Those Who Can, Do. Those Who Can't, Blog.

9/17 Author's note:  This post has been edited/expanded upon after a Flu shot and a good night's sleep.

A number of people have asked me when I'm planning to resume regular blogging.  A few are a tad torqued-off that I've been gone for so long.

The simple answer is that what was originally conceived as an ordinary summer break will likely extend well into October.  Paraphrasing an old adage I despise (about teaching):

Those who can, do.  Those who can't blog.

Watching what's been going on the Greensboro blogosphere over the last several months . . . this after being cyber-stalked-and-brazenly-libeled online (with  some of Blogsboro's "finest" sneering, spitting and snickering as it was being done) . . . I am more convinced of that than ever.

If you want to be relevant, BE RELEVANT (this is aimed mostly at the so-called "journalists" in the crowd . . . knowing full well that it falls on smug, deaf ears).

I've been bitching/begging in this ether long enough, and I've decided to DO something about what was done to me (it's all the the sidebar, folks).  A page was turned a few weeks ago. I don't feel like getting into the details online.  But a page was turned.

It's taken a lot of time to get back to me.  I cannot believe how far away from me I got - just trying to survive.

As I write this, I'm watching the talking heads on the CBS Evening News wail and gnash their teeth about latest polls indicating that the American public is fed up with President Obama and Congress.

And I'm thinking that the American public just needs to get in line.

To explain, I reference excerpts from the President's September 8th speech to Congress pushing his latest "throw more money at it" plan to revamp the economy (like he re-vamped healthcare) and "create" more jobs:

These men and women grew up with faith in an America where hard work and responsibility paid off. They believed in a country where everyone gets a fair shake and does their fair share - where if you stepped up, did your job, and were loyal to your company, that loyalty would be rewarded with a decent salary and good benefits; maybe a raise once in awhile.

If you did the right thing, you could make it in America.

But for decades now, Americans . . . have seen the deck too often stacked against them. And they know that Washington hasn’t always put their interests first . . .

The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities. The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours . . .

But know this: the next election is fourteen months away. And the people who sent us here — the people who hired us to work for them — they don’t have the luxury of waiting fourteen months. Some of them are living week to week; paycheck to paycheck; even day to day. They need help, and they need it now.

Now I could pick that speech apart for hours.  Suffice it to say that in my own case, it's actually been thirteen years - long before any of the bubbles burst for the rest of the world. 

The National Health Servce Corps recruited me to a job that wasn't previously there . . . my medical school loans would be paid - with taxpayer dollars - in return for service.  And I did EVERYTHING I was supposed to do . . . and then some . . . trying to "make it work" (when I look back on some of it now, it does seem like a bad episode of Project Runway).  I met my obligations, and went far above & beyond in terms of my responsibilities as a physician. 

Yet for my trouble, I was professionally crucified.  When I needed the Feds to enforce the terms of their own service agreements, they took a dive, and let all of the lovely taxpayer dollars "invested" in my recruitment be flushed right down the toilet with nary a second glance. 

It wasn't just a job.  It was my life.  My career was totally derailed.  I didn't really have the luxury of waiting that long on the state and Federal governments I served - or the politicians in Raleigh/Washington (some of whom I voted for) to do right by me.

I know ALL about serving a company loyally and well only to be stabbed in the back.  I know ALL about living from week-to-week, paycheck-to-paycheck, even day-to-day.

I needed HELP, and I needed it the FIRST time I placed a phone call to Tom Tucker in the N.C. Office of Rural Health back in March 1998 . . . after the WAY-over-rated, now-WAY-overpaid corporate bullies running Randolph Hospital, cast me to the curb/gutters of my own hometown for doing my job the way it was supposed to be done . . .

. . . for, one-night-in-the-middle-of-the-night, answering a nurse's frantic call and taking on a Cone-owned (Hi Ed, feeling relevant yet?) doctor . . . his abilities falsely advertised to the public, and WAY out of his element. 

Mine is no odinary job, you see.  I am a doctor.  I have unique duties and special responsibilities - specifically defined by Oath and the North Carolina Medial Board.  I could have been sued into oblivion - or been disciplined by the Board - if I had not done what I did. 

Much more disturbing than that, a child might have died.

But in North Carolina, a "right-to-work" state, I might as well be Bev Perdue's limo driver.

Now Roch Smith, Jr, Googling the old news reports almost worthy of Ethan Feinsilver (hello Mr. Robinson, forgive me if I don't think we've come very far), will tell you that I was fired "without cause".  But that was just a damned lie that a "non-profit's" Board of Directors used to distance themselves from their own responsibitilies both to me - and to the citizens of Asheboro & Randolph County. 

I was fired for saving a life.  For reporting medical badness/blowing the whistle. 

What was done to me - under the cover of charity - was just WRONG.

But the deck was stacked from even before that awful night.  And what the North Carolina legal profession would subsequently do to me would be far worse.  No one played fair or met their responsibilities to me (especially not the local newspapers).  As Sam Spagnola will tell you, everybody lies in Court. 

Bad faith and perjury are no biggies.  Get over it.  Move on.

These days, I'm supposed to sit down and shut up (it's the progressive thing to do) as the Federal government gears up to throw more money at creating jobs . . . when it didn't do what it was supposed to do . . . what it very easily could have done all those years ago . . . to save mine.

Last but certainly not least, Jeff Martin (aka "Fec" the cyberstalker) thinks that me being PISSED OFF about everything that's gone down since I took a "non-profit" and the government at its word merits ridicule and a psychiatric diagnosis. 

His premise on the latter seems to be that he would know.

Reform has come and reform has gone, yet the holes I fell through as a doctor in public service have yet to be plugged.  I look at President Obama and I all I see is a tired, old recycled joke . . . because I've been hearing the same promises since the days of Hillary's village . . . since a good portion of the local blogging universe thought John Edwards was an up-and-coming superstar who would pave their way to a night in the Lincoln.  But nothing EVER changes.

It's not about the President's color, people.  It's about his policies.  Some of us and been there and done that.  It's like  a never-ending Groundhog day.  Wake up.  Grow up.

(PLEASE.  I'm begging you. Report me to "attackwatch.com".  Maybe then the White House will answer a letter.)

So.  I'm still working on doing . . . not blogging.  I spent way to much time on that.  It's not about politics.  It's about simple right and wrong.  And if I don't at least try, I will not be able to live with myself or continue in this profession.

Bottom line:  I'll be back when I get back.  My sincere thanks to those who care.

(You progressive Greensboro bloggers keep talking amongst yourselves.  I've decided it's just talk.)