A really crazy idea

Yesterday, I was walking the streets of Oakland.
I marveled at the wasted potential of the crazy energy coursing the streets.

Well, I'd like to do something about it.

My goal is to provide something for Oakland youths to aim for: higher education, a decent salary, and a higher calling. I'd like to find the best and brightest, and pair them with a life-changing internship in some cool/prestigious institution. Also, I'd like to present them with an ipod.

Here's my crazy idea:
Have a contest with three categories: Academics, Performing arts, Static Art.
Each winner will get a trophy in the form of a customized ipod.
Additionally, the winner will get a fastrack to a valuable internship (which will hopefully pave the way to a great education and the career of their dreams).

This is all fairycake right now.
Before I talk to the schools, I'd like to assess what partners are available.
I'd like to gauge the interest and available partners they are willing to spare.
If I have to, I plan to buy the ipods out of pocket.

Tomorrow, I'm driving down to Stanford and Apple to learn about what's available.
If God permits, I'd also like to drop by IDEO as well.

Can't hurt to try right?

Thoughts on Oscar Grant

On Tuesday, I went to work to be surprised by the sight of a cardboard sign in the front window.
It had "We want Jutice!" scrawled in crayons in upper case letters.

All across Oakland, these signs adorn businesses...along with hastily erected plywood barriers, metal grilles, and police cars. It's a charm against looting, and a hope that windows will not be broken.

At the corner of 15th and Broadway, young African American men pass out posters demanding justice for Oscar Grant. They're decked in hoodies and camo pants.


While my condolences are with the young man's family, I think this is a big mess.
The police officer will be indited for manslaughter, not murder (no premeditated intent).
As a result, people will probably take to the streets.

As for me...I'm still coming in to take care of my patients.

First presentation

As a health care provider, I think that it's important to educate.

As per mom's suggestion, I'll be giving a talk to the neighborhood associate next Friday.
I've tentatively called it, "How to keep your smile."

In actuality, it'll be about keeping one's teeth for a very, very long time.

I'm a bit nervous.
I'm supposed to speak for a full hour.
My audience is ~50-60 years old, and I'm probably younger than most of their kids.
Also, the talk will be translated (thanks to mom).

Anyways, I've been preparing for the past week.
I'll be using some material from Bill Strupp, as well as the ADA, and Rose & Mealey.
I'll also have to find some way to make it fun.

Wish me luck!

AGD blog

I'm 26.
I hate fads.
I don't tweet; I don't AIM; and I barely blog.

However, I do appreciate good writing.

I recently chanced upon the AGD blog.
It's pretty good. In many ways, it's what I'd like my blog to become.

AGD is the Academy of General Dentistry.
It focuses on function, and not flash.

I'll be looking into getting AGD and AACD certified in the next couple years.

Anyways, I'll update about my recent experience with Bill Strupp after I get more coffee.

Late night musings

I've been thinking about what it means to be a dentist.

It's almost been a year since I've graduated dental school.
I've gotten a lot faster. I've gotten better. I've gotten older.

In some ways, I've become disillusioned with dentistry.
Dentistry is a business, and I'm not a good businessman.
Between the profit and the patient, I'll choose the patient's welfare.

In other ways, I know that I have a long ways to go.
It's humbling to see an ideal molar root canal in thirty minutes, when it takes me five hours.
It's humbling to see preparations that look machined.
It's humbling to think of the stupid mistakes that I've made.

Likewise, it's frightening to think of all the really bad dentistry that I've seen this past year.
I've seen a lot of teeth butchered that were perfectly fine.
I've seen patients triple-booked because the head dentist doesn't expect his patients to come...all the time...every time a wait of forty-five minutes..

From here on out is my real education.
I'll continue to seek out the best dentists in the SF Bay Area.
I'll try to apprentice under them.
I'll listen. I'll watch. I'll try to steal some portion of their mastery.

In this past year, much has changed.
However, my desire is still to be a dentist worthy of my patients.

Drill, fill, mill, and a shoe

The highlight of today was drawing a shoe.

Today, I did a working interview at a dental mill.
For professional reasons, I won't say where or who.
The staff was super nice, and the patients weren't too bad.

However, I wasn't too happy to see patients triple booked.

Don't get me wrong.
I love working fast.
I actually finished all the patients early, despite being triple booked.

However, I don't think that it's respectful to force your patients to wait so long.

I probably won't work at this place unless they offer me a really large amount of money.
I don't feel that this place allows me to be properly equipped to provide the quality of work my patients deserve.

Anyways, I'll post the shoe picture later.
I think that it turned out rather nice.

I need to go running, and get rid of all the bad karma now.

-Matt

ps. I think that I have the exact same vocal range as Alex Wong from the Paper Raincoats. His song "In the Creases" will be the very first song that I'll cover...ever.

pps. I think that I might get a Staufferesque guitar from the Viennese school as my main axe. I've recently become quite dissatisfied with the really great sounding instruments that I've made so far...

Drawing pastries

Friday, I enjoyed a rare moment of serendipity.

In my attempts to avoid thinking about dentistry, I went to the beach and tried reading "The Innovator's Dilemma." I had some good orange juice from Trader Joe's, really good Irish cheese, and a really stale bread roll.

I mention tried because the wind had other ideas.
The sun was nice, the wind whipped the sand through my pages.
Kids were playing volleyball on the side.
Kites were in the horizon, pulling surfers over kind waves.

It was too damned beautiful.
And I said, "Dear God, I really am blessed. Thank you."
And started drawing.



Sunday, today, I had another moment of serendipity.

For some reason, I bought a Milk French from Anderson Bakery.
As I contemplated eating it, I found myself fascinated with the subtle grooves and beauty in it.
I started drawing...and got a bit carried away.


After eating it and reverse engineering the recipe, I headed back for a binge of pastry.

The staff had a rather bemused look.
I think that they rather liked it, because they let me continue drawing.
As thanks, I gave Amy (a lass with a nice smile) a drawing of their saffron swirl danish.

After the asiatic sea salt sourdough, I decided to stop...

Yes, I'm a total dork...

-Matt