TGIF Roundup

The sun is shining in Delfshaven. Bulbs are sprouting, and I'm thinking about spring cleaning (gulp).

In honor of the urge to feather a spring nest, here are a few links to welcome the season.

First, if a trip to Ikea is on anyone's list this weekend, check out ikea hacker.

Any site showing how to morph a Sniglar baby changer into a Blue Man Group-style instrument deserves a link on the blogrolls.

Are any areas of your hospital undergoing a facelift? Take a page from this California McDonalds, which incorporated feng shui elements designed by Dr. Chi-Jean Liu and Long Beach design firm JBI Industries Inc.

Speaking of California, if you'll be anywhere near Palo Alto Feb. 22nd-29th, check out the impressive Stanford Entrepreurship Week lineup. (Hat tip to Guy Kawasaki).

Programs include a free "Innovating For Health - BYOB (Bring Your Own Brain) Program" that will harness the wisdom of crowds to tackle pediatric obesity here. Innovating for Health kicks off a 3 day competition, with the winner announced at the Closing Ceremonies.

Oh, and remember not to be overly familiar with your patients...no first name basis unless you're invited, especially if you're a white male physician (sorry guys).

For bright, sparkling bathrooms: Use Tang to clean toilets. No really. Now wonder Muz's Famous Spiced Tea (equal parts Tang and powdered concentrated ice tea mix) makes my stomach hurt...

And if you have any umbrellas gutted by tough winter weather, the ingenious readers of ReadyMade Magazine provide ways to recycle those lollies here in this issue's MacGYVER challenge.

Luggage bent out of shape from last year's spring and summer conference rounds?

Use the next ReadyMade challenge as impetus to repurpose crushed carryons. Send photos or projects to: MacGyver Challenge, 817 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94710 or articles@readymademag.com. Deadline: March 17th.

And speaking of being bent out of shape, this episode is horrific.

Unless a subject is threatening the lives and wellbeing of those around him, dumping a person out of his/her wheelchair, or removing other mobility aids forcibly without providing medically adequate support, constitutes an inexcusable act of violence.

Even more worrisome is that this instance involves a Florida Sheriff's Deputy. Searching a perpetrator who is being booked is commonplace - the way in which this PD employee went about the search is (hopefully) anything but. Here's the video.

Rep. Steve Kagan wants to end discrimination in healthcare (or rather, managed care) - perhaps the good Congressman should look at other areas, including municipal services. Let's make sure each community has schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and other facilities that are fully handicapped accessible (I'm still amazed many hospitals haven't made all doors easy to open while using wheelchairs or crutches).

And finally, polish up that elevator speech.

If your employees are leaving, they're not leaving the job - they're bailing on a difficult manager. Here's how to increase employee commitment, by way of Harvard Business Online.

But in a hospital setting, does an excellent manager really make all the difference if you've just worked double shifts, seen so many patients each is a blur, and are fighting HMOs for reimbursement? You can ask the coach here: askthecoach@hbsp.harvard.edu.

Or you forget the article and just be the kind of boss who sets up a Facebook page to help fund a music therapy program, like the Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center's Healing Music app.

So what if it's only raised $360 so far? That's enough for a few more hours of healing music therapy for patients. It almost makes me regret deleting my little-used Facebook page.

Speaking of social networking, I was considering going to the movies with friends this weekend, but the real news is more entertaining.

If a chunk of space junk falls in that blooming garden early in March, don't blame the local PD.

You can, however, thank Uncle Sam for the new yard art, courtesy of NASA, the Joint Chiefs, and bus-sized satellite US 193, currently on a collision course with Earth.

Happy weekend all!