More "you don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that..."

You shouldn't drive on "empty."

Even with a cell-phone, it's, at a minimum, a waste of your time sitting on the side of the highway with traffic whizzing by while you wait for your gas delivery. A few moments spent doing something seemingly trivial will prevent us from having to spend what may seem an eternity doing something we truly don't enjoy.

Speaking up for Israel

Rational people must read this and help spread this type of rational analysis:

Subject: Spanish Politician castigates US and Israel bashers.

Pilar Rahola

Pilar Rahola is a Spanish politician, journalist and activist and member of the far left. Her articles are published in Spain and throughout some of the most important newspapers in Latin America .
"Why don't we see demonstrations against Islamic dictatorships in London , Paris , Barcelona ?
Or demonstrations against the Burmese dictatorship?
Why aren't there demonstrations against the enslavement of millions of women who live without any legal protection?
Why aren't there demonstrations against the use of children as human bombs?
Why has there been no leadership in support of the victims of Islamic dictatorship in Sudan ?
Why is there never any outrage against the acts of terrorism committed against Israel ?
Why is there no outcry by the European left against Islamic fanaticism?
Why don't they defend Israel 's right to exist?
Why confuse support of the Palestinian cause with the defense of Palestinian terrorism?
And finally, the million dollar question: Why is the left in Europe and around the world obsessed with the two most solid democracies, the United States and Israel, and not with the worst dictatorships on the planet? The two most solid democracies, who have suffered the bloodiest attacks of terrorism, and the left doesn't care.
And then, to the concept of freedom. In every pro Palestinian European forum, I hear the left yelling with fervor: "We want freedom for the people!"
Not true. They are never concerned with freedom for the people of Syria , or Yemen , or Iran , or Sudan , or other such nations. And they are never preoccupied when Hammas destroys freedom for the Palestinians. They are only concerned with using the concept of Palestinian freedom as a weapon against Israeli freedom. The resulting consequence of these ideological pathologies is the manipulation of the press.
The international press does major damage when reporting on the question of the Israeli-Palestinian issue. On this topic they don't inform, they propagandize.
When reporting about Israel , the majority of journalists forget the reporter code of ethics. And so, any Israeli act of self-defense becomes a massacre, and any confrontation, genocide. So many stupid things have been written about Israel , that there aren't any accusations left to level against her.
At the same time, this press never discusses Syrian and Iranian interference in propagating violence against Israel ; the indoctrination of children and the corruption of the Palestinians. And when reporting about victims, every Palestinian casualty is reported as tragedy and every Israeli victim is camouflaged, hidden or reported about with disdain.
And let me add on the topic of the Spanish left. Many are the examples that illustrate the anti-Americanism and anti-Israeli sentiments that define the Spanish left. For example, one of the leftist parties in Spain has just expelled one of its members for creating a pro-Israel website. I quote from the expulsion document: "Our friends are the people of Iran , Libya and Venezuela , oppressed by imperialism, and not a Nazi state like Israel ."
In another example, the socialist mayor of Campozuelos changed Shoah Day, commemorating the victims of the Holocaust, with Palestinian Nabka Day, which mourns the establishment of the State of Israel, thus showing contempt for the six million European Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Or in my native city of Barcelona , the city council decided to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel, by having a week of solidarity with the Palestinian people. Thus, they invited Leila Khaled, a noted terrorist from the 70's and current leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a terrorist organization so described by the European Union, which promotes the use of bombs against Israel .
This politically correct way of thinking has even polluted the speeches of president Zapatero. His foreign policy falls within the lunatic left, and on issues of the Middle East , he is unequivocally pro Arab. I can assure you that in private, Zapatero places on Israel the blame for the conflict in the Middle East , and the policies of foreign minister Moratinos reflect this. The fact that Zapatero chose to wear a kafiah in the midst of the Lebanon conflict is no coincidence; it is a symbol.
Spain has suffered the worst terrorist attack in Europe and it is in the crosshairs of every Islamic terrorist organization. As I wrote before, they kill us with cell phones hooked to satellites connected to the Middle Ages.And yet the Spanish left is the most anti Israeli in the world.
And then it says it is anti Israeli because of solidarity. This is the madness I want to denounce in this conference.
Conclusion:
I am not Jewish. Ideologically I am left and by profession a journalist. Why am I not anti- Israeli like my colleagues? Because as a non-Jew I have the historical responsibility to fight against Jewish hatred and currently against the hatred for their historic homeland, Israel . To fight against anti-Semitism is not the duty of the Jews, it is the duty of the non-Jews.
As a journalist it is my duty to search for the truth beyond prejudice, lies and manipulations. The truth about Israel is not told. As a person from the left who loves progress, I am obligated to defend liberty, culture, civic education for children, coexistence and the laws that the Tablets of the Covenant made into universal principles.
Principles that Islamic fundamentalism systematically destroys. That is to say that as a non-Jew, journalist and lefty, I have a triple moral duty with Israel , because if Israel is destroyed, liberty, modernity and culture will be destroyed too.

More of "You Don't Have to be a Brain Surgeon to Know That..."

Here's the next item:
After opening, refrigerate products that say "refrigerate after opening."

Following simple instructions can lead to the successful avoidance of major aggravations down the line. Going to the kitchen cabinet and opening pasta sauce only to find a science experiment is not conducive to a hearty appetite (and scraping off the mold does not make it safer for consumption.)

Bono's Back Surgery

U2 front-man, Bono, suffered a herniated lumbar disc and underwent surgery to remove the extruded disc fragment, according to his German neurosurgeons. This is a common operation but is not done emergently unless nerves in the spine are severely compressed leading to either profound muscle weakness such as a complete foot drop or abrupt bladder and bowel dysfunction accompanied by weakness and numbness in both legs. The later is know as cauda equina syndrome. When one of these two conditions occurs, emergent surgery is recommended to prevent permanent nerve damage. A full recovery is generally expected. When the primary symptom is pain and mild weakness of a muscle as well as some numbness is present, then non-surgical treatment is generally initiated first. This is the more common scenario and with time, the herniated disc generally shrinks and can be resorbed, resulting in resolution of symptoms without surgery. When symptoms do not resolve or when the situation is emergent, than a procedure called a discectomy is performed. This can be done via a "standard" laminectomy in which an approximately three inch incisicion is made in the center of the lower back, muscle is stripped off the spine, a portion of the spine know as the lamina is removed to enter the spine and then the disc fragment is removed. This can also be performed via a microdiscectomy in which the incision is smaller and the amount of bone removal is less and a microscope is used to visualize the inside of the spinal canal and the disc fragment. The procedure I prefer is even less invasive, what is refered to as an endoscopic microdiscectomy. With this technique a two centimeter (less than half inch) incision is made and a tube is passed to the spine without needing to dissect muscle off the spine. A few slivers of lamina are removed, if any, and the spinal canal is able to be visualized through the tube using high-power magnification. The fragment is then visualized and removed. The operation is performed under general anesthesia and the patient is able to go home the same day. Patients are walking the same day, begin therapy within a week and can resume the majority of their normal life-style activities within four to six weeks. The surgery is highly effective in resolving the symptoms and has a success rate of over 95%. A herniated disc can reherniate and this occurs between 10 and 20% of the time. Learning proper back care and maintaining good core muscle strength helps reduce the incidence of reherniation. This is the link to the video of this type of operation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV_EZgnCwTs.

You Don't Have to be a Brain Surgeon to Know That...

This is the beginning of a new feature in which I hope many will participate. As a brain surgeon, the phrase "you don't have to be a brain surgeon to know that..." has particular resonance for me. The second half of the statement is generally something that it is assumed any fool should know. The implication of the first part of the statement is that there are things that are so esoteric or complex only an individual blessed with a prodigious intellect could comprehend them. Well, when it comes to brain surgeons, the truth of the matter is that though we do study and train for years, rigorously, a great deal of what we need to know on a day to day basis is a matter of common-sense. The majority of the knowledge we utilize daily is knowledge that most people possess. What is truly remarkable is how often we human beings forget the simple truths that are so often fundamental to our well-being and success. Why people do not utilize the knowledge they possess is an interesting question to which I don't have the answer. Perhaps part of the answer lies in people's unwillingness to expend the mental energy required to understand the basics of a sitiuatuion they may find themselves in. When one does make a effort one often finds that the solution to a predicament often follows or better yet, keeps a person from falling into a predicament in the first place. Ultimaletly, with less predicaments, we have more time for contentment and pleasure in life.

So, in an effort to provide some simple insight I will begin cataloging some of those things that all should know but all tend to disregard at one time or another. I would be delighted if you would send in your items which you feel should be included in such a list.

My first entry is: If you are going to be far from a toilet for a while and you think you have to go, go.

Uncomfortable, embarrassing, all-consuming, and, oh yeah, very uncomfortable are some of the words that come to mind when you really have to go to the bathroom and one is not available. It is truly amazing how often we find ourselves in this situation even after our parents have warned us. Just think about it again for a moment before you get into a car for a ride that will take longer than fifteen minutes.

Extraforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Microdiscectomy

Click on this link to see the video of an endoscopic lumbar microdiscectomy I performed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV_EZgnCwTs. Hope you find it interesting. Please share your thoughts with me.

Doctors opt out of Medicare

Here is the youtube link to the piece I did for CNNMoney. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=428iqTWiFVY I would greatly appreciate your comments (thoughtfully articulated.)