
Meet With Me
Nothing But The Blood (Your Blood)

Funny things about my current workplace:

1. I encounter Attendings (a ‘big cheese’ physician) from other services all the time; one of them talks like Hawkeye from M*A*S*H.

2. The building is broken up into ‘color zones’. If the room is in the ‘blue zone’ the room number may be “B2.1234”. If it is in the ‘yellow zone’ the number may be ‘Y4.1234’. Y=zone, 4=fourth floor, 1234=room number. I asked someone where R11.1623 was in the RED zone. After a puzzled look on their face they said, ‘boy, there IS no red zone’. I pointed to the color of the wall and said, ‘Are we not in the red zone currently?”. “No…this is the ROSE zone…but room 1623 is right around the corner.” Who would have guessed that R=rose and not red?

3. Today I saw an electrical outlet plug in the elevator. I thought that was kind of odd.

4. I introduced my self to the department medical chief. I said, “Hello, my name is OS Hopper, fourth year student.” He said, “I kind of guessed that you were a student. You are kind of shy and very polite.” I laughed and said “This only my second day.”

Interview With Chief Justice Roberts - ABC News

The following is part of an interview by Crawford Greenburg of ABC's News program Nightline. I think this is one of the better aspects of the piece because this is a great example of an intellectually and historically honest view of the office of Cheif Justice.

original, full length interview

CRAWFORD GREENBURG: Now during your hearings, you said that you didn't think courts should solve all of society's problems, that they should have a more restrained view. Why not? You've got these smart people, you're up there on the bench and some of these are really hard questions.

CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: Well, you know, it gets back to something I mentioned earlier about last week when we voted. Think back to the framers who drafted the Constitution. These were people who literally risked everything to gain the right to govern themselves, certainly risked all their material well-being and risked their lives in the struggle for independence.
And the thought that the first thing they would do when they got around to drafting a Constitution would be to say, 'Let's take all the hard issues in our society and let's turn them over to nine unelected people who aren't politically accountable and let them decide,' that would have been the farthest thing from their mind.

I have enormous respect for the authority carried by the people across the street in Congress. Hundreds of thousands of people, millions of people have voted for them and put their confidence in their judgment.

Not a single person has voted for me and if we don't like what the people in Congress do, we can get rid of them, and if you don't like what I do, it's kind of too bad. And that is, to me, an important constraint. It means that I'm not there to make a judgment based on my personal policy preferences or my political preferences.

The only reason I'm protected from those political pressures is because I'm supposed to make a decision based on the law. And so I don't think it would be a good idea to turn all the hard issues over to the courts. Those hard issues belong in Congress, they belong in the Executive Branch.
The courts have the responsibility to make sure both of those branches abide by the legal limits in the Constitution, but that's it.

Update

I did not listen to Adventures in Odyssey this morning but...wait for it...wait for it..."The Pond" was back on the air and I HEARD IT on my way to work!!

I learned two things today. First, I should be thankful for the name my parents gave me. They like it and I should be greatful. Second, (this is a 2 parter) we should always do our best at what ever we do and if we are working together with others, we should be kind and everyone should do their best work.

Wow. This is going to be a great year!

GREAT News!

This afternoon, on my way home in the car, I heard the great news: Adventures in Odyssey returns to Saturday morning radio!! Everyone tune your radio to 88.3 FM at 8 am for a great programing. Now I just cannot wait until they wise up and put "The Pond" back on Saturday mornings at 8:30 am!

Stage 1: Almost complete!

When I first received this guitar it had several ‘issues’, the least of which was it needed a cleaning. Over the break my goals are 3 fold: 1) build a new floating bridge; 2) look for a pickguard; 3) restore the face of the body because it is cracked x3 and the structural integrity of the face was reinforced with duct tape and glue.

Today I finished both the prototype (Pine) and final product (Birch). The problem was that I guessed wrong on the original type of wood used. The website I found suggested Birch. This is too soft for a bridge. Now that I have a good blueprint I just need to find some harder wood. I think I am going to go with either Ebony or White Oak. I have no idea what type of wood was used in the 1950s.