1) My take is that the physician-only sites like Sermo and iMedExchange have fantastic, illuminating discussions that I read on a daily basis. Some of the gripes and stories relayed behind closed doors offer the most honest look at what’s wrong with health care today. Part of me wishes that the public would be invited to see what’s being said, so they can get a first-hand taste of what some of the bewildering and ridiculous issues physician face every day.

2) My take is that it’s hard not to be inspired by Barack Obama. He has an undeniable charisma and one of the best orators I’ve seen in awhile. I have read several conservative blogs experiencing “cognitive dissonance” when talking about Obama: they like listening to him, but disagree with many of his policies. As an independent (with admittedly conservative-leaning tendencies), I can understand where they’re coming from.

3) My take is that Obama has a point about individual health mandates. No point having them if the premiums are too high. Massachusetts is finding out that there still will be always be a subset of the population uninsured despite how hard you try to enforce the mandate.

4) My take is that the Super Bowl will be a blowout: New England 45, New York 14.

5) My take on the CBS piece last night about Carmelo Rodriguez, the 29-year old diagnosed with melanoma, was that it was emotionally devastating and blatantly one-sided. What the physicians did was inexcusable, but revoking the Feres Doctrine is going too far. As commenters have noted, it is difficult apply civilian physician rules to a wartime military environment. I also agree that if you could sue military and VA physicians, you will see a mass exodus of physicians, further worsening an already critical doctor shortage to treat the troops.