K...Site

Been a crazy, busy summer. So many violent storms have hit while the temps stay in the 90s. It wasn't your usual July/August. In work I said goodbye to a coworker and friend, Connie, as she moved to Madison.

We had a ribbon-cutting publicity event to announce the formal opening of the Nebraska Arthritis Outcomes Research Center where I got to meet the chancellor and the donors, Bill & Ruth Scott (without whom I wouldn't be here!). That same week I was the guest on the local weekly Community Health Line radio show (here's the site where you can listen to it from July 25 - I can't stand that they only use RealPlayer files!).
That same night my house was host to a rheumatology section party where everyone brought their fams, catered great food, and Renee did some juggling (I tried, too, to much lesser effect). Fun time!







Work hasn't let up - flew to Dallas last week to work with the VA, this week I'm off to Chicago for an all-day meeting, and I've got conferences in Pittsburgh, DC and Boston this fall. Bringing on the miles again!

Gave an invited talk last night (arthritis foundation) about a couple papers that Fred and I had done on lymphoma, RA and RA drugs (new one just came out in A&R). It was nice food and good company though a little awkward as everyone in the restaurant could see (and hear if they tried) what I was showing the group rather than having our own private room.

Got to meet with a visiting professor from the Brigham yesterday and today we had lunch together. What surprised me was Warren Buffett, the 2nd wealthiest man in US and my neighbor of sorts, came in and had lunch with another guy right next to our table. Seemed so ordinary - no body guards, nothing else fancy outside of having a tie and business jacket on. Quite a different life he's living here in Omaha especially compared to what one rich man is now doing in India.

One more link - a fellow rheumatologist and friend of Fred's, Norton Hadler, just posted a thought provoking OpEd about drugs that possibly don't do much for us at abcnews.

Sounds like the name of a planet in a sci fi story, but no, it's a Cox-2 inhibiting NSAID that was rejected by the FDA today. Definitely of note for what I do. Arthritis patients in Europe have been taking it for some time already. Definitely a strong reaction from post-vioxx days. Not to say it didn't deserve this vote, just was surprised as to the vote tally and how still little we truly know the full effects of our pain medications.

Don't know how I forgot this one, but everyone at UNMC got this in their email inbox ~10 days ago. Now folks know who I am and part of what I do research on, but not the other way around. It's a start. Oh, there's another pic of me on this same link, too - from early Feb.

A little name dropping in a rheumatology news press site. It wasn't my paper, but funny how they can fill up such space.

Also, in non-work news, it's the end of the zefrank show. I highly recommend it for amusing regularly videos from the past year.

Today was a big day at work - I got my business cards!


It's unbelievable the entrenched machines that are institutions. I spent a few days trying to modify this card. I ended up arguing with the printer directly in trying to get "email" and "mailing address" removed from the card (redundant!), but they are required by the public relations of the university (or something to that effect). I also couldn't put my NDB affiliation on the other side (I'll do it manually myself later on) to make it a dual-use card (it's annoying to have 2 cards for one person!). My only success was in getting the two top lines of the lower left there instead of them being large in the middle below my name (these small victories!).

Did I mention that my huge institution doesn't recycle plastic? I'm doing it on my own for now (as they do recycle it at my home).

I got my diplomas put on the wall in my office - they had to put in a work order for it. Also, apparently Coke Zero isn't on the allowed drinks available through the university (not to worry, I bring in my own). Yes, I'm on a roll. These aren't all complaints, more observations. I know I'll probably pick on something important to me at some point to rise up and change, but for now I'm learning and only slightly resisting. My wonderful "boss" gave me a book called "Orbiting the Giant Hairball" last spring and it seems so relevant here (and back at Stanford, etc).

I got a pneumonia vaccine injection yesterday. My arm is killing me and the numbness/pain woke me a few times in the night and kept me wide awake all day today. Funny how pain can stimulate the mind. Even a headache, but then it's harder to think. Still have some symptoms, but it's a different kind of pain. Maybe this is what institutional pain is about? The logical expanse from this is that various pain can be very beneficial in doses. (so, yes I have no need to start my own Fight Club any time soon)

Oh, and it seems everyone in the midwest is on eastern time - ie. they go to bed and get up at the exact same time they do in NY. This is unfortunate as back on west coast time not only did we get up later and leave work later, we were already 3 hrs behind eastern time zone! Needless to say, I'm finding it difficult to transition. Still working late... though starting a new wake up system - getting the heater to change to let me know when I should be out of the house (it gets cold!).

Last Friday I got to introduce myself to the UNMC community by giving grand rounds for the department of internal medicine in their large auditorium (with free lunch!). They apparently recorded the whole thing and have it online to view/listen to here (likely requires Real player, which I abhor - so I haven't tried it).

Finally got some office furniture, though I'm still using my laptop as my work computer - waiting for a new machine. Guess it's part of the new faculty life - work while you wait. Speaking of which - back to work!