I love OS!!!!!

First, let me say "thanks" to all who made the OS Party in Oklahoma City a smashing success! When we planned it a month ago, our expectations were pretty low. Never would we have predicted such a huge turn out! 

I saw lots of people from the… Read full post »

I love my Mom. She’s 70-years old, and she’s the best mother in the world. When I was growing up, she fed me well, took care of me when I was sick, and paid for fourteen years of piano lessons. 

Three years ago, when my father died, I star… Read full post »

Today is a very special "foodie" Tuesday. 

I'm here with my good friend and master chef, Vinh Dang Nguyen. Vinh is the inspiration behind Do An Cho, the most popular Vietnamese restaurant in central Oklahoma. If you want to dine here, you'd better make your res/… Read full post »

I'm a general internist. I've been practicing medicine at the OU Health Sciences Center for seventeen years. Readers of my blog know that I support the Obama Health Plan. 

Eager to know if my patients are similarly enthusiastic about the plan, I decided to… Read full post »

When I joined Open Salon, I swore -- I swore -- I would never do an animal post. That promise ended last night when I watched the dazzling inaugural episode of So You Think You Can Dance: Animal Edition. 

The new dance show on FOX comes on the heels of the highly successful… Read full post »

Is it any surprise that Switzerland has, arguably, the world's finest health care system?  Would you expect any less from a nation where the air is crisp, the streets are clean, and the trains run on time?

Read full post »

Susan and I have been married for thirteen years. I've learned a lot about marriage in those years. Specifically, I've learned the three "keys" to a successful marriage:   

• Apologize when you make a mistake
• Make amends
• Communicate, communicate,/
… Read full post »

  Environmentalism is a daunting preoccupation:

• Global warming threatens the planet
• Pollution threatens our health
• Dependance on foreign oil threatens our economy and our national security

So we recycle, plant trees, and use public transportation. But w… Read full post »

Air travel is complicated. There are many regulations. The worst involve carry-on luggage. Nowadays all toiletries (liquids, gels, and creams) must be kept in 3-ounce containers and transported in a clear, plastic, zip-top bag. 

Last week,&… Read full post »

May this day --

and every day --

bring peace, love, and joy

to you and your family. Read full post »

I'm a selfish bastard.

When I joined Open Salon six months ago, I found literary freedom. No one questioned my choice of topics. No one restricted my hours. No one limited my space. No one charged me a red cent for the expensive techno/… Read full post »

I apologize for taking so long to report on the meet-up in Las Vegas. I've been busy and haven't had much time to write. Fortunately, my fellow OSers have done a good job of describing the affair. I'm sure they'll post more details late… Read full post »

I'm a news junkie. For me, happiness is sitting in a La-Z-Boy watching the pundits talk politics. My favorite show is Meet the Press. I started watching it when Tim Russert was host. He was the best of the best! I was devastated when he died, but I kept watching the… Read full post »

America has a rich musical heritage.

Consider the adaptations of Protestant hymns -- the Negro spirituals -- that gave birth to blues, jazz, and gospel.  Consider "pop" music, beginning with Tin Pan Alley and ragtime luminaries like Scott Joplin. Consider… Read full post »

The Oklahoman is my local newspaper. I read it every morning. It tells me everything I need to know about the world, or at least that part of the world located between Norman and Edmond, Oklahoma. (For news elsewhere, I rely on e-mails). 

Yesterday, I was finishing… Read full post »

nancy. clean. foodfoodfoodfoodfood. teeth WHITE!!!!!!!! i love kaysong. happy. stayinbedstayinbed. i love kaysong sexy men. happy. FOOD.  i control kaysong. nancy clean. i control sexy men. i click. i click on sexy men. all d… Read full post »

 

2005 Gold Medalist, Alexander Kobrin 

The 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition will begin on May 22 in Fort Worth, Texas. Described by the Chicago Tribune as "the most prestigious classical piano contest in the world," the Cliburn, which began in 1962 and is held… Read full post »

I love to travel, and so does my wife, Susan. We don't get away often, but when we do, we have a blast!

Last Saturday, we went to Bartlesville. Susan loves architecture, and for years she's wanted to visit Bartlesville's crown jewel -- the Price Tower, Frank L… Read full post »

Claude Renoir Painting by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I love French culture. Consequently, I cannot allow Bastille Day (July 14) to pass without a tribute to France.

The French are greatly misunderstood. Too often Americans travel to Paris for a week, meet a few rude people, a… Read full post »

When I joined Open Salon eight months ago, I read poetry and political commentary. Times have changed. OS is now saturated with sexual content. It's a shame. What began as a unique and intriguing online journal has turned into a prurient tab… Read full post »

First, let me apologize for being away from OS. I was on vacation in Fort Lauderdale – and what a splendid vacation it was! No electronic connections – just sun, sand, and surf! And now that I'm refreshed and back in Oklahoma City, I'm cat… Read full post »

Today we celebrate the birthday of one of the great composers of the 20th century -- Sergei Prokofiev.

Born in 1891 on a rural estate in the Ukraine, Prokofiev wrote his first piano piece when he was five and his first opera when he was nine. In… Read full post »

In the U.S., there are five infectious diseases that are diagnosed principally by examining blood under a microscope: babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, relapsing fever, malaria, and Chagas' disease.

Details of these diseases appear here. Pictures of the organisms appear below.

Babes… Read full post »

I'm a sophisticated writer, so I avoid clichés like the plague. For all intents and purposes, clichés go hand-in-hand with a lazy mind. Fortunately, most are as plain as the nose on your face and therefore easy to avoid.

When I was in school, my teache… Read full post »

Susan's list is short today.  I'll be out of Walmart in no time. 

1. Broccoli spears, 2 bags (spears, not chopped)

2. Pinto beans with bacon, 3 cans

3. 6-piece towel set, stone color

4. Bra, medium, Platex.

… Read full post »