Saturday, September 30, 2006

What is David Cameron doing?

What is David Cameron doing?  Or should I say, David "Webcameron"?

The leader of the conservative party recently launched a blog cheesily named Webcameron.  It appears this is what he believes will get through to disaffected members of the public who don't know who to vote for or don't care enough to vote.  The blog is peppered, even in its first days, with short clips of Dave talking, washing up, talking, feeding his kids, and talking.  I have watched the videos and I must congratulate Dave on appearing as normal as he can whilst avoiding the statesman image.
He clearly wants to be everyone's mate.  But is this a good thing?

I personally think its a cynical marketing ploy by the conservative party and I find Dave, despite his obvious warmth and good-humour, simpering and irritating.  Just watching the clip of him at the sink for a second time, and you can sense the loose scripting and staging that went into this scene.  Why is he introducing Webcameron whilst washing up?  To appear as normal as possible, I am sure, and yet this just removes him further from the people he wants to vote for him.  He is trying, so desparately hard, to look like a dad, a pal, and a funny-guy, but in trying, all he achieves is a simulation of these aspects he believes he has.  Of course, he is a dad, and he probably does have some friends, and maybe some times people laugh at his jokes instead of his ridiculous forehead, but first and foremost, in the eyes of the British public, he is the leader of the conservative party.  This blog thing he is trying, quaint and quasi-democratic as it is, can't work, at least not in its current form.  I don't want to watch Dave taking a shit whilst absent mindedly chatting about nuclear power or masturbating furiously whilst harping on about the days under Thatcher.

Politicians aren't normal, and simulating normality whilst preaching your policies is nauseating.  I don't want to be patronised but instead want our politicians challenged in open forums about their policies and views.  Blogs, as we all know, are inherently biased due to the intent behind their existence.  Dave's blog is a vote making machine and little more, so try not to get roped in by this modern twist on a tired and cynical theme.

I won't be happy until I have seen him mime along to the theme to Titanic on Youtube, all done up like Celine Dion, forehead glistening, then he'll get my vote.

Monday, September 18, 2006

easier to make mistakes

Student Doctors.

That is how me and my fellow medics, or should I say, my colleagues and I, are known now.  We have also been described as young professionals!

The day we were told this was probably the start of the rest of my life, a watershed moment if you will, where it suddenly dawned on me what is actually going to be involved in this career known as Medicine.

Before long, the enagaging and capable staff at Hope Hospital were detailing our new responsibilities as Student Doctors.  We are supposed to know stuff now, and will soon be moving about the wards taking histories, performing physical examinations and generally getting in everyone's way in order to advance our career.

I guess, in some ways, I was getting a little anxious about this, being treated like actual Doctors and all, so in some ways it was a relief to see that, at Hope at least, the 3rd year medics' NHS badges state that we are Medical Students.  It will be easier to make mistakes and learn from them with a badge that says Medical Student; I think people expect great things when they see the word Doctor on your person.

As cool as it would have been to have an ID that said Student Doctor, I feel like I have space to learn.  My clinical experience at the moment is essentially nil, so it would be very presumptuous and highly inaccurate to describe myself as any sort of doctor.  That said however, before long I will be doing a lot of what junior doctors do, albeit poorly and with massive inexperience, but taking histories, drawing blood, suturing wounds, and examining patients all the same.  It is going to be a rollercoaster of a life experience, and if the last week is anything to go by, I am going to be a very busy and very tired young chap indeed, but it's gonna taste great!

Expect a little more on this ride of mine as time goes by.  Confidentiality is going to make it hard to give you all the gory details, but I shall use my discretion and artistic license.

Essentially fatigued but utterly happy, I bid you all adieu.