April Frenzy

Before the school year ended last March, I've been anticipating the start of summer and planning so many things to do and places to go. The reason? It's because this is going to be the "last free summer" of my life. I may be over reacting but it's true. Imagine that since I started going to school 2 decades ago, every April and May means no schoolwork, no studying for exams, maybe a little bit more of house chores, and a lot more time for TV, books, movies, beach, shopping and places to travel. And let's not forget that it is also at this time of the year that my alarm clocks get to rest. :D

So what now? Well, after this summer, when another school year starts, I'll be in the 3rd year of medical school and after that, the 4th year would start almost right after the 3rd one....almost immediately, like April 1. So, depending on what date this school year would finish, I would at least have a week of vacation, 2 at the most, before starting junior internship of medical school. Yeah, right....like I would really enjoy that 1 week of school break. And so, that starts my year-round of hospital duties, and once you're in, there's no going out...unless you drop out altogether.

But I have resigned myself to this job no matter how much I may whine about it. The truth is, it wasn't only last March that I have anticipated the summer vacation. In fact, I've been planning since June of last year. And of all the plans that I have initially laid out, only one didn't played out. My trip to Bicol with fellow classmates for some wakeboarding fun. I was a bit depressed. I've been saving up for this. It wasn't even my idea in the first place but Aileen's. We've been recruiting our other classmates to join us and as of February, we were 4. I was almost willing even when there's only the two of us but alas, Aileen bailed out on me on the second week of April due to financial reasons.

And so hopefully, before we graduate, we can finally put that plan to reality. I was so looking forward to try wakeboarding.

And for my other summer travels so far (summer ain't over yet)....well, that's for my future entries!

about time...

Well, it's been more than 2 weeks since the last day of classes (18 days to be exact), but this is only the time that I've chosen to update my blog. It's not that I was busy, nor unable to get hold of the pc and the internet. It's just that I haven't really given this much of a priority in my to-do list this summer.

So what's even the point of this entry?

At first, I thought of explaining why in the world did I choose this title for my blog...but then, that would be too simple. I love anime shows (though I haven't got much time to watch it anymore) and I've been told many times that I'm some kind of an animated person (Sheena once told me after meeting my mother "now I know where you got it from")...okaaayyyy.

And before I could get hold of another topic, here comes Paulo inviting me to a game of word racer (a game (singular) which would actually stretch to many) and then before I knew it, more than an hour has past, and now I'm too sleepy to continue my train of thought (crashed more like). So, there goes my latest update

Happy April Fools'

euthanasia

1. A doctor, a radiologist, had a terrible skin cancer. Parts of his body had been removed because of his cancer. He was blind and in pain. More surgery and more pain awaited the patient. This doctor asked his brother to kill him. One day, his brother got drunk, went to his room and shot him.
a) What type of euthanasia was this?
b) Would you have done the same?
c) Do you approve of the means employed?
d) Evaluate the above situation in light of ethical theories.

In the above situation, the euthanasia employed was an active voluntary euthanasia because it was the patient's desire to be killed. Given the situation, with the patient suffering as he is and I'm his brother, I would like to be kind enough to him and free him from his suffering. However, I don't approve of the means employed by the brother. If I had been in his shoes, I would have employed a subtler way of ending my brother's pain and suffering. It does not necessarily mean ending his life because maybe there would be a strong enough pain reliever that could be given to him. Since the patient is also a doctor, then he would also know of the possible medications that could be given to him to relieve his pain which, however, could also compromise his respiratory function and thereby slimming his chances of survival. Knowing that he also wishes to die, if he approves of these pain relievers, then I would then give my consent and let him be allowed to die. In the light of ethical theories, what I would have wanted for the patient may be considered a double effect principle because my primary concern is to alleviate the pain and in doing so, compromise the respiratory function of the patient. Situation ethics is also applicable because for me, I think the situation really warrants this kind of action on the patient since he is in so much pain already that it would really be better to die than to continue on living. I also believe that it is best to die happy so in terms of Rawl's ethical principle of justice, to serve the individual's happiness would mean to alleviate the patient's suffering, even if it means ending his life. To continue his life full of suffering and unhappiness would be unjust to him.

2. Jane Adkins had Alzheimer's disease and did not want to go through the disease. She went to Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who is in favor of euthanasia. This doctor gave euthanasia with lethal injections but the patient herself pushes the button to start the procedure.
a) What type of euthanasia is used?
b) Would you have made the same decision?

This type of euthanasia is an active type of euthanasia which is self induced, because the patient herself wanted the euthanasia and even when the patient was assisted by a doctor who provided the lethal injections, the patient herself pushed the button that would start the euthanizing process, thus ending her life. No, I won't make the same decision as Jane Adkins had because not going through the disease of Alzheimer's is like giving up without even standing up to fight. Going to this doctor who was nicknamed "Doctor of Death" is like squirming your way out of life's problems. As a doctor, it would be so hard to make a decision of terminating the life of your patients, even if they themselves want it. As Dr. Kevorkian has said in his defense, he is not a doctor of death but a "liberator of the patient's suffering". I guess it all depends of the situation, and how severe the suffering of the patients are, and whether ending their life seems to be the best option. I'm more or less a follower of situation ethics because every decision really depends upon the given case. Each decision should be made on a case-to-case basis and not fixed. In this patient, I'm not in favor of giving her euthanasia because there are better options to cope with this disease rather than ending her life.

Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)

The Spice Girls were the biggest girl band of the mid-90s, around the time I was a mere preteen going to the early teens. Whoever have not heard this name in one way or another must have come from a whole different universe. Really! They were the biggest group of popstars that everybody adores. Their music was the anthem and their dance moves were imitated in every school program I could remember back then. But after 2 explosive albums and even a movie, they disbanded. Sad but true. I think it was around 1998 that fans went in mourning the world throughout because Geri Halliwell a.k.a Ginger Spice left the group and made out for a solo career. The remaining four, Mel C (Sporty Spice), Emma Bunton (Baby Spice), Mel B (Scary Spice) and Victoria Adams-Beckham (Posh Spice) continued on with the group, although each carried on with their own solo careers later on. Music videos from both camps showed the severance from each other....who could forget Geri's video "Look at me" with a depiction of Ginger's death? And the quartet's "Goodbye" and "Let love lead the way" could only mean sending off Geri with their love.

Fast forward to nine years later, mid 2007, headlines blared that the Spice Girls are reuniting and going on a world wide tour. I could just cry. I guess my blog entry's several months late in keeping with the hot topic but hey, I always didn't have the luxury of time to blog and think of great topics to post. But I few hours ago I saw on TV their first public performance before kicking off their tour, and that was when they performed at the Victoria's Secret fashion show. I almost cried. Call me whatever but it's really like meeting an old friend whom you haven't seen in years. It's good that their back. And I guess their new song tells it all--friendship never really does end!

assignment # 9

Differentiate state paternalism from personal paternalism.

State Paternalism refers to certain actions of the state or government in which they act in a "fatherly" manner towards the citizens even without consent or even to the unwillingness of the citizen. In line with this are paternalistic legistation that are made for the benefit of the people, for their own good and even to protect them against themselves. These include the following: riding a motorcycle without a helmet, gambling, homosexual sodomy, prostitution, polygamy, making and selling pornography, selling and using marijuana, practicing certain professions without a license (law, medicine, education, massage, hair-styling), purchasing blood or organs, suicide, assisting suicide, swimming at a beach without a lifeguard, refusing to participate in a mandatory insurance or pension plan. Paternalism protects people from themselves, as if their safety were more important than their liberty. (ref: http://www.earlham.edu/~peters/writing/paternal.htm)
Soft Paternalism is a political philosophy that believes that the state can “help you make the choices you would make for yourself".

Personal Paternalism refers to your own paternalistic actions over your loved ones, like a father-figure to your younger siblings and making important decisions in behalf of them, especially if they are still underaged.